Tag: family

Reactionless Colour

Yes, it’s short. I’m still writing. I didn’t want anyone thinking Aurie killed her friend. I mean, she’s quite capable of doing it if she thought she had a valid reason. But given how much loyalty is treasured in the imperium, Colour would have to do something like shoot one of the imperial family. If she, say, betrayed Aurie’s secrets to the Canadian government? I imagine the princess would just shrug and end their friendship.

In the next installment, I hope y’all enjoy Aurie’s reaxion when she first sees the ice with her own eyes. It’s a bit like the Grand Canyon; you can look at pictures or even go to an IMAX, but until you stand there and look at the big hole in the ground, you will not “get it.”

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A Colourful Imbalance

So, I’m not dead. Yet. Was a little addled and completely unable to think to write Thursday and just hurt to much to try on Friday. Better now; and, not writing was starting to make my mind break down. It really is a borderline mental illness.

This may be the most humble I have ever seen our Princess. Why do I think she deliberately creates these situations?

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Family Colour

Where Miss Jansen once again brushes up against the determination of the imperium to protect itself. In “A Texas Naval Affair,” I have Ryland Rigo tell her boyfriend about the empress, “never challenge her specialness. It won’t end well.” That seems true for Aurie, as well.

A quick march back and the army is ordered to move out at first light.

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An Invasion of Coloureds

Even though she is twice Aurie’s age, Colour is not a professional soldier and like many has a hard time making a distinction between “war” and “killing.” I do not think she regrets what her mother and country did to protect themselves, but I’m sure she wishes there had been another way. General Hartmann? She’s probably gaming in her head how she could have done it better.

I think I’m finished with exposition. If not politics, it’s time for Aurie to start killing people and breaking things. I mean, what else is an army for?

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A Data Dump of Colour

Wherein I mine three? Four? Different books of Machine Civilization for Aurie to thoroughly confuse her friend with a real-world demonstration that when, some posts ago, the princess said, “we demis think fast!” she meant it. To each other and humans.

I like how when Colour probes some of Aurie’s defenses, she gets the polite equivalent of “not telling” right back at her. Like y’all, I’m beginning to understand that there are things Machines know demis won’t get and things demis know humans won’t. A future both simpler and vastly more complicated.

Side note: lots of about-the-house projects this weekend so we’ll be back on Monday.

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Exit Nephew of Colour

I thought of posting this as an 1100-word bloc, but it breaks nicely with the two women seeing Filk Jansen off before they take a stroll in the wood. That will be the last segment before Aurie is back to the Governing Council for a little hardball.

It’s interesting that when Aurie taunts humans it’s primarily out of fun. Faustina did it because, as one of her relatives later said, “being a jerk is who she is.”

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Changing Colour

I’m going to try to accelerate this story and turn it into a book. My cover designer and her children in Germany are reduced to sneaking into the woods at night to glean firewood for the coming winter. A so-called first world country. F*cking Progs. If I can turn this into a book that’s another $300 for her and her fam.

With Filk’s arrival, Aurie turns the teasing up to “11.” A little exposition. And then a demonstration of raw power.

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Questions of Colour

This is a cheap and dirty way of exposition for an author to tell his readers something: Q&A between characters. Those of y’all who have been following MacCiv for years know all of this but if I turn this into a novella or novel, it is my responsibility to make sure the future reader knows what is going on.

There have been elective monarchies in human history. They tended to fail quickly. Elective within a family is an idea Dr. Jerry Pournelle mooted in his CoDominium future history. Empress Faustina allows many local forms of government, including democracies and republics, but tolerates none of that at a national level. When she is good and ready, she’ll designate an heir.

What if she is hit by lightning or a truck? I do not know. I don’t think there would be a civil war (and if there was, it would be between Laszlo and Aurie; the rest of the family just doesn’t care or want the awful responsibility of running an empire) but I cannot say for certain.

I’m going to write a little more this evening. Three whiskies in hot-head Filk vs. perfectly sober demi-human Aurelia? This will be a hoot. I hope Colour can keep the peace under her roof. See everyone on Monday!

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A Colourful Relation

Given how Empress Faustina is an asshole and her niece is following in her footsteps, that fact they attract people such as that to them is no surprise. So, here’s a new tertiary (I think?) character.

And for those of you who asked: yes, the titular character makes her reappearance in the next installment. I must have a lot of softies reading my works as I seem to get more “likes” when it’s cute girls doing cute things rather than politics. Maybe I’ll start a small war to see how that’s appreciated?

In the mean time, we have learned that Aurie can be a charming person if she likes you. Cross her “specialness?” Well…

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