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Post by Delilah A. Black on Sept 24, 2013 18:37:04 GMT -8
Behind every great man
is a woman, rolling her eyes.
It had been some time since she had seen Olesya...which had been during the kerfuffle in Barker territory, which wasn't even all that long ago. But, already, things had changed. David had removed himself from the Dragons (again), for one, Bastille and Mathew had children, an Delilah was becoming less and less a mechanic and more a leader.
Whether these things were for the better or worse (with the exclusion of babies [who didn't love babies?!]), remained to be seen.
Having aquired yet half a dozen more scars in the last few months that Delilah had laid eyes on Olesya, she made her way through Dragon territory, intent on seeing the new overseer of the Dragon's forces.
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Post by Your Mom~ on Sept 25, 2013 3:48:28 GMT -8
Leon was last seen in his tower, Mathew was...God knows where, and David had fled the city, officially dropping all his duties onto his Voice. So behind this supposed trio of strong, able leaders...was a woman rolling her eyes.
Olesya was in the compound today, running drills with the soldiers. She split her time between the War Room and here, and sometimes the watch towers if she needed a break from everyone. Today was Evaluation Day, when the recruits were put in their respective units based on skill, or lack thereof.
"Faster, faster, go go go!"
She yelled at the recruits, who were running the obstacle course she'd had constructed. It consisted of tires, a mud and barbed wire pit, a 20 foot climbing wall, and a ropes course. She was chasing after them, a short whip in her hand. She cracked it once, snapping a lagging recruit.
"You're dead!"
Snap, snap, snap.
"You're dead, you're dead, you're dead! You think Barker's gonna give you a break because you're tired? It's life and death out here so if you don't move your feet, you're dead! NOW MOVE!"
Olesya was a harder person in the compound. When she first took over the armies, many of the men didn't hold her to the respect she deserved. After all, what army was led by a woman? She soon whipped that out of them, both figuratively and literally. Her short riding crop came in handy more often than one would expect.
They made it to the end of the course, muddy and panting. Olesya hadn't climbed through the mud in order to separate herself from the recruits. Most days she did, because she also needed her training, but today was evaluation day, and her crisp white and red flame jacket (that had once had David's name, now emblazoned with her own) billowed about her knees in the slight breeze.
"That. Was. Terrible. You should all be ashamed of yourselves."
She spoke firm but without raising her voice. She wanted them to have to strain to hear her. That's how she knew they were paying attention. She paced along the lineup, shaking her head.
"I have the mind not to pass any of you, and have you run the recruitment training all over again. We cannot afford any weak links in our army, not with Barker nipping at our heels at every step."
A couple groans emitted from the line up, Olesya turned sharply, her multicolored eyes narrowing dangerously.
"SILENCE! You get what you deserve! You need to earn your rank here, it's not just going to be handed to you! Being a Dragon means being a brother, a link in an unbreakable chain. And none of you are there yet. Do you want to see what a Dragon solider looks like? LOOK."
She swept her arm, pointing across the compound where a recon team was training. A second, smaller ropes course had been set up. Each man worked in tandem with the other, moving as a unit, acting as if each man was a limb in part of the whole. They were focused, precise, and accurate. It was a marvel to see. Oleysa turned back to the recruits after a minute, frowning at the lot of them. They had a long way to go until they reached that point.
"Training starts at oh-six-hundred tomorrow. Dismissed."
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Sept 25, 2013 17:38:39 GMT -8
The sounds of a yelling and the pounding of feet attracted the mechanic's attention as she made her way into the heart of Dragon Territory. She migrated towards the source of the sound, intrigued.
--And found herself smiling at what she discovered there. Olesya, barking orders and snapping her riding crop at the too-slow recruits running the obstacle course. Delilah was satisfied enough with standing off to the side with a small, wistfull smile and a growing sense of deja vu.
How long ago was it that she stood off to the side, similarly, as the first batch of Crow recruits ran their laps with Tai and Dora running after them, screaming? As Olesya told the lackluster group to smarten-up, Delilah found herself smothering a laugh. Yep. Just like the old days.
As the group marched off, Delilah walked forward through the throng towards Olesya.
"Well, Ms. Voice, you seem to be living up to your title~."
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Post by Your Mom~ on Sept 26, 2013 3:43:29 GMT -8
At the sound of a familiar voice next to her, Olesya's expression changed from the fierce, hard-ass leader to a more pleasant countenance. She even managed a shadow of a grin, the faint gesture reaching her multicolored eyes.
"Delilah! Good to see you. Sorry you had to witness such a disaster. It's like herding cats..."
She shook her head. Sure, maybe she was a little tough on them, but they were in the middle of a war. The enemy wasn't going to take it easy on them, so she was charged with making them as prepared and battle-ready as absolutely possible. If it means death glares and mumbles under the breath, then fine. She wasn't their friend, she was their leader.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Sept 26, 2013 10:58:43 GMT -8
"Delilah! Good to see you. Sorry you had to witness such a disaster. It's like herding cats..."
The mechanic returned Olesya's good-natured grin, shaking her head at the apology for the abyssmal performance of her team.
"No need, no need. Tengu were like that in the early days. You just have to keep at it.
"That said, though, do you have a minute? I think it's about time we sat down and sorted shit out. Or maybe just have a drink. I dunno." Delilah shrugged whimsically.
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Post by Your Mom~ on Sept 26, 2013 11:39:46 GMT -8
"A drink sounds divine."
She put her fingers to her lips and whistled. A captain came jogging over and saluted her when he stopped. Olesya took her clipboard and shoved it at his chest, he caught it with a slight 'oomph.'
"Garcia. I have business to attend to with the Head Crow. I'm putting you in temporary charge of the compound. Signal me if anything goes wrong."
"It won't sir, thank you sir."
"Dismissed."
He ran off, leaving Olesya and Delilah alone again. She walked off the compound, heading toward the Dragon Fang. It was the only reputable bar in the territory. There were a couple others, but they were dives. At the Fang they could get a pirvate room as well.
"Uppity soldiers. On the first day they tried to scoff me...and I laid them all in the dirt. Told them they needed to treat me with the same respect as their male officers. Hence the 'sir.'"
She explained with a shrug.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Sept 27, 2013 0:11:03 GMT -8
"A drink sounds divine."
The white haired woman whistled and seemingly from nowhere, a man jogged towards her--whereupon a clipboard was unceremoniously thrust into his chest. Delilah had the grace to hide her small smirk, at least until he was out of sight.
"Uppity soldiers. On the first day they tried to scoff me...and I laid them all in the dirt. Told them they needed to treat me with the same respect as their male officers. Hence the 'sir.'"
Delilah nodded her agreement, following along after Olesya with her hands tucked securely into her pockets. "I didn't have as much trouble myself; it helped that I was already a high-ranking member of Militia, as far as most of the Crows went. With Tengu, though...yeah, what you did was like a daily thing," she chuckled wistfully. "It's an uphill battle for you; the Elder's are all male, and up until now, it's been they who've been leading. Well, mostly David. Still, they're used to male authority. If you can show them that you're just as tough --which you are-- and just as willing to get in the thick of it, they'll get the message."
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Post by Your Mom~ on Sept 27, 2013 5:46:39 GMT -8
"That's the plan."
Olesya laughed. In modern times, women had gone leaps and strides in being treated as equals to men. Then the bombs fell, everyone was thrown back a hundred years and thought a woman couldn't lead an army. How very wrong they were.
They reached the Dragon Fang, Olesya held the door for Delilah and walked in after her. She nodded at the bartender, ordering herself a small Brandy. Once Delilah got what she wanted, she'd lead her to one of the conference lounges off the to side, separated by a rice paper and wooden sliding door. Olesya found herself a seat, lounging back and taking a small sip of her brandy.
"So how are you Delilah? What's new on your front?"
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Sept 28, 2013 0:22:52 GMT -8
They reached the door of a...newish looking bar (or at least spruced up, in Delilah's opinion) and she walked in through the held door with a nod of thanks.
And also felt REALLY uncomfortable because usually it was SHE who held doors...
Delilah picked up a two ounces of neat Bourbon. Not the good stuff, but finding her preferred drink was a miracle unto itself. She sipped it as they walked to their conference table...which was behind a rice-paper door. Delilah could barely contain her excitement and was instantly reminded of her sensei's old dojo. She took a seat, trying to focus on Olesya and NOT the rice-paper.
"So how are you Delilah? What's new on your front?"
Delilah rolled her eyes, then pinched the bridge of her nose between her forefinger and thumb. "Busy as fuck. After the Barker attack, we really went into over drive. Between keeping Tengu on the up-and-up, making stings on Barker, playing diplomat, fixing the vehicle fleet, making bombs and potato guns and bows, AND taking care of Oliver, I can barely keep up. I almost forget what sleep is like."
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Post by Your Mom~ on Sept 30, 2013 3:59:35 GMT -8
Olesya chuckled, because what Delilah was describing was exactly how she felt. It was like she'd taken the words right out of her mouth.
"If there were such things as kindred spirits.."
She managed through her amused laughter. She brought the glass to her lips again, taking a small sip and enjoying the warming sensation all the way down to her stomach.
"Between being a fulltime now single mother to Maddie and running this place in David's absence, I've been losing my mind. Youichi has agreed to step in as babysitter/housekeeper/brain manager extraordinaire, though I sometimes feel like I'm wasting her talents. But I know I can trust her to the ends of the earth, and she's one hell of a bodyguard. With Barker stirring, I need it. Maddie could easily become a target, and I can't let that happen."
She frowned, taking another sip. It may just be hre maternal instinct causing the tightness in her chest, but she was logical enough to understand the true implications of being in a seat of power and having people close to you. If Barker knew her weaknesses, he sure as hell wouldnt hesitate to exploit them, and has proven years ago that he's not against abducting children.
"How do you do it?"
She asked Delilah, a hint of awe in her voice. Even though they were roughly the same age, Olesya couldn't help but feel like Delilah was an aged soul, leaps and bounds above herself as far as wisdom and skill.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Sept 30, 2013 14:20:49 GMT -8
"Between being a fulltime now single mother to Maddie and running this place in David's absence, I've been losing my mind. Youichi has agreed to step in as babysitter/housekeeper/brain manager extraordinaire, though I sometimes feel like I'm wasting her talents. But I know I can trust her to the ends of the earth, and she's one hell of a bodyguard. With Barker stirring, I need it. Maddie could easily become a target, and I can't let that happen."
Delilah nodded, lowering her eyes to her drink as a sombre smile touched her lips. True enough. Loved ones were always a risk. Love was a risk. Daring even to care about someone was a huge risk, not just to the people who knew and cared for them, but to oneself. Your morals, your heart, your sanity.
"How do you do it?"
Delilah looked up, eyebrows slightly raised in surprise by the question. She blinked once or twice and let out a long sigh, blue eyes drifting back down to the deep amber liquid.
"Sacrifice." she said quietly. There was no point in beating around the bush with Olesya; she was a leader now, and she needed to know what she was getting into.
"When Stu came back, I laid it out really clearly for him; if it comes down to saving you, or 'Unfettered', I'd choose 'Unfettered'. I told him that he should do the same. He didn't like it, but he agreed.
"Few months ago, Barker attacked our borders. We won, but Kiyoshi died and 'Unfettered' went MIA. Not long after that, Stu disappeared. I haven't heard from him since. I don't know if he could take the thought of standing there watching me throw myself into a fight for people I didn't know over him or not, but that's my best hypothesis."
Single mothers, unite.
Delilah's eyes lifted up and back to Olesya's. "Leadership is not about 'free time' or personal feelings. Not for yourself, anyway. We must do what is necessary to keep the resistance going, to get those too weak to fight back to a normal. What must be done, you must take responsibility for, or delegate to those you can trust. Every man and woman in your army is irreplacable, every new recruit you have to hire in their stead, another drain on the army until they can get up to standard.
"That said, would you be willing to risk it all for those men and women? If it meant that Maddie would die, but most of your army would live and the resistance would continue, could you deal with it? Can you deal with sending your comrades to their deaths? Can you ask people you don't know to die for you? For a cause, for a school they didn't go to?"
She paused for a moment to let that sink in, staring hard at Olesya over her drink.
"You must be willing to sacrifice everything. Your body, your mind, your soul for the cause. To make Barker fall. Could you be so unselfish as to give up yourself for a future you can't see, for people you never knew?"
"That's how I do it. Because if I don't, no one else will."
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Post by Your Mom~ on Oct 1, 2013 4:28:05 GMT -8
Well...if that wasn't a sobering thought.
Olesya listened attentedly to Delilah's words, her heart sinking with every word. Would she be willing to give up everything for the cause? To do absolutely everything it took to see Barker fall to his knees? She chewed the inside of her lip, her gaze falling to the floor between them. She fought inwardly, trying to decide what was needed and what was right.
"I'm willing to give everything of myself. My time, my health, my energy, and my life. Anything that is within my power to give..."
She started slowly, looking up to Delilah, a semi-resigned look in her eyes.
"But I could not sacrifice Maddie. As a mother it's my duty to protect her. I cannot choose whether she lives or dies, it would destroy me."
She confessed, feeling weak for her lack of utter and complete dedication, but call a spade a spade. She couldn't pretend she was willing to hand Maddie over to Barker if it meant saving the lives of her troops.
"However, I wouldn't force my troops to save her either. It would be my duty. If anything were to happen to her it would be my fault for not protecting her. I couldn't send troops in to rescue her if I knew they were going to die. It's something I'd have to do myself."
She frowned, taking another sip of her brandy. Their conversation was taking a bit of a sordid turn, into territory that Olesya didn't even know herself. It was something she avoided thinking about, because losing Maddie was unthinkable to her.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Oct 2, 2013 3:00:59 GMT -8
"I'm willing to give everything of myself. My time, my health, my energy, and my life. Anything that is within my power to give...But I could not sacrifice Maddie. As a mother it's my duty to protect her. I cannot choose whether she lives or dies, it would destroy me.
"However, I wouldn't force my troops to save her either. It would be my duty. If anything were to happen to her it would be my fault for not protecting her. I couldn't send troops in to rescue her if I knew they were going to die. It's something I'd have to do myself."
"So, you'd die for your own self-concern and leave your army, quite potentially, without a leader? Or your daughter without a mother?"
Delilah lifted the bourbon to her lips and threw back the ounce that was left, setting down the mug gently. She managed a tired smile.
"I'm not trying to antagonize you. I'm asking you the questions you're eventually going to have to ask yourself. Your answer is exactly what one would expect from a good mother, which you are. Consider, however;
"The Earth and Lightning Dragons have been inactive for some time. The Storm Dragon has left the gang twice now, this time leaving you in his stead. A leader who chooses to leave whenever he wants is not one who commands the loyalty of his men. You have support, of course. You have people you can rely on. However, there are people you cannot. You're new, but you've got leadership in your heart.
"So, if you were to die on the battlefield and leave your daughter alone, who would be the one to take care of her, if no one mentioned was there? Would that not scar your daughter for all of her days afterwards? Would she even survive without you, mentally? Physically? What if it came down to abandoning your army mid-fight to rescue your daughter? Would you dare leave your men and women to fight in your stead while you sacrifice your life for one? How is that fair to them? Here they are now, in your exact same position, with loved ones and children they might never see again, and keep in mind that they're not as strong as you; their risk of dying is much, much higher.
"You do not have that luxury; you are a leader. While you're expected to risk your life, you are not allowed to die. You're too valuable to the cause. If you're not there fighting, Maddie might not have a future anyway. No child will. You can't afford to be selfish...and in this case, this selfishness is the good kind. You ask the children of parents to give up their lives for the cause; to someone else, what is the difference?
"It's a horrible, awful, wretched thing to consider, and yet it must because it is a possibility. We do not have the luxury of 'hoping for the best'. We must make the best happen based on what we have available. If that means Maddie can't leave your living quarters, or, you can make a secret place for her to hide if shit goes down, or a code of some kind, or some plan in place, then you have to put that into action now. If her death will affect how you lead, then you must prevent her loss."
Finally, the mechanic took a breath and massaged her brow. "...I hate to say it, but whether you like it or not, even now, you're sacrificing your relationship with your daughter for the cause. You're around less. You're leaving her with Youichi more. you're her only caregiver; did you consider what it might do to her if you died? That she constantly worries for your safety? It starts out small, but more and more things will need to be done and she'll see you less, see you come home with more scars. Imagine the impact your death will have on her."
Slowly, the mechanic dropped her hand again, her gaze lowered down to the table. "I'm not saying don't rescue or save your daughter if you have the chance; it's expected of you, you're a mother. I'm talking about a slim, very slim chance that is an unfortunate and very real possibility where you have to make a choice. You have to prepare for that eventuality, 'Les. But you can make that slim chance even slighter by ensuring she has maximum protection at all times, especially when you're not with her. You have to examine every nook, every cranny to ensure the safety of not just your people or Maddie...but you as well. And that means making sure she is secure and your army is stable with as little resistance as possible."
She smiled again, this time more apologetically. "Sorry I rambled. I don't usually get to explain this sort of thing. Wasn't even why I came to see you in the first place."
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Post by Your Mom~ on Oct 2, 2013 13:23:17 GMT -8
Olesya frowned, at first disagreeing with Delilah for stating that to die for her daughter was a selfish cause. But then...she began to lay it all out in front of her. She was a leader when no one else would, she needed to be there for her men, who had families, too, that they wanted to go home to. To sacrifice herself only for her daughter seemed petty and selfish in comparison. She hated to admit it...but Delilah was right.
'Who am I to say whether my daughter lives or dies?' She had asked herself. It was the basis for her previous opinion. Now that Delilah had explained the life of a true leader, she would need to amend her statement. 'Who am I to say whether my people live or die?' They all looked up to her, they all followed her to the ends of the Earth. They were all her children in a way, each life as important as the next. Who was she, as a leader, to decide that one life was to be sacrificed for another, or masses for one?
She tossed back her own amber liquid, knocking on the wooden frame of the rice paper door to signal for another round. She had a feeling it was going to be a long conversation, and not everything she wanted to hear.
"You're right."
She said slowly, chewing at the inside of her lip. The bartender appeared a couple moments later with bottles of each of their requested poison, pouring another tumbler for each and leaving the bottles. He left with the sliding of the door.
"What do you do for Oliver? Right now I leave Maddie in the care of Youichi, but what if that isn't enough? David has a stronghold set up on an island off the coast, but I don't want to isolate her if I don't have to. I'm...I'm trying to give her as normal of a childhood as possible. I know it's impossible."
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Oct 2, 2013 15:29:09 GMT -8
The bartender came and left after Olesya's admission that Delilah's words were 'right'. God, she wished they weren't, and it made her feel terrible even to consider the loss of one life, let alone her son or, in this case, Olesya's daughter.
...against her better judgement, the mechanic poured herself another ounce of bourbon, cupping the mug between both hands.
"What do you do for Oliver? Right now I leave Maddie in the care of Youichi, but what if that isn't enough? David has a stronghold set up on an island off the coast, but I don't want to isolate her if I don't have to. I'm...I'm trying to give her as normal of a childhood as possible. I know it's impossible."
Delilah smiled again. Good, the knowledge hadn't harmed her resolve. She was committed to her new role.
"I put together a team of men and women and trained them personally with all my knowledge as a budoka <one who practices the way of the warrior>. People I can trust to personally watch my back, take care of some of my lesser duties amongst Crow territory, manage and lead a team of themselves or whomever else. I selected the people who would benefit most from my training, just for that purpose of becoming elite.
"When Barker attacked, I had two of my Tengu guarding him personally with a handful of our other troops also guarding the other children. He's supervised at all times. He is not to leave the base unless I am with him. He still gets to run and play, everyone knows him by name and knows how to keep tabs on him. He's...respectful of the rules; if he is breaking any, he's very good at hiding it.
"I've also trained my own son how to kill." she added gravely.
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