Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Bethany]

"And he looks after me- well, us- at work too," Bethany says firmly. "Him and his, uh, friends." She pauses a moment, then, "you know... if you ever need... that sort of service, I'd be happy to arrange for a discount for you. Err, not with me, I, uh, don't work your... well, I only do female clients. But we have plenty of other girls that'd be happy to do you."

[GamesMaster]

Anders shakes his head. "That's sweet, but I'm not interested in women any more than you're interested in men. And even if I were, the risk of coercive labor is too high in that sector. Ah, by which I mean, too many whores are unwilling or wouldn't be willing in an equal society."

[Bethany]

"Yeah," Bethany says, voice low and a dark in tone. She takes a deep breath, then forces a smile up. "But yeah, that's not us. The who- workers are the owners. I'm the madame right now but I'll be, uh, passing that over to Bri in a few weeks, hence my needing to be checked out."

[GamesMaster]

"Really?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. "The workers own the brothel? I must say, when I suggested the poorest among us rise up and seize the means of production, I didn't mean that literally," he jokes. "Well done."

[Bethany]

"Huh? Seize the means of..." Bethany winces a little. I think I'm missing something. "Thank you? I just... Bri needed healing- I'm training at one of the Bastion temples here- and we got to talk and she mentioned how she's treated by her, ah, old worker and I just couldn't."

[GamesMaster]

"So you're not a member of the Party?" he asks, the other eyebrow raising. "That's incredible! You must be quite intelligent, to have come up with this independently. Here, if you're interested, return here on Metalladay next, at sunset, and I can introduce you to some other like-minded individuals."

[Bethany]

"Can... can you give me the two-minute explanation?" Bethany asks cautiously, though she flushes a little from the praise. 

[GamesMaster]

"Ah, yes, of course. I'll be hosting the Nyran Communist Party meeting. Ah, a communist is one who would see the workers seize the means of production -- specifically, rather, we believe that it is wrong for one man to own the work produced by hundreds of workers and thus retain eighty or ninety per cent of the profits. We feel that the common thinking that his financial risk merits that level of reward is wrongheaded and exploitative, when it is his workers who spend their lives while he does little to earn any of the takings."

[Bethany]

Huh. That does sound a lot like what I thought about the pimp thing. It was appalling that he got the dragon's share of the money when the whore did most of the work. "It was more about the work conditions rather than the money but... Yeah."

[GamesMaster]

Anders nods. "There's no incentive for the capitalist to take care of his workers -- they're replaceable. But the workers have good incentive to care for their own livelihoods."

[Bethany]

But... "Of course there is," Bethany protests. "I mean, not for everyone but mistreating your workers would break the tenants of Vangal, Bastion and Astea, maybe more. Naugrix, if you follow the community aspect in the slightest. I mean, He's wealth too, I think, but still." Despite her protest however, she can't help but remember the shiny circle of burned skin on Brianne's stomach.

[GamesMaster]

"Sure, sure. But Naugrixi and Vangalites and Bastionites aren't represented well among the successful capitalists. In Glaley, for example, there's a stark division between the working class and the bourgeoisie who own the workers -- sometimes literally. The polotariats, the workers, tend to worship Astea and Ciren and Bastion; the bourgeoisie, on the other hand, worship Junon and Alydra and even Zanon. They value education, which they withhold from the workers, because what does a carpenter need to be able to read Draconic for? They value duty, fealty, and loyalty, because it keeps the workers working hard for them, while they have only minimal duty towards them. They value families, because they love their children like everyone else, but they don't care for the families of their workers any more than the families of their dogs."

[Bethany]

"Huh..." Bethany turns that over a few times in her mind, then shrugs a little. "I think it'd be better to... I dunno, work towards making people be kinder to each other. Or at least not cruel. But... I guess that's easier said than done so maybe a new... business system or whatever would make sense..."

[GamesMaster]

Anders nods. "For the majority of people, working together isn't a hardship. Then there are those who are prone to taking advantage of others, by nature. The best we can do is make it hard for them to do so, to protect each other. The remainder are opportunists -- they will do whatever society incentivises. Right now, the way to achieving personal security and wealth is to take advantage of others. If it was to help others, then they would do that instead."

[Bethany]

"That.... that would imply we should be focusing on changing the system to sway the opportunistic neutrals- and the ones that don't know better or are just too scared or... Well, anyway, we should be getting them on our side. With the vast, vast majority working for the common good..." Bethany frowns slightly in thought. But that's easier said than done...