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Post by Your Mom~ on Oct 2, 2013 15:42:50 GMT -8
Delilah's grim expression was mirrored in Olesya's face as if it were a still pond she was looking down into. She had accepted that she needed to kill in order to survive long ago, but she hesitated to teach her daughter...she was only ten. Granted, Youichi was an assassin and was teaching her basic fighting while she babysat her, but would that be enough? Had Youichi taught her how to kill? And what if that meant the difference between her survival and her demise? Olesya knew that the moment Madelyn knew how to kill, her innocence would be gone.
Then again, there always had to be sacrifices.
Olesya sighed.
"I guess it's no use, huh? Trying to protect her innocence."
She took another sip from her glass, swirling the amber contents around slightly.
"Youichi has taught her quite a few skills, though...I suppose it's only a matter of time. When Barker attacked, I had Maddie and the other civilians ushered into our safehouses underground. There are two here, they were once laboratories, but have been gutted and reutilized as shelters. Heavy steel doors, emergency water and rations...just in case."
She chewed the inside of her lip again, feeling pulled down by the weight of responsibility. Was this how David had felt? Would she too eventually bow and break under the pressure. No. She couldn't. Like Delilah said, if she didn't do it, nobody else will. If she wasn't strong for her people, they would all suffer. She would need to sacrifice herself, her living self, to ensure that her people were safe. All of them, Maddie included.
"It's funny, you know. How we're both in the exact same position. Single mothers. Leaders. Allies. When you came and escorted me back to Long Beach, who'd have thought we would wind up this way."
She laughed, only a slight bitter edge to her voice. Mostly she was amused with the irony.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Oct 3, 2013 22:11:48 GMT -8
"I guess it's no use, huh? Trying to protect her innocence."
The line of Delilah's mouth got a bit thinner at that. There was no point in trying to protect innocence in an age of such loss and devastation, sad as it was.
"Youichi has taught her quite a few skills, though...I suppose it's only a matter of time. When Barker attacked, I had Maddie and the other civilians ushered into our safehouses underground. There are two here, they were once laboratories, but have been gutted and reutilized as shelters. Heavy steel doors, emergency water and rations...just in case."
The mechanic grinned at the idea, "Good plan. We put all of ours on boats and moved them to another territory to keep them safe while we fought."
"It's funny, you know. How we're both in the exact same position. Single mothers. Leaders. Allies. When you came and escorted me back to Long Beach, who'd have thought we would wind up this way."
Another sobering thought, for sure. Delilah smiled sideways a bit at this, also kind of laughing at the irony.
"When 'Unfettered' told me where you were, it was my understanding we were going to offer you a seat in Crows. Maybe Grim, maybe First. Who knew what Kiyoshi would have wanted for you. But you weren't really ready for human interaction, so, we waited." she shrugged. "And now you're leader of the Dragons. I don't think anyone could have anticipated the end of the civilized world, but...I'm glad most of us are still here to see it, you know?"
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Post by Your Mom~ on Oct 4, 2013 4:09:15 GMT -8
"You were right...about then."
She nodded, swirling the liquid in her cup and taking another sip. It wasn't so much the taste as the warmth as it slid down her throat that she liked. She didn't often indulge, spending so much time either with the troops and officers or Maddie, so this was a small treat.
"When I first came here, I had come from the Halfway House as we called it. I hadn't really been completely reintroduced to society following my...er...mental breakdown. I left before my treatment was done, Jo-"Unfettered" called for me. But I realized that I couldn't do it, I wasn't...stable. I went back to my doctor who had rebuilt his operation from the ground up. He finished my treatments, destroyed the rest of the chemicals in my body that Barker had injected. The damage was done, but it wouldn't get any worse. I could recover."
And that was when she'd returned to find Maddie with David, and...unbeknownst to her...he'd started growing close to another woman. To Kiyr. When she thought about it too much, she felt she had dropped back in and taken the place of someone else that David had wanted to be there.
"But now I have Maddie, and I like to think I'm doing right by her. I didn't ask for so much responsibility, it was thrust on me. Without David, Mathew, or Leon...who else is going to run this territory? Isn't there a quote that says 'some are born great, some achieve great, and some have greatness thrust upon them?'"
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Oct 8, 2013 19:05:54 GMT -8
"When I first came here, I had come from the Halfway House as we called it. I hadn't really been completely reintroduced to society following my...er...mental breakdown. I left before my treatment was done, Jo-"Unfettered" called for me. But I realized that I couldn't do it, I wasn't...stable. I went back to my doctor who had rebuilt his operation from the ground up. He finished my treatments, destroyed the rest of the chemicals in my body that Barker had injected. The damage was done, but it wouldn't get any worse. I could recover."
Delilah smiled over the rim of her glass as she raised it to her lips, "Good. I'm glad."
"But now I have Maddie, and I like to think I'm doing right by her. I didn't ask for so much responsibility, it was thrust on me. Without David, Mathew, or Leon...who else is going to run this territory? Isn't there a quote that says 'some are born great, some achieve great, and some have greatness thrust upon them?'"
Delilah found herself quirking a once pierced eyebrow at that, though still smiling wryly. "The best part about that is, yes, while you had leadership thrust upon you, you also didn't drop it and walk away. Having a heavy mantle tossed on your shoulders brings a lot of expectations. It wasn't your responsibility at the time, but it is now. And there might come a day where you have to defend that responsibility amongst your 'betters'."
Assuming any one of the Elders wished to return to wrest control away from Olesya.
"I believe that the three kinds of people you described, who are born great or achieve greatness or have it thrust upon them...they're all the same person. Different stages of leadership. Now it's up to you to make the greatness happen."
The mechanic's lips stretched into a far gentler, more kindly smile, now that they were out of the sombre woods of having to make life altering decisions.
"Well...I really came by to see how you were doing and everything, but I think you're holding up quite well. So,"
Delilah took a final sip of the bourbon and set the mug down with a light tink on the table-top.
"I think it's about time Dragons and Crows work on some joint efforts to eliminate Barker."
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Post by Your Mom~ on Oct 8, 2013 19:19:03 GMT -8
At her words, the corners of her lips curled upward in a Cheshire cat-like grin. Delilah couldn't have made that statement anymore beautiful even if she sang it. She tossed back the last sip of her glass and followed suit.
"Music to my ears."
She said, agreeing with the alliance of their two territories. It made sense, they were the two most formidable gangs, for lack of a better term. Everything else was either significantly smaller or anarchy. They could both give Barker a run for his money, but the only way they could tear him down would be to combine their efforts against their mutual enemy.
"We've been trying to negotiate with some of the smaller factions to recruit to the cause. Many of them still wallow in anarchy, like savages."
She shook her head, snorting in disgust.
"We have a common goal, and common morals, obviously. It seems like a natural order that we combine our respective forces in order to bury Barker so far deep underground that he's hit the mantle before he realizes he'd dead."
A slight sneer at the end of her sentence, the bitterness of Barker's impact in her life still apparent. If it hadn't been for him, she would still have her family. It if hadn't been for him, she would have been normal. He had a lot to pay for.
"My suggestion would be to get our respective offensive and defensive coordinators together to swap strategies and work on a joint strategy that plays to both of our strengths."
Olesya began, the gears in her head starting up again for the first time since they left the compound.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Oct 8, 2013 20:35:15 GMT -8
"Music to my ears."
Delilah mirrored Olesya's cheshire like grin with earnest, before settling in to listen to her speak.
The outlying gangs, acting like savages. Not a surprise, Barker wasn't much for regulation unless it involved enslavement. Might be worth getting them to cooperate, though. Or worth eliminating, if they were trouble; there was always the chance that an outlying gang could be a group of informants for Barker.
...It honestly seemed as though Olesya's ideals and morals were more closely aligned with that of Crows, rather than that of what she had seen of Dragons; as she recalled, in her earliest attempt at brokering an alliance with Dragons, they had turned her aside because she wasn't 'highly ranked' enough to require her attention, and had even seen her presence rather than 'Unfettered's as an insult.
--Delilah realized, now, that should any of the Elder's return and not like the decision of the acting leader, that trouble could start.
"My suggestion would be to get our respective offensive and defensive coordinators together to swap strategies and work on a joint strategy that plays to both of our strengths."
Delilah nodded her agreement again, "Definitely. We have a highly trained and specialized military; we have two fully operational elite groups whose specialty is guerrilla warfare, and one in development whose purpose is undecided as of yet. We have cavalry, supplement and flanking forces, front guard, rear guard, vehicles...our resources are pretty much at your disposal.
"Question is, are your people ready?"
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Post by Your Mom~ on Oct 9, 2013 5:23:35 GMT -8
"As far as I'm aware, the majority of our men have basic military strategy. He have a rubic of skills they need to meet before we induct them into the infantry, like you saw today. From there if we notice particular skills in reconnaissance, survival tactics, leadership, we'll bring them into the specialized forces. To be honest..."
Olesya rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.
"Im not much of a army-minded person. I don't have any training and tend to work better alone or in a small group. I've recently left the organization of the army to Kazuya Hikari, and below him are offesive and defnsive coordinators and tacticians. They report to him and he reports to me. From what it sounds like, we can learn a lot from you, and in turn flesh our your army as a combined forboding force."
She took the opportunity to pour herself another small glass of brandy. Olesya was a decent leader, but she lacked the tactical skills required of a general. Delilah was definitely more suited for that kind of thing, she spoke with confidence and intelligence, knowing exactly what it was she was working with. Olesya envied her for that, a bit.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Oct 9, 2013 21:47:46 GMT -8
"Im not much of a army-minded person. I don't have any training and tend to work better alone or in a small group. I've recently left the organization of the army to Kazuya Hikari, and below him are offesive and defnsive coordinators and tacticians. They report to him and he reports to me. From what it sounds like, we can learn a lot from you, and in turn flesh our your army as a combined forboding force."
Delilah nodded her approval on that, "I haven't seen his strategic capabilities for myself, but he's a good choice nonetheless. I think it's a good idea, however, for you to build and train your own team of operatives for your own personal use, for missions that only a few people could go in deep, get what they need, and get out. Like the Marines and the SEAL's used to do."
This was the basis for Tengu, after all.
"But if you would like us to loan you a few of our decorated training veterans, we would be happy to do so.
"How are your supplies holding up?"
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Post by Your Mom~ on Oct 10, 2013 6:22:33 GMT -8
"I can't speak for Kazuya, but I'm sure we'd greatly appreciate that, Delilah."
Exchanging training tactics, growing strong on their own and together. It wasn't like they needed to hide tactice from each other, they weren't enemies. They were more like states in a fucked up post-apocalyptic USA. They had their own leaders, their own land, but common goals.
"As for supplies, we're doing great. Kiyr is in charge of the agricultural aspect, and she's doing an impressive job. Right now I think we're at 70% sustainability, only importing some goods from the North. We're aiming to be completely self-sustaining in the next year or two. Right now they're harvesting from the greenhouses and rooftop gardens, and canning or drying food for winter rations. How are you all doing for supplies?"
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Oct 28, 2013 12:11:43 GMT -8
"About the same," she replied, nodding. "It's nice to see you guys are relying on the land rather than supply lines. I always thought that was rather risky.
"We have community gardens set up in our areas that allow for materials to be harvested and rationed out accordingly with a balanced diet. We've begun raising and butchering a small herd of cattle as well, though we rely on mostly the sea for our main sources of meat. Water is clean and running, and I installed a hot water tank a couple months after the fall. We run on solar and hydro power as well. We even have two vodka stills, one for drinking, one for medical grade alcohol.
"And so many potatoes...' she looked down shaking her head at herself.
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Post by Your Mom~ on Oct 28, 2013 15:00:51 GMT -8
Olesya laughed at the tone that Delilah used to describe the potatoes. She didn't know if it was the juxtaposition to the serious conversation they were happening or the brandy or both, but it was mildly amusing.
"We relied on the supply lines at first, especially when the territory first settled. I wasn't here for that, obviously. But we understand the insecurity of supply lines, at least one in every ten is ambushed by one of the rogue factions out in neutral territory, despite our best efforts."
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Oct 29, 2013 20:23:12 GMT -8
"Not just that, but the chances of a key supply, like water, becoming poisoned while en route or even at the site of gathering is greatly increased. It's an old, but effective war tactic. Imagine the casualties," she lifted her head again to nod emphatically. Too risky by half, in her eyes, but the fact that the Dragons were becoming more self sufficient meant that they could keep track of these things with greater ease.
The raven haired woman took another sip of her drink, looking at Olesya over the rim as a new thought occurred to her. "And...how have you been? Personally, I mean."
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Post by Your Mom~ on Nov 18, 2013 4:54:11 GMT -8
"We stopped importing water as soon as we could. We have access to the beach, so we've been taking the water and distilling it ourselves. Much lower risk."
She nodded, agreeing with the woman. And who said women couldn't be tactitians? In fact, she enjoyed this conversation much more than the wang waving that happened in the war room regularly.
She paused for a moment, considering Delilah's words.
"I'm...alright. Keeping busy. Maddie is growing up so fast, and she's more than a handful at times."
She laughed, thinking of her daughter. Maddie was definitely the beacon of light in her life, her lifesource. Though when she found the girl, she wasn't sure she was ready to be a parent, and now she couldn't imagine her life without her.
"Youichi helps out, in David's absence. We...went our separate ways, I guess. It's hard because I'm still his Voice, so I see him regularly. But his heart is torn, so mine is out on the line until he makes up his mind. It's a bit unfair, really."
She hadn't meant to say the last part, but the combination of the brandy and catching up with her old friend made the words slip out before she could catch them.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Nov 24, 2013 19:34:28 GMT -8
"We stopped importing water as soon as we could. We have access to the beach, so we've been taking the water and distilling it ourselves. Much lower risk."
--Which was exactly what the Crows were doing. Delilah knew how hard it was to get the dissolved salt out of the water; Even the Crow's system wasn't perfect, but it was sufficient.
"I'm...alright. Keeping busy. Maddie is growing up so fast, and she's more than a handful at times."
Delilah laughed with her, nodding and sipping her drink. She knew exactly what she meant; Oliver was getting bigger every-day; it was a challenge just to find him clothes that fit. Thank goodness for Talon...
"Youichi helps out, in David's absence. We...went our separate ways, I guess. It's hard because I'm still his Voice, so I see him regularly. But his heart is torn, so mine is out on the line until he makes up his mind. It's a bit unfair, really."
The raven haired woman's smile fell gradually as Olesya relived this for her. David. Hmm...
"If I didn't know any better," she would say softly but frankly after a moment, "It sounds like he's trying to keep you...and whomever else he's making his mind up about-- at arms length until one of you get's fed up and decides to move on."
The idea made sense to her, but she was certain that wasn't all of it.
"He doesn't want to hurt anyone, least of all by caring as much as he does. You've already been hurt enough, and not by him. He's letting you choose...and wait, if that's your decision. That's what I think, anyway."
Beat.
"Stu left when Kiyoshi died. Not a word, no rhyme no reason. Just...gone. I left my heart on the wire for him for nearly five years because I thought he was worth it. I'm not going to do so again."
The mechanic smiled slightly now, despite her own little drama bomb. "Do what you feel is best for you and your daughter. If you feel that's waiting, because you love him or the sex is good or whatever, then do it. But whatever you decide, stick to your guns."
Because, the bottom line for Delilah was that there was someone she was waiting for, someone she had been waiting for even before she met Stu. Someone she would wait for no matter what.
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Post by Your Mom~ on Nov 25, 2013 4:55:49 GMT -8
"You're probably right."
She agreed to the arm's length thing. David had let her go, but still managed to come around or make his presence known. He didn't really want to leave her life, but didn't seem to want to be a part of it either. It was incredibly frustrating, but Delilah was right. Either she'd wade out the storm however long it took...or move on.
That was a decision she didn't want to make right now.
"He's gone?"
Granted, Les had seen Stu in years, since she first arrived in Crow Territory and had run into him. Both of them had changed greatly since high school, and she had been relieved to see there was no bad blood between them. They were lifetimes away from the throwdown on the pier, when he'd thrown an arcade machine at her out of rage. He was a father, and husband(?) to Delilah. No...she didn't think they'd gotten married.
"I'm sorry to hear that."
She said, reaching over to touch Delilah's hand in a comforting manner. They were both hurting, and both needing to be strong for their people and their children. It was amazing how similar the two of them were, and it was comforting to know that someone else was going through the same things she was. She laughed at the sex comment, trying to keep her mind from falling into the gutter.
"I don't know what my guns are yet, but I can assure you if there's one thing I am, it's stubborn. Sticking to my guns won't be a problem once I've made up my mind."
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