update from sparkleup

writing/post-self/mitzvot/ioan/001.md

@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ She nodded once more. "Thank you for being understanding. All of that to say tha
 
 "Well, I'm happy to provide," ey said. The Bălan clade seemed to have undergone a collective reevaluation of True Name over the last few years, but even so, the plain earnestness led to a moment of tamping down suspicion that ey was simply being played. "And for what it's worth, that lines up with my thoughts. Glad we have the chance to do so."
 
-She raised her cup in acknowledgment. "Thank you, Ioan. That is perhaps a good note to end on, as I would like to consolidate memories across my instances."
+She raised her cup in acknowledgment. "Thank you, Ioan. That is perhaps a good note to end on, as I would like to reconcile memories across my instances."
 
 Ey nodded. "Sure. Until next time?"
 
@@ -206,11 +206,54 @@ The skunk reached out and snagged one of eir hands, pulling em down onto the bea
 
 "She said something else that was interesting I'd like to discuss, but I don't want to keep talking about her if you're uncomfortable with it. It can be later."
 
-
 She shrugged, doodling a dull claw lazily over eir stomach through eir shirt and vest, sitting just shy of ticklish. "I do not mind, my dear. You know that I have been working on it."
 
 "Sure, I just didn't want to--"
 
 "I will tell you if I would like to drop the topic, I promise," she said, then laughed. "Sorry, my dear. I did not mean to interrupt."
 
-"No, it's okay. She actually did that quite well today." Ey leaned eir head back, looking thoughtfully up to the ceiling. "I asked why she was 
+"No, it's okay. She actually did that quite well today." Ey leaned eir head back, looking thoughtfully up to the ceiling. "I asked why she kept up with me with the coffee meetings, and she said that it's just nice to have a friend."
+
+May tilted her head up, enough to bump eir nose against the underside of eir chin. "Are you? Friends, I mean."
+
+"That's what we talked about. Neither of us could really decided on anything beyond 'friends for lack of a better term'." Ey hesitated, feeling incredibly conscious of eir partner resting against em, her stated resentment of her down-tree instance, how that had bordered for so long on hatred. Ey continued, speaking carefully, "I like having interesting people to talk to and she's been pretty good company. She likes having someone to just be around and talk with that isn't herself or Jonas."
+
+"Are they still not getting along?"
+
+"That's where she requested that I drop the topic. She said that they made good coworkers, but not necessarily friends, and I asked if that was always the case, and she said she wasn't comfortable having that conversation. Very politely, of course."
+
+"Mm." The skunk lowered her muzzle again, letting em peek down at her again. "I have been working on how I define myself in relation to True Name. I do not like that I spent so long hating her. I do not want that to be a part of who I am. I hold no such compunctions about Jonas. He was a shit then and he is far worse now."
+
+"Huh?" Ey shook eir head as ey pieced together what she meant. "Oh right, sorry. I guess you were forked off after he and True Name started working together."
+
+"Yes. I remember that from when I was her. We were not friends then, and I am glad that she is not his friend, now."
+
+"I only met him those few times years back, and yeah, I'm glad she isn't, either. He was definitely a shit."
+
+She laughed and poked em in the belly. "Mx. Ioan Bălan, you watch your language."
+
+"Hey, I curse!"
+
+"Not well, my dear."
+
+"Yeah, well, fuck you too."
+
+The skunk sat up and gave em an exaggerated frown. "I am warning you, young man."
+
+Ey rolled eir eyes. "'Young man?'"
+
+"Young gentlethem."
+
+Ey laughed. "I learned it from you, May."
+
+"What, 'fuck you too'?" The skunk shook her head. "It just sounds so strange coming from your mouth."
+
+"I'm not as good at the well placed curse word as all of you."
+
+"It is an art we have perfected. It increases the impact when they do show up. Even True Name does it, I am sure."
+
+"She has once or twice, yeah. You two still sound much the same, though, in terms of your voices, so I feel like I'm used to it."
+
+May nodded, leaned down, and licked em squarely across the nose before settling down on eir front again. "Yes, I suppose we do. Here is where we drop the topic, however."
+
+"Alright," ey said, wiping eir face. "Want dinner?"