He exhales, reaching over to play with Purrelden's tall. "That's the way of it, isn't it? Empathy gets built on a foundation of needing it. Apathy comes from living a life with little in the way of true struggle, or having difficulties and being helped out and thinking they did it all on their own, that anyone can. It's why so many pleas for help or understanding fall on deaf ears."

It's why, more than ever, mages have to work to prove themselves people. Now is when non- mages can get to know then and see more than simply a threat. It shouldn't have to fall on the mages, but no one is going to try to step out of their comfort zone for them.