opportunitycosts | [ empatheias ] message box

[ So

someone on the Elympios got greedy, acted desperate. Sympathy isn't what comes to Red first, but he's quiet, through the explanation and some after, because it's a lot to take in. Diplomacy could have come up in the at the beginning, discussions of the situation for the country of Elympios; there was no knowing whether Rieze Maxia would have helped out or not, and that an agreement had come at the end--

people were a messy business, weren't. Red stops thinking too deeply about it (it doesn't matter entirely, not here, what could have been, what ifs), when there's something that occurs to him with that. ]

Thras told someone a war between Shaarnath and Verens was possible. [ His mind goes back over Elympios and Rieze Maxia, to the red posters that had covered every surface in Verens, a thought already on his mouth--but he holds it, and instead- ] What do you think?

[ Alvin's the one who's been through this already, seems to know what he's saying. Any issues between them can be put aside for this. ]

[People are indeed very messy business. Especially when they're adults.

With a sigh, Alvin just raises a hand and shrugs.]

Honestly? I think it's very possible. But only possible. [He makes sure to stress that.] Although we have some folks here who are afraid, I think most of it is because of the sudden unknown. I mean, they believed all their lives they were the only people still living in this entire world, and then all of a sudden a new thriving city has been there underneath their home? It's a lot to take.

But I think it's also because there are so few humans left, they won't take hostile action. At least, if the council here are sensible people, and so far the Chief seems like one. But in any case, the need to survive is strong. I think more people than not realize that working together would be better than fighting.

Especially if fighting and wars is what brought the world to how it is now.

So it's really going to depend on how the political leaders act.

[ There should be a relief in that, but it's a heavy subject, and so it doesn't yet come. Nevertheless, Red nods, humming along with it to let Alvin know he listened. It was all up to the government, possibly, than just what some people slung up onto walls. Right?

But it leaves him silent for a few seconds, posture shifting in place in an unsure manner before something catches his attention by his side. A voice-- a man's voice, speaking mumbled under his hand from the petals collected. He wants to peek to see what it is, quiet as he tries and listens, but turns away after a second. Not really the best time for that. ]

...I hope you're right about the Chief. [ An awkward pause, before he sighs. ] But I've got the feeling someone's going to do something, even if it isn't a war.

And if it isn't about the arehtei, then it's going to be some other reason. [ ... ] Some people are willing to make sacrifices to get what they want.

Yep. [It's just one word, but there's a hard, heaviness to it.] If they believe it's a good reason, even if it's a selfish one, they'll do whatever it takes.

Still—[And his tone lightens.]—doesn't mean we have to sit around and wait either. The more we can at least keep the people think that the Arehtei and the others aren't our enemies, the better. Or at least hold the pitchforks until later.

How do we do that? Maybe if the arehtei talked to the people, that might put some minds at rest- but Peromei got worse and Elios is still taking care of her, and Thras and Daimonia haven't been around.

Still...wouldn't that help the most? [ actually ] I know the arehtei will listen to ideas if you have them-- they listened to me when I asked them to help out with the wishes plan. [ His eyes flit to the tree ahead, but only briefly. ] To be honest, I thought- what would help make people feel better after everything that happened with Sosyne? Sure, some people weren't going to like to see them, but we're all here together, arehtei and human and every other single life. So...

[ ...he hesitates, uncertain if that way of thinking was really right, but carries on. ] Aren't the ones who can help the arehtei the most right now the arehtei? We can try and help them stay strong, at least...

[...Heh. There's a light grin before he answers.]

That's definitely one way, and you're right. At least most of the Arehtei here want to help. After all, we all have one common goal: survival. Usually that's a pretty strong selling point for people to band together.

[....And also stab each other in the back, but he's not going to say that.]

But having the Arehtei be able to speak with the locals would be a good idea. I guess the problem is unlike us, there are hundreds of thousands of them. I don't know how they'd be able to hold a real conversation unless it was just with the council.

Well- [ he shifts, looking up at Alvin, a hand going out in gesture as he speaks ] what about someone who can take questions to the arehtei when we have them? Like the representatives otherworlders have? [ quickly- ] And don't leave it just to the otherworlders either-- otherworlders and people born in Empatheias could represent the arehtei. Everyone working together, like it should be.

[ Anyway. ] They should talk to the council too. It helps to be on the good side of the city you're staying in, right? [ He purses his lips. ] I don't know how people organise that kind of stuff... but if people have questions for the arehtei and if the arehtei are willing to answer them, why not gather them and tackle the bigger ones that come up? Why don't we all just talk more to each other? There has to be a way to do it, even with hundreds and thousands of people.

[ ...he's certainly on a positive train right now, even if he's a kid talking about building a palace with a toy hammer. ]

[...This is CLEARLY something that should be brought up in that Town Hall meeting thing, huh.]

You know. Having a representative or even a representative or two for each Arehtei might not be a bad idea. And I agree having the locals involved would also help bridge the gap between the whole "us vs. them" mentality.

[ Have fun with that, Alvin. Red isn't going into to your restaurant!!!

But for now, he's nodding. ] People crowding around them asking the same questions over and over-- it has to be exhausting even for an arehtei, and no one's going to get any answers when they're crowding around talking over each other. And if there's people who know how to speak to the arhetei when they come around...

[ There was a thought he was going with there, but it drifts away from him a little. Regardless... ]

When I talked to Elios, it didn't sound like they really needed to stick around humans in the past. So right now, even they need help knowing what they can do to get along with everyone better.

[Dammit, you mean Alvin is supposed to bring that up with all that apathy stuff going on?? Fine, fine, it can probably be swung around...]

It sounds weird to hear that they didn't want to be with humans. All these memories and visions seem to indicate they at least once used to be with people. [...Hm.] Maybe things changed over time. Spirits in my world were the same.

They're guardians of the planet, not humans, is what Elios said it. I guess I get it more now than I did when we talked; everything was fine, so they decided to go to sleep. They got visions and feelings of what was going on in the world, but it seemed like whatever people used in the war back then woke them up pretty suddenly. I mean, if it wasn't that bad for them to wake up before that...

[ It's a subject to soften his mood some, mouth dropping at the memory of the discussion. ] All they knew to do was to get rid of the problem by then, and then they carried those emotions for all that time... so many people lost their lives, and the arehtei continued to suffer.

[ ... ] I hope it never comes to that again.

Wait, they were asleep? Like... Hibernating?

And then to wake up to a mess like humans and wars... [Still, that's a lot of new things to mull over.]

He said a war wasn't anything strange; it was how big it was, and what they used. He wouldn't even describe it to me. [ So, pretty bad. ]

I guess it was like hibernating, though. It sounded like it lasted a long time... long enough for people to forget the old ways, or something like that.

...Huh. Well. That explains a few things. I mean, if the Arehtei had been around the whole time, I highly doubt they would have let things escalate as far as they did.

So whatever this war was like... It really must have been huge if it forced them all to wake and spur them into destructive action like that.

[ He waves his legs once, letting the back of his heels knock against the wall. ]

Maybe one of the other arehtei know about it. [ ah ] Thras said he and Daimonia were the strongest.

...but that's a conversation that might be good for everyone to know about, so we can make sure it stays remembered and doesn't happen a second time.

Yeah, it would. [Eyeing you, Red. Eyeing.]

......What?

[ ????????????? what's with that look ]

You know, you could share what you just told me with other people.

Edited 2015-12-16 09:18 (UTC)

With who? [ uh-- ] I thought other people knew about it already.

[ well, until... just now, apparently. ]

Nope, it's news to me, and I bet a lot of others don't realize it either.

Well..... what should I do? Just tell it to peoples' heads one day?

That's one way of doing it. Although I have very strong feeling you're not the only one who might need to share a few things. I've spoken with Daimonia, and while I didn't learn anything groundbreaking... Maybe I brushed off things I shouldn't have.

Is there anyone we can tell? There must be someone like a... I don't know, a scholar or someone like that who writes these things down. Someone who'll let all the information stay free to everyone.

[ If only they had the internet here. They need a website. ]

The only problem if we talked about it in everyones' heads is that not everyone is going to be free to listen. I know I get distracted a lot, and it's hard to follow if you're talking for ages that way.

Yeah, even I would get an information overload. [And gathering information was his previous occupation.]

I'll think of something. In the meantime, you should go ahead and write down what you've learned so it's not forgotten.

Mm, [ a nod ] okay, I'll do that tonight. Do you want me to give it to you later? I think that's all I really know though. I didn't get to talk to Thras about anything important...

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