kismet_loop | [video]

...You were off to a solid start.

[And at least decent enough to answer the question. See, this is why civility matters.]

I do not want to be haunted. [Which means he's stuck doing what she's asked again, for now.]

Do you have any more information to give me?

[Sam considers carefully.

If you don't do anything detrimental to anybody, I think we can stay civil. That's something, and since staying civil means we might make more deals in the future, that's something to you. For other information...

...pushed, I could take more than taste.

It is. [It limits him in one way, but perhaps in another it could be helpful. Perhaps he should try to make her his friend too.]

M-more? [His wings lift in alarm, dentals pressing down against his lower lip.]

Something substantial, I hope to hear.

[One eyebrow's up for that understated inquiry, before Sam's expression smooths into simply 'serious'. She nods once, in affirmation.]

More, and what would be worse.

You remember before; I said I didn't want a beef with you? I still don't, but.

[Something in the stress on that one word makes it clear; in this conversation, distance doesn't mean much.]

Weigh 'what would be worse' against 'staying civil' and tell me what conclusion you come to.

Maybe you should be my friend? [He posits carefully- no harm in asking after all, right?]

Without the spirit medium to help me, I really have no choice. [He admits reluctantly.]

[...even someone who's only ever been up to her ankles in the occult underground knows that all kind of complications can come out of calling the wrong person 'friend,' or being addressed as such by certain speakers. So... that's the thousand-dollar question.]

Maybe... we should work at being friendly first. As, ah, acquaintances. I'll agree to that if you will, so: how's that sound?

What are the rules exactly of having an acquaintance? [Hopefully easier than the friendship rules, or at least less confusing. He's also wary of entering into a deal he may regret later.]

...generally, you try to be considerate of an acquaintance, and sometimes do small favours.

[What's a diplomatic way to word this?]

To have an acquaintance, it's like a potential friendship in-progress.

Oh, I get it. It's practice. [He actually grins at this.] I can do that!

We've got an agreement, then? Acquaintances trying for 'friendly'? I'll be all for it, even give you a gesture of goodwill, but there is one thing I want.

[Folds his arms.] Depends on what you want and what that gesture of good will is.

Since you've so openly entertained the idea, I want your word that you won't turn around and murder me after all. We've already addressed that that course of action wouldn't end well for either of us, but I want to hear you say it, here and now, in this public post.

Fine! I won't murder you, Sam Witch, because it is far too inconvenient. Happy?

As a matter of fact, I am.

[Even with 'Sam Witch' being an especially unfortunate appellation.]

After all, I can trust you to hold fast to your word. You hold fast to everything that's yours, after all, am I right? And anyone's word is worthless once it's been broken. Even if it's only once.

Good.

[Dirge's lip twitches, why had no one told him this before? He had been devaluing his own word this whole time? Swindle always said that 'talk was cheap' but there was a difference between cheap and worthless.]

I did not know that. Keeping my word sounds like a more attractive prospect now.

I'm especially happy to hear that.

[Since, y'know. She's kinda got a vested interest.]

You keep your word, it remains valuable, and its worth will gradually improve as you prove yourself to be trustworthy. Break your word, even the once, and it can't count for anything.

Understood. We will practice friendship more later. I have to figure out how to plant these seeds now.

[He means the tomato seeds she supplied him with at their last meeting.]

Wait, one more minute. I still have my gesture to make, as offered in exchange for your word.

[Since it wouldn't do to stress the importance of holding to one's word, and then undermine all that but failing to follow up. Why, that wouldn't do at all.]

So; get some soil from the South. South-west, specifically. Around the time you're back with a planter packed, I'll have a how-to document sent to your drone.

Oh, yes. [The discovery of a word's worth had nearly made him forget.]

I have not decided which container to use yet, actually. There are small square ones and large orange round ones, and one that looks like an earth creature. What kind do tomatoes like?

You might as well go with the large ones, since transplanting the tomatoes would probably prove difficult for someone as big as you are, while moving a big planter is no problem. It'll also make it easier to insert a stable frame for the plants to climb as they get growing, but I'll have more about that in the how-to.

That makes sense. I was already having trouble even picking up some of the smaller ones without cracking them.

[He kind of liked the earth creature shaped one though. Maybe he'll put something else in it.]

[Even if dealing with Dirge could constitute a bid for dukedom (albeit an inadvertent one, dubious at best) Sam can't quite shake the suspicion that this must be the way dukes frequently feel, speaking around some subject of contention.]

Clay? If the big ones are plastic, that's another point in their favour; they'll withstand being moved around a bit better, and you probably will want to move them.

The little square ones are plastic, but they are so small I end up pinching them too hard to pick them up.

The big ones are orange and hard, but easier for me to get a grip on. Perhaps I'll check if I can find any big ones that are plastic.

Just how big are the big ones? Ultimately it's whatever works for you; tomatoes aren't picky plants.

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