tlv inbox

[a_titanum]

"Leave your message, if you care to."

Comments

[a_titanum]

I believe you requested my assistance specifically in regards to the situation around the custodial team. Thus, it would follow that any changes in that particular campaign ought to be shared for proper coordination. Forgive me for assuming you would follow logical protocol in regards to information dissemination in an established situation.

[ He's better at looking innocent. ]

But no, I don't need to be informed every time.

[ A deeper breath. ]

Why did you contact Edward, of all people?

[artistinexile]

Forgiven.

[But Thrawn is decidedly unhappy with his warden.]

He announced he was part of Maintenance and indicated interest in repair work.

[a_titanum]

[ That's fine. Someone needs to learn not to information starve his allies. ]

And you assumed that someone who was interested in repair work would also be interested in construction?

[artistinexile]

[unlikely. how else can you have DRAMATIC REVEALS]

Indeed. Is it not a natural progression?

[a_titanum]

Not necessarily.

[ Look, Thrawn, he appreciates the style aspect, but it's not the most logistically intelligent choice all the time. ]

For many people, the two are very different requests. One is to restore that which was broken, that which is expected to function. By it's place on board and it's usual status of function, it has become a communally accepted item whose maintenance is considered part of pitching in to the group's resources.

Construction, however, implies that something new is being added. And the value of that new item is unknown; it has not been here before so the added value it might bring is in question and often whether it will bring value is determined as a matter of faith or trust in the person making the construction request. If he does not like you, he will have less faith or trust that your decision to construct such a thing is a valuable use of his time and efforts.

[artistinexile]

Then I must build that faith and trust. For I have no intention of wasting anyone's time.

[a_titanum]

I agree wholeheartedly.

Would you like my assistance with that task?

[artistinexile]

Yes.

[a_titanum]

Certainly.

And where would you like to begin?

[artistinexile]

With instruction on how one cultivates trust and friendship on this ship. Clearly my previous ways of doing so are not applicable here.

[a_titanum]

How did you do so previously?

It's possible that they are applicable, just with some tweaking.

[artistinexile]

...To be entirely honest, I seem to be taken in by other, cleverer people than myself who have noticed my oddities and sought to correct or understand them.

Or in the case of military assignments, they had no choice but to work close alongside me. Most find my..

[how to put this...]

...Egalitarian ways off-putting. I found it useful to give respect to those who serve below me and trust me with their lives. Those sacrifices should not be taken lightly.

There are those who did not appreciate meritocracy, and those who did. That is all I can say with certainty.

[a_titanum]

[ Hmm. ]

And how much luck did those who sought to correct you actually have?

[ Oh he has other questions. But that's a big one. ]

[artistinexile]

....Three, I believe, had some measure on my behavior. Mainly to the point of masking troublesome qualities.

[a_titanum]

Ah, one of the least useful ways to go about it, forgive me for saying.

[ He looks to Thrawn curiously. ]

May I ask a few questions about that, or are you too cross at me for such a sensitive subject?

[artistinexile]

I am not cross.

Please; ask away.

[a_titanum]

[ There's a little eyebrow bounce, as if to say 'okay', he's going to take that at face value, before he continues. ]

Do you believe it is your egalitarian ways themselves that cause the irritation?

[artistinexile]

I believe there are those who prefer I give preferential treatment and assignments to those who wish to trade favors.

In response, I have faced everything from court martials, to my ships going to the bottom of the list in blue dock.

[a_titanum]

Let's draw back from 'court marshal's to simple dislike and social faux pas, hmm?

Those who just... don't get along with you. Do you believe there are any other parts of your personality that they object to?

[artistinexile]

Most likely.

[a_titanum]

And most common among them?

[artistinexile]

Shocking as it may be, those who dislike me usually do not stay long to conduct post-meeting interviews.

Do you think my graduation hinges on making me likeable, Florian?

[a_titanum]

I think that many of those who come here, myself included, dismiss those who disliked or stood against them and that the logic for why is a part of their justifications for their own actions that, by the end of their time here, must be addressed. To deconstruct even one, even the most minor of them, will provide a foothold and even 'practice' for questioning assumptions one sees as foregone conclusions or 'simply logical', 'reasonable', etc.

It also will ensure a greater number of people around you. You have been singular in your life, Thrawn. And singularity breeds a dangerous sort of confidence and recklessness when totally unchecked which has a terrible tendency to go poorly for all involved.

Add to this that you will be more effective if you are likeable and it seems a perfectly suitable first project.

[artistinexile]

Certainly an ambitious first project.

Am I to begin with this man?

[a_titanum]

Let us not sequester this interaction off into it's own silo. You are welcome to work on it, but this will be more broadly focused. Instead, I would like you to begin in three ways.

The first is to consider and seriously evaluate where your deep discomfort with social interaction might come from and what has contributed to it. You are not without bonds. What do those bonds have that maintain them? Why do you choose not to make or attempt social bonds with others? Reexamine the decisions and be honest with yourself about how much control you feel you do or don't have in this arena. Consider how much the lack of bonds serves you on an emotional level as well as social.

The second is to think of someone you are interested in, admire, or easily see value in interacting with whom you have not as of yet for whatever reason. Motivation is important, but it should be a social motivation and not a practical one. The means to make someone do what you want because you need something is a different lesson than the one we're working on right now and it's best not to mix the two.

The third is that I'd like you to come up with a scenario or an opening discussion to potentially start that interaction. We'll workshop it together.