Just a Life Update & Unfinished Story
May. 24th, 2013 10:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
breezeshadowDW yesterday gave me a triple-whammy reminder of why sometimes it is REALLY bad for my mental health, but I giggled at YouTube videos and felt better, and so I'll try to make a post.
1) I am feeling much better post-ER adventure. Some chest pain here and there, but now that I know what it is, I try not to stress about it.
2) Work started up a free yoga class at our office gym. I really like the instructor's style since it incorporates mindfulness. It also beat the CRAP out of me. I've been sore all day, man. If this doesn't build up my strength, nothing will.
3) I seem to be slowly coming out of my disinterest in food phase.
4) 3-day weekend
5) The prompt for this is actually this video:
(PS: This blogger is what had me giggling and made me feel better. She rocks)
Central Welen had forgotten that it was the middle of summer; instead of a thick heat that turned the air into a sticky haze, the skies were clear and blue, and the surrounding country visible for miles around. A cool wind blew through the paths of the cities, still smelling of the typhoon that had brought it to the continent. The storm had been large enough to reach well beyond shore cities, yet all that remained of it to pass through Io were dry gusts of wind.
It was a blessing compared to the thick heat of the past week, however, and so Rose May was not surprised that most of the city seemed to be outside. Of course, the combined body heat was almost enough to bring them back to typical summer temperatures, but the gusts from the storm kept it pleasantly bearable.
By sheer luck they had found a cafe with open tables, and even then it looked like they had squeezed as many people as possible around them. Somehow, they had gotten a place to themselves -- perhaps it had been their entwined arms and Meander's charming smile, or maybe someone that determined to eat outside hadn't shown up yet. Either way, Rose May thought it best to appreciate their luck rather than question it.
They sat outside one of Io's few "split" cafes -- rather than choosing the human side or the demi side, it covered both sides through a large building that spanned the whole alleyway. Unlike most split businesses, however, there was not a wall that kept humans and demis from mingling, nor even a curtain that places pretending to be inclusive had. The entire buliding was open, resulting in fewer fights and harrassment than the Io government would like one to believe. Usually Rose May loved to sit inside, watching as humans proved they could get along with non-humans, but she could not resist the nice weather.
"'Detrimental'?" Meander's voice pulled Rose May out of her musings, such as they were. He was pouring over the play Fall of Baldur, an item that her school had her read in an attempt to pretend they taught about independent literature. The fact that the play was a barely-embellished version of the Fallen Dragon's story was conveniently ignored, as was the lack of serious literature based on other religions. Even so, it was a good way to not only help Meander's reading, but also get him to better understand the strange culture he found himself in.
"Bad or harmful." She took a delicate sip at her tea, rich with cloves and cinnamon. It had cost her a pretty coin, what with trade with other countries rapidly going downhill, but everyone deserved a treat, and it was best to get it before it became prohibitive. "What is the sentence?"
"'Baldur cannot be permitted to fall -- it would be detrimental to the human soul, give it reason to find black rot in its heart, and bring our Great Mother to a tear-stained grave.'" Meander stared with a furrowed brow at the play, causing Rose May to hide a smile behind her hand. "Why?"
"Which part?" She could not hide the amusement in her voice, however.
"All of it."
"It's based off of the scriptures of the Great Mother." Rose May took another sip of tea, thinking back to her religious education -- there were too many copies of the scripture around, and it was hard to remember which one had been presented to her as the original. "The idea isn't that humans were completely innocent before Baldur's fall. But it was thought that falling from the Great Mother's graces may encourage it. In the original scripture though, Baldur provided a home to those that the Great Mother rejected, bringing them to a place much like a womb -- a sort of rebirth."
Meander opened his mouth to speak, but an unfamiliar voice, pretentious yet pretending not to be, interrupted. "But it did not take away the horrible pain of being rejected by the Great Mother."
They both turned to see who had spoken, and found a younger woman pulling a chair over and sitting down uninvited, fake smile plastered on her face. Rose May took her appearance in within a second -- white robes with silver embroidery, silver rings, a silver necklace with a ruby hanging at her throat. She bit back snarky words; she had learned at a young age when going to church that there were devoted worshippers, and then there were fanatic worshippers. The devoted wore their robes when appropriate, perhaps went to chapel a bit more often than the average person, perhaps were a bit more serious about their beliefs -- but they still understood when religion and reality separated. Fanatics, on the other hand, wore their robes even where they weren't supposed to, and apparently invited themselves to strangers' tables if they dared hear the Great Mother's name.
"The Fallen Dragon's acceptance helped lessen the sorrow, however. It keeps those that are lost from giving up on hope." Rose May could not keep the ice out of her voice, and noticed Meander frown softly, looking between them.
"They don't have any hope. The Great Mother is not known for her forgiveness." The fake smile stayed on the woman's face as she crossed her arms on the table.
Rose May lifted her eyebrows. "What scriptures do you read? Forgiveness is one of the Great Mother's most prominent traits. Throughout the teachings there are people who have done horrible things, but were redeemed by their later actions and guilt."
"Then why are so many souls lost with Baldur?" The woman's smile finally melted into a sneer.
"Because some actions cannot be forgiven." She and the woman glared at each other for a few moments, Meander shifting restlessly in his seat. "Can I help you, or should I just ask you to leave?"
"I was here to help you. If you are going to teach someone about Fall of Baldur, you should at least do it properly." She sighed, rolling her eyes before turning to Meander. "You are reading one of the most important works of our society. It helps all of us understand how our morals have fallen so far."
"What?" Meander stared blankly at her; Rose May did her best not to smack the woman. "It's not real."
"it's not." Rose May cut in as the woman's posture tightened, eyes narrowing. "It's based off of the scripture. It's an adaptation."
"It's close enough to--" She stopped abruptly upon turning to Rose May, a bright smile suddenly plastered on her face. "You know what. How about I give you a free tea reading, and then we can be on our separate ways."
Rose May blinked as she considered the woman's words. Tea reading was not a part of the Great Mother's practices; it was a remnant of various pagan religions and ceremonies, supposedly still forming a large part of many Arebian beliefs. Having a devout follower of the Great Dragon suddenly offering the service as if it was a favour made no sense to Rose May, and she almost considered pointing this out.
Then she realized the woman was offering to leave in exchange for the reading, and she nodded reluctantly and handed over her tea cup. The woman swirled the liquid before tossing the remains onto the cobblestones, then stared thoughtfully into the mug, frowning softly.
"You are an important crossroads in your life, with many paths open for you. Beware a snake that will try to lead you toward a dry fountain." The woman's eyes drifted not-so-subtly toward Meander before returning to the cup. "Look carefully for a candle to lead you over a rough river and to the sun. Do not be deterred by the wolf, for his path will lead you only to sorrow. And above all, beware fire."
Silence followed her last words; then to Rose May's surprise, Meander slowly pushed over his own cup of tea. The woman smiled brightly at him -- it looked honestly genuine as she took it.
"You as well? Very well. Oh no, no, I don't need payment." She pushed Meander's bronze coin back to him as she swirled his cup, then dumped the tea. The look she gave his cup seemed mostly perplexed. "You have a difficult goal ahead of you, but you will perservere after some time, and live a long, healthy life. Beware of spiders who may try to lead you astray. Seek the comfort of your family during this time, and you will prosper. And be sure to fly on your own path." Her eyes met Rose May's for a moment at the end of the sentence, and then her fake smile returned as she put down the cup and rose. "Good luck, to both of you. Beware your spiders and wolves."
They both stared at her as she walked away, white robes dusty at the bottoms from the street. People glanced at her as she passed, then looked back at them with emotions ranging from pity to confusion. Rose May sighed heavily as she pulled her cup back and stared at the leaves herself.
I'll finish it eventually.
Tschuess.
1) I am feeling much better post-ER adventure. Some chest pain here and there, but now that I know what it is, I try not to stress about it.
2) Work started up a free yoga class at our office gym. I really like the instructor's style since it incorporates mindfulness. It also beat the CRAP out of me. I've been sore all day, man. If this doesn't build up my strength, nothing will.
3) I seem to be slowly coming out of my disinterest in food phase.
4) 3-day weekend
5) The prompt for this is actually this video:
(PS: This blogger is what had me giggling and made me feel better. She rocks)
Central Welen had forgotten that it was the middle of summer; instead of a thick heat that turned the air into a sticky haze, the skies were clear and blue, and the surrounding country visible for miles around. A cool wind blew through the paths of the cities, still smelling of the typhoon that had brought it to the continent. The storm had been large enough to reach well beyond shore cities, yet all that remained of it to pass through Io were dry gusts of wind.
It was a blessing compared to the thick heat of the past week, however, and so Rose May was not surprised that most of the city seemed to be outside. Of course, the combined body heat was almost enough to bring them back to typical summer temperatures, but the gusts from the storm kept it pleasantly bearable.
By sheer luck they had found a cafe with open tables, and even then it looked like they had squeezed as many people as possible around them. Somehow, they had gotten a place to themselves -- perhaps it had been their entwined arms and Meander's charming smile, or maybe someone that determined to eat outside hadn't shown up yet. Either way, Rose May thought it best to appreciate their luck rather than question it.
They sat outside one of Io's few "split" cafes -- rather than choosing the human side or the demi side, it covered both sides through a large building that spanned the whole alleyway. Unlike most split businesses, however, there was not a wall that kept humans and demis from mingling, nor even a curtain that places pretending to be inclusive had. The entire buliding was open, resulting in fewer fights and harrassment than the Io government would like one to believe. Usually Rose May loved to sit inside, watching as humans proved they could get along with non-humans, but she could not resist the nice weather.
"'Detrimental'?" Meander's voice pulled Rose May out of her musings, such as they were. He was pouring over the play Fall of Baldur, an item that her school had her read in an attempt to pretend they taught about independent literature. The fact that the play was a barely-embellished version of the Fallen Dragon's story was conveniently ignored, as was the lack of serious literature based on other religions. Even so, it was a good way to not only help Meander's reading, but also get him to better understand the strange culture he found himself in.
"Bad or harmful." She took a delicate sip at her tea, rich with cloves and cinnamon. It had cost her a pretty coin, what with trade with other countries rapidly going downhill, but everyone deserved a treat, and it was best to get it before it became prohibitive. "What is the sentence?"
"'Baldur cannot be permitted to fall -- it would be detrimental to the human soul, give it reason to find black rot in its heart, and bring our Great Mother to a tear-stained grave.'" Meander stared with a furrowed brow at the play, causing Rose May to hide a smile behind her hand. "Why?"
"Which part?" She could not hide the amusement in her voice, however.
"All of it."
"It's based off of the scriptures of the Great Mother." Rose May took another sip of tea, thinking back to her religious education -- there were too many copies of the scripture around, and it was hard to remember which one had been presented to her as the original. "The idea isn't that humans were completely innocent before Baldur's fall. But it was thought that falling from the Great Mother's graces may encourage it. In the original scripture though, Baldur provided a home to those that the Great Mother rejected, bringing them to a place much like a womb -- a sort of rebirth."
Meander opened his mouth to speak, but an unfamiliar voice, pretentious yet pretending not to be, interrupted. "But it did not take away the horrible pain of being rejected by the Great Mother."
They both turned to see who had spoken, and found a younger woman pulling a chair over and sitting down uninvited, fake smile plastered on her face. Rose May took her appearance in within a second -- white robes with silver embroidery, silver rings, a silver necklace with a ruby hanging at her throat. She bit back snarky words; she had learned at a young age when going to church that there were devoted worshippers, and then there were fanatic worshippers. The devoted wore their robes when appropriate, perhaps went to chapel a bit more often than the average person, perhaps were a bit more serious about their beliefs -- but they still understood when religion and reality separated. Fanatics, on the other hand, wore their robes even where they weren't supposed to, and apparently invited themselves to strangers' tables if they dared hear the Great Mother's name.
"The Fallen Dragon's acceptance helped lessen the sorrow, however. It keeps those that are lost from giving up on hope." Rose May could not keep the ice out of her voice, and noticed Meander frown softly, looking between them.
"They don't have any hope. The Great Mother is not known for her forgiveness." The fake smile stayed on the woman's face as she crossed her arms on the table.
Rose May lifted her eyebrows. "What scriptures do you read? Forgiveness is one of the Great Mother's most prominent traits. Throughout the teachings there are people who have done horrible things, but were redeemed by their later actions and guilt."
"Then why are so many souls lost with Baldur?" The woman's smile finally melted into a sneer.
"Because some actions cannot be forgiven." She and the woman glared at each other for a few moments, Meander shifting restlessly in his seat. "Can I help you, or should I just ask you to leave?"
"I was here to help you. If you are going to teach someone about Fall of Baldur, you should at least do it properly." She sighed, rolling her eyes before turning to Meander. "You are reading one of the most important works of our society. It helps all of us understand how our morals have fallen so far."
"What?" Meander stared blankly at her; Rose May did her best not to smack the woman. "It's not real."
"it's not." Rose May cut in as the woman's posture tightened, eyes narrowing. "It's based off of the scripture. It's an adaptation."
"It's close enough to--" She stopped abruptly upon turning to Rose May, a bright smile suddenly plastered on her face. "You know what. How about I give you a free tea reading, and then we can be on our separate ways."
Rose May blinked as she considered the woman's words. Tea reading was not a part of the Great Mother's practices; it was a remnant of various pagan religions and ceremonies, supposedly still forming a large part of many Arebian beliefs. Having a devout follower of the Great Dragon suddenly offering the service as if it was a favour made no sense to Rose May, and she almost considered pointing this out.
Then she realized the woman was offering to leave in exchange for the reading, and she nodded reluctantly and handed over her tea cup. The woman swirled the liquid before tossing the remains onto the cobblestones, then stared thoughtfully into the mug, frowning softly.
"You are an important crossroads in your life, with many paths open for you. Beware a snake that will try to lead you toward a dry fountain." The woman's eyes drifted not-so-subtly toward Meander before returning to the cup. "Look carefully for a candle to lead you over a rough river and to the sun. Do not be deterred by the wolf, for his path will lead you only to sorrow. And above all, beware fire."
Silence followed her last words; then to Rose May's surprise, Meander slowly pushed over his own cup of tea. The woman smiled brightly at him -- it looked honestly genuine as she took it.
"You as well? Very well. Oh no, no, I don't need payment." She pushed Meander's bronze coin back to him as she swirled his cup, then dumped the tea. The look she gave his cup seemed mostly perplexed. "You have a difficult goal ahead of you, but you will perservere after some time, and live a long, healthy life. Beware of spiders who may try to lead you astray. Seek the comfort of your family during this time, and you will prosper. And be sure to fly on your own path." Her eyes met Rose May's for a moment at the end of the sentence, and then her fake smile returned as she put down the cup and rose. "Good luck, to both of you. Beware your spiders and wolves."
They both stared at her as she walked away, white robes dusty at the bottoms from the street. People glanced at her as she passed, then looked back at them with emotions ranging from pity to confusion. Rose May sighed heavily as she pulled her cup back and stared at the leaves herself.
I'll finish it eventually.
Tschuess.
no subject
Date: 2013-05-25 10:59 am (UTC)I enjoyed this!