( Annie seems to soften in return, but it's in the line of her shoulders and the way she seems less obviously on edge from earlier. Smiling doesn't come naturally to Annie, not yet. )

The same may be said for where I'm from. There were training grounds, but not ones that made it seem as if the battles you fought were your actual enemies.

( She supposes there's some sort of safety mechanism to what's going on here, despite having no idea how something like that can work. People die in training. It' a fact. Limited groups of people can be afforded much less readily. Even with the Malnosso playing around with what living or dying meant...

She shakes her head. )

It's overwhelming.