hadriel | 002 [Video]

[Aside from having a new--or maybe not new, but different--hat that may have suffered a little bedazzling, Connor looks pretty much the same as last time he spoke on the network. He has something somewhat less abstract to talk about this time, but it's even more serious.]

Although the Clinic is well-suited to the needs of many here, and that's a great accomplishment in this situation, it's unable to provide assistance to a portion of the population that needs non-standard medical treatment.

[Mostly, as far as he knows, that's a problem for individuals who might be mechanically-based, although he isn't ruling out that there might be other types of beings he doesn't know about who also can't be helped with standard medical treatment. So he's being general right now, trying to account for everyone, which also helps in keeping things vague as far as individual people and what they might need.]

Because worlds vary, finding those with the skills they need to help these people might be difficult, but at the very least we can make sure those who can't go to the Clinic have the basic supplies necessary to take care of themselves. But again, because worlds vary, we won't know what all those supplies are unless we compile a list. I know there's an option on these phones to hold private conversations, if anyone may be concerned about giving specifics information about themselves, so supplies on the list can be added mostly anonymously.

[With any luck that means he can add some things to the list himself and no one will know who they're for. He'd like to avoid ending up in a situation in which he bleeds to death from an otherwise treatable injury just because there's no thirium available here.]

Additionally, since necessary items are likely to require making arrangements with the gods, if anyone is willing to help with that please let me know.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Nate laughs. He can't help it, it just bubbles out of him without him intending it to, cracking through the awkward silence like the shatter of glass.]

Right.

[Difficult, in this case, to not be reminded of one of the attendees of their quiet, impromptu meeting on what to do with Name, the guy with the funny name and the questionable allegiance. None of them have been outed yet, but that doesn't mean Nate trusts Curufin not to deftly slide back to his original intentions.]

Who told you that?

[Connor's eyebrows raise just slightly at the laughter, a brief reaction of confusion and surprise as he has to analyze why exactly Nate is laughing and what it means. But then he figures it out, and so the appropriate response in a simple one and Nate's phone will ping with a text message containing a link to Connor's last post.

No need to say anything; there's clearly an implicit 'take your pick'.]

[Nate doesn't give the slew of messages that the guy sends him a comprehensive read or listen, but it's enough to determine a fairly telling pattern of behavior and general attitudes on the subject. None of which Nate would know much about, seeing as he doesn't comb through other people's conversations, but it's still a lot.]

Jesus.

[His face stretches into a grimace, and he switches back to the video feed.]

Well, denial's not just a river in Egypt.

[Connor resists the urge to tell Nate that denial isn't a river in Egypt in the first place, because he does get the saying even if he thinks it's stupid. Still, not the point.]

Have you seen or heard anything that indicates the others are incorrect?

[It's basically a rhetorical question at this point, but it's more meant as an invitation for Nate to tell him more.]

About what, the bias?

[Nate isn't entirely certain what else this guy could be referring to.]

I mean...listen, in my own experience, it can be pretty easy for people to rabble-rouse, or alienate what they're scared of. We got slammed with a battle none of us really wanted to fight not that long ago, so there isn't a lot of trust floating around for anything that feels Null-like. I don't have statistics for you. It's just a feeling.

[That's indeed what he meant, and the answer makes sense; it's more in line with what Connor has been coming to believe, so maybe it's just confirmation bias but he's inclined to think Nate's correct.]

That would make sense.

[It's probably evident by the way he says it that he agrees that's likely.]

There has been markedly less interest in this post than the last.

[Which, you know, just saying. There was a whole rush to deny any prejudice, but only a few offers to help.]

Not really surprised. Nobody likes to be accused of something if they think they're a decent person in their own right.

[Not that it's ever stopped people from referring to Nate as a thief, but he could never be upset with a fact and it never bothered him anyway. After a certain point, some things aren't worth denying.

But decent people can still be unintentional assholes.]

Understandable, but I didn't accuse anyone of anything.

[He'd just asked the populace a general question, and people had rushed to defend themselves. Of course, Connor does understand that they might've felt defensive at even a general question, but he also understands that defensiveness often belies a reason for it whether consciously or not.]

No, I know-

[He could have phrased that better, even if it doesn't look like the guy - Connor, the comm unit says - seems all that bothered by it.]

It's a- an interpretation thing. People here get bent out of shape when they feel like there's something to defend. [Especially if it's themselves.] But I'm glad you're making them aware, y'know?

[It never occurred to Nate. He knows this, because maybe it should have.]

[He decides not to add that maybe they're feeling defensive because they're doing what they claim not to be; he thinks this person understands that, and it isn't necessary to point out. So instead he'll just try to focus on that last part, and dips his head slightly in acknowledgement.]

I just hope that they will use that awareness to help with the problem, rather that returning to ignoring it because it doesn't concern them.

[He's not that hopeful, because he's also realistic. But stranger things have happened.]

...yeah, uh, have you met people?

[The framing and tone of his question is rhetorical, because people like to turn a blind eye to what they don't want to see or acknowledge - Hell, Nate's done it himself. Plenty of times.

Though historically, never to the detriment of synthetic folks, but that's because they don't exist in his world.]

[Part of Connor really wants to respond with something flippant, not at Nate specifically but about humans in general, but he refrains.]

I'm attempting to be optimistic.

[It's almost a joke, but said sincerely enough for plausible deniability. Maybe people will see this conversation and be shamed into helping.]

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