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[leadinglady]

Do alarms like that normally happen here? It was quite a wake-up call! I'm glad I wasn't drafted, but...

[ she's pretty concerned about people who are. Platina glances worriedly off to the side, then turns back to the feed. ]

I hope they'll be all right. In the meantime... does anyone know how to make a cake?

[ pointing the camera at her disastrous-looking attempt. yyyyes, wrong canon, but the girl is not a cook! it's her birthday and she wants cake damnit o9" also action is cool for anyone living in pokehouse too. ]

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[captainhornblower]

[Not another one.]

Yes, ma'am. Should I... not call you that?

[None of them appreciate any kind of respect shown to them. Giving him a headache, all of them.

But he will keep being polite.]

[leadinglady]

Ah, it's just that... I'm 12. Or 13, as it were. 'Miss' would be acceptable, sir!

[ no she is totally up for classiness and politeness, she's a ~lady~ after all 8) ]

[captainhornblower]

[Now, then. That's better. His voice warms just a bit.]

Miss, then.

Captain Hornblower. Your servant.

[leadinglady]

Thank you. But... if you're a captain, then you're not exactly supposed to be a servant, right?

[captainhornblower]

[He chuckles just a little.]

At sea, I am a captain. But I also consider myself a gentleman, which makes me the servant of any lady who should need one, especially on land and -- as I was not called for this battle -- at peace.

[leadinglady]

I see! That's very admirable of you!

[ wow you're SO CLASSY. she beams a little. ]

I'm Platina. Or, if you'd like, 'Miss Berlitz' would do.

[captainhornblower]

Miss Berlitz, then. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.

Forgive me -- Are you new to Luceti?

[leadinglady]

The same goes for you.

And I've been here for over a month. But nothing like that alarm ever happened, so I was really surprised.

[captainhornblower]

Only a month.

The alarm is... rare. But there's never any certainty here about what will remain unusual and what will become common. I suppose we'll see when they call us to a draft again.

[leadinglady]

It would happen again? Why do they want us to fight for them? It's not right, they should at least explain themselves...!

[captainhornblower]

Sometimes they try to.

The first month I was here, they sent us to battle at sea. I... feel confident in saying I was able to be of use, simply because I was familiar with fighting on those terms. Since then, I've seen a few other battlefields.

They're constantly at war, the Malnosso and the Third Party. Their troops can only do so much, so they ask us to give back for all the things we enjoy here by serving for them. I... disapprove with the way they seem to select those who will go. They don't accept, for these, volunteers, and they will send children if their names come up.

But we fight because they keep the war away from us, for the most part, and because we live off their generosity.

[leadinglady]

[ Platina listens with an amazed expression, but her frown deepens at the information. having lived a life of luxury, she didn't like the idea of being in debt, especially if it meant paying it off with battle. ]

It seems so. One of my friends was taken, and he's only a few years older than I am. But it's still presumptuous of them to recruit us for their battle, especially since they were the ones who kidnapped us in the first place! That's not generosity at all!

[captainhornblower]

Supposedly they don't bring us here. They say they want to send us back where we belong.

And, really, it is generosity, I'm afraid. They could provide different housing, no food or supplies, or make us work constantly to earn those things. We are... fortunate, in many ways.

Which by no means we should enjoy our lot in life, but we cannot claim to be criminally treated most of the time.

[leadinglady]

[ clearly the idea had never occurred to her before. she already thought that living in a house instead of a mansion or hotel was pushing it, but worse conditions than that would be... ]

I've never thought of it that way. But even if that were true, we wouldn't deserve that kind of treatment, either.

[captainhornblower]

Even with articles protecting them, prisoners are afforded very few luxuries on the whole, Miss. We are certainly given many luxuries.

[leadinglady]

[ she tends to take luxuries for granted. ]

... Do you really think of us as prisoners?

[captainhornblower]

We... are certainly caged.

[It's not Ferrol. But it's not freedom.]

We have a wide area to explore, but it is still confined. We may not really come and go as we please, and we are at the mercy of those who either brought us here or keep us in this enclosure. If we are not prisoners, we are nearly so.

And, by that measure, we should consider ourselves somewhat fortunate, though that is not to say that I agree with the Malnosso. I simply... understand... that they give us more than they need to.

[leadinglady]

That's... very insightful of you, but I don't think I'd agree. We should be thought of as guests, even if we're unexpected ones, and treated as such!

In my opinion, that is.

[captainhornblower]

I'm afraid, Miss, I must disagree. Guests may choose to leave; we do not have that freedom.

[leadinglady]

That's true, but that's certainly not our fault. We would if we were able to! And, if we're prisoners, the Malnosso should be able to release us like they claim they want to.

[captainhornblower]

Perhaps they can, but they choose not to.

It is... difficult to know what can be believed.

[leadinglady]

... I hope they would be truthful. That's the least they could do, after experiments and drafts and everything else.

[captainhornblower]

You like to believe the best of the world, Miss Berlitz. That is... admirable.

[leadinglady]

Really? I thought it just would be the polite thing to do, but...

[ she's pretty flattered :> ]

[captainhornblower]

It's very refreshing, that optimism.

[Particularly to hear it so understated and humble.]