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Morgana has been sitting by herself for a short while now. As conversations rise and fall around her, the ogre has not managed to connect with the nobles. When Quin leaves, Morgana waves to Asai and heads over to the fireplace to offer an invitation. "It seems that your conversation has left you alone. If you'd like, please join me." She will smile at the lemur warmly before heading back to her table and seat.
07.01f: The Seventh Winter (Table of the Giant)
Re: 07.01f: The Seventh Winter (Table of the Giant)
Asai pads along in Morgana's wake, and hops up onto a chair next to the ogre's. She cocks her head, picks up a fork, and stares at it for a moment as if she'd never seen anything so fascinating. After a brief moment, she sets it back down, looks up at Morgana, utterly unperturbed by the difference in height and size, and asks "Are all humans so complicated, or is it something about knowing one is considered nobility?"
Re: 07.01f: The Seventh Winter (Table of the Giant)
"Humans?" She asks with a small smile, it feels a little warm, despite Morgana's resemblance to a rock troll. "Everything is this complicated when you're no used to it. And everything gets even worse when you don't act as you're expected. The village that finally accepted me did so despite my heritage, but it took a long time, and I tried very hard to act human. You know, not eating anyone. Ogres have kind of a bad reputation in most places."
She shakes her head. "Nobility gets even worse. Because there are so many more expectations. The nobility wants to emulate the idea of what they think you want them to act like, but only if what you want is in line with their ideas of what a ruler should be."
She scratches her head... "Your question was rhetorical, wasn't it?"
She shakes her head. "Nobility gets even worse. Because there are so many more expectations. The nobility wants to emulate the idea of what they think you want them to act like, but only if what you want is in line with their ideas of what a ruler should be."
She scratches her head... "Your question was rhetorical, wasn't it?"
Re: 07.01f: The Seventh Winter (Table of the Giant)
"Mostly, I suppose. I grew up around humans - I expect I would be less at home amongst my kind in the wild than the university where I was raised - but even there where I knew the cultures, knew the humans, it seemed the nobility were less predictable and more prickly." She gives her ears a flick, though whether it is of irritation or not is unclear. "I think perhaps it might be because they are carrying too many identities in one body. Even at the best of times they can't all agree with each other, and when things go unexpectedly they try to bolt off in a dozen directions each chasing its own prey."
Re: 07.01f: The Seventh Winter (Table of the Giant)
"Sounds like Dworkin. If he did draw the pattern as he said, perhaps it stuck to that type of person a little more. I know that I had more than one identity." She sighs, "I choose to leave my kind. They are not... not very civil or interesting or intelligent."
Re: 07.01f: The Seventh Winter (Table of the Giant)
((I blame John for distracting me with dog noises and appearances. It's his fault I forgot to post, I swear! *cough*))
"I suppose I am fortunate in that my kind's worst 'flaw' was they were as a whole no more intelligent than a parrot, though given what mishaps intelligence regularly leads to I'm not so sure my existence is superior to theirs. And I suppose from most perspectives 'pet' is preferable to 'pariah', but I confess I have only ever been the former and never the latter. In one, you are unwelcome as yourself; in the other, you are welcome but not yourself. On further thought, perhaps my simpler-minded kin have the right notion, but for now I shall have to remain Asai as one 'lesser flaw' of my kin is absolutely horrid table manners." The corners of Asai's lips twitch upwards on the last sentence, giving lie to her thoughtful expression.
"I suppose I am fortunate in that my kind's worst 'flaw' was they were as a whole no more intelligent than a parrot, though given what mishaps intelligence regularly leads to I'm not so sure my existence is superior to theirs. And I suppose from most perspectives 'pet' is preferable to 'pariah', but I confess I have only ever been the former and never the latter. In one, you are unwelcome as yourself; in the other, you are welcome but not yourself. On further thought, perhaps my simpler-minded kin have the right notion, but for now I shall have to remain Asai as one 'lesser flaw' of my kin is absolutely horrid table manners." The corners of Asai's lips twitch upwards on the last sentence, giving lie to her thoughtful expression.
Re: 07.01f: The Seventh Winter (Table of the Giant)
"Well, when you have power things change. If I wasn't a healer, it's unlikely that I would have ever been accepted. I could order some of the nobles to spend time at the table. " She shrugs. "They're terrified you're going to do something like make them dress up like mice and hunt them for sport. Or some other cruel thing at your whim."
Re: 07.01f: The Seventh Winter (Table of the Giant)
Asai makes an odd sort of clicking noise in the back of her throat, almost a stuttering throat-clearing - her expression is one of weary exasperation. "Mice the size of men would be poor sport, I would be far more interested in mice the size of marbles. Back at the university, I chased mice because that was part of my duties and because they were part of my food supply. Here, I chase them because it's fun and because they're so much smaller and harder to catch." A thoughtful tilt of the head, as Asai continues on. "I remember reading countless stories of those oppressed coming into power and in turn returning the favor, but I confess I have felt no such urges. Perhaps it is simply that 'human nature', or 'sapient species nature' to be more broad, lends itself to such behaviors, or perhaps it is something that comes with longer exposure to power. I rather hope it is moreso the former, however poorly it may reflect on me to have such a selfish desire - if I am to be feared, I think it would be preferable to be unsettling by dint of being unfamiliar and unique than by being terrifying."
Re: 07.01f: The Seventh Winter (Table of the Giant)
"Understandable. At least your kind isn't known for grinding bones into bread and enslaving others. It's a difficult stigma to overcome." She smiles, "If I can help, let me know. It's difficult enough without some allies."
"Looks like the first course is here..."
"Looks like the first course is here..."
Re: 07.01f: The Seventh Winter (Table of the Giant)
Dinner is served.
A small group of waiters enter the room with large appetizer plates. Filled with an assortment of sushi and sashimi, clams, crab-cakes, shrimp cocktail and other seafood and similar plates, they are clearly there to highlight the amazing and plentiful ocean that surrounds Amber. For those of you who are hungry, pace yourself. Anyone who'se been around for a while (or if you want, a NPC noble can point this out) knows that the dinner is 4 courses. (Appetizers, Meat/Stew, Salad/veggies, and desserts.)
Accompanying each place setting are a number of spider-silk bags, sized for a slightly oversized deck of playing / tarot cards. They are labelled with names of the PCs and NPCs and are dyed a pleasing color (or pattern) to the person they're intended for. Inside Each contains a trump deck. Each contains the 19 cards listed (although if anyone joins the game, a 20th card might be retconned in) and are slightly cool to the touch (not unexpected considering it's the middle of winter). Any more experimenting, you'll need to do in game.
A small group of waiters enter the room with large appetizer plates. Filled with an assortment of sushi and sashimi, clams, crab-cakes, shrimp cocktail and other seafood and similar plates, they are clearly there to highlight the amazing and plentiful ocean that surrounds Amber. For those of you who are hungry, pace yourself. Anyone who'se been around for a while (or if you want, a NPC noble can point this out) knows that the dinner is 4 courses. (Appetizers, Meat/Stew, Salad/veggies, and desserts.)
Accompanying each place setting are a number of spider-silk bags, sized for a slightly oversized deck of playing / tarot cards. They are labelled with names of the PCs and NPCs and are dyed a pleasing color (or pattern) to the person they're intended for. Inside Each contains a trump deck. Each contains the 19 cards listed (although if anyone joins the game, a 20th card might be retconned in) and are slightly cool to the touch (not unexpected considering it's the middle of winter). Any more experimenting, you'll need to do in game.