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Post by Delilah A. Black on Feb 4, 2013 23:54:16 GMT -8
Facing forward again, Delilah would resume kicking her legs in the open air below as they dangled there. The breeze shifted, moving strands of her ebony hair in her face. Grumbling as though annoyed, she brushed them back, tucking them behind her ear.
"It's not so much about being the best 'Crow' than being a good person in general. Get to know your comrades. Build their trust and opinion of you with honesty and dedication. Upholdiing these principles with civilians and, if you can, in combat. What you do, though, is ultimately up to you.
"Did you have any training prior to all this?"
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Feb 5, 2013 0:13:08 GMT -8
He nodded at her words, noticing that the wind was causing her hair to lick her face. Lucien stiffened in annoyance, making sure his own hair was immaculate before turning his attention back to his superior. He caught the explanation that she was giving, but just barely, trying with all his might to shift his focus back to her words.
When the question was posed, he replied with relative ease, though he still wasn't totally relaxed. "Combat training, I had. Socialization? Not as much." He chuckled as he thought back. "I trained in Bujinkan Ninjutsu for six years. I'm a san-dan, if you know what that means..."
If she didn't, he would explain. But, there was a suspicion that Lucien had developed, way back when he first saw Delilah fight... And, if he was right, he wouldn't have to say another word.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Feb 5, 2013 1:09:36 GMT -8
Otherwise unaware of his personal concerns about her hair, Delilah turned her head as he mentioned 'Bujinkan Ninjutsu'. She would look at him for a moment. Then two. Then several.
Unsettlingly.
"Ninjutsu is bullshit." she deadpanned, waiting to see his reaction.
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Feb 5, 2013 16:13:10 GMT -8
Lucien was now the recipient of a stare, the only descriptor fit for it being cold. He didn't like being on the end of stares at all, much less Delilah's glare. It made his skin crawl.
"Ninjutsu is bullshit."
Lucien froze. His head slowly turned from the horizon to his captain, looking her square in the eye. That was NOT what he was expecting to hear. And, from the flat look on her face, Lucien could only assume she was being serious. His expression shifted from shock to what could only be described as a mild conniption.
"I...I...I...bullshit?" He stammered.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Feb 5, 2013 16:24:33 GMT -8
And all at once, her serious expression broke into a wide, mischievous grin thanks to the bewildered and anxiety ridden face he was pulling. "Pfffttt...oh God, Luc, you should see your face," she started laughing quietly, shoulders shaking with her mirth. Hooooo, that was fun.
She reached over and gave him a reassuring pat on the head. "It'snot often I meet another Ninjutsuka. Though I probably should have guessed."
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Feb 5, 2013 16:34:40 GMT -8
As she burst out into laughter, Lucien's face stayed the way it was for a moment, before relaxing. He sighed, as he realized she was 'pulling his leg.'
A hand on his shoulder as Delilah kept laughing, saying that she doesn't see other Ninjutsuka very often. Which means!!
"Oh, so I was right. That was a mean joke..." He smiled after his recovery, trying to be light-hearted about just having a heart .... attack.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Feb 5, 2013 16:43:43 GMT -8
Delilah continued to grin, shaking her head and laughing. "It was, it was. I used to get that all the time, though. From people who did taekwondoe or karate...mostly MMA guys though. And then I beat them up."
Those were the days.
"How could you tell?' She queried, looking back at him as the laughter finally died down a bit.
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Feb 5, 2013 16:55:39 GMT -8
Lucien smiled along with her, the thought of anyone questioning his commander running through his mind. He couldn't imagine any of that going well.
"I've seen you fight, at least a bit. I could tell immediately, even that first night... Wait, did you call me Luc?" He added, with a confused look on his face. No one called him that, except...
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Feb 5, 2013 17:14:53 GMT -8
Delilah blinked. Had she? Perhaps she had. "I dunno. Probably?" she shrugged. Thinking back to what he said about being able to tell from how she fought. Interesting. At least he was observant.
"I think I was suspicious of you as well. From how you reacted to some of the things I said. It coincides a lot with the training.'
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Feb 5, 2013 23:05:17 GMT -8
Lucien nodded along, passing right by the nickname usage. If it caught on, that was okay. As long as it's not Lucy.
But, her words about reactions, and how she had suspected him, well, that was interesting.
"Really? What kind of things?"
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Feb 6, 2013 1:53:59 GMT -8
Delilah's eyebrow twitched slightly at him as it raised and then lowered.
"Just what you said when I mentioned that we could have been Barker soldiers. And how you didn't tell me your life story all in one breath. We also dealt with some pretty heavy shit out there when we brought you in. Yeah, you freaked out a bit, but we can't blame you for that. And you didn't even go insane! I figured it had something to do with your training, if you had any at all. Or maybe you've just read a lot of Lovecraft. Hard to tell sometimes."
Ramblerambleramble, said the Crow.
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Feb 6, 2013 13:07:10 GMT -8
He chuckled a bit at the latter half of her rant, nodding and saying, "It was a little bit of both, for sure."
And, thinking back to those crazy mutant humans that attacked them for flesh on that first night... And slamming through that Barker outpost in a luxury SUV... Lucien felt reinvigorated. And, also, grown. There was a time when the smallest of things would have scared the wits out of him. Now... Well, he wouldn't freeze up and start hyperventilating, that's for sure. Maybe. Well, maybe.
"I'm glad it was you," He said quietly.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Feb 6, 2013 14:50:49 GMT -8
"Hmm?" Delilah blinked politely, as if she hadn't heard him or fully understood. She did; she just wanted him to explain.
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Post by Lucien DeChain on Feb 6, 2013 16:18:52 GMT -8
Lucien realized that he had been a little loud with that, it was more an inward thing than anything. But, as he had been heard, it might as well have been explained.
"Out of anyone, Dragons, Crows, otherwise... Even within the Crows. I'm glad it was you and Marcus that found me. You didn't have to, you had no obligation to speed out to the ruins and save me. But, you did. And I'm glad it was you." He turned to her, and softly smiled. It was good to have friends. Even if those friends were your leaders.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Feb 6, 2013 22:18:44 GMT -8
Delilah had the decency to blush at the flattery. It was true, she didn't have to. But that was besides the point.
"It's not really about 'having' to, it's wanting to. Every life is so precious and none deserve what Barker has forced upon them. For some, it is a life of exile and alienation, others, servitude. All life is equal. If it was you, a perfect stranger, or one of my close friends in danger, the reaction would have been the same.
"I can't save everyone, but I want to try. Wanting to, because it is right, is reason enough."
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