A Summer Rite (Open Party RP)

[The Emerald Dragon]

The Emerald Dragon

Selevar's eyes narrowed and he snapped his fingers. Two of the guards appeared from the orchard, one on either side of Aata. "Guards? I believe this person was leaving. Weren't you, sir? Show him to the nearest exit." He pointed one way, towards the exit and the transportation, and then another way, to the sheer vertical cliff that surrounded the imperial city. "One or another."

Roania

"Well it's a sad day for you, Grand Duke, are you so intimidated by a teenage boy that you have to resort to these measures?" Aata asked, of course, he'd pick his choice soon enough, but first he'd rather get a straight-forward answer.

[New Naggoroth]

Courror and Riez

"How did I pick it?" Scarlet echoed as she sat down, then took a sip of her drink, consuming the schnapps much more conservatively then her companion. "Process of elimination. The whisky is awful. The vodka is fine, but only available mixed with peach flavoured ice slush. The cider is good, but I have it in mind you prefer stiffer drinks. So here we are, at the end of the list, left holding a bottle of peach schnapps. So," she paused to refill his glass, "Cheers."

Before Courrer could grumble further about her choice of beverage, they were joined by the oddly furred Lieutenant Commander Riez. She wasn't sure if she outranked Riez; many armed forces put the rank of commander (and thus Lt-Cmdr) below that of captain, which would mean that she did indeed outrank the skunkette. However, the Naggorothi fleet did not have a Lt.-Cmdr rank, but it did have a full commander rank; a rank that was reserved for those placed in command of the largest dreadnoughts and command carriers in the fleet.

Somehow, Scarlet thought to herself, Riez didn't seem likely to be in that position. But, best be courteous either way.

"Go ahead, commander, have a seat," she held out a hand to indicate the shaded ground they were sitting on. The next tree was a ways over, so if she wanted to sit close, Riez wouldn't have the luxury of having a tree to lean on like the other two. "I was just about to tell the good captain here how I got my eye."

Of course, that train of thought was derailed in a fiery explosion almost immediately when Riez spoke next a moment later. Scarlet didn't know how to respond to that question, and for a few moments was stunned into silence. "You... must be mistaken," she stammered, confused and staring to blush. She didn't remember any trysts with any Prism Fleet supreme commander's daughters, but then again she didn't recognize Prism Fleet at all. It was, then, perhaps entirely possible. She wasn't embarrassed by the act itself, but more by being called out on it in such a crude way. "I don't believe I've met a member of your fleet before," she continued, trying to put words to her thoughts in some sort of coherent manner, "But it's possible... what's her name?"

[Royal Imperious]

Oliver smiled warmly. "I'm good, um, Mandy." He replied, then turned back to Nesar and Naiya. "Yes, children can be quite the handful, I do have to watch my niece at times, but she doesn't usually give me any trouble. If you have any time at all, please do visit. If you get to my palace, tell the Royal Guards your names and you will surely be let in right away. I'll give you the luxury tour, and you may both stay in the guest rooms as long as you wish." He requested another peach drink and caught it as the bartender slid it directly to his hand. "If you ever visit my nations country-side, talk to some village locals about rumors of beasts and creatures around. I'm not talking normal animals either." He said as he sipped his drink. "I'm talking about mythical beings, things like, what we call in my nation, a Barghest, which is a large, fearsome, black dog with sharp teeth and claws. Or a Bluecap, which is a type of ghost or wisp spirit that roams mines, if miners treat these spirits with respect, they will lead the miners to riches of minerals. There is also an opposite of these, a Redcap, which looks more like a dwarf or goblin, who lurk in old castles or run down cathedrals, and murder travelers who invade their homes. They are called Redcaps because they dye their hats with a victims blood. Bluecaps are called such because of their blue, glowing appearance."

[Northrop-Grumman]

The Boundless Legion

The usual expectation the Grummian diplomatic staff had at these events was to mingle with one’s acquaintances, friends, and allies, to keep those interstellar communication lines open, but there was also that expectation, that push, to never be satisfied with just that, to tread new ground, and find new people that could prove advantageous, whether it be friendship or getting a warning ahead of time to beware that they could be the troublesome sort. So as the blood elf peered about the room, making a mental note of everyone who had shown up that she recognized through her training and those who were completely unfamiliar to her, and there were a fair amount of those sorts of folks.

Her emerald eyes focused on Captain Marcus’ lieutenants, who had managed to raise her interest enough to head on over to speak with them. She was about five-foot-eleven – so around average height for a Grummian human even if she wasn’t one – and her long, golden hair was bound into a bun per military regulations. She wore the dark blue service dress uniform of someone in the Grummian Air Force and the more notable item was the fact that the standardization that had been sent down from above, dictated that gender was irrelevant. Male and female wore the same trousers, same jacket, same tie, and same type of cap.

Her shined black dress shoes clacked as she approached the two men and extended a hand to them both. “Good afternoon,” she started. “I do not recall ever seeing either of you at one of these functions before. I am First Lieutenant Telenna Pawlowski, Northrop-Grumman Diplomatic Corps, Air Force Branch, assigned to the Radiant Empire.”

[The Boundless Legion]

A hand found itself laid on Aata's shoulder as the guards swooped in, but it did not belong to the guards.
Captain Marcus leaned in and muttered to the errant youth, "Pick your battles, fellow. When outnumbered, flee or perish. I may not like what he said either, but he has the guards. There's an opportune moment in all situations...but this isn't it."
To Selevar proper, he turned upwards and offered, in better cheer, "Your Grace; I never did get you that drink. Would you permit me a chance to make these amends?" He inquired, a small grin crossing his face.
-----------
"Shit's boring, yo," uttered Heseed after a while. "Why's Captain got to go talk to all the cool people anyway?"
An exasperated Karaph, who till this point had endured all of Heseed's thought, shot back, "Because that's how diplomacy works. If you stopped rummaging through your pockets for smokes, you'd realize that."

"But...dude, Karaph, I can't even do my knife juggling trick, man. That's my standby!"
"Security was super-clear about that, and it's not likely anyone's going to--"

Karaph stopped short as he saw someone approach them, noting the uniform, and straightened up immediately. He elbowed Heseed in the ribs ("ow! Second time today, dude!"), and presented himself. Their uniforms were very clearly those of irregulars, with Heseed's in particular possessing a swathe of shiny pins he could not possibly have earned legitimately!
The dark-skinned male and his vaguely arabian counterpart each saluted, out of deference, and in return introduced themselves to the crisp and proper Lieutenant Pawlowski.
"I'm Lieutenant Karaph, and this is Lieutenant Heseed, of the Boundless Legion, assigned to the starship Dreadnought Defiant. Captain Marcus is indisposed at the moment; last we saw he was with Princess NaiLin. The Legion's been on the defensive up until recently; our survival necessitated us sticking to silent running. This is the first diplomatic contact we've had in years."

[The Prism Fleet]

Selevar

Lain's hands began to hurt; he'd curled his fingers into fists, and his nails were starting to dig into his palms and his knuckles had begun to cramp up. Over and over in his head, he'd been running over the verbal smackdown he'd been gearing up to lay on the Grand Duke: about how he was a terrible father, about how he should be more accepting, about how he couldn't force NaiLin to do what he wanted.... only to suddenly snap from his reverie and realize that the strange white-haired kid had beaten him to the punch, albeit in the most hamfisted way possible.

Those moments he spent watching Aata's near-eviction from the party were critical. It was one thing to imagine the fury of your girlfriend's dad; it was another thing altogether to see it. And, more importantly, it gave Lain a few all important seconds to think about what he was about to do. He didn't doubt himself. After all, he was right, and Selevar was wrong. But was yelling into his face and causing a scene really the right way to go about it? All he'd accomplish would be to intensify the Duke's hatred of him, and of Lin. Even if the impossible happened, and Selevar acceded to Lain's verbal bullying, what would be won? He might have Lin, but he'd be 'marrying' into a house divided, constantly at odds with itself and him.

Lain paused, relaxed his hands and shoulders, and drew in a deep breath; he was justified, but he didn't want to be Selevar's enemy.

“Excuse me,” he said. He took a step forward, presenting himself as politely as possible, and took a deep bow. “Please pardon my butting in. Grand Duke Selevar, Captain Marcus, I would like to join you for dinner.”

---

Courror and Scarlet

“Ohhh riiiiiiiiight!” Vìe exclaimed, and the realization that she'd completely forgot Courror's face in her inebriation only seemed to make her ever present grin grow all the wider. If there was such a thing as an unhealthy amount of good cheer, Lt. Cmdr. Riez was living proof. “I remember now! Gosh, you know, sometimes it feels like just yesterday, and sometimes it feels like a million years ago. Time gets weird out here in the cosmos! Anyways, it's good to see you! How've you been, you miserly old curmudgeon, you?” She moved to give Courror a friendly slap on the back, but reconsidered where she realized she still had her hands full of sweet, peachy booze. She decided to do the next best thing, and drew both glasses up to her face to suck from both straws at once.

“And noooo, no I don't think so,” She said, casting a sidelong and mischievous glance at Scarlet. The embarrassment was apparent on the Naggarothi's face, but whether Vìe was oblivious to it or simply didn't care didn't seem to matter; she was undeterred. “I mean, I can understand why you might be confused. You wouldn't have met anyone from the fleet before, because it was only a short while ago that the fleet didn't even exist!” she giggled. “We set sail from our homeworld just a little less than a year ago. Anyways, maybe the name Kana Solis rings a bell? Hm? Hmmmmmm?”

[The Boundless Legion]

“Excuse me,” he said. He took a step forward, presenting himself as politely as possible, and took a deep bow. “Please pardon my butting in. Grand Duke Selevar, Captain Marcus, I would like to join you for dinner.”

With lightning speed, the Captain turns to Lain and catches his eyes. He looks back to Selevar, undoubtedly waiting for the broadside response, and...

"I think that's an excellent idea. I would hardly mind a chance to sit down, and I've not had Roanian cuisine yet; regale us with war stories. It might be a learning experience for us both," Marcus said, with a small smile.

[Northrop-Grumman]

The Boundless Legion

Interesting fellows, Pawlowski couldn’t help but admit to herself, watching their interplay as she approached, and promptly snapped back a salute in return when they did.

“A pleasure to meet you both,” she responded to Karaph’s introduction. She hadn’t minded at all that the Captain wasn’t around; some of the more fascinating conversations she’s had were with people who weren’t up at the top of the ladder. Besides, everyone but the most senior officials in every nation’s delegations tended to be ignored at these events anyway. She bet that they were itching to do something, anything, that would be better than standing around.

She then tilted her head at his explanation of their absence from interstellar affairs. “That would explain a lot, but at the same time, very little. May I ask who or what you were up against?”

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

Naiya had no idea who the young woman was who’d so brazenly stepped in – there was no title associated, after all, but to each their own. Perhaps he knew her from somewhere else, in which case she wasn’t about to be rude on her part in any way.

He’d explained a great deal about his nation – it was clear he was very, very proud of it, and anxious to share. Some of it touched on the familiar, other parts, not so much. Perhaps in time a visit would indeed be nice, eventually. One never knew what one’s schedule might allow for.

Nesar of course was just as smooth as ever, as expected. And just as hard to pin down as to motives and thoughts going on behind the pleasant smile. Ever a mystery, that one. And likely always would be. “They do indeed,” she agreed, to his ‘making it all worthwhile’ comment.

“Oliver, it has truly been a pleasure to meet you, and I hope that at some point we may take you up on your gracious offer. Nesar, again, it is good to see you, and that you and yours are doing so well. You’ve a beautiful family. Unfortunately, mine needs some attending to. If you would all excuse me, I hope to be back after I’ve seen to them,” she said, offering her hand to any who might accept, by way of a farewell handshake.

After wrapping up any parting conversation, she made her way back towards the shuttle, checking in with Courror and the rest of the team in doing so. She had seen the odd kid with the crazy hair who’d been sweating bullets earlier go and confront Selevar, and she had absolutely no desire to become embroiled in yet another scene – especially one started up by some punk kid who must be on drugs, the way he was behaving … climbing trees and hiding in them, running around like some crazed lunatic, harassing their hosts, and going from wet sweaty shirt to somewhat presentable with no noticeable cause. It wasn’t natural. And if he wanted to test the patience of the man currently in charge, that was his business.

I hope he knows how to fly, she thought, somewhat uncharitably. She didn’t think that bouncing counted. The cliff face would offer ample opportunities for that.

On her way past, she nodded to Ipolla, and sent a quick flash of warm approval towards her adopted aunt. It was good to see her happy, and Naiya wholeheartedly approved of anything that helped in that direction.

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Mancuso gallantly offered his arm in such a way that would not be misinterpreted, but also offered the closer contact they’d been toying with all along. “Bella Donna, I would be honored to accompany you,” he said aloud, letting her lead the way. He was smiling warmly as they took in the sights, the smells, the sounds of the orchard. It was a rather beautiful place, after all. And in a less formal setting, he could think of a number of ways their environment could be brought into play.

In fact, several ideas translated themselves across the silent method of communications they had, in more visual flashes and possible utilizations for later recreation in their own environments. He was a hopeless romantic at heart, granted, and one who appreciated beauty in many things – even those not thought entirely traditional.

There were even a few ideas that were more mischievous in nature, playing off some of the drama that had been displayed, with perhaps more amusing results with no harm done in the end, given the entirely fictional setting he proposed. There may have been a reference to ‘annoying insects’ tossed in for amusement at one point in the running visual narrative and flow of ideas and possibilities, but purely for joke’s sake.

[Royal Imperious]

Oliver decided it was time he part too, he shook Nesar's hand firmly and with a gracious smile, he said "Nesar, it was an honor meeting you and attending this party, I hope someday I will see both you and Naiya in my lovely nation, but until then, farewell." Oliver stepped out of the bar and grabbed his adviser. "Time to go." Oliver said firmly, as he and his adviser stepped into a nearby waiting black car and drove to a waiting jet in the airport. As Oliver and the adviser stepped onto the awaiting jet, two soldiers stepped on after them, walking backwards aiming their rifles, and one yanked the hatch closed as they stepped on. Oliver took a seat in the cabin and removed his hat. "We're ready, go ahead and take us home, pilot.." The pilot obeyed the King's request as the jet began to slowly lift off into the sky.

[The Boundless Legion]

Heseed and Karaph glanced between each other, back to Lt. Pawlowski, and then back between each other again. It seemed to be a mixture of apprehension and suspicion, but in the end Karaph took to speaking.

"They called themselves the Krehiir Imperative. The Defiant was only on the fringes of the fight, but it was pretty bad. What I heard, a Legion scout flight was out in the Cronus cluster when they got attacked. The entire flight was vaped. When a Dreadnought went in to look for survivors, an entire fleet was there waiting for 'em. Three hundred Legionnaires were on board when she went up."

"Everybody had someone on the Ironsidethey knew," said Heseed, for the first time looking genuinely disturbed. "It pissed off the whole Fleet. See, we don't have a homeworld. The Legion, we're all out in our ships. That's all we have. So when they started hunting us down, we had to go silent, or else we were done for."

[Andacantra]

Sunset

Katenia pondered what she'd seen so far. It had mostly been very formal and restrained, although she could see what appeared to be a few scuffles starting up elsewhere.

"It seems lovely. I don't really have anything else to compare it to, and Andacantran life appears to be quite different to that of many elsewhere. I'm still rather taken up with the whole experience, if I'm honest, and much of the contact that I have had has been with pretty much every nation other than Roania. They have lovely peaches, mind."

[Northrop-Grumman]

The Boundless Legion

Pawlowski didn’t even make the slightest response at their reactions towards her single inquiry; she simply stood there, hands clasped over one another in front of her, holding her cap, politely waiting for an explanation…if they were willing to provide one. She felt it was a fair question to ask, as they were the ones, after all, who had brought up the fact that they were essentially making themselves scarce to avoid some foe out there in the cosmos.

But the story was more tragic than she had expected. “I’m sorry for your loss,” she responded softly, solemnly bowing her head towards the men. “Judging by your presence here, I hope any further losses were limited or you did not have any at all.”

[Scolopendra]

Roania [Ailiese], Kajal, and DLN [Naiya]

Catching Naiya's nod and returning it with a quick, respectfully recognizing one of her own, the Supreme Emperor made a quick self-assessment. Duty dictated that she stand around making small talk with the powerful of other nations; pragmatism moderated that given how the hostess was not entirely sober and that increased the risk of incident exponentially.

Nominally, at least. It could also smooth things, but Ipolla was not particularly interested in running that risk.

Usually her own status and preferences didn't enter into it in situations like these, because if her comfort and likes were designing factors then she would never attend official get-togethers of high muckety-mucks. This was an unusual situation, though, since none of these events until now had brought her to redline and a momentary respite may be in order. She felt herself to be steady and level, but the fact that she had any doubt at all about it was unusual. If she could make a sufficiently gracious exit, her allies and hosts and all the contacts she needed to make would still be here later. The optimal mission outcome was predicated on her operating at her best, and so the best probable outcome was aided by her taking a short break to get this off her mind.

As it was decided, so was it done.

"I'm reminded that I should check in back home," she said, taking advantage of the temporary exit of Naiya, the apparently permanent exit of the Imperious king, and the opportunity to avoid watching Selevar explode once again in a circumstance that could push her to redline again, "and since there's a lull in the"--she had to slow down time to find a word that wasn't 'situation' or 'action'--"festivities I should take advantage of it and do that now. If you'll excuse me, ladies," she addressed both Lirella and Ailiese in the usual Scolopendran plural honorific for normatively female company, "I should go."

Two short bows and she was off, moving with a purpose in the same direction as Naiya. Of course she would be; all the diplomatic couriers were in the same place and of course she'd be checking in at her own courier... rather than using the secure link in her headware to the courier's systems, which could then hack that into its secure link back to Stonozka.

Once (if she was not intercepted) she made it to Naiya's shuttle, she knocked on the hatch soundly before stepping back to a respectful distance.

[Zero-One]

Mancuso

The proffered arm was, of course, accepted, with all the dignity and class the event required. The 'aide' also accepted the complementary title with a respectful nod, and walked alongside the taller man with visible contentment.

His thoughts were, indeed, mirrored by her own. She was important to him in just the right way, so he was likewise important to her and by extension his happiness was important to her. This, combined with her long practice of truly being able to choose what pleased her, made everything quite mutual. She was really quite content, no matter what they engaged in. For now, they were walking in an orchard, sharing thoughts; this was perfect. Anything more or anything less would be equally so in its particular moment, so long as they were both happy.

In their relatively short relationship they'd found that this was a state that was perhaps ridiculously easy to achieve. Perhaps they'd both earned it, in their own ways.

If she smiled, it was purely because of the gentlemany company and courtly pastime they now practiced. On her part, there wasn't a visible indication of anything else. Of course, she shared her own ideas of beauty and amusement back with him, occasionally teasingly pointing out inconsistencies or illogic here and there while gladly throwing in some of her own. A wider experience base and--as he'd probably argue--a wider mind meant that some of her shared thoughts and imagery were bolder and more wide-ranging. After all, in a fictional setting, shared between the two of them, no harm could possibly be done, no matter how complex the clockwork used to give it an appearance of life.

Perhaps she also took unfair advantage--quelle surprise--of the connections she'd quite literally built between them. Those particular somatic synapses she wished to fire she could indeed fire; those she wanted suppressed she could indeed suppress.

And, if he cared to experiment, it could go both ways. This form was something of a mere puppet's shell to her, after all, but she was still tied to it and feedback loops were a thing.

It wasn't fair at all, especially to anyone else, but it's not as though they would have any opportunity of knowing unless the two let anything slip.

[The Boundless Legion]

Heseed shook his head. "They wiped out most of the Second Fleet in the last fight we had."

"But we damn sure made them pay for each one they took. It came down to single ships in that fight," said Karaph with a proud undertone. "For whatever reason, after we lost the Second they backed off. It's hard to speak Kreh'iiri, so whatever it was is a concept we couldn't understand. Important thing was, we were alive."

He shifted his stance, crossing his arms close. "After the Krehiir First Contact War, the Legion Commander himself sent out a comm to all Captains: make new friends. We saved a Roanian transport from a pirate attack not long ago; they invited us here in thanks."

[Northrop-Grumman]

The Boundless Legion

The blood elf had never experienced battle in her life and never really knew the sort of loss that these two Legionnaires had felt. She had entered her training just after the Xanthalian war and the Grummians didn’t get into that sort of situation all that often, so her time in service had been spent in relative peace…externally.

“Hopefully those days are now over –” she stated finally. “–and you have the opportunity to do as your commander said, especially if they return once more. It’s difficult to survive out there on your own; it’s always good to have a few friends out there to bail you out of the fire. Of course, that’s not to say I don’t doubt your ability to fend them off, but things are always better with a little help.”

[Roania]

The Boundless Legion, The Prism Fleet

Selevar's eyes narrowed until they were little more than slits as Lain approached him. The dangerous hand rose up once more, and this time the cliff was a certainty for the meddlesome teenager, until the dauntless Captain Marcus stepped in. The Grand Duke closed his jaw and gave Lain a venomous glance, but he walked with the two of them over to the buffet table, gathering food on a plate with the other two men. "War stories? Good Captain, you of all people know that war isn't as glorious as all that. What's important aren't the memories you gain from battle -- battles are noisy, chaotic affairs at best." The Grand Duke gave it his careful consideration. "When I was sixteen, a Fifth Banner recruiter came to our local hall. My father disapproved, but I joined the Banners that very day. It seemed a welcome escape from the toil of farming, and I had two brothers who enjoyed the agrarian life."

"Of course, my father told me that if I wished to disobey his wishes, he would disinherit me. With rather more pride than sense, I agreed to his terms. I was sure that I would make back in service to the Lord more than what I would have inherited." Selevar held his hands out to his side and shrugged. Of course, as Grand Duke, his name now lent to the rising Dynasty... well, he left it to his listeners to determine how well he'd done out of that bargain. It was beneath him to state it outright. "At any rate, I was assigned a rank concomitant with my station as a..." He paused and muttered a word or two in High Roanian. "A lieutenant, I believe you would say. Posted to the planet Hiling. For five years I worked as a glorified tax collector, never more than fifty men under my command. Then came the great rebellion on that planet, and we found ourselves in battle. A few mischances later, and I was the most senior officer in the prefecture."

"The next four years or so were active enough. I led the defense of Hei, that is to say, New, LanFu against the besiegers." Selevar gave a brief sketch of the battle; definitely a chaotic time in his life, from his impressions of it. Men dying, he being wounded in the arm, and finally their relief by other forces. "For my services I was promoted to Captain. As my father already held a Marquis, and he and I had parted ways on my service -- registered as such in the great directory... I took the name Asen, and a Marquis, with title to property on HiLing. I've never actually visited it. I imagine Damalin... no, Tonen now, will, someday, inherit it." Selevar's mood darkened again as he contemplated how his life and plans had changed so quickly and so recently. "When the Beautiful Princess raised the banners of her ancestors, I joined her colors and participated in the taking of the palace from the Usurper." He described his leadership in that battle, the death of some of his friends, the destruction of the Seventh Banner... all in a cool, quiet tone. "For my efforts I was promoted once more and granted title and land in the Imperial City."

"At some point, I suppose, whoever marries..." Selevar's lip curled upwards, and he shot Lain a look of absolute venom, "well. That's not important right now. I asked for, and received, a transfer to the Imperial Guard regiment, and when my commanding officer was executed for treason my record led to an ill-merited promotion." The Grand Duke shrugged. "The rest is, as they say, history." Selevar speared a lizard with his utensil and chewed it thoroughly, keeping his eyes on Lain. The Grand Duke's mood had changed from a boil to a low simmer. "Now, what about you... Lain?" It may have been a surprise that he knew the boy's name -- or maybe not.

[Sunset]

Andacantra / Roania

Demi nodded agreement but, while it had been nice to meet the young woman, she hadn't quite latched on to anything that would really start a conversation. She was about to politely excuse herself and resume circulating among the guests and Roanian nobility when a chance passer-by changed her plan.

"They do have lovely peaches," Demi agreed again, standing up and stepping just half-way into the path of a woman who was just about to walk past, "Perhaps it's time to meet your hostess then..."

She took Katenia's hand and pulled her to her feet for a moment, "Katenia, may I introduce our hostess, Her Radiant Majesty Alessa Eisen... Alessa, Ambassador Katenia Delatica..."

[The Prism Fleet]

“Me, sir?” Lain's ears perked up atop his head. He'd kept a comfortable but not stand-offish buffer between himself and Selevar, and had listened closely as the Grand Duke laid out his life's story. It was a surprise to hear that the man himself had once been of humble means. “Well, I, uh...” he fumbled a bit for his word; as steeled as he was for the cross-examination he was sure was to come, Selevar had still put him on the spot just a bit. “I was born in Endymion Military Hospital on Selene – that's one of my homeworld's moons, sir – a little over fifteen Solese years ago. The city was in the middle of being evacuated at the time, and I guess I must've gotten lost in the shuffle. I never really knew my parents.”

It was a lie. A small one, but necessary. From what little Lain knew about Roanian culture, having no ancestors to revere wasn't exactly an enviable position, and even more, there were things about Lain's birth that the young man still hadn't quite come to terms with.

“After that, I just kind of bounced from one orphanage to another. I started in Fossa, but after the town orphanage got closed down, I got shipped off to Sanctuary. When they evacuated Sanctuary when I was 8, I ended up in Waterfront for a little while. They never evacuated that city, so I stayed for a little while. Made my way by begging for food on street corners and relief depots,” he spoke casually, but kept his eyes on his plate as he carved his meat into neat, perfectly measured chunks. His manners were perfect; he'd obviously been coached.

“After that, I got picked up by the SDF and sent to the Hennessy Institute for Orphaned Children, where I stayed for a few years. It was nice. There were lots of other kids, and the adults were kind. They started giving us a proper education, too. After a while, though, Hennessy's got folded into a bigger government program to take care of all the war orphans, and a lot of us ended up aboard the Prism. The ship's real nice. Like, in the back of your mind, you know that she's this big, gargantuan thing, watching over millions and millions of people, but when you talk to her, you can really tell that she cares about you, even as an individual. Like you're not just a speck of dust to her,” He smiled. “She's the one who set up my vocational training in high school, and it was just this year that I got a provisional job as a surface technician.” He was awfully proud of this fact. Other children his age from 'The Home' were working as waiters, janitors, clerks, or assistants, while others were apprenticing for more skilled jobs in journalism or artistry and so on, but he was one of the few who actually got to work in space, out in the black.

“It's not a really complex job, and I'm just a novice,” Lain explained. “Mostly, I go out and clean space dust off sensors or relays, but sometimes I get to polish the windows, or even work on the Dome itself, or help load containers at one of the ship moorings. Which is...” he set his utensils aside and looked up at Selevar, straight into the Grand Duke's eyes, and visibly swallowed the nervous lump in his throat. “... which is how I met your daughter, sir. As you know.”

[Roania]

Sunset, Andacantra

Ailiesse hardly seemed perturbed, as well she might, by the use of her given name. "A pleasure to meet you!" She said, bright and cheerful, sipping from a large goblet of peach wine. "I hope you're both enjoying the party?"

Prism Fleet, Boundless Legion

Selevar took a stiff drink. "She wasn't my daughter at the time." He muttered, his voice thick with emotion. "But yes. I know all about it. You've made quite an impression on her, boy. From the moment of her return, she's sung your praises to my wife and I." The Grand Duke gave Lain a deep, searching look. "Of course, you're not responsible for my child's poor choices." He speared another lizard with his utensil violently, and bought it to his lips. For a moment he focused all his attention on his food, and there was silence.

Then he spoke again. "However, the choices have been made, and we must live with the reality of the situation as it currently is. Or so my wife tells me." Selevar's lips quirked upwards. "And that means I have a daughter." Selevar's lips curled. His opinion on the subject had been firmly established, obviously. "And that means I have a responsibility to her." His lips quirked upwards. "More to the point, I have a responsibility as a father not to reward poor choices."

[The Prism Fleet]

"In my opinion, sir," Lain said cautiously. "I don't think NaiLin chose to be the gender she is. I think it's more like she always was this way on the inside, even before the accident, and the only thing different now is that the outside reflects that," he explained, parroting back the lessons he'd been taught by his surrogate parents in school. Transgenderism had, for as long as living memory allowed, been accepted as a fact of life back on Lain's homeworld, so much so that it was classified as a physical disorder rather than a mental one. With the QB slowly integrating themselves into Solese society, incidences of male-to-female transgenderism had been on the rise; NaiLin was hardly the first person Lain had met who had changed their bodies to match their minds.

"But, even if it was her choice," Lain went on, "she's happier this way. If it makes her happy, is it really a poor choice?"

[Andacantra]

Sunset, Roania

Katenia tries her best to hide her surprise at the sudden change in direction and picks herself up to respond. "Lovely to meet you, Alessa!" Katenia politely acknowledges Alessa, sizing her up and doing her best to seem polite and corteous. "Yes, the party is lovely. It has been fantastic to see people from so many nations, this being my first engagement as ambassador." Katenia takes a further sip of her drink as well, noting that she's nearly out.

"Would either of you like another drink?"

[Oyada]

Very insightful, Major. But please, do not play games with me.

Wait, no. This wasn't a movie in which improbably well-dressed men traded belligerently sexual quips with voluptuous temptresses who clearly needed to work on their choice in romantic partners. This was a diplomatic gathering - undiplomatic as the proceedings had been so far - with Courror lazing beneath a peach tree, a pointy to the side and a skunk in front. It was, frankly, far more strange than the movies. And he couldn't deny he was impressed. He liked her “moxie”.He raised the schnapps in salute.

“I can't fault your reasonin',” he replied amiably, his accent broadening as his fourth (or was it fifth?) double dose of strong booze began its long journey into his kidneys. “Well done, Major.” He shrugged his shoulders. “P'haps I'm too used to being wary of people. 'specially foreigners, y'know?” 's in the blood. Still,” he continued, heaving around until he settled into a more comfortable position and resting his forearm on his mountainous knee, pausing to give a quick wave to the Imperatrice as she made her way back to the shuttle; a mother's work was, evidently, never done.

“Still, she's quite somethin'”, he conceded, as Naiya disappeared from view. “One of the best I've met, an' I've met a few.” He downed the second drink as briskly as the first and sighed, a hearty and grinding rrrrgh sound more suited to an aged barrister in a deep armchair before a flickering fire. “Landed on me feet. So, do both of you... er, ladies, still serve? Seems unusual to send soldiers to be diplomats. I am not exactly an expert,” he noted, with a wry grin. “And I wouldn't mind a refill.”

[Scolopendra]

Fortunately, the Supreme Emperor was nowhere close enough to learn details about the family drama she recently witnessed, troublesome outsiders, or an institutionalized culture of sexism. Despite being back within safety margins--to say she lost control previously would be to misstate the situation--it wasn't as though she was happy. In fact, she was distinctly not so, to the point where her face revealed some disquiet beneath its usual iron facade.

She was uncertain; normally, she could deal with that handily, but, as she traced the path of her young acquaintance, she was uncertain about herself. That was most uncomfortable. Being honest with herself, Mballa admitted that she didn't exactly know why she'd arranged to meet the Imperatrice; merely that she did, instinctually, and it was important enough that those parts of her she generally suppressed to absolute silence were impatient in reminding her.

Out of habit, this only made her appear angry, or at least firm of purpose; anger was always better than fear, she'd taught herself, and in the face of uncertainty only redoubled purpose was appropriate. Anyone unfamiliar with her could perhaps be excused if they misinterpreted her apparently-dutiful, grim-faced manner as she stalked along in her usual waste-no-time-take-no-prisoners stride.