Berra — Im A Duck

1627

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Context

Season/Week/Day/Time and Notable Context. [[[s02:session-40|Session 40]]]

Events

Berra asks Godfri at some point what the hel… what it means when a duck gives you a feather.

“It is a sort of adoption thing.” – Godfri

A small implosion happens behind Berra’s eyes.

“It makes you a metaphorical duck.” – Godfri

“Oh… thanks.” – Berra

Confusion for a while

. o ( A duck. )

. o ( Am I a duck now? )

. o ( Have I been a duck for ages and not known? )

. o ( I must have been. )

. o ( I mean, if I AM a duck. )

. o ( Do I need to accept that somehow? )

. o ( Duck. I’m… a duck. )

. o ( Sort of. )

. o ( It doesn’t change what I thought he was saying. )

. o ( Which is that he is fine with me carrying it. )

. o ( And doesn’t mind people knowing. )

. o ( And some of those people are ducks. )

. o ( So it’s a message mostly to them. )

. o ( But to me as well. )

. o ( Duck? Huh…. )

. o ( Telling me to live up to it. )

. o ( And it worked even though I didn’t know exactly what it meant. )

. o ( But now I have to make sure I do it right. )

. o ( Is he adopting me, or are all ducks adopting me? )

. o ( He can’t speak for all ducks. )

. o ( So I’m showing people what he thinks, by wearing it. )

. o ( He hasn’t adopted me. I’d have noticed. )

. o ( But I’m a duck. )

. o ( As far as he is concerned. )

. o ( No wonder he didn’t want it back. )

. o ( And he said he could make more. )

. o ( So if I mess up he could just not give me another. )

. o ( Only this one went through hell. )

. o ( And it’s sort of hard to break now. )

. o ( I think I could do it on purpose. )

. o ( And someone could smash it in battle. )

. o ( But as long as I look after it, it won’t break for me. )

. o ( Because it’s been to hell. )

. o ( He didn’t expect that. )

. o ( … He’ll break it if I let him down, and he decides to. He could do that. )

. o ( Better not let him down. )

. o ( Metaphirical duck. )

. o ( Better not let that down either. )

. o ( … wow. )

Later, at the campfire

After talking to Godfri on the trail, Berra sits at the fire that evening, and after trying out a few rather confused expressions says, “I’m a duck,” in a puzzled voice.

Rajar looks at the small warrior. “That would explain a few things.”

Berra puts her hand up tentatively to stroke at the feather in her helmet, then takes her helmet off and stares at the crest. The single feather crest. “I mean, a duck…?” Maybe whoever explained to Rajar did not explain things to her.

Rajar gestures ‘small, aggressive, humakti’ and waves again at Berra. “What matters the feathers?”

Berra considers that, head on one side. If she only realised, she has picked up that habit from D’Val.

Rajar offers her beer. “Best not over think these things.”

Berra takes the beer. “Yeah. I guess it just means I have to be really careful not to let ducks down.” She chugs it back and holds out the cup.

Xenofos makes a note in his journal.

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Berra finds out that in one sense, she is a duck