New in Torn World

[ysabetwordsmith]

If you are a Torn World subscriber, you can now read my poem "The Slow Hunt."
A young Dlujan dreams of hunting sea monsters in a different way.

Recently unlocked is my poem "A Choice of Three."
Eruun finds it first flattering, then awkward, when the triplets ALL start courting her.

Also, all six items from the April Muse fusion have been submitted to the Canon Board, some already approved for posting.  The freebie has an illustration by ellenmillion whenever that gets posted, and the other five have been sponsored, so you'll get to see them all eventually.

Don't forget that May is Sea Monster Month!  Watch for new art and writing about Torn World's terrifying aquatic megafauna.

Comments

A Choice of Three

[dialecticdreamer]

I'm missing a couple of dynamics in the courtship ritual, but by extrapolation--

The beads in her hair signify "marriage", adult relationship, rather than courtship?

I love the feeling of /can't choose/ and /hurt/ that she's dealing with; not because I'm particularly fond of making characters suffer, but because it comes across so clearly beneath her surprise at the whole thing.

Re: A Choice of Three

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I'm missing a couple of dynamics in the courtship ritual, but by extrapolation--

The beads in her hair signify "marriage", adult relationship, rather than courtship? <<

Beads in hair are decoration, but are often from previous relationships. Northern culture has a tiny population so they have to spread out their gene pool as best they can. Consequently, they don't have marriage. A woman may "give her month" to one man for the length of her menstrual cycle, and at the end of that time, she may continue the relationship or choose another mate.

A woman's necklace shows her relationship status. A bead in the center of her necklace indicates her current mate. An open spot means she is available. A knot means she is unavailable. A red bead marks menstruation. A "cage" bead is a discreet indicator of pregnancy, which Northerners generally don't discuss aloud.

A man who wishes to get involved with a woman may offer her a bead, which she can accept or decline. A woman with several offers may string additional beads on a lower central loop to show whose turn will be next.

For further details, see "Beads in Northern Culture" and "Snow-Unicorn Riders."

>> I love the feeling of /can't choose/ and /hurt/ that she's dealing with; not because I'm particularly fond of making characters suffer, but because it comes across so clearly beneath her surprise at the whole thing. <<

Yay! I'm glad this works for you.

In a culture where open relationships are the norm -- and a necessity -- there is a very strong expectation for people to handle this responsibly. They have to learn how to deal with deciding who they want (or not), communicating choices, jealousy, sharing, taking turns, etc. They can't afford serious fights, but they still have the same strong emotions that start brawls over mate-selection in other cultures. So I wanted to take an inside look at how someone might deal with that.