picknicking

[dark_light]

There's something unutterably pleasant about landing in a bit of woods in the middle of Nowhere, Manitoba, removing a sandwich and an apple from her backpack and having a picnic before she's ready to move on. She could eat in midair, but it makes it too likely that she'll drop something and find it unrecoverable.

Path's on her knee, and her cloudpine is propped up against the tree next to her.

Comments

[dark_light]

"Oh. No, that's completely insane. Do you have germ theory where you're from or are you just operating on the 'this has never been observed to help, you idiots' principle?"

[prodigal_miser]

"Second one. What's the germ theory, and can I use it in a way that helps?"

[dark_light]

"Germ theory has all kinds of useful consequences! If biology and so on works the same for you guys as it does for people here, then: a majority of diseases, including most anything that is contagious - though 'contagious' doesn't include things that just run in families, even if the conditions only show up in adults - are caused by tiny living or not-technically-living things. Tiny tiny, you can't see them without special equipment or possibly magic. You can kill them by making them very hot - which is why fevers exist - and some of them also die if it's very cold - which is why freezing food helps keep it preserved - and you can wash them off of you with pretty much ordinary soap, which is why people who live in unsanitary places get sick more often - and some of them you can also kill or prevent from breeding with medicines or food additives. The tiny things are germs."

[prodigal_miser]

Adarin pays rapt attention. Half-way through her explanation, Vern retrieves a book of his and he starts taking notes.

"I'll have to make soap a bigger priority, then," he says, once she's finished and he's done writing. "I thought general hygiene was nice to have but I was more worried about rotting garbage in streets getting into wells and such."

Vern decides to pipe up. "Most of the things you mentioned are true in our plane. Fevers, freezing food, so on."

"Thank you," says Adarin, smiling.

[dark_light]

"I mean, garbage in the street getting into wells is bad too. Mold can hurt people too pretty straightforwardly, germs can breed in garbage, germs can get carried by bugs and rodents and they can live in water. But somewhat more important than garbage is actually human waste - there's germs in the digestive system that are really important to have where they are which you don't want anywhere else, even in healthy people, and in unhealthy people it's a transmission mechanism for other stuff."

[prodigal_miser]

He takes more notes. While he's paying complete attention and staying focused - Vern is a bundle of nerves and excitement, and is hopping around throughout the attic.

"Alright. I'll keep that in mind, too - thank you. When I'm done spelling your rocks, I don't suppose you'd like to visit my plane? You'd know issues better than I would, though I've been using common sense. Your plane has better technology," he offers.

[dark_light]

"I am very much tempted, provided you can bring me back without further ado and I'm not overwhelmingly likely to be shot full of lightning bolts. It sounds like you have a lot of low-hanging fruit on the improving things angle. I'm not personally in a position to effectively bring you all the useful ramifications of, for example, germ theory - I know the general idea behind inoculation, for instance, but not well enough to set up an immunization clinic. But I would happily cruise around looking for obvious bad ideas."

[prodigal_miser]

"You would be with me and I would make sure that anyone who'd think of shooting you full of lightning bolts would realize how much of a colossally bad idea it is," he says. "I do hate sounding arrogant, but quite frankly I would flatten anyone who tries it. They are all very, very clear on this matter."

"That being said, anything you can do to help would be wonderful. I'll bring you back in one piece without any issue. You might have to stay for a few days, before I can manage it safely, though."

[dark_light]

"A few days' vacation is doable, I can get Metis to give me time off. Your plane-hopping spell won't do anything irksome like leave Path behind, will it?"

[prodigal_miser]

"Not if I tell it not to. I'd have to make some modifications, and maybe stare awkwardly at Path and Vern for a little while, but I have no doubt it's possible."

[dark_light]

"Okay. I'm trying to think if there's anything else on the level of 'germ theory' that you might benefit from... not sure if the invention of electrical generators gets you much of anywhere by itself, similar problem with internal combustion and airplanes, you have to be able to do manufacturing... radios might be useful though... what are the useful ramifications of knowing what atoms are, I can't immediately think of any..."

[prodigal_miser]

Adarin grins. "Not to worry. You have a while yet to think of things - and if it becomes tiresome, I won't hold it against you if you stop. You've already been extremely helpful."

Vern trills, a little far away, looking happy and energetic. Adarin cackles a little, practically dances over to her, and scoops her up for a hug. Fluffy kagu daemon hugs. She is maybe twirled around a little before he neatly puts her back down and returns to Isabella, huge grin still on his face.

"I am," he states, "Very excited."

[dark_light]

"I'm excited too! I mean, there are parts of this world where things like this would theoretically be useful, but the reasons they aren't being put to use in those places are way more complicated than 'nobody invented germ theory yet'. I can probably accomplish more in a few days in New Kystle than I can anywhere here in the same time."

[prodigal_miser]

"Yes," he replies. "Plus this is also the first lucky break I've gotten in four years and I'm extremely pleased I picked this plane to travel to. You're extremely helpful and without you I might have just grabbed the chamomile and left and not known that there was a resource to use for fixing purposes. Thank you."

He looks kind of like he wants to hug her, but he's too polite to while Path's on her head and without her permission.

[dark_light]

"I think if you walked around in a city - in this country, at least - you'd have noticed there's serious tech around. I don't imagine you'd have gone home without trying to get your hands on some."

[prodigal_miser]

"Fair point. But I doubt any of it would have politely explained itself to me and proposed ideas for helping with my exact goal."

[dark_light]

"You might have had to hang out in a public library and read an encyclopedia, but I think you could probably have accomplished a fair bit."

[prodigal_miser]

"Okay, fine. But would an encyclopedia have summoned a truth-teller and gotten me to help with a project that involves making everyone immortal? Because I approve of that portion of this, too."

[dark_light]

"Oh, no, for that you need me personally. I'm glad you're on board."

[prodigal_miser]

"I like having the option of having several hundred years of healthy living ahead of me. Other people should get it, too. Both for the altruistic reason of not liking people dying, and also because I imagine it would get extremely lonely after a while, if no one else could stick around."

[dark_light]

"People should definitely stop dying. I'll start with my dad if I get a spell draft the alethiometer approves of."

[prodigal_miser]

"... Yeah. Yes, you should definitely start with your father," he says, very quietly.

Vern glances up, then wanders over and nudges him. She is picked up and hugged.

[dark_light]

"You okay?"

[prodigal_miser]

"Yeah, I'm fine. Things just hit me at weird times, is all," explains Adarin, still hugging Vern. "So I am all on board with making death go away. Start with your father, please."

Vern trills sadly. This gets her more cuddles.

[dark_light]

"Yeah. I will."

Pause, and: "Maybe if I do my parents will finally get divorced."