trade my soul for a wish

[from_scratch]

This is a successor to "call me maybe", which is getting crowded.

Cam is dipping a grilled cheese sandwich into a bowl of tomato soup when he feels the summons. He goes ahead and grabs it. Doesn't even drop the sandwich.


with Mark (kappa)

with Adanya (Aestrix)

with Sable (kappa)

with Ari (andaisq)

with Metella (kappa)

with Miles (kappa)

with Isabella (Eva)

with Steel (Rockeye)

with Daphne (Maggie)

with Edie (Maggie)

Comments

[sturdycoldsteel]

"I mean ceding territory to their control, territory that we only marginally have authority on anyway."

"You can't just decide that on your own-"

"Fair point, Kelly. Assemble the city council and we'll have a vote. Keep the shiny new thing that will cost almost nothing to run and get something like 40 gold back from the civil service budget, and have something to give to the Senate if they poke their noses around here looking for it? Or neither of those things."

"We'll still need to vote." Kell rubs his head. "I need some aspirin. Er, Cam? Would you mind coming back this evening?"

[from_scratch]

"I don't have anywhere else to be. I mean, even if I go make an island it won't take that long unless all these various governments have the sea claimed for quite a long way past the coast."

[sturdycoldsteel]

"Telra doesn't claim anywhere there aren't people," Steel clarifies. "It's a federation. They bring existing populations under their control to expand, they don't colonize by themselves."

[from_scratch]

"Nothing in place to govern, say, fishing rights?"

[sturdycoldsteel]

"Individual cities manage those within their individual territories. Which leads to ecological problems, as you were likely about to guess."

Kell and Grind have disappeared into the city, along with Kell's contingent of guards.

[from_scratch]

"What I'm asking is how far past the coast do those rights extend. I don't want to park my island in somebody's salmon farm."

[sturdycoldsteel]

"Thirty miles will be plenty of distance. Are you going to make an island or attempt to find one?"

[from_scratch]

"If I find a really nice one it may tempt me, but I was thinking make. I can start it out with nifty subterranean tunnels and no verminous creatures and wiggly coastline for waterfront real estate."

[sturdycoldsteel]

"I'm not sure waterfront real estate will be as attractive here as in your home. Nice inner city apartments near parks and good clinics and expensive shops are generally where tenant bidding wars happen."

[from_scratch]

"Huh. Why don't people like the waterfront? I mean, proximity to stuff is also important, but stuff can get built anywhere."

[sturdycoldsteel]

"I think maybe close proximity to stuff matters more here. You seem to have vehicles like that spaceship, I bet you have smaller ones for the ground too. We don't, except insofar as flying or levitated carriages that bus people between cities count."

[from_scratch]

"Oh, yeah, there will totally be a subway. I will have the best subway on my island."

[sturdycoldsteel]

"Good for you. I'm going to write up as much as I can about the dam in Tlane for Kell, in case they want to keep it. You can do whatever you like until this evening, I suppose?"

[from_scratch]

"I don't think I will build an island today. I don't have a complete design yet. I will wander Opri and design an island."

[sturdycoldsteel]

"I hope it will be a practical and well-thought-out island. By now your precedent practically demands it."

[from_scratch]

"The most practical and well-thought-out. And made during lowest tide so the displaced water doesn't inconvenience anyone before it has time to spread out."

[sturdycoldsteel]

"Right. You should swing by the civil service place again sometime after sunset. I bet they'll have decided by then."

[from_scratch]

"Sure."

In the meantime, he has notes to note, a beautiful city to explore, and an island to design.

[sturdycoldsteel]

The city continues to be beautiful.



Sunset comes and goes in due time.

[from_scratch]

And Cam goes to the office.

[sturdycoldsteel]

Kell and Grind are waiting out front, looking tired. Kell bites out, "We've decided we'd like to keep the dam, as long as you still don't mind."

Grind interjects, "Good luck, Cam. You've got attitude, so it'd be boring to see ya fail."

[from_scratch]

"I made the dam for you guys to use," says Cam, tail swishing through the air. "I don't mind."

[sturdycoldsteel]

They nod and shake hands, official business concluded.

Steel comes out of the office with a backpack. "I'd like to come with you and see your new island, and recruit immigrants after that. All my personal effects are right here."

[from_scratch]

"Sure. The island won't be that interesting to look at to start with, though. I'd want to talk to people who wanted to live on it before I made anything on it besides a house for myself and basic infrastructure stuff.

[sturdycoldsteel]

"You'll have more luck finding immigrants among non-shapers. They are underprivileged and will not lament the lack of established bluestream."