Private Finished First Session: Rei

Valli was not an expert on Hell or any hells, but he had a general idea. It was awful for humans, and varied from 'crappy' to 'great' for demons. It was their home realm, although many had been born on-island, and in many ways it was what they'd grown used to.

"That's quite the culture shock," Valli said. "So I can't say I'm surprised to hear you're having issues adjusting. In hell, there's a clear power structure, and far less variety in terms what you're exposed to. On Manta Carlos... angels, humans, lizardmen, dragons... Everything you can imagine, and plenty of things you never would. Have you taken any cultural classes, to help adapt? I recommend them to almost everyone who's new to the island."

Valli was very careful in what he did or didn't suggest. Telling Rei he needed cultural lessons was out. Suggesting them in general terms--because he advocated for them quite a bit--was not.

"I have to admit," Valli said, "having been here as long as I've been, you'd think I'd seen it all, but even I haven't. Every so often someone walks in and I have to double take at what I'm seeing... doing my best to hide it while I try and figure out if there's anything I should know. Different species comes with different cultural norms, and a lot of them, like demons, have so much variety it feels like a thousand subspecies."

That wasn't even counting the big sin demons vs goetic demons vs other kinds of demons.

"You seem very self sufficient," Valli pointed out. "It's a good trait to have, but often not something you see in people your age. I imagine you find it easier to socialize with those older than you?"

"I know more about Goetic demons, personally. I haven't really looked into researching them, either. Sometimes, I find that knowing too much about a species can bias you unnecessarily. It's very easy to try and chalk things up to they're just saying that because they're a fae, rather than thinking about someone as a person."

There was a point in there, but it was obscured enough it wasn't clear if Rei would pick it up.

"It does work, yes. I find there's often a very sharp gap between those who have their parents do things for them, compared to those who do things for themselves. Different parenting styles, and while an argument could be made about safety and injuries, the fact does remain that those who are allowed to have space to grow are more capable... it's easier to adapt when you move out as well. I see a lot of college students who really struggle because they've never had to handle things on their own."

"Sometimes it is," Valli said with a wave of his hand. "And sometimes it's not. Stereotypes are patterns, things that people see over and over again, and take to be a universal truth. A lot of them are there for a reason, whether cultural differences or otherwise, but they're still important things to be aware of. To think and recognize why you make those assumptions, and to break them down so you can move past them."

He probably sounded more like a teacher than a therapist, but stereotypes came up a lot when it came to cases like Rei's own.

"I have to admit I'm surprised to hear you plan to leave. It's far from a common sentiment--most are happy to stay on the island."

Valli raised an eyebrow when Rei declared he didn't believe in any stereotypes.

"It's a good mentality to have," Valli said, "but everyone is effected by stereotypes in their own way. The real struggle is about being able to recognize them and counteracting them. We are colored by our own experiences. I think a better term for it might be biases, because a stereotype is widely held, and while biases are deeply personal. Someone who has a fight with someone named Alice might be initially suspicious of a different Alice they meet later. Someone who gets robbed by a goblin might find themselves wary of goblins in the future. A bias is simply your brain making connections between information, and a stereotype is your brain making connections between information you've heard from others."

Valli tapped his fingers on his arm, and then decided against an exact example.

"Everyone has their own biases, and everyone is at least aware of stereotypes. Choosing to ignore them is very different from not having them at all, though."