Move 22 (Chapter 1.22)

[yhlee]

[GM note: This is largely a maintenance move so that folks can continue threads from Move 21 without having to dig through a lot of comments.]

For easy reference:
- Move 21 recap (thanks to zuhrovet) [wiki]
- the escape plan [wiki]
- Station Moongray Timeline [wiki]

Year 361, Month Three, Day Seventeen (Monday), ~07:90

Confrontation with the baby fox
From this thread:

Sulen moves towards Mikodez, eyes gleaming the brassy color of clock gears. "I think it's time for some truth, Mikodez."

On the Wasp, Ashari (NPC) welcomes the arrival of Sulen, who threatens Mikodez with scrying after Mikodez is recalcitrant about answering Sasha's questions about why he didn't call for help for Istradez (NPC). Iawa is on standby in case Mikodez needs to be sedated again.

The disposition of a magistrate-thief
From this thread:

“‘Belong’ would be an overstatement,” Virmad says, concealing his amusement. “But yes, we did — I was just about to check on him [Gerae].”

He inclines his head to Sulen. “I’ll see you later; good luck with the foxling.”

Then, to Alaric: “Has Gerae had any food? I did tell him before I left that I’d make sure he got something to eat.”

"It looked like someone fed him, yes," Alaric replies, "although I don't know about Fluffy. Dragon snacks might make the conversation go smoother."

Alaric has just informed Virmad as to Gerae's status, and is about to hand Gerae over to Virmad's care. Meanwhile, Yehan (NPC) comes to talk to Alaric about mothling care: she reports that the station is having the remaining mothlings delivered to the Bumblebee and they are due any moment.

Comments

Sasha fails her save against asking questions

[zuhrovet]

"Why didn't you report that Istradez was hurt, Mishka?" Sasha asks. It's stupid to call attention to herself when Ashari's in this state, but she hates it when people ignore her questions.

Re: Sasha fails her save against asking questions

[yhlee]

Ashari makes a tiny nod in Sasha's direction, although their eyes are completely rose-blue, and they avoid making any kind of eye contact. It almost looks like approval, however temporary.

Re: Sasha fails her save against asking questions

[pengwern]

Mikodez is still feeling woozy, but he should probably confess before Ashari decides to do what they already have, and enthrall him for real. With a blindingly sincere smile that squinches his eyes to slits*, he says, "Oh, that. Because I was. Trying to murder him!"

Using his best (rapid) public announcement voice, he turns to Sulen, radiating truthfulness. "You see, he reminded me of a school rival of mine, who I wanted to one-up, so I tried shooting him with a pattern from the matter printer that Sasha lent me. When afterwards it turns out he'd hit his head, I took him to the visitor quarters to rest, and monitor, just in case he turned out to be an alien from foreign parts who would eat my face." In the same breath, he asks Sulen, "Are you planning on letting the moths stay in the heptarchate?" The ninefox signifier around him sits, patient except for a spiraling crown of eyes.

[*see icon.
Random question: Are there any names for the He*archate that makes it ambiguous about how many factions there are? Like "our beloved and wonderful space empire" type addresses.]

[names for the h*archate]

[yhlee]

[Let's say for game purposes that "our glorious nation" and similar constructions can be used if for some reason you don't want to specify the # of factions. They can probably also be used ironically, of course!]

Re: Sasha fails her save against asking questions

[zuhrovet]

"He didn't have any ammunition," Sasha points out. "So he's either lying or mind-numbingly incompetent."

Re: Sasha fails her save against asking questions

[yhlee]

Ashari's eyebrows almost climb into their hairline. "Lying I can almost forgive," they say, "but mind-numbing incompetence is another matter." Their tone invites further explanation.

Re: Sasha fails her save against asking questions

[pengwern]

“Yes.” Mikodez adds, clarifying, “Then I yelled at him until he fell over.”

Re: Sasha fails her save against asking questions

[zuhrovet]

"He printed a 343-model pistol, and the ammunition was on the drone that got stuck on a slime mold outside the station," Sasha explains to Ashari. "When did Istradez tell you he was your brother, Mishka?"

Re: Sasha fails her save against asking questions

[vass]

Iawa is trying to watch everyone in the room at the same time, while also scoping out the exits (none apparent) and look as inconspicuous as she can.

Inside, she is thinking at herself "WHEN will you LEARN that you are never, ever right about a situation?"

observations

[yhlee]

[Iawa may well be able to tell that Ashari is growing increasingly agitated/concerned about the situation, judging by the way they keep toying with their dagger.]

Re: observations

[vass]

Iawa is used to Ashari's toying with their dagger, and knows they're not going to accidentally throw or drop it, and hasn't seen them maliciously or negligently throw or drop it either, so she's not unduly concerned by that [high INT low WIS low ability to read people!]. On the other hand, playing with a weapon when you're about to enthrall someone -- and Iawa has seen the Andan Threat Display in the wild before -- seems like asking for trouble, especially when that person is a Shuos.

"Um, Ashari?" she says nervously, this time being careful not to obscure their sight line or to get between them and Avrayen/Mishka/Mikodez/whatever the fox's name is, "I... someone once told me not to handle a weapon near someone who can grab it when you're about to do something they don't want you to?"

She tastes bile in the back of her throat. Reflux, not vomit, she tells herself. It's fine. You shouldn't have eaten right before... watching Sasha to prevent her from torturing Avrayan... and then offering Ashari Vidona advice on how to safely threaten someone with enthrallment...

She swallows surreptitiously. He tried to murder Imsayed. Ashari is going to ask him questions under enthrallment. If they go too far, I'll step in then. It's not torture. Not yet. And none of this would be improved by allowing an attempted murderer access to a knife in a confined space!

On the Care and Feeding of Mothlings

[slybrarian]

"Excellent, maybe we can get out of here without any further distractions. Knock on... wood..." Alaric glances around the metals and composites of the ship's interior. "Well, never mind that, it's a stupid superstition anyway. Did the station authorities say how they were delivering them? Main docking airlock, or from the exterior?"

Re: On the Care and Feeding of Mothlings

[yhlee]

Yehan consults her slate. "Main docking airlock," she says, "each loaded into a separate canister. They sound like they've somehow been sedated for the ride." She grimaces. "I hope you can explain that to our...ride."

Re: On the Care and Feeding of Mothlings

[slybrarian]

"Right. Of course they did. It's not like they'll apparently just fly along behind anyone who can keep a decent tune, or stay inside a duffel bag." Alaric rubs his forehead. "Seal all the doors between the lock and the mothling habitat, just in case one gets loose anyway. I'll go get a float pallet and meet you at the lock. We'll make it clear we can't let their longshoremen or whatever aboard the ship because blah blah Rahal security orders blah blah heretical science."

Re: On the Care and Feeding of Mothlings

[yhlee]

Yehan grimaces in agreement and hurries off to do as instructed. She reports to the lock, where Alaric can find her. Alaric has no difficulty finding another float pallet for the purpose.

At the airlock, the two of them don't have long to wait before two Nirai show up with a pallet of their own, all loaded up with mothling canisters--which look distressingly like infant coffins. One of the Nirai has pastry crumbs on their shirt. The other looks more reputable and is holding a slate. "Say there," she says, addressing a point midway between Alaric and Yehan, "which one of you is authorized to sign for the critters?"

The Wasp makes a low, rather distressed humming sound. The pastry-crumb Nirai jumps. "What was that?" they ask.

Re: On the Care and Feeding of Mothlings

[vass]

["The plot."]

Re: On the Care and Feeding of Mothlings

[yhlee]

[LOL!]

Re: On the Care and Feeding of Mothlings

[slybrarian]

"Oh, that's just an audio-visual art installation our Andan's working on," Alaric says blithely, snagging the slate and scribbling down a horribly illegible signature that might vaguely resemble his fake name if held at the right angle. "Some sort of representation of calendrical harmony. Between you and me, it still needs a lot of work."

Re: On the Care and Feeding of Mothlings

[yhlee]

The pastry-crumb Nirai looks pained. "Well, I'm sorry to miss the installation," they say, sounding genuinely regretful. (There must be fairly limited entertainment options on a Nirai station.) "Maybe the next time you all stop by."

The other Nirai doesn't even glance at the signature. "Good, good," she says. "Won't trouble you further." With that, she and her companion head off.

The Wasp thrums again.

a visit to the ex-magistrate

[lleullawgyffes]

Virmad makes his way to Gerae’s room and asks the grid to establish a voice connection with the interior. “Gerae? It’s Virmad. Can I come in?”

Strictly speaking, Gerae has no control over this, but it’s more polite to ask.

Re: a visit to the ex-magistrate

[yhlee]

"By all means," Gerae says, "and thank you for asking."

[If Virmad checks the video feed, he'll see that Gerae is lying on his back on the floor, scritching Fluffy under her chin--she's curled up on his chest with her eyes half-lidded in obvious sybaritic pleasure.]

Re: a visit to the ex-magistrate

[lleullawgyffes]

“Grid, a door please?” Virmad asks; once it’s there, he steps inside. He looks down at Gerae on the floor. “Would you, ah, like a bed?”

Re: a visit to the ex-magistrate

[yhlee]

Gerae sits up, displacing Fluffy, who flutters up into the air and circles the room once, twice, before alighting on Gerae's shoulder. "That would be lovely, yes," he says agreeably. "I know we're supposed to be all about asceticism as a way to hone the mind, but between you and me, I don't mind a little in the way of comforts. And besides, well...it's not like I'm on duty anymore."

He looks around when the Wasp thrums. "What was that?"

[The Wasp is intermittently responding to the sedated mothlings, per this thread.]

Re: a visit to the ex-magistrate

[lleullawgyffes]

[Virmad still only barely knows about the mothlings and is aggressively not processing any new information at the moment oops. once he's had a chance to sleep on things and maybe cry a little over Teo's annotated poetry he'll get on this moth situation and then he'll be Mad.]

Virmad has no idea what it is, so he just says, “Nothing to worry about.” He offers Gerae a hand to help him to his feet [assuming that's what it looks like Gerae is planning to do]. “Ah, asceticism.” The corner of his mouth twitches a little. “Grid...can you, ah, make a bed for our guest?”

Once this is done, he nods at the remains of the meal Sasha brought Gerae and continues: “I see you had some food. Have you been able to sleep at all? I say,” he adds ironically, “having rudely barged in on you.”

Re: a visit to the ex-magistrate

[yhlee]

[I look forward to forthcoming mothling-related drama on Virmad's end! As well as seeing what he makes of Teo's annotations.]

Gerae accepts the hand up, smiling. He looks disarmingly open and trusting for someone with his prestidigitation skills. "I got a little sleep," he said. "I'm used to catnapping anyway--Fluffy usually wakes me when she wants something. Thank you for the bed, by the way. If I'm to be kept here, it'll make things a lot more comfortable."

After a hesitation, he adds, "I realize I have put you all into a difficult position, but--I can behave myself. Or make myself useful. It won't be the first time I've scrubbed floors, if it comes to that."