On the Mountaintop [Open]

[morganknight]

Since he'd offered to train people, and using the Three Mountain Dojo's image still hit much too close to home to ever be comfortable, Morgan had resummoned his already-holographic mountaintop dojo. The quiet wide-open building sat calmly atop a high mountain peak, the air crisp and thin as it whistled gently through. A stream from a natural spring flowed gently down the cliffside it sat on, forming a pool not far below, around which ran a path flanked by a series of tall, slender poles.

Morgan himself sat with his back against one of the dojo's support columns, idly plucking out some chords on his electric guitar. The complete lack of electricity up here didn't seem to stop his practice one bit.

Comments

[morganknight]

"It's a long philosophical discussion, but the basic idea is that self is an illusion, the same as... everything else, really. So a mind without reference to self has entered mushin, the state of no-mind, in which all barriers break down. It's a state both well-suited for understanding and knowing other minds, and defense. After all, if someone is looking for the mind of Morgan Knight, and no mind with such a reference exists..." He shrugged, confident she could see where this was going.

"In any case, my entire belief that I have any level of defense here may itself be an illusion, but illusions can be helpful."

[indeliblepast]

Sumeragi did follow, even if she didn't quite buy it herself. "Mm - I suppose that's true. A certain amount of illusionment is necessary for dealing with the world, I think."

[morganknight]

"Well, if you crack the belief system down to the basics, even the very basics of what 'reality' is to us are illusory. It's just our minds making up order to impose some semblance of reason on everything. But life is awfully hard to deal with if you don't embrace that illusion, you know? Still..."

He made a show of rolling up his sleeves that was utterly pointless since his shirt didn't have long sleeves, then twisted his palms around. When he opened his left hand, a seed now sat in the middle of it. He waved a hand over that seed, and it uncurled into a tangle of roots, then a long stem and leaves, then a simple white flower. He neatly sliced off the stem with a thumbnail, letting the root complex vanish as he offered the flower to her gallantly.

"If you DO remember it's an illusion, every once in a while you can turn that to your advantage."

All that might have been a little more impressive outside of the Sensorium, but that flower was real.

[indeliblepast]

Sumeragi watched the little trick, fascinated - even though it was an illusion, it was still quick beautiful. She took the flower, and gave it a careful sniff, before tucking it in her hair with a smile.

"I suppose this place in particular is a good reminder of that, hmm? Everything as an illusion."

[morganknight]

"Yes, but that one will stay with you," he said with a wink. He approved of where she put it, since... man, she had some nice hair. Among other things. But he liked her hair.

"Anyway, hopefully that shameless little trick will put us a bit out of that weird deep philosophical conversation branch. How're you doing?"

[indeliblepast]

She smiled back. "Pretty well - poking my nose in, mostly."

[morganknight]

"Well, you're always welcome. I'm just passing the time waiting for people to show up so I can teach them to kick ass." He glanced down at the guitar he'd set aside, slyly. "Or sitting around looking cool by playing my guitar and hoping someone will come around to appreciate the view."

[indeliblepast]

She laughed. "Well, I wouldn't be adverse to learning how to kick ass. But I'm not adverse to just appreciating the view, too."

[morganknight]

"If you want to learn, I can teach you. That's pretty much what I've taken to doing on the ship, after all. It might be difficult, though..."

His tone and expression begged her to ask why.

[indeliblepast]

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Afraid to hurt a girl?" It was a tease, mostly, but she was curious.

[morganknight]

Morgan, thinking back to training partners both recent and old, tipped his head back to laugh. "Most of the best martial artists I know are girls, actually. No, I was more referring to the fact that you'd look distractingly hot in a martial arts gi."

[indeliblepast]

She grinned, happy to have made him laugh. "Oh? I'll remember that to use against you someday, then."

[morganknight]

"You not only have my permission, you have my encouragement. Would you like a list of my clothing-related fetishes now, to save some time?" he said, eyes sparkling. "For the record? Leg man."

[indeliblepast]

She grinned. "Noted. Though I think you could still kick my ass even with that advantage. I don't have much training in this sort of thing."

[morganknight]

His eyebrows quirked upwards as his grin held. "The goal of martial arts is never to have to use them, so if I'm too busy staring and thinking of other forms of physical contact while looking at you, you've pretty much achieved victory in that respect, haven't you?"