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 (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)

[yhlee]

Jedao dodges Hana's hand with a smile, making it look like a rather coy headtilt. "Alas, you're right, we do all have cooties. My name's Garach Jedao."

[Jedao looks relaxed but is anticipating a possible reaction from Hana.]

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

[sageling]

There's a long moment of silence while Hana attempts to line up what should, on all accounts, be a fairly straight shot between point A and point B. Her eyes narrow a little as she stares Jedao down. "What the fuck," she says. "Why would your parents name you that??"

[Much like a Frisbee, the point sails over Hana's head. But don't worry, she'll get hold of it soon enough.]

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

[yhlee]

"Just my mom, actually," Jedao says in his best aww-shucks-don't-mind-me drawl. "My sire was noncustodial, and if truth be told it was mostly my older brother done raised me. What 'Jedao' means in the language is 'honesty,' which, of course, no one ever believes."

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

[stormglass]

Xiulan’s brows pull closer together as Hana reaches out and attempts a deftly thwarted pat to Jedao’s face. Most likely due to Hana’s inebriated state and it’s at least not on par with Eddox’s behavior with several others earlier, but... She quickly sets that line of thought aside when names are named, ready to act in case Hana has a bad reaction.

For now, it’s simply an aghast one, but one that affirms where the other woman’s suspicions lie.

Seeing Sasha heading in their direction with purpose, Xiulan pitches a short diversion with a grin and: “Honesty? That must have been fun.” She indicates herself. “Mine’s ‘graceful orchid’, which...I had to kick a brother or two over that one. I’m not sure who was behind it; my father, I guess.”

Then, nodding to something past his shoulder. “I think Sasha is looking for you.”

[She shows no negative reaction to hearing about his family situation, being as she came from a society where marriage is considered ‘quaint’ and many don’t bother. There’s another ‘next door’ where it Really Matters and thats personally stranger to her!

Per chat on Discord, Sage asked that this be about when Sasha shows up, so thus the above.]

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

[zuhrovet]

"My name is 'planetary conqueror'," Sasha tells the group. "I regret the interruption, but I do need to speak to Jedao."

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

[yhlee]

Jedao bows to her and prepares to go with her. "Have you ever been tempted to put your name into action?" he inquires, in a light tone that suggests he doesn't necessarily expect an answer.

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

[zuhrovet]

"I prefer 'liberator'," Sasha tells him, with a temporary grin.

she gets it, folks (paging xiulan)

[sageling]

Hana watches Sasha wander off with Jedao, her eyebrows furrowing as a few pieces click into place. She turns to Xiulan and says, "Wait wait wait. Wait. That wasn't really - that's not really the Immolation Fox, is it?"

Well, shit.

Re: she gets it, folks (paging xiulan)

[stormglass]

[Xiulan is keeping an eye on Hana for signs of how she’s doing.]

Immolation Fox. That term was used in what she had read post-briefing thankfully. But clearly she has a good deal more research to do.... For right now, fireworks have hopefully been avoided (or at least deferred) and she sets her sights on providing what clarity she can. Best to get any issues surfaced and dealt with, not left to fester.

“Yes and no,” she replies to Hana. Her expression is sympathetic, wrought by the expedient of imagining how she would feel at learning she’d just been unknowingly speaking with Norbon w'Deeth.

“He was only called that after Hellspin Fortress, right? That is Jedao, but Sasha said he’s from a timeline before his most famous victory or the massacre. The Cantata team pulled him out before any of that happened. And, it sounds like there’s more to the overall situation than that alone.

“Anyway, I think some of this ties back to what we were talking about a few minutes ago. Different versions of a person, having made different choices and gone through different experiences. Who knows what we might encounter, jumping around like we are.

“Do you want some water?” She steps over to where she can reach a glass, offering it to Hana.

Re: she gets it, folks (paging xiulan)

[sageling]

Hana starts rubbing her face when Xiulan starts explaining things, pinching the bridge of her nose and thinking that she's not nearly sober enough to be dealing with this. Any of this, really. "Okay," she finally says, taking the glass. "I need... I probably need to sit down. And find an antineebranee." No, wait, rewind. Let's try that again. "An anti-inebrient," she over-enunciates. "A - I should be less drunk." She looks at the glass of water and starts sipping it cautiously, as though she's not convinced it doesn't have something to do with all this.

Re: she gets it, folks (paging xiulan)

[stormglass]

“A good plan,” meets Hana’s words about sitting, for under the circumstances, she looks as though she may come to it regardless of choice. Better to be proactive. Xiulan indicates a nearby seat without needing to scan for it: she had tucked the room’s details into memory earlier, though admittedly not for this sort of reason. “How about there. I’ll be right back.”

Ducking into the kitchen on the notion it’s the closest spot a medical locker might be found, this proves to be the case. After rustling up a packet of pills, she heads back out into the ballroom while idly considering questions about variable layout. It can’t be more than idle right now; there’s simply too much to chew on otherwise and mental teeth need to stay at other fare right now.

“Try this,” she says to Hana, extending the packet and considering how likely it is Ione needs to be fetched next. Then, she waits to see if Hana is inclined to continue the topic about Jedao or veer far from it.

[On an international trip for work this week. I don’t think it will slow me down, but FYI just in case it does.]

Re: she gets it, folks (paging xiulan)

[sageling]

Hana sits heavily in the indicated seat, the world spinning a bit around her. She doesn't regret the euphorics - she's actually a bit terrified of what she'll face without them, or would be if they weren't currently coursing through her system - but the alcohol was a mistake. At least, three units of alcohol were a mistake. She leaves the water untouched until Xiulan comes back, taking the packet from her and staring at it for a few moments.

"I really - sorry. I'll take this. Just give me a second, I don't want to be - euphorics help," she explains, or tries to explain. Finally she tears open the package and takes the meds with just enough water to swallow.

[No worries! Good luck with travels, stay safe, etc etc.]

Re: she gets it, folks (paging xiulan)

[stormglass]

Xiulan makes a light gesture in response to Hana’s somewhat garbled words, waiting as pills are swallowed and water drunk. She reflects on the words ‘euphorics help’ and looks around the room. It’s done in a considering sort of way, but she doesn’t end up leaving.

Instead she asks Hana, “Rough time of it since leaving your timeline?” Her voice is quiet, sympathetic. She has her own experiences to channel to make it so.

It’s something they were taught to leverage, she and others. Far, far from here.

Re: she gets it, folks (paging xiulan)

[sageling]

"Something like that," Hana replies weakly. The pills aren't instantaneous but she swears she feels her stomach start to turn already. "Don't - don't really wanna be here, when everything stops." She breaks into a cold sweat, or rather, her body tries to break into a cold sweat, and she wonders if these are the kind of anti-inebrients that have purging as a side effect.

She gets her answer a few moments later when she puts her head between her legs and tries very, very hard, and fails very, very hard, not to dry heave. It makes sense, since she didn't have too much water and almost no food. All that's in her stomach is alcohol. A Mwennin curse slips out, something she used to know the translation to but long forgot. She just remembers her mother using it when she thought Hana was out of earshot.

Re: she gets it, folks (paging xiulan)

[stormglass]

Not knowing the Mwennin language, Xiulan doesn’t catch what Hana says in any literal sense. In another sense though, oh, yes. It’s a sentiment that echoes in her head for her own reasons just then.

Once the dry heaving has paused enough that Hana can affect her plan to depart, Xiulan helps her make her way down the hallway.

She returns to the ballroom afterwards, alone and expression inscrutable, and makes her way to the buffet table.

[From here, this will tie back to where Reshad spoke to her before Remi’s questioning.]