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writing/post-self/marsh/004.md
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@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ I woke, exhausted, to a cup of coffee steaming on the bedside table.
At some point while I'd slept, Hanne had once more split the bed into two separate mattresses and very gently instructed the sim to slide them a few feet away from each other. Perhaps I'd been tossing and turning, or maybe I'd been snoring. I promised myself I'd ask later, then promptly forgot about it in favor of the coffee mug waiting for me.
Coffee and chicory, nearly a third milk by volume. Perfect.
Coffee and chicory, nearly a third oatmilk by volume. Perfect.
I was two sips in when the weight of what happened hit me once again. I didn't quite know how it was that they had escaped me in those minutes after waking, but a pile of 'how could' questions started to hem me in again — how could I possibly forget, when this is the biggest thing that has happened to our clade ever? Never mind sys-side or phys-side; ever.
@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ I forced myself to sit up in bed and drink my coffee. I set myself the goal of s
Five minutes. Hah.
I couldn't quite interact face-to-face yet. Not with Hanne, not with the occasional bout of sniffles still striking me. Instead, I sent the gentlest ping I could manage to Vos, receive no answer.
I couldn't quite interact face-to-face yet. Not with Hanne, not with the occasional bout of sniffles still striking me. Instead, I sent the gentlest ping I could manage to Vos, received no answer.
I tried various members of the clade next. Lily flatly rebuffed me. There weren't any words, just a prickly sensation of solitude and the physical signs of anger. Rush didn't respond, but ve always did sleep better than all of us. Sedge begged another hour's rest, and I acquiesced. Tule and Cress were both asleep.
@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ There was mirth on the other end, some barely-sensed laughter that didn't quite
The Odists were an old clade — far older than any of us, having been born decades before the advent of the System — so it was no wonder that Dry Grass was far more adept at sensorium messages than anyone else I'd met. It wasn't that I saw her lean back in her chair, nor that I felt the act of leaning back myself, but the overwhelming sensation that I got from that moment of silence was of her sighing, leaning back, crossing her arms over her front. I had no clue how she managed to pull that off. *"There is little that I can say to fix any one of those, and anything else would ring hollow. All I can do is validate that, damn, Reed, that is a shitload of emotions. There is a lot going on, and I do not blame you for feeling confused."*
*Thanks,* I responded, feeling no small amount of relief that she hadn't tried to dig into any one of those feelings, nor even all of them as a whole. *"How are Tule and Cress holding up? Hell, how're you holding up?"*
*"Thanks,"* I responded, feeling no small amount of relief that she hadn't tried to dig into any one of those feelings, nor even all of them as a whole. *"How are Tule and Cress holding up? Hell, how're you holding up?"*
*"They are asleep,"* she sent. I could hear the fondness in her voice. *"One of me is keeping an eye on them, pretending to sleep."*
@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ I snorted. *"Minus you, I guess."*
*"Any news from Castor or Pollux?"*
*"Yes,"* she replied, hesitated before continuing, *"Though would you be willing to go for a walk to discuss what I have heard?"*
*"Yes,"* she replied, then hesitated. *"Though would you be willing to go for a walk to discuss what I have heard?"*
*"I guess. Why?"*
@ -64,11 +64,11 @@ I hesitated, halfway through smoothing out the sheets. *"Oh, uh...alright. Let m
She sent the address of a public sim, to which I sent a ping of acknowledgement and a suggestion of five minutes' time.
Hanne sat at the dining room table, coffee in her hands, staring out at nothing, a sure sign that she was digging through something on the perisystem architecture. Probably poking her way through the feeds, looking for news of her own. She had her own friends, after all, her own circle of co-hobbyists, those who shared her interest in creating various objects and constructs. She had her own people to care about that weren't just me, weren't just the Marshans.
Hanne sat at the dining room table, coffee in her hands, staring out at nothing, a sure sign that she was digging through something on the perisystem architecture. Probably poking her way through the feeds, looking for news. She had her own friends, after all, her own circle of co-hobbyists, those oneirotects who shared her interest in creating various objects and constructs. She had her own people to care about that weren't just me, weren't just the Marshans.
I chose instead to make myself another coffee, letting a cone of silence linger above me so that I didn't disturb her, even though her eyes did flick up toward me once or twice, joined by a weak smile.
I chose to make myself another coffee instead, letting a cone of silence linger above me so that I didn't disturb her, even though her eyes did flick up toward me once or twice, joined by a weak smile.
"Want some space?" I asked once a new pot of coffee sits in the center of the table.
"Want some space?" I asked once a new pot of coffee sat in the center of the table.
"Kind of, yeah," she said, voice dull. "Jess isn't responding. She's *there,* but not responding. Shu is gone though. Just..." A sniffle. "Completely gone. It's like she was never even there in the first place."
@ -158,9 +158,9 @@ A snort of laughter and she nodded. "Sneaky is one way to put it, yes. They shap
Wary of letting the topic drift too far, I said, "Have they gotten anything else from phys-side, then?"
She shrugged. "There has been little enough interaction with sys-side over the years, and even less of late, now that the climate has started to level out back on Earth. The rate of uploads has even leveled off from its slow increase over time. We rarely hear much except that it come through the newly uploaded." She sipped her mocha, seeming to take that time to sort out her thoughts. "Our political relationship with phys-side is cordial. It is one borne of necessity. Our social relationship is more complicated. Many have expectations of a long peace for themselves once they join us, and many more have loved ones who have joined us."
She shrugged. "There has been little enough interaction with sys-side over the years, and even less of late, now that the climate has started to level out back on Earth. The rate of uploads has even leveled off from its slow increase over time. We rarely hear much except what comes through the newly uploaded." She sipped her mocha, seeming to take that time to sort out her thoughts. "Our political relationship with phys-side is cordial. It is one borne of necessity. Our social relationship is more complicated. Many have expectations of a long peace for themselves once they join us, and many more have loved ones who have joined us."
"Right, I still talk to a bunch of friends I knew phys-side who joined later. Or Marsh does." I winced, amending that statement. "Did."
"Right, I still talk to a bunch of friends I knew phys-side who uploaded later. Or Marsh does." I winced, amending that statement. "Did."
Dry Grass rested a hand lightly on my arm. "I am sorry, Reed."
@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ We stood in silence, then, saying nothing and letting the sun warm the backs of
"Why do you think they're out?" I asked, nodding towards one such cone.
Dry Grass clutched her coffee to her chest, both hands wrapped around it as though to draw warmth through the paper cup. "Why are *we* out, Reed?"
Dry Grass clutched her coffee to her chest, both hands wrapped around it to draw warmth through the paper cup. "Why are *we* out, Reed?"
I blinked, then shrugged. "You asked to meet up in person, didn't you?"
@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ She nodded.
"Good coffee," she said, lifting her cup. "Good weather. Good memories. Some of them really good. This place is comforting to me. It is comforting to a good many people. I suspect that those who are out are doing much as we are. They are talking about the difficult things in a place that at least makes them feel a little better."
"I suppose it is nicer than moping at home."
"I suppose it's nicer than moping at home."
"It is, is it not?"
@ -216,11 +216,11 @@ A moment of silence followed.
"Have you lost any?" Cress asked, and I thanked it silently for getting to the question before I worked up the courage to do so myself.
Hesitating, Dry Grass's confident mien fell. Eventually, she reached out to take each of her partners by the hand, then nodded to me. "Come. Let us walk, yes? We will talk as we hop sims. I have more places full of comforting memories to show you."
Hesitating, Dry Grass's confident mien fell. Eventually, she reached out to take each of her partners' hands in one of her own, then offered the other to me. "Come. Let us walk, yes? We will talk as we hop sims. I have more places full of comforting memories to show you."
While I mulled over her focus on comfort and memory, we linked up hands, Tule and Cress with their partner, and me with Cress, Rush, and Sedge.
While I mulled over her focus on comfort and memory, we linked by touch, Tule and Cress with their partner, and Cress, Rush, and Sedge with me.
We stepped from the quaint small town sim and directly into warmth and sunlight, into the salt-tang of sea air and the low rush of waves against a beach. We stood atop a stone walkway of sorts, which seemed to run along the edge of a town. On further inspection, it appeared to be a retaining wall of a sort, holding up the town that meandered up a hill to keep it from sliding inexorably down into a bay.
We stepped from the quaint, small town sim and directly into warmth and sunlight, into the salt-tang of sea air and the low rush of waves against a beach. We stood atop a stone walkway of sorts, which seemed to run along the edge of a town. On further inspection, it appeared to be a retaining wall of a sort, holding up the town that meandered up a hill to keep it from sliding inexorably down into a bay.
Between the wall and the water was a sandy beach, partially obscured by intricate and crazed markings in the sand. It took some time of peering at them for me to make out just what they were: it seemed as though, throughout the tail end of New Year's Eve, dozens or hundreds of people had been drawing in the sand using, I assumed, the sticks that were leaned against the wall.
@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ I turned away with a hollow feeling in my chest, wondering just how many of thos
The town, while no less visually chaotic than the beach, was at least more heartening to look at. Everything --- *everything*; the walls of buildings, the roofs, doors and window shutters, even the roads --- was covered with a blindingly colorful mosaic of tiles.
"It is nearly two centuries old," Dry Grass explained as we started trudging up one of those streets. When you enter, you are given a single tile --- if you check your pockets, it should be in there."
"*To Limáni Ton Khromáton* is nearly two centuries old," Dry Grass explained as we started trudging up one of those streets. When you enter, you are given a single tile --- if you check your pockets, it should be in there."
Sure enough, when I dug my hand into my pocket, I found a cerulean tile, a little square of porcelain about three centimeters on a side. The rest of the Marshans dug in their pockets and pulled out tiles of their own, all one shade or another of blue.
@ -264,11 +264,11 @@ She laughed. "Yes, yes. The whole of the clade is like this, I can promise you t
"Are you ready to talk about what you've learned?" I asked. "If you need a bit more time, that's fine, of course."
"I am ready. Thank you for giving me a bit of space." Once Cress had finished setting its tile and hopped back down to the ground, we all walked back out into the street, back out where the sun shone down on us. "We have passed one billion reported missing instances." She held her hand up to forestall the comments that were already coming. "That is instances, to be clear, not individuals, and certainly not clades. Many of those who are reported missing were ephemeral; they are one-offs created here and there. The number is high, but I did want to provide that caveat."
"I am ready. Thank you for giving me a bit of space." Once Cress had finished setting its tile and hopped back down to the ground, we all walked back out into the street, back out where the sun shone down on us. "We have passed one billion reported missing instances." She held her hand up to forestall the comments that were already coming. "That is all instances, to be clear, not differentiated individuals, not cladists, and certainly not clades. Many of those who have reported missing were ephemeral: they are one-offs created here and there. We do not yet know about cladists or clades. The number is high, but I did want to provide that qualification."
"Hanne said that one of her friends, Shu, was missing entirely," I said, once the words had sunk in. "Similar to Marsh, I mean. It wasn't just that she wasn't responding, it's like she was just never there, like the System didn't know about her."
"I have not come across that name off the top of my head, but one of my instances will do a search to confirm and get in touch with Hanne directly, if she would like."
"Too many names have passed beneath my fingers for me to say one way or another if I have come across her, but one of my instances will do a search to confirm and get in touch with Hanne directly, if she would like."
I shrugged. "It might be worth asking, at least."
@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ I startled back to awareness, smiling sheepishly at Sedge, accepting the hand th
"It is okay," Dry Grass said, smiling gently to me. "The next sim that we are headed to does not have a very large entry point, so please huddle in closer. It will also be quite warm, so, fair warning."
The entry point --- a platform of wood slats set upon stilts above stagnant water --- was far smaller than I had anticipated, and my foot rocked against an uneven plank set along the rim of the platform, forcing me to lean against Sedge. One edge of the platform led into a narrow, somewhat rickety wooden walkway that headed out over the water in a straight line until it came upon a patch of grass, where it turned a few degrees to the right to make its way to another patch of grass. It appeared to meander in this way from island of grass to island of grass in an uneven zigzag toward a copse of trees --- the word 'banyan' floated to mind, though I wasn't sure if that was actually the case --- where it disappeared into shadow.
The entry point --- a platform of wood slats set upon stilts above stagnant water --- was far smaller than I had anticipated, and my foot rocked against an uneven plank set along the rim of the platform, forcing me to lean against Sedge. One edge of the platform led into a narrow, somewhat rickety wooden walkway that headed out over the water in a straight line until it came upon a tall patch of grass, where it turned a few degrees to the right to make its way to another. It appeared to meander in this way from island of vegetation to island of vegetation in an uneven zigzag toward a copse of trees --- the word 'banyan' floated to mind, though I wasn't sure if that was actually the case --- where it disappeared into shadow.
That shade looked delightfully appealing as the humid heat pressed in around us.
@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ That shade looked delightfully appealing as the humid heat pressed in around us.
If it had been intended to be a joke, it fell flat. We remained in silence for a few awkward moments.
She sighed. "My apologies. It is still important to me, however. It is-- Ah, there she is." She raised an arm and waved to a figure crouched at the edge of the platform just before the patch of grass. With the heat-haze and mugginess, their form was somewhat indistinct. They wore a frowzy white dress, along with some sort of hat --- or perhaps a rather tall hairstyle. As we walked toward them in single file, she explained, "This sim was designed by Serene; Sustained And Sustaining, whom you shall meet in a moment. She is my cocladist from the ninth stanza, and one of my favorite people in the world. I asked her to meet us here."
She sighed. "My apologies. It is still important to me, however. It is-- Ah, there she is." She raised an arm and waved to a figure crouched at the edge of the walkway just before the next platform. With the heat-haze and mugginess, their form was somewhat indistinct. They wore a frowzy white dress, along with some sort of hat --- or perhaps a rather tall hairstyle. As we walked toward them in single file, she explained, "This sim was designed by Serene; Sustained And Sustaining, whom you shall meet in a moment. She is my cocladist from the ninth stanza, and one of my favorite people in the world. I asked her to meet us here."
As we got closer, the strange hairstyle that I had noticed on the figure resolved into a pair of tall canine ears, and what I had assumed was a mask of some sort turned out to be a short, pointed muzzle. Serene stood up and stretched, smiling wanly to us before bowing in greeting.
@ -304,13 +304,13 @@ As we got closer, the strange hairstyle that I had noticed on the figure resolve
The fox --- a hunch confirmed by a quick check of the perisystem --- nodded. "Of the Marsh clade? How droll," she said, that smile veering perilously close to a smirk. "Welcome to my own little marsh."
"What *is* this place?" Rush asked, a note of wonder in ver voice. "Other than a swamp, I mean."
"What *is* this place?" Rush asked, a note of wonder in vis voice. "Other than a swamp, I mean."
"It is mostly just a swamp," the other Odist said. "But it is one of my favorites. I make a lot of sims, you must understand, but this is one of the least popular that I have made to date, and for that I love it all the more. There, see?" She pointed to a patch of coarse grass at the edge of the 'island'. "Rushes!"
At this we all *did* laugh.
At this, we all *did* laugh.
"I have asked to meet with her to ensure that we could get a view of what is going on from someone else because this is getting a bit out of hand for even me."
"I have asked to meet with her and several others to ensure that we could get a view of what is going on from someone else, because this is getting a bit out of hand for even me."
Serene nodded and started strolling down the path toward the next patch of grass, claws clicking dully against the wood. We fell in step behind her as she asked, "And what was it that you wanted to hear from me, my dear?"
@ -320,11 +320,11 @@ The fox --- a fennec, the System told me --- nodded slowly. "I am seeing quiet c
"The ones that are not empty, however, remain dreadfully quiet. Most of those who are out and about have set up over themselves cones of silence." She hesitated, took a deep breath, and then continued. "Those who have not, though, are decidedly not quiet. More than one silence has been broken by weeping and wailing."
I nodded. There were a few sniffles passing through the Marshans as the reality of what had happened once more struck us.
I nodded. A few sniffles passed through the Marshans as the reality of what had happened once more struck us.
"I have also checked in with several of my students. Very few have been totally unaffected by this sudden loss, and more than one has disappeared from the System completely"
"More than one?" Sedge <!-- or whoever is most interested in society --> asked. "I suppose at least someone is bound to be unlucky enough to have been completely disappeared."
"More than one?" Sedge asked. "I suppose at least someone is bound to be unlucky enough to have been completely disappeared."
Serene nodded. "I have had many, many students, you must understand. It would not be surprising to me that at least one of them was that unlucky soul. However, I have come across three such cases so far."
@ -332,11 +332,11 @@ Serene nodded. "I have had many, many students, you must understand. It would no
"Hundreds. However, I am still not done checking yet."
We walked in silence, then, digesting this, passing through the patch of grass and turned left at nearly a right angle to head to the next. One more until we hit the patch of shade.
We walked in silence, then, digesting this, passing through the island of grass and turning left at nearly a right angle to head to the next. One more until we hit the patch of shade.
"Did you lose any instances?" I asked.
She nodded. "One, yes. She was working on a sim of her own, a wild park of sorts. She had not yet merged down, however, and her progress has since been lost. The sim remains incomplete. Posts of gray sprout from the forest floor where the trees were intended to appear, but I do not yet know what trees she intended to place. There is no leaf litter to indicate what she was planning, nor is there yet a sun in the sky to indicated latitude." The fox turned her head to smile back to us, expression once more wan. "I am thinking that I will turn it into a memorial of sorts."
She nodded. "One, yes. She was working on a sim of her own, a wild park of sorts. She had not yet merged down, however, and her progress has since been lost. The sim remains incomplete. Posts of gray sprout from the forest floor where the trees were intended to appear, but I do not yet know what trees she intended to place. There is no leaf litter to indicate what she was planning, nor is there yet a sun in the sky to indicate latitude." The fox turned her head to smile back to us, expression once more wan. "I am thinking that I will turn it into a memorial of sorts."
Rush said, "I'd love to see it some day."
@ -346,11 +346,11 @@ She simply nodded.
"And you said there hasn't been any word from phys-side except through Günay?" I asked.
She shook her head. "Not really, but that is not to say that some sense of the sentiment is not evident. She sounded excited."
She shook her head. "Not really, but that is not to say that a sense of that sentiment is not evident. She sounded excited."
Sedge snorted. "Excited?"
"Yes. You must understand, though, that more than a year has passed for them, as well, and this is perhaps the first that they have heard from us since then."
"Yes. You must understand, though, that more than a year has passed for them, as well, and this is perhaps the first that they have heard from us since then. I do not know."
"Oh, so excited that whatever they did worked?"
@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ The fox gestured out toward the copse of trees before us. "Before we can ask wha
I glanced to Dry Grass, who gave a wry smile and half shrug.
"I am perhaps a little off-kilter," Serene admitted, smirking back to us over her shoulder. "But what I mean to say is that by figuring out the state of the world, we will be able able to better ask how it got to be that way. That is the current objective. We are in the information-gathering stage of addressing this particular problem."
"I am perhaps a little off-kilter," Serene admitted, smirking back to us over her shoulder. "But what I mean to say is that by figuring out the state of the world, we will be able to better ask how it got to be that way. That is the current objective. We are in the information-gathering stage of addressing this particular problem."
*"Good thing Lily isn't here,"* Cress sent over a sensorium message. *"She'd lose her fucking mind."*
@ -386,15 +386,15 @@ The next platform was at the base of one of those thick tree trunks, a few of th
Serene crossed her arms over her chest and slouched back against one of the Banyan tree's roots. "How did you manage *that,* my dear?"
"I yelled at In Dreams until she agreed, then convinced her to yell at Hammered Silver until *she* agreed," she said, smirking. "I do not think that either of them will be there themselves, but I will, and I am hoping that In All Ways will be there in In Dreams's stead. You are welcome to join, of course, though I have already heard from Praiseworthy."
"I yelled at Hammered Silver until she agreed, then convinced her to yell at In Dreams until *she* agreed," she said, smirking. "I do not think that either of them will be there themselves, but I will, and I am hoping that In All Ways will be there in In Dreams's stead, as perhaps there has been news from new uploads. You are welcome to join, of course, though I have already heard from Praiseworthy."
A second instance of the fennec blipped into being beside the first on the already crowded platform. "I will go," she said, taking one of her cocladist's hands in her paw. "Now?"
Dry Grass nodded and once more took Tule's hand in her own. Once we had all linked hands we stepped away, out of the heat and humidity. The last thing I saw was the remaining instance of Serene crouching down on the edge of the platform once more, poking a claw sullenly into the water.
Dry Grass nodded and once more took Tule's hand in her own. Once we had all linked hands we stepped away, out of the heat and humidity. The last thing I saw was the remaining instance of Serene crouching down on the edge of the platform, once more poking a claw sullenly into the water.
While this new sim felt far brighter than the sunnier portions of the last, the air was also far cooler and far drier. It still had a feeling of morning to it, as though the day itself had yet to wake up completely.
While this new sim felt far brighter than the sunnier portions of the last, the air was also far cooler and far drier. It still had a feeling of morning to it, as though the day itself had yet to wake up completely. A check of the time showed that it was not yet 7, a fact obscured by the noonday sun of the previous sim.
The sun shone from on high in a cloudless blue sky, lighting a rolling field of grass. 'Lawn' may have been a more apt word, as the grass itself seemed to have been cut at some point; it was cool and prickly, all of uniform height and color. All, that is, except for the fact that it was dotted liberally with golden yellow flowers, each perfectly round as it stood shyly above a spray of wide-toothed leaves.
The sun shone low in a cloudless blue sky, lighting a rolling field of grass with the dawn. 'Lawn' may have been a more apt word, as the grass itself seemed to have been cut at some point: it was cool and prickly, all of uniform height and color. All, that is, except for the fact that it was dotted liberally with golden yellow flowers, each perfectly round as it stood shyly above a spray of wide-toothed leaves.
The air was thick with a sweet scent, and the sound of bees making their way from flower to flower hung just below the level of perception unless we all stayed completely silent.
@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ They seemed to come in two general categories. There were those who looked large
The other category seemed to be made mostly of furries of some sort. These, at least, I knew to be skunks. The stories surrounding them, the very same that had driven Lily away, were numerous and dramatic, so I was surprised to see just how...well, normal they looked. A Finger Pointing arrived holding the paw of a skunk, introduced as Beholden To The Heat Of The Lamps, shaped almost exactly like Dry Grass.
Beneath Your Tongue also appeared hand-in-paw with a skunk, Which Offers Heat And Warmth In Fire. Heat And Warmth was much slimmer, however, almost wiry. She launched emself immediately at Serene and wrapped its arms around her before catching my eye. "Reed, yes? Hanne said you would be here."
Hold My Name also appeared hand-in-paw with a skunk, Which Offers Heat And Warmth In Fire. Warmth In Fire was much slimmer, however, almost wiry, and far shorter. They launched emself immediately at Serene and wrapped its arms around her before catching my eye. "Reed, yes? Hanne said you would be here."
I nodded and started to reply before cutting myself off as a few more Odists showed up in quick succession. Another skunk, looking far more prim and proper than the others, arrived and shot Dry Grass a quick glance. I couldn't quite read her expression, but she certainly didn't look happy. If she was Then I Must In All Ways Be Earnest, it perhaps made sense, as the next Odist to arrive was a human introduced as The Only Time I Dream Is When I Need An Answer.

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writing/post-self/marsh/index.md
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@ -23,10 +23,10 @@ Subplot: Reed and Dry Grass get together. Fuck it. Their hold over me is too str
NB: It's frankly astonishing how few cats there are in this story. Fix that.
* [o] [Intro](001) --- The evening with Hanne and Reed --- 1241
* [O] [Intro](001) --- The evening with Hanne and Reed --- 1241
* [o] Part 1 --- Marsh has gone missing and the date has jumped forward --- whaaaa --- exploring the new System, what it looks like, contact from the LVs
* [o] [002](002) --- Reed tries to merge down, but then it all kicks off --- 6269
* [o] [003](003) --- Dealing with the emotional fallout of Marsh being gone, starting later that night when Reed catches up with Vos, deals with his own grief --- 1771
* [O] [002](002) --- Reed tries to merge down, but then it all kicks off --- 6269
* [O] [003](003) --- Dealing with the emotional fallout of Marsh being gone, starting later that night when Reed catches up with Vos, deals with his own grief --- 1771
* [o] [004](004) --- Meeting up with other Marshans (minus Lily, plus Dry Grass) to talk through results, walking sims and seeing how others are reacting, meeting with Odists to estimate percentages, catching Lily up --- 10190
* [o] [005](005) --- INTERLUDE: The perisystem feeds: tallying up the missing, building up percentage of lost personalities, the Marshans and Dry Grass wind up leading an effort --- 1975
* [o] [006](006) --- Dinner with Reed, Hanne, friends (Warmth, My, Jess, Dry Grass), the Marshans, Lily sort of reconciles with Dry Grass, conversation 1 about what it means to be a clade without a root instance. --- 4379