Out of the troubled waters

[sovay]

The night before last, I dreamed about the mansion and estates of a family whose oldest ancestor was preserved in poisonous chemicals a vault at the heart of the house: but every now and then he was lifted out, drained, and shaved of the mold that had gathered on his dead skin, and at these moments he could be asked questions and he would answer. Last night I dreamed a seedy restaurant from the perspective of an amphibious woman nicknamed Red Sal, on a planet where gills was slang for girl-parts and hellbender for rough trade. (I have no idea. The last thing I read before bed was a Judge Dee mystery.) I don't know if I can fuse them, but at least one of these should be a story.

Almost all of today was spent with my brother and his girlfriend at the Mystic Aquarium (or in transit, there and back), which reminded me that I have not been to the New England Aquarium in literally years. I used to visit almost religiously. One of the highlights of my childhood was the feeding of the electric eel, and watching the little gauge swing over into the red as it discharged at high voltage. There were a pair of morays at the Mystic, but we did not get to see their pharyngeal jaws in action. Alas. The anemones were very beautiful, however.

I am not sleeping. This needs to change.

Comments

[strange-selkie.livejournal.com]

I don't care much for eels, but I was looking at some old-ish pictures I took of the sea. It's been a long time since I saw the ocean. Now I'm listening to 'Cruel Sister' for the first time since college. Memories!

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

I dreamed about the mansion and estates of a family whose oldest ancestor was preserved in poisonous chemicals a vault at the heart of the house: but every now and then he was lifted out, drained, and shaved of the mold that had gathered on his dead skin, and at these moments he could be asked questions and he would answer.

Interesting. It kind of reminds me of a show I saw late one night on the Discovery Channel a long time ago about preserved corpses. Apparently there was a law firm whose charter held that one founding member had to be present at all meetings, even if all founding members were dead. So one of these gentlemen was treated and stuffed and appeared at board meetings for a hundred years after his death.

Last night I dreamed a seedy restaurant from the perspective of an amphibious woman nicknamed Red Sal, on a planet where gills was slang for female genitalia

That must have been confusing for an amphibious woman.

I am not sleeping.

I'm sorry to hear that. I know what it's like.

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

By the way, my e-mails don't seem to be getting through to you. Is your mail box full?

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Did you hear the report on NPR about moray eels and their pharyngeal jaws? They ended with a silly song, "that's a moray" to the tune of "that's amore." It was funny, actually.

it would be handy to be able to ask an old ancestor something now and then, but I wouldn't want the job of shaving off the mold.

[sovay]

Did you hear the report on NPR about moray eels and their pharyngeal jaws?

No; I read the article in last week's Nature. Cute.

It would be handy to be able to ask an old ancestor something now and then, but I wouldn't want the job of shaving off the mold.

It was a much less glamorous oracle than the kind I usually dream about . . .

[dsgood.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't want that much contact with some of my farther-back ancestors.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Do you have some interesting far-back ancestors? I think mine are probably 100 percent boring. Well... 97 percent...

[seajules]

I'd read both stories. Or the fusion. Whichever.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

My. The dream of the ancestor is interesting--reminds me of the lecturer in The Iron Dragon's Daughter who was supposedly kept in a jar when he wasn't giving his talk. Much as I'd like to talk with my oldest ancestors, I'm glad that's not my family's custom.

The seedy restaurant sounds interesting as well--could go in many directions. Were all the folk in Red Sal's society amphibious, or...?

Mystic Aquarium sounds lovely. It's years since I've been there.

The feeding of the electric eel sounds quite fascinating--I don't think I've ever had the chance to watch such an event. I can see why you'd keep going back as a child to see it.

Sorry to hear you're not sleeping, and I hope you are soon.

[alankria.livejournal.com]

The night before last, I dreamed about the mansion and estates of a family whose oldest ancestor was preserved in poisonous chemicals a vault at the heart of the house: but every now and then he was lifted out, drained, and shaved of the mold that had gathered on his dead skin, and at these moments he could be asked questions and he would answer.

I would read a story about this. There is definitely potential in the second dream too.

My dreams are always far too vague for story plotting. About the closest I come to something with a normal plot are the ones where I'm running from a tsunami or volcanic eruption (my mind's take on the typical 'running dream' -- I have never had a running dream where I'm running from a person or something vague). Normally I dream in short snatches of plots that jump to something else quickly and nonsensically, and normally I only remember vague impressions the next morning.

[sovay]

My dreams are always far too vague for story plotting.

I almost never remember overarching plot, but occasionally I get images and moments; I know what something is for, if not how it figured later.

[genarti]

Oh, wow. "Raptorial pharyngeal jaws" -- that is so very cool. I didn't know morays were quite that nifty!

I haven't been to the New England Aquarium in years, either. I really ought to go again. Just go on my own, since that way no one else has to deal with my tendency to get fascinated and absorbed by absolutely EVERYTHING, and spend a Saturday afternoon meandering through.

I would eagerly read either of those stories, too, or the combined version. Those are really neat dreams.

[sovay]

I didn't know morays were quite that nifty!

It's definitely made my week.

Just go on my own, since that way no one else has to deal with my tendency to get fascinated and absorbed by absolutely EVERYTHING, and spend a Saturday afternoon meandering through.

You want to organize an aquarium pilgrimage one of these weekends?

[genarti]

I would be entirely up for that! The next couple of weekends are bad for me, but sometime in mid-October, maybe?

[sovay]

The next couple of weekends are bad for me, but sometime in mid-October, maybe?

Mid-October is auspicious.

[genarti]

Eeeeexcellent.

Let us discuss this further when it is closer to the date, then! Unless you'd rather do so now to have schedules arranged. I am easy.

[stsisyphus.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't know about combining the two, but the second definitely sounds like you should speak with greygirlbeast about another Sirenia contribution. Sounds that much more intense.