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[spoileralert]

12:34

Friday, May 4

Verizon

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[heavensreader]

[Kesara wrinkles her nose slightly in curiosity. She sees the attraction, but this is a newfangled notion.]

Are you very hard to keep happy, Miss Stephanie?

[spoileralert]

Depends on the guy. Men have a hard time treating women like real people sometimes. Good men and bad men.

[heavensreader]

Even when the women go to school, and fight crime? [She wasn't expecting that. What a letdown.]

[spoileralert]

Yeah, I know. But men are stupid.

cw internalised misogyny

[heavensreader]

Well, but many women aren't suited to doing these things. Men can't leave all women to fend for themselves when there are many who really cannot be expected to.

[spoileralert]

Only because that's the way they're taught. You get told you can't do a thing enough times, you start to believe it.

[heavensreader]

I've heard it's so, but... I know a lot of women, Miss Stephanie, and a lot of them aren't at all like the women here. They'd die if they were here, they'd die right quick!

[spoileralert]

They were raised to think differently, Kes. They believe they're helpless, so they are.

[heavensreader]

Well, if they were raised to think they were men - but even then, we're built different, aren't we? God - whichever gods - they made women so they can have children, and they're suited for it, well, most of them. I don't know if I am. But I am still young and it should change when I'm older, they say.

[spoileralert]

A little different, but they've found out that it doesn't amount to much.

[heavensreader]

Have they? [Science to the rescue!] But, but all the different - I mean, women's natural energies go towards childbearing. It's the womb that has all these trouble. Men don't have... that is, they have this other... oh, you know.

[spoileralert]

[ She tried very hard to restrain a giggle. ]

Yes. There are anatomical differences. But men aren't inherently stronger and women aren't inherently more emotional. That's all- [ Hold on Kes might not know some of these terms. ]

Are you familiar with the expression Nature versus Nurture?

[heavensreader]

I haven't heard it, but, I think I understand - you mean - that men and women are different because of how they're raised. But you know that isn't just so, miss Stephanie! You can't raise a woman to have a man's strength!

[spoileralert]

You can. But it's not just parenting, it's the people around you when you were growing up, the things you've seen and the things you've learned on your own. It's completely possible for a woman to be as strong as the strongest of men. Just... maybe not in your home town, or country, or most of your world.

[heavensreader]

Maybe it's possible in the future. When women can also be doctors and in the police - all women, I mean. Not only those that God made different somehow.

[spoileralert]

[ She shrugs. Close enough. ]

You've got a point.

[ ... ]

Hey, do you think... do you have a secret I could give Ecks? It's for Zach.

[heavensreader]

[What an absolutely excellent change of topic. Kesara lights up like a little firework.]

For Zach? What does Ecks need a secret for that's to do with Zach? Does it need to be a dangerous secret?

[spoileralert]

I made a deal with her. I promised entertaining secrets about people here - not useful, just interesting.

[heavensreader]

... miss Ste- I mean, Steph - do they have to be true secrets?

[This has just acquired the potential to be the best day of her life.]

[spoileralert]

[ She smiles. There's a good girl. ]

Not necessarily. Just believable.

[heavensreader]

[THE BEST DAY]

Tell her Quark is hiding missiles in his hat. Very small ones. He'll confirm it. Tell her Kunsel used to be bald until Zell found his special hair gel that grows hair. Tell her Frisk should start growing their fur next year but Toriel hopes Zell will trade her some of his gel because she hopes they'll start early, since it's so cold! Rhys's little screaming machine is screaming so Rhys won't have to. Nathan used to captain a ship but got discharged because he sent foolish letters to his admirals. Sir Haurchefant has to do his exercises in the snow because otherwise he'd get even taller. Tell her I bit a camel once. That one's even true!

[spoileralert]

[ That makes Steph laugh. ]

You know, I think there may be some nuggets of truth in all of that.

[heavensreader]

Oah, no, it's all outrageous lies. [And she sounds very pleased with that.] But Ecks couldn't tell. Not Ecks.

[spoileralert]

The thing about Dumpy sounds about right. If Ecks has any sense of humor whatever she'll love it.

[heavensreader]

If Ecks had a sense of humour she wouldn't be Ecks!