[If you want Ari to pay attention, you could hardly do better than starting off by showing her a map. She examines it closely, and makes some of the same deductions at once - it's very small, surrounded by larger neighbours, and that has to be politically difficult. His description of the territory only confirms her thoughts. She does listen carefully, and, clever young lieutenant that she is, she follows his explanation, despite the difference in their cultures. At least, she thinks she follows, right up until the mention of Muppets at least.
Her hand goes up to touch the neat bun at the back of her head.] I was once called vain for not cutting my hair off, too. [She shrugs.] I don't care if short hair is more practical in space. Mine isn't any trouble to me. It seems like a little thing, but it's - why shouldn't people take pleasure in life? Hedonism is only a fault if it gets in your way. If you enjoy your food and drink so much that you turn up drunk on duty, or you whine and bring everyone's mood down if there's a shortage and you have to take short rations, then that's a problem. But when it does no harm to enjoy the fine things, not doing so is pointless self-denial. People should appreciate quality. The best that the sector has to offer.
[Ari is exceptionally serious about her duty, and she can bear hardship in pursuit of it - but she also imports fancy coffee over great distances, and wears a perfectly, expensively tailored uniform, and there's more of upper-level Cardalek in her than she'd like to admit to.] Here's where you're wrong. A Demon King like you doesn't corrupt people. He enlightens them. He brings them to the higher values, like liberty, and individuality. Self-determination and pride. No wonder those monks in their... crab bucket hated you!
[Ordinarily, she tries to at least feign respect for the religious beliefs of others, but this one just sounds like outright tyranny.]
The problem is that you couldn't bring freedom without bloodshed, is that it? Like Breakaway. Sometimes I think it's inevitable. Someone who thinks that you deserve to suffer and that nobody should strive for more than they already have probably isn't going to listen to reason.
I love it :D
Her hand goes up to touch the neat bun at the back of her head.] I was once called vain for not cutting my hair off, too. [She shrugs.] I don't care if short hair is more practical in space. Mine isn't any trouble to me. It seems like a little thing, but it's - why shouldn't people take pleasure in life? Hedonism is only a fault if it gets in your way. If you enjoy your food and drink so much that you turn up drunk on duty, or you whine and bring everyone's mood down if there's a shortage and you have to take short rations, then that's a problem. But when it does no harm to enjoy the fine things, not doing so is pointless self-denial. People should appreciate quality. The best that the sector has to offer.
[Ari is exceptionally serious about her duty, and she can bear hardship in pursuit of it - but she also imports fancy coffee over great distances, and wears a perfectly, expensively tailored uniform, and there's more of upper-level Cardalek in her than she'd like to admit to.] Here's where you're wrong. A Demon King like you doesn't corrupt people. He enlightens them. He brings them to the higher values, like liberty, and individuality. Self-determination and pride. No wonder those monks in their... crab bucket hated you!
[Ordinarily, she tries to at least feign respect for the religious beliefs of others, but this one just sounds like outright tyranny.]
The problem is that you couldn't bring freedom without bloodshed, is that it? Like Breakaway. Sometimes I think it's inevitable. Someone who thinks that you deserve to suffer and that nobody should strive for more than they already have probably isn't going to listen to reason.