Subject: This also reminds me of how 青 is interpreted as green, blue, and black. Which leads to:
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Posted on: 2022-05-14 01:45:18 UTC

Agent Liu, I appreciate your timely arrival to this meeting, but I have concerns about your uniform.

Liu Siyuan, who had been in the bow most appropriate for addressing his new superior (A sapient Flower. He's truly seen it all), raised his head and lowered his arms. "This agent requests clarification," he said, a little stiffly.

The Queen Anne's Lace's tendrils wavered a little, as if unsure whether or not to rub at her blossoms. The uniform is black, Agent Liu, she stated after a moment, before deciding to simply steeple her fronds on the desk in front of her.

"This agent is wearing that colour," replied Liu Siyuan.

You are wearing Bleen, insisted the Queen Anne's Lace. A Sue colour. And here I thought pink was going to be the most undignified colour an agent would wear to a meeting Upstairs...

Liu Siyuan blinked a little. "This agent does not understand."

Bleen is a Sue colour. Black is the PPC uniform. You are supposed to wear the uniform colour Upstairs, not some eye-searing Sue colour.

Liu Siyuan resisted the urge to fidget. "This agent fears there may be some miscommunication at hand," he said, after a moment of parsing the words. "This agent is hearing both colours' names as the same through his translator."

There should be no translator at play, Agent Liu. I am communicating directly with your mind.

"This agent is still perceiving both colours' names as the same," protested Liu Siyuan.

The Queen Anne's Lace made a noise approximating a sigh, and flicked a frond. Two pieces of of paper hovered into the air in front of Liu Siyuan. With another flick of the frond, the hanzi 青布 and 青 appeared on the papers.

This, said the Queen Anne's Lace, waving the paper with 青布 on it, is the colour of the PPC uniform. And this, she waved the paper with 青 on it, is the Sue colour you are currently wearing.

Liu Siyuan reached into his qiankun bag and pulled out a piece of paper and a red pen, and scribbled both 黑 and 青山綠水 on it. "This is the colour that E Shen-buzhang is requesting," he said, pointing to 黑. "And this," he pointed to 青山綠水, "is what is normally understood when one hears the colour that was not requested."

Then there does appear to have been a misunderstanding. My apologies. The Queen Anne's Lace set down the papers. Please remember to wear the appropriate colour to the next meeting.

"With all due respect, E Shen-buzhang, the classification of 青 as a Sue colour presupposes that Western concepts of colour are universal," pitched in Liu Siyuan.

Please don't test me, Agent Liu, grumbled the Queen Anne's Lace.

"This agent apologises." Liu Siyuan bowed again. "What does E Shen-buzhang wish to discuss?"


Notes:

I discussed it with Nesh and Zing at one point but presumably Bleen would be 青, But Worse, like how Bled is Purple, But Worse. Bleen is probably the colour of Suvian jade, for one. LSY might have some resistance to Bleen's mind-bending appearance, but it'll give him a headache eventually.

E Shen-buzhang (峨参部长) literally translates to Department Leader Queen Anne's Lace.

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