I was always cooped up in the castle... so my favorites were stories about faraway lands, both real and fantastical. Fairy tales, stories of grand adventures... that sort of thing. I always dreamed of going out and visiting them for myself.
[he shifts a little, leaning back until his back is pressed against the wall as he looks her way.]
Me too, actually. I didn't get a lot of chances to leave until a few months before I got here. There was some dangerous stuff outside, and my mom was protective, to say the least. You ever heard of Robin Hood? Those were always my favorite.
[that makes his smile grow, either way, and he sounds enthusiastic when he continues. nerd time!!]
So, the stories are about this thief, but he's not a bad person at all. The basic premise is, like, the people in charge of his village are all really corrupt, and a lot of people are struggling or starving because of that. So, the only reason he steals things is to take it from the corrupt people who have too much, and giving it to people who are having a hard time getting by.
He is! I mean... I don't know that everything he's been arrested for was justified, but... He's always looking out for people in the lower quarter. Better than those of us in the castle ever did...
[There's a faint smile, weighed with a tinge of guilt at that admission.]
I can't help but admire people like that. People who do the right thing, even if it means going against the world.
[he pauses, noting the guilt in her voice, but after a moment...]
That's how it goes, a lot of the time. [adding onto that quickly, though:] But it doesn't have to be the way it goes. The people in charge are supposed to protect everyone else.
[he notices the guilt in her expression, though, so after a moment:]
Not that I'm saying it was your fault or anything, but if I can ask... The people in the castle - why didn't they help?
I know it was partly my fault. But there were a few reasons, I think.
The last emperor passed away without leaving a direct heir, and the throne was left empty for nearly a year. With no emperor, most of the decision-making for the country was left to the imperial knights and the magistrates.
I never left the castle, so I didn't know how bad it was... News from the lower quarter rarely made it back to us. I didn't realize how serious the corruption among the knights and the nobles had gotten, either.
It wasn't until I stepped outside and saw for myself that I really understood.
...I'm not sure I would call it your fault. I mean, if you didn't know about the problem, it doesn't make sense to blame yourself for not trying to fix it. Right? I'd probably blame the people who were corrupt in the first place.
Still, if I'd known sooner, I might have been able to do something to stop it... [But something occurs to her that just makes her feel guiltier.] ...maybe... I don't know.
... The truth is, even when I did find out, the perpetrators were fully protected by law. There wasn't anything I could do to bring them to justice...
...Yeah. I get what you mean. But - I don't think you should blame yourself for not knowing beforehand, as long as you work on doing your best to help fix things now.
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mustbepurged) wrote2022-06-04 02:17 pm
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[he'll take a seat on the floor, in that case.]
How do you want to fill the time?
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Well... maybe we can talk about the things we like! Do you have any hobbies?
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Yeah! I really like to read... Pretty much any kind of book, because I really like to learn new things. And I like animals a lot, too.
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[She gets visibly excited at that.]
I didn't get to keep any pets at the castle, but books... I read so many! Storybooks, history books... books about art, magic, and science, too!
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[he's perking up immediately in turn.]
What were your favorite kinds of stories?
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... What about you?
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Me too, actually. I didn't get a lot of chances to leave until a few months before I got here. There was some dangerous stuff outside, and my mom was protective, to say the least. You ever heard of Robin Hood? Those were always my favorite.
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I've never heard of Robin Hood, though. What's it about?
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[that makes his smile grow, either way, and he sounds enthusiastic when he continues. nerd time!!]
So, the stories are about this thief, but he's not a bad person at all. The basic premise is, like, the people in charge of his village are all really corrupt, and a lot of people are struggling or starving because of that. So, the only reason he steals things is to take it from the corrupt people who have too much, and giving it to people who are having a hard time getting by.
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[But, oh! Nerd time!]
So he's a criminal who helps people, because the people in power won't... [She smiles at that.] That sounds a little like Yuri.
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[he nods.]
Yeah, you got it! I think he's a pretty cool figure. If that's the case, your friend must be a pretty awesome person, too.
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[There's a faint smile, weighed with a tinge of guilt at that admission.]
I can't help but admire people like that. People who do the right thing, even if it means going against the world.
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That's how it goes, a lot of the time. [adding onto that quickly, though:] But it doesn't have to be the way it goes. The people in charge are supposed to protect everyone else.
[he notices the guilt in her expression, though, so after a moment:]
Not that I'm saying it was your fault or anything, but if I can ask... The people in the castle - why didn't they help?
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The last emperor passed away without leaving a direct heir, and the throne was left empty for nearly a year. With no emperor, most of the decision-making for the country was left to the imperial knights and the magistrates.
I never left the castle, so I didn't know how bad it was... News from the lower quarter rarely made it back to us. I didn't realize how serious the corruption among the knights and the nobles had gotten, either.
It wasn't until I stepped outside and saw for myself that I really understood.
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...I'm not sure I would call it your fault. I mean, if you didn't know about the problem, it doesn't make sense to blame yourself for not trying to fix it. Right? I'd probably blame the people who were corrupt in the first place.
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... The truth is, even when I did find out, the perpetrators were fully protected by law. There wasn't anything I could do to bring them to justice...
But that's even worse, in a way.
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You mean, like... They designed the laws to protect themselves no matter what they did?
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I think we can start making things better now, but it still feels terrible that people had to suffer for so long in the meantime.
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