private A Cultural Exchange 1x1 with Randimaxis

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Silver froze stock still for a moment, then...

 

"... Mister Blackwater you've known me for a long time and you know what kind of work I am capable of Illiad believes that my inventions could revolutionize Equestria and I know what you're thinking you're thinking that I'll be leaving the quarry but I want to BASE myself from the quarry because I know that if anything happens you'll protect me because you're a GOOD family I don't care WHAT anypony else says please Mister Blackwater it would mean so much to me to have you on my side PLEASE..."

 

She slapped her hooves over her mouth, her eyes huge and close to tears.  The amount of embarrassment rolling off of her right now was thick enough that the Trojan could practically cut it with a blade... and there was another emotion here, but not coming from Silver; it took a moment, but Illiad began to not only recognize it, but he could pick out its' source...

 

Luther was a bit impressed with Silver.  Interesting.  The Blackwater patriarch regarded her coolly for a moment, then stood up once again, came around his desk, and came muzzle to muzzle with the little mare.

 

"You say such - I feel your honesty.  I warn you - Blackwaters are not seen ideally; you wish to be allied with our reputation?"

 

Silver looked Luther right in the eye back.

 

"I wouldn't want anypony else at my back, sir."

 

Luther stared for a moment more... then nodded once.

 

"Good."

 

He moved over to the balcony window, and deigned to gaze out of it as Silver quizzically glanced back and forth between him and Illiad.  After a moment, she realized he was waiting for her to go, so she turned and mouthed the words 'thank you' before she quietly made her way to the door and slipped outside, closing it with a soft click behind her.

 

Luther, still looking out the window at his quarry, gave a deep sigh.  "Now, speak."

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis, 

 

Illiad gave a slight smile to Silver as she left, then turned back towards Mr. Blackwater. He took a deep breath before he spoke. "It has come to my attention that Oglevy was in the cavern with Luna, Knee, and I. And as a result, the night before last he was possessed by a different entity then the one we fought. We fought the knight, but Oglevy found the king. Dax and I worked to save Oglevy by returning to the king what was stolen from him. It turns out Redd went in to the cavern after we had left to steal the chest that the entity we fought was protecting. I recovered the chest from Redd and returned it to the king, who then took most if not all of the remaining cloud diamond in the cavern and left. Left this planet entirely. In short, the cavern no longer poses more of a danger than any other cave. I thought you should know this."

 

Illiad realized he should have told Mr. Blackwater earlier, he hoped he wouldn't be too upset that he hadn't.

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Luther listened in silence, his dour poker face settled into his muzzle for the duration.  His emotional state strolled slowly back and forth from concern to anger, back and forth, like a pendulum.  When Illiad finished, the Blackwater turned and looked at him levelly.

 

"Questions."

 

Apparently, Luther had some.

 

"I want to know what you mean by 'possessed Oglevy'... I want to know if Redd gave you any trouble... and I want to know why this took a day to tell me."

 

The stallion was upset, but not wildly out-of-control.  He waited calmly for his answers, staring directly at the unicorn in his office.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad nodded, they were fair questions to be sure. "By possessed I would say it was likely similar to what the other entity did in the cavern, where it controlled the body of another, this was done far more gently though, it is likely that Oglevy remembers little to nothing of the experience and he seemed unharmed when released. Redd did not give me much trouble, he returned the chest to me with only parting words of anger. As to why it took so long for me to get here, the morning after I was pressed into going to Canterlot by your wife soon after she came and woke me up, we returned rather late for me to go tell you that night, so I came this morning, possibly afternoon at this point, to tell you." 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

"Oglevy..." A quick flash of concern and love, hidden just as fast.

 

"Doctor's visit, to be safe."

 

Nodding to himself at this, he continued.

 

"No trouble from Redd.  Good."

 

He gave another deep sigh, closed his eyes for a moment, then returned to watching the quarry activity in the yard below.

 

"She told me you accompanied her."  His eyes slid sideways to look at the unicorn.  "My condolences."

 

Was that... a joke?  His face spoke nothing of humor, and his emotions were deadpan.  There was no way to tell.

 

Luther's gaze focused outside once more.  "Noted.  Anything more?"

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad nodded, glad that he could be of help. "Just one last thing, earlier in the night on which Oglevy was possessed, Dax was verbally assaulted by a small group of your workers." He related the descriptions of the group, hopefully to a degree that they could be identified.

 

"And that is all I have to tell you today, though if you don't mind, I have yet to receive word back from Princess Luna as to what happened after I fell unconscious, could you relate to me what transpired if anything?" 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Luther's mouth edges quirked down a little farther than they already were.

 

"Her Highness got you and Knee Slapper to Zinger, then she spoke to me.  She purchased much of the remaining Cloud Diamond I possessed, and promised Independent Protectorate status for my quarry.  Good news for Silver and her patents."

 

He then closed his eyes, sighed, and turned to face Illiad.

 

"As for Daxter... I assume they called him 'Pink-Slip', yes?"

 

His eyes locked onto the Trojan's own, and his Empathic senses could feel Luther fortifying his emotions...

 

"A reminder from his punishment - a lesson he will not soon forget."

 

And a cold, cold anger along with a thin yet bright ribbon of sorrow evidenced only for a moment from the massively powerful stallion, but it didn't seem to be directed at Illiad... though it did seem as if Luther was waiting for the unicorn to say something.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis

 

Illiad was suprised at the offer of independent protectorate status, but he supposed Luna had her reasons. What he did not expect was the anger associated with Dax's punishment.

 

He sighed, "Far be it from me to advise your parenting style... No, I won't go into that."

 

He turned top leave the office, hopefully he would be done here.

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

"STOP."

 

Luther's voice was like a jolt of electricity, short and loud.  He turned from the window and walked over to Illiad, getting within reach of the unicorn and glaring him in the face.

 

"You speak so... and walk away?"

 

His frown hunkered down a bit further, apparently ready for a storm.

 

"Explain your words, Easle."

 

He didn't look (or feel) happy, but he wasn't going to simply let it go, either.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis

 

Illiad turned to face Mr. Blackwater directly, his expression too a bit colder and more serious. "To be absolutely frank Mr. Blackwater, you have damaged your child both socially and emotionally, maybe even beyond my own ability to repair. The isolation of this place alone is enough to cause damage given the lack of friend material, but by eliminating all the friends he was able to make despite the circumstances, you eliminated most of his chances at living a socially healthy life. He fears to befriend any who live here, all those who he interacts with on a daily basis, because he cares too much to risk them being eliminated too. Furthermore, you and your wife's withholding emotion, not showing or sharing the love I know you feel for them, has lead to him also withholding emotion. As such he doesn't know how to healthily express his own emotions, which has lead to many painful experiences on my part."

 

He sighed, it wasn't usually like him to chastize one older than him. "Again, it isn't my place to advise your parenting style, I'm sure you're doing the best you know how to. All I want to know is why. Why did you think forcing him to fire all those he befriended would be beneficial? What lesson where you trying to teach?"

 

He sighed again, as his senses re-adjusted he worked to diffuse the sitiation, hopefully reducing the possible fallout if his words offended the Blackwater.

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@@Illiad Easle

 

 

Luther stared hard into Illiad's stare; there was almost visible electricity between them... then Luther spoke.

 

"It was more about the lesson I did not WANT him to learn."

 

Luther continued to stare down the unicorn, determined to get his point across.

 

"Daxter had been told NOT to associate with the MINERS - and he did anyway.  He may have done well - may have even found BOTH The Blackwater Emerald AND his cutie mark, but it DOES NOT JUSTIFY BEING AROUND THOSE MINERS.  At the time, there was a pay dispute with some greedy ones - both Vylia AND I confirmed they were paid properly - and they THREATENED our lives!  I TOLD Daxter to stay AWAY from there..."

 

He turned from Illiad and stormed across the room, anger now radiating from him in a huge radius, and growing with each word.  THIS level of concentrated anger made Vylia Blackwater's temper seem like a kitten's mew.

 

"... and he REFUSED TO LISTEN, endangering his life because of some supposed thrill of disobedience!  He did NOT understand how close he had been to being killed!  They would have set upon him like JACKALS!  They would have beaten him to DEATH!"

 

Making his way to the far wall, he started to slam his hooves against it... but pulled up at the last moment, laying them carefully on the oak-paneled wall with a harsh sigh.

 

"And I did what I did to him to GUARANTEE that his life would no longer be in jeopardy; as embarrassed as he was, I have not seen him attempt to help any more miners.  Which is how it SHOULD be, Easle - Daxter belongs IN CHARGE of the quarry... not underground with THEM."

 

He spoke over his shoulder this time.

 

"THAT is why, Easle."

 

He moved from the wall, back over to the balcony doors, opening them, to the railing, and leaned out.  Illiad could feel a large range of emotions coming off the stallion:  Anger, fear, worry, loathing, regret, shame, vengeance... they were flowing from Luther like rivers, yet there was barely any hint of emotion on his muzzle.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad sighed, he knew the situation would likely be more involved than it seemed.

 

He waited a bit before speaking again, his face adopting a curious, sad, yet non-judgmental look, curious sympathy if you would. "You were willing to turn over forty workers for simply befriending your son, but you weren't willing to fire the more greedy ones for threatening your lives? Also, why would you not just tell him what the stakes are? He's a very smart colt who trusts you frankly more that you deserve. I have every faith if he were told why a rule is in place he would follow it to the ends of time."

 

He sighed again, "Another thing? those workers who know the story will never respect him out of anything but fear, that may work for you, but he's not that sort. He cares about others, enough to distance himself from them. Most of the workers will have to be turned over if he takes charge here because of that."

 

He turned away as well, "Fear is the tool of a tyrant Mr. Blackwater, Is that the sort of leader you want to be? You probably don't want to know what I think at this point, but I'll tell you anyway. Daxter cares about you, just about as much as you care about him, if you took time to talk to him, explain to him the reasoning behind your actions, you'll find him significantly more likely to obey you when it really matters."

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Luther continued to stare out over the quarry he obsessed over.  The emotions flowed harder for a moment... then, they simply petered out.  All that was left was a trickle of... grievous pain?

 

The stallion let out a mountain of a sigh, then spoke, soft and simple.

 

"The workers in question WERE fired.  I informed Daxter that the workers could NOT be trusted.  And if the miners must be replaced... so be it; it doesn't matter WHOM kicks the rocks down there - as long as the work is done.  They are paid for their work, and they leave when they have enough..."

 

The trickle of pain became a single pulse for a moment.

 

"... and hopefully, during that time, they do not try to kill you... or your family."

 

With that, Luther made a point of not looking in Illiad's direction.

 

"If I was not the 'tyrant' you claim me to be, then this quarry would have shuttered its' doors long ago - as a business is a BUSINESS, Easle... something I somewhat doubt you know enough about to properly run yourself."

 

There was apparently FAR more to this than Luther was saying... and Illiad was getting the distinct emotional impression that Luther may have been...

 

... crying?

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad sighed, "You're right. This isn't this situation that I am used to. I run myself well enough but I wouldn't know how to run a quarry like this. It's clear to me that you've had to make some hard decisions in your time, I'm not condemning you for them. What I am condemning is your claimed reasoning for your actions, I've heard of how caring a stallion you are, and felt how much you care about your family. Furthermore I know you don't consider all your workers disposable like you described. Would you think twice about firing Silver? Chuck? Knee? All of which I would consider friends of Daxter, yet they're still here. If you took the time to care about your workers, then maybe trust wouldn't be an issue. If the workers know you care then they won't fear, but respect you as a leader."

 

He sighed once again, "You gave a partial why, you said they couldn't be trusted, but he knew they could. He proved they could be trusted, and in the end you eliminated forty workers who could be trusted to keep you and your family safe from the workers who would wish your family ill."

 

He pulled out his diamond, "Look at the princesses, running a country is not so different from running a business, yet they care about those they rule. They work with their subjects to do what's best for the country, you too can work with your workers to do what's best for the quarry. I respect you because you have the strength to make the hard decisions, you can make the hard choice for what you see as the good of the quarry. I know how hard a decision can be, when all the options seem bad. It can be all too easy to divorce your emotions from the decision, to hide from the hurt. Facing the emotion is what makes you a caring king over a heartless tyrant."

 

(This is getting deep, hopefully I haven't started to ramble)

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

There was nothing but silence from the earth pony on the balcony.  Facing away, Illiad couldn't see his muzzle, but he didn't have to... the misery and betrayal began to bubble up, like underground water finally reaching the surface.

 

"Daxter is almost exactly as I used to be.  Kind.  Cheerful.  Energetic.  I went into the mines regularly for years - thought I had made good friends."  

 

He huffed a hard sigh.

 

"I was wrong."

 

Luther paused here; the Empathic could FEEL him fighting his sorrow back.  After a moment, it seemed as if the conversation had ended at that.  But just as the unicorn thought to respond, he spoke again.

 

"I was framed for embezzlement by management, and the miners I had thought were my friends believed it.  They beat me until they thought I was dead... then left me."

 

It had to be the hardest emotional battle Illiad had ever seen in someone who was so still and stern; it had to have been some form of internal personal strength or training that kept his voice from breaking, or his strong shoulders from shaking with sobs.

 

"THAT is why, Illiad Easle; it was a preemptive strike.  They may not respect my son... but they will fear retribution if they harm a single hair on his head.  They know this now."

 

Luther had effectively told Illiad that he had been beaten by the workers he'd befriended in the mines, because management had framed him for stealing from the company... which, because it was called The BLACKWATER Quarry could only mean that he was framed by his own family.

 

"And Daxter will be kept from harm's way because they will never drag him in the way they did to me.  Never.  NEVER."

 

He grew quiet again; this time, he did seem to be waiting for a response.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad's eyes widened as he heard the story, then his expression softened. He knew all too well what it was like to be turned on by friends. He didn't dare approach the stallion as it was quite clear that Mr. Blackwater was likely not one for physical displays of comfort.

 

He took a deep breath before proceeding, thinking carefully on his words and lacing them with as much comfort as he could muster. "That is certainly a harsh set of circumstances, one I can relate to to some degree, but thankfully not quite to the degree you faced. I have a secret that I carry with me, one you no doubt have some idea of, once I had a friend I thought I could trust with that secret, a few days later I was taken from my home while I slept, held down in a back ally and beaten, as well as having boiling tea poured on me until a guard came by." The scars ached again as he related the story. "My 'friends' scattered but the guard was in on it, and passed by without lifting a hoof in my aid. I wasn't at any risk of death like you were, but the attack scarred me both physically and emotionally, it has remained mostly impossible for me to share my secret with others, and I suffered an extreme difficulty with trusting others with friendship for many years. I see your experience has scarred you even deeper than my own has."

 

He sighed, "They say time heals this sort of thing, but we both know it will take more than time to fix us. It may take you longer than it has taken me to heal, but I have every faith that you may someday be able to trust your workers again. My recommendation? Tell Daxter this, this is the true reason why, tell him and he will understand. But in return? You'll need to trust him, he's practically an adult now and soon you'll have to trust him to follow your teachings to make his own decisions, to do what is best for him rather than what would be best for you."

 

He gave a slight smile, "All of this shows me the truly caring stallion that you really are. I'm sure you'll turn out to be a fine ruler, and perhaps even be remembered as a great father."

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

For a while, the large, powerful stallion was silent.  Illiad could hear the wind breezing by the balcony, could feel it's soft and surprisingly cool caress against his face, could hear the activity out in the quarry yard... and still, Luther Blackwater stood above it all; to have been just like Dax... and to turn out like this?  

 

The mental image of poor Dax going through something similar would have been a bit too much to bear - it couldn't be done - but to picture a young and happy Luther going through it was somehow even worse, perhaps for the living proof of what cruelty could do in the very existence of Luther.

 

When he spoke, it didn't sound angry... it sounded tired.  Oh, so tired.

 

"I do not want to rule.  I do not want to be 'great'.  I simply want to run my quarry and love my family."

 

Luther hung his head.

 

"Anything else is frivolous... and therefore, useless to me."

 

Illiad caught a single sniffle.

 

"... but your concern is noted."

 

There was a pause where Illiad could feel the miasma of emotional pain from the patriarch... then, it was almost as if a sponge had been set in the middle, and the Empathic felt the mental equivalent of someone burying that torrent of emotion slowly yet surely, like pouring sand on a grease fire.  The emotions were being bottled and smothered, but in a well-practiced way that made the feeling more eerie than painful to the Empathic's senses.

 

"Now go, Easle; I want to be alone."

 

Luther went quiet.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad would have said more, mentioned how burying the pain didn't cure it, simply postpone it, but he knew Mr. Blackwater was done talking for now.

 

"As you wish sir."

 

With that Illiad turned and made his way out of the office. He idly wondered what would be waiting for him outside, if anything, and what he could possibly do for the rest of the day.

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Outside the thick door, Dax Blackwater stood waiting.  As he came out of Luther's office, the young stallion got stars in his eyes, and his emotions radiated both eagerness and hope.

 

"Well... what did he have to say?  How did it go?  Did he agree?  Did he NOT agree?  Was it as easy as I said it would be?"

 

Dax's energy was ramped up, and he was chomping at the bit to hear what his friend had to say about how the meeting went.

 

It was hard to imagine Luther as such a energetic young powerhouse of happiness; it was just as difficult to imagine Dax becoming hard and cold like his father was.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad's expresion brightened a bit at Dax's enthusiasm, but was still a bit more subdued than usual. "It happened pretty much exactly like you said it was, to the point where Silver and I half expected him to talk about jelly like you did. He seems inclined to the idea of backing Silver's patents."

 

He looked around to try and get an idea of the time. "It's about lunch time now isn't it? What do you think we should do for the rest of the day?" 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Dax smiled warmly; he was so full of life, it was hard to see him as anything but adorable.

 

"Oh, there's LOTS of stuff we can do today!  And lunch DOES sound good - hey, I've got an idea... have you ever had a straw dog?  The lunch trailer serves 'em all day long, and they are pretty tasty.  What do you say we go over there and get a few?"

 

Oh, boy...

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad gave a slight smirk, "I've had one before yes, that certainly sounds like a great idea. You know this place better than I do, so you better lead the way."

 

He idly wondered if it would be a good idea to ask if they could invite Silver to join them, then decided against it. This time was for Dax, there would be more time for Silver later.

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Dax walked along the path that led to the quarry yard seeming as chipper as usual; his mood, as always, matched his actions.  There was something to be said about one whose emotions were so honest, unfettered by the usual restraints that life can put upon one.  It was refreshing to see such a thing.

 

As they made their way into the quarry proper, Illiad immediately got a feeling that something was... off.

 

There were workers around them, yet they seemed to be in different levels of preoccupation - one was playing with a length of rope like it was a snake, while two more were... ballroom dancing?  Another was sneaking around (though not very well), and yet another was skipping along while whistling a jaunty tune.  How very strange...

 

Dax, of course, was oblivious to the proceedings around him; he was busy talking to his best friend.

 

"... and we could go to the gardens, though they're nowhere near as impressive as they were when my ancestor, Lotus Black, kept her horticulture experiments there - out of ALL of them, there's only ONE of her original flowers left, and that's in Father's office; have you noticed that reeeeeally old pot near the window?  That's it!"

 

They reached the lunch trailer, and Dax made his way towards the window.

 

"Hiya, Grill Brick!  I was wondering if... you... might..."

 

Dax's patter slowed to a stop as he saw what was inside the trailer itself - standing at the grill was the dour cook from yesterday... yet he wasn't dour at all.  He had an ENORMOUS smile on his face, and a spatula in his mouth.  There was food on the grill, but it wasn't burnt - because the grill itself wasn't on.

 

"Uhm... mister Grill Brick?  Sir?  Yoo hoo..."

 

Dax waved his hooves at Grill, but no response came.  Dax turned back to face Illiad, worry writ large on his face and his emotions.

 

"... this can't be good."

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad had an expression to match, it was a situation completely unlike anything he had ever encountered before. He retrieved his diamond again and prepared it just in case something bad went down. "I think we should get out of here, this neither feels nor looks right." 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

The two of them backed off from the trailer, warily looking as Grill Brick continue to stand there watching the food not-burn.

 

Now that Dax got to looking around, he began to feel confused... and a tad scared, as he had no idea what was happening.  He looked around at the other workers, all seemingly engaged in some of the strangest activities the two of them had ever seen the workers engage in:  skipping, singing, dancing, playing like children...

 

Over close to the gem refinery, Illiad caught a surge of panic... and a bit of secretive movement from behind the large water tower.  With all the weird activity going on in the open, the stealthy presence was certainly out-of-place here.