Chapter 3.1: The party begins

[yhlee]

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?

Comments

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

[zuhrovet]

"You mean, how will we remove the harnesses in the first place? I don't think human presence is required. The Cantata has been practicing, with a proof of concept."

Sasha will still need to get inside the warmoth grids--all of the grids. But she has all of time to work that out.

Eddox and Seyli wander over

[mawgs]

Eddox and Seyli make their way around the room until they find Sasha and Hana. Eddox’s eyes for straight to the blobs or void writhing harmlessly on the floor around Hana’s feet. One appears to be begging, a tendril half-coiled around her ankle.

Eddox forgets their script entirely, forgoing introduction to the humans. “That’s them? The moths?” Eddox untangled themself from Seyli and drops to their knees. They find that inadequate and drop completely to their stomach, as if they are doing a push-up (badly) to be more or less level with the mothlings.

“Hello friends, I’m Eddox,” they say in common, and then sign, as they prop themself up on their elbows. “How do you prefer to communicate?” They say and sign that as well.

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[yhlee]

Two of the mothlings take interest. They hum back in an approximation of the melodic contours of Eddox's speech, and wriggle their tentacles in wobbly imitation of the signs, following that up with sign "babble" playing around with variations on the signs that Eddox used.

[If it helps, moths can detect distribution of masses remotely, which passes as "sight," and they can hear extremely well. Their "sight" is in all directions and works even through barriers; it's based on gravitational wave detection ASK ME WHAT MY HUSBAND DOES FOR A LIVING. However, moths don't seem to be able to see color.]

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[sageling]

All it takes for Hana's attention to leave Sasha (no offense; you're just not that tentacular) is for someone else to approach the mothlings and have the exact same reaction she had. She's almost immediately back on her knees with the mothlings, grinning more widely than she has since - well, a very long while. "Aren't they amazing?" she says, glancing at Eddox. She's unfortunately out of shrimp but gives a delighted gasp at how they mimic Eddox's voice.

"You are all so clever. And I was so rude and didn't introduce myself, I'm Miss Hana." The 'miss' just comes out and there's a beat where she remembers she's supposed to hurt, badly, at that memory, but she refocuses on Eddox and the mothlings. She's watching how they move and react and slowly wiggles her fingers in return, copying their copying of Eddox. That's how you encourage early language acquisition, after all, and Hana is convinced that all babies are essentially babies.

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[kese_seyli]

Seyli cocks their head to the side as Eddox drops to the ground with the mothling and the new woman, but they're utterly charmed by the Andan and make no comment on the behavior. Anyway, the mothlings are strange and cute little creatures.

"Good evening, Sasha," they give her a smile as well, which isn't an expression they've had much in her radius. They take up post beside her, little halos shimmering around their dress as they move.

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[zuhrovet]

Seyli's hair is in an approximation of a military braid, which makes sense, because they are a military person. That's the only thing about this situation that makes any sense at all. It's not that Sasha has never encountered a person wearing a dress like this--though, technically, she has never seen a dress quite like this, it's a fucking signal beacon--it's that she has never met someone wearing a dress like this whose companionship was not billed by the hour. This is not that kind of party, stars of hell, why can't someone run a nice relaxing denial-of-service attack on her fucking brain.

She nods to Seyli and shoves her hands in her jacket pockets, wondering if she should manufacture an urgent message.

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[mawgs]

In truth, Eddox is terrified of the little void balls, but that’s the reaction they always have to new aliens. Initial feelings are nothing to go by, they know, and the prey instinct response should be left to bedroom affairs and running from the cops. So they work through it, as they always do, treating the new species with the same dignity and respect they would any of their own people. If they were in danger, they would assume someone would say something. If not, well, same as any other day of the week.

“They certainly are unique,” Eddox replies to Hana without really speaking to her, tone passably even. Eddox adjusts a frequency on their hearing aid, testing to see what the moths can hear. They respond... to just about everything auditory, including above and below human range, into waves Eddox has had little need to use to communicate with in the past. No matter, it will just require the fitting of new assistive devices. They make a mental note to send Mer a message asking about it, once they have a moment to do so.

Eddox turns to face the new woman finally. Still on their stomach, propped on their elbows, they rest their head charmingly on one arm and extend the other hand out in greeting. “Miss Hana? Forgive my exuberance. I am Andan Eddox.” They turn their head up and look up at the other woman who seems to know Seyli. “And you must be Sasha. Charmed. And yes, I’m always like this.”

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[zuhrovet]

"The pleasure is entirely mine." Sasha uses the archaic singular possessive. Truth is, though, she's less inclined to fuck with this pretty person than she was a few minutes ago: they're doing her the kindness of not looming at her, and signing with the mothlings is a genuine good idea.

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[sageling]

Hana stammers a bit before saying, "Just Hana is fine." She gives Eddox a smile that's not entirely natural before taking their hand in greeting. She looks at their hearing aid and signs, very haltingly, "I used to be a teacher. Nice to meet you, friend." The great thing about sign is she can avoid having her voice break, and there's something comforting about manual speech. She doesn't know Eddox's name sign or how to spell their name for that matter, so calling them 'friend' seems neutral enough.

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[mawgs]

Eddox smiles warmly and signs back, “Just Hana, then. A pleasure. Children tend to be a good judge of character, so I am predisposed to trust you.” Eddox points with their chin as if to prove their words: one of the mothlings is reaching out to regain Hana’s attention.

[ Eddox standing and addresses Sasha directly after this ]

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[mawgs]

“Excuse me,” Eddox says to the mothlings and then stands and brushes themself off. They fix their gaze on Sasha and offer a charming smile, let it hang a second too long, and then say, “I am told you are the woman to speak to about practically anything here.” They hazard a glance down to the mothlings. One is undulating at a decent pace. Eddox knows better than to assign any particular emotion or meaning to it, but hopes it’s one of the better possibilities.

“I have been talking to the lovely Seyli,” Eddox gestures to them, a flourish of hand that seems somehow musical, “as well as the, hmm. The stoic Sulen, I think.” Eddox stops and looks towards them, hoping to catch them looking back. “Both have informed me you‘ll be capable of telling me just what the hell is actually going on? Did Molina forward my dosier?”

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[zuhrovet]

Prophet's boots, they're a collector.

"I do not have the pleasure of her acquaintance. Nor am I aware why you require an early briefing. Perhaps you will enlighten me?" Sasha is emphasizing the archaic singulars hard, now. She doesn't look at Seyli.

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[kese_seyli]

Seyli frowns at Sasha. They know she's curt and comes off as very sharp, but they personally haven't seen as much outright rudeness. "It's a fair question, Sasha." The sound hesitant to speak against her, but are doing it anyway. "It is a bit weird this is starting with a party and not a briefing, anyway."

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[zuhrovet]

Sasha nods to Seyli very slightly, but speaks with the sweetness she once reserved for brand-new tutors and Junior Mining Engineer cohort leaders. "Are you familiar with the history of the arch-traitor, Shuos Jedao?"

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[mawgs]

“Familiar with...?” Shuos Jedao... Eddox had a friend in academy that was an actor. He was very pretty and they slept together several times. One time afterwards, they laid in bed, listening to him recite lines from one of his latest roles. He was so excited because it was a big role. Lots of controversy... yeah it had to be that Jedao. Who else?

“He’s that crazy murder twink right? One in all the histories? I’ve seen a couple dramas on him. Insane, but you do have to admire a man that walks into impossible odds, repeatedly. Anyway, I guess I do know about him. What of it?” Eddox looks to Sasha expectantly.

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[kese_seyli]

In the background Seyli makes an outraged squawk at Eddox’s pronouncing Jedao a twink (although they have no objection to the crazy murder part). “He is not a twink,” they scoff, mostly to themselves. They should know, after all, they’d been one themselves at one point.

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[yhlee]

[GM had to Google the term, LOL, which was mildly terrifying!]

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[chomiji]

[Having a gay friend come out to and start confiding in me when we were both early 20s was ... very educational.]

[OOC chatter]

[yhlee]

[Heh! I'm thinking back to college and I was the token queer among my friends, and no one told me any of the vocabulary. XD ]

Asking important ooc questions

[kese_seyli]

[Now my real question here is: is Kujen a twink?]

Re: Asking important ooc questions

[yhlee]

[I mean, it depends on the body...]

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[mawgs]

[ Wow I did Not expect the google images results to be that... explicit. Sorry lol. ]

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[yhlee]

[I am SO GLAD I didn't go into Google Images.

Did I ever tell y'all about the time I unthinkingly Googled the indie tabletop RPG Hot Guys Making Out by its name instead of the then-name of its creator? I backbuttoned SO FAST...]

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[mawgs]

Eddox tilts their head at Seyli’s reaction. They’re amused, but not sure at what. They’ve decided they like Seyli and so tactfully they say, “Forgive me, I meant it half a joke. I know nothing of the man himself, just the historical record, and the ah, creative interpretations in videos.”

Re: Eddox and Seyli wander over

[zuhrovet]

Now, there's a classic heptarchate non-apology.

"On our previous mission, a suspect agent tasked us with assassinating him. I chose to kidnap him instead."