006 ✳ day 98 ✳ video/action

[blackmagus]

[Fortescue is sitting in the gazebo as she fiddles with the wrist comm. Jazz is visible in the background, on one of the rails; he has a beetle pinned under one black paw, apparently for his own amusement.

She's staving off a headache by taking a break in her fishing. Using magic has its problems.]

Our worlds seem to share plenty of differences, but the similarities, I think, are just as interesting. Shared ideas amongst the multiverse. So, if you'd care to indulge me, what are some of your favorite things in popular culture?

[private to Donna Noble]

[She schools her expression into a more serious one.]

Given the recent disappearances, I think it would be a good idea to spring our 'list' plan into action. What do you think?

[private to Erik Lehnsherr]

I understand you've been teaching B— Dilandau how to cook? I hope it hasn't been too maddening.

Comments

[blackmagus]

[She chuckles — perhaps a bit slyly.]

Not for me, it doesn't. For a time, those who used magic were considered freaks by the church. And inhuman. But they were let back in when the church realized how beneficial magic was. That was a long time ago.

[purplishgreen]

[She nods, slowly.]

It is my understanding that human biotics often experience a certain amount of distrust by those who misunderstand their abilities. They often believe that it is possible for them to read minds, or similar abilities.

But then, biotics are a new concept for humans.

[blackmagus]

Paranoia does sound like us.

[To say the least.]

[purplishgreen]

I can hardly claim it's a trait entirely unique to humans, either.

[She flashes a small, but kind smile.]

[blackmagus]

[Fortescue laughs quietly.]

Paranoia's kept me alive a few times. But a lot of it is terrible.

[purplishgreen]

[She chuckles, as well, distantly but no less genuine.]

An emotion that is both valuable and dangerous, then, like most of them. I try to leave philosophizing to those more qualified, but it seems to me that paranoia is best enjoyed in small doses.

[blackmagus]

I'm not very qualified, either. But things in smaller doses are, generally, more fun than large ones.

[purplishgreen]

Surely that's not true of all things.

[Her smile grows a trifle teasing.]

I'm usually quite happy with good company in large doses, particularly if we have the same goal in mind.

[blackmagus]

[Fortescue laughs. Okay, so she was being vaguely serious for once. It's not likely to happen again anytime soon.]

I'll agree with that, love. Good company should be kept around as long as possible. It can be difficult to find.

[purplishgreen]

[Shiala's smile is warm, but slightly bittersweet.]

I've been a commando for long enough, now, that I've realised it's better to take what comfort you can while you can with those you care about. I should remember to... look for it.

[blackmagus]

You should.

[She cants her head to the side, still smiling herself. Shiala's words make a great deal of sense to her. In Fortescue's line of work, her life expectancy is fairly short. She can't make any 'normal' sort of friends, and when she travels she doesn't have the option of staying in one place for very long. Seeking out company, of any kind, has always been a temporary affair, no matter how much she enjoys the company in question.

It makes her appreciate every minute of being able to really talk to someone in the Cape. She feels as though she's on the way to having real friends here. It's nice.]

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Or something to that effect.

[purplishgreen]

Precisely so.

[She sighs, leaning back a little, relaxing into the moment.]

The human lifespan, too, is so short. You should enjoy every moment you have, it seems to me.

[blackmagus]

A hundred years, optimistically, does seem like a wink compared to some races. [Elves live so much longer that it's sometimes hard to relate to them.] How long do Asari live for?

[purplishgreen]

A thousand years, typically. I am three hundred and fifteen, myself.

But a hundred years is nothing to be ashamed of. My father...

[She hesitates a moment.]

My father was a salarian, and he was thirty-eight when he died, which is very old by their standards. I have... few memories of him.

[blackmagus]

[She wonders, a little, if that makes Shiala half-Asari, but that seems like a personal question to ask at the moment. They've only just met. So Fortescue simply nods.]

That's only a few years older than me. [She 'hurms' quietly.] Living for such a short amount of time seems tricky, to accomplish what you want.

[purplishgreen]

And yet, salarians accomplish a great deal in their forty years.

[She shakes her head.]

How long do elves live? Is it similar to humans?

[blackmagus]

It depends on the house, but most of them live... oh... [Fortescue really has to think. This is school stuff.] Five hundred years? Some of them longer, and shorter.

[purplishgreen]

[She nods. It seems a reasonable time, to her. Longer than many species, shorter than asari or krogan.]

I served a great leader of my people for a long time, as bodyguard and disciple. Her opinion was that there is a value in the points of view a different lifespan gives a species.

[blackmagus]

[Makes sense to her.]

I s'pose there would be equally important wisdom to take from both long and short lifespans. [Smiling, she shrugs.] I'm happy with whatever time I have. [Well, in some ways.]

[purplishgreen]

I think that's a good attitude to have. If it makes a difference, I have heard Matriarchs who have lived a thousand years speak of much loss, pain, and grief. Great joy, as well, but you cannot have one without a share of the other.

[blackmagus]

Outliving almost everyone you know would be tough.

[As it is, it'll probably be the other way around.]

[purplishgreen]

Perhaps. As it is... well, I am fairly young, for an asari, but I have already seen a few friends who were not asari age and die. It... is not easy, but... it's important to treasure the time you have, not mourn what you cannot have.

[blackmagus]

[Fortescue nods.]

You'd miss a lot. [With a grin,] And some things in life should not be missed.

[purplishgreen]

Yes.

[She leans forward again, resting her forearms on her knees in a thoughtful pose.]

Love, friendship, the first time you look out on a new planet -- or any other new location, for that matter.

[blackmagus]

Seeing planets must be impressive.

[All she has, for that, is her imagination. But she's been to other worlds - one before this, and now the Cape - and so she doesn't feel so backwards or inadequate as a person might be tempted.]