Lost and frustrated...

[anothercoldwar]

She still had access to Carrier. As Tatijana looked around the junction room, she decided that must not be a bad thing. She'd heard nothing from Nikolas in two months now, and it was time to deal with the stubborn man properly. He always acted like it was the end of the world when she left... as if she'd dropped of the face of the earth and would

Comments

[lights_midnight]

Apollo says nothing for a while, carefully chopping salami and bell peppers.

"Sometimes, people have to die because they suck. Slaughter should never be dressed up as being right or noble though. It's not. It's dirty. And all the polish in the world won't make it shine. Sometime's it's just necessary for the greater good of humanity."

It's part of having no memory. No allegiance. No sense of beloning and the duties attached with it.

[anothercoldwar]

"Sometimes that lesson must be learned the hard way," she replies, watching him work. "I certainly can't claim to be innocent in that respect."

[lights_midnight]

"I never loved my country. I can't really comment." He doesn't remember it, but he feels it. "I mean, I didn't hate it. I just didn't feel that whole fervor for the flag thing."

The tip of the knife bends as he accidentally scares it along his fingertip. "Damn. Pass me another knife?"

[anothercoldwar]

"Not a bad thing, probably. As you said, patriotism can make people do stupid things."

She grabs another knife and hands it over to him.

[lights_midnight]

The damaged knife is chucked to the side. "Thanks. And yeah, it does. And I'm sick of it, but people aren't like to change fast. Not unless we work out some way of suddenly making them all nice and wonderful and I think we draw the line at brain washing."

[anothercoldwar]

"Do what you can, I suppose, and hope enlightened minds prevail." She shrugs a little. "we don't even have a group like you on my earth. But I suppose if we did, Nikolas wouldn't have come here. I like the idea of it, anyway."

[lights_midnight]

"That's because I think StormWatch Black was on Skywatch when it crashed."

That would be the difference for him. No Jenny. No Jenny, no Authority. A world without Jenny sucks for him.

"Plus we have medical."

[anothercoldwar]

"I wouldn't know," she replies truthfully. "Most of the people I served with had already retired. There's still a StormWatch, but they're not as effective as they once were. Truthfully, I think they keep going only because Jackson King is obsessed."

[lights_midnight]

"King's like that. Even here, he hasn't given up. Him and Christine. But they can't-"

He sighs. "They can't match us for firepower. King likes rules. Boundaries. He doesn't like that sometimes you have to be the rules while breaking them."

[anothercoldwar]

"Hm. This is true, yes. Although, truthfully, I worry that some day, he'll find his way around the need for funding. Then there will be trouble."

[lights_midnight]

"... how much trouble?"

Ignore that wicked glint that more Midnighter than Apollo. "And how much do you think he'd need?"

[anothercoldwar]

She shakes her head. "Not the good kind of trouble, I'm afraid. He has no one to temper his reactions now, outside the ones who give him his orders."

"That, I wouldn't know. I was never involved in administrative affairs, honestly."

[lights_midnight]

"Damn. That was promising for a moment there." He picks up the cheese and starts grating it.

"Me either. Money doesn't mean much up here and sure didn't where I came from."

[anothercoldwar]

"Oh, I'm sure you could convince Nikolas to help you stage a coupe, if you wanted to." She's only half-joking, there.

"Enough to fund a modestly sized country's army for a year, I'm sure."

[lights_midnight]

"I know I could. I'm persuasive. I've always been like that." He's tempted by the idea. Liberate another world from the stupid need for funding and control by political bodies.

"Hm. You're giving me ideas."

[anothercoldwar]

She shook her head a little. "I think perhaps he makes enough work for himself as is, don't you?"