[so much for an uneventful walk. he sniffs disdainfully upon seeing the body, nose wrinkling.] That's terribly unsanitary. [that's totally not a hypocritical statement, it's not like he's also guilty of leaving bodies lying around or anything....]
It's difficult to find something entertaining in such an eyesore. That aside, the foul odor is making this entire side of the park reek. [and he does occasionally brush his fingers beneath his nose while he takes the scene in, as if trying to ward off an unpleasant smell.
after a brief look-over his attention finally falls on the sign above her head. he arches a brow.]
Perhaps, or perhaps this is just something that lacks most assets I find to be amusing. [a shrug.
his eyes narrow momentarily at the spoken German, though it's more a look of concentration than anything. after a moment he replies in kind, but he's nowhere near as fluent in it as he was in French - it's spoken carefully, slowly, and his accent is very pronounced.]
Enough of it. German was not a language deemed necessary for me to learn.
Difference of opinion, then. [Have a matching shrug.]
[Mmm. Well then, it looks like English, for the moment, will be the primary language for their conversation. The Major would rather the conversation be pleasant and swift and, while he'll always feel more comfortable in his own tongue, if it needs to be English, so be it. He can speak Italian relatively fluently, but he was never able to pick up much French and his own attempts to speak it would be slightly less skilled then Charles attempt at German.]
Ah, a pity. You spent a great deal of time in France, then?
[give him a while to brush up on it and he'd be speaking fluently in no time, learning languages quickly is just one of many benefits of being a chiropteran. for now he seems relatively content to switch back to English though, as it's one of the three he's most comfortable with.]
I did, and it was quite lovely. I've been fortunate enough to visit several European countries, though in recent years I've not left Vietnam save a few business trips and this entire Mayfield fiasco, if one could even count it. [he seems to have completely forgotten about the body for the moment, though he's holding a hand up and at a slight angle to block the wind from bringing the scent his way.]
That's a terrible shame. [as much as he enjoyed his time in Europe, he'll always have a preference for his homeland.]
Some places might be a bit difficult for people used to the weather in Europe and it can be a bit of a culture shock, but I'd highly recommend you visit even if your work doesn't happen to take you there.
Indeed it is. I rather like traveling. The last place I had gone was South America which I did not find particularly agreeable, unfortunately.
Once you travel enough, you become rather used to dealing with new cultures. And, besides, I've found I enjoy being surprised by some of their customs and history.
[It's always interesting to him to learn of other nations own bloody pasts, after all.]
Is that so? South America is one of the only places I've yet to visit. I don't have much interest in either of the Americas though, and I've had my fill of the United States by now even if this town is only a model built to look the part. [if he never sees another diner, white picket fence or carhop again it will be too soon.] But travelling is quite the experience, yes. Sometimes wonderful, sometimes horrendous, always a good way to stave off boredom.
Shall I assume your travels were due to your position within the military? [he was kind of side-eyeing that uniform for a bit but it doesn't seem to draw much of a reaction.]
They're boring places, lacking much of the culture and history of the other side of the globe. And here is very much like the States during the fifties. Although, with some obvious differences.
It's simply our inclination. We seek other places out, thrive on finding new communities, new countries, new worlds.
Yes, though it does make me grateful for being spared experiencing the actual thing. I've never much enjoyed America on my visits there but I'm certain it would have been far worse in the earlier half of that century.
True enough. Very few people can be content with staying in one place for too many years.
[a hum of acknowledgment is his initial response to that and he nearly ends that topic there, but curiosity gets the better of him and he adds:] What year is it in your own world?
It was pathetic. It was as if they wished to ignore the fact that they had just come out of a war due to none of it having been fought on their own land. And ignoring the fact made them pathetic. Made them weak within even a few decades time, and the steel and fire they had fought with and seemed to be possessed by during the Second Great War was dulled and cool when it came time for Korea and Vietnam.
It would be stagnation. Not just stagnation, but it would allow too many predators to build up. To gain strength among us. In order to keep a step ahead, we must continue to move.
[The Major removes his glasses and breathes on them slightly, cleaning them as he continues to talk.]
Did you find it surprising? With a country like theirs, that reaction was practically guaranteed. They shouldn't have tried to stick a finger in every pie, nor should they have expected continued success, especially within countries with vast knowledge and experience in warfare. [even if the Vietnam war was great cover for D-67 experiments and he didn't regret his participation, there is a swell of pride at that last sentence.]
Ah, is that so? [his nose wrinkles a little. the image of scurrying rodents immediately comes to mind.] I'm certain it will be a terrible time for many when predators begin to outnumber the prey.
2005. [and since the Major was talking about those wars as if he had been there himself...] Yours is something beyond graceful aging, yes?
No. It's how every self-proclaimed empire will ultimately fail. An empire must by its nature continue to expand. When it gives in and declares it no longer needs land, or no longer monitors other lands, then it has declared itself satisfied and thus dead. They needed to continue, or proclaim themselves weak.
That being said? They made a mistake in siding to begin with. They should have let the war naturally run its course, with one side victorious, and then gone in. They attempted to be liberators and failed. Better then to have gone in as tyrants and simply smashed every single living thing down, instead of attempting to defend.
It's already begun. [The fact that he finds himself a predator? Hardly hidden. He smiles pretty broadly at saying that.]You would be correct. Let us say that my superiors were quite unhappy with some of my later actions, and decided to have me executed. They almost succeeded, and most of my body was left unusable. It was my great luck that I had a friend able to create a, let us say, most impressive
( ... )
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[He takes a bite of his burger, washing it down with his soda before continuing.]
It's what makes existence so entertaining, much of the time.
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after a brief look-over his attention finally falls on the sign above her head. he arches a brow.]
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[The Major notices, and raises an eyebrow, amused. Before asking in his native tongue.]
Over the phone you spoke French. Do you speak German as well?
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his eyes narrow momentarily at the spoken German, though it's more a look of concentration than anything. after a moment he replies in kind, but he's nowhere near as fluent in it as he was in French - it's spoken carefully, slowly, and his accent is very pronounced.]
Enough of it. German was not a language deemed necessary for me to learn.
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[Mmm. Well then, it looks like English, for the moment, will be the primary language for their conversation. The Major would rather the conversation be pleasant and swift and, while he'll always feel more comfortable in his own tongue, if it needs to be English, so be it. He can speak Italian relatively fluently, but he was never able to pick up much French and his own attempts to speak it would be slightly less skilled then Charles attempt at German.]
Ah, a pity. You spent a great deal of time in France, then?
Beautiful countryside.
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I did, and it was quite lovely. I've been fortunate enough to visit several European countries, though in recent years I've not left Vietnam save a few business trips and this entire Mayfield fiasco, if one could even count it. [he seems to have completely forgotten about the body for the moment, though he's holding a hand up and at a slight angle to block the wind from bringing the scent his way.]
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[He leans back in the bench, looking up at the sky for a moment. And really? The body is fairly trivial business to begin with.]
I must admit, I never have been able to visit Asia. I had always wanted to, if merely to see it, but it proved not to be what I was asked to do.
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Some places might be a bit difficult for people used to the weather in Europe and it can be a bit of a culture shock, but I'd highly recommend you visit even if your work doesn't happen to take you there.
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Once you travel enough, you become rather used to dealing with new cultures. And, besides, I've found I enjoy being surprised by some of their customs and history.
[It's always interesting to him to learn of other nations own bloody pasts, after all.]
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Shall I assume your travels were due to your position within the military? [he was kind of side-eyeing that uniform for a bit but it doesn't seem to draw much of a reaction.]
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It's simply our inclination. We seek other places out, thrive on finding new communities, new countries, new worlds.
[And blowing the shit out of them.]
Indeed they were.
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True enough. Very few people can be content with staying in one place for too many years.
[a hum of acknowledgment is his initial response to that and he nearly ends that topic there, but curiosity gets the better of him and he adds:] What year is it in your own world?
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It would be stagnation. Not just stagnation, but it would allow too many predators to build up. To gain strength among us. In order to keep a step ahead, we must continue to move.
[The Major removes his glasses and breathes on them slightly, cleaning them as he continues to talk.]
It was 1999. And yourself?
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Ah, is that so? [his nose wrinkles a little. the image of scurrying rodents immediately comes to mind.] I'm certain it will be a terrible time for many when predators begin to outnumber the prey.
2005. [and since the Major was talking about those wars as if he had been there himself...] Yours is something beyond graceful aging, yes?
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That being said? They made a mistake in siding to begin with. They should have let the war naturally run its course, with one side victorious, and then gone in. They attempted to be liberators and failed. Better then to have gone in as tyrants and simply smashed every single living thing down, instead of attempting to defend.
It's already begun. [The fact that he finds himself a predator? Hardly hidden. He smiles pretty broadly at saying that.]You would be correct. Let us say that my superiors were quite unhappy with some of my later actions, and decided to have me executed. They almost succeeded, and most of my body was left unusable. It was my great luck that I had a friend able to create a, let us say, most impressive ( ... )
Reply
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