Therapy Session of Ron Plunderman #12

Ron was in a buoyant mood, happily recounting his exploration of the ruined city of the monkey men.

“…talk about a disappointment. Treasure was scarce and the place was filled with those useless monkey men. What a waste of space those things were. They reminded me of the vege-pygmy things; lots of potential but no ambition. Give them a human brain and they could dominate every plane to hell and back. When they got worked up they could move really fast, like knocking back a haste potion.  Instead they live their lives smelling each other’s bum and sacrificing black people to snake gods. Pathetic really, but I enjoyed killing them, even started to like the taste of them; fleas and all.”

“And the ruins … not much to tell really, ramshackle old buildings made by the fucked up snake people. Tell you what though the snake people … they tasted much better than monkey men, kind of like chicken except better. Hmm. Should’ve kept some of those fuckers alive; could’ve started a farm. “

Ron quietly laughed to himself, “Any way where was I? Oh yeah, the dumb ruins. They weren’t really  built by the snakemen but their slaves. And guess who the slaves were? Yep, the useless smelly locals. Seriously these natives give human’s a bad name.  Useless back then and useless now. I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve saved some useless black arse. “

The doctor cleared his throat and interjected. “Well Ron, it may surprise you to learn that just about every adventurer I have interviewed has expressed similar views…”

Ron nodded. “Yep useless black…”

“No…” the doctor continued quickly. “I mean adventurers from the north, Cheliax, Varisia and beyond. There are always … “ and the doctor held his hands up mimicking quotation mark, “… useless people that need saving. I did a paper once on the hubris of the adventurer.”

Ron looked momentarily confused. “You mean there a black people getting saved in the far north?’

The doctor shook his head. “No I don’t mean black people. I mean normal folk of any colour or creed. People not trained in sword play, magic or alchemy.  Farmer’s, baker’s and merchants. Innocent victim’s of the nefarious scheme’s of others.”

Ron still looked a little confused. “Gee Doc, you’ve lost me. I was talking about the useless natives and how they always need saving.”

The doctor shook his head. “Yes I know, but that’s my point. Its not because they are black that they are ‘useless’ its because they aren’t trained in combat and war. They can’t defend themselves from those that have chosen to prey upon them. If your adventures had taken place in Varisia or Cheliax, the people you would’ve been saving wouldn’t have been dark skinned.”

“Look Ron, you …”

Ron held up his hands. “Hang on Doc, that’s not right. The native’s we saved often were hunters and warriors. You certainly don’t find bakers or merchants much amongst the blacks, not even farmers.”

The doctor quickly shook his head. “Yes may be they were warriors, but nowhere near as skilled as you  are.”

Ron rolled his eyes but the doctor continued on. “The many adventurers I interviewed held a great disdain for the local constabulary or military. Often they needed rescuing and were often described as weak and ineffectual in combat. Adventurers do not seem to make any distinction between commoners and guards or soldiers. All equally useless and beneath them.”

Ron opened his mouth to speak but hesitated momentarily as if lost for words. “Well what about the chick with the dinosaur ... can't quite remember her name, anyway she was white and a little girl when she was abandoned. She did just fine. Got her self a dinosaur and survived quite nicelessly.”

The doctor frowned, “That doesn’t a proof anything either way. It’s one example she could just as easily have been black.”

Ron furrowed his eyebrows in doubt, clearly unconvinced. “Don’t know about that doc.”

The doctor continued. “Look Ron, you need to challenge some of the perceptions you hold. Learn to see things a little differently. Like see things from someone else’s point of view. Think like someone else”

“Why would I want to think like someone else?” Ron asked, clearly baffled.

“Well so that you could understand how they would feel.”

Ron stared at the doctor with a blank vacant look while the doctor continued. “Its called empathy Ron. It’s a very important social skill and allows people to build relationships with each other.”

Ron shook his head in confusion. “You want me to have relationships with black people. Like sex?  I’ve done that heaps…”

The doctor shook his head. “No. No. No I don’t mean specifically black people.”

“…but I’ve also had …”

The doctor held his hand out for Ron to stop speaking. “I don’t mean sexual relations. I just mean understanding how people feel. Why they might be frightened or put off by how you act or insulted by what you say.”

“But why would I care?” asked Ron.

“That’s just the point Ron. You should care or you should atleast try to care. Take for example the young ladies you saved from the succubus. How did you think you treated them after that.”

Ron tilted his head dismissively. “Pretty well I should I expect; we did after all save their lives.”

“No Ron you verbally abused them with sexual innuendo.”

“So? What of it? Was just making small talk. Would you rather I have killed them? I’m sure if you asked them they would be extremely grateful to be alive.”

“But Ron, even so, why would then demean them after saving their lives.”

“I didn’t demean anyone. “

“You propositioned them, asked them to take their clothes off.”

“So it’s the least they could’ve done. We did just save their lives.”

“But Ron, they had been ensorcelled, forced to prostitute their bodies against their will.”

“So they got to have sex with heaps of people.”

The doctor shook his head. “What if it happened to you. What if you had been forced to have sex with lots of men.”

Ron cringed. “That’s disgusting.”

The doctor nodded. “Yes exactly. So how would you feel if that had happened to you , then you were rescued. Then you’re rescuers asked you to have sex with them.”

Ron scratched his head. “That would depend if they were male or female.”

The doctor sighed. “The rescuers are male. A male would ask you to get your clothes off.”

“Oh” said Ron. “Then I would threaten to kill them .”

“Exactly so how do you think the women you rescued would feel.”

Ron shrugged. “I don’t know. They didn’t threaten to kill me when I asked them to get their clothes off.”

“But it’s the same situation Ron. They too would’ve felt violated and angry.”

Ron looked at the doctor strangely. “But they’re women.”

“Yes Ron, but it’s a similar situation.”

Ron shook his head. “No its not. They’re woman, its normal for them to have sex with men.”

The doctor’s voice started to show strained signs of agitation. “Yes but they had probably been …”

Ron held up his hand. “No doctor I get. They may have done some woman on woman action. But its okay for woman to do that sort of thing. I really don’t understand the point of this. It’s a completely different situation.”

“You really can’t see the similarities?”

Ron shook his head.

The doctor sighed dejectedly then sank back in his charge. “Okay Ron. I suppose it is different.”

Ron sat with a look of bewilderment on his face. “I told you Doc.”