Another bit.
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I perform the Morning's Greeting ritual with Hethia before leaving the house, and notice that she's looking rather better. She asks me for some insight on different tech-based security measures, and then goes back to puttering with her requirements list. I smile as I head out the door. I have a bit of a soft spot in my heart for her. I suppose, given last night, I always will.
Kiura waits in the car as I collect the ritual ingredients, and manifests on the hood as I light the last candle of the Negotiation Circle. It's not strictly necessary, but it does make things a little more straightforward. Also, I got us into this mess by ignoring the niceties. I'm not about to make that mistake on the reparations. The incense wafts between us and we haggle.
"Kiura, Child of Iron, Spirit of Travel, I, Vincent Keddington, Spiritcaller Third Class, greet you."
"Hi, Boss."
"By the Power of the Granted Boon, I am compelled to offer you a new-forged Compact, including First Covenant. Do you still wish this thing?"
"Oh, yes." A little gleam comes into her eye.
"For my part, I require what you have always given me. You will inhabit and bless a vehicle of my choosing. You will fix any problems that you can. You will compensate for any problems that you cannot fix. You will inform me before any problems occur that you cannot compensate for. You will do what you can to ensure that I remain safe at all times while within your domain, and to aid me in my travels. You will not act against me, or do any thing you know to be harmful to me, unless I give express permission or command. Are these things within your powers?"
"They are."
"Is there aught here unacceptable to you?"
"There is not."
"What would you ask in exchange?"
She seems deep in thought for a little while.
"Well, for starters, I'd like a pony."
And we're off.
The first hour is a long and patient process, where I calmly discuss with her what I can and can't provide. It takes a while, but I'm arguing her down, and I think I'm doing so reasonably well. She's listening to what I say, she's taking it into consideration, and every once in a while, when I make a particularly good point, she bends a little. This is doable, I think. I can handle this. Then I make a mistake. About an hour and fifteen minutes after the the opening, while she's insisting that I agree to take her to see her congresscritter at least once every election cycle, I make a supporting argument about how spirits aren't allowed to vote. She's horrified. She requires that I donate a sizeable amount of money to whichever pressure group is heading up the fight for enfranchisement of spirits. I point out that there is no such group. She requires that I start one. It goes downhill from there.
At about the two hour mark, I actually go back and *offer* her the pony, just to try to get her to drop some of her more egregious demands. I could do it, if the pony were small enough. My backyard is just about big enough to handle a Shetland, and I could cobble together some sort of mostly-iron saddle to let her ride the thing. By then, of course, she's decided that she doesn't want one after all. I get the distinct impression that she's toying with me.
At about the three hour mark, as I'm attepting to point out to Kiura that she can't actually *eat* ice-cream, the girl brings out sandwiches for lunch. I realize that I've not yet asked her for her name. I feel a bit embarrassed by this, and I don't ask this time either. I do thank her for the sandwiches. Just to be on the safe side, I take an extra sandwich, and bestow it upon Kiura as a burnt offering. The girl smiles and goes back inside. Kiura smiles, and eats her sandwich-spirit.
As soon as we're done eating, Kiura pauses, looks thoughtful for a bit, and then makes a proposal which is far more easonable than any she's made all day. It's a little unusual. There's First Covenant, of course. There's the normal run of connection and recognition rituals, a little heavier on the communions, a little lighter on the greetings. She insists on the right and obligation to tell me when I'm about to screw up one of the aforementioned rituals. That's a little odd, but given that she actually seems to *want* to be bound to me, it makes sense, and I sure don't mind. Then she asks for an obligation on my part to talk with her on the way to and from work, and the right to hassle me about my private life.
And that's it.
It's about the strangest set of requirements I've ever heard of, but at this point, I'm not arguing. I agree as fast as I can, before she can change her mind. Again. And then, then I ask her, in a weary voice, what changed her mind. She tells me it was the sandwich. Her blood sugar was low, and she's feeling much better now. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't make any sense at all, starting from the fact that spirits don't have blood sugar, and working up from there, but, you know? I'm still not arguing. We both formally accept the terms of the contract and swear to them, and I break the circle and make my painful way inside. It takes a while for your legs to recover when you've been sitting in seiza for just under four hours.
----------------
At this point, I'm trying to work through what to run next. There are a number of ways I could go. I have a good idea of what I'm going to be doing the next day, but not so much for the afternoon. If anyone has any preferences on area's they really want to see more of next, well, I figure that making the readers happy isn't a bad thing. Please do feel free to weigh in. Also, as always, responses of any kind, and concrit especially, are appreciated.
----------------------
I perform the Morning's Greeting ritual with Hethia before leaving the house, and notice that she's looking rather better. She asks me for some insight on different tech-based security measures, and then goes back to puttering with her requirements list. I smile as I head out the door. I have a bit of a soft spot in my heart for her. I suppose, given last night, I always will.
Kiura waits in the car as I collect the ritual ingredients, and manifests on the hood as I light the last candle of the Negotiation Circle. It's not strictly necessary, but it does make things a little more straightforward. Also, I got us into this mess by ignoring the niceties. I'm not about to make that mistake on the reparations. The incense wafts between us and we haggle.
"Kiura, Child of Iron, Spirit of Travel, I, Vincent Keddington, Spiritcaller Third Class, greet you."
"Hi, Boss."
"By the Power of the Granted Boon, I am compelled to offer you a new-forged Compact, including First Covenant. Do you still wish this thing?"
"Oh, yes." A little gleam comes into her eye.
"For my part, I require what you have always given me. You will inhabit and bless a vehicle of my choosing. You will fix any problems that you can. You will compensate for any problems that you cannot fix. You will inform me before any problems occur that you cannot compensate for. You will do what you can to ensure that I remain safe at all times while within your domain, and to aid me in my travels. You will not act against me, or do any thing you know to be harmful to me, unless I give express permission or command. Are these things within your powers?"
"They are."
"Is there aught here unacceptable to you?"
"There is not."
"What would you ask in exchange?"
She seems deep in thought for a little while.
"Well, for starters, I'd like a pony."
And we're off.
The first hour is a long and patient process, where I calmly discuss with her what I can and can't provide. It takes a while, but I'm arguing her down, and I think I'm doing so reasonably well. She's listening to what I say, she's taking it into consideration, and every once in a while, when I make a particularly good point, she bends a little. This is doable, I think. I can handle this. Then I make a mistake. About an hour and fifteen minutes after the the opening, while she's insisting that I agree to take her to see her congresscritter at least once every election cycle, I make a supporting argument about how spirits aren't allowed to vote. She's horrified. She requires that I donate a sizeable amount of money to whichever pressure group is heading up the fight for enfranchisement of spirits. I point out that there is no such group. She requires that I start one. It goes downhill from there.
At about the two hour mark, I actually go back and *offer* her the pony, just to try to get her to drop some of her more egregious demands. I could do it, if the pony were small enough. My backyard is just about big enough to handle a Shetland, and I could cobble together some sort of mostly-iron saddle to let her ride the thing. By then, of course, she's decided that she doesn't want one after all. I get the distinct impression that she's toying with me.
At about the three hour mark, as I'm attepting to point out to Kiura that she can't actually *eat* ice-cream, the girl brings out sandwiches for lunch. I realize that I've not yet asked her for her name. I feel a bit embarrassed by this, and I don't ask this time either. I do thank her for the sandwiches. Just to be on the safe side, I take an extra sandwich, and bestow it upon Kiura as a burnt offering. The girl smiles and goes back inside. Kiura smiles, and eats her sandwich-spirit.
As soon as we're done eating, Kiura pauses, looks thoughtful for a bit, and then makes a proposal which is far more easonable than any she's made all day. It's a little unusual. There's First Covenant, of course. There's the normal run of connection and recognition rituals, a little heavier on the communions, a little lighter on the greetings. She insists on the right and obligation to tell me when I'm about to screw up one of the aforementioned rituals. That's a little odd, but given that she actually seems to *want* to be bound to me, it makes sense, and I sure don't mind. Then she asks for an obligation on my part to talk with her on the way to and from work, and the right to hassle me about my private life.
And that's it.
It's about the strangest set of requirements I've ever heard of, but at this point, I'm not arguing. I agree as fast as I can, before she can change her mind. Again. And then, then I ask her, in a weary voice, what changed her mind. She tells me it was the sandwich. Her blood sugar was low, and she's feeling much better now. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't make any sense at all, starting from the fact that spirits don't have blood sugar, and working up from there, but, you know? I'm still not arguing. We both formally accept the terms of the contract and swear to them, and I break the circle and make my painful way inside. It takes a while for your legs to recover when you've been sitting in seiza for just under four hours.
----------------
At this point, I'm trying to work through what to run next. There are a number of ways I could go. I have a good idea of what I'm going to be doing the next day, but not so much for the afternoon. If anyone has any preferences on area's they really want to see more of next, well, I figure that making the readers happy isn't a bad thing. Please do feel free to weigh in. Also, as always, responses of any kind, and concrit especially, are appreciated.