Archive | January 13, 2011

All Green Dots – Flash fiction from prompt

Jan13

Flash Fiction from daHob’s prompt: I’m a computer geek. Green means ‘good’! In Test Driven Development, you are done with the code when it passes all the unit tests. Each test gets a green dot (as opposed to a red one). So, “all green dots” at 256 words….

Sequel to Evolution

Alae and Eka waited together in the tiny room known, as archaically as Alae was Queen, as the Green Room (some wit had painted a line of tiny green trees all around the room). The ceremony took time to plan (even though it happened every twenty cycles), more time to set up, and several eternities on the day of. And through all of it, Alae, who was normally just another denizen of the ship, was sequestered and guarded like some exec’s concubine

She’d paced until Eka snarled, fiddled with her feather cape until she risked ruining it, and settled in to lotus, finally, envisioning her greenhouse plans for the next five cycles.

“Green dots,” Eka declared, as Alae got to her next batch of carrots. She opened her eyes; Eka was staring at the status meter, a row of red lights that were slowly turning green. “They’re nearly ready for you.” She stood, the beads in her hair clacking, and hurried over to Alae. “Are you all set, me love?” Behind her, another light turned green, and another one. “You mussed your cloak again, didn’t you? How is it that you can’t ever sit still?” Her slender fingers smoothed Alae’s feathers; her lover’s nervous fussing calmed her the way no meditation or medication ever could.

Four more lights went green. They were near to securing the space. She tried not to think about their failure to secure, last time, even as Eka’s fingers brushed the scar.

“All green dots, Your Majesty,” Eka murmured. “Knock ‘em dead.”

Religion in Reiassan – Callenia, to be specific – @inventrix @shutsumon

Jan13

Talking about colours with TyBarbary yesterday made me ponder more the tricolour religion of the two main nations of Reiassan.

Prayer

I “know” more about how the Callanthe worship than how the Bitrani do, so this is the way of the Three the way the Callanthe observe it.

(Bridges and Relics, the latter $10/$22 sponsored and the former $10 if Relics’ goal is reached, cover bits of the religion throughout, including their Green Men and Women).

Magic and Faith are intertwined in Reiassan. The people worship three deities, to balance their three-season world, and have three paths of magic (although very few people who work magic follow just one path):

* The blue, Tienebrah, the sea, the sky, the air, change, the cold season. Mindfulness.
* The red, Veignevar, blood, fire, violence, death, the hot season. Strength.
* The green, Reiassannon, life, plants, earth, healing, growth. Fertility.

Notes on holidays, from a chat with Eseme spurred by something she posted in eseme_games (I meant to make it a meme but I forgot):

Eseme: I assume red/hot, blue/cold, green/rainy?
But that’s how I would do it
Aldersprig: yes 😉 Summer for war, winter for thinking, spring for growing
Eseme: nods Makes sense, and also works color-wise
So, holidays.celebrations/festivals that fit
have you already thought any of the three up?
Aldersprig: not really, braindead ;-D
Eseme: Well, for summer you could have war games.
Contests (which I know has been done, see Changeling) but it makes sense
and can be adapted to include religious ritual involving the winners (and if you want to be bloody, the losers)
Aldersprig: (contests does make sense. And they’re warry people)
Eseme: If you need inspiration, look into what the Mayans did to losers of their soccer games…
Aldersprig Yeah, I was thinking something like that
Eseme: It makes sense for a war-themed holiday. And war gods are not friendly. You could probably also incorporate fire in there, and weapon-smithing
Aldersprig: Yay fire!
Eseme: grins
You do have the option of cremating the losers
Or possibly less toxic bonfires…
Eseme Cold for thinking. Hrm. And the blue was also water, yes? Sea-brides and such?
Aldersprig: water, the mind, the sky
Eseme: And cold/winter.
Does the continent get snow? Or, at least, do the two countries get much snow?
Aldersprig: yes. the continent’s climate is like the western portion of the ussr
So Callenia gets more snow, Bithrain less
Eseme: They may have different winter holidays, simply based on weather. Probably with similar roots
Hrm. Most winter holidays in this world are about fighting back against the cold and the dark
few celebrate it
Aldersprig: I liked the Dr. who take on it; halfway through the dark
Eseme: grins
so yeah, contemplating. It would be a quiet holiday. A real contrast to summer
Aldersprig: nods Study. Theory. a mental holiday
Eseme: Not sure how water fits in. Possibly meditation bowls?
ocean in a glass?
Aldersprig: oooh, yes. bottle ships
Eseme: Cool! Possibly Labyrinths?
And if it is a mental holiday, possibly a sharing of scholarship – lectures, or publication?
Aldersprig innovations. inventions
Eseme: it’s well after harvest, so people would be able to travel to share learning, so long as there is not too much snow
Aldersprig: That leaves spring for baby-making
Eseme: And planting crops
Aldersprig: fertilities
Eseme: I think you don’t need much help brainstorming that one!
You can rip a lot off of Beltane
Aldersprig: 😀
and Oestra… Easter
Eseme: Possibly combine elements of both. Definitely planting the fields, fertilizing them, and weddings or couplings