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: Moar fox!

[hoardingpearls]

"Istradez! A pleasure. I'm Reshad. Pardon; I heard your name from someone with a tendency to nickname people."

"Oh, snooping outrageously, of course." Of course that's a Shuos joke; what else could it be? Snagging a flute of water, Reshad lifts it in turn, keeping an eye on Sasha. "And you?"

Re: Moar fox!

[yhlee]

"Yes, Sasha does like to do that," Istradez remarks. "I lose track of her nicknames if I don't consult my notes, personally. Including my own." Another grin. "I'm just checking out the newcomers. I had to sit out the previous mission--your mission--for medical reasons. Happens to the best of us, I suppose. I don't suppose"--vague wiggle of the fingers--"you have vulpine tendencies?"

[Istradez is unsubtly trying to figure out if Reshad knows Mikodez personally or just through general public knowledge of hexarchness.]

Re: Moar fox!

[hoardingpearls]

"If there's more of them, I might have to start writing them down myself." Reshad grins back, taking just a moment away from the anxiety that has otherwise plagued the party. "I hope you're recovering well!"

She chuckles at the finger wiggle. "More than tendencies, I'm afraid. Before I came here, I took orders from Hexarch Mikodez."

[She took missions from him, but probably wasn't personally close, and her choice of honorifics will reflect that.]

Re: Moar fox!

[yhlee]

"I should be just about fit for duty," Istradez says. He's certainly not going to mention more than that about his ongoing problems. But things are a lot better than they were after his close encounters with the characteristically hyperactive teenage version of his brother.

"From the hexarch himself?" Istradez raises eyebrows and makes a mock-flourish of respect. "You must have caught his eye, then. He always did like nurturing talent." He isn't quite able to hide the bitterness in his voice.

Re: Moar fox!

[hoardingpearls]

"I'm sure duty will be glad to have you back." Reshad puts a note of personal warmth into her voice; someone around here might be taking care of people, and that's a hopeful sign if true.

She has the good grace to look abashed at the bitter tone. Likeness and name collide, and suddenly she's wondering how common names ending in 'dez can be.

"Just the once." She makes a self-effacing wave of the hand, body remembering the lines of obeisance. "But that's hardly party material. What sort of thing do you like to do, when you're on station?"

She's been watching Sasha, and now as the small woman walks out of her field of vision, she makes a moue. "I'm sorry, I might have to go and work. Hopefully, we can chat more later on."

Re: Moar fox!

[yhlee]

Istradez can tell exactly when the realization hits. That's right, he thinks, Miki has family. But that's an old quarrel, and not one he should burden a stranger with.

"Most of my skills are infiltration-adjacent," he says, "but medical limitations make that more difficult. I can do some analysis and administration work when I have to; it's friendlier to my health issues. As for recreation," and this time he smiles, "I like eating food that is not sweet. The more savory the better. Given the efforts of the new quartermaster-cook, I have high hopes."

He waves at Reshad when she makes her excuses. "Don't let me keep you from work! It's been a pleasure."

Re: Moar fox!

[hoardingpearls]

Family as double? Shuos have certainly done worse in their time, and she's willing to chalk it up to eccentricity. Her mental file gets an underline for the statement "Istradez is not Mikodez," which he nicely confirms in his next breath.

Infiltration-adjacent has a nice ring to it, and Reshad nods. "It's the analysis and administration that makes the stars go 'round," she says.

"I've had just a bit of the food. It's phenomenal." This statement is entirely sincere, providing a benchmark. "Did you try the things with the curry in them yet?"

"It has been a pleasure." This smile, too, is entirely sincere. Reshad finds herself hoping that this won't all go to pot; that maybe she can talk with Istradez more, some time.

Re: Moar fox!

[yhlee]

"I must try the curried things next," IStradez declares, "since you recommend them."

That didn't go so badly, he thinks as he watches Reshad leave for her meeting. He's had his share of bad run-ins with foxes, but this might be doable after all.