@everyone

[restingstitchface]

Aurelius once wrote, "If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment."

My fundamental concern about this wisdom is that it fails to spot the physical root of trauma. People who cannot snap out of their distress also deserve compassion and treatment.

My apologies for the intrusion. Locals informed me about the recent chaos and I found myself concerned and a little hesitant about reaching out. Back home I treat those who approach me for support with their mental health. I had excellent resources there but here I can offer nothing but a listening ear.

I understand some of you might be feeling exposed, stressed and intimidated. To you I offer my own wisdom. If you worry about what lies ahead, you will be the only one who suffers in the end.

To all else, kind regards for listening.

Oh. Reading, isn’t it? This system is entirely new to me. What a brave new world this place is.

Comments

[restingstitchface]

[Arabic. Persian. The middle east. War and religion.]

The crusades?

[Perhaps Altair knows them by another name? He can only call them by what he knows, after all.]

[aquilus]

The third. Or the Kings' Crusade, as some in my homeland called it. I call it a waste of time and life.

[restingstitchface]

When has war been anything else? Great strides are made during wartime - technologically, medically - but people are unwilling to acknowledge the human cost.

Either way, thank you for sharing your knowledge with me. It is wonderful to be afforded the opportunity to learn.

[aquilus]

Sometimes I think it's less that they won't acknowledge it and more that they simply do not care.

Certainly. There are many opportunities to learn here — it's one of the benefits to having been summoned, however unwillingly.

[restingstitchface]

Indeed. Has any subject caught your eye in particular?

[aquilus]

Many. I spend a great deal of my time in the library. The Horizon as well — there's much to learn from how other Summoned choose to shape their domains there.

[restingstitchface]

Ah. You have visited the Horizon already, then?

[aquilus]

Many times. It's worth doing. The first visit may be off-putting, but the Horizon itself offers opportunities not found elsewhere.

[restingstitchface]

Off-putting? In what fashion?

[aquilus]

[A pause.]

You will not know yourself as you do now. It is difficult to explain; better to experience, and then understand.

[restingstitchface]

I see.

Can I take that as an offer of assistance?

[aquilus]

You can. It's best that we all have access to the Horizon as soon as possible, to put the Summoned on equal footing.

[restingstitchface]

Wonderful. Then I'll be in touch sometime within the hour.