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Spoilers (I guess): Merlin and Nynian

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Re: Spoilers (I guess): Merlin and Nynian
Post by PeterZ   » Wed Nov 16, 2016 11:57 pm

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Given Nynian's sensual nature and her vocation in an order dedicated to the most famous seijin in Safehold's early history, is it any wonder she would be very attracted to the most famous active seijin currently on Safehold? We know that Merlin has grown attracted to women.

It was obvious Nynian' would set her sights on Merlin and equally obvious he would let her bag him. I liked the way RFC did it; so obvious there was nothing worth mentioning.
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Re: Spoilers (I guess): Merlin and Nynian
Post by C. O. Thompson   » Thu Nov 17, 2016 12:18 am

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PlaysWithBees wrote:
wkernochan wrote:I guess this is the appropriate point to note that, strictly speaking, this is same-sex incest. However, that's a minor point. The real question is:

(wait for it)

What's the baby going to be?!!!


A big surprise?


Actually I could see them setting up a sort of orphanage together, adopting orphaned children and raising them in the knowledge of the Teran Federation.[/quote]

Well... yes, so can I but, do you think that Cayleb and Sharlyean are ready to give him up and, do you think that Nynian is ready to move to Charis?

After I posted my comment, I thought "A chip" off the old circuit board :roll:
Just my 2 ₡ worth
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Re: Spoilers (I guess): Merlin and Nynian
Post by Cinnamon   » Thu Nov 17, 2016 11:37 am

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I think the seeds of Merlin & Nynian were sown way, way back... them first time he visited Madame Phonda's establishment undercover, and she introduced him to one of her favorite Ladies and then, the next morning, when she first got her post-service client report regarding - ahem - how things went. I think it piqued (PICA'd?) her interest even then, when she heard how very skilled and pleasant he'd been as a client.

I also think that she was paying a great deal of intense attention to him, as both a woman and as the head of the Order of Saint Khody, and formulating the idea that he might be a seijin, both when he stopped her from drinking the poison, and certainly when they spent several months in that caravan escaping the temple lands with all the families of the vicarate that Clyntahn was putting to the Punishment.

Later on, when she met him in his rooms, his point of view aside from the utter shock of being caught off guard - was that she was "the most beautiful woman in the world".

They even teased each other about his "special past fondness" for that same courtesan was used to plant the false information for the Inquisition's spy. I loved that both of them have zero jealousy, and came into everything being themselves and each knowing who the other one was - all masks dropped. And that he was calling her "love" in general conversation in front of the inner circle, during business hours as it were. I liked the slow burn on this relationship. But I must confess, I really REALLY wish RFC would have been just a little less shy about giving us all some more juicy details about these two. I know romance novels aren't your jam, RFC, but sheesh, a little steam once in a while? We've got the world's greatest courtesan and a female-to-male transfer in a PICA body with the ability to physically shapeshift all details of the body at will. And we don't actually get so much as a real first kiss? SRSLY??? Even Dune had a mass Fremen orgy for heaven's sakes - all in the interest of science fiction of course! ;)
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Re: Spoilers (I guess): Merlin and Nynian
Post by wkernochan   » Thu Nov 17, 2016 1:05 pm

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My bad.

In my defense (not a good one), I keep reading this in light of the original King Arthur legend, where Nimue or Niniane sometimes is the Lady of the Lake who gives King Arthur his sword, and then traps Merlin (who loves her) in a cave forever.

While we're on the topic, I'm still waiting for David to use the name Lechlaver. This was at one time a Welsh name for Merlin. The story goes (told in The Conquering Family)that when Henry II of England was invading Wales, he crossed a stream that according to Welsh legend would rise up to protect the Welsh. A nearby crone screeched "Avenge us, Lechlaver!" Henry immediately got off his horse, and walked back and forth through the stream several times, as his superstitious attendants watched in horror. When nothing happened, Henry laughed, said "Who now will believe that liar Merlin?" and rode on to victory.
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Re: Spoilers (I guess): Merlin and Nynian
Post by DrakBibliophile   » Fri Nov 18, 2016 10:05 pm

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IMO there were hints that Nynian was more than normally interested in Merlin's "alternate self" that she had met & spent time with in Zion.

Once she realized that the person she had met in Zion was the same person as Merlin, IMO it was just a matter of time.

Mind you, I was mildly surprised that Merlin felt the same toward her.

n7axw wrote:I think that the relationship grew out of the trip to the cave and later to St Khody's tomb. For that matter, I think that you can make a case for tracing its origins to that conversation at the beginning of LAMA where Nynian outs Merlin.

As for PICAs being genderless, well no. Gender has at least as much to do with identity as it does biology. Even in our here and now, biology can to a limited degree be reconfigured to match identity... witness Bruce Jenner.

In Merlin's case he assumed masculine identity to meet the needs of his mission. He reconfigures his PICA accordingly and eventually we find him responding to women. It will be interesting to see how it works for Nimue who retains the feminine identity of Nimue Alban in terms of what relationships she develops and how she handles intimacy.

Don

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Re: Spoilers (I guess): Merlin and Nynian
Post by Annachie   » Sat Nov 19, 2016 9:00 am

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I was thinking orphanage myself.
Probably the two of them retiring off quietly somewhere.

I can also picture Merlin shutting down and loading a fresh copy of Nimue into the original PICA when Ninian dies.
Quite possible arriving as Merlin and Nynian's son.

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You are so going to die. :p ~~~~ runsforcelery
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Re: Spoilers (I guess): Merlin and Nynian
Post by fallsfromtrees   » Sat Nov 19, 2016 10:18 am

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Annachie wrote:I was thinking orphanage myself.
Probably the two of them retiring off quietly somewhere.

I can also picture Merlin shutting down and loading a fresh copy of Nimue into the original PICA when Ninian dies.
Quite possible arriving as Merlin and Nynian's son.

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Only problem I see with a reload is the possibility that it will reinstall through 10 day timer thar Proctor hacked, and that would make the PICA pretty useless.
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Re: Spoilers (I guess): Merlin and Nynian
Post by C. O. Thompson   » Sat Nov 19, 2016 11:15 am

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OH! That's a good one Annachie. But why as their son? Why not as their daughter?

I am still thinking that Owl ought to be able to get or process the necessary raw materials to build several other PICA... and I am still thinking that the NEAT's should be put back into operation.
It seems to me that the interface would be more like Bluetooth than plug in 1/8 inch jack so, an orphanage (or a hundred of them)would be good places to begin the training of the next generation and PICA's would make great teachers/trainers.

But... hey, I have been wrong before


Annachie wrote:I was thinking orphanage myself.
Probably the two of them retiring off quietly somewhere.

I can also picture Merlin shutting down and loading a fresh copy of Nimue into the original PICA when Ninian dies.
Quite possible arriving as Merlin and Nynian's son.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk
Just my 2 ₡ worth
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Re: Spoilers (I guess): Merlin and Nynian
Post by Bluesqueak   » Sat Nov 19, 2016 1:38 pm

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Annachie wrote:I was thinking orphanage myself.
Probably the two of them retiring off quietly somewhere.

I can also picture Merlin shutting down and loading a fresh copy of Nimue into the original PICA when Ninian dies.
Quite possible arriving as Merlin and Nynian's son.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk


Actually, I was thinking of it the other way round. RFC's already done a set-up for Nahrmahn deciding to 'die' when his beloved Ohlyvya dies. That will leave the Inner Circle in need of another Intelligence Specialist Virtual Personality.

And now we have the nearly immortal Merlin, in love with the mortal Nynian. Who just happens to be Nahrmahn's equal (or even superior) as an intelligence specialist.

If they do discover how to hack the original PICA software, or something happens to the original PICA so it's either destroyed or needs 'resting', Merlin and Nynian could both 'retire' to Merlin's cave. The VR is big enough for two or three personalities.

In many versions of the legends, Merlin's happy to retire to the cave, Nimue becoming the 'active' court magician.
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Re: Spoilers (I guess): Merlin and Nynian
Post by Annachie   » Sat Nov 19, 2016 5:13 pm

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Owl would now have the knowledge, or time, to deal with that little hack.
After all he built a PICA without that time limit.
And if not it should be a simple matter to canabalize the original PICA for parts to build a new one.

Why as Merlin's son? To counter balance the other female PICA who will likely be still running around. From a story telling point of view.

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You are so going to die. :p ~~~~ runsforcelery
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still not dead. :)
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