diff --git a/writing/post-self/neviim/ioan/011.md b/writing/post-self/neviim/ioan/011.md index b8ed936f..84d46064 100644 --- a/writing/post-self/neviim/ioan/011.md +++ b/writing/post-self/neviim/ioan/011.md @@ -35,11 +35,11 @@ I don't know how much of Codrin#Castor and my messages between each other that y Dear#Castor sounds so much more conservative --- in its approach to life, of course, rather than that of the division of the Odists --- than what I've grown used to. The prairie remains the same. The house remains the same. Codrin#Castor's struggles with agency and directedness in life feel as unfamiliar to me as you have mentioned. You have taken control of your life as I have taken control of my own, each in our own way. To put this on the Odists feels at once unfair, unfortunate, and totally accurate. May Then My Name has changed you in so many irreversible ways, just as Dear changed me so many years ago. Changed you, too, for when we merged and then diverged, you were no longer the same Ioan that remained behind. You were the type of Ioan who could fall in love with May Then My Name in the first place. -So when Dear gave up the prairie and dragged Serene over to build out our little world into something grander, a place more well-rounded than just flat plains, we were both ready because, hey, this was Dear, right? So we built out our world. And then that spur-of-the-moment shift redirected our lives in unforeseen ways. With the acceptance of variety, Serene moved in to continue her work, and then her elliptical orbit passed through our lives for a while before she drifted away again. +So when Dear gave up the prairie and dragged Serene over to build out our little world into something grander, a place more well-rounded than just flat plains, we were both ready because, hey, this was Dear, right? So we built out our little world of plains and hills, forests and lakes. And then that spur-of-the-moment shift redirected our lives in unforeseen ways. With the acceptance of variety, Serene moved in to continue her work, and then her elliptical orbit passed through our lives for a while before she drifted away again. Despite lingering taboo, I am not ashamed of having wound up, for that one short year, in a relationship with two members of the same clade. None of us are. Not even Dear and Serene, they promise us. It's not shame that keeps me from telling those on Castor about this. It is the completely alien nature that those who feel as though they ought to *be* us interact with the world that leads to such. I do not feel as though I am able to tell Codrin#Castor about what happened because to do so feels like explaining the alien to someone who really, truly, in all ways ought to know. Ey ought to be able to feel the same things that I feel, correct? Ey ought to also love Serene, oughtn't ey? Ey must, for ey is me, is ey not? -And yet ey is not. I cannot bring up our relationship with Serene because Codrin#Castor --- that is, specifically me#Castor --- does not have the same thoughts around intraclade romantic relationships that I do, and by virtue of the direction that the Odists steered us (or, as feels more accurate, crashed with us headlong and heedless) into this future, we are now completely different in that way. +And yet ey is not. I cannot bring up our relationship with Serene because Codrin#Castor --- that is, specifically *me*#Castor --- does not have the same thoughts around intraclade romantic relationships that I do, and by virtue of the direction that the Odists steered us (or, as feels more accurate, crashed with us headlong and heedless) into this future, we are now completely different in that way. The Dear that I live with has, in comparison to Dear#Castor, relaxed and moved on to an approach to life that is far more laid back. As a result, we *all* have, me included. @@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ I'm curious about how things are working out over there with True Name and the l Hell, on that note, how is the sentiment overall? There's been a lot of chatter, and, on the night of the announcement, we had to cancel a performance due to how excited everyone was. A Finger Pointing was quick to capitalize this, and went on a tear of digging up every single production that she could find about aliens to start scheduling. When she found a relative paucity of such, she started digging into sci-fi, including going all the way back to R.U.R. I have, surprising no one, been contracted to write one for the occasion, and I've been doing so with what information that I have. -As to other Odists, we are in regular communication with A Finger Pointing and several from her stanza as a matter of course, and we've also been keeping up with End Waking, who I know you have not met, but who I promise is a delight to be around in his own coarse, woodsy way. +(Also, to your question: yes, End Waking and Debarre have settled back into dating. I do wish you'd gotten a chance to meet End Waking. He is a delight to be around in his own coarse, woodsy way.) At time of writing, there is only a small amount of news. The talks will have started by now, but the last bit of clade news that we received from Castor was more about mechanics. They have decided to ensure that there is no radio communication between the DMZ and Artemis just for safety's sake, so all communication between those tagged #Castor and those tagged #Artemis is done through an instance Codrin has tagged #Assist. #Assist will transit the border between LV and DMZ and exchange notes with #Artemis then send them to Artemis itself via radio. It all sounds very convoluted, but I'm sure they have their good reasons for it. @@ -111,7 +111,9 @@ While I'm sure that another Odist has already passed on this information, you sh May and Bathe In Dreams were there at the end, and this has led to an increased sense of urgency when it comes to the clade approaching their affliction. To that end, May and Bathe In Dreams are getting in touch with a psychologist recommended from folks on Castor (the Sarah Genet mentioned in the messages I've been forwarding) to discuss paths forward. -These events took place during May's aforementioned difficult spell, which led to it being prolonged to nearly a week. She has made it through, and my nose remains intact despite getting tackled, as usual. She has recovered well despite some lingering depression, but this, in combination with some of the news from Castor which you also will have received before this, has me more worried for her than usual. She may be a little terror, but she is my little terror. +These events took place during May's aforementioned overflowing, which led to it being prolonged to nearly a week. She has made it through, and my nose remains intact despite getting tackled, as usual. She has recovered well despite some lingering depression, but this, in combination with some of the news from Castor which you also will have received before this, has me more worried for her than usual. She may be a little terror, but she is my little terror. + +All of them seem to be dealing with this in their own way. May and Dear overflow in their own ways, End Waking's desire for solitude will override his relationship with Debarre, and now this over on the Death Itself stanza. Can you do me a favor when you get a chance, and let me know how True Name#Pollux is doing in this respect in particular? Doesn't need to be anything too in-depth, but, well, she is a part of this as always, and clearly there is something going on with her here.