[ and that's the thing - sam can tell estinein is an intense individual. and he's kind of kicking himself for allowing that intensity to rub him the wrong way. it makes sense why estinein is upset, makes sense that he would be angered by sam's choices here. it's been a while since he's been in this situation, he realizes - some years since his last counseling session, save for his conversation with karli, which hadn't been official by any means.
sam reminds himself that he set the boundary of no fighting, and that he opened up the communication with estinein. he needs to listen, and listen more openly. he has his own opinions on the matter, yes, but that doesn't make estinein's incorrect in any way. and he can recognize that estinein is doing much of the same - trying to step back, to go about this conversation in a calmer way. he very obviously feels passionate about this, and sam wants to respect that. respect him. ]
My thoughts are that everyone has a different reason for going where they wanted to go, or staying where they were. It could be information, it could be for influence - hell. It could be that they just missed the portals because they were too busy helping everyone else. [ there is a slight tension that runs through sam, at that point. he's thinking about bucky being left behind, about how he still - somehow - feels guilty about it. but that's not what estinein is trying to talk about, so sam continues. ] But I can't speak for everyone, and I don't want to try. Not everyone is going to see it the way you, or I, see it. And maybe there are some who do just totally agree with Ambrose and all Thorne's shit- it's all possible. I'm not here to force you to see it my way, or their way. That's not the point to all this.
[ sam doesn't really want to go into his philosophy on people - that he does, to this day, believe they are inherently good. that it's situational things that push them in one direction or the other. he knows it's a bit naive, and he knows there have been and will always be moments where that will come and bite him in the ass. but for now... for now, he doesn't see the intelligent people he's met so far blindly following a dude like ambrose.
he can always be corrected, but he's not there yet. ]
As for whether or not I'm worried about spies- I guess that would depend on what information you consider valuable. Any and all people that are here are here of their own accord. They don't have to tell the ones who stayed in Thorne where they went, or where they're staying. They don't have to talk to them at all, if they don't want to. That means, at least from my perspective, the only information they could get here would be the same they could get coming into the Horizon at any other time. [ the short answer is yes, sam absolutely considered this. spent hours upon hours going over it in his head to make sure that this would be safe. or that he could make it as safe as possible. ] If someone who was staying in Thorne really wanted to get information on - for the sake of argument, let's say you or me - they wouldn't get any more information here, at this party, than they would if they just showed up in our domain, would they? [ sam's question is genuine - if estinein is seeing something he isn't, he is absolutely willing to listen and adjust. the safety for everyone is, and continues to be, his top priority. ]
If anything, I had hoped that this whole event would remind everyone that we're all in this together. That the people who left Thorne did it for a reason, just as the people who stayed in the castle did. It's really easy to vilify people you don't have to see or interact with, and even easier to forget that we're all just people, in the end. The nation can't come into the Horizon, only we can. And there's power if we can remind each other that we're more alike than different, no matter where we ended up.
[ and that's the heart of it, isn't it? sam trying to remind them all that for all the places they go, and for all the natives they're around, anyone coming into the horizon are in this together. that thorne needs them more than they need thorne. there's power in that, and sam wants everyone to remember that.
but then, once he's said his piece, sam's expression grows a bit thoughtful. ]
no subject
sam reminds himself that he set the boundary of no fighting, and that he opened up the communication with estinein. he needs to listen, and listen more openly. he has his own opinions on the matter, yes, but that doesn't make estinein's incorrect in any way. and he can recognize that estinein is doing much of the same - trying to step back, to go about this conversation in a calmer way. he very obviously feels passionate about this, and sam wants to respect that. respect him. ]
My thoughts are that everyone has a different reason for going where they wanted to go, or staying where they were. It could be information, it could be for influence - hell. It could be that they just missed the portals because they were too busy helping everyone else. [ there is a slight tension that runs through sam, at that point. he's thinking about bucky being left behind, about how he still - somehow - feels guilty about it. but that's not what estinein is trying to talk about, so sam continues. ] But I can't speak for everyone, and I don't want to try. Not everyone is going to see it the way you, or I, see it. And maybe there are some who do just totally agree with Ambrose and all Thorne's shit- it's all possible. I'm not here to force you to see it my way, or their way. That's not the point to all this.
[ sam doesn't really want to go into his philosophy on people - that he does, to this day, believe they are inherently good. that it's situational things that push them in one direction or the other. he knows it's a bit naive, and he knows there have been and will always be moments where that will come and bite him in the ass. but for now... for now, he doesn't see the intelligent people he's met so far blindly following a dude like ambrose.
he can always be corrected, but he's not there yet. ]
As for whether or not I'm worried about spies- I guess that would depend on what information you consider valuable. Any and all people that are here are here of their own accord. They don't have to tell the ones who stayed in Thorne where they went, or where they're staying. They don't have to talk to them at all, if they don't want to. That means, at least from my perspective, the only information they could get here would be the same they could get coming into the Horizon at any other time. [ the short answer is yes, sam absolutely considered this. spent hours upon hours going over it in his head to make sure that this would be safe. or that he could make it as safe as possible. ] If someone who was staying in Thorne really wanted to get information on - for the sake of argument, let's say you or me - they wouldn't get any more information here, at this party, than they would if they just showed up in our domain, would they? [ sam's question is genuine - if estinein is seeing something he isn't, he is absolutely willing to listen and adjust. the safety for everyone is, and continues to be, his top priority. ]
If anything, I had hoped that this whole event would remind everyone that we're all in this together. That the people who left Thorne did it for a reason, just as the people who stayed in the castle did. It's really easy to vilify people you don't have to see or interact with, and even easier to forget that we're all just people, in the end. The nation can't come into the Horizon, only we can. And there's power if we can remind each other that we're more alike than different, no matter where we ended up.
[ and that's the heart of it, isn't it? sam trying to remind them all that for all the places they go, and for all the natives they're around, anyone coming into the horizon are in this together. that thorne needs them more than they need thorne. there's power in that, and sam wants everyone to remember that.
but then, once he's said his piece, sam's expression grows a bit thoughtful. ]
Can I ask you something?