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: Cruising the buffet - paging Dar (or anyone else Seyli hasn't met yet!)

[chomiji]

Dar can't help but laugh. "Hah! Question is, what do they eat when they can't get duck buns and shrimp chips, Nirai sir?"

Re: Cruising the buffet - paging Dar (or anyone else Seyli hasn't met yet!) [spork of om nom nom]

[yhlee]

Remi inclines his head to Dar. "You're the cook, yes? Amazing work." He nabs one of the buns for himself. "I haven't had as much chance as I'd like to sample the food, what with ushering the mothlings around. But as far as we ever knew, they normally subsist on energy sources. One of the initial contact team had a report of a captive moth draining a battery."

[biology experts please don't hurt me, I don't know anything about bio and am making stuff up]

Re: Cruising the buffet - paging Dar (or anyone else Seyli hasn't met yet!) [spork of om nom nom]

[chomiji]

[Lordy, Yoon, they're your critters! I'm not going to poke holes in the ideas.]

Dar gives a little smile and a bow at the praise. "We might need the batteries," she says. "Maybe set up some kind of little power plant, for a feeder for them?"

Re: Cruising the buffet - paging Dar (or anyone else Seyli hasn't met yet!) [spork of om nom nom]

[yhlee]

"It's a good idea," Remi says seriously, "I just don't know how to teach them what an acceptable feeder is, as opposed to them latching on to our power sources. Cantata might help there."

Re: Cruising the buffet - paging Dar (or anyone else Seyli hasn't met yet!) [spork of om nom nom]

[kese_seyli]

“I don’t suppose we can train them like puppies? Show them where their food is and teach them to only eat from certain places?” Seyli makes the suggestion hesitantly, afraid of sounding stupid in front of a scientist.

Re: Cruising the buffet - paging Dar (or anyone else Seyli hasn't met yet!) [spork of om nom nom]

[yhlee]

"It's definitely worth a try," Remi says. "I'll be honest--I asked to work on moth research and was accepted for it because of certain mathematical and physics implications about gate-space, but I don't have a lot of practical experience in fields like first contact or training animals or childrearing. Have you raised puppies or other animals?"

Re: Cruising the buffet - paging Dar (or anyone else Seyli hasn't met yet!) [spork of om nom nom]

[kese_seyli]

"Well, not really. A Kel moth isn't really the place for it, but I've listened to several books on the subject. It's always something I've wanted to do if I made it to retirement." They reach out to feed another mothling a treat, giving it a little pet like it was a puppy. "And these little ones seem way smarter than dogs, you said they could communicate though a program of some kind, or did I mishear that?"

Animal training and waiting for something bad to happen - paging Sasha

[venndaai]

Sulen joins them, still holding their empty glass. "Raising dogs would certainly be easier if they could be communicated with using more than simple commands. How food motivated are the creatures, would you guess?" The mothlings don't seem anything like dogs to them, and they're still uncomfortable being so close to them, but it seems like a good idea to be close to Remi right now.

They're watching the door Sasha and Jedao disappeared through. They sent Sasha a message a moment ago. Anything I should know?

Re: Animal training and waiting for something bad to happen - message for Seyli and Sulen

[zuhrovet]

Sasha's message goes to both Seyli and Sulen:

Jedao may know an older Remi. Will interview R next.

talking to moths - paging Alaric

[yhlee]

"There's a translation program," Remi agrees, "mostly Alaric's work. The little ones sometimes babble, but they're quite intelligent considering how young they are. They do seem social--that tracks with observations of wild moths--and I would hazard that in some ways their society is not so different than that of the Vraselian pseudo-dragons that we also have onboard. They like music very much...I admit I don't know how much energy they'll require to grow, or how fast they'll grow. This was precisely what the research program was hoping to find out before we absconded with the little ones."

Re: talking to moths - paging Alaric

[kese_seyli]

Seyli keeps absently playing with any of the Mothlings that come near enough to be petted. "At least we don't have to train these guys to stay off the work table," they say with a grin at Dar. "I'm no scientist, but if you ever need help working with them, Remi, I'm more than willing to pitch in." Seyli makes a note to talk to Alaric to see if they can learn something about that program.

Re: talking to moths - paging Alaric

[yhlee]

"I'd welcome that," Remi says as the mothlings cuddle up to Seyli. "I often find that a non-scientist sees things that I don't--it's a matter of perspective."

Re: talking to moths - paging Alaric

[rugessnome]

[adsfs sorry for my absence. hopefully the absences won't continue; combo of busyness and anxiety. :/ darn anxiety. And even though the thing about Remi got me ...excited, too.]

After the toast, Shess, feeling suddenly unoccupied, has been standing near the exit towards the kitchen, trepedations about this whole rebellion venture returning, unfavorable thoughts about parties with strangers circling in their head. They barely noticed that someone Sasha took aside [i.e. Jedao] seemed to be involved in some argument or something with this scientist fellow (did someone just call him Remi?). In fact, they almost returned to the kitchen but thought better of it, realizing everything was in fact out, dithered over whether to return to Deyna, and have finally wandered over to this group, drawn by the moth interactions.

After watching for a few minutes, they say, a little timidly, "I think I keep expecting them to act more like chickens," at a break in the conversation.

Only then do they explain, "Oh. Hello. I'm Kandoir Shess. I'm...one of the new people." They certainly recognize Dar, and know a little about her (the sort of things a few hours in proximity will tell you), and they encountered Sulen earlier, but Seyli and Remi they don't know.

Re: talking to moths - paging Alaric

[yhlee]

Remi seems to find this statement extremely interesting. "Hello, Shess--do you have experience with livestock? During my childhood, all the chickens were gone...the only time anyone got meat was hunting in the countryside. I still remember the first time someone let me have a whole drumstick all to myself."

Of chicken-related backstories

[rugessnome]

Shess is...a little taken aback, having next to no experience with quite that level of food deprivation. (In fact, they momentarily waver mentally: "All the chickens gone"? He must mean they had other--no, he said "only time anyone got meat"(!))

Furthermore, their answer is...not one they're proud of: "A little. But I wasn't around them consistently as a child, and my own first and only flock died off before they really started laying--we weren't sure if it was a virus, or there were reports of feed contamination--"

The rumors were that either way it might be connected with people collaborating with callous off planet forces--either the neighboring federation or the Hexarchate and specifically the Vidona. But they still feel responsible about losing their animals, and the last one to die was a bit more like a pet (they were primarily for eggs, anyway).

(Shess doesn't quite believe the Vidona would intentionally massacre livestock (and only livestock) without giving a reason/making an overt point about it, but that doesn't exclude the possibility that it was a side effect of carelessness or some other plan. If it even was off planet forces. And no one on their planet knows much of anything about the federation's motives. In any case, it's a bittersweet reminder of what they left behind, but also what they're fighting for.)

[I don't actually know a ton about chickens, though; I have read some a while ago but probably spent less than oh, 5 hours, though more than 30 minutes, total around them.

Also, (I hope this is okay?) the veracity of the rumor can be up in the air/subject to determination by GM; people will speculate absolutely wildly at times..]

Re: Of chicken-related backstories

[kese_seyli]

Seyli blinks a bit at Remi, but doesn't say anything to that bit of information from his past and then blink again at Shess's story. "It's nice to meet you, Shess. I'm sorry about your childhood chickens?" They sound slightly confused, but sincere. "I"m Seyli, I'm with the Cantata."

Re: Of chicken-related backstories

[yhlee]

Remi is lost in his own musings: "We don't know what diseases moths are susceptible to, or nutrient deficiencies for that matter..." He seems content to continue feeding mothlings while Seyli and Shess talk.

Re: Of chicken-related backstories

[rugessnome]

Shess is just slightly flustered at their previous lack of clarity/the slight misunderstanding. "Oh, the chickens from my childhood--well, they're not actually fine, because chickens don't live that long, but they weren't decimated like that. The flock that died was when I tried to run the family farm, as an adult. Still, I didn't expect that many losses. But I did go through decontamination procedures before leaving the planet!" They glance at Remi, wondering if that had worried him.

They do remember to return to the more typical party topic of introductions. "Er. It's nice to meet you too, Seyli. I think I'm supposed to be joining you."

And then, to Remi again, because it's easier than small talk, "I used to know someone who was part of an animal nutritional research program. Mind, it was for conservation of a non-tamed species, and I really mean I knew them; I don't know any details of what they did. But I expect moth biochemistry, I suppose it is, would be interesting. Given the food husks and stuff."

Shess takes notice of the fact that they're talking a lot. It's probably connected with the being very slightly tipsy from the toast; so far as their limited drinking experience extends, they're a talkative drunk, though it isn't entirely out of character otherwise.

[...moth biochemistry miight need to be one of those handwavy things; I don't think Shess really expects further details.]

Re: Of chicken-related backstories

[kese_seyli]

"It will be nice to have new people aboard," Seyli says to Shess as Eddox joins them and once again takes up place on their arm. Seyli flushes ever so slightly, but are delighted Eddox is making themselves so comfortable. "It seems like most new people are more fascinated with the moths than I thought to be at first." Mostly, they'd needed to adapt to such a weird team dynamic and hadn't had leftover brain power to process the mothlings. "Oh, here, you and Eddox should get to know one another, Shess. You'll both be new."

Re: Of chicken-related backstories

[mawgs]

[Sorry everyone I've sorta been gone too and am trying to jump back in. I don't want to interupt Shess so I'm gonna just summarize where Eddox was and bring them up to speed with entering the convo around here.]

Eddox lingers in the ballroom after the toast just long enough to see the exchange of words between who Eddox now knows really is goddamn Jedao and another Shuos named Reshad. The secrecy behind the signs coupled with their urgency flips a switch in Eddox. It's easy enough to hide their understanding of the others' signed conversation as they make their way across the ballroom, feinting need of the restroom. As they turn the corner, they see Sasha and Jedao disappear into another room.

Eddox makes their way to their quarters as quickly as they dare, throws the door open, and snatches up their slate from their luggage. They make a query of the grid. Display transcript of all conversations on the station in the last three hours, chronologically. They throw open another window. Display transcript of all conversations on station within the last ten seconds. They take a few moments to scan as quickly as they can (which is very fast, as they have ample practice) until they find what they are looking for.

They leave their quarters, slate still in hand, spending every second as they walk down the corridor scanning the conversations for more points of interest. It's amazing what people will say even when they know theyre being recorded.

They tuck their slate under their arm and swipe a few more buns off the food table before making a direct line for Remi. Who is surrounded by several others. Including Seyli. Excellent, an in.

Eddox greets Seyli with a warm squeeze to the arm and a gesture that says they do not wish to interrupt the conversation between who the grid says is Shess and Remi. They make gesture to their hearing aid and then the slate to Seyli and anyone else who may be watching in the hopes that their disability will be dismissed and no one will notice they are pouring over every available conversation at once.

Now that they've identified Remi as their primary target, they mine for any other available information. They make a note to find or question Alaric about his translations with the moths as well, but he is not nearly as interesting as a man that can fluster Jedao and cause the team lead to pull him into behind-doors conversation that Eddox cannot access from the grid.

Presently, Eddox makes a decent display of being interested in the workings of chicken husbandry while waiting for a polite pause with which to introduce themself, one arm snaked around Seyli's as they tap around on their slate periodically.

grid, posturing

[zuhrovet]

Sasha messages Eddox:

⭐ demonstration grid literacy

Re: Cruising the buffet - paging Dar (or anyone else Seyli hasn't met yet!) [spork of om nom nom]

[chomiji]

"We had cats, back home," says Dar. 'They had a job, they kept the vermin out of the food storage. But training them is kind of ... not worth it, most times? I guess we did train them to keep off the work table. Hah. At least, when we were in the room."

Re: Cruising the buffet - paging Dar (or anyone else Seyli hasn't met yet!) [spork of om nom nom]

[zuhrovet]

[They have a carefully shielded radioactive source food, currently!]

[moths eating energy]

[yhlee]

[I clearly missed the chance to have Cheris feed Jedao Two a bunch of delicious Duracells in "Glass Cannon."]

Re: Cruising the buffet - paging Dar (or anyone else Seyli hasn't met yet!) [spork of om nom nom]

[chomiji]

[But Dar won't know that unless someone tells her.]