"Make it to the end of the hall and back, maintaining the same height, while doing your lines from the last play," Ghanima said without breaking the rhythm of her throws. "Then you can have tea."
Ghanima had gotten up from her perch on her desk, and was leaned in her doorway, watching Dinah carefully. This was indeed to prove that it wasn't a fluke, and to test Dinah's multitasking skills.
Re: AfternoonblondecanaryNovember 4 2009, 18:23:20 UTC
"He’s worth no more. They say he parted well and paid his score...." Dinah was trying not to dance with jubilation that she'd managed this, that she wasn't tired yet, that she could do both the talking and the walking on air at the same time. "And so, God be with him! Here comes newer comfort."
She stopped in front of Ghanima, still a foot off the ground, finally glanced down at her feet, then back up, beaming. "Yes!"
Laughing at Dinah's expression would be mean and un-teacherly.
"Very good," Ghanima approved, clapping lightly for a moment before moving to get the tea going. "I suppose this means you think you're ready for some more advanced lessons now."
Re: AfternoonblondecanaryNovember 4 2009, 18:42:46 UTC
"You did say I wasn't ready for them before I mastered this," Dinah pointed out, following her into the room and settling down in one chair, finally on a solid surface again. She grinned. "And I haven't had a telepathic accident in ages, and Karla says my mind-voice is getting clearer when we talk, and I'd really, really like it if I could learn more."
Survive and advance! It wasn't a game, but Dinah loved learning new stuff she never dreamed of before Fandom.
Re: AfternoonblondecanaryNovember 4 2009, 19:07:41 UTC
"They are! And... well, I was really glad for them, last week. I had to help out a friend-- not by myself," Dinah added quickly, interrupting herself, "with some other people. Anyway. This friend had gotten kind of lost inside her head, they'd had a bad time on a trip home, and we went in to get them out of shock." She sighed. "If I hadn't been able to tell what was me, and what wasn't, I would've found it all a lot more upsetting, and it wasn't any kind of picnic as it was."
"Breathe, Dinah," Ghanima reminded her good-naturedly as she set out the cups for tea. For all the other girl had been studying meditation, her thought process was still like a tumbling pile of puppies from an outside view. "Select your words just like you would a weapon. The disciplined mind doesn't need to interrupt itself."
Re: AfternoonblondecanaryNovember 5 2009, 01:15:50 UTC
"Right," Dinah said, a little chagrined as she took her tea. Sometimes Ghanima and Barbara sounded a lot alike. She took a few seconds to sip the tea to get her thoughts in order, then slowly said, "When I was in their mind, I could effect the dreamscape. Make weapons appear for me and Professor Max, and fight better than I can in real life without getting tired. I was always partly aware that it wasn't real. So, that helped to deal with the threats their subconscious threw at us, lashing out." She was quiet again, then said, "It doesn't help with knowing how hurt they were, that they had to hide so far inside themself to get away from the pain."
"Without pain, what do we have to measure pleasure against?" Ghanima asked philosophically. "How we deal with that pain, the choices we make because of it, that's what separates humans from animals."
"It's one thing to regret causing pain, but getting hurt -- emotionally and physically -- is part of being alive and opening yourself up to the universe."
Re: AfternoonblondecanaryNovember 5 2009, 02:05:07 UTC
"Yeah," Dinah said hesitantly, hearing the sense in that. Trying to work out the part that was deeper, that bothered her, like a splinter of glass in her finger. "Leto said that people who need to hurt others are the ones who most need control. Or need to be perceived to be in control." She took another sip of her tea, thinking of the men in the tavern, the creepy guys at Karla's home. "Looking at other people as things?"
"As usual, my brother's knife hits the mark," she agreed. "They usually inflict suffering to feel in control of themselves or their environment, or because they do not realize they lack control completely."
Like Irulan's father, or the na-Baron. Or Alia.
"Not everything that wears a human shape is a person, Dinah."
Re: AfternoonblondecanaryNovember 5 2009, 02:28:32 UTC
Dinah thought of Harley Quinn, and shuddered. "That's... terrifying." In some deep-down place it made her furious as well. "I want to know how to fight people like that," she said more quietly. "Maybe it's futile, but I keep thinking if I'm skilled enough, fast enough, strong enough, I can stop them before they hurt anyone else. Without turning into them. I know I can't beat them all. But I want to."
"Even if you stop them, that doesn't erase the scars," Ghanima pointed out. "The best course of action is usually to counter them, find a way to neutralize them that isn't always overt."
"Sometimes they can turn back from the edge. Sometimes you can put them down quietly. But other times it's messy and violent, and causes more pain to the people around them. Are you willing to take that risk?"
Re: AfternoonblondecanaryNovember 5 2009, 03:09:38 UTC
Dinah looked down at her hands. Thinking of little Karla; thinking of the girl Francine could only give cookies to, when she ran away. Of the girls in Briarwood, even if she didn't see them in person. Of the Crawler's victims. Of Wayne, dead on the floor of Barbara's office.
She looked up, and said quietly, "I have to. I couldn't stand doing nothing. At least if I do something, I can help people save themselves. That helps. Knowing you survived. Got yourself out." Thinking of Darkstrike's spiral into CrazyLand, she said, "The bad guys too." She held out her hands. "I have all these powers. What else am I going to do with them? Become the world's best golfer with my telekinesis? Sell a million cars because I can read people's minds?"
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Dinah turned, took a breath and started to walk. "Had he his hurts before?... Why then, God’s soldier be he! Had I as many sons as I have hairs..."
She kept going, concentrating on inside-outside-power under her feet and Siward's lines, and reached then end, then grinned and turned around.
"I would not wish them to a fairer death. And so, his knell is knolled... "
Almost there!
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She stopped in front of Ghanima, still a foot off the ground, finally glanced down at her feet, then back up, beaming. "Yes!"
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"Very good," Ghanima approved, clapping lightly for a moment before moving to get the tea going. "I suppose this means you think you're ready for some more advanced lessons now."
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Survive and advance! It wasn't a game, but Dinah loved learning new stuff she never dreamed of before Fandom.
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"It's one thing to regret causing pain, but getting hurt -- emotionally and physically -- is part of being alive and opening yourself up to the universe."
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Like Irulan's father, or the na-Baron. Or Alia.
"Not everything that wears a human shape is a person, Dinah."
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"Sometimes they can turn back from the edge. Sometimes you can put them down quietly. But other times it's messy and violent, and causes more pain to the people around them. Are you willing to take that risk?"
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She looked up, and said quietly, "I have to. I couldn't stand doing nothing. At least if I do something, I can help people save themselves. That helps. Knowing you survived. Got yourself out." Thinking of Darkstrike's spiral into CrazyLand, she said, "The bad guys too." She held out her hands. "I have all these powers. What else am I going to do with them? Become the world's best golfer with my telekinesis? Sell a million cars because I can read people's minds?"
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