bioestheties exhibition

[middlingalong]

The following day they visit the 149th Annual Bioestheties Exhibition, Class A, Dedicated to the Memory of the Celestial Lady. This dedication, though rather last-minute, makes it a key stop for offworlders on Eta Ceta for funerary proceedings. Lord Vorreedi is, unexpectedly, present too; he may be hard to slip.

The exhibits are gorgeous. Unnatural colors of various flowers are sufficiently routine to be used as borders for the real show - fish with clan marks on their scales (this exhibitor is about twelve), a pet unicorn (this one is possibly not even an exhibit), a tendril of vine that attempts to entrap Ivan's foot (its keeper dislodges it), and a kitten tree.

Ivan is displeased by the kitten tree, believing there to be glue involved in the attachment of kittens to their pods. He picks one in a determined rescue attempt. It is not ripe; the kitten expires when detached. Vorreedi offers to discreetly dispose of the poor beast, for which Ivan is intensely grateful.

Their erstwhile friend Yenaro is present. When Ivan notices, he points the man out to Miles.

Comments

[isthisart]

"There are conflicting standards and ladies fuss at each other about them when there's nothing else to do. Some people have favorite color patterns - it's usually a shift over some period of time between two or three colors, not a static one. Some coordinate with their clothes, or choose hour to hour at random or based on obscure criteria. People vary in how much they care about being matched. Usually I just slide between robin's egg blue and turquoise every four seconds and people know it's me; someone could copy me, I suppose, but I wouldn't care unless they were going to further lengths to impersonate me."

[thisvorlunatic]

"I see. And I suppose those electronic signatures everyone keeps talking about would serve to resolve identity disputes, at least once somebody had a scanner pointed at them."

[isthisart]

"Yes. The bubbles aren't actually principally intended for identity concealment, but everyone's polite enough about them that they do it anyway."

[thisvorlunatic]

"What are they principally intended for? Personal defense...? Seems a little extreme. But then, I suppose if I had a sociological excuse to bubble around in a personal force-shield most of the time, I might take advantage."

[isthisart]

"I think that was the original idea, but at this point they're a status symbol. I'm not going to miss that part, but taking it down outside does leave me feeling sort of exposed; I guess I'll get used to it."

When she goes home with him or later when she leaves by some other mechanism.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Mm," says Miles, having nothing more insightful to offer.

[isthisart]

Here is the top of the building. She floats out of the lift tube, to a nook, makes sure no one's looking, and then says, "Till next time," in a low voice and lets the bubble down.

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles hops off her armrest, scurries out of bubble-range, and bows.

[isthisart]

She smiles a little - and rebubbles, and bobs out of the nook.

[thisvorlunatic]

Well.

Miles goes looking for Vorob'yev and Ivan. He finds them in a state of minimal alarm - apparently he wasn't that late. Vorob'yev only looks slightly peeved.

[middlingalong]

Ivan looks inquisitively at his cousin.

[thisvorlunatic]