Address aftermath

[17:28] Sylvia stood in the crowd and listened, her heart lifted as Elias continued. The further Elias got, the more sure she was that this was the right thing. Angels' Grace was a good thing.

After seeing Deseti slowly corrupt over the years, the news that there were powerchecks in place had been a relief. Sylvia trusted Elias, but Elias wouldn't always be the leader. And because of that, such checks were needed.

As she looked around and saw all the people, she pulled together her resolve. She would talk to Ra tonight. She would find out if he really was going to follow her here, and more importantly, see if he would follow the rules laid out by the settlement. These people needed more individuals around who could protect them, and whether that meant Ra or herself (though how sad a situation must be if she were one of the few capable of such a feat) would be decided soon.

At the end of the speech she clapped with vigor. During various parts of the speech she had clapped with others to show herself as a part of the group with approval, but now it was in celebration.
(Sylvia Goldstein)
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[17:29] Elias Tanne says, " Ah, you honor me."
[17:29] Elias Tanne says, " And may we live ever in peace."
[17:31] After the speech, Sylvia made her way up to where Elias was, waiting to the side for a moment just in case anyone else was going to speak to her first. When there seemed to be no one else, she walked up the rest of the way and smiled widely.

"That was wonderful, Elias."
(Sylvia Goldstein)
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[17:33] Elias Tanne asks, " ...Was it?"
[17:33] Elias Tanne says, " I must lack for confidence."
[17:34] Elias Tanne says, " ...I but hope we're not burned down to the ground within the fortnight, aye."
[17:34] Sylvia Goldstein says, "Well, it wasn't a world-shattering performance, but it was very much inspiring. "
[17:34] Sylvia Goldstein says, "I hope, too."
[17:46] Sylvia Goldstein asks, "Elias? Could I entrust you with something?"
[17:46] Elias Tanne asks, " Aye?"
[17:48] Sylvia Goldstein says, "My journal. And something that Ra gave to me a long, long time ago. If I have to leave Deseti on short notice, rather than packing up and moving, I'd like to know these two things are safe."
[17:48] Sylvia Goldstein says, "Oh! I also have some Mythril for you."
[17:49] Elias Tanne says, " Ah, of course. And you may have my assurance that I won't read your journal."
[17:49] Sylvia Goldstein says, "Thank you. I appreciate it."
[17:49] Elias Tanne says, " ...I'm sorry if what we're doing here had made things difficult for you."
[17:50] {Item} You picked up Sylvia's Journal. Dropped by Sylvia Goldstein. .
[17:50] {Item} You picked up Mythril x6. Dropped by Sylvia Goldstein.
[17:50] {Item} You picked up Demon Horn. Dropped by Sylvia Goldstein. .
[17:50] Sylvia Goldstein says, "It's alright. It's important. I've simply not been able to get Ra alone for long enough to talk to him about all this, or I'd have come to stay here permanently by now."
[17:50] Elias Tanne says, " Ah, but I do wish we lived in a kinder world."
[17:51] Sylvia Goldstein says, "So do I. But that's what we're working on, isn't it? It's a goal worth the risk."
[17:52] Elias Tanne says, " ...Ah, but you're wise beyond your years."
[17:52] Elias Tanne says, " Thank you for being my friend, Sylvia."
[17:54] Elias grabs Sylvia by the shoulder and smiles at her. "Sylvia, I would be honored if you would join my Diet. I can think of no-one I'd sooner trust to keep myself or my successor under control, should the worst happen."

She tries to elide the mention of the very likely probability that she would die before Sylvia, but it hangs there in the air regardless.
(Elias Tanne)
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[17:55] Her eyes go wide in surprise. This was not something she'd even considered before. It's only after getting over the shock that she answers.

"Do you think I'm truly suited for the job? What all does the job entail?"
(Sylvia Goldstein)
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[17:56] Elias Tanne says, " Chiefly, the creation of laws for the community. "
[17:57] Elias Tanne says, " More practically, I will afford you a portfolio to work on; in your case, I think you would be well suited for work on our library and the educational system."
[17:57] Elias Tanne says, "In truth, I'd rather wait to invest you with this power until you're a little better read, but... we come from humble roots, aye."
[17:58] Sylvia Goldstein says, "I think this is something I can do. I'll have to do a lot of reading that, for once, isn't fiction. But my parents were historians, so the capability is definitely within my reach. I'll work hard, Elias. I'll do my best to make sure that I don't let you, or the people of Angels' Grace down."
[18:02] Elias Tanne says, " You honor me, Sylvie."
[18:02] Elias Tanne says, " Or, shall I say, Minister Sylvia."
[18:02] Elias Tanne asks, " ...I'm sorry, do you have a surname?"
[18:03] Sylvia Goldstein says, "Oh, goodness. A real title! That's so strange. I- Oh! Yes! Goldstein."
[18:03] Elias Tanne asks, " Ah, how long have we known each other that I've just now asked?"
[18:05] Sylvia Goldstein says, "It's honestly very funny. I give my full name when others give their full name. Social mirroring and all that."
[18:06] Elias Tanne says, " But I always introduce myse-- oh, but of course, we met when I was "Sister Elias"."
[18:09] Sylvia Goldstein says, "That's right. Though, I'm not sure you were actually able to give your full name at the time, either. There was a... Strange person in town who insisted he would be king, and, honestly, he seemed a little mad. You and Uchu did your best to sort things out. I didn't see the end of it and went with Ra to his house."
[18:10] Elias Tanne says, " Ah, that little brat."
[18:10] Elias Tanne says, " ...I miss Uchu. Must have been five years since last we met."
[18:13] Elias Tanne says, " I had a mind to make him member of the Diet."
[18:13] Sylvia Goldstein says, "I'll check in on him. I haven't heard anything about him passing, but I have heard rumours that he's been seen dressed as a daemon, attempting to get close to a rare species..."
[18:14] Elias Tanne says, "...Ah, what a very Uchu thing to do."
[18:14] Elias Tanne says, " Many of the men I would have trusted with positions have passed."
[18:15] Elias Tanne says, " Prince Musaki, Kohei..."
[18:15] Sylvia Goldstein asks, "This somehow doesn't surprise me about him? I am sad to hear of so many passings... I hadn't heard of either of those deaths. What happened?"
[18:15] Elias Tanne says, " ...ah, both had bounties posted, and both have not been seen since."
[18:16] Elias Tanne says, " I hope they yet live, but, ah, we won't delude ourselves."
[18:16] Elias Tanne says, " ...And Alexandrea's gone and gotten drunk on Reika again."
[18:16] Sylvia Goldstein says, "Bounties? Oh, I do feel so out of the loop lately, like I haven't been given access to common knowledge."
[18:17] Elias Tanne says, " Perhaps someday she'll make a decent Minister, but-- you don't get out of Deseti nearly enough, my friend."
[18:19] Sylvia Goldstein says, "The last time I was out, save for visiting you, was when I went to Huangzhou for shopping purposes, and, well, when I was there... I accidentally walked in on a rather interesting meeting. Though I escorted myself out rather quickly."
[18:19] Elias Tanne says, " ...Ah, Huangzhou."
[18:20] Elias Tanne says, " I have hopes for it, but it seems to be an entire city of Yins, if you understand my allusion."
[18:20] Elias Tanne says, " People content to be led, regardless of by whom."
[18:21] Sylvia Goldstein says, "That is very depressing. I had high hopes, because Eirene is one of the people in charge of diplomacy."
[18:22] Elias Tanne says, " ...So she still lives? I do wake up every day with a pounding in my heart about her leaving to become a Qilin."
[18:22] Elias Tanne says, " Though perhaps that's just the device acting up."
[18:23] Sylvia Goldstein says, "Oh yes! I'm sorry, I didn't get to mention it before, but she has put that plan to the side for now. She wants to make the settlement a place of peace before doing any such thing. That's what she said to me at least when I was in Ezmara one night."
[18:23] Elias Tanne says, " Ah, that brings me peace."
[18:24] Sylvia Goldstein says, "I was so happy to see her. I know that she and I weren't close, but I did worry..."
[18:28] Elias reclines on the bench outside of the church. "I'll be honest, Sylvia, I'm afraid. I'm... trying as hard as I can to rule wisely and fairly and to build this society, but it feels like it's built on a foundation of wet sand."

She burries her face in her hands, looking ten years older than she ought to. "For every one person like you and Kor, there's a dozen who think I'm mad, who curse my name. In times past, I stuck with my religion, but.... who am I to say that my religion is right? Who am I to say that my philosophy is right, in light of hundreds of voices crying that I am wrong? Is this system too modern? Too foreign? Is it right to make this how we live and rule?"

Her questions start to lose coherence by the end, and she takes a deep breath to steel herself.
(Elias Tanne)
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[18:35] Sylvia moves to sit behind her. As she listens the young woman puts an arm around Elias' shoulders as best she can, hoping to comfort her.

When it is her turn to speak, she answers with confidence.

"I don't think it's wrong. All who choose to stay here with you, we choose this because this is what we believe in. It puts us in a certain type of danger - some people like to snuff out light before it truly gets the chance to shine. But it also gives us hope.

"Elias, we're all so tired of war. We're all so tired of revenge killings. And those of us from Deseti... At least in my case, I came there and found a city of orphans, a place I'd hoped to find no war in, unless it came to us. And then, it turned out that there were so very many people in high places who actually wanted war, who wanted executions.

"People will call us mad, Elias, because they have grown up in a world where war is a fact of daily life, where people are killed for the slightest thing. Those people simply haven't been able to see a system of peace work."

She gives Elias a half hug with the arm around her shoulders.
(Sylvia Goldstein)
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[18:39] {Item} You drop Elias' Cuirass.
[18:40] {Item} You picked up Elias' Cuirass. Dropped by Elias Tanne. .
[18:44] Elias Tanne says, " ...You..."
[18:44] Elias Tanne says, " I don't know how I'd function without your councel, Sylvia."
[18:47] {Item} You drop Eyepatch.
[18:47] {Item} You picked up Eyepatch. Dropped by Elias Tanne. .
[18:49] Sylvia Goldstein says, "I think if I weren't here, you would have found at least one ther voice of reason."
[18:49] Elias Tanne says, " Of course, from the teaming masses of my many, many followers."
[18:49] Elias Tanne says, " All of whom are guided by virtue and immune to my own influence."
[18:50] Elias Tanne says, " You don't give yourself enough credit, my dear."
[18:51] Sylvia Goldstein says, "Well, it's true that I am very difficult to influence on important things. My uncle was not the first person to compliment me on my stubborness, and he won't be the last. Thankfully for everyone, I am more than happy to listen to reason. Otherwise that stubborness would be a problem, instead of a boon."
[18:56] Elias Tanne says, " ...I'm glad to have been born into this world."
[18:56] Elias Tanne says, " I get a chance to change it, flawed may I be."
[18:57] Elias Tanne says, " And I got to meet you, and Uchu, and Ichirou, and the Nijis and Saint Setzer."
[18:58] Sylvia Goldstein says, "I think that's one of the most amazing parts of being alive. We affect the world around us, and we can do our best to make it better. And the people we meet, they change us, too. And when it's over in one life, we get to do it all over again. Maybe to do it even better the second time around."
[19:01] Elias Tanne says, " Ah, I wonder who I might have been in my last light for this to be an improvement."
[19:02] Sylvia Goldstein says, "I never said you were an improvement from the get-go. Just that you worked your way up from your last life. Probably. "
[19:04] Elias Tanne says, " Ah, such things are beyond me."
[19:04] Elias Tanne says, " I leave my next life to Kraus' wise judgement."
[19:07] Sylvia Goldstein says, "I'd like to think that people improve over time. I mean, sometimes we go back as a society, but we always manage to fix that issue eventually. It just takes a lot of time, and a lot of people working together to make it work. "
[19:10] Elias Tanne says, " Your enthusiasm is what keeps me breaking my back over this place."
[19:13] Sylvia Goldstein says, "My enthusiasm is great, and difficult to squelch."