update from sparkleup
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<p>While True Name continued to integrate the merge more and more fully — or, as she put it, became more whatever her new self was meant to be — and she spent less time taken by long silences or the need to go lay down in the quiet for some lingering conflict, her mood nonetheless continued to decline. Those moments of easy conversation came further and further apart, and while the skunk remained as polite as could be, she also bowed out of nearly every topic other than the food, the weather, only the most surface-level details of how she was feeling. <em>I am not comfortable talking about that, now</em> became her constant refrain.</p>
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<p>While neither Ioan nor May were necessarily happy for this change, the fact that it meant that they <em>had</em> to stop talking about all these dire topics. It forced them to take a step back, as well, and at least try to get some work done. Given all that had happened, no one was comfortable with them continuing to perform, least of all A Finger Pointing, so they were removed from the bill for the time being, with either their roles replaced or their shows canceled.</p>
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<p>While True Name continued to integrate the merge more and more fully — or, as she put it, became more whatever her new self was meant to be — and she spent less time taken by long silences or the need to go lay down in the quiet for some lingering conflict, her mood nonetheless continued to decline. Those moments of easy conversation came further and further apart, and while the skunk remained as polite as could be, she also bowed out of nearly every topic other than the food, the weather, only the most surface-level details of how she was feeling. <em>I am not comfortable talking about that now</em> became her constant refrain.</p>
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<p>While neither Ioan nor May were necessarily happy for this change, it meant that they <em>had</em> to stop talking about all these dire topics. It forced them to take a step back, as well, and at least try to get some work done. Given all that had happened, no one was comfortable with them continuing to perform, least of all A Finger Pointing, so they were removed from the bill for the time being, with either their roles replaced or their shows canceled.</p>
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<p>There was still work to be done, of course. May still had her monologue, which she tried taking in a few different directions, some of which worked well and some less so. Ioan coached her in writing as best ey could, talking her down from perfectionism fits that left her threatening to tear the whole thing up.</p>
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<p>For eir part, ey still had a few projects on eir plate, not least of which was the upcoming book project that had been requested by Jonas. Ey poked at this every now and then, outlining the events to date and throwing a few thousand words at it here and there.</p>
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<p>Mostly, though, ey dealt in letters to and from the other members of eir clade. Vast, dramatic events were happening elsewhere — as they always seemed to when an Odist was involved — and ey couldn’t simply put them away to deal with all that was going on at home. The break from dealing with the affairs of True Name and Jonas was a welcome one.</p>
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<p>“From my point of view,” Ioan said, guessing at the meaning behind her question. “It just kind of happened over the course of a few years. May was her usual affectionate self, and we just wound up building patterns around that turned us from coworkers to friends to partners.”</p>
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<p>“There was no culmination? No decision?”</p>
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<p>“Not really. I just realized one day that we were probably together and asked if we were.”</p>
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<p>“It was the day ey interviewed you,” May said, trying to hide a smile. “I told em it was the dumbest fucking question of the entire project. We agreed we had probably been in a relationship for months before that.”</p>
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<p>“It was the day ey interviewed you for the first time,” May said, trying to hide a smile. “I told em it was the dumbest fucking question of the entire project. We agreed we had probably been in a relationship for months before that.”</p>
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<p>True Name nodded, expression more thoughtful than amused. “Is that how you move in the world, May Then My Name?”</p>
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<p>The skunk hesitated, gaze drifting away from her cocladist. “Ask another question, my dear,” she said eventually.</p>
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<p>“Of course.” True Name gave a hint of a bow. “You changed in order to accommodate being in a relationship, Ioan. How?”</p>
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@ -42,12 +42,12 @@
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<p>Ioan and May glanced at each other briefly, but both nodded.</p>
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<p>“It has not been a priority for you,” May said. “If it has not been important, if it has felt like a distraction, then there is no reason to simply know how to do all of that. I do wish you the best, though.”</p>
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<p>“Didn’t you say you’d felt love for Zacharias, though?”</p>
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<p>True Name shrugged noncommittally. “I am not comfortable talking about that, now.”</p>
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<p>True Name shrugged noncommittally. “I am not comfortable talking about that now.”</p>
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<p>Ey tried to keep eir expression from falling, but apparently did not succeed.</p>
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<p>“I am sorry, Ioan. Not everything is for sharing, not right now.”</p>
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<p>“It’s just the amanuensis in me.” Ey tried to laugh it away. “Why’d you ask about this, anyway?”</p>
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<p>She smirked. “You mean beyond the fact that I just told you I am having trouble integrating the memories?”</p>
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<p>“Yeah, actually. Why those memories? I would have thought his repentance would have caused more clashes.”</p>
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<p>“Yeah, actually. Why those memories? I would have thought his fixation on penance would have caused more clashes.”</p>
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<p>“It is,” she replied slowly. “But these are more comforting to work with. They had their fights, as I am sure all couples do, but even those are full of love. I do not–” She sniffled, shook her head firmly, then stood and bowed. “I need to go for a walk. Thank you both.”</p>
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<p>And with that, she stepped from the sim.</p>
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<p>May groaned and crossed her arms on the table, resting her head on them. “I do not know what to think about her. I do not know what to think about any of this.”</p>
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@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
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<p>“No killing skunks,” ey mumbled, then stood and stretched. “Bit miffed she’s out at the lake, since now I feel like walking, too.”</p>
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<p>“If you were a normal person, we could enjoy perpetual springtime in the yard.”</p>
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<p>Ey looked outside, at the scant inch of snow left after the last storm. “It’s not that bad.”</p>
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<p>“Still cold.”</p>
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<p>“It is in all ways bad. Still cold.”</p>
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<p>“Mmhm, still cold. Still, it might be worth making a coffee and bringing it out there to keep the hands warm, if only so I can pace.”</p>
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<p>“Go, my dear. Go and pace. I will teach myself how to do a handstand or something equally silly. Anything other than dwelling on more of this.”</p>
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<p>“No more monologue?”</p>
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<p>She bowed to them from the entryway and said, “Ioan, May Then My Name, thank you for hosting me and for all of your kindness.”</p>
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<p>Ey frowned. “But…?”</p>
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<p>“Yes. But I need out. I need to be elsewhere. I walked as far as I could into the hills from the lake and, while I found the boundary of the sim, it is far enough away that I do not think I will feel cramped.”</p>
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<p>“Wait, what? You’re moving to Arrowhead Lake?”</p>
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<p>“Wait, what? You’re going to stay at Arrowhead Lake?”</p>
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<p>“If you decide to keep my room here, I will come back, but, my dear, I am going to lose my fucking mind if I simply stay in–” She sighed, took a deep breath, recomposed herself. “I am going to spend a few days out at the lake. I need…away. I need away from walls. I need away from you two, nice as you are, away from all of your happiness and comfort. I need away from speaking, from dwelling on the last few weeks. I need solitude.”</p>
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<p>May had shied away from her down-tree instance the instant her temper started to rise, clutching tightly at eir hand, but Ioan stood eir ground as best ey could.</p>
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<p>“Well, alright. It’s no trouble keeping your room, of course, and I guess there’s tents already out there.”</p>
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<p>“Well, come on, then. Let’s get some food in you and we can take it easy for the night and finish the preparations in the morning.”</p>
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</article>
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<footer>
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<p>Page generated on 2022-04-19</p>
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<p>Page generated on 2022-05-17</p>
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