milliways_bar | (no subject)

(no subject)

Val's sitting in the bar, unsurprisigly pouring over some papers in Antarian. It would seem that she's rather boring lately. Perhaps something should be done. Boredom is a strange fish sometimes.

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"Um, not much, really. Just writing, and riding my horse, and some martial arts training." In what universe is that 'not much', Val?

"You've a horse?"

How Freudian.

"A black winged horse, actually." She grins. "He's amazing. His name's Solon, lives in the stables out back." All Freudian implications go over Val's head. Whoops?

He grins.

"A pegasus ... wherever did you acquire one of those?"

"Deal with Bar. I think it was a one-time thing. But he's lovely. He'd probably like you if you tried to take him out sometime. He loves flying." She smiles a bit. "He's rather protective of me, though."

Puck considers this.

"I'm not in the habit of using creatures for their labor. Though your Solon does right to protect you."

Val smiles. "I think he likes flying. If he was bothered by it, I wouldn't make him do anything." She means that. "And, well, I keep him as free as possible. It doesn't feel right to me to keep him on a rope all the time."

"Well ... it's still slightly different for one of my kind," Puck explains. "We're a good deal closer to bird and beast than are mortals."

For example, would you ask your cousin to pull a carriage? Even your second cousin? The one you only see on Christmas and Easter? Well, then.

"True. I can understand that." She pauses, obviously processing a few things, lost in thought for a long moment.

Puck just tilts his head, watching her come to whatever conclusion she'll come to.

After a moment, she shrugs it off. "This place has really made me think a lot about the lines between sentient beings and non-sentient ones. Mortals and humans have a vastsuperiority complex. Especially over things which they can't communicate with."

Puck grins. One might say that he is delighted.

"What mindset should replace it?"

"Everyone should respect all species, and not treat anything as a lesser being." She bites her lip a bit. "Because, really, all species have some degree of sentience. And somewhere, all can communicate."

"So I've been told," he says, thinking of Nita Callahan.

"Well, it makes sense. There's no real theories of it in my world, but it just seems to make sense. If a creature has life, it communicates with other creatures of its own type." She pauses, but doesn't go on.

"Except when there is miscommunication, of course," he puts in cheerfully.

Val laughs. "Of course. Humans are notorious for that one. I rather think humans miscommunicate more than they communicate, really."

"You may just be right," he says with a laugh of his own.

What? No, of course he will not admit to a similar failing among his own kind.

Val smirks. "Hey, I'm usually right. And when I'm not, I'm spectacularly wrong." Her eyes twinkle. It makes sense in some universe.

He nods thoughtfully.

"That seems logical."

Val laughs and shakes her head. "If you say so, Puck. At least you understand me. I generally don't understand myself."

A curious pause.

"Does anyone understand himself-- or herself, as the case may be?"

"Well, true. Some philosopher went on and on for a few too many pages on the statement 'know thyself', but you really can't, can you? People are... people. And beings are beings. They can't be really understood."

A snort. "Not even by their creators, it seems."

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