.099 [Video]

[timesbureaucrat]

[Have a squirming, gleeful, and very very young Narvin.]

Look, look, look I got a game of Sepulchasm! [He points the video camera at a model of a mountainside on a pedestal. For about a quarter of a second. He's too excited to be patient enough to let anyone actually get a good look at it.]

I want to play! Does anyone else want to play?

[

Comments

[most_feared]

[Oh no... this isn't. It can't be. Why?] Narvin?

[timesbureaucrat]

[An adult. He immediately stills.]

Yes sir?

[He doesn't recognize anybody, but he assumes that everyone on board is Gallifreyan. Because the idea of his House permitting him to interact with aliens is utterly unthinkable. The stranger could be a political ally of his House. So he has to try to be a polite and proper little Time Lord-to-be.]

[most_feared]

[He's just going to go bash his head against a wall.] Can you tell me your current location? [So he can spy and make sure you don't get yourself killed?]

[timesbureaucrat]

I'm going to the public room on the sixth level to play Sepulchasm with a girl.

[And because Kay is an adult who sounds authoritative and like he knows what's going on. And because little Narvin is curious.]

Why are we in the Vortex? [He assumes this is the Vortex. He definitely feels some odd things in his time senses.]

[closetosurface]

[Well that quarter second glance sure looked interesting. BE CALM AND LOGICAL, T'POL, interest must remain vague.]

What is Spulchasm?

[timesbureaucrat]

It's the best game ever invented. A test of the strength of a person's mind. I know all the rules. [Backwards and forwards. Some things never change.] I watch my cousins playing it, but they never let me play with them.

I can teach you, if you want to play.

[closetosurface]

I would like to learn.

[She thinks, anyway. But:] Why won't they let you participate?

[timesbureaucrat]

They say I'm too young and my mind isn't developed enough. But really it's just because they don't like me, because they're in the Academy and they think I'm just a Time Tot and they don't want to be seen with me.

I'll bring it to the public room on the sixth level.

[timesbureaucrat]

That's all right. The...girl [He never did ask her name, social failure that he is.] doesn't know how to play either. I can teach you the rules.

It's a bit like an RPG, yes. [Narvin doesn't know what that is, exactly, but he doesn't want to seem stupid in front of a strange boy who might tease him if he admits that he's ignorant. But since it apparently looks like a tabletop RPG, he thinks it's safe to say that it's somewhat like one.]

[timesbureaucrat]

Two players mostly, but the rules can be changed for more. My cousins usually play it with four people. The best part is when the mountain splits.

[expectremorse]

[Tiny Hoffman has candy. With all the GIRL TOYS there was candy. Day. Made. So he's been stuffing himself with it]

...whasast.

[om nom nom]

[timesbureaucrat]

It's a game. The best game. You move the Houses across the mountains and when the dice shows 45, the board splits in half and... What are you eating? [Narvin has a distressed expression on his face, because this other boy looks like he's noshing on some mysterious substance of which Narvin has no ken.]

[expectremorse]

...This? [Is there chocolate on his face? Yep.] Its Kit cat it's my favorite. It's chocolate. [nom] and crunchy stuff. [nom] and since I got my sisters presents I get to eat all the candy she was suposed to get but she's a baby and babies can't have candy so.

[timesbureaucrat]

[Unfortunately, Narvin has spoken to Stildyne and found out that 1) there are humans on the ship and 2) human do indeed eat plants and animals. So Narvin comes to the wrong conclusion.]

You're eating a cat? Gross!

[rass_bestie]

Sure!

[timesbureaucrat]

We're meeting in the sixth level public room.

[rass_bestie]

Be right there.