IC Contact post for Mask or Menace

[dun_moch]

"You have reached Count Dooku. I regret that I am unavailable to answer your hail. Kindly leave a message, and I shall respond at the earliest opportunity."

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Comments

[dirtyredneck]

Ain't about what I'm capable of. It's about what he decided to throw at me in the first twenty minutes ta figure out what I'm capable of. Throwing a kid into water ta teach 'em to swim works fine if it's shallow and you got people around to jump in and save 'em if they don't. Throwing a kid in when it's ten feet deep and it's full of acid, don't do nothin' but damage 'em. If they's luck enough to survive ta get out.

[Daryl's glare doesn't lessen and his anger rises, though outwardly his tone cools to something that sounds less outright hostile. Images of the session, him pulling a few more knives off the table only to be met with Mars gaining two arms and bringing out a lightsaber to compensate skittered around like he was considering bringing it up. Ultimately, he decided to leave those details for the time being.]

Point is, you don't test someone you barely seen do anything with excessive force right off the bat. You work up to it. If he'd met me with two knives, that's one thing. But two fucking swords? And the whirlwind thing he does when he spins his hands? Ain't about to step inta the path of a walking blender for a what shoulda been goddamn training session.

[dun_moch]

[All of this seems sensible enough to Dooku, and he accepts it with a nod. One day they will have enough resources to casually cull the weak during training, but that day is not yet here.]

I see. Mars always has been one of the most... aggressive warriors I have known. I will pass on your concerns, Daryl.

[But what really interests the Count is that he can sense in the Dark Side that Dixon is choosing to hold something back. Which leads to the testing follow-up:]

Is that all that transpired during your encounter?

[dirtyredneck]

Yeah, well, bein' someone ready to take heads don't make him good at trainin' no one. Shouldn't be the person you toss someone at to learn things from. Ain't gonna do no good if they're dead 'cause he don't know how ta hold back.

[Daryl avoided eye contact at the question and took a moment to drink his own tea. Shifted a bit in his seat before giving a one-shouldered shrug. And, continuing to avoid that eye contact, gave a dismissive snort.]

Nothin' worth talkin' about.

[dun_moch]

Is that so.

[Dooku stares hard at Daryl, his eyes dark and penetrating.]

I will take your... Input under advisement, then. But the training will continue. Not all of Mars' students have fared as poorly as you.

[Aside from that guy who got his hand cut off, but whatever, that's just Adachi.]

[dirtyredneck]

Ain't his student.

[The words come out terse and the anger inside flares a bit before he can get control of it again.]

And he ain't a teacher. Find someone else to fill that position. Gotta be someone.

[dun_moch]

[The corner of the Count's mouth twitches.]

Are you perhaps volunteering for the role?

[dirtyredneck]

[Wasn't like he hadn't already been teaching Hermann how to shoot, but... Daryl shifted a little uncomfortably, looking down at his cup and shrugging with one shoulder.]

I guess. Maybe. Ain't got a lot of free time ta just do it on the fly, though.

[dun_moch]

[The Count spreads his hands, as though helpless.]

Surely you do not expect Mars to be cast out of his role without a replacement at hand, do you?

[dirtyredneck]

Hell yeah.

[Daryl's head lifted and he looked at Dooku like the man was crazy to even consider keeping Mars around in that role regardless of the need to have a trainer.]

We can hire the fuck out if we need to. No one questions an imPort wanting to learn to fight. Trainers don't gotta be one of ours long as they get paid. Plenty of people better suited to it than that asshole you got doing it now.

[dun_moch]

[The Count frowns.]

You may hire whoever you wish for your own training. But our organization will not entrust such a function solely to an outsider. That is my final word on this topic, Daryl.

[He's happy to shove Grievous under the bus in the right situation... but this isn't it.

[dirtyredneck]

He ain't a good trainer.

[He stood and pushed himself away from the table, pissed off that Dooku was being blind about it.]

Find someone else.

[He walked off before Dooku could respond in a low enough voice to not be heard by anyone around them. He didn't want to hear more. Just wanted his words to be the last ones even if it was nothing more than a Pyrrhic victory.]