[ scien is rational, and sometimes that makes him brusque—but it means also that he receives a thoughtful answer so long as he doesn't ask a stupid question in the first place.
it's an answer he can resonate with, because there's many types of love. he's felt most of them. it's hard to differentiate emotions sometimes, the different lines of love, devotion, duty, but that's part of being a person.
he smiles warmly, a glint in his eye. ]
My sister was like that. [ and scien is right, because she was essentially the perfect princess. ] Though she was very much in love with a man. They just... both ended up risking their lives for everyone's sake anyway.
To feel strongly for one's values, enough to risk your own life—I do think emotion helps push that boundary.
No, I don't think you need to be emotional for that. In fact, I think emotions like fear or cowardice or self-interest often will keep people from exactly what you're describing.
[when people will choose themselves first. love is a strong emotion, certainly, but so is fear. it's always a coin toss which, exactly, will end up winning.]
But I do think that is almost more of a sign of thoughtful governance. Self-sacrifice can be a stupid trait, especially for a leader of a country, but I have even less care for those who are only concerned about themselves.
[ there's a second where his expression is more complicated than his usual, unadulterated brightness. just a little grimace. ]
Hah... I wouldn't call it self-sacrifice.
But I do think every leader needs to be ready to risk their lives for their kingdom. What is the point of a king who only cares about himself? I've always thought a royal's calling is to serve their people. To protect their home and happiness.
[ the whole point is that it's higher than single existence. more than just living for yourself. ]
It sounds like you've dealt with some terrible ones.
[so the simple answer is yes. scien, by default, actually hates royalty.]
During the first week here, someone described you and the Idealist Princess to me as charming. But I don't care about charm. Charm doesn't keep countries afloat and the population intact.
You seem like you could be halfway decent at it. The Masochist was also fine, as far as royals go. I didn't even know he was one for most of the time we spoke. [which is how scien kinda preferred it? he likes when royals aren't obviously royals. have a personality trait outside of the crown, thanks.]
Maybe your kingdom won't end up as much of a mess as my country.
[ his fins flutter a bit at that, like 'halfway decent' is halfway to a compliment. ]
I intend to do my best, and to be more than just a charming front.
[ which he says with a rare lack of levity. when he's home, being boisterous and friend-shaped doesn't always carry into the throne room.
still, he perks up at the mention of his Prison Bestie, Goops Goops. ]
But, oh—you mean Prince Dion? Yes, he strikes me as a conscientious ruler! [ he carries himself like a prince, in sidon's eyes, but only because he knows exactly what it entails. ] His kingdom has a great deal more strife to deal with than my own, unfortunately.
[that's as kind of a wish as scien can manage? like... just do your job? but he figures sidon doesn't really need to be told that, which is why he is perhaps going to be a halfway decent ruler. maybe.
as for dion - ]
He's tortured and burdened, but hides it decently. That will probably be his downfall, even if it's been his shield so far. Though I find it hard to believe any good royal can ever be truly happy, given the weight you're all born with.
but the enthusiasm behind wanting to be a great king dims a little as they get onto the subject of dion some more. ]
Mm... He never told me in so many words, but he has a melancholy to him.
[ when they talked about love, and such. ]
I think our happiness is relative to the joy and comfort of our people. [ sidon is very, very cheerful, but if his lands were in turmoil, he wouldn't actually be happy. ] I don't think of that as a burden, so much as the reason for any royal's existence... But Prince Dion has to deal with lands in the tumult of war. I'm sure that brings him much heartache.
[when scien talks about other people who are still alive, he normally is doing so to make fun of them or asking for the bare minimum updates on their existence
he decides that this is too much serious contemplation about someone who isn't around to give their own input]
I'm very sure that the royals of my country wouldn't be able to hold their own in a war, and since I don't care to ever get involved in that level of massacre and headache, we'd probably fall to ruin if we had to deal with international affairs.
It's just another reason to be content in our isolation for now.
Isolation is our strategy as well, to be honest. Though your island takes it to an extreme.
[ it's more like the zora just live places that are wet and no one else can deal with wetness like they can. ]
I suppose if you are handling the great crisis of your nation, and the nobility has no outside threats to deal with, they could become lazy and corrupt...
The ocean and fears of our curse separates us from everyone else, and right now that's for the best.
[relivers out in the world sounds like a fucking disaster and scien is NOT for it.
but he frowns, because once again he fucking hates royals!!! but mostly shitty ones, and he has to make it extremely clear just how low the virche royals set the bar]
But they are exactly that and have been exactly that for as long as I've been alive. They force gag orders upon the people to not discuss their own incompetence, but they are all quite stupid and selfish. The average citizen doesn't even remember the name of their king because the royals are only concerned about protecting their own lives. I don't have time to deal with people who are only interested in serving themselves.
he frowns though. i almost wrote his brows furrow but he does not have those. ]
I've never heard of leaders who would abandon their people so wholly.
[ it's really inconceivable to him. ]
But I suppose royalty takes discipline. When you are held at a higher power—one must hold themselves accountable. [ because not many other people will. ] Might I ask what happened to the royal woman you were speaking of? She sounded wonderful. [ especially in comparison. ]
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it's an answer he can resonate with, because there's many types of love. he's felt most of them. it's hard to differentiate emotions sometimes, the different lines of love, devotion, duty, but that's part of being a person.
he smiles warmly, a glint in his eye. ]
My sister was like that. [ and scien is right, because she was essentially the perfect princess. ] Though she was very much in love with a man. They just... both ended up risking their lives for everyone's sake anyway.
To feel strongly for one's values, enough to risk your own life—I do think emotion helps push that boundary.
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ironically.]
No, I don't think you need to be emotional for that. In fact, I think emotions like fear or cowardice or self-interest often will keep people from exactly what you're describing.
[when people will choose themselves first. love is a strong emotion, certainly, but so is fear. it's always a coin toss which, exactly, will end up winning.]
But I do think that is almost more of a sign of thoughtful governance. Self-sacrifice can be a stupid trait, especially for a leader of a country, but I have even less care for those who are only concerned about themselves.
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Hah... I wouldn't call it self-sacrifice.
But I do think every leader needs to be ready to risk their lives for their kingdom. What is the point of a king who only cares about himself? I've always thought a royal's calling is to serve their people. To protect their home and happiness.
[ the whole point is that it's higher than single existence. more than just living for yourself. ]
It sounds like you've dealt with some terrible ones.
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[so the simple answer is yes. scien, by default, actually hates royalty.]
During the first week here, someone described you and the Idealist Princess to me as charming. But I don't care about charm. Charm doesn't keep countries afloat and the population intact.
[he looks at sidon as if he's assessing him, even though scien knows that his opinion doesn't extend very far. he's smart, but he truly only concerns himself with arpéchéle. still, he'll provide his results:]
You seem like you could be halfway decent at it. The Masochist was also fine, as far as royals go. I didn't even know he was one for most of the time we spoke. [which is how scien kinda preferred it? he likes when royals aren't obviously royals. have a personality trait outside of the crown, thanks.]
Maybe your kingdom won't end up as much of a mess as my country.
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I intend to do my best, and to be more than just a charming front.
[ which he says with a rare lack of levity. when he's home, being boisterous and friend-shaped doesn't always carry into the throne room.
still, he perks up at the mention of his Prison Bestie, Goops Goops. ]
But, oh—you mean Prince Dion? Yes, he strikes me as a conscientious ruler! [ he carries himself like a prince, in sidon's eyes, but only because he knows exactly what it entails. ] His kingdom has a great deal more strife to deal with than my own, unfortunately.
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I don't believe in luck, so simply do well.
[that's as kind of a wish as scien can manage? like... just do your job? but he figures sidon doesn't really need to be told that, which is why he is perhaps going to be a halfway decent ruler. maybe.
as for dion - ]
He's tortured and burdened, but hides it decently. That will probably be his downfall, even if it's been his shield so far. Though I find it hard to believe any good royal can ever be truly happy, given the weight you're all born with.
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but the enthusiasm behind wanting to be a great king dims a little as they get onto the subject of dion some more. ]
Mm... He never told me in so many words, but he has a melancholy to him.
[ when they talked about love, and such. ]
I think our happiness is relative to the joy and comfort of our people. [ sidon is very, very cheerful, but if his lands were in turmoil, he wouldn't actually be happy. ] I don't think of that as a burden, so much as the reason for any royal's existence... But Prince Dion has to deal with lands in the tumult of war. I'm sure that brings him much heartache.
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he decides that this is too much serious contemplation about someone who isn't around to give their own input]
I'm very sure that the royals of my country wouldn't be able to hold their own in a war, and since I don't care to ever get involved in that level of massacre and headache, we'd probably fall to ruin if we had to deal with international affairs.
It's just another reason to be content in our isolation for now.
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Isolation is our strategy as well, to be honest. Though your island takes it to an extreme.
[ it's more like the zora just live places that are wet and no one else can deal with wetness like they can. ]
I suppose if you are handling the great crisis of your nation, and the nobility has no outside threats to deal with, they could become lazy and corrupt...
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[relivers out in the world sounds like a fucking disaster and scien is NOT for it.
but he frowns, because once again he fucking hates royals!!! but mostly shitty ones, and he has to make it extremely clear just how low the virche royals set the bar]
But they are exactly that and have been exactly that for as long as I've been alive. They force gag orders upon the people to not discuss their own incompetence, but they are all quite stupid and selfish. The average citizen doesn't even remember the name of their king because the royals are only concerned about protecting their own lives. I don't have time to deal with people who are only interested in serving themselves.
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he frowns though. i almost wrote his brows furrow but he does not have those. ]
I've never heard of leaders who would abandon their people so wholly.
[ it's really inconceivable to him. ]
But I suppose royalty takes discipline. When you are held at a higher power—one must hold themselves accountable. [ because not many other people will. ] Might I ask what happened to the royal woman you were speaking of? She sounded wonderful. [ especially in comparison. ]
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What do you think could've happened? Of course she was murdered.
[of course.
also nu i'm shaking give me a mem i'll kill you]