How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
The instructor paused. Tendai held his breath. "Not exactly. He feels the other person's pain. That's a bad trait in a soldier." (2.25)
As Tendai eavesdrops on his dad, he wishes the martial arts instructor hadn't noticed that he was always turning the wheels in his mind. It's a telltale sign that Tendai is pretty immature at this stage—he's embarrassed about how he is and desperately wants his dad's approval.
Quote #2
Kuda was too young to be possessed. Tendai was certain some warlike ancestor would be delighted with his little brother when he was older. But what about me? He thought. He didn't have any special skills. Quite a lot of dull, ordinary people weren't ever possessed by anybody. They weren't worth it. Tendai sighed. (3.27)
Tendai doesn't feel special. Sure, he has a bunch of Scout badges and works hard at school, but he's not a natural born warrior like his dad or Kuda, and he can't do complex math problems in his head like Rita. He's also not a scientist like his mom. He wants to be good at something, but he's just not sure what that thing is yet.
Quote #3
"We never have any fun, and you have to sit there like an old vulture and preach. Go croak somewhere else!" (3.49)
It doesn't matter whether it's right, wrong, or even dangerous, Rita is on board with the trick the 'rents plan. It's party time. She cares more about having fun than anything else. It's clear to Tendai that this is irresponsible, but hey, he's just thirteen, so why should he follow the rules all the time?