IC: Questions for Vae

[sythyry]

Vae, in admiration of hCevian's intrepidity and social eagerness, also voluntears [sic] to answer questions. 

Comments

[mmsword.livejournal.com]

How is romance different between nendrai and primes? How is it the same?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

The primes court very quickly. The strange ways do they court also, for nendrai court by showing off our most impressive features, the ones that important to life as a mated pair, but primes show off their most frivolous ones when they go on recreational dates. The nendrai are far more chaste than most primes as well. The nendrai romance is for finding a long-term mate; for primes, it is not so.

The joy that comes from twining your neck with your mate, when you have finally found her: that is the same.

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

What is your opinion of your creator god?

Also, why do you think so many creatures on your world are made with traits specifically to make primes' lives hard? How does this reality make you feel?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Not highly do I regard my creator god, but with the hatred and the wrath!

The thought is on me that the gods have made us as trials and torments for the primes, as obstacles against them, as scenery against which they may achieve greatness. The opinion I have of Gnarn is due to this thought, and many others.

[Oh, Gavin, look what you've done. You've gone and made her cry. My keyboard's all bloody, and ... ow! I cut my finger on one of her glass-shard teardrops! Sheesh!]

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

To what extent is it theoretically possible to change that part of your nature? Would that involve making you into something that you are not, a different person? If the answer to both of those is 'yes, it is possible, and yes it would make me a different person', would you do it anyway?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Not a bit can I do that. The grand battle I must make if anyone tries to do it to me.

The certainly I would, for not so dearly do I love being Vae.

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

What gives you your greatest joy? Not the compulsive joys that you have no choice for having joy over, but your greatest natural Joy, that you can choose to experience?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

The friendship and the love, and what did you think? The very lonely nendrai am I, even at best.

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

I honestly thought it would be something to do with friendship, but I didn't know exactly what part of it your answer would be. People can get very poetic with responding to that sort of question.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Not a poet am I; there is no art of any sort in me.

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

You should encourage some art then! Choose some harmless type of artistic style (ask the people on the ship for suggestions), and practice some art! It will give you something interesting to do, and since it's art, it's something you won't master, you can just keep getting better and better at it!

Alternatively, is Sythyry thinks this is an absolute terrible idea, maybe you can ask zir for an alternative hobby that is less likely to be harmful?

[rowyn]

Why do you like having Prime friends better than nonprime friends? Or is there another reason that you're close to Sythyry in particular, as opposed to keeping company with nonprimes more often?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

The innate compulsion, pure and simple, is why I prefer prime friends.

The things that Sythyry has done that prove zie is a true friend include: the endless patience with me and my constant providing of trouble; the general lack of the wish to exploit my powers for zir own gain; the occasional admission that I am a person, however flawed and inferior, and worthy of consideration as one; the unwillingness to abandon me even when it would be convenient; the general lack of fear of me; the similar things. The last century has given Sythyry several chances to break off zir friendship with me, and zie has not taken them.

[rowyn]

I will grant that you are a person with flaws, but you are not 'inferior'! :( And you are certainly a person worthy of friendship and respect.

Is the compulsion to befriend Primes connected with the desire to get things from them? Is it kind of like the way Cani emotions of sallafan and dellafan are connected but different? (Sorry, I don't remember how to spell them.)

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Not much do I agree with you in this regard.

The Cani emotions of salaffan and deffa are more dignified and noble. The compulsions on me are as like and unlike them as blind drunken lust is like the purest love.

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Correct me if I am wrong, but based on what you said, is the following true?

Even though you would like someone to change you in such a way, and there is no magical reason why it should NOT be possible, should some mighty wizard ever try to change you in this way that you would find helpful, you would be under a compulsion to resist as much as you are able, the moment zie started zir mighty magics?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Not helpful could it be, to rake my mind and comb it and spread it out in a different way! Not compulsion, but self-preservation, alone would have me resist it thoroughly!

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

That makes sense, but it seems to contradict with the earlier statement of, "The certainly I would, for not so dearly do I love being Vae."

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Not dearly do I love any attempt to trap me in a net of words!

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, it's not meant as a trap, it's more a 'trying to understand you and your motives, and what could maybe be done.' If you feel up to it, could you elaborate on this topic in general, give me something to go by?

[rowyn]

Maybe Sythyry knows the answer to this? I know you don't mind using Mentador on yourself to change your mind; is the reason you can't 'fix' the things about yourself that you dislike because you can't perceive what exactly they are well enough to change them -- or to want anyone else to try?

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

I forgot what it's called!

What are people that live underneath the branches (Like past the Verticles) like? I mean, when the Primes are not watching and making them do crazy things.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

The we who dwell in the Underneaths come in many forms, like the vorwi who are floating tetrahedrons with shapeshifting hands, or the ororosti who are strings of eyeballs. The local politics do we have, with different sorts of people fighting for space, for treasure, for this or that --- for we do not cooperate with each other very well; that is one of the gifts that primes get that we do not. The recreations occasionally we have as well, which may include the singing, the demonstrations of magic and power, the flying-togethers, and the feasts.

[chipuni.livejournal.com]

What kinds of feasts? What kinds of singing? What kinds of demonstrations?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

The feast might consist of the great centipede of the Underneath forests, killed and stuffed with chestnuts, and roasted under a fire. The singing is often rhythmical and heavily rhythmic, but with undistinguished melodies. The demonstrations are of spells and powers; they are aggressive in spirit.

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

Does being outside the world tree make any difference regarding the in-built interactions with primes?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Not that I have noticed, for they are built into me, and I am here.

[bloofox.livejournal.com]

Dear Vae:

When is your birthday? What would be the best way to translate that into the strange calendar we use?

(And what do Nendrai usually celebrate?)

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

The 8th of Nivvem is when I hatched, or the 12th of Hispis is when my egg was laid. And which is a birthday?

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

I would consider your hatchday to be your 'birthday', personally!

[bloofox.livejournal.com]

The day you were first exposed to the world, so the hatchday.

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

And would Cake be appropriate?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

And is cake ever truly inappropriate?

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Amen to that!

[archadia.livejournal.com]

I can think of /places/ that cake would be inappropriate... >.>
Perhaps I should not elaborate.

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

Macarther Park is melting in the dark
All the Sweet Green Icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain

I don't think I can take it
Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again.

Oh no!

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Sythyry wrote, some time ago, that you had more senses than primes have.

Could you elaborate on the senses you have, and how you experience the world through them, and what sorts of things they tell you?

[galis.livejournal.com]

If you could turn Sythyry into anything without getting The Conversation, what might you choose?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

The thing to turn Sythyry into could be the living iron Zi Ri. Zie is still very fragile.

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

Who is your closest non-Prime friend? And does that friendship take on a fundamentally different form than your friendship with Primes?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Oixe is my closest non-prime friend. If mates do not count, it is an old mara eleni growing near my home, who Sythyry has never mentioned. [Wrong -- Green-Leafed Quinn, back on 24 Trandary 4262].

The friendship with nonprimes is safer than with primes, for there are no sudden embarrassments of pleasure, or needs to do something for them, or other unwanted feelings.

[rowyn]

I remember Green-leafed Quinn! Did you ever found out what became of the offspring you sold offworld? (I know what happened to them, but I'm curious if you do too.)

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Not a word more did I hear of it. And what did happen?

[stormydragon.livejournal.com]

We won't know until Bard sells the book!

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Vae, as best you understand it, what are your compulsions?

In this context, I am asking, "What are the main examples of specific situations where freedom to decide how to act is forcibly removed from you, and you are required by your nature to act a particular way, even if you would not otherwise want to act that way?"

It seems to me that understanding what these are and listing them and communicating them to your companions might be a good idea?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

The question you have asked is a bitter and personal one; I shall not answer it.

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

It's true, I don't need to know. I hope you try to itemize them and understand them as best you can, and tell Sythyry at least...