Aleph: Hmm. So. For Calibration:
- Tie up "leaving" stuff with a quick mention of Calesco and a roll for the licensing of the smithy.
- Keris pursues that one plot thread at some point, possibly en-route to Malfeas, and also does some cult-making for the Lost Dragons.
- Touch base with Hermione, Lilunu and Asarin. Hope Ligier is pleased with her cult-saving.
- Review of what she's done this year, with a glowing report from Orange Blossom (plus finding out exactly what the aftermath of Eshtock and Malra was) and then some good old-fashioned boasting.
Aleph: With Lilunu particularly, she gets another scene with her niece and nephew and also bleeds off some stress by feeding Iris another chakra-knot.
Aleph: ... oh, and of course some socialising with other Infernals. By which I mean bitchy staredown with OB, and Deveh showing his face.
EarthScorpion: Sounds like a plan.
Aleph: ...
Aleph: ... is that a "sounds like a plan, we'll do that", or "sounds like a plan which I am going to have fun ruining when I toss my own horrible plan from my post it notes of evil at you"?
EarthScorpion: Yes
Aleph: i h8 u :c
EarthScorpion: Oh yeah, and Urge adjustment for Keris
...
EarthScorpion: So any XP spending in the downtime before the next session?
Aleph: Yeah, some. Hmm.
EarthScorpion: What are you looking to spend the XP on? Just trying to work out if you'll have any new capacities.
Aleph: Not sure. I'll probably raise my Politics to 2, but I dunno about Charms.
EarthScorpion: Well, you could always learn Salina's spell. Sigh. It'd be a way of keeping Sasi happy on the trip across Cecelyne. And also be a place to keep Kali and Ogin in that'd stop them jumping over the side of the sandship.
EarthScorpion: ... goddammit Keris. And you could smuggle a lot of things in and out of hell in a portable sanctum.
Aleph: ...
Aleph: : 3
Aleph: I thought that'd take a major action, though? Sigh. Though she could totally anchor it in the Collar once she gets it down.
EarthScorpion: It depends how high first age compliant the version of the spell she's looking for is. Something that uses something that doesn't require much adaption would only be a minor.
EarthScorpion: And god, yes, now that you point it out, the Salinan lineage plus the collar plus the notes is enough to patch up the artefact creation of the spell as a trivial thing. She basically gave you everything to repair one of the broken spells that was corrupted in the orichalcum collar, so if you want to learn that we can open with the first casting of that spell.
EarthScorpion: So yeah, what is your official XP spending, and do you want to learn Sanctum of the Sorcerer?
Aleph: Okayyyy...
Aleph: I'll get Sanctum of the Sorcerer with an Artifact anchor for 9xp, yes. And I'll also grab the last two variants of Kimmy's teaching charm for 10xp to round out Keris's ability to teach anything she knows up to the level she knows it.
Aleph: Mundane-wise, I'll take my Politics up to 2 and buy the third dots of Golden Lands Lorist, Perfumed Smoke and Wolf-as-Lamb for 9mxp total.
EarthScorpion: oh keris
EarthScorpion: bebe infernal keris would be kind of horrified to see who you've become
Aleph:
Aleph: Sigh. Oh Keris. Golden Lands Lorist
is actually pretty useful for her, because it means she's much better at doing traditional Tengese art in things other than embroidery, and can also sound knowledgeable when talking about art with other Tengese people who like to put on pretensions of culture.
EarthScorpion: Hee. She basically decided "fuck the Lintha" and gave up on them as not worth the effort.
Aleph: Keris: "In fairness, it is an understandable decision."
EarthScorpion: Hmm. What level is the necklace as an artefact? I think I might have said it was 3?
Aleph: 3 dots, yes. Sasi will be very pleased. Heh. It's a great ring-shaped building. The same shape as the collar, just seen from the inside.
EarthScorpion: In that case,
"A very large sanctum, the size of a villa—approximately 25 rooms. A god may labor for a decade to transform a two-dot sanctum into a three-dot sanctum. Very few gods ever bother to build sanctums rated above three dots. One day of damaging a three-dot sanctum reduces it to two dots."
EarthScorpion: If you want to add an villa-like comforts to it now in description, you can. Its themes are Adamant, Orichalcum, sorcery, containment, and Keris's blend of Yozi essence for what's appropriate.
EarthScorpion: So yes, given the containment themes, it can maybe even hold the twins.
...
<checking on the children, who are miraculously not-upset >
EarthScorpion: Oh Kali. She's the kind of girl who suffers tonnes from SAD. The south west is great for her.
Aleph: Poor thing.
Aleph: Sigh. And Ogin has been having tremendous fun going all Awareness on the walls that whisper occult secrets and the hidden doors and passages everywhere.
Aleph: (He has managed to map out very nearly the entire sanctum.)
...
<Celebrations>
EarthScorpion: ... OK, Sasi just rolled 4 successes on her "Indulgence" test, so she's going to show off some of her self-destructive 'just feel good' side.
Aleph: ...
Aleph: W-with Keris, or...
EarthScorpion: Poor Sasi. She's high limit, low WP, and super-stressed, so she's falling into bad habits - and is very persuasive at that.
Aleph:
EarthScorpion: OK, hmm. Sasi will want to go to some of the more extreme places because she's low willpower right now. And try to fit five days of vice into one, because this is one of the main holidays she gets all year. Where will Keris draw the line, or will she basically go along with Sasi even when she's being self-destructive?
Aleph: Keris will draw a reasonably strict line at self-destructive stuff by, uh, seducing Sasi into doing things with her that are more enjoyable by dint of
hilarious successes, and also grudgingly, reluctantly, sulkily throwing her at Testolagh to be her rock and her support and the things Keris can't be for her and blah blah blah hmmph.
EarthScorpion: OK, roll me Per + Pres for Sasi wrangling.
Aleph: 4+5+3 Cerulean Paramour+1 bonus {feelings are sincere}+3 stunt (TLA boosted)+4 Kimmy ExSux+4 Compassion autosux (x2 Hidden Depths Temptress)=16. (6+8)x2=28 sux.
Aleph: Also triggering Sasi's Principle for Keris - lol, Keris is protecting her from herself - and hitting the TLA -4 MDV modifier. And My Dark Lady, when applicable.
EarthScorpion: Okay. You get veto, of course, but the idea here is that Keris chooses to take her to one of Lelabet's parties which are at the tame end of "hedonistic orgy" because of Lelabet's thing about helping the weak over the strong.
Aleph: Yeah, that's fine.
...
<Promotion to division head>
Aleph: oh
Aleph: oh god
Aleph: Please tell me she can request Testolagh to manage the far Southwest.
Aleph: Doing him a
favour by putting him nearer Sasi while at the same time having him working
under her authority would just be...
Aleph: perfect~
Aleph: Keris would become so smug she would spontaneously hit Enlightenment 10 and spawn a Third Circle of Smugness and all seven of its souls.
Aleph: ...
Aleph: wait
Aleph: you
Aleph: you literally told me
Aleph: not long ago
Aleph: that soon you were going to let keris start spending her xp on other people
Aleph: and I was like "haha, I mean, I guess she can spend it on her souls? it's not like she's got anyone else"
Aleph: ...
Aleph: YOU LITERALLY FUCKING TOLD ME
Aleph: YOU LITERALLY
Aleph: FUCKING
Aleph: TOLD ME
Aleph: THAT I WOULD BE GETTING UNDERLINGS
Aleph: AND I
STILL MISSED IT
Aleph: ARGH
EarthScorpion:
...
<Sasi's reassignment>
Aleph: Soooo
Aleph: If Keris wanted to say with whatever degree of politeness seemed appropriate that if she tries to work with Deveh in any way without Sasi as a buffer between them then it will end with her decapitating him and pouring molten silver down his neck...
Aleph: How much credibility does she have to burn here regarding "Sasi not getting sent on a suicide mission to the Blessed Isles"?
EarthScorpion: I mean, she's managed to build up some, but if she reads between the lines, part of this is building dissatisfaction for how slow, risk-averse, and conservative Sasi is being - when in the same time, Deveh has built up extensive brainwashed cult-areas. And therefore it's a mix of "actually getting some things done" and "someone that risk adverse who's from the Realm will be able to get things done there without getting caught".
Aleph: Yes, but unfortunately Keris has Mother Before Daughter and is terrified of the Realm.
Aleph: And her Principle for Sasi is now a protective/saviour one.
Aleph: Letting Sasi go right into the heart of Realm territory is literally an unacceptable order for her, and I would imagine Lilunu and anyone else who cares to pay attention can see the psychological clash playing out.
Aleph: ... oh, Keris. Assuming she doesn't try to strangle the Blue Glass Maiden over this, it is likely to drive her to do something very reckless to boot Deveh out of An Teng and discredit him.
Aleph: I guess, heh.
Aleph: To some extent this is less "Keris deliberately throwing a fit" and more "shit, one of our better tools is Kimberyian enough that she'll break down if we move that other one."
...
EarthScorpion: sooooooooo
EarthScorpion: how was that session?
Aleph: grrr
EarthScorpion:
Aleph: GRRR
Aleph: >_>
EarthScorpion: You had gotten a bit comfortable relying on Sasi for things and not having opposition from your own nominal team.
EarthScorpion: plus
Aleph: i stg
Aleph: if you say "you asked for more deveh"
Aleph: I will
teleport to your house just so I can smack you one
EarthScorpion: An important thing about "Infernals are corporate" is being screwed over by HR-led reorganisations when they decide to shift up the corporate structure.
Aleph: Sigh. Well, yes. That I cannot dispute.
EarthScorpion: In this metaphor, the Blue Glass Maiden is that one corporate asshole who's seemingly making decisions to actively fuck things over for everyone at the bottom levels
Aleph: ¬_¬
Aleph: Urgh.
Aleph: The worst part is, I can't even fucking
permakill her without screwing over the status quo completely. Even if I could beat her in a fight.
Aleph: God
Aleph: Keris is a
division leader now.
Aleph: wtf
EarthScorpion: Keris has alarming levels of seniority and has basically never failed a mission.
Aleph: ...
EarthScorpion: At most, she's just taken longer to do it than she was meant to.
Aleph: Shit, you're right. She's a silver bullet in the Reclamation's arsenal.
Aleph: And is
alarmingly good at getting additional bonus goals done alongside the main one.
EarthScorpion: She took a sabbatical of a few seasons this year, and wound up seriously sabotaging a Solar empire that was growing rapidly in power.
Aleph: ... and, fuck, I guess she's been Exalted for two or three years now, hasn't she? And... yeah, she hasn't really been paying attention, but you did mention last Calibration that she'd moved up in the rankings. OB introduced that new Scourge - other Infernals must be dying and getting replaced, and she just... isn't.
Aleph: There are still a few old dinosaurs from the early days, like Sasi and Testolagh, but...
EarthScorpion: She's seen 4 Calibrations as an Infernal now. Her first one as a noob, two ones where she made a proper report, and now this one.
Aleph: Man. Keris legitimately is the same kind of senior that Sasi was when she first showed up.
EarthScorpion: Yeeeeeeep
EarthScorpion: That's why I played this card now
Aleph: ...
Aleph: ...
Aleph: es
Aleph: are you going to steal an Arafelgame character or two
Aleph: and give them to me as noobs?
EarthScorpion: mebe
Aleph: Oh god.
Ligier: "A new Infernal has Exalted in the city of White Lightning, on the southern Yorito peninsula north of your region. Retrieve them, and bring them back here to be trained. They will likely be assigned to your division."
Newbie Infernal: *radiates tiny murderchildness*
Keris: "... fuck, what am I supposed to do with this?"
Keris: "At least Sasi could send me off to kill things. I can already go kill things if I want things killed."
EarthScorpion: Sasi: "..."
Orange Blossom: "..."
Both women are trying very hard not to laugh.
Sasi: "There is an ancient Realm curse. 'May you have subordinates just like you'."
Orange Blossom: "Huh. Our version is 'May your daughter be like you were'."
Aleph: Keris: *glares at them and eyes Kali and Atiya nervously*
...
Aleph: Hmm.
Aleph: Keris can't
kill Iudicavisse - or at least, can't perma-kill her.
Aleph: But Molocasi, Yuula, Lelabet and others show that there's conceptual space for leaving Crippling wounds on a powerful demon that they can't heal, right? Especially if done in a way their nature "agrees with" or "allows".
Aleph: Hmm. Yeah, okay. New goal: I'mma leave a very permanent mark on Iudicavisse.
Aleph: Blind her, maybe. Cut out those cynical eyes.
EarthScorpion: blind justice lol
Aleph: Yes. And her nature is inherently one that will make it very hard for her to get rid of a wound that someone inflicted upon her by force without beating the person who gave it to her. Which Keris will not give her the opportunity to do.
...
EarthScorpion: So, anyway, things you liked, things you didn't, things which were well done, things which could use improvement, etc
Aleph: Hmm. So, yeah, this was a major shake-up. In a good way, I think. I have enough trust in you-as-ST to be comfortable with the notion that this is a way to stop me relying on Sasi so much without, you know, killing her off, and that as long as she's careful she'll be fine in the Realm. The conflicts it brings with Deveh and the challenges as a division leader that it will throw up should be interesting. Seeing Keris on the
experienced side of the "coven newbie" intro is going to be legit fucking hilarious.
EarthScorpion: Yes. Sasi has Skulking Shadow Shintai, after all. Even if things go very wrong, you really
have to know that she's got that and a great deal of preparation to stop her escaping.
Aleph: Heh. And I wonder how many among the Unquestionable realise how
badly they just damaged their position with one of their best assets by assigning her love to the Blessed Isles.
Aleph: Probably not many.
Aleph: Oh, Keris. She's not like Testolagh. They know he's an asset that requires careful handling. But Keris pretends to be much more loyal than she actually is, so they think they can pull shit like this and she won't complain. And don't realise that she's a weapon that requires very,
very delicate gloves to use without cutting yourself.
EarthScorpion: And how did you like the initial stuff, which was in part a way to show off Sasi's skills?
EarthScorpion: ... does Keris realise Sasi twisted her feelings, and if so, does she care?
Aleph: Heh. You know, I went and checked it, and the duration is Instant with no commitment cost. There's no way to turn it off.
Aleph: But, hmm, yeah. She's not twisted it to an
Indulgence Principle of "oh yeah she's so good in bed baby", she's nudged it from "Sasi Is My One True Love" to
"I Will Protect My One True Love", right?
EarthScorpion: Well, "I am Sasi's Loving Saviour", more like, because Elloge's stuff is kind of role-based there.
Aleph: Yeah. Hmm. Then yeah, I think Keris is going to be vaguely aware that Sasi used magic to beg her for protection, but won't fight it. Because honestly, that's barely a shift. She could probably have coaxed that reframing just with NMI if she put a bit of work into it.
EarthScorpion: Yep, but she had to do that to allow Keris to use her as the Hero's Treasure Shintai
Aleph: Yes.
Aleph: Heh. I said I was hoping for Sasi to see how deadly Keris is when she goes all-out. You gave me a lovely opportunity. And it means that Sasi can't actually be scared of Keris now, doesn't it? The Principle is inviolate, and frames Keris as her saviour.
EarthScorpion: Well, she can, but she's got her own thing of making sure that Keris fulfils the role of being her loving saviour. And not quite - it's only inviolate when they're around one another.
EarthScorpion: Keris could progressively wind up shifting it back to Adorjani love, for example.
Aleph: I, uh
Aleph: I actually think it's still a TLA Principle?
Aleph: It's just now both TLA-locked
and CCC-locked.
Aleph: And yeah, if Keris wanted she could just re-TLA that Sasi is her One True Love and let go of the saviour complex.
EarthScorpion: That Elloge stuff is becoming more and more a major part of Sasi's toolset.
EarthScorpion: ... heh, how did it feel to have brief access to Cece and SWLIHN charms?
Aleph: Keris
really likes that flicker-stepping.
EarthScorpion: Eko gestures wildly that mama just needs to dip in for Transcendent Desert Creature, pretty please!
Aleph: God, she can cover twenty yards with a single flicker, it's horrifying. You don't even get to see her charging, she's just suddenly
there.
EarthScorpion: goddamnit keris
EarthScorpion: stop doing the zommari vs byakuya thing
...
Aleph: ... heh
"And I wonder how many among the Unquestionable realise how badly they just damaged their position with one of their best assets by assigning her love to the Blessed Isles. Probably not many."
Aleph: At least two, though.
Aleph: Lilunu got to see Keris
decide to trust her - and struggle with that choice. And Noh absolutely gets it. It's probably why she was there at all. She saw this coming as soon as it got raised in the Unquestionable circles, and wanted to witness them snap a few more strings on their puppet.
EarthScorpion: And, heh, even as Keris's trust in the other Unquestionable was shaken, Lilunu held strong or even reinforced her own trust because she obviously showed that she cared and understood.
Aleph: yyyup
EarthScorpion: Heh. Honestly, this is a good example of how the Infernal setup is worse than the Abyssal one from a management PoV. This is clearly the result of back-end argument and politicking and "We need someone with Realm expertise" and "I like Deveh, give him something nice" and so on.
Aleph:
Aleph: Lilunu is doing
very well at winning Keris's sole loyalty.
Aleph: Honestly, heh, the demon who got screwed over most from this is Ligier.
EarthScorpion: His cousin did fuck him over, yes.
Aleph: Because Noh said not one word throughout this, and Keris will be able to work out once she calms down that she was there to see Keris's loyalties fray, and she already viewed Iudicavisse as an enemy and all this did was kindle a determination to
maim the bitch at some point, and Lilunu held strong.
Aleph: But Keris was genuinely pretty loyal to Ligier for all the support he gave her souls, and this did not do that loyalty
any favours.
EarthScorpion: Well, Noh doesn't believe in telling people what to do, so of course she doesn't act in the order-giving bit.
Aleph: Heh. And Yuula and the Shashalme were up in the gallery and uninvolved, so they didn't really get touched by it in Keris's view.
EarthScorpion: Heh. There's another thing Keris saw that she'd never seen before
EarthScorpion: Sasi Fate-ing and breaking a finger punching a wall as she let her feelings escape
Aleph: Yes.
Aleph: ... heh. When Keris finally goes rogue, Noh may choose to make a performance thing where she reveals to the Unquestionable all the moments like this that frayed her loyalty.
Aleph: It would amuse her to show how their deeds flawed their design and drove her to rebel.
Aleph: (it's the scene where she tells the story and the screen goes to flashbacks that are from a different angle so you can see Keris's expression in all those moments, which were originally shot so the Unquestionable couldn't see her true reactions)
EarthScorpion: Of course, Iudicavisse has been Noh's great enemy since before time - both her and Ligier. So she has hard choices about who to fuck over more by what she does and lets happen
...
Aleph: Also, hee~
Aleph: Aiko staying with Aunty Keris. ^_^
EarthScorpion: o keris and her demonic child creche
...
EarthScorpion: Any criticisms on that session?
Aleph: Hmm. No. I mean, it was a hell of a shock, but narratively it was for a good reason and fit well into the current place in the story.
Aleph: And, sigh, you lied-without-lying again, you dick.
Aleph: By saying Calibration would just be one session. ¬_¬
Aleph: That's
my trick, stop stealing and abusing it.
EarthScorpion: Yeah. So, my thought is that I'm basically kind of ramping things up for a timeskip of a few years. Moving the pieces into place for "what people are doing in the downtime".
Aleph: Yup. Urgh. And Keris - and Sasi - are so fucking survivable that if we skip ahead two or three more years, they'll be
even more senior.
Lilunu: "And this is Peer Keris Dulmeadokht. She has been with the Reclamation for seven years, and is one of our most valued servants. There's a good chance you'll be working under her in the Southwest."
EarthScorpion: They're actively selected for being cowards.
Aleph:
Aleph: God, Keris doesn't even
look like a coward, on paper.
Aleph: She's hit a focused Lookshyian operation in their fortress and a city of the Dead, attacked princes of chaos deep within their Wyld zones, created a spell that's helped infernal cults all over Creation, infiltrated a rapidly growing Solar empire and ravaged its leader's palace, made a running string of attacks on Realm trade ships and fortifications, foiled the investigations of dedicated Realm magistrates by lying to their faces, collapsed the government of Nexus, slain an experienced deathknight on her very first mission...
Aleph: Her mission record looks like she's just
that good.
EarthScorpion:
EarthScorpion: Keris and Sasi are both cowards. That's why they endure.
Aleph: To the point that a non-barbarian newbie who knows a little about this sort of thing and has experience in the military or whatever would take one look at her mission record and go "hahaha what the fuck".
Aleph: "that's terrifying. she's terrifying. what the fuck."
Newbie Infernal: "Most honoured and respected Unquestionable; I beg a question. Has she ever, actually, failed a mission?"
Lilunu: *considers this for a moment*
Lilunu: "No."
Aleph: Hee
Aleph: the other nice thing about the timeskip is that it pushes Kali and Ogin up to being kids.
EarthScorpion: That's one of the big reasons for it, yes
EarthScorpion: It also makes Atiya a character rather than a smol crying thing
Aleph: Yes, heh.
...
Aleph: god, I don't think I'll ever get tired of the way that Kali and Ogin are just
Aleph: completely unafraid
Aleph: of anything
Aleph: when mama is nearby
EarthScorpion: well, kali might be
EarthScorpion: ogin still gets scared
Aleph: ... no, but... mmm.
Aleph: how to put it...
Aleph: Ogin gets startled or uncomfortable or unhappy or upset, but I don't think he ever feels
threatened.
Aleph: Keris has probably legitimately broken down in happy-tears over that a few times, because
gods and Makers, it's the one thing she wants more than any other for her children. For them to feel
safe. Secure. For them never to have to look over their shoulder or be scared or have to worry about something hurting them. For them to see
her as a source of safety, and to trust with that particular kind of
absolute, unquestioning faith that she won't let anything, ever, hurt them.
Aleph: Kali can look at a horizon-spanning sandstorm crackling with blue lightning and molten glass and just go "mama, what that?", because the concept that it might be able to
hurt her when mama is holding her doesn't even register.
Aleph: Ogin would think it looked scary and was too loud and probably start crying, but it would still be an "I don't like this" cry, not an "I'm scared I'm about to get hurt" cry.
EarthScorpion: Incidentally, that storm was just the storm from Fury Road, only blue tinged.
Aleph: ... oh goddamn you.
Aleph: Out of interest, if they'd tried to outrun it, would that have got them there in 5 days rather than 10? Was it stopping for the storm that screwed them?
EarthScorpion: Yes, potentially, if they'd made a number of difficult Travel rolls and the ship hadn't given way. But yes, stopping sort of turned it into "two journeys".
Aleph: Damn. I should've abandoned the ship and just run for it. Bah.
Aleph: *watches video*
Aleph: Gods. And Keris can just... run through that. Sasi can
walk through it.
EarthScorpion: Basically, I suspected I'd only get away with this kind of Cecelyne fuckery once, so I had to make it count.
Aleph: Keris is, like, 90% sure that Iudicavisse had something to do with that storm hitting them.
EarthScorpion: And I even got to do the shenanigans with Iris getting there slower than Keris even after she went "faster".
Aleph: Heh.
...
EarthScorpion: Aww, this is the first year she didn't have a big everyone is human Calibration party.
EarthScorpion: Meanwhile the 3 in Creation are probably having a lot of fun with what they're doing.
EarthScorpion: ... wait. Does that mean people will be assuming that Calesco is Zana's sister from the albinism?
...
EarthScorpion: Hmm. Given there was also some power/nudity stuff , that everything was within your comfort zone?
Aleph: Yup. I mean, I made the choice to have Keris suck it up and grovel at Ligier's feet with Sasi.
Aleph: It's, heh, more of her work/life split. She'll do unpleasant things when she has to. Her "wetwork" mindset.
Aleph: "This is a thing that has to be done; I will do it and then it will be over."
Aleph: Poor keris
Keris: "If my children never have need to develop that mindset as part of themselves; I will have done my job as a mother."
EarthScorpion: Well, heh, some of that is that Keris is low Conviction and Valour. She's not like Testolagh, who's like "no, fuck you" if told to do something he doesn't want to do unless he has Temperance telling him what to do.
EarthScorpion: oh testolagh and vali
Aleph: Honestly, it's the Pekhijira and Haneyl in her. The street rat mindset. The survivalist, who'll do anything necessary to live.
EarthScorpion: Heh. Haneyl sort of knows that about herself. She knows she'll bend if she's put in the corner. Which is why she really, really doesn't want to be put in a corner.
Aleph: Bend and bend and never break. And spring back once she's out of it. Keris is much better at recovering from trauma than Sasi.
Aleph: She doesn't get
over it, exactly. She still has at least four layers of trauma deep down. But she can spring back to shape. She shifts shape, but doesn't shatter and have to glue herself back together.
EarthScorpion: Sigh. Honestly, some of the reason that Sasi and Keris got put in this position is that they both have reputations as good, loyal agents who are willing to relocate over Creation if needed.
EarthScorpion: It's the old problem that if you're good at digging holes, your reward is you get a bigger shovel.
Aleph: Heh. Yes.
EarthScorpion: And of course, both their life circumstances have changed, so they can't move around like they used to - but Unquestionable are very bad at handling working mothers.
EarthScorpion: Hee.
EarthScorpion: Time to update her appearance again, as working mother keris with a demon arm.
...
Aleph: Out of interest; did you have different plans for if they hadn't been late or if Sasi had done better on her boasting roll?
EarthScorpion: I basically played the odds that you'd wind up pausing at some point, and the "leaving a week beforehand" basically guaranteed you'd miss the vital first three days.
Aleph: Urgh, you're too good at predicting me ¬_¬
EarthScorpion: Sasi wouldn't have made a difference if she'd rolled better. The decision had already been made.
EarthScorpion: It just meant she took it worse because she blames herself, rather than it coming out of nowhere.
Aleph: poor sasi
