The Ballad of Adler Young, Canto 2.5

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"Err- um- well, you see..." I continued astutely. Normally I wouldn't have a problem discussing this subject, but I couldn't stop thinking that Vernier was nearby and could probably overhear the entire conversation. Between that and the fact that one wrong step might send Rebecca back into her Unseelie mindset, I simply wasn't sure how to proceed. It also didn't help the way Rebecca was paying attention to my every word, looking at me with her deep, dark eyes and tilting her ears toward me in an adorably fetching manner. Why was she smiling so seductively? Why was she breathing so sensuously? Why were her incisors glistening so lasciviously? How come every lowfolk femme I met was an expert in Wiles?

"I have some theories regarding what Honoring the Lady means and why it's important," Rebecca stated, after I had stared tongue-tied at her for what seemed like a very long time. "Since you asked me to try thinking like the Seelie do, it seems obvious that Honoring the Lady is a means of pacifying the darkness inside of us all. Fuma is a goddess of war and passion, yet she wishes for all to be Seelie, therefore we must indulge in violence and lust in socially sanctioned rituals as a method of venting the evil that dwells inside of us all. By permitting the beast to express itself in controlled circumstances, we prevent it from consuming us and turning us all into feral monsters that bray at the moon and attack unwary travelers."

"Ain't nothin wrong with that," Burnside interrupted as she ran past. What was she doing? I couldn't spare the attention right now.

>Adler: Okay, that's enough of that, time to interject. Letting Rebecca read Reynard's steamy poems is risky, it might cause Rebecca to start focusing on the wrong things again, however, if you are able to guide her through this topic and keep her focused, those poems might be the perfect way to seal the deal of her becoming seelie. Having her skip ahead might trigger the lorem ipsum defense if the book is meant to be read from beginning to end. Not to mention skipping the topic would probably upset her and make her uncooperative with your lesson plan. Okay, approach the subject in a mature and seelie way.

"There are a few grains of truth in your theory," I stated cautiously. Letting Rebecca read Saint Reynard's spicy poems could lead to trouble, but skipping the topic might prevent her from being able to finish the book, foul up my lesson plan, and turn her mind in unproductive directions again. She might become suspicious and uncooperative if she saw me hiding things or deliberately avoiding subjects she was interested in. "Repressing certain emotions and urges can sometimes lead to these things bottling up, but this doesn't normally turn people into vicious monsters like Burnside over there. One could hardly accuse her of ever holding back. What Reynard means by "Honoring the Lady" is that, well, basically Fuma is a fertility goddess. She rules the home and hearth as much as the battlefield. Venery, at its most basic level, is a means of reproduction which not only perpetuates elfkind, but also tends to lead to the comforts associated with home and family. Fuma is also a love goddess. Honoring the Lady is a sacred method of sharing your heart and soul with another. This is almost the closest you can possibly get to another person. Among elves it can sometimes be a profound bonding experience. You share vulnerability and trust and love given freely -"

"And warm fluids," Burnside quipped as she dashed past in the other direction.

>Rebecca: Ah, you can read the next section now and- Goodness! You blush furiously as you skim forward. The weird and creepy drawings in your journal don't do this justice.

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"Oh!" Rebecca exclaimed. "The next section has turned into words I can read. Oh! OHH!! Goodness gracious!! This is WAY hotter than I expected. The stuff I drew in my journal doesn't even scratch the tip of the ... uh, the ... wow, My Lord, when will I get to do some of this?"

>Adler: Discourage Rebecca from practicing "honoring the lady" as described in the book just yet. These are advanced techniques and she could very easily get in over her head. Once Rebecca is back to studying, carefully inch away from her and go check on Vernier.

"Some of that is pretty advanced, if I recall," I pointed out. "You could easily get overwhelmed if you try to do everything too soon."

"Put me on the beginner's course," she murmured absentmindedly as her eyes raced across the page.

Rebecca seemed engrossed in her reading, so I inched away from her and turned to go back and check on Vernier.

>Burnside: You are trying to enlist the help of the Ixies to help you gather up the tattered remains of the outfit you shredded.

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On my way across the clearing, I observed Burnside scampering around madly, apparently playing a game with my Ixies in which they gathered little scraps of dark-colored debris which were scattered all over the grass. How nice to see them getting along ... and picking up litter! What a Seelie activity! My little pep talk must have had a positive effect on Burnside even greater than I had hoped.