Jake followed with a pleasant expression, but was otherwise silent. His eyes traveled to more and more of Lan Bao's collection, and he found himself continually impressed. He and Lan Bao also seemed to be getting along really well, although Jake noted they'd had no real room for disagreement, yet. He soured slightly at the knowledge he'd have to tell her about the meeting. Charon's irksome face entered his field of vision once more. He still had to deal with the leader of the East. Charon's political game had begun to present itself, or at least as Jake imagined it. Jake was guessing it was Charon who told Ben to run in the first place. He likely made the decision after Jake's move into the west. Everything had been a game up to this point. Even Ben staying in his home after Jake had made the move seemed suspicious in retrospect. Jake realized his paranoid brain was getting the better of him, and he hated that once again fucking Ben had stolen mental energy from him.
He returned to the Shogun House, right as Lan Bao pulled out her own weapon, and Jake studied what details he could. He could tell from the blade's length and curve that it was Chinese in origin, and looked exquisitely crafted, but Jake could not tell much else at this point. He assumed he'd be meeting it soon. His suspicions were confirmed as Lan Bao explained that they'd be sparing with their respective blades. He understood very little about magic. He'd never spent time learning from Sabrina, and Maria's deities seemed so far and away from what Jake could identify with. Even this Tess person was a mystery, and so he supposed Lan Bao was right and her charms really could keep them safe. He almost struck at her, but an old wound got the better of him.
"I say this with no personal ego," he began, taking Venom out of it's stalk slowly. The black metal caught the light, and the blade seemed to wink at Lan Bao in introduction. "This sword can cause devastating harm to our kind. It damages even those with the strength of age. I don't doubt your magic is strong, but I would feel terrible if the blade harmed you."
Jake lifted his shirt, revealing his toned torso, and a viscous looking, black scar on his chest. The slash looked filled with the rage of the one who'd done it. "If you are confident you will not be harmed, I'll strike you, and in general I'm looking forward to this."
He pulled down his shirt and bowed respectfully, not wishing to convey that he found her magic inadequate. It was deferential in nature, and unlike the Black Prince she would've heard so much about.