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video | un: linneus

Good day, everyone. I have... a little bit of a predicament I hoped I might ask for some help with. Namely-- well. Naming. My familiar, she-- oh!

[a little chuckle as the light of his familiar glides into the screen and settles on top of his head - feeling for her, a little clumsy, slightly destabilising the camera, but careful as he tries to find her. She settles in his hair, shifting contented colours]

She found me as soon as I arrived but I have been... wary of choosing a name for her. Not least because I've little experience naming things and I fear that if one can have a sense in naming things mine must be terrible! But I have been here almost three months at this point and I'm not sure it is fair she go nameless forever.

I hoped perhaps it might be possible to collect suggestions, that she may choose from - she has not spoken with me, but she has ways of making her preferences abundantly clear...! She enjoys cakes, small candies and fruited teas, and though she tends often to be around me, I can usually tell she has been here or there as she makes wildflower chains.

[not just for Linneus - most anyone he has ever spoken to has probably received a little chain of flowers as well. His favourites are her favourites.

He... is not sure how to finish off this message. A little pause, a light chuckle, his familiar glimmering into gold atop his head]

I-- thank you for bearing with me. If you have any suggestions I - we - would be quite delighted to hear them!

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Well, if she likes sweets, why not name her after a dessert? Food names are always cute for pets--I mean, familiars.

She favours strawberry shortcakes - and fruit tarts, but I'm not sure anyone would necessarily wish to be named after one!

[angling the device to better see how his familiar has taken it - Linneus own display of distaste was brief, just a wrinkle of the nose, but on his familiar it lasts a little longer, rippling blueish grey almost like a stormy sky. At being called a pet or at the idea of being called a tart?]

But if you have any suggestions--? And is that quite common, naming pets after foods? My first master only really kept hunting dogs and horses and their names... well, they were certainly not in that vein...!

[She laughs at both their reactions.]

I guess that's a no, then!

[That they didn't like the suggestion does nothing to dampen her mood.] It's pretty common but I guess usually they wouldn't be animals used for hunting...though I don't see why not!

[Hunting dogs can have cute names, after all!]

Oh, are there any stories you both like? Maybe you can use the name of a character from one of those!

Perhaps not those particular suggestions. [a glance up] I'm not sure we would do too well with Shortcake, either?

[another answering ripple, where she had almost resolved back to her normal at-rest pastels, and he chuckles gently-]

You see why I am less sure of my own naming sense...! As for stories-- I have read some stories from other worlds. But traditional Ivorian tales don't name their protagonists - they are more... epithetical? The Princess of the Fireplace and so on.

Oh, like fairy tales?

[Hm...but when she thinks about it, aren't there foods with human-like names? Minamoto had made some of them before...]

What about Suzette? [It's a kind of crepe!]

Yes, fairy tales were always my favourites when I was a child...! I fear I made a terrible imposition of myself asking people to read them to me.

[a little chuckle at the suggestion]

See, I am trying to think of dessert names but I can only summon up quite terrible examples. But Suzette - I shall add that one to our list!

[Linneus likes it, though his familiar hasn't reacted either in favour or distaste. At least it is not a clear refusal like before?]

Hmph! Children asking for stories is normal, isn't it? Only a jerk would think the child was an imposition! Minamoto used to tell us stories all the time when we asked and he never complained.

[Well, at least Suzette makes it onto the list.]

The key is to find desserts that also have human names in them. Like Charlotte or Victoria.

[not just Suzette - he's taken down Charlotte and Victoria as well]

That may be it, yes...! So I suppose roll-cake is out...! [looking up as though trying to spot his familiar's reaction.] Soufflé? Bon-bon?

[whether or not he now deliberately throwing out poor choices is up for debate, but he is half-teasing, and the way his familiar bounces in answer is almost as if to say she is in on the joke]

Ah - but more often not it was my master's son who I was troubling for them. [an almost sheepish chuckle] We were close enough in age that I can say we were both children, though he was older - but whatever our ages, he ought not have had to wait on me!

Antoinette~?

[ A cute, cheerful girl with a warm smile and chipper voice is on the camera, her pastel pink hair slightly darker than Linneus' own, and let down straight today in a rather '60s mod-type look, with a wide white headband and hot pink and orange color-blocked shift dress with a white collar and stripe. She's wearing rather dramatic yet natural eye makeup, a dark crease drawn giving a much deeper illusion of a wide eye shape, emphasizing her double lid for a more Western-like look, plus curled false eyelashes and mascara on her lower lashes, making her dazzled eyes look even wider and brighter than they naturally are. Her full lips are painted a pale pink with the slightest hint of blusher to match, but she's kept her face makeup mostly subtle to draw attention to her eye makeup most. It's a well-executed and clearly well-practiced look, someone who's probably stylish more often than not, considering this is just... a normal day, and a normal video post from a stranger online.

In the distant background in the room she's sitting in, can be seen pink walls with handpainted flowers along the baseboards like an indoor meadow, some butterflies painted higher up... Butterflies which, after a moment of the camera rolling, seem to be fluttering and moving across the wall as if they were real, however two-dimensional they obviously are? ]

A-Also, if I may say— you are so pretty! Both of you!

[ Even if she tags this on with a hint of polite hesitation at first, she still says it with a certain forthrightness, something that makes it seem she has no problem commenting on people's appearances so forwardly like this. Even if they're strangers online, indeed.

It's all quite the impact, really. A very pink impact. ]

Antoinette; how lovely! I shall make a note of it.

[it is strange - the name almost sounds Ivorian - but he can't be sure. A delighted smile at the compliment]

Oh-- thank you!

[his familiar lifts a little as he straightens, as if mimicking his posture and gentle delight, sparkling gold]

But I think I am in good company. Pink hair is a rarity, where I am from.

Nee, or Marie — you know, "Let them eat cake~" Roccoco decadence~ Suiting for a fairy who likes sweets, right?

[ Miwako has no idea whether she should assume someone knows about Revolutionary France, but y'know, here we are. She returns the gentle, delighted smile back, also vaguely sparkling gold with her light magic, as she often does when her emotions sweep her away. Which is on a daily basis, of course. Multiple times a day. ]

Pink hair is rare where I'm from, too... Most people have dark hair. And few people are brave enough to bleach and dye it, you know— but I go to art school, heh~

[ Like that's some basic explanation. She is far from the only one brave enough to embrace unnatural colors in her high school, though. All three of her friends (because, wow, she has only 3-5 friends in total) have unnatural hair colors — blue, lavender, and bleach blonde. It's all a lot of cosmetic commitment for these diligent, creative, unabashedly vain full-blooded Japanese kids. To her, after three years of consistent pink, it's nothing. Here? She can just use light magic to touch up her roots; that's maybe the most magic part of her experience in Avalon, in such a simple way. ]

Or Marie... [he's taking notes] Roccoco Decadance too? It might be a bit of a long name, but the first part has somewhat a pleasing ring to it...!

[even if he hasn't any idea what any of these terms mean, though his familiar seems to echo his opinion with a little bounce on his head.

Blinking as he tries to follow the rest.]

Ah - there are dyes where I am from, too. But pink isn't possible to achieve, that I know about. It's rare enough in women and practically unheard-of in men.

[a selling point in Ivore - perhaps less than desirable on Amoi]

There are... schools for art?

Ah— S-Sorry... Miwako forgets... Roccoco was a period of art history in my world, known for its decadent lifestyle and colorful aesthetic. The Queen of France at the time, Marie Antoinette, was a major trendsetter...

[ She's a little sheepish. She should know better by now than to assume everyone knows about Earth stuff. She just gets excited and her mind works too fast, yet not fast enough.

Nice to move on... Whoops. ]

A-Anyway— that's amazing your hair is naturally pink! I'm jealous! Miwako does a lot of treatments to keep it healthy, just to maintain this color... Many of my peers at school do, too. I studied fashion design — we're very image-conscious, nee... But you can study all kinds of things in art school! It changed my life, I can't imagine if I'd stayed at a normal school... There— There are no schools for arts where you're from...?

[ She's disturbed to hear this. Yazawa High School has formed her life path far before she even was a student there. Junior high in public school had been hell. She hates to think of a world that has no escape for people like her and her friends in the school system. ]

[obediently making notes, even if he is not necessarily sure what France is]

No? [the questioning lilt is less uncertainty and more 'should there be?'] Is that strange?

[he's sure it must be - but it wouldn't be the first time, if it was]

I wasn't... educated, anyway, so I can't speak much on it. But my first master's son-- he went away to school. Much of his studies were beyond me - accounts and politics and the like. Art is more of a personal pursuit, for those who choose it. I cannot imagine there being whole schools dedicated to it - how fascinating!

Edited 2021-08-16 23:05 (UTC)

Oh— yes, schools and even universities! My sister went to the same arts high school as I did, too, and she's a famous fashion designer now! In fact, our school is very famous in our country, nee, we even have sister design universities abroad that the top students can win scholarships to — like Sissy did! It's far more passionate than normal school; Miwako went to normal junior high and primary school, and it's... not anywhere near as fun. The professors help you perfect your art, hone your craft with more advanced techniques. But what's best is being surrounded by only other artists — people who think like you, yet everyone's so creative, that no one thinks alike at all~ It's amazing what collaboration can bring! Everyone's personalities and styles are so different! We inspire each other every day, students and teachers alike~

[ She's never had to describe art school to anyone. Forgive her for ranting. She has a wonderment in her voice, a deep sincerity, that just shows how much this environment has shaped her. ]

Edited 2021-08-19 19:17 (UTC)

I... I see.

[truthfully, he was lost a while ago - he can only hope he hasn't let on, or if the young lady has realised, that he doesn't seem too rude.]

There are not... so many schools where I am from. Until he went away then my master's son had his lessons with tutors at home. A lot of it was terribly dry - terribly serious. But he was a serious child, and the master was not... forgiving, with his expectations.

[a little smile as his familiar hovers at his shoulder, then drifts out of the frame, looking past the camera as he watches her go]

But, no, it sounds nothing like schooling as I'm familiar with it. Almost like an artist's salon, but every day.

[ Miwako absolutely did not notice if he was lost. She's on her own planet half the time. She's delighted to see his familiar float about, but his words about his master's father's unforgiving expectations resonate with her, and draw a little tug between her brows in sympathy. ]

Ah— that sounds like my friend Caroline's mama... Caroline went to a normal school— a prestigious school! One of the best in the country! You had to take terribly difficult and tedious entrance exams to audition, just to be accepted — it was very selective! She's super smart, so she got in, but she... didn't have any passions... She was just doing it because her mama was forcing her, and she only wanted to fulfill her mother's harsh expectations. That was her whole life. That is— until she met us... Then she dropped out of school, ran away from home, started dating our dashing designer George, and started a career as a professional fashion model, heh~

Hmm...well, it sounds like she enjoys sweets and little treats, so maybe a name based on that? Or, something related to flowers, since she enjoys those too. There are definitely different flower names that could be used.

Perhaps? If I may be entirely honest with you, I'm not sure quite how I feel about naming her for something to be eaten - but apparently this is some sort of a trend?

[and in the end, it's not really about how Linneus feels at all]

But I will take any suggestions. Though of course I am particularly interested in flower names - I know these can vary from place to place and if even for my own edification I should like to learn others?

Heh, yeah, it is actually pretty common. [ To be honest, he hadn't thought much about the implications of using the name of something that's eaten. ] I guess the idea is that, since it's sweet and people tend to like it, people see those as cute names?

But a name based on a flower is a good way to go. There are the usual flower names that I know back home; Rose, Lily, Daisy, Jasmine, Violet, Iris, Heather...

I see. Perhaps I have simply not been exposed to the vernacular enough...!

[a little chuckle]

You've named some of my favourites - but I was reluctant to put the on the list without any backing to them...! It's fascinating to me that some flowers are, or are named the same no matter where one comes from - and yet sometimes there are ones that are utterly foreign to me. Though granted I am no botanist...!

No, I know what you mean! It's not just flowers, either. I've learned that there can be quite a bit of overlap between different worlds, with key differences here and there. It's fascinating!

I am glad there are flowers here. I was in another world previously where very little could grow. There was technology to fill the gap, even to the extent of allowing one the pretence of being able to grow something; it could even create wonderful, beautiful things but it was strange to know they weren't really...

[a little gesture with his hands]

Alive, I suppose? It is hard to explain.

[ He frowns a little, thinking that over. ] No, I think I get what you mean. It does sound like it'd be pretty artificial.

It truly was. The technology was new and wonderful to me so I didn't... necessarily question it at first. But it was strange to know that with the technology that let me pretend my interference wouldn't necessarily matter. Whereas-- real flowers are often very much a reflection of the work one puts in to tending them.

[backtracking, explaining that hesitation]

Or anything real, I suppose. But forgive me, this is a heavy topic for a first introduction. My name is Linneus.

I suppose that's true. Although one of the amazing things about nature is that it can also push on without much influence from us. When left alone, life can grow and bloom all on its own, if given the chance.

It's nice to meet you, Linneus! I'm Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera! You can just call me Fenton.

It can. But I like to care for things - to see them grow. It is small, but I can find fulfilment that way. Or perhaps I am simply a terrible meddler...!

Ah--

[about to interrupt after the introduction and catching himself, a nod of appreciation at the offer]

--thank you, forgive me, I did wonder whether I might be able to call you by anything shorter. Just Fenton, then.

[a curious name - a curious individual, but there had been no shortage of those in the last world, either.]

[ He shakes his head a little. ] I wouldn't call you a meddler at all! Even if nature is able to manage all on its own, there isn't anything wrong with giving it some help! Watching something grow and develop, and knowing you had a part in it, can definitely be satisfying!

[ While not entirely the same, it is similar to how he feels when he's inventing something. ]

Does she not have a name already? Perhaps she is waiting for you to find it instead of giving her a new one.

I have tried to find that out - that is why uncertainty is the least of my reasons...! I wouldn't wish to push a name on her if she already has one.

I have heard some of the cognitive mages can see the past of objects. Perhaps one of them may help.

Oh - that's a wonderful idea!

[he does forget the options that magic presents to them, sometimes]

Do they-- is the skill only limited to objects?

[do familiars count as objects...?]

Oh. That I don't know. I'm not one myself.

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