Forest breeze

[Anastasia]

"I thought so as well," Dolmaya agrees, "But you didn't come to talk about pedagogy, did you?"

[Iron Dragoon]

"Just to help you get settled in. We outnumber the men now, so we should stick together and get to know each other."

[Anastasia]

"Women stick together," Dolmaya smiles a bit.

"Men," Ianvasah says, "There are many things they don't understand."

"Men have a clarity of vision in many things we do not." Dolmaya counters right back, "I rather like both of them - Bastian is civilized for one of his kind and Jarem's mind is quick enough."

[Iron Dragoon]

"Agreed. But they can be altogether too stubborn about the wrong things. At the most inconvenient times."

[Anastasia]

"That reminds me of Uncle Donald," Emily speak sup, "He can be really stubborn on points."

"So they can. So can we," Dolmaya admits, "Spend a few centuries as a man and then revert, you'll find yourself far more understanding."

This gets Ianvasah to scoff, "I have spent time changed as a man, there's not much of value beyond foolishness."

[Iron Dragoon]

"I wouldn't know, but that's an interesting point... Perhaps you should write a book. It would surely help."

[Anastasia]

"I have," Dolmaya says, "I'm afraid I'm not a talented writer, but the observations are all there." She goes to take a seat at one of the desks, "It takes a lot of time and spending it as a man, preferably from a simulated young age where you'd be treated like one. Childhood is the foundation and everything makes more sense that way."

"Oh?" Emily goes and joins her. "Did that help?"

"Mmm, yes," Dolmaya says, "In the end once you adjust and resocialize, you'll find you understand things much better."

Ianvasah stays standing, gaze cool as she adds, "It sounds like you lost yourself in a lie."

"A lie becomes true with enough magic," Dolmaya banters back. "Once it's true, does it matter from where it came? No."

[Iron Dragoon]

"Interesting indeed. I think you and Ianvasah might have more to talk about than anyone realized. Perspective always helps."

[Anastasia]

The two exchange a long look and it's Dolmaya who speaks first, "We do," she says, "Now then, though! Less bickering and more getting to know one another!"

[Iron Dragoon]

"Yes! Guest of honor first. Ask us questions Dolmaya."

[Anastasia]

"Emily," Dolmaya begins, "You've always known power?"

To this Emily blinks, "Well yes, I have," she admits, "I'm starting to understand how much, how a 9th level spell isn't easy for everyone else. My Moms and my blood made it so easy," she confesses, "All my Aunts and Uncles are strong as well, or they are deities."

"It's natural to you," Dolmaya says, "You wield power naturally, like you never truly struggled with cantrips and simple spells the way mortals did." Here she sits back, merely gesturing for Emily to lean forward, "You never even had to make so much effort as to lean forward to learn most magic."

"Well, there were the lessons, but I am a sorcerer and favored by my Moms," Emily's frowning now, "But it was so easy learning like that. One time I didn't manage wall of force right away when I advanced to it, but Aunt Alicia was there and pointed out how to do it better, and I had it the next casting. Then I sat in a starting lesson or two here and everyone worked harder for a magic missile than I did for an orb of acid."

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa hums and jots a note down in her journal: Find a way to train Emily to struggle. Spell failure? Perhaps a new language for casting...

[Anastasia]

"I've found those born to power have a certain..." A moment's thought by Dolmaya, "Inhumanity about them."

"What?" Emily's face darkens, "I'm not inhuman!"

As Ianvasah watches, Dolmaya claps, "Very good, you aren't. You seem to be a sweet young woman...who came from an elite, spoiled background and doesn't understand how normal people work. You admitted that much by your own words. You also don't understand the common person, like a princess from a beautiful castle. Tell me, what of the naive princess in bardtales? How often is she the comedic or tragic figure because she doesn't understand something, or expects servants to fulfill her every whim?"

"What are you saying?" Emily says, slowly and carefully.

"I'm saying that you have gaps in your knowledge that can affect you more than you know," Dolmaya says, "Until it's too late."

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa nods, "Think on the times you were confused or took issue at how I dealt with something. Often your arguments boiled down to 'but that's wrong' and no deeper understanding. You've gotten better, but I've had to work based on combat tactics for you to be willing to accept it, to a degree."

[Anastasia]

"It's how you learn," Dolmaya goes on, standing now, "You do, you learn. I wished to learn what a man thinks? I spent centuries as a man. A princess wishes to learn more about normal life? They life a normal life and learn. You'll still learn it fast, I have no doubt, but you need to learn."

Emily hms, "Well, there's nothing wrong with learning and knowledge."