⟪ without the benefit of makeup, it hasn't exactly been easy for her to present herself as older than she is, though she has told the lie without blinking. not that her lie had been chosen particularly well – with the age of the draft having been lowered to sixteen years prior, she'd assumed this was a somewhat universal rule, and she could at least convince herself that she might pass for sixteen. it's just a year and change away, after all. alas, this world had a somewhat different take. ⟫

I know what death smells like.

⟪ she sounds impatient, crossing her arms as though he's just openly called her a child – which is probably not helping the impression. she forces herself to fold her hands in her lap instead, and examines the map he produces.

technology like this is more than just a little foreign, even if she has already explored her own communication device to middling success. ⟫

I used to command soldiers. ⟪ but hey – ⟫ Be my guest. ⟪ there could be boobytraps, enemies in hiding, hungry wildlife, and all of them can take a bite out of him rather than her, if the choice is hers.

he has, however, been useful this far. and just as suspected, he is not a civilian – it'd be a waste. ⟫

If you can duck when told, I can take out most anything.