(no subject)

[sythyry]

Sympathy for the Dragon [9 Hispis 4262]

Codicil to Previous Entry: Yes, indeed, emotional manipulation is exceedingly effective. But there is a price. You cannot persuade Vae that you are sympathetic and needy without risking her trying to help. Today, at least, she was calm and contemplative about it.

Vae:"And what spell would be the best for you, do you think?"

Me:"How about no spells?"

Vae:"Not a single spell? The trying I shall do of that!"

Me:"Oh, excellent. Then I won't need to have The Conversation."

Vae:"Not The Conversation please!"

So we spoke of other things for a while -- mostly about whether Oixe would be a suitable consort for Vae. In brief, the answer is that neither of us has any idea, but in the ordinary course of events she wouldn't spend a lot of time with Oixe in any case. Just a few intensely romantic encounters now and then ... where by "romance" we must include "acts of violence which would kill three mighty Gormoror heroes".

And then Vae wrapped me in her tail. "And what spell would help you in your loneliness now?"

Me:"No spells, actually."

Vae:"Oh, the right, no spells."

So I gave her her presents of the day (a small pottery cup and some drowsy-making herbal tisane), and forgot to get stuff to embezzle, and flew off for home.

And of course the monster was blocking the way to the Halflight Gate.

Vae:"The apology! The spell for you, I forgot it!"

Me:"I didn't want a spell."

Vae:"I know, and I don't want to give you one, but what can I do?"

Me:"Um ... teleport home for long enough for me to get into the gate?"

Vae:"There's a huge sorrow on me, but not a bit can I do that."

Me:"What?"

Vae:"The spell I am going to give you, and soon. If you choose quickly I think I can give you one you choose."

Me:"How about a really good fireproofing spell?" Which, presumably, nobody would notice unless I started cuddling with the seven-winged burning thing, or someone looked at me with much magic sense. So it'd be safe.

Vae:"And will that help you find an Orren to love you?"

Me:"No, not really."

Vae:"Sythyry, please, I know you don't want a Mentador spell, and I can't keep from giving you something for much longer."

Me:"Oh ... then ... make me smell appealing I guess."

Vae looked greatly relieved. "The appealing smell I can do! The reasonably safe that sounds like, too." So she tapped me with her tail. "There's a great sorrow on me, but I couldn't help it. And shall I stay for The Conversation?"

Yes, she did, not that either of us expect it to do any good anymore.

The Outcome

Anoof:"Who's the lucky Cani girl?"

Me:"Um ... either Enziet or Narngi, I suppose."

Anoof:"You seduced either my fiancee or my ex-fiancee, but are not sure which one?"

Me:"Not that I noticed. Oh, no. Do I smell like I did?"

Anoof:"Specifically, you smell like you ..." He sniffed closely, and wagged his tail a lot. "No, you don't smell like you did. You don't smell like yourself at all. You smell like you are a Cani woman about to receive her lover."

So, not only won't it help me get Orren (since they can't really smell it), I also have to watch out for Cani. Which is better than, say, getting lynched because I have a mind control spell which rapes every Orren nearby. (I'd lynch me, if I had that. Or at least stay out out of town.)

And I'm not really angry at Vae this time. Annoyed with myself for not leaving when she managed to not to do anything the first time, viz. when it was still safe.

Still ... I hate my job.

Comments

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

That seems awfully simple for one of Vae's spells. Are you sure it's not doing something fancy?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Yes, in fact. She was trying not to do anything.

[blither.livejournal.com]

I am growing quite fond of Vae.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

I would gladly give her to you!

[blither.livejournal.com]

I must decline. I have two little monsters of my own!

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

[Bard goes snortle-snortle-snort!]

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Here is what I would do.

Come up with specific descriptions of some helpful spells that you wouldn't mind being cast on you, and give her written permission to cast those in appropriate situations (which you would describe and give examples of some situations where it would be appropriate, stuff that might actually ocme up) if she needs to satisfy her hard-wired need to cast spells on you, and say that you would give an altered version of the conversation that is nowhere near as bad, and involves thanking her for being part of this compromise.

[perlandria.livejournal.com]

Yes this. It is increasingly obvious she can't NOT cast on you any more than she can avoid her ummmmm innate reaction to being given gifts. Harness that power for yourself and if you don't want it cast on you, bring out a load of bread and have her turn it into copper or something. POOF, instant metal to embezzle. Everyone wins. Umm What is her Verb good for again?

[deor.livejournal.com]

Very good idea. And be very very very specific in those descriptions! You're just lucky that "smell nice" didn't end up making you smell like that carrion-scented Cani perfume, or something worse.

Precisely!

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

It occurs to me that Vae's need-to-cast-spells resembles an affliction known to monsters, which is called Tourette's Syndrome. It causes monsters to do involuntary things such as twitching or shouting obscenities. These involuntary impulses can be resisted only for a short time, rather like one can temporarily resist the urge to blink. So indeed, a good solution is to find a safe outlet.

In a roundabout way, any spell that makes Sythyry's life easier would reduce zir stress, thus perhaps making zir more attractive to potential mates. More directly, Sythyry might take Vae a bottle of perfume that smells sexy to Orren, and say, "Here is a bottle of Delightful River perfume. Cast a spell to make my natural body odor smell exactly like this for one week, and you can have the original bottle." Another possibility: "Here is are two loaves of bread, one for you to keep, and one for you to turn into an extravagant picnic lunch for a Zi Ri and an Orren (details of picnic)."

Now if I were the Duke, and I'd been hearing about Vae's spellcasting, I'd be thinking me some things like this: "Sythyry, there's a ratty little log bridge at (location) that needs repair. Have Vae turn it into a splendid stone bridge, and she can have half a day's worth of its tolls once a month ... every month she remains our ally." OR "Sythyry, there's this Herethroy village in a nice location but the soil is thin and poor. Fly over there with Vae and have her turn the soil thick and rich. The village hero will pay Vae in amusingly carved vegetables." Or if Mentador is merely frowned upon, but not quite illegal -- or if the laws apply only within city walls -- "Sythyry, meet Lord Stuffy. He's gravely displeased me, so I've sentenced him to torture-by-Vae. Tell her to turn his fond memory of codelieth perfume into a foreign language."

Because, you know, some of the time Vae's help would be *really helpful* ... and the rest of the time it would provide job security.

[xolo.livejournal.com]

How does it smell to non-Cani?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

A bit musky.

[stormydragon.livejournal.com]

Have you paused to consider the potentional implications of the fact that in Vae's mind 'smells nice' apparently means 'smells like horny Cani woman'?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure it comes from the Cani teen romance novel I gave her last week.

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

I do wonder about Vae, being brought up with Prime-ish sensibilities this way - is it possible she might become too 'nice' and civilized for the Nendrai society in which she should normally live?

Put another way, what if Vae began fancying Prime travellers as potential, well, maybe not mates but companions of the short time period?

[rowyn]

I don't think there is, exactly, a nendrai society for her to live in. Nendrai have customs amongst themselves, granted, but they're not really social enough with each other to have an actual society.

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

I think that would be DOOM with a capital OW for whoever she got her claws on.

I mean, literally. That seems to be part of Nendrai romance.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Very yes!

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Well, there isn't nendrai society. Nendrai don't like other nendrai very much, really. They're like Sleeth that way.

Oh, maybe it looks like they're like Zi Ri too, but they're really like Sleeth and not like Zi Ri. Zi Ri do like each other, just we also like our independence. And we don't injure each other casually the way nendrai and Sleeth do.

[cattitude.livejournal.com]

You're formal about it instead?

[stormydragon.livejournal.com]

Maybe she's hoping you'll sweep the Duke off his feet the next time you meet.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

...

you might be right

...

[stormydragon.livejournal.com]

What, you don't want to be a duchess?

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

I would see this as an opportunity to be more Transaffectionate then usual!

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

I promise to get to Cani some day, like a good little traff. Not today.

[esory.livejournal.com]

Emotional manipulation is far more potent than Vae's magic, indeed. You've used your weapon to devastating effect on Vae -- she has lost much blood (most of it from her eyes, granted) due to the Conversation alone. Meanwhile, her powers can't even help you get a date with the right species.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

I like that way of thinking about it!

... Not that her powers couldn't get me a date with the right species, or with an extremely sexy and accomodating spatiotemportal distortion either, for that matter. Just that it wouldn't be at all right or safe to do.

[esory.livejournal.com]

I don't know, it seems to me that for any appropriate definition of "date", Vae's powers are not useful. An artificial or mentally-compelled companion for an evening is not the same, in an important and meaningful sense even beyond questions of safety and morality. All right, maybe not beyond morality, but, well, you know what I mean. It's not a date if a monster's using 80 complexity magic to make it happen.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Hmm ... you tempt me to prove you wrong! I simply need to find an utterly berserk prime to agree to go on the date with me. A pity Jinthinia dumped me; she'd have been perfect.

And, yes, I am not keeping to the spirit of your dispute. I do know what you mean, and I agree with it.

[justicezero.livejournal.com]

Hrm.. I'm guessing that that scent isn't even specifically the best scent to attract -Cani-, given that they'll be aware of it and that it would be more than a little bit out of context even if you -were- a Cani girl.
Definitely agree that you should preemptively plan out a couple of spells that would actually be helpful, or at least not odd.

On the bright side, you don't have to worry about nosy Cani reading your mind for awhile!