DiscoDude: ---BEGIN SESSION---
DiscoDude: Session logging commenced
GM: It’s a rainy day on the jungle port platform as a much more avian Holly flickers into existence. “It’s raining, it’s pouring,” she chirps, “but I can’t imagine anybody snoring for our second exciting episode of Uranium Chef!” A cheesy title card comes up, followed by her generic seasonal recap. Then... “I’m currently standing in front of the Kurama Ikki Palace,” she gestures behind her to a bridge extending to a cabana palace suspended in a large basin, “on a makeshift shuttle platform in the rainforests of Qara-Tengu, the planet of the eternal storm! Our 17 remaining chefs will be put to the test braving that storm, and 14 of them will face off against our very own, locally sourced Radon Chef! Of course, one will go home after this. That’s the shuttle now!” The shuttle descends on the platform. Chefs are woken up from cryosleep, and are ushered out with cheap rain coats and umbrellas.
Reality Glitch: ((Wait; cryosleep again?))
GM: (That’s how space travel works, doesn’t it?)
Reality Glitch: ((How much time is passing?))
Reality Glitch: ((Because that is going to freak Rachelle out that she'll quit regardless of the consequences just to get back to Earth and see her kids.))
GM: (Relativistic time. You’d spend years awake if you were awake, but you still pop out nary day or so after you leave from an outside perspective. That’s my best hand-wave.)
Reality Glitch: ((Time dilation is actually the other way around.))
GM: (Not in this game.)
Reality Glitch: ((Short time on the fast moving ship, years for those planetside.))
GM: (See this? It’s me, waving my hand at the issue.)
GM: (It’s science fantasy, ya know?)
Reality Glitch: ((You could have just not mentioned it and there wouldn't have been a fuss.))
GM: (You didn’t make a fuss when it was mentioned in episode 1.)
GM: (Are we seriously doing this now?)
Reality Glitch: ((Sorry.))
GM: (We’re slow as molasses as it is.)
Reality Glitch: ((The whole "missing her kids thing" is hacking at my own empathy, so I'm a bit more invested in this than I otherwise would be.))
GM: A group of similar birds to the guise that Holly is taking on (but with primarily black feathers instead of purple) almost glide across the bridge to greet you all with song and hopping dance, bobbing on stilt-like legs and flipping their wings up and down and showcasing their bioluminescent designs. Two of them, a buff crow-like one and a smaller, feminine one with a fluffier crest step forward and bow.
“Welcome to Qara-Tengu, world of the eternal storm!” They chirp.
GM: Various chefs get ‘ported to Holly’s interview dimension at various points during this to make opening remarks; first impressions of the world, the people, how things went in the previous episode.
Reality Glitch: ((Are you fine with me RP'ing Rachelle's disturbance with cryosleep, or would you rather that was off-camera this time?))
GM: (Save it for later.)
Reality Glitch: "What? Huh? Where am I? Wasn't I just on the shuttle?" Rachelle is visibly confused by the pocket dimension.
GM: (You first, huh? (Also, there was presumably a small amount of downtime off-camera before you took the space shuttle here, FYI.))
“Any thoughts on how things went last episode? First impressions of Qara Tengu?”
Reality Glitch: "Iiii'mm...." Rachelle is clearly still distracted. "A bit 'eh' on my part. This planet is for the birds, though." She smiles at the camera with that one, then immediately goes back to searching the room. "Where's the door in here?"
GM: (Roll... Quick?)
Reality Glitch: !f 3
DiscoDude: <@Reality Glitch> rolled 4dF+3 for 5 [4dF = [ ][ ][+][+]]
GM: (That's a SWS! Maybe she gets the [Endearing Lampshader][!!] label for her meta-room antics? Or were you thinking of something else?)
Reality Glitch: ((I wasn't thinking of anything at all, so that works.))
GM: And she's back where she was standing, like she never left. Next is Cocoa!
Reality Glitch: "What just happened? Where was I just taken too?"
GM: "sniff Oh, don't mind me~ Just trying to get over what happened. I can't believe we almost lost Rachelle! Now, I... I just hope I don't catch a cold out here!" (She's being Careful to maintain her little girl act.)
GM: !roll 4df+3
DiscoDude: <@GM> rolled 4df+3 for 6 [4df = [+][ ][+][+]]
GM: The audience is practically fawning over their screens, while many among them cheer on the [Sensitive Underdog][!!]. Next to get summoned is <@!Ratatoskr>!
Ratatoskr: Ratatoskr got nothing but boasts, even putting a feet on the table to emphasize it "I'm not gonna let anything deter me, be it dirty tricks, merciless judges or a God dang Maelstorm!"
GM: (Rolling...?)
Ratatoskr: (Flash- oh God I forgot to open my sheet, brb)
Ratatoskr: (But Yes, shall i roll Flashy?)
GM: (Yep.)
Ratatoskr: !roll 4df+3
DiscoDude: <@Ratatoskr> rolled 4df+3 for 2 [4df = [ ][-][-][+]]
GM: (It's a tie. A boost?)
Ratatoskr: (hmmm, Sure, Shall I sue my Carrot to do so?)
GM: (No, I mean you get a boost instead of an aspect as is.)
Ratatoskr: (Ah, right, sorry)
GM: (It's fine, name/describe it.)
Ratatoskr: Quite the boast, looks like [Determination is an Unending Fuel!]
GM: Next is Dr. Norstar! “Oh, hohohohohoho! Can you feel it? The frigid winds blow! I can feel their inspiring howl in my bones!” (She’s rolling Flashy.)
GM: !roll 4dF+2 (Flashy)
DiscoDude: <@GM> rolled 4dF+2 for 2 [4dF = [+][-][ ][ ]] (Flashy)
GM: And audiences have a generally neutral reaction to her -Lovable Kookiness-. Next up is Dovelia!
Dovelia: "There will be no holding back from me this time, you understand? I'm going to show these culinary primitives how real cooking is done."
Dovelia: (gonna roll Aggressive)
Dovelia: !f 2
DiscoDude: <@Dovelia> rolled 4dF+2 for 1 [4dF = [ ][-][ ][ ]]
GM: (Boosting, or leaving?)
GM: (<@!Dovelia>?)
Dovelia: (i'll leave it)
GM: What was meant to be an insult dissing the other contestants, got generally misinterpreted by the audience as a [Racist Slip]{!} targeted at the people of Qara Tengu.
Ratatoskr: Rat's Left head raises its earbrows, wow.
Reality Glitch: ((I don't think they can see into the pocket dimension.))
GM: (I mean, other contestants generally aren’t privy to confessionals unless Holly brings it up when it’s their turn.)
Ratatoskr: (OH.)
Ratatoskr: (sorry bout that.)
GM: Dovelia is dropped back out on the pad, and is finally replaced by Greto Sleewa.
GM: “After my personal victory on Vboth, I think I can be prepared for just about anything that can be thrown at me. I’ve done research, and I think I know how to handle this jungle planet.”
GM: !roll 4dF+2 (Clever)
DiscoDude: <@GM> rolled 4dF+2 for 0 [4dF = [-][+][-][-]] (Clever)
GM: Oh, is there nerd rage on the forums: ‘Um, actually, [It’s Rainforest, Not Jungle]{!}, on Qara Tengu. The difference between the two is like the difference between a Nu’Zarraza day and a Frigidere night. Do some actual research, duh!’
GM: After some vignettes of Alexx and Henna going off on annoyed tangents about each other, Princess Lithia complaining about the rain, and Blobert just wondering what kind of food they have here (“We gonna get worms or something? I mean, I’m not complaining.”), the group is led across the bridge to the round central building, suspended above the center of a waterfall basin. “We would like to hold a luau in honor of your visit, and in celebration of our impending official introduction into galactic society. May you be the first to sample the hospitality of the Aq Tengu! Alternatively, you could retire to your cabins, or enjoy our hatred spa.”
GM: Luau
[Mix ‘n’ Mingle Camera Crew]
[Singing (and Dancing) In the Rain]
[Odorous Buffet]
Cabins
[Hidden Cameras Everywhere]
[Form-Over-Function Lighting]
[High Up and Isolated]
Baths
[Pockets of Privacy]
[Coed Spaces]
[Saunas (with Ridiculous Settings)]
Reality Glitch: "Don'tlookdown!Don'tlookdown!Don'tlookdown!"
Ratatoskr: The right head looks down, excited, lefty merely glares at Righty as he said "Hm I think I should pay a visit to this Luaus, yeah, that might be a good idea."
GM: (Anybody else decide where their character is going?)
Dovelia: smiles. Culture! Not mass-manufactured garbage calling itself 'civilization.' "I think I'll partake of this hospitality."
Dovelia: She approaches the buffet and gives it a once-over. What looks the most familiar to her? Or at least like it's had the most good old-fashioned effort put into its preparation?...
Ratatoskr: big bad squirrel on the distance
Reality Glitch: Rachelle dicides to head to the party, seeing as "Luau" is the only non-basic word being thrown around so far that she really understands at this point.
GM: (Bathroom break, ‘scuse me.)
Dovelia: smirks to herself as Rachelle approaches, but tries not to be too obviously happy.
Reality Glitch: "Whatcha thinkin'?" Rachelle asks Dovelia. "A smile like that can't mean your up to anything good." She give her own smile in return.
Ratatoskr: Ratatoskr started eating food already, trying to find which one would be the most spicy, if any.
Dovelia: "Oh. I'm just wondering how I'm going to humiliate that egghead Greto the next chance I get," Dovelia says, allowing her smile to grow wider. "I wouldn't object to the opportunity to collaborate with you next round."
Reality Glitch: "Well, our bosses are already collaborating, so I don't see why we shouldn't."
GM: Many of the foods appear to just be... bowls of technicolor mush, excluding the occasional seafood dish and salad. All of it... somewhat pungent, and Ratatoskr... (I’m thinking a roll might be in order here? Perhaps to get a feel for the local flavor profile, or simply to brave the scarier dishes?)
GM: (Ooh, dropping that bomb already?)
Reality Glitch: ((She doesn't know the true implications.))
GM: (I’m not complaining. XD)
Ratatoskr: (Which roll, though? Clever? Forceful? Flashy?)
Reality Glitch: ((I don't think that has interesting enough success and failure conditions to require a roll.))
GM: (I guess you’re right.)
GM: Ratatoskr, the general flavor profile is that of the sweet, sour, and mild, generally speaking, but the other three flavors have presence, too.
Dovelia: "Our...pardon?"
Ratatoskr: The monstrously big guy kept eating, while not his Forte he could plenty enjoy this kind of food... And probably get one or two of the recipes if the chef was around, he hehe!
Reality Glitch: "Yeah, Another catfolk wearin' similar dudes was talking with a hologram of a robot of a cow of my company." She pauses and take a second to wrap her head around her own wording of that sentence. "That came out wrong."
Reality Glitch: "I'm just glad these translators work." Rachelle pulls at the pin on her poncho.
Dovelia: "No...no, I think I understand." She idly spoons some of a dish she can't quite recognize as seafood onto a plate. "How curious our fates should align like this." She shuts her eyes in thought for a second. "Yes. Yes, I do believe it would be to our mutual benefit to collaborate." She thinks to herself: this woman might be my best chance of getting to the bottom of whatever it is going on here.
Reality Glitch: Rachelle's eyes narrow, "I don't like how you said that. It sounds....ominous."
Dovelia: sighs and then speaks, just loud enough for Rachelle to hear but not for any distant cameras to pick up: "You're no fool, Rachelle. In fact, you might be the only person in this whole affair with their eyes fully open. I do dangerous jobs for dangerous people, and it's sounding very much like one of those people has drawn you into his orbit. Likewise, I have every reason to believe my employer in this case has an ulterior motive, and I do not enjoy being played for a patsy."
Dovelia: "To put it bluntly, we have enemies in this competition beyond the other chefs. And either we unite against them, or we allow them to use us - and discard us - as they please."
Reality Glitch: Rachelle turns white. "Why. Is Earth of all places the simpler one? It's like their's a complexity quota; 'don't spend spend too much on the landscape diversety, or there woun't be enough for the crosspollination conspiracies.'" She does that last part in a comedically mocking fake voice.
Reality Glitch: "It's like I'm in some cartoon where, just because it's cooking themed, everything in the show is cooking themed as well; even the super-serious non-cooking stuff."
Dovelia: "You're welcome to accept my advice or ignore it," Dovelia says, visibly a little annoyed that Rachelle doesn't seem to be taking her seriously. "The fact is, your fate is not in your own hands so long as these adversaries have control. There are agents acting behind the curtains of this game who do not have any of our best interests in mind. We don't know what their ultimate goals are, but know this: all your ambitions are in jeopardy so long as you're unwittingly playing their game. Including getting home to your children."
Reality Glitch: "That is the third time you've done the whole 'take it or leave it' routine;" she rubs her temples, "which would be fine if you weren't so vague and cryptic the each time, but I wouldn't even know where to begin with something like this even if I knew what I was doing." The audience must be really off-out with the whole "one half phone conversation" coming from Rachelle and Dovelia's discrepancies in volume.
GM: (Gonna end the session in a couple minutes in consideration for Revo.)
Dovelia: "How am I being cryptic?!?" Dovelia says, loud enough for the camera to pick up, clearly flummoxed.
GM: (Ooh, are we about to see a Face-Off?)
Dovelia: (Dovelia's not upset or anything, but if Rachelle wants to press further...)
Reality Glitch: "You've barely told me anything, and I have no frame of reference for what you have. Assume I'm learning this for the first time, because aside from shady business seeming to be universal, I am."
Dovelia: Dovelia drops her volume once more, this time a frustrated edge in her voice: "I was brought in to make sure Greto was eliminated from the competition. However, it turns out the motive is to ensure he doesn't escape my employer's debt. If my employer and yours are colluding on this, it is entirely possible they have plans for you which don't include returning you to your home planet. I can't be certain what their endgame is, but given the facts at hand, we can assume something is going on that will end badly for both of us if we don't take action somehow."
Reality Glitch: "I got that much, but I'm drawing a blank in regards to what that action should be. Not my area of expertise y'know?"
Dovelia: "Just keep your eyes and ears peeled for anything else suspicious. Information is our best weapon at this point. Now..." She picks up a fork. "Enough talk. Let us feast." She samples the pungent-smelling seafood dish.
Dovelia: ( <@!GM>, what does she taste? 😉 )
GM: The dish itself is surprisingly mild. It seems much of the cuisine here relies heavily on suggestion through sweet and sour smells to carry the profiles of the dishes.
Reality Glitch: "I'll keep to the stuff I brought with me. I don't have any resistance against the local pathogens."
Dovelia: "Are you certain? This is...quite good, actually." She takes another forkful, quite a bit larger than entirely ladylike.
Reality Glitch: "My people have a history of exploiting that when arriving in new lands; rather not take any chances."
Dovelia: shudders. "How barbaric. You shouldn't advertise that sort of thing. At any rate..." She picks out a few more dishes to try. "Perhaps I shall find inspiration here. Take the local flavor, and make it my own." She chuckles. "I do hope you find something else here which speaks to your culinary muse."
Reality Glitch: "Plenty of us are trying to move past it. As for the food: I'll see what I can do."
Reality Glitch: ((I think that's a Good (+3) stopping point.))
Dovelia: (agreed)
GM: (Then let us...)
GM: !end
