hexarchate_rpg | Chapter 2.3

yhlee posting in

[Housekeeping notes: we're fast-forwarding a bit to the security conference itself. Y'all can be assumed to have obtained anything reasonable during the shopping trip, from toys for the mothlings to jams for Sasha, and whatever else. We can also assume that Seyli more than adequately trained the Lanterner assassins in the use of the equipment sold to them.]

The Cantata docked smoothly in its assigned berth at the conference's hosting station. Remi promised that he would keep the mothlings out of sight, although it seemed suspiciously clear that he was looking forward to running intelligence tests on them in the guise of "games" manufactured with the aid of the matter printer and some toy schematics he picked up during the shopping trip.

Meanwhile, Fluffy the Vraselian pseudo-dragon keeps having to be shooed out of various public areas and appears to be building a nest out of scavenged materials.

It wasn't too difficult getting basic tools/implements/weapons past the conference's security. Paranoia is high, but so are distractions. The designated "dueling fan" is within sight at the far end of a hall with highly decorated vendor booths and poster displays. She is plump, wide-eyed, and deceptively excitable in affect, although Seyli knows from working with her during the trip that she's a quick study and she's really good with knives. She is, in fact, in duelist cosplay, complete with a hot pink Space Styrofoam boffer weapon.

Two booths away from the Lanterner "dueling fan," General Shuos Jedao can be seen with his aide, talking seriously to a highly muscular, tattooed, and decorative company representative. The banner behind the booth advertises "delicious hazelnut gianduja" ration packs laced with various popular stimulants.

[NOTE: So there are two big options for getting involved in this move!
(a) Part of the extraction team removing Jedao, or
(b) Staying behind and preparing the Cantata for extraction. In particular, Remi is looking for one or more volunteers to help him socialize and/or test the mothlings.

Obviously, you're welcome to take a third option if one occurs to you. If you need help brainstorming involvement, please feel free to message me or ask in the comments.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

kese_seyli

Seyli books it to the entrance, ahead of Reshad and Jedao, doing their best to stay close but out of the way for assistance.

From:

hoardingpearls

[Is Jedao in Kel uniform? How much lace is currently visible on his person?]

From:

yhlee

[Jedao is indeed currently in Kel uniform, medium formal but with lace-edged gloves--eccentric but not actually against code.]

Jedao looks around hazily, then spots Seyli and waves, pointing them out to Reshad. "That's my friend," he says enthusiastically, then falters. "What did you say your name was?"

[Curse you autocorrect--I'm on mobile at present.]

Edited Date: 2019-04-15 08:55 pm (UTC)

From:

kese_seyli

[Is Seyli close enough to hear or catch this pointing out?]

From:

yhlee

Yes; and in fact, it seems that Jedao is specifically pitching his voice just loud enough for them to catch it.]

From:

hoardingpearls

"Let's get you to them, then." Reshad smiles as if everything is completely ordinary, lets go the uniform sleeves, and sets a brisk pace toward Seyli.

"I do like lace, but all the patterns they use! Can you imagine getting snagged on something?" She shakes her head, glancing over her shoulder - ostensibly, being friendly, keeping up her half of the wandering conversation.

The question about her name she ignores entirely, hoping the drug has scattered his wits enough for the omission to go unchecked.

From:

yhlee

"I know, that's exactly what my girlfriend Yeren always used to say," Jedao says, nodding perhaps a little too emphatically. "Personally, I always go online and check the fashions, and even then it's hard to pick. You know, your face reminds me a little of Yeren. Are you one of her cousins?"

Jedao keeps pace, for all his talkativeness, and doesn't seem to have noticed that Reshad didn't answer the question about her name.

From:

hoardingpearls

"That's a good way of handling it," Reshad agrees. She steps a little quicker.

"I don't think I have a cousin named Yeren." That much is true. "But where's she from, if you can say? Families are funny things. Ah- here's your friend!"

She gestures to Seyli as if to introduce a game show host. "The conversation has been delightful." And she drifts back, as if letting the 'friends' go unaccompanied; meanwhile she scans the area again.

From:

bariolage

In her previous posting, Ione would never have been the one driving, but just because her response time is only human and where agents were required to attend driving school, that would be considered sluggish. In this case, she's been competently waiting.

Followed by having competently circled or redirected as needed, grateful that so far no one thinks she's anything except either an impatient hired driver, someone who is worriedly waiting for someone involved with that 'gas leak,' or completely insane. Either way, she hasn't yet been bothered by security!

"Should be right outside your nearest exit," she reports, coming to a stop and hoping the lack of attention to her presence stays that way just long enough. "Sometimes people under the influence have trouble with doors," is added in a tone that sounds just a little guilty.

From:

yhlee

"You know, she was always coy about that," Jedao muses. "Like, her folks were living on Esker Station when we were both in Academy, but she kind of hinted that wasn't where they were from."

Jedao nods in a friendly fashion at Seyli. "It's good to see you again! Did you bring anything nice for the dance tonight?"

Reshad notices nothing too alarming, although she is interrupted by a mauve-clad stall worker who really, really wants to know where the restroom is.

From:

kese_seyli

Seyli shoots Reshad a Look and gives Jedao a very forced smile. "Dance tonight, sure did." They watch the stall worker interrupt Reshad. "We really need to keep going, though so why don't we jeep walking toward the exit," they say with a exaggerated gesture toward said exit. "No need to waste time chatting about fashion."

From:

yhlee

Jedao obligingly moseys over to the exit, although he fumbles with the door's latch; as Ione warned, he will need assistance.

From:

zuhrovet

Sasha is tempted to trigger the door mechanism--Ione is right outside--but Seyli is there in person, and will have situational awareness she doesn't. Only another minute. Saint of vines, please, only another minute.

"Sulen, Reshad, any more movement out of Green Team?" she asks.

From:

yhlee

[Sulen and Reshad note that the woman who claims to hear "voices" (her orders) is still talking to the air, although the people around her are--so far--preoccupied with their own distractions. That being said, Sasha notices someone in actual Station Security seems to have noticed something's up with the cameras, etc. and this section of the station.]

From:

kese_seyli

Finally the fucking door. Maybe this isn't going to go totally to shit. Seyli reaches out, realizes they'd have to touch Jedao and pauses. "Here, let me, there is a trick to the door," they lie, as convincing as one might expect while they're rushing to get the hell out of dodge, hoping to continue to take advantage of the addled state Jedao's in.

From:

yhlee

"Sure thing," Jedao says, standing back.

The door opens without a hitch.

Behind Seyli, someone is moaning and continuing to ask plaintively for directions to the restroom.

From:

kese_seyli

Seyli ignores everything that isn't Jedao and waves the man forward through the open door. "Let's go!"

"Has any of the plan changed or are we still making for the moth?" Seyli sub vocalizes across the shared channel.

From:

yhlee

Jedao lurches forward at a maddeningly leisurely pace; it seems that he's worried he'll fall over.

[I'll wait to see what y'all's plan is next!]

From:

zuhrovet

"Same plan," Sasha confirms. "Ione's waiting for you, in the blue vehicle. Let me know when Jedao's loaded in."

[What kind of vehicle is this? I'm arbitrarily envisioning something like a motorized trike with an attached trailer.]

From:

yhlee

[Ione is welcome to tell me what kind of vehicle she commandeered! Personally, I think it's highly likely that being stuck in a box is far from the weirdest thing that's happened to Jedao back when he was a working assassin.]