hexarchate_rpg | new player welcome post

[Hello, new players! This post is for new and old players to get acquainted with each other in-character (IC) and out-of-character (OOC). I will be updating the character roster shortly for easy reference. Characters from the first arc who are still wrapping things up in Move 24, feel free to continue; I'll get to y'all shortly.

In the meantime, feel free to introduce yourself in OOC threads, including any information you want other players to have about you (including pronouns if relevant, or what time zones you're usually on, that kind of thing.]

[IC]
Ashari has just recruited a number of newcomers to the team in the hopes of shoring up its weaknesses and is, in classic Andan fashion, throwing a party on the Cantata (the moth ship formerly known as the Wasp and/or Bumblebee) so that folks can meet-and-greet. There are canapés, and Ashari promised Sulen that there are no recreational substances other than the alcohol if anyone wants it; Ashari is currently in the galley mixing drinks for anyone who asks. The public spaces of the interior have been decorated with somewhat lopsided and overly colorful artificial flowers (the matter printer was feeling cranky) as well as plush moths. There are in addition six friendly levitating baby moths, all wriggly tentacles and eyes, who will gravitate toward anyone who sings to them, and who like to be petted.

For the purposes of this post, "public areas" include the galley, the common room, and the storage hold, which has been temporarily pressed into service as a place where people can hang out. People are also welcome to hold private conversations elsewhere. For the moment, however, the cockpit, engine room, commander's office, and communications room/gunnery are off-limits.

[See this wiki entry on the Cantata-Wasp for more details on its layout.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"They're very pretty," interjects Ione the constant habitual eavesdropper. She's both in the room and on the team, so that means she can talk here, yes? "I'm sure they have more substantial reasons for existing than being pretty, but they do look good. I met someone else who wore living flowering vines on her all the time but they weren't actually part of her, so, you're much more impressive."

An odd comment, but this new person seems to mean well. "I'm very sorry to hear about your friend", Mafyyil answers. "I'm sure one day she'll have the honor of being enhanced, too!"

Although she's beginning to wonder - are the hexarchate people (definitely people; she mentally uses the word as often as possible to remind her of that) even able to do that?

Ione is even more foreign than Mafyyil and it's dubious whether that makes her more or less of a person.

"She's able to make them blink in time with her eyes -- did you say you lost some? Was that painful, because it sounds harrowing." Her voice is sympathetic, as opposed to gossipy, at least. "More like nails falling out than hair; I probably should know details since I might be the only medic here, but -- not now."

"Oh no, it didn't hurt at all, Mafyyil lies. After all, pain would probably imply she wasn't worthy of enhancement, so she decides to re-define what she's been feeling after she woke up. "I had a kangaroo here" - she points at her left foot - "and some ivy there" - she points at her stomach - "and some lilies..." She trails off awkwardly, realizing she probably shouldn't discuss in public just where she had those lilies. "Anyway, I've been unconscious most of the time." That much is true, at least.

"... A kangaroo?"

Mafyyil gets to get away with lying, because even if Ione supected it weren't super painless, she is not paying attention anymore because: she just said kangaroo.

"Like, the marsupial?"

"What's a marsupial?" Mafyyil looks confused. "I'm talking about this animal that jumps around when it's not, um, attached to my foot." She's not a biologist...

Oops. Ione actually is a biologist.

"That's a marsupial," she says, grinning. "A kangaroo is a kind of marsupial like a peony is a kind of flowering plant." The grin falters when Ione remembers again why she asked. "Why was a kangaroo attached to you? I don't ... think that would make you able to jump super high ..."

Mafyyil thinks privately that having a kangaroo on her foot would make her unable to jump at all, high or no. And clearly this stranger isn't educated enough to understand the significance of enhancing a person. She decides to explain it in simple words.

"It was to make me a more complete person so I'm worthy of my duty! Instead of being just a woman, I was supposed to become plant-animal-woman, except..." - at this point she's tempted to insert a rather scathing opinion on crooked stitches, ivy with a fungal infection, and those f*ing aphids but stops herself before anything slips out that might be construed as criticism - "I ended up plant-woman instead. I was clearly not meant to be animal as well." She should be a lot more disappointed about that than she is, she knows she should. The fault has to be hers, after all. "The surgeon-priests made the decision. I'm not entirely sure why they chose the kangaroo for me, but they know best, of course!"

Ione nods, processing that, and then says helpfully, "You already are one, I mean, people are animals. So you just weren't really set to be ... two animals; you've already got the categories covered!"

Also your leaders are probably insane doesn't come out of her mouth. How would a kangaroo attached to a person's foot not go horribly wrong?

This cannot be true, Mafyyil thinks. People are clearly not animals - although she understands how Barbarians might have come to such a conclusion. Still, she's grateful this Barbarian seems to be trying to comfort her. She gives Ione a wobbly smile. "At least I'm as complete as I'm going to be."

Sulen, having finally understood that the flowers are not merely an aesthetic modification, mutters a polite goodbye in tones of faint horror and retreats to the bar to obtain more vodka.

Ashari pours a generous amount of vodka for them and says with a conspiratorial wink, "Exciting group, aren't they, these new recruits?", sotto voce. "The flower woman will make an excellent distraction. We can probably pass her off as an Andan performance artist."

Sulen shudders, and swallows down some of their drink. "Well." They meet Ashari's eyes. "I trust your judgement."

Ashari's voice goes soft. "Glad someone does. Although you're not going to like this next one." They lower their voice still further. "We're going to need to split the team, and that means I'm leaving you. Temporarily, I hope. But that means Sasha is senior, and she'll be in charge of the team that stays with the Cantata. Can I count on you to keep her"--Ashari lifts an eyebrow--"honest?"

[This is setup for transitioning inactive PCs out of the team and transferring the team leader role to Sasha, since

zuhrovet volunteered and I prefer to have an active PC lead.]

Sulen's hands clench into fists, knuckles going white. With effort, they relax enough to finish their drink.

"You're correct. I don't like it. May I ask where you will be going?"

Ashari reaches for Sulen, then lets their hand drop. "I'm going to be taking the Kel and Yehan to a rift that Remi notified me about that the rebellion does not yet have a presence in. The idea is to set up an independent base so we won't be left in the lurch if Quill moves against us more openly."

That sounds... surprisingly sensible and not unnecessarily risky. If Ashari's telling the truth, which is something Sulen used to take for granted and doesn't, any more. But they can hardly start arguing in front of the new recruits, and Sulen doesn't want to argue. "And you think I'll be of more use here?"

"We-ell," Ashari says, drawing out the syllable, "let me put it this way. Do you trust Mishka not to get into trouble, or Virmad not to have a crush on the latest handsome man to flutter his eyelashes at him, or Sasha to keep her temper, or Iawa to know what to do in a crisis, or Alaric not to reveal himself as a foreigner? I need someone to keep an eye on things. It's you or no one."

Mafyyil frowns at the hasty retreat: does Sulen already consider her unworthy or morally compromised on account of losing the kangaroo? Well, she can't change that.

new player welcome post

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