Alicorn's Christmas present
+ Show First Post
Total: 258
Posts Per Page:
Permalink

I feel like this is a lot of hope to pin on what you remember of a less than four month relationship.

Permalink

It's the person, not the relationship.

Permalink

A person you knew for four months. I mean, I think I'm great, but...

Permalink

But not in ways people'd notice inside four months even if you saved two worlds in that timespan?

Permalink

I don't usually think of world-saving as the sort of thing that gets - deep genuine personal regard? Fannishness, sure, maybe I'd never have to pay for my own dinner again and I'd have to sign a lot of autograph books, but you do not strike me as fannish.

Permalink

No. I think you have a very strong sense of what you care about and how to use yourself to get it done. When you run across something important enough to risk yourself for you do it, but not because you've embraced the idea of dying heroically somehow, which is what I see a lot more often. You're not done, you didn't even particularly care to take more than a month off, as long as there are problems to solve somewhere out there and resources here that we could use on them you want to do it. You're a very careful thinker. You're smart. You're really, really principled. You handle pressure well. It's hard to disentangle from the saving the world - it wasn't a coincidence that you saved the world - but if I'd run across you in some random human village here I'd have put you in charge of something important and I'd think just as highly of you. - I wouldn't, ah, not if you were one of my subjects, that's different -

Permalink

Is it? I'm not particularly familiar with monarchy. - you're saying you would have noticed this about me if I were a random human in a village, what do you do, give them all screening quizzes?

Permalink

They get drafted, smart ones get promoted, I meet them at events. I meet ten thousand people every year, it's easily the best use of my time, finding the right ones for the right problems. Ten thousand is just enough to meet everybody who thought they themselves were promising or who anyone else thought was promising. I've met about a quarter of my humans and all my Elves.

Permalink

I do not think I would distinguish myself well if drafted.

Permalink

I have a magic ring for the clumsiness! I should've given it to you already, I'll have someone bring it over. But not all the work we need done is physical anyway, disabled humans who don't get themselves any magic do accounting and logistics and espionage and policy and research and so on.

Permalink

Humans can do your magic?

Permalink

Yes, though Elves are typically better at it, it works through singing and through making artifacts and making artifacts is slow, tedious detail-work in all cases but especially without telepathy. There are some songs you'd like. I can - someone can teach you once we have a bit more time.

Permalink

I realize that I may be disappointingly unromantic or something but I don't in fact feel a need to actively avoid you, if you'd like to teach me songs and don't have other things you need to be doing.

Permalink

You are not disappointing in the slightest I just don't want you to feel - worse off because you are wonderful. I'll come teach you songs tomorrow, maybe. There's one for walking on water! It's fun!

Permalink

That will go nicely with the ring for clumsiness!

Permalink

That should have been with the welcome presents, really.

Permalink

I am not going to blame you for forgetting one thing. If it turns out to be seventeen things I'm going to be a little puzzled.

Permalink

Yes, that'd raise some questions about at least some part of my story here. 

Permalink

Just a bit.

Permalink

Someone arrives and hands him a ring.

Permalink

"Thanks." On it goes. He paces experimentally on the balcony.

Permalink

He is remarkably steady on his feet!

Permalink

Keen. He twirls a little. This is really neat, he eventually remembers to remark.

Permalink

I'm really glad! It's fancier than the one you had last time.

Permalink

What makes it fancier? Was the prior one only rated for walking not running?

Total: 258
Posts Per Page: