[ There's clear approval in Nikolai's voice. He knows it's not the same for everyone, of course. Some people worked themselves to the bone because they had no choice. But he can't help admiring it - he'd grown up surrounded by royals and nobles who made it a virtue to do absolutely nothing at all. Some part of Nikolai will always recoil from the sort of foolish lazy self-satisfaction that he associated with his older brother. ]
You must have something you're dedicated to, surely? Even if it's not your job. Or are you a student as well?
[ Nikolai can only guess at this boy's age from the video. Sixteen? Seventeen? Around the age he'd been when he was in the army. Around the age Dominik had been, when he died.
Strange how that can feel so recent, and yet a whole lifetime away. ]
Where was home for you?
[ He knows he'll probably never have heard of the place, but it's still polite to ask. ]
no subject
[ There's clear approval in Nikolai's voice. He knows it's not the same for everyone, of course. Some people worked themselves to the bone because they had no choice. But he can't help admiring it - he'd grown up surrounded by royals and nobles who made it a virtue to do absolutely nothing at all. Some part of Nikolai will always recoil from the sort of foolish lazy self-satisfaction that he associated with his older brother. ]
You must have something you're dedicated to, surely? Even if it's not your job. Or are you a student as well?
[ Nikolai can only guess at this boy's age from the video. Sixteen? Seventeen? Around the age he'd been when he was in the army. Around the age Dominik had been, when he died.
Strange how that can feel so recent, and yet a whole lifetime away. ]
Where was home for you?
[ He knows he'll probably never have heard of the place, but it's still polite to ask. ]
I'm from a place called Ravka.