Fair enough. It won't be used here, most likely, but I wanted to know as Joseph is actually soft broken with each new generation. He takes the treatments without complaint obviously, but it's worth knowing exactly how that process worked.

Also, I love how "starving someone until they black out and give in = consent." :-P

He's still conscious, he's just quite out of his mind at the time :P

I'm imagining it like being blackout drunk. Sure, you're conscious, but you dont remember anything you did later. Hard to give real "consent" in that state.

I feel like we're almost half arguing, and half simply having a disagreement on something that is moot at this point. . . . Oh, and, posted.

Oh, I wasn't trying to argue... just clarifying my view of it.

I get it :P

So I'm about halfway through my post. It's fairly long so it's taking a while.

I'm thinking Erik has about 36-48 more hours before he loses civility completely and starts lashing out at everyone. A sense of logic and rationality is keeping him from acting on his anger right now, as it would be stupid to anger the people with total control over his life. But that's going to fail soon enough. I'd like for him to get into at least one more rational conversation with Alexi though. Erik is going to express a rather disbelieving curiosity as to why Alexi chooses to own slaves, runs a corporation that promotes slavery, and generally has done very little to help the cause if he is so "against slavery."

And Alexi will have answers for all of that. They can chat before Alexi actually needs to get some sleep, what cha think?

Fair enough.

I imagine part of it is that there is no such thing as a "Free magical." If they weren't under Alexi's protection, they could easily be taken by someone else. But he could still pay them for the work.

Hmm... that does open up the question of how much economic freedom they really have though. Can magical slaves open bank accounts, or credit cards? Probably not... Shit, some of that is already starting to make more sense. He still has a good bit to answer for though. :-P

His slaves get "Days off" and are allowed anywhere in town where slaves are allowed to travel alone, and they all get to eat what they like, and when they like. The chores are split up in such a way that the jobs best suited to each race is what they each race is responsible for, and not one slave works longer than is reasonable :P Alexi's a nice guy :P In other words, he does everything but pay them, and for aeveryone but Joseph, he still gives orders rather than asking :P

Yes, he treats them well, probably better than any other slave owner in the world. I get that. But he still has slaves, and he treats them more like slaves than employees.

And it's not like he's spoken out against it or attempted to help supply the rebels or really anything using his vast wealth and influence. His company still sells torture devices. None of that really helps his case here.

*Just grins*

*rolls eyes* I get that he has some kind of cure planned... though Erik still doesnt know whether to believe that or not. But that can't be the only part of his solution. Because all that will do is cause serious mayhem. I mean, I imagine the rebellion is too violent for his tastes... but thousands upon thousands of newly free, hungry, and angry slaves? That bloodbath would make the rebellion's work look like peanuts.

*Hums* Not telling.

Well, that may very well be the longest post I've ever written. I really hate writing dialogue between my own characters. Mostly because I dislike my own writing.

I shall be the judge of your writing here! *Puffs up comically*

I wonder. . . . .Does Erik notice how he talks to Joseph? I know, I know, I know, I'm kind assuming things here, but the feel I got. . . .Erik, talks to him almost like the slave he is. He even gives him an order at one point. Just the feeling I got, and I actually quite find that fascinating. I can't wait to see where that goes :P Also, at one point you wrote Erik where a Joseph went and that mix up gave Erik scissors, which made me laugh :P I think you did well, I liked it :P

Maybe there is some subconscious sense of anger towards Joseph for seeming so... okay with his position. He sees Joseph and others like him as cowards and victims, though he doesn't really intend to. After all, he escaped his own slavery when he was only thirteen, so why can't they? Apart from that, Joseph could free him, probably without being severely punished, if Alexi is as "reformed" as they say. So yeah, some of that might be playing into it.

But largely it's just that he's (understandably) in a pretty bad mood. It wasn't intended for him to really be disrespecting Joseph. It's more like, he's angry at the situation, and he's partially angry at Joseph for being a part of it, even though he sees Joseph's part as forced. Apart from the anger, he's ill, in a lot of pain, and he's feels humiliated by all of this. And well, he's not the most polite person to begin with, and he is accustomed to giving orders to those under his command. He certainly doesn't see them as slaves, but it's a sense of trying to get things done efficiently.

But yes, I do see how it came out that way. Although I'm actually intending for him to become considerably worse towards Joseph when he loses his mind, along with Alexi.

Hey, you around?

I wasn't, but I am now, two hours later. And will be for most of the rest of the day.