<div>
Inner Sanctum | 3:43 PM | Second Day
<div>
<div>
talent. Most people thought of as child geniuses are really just early bloomers who grow up in the right environment; they find themselves in a positive feedback loop, learn faster than most, become big fish in the small pond of mandatory schooling and skip a few years, and suddenly everyone''s talking about them like they''re the next Sara of Xattusa.
<div>
<div>
special people, of singling out any individual who happens to be performing well at what they''re currently doing and acting like they emerged fully-formed from the forehead of a deity. The perspective of evolutionary psychology is that this occurs due to individuals trying to rationalize their natural predisposition towards desiring to submit to whichever person seems the most capable or intelligent in their social group, since being able to unify under a competent leader instead of in-fight is obviously a desirable trait for a group of animals. In the Old Kingdoms era, if someone inspired that impulse, they''d be called divinely chosen. In more rational times, you''d have people saying they had to possess some special mutation in their anima script, or some enlarged component of their brain. The framing changes, but the response remains static.
<div>
<div>
people, and almost all success is circumstantial. That''s why most childhood prodigies end up peaking early, then becoming talented, but ultimately ordinary adults. That was probably fate of most in our class. Assuming the remaining two years of the course didn''t kill them, my classmates,(again, possibly barring Ptolema) would likely all have successful careers and be responsible for many notable academic achievements, but wouldn''t be going down in the history books. Lilith was a harder one to call, but I''d seen even kids like her meet the same outcome when push came to shove.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
thirteen.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
thing they did. They only showed up at all less then half the time, and when they did... Forget incanting, it was genuinely a harrowing experience just to watch them work. Think about the last time you wrote an essay, and how the whole process was paced-- You probably sketched out some notes, wrote a bit, stopped and thought about it a little, wrote a bit more, got caught up on something awkward and had to look it up, maybe took a quick break... Even at the best of times, that''s how it goes, right?
<div>
<div>
write. Nonstop, without pausing even a second for thought. And the work was brilliant! Perfectly voiced, cited, and comprehensive to the point that it put even the wordiest of Kamrusepa''s stuff to shame! And they just did it, like they were transcribing directly from the voice of God.
<div>
<div>
thought about it, and come to the conclusion that what they had to be doing was essentially arranging the entire thing in their head beforehand, holding it there in totality, and then just transferring it onto parchment.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
had been an impolitely dramatic entrance, to be certain. If this were a play, everyone would probably collectively gasp, and someone from the inner circle would shout something like, ''what is the meaning of this?!'' That was, if I had to guess, the reaction that Fang had been hoping for.
<div>
<div>
upset. Aruru was at least sophisticated enough as a machine to realize that it should stop its explanation, and so for a few moments, the chamber fell into complete silence.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
barbarian, for something this critical..."
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
several meetings since then, girl," Anna said, her expression imperceptible under her hood. "There has been more than enough time for you to notify us about this, to give us time to have some discourse over the issue."
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
He''s avoiding pronouns and gendered language. Well, that probably wasn''t a surprise.
<div>
<div>
asked people to refer to them in gender neutral terms, not that I would have really had a problem with it if they did-- Although that certainly didn''t stop Kam and a few others from being varying degrees of shitty and passive-aggressive over the issue, as you saw back when we were grouping up outside the Aetherbridge. Rather, they just implied their feelings by presenting themselves in a way that was genuinely ambiguous.
<div>
<div>
course it''s hard to tell!'' which, aside from being vaguely offensive, was also extremely irritating, since I didn''t feel like that had anything to do with it.
<div>
<div>
conspire to frame any further evidence as support for that conclusion. There have been experiments about this sort of thing - if you take an identical picture of an androgynous person and show it to two different people, telling each of them they''re the opposite sex, then ask them to describe them in their own words, they''ll use completely different language.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
simple.
<div>
<div>
successful deviant. I knew it had to be frustrating, having it overshadow the things they actually did.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
Presentation." They spoke the word furtively, then folded their arms, tapping their forefinger against their elbow. "Right, right. Yeah, I should have something put together."
<div>
<div>
should''," Durvasa echoed, with a stern edge to the word.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
weren''t normal, was that they didn''t really seem to have a concept of authority figures. That''s not to say they were an elitist, or thought they were better than other people - if anything, it was the opposite. They treated absolutely everyone with the same familiar, easy-going attitude. Like nothing was really that serious.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
stuff happened with that. Long story," they said, glancing to the side. "Don''t worry, though - I barely use the thing, to be honest. I prefer just keeping runes on bracelets and using bottled eris. Less stiff then lugging some big rod around."
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
Please, follow me to the seating area," Aruru said again, seeming to pick up on the context.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
As you wish, master Hamilcar," it said, returning to its position. "To repeat. Following this, you will be called forward to offer your presentations in alphabetical order, though you may change this at special request. Each of you will be allocated a maximum of 10 minutes of speaking time, followed by 10 minutes of questions from the discretionary council. After this, a closing statement will be given by Linos of Melanthos as the youngest present. There will then be a short postmortem retrospective on the meeting before we adjourn." It bowed its head. "Please, feel free to ask any questions before we proceed."
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
Please, go ahead," it said.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
Normally, a recess is called only once or if the event exceeds 200 minutes," the golem replied. "A special request can be made for one between segments, but we humbly ask you only do so if the need is dire."
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
Were there any further questions?" Aruru asked. Glancing over at Fang, I noticed that they seemed to be barely paying attention. Instead, they were looking over some documents they''d stuffed into their pockets and fiddling with a logic engine, smiling cheerfully to themselves.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
Understood," the golem said, bowing its head. "The schedule shall be rearranged so that Ophelia of the Glass FIelds shall be the first to give her presentation."
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
I wonder if she''s still thinking about the body, too, an irritating voice intruded. About those eyes...
<div>
<div>
No time to think about that now. Ran noticed the mannerism, raising an eyebrow at me.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
But she didn''t see through to it. Not completely.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>