bombshelled | Vestige inbox

Oh, I blow things up.

[ Did they have explosions in the fucking twelfth century or whatever the fuck? Bombs, fireworks, probably not but shit explodes in like... nature, right? ]

I could show you, if you want. But it's pretty loud.

[ Gilia looks -

Horrified. Just. Utterly terrified. ]

Why?

[ Oh. Uh. Okay. Not going to do a presentation, then, I guess. ]

Um... Because an evil corporation experimented on my mom when she was pregnant with me?

[ She's never been asked why she had her powers before. How, sure. But not why. ]

[ She doesn't understand, as usual, what all the words mean in the sentence.

But she understands 'evil' and 'experiment' and 'pregant'.

She can do only the simple thing, in the face of so dreadful a thing. Her horror growing, as it dawns. How could someone? How could anyone? To an unborn babe, a gift to the world it would come into. That yes, her people gave their children to their spirits, but it was done in mutual benefit, in love, in the want for equal parts to be stronger together.

Gilia steps forward and wraps her arms around her, tightly as she dared. It is a cool thing, that faint scent of the sea lingers on her, no matter where or how she is presented. ]

Your poor mother, your poor, poor mother. I cannot imagine such pain, such fear.

[ O-oh. They're hugging now. It catches Lana off guard and she stands frozen for a long moment until she finally allows herself to loosen up and wrap an arm around Gilia in return.

The sympathy is appreciated, but tarnished somewhat by her mom's more recent actions. ]

...Don't feel too bad for her. She didn't exactly use her powers for good.

[ And she didn't raise Lana to, either. There's a reason her original username was former.bank.robber ]

[ She thinks only of her own mother. Hard, unforgiving. The Cliff, they called her. The Cliff on the Sea's Edge. She bowed to the sea, only, and never another in her presence, lest all other mortal men forget that there were things more terrifying than their own will.

And loving, so loving. She would cut her own hands off lest a hair go astray on her children's head.

.... Almost. Was Godfinn even her child anymore, in her mind? ]

But you do? You said there were - these heroes. These protectors. You are one of them? [ Said as she pulled back, thankfully not a hug that goes on too long. ]

[ The hug feels nice, and Lana almost misses it when it's over, for all that she wasn't expecting it in the first place.

But when Gilia withdraws, she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, minimizing the feeling. ]

I mean, yeah. I try to be, anyway. I'm not always the greatest at it.

[ Way too many people around her die for her to feel confident in her hero skills. And then she got her ass handed to her by Hammerhead. That really knocked her down a peg. ]

[ There she shakes her head, she feels there is one clarification that matters in this, in the face of her worry. ]

Good virtue is not inherit, our souls are formless, and have within them all capacities. It is acts that define such states, it is us who must choose to seek out to be a hero. That you seek to do so, already says much.

[ Which when she puts it like that, Gilia tilts her head a moment, as if trying to think it through. ] Are you perhaps like a Knight Errant then?

[ It's... nice. That Gilia has so much faith in her. Reminds Lana of Miles, in a way. Good, brave, and smart. And always seeing the best in people. Jess, too.

Man, Lana misses Jess so much.

Gilia's question snaps her back to the present, all thoughts of friends long gone pushed aside. ]

...That depends. What's a Knight Errant do?

[ She considers how to put it a moment, briefly looking out over the country side. ]

Knight Errants travel the country side, look to come to the aide of those that need it. They serve a singular spirit that has no family, and perhaps in time they seek to found their own lineage, but I would hardly say that is their goal. Mostly they seek to uphold the knightly values and do good acts for the helpless, as it is their sworn duty. Their position is a protected one, in the accords and creeds of all isles, in so far as some people it seems, are prone to wickedness.

[ Huh. The More You Know™. ]

I guess that's pretty similar. Except the whole serving a spirit part. And the traveling part. Most heroes stick to their home turf for the most part. Like, I don't really leave New York all that often.

[ The only time she ever did, really, was when she and the Champions stowed away on the stolen helicarrier and rode it all the way to Latveria. ]

[ She nods along in understanding. It makes sense to her, if she thinks about everything else Lana has said. ]

Well if you live in such big cities, I cannot imagine the need to travel far. Besides, our evils are on the roads. What most people need guarding against is the wolves and bandits on the road. Forests can hide such wicked things in them.

Yeah... [ She shrugs as she keeps walking at a slow and liesurely pace. ] Cities hide some bad shit, too. Gangs, drug dealers... And that's before you even get into superpowered crime or world-ending shit.

[ She still remembers watching Galactus standing over the Jersey skyline. ]

[ Please, she can only fit so many terrifying things in all of her huge hair in one week, omg. ]

World... world ending?

[ Whoops. Here she goes stepping in it again. ]

Uh, yeah... My world is... It's pretty fucked up. It's like the more powerful the good guys get, the more crazy insane bad shit rises up to meet them.

[ She could start listing off the near-apocalypses she's survived, but somehow she gets the feeling that wouldn't go over well with Gilia. ]

[ ??? Help ??? ]

That seems a near-constant state of war.

[ She'd argue that for it to be "war," it would have to involve countries fighting each other, but then... That did happen, too, didn't it? It may have been in the other universe, but she does remember that time that Captain America was the president. ]

I guess... Sorry, this turned super fucking depressing.

[ Gilia leans across, to gently touch her hand. Her own cool, calm, but affectionate, giving it a squeeze. ]

It is the life you live, you ought to make no apologies for it. Not to anyone. I cannot say my life has always been happiness without pain, without grief.

[ Lana returns the hand squeeze, a soft smile coming to her face. Where Gilia's hands are cool, Lana's are overly warm. When you have gunpowder in your blood, you tend to have warmer palms. ]

Yeah... I guess there's bullshit no matter where you come from.

[ A deep breath, and then she pulls her hand free, stepping forward and turning around to face Gilia as she walks backward, shoving her hands into her pockets and putting on the aloof air that has served her so well in the past. ]

Alright... Nice morning walk around the lake. Where do you think we should go? Do you have anyplace in mind?

[ She carries on then, if Lana wished to move on from the topic, then she would not pry. ]

I have found a little nook between two trees I like to say my morning prayers. You may join me in that if you like, but I think it is beautiful enough to just sit and look at the world from. If that will suffice as a destination?

[ Lana just has trouble with things getting Too Sentimental™. The instinct to flee as far and as fast as she can washes over her and she can't help but bail. ]

Sure! I'm not really a prayer kind of girl, but I do love me a good tree nook.

[ She gives her a happy grin. ]

That is most wonderful. I think you shall like it, or at least I hope so. It will be nice to share something lovely of this place.

[ Everyone spoke in such misery here, and it was not for no reason, but that she could make others happy? ]

[ The grin earns a similarly happy expression from Lana. Sure, she doesn't actually give two shits about some tree bullshit, but it's not like she has anywhere better she can go, and Gilia seems so happy to share it; it's infectious. ]

Yeah? Can't wait to see it then! Lead the way.

[ It is only a little longer, along the slow walk about the lake. Until they come to the tree Gilia had found so pleasant. A grand older thing, twisting branches heavy with the fall of autumn leaves. Perhaps not so grand, not so remarkable, but to her she finds it pleasant. In front of them is the lake. Still, without the wind and vibrations of the day, it is glass-like in reflection of the forest that surrounds it.

And she finds it alive. Not some stagnant place, as she comes closer and lays her hand on the bark as if she were greeting an old friend. Then turns back to Lana with a polite nod. ]

I will pray now, you could join me if you like?

[ It really is... dramatic, as far as trees go. There's some kind of radiant quality about it that Lana isn't sure how to quantify. She's never been impressed by a tree before, but this comes close to making it.

She's pulled out of her silent musings on the beauty of the tree when Gilia turns to address her. Straightening suddenly, feeling a little flustered, she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and waves a hand. ]

You can go ahead. I don't really... have anything to pray about.

[ She's never prayed. Not even when her grandmother would drag her to temple on the high holy days. Religion-- faith in some kind of higher power-- it's just not Lana's thing. She determines her own fate. No one is guiding her steps; the only one looking out for her is herself. She accepted a long time ago that she would have to make her own luck in life.

But she smiles, and steps back to wait quietly while Gilia does her prayers, accepting that faith means something to some people that Lana will never quite understand. ]

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