futurology | video ;username: julius

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video ;username: julius

This is Julius Visconti reporting in. It's been so long since I last spoke up. I figured that I should say something in case anyone was worrying. There's nothing wrong on on my end, thankfully. [He just went out for five months straight...on a mission he didn't even enjoy all that much.]

Anyways, let's move on. [Enough about that!!]

Today I'd like to ask about weapons. In your opinion, what's the most efficient and effective weapon?

Personally I prefer using assault guns for ranged attacks. We all come from different places so I expect to hear unique answers.

Alternatively, if you aren't armed with a weapon and wish to learn how to fight I could be of some assistance. You can meet up with me at the local trading post. That's all for now. Thanks for your time.

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None.

Weapons are unreliable. [ well, hers isn't, but hers is something she can just manifest at will. Jasper's expectations of the rest of the Audentes crew are dramatically lowered in comparison. ] Utilizing them in combat is one thing. But when they fail, channeling all your strength towards their use only leaves you vulnerable. And to use them to compensate for your own weakness isn't just fatal -- it's a disgrace.

[ okay, she just worked herself into some lowkey melodrama! time to tone it down for the finish. ]

You are your own most efficient weapon. Everything else is just an extension.

Edited 2016-10-06 00:06 (UTC)

I understand what you're saying. A weapon's strength varies on a case by case basis. Therefore, everything else is extra. [He nods, off screen because they're on audio.]

We should put more faith in ourselves than our weapons.

Right. [ She's almost surprised that a human (presumably) is expressing some level of concurrence with her words, because clearly people reacting negatively to her dumb rhetoric is because they're too simple to understand it! Her being rude and space-bigoted every single time she speaks surely has nothing to do with it. If the original broadcast didn't indicate that he's seen war, this would clinch it. ] Certain combatants are intended for certain weapons, but if you can't rely on yourself specialization is pointless. Weakness at the core will betray you.

[ This would sound almost inspirational if the flipside wasn't, of course, that anyone not built like a brick shithouse is forever doomed to lose. ]

And you. What would you do if your-- [ okay what was the actual phrasing he used ] --assault guns malfunctioned on the battlefield? Or if your opponents could shield themselves?

Edited 2016-10-06 15:14 (UTC)

Find another way. [That's all he really has to say about it. There's no enemy that can't be beaten. A weakness must exist somewhere and all they have to do is find it. ]

Weapons aren't the only thing you can use to survive in combat. Utilizing the environment to your advantage is also a viable option. Keen senses and sharp wit is useful in any situation.

Not to mention, there's also another solution. One that may be considered cowardly: fleeing. [Hey man, if nothing's working then what's wrong with running?]

How do you feel about retreating from a fight you weren't prepared for in the first place?

Edited 2016-10-07 03:00 (UTC)

[ The question is loaded, unintentionally on the human's part and unexpectedly on hers. She's actually quiet for longer than three seconds, an incredible feat in any conversation about fighting, as she thinks back to the sudden rush to get offplanet. Everyone hurrying, none of them knowing what from.

And then, after the exodus, just accepting that the rebel gems had all been destroyed and moving on as if none of it had ever happened — as if they'd forgotten all about it. Easy enough for the older ones, still in their original courts. It wasn't their planet they'd just abandoned without finishing the fight. It wasn't their colony they'd failed to save, after being made to save it. ]

You do what's necessary. [ Whether or not she realizes she just got close to having an actual feeling and actively is trying to compensate (spoilers: she's not, that would require being self-aware), she continues on in the more typical authoritative vein! ] There's no shame in reevaluating an offensive or retreating from battle. Only in abandoning the war.

[ Which she hasn't. Inside her, it'll never end. ]

Edited 2016-10-10 18:29 (UTC)

That's precisely it. I can agree with your views on that matter.

[After speaking like this Julius feels that he's accomplished his goal of reaching out to others. It's been some time since he last transferred out after all. ]

Sometimes retreating is necessary. You'd know exactly when you should run if the situation would ever come up. Pride won't get in the way of that.

And any true leader knows when to make those calls.

[ That's right, she thinks. The Diamonds would know. They carried out a calculated plan of action based off their unparalleled logic and experience, and she exists to serve their will. Any reticence on her part is simply a result of her own incompetence. Why cast doubt on them when her failure to serve made the decision necessary?

It's a useful reminder. A good thing he doesn't know it. ]

You're a human. [ It's a question. ] What experience do you have?

Edited 2016-10-15 15:25 (UTC)

A few years of combat experience. Looks like that means nothing out here though. Whatever you were used to before suddenly becomes less relevant. [He doesn't need to fight 24/7 anymore. Julius needs to pick up other skills while he's here. Experience is something you must strive to earn. ]

Change isn't an easy thing to grow accustomed to. Would you think that you can adapt easily?

Tch. I doubt I'll need to.

[ NO
NOT AT ALL
NEVER IN HER LIFE ]

I'll hold you to that then. Everyone's got their own way of dealing with situations.

[Who's he to judge???]

The situation doesn't matter. I've got higher standards to uphold than yours or theirs.

[ Despite this lack of judgment, a slight note of defensiveness creeps into her tone. Perhaps that's because she's weighing the merits of asking a question someone so confident shouldn't bother venturing. ]

So what about the past missions were you unprepared for? I've run the simulations. Wasn't impressed.

[ She probably also bodily threw her Squidge at something in the first five minutes. ]

A few months ago we went to a place called Chantes. Many of us weren't fully equipped to handle the situation in proper.

As a result of that, some of us ended up as fugitives including myself. It was poorly handled all around. Hearing that probably wouldn't surprise you. [Nope, they mess up too much around here.]

You're right; it doesn't. [ She pauses. ] But ALASTAIR shouldn't expect anything better when they're giving directives to completely unqualified civilians. How did you deal with the setback?

Some of us just tried to organize things to the best of their ability. It's not much, but it's a step forward.

Anything helps us at this point.

You make it sound even more hopeless than it is now.

I'm not trying to come scare you by sounding hopeless. That's just the reality of it.

What do you think we need to do to improve our success as a team?

Ch—

[ Whatever she was about to launch into, she cuts herself off before her anime sound effects can turn into actual words. ]

There's no organization in the ranks. That alone is ridiculous.

Agreed. [Off screen he's nodding. He can't even deal with how disorganized they are.]

None of us even know much about each other and yet we're expected to work as a team. It's not very encouraging, is it? We'll have to get ourselves organized slowly somehow.

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