[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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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?
no subject
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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