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[onblackwings]

[ This lady's looking a little different, for anyone that's spoken with her before. Not any older, but there's a sort of crooked quality to her nose, like it'd been broken and healed some time ago. She's lounging in the Initiative apartments, looking like she's recently made friends with a superiority complex. ]

I want to speak to those of you who have seen a war before. Not the skirmishes that the Initiative sends us on here, but actual war.

And failing that, I'll take anyone that knows magic — and can teach it. That part is important. Don't waste my time if all you can do is cast it.

Comments

[solitaire]

A common definition, then.

What exactly do you want ta hear 'bout?

[onblackwings]

Anything you can tell me. What wars have you fought in?

[solitaire]

I didn't say that I had.

But I've heard tell a some.

[onblackwings]

[ she suddenly looks a lot less impressed :| ]

Secondhand stories would be better than nothing.

[solitaire]

Apologies, madame, but I'm not much a fighter. _{( Also a bad liar. But whatever. )}

But it's still a pretty open question. You want ta know the best way I seen someone die, or the proper strategy ta win, or what?

[onblackwings]

[ she considers it, and... ]

Both, I think.

[solitaire]

_{( Holds up one finger: )} Bein' blown up from the inside's a pretty tough way ta go.

_{( And a second finger: )} Don't play your hand until the last possible moment.

[onblackwings]

[ ...huh, that's actually not bad, the advice. obvious, sure, but good to be reminded of.

after a second or two: ] Was it magic that did it?

[solitaire]

Non. Not everything comes from one source, chère.

[onblackwings]

What was it, then?

[solitaire]

A bomb, prob'ly. Fits with war, don't it?

[onblackwings]

A bomb, like the ones they attacked us with some time ago? [ making a face here because what?? exploding buildings and exploding people isn't at all the same. ]

[solitaire]

Oui, a bomb. Prob'ly not that big, but the same kinda thing. Makes stuff go boom.

_{( He enjoys explaining bombs by not really explaining bombs. )}

[onblackwings]

That sounds like a boring way to kill someone. There isn't any personal touch to it.

[solitaire]

D'pends on how you go about it, I guess.

_{( He's offended. )}

[onblackwings]

How would you, then?

[solitaire]

I wouldn't.

[onblackwings]

You're beginning to sound like the last person I should be asking about this.

[solitaire]

C'est possible. Then again, I got an unbiased opinion.

[onblackwings]

I'm not looking for unbiased opinions, I'm looking for good stories.

[solitaire]

Least y'know there's a big difference then, huh, chère?

Though I might have a story.

[onblackwings]

Tell it, then.

[solitaire]

Once, there was a group a people bein' hunted down. So they ran, an eventually they got to a' island. They could defend it well 'nough, but not for too long. Eventually, they were surrounded. So they built a wall up 'round their island.

Every day, they'd fight from dawn 'til dusk. An' every day their enemies would keep comin', one after the other, tryin' ta break down that wall. Every night, when their enemies slept, they'd rebuild the wall for the next day.

An' every day, more an' more a 'em died, until the ones that were left didn't even know if it was worth it, anymore.

[onblackwings]

[ She looks intrigued at first, but then... dang. Kinda not the glorious tale she was hoping for. ]

If they were being hunted, it was their only option. What else could they have done that would have been more worthy?

[solitaire]

Well, some a' them asked that question. They tried ta go beyond the wall, see what was out there an' if they could make peace.

But their leaders didn't like that so much. So they started ta turn against each other. The war came in beyond the wall. Traitors, anyone who wanted ta escape, they were all killed.