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Post by Countess on Aug 17, 2024 12:49:34 GMT
Diana chuckles. It’s a good natured thing, rather than a derisive or condescending sound. “Yes, I am,” she says, and it’s a simple answer to a simple thing to her. In her eyes, she had never really hidden it, though she was being rather modest about it. It seems like an odd thing to just throw out into a conversation, she feels. Ego just isn’t in her repertoire.
“I’ve been known to feel silly, too,” Diana says, nose crinkling in mirth. “I’d be happy to meet your brother, if you like. Catch up with your mother. Your secret is safe with me- it isn’t mine to tell. Though… if I could give a suggestion… have you asked Strange for a glamour? For… parts of the changes,” she says, eyes moving briefly to what seems to her a painful lump in the back of his pants. “There are others who can do magic like him, too. Ones who might be able to do something more… wholistic. Because of your divine nature, it will be difficult. Gods don’t usually like being hidden.”
Diana thinks for a moment, her smile soft. “Sometimes, it’s like a dream come true. Everyone wants to be special- but it comes at a price,” she says, and he goes on to describe just that.
“At some point, they will target your brother… your mother,” Diana says sadly. “If they know you… they will know them. If they want to get to you, get to your father, they will eventually move on when they realize you cannot be gotten to in the conventional manner,” Diana says. She’s… brutal in her honesty, sometimes.
“If you aren’t an easy target… anyone with a modicum of cunning will go after them. It’s what I would do, in their place,” Diana says, hoping to make him see there is some planning he needs to do… and that she’s a Warrior. She came from Warriors. She was raised by Warriors. These demons- they are far worse in morals than her.
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 17, 2024 13:24:28 GMT
"My Nǎinai enchanted an outfit for me; people can't recognize me whenever I wear it. It's not a disguise, I still look like myself, its just that people who know me don't register that I'm-- me." He explained and gently touched a pendant hanging around his neck, with what looked like a charm attached, "Oh, perhaps I should have mentioned my Nǎinai is a follower of Xi Wang Mu, Queen Mother of the West. It was from her garden that my father once stole a lot of immortal peaches and ate them, one of the reasons they call him the six times immortal. Nǎinai's also an enchantress. Mom has no idea her mother is a witch, and as you said, it's not my secret to share... you know."
He paused, glancing over his shoulder to ensure they were not observed.
"It's been... difficult to hide it with magic." He explained once he figured the coast was clear. "It doesn't want to be hidden, so it tends to break illusions; I tried, Nǎinai tried. The only thing I can do is physically keep it hidden, even if it hurts a little, and it still tends to break my-- pants. Father said, your monkey soul doesn't like to hide; it is proud to be of my blood and wants to show it. You should do the same, and you will feel better." He did his best impression of Wukong. " And he's right, I don't like keeping it hidden, and I hate that he's right too; if anything, Father being right is by far the worst part."
Sun Nao froze, his eyes locked on one of the figurines behind the glass.
"What did you say?" He slowly turned to look at Diana, and she could tell the colour had drained from his face. "A-Are you said they would go after He-- to get to me? Hurt my baby brother... but-- he's just a little kid, and mortal-- and--" He paused, the picture of harm coming to He, and his mother sure, but He was so small. "How could I not figure that out? Of course, they will go after them." He paced a few steps in front of the glass. " By the emperor..." It was not often he evoked the Jade Emperor, but it happened.
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Post by Countess on Aug 18, 2024 0:46:46 GMT
Diana finds herself growing in concern for this young man. Her protective instincts are roaring in her ears, pounding like her heart to do something, anything, to make this better. But... there is nothing to fight here. No enemy to strike down. All there is before her is a kid that needs someone to affirm him, uplift him, and make him feel the power he holds is more than that- it is a responsibility.
"Be warned- Destiny has a knack of forcing the things we need, but avoid," Diana says, something taking hold of her in a small moment. Sometimes, this happens, the Fires of Hestia pulling forth divine truths... Diana shakes it away.
"I am sorry to frighten you, but not sorry to shed light on a possibility you have not thought of," she says, solemn. "I am certain, if you bring this to Stephen, he will put safeguards in place. They may not hold forever, but they can give you peace of mind as you grow into your power and abilities. He knows what it is to see those he loves in pain because of who he is, in one way or another. In this, I am certain, he will do all in his ability to spare you that pain."
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 18, 2024 7:10:48 GMT
Sun Nao stopped pacing, closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, following his father's instructions to centre himself. Balance the energies, control the breathing, and slow the heart rate. "You're in front of Wonder Woman, the most badass woman in the world; you can do this", he thought to himself.
"I'm fin," Finally, he sighed, opening his eyes again. "Don't be sorry; I needed to hear that. Yeah, I need to bring this up with the Doc, but knowing him-- I'm certain he already planned for it. He's a lot smarter than I am, by far." Which he did feel was the truth; Strange was one of the smartest people Sun Nao had ever met; it would make sense for him to have thought ahead when he accepted the demigod as an apprentice.
"I need to grow stronger; there is so much about my abilities that I don't know." He said this more to himself than to Diana. Her words had frightened him, but at the same time, they had also lit a fire somewhere inside. Sure, Wukong had told him the importance of growing stronger, but he had not given the son much motivation on why that was needed. Sure, he might have implied it at some point.
"I need to go meet my mother at the Silk Roads exhibit--" he said after a few seconds of silence. He looked at Diana, unsure if he should ask her to tag along; the question was there, even if it was unspoken. Diana did know his mother, so maybe she'd want to meet her again. Then again, perhaps she would not want to... she must have a million important things to do.
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Post by Countess on Aug 18, 2024 15:56:25 GMT
"I have no doubts in Stephen's abilities, so I am glad you trust him, too. I would trust him with my life, even the life of my daughter," Diana says, doing what she can to assuage his worry. "You can only improve from here, and by the looks of your resolve, I imagine that is exactly what will happen. Take heart, dear child, for I think we met here for a reason. the Fates have a way of weaving the most intricate of tapestries. I am glad our threads have intersected. Time will tell if our paths continue to converge, or this is all we receive."
Diana listens to the silence, immediately understanding the unspoken words. "If I may, I would very much like to reconnect with her. I believe you also said your brother enjoys heroes- perhaps, if your mother is willing, I can give him a ride, too," she says, her feet gently lifting off the ground as if to demonstrate just what she meant by ride. She settles back onto the earth. "There are no children on Paradise Island... It is always a blessing to see one, even one as grown up as you."
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 18, 2024 19:33:51 GMT
"I'm very familiar with outside forces making choices for me," Sun Nao said with a dry smile. "Not sure if it is Fate or the myriad of divinities of the Jade Emperor's court, but maybe it doesn't matter. I'm starting to think that my going to Strange was someone else's doing. Well, not my father, but someone else. You and me being here, I feel that is not a coincidence either..."
Maybe it was a little pessimistic of him to think that way, but he was no stranger to higher powers butting in where they were not wanted nor welcome. Still, he was glad to have met Diana, so that part was not bad.
"Oh, yes, I don't mind. I'm sure Mother will be glad to reconnect." He replied, smiling slightly at her mention of the ride. The smile did fade a little at her last words. "None? Well, suppose that if one is immortal, it becomes less important to have children. It would make sense to focus on other things instead. Let's go then."
He turned and began to leave the jade exhibit, ignoring his father's statue as he passed it. They passed many different visitors on the way, but Sun Nao did his best to ignore them and, most importantly, passed unnoticed. He paused to ensure Diana kept up in case she was stopped. They would sooner or later arrive at the Silken Roads exhibit, and Sun Nao quickly identified his mother among the people. She was a short middle-aged Chinese lady with black hair tied into a complicated bun and a powder blue dress with a high neck. Besides her was a small boy, looking about 6-7 years old, dressed in a Spiderman t-shirt, and similar black hair, he also shared a few traits with Sun Nao, so it was easy enough to tell the three was related.
"Māmā," Sun Nao called out, and the woman looked up. At first, her eyes only went to Sun Nao, but she quickly noticed Diana and raised both eyebrows before gently taking the small boy's hand, guiding him along as she made her way in their direction.
" Diana?" She asked as if she wanted to ensure she was not somehow mistaken. "This is a surprise; I had no idea you were here, much less in the company of Chao. He's not in trouble, I hope?" She threw her oldest son a glare, and he only reacted with a shrug. He could tell she was worried he might have said or done something to embarrass her somehow... which was fair... he had done that before, but not this time.
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Post by Countess on Aug 18, 2024 19:50:43 GMT
"Not a one. We are all women, no man is allowed on the island... ever," Diana says, thoughts drifting across the sea. She always knows her way home. "I am the only child to have lived there. My mother formed me out of clay, and prayed to the Goddesses to bless her, and the island, with a child. So, I was made," she tells him, knowing he, of all people, would accept such a divine origin story. "It was lonely at times. I always felt different," she murmurs, thinking on her childhood as they walk.
Diana follows closely enough, eyes glazing over as she looks at the exhibits. Her mind is on her home, how little of it is represented here. These things, so many call out to her, but none call her home. Her lips purse a little, thoughts drifting more than they should. They settle on old friends she needs to connect with, a daughter she needs to hug tonight, and the prospect of starting the process of fixing something that had been broken for years now.
Diana smiles as she hears her name, going back to the present. "Hello," she says, using the language she once knew was Hua Feng's. "He is most certainly not in trouble with me. He is a bright young man you must be very proud of," she says, easing the mother's worry deftly. Her smile says it all, gentle and pleased. "How have you been? It has been a number of years since we worked together- I don't think either of us had kids at the time," she says, beaming.
"And this must be He," Diana says, immediately squatting. Her height can be so intimidating. "Spider-Man? He is very kind, you know. Smart, worked hard like your mother in college, a good man."
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 18, 2024 20:58:03 GMT
"Yeah, it would fit with the whole Amazon thing," Sun Nao said; he continued to feel a certain kinship with Diana, but still for different reasons. "It must have been rough, being an only child like that. Well-- I'm sure you'd be welcome to Flowers and Fruit Mountain; thankfully, we don't have an only monkey policy. If anything, the monkeys like having visitors." He grinned, trying to lighten the mood with a joke. It felt good to keep a conversation going as they walked. "Well, since I, as a man... boy... won't ever be able to go, tell me about this mysterious Island? What's it like? Any fun places?"
"I-I-m glad to hear it; yes, he can be very bright when he wants to be." Hua said, shooting her son a telling glance. Sun Nao chose not to react and walked over to He, ignoring his mother for the moment. "Oh, no, it must have been over 20 years ago. I'm married now to a physics professor, Bai; he's also the father to my youngest." She noticeably did not mention Chao's fatherhood.
The little boy looked slightly stunned. As Diana squatted, he grabbed his older brother's pants, hiding partly behind him. Sun Nao did not stop him, gently holding his hand for the younger brother. "Yeah--" He managed to get out. "Who are you?"
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Post by Countess on Aug 18, 2024 22:02:33 GMT
Diana beams at the invitation, something youthful and excited overcoming her. "I will take you up on that," she says, already making note to ask, should Stephen allow her to train him. The rest of their walk is spent with Diana telling him of her upbringing, an island of women who are all souls and bodies of women unjustly slain in life. They are given new life, under the protection of many, many goddesses. One of the Goddesses that had a part in her creation was Guanyin, who gave her the power of empathy. While her home is ruled by a Greek woman, and that is certainly their roots, over the years they have embraced diversity. They are a cultural melting pot, much like America. Her favorite places are the observatory, where many of her sisters catalogue the cosmos; a cliff in which many dive from, but she can see the far horizon of Man's World; and her mother's chambers, where she always feels at home.
"Isn't that true of all of us?" Diana says, laughing. "It is good to see you again. I have a daughter of my own- had her shortly after leaving our shared position. Elizabeth- though, we all call her Lizzie," she shares with the mother, all smiles at the mention of her beloved child. "We will have to catch up even more- over dinner, maybe? I would be honored to show you and your family Greek hospitality my mother taught me- Xenia."
Diana says all this while still squatted down. Her eyes shift to He. "You can call me Diana. Sometimes, I work with Spider-Man, but usually I am partnered with Superman and Batman. When I'm working with them, people tend to call me Wonder Woman."
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 19, 2024 11:38:48 GMT
"Maybe I should have asked Father before making such a promise?" He pondered in his mind, but the prince quickly pushed it aside, what could possibly go wrong? If Wukong could pull him there whenever he wanted, there should be no problem if Sun Nao decided to go there whenever he wanted. If anything, it would serve the old guy right, that was for sure... "Great, the monkeys will be thrilled." He gave her one of his most charming grins.
"Oh, how wonderful," Hua said, "We'd been thinking to try for another, and maybe get a daughter, but with so much work its enough as it is." Sun Nao cocked one of his eyebrows, but he said nothing and instead focused on his baby brother. "We would not want to impose, but dinner sounds lovely. I will have to tell my husband, or he'll be lost." It seemed the notion of not having to cook was very appealing to her, and Sun Nao could not begrudge her that, his stepfather was a horrible cook.
"You're WONDER WOMAN!" He Exclaimed, and several people stopped what they did to look.
"He, we don't use our loud voice in the museum..." Hua scolded her youngest, and Sun Nao did his best to hide his grin.
"Ops, sorry," He said, cheeks turning a light shade of pink.
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Post by Countess on Aug 19, 2024 12:38:02 GMT
Diana smiles right back at him, inwardly truly thrilled. She will only take him up on it should it be on the up and up, no stepped on toes or wrinkled cloaks of levitation. Diana also looks forward to the possibility of speaking to the Monkey King. That will be a talk of the ages- she is no stranger to Gods, and those in their stature.
“All children are blessings,” Diana simply replies, but understands nonetheless. “Would you like a restaurant, or to come to my flat here in London? It’s nothing glamorous, leftover from my time working here. I’ve been careful to keep it functional, at least,” Diana offers, chuckling. Her home in London is truly more practical than not. “I have a few Amazonian artifacts there, if you would like to study them. Weapons, pottery, and jewelry. You’ll find it’s unique in its melding of cultures and techniques,” she says, another generous offer. Very little leaves the island.
Diana can’t help but beam at He’s excitement, all of it shared and mirrored back to him. “I yelled, too, when I met Superman,” she says, winking at him. Diana does not divulge it was because their first meeting was in a life or death fight with invaders, and the yelling was orders.
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 19, 2024 13:28:13 GMT
Sun Nao could tell that his mother was hesitating, and he could guess that she did not want to "impose" and make trouble, even if he knew how much she loved... loved old things. It was one of the things he knew he could use to distract her, as he had done it several times. He'd been tempted to show her the Sanctum Sanctorum as a way to sell his apprenticeship to Strange... she'd have a field day for sure.
"I hear the Amazons have some cool things," he commented innocently, giving his mother one of the rare "good boys" smiles. "And considering they are still active, they must be in excellent condition. Might never get a chance like this... and I imagine Wonder Woman would be a good influence on He--" Hua examined her oldest suspiciously.
"You're up to something, Xiao Bao" (A nickname meaning Little Treasure)
"What? Me?" Sun Nao pointed to himself, looking over his shoulder as if searching for someone else his mother could be talking to. "We want He to be inspired by strong female influences, none better than Wonder Woman."
Hua narrowed her eyes, but in the end, she sighed and smiled at Diana.
"As blunt as my son is, he does have a point. We'd be happy to visit your home if you'll have us."
He looked like a kid whose birthday and Christmas presents came simultaneously, and he continued to pull at his brother's clothes, whispering words along the lines of. "We're going to visit Wonder Woman", "My friends will be so jealous" and "Best day ever". Sun Nao did not object, letting the brother talk his ears off without a complaint. Diana could tell he loved He immensely.
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Post by Countess on Aug 20, 2024 21:40:54 GMT
Diana watches the family interact with a growing sense of love. Surely, it shows in the way her eyes sparkle at them, the way her lips curve so softly at the corners. The are so lovely, worth protection and care. Another thing to discuss with Strange- the boy may not be able to collaborate with the Sorcerer as well as she. It also doesn't hurt to have the request from two sources... as long as he receives her well. There is... a lot of bad blood between their groups, though not necessarily between them.
"No better influence than his mother, of course," Diana immediately says, chuckling. He is laying it on thick- even Diana would be suspicious if Lizzie came to her with this request now. "You and yours are more than welcome in my home. Let me get the address for you..." she says, fishing in her back for a card and pen. Carefully, she writes the address on the back of her diplomatic card. Coincidentally, it also has her number... just in case. She dutifully hands it over to Hua once done.
While He is busy chattering, Diana covertly offers first to his mother that ride to the child. Best to get permission from the parent first, then offer to the child. No guilt, no upset kids. She is already making a menu, perhaps one of the more inspired Amazonian dishes... Modern restaurants call them "fusion", but Diana grew up with it. Dishes like Peking duck with the comforting aroma of slow-cooked Greek beans. Or perhaps bao stuffed with stifado...
[End Thread]
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