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[use_everything]

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[use_everything]

I have... similar witholdings about the whole of it. But my District, I do. The hills and lakes of it, the people.

[rathercommon]

Yeah.

[ She gives a little sigh. ]

London...I love it. I don't like it, though, at all. I actually quite hate it, truth be told. But I love it, too.

[use_everything]

That conflict where you wish to shake every man, woman and child until sense rattles into their skulls and the very air chokes you. But there's no where else you belong or is so needed.

[rathercommon]

Yeah.

[ Her voice is soft, wistful. A moment, then: ]

Though I'll admit that you all do have a government much more just than mine.

[use_everything]

Ms. Jones, a snake could step over that bar.

[rathercommon]

[ Reluctantly, a laugh. Damn it, who knew Aral Vorkosigan was funny? ]

Yeah. Fair enough. But...It's not something I really realized for a really long time. I thought that - you know. My government was the norm. I guess in a lot of ways I still think it is.

[use_everything]

I don't believe 'the norm' is much more than what one knows, honestly. There's as many ways of doing things, from the smallest to the most important, as there are cultures.

[rathercommon]

That's true enough.

[ She thinks about that a moment. Insightful. ]

Do you think it's a bad thing? It seems like it's good if you can remove yourself from your own perspective.

[use_everything]

Have you? Gotten outside of your own biases, that is? I'll agree it is not a bad thing, but I've never quite stepped out of my own viewpoint.

[rathercommon]

I've tried to. I think I've done all right.

[ She ponders it a moment. ]

I've taken people I thought were enemies, and I've accepted them as friends. That's a start.

[use_everything]

[Aral seems to sharpen a bit at that, looking at the family friend turned feline with a specific interest.]

Ah. Cultural or personal enemies?

[rathercommon]

Both.

[ The cat rubs her face up against his hand. ]

In one case, I really do mean both - someone who was both cultural and personal. Became one of my best friends, actually.

[use_everything]

[Reminded, he resumes the attention, this time utilizing both hands to the task.]

That is impressive, actually. How did you break past it?

[rathercommon]

[ A little huff of resigned amusement. With dryness and wryness both, Kitty responds: ]

Had my every illusion shattered, one after another. Sometimes gently, and sometimes quite violently. Definitely a necessary process, but not one I'd recommend.

[ Then, a little more helpfully: ]

The most important thing I did was sitting down and talking to the people I thought were my enemies. I'd grown up being told that demons were wicked and dangerous, but I had a long talk with one in the process of him kidnapping me and discovered just how intelligent and compassionate and wise they can be. And that sort of inspired me to save the life of another enemy - which I guess really stuck with him, because it was still haunting him when we met up again three years later and sort of shattered his illusions, too. And then we ended up saving my city together, which I guess goes to show you that sometimes goodness can reap rewards, no matter what the cynics say.

[use_everything]

[He listens intently, still except for a thoughtless, habitual brush over the feline's fur. It isn't so hard to picture, though the scope, as with the small patches and threads she's offered of her life before, was deeply supernatural.]

Trust beyond reason... Your story reminds me of someone, I wonder if she felt the same.

[rathercommon]

[ She looks up with interest. ]

Really? Who?

[use_everything]

My wife.


... Actually, I believe you'd get along terrifyingly well.

[rathercommon]

Oh - Cordelia?

[ Kitty sounds very pleased. She doesn't know Cordelia so well yet, but she likes her. ]

I could imagine her being the sort of person to show trust to others, yeah.

[use_everything]

I would not be so complete a person could she not. [He gives a bit of a white smile.] I may have been the demon of her story.

[rathercommon]

[ Her ears flick back; a little warm purr rises from her. She's clearly charmed by that comment. ]

Spirit. Demon's actually a very derogatory name. I assume she'd call you by the correct name.

[use_everything]

Indeed. And make the proper name sound like an old wives curse when truly frustrated.

Spirits though... are there a variety or is it merely a name given to another race in whole?

[rathercommon]

[ Oh. She perks up. ]

Well, spirit and demon are both terms for the same race of creatures, with the latter being derogatory, obviously. But there are actually lots of divisions amongst the spirits. There are differences in terms of their level of power - like, imps are made of the least amount of magic, so they're the least intelligent and powerful, while djinni are in the middle and marids are at the top. And there are differences within those classes, too - like, each spirit has a difference balance of the elements in it. So one of my absolute favorites was a djinn of fire and air. Which made sense with his personality, since he was truly full of hot air.

[use_everything]

[That finally gets a laugh out of Aral. It's short lived but rich.]

Ah. I believe I know the type.

[rathercommon]

[ Fondly: ]

Yeah. Completely incapable of shutting up. Which would be annoying in some circumstances, but when he's a literal slave...It's more of an act of courage, really.

[use_everything]

[The scritches pause for a moment, as Vorkosigan frowns. Slavery was, frankly, one of the few atrocities Barrayar DIDN'T get up to on a regular basis. That was in the purview of Jackson's Whole.]

It would be, indeed. [And a wonder if it was him that she got that particular trait from or merely the admiration from a kindred spirit.] Was he one of those who changed your views?