15[19:56] On the evening of the second day, Caxi lingers outside the mess as people file out for dinner, touching Piu on the arm as she passes. "A word?" Piu didn't see her at dinner. [19:57] 4Smiling: "Sure!" [19:57] 14Hrm. 15[19:58] Piu is being led to Caxi's cabin, unless she objects. [19:59] 4She knows the way. [19:59] 4She'll keep her eyes open, though. 15[20:01] As the two of them get closer to the topdeck, they pass Salim in the corridor. Out of the corner of Piu's eye she can see him studying the both of them as they pass him. [20:02] 4Asshole monk. 15[20:05] Caxi's room is full of... stuff. She clearly way overpacked. A huge chest of clothing, cushions everywhere, more unopened bags under the bunk... Caxi hops up on her bunk and sits cross-legged. "Sooo... how about those twins, huh?" [20:05] 4She sighs semi-dramatically. "One of them made a joke about a threesome. The other was grossed out." 15[20:06] Caxi: "I heard. It's nice to know they can annoy each other too." [20:06] 4Is there anywhere for her to sit that isn't inviting an, ah, pillow fight? 15[20:07] Sure, there's a little desk with a little chair (which also has a big fluffy cushion on it. [20:07] 4Then on the fluffy cushion she shall sit. [20:08] "Still, though...kind of a sucker for green eyes." 4She grins. "They can fight, too. I mean, I can fight better. But I don't think I could actually take them in a row if they had their swords." 15[20:09] "You've had a busy few days," says Caxi admiringly. "Working those twins and was that the petty officer I saw walking up to your room last night?" [20:10] 4She looks pleased with herself. "Chief Petty Officer Samperson and I go way back. To, oh, the night I got into town." 15[20:10] "Oh, I didn't know there was a history." 15[20:10] "Are you exclusive?" [20:11] 4All Piu does in response is chortle. [20:11] 4Coming out of it, her smile is seductive. "Not in the slightest." 15[20:14] One eyebrow arches. "Mmmm. He looks like a good worker." [20:15] 4Piu, casually: "When he needs to be. Which is often. But he's the chief for a reason. He understands the burden of command." [20:16] 4After a beat: "Over the deckhands, of course." [20:16] 14This woman knows too much. [20:17] 4Change of subject: "How are you and the Commodore?" 15[20:20] Caxi lounges across her bunk. "She's so..." She makes a small frustrated noise. "Needy." 15[20:20] "She likes me too much." [20:20] 4Piu smiles. "Do I need to put in more shifts in the bed mines?" 15[20:21] Caxi smiles. "Oh, that's not the problem. It's all the times in between." 15[20:22] "She's gotten... sad." [20:23] 4Slight sigh. "Pathetic, I'm guessing. Not depressed." 15[20:23] Caxi: "Both. I guess the nature of... all this is starting to sink in." 15[20:23] "She might have to kill her sister." [20:24] 4Piu crosses her arms over the back of the chair, which she's spun around. "I mean. She doesn't have to kill her sister." [20:25] "We're perfectly capable of doing it." 15[20:26] Caxi: "I made that point to her. She seemed unmoved." 15[20:26] Idly: "Could you do it, do you think?" [20:27] 4Piu: "Alone? Likely not." [20:27] 14Certainly. 15[20:27] "That's not what I mean." 15[20:27] "Do you think that if you had to -- if the Realm was at stake -- you could kill your own sister." [20:28] 4Piu's smile is somewhat sad. "I wouldn't know. I've never had one. Just cousins, by adoption." 15[20:30] "Ah, that's right, I'd forgotten. A clutch of Lost Eggs. The Commodore's terrified of your matriarch, you know. I understand she's *very* strong in the Blood." [20:31] 4A wide grin. "She's a master. And she's done an amazing job building up the House, given the circumstances." 15[20:33] "Mmm. Say, where did you go to secondary school? I don't think you ever told me." [20:33] "Pasiap's Stair!" [20:33] 14Tactically unashamed of this. 15[20:35] "Oh! Did you serve in the Legions?" 15[20:35] "Or did V'Neef spare you that fate." [20:39] 4Piu's smile turns slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, no, I was...not the best student. Especially not on the tactics and war stuff. Which they cared a lot more about than whether you could whup someone in a fight. Let's just say I graduated. Technically." 15[20:40] "That surprises me. You seem quite intelligent." [20:40] 4She giggles. "Only at some stuff. I don't have any desire to lead armies." 15[20:44] Checking her nails: "The only military tactics they teach at the Heptagram are how many men will fit inside the area of the Death of Obsidian Butterflies." [20:45] 4Piu: "Not the most interesting thing that could have come after 'inside.'" 15[20:45] Caxi cackles. "You're beyond belief sometimes." [20:45] 4Sighingly: "So I'm told." 15[20:47] "I worry, sometimes, that we're too beautiful. Did you see that strange old monk staring at us on the way up here?" [20:48] 4Piu: "He's not that old. And yes!" [20:48] "House Mnemon graces our walls. Bulwarks?" [20:48] "Bulkheads!" 15[20:50] "He's not like the other Mnemon men I've known..." [20:52] 4Piu: "Yes, he's only a voyeur, not an outright lech. Not yet, at least." [20:53] "I've seen worse, though. As far as monks go." [20:53] 14The voyeur comment is a test. How long has she been watching...? 15[20:57] Caxi: "Yes, he's always snooping around, isn't he? No subtlety. If he'd been born into a proper house, he'd know to be patient. People will tell you everything you'd ever want to know about them." 15[20:59] She makes another small disgusted noise. "I don't care for those people. The only thing worse than the falsely pious are the sincerely pious." [21:00] 14Mmmmmmm. Now there's an inflection point. [21:01] 4But upfront she's just vacuously consoling: "Oh, I'm sure he's not that bad. Those guys have a lot of rules about their behavior, right?" 15[21:01] "So do we," notes Caxi with a sly smile. [21:03] 4Piu returns it, though it's a little goofier. "So which of the Tepet guys do you think I should go after first?" 15[21:04] "The giant. You'll get nowhere with the other one. That man is a killer to the core." [21:04] 4A pout. "Yeah. Probably. But that guy's so laaame~" [21:05] "And why two Tepets, anyway?" 15[21:08] Caxi: "None of it makes sense, really. Don't you think it's strange that we're on a sea mission, on behalf of the Navy, searching for a lost fleet that's got Peleps's underbelly exposed, and the Navy's not taking care of it? That there's only one Peleps on the whole ship, and she was pulled out of academic retirement?" [21:09] 4Innocently: "It's almost like they think the whole House is compromised!" 15[21:11] Nodding approvingly, Caxi's visibly impressed. "And what does that? What compromises an entire House?" [21:11] 4Her grin gets a little sharper. "Well, there's always the obvious answer. Which can't be true." [21:12] "The Empress is back, and House Peleps always knew." [21:12] 4She blinks. "That rhymes!" 15[21:13] "What if it is true, though? What if she's out there? Can you imagine?" [21:14] 14Piu's actual answer to the question is...mostly that. That the Empress is back: but House Peleps didn't know. Instead, House Peleps is being frozen out. There's going to be a winning team and a losing team, and House Peleps is intended to be the latter. [21:14] 4Out loud: "It'd be great to have things go back to normal...especially for V'neef!" [21:15] 14Of course, the Empress almost certainly isn't back. Otherwise she'd have announced herself by now. [21:15] 14Unless she doesn't want to be Empress anymore. [21:15] 14Ahhh. Hmmm. [21:15] 14Yes, that would complicate things. 15[21:16] "What if she's given it up?" 15[21:16] "What if she's out there, and she just... doesn't want to come back?" [21:16] 14Irritating girl. [21:16] 4Piu's smile falters. "Then there'd be war." 15[21:17] "And if so, the greatest advantage possible would be... knowing first." 15[21:18] Abruptly: "The monk." [21:18] 4Piu laughs uncertainly. "The greatest advantage possible would be a large military and having established economic power. Knowing a month early won't save House V'neef." [21:18] "But yeah." [21:18] "It's clear why he's here now." 15[21:19] Caxi waves a hand. "Blood and treasure won't stay a secret's hand." 15[21:20] "But yes, if there's one thing everyone in the Dynasty knows it's who stands to gain the most from the Empress definitely being gone, and it's the White Witch." [21:20] 14It's a testament to Piu's self control that her eyes are confused instead of narrowed, and that she's not reaching for her necklace. [21:22] 4Piu sighs. "It's too bad there's no way to like...trick him into leaving." 15[21:24] "We could always kill him." Caxi giggles. 15[21:24] Mildly: "That was a joke." [21:24] 4She rolls her eyes. "You can do it, not me. I can't be burning down the ship." [21:24] 14Oh yes. Certainly so. 15[21:29] "Suppose I could." 15[21:30] "Suppose I set the armies of Hell upon him." 15[21:30] "How many do you think it would take. You're the master warrior, not I." [21:31] 4Piu blinks. "Well, I mean. You'd wreck the ship, but I guess we could get another. Do you really need more than one army of Hell, though...?" [21:32] "I guess my main concern is it'd make a mess." 15[21:32] Caxi: "So far I've only got the one..." 15[21:33] "I'm not sure one is enough." [21:34] 4Piu: "...How many are we talking here?" 4She pauses. "Unless you'd rather not say. Keep your cool army to yourself." [21:34] 14A sorceress, then. Not unexpected. [21:35] 14And useful, under the proper circumstances. But too much ambition, and too smart. And Cynis, which always pisses Caedus off. Not without reason. 15[21:36] Caxi's more activated talking about this than Piu's ever seen her, even in bed. "An erymanthus can tear a normal man in half without trouble, but a monk of the Blood? They are well schooled in such things. I would require the space and feed for a dozen of them, at least. I think." [21:38] 4Piu sighs. "And that's so many crewmen wasted. Including my chief petty officer." [21:38] "...So we'd need to get him somewhere ashore." 15[21:39] "Yes... but not in Abalone. Too public." [21:39] 4Piu: "And we'd need to get him away from the Tepets and the twins...and your...cousin?" 15[21:42] Caxi: "Yes... I'm quite fond of Dryas. She's sharp, like you are. And she didn't let the Commodore bed her." 15[21:44] "The twins are cute... and they're not as dumb as they let on. They've got books in their room." [21:45] 4Piu raises an eyebrow. "Is that a criticism?" 15[21:45] Caxi: "Oh, not at all. But I respect the self-denial." [21:46] 4She leans back. "I've got books in my room. Well, one. I think Samperson left it there." 15[21:46] "What's he like?" [21:47] 14Piu: "He's kind and charming but he doesn't overstep or take it too seriously. He's professional about his work. He's vigorous about his play. He understands the difference between the bedroom and the deck. He'd be a perfect man if he had the blood, but. He's here instead." [21:48] 4She brightens back up. "Great dick." 15[21:48] Caxi reclines in bed. "Mmmmm." 15[21:48] "Well, I'll let you go. I enjoyed this chat, we should do it more often." 15[21:48] "Not a lot of people to talk to on this ship." [21:49] 4Piu: "Yeah! And uh. Let me know if you need me to take Ratel off your hands, for a night." 4She stands to go, wiggling a slight bit on her way out. 15[21:50] Well! That was... illuminating. [21:50] 14Much to ponder. [21:52] 14She heads up to the deck before heading back to her room. It's not quite late enough to sneak down to see Caedus anyway. [21:52] 14Just enough time to do some forms in the night air. 15[21:53] The air is brisk and breezy, but the sky is clear and the stars are beautiful. She's not alone up here. Mnemon Salim is there, hands on the railing, looking up at the sky. His back's to her, maybe she could just-- [21:54] 14Patience. [21:54] 14There's an angle here now. [21:54] 14Work this right, and Iselsi Caxi isn't out of the question. [21:54] 14If we burn enough of her life down. [21:55] 14Instead, she'll approach to stand beside him but more than two arms' lengths away, and lean up against the same rail. How's his sleeve situation. [21:59] 4She stares out at the sea instead. 15[21:59] Once her eyes adjust to the dark, she can just see them. Running up his inner arms, a series of characters. The ink is not the same in all of them, and they're better-shaped the farther up the arm you go, as if the hand who made them grew steadier with time. He tattooed himself. [21:59] 14Piu commits them to memory. 15[22:00] "Beautiful night," says Salin to Piu, after a long silence. 15[22:00] *Salim [22:00] "There have been many like it before us," 14 she says. "And many like it after." 15[22:00] "More than we will ever know," he agrees. [22:03] 14Piu: "Just making sure you're up here enjoying the night, so you don't slip, trip, and fall into my man's room when we're in bed. Or -- wow -- just happen to run into me and the girl from Cynis when we're in the hall." 15[22:03] Salim: "I... apologize for the intrusion. That was thoughtless of me." [22:04] 14Piu: "Maybe so." [22:05] 14She nods up at the sky with her chin. "What tickles your fancy, up there?" 15[22:06] Salim: "The orderliness of it. The stars stand and dance and swing about, in the same patterns, unchanging, forever." 15[22:06] "You?" [22:07] 14Piu: "It looks different in every different place I see it. Moves different. The moon's different. I love that it changes." [22:08] 14She rolls away from him to lean back against the rail. "Which pretty much defines where this is going to go." 15[22:08] "The ship, you mean?" [22:09] 4Bubbly again: "Yeah! The ship!" [22:10] 14Piu: "Don't go tripping into anymore rooms, brother." 15[22:13] "Be at peace, sister." [22:14] 14Piu: "Only until there's war." 14She disappears below. [22:15] 14Caedus should be in his room. 15[22:15] He is, though he's more dressed than usual at this hour. In a nice, open-chested silk robe. He smells good, too. [22:15] 14Mmmmmmm. 15[22:16] "The Commodore's invited me to her quarters for a nightcap," he says. [22:16] 14Piu chuckles. "You know, I wasn't sure she went for men. I shan't muss you up, then." [22:17] "If you see Cynis Caxi there...she was asking about you. Thuirt mi rithe gu robh thu cumhachdach san leabaidh. Na leig sìos mi. " 15[22:18] A chuckle in kind. "Tha mi a ’seasamh mar dhìon air an urram agad." [22:20] 14More seriously: "Tha Caxi na ban-draoidh. Bidh i a ’conaltradh le deamhain. " [22:20] "I know you have...reservations. Well-founded." [22:20] "But she could be very useful." 15[22:20] "A sorceress, and a schemer too. Very dangerous. You're certain you can work her?" [22:21] "Mhol i am manach a thàladh a-steach don dùthaich agus a mharbhadh. Sin mo bhrosnachadh. " [22:22] 14Piu shrugs. "So either she already knows and is working with him to play us -- which I don't think is so -- or...our schemes align." [22:23] 14She grimaces. "Which takes me to my next news. I saw Salim on deck. He's who we think he is." [22:23] "I can tell." 15[22:24] "You saw the tattoos?" [22:25] 14Piu: "Yes. They're self-applied. The hand gets steadier the newer the work is. That's consistent with the style." 15[22:26] Sharp intake of breath. "Even this early on, so much is in motion. So many secrets. So many plans. Why would Mnemon send a master assassin? Who is he meant to kill?" 15[22:26] "Ratel?" 15[22:26] "No, that would be a waste. You could kill her just by taking her to bed and putting a pillow over her face." [22:26] 14Piu: "You'll want to do that anyway." [22:27] "Not to kill her, mind." [22:27] "Very vocal." 15[22:27] "That's always fun." [22:28] 14Piu: "I've actually enjoyed her company. Caxi's too, for what it's worth, though you can sort of hear her rolling her eyes whenever anything happens. You'll have fun." 15[22:29] Caedus nods. "Anything else to report?" [22:29] 14Casually: "Ratel likes strap-ons. Take some lube." 15[22:30] Caedus blinks. [22:30] 14She shrugs. "No idea if she likes them with men. But they tell us in school: be prepared." 15[22:31] "I appreciate the briefing." 15[22:31] 10Then he winces, realizing he's set up that joke again. [22:31] 14She nods and saunters over to his bunk, shrugging out of her robe and laying down on top of the covers in just her shift. "I'll be here when you get back for...debriefing." 15[22:32] That's the one. He's gone. [22:32] 14She stretches out, blows out the candle... [22:32] 14Creeps to the door and lays down a wire-and-glass that Caedus knows how to disarm on first opening, just in case someone opens the door while he's out. [22:33] 14Then she slips back into bed and falls asleep, hugging the pillow like it's someone else.