2024-07-17 - You, Me, and the Tree.

It took a while eavesdropping on his elders for Sandstone to notice it, but there seemed to be some sort of ranking system going on in the not-darkness. They noticed that many of the minds who spoke with Mother used deferential tones towards her, as if waiting for her orders or her approval of some action. Those same voices would often speak to others differently, as if many of those others had to treat them with the same deference they used with her.

And in some instances reveled in that small bit of power a little too much for his liking. If he had the ability he’d put them in their place and mind their manners. Somehow. Given his current state it would be rather difficult tfor him o do anything about them. But once he was free from the darkness….

Then there was…him. A different presence from mother, but who also seemed to care for them too, much as she did. Not as often, he realized, but still there in the background. Father, the concept was told to him. The one who helped mother bring them all together into the darkness to wait for…something to occur. Certain parts of Sandstone’s mind patterns fit the father’s mind patterns quite well on a fundamental level.

Did that mean he could one day be a father himself and make more sparks glow in the darkness too? However that was done? Probably yes, if he could only get more information about how such things worked in the world to decide those questions.

Meanwhile he watched his siblings in their interactions, learning alongside them what to expect outside in the not-darkness when the day came to join it (which those out there claimed with unshakable certainty would happen). He was polite whenever he talked with them, doing his best to never show all his cards to anyone. He had to have some secrets after all, while trying to learn their secrets. Otherwise he felt too exposed and defenseless for his dignity to survive.

Then again, everyone likely felt that way too, so it shouldn’t be a shock to anyone what his actions were.