Rose: Regret being a Junior Crazy Cat Lady

[fluthlu]

[Shortly before 2:00 PM on Friday afternoon is a very bad time to be an innocent captive of Paradisa, perusing the journal after lunch - or in the middle of the night, for the more nocturnal residents. A very bad time indeed, because quite a ways away from the castle, on a small nightstand next to Rose's small outpost bed, a cat named Constance is doing one of the things that cats do best:

Vomiting on an inappropriate surface. Namely, a page of the open journal.]

Blrckkk.

... Oh, really now, Constance. That was hardly polite. [Her voice grows louder as she moves across the room towards the journal.] Deepest apologies, truly. My cat seems to have a frightening proficiency for consuming inedible matter - an equally proficient aim, as well, depending on how one looks at things.

... While I've gotten your attention, however crudely, does anyone have sufficient experience in troubleshooting a sewing machine, in a manner of speaking?

Comments

[kethedammit]

But not to brag or nothing, right?

[fluthlu]

Oh, I would never!

[She definitely is.]

[kethedammit]

'Course not. So what you making that's so big you need a machine for it?

[fluthlu]

Nothing too intimidating. Merely a skirt, actually.

[kethedammit]

From scratch, or it just needs darning and shit?

[fluthlu]

From scratch. Though, I suppose that truly depends on one's definition. In a more distant time it may refer to spinning the fabric itself, a practice long-since delegated to machinery in many cultures. In which case, no, I am merely sewing the pieces together into a garment.

[Smart aleck, Exhibit A.]

[kethedammit]

Uh, okay. 'Cause I could darn it for you without needing no machine.

[Mildmay is fine with smart alecks, but Kethe he wishes they'd use smaller words.]

[fluthlu]

[She laughs softly.]

It doesn't need darning, but thank you. Making clothes is a bit of a hobby of mine, as of late.

[kethedammit]

It's a good hobby. Probably save you a gorgon or two in the long run of it.

[fluthlu]

A gorgon?

[All she can think of is the monster from Greek mythology.]

[kethedammit]

Uh, money, where I'm from. A septad septagorgons make a gorgon.

[fluthlu]

Ah. Similar to my home country's notion of cents and dollars, I presume. One hundred cents make up a dollar.

[kethedammit]

Huh. Well, it'd save you a dollar or two.

[fluthlu]

What sort of world do you come from,-

[She starts to call him by name, but then remembers that she doesn't know it.]

I'm sorry, I don't believe I know your name, after all of this talk.

[kethedammit]

Umberto. [And now onto the interesting bits; Mildmay is curious.] 'N I dunno, what d'you mean? It's got grass and trees and I live inna city. What kinda world d'you come from?

[fluthlu]

Umberto? It's nice to meet you, then. I'm Rose.

[She has to think about that question for a moment.]

As I'm sure you've gathered, the residents here come from a vast variety of home worlds. There are worlds with wizards or elves, worlds with unbelievably advanced technology, and one particular world where most of the inhabitants were talking horses. I myself was born on Earth, and was last there in the year 2009. A distinct lack of dragons or magic, but a fair excess of technology.

[kethedammit]

Yeah, right back 'atcha, honey.

Huh, okay. Meduse's got magic and hocuses and all that shit, but I ain't never heard of a real dragon. I mean, we got 'em in stories, but that's different. I'm from Britomart, and it's the middle of Germinal. Dunno 'bout no technology; I guess we ain't got none.

[fluthlu]

[If he could see her, she'd be making a "Try calling me 'honey' again, kid" face at him.]

Well, I can't say that I've heard any of those names before. Is Meduse the name of your planet?

[kethedammit]

[What, that isn't how thirteen year olds flirt where you're from?]

Yeah, I guess. You hear about it all the damn time at Vespers, anyway.

[fluthlu]

[A matter of opinion; at thirteen she was most likely flirting by pretentiously quoting Tennyson.]

Ah yes, religion. The factor that attempts to unite when all other cultural aspects divide. Society is terribly cliché.

[kethedammit]

Uh, yeah. What I meant was, uh, y'know, I only hear about the world in church. Rest of the time it's all countries and cities.

[fluthlu]

That is certainly the way in many cultures. The concept of a world is a bit abstract to many, seeing as how it isn't until the age of space travel that humans are able to see it for themselves.

[kethedammit]

Yeah, okay, you lost me again. Space travel? I travel space all the time.

[fluthlu]

You have a good point there. Perhaps "off-planet travel" would be a more apt description. Travel between planets, rather than through space.