[no wonder, the list of issues speak for themselves...]
Aha, figures it's something like that. Well, I know the feeling quite well too, so it's quite easy to relate. Have you been through many other places, before settling in Rome as you recently had?
[She's genuine about that bit, at least. Traveling is a pretty good perk, all things considered!]
I have been lucky enough to see so many places that it would take years to relate them all, and all have been beautiful in different ways.
[Though, sadly, most of them she had seen only under the fires of war. Broken and bleeding, full of the dead and dying, as monsters rained fire from above.]
A personal favorite, then? I wouldn't mind sharing too, if that's okay with you?
[There's some strange sort of blessing and luck for her case, where the monsters make enough effort to be subtle and stay in hiding in order to avoid detection. Enough so that even inside the target location of a busy city, one could almost pretend nothing is amiss sometimes.
...Then there are the occasional unlucky wayward villages, but some things can't be helped. --Eh, there are way better things to reminisce on, anyway!]
[She has the sense that Ciel is digging for something, though she has no idea what exactly. Her life is no secret, anyone from her own world would have been able to read in the church scriptures what she had done and where she had been.]
I have always been fond of Rome, the Vatican is beautiful and the people are even more so.
[Honestly, she's not sure either. A "better overall idea", okay, but even there, what does that mean?
...Hmm, maybe starting with the politic of things?]
The city is gorgeous! ...I admit to find the grandiosity and formality a little stifling at times, personally. [She chuckles sheepishly, waving a hand idly.] It's a bit surprising to meet someone born in India deeply involved with the capital of Christianity, I confess. The two cultures are so uniquely different! I'm born in France myself, which is already a Catholic country, so I was referred by a priest. [it's closer and makes more sense! ...also she should ramble on a bit about herself, it'd be rude to just keep asking.] What year was it for you, if you use the A.D. system?
[It's a sadly common misconception that Christianity and India don't go together, when in truth it's the third most popular religion and many Christians can be found all over the country. She chooses not to correct Ciel, there's no need to potentially embarrass her, and things may have been very different in her world and at her time.]
The year is 2220 A.D. where I am from, may I ask if it's much different where you call home?
[It seemed their worlds were relatively similar, so it's possible they're from different points of time in the same world.]
[no you should point it out BSing is a terrible habit of hers... REALLY.
But that does get her to blink, and sit up a little straighter in surprise!]
--Ah, yes, quite, actually! It's 2000 A.D. for me, so your Earth is two centuries into my future. ...Goodness, that's a big leap. Hard to imagine too, with all the doomsday theories people are fond of coming up with in my time. Civilization is still thriving, then?
[It's quite possible that they were from the same world, then. As clones would not be manufactured for another 85 years, and the war more than a century away.]
I find there are many greater leaps among the people here, one of the men I share a room with believes the year to be in the 1600s.
[She smiles, a touch of awe in the expression.]
I believe humankind is stronger than they give themselves credit for, and even in the face of disaster they find ways to survive and adapt.
[She chuckles quietly at that.] I've met someone roughly from 70 B.C., myself. During the times of Gladiators and Servile Wars, to be more precise. [The only thing Merem is good at is filling the blanks in for her about history, honestly.] It's really quite incredible, isn't it?
Aha, it'd sound a lot more poetic if we don't keep making our own problems for ourselves, but it's true enough, otherwise. [resources exploitation and global warming and whatnot, but... let's. not go there...] Where you deeply involved with the church, miss Sahl? [She doesn't dress like it, but let's not assume, now--!]
[Ah, that must be Gannicus. Lilith had met him once, but the conversation had been short and to the point, she makes a mental note to keep an eye out for him again.]
I do have the good fortune to have been able to work closely with the Vatican in recent years, and I do not foresee that changing in my lifetime.
[Mostly because she knows her lifetime is another few hours at most.]
Haha, I should remember that the next time I meet up with Her Grace. May I ask more about how the clergy is structured? Everyone seems to have a different take.
I can well believe they do; after all, the church is a living organism and has evolved so many times throughout history just in my world, let alone the countless others it exists in.
[She smiles, something a little awed in her eyes, it's still astounding to think of all the different times and places people come from here.]
The church where I am from is mobilised as a military power, and so the structure is much like that of an army.
Can't that be said of anything on Earth? I can only imagine how much has changed in 200 years, especially given how quickly civilization has already been progressing during the last two centuries.
[A mortal isn't as awed with the Greater Things of the world. ...Or a more selfish person, so to speak, but she can see where the other woman is coming from.]
That still surprises me, I admit. Some worlds have powerful church militia because there are unholy things to fight against. The Duchess herself leads a branch that favors diplomacy, does she not? May I ask what brought on the change, during or before your time?
[her eyes widen at that. ...Ah, would this be... part of the gap, in Cain's future? There are slim odds that it was before his time, but given the pieces...]
...Goodness. I'm sorry to hear that, miss Sahl. As a politically neutral state that has served as mediator to many occasions throughout history, that does explain a great deal. What years did it occur during...?
[Though this is just a rough date from the canon timeline, so... She's aware that this means the war has been raging for a century now, though hopefully that will end very soon.]
But surely there are other things we could discuss, to speak of such a long war is never pleasant.
I've always wondered why the Inquisition had such a presence and is apparently separated from the Church, according to Brother Orsini. They're one and the same in my world, hence that always puzzled me, but it's true that with an answer like that, now...
[It had saddened her to learn that even so far into the future the world was still so scarred, so divided, but to see even the seeds of healing and peace were something.]
I do not mind, and I find that I prefer to discover about a person through conversation.
Isn't that just a roundabout way of calling me nosy... I don't deny it, granted, since the clergy of your world are the first members of the Faith I've met here, but still...!
[...yeah now she's just mildly mock-whining. nothing new, right?]
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Aha, figures it's something like that. Well, I know the feeling quite well too, so it's quite easy to relate. Have you been through many other places, before settling in Rome as you recently had?
[She's genuine about that bit, at least. Traveling is a pretty good perk, all things considered!]
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[Though, sadly, most of them she had seen only under the fires of war. Broken and bleeding, full of the dead and dying, as monsters rained fire from above.]
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[There's some strange sort of blessing and luck for her case, where the monsters make enough effort to be subtle and stay in hiding in order to avoid detection. Enough so that even inside the target location of a busy city, one could almost pretend nothing is amiss sometimes.
...Then there are the occasional unlucky wayward villages, but some things can't be helped. --Eh, there are way better things to reminisce on, anyway!]
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I have always been fond of Rome, the Vatican is beautiful and the people are even more so.
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...Hmm, maybe starting with the politic of things?]
The city is gorgeous! ...I admit to find the grandiosity and formality a little stifling at times, personally. [She chuckles sheepishly, waving a hand idly.] It's a bit surprising to meet someone born in India deeply involved with the capital of Christianity, I confess. The two cultures are so uniquely different! I'm born in France myself, which is already a Catholic country, so I was referred by a priest. [it's closer and makes more sense! ...also she should ramble on a bit about herself, it'd be rude to just keep asking.] What year was it for you, if you use the A.D. system?
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The year is 2220 A.D. where I am from, may I ask if it's much different where you call home?
[It seemed their worlds were relatively similar, so it's possible they're from different points of time in the same world.]
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But that does get her to blink, and sit up a little straighter in surprise!]
--Ah, yes, quite, actually! It's 2000 A.D. for me, so your Earth is two centuries into my future. ...Goodness, that's a big leap. Hard to imagine too, with all the doomsday theories people are fond of coming up with in my time. Civilization is still thriving, then?
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I find there are many greater leaps among the people here, one of the men I share a room with believes the year to be in the 1600s.
[She smiles, a touch of awe in the expression.]
I believe humankind is stronger than they give themselves credit for, and even in the face of disaster they find ways to survive and adapt.
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Aha, it'd sound a lot more poetic if we don't keep making our own problems for ourselves, but it's true enough, otherwise. [resources exploitation and global warming and whatnot, but... let's. not go there...] Where you deeply involved with the church, miss Sahl? [She doesn't dress like it, but let's not assume, now--!]
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I do have the good fortune to have been able to work closely with the Vatican in recent years, and I do not foresee that changing in my lifetime.
[Mostly because she knows her lifetime is another few hours at most.]
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I see, that must be why. Do you have others from your world here, miss Sahl? ...A certain Brother Orsini, perhaps?
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I see you have met Petros, then. Yes, he and some other clergy from my world are here. A Father Wordsworth, Cardinal Sforza, and Father Nightroad.
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I see, I should have known by your method of dress. The clergy in your world must have a huge tailoring budget, doesn't it?
[she is 100% serious here okay]
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I'm afraid Cardinal Sforza may be able to answer that question better than I could.
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Haha, I should remember that the next time I meet up with Her Grace. May I ask more about how the clergy is structured? Everyone seems to have a different take.
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[She smiles, something a little awed in her eyes, it's still astounding to think of all the different times and places people come from here.]
The church where I am from is mobilised as a military power, and so the structure is much like that of an army.
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[A mortal isn't as awed with the Greater Things of the world. ...Or a more selfish person, so to speak, but she can see where the other woman is coming from.]
That still surprises me, I admit. Some worlds have powerful church militia because there are unholy things to fight against. The Duchess herself leads a branch that favors diplomacy, does she not? May I ask what brought on the change, during or before your time?
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[Her voice is a little quieter when she answers, calm and yet sorrowful for the world and the people who had chosen to make themselves enemies of it.]
The church rose as a pillar of strength to offer sanctuary, and then resistance.
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...Goodness. I'm sorry to hear that, miss Sahl. As a politically neutral state that has served as mediator to many occasions throughout history, that does explain a great deal. What years did it occur during...?
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[Though this is just a rough date from the canon timeline, so... She's aware that this means the war has been raging for a century now, though hopefully that will end very soon.]
But surely there are other things we could discuss, to speak of such a long war is never pleasant.
1/2
I've always wondered why the Inquisition had such a presence and is apparently separated from the Church, according to Brother Orsini. They're one and the same in my world, hence that always puzzled me, but it's true that with an answer like that, now...
[rubs her temple a little...]
2/2
Aha, I've been asking a lot of questions. Would you have a few too, maybe?
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I do not mind, and I find that I prefer to discover about a person through conversation.
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Isn't that just a roundabout way of calling me nosy... I don't deny it, granted, since the clergy of your world are the first members of the Faith I've met here, but still...!
[...yeah now she's just mildly mock-whining. nothing new, right?]
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[She has the more patient route, she allows the information to drip naturally over time, and come together to create a full picture.]
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