[open, citywide network]

[pennypincher]

Okay, Conquest needs to win this round, so who wants to fight me? I'd rather fight people from Fortitude so that you don't get tortured when I beat you, but if someone from Conquest really really wants to battle I guess I won't say no.

Anyone up for a fight? I won't go easy on you!

And hey, Arthur! I got you something!

Comments

[pennypincher]

I don't know if I'd say friends, but he's a teacher here and he's my Weapon. So I know him.

It's not like I want to fight, but I also don't want to lose money or get that mega headache again. So I don't really have a choice.

[france]

That sounds more accurate, Arthur as an ally, and an... [ He wants to say 'unreliable', but can he really say that? Not really. ] Bon. Alors. I know him as well: we have both known each other for two thousand years. [ In a brief moment of neutrality: ] He is a very good fighter. You will not regret your choice.

[ Aaaand back to the Frenchness. ] And he has a temper, and he is ugly and he does not know how to have sex. But ah, not important for the battlefield, is it? [ A small frown. ] Yes, it would seem as if we are forced. That is not very good at all.

[pennypincher]

[ Bon what ]

...how many years? [ She blurts it out unceremoniously. That has to be a joke, right? Then again, there's Lucia-- But it was just Althena and Lucia, right? There couldn't have been any others. ] Are you serious?

[france]

Two thousand? Perhaps about fifteen-hundred. [ Nonchalantly: ] Why would I not be serious?

[pennypincher]

Are you really that old? You don't look it. [ Your hair's not blue. ]

[france]

Merci for that, ma chère, but I am indeed as old as I claim. Would you like me to retell every moment of history I have experienced since I was but a child? [ DO. NOT. SAY. YES. ]

[pennypincher]

...nnnnot really.

So what are you? A god or a dragon or something?

[france]

Not at all. I am a country, the country of France, the descendant of Gaul and Rome, the Fifth French Republic.

[pennypincher]

Not that I've ever heard of those, but-- you're a country? You mean like a place?

[france]

...you have never heard of those? [ B-BROKEN HEART MUCH ]

Aa.... how... how could you have... [ Okay, he'll tend to his wounded pride later. ] Oui, like a place. The very soul of the grounds you walk on manifested in the form of a human being. But I am of course, not human. Stab me, and I shall bleed, but I will not die. As long as I have people behind me to support me, to exist as the Frenchmen, I shall continue to exist.

[pennypincher]

So... you are kind of like a god? [ That's how it sounds to her, anyway. ] That's mega-weird, but I guess I've seen weirder.

Is Arthur one of these countries, too?

[france]

If that is the perspective you wish to hold. But I do not believe in Gods, and therefor would not consider myself one. [ He points to her. ] I am like you: I exist, I think, and that is all I know. [ yep this is why he's teaching philosophy lord help you if you have his class ]

Oui, he is. [ except he doesn't know that the arthur he's speaking of is a vampire oh well ] He is the country of England. Bad food and big eyebrows. And a terrible temper.

[pennypincher]

Never heard of that one, either. I wonder why he didn't mention it...

[france]

How have you not heard of France and England? They are two of the most powerful nations.

[pennypincher]

I don't know, Santana said something about people being from different planets? I'm from the great and glorious ancient city of Vane, myself! That's in the Katarina Zone.

[france]

Ah, so she did. [ Sorry, he wasn't really listening when that all went down... ]

Vane? I have never heard of the ancient city of Vane. This is absurd, but I shall ask for the sake of asking: what planet do you inhabit?

[pennypincher]

Excuse you, the great and glorious ancient city of Vane. And it's called Lunar. What's yours?

1/2

[france]

You are from the moon.

[france]

D'accord, why not? I am a human country, you are from the moon, that is fine. C'est bon, pas de soucis. [ A shrug. ] Earth.

[pennypincher]

Augh, why do people keep saying that?! [ Because it's the truth, Lemina. ] What does the name Lunar have to do with some moon?

...Earth is a really boring name for a planet.

[france]

Luna is the name of our moon. Lunar is aaa.... An adjective of sorts? Perhaps this is why we are saying this. But it might be a different Lunar, j'sais pas.

[ A laugh. ] En Français, we call it Terre. And your 'planet', if it is in fact the moon, we call it Lune. Do you think those to be better? [ CAUSE HE DOES... ]

[pennypincher]

In your language? Terre is a little less boring, but Lunar is just Lunar. [ . . . waaaait a second... if it's... hmm... ]

What color is Earth...? I mean, if you could see it from really, really far up high. Do you know?

[france]

Ah, Français is very interesting and beautiful. And Lunar is... hmm... Lunaire. Pretty, n'est-ce pas?

[ A tilt of the head and then.... oooooh, he gets what she's getting at. ] It is blue, white and green. Well, mostly blue with some green, and covered in white clouds. Does this aaa... help at all?

[pennypincher]

Yeah... That is really pretty. Is Fran-shwah what you're teaching here?

Aha... I was just thinking of something. [ Whoa. Is he from the past? Maybe she shouldn't tell him. That would just... be really mean. ] It must look really nice!

[france]

Fran-says. Et non, I am teaching existential philosophy and the anxiety of immortality versus the anxiety of mortality. [ IT'S ACTUALLY A FASCINATING SUBJECT IT JUST HAPPENS TO BE TAUGHT BY A MORON HERE :/ ]

Were you? [ Oh no. No no no. Don't try to play the innocent game here: France knows how to read people. He's compassionate, sympathetic and empathetic, and he knows when someone's holding in a secret. ] And what was this.... something you were thinking of?