A Spirited Chat - RPLOG
Participants
Date
12/4/477
Log
A rumble, a knock on Selena's door. Outside is Flora, wearing her usual work-outfit and resting against a golem. Not Tigris, her usual one, but a simpler one of similar build. Her shoulder is lightly scraped and has a little blood clinging to it, although she doesn't seem too fazed by it right now.
Oddly, the first response to the knock comes from 'upstairs', Selena's voice calling "I'll be down in a minute!" from a window.
Sure enough, takes her a little bit of time before the door opens revealing a slightly dishevelled wolfess, though her outfit is the same as it always was. "...Flora? Come in. The cut on your shoulder... Would you like something for that? There are some bandages here - or just rubbing alcohol for the wound." She offers, rubbing her eyes and leading on to what passes for the living room - a table, some chairs and a cluttered workbench with an odd looking figurine on it - more like a collection of odd geometries and shapes that don't seem to be quite finished, really. "So, what brings you here..? Spirits, work..? Something else entirely?"
A mumble before Flora glances at the shoulder. "Flora... Didn't even notice that... Bullet must've scraped Flora, yes," she mumbles with a slight frown. "Might be best to bandage it, but does't look too serious, no. Flora needs somewhere to sit, and Flora wants to talk about spirits," she mumbles, acting as if being shot at was... Well, of lesser importance.
It takes a few seconds for the lioness's next line to properly process itself - "Excuse me, you said you were shot?" She questions, "With a gun? How did you manage that!?" ultimately though, she settles into a chair and gestures to one not in use - simple furnishings, but better than the inn's chairs at least. "I suppose it isn't such a bad thing that you're here either way. I'd like to ask a favor when we've had the talk about spirits, if you don't mind. Just make sure you take care of the bullet wound soon, it'd be more than a small problem if it got infected."
A mumble, a flick of Flora's tails. "Cart-chase. Flora rode her golem, yes. Turned out to be... Family-problems. Flora will take care of it, it's just a scrape, yes," she mumbles, leaning back in the chair and mumbling. "Now... Flora was wondering about spirits... Flora's read up on them, but... Are there more?" the feline asks, a brow raised lightly. "Flora is wondering about those others... The currently known ones... Flora doesn't find them too interesting... The others... Might be."
Selena nods slowly. "Well, if that's what happened, I'm glad it didn't end worse." She replies, stretching for a few moments as Flora poses her question. "Other spirits? Well, I've been trying to get answers from Kendrac since he showed up about them, but for a lot of them he's annoyingly evasive. There's not a lot he's told me other than that there are other spirits, and he's hinted at another court, but I haven't been given any details. He tends to like telling other people what they're looking for, but apparently my questioning isn't high on his list. I could call him, though - he'd probably give a better answer if more people are asking for one again."
Flora nods and flicks her tails. Another court? This piqued her interest! SHe nods a moment, before looking back at Selena. "And... People can call them, yes? Flora... Flora maybe wants to ask... Kendrac about this, if Friend Selena could arrange things," she mumbles, before slumping lightly. "Flora now has to deal with a company that needs something big soon, finances that are in ruin, and now a family that is... Less than supportive, yes. Flora could use all the help she can get and was hoping there was a spirit she could agree with," she mumbles, rolling her shoulders lightly and inadvertently causing her to cringe lightly.
Selena shakes her head. "I don't know of any callers. In fact, Kendrac hasn't even told me the name of the court - Just made it known there were 'More courts than just those you have been made aware of'. She recites with a slightly vexed expression. "I can definitely call him, though. It's no difficult task. I assume people would be able to call them if there was a caller, but I wouldn't call trying to commune or make first contact calling if that's what you were wondering."
A nod, a flick of her tail. "Flora can ask questions and see if he has answers to give, yes. Flora... Believes Kendrac is the one against corruption?" she offers hesitantly, trying to recall the papers on spirits. "Flora is dealing with a 'corrupt' house of sorts, isn't Flora? Flora could ask if Kendrac would be willing to indrectly help by telling Flora more about other spirits that would be able to help proper."
Selena nods, taking a moment to consider. "I don't know what to say to that. He could probably offer something or another about the situation, but I'm not sure what help he'd be to your situation." She notes, rubbing her cheek in thought. "It'd be possible to ask. Adrestia might have some things to say about dealing with corrupt houses, but she's also the spirit of revenge - so it might be worth taking whatever she'd say with a grain of salt." The wolfess notes. "Just forget Shaila for your issue - I hate to say it but her answer for Mossy stone was to 'Love' it back to health. I don't think she'd be of much help when dealing with your family."
Flora chuckles lightly. "Flora wasn't going to ask direct help, no... Flora... Believes he deals with a different kind of corruption. But. He could help against this by helping Flora make LongTech successful. If LongTech succeeds, Flora will have the funds to restore the house proper and fend off attacks. Maybe even take the fight to the bad part of the family," she explains. "Flora... Hopes there is a spirit that could help her with that," she mumbles, tail swaying behind her. A spirit to help discover, think up things, and so on... Mister... Puzzler. He does that, but not the way Flora means," she mumbles, shaking her hed.
Selena raises an eyebrow. "So a spirit of creativity?" She suggests. "And I agree, he doesn't seem to dabble in that kind of corruption but he was introduced to us as having a mind for tactics. I'm sure he'd be able to understand the benefit of your company if it was brought up and running." she replies, tilting her head. "The Puzzler... Is probably closer to... Well, puzzles of sorts than creativity, from what little I've heard. But really, I'd have to have a proper talk about him with a supplicant to learn more."
"So, if we're going to call Kendrac, we'll probably be asking him about a spirit to help you with your house. I just want to make sure that you aren't treating this as a tool or short term contract, though. I know you're a sensible being, but I've already seen beings misrepresent the spirit they're bound to in some capacity. These are serious supplications. Rescinding them when you decide you've had enough isn't a realistic option." she explains. "I'm sure a spirit could explain that better than I could, but Kendrac is occupied at the moment. Something about Akros and a fish." She replies with a shrug. "Your guess is as good as mine."
A nod, another tailflick. "Flora understands. A pact is a contract between being and spirit. You can't break it without suffering the consequences. Same with LongTech contracts, yes. It's all in there, too. States exactly what happens when the contract is broken," she mumbles, before looking out over the room a tad. "If Flora does find a spirit of... Creativity. Or understanding, Flora isn't sure... Flora will ask questions first, and then decide if she wants to dedicate to that, yes... But... Flora thinks it might help. And Flora will bring her camera, of course. It helps to show the things you've done if you want to make someone consider you... Because somehow, Flora thinks the other spirits aren't overly interested in promise yet for some reason, no... Maybe someone needs to show them something so they will be, yes."
Selena nods, breathing a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear that, Flora. If I may ask, though - what exactly DO the contracts you've written stipulate? I'm just a bit curious." she notes, tapping her cheek. "I'd definitely agree with that - bring the camera by all means if we can get a hold of such a spirit."
Selena stands from her chair, moving over to her workbench and taking the odd figurine and a few pieces of paper. "About the other thing I asked you about - the favor - I think I might be able to reproduce a creator spell properly if I can just get one that's complete. I've been working on one I came into the possession of a long time ago, and this -" she notes, pointing to the odd looking figurine "Is the key to it all. Beings were trying to derive the formula incorrectly, I've been over what few papers I could find on the subject, I just need to have a complete spell to 'model' so I can try and figure out why we haven't had success before. Even then, just being able to reproduce them would be incredible... But I need access to the Creator Church's collection for that to have a chance of happening. I've spoken with some other beings - Rogna, Angus, Bite, Anya and a few others at the Academy about it. I want to ask Sveta and some beings at the craft school if they'd support a petition to allow beings not of the church to examine the spells and actually learn from them. I just have a more vested interest now I think I can prove something with them, and you might be able to get access to some of their machines - after all, you MADE a camera on your own, imagine what you could learn from creator technology given the time and means to study it!"
"Flora... Has a creator-device," she mumbles hesitantly, pulling out the broken scorcher she has held on to, showing it to Selena. "Flora doesn't have the faintest idea how it works, and while Flora would love to learn how creator-devices work... Flora wouldn't learn anything. Flora would learn the device, maybe. But not /how/ it works," she mumbles, though nodding faintly. "And Flora doesn't have access to the church, no... Flora... Doesn't usually go to church. Didn't do that in Shralesta, either."
Selena nods, looking at the scorcher curiously. "I wouldn't be able to make heads or tails of it either, Flora. What little I know about creator technology is by and large that it's unpredictable and painfully hard to work with. But I think you'd have a better chance of getting trained in working with the stuff if the church didn't have a blatant monopoly on it." Taking a quiet breath, she continues in a somewhat lighthearted tone, "That said - the church already knows my opinion of them is fairly low after they almost got a close friend of mine killed along with the rest of her squad by throwing them at Mossy stone, or the parts where I've been irreverant during discussions about spirits by saying the creators have no place in discussion about the former." Then, back to a more serious tone - perhaps moreso than before. "Look, Flora. This is something that I've been working on for a long time now. I'd like to see this move forwards - This could help countless beings if I can figure out how to replicate the spells even if I can't explain perfectly how it works. You've proven your worth to the Good King and to all of your peers. All I want from you is your word of support for what I'm trying to do. Please do this - not just for me, but for all of the students that have wanted to see those spells but weren't priest material, for all the scholars that have spend decades trying to just lay their eyes on a real spell, for the beings that want to move us forwards rather than keep the potential for progress locked away."
Flora nods a bit, before rolling her shoulders and cringing a little again. Seems she's forgetting about that wound all too easily. "Flora understands, but... Flora really doesn't have the favor of many of her peers," she mumbles, looking at the wound. "However... Flora's already spoken out against the creator-money in court, so people know Flora's opinion... Flora doesn't like... Some churchmembers, either. Can't speak for a lot of them, no... IF the motion comes to pass before Flora, Flora will speak in favor... Assuming Flora can safely do so, of course," she concludes, smiling back towards Selena and flicking her tails lightly behind her. "Flora wants to help, yes. But... Flora also has to think of the good of LongTech and house Longtail. But if Flora can, Flora will help, yes."
Selena nods. giving the feline a broad smile. "That's understandable. Your peers aren't only the other Longtails though - There are quite a few beings that look up to innovators, and you've proven yourself to be one." She chuckles, taking a more grim look at the mention of creator money.
"I missed that hearing, and I sorely regret it. I don't know the specifics, but please tell me at least one being had the insight to suggest demanding ownership of our planet instead? It's not as though doing that would break contact with them, but it would guarantee us a future. Still... I appreciate that you're willing to help, Flora. It means a lot to me."
A nod, a flick of the tails. "Nobody did... The discussion was... Whether or not we should accept it at all. However, IF Flora has the chance, Flora will suggest this during the next hearing, yes," she rumbles, tails flicking behind her. "Flora... Flora has been working on your quill-problem," she mumbles, pulling out a sketch of a long, round thing with some squiggles in the middle. "Flora has ideas. Won't explain them right now, but... Flora thinks it might work, if done properly."
Selena nods, tapping her cheek. "I'll try to be there in person next time." She replies, looking back at the strange device with a smile. "You know, considering the problem was only a trifling thing I'm a bit surprised you followed through. But I hope it does work, I really do." she replies, gesturing to a heavily stained piece of paper back on her work-banch. "I fell asleep working a few nights ago with ink in my 'quill'. That didn't end well. Still, it's better than a proper quill..."
"Which is exactly why LongTech can do it. It's a problem oft-overlooked, but... If we provide a solution, it could provide a steady supply of funds. The camera is only useful for nobility, artists, and the military... This... This could help them, the academic community, and maybe, just maybe, allow more people to write and read..."
Selena tilts her head. "We have charcoals for teaching beings to read and write, though it would still be wonderful for everyone invoved." She chuckles, looking back to the cat. "I wonder what your company'll do with itself in the long run, how many things you'll come up with - or if you'll focus more on keeping a couple of inventions and making them better and better." She muses, shrugging. "Either way."
"In the long run, Flora... Flora hopes to stop being a product-based company. Flora hopes to somehow make money off of selling the rights to use her ideas. Or the company's ideas. But... That requires far more than currently possible. All countries would have to work together and set up idea-laws. For now, Flora will run the company, and try to focus on the research, while others produce the products, yes."
Selena tilts her head a little. "That sounds... Strange. What would stop people from just making their own, given the materials?" She asks curiously, though the latter concept brings a smile to her face. "Though I'll die very happy if the world comes together like that in my lifetime."
"That's what Flora means. There would need to be laws to protect ideas. People would probably have to pay for the protection of an idea. If people copy it without permission... Flora would imagine the laws would allow jailing or fines or something. As Flora said, it would have to be... All countries that join. Won't work right now, no."
Selena shakes her head. "What I mean is, if somebody has access to those ideas and makes one themself - maybe not even for profit - what would happen?" She replies a little perplexedly. "It seems like there'd be a lot of loop-holes people could explait for simpler things at the very least. But even then, if a being had the contacts or expertise and found the blueprints for something, how would you regulate them making one for themselves?" The wolfess shrugs. "Still, protecting ideas sounds like an interesting idea. There'd have to be some kind of criteria for that protection, though. If a being claimed ownership of calculus then they'd have a monopoly on any remotely complex magic."
"Flora knows. Another issue, yes. Lots of things that would have to be thought out, and... Flora is sad to say, but it won't happen in Flora's life, Flora is afraid... Maybe at the end, but not for Flora to enjoy it, sadly... And Flora will probably not be able to deal with the Longtails and finances either, in that time," she mumbles with a sigh, looking a tad gloomy...
"Flora is... Going to leave her successor with a giant set of problems," she mumbles softly. "And that's presuming LongTech will be even remotely successful, yes."
Selena nods back to the tigeress. "There's a lot of things we won't live to see. That's part of what I want to invest myself in, though - there's so much possibility and so many doors. I want to make as many keys as I can so my ch... Well, the future generations anyway; so they can reach their limits and do so much more." She replies, looking a little disappointed as her voice trails off mindsentence before regaining her otherwise happy composure.
A nod, a sigh as Flora looks out over the room... "The best thing Flora could do is probably just closing the 'bad' doors that are open, and maybe finding one or two keys if Flora can... Like... Like LongTech, yes. LongTech is a key, Flora thinks."
Selena smiles. "Ambition's good in small amounts. Just don't let it get the best of you, okay? I don't want to wake up one day to a headline that involves you being deposed because of some kind of scandal." she teases, chuckling quietly. "But I agree. If your company grows and keeps finding new beings to help, it will definitely be one of those keys. The rading companies are another, and research is important too."
Flora nods and smiles lightly, her tails swaying behind her. "Flora... Flora wasn't planning on causing trouble. Flora was planning to solve problems, but Flora has a lot of them," she mumbles with a soft sigh, looking out over the room again.
Selena chuckles. "Well, I'll be here if you ever need me - Cliffside will teach you that sometimes, people that solve problems aren't welcome in other's 'ideal world's." She replies with a sigh. "I mightn't be free that often, but you can count on me to do what I can to help when you need it."
Flora nods and sighs lightly, rolling her shoulders again. "Flora will... Need to discuss some things with Matthews as well. People are after Flora... Flora will need armor under her clothes, and a gun with her and things... Will need to be discussed... Flora will also have to discuss this with friends Sveta, Brutus and Samira... Anyone affiliated with LongTech is a target... Anyone affiliated with Flora... Is probably a target."
Selena nods concernedly. "If you want, I can see if any of the old members of the ID are still around. This is something we'd want to try and help with if you'd allow it. I know Bite's in Firmament, but nobody's heard from Kilsa in almost half a year, and Arimia's been... I don't know, lately." she notes. "If you could, though, give Sveta my regards and let her know I'd like to speak with her about my project too."
Flora nods and huffs lightly. "Flora... Prefers doing everything in-house... However... Since the LongTech funds are currently limited, Flora would appreciate help. At this point in time, do not worry about Flora. Make sure that our supplies get through, and make sure that our products canbe safely sold. Flora will make sure she is safe, and LongTech will ensure the safety of the mansion. Flora figures sir Brutus can arrange for his safety. And... Flora will let friend Sveta know."
Selena chuckles quietly as the tigeress huffs. "I understand why you want to keep things within your house. In fact, it makes more sense after your comments about 'idea laws'. Just know that we're effectively a charity organization run from the Ironsoul's back po-... Flora, I just realized something. I'm sorry, I need to go and find Bite now." The wolfess suddenly pulls herself up from the table, fetching her bag quickly. "I'm sorry this is on short notice but I'd rather not leave you in my house unattended."
"Flora understands. Flora will head to the inn and stay in public areas for now. At least until Matthews or someone else arrives, yes. Flora will also pick up a few things and make sure she can stay safe, yes."
Selena nods, hurrying over to the door. "Thank you, Flora. I'll try to get in contact with you when I've resolves this." The wolfess replies hurriedly. "Again. If there's anything I can do just let me know. I'm not going to let the pact I made with Kendrac go to waste, especially not given the specifics." She notes with a quick smile, locking the door when the tiger is out and leaping (with obvious assistance from magic) out over the rooftops.
