15[20:21] The Prolix & Terse slices through the Western seas, nimble enough for any strait, sturdy enough for any current, impervious to any natural storm. The course is set: Jiewei, so close to the Pole of Water that it only breaks the surface of the far-flung ocean a few months out of the year. There, they understand, a Realm expedition has ventured, with one of the empire's most celebrated 15[20:21] savants at its head. 15[20:21] The time passes swiftly. How do the Four Fangs pass it? [20:25] 10The morning after their departure from the Saucer, Daizo summons Seiri to the deck. When she arrives, she'll find him hefting a large canvas sack—which he tosses down with a clang that's more felt than heard.  15[20:26] You could knock her over with a feather, which is the exact opposite of what the Earth Dragon teaches. [20:26] 4Mostly in her room. How well-appointed is Piu's new room? [20:27] 6Zhangyu spends his time exercising belowdecks, showing Sadako some Mantis-style, or sleeping. Mostly the first two, though. [20:28] 07Dryas passes much of it in counsel with the other senior officers. So much to prepare, so little time... [20:28] 10Daizo: "Earth Dragon training begins today—I've been putting it off too long. Put this on. Until we get to Jiewei, you're to wear this armor day and night—when you eat, around the ship, when you sleep. You can take it off for a little bit to change your underclothes." 15[20:28] How much stuff did Piu steal from the Saucer? This isn't really a pleasure yacht (by nature, anyway). The furniture is all molded of the same metal and crystal that the walls are, and everything from the large, squarish cots to the large, squarish eating-tables is fused with the ship. 15[20:28] It does leave a lot of scope to decorate, though. [20:28] 4All that matters is the bed. [20:28] 4She'll have made sure to get a good one of those. [20:29] 4And paid for it, of course. [20:30] 4She can get new dresses when they hit the pirate flotilla or Abalone or wherever; on deck she'll be in her work clothes, and in her room she won't be in any clothes at all. [20:30] 4Hopefully the ship doesn't get horny. [20:31] 6I mean. It's a ship. [20:31] 07Land to buy, seize, or steal on Abalone. Men to chop wood and plow its fields. Ships to smuggle loved ones from lonely quays at Bittern or Pangu, to deposit them in Chiaroscuro, Abalone, or Wu Jian. [20:32] 07And, perhaps, conversations of a more philosophical bent with the Prolix & Terse's most unusual guest -- Garnet. [20:32] 10Well, Terse will have to settle for an octopus or something if he wants to get frisky. 15[20:33] Seiri follows Daizo's instructions exactly, and over the next several days she can be seen stomping around the decks, rattling like a sack of pans. She seems to take to it, at least in principle. Her mood's better. Sadako's, less so. [20:33] 4Was Zhangyu not present for the bit where the ship talked and archly mocked us? If so, he's in for a surprise. [20:33] 6He was not. 15[20:35] Somewhere around hour 6 of acidic banter, the Commodore instructs the ship's daimon to speak only when spoken to, an order to which it (he?) has held with testy insistence. [20:37] 4Piu will probably chat with it from time to time. 15[20:37] Three days later, the mist rolls back to reveal the spires of Jiewei, black basalt towers rising into slate grey skies. There are ships here, blue-water transports flying Ragara colors, pristine docks that look weeks old at most, and a jungle of tents and scaffolds beyond. [20:37] 14Much to learn. [20:38] 07Delightful, defiant, civilization amid the wilderness! What a sight! Is the deck of the Prolix even safe to stand upon? 15[20:39] The daimon insists it is. Few have tested it yet, but those few who have didn't fall overboard. [20:40] 10Well, Daizo was never one of Sadako's favorites, so he can handle 10% more grumbling and sullen looks. Anyway, when he's not on deck leading Seiri through katas, he's down poking around in the ship's engine room—and whatever it has that serves for a library. It's going to fall to either him or Caxi to deal with any problems that might arise with the ship's artifice. [20:41] 07Then Dryas will attempt it, tying a rope around her waist just-in-case and recruiting one of the Tepets to hold the other end. [20:43] 4Piu is confident enough to just walk the deck. The ship likes her. 15[20:43] So far... so good. It seems not just safe but stable. It is a bit unnerving, though, to be so low to the water, with no guards or barriers protecting you from going over on a vessel that moves so swiftly. [20:43] 6Worth it, though. [20:43] 4There's really no great place to do her morning exercises though. [20:44] 07Dryas will dispose of the rope in irritation after seeing her Hearth-sister make the attempt without. But she makes sure she knows where it is. [20:45] 4*does a cartwheel* [20:45] 4Piu: "Wow! The spray's like. Right here." [20:47] 07Dryas: "It's practically a river-raft. How are we supposed to repel boarders?" 07She paces the deck, around the little command-manse, from bow to stern. [20:48] 6Zhangyu: "With force." 15[20:48] Comparing notes, the daimon seems to be a lot more forthcoming with and responsive to Daizo's inquiries than Caxi's, a fact Caxi takes more than a little personally. The ship draws power from somewhere in the bowels of the ship, and channels it to every corner of the vessel through the crystal channels that provide all the light belowdecks. They run with some kind of fluid medium, 15[20:48] something that flows thick and hot like molten glass. 15[20:49] Actually finding that power source has proven elusive, and Daizo has yet to find the time to break the daimon's intransigence. He gets the sense the daimon is operating against some restrictions of its own. [20:49] 4Piu: "Well, they'll just fly off the side." [20:50] 10Since Current's services won't be needed for sailing anymore, Daizo's re-tasked the elemental with ensuring that if someone 10does10 fall off, they'll be promptly rescued.  15[20:50] That suits Current fine. [20:50] 07Dryas: "One good charge with Diamond Weapon, eh?" 07she eyeballs it. [20:51] 10Plus, since no one can convince the daimon to spill the beans on the ship's weapons yet, Current's also well-placed to direct cutting jets at prospective boarders. [20:52] 10It's actually somewhat frustrating, being the owners of the vessel but not yet completely its masters.  [20:53] 4Is the daimon actually open to gentle, aimless prodding from Piu? Or is it only here for on-mission questions? 15[20:53] The daimon is happy to chat! [20:56] 14One thing Piu is curious about: while doing that cartwheel, her hand on the deck, she focuses on the True Rune of Life and Death. [20:56] 14Can she tell how many people this ship has killed? 15[20:58] 15 15,616 [20:58] 6That is... a lot. [20:59] 14That is fleet-level operations. [21:01] 10Well, if it really is pre-Shogunate, that's only like 10 per year. [21:01] 6Accentuate the positive. [21:02] 14Settling into a crossed-legged sit, letting the spray roar up around her. "You've been doing this quite awhile. I myself have a paltry 36 to my name. Something to grow on." [21:03] 14To Dryas: "Sorry, talking to the ship. Yes, though I don't know about the wisdom of letting him run around up here." 15[21:04] The daimon: "36 is a very satisfying number. If you stopped now no one could blame you." [21:05] 07Dryas: "A paltry thirty-six what? And I don't think the horse would tolerate it up here for a moment unless it was truly dire, it was hard enough getting him below at port." [21:06] 14Piu: "Kills." [21:07] "He has fifteen thousand, six hundred sixteen." [21:07] 14To the ship: "My apologies if that was privileged information. I thought to brag a little on your behalf." 15[21:08] Daimon: "I'll forgive you if you tell me where you got that number." [21:09] 14Piu: "I've developed quite the sinister left hand." 14She'll touch the deck again with the rune hand. 15[21:11] Daimon: "Oooh. I [4oppose] the look of that." 15[21:12] The sleek jade vessel advancing on Jiewei is an inspiring sight. But what it inspires in the people on the docks (who look to be islanders, almost to a man) is terror. Who is visible ondeck as it pulls in close enough to the easterly work-site port? [21:12] 14Piu will be there. Probably in something close to rags. [21:13] 14You don't expose the good clothes to this much salt. [21:14] 6Near a port? Time to be on-deck. [21:14] 07Dryas is there, exposing good clothes to that much salt. Tan cotton pantaloons, a tunic and a hat, starched to a peak by spray and sun, arms clasped behind her back. [21:15] 10Daizo's on the bridge, actually, to see how you bring a vessel like this in. [21:16] 10Is Ratel actually doing anything, or is it handling all the minor adjustments itself? 15[21:18] The sight of people means that the workers produce guards - well-equipped, fit men with Blessed Isle features. Ratel's up on the bridge inside the foremanse, and as far as Daizo knows she does physical steer the ship with a wheel up there. Of course it's possible the ship is just humoring her. 15[21:18] That means it falls to one or more of the Fangs to make first contact. [21:20] 14That's fine. [21:20] 4Let's try not to kill anyone! [21:20] 07Dryas: "Ahoy, men of proud Ragara!" [21:20] 6Is it? [21:22] 4Piu is unusually beautiful, and the cut-down peasant gear hanging unusually distractingly off of her, when she drops down onto the docks, perky and smiling. 15[21:22] One of the workers shouts in Seatongue. A few more join in. But one of the guards steps forward, spear at hand, and calls, "State your name and business! What nature of vessel is this?" [21:22] 4Dryas is the one doing the talking! [21:27] 6What in Creation are these people even-- it's time to stand near Piu and look mean. Zhangyu just sort of always looks like that, but he's hearing things that he doesn't like, so it's time to look extra mean. [21:27] 07Dryas: "Why, this vessel is the private property of Cynis Dryas and the Four Fangs!" [21:27] 07Dryas: "Therefore, the nature of this vessel is, most succinctly: private." [21:29] 4We're going to have to work on that intro! [21:29] 4Piu: "This vessel is captained by Commodore Peleps Ratel!" [21:30] "And yes: we are the Four Fangs!" [21:30] "...The fourth one's inside!" [21:32] 07Dryas gestures, conciliatorily, to the apparent absence of the fourth Fang. [21:33] 10Yeah, yeah, hold on. I'm trying to suss out this ancient ship here! 15[21:33] The guards share a meaningful glance, and a runner retreats behind the wall of scaffolding. "Wait there!" he calls. They don't have to wait long; a procession of well-dressed bureaucrats, foremen, and other leaders come out to rubberneck the famous Dynasts and their jade ship. All of them are bowled over by the wide, squint-smiling man in a jade coat, knocking grown men aside as he 15[21:33] alights down the sloping path to the docks by balancing on a featureless black sphere that seems to roll smoothly beneath his feet. 15[21:34] This man, you've met before. "Greetings, heroes!" calls Ragara Takoye. [21:34] 10Daizo hears the shouting and emerges, spreading his wings— [21:34] 4Well! It's nice for once to not hear it obviously stylized 'heroes.' [21:35] 4Piu: "Nevermind! There's number four." 15[21:37] "Ohh, I could kiss each and every one of you. Maybe I will! I was convinced I was being cold-shouldered, but if this is what V'Neef sends, then blow me right down." [21:37] 10Daizo: "Master Takoye! We meet again." 15[21:37] *V'neef [21:38] 4Piu giggles. What a little toad! 15[21:38] Takoye: "Tepet Donezo! Hale as ever. Come! Come! Let me tell you why you're here." [21:38] 10… [21:39] 6... [21:39] 07Dryas eyes her companions. "Aye." 07Like fleecing a sheep. [21:40] 4Piu wanders over, but her attention is on the guards and the dockworkers. Why's everyone so scared? Literally just the ship? [21:41] 10Daizo, to the other Fangs: "…Well, he did come out himself to greet us. More than I was expecting." 15[21:42] By now the ship's delicately sidled up to the dock, drifting ever so slightly in place until a great segmented pincer snaps up from below the surface of the water with nary a ripple and clamps so tightly to the dock that the wood splinters just a bit. 15[21:43] That's not great for the workers' anxiety. [21:44] 10Well, that's got to be handy in close-quarters naval combat. [21:46] 07Dryas glances back to the foremanse. Really?! [21:50] 4Piu: "Sorry about that! He's not used to wood." [21:51] 07Dryas: "What's that you're teetering around on?" 15[21:52] Takoye: "Do you like it! It's my all-terrain, all-direction, fully stabilized personal essence mobility device." 15[21:53] "I call it... the Pivot." [21:54] 10Frankly, it makes Takoye look a bit like a clown, at the circus. [21:54] 10Daizo: "It's certainly… innovative?" [21:55] 07Dryas: "Black jade?" [21:56] "I don't see a hearthstone mount—how is it powered?" 15[21:57] Takoye balances himself by keeping his hands folded behind his back and his hips swaying just a bit from side to side. "No mere black jade this! Exposure to Elemental Water has rendered it particularly amenable to fine-grade essence work. Just one of the many applications of this region's unique magical material, one of my greatest finds yet - surisite!" 15[21:58] The four of them go up the path past the fort of scaffolding erected over broken basalt spires to see the camp - TAKOYE'S LEADING LIGHT. The air is thick with the smells of firedust and cooking pits, which seem to directly abut the workers' canvas barracks against all sense, but the fabric doesn't burn. [21:59] 07Is it humid this close to the Pole? [21:59] 14Well. Lot of ill portents in this arrival. Good time to 4just keep smiling! 15[22:00] It's not that warm. It's more... misty. 15[22:01] Beyond the camp are canals, or canyons of worked basalt flooded with water. Canoes and rafts go up and down the waterways deeper into the ruin, those relentlessly regular square-edged black spires rising straight into the sky from deep water, stretching into the mist. 15[22:02] It's only afternoon, but the lanterns are already out. [22:02] 07Dryas looks on in amazement. "How many workers do you have out here?" 15[22:04] Takoye: "Good question. Sho? SHO!" Someone comes running out of the central tent, a tall man swaddled in the traditional clothes of a Thousand Scales bureaucrat. "My lord?" 15[22:04] Takoye: "How many workers do we have left?" 15[22:05] 'Sho': "Just over 260, my lord." [22:05] 10Daizo: "How many did you have when you set up this operation?" [22:05] 6One further look towards people, then Zhangyu just sits down looking like he can fuck anybody up. I mean, he always looks like that. But now he extra looks like that. [22:06] 14He'd be an easy man to kill, probably. Takoye. The question is whether the apparatus would be of any help to him. 15[22:06] Takoye, confidently: "Less! We've been bringing people in. Replaced more than we lost. Lot to do here! I don't suppose you've got some more laborers tucked away in that jadeclad beauty?" [22:06] 4Cheerfully: "The sailors are not for sale!" [22:06] 6Sale-ers. 15[22:07] Takoye's underling looks uncertainly at the attractive but inconsistently-dressed guests. 15[22:07] Sho Naruhisu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtCbOme3MaY - Bye-bye, self respect. [22:08] 6Zhangyu: "Nope." [22:09] "Regrettably, our own crew is under strength at the moment." 15[22:09] Takoye: "That's fine! You can bring my labor force back up with no commitment on your part. Oh, uh, V'neef is paying you, right? That's all taken care of?" [22:10] 4Piu: "Sure!" 15[22:11] Takoye: "How is she doing, anyway? Since the unpleasantness." [22:12] 4Piu: "She's optimistic, but she knows she has to remain strong and realisitic!" [22:12] 4Not biting on that. 15[22:14] Takoye: "Good, good! I guess that's why you're here. Come on in." He pivots into the tent, letting Sho and the four of you eat his dust. It's warm and well-lit inside, more open flames licking but not burning fabric. Within are tables where other women and men in bureaucrats' clothes are poring over irregular, angular chunks of scratched-up or etched basalt, as well as a three-dimensional 15[22:14] model of some amount of Jiewei. [22:15] 07Dryas peers over the shoulder of one of them. "Tablets?" 15[22:15] A woman is delicately affixing labels on tiny model spires at the very limits of where the table map has them marked out. She looks up as they enter. "Are they here??" She claps. "Killer." 15[22:16] Takoye: "I told you not to worry, my delicate flower, my mountain rose, my sun-chasing aster..." Even standing on the sphere he's only just her height, which makes the long, awkward kiss they share pretty easy to arrange. [22:17] 10That poor woman. [22:17] 07Dryas isn' [22:18] 4Takes all kinds! 15[22:18] She pulls his face away from hers by grabbing his chin and pointing him towards the others. "What have you told them?" she asks, cheek to cheek with Takoye. [22:18] 14She's going to have to go fact-finding after lights out. [22:18] 07Dryas isn't so quick to feel pity. [22:20] 07Not too quick at all, in fact. She's on guard around this one. She smiles as if they were at a tea party in Pangu. "Barely a thing," 07she replies. 15[22:21] She smiles, and her eyes light up. "Cool! Cool cool cool. You look tough." 15[22:21] Nellens Suris: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqtxGL4Rtuo - Pray to the divinity, the Keeper of the Key; one day, everyone will believe. [22:23] 07Dryas: "Appearances can be decieving. I don't remember seeing you last time we ran into Takoye. It was on Abalone, wasn't it?" 15[22:24] The woman offers a slightly stupefied giggle. "Why would I go to Abalone?" [22:24] 6Rude. 15[22:24] Takoye: "I prefer to undertaking funding arounds alone. Travel light, stay agile, you know." [22:27] 10Daizo: "Am I correct in my guess that you are the chief researcher attached to this venture, madam?" [22:28] 07Noted. "Oh, that makes a lot of sense." 15[22:28] The woman: "That's right. Allow me to introduce myself--" 15[22:29] Takoye: "No, bean bao, let me. My friends, this is my lady love, the mind, heart, and soul of this operation, the incomparable Nellens Suris." 15[22:30] Suris: "What about you all?" [22:31] 4Piu: "I'm V'neef Piu. This is a lot of researchers!" [22:31] 07Dryas: "Cynis Dryas, at your service." 15[22:31] Suris: "There's a lot to research. This used to be the farthest western edge of the Sword of Creation." [22:31] 10Daizo: "Tepet Daizo. So this 'surisite' is your namesake, then?" [22:31] 6Zhangyu: "Tepet Zhangyu." [22:35] 10A Nellens as chief researcher, very interesting. Is Suris one of the few Nellens Blooded? 15[22:37] Suris: "Is he still calling it that?" She cuffs Takoye. "Dude." 15[22:39] Turning to the Fangs, Suris asks: "Are you terribly far off course? What did we pull you off from?" [22:42] 10Daizo: "We're right where we want to be, for the moment. Don't worry about it." [22:42] 07Dryas: "We had just attended a state wedding, in fact, at Brightwork. Ran a few minor errands after that." 15[22:42] Suris: "That's super suspicious." 15[22:43] "Oh!! The Moxes?" 15[22:43] "How are they doing?" 15[22:43] "I love Brightwork." 15[22:43] "The people are so nice." [22:44] 4Piu: "They're great!" [22:44] 4Intentionally unclear whether that refers to their status or their nature. [22:46] 10Daizo: "Are you acquainted with the House of Mox?" [22:46] 07Dryas: "It was a splendid occasion," 07Dryas agrees. 15[22:47] Suris: "Sure. I know their princess. Oh, did she get married? Oh oh!! Who to?" [22:49] 07Dryas: "Why, didn't you hear? The Knight of Ghosts and Shadows," 07Dryas replies cagily. [22:50] 10Daizo: "Absolutely dreadful political match." 15[22:50] Suris wrinkles her nose. "Oh no." 15[22:50] "Well in that case I'm glad I wasn't invited." [22:51] 4Piu: "Oh, it's fine. The wedding was cancelled." [22:51] "He got hung up." 15[22:52] Takoye: "What, like he couldn't make it or like someone strung him up?" [22:53] 4Piu: "Wow! You really don't get a lot of news out here!" [22:58] 10Daizo: "Really, we should catch up with this later. V'Neef's not paying us to stand around and gossip, after all." [23:00] 07Dryas: "In fact, she's sent us to put you back on schedule." 15[23:01] Suris: "Good call. So you weren't told anything? Alright, here's the deal: we're now very confident this used to be a key part of the Sword of Creation, up through the Shogunate at least. But it fell apart a long time ago. Completely flooded out. But old artifice doesn't waterlog. The stuff here is world-changing... if we can get it out." 15[23:01] "We haven't found a system for that yet. We've tried divers, we've tried submersibles, we've tried, fuckin, nets and spears." 15[23:02] "At best we get our people back. At best." [23:02] 6Not ideal. [23:02] 07Dryas, curious now that her bluff was completely spotted and called: "And what's the holdup?" [23:03] 14Piu's beginning to think her instinct that this place is connected to Old Mionzi was right. 15[23:03] Suris: "So that's why we called in with the Merchant Fleet. We were worried no one was getting our messages. Even though Takoyaki has a direct line on V'neef's personal head of household." 15[23:03] "But now here you are!" [23:04] 10Mm, takoyaki. Much better than this twerp. [23:06] 10Daizo: "And here we are. You have a specific target you want brought up, or is it more about finding a process that works?" 15[23:07] Suris: "We have some ideas of where key landmarks are, points of interest, based on what we've been able to chart. But anything you can get would be amazing." [23:08] 4Piu: "Where should we set up?" [23:08] 6We are amazing. 15[23:09] Suris: "We've got space, don't we, babe?" 15[23:09] Takoye: "Oh yeah! A whole barracks tent just cleared out, you can set up in that." [23:09] 07Dryas: "You can pull the rest of the workers out. They're only going to get in our way." [23:11] 4Piu: "Keep them on rations! We might need them healthy to handle landing what we bring up!" 15[23:19] Suris: "What and just, let them hang around? Talking to each other? Winding each other up?" [23:19] 4To Takoye: "You've got a direct line to V'neef To!" 15[23:20] Takoye: "Yes! Do you know her? What a fascinating woman." [23:20] 4Piu: "She practically raised me! I was adopted into the house young." [23:20] 07Dryas: "Idle hands won't do, of course. Can we put them on something less dangerous? What's got them so rattled, anyway?" 15[23:21] Suris rolls her eyes. "They think the place is cursed." [23:22] 6Oh, come on. There's only like one person who came back from the dead. [23:22] 4Piu, stage whisper: "It probably is!" [23:23] 6Not whispering: "It's fine." [23:25] 10Daizo: "Ascertaining the truth of the matter should be a high priority. And if there is a curse, it can be dispelled, warded off, or broken." 15[23:26] Takoye: "We can take the opportunity to build up the camp more. Maybe get some standing structures going." 15[23:26] "I tell you, we have just been throwing people at the acquisition problem." [23:29] 10Daizo: "Mhm."10 If the attrition problem is that bad, the underwater ruins are rotten with hungry ghosts by now—Daizo doubts Takoye's been taking proper care of the dead. [23:29] 07Dryas is quiet for a moment. "What an excellent idea. They seemed a bit skittish. Perhaps taking some time away will improve the morale." 15[23:33] Suris: "....great!" 15[23:33] "What do you need?" [23:35] 07Dryas: "Daizo? Aside from the maps, the notes?" [23:39] 10Daizo: "Those are a good start, and we'll also want an inventory of whatever materiel is on hand here at the camp. We'll want a couple of days to familiarize ourselves with the project." [23:39] 4Piu: "I'll start swimmin' around!" [23:39] "Ah, and some samples of this 'surisite'." 15[23:40] Suris: "Yeah, sure. We'll get that for you." 15[23:41] Someone comes in: "My lord and lady, more people are disembarking from the jadeclad." 15[23:41] Takoye: "More?" [23:41] 6Think we want that for ourselves. On account of "maybe it got messed with." 15[23:41] Suris: "Jadeclad??" [23:41] 4Piu: "I should hope so!" [23:43] 10Daizo: "Lady Suris, we aren't joking around here. We've brought a hell of a team." 15[23:44] Suris: "As long as your remuneration is squared away with V'neef." 15[23:44] "I know times are hard but that was the arrangement." [23:44] 4To Takoye: "If you've got a way of communicating with matron To, I'd love the chance to talk!" 15[23:45] Takoye's eyes light up. "Have you seen my Mnemon Shower in action?" [23:45] "Mnemon… Shower?" 15[23:46] Takoye: "Let me get it out. We can call her right now!" [23:46] 4Piu: "Sure!" 15[23:47] Takoye leaves the tent and comes back in with a big heavy bucket and Cynis Caxi. "Look who I found outside, seashell!" 15[23:48] Caxi and Suris meet eyes for a moment, and speak to each other in pitch-perfect unison. "It's been so long! You look a-ma-zing." 15[23:48] Big, inflexible smiles cross their faces. [23:49] 10That's the single most frightening thing Daizo's ever seen Caxi do. 15[23:49] Takoye puts the bucket on a top thing and slaps it. It flares white. 15[23:49] The bucket tips, and liquid lead spills from its mouth into the ground, where it vanishes. The cauldron seems bottomless. [23:49] 4This is all such horseshit! Let's get it over with. [23:50] "You're acquainted, dear? Well, it saves us the trouble of more introductions—" 15[23:51] "Takes a minute to connect!" Takoye says. "Talk amongst yourselves." [23:51] 4If anyone else from the ship has filtered in, Piu will give them a rundown on where to disembark the crew. 15[23:52] The Commodore sticks her head in, sees the way Caxi and Suris are looking at each other, and is eager to put Piu's report to work. Somewhere else. 15[23:57] Then the cauldron burns white, and the liquid lead starts to fall short of the ground, spilling out over a surface that doesn't exist beneath it. Eventually the source of the resistance is given shape, as the stream of metal spills around it in a three-dimensional silhouette, forming a flowing metal idol of an older woman whose expression is impenetrably tight and severe. 15[23:58] The flowing figure's movements are lifelike. "What?" The voice is distorted, metallic, but it is her voice. "I told you I would pass your message on. What is it this time?" 15[23:58] Takoye's hand is against the jar. "Anyone who wants to connect has to connect to the jar, or to someone connected to the jar." He reaches out with his free, sweaty hand. [23:59] 4She'll connect to the jar instead, thanks. 15[23:59] "Suit yourself." [23:59] 10!! 15[23:59] Anyone else plugging in? [23:59] 10Yeah, Daizo's gonna touch it, and test a hypothesis.  [23:59] 07Absolutely not. "Are you sure we have time for such diversions?" 07But it's already too late. [00:00] 4Piu: "V'neef Piu reporting in here, just off the Pole of Water!" [00:00] 10How much does it feel like making a connection with Garnet's jar? 15[00:02] You know... that's a very good intuition. It does feel very similar. 15[00:05] The woman's eyelids flutter just a touch. "Ah. Precious, precious Piu. Our finest daughter. What have you got for me?" 15[00:05] Iselsi To, "the Maudlin Tutor": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4jUZ-Ex1k0 - You’ll never get a second chance; plan all your moves in advance. [00:07] 07Dryas takes a step back. [00:07] 14They have a code for 'it's not safe to talk.' 4So: "Oh, it's sparrow season as always, honored aunt. I'm just flitting about! We're here to protect the House's interests in the dive!" [00:08] 14She's going to need to sneak to this jar, access it, then code in properly. 15[00:08] In fact, the more Daizo thinks about it... the more he gets the sense that the projection of the woman he sees before him, and the projection of the Empress they know as Garnet, might be the same category of emanation. Albeit of vastly different fidelity and ability. 15[00:09] To: "I'm glad you and yours made it out there safely. We know how treacherous the seas can get. The matriarch sends all her love." 15[00:11] Takoye: "Hey! Thanks for your prompt turnaround. Some of the things I said on our last call were precipitate." [00:11] 10Well… Daizo steels his resolve. He's going to have to suck up to Ragara Takoye long enough to get the man to spill the secrets of the Mnemon Shower.  15[00:11] To, mildly: "Oh, I hardly even remember." [00:11] 4Almost squealing: "That's so good to hear! I send my respect and my love. I'll hand you back over to Takoye now, but I'll check in with you as soon as I can!" [00:12] 14So be ready to pick up. 15[00:12] To: "I'll be waiting." 15[00:12] Takoye: "Great! Just wanted to make sure that payment was already settled as per the implicit long-distance handshake agreement." 15[00:13] To: "Of course, Master Takoye. Rest assured: payment will be given in full. On my word of honor." 15[00:13] "Don't let it trouble you any longer." 15[00:15] Takoye: "Great! Well. I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing. How's V'neef." 15[00:15] To: "Industrious." [00:15] 07Dryas ignores the small miracle in front of her and just stares at her hearth-sister. 15[00:15] Takoye: "Great! Talk soon." 15[00:16] To dissolves into nothing before their eyes. [00:16] 10Daizo breaks his connection to the Shower—looking a bit distant, or perhaps just in awe of the genius on display. 15[00:18] Takoye: "Pretty good, right?" 15[00:18] "I'm really something." 15[00:19] Then the hearth is left to their devices, to set up and prepare for whatever it is they're going to do. [00:19] 10Daizo: "You really are." 15[00:20] NEXT TIME: The Good News