lili.

[nonbelligerent]

Comments

[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]

[nonbelligerent]

[he looks amused.]

Do you expect old people to lose touch with that?

[coastal]

Yes.

Old, stubborn people who end up stuck in their ways just because they think that they've lived longer, or they've grown dissatisfied with what their life has become and blame their troubles on others.

Or they'll use that knowledge in order to be condescending to others, even if what they know is outdated.

[why does she have opinions like this]

You're none of those things so far, so that's fine.