(no subject)

[sythyry]

L'Après-Haine

Me:"I didn't realize you had a wife."

Ilottat:"Well, I don't, not in most senses of the mot, the word."

Me:"What about Ysgwyd?"

Ilottat:"What sort of a marriage is it when she's off in Daukrhame consorting with whatever of the stadwacht, the city guard, catch her fancy, and I'm here in Vheshrame studying diplomacy?"

Me:"And consorting with whatever students catch your fancy!"

Ilottat:"Well, mostly just you, and that's very recent. I still can't really believe I'm doing it."

Me:"You should believe it! It's the best part of my whole time in Vheshrame! Tell me more about her."

Ilottat:"There's not much to say. Our parents married us together rapidement, in a bit of a hurry, at a rather bad time for both of us..."

Me:"By reason of scandals?"

Ilottat:"Yes -- she had been engaged to a Khtsoyis."

Me:"And you had displayed a fondness for Zi Ri."

Ilottat:"No! Well, my father certainly thought so, but, well, you're the only one really."

Me:"So you and she got married?"

Ilottat:"Introduced on the first of the month, and married by the fourth. Oh, and my father asked my consentimento, my permission, for the marriage about a week later."

Me:"What sorts of terms are you two on?"

Ilottat:"We are not amante, not lovers, be sure of that! She could not bear to touch an Orren."

Me:"And you don't seem to want to touch me when I'm wearing an Orren shape."

Ilottat:"It's not like that at all!"

Me:"What is it like at all, then?"

Ilottat:"Like ... two Gefangene, two prisoners, who have been yoked together. We do not like each other very much, but we like the people who tied us together even less."

Me:"Excellent. I do wish you'd have told me about that before, though."

Ilottat:"Anoof should have, and I did mention it before."

I didn't believe him, and we bickered about it a bit. Finally I leafed through my diary, where I had written down various conversations ... and ... there it was, in my own handwriting.

Me:"I think I didn't understand you rightly. When you said, "I might have a relationship", I thought you might at some future time have a relationship, not that you might or might not currently have one."

Ilottat:"I could speak in Tasglarii. They've got a quite elaborate and refined system of modes and tenses which render such mistakes unmöglich, impossible."

Me:"I don't speak it, though."

Ilottat:"I don't either, not very well at all. It's one of my courses this term though."

Me:"Well, since it has gotten to be a bit personally relevant, do you have an agreement on adultery? Or on marrying further people?"

Ilottat:"Adultery is actively encouraged, since it disconcerts our parents, though of course we did not discuss, well, diestrammenos forms of it."

Me:"I don't know that word ... I can't even place that language."

Ilottat:"Well, um, perverted."

Me:"Including transaffectionate ones?"

Ilottat:"I wish you'd stop using words like that. I do seem to have tombé for you ... must you keep poking me about it and trying to make it a widespread general res, thing, for me?"

Me:"I'm sorry, Ilottat."

He huffled a bit and I spent a while comforting him. As soon as I could arrange it, the comforting was distinctly transaffectionate.

Comments

[perlandria.livejournal.com]

(shares her spicy peanut noodles with cabbage and carrots with the author)

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

[The author has been a bit peanut-deprived lately, and thanks considerably!]

[kistaro]

Remember what I was saying about the whole situation being difficult for Illotat to accept, if what he is going through is, as I suspect it to be, similar to what I went through? I think it's even clearer that the situation is analogous.

You would probably be well-advised to gently try to convince him that the shame associated with transaffection is wholly unmerited. Of course, it seems rather deeply entrenched in your society, so this is likely to be a challenge. What it took for me was the simple act of just thinking logically about it and realizing that there is no logical reason for shame. Perhaps there logical reason not to parade it around in the face of people who's business it is not, for my own safety because, dumb as it is, it's still society's perception, but no reason for shame. Convince Illotat of this, and he will likely be much more comfortable with the entire situation.

Are arranged marraiges such as this common among Orren?

[[OOC: Second-to-last paragraph: I know exactly what havoc I may be wreaking here. As far as I've been able to determine so far, Sythyry seems to be a conservative, traditionalist sort of chap, and I've just said that society in general is completely whacked...]]

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Arranged marriages are fairly common among the aristocracy (e.g., Ilottat) and those attempting to be aristocratic (e.g., Ysgwyd, or her parents at least). Perhaps because a wide variety of sexual expression is also fairly common among the aristocracy [blush] and the parents seem to want their children to marry appropriate people who can carry on the family.

[OOC: Sythyry isn't doing very well on following anyone's sensible advice, I'm afraid.]

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Of course, I would expect nothing less! Sythyry is a creature of whim and impulse who is fortunately balanced by sensible and irrational friends. Sometimes sensibility and irrationality are even represented in the same friend.

[ladyperegrine.livejournal.com]

Sythyry, what is your opinion about marriage? Do Xi Ris marry, and if so, is it expected to be within the species? What are your long-range plans in terms of relationship, or do you have them?

I hope it's okay for a monster to ask such personal questions of you.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

We do marry. Trying to marry for life, as Cani and Rassimel often do and the other species sometimes do, would be rather a large matter for us. Permanant marriages tend to be something like, one month of marriage every other year, rather than any intent to live together forever.

Old Zi Ri tend to be fairly arrogant and fairly set in their ways. I gather that doesn't generally make for good marriages.

I don't have any particular long-term marriage plans. When I'm old enough not to be considered an infant by Zi Ri, I might consider the matter.

[collie13.livejournal.com]

Hmm... well, babelfish translates "L'Après-Haine" as "L'Après-Hatred" -- not as helpful as I'd hoped! So, to the source: Bard, if we may, what does the journal title mean, please? ;)

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

The After-Hatred

[collie13.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear. Poor Sythyry.

[mortonfox.livejournal.com]

How do you wear an Orren shape?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Cloak of Another God

[yotogi.livejournal.com]

Cloak of Another Indecisive God.

(Quick, what gender do we use? Flip a coin, Gnarn! Although it must be said that if nothing else, that part at least seems to have worked out for you...)