Hoshor Plains Gentle Girl, Gentle Step

there was something about ajei so profoundly different than sobeille. a softness — not weak or insipid — it reminded sobeille of a summer flower held in the cusp of a sun-ripened meadow.

sobeille considered the complexity of ajei’s compassion. how did such an emotion benefit her? did it? or was it costly — an emotion that tapped into their limited resources of time and energy.

well, mebbe it be a blessing’. dey died before dey knew much of anyt’ing. she shrugged, unable to afford a shred of empathy for what she thought were just concepts. mebbe you be one of dem, an’ you come back each time you die.