driftfleet | SS Hot Mess shows up to mingles 15 minutes late with Starbucks

[Oh... It always seems to happen that way, doesn't it? Two different factions, or countries, or species and neither of them trust each other because of their differences. It's everywhere, even in other worlds, even in outer space.]

I think...we do, in terms of what we want to see become of our worlds. [Sorey smiles crookedly.] I think you might've had a much rougher path than I have, though. That's a lot of weight to put on someone's shoulders without consulting them first.

[He gets it. Shirley's very, very relieved right now, and she's able to manage a small smile again.]

It was hard, and I made a lot of mistakes that I regret very much. From what Mikleo told me, though, part of being the Shepherd isn't that much different from the responsibilities I felt as Merines. Do you feel that way?

Mmm. [Sorey nods and offers her a smile too, just as wan as her own. It's not easy.] I think so. I was lucky; I was warned ahead of time how hard it would be. But...Shepherds luckily don't get told to destroy everything at least. I think most seraphim just want to stay away from humans, and I can't really blame them given the state of our world. I'd like to see it change, but it's up to my friends and I to change it so it's harder to realize it past a dream, you know?

I do know. It's only because we were able to calm Nerifes' rage that we're able to work for peace...even now, some Ferines and Orerines still distrust each other because of things that have happened.

[She leans back on her crate, supporting her weight with her arms, and looks at the ceiling as she thinks back to home. Shirley was grim when she described her history as Merines earlier, but now her tone is more hopeful.]

But that change is possible. I've seen it, and I've decided to dedicate my life to making the future I see a reality.

That's amazing... [Sorey draws his knees up and loops his arms around them, beaming at Shirley.] You're such a strong person, Shirley. I'm positive you'll see your dream come true.

[It's nice to hear, and the praise makes her feel good. But it doesn't feel right without qualifiers - not yet.]

I wasn't strong when I nearly went on with destroying the land. But I'm stronger now than I used to be, because I made sure to learn from my mistakes. And I have the support of all my friends, of course. So...yeah. I believe that I can do it, little by little.

[She sits back up to look at Sorey again, feeling more confident now.]

I think you can do it with seraphim and humans, too. Don't make the same mistakes I did. Just be honest with yourself and your friends, even if it's hard, and things will turn out much better in the end.

I will surely heed your words!

[no but seriously:] Thank you for telling me your story. I'm sorry if Mikleo made you feel like you had to; he worries so much, sometimes. But I'm grateful all the same. It's a lot to deal with but I've been very, very blessed with support right from the beginning.

Edited 2016-09-09 16:07 (UTC)

[Sorey. Why. Though Shirley surely can't help but smile anyway despite the pun.]

Mikleo told me about you, but I wanted to meet you for myself too. I don't have many people now, who understand what I mean when I talk about being the Merines. Like I said, I know it's not the same thing as being a Shepherd, but...it's still nice.

[what do you mean 'despite']

No, I agree with you! I've- well, you've definitely had more of a wait than I have, but there aren't any other Shepherds in my world either, so I know what you mean. It can be a little overwhelming. Like, am I doing this right? Even when I'm told there's no right or wrong way. Although I suppose in your case, it's more like, I shouldn't do this the 'right' way, huh?

I think it was more like...changing what I thought right was supposed to be. But that was scary too, at first.

[She nods, because he's definitely hit on something familiar.]

I don't need the full powers of the Merines anymore, but I have a different kind of power now that people look to me as the Merines and as the Ferines ambassador. I've been trying my best to learn what I think I need, but there's no precedent for it among the Ferines. So I'm never entirely sure if I'm doing that right, either.

[Sorey nods along vigorously with that. changing the way you think is pretty terrifying, after all.]

You know what though? Sometimes it's nice not to have a precedent. I don't want to get ahead of myself but I always wonder if someone will hear about this hundreds of years later and use my journey as a lesson. Then, even if people like us screw up a little bit, it's okay. If we don't learn from it, someone else will. So if you think about it, even making mistakes is benefiting the world, too.

I...never thought about it that way. I can't even imagine what it will be like hundreds of years from now.

[When will there be another Merines, after her? They used to be much closer together, until the Cataclysm and the four thousand year gap. Hard to know what that means for her successors, and what will fall on them.]

I guess the mistakes I've already made are certainly something to learn from, if the next Merines is able to hear about them.

[Grins.] Got anybody lined up to write the book of your travels, yet?

The book of my travels?

[That's a new one.]

Oh yeah! Biographies and autobiographies are invaluable sources of information for historians and archeologists. Official records are often biased or even changed entirely to fit the political climate of the time, but things like journal entries and personal accounts can help shine light onto what actually happened during times of civil unrest and war.

That...makes sense.

[Shirley never received much of an education as a kid, but it matches up with the books she's studied on the Fleet.]

Maybe I should start keeping a journal, then, if I want to pass my thoughts onto the next Merines.

I think that's a great idea. Especially if you have anybody else who'd also like to keep a journal! Then future historians could corroborate what was happening.

I'd personally love to read it, if you ever published it. Not that I'll ever get the chance, but just so you know. The interest is definitely there.

Well, I don't mind telling you instead. Especially if you could learn from what happened to me.

~~[Lesson 1: don't get kidnapped.]~~

What if I transcribed what you told me? Unless you don't want it written down at all. [can he take notes]

No, I don't mind at all. I don't think it's useful to keep secrets like that.

[Except for that one time Senel asked her about her festival wish. Despicable.]

Then that'd be great! Maybe we'll get lucky and you'll be able to take it home with you when you go. [when.] It'll be easier to write a book with it already half-written. Plus, I can't deny, I'm really interested in the Ferines and Orerines cultures and history.

[The when is nice, honestly, since Shirley's well aware of how long she's been away from home. In the meantime, Sorey's hit on something else that sounds very appealing.]

Well, I'm interested in hearing about the Shepherd and the seraphim. I think things will work out just fine.

Excellent. We can have a good old-fashioned cultural exchange! [only a true nerd would be so pumped over that]

I might not many answers for you, though. A lot of our history has been buried or lost to mistranslation, politics and time.

[Nerds or highly motivated career diplomats. Same difference.]

Some of the same is true for the Ferines, because of how scattered we've been for a long time. But people usually like hearing about the Legacy - that's my home, a massive ship with strong ties to the histories of both the Ferines and Orerines.

It's a ship? A space ship like this, [gestures] or is it like a ship in the water?

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