10 hours ago
Nox was blunt. It was a good thing. Claude needed blunt right now. Nora bluntly telling him he had to do this had got him to do the research to find Nox. It had got him out of the door. Now Nox's bluntness brought more of what he needed. He couldn't change this and he had to learn how to live with it. Claude had said something similar to to Nora when she had told him she was a godling. Claude stood up and followed.
Nox led him to a gym of sorts. Mats and weights were scattered about and of all things, ball machines. He wondered what those were for only briefly. Nox channeled then, moving in a dance. Graceful he said - but the inside was a fight. Claude didn't respond or say anything, but he was digesting the words. He couldn't seize the power simply because he didn't want to. He didn't believe he should, and therefore didn't believe he could.
"Okay," he said, the timbre in his voice becoming more confident. "I'll try again."
Claude found the spot again, once again, faster than he had. It was easier to find something when you knew where it was to begin with. He had to believe he could. He was a godling - nothing would change that. He had to accept it. He didn't have a choice. Learning how to use it would save his life. He reached for that power, felt it try to pull. When it pulled, he pushed, and when it pushed, he pulled. And then it was there. He felt it, briefly before it escaped his grasp. He reached again, grasping it and bending it to his will. Forcing it to obey him.
Claude felt power flood through him. His limbs felt stronger. Everything around him seemed brighter. He dropped the power. He learned what he needed. He could leave, never touch it again. At least he wouldn't die. He almost turned. Almost whispered his thanks to the man who had essentially saved his life and left, never to speak of this moment again. But his training came back. You didn't throw a tool away because you didn't like it. You kept it and knew how to truly use it. He tried to tell himself that was the reason why he didn't turn and leave, but in truth, it had surprised him how much he had liked the strength it had given him. Claude wasn't sure what to think of it. He seized the power again.
"Thank you," he said, his voice genuine. "What can I do with it now? If you're willing to show me that is."
Nox led him to a gym of sorts. Mats and weights were scattered about and of all things, ball machines. He wondered what those were for only briefly. Nox channeled then, moving in a dance. Graceful he said - but the inside was a fight. Claude didn't respond or say anything, but he was digesting the words. He couldn't seize the power simply because he didn't want to. He didn't believe he should, and therefore didn't believe he could.
"Okay," he said, the timbre in his voice becoming more confident. "I'll try again."
Claude found the spot again, once again, faster than he had. It was easier to find something when you knew where it was to begin with. He had to believe he could. He was a godling - nothing would change that. He had to accept it. He didn't have a choice. Learning how to use it would save his life. He reached for that power, felt it try to pull. When it pulled, he pushed, and when it pushed, he pulled. And then it was there. He felt it, briefly before it escaped his grasp. He reached again, grasping it and bending it to his will. Forcing it to obey him.
Claude felt power flood through him. His limbs felt stronger. Everything around him seemed brighter. He dropped the power. He learned what he needed. He could leave, never touch it again. At least he wouldn't die. He almost turned. Almost whispered his thanks to the man who had essentially saved his life and left, never to speak of this moment again. But his training came back. You didn't throw a tool away because you didn't like it. You kept it and knew how to truly use it. He tried to tell himself that was the reason why he didn't turn and leave, but in truth, it had surprised him how much he had liked the strength it had given him. Claude wasn't sure what to think of it. He seized the power again.
"Thank you," he said, his voice genuine. "What can I do with it now? If you're willing to show me that is."
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