(no subject)

[sythyry]

Fair Trade [6 Consimbs 4261]

I didn't entirely avoid nausia-sickness, I'm afraid. Later that afternoon, though, I did get an admiring look from Prof. Wynge for vomitting on a nendrai and surviving.

Though it did rather catch her attention, the way an emergency does. She instantly stopped crying and got calm and collected and moving much faster than someone so big has any right to. The nausea wasn't due to any attack, though, so she simply did me the kindness of teleporting us back to the Halflight Gate. Where she felt the need to apologize for a variety of things, which included:

Apology	My Response
For being the most horrible monster that ever came to Ketheria.	To point out that she was not. At the very least, there was an exceedingly large slug that surely is a better contender for the honor.
For not taking us inside sooner when I was so obviously ill.	Her hide was the one that suffered for it! (Though, technically, it did not suffer; some of her many many layered defensive spells disposed of the vomitus before it could touch her.)
For casting spells on me without my consent.	"Consider The Conversation had." I was too rattled to actually have it, and she knows it by heart besides.
For consecrating things so badly.	It's quite all right. (It is, too, or so I hope. I have no idea what she meant by that.)
For living in a galangal root.	I've lived in worse.
For not showing me around the rest of the house.	Some other time, Vae. (I'm quite sure this was the diplomatic answer. I'd really rather not see any more of it.)
For offending me.	I'm fine, really.
For being the most horrible monster that has come to Vheshrame this century to date.	"That's so specific as to barely be worth worrying about. I, myself, am the most horrible criminal to sleep in the fireplace of the Carcanofex Suite in Quelldrie House."

At which point, she said, "I wish I could see Quelldrie House."

My reply was, perhaps, the most foolish thing I have ever said, but I was rattled. "I can show you."

Vae:"And you can? Not you're going to smuggle me into Vheshrame somehow?"

Me:"Oh, nothing so big as that. I'll buy a simple enough Sustenoc spell, and capture some pictures in nuts, and bring them out to show you."

Vae:"Oooh, I'd love that!" She got all panty and eager in a way that bothers me some, and, honestly, bothers her more.

Me:"I do want something in exchange though."

Vae:"And what's that?"

Me:"That Gormoror."

Vae:"... oh! ... Well, I ... suppose so. The I'll want very good pictures though. The ones that work with all my senses."

Me:"How about just all my senses? 'cause you've got seven-times-twelve times as many as me."

Vae:"Well, only eight or nine times."

Me:"Well, I can't do that, I'm not nearly good enough."

Vae:"Oh, that's too bad..."

Me:"You can do that spell, can't you?"

Vae:"Well, the I can, yes. A scrying spell? The I thought that was not to be allowed in the city." She had the decency to look embarrassed.

Me:"A scrying spell, no, but a recording spell ought to be. Though I'll have to get some permission to do this one."

Vae:"I'll make a seashell straightaway." And she did, with, of course, an insanely complicated spell on it.

There were more details, but they're in the official report. Prof. Gostegg was dragged to the gate to examine the spell, using the Eye of Mirizan and Melizan. (He went to the wrong gate at first, for extra helpfulness, and I wound up flying halfway around the city.) Kaim-Su was then given a full report, and decided he couldn't let a nendrai's recording spell into the city on his own, so he asked the Duke, who made Hezimikkinen deal with it, and ...

Not long before nightfall -- and incidentally standing Ilottat up -- I had the pleasure of scooting around Quelldrie House holding a seashell with an insanely complicated spell on it, to rescue someone whose name I didn't even know.

Dustweed:"Sythyry, why are you flying around the whole house waving that very magical seashell?"

Me:"Why, to rescue someone whose name I didn't even know, of course. What did you think?"

Dustweed:"But you already have an Orren lover!"

Me:"This one's a Gormoror."

Dustweed:"I didn't know you liked Gormoror."

Me:"I don't like Gormoror."

Dustweed:"Then why are you doing it?"

Me:"Because I'm pretty sure that my great-grandparent sent him to rescue me, but it didn't work out very well for him."

Dustweed:"Are you sure you're not an adventurer?

Me:"Absolutely sure. A true adventurer wouldn't have asked permission to bring the thing in the gate."

Which is a total lie. This matter was an entire and whole adventure, I'm sure of it, and a quite foolish one that's entirely too close to treason and/or doorwaying to be the least bit comfortable.

But I'd never seen anyone turned inside-out before.

Comments

[redbird]

I'm sure it's not treason, or even close--you have the explicit approval of the Duke. I doubt it's doorwaying, though it seems a bit closer to that (to the extent that this monster understands the nuances of that law).

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Well, it would be treason if I hadn't gotten permission, and it would be doorwaying if we hadn't checked the spell so closely. It wasn't treason and it wasn't doorwaying, but if someone decided to lynch me for treason and/or doorwaying over it, I'd be very lucky to manage to explain the matter to their satisfaction. Too close for true peace of mind, don't you know?

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Wow. Sythyry... You have just done something that, for what its worth, strikes me as very noble of you. I'm proud of you, oh Zi Ri.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

OK, now the monsters think I'm noble. I'm definitely an adventurer.

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Well, let me make sure we are talking about the same thing. I'm saying you did something noble to mean, "you did a worthy action that speaks well of your character and sense of morality."

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

We are talking about the same thing. I'm simply feeling more doomed about it than you are.

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Oh, well, hmmm. I'd say, you might want to learn some survival tips from older Zi Ri adventurers or ex-adventurers that are still alive. Especially the ones that adventured early in their careers.. I have grown fond of your journal from afar, and would hate to see you dead..

[galis.livejournal.com]

She's shown you her house... next, she'll be introducing you to her parents, Sythyry.

Does anyone in Vheshrame sell life insurance, and can you lie plausibly enough to get a policy? (despite that no one in their right mind would insure you right now)

[goodluckfox.livejournal.com]

Oh, I don't know... selling a life insurance policy to a Zi Ri strikes me as a good investment. As long as he doesn't die, the premiums are collected each month for ETERNITY.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

If I get a rider which pays out every time someone gets my gender wrong, it's not such a good deal!

(There's only one choice!)

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Many of us monsters are using a language for which the masculine pronoun is often the generic pronoun, and exist in a society that only has two genders. In fact, the term "zie" or "zir" isnt technically part of the language that your journal is being translated into for us. We have to consciously think to use these new terms... Give us a little credit -- there are major social and language barriers to think about, and major habits for us to rethink... anyway, thats why we sometimes call you "him" or "he".

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

That's ridiculous. How could you have pronouns based on gender?

And why are you calling me a boy anyways? When I'm not a Zi Ri I'm usually a girl these days.

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

How do we have pronouns based on gender?

Because we only have one intelligent species on our planet. Only humans, and the main distinguishing characteristic between all intelligent life that we have had direct contact with is whether or not the individual is male or female.

And I think I called you a boy a long time ago, once, and I have made a solid effort to use the correct pronouns from now on. As for other people, I cant really say.

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

Hey, there are languages that have pronouns based on how well you know the person. }:P Abbreviations don't have to be logical.

[galis.livejournal.com]

This would be for Zi Ri who are not Sythyry, though.

[goodluckfox.livejournal.com]

We have a saying, Sythyry. "An adventure is a story about someone having a bad day." So, yes, I think you are certainly having an adventure.

Fun fact: It's possible to fall off our world in such a manner that you fall FOREVER, but instead of falling towards the ground, you fall through the sky and pass completely around our world over and over and over again. (Yes, it takes some doing, but it's possible). I mention that in retaliation for exposing us to the nonsensities of YOUR world. :)

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

I don't want to think about that. I have vomitted on enough monsters for one month already.

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Oooh! think about it some more! Here, let me confuse you some! Our world is a really really big ball, and gravity pulls things towards the center of it. In our universe, the bigger and heavier something is, the more gravity pulls other things to it. And the closer you get to these really big things, the stronger gravity is. Anyway, we all live on the surface of this sphere, and if you use a particular type of airship to push off far enough away so that the pull isnt particularly strong... you go into 'freefall', which means that, with the forward momentum you have, you just keep on falling... but you are falling so slowly, that you are falling around the sphere without actually getting any closer to it!

So thats what goodluckfox is saying, in more detail.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

The way one-half is like two-thirds, yes.

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Oh, I took away my reply that you just responded to here and made a version of it that says a bit more info. And anyway, what do you mean by two thirds?

If a sphere is rotating on an axis that is vertical, and is bathed in light from a light source that is horizontal to the sphere, than half of the time, half of the sphere will be in darkness, or night.. and one full rotation would be a full day and night cycle.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Yes. And a proper day is twice as long as the night, as ours is.

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Well, in universes other than the world tree, there is no need for a day to technically be twice as long as the night... BUT... that doesnt mean that the world is in *complete* darkness all the time... because of the way light works in our world, it bounces off of things and, oftentimes, the world is just in twilight or partial, indirect light.

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

Can't argue with that. Especially after months of winter where the nights are twice as long as the days.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Ah, you live in the World of Darkness! I think I've heard of that.

[yotogi.livejournal.com]

*cracks up*

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

[Bard smirks a whole lot!]

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Oh yea, and since our sun is far away and *beside* our sphere, or planet, and our planet rotates, pretty much all of the planet is bathed in light half each day, much like your tree! Even though our sun is on *all the time*! neat, no?

[chipuni.livejournal.com]

How terribly wasteful! If you have a world where you're only bathed in light half the time, your sun should only be on half the time!

Your creator-gods should have a serious talking to.

[esory.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Sythyry. Again.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

I hereby blink in utter confusion.

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

But hopefully more pleasant confusion, having been complimented by a nice Rassimel!

Quick question re: Vae

[vik_thor]

How long have you been ambasadoring to Vae? and how did you meet her?
I tried searching back through your journal, and couldn't find the entry... I'm trying to figure out how old she is...

I'm glad you survived the visit to Vae's house! and hope you are able to rescue the Gormoror.

Re: Quick question re: Vae

[zeeth_kyrah]

At the moment, I think she's about a year and a half short of sexual maturity, whatever age that is for a nendrai. After a quick search, here's the entry header: "A Very Strange Orren [18 Lage 4261]"

Re: Quick question re: Vae

[vik_thor]

Thank you!

Re: Quick question re: Vae

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Since the eighteenth of Lage -- follow this link to the story.

She's somewhat younger than me.

I'm glad I survived the visit, too. Thanks.

Re: Quick question re: Vae

[vik_thor]

Thank you for the info!

[kris-schnee.livejournal.com]

I laughed repeatedly at this.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Some of my friends did too. I need new friends.