Ainmhian IC Inbox

[ralliesprotests]

Good afternoon, you've reached Rowan Lewis at Gay Agenda dot Com.
Unfortunately it's no longer the 90s, so feel free to leave a message after the beep but I ain't gonna check it.
Text me like a normal person. BEEP.

Comments

Voice

[ralliesprotests]

[Who needs context anyway.]

Change your status on Facebook.

[Is mate even an option on there? Maybe on the pirate language version, who knows?]

Is this for you and Peony? Have you asked her if there's a way they do it where she's from?

Voice

[untailed]

She doesn't know.

[Rowan can keep their book of faces to themselves, thanks.]

[ralliesprotests]

Okay. Do you want to say something publicly, or have something just between the two of you?

You should ask her all of these questions too. You need to agree on this together.

[untailed]

...I don't know.

What do humans do? How do they show that they are mates after?

[ralliesprotests]

Well, if you want something just between the pair of you, you could exchange a piece of jewellery or something. A ring is normal, but it doesn't have to be one. Or a tattoo of one maybe. [They think of Vax and his ring, and how that might work better for Silent.] We'd have to ask for awakened ink, but I know someone who could do it. They don't have to be exactly the same, either, if you both know what they mean, but a ring worn on the right finger everyone human from some version of Gaia would understand. Peony might have something like a ring from where she's from, or her world is sort of a version of Gaia, just very different at the same time.

[untailed]

...Golden rings!

[Sorry, Rowan, she barely catches the rest of that for the moment, because she REMEMBERED what it was that Felipe complained about when it came to human wedding things.

Okay. All right. Moving on. Okay, Rowan's on the topic of rings, too.]

...I can ask her. [She likes the idea of replacing an item that must be worn with a tattoo, as well. Less items is always better.]

[ralliesprotests]

You should ask her, like I said. Even if she doesn't have a tradition, she might have a preference for what she likes to wear.

And then if you want to promise in front of people and swap them, I'm sure something can be arranged. But you should really talk to Peony about that, because obviously that's a big step to make those promises in public.

[So cute, though!]

[untailed]

...what about making those promises in public is big?

[ralliesprotests]

Any promise you make publicly is big. You're declaring it in front of people, so that everyone knows you made it, not just the person you make it to.

[untailed]

...because humans need to be told.

[They can't just look at actions and behaviour and draw conclusions from there. Ugh. But all right. Humans be like that.]

I think she wants to. Make public promises.

[ralliesprotests]

[Rowan considers this.] Yes. But also because it's nice to share it with people you care about.

[How the fuck do they put this into terms that Silent will understand?] Taking a mate is a big step, right? It marks you as an adult with people to take care of, and in theory should bring honour to you. When you do a ceremony for it, you're saying to the other people there, yes, this is the most important person to me, but you're also important enough that I want you included in this moment. You're letting them celebrate it with you and with your mate, so you don't just strengthen the bonds with your mate, but with everyone else too.

[untailed]

Taking a mate doesn't mark you as an adult. You have to be one already to take one. [But she at least gets some of Rowan's point.] So it will make it easier for others to accept my claim to Peony and Peony's claim to me?

[ralliesprotests]

Yeah, it’ll be easier. [Rowan gives up. Peony might appreciate that they tried to get Silent to understand why other people might want to be included as well. If she ever finds out.]

But like I said, you should offer all these things to Peony first, see what she likes best. It’s for her as much as you, so you need to decide together.

[untailed]

I'll talk to her. [Of course she will.]

See you.

[And with that, she closes her tome and is gone.]