Natural Strength [Action/Open]

[gunbladegrrl]

[Maria hadn't done quite as well during the Tears Point mission as she might have liked. Aside from grossly underestimating the volume of monsters in a Lunar Cry, and getting turned into a dragon -- both of those completely understandable problems -- she hadn't turned in the combat performance she expected of herself. After some thinking and reflection, she'd concluded that a year of classes meant she'd neglected basic physical training for skill acquisition.]

[Time to change that.]

[So early mornings find her jogging around the outside of Garden, working up a sweat. Later mornings are her time for strength and endurance training, meaning she can be found lifting weights in volumes that would be weird anywhere but here in Garden. And afternoons are agility training, in the only real way she can think of -- going into the Training Center without weapons, and coming out with as few injuries as possible.]

[Care to talk to her at any point during this?]

Comments

[gunbladegrrl]

Your world sounds... rough.

[She's sympathetic at the same time she's incredulous, because everything seems to be one giant ball of trauma and suffering, the way he describes it.]

[om_nom_namur]

Shit, compared t' this place?

[He laughs.]

Got a whole series a damn mercenary schools teachin' smolts how t' fight battles an' wars adults don't wanna bother with. How's that any smoother? Got sabotage an' uprisin's an' all kinds a shit goin' on. Only reason it's prob'ly easier I came here's cuz there ain't anyone lookin' t' kill me specifically. Sure, people don't like outsiders, or monsters, an' there sure as hell's gonna be people that don't like Garden. But they ain't lookin' for Namur's head t' mount on the mast as a trophy, or t' cash in on Namur's bounty an' live like shitty kings 'til their grandspawn die, catch me? The hell kind a world y' think this one is? Sheheheheh!

[gunbladegrrl]

[Talking smack about SeeD? Maria won't have that!] The original purpose of the SeeD program was to defeat the Sorceress. Service as mercenaries only came about in order to keep the program going to fund it. And I know this world is a world where you can have a dream, work towards it, and succeed in achieving it! Whether or not your world is like that, I don't know, but I'm proof that you can make your dreams come true here!

[She's not angry, but she certainly is animated as she makes this claim.]

[om_nom_namur]

Light shines brightest in the dark, babe.

[He's amused, and he likes her energy.]

Think that's true for us outsiders, too?

[gunbladegrrl]

Sure, so long as your dream isn't oriented to something specific to your world. You'd have a hard time becoming Shark King of the Fishman Kingdom, after all!

[om_nom_namur]

Maybe I'll make one, huh? A whole damn tribe a Namur-spawn. Shit. Folk 'round here wouldn't know what the hell t' do with themselves. Sheheheh!

[He laughs heartily, then takes a drink. When the tired-looking waitress comes by he asks for a new set of chopsticks with a sheepish look, a promise not to do it again, and a wink. The waitress rolls her eyes like she's heard that before, refills their glasses, and heads out to take care of other customers.]

So y' already made yer dream come true, what y' gonna do for the rest a yer life?

[gunbladegrrl]

[Well, there's a thought that'll haunt her nightmares. She sets aside the problems of the third generation of that hypothetical when he asks another question and is very glad to do so.]

Live it. That's obvious. And I've become a SeeD, but I still have a long way to go to the top before I hit A-Rank, top of the list, unquestionably the best Garden has to offer!

[om_nom_namur]

[So long as she's dreaming about him he don't mind.]

Catch y'. Done most a it but there's still places t' go. Good. Y' got a lot a spunk, be real sad if y' lost it cuz y' got bored or somethin'. Sheheh!

[He swallows a fish, then gets a mischievous look on his face.]

So what's the craziest thing y' ever done?

[gunbladegrrl]

Well... [She leans back, an amused smile crossing her face.] Sometimes I get bitten by a giant monster just to trigger my Limit Break. That's pretty crazy.

[om_nom_namur]

Nah, c'mon, for real?

[Namur sets his elbow on the counter, leaning in conspiratorially.]

Wanna go night surfin' on the back of a shark?

[gunbladegrrl]

Namur, I dedicated myself to becoming the best of the best at a third of my age, and made it come true! Isn't that a little crazy?

Besides, I have a feeling that you're the shark you have in mind.

[om_nom_namur]

[She gets a look.]

I'm a shark fishman sweetheart. Maybe I act a lot like some stupid animal, but there's a difference. I said shark an' I meant a damn actual shark. Y' in, or no?

[gunbladegrrl]

..Yes. Sure, why the hell not?

[Really, it only takes a second for her to decide. What does she have to fear any more, anyway? Why not?!]

[om_nom_namur]

Damn right!

[He starts muttering in between hurrying to finish his food.]

Why the hell not? Sheheheh. Shit. Girl's gonna start ridin' me she ain't gonna be on my back, sheheh.

[He winks at Maria, then swallows the rest of his drink.]

Good t' go?

[gunbladegrrl]

[She slaps her hands decisively down on the table and pushes herself to her feet.]

Good to go. Let's go do something crazy.

[om_nom_namur]

[And so on the 220th comment to this thread, just three days short of six months, Namur and Maria left the restaurant and went shark surfing and it was epic. The end.]