[Action/Voice]

[lunarborn]

[Presently, Cecil is pacing a steady circle along the perimeter of the barrier, as he has been doing for the past several days. He's packed provisions to last upwards of a week. In short, two of his loved ones have been taken, and in the same short span he's witnessed the wanton attack on a new friend who'd been trying to make amends with old enemies. With a mounting distaste for his fellow inmates, he's chosen the company of the outdoors. Kain, he will see that hypothermia of yours and raise you some frostbite.

When he speaks, it is in the beleaguered and restless tone generally reserved for the restless and insomniac.]

Kind sirs and madams, if I may, I wish to trouble you with but a momentary request. If a Rosa or Rydia are returned from their kidnapping directly into the village, would someone kindly note it via the journals if they aren't capable of doing so themselves? They are missed.

Comments

[lunarborn.livejournal.com]

One might ask the same of you. [The sword doesn't go away.]

[esper-flight.livejournal.com]

[That...hurts. She knew she might lose some friends or friendly acquaintances over the matter of Kefka, but still....]

I was checking various points of the barrier, to see whether they changed and how.

[lunarborn.livejournal.com]

I believe it remains the same as it was. At the very least, it is as unresponsive to physical stress as it has ever been. [Not that he's been trying to slice at the barrier like a New Feather or anything. He doesn't want to be this curt with her, really, but she's caught him at the end of a string of Bad Times while his support system is generally out being experimented upon.]

[esper-flight.livejournal.com]

[Half-wondering if he's cold to her because of her interesting transformation, too.]

I see...others are worried about another invasion. It has been a while since the last one, but that could just mean they've had time to regroup.

[She pauses, awkwardly, on the verge of bidding him farewell so she can check the other barrier points.]

[lunarborn.livejournal.com]

Were you with us during the last invasion? [It's completely irrelevant to the pink elephant conversation topic, but important to Cecil nonetheless.]

[esper-flight.livejournal.com]

[She shakes her head, relieved that there's a question she can easily answer.]

No, that was shortly before I arrived. But I heard about it soon enough, and a couple of my friends had been involved in the incident. If it happens again...I want to help.

[lunarborn.livejournal.com]

Did your friends mention that the invaders were men? Real men, if misguided ones?

We slaughtered them. Killed them to the man.

[esper-flight.livejournal.com]

[Terra sighs.]

...and yet, it needed to be done, to protect the town. If they weren't willing to listen, then what other choice was there?

[lunarborn.livejournal.com]

There's always a choice when killing is involved. Always.

[esper-flight.livejournal.com]

[She stares at him for a long moment, genuinely confused at his attitude.]

But...you're a warrior. Surely you know there must be times where it's necessary.

That army wasn't willing to retreat or negotiate; they wanted everyone here dead. In a case like that, you either have to kill or be killed. It's horrible, but sometimes there is no other way, not if you want to save lives.

Despite what you may think of me, I wish it were otherwise....

[lunarborn.livejournal.com]

I am a warrior because it is the best way I know to serve and protect my people. Wanton murder accomplished none of that. Were they a monster hoard I would readily agree, but they were people. They were trying to accomplish a goal that seemed right to them. We might have detained them, found reason. Instead, we were blindly led about and fed half-lies so that we could be used as killing machines. [He's had practice angsting over that battle. Does it show?] There is no honor in what we did.

[esper-flight.livejournal.com]

Sometimes the line between people and monsters is very thin....

[Perhaps alluding to herself? Maybe.]

What do you mean, fed half-lies? I thought it was true that they were interested only in freeing us from this place by means of death. That doesn't sound very negotiable, to me.