| We Just Say Hooah |
| Summary: | What happens when a priestess, a non-believer and a fundamentalist discuss religiosity. |
| Date: | 67 ACH |
| Related Logs: | [they-train-snipers-to-think They Train Snipers To Think] & By The Way, Baby |
| Players: |
 .. .. .. |
Battlestar Genesis, Deck 9, Chapel, 67 ACH
A simple military Chapel, octagonal in shape and of uniform dark grey hue with slab lighting up above. Four walls of the room have four large steps along them for continuous seating in an angular stadium form, the other side of the room largely devoted to a raised platform with a plain altar of pantheatic consecration. On the Altar are figurines set in their traditional places, of the gods and goddesses, with simple sacrament incense burning in holders on each side of the line of figurines.
Greje is getting used to it again. Maybe it was her encounter with Dionysus on the planet. Dionysus tends to get one comfortable with a free-fall, and fast. She closes her eyes with a brief prayer to him and his bright twin, still standing by the altar with her right hand on its side. Then, stepping back once, then to the side, she turns, and settles on a pew across the aisle from Dane as the offerings burn dark and with crackling sparks. "What was the choice given to Achilles in the Gospel of Rage?" she quizzes Dane on the Scriptures almost out of the blue, smiling softly as she does so, leaning back on her hands and folding her legs into a casual indian-style on top of the broad step.
Hades' left testicle just froze up like snot in -5 degree weather. Private Nico Lex walks into the chapel of her own free will, and takes a seat in the back. Ok, really? It's more of a limp in. And it's not a 'let's sit and pray' so much as a omg sitting down now ahhh. She glances around, briefly considers a nap, and her eyes find her target. Just need a minute. Doing stairs can suck some days.
"To either be a great hero and die young, or to live a long life and day an old, inconsequential man." Ramiro replies, not seeing Lex enter. Sitting in one of the first pews, assuming the newcomer is anyone BUT Lex, why would he assume? Ramiro looks to Greje quietly, speaking in low tones. "Why do you ask?"
"You were asking about the curse," Greje replies. "That's all it boils down to. A man can be taught great and consequential things. But with that risk comes danger. It's… heroism, in its technical sense, is like a divinely approved form of hubris. Heracles, Achilles, Theseus, Jason… they all performed deeds worthy of the Lords— and all were sacrificed, brought to violent ends by the Lords. But it was quite literally a sacrifice, in their cases. They were made sacred, made worthy of worship. That's… not something that happens outside of scripture, of course," she adds, "But the same principle applies to heroes of the non-technical sort. It takes risk. Not heedless risk— a hero must be wise as well as strong, combine metis and bie, as Zeus does. But it takes risk to do great things. And one who habitually risks his life to do good things will one day fall prey to that risk. No mortal can escape that."
"Of course it happens outside of scripture…" Ramiro replies. "It is, in fact, in the scriptures." Ramiro replies, a bit of his fundamentalism coming out. "I'm sure somewhere along the lines in this war, people are going to start gaining reputations the more stuff that they seem to survive through. That's how you get the legends of old warfare, stuff like Sergeant Bones can't be killed kinda stuff." Ramiro replies. "I suppose the difference between scripture and real life though, is that in Achilles' case, he knew the choice going in."
Greje opens her mouth briefly, but then just nods— in no position to try to talk Dane out of his fundamentalist views, no matter how strongly the urge gnaws at her to do so. She does comment, however, "He did. And so do you— lessons learned from the Scriptures," she points out. "And even those who don't read Scriptures must have some sense of it. Why else… keep track of Cylon kills… compare war wounds in Sickbay…?" she offers gentle commentary. "Even the military system of rank is meant to acknowledge those who do great things, who act well and have experience, to give them the authority to command— which is just another way of…" she flails a hand about, gesticulating for words, "Codifying arete."
Lex sits forward slightly on the pew she's chosen, arms on the pack of the one in front of her. She regards the two talking about heroic feats and heroic death. The trajedy of being a hero is that eventually it's going to get you killed. Hooah. The blonde drums her nails lightly on the back of the pew for a moment. She rises, and says, "In the Corps, Captain, we just say hooah." It's a lot shorter. Marines like brief.
A slow smile crosses Ramiro's lips as he hears Lex from the back pew. He looks to Greje. "I hear what you're saying. I agree." He replies, running a hand through his hair. "Well even though it doesn't come in the form of myself being forced to make a decision, like in legend I think we both know what my decision would be in this case." Ramiro turns a little, looking to Lex and then Greje. "Sister Karthasi, have you meet Private Nico Lex?"
Greje turns to listen to the summation, a smile slowly blossoming and making her countenance more playful. "Hooah?" she repeats, questioning, as if to see if she's gotten the right of it. "It's a battle cry?" she asks further, then, looking back to Dane, more seriously, "Everyone makes the decision, Dane. We make it every day. You don't need to wonder what you'd decide. You have decided, and you're living it," she tells him simply. Then, glancing back toward Lex, "No, I don't think we've— oh, wait— no, I've met you, haven't I?" she's pretty sure— somewhere. She can't quite place that brief stop by the berthings, but she's mentally groping for it.
Ramiro's conversion tinglies must have just acted up, seeing as Lex is actually IN the chapel instead of bitching about said chapel. Nico moves from the edge of her seat to heads slowly down toward where the two are positioned. "It's a battle cry, a reassurance, a statement of intent." She shakes her head slightly, "You can yell it going into battle, or over a drinking game, or if your buddy's having a hard time in the Head, you might give him a 'hooah, brother', if you're feeling cheeky." She smirks faintly, and pats her belly lightly. "You have to say it from here." She clears her throat and says, "We ran into each other at the berthing the other day, when you were wearing the …" Her hand on her belly circles a little lower, perhaps unconsciously, indicating her pelvic region, "Wearing the sheer dress, sir."
A sea of red appears on Ramiro's face and ears. He'd forgotten all about that day. That was…a rather interesting one. Lowering his eyebrows for a moment, he coughs lightly. "Ceremonial garb of the cult of Aphrodite." Ramiro interjects, standing so that the three are in a triangle. Looking to Nico's right leg appraisingly with an overtone of concern, he looks back to both of them.
Greje continues sitting back casually, turned to one side on the pew. She rests her own hand on her stomach as Lex demonstrates where the cry should come from, and she gives a soft chuckle. "Perhaps I should wait to try that until this ulcer clears up a little," she tells Lex with her usual gentle sort of smile. "In Seminary we used to do something similar, in re: the toilet issue. We would call, 'eukolos ei,' which, in modern Ecclesiastical diction is a common enough blessing… but etymologically it means, 'Good luck with that constipation,'" she grins. Scripture puns? HILARIOUS to the Priestling. She even wrinkles up her nose in a geeky little gesture along with the smile. The mention of the sheer dress leaves her momentarily baffled until Dane explains what she means, "Ah! The Aphrodisiac robes, yes. Dane was telling me the Goddess inflammed no mild passion in some of his comrades. But— that's the Goddess' nature. She loves the tumescence of the genitals, delights in lust and laughter. I hope she was a blessing to the day, and didn't cause too much disruption. I had just been on business to Aphrodite's temple on the Destiny, and I was hot-footing it from the Hangar Deck… Dane had requested I let him know on my safe return, as this was the day after the riots."
Lex glances over to Dane, pausing slightly as she takes note of the rather impressive flush. Her eyebrows rise just slightly. "It's not like I called it a pussy peep show, calm down." Oh wait, officer in the room. "Uh." Dammet, Ramiro. "No offense intended, sir." She'll just blame it on the painkillers if everyone doesn't choose the ignore it route. Her eyes finally flick back to Greje. "Nico Lex, CMC. Private." The smile remains sort of pasted on while she tries to figure out if Greje was kidding about blessing of poo. Her brain is a little slow so slog though the rest. "VK is always disruptive, it doesn't matter who flashes him…" Pause. "The temple on the Destiny is a temple of Aphrodite?" A sideways look is cast at Ramiro. "Tumescence." There go the eyebrows again.
Ramiro breathes in as Lex makes words about the robes that Greje was wearing. His eyes practically pop out of their sockets as he turns to look to her. "Lex…" he says softly through gritted teeth. "This is a temple…" He adds, lowering his brows a bit at her and folding his arms. Gritting his teeth behind closed lips, he looks to Greje in an apologetic pose and then bows his head towards the Altar for a moment. Closing his eyes, he lets out a slow breath and looks back to Lex. "It's a temple to three Lords. Aphrodite, Poseidon, and Aurora."
The Fundie boy might well be looking uncomfortable, but Greje can't quite supress a delighted sort of laugh at Lex' phraseology. She tries, though. For Dane's sake. Though she does note, "It's alright, Dane. There are no rites happening at the moment to be spoiled with inappropriate language. In fact, some rites -use- inappropriate language as part of the ritual," she reminds him, then, looking toward Lex, "It's apotropaic— it wards off hubris and ill-omens. But only in certain rites. In others it's -very- bad luck, and cause to end the rite immediately and start it over again after purification," she explains, in case she got it in her head that she should just come running into the chapel cussing at all hours. "And, Dane, this isn't technically a temple. There's no consecrated precinct," she notes. It's a fine point, one that probably only matters to people who work here, but she's a geek and sometimes doesn't know when to let these things alone. "In any case, no offense taken, Lex," she follows Dane's example in addressing the woman.
Lex presses her lips together briefly, as if checking lipgloss, and then resumes a more natural smile. One can imagine how the conversations in Marine Country go with Lex and Ramiro bunking in the same room, obviously sharing conversations such as this quite often. Someone should have their blood pressure checked. "I'm aware. It's quiet enough in here that I bet you couldn't squeeze out a poot without the entire room pegging you as the culprit. I wouldn't come in here during a ritual, so you don't have to worry about me, sir." She glances over. "So what happens in a Temple of Aphrodite? Is it like a crash house for religious types?"
Caught red handed laying down his fundamentalist culture of demanding respect of all things Scripture, Dane flattens his lips and folds his hands behind his back. "I know…all…technicalities." He grins, looking to the floor as he listens to Greje and Lex talk. Their conversation a bit of a blessing in disguise for him. He leans a little and nods with a shrug as Lex mentions not coming in during a ritual. She's not lying there. At the mention of what happens at the Temple of Aphrodite, Ramiro holds his tongue and looks to Greje. This is her stomping ground.
Rue has submitted a new event: A Time To Mourn
"It's a technicality, but has important consequences," Greje points out. She WILL go on all day about doctrine if you let her, yes. "For example, even though the temple on Destiny is much smaller than our chapel, if someone were to commit murder on the threshold of the temple it would be an act of blood guilt, whereas if someone were to commit murder on the threshold of this room — Lords forbid — it would be a minor hubristic act," she points out, as if someone cared. "A crash house? I'm not sure what you mean?" Greje then asks Lex.
Lex reaches up to run her hand through her hair, flicking fringe back from her eyes. A few strands stick at crazy angles, but she doesn't seem to care or notice. She stands with most of her weight on her right leg, giving her left a rest. "… Murder is murder." She doesn't seem to see, or care about any difference in locations, regardless of religious significance. "Oh, Dane said he slept at the temple. It just seems a little weird." Nevermind she has, several times, considered sneaking in here for a nap. "Is the temple of Aphrodite one of those everyone's welcome places, or are there some stick up the butt rules about who gets to step inside?"
Dane's head tilts to the side a little bit, as if an owl is trying to turn its head upside-down. Cringing a little, he shrugs. Shifting his weight from foot to foot, looking a little uncomfortable, he rights himself and flashes each of them a broad smile as he corrects his body language. "We received xenia there when we went on our pilgrimage."
"Oh! We went as pilgrims, and were offered ritual hospitality - the Rites of Xenia," Greje explains the sleeping-over thing. "Any temple can extend xenia, not just those of Aphrodite. There are some where sleep isn't allowed within the temple building itself— Ares, Apollo, Hades, Artemis," she lists a few, "But in some you can. It's polite to call up ahead and announce yourself, but it's very bad form to turn away someone who comes looking for xenia, even unexpected guests. Religious or not. Though I don't know how many non-religious people would care to sit through the rites. There's a good deal of praying involved," she adds with a joking sort of grin. "But, then, there's also a good deal of getting drunk involved, so that may outweigh the prayers, for some," she chuckles.
Lex finally just looks at Ramiro, "What's with your expressions, Dane? You've got this whole principal's office thing going. Is there something you don't want us to discuss, or are you nervous I'm going to tell the Captain the entire berthing voted on her level of hot?" She nods at the explanation. "Oh, well, I understand the drinking and sleeping. Of course, I'd need those two to get through the praying."
"I've both hoped and feared you stepping into the Chapel, Lex." Ramiro says sweetly to Nico, batting his eyelashes at her. "No, not at all nothing's wrong one bit. It's just I'm not used to people speaking like this in the presence of an altar." He admits, giving a shrug. "But if the Sister says that it's okay, I'll shake it off. Oh yes…" Ramiro looks to Greje, blushing. "Apparently I'm the only one who didn't seem to notice the garb, the marines got quite a kick out of it. Lex here was telling me how interesting it was."
Greje registers surprise at the mention of a vote, but leans forward, evidently interested, "Really. Well? May as well tell me what the verdict was. No need to pull any punches, I know well enough I've got more sharp corners than the ideal woman ought to have," she chuckles, then leans toward the back of the room, "You're in good company," she tells Lex conspiritorially, "I used to know -several- of the brethren who could barely get through the prayers part of things, themselves," she winks playfully, then looks back to Dane, "Do we want to go to my office? -I- don't mind a casual chat in here, since nobody's in prayer and there aren't rites happening. But if you're uncomfortable we can go someplace more secular."
Lex nods along with Ramiro's words. It's possible she has no shame. She shakes her head a little at the sweetness of the other marine's voice. "I said you're a little thin, but the ass is top shelf. VK wouldn't really stop hip thrusting long enough to say it out loud, but I'm pretty sure that's high marks. Dane just popped his cork about disrespect, but he does that. I figure if your good girl has sheer carpets, you own it like made of gold, and you wouldn't mind us talking about your—" You know. She can practically feel Dane's blood pressure rising. She glances askance at the Sarge. "… Uh. Anyway, the general consensus was pretty much," she takes a break and bellows a deep but modulated for the chapel, "Hooah." Summary for Ramiro's sake.
"No…I'm fine, I'm fine." Ramiro replies, shaking his head a little bit at Lex as if she's getting her shots in now. He narrows his eyes a little and lets out a chuckle. Dane looks to Greje. "Yeah…that's about the long and short of it. Everyone assumed that you dropped by on a social visit to see me, and everyone basically wanted to know who the pretty girl in the skimpy dress ways and what it was that I did that got her to drop by to see me." Ramiro says, looking to Lex. "Hooah…" He replies, blushing. He looks between the two of them. He suddenly blurts out. "Do I come across as having a stick up my ass all of the time?"
"No…I'm fine, I'm fine." Ramiro replies, shaking his head a little bit at Lex as if she's getting her shots in now. He narrows his eyes a little and lets out a chuckle. Dane looks to Greje. "Yeah…that's about the long and short of it. Everyone assumed that you dropped by on a social visit to see me, and everyone basically wanted to know who the pretty girl in the skimpy dress was and what it was that I did that got her to drop by to see me." Ramiro says, looking to Lex. "Hooah…" He replies, blushing. He looks between the two of them. He suddenly blurts out. "Do I come across as having a stick up my ass all of the time?"
Greje hms! "Well, thank you, Lex, that's sweet of you to say," she takes the compliment about her ass about as casually as anyone could be expected to— of course, she has been annointed as a Priest of Aphrodite, capable of performing both the Laughing Lady's common rites and the Hysteria - her mysteries. "I'm glad the Lady sparked some enthusiasm in the berthings. Not that I doubt her presence isn't felt when I'm not around," she grins, commenting on the general stereotype of the lusty marine. She looks to Dane, "I don't think so. You're very serious about your commitment to Apollo. Apollo is by his nature a divinity attracted to chastity and abstainance. Just remember the lesson Hippolytus learned in the worship of the Golden Lord's twin," she remarks to him gently. "And the words of the Delian Lord himself: meden agan. Nothing in excess. Neither chastity nor indulgence."
Greje hms! "Well, thank you, Lex, that's sweet of you to say," she takes the compliment about her ass about as casually as anyone could be expected to— of course, she has been annointed as a Priest of Aphrodite, capable of performing both the Laughing Lady's common rites and the Hysteria - her mysteries. "I'm glad the Lady sparked some enthusiasm in the berthings. Not that I doubt her presence is felt when I'm not around," she grins, commenting on the general stereotype of the lusty marine. She looks to Dane, "I don't think so. You're very serious about your commitment to Apollo. Apollo is by his nature a divinity attracted to chastity and abstainance. Just remember the lesson Hippolytus learned in the worship of the Golden Lord's twin," she remarks to him gently. "And the words of the Delian Lord himself: meden agan. Nothing in excess. Neither chastity nor indulgence."
At Ramiro's sapling up the strata query, Lex just schools her face into a neutral expression, though it fails a little around the edges, just the faintest of smiles threatening. She reaches over to lay a hand on his arm. "Not when you're drinking." Wait what. "Sorry, did you just say chastity and abstainance?" What. WHAT. She gives Dane a Look. Oh, The Look.
"Nothing in excess…" Ramiro replies, suddenly blushing brightly. "…oh you two are going to be the death of me." Ramiro says, furrowing his brow. Running a hand through his hair, he looks towards the altar. Scratching his arm over his scar idly, he looks to Greje and then to Lex again. Letting out a nervous smile, he looks to the floor for a second. He murmurs something inaudible and then looks up. Finding no other words, he simply doesn't talk.
Greje does smile. "I hope not," she notes, head tipping to one side. "You're needed for more important work than could be deprived of you by women making you blush yourself to death," she notes in a friendly fashion. She looks to Lex, then, "Apollo doesn't require his annointed to be virginal, like his sister. But Apollo's rites typically require a period of ritual abstainance from sexual contact— sometimes with all contact with the opposite gender altogether," she explains.
Lex's attention goes from Ramiro to Greje. "Ritual abstainance." That's said a little flatly. "So… how long does this period usually last, and does this mean no touching? At all? No touching." Just to be clear, she asks again.
"It… depends on the rite," Greje replies. "For an example, when we held Apollo's high rites and Dane agreed to assist me, he had to abstain from sex for three days. I, meanwhile, was under complete seclusion from human skin-to-skin contact, be it with a male or female, for a week." She takes a deep breath, "Apollo's cult has some very deep-seated anti-female bias woven into its rules of ritual conduct, so, as I said, the rules are often much harder on women. Don't even get me started on living at the Delphic sanctuary as a woman. You would never want to menstruate again, after everything they put you through the moment you begin to bleed," she reports faintly bluntly. "But it is -necessary- to maintain ritual purity. And so we endure. We bear up," she smiles softly. "As much as we can."
Lex huhns, taking this new information into her brain to mull over. After a moment of quiet thought, she nods a little, then decides, "Some men are like that. I find a fist to the face usually clears up their illusions, but I don't think that would work for the religious stuff. I like my life simpler. More direct." Her hands drop to her hips. A silence falls between the three, and then Lex just says, "Three days, huh?" Hm.
Greje takes a slow breath and nods. "Excuse me, both of you. I need to be present for a memorial service," she murmurs quietly. "It was nice to meet you properly, Lex," she adds as she stands, passing back to give the woman a handshake.
Lex reaches over to take the offered hand. "It was," the marine agrees with a nod. She sounds a little surprised, but only a little. "You too, sir. Thank you for clearing up a few mysteries." No jokes follow her words, not after the invocation of a memorial. She releases Greje's han after a firm shake.
Greje has left.
Greje takes a slow breath and nods. "Excuse me, both of you. I need to be present for a memorial service," she murmurs quietly. "It was nice to meet you properly, Lex," she adds as she stands, passing back to give the woman a handshake.
Lex reaches over to take the offered hand. "It was," the marine agrees with a nod. She sounds a little surprised, but only a little. "You too, sir. Thank you for clearing up a few mysteries." No jokes follow her words, not after the invocation of a memorial. She releases Greje's han after a firm shake.
"So…" Ramiro says after Greje leaves the chapel. Ramiro turns to look at Lex. "You're gutlaughing internally right now aren't you?" He pauses, looking to her. Looking to his watch, he taps the time. "I may need to make an announcement about this MOUT training."
"You have no idea," Lex replies, a hand on the back of one of the pews. She's going to have to sit down soon. She nods to the MOUT thing. "Go ahead, but Dane…" She glances up at him. "I'm going to need to know how often you do this ritual of purity thing." Because damn.
"I've only done it once since I've been on the ship." Ramiro replies. "I mean…there's times where it's necessary and as much as I'd hate to say this, I'm pretty serious about it when I do it. But…I'll promise to give you twenty-four hours notice if I can." He says quietly. "Oh…Lex?" He pauses. "Nevermind."
Nico shakes her head slightly at the warning disclaimer he gives. She smiles a little, then glances over as he makes to say something, and doesn't. A slight tip of her head follows his 'nevermind'. The query is unspoken, but her eyes remain on his.
Ramiro looks to her quietly for a moment, finding her eyes. "So…yeah…that's Sister Karthasi. She's a good friend of mine." He changes the subject. "So did you know I was down here or did you wander in on your own?"
Lex gives Ramiro an amused look. "I think you know the answer to that." She turns to start for the chapel hatch. "I was looking for you." Her tolerance for the space has hit its critical mark. Time to quietly exit with that slower-than-usual gait, which favors one leg over the other.
Ramiro follows after Lex quietly, pulling a notepad out of his pocket. Making a few notes as he walks, he isn't too proud to watch her walk for a moment. "What did you just assume I was here or did you look everywhere else?"
"Doing stairs with this leg isn't my idea of good times," Lex replies, stepping out the hatch. "I hit the most likely place first, and if you weren't here, I was going back to bed." She waits for him to exit, then closes it behind him. "Are you taking a survey, Dane?"
"Yes…I'm taking a survey and making notes of how hard you're willing to look for me when I'm missing. That or I'm preparing to update the memo to reschedule the MOUT for first squad." Ramiro smartasses to her. Opening the door for her, he prepares to step out after her.
"You might want to leave out the part about you staring at my ass when I'm wounded if you're going to announce it over the Intercom," Lex smartasses right back. "Just a suggestion."
"Why, I'm sure that everyone in the bunkhouse would love to hear that. I don't know who they'd give more hades to, you or me." Ramiro says, putting his notebook away. He looks to her leg. "Where you headed? Come by the MOUT with me?"
"You," Lex replies with certainty. "Definitely you." She nods. "Sure," and turns for the corridor to the stairwell, continuing with, "I'm the crazy girl with the explosives. Yes, you're the sniper, but of the two of us, they know you're into religion. Which, I guess, could either make you the moral one or the crazy one." She thinks on it a moment. "You're right, I'm not sure either."
"You think anyone knows for sure yet?" Ramiro asks quietly as they walk. He stays by her side just in case she starts to falter, leg wounds are a pain in the ass. Looking to her, he smirks a little bit. "I'm sure there are some people who have an idea, but stuff like that's gonna be more and more common around here."
"About us?" Lex shakes her head, "No, I don't. They'll figure it out eventually, but I don't think anyone really cares. The ones who do…" She makes a bit of a face. "I'd prefer not to think about the bent of their thought process." VK, VK, VK. "… Extended war situations naturally lead to these things. Eventually we'll run out of batteries and there'll be no choice."
[Intercom] Sergeant Dane Ramiro and Private Nico Lex, report to the Marine Offices.
"Yeah…we should probably keep it quiet for one reason and that's to avoid complaints." Ramiro replies with a disappointed smirk, he really doesn't care. "I don't hold you back from your duty when we are in the field, I give everyone fair …" He pauses, listening to the intercom. "…great. That sounds excellent. Hop on." Ramiro steps forward, offering a ride.
(Take note ladies, you get free deck to deck piggyback rides from marines when you've been shot in the leg. But they put you down before you get to the CO's office…)
read more here: Proof & Impressions.
