The lack of argument against even the assertion that the system had failed Devero multiple times, calms Koumyou down a little. He visibly collects himself, then returns to sitting on the edge of the bed, reaching to take up one of Devero's hands.
His are gentle, despite what's simmering inside him.
"You didn't argue," Koumyou says, "but I want you to know what I mean anyway. It failed you in some small way when you were pushed at the Guard. Then you embraced that role; the protector, someone who saves others... and then the system failed you in a huge way when you were so harshly penalized for protecting and saving others. It immediately failed you yet again when you were just... left to yourself after, left to steep in what had happened, left to rot."
He gives Devero's fingers a squeeze. "They left you staked in the sun, so of course you leaned into the first sign of shade. The first sip of water. A new hierarchy to fall into."
And it had failed when Valdana had gained power, when each of her vile friends had too, one failure after another, each easier than the last.
It had failed to watch those it had empowered. The systems had been hollowed out right in front of closed eyes, peaceful in the knowledge that all was well.
And so, it had also failed to rescue Devero from the very situation it had fed him to.
"You learned to see," Koumyou draws his hand to his lips to press a kiss to it. "I need you to know I don't blame you for what your people did to you. Not even a little."
He draws in a long breath, lets it out in a sigh, carefully calming himself down.
"I don't even blame the individuals, not really. This isn't just some small temple with locked gates and few dozen monks inside that tell each other they're safe from the outside dangers because they pray so much. It's a whole world like that. Maybe it started off better, but they were fools to assume it would stay that way on its own. Did they think only the honorable survived the plague, and that being honorable would pass along genetically through the generations? That humanity had been purified of greed, just because they stopped using money?"
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His are gentle, despite what's simmering inside him.
"You didn't argue," Koumyou says, "but I want you to know what I mean anyway. It failed you in some small way when you were pushed at the Guard. Then you embraced that role; the protector, someone who saves others... and then the system failed you in a huge way when you were so harshly penalized for protecting and saving others. It immediately failed you yet again when you were just... left to yourself after, left to steep in what had happened, left to rot."
He gives Devero's fingers a squeeze. "They left you staked in the sun, so of course you leaned into the first sign of shade. The first sip of water. A new hierarchy to fall into."
And it had failed when Valdana had gained power, when each of her vile friends had too, one failure after another, each easier than the last.
It had failed to watch those it had empowered. The systems had been hollowed out right in front of closed eyes, peaceful in the knowledge that all was well.
And so, it had also failed to rescue Devero from the very situation it had fed him to.
"You learned to see," Koumyou draws his hand to his lips to press a kiss to it. "I need you to know I don't blame you for what your people did to you. Not even a little."
He draws in a long breath, lets it out in a sigh, carefully calming himself down.
"I don't even blame the individuals, not really. This isn't just some small temple with locked gates and few dozen monks inside that tell each other they're safe from the outside dangers because they pray so much. It's a whole world like that. Maybe it started off better, but they were fools to assume it would stay that way on its own. Did they think only the honorable survived the plague, and that being honorable would pass along genetically through the generations? That humanity had been purified of greed, just because they stopped using money?"