open || text, video || [ un: daughter-sea]

[seaboard]

TO THE CARE OF: any who may be of good constitution and can transport items.

In regards to the procurement of any and all harvested produce that is yet heretofore unaccounted for in tithes. I care not whether it is meat, berry, vegetable, honey or herb. Any amount of salt, flour, vinegar, cloves and cherry leaves if it may be found.

I have no coin, nor is it my concern. I will preserve the food that is brought to me and give it in return to you. Our larders must be as full as they can before the coming winter and summer.

In exchange, I will teach you to cook, preserve your own food, and gut fish.

- Second-Child, Lady Gilia St. Loe, Daughter-Sea, who presides in the Harbouryards.

[ A little pause, and then the video clicks on afterwards. Of one, frazzled Gilia in a run-down kitchen she's repaired as best she can, if badly. But tucked up in her wimple and veil, as ever, in jarring bright clashing colours. Even if the veil is sliding back from her forehead in her work and curls are attempting to spring out in every direction with their inch of freedom - and one rather large bruise across her cheek that has turned a festering yellow-purple colour of healing, and the smear of butter on her chin.

Busy with, apparently, dicing apart turnips with a cleaving knife that goes thud,thud,thud quickly in smooth, heavy slices. Stops to see the thing is on, it was supposed to light up and make irritating sounds, yes, good - and uses that huge knife to gesture to herself briefly in a sweep. ]

I forgot the size of this city, and that you will have not a wit of knowing me from a plank of wood. I am Lady Gilia. I am out at dawn fishing, but I should be back by mid morn. [ A pause. ] ... If there was peppercorn, of a good price, that could be found... it should be better to taste, later, if that expense is not too great to you. But please do not worry on such luxuries if not.

Comments

[telepathy]

where does the water go if it doesnt have time to dry up

[seaboard]

That... that would be the other reason you cannot leave your property, even once the snow melts in the turn of spring.

The roads are mud, for weeks. It's difficult to walk through and worse to take a horse in them, they risk sinking.

But after - most of the water drains into water meadows, rivers, lakes, or into the sea.

[seaboard]

And it applies twice so when applied to a spirit who has no sense of mortal expectancy.

They have almost a... stagnation, to their eternity.

[windsongs]

a stagnation? what do you mean?

[telepathy]

so you keep the food for when you can't go out to get more
i understand

[ that part, at least. she doesn't understand roads muddy for weeks or rivers large enough to take that much water. in the wilds, the water never really penetrates the ground. it doesn't sink deep into the dirt. it washes everything out instead. ]

[seaboard]

Exactly. Which all told, can be three months, or four, if it is particularly bad that year.

But my mother has never faulted in my education, thankfully, I know much about how to keep my household so no one should starve.

At least at home. I am still learning how it works, in this place.

[seaboard]

They exist in past and future as concurrent present. So nothing ever... progresses, stops, or begins.

[windsongs]

sounds a little bit like limbo
some people believe that there's a place between heaven and hell, where certain people go after they die

is there some kind of afterlife in your world as well?

[seaboard]

I do not know those place, I am afraid.

The realm of spirits is quite real. Many will accidentally walk into them, I did once when I was younger, when I swam too deep.

When we pass, either our souls go to our spirits, to be reborn in their form, and be part of them, their greatness, the very fabric of life itself. Those unaligned, simply go to the Land-Mother, and what remains of her whole, as the Shadow Dragons.

Some ascend, of course, if their bond was great, their devotion pure, their spirit may feel the greatness of their soul and refashion them to something new. That is, for instance, how mermaids are made. They are nuns, priests and sailors who were especially devoted to the Sea-Father in life, and died at sea.

un: graham

[this_ismydesign]

I am capable of drying my own fish and meats, but the preservation of fruits and vegetables always eluded me.

I do not require the lessons, but would be willing to fetch and carry in exchanged for the ready products?

[windsongs]

that doesn't surprise me. there are groups of people in my world who can't agree what happens after we die, if there are places other than the world we know...
so of course it's different. but that's really cool!
there's really no boundary between your realm and the realm of spirits?

are souls and spirits two different things? how are they different? is it like being one half of the same whole?
and when you say reborn, I assume that's in the spirit realm? or are they reborn in your realm?

oh I see! so instead of going "up" to heaven (the sky) like some people believe, they return to the sea as mermaids!
that makes a lot of sense given what you've told me about you and your home already
mermaids in my world are all thought to be myth. sometimes confused with what I am, but info on that is pretty inconsistent. but I've never met one before so I don't know if there are any on Earth

( un: mellifa | text )

[somatosensory]

How have you found the water here?
When it's not raging, of course.

[seaboard]

Calmer, now, certainly.

The bay is... well, it shows its use by many, many people.

[ The water is dirty, she means, but politely. ]

But it has good fishing, and it is kind to its inhabitants, in its way.

[seaboard]

That is more than enough, I would be glad for it. Bring what you can find, and I shall do what I can to help keep it for you.

[this_ismydesign]

Thank you. [ In many ways he can be a very simple man. ]

Is there anything you are running particularly low on, that I should prioritize?

[somatosensory]

It's a big city.

( not quite on a par with the capital of his own home, but close enough. )

I didn't know cherry leaves could be used in something like this.

[seaboard]

The biggest I have ever been in, for certain.

[ A little happy hum. ]

They can, yes, they add a good texture in the preserving, later, to eat.

[seaboard]

... Meat. A good cut of mutton, or goat, or cow, any of the like. Something red.

[this_ismydesign]

I think I can oblige.

[ He'll figure out something, it will probably even be a legal-ish. ]

[seaboard]

How strange...? Can you not just ask your dead yourself?

There is not, no. We mingle freely, perhaps because yes, there is a similarity to the soul and a spirit. Though I am afraid that is a question for scholars far more learned than myself.

What do people confuse you for?

[seaboard]

[ She'd feel horrible if she thought she was potentially encouraging food crimes, but, there you have it. ]

I would be most glad of it.

But please, if there is something I can do in exchange that you think of, my door is always open to you.

[windsongs]

most people can't communicate with the dead, especially once they've fully moved on
my cousin can and I've heard my great-grandfather could too, but something like that takes training even if you have a talent for it

sorry let me step back a little bit first
do you know what a siren is?

video.

[deushexmachina]

I'll see what I can rummage up, [his brow knit, concerned, his attention caught. He knew her name now.] I should've been on the lookout earlier. Salt might be easier to come by through my hand, it's a compound... easily broken down.

[somatosensory]

Must be jarring.

Huh.
How did you learn this exactly?

[seaboard]

Everyone does?

You would not survive winter in my lands if you did not do it, simply put.