two

[heartscastaside.livejournal.com]

{In the coliseum, Caster not only has her hood down today, but also has a baby griffin perched carefully on her arm. She's handling it like one would handle a falcon, which makes sense, considering the sizable claws, even though it's so small}

Ahh, Afratos, you're eating larger animals now, so it is close to time for you to learn how to fly. You cannot nest too long if you are to be for more than show.

{She waves her hand, and a piece of raw meat appears, flying up into the air. It watches curiously, squawking as it's unsure how to get to it exactly.}

Take your time, little one. It will come naturally as you get hungrier.

{It still paces nervously, its small wings flapping excitedly. Go ahead and approach, but please don't pet the griffin unless you want to lose a finger! ♥}

Comments

[heartscastaside.livejournal.com]

...How interesting. Your society is a strange one, Braxiatel.

[collector]

I agree. We are a people so secretive that we even hide our truths from ourselves. I think that's what that Sunari ambassador said to me over cocktails once.

[heartscastaside.livejournal.com]

How very fitting.

{Another piece of meat appears, and appears a short distance away from the cute, fluffy griffin. Again, he flaps his wings, trying to get some kind of lift, but it's not really working.}

It is interesting how outsiders seem to say the most accurate things about people. Even if it can be biased, it can still be true in some ways.

[collector]

Being able to look at something from the outside gives one a... broader point of view. Unfortunately, people are rarely endowed with insights into the follies of their own cultures.

[heartscastaside.livejournal.com]

Yet you are more knowledgeable than most. It would be easy enough to say that you have an insight on most cultures, with as much knowledge of them as you have demonstrated so far.

[collector]

[He smiles at her] You flatter me. What of yourself? You would have a different image of Greek society than those who were raised there.

[heartscastaside.livejournal.com]

There are many things that I dislike, and they largely outnumber what I do like. The largest of which is how the Greeks treat their women, and how the women are...fine with such insult.

[collector]

Like my people and our complacency, I imagine it's difficult for the women of Greece to see the irrational prejudice that gives them the position they have. Had, rather, in our relativistic point of time, I suppose.

[heartscastaside.livejournal.com]

So I found. That concept was the source of my marital problems, really. Of all creatures that can feel and think, women were the worst treated things alive in Greece.

[collector]

That's always a struggle in unions across cultures. Even if there's acceptance in the union, there will be the society itself to deal with. I've seen more than a few crack under that sort of pressure.

[heartscastaside.livejournal.com]

Oh? For example?

[collector]

Oh, a friend of mine, she married into my culture. She married a man, a good man, one of the Chancellery Guard. They were happy together, loved and respected one another, as much as any marriage could ask for. But this woman, this brave, intelligent woman, a hunter and a warrior... Well. She was an outsider. An alien. A savage. She was not treated kindly, though she was better than most who served the highest offices of our kind. Events conspired to keep her and her husband from their happiness. And though I have not been home in many years, I suspect that Gallifrey has by now managed to completely destroy their chance at peace together.

[heartscastaside.livejournal.com]

{After a moment, all Caster has to say is:} How dreadful and disgusting.

[collector]

Yes, it is. Very likely, it will not happen again.

[heartscastaside.livejournal.com]

"Very likely" isn't quite comforting enough. But I believe that most will know better to try and marry into your culture as well.

[collector]

I don't think anyone will have the opportunity, not again.

[heartscastaside.livejournal.com]

{Chuckles} Or the desire, if they were to hear that story.

[collector]

Oh, I don't know. I've seen people do very strange things when love is involved. [He is thinking of Benny and Jason's bizarre on-again/off-again/on-again/lost-in-a-parallel-universe thing.]

[heartscastaside.livejournal.com]

Or perhaps when the Gods are involved, in some cases.

[collector]

Mind control? Oh, people will do anything at all under mind control. The idea that you would not do something you could not be driven to is a fallacy.

[heartscastaside.livejournal.com]

As I found out personally.

[collector]

Hence your desire for revenge.

[heartscastaside.livejournal.com]

Or simply peace. Living quietly with Master Souichirou and Assassin was...well enough.

[collector]

[Brax glances at her, quiet in his half-smile that doesn't reach his eyes.] I don't believe the universe will ever afford me peace. If that's what you desire, it may be best to choose another Master before it's too late.

[heartscastaside.livejournal.com]

{She smiles}

I disagree. I believe that I have chosen my Master well.