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[a_titanum]

"Leave your message, if you care to."

Comments

[a_titanum]

Excellent. Let me know when you've found someone and we can consider how to approach it.

[artistinexile]

I will.

[a_titanum]

Thank you, Thrawn. I look forward to discussing your findings.

[artistinexile]

[Days later, Thrawn returns with his short list]

Good day, Florian.

[just gonna launch straight into it]

I have given your assignment some thought and am prepared to deliver my report.

[a_titanum]

Then you should come by and we'll discuss it.

Is now a good time?

[artistinexile]

Yes.

[even if it weren't, this takes priority]

ETA seven minutes.

[a_titanum]

I'll be here. Do walk right in.

[artistinexile]

[At his warden's permission, Thrawn walks inside Florian's cabin, eyes glancing about briefly to catalog anything new added since his last visit. He holds a datachip in his hand]

[a_titanum]

[ Florian, for his part, has a teapot and a cup out for himself. There's a second cup, but it hasn't been poured or even turned upright. Thrawn can refuse.

He sees the datachip, but he's going to gesture to the opposite chair. ]

[artistinexile]

[At Florian's gesture, Thrawn sits, inclining his head]

[a_titanum]

Where would you like to begin?

[artistinexile]

I have made a friend out of an adversary. Hanna Falk Cross.

[a_titanum]

An... adversary?

[ He's very curious how this became adversarial. And how it unbecame it. ]

Can you run me through the timeline of events?

[artistinexile]

Of course.

My initial impression of Hanna was dim at best. Once he revealed himself to be the instigator of the last, troubling week in his apology posting, I sought him out, asked him questions. He was dismissive, stubborn, and full of excuses. I prepared to write him off, after I wrote up a report detailing his transgressions and what he and his warden could do to stop further issues from occurring.

I went to deliver it to Hanna in person. We spoke for some time about order and chaos, spoken and unspoken rules, and after a time I secured an invitation inside his cabin.

He was no threat to this ship apart from a great deal of unchecked power - ignorance, not malice dictated his actions, which I suspected but was relieved to discover further evidence of, given the state of his cabin. Indeed, his gifts proved to be more a hindrance to him than a boon. Moreover, I had certain biases against him from the start of our encounters. He reminded me very much of the young Jedi responsible for my death, and the deaths of my crew.

We spoke briefly about what I could tell him about my past, as he shared reluctance about his own. It was not until I made a passing mention of 'stormtroopers' that his interests lit up. It appears he is familiar with my universe, and we have people in common.

I shook his hand, revealed to him that I was a Chiss, and in return he gifted me a piece of art I am still working on understanding the significance of. He offered to memorialize my dead crewmembers, but I declined politely and left.

[a_titanum]

[ Oh, there is so much there. Starting with 'a report detailing his transgressions' that makes Florian want to grab him and shake him and allows for a lovely fantasy of such before he has to keep paying attention and then there's the rest of the rollercoaster ride. By the end, he's sipping at his tea and absently wondering how, despite his brilliance, Thrawn had in fact made it to the age of his death. He's assuming quick reflexes and decides that the avenue is unnecessary continue down. It is, after all, simply fanciful idle wondering; he's very fond of his inmate and extremely impressed by his capabilities.]

I'm glad to hear it, though I find myself similarly frustrated with the spellcasters on board who seem far too keen to experiment without peer review.

I'd like to hear more about his 'dismissiveness' and 'stubbornness' as well as what excuses he offered.

[artistinexile]

He began to make jokes. And when I firmly suggested the very reasonable idea of keeping his notes to understand where he went wrong, he claimed he wanted to scrap them instead.

Couple that with 'just' trying to learn new magic and finding usable spells. Essentially throwing what works in a temperamental environment to see what would happen.

[a_titanum]

Jokes are very often how people deal with their own discomfort, guilt, or fear. While they can be dismissive, immediately assuming them to be so is something of a false positive and can lead one to conclusions that aren't as accurate as they might be with further examination.

His notes may, to him, have presented as a lasting threat, as there are other spellcasters on board and not all of them spoke up in the postings or elsewhere to state their horror or dismay. Indeed, if there is such a working and such a power able to manipulate the state of reality, there are those on board unscrupulous enough who might see the venture worth exploring further and his notes would serve as a launching point for those plans. To keep them would, in essence, make him an accessory to their actions unless he kept them with the highest security and even then, there is no telling given what happens around here whether he could keep them safe.

As for 'just' trying to learn new magic, it is the same as any other skill. While I will be reaching out to him to offer greater safeguards for his experimentation and peer review of his work given what I've personally learned of how magic can be utilized in this space, he was merely performing the same sort of testing you chose to do regarding murder and death on board, simply in a different direction. The problem is that magic, unfortunately, can cause a great deal more harm. I would guess the impetus is the same, however.

[ A short pause. ]

Your thoughts?

[artistinexile]

I agree.

[a_titanum]

[ A dip of his head. ]

And what about him made you inclined towards being 'friends' with him?

[artistinexile]

He fit your criteria. I admired his power and ease of speaking but did not need it for myself. He showed interest in a mutual topic and did not display any signs of irritation or aggression.

[a_titanum]

[ He nods. ]

Good. Moving right along then.

[ He dips his head towards Thrawn. ]

The second part?

[artistinexile]

You asked me to evaluate my stance on why I have deep discomfort with social interactions. I do not have difficulty maintaining surface-level communication or situational awareness, at least in order to prevent catastrophe.

However, upon reflection, I find that this is a multi-faceted problem. One issue may stem from a lack of development. Another may be that in comparison to most humans, I come off as - forgive me- alien to most. I am aware my tone and demeanor are not particularly welcoming to others.

But this would not excuse how I do not have foresight back with my own people, and to that I would answer…I have tried. Chiss politics have always been a source of frustration and confusion for me, and that, I believe, leads to confusion and frustration in others. They assume I am playing a game, being deceitful with my true feelings. I do not have the words to express otherwise.

[a_titanum]

[ Florian has a thought, and it's a thought that's been sitting at the back of his brain since they were paired. It has him standing up and he will straighten his clothing as he holds up a finger. ]

Very good. Now, I feel as if I ought to offer what I promised the other day accordingly: a piece of art from my world, a piece of art very dear to me. Can you wait just a moment for me to retrieve it?

I promise it is... connected.

[artistinexile]

[he tilts his head, and only because Florian is someone who pays attention will he catch that glint of hunger in Thrawn's eye at the mention of art]

Of course.

[a_titanum]

[ He will return a few minutes later with a painting that has clearly been cared for and maintained over the years. It is a portrait done in the style of his day specifically of a ten year old girl.

A ten year old girl who could be Florian, if he were younger and with longer hair.

There are certain details of her appearance that appear a little off, the signs of the painter having to deal with a difficult subject. There are a surprising lack of flowers, given Florian's name and the girl's name as well; instead, the backdrop is clearly a room very much like the one they're sitting in if even more ornately decorated.

Despite the painter's best efforts, however, there is a spark of rebellion in those eyes, a light that Thrawn will never have seen in Florian. And the way that Florian looks at the painting after he puts it down in his chair for Thrawn to examine is raw enough that Thrawn might be surprised at it. ]