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Post by Huang Jiaming on Oct 15, 2006 22:48:19 GMT -5
"Then don't give him excuses to think that," she replied. "It's not like needing help when you're bleeding from the neck makes you a weak little kitten or something. Man, you're awful hard on yourself over such a trivial thing. Lighten up!"
She took a light, unaimed swing at his shoulder before turning and pacing a little, stretching her arms up over her head. "It's not like he really cares how bad or little you were injured; important people pretend to be concerned about it when it's convenient. I wouldn't be surprised if he never brought it up with you ever again."
Buncha phonies.
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Post by Zhong Xue on Oct 15, 2006 22:55:55 GMT -5
"Well, when you put it like that..." Xue frowned. "I don't think General Sze would think like that, though. I mean, he's really concerned with keeping us all safe, right?"
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Post by Huang Jiaming on Oct 15, 2006 23:01:19 GMT -5
"So long as we're able to kill the enemy, right?" Jiaming retorted dryly. "And if there's more than enough of us, well, what's a few lost men here and there? Some worthwhile honor."
She unravelled her blacksnake whip slowly, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm not complaining; it gives me something to do. I don't expect anything more than a 'do this,' 'kill that' from the generals and whatnot. Lose a finger?" She turned and swung her whip at the tree with a loud crack. "Big deal. You can still hold a sword. Get a cold?" Again. "Well, so-and-so can replace you so.."
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Post by Zhong Xue on Oct 15, 2006 23:04:06 GMT -5
Xue stepped back from Jiaming, so as to escape the path of her whip. "Then why did you join, Jiaming?" He took another jump back as the path of her weapon widened. "I mean, you said it gives you something to do, but... it sounds like the army just makes you angry?"
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Post by Huang Jiaming on Oct 15, 2006 23:11:41 GMT -5
"What's THAT supposed to mean, hah?" Jiaming said, making to strike at Xue, but turning back to the tree with a sour face.
She stopped for a minute, considering it, then laughing. "Mm...Well...Everything makes me angry. This place, this weather, this stupid tree."
She coiled the whip around her arm a bit, staring at the welts in the tree with a sullen expression. "Everything at home made me angry, too. This place is a step up from there. I may have to deal with aggravating people here, but...at least I can kill something at the end of the day here, and it's the right thing to do."
Snapping out of it, she grinned at Xue teasingly and snapped a bit of whip between her hands. "It's stress-relieving!"
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Post by Zhong Xue on Oct 15, 2006 23:15:25 GMT -5
Xue was shrinking further and further back from her as she tiraded, holding up his hands as if it would deflect the oncoming blow. He reminded himself never to give Jiaming the chance to rant like that again; it was too potentially life-threatening.
"Isn't there anything that doesn't make you angry?"
Xue forgot things quite easily.
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Post by Huang Jiaming on Oct 15, 2006 23:26:04 GMT -5
"Mmmm.."
Jiaming thought about it, stretching the length of leather in her hands before letting it drop to the ground so that should could take another shot at the tree, as if the sound of leather hitting bark was part of the thinking process.
Eventually, she stopped, smiling brightly. "A hot meal. With meat." She nodded. "Lots of it, so there's no way grabby siblings can take it all and leave you half-full."
Another two or three lashes, and she stopped again, thinking. "Mmm..And that's it!"
Glancing over at Xue and his almost continual flinching, she sighed. "Is there anything that doesn't make you twitch like that?"
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Post by Zhong Xue on Oct 15, 2006 23:28:49 GMT -5
"Nothing," Xue said without hesitation, cowering. "It's sort of a defense mechanism..." He smiled hesitantly. "No wonder the army's making you so angry. I can't think of the last time they fed us anything hotter than lukewarm."
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Post by Huang Jiaming on Oct 15, 2006 23:33:19 GMT -5
"Once I find out who that cook is and where they're hiding him..." Jiaming humphed, withdrawing her whip and starting to wrap it up, walking behind Xue and nudging him towards the tree with her elbow.
"Try the right hand again if it isn't sore anymore," she said, figuring he'd rather practice than find another reason to fear her. There was plenty of opportunity for that.
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Post by Zhong Xue on Oct 15, 2006 23:36:24 GMT -5
Xue took the sword into his right hand, swinging it carefully at the tree and biting his lip. "It's not too bad," he lied, adjusting his grip and trying again. This swing was slightly more successful, and scraped against the bark.
He frowned thoughtfully, turning to his companion. "Jiaming, when I asked you to spar the other day, you were considering it, right?"
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Post by Huang Jiaming on Oct 15, 2006 23:42:36 GMT -5
Jiaming shrugged. "So what if I was? It doesn't matter. I wasn't going to, and I know your guard dog of a team member would've probably ripped my arms out if I tried."
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Post by Zhong Xue on Oct 15, 2006 23:44:03 GMT -5
Xue grinned, a positively suicidal expression. "Shikang isn't here now."
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Post by Huang Jiaming on Oct 15, 2006 23:46:13 GMT -5
Jiaming laughed. "Neither is your brain, obviously! Your swinging arm's still off, and every time I look at you, you flinch!"
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Post by Zhong Xue on Oct 15, 2006 23:47:28 GMT -5
"Well, I can't get back in shape without proper exertion, right?" Xue pressed. "And you're probably the only one who wouldn't go easy on me right now."
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Post by Huang Jiaming on Oct 15, 2006 23:51:45 GMT -5
"Yeah, but if you over-exert yourself, you'll be worse off than you were from the start, dummy," Jiaming shot back with a frown.
Then, quickly, raising her hands, "Not that I wouldn't love to give you a good run around! I just don't want to be the reason you end up being unable to swing at all, just because you're dumb enough to push yourself too far too soon."
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