Jiro walks down an Avean market alley as the blue-green Avean sky grows dark. He's wearing a hooded cloak to try and shield his face. Food stands line the narrow street with hanging lamps buzzing overhead. There's Aveans all around, walking up and down the street, patronising the stands, chattering away. Civilians, though, not the military types Jiro had gotten acquainted to back at the labs. They've got coats of downy feathers, with dyed silks instead of those high-tech polymer plates the soldiers have.








  Avean Noodlesmith
Hey hey! Mysterious cloaked figure!

He wanders past a stand for some kind of jellyfish noodle soup. It looks strangely appetising. The lone cook attending the bubbling broths notices him glancing noodleward and beckons him in.

  Avean Noodlesmith
You look you need yourself a taste of our famous jelly noodles, am I right?
C'mon, now, don't be a stranger! Get in here!

—Jiro—
...
Spare me the small talk
I stick out that much? I thought I was being subtle...
→May as well
Hope Sunny likes noodles. I'm on dinner duty tonight anyway so tough luck if she doesn't.


Jiro approaches the stand to get a better look at the product. There's another Avean chewing xeir noodles on a stool next to him. The Noodlesmith meets him at the counter to make conversation.

  Avean Noodlesmith
Whoa, wait a second... you're a human!

—Jiro—
...
I'm caught already. Whoop de doo.
How would she handle this situation...
→Yeah, I'm a refugee from "Earth". Part of some big resettlement project. Very official.
I'm done. It's over. They're going to cart me back to the labs and put me back in one of those cages.

  Avean Civilian
Ugh. They're letting vassal species live on the homeworld now?

  Avean Noodlesmith
Well it's not exactly like he can live on Earth.

  Avean Civilian
Feh...

  Avean Noodlesmith
Don't listen to that guy, Fuzzy, he's just a cloacahead.
Crying shame what happened to your planet. I'm glad some of youse made it through.

—Jiro—
...
→Best we can ask for.
I'm lying about being from there but yeah I also hope they're not all dead
"Fuzzy"?

  Avean Civilian
Whatever. I blame Ploupop for that mess. Worst High Consul we've ever had.
Backwater like Earth, we shoulda had 'em eating out of our crops within the cycle. How do you screw that up?

  Avean Noodlesmith
You think you coulda done better!? Whole planet a' Cliff Masons, no wonder he had trouble.
And that was before they got ahold of our tech.
Only a matter of time before they started building planet crackers... Scary stuff, that is, scary stuff.
Really is a shame we had to blow 'em up...

  Avean Civilian
I'm not weepin' over it. Damn mammals...

  Avean Noodlesmith
Well you oughta be!
All that culture, gone. What a waste.
Maybe in a better world, we coulda brought 'em under our wing without everything getting so screwed up.

—Jiro—
...
→Are those really the only options? Conquest or annihilation?
Did you two forget I'm sitting right here



The two Aveans stare blankly at Jiro. After a moment that lasts a second too long, the Noodlesmith breaks the ice with a pained smile.




  Avean Noodlesmith
We're way off track here, ahaheh...!
So, Fuzzy, anything caught your eye?

Jiro glances up at the menu. It's all written in Avean glyphs.

—Jiro—
...
Yeah I can't read any of this
→What do you recommend?
I've lost my appetite
Surprise me

  Avean Noodlesmith
Well... since you're asking me...

  Avean Civilian
Get the billicheef. Only thing here worth a damn.

  Avean Noodlesmith
Helix, for a first timer?
Nah, Fuzzy, you want that ustoknot noodle, everyone loves that.

—Jiro—
...
Get me the ustoknot
I'll take the billicheef
→One of both, thanks. And make that to go.

Jiro offers up a little card to be swiped.

  Avean Noodlesmith
Real hungry, are ya?

—Jiro—
...
It's a human thing.
→No. Feeding a friend.