37,592 lunch turns to debate?

Idrias was still troubled, it felt a good deal like calling attention to herself, but she had to answer. “I truly did not mean any insult, it was just starling. I had thought I had a good idea of what myths there were about us. Clearly I am wrong about that.” She looked at the faces and then at her father and back. Hoping that this wasn’t the wrong thing to say. “I don’t want to make things worse, but some look alarmed that didn’t before. There needs to be a way to fix that. It doesn’t seem good that a segment of the population is feared because of a virus that caused changes in their genes. Yes we can change our shape, but we are still people. I don’t know just what is out there, why some of looked freighted, but if it will help anything I am more than willing to answer questions. I can only speak for myself and my experiences of course, but maybe it will help. We never meant to hide it, just didn’t see it as needing announced. There were others present when I shifted the first time and so we all thought it was known.” Only then did she dare to look at Landan, sure he would be upset with her for he had been the one telling her that she should not call attention to her illness. However this fear needed to fixed before it starting cause problems. It wouldn’t be long until the Wraith were doing more than sending small probs. Everyone would need to work together to keep them away. Then he might not see just what the maps were pointing at. Not all could read them as she could. His shoulders were stiff but he wasn’t looking at her, so she couldn’t be sure what his full reaction was.

There was a jumble of voices. The first that could be heard clearly was Lord Walton. “Yes we were here when your unfortunate condition first showed, but believing it would be appropriately managed we saw no reason to spread the news. Now though I see just how wrong I was. I knew you were going to Milton, but didn’t realize that you had been given free access and were even running the campus. That is not a shifter school! Yu have no business roaming the campus unsupervised. Just what has been going on? I never thought you would be let run. It is disgraceful. Completely unfair to you and a danger. To think you would stand there and flaunt your illness, take pride in that which should not be seen. It is unthinkable.”

Iron put his hand on Idrias’ arm, wanting her to know that he was not upset with her. He knew that she was upset, that she had been trying to avoid this, to avoid the anger. “Idrias has been going out of her way to see that none are made uncomfortable by her. In fact I have felt it necessary to tell her to relax and stop hiding so much, that there was no need to be hurting herself. For she is able to blend her forms with ease and it takes more effort not to, yet she has been doing all she could not show a thing around any. Trust me she has gone out of her way not to flaunt her abilities. After all why were so many shocked when she said it? She has never deigned and would not have announced had there not been a good reason to so. As she said the myths need to be addressed and I am glad she offered to help. No matter what you think it wasn’t easy for her to stand here and say that. She doesn’t want the attention, but could see the need. You heard His Majesty this very morning. We need to work together, this divide in our land needs to fixed, now. This has shown me why he was saying and why there is a request to change the wording in the education bill to included a text standard for warevector as we have adapted for history. I did not see why it was needed, it was bad enough that we had one for history, but now I wonder just what is being taught in other districts. If they are not referring to the science but just to the myths. I do not like the idea of forcing all to teach the same texts, but schools should not be passing rumors as truths.”

Donald said. “Idrias has been welcome on campus since her brother brought her to my office when she was seven, and yes I knew she was a shifter. I made it a  point to tell her that was welcome to sit in on the classes and lectures and have taken her to some myself, just to make sure she knew I meant it.  Royal is open to all, she is far from the only shifter to make use of the campus and we do in fact have some as students. What we don’t do is separate them. Therefore it is widely believe that we screen them out, but in truth we ask nothing about it in our applications. Every dorm has cells for first gen, but they are not monitored, now is the forests. We do not do bed checks. I see no need for any form of separation or special guidance. Perhaps though there is need for a press release, for there should never be schools at any level that are designated as shifter schools. Just the thought that there are angers me.”

Idrias started walking again, thinking it might be best if she went and sat down, standing there was feeling a bit like begging for attention. “I have never felt unwelcome on campus, but didn’t know how many knew I am a shifter.  I don’t normally go out on to the campus alone, but that is because I feel so much smaller, likely as I was when I first was there. I have started going out alone more in the last few yew years, but not when there is an event on campus.” She took her place and got a drink. “I am not sure just why the thought of my being on campus alarms you Lord Walton, but security always knows when I am, and usually there is an officer not too far from me. They are not there because I might cause a problem, but because I still sometimes panic in crowds and need help getting clear of them. I am doing a lot better, but still freeze sometimes.”

Lord Nelson moved away from the table, and stood up. “This is going to far! It was bad enough to have to put up with the other but for you to encourage this child to lie that this. It is disgusting the way you are pushing this agenda on us!”

Idrias blinked. “Sir I don’t know what you think I am lying about, but nothing I said was a lie. Is there something you would like clarified? I do not know what has been going on in the meetings, I do not mean to be influencing any votes. I just am troubled to learn that misinformation has been relayed as truth and want to clear up what I can. I don’t mean to make anyone uncomfortable or to start a fight. I just thought that by being open I might be able to clear up some myths.” She could all to easy see this growing and becoming a bigger problem, but likely there was a better to have approached. Yet it had happened.

Lord Walton said. “I do see why you don’t want to believe it, but the child is a shifter. I never expected to hear it flaunted about. It is unseemly that it can sit there as though there was nothing wrong. I did think the child had been taught manners. This is disturbing.”

His Majesty said. “It might seem like a small thing, but this idea that a portion of the population is fractured in some way has the potential to do a good deal of damage. The alliance has lasted because we face issues before they have the change to become problems. The myths circulating about shifters need to be faced the same way that myths about Irlen and Gramilican have been. Every nation has sifters, that can’t be allowed to be a dived force any more than the various religions can be. Different laws and traditions can be accepted, but if one land is putting forth lies in the place of truth then it will case fractions. That is why there is need for a standard that text books must meet. Not to dictate which texts are used, just that the ones used are not passing on lies. Thank you for offing to do this Idrias and I do hope that all will take you up on it. I should see if others will go to the schools and answer questions. It is not something I thought of, but it might work better than books. It might help the sifters in those classes as well. It is not right that some feel it is necessary to hide to for others comfort.”

Idrias flushed a bit but was able to take a bit of salad without showing how she was shaking. She truly didn’t like the attention but this time it was needed. She still was worried what the others thought, what this would do to their friendships. For it was no easy thing to admit that there was a shifter in the current generation of family. Oddly it was less troubling if the person belonged to an older generation. Even in direct line, even when they were still around. Given that shifters lived two or three hundred years it normal that there was one out there, but then it is imposable to know as we never found evidence of a second or third gen shifter.

Lady Jane shook her head, not able to believe what a nightmare this was. She had expected something wild but not anything so unsafe. Just where did it? “Who is setting these so called facts? It is not right to force us to lower standers to fit the needs of the ill. I am sorry that they were damaged and full back the efforts being done to undo that damage. However I do not support any effort to increases that damage in any form. Be that spreading the ill-conceived idea that they are anything but damaged or spreading the sickness further!”

Donald said. “No one said anything about lowing standards. We are not changing a thing about how students are admitted. I was just pointing out the rules that are already in place. Royal does not and will not screen students by anything other than the placement tests. Being a shifter does not have any impact on intelligence.  In fact giving the healing component the virus is known to have I would not be surprised to find that there are far few with cognitive issues now than there were when it was released. I know that other illness have been lessened by it. That is one of the effects it has for everyone. No one in the world is untouched by the warevector. It might not have rewritten our gens as it does for sifters, but it has had an impact on us.  Every baby carries some markers, that is why sifters cannot be identified before they change, for all they are born with the ability. Where is the harm in seeing that is taught in the schools as the law already says it should be? It is not being asked that the education laws be changed, just that they are enforced as they should have been for the past hundred years. It was found right then, what makes it wrong now?”

Lord Thosom said. “So we are to sit back and let them go spreading the diseases and carting off our children. Forming there clans with our young! Forcing them to turn their backs on values! That is not acceptable. I will not have lies passed out. It is not right or safe to let those run wild. There should be codes, there needs to be more supervision not less.”

Idrias closed her eyes and took a breath, trying to remember that the anger was not directed at her, that she was safe. Still she was wishing that she could have chosen different words. Landan said, softly. “I will admit I was not happy with my sister for saying so publicly that she is a sifter. It is something that I prefer not to be remind of. However it in no way hampers her intelligence nor is she a threat to me. She was never a threat to anyone even before she was able to control when she changed. She has always been ahead of me academically, for all she does have challenges and was slow in other areas because it took her time to master those things that are depend on form. Her being a shifter in no way causes any increase chance of infection. The virus is no high around shifters than in areas they are kept out of. That was one of the dozen things tested in the labs. Idrias is the tension getting to be too much? I can help you take that into the kitchen if you need.” He shook his head as some moved.” She is not going to shift, it is just that she has problems with being in groups. The shifter comes with some sensitivity to emotions, which is one of the ongoing struggles she has.”