"I have been trying to avoid him."
Zatanna frowns. "Why?"
Well, isn't it
obvious? Nazi versus Super-Patriot. 'Icily polite' would be the best possible interaction...
"You know vhat the version from my Earth has been doing?"
"Leading a rebellion against Nazi control?"
Well, that's what it would look like to an outside observer, I guess. I'm sure the locals would have
different opinions.
Johanna looks like she finds that sort of comment tiresome. "
No. The National Socialist Party rules Greater Germany. America is an independent country. Ve don't control them.
They make perfectly good fascists on their own."
"So he's fighting American fascists."
And sadly, they
were a thing back before the war. Same as American communism.
"You could say that. But America has been fascist for sixty years. Just about everyone is fascist, or nationalist, or at least neutral. Mostly, he just murders hundreds of civilians wherever he can, American, German, or anyone else."
"What? Why?"
Madness? Pettiness? I'm more impressed that those who follow him still do so. Since I doubt he works alone.
"Because their grandparents failed him? Because the country thinks that he vas on the wrong side of history? Or perhaps he just doesn't like being reminded that he lost? Or perhaps he is in denial about all of the genocides that America carried out before National Socialists got involved? I don't know."
"Much as I enjoy mocking America, that's not the version we'd like to know about."
And Earth-10 Uncle Sam is not really a significant issue, until the reformation begins.
"I know he's on the contact list, und I saw a photograph of him mit Vincent Edge vhen I visited his office. Do you vant me to ask about him?"
"'Ask', probably not. Just try and find out what he does. I assume that you've told people where you're from?"
Of course, how many people believe her about it,
that's up in the air.
"Jah. And many negro men have hit on me after being told." She gives her head a small shake. "It is very strange."
"They're probably just trying to annoy you. Or get you to say something that would make the Alliance kick you out."
Or just, y'know, she's a
gorgeous woman. Some guys just aren't
that complicated.
"Or they think they can convert you."
"I am villing to not call for them to be deported to Africa, but let's not go crazy."
I doubt you're in that much danger from any of them, certainly.
"Ah, but think how much it would piss off your creators."
"Psh, please. They vere purged years ago. And then the people who purged them vere purged. Unt I think that the people who purged them vere purged also." She takes on a slightly more serious expression. "If I did that, I vould not be going back. Unt if I do not go back, then Overgirl's oh-so-secret plan to change our society fails. So even if I meet a very nice negro, it will not happen."
Hey, you never know what'll happen.
"But you accept the idea that there could be nice negroes."
She shrugs. "Sure. If you can accept three nice National Socialists, I can accept nice negroes."
Stranger things have happened.
Zatanna kicks me under the table.
"It's more that I hope that I can encourage you to stop being a National Socialist."
Let's not go for the impossible here, OL.
"Unt have a nice negro boyfriend?"
She sounds… Not angry, exactly; I'd see that. Irritated? Disgusted? "That's up to you. Or, will be. Hopefully."
I suspect you're wearing out your welcome with this line of discussion, OL.
It's not
that uncommon for you, is it?
"Even if the Reich reforms to a degree, sixty years of racial education will not just vanish."
"Yes, I can hear that in your voice. I'm not sure what you think I'm suggesting that's so-" She looks away, giving her head a small shake. "-offensive, but I'm pretty sure-."
Just... Stop, OL. Give it up.
"No, no, I vas.. overreacting. I'll… Ah. I'll go back.. to vork."
I reach out with my right hand. "Johanna, it's not-."
Boundaries, OL.
She pushes back her chair, not meeting my eyes. "I vill go. Goodbye."
She doesn't walk out at super speed, but she does walk quickly and with purpose.
Well done, you ticked off the superspeed Nazi. I suspect the next mugger she meets won't be enjoying the arrest.
"Um."
Zatanna puts her sandwich down. "What did you expect? Even if she's not super-committed to being a Nazi, she still grew up in a Nazi country."
People can't just up and change instantly, OL. As much as you wish they could be sensible,
sometimes...
I nod. "And having run out of other types of subhuman, they probably use 'negro' as their main racist insult. And she just got hit with culture shock combined with cognitive dissonance." I sigh. "This is one of the times when I shouldn't go after her, right?"
"I think that's probably best. You can phone her tonight or something."
Thank goodness Zee's here to restrain his bluntness.
I nod, taking a bite of-. Why do they do this? Why do sandwich shops mix mayonnaise with tuna? Shouldn't a cheap café like this go easy on the mayonnaise and not turn the contents of the sandwich into tuna-flavoured mayonnaise gloop? And I can't even get rid of it without using my rings.
"You don't have to eat it."
...Probably not a good idea anyway. Who knows
what the kitchen is like back there?
"That would be rude."
But darn. I swallow.
Well, if you do feel
unpleasant, you can fix it once you get your Rings back on.
"Do you have any advice on the situation with Persephone?"
"Tell Hades that if he's even pretending to be a good person he should just let her go. I can't imagine what it would be luck to be married for thousands of years to someone who terrified me like he does."
Oh, I don't see him being all too rational about this, as sensible as Hades
usually is. Best hope is that he understands and accepts it.
"Yeah… I'm leaving that for.. plan C."
She frowns at me. "That doesn't sound like you."
Well, he hasn't had long to put a plan together. It's only been a couple of days tops since Hephaestaean took over.
"Hades is actually doing a good job at his main job, and going by the actions of the other Olympians Persephone isn't missing out on much by spending time in Erebos. There's no overt offence. Sure, other factors aside I'm inclined to agree with you. Hades hasn't done much wrong but it's clearly never going to be the relationship that he wants it to be. But I'm not all that good at persuading people to do things they don't want to get things they don't want, and Hades doesn't want to completely lose Persephone."
He's not done a good job of it so far...
"He's already completely lost her."
"I just wish I understood why she was so scared of him. He's never seemed that intimidating to me."
You don't think like a normal person much any more, OL. Much less someone who's decided they're the victim and basically lived that role for thousands of years. Even if she's
justified in thinking it.
"You're not most people."
I smile warmly. "Thank you. Neither are you."
...That wasn't a
compliment, OL.
She smiles, rolling her eyes. "That's not what I meant. What would you do if you did find him scary?"
"Depends. Being slightly scared of an authority figure isn't necessarily a bad thing. If it was a problem for me… Get stronger until I didn't? Find a new god?"
But alas, we are each shaped by different things. What you'd do is not what she would do. Nor
did, in fact.
"Could Persephone do that?"
"Euanthe did that, and she was far weaker than Persephone a couple of years ago."
Different circumstances, different people.
"Could you help Persephone out the same way?"
"I suppose I-."
Hmm... Enable Persephone to rise into a true
queen, rather than a mere wife? The question is how quickly you could do that.
My phone rings and I pull it out of my jacket. It's Zagreus.
I guess it's time, then.
Time to find out what Persephone has to say, then? And get the children's perspectives?
