seventeen. text.

[goryteller]

Once upon a time, there were two kings who lived in two separate kingdoms and sat upon two separate thrones; one kingdom was in a valley bathed in light and had bountiful harvests and green, green grass for all the livestock to live on, whereas the other was on a mountain bathed in darkness and suffered drought and famine and so forth, and many of the animals were sickly and the residents were poor. One day, after many weeks of rainfall, a powerful storm hung on the horizon, and the king in the dark kingdom offered the other king and his residents shelter on the mountain with them, for while life was difficult there, their height lent them protection from the dangerous flow of the river below, the same river that allowed the light kingdom to flourish so easily in better times.

"And why should I do that!" cried the king. "We are so comfortable where we are. How could you ask us to give that up, to live life in suffering like you?"

And when storm came, the river overflowed and swallowed the light kingdom, choking the life out of all those bountiful harvests and green, green grasses, and those who didn't drown succumbed to illness and starvation soon after.

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Comments

[incywincyhero]

You're just waiting to deploy the pithy yet cutting remark, aren't you?

[goryteller]

Humor's not safely within my realm. I'll keep it at that.

[incywincyhero]

Oooh, you're good.

[goryteller]

How are you, Spider-Man?

[incywincyhero]

Dandy, just as always. Feeling a little down, Katurian?

[goryteller]

Tired, maybe. It's been a tiring summer.

[incywincyhero]

Understatement of the year, that one.

[ENCRYPTED.]

I know the last few weeks have been rough on you -- are you holding up all right, now that it's mostly over? Need a friendly ear? I know we don't know each other that well, security details aside, but sometimes that takes the pressure off.

encrypted;

[goryteller]

Do you promise not to tell Andy? He worries enough. He's done enough for me. He doesn't need any more.

encrypted;

[incywincyhero]

I won't tell him anything you tell me without your permission.

encrypted;

[goryteller]

No.

I don't know.

encrypted;

[incywincyhero]

You don't have to tell me anything, either. But I'm here.