Pandaemonium
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Post by Limen on Jun 24, 2016 19:03:44 GMT -7
She had been right. She hadn’t believed the thought when it’d first occurred to her, even as he continued to talk down about those with powers or talk about hard work and creating his own power. No, he couldn’t possibly be, she had thought. He just had to be a super with an unconventional means of obtaining his power and a side order of a heaping ton of egotism. It took him outright saying it for her to believe that little part of her who said he was like her.
Even after he’d said it, she was stunned. She opened her mouth like she was going to say something. Instead, she slowly straightened her posture, a look of bewilderment on her face. She looked at him, letting silence hang in the air for several beats, until she at last broke it. “So I’m not the only one stupid enough to fight supers without powers.” She muttered.
She put a hand on her forehead, her eyes close and her head dropped. Her shoulders began to shake. The laughter was quiet at first, all but inaudible, but it quickly grew in volume along with her wide grin until she was on par with any evil villain.
She exhaled loudly. “You and me, we’re both complete idiots, aren’t we?” She said, laughter still seeping into her voice.
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Post by Gilgamesh on Jun 24, 2016 19:33:50 GMT -7
He let her laugh at him, or the situation. Or just otherwise get it out of her system. But the way he folded his arms suggested that he had very little patience for her making his life, his training, and his path into a joke. He found nothing about the situation even remotely funny. And now she was changing her story, that she didn't have a power. Which made a lot more sense then the shitty one that she was claiming to have.
"No, because unlike you I win. You are stupid to fight them without being even close to strong enough."
Which is why he had brought her here. To the Dojo of the Mighty. The training ground of his Master. The fire that forged him into the weapon that he was now. The Super Stomping Machine. The Legendary Warrior Gilgamesh. And someday, the Iron Fist. It was the path that had been laid before him, and one that he would now choose a thousand times over.
"If you are going to keep on the path of the Warrior then you need to better yourself. And you obviously can't do it alone."
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Pandaemonium
Posts 278
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Post by Limen on Jun 24, 2016 20:57:08 GMT -7
Her laughter dispersed into and expression of relief. Not the uneasy, temporary relief of a lie being believed, but true relief. It felt nice. Limen put a hand on her hip - her not sore hand on her not as sore hip - and gave him a tilted smile. She didn’t think he knew how much she appreciated his response, even if it had been another insult to her abilities.
“Do it alone?” She asked. “Are you suggesting you want to train me?”
It was that or he wanted to team up, and Gil didn’t seem the sort to take sidekicks. Certainly not ones he’d deemed “weak”. Limen had never had someone teach her before; everything she knew she had figured out for herself. There was little doubt that he knew what he was doing, and she probably could learn a great deal from someone as skilled as him. But taking on a mentor of sorts was no light decision, and Limen disliked the idea of learning “under” someone. It seemed a bit too… dictatory for her tastes.
That didn’t mean she was entirely against it, but there was one thing she needed to know. “No, no, before that.” She interjected quickly, not leaving any time for him to respond. “Let me ask you something. Why is strength important?” Her legs were beginning to get tired from the spite of the day after a losing fight. Crossing her arms, she settled down to sit cross-legged in the middle of the hall. “It’s a simple question, I know, and fairly vague. But while a lot of people strive for power, ask them why and they won’t be able to give you a solid answer.” She raised her brow at him. “What’s yours?”
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Post by Gilgamesh on Jun 25, 2016 20:09:54 GMT -7
He pressed his lips together when she finally stopped laughing. That was the question wasn't it? He'd been considering it the last few hours. But the fact that he was still wearing the hood showed that he hadn't decided on if he was going to commit to that yet. If she really was a person like him, he had to respect the determination and ingenuity that she had displayed. But that didn't mean she would be a good student, he needed to know that if he was going to help her that it would be worth his time.
It seemed he wasn't the only one who wanted to test the waters or figure out if things would even be a good fit. That was good. Being a Master to a Disciple was about trust and respect. It was about working together to bring out the best in both of them, for both of them to grow and reach new heights. The lessons they teach each other may not be the same ones, but it was important to embrace such relationships as chances to learn and grow.
"I made a promise to myself a very long time ago. I promised myself that I would never again myself to be helpless or a victim. And so I strive to better myself so that I am never put into that position again."
That was his answer, a simple one, devoid of grad plans for the future, Supers, Humans, or even Dragons. All of those were challenges to overcome, opportunities to test himself so that he may reach new heights. He was ready to throw himself at all of them, ready to face anything that life wanted to throw at him.
"Why would you be worth my time to help you improve?"
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Pandaemonium
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Post by Limen on Jun 25, 2016 22:31:34 GMT -7
Limen listened carefully to his answer. With people like him, every word counted and the most important things could be said in a single short sentence. She was happy she didn’t give an answer like “so as to gain more power” or something equally as unfocused and intangible. He actually had a reason. Why exactly he wished not to be helpless or a victim was unclear, but that was not a question she would press now.
His question gave her pause. She’d not been expecting such a question - she’d thought, based on what he had been saying, he already wanted to help her. Evidently not. She pondered his question, sitting in silence for nearly a full minute before answering.
“Because I’m different than you.” She stated. “You hit hard, I dodge. You fight to kill, I fight as means of conversation. You’re all serious, and I’m hilarious.” She tilted her head to the side, letting her hair flop over her shoulder. “That’s half the reason why I’m not turning down this idea right now - there’s only so much I can learn from myself and from people like me. There’s only so much you can learn about this world from people like you. Plus I think I make for great company.”
That didn’t mean she was still ready to agree, however. “Why would you want to help me improve?” She asked in return.
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Post by Gilgamesh on Jun 26, 2016 16:36:55 GMT -7
"I find it interesting that you say there is only so much you can learn from yourself. But you say there is only so much I can learn about the world from people like me. Are you saying that you believe I am naive to how the world works? Or how it really is?"
Maybe she was right. Because if that is what she was saying then she was hilarious. Though somehow he didn't think that was one of her little jokes. Though putting hilarious as a selling point for martial arts training was a bit worrisome. Did that mean she wouldn't take it serious? That she would just goof around? Most people would have tried to impress upon him their dedication, or the skill set that they already had. Though she had touched upon that last bit at least.
"Because I am not here to hoard Strength and Power for myself."
Assuming he found people worth taking the time to teach and help. Despite what people may think about him, he was not out to fuck the world over. He wasn't just out to cause pain and suffering. In fact he thought he was more help than anything, the world was certainly better off without the kinds of people he tended to target. And Supers, well they were nothing but trouble from what he'd seen. Selfish, the whole lot of them. He certainly didn't trust them to self police, not with the piss poor job that the Bulwark did. However, he'd be lying if he said he didn't like the challenge. And helping others to get stronger gave him the chance to fight them at a higher level later one. It was only through constantly challenging himself that he would reach his full potential.
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Pandaemonium
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Post by Limen on Jun 30, 2016 14:36:51 GMT -7
“Oh, you noticed.” And, not only did he notice, the few-worded Gil spoke this finding aloud. “I’m not saying you’re naive at all. I mean, maybe, but the ability to learn from someone does not by itself imply naivety. If it did, that means we’re all naive about everything, always. Though,” she pondered, “that view could be argued too.”
A small part of Limen had expected Gil to say “create a small army of my students to conquer the world”. Though she didn’t know him super well, but he didn’t strike her as the especially selfless type. She wondered if his answer was the whole truth. What it certainly wasn’t was what he was trying to accomplish by helping her. Indeed, the more she thought about it, the more she found how little his answer had actually answered anything. That was great he didn’t want to be a dragon sitting atop his mound of power, but why would he share? What did he want from her in return? What was he here for? She should probably be taking this as a red flag, but the trouble was, now she was even more curious.
“Well, Gil, you are certainly a strange one.” She concluded, clapping her hands together. “And now I find myself left with only the last of my three questions.” She rested her chin on her two index fingers.
“Do you fear losing?”
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Post by Gilgamesh on Jun 30, 2016 15:48:03 GMT -7
He let her prattle on about naivety, though he wasn't quite sure she understood just what he had noted. It wasn't that he thought learning from others made you naive, rather it was the conditions of what they could learn. That he could only learn so much about the world from others. Like he was some kind of alien, something not quite human, or fundamentally different from her. Was that how he came across to others? Perhaps the name he had been given was more fitting than he had thought when it was bestowed. He knew that he was human, but maybe others had their doubts.
"No." It was said without hesitation or doubt. He did not fear losing even the slightest bit. "If I feared losing I would have given in long ago. Defeat is the best teacher to those willing to listen, and defeat is a teacher with infinite patience for those with the fortitude to withstand it. Those that fear failure allow themselves to be paralyzed by doubt. To become a Master you must free yourself from the fear of failure and death, you must armor yourself in the knowledge that both are inevitable outcomes to every path you may choose to walk. Instead turn that energy into determination as you take step after step toward your goal."
A simple no would have answered her question. However, he felt that she deserved a more in depth answer. An explanation as to why he didn't fear failure. To be reminded that you could often learn more from losing than winning. And that whether you choose to stand your ground or run away eventually defeat and death claims everyone. If nothing else he hoped that if she took away only one thing from this conversation it was that she would fail and die no matter what, so it was better to face it head on and take a shot to accomplish your dreams.
"What would you do with the strength and skill I would help you reach?"
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Pandaemonium
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Post by Limen on Jul 1, 2016 19:48:37 GMT -7
Ah, the glory of commas. She’d gotten six whole sentences out of him. Was that a personal best?
She was mildly surprised by Gil’s answer. With the sheer amount of pride he’d been exuding, she’d expected some kind of sputtered “no, of course not, that’s silly”. Had he not explained himself, she wouldn’t have believed him. Instead, she got a genuine, thought out “no”, and more actual information about him than in just about anything else he’d said. Inevitable outcomes, huh? He was an odd one, this Gilgamesh.
“You probably don’t know because I’m not famous and you’ve only fought me once, but I run a lot. I don’t usually stick around until the end of fights. It’s not that I fear dying, but I’m not keen on running head-long into the grim reaper’s arms either. I like this life enough to want to have it for as long as I can, you know?” She said cheerfully.
“I guess you could call me a coward.” She chuckled. “But see, I don’t want to be a coward. I want to stick it through fights, support my allies until the very end, keep my pride; but it’s hard to be both brave and alive when you’re essentially entering a gunfight unarmed. So that’s what I’d do if I had more strength: I’d stop running. I’d fight people more head-on rather than hiding up on some distant building or kiting them into a large theater. I wouldn’t leave as soon as I knew I was going to lose. I’d protect my allies during the fight, rather than patching up their wounds afterwards.”
She paused, but the look on her face said she was not entirely finished. After several moments of silence, she spoke again. “But I guess it’s more than that too.” She sighed, rubbing her brow. Her perpetual smile dropped. Her gaze drifted to the wall. “You said you didn’t want to be helpless or a victim again. I don’t want that to happen to one of my friends again. Ever. And I don’t want to be made helpless to help them. I’ve found there are many kinds of helplessness, and only so many can be alleviated by words. Right now, words are all I’ve got.”
Limen beamed again at Gil. “I’m sure you’ve heard the line, ‘I want to protect my friends’. There you go.”
Limen would love to sit here and quiz him all day, perhaps over a pot of tea, but she doubted she could stall for that long (plus she didn’t know where he kept the tea bags). He’d answered enough of her questions that she had as much information as she needed.
“Well,” she began, swinging herself back up to her feet (slowly), “I’ve decided. You don’t seem like you’re trying to get me killed or turn me into a brainless zombie minion of doom. I’ll train with you, if you’ll take me. With any luck, the two of us will learn something.” She gave him a crooked grin. “Do you have any final inquiries into me and my soul?”
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Post by Gilgamesh on Jul 1, 2016 20:25:24 GMT -7
He waited patiently as she explained her answer. Even staying silent during her pause, taking her look of contemplation as sign that she was not finished yet. So she was a coward. That did not bode well for her sticking through the training. If she runs away from danger then she would never make it through to the end. But she said that she wanted to change that. That she wanted to find the strength to hold her ground. Unfortunately no amount of strength would help her with that until she found strength of conviction. Courage was not tied to strength, if it was the world would be a very different place. "Do you know what bravery is?" He paused a moment before continuing. "Bravery is standing your ground when you are afraid. It isn't the absence of fear. Fear is natural, fear isn't a bad thing to have. But you must not let it rule you or your potential will never be fulfilled." Her desire was to protect her friends. Not an uncommon one from what he had heard in the past. However, it was not his reason for looking for strength. For empowering himself. But she didn't need to have his reason to train with him. They didn't even need to be aligned. What mattered was conviction, and honest desire to be better than what you were. "I accept." He'd pull back his hood to reveal his face to her. "Because if that is honestly what you want to fight for then I think we can bring out your potential. Because when you fight for what you truly believe in. You will surpass your limits. When it is something that you wish for with all of your being you will find the strength to be better than you are." He clicked his tongue as he looked over her again, there was going to be a lot of work to do. That was for sure. And she wasn't going to like his training. But she'd either do it, run away and quit, or die. Those were her only options at this point. "While we train you will remember that I am your teacher and I expect you to follow my instructions. Furthermore I can't promise you won't die in this training. But if you live, then I promise that you will be stronger for it. Otherwise you are free to run away now. The door is that way." He's finger whipped out to point toward the exit as he stared at Limen, no humor or relief in his features or voice. He was deadly serious. |
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Pandaemonium
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Post by Limen on Jul 1, 2016 21:54:00 GMT -7
Limen’s smile softened. Of course she knew what bravery was. She saw it all the time in supers and unpowereds alike in the wake of danger. She’d seen it used against her allies, and, on occasion, herself. Fear and bravery weren’t the issue here. Fear wasn’t why she ran, nor was it what she wished to overcome. What she wanted was to continue to live, and being brave was quickly losing the tug or war to staying alive. She wanted to push the line of what she could do before she had to start making the choice of being courageous or living another day.
She was not surprised Gil was a little off, however, and didn’t make an effort to correct him. This was part of what she was talking about when she said he saw the world differently from her. She wondered if, with the amount of power he possessed, he could understand her tendency to run.
What did surprise her was his removal of his hood. Even though she made no effort to keep her own identity a secret, she was so used to looking at masks and shrouded faces that it was a shock to see a super’s actual face. Shock flashed on her face before being replaced with inquiry as she searched to see if she recognized his face. She did not. “Wow, you look like you need some coffee.” Limen joked.
And as she had accepted, he accepted in turn. And showed her the door. Limen let out a single laugh, both at his threat and the amount of gravity with which he said it. “I’ve walked to hell and back, Gil. The reaper has no grip on my soul. Take that as a challenge and throw your worst at me.”
With that, she extended her hand.
“I promise I’ll be the worst student ever.”
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Post by Gilgamesh on Jul 2, 2016 16:25:31 GMT -7
"Good. You'll be walking back into Hell. But we'll forge you anew."
There was not much to say other than that. The training wasn't going to be gentle. It wasn't going to be nice. And it wouldn't be finished in a week. She was stepping onto a new path, one with a dark and twisted road. One with blood and pain, terror and doubt. If she was truly serious about this path it would test her, not just physically. But to her core. There were some lessons that you could not accept without taking a good long look at yourself. Without knowing just where you will draw your line.
He didn't know if Limen really had what it took. He had his doubts that she would ever master The Art of Death. She just didn't seem to have that killer instinct readily available. At least not like he did. All human's had it, but whether her's was strong enough remained to be seen. They would only really find out when she was boxed in and her life really was on the line. When her world truly turned into "kill or be killed". He hoped that she would surprise him though, he hoped that she would prove herself to be worthy.
However, he also hoped she would fail. The path wasn't for the faint of heart. And he had the feeling that she would not like what she found at the end of the Path, should she live that long. But he remembered what he had felt when he had learned the truth, he didn't want to believe it. And he had almost quit right then and there, but he wasn't a quitter and his stubbornness kept him trudging on even as his heart churned and revolted. But in time that too stopped.
"We start tomorrow before dawn. Whether or not you are healed up. So I'd suggest you rest."
And with those parting words Gilgamesh made his way outside, ignoring her hand. He had some aggression he needed to vent and some poles that needed punching. He couldn't shake the feeling that this was a mistake, and that he should have killed her. Or left her to die. But there was no turning back now, and if she had the courage to continue on he would not be the one to hold her back. He respected her to much to do that to her. No matter what it cost her.
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