[ Some misguided memory from when she first arrived and had the unpleasantness of dealing with Armin means that Annie sends not only a bottle of mead with its hand-written label "Honeyshine Mead 2018" wrapped in paper meant for burning, but a Premiere Pokeball (... you know, the ones you get for free when you buy ten at once), a Fresh Water bottle, and two Rage Candy bars. There's no note, just "Wu Ming" written on the box.
If most everything's multifunctional, it's #helpful. Or something. ]
[He does not expect a bird to bring him a present. He also does not expect his Espurr to desperately try to catch that bird so that's a whole scenario in itself. But once he's retrieved Orin (hanging under his arm like a rag doll) and goes through the helpful starting bits she sends, he sends her a text message.]
Thanks again, Sister. Hope to see you out there in the field.
I'm from the southern region of a continent called North America. That's about all I can remember of it, besides the way people talked. Giving someone a nickname was sort of like a form of punctuation, a term of respect depending on how it was used. Example. You say 'son' after something, you probably wanted to hit them in the face. You say 'darlin' after something, it probably means you're concerned about a lady.
But ever since I can remember, I've been a part of some crew or another. A village, a caravan, captain of my own ship. [The Shadows of Yor. But who the hell wants to be in the Shadows of Yor? Following a group that was idolizing a man that actually lost his gun battles. Hah. Poorest of all of his life choices, that was. At least he doesn't have the voices in his head here.]
So it's 'Brother' and 'Sister' half the time. It slips out. Don't worry, though. I'm going to remember your name's Annie. [He's pretty good with names, even when they change.]
[ It makes sense, and all of this makes the whole organising and the rest make sense too; he's not a person used to not being in the machinations of something, either leading or as part of what moves it along. He'd been consistent in talking that way earlier, when on his device. She notes it without anything particular attached to the thought, circling back around to "is this a situation warranting politeness" and determining "may as well be." ]
Thanks for the explanation. Nicknames back home are descriptive, but usually not flattering. Some are. Most are fonder insults. Didn't figure it was either, but didn't see where it came from.
[ No comment about her name. She does prefer it being used, as if it's grounding in some way, but that's as a contrast to other Titles she can wear: The Female Titan, Warrior, Soldier, Murderer, depending on where one stood. Annie, at least, was personal. ]
People go through a lot of changes back home. Sometimes they die and are given new names if they come back up, or they're just called 'Lightbearer' or 'Risen' or 'Guardian'. Sometimes they make the fool choice of throwing in with the wrong crowd and those idiots give you a new name. Sometimes people get called whatever fighting type they are. Titan. Hunter. Warlock. One of the best mercs I've seen got called 'the Lone Wolf' as often as they were called 'God-Slayer' or whatever else, but had no normal name to go by. I guess I'm lucky you got an easy one to remember.
[Coming back up is a whole other ordeal. He never liked it. But he's too afraid to die again and too damned stubborn to just let some punk kill him to prove some empty point.]
Lone Wolf was tossed my way by my instructor during my trainee years, but didn't stick.
[ Being a lone wolf versus everyone deciding to call her that. Her tolerance for nicknames was low, which was more of a deterrent the few times people paid attention to anything outside of her scores than anything else. ]
[He isn't particularly trying to hide what he is here, because it's pointless and everyone is human anyway. No point in lying about being a Risen. It used to matter a lot, though, when people hated you and the fastest way to end up without a roof over your head was tell your neighbors you climbed out of your grave or whatever resting place you ended up in.]
Could be worse. There's a guy around called "Lord Shaxx". Actually, 'Lord' something or other is a thing, too. [Thanks, Iron Lords.] That happens a lot.
[Drifter was no 'Lord', but even if the story of him being a Dredgen were to get out, being 'Dredgen Hope' isn't high on his list of proud nominal achievements.]
[He's actually not been that involved in 'City' life since the Last City was founded. He kind of hates the entire dogma around it, and how it's built right under the damn thing everyone's fighting for. Like the wall they put up will actually protect them when something really wants it.]
[But he knows about the factions.]
Sort of. The 'Lord' guys are the 'Iron Lords'. Self-proclaimed protectors from the old days. Don't get me wrong, some of them are fine. But used to they'd tear up as many civilians in a fight as the other side would. In the Last City they now got a faction called 'New Monarchy' that wants to establish a new version of old-world political order. A load of horse shit if you ask me. More politics to hide from real problems.
His way. What's your way?
[She doesn't sound like 'his way' and 'her way' exactly line up, even if it seems like she took away a lot from it.]
[ More politics to hide from real problems sounds far too familiar, along with the repeating old cycles expecting a return to the past is going to be any better in the present than it was before. It doesn't. It just shifts how the shit falls down, in her mind. ]
Politics are easier than dealing with the real shit. Besides, keep yourself high enough, you get to stay furthest away from where everything's gone bad, until it's too big a bad to escape anymore.
I go with the flow. What about you?
[ Annie doesn't against the bullshit system she lives in, was trained in, and is fully meant to die under. She can see it, but she's never considered herself one who fights against it. Those who can face that corruption, who can stick to convictions and their own version of ideals and fight against it all... were special. Probably idiots. And also admirable, for all they were also by necessity agents of mild to major chaos. ]
Yeah, generally. Usually, the flow takes me away from places with too many people. Lately I've felt a little more social.
[Because he had to be. He was hiding from a guy. Turned out he knew where he was, but it gave Drifter time to get himself established, and he didn't know how bad he needed that.]
I take it you've had your fair share of things going bad and piss poor people behind the reigns.
[At least she sounds like she's pretty well acquainted on the subject.]
[ Last one alive scenarios still seem to end with her dead soon enough, but you know, as a twenty year old with an expiration date of twenty-two, she's a bit biased on the scale of how much being the last one standing sucks. ]
It is nice. [ Not that she has extensive experience, but she does have: Krieg and Kazuki experience. Actually drinking back home would have been a security and sensibility risk. ] Send me a message when you're in Goldenrod. I've been here long enough that I don't have to deal the with the long haul walks anymore, unless I get a wild urge to set off for Victory Road.
I don't got a lot to earn from Victory Road yet. I think it'll be easy enough to rest in the big city for a little while.
[He'd feel really bad for her. Being a Lightbearer, a Risen, means he's borrowed way too much time. If he knew he'd hate that she's getting so little. Woman deserves a chance to have a full life and not just being thrown to the wolves.]
Always been more of a host type anyway, rather than all this training stuff. I like to show people a good time. Too much time is spent with regrets.
[ In part because there's no guarantee anyone's around long enough to make it work out, let alone get a team of top notch everybody's to take on the long haul of that series of fights. ]
People are good at inventing their own regrets. But I think that's normal. Hesitating, or not taking that chance, or regretting that you did. It's not bad, all the time. Maybe a good reason not to... I don't know. Dwell.
[ Annie knows that saying this is silly when she wakes up from nightmares coloured by her own regrets, but she's also not letting that stop her from living. Which... is something. ]
Yeah, better not to. Though I met some people who dwell that are damn good to have on your side. Got a sorta determination that'll walk you right through a minefield. Likewise I met some people that dwell that turn into hate machines when they assume jerking some people over will make them feel better.
Wish I could tell them that ain't the way it works. But I can get them drunk or give them something distracting to do.
[He'd ask her more on her own regrets, but it seems personal. Not to suggest he wouldn't despite that, but that's a thing best done with plenty of bourbon or another alcoholic accompaniment.]
That's another thing about a good distraction. It lets you suss out what kind of pride someone trips up on. Pride in who they are or in what they can do. Sometimes its both, but if they got too much of it, it's as much dead weight as it is a booster.
Anyway, I figure the booze wasn't meant to provoke a bunch of philosophy or judgment.
[Drifter is full of judgment, most of it a useful hunt for weaknesses, allegiances, or cautions. His life has always depended on it. Just because he can come back doesn't mean he likes being in a position where he can be killed.]
Alcohol might induce either one. I don't mind either way. Conversations become whatever they become.
[ and she doesn't care about people's opinions until she Cares, which makes it easy to just... not care about most opinions that weren't weighed against whatever she had to get done. ]
Honestly, back home it's real easy for a conversation with someone to go the way in finding out they got a gun behind their back. [Or charging up and ready to fire as a secret attack.]
As much fun as I find living it hard I do like being in a place where worst you'll get from another human being is a bit of sass or a thrown fist. Makes opinions a lot easier to dispense.
[You don't have to have a hand as quick as his to be confident in sharing them.]
I know it's pretty normal for people to end up being human here again.
But do people sometimes have little things stick with them?
I had a few things wrong with me.[He saw as 'wrong' but they were, he supposes, very right as far as warnings.] But I'm still always hungry here. Not as bad as it was, but it's still there.
As long as it's within the "definition" of what might be human. People can have high metabolisms. People can be chronically ill. Or more strong than average, or faster, or whatever the hell you want to call it. So yes, as long as it's not changing the base nature of what is considered "human" too far, then things seem to stick.
The cause might have changed. I don't know what made you insatiable in your world. Here it might be as simple as what I mentioned before. The whole fast metabolism thing.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pidgey mail | may 17th, mid evening
If most everything's multifunctional, it's #helpful. Or something. ]
no subject
Thanks again, Sister. Hope to see you out there in the field.
no subject
What's with the Sister moniker?
no subject
But ever since I can remember, I've been a part of some crew or another. A village, a caravan, captain of my own ship. [The Shadows of Yor. But who the hell wants to be in the Shadows of Yor? Following a group that was idolizing a man that actually lost his gun battles. Hah. Poorest of all of his life choices, that was. At least he doesn't have the voices in his head here.]
So it's 'Brother' and 'Sister' half the time. It slips out. Don't worry, though. I'm going to remember your name's Annie. [He's pretty good with names, even when they change.]
no subject
Thanks for the explanation. Nicknames back home are descriptive, but usually not flattering. Some are. Most are fonder insults. Didn't figure it was either, but didn't see where it came from.
[ No comment about her name. She does prefer it being used, as if it's grounding in some way, but that's as a contrast to other Titles she can wear: The Female Titan, Warrior, Soldier, Murderer, depending on where one stood. Annie, at least, was personal. ]
no subject
[Coming back up is a whole other ordeal. He never liked it. But he's too afraid to die again and too damned stubborn to just let some punk kill him to prove some empty point.]
no subject
[ One life can be bad enough. ]
Almost as bad as the numerous nicknames.
[ She's mostly joking about that. ]
Lone Wolf was tossed my way by my instructor during my trainee years, but didn't stick.
[ Being a lone wolf versus everyone deciding to call her that. Her tolerance for nicknames was low, which was more of a deterrent the few times people paid attention to anything outside of her scores than anything else. ]
no subject
[He isn't particularly trying to hide what he is here, because it's pointless and everyone is human anyway. No point in lying about being a Risen. It used to matter a lot, though, when people hated you and the fastest way to end up without a roof over your head was tell your neighbors you climbed out of your grave or whatever resting place you ended up in.]
Could be worse. There's a guy around called "Lord Shaxx". Actually, 'Lord' something or other is a thing, too. [Thanks, Iron Lords.] That happens a lot.
[Drifter was no 'Lord', but even if the story of him being a Dredgen were to get out, being 'Dredgen Hope' isn't high on his list of proud nominal achievements.]
What sort of training did you do? Military?
no subject
Lord? Sounds annoying. Do you have to deal with actual nobility too?
As for what training, yes, military. Before that, it was hand to hand combat training with my father. It was his way.
[ His style, his contribution, and the way he's shaped her since before she could remember. She loves and hates him for it. ]
This is also my curse.
[But he knows about the factions.]
Sort of. The 'Lord' guys are the 'Iron Lords'. Self-proclaimed protectors from the old days. Don't get me wrong, some of them are fine. But used to they'd tear up as many civilians in a fight as the other side would. In the Last City they now got a faction called 'New Monarchy' that wants to establish a new version of old-world political order. A load of horse shit if you ask me. More politics to hide from real problems.
His way. What's your way?
[She doesn't sound like 'his way' and 'her way' exactly line up, even if it seems like she took away a lot from it.]
html betrayals by our own fingers
Politics are easier than dealing with the real shit. Besides, keep yourself high enough, you get to stay furthest away from where everything's gone bad, until it's too big a bad to escape anymore.
I go with the flow. What about you?
[ Annie doesn't against the bullshit system she lives in, was trained in, and is fully meant to die under. She can see it, but she's never considered herself one who fights against it. Those who can face that corruption, who can stick to convictions and their own version of ideals and fight against it all... were special. Probably idiots. And also admirable, for all they were also by necessity agents of mild to major chaos. ]
no subject
[Because he had to be. He was hiding from a guy. Turned out he knew where he was, but it gave Drifter time to get himself established, and he didn't know how bad he needed that.]
I take it you've had your fair share of things going bad and piss poor people behind the reigns.
[At least she sounds like she's pretty well acquainted on the subject.]
Care to share or is that personal?
no subject
Who in any military hasn't?
As for that... more like a conversation better had over drinks. Don't feel any particular urge to write it out.
[ Since she has no point to make with it, then she can't be bothered to write it out. Spoken words are far cheaper. ]
no subject
I'm still gonna owe you for that ale. It'd be nice to have a good drinking partner to split a bottle with.
[Spoken words are both easier to let loose and to forget when you're drunk.]
no subject
It is nice. [ Not that she has extensive experience, but she does have: Krieg and Kazuki experience. Actually drinking back home would have been a security and sensibility risk. ] Send me a message when you're in Goldenrod. I've been here long enough that I don't have to deal the with the long haul walks anymore, unless I get a wild urge to set off for Victory Road.
no subject
[He'd feel really bad for her. Being a Lightbearer, a Risen, means he's borrowed way too much time. If he knew he'd hate that she's getting so little. Woman deserves a chance to have a full life and not just being thrown to the wolves.]
Always been more of a host type anyway, rather than all this training stuff. I like to show people a good time. Too much time is spent with regrets.
no subject
[ In part because there's no guarantee anyone's around long enough to make it work out, let alone get a team of top notch everybody's to take on the long haul of that series of fights. ]
People are good at inventing their own regrets. But I think that's normal. Hesitating, or not taking that chance, or regretting that you did. It's not bad, all the time. Maybe a good reason not to... I don't know. Dwell.
[ Annie knows that saying this is silly when she wakes up from nightmares coloured by her own regrets, but she's also not letting that stop her from living. Which... is something. ]
no subject
Wish I could tell them that ain't the way it works. But I can get them drunk or give them something distracting to do.
[He'd ask her more on her own regrets, but it seems personal. Not to suggest he wouldn't despite that, but that's a thing best done with plenty of bourbon or another alcoholic accompaniment.]
no subject
People have to want to listen. Distractions are easier to swallow without getting confused over something like "pride."
no subject
Anyway, I figure the booze wasn't meant to provoke a bunch of philosophy or judgment.
[Drifter is full of judgment, most of it a useful hunt for weaknesses, allegiances, or cautions. His life has always depended on it. Just because he can come back doesn't mean he likes being in a position where he can be killed.]
no subject
[ and she doesn't care about people's opinions until she Cares, which makes it easy to just... not care about most opinions that weren't weighed against whatever she had to get done. ]
no subject
As much fun as I find living it hard I do like being in a place where worst you'll get from another human being is a bit of sass or a thrown fist. Makes opinions a lot easier to dispense.
[You don't have to have a hand as quick as his to be confident in sharing them.]
no subject
no subject
But do people sometimes have little things stick with them?
I had a few things wrong with me.[He saw as 'wrong' but they were, he supposes, very right as far as warnings.] But I'm still always hungry here. Not as bad as it was, but it's still there.
no subject
The cause might have changed. I don't know what made you insatiable in your world. Here it might be as simple as what I mentioned before. The whole fast metabolism thing.
no subject
[He'll blame his ghost.]
Good to know I can still fit in and want to eat a whole turkey in one sitting.
no subject
[ Talk about big appetites: hers was purely natural. ]