Chapter 3.3: a belated meeting

[yhlee]

At 0800 local time, Ashari sends out a notice that everyone [= all the PCs and associated NPCs] should assemble for a planning meeting at 0830 in Conference Room A (the ballroom from last night).

At the same time, Ashari specifically messages Dar and asks her to set out a quick breakfast for the meeting, "nothing elaborate necessary, sorry about the short notice." [Dar is free to argue with this over the messaging system.]

Ashari will be in Conference Room A at 08,00 themself, pacing around and muttering and looking agitated, for anyone who shows up early. Among the early birds are Gerae, who keeps checking a nanny-cam app on his slate that keeps an eye on Fluffy and the baby Vraselian pseudo-dragons, and Istradez, who is looking around wistfully for non-sweet food.

ETA:
When most of the group has assembled, Ashari, still clearly ill at ease, says abruptly, "Some of you may be aware of the staggering emptiness of this timeline. I have decided that we need to evacuate, and soon, even though it means abandoning the base. Discuss."

[Please feel free to continue/wrap up threads from the previous move, Ch. 3.2. I will be responding to some threads there shortly.]

[Jedao's report to Sasha and Reshad will be forthcoming in a comment to this post shortly, once I remove a certain catten from my desk.]

Comments

Re: It's never good when the person organizing everything looks that agitated

[yhlee]

Ashari crooks an eyebrow at Seyli, sensing their wariness. "Both halves of that are good," they say. "We have a few too many foxes...but of course, one fox is a fox too many, isn't that the saying?" And, more seriously: "At least the party gave people a chance to blow off some steam, and me time to make some inquiries."

Re: It's never good when the person organizing everything looks that agitated

[kese_seyli]

"I'd agree with that statement." Too many fucking foxes. At least the non-hexarchate woman feels more like a solider than a fox. "It was...unconventional, but I enjoyed the chance to dress up." It would be nice, if for once in this rebellion, Seyli knew what to do with a teammate.

Re: It's never good when the person organizing everything looks that agitated

[yhlee]

Ashari appears to be pleased by this remark. "Good, good," they say. "I always appreciate someone who knows how to have a good time. It'll probably be your last chance for extravagance for a little bit."

Re: It's never good when the person organizing everything looks that agitated

[zuhrovet]

Sasha joins the conversation at this point, with a hasty bow for Ashari and a nod to Seyli, who is dressed like Seyli again, praise be to every Prophet.

"Is there an agenda for this meeting?" she asks Ashari. Odds are, they will throw things at the wall and see who goes splat, but one can always hope.

Re: It's never good when the person organizing everything looks that agitated

[kese_seyli]

"Not something I indulge in often, but it was...good." And then Sasha is there and Seyli nods to her in return, taking her question as a cue to exit the conversation and find their way to breakfast.

Re: It's never good when the person organizing everything looks that agitated

[yhlee]

Ashari bares their teeth at Sasha. "One: the very empty universe. Two: our need to evacuate the base. Three: a plan for your crew to get the hell out of here. Four: your next mission. Anything you'd like to add?" There's more than a little challenge in the question.

Re: It's never good when the person organizing everything looks that agitated

[zuhrovet]

Sasha gestures to restrict the conversation transcript and steps closer, which means she has to tilt her head back and look up. If Ashari touches her, she's going to spill a very hot cup of tea all over them.

"Are you familiar with the situation involving the heptarch Remi na Kujen?"

Re: It's never good when the person organizing everything looks that agitated

[yhlee]

Ashari's eyebrows fly up to their browline. "I am not," they say. "Pray do tell. I presume, since you are bringing it up now, that it's a matter of some urgency."

Re: It's never good when the person organizing everything looks that agitated

[zuhrovet]

Sasha holds still and reports. "Jedao was in contact with a Nirai who was pushing him to test the threshold winnowers. This Nirai was a ghost, able to possess the bodies of others, and to jump into a new body if the old one was killed. I don't know if he possessed the official Nirai heptarch, or if they shared power in some way. We learned last night that Remi is the person who became, in Jedao's timeline, this ghost Kujen. I don't think Remi is a danger to us. But I think we have to ask why Quill wanted him, and if she knew of this secret heptarch."

Re: It's never good when the person organizing everything looks that agitated

[yhlee]

Ashari's eyes narrow as they consider this unwanted news. "Quill does seem to be collecting heptarchs and hexarchs, doesn't she?" they say. "You were right to flag this for my attention. I want you to put it to the science team--is there some kind of high-and-mighty calendrical attack that would involve the heptarchs like this, or is this 'merely' timeline meddling?"

Re: It's never good when the person organizing everything looks that agitated

[zuhrovet]

Green saint, they actually approve. Sasha's own eyes widen.

"This ghost might still hold power, in Mishka's day. I will ask."

Re: It's never good when the person organizing everything looks that agitated

[yhlee]

Ashari nods briskly. "Good. Anything else? Please say no," but it's clear that, at least for the moment, they're listening.

Re: It's never good when the person organizing everything looks that agitated

[zuhrovet]

Sasha steps back to a more comfortable distance. "Nothing that we can't cover during the meeting."

Nothing but the other moths. It might be dangerous to wake them up, but it seems more dangerous to leave them unable to communicate what they observe.