THE MOMENT
"No, we can't do that. It's against the rules of war," Geonara replied with mild amusement. Eph not reading the rules didn't come as a surprise, and she enjoyed the confused expression on his face. His glowing blue eyes dimmed slightly as if processing his befuddlement.
"What part?" he asked. She had to admit he'd become slightly more personable throughout the school year. When it was just immediate teammates, he even bordered on 'relaxed'. If there were anyone else there, he might not have been so quick to ask for clarification. But, they stood alone on a hill overlooking the battle below. Mechanical infantry on their side marched against the goblin, orc, and ogre forces of a dragon named 'Coronado'. Geonara was directing their robotic soldiers according to Eph's orders, and so far they were doing well.
"The trebuchet launch," Geonara answered with a smile. "Impaling them is expected."
"I thought returning the bodies was expected too..," Eph shook his head as he considered a different workaround. He was hoping that malicious compliance with that rule might get them ahead. "Bombs?" he asked. Geonara shook her head.
"Corpses can't be desecrated in any way; that's kind of the whole point of that rule," she reminded him. Eph sighed.
"It feels like the whole point of the rule is to make my life harder. I know it's a game, but it's supposed to simulate war! And Coronado is a Conquistador! He's literally evil!"
"And, he's following the rules too," Geonara nodded at the abundance of mechanical bodies laying nearby. She didn't want to voice it aloud in case the wrong person heard; but, she felt like they had an advantage because of the rule. Machines were easier to piece back together and send out again than the monster races Coronado used.
"Oh wait, what about our guys? Can we put bombs in them, and deliver the bodies with our soldiers?"
"I'd rather not...," Geonara shook her head. It was hard to tell how the situation would develop from there. Eph was just as likely to pull rank as he was to accept her preference.
"Why not?" it was a good sign that he asked.
"It might be an escalation. I know Coronado's evil, but at least for this whole invasion event, it feels like all the Conquistadors are having fun in their own way. I watched you come up with the idea, but I'm pretty certain he came up with a similar idea already. Even if it doesn't break any actual rules, it still goes against the spirit. And I think if we start doing it, he will too. And, he'll do it better."
"It is kind of fun, isn't it...," Eph chuckled as he watched the battle below. He got to experience the romanticized trappings of war without any of the grief. He had all the sights, sounds, and smells of a great battle, and not a single life would be lost - they were all NPCs. It was still a game, unless he decided to change it. And, there was no telling how Coronado might react. He'd been wanting to use underhanded tactics based on his opponents' reputation alone, and he was glad Geonara talked him out of it. It might've worked as a surprise tactic, but he could never reach lower than Coronado. "I guess we don't really need to change too much, I don't want to interrupt him if he's having fun."