- The Game of Life

(Music to listen to as you read)

"So...he expects me to wear that armor as I get bigger? That's...a bit much, no?" 'I say as I flip a page of the book I'm reading'

:We already went over this! It will NOT be too much for you: 'Said ANI with an exhausted tone'

"Well excuse me! I just think that it's stupid! I mean, I like the idea of the big and bulky armor adorning this BEAUTIFUL body, but it doesn't mean I believe that I'm actually going to be able to wear it!" 'I say with a huff as I put my muzzle further into the book'

:First off, you're a male thus being handsome and NOT beautiful, secondly, I've done some calculations on your growth and thus by my expectations from ME I concur that it WILL be possible!: 'ANI stated with a snooty tone'

"There she is! The big nerd we all know and love! Man, ya gotta make everything so nerd like? I mean, I like being smart, but it doesn't mean I wanna make myself SOUND smart 24/7! ALSO, I know for a fact I'm NOT beautiful, I know I'm handsome and thus I will never truly believe I'm beautiful in some...ladylike way...and I was joking..." 'I say with a shake of my head'

:I already knew that, and yes...I know I can sound...like a bit of a know-it all, BUT! It's what I was made to do, to help those understand things better and all sorts of complicated and difficult things I'm sure your smooth brain wouldn't understand: 'ANI jokingly said'

"Heh...smooth brain...good one..." 'I chuckle'

:Thank you: 'ANI says with an air of pride'

'I closed the book with an audible 'snap' "So, uh, now what? More dungeon raids? Meditating? I'm...honestly at a loss of what to do..." 'I said with a sigh'

:Well......I suppose meditation could be useful: 'ANI paused for a moment' :It's best we meditate to increase your mana capacity: 'ANI stated'

"Mana capacity? You mean like the amount of mana I have? I mean...why? I don't exactly have access to magic right now...so...?" 'I ask with a tilt of my head'

:Simple really, even though you don't have magic; it doesn't mean you shouldn't train. Meditation can help you grow your mana capabilities by relaxing your body and mind, mana is basically all around you and thus a part of you! As of right now your a new student to the arts of magic and your own body: 'Said ANI'

"I'm pretty sure I know how to use my arms and legs on my own body..." 'I said with a raised brow'

:That's not what I even meant! What I'm trying to say is that you don't know how to control the magic in your body! And you don't know how to operate all your limbs.: 'ANI said with a sigh'

"What other limbs are you talking about?" 'I ask with a tilt of my head'

:Your...wings...and...your ears?: 'ANI slowly asks'

"My ears? I know how to hear...I'm not death! And like, I can't control my ears!" 'I said as I threw my arms up in exasperation'

:You can control your ears! These ears are quite different from your old ones but they're much more useful seeing you can actually control them. All you need to simply do is close your eyes and feel them out. Try to wiggle them as if your trying to scan the room with your eyes. Your ear's are like a second pair of eyes but capable of seeing with sound: 'ANI stated'

"How am I supposed to test that when there's no audible sound in my mindscape? How am I supposed to hear anything else when It's just me and you?" 'I ask with a confused glance around the room'

:Fair point, but, I have a solution for that!: 'ANI said'

Crk

"The fuck was that?" 'I ask as I turn my head to the sound of the noise'

:A sound from one of your memories! Care to guess what the sound was?: 'Asked ANI'

"Sounded like...a twig snapping?"

:Close but not quite! It was a branch, a branch YOU put into a fire in your past life: 'Said ANI'

"How the hell did you do that? I mean, I know we can access my memories but being able to pull sound from them? That's...interesting..." 'I said as I scrunched up my face in confusion'

:Eh, it'd take a bit to explain it...wanna hear it?:

"No! I'm good, I think we can avoid that. Uhm, anyways...practice?" 'I ask with a rushed tone'

:Yes, let's see how easily you can manipulate your ears and then once were done with training you on your ears, we can get to your wings!: 'ANI excitedly said'

"Oh joy...flight practice...yaaaaaaayyyyy......"

:Ugh, you're such a downer...:

"SAYS YOU!"

'So that's what we did, or well, I did! I trained my wings and my ears to a marginal extent, picked up some neat skills from the training and thus learned some new fighting abilities! I'm not really going to get into all that right now...maybe later? ANYWAYS! We did all sorts of meditating, flight practice, sound...practicing...? Eh, I dunno! So, we trained...and trained...and trained! It's all I really had to do in my mind when it came to stuff to do, I suppose I could list off what I can and can't do within my own head but that would take hours! Ya don't want me explaining what I can and can't do for hours, do you? Actually, don't answer that...'

'The training went along quite smoothly thanks to my...successful FIRST ATTEMPTS...totally didn't take like a few hundred tries when it came to flight practice...and...did you know when your brains a void of pretty much nothing that...when you fall while flying you continue to fall unless you can think of something to stop yourself? So...like...I'm trying to fly during one of my attempts right? Well...I-'

:Imperial! Stop making your inner monologues so long!: 'Shouted ANI'

"ITS MY HEAD! SHUSH! Anyways...uh...where was I? Oh yes!" 'I clear my throat (mentally of course!)

'I was flying and minding my own business then ANI had to say SOMETHING to distract me and...I start plummeting! I try flapping my wings like a featherless chicken and then I realize there's no bottom! I freak out, stop freaking out, freak out. stop freaking out...it was a repeated process until I grew tired of it...ANYWAYS! ANI decides to tell me to calm down...which I did...after a bit of...harsh words at her...eheh...uhm, so yeah!'

'Also, did you know that when trying to purposely control your ears that you can heighten their capabilities in hearing? Well...I experienced that...in a very painful way. So, flashbangs...get one in front of your eyes? Ya go freaking blind! Now imagine that but its your ears instead? So, I heighten my hearing to a unknown level (didn't even know I did it at the time) and thus when ANI decided to snap a...non-existent stick within my own head...it was like a balloon popping right in my ears! Of course...the balloon was like a blimp and that blimp's size was like that of a small handheld grenade but with enough oomph to throw you on your ass and make you scream like a dog on New Years Eve...fun times...'

:Yes...it was fun trying to stop you from having a brain hemorrhage: 'ANI tiredly say's'

"Says the one who decided it would be a smart idea to train my ears...without giving any tips!"

:I didn't get the chance to! You decided to do it on your own! Even when I tried stopping your attempts you decided to brush me off and say: 'ANI clears her throat' :I GOT THIS BRO!: 'ANI says in a...weird manly voice'

'I put up my finger to protest then hesitate' "Fair point..." 'I say as I lower my finger'

:Well, I think that's enough bickering like an old couple...let's go over your results, yes?: 'ANI asks'

"Yeah...let's see how I did..." 'I say with a tired sigh'

:Well, despite this being your first time in all 3 areas we tried training...you did good! Of course...it might be due to your picture-perfect perk: 'ANI pauses for a brief moment' :I'm going to be honest, if you didn't have that perk then this would be taking MUCH longer to even do: 'ANI said with an annoyed sigh'

"What? Are you saying I'm not that great of a student?" 'I say with a pouty look'

:No, on the contrary you're a great...student...feels weird saying that. Anyways...even if you didn't have the perk I would suspect you could do quite good in terms of quickly learning. In truth, I believe your more of a hands-on learner instead of a visual learner: 'ANI said'

"Hand-on learner? What?" 'I ask with a tilt of my head'

:It mean's you learn more quickly when you have access to what your trying to learn...ok...lets say you have a pegasus trying to demonstrate to you on how to fly. They show you some moves, some twists and turns and you decide to nod your head as if your getting it. In truth, your not really getting all that much out of it: 'States ANI'

"Meaning...?" 'I raise a brow in confusion'

:You do better without the help of others, your more prone to excelling without the aid of others and doing things on your own. That's what I mean between visual aid and being hands-on. If one were to demonstrate something to then you wouldn't learn much from it, but, if you were to practice on your own then it would be different: 'Says ANI'

"And that means...?"

:It mean's you're a special case. You are...unique for something like that, some would consider it a bad trait and some would consider it a very good trait. So, when your father attempts to teach you how to fight...then I suggest you ask him for a training manual instead: 'ANI simply says'

"A training manual? Seriously?" 'I ask with a tilt of my head'

:Well...here...let me rephrase what I said. So, let's say your dad was to be your sparring partner during your fighting lessons or soon to be fighting lessons, alright?:

"Uh-huh...keep going..." 'I nod my head'

:It's basically like muscle memory, but both the mind and body. If he throws a punch, then you dodge. If he throws a kick then you either block or dodge. It's basically you needing a teacher to be more physical and more interactive. They can't just hand you a piece of paper and say do this and expect you to immediately get it down. Now, I said you can do quite well alone but it doesn't mean you can learn everything by yourself. You WILL need teachers to teach you various things, understand?: 'Says ANI'

"Yeah, I get it I guess. It's like learning to speak a new language. You can try saying the words and go on with trying to write them but it doesn't mean you know how each word or letter sounds when using that different language. You'll obviously need someone to sound the words and sounds out for you so that you can actually understand how to say the words without sounding like a total idiot." 'I nod my head in understanding'

:Correct, you need aid from time to time but you can also depend on yourself most of the time. It's basically like a fencing sword, fast and nimble but easy to break. You can rely on it for a certain amount of time but it doesn't mean it'll last forever because sooner or later you'll make a mistake and it'll break: 'States ANI'

"Jeez, your going to turn me into some sort of philosophical nut at this rate..." 'I sigh'

:It's best I do whatever I can to make sure your a proper figure for your new life. You can act like an idiot in your mind but it doesn't mean you should act a fool in front of others, even if your trying to be yourself. You can throw yourself a bone but it doesn't mean you should act a fool constantly, just from time to time to make yourself more likable: 'Says ANI'

"So...don't be an emotionless robot?"

:Eh, more or less: