Brotherly Love [Private/Ask to Join] [Location: Nagano, Japan]

He chuckled lightly, shrugging and nodding at her dismissal of the design. He hadn't really put too much thought into the color of all things. Both were equally as important, but the design always seemed more important, as, to him, that was what defined the outfit.

However, he wasn't expecting her to ask about his studies in Wulin. Catching him off-guard, Vanyel kept quiet for a minute, humming to himself as he pondered it. He hadn't properly studied a lot about Wulin in a while, not since the end of his time in the yakuza. He had developed his own martial art during that time, Dragon Dancing, or alternatively, Dragon Style.

"I'd say I studied a bit of stuff. I learned Taijiquan when I was younger, and some of the culture of Wulin, along with some basic stuff. But, as kids do, I got attached to Chinese myths really damn quick. Aside from that, I didn't really think much of where it came from, especially after...I ran away."

He paused for a moment, finding himself a seat and sitting down himself.

"I did end up developing my own personal martial art style, based on and inspired by dragon dancing and Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, with some sprinkling of Southern Dragon Style, too."

He rubbed the back of his neck as he finished. He felt awkward, being so disconnected and unaware of his heritage and culture, or, at least his former culture. Life kinda threw him for a loop, with gut punch after gut punch, and even the occasional kick to the delicate area.

"Nowadays though, especially with how I am now, I haven't really had the ability or reason to continue learning. It'd just go to waste on a demon. I still appreciate Wulin, but, hasn't really been at the forefront of my mind."

He felt a little embarrassed being wrong, but, he wasn't really too bothered by it. He ran away young, so, there was a lot that he forgot and didn't know. So, as Calypso explained the disconnect of Taijiquan and the other martial arts he had listed off, Vanyel quietly rubbed the back of his neck. Maybe one day, he'd have to re-learn and learn more about the culture he had essentially forsaken for so long.

But, what truly impacted him the most was the last thing that she said. The fact that no matter what he was or how far he had seemed to stray, Wulin would never abandon him. Vanyel looked to the ground, resting his arms on his knees as he leaned forward. Her words circled in his head again and again, as if it was constantly trying to process it, unable to believe such a thing.

Ergo, Vanyel fell silent for a short while, his gaze wistful. It was hard for him to properly figure out how he felt -- to some degree, he felt relieved. Even if he lost everything that he ever had in the world, there was something that he could always fall back on, even as the devil he now was. To a degree...it also hurt him, to know that he wouldn't directly benefit from the knowledge of Wulin and Tao Chi in the same vein that she would.

In that moment, there was a faint feeling of disgust of what he had become. But, he took a deep breath in, pushing the thoughts from his mind as he offered his half-sister a warm smile, reaching over and ruffling her hair.

"Thanks. Good to know that I'll always have somethin' to fall back on. Even if everythin' in my life goes to hell. If you're cool with it, would ya mind teachin' me more about...our, culture?"

When he said "our culture," the last thing on his mind that he was expecting was a lesson on sex within Wulin, and frankly, it was something he did not need to know. But, he could tell that the little runt was messing with him. So, he reached over and ruffled her hair, grinning lightly before he refrained.

"I don't think I really need to know about the intricacies of sex in Wulin, ya little shit."

He paused, taking a deep breath before leaning back

"I more meant, like...I dunno, combat, how general life is different, I guess? I grew up in China, and I didn't get a whole lot about Wulin outside of some barebones stuff before I kinda...hit the eject button on home. I wanna know what kind of stuff I missed out on, and what stuff that I maybe could come back to, one day, or, somethin' like that. I just seriously wanna get refreshed on stuff I might already know and learn stuff I don't know."

He paused, his expression changing as he looked to his half-sister.

"I'm really not wantin' you to be fuckin' around here."

"Nah, it's nothin' like that. I'm not some sex god or anythin'. I'm just...not really a sexual person, I guess. Sure, it's nice, but, it's not really the kind of thing I'm lookin' for when it comes to learnin' about Wulin."

Vanyel chuckled and shook his head. She probably would get along with Zhang pretty well, given how much of a little shit she liked being, and what he remembered of Zhang. The man might have been a bastard at points, but they were brothers. In the yakuza, and within the greater whole of Wulin -- and Vanyel knew that, if he ever saw him again, he wouldn't let them split up like they did. He'd have his back, just like they did for each other in the good old days.

But, as Calypso explained just a bit of the culture, Vanyel knew that "gestalt of degenerate heroes" certainly fit. To a degree, it felt like it was something straight out of the mythology books that he read as a kid. A culture and life that desired to live freely, without the restraints that most of the world had, while also adhering to a similar sense of honor and heroism that seemed to bring out the best in people.

"Wow...huh. It's kinda like being a rogue hero. Livin' life without the limitations of regular society, but still upholding a proper moral conduct. I guess, lawful neutral is the right word for it."

He smiled, resting his head on his hand. Hearing that, maybe Zhang wasn't entirely in the wrong, all those times he indulged himself in vices and the pleasures of the world. Maybe to an extreme extent, but he sure fit in that mold.

"Sorry, didn't mean to ask a lot of ya. Guess it didn't really click that a whole culture took a while to adjust to. My brain kinda stopped workin' there for a moment, huh?"

"Well, yeah, if you're definin' it in the most literal sense possible, it's not that accurate, but they're kinda...somewhere in the neutral category when you're talkin' about it in the sense of, like, D&D alignments."

Vanyel sighed softly as the shop keep's assistant entered, and on a whim, Calypso stripped down and slipped the undercoat, rolling his eyes at her comment and leaning back slightly. His eyes briefly fell on the tailored kimono, giving a soft nod at the impressive design and color selection.

"Bite me, ya lil' fuckin' brat. Least I'm not stupid enough to get my ass hospitalized by being overconfi--"

He paused, remembering a very specific wolf who, while she didn't hospitalize him, did take an arm. Stopping in his tracks, Vanyel chuckled softly at the memory. Yeah, he wasn't really one to talk in this situation, now was he?

"...Actually, scratch that. I've done something equally as stupid as well."