14 Oix 4385: Soliciting Protesters

[song-for-always.livejournal.com]

I've been to three offices so far. None of the solicitors would even talk to me about the case without a retainer of at least forty lz. But I remembered: we haven't been paid by the parade yet! I went to talk to Elsewhere. He's the one who hired me for it. He told me to see Biarana, who was the parade commitee's president. She was in gaol. Which was not really a good sign. But I went to see her anyway!

I commiserated with her for a bit through the bars. Biarana said she didn't mind much. She said that Michel, the treasurer, was supposed to pay bills first. He'd pay fines out of whatever was left over. Michel wasn't in gaol! Biarana gave me his address and I went to see him. He wasn't at home. One of his neighbors said he was at Namodeel Park. I went there and found him! He was in a crowd of about twenty-eight barely-decently-clad primes.

"Are you having another Naked Parade?" I asked one of the bystanders.

"No! This is the Anti-Anti-Obscenity Objections and Fundraiser Committee. Did you want to join?"

"I don't know. Maybe? Are you objecting to people opposed to obscenity or to people in favor of it?"

"Yes!" a couple of people near me said loudly. Others cheered.

"We think primes should be able to wear what they like," the Orren I was talking to said, more usefully.

"Or not wear!" said the girl beside him. Primes near us cheered some more.

"You don't see the duke of Vheshrame arresting primes for nudity! Or lewdity!" the Orren added in a shout, to even more cheering

"Or even traffitudity!" The cheering stopped. Everyone looked around for the person who yelled that, but she'd shut up fast. I think it was a tall green Herethroy, though.

"I just need to talk to Michel," I said. "I was a performer at the Naked Parade."

Michel was a shepherd-styled Cani, and already coming out of the throng towards me. "Song-for-Always! So good to see you here! So Don't Go In It's a Tarp! will be able to play for our fundraiser?"

"Sure if you get my drummer out of gaol first!"

Michel frowned at me. "Oh dear! What's he done?"

"Nothing! Someone stole his hat. And he got arrested for Public Indecency."

Michel tsked, clicking his long muzzle. "You see what we're up against! They're arresting people for not wearing HATS now!" A couple of primes covered their bare heads with their hands, looking alarmed. "That's exactly why we need the help of primes like you. You will help, won't you?"

"I can't perform without my drummer. But if you can get him out...."

"I'm not supposed to pay for fines yet, but let's talk." He steered me away from the crowd. When we were alone, he counted fifteen lozens into my palm. "There you go!"

"Um. Thanks! But the fine's two hundred."

"What?! For Public Indency? .... Wait. No hat ... your drummer was that Khtsoyis, wasn't he?"

"Yes, but --"

Michel tried to take the lozens back from my hand, but I snatched it behind my back. "You owe us twenty-four for the performance anyway. Can I have the other nine?"

"I don't have any other funds on me," Michel said, with his tail curled around his leg like Cani do when they lie. "And I need that back. It's not enough to get your shog -- drummer out anyway."

"I'll take it as the first installment. Every little bit helps!" I twisted out of his hands as he tried to grab me. "I'll be back for the rest later. Bye!"

I went home and checked my Secret Stash for more lozens, and then my Other Secret Secret Stash. Between Michel and the stashes and the cley-selling, I have enough for the retainer! For the cheapest solicitor.

I wanted to make sure I should get one, though. That's a fifth of the fine! And she might need more lozens than that in the end. And we might have to pay the fine anyway. What do you think?

Comments

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

It does, indeed, seem to be a Tarp.

I suppose I should do something about public nudity in Kismirth. I'm not sure what. It will probably involve better temperature control.

[delight-in.livejournal.com]

After all the trouble we had way back then with Daukhrame I think adjusting the temperature is the only action a government ought to take on the subject!

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

It seems to me that there is a major recurring theme in your posts, Song.

That theme, of course, is the racism / species-ism / bigotry against Khtsoyis. It seems that Daukhrame may be worse than other Prime city-states in how they treat Khtsoyis.

Is Daukhrame a Constitutional Monarchy? Are there any 'basis of the government' documents which talk about the basic legal, civil, political, and social rights, liberties, and protections given to all Primes, or to Primes of different social classes or species which would apply to Khtsoyis?

I'm thinking that if you can get a bunch of documentation about illegal bigotry against various Khtsoyis in Daukhrame (go interview people about how they have been unfairly treated!), and how that is dramatically against the law and being perpetrated by those which should be protecting them under the law, than maybe you and a bunch of other people could stage your own protest?

[song-for-always.livejournal.com]

What does "illegal bigotry" mean?

The guards are probably treating Sevendrums like this because he's Khtsoyis. (Or maybe because he's sort of foreign.) But it's not like it's illegal to treat Khtsoyis differently. Everyone does it! You have to, it's not like Khtsoyis are a proper prime race. It's just Sevendrums' bad luck he happens to be one. If they KNEW him, they'd be nicer.

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Some places have LAWS against that sort of thing. "All Primes are Equal Under the Law" and such concepts. Or they could allow Khtsoyis to be treated worse than other Primes due to their species, but they could have limits to *how much worse, and in what ways* they can be treated differently or worse. See what protections under the law --which are being violated-- might apply to Khtsoyis?

[song-for-always.livejournal.com]

They do? What places? That'd be very strange! Treating a Sleth the same as a Zi Ri? I don't see how that could possibly work.

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Well, I mean as far as the legal and civil protections are concerned. Stuff like employment, access to medical attention if it is needed, to assemble for peaceful protests, to petition or challenge criminal charges, to work, to be free from torture, to have equal protection without discrimination as a Prime before the law, to not be subject to arbitrary arrest or detention or exile, etc.

[song-for-always.livejournal.com]

But those things aren't rights. Not most of them, anyway. I mean, you don't have a *right* to employment. You have to earn it and you can always be fired if you don't do a good job. Or if your work isn't needed. Or even if your master just doesn't like you. You don't have a right to healer attention either. You need to have lozens to pay the healer.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Where on wood has a silly law like "Primes are equal under the law"? That doesn't make any sense to me, and I helped make Kismirth!

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

That just means for purposes of crimes and such, you treat a Khtsoyis like you would a Zi Ri like you would a Cani. IE, you don't give the Khtsoyis harsher penalties JUST BECAUSE zie is a Khtsoyis.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Even that doesn't make any sense. A punishment like "a month of solitary imprisonment" that a Cani would find utterly devastating, would be no great trouble to a Sleeth. For that matter, your average Khtsoyis can handle a severe beating better than, say, I can. ... to say nothing of, a perfectly ordinary punishment of "breaking six bones" for most of us can't even be given to a Khtsoyis.

[delight-in.livejournal.com]

What do you mean 'they aren't a proper prime race' there's NOTHING wrong with Khtsoyis!

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

See? Daukhrame DOES treat Khtsoyis worse than other places! There's more racism against them there...

[delight-in.livejournal.com]

... no this is pretty normal actually but I didn't expect to hear it from SONG I thought she was Boomsy's FRIEND not another Reluu-loving Khtsoyis-hater!

[song-for-always.livejournal.com]

I don't hate Khtsoyis! Sevendrums is my BEST FRIEND! Just because I'm not OBLIVIOUS to the faults of the SPECIES doesn't mean I HATE them!

[song-for-always.livejournal.com]

I know Sevendrums is your adopted cousin, Dee, but your family .... Is a bit unusual, you know? And most Khtsoyis just aren't decent civilized folks. Not like Sevendrums! Nothing against him. But his species, well, they just were never meant to be prime. I'm sure they'd've made fine monsters. But they don't fit in, you know?

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

See my previous comment about correlation and causation...

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

And the Sleeth do fit in? And the Gormoror, the Herethroy, the Zi Ri?

Really, it's only Cani, Rassimel, and Orren who fit together all that closely, and -- with all due respect -- that's because you are so similar to each other that you're all but the same species anyways.

[song-for-always.livejournal.com]

That's ridiculous! We are not IDENTICAL.

Sleeth aren't very civilized either. That's Gnarn for you. But Herethroy! They're an integral part of prime society. They're almost as important as Cani! Of course they fit in. And Zi Ri are just rare. Nothing WRONG with them. Gormorror are kind of odd. But you always know you can TRUST them! A Gormorror wouldn't "sort of betray" you multiple times!

[calamitous-cani.livejournal.com]

Well, IF Accanax had not made the Khtsoyis prime, then your argument would have merit. However, this is not the case. They are NOT monsters and should be given that much respect, at least. Smile and act polite and all that.

[song-for-always.livejournal.com]

I'm NOT SAYING they ARE monsters! I am JUST saying that they're DIFFERENT from other primes. Very different. You can't treat a Khtsoyis the same as a Herethroy or a Rassimel.

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

It sounds like Boomstarter did *something*?

[delight-in.livejournal.com]

HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! This is all SONG'S fault! SHE STOLE HIS HAT!

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Calm down Delight! She wants to help, don't point fingers arbitrarily, okay?

[song-for-always.livejournal.com]

He really didn't do anything. As far as I know. I still don't know what made it 'aggravated' public indency.

Maybe he should get a hatband after all this, though.