Chapter 2.6: Hatchlings!

[yhlee]

[First, some housekeeping: I'm going to be at Worldcon in Dublin and therefore out of the country, with limited time for email, from August 14 to 19. Please bear with me if responses are slow during that time.]

The Cantata is continuing on its way to Autumn Pyre.

Anyone monitoring Jedao will find that he has been tensing and untensing his muscles, and making slow stretching motions, without making overt attempts to escape, so he doesn't stiffen up while he's bound. He says to the room, "A glass of water would be appreciated if anyone's listening."

In the middle of the night (ship's time), there are EXTREMELY loud distress calls from Fluffy's enclosure, and shortly thereafter, multiple very loud chirrups from within the nest. Gerae appears to be sound asleep and unresponsive.

[Anyone who wants a baby pseudo-dragon of their own should report in!]

Comments

checking on the babies

[zuhrovet]

Sasha's awake, trying to figure out how in the Prophet's name she's going to deliver a collection of banking information to Flute without alerting Spider or Firecracker that she had fucked station surveillance up, down, and sideways. Civilians are stupid. She just has to lean on that fact.

As soon as she hears chirping, she heads to the galley and turns on the lights.

[Is Fluffy in the nest, or elsewhere? Can baby pseudo-dragons be handled, or does that interfere with their development or bonding with their parent?]

A conversation outside, Paging Seyli

[hoardingpearls]

Before entering Jedao's room, Reshad finds Seyli. She doesn't want to keep Jedao waiting longer than necessary, but an attempt to mitigate harm counts, in her mind, as necessary.

"Can we discuss tactics a moment?" The soundproofing of the door is paramount, here; she checks it.

"I think he's likely to try to feel out your responses. I want to avoid that conflict if at all possible." She looks helpful and earnest, disguising a very real worry.

[Sorry! I've been in a flurry of prep for convention season and one of two talks is now done.]

Pseudodragon Uncircled

[lleullawgyffes]

Virmad, normally a heavy sleeper, is up late reading Teo’s annotated poetry book, as he does from time to time, and hears Fluffy’s sounds — and then Fluffy’s hatchlings’ sounds!

“Oh, fuck,” he says aloud to no-one. “It finally happened.”

He tucks a pen into the poetry book to mark his page, then opens his door and pokes his head out. “Grid, where’s Gerae?”

relationship-building - paging the Cantata

[zuhrovet]

At a reasonable hour of the evening, Sasha goes to the engine room. She thinks for a while, then uses Alaric's interface to send a message to the Cantata: "Will you teach me a song?"

She asks the grid to transcribe their answer. She doesn't mind trying to learn songs by ear, but she's sure the Cantata's range exceeds her own, and she's curious about what the result will be.