[Voice]

[count_gardios]

Nami, you all right?

...you know, I haven't done "story time" in a long while. I think I'll pick up from where I left off. [There's the sound of rustling pages, and then after a bit-] Ahhh, right. Now, I'm not as learned in Auldrant's history as some others from my world, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, anyone.

Comments

[accidental voice]

[xelhes]

...Is Melfes the only world that makes any sense? [says the girl living on the island-ship]

[Voice]

[xelhes]

There's a difference between keeping a level head and getting used to it, and ignoring it completely! [...Sorry, Guy, nothing you've done. She's just boggled by the normalicy of several parts of Luceti.]

[Voice]

[count_gardios]

If I was ignoring it I wouldn't have mentioned it to you, Miss Fenimore.

[Voice]

[xelhes]

That's not what I meant! You barely mentioned it and you people spend all your time telling stories, and talking about calendars, and holidays, and...useless things!

[Voice]

[count_gardios]

What would you prefer I do?

[Voice]

[xelhes]

I-- [...hadn't thought about it.] Something productive!

[Voice]

[count_gardios]

All right...

Then I'll stew, simmer and entertain thoughts of a bloody and vicious revenge on the people that've captured us. Is that better?

[Voice]

[xelhes]

And now you're making fun of me!

[Voice]

[count_gardios]

I'm not, I'm not. I actually am doing that, I just don't advertise it.

Really, I understand what you're saying. I do. But at the moment, there isn't much I can change about the situation besides try and make others feel as comfortable and at east as I can.

[Voice]

[xelhes]

[It takes her a few moments to reply, but when she does, her anger seems to have cooled to just grumpy.]

...I guess.

[Voice]

[count_gardios]

I'm sorry if I offended you. And hey, whatever works as your coping strategy, you use it. But it might be best if you don't assume that everyone who gives you a smile is complacent with something akin to slavery.

[Voice]

[xelhes]

...No, I get it now. It still doesn't seem...normal, though.

[Voice]

[count_gardios]

Hardly normal. This place -these people, our shared situation- is anything but normal.

So whatever you're feeling...it's justified.

[Voice]

[xelhes]

Yeah.

...Does it get any easier? I mean, making sense of any of it.

[Voice]

[count_gardios]

Hmmm...I'd like to say "yes," but I think that depends. It seems like the more questions we get answered, the more things we find out we don't know.

It's an ongoing process.

[Voice]

[xelhes]

...Well, that's better than nothing.