asgardeventide | Seven ★ Video

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[It's assumed that Draco is around somewhere despite not being on camera immediately, judging by the fact that when the feed starts travelers are greeted with a nice view of a bedroom wall absolutely covered in diagrams, charts, graphs, drawings and notes. Literally every square inch of the wall above the bed is covered in paper marked with random colored pens. It's assumed the rest of the room is set the same way. In the background, anyone listening can hear a coffee maker brewing a new pot.

War's never been one of Draco's favorite things, but the battles in Asgard have made him think of his home world and the situation he's in. He hates thinking about it, but he's started dissecting everything he knows…hence some of the charts that are overlaying some older charts. When Draco begins to speak, he's still out of the line of vision, if only because he can't exactly face the city just yet.]

…I know this man at home who's trying to, more or less, recreate the entire world. A perfect world where everyone's exactly the same and everyone who's considered less than worthy is punished severely if they're not outright killed immediately. [This is bad. This is a bad idea to be bringing this up, but Draco's full of bad ideas and bad decisions lately.] Actually, his favorite method is to torture them severely before sparing them and then murdering them with a flick of the wrist.

But the thing is, despite the fact he's more or less a slit-nosed homicidal freak, he has a large following. Many follow him out of fear, but there are just as many who follow out of loyalty. There are many people who actually, genuinely believe our world will be better if we follow his plan for destruction and reconstruction. It's messy and violent, and yet they go along with it anyway. Funny how that works, isn't it? One has to wonder why. [It's probably for the best that Voldemort's not around to hear that one of his servants is basically disregarding everything he's been taught. But after his last conversation with Jade? Maybe he really doesn't have to be constantly fearing for his life...maybe just every other day.

Let's get to the point, shall we? His hand appears in the frame of video and he's pinning a fresh piece of paper to the wall above the bed. He soon takes out a pen and in a neat, elegant scrawl writes something on the top of the page.

The art of persuasion and manipulation

His hand hovers in midair for a moment before he withdraws it.]

What is the fine line between persuading people and manipulating them? And, as a bonus question, what is the fine line between safety and fear? Sometimes I have to wonder if the rulers of this world aren't any different, what with having to do their bidding without even asking us. And yet we do it anyway because we're told it's better this way. [He knows it's a stretch, but it's still a valid point in his opinion.] As you can see, I've plenty of room on the paper so give me something worth writing.

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[She's quiet a moment, then, resignedly.]

I figured as much.

Let's just say... I've seen a lot of both persuasion and manipulation in my life. [As victim, as perpetrator, as bystander - she's really been all of them.] They're things I... 'grew up with', so to speak. [Insofar as she 'grew up' at all, in the sense of a childhood. (In her case, it was just a facsimile thereof.)]

...unfortunate, I suppose. How much of it was used against you though?

[Pause.]

I became very familiar with both of them. As for how much--....

... Enough.

[Enough to know it and apply it, even through her distaste of it; it depends, of course, for what purposes it is used and how it is accomplished.]

But it wasn't all used against me. The people around me were very... unkind to each other.

...who started it?

... Even before I existed, they fought. Who it was that caused so much dissension in the first place, I can't say. [Even if she has her theories.] They... wanted certain things, things that they'd do anything to get - power, respect... other things. [Their hearts, for one, but the people she implicates most in this particular description are the ones who may not truly have held that as their fondest wish.] To that end, they tried to use and control each other, through both manipulation and persuasion. ... But if you're asking whether it was me or them... I'd have to say it was them. [Even with her propensity to blame herself for things.]

No, it definitely wasn't a question of you or them. I already knew it wasn't you. [Why? Because she's Namine, and Draco's aware that that wouldn't add up.]

This brings in a whole other set of factors then, such as who was the best at it and if any of them were allying with one another or if it was sort of a free for all mess. [Notes are being taken on that sheet again.] I'm not necessarily asking you to answer, but if you have answers...

[There's just the tiniest hint of a wry smile on her lips at that. Good of him, really, but-- whenever someone expresses any sort of faith in her at all, she always wonders whether she deserves it. She was guilty of trickery, herself.] ... I should probably say 'thank you'. So-- thank you, Draco.

[There's a slight delay. It's not a comfortable topic, that's for certain, but-- there's no harm if she's vague about it, right?]

There were... alliances, yes. Except-- they were often false ones. Some of them were... much more talented tricksters than others, and some of them failed themselves by choosing their allies poorly, or because of their own pride. In the end... all of them were destroyed, except for one. At least, he made it out of that situation alive. [The rest of the Organization's shenanigans are another story entirely; she's speaking mainly of her 'childhood'.]

Edited 2012-11-23 06:05 (UTC)

[He waves it off if only because he doesn't think it should be something she should be thanking him for.] Sure.

So really it was a case where they were all too overconfident in what they were thinking, whether it be that they could outwit someone or they could trust someone. But the one who escaped...he didn't use manipulation or persuasion at all, did he?

... Mostly... he forged false alliances with some people in order to achieve his ends, all the while playing a part that was at least half true. And-- much of the time, he got other people to do his dirty work for him. So I suppose you could say it was a mix of both and something else entirely. He didn't have to lie outright very often, he just... gave people a little push and let their own faults or the faults of others be their downfall.

[And it was quite masterful, truthfully, even if it's a bit difficult to say it.]

...a man with skills then. Sounds like he knew exactly what he was doing whether for the greater good or not. I'm finding it fascinating that more worlds seem to have these figureheads floating about but the outcomes have all been different.

Yes.... He was the only one who survived for a reason, after all. He was very good at what he did. [And he taught her quite a lot, probably without realizing it.] He did it for his own reasons, but in some ways it did help the worlds. [As a side effect, that is, but one that certainly did her a lot of good, too.]

Mm. There are so many different kinds of people out there and so many different worlds that they live in, but-- they still have so much in common. But in cases like this, it seems like it would make sense that the results vary. People who manipulate and persuade others are often putting themselves in delicate situations, I think. How skilled they are matters so much, and so do the individual personalities of the people they're interacting with. [To put it gently.] Things tend to get very... complicated. [To also put something gently.]

There's that word again...complicated. I think I hear that from you more than anything else. [But it's not bad because he agrees. It is complicated.]

It makes a person wonder why anyone would bother getting so deeply involved.

[Her small and guilty smile is audible in her voice.] I'm sorry. I guess we talk about too many complicated things. [Because a lot of the things she's familiar with are complicated and at times troubling to discuss.]

I'm sure there are some people who think there isn't any other way to get what they want or need. [And in many cases, they're probably right.]

It could be worse, Namine. It could be that all we talk about are trivial matters like the weather. [He prefers complex, actually.]

But isn't there always two sides?

It could be. That does sound like less work. But I'm afraid I don't know much about weather. It would probably be a very short conversation. [That last part appears to be a joke. She's been working on 'humor'.]

Yes... but not everyone is able to see the opposite one. There are many people who would rather believe completely that their way is the only way than try to find another one. It takes bravery to admit that you're wrong. [Assuming you care about being right, of course. Some people have more trouble with that than others.]

[Heh. She gets a short sort of laugh for her effort.] Well we can't have that, now can we?

Bravery huh. You really think that's the right word for this sort of situation?

[She'll take it.] No. That wouldn't be fun at all. Besides, I... like talking to you like this. [Even if it an be a bit unsettling at times, discussing certain topics.]

Well-- for some people, yes. Not everyone is so afraid of being wrong, but... sometimes it's hard, accepting that you don't know what you need to, or that there are things that you have no hope of ever controlling, or admitting that you messed up. Some people can't bear it. And-- when it's something really important.... [It's terrifying to think that you might have failed.]

...glad to hear it.

And when it's something really important, you try to cover as much as you can to ignore the fact it's blown up in your face. [He knows.] Sounds more like a matter of bruised pride than bravery.

But don't some people need bravery to make sure their bruised pride doesn't stop them from accepting what they've done wrong? To make sure their fears don't?

...well possibly...but it's just that bravery's a very strong word. It just doesn't seem fitting enough.

[~~Probably because she was thinking more of a the fear aspect than the pride aspect. Freudian slip--~~]

What would you suggest?

[On the other hand, she's made him think. And he's not sure what to think or what to settle on.]

Defeat, maybe.

Mm. I suppose you could call it that. Accepting defeat is important in making things right... if you learn from it.

And for those who don't?

... Well, that wouldn't do them any good. It depends how you choose to accept it, I think. If you accept defeat in your own heart but refuse to admit it to anyone else, or to let it change your actions, you'll just keep doing the wrong thing. If you accept it but also let it paralyze you, or make you stop trying to handle the situation at all, that's not good, either. But if you accept what you've done wrong and seek to change your ways and set things right, then it can be a valuable experience, one that helps you find the best path for you and others.

Seven ★ Video

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