"Human brains react to something so scary that it would impact their sanity by forgetting. War forms are scary to them. Most," give him a moment, he's trying to do numbers, "like 95 or 99% of all humans have that mechanism. You just seem to be the 1 %."
She sighs out her words, "I suppose I'm just lucky."
Maybe it would be for the best if she could just forget what she saw--but the trade-off might be forgetting to be wary, and she's not sure if that's a very good idea either.
"Because we're at war." That should be a no-brainer, shouldn't it? Or maybe it isn't. Humans have no idea what battle they are the most dangerous pawns in most of the time, after all. "We're fighting Wyrm and Weaver and their minions to protect the world."
"The Wyrm wants to destroy everything, and the Weaver wants to stifle everything until it is dead. In the end, their goals are the same.
They say that the Wyrm corrupted the Weaver and drove her insane. Or maybe it was the other way around. Or they were always like that. But as they are now they need to be fought." He shrugs. "Not even to take back much at this point, just to not go down without the best fight that we can offer."
Her attention snags on the mention of not going down without a fight. "You don't think you'll win?"
Strange, to hear it talked about that way. In the Republic of China, the leaders and propaganda always talked like victory was inevitable even if it would take time and blood.
"My generation is the last." It's that simple, really. Other tribes may survive, but the Talons won't. Not so much because their numbers are down, though that's the case too, but because they are losing Kinfolk faster than it can breed. Where other tribes will be fine because they breed with humans, too, the Talons are going to end when the wolves have been driven into extinction.
"No." Again, it's as simple as that. "There is no place where a wolf can live that humans have not annexed."
And as much as they would not mind doing it, the Talons know that the time when there might have been a hope to drive them back or even complete annihilate humanity has long passed. If it was ever possible at all.
She knows she should be ashamed for offering this perspective, so she tries to voice it as noncommittally as possible. Trying to imply it's not something she would do. "You could run away and not be destroyed at all."
"It's an idea that can keep people alive." And is it really a human thing? She's not too wordly, but she's seen enough of animals in the countryside around her school. "Every animal has survival instincts."
"It's an idea that destroys those who cannot run fast enough sooner while those who can die without having done their duty to protect those weaker than them. Leaving those who are with you to destruction is not a survival instinct. A parent will fight for their children, a sibling for their sibling if they're in the same unit, and we won't see ourselves as apart from those who are weaker."
"Then you can drag the weak ones along and run together!" she raises her voice, more impatiently than even she expected. She doesn't know why she's so personally irritated by what she hears as him moralizing at her. She doesn't have a stake in this argument, does she?
"Why are all the weak ones your responsibility anyway?"
"Where we would run to, they could not follow." Technically they could, but it would neither be a good nor a sane place for them. But that's not the main thing here.
She shrugs one shoulder, her voice becoming more casual. She's just offering an alternate view, she tells herself. No need to get invested in the argument. "They might not much care to look after you either."
His first reflex is to point out that even if they didn't care at all about their Garou family, preserving Kinfolk would still be vital for the race's survival. Which... considering where in history they stand, that is a bit of a moot point. But that doesn't mean that you can just stop doing your best to protect your Kinfolk. That would just be wrong. There are things that must be questioned, traditions and habits and beliefs alike, but that is not one of them. Kinfolk is precious.
"Then you do this all out of magnanimity? Expecting nothing in return?"
The seeming inconsistency reminds her again: this is the guy who killed her. It's easy to forget when they're talking, especially on a topic like this.
"Would you refuse to protect a family member if they couldn't give you anything in return?"
Because that's what it comes down to, in the end. They will protect them as long as they can, even if they aren't able to produce or raise offspring anymore, which is the one practical use they have, simply because they are weaker. Greater efforts will be extended to ensure the continued survival of a wolf who cannot help with the offspring anymore than to keep alive a werewolf that cannot fight anymore. That's just how it is done, because wolves are weaker, and they are the core of the family, the place where the tribe is born from.
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stormaktstiden2017-01-15 05:06 pm
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"You seemed awfully memorable to me," she remarks, perhaps a little bitterly.
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Maybe it would be for the best if she could just forget what she saw--but the trade-off might be forgetting to be wary, and she's not sure if that's a very good idea either.
"Why have a war form in the first place?"
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"We're supposed to be at war too, where I'm from. To take back the Mainland. What're the Wyrms and all trying to do to the world?"
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They say that the Wyrm corrupted the Weaver and drove her insane. Or maybe it was the other way around. Or they were always like that. But as they are now they need to be fought." He shrugs. "Not even to take back much at this point, just to not go down without the best fight that we can offer."
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Strange, to hear it talked about that way. In the Republic of China, the leaders and propaganda always talked like victory was inevitable even if it would take time and blood.
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How can they be so sure of that? Does she really want to ask? She decides on a different line of questioning.
"And you still have to fight? There's no retreat?"
If the battle won't be won, why not take the opportunity to run away and establish yourself elsewhere with another life?
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And as much as they would not mind doing it, the Talons know that the time when there might have been a hope to drive them back or even complete annihilate humanity has long passed. If it was ever possible at all.
"And we have a cause greater than us."
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It sounds uncomfortably close to the things they learned back home, which Ray hasn't found convincing for years.
"What is your cause?"
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There's no alternative, really. If they have to go down, they will do their best until the last moment, at least.
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In other words, fuck that idea.
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"Why are all the weak ones your responsibility anyway?"
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The main thing has him just staring at her.
"Why would it not be?"
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It just is.
So he responds with:
"They couldn't look after us. They're weaker."
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The seeming inconsistency reminds her again: this is the guy who killed her. It's easy to forget when they're talking, especially on a topic like this.
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Because that's what it comes down to, in the end. They will protect them as long as they can, even if they aren't able to produce or raise offspring anymore, which is the one practical use they have, simply because they are weaker. Greater efforts will be extended to ensure the continued survival of a wolf who cannot help with the offspring anymore than to keep alive a werewolf that cannot fight anymore. That's just how it is done, because wolves are weaker, and they are the core of the family, the place where the tribe is born from.
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"I didn't say that," is what she actually says. "Besides, I can't do much to protect anyone."
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"They are family, in a way, and we can do more to protect them than they can do to protect themselves."
I'm sorry for how incredibly late this is :<
Easy for him to say, considering how easily he murdered her--he must be tough. She's not, not so much.
Re: I'm sorry for how incredibly late this is :<
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