Scenario:Fediel - Fifty Shades of Curiosity
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Fifty Shades of Curiosity
Fediel is discovered naked one morning on Miach's bed. Throughout the day, Miach, Ferdia, and Chulainn discuss with her the importance of sleeping with nightclothes on, table manners, and so much more. Fediel learns much about mortal culture.
Having fought off the true dragons Medb and Ailill, Alster Island is on the road to recovery.
Though the scars of war are still present, some semblance of peace is beginning to take root again on the island.
Miach's Voice: Eeep!
Ferdia: That voice...
Chulainn: It's Lady Miach!
Miach is a boy asked to live as a girl due to the political circumstances of his birth. As his shriek echoes across Alster's Great Court, his attendants Ferdia and Chulainn rush to his room.
Ferdia: Lady Miach! Is everything okay?
Miach: F-Ferdia! Don't come in! Um...
Fediel: Yawn... Must you be so loud in the morning?
Chulainn: Ah! Fediel, what are you doing in Lady Miach's room unannounced again!
Ferdia: Gosh no... Please don't tell me! Did you actually sleep on her bed unclothed?
Fediel: The sensation of an Erune lass in my arms was rather comfortable.
Chulainn: Gah, how many times do I have to tell you to stop using people as a hug pillow! They can't sleep well like that!
Fediel: The dragonewt's not too bad either, but I prefer a body that's a little more sizable to keep warm—
Ferdia: Gaaaah!
Ferdia: Chulainn! I hate to ask you this, but can you put some clothes on Fediel?
Chulainn: Okay! I'm coming in, Lady Miach!
Miach: Please do...
Chulainn's Voice: This must be the top... Can you go, "Hurray"?
Fediel's Voice: Her-ray?
Chulainn: Oh, it just means raising both arms. Like this.
Fediel: I see. Hurray.
Ferdia: Sigh... I know you're technically Lady Scathacha's guest as someone who helped save the island, but... You really are a dragon, right? Not just some weirdo?
Fediel: What a ruckus so early in the day.
Ferdia: Whose fault do you think that is!
Fediel: Being unbound by cloth is so liberating... Why do mortals care so much about being properly dressed?
Fediel: Especially in the bedchamber, which—based on the way you're admonishing me—seems to be a place of privacy.
Ferdia: Well...
Miach: Having no nightclothes on makes it easier to stain the linen sheets, which is not ideal.
Fediel: Hm?
Miach: Because we perspire even while asleep. Sleeping naked makes it easier for our sweat to seep into the bed, which would be unsanitary.
Chulainn: Also, if anyone comes knocking in the middle of the night because of some emergency, it would be quite the surprise for them if you're not clothed!
Fediel: How cumbersome...
Ferdia: Those who don't have a habit of comporting themselves decently are bound to have some sort of embarrassing incident down the line.
Ferdia: If something like putting on nightclothes before sleeping is already second nature, there's less to worry about in the long run.
Fediel: A habit, huh... So this is part of mortal culture as well...
Fediel: Understood. I'll try to make it a habit as a well during my stay on the island—starting from tonight.
Fediel is still pouting despite giving an understanding nod. The others breathe a sigh of relief.
Miach: With that settled, shall we go for breakfast?
Chulainn: Everything's ready in the dining hall!
Ferdia: Your seat, Lady Miach.
Miach: Thank you, Ferdia.
Following Ferdia's example, Chulainn pulls a chair for Fediel.
Chulainn: Here's your seat, Fediel!
Fediel: Mm, a delightful aroma. I'm no Wilnas, but the mortal diet does interest me.
Upon taking her seat, Fediel takes a good look at her steaming-hot bowl of soup before placing both hands on it.
Ferdia: Goodness! Don't touch the bowl with your mouth! That's what the spoon is for.
Fediel: Spoon? Ah, a utensil, I see.
Ferdia: Among the utensils lined up next to the bowl, the soup spoon is the one furthest to the right.
Ferdia: Starting with the outermost utensil and proceeding with the next one in line for each dish is basic table manners.
Fediel: Graah!
Fediel: You mortals and your pointless rules! It's all the same when the food goes into your body!
Fediel: From the spoon to this three-pronged stick, why do you need so many tools simply to transport the food to your mouth!
Chulainn: Now that you mention it... Why do we need so many utensils?
Chulainn: We never had this many back at Grandpa's place. Doesn't it just mean more work when washing the dishes?
Miach: For one thing, using the appropriate utensil for each dish makes the meal more enjoyable.
Miach: They affect how much food is in one bite for example, which influences the texture and thus the perceived taste. See how this one is deeper than this one?
Picking up separate spoons with each hand, Miach demonstrates his point to Chulainn and Fediel.
Miach: The ideal utensil can also change depending on the food's temperature.
Chulainn: Oh really?
Fediel: Sigh... That's nearing the level of hypersensitivity...
Miach: Also... There's the danger of getting burned if you drink hot soup directly.
Ferdia: In addition to that, some of the soup might leak from the sides of your mouth.
Ferdia: It'd be a waste of good soup. And if it gets on your clothing or handkerchief, not only is it unsightly, but you'd have to spend time cleaning it up.
Chulainn: Huh... So there's a reason for everything.
Fediel: I suppose the miniature shape of mortal jaws allows you to experience such minute differences in taste.
Fediel: Yet I still find the number of utensils to be absurd.
Fediel: Does it not become burden having to remember all these rules?
Miach: Breakfast is meant to be casual, so it's okay to let loose a bit.
Miach: But there are times when negotiation happens at the dinner table.
Chulainn: You mean like when parliament members invite people from elsewhere for a meal?
Miach: Yes. Many such dinners are for more than just entertaining the guests. The number of utensils serves as a subtle display of our wealth.
Miach: The idea is to have them think, "Wow, look at all this fancy plateware..."
Miach: "They must have lots of money to be able spend on this, and to hire people to keep it all spic and span..."
Miach: Having so many utensils may seem pointless at a glance, but they all aid in playing the social roles we find ourselves in.
Chulainn: Wow! I guess people in high positions really have a lot to think about when it comes to food!
Ferdia: The silver ones tend to rust easily, so keeping them in good condition takes work.
Fediel: Hm... After hearing all that, I do see your point... But yet...
Fediel: Why are such cumbersome practices passed on as tradition from one generation to the next instead of being forgotten?
Miach: Well, what carries on as part of a culture isn't always what makes the most sense.
Ferdia: It's often said that habits die hard.
Miach: Though on the other hand, there are certain traditions from the time of Astral rule that have stayed with us because of their convenience.
Miach: The use of common currency is a good example of that.
Ferdia: If each island used different currencies, trading or even shopping would be rather difficult.
Chulainn: Oh, I never thought of that! So it was the Astrals who unified currency in the Sky Realm...
Miach: Haha, I can't even begin to imagine a life without currency.
Miach: For the sake of such convenience, however, many old traditions eventually die out.
Miach: Particularly in the past few decades, advances in airship construction have led to far greater communication between islands.
Fediel: The new replacing the old is no surprise. For destruction is a tenet of the sky god.
Ferdia: We might have more airships nowadays, but the situation differs greatly by island.
Ferdia: Alster Island is fortunate in that it's a stop for many commercial airships.
Chulainn: Yeah, back on the island with Grandpa, we hardly ever saw any airships!
Ferdia: We're fortunate we can buy things we used to consider a luxury or things we never even knew existed so cheaply in Alster. It's all thanks to good commerce.
Ferdia: Being able to buy chocolate here at such a low price was the biggest surprise for me.
Fediel: Cho-co-lit? Is this another mortal tradition?
Chulainn: Um, it's brown, sweet, and makes you feel all happy inside when you eat it!
Fediel: Ooh! That sounds a lot like the cookies I had before!
Chulainn: Haha... Would you believe there are even chocolate chip cookies?
Fediel: You must tell me, Erune lass! Where can I find this so-called "chocolate"?
Fediel learns forward, eyes sparkling. Miach watches her with a wry smile.
Miach: Ferdia. Can you check to see if we have any chocolate in the storehouse?
Ferdia: Certainly. Chulainn, attend to them until I return.
Chulainn: Sure! We'll be right here!
Fediel: Hahaha, I cannot wait to gaze upon this thing you call chocolate!
Miach and Chulainn are delighted to see Fediel so excited.
Minutes later...
Chulainn: You're back, Ferd! Was there any chocolate?
Ferdia: Not that I could see. Lady Miach, it appears we're currently short on luxury items.
Miach: I see... Any chocolate we do have would probably be part of emergency rations.
Ferdia: Yes, and it's best we don't dip into that...
Fediel: Hm? So the gist is there's no chocolate?
Miach: Unfortunately, no...
Fediel: I see... We'll just have to move on then.
Miach: It may take a while, but I'll be sure to give you some chocolate when we next acquire some.
Fediel: Ah! Truly?
Chulainn: I wanted Lady Scathacha to have chocolate too, so I'll be on the lookout for some next time I go to town!
Fediel: In that case, I'll be waiting with baited breath. A chance for me to practice patience.
Fediel: Do be sure to show me the chocolate once you have it! It's a promise!
Miach: Yes, of course.
Chulainn: You'll love it for sure, Fediel!
Fediel: Haha. As much as mankind's ungainly tendencies make me wince, they are equally amusing.
Fediel: Erune lass. Tell me more about yourself!
Miach: I'd be glad to. Well then...
Miach kindly answers every one of Fediel's questions as they continue eating breakfast.
But because Fediel's curiosity knows no bounds, is it dusk by the time Miach finishes his explanation of everything.