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Memory 07
Winter solstice dance. (ref: HTK 345-350) trivial positive
Description:
Yeine's POV. There's a sort of dance/ball/event the night before the ascension ceremony, where Yeine expects to die and the Enefadeh hope to gain their freedom through her collaboration. She shows up, gets some wine, and retreats out to a balcony. Naha turns her white wine into red wine (because clearly he has fabulous taste and amazing powers), and there's a little chatting. When Yeine turns to look at him, he's wearing a disguise she's never seen:
She laughs then, surprised to find Naha has a sense of humor (he actually does, it's just not a great situation for it), and spends a little time wondering how anyone could mistake him for human, no matter how he looks. It's just an appearance, etc, etc.
Then:
Yeine reflects that Naha has come to care for her. I don't know that she's an entirely reliable narrator when it comes to all of the ins and outs of Naha's feelings, but I think she has the gist, and more importantly, she is my primary source, so it's what I've got. From Naha's POV, this memory really is about finding it in himself to care about Yeine, which is pretty important. I've made this a positive memory for that reason, even if it is pretty bittersweet since they both expect Yeine to die in the morning.
Yeine ends up feeling guilty because she'll hurt him again when she dies, there's more chatting as dancing in honor of Itempas begins. Naha asks if she wants to go inside, but she turns him down. In the end, Yeine suggests they stay outside and dance to honor all of the gods.
Naha is surprised and amused by the idea of dancing to honor himself, saying he's never done that.
After the dance, there's some more dialogue that I'll include here, since it's important.
Annnnnd scene.
Notes:
-First off, this memory is like 97% safe as far as Naha memories go. It all happens in the physical world, there's very little crazy or magic. I think that Naha's sensory perspective would be weird for a human, but in the end, it's one of the safe ones.
-There's a lot of talking around the plan for Yeine in this, and the exact situation with Itempas, so the specifics of the situation just aren't there. However, the emotional situation is. There's a lot of feelings here. And especially, Yeine-dere.
-This isn't necessarily an effect of the memory, but it's worth pointing out this is one of the scenes that demonstrates where I'm getting some of Naha's characterization from, especially the teamdere.
-I do think this memory will incline Naha more toward protectiveness. Sorry, Ruby, you somehow got a giant irresponsible, irrational, overprotective parent out of this deal.
- +100 anger at Tempa.
-This is a memory that also somewhat blends together the two personalities that Naha has remembered; at least, there's some aspects of the really ancient, soft memories in the more recent, more dangerous character.
Form: Shortbread cookies.
Uses Left: 4 of 5.
Description:
Yeine's POV. There's a sort of dance/ball/event the night before the ascension ceremony, where Yeine expects to die and the Enefadeh hope to gain their freedom through her collaboration. She shows up, gets some wine, and retreats out to a balcony. Naha turns her white wine into red wine (because clearly he has fabulous taste and amazing powers), and there's a little chatting. When Yeine turns to look at him, he's wearing a disguise she's never seen:
The man who gazed down at me did not look like Nahadoth, not in any guise I'd ever seen. He looked human, Amn, and his hair was a rather dull blond nearly as short as mine. His face was handsome enough, but it was neither the face he wore to please me nor the face that Scimina had shaped. It was just a face. And he wore white. That, more than anything else, shocked me silent.
Nahadoth—because it was him, I felt that, no matter what he looked like—looked amused. "The Lord of Night is not welcome at any celebration of Itempass servants."
"I just didn't think.." I touched his sleeve. It was just cloth—something finely made, part of a jacket that looked vaguely military. I stroked it and was disappointed when it did not curl around my fingers in welcome.
"I made the substance of the universe. Did you think white thread would be a challenge?"
She laughs then, surprised to find Naha has a sense of humor (he actually does, it's just not a great situation for it), and spends a little time wondering how anyone could mistake him for human, no matter how he looks. It's just an appearance, etc, etc.
Then:
"My children think I am going mad," he said, stroking my face ever so gently. "Kurue tells me I risk all our hopes over you. She's right."
I frowned in confusion. "My life is still yours. I'll abide by our agreement, even though I've lost the contest. You acted in good faith."
He sighed, to my surprise leaning forward to rest his forehead against mine. "Even now you speak of your life as a commodity, sold for our good faith. What we have done to you is obscene."
I had no idea what to say to that; I was too stunned. It occurred to me, in a flash of insight, that this was what Kurue feared—Nahadoth's fickle, impassioned sense of honor. He had gone to war to vent his grief over Enefa; he had kept himself and his children enslaved out of sheer stubbornness rather than forgive Itempas. He could have dealt with his brother differently, in ways that wouldn't have risked the whole universe and destroyed so many lives. But that was the problem: when the Nightlord cared for something, his decisions became irrational, his actions extreme.
Yeine reflects that Naha has come to care for her. I don't know that she's an entirely reliable narrator when it comes to all of the ins and outs of Naha's feelings, but I think she has the gist, and more importantly, she is my primary source, so it's what I've got. From Naha's POV, this memory really is about finding it in himself to care about Yeine, which is pretty important. I've made this a positive memory for that reason, even if it is pretty bittersweet since they both expect Yeine to die in the morning.
Yeine ends up feeling guilty because she'll hurt him again when she dies, there's more chatting as dancing in honor of Itempas begins. Naha asks if she wants to go inside, but she turns him down. In the end, Yeine suggests they stay outside and dance to honor all of the gods.
Naha is surprised and amused by the idea of dancing to honor himself, saying he's never done that.
After the dance, there's some more dialogue that I'll include here, since it's important.
"Will you be with me tomorrow?" I asked, meaning the true Nahadoth, not his daytime self.
"I am permitted to remain myself by daylight for the duration of the ceremony."
"So that Itempas can ask you to return to him."
His breath tickled my hair, a soft, cold laugh. "And this time I shall, but not the way he expects."
I nodded, listening to the slow, strange pulse of his heart. It sounded distant, echoing, as if I heard it across miles. "What will you do if you win? Kill him?"
His moment of silence warned me before the actual answer came. "I don't know."
"You still love him."
He did not answer, though he stroked my back once. I didn't fool myself. It was not me he meant to reassure.
"It's all right," I said. "I understand."
"No," he said. "No mortal could understand."
I said nothing more, and he said nothing more, and thus did the long night pass.
Annnnnd scene.
Notes:
-First off, this memory is like 97% safe as far as Naha memories go. It all happens in the physical world, there's very little crazy or magic. I think that Naha's sensory perspective would be weird for a human, but in the end, it's one of the safe ones.
-There's a lot of talking around the plan for Yeine in this, and the exact situation with Itempas, so the specifics of the situation just aren't there. However, the emotional situation is. There's a lot of feelings here. And especially, Yeine-dere.
-This isn't necessarily an effect of the memory, but it's worth pointing out this is one of the scenes that demonstrates where I'm getting some of Naha's characterization from, especially the teamdere.
-I do think this memory will incline Naha more toward protectiveness. Sorry, Ruby, you somehow got a giant irresponsible, irrational, overprotective parent out of this deal.
- +100 anger at Tempa.
-This is a memory that also somewhat blends together the two personalities that Naha has remembered; at least, there's some aspects of the really ancient, soft memories in the more recent, more dangerous character.
Form: Shortbread cookies.
Uses Left: 4 of 5.