vision

[calescent]

Kiri's up early the next morning, restless with various low-level simmering concerns, and wanders out of her room.

Comments

[free_flowing]

"Yeah. I think I'm still different," he says. "Because - it wasn't a thing, in Thiyec. I wasn't going around being coru. I was just me. I'm the same person either way, but in Thiyec nobody thinks about elements, so I didn't either. It'd be different for you, right? If you went and lived in Thiyec for a few years you'd still be torz torz torz, you might have less reason to think about it but it'd still be a thing that you'd think, wouldn't it? Being in a different country where nobody cared wouldn't be enough to make it stop mattering to you."

[salt_of_the]

"Yeah. I dunno, though, I haven't tried it."

[free_flowing]

Loel shrugs again. "Yeah. Anyway, I already knew I was all kinds of weird."

[salt_of_the]

"I don't think you're literally all kinds of weird. You'd have to be... green, and have an extra arm, and stuff."

[free_flowing]

"I'm many kinds of weird. I'm weird in the head."

[salt_of_the]

"But you can still talk and recognize that chairs are not muffins and stuff."

Are they proceeding towards other primes yet?

[free_flowing]

They are! They are indeed thusly proceeding.

"Yep! I am totally clear on the difference between chairs and muffins. Muffins are tastier."

[salt_of_the]

"So much tastier! Do you still cook? I mean, um," she coughs, "so, do you cook? Oh, this is gonna be hard, I'm sorry in advance if I screw it up."

[free_flowing]

"Yeah, I cook. I forgive you in advance, but please try not to screw it up too often."

[salt_of_the]

"Yeah. You gonna make me food while I'm here?"

[free_flowing]

"Absolutely!"

[salt_of_the]

"Yaaaay you are the best."

[free_flowing]

He beams and hugs her.

[salt_of_the]

Hugs!

[free_flowing]

Hugs.

[salt_of_the]

Nuzzles.

"I'm getting used to the thing faster than I expected. Not, like, instantly, but fast."

[free_flowing]

Okay, one more snuggle, then he lets go. "That sounds good."

[salt_of_the]

"Yeah, it was very - sensory at first, in this squishy weird new way, but now I'm turning it into information better."

[free_flowing]

"Cool," he says.

[salt_of_the]

"It's still pretty squishy. I wonder if it will always be squishy. Does your thing feel wet?"

[free_flowing]

"I guess," he says, "yeah. I don't know, it feels - like itself? Water and blood are both wet things, though, so you're not wrong."

[salt_of_the]

"I mean, earth and stone and stuff aren't squishy, but they're not doing anything right now, so it's easy to ignore what's around. The bodies are doing stuff. And being squishy." She squeezes his hand. "Squish!"

[free_flowing]

He squeezes back and grins at her.

[salt_of_the]

"I keep being tempted to do stuff. More with the rocks than the bodies. Maybe after I say hi to everybody I'll go mess with the contents of your yard if you'll let me."

[free_flowing]

"Sure, go for it."