[ At first Nikolai is tempted to shrug off the question, maybe deflect with an offhand joke. But then - and it's only a guess, with someone he knows so little - Onni doesn't seem the type to be distracted by charm. So instead he's quiet a few moments, then says: ]
There are some people who will keep on fighting to the bitter end, even knowing that the odds are stacked against them, because they are committed. But in my experience, a lot of people aren't like that. Most people. They need hope in order to keep them going, when things are difficult. They need someone to tell them a story with a happy ending, or else they'll give up.
[ Nikolai looks away from Onni, down at his hands. Nikolai loves people. He loves getting to know them, learning them like puzzle boxes. He likes meeting people from far-off lands and common people from the heart of Ravka. But he also understands people, very well. He knows how his people would react, for instance, if they found out about his affliction. The superstition. The fear. The disgust and hate.
His voice is lower as he adds, still staring at his scarred and black-stained fingers: ]
Without hope, people turn on each other. They target whoever they see as weak or different and are cruel to them in order to feel powerful. If people don't have hope, they will chose what's familiar and easy instead of what is right. So... yes. Giving them hope can be a tool. Even if it is sometimes more than half a lie.
[ He looks up finally, his hazel eyes on Onni, assessing. Gauging his reaction. Would he understand?
Nikolai gets to his feet, following in the direction that Onni leads. Now that he knows this place is not a dream, he pays much more attention to where he's going. He points out various things on the way there, asking their function. The idea that this place does not run on money is so absurd to him that he can't entirely process it right away.
The store is both similar and dissimilar to the markets that Nikolai is used to. Some things - mostly the fruits, vegetables, and staples like bread and rice - are familiar to him. But many other things are incomprehensible. He holds up one strange package, asking with incredulity: ]
no subject
There are some people who will keep on fighting to the bitter end, even knowing that the odds are stacked against them, because they are committed. But in my experience, a lot of people aren't like that. Most people. They need hope in order to keep them going, when things are difficult. They need someone to tell them a story with a happy ending, or else they'll give up.
[ Nikolai looks away from Onni, down at his hands. Nikolai loves people. He loves getting to know them, learning them like puzzle boxes. He likes meeting people from far-off lands and common people from the heart of Ravka. But he also understands people, very well. He knows how his people would react, for instance, if they found out about his affliction. The superstition. The fear. The disgust and hate.
His voice is lower as he adds, still staring at his scarred and black-stained fingers: ]
Without hope, people turn on each other. They target whoever they see as weak or different and are cruel to them in order to feel powerful. If people don't have hope, they will chose what's familiar and easy instead of what is right. So... yes. Giving them hope can be a tool. Even if it is sometimes more than half a lie.
[ He looks up finally, his hazel eyes on Onni, assessing. Gauging his reaction. Would he understand?
Nikolai gets to his feet, following in the direction that Onni leads. Now that he knows this place is not a dream, he pays much more attention to where he's going. He points out various things on the way there, asking their function. The idea that this place does not run on money is so absurd to him that he can't entirely process it right away.
The store is both similar and dissimilar to the markets that Nikolai is used to. Some things - mostly the fruits, vegetables, and staples like bread and rice - are familiar to him. But many other things are incomprehensible. He holds up one strange package, asking with incredulity: ]
This is food?