hexarchate_rpg | Chapter 3.1: The party begins

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moves: chapter 3

Chapter 3.1: The party begins

EDIT: The base is sited in the year 951, in a very odd timeline that has NO h*archate. Supplies have to be brought in via rift from other timelines. Thread here.

Ashari's new base features variable layout, which has been put to use in creating an extravagant ballroom. Tables to one side boast a variety of foods, drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and the occasional euphoric drugs. Candlevines glow blue and violet, and flower arrangements interspersed with fantastic sculptures of lace-woven wire adorn the tables. The arrangements mean various sarcastic things, if you're familiar with the Andan petal language.

Music plays softly enough not to overwhelm conversation, loudly enough to set a mood complementing the low-key lighting.

Remi is one of the first arrivals from the Cantata, shepherding the mothlings. Because he's a Nirai, he has a slate and is taking notes, although he is happy enough to talk to anyone who approaches him.

The kitchen is currently adjacent to the ballroom. Ashari's voice can be heard, raised in some kind of argument with...a caterer?

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[Well, since you think it's OK! As you likely know, I do have a fondness for characters like Catlin and Florian in Cyteen ... ]

[It is a shared fondness--if I have matched the identities right you wrote me a lovely Yuletide fic a couple of years ago! Thank you again :) ]

[Yup, when I'm writing fic, I'm opalmatrix! I'm so glad you liked it!

And that's a wrap for me for the night. Tomorrow will be a bit odd - we will be playing D&D in the afternoon/evening, but i bring my laptop along.]

[I think it was my first ever Yuletide present, which makes it extra special!

Have a good evening! The first move of a new chapter always explodes, but we'll slow down a bit soon...]

"I would like to," Sulen says. They take a tentative step closer. "As soon as you have the time."

There was a time when being near Ashari was a relief. Whatever face they wore, all they had to do was smile and Sulen would relax. But time has passed since then. More time for Ashari than for Sulen. Things have changed. Sulen wishes they hadn't.

"I would be interested in hearing what you've been doing." Sulen remembers the long letters Ashari used to send, describing the day-to-day of their life. Half of it had been lies, Sulen knows now, but then, hadn't their life been a tower of lies, too?

"Uh," Sulen says. "Thank you." They give a half bow to cover up being slightly taken aback by Dar's low level of formality. "Allergies are not a concern, to my knowledge."

[I know I'm stepping in with a character formerly run by a friend of yours, so: what do you, as a player, want out of this interaction with Ashari-being-run-as-NPC? Angst? Reaffirmation of the relationship? Something else?]

[Ooh, good question that I should have thought of, lol.]

[Oh, sorry, I should have realized that was probably something that could do with some clarification. Thanks for being a thoughtful GM!

I think I'm just after a good continuing source of angst. Ashari probably wants to keep Sulen safely away from whatever they've gotten embroiled into, and might push Sulen away to accomplish that, or implying that Sulen's presence would endanger them would also work. It'd be nice to have a good reason why they're not chatting to each other whenever the spacetime continuum permits.]

Sulen approaches Hana, and says, "Tziri Hana?" They bow to her. "Aricura Sulen, executive officer of the Cantata. Welcome to the crew."

Hana's signifier is ringing alarm bells, but they're comfortingly familiar alarm bells. Sulen has dealt with a fair number of troublesome Vidona.

[I'm thinking Sulen has read a very abridged summary of Hana's resume and has gotten some wrong ideas about her career path- assumes that like themself, she joined a faction out of sincere belief, or perhaps ambition, and later became disillusioned.]

Sulen, who has been admiring Eddox's clothing and flower arranging skills, flushes slightly to suddenly receive their attention. "That looks very... complex," Sulen manages. Smooth.

[oh, hey, I've seen you around exchanges! *waves*]

Oh, spheres of hell, if the Cantata was harnessed when they reached maturity--for all their brilliance, they're about the same mental age as Mishka. And Sasha needs to protect them, somehow.

She messages, "We'll find out! Maybe the other moths will come too!"

[Very young giant sentient flying things, in some sense!]

So Ashari found another pretty person somewhere (they must have a subscription), and--saint of vines and tendrils, that is Seyli. Matter-of-fact, not-drinking-on-duty, comfortable Seyli.

Sasha takes four deep breaths, the way she practiced with Ione (better not look at Ione either, fuck) and scans the party for anyone wearing approximately decent clothes.

Hana is a former Vidona, but so is Iawa, more or less, and Iawa is a reasonable human, more or less. And Hana is wearing a decent tunic and talking to the mothlings, so that's two points in her favor.

"They eat radiation, mostly," Sasha says, appearing at Hana's shoulder. "But they like it if you sing."

"Great," Deyna says. She's getting good at breezing past other people's discomfort. In this case, maybe it's a bad thing, but she'll remember that for later. "Thank you." She mimics the half-bow in turn, just in case she's made an unforgivable mistake.

Deyna collects the ingredient lists, sliding them into the chest pocket of her bibs. "I'll set things out?" she asks, looking for Dar's approval. She's honestly more concerned about not being let back into the kitchen than that she'd be doing something wrong, but it's not worth distinguishing that in front of someone she doesn't already know well. "Or I can do dishes."

[oh, that sounds so good. I maybe need to eat...]

Eddox smiles as the riot of color that is Seyli greets them. They’re charmed by the dissonance of their daring outfit and their hesitant greeting.

Eddox waves back and then says in common, “That is quite the dress and you wear it well. Though, I imagine it would be difficult to conceal a weapon in it.” It’s meant as a joke, but the tilt of Eddox’s head is offset but the severity of the infection on “weapon.”

“Andan Eddox,” Eddox says and bows a respectable depth. “Or Umul Eddox, if you’re nasty.” They reach to clasp Seyli’s hands with both of theirs, their fingers pointed down and palms toward themself as they wrap their fingers around Seyli’s. “A pleasure to meet you.”

Eddox inclines their head without looking at Sulen as they finish the arrangement to acknowledge they heard them. They fuss at the angle of a few flowers in their rose wheel simply for the drama of making Sulen wait. Finally they turn and face them. “I can be rather complex, I suppose, though often you’ll find I’m terribly, terribly simple.”

They bow and then pause, affecting the pretense of allowing Sulen to scry them, as if they weren’t going to do it anyway.

“You must be Sulen. I have not heard about you at all.” They tap their hearing aid to reveal the joke. “Yet one gleans quite a bit from the social miasma that hangs around Ashari.”

Seyli's surprised that Eddox takes their hand, but they don't pull away from the touch. "Seyli, in any case," they say with a faint flush on their cheeks. "And you'd be surprised where I can hide weapons." The sleeve is full as it is for a reason. "And well," they flex subtly, their bare arm perfectly toned.

Dar's gaze drops. "Pardon," she mutters, with a creditable bow.

Damned Heptarchate. She wasn't used to having anyone in the kitchen who cared that much.

Now here's a type she understands. [Or so she thinks.]

"Thank you, sweetheart," she says. "Yeah, take out the buns. Good idea about the labels."

[Calling Word of God - what's the deal with dishes? Are the matter compiler thingies efficient enough that most of this stuff is essentially discarded into the machine, to be re-extruded as clean dishes? Or do we actually have dishes to wash? I'd guess the big platters are uncommon enough that they may have come in with the more luxurious ingredients.and not be re-compilable.]

[Hey back - yes, Cherryh and Leckie fics, writing and commenting. :) ]

[Just as a general note, you're welcome to invent this stuff! But let's say that the big platters are nice handmade stuff and do need to be washed, while the smaller dishes were created by matter printer and can be discarded back into recycling for materials.]

[Xiulan’s current primary signifier is Ninefox Eyes in the Dark and that’s the one showing right now.

Obscured or guarded motives. An intent observer or a hunter ready to leap, with little clarity as to which.]

Edited 2020-01-11 19:10 (UTC)

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Page 4 of 12

Chapter 3.1: The party begins

Re: Dar's signifiers

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[GM query]

Re: Sulen, scrying

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Re: Sulen, scrying

Re: Sulen, scrying

Re: Dar's signifiers

Re: this is a working party - literally paging Cantata

Re: Eddox enters the Ballroom. And so does Seyli

Re: Here mothling! Here, uh, gender neutral void!

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Re: Eddox enters the Ballroom. And so does Seyli

Re: Sulen, scrying

Re: Eddox enters the Ballroom. And so does Seyli

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Re: Dar's signifiers

[dishes]

Xiulan’s Signifier