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[sythyry]

Still Doesn't Count [21 Nivvem 4261]

Before work today, I had lunch with Seeks-Rectangles-And-Leeks Strenata, at home. In private. This does not count as breaking my swearing-off-of-Orren-and-Traff because:

1. It's for work.
2. Strenata and I broke up a long time ago.
3. Strenata and I were never actually involved.
4. It counts.

The Duke evidently wants to distress Daukrhame, just a touch, and then visibly rescue them. I suppose Daukrhame is getting a bit too independent for his tastes. Or, knowing the Duke as well as I do ... um ... that's wrong. Pretending to know the Duke as well as I pretend to do, (and not being aware of anything that Daukrhame has actually done lately) I suppose he's calculated that it's a good time to intimidate them delicately and remind them of just how important it is for them to stay unquestionably and unquestioningly inside of Vheshrame's sphere of influence.

(And, if our sphere of influence was ever actually a sphere, it looks like Vae got ahold of it in a particularly violently weepy mood.)

Me:"I have the perfect way to distress Daukrhame just a touch. Someone must drive a red-hot copper needle into the stiff yet juicy rump of Prince Nestrune."

Seeks-Rectangles-And-Leeks:"You've been spending too much time with your lab partner, haven't you?"

Me:"That, and too much time at work."

Seeks-Rectangles-And-Leeks:"Vae talks about that sort of thing?"

Me:"Occasionally. She does it more often than talk about it, really."

Seeks-Rectangles-And-Leeks:"I can't imagine her describing anyone's rump that way. You must be feeling particularly traff today, Sythyry."

Me:"Comes of swearing off Orren and traff-folk, I suppose."

Seeks-Rectangles-And-Leeks:"I'm Orren, or I was the last time I checked."

Me:"You don't count. You're nobility."

Which, while it was not particularly useful for the work discussion, at least left Seeks-Rectangles-And-Leeks spluttering and hissing for nine minutes.

In any case, we decided not to involve Vae in the causing of distress (unless the Duke or someone dictates otherwise). We don't want to make her look like a problem Vheshrame can't or won't deal with. (She is ultimately such a problem.) Also, she's not very good at keeping secrets, and it would be an extra work and a half getting her to do something in a way that wouldn't get back to Daukrhame somehow.

Depending on the distress, though, we might use her for un-distressing them.

Me:"I'm sure I'll be doomed in the un-distressing."

Seeks-Rectangles-And-Leeks:"You can have the city hire Jinthinia. Oh, but you swore off of non-noble Orrens... Does that mean you're going to crawl back to Ilottat?"

Me:"The next time Jarmiet comes in, I shall have her prepare you a nice chalice of soap tea, for suitable mouthwashing."

Seeks-Rectangles-And-Leeks:"I look forward to gargling bubbles. Seriously, though, she needs the money, and if you're in charge you get to hire people."

Me:"I'm in charge?"

Seeks-Rectangles-And-Leeks:"If Vae's involved, you will be."

Me:"The doom!"

Other Interference

This is actually two days ago, but never mind that.

My ~mother~ has decided that I should enter a correspondence with one or two other young Zi Ri.

Me:"I suppose you expect grandchildren any week now?"

~mother~:"I am not nearly so ambitious. I barely even expect a civil conversation with you. Even if I am paying your allowance quite generously. Without interfering in your somewhat excessive restaurant bills."

Me:"Just the spell bills -- the ones which could, potentially, save my life if I actually had them?"

~mother~:"The ones which would lead you into dangerous situations, thinking that a spell could save your life. Yes, those."

Me:"I believe you misspoke. I heard you say 'spells', but you clearly meant 'duke'."

~mother~:"I don't expect the duke to save your life. We've got better approaches than that."

Me:"Approaches which do not involve me becoming better able to take care of myself, no matter how urgent the matter feels."

~mother~:"You are talking like an adventurer. I won't have it."

Me:(nothing)

Me:(continues to say nothing except in response to direct questions for another hour or two)

The official at the Bank of Teleporting Hexagons passed two names and addresses to me, along with my allowance, this afternoon. I suppose I shall write to them, as civilly as I can arrange.

Comments

[cattitude.livejournal.com]

Perhaps you should ask the other Zi Ri what they've sworn off.

[zeeth_kyrah]

I suppose I shall write to them, as civilly as I can arrange.

Meaning you get to learn a new kind of diplomacy, wherein you persuade these fine creatures to join you in writing as if you were friends, no matter how far distant you might truly be (both in location and emotion).

[dracosphynx.livejournal.com]

You can ask the Zi Ri if they know any Orren!

Or perhaps ask if they have any better experiences about dealing with nendrai. Then, if they don't, you can offer to introduce them to Vae. They might decide to stop writing to you then.

[kris-schnee.livejournal.com]

Surely there's a way to become stronger without anything so uncouth as buying spells. Instead, you could simply have several Orren brawl with you until you've been repeatedly flattened, which will improve your constitution, right? How could your parents object to that sensible strategy of breaking some bones instead of studying?

[tundra-no-caps.livejournal.com]

Pssst, do I know you?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

No, but evidently you should.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

I'll recommend it to them straightaway.

[tundra-no-caps.livejournal.com]

So another question. How did you find me?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's an easy one. I found you when you commented "Pssst, do I know you?" in my journal. That's the first I heard of you, I think.

[tundra-no-caps.livejournal.com]

So you are not zhaleskra?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

No -- why on wood might you think we were the same?

[tundra-no-caps.livejournal.com]

His user-info states:

"The author will not answer any questions that can be answered by reading any one of the following things: sythyry's journal, the worldtree community, the World Tree rulebook, or the World Tree web page."

I wonder why an IC LJ friended my totally OoC LJ.

And kids, it's OoC, not OOC.

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

It's my acronym and I can capitalize it how I want to.

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

Talking to other young zi ri sounds like a good idea, and I think you're being entirely too hostile towards it.

Not that I should talk, I always hated being forced to be pen pals with people. I could never remember to actually send them letters...

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

So, briefly, zie said, "I won't answer things that the Standard Sources answer." Which does not instantly suggest to me that zie is one of the Standard Sources -- indeed, it suggests the absolute contrary -- but I do not fully appreciate the subtleties of your intellect.

I wonder why an IC LJ friended my totally OoC LJ.

I am sure that the answer to that question is not found in the Standard Sources.

And kids, it's OoC, not OOC.

No; the English rules of abbreviation are not deterministic. Sorry if it upsets you, with your obvious hatred of majescules, but OOC is correct usage.

[zhaleskra.livejournal.com]

[OoC:Mixing the capital and lowercase letters can aid understanding in some cases though.

Zhaleskra is my dominant internet name and I figured since my last journal was named for an RPG character and not in character, it makes more sense to have a character-named journal be in character . . . mostly. Bjorn]

[tundra-no-caps.livejournal.com]

Your humor is not, well, humorous.

Also, by that account you'll tell me the sentence "I've played a RPG" is correct, which it is not.

[tundra-no-caps.livejournal.com]

Rules are deterministic, they merely have exceptions. Were they not deterministic they would not be rules.

What are the whole "I before E except..." if not that?

I do not hate majuscules, my user-name has its own reasons. Mind, were I a hater of all capital letters, I wouldn't use them, as I did with the first O and the C.

"I am sure that the answer to that question is not found in the Standard Sources."

Touche.

And as to Zie, from a brief reading you may also assume that is an IC LJ, so he won't answer in regards to the IC world or to his OoC presence, which led me to believe, that you is he.

[tundra-no-caps.livejournal.com]

Yo RM, good luck with this journal.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Rules are deterministic, they merely have exceptions. Were they not deterministic they would not be rules.

A truly original interpretation of the concept! A venture into territory unexplored by scholars! ... though, perhaps, not by politicians.

I do not hate majuscules, my user-name has its own reasons.

It is customary, at this point, to provide a darkly-tinged, grim backstory. One suspects, now, that a small hat killed your maiden aunt. But perhaps one has been spending too much time at L'Epee Epicee.

And as to Zie, from a brief reading you may also assume that is an IC LJ, so he won't answer in regards to the IC world or to his OoC presence, which led me to believe, that you is he.

Of course, since you are surely correct about him not answering, there is no need to try the experiment. Instead, there can be no more sensible option to take than ask your question in a different IC LJ, where, of course, quick, reliable, informed, and friendly answers will be swiftly provided.

Which is actually how it happened, so, naturally, all of your suspicions are confirmed.

Which is to say, sorry about your maiden aunt, or whatever.

[justicezero.livejournal.com]

Oh, do respond to those names you have been given! No doubt they too have been directed to be in touch with you under situations equally as ignoble and annoying to themselves in magnitude as your own. It would by unfair to consider them associated with your ~mother~'s irritation, as no doubt they are having similar headaches with their own sires.
Certainly the act of writing such correspondence will aid you for at least some portion of a day in the swearing off of Orren! And their association may present you with some form of diplomatic excuse to evade some form of doom!

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

At this rate, you're about to tell me that Hitler was a great man and that the universe was created in 1997 by the aftershock of Saddam Hussein's birth.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

I don't know about that sort of thing, but trout do grow in trees, and ice cream is an excellent construction material.

[yotogi.livejournal.com]

Is that an inverse Godwin there?

[tundra-no-caps.livejournal.com]

The question is whether you object to the humorous bit or the grammatical bit.

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Supposing that these zi-ri are young as you are, it might not be a bad idea to write them wondering if they have been, likewise, directed to write other zi-ri - perhaps you and they can exchange tips on dealing with difficult parents!