[ It may not be immediately applicable on the surface, but it does sound like genuine advice. Gray makes an attempt to seriously turn it over in her mind. ]
Power... as in the power to fight?
[ She has that, technically, but she would never use her abilities to hurt anyone except in defense. Is brute force really the key to confidence? She feels that there must be another ingredient less easily seen. Her head tips in thought as she tries to form a question that addresses that feeling. ]
Then if all your powers were taken away, would you stop speaking your mind?
[Not that it is a difficult thing to do, but the second question seems to put her in a sour mood.]
That won't happen. I won't let myself be powerless again. I'll use anyone, do anything to avoid that. So you can just put that out of your head. But look at me. Without my magic, even you might be able to hurt me. A little. Probably not much. Well, okay, maybe not at all. But even some random idiot with a sword would be able to dangerous. I'd have to be some sort of moron to make someone angry without the strength to back up my anger.
[In other words, it sounds like she would.]
I don't know what sort of place you came from. But I've spent almost my entire life finding ways to survive when no one cared if I lived or died. I got tired of being kicked aside and started kicking back. I...geez, I am no good at actually trying to HELP people. What I'm trying to say is confidence. Even if you don't have the strength to kick back, if someone THINKS you do they aren't going to make the first strike. And before you get any dumb ideas, that isn't how I am. I'll be happy to prove to you my power is real if you don't believe me.
[ It definitely sounds like Majorita would be the same whether or not she had her powers...
Confidence is a more digestible answer to Gray, even if it's much easier said than done where she's concerned. She understands that confidence can be more a function of politics than fact. It's being able to pull off the act that stumps her. Maybe she's just too aware of her flaws. ]
I believe you.
[ She would really be surprised if Majorita were bluffing this whole time. And Gray has already known someone who had to grow up according to Majorita's description, a little girl who had to put on the face of a lion for the sake of a merciless world. ]
I don't know if I can pull off that kind of confidence, but I'll do my best. And... thank you for doing your best to help me.
[ Even if Majorita didn't think she was very good at it. ]
Before I came here, the place I was in was... a very political one. It was a school and headquarters for magi. But since I was only an apprentice, not much was expected of me.
[The part about a 'school of magi' doesn't pass her by. So, this weak seeming girl had at least some knowledge of the arcane? She couldn't pretend that wasn't at least a little interesting.]
Sounds super boring. Most places back home didn't really have politics. It was Might Makes Right, if you could crush the person that disagreed with you, that meant you won.
[There was a good reason she was so direct. She is not particularly used to subtlety. Her problems could never be solved with words.]
And don't THANK me. It makes me ill just hearing something like that from you.
[There's a short pause, and what follows next is muttered so low that it makes even Grey's soft voice seem loud.]
......you're welcome, though...
[She's back to her normal self almost instantly.]
Now, are you done wasting my time? I'm going back to my room.
[ If the magi Gray knew of freely used their magecraft to fight for dominance, they would probably wipe themselves out as a population within a year, she thinks...
She perks up at the apology she could almost have imagined, what with how quiet it was, but she's always been good at listening. Though Majorita is back to her normal self in an instant, Gray barely hears the rudeness in the following comment. Ah, but it seems like she's being dismissed. She has to fight the urge to thank Majorita again, instead dipping a quick bow as a compromise. ]
That's all. Um, I'm sorry to have bothered you.
[ And she'll wait for Majorita to take her leave before moving on herself. ]
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momijizukamori
no subject
Date: 2022-06-23 05:44 am (UTC)Power... as in the power to fight?
[ She has that, technically, but she would never use her abilities to hurt anyone except in defense. Is brute force really the key to confidence? She feels that there must be another ingredient less easily seen. Her head tips in thought as she tries to form a question that addresses that feeling. ]
Then if all your powers were taken away, would you stop speaking your mind?
no subject
Date: 2022-06-23 10:54 am (UTC)That won't happen. I won't let myself be powerless again. I'll use anyone, do anything to avoid that. So you can just put that out of your head. But look at me. Without my magic, even you might be able to hurt me. A little. Probably not much. Well, okay, maybe not at all. But even some random idiot with a sword would be able to dangerous. I'd have to be some sort of moron to make someone angry without the strength to back up my anger.
[In other words, it sounds like she would.]
I don't know what sort of place you came from. But I've spent almost my entire life finding ways to survive when no one cared if I lived or died. I got tired of being kicked aside and started kicking back. I...geez, I am no good at actually trying to HELP people. What I'm trying to say is confidence. Even if you don't have the strength to kick back, if someone THINKS you do they aren't going to make the first strike. And before you get any dumb ideas, that isn't how I am. I'll be happy to prove to you my power is real if you don't believe me.
cries i swear i replied to this......
Date: 2022-06-29 01:44 am (UTC)Confidence is a more digestible answer to Gray, even if it's much easier said than done where she's concerned. She understands that confidence can be more a function of politics than fact. It's being able to pull off the act that stumps her. Maybe she's just too aware of her flaws. ]
I believe you.
[ She would really be surprised if Majorita were bluffing this whole time. And Gray has already known someone who had to grow up according to Majorita's description, a little girl who had to put on the face of a lion for the sake of a merciless world. ]
I don't know if I can pull off that kind of confidence, but I'll do my best. And... thank you for doing your best to help me.
[ Even if Majorita didn't think she was very good at it. ]
Before I came here, the place I was in was... a very political one. It was a school and headquarters for magi. But since I was only an apprentice, not much was expected of me.
I have decided you are forgiven
Date: 2022-06-29 06:32 pm (UTC)Sounds super boring. Most places back home didn't really have politics. It was Might Makes Right, if you could crush the person that disagreed with you, that meant you won.
[There was a good reason she was so direct. She is not particularly used to subtlety. Her problems could never be solved with words.]
And don't THANK me. It makes me ill just hearing something like that from you.
[There's a short pause, and what follows next is muttered so low that it makes even Grey's soft voice seem loud.]
......you're welcome, though...
[She's back to her normal self almost instantly.]
Now, are you done wasting my time? I'm going back to my room.
no subject
Date: 2022-07-02 04:31 am (UTC)She perks up at the apology she could almost have imagined, what with how quiet it was, but she's always been good at listening. Though Majorita is back to her normal self in an instant, Gray barely hears the rudeness in the following comment. Ah, but it seems like she's being dismissed. She has to fight the urge to thank Majorita again, instead dipping a quick bow as a compromise. ]
That's all. Um, I'm sorry to have bothered you.
[ And she'll wait for Majorita to take her leave before moving on herself. ]