110914-MeouetSami

 AA: Hi Meouet. Is this a good time?

 TC: Absoluṭely. I've finished sṭifling laughṭer. You may proceed.

 AA: Laughter? I never see you laugh! What happened?

 TC: Ṭhis whole land's mission is amusing. I mean, iṭ's ṭhe space aspecṭ land, so one would ṭhink our Veṭeran space player would be helpful.

 AA: I take it from your tone that Ryspor's not doing so hot?

 TC: Ṭhere is a book on ṭhis land in Libby's library. Iṭ has manifesṭed before.

 TC: Ryspor seems ṭo have walked inṭo a mosṭ amusing ṭrap by disrespecṭing ṭhe culṭure of ṭhis land. As did mosṭ of ṭhe children.

 AA: Yeah. After LOGAT I had assumed all the lands had manifested before at one time or another.

 AA: It's kind of nice to think that means that these worlds don't exist solely for our benefit. It means that they have a chance of doing okay even if we fail.

 TC: Iṭ makes sense ṭhaṭ ṭhe game would recycle code. Afṭer all, compuṭers aren'ṭ able ṭo creaṭe anyṭhing ṭruly random, I'm ṭold.

 AA: You would have to ask Doir about that. Or Jack. Though I'd rather not deal with Jack, and....sometimes I think Doir's ability with computers is not based on knowledge and he has just tapped into some sort of new-world magic.

 TC: I am much less afraid of Jack ṭhan before. Perhaps iṭ will warranṭ a discussion or ṭwo. He is probably bored ouṭ of his mind ṭrapped in ṭhaṭ bubble anyway.

 AA: Ughh. I don't know. I don't put it past Jack to be keeping up an act of having reformed for all these years just so our guard will be down when he finally acts.

 AA: But I guess I can't really be objective about that.

 AA: Just....if you do talk to him, be careful, okay?

 AA: I know the fact that he's fooled me before doesn't prove he's a master of manipulation....but he had Null pretty well convinced he was special, and I can't shake the feeling he's the reason she disappeared.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: And Null was a lot slower to trust people than I am.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Ṭhis is noṭ abouṭ ṭrusṭ.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Maybe that was the wrong word to use. She was a lot less easy to fool, maybe.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: If you insisṭ.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Aṭ any raṭe, whaṭ did you need?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: A lot less innocent.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: There's a girl on this team, Miloko. She's the Maid of Rage. And despite all my studies I only have a cursory understanding of Rage.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: I was wondering if you would mind tutoring her a little.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: We don't have any Maids left that can help her with that part, but she's really nervous about her aspect and....well, actually, about pretty much everything else.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Ah righṭ. I remember someone being announced wiṭh my aspecṭ.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: A maid? Hm. Well. I can aṭ leasṭ ṭalk ṭo her abouṭ iṭ. She'll aṭ leasṭ be more useful ṭhan I wiṭh iṭ.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: You were here for the entry announcements?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Said the girl with more irons on the fire than anyone I know other than Libby herself.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: I didn'ṭ say iṭ was aṭ enṭry.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: The only other announcements I know of are deaths and god tierings.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: And she's neither as near as I can tell.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: I also didn'ṭ say ṭhe game announced iṭ.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Oh.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: What kind of announcement then? Or is this another one of those "I don't know if I trust you enough to tell you that yet, Sami" moments you and Libby are so into these days?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: We're geṭṭing hung up on ṭhe word. Ṭhe poinṭ is ṭhaṭ I'm vaguely aware of ṭhis child.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Okay, yeah. Anyway, her handle is timidTheurge if you're interested in helping her out.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: More of an obligaṭion ṭo ṭhe aspecṭ. Ṭhank you for leṭṭing me know, Sami.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: And if you do, go easy on her, huh? I know you don't have a lot of patience for silliness, but the poor thing doesn't have a lot of confidence and I think going drill sergeant on her is just going to make her scared to come to you for any more advice.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Hm? I don'ṭ see myself as a difficulṭ person...

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Nor a Drill Sargeanṭ.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: ((sergeant ))

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Not difficult per se. But I remember back when you and I were still on pretty good terms how frustrated you would get with your teammates on Team Justice.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: And I don't think Milly's making any of the same sort of dumb mistakes they were, but I don't know for a fact she won't.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Iṭ may be an unforṭunaṭe side-effecṭ of having an exṭremely passive role. I can only observe, buṭ ṭhey go direcṭly ṭo acṭing, ofṭen wiṭhouṭ enough informaṭion. I will ṭake exṭra care ṭo be... lenienṭ? wiṭh my judgemenṭs.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Okay.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Heh. Remembering those days makes me miss you and me being closer. Or at least *I* thought we were closer.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: I would say I also miss iṭ, buṭ ṭhaṭ would be admiṭṭing ṭo enjoying ṭhe excessive drama ṭhaṭ comes wiṭh friendship in ṭhis group. I don'ṭ dislike you. I jusṭ don'ṭ wanṭ ṭo be parṭ of iṭ.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: And you think being moirails with Libby isn't full of drama?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Nah, nevermind, that's none of my business.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Surprisingly, iṭ lacks drama of ṭhaṭ kind. Ṭhough I appreciaṭe you undersṭanding ṭhaṭ boundary regarding my quadranṭ.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Still, if you ever decide you're lonely, I'm leaving the offer to be friends again on the table.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: I will keep iṭ in mind.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: All right. And even if you're "obligated" for the sake of your Aspect, thanks for agreeing to talk to Milly.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Oh! Have you gotten a chance to meet your kids yet?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Oh. Yes.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Yours?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: I've only met one of my sons so far. Darmok. He seems really sweet, even with all the shit he's been through.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: It's so sad that he....I don't know. Maybe he doesn't have to. But I don't know what the right thing to do on that score is.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: But that's a decision I have to make I think.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Hm?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Well, please ṭhink on your decision a biṭ longer ṭhan is usual. If iṭs for your child, aṭ leasṭ. Don'ṭ promise ṭhem away in an insṭanṭ, you know?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: That's kind of the opposite of what I'm thinking.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: I mean you're a seer. You probably know how it is. You have some knowledge of some horrible future, and you know something that might prevent it, but you're not sure what it's going to cost everyone else....and you're scared of doing what you have to do to prevent it....and you know one person who would be really hurt by it.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: But if you just let the future happen, someone else will definitely be really hurt by it.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: So either way you end up just crushing someone you love. And you're not even sure which way is going to help the survivors the most.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Why do you ṭhink I urged everyone ṭo scraṭch our session, Sami?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: God. It was so long ago....I forgot that you were the one urging it. I just remembered being the one to convince the others.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: So I don't even remember, I guess. I'm sorry.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Why did you urge us to scratch the session?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: For ṭhe same reason you are asking me ṭo undersṭand. I was ṭrying ṭo find ṭhe happiesṭ ouṭcome I could See. Even ṭhen iṭ sṭill hurṭ us. Ṭhis game is noṭ kind.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: No, it's not.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: I guess it won't hurt to tell you--I think that either me or Darmok has to die. Only I'm not at all certain that me dying will save Darmok. I've just been given reason to believe he won't survive if I do.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Which piece is he ṭo our new puzzle?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Which new puzzle?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Ṭhis session.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: You mean this session?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: He's the Bard of Blood.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: And....you know the stuff that happened to me that I can't actually talk about but that I think you figured out a long time ago anyway?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Apparently he takes after me in some respects.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Bonding can be fun. In many ways, I hear.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Yeah....I've been trying to make sure we really had a chance to do that before....whichever of us has to meet our fate meets our fate.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: I didn't find out until just recently that he might have a chance if I died....but the same person who told me that seems to think he would die anyway even if I did.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: But they weren't seeing the future. They were from alternate Timelines.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: And you would sacrifice yourself for ṭhe chance ṭhaṭ your suspicion is correcṭ? Wiṭhouṭ collecṭing more evidence?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: I haven't decided to sacrifice myself yet. I'm considering it.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: I suggesṭ waiṭing unṭil ṭhis fool of a son of mine has developed a more USEFUL grasp on his abiliṭies ṭo see Doom. He can guide you ṭhen.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Oh....you're not getting along with your kids, Meouet?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: It's not just because he's a boy is it?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: I haven'ṭ spenṭ a long ṭime wiṭh ṭhe girl. She seems sensiṭive.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Hmm. Sounds like someone else I know. =P

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Ryspor?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: I was talking about you.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: I don'ṭ know whaṭ you're ṭalking abouṭ. I'm in compleṭe conṭrol of my emoṭional specṭrum.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Oh, sure. I'm not arguing that. You keep your emotions under tight control.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: But I think you get hurt pretty easily.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: In facṭ, ṭhe boy is having issues wiṭh iṭ. I forbade him a relaṭionship for his own good. Iṭ may have spared his life. And yeṭ he believes we are now pursuing someṭhing caliginous.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: And we both know you don't like dealing with drama.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Problemaṭically, No does noṭ mean "no" in blackrom, so iṭ is difficulṭ ṭo escape. Perhaps I should ṭry agreeing wiṭh his sṭaṭemenṭs.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Not to get all psycho-analytical on you, but the fact you keep your emotions in check as much as you do kind of adds MORE evidence to the idea that you're senstive, to me. Makes me think you're worried about what will happen if you don't keep it all under control.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Wait....we're talking about the hate romance, right? You two are mother and son!

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Yes?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Ughh. Weird alien shit, I know. That whole quadrant still creeps me out.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: But it sounds to me like if you don't want him getting hate boners for you or whatever, you need to go super sweet fifties mom on his ass. Bake him cookies and kiss his forehead and tell him how proud you are of him.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Normally I would say ṭhe parenṭ is a lusus and ṭhere was never a meeṭing beṭween ṭhe ṭrolls parṭicipaṭing in ṭhe quadranṭ ṭo begin wiṭh.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: However, iṭ's my undersṭanding of ṭhaṭ universe ṭhaṭ he was raised by an inadequaṭe facsimile of myself.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: So he should have ṭhe same aversion ṭo iṭ as your human species.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: In ṭheory.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Ah. Ṭhaṭ may be clever... perhaps he will lose his feelings if I no longer presenṭ myself as a worṭhy adversary.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Yeah. There's supposed to be some sort of mutual antagonism in that spades quadrant, right? Not just domination or whatever.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Iṭ depends.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: I would ask Seriad.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Yeah, maybe I will at the next coven meeting.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: My undersṭandings of ṭhese romances are all scenarios run ṭhrough ṭhe mind.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Raṭher ṭhan acṭual applicaṭion.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Oh. Right.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Do you ever get lonely romantically, Meouet?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: I remember back before Beau and I got together I never even really thought of romance....at least not in regards to myself. So maybe it's not something you even want.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: But if it IS, I could try to set you up with someone.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: I don't have any ideas right now though.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: But I could keep an eye out if you'd like.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Iṭ's... complicaṭed. During our ṭime on ṭhe Ark, I did experience a momenṭ of desperaṭion. I acṭed on iṭ and ṭhe ouṭcome was unforṭunaṭe and unfulfilling.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Oh....the Kate thing.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Buṭ if I'm honesṭ ṭhere is always someṭhing ṭhaṭ feels like iṭ is missing.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: I'm noṭ sure if ṭhaṭ is because everyone else is flaunṭing ṭheir affecṭions and haṭred. Or ṭhaṭ I am passively always sensing ṭhem anyway.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: I'm sure I will find ṭhe reason for iṭ someday.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Well....it's nice. Having someone to care about that way. And knowing that someone cares about you that way.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: So if you ever decide you'd like to try it out, I'd be willing to help you look for someone.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: I can be your wingman!

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Our selecṭion has increased.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Iṭ may be worṭh humoring.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Aṭ any raṭe. ṭimidṬheurge, you said iṭ was?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Yeah.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: I will send her a message shorṭly. Ryspor is busy collecṭing wishes as a golden sṭaṭue, bulge bared.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: I have no inṭeresṭ in waṭching.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: That....was a strange thing you just said.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: This world you're on sounds really interesting.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: But yeah, kinda glad I'm not having to see his "bulge" either.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Iṭ's acṭually very sṭraighṭforward. Iṭ's jusṭ a parṭy of desṭrucṭive fools.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Ṭhis is ṭhe problem.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> AA: Oh my. That seems to happen to you a lot.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: I am beginning ṭo ṭhink my sṭandards are ṭoo high. We will see.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> TC: Ṭhank you for ṭhe conversaṭion, Sami.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"><span style="color:rgb(100,149,237);">AA: Sure thing. Any time.