IC Inbox: Empatheias

[young_oldman]

[Your birds might get a little plump on bird seeds. Just saying.]

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[young_oldman]

[Since he is calling on her, the customs of his lands state that he must bring a gift, especially since Celestia is the closest they have to some kind of leader among hteir community. But then again...what does one get a horse as a gift? Lu Meng had been about to check out the carrots when he realised that he might be thinking of her as a horse horse, and quickly abandoned that idea. But do ponies drink coffee or tea? Do they enjoy chocolate?

In the end he settle for something non-food related and hopefully inoffensive. A table cloth with a stitched on flower motive seems innocuous enough!

A carriage rumbles down the road, and once it's gone she'll be able to see him, looking left and right before he crosses over and greets her with a deep, polite bow.]

Your Highness. I hope I did not keep you waiting for long.

[letteropener]

Not at all -- not that I would know. At my age, 'long' is very relative indeed, you know.

[Her joke is intended to put him more at ease, even as she returns the bow gracefully. One wing sweeps out to beckon him in, as she continues to hold the door with her magic.]

[young_oldman]

[Lu Meng and jokes are two words that don't often go together in the same sentence. He just kinda...awkwardly smiles a little as he steps in through the door. And avoids the wing, because darn is it huge.]

You have my deepest gratitude for graciously allowing me this meeting with you. [He holds up the gift box for her; a plain white box wrapped with a simple red bow. Inside will be the above mentioned table cloth.]

[letteropener]

Oh -- well, this is very kind of you! [Wait, what direction is this going? She hadn't been expecting a gift... but failing to accept it would be discourteous. Letting the door shut behind them, she unwraps it in midair with her magic as she walks, then produces the tablecloth with a bright smile.]

This is lovely. Thank you very much.

[young_oldman]

[He's just being polite! And also because politics is a thankless job and he's been in that position before, and sometimes it's nice to just get a token of appreciation every now and then.]

Think nothing of it. You have done us a great service. Although I'm sure there were other voices that joined with yours to put down those two proposals, you were there to represent our views, and I appreciate your capability for diplomatic discourse and for protecting us Otherworlders.

[letteropener]

That is my duty and the position I was elected for. And yet, surely you didn't ask for this meeting just to thank me for it.

[Politics is not thankless, if you do it right. You must simply mind the few thanks among the louder complaints.]

[young_oldman]

[He nods. Straight to the point, which is something he appreciates in his leaders.]

I wanted to discuss the current tensions between the Otherworlder community and the natives. If you were there at the campaign then I apologize, for I did not see you there. But there were many troubling issues raised, and I was hoping you would be able to share your wisdom with me.

[letteropener]

I would be happy to speak with you about that. Would you care to sit? [The store doesn't have a ton of space, but she does have a chair she keeps for human visitors if they so desire.]

[young_oldman]

[He takes the offered seat with thanks. It's only once Celestia's also settled in comfortably that he begins to speak, turning more somber due to the serious topic.]

I know there has been some unhappiness between the Otherworlders and the natives. Thankfully as you said in your message to us, rational and cool heads have prevailed. However, sweeping statements were made at the campaign, suggesting that the majority of the population has turned against us.

[letteropener]

I do not believe it as dire as that. In fact, I think what is happening is that voices are becoming louder, rather than more numerous -- though the numbers are increasing, I admit. Shaarnath and the latest incidents are troublesome spots for the city.

[young_oldman]

[He nods.] And although there is peace between our communities, my sense is that this peace is more of a resigned acceptance by the natives. I'm not an idealist; I don't expect them to accept us with open arms, but this alliance...no, cooperation may be the better word.

It would be better if our bonds were forged on true understanding and goodwill between each other, rather than this uneasy co-existence. They may see our abilities and our connection with the Arehtei as useful, but there must be a tipping point somewhere, and I'm not so sure where it is.

[letteropener]

Useful but also worth resentment. After all, this is their world -- why are they being denied the opportunity to help it? Why are they passed over by the Arehtei while we are given attention, even gifts?

Still, I quite agree with you. Did you have something in mind?

[young_oldman]

Yes. That is also another concern, and one that I fear has been overlooked by our community.

I have thought long and hard on the matter, but I am afraid I lack experience in this matter. That is one reason why I sought this audience with you; to ask for your advice on the matter, Princess Celestia.

As a general I have had to resolve conflicts between soldiers, and sometimes between soldiers and villagers, but never have I been in a situation such as this before, handling people of numerous cultures and beliefs. My experience is only 10 years, and I only dealt with the people of my land. Back then I had the advantage of knowing the customs and traditionally held values. But here, I've found that the values I've grown up with could prove unpopular.

But at the very least, I can share some of my suspicions with you, and I would gladly be corrected if I am wrong. What is primarily on my mind, is that perhaps we have merely be co-existing alongside each other as strangers and thus the foundations of trust we have is not sufficient to build better bonds with each other.

It is good that there was no widespread condemnation of the Otherworlders after Selim Bradley's crime came to light. However, that only some shops and houses refused to let Otherworlders in during the shop is hardly considered a victory in terms of our relationship with each others. No Otherworlder should have been turned out to face the cold and rain, none at all.

[letteropener]

[Celestia listens to this speech quietly and with clear focus, nodding quietly to signify her understanding. At its end, she exhales.]

You are correct, and yet if the world were what it should be, none of us would have any duty to do. That is the end we are aiming for, and yet, do you think there are places we could do better?

[young_oldman]

[He falls silent, gathering his thoughts carefully.]

Fear, doubt and resentment has begun to emerge on both sides. Perhaps we should see what we can do to alleviate these concerns.

I do not blame them for fearing our powers. Even I am often left in awe at what some of us can do. But we cannot help holding the powers and abilities that we have.

However...if we can settle the doubt they have towards our intentions, if we can convince them that we hold their well-being as important as ours, that might be a step towards building some level of trust to offset their fear. Perhaps even teaching them some of our abilities may help in that manner, although I know that not all skills are easily taught across worlds, nations and races.

But dunamis...dunamis, perhaps that is something they can learn as well. And I will speak to Elios and see what can be done about their involvement with their world. They may not be able to align to the Arehtei, but there must be other ways to help the Arehtei other than sharing our emotions with them. Sosyne has mentioned that she would like to see some tangible effort on our part to save this world; while she has remained difficult and unwilling to part more information on what she means by this, it may be something other than simply feeling less anger and more calm.

[letteropener]

Even if they are perfectly convinced of our intentions, there will still be a level of resentment because of our privileged position. And yet, all relationships have such friction, and true bonds can be built nonetheless.

[And yet she's still not certain why Lu Meng wishes to say so many things to her she already knows, except perhaps out of the belief that she does not know them.]

Do you wish this to be formalized, then? Brought to the council?

[young_oldman]

If it has not been done so, but I suspect what I have told you is not new to you. Truth be told I am uncertain on what else I can do, and that is partially why I came here to seek your counsel.

[He sighs, cross his arms across his chest.]

I'm not sure what I can do to help reduce these tensions between us, and keep them from resurfacing again.

[letteropener]

To keep them from resurfacing? You would need to control every single otherworlder who comes here to ensure they had no malice or even ignorance of their actions, for one. [In other words, this division will always exist.] But to reduce them, the best way is to be seen as someone they can trust. That is one reason I opened this shop, for example.

[young_oldman]

To share your knowledge and your services with the people of this city?

[letteropener]

And to demonstrate what good we can do here, if we are allowed. Our powers will be less terrifying to them if they become a part of their lives.

[young_oldman]

Hmm...

[Give him a moment to think that over.]

It is true that us Otherworlders have helped to protect the city during times of adversity, using our powers to defend and save lives. However that is not so much us being a part of their lives, as us being present in that single moment to protect them from a danger that a few, rightfully or not, see as a danger we brought to them in the first place.

In that sense, our powers are less a part of their daily lives as they are to be called on only in times of need. So they are unused to such abilities and remain so, and thus this becomes a source of unease for them. It would be better then if we also used our powers to help them in their day-to-day troubles.

Is this your meaning, Your Highness?

[letteropener]

You have put that very well. [Celestia bows her head to acknowledge his words.] On a day-to-day basis, our powers are like a sheathed sword. We keep them away, and even if we draw them in times of need, people get back when we wield them for fear of getting cut.

But who fears the knife they cut their bread with each day? And so I work in magic to provide lights and warmth and comfort, and that, I hope, is how people here think of my magic.

[young_oldman]

But do we not have the Task Board for this matter? Very often does the Task Board request the help of Otherworlders in carrying out numerous errands, both the mundane and the dangerous.

[letteropener]

Yes, but that represents a small minority of people -- including ones who do not believe their problem can be solved any other way.

Which is not to say that working on those posted tasks is a bad thing, mind! But -- as we have discussed, anyone can put something there. [Including unsavory folks and those who had less-than-ideal intent.]

[young_oldman]

[Yup. He remembers that discussion very well, and that prompts a faint frown to appear.]

I see...yes, what you say has much truth in them. I will look at my own conduct in this matter then, and see where it is that I can help the natives while teaching them not to fear our abilities as well.

Do you think there is anything that can be done to galvanize our community in such a direction as well? There is...growing discontent among the Otherworlders. Many feel that they are unfairly judged, and that the natives should be the ones extending an olive branch to us, rather than the other way around.