[ claude said fuck leadership, i should be in charge
he can do that! one of the days that they're sitting and recovering for a bit, he pulls together a bow and some arrows, and finds a place to practice his shot. nobody stops him from doing it. it's probably a good idea that their healers can take care of themselves on the battlefield. as he's doing this, he'll get the impression that someone is watching him.
when he looks, the newest general, judith, is keeping an eye on his form. she raises an eyebrow at him, if he looks. ]
No, he's not. This is neither the time nor place for a coup. So he lets out his angry baby feelings by firing arrows into a target. It relaxes him, even though it strains his muscles, but he pauses when he notices Judith's observation.
[ Lowers his bow so that he can face her fully, and he looks tired too. Frustrated. ]
I don't know about the others, but I don't know how much faith I can put in leaders that vanish without any explanation, and other leaders that won't share any information that might shed light on that behaviour. [ Claude really like I should be king. ] But perhaps it's callous of me to talk about a lose ally like that.
Fair enough. I'd be annoyed, myself. [ she glances over at the arrows he put into the target, thinking. ] Well. If you were in my position, what would you do? I have all the answers, and none of them are particularly uplifting. Should I ruin morale further?
Do you think hiding bad news is going to make its consequences any less easier to bear?
[ He frowns, wondering if he's being naive. ]
Leaders should teach their troops that no situation is hopeless. If the situation is dire, design a plan to change that. You wouldn't lead your people into a fight you didn't think they could win anyway, would you?
[ Man, he's being hit with a weird feeling like he's... a hypocrite...? Wonder where that's coming from, huh. ]
I wouldn't, but sometimes, you have no way of knowing. What's better to have, a group of soldiers who have a little hope, or a group of soldiers who have next to none?
How about this - if I told you to kill General Feixiao, would you do it?
[ Now he's a little stuck. There's something in his gut that says he'd be proving the wrong point if he says no. His own words in his head—"trust me, everything I'm doing is for this country"—echo in his head, though he can't recall when he'd said them.
He needs his people to trust him.
How can he trust a leader that won't tell him anything? ]
So you say no. Other people look to you, in the chaos of the moment, and they also say no, and their defenses are down. That gives our General about five seconds of time to whirlwind through and kill every single one of you, and it's because you didn't follow a direct order.
But. I can't tell you not to think for yourself, either. That'd be against what I stand for.
Okay, but that wasn't the question, was it. The question was if I told you to do something, would you do it. War doesn't always give you all the answers in a neat little box before you make a decision.
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holyspirits) wrote2025-02-16 05:05 pm
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he can do that! one of the days that they're sitting and recovering for a bit, he pulls together a bow and some arrows, and finds a place to practice his shot. nobody stops him from doing it. it's probably a good idea that their healers can take care of themselves on the battlefield. as he's doing this, he'll get the impression that someone is watching him.
when he looks, the newest general, judith, is keeping an eye on his form. she raises an eyebrow at him, if he looks. ]
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No, he's not. This is neither the time nor place for a coup. So he lets out his angry baby feelings by firing arrows into a target. It relaxes him, even though it strains his muscles, but he pauses when he notices Judith's observation.
Looks back at her for a moment. ]
Can I help you, general?
[ Good... Keep Judith FAR AWAY from Richie... ]
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judith watches him, and then comes closer when he speaks up. ]
Your arm's in the wrong position. Here. [ and she taps his elbow, nudging it. ] Less strain if you do it this way.
[ ... ]
How's your head, boy? You handling things?
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Don't I look calm and collected, general?
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[ she says dryly. ]
But nobody has. I'm trying to get an idea of what the morale is like. It's been a while since I've led fresh blood into battle.
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[ Lowers his bow so that he can face her fully, and he looks tired too. Frustrated. ]
I don't know about the others, but I don't know how much faith I can put in leaders that vanish without any explanation, and other leaders that won't share any information that might shed light on that behaviour. [ Claude really like I should be king. ] But perhaps it's callous of me to talk about a lose ally like that.
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Fair enough. I'd be annoyed, myself. [ she glances over at the arrows he put into the target, thinking. ] Well. If you were in my position, what would you do? I have all the answers, and none of them are particularly uplifting. Should I ruin morale further?
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[ He frowns, wondering if he's being naive. ]
Leaders should teach their troops that no situation is hopeless. If the situation is dire, design a plan to change that. You wouldn't lead your people into a fight you didn't think they could win anyway, would you?
[ Man, he's being hit with a weird feeling like he's... a hypocrite...? Wonder where that's coming from, huh. ]
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she hums. ]
I wouldn't, but sometimes, you have no way of knowing. What's better to have, a group of soldiers who have a little hope, or a group of soldiers who have next to none?
How about this - if I told you to kill General Feixiao, would you do it?
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Anyway, my inability to speak English aside. Claude doesn't really hesitate too much. ]
Depends, would you tell me why?
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Let's say no, for now. Would you follow the order or no?
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He needs his people to trust him.
How can he trust a leader that won't tell him anything? ]
... No, I wouldn't.
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[ she says, bluntly, but then: ]
So you say no. Other people look to you, in the chaos of the moment, and they also say no, and their defenses are down. That gives our General about five seconds of time to whirlwind through and kill every single one of you, and it's because you didn't follow a direct order.
But. I can't tell you not to think for yourself, either. That'd be against what I stand for.
You just need to pick your battles.
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[ That's critical information. ]
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Okay, but that wasn't the question, was it. The question was if I told you to do something, would you do it. War doesn't always give you all the answers in a neat little box before you make a decision.
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So what, you're telling me to be a good soldier, put my trust in you as a leader, and bring up the morale of my fellow soldiers myself?
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You've got one battle under your belt, boy. You learn from dozens of battles. I know that firsthand.
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Well, who am I to argue with a primary source of information. All I've got are books and theories backing me up.
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Keep that smart mouth of yours. I'm telling you to follow my orders, but if you ever think I'm out of line, I want to hear about it.
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[ He's annoying like that!! ]
That doesn't mean I'm not open to more advice on my form, though.
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Sure. Your footwork stinks. [ lmao
but she'll help him with his form! ]
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