The house of PUNCH

[nietzsche_waifu]

[You've been invited to the Kwan family house - which turns out to be but a small, practically arranged home. Sure, the surroundings are swarming with barely-hidden security agents and it's probably a step or two up from what a normal Gucun citizen can afford... but still, a Chairman General could live in a giant, luxurious mansion if he so desired.

He did not. And more importantly, neither did Devon - who is sitting in the living room equivalent on a simple chair, thoughtful and serious like a ruler of a vast empire in her throne room.]

You came, good. It'll be a while yet before dinner - my daughters are still busy playing outside. But I promise it will be edible.

...

Do you think I should stay here, in the State?
Give me your sincere opinion.

Comments

[saikyocivrobo]

I see.

It's certainly better for Gucun if it had its actual leaders around, not just an appointed right hand man playing replacement. Look at what happened in Zeon because its queen decided to run around with White Chalice and play soldier instead of ruling stuff.

[nietzsche_waifu]

It's not the same. Han Zhi is not just a hastily nominated replacement. His work was what managed to put Gucun on its legs. Without him... I'm sure we would not succeed.

As for Zeon... Haman Karn is part of the problem, not the solution.

[Oh boy, I hope there aren't any outside agents eavesdropping. Or we'd have a political scandal in the making.]

[saikyocivrobo]

It's the same principle though. Even a very good replacement is still inferior to the real thing. And I'm sure the people don't like how their leader is running around the whole world, chasing phantoms, instead of actually governing them.

[nietzsche_waifu]

Han Zhi said something different - that people of Gucun are happy to have an active Chairman General, who goes out to the world to cave skulls in, rather than growing fat and lazy.

...

As far as I can tell, he is right.

[saikyocivrobo]

You're running a strange country, you know that?

[nietzsche_waifu]

Would you expect a country I'm running to be normal?

[saikyocivrobo]

I don't think I even need to answer this, do I?

Well then. Which option will it be? Stay, or leave?

[nietzsche_waifu]

It's not a choice I can make so quickly. Or haphazardly.

[saikyocivrobo]

That was a trick question, actually. If you answered it already, it'd probably mean you made a decision beforehand, and now are just asking me for confirmation.

[nietzsche_waifu]

Am I the kind of person who needs confirmation on her actions?

[saikyocivrobo]

It's the opposite. If someone thinks something you want to do is a bad idea, you're even more eager to prove them wrong.

[nietzsche_waifu]

Ha... you got a point there.

[saikyocivrobo]

Well then.

What's for dinner?

[nietzsche_waifu]

Gucun Surprise.

[saikyocivrobo]

It's going to have gunpowder in it, isn't it.

[nietzsche_waifu]

Only enough to add to the taste.

[saikyocivrobo]

I'm looking forward to it already.