Worlds Beyond Number - Solari: Episode 11 - Pact

Episode Date: August 4, 2026

A moment of rest after a trial of terror. Reach out! A connection may ensure our safety. Who will take us under their wing? And what do we give up in return?Content Warning: This episode contains depictions of alcohol consumption, drug use, and sexual content. We are:Brennan Lee MulliganErika IshiiAabria IyengarLou Wilson Solari was produced by Worlds Beyond Number Edit and Sound Design by Jino Jang-Hansen at Big Giant Head Score by Will Savinohttps://wsavino.com/ Director of Operations: Melanie Bowman Social Media Manager: Shannon H Lorekeeper and Transcriptionist: Jack Morgan E.F. Lavandowska  Recording Engineer: Rainie Toll Character Art by Nikolas Draper-Iveywww.instagram.com/nikolasdraperivey/ Cover Art by Lu Tomkiewiczwww.instagram.com/_fromlu/ This campaign uses the Stillfleet TTRPG system, created by Wythe Marschall and developed by Stillfleet Studiohttps://stillfleet.com/collections/stillfleetYou can find transcripts of all our episodes on our Patreon. Just navigate to the post for the episode and the transcript will be attached. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is the sound of worlds beyond number. Consider the ancient and noble flamingo. Where nature and fortune did not evolve an apex predator, instead a lord of resilience came to be. To make a home within extremity is to dare your enemy to betray their own body to violate yours. Quote attributed to Seth Camori, the fourth, F.E.1263.

We rejoin our Motley crew, seemingly far away from the danger to which you've become accustomed over the last couple of days since you were taken from Jenipar. You find yourselves now looking out over a calm and beautiful pale blue swimming pool at the edge of a bungalow here in Ivana a moon owned by the Kumori family a resort

a hideaway and that's what you're doing now you are in fact hiding away from a call from a pole gone wrong from an apostate Z

you've just finished a phone call with your mother connecting with your family. It's quiet once again. Peaceful, you can hear the sound of birdsong, both real and piped in, gets a little louder.

This is a place that, for all of its affectation of lower technology, knows how to curate a mood via specific heightening and lowering of your surroundings. This is a place that is curated. for people like you, for families like you. What would you like to do? I think Zadavon is taking his shirt off

and is pacing back and forth around the deep end of the pool, vaping incessantly. You know, that feeling you always get around a pool where you don't know the temperature and you're like, is it too cold? Is it too warm? I think it's just caught in this moment before jumping. just running through in his head the moments of the call, the moment of his mother reminding him that she is his mother

and will worry about him no matter what he does. I think there's just this replay of the moments of the call of Excelsior's words to consider the members of his family, his intuition versus hard fact. I think just this day as it has unfolded, walking it back over and over again. You watch as the light of this place, so very artificial, because it's black sky beyond the greenhouse, plays off of water again.

It's that artificialness of the blue. It's a pool, and it doesn't give you any sort of sign about what it would be like, what it would feel like for your skin to break through. It could be colder than you expected. It might be obnoxiously warm like a bath, cloying and coddling. There's no way to know until you jump. Having sort of safely disposed of that call and the sort of data pathway that was used to get there,

I think Excelsiel is waiting at a respectful distance to see what Zadavin will decide to do next. And it's also sort of regarding Chi, but very much just sort of standing at attention. We seem to arrive at some temporary. This is our first safety we've arrived at since the pole call began on Janipar. So Excelsial is just sort of on standby mode humming softly to himself in the corner. She has changed into a bathing suit.

It covers the important bits and is lounging on a floating raft in the pool. Oh, you're in the pool? Yes, I'm in the pool. I have not entered the water, but I have surreptitiously dipped my toes in because you have to test the water. You have to.

I am currently sipping an electric pink cocktail of some sort in a bowl. And I think you feel that this water is just a little bit on the cool side. You've lived

so long and in so many permutations of your life in a service industry that you're like, is this a note? Do I have a note for them? Is this water a little chilly? They weren't quite ready for us. And so I understand that it does take a moment for the heating elements to warm up. Nobody else is swimming either. And I'm going to take everybody else's lead. But for now, it is just nice to sip and float for but a moment, at least on the surface. Everything is very calm. If you close your eyes and sort of strain your ears, you can feel the, like, heater of the pool is on and trying to catch up.

It's almost like a metaphor that you're like, this place is trying to become more hospitable and everything around you, the, like, slight chill of the water, the lack of a sense of true sun beyond, like, the lights and the greenery, everything's trying desperately to convince you it's hospitable here. I'm not annoyed. I just appreciate the effort and seeing what people can do when taken unawares. Hey, Excelsio. My man, what can I do for you? How does the whole, like, drugs thing work with you? Like, do you still have some of my blood?

Like, would it be possible to hit that physic one more time or have you already thrown that out? Like, what, like, do you have any left? of the physics? Well, like, you were using my blood to experience the trip with me earlier. I do not maintain biological material.

So you're not holding onto my blood? Normally, that would be something that I asked for data access to. If you would like me to hold onto your blood, I would be more than happy to oblige. No, I'm just hoping that you have some of my blood left over

so we can get another hit. But if not, It's fucking fun. I am, I think in this instance, delighted to inform you that I did not illegally keep your blood. Fuck. Okay. It's fine, dude. It's fine. You might want to circle back later, though.

It never hurts to have an arena store some of your blood for later. As an arena, we do offer medical care services and genetic testing in advance of modification services. I can hold on to your blood, your bone, your stem cells. I don't want, like, it's not. I don't want you to hold on to my blood for, like, medical stuff. I just want, I was hoping, I don't, I don't know how your, how it all works. So I was just, I was just, I was, I was, you not get physics here? Or do you not trust the physics here? I probably, I mean, the quality's fucking whatever, you know, that's the problem. I'm sure that we

can talk to some bus boy somewhere, but we all know where that leads. I would be more than happy to procure whatever physics this establishment offers. Additionally, I developed a number of plans, And I'm going to scan out and say, I've developed three itineraries for rest and relaxation if we would like to wait for your allies to reach out and let you know that the situation has meaningfully changed. I have three further run and flee to even more remote location plans. And I also have three revenge plans. If we would like to kick into high gear and seek vengeance on those in your family, who have wronged you. Fun.

Okay. Could you just kind of maybe collate those? These all seem to be about like 15 to 20 pages and up. Can we get these all kind of, can I get a one pager that just has everything? I can do a one pager for each. I can do a one pager for all nine. Let's do one page for all total, you know?

Great. Rest and relaxation number one. Tonight, the commemorative Hula Nua Ice Sculpture competition will be occurring on the fun deck down the, stairs. We make our way down there, order some pork sliders, and enjoy some... This is a fucking huge page, Excelsia. Sorry, sorry, even more condensed. Party with ice sculptures. Take out some speedboats.

Go on a fun fact-finding jungle excursion where we learn more about the local wildlife. Heading to flee plans. Burry ourselves in a custom-made bunker on an asteroid. Mm-hmm. Become smugglers and begin a life burning away any biometric or digital data and starting new lives as a small folk band. Mm-hmm. Folk.

Folk. That's your read on the three of us as a band. As a cover for smuggling. You go folk. Oh, oh, we are a folk band. That's a cover for smuggling. Oh, Zadavon. Do you play anything?

No, of course I don't, gee. Keep going. Upload our consciousnesses into a. digital hard drive. Put that hard drive onto a solar backup generator and launch it as a satellite around a sun to give ourselves a million years of wait time. Oh, like a millennium ship. Yes. Revenge plans. Revenge plan number one, go back to Corueda and start to carve a bloody path through those that wronged us there, starting with whoever hired the assassin. Number two, while your mother is attempting to clean up matters in this regard, we head to the Averex home planet

in disguise so that we can see what the fallout is of her efforts in real time and begin a bloody path of destruction there. Number three, we go to the Arena Homeworld and the nascent Durali, where we rely on my network to establish any points of data into the larger conspiracy and attempt to wield political influence there to crush the lives and bloodlines of those who've wronged you on a more long-term basis. I'm going to be honest. I actually do have my own plans for this evening,

but I just really love that he put this together because I just spend so much time in my everyday life having to put together itineraries for other people and for my staff that it is such a joy to have somebody else do it for once. Thank you. That was so thoughtful. We strive to lessen the mental load. Oh, that's wonderful.

I have a lot of work to do. I really do need to sort of dig in on the situation on Jennifer. And I am interested in following up on what's happening with your situation, Z. You know, I think perhaps checking up the eye sculptures, if we can fit that in. It would be nice if you're looking forward to that. Excelsio. A vote for ice sculpture.

Lovely. Excelsial, is your mind drifts back to the Hulu, Oulu-A ice sculpture contest. Because you were kind of standing off and away from the pool, you see a little bit of flash of color in a small rectangular area on, like, one of the first cabinets and, like, counters that you would,

see a place to set your keys as you walk into this little bungalow. Something the size of a business card has just flashed. I would like to investigate it. It's a bit of an old-fashioned idea. It harkens back to a time on earth when they left calling cards for one another in order to seek invitation and meet one another. This is a bright pink little display. Give me a reason roll.

The difficulty is only going to be a six, just to recognize this symbol in black next to a name. I do not succeed quibble. Same result. I don't get it. All right. I think based on the name, even if the deeper intricacies of this symbol evade you, which is it's a black profile of a crook-shaped bird, The last name of the person who has called on all three of you, maybe just Z, the name Wallen Kamuri. Kumari is enough of a signal that this is clearly someone from the family. But there are nuances to the stylization and detail in that symbol that evade you in this moment.

Ms. Tanca, you mentioned that you had plans to dine tonight. Which establishment in the resort were you planning on dining at? Oh, I didn't mean plans for dining. I would love to join you all if you have any plans. This was more in regards to work and, you know, improvising plans based upon that. Fantastic. The location that we'll be dining tonight, if we're intending to see the ice sculpture competition, will require, I think, some, I would say, not fully formal, but perhaps some evening wear.

Would you like me to steam some belongings that we've found here in the bungalow? Phenomenal, yes. I pour a bottle of water into a compartment on my chest, and I will produce the calling card and hand it to Zadavin. Calling card by one Wallen-Kamuri. There are some artistic strokes that have a telegraphical meaning that I can't quite parse. Perhaps it is something that, to a member of one of the five great families, would be recognizable.

However, for myself, it escapes me. I'll take it. And just immediately is the name Wallen-Kamari, Does that produce anything? Have I met this person, heard about this person, read about this person? Why don't you give me a role? I'll let you decide between reason and will. I mean, I'll always choose will.

I'll always choose will. The difficulty is a six, but I'm going to give you advantage. Okay, fantastic. 10. That'll do. So I don't think you've ever met Wallen, but that is a Trent name. So you have to discern via like the brushstrobe. And the fact that this seems to be the cleanest and simplest symbol for the Kamari family

lets you know that this is the Wallen Khmeri. Like out of Trent culture, this is a person that walks around with this name and all others use like iterations and permutations. Implication being that's probably an older figure in the family, doesn't have to be. But to your mind, you've never met a Wallen before. Got it. I'll look at the card, look to Excelsiel. The brush strokes are simple, minimalist, which means closer to the source, the core. This is a Trent name for sure. And I think this is the current holder in the same way that my mother is currently Zadavinaverix. This is the Wallen Khmeri. Oh. So this is, someone's taken notice.

Is that pleasing to you or disquieting? I mean, we didn't sneak in here. So I'm sure Cammerie wants to know what A, if Eurex is doing and if it's not out of being hospitable, it's just out of genuine curiosity. How unusual is it in terms of our lack of coordination and planning in our stay here? it's not like bad it's not like whoa what are you doing but i think that generally someone high in the five just crash landing on your rock or your space is not it would make you curious why isn't avericks just appearing why weren't their missives i mean there's so many things i would have requested if i could have planned to be here the lack of an assistant or of an entourage announcing

your arrival is somewhat unusual. We don't move quietly. And that's to our benefit and to the benefit of our host. Are we invited to this meeting, I assume? Oh, I mean, this would not be so forward as to expect or entreat on my

time. This is just trince recognizing trince. Is it possible that accepting this calling card may provide us an opportunity to further cover our trail? And also, what is your intention, Zadavon? Are we to wait here?

Are we to press forward? I'm formulating a plan. I'm putting together. I mean, you know, you've given me some great resources. I'm collating some of my own back channeling and such and such. So, you know, I think by within the hour, I think we'll be locked, loaded, ready to go. You've been back channeling. Oh, yeah, of course.

Always back channeling, you know, forever in kind of constant. with alternative sources of information. Oh, is it possible that any of those alternative sources of information are compromised by the conspiracy that is currently trying to kill you? No, no, I mean, you know, I think my back channels are pretty, you know, a lot, lot. I'd be happy to double check. No, no, no, no, no need, man. I could run it back on-backer-shed. No, I got it, man, I got it.

I'm on top of it. I'm gonna go get in the pool. I'm gonna run and jump. It's a little cold. It's a little cold. Oh, God, it's cold. The Averick's technology is absolutely astounding. I haven't been able to sense any data outbound from the bungal or whatsoever.

I think that he is not actually back-channeling. I think that he is waiting and... A ruse plausible deniability. Well, more trying to get his thoughts in order and doing some emotional processing. I understand. Mm-hmm. When anybody, especially important people, are doing emotional processing, it is best not to admit that you know that they're doing that. Lie? Be tactful.

Ha, ha. Be of service with your tactfulness, with your little lies. Yes. Having been discovered breaking a cookie jar on the floor in the kitchen, a child must be tactful about their response. Yeah, now you've got it. I understand. Do you require protection here in this moment in your accompaniment of Zadavinaverax? Are we trying to spin a tale should we encounter the Khmeri family that would protect both you and he? I think that right now he is, as I said, getting his thoughts together,

but that we should come up with a plausible story about why we are suddenly at this resort. with no entourage. I am going to quickly start formulating a document that I will share Chi on about a extremely rare and expensive and exclusive service offered by Jenipar, which is a galaxy-wide life-or-death scavenger hunt. Amazing. And start to cross-reference every known point of context. In fabricating a lie being like, if at any point something is known about us by a single individual or database,

highest possible security would delineate that you should assume that can at any time be known by all interested parties. Basically, if something is known by somebody, it can be known by everybody and you have no way of stopping that. So being like, we were seen on Cargoeda, we were seen here, this assassin was died and we didn't dispose of the body. This is the thing that happened here, you know, all the way you look down and around and start to formulate Jemis Octavo. They had a poll. They were airing out Jenipar. That needs to be part of it. So going in and being like, is there an explanation for why we are here that is a part of the service that Zadavin hired on Jenipar, which none of the other elements that we have encountered would knock off course?

And I'm basically crafting a lie as fast as I am. As I lie on my pool floaty, loudly slurping the bottom of my electric pink cocktail, I make notes, adding to his facts, context that would make sense for the sort of immersive event that we have crafted before that would take someone off planet from Jenipar. You know, the commoner experience, perhaps, where thrilling adventure finds you where hired assassins are paid to threat. in your life where you have to go save a beautiful princess. Amazing. I'm going to save any amount of rolling about how this goes to a later date because I got a quibble.

I got a quibble to pay off and I don't want to use it yet. Oh, no! What? That's great. You quibbled. I did quibble. It's true. Yeah.

I don't want to bust up your lie yet. Yeah, for sure. Absolutely. Amazing. As you guys spitball and begin to. to like weave this yarn. There's a knock on the front door. Kier Deglet lets himself into like the front room.

He can kind of see you guys off to the side in the pool area outside the like side door. He holds up another big fish bowl of hot pink juice and kind of gestures towards Chi about it. And waves a small like envelope with a like little gold seal on it. It's also in that like. pale flamingo pink. There's a theme. It's a color. It appears again. And he puts both of them down on that like entry counter. Thank you as I'm steaming cheese garments and I'll walk over and I can I can do that. Do you want me to? I also have a steamer. I can go get one. I'm perfectly capable. Thank you so

much. Is there anything else I can do? Do you need anything? No. Okay. And he looks deeply uncomfortable and runs away. As he leaves, I do a small body language shoulder check forward where I'm like, back off. He kind of stumbles into a decorative palm by the door. And then he gets a little shaken enough to do a mixture between like a bow and a curtsy and lets himself out the door,

never fully turning his back on you. Have him insufficiently like, dude. I'll go and get the things he left and inspect them. big fish bowl of extremely high proof, several juices, several alcohols, and a bunch of fruit and flowers floating in it. And then a small envelope, it just says Ayasa on the front. I will deliver the letter to Chi, and I will bring the fish bowl over as well and say, I missive for you, Miss Tankah, and also for the assembled trio of us, an extremely dangerous drink.

Mm-hmm. Thank you. Thank you so much. And I opened the note. You see, it's like very quickly written in pencil. Chi, I didn't know if I was supposed to put your name or my name on the front. So I put my name so you would know who it was from. Just in that amount of time, she's already used up half the note. You have to flip to the back of this little card. And it just says, I was kindly escorted from the ship. once I had to cut the engines

because you've been there for a while and then there's a small post-it note stuck to it with the rest of her writing that says, I'm staying in servants quarters but they're cool with a question mark. There's no sign off. That's it. Okay, good. Okay, good.

I would like to take this opportunity to try and see if I can safely communicate with eye. IASA and with Jenipar. I think the moment you go to ping Ayasa, you're just hitting a deadline that makes you immediately go like, oh, that's why I also had to send you a note.

Like they're doing something to like very short range comms here. That is, for the sake of the vibe, we don't want the electronic interference of short range comm. So if there's messages to be passed, there's a network of people that will deliver notes for you. Fine. All right, I'm going to go inside and take care of some business. I'll be right back. So I go inside and I think I'm going to find some of the hotel stationery and write a note to her,

letting her know where our cabins are that we're staying put and I will let her know. if we will make a move that she can go use the second cabin if she'd like, but it sounds like she's having a good time where she is. And I say, keep it on ice. As I see you writing down the location of our current cabin, I will offer and say, I could also go and transmit that message verbally. It doesn't seem that we have too much on our plate to do right now

in case we didn't want our location in writing. That's true. I think that because this was already delivered to our cabin bike here, whoever might intercept this already knows where we are. Yes, I understood. I'm sure she wouldn't mind an in-person check-in. I do feel bad about keeping her waiting. And then how would I go about checking in with Jenipar? I think this is the first time that I would have had time or possibly as secure a lot. to check in. I will say because of the like the level of subterfuge it took to bounce that call to get to speak to Zadavans Zadavon.

You're probably going to have to do something like that again if you want it to be a full secure call, which is fine. You've done it before. I'm not going to like I'm not going to say that there's a degree of difficulty in which that doesn't happen. Just it's one of those things that you're not going to be able to make an easy phone call. Right. I think I would.

like to do that. I think that up until this point, it has been a hard balancing act of physical safety of myself and the people around me and desperately needing to know what is happening there. And I think right now the math makes sense for me to make the call. So I throw a cover up on and I turned to XLZL and I ask, before you go, can we try to make a safe call to Jenipar? Yes, we can. I will burn a bunch of grit to set up a secure line. Love it, love it.

11 plus 1 is 12, quibble. That's true. 12 plus 1 is 13. Okay, I think you're just going to spend 2 plus 1 health. establishing secure connection to Jennifer. And I will remind you once again that this goes through the home arena planet. And then so we're essentially recording me. We're instantaneous recording you.

So they're creating a digital model of you in a brand new file. It would be like if I sent an email to somebody, they painted a picture of that email on a canvas and then took a picture of it on their camera and sent it to somebody. it goes fully analog after going digital to go digital again on the other side, essentially. Yeah. Unrelated. Give me a will roll. I'm going to say this is going to be a difficulty of 10. 10 on the die. Amazing.

As you like filter this call and sort of set up like all of these like incredibly phenomenally complex like simultaneous processes. Because this works quite a lot like your auger power, you cannot help but be tapped into and like pinging off other arena that are sort of in the line of your connection back to your home world and then out to Jenipar. And every time you feel like you have to close the idea of your ears as you just get that warning again over and over. apostate, apostate, watch out. It hasn't been sufficiently long since that last question went out, that that's not somehow still echoing in the minds of those that you encountered that know the arena known as Harnack. But there's no deleterious effect and you're able to make a connection.

Chi, you wait. Eventually, you hear the sound of the phone picking up. Someone is on the line. Do I hear any breathing? You don't. Madam McCott? Gee, is that you? Quick check.

Is that her? It sounds exactly like her. It's me. Are you safe? What's my favorite color? Turquoise. What's mine? Hmm. I don't know, but I'll probably guess that dark red from that one robe you wore every morning since I'm assuming you picked turquoise because of my morning robes.

Are you safe? Yeah, yes, yes, safe. Things aren't great here. How are you? I'm safe. And... Define safe. Because I... and you hear like a sort of like tinny sound of a recording being like run back. Because I'm looking at footage of you right now being escorted off world with people with guns. It gets so much wilder than that. But yes, I am safe.

I'm physically safe. And in a place that is secure enough. and able to make plans and to scheme once again for the future of Jenipar. So happy to hear your voice. The Jemis Octavo troops have not left here yet. So perhaps your scheming should start with them? I can't tell if I'm telling you things you already know. I honestly thought you were a little bit dead.

Not all the way. The footage of my possible death has been greatly exaggerated. You're saying this is a lie? I was part of a poll of a member of the five families. That poll has gone awry. Like a hostage? Yes. I am no longer quite in that situation.

In my day, they would just pull the member of the family. Yes, I know. It's very sloppy. It has been... Honestly, quite refined when they did it back. I remember, there was, oh gosh. Yes, yes. I think of a coal, but it was maybe 12, 14.

No, it's probably about 30 years ago. Well, we were all sitting in a lounge. And you know what? It was so smooth. They killed that. I think it was a Coke. It might have been a Coga. It might have been a GEMIS.

Well. Might have been Jem. They didn't even stop playing the music. Madam McCott. Mm. They really don't make pulls and coals like they used to. You know what? I keep saying that and everyone goes to old-fashioned.

Yes, agree. I'm glad we agree. So... I don't believe this is you anymore because we agree. Listen, I just need to know that you and... It was a Coga. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm here. Are our people safe?

What are the Jemis Octavo soldiers doing? Are they just occupying? Or have they claimed? ownership of Genepar. There's a very nice man named Keir outside of the door of my office which is your office

who tells me everything is business as usual until he speaks or gets word from, oh goodness, what is her name? There's someone from Jemis Octavo. Is it? Is it? Hold on. I can remember.

I have it written down and you hear her like shuffling through papers on your desk. You did not leave as many papers on your desk as you hear being moved on it now. What are you doing in there? What have you done? What have you done to my... I take notes so I can remember.

If you are blessed enough to get to my age... If you leave a paper trail, there's no way people can find... Insult? Isult? Yes. Okay, good. So if it's business as usual... No, I wrote down insult. Well, my hope is to get to speak with insult.

So please let everybody know to keep conducting business as usual. We, Jenna Par is no good to them with a bunch of dead staff. But that is what is at stake here. So I must impress upon you the severity of what is going on with this occupation. Okay. You know what? I ran the house that raised and trained you. Do you think I don't know how important it is to keep a cool head?

Yes, ma'am. I'm having a conversation. Cool heads here, Chi. Thank you. Yes, sir. I'm not yelling at you. You're my boss. I know.

Well, please be careful. Are you safe enough to tell me where you are or is that? I think it would be safer for you not to know where I am. What could happen to me? I'm of an age. I'm pretty sure I'm immortal Okay well think of it as my peace of mind then Yes

I will check in whenever I can Just please keep the parlor rooms running Keep the apartments running Be good to our glorious occupiers And I will Find us Another patron for our green space I promise you

Okay okay That's... You're doing great. I know I'm doing great because no one's dead yet. You seem stressed. No, no. Also, why not negotiate with insult? That is the goal.

We need a friend. Yes. She's a friend with guns pointed at various parts of our... Yes, we'll get there. I will take care of everything. If you tell me how to... I can get there if you need someone to help you with your negotiations. No, no.

I need somebody. I need you to keep Jennifer running. I mean, it runs itself at this point. There's sex. There's physics. There's people punching people hard for amounts of money. Well, make sure that the boys keep the fights running quietly. Look, you tell your little friend, Iasa, that when I ask for a break, I need her to to not send me a message that says, come back early, I have business to go run. My vacation was supposed to be. I mean, it's great that it wasn't all three weeks, but I just don't enjoy her irresponsible. Do you know what I mean?

Yes. Yes, I do. I will send you on an all-expenses paid break after this, I promise. A man pointed a gun at me. Out of curiosity, what did you tell him? Polite company. I would never repeat those words again. Okay. All right. Well, please take you. care of yourself and take care of everybody else. I am alive. You can let that be known. And business as usual. Do you want people to know you're alive? Yeah, actually, you know what? Don't say anything about this conversation to anybody. All right. Well, I did just yell at that man

that I was on the phone. What do you want me to tell him? You can tell him that you were yelling at a client. You think I do client work at this age. T-Tanka, you were the most disrespectful. Yes, thank you. I'm so glad you're alive. Goodbye. Goodbye. I'm madame McCott. I love you. I love you. She's delightful. Thank you so much for that phone call. You're welcome.

How do you feel about the information gleaned from that phone call? Very relieved. Very relieved. It feels like everything is on the right track. I know that something of that magnitude can be taxing for you. Is there anything we can do to help you recharge? Yes. You should recharge.

Yes. Excellent. And I'll walk over to an outlet. And this time because I'm not unconscious, I'll just plug myself in and sit on like a sofa and spread my arms out wide and just sort of buzz and go, oh, that's good. Does it feel good? Is it pleasurable? Yes. I programmed myself to like it.

Oh. Now, you have the ability to program yourself. within certain parameters. Oh, fantastic. This is essentially a relationship to food, I guess I should say. There are certain choirs that practice a beautiful form of stoicism, in which case they do not necessarily relate to this. The quality of electricity here is quite good,

which is why I'm reacting this way. There are sources of dirtier power, which are unpleasant. But there's no way for me to experience the pleasantness of this quite refined and clean energy without experiencing the unpleasantness of some fowler sources. Absolutely.

But I like the swing. Yes, of course. It is the disparity that really highlights the highs of life. Do you see an opportunity to further Jenipar's position in the galaxy and its safety by forming a relationship with Zadavina, Vyrex? Would you think me mercenary if I said yes?

If you told me that you needed to be in the good graces of powerful people, I would understand it to the very core of my being. Yes. Yes, I would. I have had to do a lot in order to protect the people and the places that I love. A lot of things I'm not proud of. And I quite like Z,

especially for a member of one of the five families. He is one of the kinder ones. But I think all of them still view human life as somewhat expendable. And if I can persuade him to see my life and the lives of those on Jenipar as less expendable, then I think that that would be a net benefit for Jenipar. If you are willing to, because you do have loyalties to him and a friendship, I see, a budding friendship.

If within the confines of those relationships, you feel comfortable, in any way helping me be in his good graces and the good graces of his cousin, I would be very grateful and in return would be happy to help you experience any amount of experiences that you are seeking. The arena are a multi-client organization and as such have extraordinarily refined protocols for potential conflicts of interest. It would do well for me to say at this point in time that given the extremely fragile state of Sadovan's relationship to his family and given the extremely fragile position of

Jenipar in the ongoing preceding the formal beginning of the Durali, I do not foresee a conflict of interest on the horizon. It does not seem close at hand. It's good to have statistical analysis to that effect. I also foresee that as well. However, if the time does come that there is a conflict of interest for you, are there any safeguards that I can request from you to persuade you to fall more onto the side of Jenipar? Yellow and orange and blue on my LEDs as I smile, my little battery pack flushing up as I'm charging. One of several key protocol in the larger management of conflicts of interest between clients

is a deference given to the potency of commitments made. I will say I do not foresee a conflict of interest in what Master of Eurex or you, Ms. Tanka, are pursuing here in the galaxy. It's true. I will say that Jenipar has made a much larger commitment than the House of the Varex. That's good to know. Thank you. My pleasure.

Zia's bobbing in the pool right at the area where his feet can no longer touch the ground, vaping incessantly. And just trying to fight off this feeling of. indecision and this sensation of feeling small trapped excelsio presented him with all these options none of them makes sense because his mother she's already finding an option and he can't override her and i think it's just trapped in this loop of trying to find space and size and the ability to act on his own intuition and in a moment takes one more just really long inhalation of the

vape, puts his head under water, exhales out, smoke, water, mixing, comes back up and is going to walk defiantly out of the pool. Excelsial? My man. Big moves only.

I'm going to throw you my vape. Hold that. 30 minutes a day. Max. Finding the phone. Phone in the room. Where's the phone in the room? Pick up the phone. Here? Hello? I need a 7 p.m. reservation at the ice sculpture bullshit for me and Wallen Kumari tonight. Done? Thank you. Hang up.

Chi. I poke my head out of the bedroom. Half change. What's your plan tonight? I was going to just sort of do some research and then maybe the ice sculptures. Great. I'm having dinner with Kumari. If you want to roll, please join us.

If not, totally cool. We need to talk first thing tomorrow morning. Oh. Yes. I'll see you at dinner. Great. I'm going to walk out of the room into a bedroom, close the door, and exhale. Okay, come on, man.

Come on, man. Come on, man. You fucking got this. You've fucking got this. You got fucking, here we go. And it's just kind of more pacing, but now out of sight. No one gets to watch me pace anymore. You are in this room.

It is, it feels too small. It's too small and too dark and a little too plush. Like every surface that you would lean on or touch wants to absorb. absorb you and absorb whatever you're feeling. This would feel plush in a nice way if you felt anything other than the way you feel exactly right now, but it feels like every surface is asking you to sink into it and lose momentum. Walking out of the room, back outside, Excelsio, I'm walking down to the lobby. You want to grab a drink?

Let's go. Come on. I'm going to fall right into pace with you, and I'm going to look and say, because I cannot refuse a direct order to give you your vape if you ask for it, I have planted a microscopic bomb in the vape that will detonate. Don't do that. Don't do that. It will literally be fine, my guy.

It will just be, no. Dude, I can excite. I will exercise self-discipline. I will exercise. Hold on, I'm not wearing any close. It's keyed to a 30-minute timer. No bomb. I'm going to walk back to the room to get dressed.

I think you, hold on. I need some stupid roll. Give me a charm roll. Okay. The difficulty six you want to roll low? Four. Okay. I think you hear two birds, a light on no bomb, but it doesn't catch like it could have.

Thank God, dude. One bright, like, black eye surrounded by blue feathers goes, no bomb? No fucking bomb. No bomb. No bomb. And it disappears. All right. Makes everyone else uncomfortable.

Fine. I'll go with my backup plan, which is diminishing the vapes battery to only last for 30 minutes. That's perfect. Thank you. And I'm going to head back, get dressed, and then just go wait in the lobby. I just don't want to be in the room anymore. Chee. The note to Ayasa, if you still choose to send it, you can call Keir to like run over. You can run it over yourself.

I'll send it with Keir. I hand it to Keir and I make sure to let him know to hand it to her direct. and make sure that she opens it and reads it, like, in front of him. I don't care if she says she is going to read it later, please. Please have her open it up right then. Okay, so I won't leave until I know that she's read the whole thing. Yes, thank you. Should I report back here to let you know that she's read?

No, no, no, that's all right. Okay. You know, I will check in with you later. Accommodations have been lovely. Thank you so much. And his eyes are upward. I choose to believe that you didn't finish changing. yet. So he's just sort of eyes on the sky. Yes. Thank you so much. And once again, backs into the

palm, not out of embarrassment, but out of like a sense of propriety and general hassle and backs out of this bungalow again and takes off. I finished changing and I will go down to the lobby. I have opted for something a little more timeless and classic, a lot subtler than the flashy, fast, that I see in this resort. It's a pearl pink sort of mermaid-style gown. I have the records on file of my skin tone when I've had a couple of days to tan and be out and about in the sun,

long hair, dark brown, and I think just feeling a lot more refreshed and so much more relaxed and relieved. Zedavan. The nice thing about this is it's a high traffic area for people with enough money and maybe access to this new orum to get here, but they're not important enough to recognize you. So you are seeing flows of affluence nowhere near the wealth that you and your cohort move at, but it feels a little familiar and you get the like, strange benefit of being a stranger here, even though people are trying to move like you. You have that, like, strange experience of seeing families with, like, artificially dark tans

trying to copy some of the aesthetics of, like, your home system and that binary star. They copy it badly. You can see, like, weird, unnatural tints under the, like, strange tone. It's a little too orange and red. Anyone in your family or from your, like, cast of Iverex, the tones make sense because you've evolved to stand the bright light of your binary stars. Everyone else that goes there turns that, like, awful pink red and burns under the suns that fostered you. You see poor imitations of fashion that you and your friends and cousins cared about a couple years ago. sort of bastardized and made palatable to the masses.

But I think in that level of just before it becomes contemptworthy, that these are strivers, and at least that level of hunger and ambition here in this lobby makes sense because you know exactly what everyone here wants, which is to be known for being here, so they can go back and brag about it. Reminds you a little bit of Jenna Parr, though the intentionality is the same. There is that sense of revelry, but it's not to make the most of the current moment they're in.

Chi, I think you can feel it quite keenly. Everything about this place is about remembering the feeling of it and being here so you can tell the story that you were here wherever you return to after. It's so pulled away from being present. It's the opposite of home. A lot of photo booths. Yes, they're all branded. It's a whole thing.

It's like very much to be able to be like, I've been here, you know? There's a whole, like, economy of people who fake photos of being in spaces like this. And so the photo booths are like one of the few ways to be like, I was here guaranteed. I paid full sticker price kind of shit. Yes, it's printed with the different logos and labels, and there's the backdrops that are very specialized for it. I think I heard a child crying near some dolphin rides

because they were arguing about the photo packages. That's where they get you. I mean, honestly, rooms are cheap compared to dolphin photo packages. And it's right about now that a young woman, she has that same, like, harried flush that you recognize in Keir's behavior. and countenance on a shorter, wider frame. And she's wearing a flamingo pink polo dress that goes down to her knees with little sneakers. She looks at the three of you, immediately moves towards UZ and just says,

your 7 p.m. table is here and Mr. Camori is waiting for you. Fantastic. And my associates will be joining me. Oh. Oh, it was a table for two. I'm going to stand up and start walking. Oh, God. We really appreciate. You don't even see her. The moment Z began to move and you went to address her,

she is bulking through the crowd to try to figure this out. We really appreciate. Oh, gone. Wonderful. Gone. Going to do her best to fix it. Huh. Z.

It takes you maybe 30 seconds to kind of wind through the crowds of people sitting until you see a little hand flag you over. There's a man sitting. You can't tell if tonally, like if he's got deep brown skin or he's just extremely tan or has a really well done false tan.

But full cheeks, full figure, his hair is just beginning to go like salt and pepper gray at the temples but is otherwise dark, sandy, blonde. No facial hair. His eyes

are probably more lilac than Strange Blue. He's wearing like a dark sea foam sort of jade-colored searsucker suit with a brilliant flamingo pink pocket square and then on the opposite side of his chest this suit in the late first expansion style which is honestly it looks kind of stuffy and formal because it's thousands of years out of the current vogue

but he wears it well as if he dresses like this every day. You see that stylized house sigil, the profile of a flamingo done over in pink enamel over carbon black steel. And he just gives a little wave. He's sort of sitting to the side of the table. Like he's pushed back and away from the table a little bit, maybe from his like stomach and legs,

but he also has like crossed his leg at the knee and he's gently resting his hand. on his knees. He's made himself very comfortable in a space with too many people in a way that shows you without being intimidating that this space, crowded though it may be, is fundamentally in his mind, his. Love it. I think as Z notices the wave, soft smile, honestly slowing his pace now that he knows where he's headed, wondering if you will allow me to make a will roll. I'm desperate to know if on a glance I can clock this man's vices, sex, drugs, wealth, food, whatever is his preference.

Oh, that is excellent. Okay, I have to make this kind of hard. Love it. So I'm going to say the difficulty for this is an 11. Okay. I would probably consider this a sense motive? Hey, if you consider it, so do I. Like, sensing those nasty motives?

Yes. What darkness do you keep, brother? I'm going to burn six grit. So I need at least a two, but my preference is for a five. First rolls a ten. Okay. Second rolls a five. We'll go with a ten. So total of sixteen as I clock what this motherfucker does when the sun goes down. Amazing. Wow. Oh, this is so good. I'm going to say three and then you can give me the fourth. And whatever you say gets to be true to. If you had grabbed either of those fish bowls and gotten a drink of it or tried the fruit basket that was in the room, nothing here was grown here and nothing is natural here. So you can taste the like artificiality of the alcohol inside of fruit that was shipped off world that tastes a little overly ripe or underripe. like trying to get those like weird timings to make sure that nothing rots in transit. So nothing tastes quite as good as it could.

This is someone whose primary vice is good taste. He has tremendous taste. You can see like in the broken blood vessels on his cheek and just a little bit across his nose, he likes good alcohol. You can tell from his like comportment and the way he kind of sits back in the chair. This is someone who constantly is pushing back after like a nice big meal and just has that like posture to him whenever he sits at a dinner table. Like he has eaten well and will eat well again. I think easy vice pickup. Yeah. You're going to see it in the like gentle fold of his hands.

In the very corner and the webbing between his first finger and thumb, they are incredibly well covered, but you do see like little pinpricks from some sort of needle physics that he enjoys. He clearly doesn't work too hard about covering them up, so it's not a heavy, like, terrible vice. But just enough to maybe cover it with a little bit of concealer before you walk out the door and try to let a tan do the rest of the job. Smart. And that fourth one, that's all you. He has like a size finish. He likes like being very tiny while being pleasureed by something.

something very large or being very large while being pleasureed by something very small. How could you tell? That's a great question. One of a person to just scream size fetish. Here's the thing. We cannot, we cannot grok the fucking deep calculus of intuition. There's just something. Sometimes you just know a guy's a fuck guy.

Listen. Okay, I'm just saying though, he is very tall. He has a pair of thong sandals. With his searsucker's Yes, with a sear-sucker's wearing a pair of thonged And you can tell I can tell just by the fact that the thong Like the actual thing that slips in between his toes

It's fucking massive This guy likes He likes that pressure Oh my gosh Yeah, I think he remains seated Again, this isn't a business meeting But you can tell that his staff is not very tall.

And Z, you are quite tall. There might even be like a gentle clearing of throat. Yes. Where he's considered something briefly untoward and then moves through it. But what you see on his face is truly a guileless pleasance where he just seems genuinely happy to have been able to carve out a little time to just speak person to person while you're both on. world. Fantastic. Z, picking up on those tendencies, those interests, I think, feels calmer, knowing that he knows something

about the man he's about to speak to. I think I'm gently going to put my hand on cheese upper arm and whisper in her ear. Sit on his side of the table. No need to lay it on thick. I'm going to turn to Excelsio. Excelsial, do not freak this guy out with all the stuff that you say sometimes. As you wish. Thanks, man. And then I'll turn hands open, walling. Hello.

It's so, uh, well. Zedavin, yes. I mean, I'm not the Zadavans. I've had the pleasure of meeting your mother. Oh, of course. Fantastic. Oh, it's so lovely. I apologize for.

not necessarily knowing who I was about to encounter. Please sit. And he gestures for you to sit across from him. And there's just that like eight seconds, which is just a little too long as you two have to wait for this little polo dressed worker to like have brought over chairs for the two of you. As we just cross into awkward pause territory, I am going to turn to Chi and very under my breath go. Oh, one more thing that I forgot to mention. just to cover us that we're not uncomfortable waiting as I finish up a bit of business with Chi.

Oh, that's amazing. Oh, thank you so much. Yes, absolutely. I'll take care of that later. There's a little smirk on Wallin's face. And this move isn't necessarily for this system. But I want all three of you to take plus one forward in continuing conversation with him

as he sees the little moment that you've provided for him. excelsial and appreciates a genteel way to make a moment smooth and effortless. Never look at a table at which you do not have a seat is deep in the protocol of the arena. So yeah, just putting eyes on Chi. Yeah. Thank you. I appreciate that. Oh, hello. Thank you so much for allowing us to join. I'm Chi Tanka from Jenipar. Oh, so love from Janipar. Yes, and I have learned so much from...

Oh, your arrival. And he covers your hand with both of his, and he very specifically kisses his own hand instead of yours. Yes. It's a polite thing. He doesn't want to... Yes, of course. That's a, you know, classic protocol.

I am honored that you would put me in the same category. We are still such a fledgling city. Fledgling, but upstart in the best possible way. I truly, thank you. I had lovely conversation with Kier Deglet. has been just absolutely on top of things. Thank you. That's good to know.

Thank you. I will pass that along. Yes. Thank you so much. Oh, thank you for joining us. And this is... As he finishes, I'd like to seamlessly just take some water from an ice bucket next to the table and just pour people's waters and go, Excelsia, a pleasure to meet you.

Oh, you are so kind. Do you want to keep your... No. I like to keep mine out in the open. Oh, that's delightful. I mean, please. Oh, thank you. That's so nice.

Oh, you even know the little wrist flick. A delight. A kindness. Thank you. And I will look and nod at Z, which I kind of just do as if it's a formal thing I do after any time anyone else speaks to me. Well, Mr. Vorex, if that's a little easier to say. Much easier.

What brings you to this little world? I would have rolled out a pink carpet for you had I know. Wallen, do not worry about it. You know, I think my only request is that you got to let me know where you're keeping the good alcohol because I'll tell you what's in the room just will not cut it. Oh, thank goodness. You know, we had some Lainey's on here. Of course.

A little while back and they can't tell the difference between like a nice Merloan dishwater. No, no, of course, exactly. I think sometimes I have Excelsio go get the water out of the toilets from when we have Lainees over. You get it. Exactly. So, Wallet, I'm in the middle of a call. and I am looking for a way out and you happen to be

my way out. And I think that this is, I mean, it is, I think it is an incredible opportunity that's brought the two of us together. You know what I mean? Big moves only, you know what I mean? Big moves only.

You know what I mean? This man, despite his tan, has somehow managed to hit Flamingo Pink under a medium brown. and is watching you, he looks like the birds that populate this place. And I think you have that feeling in this moment that he might just go full losterquite in a second

and just repeat the words you say and sprint off into the woods. I think as I see that happen, I'm going to, I will burn every piece of grit in my body to just hold his gaze and stop talking. I give me a will roll the difficulty is just let's say it's an eight you have a plus one great to just kind of mad dog this man into whatever vibe you need him to hit can I can I help in this moment please tell me how when Zadavin says I'm in the middle of a call I just want to flush my cheeks like I'm blushing and go like this is all such an adventure for us I'm I sort of match Zadavans' casual nature, and I nod. And I amend to the document that Excelsiel and I have been working.

I delete the whole last paragraph and put, told Wallen Kumari that we are in A. Cole. I changed the name of the document to start with parentheses dead document. And leave a comment saying, Fucked, LOL less than three. Yeah. Go ahead and add a plus two. As the homies really come through on whatever the fuck this energy is.

Give me that roll. You got it. That's a six plus two for an eight. Exactly what you needed. That's right. You freeze, stare him down. He rolls through a set of beautiful colors in his cheeks. His eyes don't blink for such a long time.

that you have like a really strong sense of yeah his eyes aren't that shade of blue that looks purple they are lilac they have a little bit of that like tappetum lucidum cat reflection off the back of his retinas that you can see because his eyes are so open and i'm blinking and then eventually like a miracle like a baby being born he breathes and laughs along with you Excuse me, waitress. Can we get drinks for all of us? Thank you. He grabs her hand.

Good drinks. Please bring good drinks. Thank you, Wallen. Master of Erix, you're in the middle of a call. I'm in the middle of a call right now. And so, I mean, I think fortune has brought the two of us together because that means we get to work together to figure out how to get me out of it. Because one of two things is true. Sure.

One, you are trying to kill me. You're a part of it. you're aware of it, you're going to call the people who are trying to kill me and I'm going to die. Or you get big ups on me by supporting me through this call. So, which side do you fall on? I think in return, he starts to grow really still. And, again, those big lilac eyes are watching you. And they watch you for a really long time and narrow at your inflection and try to stare past this bravado.

and enthusiasm that you're showing. Let me start off by telling you maybe just a little bit about me. Oh, why not? I'm from a line of Khmeri. My family is, we're the terraformers, sort of of the five. And good ones. Hey, you're living and breathing. I think we did our job.

Our family has a fun little thing that we like to do, though. There are different orders and grades of, of terraformability of places. It's a process that takes about 50 to 100 years to get to a third order, a perfectly done, a planet that would be as close to Earth protocols as possible. It's the dream. It rarely gets there, but you gotta, you gotta.

Big swings only. Big swings only. Some planets, once you start terraforming, you learn a little bit about why they were the way they were and why they weren't inhabitable. before. And my family, we love. I mean, look, there's a lot of pink here, so I guess it's not that bit of a surprise. There was a bird on earth called a flamingo, an extremophile, a poly extremophile, actually. It was never an apex predator, but it learned to survive in such extreme environments

that whatever wanted to kill it and eat it had to survive extremely. acidic or basic or temperature-wise, absolutely fucked areas. The primary lake in Africa that they bred on was enough to calcify and preserve other animals that made the mistake of drinking the water. So, you know, it's a little Khmeri joke of ours that every now and then we find a place that won't quite take to terraform and, like, you want it to, but there's a lesson on every world.

And we leave a couple of our family members behind to see if there's any evolutionary development that could come of finding a way to survive in an extreme environment. Right. And you take the resources that are available to you and you eat them and then become something grand and colorful. Like the shrimp. Yes. You are a delight. I look at Z, and I put on his glasses so that only he can see, these guys are obsessed with birds. I think that Z won't be able to hold back and will laugh quietly.

Like the shrimp. My line just recently returned to the greater braid of the Khmeri. It was on a little world called Helvet. It circled an incredibly loud star. Loud. Yeah, you wouldn't think a star would be like. loud until you live there. Like you can hear it during the day?

You can't even tell that you hear it. There's something about the rotation of it. Look, I'm not maybe the best scientist in my family. But there's something in the way it spins or the way the radiation comes off of it. Can't hear shit. But it makes you really good at realizing that when people want to yell to be heard, they over-express in order to show you what they're feeling. becomes a bit of a pantomime.

So the talented shrimp that we ate off of that world was the ability to read people incredibly well now that it's quieter. And I want you to know that I've done my best to read you as best I can. Tell me the tale, you see. Oh, I think I'll keep a little bit of that to myself, but I only tell you that in order to watch your reality.

As I say, truthfully, I have nothing to gain by being a part of your family's internal call. There's nothing to do with me. Internal, though. I mean, pulls are external. Of course. If I wanted something from your beloved and well-respected family, I'd kidnap you myself. Put you up at, I mean, no, I'd put you in the same bungalow. I'd probably keep you a little drunker.

Yeah. And call your mama and say. see what arrangements we could make. But I gain nothing from killing you, so I have to assume, why would anyone from any other family want to kill you? I mean, that's a great place to start. So I'll put some cards on the table and hope that my face is moaning enough over the noise of these people.

The hookahua ice sculpture competition? I mean, you know we invented that like 20 years ago, right? Ice sculpture? No. Oh, you're funny. You're a funny man. My friends laugh at all my jokes. They do.

They do, I swear. I'm not laughing because that's not a joke. Absolute cards, these ones. Absolute cards. I see why you bring them around. This is how we play. Phenomenal. Thanks for joining our game.

Well, if it could be any more obvious, I reached out hearing that there was a Varex here because I would like to make an en road with your family. I've met your mother once at a dinner, but we did not spark any meaningful relationship. I was hoping to do that with you. That is a tough rock to terra form. I'll tell you that. Thank you, Chi.

I get it. Go ahead and give me a sense motive role. The difficulty is going to be an eight. That's a 12. Amazing. him being so upfront about I reached out to you because I want a relationship makes sense with the like

the distance with which he approached you and the kindness with which he is moving through this space you would expect some level of caginess or like double speak if he was hiding something and it truly feels like he's not at this point I think a tray of just four glass

of brown liquor have showed up, and he's immediately holding his and, like, warming his sniffer in his hands. I don't have any of your other family members with which to conspire, so I'm not trying to kill you. My help, I would hope, would be the beginning of perhaps myself becoming a friend of the family. Oh, I'd like to believe that as well, that this here, The reason I'm on Avon is to meet you. And for the two of us to start a journey together amongst the stars.

Oh. Oh, you're one of those. What could I say? Sir, I have been single for too long. Oh, no, no. Don't do this to me. Hey, we have not drank enough for that. We have not drank enough for that.

And he throws back that entire sniffter and snaps and points in his class. Yes. I will keep up with him. I help hook up XL ZL to I'll hook up to you in this moment because I think you're going to go slower and that's sort of more of my vibe right now. Great.

Well, are there bounties on all three of your heads or are you just sort of here for the ride? We're along for the adventure, you could say. I serve at the pleasure of Master of Erex. Huh. Master of Eurex. The documents you asked for, and I'm going to slide over to you at your discretion.

I produce a number of actuarial tables about how many culls are successful after two failed attempts, right? Because I'm assuming that most culls that succeed, succeed in the first try, which would have been the grenade in Warris. Yeah. The second of the assassin following us to the ship, essentially,

and be like, here's the number of culls that fail after, two attempts. Here's the number that succeed on a third attempt in ratio to all possible call attempts. And then we'll throw out an actuarial table that's essentially how

likely you are to discover the person that is responsible for a call, which is sort of like our game at this point, right? Yeah. And it's like, how often does the conspiracy come unraveled after one attempt? How often does it come

after two? And we'll just slide those to Z at the table for his use. I'll gesture to them and say, this is some hard data that Excelsior provided just to show that us getting into bed together, not like that. Hey, Knight's still young. Let a man try. Getting into bed together is not a short-term solution.

It's a long-term one. Okay. Well. The numbers are on our side. Yeah, and he's going to like lean over. I think he makes just a real naked attempt to like put a hand on your hand. I allow it in this moment. Yeah, but just to view a table so he just gently scoots your hand away.

I mean, all of this makes two failed attempts. Yeah, once you hit sort of anything in this gray block, after a couple attempts, like either they're going to give up and quit or they're going to give themselves away, seems sloppy. Seems sloppy. Look, I'm not going to say that I myself would ever stoop so low as to call any member of my family. But if I did, I certainly, the only person that would have ever known about it would have been them in the moment of my beautiful victory. Man, yeah, you're going to be able to figure out who

that is, but it seems a little slapdash. And frankly, from what I know of your family, I'm a little disappointed. Hey, you're disappointed. Okay, so then my question is, a call on car. Why would they not attempt it while you were I mean, forgive me for assuming if you are the owner and operator of Jenipar, I assume you were there enjoying your time.

Very much so. Why not make a strong, powerful play in the midst of your vice of choice, which would be Oh, you're asking. I mean, I gotta try. I mean, buy the man dinner first,

sir. I'm trying. The service is slow tonight. Everyone's watching the ice sculptures. I think we have many questions about the logistics and the sloppy nature of this coal. Countless. I think the place I'm landing on is, is one, I'm sitting across from a friend, not a foe. Okay. And two, I'm also sitting across with someone who could make my experience here on Ivana a lot better.

You are correct on both counts, sir. I guess then my question would simply be, what do you want to do about it? Not to belabor an animal analogy after speaking so fondly and extensively of birds, but you got your fight, your flight, and your freeze. Well, I'm in a veer. Whatever I choose to do, I win. Oh, I like that confidence. I thought you might.

Incredible. Well, now that we're friends, I can say that from one Trent to another, our abilities are wildly underestimated. We are a distributed empire, but an empire nonetheless. I lay at your feet, Master of EREX, whatever you need in order to be successful. We take care of our friends. Well, thank you, Wala. I would indeed call us friends. He offers you a hand.

And I take it. I think at that point, Zadavon leans back and is just going to focus on the interpersonal enjoyment of each other's company. I just want one more role. Your difficulty is going to be a nine. I want you to tell me what you would like to roll, just as you are settling. into this moment. If there's like any punctuation you want to put on this

blossoming of a relationship with House Camuri. We'll make it a charm world. Yeah. I had 14. I burned six. It brings me to eight. So we'll burn another six.

As much as this conversation began with Zadavin announcing that he's being called, that he is playing defense against someone who is attempting to take his life. Even with that radical candor, the punctuation I want to end this interaction with is leaning into that attraction that Wallen has for Zadavon. It is that space of like, you want me. You want me. I'm running, but you want me.

I love that. With a two, we're only going to get to eight. I'm pretty sure I said you had a plus one forward on this man for the duration of this. And so that makes it a total of nine. It's so much easier once you understand what people want. That's why this room, crowded though it may be, is so comfortable. You understand them as strivers and you know what they want. And the man sitting across from you is a peer, a trend of greater renowned within his family than you are within yours.

But he is very much a creature of this room. a striver. And just as you said, he wants you. And what wouldn't he lay at your feet in order to secure this opportunity? And you can work with that. The three of you enjoy a lovely dinner with a perfectly lovely man and some frankly disappointing ice sculpture. It was really hyped and it's just sort of large fruits and so many flamingos. The closest that I get to ruining the dinner

is how visibly depressed I become when you tell like halfway through the ice culture competition that they make these every night. It's like, oh, this is like... It's the same six guys. It's the same six guys. The hotel pays them. It's a competition, but it's just staff members

and that guy always makes that swan. and that guy always makes that penguin. And that guy, it's just like... Yeah, 100%. Celsius. Sorry. Change your colors. New colors.

It's hard to be happy. New colors. Hey, I need you to throw a little yellow in that red, all right? Throw a little yellow in that red. All right. Yes. Here we are. A pleasant orange.

A sunset orange. A lovely... I look like a blood orange margarita, but I don't... But I think I... And I think I open the menu again to cover the tears, which I just cannot stop on my face. But not everything needs to... to be an exceptional once in a lifetime experience. Sometimes things can just be fanciful.

But if they're going to make them do something this sad, they should just let them go home. They shouldn't advertise something this sad. A performance should be from the heart. It takes a solid two hours for you to wrap up this depressing but delicious meal. By the time you return, Ayasa is occupying the other bungalow.

You see schematics for the arabesque are on that, again, that risk. receiving table when you first get into the room. The ship has been refueled. There's notes from on-site mechanics for some minor repairs and wear and tear that we're taking care of Grades. You see that like every point of light in this room, especially like the recessed lighting, where you can't see like the bulbs because they're kind of behind interesting angular architecture, glow with that like faint, corally flamingo-y, camere pink, and your stay becomes somehow even more comfortable

as you are now put firmly in the pocket of your new friend, Wallen, who has committed to taking care of you. There is one more card left on the table. It looks like the calling card from before, but it's not just like laminated cardboard. It's like a plastic drop card that you now see. On that old-fashioned telephone, there's like a really thin slit

that if you were to drop this card through, you'll reach him directly. That is up to you to use at any point you would like to make a direct and private connection with him specifically. But I think all of that and whatever comes next, the plans you will make

the game that you now have a much, much better chance of winning is a story for another day. That was Erica Ishii as Chitanka, Renanley Mulligan as Excelsia, Lou Wilson as Zadavinavinavericks, and Abria Aingar as everyone and everything else. Solari is produced by Worlds Beyond Number, edit and sound design by Big Giant Head Productions,

and scored by Will Savino. For even more, stories like this, join us on our Patreon. We'll see you by the fireside.