Pan-Universal Dinner (IC, PanTech)

[Zitravgrad]

Entering into the room is a new group of people, led by four men in the uniform of the Cossack Lifeguard Regiment. However, two of them are wearing the crest with the double-headed eagle, while the other two bare with them the snow-in-pentagon. With no other difference than allegiance, they do not seem like the best of brothers regardless of their shared Slavic ethnicity.

The men they lead are also not the most excellent of comrades. With years of friendship and loyalty broken by the revolution, the Chairman of Zitravgrad and the Regent of the Kozavian Empire have a coerced, ever-so-turbulent fraternity towards each other. In a rather ironic fashion, both men are in their forties, have the same height, sport the same black hair and wear the same tone of black formal clothes to the setting, as if agreed beforehand, but didn't. On the way to the door, the two gentlemen look at each other. Both know too well of formality, manner, and etiquette, but too little of how to ease the tension they are imposing upon themselves.

"Please kindly take my hand, your Imperial Highness. I shall walk you inside." says the Chairman of Zitravgrad, Kazimir Ivanovich Miroslavsky. He is an enigmatic, suave, 50s-esque gentleman in a three-piece suit with the specialty in politely pissing people off.

"I am flattered by your kind manner, alas I can walk myself and my son inside. Offer your hand to your wife. She needs it more than I do." replies the Regent of the Kozavian Empire, Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich Kozava. Sporting a plain black military uniform, he is cold and stern, but also quiet, very quiet. After a few seconds of pondering, however, he turns to the Chairman. "But I would need you to introduce me to other leaders later on. So if you insist..."

He reaches his hand to the Chairman, who offers his arm to be held like it is not going to look wrong or anything, then they both walk into the room arm in arm (or perhaps in a deadlock). Behind them are the Chairman's wife and the Regent's son -- Feodora Alexeievna and Alexander Nikoleyevich, respectively. A German-born woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, the First Lady of Zitravgrad is a rather small woman in comparison to her husband's tall stature. She dresses in a black dress and keeps her hair in an updo. Meanwhile, Grand Duke Alexander is a charming, young gentleman who is almost a replica of his father, except that he is wearing a grey suit instead of a uniform. They are watching the two men in front of them with a little caution, but nonetheless do not expect anything serious to come out of it. Four of them will soon arrive in the hall, where many other people have already been around.

[Shamsiyya]

Cao smiled.
The palace's stables were well-staffed and the people there knew their stuff, she had been finished quite easily and quickly. She looked forward to working with this excellent staff over the next few days.
That did not distract her from looking around the beautiful building as she made her way to the main entrance, tracing the steps of her employer from there.
And that was, when she saw the three figures approaching with donkeys at their hands.
Two of them also wore shining white tunics, which were, to her culture, reserved for Priestess of the Rural Goddess Rhiannon, who the farmers prayed to. She instinctively interpreted the young man in the brown tunic, around her age, as a colleague of Fintan, but not as a Prince.
She smiled at him shortly, before she bowed her head deeply to the people in the white tunic, her own green hugging her small and lithe form, her green locks framing her face.

When the three Penra-Royals arrived at the stable of the enormous, beautiful palace, a green-haired young woman in a green tunic, about Ossaptah's age, was taking care of the horses the leader of her homecountry had most certainly brought. She smiled at Ossaptah, then deeply bowed her head to Raorkon and Inimiraset.
Obviously, the customs and norms of wearing tunics heavily varied from culture to culture.
For their reassurance, they noticed that the stables were indeed well-staffed, so most certainly, the Penra-Royals would not need to mind about the safety of their donkeys as lot. Still impressed by the beautiful, sophisticated structure of the Palace, it took Raorkon and Inimiraset a moment to realize that Ossaptah was approaching the Girl In Green, grinning.
"G'day there, lassie! Now, this is the right spot to park our fella' lads, eh? Just to check they're safe."
Inimiraset rolled her eyes.
Raorkon intervened at once. "I have to apologize for my brother's rough and vulgar use of language" - he said to the girl. "Many Summers ago, Our esteemed father, may Osiris have Him safely reincarnated, has decided to send him to the Academy of Sagaion, a city in the Lands of Penra that is not only renowned for its Academy of High Arts, but also for its vineyards and countless wine establishments." He let a beat pass. "We do notice, though, that this experience was more educational for him than we thought - not only regarding the High Arts." He sighed. "If I may introduce - I am Raorkon VIII., Saramirimen, Pharaoh of Penra; my wife, Queen Inimiraset, my brother, Prince Ossaptah."
Both bowed their heads slightly, as Raorkon mentioned their names.

[The Selkie]

When the three Penra-Royals arrived at the stable of the enormous, beautiful palace, a green-haired young woman in a green tunic, about Ossaptah's age, was taking care of the horses the leader of her homecountry had most certainly brought. She smiled at Ossaptah, then deeply bowed her head to Raorkon and Inimiraset.
Obviously, the customs and norms of wearing tunics heavily varied from culture to culture.
For their reassurance, they noticed that the stables were indeed well-staffed, so most certainly, the Penra-Royals would not need to mind about the safety of their donkeys as lot. Still impressed by the beautiful, sophisticated structure of the Palace, it took Raorkon and Inimiraset a moment to realize that Ossaptah was approaching the Girl In Green, grinning.
"G'day there, lassie! Now, this is the right spot to park our fella' lads, eh? Just to check they're safe."
Inimiraset rolled her eyes.
Raorkon intervened at once. "I have to apologize for my brother's rough and vulgar use of language" - he said to the girl. "Many Summers ago, Our esteemed father, may Osiris have Him safely reincarnated, has decided to send him to the Academy of Sagaion, a city in the Lands of Penra that is not only renowned for its Academy of High Arts, but also for its vineyards and countless wine establishments." He let a beat pass. "We do notice, though, that this experience was more educational for him than we thought - not only regarding the High Arts." He sighed. "If I may introduce - I am Raorkon VIII., Saramirimen, Pharaoh of Penra; my wife, Queen Inimiraset, my brother, Prince Ossaptah."
Both bowed their heads slightly, as Raorkon mentioned their names.

Cao smiled as the brown-shirted bodyguard approached her, wanted to reply in the affirmative, using a similarly lax tone, despite his bosses being around...
...until said boss introduced himself and his beautiful and his brother, the bodyguard and Prince.
Cao was used to working in the presence of people of high station and renown, she worked as personal handmaiden to the High King of the Selkie, after all, but she usually knew, who they wore. And who their bodyguards were. And what rank their bodyguards had.
As the revelation sank in, more like sank in like a stone in water, a single thought rose out of her brain: Fuck.
Thinking, that she screwed up, Cao placed a hand over her heart and bowed her head, deeper this time and spoke in her soft voice: "My apologies for not recognizing You, Your Majesty." Rising again, nervousness in her eyes, she continued: "I am Caollaidhe the Handmaiden, of the retinue of Áed, of Fermanagh's Blood, who they call the Hunter, the High King of the Selkie." She let a beat pass, turning to Ossaptah. "My apologies to you as well, Prince. Indeed, the donkeys, as much as our horses, are safe here. The stablehands are wonderful and professional people of good spirit."

[Shamsiyya]

Cao smiled as the brown-shirted bodyguard approached her, wanted to reply in the affirmative, using a similarly lax tone, despite his bosses being around...
...until said boss introduced himself and his beautiful and his brother, the bodyguard and Prince.
Cao was used to working in the presence of people of high station and renown, she worked as personal handmaiden to the High King of the Selkie, after all, but she usually knew, who they wore. And who their bodyguards were. And what rank their bodyguards had.
As the revelation sank in, more like sank in like a stone in water, a single thought rose out of her brain: Fuck.
Thinking, that she screwed up, Cao placed a hand over her heart and bowed her head, deeper this time and spoke in her soft voice: "My apologies for not recognizing You, Your Majesty." Rising again, nervousness in her eyes, she continued: "I am Caollaidhe the Handmaiden, of the retinue of Áed, of Fermanagh's Blood, who they call the Hunter, the High King of the Selkie." She let a beat pass, turning to Ossaptah. "My apologies to you as well, Prince. Indeed, the donkeys, as much as our horses, are safe here. The stablehands are wonderful and professional people of good spirit."

Judging by the girl's way of looking and bowing again, all three Penra-Royals were sure that she was thinking she had totally screwed up, just by not recognizing them at once.
Of course, they would have felt insulted, if she had been a Subject of Penra, or another Royal, or anyone else whose job it was to know who they were talking to. Yet, honestly, she was a handmaiden to royalty coming from a very distant realm, and although one could still have expected her to know better, neither Raorkon, nor his wife, nor his brother held it against her.
"Mah, it's fine, Caollaidhe, no need to feel bad about that!" - Ossaptah said in his lax tone, smiling.
Instead of rebuking Ossaptah again, Raorkon and Inimiraset nodded. The Pharaoh said, "As many wise men from distant lands used to say: Errare humanum est. In the lands that we come from, we leave being perfect to the Gods - and even they may be mistaken from time to time. You, indeed, do not have to feel ashamed."
Ossaptah grinned. "There you got it, lassie!"
Inimiraset had to smile, too, and slightly shrugged, as if to say, Don't mind him a lot, it's a basket case with him!

[The Selkie]

Judging by the girl's way of looking and bowing again, all three Penra-Royals were sure that she was thinking she had totally screwed up, just by not recognizing them at once.
Of course, they would have felt insulted, if she had been a Subject of Penra, or another Royal, or anyone else whose job it was to know who they were talking to. Yet, honestly, she was a handmaiden to royalty coming from a very distant realm, and although one could still have expected her to know better, neither Raorkon, nor his wife, nor his brother held it against her.
"Mah, it's fine, Caollaidhe, no need to feel bad about that!" - Ossaptah said in his lax tone, smiling.
Instead of rebuking Ossaptah again, Raorkon and Inimiraset nodded. The Pharaoh said, "As many wise men from distant lands used to say: Errare humanum est. In the lands that we come from, we leave being perfect to the Gods - and even they may be mistaken from time to time. You, indeed, do not have to feel ashamed."
Ossaptah grinned. "There you got it, lassie!"
Inimiraset had to smile, too, and slightly shrugged, as if to say, Don't mind him a lot, it's a basket case with him!

Slowly, Cao rose from her bow, softly smiling.
"A good way of thinking of it, Your Majesty.", she almost whispered, blushing under the (quite attractive, she had to say) Prince's gaze. "We see it similarly, that the Gods are as flawed as we are, but that they aspire to be better - and that we should aspire to be similarly, to similarly strive to better ourselves."
She let a beat pass.
"If our gracious hosts permit, I might later entertain Your Majesties and My own Lord and His Lady with my ocarina-playing...", she added in a bid to appease the Pharaoh, aware, but not quite trusting, that she didn't need to. "...but for now, would Your Majesties like to meet My own Lord and His Lady?"

[Anaxus]

Castle Éloino, Waldenian Empire:

Anaxus decided to use a holomatter avatar to attend the banquet, as his real form would have been far too large to attend. It was a simple trick really, a solid projection that made him able to appear as whatever he wanted. He doubted that the humans and other organics would be able to comprehend the avatar's technological sophistication, though it was nothing to him but a tool. He chose to remain in his true likeness, not choosing to change to a more human form, though shrunk to the minuscule size of 10 Standard Feet. "Hmph, let the organic pests witness the divine form of a true God," he thought, passing through the portal and into the banqueting hall. He brought with him his faithful sword, Black Fury, grasping it by the handle and using it as a staff/sceptre to add emphasis to his regal nature.

He towered above all, even the Valentinians that were there. "Pacifistic fools, the time of the Valentinians shall come soon. I look forward to hearing the cries of the billions of souls on their homeworld extinguished by my gunfire," thought Anaxus. He looked around and took in technical readouts given to him by his advanced optics, billions of years ahead of any technology the other guests could muster. He observed many royals from primitive and backwater nations, draped in their ostentatious clothing and jewelry. Narrowing in on a human congregation, he overheard their conversation from afar with is powerful audio receptors:

"Please kindly take my hand, your Imperial Highness. I shall walk you inside." "I am flattered by your kind manner, alas I can walk myself and my son inside. Offer your hand to your wife. She needs it more than I do. But I would need you to introduce me to other leaders later on. So if you insist..."

He decided to walk over to the delegation. His legs pounded on the floor of the Banqueting hall as he made his way towards the people, causing large cracks to appear on it as he did so. "Not my problem, that's just bad structural engineering," he thought. Towering over the humans like a behemoth, he feigned a friendly tone to the delegation: "Greetings humans, may I ask as to who you might be?" Unbeknownst to the guests in front of him, his bright red optics scanned almost everything about them. Nothing was secret to him, biometric data, threat level, x-ray images of their skeletal structure and so much more.

Zitravgrad

[Shamsiyya]

Slowly, Cao rose from her bow, softly smiling.
"A good way of thinking of it, Your Majesty.", she almost whispered, blushing under the (quite attractive, she had to say) Prince's gaze. "We see it similarly, that the Gods are as flawed as we are, but that they aspire to be better - and that we should aspire to be similarly, to similarly strive to better ourselves."
She let a beat pass.
"If our gracious hosts permit, I might later entertain Your Majesties and My own Lord and His Lady with my ocarina-playing...", she added in a bid to appease the Pharaoh, aware, but not quite trusting, that she didn't need to. "...but for now, would Your Majesties like to meet My own Lord and His Lady?"

Raorkon, Inimiraset, and Ossaptah nodded when the Handmaiden (whom the Prince indeed also began to like a bit ...) explained this basic of philosophy the Selkie followed, not even a very different one from the one that was common in Penra. Quite a good one.
Caollaidhe then announce, in a bid, to entertain them all with her ocarina-playing later, then asked if the Penra-Royals wished to meet her own Lord and His Lady.
"I do think that this is one of the reasons for Our arrival" - said Raorkon, "so, indeed, it would be a pleasure for Us. And if there is some musical entertainment later on, We might surely enjoy it. But of course, the permission for it is entirely up to Our gracious hosts."
Inimaset nodded, visibly looking forward to that. "It would surely be wonderful!"
Also, Ossaptah nodded in agreement, not grinning anymore, but still smiling, looking into the Handmaiden's eyes.
Raorkon said, "I believe so. Now, We should settle Our donkeys and find Our way into the Palace, to meet the other fellow Lords and Ladies."

[Waldenian Empire]

"Uwa! Not my floors!" cried Sélum, seeing her precious palace floor get damaged. She sprinted effeminately, forced to by her wearing of high heels, towards Anaxus. "Sir, I request that you-" She stopped short of him and screamed once more in fear of the giant. The maid, hair frizzled wildly, fainted due to the stress from both the cracks in the floor and, well, seeing a machine being.

"Avans, avans, avans! Szypede!" said a heavily accented voice, which was in fact an Imperial Guard Captain. Suddenly, Imperial Guard, each man at least six foot in height, in a two-man-wide column trotted out of the kitchen. Every other guard in the column carried a Waldenian royal standard. The two sides of the column split, and between them a red carpet was rolled out by a pair of servants who quickly scurried of. The banner-wielding infantry held the flags over the red carpet, forming a tunnel of sorts, while those with muskets stood guard. The sound of boot heels came from the kitchen, and the Guard gave a military salute. Out came their host, the Emperor, who was...

Not tall, really. He stood at five and a half feet, and the height the guardsmen had on him exaggerated this difference akin to the treatment Napoleon Bonaparte received from the British. To be fair, this was a normal height for his time, at the least. (Music) Regardless of his stature, he looked as handsome as his portraits suggested. He had a youthful, yet intelligent and sly gaze created by a pair of deep, sharp blue eyes, and curly brown hair that shone under the natural lighting radiantly. His complexion was untouched by the ravages of conquest, and even age, for supposedly he was thirty-eight years of age and yet he was incredibly youthful in his appearance. His arms were crossed behind his back, and he walked -- no, strutted with a stiff, elegant gait down the red carpet. He took Sélum's place as a speaker at the end of the table, and cleared his throat.

"I apologize for keeping you all waiting for this event to begin. As you all know, I am Emperor Stalhart, your host, and I am most pleased to have you at my delightful summer home." began the Emperor in what seemed to be a clean blend of a French and German accent, "We have the feast prepared by the Empire's most prestigious chefs, ranked at what your universes would likely refer to as '3 Michelin stars'. I assume you all are hungry yet, before we get into that, I shall once over tonight's events. First off, being that this is an aristocratic event, the palace ballroom will be open and attended to later tonight. The Emperor chuckled a tad before continuing. "The Empire's finest singer and an orchestra accompanying herself shall be the ballroom's delight. I must announce that a few of mine own 'colleagues' shall be arriving later on. Other than that, and the feast: we do, in fact, possess alcoholic beverages. Phoenix gave a knowing glance towards Tanya von Shrakenberg, and then turned back to the crowd and sharpened his gaze almost into a glare. "Children left unattended will be offered fine wine. That is all."

[Knessniet]

The Grand Duke listened and observed everything that occurred keenly, with an emotionless gaze. He did this often, as this was how he judged situations of all kinds. He observes, and then acts. It is almost machinelike. In his judgement, he was quite intrigued towards the Zitravian delegation, and the Imperial Kozavians accompanying them. He was well-acquainted with the Miroslavsky's, but he had little contact with the Kozavians, aside from the formalities one would expect when dealing with their neighbor. Either way, he recognized them all, as he had a quick and good memory, and an appetite for intelligence briefings.

His guard went and stood off to the side with the other guards, and stood in a more relaxed position as he watched his liege. He knew that the Grand Duke was now about to go about his business, and that is no business for a soldier, especially since he wasn't even a commissioned officer.

The Grand Duke ceased his observations once the Emperor finished his speech, adopted a friendly face, and addressed Chairman Miroslavsky. "Ah! Chairman Miroslavsky, good to see you here. I see you also brought company who I am not familiar with. Would you be so kind to introduce me?"

[Shwe Tu Colony]

While everyone else was getting acquainted with the other guests...

Inside the Palace
"Did... did you feel that?" Sekka asked Azsh'aloth, turning around & glancing at LC-9544, "Someone trying to get a reading on us?" For a moment, Sekka's own magical aura would puff up & reveal a bit more to the robot, namely the fact that he was not a robot, but rather some sort of spirit fused with something... chaotic. Something demonic & emotionless. At the same time, there was a friendly, affable air around Sekka that indicated the ability to coexist despite his nature, & it seemed unlikely that he posed much of a threat unless he was wronged. In such a case, it seemed likely that he would indeed be highly dangerous, & that whoever angered him would not live to regret it. Aside from his own magical power, though, it was also possible that LC-9544 would detect the countless weapons hidden inside of the demon's suit — blades, small crossbows, & even guns hidden within his gauntlets & feet; an opening near his mouth filled with blades & needles; & thousands of crystalline channels nearly overflowing with liquid toxins & magical energy that connected nearly every part of his suit like some sort of perversion of blood vessels.

However, considering Sekka's timing & comment, perhaps he had been suppressing his usual aura of power & had unveiled it specifically for LC-9544. Was it an intimidation tactic, or a show of trust? Either motive seemed plausible. After all, he was a demon, an emotionless one. Or, maybe war machine befit whatever he was better. His body sure looked the job — within the suit seemed to be a jagged, humanoid mass of flesh with even more weapons, albeit biological ones. There were holes leading deep inside as though to leak out even more toxins, spikes jutting out from his rough dark red skin, & countless orange eyes peering into the darkness of his mechanical shell from every part of his body. His head was vaguely humanoid, but also had two spiky curves that nearly connected on top of it & a mouth lined with teeth, serrated & vicious & intended for slicing apart an opponent. Their hollow interiors indicated that they were intended for poisoning his victims as well.

Azsh'aloth seemed either more reluctant to reveal his power or simply had less to reveal, but what was clear with further analysis was that his current form was not his real one. Perhaps, like Sekka, it was simply too dangerous or not conducive to friendly conversation to walk around in his natural state. He, like Sekka, had the same sort of polite demeanor about him, & it seemed that both of the humanoids just wanted some chance for conversation despite their nature.

On the other hand, Elijah was much more reactive towards the scanning. After picking up his napkin nearby the folk from The Selkie, he turned his head & gave a curious little smile towards LC-9544, one filled with an almost childlike wonder at the robot. With a confident twirl of his umbrella — which, like Sekka's armor, had crystalline currents likely for channeling magical energy — Elijah began a friendly saunter towards the automaton, using his umbrella like a cane for an aesthetic purpose rather than a health one. Once he got within conversational range of the robot, he began speaking, his voice sounding much like Gene Wilder's, although hearing it without any vintage sound to it felt rather unnatural.

"Good day!" Elijah greeted once he got close enough, waving his hand in a friendly manner & planting his umbrella into the ground, "I am Elijah Phee Loew of Psytronius, & their head Dollmaker." He stretched his hand out, offering to shake hands with the robot. Regardless of if LC-9544 accepted, the Psytrine would continue. "Lovely... anyway, as Dollmaker of Psytronius, I am always looking out for more non-biological intelligence to understand & perhaps partner with. So..." He took his umbrella out of its position & slung it over his shoulder. "Think you could tell me a little about yourself, or any others like you from your world? Just anything in general, really. History, personality, composition... well maybe not that last detail, if it's more like a trade secret." Elijah's voice clearly indicated a good-natured curiosity, this being further supported by the magical aura around him, which gave off a vibe of a specialty in artificial intelligence & artificial lifeforms.

At the same time, there was also the presence of souls in his jacket & pants pockets, but it was clear they were not torn from anything against their will. In fact, the souls seemed to not be very real & even had a sense of apathy towards the fact that they were taken from whatever their base creature, spirit, or plant was. A sort of worthless apathy that indicated that souls, in Elijah's world, were not precious not because of a lack of morality, but because it wasn't important that they be kept untouched in one's being, & that one would feel no difference in it or part of it being taken. Perhaps the Dollamker would be willing to explain further.

[Zitravgrad]

Once they arrived into the room, it seemed like the Emperor of the Waldenian Empire was already starting his speech. The Regent took a quick glance before turning to the Chairman and whispered, "Ah, the Emperor... Quite a fair gentleman, is he not? He would be a Byronic hero if he were to be a little more brooding."

"I do not suppose... well... if you insist." The Chairman turned to him and whispered back. "This Emperor has been to too many wars to be described as a romanticist's hero."

Enough of whispering... both men would soon turn their full attention to the Emperor's speech. Their arms were still locked a formal arm holding session.

However, the two figures behind them were more relaxed. Who knew what had happened in the old days between the Regent and the Chairman? They were not a part of it, even if they were aware. Grand Duke Alexander was the first to open a discreet conversation, for it was unbecoming of a gentleman not to start one with a visibly unattended lady.

"Madam Miroslavskaya, since there will be ballroom dancing later on, may I ask for your hand in this event? To leave a lady unattended is impolite, and I feel obliged to return the favor to your most esteemed husband for taking care of my father." Overly formal and with too sweet a smile, Alexander Nikoleyevich invited the lady next to him. A little fake, but passing for genuine.

The First Lady was not very convinced or interested. She smiled back at him and replied, "How kind of you, your Serene Highness. But you better spend this moment looking for a young, fair-faced noblewoman."

"Madam, I have a fiancèe at home. I cannot be laying my eyes on other women."

"I am not saying you have to look for a potential bride. I am suggesting you do not leave a fair, young lady unoccupied. I am a married woman and I am on my way to find women within my age for talking things behind the scene."

A soft laughter ensued between the two, in constrast to the tight, oppressive air between the two men they accompanied. Once the Emperor's speech ended, the group gave a round of applause -- not too loud or too quiet.

Chairman Miroslavsky took a moment to scan the rooms. There were as many people he knew as there were people he didn't know. The scene had the potential to be chaotic, but he would certainly love to be a normal person in the sea of... not-as-normal people. He recognized Emperor Cheonsa, a fairly nice person but bringing no shortage of awkward discussions, Emperor Crassus, Major Shrakenberg, Tsar Wilhelm, who was and would be unbelievably hostile to him, and Empress Catherine -- these people he knew, but were not close enough. On the other hands, he might start with the delegates from Robosia or Valentine Z, or even Governor Shang, if the situation allowed for a brief moment of friendly rivalry.

The Grand Duke ceased his observations once the Emperor finished his speech, adopted a friendly face, and addressed Chairman Miroslavsky. "Ah! Chairman Miroslavsky, good to see you here. I see you also brought company who I am not familiar with. Would you be so kind to introduce me?"

Surprised, the Chairman turned himself and the Regent of the Empire around to face the Grand Duke of Knessniet, an unlikely friend of his. "Salutations to you, your Holy Apostolic Majesty. I did not expect to meet you here, but I cannot see why not! This..." He gestured towards the Regent with the unoccupied hand. "...is his Imperial Majesty, Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich Kozava, Regent of the Kozavian Empire, the younger brother of Tsar Alexander Pavlovich II. As you might be aware, the Tsar and the Grand Duke were our former rulers. Your Imperial Highness, this gentleman here is his Holy Apostolic Majesty, Grand Duke Herman XIII of Knessniet."

For a second, the Regent gave the Knessian Grand Duke a cryptic glance, then a glare at the Chairman for an unneeded history lecture. "Ah... I see you are a man of the church as well, your... Holy Apostolic Majesty. As mentioned by the Chairman, I am the Regent of the Kozavian Empire. I attend this event on the behalf of my brother, the Tsar, for he is unfortunately not in the best of health."

After having introduced the Regent, Chairman Miroslavsky turned to the other two people in his little group. "Well, now... this is Grand Duke Alexander Nikoleyevich Kozava. His Serene Highness is not only the Grand Duke of the Kozavian Empire but also the Prince of Sehnnausberg, which was his mother's dominion before the annexati--"

"Inheritance, my good sir." The young Grand Duke corrected it.

"...before the inheritance of the principality, which included Sehnnausberg as a part of the Kozavian Empire."

Grand Duke Alexander bowed with a thin smile. "It is such a pleasant day to meet you, Grand Duke Herman, especially in person. I actually had contact your administration a couple of times for your wise advice... I think it is called 'the Inquiries Office'."

Once he was done with the greetings, Alexander Nikoleyevich stepped aside for the Chairman to introduce his wife. "As you may know, this is my wife, Feodora Alexeievna. She is one of the most prominent minds in our nation, as well as one of the fairest women. But that might be just me." The First Lady did not reply, but only nodded to the Grand Duke in recognition.

[The Selkie]

Raorkon, Inimiraset, and Ossaptah nodded when the Handmaiden (whom the Prince indeed also began to like a bit ...) explained this basic of philosophy the Selkie followed, not even a very different one from the one that was common in Penra. Quite a good one.
Caollaidhe then announce, in a bid, to entertain them all with her ocarina-playing later, then asked if the Penra-Royals wished to meet her own Lord and His Lady.
"I do think that this is one of the reasons for Our arrival" - said Raorkon, "so, indeed, it would be a pleasure for Us. And if there is some musical entertainment later on, We might surely enjoy it. But of course, the permission for it is entirely up to Our gracious hosts."
Inimaset nodded, visibly looking forward to that. "It would surely be wonderful!"
Also, Ossaptah nodded in agreement, not grinning anymore, but still smiling, looking into the Handmaiden's eyes.
Raorkon said, "I believe so. Now, We should settle Our donkeys and find Our way into the Palace, to meet the other fellow Lords and Ladies."

Cao nodded, almost bowed her head again and extended her hands.
"If the Majesties wish, I can quickly take care of that, no need to go inside stables when one is so finely dressed.", she offered, hoping they would accept.
It would definately not befitting of them and their station to get their beautiful white tunics dirty in the stables. She then saw, that she didn't have enough hands, but that would be alright. Even if the nice Prince was not going to help her (she had the feeling, that he would at least offer it to her, he seemed polite like that), she would manage. And her clothes could get dirty.
As she rose again, a few green strands had fallen forwards, causing her to wipe strands of her hair back.
Exposing, for a brief moment, her long and pointy ear.

After the speech of the host, Áed smiled, whispering to Macha as he leaned over: "An impressive and polite man... but that poor Handmaiden. Mind offering your help?`"
Macha, as a herbalist, was ideal, but she smirked. "Admit it, the Hunter wants to stalk some prey." Áed smiled, in a way, that suggested her knowing him far too well. Macha snorted in amusement and then moved forwards to kiss him. "I'll be back."
And with that, Macha vanished into the crowd.
Áed smiled after her and then turned, towards the other guests. Some were interesting to look at, some were hidious, but one, he quickly saw, almost measured up to his beloved Macha.
With a charming smile, he approached Duchess Marcella Villa and her Minister of Foreign Affairs - of course, he did not know yet, who was who or that Marcella was quite engaged to a Princess from her own time.
When he was at an appropriate distance, he bowed his head with respect and politeness.
"Good day, fair maidens of distant shores.", Áed greeted them as he rose again, "I am Áed, of Fermanagh's Blood, the High King of the Selkie - who do I have the pleasure with?"

[AHSCA]

With a charming smile, he approached Duchess Marcella Villa and her Minister of Foreign Affairs - of course, he did not know yet, who was who or that Marcella was quite engaged to a Princess from her own time.
When he was at an appropriate distance, he bowed his head with respect and politeness.
"Good day, fair maidens of distant shores.", Áed greeted them as he rose again, "I am Áed, of Fermanagh's Blood, the High King of the Selkie - who do I have the pleasure with?"

Marcella turned and blinked a few times that someone so kindly approached to engage in conversation. "Oh, good day to you" Marcella greeted. "I'm Duchess Marcella Villa" she bowed her head in exchange for his politeness. "Duchess of AHSCA, this is" She was ready to introduce Noir but Noir went ahead and bowed a deep bow "Noir VinoCacao, Milady's foreign minister."

"Oh the king of the Selkie people!" Marcella lit up, "How wonderful to make your acquaintance!"

"I share Milady's sentiment" Noir politely responded. "The Freelands have been very good to the UIS."

"Noir, please relax a little." Marcella encouraged her to be a little more casual. It was a party after all. "Manners are good but you stiffen up I'm only going to get more nervous." Marcella had two modes to her, business and none business and she could flip it like a switch. Parties she often kept her well mannered but rather casual approach.

[Knessniet]

Once they arrived into the room, it seemed like the Emperor of the Waldenian Empire was already starting his speech. The Regent took a quick glance before turning to the Chairman and whispered, "Ah, the Emperor... Quite a fair gentleman, is he not? He would be a Byronic hero if he were to be a little more brooding."

"I do not suppose... well... if you insist." The Chairman turned to him and whispered back. "This Emperor has been to too many wars to be described as a romanticist's hero."

Enough of whispering... both men would soon turn their full attention to the Emperor's speech. Their arms were still locked a formal arm holding session.

However, the two figures behind them were more relaxed. Who knew what had happened in the old days between the Regent and the Chairman? They were not a part of it, even if they were aware. Grand Duke Alexander was the first to open a discreet conversation, for it was unbecoming of a gentleman not to start one with a visibly unattended lady.

"Madam Miroslavskaya, since there will be ballroom dancing later on, may I ask for your hand in this event? To leave a lady unattended is impolite, and I feel obliged to return the favor to your most esteemed husband for taking care of my father." Overly formal and with too sweet a smile, Alexander Nikoleyevich invited the lady next to him. A little fake, but passing for genuine.

The First Lady was not very convinced or interested. She smiled back at him and replied, "How kind of you, your Serene Highness. But you better spend this moment looking for a young, fair-faced noblewoman."

"Madam, I have a fiancèe at home. I cannot be laying my eyes on other women."

"I am not saying you have to look for a potential bride. I am suggesting you do not leave a fair, young lady unoccupied. I am a married woman and I am on my way to find women within my age for talking things behind the scene."

A soft laughter ensued between the two, in constrast to the tight, oppressive air between the two men they accompanied. Once the Emperor's speech ended, the group gave a round of applause -- not too loud or too quiet.

Chairman Miroslavsky took a moment to scan the rooms. There were as many people he knew as there were people he didn't know. The scene had the potential to be chaotic, but he would certainly love to be a normal person in the sea of... not-as-normal people. He recognized Emperor Cheonsa, a fairly nice person but bringing no shortage of awkward discussions, Emperor Crassus, Major Shrakenberg, Tsar Wilhelm, who was and would be unbelievably hostile to him, and Empress Catherine -- these people he knew, but were not close enough. On the other hands, he might start with the delegates from Robosia or Valentine Z, or even Governor Shang, if the situation allowed for a brief moment of friendly rivalry.

The Grand Duke ceased his observations once the Emperor finished his speech, adopted a friendly face, and addressed Chairman Miroslavsky. "Ah! Chairman Miroslavsky, good to see you here. I see you also brought company who I am not familiar with. Would you be so kind to introduce me?"

Surprised, the Chairman turned himself and the Regent of the Empire around to face the Grand Duke of Knessniet, an unlikely friend of his. "Salutations to you, your Holy Apostolic Majesty. I did not expect to meet you here, but I cannot see why not! This..." He gestured towards the Regent with the unoccupied hand. "...is his Imperial Majesty, Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich Kozava, Regent of the Kozavian Empire, the younger brother of Tsar Alexander Pavlovich II. As you might be aware, the Tsar and the Grand Duke were our former rulers. Your Imperial Highness, this gentleman here is his Holy Apostolic Majesty, Grand Duke Herman XIII of Knessniet."

For a second, the Regent gave the Knessian Grand Duke a cryptic glance, then a glare at the Chairman for an unneeded history lecture. "Ah... I see you are a man of the church as well, your... Holy Apostolic Majesty. As mentioned by the Chairman, I am the Regent of the Kozavian Empire. I attend this event on the behalf of my brother, the Tsar, for he is unfortunately not in the best of health."

After having introduced the Regent, Chairman Miroslavsky turned to the other two people in his little group. "Well, now... this is Grand Duke Alexander Nikoleyevich Kozava. His Serene Highness is not only the Grand Duke of the Kozavian Empire but also the Prince of Sehnnausberg, which was his mother's dominion before the annexati--"

"Inheritance, my good sir." The young Grand Duke corrected it.

"...before the inheritance of the principality, which included Sehnnausberg as a part of the Kozavian Empire."

Grand Duke Alexander bowed with a thin smile. "It is such a pleasant day to meet you, Grand Duke Herman, especially in person. I actually had contact your administration a couple of times for your wise advice... I think it is called 'the Inquiries Office'."

Once he was done with the greetings, Alexander Nikoleyevich stepped aside for the Chairman to introduce his wife. "As you may know, this is my wife, Feodora Alexeievna. She is one of the most prominent minds in our nation, as well as one of the fairest women. But that might be just me." The First Lady did not reply, but only nodded to the Grand Duke in recognition.

"A sincere pleasure to meet you. I hope that your brother, the Tsar, gets well soon.", he said to the Regent after he introduced himself. He noted his reaction to his unique style. Sure it was odd, but it was fitting. After all, he was the ulcer of God's chosen realm, or at least that's what his vassals are required to believe.

Then after Alexander finished, he said to him, "Yes, I remember you now. I hope you found our office helpful, as I always wish to help my peers. Quite literally, I do not see many others with the title of Grand Duke. It is... an oddity, really."

As the Chairman introduced his wife, Herman did notice her lack of enthusiasm. He had extensive knowledge of her, as much information was quite public, at least from the perspective of his intelligence folks at the Knessian Embassy in Zitravgrad. Thus, he indeed understood why she wouldn't be eager. He decided a simple reply was thus best, "Nice to see you.", he said.

Introductions aside, he then asked, "Now, this I find quite odd. Why would a revolutionary be walking hand in hand, literally, with his former overlord? Do not be offended, I find it wonderful, but I must ask, why?"

He had read the official accounts, of course, but he wanted to hear it from the people involved directly. It may not be the best party topic, but frankly, Herman was curious.

[Waldenian Empire]

Phoenix's eye twitched at how quickly he was seemingly forgotten. Phoenix's great vice was wrath, but he was determined to not let it show towards his guests. He cleared his throat and snapped his fingers a couple times. "Well, eager to meet the others, I suppose?" Phoenix said, clutching his wrist, "Alright! Attention, my esteemed guests, the banquet shall now be set alive. Er, Sélum, wake up." Phoenix called to the maid from the other side of the lengthy banquet table. The maid was unresponsive, however, remaining unconscious on the floor. "Would one of you be a dear and wake her? I'm going to go perform final checks behind-the-scene." Phoenix requested of the guests. Before even awaiting an answer, Phoenix walked off back into the kitchen.

[The Selkie]

With a charming smile, he approached Duchess Marcella Villa and her Minister of Foreign Affairs - of course, he did not know yet, who was who or that Marcella was quite engaged to a Princess from her own time.
When he was at an appropriate distance, he bowed his head with respect and politeness.
"Good day, fair maidens of distant shores.", Áed greeted them as he rose again, "I am Áed, of Fermanagh's Blood, the High King of the Selkie - who do I have the pleasure with?"

Marcella turned and blinked a few times that someone so kindly approached to engage in conversation. "Oh, good day to you" Marcella greeted. "I'm Duchess Marcella Villa" she bowed her head in exchange for his politeness. "Duchess of AHSCA, this is" She was ready to introduce Noir but Noir went ahead and bowed a deep bow "Noir VinoCacao, Milady's foreign minister."

"Oh the king of the Selkie people!" Marcella lit up, "How wonderful to make your acquaintance!"

"I share Milady's sentiment" Noir politely responded. "The Freelands have been very good to the UIS."

"Noir, please relax a little." Marcella encouraged her to be a little more casual. It was a party after all. "Manners are good but you stiffen up I'm only going to get more nervous." Marcella had two modes to her, business and none business and she could flip it like a switch. Parties she often kept her well mannered but rather casual approach.

Áed was glad to meet both of the two women, beautiful in their own rights.
Noir, he noted, had the charme of an Ice Queen, which he wanted to warm... preferably in his bed. Meanwhile, Marcella had an open approach to matters, it seemed, but a bit stuffy and mannered. He wondered, how she would be with enough Water of Life or Ale inside of her...
In any case, some of the things confused him.
"I am afraid...", he began with a sheepish smile, "...that I do not know the place you hail from, Miladies, or how we had been nice to you in the past."
Granted, not getting raided was always something many held as a positive aspect, but...

Phoenix's eye twitched at how quickly he was seemingly forgotten. Phoenix's great vice was wrath, but he was determined to not let it show towards his guests. He cleared his throat and snapped his fingers a couple times. "Well, eager to meet the others, I suppose?" Phoenix said, clutching his wrist, "Alright! Attention, my esteemed guests, the banquet shall now be set alive. Er, Sélum, wake up." Phoenix called to the maid from the other side of the lengthy banquet table. The maid was unresponsive, however, remaining unconscious on the floor. "Would one of you be a dear and wake her? I'm going to go perform final checks behind-the-scene." Phoenix requested of the guests. Before even awaiting an answer, Phoenix walked off back into the kitchen.

While Macha did feel a bit for their gracious host, who indeed seemed to have been forgotten by the rest of the party, she also saw the wrath in his eyes.
She was not sure, how that would end...
In any case, she approached Sélum, who was still unconscious, and quickly checked her - she was alive, just, indeed, unconscious. That, Macha, the Herbalist, the Lover, the Healer, decided, called for drastic measures.
With a smile, the fox ears on her head twitching, she got out a small vial of smelling salt, uncorking it and holding it under the maid's nose.
"Wakey, wakey...", she whispered to her.

[Robosia]

While everyone else was getting acquainted with the other guests...

Inside the Palace
"Did... did you feel that?" Sekka asked Azsh'aloth, turning around & glancing at LC-9544, "Someone trying to get a reading on us?" For a moment, Sekka's own magical aura would puff up & reveal a bit more to the robot, namely the fact that he was not a robot, but rather some sort of spirit fused with something... chaotic. Something demonic & emotionless. At the same time, there was a friendly, affable air around Sekka that indicated the ability to coexist despite his nature, & it seemed unlikely that he posed much of a threat unless he was wronged. In such a case, it seemed likely that he would indeed be highly dangerous, & that whoever angered him would not live to regret it. Aside from his own magical power, though, it was also possible that LC-9544 would detect the countless weapons hidden inside of the demon's suit — blades, small crossbows, & even guns hidden within his gauntlets & feet; an opening near his mouth filled with blades & needles; & thousands of crystalline channels nearly overflowing with liquid toxins & magical energy that connected nearly every part of his suit like some sort of perversion of blood vessels.

However, considering Sekka's timing & comment, perhaps he had been suppressing his usual aura of power & had unveiled it specifically for LC-9544. Was it an intimidation tactic, or a show of trust? Either motive seemed plausible. After all, he was a demon, an emotionless one. Or, maybe war machine befit whatever he was better. His body sure looked the job — within the suit seemed to be a jagged, humanoid mass of flesh with even more weapons, albeit biological ones. There were holes leading deep inside as though to leak out even more toxins, spikes jutting out from his rough dark red skin, & countless orange eyes peering into the darkness of his mechanical shell from every part of his body. His head was vaguely humanoid, but also had two spiky curves that nearly connected on top of it & a mouth lined with teeth, serrated & vicious & intended for slicing apart an opponent. Their hollow interiors indicated that they were intended for poisoning his victims as well.

Azsh'aloth seemed either more reluctant to reveal his power or simply had less to reveal, but what was clear with further analysis was that his current form was not his real one. Perhaps, like Sekka, it was simply too dangerous or not conducive to friendly conversation to walk around in his natural state. He, like Sekka, had the same sort of polite demeanor about him, & it seemed that both of the humanoids just wanted some chance for conversation despite their nature.

On the other hand, Elijah was much more reactive towards the scanning. After picking up his napkin nearby the people from The Selkie, he turned his head & gave a curious little smile towards LC-9544, one filled with an almost childlike wonder at the robot. With a confident twirl of his umbrella — which, like Sekka's armor, had crystalline currents likely for channeling magical energy — Elijah began a friendly saunter towards the automaton, using his umbrella like a cane for an aesthetic purpose rather than a health one. Once he got within conversational range of the robot, he began speaking, his voice sounding much like Gene Wilder's, although hearing it without any vintage sound to it felt rather unnatural.

"Good day!" Elijah greeted once he got close enough, waving his hand in a friendly manner & planting his umbrella into the ground, "I am Elijah Phee Loew of Psytronius, & their head Dollmaker." He stretched his hand out, offering to shake hands with the robot. Regardless of if LC-9544 accepted, the Psytrine would continue. "Lovely... anyway, as Dollmaker of Psytronius, I am always looking out for more non-biological intelligence to understand & perhaps partner with. So..." He took his umbrella out of its position & slung it over his shoulder. "Think you could tell me a little about yourself, or any others like you from your world? Just anything in general, really. History, personality, composition... well maybe not that last detail, if it's more like a trade secret." Elijah's voice clearly indicated a good-natured curiosity, this being further supported by the magical aura around him, which gave off a vibe of a specialty in artificial intelligence & artificial lifeforms.

At the same time, there was also the presence of souls in his jacket & pants pockets, but it was clear they were not torn from anything against their will. In fact, the souls seemed to not be very real & even had a sense of apathy towards the fact that they were taken from whatever their base creature, spirit, or plant was. A sort of worthless apathy that indicated that souls, in Elijah's world, were not precious not because of a lack of morality, but because it wasn't important that they be kept untouched in one's being, & that one would feel no difference in it or part of it being taken. Perhaps the Dollamker would be willing to explain further.

LC-9544 simply stared at Elijah. He wasn’t very used to being approached by random strangers, unless they wanted to talk to whoever he was guarding. Besides, he had no idea what the intentions of this ‘Dollmaker’ were.

“I am a member of the Presidential Security Service of the Republic of Robosia. I am currently guarding Vice President IJ-5075 and his wife. If you want to speak with either of them, I will first need to make sure that you have no weapons.”

Before he could do anything, however, the Vice President waved to get his attention. “Hey, LC, could you pick up that lady over there?”, he said, while pointing to Selúm, still lying on the floor.

The bodyguard sighed. “Stay right here or I will shoot you.” He quickly ran over to Selúm, places her on an empty chair, and splashed a cup of water in her face. After that, he hurried back over to Elijah.

[Waldenian Empire]

//Maybe we should determine in the OOC chat who wakes her up, before she gets simultaneously nose-blinded, splashed in water, nudged awake, slapped fifteen times and probably shot at

EDIT: Going for Selkie's wake-up unless someone has any better ideas. Will post again soon.

[Cartoonia]

Stagecoach, Waldenian Empire, 1817 AD. Around Nightfall.

Jimmy Kudo, The Supreme Leader of Cartoonia, silently sat in his carriage. After a mysterious letter from thebpast appeared on his desk, he asked his research team to look into it further. This led to a creation of a time machine and thus he and his wife, Rachel Moore, decided to accept the offer and travel to this land. He left his stepbrother, Shô, to take control for the time being until he returns which is a good thing because he is next in line to rule the nation. When they arrived in 1817, they called for a horse and carriage and off they went to the location, Castle Éloino, a remote castle in this part of the country. They dressed in thier fanciest outfits that they wear at state dinners, Jimmy wearing his blue tuxedo and Red bow tie, while Rachel wore a green dress with white gloves and a white transparent head veil with jewelry.

“Jimmy, are you feeling alright” his wife Rachel asked. “You’ve silent this entire trip”. “Oh, it is nothing, nothing at all” he replied. He was actually worried if his brother is doing alright. “Its Shô isn’t” she replies. “He’ll be fine don’t worry about it”. “I guess you’re right” he replies. “Just have a good time tonight and make some relations with other nations that will be here. I heard that the leaders and other representatives from AHSCA and Danceria will be here”. His head changes gears. AHSCA have established foreign relations with them and Danceria is one of their friends from across the world. It would be great to know more about who they are. They arrive at the castle and were greeted by the guards stationed. They brought along some gifts from the nation And Rachel’s homemade apple pie. They head towards the inside of the castle

[Polish Prussian Commonwealth]

Irene and Karl simply stood on the sidelines, watching the proceedings.
Karl's eyes brightened. "Say, that Wilhelm?"
Irene squinted a little. "Gotta be, Aunt Erika's squeezing the poor man to death. Should we say hi to him? Would get him out of that bear hug."
"Eh, sure."
They hurried along, before Karl tripped and ended up knocking over Fintan.
He picked himself up. "Ah shit...ow-Christ, you alright?"
Irene rushed over. "Are you two alright?"

[AHSCA]

Áed was glad to meet both of the two women, beautiful in their own rights.
Noir, he noted, had the charme of an Ice Queen, which he wanted to warm... preferably in his bed. Meanwhile, Marcella had an open approach to matters, it seemed, but a bit stuffy and mannered. He wondered, how she would be with enough Water of Life or Ale inside of her...
In any case, some of the things confused him.
"I am afraid...", he began with a sheepish smile, "...that I do not know the place you hail from, Miladies, or how we had been nice to you in the past."
Granted, not getting raided was always something many held as a positive aspect, but...

Both Marcella and Noir exchanged glances a bit perplexed with the fact they weren't recognized. Marcella just felt embarrassed and flustered inside thinking maybe she made a mistake along the way somewhere and mistook them for a friendly when they were total strangers! Imagine, her a Duchess and she can't even keep her nations straight. Maybe he just didn't know much about them? AHSCA often regarded as insignificant, not a superpower, not a wealthy nation but to well guarded now to exploit. Well now neither really knew how to recover. "I...I see..." Marcella's face red with a bit of embarrassment. "I must have made a mistake then..." Marcella broke off eye contact looking away embarrassed while Noir hid her embarrassment behind her bangs.

[Cartoonia]

Supreme Leader Jimmy and his wife enter the castle, and when they entered, it was grand and beautiful on the inside. The castle ceiling seems to be reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel, when the Supreme Leader took a diplomatic trip to Italy. The reception itself was also grand, resembling some of the parties Jimmy hosted previously. They took in the sight, and after all that they decided to enter the room and wait upon the other leaders to engage in conversation.

[Danceria]

It was mostly for show, that the enterouge would ride in on horseback, the sigils and banners of House Elurion, Castamir, and the Realms of Rohan, Figaro, Yggdrasilia and Danceria proper. The horse-riding enterouge was mostly there to match the gifts for the castle in kind, and to carry them. Dismounting was a green eyed and silver-haired man, and his blonde associate. The two chatted merrily, as they entered the main hall. "You haven't lost your horse-legs yet, cousin. I wonder what sort of escapades you have planned for us today. You never let me hang out with you during your "diplomatic forays"." the blond would chuckle. "Because I do not wish to pry you off of every woman within a stone's throw." the more regal, and silver haired man would counter "Pry?" the blond man would recoil in mock insult "The only thing you'll be prying into is any conversation I may be having with the fairer sex. Especially," he would nudge. "after you've made official moves on a woman of your own. I'll be happy to be your wingman if you'll be mine." "Friends don't let friends get into trouble" the silver haired man would note. "Because friends usually help friends out of trouble."

The two would continue until the silver haired man would spy a very pink haired woman, and Aceus would smile. "I may just hook you up with a woman now..." he would smile, "The Islander gal, Ace?" the blond would shake his head. "Well, I'll be interested, and near here. Let's see if my little cousin has learned anything from me." With that, the blond would linger near the delegates from Cartoonia, and sigh. "Family, eh?"

Marcella of ASCHA however, would find a familiar face, someone who attended the Festival of Holy Light incognito, and actually chatted with her, and would approach her with a smile. "Duchess Marcella?" Aceus would smile.

[Frievolk]

It was early morning when Hans and his entourage (of one) left De Generalshaus, Maastricht. It was the middle of November 2018, and while His Imperial Highness Hans III preferred not to travel in style, the situation at hand -indeed, the Meeting- called for a modicum of presentational sensibility.
While Hans questioned the intelligence in arriving to a 18th century Ball in a Bentley Mulsanne, he was not one to arrive in a carriage for any reason. Hans stepped into the car, and the driver took off.
When the dimension hopping -in truth, the Prince still had no idea how it worked- was over with and the car stopped, it was a young man of almost 22 that got off from the State car and helped deliver the previously mentioned gifts to the servants of The Castle Éloino.
The Young man was not very tall, only 6'3, though he had the unintentional stoic glance of a soldier. His green eyes shone brightly, and dressed in a regular Dress Uniform, Schirmmütze, the young prince greeted the maid -once a workingsman, always a workingsman- and easily made his way into the Castle, silently studying the crowd.

[Shwe Tu Colony]

LC-9544 simply stared at Elijah...

Inside the Palace
"Interesting, interesting... perhaps I shall later," Elijah said, nodding & leaning on his umbrella-staff, "As for weaponry..." He nervously glanced to the side, a bubble of light briefly surrounding him. "I'd... call myself that to some degree, being a Psytrine Domeses. We are always ready to defend ourselves, though I prefer summoning golems & Dolls over my own magic, which is rather plain." Then, the guard left. "So be it," Elijah replied to the bodyguard's order, twirling his umbrella slowly as he waited for the robot to come back & using his other hand to search within his jacket pocket, which was far too small to carry an ordinary weapon. Eventually, he found the two objects he wanted — a piece of postcard & a small statue of sorts of a girl in a dramatic, white kimono — & threw them in front of him.

Whereas the postcard seemed to begin floating on some peculiar breeze that orbited Elijah, the girl's statue landed on the ground & suddenly grew to around the height of a teenager's & walked towards Elijah. "Did you need something?" she asked as the top of her hat opened up, revealing ten faceless, sphere-headed dolls in what seemed to be the attire of university students, with these dolls then proceeding to float about near her head.
"Oh, nothing, just wanted someone to accompany me," he said, staring at the ceiling with blank eyes. A short while later, LC-9544 came back, & Elijah looked in the robot bodyguard's direction as the android walked back to his original position. "Oh, but feel free to scan me," he said, tilting his head in a nonchalant manner. If the robot decided to, he would detect the aforementioned souls in Elijah's pockets, only now in more detail. Two souls had an altruistic spirit that indicated a healer specialty, one soul had a noble one that indicated a damage-taking specialty, & five souls had... aromatic spirits? That was the best way to describe them, as their souls were associated with particular scents that could be smelled during the scan, somehow.

The most noticeable of them had a vanilla aroma & the general feeling of being a leader among siblings, yet there was some sort of slightly hidden, but highly dangerous, aura to her. The next two most significant had a musky & amber-like smell to them, the former having a memory-based aura that seemed to be able to search through one's memories & desires & the latter having an amber-like aroma that gave off the impression of a sleuth. Lastly, the two weakest of the scented souls — although it was only relative to the other three, as there was still some moderate magical essence within them — smelled like cinnamon & jasmine, the former seemingly stuck in a memory or replaying one & the latter emitting a sort of matchmaking aura, one that promised that so long as they were around, there was no way to be alone.

Next to Elijah were his two other Dolls: the postcard & the girl. The latter seemed to have a curious personality, as seen by how her dolls seemed to be restlessly searching in the area for some sort of new piece of information to devour. On the other hand, the possessed postcard seemed to be trapped inside of their vessel against their will, but there seemed to be a love towards Elijah that indicated that he was not the one that put whoever the postcard contained in there. As for combat capabilities, the most obvious trait in the postcard was that of a communicator or relay system — the soul gave off the aura of a fellow able to communicate clearly, swiftly, & immediately. At the same time, it was clear that the postcard's paper could very well be weaponized, for the soul within it seemed to contain plenty of expertise in maneuvering their vessel, although they were not showing it right now beyond fluttering around the Dollmaker.