Page 161: It is called a Diral-Seii

[icekatze]

hi hi

If she's one of the last of her Diral, the totem doesn't seem very potent.

Considering the Loroi's views on luck, that's only really true if the current holder isn't the first one to die. If the totem holder is able to save the others of the band from all the bad luck, then I guess it's working as intended.

[sunphoenix]

I expect shaking Alex's hand might be considered a somewhat intimate act... not fully sexual.. but like humans might consider a hug from a complete stranger..a little personal and intimate. Since Loroi are touch telepaths.. a handshake might have a more poignant meaning to them even though not to us other than a polite act of trust. I think spiral is being a little naughty wanting to share what Loroi might consider a little intimacy with physical touch... knowing humans offer such things as greeting as an excuse to share something intimate with the handsome warm Alex.

[boldilocks]

I'm not sure that a telepathic species would necessarily find touching to be very intimate in and of itself.

[cacambo43]

I expect shaking Alex's hand might be considered a somewhat intimate act... not fully sexual.. but like humans might consider a hug from a complete stranger..a little personal and intimate. Since Loroi are touch telepaths.. a handshake might have a more poignant meaning to them even though not to us other than a polite act of trust. I think spiral is being a little naughty wanting to share what Loroi might consider a little intimacy with physical touch... knowing humans offer such things as greeting as an excuse to share something intimate with the handsome warm Alex.

Except based on Talon's handshake interaction, that doesn't make much sense. Spiral seems to be more melodramatically demonstrative and theatrical, is all.

And as far as handing him the blade, I think it shows implicit trust in him, probably based on the condition she found him in (and he's alive and well) and being a fellow pilot. That seemed to hold pretty big stock with Talon, too.

CJSF

[Luge]

The seii is a ritual totem, that is representative of the fortunes of the diral band (a group of Loroi warrior youths in training).

SNIP

Upon graduation from the trials, the seii is taken from the leader by an elder and thrown into a bonfire, symbolizing the dissolution of the diral band. By tradition, one of the band (usually the leader) retrieves the seii from the fire before it is consumed (usually with accompanying injury) and keeps it as a totem for the good fortune of the future of the ex-band members.

I interpret this to mean that to hold it (and thus hold the fortunes of the diral band) even for a short period is a minor monour, and shows a great deal of trust from Spiral.

L.

[Arent]

I expect shaking Alex's hand might be considered a somewhat intimate act... not fully sexual.. but like humans might consider a hug from a complete stranger..a little personal and intimate. Since Loroi are touch telepaths.. a handshake might have a more poignant meaning to them even though not to us other than a polite act of trust. I think spiral is being a little naughty wanting to share what Loroi might consider a little intimacy with physical touch... knowing humans offer such things as greeting as an excuse to share something intimate with the handsome warm Alex.

Except based on Talon's handshake interaction, that doesn't make much sense. Spiral seems to be more melodramatically demonstrative and theatrical, is all.

And as far as handing him the blade, I think it shows implicit trust in him, probably based on the condition she found him in (and he's alive and well) and being a fellow pilot. That seemed to hold pretty big stock with Talon, too.

CJSF

He asked to thank her and Talon for rescuing him. Spiral couldn't shake hands with him because she had to pilot the shuttle. So, apparently she wants to catch up on that.

Since he is in her debt, attempted to thank her and is a fellow pilot, it might be 'honorable' to accept his thanks.

[boldilocks]

She might just be a naturally bubbly and outgoing personality.
It seems like it should be Tempo, the diplomat, doing the meet-n-greet.

[Arent]

She might just be a naturally bubbly and outgoing personality.
It seems like it should be Tempo, the diplomat, doing the meet-n-greet.

Well, yes, initially, she made a slightly immature impression.

[Errhile]

As soon as she handed the blade to him, I was getting a Dune vibe (the scene when Paul gives water rings to Chani... not noticing that in Fremen culture it is an elemnt of courtship. It takes Stilgar, the tribe's chieftain intervene to explain the somewhat stunned girl the newcomer doesn't know their customs...). Well, just a vibe, and it doesn't really translate here.

Still, I believe Talon to be attempting a flirt. "Accidentally" making the other party hold a personal item of significant cultural importance... Yep. She's flirting.

[Arent]

As soon as she handed the blade to him, I was getting a Dune vibe (the scene when Paul gives water rings to Chani... not noticing that in Fremen culture it is an elemnt of courtship. It takes Stilgar, the tribe's chieftain intervene to explain the somewhat stunned girl the newcomer doesn't know their customs...). Well, just a vibe, and it doesn't really translate here.

Still, I believe Talon to be attempting a flirt. "Accidentally" making the other party hold a personal item of significant cultural importance... Yep. She's flirting.

I'm maybe mixing things up, but isn't the one with the cyan hair Spiral?

[Luge]

As soon as she handed the blade to him, I was getting a Dune vibe (the scene when Paul gives water rings to Chani... not noticing that in Fremen culture it is an elemnt of courtship. It takes Stilgar, the tribe's chieftain intervene to explain the somewhat stunned girl the newcomer doesn't know their customs...). Well, just a vibe, and it doesn't really translate here.

I was thinking of EXACTLY the same thing. Stilgar smooths things over by saying Chani can hold them without obligation... For now.

L.

[asaenvolk]

Yes, the one with the slightly greener than cyan hair is Spiral, Talon was the one with bblue hair with white stripes in it. And both were most definitely flirting with him, remember this is a culture in which the females would peruse the males. Sure, he might be alien... but he is physically very close to them in appearance, and they have been shut away from any male contact in a combat ready situation for who knows how long.

[asaenvolk]

That brings up another question, what are the facial tattoos that Spiral and Talon have?

[Luge]

From the topic Character Discussion - Talon and Spiral

Here are some items previously mentioned on the forums:

All the members of Talon & Spiral's Taben Tenoin training band got the same tattoo, and most of the members of the original squadron of 20 were drawn from the same band of about 50.

Spiral is from Maia, but she was shipped off to Taben to get her Tenoin training. Talon (who was in the same class) is a Taben native, from a port town called Sezabi on the northern continent of Beleri.

Talon and Spiral were part of the same diral childhood training band (called the "High Tide Lowlives" (riibon timoir misit beda)) on Taben, and all the members got matching tattoos when they graduated. A new fighter squadron was formed (mostly from members of this band, including Talon and Spiral and the diral leader) and was deployed to Strike Group 51. Talon and Spiral are the last two surviving members of the original squadron, but they aren't the only pilots on Tempest; the rest are replacements or members of other squadrons.

Spiral wears a fragment of a nilnol blade as a pendant (a “nilnol” is a Belerid utility knife, traditionally made of leviathan bone), which was the diral seii (or leadership totem) of the "High Tide Lowlives." She inherited it from the previous owner, who was killed. It was originally carried by the diral leader.

[novius]

Yes, the one with the slightly greener than cyan hair is Spiral, Talon was the one with bblue hair with white stripes in it. And both were most definitely flirting with him, remember this is a culture in which the females would peruse the males. Sure, he might be alien... but he is physically very close to them in appearance, and they have been shut away from any male contact in a combat ready situation for who knows how long.

And Talon's off-hand comment just before she was shoved out of the room did tell us that they are definitely curious. I can see why Tempo might not be all too happy about the situation. The whole shuttle crew of impressionable young warrior females - well, a good number of them - cooped up with a single male.... and they do seem to relax a bit in his presence. Beryl, using many oppotunities to get into his private space for one reason or another - it started out way earlier than the 'experiment' on the shuttle - and Spiral, feeling comfortable enough to hand him an item of personal importance for safekeeping.

Tempo may watch the events with mixed feelings. She might not condone her fellow Loroi to let their guard down around him, but on the other hand she might wait for him to let his guard down around the Loroi.

[Krulle]

Pretty sure she IS waiting.

It may well be she's still expecting his Lotai to be semi-conscious, and a real relaxing exercise may bring a crack in it.
And she and Fireblade will jump at it, once they *see* it.

[novius]

Pretty sure she IS waiting.

It may well be she's still expecting his Lotai to be semi-conscious, and a real relaxing exercise may bring a crack in it.
And she and Fireblade will jump at it, once they *see* it.

And given that something did happen during Beryl's little experiment that assumption might not be too far-fetched.

Wait. Didn't I say in the comments thread for Page 134 that Fireblade seems to sit a bit sideways towards his viewing angle, but turning to look straight at him?

Whether I'm right or wrong - maybe she did notice something and may or may not have told Tempo.

Maybe the change in sleeping accomodations has nothing to do with lack of space, but it was directed by Tempo, because she has good reasons to believe that his Lotai may drop in a relaxed atmosphere. And now both Tempo and Fireblade seem to wait for something - it stroke me a bit odd that she moved over for two pages, not carrying anything, just to watch him, and then turning back to Tempo.

Coming to think of it, maybe that's what the construct was concerned about. It knows much more about humans than it let on, and that might include knowledge about the type of situations his Lotai may drop.

[raistlin34]

Pretty sure she IS waiting.

It may well be she's still expecting his Lotai to be semi-conscious, and a real relaxing exercise may bring a crack in it.
And she and Fireblade will jump at it, once they *see* it.

And given that something did happen during Beryl's little experiment that assumption might not be too far-fetched.

Wait. Didn't I say in the comments thread for Page 134 that Fireblade seems to sit a bit sideways towards his viewing angle, but turning to look straight at him?

Whether I'm right or wrong - maybe she did notice something and may or may not have told Tempo.

Maybe the change in sleeping accomodations has nothing to do with lack of space, but it was directed by Tempo, because she has good reasons to believe that his Lotai may drop in a relaxed atmosphere. And now both Tempo and Fireblade seem to wait for something - it stroke me a bit odd that she moved over for two pages, not carrying anything, just to watch him, and then turning back to Tempo.

Coming to think of it, maybe that's what the construct was concerned about. It knows much more about humans than it let on, and that might include knowledge about the type of situations his Lotai may drop.

Mmmm... that´s sounds like a likely possibility.
Still, is ironic Alex wasn´t hiding anything from the Loroi before the construct make him so.

[tpkc_klick]

Pretty sure she IS waiting.

It may well be she's still expecting his Lotai to be semi-conscious, and a real relaxing exercise may bring a crack in it.
And she and Fireblade will jump at it, once they *see* it.

And given that something did happen during Beryl's little experiment that assumption might not be too far-fetched.

Wait. Didn't I say in the comments thread for Page 134 that Fireblade seems to sit a bit sideways towards his viewing angle, but turning to look straight at him?

Whether I'm right or wrong - maybe she did notice something and may or may not have told Tempo.

Maybe the change in sleeping accomodations has nothing to do with lack of space, but it was directed by Tempo, because she has good reasons to believe that his Lotai may drop in a relaxed atmosphere. And now both Tempo and Fireblade seem to wait for something - it stroke me a bit odd that she moved over for two pages, not carrying anything, just to watch him, and then turning back to Tempo.

Coming to think of it, maybe that's what the construct was concerned about. It knows much more about humans than it let on, and that might include knowledge about the type of situations his Lotai may drop.

Tempo may not even need Fireblade for this. According to her entry on the Dramatis Personae page, she has pretty formidable psychic abilities of her own:

Though her abilities lack the raw amplified force of an Unsheathed, she makes up for this in the subtlety of their use.

Actually, a more subtle probing attempt might even be her preferred option. It doesn't seem like the Loroi understand how Jardin can resist their probes, and one possibility they might have considered is that he's simply able to bring up his defenses too quickly and too effectively for them to get past (it might even be something akin to an immune response). In this case, using Fireblade could actually be counterproductive, as her approach makes it obvious that her target's mind is under attack. A gentler, more stealthy approach might let Tempo slip past the defenses unnoticed.
Another possibility is that she could simply let Beryl and Jardin continue to bond, in the hopes that he'll open up and give the Observer a guided tour of his head (perhaps inadvertently). Tempo can then get the information from Beryl, (who is pretty talkative, and seems to wear her emotions on her sleeve, so it shouldn't be too hard).
It's also possible Tempo has, for the moment, given up on the psychic probes, and is instead trying to glean information from Jardin based on his words and body language. He lets his guard down in a relaxed social moment, and lets slip something he was trying to keep secret. To facilitate this, part of the little sanzai conference she had might have been her giving the shuttle crew permission to get friendly with the human.

Somewhat off-topic and compete speculation, but it strikes me that Tempo may be working towards an agenda that none of the other Loroi on the shuttle are aware of. She is an intelligence officer and trained diplomat, so I could see her keeping secrets from them. She could get away with this via sanzai either by having a section of her mind that's expected to be walled off (the "that's classified information" section, Fireblade would likely have one as well for OpSec), or by being able to convincingly lie through senzai, sending out all the right psychic signals to convince other Loroi she's being truthful. This would also bring up the intriguing possibility that there could be an entire secret faction of Loroi quietly and subtly steering their empire by telling the right lies in a society built on the blunt, unvarnished, and open truth.

[kiwi]

I’m now imaging the magical mystery dreamscape episode, wherein Tempo tries to sneak in while Alex is sleeping and bites off more than she can chew .

There are so many options to choose from:

SpoilerShow

- nightmare Cthuloid body horror
- flashback to the death of Ellen
- naked and unprepared on way to exam (an enduring classic, plus it could be entertaining to see a Loroi struck down by body modesty)
- bizzare free-association mashup
- unexpected lucid dream where Alex is in charge
- trapped in a reverie of some cultural practice which really doesn’t feel right to a Loroi; maybe ‘meeting the boyfriends’ parents?’
- kittens! (Followed by the devastating realisation that they’re more than 10 jumps past Naam away.)

Edit: added kittens