❈ | 022 | Voice

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

A girl...

[She trails off, and there's the briefest hesitation. She'd thought it was a way to stay Faceless, to keep true to everything the kindly man has taught her. But it just makes her stand out more. No one here knows Braavos, no one knows how they speak the common tongue, and no one knows her.

When she starts up again, it's as if she never stopped, all confidence.]

I want someone to teach me to fight. Without swords. I'm small, but I'm fast. And I'm strong. [She sounds a little less certain of that, but she will fake it till she makes it.]

And I want to learn to shoot a bow. Who knows how to teach it?

[There are no Lannisters here, now, but maybe one day there will be. Maybe one day she'll go back to Westeros, and though she has every intention of burying Needle in Cersei's chest, she doesn't care if she kills the others from a distance.]

[Private to Bruce Wayne]

A man - you said you'd teach me.

Comments

[Private]

[megamind]

Can't teach you how to fight-- I'm built all wrong to humans.

But can keep teaching you other things. Things to build, things to craft. Chemicals that can can make one sleep, can make one a little bit mad.

[ Megamind would have been quite the Maester in Westeros. ]

If you're up to it. There'll be a lot of book learning.

[Private]

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

[That sounds so dull at first, because she has never been a fan of sitting still to learn things. But things to mix and make that could cause sleep or madness - those sound like maester things.

What's more, they sounded like good things to know.

She smiles to herself; she doesn't have to be nameless to be Faceless.]

I can read. When can we start?

[Private]

[megamind]

Let me get a lesson plan, and I'll get back to you on that one, Shiv.

You know how to pick locks?

[voice] [private]

[maidtoqueen]

Are you frightened about something?

[voice] [private]

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

I'm not scared of anything. [Not as true as she'd like it to be, but she says it like a fact.]

[voice] [private]

[maidtoqueen]

Everyone has something they are frightened of.

[voice]

[deadliestviper]

Being small can be a huge advantage in bare-handed combat.

A woman will teach a girl if she wants.

[voice]

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

Yes. [It's immediate. She likes B, and thinks she can be very dangerous, but in a good way.]

I do.

[voice]

[deadliestviper]

Fantastic. What do you want to learn to do? Evade? Disable? Kill?

[truth_is_cold]

She's right. [He sees B thar.] There are many advantages to being small. Though she's would be more practical of a teacher. I can only speak in theory.

[He's a bigger dude, and only has been trained to defend against smaller wiley people.]

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

You don't know how to fight? [She is not opposed to learning all kinds.]

[truth_is_cold]

I know many ways to fight, with and without swords. [He's also aware he has a few physical variations most people don't have.]

[fuckingvisions]

A crossbow work? I can't work a normal bow, but I have a cross bow down just fine.

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

Crossbows are easy. [...But.] You'll let me practice?

[fuckingvisions]

As soon as I can get me hands on one again, I'll be sure to let you.

[yeahscience]

[Oh God, he hates everyone else who's responding to this right now, like, so much. The only thing that's keeping him from butting in is the fact that as long as she still wants to go back to that shithole world of hers, she needs all the defense she can get.

He'd just be a lot happier if he didn't feel like the only one around who cares about it actually being for defense.

Today, he's going to focus on the fact that she used a fucking pronoun, and also that his Christmas present may be completely null and void.]

What's up, Cat, you don't like swords no more?

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

[Hey, sometimes it'll be used for defense! She pauses when he says Cat, though, because he's been using it more often than Shadowcat. In fact, he hasn't used SC in a while, and she isn't sure why.]

I do. But what if it gets taken again?

[crossestheline]

Why do you wanna learn how to fight?

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

Why do you want to know?

private; voice

[theonlyresponse]

I will. Name a time.

private; voice

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

Tonight. In the gym.

Private

[onceandfutureprat]

[ommmg you used pronouns. You are definitely perfect.]

I can teach you to shoot a bow.

Private

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

[Yeah yeah yeah she knows.]

One I can draw the string of? [She knows she needs something smaller, even if she doesn't want to admit it outright. B(]

[bodilesswarrior]

[Barbara studies her for a long moment. Her gaze is one of scrutiny, but it's a gentle sort.]

Why do you want to learn?

[fearcutsdeeperthanswords]

Why do you want to know?