"You know this," Luu said, giving Teige a sort of oblique look. "R.I.T. will need social workers, administrators, communication specialists. You do not need to volunteer for the front lines to stay in Aetheri. So," they added, grinding the end of their staff into the dirt, "why are we here?"

When Teige didn't answer immediately, Luu got to their feet. "You show up, but you are not serious," they said. "You freeze up, you run, you joke. You will not put in the focus or take the hits that I had to take for my army training. You do not want to fight, that much is clear. So then??"

Vlad watched silently from the fenceline, frowning. He lit a cigarette, the flame from his lighter casting a warm glow on his face.

Teige, after a moment, got up. "I...I just have to know I can do this, is all," he said.

"You cannot," Luu replied curtly, and Teige looked up at them with a glare. Luu's grip on their staff shifted and tightened. "Here is what is very plain to me. To join R.I.T. is not going to be fun, or funny, or easy. It means looking for a fight with some very vicious people, and working with some other very broken people. And you," they added, tossing their head, "are already full of some other terror. I cannot help you with that part, frankly."