[ Lexie stretches out of the water like some manner of nymph, the quality of her movements a near polar opposite of Kitty's, to retrieve a robe for herself and do so, ringing the bell again on the way out.
She leads Kitty back out to the veranda they'd passed through on the way in, gesturing to one of the outside attendants who takes them to a pair of lounges open on both sides. They're quite comfortable, and Lexie wastes little time situating herself on one of them.]
She shall send them out presently. Until then, we rest, enjoy the bit of breeze, and have some wine, if you care for it. I believe there is some manner of fruit water to be had if you do not.
[ Unsurprisingly, Kitty does not care for wine. Still, she does a decent job of trying to relax: she doesn't manage Lexie's insouciant sprawl, but she does curl catlike up on the couch, feet drawn in beside her, elbow propped on the armrest.
When there aren't attendants in the room, Kitty can't help but ask - ]
[ if Lexie sounds the slightest bit concerned, it's only for Kitty's benefit. ]
I imagine at the very least that these men and women are. It is a reputable establishment, and such people know that poorly compensated staff compensate their employers in turn with poor work, and I have seen nothing but calm and attentive efficiency in my visits here.
[ as if to illustrate this, someone appears with a glass of water with an assortment of fresh looking berries bobbing in it for Kitty and a glass of pale wine already beading with condensation for Lexie, having overheard rather than being directly asked, then quickly disappear afterwards. She takes a sip and nods appreciatively. ]
I know full well that there are those who mistreat their servants and staff. [ this at least she sounds genuinely displeased with. ] It is to the detriment of all involved parties.
The usual ways. Overtaxing them purposefully, making demands far from the realm of reason out of some wicked desire to assert ones authority and afterwards inflicting punishment of one kind or another simply because they can.
[ she takes another sip ]
It does not end well for anyone. Such poorly treated staff often get their vengeance in one way or another. One lady who beat her maid repeatedly found a rival's Bard added quietly to the guest list of one of her parties and was summarily poisoned. The maid was found out, unfortunately. I cannot recall what happened to her, but I imagine whatever it was she faced it rather victoriously.
There was a woman from a few neighborhoods over who was a servant to a magician and dumped boiling tea right in his lap. Got sent to the Tower, and they published her confessions before the execution. I don't think it's possible to go out really victorious, when powerful people who hate you have got a hold of you.
[ A breath. Right. Cheerful, cheerful. ]
But I'm sure it was really satisfying at the time.
Perhaps so. But there will always be those with power, and those who have it not. It is simply the way things have been ordained.
[ ya girl was born and raised in a feudalistic Divine Right monarchy in a country that contains the seat of the Southern Chantry's power. whatever her religious beliefs or lack thereof, any denial of those concepts is near unthinkable. ]
That said, it is the responsibility of those who have it to care for those below them, and subverting that in either direction brings consequence. That it often rides harder on those lower in society is regrettable, I grant.
[ it is at this time that two attendants appear with the necessary tools and begin to quietly set themselves up on the outsides of the lounges. shortly thereafter Lexie adjusts herself so that she can comfortably offer her hand to the woman near her while still looking at Kitty. ]
But! What happened to our delightful conversation about terrible handkerchiefs, the existence of which is an affront to the Maker himself? If there is one such, surely you must have other stories.
The righteous destruction of terrible handkerchiefs? Of course.
[ okay, okay, she promised. 'but so did you,' says the look she passes over to Kitty. ]
As to the other, I do. The alternative is that there is no true order to the world at all. If everything were accident combined with man's devising, then there is no reason to respect any structure of any society, nor any reason save what one can dream up for oneself to care for those within it. 'You ought to because I think it is good to do so and I say so' has far less power than 'so it has been ordained'.
[ another sip of her drink, mostly for punctuation. ]
And I trust the motivations of men far less than I trust the motivations of the Maker.
[ and she doesn't even think about the Maker all that often. ]
[ Kitty shakes her head slightly, then responds: ]
Well, I was born about as low as you can get. Born to die in a factory or die after pouring boiling tea in a magician's lap. And - oh, sorry.
[ She's accidentally yanked her hand out of the attendant's grip as she's gestured broadly to emphasize her point. Rather embarrassed, she hands it back over, then goes on: ]
Anyway. I've never seen any sense to it. I'm cleverer than nine-tenths of those who are supposed to be my betters, and more thoughtful, and better-read, and harder-working. It doesn't make sense that if there's a Maker or something like him, he'd want me to serve people who frankly aren't half so good as me. The only thing that makes sense is that they had the good fortune to be born in the right circumstances.
[ Alexandrie frowns thoughtfully. After all her espousal of the concept, hadn't she come to join the Inquisition specifically because of the bridges it was building that removed such barriers? Simultaneously, however, it's difficult to believe that anything good could come of Kitty's view either. ]
You would have what then, a society based entirely upon merit and skill? But who judges what is meritorious? One might say that Tevinter—of which you heartily disapprove—is such a society, it is simply that the merit they have chosen to value above others is strength of magical gift. Those who have such a thing are able to rise beyond the class they were born to. If you argue that such a thing is also an accident of birth, I might counter that your clever intelligence is as well, but yet you consider that to be a merit that makes you worthy of higher standing than you possessed.
Your cleverness, were it not accompanied by your heart, could as easily be a tool for ill. On the other side, the 'fancy births' of my family, as you call them, allow us to improve the quality of the lives of all who toil on our behalf, and the magic in Tevinter is used also to create amenities for the public that would not exist without it, to heal injuries that would otherwise kill. I know not how it was used in your world, but it is not simply a destructive force here.
All depends on the spirit in which such things are used. There is nothing inherently good or inherently bad: things simply are.
You agree that healing injuries is inherently good, don't you? That was what you implied, right there. And building amenities for people. That's inherently good. Right?
Then if actions can be good - then that's fundamentally incompatible with that statement that things simply are. If actions can make the world better, then that means that things can be improved. Then that means that a lack of change is evil.
[ Kitty hesitates, biting her lip. She realizes abruptly just how dangerous it is, what she's saying. And she's speaking it freely. She bites her lip, and shakes her head, going abruptly reticent. ]
[ unfortunately, Alexandrie is like a hawk. Once she's bound her claws into something, simply trying to take it away will only make her clench tighter, and she's generally too clever for distractions unless she lets herself be drawn aside. ]
It matters not what the world becomes as long as it changes, or it matters not what you think about such things?
[ her eyes sparkle with amusement, and then, not unkindly: ]
"Ah, I believe shortly after my arrival in this new and strange world I shall publicly threaten to fiercely injure every Altus from powerful Houses in Tevinter who have come to aid the organization I now depend on! I think I shall also do the same to an Orlesian noblewoman! As a little cake for dessert afterwards, do let me insult the governance of every country in this world!
What? Certainly I can keep my mouth shut if the situation calls for it!"
[ Kitty sighs, transparently annoyed by the comment (though not angry over it). ]
The place I'm from is a lot worse than this. I survived there by keeping my mouth shut. And anyway, the day someone gets in trouble with the Inquisition for slapping Benedict Artemaeus is the day I eat my boots without sauce. I expect that most of the higher-ups want to see him slapped themselves.
[ both the annoyance and the mention of Bene's eminent slappability make Lexie chuckle quietly. ]
I am only teasing, cherie. Your stubborn insistence on being stubborn has grown on me much like ivy. Eventually I imagine, much like ivy, it shall weaken the structure of my stubborn insistence on propriety.
[ she clucks ruefully ]
You are a danger. But a kind one, I think, at your center.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2018-07-26 01:17 am (UTC)She leads Kitty back out to the veranda they'd passed through on the way in, gesturing to one of the outside attendants who takes them to a pair of lounges open on both sides. They're quite comfortable, and Lexie wastes little time situating herself on one of them.]
She shall send them out presently. Until then, we rest, enjoy the bit of breeze, and have some wine, if you care for it. I believe there is some manner of fruit water to be had if you do not.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-30 02:34 pm (UTC)[ Unsurprisingly, Kitty does not care for wine. Still, she does a decent job of trying to relax: she doesn't manage Lexie's insouciant sprawl, but she does curl catlike up on the couch, feet drawn in beside her, elbow propped on the armrest.
When there aren't attendants in the room, Kitty can't help but ask - ]
Do they get paid a decent wage?
no subject
Date: 2018-07-30 04:49 pm (UTC)[ if Lexie sounds the slightest bit concerned, it's only for Kitty's benefit. ]
I imagine at the very least that these men and women are. It is a reputable establishment, and such people know that poorly compensated staff compensate their employers in turn with poor work, and I have seen nothing but calm and attentive efficiency in my visits here.
[ as if to illustrate this, someone appears with a glass of water with an assortment of fresh looking berries bobbing in it for Kitty and a glass of pale wine already beading with condensation for Lexie, having overheard rather than being directly asked, then quickly disappear afterwards. She takes a sip and nods appreciatively. ]
I know full well that there are those who mistreat their servants and staff. [ this at least she sounds genuinely displeased with. ] It is to the detriment of all involved parties.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 03:59 pm (UTC)Mistreat them how?
no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 06:09 pm (UTC)[ she takes another sip ]
It does not end well for anyone. Such poorly treated staff often get their vengeance in one way or another. One lady who beat her maid repeatedly found a rival's Bard added quietly to the guest list of one of her parties and was summarily poisoned. The maid was found out, unfortunately. I cannot recall what happened to her, but I imagine whatever it was she faced it rather victoriously.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 06:17 pm (UTC)There was a woman from a few neighborhoods over who was a servant to a magician and dumped boiling tea right in his lap. Got sent to the Tower, and they published her confessions before the execution. I don't think it's possible to go out really victorious, when powerful people who hate you have got a hold of you.
[ A breath. Right. Cheerful, cheerful. ]
But I'm sure it was really satisfying at the time.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 07:13 pm (UTC)[ ya girl was born and raised in a feudalistic Divine Right monarchy in a country that contains the seat of the Southern Chantry's power. whatever her religious beliefs or lack thereof, any denial of those concepts is near unthinkable. ]
That said, it is the responsibility of those who have it to care for those below them, and subverting that in either direction brings consequence. That it often rides harder on those lower in society is regrettable, I grant.
[ it is at this time that two attendants appear with the necessary tools and begin to quietly set themselves up on the outsides of the lounges. shortly thereafter Lexie adjusts herself so that she can comfortably offer her hand to the woman near her while still looking at Kitty. ]
But! What happened to our delightful conversation about terrible handkerchiefs, the existence of which is an affront to the Maker himself? If there is one such, surely you must have other stories.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 07:24 pm (UTC)[ She shakes off her funk. Or tries to. She can't help herself, though, saying instead - ]
Do you really think it's been ordained that way?
no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 07:51 pm (UTC)The righteous destruction of terrible handkerchiefs? Of course.
[ okay, okay, she promised. 'but so did you,' says the look she passes over to Kitty. ]
As to the other, I do. The alternative is that there is no true order to the world at all. If everything were accident combined with man's devising, then there is no reason to respect any structure of any society, nor any reason save what one can dream up for oneself to care for those within it. 'You ought to because I think it is good to do so and I say so' has far less power than 'so it has been ordained'.
[ another sip of her drink, mostly for punctuation. ]
And I trust the motivations of men far less than I trust the motivations of the Maker.
[ and she doesn't even think about the Maker all that often. ]
no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 07:58 pm (UTC)Well, I was born about as low as you can get. Born to die in a factory or die after pouring boiling tea in a magician's lap. And - oh, sorry.
[ She's accidentally yanked her hand out of the attendant's grip as she's gestured broadly to emphasize her point. Rather embarrassed, she hands it back over, then goes on: ]
Anyway. I've never seen any sense to it. I'm cleverer than nine-tenths of those who are supposed to be my betters, and more thoughtful, and better-read, and harder-working. It doesn't make sense that if there's a Maker or something like him, he'd want me to serve people who frankly aren't half so good as me. The only thing that makes sense is that they had the good fortune to be born in the right circumstances.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 08:12 pm (UTC)You would have what then, a society based entirely upon merit and skill? But who judges what is meritorious? One might say that Tevinter—of which you heartily disapprove—is such a society, it is simply that the merit they have chosen to value above others is strength of magical gift. Those who have such a thing are able to rise beyond the class they were born to. If you argue that such a thing is also an accident of birth, I might counter that your clever intelligence is as well, but yet you consider that to be a merit that makes you worthy of higher standing than you possessed.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 08:14 pm (UTC)My cleverness can make the world a better place. Fancy birth can't. Nor can the ability to murder someone else with magic.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 08:21 pm (UTC)Your cleverness, were it not accompanied by your heart, could as easily be a tool for ill. On the other side, the 'fancy births' of my family, as you call them, allow us to improve the quality of the lives of all who toil on our behalf, and the magic in Tevinter is used also to create amenities for the public that would not exist without it, to heal injuries that would otherwise kill. I know not how it was used in your world, but it is not simply a destructive force here.
All depends on the spirit in which such things are used. There is nothing inherently good or inherently bad: things simply are.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 08:25 pm (UTC)You agree that healing injuries is inherently good, don't you? That was what you implied, right there. And building amenities for people. That's inherently good. Right?
no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 08:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 08:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 08:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 08:44 pm (UTC)It - doesn't matter.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 08:49 pm (UTC)It matters not what the world becomes as long as it changes, or it matters not what you think about such things?
no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 08:53 pm (UTC)What I think. My opinions have never mattered a whit to the world at large.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 09:00 pm (UTC)[ so why stop now, hmmmm? ]
no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 09:05 pm (UTC)That's hardly true. I wouldn't have survived this long if I didn't ever keep my mouth shut.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 09:16 pm (UTC)"Ah, I believe shortly after my arrival in this new and strange world I shall publicly threaten to fiercely injure every Altus from powerful Houses in Tevinter who have come to aid the organization I now depend on! I think I shall also do the same to an Orlesian noblewoman! As a little cake for dessert afterwards, do let me insult the governance of every country in this world!
What? Certainly I can keep my mouth shut if the situation calls for it!"
no subject
Date: 2018-07-31 09:20 pm (UTC)The place I'm from is a lot worse than this. I survived there by keeping my mouth shut. And anyway, the day someone gets in trouble with the Inquisition for slapping Benedict Artemaeus is the day I eat my boots without sauce. I expect that most of the higher-ups want to see him slapped themselves.
spoilers, god ;)
Date: 2018-07-31 09:28 pm (UTC)I am only teasing, cherie. Your stubborn insistence on being stubborn has grown on me much like ivy. Eventually I imagine, much like ivy, it shall weaken the structure of my stubborn insistence on propriety.
[ she clucks ruefully ]
You are a danger. But a kind one, I think, at your center.
whoops gave it away
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