Governed by Whimsy. I’ve been reminded that I usually do a squee post after a book/story releases. So readers have a spot to safely … squee. And speculate. And get shippy. Draw connections and conclusions. And usually ask questions I can’t/won’t answer. So let all comers be warned!
HERE THERE BE SPOILERS
FORTHRIGHT 
Am I right in guessing this is like…1870s-ish?
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ALSO I WILL EAT MY HAT if Greta isn’t related to Michael in some way.
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Hisoka just HAPPENS to have mentored a Warder who just HAPPENS to br powerful AND knowledgeable about Cat Clans who just HAPPENS to have a daughter also very powerful that Hisoka mentors? SHENANIGANS
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I’ll admit to shenanigans, but I think you’re meowing up the wrong tree.
Nein, nyet, and non … that’s the only hint you’re getting! ::twinkle::
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::chuckle:: Never entered my mind. I suppose it’s possible. On her father’s side.
May I see your hat?
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That’s about right (give or take a few decades), though I won’t commit to an actual date. Because I’d rather invent everything than deal with quibblers over historical accuracy.
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Oh no I just wanted an idea of what kind of dresses I should be imagining as fashion is NOT my cup of tea and I need a visual reference to transpose details onto.
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I’ve had to rummage for references for artists. Totally understandable.
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Loved Whimsey!
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Delighted to know it!
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Did anyone else pick up on them talking about Deece’s birth? Lady Himeko did not get the daughter she wanted… So glad we have Deece though!
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I thought the same!! Which is one of the main reasons I wanted a squee post 😂😂😂 I love Deece too much! Hahaha
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I really hope that Greta had her baby safely! Please tell me that she didn’t die!
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Also! I’m sure there was something in Tamiko about flamingo made clothes. Did Greta make them?!
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The flamingo reference is in Kimiko and the Accidental Proposal, when it’s mentioned that Harmonious Starmark hires a team of experts to manage his maiden son’s wardrobe for the duration of his courtship.
…is this a good time to mention that you’ll definitely have questions like these answered if/when I reach my community goal of 400 patrons over on Patreon? ::sly twinkle::
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I’ve always wondered, in the more distant (but I suppose to Amaranthine, RECENT) past, whether mixed species couples had the knowledge of the extended lifespans… Are Fira and Greta still around during the time of the Saga books? Characters are mentioned in passing, like Dwennon in Tamiko, Glint and Waaseyaa sprinkled throughout, and now it seems (we think?) Deece in a very subtle way, the more recent Hallow is from the same clan as Glinna and Trisk, etc…. I just wonder if we’ll have any direct contact with these characters again! ( though perhaps we’ll see all those in Wardenclave in the upcoming Saga??)
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Teasing threads like these are a very good reason to read *both* the Saga & Songs. Because I often hint with intent. All I can really say, though, is that you’ll be making more connections as the series progresses.
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Fun Fact: I’ve spent part of my weekend outlining the next two Songs of the Amaranthine stories. Although I have to prioritize a couple of full-length novels before I can get around to writing them. BUT! Rest assured, they’re in the works.
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I have an odd request, after re-reading (and listening) to the entire series: some of these secondary classifications would be great to hear more about, such as Greta’s interchangeable “Ward” and “Pinion” classifications.
Argent mentions the following to Kip: “Ward, Pinion, Kilter, Battler, Candor, Reach”, and I seem to recall (but can’t find right now) another one related to “buttress” or similar in association with a Beacon.
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Bastion (Argent says this), and ballast (Kip says this) in relation to Tsumiko.
I feel like we’re supposed to slowly figure out what all the classifications are 🙂 although… I’m not completely sure what a Pinion is lol. It seems to be unrelated to Greta’s cosseting abilities, and Greta “fulfilled her duty as Ambrose’s pinion by tagging along” to the interview, which sounds like a diplomat-type role. Ambrose says that the past reavers were of the assorted diplomat divisions (liasons, translators, secretaries), but the way they talk about how Greta has a ward for a father, and therefore was able to rise to pinion status, makes it seem like it’s related to warding (and also a hard-to-achieve classification?)
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You’ve been paying attention! ::pleased::
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I’ll give you one. ::twinkle::
Greta’s official reaver classification is pinion. Her father is a ward, but Greta’s inherent affinity for crystals did not come with the commensurate … ah … mental fortitude required for a full-on ward’s certification. But she gets along in her own way. She also has a cosset’s facility for tending (her mother’s classification). Combined, they make Greta an attractive candidate for the support/escort role of pinion. In short, a pinion is a multi-faceted reaver with a unique skill set.
You’ll learn more about the various reaver classifications as they become relevant to the storyline. At this point, all you need to understand is that there *are* more. ::twinkle::
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Thank you! and thank you sooo much for your delicious novels and novellas: such a great pleasure to read them! Best regards from France (hope also they will be translated in french one day!)
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Thanks so much for the explanation! It makes perfect sense 🙂
… and I’m so glad it has nothing to do with this definition of pinion from merriam webster:
“2: to restrain (a bird) from flight especially by cutting off the pinion of one wing”
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Better to look toward the noun form. Pinions are flight feathers, which strongly suggests that this reaver classification’s nickname is avian in origin.
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Another definition of pinion (or at least a different/more general way of phrasing it) is “hold down” – perhaps it has something to do with holding their illusion of humanity while in (human) public? Such as when Ambrose was at the interview. It would do for him to look “other”! If so, would that make Kip Ash’s Pinion?
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I really appreciated the importance of pink in the story, even though most of the references are not explicit.
– Cat’s favorite lamp (where the tending happens for the first time – it’s a lovely image btw, all that initial trust happening in a room bathed by a soft pink light)
– The lining in Ambrose’s suit (“You’re full of surprises, Mister Merriman”)
– Ambrose’s hair
– The hatband during the interview (“running my fingers through your hair and matching a hatband to its hue”, “And earned a genuine smile”)
– The button Ambrose uses to start the courtship for real
– The cover
– AmbROSE ?
It’s one of those things that builds throughout the whole story (you’re always wondering what the color of his hair is [“a very personal question”], and in the back of your mind you’re a bit curious about the suit), but it only comes together once Greta discovers that Ambrose is a flamingo. And then the cover makes sense. And then the discovery keeps paying off.
Brilliant 🙂
(there’s also Hisoka’s crystal, but I just took that one to mean that Hisoka is the boss and has ready access to powerful crystals for his state-of-the-art illusions, since pink crystals are so powerful)
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It’s nice to be noticed. ::twinkle::
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