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[Sebastian tilts his head, in a very dog-like fashion.]

A game?

[Jedao, does Sebastian strike you as the kind of person who knows how to have fun.]

Edited 2023-10-17 14:40 (UTC)

I think you'll be good at it.

[He pulls out a boardgame that's something in between Go, Hive, and Azul, with a big hexagonal board and hundreds of small, beautifully glazed tiles of nine different colors. Each tile is double-sided, but the difference is in the design, rather than the color, flowers versus stars. Each color is added or moved on the board differently; there are tile drawing phases where they take turns selecting tiles for their pools, trying to claim colors or block the other from getting all of another, and there are ways to claim territory and flip tiles once played. A variety of elegant patterns can make the territory worth more; every board state is a maze of constantly shifting possibilities for both strategic and artistic gains.]

[What are we, children? Sebastian thinks as Jedao brings out the boardgame... But, well. As Jedao explains the rules, there is, admittedly, something aesthetically pleasing both about the design of the tiles, as well as the set-up of the game.

As predicted, Sebastian is good at it. Not as good as Jedao, most likely, but good for a beginner, and he learns quickly.

After they've been playing for a while, and while moving one of his tiles:]

...Why? [Why are they hanging out like this?]

Do you want the top answer, or the whole list?

[Asking less because he thinks Sebastien won't pick the list, and more simply to get him in a frame of mind to hear the whole thing.]

I have no pressing appointments, [he says, considering his next move.

Yes, the whole list, please.]

Alright, well, these are largely unranked, for the record.

I enjoy this game, and I don't often get the chance to play it with someone else who grasps it so quickly. I hoped you might enjoy it as well. Connected to that, there's a social function to tea, as I know you know - it gives one things to do with ones hands, something to look at, during conversations that might need the relief of an alternate focal point, and I wanted to explore whether this might do as a substitute version of that, if you don't like the carbonated water either. I am loosely aligned with the Shuos faction, which considers as one of its primary tenets that games are an important way of understanding people. How do you react to incentives, stakes, risk-taking, difficulty, knowledge, uncertainty, and so on. Playing a game with you is another way of getting to know you. I rather like you and I want to know you better. Sublist, for my own pleasure, because I hope you will enjoy having someone you can enjoy a friendly game with, to better assist you as well as I can, as wardening without knowledge is often useless at best, and to assist Hakkai in his own efforts.

Possibly there are more I'm forgetting at precisely this moment, but that's the gist of it.

The water is serviceable, as it were. [Like Jedao said, it doesn't really taste like anything, which makes it... not enjoyable, but also no disgusting.

Sebastian nods at Jedao's explanation, and takes the time to make his next game move before answering:]

Would you believe some Wardens insist they invite me to partake in games and movie showings simply for the pleasure of it?

[Which is to say: Sebastian likes Jedao's answer. It's thorough. It's... honest, as far as he can tell. At the very least, Jedao isn't pretending to be nice and nothing but nice.]

I'm sure most of them believe it. Self-awareness is not at a premium here, unfortunately.

[Sebastian scoffs lightly. Isn't that the truth. Most wardens are such idiots.]

I do not envy you lot the job of attempting to guide others towards realising their faults, while as a general rule being so lacking in that awareness yourselves. [Jedao is... not excluded from the "you lot" necessarily, but at least not the main target. Jedao is sensible, for a warden.

He frowns slightly down at the board, now spotting a strategic error he made. Urgh. Need to do better.]

One would hardly expect to earn a wish doing something simple and easy.

You wouldn't want to stay, when you graduate?

Gracious, no; I would not stay in this infernal place a moment longer than necessary for anything. I must return to my master as soon as possible, you see - being separated from him is hateful.

[Not that he'd want to stay even if his master weren't in the picture - the need to reunite with him just thrumps Sebastian's hatred of the Barge.]

Not even to show us all how it's done, huhn?

Ah, well. I'll miss you, but I'm glad you have somewhere you want to go.

[Heh,]

Were the Admiral not a complete coward, he would assign me my own Inmate already, and I would readily show you.

[Sebastian has very little experience (read: absolutely none) guiding people towards redemption, but he does have quite a bit of experience with whipping people into shape. Not to mention he could surely come up with an actual functional warden accountability system.]

Edited (extra word) 2023-11-02 10:38 (UTC)

[At Jedao's second statement, however, Sebastian's expression changes to one of confusion, completely with a raised eyebrow.

They've spoken all of... three times? Now, Sebastian is perfectly used to people being charmed by him instantly, but that's when he's intentionally turning on the charm. Something which he seldom does at the Barge.]

You could always just pick one. They say you don't really understand something until you can teach it, after all.

[Jedao smiles back blithely. If Sebastian has questions about Jedao liking him, he is welcome to ask.]

[A light scoff. His thoughts immediately go to Johann...]

That would be one way to pass the time, I suppose.

Take you usually so quickly to people? [Especially when said people are... not in the best mood most of the time?]

I do, actually. I'm...normally quite good at getting a sense of someone's character. And I know what I like.

[Even if his standards are...abnormal.]

Dear me. Such peculiar tastes you must have, in that case.

[He doesn't say it in a self-disparaging way; he says it in a "I'm well aware I'm ornery and prickly with wardens and don't much pretend to be a good person and I make it very clear I hate all of you" way.]

Aside from Wardens I work with, I do not believe I tend to, mm, endear myself to the vast majority of you.

Edited 2023-11-06 19:07 (UTC)

[Jedao shrugs and grins.]

You're clever, self-disciplined, and not a hypocrite. You're mean in the fun way at least some of the time, and the way you use formality is...refreshingly familiar. I enjoy spending time with you, and your scrutiny forces me to stay sharp.

And I don't care if that makes me terribly peculiar.

[...Hmm. Please do continue listing Sebastian's admirable qualities. It's very enjoyable to hear. He appreciates that Jedao doesn't rush to insist that wardens do like him and that he's not mean.]

Is that so. [The polite thing, at this point, would be to offer traits he himself appreciates in Jedao, but we're not doing that.] Might it be that you come from some type of high society, then?

I don't know how neatly faction society would map onto Earth high society. But I suspect there are...certain parallels.

[Curiously:]

"Faction society", is it?

Mm. Everything is quite beautiful, and rank is...meaningful. But it's more professional than aristocratic, in the factions I was...among.

What rank had you? If I may ask.

When I was among the army, I was given the rank of General, but I hadn't earned it; that role was based on the lie that I was another person, whom I was only pretending to be, which is one of the reasons I so dislike it. Later, I was granted the role of Instructor, as you know. I didn't arrive to it by the...traditional path, but I do feel as though I did the work, that the title is more meaningfully my own. As an Instructor, and a very junior one, I had something of a middling rank - I could expect deference from cadets and infantry and analysts, but I owed more respect to most higher-level operatives, handlers, supervisors and so on.

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