diff --git a/writing/post-self/toledot/launch/launch/Codrin-pollux/004.md b/writing/post-self/toledot/launch/launch/Codrin-pollux/004.md index 54e3afff..a40b7b88 100644 --- a/writing/post-self/toledot/launch/launch/Codrin-pollux/004.md +++ b/writing/post-self/toledot/launch/launch/Codrin-pollux/004.md @@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ As happened about once every six weeks or so, that boundless energy within Dear became too much for the fox to control, and it would go tearing through the house, working on several projects, forking here to clean, there to make a mess, now to request affection and then to holler about how badly it wanted to be alone. -The first time that this happened. Codrin had been quite startled, opting to lock emself in the office that ey still kept out around the back of the house. One of the many instances of Dear quickly fell into a sulk, and sent em carefully spaced out sensorium messages to make sure that ey hadn't left. +The first time that this happened, Codrin had been quite startled, opting to lock emself in the office that ey still kept out around the back of the house. One of the many instances of Dear quickly fell into a sulk, and sent em carefully spaced out sensorium messages to make sure that ey hadn't left. Eventually, Dear's partner had knocked on the door to eir glass-walled office, and Codrin let them in, where they leaned back against the edge of eir desk. @@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ Even after nearly twenty years, though, Codrin had yet to gain the knack of tell As usual, they were able to hunt down the root instance and shake it back to reality. Whenever the fox was grabbed by the scruff, it went limp, and the shake was usually something of a rag doll affair. At first, Codrin had worried that its partner was hurting it, but as ey was welcomed into their relationship, ey learned that the fox counted it as a pleasure. -Today, they found themselves at what Dear promised them was a pitch-perfect simulacrum of a late 2000s diner. While ey could not speak to the accuracy, nor even the quality, something about the sheen of lingering sanitizer on the counters that left streaks, the smell of truly terrible coffee, and the sizzle of grease all seemed to add up to a cohesive whole. +Today, they found themselves at what Dear promised them was a pitch-perfect simulacrum of a late 2000s diner. While ey could not speak to the accuracy, nor even the quality, something about the sheen of lingering sanitizer on the counters that left streaks, the smell of truly terrible coffee, and the sizzle of grease all added up to a cohesive whole. Codrin ordered a large plate of fries, Dear a vanilla milkshake, and its partner a slice of pie. They shared all three, and Codrin learned the delight of dipping fries into milkshakes. @@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ Codrin ordered a large plate of fries, Dear a vanilla milkshake, and its partner "Maybe you were less focused on one thing?" Codrin said around a mouthful of melting shake. -*"Perhaps. I do not have a single project to dump my attention into, so perhaps that singular energy does not build up in the same way."* +*"Perhaps. I do not have a single project to dump my attention into, so that singular energy does not build up in quite the same way."* "The news from Castor and Ioan isn't enough to keep you focused?" @@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ Codrin ordered a large plate of fries, Dear a vanilla milkshake, and its partner Ey rolled eir eyes. -*"Still, I really must find one soon. I am aware that it is not pleasant for you two when I overflow, but it is also unpleasant for me when I do not have direction."* +*"Still, I really must find one soon. I am aware that it is not pleasant for you two when this happens, but it is also unpleasant for me when I do not have direction."* Dear's partner shrugged. "We just need to get one of those loose clamps for holding bags shut or hair back in a bun so we can just put it on your scruff when you start getting out of hand." @@ -64,19 +64,15 @@ Codrin laughed. "You're right. We deserve peace and quiet, sometimes." Ey received a fry to the face from the fox, which ey dunked into the shake. "What is this place, anyway?" -*"It is the restaurant that--"* It hesitated for a beat, during which the noise around them dimmed as a cone of silence fell. *"It is the restaurant at which part of the clade celebrated Secession Day."* +*"It is the restaurant that--"* It hesitated for a beat, during which the noise around them dimmed as a cone of silence fell. *"It is the restaurant at which the clade celebrated Secession Day."* Codrin stifled a yawn from the ear-popping sensation that always came with the silence. "You weren't there?" -*"I had not yet been forked, no, and no one from my stanza was there. I remember it through the words and sensorium of...another."* - -"Another? No, wait. I'll have to find that out on my own, won't I?" - -*"Of course, my dear."* +*"I had not yet been forked, no, but Praiseworthy was there. I remember it through the words and sensorium of another."* "What was it like back then?" ey asked. -*"Mx Codrin Bălan, are you working?"* +*"Mx. Codrin Bălan, are you working?"* "Not particularly," ey said. "I really am just curious." @@ -84,7 +80,7 @@ Codrin stifled a yawn from the ear-popping sensation that always came with the s "How about a year to either side?" its partner suggested. -*"That still encompasses a good amount of goings on. I will tell you some of them, but you will have to--"* +*"That still encompasses a good amount of history. I will tell you some of them, but you will have to--"* "Find the rest on my own, yes." @@ -108,11 +104,11 @@ Dear tilted its head inquisitively. *"Oh, yes. Same person. Jonah is a name that fits Ezekiel's current mode of thinking better, I suppose. We were all there, along with our phys-side accomplice in the campaign for secession and the L5 launch, Yared.* -*"The mood was very celebratory. We all sat in that booth--"* it said, nodding toward the corner booth. *"--and counted down with everyone. It was all very exciting. Everyone was giddy and laughing, and there were fireworks outside."* +*"The mood was very celebratory. The council sat in that booth--"* it said, nodding toward the corner booth. *"--and counted down with everyone. It was all very exciting. Everyone was giddy and laughing, and there were fireworks outside."* "How crowded was it at that time? I imagine there were far fewer people in the System than there are now, if you had to pay to upload." -*"Of course, yes. Still, there were a few common public sims that individuals and instances would frequent. This was one of them. There were a dozen or so others here in the diner, and several hundred along the street, either on it or in restaurants along it. All were cheering, as far as I could tell."* +*"Of course, yes. Still, there were a few common public sims that individuals and instances would frequent. This was one of them. There were a dozen or so others here in the diner along with the rest of the Odists, and several hundred along the street, either on it or in restaurants along it. All were cheering, as far as I could tell."* "I imagine there was some of that during Launch day, too," Dear's partner said. "Beyond our party, that is." @@ -120,39 +116,39 @@ Dear tilted its head inquisitively. "So, after all of the celebrations died down, was there any real change?" -Dear shrugged. *"Some residual excitement, I suppose. There were some little things that lingered, however, and stuck around. Secession Day, of course, but that is the date that we started using systime in earnest. The actual number chosen as year zero, day zero for systime is a bit more than a year before Secession, and was tied to the creation of the reputation market, such that there was always a time to which it could be synchronized. Before Secession, we still commonly used the calendar they were --- and presumably still are --- using phys-side, but after, almost everyone switched to using systime. It made logical sense, yes, what with sims not being tied to any particular schedule bound by Earth's rotation or procession around the Sun, but also it felt like a sign that we were becoming our own nation. Our own people."* +Dear shrugged. *"Some residual excitement, I suppose. There were some little things that lingered, however, and stuck around. Secession Day, of course, but that is the date that we started using systime in earnest. The actual number chosen as year zero, day zero for systime is a bit more than a year before Secession, and was tied to the creation of the reputation market, such that there was always a time to which it could be synchronized. Before Secession, we still commonly used the calendar they were --- and presumably still are --- using phys-side, but after, almost everyone switched to using systime. It made logical sense, yes, what with sims not being tied to any particular schedule bound by Earth's rotation or procession around the Sun, but also it felt like a sign that we were becoming our own nation, our own people."* The table grew quiet after this explanation, as the last bite of pie was eaten and the last fry dipped in the last bit of shake. "Feel free to tell me to stuff it, but what was your stanza's role in the whole affair?" Codrin asked. -*"You do not need to stuff it, my dear. Each first line had a role to play, and that often informed what the rest of the stanza focuses on, as we are formed from that instance as a template."* +*"You do not need to stuff it, my dear. Each first line had a role to play, after a fashion, and that often informed what the rest of the stanza focuses on, as we are formed from that instance as a template."* Ey nodded, waiting for the fox to continue. -*"Actually, my dear, can you guess? I am one who plays with instances, who finds ways to make others mad and happy and fall in love and get in fights, all while still being myself, and I am one who has turned that into an art."* +*"Actually, my dear, can you guess? I am one who plays with instances, who finds ways to make others mad and happy and fall in love and get in fights, who guides and shapes sentiments, all by just being myself, and I am one who has turned that into an art."* "I know I've met Praiseworthy, but I don't know much about her. I know Serene built the house. I think you mentioned that you two were forked when Praiseworthy wanted to explore the ramifications of both instances and sims." -As it waited for Codrin to piece together what ey could, the fox scraped the bottom of the shake glass for the last spoonful of ice cream and gave it to eir partner. A small affection that made the three of them smile. +As it waited for Codrin to piece together what ey could, the fox scraped the bottom of the shake glass for the last spoonful of ice cream and fed it to its partner. A small affection that made the three of them smile. "Can you give me a bit of a hint about Serene?" *"You get one hint, and it will be small. What emotions come to you when you walk the prairie?"* -Codrin sat up straight. "A politician? Was Praiseworthy a politician? All this talk of shaping emotions and expectations. Or, wait. No, that's not it." +Codrin sat up straight. "A politician? Was Praiseworthy a politician? All this talk of shaping sentiments and expectations. Or, wait. No, that's not it." Dear urged em on with a little twirl of its spoon, looking pleased at the response. "A speech writer? Did she come up with the speeches that whichever one of you was on the Council at the time used?" -*"You are thinking too narrowly, my dear. The Council had little need for speeches for itself, and, as a body created to guide but not to govern, there were few enough speeches given outside of the council."* +*"You are thinking too narrowly, my dear. The Council had little need for speeches for itself, and, as a body created to guide but not to govern, there were few enough speeches given outside of the council. After all, where would it give them?"* "Too narrow, hmm..." Ey frowned. "Was she...did she come up with propaganda?" Dear laughed, reached a finger into the shake glass to swipe up a little bit of sticky vanilla, and dabbed it on Codrin's nose. *"Well reasoned. Praiseworthy was the propagandist among the first lines."* -Codrin rubbed at eir nose to get the melted ice cream off before it settled into a sticky mess. "What exactly goes into being a propagandist, when the role of the Council was to guide but not to govern?" +Codrin rubbed at eir nose to get the melted ice cream off before it congealed into a sticky mess. "What exactly goes into being a propagandist, when the role of the Council was to guide but not to govern?" Without falling, the fox's happy expression somehow became a fraction less earnest, just that much less directed.