From 8f20105fca462324aaf92faa609de4aac1d28dbf Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Madison Scott-Clary Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2021 16:20:14 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] update from sparkleup --- writing/post-self/neviim/interlude/001.html | 26 ++++++++++----------- 1 file changed, 13 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-) diff --git a/writing/post-self/neviim/interlude/001.html b/writing/post-self/neviim/interlude/001.html index 44a327692..e3087f011 100644 --- a/writing/post-self/neviim/interlude/001.html +++ b/writing/post-self/neviim/interlude/001.html @@ -89,29 +89,29 @@

“Okay, I’ll listen,” ey said. “But didn’t you and Jonas plan for this? Run simulations?”

“We did, yes. We even ran the fact that it might be you who received the information through our models,” she said, nodding to em.

“But you did not count on me,” May said.

-

There was a tight silence that lingered a long few seconds before True Name nodded. “We did not count on you. We did not count on you both. We did not count on…” She took a shaky breath, recomposed herself, and continued. “We did not count on what changes the dynamic between you two would lead to.”

-

“Your models included a historian and a member of your stanza, you mean,” Ioan said. “And now you’ve got two actors, one of whom is particularly good at influencing others.”

-

She looked stricken, gaze jumping between em and May. “When one has lived so long with a certain set of expectations, having them subverted is a shock. May Then My Name, I do not begrudge you your feelings toward me. It is not my goal to win you back; all I can do is admit my shortcomings and try to do better by you, even if that is, as you have requested, leaving you be. I truly am happy for you — for both of you — as you have accomplished something that I never could, that even Michelle struggled with. However, I have a job. I have goals to work towards. I have a vision that I would like above all things to uphold.”

-

“You have painted yourself into a corner,” May said. Her voice had lost the edge of fury at her down-tree instance’s admission. “And now you need a bit of time for that paint to dry.”

-

True Name giggled. It was an uncanny sound coming from her. Ioan had seen her laugh, grin, and smile, but they were all tightly controlled. They were all laser-focused cues to guide her interlocutor. The giggle held amusement, yes, but also nervousness. It held some sense of a covering a much larger emotional outburst. Ey had been considering just how much of this interaction up until this point was a carefully considered act, how much of her visit could be dismissed with a wink and a grin, but there was something far to real about that giggle.

+

There was a tight silence that lingered a long few seconds before True Name nodded. “We did not count on you. We did not count on both of you. We did not count on…” She took a shaky breath, recomposed herself, and continued. “We did not count on what changes the dynamic between you two would lead to.”

+

“Your models included a historian, you mean,” Ioan said. “And now you also have one of your own. You’ve got two actors, one of whom is built specifically to influence others.”

+

She looked stricken, gaze jumping between em and May. “When one has lived so long with a certain set of expectations, having them subverted is a shock. May Then My Name, I do not begrudge you your feelings toward me. It is not my goal to win you back; all I can do is admit my shortcomings and try to do better by you, even if that is, as you have requested, leaving you be. I truly am happy for you — for both of you — as you have accomplished something that I never could, that Michelle struggled with from the beginning. However, I have a job. I have goals to work towards. I have a vision that I would like above all things to uphold.”

+

“You have painted yourself into a corner,” May said. Her voice had lost the edge of fury at her down-tree instance’s admission.

+

True Name giggled. It was a startling sound coming from her. Ioan had seen her laugh, grin, and smile, but they were all tightly controlled. They were all laser-focused cues to guide her interlocutor. The giggle held amusement, yes, but also nervousness. It seemed to be covering a much larger, less grounded emotional outburst. Ey had been considering just how much of this interaction up until this point was a carefully constructed act, how much of her visit could be dismissed with a wink and a grin, but there was something far to real about that giggle.

Ioan and May looked to each other and laughed as well.

“I’m sorry, True Name,” ey said. “I mean this in all compassion, but you sound like you’re about to lose it.”

The skunk giggled again, then rested her elbows on the table and buried her face in her paws, grinding the heels of her pads against her eyes before straightening the longer fur atop her head. “I am, yes, at least in a way. There are many threads happening at once and, as May Then My Name put it, I have painted myself into a corner.”

“Make your pitch, then,” May said, voice softer still.

-

“It is a small ask, I hope,” The skunk said, folding her hands on the tabletop once more. “Do not publish any of this information in the feeds or put it anywhere in the perisystem architecture. I would ask that you keep it between yourselves, me, and other Odists. You may, of course, keep communicating with Castor, but I would ask that you not pass this on to Pollux yet. Codrin and True Name are working together, so I imagine our messages will contain similar content, but if anything interesting comes up, I would be much obliged if you shared with me. Are you open to that?”

+

“It is a small ask, I hope,” The skunk said, folding her hands on the tabletop once more. “Do not publish any of this information in the feeds or in some new book, and do not put it anywhere in the perisystem architecture. Not yet. I ask that you keep it between yourselves, Jonas, me, and other Odists. You may, of course, keep communicating with Castor, but I would ask that you not pass this on to Pollux yet. Codrin and True Name are working together, per the message I received, so I imagine our messages will contain similar content, but should anything interesting come up, I would be much obliged if you shared with me. Are you open to that?”

“Sure,” Ioan said.

-

May shrugged. “Sure. I may talk to A Finger Pointing and End Waking about it, but I think you will have the rest under control before I wind up speaking to them again. The only other that I would like to share this with, however, is Douglas.”

+

May shrugged. “Sure. I may talk to A Finger Pointing and End Waking about it, but I think you will have the rest of the clade under control before I wind up speaking to them again. The only other that I would like to share this with, however, is Douglas.”

The skunk stiffened in her seat and sat silent for a moment. “May I be there when you do? I would like to impress upon him the gravity of the situation.”

“Absolutely not.”

-

True Name wilted. “I see. Well, if you would pass on my request for information security, I would be very thankful.”

+

True Name winced, wilted, nodded. “I see. Well, if you would pass on my request for information security, I would be very thankful.”

“I will,” May said.

-

Standing and, once more brushing her blouse flat, True name bowed. “Thank you both.”

-

May stood as well and stepped around the table, taking the other skunk’s paws in her own. It was strange to see the gesture of affection after so tense a discussion, but the expression on May’s face as she looked at her down-tree instance showed none of the friendship implied. Ioan marveled. If the sight of two skunks that shared so much in common and yet differed in such key ways was strange, seeing them touch in such a way after so much history bordered on uncanny.

-

“You wrote to me in back in systime 197 and told me, “You are, in many ways, a better version of me, and the completeness that you bring to our stanza ensures that we add up to something that is greater than the sum of its parts”. Do you remember that?”

+

Standing and once more brushing her blouse flat, True name bowed. “Thank you both.”

+

May stood as well and stepped around the table, taking the other skunk’s paws in her own. It was strange to see the gesture of affection after so tense a discussion, but the expression on May’s face as she looked at her down-tree instance showed none of the friendship implied. Ioan marveled. If the sight of two skunks that shared so much in common and yet differed in such key ways was uncanny, seeing them touch in such a way after so much history bordered on distressing.

+

“You wrote to me in back in 197. You pointed me toward Ioan and you told me, “You are, in many ways, a better version of me, and the completeness that you bring to our stanza ensures that we add up to something that is greater than the sum of its parts”. You told me that you still love me in your own way. Do you remember that?”

The skunk canted her ears back and nodded.

May let go of her paws and then hugged her arms up around her cocladist’s shoulders. “I still believe that.”

-

True Name choked back a sob and leaned into the hug.

-

After a moment, she leaned back, rested her paws on True Name’s shoulders, and said, “But never, ever come to my fucking house again.”

+

True Name leaned into the hug. Ey couldn’t see her face from where ey sat, but ey could still hear the sharp intake of breath and see the shaking of her shoulders.

+

After a moment, May leaned back, rested her paws on True Name’s shoulders, and said, “But do not ever, ever, come to my fucking house again.”