update from sparkleup

writing/post-self/neviim/interlude/000.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 There was some draw, some appeal to Dr. Ramirez for RJ. At first, ey suspected that it was the quiet intensity of her confidence, the way she moved through the world with a hunger for knowledge that was at all times colored by the light of the desire to do right by the world as a whole. Then, ey thought that it might simply be that she was a good person. She was the one who believed hard enough and strong enough to follow up on the lost. She was the one who had actually tried, had actually moved forward at a pace that meant progress on the case.
 
-Recently, ey had been thinking that it was something more abstract than that.
+Recently, ey had been thinking that it was something more abstract than that. Concrete? Abstract? The line had long since blurred to meaninglessness.
 
 Ey had been lost for something beyond an eternity, for 'eternity' implied the existence of time, or at least a form of time that actually meant something. Ey had been lost for a day longer than forever, and had ey been lost for only hours, as Sasha had, it would have been longer still. Even then, the word 'longer' held far too much savor. It burned in the sinuses and left eir eyes stinging with tears.
 
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ To their condolences, ey had simply raised eir cup of tea and nodded to them, sa
 
 Ey smiled, though ey could feel exhaustion tugging at eir cheeks. Ey had slept, ey knew, but did not remember when. "Oh, trust me, there is plenty more where that came from."
 
-"Where does it come from?" Carter asked.
+"Where *does* it come from?" Carter asked.
 
 "I am not sure." Ey sipped at eir tea, still too hot to drink comfortably. "Whatever wellspring that was unstoppered in...in there."
 
-"And that's stuck around?"
+"And it's stuck around?"
 
 Ey nodded.
 
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ More laughter, more companionship. More warmth, despite the cold.
 
 No, no, must not think such things. Ey had made eir decision, had ey not?
 
-At the door to the building where the three worked, they all exchanged hugs, another bright spark of warmth in the cold afternoon, enough to carry em back home. Empty home, where ey could listen to more jazz and the distinct lack of purring. Empty home where ey could stare at eir rig and dare emself to delve in, if only to see if Sasha was about after work.
+At the door to the building where the three worked, they all exchanged hugs, another bright spark of warmth in the cold afternoon, enough to carry em back home. Empty home, where ey could listen to more jazz and the distinct lack of purring. Empty home where ey could stare at eir rig and dare emself to delve in, if only to see if Sasha was about after work. Before work? What time was it for her? Math had left em; ey had only words.
 
 Perhaps sleep.
 
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ Ey made it about a block away before ey heard the sound of jogging behind em, an
 
 "Hey RJ, mind if I walk with you for a bit?"
 
-Ey frowned. "Sure. Why? Do you not have work?"
+"Sure." Ey frowned. "Why? Do you not have work?"
 
 He shrugged. "I do, but I'm getting sick of being cooped up. Begged an additional hour off to just get out for a bit."
 
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ A silence stretched for a few minutes before Prakash said, "Nice day, isn't it?"
 
 "No," ey said, laughing. "It is cold and gray. My cat is dead, my job is gone, and my two friends are someone I can only meet in a place I am terrified to go and a researcher of something that is no longer a problem." *Memory is a mirror of hammered silver,* the litany continued as always. Ey hoped silently. *A weapon against the waking world.* "Dreams are the plate-glass atop memory: a clarifying agent against the sun. Sorry."
 
-Prakash nodded, as though this was some sort of normal conversation. "You're okay, RJ. Are you doing alright for cash?"
+Prakash nodded, as though this was some sort of normal conversation. "You're okay, RJ. No luck on the job front? Are you doing alright for cash?"
 
 Ey rubbed away unwelcome tears and nodded. "Enough for another six months here, and then I need to either find a new job or move back to America. My parents have offered--"
 
@@ -108,11 +108,11 @@ RJ blinked, nonplussed.
 
 "Technology, however, brings with it a status of its own." Prakash smiled, neither pityingly nor happily. Dreamily. "So if, as you say, dreams are the plate-glass atop memory, and if, as you've said in the past, getting lost put you in a mirrored cage, then these are bits of information related to technology. If one could drop the cage metaphor and set up a mirrored world, well, that would be quite the status symbol."
 
-RJ stood a while in thought, searching Prakash's face until the man averted his eyes, even past then. "What would be required of me?"
+RJ stood a while in thought, searching Prakash's face until the man averted his eyes, even after. "What would be required of me?"
 
 "Nothing, for now. Just to stay in touch. Eventually, though, we'll get you somewhere we can dig into research and after that, you'll be one of the founders of something big. Really big."
 
-The words came in a torrent, then, and with such an intensity that ey had to clutch at Prakash's arm for support. "The flow of prophecy climbs up through the years, winter upon winter upon winter, and compels the future to do its bidding. The prophet is only a pipe that sounds when the past...shit. I am sorry. All of that to say 'yes', I am sorry."
+The words came in a torrent, then, and with such an intensity that ey staggered and had to clutch at Prakash's arm for support. "The flow of prophecy climbs up through the years, winter upon winter upon winter, and compels the future to do its bidding. The prophet is only a pipe that sounds when the past...shit. I am sorry. All of that to say 'yes', I am sorry."
 
 Once the shock of the onrush of words wore off, Prakash nodded, smiling cautiously. "It's okay, RJ. Like I said, nothing needs to be done right now. And I trust that you know not to mention this to anyone. Someone else will talk to Michelle about it. Talk to each of the lost, I mean. No need to bring it up with them. When things are lined up, we can go for another walk after coffee or something. Sound good?
 

writing/post-self/neviim/local/tycho/001.md

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ It took Tycho Brahe what felt like an age to remember Codrin Bălan, and then it
 
 There was some unknown urgency within him, and even though he supposed that there was no need to hurry, he nonetheless did not fork, deeming it not worth the time in his rush. Instead, he simply sent a message to the historian beginning with a jolt of adrenaline, and began talking.
 
-"Codrin, uh, Mx Bălan, I really, really need to talk with you. Like, right now. I need to talk with you right now. Can we meet? It's incredibly urgent, I'm sorry. I know it's late. Can we meet?"
+"Codrin, uh, Mx. Bălan, I really, really need to talk with you. Like, right now. I need to talk with you right now. Can we meet? It's incredibly urgent, I'm sorry. I know it's late. Can we meet?"
 
 As soon as he finished, he began pacing once more and waited for a response, doing his level best not to send another sensorium ping immediately to wake Codrin up, just in case.
 
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ Gears crunched to a halt in his mind, thoughts stalling and whatever words he ha
 
 "Yes. Why do you ask?"
 
-Tycho knit his brow. "Well, I mean, the histories..."
+Tycho knit his brow. "Well, I mean, the *History*..."
 
 "I know. Not all of them came out in the best light," ey said, smiling tiredly. "But it's a good one, I promise. Now, can you tell me what's happening?"
 
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ Tycho stared at the fox.
 
 It stepped forward, set the three mugs down on the table, each smelling of chamomile. *"You must forgive me for eavesdropping, but I did hear you mention the Dreamer Module. I can assure you that I share little in common with the elements of the clade that were against its inclusion. It is not something that I particularly care about, but it is, fine, I am sure."*
 
-"I can vouch for it," Codrin said, reaching for eir mug but simply holding it in eir hands rather than sipping. "If we absolutely must step outside, you understand that if it's my partner, I'll likely tell it about our conversation anyway, right?"
+"I can vouch for it," Codrin said, reaching for eir mug but simply holding it in eir hands rather than sipping. "If we absolutely must step outside, you understand that, as it's my partner, I'll likely tell it about our conversation anyway, right?"
 
 After a pause, Tycho's shoulders slumped as he let out the pent up tension within them. "Alright, alright. Besides, it doesn't sound like there's much use in trying to hide anything from them."