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the Lamb in Snowglobe
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"I could tell you about the fucked-up stuff but it's upsetting and I don't really want to."

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"You should discuss this with the government, it'd be their job to figure out how to monitor the situation and make sure everyone was safe."

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"...I don't know if you meant 'it'd be their job to figure out how to monitor the situation and decide if it's time to murder me yet' but that's what it sounded like and if that's what it was going to be like I would kind of rather just not try. Probably. I don't know. Figuring out how to make things better for you guys seems pretty important what with all the torture but I just got done with one situation where I was constantly being watched by somebody who'd kill me horribly if I did anything they didn't like and I do not really want to live like that ever again."

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"Well, three things. First, Sathend only uses clean executions and wouldn't kill you horribly. Second, Sathend only uses executions because exile isn't a realistic option, and it sounds like it might sort of be a realistic option with you. And third, I said everyone, not everyone except you. You have a hard problem and it's their job to help you solve it."

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"...maybe," she says doubtfully. "Really?"

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"Yeah, like, I'm not sure what set of policies would help you find people who'd like your horrifying magic thing, and help you make sure everyone else knows that you're only looking for people who would like it and not just doing it to everyone, but that's the kind of thing that it's the government's job to figure out. It's - you know, I also have the ability to do horrible things to people, and it was necessary to do horrible things to me to make it that way, and my impression of the government here is that they've been basically reasonable about helping us figure out how to make all that as un-horrible as possible."

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"I am... not really used to most people trying to make things less horrible, when they have the option."

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"From what you've said so far I'm not impressed with your world."

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"Me neither."

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"And I suppose that's why you're here now. I hope you end up liking Sathend better."

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"I hope so too."

She takes a deep breath, then says, very reluctantly, "...I'll talk to the government if you think I should. I guess beforehand I want to know... what talking to the government is like... but I'm not sure how easy that is to explain."

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"They'll have a lot of questions and they'll probably want to share most of your answers with everyone. They do think they have a right to go around making rules, but that's only because people generally agree that's a good idea, and you're part of everyone and you get a say in that. I've been advised that if there's something you should tell them then you should make sure you know all the details beforehand, but I don't think you can reasonably act on that advice."

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"Are they going to expect me to be good at talking to people? I'm bad at it."

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"I don't know..."

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"I've never talked to them, I don't know either."

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"I spent my whole life avoiding other people as much as I could, so when I try to talk to them I say things wrong or say the wrong things or don't understand implications that should be obvious. I think I've been doing okay so far but I'm worried that—somebody who's used to people putting a lot of effort into interacting with them correctly—wouldn't handle me well."

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"Hmm." (This is Lia's "if you're too bad at talking to people to be allowed in society I think I'll go jump off a cliff now" face.)

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"What exactly are you concerned they'll do?"

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"If I knew maybe I'd be less worried! I just—don't really know—how to put effort into interacting correctly? Or even really what interacting correctly would mean?"

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"You've done it right if they learn what you want them to know and you learn what they want you to know."

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"I guess that's reasonable. Okay."

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"So, um. Should I show you the map now?"

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"Sure, all right."

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She leaves Val to whatever he's up to next and unrolls the tapestry to reveal that it's a map. She points out the forest, and some lightly used plains, and their current location, and the temple, and the capitol building.

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"Where do you think I could claim some land that wasn't near anyone else? The forest, maybe? I'm used to forests."

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