He looked first to Sthenae.<br/><br/>"She is a slave, and I think you and I are both familliar enough with being antagonized by life itself just for existing to have some understanding for those in a similar position."<br/><br/>He paused, reflectively.<br/><br/>"I ask you, personally, that you have some understanding for those in a similar position." It even had the sounding of a request, phrased softly.<br/><br/>He turned and bent forward at that, snapping Galla's chains with an almost idle gesture, as though hands pulled apart paper.<br/><br/>"You are a slave, and when this entire nation still has in living memory a violent mass uprising of them, and those that put it down in high positions of power, there is not much to be done for that, if there ever was. Running will only see those that want examples maintained put to hunting you down and killing you through slow excruciation. Acting out now instead and dying for it will not give you back your dignity, or give you vengeance, or notably spite any of us. Dying only means that if you had a real chance for any of that later on, you have now instead given it away forever. Better you live, and wait, and think until a right moment for any of those things. Serve in the interim. It is the only way a slave has to endure until such moments as they come."<br/><br/>He had heard her response to philosophy before this, and avoided it studiously in speaking to her. His tone had even become nothing but entirely matter of fact, as if just enumerating detail for her to take in and think upon however she chose. In contrast with his entrance, and even his bearing, he spoke plainly, practically.<br/><br/>And as he spoke, he reached forward further, hands placed along her shoulders in a grip that though it had the chill of metal to it was oddly, even delicately, gentle in the strength of it, righting her up onto her feet. There was something to his touch that had it feel as if a living touch might have. He straightened back up afterwards.<br/><br/>"There are many worse places in which to do so."<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>