I smirk at the banter as Jigano calls plumbers saints, and I am almost ready to agree with him - anyone who willingly put themselves in a position to be exposed to excrement were either saintly in their disposition, or insane - or both. It's a playful banter though, and I nod along, shrugging a you've got me there kind of way.
"Fae? As in, fair folk? Faeries?" I question as he mentions the word, knowing it would likely lead to another tangent of conversation, and not minding that at all. I came from a world where childhood fantasy stories were called fairytales, of course I was going to be interested to learn that they actually existed.
One day I'd get used to realising that many a fantasy tale taught to me previously was no longer just a tale in this realm.
I had to wonder what form the fae he was referencing took - were they petite and small, like Tinkerbell? Or were they elven-like, with tongues that could only tell the truth, and wily enough to construct a language that danced around it? Were they goblins, or imps, or one or a mix of all of the faeries I had read about in my many novels and stories?
I restrained myself from voicing all of these questions, at least for now - Jigano had been good at filling in the blanks for me with little prompting so far.
"What you might call magic, we called science," I begin to explain the methods of our farming enterprise without going into too much bland and unnecessary detail. "Scientists learned what made the soil fertile, and so they were able to manufacture it for farmers to use. Vast stretches of land were covered in crops, and when ready for harvesting great machines would aid in clearing the fields in a fraction of the time it might take individuals by hand.
"My homeland was often ravaged by decades-long droughts and then scorching fires that consumed everything before it though - science knew the cause and yet the greediness of the world prevented them from enacting a cure, or even a prevention for the future, for it would mean those greediest among us would have to go with slightly less wealth, which they simply would not permit." I sighed, saddened and a bit frustrated at the memory. Climate change was something the whole world needed to get on board with, but the few who held the power simply wouldn't.
"Many a citizen hoped for a magical solution that would heal the world, myself included." I offer with a wry, sad smile. "Still, we persevered where we could, and made a living from working the land, and doctoring the animals that were farmed or enjoyed by the community there."
"Fae? As in, fair folk? Faeries?" I question as he mentions the word, knowing it would likely lead to another tangent of conversation, and not minding that at all. I came from a world where childhood fantasy stories were called fairytales, of course I was going to be interested to learn that they actually existed.
One day I'd get used to realising that many a fantasy tale taught to me previously was no longer just a tale in this realm.
I had to wonder what form the fae he was referencing took - were they petite and small, like Tinkerbell? Or were they elven-like, with tongues that could only tell the truth, and wily enough to construct a language that danced around it? Were they goblins, or imps, or one or a mix of all of the faeries I had read about in my many novels and stories?
I restrained myself from voicing all of these questions, at least for now - Jigano had been good at filling in the blanks for me with little prompting so far.
"What you might call magic, we called science," I begin to explain the methods of our farming enterprise without going into too much bland and unnecessary detail. "Scientists learned what made the soil fertile, and so they were able to manufacture it for farmers to use. Vast stretches of land were covered in crops, and when ready for harvesting great machines would aid in clearing the fields in a fraction of the time it might take individuals by hand.
"My homeland was often ravaged by decades-long droughts and then scorching fires that consumed everything before it though - science knew the cause and yet the greediness of the world prevented them from enacting a cure, or even a prevention for the future, for it would mean those greediest among us would have to go with slightly less wealth, which they simply would not permit." I sighed, saddened and a bit frustrated at the memory. Climate change was something the whole world needed to get on board with, but the few who held the power simply wouldn't.
"Many a citizen hoped for a magical solution that would heal the world, myself included." I offer with a wry, sad smile. "Still, we persevered where we could, and made a living from working the land, and doctoring the animals that were farmed or enjoyed by the community there."
Chulane
AlaskanStock on deviantart
