Fools Errand chapter 2 outline
Ghoti
- Axia, daxy protagonist, sits at her station in the courthouse
....A. She is in the main hall/ front atrium where she can quickly communicate with troops
....B. she is the comms officer surrounded by radar, tracking and communications equipment
....C. she has blue grey scales and is smaller than other Daxy - She gets radio notice of the transport's return
....A. Has a short conversation with the pilot
........a. Huntress Tassis and one human wounded, not life threatening.
........b. Axia wants to know more about gas effectiveness.
........c. pilot is dismissive, but they got all the males.
....B. Has a conversation with commander Issaya.
........a. commander is glad they are finally leaving, hopefully for somewhere warm.
....C. A moment later the front door is kicked in as the raiding party returns triumphantly
....D. Party herds the males in. Some walk, some are bridal carried by daxy that have claimed them
........a. comments of "easiest victory", "they said it would be harder to get a good mate"
........b. Tassis leads with Charles by the neck, he's still high as a kite on pheremones
........c. James is being lead/carried towards the back, also stil high.
........d. males have come down from their trip on the gas, they are pensive, scared, still docile.
....E. Despite her limp Tassis is aggressive and in good spirits, having rapidly completed the mission efficiently and with one well orchestrated fell swoop. High on her conqust
........a. They dont yet know that Daniel is uncaptured, they think they got everyone and are ready to exit the region.
....F. Axia asks about the efficacy of the prototype pheremone gas weapon
........a. Tassis says it was efficient, does not mention the wounded male or her bandaged leg
........b. Axia questions how the male was hurt
........c. the conversation becomes terse. Tassis doesnt like being questioned, Axia tries to be professional but doesnt have much patience
........d. Axia: "I need you to be thorough for my report. High Command will want every detail about this tool"
........e. Axia questions Tassis' leg
........f. Charles is introduced to the conversation as his fight is recounted
............I. Tassis minimizes the fact that he got gassed and injected
............II. Axia isnt happy about this. That much exposure to pheremones isnt mentally healthy.
................i. Tassis "Well what would you have done runt priestess? Let him kill you? You'd have done the same thing."
................ii. Axia doesnt have a good comeback but still seethes. Tassis should have been more careful.
............III. Axia pivots the conversation
................i. she thinks direct injection should be an absolute last result and is over used by lazier daxy. its almost sinful. over reliance on it IS sinful.
................ii. Tassis uses injection too much "I know your record."
................iii. she doesnt care for males like axilis wants
................iiii. Tassis' responses are flippant and rude
....................0. "Hey, whatever gets the job done."
....................00. "They love it anyway."
....................000. "I'm just being efficient."
........g. commander Issaya speaks up
............I. shes lazy and therefore a good task delgator so she doesnt have to work herself
............II. "stop arguing" "good job girls" "start moving the males into holding" "get your marital claims into my office for paperwork" "get that one medical attention" (leg wound guy)
............III. "Tassis howd you manage that?" referencing her wound.
................i. Tassis shakes Charles by her grip on his neck. "This one had a bit of fight in him still."
................ii. Axia doesnt like her treatment of a male
........h. commander: "alright we have all the males time to start packing up. hopefully next deployment will be somewhere warm."
............I. maybe throw in some peanut gallery comment about "i hear theres a desert where all the males have a different skin color, you even seen one of the dark skinned ones?"
............II. James pipes up in his stupor "Hey I dont see Daniel where's he at?"
........i. oh shit moment
........j. commander is not happy. Axia is a little bit smug that Tassis fucked up.
........k. commander orders the squad redeploy right away minus Tassis to collect the last male, Daniel.
............I. Tassis isnt happy. "i could command from the transport!"
............II. commander uses Tassis' wound as an excuse to be kept back but really shes mad they have to stay in this cold environment longer after thinking she gets to go somwehere warm.
........l. Axia monopolizes James to question him about Daniel
............I. his claimant daxy isnt happy about it. "you just want to steal my mate pale scale"
................i. commander gets after the daxy for insubordination. Axia has superior rank to the soldier.
....G. squad leaves to redeploy.
........a. commander complains about having to deal with all these males.
........b. realies that this is entirely not a bad thing at all. makes a lewd comment.
............I. I get to pretend I get my own harem for a while
............II. Axia doesnt like the sinful remark but bits her tongue. commander did stand up for her after all.
....H. Axia starts questioning James about Daniel. character exposition dump
........a. sort of an outdoorsman
........b. knows the hills well
........c. not a good hunter, maybe a pacifist
........d. well rounded guy
........e. maybe Axia pulls up some files about him that were captured from town hall
........f. she gets a radio from James. It's already programmed with the frequencies the humans were using
........g. more back story here
............I. hey reader please give me ideas thanks in advance
....I. radio conversaton with squad
........a. hes not here
........b. maybe left some sign of the direction he left in
............I. footprints in snow but fresh falling snow is concealing them
............II. tree cover too dense
............III. its getting dark. return to base and redeploy tomorrow.
....J. Axia looks at the radio thoughfully for a moment
........I. grabs it and starts copying its saved frequencies into her own desk radio
- cut to Daniel pov
....A. double timed his march out
....B. didnt leave enough sunlight to set up camp
....C. putting up a tent in the dark sucks
....D. dinner is an MRE with esbit stove
........a. cant start a fire. no collected wood. it would bring attention anyway
....E. some introspection
........a. wants to survive, suicide counter productive to this goal (probably sidestep actually talking about direct intentional suicide)
........b. he heard the transport return. they're looking for him
............I. roads are monitored. cant drive out
............II. could he circle back home for more supplies?
................i. he decides on this course of action
........c. how long can he survive?
........d. will this end in capture or death by exposure/starvation? what fate is better?
............I. intrusive thoughts about how good pheremones feel and how careful the daxy seemed of treating males well.
............II. injection is scary
............III. having a brute wife is scary
....F. radio suddenly starts talking, surprising him
........a. its a female voice
............I. all the females have been collected already
............II. "Daniel are you there? Please respond."
............III. it reminds him of his mother. It cant be her because she was buried years ago but the radio takes him back to his outings as a kid when she would check in on him.
............IV. "Daniel, please come back. We only want whats best for you."
............V. You hear the unmistakable accent that comes with daxy physiology, this cant be your mother, but she even has the same tone of voice she had when yearing to hug you again after you've been out for a few days
....G. Daniel does not respond but does not shut off the radio
........a. Daniel cannot turn off the radio
............I. the voice brings back too many good memories
............II. You delude yourself into thinking that she could slip up and give intel or James' status.
end ch. 2