video; @gamora

[godslay]

[ When the camera switches on, Gamora is in her apartment, Godslayer across her lap (diligently cleaned and freshly oiled), and she’s holding her communicator with her usual unreadable expression in place. ]

I want to expand my training opportunities. Those looking to spar or test their abilities – I want a challenge.

[ And with a slight lift of her brow— ]

Or let me know if you simply want others to practice with. Tell me how you prefer to fight, and we can work something out.

[ What a friendly and welcoming message.

… Except definitely the opposite of that.

Gamora is working on that “reaching out” thing, on trying to get a better idea of who and what surrounds her in the city, and she might as well use it as a chance to stretch her legs and potentially come up against a worthy opponent or two. ]

Comments

[godslay]

If Rocket hadn't intervened, you would have been dead.

[ She says it blandly, but with total conviction, too. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

See? That’s the problem.

[ And he turns on the couch, folding a leg onto the cushions to face her fully. ]

You and Drax, man. You guys are all like— [ And he pitches his voice low, into a sort of baritone range, smoothing out his inflection. ] — “A warrior faces his enemy, one on one, in a vacuum, only I’d never say that, because then I’d expect someone to whip out a Hoover while me and my foe try to climb in.”

[ ... an imitation of Drax, then. ]

But real fights aren’t one on one, with two folks beating the tar out of each other. It’s chaos, and it's thinking on your feet and using every advantage you’ve got – gadgets and weapons and random acts of Groot, included.

[ Peter shrugs, stretching an arm across the back of the couch. ]

Difference in philosophy, I guess.

[godslay]

[ She watches him intently, leaning her hip against the back of the couch. ]

Perhaps. But that does not mean you won't find yourself unarmed against a singular opponent. And training with me wouldn't necessarily be about simple hand-to-hand combat. There are other skills to be honed that come from specialized practice, not including means of fighting you could learn that could be incorporated into your usual preferred style.

[ She shrugs right back at him. ]

Having more at your disposal isn't a matter of being an honorable warrior in single combat; it is about diversifying your abilities and consistently improving yourself.

You are most vulnerable when you become complacent.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ His eyes narrow, mouth twisting to one side with his skepticism. ]

Why does it seem like you just want an excuse to kick my ass?

[godslay]

I'm sure you're imagining things.

[ So it might be enjoyable to toss Peter around a bit... but— ]

I do think this is important.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He scoffs, completely unconvinced by that first bit. That second part, though, makes him frown. ]

Why?

[ Peter's still pretty sure he's gotten by just fine, so far. ]

[godslay]

Why not?

[ Her lips twist, some of that amusement receding. ]

We have battles ahead of us that will require more than "fine."

[ It's been a while since they discussed Thanos, but she hasn't forgotten that conversation. ]

I told you that we aren't ready now. You said you want to be.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ —ah, crap.

He actually winces at that, head bowing a little when he recalls the conversation. He chews it over for a few seconds, teeth catching on his lower lip, before he lets out a quiet sigh. ]

... Yeah. Okay.

[godslay]

[ That intense look stays in place, but Gamora's almost surprised when Peter concedes. She narrows her eyes, a bit skeptical. ]

"Okay" as in you'll train with me?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He lets out another breath, rubbing at the back of his neck. ]

Yeah.

I mean, it's like you said. We're gonna have some shit to deal with— [ By which he definitely means Thanos and his children or his generals or whatever the hell he calls them. ] —and we need to be ready, so... Yeah.

[godslay]

[ And who better to have an idea of what they'll be up against than Gamora? ]

... Good.

[ She actually looks pleased by his agreement – and not in the "ha-ha, I win," way; she's almost relieved that Peter is willing to acknowledge the value in training for this.

... She'll also get to toss him around, but that's not the most important part. ]

We might as well use our time here wisely.

[ Since it feels like they have nothing but time in the Quarantine.

But in an effort to regain a brief flicker of the previous levity (and direct away from discussing Thanos), she adds, ]

I promise not to throw you too often.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ The corner of his mouth twitches upward, and he huffs out a laugh. ]

I feel like "too often" is definitely relative, here. Throwing me around at all already feels too often to me.

[godslay]

Then it's a good thing I'll be teaching you how to counter so that happens less often.

[ See? Problem solved.

She straightens up a little, pausing for a moment, before adding: ]

... Thank you.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ That catches him off-guard, and Peter blinks at her, frowning. ]

What are you thanking me for? I haven’t done anything.

[godslay]

[ She gives a small shrug. ]

For agreeing to do this with me.

[ She may be sparring with other people for enjoyment, but training with Peter has a very separate purpose. They have a greater evil to deal with, and they can't do that if they aren't ready to face it. ]

And for taking it seriously.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Ah.

His lips press together while he flounders for words, and he picks at a seam on his pants as he thinks. He knows fuck-all about Thanos; what he does know about him is all in the abstract, like knowing that T-Rexes were scary, back in the day, without ever having actually seen one in the flesh. He knows Nebula wants to kill Thanos, and so does Drax, and he knows that Gamora is afraid of him – which is practically inconceivable to Peter, considering he’s pretty sure Gamora is who the monsters in the closet and under the bed are afraid of.

So. Thanos is bad news. Peter may have confidence about his skills and his ability to improvise, but he’s not entirely sure how Gamora teaching him to take or throw a punch a little better will help them against the Mad Titan. If anything, he should be, like, studying strategy. Tactics. How to best wrangle feral cats. Because he figures if he has to be anything, he has to be the one helping to call the shots and keeping everyone in line.

Peter frowns at nothing for a second, thinking it over, before he looks back up to her. ]

So? When do you wanna do this?

[godslay]

We can start after our shifts, if our schedules line up.

[ She looks considering, crossing her arms over her chest as she thinks it over. ]

But we don't need to dedicate all of our free time to it.

[ They have time, after all – and there are other things they could be doing, together and separately. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He huffs out a halfhearted sort of laugh. ]

So in between sparring sessions, what’re we doing? Washing cars? Painting fences?

[ Is Peter going to get The Karate Kid-treatment, is what he’s asking. ]

[godslay]

[ She lifts a brow at him, clearly not getting the reference. ]

You can do that; I would rather attend one of the movies they are showing in the park.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ And once again, Peter looks surprised – but pleasantly so, this time. ]

Really? You wanna go see a movie?

[godslay]

Why not? It sounds enjoyable.

[ Sitting in the park, watching a movie on a big screen (preferably with Peter).

She'd seen notices up advertising the evening movies, and something as simple as settling in the grass sounded nice or those tickets they offered with couches and other accommodations. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. ]

Yeah? I figured that kinda thing would, you know. Be, like, a little too, like, frivolous for you.

[godslay]

And dancing isn't?

[ But she'd done it with him anyway.

... Which was not her openly admitting that dancing was enjoyable. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

That’s what I’m saying.

[ Archly, as he smirks at her. ]

I thought warriors were supposed to take themselves seriously and avoid having any sort of fun at any cost.

[godslay]

You must be a bad influence.

[ She says it blandly, without the urge to indulge him, though that smallest hint of a smile tugs at her own lips. ]

Perhaps I should refrain – though that would also mean no more dancing.