[she swallows, and shoves her free hand in her pocket, glad she can't be seen, because she still hasn't quite figured out how to control her face and right now it's a little shocked. She should be used to it by now; Nicky and Joe and Andy and Booker all lived through both World Wars and a bunch of wars besides, but Nile's still young, and she's still used to a world that mostly makes sense.
Thankfully, it usually comes across these days as curiosity and a bit of wonder. The aggression she got out on Andy.]
（ he says it without any real pomp or ceremony, tone neutral. germany's been surrendered for a few months by his metric an' he's already tired of hearin' folks say thanks for your service. ）
[She offers, not in competition, but maybe something a little like commiseration. She doesn't imagine it was easy--she knows it can't have been, but she feels for anyone who's served]
But--post 9/11, so a lot less noble and a lot less--clear cut, I guess.
（ he doesn't assume combat right off — there were dames aplenty in the usmcwr back stateside, an' gene was raised by a dyed in the wool suffragette, so he doesn't really bat an eye at it. in fact, it eases that tight knot of unpleasant wariness in his chest. ）
Yeah? My brother was in the 1st Marines. Tough folk. Can't say as I know what 9/11 is, though.
[...explaining 9/11 to a man from the Second World War. Let it never be said there's a dull day in Duplicity. She struggles for a moment and then goes with the simplest version that comes to mind:]
An attack. On American soil. It lead to--kind of an endless war.
[another beat, and then:]
This can't be what you meant to talk about while hunting down Chesterfields.
（ he doesn't sound surprised. just — tired. he talks to the damn dead, he knows how these things move in cycles. that america would've made enemies willing to stage an attack is frankly the least astounding thing he's learned here.
he just exhales, slow, and digs his index finger in against one of his temples. anyone who cares one whit for human life always wants every war to be the last, but it ain't never gonna be so long as humans are what they are.
her next comment does get a wry chuckle, though. ）
Well, it wasn't what I had in mind. But I ain't findin' it all that unpleasant, truth be told. Reckon meetin' other military-minded folk is the closest thing I'll get to home for a good long while.
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no subject
[she swallows, and shoves her free hand in her pocket, glad she can't be seen, because she still hasn't quite figured out how to control her face and right now it's a little shocked. She should be used to it by now; Nicky and Joe and Andy and Booker all lived through both World Wars and a bunch of wars besides, but Nile's still young, and she's still used to a world that mostly makes sense.
Thankfully, it usually comes across these days as curiosity and a bit of wonder. The aggression she got out on Andy.]
Did you serve?
no subject
（ he says it without any real pomp or ceremony, tone neutral. germany's been surrendered for a few months by his metric an' he's already tired of hearin' folks say thanks for your service. ）
no subject
Marines, here.
[She offers, not in competition, but maybe something a little like commiseration. She doesn't imagine it was easy--she knows it can't have been, but she feels for anyone who's served]
But--post 9/11, so a lot less noble and a lot less--clear cut, I guess.
no subject
Yeah? My brother was in the 1st Marines. Tough folk. Can't say as I know what 9/11 is, though.
no subject
An attack. On American soil. It lead to--kind of an endless war.
[another beat, and then:]
This can't be what you meant to talk about while hunting down Chesterfields.
no subject
（ he doesn't sound surprised. just — tired. he talks to the damn dead, he knows how these things move in cycles. that america would've made enemies willing to stage an attack is frankly the least astounding thing he's learned here.
he just exhales, slow, and digs his index finger in against one of his temples. anyone who cares one whit for human life always wants every war to be the last, but it ain't never gonna be so long as humans are what they are.
her next comment does get a wry chuckle, though. ）
Well, it wasn't what I had in mind. But I ain't findin' it all that unpleasant, truth be told. Reckon meetin' other military-minded folk is the closest thing I'll get to home for a good long while.