#sonhara lore dump

[captain-kraken]

Sonhara Lore: Gishar Values

Most of the gishar culture has come from their desire to "protect" their bloodline, and that extends to how they treat each other.

The Value system is to help the gishars determine "fairly" who the best marriage candidates are for their children, so they can assure that their bloodline can stay strong.

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How is it worked out?

From the moment a gishar is born, they are being evaluated. Then, at the age of 15 they take a bunch of examinations known as the "Trials" where the results will decide their Value, alongside the other categories.

Health

Every gishar is born with a base value of 5000 health points. Any major illness or injury will result in points being deducted from this value.

Max: 5,000 Average: 4,449

Notability

This is basically the popularity score among the rest of the gishars. Each other family gives a score out of 1000, with the total being all of the scores added together.

Max: 11,000 Average: 6,127

Philanthropy

Although they have many issues, the gishars generally do at least desire to be good leaders. Unfortunately they are blinded by their circumstances and a lot of their philanthropy work is simply for show, in order to increase their value. There is always a young gishar being paraded around and forced to give speeches at charity events.

Max: 5,000 Average: 3,016

Intelligence

This is based off the results of the general academic tests they take, much like every other Sonharian child.

Max: 500 Average: 305

Strength

Every gishar is born with a natural ability, depending on their island. The powers can vary, but are based on what kind of heiros the island's core is best at producing.

For example, Einjal Daju is hydrokinetic and has the ability to manipulate large bodies of water.

The strength score is how well a gishar is able to control their natural ability and how far they are able to push it, without taking in extra power from the island's core.

Max: 500 Average: 250

Dominance

The dominance value is based on the family as a whole and which one has the highest average Value for their tesinaj.

This is usually evaluated every 25 years at the Balancing Summit, unless there has been a major penalty applied to one of the families, in which case there is an immediate shift.

1st Place: 2000 2nd Place: 1500 3rd Place: 1000 4th Place: 500

Skill

For every "mastered" skill, they gain 1000 points. To earn the points, they are tested by someone who is a master in that field who has been appointed as an official gishar examiner.

Popular choices are musical instruments, weapon proficiency, and art skills.

Being trilingual is also a desired skill, as it means it'll be an easier time adjusting no matter where the gishar ends up living.

There is no maximum to how many skill points you can receive, as long as you're sure you will be able to pass the examination in order to receive them.

Average: 2000

Bonuses & Penalties

Whilst penalties can be applied to multiple generations, bonuses can only be awarded to a specific gishar. They can also be applied after a Value has been finalised by marriage, though this more for status than anything else.

Examples of bonuses:

A number of gishars received bonuses for their actions in ending the war, including Osin Solark. His bonus actually pushed him into the Pearl class, making him one of the "rarest" in generations.

Ariel Solark and Bekar Kontemno receive bonuses for having the blood type of two islands, after they proved that they could manipulate the heiros of both islands.

Ariel also received another bonus for having vitiligo, as this makes him a "child of Vasizo".

After all this is done and the gishar has received their Value, they are rewarded with two years to do with as they please. They call this their "Pavasun" which comes from "freedom years".

Most will travel around Sonhara with their new Nivada, enjoying being away from their parents for the first time in their lives. A lot of them go a bit wild and rebel during this period, with some places (like Jurin) placing bets on whether or not there will be a minor scandal.

[captain-kraken]

Eira

Eira is part of the Balu deities and is considered to be the god of destiny.

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Depiction

Eira is a skeletal being with eight spindly arms. They have extremely long hair that they twist into strings of fate using their long fingers as knitting needles.

They are rarely shown in anything other than a simple black robe.

Their arms are generally shown in different positions, each one with the hair entwined. Sometimes portrayed with the ends wrapped around a human.

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Legends

They are the most involved with the humans as they live and nothing to do with them once they're dead. They don't really form attachments to most but every so often there will be a special one that they focus too much on. They can also be quite mischievous when they want to be.

They are the one who are able to manipulate your soul, as well as the Heiros in the islands. They are considered to be the one who is in control of each person's destiny, manipulating them like marionettes through the use of their hair.

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Symbols

Eira’s symbol is a circle or a sphere.

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Superstitions

Wrapping a ribbon around something is said to tie it to your destiny. This is why it’s not something that is done without a level of seriousness. Many people will do it to an object that symbolises who they are, for example, a book they have written or their ice skates.

Braiding two locks of hair together is supposed to permanently bond your souls together, so that even when you pass into the next life you will end up knowing each other again.

Their altar usually has various ribbon-wrapped objects, depending on what the devotee is most focused on.

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Misc

Eira was very angry when their plans were interrupted by Merassi, but mostly seems to have forgiven her more than the rest of the gods that were annoyed by her actions.

Since then, they've been increasingly interested in what the other gods are doing and has been silently stalking each of them in the decades since. They know everything that the others are keeping from each other and is very excited to see how all their plans turn out.

[captain-kraken]

Vasizo

Vasizo is one of the Duante deities and is the god of reincarnation.

They are responsible for all sapient life in Sonhara and are in charge of reincarnated souls and creating new life. They are also the one who receives all the clean heiros from your soul once you die.

Depiction

Very similar physical frame to humans, with long black and white curly hair.

Their skin is a variety of human shades, and they have four eyes, each one a signature colour of the islands. On their back is a pair of huge, black and white feathered wings.

Vasizo is usually shown in similar dress to that of Detlos, although their robes are always black. This is because black is the colour of rebirth, not just in the Heirosa religion but in Sonhara in general.

When alongside the others, they are usually shown on Detlos's right. When portrayed alone the most common pose seems to be with their right hand extended forward, their staff in the other hand.

Their staff is a huge ladle with a long handle which they use to scoop new souls out of their "soup pot" to be poured back into the world. Can also be used as a weapon.

Legends

Vasizo is supposedly kind and has a love for all newborn souls, hopeful that each one will create a good life. They can be emotional over the ones that end up going to Marakoth first. They adore the humans and will watch them live their lives, even if they cannot interfere.

They feel everything that they absorb from the end of a life, meaning they receive all the joy and love that you put out into the world whilst you were alive. This is why they are usually shown as the happier one.

However, a kind heart can be easily hurt, and Vasizo does not react well to betrayal, proved by their killing of their spirit messenger.

Symbols

Vasizo’s main symbol is their ladle staff.

Superstitions

Vasizo appreciates home-made food being left at their altar in the Solsun. All of the food is given away to the poorer people of the neighbourhood, which in turn promotes life.

If you find a black feather in an unexpected place it supposedly means that Vasizo has blessed the family with new beginnings.

Misc

Vasizo hasn't been the same since being betrayed, as it was the only time they ever took a life that didn't belong to them. They don't regret what they did, but they still feel the pain of being wronged and has never quite been able to let go of it.

Pocha has made them start to trust humans again, as he is nothing if not honest. Vasizo still isn't entirely sure if what they feel is love, or just some infatuation, but they genuinely adore Pocha and will defend him with everything they have.

[captain-kraken]

👀 - A piece of lore you’ve been waiting for an excuse to share

Thank you for the ask!

All of the gods of the Heirosa faith actually exist, but their stories are not set in stone.

Each of them have the bare bones of their history, but the rest of it changes along with their personalites and appearance. They are what people believe they are and the stronger the belief, the more they become that version of themselves.

However, they never truly let go of their old versions, and the more version there are, the more confused they get about who they are. It's as though every so often there is a "glitch" in their essence that reverts them to another version of themselves.

A good example of this is Eira, the god of Fate. They were once a human child in appearance, joyful and full of energy. A symbol of hope for the future. Nowadays they are shown as a skeletal human/spider hybrid, with no regard for the lives that they control.

This, combined with the growing corruption within the Sinni, means that the gods are all losing control of who they are. Which, as we will find out, is definitely not good.

ALSO (extra info dump) each of the gods is basically an essence that exists within the atmosphere. They're not exactly on the same plane of existance as the mortals but they can choose to cross over if they so wish.

They can also take on a physical form - some gods have better control over this than others. Yavupa is a gifted shapeshifter and is rumoured to spend most of his time on the stormblood islands.

Some are naturally more monstrous and don't appear to mortals at all, like the Death gods. (Excluding Vasizo, considering they repeatedly show themself to Pocha lol)

[captain-kraken]

Happy WBW! What are some interesting foods or dishes in your world? Share as many as you like!

Happy WBW! Thank you for the ask!

I'll pick one from each island in Li Hei :D

Auren

There is a berry that only grows on sunblood islands called a dacamo. It looks like a small plum, with the texture of a soft strawberry, but it is very spicy.

A popular Aurenian snack is to toast bread until it's very browned, almost burned, and spread mashed dacamo over the top, then topped with cheese. It's then warmed again until the cheese has melted.

Bahavi

Bone crabs are the main food source for Bahavians, as they breed like rabbits and they're the only thing to not be affected by the corruption so they're guaranteed to be safe to eat.

There's a lot of recipes that involve bone crabs, but one of the favourites is crabcakes made with sweet potato.

Elohia

Elohia is mostly known for its desserts and sweet treats, with people who will literally travel across the islands to taste them. They were attributed with the creation of chocolate, so I feel like I have to include something with that lol

During Kalta'an you can buy chocolate "moons" where you choose what sweets it's filled with before it is sealed up. You can get them in different sizes and can fill them with pretty much anything you want. People have different ways of eating them too - you can crack it open, melt it, eat it like an apple lol

Kazete

The Kazetians, like all stormbloods, are known for their exceptional parties. And no Kazetian party is complete without wobvuls.

These are very boozy jellies, supposedly shaped like vulmores (a stormblood animal) that are usually small enough to eat in one mouthful. Sometimes people will decorate them with two little eyes or hair out of whipped cream.

[captain-kraken]

Danpa

Danpa is part of the Balu deities and is the god of bonds.

They are the one who leads you to your perfect bonds, platonic or romantic. They also apparently choose who you fall in love with and it’s said that they are fond of playing with the Gishars' hearts.

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Depiction

They have crimson skin and an overly large head, along with a pair of featherless wings and prehensile tail. Whilst they are mostly bald, they do have a strip of fur along their back. They carry numerous bottles of magical elixirs and powders in a satchel.

The garments vary but they too are generally various shades of red or pink. Occasionally shown in black.

They are usually shown either making an elixir or holding one out, a smile on their face.

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Legends

They are very dedicated to their job and a big fan of the rules. Never makes a mistake and takes great pride in choosing the perfect souls to be brought together. They can get frustrated if the humans still ignore them and can go to extreme lengths to make sure they're heard.

Danpa is the one who brings you to those you love, whether that's romantic or platonic. They use their elixirs and powders to form bonds between people and bring their minds together. Often involved with Eira, as their two jobs are closely linked.

It’s said that they implant dreams of your soulmate in your head as your sleep. People often say that they dream of them long before they meet, the thought often driving them to attempt to find each other.

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Symbols

Danpa’s symbol is an infinity sign.

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Superstitions

Many believe that making a caffeinated drink called cinva and leaving it in a blessed elixir bottle beside your bed for five days will bring your soulmate to you.

It’s also widely believed that if you wrap a red ribbon around a parak fruit and bury it, you will receive great love in your life.

Their favourite offerings are said to be caffeinated drinks, slakta, and parak fruit. Although anything homemade is appreciated.

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Misc

Danpa loves playing around with the mortals but has little patience for their fellow gods. They especially get frustrated with Vasizo who constantly comes to them for dating advice about Pocha.

[captain-kraken]

Fauna

Fauna is part of the Balu deities. They are the god of nature and receives all heiros that is lost when either a plant or animal dies.

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Depiction

Whilst their top half is human, the bottom is that of a large serpent. They have thick vines for "hair" and there are roots where their fingers and toes would be. Often shown as having scales and combination of features from wildlife creatures.

They are also a gifted shapeshifter, but only for animal forms.

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Legends

Wild and free, Fauna follows no rules and does as they please. They have a great love for all of the wildlife and can become very angry towards those who don't respect it. They are the least involved with the humans and go out of their way to avoid being dragged into their messes.

Fauna is in control of all the wildlife on the islands. They are the hardest to reign in and will quickly go berserk if they find a hole in the barriers, spreading their nature beyond their original limits.

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Symbols

Fauna’s symbol is any leaf.

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Superstitions

A blessing said to Fauna over any newly-planted crop will supposedly yield better results and reduce the risk of the plant dying. Farmers are particularly predisposed to praying to them on a regular basis as a result.

Blessings to Fauna are always said when killing something in a hunt. If you don’t do this, Fauna cannot receive the animal’s soul and it will haunt you to an early death.

Their altar is generally piled with dried plants, dried fruit and vegetables, or seeds.

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Misc

All of the gods were affected by the war, but Fauna was perhaps the most so. Bahavi's nature was so badly affected that they felt as though they had no choice but to "overwhelm" the island to compensate for the losses.

There's a story that Fauna is still in Bahavi, bound in place by the toxicity of the island and unable to become free.

[captain-kraken]

Merassi

Merassi is the patron goddess of the seabloods.

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Depiction

Merassi has hair formed of water and coloured fins on her limbs. Whilst she has a human form, she can also be shown more like a lihero. She has the eye colour of the seabloods.

When in human form she is usually shown in a wisp dress. This is a gown made entirely of hand-woven lace, interlaced with small jewels. It’s a very expensive, luxurious garment that is not commonly worn.

Her posing usually has her in water, if possible. Failing that, she is portrayed leaning down slightly, with her hand stretching to the ground.

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Legends

Merassi is considered the most intelligent of the gods and likes learning new things alongside the humans. Not one for giving many chances, once you're on her bad side it's difficult to change her mind.

She controls all bodies of water, including the sea. She is also the one who rules over the seablood islands, such as Bahavi. Also thought to be the goddess of knowledge.

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Symbols

Merassi’s symbol is a water drop.

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Superstitions

Heirovir who go out to sea for any reason will always say a blessing to Merassi first. To not do so is considered to be inviting her wrath.

As she is also the Goddess of knowledge, those in education or training will usually pray and make offerings to her throughout. Blessings to her at the beginning of the day is said to help the knowledge stay in your mind for longer.

Offerings for her altar usually consist of jars of heavily blessed water, hand-made lace products, or anything containing shwaca fruit.

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Misc

Merassi defied the laws of the gods by saving Pocha's life, when he was destined by Eira to die. This has caused a major rift between all of the gods, with most of them choosing sides.

She feels guilty over this, as this wasn't what she intended. Her intentions are very good and (spoiler alert) she did the right thing, as Pocha's death would have prevented the chain of events that leads to all of the main Blue Blood series.

[captain-kraken]

Happy WBW! I got some weird associations running through my mind, so let's talk about dating in your world. Are there any traditions or conventions for courting? What about engagement or marriage proposals? Bonus: Do any of your character stray from this?

Happy WBW! Thanks for the ask!

OOH I don't think I've actually talked about this for some reason. I'm so sorry in advance because this WILL get long.

For most people, there aren't really any "rules" when it comes to dating, as everyone has different preferences. There's no taboo when it comes to sex before marriage or anything, and there's no societal pressure to get married at all (usually).

Proposals are all very different, as the only thing that's important is asking the other person(s) if they will bond to you. Everything else is completely down to what means the most to the people involved in the proposal.

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Married or engaged people will usually wear something on or across their forehead to show this. Most often it’s a headband, whether it’s made of fabric or expensive metal, that may or may not match their partner's.

Some people find the bands uncomfortable so they won't wear it regularly, but instead mark their foreheads with make-up. Maybe a full forehead design, maybe just a mark. All down to personal preference.

With the lower classes in particular, a popular choice is to hand make the headband for your partner, revealing it only when you exchange your vows.

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Gishars are different because all of their marriages are arranged. Some parents may conditionally agree to marry their children for when they become of age, but it all really comes down to how high their Value is.

They have no proposals, only a formal meeting where the dominant family hosts the other for a few days so the future couple can get to know each other.

Also, gishars tattoo a bonding mark onto their foreheads once they are married, making it more permanent. A few in bad matches will cover up their marks but it's considered extremely offensive, so anyone who openly does this is very unhappy.

Divorce is not a thing for them either, and that's because their marriage ceremony is very similar to the Nivada ceremony in that they create a literal bond between their souls. Although they don't realise exactly what this truly means anymore.

Legally they are not supposed to have outside relationships either, but as long as nobody can prove it, there are more than a few that happily break this law.

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I have a few characters that stray from this, because the relationship law is the most common one for gishars to break.

Einjal & Lavis are technically bigamists as they illegally married each other in 1933, after both of them were already bonded. (But it's okay, both their wives were there lol)

I won't list every single gishar that breaks this law though, because that would be a BIG list lol

[captain-kraken]

Lihero: Info Dump

The liheros are basically mermaids and are one of (if not the) most dangerous predators in Sonhara.

(493 words)

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Anatomy

Their upper body is very similar to that of a human in terms of the main anatomy. They have a few minor differences, such as their fins and barbs. They have lungs which require them to have a blowhole, which is located on the back of their head.

Their lower half is more adapted to living in the water and is completely covered with scales. Instead of legs, they have a tail, evolved to be more alluring and are usually considered their main feature.

They have the appearance of hair, which are actually barbs that act as protection for their blowhole. Some liheros have stingers in their ‘hair’, whilst others don’t – it’s a matter of genetics. It’s generally very colourful and the barbs come in various thicknesses.

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Homes

They reside near the surface, usually around the villages that are close to the shores. They may also be found near ports, having found that they provide an everlasting crowd of people to prank / scam.

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Social & Daily Activities

They usually live with their families until they’re around 15 years old, when they’ll most likely separate and go off on their own. Lihero are very adventurous and dislike being limited to one place, so take advantage as soon as they can.

Like humans, liheros are so varied in personality it's hard to say what they're like. One thing that most of them share is a deep dislike of the gishars, as they were betrayed deeply by them in the past and the pain is very rooted in lihero communities.

Teen liheros, especially in groups, love playing pranks on humans. One of their favourite games is to pick up a bone-thief crab and throw it aboard passing ships, watching the ensuing panic.

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Hunting & Diet

They are carnivores and eat mostly other sea creatures.

Parents will provide for their children until they’re around 8 years old, when they’re then taught to hunt for themselves. Young liheros are usually very impatient for this stage and will attempt to copy their parents hunting moves.

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Communication

They speak to each other in their own language, which consists of wails, squeaking, clicking, and other noises. Those that grew up around humans tend to pick up their language too, allowing them to engage in full conversations with them.

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Heiros Manipulation

Their ability to manipulate heiros comes in the form of their vocals, and not all liheros are as capable as others.

One thing for sure is that everyone underestimates them, forgetting that their main power is the ability to manipulate the minds of other living beings.

This can be from something as simple as calming them down when they're angry, to convincing them to kill themselves. Which is exactly what makes the liheros so dangerous.

A rare few are capable of these powers with only a word, whilst most need to single a full song in order to have an effect.

[captain-kraken]

Rofaego

Rofaego is the patron god of the sunbloods.

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Depiction

Another human-type God, he has dark skin and hair of flames that surround him like a cloak. His eyes are shown like those of the sunbloods and it's said that he bleeds gold.

He is usually dressed in a red and / or golden aufaaj. This is a traditional garment of the sunblood islands and is a large piece of fine silk which is wrapped around the body. It can be fastened at either side with the aid of a large brooch that is specifically made for the purpose.

Most depictions have him with his hands cupped in front of him, a fire burning in them.

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Legends

Rofaego is warm-hearted and generous, enjoying spending time among the humans. He likes to help whenever possible and has the reputation of being the most meddlesome of the gods.

Sometimes he has difficult controlling his rage though, and often has to be held back by his fellow patron deities when pushed to his extremes.

He is in charge of all forms of fire and heat, excluding the sun. He also takes care of the sunblood islands, such as Auren. Generally also considered to be the God of wealth.

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Symbols

Rofaego’s symbol is a flame.

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Superstitions

Rofaego is often seen as the God of wealth. Pleasing him is said to bring good fortune to your family and many people go out of their way to ensure they keep him happy.

Saying blessings to him and making an offering before starting any new business venture is said to ensure good luck. Newly opened shops will usually light a candle in a prominent place for the five days.

His usual altar offerings tend to be spices, gold or various jewels, or ashes of something beloved (not necessarily a once-live thing!).

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Misc

Rofaego holds a lot of resentment towards the whole Pocha situation, as he has been prevented from saving lives he cares about, so he sees it as very unfair.

He's also extremely angry at the gishars and the major sunblood players of the corruption lately, particularly Hanasha Mallora. He actually intercepted her soul at her death before she was handed to Detlos, just so he could let her know what he thinks of her.

[captain-kraken]

Hi, happy STS~!

As I get closer to finishing my current WIP's first draft, I'm having trouble dealing with the large amount of exposition I need to do before the end. Have you ever run into this problem? How did you deal with it? What's the best way to handle exposition, in your opinion?

(from @tisiphonewolfe)

Thanks for the ask!

In the last 16 years I am yet to fully finish a Blue Blood draft that hasn't ended with me fully scrapping and starting over, so you probably know a lot more than I do!

Most of my exposition is dropped in little bits throughout, either in what the characters say or do. The lore of Sonhara is very heavily ingrained in the characters lives, so it's easy for me to have moment where I can include things without having to info dump (most of the time lol)

The Sonhara world building is my passion project so there is a lot of lore but (sadly for me lol) most of it doesn't make it into Blue Blood, because I only include the parts that are actually relevant to the story.

Viter is my one exception to the rule because he's very much like me and will 100% ramble about the things he's interested in, so he's always trying to tell Mahrias about stuff he's learned.

It also helps me that Mahrias questions a lot, particularly about his faith. I balanced him out with Tafgen who is very devout and not very curious, so when they have conversations I have "two sides" of debates.