Green Ink
"Today we will study a very important principle in drafting. Please reach for your erasing pen. Before you make any mark on your paper, make sure you know how to undo this mark, this will prevent many mistakes as you learn to draw.""Hey Mariwolfe, what's cooking?" "Kon Veneer, not much, was just reminescing, back to when I learned technical drafting." "What's with the formals? You outrank me." "I'm not used to it, and your civilian rank gives me, and anyone else sane vertigo." "I'm really just a Feyd." "And a Legendary." "How did you hear about that?" "My new miptun lives in Kima, you great big dork. You've been all over the news there." "New Miptun? Congradulations." "Hmm, thanks, I think." "You do go through new ones a tiny bit fast, but that's none of my business." "And you?" "Still with Flora , why, you thought I'd risk a title 65 then leave the girl?" "No, silly, well I'm just amazed that you managed to stay faithful to her. I expected your lifestyle to act like green ink and blind you to her qualities after a while, or somesuch." "Ah, that's where your wrong, my lifestyle, full of fake people, as you rightfully call out, just keeps reminding me why Flora, who congenitally cannot lie, is so special." "I guess there's that. Ever wonder why we call erasers green ink?" "I wondered, then my tutor told me, when I was knee-high to a cute frog. It's one of my ancestors' fault of course." "Ancestors?" "I am the grandson of Beltran-who-was-Nameihomei, I think his father is actually responsible for the rule that led to green ink to mean erasure." "You're royalty to that level?" "What do you mean?" "You throw their names about so lightly..." "He was grandpa Beltran, before he was Beltran-who-was-Nameihomei, just like great uncle Meltran then became Meltran-who-was-Meihomei." "Did you get downgraded, when you became Legendary of Kimaguray?" "No, it would be a downgrade for mom, a massive one, since she's Domei of Garay, and holds Innu in lieu for Auntie, but since I haven't inherited any of her titles yet, I'm not downgraded." "Innu?" "The Great Domeidom of Innu-by-the-sea, domain of Innu Yesugai himself." "Why?" "Because someone has to sign and countersign, only Meihomei can countersign if a Domei signs, so that's that." "Oh, so it's a rule of agreement?" "At least two yes." "Can you use Emerald Ink then?" "Not until next week." "What happens then." "I become the secretary of the fount of honour, and countersign what cousin Marhamat signs, in emerald ink." "Oh, so it's not just royalty?" "No, well, not all fount of honour business used emerald ink, but the official stuff uses enough of it, we probably use more than the royal family, at this point." "What, why?" "A Merit's citation is written in Emerald, letters patent or lettres of marque or créance for anyone who is an Emerald Knight of Great Kagome Knight or a Meritant. So basically, whenever you get promoted, it has to be written in Emerald, my lady Double-Meritant." "Hush, mine are classifed, unlike yours..." "Not from me, not anymore." "Oh, right, you're becoming the secretary, so you have access to the vault and things?" "I already changed the damn thing's combination twice, I swear Marhamat and Tadros are hazing me!" "It would be just like them, your six boxes of honours to their fours..." "I don't have cats in mine though." "Cats?" "Rembrandt's medal of gratitude shows up as a platinum cat, full sized, in your box of honour if you earned a personal award." "So that's where Maelle's comes from?" "Yeah. And both of yours." "Hush, I'm just a regular specialist, not a hero." "Yeah, regular scientists invent multiple war-changing weapons by themselves all the time, while transitioning to boot. Then using some of those weapons, personally save Meihomei's life by themselves. I mean, it happens every day!" "You're such a dork!"
The next Harhuday, Amarat was at the Chapel, inside the Kagomine Palace at Megamisama, preparing for an hour or two of writing. He certainly didn't expect it to be busy. "Welcome, Zim-Kon-Zim Dandelion." "By what right do you use that title?" "By the right of a cousin, and one who has been a Kon above quota himself." "Hrrumph, I guess you did earn that, and your being a cousin is not your fault." "Nor is it yours, Meritant, but we make the best of it." Among the Dandelions, there was a growing current of resentment against the holier-than-thou family leadership, such phrases were often countersigns. As Amarat expected, Marhamat did not hold much truck in power not earned by loyal service and loyalty. "We do make the best of it, or save the realm when they're not looking. I don't need to tell you to keep those thoughts to yourself, though?" "You and Tadros and Flora, and maybe her dad, are all that bear the name that I'd trust farther than I can throw." "He's a Dandelion?" "Dandelion, but a fourth degree cousin." "So far enough you can still court his daughter?" "Imagine my relief." "I can imagine it indeed. She is as fiery as they say?" "More fire to her than you want a fireman to handle!" "Ah a true scion of Dandelion then. Or I should say, a true daughter of Ceniko Itzaiitai." "Ah, yes, a lot of those early founders had tempers to burn a forest down with!"
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