calligraphy

[isthisart]

Linya is working on a massive flowchart-like diagram of a planned software project for Dr. Cheung. It's laid out in every color and in three dimensions with sprawl of its little writing that takes up most of her office and keeps fading out at the edges and in her shadow when she moves around, but reappears when she turns or approaches.

Comments

[first_loyalty]

It can't sing, it can't dance, it can't pilot a lightflyer. Linyabel, did you get me a defective lilac?

[isthisart]

I must have gotten you a defective lilac. I'm so sorry. The reputation of the supplier was excellent, I don't know what went wrong.

[first_loyalty]

I will treasure it anyway. It's very beautiful, and it can't help how it was made.

[isthisart]

You are too kind, being a home for that talentless little lilac.

[first_loyalty]

Ekaterin sends a holo of the lilac. It is sitting in a windowsill, and on its stem below the spray of flowers it is wearing a tiny tutu made out of tissue paper and string.

I'm encouraging its dreams, she writes.

[isthisart]

Linya can't stop laughing for a solid minute.

It has achieved more than I ever thought possible! Those fools at the lilac academy will see when they're paying top dollar for front seats at its debut performance!

[first_loyalty]

No immediate response.



No response afer several days, either.

[isthisart]

Well - maybe the conversation came to a natural end.

Conversations do that.

Linya has now written enough songs that stay put (as opposed to her aimless improvisational fare) that she has troubled to take an afternoon recording them for general dissemination to anyone who's interested.

She sends Ekaterin a copy.

[first_loyalty]

Thank you very much. They're absolutely lovely.

[isthisart]

Thank you. How are you settling in?

[first_loyalty]

It's not going as smoothly as I hoped, but I have a sweet little lilac to keep me company.

[isthisart]

What troubles is it consoling you about?

[first_loyalty]

Nothing very important. It's just hard to keep up with all the little things sometimes. I'm sure I'll manage.

[isthisart]

Does Nikki like the new place?

[first_loyalty]

Not really. He hasn't had time to get used to it yet.

[isthisart]

Poor thing. Probably a houseplant wouldn't help him, either.

[first_loyalty]

I'm afraid not. Although he did have a laugh over the talentless lilac.

[isthisart]

He'll be starting school soon, won't he? Is he excited?

[first_loyalty]

Not really.

[isthisart]

Nervous, or just indifferent?

[first_loyalty]

Indifferent, and a little grumpy.

[isthisart]

Maybe he'll like it when he gets there. I don't know a lot about what schools here are like, though. Perhaps he'd be reasonable in hating it.

[first_loyalty]

We'll see.

[isthisart]

Conversations do sometimes come to natural ends, but Linya feels like she's working harder than she's used to on this one.

She considers the possibility that Ekaterin is too polite to tell her that she considers friendships this long-distance inconvenient. She's busy, after all, even without a garden.

That Ekaterin is too polite, she doesn't doubt; that Ekaterin doesn't want to correspond, she doubts some, but.

Let me know, she writes back.

And then she leaves her friend be.