update from sparkleup
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Madison Scott-Clary
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@ -156,13 +156,13 @@ how say</dd>
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<li class="done1"> Act II - exchange of emissaries, discussions, knowledge share<ul>
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<li class="done2"> <a href="local/codrin/007.html">Codrin Bălan#Artemis</a> — divvying up tasks (e.g: #Emissaries talk about politics, society, history, #Artemises talk about science, language, astronomy), forking, watching remote team head off, then forking and transiting DMZ border to welcome and orient emissaries. - 1307 (expand)</li>
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<li class="done2"> <a href="remote/codrin/001.html">Codrin Bălan#Emissary</a> — First entry into the meeting hall, a dome in the middle of a compound, disoriented, unable to fork, time feels weird, introduced and oriented, ey finds out about WAQ/AWNH switch, remembers what they were for, frown; AWNH and TN are kind of freaking out b/c time slipperiness feels like being lost. - 2310</li>
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<li class="done2"> <a href="remote/codrin/001.html">Codrin Bălan#Emissary</a> — First entry into the meeting hall, a dome in the middle of a compound, disoriented, unable to fork, time feels weird, introduced and oriented, ey finds out about WAQ/AWNH switch, remembers what they were for, frown; AWNH and TN are kind of freaking out b/c time slipperiness feels like being lost. - 2403</li>
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<li class="done0"> <a href="local/tycho/008.html">Tycho Brahe#Artemis</a> — overwhelmed at meeting them all, introductions go around, working out specialties and such, gets a bit excited talking about astronomy and how much there is to learn, TN frowns, though she’s still struggling b/c lost-alike sensations</li>
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<li class="done0"> <a href="remote/codrin/002.html">Codrin Bălan#Emissary</a> — starts out simply recording, Tycho too overwhelmed to speak, notices Turun Ko, discusses roles during a lull, TN frowns</li>
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<li class="done0"> <a href="remote/tycho/001.html">Tycho Brahe#Emissary</a> — Tycho learns about time from Turun Ka and that this is how they managed to work fast: modifying time rather than forking</li>
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<li class="done0"> <a href="remote/tycho/001.html">Tycho Brahe#Emissary</a> — Tycho learns about time from Turun Ka and that this is how they managed to work fast: modifying time rather than forking. They explain forking and merging in turn, compare with Artante’s experience</li>
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<li class="done0"> <a href="local/codrin/008.html">Codrin Bălan#Artemis</a> — Emissaries are set up with sandbox sim for downtime however they please; catches up with Tycho and Sarah Genet about how learning is going (hint: everyone’s baffled)</li>
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<li class="done0"> <a href="remote/codrin/003.html">Codrin Bălan#Emissary</a> — Exchanges notes with Codrin#Artemis, hinting at swap with WAQ/AWNH</li>
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<li class="done1"> <a href="interlude/002.html">Interlude</a> — Ioan and May (who indeed have a cry) discuss how it feels to know that the talks are taking place and may be over by the time they hear about it - 1805 (expand)</li>
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<li class="done1"> <a href="interlude/002.html">Interlude</a> — Ioan and May (who indeed have a cry) discuss how it feels to know that the talks are taking place and may be over by the time they hear about it - 3319</li>
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<li class="done0"> <a href="local/tycho/009.html">Tycho Brahe#Artemis</a> — Talks with Sarah Genet about what the two parties are learning and how its impacting his view of the System and Artemis</li>
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<li class="done0"> <a href="remote/tycho/002.html">Tycho Brahe#Emissary</a> — Watches TN try to have a discussion with Turun Ka regarding history, and it is an exercise in mutual misunderstanding, starting to feel out of his league with #Artemis being about social aspects</li>
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<li class="done0"> <a href="local/codrin/009.html">Codrin Bălan#Artemis</a> — After watching similar discussion of TN misunderstanding, meets up with Sarah Genet over break, discusses note from Codrin#Emissary</li>
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@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ how say</dd>
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<p>(True Name tries to guide the talks toward simply finding out more information thinking of gaining the upper hand to prepare for some sort of exchange or power imbalance, then simply to tries maintaining control over the situation, but for once, she’s out of her league. Their goal is basically ensuring greater continuity of all races (similar to TN/Jonas’s stated goals, stated later))</p>
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</article>
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<footer>
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<p>Page generated on 2021-11-20</p>
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<p>Page generated on 2021-11-21</p>
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@ -50,12 +50,12 @@
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<p>“I know. Reading between the lines, though, I think ey’s worried about the whole clade. Ey’s worried about you and Dear, and ey’s worried about how True Name and Why Ask Questions are going to act through this. Dear reacted poorly to the whole time-modification thing.”</p>
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<p>She nodded and sat in silence for a minute before setting her cup down. “We are not doing as well as many of us would like, no. I have news as well, but I would like to share it outside where I can sit in the sun and feel the grass. Is that okay?”</p>
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<p>Ioan and Douglas collected plates and coffee cups, then the three of them trooped out into the field while May spoke.</p>
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<p>“We have lost May One Day Death Itself Not Die and I Do Not Know. Death Itself stopped talking, and then she stopped moving. Bathe In Dreams visited for a while there, and a few days ago asked me to come visit as well. That is why this spell seemed to last longer than usual. Evening hit, she smiled at us, shrugged, and then quit.”</p>
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<p>“We have lost May One Day Death Itself Not Die and I Do Not Know. Death Itself stopped talking, and then she stopped moving. In Dreams visited for a while there, and a few days ago asked me to come visit as well. That is why this spell seemed to last longer than usual. Evening hit, she smiled at us, shrugged, and then quit.”</p>
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<p>May’s voice was thick as she continued. “They all lived in the same house, did you know that? All ten of that stanza. Many of them did not even talk with each other, and none of them ever forked. They were always quite unstable. The next morning, I Do Not Know was gone, and Names Of The Dead said that she had quit shortly before sunrise.”</p>
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<p>Ioan and Douglas remained quiet as they walked. The skunk didn’t seem to be quite done saying the things that she needed to.</p>
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<p>She continued after a few minutes of mastering emotions, voice clear once more. “Bathe In Dreams and I talked quite a bit. She said that there have been fewer instances of instability in older clades than expected, given <em>On the Perils of Memory</em>. Fewer uploads are susceptible to the long-term effects of unceasing memory than expected, I guess. I was pleased to see that Debarre seems to be doing well.”</p>
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<p>She continued after a few minutes of mastering emotions, voice clear once more. “In Dreams and I talked quite a bit. She said that there have been fewer instances of instability in older clades than expected, given <em>On the Perils of Memory</em>. Fewer uploads are susceptible to the long-term effects of unceasing memory than expected, I guess. I was pleased to see that Debarre seems to be doing well.”</p>
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<p>“That’s heartening,” Douglas said. “At least in a way.”</p>
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<p>The skunk nodded. “I am happy that the System is more stable than feared, but I am unhappy that we seem so strongly affected. Bathe In Dreams said that she is going to do some research and see if there are ways that we can at least improve on the way we deal with the effects. I do not know that there is a way to get rid of them entirely, at least not without further individuation, but the least we can do is help keep ourselves sane for longer.”</p>
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<p>The skunk nodded. “I am happy that the System is more stable than feared, but I am unhappy that we seem so strongly affected. In Dreams said that she is going to do some research and see if there are ways that we can at least improve on the way we deal with the effects. I do not know that there is a way to get rid of them entirely, at least not without further individuation, but the least we can do is help keep ourselves sane for longer.”</p>
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<p>Ioan took her paw in eir hand and lifted it to kiss the back. “Please, yeah. If you go bonkers, I’ll be furious.”</p>
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<p>She laughed and gave em a pitying look. “Mx. Ioan Bălan, you are pretty good at acting furious on stage, but I do not believe for a second that you could actually feel that way. Even Codrin was able to have a normal meeting with True Name after she did as she does with em.”</p>
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<p>Ey did not laugh. Neither, ey noted, did Douglas.</p>
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@ -74,11 +74,42 @@
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<p>“Ioan?”</p>
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<p>“Yes?”</p>
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<p>“Can you stay?”</p>
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<p>Ey had hesitated then nodded, forking off a copy to finish cleaning up and taking notes. After a few minutes of eir own bedtime routine, ey slipped into bed with her. Ey was certainly tired enough, ey realized.</p>
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<p>Ey hesitated then nodded, forking off a copy to finish cleaning up and taking notes. After a few minutes of eir own bedtime routine, ey slipped into bed with her. Ey was certainly tired enough, ey realized.</p>
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<p>And so now, back at home, back in their own bed, alone together, May and Ioan had the conversation ey felt they truly needed. They talked quietly, almost <em>sotto voce</em>, now that they were alone, now that it was dark and comfortable and they were no longer surrounded by the loud, raucous colors of Douglas’s field. They shared their kisses, their small touches, they reaffirmed, in so many small, unspoken ways, their love for each other, and they talked.</p>
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<p>(Talk about Artemis and what they might be learning, esp in the context of Ioan’s lingering desire to experience and catalogue)</p>
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<p>(Via time stuff (May says ey’d mentioned that but wasn’t sure what it was), talk about uniting factors among those who struggle with memory: weaker boundary between subconscious and conscious, greater sense of numinous, yearning for the void)</p>
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<p>(May’s fears - emotions slowly getting out of control as a being of emotions, Ioan’s fears - helplessness)</p>
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<p>“What do you think they are learning?” May murmured, nose-tip poking up against Ioan’s chin.</p>
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<p>Ey had to speak carefully to respond, lest ey bump her snout. “Who can say? Perhaps they are learning, perhaps they are teaching.”</p>
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<p>“Poetic.”</p>
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<p>“There are Odists involved, it’s going to be poetic through and through.”</p>
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<p>She laughed and poked em in the belly with a claw. “Jerk.”</p>
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<p>“That’s me, yes,” ey said, grinning and nudging her muzzle about with eir chin. “The Odists are learning how to manipulate new species. Tycho’s learning about the stars. I can’t speak to Sarah, but Codrin is along for the ride.”</p>
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<p>“Did ey have much more to say about eir doubts?”</p>
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<p>“A little. Ey’s still feeling more caught up in the events than an actual participant, but I think ey’s also starting to look for ways out of the cycle. I don’t know if ey’s picked up any specific ideas on how to take charge, but that ey’s decided that that’s something ey’d like to do is change enough.”</p>
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<p>The skunk nodded. “You are a careful lot, but it is nice to see when you do become more assertive.”</p>
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<p>“We lack your flair,” ey said, ruffling up some of her fur.</p>
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<p>“I also enjoy that, do not get me wrong. Not everything needs flair.” She perked up, dotted her nose against eir chin, and asked, “You said something about time modification earlier, but I was shattered and did not think to ask about it. What does that mean?”</p>
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<p>“Oh, right. It sounds like the Artemisians don’t fork, and instead rely on the ability to change how fast they experience time. Individuals or groups can speed up their perception so that the world around them seems to slow down, that sort of thing.”</p>
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<p>There was a long moment’s silence, and were it not for the shallowness of her breathing, ey might have thought May had fallen asleep. Eventually, she whispered, “I do not like that.”</p>
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<p>Ioan dipped eir chin enough to bump eir nose against hers. “Codrin said Dear got quite upset about it, yeah. It warned em that there would be two Odists among the emissaries and that ey should watch out.”</p>
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<p>She remained still, no reciprocating press of nose to nose. She continued in her whisper. “Once, when I was in school, I performed in a play that used the works of Emily Dickinson throughout. I still remember it. <em>Time feels so vast that were if not For an Eternity— I fear me this Circumference Engross my Finity—</em>“</p>
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<p>Ey remained quiet as ey mulled over the words. The archaic language felt opaque to em, but, as ey prowled through synonyms, ey began to piece together meaning. “You’ve mentioned eternity before in the context of getting lost. This sounds almost relieved, though, that eternity exists, lest everything get too overwhelming.”</p>
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<p>“There was no eternity in there, Ioan. Time was beyond vast. I <em>was</em> engrossed. There was no me left. When we were pulled out, we were finally confronted with eternity again.”</p>
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<p>“‘We’?”</p>
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<p>May took a while to respond. “Michelle and the author of the Ode.”</p>
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<p>Ey nodded, letting the comment about the Name slip by, asking instead, “And being stuck in a place with malleable time would bring back a lot of that?”</p>
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<p>“Yes. Codrin is right to be careful. The clade struggles enough with stability as it is.” She broke the tension of the moment by licking his chin. “On a happier note, In Dreams mentioned a hypothesis about the struggles we’ve had with memory.”</p>
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<p>“Oh?”</p>
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<p>“Well, happier for the System, if not for us. I guess she has hunted down some other clades that have been having problems. She says there are uniting factors, such as a weaker boundary between subconscious and conscious, a greater sense of the numinous, and so on. I am too sleepy to remember the details, but she is looking into it.” The skunk giggled. “She says we should get therapy.”</p>
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<p>“Oh, you definitely should,” ey teased. “Maybe this Sarah Genet is still on the System. That’s what she does.”</p>
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<p>“Therapy?”</p>
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<p>Ey nodded.</p>
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<p>A moment’s hesitation, and then May nodded. “I let In Dreams know.”</p>
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<p>“Good. The more minds working on this, the better.”</p>
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<p>“Are you really that worried, my dear?”</p>
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<p>Ey frowned, shrugged. “That’s part of it. More, I just feel helpless. I’m not worried about you going sideways any time soon, really, and certainly hope you don’t at all, but should that happen, watching helplessly would be…well, it’s a big fear of mine.”</p>
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<p>May hugged herself closer to em, snout once again ducking beneath eir chin. “I understand. I am stuck with the related fear of losing control. I do not like the feeling of not being in control of my emotions, even for these brief periods, but if that were to just become my life…”</p>
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<p>After she trailed off, ey tightened eir arms around her, brushing fingertips through fur.</p>
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<p>They lay like that in the quiet and the dark. Eir fork apparently finished up with eir notes and quit, but given the topics of conversation, ey declined to accept the merge. Ey did not want to be distracted from the simple task of petting May, of enjoying the feeling of having her back.</p>
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<p>“May?”</p>
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<p>The skunk poked her nose against eir collarbone. “Mm?” She sounded half asleep.</p>
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<p>“I really can’t lose you. You know that right?” Ey felt her stiffen in eir arms, continued, “I said ages ago that I’m not built for a life with death in it. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I uploaded in the first place, to get away from that.”</p>
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@ -91,7 +122,7 @@
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<p>This Ioan, the one ey was now, understood the value in attachments, and yet ey could still marvel, twenty years on, at just how much more complete ey was with May in eir life, and for that, ey’d be forever thankful.</p>
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</article>
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<footer>
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<p>Page generated on 2021-11-14</p>
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<p>Page generated on 2021-11-21</p>
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