FMP: Continuing On My Own Discussion *Spoilers*

[KashimArbalestAS]

And we know the Testarossa's traveled quite a bit because of her father being a U.S. submarine captain, because somewhere out there, it's mentioned that Tessa learned Japanese when she stayed at Okinawa, where I think her father was posted there. That's also when she got used to Japanese style baths, and picked her favorite drink. Also why she was delighted to hear that the class trip to Okinawa was heading there, not knowing the Shun On incident would happen.

[Weltall Elite]

I hate Leo too - but to me, it's kinda complicated, though I must say I find him very annoying. It seems as if he's getting far too much out of far too little.

Gaurons actions were big, elaborate, and for the most part, had a stroke of mad genious to them, in that they were very hard to see through.

Leo's actions are subtle, predictable, and generally not that dangerous at all, yet he's seemingly causing far more damage.

That's pissing me off - in that last verbal arugement he showed the grace of a sloth, it was so easy to see through, yet he got away with it, and got what he really wanted (a shadow between K&S)...

I very much want to see him roast not only for his actions, but also for his...success dispite is utter lack of elegance.

Well, that's an interesting perspective. Interestingly enough, it was obvious enough to all the rest of us to piss us off, but for some stupid reason, it made perfect sense to Kaname. Or maybe that scene was meant to mislead us and we'll find out we've all been played for fools in a later scene. It would seem to me that at this point in their relationship, Kaname would be past that shock that Sousuke had killed people. I mean, she'd seen him do it at least a few times herself. And when Leonard was talking crap about him on the rooftops, she defended him there. Why not now? That didn't really add up to me, but I let it go because I could see how it was being used to complicate the plot.

Anyway, she's agreed to go with Sousuke to Merida Island, so I doubt she suddenly doesn't feel safe around him anymore. I'll wait to see how the plot develops before I pass judgement on that.

[PookaKitten]

It would seem to me that at this point in their relationship, Kaname would be past that shock that Sousuke had killed people. I mean, she'd seen him do it at least a few times herself. And when Leonard was talking crap about him on the rooftops, she defended him there. Why not now?

My take on that is yes, she knows and has seen Sousuke kill people. Being given a number, however, might have made her take a step back in shock. In addition, the times she saw him kill (Shun On and on the TDD), he was doing it to protect her and his friends and comrades. If memory serves, Leonard implied the deaths were in cold blood, for money, not survival. Those are two totally different circumstances and the thought he'd kill her if his superiors give him orders to do so could also put her in mental shock. It wasn't she was shocked at him killing people, but either at being given a number or it being pointed out explicitly he's a mercenary.

Leonard probably didn't expect Kaname to choose Amalgam on his say so that Mithril could not protect her. (Well, he is arrogant enough that he could have thought he could persuade her...) I'd say the conversation was to throw her off balance and to insert the sliver of doubt about how much she could trust Sousuke and Mithril to protect her. The thought that he and Mithril could not protect Kaname would throw Sousuke off balance, enough that his self doubts could cause him to fail at his duty.

Leonard also probably underestimates Kaname's implicit trust of Sousuke and vice versa. S&K have been through several life and death situations together and only survived because of each other. In Shun On, Sousuke rescued her from Gauron's associates and she guided him to successfully using the lambda driver. Ditto for the Behemoth. In the sub-jacking arc, Sousuke saved the TDD with her aid. They both know they need the other for "optimum efficiency" as Sousuke would say. In addition, from those events, there's a deep, unspoken emotional bond. Kaname knows that the only thing that will stop Sousuke from protecting her would be his death. To Sousuke, Kaname is the most important person in his life. She's probably the only person that ever put herself in danger because of him like she did when she coerced Wraith into taking her to Hong Kong. Leonard's words can't break these bonds. It's as simple as that.

Samantha

[Pyrite]

Goose: 'Ey, where'ya been?

KA-AS: About Sousuke's traps in the apartment - wouldn't Kaname know? I mean, if she wasn't aware that her house had been rigged up, there wouldn't have been anything to stop her from blundering into a trap or two. As for Leonard, I say that Whispered power is the new deus ex machina: it does everything except attract women. (Seriously, though, I wouldn't have put it past him to actually disarm one or two traps on the way in, because I doubt he teleports.)

[Weltall Elite]

My take on that is yes, she knows and has seen Sousuke kill people. Being given a number, however, might have made her take a step back in shock. In addition, the times she saw him kill (Shun On and on the TDD), he was doing it to protect her and his friends and comrades. If memory serves, Leonard implied the deaths were in cold blood, for money, not survival. Those are two totally different circumstances and the thought he'd kill her if his superiors give him orders to do so could also put her in mental shock. It wasn't she was shocked at him killing people, but either at being given a number or it being pointed out explicitly he's a mercenary.

Maybe, but I still have a hard time buying it. She knew what he's been doing for his entire life. She knew he was a mercenary. She knew he was paid to do what he did. If he'd killed 100 civilians, I could understand the shock, but she full well understands the circumstances under which he's done what he's done. You can't compare a soldier who fights terrorists on the same level as a mass murderer. Being swayed by just the numbers is very petty IMO.

As for Leonard implying why Sousuke killed people, he has never given any indication regarding the types of people Sousuke's killed or his motives. In fact, when Kaname defended Sousuke's reason in ODbD, Leonard said something along the lines of the reason not mattering and that killing is still killing and that Sousuke had done a lot of it.

But that's just more of his mind games. Again, comparing a soldier to a terrorist isn't a fair comparison.

Anyway, I just think that Gatou needed to put a little more work into making Leonard cast doubt on Sousuke for Kaname more believable.

I agree with the rest of what you say for the most part. I'm sure Leonard's purpose was to try to put some doubt between them. I just think that he shouldn't have been able to succeed so easily.

[KashimArbalestAS]

Well, look at Sousuke. Would he want to trouble Kaname about where his traps would be, and disrupt her daily life? I don't think he would want to do that, so he placed them in clandestine locations that wouldn't be a problem to Chidori, but would be somehow effective against intruders.

You know, if Leonard was somehow cooler, a fighter, and not so deep into that gentlemen thing, everybody would have a higher opinon of him. Though [ecs]he does defeat the Arbalest and Sousuke, so there is obviously a lot more to him than meets the eye.[/ecs]

[AEmer]

...well...Leonards clutzy verbal abuse could be taken as a sign that he's confident, because the words are going from him to Kaname.

It could be taken as a sign that he's a player who wishes to test just how far he's already swayed Kaname towards buying his bullshits. Like a sort of testing how secure the ice is before really stepping on to it...this time, it would seem the ice's thick enought hat you can roll a tank onto it.

Real players actually do these things to collect information, but I'm not entirely sure this is what Leonard is actually doing...

The other option is that Gatou wants Leonard to come off as a smoothtalker who's able to lay out a plan ahead of time and play anybody for a fool - if that's the case, then he's failed, imo atleast.

Personally, I'm hoping for the first, but knowing Gatou, I'm not expecting it.

[KashimArbalestAS]

I'm not sure what Gatoh has planned for Leonard, but I think Leonard is pulling all his tricks in order to get Kaname. He wants her, and only her. He said about her being rare since she's a fighter and is resilient, even to him. That's one big reason, I guess he just doesn't get attracted by "doormat girls." I don't know why either why he just left without Kaname, 2 Arastol units could have easily finished off even Sousuke, or at the least kept him too busy to interfere. But like Leonard said, he didn't think Kaname would like blood shed in her place, so he was taking her in consideration, and also try to flirt with her, showing he somehow cares more about Kaname than Sousuke, who tried shooting him. I wonder what his steps he conjured in his mind to penetrate Leonard's enigmatic cloak.

[RADRAD]

Curse my inability to edit posts.

I do like how Leonard's trying to sabotage Sousuke's profile. Yep, this is gonna be interesting.

[Wild Goose]

Leonard must die. That ass.

So, he's a pretty boy and all....

I like how Sousuke was analyzing how to defeat his coat: "Okay, pistol bullets won't work, that means rifles won;t as well.... grenandes? Shrapnel?" ^^

Step on him with Arbalest, dude.

[KashimArbalestAS]

I'm not sure if there was already a post about this or not, but is the [ecs]Portsmouth where Tessa and Leonard's parents lay at rest, a Portsmouth in New Hampshire? I don't think this was ever said in the novel, or also exactly where Tessa and Leonard lived when their parent's were still alive and they lived together. From what I gather, Tessa and her family used to live in the north eastern part of the United States. So there would be a greater chance that their resting place is also near where Tessa used to live. I tried doing some research on this, and I think it's most likely in New Hampshire because as said before, Tessa grew up in the north eastern part of the U.S., and in the novel it says that "The cold North Atlantic wind stung her cheeks", when she was at the cemetary. New Hampshire is pretty high up for the cold wind, and Portsmouth seems pretty close to the Atlantic. It's just what I'm interested in, I live in New Jersey, also on the east coast. There's also a Portsmouth in Virginia, but since that's below my location, it should be warmer than here, and a lot different than New Hampshire. I know there could be quite a few places on the east coast called Portsmouth, but the one in New Hampshire seems more well known than others, and I don't think Gatoh would be researching for small towns on the east coast for a location of the Testarossa's cemetary, since him being in Japan, so it seems a ideal place putting this into consideration. Gatoh shows his pretty good skills in describing places outside Japan, like Hong Kong, and the cultures and languages.[/ecs]

[Chief Petty Officer Klerk]

Need more COMO! Must have more COMO...*twitch*

great novel so far. Keep up the good work Comrade Translators.

[AEmer]

IRT KashinArbalastAS

I believe that, in the afterword to the novel's odbd and dvmc, gatoh describes how he's been on trips to do 'research' for his books, snapping pictures from all over to give to shikidouji, for the illustrations (he mentions a trip to hong kong and one aboard a cruise ship, specificall)...

It would be interesting to do a little more research as to where he's been to gather information, but I wouldn't be surprised if he'd been on a personal trip to the us at some point or another and relies upon photographies and his own memories of that in order to depicts such a scene.
But, on the other hand, maybe he just found a good travel guide...there are probably a staggering amount of those available to the japanese.

[sj4iy]

I believe they're buried in Portsmouth, England.

[Tulip Baroo]

Really?!? That's great to know! I wonder if he ever went there? (it's just good because its in my corner of the country- it's not often you get SE England in anime/ manga )

The following discussion of Tessa was moved to this thread -J