❝ A hierarchical society was only possible ❞

[dedicateyourheart]

{ on a basis of poverty and ignorance }
💮 open post for esen 💮

overflow ⌖ wildcard

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[incitement]

[ even just talking like this is a risk. insu picks up a new phone every time he gets to a new world and tosses it before he leaves. he tries to avoid using names where he can. he takes every precaution he can think of aside from just cutting himself off from people entirely while he's off world, but he still feels like it'll never be enough. and it probably won't be ]

And you'll understand if I tell you something similar?

[dedicateyourheart]

Understand, yes. Like it, no. But I know it's for the best.

(( The best being everyone's safety. Insu's always been utterly selfless in his devotion to this cause. They can't let their personal feelings interfere with their greater goals. It makes for lonely times. For Insu more than Esen. Esen isn't in hiding, he still has his family and something of a life outside of this. ))

[incitement]

Not saying for certain that it's come to that yet, just that we have to start thinking of that as a possibility

[ not that he has to tell esen that. it's something that's always been looming over their friendship. and it's not like it'll be the first or last time that insu's isolated himself in the name the safety of others, or in the name of the cause. it's lonely but necessary ]

[dedicateyourheart]

It's never far from my mind, Chief.

(( That's just the reality of the life they chose. Even if Insu never speaks to him again, Esen would still consider him his dearest friend. Above and beyond that, he'll always be an inspiration -- not just to Esen. ))

[incitement]

[ insu worries that that's their future, that someday he'll have to cut himself off from esen and not look back. he worries that someday he'll have to stop seeing esen and speaking to him and just forget about him entirely. for the safety of everyone. for their home and its future.

is it selfish to sometimes resent the rebellion for what it's taken from him and will likely keep taking from him ]

Good.
No actually not good.
Make better friends! :)

[dedicateyourheart]

There's no better friend than you.
It's only possible to make more local friends, I'm afraid.

[incitement]

There are plenty of better friends than me, I'm sure.
Like local! Local is better than someone who's barely around and who you sometimes don't hear from for months at a time.

[dedicateyourheart]

You're right.
If we pretend for a moment that not being around isn't a necessity.

[incitement]

Necessity doesn't change the fact that I'm gone more than I'm there.
You still have a life outside of all of this. Do you have friends too?

[dedicateyourheart]

Do my sisters count? If so, yes.

[incitement]

That's it?

[dedicateyourheart]

It's hard to trust outside of our specific social circle, don't you think?

[incitement]

Just between us, it's hard to entirely trust within our specific social circle as well.

[dedicateyourheart]

It's hard to trust. I just didn't want to sound cynical or anything.

[incitement]

Don't worry about that. Cynicism just comes with what we do.

[dedicateyourheart]

Can we really afford it when we pedal hope to our social circle?

(( He doesn't dare say 'followers'. ))

[incitement]

[ good. it doesn't feel right referring to them in that way, even if that's exactly what they are ]

I think we can, so long as we're careful about it.

[dedicateyourheart]

We just can't let them see us lose hope.

[incitement]

That's where being careful comes in. Extremely careful.

[ especially those members of the rebellion with a lot of eyes on them, who are looked up to by a lot of people... ]

[dedicateyourheart]

(( One of the many reasons Esen's glad that, even though he's very technically among the leadership, he's not in a front-facing position. There are fewer eyes (with the organization) on him. Outside of it? He'll have a target nearly as big as Insu's if his identity were known. Cut off the food and supplies and what's left? ))

You can always be open with me, chief. Whenever you need to. I know you can't be on that pedestal all the time for everyone.

[incitement]

[ if insu can help it, no one will ever know of esen's part in the rebellion, and not just because of his position. he would never want to see his friend deal with the same stress and isolation that he does ]

The only reason I can't is because you won't let me. LOL

[dedicateyourheart]

(( On his side to the screen, Esen chortles. Because it's true! ))

Someone has to remind you that you're just a mere human LMAO

[incitement]

[ so very true! if not for esen's intervention, insu probably wouldn't stop. hell, even with esen dragging him away, insu still often works himself to exhaustion. it's hard not to when there are always things that need to be done, and when people are always looking to get his attention. he doesn't want anyone to feel that he's ignoring them or that their thoughts and ideas are less important :( ]

Hey, that's a secret that I expect to stay between us!

[dedicateyourheart]

My lips are sealed.

[incitement]

Good. If I find out you've told anyone, you can find yourself a new nightmare of a friend to keep your stress at an all time high :)