74. [voice/written]

[silversnowfall]

[Some say too much deep thought begets deeper problems.]

I've been thinking.

[Nephry has a piece of paper in front of her, as well as a book open to a marked page.]

Mm, I should say that reading has been making me think. Indulge me for a moment, if you will: there is a relatively small portion of our population living in this village that arrived more than three Luceti years ago. It's an easy number for me to choose, because I fall into that category as well. I don't know many of those sharing a 'cycle year' with me as personally as I might, but-

[Here she stops, taps the page of the other book, and tries a new direction. Included in her explanation is a description of the formula she mentions.]

Something I read about and didn't understand prompted a bit more research on my part. I'm interested in testing whether this...theory, I suppose, of mine happens to prove true. In another world, there is a kind of formula for determining how ready one is to accept the inevitable. I believe that, with some exceptions of course, one 'step' in this formula enacts itself in the space of one Luceti cycle year. [Then she illustrates what the heck she means by that, expanding upon a chart she found in her research.]

[A half-laugh. Actually it's quite a sad sound.] Doesn't that sound strange? And yet I remember being in complete disbelief that such things were possible, and then worrying about my friends and hating the Malnosso for what they do to us, and then wanting nothing more than to use our limited knowledge as some kind of wager for the chance to change-

And now...to a degree, I still feel all of these other things, and yet- [No. Perhaps it's best not to go into that so publicly. It's unbecoming of a governor for certain.] Well, now I'm asking the rest of you. No matter how long you have been here. Does this hold true for you?

Comments

[silversnowfall]

I think you have a point. There are also people living here who would have no chance to do so, at home.

[weaponry]

Yeah. Several people view Luceti as a home, for various reasons. I wish there was a way to make coming here and living here optional, or, in other cases, something you could do freely. Like spend six months here and then six months there or something. Cause I don't want to live here, but, as long as one person still wants to be here, I'm not going to send them home - or back to die - because of my own situation. [ It could be some genuine selflessness or a little, teeny, tiny, desire to spend a liiiiittle more time here. ]

[silversnowfall]

[It's 'back to die' that Nephry most struggles with among her closer friends.]

Is it better for them to be made to stay here, and live, but also be forced into war?

[weaponry]

Well, if there was a way to return to different worlds, perhaps they could make use over that. Besides, being forced into the war isn't too bad. You don't even have to go out onto the frontline. I know a little girl that mostly just stayed inside, after I went out to help her collect moon rocks.

[silversnowfall]

[A way to return to different worlds. The reminder of Gelda is startling, and strong. Unexpected.]

I went once. We were forced. [And she does not like talking about it so time to change the subject.] Fighting someone else's war isn't acceptable.

[weaponry]

Oh, I didn't know that was possible. [ Oops. That was awkward. ] I agree. A war should be fought only between combatants on which it pertains to, and, I'd say that people should be able to live their life without it affecting them. But, even then, some people consider this place to be better than their home and I can't exactly ruin that.

I do agree that the Malnosso are horrible hosts, and, I'd be a lot better leaving this place to the people who'd enjoy it rather than the people who are just not very welcoming. [ Cough the Malnosso cough. ]

[silversnowfall]

If we're going that far, I would rather no wars were fought at all. Though I agree, without interference from the Malnosso life here would be very pleasant.

[weaponry]

Sometimes participating in a war is necessary to defend and protect, sometimes its equally necessary to start one to snip an impending evil in the bud. [ If only they started the war against Madara Uchiha much much earlier. ] There probably wouldn't be war here if the Malnosso weren't here.

[silversnowfall]

Lives are lost in war, no matter the reason for it starting. We would do better to find a way to settle it peacefully.

[weaponry]

Look, I appreciate your pacifism but very rarely will things be solved on basis like that, mostly because the other party is so damn spiteful it can't be reasoned with and fighting is much better than just rolling over and letting him get control over the entire world. It may not be necessary with Luceti and the third draft, given that we know nothing about that but not all wars are frivolous.

[silversnowfall]

I never said it was frivolous. It should be a last resort.

[weaponry]

I guess I can say I agree there. You always want to go with the solution that will impact the least in cases of hostility. [ Which is why she kinda wished ninjas could just stab someone from behind or something but that doesn't really happen....

in a manga....

about ninjas.... ]

[silversnowfall]

[Stabbing in the back crosses the line even for ninja, it seems.]

Difficult to do in a place where so many have grown up knowing fighting as the best solution.

[weaponry]

[ Sorta. I mean, if it's a literal backstab, that's just combat. ]

It's not the only solution, but, I feel like, in their worlds, it's just not damaging like it'd be to you, you know? At some point, the culture adjusts so people don't know the dangers of power mongering. [ And, until recently, she didn't know about it either. Thank you, Unified Shinobi Alliance. ]

[silversnowfall]

When I hear things like that, I think of how unfortunate it is that an entire culture could have to adjust to become more violent.

[weaponry]

Well, in some cases, it might not be adjusting. If two leaders are just naturally violent then their leadership will reflect that, and that leadership influences other generations.

[silversnowfall]

[Nephry is too tired to get into a debate about 'naturally violent' and how that might arise.]

You have a point.

[weaponry]

Just what type of world are you from anyways? Is it peaceful? [ She's curious. She seems pretty pro-peace, so she's either from a peaceful world or a really really volatile world. ]

[silversnowfall]

More peaceful now than in recent years. We have seen some terrible wars.

[weaponry]

Hm... so guys made the leap to peace. It sounds like what might happen in our world after this war.

[silversnowfall]

War should not be necessary to achieve peace.

[weaponry]

It shouldn't be, but sometimes it is. [ She doesn't have any feelings about the necessity of war. ]