[she goes quiet at that, thinking. after a moment, she smiles.]
Alright... I've thought of something. It's a little embarrassing, though.
[...]
Once, I wrote an anonymous letter to the greenery-planning personnel in Sumeru City. Knowledge is important, of course, and I knew a lot about plants... but practice is equally important, and I wanted to try my hand at it. I also wanted to know if people would believe my ideas were good enough to implement if they didn't know they were from me.
I did a lot of research, and picked out plants that would be good for the upcoming weather and that would be practical to cultivate. So I laid out my suggestions for what should be planted and where, and I waited.
One day, when I was taking a break, I went out for a walk. And everywhere I went, I found those same plants that I had suggested, planted exactly where I had suggested they be. It was so exciting!
But on another walk, I rounded a corner, and... there were flowers in a bunch of mismatched colors, side by side. It was... actually not very pretty at all. I hadn't taken into account that planting them in such proximity to each other, in the soil that they were in, might cause some of them to change colors after they had grown.
It looked like they'd been put together by someone without even a shred of aesthetic sense...
[she chuckles, thinking about it.]
...I was really embarrassed about it. But, luckily, no one knew that it was my fault. Still... it taught me that no matter how much theoretical knowledge I have, I still have things to learn, and that I need to put it into practice to make sure it will turn out as I expect.
Rang hadn't actually known what to expect, since all he's seen from Nahida is her everlasting patience when dealing with him. He didn't think she wouldn't be able to deliver... Because even the most dedicated guardian spirits must have had pockets of their life that belong only to them.
He just didn't expect this pocket to be so funny, and also, wow it really is still related to the people she cares for huh.... ]
I really want to see those flowers now.
[HE WANTS TO SEE HOW BAD OF A MESS NAHIDA MADE!!!! laughing,]
It's even funnier when I think about how you're in charge of plants!
[i mean it's mostly about her desire to do something on her own and her inability to execute it exactly the way she wanted to...
her cheeks flush with embarrassment at that as she thinks about just how terrible the flowers looked, sitting side by side with one another. she crosses her arms and looks away.]
They hadn't been planted with each other like that before! All my data about them was when they had been planted with flowers of the same type... now I know better.
I don't mind making deals with people if there's something to be gained from it. In this case, it helped us move things along, so I'm satisfied with how it turned out.
That still wouldn't be any reason for them to make you pluck out a hair. It obviously wouldn't match.
Now, if they found footprints near my hair that were obviously bigger then mine, there'd be an argument for getting everyone to let us compare the size of their feet to see who could match it. In that case, I'd make another deal with you.
We should cooperate when there's a reason to, but I don't think we should be wasting time with comparisons that won't get us anywhere, either. Especially if arguing with people to cooperate with them will just wear down on any small amount of goodwill there might be.
Honestly... not much, which is why we need to be careful about what we do and don't push for, and we need to be willing to give something back in return to get people to cooperate.
[NAHIDA.... this extremely generous view of him makes rang laugh, as always, and he reaches down to pat her on the head... it's still touch week in this timeline,]
I like that part of you that always tries to be careful. I would have been annoyed if you said our relationship was okay.
[thanks rang, he really said that and didn't say anything back]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[she goes quiet at that, thinking. after a moment, she smiles.]
Alright... I've thought of something. It's a little embarrassing, though.
[...]
Once, I wrote an anonymous letter to the greenery-planning personnel in Sumeru City. Knowledge is important, of course, and I knew a lot about plants... but practice is equally important, and I wanted to try my hand at it. I also wanted to know if people would believe my ideas were good enough to implement if they didn't know they were from me.
I did a lot of research, and picked out plants that would be good for the upcoming weather and that would be practical to cultivate. So I laid out my suggestions for what should be planted and where, and I waited.
One day, when I was taking a break, I went out for a walk. And everywhere I went, I found those same plants that I had suggested, planted exactly where I had suggested they be. It was so exciting!
But on another walk, I rounded a corner, and... there were flowers in a bunch of mismatched colors, side by side. It was... actually not very pretty at all. I hadn't taken into account that planting them in such proximity to each other, in the soil that they were in, might cause some of them to change colors after they had grown.
It looked like they'd been put together by someone without even a shred of aesthetic sense...
[she chuckles, thinking about it.]
...I was really embarrassed about it. But, luckily, no one knew that it was my fault. Still... it taught me that no matter how much theoretical knowledge I have, I still have things to learn, and that I need to put it into practice to make sure it will turn out as I expect.
no subject
Rang hadn't actually known what to expect, since all he's seen from Nahida is her everlasting patience when dealing with him. He didn't think she wouldn't be able to deliver... Because even the most dedicated guardian spirits must have had pockets of their life that belong only to them.
He just didn't expect this pocket to be so funny, and also, wow it really is still related to the people she cares for huh.... ]
I really want to see those flowers now.
[HE WANTS TO SEE HOW BAD OF A MESS NAHIDA MADE!!!! laughing,]
It's even funnier when I think about how you're in charge of plants!
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her cheeks flush with embarrassment at that as she thinks about just how terrible the flowers looked, sitting side by side with one another. she crosses her arms and looks away.]
They hadn't been planted with each other like that before! All my data about them was when they had been planted with flowers of the same type... now I know better.
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Most humans think spirits are infallible and all-knowing. They'd be horrified to know that we can make mistakes just like them.
But I think it's cute. [thanks rang] That was a good story.
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[her embarrassment can... serve some purpose here...]
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You were smart to make it.
If someone yanked a hair out, then I'd have been compelled to pay them back in more... detrimental ways.
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[she crosses her arms.]
I don't mind making deals with people if there's something to be gained from it. In this case, it helped us move things along, so I'm satisfied with how it turned out.
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[because surely this won't be the only trial they'll experience!!!]
Would you be fine with that too?
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Does that mean I can sit back when it doesn't match me?
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But if we can't rule it out that easily, then it would be better if everyone cooperated.
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See, that's what I don't like -- that gray area.
[he just hates cooperating on principle]
What if someone thinks I took one of your hairs and planted it on purpose?
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Now, if they found footprints near my hair that were obviously bigger then mine, there'd be an argument for getting everyone to let us compare the size of their feet to see who could match it. In that case, I'd make another deal with you.
We should cooperate when there's a reason to, but I don't think we should be wasting time with comparisons that won't get us anywhere, either. Especially if arguing with people to cooperate with them will just wear down on any small amount of goodwill there might be.
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How much goodwill do you think we have?
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I don't mean generally. I mean between us. How would you rate our relationship?
[looks at the camera like im at the office]
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Well... I like you. I think you're interesting, and I'd like to get to know you better. So from me to you, there's a decently high amount of goodwill.
...but it's kind of hard to tell how it is the other way around. I think you're the only one who can answer that.
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I like that part of you that always tries to be careful. I would have been annoyed if you said our relationship was okay.
[thanks rang, he really said that and didn't say anything back]
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It isn't, but that's okay. I'm used to this sort of thing.