video.

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[Excuse the owlish-eyed girl with the weird pasted-on smile. She has things to talk about!]

Attention...!

I will not use names, because I don't want to embarrass them, b-but...! I needed to tell a very particular pilot something very important! And that is this: if you do d-decide to propose to Miss L — to, ummmm... to your girlfriend, you should not give her a ring made out of spaceship parts. Because that's kind of strange to wear. I believe that sort of advice should be applied to everyone, though...!

Unless the person you love really, really, really enjoys spaceships.

I suppose we should all wear what makes us happy!

I do admit, I've always wanted jewelry... I-I mean, I know they're very expensive most of the time, but I've never gotten to wear any before. Maybe I should make some! Oh, but I don't think I would be very good at it... Is there a particular way to make nice jewelry, even for someone like me? Necklaces and rings and....

....

I don't think I can wear earrings. That seems like it would hurt.

Ah!! I apologize, I guess I've been thinking so much about different topics! Like — games, and stories, and stuff to wear, and so many new things that I've never gotten to enjoy myself before. I think I even have.... friends! Do I? Is there a level that I need to reach with people before I can be friends with them? P-perhaps there's a way to officiate friendships...

Maybe with rings, like marriage! Friendship rings!!

Comments

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[She nods.]

The nobles from my world, they were... W-well!

They wore some very dumb things. They even wore big bubbles on their heads, so they didn't have to breathe the same air as me and the other people who weren't nobles...!

[bryces_pup]

...you're serious. Maker's -

[And she thought Orlesian nobles were bad. Holy shit.]

The levels of pretentious people can reach never cease to amaze me.

...were they cruel to their people?

[scrubscrub]

[A-ah. She nods, looking down at her feet, smile growing more nervous.]

Y-yes, miss. They were very cruel. They took whoever they wanted as slaves... Sometimes they would ride on their shoulders, b-because they didn't want to walk. If you couldn't support them, the crueler nobles would make their collar explode. They play many terrible games... and look down on everyone, no matter who they were. If you weren't a noble, you were -- "no better than dirt"!

I h-have seen them do things I didn't know people could do.

[bryces_pup]

[For all that she talks smack about Thedas, sometimes she is reminded that things could be much worse. And here is a perfect example of that. She hardly knows how slaves are treated in Tevinter, though what little she's seen tells her it's not great. But, what Koala speaks about... That's just a level of awful Riona hardly ever dreamed of.

It makes her blood boil.

Her jaw clenches in rage; a lot of willpower holds it back, if just barely. She doesn't want to go on an angry tirade in front of Koala, of all people.]

There are no words for the level of abhorrence on their part. Your nobles should be strung out for such treatment of their people.

[If they had been in her father's teyrnir, he would have browbeat the lot of them.

And then a worrying thought hits her, one she immediately wants to address.]

Koala, I know you don't know me entirely well, but while I may be a noble myself... I am not like those from your world. This I promise. You never have anything to fear from me. Words are not much, but they are all I have. And time, to prove that I mean them.

[scrubscrub]

[She shakes her head, smiling sweetly.]

I--it's okay, Miss Riona. I know you're a good person.

I feel... a little better, since I've been here! It's hard but... but it's also very nice in a lot of ways, too. I used to always be afraid, and I still am a lot, but I know it's been better. I'm very fortunate to have my crew and meet people like you and Miss Leia.

[bryces_pup]

It will take time. Given what you've seen and experienced... I doubt that is something you will be able to shake off right away. But if you're feeling safer already, then that's a good sign. Your crew has continued treating you well? What ship are you on, anyway?

[Can't hurt to know, and if something happens where Koala feels like she's in danger, Riona knows where to find her.]

[scrubscrub]

[She glances away, but her expression is still content.]

I'm on the Huntress! They all treat me very well.

I'm very lucky to have nakama like them.

[bryces_pup]

Good. But, what is nakama? I've never heard the term.

[She's totally not from a shonen manga, can you tell?]

[scrubscrub]

Nakama! You know, your crew. When you're nakama, you're family.

It's a very, very important word. It means willing to fight for them!

[bryces_pup]

[Nakama. It sounds strange when she says it; it's so unlike any word or phrase in any tongue back in Thedas. But the meaning? It hits close to home.]

I think I know what you mean. There are people I would consider nakama back home. And perhaps even a few that are slowly becoming such here.

[scrubscrub]

[She nods, flashing one of her more genuine smiles.]

The people on my crew are my nakama! We have to look out for each other.