[Event Mingle] Great Full Day!

[trpmods]

At last it is here, the day An Nu and Ga Re told you about has arrived. While the last few days may have been a bit of a trial with the whole replicator going a bit wonky thing, but that’s no reason not to celebrate, right? Right! Good thing too, because the Whale Comb Sent Her is absolutely awash with what must be seasonal good cheer. The whole outside of the building is wrapped in vines, though thankfully this time they seem to be made primarily of a thick sort of cloth, and the fall colors to them are also painted on. There’s no doubt that the decorations come from your friendly Agrii either, because apparently they feel that pink and purple are also very valid color choices for fall foliage, so enjoy those splashes of color too.

Inside the decorations continue, the fabric vines ringing the room at a height that would clearly be natural for the Agrii. Amid them are painted cloth banners announcing things like WHALE COMB and EAT MUCH and GREAT FULL and of course the ever present THANK YOU. Around all of these are cloth and paper pictures that wouldn’t look out of place in an elementary school classroom around Thanksgiving. You’ve got your handprint animals, foam shape plants, and vividly painted pictures of tables full of food with Agrii around it as a group. And sometimes in those last ones there are little drawings that… wait, He Row, is that you? Well, they did say you were celebrating together, so maybe that’s what they meant.

But of course people didn’t just come here for the wonderful decorations. You’re here for the food, for the feast, for the togetherness. Good news is that the Agrii have you covered on that as well. A series of tables have been set up in the Sent Her, much like when He Rows first arrived on Agra-10. Along one wall is a long series of tables covered with pink and purple cloths, and over the majority of these are the foods the Agrii have sent down. There are platters of hamburgers (which taste like peanut butter), and plates of peanut butter sandwiches (which also taste like peanut butter). There are pies that look like they’re apple and taste like iced tea. There are more ‘traditional’ things too, which are things like green bean casseroles, vegetable lasagnas, and even some seventeen layer dip to go with all of the chips. There’s apparently no meat though. Not from the Agrii at least.

The even better news is that this isn’t all there is. A whole two tables of space have been left open for the He Rows to bring their own food offerings, or the results of their replicator experiences. The Agrii have been kind enough to leave out plenty of extra plates and serving utensils as well, so no one should worry about there not being enough. And hopefully what your fellows have brought is very tasty. Or came out in a reasonable size or volume from the replicator.

Then there are the tables laid out in the middle of the room. They are round things with only a few seats at each, and there are name tags? Apparently the Agrii thought they might help you get to know each other this Great Full with random seating. Hope your table mate is fun. At each space there is also a little cloth baggie of… oh wow, is that candy? Yes it is! Those sweets are going to be a great reward for after dinner. Or during it. And surely there’s nothing strange that comes from eating them at all.

Finally, there’s even something for those whose entertainment isn’t to be found in eating. The Agrii have been studying their He Rows for a while now, and they know what you need. One side of the room is dedicated to other forms of entertainment. There’s a big poster drawn of what looks to be a glownie, but lacking a tail. Ah but don’t worry, there are tails made of cloth in a bowl nearby for He Rows to restore to the paper glownie. Don’t worry about injury to the paper glownie, it’s all done with magnets! For those who aren’t about tail pinning there are other fun things to be done. There’s a karaoke machine in the corner, clearly the Agrii remember how much fun that was. Wait… Is that the exact one that He Row Billy loaned to the Deep End? Apparently so. And last but far from least is the most important of celebration games: a booth with a stack of personal peanut butter pies and a sign saying ‘Eat Fast Count Is!’ Which probably means eating contests for those brave enough to face that much peanut butter.

FAQ
Do we need to make our own logs for this?
No. You’re welcome to use this post to make Top Levels for this mingle. Get out there and enjoy your celebration together.

We’re not obligated to that randomized seating are we?
Nope! We just felt it could be a handy way to explain mingling with other He Rows you might not normally talk to.

What if our character would bring food?
Our best suggestion is to note that in your TLs. Who knows, maybe your creativity with cooking or the silliness of your offering (or the results of a poor replicator situation) could be fun for others to enjoy.

Can we still use the replicator here and now?
Absolutely. If that sort of chaos is what you want to have fun with, then have at it. Besides people here can probably help you eat your way through any food you get.

That candy seems sorta suspicious. What’s up with that?
Great question. Each baggie will have a random assortment of little gummy candies that are shaped like Agrii heads, complete with three eyes, smile, and little teeth. Each one even has their own unique flavor. And their own unique side effects.

Yellow - Maple Flavored - Makes eater more energetic and friendly
Green - Sour Apple Flavored - Makes eater feels mischievous and is more likely to play pranks and tell jokes
Blue - Dark Lager Flavored - Makes eater tell the truth for half an hour (is not actually alcoholic
Purple - Chocolate Flavored - Makes eater very affectionate or romantically inclined
Red - Cinnamon Flavored - Makes eater easily angered or quick to challenge other people

Comments

[art_of_war]

While Dustin is describing Earth's location in its home galaxy, Thrawn stays quiet and listens. But when Dustin starts in on conspiracy theories, Thrawn raises a single eyebrow.

"It would be highly unlikely that something as culturally impactful as first contact with another civilization on another planet would stay a secret for long. After all, it would only take a single person inside this vast and far-reaching conspiracy of thousands you're speaking of to be a whistleblower. "

Sorry, Dustin. Even in a galaxy far far away conspiracy theories sound like nonsense.

[quark_assassin]

Had he not gotten into the yellow candy, Dustin might have seen Thrawn's response as the skeptical challenge that it is. Instead, he perceives it as an earnest debate, which he is more than happy to answer.

"Ah--so you'd think," he says, raising a finger and jabbing it in emphasis. "But that would be a vast underestimation of corporate motivation and resources. Consider Global Trade Protectorate v. Turner Electrics, 1985. That particular conspiracy involved multiple billion-dollar corporations across dozens of countries, and it took the GTP nearly thirty years and multiple skirmishes to uncover it. Turner Electrics went bankrupt before the legal fees just to try and cover it up for as long as possible."

[art_of_war]

"I still have trouble following the logic. Why go through so much effort not to mention time and funds in order for a single planet to hide something as culturally important as first contact from half their own population."

Thrawn shrugged a little again

If corporate interests are taken into account, that would make the previously made observation is still accurate;
A far-reaching conspiracy of thousands you're speaking of only needs one to be a whistleblower. "

[quark_assassin]

"You're assuming that corporate interests place cultural betterment over profit," Dustin continues, grinning and apparently completely undeterred by Thrawn's logic. "An optimistic idea, but unfortunately not one that's backed by evidence. Maybe they function differently where you're from - I've gotten the impression that my world's corporations are a little..."

He pauses, searching for the best description, and eventually settles on it with a wince.

"...Intense? Like, whistleblowers, for example--" Dustin leans forward with renewed enthusiasm. "--Obviously they exist, or else I wouldn't have read about all of these theories, but they don't get very far because the companies that they used to work for dedicated tons of resources towards smear campaigns and, in a lot of cases, paid assassinations. This sort of retaliation is expected. That's...not common, I take it?"

[art_of_war]

[ The flaw in Dustin's logic still remains, and speaking of that galaxy far, far away; ]

Under the Empire's rule, there are no corporate interests that supersede the government's authority, regardless of said corporation's resources. There is also no need to conceal First Contact because there are many systems and more planets already joined in trade. While there are paid assassinations, it is a very risky thing to carry them out on the whistleblower if said whistleblower is already part of the Empire.

[ Part of living under a fascist state means all those systems and planets are tightly controlled. ]

[quark_assassin]

Dustin leans back, heavy eyebrows lifting with recognition. "Ahh - it sounds like we're reversed, then," he explains. "On Earth, corporations supersede government. Oligarchy rather than Empire. Individual countries have their own political systems, but they all still answer to the Global Trade Protectorate, which prioritizes their finances in order to make sure that everyone has the capital to take care of themselves."

He pauses to grab what looks like a cookie, sniffing it for a moment before popping it in his mouth. Unsurprisingly, it tastes like peanut butter, though with a not unpleasant hint of cinnamon.

"Consequently, international corporations have the run of the place, so long as they fall in line with the GTP," Dustin continues around his mouthful of cookie. "If the GTP determined that first contact would cause widespread market disruptions - which I imagine it would, regardless of how we received the aliens visiting us - they would have a lot of motivation to cover it up for as long as possible, and they would have the infrastructure to pull it off. It makes total sense to me."