The forest lies in near silence as Pip's parts lie scattered across the bed inside the pleasure house, surrounded by tools and equipment. Vuvi runs a diagnostic scan across his core crystal at a table nearby, muttering numbers to herself under her breath.
Off to the side, Raenly and Bilorial clean and re-seat various joints and plating, sleeves rolled to the elbow and rags tucked into their belts, working with the careful, methodical focus of two men handling something they don't entirely understand but deeply respect.
"Oops!" Raenly gasps as he fumbles and drops one of Pip's finger-plates with a clatter.
Vuvi looks up from the crystal, scowling. "Careful, Mystbern!"
"Sorry! Sorry!" Raenly calls back, scooping the plate back up and blowing the dust off it before gently setting it down on a cloth. "These are smaller than they look."
"They're fingers, Raenly. Everyone's fingers are that size."
