update from sparkleup
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<p>“Ey’s in a funk, and from what ey says, I think you two are the only others that know why,” he had said, paused, then added, “Except maybe those I don’t think any of us want to see.”</p>
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<p>“Ey’s in a funk, and from what ey says, I think you two are the only others that know why,” he had said, paused, then added, “Except maybe those I don’t think any of us want to see.”</p>
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<p>Both of them stood still after arriving, just bathing in — or struggling against — the waves of memory that came with the sudden onslaught of warmth and sun and the baked goods scent of dandelions thick in the air.</p>
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<p>Both of them stood still after arriving, just bathing in — or struggling against — the waves of memory that came with the sudden onslaught of warmth and sun and the baked goods scent of dandelions thick in the air.</p>
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<p>Ioan greeted them at the door. Ey seemed happy enough, if tired. Still smiling and bowing to them as ey usually did.</p>
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<p>Ioan greeted them at the door. Ey seemed happy enough, if tired. Still smiling and bowing to them as ey usually did.</p>
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<p>As soon as they’d finished their greetings and settled on the grass in front of the house (End Waking having refused to go inside) along with Douglas, though, ey had mostly stared down into eir glass of lemonade and spoke little.</p>
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<p>They finished their greetings and settled on the grass in front of the house along with Douglas, End Waking having refused to go inside. After, though, ey had stared down into eir glass of lemonade and spoke little.</p>
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<p>Finally, Debarre nudged em gently with an elbow. “Alright, Ioan, you’re gonna need to spill it at some point, here. What’s going on? All we were told is that you were feeling rough about the last few days.”</p>
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<p>Finally, Debarre nudged em gently with an elbow. “Alright, Ioan, you’re gonna need to spill it at some point, here. What’s going on? All we were told is that you were feeling rough about the last few days.”</p>
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<p>Ey sighed and plucked at a dandelion. “Right, sorry, you two. Or three, I guess. I know I’ve been a bit of a mope of late. You alright to talk about True Name?”</p>
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<p>Ey sighed and plucked at a dandelion. “Right, sorry, you two. Or three, I guess. I know I’ve been a bit of a mope of late. You alright to talk about True Name?”</p>
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<p>“Ioan, I appreciate you asking, but please do not worry about us,” End Waking chided. “If we have come to help <em>you</em>, you need not spare our feelings. We can pretty well guess who would be at the center of this.”</p>
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<p>“Ioan, I appreciate you asking, but please do not worry about us,” End Waking chided. “If we have come to help <em>you</em>, you need not spare our feelings. We can pretty well guess who would be at the center of this.”</p>
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<p>“I’d thought of that, but, uh…” Debarre cleared his throat. “Well, actually hearing it put like that casts it in a bit of a different light.”</p>
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<p>“I’d thought of that, but, uh…” Debarre cleared his throat. “Well, actually hearing it put like that casts it in a bit of a different light.”</p>
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<p>“I hope that she does not mind the memories of sex to go along with the resentment,” End Waking said, then laughed when Debarre poked him in the side. “We are all adults here, my dear.”</p>
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<p>“I hope that she does not mind the memories of sex to go along with the resentment,” End Waking said, then laughed when Debarre poked him in the side. “We are all adults here, my dear.”</p>
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<p>“I’m the baby, I think,” Douglas said. “I’m seventy-two.”</p>
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<p>“I’m the baby, I think,” Douglas said. “I’m seventy-two.”</p>
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<p>The skunk grinned. “So young. Debarre and I both have two centuries on you. Still, I am pretty sure that we can acknowledge the existence of sex, is what I mean.”</p>
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<p>“So young.” The skunk grinned. “Debarre and I both have two centuries on you. Still, I am pretty sure that we can acknowledge the existence of sex, is what I mean.”</p>
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<p>“And it doesn’t exactly sound like she’s a stranger to that herself, anyway.”</p>
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<p>“And it doesn’t exactly sound like she’s a stranger to that herself, anyway.”</p>
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<p>End Waking blinked, taken aback. “She actually told you about Zacharias?”</p>
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<p>End Waking blinked, taken aback. “She actually told you about Zacharias?”</p>
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<p>“Who?” Douglas asked.</p>
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<p>“Who?” Douglas asked.</p>
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<p>“And how’re you taking it?” Debarre asked. Something about Ioan — eir posture, eir face, something — made it seem like this was the question ey was dreading the most.</p>
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<p>“And how’re you taking it?” Debarre asked. Something about Ioan — eir posture, eir face, something — made it seem like this was the question ey was dreading the most.</p>
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<p>There was a long silence before ey answered. “It’s really getting to me. I don’t even know why, either. I think it honestly would help True Name in the end if it were just May merging down, but having that be the case with her memories of us together feels like…well, it kind of makes me jealous. Those are our memories that we made together. Our fights and good times, our affection–“</p>
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<p>There was a long silence before ey answered. “It’s really getting to me. I don’t even know why, either. I think it honestly would help True Name in the end if it were just May merging down, but having that be the case with her memories of us together feels like…well, it kind of makes me jealous. Those are our memories that we made together. Our fights and good times, our affection–“</p>
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<p>“Probably most of the memories, there,” Debarre stage-whispered, getting a smirk out of Ioan.</p>
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<p>“Probably most of the memories, there,” Debarre stage-whispered, getting a smirk out of Ioan.</p>
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<p>“Yeah. Our affection and our sex, too, for that matter. Suddenly, True Name would have all that. I think it also started grating on me because of how real End Waking’s was. It wouldn’t just be a library for her perusal, but she will have actually lived them. She will have actually–” Ey frowned, as though digging for the words.</p>
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<p>“Yeah. Our affection and our sex, too, for that matter. Suddenly, True Name would have all that. I think it also started grating on me because of how…real End Waking’s was. It wouldn’t just be a library for her perusal, but she will have actually lived them. She will have actually–” Ey frowned, as though digging for the words.</p>
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<p>“She’ll have actually loved you, maybe?” Debarre guessed.</p>
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<p>“She’ll have actually loved you, maybe?” Debarre guessed.</p>
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<p>Eir face fell and ey sighed. “Yeah. That. Putting it that way makes it feel terrible, but it’s exactly that.”</p>
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<p>Eir face fell and ey sighed. “Yeah. That. Putting it that way makes it feel terrible, but it’s exactly that.”</p>
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<p>“I was pulling back when she and Zacharias were getting close,” End Waking said, sounding thoughtful. “And I have been her. We were both Michelle. I know that she is capable of experiencing romantic feelings. They will not be alien to her.”</p>
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<p>“I was pulling back when she and Zacharias were getting close,” End Waking said, sounding thoughtful. “And I have been her. We were both Michelle. I know that she is capable of experiencing romantic feelings. They will not be alien to her.”</p>
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<p>“Even though she was struggling with integrating those memories of yours?”</p>
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<p>“Even though she was struggling with integrating those memories of yours?”</p>
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<p>“Perhaps especially so. I think that she is struggling because it clashes with her personality, not that she feels that she might love Debarre. Though, my dear,” he said, nodding to Debarre. “I can guarantee that just about every Odist is at least a little in love with you.”</p>
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<p>“Perhaps especially so. I think that she is struggling because it clashes with her personality, not that she feels that she might love Debarre. Though, my dear,” he said, nodding to Debarre. “I can guarantee that just about every Odist is at least a little in love with you.”</p>
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<p>He shook his head and waved the comment away. “Yeah, yeah.”</p>
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<p>He shook his head and waved the comment away. “Yeah, yeah.”</p>
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<p>More than one of them had confessed as much to him over the centuries, and it wasn’t until he’d actually conceded that something about End Waking landed in that sweet spot of attraction and personality match enough to at least try dating that they’d stopped. He was thankful that they seemed happy enough to live vicariously through him. He had liked Sasha and Michelle, loved her in that sympatico that true friends can share, friends who had shared trauma so he didn’t begrudge them their feelings, but any more felt pretty far out of his league as a gay man.</p>
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<p>More than one of them had confessed as much to him over the centuries, and it wasn’t until he’d actually conceded that something about End Waking landed in that sweet spot of attraction and personality match enough to at least try dating that they’d stopped. He was thankful that they seemed happy enough to live vicariously through him. He had liked Sasha and Michelle, loved her in that sympatico that true friends can share, friends who had shared trauma, so he didn’t begrudge them their feelings, but any more felt pretty far out of his league as a gay man.</p>
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<p>Instead, he nudged Ioan with his elbow again. “So if you don’t need to worry about it from True Name’s side, and you know you’re worrying about it from your own side, how do you feel about it from May’s point of view?”</p>
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<p>Instead, he nudged Ioan with his elbow again. “So if you don’t need to worry about it from True Name’s side, and you know you’re worrying about it from your own side, how do you feel about it from May’s point of view?”</p>
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<p>“How do you mean?”</p>
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<p>“How do you mean?”</p>
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<p>“Well, do you have any worries about her? Do you think she does? Has she talked about it at all?”</p>
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<p>“Well, do you have any worries about her? Do you think she does? Has she talked about it at all?”</p>
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<p>He nodded and accepted that paw. He had a feeling he knew what was coming, so even just the touch as they stepped away from the sim was worth it.</p>
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<p>He nodded and accepted that paw. He had a feeling he knew what was coming, so even just the touch as they stepped away from the sim was worth it.</p>
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<p>Page generated on 2022-09-06</p>
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<p>Page generated on 2022-09-13</p>
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<p>“That bad?”</p>
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<p>“That bad?”</p>
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<p>“Did she not talk about her to you?”</p>
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<p>“Did she not talk about her to you?”</p>
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<p>Ey shrugged. “Every now and then, and sometimes she’d get pretty pissed, but it was only once a year or so.”</p>
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<p>Ey shrugged. “Every now and then, and sometimes she’d get pretty pissed, but it was only once a year or so.”</p>
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<p>“Mm, about the same amount, but maybe she kept it a bit…I dunno, gentler for you, since she has to live with you. She’d come over once a year or so and just go off for a while. It kinda became routine. She’d vent, then we’d have a good day.”</p>
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<p>“Mm, about the same amount, but maybe she kept it a bit…I dunno, gentler for you, since you were meeting up with True Name. She’d come over once a year or so and just go off for a while. It kinda became routine. She’d vent, then we’d have a good day.”</p>
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<p>Ioan switched to rubbing eir hands over her face. “I don’t even know what to do about her.”</p>
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<p>Ioan switched to rubbing eir hands over her face. “I don’t even know what to do about her.”</p>
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<p>“Nothing,” Douglas said. “Nothing but love her and keep talking, I mean. She’s a grown woman, she can work out her feelings well enough. Hell, she’s already seeing a therapist.”</p>
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<p>“Nothing,” Douglas said. “Nothing but love her and keep talking, I mean. She’s a grown woman, she can work out her feelings well enough. Hell, she’s already seeing a therapist.”</p>
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<p>Ey slumped back dramatically against the couch cushions. “Why does <em>everyone</em> tell me to stop fixing others’ problems for them? Even the intellectual side of me is in on the game.”</p>
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<p>Ey slumped back dramatically against the couch cushions. “Why does <em>everyone</em> tell me to stop fixing others’ problems for them? Even the intellectual side of me is in on the game.”</p>
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<p>Ey smiled gratefully. “I’m at least trying. May’s done her own fair share of trying to help, but that at least fits her M.O. One more question, then I think I need to table the topic for a bit.”</p>
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<p>Ey smiled gratefully. “I’m at least trying. May’s done her own fair share of trying to help, but that at least fits her M.O. One more question, then I think I need to table the topic for a bit.”</p>
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<p>“Sure.”</p>
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<p>“Sure.”</p>
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<p>“Do you think it was the right thing to do?”</p>
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<p>“Do you think it was the right thing to do?”</p>
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<p>“Yeah,” he said, surprising himself with how readily the answer came to him. “I don’t think it would have worked if E.W. had just merged down without all the other dramatic shit. I think she would’ve just rejected it, or if she did accept the merge, just cherry-picked parts of it. As it is, though, with Jonas after her neck and May Then My Name using all her wiles to convince both her and E.W., I think so, though she probably would’ve preferred to fork first. I don’t honestly see her coming out of this still in power or whatever, but if she <em>does</em> make it out, I think it’ll help her move on.”</p>
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<p>“Yeah,” he said, surprising himself with how readily the answer came to him. “I don’t think it would have worked if E.W. had just merged down without all the other dramatic shit. I think she would’ve just rejected it, or if she did accept the merge, just cherry-picked parts of it. As it is, though, with Jonas after her neck and May Then My Name using all her wiles to convince both her and E.W., I think it’s worth it, though she probably would’ve preferred to fork first. I don’t honestly see her coming out of this still in power or whatever, but if she <em>does</em> make it out, I think it’ll help her move on.”</p>
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<p>Ioan stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully, occasionally mumbling to emself.</p>
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<p>Ioan stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully, occasionally mumbling to emself.</p>
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<p>He shrugged to Douglas and asked, “Well, I skipped breakfast and I’m not ready to merge back down yet. Want some food? That’ll at least be more pleasant.”</p>
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<p>He shrugged to Douglas and asked, “Well, I skipped breakfast and I’m not ready to merge back down yet. Want some food? That’ll at least be more pleasant.”</p>
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<p>After another hour’s conversation over lunch — much happier conversation, thankfully — Debarre stepped back to his home sim and quit to let #Tracker catch up on the current happenings.</p>
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<p>After another hour’s conversation over lunch — much happier conversation, thankfully — Debarre stepped back to his home sim and quit to let #Tracker catch up on the current happenings.</p>
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<p>Debarre#Tracker conducted a thorough security sweep and, finding no bugs, those little hidden instances he’d grown so paranoid of, he sighed and slouched back in his desk chair, rubbing paws over his face. “Well, shit. This complicates things, doesn’t it?”</p>
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<p>Debarre#Tracker conducted a thorough security sweep and, finding no bugs, those little hidden instances he’d grown so paranoid of, he sighed and slouched back in his desk chair, rubbing paws over his face. “Well, shit. This complicates things, doesn’t it?”</p>
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<p>He queued up a sensorium message to Yared, user11827, and a few other friends he’d kept in touch with while following along with (and occasionally meddling in) the political affairs of the system. ‘Reactionary elements’ indeed.</p>
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<p>He queued up a sensorium message to Yared, user11824, and a few other friends he’d kept in touch with while following along with (and occasionally meddling in) the political affairs of the system. ‘Reactionary elements’ indeed.</p>
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<p>Page generated on 2022-09-06</p>
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<p>Page generated on 2022-09-13</p>
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