new player welcome post

[yhlee]

[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.]

Comments

Re: Scoping the Room

[kese_seyli]

Seyli's eyes about bug out of their head at the comment about the gun. "They gave you a gun," they echo, unable to keep the skepticism from their voice. A smaller, kinder, part of their brain reminded them that there had been bubbly and perky Kel they'd served with in the past...but fucking hell and all the fucking stars in the sky this woman did not look like she knew how to use a gun.

"I'm a solider." They refrain from mentioning their own weapons, which were varied and the many more they hoped they'd gain access to on this mission.

Re: Scoping the Room

[mafyyil]

"Uhm, yes! I mean, I'm actually a poet but it seems like the people who took me out on this side of time were not much interested", Mafyyil says. She tries not to sound too unhappy about that. "Although they were nice enough to give me some poetry books and a guide to writing in Hexarchate style!" (She decides not to mention the book in question had been called Poems for Dummies. Also, she had been more confused than enlightened by a small volume containing what would have made nice if uninspired Blessings of the Fields if the barbarian author had not decided to mix their metaphors with something referring to, if she'd understood this correctly, archaic forms of human reproduction.) "Still, that's okay. Everybody has been really lovely!"

Re: Scoping the Room

[kese_seyli]

"A poet." Seyli isn't sure they heard her correctly. "You're a poet with a gun. Are you...any good at using your gun?" There could be stranger things in the galaxy, but of all the people they expected to run into a fucking poet with a gun was not one of them. A fucking poet!

[OOC: She's gonna give them heart failure, I love it]

Re: Scoping the Room

[mafyyil]

"Sure!", she says brightly. "I was fourth-best in the course!" Something in Seyli's sceptical expression prompts her to add quietly, "...and we were more than four people, too."

[OOC: Oh, you think? And here I was trying to play the epitome of military competence.]

Re: Scoping the Room

[kese_seyli]

That startles a laugh out of them and then they actually offer her a faint smile. The first of the evening. "Well, you are here, after all." They're with holding their judgement, but maybe they can give a little. "I do appreciate people who know their way around a weapon, I'm Kese Seyli," they offer, finally introducing themselves.

Re: Scoping the Room

[mafyyil]

Relieved that a bit of the tension seems to have left the other person (although she has no idea what's so funny), Mafyyil also decides to introduce herself. "My name is Zagfehan Mafyyil and I'm sure we're going to be great friends!" A bit of optimism has never hurt anyone, after all.

Re: Scoping the Room

[kese_seyli]

They aren't entirely sure where that name comes from, and aren't quite rude enough to comment to ask. "I"m sure," they say, blandly smiling at her. They really hope she's actually good with that gun, and are struggling trusting the strangers who brought them to this place.

Re: Scoping the Room

[mafyyil]

"Actually", Mafyyil says, "I'd love to get some more weapon practice, but I think I've heard the firing range here is currently... otherwise occupied?" She'd really prefer gunnery practice to this party or whatever it is. Usually she likes parties but the levitating tentacled creatures that everyone here seems to regard as people slightly unnerve her. She's too polite to ask whether they are in any way biologically related to hexarchate people (who look human, but you never know).

Re: Scoping the Room

[kese_seyli]

"Yes, I've heard the same thing said as well." Seyli looks anything but pleased at this information. "But I'm not entirely sure who to ...speak with about the matter." Speak, not yell, they'd rather not start off on any wrong foot, but honestly what the hell was up with not having a place to practice?

Re: Scoping the Room

[mafyyil]

"I'm not even sure who's making the decisions here", Mafyyil admits. Oh well - time to find out.

"HELL~LOOOOH!", she calls out cheerfully, at a volume that surely no one here could miss, no matter what they're drinking. (She herself has not dared to ask for a drink. Too questionable.) "I'd love to talk to someone in charge, please! High priest? Commander? Barbarian chieftainess or chieftain?" The last one just slipped out.

Paging Sasha (Re: Scoping the Room)

[yhlee]

Ashari, at the bar, is in the middle of inventorying liqueurs. "Go find out what the foreigner wants," they suggest to Sasha. "Bring her over here, in fact--I'm dying to find out her opinion of Andan rose wine."

Re: Paging Sasha (Re: Scoping the Room)

[zuhrovet]

Sasha nods and slides her empty glass toward Ashari, looking hopeful.

Re: Paging Sasha (Re: Scoping the Room)

[yhlee]

Ashari obligingly refills the glass. Their smile is unsettlingly benevolent.

Re: Scoping the Room

[redshiftnova]

Aymad adjusted the lapels on his shirt, wriggled a bit to settle the fabric around his shoulders, and asked the grid to open the door into the galley.

He was not entirely prepared for the sight of flowers growing out of the short shouting one.

The best course of action, he decided, was to continue nonchalantly towards the bar and get a drink from the Andan who'd recruited him.

Re: Scoping the Room

[yhlee]

Ashari grins broadly when they see Aymad. "Not bad," they say. "What's your poison?"

Re: Scoping the Room

[redshiftnova]

Aymad drops an exaggerated, flourishing stage-bow. "Organic sodium blockers, usually? Sorry. Fox humor." He straightens and rubs a hand over his hair, then blinks at the profusion of bottles behind Ashari. "Dealer's choice? Sweet and not terribly alcoholic?"

Re: Scoping the Room

[yhlee]

Ashari's eyes crinkle in amusement. They pour several different kinds of amber liquids together; the result smells flower-sweet with an unusual note of candied citrus. "Enjoy."

Re: Scoping the Room

[kese_seyli]

Seyli stares at the young woman in front of them and then runs their hands down their face, part horrified and part amused. Well, that's certainly one way to get someone's attention. They step to the side, silently, watching and waiting to see how this plays out, not quite wanting to be involved just yet.

Re: Scoping the Room

[mafyyil]

Well, at least she's attracted some attention - she has the feeling several people at the bar have been staring at her just now. So Mafyyil decides to go and introduce herself. It's only polite.

She walks over to the bar, quickly but carefully, making sure that none of the tentacled... thingies... have an opportunity to get tangled in her hair or flowers.

"Helloooo!" She smiles brightly at the assembled people and curtsies. (She's feeling very polite today.) "My name's Zagfehan Mafyyil, very honored to meet you!"

flowergirl at the bar

[zuhrovet]

Sasha would very much like to know what favor, owed to whom, led Ashari to accept this person (Fyedlet?)'s presence, but that isn't the sort of information Ashari gives away for free. "I'm Sasha," she says. "I do information security. Ashari's in charge, and they're making drinks. What was it you wanted to know?"

Re: flowergirl at the bar

[mafyyil]

Mafyyil beams happily at Sasha and Ashari. "So lovely to meet you both! I'm sure we're going to be the bestest friends!" Mafyyil isn't sure what exactly information security means but doesn't want to come across as ignorant. It doesn't matter right now anyway as long as she's found someone important. "Oh, I've just been talking to my friend over there", she points rudely over her shoulder at Seyli, "and we wondered if there's any way to get some weapons practice here. I've, um, acquired a new gun recently" - she's not lying there, just not elaborating - "and I'd very much like to at least try it out before I, um, get in a situation that will make me regret not knowing how it works."

Re: Scoping the Room

[venndaai]

Sulen represses a wince when they see Mafyyil's signifier. Still, they're terribly intrigued by the flowers. When there's a break in conversation, and Mafyyil happens to be looking their way, they bow politely, and move their face into a slight smile. They think they're getting better at that.

"It's good to meet you," they say. "My name is Sulen. Your mods are beautiful. Would it be rude to ask what kind of flower that is?"

[Sulen is bad at not looking intense and tightly wound, if that influences Mafyyil's reaction.]

Re: Scoping the Room

[lleullawgyffes]

Virmad, following Sulen a little awkwardly, takes the opportunity to introduce himself as well, a little warily. “And I’m Virmad; welcome to the...hm...team, I suppose.” He can’t restrain a hint of disapproval as he looks over the flowers. “Those are certainly” — he searches for the correct word and fails utterly to find it — “extensive.”

Extensive, and unusual for a Shuos agent — he’s not an expert, but they look like they were designed to be a permanent addition. Not the most discreet.

Re: Scoping the Room

[yhlee]

[I will point out at this juncture that one of the most famous heptarchate generals, General Andan Zhe Navo, started out as a poet! So it's not impossible, if...rare. But Navo's from a generation before Jedao and if Seyli hasn't been reading up on history after their time, they may well have missed hearing about her. XD ]

Re: Scoping the Room

[kese_seyli]

[I don't think they would have caught that, at this juncture, but they will definitely be horrified by the thought of an Andan poet General if they find out!]