A Cultural Exchange

by Illiad_Easle

An Exchange of Business

Illiad retrieved the diamonds from their positions on the ceiling, stowing them again in the folds of his robe. He quickly composed himself, returning to the Canterlot Intellectual accent.

"Yes, let us be going. Perchance might we be passing by where I will be staying? It would be unfitting to meet my gracious hosts so burdened."

The butler nodded politely. "Of course, Sir Easle - though I would be remiss if I didn't offer to take your parcels myself. But, as you have no formal knowledge of myself, I would not find it rude if you wished to do so yourself; simply offering, as is only proper for a guest of the Blackwaters. Right this way, if you please."

The lone twin began making his way toward the still-open gate. Dignified, he didn't look back to see if Illiad was following; apparently, he was giving the Trojan stallion a bit more respect after all.

As they walked Illiad thought about what Dax had said. It's a wonder they haven't noticed the cloud diamond in those caves, it must be quite a low concentration, but the sheer volume of excavation combined with a likely methodical nature likely resulted in its slow formation over the many generations. If so there could be a decent amount of material throughout the mountain. That would certainly drive the value down if it was well known. Ah well. I'd have to see the quarry myself to tell. It could just be an isolated chunk, this is about how much I'd expect out of a mountain this size.

Illiad followed the butler through the doorway, and...

The quarry was there, in all it's strange splendor - it was the size of a small town!

There were a number of buildings that were simple (yet sturdy) brick and mortar, but others were wooden, steel or even stone. The giant boulder Illiad had seen earlier had a pair of wrought iron doors set in the front of it, and it was surrounded by sheds. The white smoke was coming from a large, walk-in lunch wagon near the back of the lot, and there was a LARGE and foreboding-looking tunnel at the far end - probably the mines proper.

The butler gave a small grin. "Many of those who first view the Quarry wear a similar look of astonishment in their eyes; always pleasant to know it remains so impressive. This way, please, Sir Illiad."

He led them both to a cobblestone pathway that wound around the side of one of the larger metal sheds. As they passed, a red pony by the shed gave Illiad a bit of a suspicious look - and he could feel the emotion to go with it.

The butler, his eyes casually drifting from Illiad to the watchful pony and back, gave a bit of a sniff.

"Never mind that one," he said, "he's trouble. This way, Sir."

Illiad walked with a careful pace, trying to see as much of it as he could without looking too eager, clearly he had failed in the latter. When he felt the red pony's suspicion he couldn't help but think that it would be trouble later.

Once they were around the shed, the butler spoke again, yet this time at a lower register.

"Between you and I, Sir, I must admit I have not seen Master Dax so... enthusiastic for long and long. I, for one, am quite pleased to witness the young Master smiling. For this, my brother and I thank you; the poor boy rarely gets an even break."

Such said, he continued up the path, which clearly seemed to lead to the manor proper - though the walk might take a moment yet.

"It is indeed an impressive establishment, and you're quite welcome. The young Mr. Blackwater is quite interesting to say the least. I am glad to have made a difference in his life."

"Master Dax needs that difference."

The butler then gave a rather kind smile. "And you are as different as they come for these climes, if I may be so bold, Sir Illiad."

The Blackwater Manor was even more stately once they passed the wrought iron gates. Four stories of quietly elegant design sat solemnly back against the mountain, surrounded by well-manicured gardens and a stone-tile walkway. Opulent, but respectably so. It brought up the question of the difference between the almost tacky carriage and this stately manor. Even the different layers of the place, as Dax had written about, were visible - yet were so tastefully blended that it was only Illiad's experience with his own father's work as an architect that allowed him to see the difference.

The butler pony trotted smartly up the path, then mounted the flagstone steps with a measured gait. Reaching the subdued dark wood doors, he pulled them open and gestured. "Right this way, Sir. Master Luther will be-"

"- waiting for a moment longer. Darling! YOU must be Illiad Easle! How charmed I am to finally meet you!"

Standing inside the large entrance foyer was a rather beautiful pegasus mare. She had a green coat with almost golden stripes, and wore a number of rich, gaudy-looking baubles and bracelets. Her black mane and tail were elegantly styled, with a single green stripe in each. All of this topped off with a large yellow silk bow.

"My little Daxter has been saying so very much about you - and I can certainly see why!"

She moved forward like she was flowing across the floor, and offered a bent-wrist hoof as she reached him.

"Vylia Blackwater. Charmed, dear."

Illiad hesitated for a moment before proceeding, partly due to the odd color combination, but also because he did not immediately recognize the gesture. I suppose this sort of culture difference would occur eventually. I think she might appreciate this difference.

"It is a pleasure to meet you too, I thought Daxter Had to be exaggerating your beauty but I am pleased to find that he did not." Illiad said as he approached Vylia.

Once close enough he did the standard Trojan bow (As opposed to the Equestrian 'two bent forelegs') by crossing his right foreleg in front of the left and bowing his head towards her outstretched hoof. Instead of kissing it he lightly tapped it with his horn, allowing his Empathic abilities to show her the respect he felt directly.

Though he had never been on the receiving end of this Empathic gesture himself he had done it before and had been told it was an interesting yet pleasurable experience. As he rose from the bow he looked her in the eye, hoping the action did not confuse her.

"Do forgive me if that was out of line, I realize now that our cultures may be more different than I had initially realized."

I know it is quite a bit of effort to get out of kissing her hoof, but I hope this doesn't lead to any negative consequences.

"Oh? OH... oh, my!"

Vylia's green eyes (very much like Dax's) went wide as she witnessed his greeting, then felt the small empathic surge. She took a few breaths before continuing, a slight blush on her carefully groomed muzzle.

"Well, I must say that was a first - and so very polite, as well? Well, I am certainly overjoyed to see that Daxter has finally found someone of regality and import to put his interest into; far better than those dreadful workers, believe me!"

She gestured at Illiad to follow her, and turned to face the butler pony, who stood stiff and emotionless-looking.

"I shall take you the rest of the way, darling; Call, take Mr. Easle's things to his quarters... NOW."

The slight peek of seething anger that he caught from Vylia was somewhat disconcerting in its sheer magnitude, and Illiad felt a lick of fear arc off of Call as he jumped to attention, then took hold of the light baggage and, piling it on his back quickly and expertly, he dashed off into a side hallway. Turning back to face her guest, a large smile rolled across her features, none of the previous irritation anywhere in her being.

"So, I certainly hope the trip here wasn't too droll - I heard you were forced to travel by train? Oh, most certainly that is a shame! Next time you visit, I shall be most pleased to send Beck and Call to fetch you; no sense in travelling like a peasant, when my lovely carriage will more than suffice, hmm? Did you enjoy your trip here? I absolutely LOVE[/] my carriage, don't you know? So regal, and yet such a smooth ride, yes? Anytime you need it, simply tell Beck and Call; they'll take you anywhere you'd want to go, darling."

Either she doesn't realize that Deltrot is over 200 miles away or she really does not care for the wellbeing of her assistants.

She continued a constant roll of shmoozy rich-speak as they made their way up the grand staircase to the fourth floor. Walking the hallways, Illiad saw rich tapestries and exquisite paintings all around, fine vases and hoof-crafted statuettes, and expensive-looking chairs and decorative tables. It was obvious the Blackwaters weren't just rich - they were wealthy.

Eventually, they reached a pair of simple, yet sturdy, utilitarian doors. Vylia stopped and motioned to them.

"Well, here we are! Luther is right behind this door, in his study; do come back down to the foyer when you're done here, darling... I'll have Daxter waiting for you, as I have a fine tea-time planned on the balcony for us. Ciao, love!"

She trotted away, and even with her self-important attitude, Illiad found it a bit difficult not to watch her shapely figure trot off down the hall. Now, he stood before the doors of Luther's study, the stallion himself within.

Wow... I regret being so polite. Clearly it has inflated her ego.

The reason Illiad wanted to stop at his room first was that he wanted to leave his cloak there. He also wanted to retrieve his sketching supplies in case the seal was what Mr. Blackwater wanted him for. He thought a bit on Mrs. Blackwater and found that though she was certainly beautiful in her own way she certainly lacked the personality that he desired.

Another thought occurred to Illiad, he absolutely despised tea since it had been used many times as a weapon before he fled Canterlot.

I wonder how that will go over? Well I best get on to more pressing matters.

He surveyed the doors before him, and then his clothes. He quickly preformed a quick clean spell that removed most of the dust that had accumulated from the trip, then approached the door and knocked twice. He decided to wait for a response as he didn't know how Mr. Blackwater wanted things done, so politeness would be key.

I hope he isn't as much of a noblepony as his wife.

The single word came through the thick doors quite clearly.

"Enter."

Illiad opened the door and got a view of the office. It was very subdued, compared to the rest of the manor. Rows and rows of books in shelves along the wood-paneled walls, dark curtains over each window, sturdy chairs, what appeared to be a real plant which was potted in an ancient-looking stone pot in the corner. The centerpiece was an elegant rosewood desk, lovely in its simplicity and design.

At the rear of the room, on the balcony, stood a tall stallion. His dappled black and green coat was neat and sensible, his dark blue mane was trim and well-kept, and his matching tail was in a short fan, tied at the base with a black cord. The stallion wore a vest, and had a durable, no-frills watch on his front left leg. The spectacles he wore added just the right touch of class to him.

However, the look on his muzzle was stern and grim - and he was putting off the emotion to match. He glanced over his flank, then turned and walked to his desk.

"Come in. Sit down."

He motioned to one of the chairs in front of the rosewood desk.

"Illiad Easle, correct? Good. I am Luther Blackwater, and this is my home. Welcome."

The words were short, crisp and to the point. There was not a trace of foppishness or snide pride visible; he seemed to be the stark opposite of his wife. Honest... but cold.

"From Troy, yes? Very dry there." His eyes slid up, then down, examining Easle's clothing. "No nonsense. Good; enough of that here, already."

He seemed to squint a bit as he looked deep into Illiad's eyes; it seemed like Luther was looking into the unicorn's very soul... and was judging him. For what it was worth, there was no snarl, no hate, no anger - just close inspection.

"Daxter said you made seals. Watermarks. A useful skill. Offered us one. Appreciated."

He nodded, seemingly making a decision to himself. That done, the squinting ended, and his cold demeanor lightened... but just a bit. Just a bit.

"While you stay, no nonsense. No trouble. Your culture is welcome. YOU are welcome... because of Daxter. I allowed this because he has done well. Encourage him to keep doing so. Don't fill him with nonsense. Do these; you and I will be fine."

There was a natural aura of intimidation... but he didn't seem to have any issues with Illiad. Yet.

"Questions. Ask them."

Well, this is almost worse. At least Mrs. Blackwater won't pay too much attention to what I say. Mr. Blackwater is going to judge me based on my next few words. I'll have to make them count. He's more abrupt than Consul War Horse.

Illiad took a moment to compose himself, He decided to keep the same Canterlot intellectual accent, this time with a bit of authority instead of smug or condescending.

"I appreciate your welcome. Your son Daxter is a fine colt and I am sure he will become a fine stallion like yourself one day. My only questions at this time are as follows: Will you or a representative assist me in designing a suitable security measure for you? In either case, when do you wish to proceed?"

Luther's look didn't change one bit.

"I will. My company - my job."

Illiad sensed a tiny swell of pride at that, but it was buried quickly beneath the stone-cold veneer.

"Best to know all the details personally."

He went to the shelves and, after a moment or two perusing titles, he carefully selected three books and brought them each to the desk. Illiad could read the titles of two of them; the third was titled in a language he had never seen before.

'Decryption And Encoding' was one of them. 'Protecting Your Work' was the second. '<( #][ <>.#][ }={' was the closest approximation to what he saw on the cover of the third.

"Source materials. I have read them all. What will you need - no expense is too great."

Luther Blackwater didn't waste time, did he?

I can be quick too. He really is efficiency at its finest. Makes you wonder how he allows his wife's extravagance.

"Worry not about the cost, you son has suitably arranged with his generous gifts, this is my way of returning the favor. You can rest assured that the seal and watermarking plates will be absolutely unique. It would be nearly impossible for even I to make them again. The only thing I need from you is your input. And a sheet of paper if you can spare one."

Illiad approached the desk, ready to begin a facts version of his security speech.

"When it comes to seals the security is in the fine details, the pattern within the print. It is usually something recognizable, yet complex. Most use a version of their mark or a family crest. Seals come in two kinds, stamp and wax. A stamp gains security through special patterns in the solid areas visible close up but not at a glance. Wax gains its security through patterned impressions in the paper, dots that could be felt on the letter inside the envelope which would confirm if the contents had been disturbed."

"When it comes to watermarks the process is similar, using complex images that are still recognizable, in your case you would want something you could remember every detail of and notice if anything were wrong with it. The watermark would be invisible when not in direct sunlight, or moonlight if you prefer."

He turned to face Mr. Blackwater directly, the confidence of someone who knows what they're doing evident in his eyes but not by his smooth expression (It is said that Empathics are particularly good at controlling their facial expressions).

"As soon as I know what images you want I can get started. Do you have some in mind now or would you like to consider it?"

Luther frowned - which was a feat, considering he was already frowning... but there was no emotion to go with it except a slight tingle.

"Watermark. Moonlight on one side, sunlight on the other - if that can be done. Moonlight, if only one. Cutie mark; mine, Vylia's, Dax's. Open for suggestions on the rest."

Luther Blackwater's cutie mark (if ANYTHING can be considered 'cute' about him) was a pickaxe, crossed over with a red feathered quill pen. The smart vest he wore was specially tailored to make certain that mark wasn't obstructed in the least. He turned and opened a drawer, removed a high-quality scroll and a very familiar stack of envelopes, with the words [THE BLACKWATER QUARRY] stamped in silver foil on the back.

"Parchment for design; envelope for tests. Beck and Call will fetch inks and quills on command."

With this, he shut the drawer. Looking back up, he locked eyes once more with Illiad.

"You have the proper knowledge; good - no time for fools."

Luther nodded at him, and Illiad could feel cautious satisfaction eke out of his hardened demeanor.

"Anything more, speak now."

I suppose this proves the point where too little communication can be as bad as too much communication.

Illiad took the parchment and envelopes to look at them closer. Good thickness and durability, unlikely to puncture via wax seal and high visibility for patterned stamp.

"Just a few more questions, I gather you want the marks as seals correct, a seal per mark? Do you want them as wax, stamp, or both? A stamp can often be used in place if a signature, but wax can be used for little more than sealing envelopes and scrolls. It would be two layers of security if you used both."

Illiad held the parchment up to the light of the room. Low transparency, excellent.

"For the watermark I can do sun/moon, I could have your mark on one side and your wife's on the other if you like. Ultimately it is up to you what images I use as I do not know what images you know every detail of."

Illiad pulled a small amount of his diamond's mass from his robe in the shape of a quill.

"Also, I will need to trace the marks if I am to use them. Do you mind if I trace them directly?"

Luther's eyebrow raised when he saw the Cloud quill... but he said nothing on that matter. Yet, anyway.

"Combine the marks; harder to forge. One symbol, three images put together. Stamp and wax... if that would be fine."

He frowned in thought again, then nodded to himself.

"I know our marks. Unmistakable to me."

Looking at the quill, he looked over his shoulder at his flank for a moment, regarding his cutie mark... then turned back to face Illiad.

"Fine; be quick about it."

There was a slight ribbon of discomfort, but it was pushed aside in a moment. He gave the unicorn a sidelong glance, then sighed softly.

"Daxter is cleared for Troy, yes? No issues?"

THERE it was! Just a momentary opening into Luther's true emotions came, and in that moment Illiad felt a WORLD of concern for his son Dax; Luther was chock full of worry and care for the young stallion - his face gave away nothing, but his heart was as plain as day for a moment.

A slight smile came to Illiad's face as he came a bit closer to Mr. Blackwater. So there really is some love in this family.

"Worry not Mr. Blackwater, I ensured all his paperwork was in order before I left. We'll just have to pass through customs and so long as he doesn't possess any contraband like poisons or anti-magic there should be no problem getting him in."

Luther gave Illiad a strange look.

"No anti-magics. No poison. Daxter doesn't have those things."

Illiad floated the quill near Mr. Blackwater's flank. It caught some sunlight and began to refract it over the mark, scanning it from left to right, as it did an image grew from the feather of the quill, forming a 2D image of his mark. Mr. Blackwater would have felt his flank grow slightly warmer as it was scanned. Once the scan was complete Illiad floated the image back to himself, before showing it to Mr. Blackwater.

"I will repeat this process on your wife and son, if you still approve, then combine the images for your approval before I return to Troy to have the design made into a seal set of wax and stamp. Would you like the design made into watermarking plates as well or is the seal all you desire?"

Illiad allowed the diamond to retain the shape of Mr. Blackwater's mark, no note made it even harder to recreate, thus improved security.

Mr. Blackwater picked up the three books he had taken from the shelf that were unopened on his desk, and returned them to their niches in the bookcase. Turning to face the Empathic from there, he nodded.

"Yes. Plates will do. I still agree. Do what needs to be done."

Making his way back towards the balcony, he spoke just loud enough for Illiad to hear him.

"Most appreciated..."

As he paused, he glanced back over his flank, not quite making eye contact, but obviously his attention was on the unicorn.

"... thank you."

With that, Luther Blackwater stepped out onto the balcony once more. Apparently, he was done. For now, anyway. He stood there, looking down over the railing at the quarry below, and in that moment, Illiad could clearly see that this was a stallion that lived only for his work... and his family.

Was that something to be proud for? Or was it heartbreaking?

It is clear that he cares for little else than his family and work. It's sad that he doesn't seem to let up, but at least he cares enough to provide the best he possibly can.

Illiad simply nodded, saying anything at this point would be unnecessary. He turned and proceeded to leave the room.

Author's Note:

My limited options in terms of font decoration really limit my ability to express. Hopefully the text is still easy to read in this state.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

If Dax Blackwater and Illiad Easle were voiced, what would they sound like?

[Illiad_Easle]

7148079

Illiad is voiced by The Question from Justice League Unlimited (Jeffrey Combs)
I don't know what Dax or the rest of the Blackwaters sound like just yet, but I'll be sure to get back to you when I do figure it out.

7148055

Perhaps, let's see how well this one does before I try to start another one.

[Illiad_Easle]

7148079

I am told that Dax sounds something like Michael Cera

[Randimaxis]

At this point in the exchange, Illiad had already dealt with Dax and the two butlers - it was time to meet the proper heads of the Blackwater family line. Only a slight impression of Vylia (more on her later), but more of a focus on Luther, the stoic and quietly menacing earth stallion. I wanted to be CERTAIN he was seen as no-nonsense and humorless (reasons for that also come up later).

The focus was trying to give Illiad a better idea of where Dax came from and what he had to deal with each day - and to watch and see how Illiad would react to the two most important ponies at the quarry - I expected politeness, of course... but his thoughts were often hilarious to me!

[Randimaxis]

7148079

To add to that, I'll say that, in my own mind, I'd say Vylia would have a voice much like Bette Midler, because I could hear that thinly-veiled snark she can have. Luther's voice would HAVE to be Christopher Lloyd - somewhere between Doc Brown and Judge Doom... heavy on the Doom.

The butler ponies, I could easily agree to having voiced by Simon Pegg - BOTH of them.