vivalaethernet | 甲辰 003: 冬至

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甲辰 003: 冬至

[video transmission]

Greetings, Crimson Corsairs.

[As usual, the elegant woman appears with a beaming smile amidst the warm steam rising from bowls of... something or other in her kitchen.]

I understand you come from many winter traditions, both in this land and in your homes. If you would allow me a brief intrusion... In Yan, it is customary to celebrate the Winter Solstice, the 'dong zhi.' As it is the longest night of the year, we give thanks that the light will return and the days will soon grow long once more. In the depths of midwinter, it is a reminder that balance and yang will be restored, no matter how dark the nights may seem. For those of us in agrarian communities, we give thanks also to the animals who have brought us through the hard times.

[A mischievous glimmer shines in her eyes.]

Of course, it is also the day that the venerable master of the stove, Zao Jun, reports to Tian on whether or not your house hold has been 'naughty' or 'nice,' which I understand is a part of some other traditions as well.

Please allow me to offer prayers to Tian on your behalf. What is it that you hope for when the sun returns in its full splendor?

[in person, all around]

[Shu appears at your door on this cold, long winter evening, knocking politely and awaiting an answer. Whether she sought you out specifically or whether she's never met you at all, she stands and waits in her warm coat holding an extraordinarily large soup bowl in her hands. Somehow, it does not seem to trouble her.]

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"Oh. I admit, I did not."

She smiles, faintly embarrassed.

"I have made an abundance and hope to share with anybody I might happen to come across. But if you are new, I am grateful to be able to welcome you to the city. My name is Shu, of Dahuang." She bows slightly with her hands together. "And please, do not use such luxuries on me. I have come to offer you the traditional celebratory dish of my people's holiday."

The lid of the bowl is removed and she displays a myriad of floating balls of near uniform size, white and pink and festive, floating in a sugary sweet broth.

Natalia blinks. It's not the first time she has heard only one name from a comrade, but it is the first time she has seen it in someone so elegant. "Shu, then."

She bows politely in response. One might even argue 'perfectly', in that it is exactly as polite as one might expect of a soldier addressing a superior. "Natalia Koutolika. Of--"

No. Not of Kamchatka. Before Kamchatka, wasn't it...? "Of Zabaykalsky."

She, similarly, stops the kettle before it boils, and sets to infuse the tea. "As for the delicacies, I got them for guests. You are my first, of late, and the others are long voyage fishers."

Flotsam pirates, in truth, but she's not sure who's listening.

The problem with not having been technically born is that one does not accumulate a surname. Historically, those without family names took on the name of the city they associated with, but in all honesty, she was trying to dissociate herself (physically) from the place in which she had spent so much time.

"I am pleased to meet you, Natalia. I hope you are settling in."

A glance outside.

"...As well as possible. Indeed, it is a difficult time to arrive in Esthere. The winter months are harsh already without having to acclimate to this peculiar and challenging circumstances. If you insist on serving me, I would be most grateful for your hospitality."

Hospitality rules were ancient and universal across cultures. She would not offend by rejecting it outright. So it is that the curious circumstance comes about of Shu offering her homemade delicacy, a steaming bowl cupped in both hands, simultaneously with Natalia passing her a cup of tea.

"... I came to Esthere on a night not unlike this one. In a containment chamber. Today might as well mark one year since I arrived; there were a few times where I could not count the days, as such. As for settling in..." She scoffs a bitter laugh. "Beats Siberian winters."

She passes the tea over, and carefully accepts the soup. "I thank you, for this meal, and for the consideration in which it is given."

She blinks, and downs a good portion of her hot tea all at once. Color briefly fades, and then returns, to her cheeks. Steam wafts out of her mouth, just a bit too cold for what she ostensibly just pulled. "Though forgive me my manners, just for a moment."

She feels a bit cleverer than she actually is in that moment; while she's had to do it before-- earlier this very night, even-- this is the first time she's headed it off.

Now, she tastes the soup that Shu has offered.

If Shu notices anything untoward, she does not mention it. Good manners does not allow one to comment on the bodily emissions of a stranger, even if she has never known anyone to emit cool steam after drinking tea before. It is reminiscent of the effect of a hot shower in a cool bathroom.

The soup is sweet, which was hopefully predicted by the syrupy scent that wafted from the bowl and its general coloration. The broth is simply simmered sugar water, and the balls are made from a sweet glutinous rice with a chewy texture. All are filled with a dark, gooey sesame paste, slightly gritty, that oozes out when a hole is bitten in the exterior. Shu instructs Natalia to bite a hole if needed to allow the filling to cool, for it can be unexpectedly hot for those who are unaccustomed to the dish.

"This is called tang yuan. We eat it together in celebration of the holiday, for its pronunciation in Yanese is nearly homophonous with the phrase for 'togetherness' or 'unity.' It is in honor of the family bonds, but in our case, I hope it may symbolize the start of our acquaintanceship."

Shu brings her tea cup to her lips and sips gently. She approves.

"But you have been in Esthere a year already? You have not been in captivity the entire time?"

She sips it, tastes the beetroot broth. Excessive sweetness is not typically her favorite, but it being shared with her, in this moment, makes it better. "Tang yuan? I think I am familiar, though only from... A very long time ago. I was a border child."

One does not live on the border of Mongolia without becoming aware of Chinese and Mongolian cuisine, even in the fallen days of the New Tsars. And for her in particular-- well, she never did know the particulars, but did know her mother never spoke of her time crossing Mongolian lands. But the last time she had any... God, has it really been nearly nine years?

"Mm. I broke out about... Three months ago, from a count who thought it would be a fun idea to hunt me. I don't suppose you have heard the name of 'Sorrows'?" Her faint smile indicates how quickly this went badly for the noble, and how satisfied with her own performance, though she quickly swallows one of the balls to keep from freezing and calm herself down. "The particulars are a long story, but eventually I landed on the deck of the Mad Archer, and joined up from there."

"... I find myself surprised, consistently, with how trusted I have become in that time. Network access, for example."

"Yes? You have heard of this before?"

She is greatly intrigued. Up to this moment, everyone she has met has made a point of commenting on the unique and theretofore unprecedented flavors of her cooking. This was not surprising, given the general difficulties she had procuring the ingredients she preferred and the offerings at various restaurants and taverns in Esthere. The fact that there was a cultural cognate of Yan somewhere out in the great aether was relieving to her.

"But you must tell me all about it. I have met no one from Terra." And obviously, Natalia is not from Terra. "But I should love to hear about anything similar to my home. One of the few benefits of being here is the vast richness of knowledge and experience we have between us."

For instance, she had learned that Link came from a world where there are pocket risotto dimensions.

"I... have not heard of 'Sorrows' as a name, no. I am sorry you experienced some trauma. I was only captive myself for about a month -- in a mine." The next comment elicits a faint raise of the eyebrow. "Do you mean our communications? But of course you must be allowed to access such things. If you mean that you could easily betray the Corsairs by leaking private information, I suppose that is the case. But then, the high command of the Corsairs do not usually... 'chat' casually with these devices."

She nods. "Earth. My home. The year was... 2090 or so when I was pulled out to here. My mother-- she was... From China, I think. She carried some of the traditions over the border with her, through Mongolia, though others weren't. She would never tell me much of them, but told me to keep them as much as I could."

Natalia sighed. "I don't know what happened. Mother and Father did not wish to speak of it."

"The border between China and Russia has a small country in the middle, Mongolia. It... Many citizens were not allowed to move freely at the time. I don't even think by my time in Kamchatka, it let up. So instead, they came through Mongolia, hoping for family or friends. I don't think very many made it."

And isn't that a tale as old as humans? "But... These tensions, this refugee crisis, this didn't bother the supposedly rightful, mostly just new, Tsars as much. There were, after all, two larger crises to deal with. The first was the warming globe, and withering earth.

"The other..." She paused. "We had begun to unlock something in ourselves. And we did not realize that this... Spark. Would draw things not of our world."

Maybe... Maybe it was okay to reveal it. She breathed in.

Natalia breathed out.

She let her inner lotus unfurl, the energy suffusing her person. Blue flecks appeared in her black eyes. Her hands felt warm for the first time in ages. "I realize this is very rude, to ready myself to the fullest extent for a fight. But... Necessary, to understand what my Earth was like."

She breathes in, and the blossom turns to bud once more. "It is very important to understand: many recieved the same training as me.

"And four out of five, I never saw again once they left Kamchatka."

((oops, typo in the last comment: 'such trauma,' not 'some trauma,' which changes the meaning of that sentence.))

"Earth."

She has heard the name before. A few of the other outworlders hailed from a place with the same name, though she suspects they aren't the same world. Given the general term, it's not surprising. The word Terra had similar connotations. China, Mongolia, Russia, though... None of those are familiar.

She listens carefully to Natalia's story. Perhaps Natalia is in the mood to open up on this dark and dreary winter evening; perhaps she was simply a receptive ear in the right place at the right time. Whatever the reason, Shu listens with attention and care: nodding at the appropriate moments, allowing a slight intake of breath as Natalia reveals her latent power, finally sighing in shared sorrow at the loss of her companions. The tea is growing cool by the time Natalia is finished with the tale, but she gazes into its portentous depths for a few moments of silence.

"...At times, it feels to me that the stories of the Corsairs are a collage stitched together by the misfortune and pain we have endured in the past. The suffering of the individual, the corruption of those who claim power, the inability to surmount obstacles as a collective. This is the shared lament of all peoples, no matter our world."

To Natalia's strange unfurling of power, she bats not an eye. She can sense the release of latent energy, the great willpower it takes to suppress whatever it is that has changed inside her. For Shu, who has seen everything in Esthere from a flying man turning blonde with ultimate power to what they call a 'giant robot battle,' there is nothing new under the sun. In recognition of the effort it takes Natalia to reveal her vulnerability, she slides a hand across the counter and reaches to grasps hers, if she will allow.

"But you have been through much. I hope... you are finding some relief here."

She still reaches for the hand. "Again and again it has been impressed upon me: I can change nothing. I am a soldier, a weapon only, fangs and wolf for a crown. Earlier today, I... I realized I could be something different, and maybe even change more."

She doesn't know if Shu understands. But it's not necessary for her to. "When I think of my past... What I feel most of all, is numb."

“No.”

Shu gives the hand a light squeeze.

“That is one of many weapons in their arsenal. Hopelessness. If one believes that nothing can change, one shall never try. You must dare to hope, above all else.”

Shu’s method of caretaking is to feed people. And so Natalia’s soup will find itself automatically refilling and urged upon her in an effort to bring more warmth to the woman.

“It is easier said than done, but you must not let the last define you. Trite as the words are, it is the present and the future that may be changed.”

"Thus, why you asked what the Corsairs hope for." She paused. "A painful thing, hope."

She begins to eat the second bowl, without questioning why. To her, it is enough the food is there; in this, she is like many soldiers. "I don't know if I can feel anything, anymore. But then... If I cannot hope, I can at least have an objective."

She let go of Shu's hand, for a moment, and drew, quickly, a small sketch of a penguin from her memories of pictures in books. In some regards, it's perfect-- a good use of pencil-sketching techniques to get an idea across. In others, it is a woefully inadequate penguin; she has clearly never seen one in the flesh. "If I cannot be warm, at least let me deliver warmth."

"Ah."

Shu... stares for a beat longer than she ought to, for she has no earthly idea what she is looking at. She has never met the boss of Penguin Logistics, nor has she ever been interested in modern hip hop. Though she has a strong intuitive sense for how to comfort others, she is briefly at a loss.

She takes a stab at what she thinks is being conveyed.

"You wish to be an artist? But that is a wonderful hope."

Please let her be right.

"There... Is a species of [penguin] back home, or so I have read, that huddles in the eternal night of the southernmost regions for warmth." She uses the Modern English name for it. "With this strategy, they protect their eggs, and deliver them unto the spring."

"And... I thought, that's a fine symbol for a courier service."

"Ahhh."

She says, momentarily chagrined at her completely incorrect guess.

" -- Ah!"

She continues, for modern English is mutually intelligible with the Victorian language, which she knows fluently.

"[Penguin!] Penguin Logistics. How funny. There is a similar organization in my world that uses the same branding. Although... May I?"

She borrows the pen and draws the much more highly stylized blobby penguin creature that features on Penguin Logistics' logo.

"The negative space is the beak, you see. Yes, a fine idea. I should think there would be a great need for such services in this world, especially between different branches of the Corsair network. And..." A brief pause. "Well, Penguin Logistics is also known for their ability to operate effectively even in war zones."

"They exist here, then!" Natalia lets out a sigh of relief she didn't know she had. The Ursus accent is not nearly so thick, now, as she starts to speak rapidly. "That might have been a hitch in the plan-- naming an organization that immediately marks its owner as an Outlander would have been a silly thing to keep a symbol for. Penguin."

"And yes, these were my thoughts when I went over the current system with..." She pauses, and says, the next part quietly, like she's just realizing it herself-- "a friend. And not only that. If it becomes trusted enough for inter-House communication and transport, we suddenly know a lot more about Imperial movements."

Now she takes another deep drink of the hot soup while looking at the logo, cold steam wafting up as her eyes start to consider more eagerly. "This... This however, I think I'll need to look at local logos more for. If the things are too Outlandish, it breaks the illusion... And besides, if, heavens forfend, the leader of the group shows up, I do not want to explain why I am using his exact logo."

"I am not entirely sure, but most of the creatures I am familiar with have some sort of equivalent, even if they use different names."

Sometimes the appearances did not entirely align, but the general body outline was close enough.

"I think your logo should suffice perfectly well. You are a good artist. You are suggesting that you operate as a courier service native to Esthere? And if you build up enough reputation, the Empire might consider using the transport services for some of their more minor needs." She nods as she makes sense of the plan in her mind. "You will need to build up a fleet of vehicles and personnel, though."

"That's the main problem," Natalia agrees. "So far, I think I'll have to restrict myself to work within Elysium, or any city we base ourselves in."

"I am sure some of the Corsairs would be willing to help. In the winter months, I have less work to do on the fields, though I can't say I am much use at operating vehicles."

She didn't really go in for tanks or robots.

"However, I do have flight mobility for smaller deliveries..."

"And we are getting new recruits," Natalia hums in agreement. "It's a trickle, but I think there might be some genuinely promising ones for this. ... Though... Flight... Is that something you can teach, or part of who you are? Because if your duties take you away come spring, that... Might leave people wondering, wouldn't it?"

She hums. "As for who I'd want for personnel... I need a face for the company. Someone better at sociability than me. Ideally, they'd all be suited to getting packages through a war zone, but myself and the face especially need that capability-- we need to be seen delivering, at least at first. After that, pilots, drivers, navigators, ground crew to service sea ships and air ships."

She pauses. "It may be as many as three or four support staff for every courier or sailman..."

she swallows, not sure what to do with the whisper in her head that this could swiftly become a proper, equipped expeditionary force if the higher-ups wanted. "But this, I think, is putting the cart before the horse, and forgetting our erstwhile masters have a say."

Edited (Come now Natalia keep the thread of the conversation!) 2024-12-31 06:40 (UTC)

“You have already started? But that is wonderful. Many have grand ideas but few have the courage to put their plans in motion.”

Shu laughs, a little ruefully at the question.

“It is nothing so arcane. I am friends with a flying ox.”

Yes, she heard that right.

“It appears to be a creature native to this world. I am not sure he would be keen on allowing other people to ride, but he makes very good time and I am sure I could convince him to help now and again. As for convincing the Corsairs, I imagine you may want to approach the commander of the Flotsam flotilla. This seems like something that she might appreciate. Moreso, she may be able to provide airships and personnel if she approves.”

Shu ponders the final issue for a moment or two.

“…Do you feel you cannot represent this organization yourself?”

"First day! N of 1, but results are very promising." She takes another sip of tea as she ponders how to tackle the last question. "When it comes to... Empathy, emotional understanding, even my own-- I am an iceberg, and I know it. This is great, for finding efficiencies, for the direct path, for... the end of a blade. For being welcoming and understanding and offering comfort and soothing angry clients? Not so much."

"An iceberg...?"

That was an odd analogy. Shu doesn't entirely understand, but she assumes Natalia must have a reason for believing herself to be incapable.

"It strikes me that it takes a certain amount of emotional intelligence to understand that about yourself, and certainly empathy is something that one can learn -- but I will not argue. I do not know if you have any promising candidates, but I believe many of the Corsairs are more aligned with fighting than with comforting. Have you asked around?"

"Mm. There is that. They do not like to admit it, but they are in a war, now. ... I have been mostly asking about the details of current logistics. And-- again, this idea came up when I was talking with someone earlier today. It may be that I am more suited than I have assessed. They stuck me here, remember?"

She drained the last of the soup, and refilled the tea, and spoke, and when she did, it had an odd weight to it. "I wish I knew what they saw when they did."

Shu's hand automatically hovers to refill the bowl, though given this would be the third bowl of sweet soup, it is possible Natalia is beginning to get a stomach ache. If she pushes her away, she will not argue.

Her response is light.

"Sometimes, we are too close to ourselves to see clearly. I imagine they saw a greater potential than you believe possible."

甲辰 003: 冬至

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