From db89c97ecb8aeeb81bc9936c216bdcece4ea5e2f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Madison Scott-Clary Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2021 00:20:12 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] update from sparkleup --- writing/meeting-of-one.html | 10 +++++----- 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-) diff --git a/writing/meeting-of-one.html b/writing/meeting-of-one.html index ed22599c2..f7aca5531 100644 --- a/writing/meeting-of-one.html +++ b/writing/meeting-of-one.html @@ -13,7 +13,7 @@

Meeting of One

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Ioan Bălan, despite all attempts to keep emself from sinking into the depths of whatever it was studying, always managed to find emself mired in details ey could not hope to escape. They twined and twisted around eir wrists, tripped em up about the ankles, and tugged em ever deeper into the fractal complications of whatever topic ey decided would be the subject of eir next work.

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Ioan Bălan, despite all attempts to keep emself from sinking into the depths of whatever ey was studying, always managed to find emself mired in details ey could not hope to escape. They twined and twisted around eir wrists, tripped em up about the ankles, and tugged em ever deeper into the fractal complications of whatever topic ey decided would be the subject of eir next work.

The current subject was spurred note ey had received titled “The Joseph Chace Friends Meeting”.

The name alone was enough to grab Ioan’s attention. Was it a meeting of one person’s friends? If so, why was it tagged ‘religion’? What would they meet about? A fan-club, perhaps? Those still lingered, even in this post-self society.

The note read:

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Many thanks,

Joseph Chace (Prime)

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This was not the first religious movement that Ioan had found or been asked to investigate, though it was certainly the oldest. As an historian, ey was well acquainted with the unspoken maxim that, should one wish to be at the center of grand changes, whether in society or in thought, one ought to hang around centers of religion. In the past, ey had followed (with a fork, natch) more than one cult in whatever state of formation.

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This was not the first religious movement that Ioan had found or been asked to investigate, though it was certainly the oldest. As an historian, ey was well acquainted with the unspoken maxim that, should one wish to be at the center of grand changes, whether in society or in thought, one ought to hang around centers of religion. In the past, ey had followed (safely, of course) more than one religion in whatever state of formation.

Ah well, it was worth checking out, was it not?

As easy as forking one’s personality was within the system, it always felt to Ioan as though it came with a brief thrill of splitting: a sudden doubling, a sudden branching of experiences. Four hands were better than two, though.

Ey forked a new copy of emself so that ey could continue eir work, and the fork accepted Chace’s invitation, blipping out of eir home sim and into sunlight scattered on a fine lawn.

Ey was greeted by Joseph Chace. A Joseph Chace, ey soon realized, for the unassuming building, low-slung and painted drab, seemed to be populated entirely by copies of the same person.

“Joseph? Uh…Chace Prime?” Ioan asked.

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“No, I’m Chace Epsilon. Prime’s setting up, but we’ve all been briefed. Ioan, yes? A pleasure to meet you.”

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“Chace Epsilon, actually. Prime’s setting up, but we’ve all been briefed. Ioan, yes? A pleasure to meet you.”

Ioan bowed. The Chaces were a pleasant group and Ioan found emself liking them immediately. The taste of their dress was close to eir own faux-academic garb, all tweed suits and rumpled dress shirts and wire-rimmed glasses. Ioan could easily picture any one of them as a colleague, had ey chosen academia. They were unfailingly kind to the last.

“So, what exactly is being set up? What is the procedure?”

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“We’re getting the meeting house ready,” Chace Epsilon explained. “We could have made it so that it was in a permanently set-up state, but we realized early on the utility of having to arrange chairs, start the coffee to brewing, and unlock the doors. Something about the preparation of the space is as much a part of the experience as actually sitting in silence.”

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“We’re getting the meeting house ready,” Chace Epsilon explained. “We used to have it in a permanently set-up state, but we realized early on the social utility of having to arrange chairs, start the coffee to brewing, and unlock the doors. Something about the preparation of the space is as much a part of the experience as actually sitting in silence.”

Ioan followed the Chace along a stepping-stone path through shrubbery to the building’s gated entrance. “I have noticed that a lot of rituals, if you will pardon the term, have an aspect of opening and closing, whether it’s a sentinel and passphrase to enter the space, or even just a shaking of hands at the beginning.”

The Chace nodded, beaming. The clade had clearly decided that this academic look should come with a kindly, wrinkled face, and the expression pleased Ioan immensely.

The gate unlocked, Ioan was led into a perfectly square room. Chairs, padded and upright, were arranged in an octagon within that space, truncating the corners to leave room for slow-spinning rattan fans with aged motors and antique lamps. Chaces in varied attire were filing in and sorting themselves into the chairs, talking in obviously well-acquainted clusters.

“We’re all here on the same footing,” Chace Epsilon explained. “You know how this works?”

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“I think so. Silence unless one have something to say, right?”

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“I think so. Silence unless one has something to say, right?”

Epsilon nodded, “As an observer, I’d like to suggest that you remain in silence for the meeting. You’re free to take notes, however.”

After the last of the Josephs Chace filed into the room and had taken their seats, one of them — Prime, Ioan assumed — stood and spoke. “Welcome, all. Today, we will wait in expectant silence. If you are called to give vocal ministry, please stand and say your name. Please give time for the meeting to digest any testimony afterward.”

And with that, the meeting began. Prime sat down once more and the room fell to silence broken only by breathing and the occasional shuffle of legs being crossed or uncrossed.