video; both courts

[survivra]

Are the women in this world and your own given as much opportunity to defend themselves as the men?

[ she doesn't wait for any answers, giving a humorless snort of laughter at the locket before continuing. it's not a directly related addition to her question, but it's certainly on the same train of thought: ]

Ridiculous that those already holding power are given the privilege of training to the highest levels of their skills, but those most in need of it are left to rely on the protection of others.

Comments

video;

[meloncholy]

Not respectable women back home, no. When I say that, I mean - [he rubs his chin; class politics, man.] They comes from law abiding families. Whether they're commoners, merchants or nobility. Their fathers and their husbands usually don't let them learn.

Women who are thieves, beggars, whores, attached to unscrupulous men, unscrupulous themselves - damn right they do. Nobody else is looking out for them. Then again, there's always exceptions. I've met a few.

video;

[survivra]

Good for them. [ she gives him a grim, satisfied smile. ] Do they have to teach themselves, in that case?

video

[chaoticwhimsy]

Why wouldn't they be?

[Lumina comes from one of those lucky worlds where sexism was never really a thing.]

video

[survivra]

That's my question. [ a glare, though not at lumina directly ] Those who already hold power want to keep it for themselves and themselves alone, don't they? That's always lords and kings, it seems.

video

[plantboy]

That depends on where you're at.

[ It's a begrudging kind of voice when he speaks. ] In Emelan, girls can defend themselves and can own what they want. There's a few countries around that don't expect it of females. But everyone knows you're a fool if you get in the way of a Mage.

video

[survivra]

[ this answer alone raises so many more questions! ]

They can own their own?

[ that's surprising, and more even than katsa was asking. she raises her eyebrows, momentarily distracted from the first few questions she was going to ask briar from the very first sight of him. ]

Is that—Mage, is that why?

[ another word for graceling, perhaps? policies different from in her own kingdoms? ]

video;

[parallels]

Technically, yeah. Not to say there aren't blokes out there who still think woman can't do a thing for themselves.

[Sexism is definitely a thing in the modern day, but it's more on the surface than banning women from doing this or that.]

Those in power tend to try to keep their power in any way they can. History doesn't have a good track record for kind people in power.

video;

[survivra]

I've wondered whether it's because it's bad people who take power, or whether it's that power creates bad people.

video;

[indomitably]

It's not uncommon where I'm from. Most women can be taught if they wish, serve in an army, the Templars... and perhaps in some cases, attain knighthood.

[ To course it's not the same with every race of Thedas. It perhaps doesn't hurt that the hero of the Blight was a woman. ]

I take it the same cannot be said of your own home.

video;

[survivra]

No. I was trained, but I had... special circumstances.

[ katsa wonders sometimes whether she's happy for it. it's helped that she's realized the true nature of her grace to feel that she was lucky.

she peers closely at aveline through her locket. ]

You look like one of those women who trained, yourself.

Video

[notavirtue]

During war there is often little time available to train the unskilled. Those who are capable must be fighting, and many of us learned while fighting.

[They didn't have the best survival rates during the end of the war, of course. After a moment, he added:]

Our women were expected and encouraged to fight if they did not rear the young. The same cannot be said for other species, or other worlds. Salarian and krogan females rarely leave their homeworld.

Video

[survivra]

I'd think war is when it's most important to make sure everyone has the skills.

[ katsa's never been in a real war. her uncle was too precariously situated between the other countries to be anything but as diplomatic a king as possible, and all her own work has been in small groups, dismantling powers at the head or from within. ]

Those women who fought, though—were they not scorned for not raising children?

video.

[brainiest]

Of course. Girls and boys are all taught magic and I don't really think that there's any differences when you're older - a lot of the prejudice in my world is due to blood, not gender.

[ Like anti-werewolf propaganda, for example. Ugh. ]

If you're talented you earn your place. That's how it should be.

video.

[survivra]

That's how it should be.

[ katsa scowls. prejudice due to blood, though—that's interesting. she'll come back to that. ]

In my world, people fear even the talented, too. We call them Gracelings, and for all that they're feared, they belong to their king for him to use them as he sees fit.

[Video]

[vanyel_ashkevron]

Absolutely. I know a few women who place themselves at the forefront of disputes and battles. [Heralds don't discriminate based on sex.] Are you seeking training?

[Video]

[survivra]

No. I've a different set of circumstances. [ that's almost funny, the question, and katsa has to press her lips to avoid the urge to laugh. it's clear she finds something amusing, though. ] I've offered training to a few others and would offer it to more, but I was wondering.

What sort of women are these you know?

video;

[writeswrongs]

Sort of. The opportunity is there, at least. Only some take advantage of it.

[Like his fiancee, who can take down men twice her size.]

Do you feel like you're being denied training here?

video;

[survivra]

I've not asked. Maybe only a few new training partners I haven't yet met. My current one and I might need a change of pace.

[ her lips twitch. ]

Video

[huntedby]

No, we are not. I am sure some women learn how to use guns, and in certain sects learn to fight as well as a man, as well as we are capable of...but it is not considered proper.

[Not that she is proper, of course; but she never had a chance to learn.]

Video

[survivra]

That's more than most women in my world, even the improper ones as far as I know. Though we've not the use of guns.

[ though katsa was fixing that, thanks to porthos. she tilts her head ]

Even with the queen of Monsea herself as my first student, many families wouldn't let their daughters join us to pick up a knife or a sword. They joined in secret at first.

[athousandcurses]

Women have many options in my world. I hear it is not quite so for women of other lands, but I have not been outside of my own except for... here. Many women form the ranks of the Fianna, and many become druids. Others practice a skill or craft, or manage lands or become well versed in the laws. Most of the women I know do more than just one thing because there are many roles to fill we would lack otherwise.

I would say the most important thing a woman can do, though, is keeping the men from being completely stupid.

[survivra]

[ katsa laughs, and laughs, and it takes her a moment to recover from her amusement. ]

That's an important role when they're given the opportunity—and when men choose to listen.

Private Video

[bythewaves]

That would depend, I think. I cannot speak for this world, but although my cousins went not to war for the most part, I would not easily cross the Lady Galadriel on the battlefield. When we were young in Tirion, none of us had reason to learn to fight, but when we came to Middle-earth, we had to learn, or die. Tis true that many of our ladies preferred to walk the road of the healer, but many also took up the blade. Both my female cousins were formidable warriors, although Irisse preferred the bow, and Galadriel now I think would rely more on Songs of Power. Even my aunt Irime learnt to fight, or so I heard tell.

Tis different amongst Men, as I understand it, but the Eldar did not discriminate.

Private Video

[survivra]

The more I learn about the elves, the stranger you sound, and each time I wouldn't think it possible. No wonder you and Po get along.

[bullhorned]

Women don't fight where I'm from. Least, not as soldiers. I've seen a lady knight as tall as me and just as strong. Highborn ladies aren't supposed to hold a sword. [Arya and Brienne being exceptions to that rule.] And lowborn girls? Well, I reckon they know how to put their feet between a man's legs, if they have need to. S'bout all the fighting they ever learn.

[Gendry does not consider this a pretty world. His own mother was a whore in a drinking house. But it is what it is and he understands the twisted logic that created it.]

[survivra]

Our kingdoms might be more different than we thought, but maybe not so very different.

[ exceptions exist everywhere. katsa's her own example. ]

if you've not the privilege of learning how to make a straight fight, you have to do whatever it takes. At the slightest threat to your survival.

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[mildly]

Women's wars are different from men's. At least my father said.

Video

[survivra]

What do you mean by that? [ she hasn't spent a lot of time around other women, and it's a genuine question. ] And how would your father know what women's wars are or aren't like?

video;

[liven]

I doubt women would be brought here to fight in a war if they were not going to be given the opportunity to defend themselves.

[ that would be monumentally dumb, even for human - or fairy - standards. ]

Humans care about a lot of stupid things. I suppose there are differences in men and women at home, but in the world of Nabari those things don't really matter. How good you are matters. Not what you are. So the answer is always "it depends", I suppose. It isn't as though just one answer will always be the true one. Worlds aren't like that. All the same, everywhere.

video;

[survivra]

I've long had the feeling that the monarchs here don't always care for what's the best for the people they bring. How good you are might be what matters more, but sometimes it's the difference in opportunity people have to achieve those skills.

[ there are some gaps in logic in the statement that she'd realize at another time, but she's juggling a few frustrations annnd she just says it without really thinking. ]

video.

[endurecer]

We have to. If we just cowered behind men all of us would be dead quicker than if we're all fighting. Especially since women tend to be better at it.

[ sorry she's not sorry but boys have a tendency to occasionally be very stupid. ]

And that's not always the case. [ she exhales. ] Unless you're scared of people rebelling, someone holding power should make it their duty to help train those who aren't in power.

video.

[survivra]

[ she snorts her laughter again ]

Some don't see that far ahead. Some see it as the weak deserve to stay weak, while they gather all the power they can and withhold it from others. It works, even... for a little while. [ her voice and face are very clear on what she thinks of that. ] I've known too many kings who are bullies and wondered which one comes first.

Is your world at war?