update from sparkleup

writing/post-self/neviim/ioan/011.md

@@ -32,17 +32,17 @@ The following is in strict confidence with you and you alone, Ioan. I've receive
 
 I don't know how much of Codrin#Castor and my messages between each other that you've read, or if that would even have helped, but watching the slow individuation of a loved one is an experience unique even from watching oneself individuate. The Dear I am in love with feels much like the Dear I fell in love with decades ago, and yet slowly the Dear on Castor begins to feel like a stranger to me.
 
-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.
+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.
 
-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, it promises. 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?
+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 headlong and heedless) 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.
 
-Also, as an internal postscript, I should note that we are all still deeply in love with Serene, and she with us, so please do not misconstrue the past tense above, but good Lord. Two foxes in the same house? Never again.
+Also, as an internal postscript, I should note that the three of us are all still deeply in love with Serene, and she with us, so please do not misconstrue the past tense above, but good Lord. Two foxes in the same house? Never again.
 
 This is the end of the private content of the letter. Please redact this in its entirety should you pass my thoughts on to Castor.
 
@@ -70,11 +70,11 @@ Wonderful as always to hear from you. This will, of course, reach you long after
 
 I'm curious about how things are working out over there with True Name and the leadership. We haven't heard anything yet from Castor about how she's doing over there, but it's always good to get a fuller picture of how things are going when they are, yet again, involved in something enormous.
 
-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, of course, been contracted to write one for the occasion, and I've been doing so with what information that I can.
+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. I'll get Carolyn to send you a letter, too. I've certainly talked you up enough to her.
+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.
 
-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 #Artemis and those tagged #Emissary 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.
+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.
 
 I'll pass on the snippets of secondrace language that I've received so far. Codrin promises that the grammar and dictionary will be forthcoming, but says that True Name has suggested that any large messages from Artemis be sent after a thorough evaluation. I can't tell if that means an evaluation of their contents or an evaluation of the Artemisians' intent.
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ It was interesting hearing the story of your triad (is it still a triad? I was u
 
 I found the whole story as she told it to be terribly fascinating. There was a brief twinge of surprise at the idea of an intraclade relationship, but it was not the first that I've heard of since Launch. They're hardly common back here, but neither are they unheard of as individuation increases and taboos lessen. Still, this is the closest that we've been to one. No friends, even, just right into our own clades.
 
-It sparked a long, drawn out discussion between May, Douglas and I, actually. Less, I think, because there was any chance of that between the three of us than because Douglas is hungry for essentially every bit of information about the clade that he can get his hands on --- though, May being May, she would leap at the chance to get closer to Douglas, but the most he is comfortable with from anyone is friendship and physical affection (he will pet May for hours if she'll let him, and she always does).
+It sparked a long, drawn out discussion between May, Douglas and I, actually. Less, I think, because there was any chance of that between the three of us than because Douglas is hungry for essentially every bit of information about the clade that he can get his hands on --- though, May being May, she would leap at the chance to get closer to him, but the most he is comfortable with from anyone is friendship and physical affection (he will pet May for hours if she'll let him --- and she always does).
 
 On my end, I was mostly interested in May's thoughts on the matter as, except for a drunken (very drunken) night with A Finger Pointing, the two of us together have at most friendly relationships with any other Odist. We've not talked about that night with anyone else, either, and hardly even with each other. When I brought it up, both May and A Finger Pointing laughed at me and told me to "get the fuck over it" because apparently that's just how theatre nerds are.
 
@@ -100,9 +100,9 @@ That digression aside, I take well your meaning about the divergence of Castor a
 
 I don't know how Dear would take a nudge from you, and it certainly isn't my place, but I do plan on helping Codrin over there however I can. I've been discussing this with May as well, and we are brainstorming suggestions for new paths for em. I don't think that ey could manage hopping right into life in academia as you have, both because of the differences in the university between the two LVs as well as the differences in your histories over the last few decades.
 
-I also want to discuss this with May as well, though I will await your permission. I do not think that she is at as much risk of conservatism as it sounds like Dear#Castor is, but there have been several conversation between us now regarding the directions that the clade that I'll speak to in normal clade-eyes-only.
+I also want to discuss this with May as well, though I will await your permission. I do not think that she is at as much risk of conservatism as it sounds like Dear#Castor is, but there have been several conversation between us now regarding the directions that the clade that I'll speak to in normal clade-eyes-only, as I plan on sharing these messages with #Castor.
 
-Ah well, I'll keep you up to date either way.
+I'll keep you up to date either way.
 
 **END CODRIN BĂLAN#POLLUX INDIVIDUAL-EYES-ONLY MATERIAL**
 
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ 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, 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 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.
 
 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.
 

writing/post-self/neviim/remote/tycho/003.md

@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-# Tycho Brahe#Emissary --- 2346
+# Tycho Brahe#Artemis --- 2346
+
+    Convergence T-0 days, 0 hours, 38 minutes
 
 Over the last hour of common time, what tension was bound within True Name seemed to have been refocused from struggling quite so hard to maintain herself into being present and taking part. This meant that, while she was more susceptible to waves of shifting form and the occasional gasp or shudder, she grew far more intent on the task at hand, of learning from the discussions with the Artemisians.
 
-Tycho found the ways in which her face would ghost first one way then the other fascinating and unnerving, but also the steadfastness with which she moved in the context of the meeting in spite of that admirable.
-
-While the talks had continued apace, with frequent breaks on the part of the Odists, there felt like more forward momentum thanks to this sacrifice.
+Tycho found the ways in which her face would ghost first one way then the other fascinating and unnerving, but also the steadfastness with which she moved in the context of the meeting in spite of that admirable. While the talks had continued apace, with frequent breaks on the part of the Odists, there felt like more forward momentum thanks to this sacrifice.
 
 Codrin had noticed the change as well, and when asked, ey had nodded in agreement. "She approaches much of her...well, I was going to say life, but it goes beyond that. She approaches much of her existence as a cost-benefit analysis of sorts. This level of control and momentum is worth the cost she's paying in comfort."