update from sparkleup

writing/post-self/toledot/index.md

@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ Nearing the 200th anniversary of System secession from humanity, the System and
     * [X] [Launch: sys-side: Ioan](launch/sys/Ioan/007) - Ioan, distracted, interviews a series of poor families (as ey was) re: what they miss, what excited them, first thing they did, what was disappointing, biggest regret - 3376
     * [X] [Secession: sys-side: True Name](secession/sys/True-Name/005) - Council meets, she and Jonas introduce idea of secession, which goes over reasonably well thanks to Praiseworthy's work - 1724
     * [X] [Launch: sys-side: Ioan](launch/sys/Ioan/008) - Ioan interviews historian keenly interested in staying close enough to earth to keep cataloging, has picked up on some of the patterns; also wants to be close to Ioan, weaseled her way into the interview - 2150
-    * [O] [Launch: launch-side: Codrin#Castor](launch/launch/Codrin-castor/005) - Interviews True Name, who was tasked by Michelle as political side of launch, first time sys and phys have worked together in meaningful way in ages, tickled to see Douglas Hadje, nudges him through *channels* to apply for launch director (look at that manipulation go) - 2839
+    * [X] [Launch: launch-side: Codrin#Castor](launch/launch/Codrin-castor/005) - Interviews True Name, who was tasked by Michelle as political side of launch, first time sys and phys have worked together in meaningful way in ages, tickled to see Douglas Hadje, nudges him through *channels* to apply for launch director (look at that manipulation go) - 2839
     * [O] [Launch: phys-side: Douglas](launch/phys/Douglas/007) - Learns more about the clade, but still not about names, mentions some concerning stuff re: patterns phys/planet-side - 1855
     * [O] [Secession: phys-side: Yared](secession/phys/Yared/007) - Introduces secession amendment himself, it goes over poorly initially, contacts Demma who reassures him that it will swing in secession's favor after some unsavory strings are pulled, told to keep pressing sys-side on secession - 2640
     * [O] [Launch: sys-side: Ioan](launch/sys/Ioan/009) - Ioan, already worried, interviews Do I Know God After The *End Waking* (skunk male, druid type) at eir home, who was tasked by True Name and Jonas to meddle with phys-side finance late 2100s to increase sys-side population by paying for uploads (as Ioan was), liberal now, regrets his actions; points em to Jonas still on system; conversation with both End Waking and May about what she meant about system being more subtle viz dandelions (even after all this time, it's still a dream, May's been dreaming with em, not uncommon for emotionally entangled people) - 3217

writing/post-self/toledot/launch/launch/Codrin-castor/005.md

@@ -6,13 +6,13 @@ All of eir work on the Qoheleth matter had set em in a mind of caution whenever
 
 Then again, that note had also contained an equally unhinged explanation from someone who had uploaded less than forty years ago, so perhaps it was more tied to personality than it was to memory.
 
-While it might not be one and instead be the other, there was always the chance of a dialectic in which both might be true, and whenever ey was confronted with the possibility of winding up in such a state emself after centuries, ey would spend hours, days, weeks watching eir every action carefully, interrogating every thought, every word for hints of madness.
+While it might not be one and instead be the other, there was always the chance that both might be true, and whenever ey was confronted with the possibility of winding up in such a state emself after centuries, ey would spend hours, days, weeks watching eir every action carefully, interrogating every thought, every word for hints of that disconnect.
 
 It was in that mindset that ey sent a carefully crafted sensorium message to this The Only Time I Know My True Name Is When I Dream of the Ode clade.
 
 "True Name," ey said, speaking to the observing half of emself who would send the message. "My name is Codrin Bălan, and doubtless you remember my down-tree instance from working with my partner and your cocladist, Dear, some years back. Perhaps you also know of my current project of cataloging the experiences of those who have invested in the Launch to be combined into a history and mythology.
 
-"As I work through the list of possible interviewees compiled by clade, I have had several suggestions from out-clade. In particular, my counterpart on Pollux interviewed an...ex-coworker of yours named Ezekiel or Zeke. He suggested some avenues for exploration in this project for myself, Codrin#Pollux, and Ioan back on the L<sub>5</sub> system, including a suggestion that I interview you."
+"As I work through the list of possible interviewees compiled by clade, I have had several suggestions from out-clade. In particular, my counterpart on Pollux interviewed an...ex-coworker of yours named Ezekiel. He suggested some avenues for exploration in this project for myself, Codrin#Pollux, and Ioan back on the L<sub>5</sub> system, including a suggestion that I interview you."
 
 Ey cleared eir throat and sat up straighter, feeling suddenly anxious. "If you'd agree to such, I'd like to meet at the place of your choosing to ask you some questions about your feelings on the launch and, if possible, Secession as well. Please feel free to get in touch with me by whatever means you'd like. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you."
 
@@ -60,11 +60,11 @@ Ey followed as she padded off down one of the hallways to a room set up much lik
 
 Giving a hint of a bow, the skunk stepped around the corner of the desk to pull out a stool of the type ey had grown used to, living with a partner in possession of a tail. Ey took the seat opposite and set a dot-pad on eir side of the desk, pulling out eir pen.
 
-"Oh!" True Name looked genuinely surprised and pleased. "What a delightful pen! Is it something that you had back before you uploaded, or have you picked up in your time here?"
+"Oh!" True Name looked genuinely surprised. "What a delightful pen! Is it something that you had back before you uploaded, or have you picked up in your time here?"
 
-"Oh, goodness no." Ey laughed. "Nice pens were well out of fashion when I uploaded. I remember reading up all about them, though, and so when I got here, I was finally able to indulge myself."
+"Oh, goodness no." Ey laughed. "Nice pens were well out of fashion when I uploaded. I remember reading all about them, though, and so when I got here, I was finally able to indulge myself."
 
-She nodded. "It really is delightful that all those things we dreamt about phys-side can just be had here, is it not? You may shed a bit of reputation hunting down something very obscure or gain some by making it yourself, *et voilà,* you have precisely the item of your dreams. Anyway, I am rambling. What would you like to talk about?"
+She nodded. "It really is wonderful that all those things we dreamt about phys-side can just be had here, is it not? You may shed a bit of reputation hunting down something very obscure or gain some by making it yourself, *et voilà,* you have precisely the item of your dreams. Anyway, I am rambling. What would you like to talk about?"
 
 Ey felt primed to look for deeper meanings, but was also aware of how prone ey was to ruminating and long silences, so ey simply made a mental note later to dig into that statement about phys- versus sys-side items.
 
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ Ey felt primed to look for deeper meanings, but was also aware of how prone ey w
 
 "Oh, I left an instance behind as well, which I am sure you have guessed. With all the work that we have done on the launch --- the Odists and other like-minded individuals --- it felt as though it would be a shame to not do so. I understand that you invested entirely here, but Ioan remained behind; I know that this is your interview, but I am also curious as to your reasons on that."
 
-Codrin hesitated, then shrugged. "It was Ioan's idea, actually. Ey suggested that ey remain behind so that, as the one compiling the information, ey didn't wind up adding eir own interpretations before sending the data back, given how far we've diverged."
+Codrin hesitated, then shrugged. "It was Ioan's idea, actually. Ey suggested that ey remain behind so that, as the one compiling the information, ey didn't wind up adding eir own interpretations before sending the data back, given how far we've diverged. It was Dear's idea, at first, to invest entirely. I'm happy with having done so."
 
 True Name nodded, smiling, and gestured for em to continue.
 
@@ -84,19 +84,19 @@ True Name nodded, smiling, and gestured for em to continue.
 
 "I very much consider it a success. Many sys-side were on board with it, and those who were not simply did not care. Those phys-side were quite eager to work with us with, only a very small minority who were not.
 
-"As for your second question, I think that that was largely due to this being the first time in nearly two centuries that our two groups have worked together on one goal in any meaningful way. Scientists sys-side consulted with those phys-side on the design of the launch struts and arms. Many sys-side focused on the providing a set of goals to be accomplished by the launch, and many phys-side focused on the design of the System replicas, solar sails, and the Dreamer Module."
+"As for your second question, I think that that was largely due to this being the first time in nearly two centuries that our two groups have worked together on one goal in any meaningful way. Scientists sys-side consulted with those phys-side on the design of the launch struts and arms. Many sys-side focused on providing a set of goals to be accomplished by the launch, and many phys-side focused on the design of the System replicas, solar sails, and the Dreamer Module."
 
 Codrin nodded as ey jotted down her answer. Ey considered asking her about the sys-side friction regarding the Dreamer Module that Brahe had mentioned, but decided to hold off on bringing up something that might prove contentious just yet.
 
 Instead, ey asked, "You mention that this is the first time in nearly two centuries that the two sides have worked together on something. Can you give me an over of the types of collaboration that you were a part of or witnessed during Launch?"
 
-She laughed easily. "Is it not strange how we are already speaking of it in a similar way to Secession? I can hear the capital-L in your voice when you speak and leave the definite article unspoken. But yes, I can tell you about that.
+She laughed easily. "Is it not strange how we are already speaking of it in a similar way to Secession? I can hear the capital-L in your voice when you speak and you leave the definite article unspoken. But yes, I can tell you about that.
 
-"You doubtless know that quite a few elements of the Ode clade worked on the launch project. My own up-tree instance, May Then My Name Die With Me, was the sys-side launch director. My role, however, was to act as the political liaison between the two entities. There were meetings to be had, tempers to be soothed, knotty problems of jurisdiction to be considered. Did you know that there were discussions as to whether the new LV systems would be considered as seceding from the L<sub>5</sub> System? It was all very thorny. We eventually decided that the LVs would be considered a joint project with fifty-percent responsibility of sys- and phys-side. I found it quite silly, but here we are."
+"You doubtless know that quite a few elements of the Ode clade worked on the launch project. My own up-tree instance, May Then My Name Die With Me, was the sys-side launch director. My role, however, was to act as the political liaison between the two entities. There were meetings to be had, tempers to be soothed, knotty problems of jurisdiction to be considered. Did you know that there were discussions as to whether the new LV systems would be considered as seceding from the L<sub>5</sub> System? It was all very thorny. We eventually decided that the LVs would be considered a joint project with fifty-percent responsibility of sys- and phys-side and their Systems independent colonies. I found it quite silly, but here we are."
 
 Ey chuckled at the suggestion. "I suppose it is a little silly, but then, much of the political side is over my head. Tangentially, and maybe this is a question better asked by Ioan and May Then My Name, I was informed that the launch director phys-side is actually a distant relative of Michelle Hadje's. You must have been aware of that, given your role, but I'm curious as to your thoughts on having him involved."
 
-"What a delightful bit of serendipity, a Hadje working on Launch just as one worked on Secession."
+"It was a nice bit of serendipity, a Hadje working on Launch just as one worked on Secession."
 
 "I have heard mixed responses on this from the clade, but do you consider yourself a Hadje still?"
 
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ She blinked, sat up straighter, and smiled wide. "Oh goodness, did you not know?
 
 Ey stopped writing in the middle of a sentence, startled. "Wait. You originated the idea?"
 
-"Yes. It was a communal effort from start to end, Codrin, you must understand. I think that many were considering very similar ideas, but I was the first to bring it to the attention to both entities out loud."
+"It was a communal effort from start to end, Codrin, you must understand. I think that many were considering very similar ideas, but I was the first to bring it to the attention to both entities out loud."
 
 Codrin, mastering eir surprise, finished writing eir note. "Well, I suppose I have you to thank for this project as well, then."
 
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ Her laugh was musical and genuine. "I am happy to hear that, Mx. Bălan."
 
 "I think that was all the questions that I had prepared," ey said. "Though I was wondering, my cocladist on Pollux mentioned that Michelle's last words were "Do something big, help us divest". Was that just something lost in translation?"
 
-True Name opened her paws in a gesture that was half shrug, half non-acknowledgement.
+True Name opened her paws in a gesture that was half shrug, half non-acknowledgement. "Which you decide to accept is up to you to incorporate in your work."
 
 Ey was still reeling from the revelation, not to mention the lingering admonition not to push any one Odist too much, so ey decided to leave it there. "It'll give me plenty to put into my report. Do you have anything you'd like to ask me?"