lili.

[nonbelligerent]

Comments

[coastal]

[the game is still early

but as she wanders in and sees all the tide pools and running water, she hums an almost fond note]

... how nostalgic...

[nonbelligerent]

Do you come from a place like this?

[coastal]

Mm, the Water Tribe sits along the coast of my country. I did not often get a chance to be along the beach for leisure reasons but...

[well this is hardly leisure now either

she turns back to him]

Does your land have a coast?

[nonbelligerent]

[... well, that's a complicated question.]

No, though I travelled often.

[coastal]

[tilting her head at that]

Did you enjoy it?

[nonbelligerent]

It's nice to see the world.

[especially when the realm your race got stuck with recently kind of sucks?]

Though sometimes it was on errands, not for enjoyment.

[coastal]

[she nods]

I understand - that's the only reason why I go places, too.

[that's not entirely true, she thinks it's for errands because she takes life too seriously but mostly it's just because she wants to]

What is your line of work?

[nonbelligerent]

[lili, you're asking questions that are very hard to answer.

shess pauses, thinking it over.]

I don't know if I'd call it a line of work. [sura don't have jobs...] I do as my mother asks of me. Sometimes others as well, if it's for a greater benefit.

[coastal]

[lili is asking what comes to mind leave her alone

but they'll keep exploring and lili will occasionally pause to peer into a tide pool]

... oh.

[she can't imagine just doing whatever her father wanted...]

What are you tasked with doing?

[nonbelligerent]

[hmmm.]

If I had to sum it up in general terms, diplomatic affairs?

[not sure how to explain tasks like "calm the most powerful being in the universe so he doesn't blow up a planet in romance-related rage" or "help out a god with his actual heart's desire and not what his actions suggest he wants".]

[coastal]

And not general terms?

[just wondering]

That could mean anything, you know.

[nonbelligerent]

I'm afraid it's difficult to explain. My society is likely very different from yours.

[coastal]

Probably, but if I'm stuck here, I might as well be learning.

[THAT'S HOW SHE'S BEEN TAKING THIS]

So if you don't want to explain, just say so.

[nonbelligerent]

[a beat, then:]

Let's see.

[...]

Once, a high-ranking member of another clan asked me to assist someone of a different clan, who was searching for answers regarding a personal matter. There was the very real concern that in his frustration, he would destroy the planet he was on, as such a thing would certainly be within his capabilities.

Most likely, she didn't want to do it herself since he was infamous for killing people at the slightest provocation, but he and I had enough of a history that my chances of survival were higher.

[phew, that was a lot to write out.]

Tasks like those, I suppose.

[coastal]

[ . . . . . HM.]

And you just - accepted that?!

[nonbelligerent]

As she pointed out, the planet could be destroyed otherwise.

[even if shess was. not happy about the duty being dumped onto him.]

[coastal]

I...

[there's a very frustrated look at that, because she understands the need to sacrifice for the sake of a greater goal - or at least to even prepare that type of sacrifice

but hearing it....]

... I hope that you can ask for an equally large favor in return for running that level of errand.

[nonbelligerent]

[uh

he's not going to mention that he did not. like, a lowly rakshasa does not... ask for favours from nastika...]

It worked out well enough. The matter was resolved and as a result, he got married and I got to watch his child and grandchild grow up.

[in case lili did not realize by now that shess is Old

admittedly, whether it was really a good thing for that romance to happen is an issue in itself, but that's another can of worms and irrelevant either way.]

[coastal]

[ . . . ]

Oh right.

You're old.

[she didn't need to say it like that]

[nonbelligerent]

[it's not the first time he's heard it put like that, it's fine.

he just smiles wryly.]

I am, yes.

[coastal]

Then what's your favorite thing you've done?

[since he's old and has done so many things]

[nonbelligerent]

[...]

That's an unexpected question.

[coastal]

You live an unexpected life.

It sounds like the most interesting question.

[in general she'd like to hear about something lighter after his near-sacrifice story]

[nonbelligerent]

I'm afraid there isn't an interesting answer. Often, I've found the most enjoyable things in life are the simpler ones. Spending time with friends and family, for instance.

[coastal]

... hmm.

At least you're not so old that you've lost touch with your sentimentality.

[so that's good to know]