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Post by Countess on Sept 15, 2024 3:21:02 GMT
This is the first day of Diana and Sun Nao's training. A great deal has gone into this, between a chance encounter and the reconciliation of friends, and she couldn't be happier. She had missed Stephen, dearly, and this is the greatest chance she has for rebuilding this smoldering bridge between them. Even better, he is helping her repair it, and it makes her heart sing. He occupies a piece of her she cherishes. Having him back... being able to be there for him again...
That is not what today is about, however. She is here to train a part of the next generation of heroes, or at least a young man who needs help with his newfound abilities and powers. Diana isn't quite sure yet which styles she will teach to him, needing to see if he favors any weaponry... He could go with a handful of styles, she thinks, blending things to perfectly suit him. That tail- she needs to figure out if it is prehensile, if so, it will be incorporated into the style.
It has been so long since she has been in the Sanctum. Once more, she finds her heart soaring. Gently, she places her forehead on the door to the place. "I missed you, friend. Thank you for taking care of him, of all of them," she murmurs to the building. There is nothing but gratitude in her voice, absolute reverence for the Sanctum. It hits her all at once, and she has to blink away tears. Firmly, though without her strength, Diana knocks on the door.
This is the first step of something grand. Diana can feel it in her bones.
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Post by DornKoon on Sept 15, 2024 21:26:36 GMT
Sun Nao was sulking in his room; he'd been there for a while now, challenging to say how long... his clone had been keeping up with things back home. His encounter at the zoo had been confusing and caused a lot of questions he did not know how to get the answer to. Sure, Grodd seemed a little too full of himself, and his glorious plan to replace mankind with the ape rule and freedom for apes and monkeys was not a bad goal by itself, but Sun Nao felt there was more to Grodd's words than just that. Presently, the Monkey Prince was meditating, or more precisely, he was trying to meditate. Sitting with his legs crossed on the floor, he tried to focus... and also not think, but at the same time... not fall asleep; he'd failed a few times at the last part, only to be woken by a monkey biting his ear. Focus and concentration had never been virtues for him, and that had been the case even before his awakening. "I can't figure out how anyone can do this for hours," he muttered, looking at the tiny marmosets lying on his lap, lunching on grapes and some cooked fish. " But you guys eating so loudly is not helping..." One marmoset looked at him before holding out a grape, which Sun Nao accepted with a sigh. "You're lucky that you're all so darn cute..." He muttered.  He heard the distant sound of knocking, which caused his attention to go that way because most visitors tended to walk inside. So, would it mean it was someone new, official, Jehovah's Witnesses, or something else? Mormons? Did Mormons also knock on doors? In any case, The Doc was away, and Wong was out... Sun Nao did not know if there was anyone else in the building. Still, he did not feel like getting up. It did take a while, but soon enough, the door into the Sanctum opened, and behind the door was Sun Nao, or in reality, one of his clones, but that was near impossible to tell. "Oh, hello, Diana," Sun Nao greeted; he was a little surprised to see Wonder Woman at the door but could not muster much in terms of curiosity at the moment. "If you're looking for the Doc, he's not here. He's out somewhere but did not tell me anything." |
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Post by Countess on Sept 18, 2024 23:22:42 GMT
Diana is patient enough, standing not so still as she shifts from foot too foot. There is an excitement within her she cannot abate, cannot tamp down, and it shows. If she hadn't been in public, she would be hopping from foot to foot, practically dancing. When the door opens, it is everything in Diana not to hug the young man. Instead, she beams. She is in her full Wonder Woman regalia, sword at her hip, shield on her back, and glowing gold rope across her torso. She looks ready to fight, and then some. Her hair has been pulled back into a tight bun, eyes gleaming.
"Greetings! No, no, this visit is for you! Training starts now!" Diana booms, a side of her he certainly did not see at the museum. She moves past him into the Sanctum, pausing only briefly, her hands on her hips. Diana takes a deep breath, breathing in the place. It feels good to be back. Her energy bleeds into this place, blurring things. She has always had an effect on the magic here, being she is a creature made entirely of it.
"Shame he isn't here, he would get dragged into this, too... He better not be hiding from me..." Diana says, looking about. "Where shall we start?"
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Post by DornKoon on Sept 19, 2024 12:58:01 GMT
"Sun Nao" looked slightly taken aback but quickly recovered and smiled. "I'm sure I'll be happy to hear that," he said, stepping aside to let her into the Sanctum. "Oh yes, pitty Doc could not join in; that would have been fun. But I don't think he's hiding; he was checking Darkwatch's HQ and did not get the details."
The clone looked at Diana when she asked where to start. "Maybe getting me out of the bedroom is a nice start?" He replied, rolling his eyes and walking toward Sun Nao's room. "Unless it was unclear, I'm a clone... so I'm still me... and him... and us." The clone stopped momentarily, brow furrowed as he counted on his fingers. "Don't ask me to explain it; it will just give me a headache. We're a little down in it now; some stuff happened. Best, let me tell you."
After a few minutes of walking, they stopped at a door, and the clone unceremoniously opened it. Inside was Sun Nao's room. It did not have much apart from a bed, desk, and bookshelf. What did stick out instantly was the monkeys—there were a lot of them inside. Small monkeys of different kinds gathered around small bowls of fruit and fish; some of them looked up as the door opened, but the majority continued to eat.
Sun Nao himself was sitting on the floor in front of the bed with a group of pygmy marmosets on his lap, feasting on grapes and fish. "Hi, Diana," he said with a weak smile, his face twitching slightly as a marmoset sniffed inside his ear. "There is no food in there!" He gently collected the marmoset, putting it next to the others. "Diana, do you know of someone called... Grodd" He asked, not mincing words.
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Post by Countess on Sept 22, 2024 17:41:13 GMT
Diana looks to Sun Nao with something akin to curiosity at his phrasing, and it is quickly dispelled at his explanation. "A clone! How clever," she says, beaming. She can address things with Stephen on a later date. That man has dodged her attempts to physically train him so many times, she is not surprised he has done so again. His days are numbered.
"I will be sure to ask at a more appropriate time," Diana says, simmering her exuberance slightly. A little down? Nothing like physical exercise to help with that. Diana follows, feet barely touching the ground as she goes. She can abate her excitement only so much, after all.
The bedroom that is shown to her is... expected, in all honesty. It looks exactly how she would imagine a student's housing... only with a great deal of monkeys. That explains Pilgrim's report. Diana gives a sigh. Her excitement is still there, but now it certainly seems she is going to have to do a great deal more lecturing than she had hoped. Johnny's report of a "Sun Nao" working with Gorilla Grodd had certainly been alarming, but... Now it is staring her in the face. She had thought it before, and now it seems more solidified. He's just a kid.
The monkeys seem to like her. She can understand them and their little chattering. Sun Nao's bedroom is not the long term solution for their housing, however.
"Yes, yes I do. I also know about your field trip to the Zoo," Diana says, leaning on the door frame. "Gorilla Godd is a very powerful telepath who recently escaped from the highest security prison in the world, known as the Raft. He is someone the Flash has gone up against multiple times, myself as well. One of the more well known exploits of his was the assault on Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in order to get access to device that could have amplified his telepathic powers and done irrevocable harm to people around the world," Diana explains to him. She will not pull punches here. "While I can understand his motives, I do not condone his actions. He is someone I would meet in battle and kill if it came to it," she says, honest in this. Gorilla Grodd, in her mind, is a threat to all peoples.
"You fought against my colleague, the Human Torch, though I just call him Johnny. You also met another of my colleagues, Pilgrim. I believe you owe them an apology," she says, sounding like a mother. "I agree with your assertation that zoos are prisons- they are also responsible for the rehabilitation of injured animals, the education and engagement of the public, and breeding of endangered animals. They are not pure evil- but reform must be made. What you did is not the answer to this problem. Especially... because you helped a dangerous criminal escape."
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Post by DornKoon on Sept 22, 2024 18:22:13 GMT
"I really, really, messed up... didn't I?" Sun Nao seemed to shrink; he sighed and scratched a monkey behind the ear, and it affectionately nibbled at his finger, which caused him to smile, if only slightly. "I did not know who to trust, and Grodd said things that made so much sense at the time, apart from the taking over the world... that was a little... much. In hindsight, I think he was very deliberate with what he told me, and like a smuck, I believed him." He leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. "It was just chaos, and these little ones were so scared and confused, and they all just threw themselves at me for safety. Then came Torch, all in flames." He paused, gritting his teeth. "Most of those gorillas were just regular apes, and I thought he would harm them."
He found it very difficult to look at Diana. He was not some criminal; he wanted to do the right thing, he wanted to help, and he thought he was helping.
"There is a whole city of Gorillas in Africa? Why do we have gorillas in zoos if they have a whole city?!" He shook his head, taking a deep breath. One of the little marmosets climbed to his shoulder and held out a small grape for him, which Sun Nao accepted. "You're right, of course, Diana. But, I couldn't abandon them; they're my people; they looked to me... for protection. I didn't know who Grodd was... it just never occurred to me that an ape could be... a dangerous criminal; it sounds silly even now."
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Post by Countess on Sept 22, 2024 18:44:21 GMT
"Yes, yes, you did," Diana says, and there is a softness to her voice. She isn't angry- she is disappointed. Arguably worse than anger, but he hasn't seen her angry. Very few have. Less are alive to speak on it. "There are, however, ways to rectify this. There are very few mistakes in this world that cannot be fixed, atoned for, or apologized for, thank the Goddesses," she tells him, watching the monkeys with an affection of her own.
Diana thinks on Johnny, as well as the report she was given by him. "I hold in my heart that Johnny would never hurt an animal unless it were in self defense, and even then... He has a big heart. A very, very big one," she says rather fondly of the man. She wears his autographed shirt as often as she can. Being fans of her coworkers gives her great happiness. "Grodd likely was manipulating you," she says, a bit sad in that. Sun Nao is just a kid, and Grodd capitalized on that fact.
"Yes, there is. I know little about it, as the Flash is the only one of us that has been there, and he respects their autonomy and right to privacy. I have no room to speak- Themyscira is isolationist for many of the same reasons," Diana says, nodding. "My home, however, has not wanted to purge the world of men simply because some are responsible for their pain," she says reasonably. "That is the line in the sand, Sun Nao. A warrior knows when to lay down the sword in favor of an outstretched hand. Today, however, I will not be teaching you those wisdoms, but instead...
"We shall do what I did when I was young and made a mistake. I am going to make you work your body so hard, you discover new muscles. I am going to show you new agonies that only the Gods and Goddesses know of. I am going to make sure you walk away with so many blisters, you will feel them even as you sleep. If you don't puke from how hard I work you, I will not be trying hard enough. Then, and only then, you will have the privilege of apologizing for your actions. The greatest lesson will come after all of this, and you will look back on this physical pain fondly. Mark my words."
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Post by DornKoon on Sept 22, 2024 19:13:42 GMT
"Oh?" He perked up when Diana talked of ways to rectify it, listening intently to what she said. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense now. Stupid eloquent ape..." He did not think Grodd could control him like he did the other animals or seemed to. "I do not think I was controlled, but everything he said then seemed to make sense. Which is... scary, now that I think about it." Sun Nao wanted to hit the floor but stopped himself... he did not want to frighten the monkeys and give Strange another reason to scold him.
Sun Nao looked at Diana as she talked about training.
He was no stranger to training as a way to teach a lesson, his father loved to do that, and usually, there was some lesson behind getting his ass kicked over and over. He'd just not figured out what that was. What someone else might think as a little extreme just seemed reasonable at this point.
"Did your mother do that to you? She sounds even more like a badass." He asked, weighing his words. Collecting the monkeys from his lap, he stood up, gently putting them on the bed before turning to Diana. "Yes, let's do it. I can't just sit here feeling sorry for myself. I've been trying to meditate for a while now, and it's not helping. If my mom trusts you, I will, too." He looked around at the monkeys again. "So, where are we going to train? And, maybe I need to do something about these guys."
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Post by Countess on Sept 22, 2024 19:37:39 GMT
Diana tilts her head back a bit, exhaling hard. It isn't at him- but at something she had suspected. "Sounds like Grodd really doesn't care about animals," she murmurs. "Just their usefulness to him," she says, leveling her gaze once more to Sun Nao. "If he did, he wouldn't be controlling them to fight for him against someone like Johnny. He would be freeing them, like you did," she says gently. As long as he can see the difference between them... perhaps this can be smoothed over in a meaningful way and a lesson can be learned.
"Yes, and my Aunties and my Sisters. I was the only child, so everyone raised me. My people, we are warriors first. Honing our bodies is as important as honing our minds. Hippolyta certainly is a bad ass- she gets that from her father, I am sure," she says. Her thoughts stray to him, but only briefly. Their clashes are legendary, and have been passed down through many oral and written traditions. Even with that- she laid down the sword to help him in his time of need.
"We will remain here for your training. The Sanctum will provide a room large enough for us, I am sure. If not, there are other places we can go," Diana says, pushing off the doorframe gently. "I need to see how you fight. Do not put strength into it. From there, I will teach you. Johnny mentioned a staff that would change length. I already think there are multiple styles you could benefit from learning, from Kali to Hapkido. From there, we start ingraining the styles into your muscle memory. This means repetition. Once you have that, perhaps in a couple months time, we will spar. There is a meditation you can find in repetition," Diana continues, taking a couple steps out of the room. She turns back to the monkeys, grinning.
"Want to see a show?" she asks them, knowing they can understand her.
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Post by DornKoon on Sept 22, 2024 20:04:19 GMT
A pit was forming in his stomach, growing as Diana spoke. What she said made sense... how many poor animals was he willing to use? Why even do this at a Zoo?! " And the only reason these monkeys were not affected was... because I happened to be there." He knew he had the power to order monkeys around, but he did not think his presence could also protect them. "What was he even aiming to do?! He started a riot, and then he just... left? Why risk being captured to spring some animals from the Zoo? He had the means to escape, so why... stay?" It felt like he was missing something; he was unsure what.
"Sounds a lot, and not at all, like how my father does it. He likes to train, and several monkeys can fight, but the mountain is mostly a paradise for those living there. Away from the world of humans, where they can be just... themselves." He reflected on Mount Huaguo. "Would be cool to talk with your mother at some point; I imagine she'd know what it feels like with... such larger-than-life fathers."
" Here? Yeah, I guess it could do that." He looked around at the building; he generally did have a nice relationship with the Sanctum, so at least it was not angry with him. "We'd best go look; something will turn up unless we find another one of Salem's hidden stashes of catnip and tuna in the sauce. He's been trying to get Doc to let him mount a trebuchet on the roof to fire toilet paper at the neighbour's house. Strange though, that was a horrible idea; I was rather partial to it... but not my house."
Sun Nao looked back to the monkeys; it did not seem like they minded tagging along—or that was the indication they were giving. But Diana noticed they were deferring to Sun Nao, seeking his permission, so the young demigod sighed. "Fine, if Diana says it's okay, you can come too..." which was followed by a lot of happy monkeys quickly swarming out into the corridor, making the general ruckus one might expect from a lot of small monkeys. "I'm so glad Doc and Wong are out, and Salem is busy watching re-runs of Desperate Housewives."
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Post by Countess on Sept 24, 2024 23:30:25 GMT
"I do not know," Diana says, honest as ever. "What Grodd will do and why he did what he did is not why I am here," she says, urging Sun Nao on. "We are here to get you to the best of your ability," she continues. Reaching over when he is within arm's reach, she places a hand on his shoulder. "We all make mistakes. What matters is what you do after making it," she says, quoting her Aunt, Antiope.
Ah... something Diana doubts will ever happen. "I am afraid my mother speaks to no man," she says, sad at that fact. "Not even the Gods, not even her father," she adds, though Diana is unsure how true that is. Her mother has been known to obscure truths from her many times. "I hope this changes over time... but it will take long, gradual change. The Amazons, they are all reincarnations of women unjustly slain, and more often than not... this is at the hands of men, the patriarchy, and their toxicity. No man may enter the island," she says, her voice grave. "It is protected by the Goddesses, and in turn, we give them worship to sustain them. Paradise Island... A beautiful home, but one I am afraid you will likely never see," she tells him.
"The monkeys need to go somewhere," Diana says reasonably, watching the little ones race about. It doesn't bother her- but this isn't her home. "What do you think makes sense?" she asks as they walk through the Sanctum, looking for a proper place to train. Just needs to be open enough... maybe with a mirror for him to see his form...
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Post by DornKoon on Sept 25, 2024 10:04:22 GMT
"Oh, you misunderstand me," Sun Nao said, shaking his head with a slightly cheeky smile. "I have no interest in going to the Island of the Amazons, not that I do not think it must be a great place filled with amazing women, but because I know it was not made for me, and that's perfectly alright. I know my mother would die to go there one day, and if anything... I would rather you let her go than me. If I'm honest, I'd be more likely to crash one of Zeus' parties on Olympus, maybe steal some ambrosia."
Sun Nao rubbed the side of his neck. He curious watched Diana, trying to put his thoughts into words.
"Well, her father is the god of war. I can't blame her for not wanting to speak with him. He doesn't have the best reputation, and I would not want to welcome war to my Island if it was me." He paused, "I'm sure with a daughter like you, she'll come around one day, and I'm immortal now, so I got the time."
Sun Nao stopped briefly, his tail moving from side to side as he thoughtfully tapped his foot. A good place inside the Sanctum for training? "I don't think the meditation chamber would work; Wong would be angry if we went into the storage area, and the Library would be upset if we went there." he muttered to himself. "Aha, I think I know a place." Sun Nao whistled for the monkeys to follow before leading Diana back through the Sanctum. After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at a door, and when it opened, they found themselves in an open space that looked like a meadow with grass, singing birds and a small stream. "I found this place by accident when I got lost on my first days here," Sun Nao explained as he walked inside, accompanied by the monkeys. "I think it's some small pocket dimension a past Sorcerer Supreme made. Do you think this will work? I'm sure I can conjure things if we need them, gives me an excuse to practice my magic too"
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Post by Countess on Oct 4, 2024 14:21:26 GMT
Diana thinks to herself this child has great wisdom for one so young. Not every young man can understand not all spaces are for them- it is often she has dealt with those who take it very personally. "If your mother wishes to go, I can take her. That is- I will take her when you have spoken to her about your secret," Diana says, looking at him meaningfully. It would be a means of keeping her safe- but it would not extend to his father or brother.
Diana follows the young man, ruminating. His musings on where to go are not ignored, but she has found herself with parts of a puzzle she cannot see the picture on.
When the singing of birds and the smell of earth hit Diana, she focuses back on the present. There is a soft smile on her lips as she crosses the threshold, letting the space wash over her. She had trained many times in places like this. It pulls forth many memories, both good and bad.
"This is perfect," Diana says, and she is quite suddenly not next to him anymore, but up in the air. Quickly, perhaps too quickly for him to track, she tries to find the edges of this place, mapping it all. It is large and expansive- it will do wonderfully. Then as quickly as she left, Diana is back by his side.
"No time like the present. How about you show me what you got? I need to know what I am working with, where to start," Diana says, bending at the knees slightly as her arms raise. It is a sort of... ready position. The form is unfamiliar to him.
"Hit me."
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Post by DornKoon on Oct 4, 2024 18:21:21 GMT
Sun Nao could feel his cheeks heat up slightly. Keeping all this from his mother was a challenge, and he knew what Diana said was true. The longer he waited, the more likely someone would try something to harm her. Especially with people like Grodd, if he was as dangerous as Diana made it sound, and as an ape, he could see right past any illusions he used. "Doc said he and I will talk with her." He explained, "I think having Strange with me to explain might help feel more... official since I'm his apprentice. I know grandma will have to tell her she's a witch too, and that will surely be a whole other can of worms."
He watched as she left to map out the area. He had himself been here a few times before and liked the place well enough. It was not as expansive and big as Flowers and Fruit Mountain, but it was not bad.
Still, it was good that she approved; he did not have any other ideas if she had said it sucked.
Sun Nao was not that surprised when she asked him to hit her. She seemed the kind of teacher who took a hands-on approach, and he could appreciate that. "Okay," he replied, readying himself. He did not know what form that was, so he decided to go with a different form himself. Crouching down, his knuckle lightly touched the ground, and the tail went up.
With that, he attacked, coming at Diana with a series of somewhat unorthodox attacks, kicking from a handstand and using his tail as support. He was as good at walking on his hands as his feet, which he also used when he was fighting. Sun Nao used a version of kung fu known in China as Hóu Quán, or monkey fist. His technique used ape—or monkey-like movements, flipping sideways in the air, front flips, back flips, and back handsprings; sounds made by the watching monkeys accompanied it.
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Post by Countess on Oct 6, 2024 20:32:15 GMT
Diana moves with a speed that matches Sun Nao's, careful not to surpass him as she truly just wants to assess him. Most of her maneuvers are defensive, blocks or redirections. If he knows anything of Krav Maga or Judo, the techniques seem to be a blend of the two. She does not rely on one style like him, but simply whatever works in the moment. Diana does not strike him, nor does it seem like she is trying to one up him or flex on him at all. Certain strikes she comments on, small constructive criticisms or praises.
The two go like this for a time, and Sun Nao finds himself unable to truly hit her.
"Enough," Diana says after about an hour of this, holding her hands up to him, palms out. "You are good. Very good. Let's make you better."
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