o6. thursday may 20 / text

[scribes]

Recent conversations have sparked some curiosity in me.

We all come from different worlds and different times, and I can't help but wonder what some of the common myths, legends, and fairy tales are in these times and places. Such things can be very telling of the people from which they come and I think I might enjoy making a collection of sorts and analyzing them.

So, Death City, if you would be so kind tell me about your worlds and the stories you've been raised on. The more detail the better, and if you know anything of their origin that is better yet.

Comments

[scribes]

[You can see the spark in her eyes at that.]

I am all ears!

[sayatakagi]

[ ahem. get ready for tl;dr ] The same story seeks to explain human sexuality as well, but I will leave that for later, if you are interested.

Plato said that before humans became what we are, we were very different. We had two faces, two noses, two sets of ears, of eyes, of arms and legs. Because of that, we were so fast and strong, so powerful, that we tried to take over the Gods' House, the Oympus. Zeus, the father God, was very displeased but didn't wish to kill us. Instead, he decided to cut all human beings in half, and so humans were all divided into two; this way, our strength would be reduced and our numbers would rise, perfect for more offerings to the gods.

That’s how one became two, and it left a wound - our navel - to remind us of this.

And after the gods scattered us away, leaving us to find our missing half. And that is the source of human’s desire to love each other. Love is born into every human being: it calls back the halves of our original nature together and it tries to make one out of two and heal the wound of human nature.

And so, when a person meets the half they are missing, the two are struck from their senses by love, by a sense of belonging to one another, and they don’t want to be separated from one another, not even for a moment. To come together so they can become one again.

‘Love’ then became the name for the pursuit of wholeness, for the desire to be complete.

[ a pause as Saya blushes a little ] It's just a story - philosophy.

[scribes]

[She listens intently, smile growing the more she hears]

Perhaps just a story, but a beautiful one. It certainly does capture the feeling of completeness you get when you find your soul mate. That such a story exists for humans is already very telling.

[sayatakagi]

We pay a lot of attention to love. It's a part of any human culture, to have tales about it.

[scribes]

I feel that is one thing that might be universal. Love is an incredibly powerful emotion, if not the most. So powerful it is even frightening--in fact there are many trolls from my home who would refuse to use it. Commonly the term pity was used in its place, for love was thought to be crippling.

[sayatakagi]

In a way, here is as well. We aren't smart creatures when in love and so some avoid that by avoiding love. I suppose it could be seen as a liability.

[scribes]

Humans too? I suppose that is just a thing, regardless of species. It's understandable to a degr33, I suppose, but such a shame.

[sayatakagi]

I don't know much love, I admit, but I think it has its good side and bad side.