[ Another weekend is ending. Hickey cut his own tongue out on live mirror TV. It is what it is, here in Chateau Ambregris.
In a lot of ways, Angelo is surprised to find himself still standing. Everything he is and wants to be has been crushed many times over in these last few weeks, but without a cause to live or die for, he's been locked in place. Condemned to keep going, like a clock that keeps repeating the hour. How fitting.
So once again, he's in the garden. Once again, he's by the roses.
Only, there's something that interrupts his solemnity - a boy more solemn than most career soldiers Angelo knows, running laps.
Sousuke has been a point of interest to him since their arrival, despite their lack of substantial interactions until now. Rigid, resourceful, accustomed to violence... It's hard to not be curious.
Angelo loathes that now the other man's image of him is forever shaped by what occured on trial. Still, he attempts to not let any of that show on his face here. (For how long can that succeed, when he's as explosive as the gunpowder in the workshop?) ]
[There's nothing much to do after the execution, so Sousuke ends up slinging his musket on his shoulder and loading up as much ammunition as possible in his belt and going for a run. It's all too simple an exercise compared to his usual training, but there were too few alternatives in this place, and he couldn't afford to slack here.
He notes Angelo's presence by the roses, of course. But even someone as emotionally dense as Sousuke could recognize that the other man hadn't been pleased at him during the trial. He'd intended on maintaining a respectful distance and staying cautious for any sudden movements, but he blinks at the questions and stops to look over.
He doesn't stand at attention--Angelo isn't his superior officer, even if he outranks him--but he does wait to ensure that he doesn't interrupt.]
[ Sergeant, huh... Angelo isn't sure if he's surprised that they have a notable rank difference. Neo Zeon is not a formal military in a lot of ways - Angelo never had to climb every rank, he'd been high up from the moment of his recruitment. At the same time, there is always a deadly-feeling efficiency about Sousuke that makes him feel a lot more valuable than the lower-ranking soldiers Angelo usually deals with. ]
I see. For how long we've lived in one room, we really haven't talked a lot.
[ A lot of that is of course owed to Angelo, who has spent a lot of his days here being an evasive bitch or a blanket burrito behind closed curtains. But nevermind that! He's putting on a lot of bravado right now, trying to rectify his public weakness! ]
[Sousuke himself isn't all that talkative unless spoken to, so it was probably a foregone conclusion especially given his initial wariness. He's worked with plenty of people he hasn't spoken with at length in private, so he treats it like that: a chat with a coworker or collaborator.
And even if that question is a natural follow up, Sousuke seems to hesitate as he thinks. Not that he takes that long, though; witnessing three weeks of fantastic nonsense in this place reminds him that this is as far from home as he can get.]
Mithril. It isn't strictly military--it has no affiliation with any nation's armed forces, even if we use the terminology and ranks.
[As he says that, he's watching for any signs of recognition.]
[ There is no recognition here. The name passes Sousuke's lips and Angelo initially accepts it as the name of a country as foreign to him as most of what others here talk about. It's only at the elaboration that his eyebrows quirk upwards. ]
That's something we have in common then. Neo Zeon's army has a lot of former official soldiers in its ranks, but we're not officially under a country banner either.
[ This probably gives away that he's essentially an extremist, but he doesn't really mind that being known either way. As far as Angelo is concerned, their cause is a righteous one. ]
[Neo Zeon doesn't ring any bells for him either, so that's something of a relief, even if he didn't disclose anything too sensitive. All of this is noted, though; he can certainly see loose parallels between their two organizations, although there's clear differences as well, such as their goals. Liberation, huh?]
Mithril acts as peacekeepers. We engage in counterterrorism operations and intervene to suppress regional conflict.
[It's a lofty goal, perhaps, but Sousuke says it matter-of-factly. There's no particular passion that sparks in his eyes, but neither does he sound contemptuous of it all. He just says it like he's talking about any other job.]
[He's seen that smile many times and on many different faces, directed at him. But as long as it remained one of contempt and not outright hostility, he wouldn't make any moves. He only stares, like he's scrutinizing Angelo's demeanor, but he remains relaxed otherwise.]
What would you know about my world?
[He says it like a simple question and nothing more. A part of him is curious if Angelo is actually from the same world, but he's come to accept that most of them come from very different places, despite the superficial similarities. Their lack of mutual recognition with regards to their organizations added to that impression, even if it was far from proof.]
[ That answer is given freely, at least. Though Angelo generally feels like human nature is unchanging in a way he understands painfully well, he can admit that the specific political make-up of Sousuke's world is very much beyond him.
But... ]
I just have a hard time imagining that it's a utopia in which nobody is oppressed and nobody oppresses. After all, the people you are trying to subdue are also fighting for something, are they not?
[Groups that created chaos for the sake of it were in a tiny minority, after all; the majority had some reason to exist, whether it be for a specific cause or because they were a convenient tool to advance the goals of a state or organization. Sometimes there was overlap, too.
Nevertheless--]
But if a group resorts to massacring civilians or taking them hostage, they should expect consequences.
[Sousuke doesn’t react to Angelo’s critique of corrupt governments, but the reason will probably become obvious enough at his response.]
That’s correct. I’m not privy to the higher ups’ decision-making process, but we don’t discriminate between nations and independent groups. State terrorism is still terrorism, after all.
[ There's a brief moment in which Angelo allows himself to imagine that anybody had been there when his town got destroyed by the Federation Forces. That anybody had cared at all what was happening to them, when their houses burned and when papa--- and when mama---
But that's nonsense. Nobody came. Nobody would ever come. And if they did, it would be much too late. ]
-- sounds to me like your superiors are playing God.
[That elicits a couple of blinks followed by a lowered gaze as he mulls over those words. Maybe he wouldn't even have considered it that deeply before, but that all changed a few months ago, when he met Kaname. In that airfield surrounded by enemies, he'd made the decision to prioritize her life because the commander couldn't. He recalls the face of another girl, who looked hollowed out and lifeless--she'd only been rescued because the agent that found her made the reckless decision to save her rather than it being an objective.
So perhaps it's only natural that Angelo says that. Sousuke isn't inclined to deny it either, but...]
Then what would you do, if you were in their place?
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cleansheets) wrote2025-03-30 11:49 pm
Week 3, post-execution
In a lot of ways, Angelo is surprised to find himself still standing. Everything he is and wants to be has been crushed many times over in these last few weeks, but without a cause to live or die for, he's been locked in place. Condemned to keep going, like a clock that keeps repeating the hour. How fitting.
So once again, he's in the garden. Once again, he's by the roses.
Only, there's something that interrupts his solemnity - a boy more solemn than most career soldiers Angelo knows, running laps.
Sousuke has been a point of interest to him since their arrival, despite their lack of substantial interactions until now. Rigid, resourceful, accustomed to violence... It's hard to not be curious.
Angelo loathes that now the other man's image of him is forever shaped by what occured on trial. Still, he attempts to not let any of that show on his face here. (For how long can that succeed, when he's as explosive as the gunpowder in the workshop?) ]
You're military, aren't you? What's your rank?
no subject
He notes Angelo's presence by the roses, of course. But even someone as emotionally dense as Sousuke could recognize that the other man hadn't been pleased at him during the trial. He'd intended on maintaining a respectful distance and staying cautious for any sudden movements, but he blinks at the questions and stops to look over.
He doesn't stand at attention--Angelo isn't his superior officer, even if he outranks him--but he does wait to ensure that he doesn't interrupt.]
Affirmative. My rank is sergeant.
no subject
I see. For how long we've lived in one room, we really haven't talked a lot.
[ A lot of that is of course owed to Angelo, who has spent a lot of his days here being an evasive bitch or a blanket burrito behind closed curtains. But nevermind that! He's putting on a lot of bravado right now, trying to rectify his public weakness! ]
Which military do you serve?
no subject
And even if that question is a natural follow up, Sousuke seems to hesitate as he thinks. Not that he takes that long, though; witnessing three weeks of fantastic nonsense in this place reminds him that this is as far from home as he can get.]
Mithril. It isn't strictly military--it has no affiliation with any nation's armed forces, even if we use the terminology and ranks.
[As he says that, he's watching for any signs of recognition.]
no subject
That's something we have in common then. Neo Zeon's army has a lot of former official soldiers in its ranks, but we're not officially under a country banner either.
[ This probably gives away that he's essentially an extremist, but he doesn't really mind that being known either way. As far as Angelo is concerned, their cause is a righteous one. ]
We fight for liberation. What do you fight for?
no subject
Mithril acts as peacekeepers. We engage in counterterrorism operations and intervene to suppress regional conflict.
[It's a lofty goal, perhaps, but Sousuke says it matter-of-factly. There's no particular passion that sparks in his eyes, but neither does he sound contemptuous of it all. He just says it like he's talking about any other job.]
no subject
What highminded goals...
[ Laughable goals, at best. Harmful, more likely.
There's a smile on his face now, but it's not one of friendliness. ]
So you're just going to keep the world hanging in its status quo forever, the power balances just as they always were?
no subject
What would you know about my world?
[He says it like a simple question and nothing more. A part of him is curious if Angelo is actually from the same world, but he's come to accept that most of them come from very different places, despite the superficial similarities. Their lack of mutual recognition with regards to their organizations added to that impression, even if it was far from proof.]
no subject
[ That answer is given freely, at least. Though Angelo generally feels like human nature is unchanging in a way he understands painfully well, he can admit that the specific political make-up of Sousuke's world is very much beyond him.
But... ]
I just have a hard time imagining that it's a utopia in which nobody is oppressed and nobody oppresses. After all, the people you are trying to subdue are also fighting for something, are they not?
no subject
[Groups that created chaos for the sake of it were in a tiny minority, after all; the majority had some reason to exist, whether it be for a specific cause or because they were a convenient tool to advance the goals of a state or organization. Sometimes there was overlap, too.
Nevertheless--]
But if a group resorts to massacring civilians or taking them hostage, they should expect consequences.
no subject
[ Angelo is on the side of the political terrorists, just on principle.
Though... There's a beat and he goes a little quieter. ]
So you also intervene when armies sack towns and the like?
no subject
That’s correct. I’m not privy to the higher ups’ decision-making process, but we don’t discriminate between nations and independent groups. State terrorism is still terrorism, after all.
no subject
But that's nonsense. Nobody came. Nobody would ever come. And if they did, it would be much too late. ]
-- sounds to me like your superiors are playing God.
no subject
So perhaps it's only natural that Angelo says that. Sousuke isn't inclined to deny it either, but...]
Then what would you do, if you were in their place?
[There's a hint of curiosity in his voice.]