(no subject)

[sythyry]

The Chase, in Eigrach [5 Thory 4385]

My Strayway hat was still on the boardwalk where I had left it. In water-form, I could nearly have curled up inside it; wearing it as hat was impracticable. I curled around it, instead, and waited for Thory's noonish sun (dripping two long curls of flame, as it happened) to dry me off.

At a table, with a half-empty chalice of kathia and a mostly-empty plate formerly of guinea-pig and noodles, was a tall and handsome black-furred Cani man wearing a slightly wrinkled plum waistcoat and a slightly tilted plum beret. He held a wood-bound copy of Basically Bereft in one hand, occasionally glancing at it, mostly gazing across the pond.

I caught his eye, and smiled. He fidgeted with his beret, but couldn't seem to make it go flat on his head. This, by Jyondre's advice, was quite encouraging.

I stretched up. "Hello, O Cani of Eigrach!" My seductive repartee is peerless and brilliant, honed by over a century of, um, neglect.

He nodded cheerfully down to me. "Ah, hello. I mean, well, hello."

At this point I realized I didn't have a good idea how to proceed. My usual manuals of tactics recommend acquiring targets of conversation from materials readily at hand. "Forgive me, but I'm new to town. I mean, newly arrived. What is Basically Bereft about?"

"What, what?" He blinked down at me, then at his book. "Oh, that. It's a book."

"Ah, a book ... we have them in Ketheria as well," I said. "What is it about, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It's about my-colo grandparents, and others, arriving here with very little, carving out the first of the city-state of Eigrach from the forces of General Gerxghar," said the Cani. He adjusted his hat, which still didn't sit quite properly. "My wife's sister-sister wrote it."

"It sounds interesting! I know regrettably little about Eigrach, and about the inhabitants of Eigrach and their ways. I should like to look at it! Is it in a bookstore about here?"

He nodded. "I imagine it could be bought in one with relative ease. I appreciate your interest, to be sure."

"Or perhaps you could tell me somewhat about it." My fur was nearly dry by then, and my watershape slipped away like water through my claws. I put my hat on, rather off to the side. "Ho. I think I should go get dressed first. Perhaps behind that crimson-flowering bush on the other side of the island..."

He smiled wide, and I scampered off. This was going to be fun!

...

Ten minutes later, no Cani had shown up. I peeked out. The Cani gentleman exchanged a sizzling glance with a strapping and dripping Orren man striding purposefully from Nupyup Pond to the café. The Orren scampered up the stairs to the second floor. The Cani paid his tab in a relaxed and unrelated manner, and sauntered into the first floor of the café. A moment later a black-furred hand closed the drapes on a second-floor window.

Well, Eigrach is a small city. Probably the people who come to Nupyup Pond for noontime assignations on the fifth of Thory have also come on the fourth, and third, and the fifth of Thory the previous year as like as not, and they have their regular patterns and their regular playmates. A newcomer has to work harder.

Comments

[rowyn]

I am the very glad that I have never had the need for hook-ups. This sounds not merely difficult, but sort of ... I don't know. To me, meeting a stranger in the hopes of having sex doesn't sound like much fun.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

I don't think that the Cani and the Orren in this scene were strangers to each other. I think they were familiar, though illicit, lovers.

For my part, this is an Adventure. And an important part of the traff (hence, illicit) experience in Srineia, according to Jyondre.

Adventure!

[rowyn]

That's true! So surely you're getting Adventurer experience for this, and you'll be better at it next time. O:)

Re: Adventure!

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Exactly. And I cast more spells than was convenient, because that's useful, too.

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

I think it sounds like fun, but I don't think I could ever make myself do it. x.x It's hard enough asking people that you already know are interested!

[rowyn]

I don't have much trouble asking people I already know are interested! n.n It's figuring out they're interested that's hard.

And I guess it might be fun to hook up with a stranger, but not nearly as much fun as making out with someone I know and really like!

[bloofox.livejournal.com]

Poor thing. I keep hoping more and more that you'll find some nice Orren to frolic around with.

[mharreff.livejournal.com]

For that, perhaps zie uses the form that is not an Orren? Rassimel, perhaps. Then zie finds the traff Orren, not the Orren that think they are being cisaffectionate.

If that Orren is the open-minded Orren, perhaps that Orren does not mind if zie uses an Orren body another time. But such sorcery draws attention... so perhaps not.

[deor.livejournal.com]

I am confused about how this attempted seduction, while in Orren shape, squares with your refusal of attempted seduction, while in Orren shape, just a little while ago. You said you didn't want to lie to someone - "Not even the implicit lie that I am an Orren just because I look like one" - for the sake of seducing them. But - isn't this the same thing? You are attempting to seduce someone who is interested in Orren, yet you yourself are not innately Orren.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

The Cani is traff, and, thus, knows he is enjoying a member of another species: which is true, and which is what matters. The Orren is cissy, and thinks he is enjoying a member of the same species, which is false.

[Sythyry's logic is shaky in at least two ways here. Know anyone else whose logic gets shaky when they're thinking of taking lovers? -bb]

In any case, the actual events proceeded in unquestionable honesty.

[Sythyry is wrong again. -bb]

The Return of the Plum Waistcoat

[alex-muridae.livejournal.com]

Hmm...interesting; back in Vheshrame, a century and change ago, a purple waistcoat was mistaken by a Cani as an invitation to a Rassimel. I wonder if it's custom in Eigrach that a Cani wear a similar coat, though without the gold, to compliment the tilt of their hat...Unless, of course, I mistake plum and purple.

It would amuse me if this pair of customs were linked. And, on a related aside, do we know how recently Eigrach was founded? Perhaps I simply can't remember.

Re: The Return of the Plum Waistcoat

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

I think that the color is generally well-liked because, first of all, the dye comes from an herb neither particularly common nor particularly rare; and second, that it looks good with many colors of fur.

Eigrach was founded a century or so ago. I can't remember exactly.