SW10/DIVA: What You Love

[Scott Eiler]

On 2018-01-16 17:01, deucexm wrote:

> Please don't consume yourself with hate, beloved;
> don't deny the existence of suffering, but neither immerse yourself in it.
> 
> Instead-
> tell me about what you love.  Who you love.
> Tell me why it/she/they/the object of your affections
> is so dear to you, even if words cannot express it.

...

In the Chancellery of Ordered Realities, the Chancellor Wyatt Ferguson 
addressed his guests:  two women who looked like mother and daughter. 
"Andrea, Gail, thanks for coming.  I have a situation to report to the 
Bureau of Magic."

Andrea, the younger, responded:  "Our pleasure, Chancellor."  Gail 
added:  "Not to mention, our duty."

"All right, then...  Ordered Realities just got a challenge from an 
extra-dimensional goddess."  Wyatt pressed a button.  A view-screen lit 
up with what seemed like a typical email message.  "It's from one of our 
frontier universes."

Andrea said, "You mean, the ones that the Council is trying to colonize?"

"The same.  We can trace the message to a certain part of the frontier, 
but no further.  So...  Is this something we need to concern ourselves 
with, so as not to face the Wrath of the Goddess or something?"

Gail said, "Threats don't usually start by talking about love.  But if 
you *do* still want to 'colonize', you might start by talking with this 
one."

"I thought you might say that.  And that's why I called you.  What *do* 
we love here?"

Andrea and Gail looked at each other.  Then Gail spoke...  "Depends who 
you ask.  But I love my homeland.  And most everyone here in Quebec is 
grateful to Ordered Realities for coming here and helping us rebuild 
after that demon incursion."

"Good point, Gail.  And you, Andrea?"

Gail acted like she'd had more to say.  But Andrea answered first.  "I 
love that too.  And I love my mom."  Andrea hugged Gail.  "What about 
you, Chancellor?"

Wyatt thought briefly.  "I guess I love making sure things work. 
Sometimes that means fixing things that are broken."

Gail asked, "And why *is* that?  For the sake of a complete answer to 
the message, of course."

"Maybe I'm just an engineer at heart.  I guess I'm a social engineer 
now.  But isn't everything better when it works?"

...

Author's Notes:

I tried not to overthink this story fragment.

Andrea and Gail are actually returning characters.  They come from a 
2005 story, before SW10 made First Contact with RACC. 
http://www.eilertech.com/stories/2005/after.htm#mountain

The demon incursion happened up to and through 2003. 
http://www.eilertech.com/stories/wealth.htm#onlyi was the first mention. 
  http://www.eilertech.com/stories/lxmf.htm is how Ordered Realities got 
involved.

-- 
(signed) Scott Eiler  8{D> -------- http://www.eilertech.com/ ---------

When you *are* the leader... whatever goes wrong... whether you did it
or not... *you* are held responsible. - Barack Obama

I know. - Archie Andrews

- from Archie #617, March 2011, scripted by Alex Simmons.