Chapter 3.2: Old and new friends, old and new enemies

[zuhrovet]

Sasha has distributed flutes of sparkling water and small glasses filled with a clear liquor. She finds a clear place to stand near the edge of the party--Jedao and Alaric are to her left, the cluster of people around the mothlings falls at about 3π/8--and signals the grid to adjust the light so that she is highlighted and the other partygoers are very slightly in shadow. She asks the grid for a ringing sound and waits for people to quiet. Her voice slightly amplified by the grid, she says, "Welcome, everyone. We have a unique combination of expertise, on the Cantata. I'm glad that you are here." (It's a formal situation, so she uses the plural 'you'.) "While we are gathered, let us toast to the success of the rebellion."

Sasha waits for an answering murmur, then raises her own glass and knocks it back. The liquor tastes like snow and homesickness; but these are her people now. A slight gesture of her left hand makes illumination linger on Jedao for a moment, before the room lights return to normal.

Sasha sees Remi trying to explain that shot glasses are not for mothlings, and grins in genuine amusement.

[We have some really fascinating conversations running in the previous move. I don't want to cut them off, but please put new threads here!

Also, an out-of-character public service announcement: Remi is a youthful, apparently non-sociopathic version of Kujen, plucked from an earlier timeline. He has not yet interacted with Jedao.]

Comments

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering

[kese_seyli]

Seyli doesn't like the formal address, it doesn't sit well. "You don't have to talk like that to me," they say, first, before they absorb the rest of the question. "Remi?" Seyli looks over at scientist, who they'd classified as 'odd, smarter than you, engage with caution'. "Nirai Remi, he's been here since before I joined. Why do you want to know?"

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering

[yhlee]

"I'll remember that," Jedao says. "Remi?" He frowns slightly, also looking over at Remi before returning his attention to Seyli. "How long has he been with the rebellion, do you know? Or is this a question I should address to someone else?"

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering

[kese_seyli]

"Without a doubt." They frown at Jedao, hand on on their hip. They don't like him getting interested in anyone in the crew, especially not someone who makes him go pale like that. Seyli opens their mouth to say more, but nothing comes out but a disgusted sound. "Sasha, Sulen, Rashad, they were around when he came aboard." And they should know Jedao's interested, anyway. They don't add that they're going to be watching him, because of course they will be now.

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering

[slybrarian]

"We semi-kidnapped him from - no, wait, I'm thinking of the other one," Alaric says after swallowing an oversized mouthful of pork ribs that he'd obtained after deciding some protein was in order. "Our first mission, we were sent to retrieve him. He was doing research on the mothlings, which is why we've got that half of our menagerie. He was very concerned about making sure we brought them along."

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering

[kese_seyli]

Seyli practically chokes when Alaric speaks, trying not to laugh inappropriately. "I think Jedao knows we kidnapped him, yes."

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering

[yhlee]

"You 'liberated' me," Jedao quips. "Lean into the propaganda." But his eyes don't leave Remi.

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering

[slybrarian]

"No, I'm referring to Gerae, who I'm pretty sure we also took from that station and stuffed in a cell for a while." Alaric says with a shake of his head. "I'll admit I'm a bit unclear about the exact circumstances; I was busy trying to drug and kidnap our own baby fox at the time and only met him after I recovered Fluffy for him. That entire mission didn't really go as planned."

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering

[kese_seyli]

"Have any of our missions gone according to plan?" They ask this while side-eyeing Jedao.

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering

[hoardingpearls]

The little knot of people suddenly around Jedao does a few things: it cuts the lines of sight behind Seyli's glimmering figure and gives Reshad time to think through her response.

She meanders toward the buffet table to set her empty glass down on a tray, liquor still warm in her throat from the last few sips. Awareness of where people are is rarely so useful as when communication relies on vision, and she makes sure to block her signing hand from Remi's sight with her body. Imminent danger? It's a known risk that someone else might catch her signing, but she'd rather hide the conversation from the object of the discussion.

Especially when it could be as simple as mistaken identity. Jedao and Remi occupy two different places on the timeline she's memorized. So: how? She doesn't think he's lying, not unless he's an actor to rival any dramatist. A mistake is possible. Also possible: there is something afoot she does not understand, and the way to address that is investigation.

While she idly chooses dumplings to ballast the shot, she keeps his free hand in sight. That course brings her closer to the lights.

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering

[yhlee]

I require clarification, Jedao signs back, on a point of identity.

Jedao palms one of the euphorics, making no secret of doing so, and ingests the whole thing in one go. He does not look as though he expects it to bring him much relief.

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering

[hoardingpearls]

"He is not the kind of person who rises high in the heptarchate.”

Reshad nods to Sulen. "That's good. I'm hoping what we have is a case of mistaken identity." Serious enough, as it goes; she'd wager a favor on that reaction being real.

His response does leave some amount of uncertainty - perhaps Jedao isn't sure about Remi's identity, either.

Accepted, Reshad signs. He's an early timeline moth scientist. What's target identity?

And as a follow-up, she signs: Extract? Perhaps it'll help to get him out of the current situation, out of Seyli's line of fire and Sulen's.

"I'm going to try and pull him out of-" A gesture at the little knot of people surrounding Jedao- "that. See if it helps to make this a non-incident." And snagging a pastry that proves to be warm and surprisingly heavy, she drifts purposefully around Seyli.

"Jedao," she calls, as if she hasn't seen him taking a euphoric. "Have you met Xiulan and Hana yet? Since we're all doing the rounds."

Reshad gestures with her empty hand, indicating the conversation furthest from Remi and his mothlings.

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering

[yhlee]

Jedao signs to Reshad, Request opportunity to deliver full report to you and Sasha in a less crowded setting. Please extract.

As though they weren't just conversing, Jedao replies to Reshad, "I don't believe I've had the pleasure." He drifts in the direction indicated.

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering (paging Sasha, Hana, and Xiulan)

[hoardingpearls]

"Well, then, now's your opportunity." With a wave over her shoulder, she subvocalizes. Between her augment and Sasha's very probable connection to the grid ...well, she can hope.

Something is up. Jedao requests report. Soonest is probably best.

And in sign: Requested. Retreat to the moth if you need.

Waiting for Sasha's response, she smiles at Xiulan and Hana. "I wasn't sure if you'd met our other new team member," she says, gesturing to Jedao, now with her back to Remi.

Damn; whatever Xiulan is, she isn't Shuos, probably. Which means she can't use sign. But- fieldwork. Instead, Reshad makes a significant dart of her eyes, indicating Jedao, and hopes her posture and face adequately ask, keep him safe.

[At this point, she'll head over to Istradez. Nothing is wrong here no sir-]

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering (paging Sasha, Hana, and Xiulan)

[stormglass]

Well now. She still doesn’t know what caused Jedao’s reaction in Remi’s direction, but maybe someone does. Either way, Reshad has collected the former and is leading him toward she and Hana. Significant Looks are being dealt.

“I hadn’t.” She smiles at Jedao. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Xiulan. Sasha was just telling me you’re the one to talk to about some questions I had. But.” She gives an exaggerated look of solemnity. “I’m remembering we’re at a party and some people have strong feelings about shop talk at parties.”

In light of Reshad’s protective air - and isn’t that interesting? - and the fact the other woman heads off, she lifts her brows subtly at Jedao in query. Difficult to guess what may be needed here, but she’s attentive and keeps herself positioned where she can see Remi and the mothlings.

[If he heads over toward Sasha, she’ll tag along in case...something! happens. She’d have no reason to guess Jedao hadn’t seen someone who was on the same moth, so she’s even more baffled than the others *L*

Does he seem impaired by the euphoric?]

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering (paging Sasha, Hana, and Xiulan)

[yhlee]

[Jedao does not appear to be particularly impaired by the euphoric--he has a strong tolerance for most recreational drugs, possibly a product of a misspent youth. His pupils are slightly dilated but that's about it at the moment.

He notices the raised eyebrows and also notices that Xiulan isn't signing to him.]

"On the contrary," Jedao says, "parties are the best place for shop talk. But I recognize this is a minority opinion. One of the games we used to play in my academy days was to see just how incriminating conversations we could have at parties without getting called on it. What's it like where you're from?"

[He will stay put until Sasha collects him.]

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering (paging Sasha, Hana, and Xiulan)

[stormglass]

[Oh good*g* He's not in the category of 'principal's (in a Close Protection sense, not a school sense!) biggest problem may be himself right now' then.]

"Good opinions aren't always widespread," Xiulan agrees. "Often quite the opposite." She finishes off the last bite of the curry pastry and does not reach for any other food, keeping her hands unoccupied.

His question makes her smile: both for the layers she suspects are in it and also because...well. Things were better, then and she hadn't expected to find herself thinking that, at this gathering of all things.

"Different place, different Academy. But not so different in some other ways it sounds like. We had to do something to liven things up after all." She pauses, considers. Decides to get it over with. "I'm from a timeline where there isn't a heptarchate or hexarchate - as far as I know." Her smile goes a little crooked. "But I've been in timelines that do for a few years now."

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering (paging Sasha, Hana, and Xiulan)

[yhlee]

[Well...not yet. Ahahahahaha.]

"Do you prefer a world without a heptarchate?" Jedao inquires. "Given your presence in this organization. I assume there are as many dystopias without one as there are with."

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering (paging Sasha, Hana, and Xiulan)

[sageling]

Hana most certainly is feeling the effect of the recreational drugs in her system and it takes a few moments of watching Jedao and Xiulan's conversation before the more analytic parts of her brain start to fire. It's only then that she realizes she recognizes Jedao, which would normally be rather distressing but is just yet another impossible detail heaped onto her already impossible life.

She laughs gently and says, "Oh, this is going to sound so weird, but has anyone told you-?" She giggles and moves as though to touch his shoulder. "You're the spitting image of, of that guy! First the squid babies and now you," she muses, "what a day. I wonder who else is coming to the party?"

[Hana is doing the intoxicated thing where everyone is a friend and personal space quickly doesn't matter. She will attempt to hang off an arm/shoulder and laugh about the 'coincidence' that is Jedao looking like... well, Jedao from her history books.]

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering (paging Sasha, Hana, and Xiulan)

[yhlee]

Jedao's eyes crinkle. "I hope I don't resemble your most obnoxious ex-boyfriend," he says in a teasing tone. "Whatever his name was."

[Jedao is fishing for information as to just who Hana thinks he is, or what she thinks he did. He's used to friendly drunks--or even unfriendly ones, for that matter--and will take no offense at Hana's intoxicated thing.]

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering (paging Sasha, Hana, and Xiulan)

[stormglass]

Jedao’s question strikes right on something she has thought about often and spoken of very little. Those two factors combine to a thoughtful pause.

“From what I’ve seen so far? Yes. But that isn’t to say - even a little - that things are perfect back home.” Her eyes flick down. Home. How long before it feels strange to say it that way?

“There’s a hell of a lot that could be improved. Some in massive ways. But...the things that I’ve heard of that go into maintaining the high calendar here?” Xiulan shakes her head. “Every time I think I’ve got a handle on it, something else comes up. There isn’t...that.”

Glancing over to Mafyyil and her flowers, and the flutters of airborne mothlings, she adds quietly, “But I realize it’s not as simple as cutting the head off the snake, to do something here. Leave a vacuum and it sounds like there are a myriad of other oppressions that might roll right in.”

Hana’s intoxicated giggling dislodges her expression out of what looks suspiciously like Overly Serious Calculations For a Party and brings her attention over to an occurring recognition. Jedao deflects it nicely, though under the circumstances Xiulan isn’t entirely sure whether it’s because he knows where Hana is going mentally or not. Particularly in light of what Sasha said earlier, she intends to play right along for now either way.

And hey, maybe Hana has mistaken him for someone else entirely. But she wouldn’t take that as a bet.

“With this mash up of timelines, I wonder how much more mistaken identities happen,” she remarks lightly. “Or if anyone’s yet run into another version of themselves.”

[She meets Jedao’s gaze after he responds to Hana - not in a judge-y or frowning sort of way, but a neutral signal of ‘I could have said something and I’m not’.]

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering (paging Sasha, Hana, and Xiulan)

[yhlee]

Jedao's eyebrows raise at Xiulan's last remark. "Sasha did say she anticipated going up against another version of me," he says. "I'm almost looking forward to the experience. How much do versions of people diverge, does anyone know?"

[He nods fractionally, acknowledging Xiulan's signal.]

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering (paging Sasha, Hana, and Xiulan)

[stormglass]

“I don’t know; I haven’t even heard if there’s been a confirmed instance of two different versions of a person encountering one another.”

Xiulan looks to Hana questioningly, in case she’s learned something additional on that front.

Plucking vaguely at the point of her jacket collar and then dropping her hand, she rolls the idea around further in her head. It has the heft of ball bearings clanging into one another. Points of divergence of self: there are chilling implications personally, in some directions. In others...no percentage in dwelling on that right now.

“I’d think they could diverge quite a lot...but. Thinking about time travel implications spins up a hundred other questions pretty quickly. Including impact to—“ An understated flourish calls out the room, the rebellion itself. “—all of this.”

“So, sounds like we should ask for a primer on what’s known. And then figure out how to fill in the gaps.”

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering (paging Sasha, Hana, and Xiulan)

[yhlee]

"I look forward to your analysis once our leadership briefs us," Jedao says, inclining his head to Xiulan. He looks at Hana and makes a hand-open gesture: "I bet there are a lot of obnoxious ex-boyfriend-alikes out there, which could be distressing..."

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering (paging Sasha, Hana, and Xiulan)

[sageling]

Hana has been aware there's conversation going on around her, though she's too distracted (and inebriated at this point, let's be honest) to really keep up with it.
There's going to be a point not very far in her future where she's going to be mortified at allowing herself to go so far, and in front of multiple strangers. In the meantime she watches Xiulan and Jedao talk, trying to look like she's completely sober and paying attention and perhaps overcompensating a bit.

"Oh, I don't have any ex-boyfriends," Hana says finally with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Half my students believe boys have cooties and honestly, honestly? I'm fairly certain they're correct. No offense!" She smiles widely at Jedao and reaches to pat his cheek. "You'd be awfully cute if it weren't for looking like, oh, what's-his-name, starts with a J, the fox who killed everyone. Iiiiit... was... Jaydo?" She narrows her eyes, trying to remember. "Anyway, tough luck, friend. What's your name?"

Re: less than subtle hawk hovering (paging Sasha, Hana, and Xiulan)

[zuhrovet]

Sasha twists her fingers and the grid transmits, "Acknowledged." She begins to move in Jedao's direction. She snags a spiced roll at random on the way, because she's not an utter wolverine, but her focus is on the quiet stream of verbal commands (in Naxorian) that she's giving the grid.

At the side of the room, a door appears. It wasn't there a minute ago.