[003] video | un: lyreplayer

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ It's early November when Orpheus posts to the network again, this time sitting cross-legged on the floor of his bedroom with his guitar in his lap and the Omni propped up in front of him. The camera catches him leaning back after having set it to broadcast, and he waves as the recording starts. ]

Hi, everyone! I'm Orpheus, and, I thought of something that might be nice for us to do together? I know we're all busy building new lives here, but I don't think that means we have to forget the places we came from completely, or leave those memories behind. Unless you want to? That's fair too.

[ He pauses briefly, looking thoughtful and a little solemn as he considers that, before shaking his head and getting himself back on track.]

But! In my experience a big part of any place a person calls home is the stories that people tell there and the songs they sing, and it seems like it might be nice to share those with each other, as a way of giving each other a glimpse into where we came from, and of preserving them for the future. It can be anything you want to tell us about, whether it's a piece of history or a legend or a song or even a nursery rhyme you like. You don't have to share anything if you don't want to, of course, but I'd really love to hear anything and everything people are willing to add.

[ OOC: This is a mingle post! Please feel free to comment on other peoples' additions and otherwise tag around. ]

Comments

[droptheious]

Fingers crossed that it stays that way for you. The idea of the seasons being in the hands of the gods is pretty wild for me still, but it's not any more impossible than anything else, really.

[Magic happens and gods exist and he has to suck it up and accept it. But this is MUCH better to talk about, so:]

That's right! How is everything with Eurydice? Is she settling in okay?

[themuseabandonsyou]

I still don't really understand how it works when they aren't? Martin explained the sun to me, back in Deerington, and I think I get that, but not the seasons? I tried reading a book about it [ for literal children ] but it didn't really make sense.

[ He shakes his head. ]

She seems to be doing really well! She's been doing a lot of scavenging for things to barter, and it seems like she's really good at that, so we haven't had to worry much about supplies or anything. It's been really nice. In some ways it's a little easier living here than it was back where we came from.

[droptheious]

Oh. Right. I...I guess that makes sense, given what you're used to. I can always try and explain it to you? If...if you want? Maybe having someone you can ask questions to will help?

[Varian you FOOL, what are you setting yourself up for?]

That's good! That it's...easier, I mean. At least it's easier to get a hot meal here, right? That's...that's gotta be good for her.

[themuseabandonsyou]

It is! The kinds of food here are different, from what we're used to, but I don't think either of us are about to complain about it.

[ After some of the things Orpheus has eaten during particularly rough winters he's really got no room left to be picky. ]

And, well - there was something about how, sometimes the seasons are different, in different parts of the world? And, I understand the weather being different, like between deserts and forests and the coasts, but how could it be winter in one place and summer in another?

[droptheious]

Oh yeah, after rough winters, I bet it makes a difference to have all kinds of actually filling foods to enjoy.

[He brightens, excited to share some KNOWLEDGE!!]

OH! That's not too bad. So the Earth is a sphere, right? A ball? [Orpheus is from OLD old times so it's best to check these things.] Now imagine there's a band around the middle- that's the equator- it's...you can see it, it's imaginary, but that's the line we use to judge the seasons. Above the equator is what we call the northern hemisphere and below it is what we call the southern hemisphere. With me so far?

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus nods along, listening intently. ]

Right. And the weather's warmer along the equator, because the sun flies closer to it, and colder towards the poles because they're farther away. Unless you're on a mountain? Then it's colder even though you'd think you'd be closer to the sun?

[ He is clearly baffled by this. ]

[droptheious]

Yes! Exactly, you got it! Uh- mostly.

[He's proud though and it's in his tone. Good job, Buddy!!!]

The equator stuff was exactly right. The reason it's colder on mountains is because of how the air is. Because there's less around you- so the heat has a bigger space to spread out. This means the air pressure is lower, which makes it colder- because it's...it's like a blanket- it stretches more and more until it's inner and thinner.

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus beams at the approval, glad to have gotten it right. His expression goes contemplative and vaguely confused again as Varian continues his explanation, though, but as it wraps up he nods slowly. ]

I think I get it? [ He does have to think about it pretty hard, though. If air is like a blanket, then... ] Does that mean it's really cold on the Moon? Since there's no air there at all.

[droptheious]

[He did it, he did so well!!]

Pretty much! Because the moon doesn't have an atmosphere- so basically air- then it means nothing is there to trap the heat of the sun. So it just...vanishes off into space and never stays warm. So the moon is pretty chilly.

[themuseabandonsyou]

Right!

[ And here he was feeling kind of worried that that was a dumb question to ask, but he actually got it right! He's so proud. But, wait a minute. ]

...What were we talking about before that, again?

[ Wasn't there some other question he'd been asking? ]

[droptheious]

[He should be so proud of himself, gold star for Orpheus!!!]

Oh um- I...have genuinely forgotten. I got distracted with all the space talk.

[Blinded by science!!]

I...uh. It's probably fine.

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus sits there for a moment, thinking hard. How'd they get here? It's cold on the moon because there's no air, and it's cold on mountains because there's less air, and it's cold at the poles because they're far from the sun, and - ]

Oh! Right! Why are the seasons different in the north and south, when there aren't gods around to bring them?

[droptheious]

OH RIGHT!

[God that was a tangent.]

Anyway, that's because of how the planet rotates. So on one half of the year, the northern hemisphere is more directly exposed to the sun's rays, and then the southern hemisphere is exposed to more of it for the other half of the year. So it flips the seasons, depending on what side of the planet is more directly in the way of the sun at the time.

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus frowns, brow furrowing as he tries to get his head around what Varian is saying. ]

So it's... tilted? [ He gestures with his hands, making the shape of a ball and then tipping it to the side slightly as he tries to imagine it. ] That seems really confusing. What happens at the equator, then? Where winter and summer meet.

[droptheious]

Yes, like...on an axis. That's uh...just how it is.

The equator is pretty much hot all the time, so instead of the seasons we'd get it's more like...the wet and dry seasons instead.

[themuseabandonsyou]

Oh, okay. That makes sense? It's like that back home, too, just without the difference on one side or the other.

[droptheious]

Y-yeah pretty much! You can see where these sorts of things can cross over in different worlds.

[themuseabandonsyou]

Yes! It's still strange, though. Do they count the years and months differently, in the north and south? Or does it end in winter in one hemisphere and summer in the other? I guess it would have to be the second one, since that would get really confusing really fast, but it's hard to imagine Hekatombaion being midwinter.

[droptheious]

The months are the same, it just means in the north hemisphere where it would be winter in December, in the southern hemisphere it would be summer.

[Oh but hey, at least he understands that word!]

Hah, I know right? But that's pretty much how it is. The planet's pretty cool when you think about it.

[themuseabandonsyou]

It is! Especially - um, the idea that it could act mostly the same when it’s left to its own devices just spinning through the cosmos, as when it’s a symphony of gods and spirits acting in tandem. Both are really strange and beautiful to think about? But that they can be so similar is really incredible.

[droptheious]

Hah yeah, I know right? I mean, I'm always gonna be science-minded, but I've seen enough of higher powers to know I can't completely discount them, either. The idea they work in tandem is weirdly comforting.

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus nods, enthusiastic. ]

The gods of my world don't always get along, but when it comes to keeping the world in harmony they all take it really seriously. Sometimes still go wrong, but - Michael told me you still have storms and floods and earthquakes without them, so...

[ And that he's a little less enthusiastic about, but it does make him feel - not better, necessarily, but it's something, knowing that his world isn't uniquely blighted by his family's flaws. ]

But it's also really comforting knowing worlds can spin on with no gods handling everything! Just set into motion and working through the interactions of the air and land and sea and sun themselves, and not anyone's intervention. I think that sounds really beautiful.

[droptheious]

Hmm, they're all like- siblings and relatives and married couples, right? It makes sense there would be some bickering. Families do that, even God ones, I guess. But yeah, we still have all those without them, that's...that's definitely a thing.

[It's just non-God worlds don't have a specific person to point a finger at when a volcano errupts.]

It is! The science of it is really incredible. And then people invent better technology to try and predict these things better- so that fewer people are affected by how destructive they can be.

[themuseabandonsyou]

Mostly! Some aren't really related to any of the rest and have only ever taken mortal husbands and wives, but for the most part. It's complicated, and I guess being around for so long would only make it more complicated. But, yes! We can sort of predict some things with technology, too, like - no one can tell for sure when a storm will come, but once it forms they've got devices that can tell where it might be going, or how severe it might get.

[ All that goes out the window if the god responsible changes their mind, or another god intervenes, of course, but it's something! ]

[droptheious]

Oh definitely, can you imagine being alive for basically...forever? It would make everything complicated. Like mortal lives can be complicated, add immortality to that and it's crazy!

[He nods. He understands THAT as much, even if he's on less even ground with gods. ]

Oh, like a barometer?