05-25-2015, 03:59 PM
"Uhh, are you alright miss?" Gildarts asked, prompted only by what his eyes could see.
There had been a fight, the walls crumbled and scraped by the endless battering of a rigorous attack. He stood in the aftermath and a woman in heavy armor was leaning against a wall. The strange luminescent glow that surrounded her in the battle had now faded, and she caught a breath as her eyes narrowed and remained stuck on the same corner that her ambushing enemies had escaped in. The mesh of armed guards followed those who fled, vanishing behind a turned corridor.
"Hands off!" she retorted. This was a competition to be the best, she didn't need some stranger's sympathy. She would crush them all. The Monster Hunter had become what she always triumphed over, it was oddly reminiscent of the abyss.
Cindy had overwhelmed her enemies with the power of the Rathalian Egg, but that didn't mean a battle of three verses one wasn't something she didn't need to recover from. It was a good warm-up for what would follow. Surprise attacks, luckily, came in bursts that she could handle as they tested her stamina and readiness and challenged her ability to adapt and meet her opponent's strength with her own brutality.
The monster hunter had batted Gildarts' hand away without looking, only to hear the empty echo of his 'armored' arm clash and fall to the side. The wizard slowly let his eyes move so that he could fix his prosthetic limb, setting it straight and remaining silent in the process.
The ever-perceptive monster hunter felt a tinge of remorse, especially after reading the genuine sincerity woven into the man's features. There were no ulterior motives, and rather, concern had been produced in his eyes -not the kind that pity demeaned- but that of honor. If she didn't know any better, she would have said he were a complete idiot for helping a would-be enemy; his intention was too good-hearted. "Oh, I didn't..." Her regret-filled voice trailed, she didn't have to defend herself against this goon, and yet there was something about his cold resolve that made her waver in anticipation. So this is my competition.
His unresponsiveness and lack of explanation told her that he was serious. He hadn't tried to pry, and this wasn't some lame attempt to gain a strong ally. Gildarts clicked his arm back and looked at her again as she began to speak.
"Sorry about that," Her sharp eyes fell upon his silver arm and noted there was nothing beneath it as she explained, "I'm not really the trusting type. I appreciate your offer, but don't expect any return treatment. On the field, you're mine." Cindy chose her words as she gathered enough power to stand upright on her sprained ankle.
"Enemies or not, my offer remains. I wouldn't want you in any less condition than your best for the island. You seem like a formidable opponent, loosing a chance to beat you at any less than your best wouldn't be any fun." His words were hardened, a little astray from his usual self, but he spoke in a way that she might relate and respond to and his hunch was correct and produced progress.
"Fine then. Be a pal and find me a chair."
Somehow, Cindy seemed to be warming up to him. Gildarts was just that sort of man that people responded to. They managed their way to the common room, where a deck of cards was left unstacked and they made camp. Cindy wanted to check out the competition as well as watch out for the worms that had attacked her and Gildarts didn't seem to have any intention of letting her out of his sight. It all worked to her favor.
"You know any poker?" Cindy opted for some recon, if she could read the way he played cards, maybe she could break his mental fortitude if she ever encountered him in battle.
"Never played." Was his gruff response, "Cards aren't really my thing."
"Well what is your thing?" Cindy's eyes brushed over his face, analyzing the impossible and trying to read his mind by the way he interacted with her. He seemed untouchable, and yet, she thought she saw a touch of his weakness as she realized he was not looking at her in the menacing way an hunter would a monster. Suddenly, Cindy recognized and felt a wave of surprise as she caught a glimpse of the wall that was his unbreakable resolve. She almost blurted out 'Just what is your angle?' but it dawned on her that no response he could tell her in words would be any good. He had been able to treat her in a civil manner, despite her attitude and venomous remarks, yet this compassion was not his weakness, she determined, it was his strength.
"Well," he put on a half-grin and lifted his arm to form a fist over the table, "There's always winning."
Cindy scoffed with an engaged smile, "You're on." She taught him the simplest game, blackjack, because she still wanted to see his pokerface. Or maybe she just wanted to identify that such an imbecile could struggle just as much as the rest. In this match, there was more riding on this than they both knew, and yet the consequence of the loss would remain unspoken.
Gildarts watched Cindy, her features were feminine but spoke of the simple pride of a warrior. Her armor was battle-savvy and her gait had told him she was a threat. The woman's open hostility was notable, however she had just been attacked, and they were about to go into a battle that nearly everyone who arrived was to be murdered on. She wore her amor well, and not the kind that was made from steel and adorned her skin. Underneath all that, she was still a woman, and an attractive one at that.
Guu had approached from no where, interrupting his winning streak and frustrating only Cindy, who had declared to herself that she would claim victory over him yet. How can he win so easily at a game he just learned? Not to mention it takes more than a little luck to line up the cards. It seemed the young girl would take him with her, but the two females didn't exchange names. In fact, Cindy didn't even look in Guu's direction, she didn't need to in order to determine Gildarts and the girl were allies. Her eyes remained on the man in one last attempt to figure him out.
He was so casual, yet totally revved up to win. He didn't even assign reverence to the cards that would determine his fate. Only his eyes spoke of the unprecedented determination flowing forth from within. There weren't any angles with him, he didn't exactly seem that complex. It was win or loose, try or don't, fail or win. The man before her was like no other, yet she had only caught his name when the petite child had addressed him.
They finished their final round while he seemed completely distracted, and the desperate Cindy took any advantage she could get, motivated by the shame warming her cheeks. At the last second, Gildarts turned to excuse himself, and leaned closer to her with his silver hand pressed against the table and nearly stomped on his own cards.
"Good luck." He flashed his teeth. There was that half-smile again.
The second she saw the flicker of his cloak leave the doorway, she frantically pounced on her chance to reveal the outcome and her hands went to his set. She HAD to know the fallout of their final round. Quickly, she turned the red checkered card over and her expression crumpled into disbelief.
The level-headed woman dropped the cards and stood up, letting them fall from her control. She abandoned the room cursing whatever she could blame, leaving his spaded ace and king turned upward on the table.
There had been a fight, the walls crumbled and scraped by the endless battering of a rigorous attack. He stood in the aftermath and a woman in heavy armor was leaning against a wall. The strange luminescent glow that surrounded her in the battle had now faded, and she caught a breath as her eyes narrowed and remained stuck on the same corner that her ambushing enemies had escaped in. The mesh of armed guards followed those who fled, vanishing behind a turned corridor.
"Hands off!" she retorted. This was a competition to be the best, she didn't need some stranger's sympathy. She would crush them all. The Monster Hunter had become what she always triumphed over, it was oddly reminiscent of the abyss.
Cindy had overwhelmed her enemies with the power of the Rathalian Egg, but that didn't mean a battle of three verses one wasn't something she didn't need to recover from. It was a good warm-up for what would follow. Surprise attacks, luckily, came in bursts that she could handle as they tested her stamina and readiness and challenged her ability to adapt and meet her opponent's strength with her own brutality.
The monster hunter had batted Gildarts' hand away without looking, only to hear the empty echo of his 'armored' arm clash and fall to the side. The wizard slowly let his eyes move so that he could fix his prosthetic limb, setting it straight and remaining silent in the process.
The ever-perceptive monster hunter felt a tinge of remorse, especially after reading the genuine sincerity woven into the man's features. There were no ulterior motives, and rather, concern had been produced in his eyes -not the kind that pity demeaned- but that of honor. If she didn't know any better, she would have said he were a complete idiot for helping a would-be enemy; his intention was too good-hearted. "Oh, I didn't..." Her regret-filled voice trailed, she didn't have to defend herself against this goon, and yet there was something about his cold resolve that made her waver in anticipation. So this is my competition.
His unresponsiveness and lack of explanation told her that he was serious. He hadn't tried to pry, and this wasn't some lame attempt to gain a strong ally. Gildarts clicked his arm back and looked at her again as she began to speak.
"Sorry about that," Her sharp eyes fell upon his silver arm and noted there was nothing beneath it as she explained, "I'm not really the trusting type. I appreciate your offer, but don't expect any return treatment. On the field, you're mine." Cindy chose her words as she gathered enough power to stand upright on her sprained ankle.
"Enemies or not, my offer remains. I wouldn't want you in any less condition than your best for the island. You seem like a formidable opponent, loosing a chance to beat you at any less than your best wouldn't be any fun." His words were hardened, a little astray from his usual self, but he spoke in a way that she might relate and respond to and his hunch was correct and produced progress.
"Fine then. Be a pal and find me a chair."
Somehow, Cindy seemed to be warming up to him. Gildarts was just that sort of man that people responded to. They managed their way to the common room, where a deck of cards was left unstacked and they made camp. Cindy wanted to check out the competition as well as watch out for the worms that had attacked her and Gildarts didn't seem to have any intention of letting her out of his sight. It all worked to her favor.
"You know any poker?" Cindy opted for some recon, if she could read the way he played cards, maybe she could break his mental fortitude if she ever encountered him in battle.
"Never played." Was his gruff response, "Cards aren't really my thing."
"Well what is your thing?" Cindy's eyes brushed over his face, analyzing the impossible and trying to read his mind by the way he interacted with her. He seemed untouchable, and yet, she thought she saw a touch of his weakness as she realized he was not looking at her in the menacing way an hunter would a monster. Suddenly, Cindy recognized and felt a wave of surprise as she caught a glimpse of the wall that was his unbreakable resolve. She almost blurted out 'Just what is your angle?' but it dawned on her that no response he could tell her in words would be any good. He had been able to treat her in a civil manner, despite her attitude and venomous remarks, yet this compassion was not his weakness, she determined, it was his strength.
"Well," he put on a half-grin and lifted his arm to form a fist over the table, "There's always winning."
Cindy scoffed with an engaged smile, "You're on." She taught him the simplest game, blackjack, because she still wanted to see his pokerface. Or maybe she just wanted to identify that such an imbecile could struggle just as much as the rest. In this match, there was more riding on this than they both knew, and yet the consequence of the loss would remain unspoken.
Gildarts watched Cindy, her features were feminine but spoke of the simple pride of a warrior. Her armor was battle-savvy and her gait had told him she was a threat. The woman's open hostility was notable, however she had just been attacked, and they were about to go into a battle that nearly everyone who arrived was to be murdered on. She wore her amor well, and not the kind that was made from steel and adorned her skin. Underneath all that, she was still a woman, and an attractive one at that.
Guu had approached from no where, interrupting his winning streak and frustrating only Cindy, who had declared to herself that she would claim victory over him yet. How can he win so easily at a game he just learned? Not to mention it takes more than a little luck to line up the cards. It seemed the young girl would take him with her, but the two females didn't exchange names. In fact, Cindy didn't even look in Guu's direction, she didn't need to in order to determine Gildarts and the girl were allies. Her eyes remained on the man in one last attempt to figure him out.
He was so casual, yet totally revved up to win. He didn't even assign reverence to the cards that would determine his fate. Only his eyes spoke of the unprecedented determination flowing forth from within. There weren't any angles with him, he didn't exactly seem that complex. It was win or loose, try or don't, fail or win. The man before her was like no other, yet she had only caught his name when the petite child had addressed him.
They finished their final round while he seemed completely distracted, and the desperate Cindy took any advantage she could get, motivated by the shame warming her cheeks. At the last second, Gildarts turned to excuse himself, and leaned closer to her with his silver hand pressed against the table and nearly stomped on his own cards.
"Good luck." He flashed his teeth. There was that half-smile again.
The second she saw the flicker of his cloak leave the doorway, she frantically pounced on her chance to reveal the outcome and her hands went to his set. She HAD to know the fallout of their final round. Quickly, she turned the red checkered card over and her expression crumpled into disbelief.
The level-headed woman dropped the cards and stood up, letting them fall from her control. She abandoned the room cursing whatever she could blame, leaving his spaded ace and king turned upward on the table.
![[Image: -Gildarts-fairy-tail-35651033-300-180.gif]](http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/35600000/-Gildarts-fairy-tail-35651033-300-180.gif)
"I have never met a strong person with an easy past." -Atticus