expiationnet | o1; audio

—ere we go. Hello? If anyone can hear this I've got a question that's been rolling around in the ol' noggin for the last week or so if you don't mind humoring an old man, uh. I know this might be a sensitive topic to some people and I don't intend to pry if it is, but I'm curious...

_{[ There's a brief pause as if the speaker is hesitating out of nerves, but he's taking a moment or three to put the right words together. ]}

These crimes that we've all — I'm assuming it's all of us — have been accused of. Is... anyone actually guilty of them? I can't exactly argue 'bout mine when it's true on my end, but we can't all be "criminals" here, can we? What even determines that? 'Cause I promise you that where I'm from, something like... I dunno, stealing food for example is a matter of survival versus an actual crime but the more I listen to the folks who live here...

_{[ A shuffle, followed by a slow exhale. It's still so weird after the life he's lived. Eventually he'll Get It, but not today. Nope. Stars. Can't do it. ]}

Sorry. I'm, eh... I was raised in a world completely different than this one. Having the freedom to actually talk about this sort of thing is pretty new, 'specially in a place that looks like this. Speaking of, I've got one more question for whoever might be listening:

What does it mean to you? Freedom. There's no wrong answer so don't worry 'bout that.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Every time talk about their contracts / scrolls / whatever one wants to call them comes up, Kisara feels herself tense up. Zephyr actually touches on something quite important and that is the nature of innocence. She's wondered herself how many of them were accused of things that technically could have been true. Shionne's, after all, appears to be accurate. And her own can be accurate in its own way, much as she'd like it not to be.

It continues to be a conundrum.

If it wasn't coming from Zephyr and if she wasn't already familiar with his voice by this point, she might take to this worse than she does.]

My thoughts on freedom are likely the same as the other Dahnans. [Which means, her thoughts of freedom likely align with Zephyr's.] If we have to commit what some would consider 'crimes' in the name of freedom, I have a difficult time feeling guilt about it. I don't want to have to hurt others if I don't have to. I won't take joy in it. But I think we are the same in that we'll do what we must.

[After a pause, she continues.]

Have you been thinking about all of this for a while?

It's been on my mind off and on for the last few weeks, yeah. Usually when I can't sleep, which... Uh...

_{[ The hesitation almost feels foreign to his own ears, but Zephyr knows that's how he's always been; a natural pro at being someone's hype-man and the team motivational speaker, but more than a little awkward when it comes to himself. Admitting something like this? It was never easy to do, but just like he's been trying with Law- ]}

Has been... quite often as of late if I'm honest. I keep thinking about what they've charged us with and why, and what they plan to do with us. Take our lot for instance: like you said, we've done what people consider crimes for our freedom and our people, but the thing I don't understand about it is, well... Why not charge us all with the same thing?

_{[ Because right now (and over those said weeks), Zephyr has been coming to the conclusion that they're all different. If they were charged with the exact same thing, surely they'd have figured it out by now. Zephyr hasn't told anyone what his own is yet, but... the others? They're all friends.

He'd be shocked if they didn't talk about it at least a little bit. ]}

[She can relate. It's hard to sleep. It's hard to find rest. It must be a little jarring for him. He has an additional complicated relationship involved. How things are between him and Law. She's considered asking more than once, but it is very likely that it's so complex that there might not be words to use for it. It may never be the time to ask about that particular thing.

It doesn't take a lot of observation to know there's something significant there.

Kisara's quiet for several long moments, unsure of how to respond. It is an interesting question. They are all guilty of the same thing.]

It's possible that some of the others have been charged with something similar. Shionne told me she was accused of insurrection. That's interwoven with trying to free the Dahnans. I haven't asked anyone else what they were accused of, so I don't know for sure how similar our crimes are.

[In a way, her own crime is loosely tied to it. She can't think about the freedom of their people without thinking of her brother.]

I'm surprised they don't take our circumstances into consideration with phrasing like that. Granted they're not wrong in calling it insurrection, I just think it's a little strange that they've accused her of that when... Hell, it's not mentioned anywhere on mine.

_{[ A soft laugh and Zephyr shakes his head to himself, turning the charm over a few times between his fingers. Nearly four decades biting at the Renans' ankles and what is he? Chopped liver? What he wouldn't give to have that be his charge. At least then he'd have an excuse to fight tooth and nail not just for himself, but for everyone.

He's still going to fight regardless. ]}

How were these sorts of things handled in your realm? I understand that Dohalim rules over it and that our people and Renans were able to co-exist, but... Were we really given the same opportunities when it came to the law?

[A part of her wants to ask. If his isn't insurrection, what is it? Come to think of it, she doesn't know much about him at all. At least aside from the few times she heard his name in the company of the others and at their little meet and greet when they all arrived together. It is likely that Zephyr has a history even before whatever set Alphen off on his journey.

Perhaps whatever he was accused of has something to do with that.]

It wasn't mentioned on mine either.

[His question is worthy of a pause and for several moments, Kisara doesn't immediately reply. Whatever Dohalim was trying to do... she isn't quite sure herself. Definitely doesn't seem to be the dream she and Migal had wanted for a peaceful coexistence between Dahnans and Renans.]

Hm. In ways it seemed like we were equal. I'm not sure we ever really were, though. I can't say I was a part of the law portion much. My role was to protect the people and Lord Dohalim directly. ['Lord.' Old habits die hard.] I think, in earnest, that Renans have always just seen us as the lesser. Even in Menancia, I'm not sure it was different. Not all of the Renans were cruel, but if they were raised thinking one way, it wouldn't be feasible, even in seven years, for that to change.

_{[ Huh. That's... hm. He might have to actually ask Law about his sooner rather than later if that's the case, but that'll also probably mean Zephyr has to fess up about his own too. That's a dilemma to think about. For now, he files that little nugget away and makes a mental note to actually write it down to try and piece things together. ]}

It's possible that while they may have been raised to think one thing, they may not have fully believed it and felt like they couldn't speak up against their peers. I'll be the first to admit I always figured Renans didn't see us as anything more than... laborers, but that was also before I fought along side one.

_{[ Shionne, of course. ]}

Now? It makes me wonder. But even though you say you weren't part of the law side of things, surely you knew how things worked, right? When something happened between our peoples, what did Dohalim do? As the Lord of that realm I imagine he had the final say as far as consequences went.

_{[ Sure, Zephyr could always just ask Dohalim himself but why do that when he could just ask a fellow Dahnan? That way he'll be able to get both sides, too. ]}

That’s true. I’ve known some Renans in Viscint who I didn’t think were particularly unkind.

[Some of them were also even kind to Dahnan children. Obviously not all Renans are bad. If anything, it is very likely that somewhat akin to the Dahnan people, the Renans may be victims of circumstance. There are probably many Dahnans, however, who would believe in such a thing.

For the time being, it is likely wiser not to say such a thing.

Besides, he’s giving her difficult questions to answer again. She feels like Migal would have these answers. Dohalim could. Probably. Maybe. Although it seems like he didn’t even know what was really happening.]

There was always an emphasis on working and coexisting peacefully. Not necessarily on equal terms, I don’t think. Those words weren’t used. I wouldn’t say there was really any punishment given out. There have been times that Renans have tried to strike against Dahnans for offences, but the lord of Elde Menancia stepped in and prevented such a thing from happening. It doesn’t mean that all Renans took to that change easily. It just means they weren’t saying anything in earshot of someone who would do something about it.

[In short, things in Viscint were always more considerably tense than it seemed.]

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