"We're in a horrifying death school and you have a 25% chance of living to see your eighteenth birthday, si-mei, you can say 'fuck.'"

"It still feels wrong. --Fuck." And now there is helpless giggling.

"My terrible influence begins. I am corrupting your innocence, si-mei."

"I'm going to end up cussing like a sailor."

"A noble goal! Sailors are very inventive."

"I feel like the swearing probably isn't why sailors are creative?" --are sailors creative? That is a good question.

"In their swearing, I mean."

"Do they swear creatively? Or do they just have a reputation for it?"

"Well, I don't know. I've never met a sailor."

"Neither have I, so I guess that's just going to remain a mystery?"

"Maybe the library has a book on it. --There was an invasion?"

"Japan invaded? ...you do know that happened, right?"

"They invaded? When?"

"Uh, the 1930s? The exact year depends on how you define some things, I think." How... how did he... not know this already? Is the Shanghai enclave under a rock.

"Oh! Why did they do that?"

"--Because they were Imperialist?"

"Oh. Well, that sucks. --They got better really quickly, didn't they?"

"N-no? --Yes? --I guess?" There is no way she is going to adequately explain World War 2, or the current political situation.

"Because we-- well, mostly Chang'an-- helped Tokyo enclave rebuild after the firebombing and that's why China and Japan get along really well."

This explains some deeply weird dynamics she has noticed. "That's not-- really true outside of the enclaves?"

"That's weird."

"--They invaded and killed a bunch of people? It's not a surprise the countries don't really like each other?"

"Oh, I guess that's true, Tokyo enclave didn't invade Chang'an enclave."

"Do enclaves invade each other?"

"Uh, not really-- I mean, you can fight a war if you really want to? That's what all the magical military history is about? But right now everyone's too busy trying to keep their kids alive."