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[rathercommon]

crystal | letter | cease and desist notices slipped under her door | action

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[shri]

Then the fault is in the execution, not the idea. [ Her hand lifts, her first two fingers together as she points, directly, sharply. Indicating the exact rhythm to her words. ] Tools are only as good as the people using them, you are right. If they sit about collecting dust, then they may as well have been left in that tomb.

The man who gave me... this, said it wasn't about living forever, it was what we do with that time. [ She lifts her hand to her chest, where the blackwater phial sat before they elected to take it from her. A second, even, when she falters, the surety of having it there, was gone. Her lips press together, she swallows, and as ever, she carries on. ] That is why you must train Kitty.

[rathercommon]

[ The little upwelling of grief coming from remembering the Resistance and their deaths drives her to a bit more pessimism than is her usual wont. ]

And what if I don't know what to do with that time?

[shri]

[ She shakes her head, at least - that one, that one she knew. Had learned early on.

Her husband had ever been a wise man, in his way. ] You talk, with those that you trust. No man is a island, and we are all beset with confusion, at times. Life... can give us things we never expected. There is no shame in looking to others for advice.

[rathercommon]

No. Just -

[ A little wrinkle of her nose. ]

Sometimes it feels like everyone else is just as clueless as I am.

[shri]

[ That makes her laugh. ]

Unless they are doing exactly as you are now, chances are - yes. They have no idea truly, what might come of the things they do. But they trust, and they hope, and they try.

[rathercommon]

[ With the Resistance still on her mind, and even more with her parents on her mind, she can't help but vent a little bubble of cynicism. ]

Ideally.

[ Because not everyone trusts, or hopes, or tries. ]

[shri]

[ That gives her pause, her head tilting, listening, watching. Because she's learned a fair few of Kitty's opinions with time. Learned a fair amount of her interests. Heard her talk passionately about violence and hopes of a new world. ]

What's this? Are there fangs is this cubs mouth after all?

[rathercommon]

[ Her expression pinches just a touch. And, predictably, she answers: ]

I'm not a cub.

[ Then, with a shake of her head - ]

Even if I had been naive enough to think that everyone gave a damn about what was going on, three days with the Resistance would have cured that. Watching everyone be apathetic would have cured it. Hearing that I ought to just stay quiet and obedient.

[shri]

I'm sorry, Kitty.

[ She takes her hand, carefully, gripping it firmly before she relents in it. Her hands settling back. ] I am sorry they treated you in such a way.

[rathercommon]

What?

[ A bit of a flush comes into her cheeks. ]

No, I - That's not why I - I don't need sympathy for it. That's just how people are. If I get sympathy, everyone ought to get sympathy, and there's not enough time in the world to go about patting everyone on the back. Because everyone was treated that way. Everyone is treated that way, everywhere.

[shri]

Kitty. Do I look like I go about pitying people?

[ Because she shakes her head. ]

You are wrong, if people remembered the pain of others more often, perhaps the world not be so wretched. ... But there are many people, in many places, where they are not treated that way. Compassion is what many have been raised too.

[rathercommon]

Not here.

[shri]

[ Her brow furrows. She wants to refute it, and do so immediately because Kitty deserves someone who will insist on it.

But her mouth opens, closes, and she frowns deeply. ]

Kitty... have you... The Chantry. Have you been listening to their stories?

[rathercommon]

[ A shrug. ]

Yeah. Of course.

[shri]

[ She takes a moment, that all too often paranoid twitch towards the door and the window, watching to see for some proverbial just in case. ]

Have you heard any tales of... this Maker, loving his people? Teachings about compassion, kindness, charity? Anything like that at all?

[rathercommon]

[ A little frown. ]

Mostly just stories about him returning when everyone's singing the Chant. Why?

[shri]

[ She shakes her head. Unsure. Kitty hadn't exactly understood when it came to faith, when she had fought so loudly with Deacon. ]

At least it is not just me then. [ Which is a relief, truth be told, she felt like she was going mad. ] It is strange. I have... known many faiths. When I ruled, yes my people were mostly Hindus, as I am. But there were many others. Amongst all of them, even those not anything like my own, had a common ground in a simple truth. Compassion. That it was good, to want to better the lives of others. That God wishes such love to be shared, in however His way dictates.

[rathercommon]

Well - I mean - [ Kitty considers that a moment, then says - ] Religions can be one more system of power, can't they? Another means of control. So the people who are in power, they're going to shape the religion in such a way that it supports their own power. Here, the people in the Chantry have found it helpful to tell stories of - you know - spreading their doctrine. Expansionism.

[shri]

Faith is different from religion. [ She thinks, that little frown sat in her brow, before she shakes her head. ] They can. I have watched many do so. I have heard something similar from your - [ She's at least a little respectful. ] - Englishman's faith, about when Jesus has his name known in all the world. But do you know what else, I have heard from them? "Love one another as I have loved you." That is not so different from certain words I know. So with them I could always find common ground in that part of faith. Faith shapes values, needs, desires, in people.

[rathercommon]

[ Kitty shakes her head. ]

Not mine.

[ But - ]

Anyway, that'd be quite nice, if they included something like that. Definitely. But belief systems evolve in different ways. If you're looking for universals, things that are inherent to every human belief system - well - I don't know if compassion's necessarily going to be it.

[shri]

It isn't nice, Kitty. [ Lakshmi leans a little more into it, squaring to face her. ] It is integral, I have seen it. Do you know how many lands I travel through? From India to Russia, and as many in between. I saw it, repeated many times, from Muslim to Christian, to Sikh, to Jew. A simple understanding. Even when they do go to war as these people do, to destroy faiths not as their own, as has been in our homes.

[rathercommon]

[ A small shrug. ]

Well - the people here haven't fallen to pieces without it, have they? And they're still capable of kindness and goodness. And their faith's lasted a long time. And anyway, if your Sikhs and Christians and all the rest are going to war against each other, doesn't sound like their religions are really teaching compassion, are they.

[shri]

[ She closes her mouth, fixes it for a moment as she thinks. ]

Kitty, do you believe in God?

[rathercommon]

[ Kitty shakes her head easily. ]

Religion's not really part of my culture.

[ This isn't a question: ]

You do. It's important to you.

[shri]

Yes... and so do most, here.

[ Her life, before, had been steeped in faith. ]

Because it isn't just a matter of... whether there is a God or not. Belief is for many... is what dictates good behaviour. As such it covers a great deal. I am not saying anyone has ever gotten it completely correct... but...