Marsh/audiobook dialogue samples

Main characters

Reed

The main character and narrator. Transmasc, generally feeling in-over-his-head, but trying to stay strong as the de-facto leader of the Marshans.

A pleasant, if slightly tipsy, New Year’s Eve

If you’re looking for the utmost in luxury, then it’s really hard to go wrong with 2399. The ride was just about as smooth as could be.

Thoughtful conversation on accidentally catching feelings

There’s a part of me that remembers everything, but it still feels just like that, memories. I could dredge up any one conversation, but none in particular stick out to me in the same way as a conversation that I’d experienced directly would. The memories are there, and I’ll be reminded of them, but they’re not at the forefront unless something happens to bring them up.

Angry in the heat of an argument

They really didn’t. You…what, read the History and decided that, without exception, they’re all fucking evil? Even after everything? Even after all the other books explained what happened?

Dry Grass

A technician and Reed’s accidental love interest. Cis woman, generally confident. Tries to keep her voice gentle and motherly. See note on the Odists below.

Grieving a sister

That was my up-tree instance, yes? In The Wind? I remember the rattle of dry grass in the wind. I picked that up from Louie. Eir clade, os Riãos, did much the same. I thought I was so clever. I thought I had gotten all of my grief out that second day. I thought I could move on, limping, until I heard of the work she’d done, that she made it so far and still did not make it to the end. Until I saw her core.

Wistful musing on grand events

I feel like my baby has stumbled. The System stumbled and fell, knocked its head, forgotten some of what it knew. I feel like our existence stumbled, as some group or another got so frustrated as to trip it up. When I dump my energy into all of this work, I am doing my best to nurse it back to health. We all are. I am working the tech angle, the eighth is working the political angle — I think even Sasha has poked her nose in once or twice — even the third stanza is there with us, sitting shiva and praying as they will.

Competent technical explanation

There have been more than two hundred thousand instances of downtime throughout the history of Lagrange. Most amount to a few seconds or minutes, with the longest being approximately two weeks, which took place during the Lagrange station’s insertion into the L5 orbit in which it currently resides.We usually do not notice any downtime unless we are specifically paying attention to systime. However, in this instance, when the System returned to functionality, several instances were missing.

Minor characters

Hanne

Reed’s partner. Cis woman with vaguely snarky lesbian vibes.

A pleasant, if slightly tipsy, New Year’s Eve

Sure. But either way, they were somewhere in the middle, maybe. There was this big push from the liberal side on the climate, and this big push on the conservative side on the financial side. They said they could cut costs on services if there were fewer of us. Dad was with them, mom was with the libs. It was one of the few things they could agree on. They said they’d miss me, but they weren’t exactly sad when I went the Ansible.

Grieving over lost friends

Jess isn’t responding. She’s there, but not responding. Shu is gone though. Just…completely gone. It’s like she was never even there in the first place.

Worried about a decision

Yeah. I’m a bit wary of it, maybe, but maybe some good will come of it.

Need An Answer

One of the emergency council. Cis woman and competent political leader. Slightly clipped speech. See note on the Odists below.

Briskly chairing a meeting

Lovely. It is my role to organize, not to ask questions. Picking up responsibility sys-side will be I Remember The Rattle Of Dry Grass of the Ode clade, she/her, Jonas Fa of the Jonas clade, he/him, Debarre of his own clade, he/him, and Selena of her own clade, she/her.

Replying to a stupid question “danger beneath the calm in her voice”

Have you lost 23 billion souls, my dear?

Reassuring a nervous tech

That falls under the realm of politics, yes? It is hardly something you need worry yourself about, Günay.

Sedge

Techy Marshan with an interest in people. Cis woman with a jokey demeanor

Proud of being a workaholic

Well, the politicians have taken over much of what’s going on. I hear they even roped in some of the old ones who retired. I’m starting to feel like I’ll get pushed out of the endeavor before long. Or at least nudged into a data-entry role.

Right after being called out for being a workaholic

Feeling seen, here, Reed. Feeling perceived.

Cress

The smollest Marshan. Aggressively enby, it/its pronouns, cute.

Reassuring

It’s not a bad idea, Reed. If you want to, I mean. I imagine it’s gotta be weird as hell.

Trying to be light-hearted during a eulogy

I decided that ‘neutral’ was the wrong answer to the question of gender. Gender was the wrong question. Fuck it, I say. The next time I merged down, Marsh sent me a message that was just them laughing, then requested that we use they/them for them.

Tule

Marshan with a lot of love for Dry Grass. Cis male, similar to Reed’s demeanor but more jokey

Joking to cover pain

Terrible! All my emotions are wrong. I’m jittery and tired and I want to get another few hours of sleep but feel guilty every time I lay down.

Teasing Reed

This is too good a break to be wandering back into talk of whatever it is that we’ve been working on. Let’s stick with making fun of Reed instead, alright?

Lily

Angery. Cis female, butch energy, just kind of mad.

In an argument with Reed, very angry

Fuck the other books. Fuck the Ode clade, and fuck you too. Fuck you and fuck Cress and fuck Tule. It’s really fucking sad, watching you three get taken for a ride, the same manipulation that fucked us all.

After hearing a bad joke as an ice breaker, apologizing for shouting

Okay, okay, I’ll give you that one. That was pretty good. Still atrocious, but at least the good kind of atrocious. I’m sorry for the other night.

Rush

Marshan focused on sims. Also aggressively enby in a ve/ver way

Full of awe and wonder

What is this place? Other than a swamp, I mean.

Sad at a funeral

I guess I’m just sorry this happened. Sorry in a commiseration way. Sorry that we’re here at all, standing around like a bunch of jerks while you’re…uh, gone, or whatever. But I’ll miss you, Marsh. We all will. We’re all here, you know. All of your clade. Pierre and Vos are here, too, and Dry Grass, all wishing that you were here with us. I’m sorry you’re not, I’m sorry you didn’t get our merges first.

Vos

One of Marsh’s partners. Cis female, alto, tall and strong.

Fucking furious

What did you say to me? Tell me. What did you fucking say?! What did you say? What did you say, whoever you are? You said it every fucking year! What did you fucking say?!

Sad, tired

I don’t want to say this is hitting any one of us harder than the other, but…well, we care for him. That was our dynamic, I mean. He’s young and full of emotions, so we occasionally fall into that parent role. It hit him hard, and so he needs care, but…

Others

• Jonas: Cis male. Smarmy politician.
• Debarre: Cis male. Snarky politician.
• Pierre: Cis male. Young and terrified.
• Other Odists (all suffer the same neurological trauma mentioned below):
  • Serene: Cis female. Snarky, bit sad.
  • Warmth In Fire: Aggressively enby. Playful and fun and little, but prone to big feelings.
  • Hold My Name: Aggressively transfem, negative interest in passing. Snarky, trickster vibes.
  • A Finger Pointing: Cis female. Lilting, like a theatre teacher who is always a drink or two ahead of everyone else.
  • Beholden: Cis female. Smirks instead of smiling, but also big feelings.
  • Motes: Cis female child. Just a kid who likes to play.
  • Answers Will Not Help: Cis female. Just kind of a smarmy asshole.

Note on the Odists

All of the Odists stem from a person who suffered a neurological trauma far back in the past. It has left them with some difficulties with language. When speaking, they enunciate clearly as though onstage for a play and have a pathological aversion to contractions. They speak fluently and smoothly, however, as though trying to mask further issues. After all, they were a theatre teacher back then.