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Angela In the City, it is tradition to have a Naming Ceremony for any new Association. There hasn't been one for some time but with the rise of an Association for the purpose of managing Elites within the City, it is finally time for one. Lilian Rook has spent time recruiting but are some hiccups. She is not the only one in The City who has had the idea of recruiting those with nowhere else to go, for instance, but she still is able to get enough recruiting done to match what the City demanded with some breathing room.

The event takes place at Wuthering Heights, the party sponsored by the Mistress of the Manor Lady Catherine. Olivier, Mirinae, and other Agents of the Hana Association have set up a stage area with the permission of the Lady of the House in the central foyer.

Per tradition, the sponsor who contributed most to the formation of the Association gives a speech, then the Hana Association names the Association. Then any new grade are given to the Association members as is pertinent. Also per tradition, representatives from the other Associations and Association-related Offices are invited to view the proceedings as are representatives from the Wings, and sponsors. While representatives from the Wings come and go as guests might, the Association organizations arrive in sequential order.

First the Zwei Association arrives. They have arrived in force since they believe they'll have to work closely with the Thirteenth Association as the City peacekeepers. Some of their agents are providing security, supporting the Liu Association and T Corp Agents in this endeavor. They wear dark blue uniforms and the bulk of them carry zweihanders as weapons.

The Tres Association has also come out in force--as representatives of the Workshops, there's decent odds they are interested in doing business with the Thirteenth by gearing them up. So as to not disrupt the proceedings with ad-hoc sales and posturing, the bulk of them are not actually sticking around to watch the ceremony but setting up stations in the ballroom to plug their wares there but Yuria, whom Meika might remember, IS sticking around along with the Stigma Workshop due to a non-compete agreement with the Liu Association which means they can't actually sell to anyone but Liu-associated offices. Yuria is quietly violating that agreement by slipping her business cards into pockets and staying far away from the rest of Stigma Workshop--she is focusing, probably unsurprisingly to Meika herself, on sliding those cards into the pockets of those she deems to be 'offworlders'.

The Shi Association sends one member as a representative--Director Yujin--because nobody really wants too many assassins lurking about in a place like this and because while so much attention is on here, they have a lot of work to do elsewhere ni the City. A lot of eyes are here which make previously difficult assassinations easier (there is too much security present for them to even think about getting work done ''here''). Yujin looks tired and forcing herself to stay awake by drinking a lot of coffee.

The Cinq Association has also not sent too many of their agents. Outside of Ceri's friends are a scattering of them about but Ceri--and the Association--are giving one another a wide berth. Outside of that they are well mannered if flamboyant and dress like they're from the Three Musketeers and they all carry rapiers.
Angela The Liu Association is helping provide security and is being led by Director Xiao and her fellow Director Lowell. It just seems to be their Sections visiting today because the others are fighting elsewhere. Once they've taken position, the two Directors start murmuring to one another in quiet tones--clearly intending the conversation to be just between them, but Xiao does take a keen look at all Elites that arrive like she's sizing them up. She is otherwise nothing but cordial and polite. Their uniforms are amongst the fanciest looking of the Associations present. They wear red coats with gold trimming and designs around the waist along the usual suit and tie with a golden dragon insignia above the waist.

The Seven and Eight Associations have sent guests as well, though they seem to largely be acting as guests--though as the Seven is an information gathering Association, they're bound to start approaching Elites and asking about them. Deyvat is busily providing transportation and there's again only one representative actually just sticking around, periodically communicating through a radio to make sure there is no trouble with people arriving. This is an insanely difficult job and preoccupies most of his time.

The Dieci and Oufi also haven't sent too many representatives though there's a small host of scribes taking down notes from the former and another small group of the latter going over the Association contract. They are largely huddling together due to their similar interests regarding today's proceedings.

T-Corp's security is largely there to block people off from going elsewhere in the mansion and monitor for time crimes due to this event happening in their backyard. Their 'Collectors' are gold and black plated men and women with an I-shaped slit in their helmets, but no visible eyes. Some other workers for the Wing are present as guests. Olivier has informed Lilian to not worry too much about them today--the taxes are ''handled'' for today.
Angela As for Lady Catherine herself--She is a slight woman with long light brown hair and brown eyes wearing a long gown with large brass-flower patterned designs. She wears gloves and the only real skin showing is on her face. She is smiling pleasantly as she comes out to give her speech.

"Welcome everyone to the naming of a new Association. I am happy to greet all of you to this momentous occasion. A new era is upon The City--really our whole world, even beyond our walls. Some of our companies and organizations--and even Wings--have elected to reach out to these 'Outsiders' as we've grown to call them but this is the first time The City will officially acknowledge them as as a part of our lives we cannot simply turn away from or--for that matter--compel to turn away. It's a little scary, I imagine, for some of you... Maybe some of you are seeking to turn this into an opportunity or to try and take advantage of the Outside multiverse for yourself... But while there is sure to be some growing pains, some grave insults, and maybe a few bloodied lips along the way--I'd like to say why I supported this new Association and invite you to try a different way of looking at things.")]

"It has been centuries since a new Association was formed. We've been warned about the dangers of excessive isolationism--we've seen the terrible images of what happened to Quicknest, whispering that this fate could yet befall us. But at the same time...isn't it exciting? Hopeful? It is so rare to get to be at the center of a cultural shift such as this. The increased growth of Fixer work is not just because it is the only job available, but because these Outsiders showed those that believed there was no hope... That even the unsurmountable could be overcome with courage, strength, and dedication. I believe these Outsiders are here to show us new pathways, new stories--that we could not have found on our own. The City has been suffering, even if from Wuthering Heights we cannot see it, but perhaps this will be the first step of bringing us to a more prosperous age. Thank you."

She dips her head one and then leaves through a curtained off area behind the stage where the Elites have been waiting.

Catherine smiles at Lilian Rook, "Good luck, Dame Commander. I am, truly, rooting for you." She says before she departs.

Olivier steps out next with Mirinae though Mirinae just most of the talking.

"We are here to officially name the Thirteenth Association. Dame Commander if you will take the stage."

Once Lilian moves out, Mirinae extends a large wooden plaque with a black metal plating on it with the words Director Lilian Rook emblazoned on it in gold and the words Trideag Association underneath. Though one can't be sure without testing it, it is startling sturdy--made from the best quality wood within the city.

"We officially grant you the title of Director and the ranking of a Grade One Fixer." Mirinae says. "The highest grade we've ever given to an Outsider. And I suspect...not the highest we will ever give. The Hana Association wishes you good fortune in your work. May the Head smile upon your efforts."
Angela Olivier steps forward, "I will now grade the Association members. Grade Nines: Meika Kirenai, Aidan Proudpick." He hands Aidan his license and gives him a severe frown before leaning in to murmur, "You best not draw danger to ''this'' city. Consider this your opportunity to prove you are not your worst mistake."

Then he goes through the Grade Eights, handing them off and speaking the associated name before handing it off the license. Going up on stage to receive the license isn't mandatory, but it is allowed. Olivier doesn't whisper to anyone else though he does give Odette and Ru Li long looks if they DO go up. After the Elites are the locals, some of whom are starting at a higher Fixer rank but most are starting at nine or eight.

"Finally," Olivier says. "Rita Ma has been designated as a Star of the City. Thank you for your time."

He doesn't provide an explanation of what that is but there is a soft hush that falls across the Association members and guests. There isn't exactly fear or hatred. While there is some concern, there is also curiosity and excitement. Olivier will shake Rita's hand with no issue if she steps up as well but otherwise calls no attention to her outside of the proclamation.

After the Grades have been given out, Mirinae declares that the Naming Ceremony is over. The other Associations salute (various levels of professionalism) and the guests and Wing reps applaud (various levels of sincerity) and everyone is released to the party.

The final staff of the party reveals itself as a small host of men and women in butler/maid uniforms bringing in refreshments from champagne to shrimp cocktails to various other items. Their movements are smooth, precise, and calculated down to the slightest twitch. They seem to be managed by the chief butlers of the house but to those who have the eyes for such a thing, each one of them feels like a proper warrior in their movement and poise. When someone trips or threatens to spill a drink, they are there--suddenly--to catch them before they do. They do their best to remain unobtrusive, occasionally reporting to their direct superiors and all ''very carefully'' keeping eyes on everyone here. Not just the Elites.
Rita Ma      Rita had, as usual, fretted over what to wear- formal or 'comfortably pretty'? Something that'll fit in with the City, or something emblematic of her own world's styles? Actual cloth or camouflaged tentacle-flesh?

     In the end, it's white capris with black socks taking up the remaining leg-space, and a cute pink sweater tucked-in with matching flats. She near-immediately feels underdressed on arrival, but there's nowhere good to sneak away and 'change', so instead she stands uncomfortably with an apologetic smile.

     "because these Outsiders showed those that believed there was no hope... That even the unsurmountable could be overcome with courage, strength, and dedication."
     Rita's skin crawls when it comes to that. An unease takes her over that she can't quite name. What they really mean is, the lower classes are getting restless, so they want us to prove that the system 'works', right?

     "Finally, Rita Ma..."
     What a relief. She was beginning to worry she wouldn't be called at all. Rita ratchets up her Good Girl smile and posture, gracefully ascending the stage. She's halfway up when--

     "... has been designated as a Star of the City."
     That's not a Grade. Is she even getting a little license? She shakes Olivier's hand (and it feels just like real human skin) while looking first at him, and then out at the audience, with a vacant deer-in-the-spotlight surprise. It takes her a moment to remember her manners, smile at him politely, and then filter back down into the crowd.

     Only when everyone disperses for the party does she angle back towards Olivier again. "May you be at peace, Mr. Olivier," catches his attention from behind- or so others might hear the idiomatically formal Korean greeting. She bows, carefully holding the most-undercooked-looking shrimp cocktail she could find, and smiles uneasily. He ought to know her hesitant question before she asks it.

     "I'm very sorry to bother you," she says in sparklingly upper-class hasipsio-che, "but is being a 'star'... you know, bad?" Her tone takes a charmingly awkward fumble at the end there.
Ozhira     Amidst all the well-dressed attendees and department heads and other invaluable people of the city there is a single person, a young woman in black and red attire reminiscent of an office worker. Black blazer, black leggings, red plaid skirt, red tie. Black hair and red eyes. Pointed, triangular teeth like those of a shark. Dark lines under the eyes like they're perpetually exhausted--

    It's Ozhira. For the speech and ceremony, they stand by almost perfectly still. Only rocking slowly forward and back on their heels while keeping their hands behind their back the entire time. When the commencement concludes, the beast dips forward a bit in a bow, then disperses into the party like the rest.

    Olivier grades them. Hesitantly, they stare at the plastic card, accept it, turn it over in their hand a few times. As he move on to the next person, they stick it in their mouth and give it a gentle bite. Just enough to dimple the plastic, not enough to pierce or cut it. Once it is determined to be Not Food, Ozhira slips it into the sleeve of their outfit.

    Later on, while they are occupied with studying the frilly outfits of the Cinq representatives; Yuria finds resistance when slipping a card into their pocket, as if it weren't actually a pocket. After it almost seems to push back, the interior of the pocket suddenly gives and *something* snaps at her fingers. The creature breaks off their silent examination by turning their head too far to be within the normal human range of motion.

    "Yes? Hello. We are Ozhira."
Xion It had been moving-enough when Lilian had suggested she was putting together an organization and needed help. Xion didn't precisely know what that all entailed, having never had to arrange a whole organization before, but she was familiar-enough with the concept of being a part of one - and why there needed to be ones for certain sorts of people and causes.

Unfortunately, Xion of Organization 13 (pronounced 'Thirteen') has not walked the streets of the City, nor had she really even visited or wandered around more than in the darkness surrounding, and... That gave her no idea at all! Thankfully, at least she could dress herself, and she knew a bit of what might vibe with Lilian's style.

Having arrived early for the party-presentation, Xion wears a black double breasted jacket with six white-rimmed black buttons, the lower four in a buttoned square. Underneath, a white collared shirt with a black tie that knots red about her neck by being half black, half red, and carefully tied and adjusted so the black starts right out of the rose. The tie has a silver tieclip high enough to be above the jacket's conservative V, centering an empty silver star. Below, she wears black dress slacks with a crisp fold still down the centerline of each leg, black socks that become red at the ankle just-so to reveal only when walking from the darkness of her precise pantleg break. Her shoes are a shiny black, functional lightly-heeled formal affairs she might have stolen directly from James Bond himself.

Wearing a small bunch of hyacinth flowers tucked over her right ear like a half-laurel crown, and with a silver keychain ending in a golden-crown charm about her left wrist, the charm jingling against her leg as the hand itself rests casually tucked into pant pocket.

That, too, she might have stolen directly from James Bond himself. Warmly interested, if a bit dazingly whelmed and looking-about when idle, the short black-haired woman stands at attention before Lilian's Directorial. . . coronation?

"Do directors get crowns...?" Xion asks her doubtless-plus-one Roxas in a moment of proximity, before it's her turn to receive a Fixer grade! Stepping up to Olivier when she's summoned, Xion bows gently to take her license, doing a formal glance-over with a polite: "Thank you for the consideration.", before stepping back for others to be recognized. When a local receives a higher grade, Xion even gives a polite clap, drawing out left hand from her pocket to give a lightly-jangly clap. "Congratulations!" She suggests, and--

Hopes that's what you do. It's like an award ceremony! Rita, last up, gets the most-impressive title and once again Xion has less than no context on what that means! The complicated history between Xion and Rita didn't mean she couldn't at least do the normal thing of clapping for something successful. . . sounding?

Squinting slightly, and then forcing her eyes closed and looking away, Xion begins to reach into the room with her feelings, wanting to understand and then slams that door shut remembering the last time. The last times.

So, later on, once Xion has had a chance to walk off and get a glass of water and come back, she's privy to...

'"but is being a 'star'... you know, bad?"'

Xion clicks her teeth so hard on the rim of her glass she bites off the end and fumbles some water onto her front, cough-sputtering and momentarily needing a napkin and to look away to address that.
Aidan Proudpick Aidan's single turquoise silk shirt is getting a lot of use. He might even have to buy a new one. But he's done everything he can to look sharp. He is back to a full self-care routine, even going so far as to just a touch of mascara, just enough to be professional.

This is one of the largest gatherings he's ever been in, so of course, he's looking around in awe, not having quite realized just how many people there are who work in this city. He mouths the word 'centuries' to himself as Catherine speaks. Has the city been around THIS long? Aidan hadn't even known. Well, there are a lot of things that Aidan doesn't know about this place, that's why he's here. To help Angela in any way he can.

Weapons. Do they have anything non-lethal? Probably not. Can he even afford anything right now? Probably not. But as he is making his way to the meeting, he slows down to window shop, eyes drifting across it. Does he even want new weapons? Can he even fathom having weapons anymore?

"I wonder if they make breath weapons that can heal people," Aidan murmurs to himself, before getting up with everyone else.

He does go up to the stage, not a lick of shame to walk in front of everyone and accept his lower rank and a clear admonishment. A smile from Aidan, faint, to not mock the man for this serious moment, a serious nod. He holds onto the license for a moment, whispering back earnestly. "Of course, sir. Thank you for the chance." He slips the license into his pocket, maintaining that smile as he goes back down the stairs.

A flute of champagne comes into his fingers as he starts to walk through. A brief look at the combat butlers, a thought drifting through his mind. Then the bubble pops. "Come on, Rita, it's a star! I bet it means how hard you work!"

Back towards the various stands and showcases. "Do you have any of those healing bullets?"
Odette Raskins There's a lot of things Odette's worried about. Is she underdressed in her usual EMT uniform for lack of anything formal to wear? Is she getting in over her head coming here? Will the Company be angry at her coming here? Maybe, but she can't let herself worry too much about that. She's more worried about what kind of grade she'll get next to the realer Elites. Odette's all too aware that she's being sized up by everyone, but especially Director Xiao.

The anxiety is clear as day on her face, of course, even though she's able to fix her posture after only a few seconds of fidgeting and deliberately avoiding eye contact when she thinks Xiao is looking her way. As she listens to Lady Catherine, though, she does find herself actually calming down a bit more. Maybe it's her voice, or maybe it's just because she's someone in a position of authority, but the speech does help the EMT settle her nerves as she just finds herself listening more and more.

The only thing that shakes her out of her comfort zone is hearing Quicknest mentioned, mostly from recognizing the name and some of the key players in all that. How many of them are here today? Aside from that little jolt, Odette straightens up just a bit more, smooths out her uniform and borrowed bowtie (thanks, dad!) as best she can, and makes sure her cap and glasses are on right. She's got to make sure she doesn't look bad in front of her new colleagues, leaders, and assorted other figures on such a big day, after all! She'd rather not be on stage, of course, but she can't not go up when almost everyone else is!

Apparently, Odette missed the memo that she didn't need to go up at all. As if the stiff movements aren't bad enough, Olivier's LOOK especially has her avoiding eye contact with him, and she immediately looks relieved heading back down from the stage.

Hearing Rita's familiar-ish name has Odette paying a little more attention, too, especially when she's named a 'Star of the City'. Is that a good thing? Is it because the lady up there's meant to be some kind of symbol? She's definitely cute enough to be one, but will she really be okay under Olivier's withering gaze?

As intimidated as she might be by the Hana agent's presence and as little as she knows about the new Star, Odette just steels herself for keeping an eye on Rita. Someone has to make sure one of her few Watch comrades gets through this day safely enough!

The party itself is a much more relaxing affair, thankfully, partially because there's not so much ceremony involved, and because there's real food involved. Exotic food, too, like shrimp! Still, Odette has to pace herself, and she makes sure to only take one or two pieces at a time (from every employee with shrimp cocktails) while making sure to thank each and every one of them without fail like it's the most natural thing to do.
Roxas There is a very silly reason that Roxas is present. It's not just because Lilian has something to do with it, and that Xion in turn does-- no, it's much simpler. It's the Thirteenth Association, and every Nobody has a little something for that number. But especially him. Because hoodies appear to be especially in fashion in this universe he's wearing his Organization cloak with the hood up, which makes actually identifying him difficult save that there's only one other person here who would be wearing the actual exact same thing. It's been ages since any other Nobodies ventured out into the wider Multiverse, much less to a rather rough world like this one.

His general character, though... is pretty on-display. His body language is energetic, he's one of the people who bothers to go up on stage to receive his license... though he's a little disappointed that the numbers don't accommodate him being Grade 13, even if he understands broadly that the lower numbers are the better ones. At any rate, he's quite used to being auto-sorted to the bottom of a hierarchy by vague adventuring organizations by now, so he has no disappointment over that. But he does take down his hood so the fact that he's a very sunny young man is perfectly visible when he gets his card.

Then he returns to Xion's side and kind of lapses into a state of sunny passivity while he tries to parse everything that's going on around him. Roxas only doesn't ruffle Xion's hair when she praises a local because she put a lot of effort into his appearance (he thinks) just now, but he does nudge her in the side with his elbow in what is transparently an affectionate gesture.

He remains with her when she goes for a drink, holding one of his own... when Xion observes something that makes her ruin her glass. Roxas shunts the broken glass and the shards on the ground into his hammerspace with a shimmer, and then holds his own glass up in offering.

"... Hey, what's the matter?" He asks, having missed the context for Xion's fumble.
Ivy Carrow     The Warprunners were, in their own way, dressed to the nines, huddled together, with jackets with their signature red swirl on their left shoulder. The Vice-Captain has gentle a hand on Nina's shoulder, while Luz glared into the crowd from one side, like a sheepdog trying to stare down a motor scooter. "Easy, Luz." The Vice-Captain warned, "We're here to make connections."

    "And a good first impression!" Ivy's eyes darted across the opulent manner with something almost frantic, but it was absent from her expression. When the time came to accept their license, Ivy stepped first in front, taking walking at a steady pace toward the podium--perhaps she'd learned a little something about due warning, the last time she visited Angela--when she was suddenly next to him with a flourish, throwing back her cape. For a too-long pause, it was easy to imagine her trying to belt out a speech then and there.

    But then, she simply gave a short bow, clasping Oliver's. "We look forward to working with the Trideag association," she said...ostentiably to Oliver, but projected enough to for the audience to hear.

    Meanwhile, the Vice-Captain was working on the ground, the moment they're approached. "A pleasant evening. I'm Vice-Captain Alex Perrodon, of the Warprunners."

    "W-we're travelers. And, we make and maintain fortifications and warpgates. Ah...? Sorry. That's a trade secret." While Nina and Alex continue to shake hands, Luz sulks back away from the crowd, in hard retreat.

    Unable to maintain the same gregarious pace, she pulls her jacket off and ties it around her waist--to hide the Warprunner's emblem--and finds herself drawn to the workshop booths outside, soothed by the straightforward relationship between weapons and the things it was meant to kill.
Kale Hearthward > Wuthering Heights

... Why does that name sound so familiar? Kale thinks he read it in a book, once...

... Oh, that's it. It's from that one book... Gone with the Wind. Duh.

> Yuria is quietly violating that agreement by slipping her business cards into pockets...

Kale, aware of this via surface thought spot-reading, makes sure he just so happens to get a card by passing near Yuria's location with clear unobstructed pockets. It's probably not hard for him to be singled out for it even if he wasn't trying, though, since unless there are native hawk people living here Kale practically screams offworlder.

Anyway, that'll be something to follow up on. Kale needs some new tech, after a certain someone who shall not be named took his prize airship. It might also be something to give the rest of his crew to do - their mission queues are a bit low due to, again, losing the airship.

> They are well mannered if flamboyant and dress like they're from the Three Musketeers and they all carry rapiers.

Kale's instantly enamoured. He makes a note to go ask them what's up later.

> The first time The City will officially acknowledge them as as a part of our lives we cannot simply turn away from...

Better than the alternative... thinks Kale. He happens to glance over towards Meika. That's... something he's going to have to come to grips with, and likely come to terms with. Was their last interaction... him going to her house to check up on her, and her chasing him out at moon-trip-point? Rightfully so, at that?

... And then he just... put off doing anything more for or about her. Until it was too late. Did he procrastinate that long accidentally, or... did some part of him just think it would be a lot easier till 'That Meika' wasn't around anymore, and he could attempt a fresh start?

His stomach drops a bit. He tears his gaze away, and back onto the speeches.

> We've seen the terrible images of what happened to Quicknest...

"And that is why it's named Skyrah now," Kale says to himself, at a not quite inaudible volume.

> You best not draw danger to ''this'' city. Consider this your opportunity to prove you are not your worst mistake.

"And that is why it's named Skyrah now," repeats Kale to himself, again at not necessarily a volume that wouldn't get picked up on by those sitting around him.

Aidan goes up. And... doesn't make a spectacle of himself, doesn't refute what's being said. Huh. Baby steps and extra-low bars, but they're being made and cleared.

Kale does go up, of course. Grade 8 is... not the worst. Kale has already had it explained to him that whether or not he *should* be at a higher rank, there's not a lot that can be done about that, neither by Lilian or himself, save demonstrating active competence here.

"Thank you." He takes the license when he goes up, and forgoes any sort of speech... though he does go to shake Lilian's hand if possible.

"(Worst jobs, remember,)" he says to her, before heading back off stage.
Kale Hearthward > "Rita Ma has been designated as a Star of the City.

And that's... good? Bad?

Kale has his analyst on call, but pulling out his phone to text in the middle of the ceremony wouldn't be good manners. He'll look it up later.

And then, drinks. Kale goes very light on drinking tonight. He's got a mission.

You see - this is an opportunity that rarely comes. They've given out grades, here, with the implication that those grades can go up (or down). Numbers, albeit subjectively given, can be objectively compared. Everyone dishes on wikelite powerscalers and 'who can beat whom' forum posters, but at the same time for many people, there still is little unspoken addition of '... And besides, they're wrong and Blorbo Man would absolutely win in a fight against Scrunklo Scrimbo even in 2nd Powerup Form. Not that it matters, of course.'

More than that. These are numbers that Lilian Rook, by definition, has to care about. There's vanishingly few that Kale truly ranks stronger than himself right now, there's Lilian herself of course and also there's-

> "but is being a 'star'... you know, bad?"

Kale nearly spills his drink, and gets an in-person demonstration of the omnipresent staff's services to upright it.

"(They didn't tell her beforehand?)" he whispers to Xion, who he happens to be nearby at the time.
Meika Kirenai     Lingering around a high-end seeming ceremony is fundamentally anathemic to feeling comfortable- especially not when it's another close-to-coincidental odd occurance to add on to the pile that Meika's experience with the Dawn Office has been. A new Association, that she'll have to swap partial ties to, a few weeks after even pulling on the thread of possible employment here, and fewer weeks after her first real job being bungled up by just happening to know most of the other people present, she'd sloppily tried to eavesdrop on-

    -Luckily, it's going fine for a while! The Dawn Office's other fixers are familiar enough, now, that idle chatter and time-passing comes easier than it could otherwise, and actually having to dress up in matching theme to their beige-soft formality is a layer of armor and belongingness to tolerate it all. A not-quite tailored blazer jacket is all that really needs to consist of, and makes the ensemble both far more formal for her general scruffiness, and more boyish than just tomboyish; the tie and black button-up, and the slacks she's in, however, are just normal clothes she's prone to wear.

     Bits of questions, like "Have any of you ever had to sit through one of these," and "How long do you think it'll take?" come whispered out and around, and nervous glances towards the Liu Association's congregation, that her coworkers belong under, and that she won't anymore, fill little gaps in that.

    "So anyways, if you're ever out in- -- Oh! Hey! Miss- Miss Yuria? Yuria! Over here, it's-" Meika's voice, still ambiently hushed from the serious environs, is tangible through and through with relieved excitement in spotting someone she's somewhat friendly with around. She crudely sticks a hand up in the air to wave her over, smiling bright. "Are you- is your company here to... it's- it's neat to see you here? Hey- Philip, say hi, too, won't you?"

    She elbows Philip. This isn't particularly unusual.

    If Yuria joins, what chatter emerges mostly consists of shuffling through images on Meika's phone, to try and show off Cranbeary, the Alaska Zoo's resident polar bear, as threatened last time the two chatted- and minor preformance mumblings about items tinkersome in nature. It's good to have a buddy for a minute, at least.

'It has been centuries since a new Association was formed.'

    Whoops. That answers that. Lady Catherine's speech is... just something Meika winds up paying little attention to. It's like a built-up school assembly, and patience for that is in short supply. She seems nice, she seems fancy, she seems rich- Meika does not really mesh with the vibe, well- but that's fine. Nothing needs her attention. Not until-
Meika Kirenai ' Dame Commander if you will--'

    Out where she's seated with the rest of her Office, Meika flinches. Seeing a slightly familiar-looking woman up on stage with the officials isn't *endlessly* weird, and murmur about Lilian Rook hasn't been uncommon in and about the City, especially with that specific viral video- but you never wake up expecting to find out the same person is being made your boss for a second time over, in a wholly seperate fragment of the multiverse, in a career field that feels fundamentally seperated out.

    Meika actually, full on, properly pinches her arm hard enough to really hurt, just in the case that this is some weird dream. "... What the hell? I- Mister Salvador? Miss Yuna-? You- did you two know the Director would be- I mean, is that- is that her? I heard that right, right? I- no, I must not have, I...."

    Trailed off, Meika fidgets, and scratches at her forearm through her jacketsleeve. "That can't be right. Really? I- I mean, I know she's famous, but... but that's... that doesn't make *sense*, right..? Right?"

'I will now grade the Association members. Grade Nines:'

    Already in possession of her license, stepping up to go walk out just to ceremonially recieve something she doesn't need to be given, still feels oddly like the closest she'll ever come to a graduation ceremony, in the absolute most stifling way. It's utterly no relief from her growing, aching confusion. Stiff pace up from her seat and out, awkwardly glancing around, the realizations of this entire situation being somehow as interlinked as it is with other parts of her day to day life is vertigo inducing.

    A mumbled little 'Thanks,' in passing, a handshake if Olivier deigns to bother, and with her awful red eyes staring back out at the audience and any there that recognize her, and around towards the rest of the stage, she shuffles off and away as quickly as she can. Aidan, as he lines up behind her, gets a small little uncomfortable glance- devoid of recognition, not devoid of distaste.

'Rita Ma has been designated as a Star of the City. '

    Meika should know that name- and doesn't. What she does know, by now, is that threat ranking- and her eyes narrow, confused in this already incomprehensible event. "... Is... that a joke? Is she someone's- someone's buddy, getting pranked, or something..?" She whispers, timid, to the Dawn Office fixers she's hastily retreated back to in the haze of listening to the names get listed on and on and on- they'd have watched her flinch each time one she had any faint recognition of get read out, unbelieving- but the end being something weird like this, that she *doesn't* have some coincidental link to, is oddly relieving.
Blemishine     In attendance is one... Maria Nearl! It's a party, so in her eyes, there's no need to go by her operational title today. Plus it's going to be her actual name on any Fixer license she gets, so it'd be a little silly otherwise. Accordingly, she's come looking the part!

    No shining armor today, as has been mandatory in most trips to Elibe; the horse-eared and horse-tailed young lady has come in a flowing white dress, snowy ruffles spreading out at the waist to blossom into a much more extravagant front-slit skirt that hangs down to her knees. Frilled with black and emblazoned with the House Nearl crest, sword at her side more for ornament than anything, she actually cuts the appearance of nobility for once without being overdressed!

    You would think the single ivory gauntlet on her right arm and the armored boots would take away from all that, but they seem handcrafted to naturally complete the ensemble without seeming out of place in the least. Quite a bit of work must have went into pulling that off.

    If asked her reason for being here, that's awfully simple - an Elite wanting to do any legal work in the City means going through the Association one way or another. Can you imagine /waiting/ until something from here grabs your attention, then having to scramble and apply for a license and membership late? After skipping out on the inauguration? No sir. Not her. She plans to grip opportunity by the horns!

    ...And also, if the City is as sick to its roots as everyone says, she wants to see it all with her own eyes. It might be a different kind than back home, but it's important all the same.

    It'd be hard to envision those thoughts being on Maria's mind though, with the smile she has on her face in the wake of Lady Catherine's speech, and when she recieves her license from Olivier. "Thank you very much, sir." She curtseys and everything. "Aha, it's sort of funny. I remember working so hard to stay independent and do things on my own terms back when I was first starting out, and look at me now."

    It's not the same, but enough for her to think on. "Lady Catherine wasn't just putting on airs either," she muses, mostly to herself but still enough to be heard. "I think she believed every word."

    Well, maybe that goes without saying if her estate is going through the trouble of backing the Association. But with that out of the way, and filing away that 'Star of the City' bit for later...

    ...Luz will be cursed with the fact that someone else also feels a strong pull towards the Tres Association's booths in the ballroom. Maria is completely foregoing refreshments to immediately head that way herself. She may or may not have noticed Yuria's card in her pocket. Hard to tell.
Lilian Rook     The City continues to deliver a non-stop supply of firsts and first-in-a-long-times. Just recently, it'd been the sense of being genuinely well-liked; beloved in a real way, without threats, without titles, without the forced veneer of politeness or the leverage of money. Today, it's the experience of readying herself for a formal event; the dress, the prep, the speech; that she has begun to anticipate in spite of herself, rather than merely feeling a sense of relief at its approach.

    Looking forward to beginnings rather than endings. Being surrounded by more admiration than fear. The stamped and written approval of 'society' is as much as any such thing exists. All of them, to a one, things that Lilian had finally resolved to abandon all hope of, by turning from the path laid out for her for the path of the sword instead; only to have them fall into her lap the moment she'd allowed herself to stop desperately seeking them.

    Even up to the last moment of Cecilia helping her dress and get out the door, Lilian is wholly preoccupied with a sense helpless fascination, morbid and wry in equal respect, that she doesn't have a name for.

    Despite finally leaning into it for her 'supervillain' outfit, Lilian doesn't arrive in a full fit of ostentatious black and gold, knowing full well its association with the Arbiters, and certain other totalitarian elements of the City. White is too closely associated with Hana, and would show an obliviousness to tone. Trying to match City fashion itself looks needy to pleas. Looking sloppy would be unconscionable. And, of course, she has to respect the hostess.

    So she plays to how the City has already seen her in that certain way they expect. When Lilian gets up on stage; flaunting a lot of wealth and a hint of physique in her strap-fastened black halter dress, overed show corset, and layered side-slit skirt, embroidered with intricate gray and green vinery along each edge, flora coiling in each corner; it comes with the sharp, rhythmic click of metal with an echo like high heels. The gloves and shoes she chose to match the outfit, aren't. Up past the elbow and just over the knee, Lilian is unmistakably wearing her armour.

    Outside of grain security footage, it's something else. It clearly sits nearly flush to her skin, but she's baring just enough to make it clear it can't be cybernetic. The outer texture is blacker than anything Binah wears, but she could see her own reflection in it. Even physically undamaged, veins of gold beneath the plates catch the light during certain parts of her steps and her gestures, like glimpses of stars seen through fractures steel. They've seen it once, so let them get what they expect, and let there be no whispers of beautiful doubles.

    Tactical, Lilian is also showing enough skin to clearly not be tightly in fashion with the City's standards of coverage, but only a little-- less than Petra's baggy t-shirts in total, if more daring about where. With her hair down, despite all the ornamentation in it, only those paying special attention will notice the thematic tattoo exposed between her shoulders at some point or another; something that implies augmentation in line with what the locals know, but can't possibly explain everything. Finally, to put no undue heat on Lobotomy Corp for now, she carries Night Mist in the silver-buckled decorative scabbard she's using in Lycia, now believably slightly scuffed, strapped at her lower back in a position just slightly too awkward to draw for its length.
Lilian Rook     Why she took a little of that sharp green lipstick from her supervillain training persona is unknowable. Perhaps as a futile counterbalance to draw attention away from her scar. Or to intentionally seem that way. Or to draw attention from something else. Or because she associates it with showmanship now. Or just just likes it. It looks good when she smiles back to Catherine; even confidently close-eyed, her personal colour is there.

    Up on stage, Lilian is nothing but the picture of every single award ceremony she's ever been to. School initiation, school honours, school graduation, alumni welcome, alumni networking, Immunes acceptance celebration, Commanders only promotional, initiation to Blade station and each successive hue, the takeover of Silver Branch HTO, Paladins functionary meetings and parties, and now this. She takes Mirinae's hand with magnanimous ease, and says with the utmost clarity, professional warmth, and skill in vocal projection, "Now and always, you have my unvarnished gratitude, for the temperance, wisdom, willingness, and good faith, that I have received from your organization. I am honoured to be entrusted with the responsibility, and I look forward to the upcoming months where we may yet begin to bring order to this City."

    For a little theatrical effect, Lilian waits one moment, and lightly transgresses the line of what would be considered 'politely subservient' to say "And I look forward to the next award as well~"

    Taking the stage for the time she's given over between the appointing and the grading of assorted fixers, Lilian stands in Catherine's spot for a moment, and begins delivering her address; one she'd been requested without specifics.

    "First, I'd like to give my thanks to our gracious hostess, Lady Catherine. Not just for such a beautiful venue, but for the words she has chosen to speak of her own mind." Lilian says. "It is for all of us, even as outsiders, an exciting thing to be part of such a changing point in history. Though it is known amongst the wise that such a thing is inevitable; that those who first adopt the new era are those who best understand the nature of societal evolution; it needn't have been us, and it needn't have been now. Tomorrow, a year from now, or in five years; there are innumerable people who might have been given the opportunity to stand in a place like this, on a similar occasion. But it was us, and to me, that matters greatly."

    Having marked her starting point, little by little, Lilian paces over a fixed stretch of stage around it. In motion, she emphasizes sparsely, with slow gestures with one hand or the other; the opposite of 'speaking with her hands', she's making sure to draw attention to them on purpose in audible lulls. "It was right of Lady Catherine to mention Quicknest. Impolite as it may be, it is an incident in recent memory that all of us should know of; no good will come of pretending it away. It illustrates a perfect example of the disastrous results of those who choose the wrong powers to invite in, and who do so rashly, unwisely, and without thought for the consequences. I encourage you, even, to study it. To imagine how your City might face a similar problem, were similar actors to assume similar roles."

    "It is partly because of this, that I have faith in the Hana Association for exactly whom they chose. As easy as it would be to say as a matter of ego, I will speak the reality between us, who can be trusted to understand." The way Lilian scans the audience is like rapid individual gazelock; impressing something 'privately' upon an 'elite, select group', instilling a sense of in-group pride.
Lilian Rook     "I had no need of this position. I chose to take it, and to work with you all, because of those who will have need that I did. Quicknest was an unmitigated disaster that occurred, in majority, because its circumstances were those that precluded the intervention of most of the highest authorities of our 'outside' world. By demanding conditional independence from all parties, spitting in the hand of rendered aid, positioning as an enemy to the larger structures beyond it, and failing to appoint representation, Quicknest allowed the foolhardy, corrupt, and dangerous, to represent it. By declining to cultivate its relationship with the other worlds, it allowed itself to be cultivated by its very worst."

    "Those who reached out beyond its walls, brought down Hell, and chased away deliverance, were emboldened by that 'neutrality'. The collective desire to ignore 'the outside' and focus only on domestic affairs sowed the potential for disaster long before the tragic events we are aware of. It is my hope that you are able to take Lady Catherine's words not just as a form of optimism, but as urgent, relevant wisdom as well."

    Coming to a halt as the 'real talk' winds down, Lilian retakes her podium-place for the wrap-up, scanning the crowd, this time, for Elites first. "The Trídéag Association's mission is one that I have chosen. Employing both locals and outsiders, distinguishing only between those who can and cannot, I have taken this position to ensure that the Hana Association, the City, or even perhaps the Head, are justly rewarded for the decision to cultivate rather than be cultivated. Outsiders taking notice of the City are an inevitability, but another Quicknest is not."

    "As long as this hand, and your faith, are extended to us, we will do all within our power to see that your communities are rendered stronger than before; not merely 'regulated', but immunized against that chaos, whether by temptation nor by degradation. As Lady Catherine says, such a process cannot possibly be painless. Should there be complications in the pursuit of justice, I will not flinch. Should there be mistakes, I will correct them. Should there be misunderstandings, I will offer my hand as well. I need nothing but your trust. And to each of those who have rendered it unto me, I thank you."
Angela ''Of course, sir. Thank you for the chance.''

Olivier gives Aidan a small approving nod. It is precisely the answer he's looking for.

''May you be at peace, Mr. Olivier.''

Olivier looks back behind him and then turns around fully so he can look into Rita's eyes. "...You as well, Miss Rita." He returns the proper Korean bow. He approves of formality. When Rita asks her question, he has an answer for her.

"It is not good or bad, Miss Rita. No ranking is 'good or bad' because it is simply classification. What is 'bad' is improper classification."

"But I can tell you what a 'Star of the City' is as well. It refers to the freest beings and phenomena of The City. For good and ill, few laws bind them if any. City law will neither punish nor protect you for the most part. The Head accepts the Stars of the City. You need not worry about The Claws or the Arbiters. Most people in The City dream of becoming a Star... so you can see how it can be a boon or a curse. But I am confident in the classification."

He either doesn't notice or doesn't comment on Ozhira--or anyone else for that matter--being a weirdo. The Hana Association probably is just assuming that some Outsiders are going to be weird and that's normal.

He doesn't overhear the comment about a crown but shakes Xion's hand like any of the others."Of course. Thank you for agreeing to be a part of the Association. We can imagine many Elites being hesitant to involve themselves with this body."

He doesn't bullshit much.

Roxas similarly finds out that there is no Grade 13 but perhaps..one day...he can become a Grade 3 and take a little pen and add a 1 in front of it. Olivier is a little surprised to see someone as sunny and chipper-seeming as Roxas signing up--but only a little. It isn't entirely unheard of, just a little uncommon.

''We look forward to working with the Trideag Association.''

"And we look forward to working with the Warprunners." Olivier says. "We might see about sending Fixers your way someday."

Olivier shakes Kale's hand as well but doesn't comment on his murmurings. Kale (and others) do indeed get a card from Yuria! It has radio contact information and bear drawings on it.
Angela "Ow!" Yuria snaps her hand back and frowns suspiciously at them for a moment. Ozhira's Star Rating increases to 1. "What gives? Geeze...!")] She ends up dropping the card she was trying to give Ozhira so they can snag it up if they want or leave it but she isn't sticking around because...

"Meika!" Yuria abandons her scheming for the moment to make her way to Meika and give her a big hug. "Wow congratulations! In an Association already?" She seems to consider being an Office Nine and an Association Nine as two different beasts. "Stigma's here, yeah, but..." She lowers her voice. "I figured I'd make a little name for myself." She shows off her business cards to Meika, grinning widely.

"Ow...!" Phillip says as he's elbowed, resulting in a small chuckle from Yuna and a headpat from Salvador who is pretending to not notice Yurai's scheming. "Hey, Yuria..." Phillip say. He seems to have settled into a routine with Meika now. But he smiles when she and Yuria excitedly gush over the bears. He may be unreliable but it's nice to see them happy.

"Awww...! They're so beary cute!" Yuria says of Cranberry. "I love them so much..."

''You - did you know the Director would be-''

"Ah, we were given some forewarning, yes. Only because I know people but the grapevine's been rumbling about her for some time."

Olivier does shake Meika's hand and even say, "You're welcome," to her.

''Is... that a joke?''

"No," Salvador says, gravely. "It is no joke. That means the City has acknowledged her as someone that cannot be controlled through the normal systems of the City. Despite her appearance, she must be quite strong."

''I remember working so hard to stay independent and do things on my own terms...''

The stone faced Olivier actually smiles, "There are some things people can't do on their own that they can together. I too had gone through a period where I thought I could do more on my own, but I learned that systems are systems because they do not change easily. I look forward to seeing your work." He shakes Blemishine's hand as well.
Angela Then there's Lilian's speech. It quiets the room more and more as she speaks. As she lays out her reasons, her case, her hopes, and her warnings--the representatives shift and adjust their way of looking at her. Xiao has gone from frowning to crossing her arms and smiling as if to say 'Nice job'. That Shi Association representative who was on the verge of passing out is now sternly awake. Catherine ends up lingering longer than she intended to so that she can listen with rapt attention. Salvador's expression remains stern and focused--but he knew to expect something like this, so he just nods along and Yuna, who didn't, lets out a low whistle. "She's really got guts."

Ceri's group of friends get a little sniffly, with Dart outright crying and pounding her chest repeatedly in a show of support and the others stand up a little taller--along with the representatives from Justin Rook's old office. Fractal and Pez grin at one another and raise their heads with pride.

The Hana Association manages their reactions more stoically, Olivier murmuring something to Mirinae and Harold. He isn't a man who expresses this emotion, but he is ''almost'' smug.

In the end when Lilian's done, there is a roar of applause. Even some of the Butlers get in on it before being chastized by the Chief Butler to get back to work--no matter how amazing a speech might be, they still have to do their work as if she was talking about the weather. There are some people in the audience who seem more troubled than anything, but by and large the atmosphere of the room is hopeful. Sometimes that hope is a greedy hope that wants to sell someone's kidney, but it's still hope. And sometimes that hope is something more pure. Nevertheless, there is general consideration when there is not outright approval.
Angela Meanwhile...WORKSHOPS

The Tres Association is split up into numerous workshops with the Association members themselves largely organizing what can generously be called a mad science fair so that nothing explodes and nobody tries testing their wares on one another.

Aidan ends up chatting with a representative from the Rosespanner office.

"Healing bullets?" He says. "Oh you mean the healing ampules. No, I'm afraid, you won't find healing ampules here. K Corp holds the patent on that. You'll have to negotiate with them directly. You actually won't find too many ranged weapons here in the first place."

But as for finding a shield, Aidan CAN find a shield. They are rarer than various types of mace, hammer, sword, spear, and so on--but they are merely uncommon. There are very few firearms present at all. Some workshops are even offering full body upgrades both in terms of bioaugmentation and mechanical-augmentation. Some of the weapons are just really well made melee weapons, but some have tricks to them which the Workshops are happy to explain. The most common augmentation is a kind of sonic pulse emanating from the weapon that disorients and compounds force through repeated strikes. Weapons that expel electrical discharges are also popular, not unlike Meika's baton, and then there's just truly weird shit like backpacks that seem to have endless storage, implants that expel a saw blade from one's arm with a command word, a yoyo that can be used as both a garrote and a bludgeoning device.
Angela Some other Trideag Association members are chatting around and collecting food piles. Finn, another Grade 9 Fixer with no discernable augmentations, is speaking excitedly to Ceri who keeps warning him that he is on probation about how thrilled his sister is going to be about him being here. Standing wholly by herself but near Finn is a young but bedraggled young woman named Knifty (also a grade nine). She is collecting food and eating as much as she can but is also kind of sneaking food on herself for later. She seems uncomfortable but also kind of in awe. Three more recently promoted Grade Nines are chatting with one another as they pass by.

"I'm telling you, Lenny. This is our shot."
"Pete, don't get your hopes up. They can dump us at any time. I just agreed to try because Mang-Chi seemed to think it was a good idea."
"Well it IS a good idea.--Wait isn't that--that's definitely another Rat..." Mang-Chi notices Knifty then and offers a friendly wave. Knifty waves at him. A piece of shrimp falls out of her sleeve and she catches it before eating it anyway right in front of them. They have a laugh about that and approach her to just engage in conversation.

As Lilian steps down after her speech, a T Corp official is there as she steps out. He is a mid-ranking official of little consequence in a standard grey, black, and gold uniform. "That was quite the speech." He says. "I'm glad I backed you. The video showed you fight but being a fighter of Kali's caliber doesn't make you a leader. To be honest, I ''had'' to watch. T Corp has provided so much tech to L Corp that I couldn't help but curious as to what it was being used for. I've noticed that it looks like many of those Agents haven't aged the ten years they should have? But they asked for a lot more than just the ability to revert time...Ah, I suppose this comes across as industrial espionage but I really am just interested in the application. And it seems you were using some temporal manipulation as well? Yet without a watch..."

This guy can ramble on in ways akin to Tennant and he will keep going if not stopped.
Kale Hearthward > It illustrates a perfect example of the disastrous results of those who choose the wrong powers to invite in...

Was it this bad? Kale left his home world and didn't come back for... a solid year? He can't say. Well, it doesn't matter so much now. Quicknest wasn't his country, Skyrah is, and only one of those exists right now. As he's very quick to point out when anyone asks. (Nobody has asked.)

The speech concludes. Kale applauds. Lilian's good at speeches too, of course, which just rubs the power-scaling salt into his wound a bit. He'll catch up to her level. He has to.

Social time! Kale finally gets a chance to sneak off for a second to chat with his analyst, and then heads over towards the Cinq association's representatives.

"Hello. Kale Hearthward, Trideag Association Grade 8," he says, as if they had not just seen him get that grade from that association up on the stage literally ten minutes ago.

"I'm curious - is there enough call for it that your association *just* does duels, or are there other disciplines you cover?"
Aidan Proudpick This IS the first time that Aidan has seen Meika in a while. He hasn't really been following what's been going on, and he looks at her with a smile and a wave. The general look of distaste doesn't deter Aidan. If anything, it makes him more like to just smile at her. "Hey, how are you doing? I haven't heard from you in a while." He steps back as Yuria and Phillip press in, smiling brightly. People excited to see her seems wonderful.

A pause while he listens to Lilian's speech. Aidan's face turns into a thoughtful frown as he parses all of it. Then a deeper frown as he tries to understand the layers going on there. "Guess that is gonna happen a lot from now on," Aidan concedes to himself, sipping from his flute of champagne. The only way forward is to climb. To prove he's not his worst mistake. And that only makes Aidan more excited. To have concrete goals in view. A mountain he can climb. He files it with his other goals, soon brimming with eager joy.

But, he can't deny how expertly the Dame Commander can wield words like a weapon. "A power I'll probably never have some day," he murmurs again, but without much self-deprecation. Just an acknowledgement of his own personality.

He's taking it slowly with the alcohol. This is not the sort of place, time, and emotional state he wants to get buzzed in.

Some workshops are even offering full body upgrades both in terms of bioaugmentation and mechanical-augmentation.

"Oooh." He frowns, having to slowly draw his finger across some of the words, his frown deepening. "Would any of this stuff give me w-" Aidan realizes Rita Ma is nearby just in time and adjusts, "If this stuff gonna change my... body structure? Change my brain? Oh," his eyes suddenly brighten up, "do you have one that can make me fly?!" He presses his face up close to the one that amplifies physical force, biting his lip. That would be very impressive. But then again, it's JUST something that hurts.

"Oh, I know! Lungs, do you have something that can make me breathe in MORE air? Oh, or make armor go around my body like Iron Man? Can I be Iron Man?"
Ozhira     Ozhira stares after Yuria as she scurries off to chatter with Meika. As the business card drops, a tendril snaps off their lower leg to intercept it mid-drop, then pulls it into their body. After a moment, the creature produces the card in their hand and makes a show of looking at it, "Why insert this-- into us?"

    Their head tilts, accentuating the motion and their out-loud thinking with a chirping noise. After a moment, the creature turns in place and follows Yuria into Meika's vicinity, "You prodded. We, prodded back. We see now that you were, giving this to us."

    They hold out the card.

    "You are, advertising?"

    Their head shifts slightly towards Meika. Having only briefly encountered her, they do recognize her; which prompts a "Hello again. It has been-- a long time. Are you well?"
Rita Ma      "Come on, Rita, it's a star! I bet it means how hard you work!"
     Rita wince-smiles and pretends like some of her hair needs tucking behind her ear. "Thank you, Mr. Proudpick, but... I really don't work hard for it at all. It's important not to think there's a meritocracy. Some people just get lucky, that's all."

     'Lucky' is not an honest way to describe what's become of her, but it feels sincere when it leaves her lips.

     Rita's eyes dart to Xion when the glass breaks, but she lingers for a moment for Olivier's explanation. The words 'beings or phenomena' rattle unpleasantly in her head. "So it's like... not being an 'outlaw', but something that's outside of society, Mr. Olivier? Whatever happens, the government's going to turn a blind eye to me."

     Her eyes flit to Lilian. If her allies can't be held culpable for her actions either, that'll be very convenient for the Association. "That's nicer than I've been treated sometimes," she confides, "so I'm glad you're confident, Mr. Olivier. What are the grounds for making someone a Star, though? Nobody else is one, so..."

     She knows what makes her different. She doesn't know how much they know.

     When she gets her answer from Olivier, she politely peels off, grabs a spare drink from a table, and makes her way to Xion-- who's already been offered Roxas's drink. Whatever apologetic words she was about to muster, they're stifled by her gamely awkward expression. "Oh- I'm sorry," she says, tries to foist this one off on Roxas now that he's drinkless, and then moves on out of embarrassment whether he takes it or not.

     Oh. I messed it up again, she reflects only when she's several paces away and would look like an idiot if she turned around. Deep breath. If they're in the Association together, there'll be plenty of chances to apologize right. She can't be a coward every time.
Ivy Carrow     Ivy was waiting near the front with the T-Corp offical. She finds a pause between his words to jump in, "I agree, that was an excellent talk, Dame Commander." She marvels, briefly, "An outsider, like us, in charge of a new association. The first to to be made in decades." She reiterated the prestige of it all, relishing as she spoke it. "Congratulations!"

    "In matters concerning the city, you're now in charge, director." She was smiling...Did she really bring her whole organization to sign up as fixers, just to work with the Dame Commander...? No. But, it wasn't NOT a factor. "How we can make the next steps for your 13th real?"

    In the ballroom, safetly ignoring the speech and the applause, Luz was carefully assessing some of their blades, testing their movement against her machete's. I don't even know if they'll let me use the company card, Luz grimaced, gingering putting the weapon back in its place.

    And she found herself staring face-to-face with Maria. Compared to her, dressed in fine noble attire, Luz looked outright scrappy; her jacket and slacks were fine, but the way she'd tied it off around her waist made her feel like a punk that'd torn up a fine dress to fit her preferences. "What do you want," she scowled at the horse girl, crossing her arms, before thought visibly crossed over her face, her eyes drawn back to the booths of fine and exotic weaponry. The next glance that Luz offered Maria was almost a question on its own.

    "Y-yes sir, we're centered in..." Nina patted at her jacket, feeling something stiff and rectangular in her pocket that she hadn't put there. Had she? "Oh! Oh. We live in Castle Carrow..."
Xion BACK A WAYS...

'(They didn't tell her beforehand?)]'

Xion, with a star on her tie, gives a wide W of a shrug. ("I just showed up for the combat exam and they said I had been pre-passed, so I just hung around and got a coffee before the party. Did they tell you anything?")]

NOT THAT MUCH LATER:

Star of the City is explained, and Xion calms down to a shirt-wet neutral.

Roxas' confusion over Xion's state comes with the quick cleanup of the offending glass and a disappearing of her not-very-edible treats before she can crunch and chew and carry on with her impromptu snack. Surprised, at herself, and at Roxas leaning in, Xion reaches first for his arm and then pauses and closes her hand around air, smiling a bit as she's daubed off and looking past the cheerful blonde to glance at Rita in the crowd.

"We have a history." The noirette grimaces very gently. "It's not very interesting or long. The most I can say is that she's also important to Lilian, so, I've just been on 'good behavior' since. . ."

Since she left the Watch. "I don't remember." So as not to stare, even at a conversationally undirected daze of a gaze, Xion lifts her eyes from Rita to pat the outside of Roxas' arm. "Maybe we can pick up some local clothes here, or some gifts," and play off chewing on glassware. "And see how Lilian's doing after she's done being mobbed."

Accepting Roxas' drink, Xion's lapse in attention sees Rita right in front of her. Holding Roxas' drink in her right hand, and staring blankly at Rita across from her, the Nobody is an owlish startle.

"Oh-- I'm sorry,"
"Oh, I'm--" Xion matches Rita word and thought for word and thought by absolute awkward accident, offstep by cadence alone, and it is a dire mercy that Rita turns and hurries off after replacing Roxas' drink.

'Why Roxas'?' echoes loudly in her whole posture, a cloud of impliedly quivering questionmarks.

Dazed in the aftermath, poise taking a backstep of relaxation and a relieved sigh, Xion opens her left fist, squeezing off the tension in her fingers and letting the crown-charm fall out of the deep mark it had pushed into her tightknuckled grip, back to hanging loosely at her wrist.

"I'm gonna go look at swords now." Xion mumbles into her glass, and turns to head to the Workshops.
Xion BACK A WAYS...

'They didn't tell her beforehand?'

Xion, with a star on her tie, gives a wide W of a shrug. ("I just showed up for the combat exam and they said I had been pre-passed, so I just hung around and got a coffee before the party. Did they tell you anything?")

NOT THAT MUCH LATER:

Star of the City is explained, and Xion calms down to a shirt-wet neutral.

Roxas' confusion over Xion's state comes with the quick cleanup of the offending glass and a disappearing of her not-very-edible treats before she can crunch and chew and carry on with her impromptu snack. Surprised, at herself, and at Roxas leaning in, Xion reaches first for his arm and then pauses and closes her hand around air, smiling a bit as she's daubed off and looking past the cheerful blonde to glance at Rita in the crowd.

"We have a history." The noirette grimaces very gently. "It's not very interesting or long. The most I can say is that she's also important to Lilian, so, I've just been on 'good behavior' since. . ."

Since she left the Watch. "I don't remember." So as not to stare, even at a conversationally undirected daze of a gaze, Xion lifts her eyes from Rita to pat the outside of Roxas' arm. "Maybe we can pick up some local clothes here, or some gifts," and play off chewing on glassware. "And see how Lilian's doing after she's done being mobbed."

Accepting Roxas' drink, Xion's lapse in attention sees Rita right in front of her. Holding Roxas' drink in her right hand, and staring blankly at Rita across from her, the Nobody is an owlish startle.

"Oh-- I'm sorry,"
"Oh, I'm--" Xion matches Rita word and thought for word and thought by absolute awkward accident, offstep by cadence alone, and it is a dire mercy that Rita turns and hurries off after replacing Roxas' drink.

'Why Roxas'?' echoes loudly in her whole posture, a cloud of impliedly quivering questionmarks.

Dazed in the aftermath, poise taking a backstep of relaxation and a relieved sigh, Xion opens her left fist, squeezing off the tension in her fingers and letting the crown-charm fall out of the deep mark it had pushed into her tightknuckled grip, back to hanging loosely at her wrist.

"I'm gonna go look at swords now." Xion mumbles into her glass, and turns to head to the Workshops.
Kale Hearthward > Oh. I messed it up again

"(You're doing fine,)" says Kale, softly, from nearby. It's something nobody would hear unless they happen to have nonhuman hearing. "(You got the spotlight put on you suddenly, in front of a bunch of people you do and don't know, and you're handling it very well.)"

"(Star sounds like a good thing, but they sure picked a heck of a way to tell you and everyone else about it. That doesn't seem like an accident, and I'm sorry they did it like that. Deep breaths, keep your cool.)"
Odette Raskins When Lilian comes out on stage, Odette's posture improves considerably. She needs to make a good impression on her newest boss, after all, and it's definitely not for any other reasons of trying to be noticed for how good she is at standing in place among everyone else. If not for just staring and gawking at the sheer flash and fashion in front of her, Odette would even be feeling underdressed for the occasion.

Good thing there's plenty to hear to distract her further. She listens mostly closely, too, only letting her attention drift enough during the usual pleasantries while chuckling at the bit of  levity, furrowing her brow at the mention of Quicknest, and glancing towards the audience curiously at the talk of the City's potential fate. She straightens up again when Lilian looks across the Elites gathered, though, and she's at full attention once she hears Trideag's mission.

Like many others in the audience, Odette starts clapping only about half a second before things explode into noise, even letting the momentum of the crowd push her into cheering loudly when she's sure she won't draw attention to herself by shouting. Even while she's nibbling on her regularly collected shrimp during the party, those words still weigh heavily on her mind.

"Immunizing this place from chaos and not just protecting it from that or something more realistic-sounding... That's really something." Musing aloud as she wanders around without really knowing most of the City representatives here, Odette finds herself wandering and keeping an eye on Rita some more. Seeing Olivier bowing and talking to Rita without that look he had given herself is quite the relief, although...

Odette's never actually talked to Rita before, has she? There might be an opportunity to do just that, even if she is approaching another pair of unfamiliar faces in the form of Xion and Roxas! She misses the glass-breaking part, only catching the tail-end chewing and making the assumption Xion is just chewing on ice or something instead.

As quickly as those three go near each other, however, they soon split right off! With only modest confusion, Odette raises her hand in a quick wave towards Xion and Roxas before hurrying on after Rita in that semi-walk semi-powerwalk way to catch up. Once she's clsoe enough to greet her...

Wait. Would it be weird if she just introduced herself now? Even if they're Watch members, it's not like she can just say it, right? Then it'd be really weird for Odette to single out Rita like this, since there's so many new Trideag Association members today. Or... Would it not be weird becaus Rita's a Star of the City? Oh, but if that's the case, wouldn't she be getting bugged by everyone tonight?

By the time she gets through half of the thoughts swimming around in her head, she's nearly walking right into Rita from the side, and she stops herself with a inadvertent startled noise just so she doesn't end up stepping on her shoes or something. Perhaps realizing she might just make things more awkward by not saying something, Odette just blurts out the first things that come to mind-

"H... Hi, Miss Ma! Um. I'll be looking forward to working with you and Miss Rook. M-my name's Odette, and..." She probably should've thought of any topic to talk about first. "Um... Uh. Wh-what do you... What's your thing?" That sounds weird. "I-I-I mean what... What's your specialty?"

Odette finally remembers to breathe after all that. Her arm still hurts from the stabbing, but she's pretty sure she changed her bandages out earlier today. She didn't.
Roxas Roxas is very genial with Olivier, though he offers no explanation for his locally unusual personality. When he has the ranks explained to him, he frowns and looks away, working through. Then, he says, "Yeah, but that's somebody else's number!" Which he didn't bother explaining at all.

The speech that Lilian gives is regarded with some curiosity. He's been out of the picture for a while-- and he knows Quicknest in exactly one regard: That it was a place that Xion had some serious business in, and that it involved... his eyes slid off of Lilian and found Aidan among the crowds. That's right-- he knows about this guy. The perspective isn't a pretty one, either. The dislike that he feels instantly is smoothed away by his general unrelenting sunniness, and also the fact that Xion is right beside him, and Lilian is giving a speech. His clapping at the conclusion is characteristically muffled by fitted, black leather gloves.

And he listens very carefully to what Aidan speaks aloud that he's shopping for.

But he does get distracted when Rita comes over, offers him a drink -- he takes it -- and then adjusts course. Roxas blinks, following Rita's path away from him with his gaze. It doesn't really take a genius to figure out that something isn't right-- she's got a gloomy, droopy vibe to her. Like somebody whose friends just didn't show up to the event. He doubts that's directly correct, but it's the closest emotional wavelength he can synchronize to.

Before he can do what he'd normally do, though, Xion is there and also in some form of distress. Roxas can't really tell what kind of distress it is, but he knows her moods well enough that he can detect there's an unpleasant something-or-another hanging in the air. It's not the same wavelength he was reading off of Rita, though. Unlike certain individuals he cannot be in two places at once, but he can do a little something.

"S'cuse me, miss who brought me a drink, you dropped something. Catch!" Roxas pulls a small object out of his pocketspace and gives it a gentle underhanded toss towards Rita's retreating back. Anybody who's here, he trusts to be able to catch it, and not get too worked up if they get bopped with it. It's just a chocolate bar-- a chocolate bar with chili pepper flakes in it, but a chocolate bar. He has no idea how to fix her problem, so he just gave Rita a chemical quick-fix in the hopes that it could be a bit of a booster.

Naturally, immediately after making the toss Roxas hurries after Xion. He loops his free arm underneath hers, bumping lightly against her in the motion.

"Seeeeeems like somebody's not having a good time," he comments, leadingly. He won't ask for details, but he is extending an invitation to listen or to carry out some other remedy.
Meika Kirenai     Yuria weapon-selecting hug as her greeting of choice to Meika is, unfortunately, critically effective at making her stiffen up and (momentarily, at least) sap her of comfort. When she lets go, Meika is noticeably less steady on her feet. "I- well, I'm only really getting put into this one because I'm- I'm not from here, more than... anything else, right? But- yeah. Thanks, still. How's- oh, your own cards! That's- that's really cool, that's like- networking, yeah? People taking a shine?"

    Excitement for a friend's sake heals discomfort quickly. "Hey, here- look at this one of her, it's- Snrk, there's this- it's like a fishing buouy, I think? In the water pond she's got..? And it's..." Polar bears, too. Those help. They're such animals.

'First, I'd like to give my thanks to...'

    Meika's eyes almost unfocus, as if confusion itself could easily accomplish that. Unmistakably, the new director of the new association is, in fact, Lilian Rook. There's utterly no way expectation-shift shock and uncertainty there doesn't metabolize, in Meika, into the gut-aching sense that somehow she's doing something wrong by being here, with layer upon layer of circumstantial oddity. At least that's all that'll-

> Aidan looks at her with a smile and a wave

    Meika does not now Aidan. Meika does not particularly know animal-shaped people. Meika does not particularly expect strangers in (creepy masks?) who wave at her to be a positive. The little glare intensifies, and she faces away from him- nothing clear but discomfort.

'Hey, how are you doing?'

    "What's your- I- I don't- you're thinking of someone else, Mister. Just-" Hushed, curt, more a 'go away' than a response. There's nothing she shouldn't expect to be uncomfortable and confusing, really. That's just how it'll be, won't it?

'You're welcome.'
>Olivier does shake Meika's hand

    Return-shake loose, expression dazed, it's like she's barely even paying attention to him being there. He's fancy, he's important, and he's being glazed-over in Meika's mind as just another officiator of pomp and circumstance she can't focus on with the pressing confusion. Not that Olivier will care- or even remember the name he's read off more than a second after she's stepped past him.

'Ah, we were given some forewarning, yes.'

    "Huh? You- you were? Why didn't you- did you think I already-" Her thoughts fragment the more confusion and stress are present on her face. Arhythmic foot-tapping echoes, once she's regrouped. She clutches the handed-off lisence, and carelessly shoves it into her pocket. "I don't get it. You- you got notified by the Association, about- about me being here, but I haven't heard anything, and it's-"

    A long, strained exhale. "I don't get it. It's like that- that other job, right? So- I mean, weird stuff like that doesn't just- just happen, right? And-" Stressed, even, looking around, it's hard to tell if she really heard people like Odette's names be called, or track who walked across the stage after- but the sinking feeling of familiar eyes in the crowds sits, anyway. "-And, some of- some of the people from there, that- that job, they're even- are they here? Is something like that going on? Some sort of-"

    Salvador would be within rights to ignore Meika, or otherwise tell her to cease her stressed rambling. There's nothing good that'll come of it, and the longer she blabbers, the more stressed she looks. Any prodding gets an- "... I'll- I'm going to get up I'm thirsty, be back in a second-" from Meika, without much room for protest before she's squeaking her chair back out, standing, and dissapearing.
Meika Kirenai     It's fine that weird things keep happening. It's fine that more and more, these little stacking coincidences make it feel like something is at work choreographing her life into some sick prank. It's fine, and Meika is grabbing more than really is advisable amounts of champagne from the offered stands to make sure it stays feeling fine. It's aching to stray from the few people she came here with to grab alcohol, but that'll make it better when-

'Hello again. It has been-- a long time. Are you well?'

    "The hell's your- leave me alone! I don't *know* you! I just-" Voice raised, flinch-instinct, in a clumsy motion that's half stepping back and half raising her arms up, she loosely throws the champagne glass directly at Ozhira from the general hackle-raising surprise. Shouting in a fancy space makes her freeze up in guilt more than sending the glass careening their way, and, like a deer in headlights, they back away and away and clumsily push past attendants to hightail to where the Dawn Office is, again- a relative point of certainty, it seems.
Lilian Rook     Applause is something Lilian is useful. Polite, when her presence is simply required. Approving, when the system finally has to accept her qualification. Enthusiastic in places; students too young to know her history, or starry-eyed Paladins recruits from other branches. But not like this.

    Despite the stage bow, the assured smile, the casual wave off, as Lilian descends again, her pulse is up behind her collarbone and her stomach is fluttering and confused. She catches the nearest Butler who looks attentive, procures a drink, and tips them entirely too much without asking, then walks off looking somewhat more soothed for the therapeutic normality of interacting with fancy maids. Drink in hand, she encounters the T corp official with the steadying rock of obviously looking like she got here first.

    "Thank you. I'm always gratified that there are friends I haven't met yet." she says, going slightly further out than had been openly stated. "I'm well used to handling a corporate playbook, but even so, that doesn't always guarantee everyone will approve. The Fixer Associations have more to gain from this than most Nests." She lets herself be distracted by the crowd over some triviality for a second, dragging out humanly conversational pause.

    "It's an unfortunate affliction of our 'Elites' that they often come far better at fighting than thinking. But it's ultimately my belief that there is a threshold of strength that simply cannot be broken without the ample virtue of discipline; and leadership cannot be forged nor maintained without it." She only smiles vaguely when L Corp is alluded to. "It is curious, isn't it? I know a few details here and there; my contract with L Corp isn't up yet; but I'm afraid I'm not an expert on your technology, and if I were, I still wouldn't disclose anything on behalf of L Corp without permission in writing." Now it's a poker-player smile.

    "Temporal . . . ?" Lilian glances down at her wrist when the word 'watch' comes up; a tiny nascent habit that she'd felt, discarded automatically, then quickly revisited and amplified, to make it look more genuine. "I suppose if you look through my records, you'll find that my family works with some proprietary forms. I'm surprised that you could discern 'the ability to see into the future' from just a viral video. You must really be quite an expert." Lilian says, smiling her greatest half-truth. "Oh! I believe there was a point where I clotted an open laceration with it, too. My sister is the one who specializes in using temporal manipulation as part of medical biotechnology, however. I'm somewhat the family's black sheep, haha~"

    The small talk slash espionage goes on long enough for Lilian to find a convenient excuse to make her exit; and enough to ask why T-Corp would be interested at all, when they have such impressive technology already at their disposal.

    Once she can escape, a new drink in hand, Lilian starts making circuits around the venue.
Angela CINQ ASSOCIATION.

Kale ends up meeting with Dart, Rene and Porthos--ex members of the Cinq Association who are now working with the Trideag Association--and who are just kinda chilling with one another.

"Ah, my friend, my coworker! You are interested in the Cinq Association! It is a noble Association though I must confess there have been slipups in the past--some grave and unforgivable particularly as pertains to Milady Ceri. A tragedy but perhaps from that tragedy bloomed a new opportunity with you, my fellow champion of Trideag!" Porthos declares.

"To actually answer your question," Dart says. "The Cinq Association almost exclusively works in dueling. That's why it's a small Association even though it's one of the oldest. It grows and shrinks as favor in dueling as a method of solving one's problems shifts. Why do you ask?"

WORKSHOP

"Er...lungs? Well there's a practical limit with your body size but wouldn't it be simple to give you a body that doesn't need to breathe? Can't make you fly unless you want jet boots or something but that's not exactly highly maneuverable... but it sounds like you want a custom job." A pause. "Iron Man? You want to be an Iron Man?"

WARNING: Nobody in the City has read marvel comics and accepting a deal to become an Iron Man will result in FURRY ERASURE as they assume you want your brain to be dumped into a human-like iron body.

DAWN OFFICE/MEIKA/YURIA

Yuria calms down a little now that the initial startled unhappy reaction has fated. "Yeah. I'm hoping to start up my own Workshop. I figure if I can make big gains on the Outsider market I can really push my branding." She's just openly admitting it. "Oh but Meika's my friend. She already bought some of my stuff." A quirk of her head. "You know her already?"

She notices her reaction to Aidan and bares her teeth at him like defending a bear cub (she's not much older than Meika) and then seems even MORE startled when Meika loses her shit at Ozhira. "H-hey, maybe she just mistook you--" She begins, totally mistaking Ozhira's gender. hr,"Agh... What's going on, why is everybody weird about her?")

''Did you think I already--''

"Er...My apologies, Meika, sometimes it is difficult to keep track of who knows what--" But when Meika gets up he just gives in and gives her a small nod.

Yuna seems a little annoyed when more people harass her about knowing her but is stuck being on good behavior. Phillip is just ambiently absorbing Meika's stress and is tapping his foot and getting more stressed by proxy.
Angela RITA SUFFERING

"Mm... I wouldn't say outside society. It is part of the City's systems... and plenty of people would love to be one." Olivier says. "And the Head can still declare you an 'Impurity', but that is exceedingly rare--a designation for AI that can present as human beings." Angela. "Or threats to the very continuance of the City and its base structure but your abilities seemed comparable to the Sweepers and the Whales of the Great Lake, not anything nearing anathemic to the City. Some of this is a matter of philosophy for The Head so I can only explain so much, but The Head sees The Stars of the City as a valid part of the City. And so they are. The reason none of the others are is because I saw some of the footage of you at L Corp. It seemed correct, but if we have to change the designation, we will. I know you did not ask for my advice, but if you wish to be a star that hovers over the city sky for a long time--I suggest being a Star of Hope rather than one of Calamity."

He doesn't interfere with whatever's going on though he gives Roxas a strange, concerned look. "Ah. I don't understand at all." He finally gives up. It's hard to get mad at someone with such an upbeat personality when they haven't done anything TOO absurd. This is only a little absurd.
Rita Ma      "Oh, I'm--"
     "Don't be," and a taut little grimace, completes the quick exchange.

     ----

     "S'cuse me, miss who brought me a drink, you dropped something. Catch!"
     Rita looks back bewildered, unable to place the voice, and catches it with a little bend of her knees- the hard part is not spilling her cocktail sauce. "Oh! Thank you...? You're really sweet." Her eyes connect Xion and Roxas, and her surprised smile shifts guilty as she turns away.

     I can't eat this, though. Does Ms. Rook like chocolate...?

     Guilt as a mood doesn't dissipate easily, and apology as a stance still lingers on Rita's tongue. She's fumbled one, but she can at least carry that momentum through to another. She moves towards Meika...

     And on the way, someone catches her ear.

     "(You're doing fine,)"
     (Rita's mind is an open book, but its contents are gross. Cold-empty hunger and intrusive cannibalistic thoughts form a steady undertone to her conscious thoughts, bubbling up into her awareness and being neutrally dismissed once every few seconds like a practiced tic. Don't think about how Kale's eyes would taste. Don't think about swallowing them whole versus biting down. Don't. Swallow drool and smile. The shrimp don't cut it.)

     Of course she doesn't know he's read her mind. He must just be being very insightful. "... That's really sweet of you, Mr. Kale." Maybe he's that serious about being teammates. "I'll be okay, though. 'Star' is nicer than I was scared of. Maybe it means I can help people in a different way."

     By the time she looks back up, Meika's gone. A second one fumbled. But...
Blemishine     There are some things people can't do on their own that they can together. I too had gone through a period where I thought I could do more on my own, but I learned that systems are systems because they do not change easily. I look forward to seeing your work.

    "Isn't that the truth?" While she might not know Olivier all that well, the way he carries himself is enough for Maria to tell smiles like that don't come often - so her own widens a little in turn as she gives a firm shake back. "I suppose it's a lesson everybody needs to learn the hard way."

    "And I promise you'll be seeing plenty!"

    ...

    Any formal or regal bearing Maria might've possessed before completely vanishes when faced with the many Workshop wares on display. Faced with every variety of melee weapon under the sun she can think of - and some she doesn't! Weaponized yoyos!? Infinite storage backpacks!? - the best way to describe her demeanor is 'enraptured kid in the toy store for the first time in their life'. Starry-eyed and wholly in her lane.

    This does not change when faced with Luz. The way she leans in with hands pressed together while practically vibrating makes you feel like you might catch an electric shock if you touch her. "At first we just happened to be going the same way, but then I thought," she starts excitedly. "That since we were both coming this way to peek around, we could do it together! Like a bonding experience, to commemorate the Association and becoming coworkers~!"

    She's way too earnest. Cripplingly earnest. Her head whips around to the blades that the Warprunner was testing her machete against, fast enough to make her ponytail go fluttering.

    "It's amazing, isn't it? I've never seen such a big variety of weapons in one place before! I already want to compare my own handiwork to it! Oh, oh, and do you see the ones they have over there?" Maria gestures vaguely in the same direction as the Rosespanner section and Aidan. "I really want to know how that pulse mechanic works! Given they look closer to giant burdenbeast prods, I thought they'd lean to be more on the electrical side-- but I guess you really have to expect the unexpected here! It almost reminds me of home!"

    Her head lightning-snaps to the representative selling the blades in front of them now. "But these seem like they don't need any gimmicks, just fine craftsmanship, right? Not that there's anything wrong with that, I actually prefer that! I'd love to hear about what goes into making them! Oh, and why the City doesn't really make use of firearms! I wonder if it's the same situation as with the Sank--"

    Maria trails off, blinks, then looks back to Luz with an apologetic smile, clapping her hands together again. "A-Ahaha... I'm getting ahead of myself again, aren't I? Sorry. Maria! Nice to meet you!"
Aidan Proudpick "What's your- I- I don't- you're thinking of someone else, Mister. Just-"

A placating lift of the hands at Meika and then Yuria. "Sorry. Sorry. I'll leave ya alone."
"I really don't work hard for it at all."

After hearing what the Star of the City is, Aidan winces, a sheepish smile. He really just not good at dealing with these sort of situations. "Sorry, I meant... I meant, you worked really hard to become the person you are, Miss Rita. And I admire that sorta work." Another smile. But there's unease behind that smile, terrified he is gonna keep saying the wrong thing, even if he is sincere. A deep terror in Aidan lately.

A flicker of one ear as he picks up a faint whisper, getting a grin on his face and a shake of his head. Then a sudden glare as Aidan turns his head to focus on something else. Meika makes that a simple task by suddenly throwing something as Ozhira gets too close. He snaps around in sudden surprise. She was there, at that campfire. She should know, shouldn't she? Aidan's mouth opens and closes several times as a fish might, only to close again. There's really nothing he can do about it. He didn't go down that road, he's still too afraid to offer a hand that she might shatter, reject him, both.

He considers another flute of champagne. No, no, he's going to get past this. He's not going to be this guy forever.

Well there's a practical limit with your body size but wouldn't it be simple to give you a body that doesn't need to breathe?

There, something to focus on. "Oh, no, I guess not. I like my body!" He considers a shield vaguely, lifting it up, hefting it. When Maria looks over him, Aidan just smiles and waves eagerly.
Ozhira     The Beast chirps when Meika shouts at them; the thrown glass hits and its contents splash all over their face and collar-- which despite it all continue to look dry. One of the maids scoops up the glass itself before Ozhira can catch it, preventing shattered crystal from further muddying up the evening.

    Meika pushes herself off into the crowd awkwardly while Ozhira stands there, letting out another-- completely different-- chirping noise.

    Their attention shifts to Yuria, "Maybe we are-- mistaken."

    Yuria also takes off, leaving Ozhira with the business card still. They look it over again. Bloody-red material seeps out across the cardstock, staining it. After a moment, holes appear. Rapidly, the business card is completely consumed.

    Fear and anger is how humans respond to monsters. This is normal. We are not there. Not yet.
Angela THAT WEIRD GUY PESTERING LILIAN

"Hm? Well I had some solid ideas but without temporal logs I can only guess so much. Ah, but the ability to discern the future isn't entirely an unknown ability. The Purple Tear is known to make use of that kind of ability but I have to imagine that possibility errors have to make relying on such a trait difficult, even if you know the probabilities but for the very short term I imagine it's very easy--"

''The Fixer Associations have more to gain from this than most Nests.''

"Ah, true true--but everything is interconnected in the City. A whole web of interconnecting systems and like a web it can be easy to get stuck and wrapped up and devoured by a spider. We've been hard at work at improvements to the T2 Protocol but the real tricky part is that you can reverse time but you can't reverse a tale. Even with memory erasure, the imprint of what had happened still remains as a temporal echo, subtly affecting you in ways you might not even be aware of--"

''My contract with L Corp isn't up yet.''

"Well when it is, I imagine T Corp would love to have you." The talkative T Corp agent says. "To be honest there are things I can't say to anyone ''but'' you because you ''are'' under contract with them, that is why I am so excited to meet you. Though that reminds me I actually wanted to ask--"

He never gets the opportunity because Lilian gets the opportunity to abscond. The T-Corp agent watches after Lilian thoughtfully.

"Well I'll have to ask about the TMS-1 later."

He slips out shortly after since outside of conversing with Lilian Rook he didn't actually have much interest in the event and he has a company to run. He can consider business opportunities later.
Kale Hearthward > "Why do you ask?"

Kale pauses, considering how to answer this.

CHOOSE A RESPONSE:

        >> It seemed like a very narrow focus, and I was curious as to really how much work the association would have. If it ebbs and flows as you say, maybe more of your fellows can be poached if dueling were to become less than trendy.

        >> I wanted to know a bit more about Ceri. She won a high profile duel recently for Lilian's honor, did you know that? I don't know Ceri personally, but I was impressed. You should be very proud of her, and I'd love to hear more of her exploits. Maybe over drinks?

        >> It seems not all of your former association is glad that you've jumped ship, and I wanted to gather intel. Am I reading too much into the situation, or should I expect trouble from them? The Trideag is the new kid on the block, and I'm expecting someone to try to test our mettle sooner than later.

        >> Duels are cool.

"Duels are cool," says Kale.

> Rita's mind is an open book, but...

Everyone has intrusive thoughts, and things they'd think but never voice. Kale has learned this lesson very quickly, and has told himself he wouldn't think badly about what he picks up from someone's unvoiced innermost thoughts.

... Then again, nobody's been constantly pushing back thoughts about what his eyeballs taste like.

Congratulations, Rita Ma. You turned Kale back to vegan again.

"Y-yeah. Just - keep on keeping on."
Lilian Rook     Aidan: "You know I'll spot it if you attempt money laundering through your Watch contacts, don't you? Look all you like, but I'll be paying you once you've completed a few jobs to my satisfaction."

    Blemishine: "I'd nearly forgotten that you're an artisan yourself, too. Wasn't that RESCUE project of Ishirou's largely your handiwork?" Lilian, of course, is only an Knower of weapons, and not a buyer or collector. "You'll need a separate workshop license to practice here. Give it some thought before you float it to me."

    Kale: Well . . . actually Kale is networking with people Lilian wants to know more about, given Ceri and all. She nods at him as he passes.

    Ivy: "Centuries." Lilian gently corrects. For no reason. "If you're looking to make yourselves useful, first: enjoy the party. Second: I have a number of real estate options I'd like your team to examine in-person. They'll all over the place, so it'll save me quite a lot of time if experts such as yourselves go." She does, in fact, start transferring listings from her smart device.

    Meika: Christ. Let's get back to that in a second.

    Odette: "Please be gentle. Words can cause damage. Not everyone here knows just how sweet you actually are." Lilian is thinking about Odette helping her patch up Lucius, but doesn't think it's necessary to specify that before walking away.

    Ozhira: Lilian claps Yuria on the shoulder as she struggles with the concept of Gender and says, gravely sympathetic, "I believe in you." Then to Ozhira,"Please hurry over and ask someone trustworthy about pockets. Like--" She'd seen Kale fish for a card, so "--Hearthward."

    Rita: "No need to worry so much~ It's the valuable dream of the masses for a reason, isn't it?" Lilian says. The way she places her hand on Rita's shoulder is slightly too chummy to be normal, but no one else knows that. "Director and Star! It'll be just like that time we took a retreat to Candelario's villa!" she says, and then winks.

    Xion & Roxas: "Thank you for coming. And sorry about the crowd." Lilian says to one or both in sequence, slightly more hurried and downtone. "Perhaps I'll find out that it was a mistake, but I left the door open to so many . . . partly, because something that I'm in charge of is about the only place I think I could feel comfortable letting anyone come together." She taps on her own glass fretfully, metal on glass.

    "And there's really just nowhere for people to go, and just be; and still work together, but . . . try and be normal about things, I suppose. Talking things out without huge stakes riding on them. There are a lot of times that being able to speak like coworkers instead of 'Elites' would have helped, I think. You were ahead of your time. That's all. And I enjoyed skating."
Lilian Rook     'the real tricky part is that you can reverse time but you can't reverse a tale'

    As much as Lilian would like to stay longer and gather more information on this so-called Purple Tear, hearing those words in particular chills her blood in a way she can't quite analyze. The urge to get away from that conversation; to come back to it armed for battle or else preferably never; is frustratingly beyond her ability to consciously explain, and yet makes her stomach feel like ice.

    'Well when it is, I imagine T Corp would love to have you.'

    "My my, is that so?" Lilian says, stopping to sip her drink. "Well, I don't want to be too preferential towards just my private backers, but that does sound like an interesting opportunity." Yes she has cards printed for this. Specifically those flexi-metallic embossed ones her world uses, but just for fancy contact info and a scannable validation chip here. "When I have the time, I'll speak to a representative, gather up my notes, and see if I can't imagine what I might be able to contribute at a later time. Contact me with this number when an opportunity arises, would you please?"

    That's the best she can do not to squander this entire chance before bailing into the crowd like coming in from the cold.
Rita Ma      "Y-yeah. Just - keep on keeping on."
     Rita takes a thoughtful bite of her shrimp. Finger-thick triangular teeth are just visible gliding through raw meat. Cocktail sauce stains them red. "Are you okay, Mr. Kale? It's okay if you don't like parties. You can take a break.

     (Do bird bones have marrow? I forget.)

     ----

     Just as Rita's trying to piece together where Meika's gone, Odette finds her. It takes her a second to parse Miss Ma as her name. "Oh! Glad to meet you, Ms. Odette. Please, just Rita's fine!"

     Even though she's a fair bit taller, Rita doesn't evince being much more mature. One arm crosses behind her own back while she offers the other to shake, eyes-shut smiling. When they open again, she looks down at the outfit: "You're a medic, aren't you? I don't think anyone else here does that. I mean, I do, but not very well, so... it's reassuring."

     "I do..." What do I do? Mostly kill people. "Infiltration and espionage," she settles on, which is not entirely incorrect, except that it usually ends with killing people. "And a lot of my family used to deal with monsters. So I'm good at that." Another habitual half-lie, even though she really doesn't need to.

     Course-correcting towards honesty, and tilting her head aside like it's an embarrassing admission: "Actually, monsters usually listen to me. So if we find some good ones, you might be working with them. Okay, Ms. Odette?"

     Speaking of monsters listening to her, she leans around Odette to peep at Ozhira: "Are you okay? Alcohol is bad for you, isn't it...?" It's used to sanitize surfaces after all.
Ivy Carrow     Like a bonding experience, to commemorate the Association and becoming coworkers~!"

    She can't help but lean away from that incredible outpouring of enthusiasm. She has the instinct, barely surprised, to raise her hand in front of her face, as though blocking the illumination from a floodlight. Never mind any of that, Luz would never allow herself to be swept up into Maria's pace--

    "But these seem like they don't need any gimmicks, just fine craftsmanship, right? Not that there's anything wrong with that, I actually prefer that!"

    "Of course," crossed her arms, joining Maria in admiring them. "I don't like 'gimmicks.' Weapons with too many moving parts need consistant upkeep. Small parts. With this," she taps the hilt of her machete. "I need a whetstone. When you're alone in the wild for weeks, some electric gizmo will fall apart on you. But this...And likely these..." She admired the 'plain' workshop weapons for a moment. "If you take care of them, they will take care of you."

    "Even guns were hard to keep together, back home." She turns, disdainfully, to look at one of the shocking weapons. "But, I doubt that's why. Perhaps the Vice-Captain knows. He takes notes."

    But the Vice-Captain's notes don't quite cover what's happening with Meika. He stops short, in the middle of walking to congratulate her, as she throws a glass on the floor and shoves through the crowd, back to the safety of her office. "...Another time," they decide, lamely.

    As her phone chirps, Ivy pulls up her device, nodding slowly at the data as it pours in. She saves it for later, "Oh, you twist my arm, I suppose I shall have to enjoy myself after all." She says, her voice half a laugh all on its own, before offering the Dame Commander an elaborate bow.
Angela BLEMISHINE GOOD

''I suppose it's a lesson everybody needs to learn the hard way.''

"There are those that start knowing it but sometimes I find such people difficult to trust." Olivier admits. "Sometimes the journey to the lesson is more important than the lesson."

The Rosespanner Agent nods along and occasionally pretends she knows what Maria is talking about. "Perhaps our worlds have a lot in common." He manages. Why there might be mili-ons of similarities. But he does say, "Maybe you can drop by sometime and we can talk about craftsmanship. Plenty of competitors here, after all. But as for firearms, it's that hefty bullet tax, you know? Most people use it as a desperation weapon but it's not like the really good Fixers can't just deflect bullets anyway."

Yuria doesn't seem to fear Ozhira. Or be THAT mad at them. Maybe a little annoyed? Confused? She assumes that Ozhira's body eating a business card is basically just some weird bioaugment and she sighs because that probably means Ozhira won't want to buy from her.

To Lilian, she beams. "Oh thanks! Here, have my card, I'm going to be a full workshop some day, Ma'am!" She will totally try to slip it into Lilian's hand if she doesn't just take it. She might be the most colorful person she's seen in this City.

(The secret CEO of T Corp politely took Lilian's card and confirmed it would be done)

That saying has come around before, of course. Resetting time, but not a tale. T Corp IS an ally of L Corp but ... perhaps this is where that origin of that phrase came from.
Aidan Proudpick "You know I'll spot it..."

A turn towards Lilian and a courtly bow. For whatever reason, Aidan is earnest in attempting it. And sincere, "Of course you would, Dame Commander. And thanks! I look forward to doing my best." An excited grin, "I can't wait to help the city. I'll show it by going up the ranks as fast as I can."
Rita Ma      "No need to worry so much~"
     Rita beams and tilts her head to pin Lilian's armored hand, for a moment, between her cheek and shoulder. "Thanks, Ms. Rook. I'm not too worried. Like I said, it's an improvement, isn't it? And if I can get away with things that you couldn't..."

     Bold of her to say it out loud, but there are uses to having 'a legal force of nature' on plausibly-deniable retainer.
Angela THE CINQ ASSOCIATION IS AWESOME I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND I AM TOTALLY INTO THEM AND--

''Duels are cool.''

Rene reaches out and pats Kale's arm once and leaves it there, understanding in her eyes.

"Duels," She says. "Are cool."

They salute Lilian with her rapier as she passes. Ceri arrives shortly after, determined to avoid the Actual Cinq Association with the crew that just left it.

"Oh, Kale." She says. "Don't tell me, you like the hats." A pause as she frowns at her friends. "You know that's part of the Cinq Uniform. You are going to ''have'' to get different headwear."

Rene's face pales. "No... I didn't think about that... But this is the perfect hat for my face shape..."

"Ah, do not sweat it Rene, we'll find another fashionable option. Perhaps with even more feathers!"

"Huzzah!" Porthos cheers.

Ceri sighs.
Xion The withering whirlpool of the Cutiemuda Triangle threatens to capsize all ships. Odette offers Xion a wave, and Xion lifts fingers off Roxas' drink to wave.

'Don't be.'

Odette doesn't have to run along and chase Roxas' hurled mood stabilizer after Rita for Xion to zone out completely and go the other way, barely noticing when she's joined, vacating the area at speed to get lost in items.

'Seeeeeems like somebody's not having a good time,'

Xion shakes her head, twice-organized and exceptionally thirteenthed boy at her arm, speaking leadingly while being led away.

"I'm not good at parties." Xion admits, and it's directly true. Even stopping and thinking very hard, she can't remember a party she's liked being at. Even ones thrown about her felt empty -- emptier than usual. Precipitous, frustrating, windmilling arms at the edge of an inner cliff and going through the trillionth cycle of the same dangerflirting idle in animation. "But I can wear nice things and smile for people that matter." The nature of the whole association announcement and party and even arranging the perfect tie for Lilian's style was all for a performing moment in the audience. That, and a Fixer card she didn't even formally test for. Her last evaluation was...

"It's why I'm excited for the artists alley!" Like she's at a convention, and, she kind of is. Things, tchotchkies, treasures, trailing-chained wonders of every size and variety still delight her, and there's a raising voice of buoyant cheer deeper in. Maria and Luz chumming along as 'coworkers', the possibility of picking up something to swing, all halted as the woman of the hour dips in to take them aside between rooms. Her timing, at least, is impeccable.

"Sorry about the crowd? Lilian, it's a multiversal party. This time it's for you, so it's better than most." Xion defuses with a faint smile and a masking calm. "Don't worry about the usual suspects, there's enough heat here that it'll be 'Fixed' for you, ma'am." The noirette drips with the lightest tease, as if the shojo suited and smartly tied woman with flowers in her hair was ready to personally Fix-er her predicted problems from a cold stop.

"Trying to be normal takes deliberate effort." Xion consoles Lilian gently, and reaches Roxas' glass in her right hand forward to clink crystal to crystal, and tilts back to take a drink... of water.

'You were ahead of your time. That's all. And I enjoyed skating.'

Xion smiles more openly. "Gonna put in an ice rink? Actually, a cafeteria and a rec center wouldn't be bad for just that. Think about it! I'm off to check out the local hardware. Talk to my new 'coworkers'. Try to enjoy the party."
Ozhira     Lilian addresses Yuria on some vague subject; Ozhira's head tilts with a chirp. When Lilian addresses them directly, their posture straightens, "Pockets? We know." Their head swivels towards Kale when he's pointed out.

Prey animal?
No.

Maybe.

"We will ask, later," the creature capitulates.

> "Are you okay? Alcohol is bad for you, isn't it...?"

    "We are, fine," Ozhira settles Rita's concerns with a little earnestness of their own. They bring their hands up in closed fists, elbows tucked in, like they're all pumped up, "We adapted to-- much worse. This is not. Isopropyl." Compared to rubbing alcohols, champagne has an extremely low alcohol content, after all.

    "Are you well?" the beast's tone changes, leaning forward towards Rita a bit before they say the term they've just Decided to call Rita, "Sea Hunter?"
Kale Hearthward > Do bird bones have marrow? I forget.

"I'm - doing just fine," says Kale. "Excuse me."

Whispering Rock had better be as good as those brochures claim. I'm not sure I can even handle crunchy granola right now...

Duels! Duels are cool. Kale focuses on that instead.

> "Don't tell me, you like the hats."

"Guilty."

> "You are going to ''have'' to get different headwear."

"New hats - I can help you pick out new hats. I've got a collection back at my barracks..."

"... And..."

Kale's emboldened a bit by Lilian's nod. "You three... wait right there. I'll be back as soon as I can. There's some stuff that's a bit more... better done in private."

Kale leaves, seeking out the bathrooms.

Kale returns after a few minutes, holding something in hand.

"It was close enough to molting time... so, here. Call it a welcome present for joining us."

He hands each of the three one of his long tailfeathers. "Head start on accessories for the new hats, right?"
Meika Kirenai 'Maybe we are-- mistaken.'
'H-hey, maybe she just mistook you--'

    "I don't- do I *look* like someone people here'd know?" Well, yes, she does, technically. "It keeps happening. This is the, like-" Breathing fast, her expression scrunches up as she tries to put events together.

    "... Second. Just the second. I guess that's..." Frustration shifts more apologetic, shifts more embarrassed- her fingers dig tight into her opposite arm's forearm, across her chest. "... I guess that's nothing, really. I'll- whatever. I'm sorry, Yuria, I-"

    As faces in the crowd, such as the Vice Captain's, look on in concerned avoidance, Meika backs away from her friend, and turns, embarrassed, with a growing knot in the back of her throat and the pressure around her eyes that helplessly warn you that you're on the brink of crying, to angrily push off through the crowds. Lilian's approach, to Yuria and Ozhira, comes thankfully just in time to see Meika's retreat, and not have her looking over. Lucky for everyone, out of eyeshot for her now means out of earshot, too.

    It's not like she really finds anywhere else. Touching base with the Dawn Office is just to check in, and dash off, and slink somewhere else in the complex, the pressing ache and clinging weirdness and acid-burning guilt make it all unbearable, but corridors are cordoned off, important Somebodies abound, she's embarrassed herself in front of a friend, the world might very well just be out to play some incomprehensible grand-scale prank on her, and she wishes she could be anywhere else right at this very second.

    It's not like anything has gone badly, not really. But what else is there with wrongnesses you can't quite wrap your head around, and skin-grating coincidences, misunderstandings, and mistakes too many to ignore. Maybe she's gotten herself caught in some mental feedback loop of self-fulfilling prophecies. But nothing feels right, and she hates it, and there's nothing even to do about it but run or bear with it.

    Ultimately, this means finding the least-crowded wall of the entire chamber, and uncouthly sitting herself down on the floor up against it, hugging her knees like a nervous child and closing her eyes as tight as she can. Not being able to see the world doesn't make her any less visible, despite how it feels.
Lilian Rook     The Association Members: Of course Lilian is going to walk in on them. What? Did you think she was too glamorous and fancy to talk to a street rat like you?

    Well, ordinarily yes, but you're her street rats right now. Even if she does still have that imposing sort of aura.

    "I hope your sister is as happy as you are, Finn. Despite what some will inevitably tell you, it is a prestigious opportunity to be here." Lilian says, lightly swirling the last champagne in her glass. "You're what I'd call someone I'm interested in because of his character, and his potential. Keep that in mind. Your skills seem adequate, but those are what I will be examining most closely."

    Looking to Ceri's bunch, Lilian says to Ceri herself "There are a couple more on the short list. I'm doing background research on some members from Rook Office; Grade 5 talent. There's a mysterious Grade 8 named Solace I'm looking into as well for my own reasons. Ah, and you may have to put up with an annoying fangirl from time to time." Lilian smiles archly. "I turned her down, but she has a pass to attend training and lectures, if she doesn't make a nuisance of herself. Oh, and--"

    Lilian looks Kale's way towards the Cinq members. Maybe he'll read Ceri's mind when Lilian says it slightly loudly. "I intend to make it a policy that if any of my Association members are challenged over something that annoys me, I'll be fighting in that duel myself. In your seasoned opinion, what do you think?"

    Seeing Knifty snatching shrimp . . . actually just makes Lilian snicker behind her armour-glove. Tapping away on her smart device, she turns it around and extends her arm for all the Rats to look at, and tries to seem serious. "I don't know if you've read over the contract, but this number here is your coverage for living expenses. Next week, company housing will be available; I suggest you sign up immediately. This is coming out of my pocket, so try not to cause trouble."

    The numbers on the screen in Ahn, are what a richoid Heatherboss thinks is a reasonable amount of living money, cut down to the threshold she thinks won't look suspicious in such a brutally cutthroat city. Which is to say, more or less enough to guarantee a comfortably lower-middle-class lifestyle by simply 'not convincing Lilian you should be ejected'. She is kind of stupid about money like that (she has in fact set Meika up with even more already). This is simply normal. Her opinions about capitalism will not at all be uncomfortably challenged in The City.

    "Ah, as for you three in particular--" Lilian looks from her own screen to the trio talking amongst themselves just before they joined up with Knifty. "I reserve the right to terminate your contract at any time for breaches of confidentiality, abuse of Association trust, egregious lapses in professionalism that cannot be situationally explained, or repeated and knowing association with organized criminal elements."

    She breathes in deeply, to shift and lighten her tone. "Which is to say not for little fights, misdemeanours, bad manners, or messing up and missing a legality as an honest mistake. Your trial period is primarily to ascertain that no Syndicate elements are interested in being involved with you, past or future, and that I can trust you to handle things without questions of trust or confidence. As long as you show up on time and cooperate, well, I have a legal team for the rest."
Lilian Rook     Lilian takes back her device, and nearly leaves, only to say "Oh. And, all of you. Some of your fellow members will be . . . idiosyncratic. I expect you to retreat them with respect. Giving and repaying trust is the core virtue of our Association; as long as you can do that, I have no complaints."
Roxas "Uh, you're welcome, but why are you apologizing? We know how these things are," Roxas replies to Lilian, genuinely puzzled. He has a pretty good idea that she wouldn't say it unless she considered it serious, but... he's a little too used to this sort of thing, even in an ad hoc format. "Also, I missed the skating!" It is not possible for Hamada Haru and Roxas to occupy the same space. Their opposing color schemes would result in mutual annihilation.

"I want to do the skating thing now. Dancing would also be okay? But people are less weird about skating," he rambles without bothering to filter himself meaningfully. Once again, the strange things that he has to say are followed by no explanations whatsoever about how people are less weird about skating than dancing.

His attention pivots back to Xion-- he takes a quick sip of the water that had replaced the one he gave to Xion and shunts it into pocketspace for safekeeping. Drawing a gleaming X of light in the air, in the stylization particular to Nobodies, Roxas grins and nudges it towards Xion. It drifts at her like a bubble blown from a hoop, quick but at the same time leisurely. "You're one of the people who matters, Xion. If you can't smile for yourself, you're missing a target. But sometimes you can't smile, and that's okay too. Let me know if I can do anything to give you a better time."

"... Also, causing trouble here would be really dumb. There are SO many people who want to show off," he comments between Lilian and Xion, before inevitably being pulled off towards the 'artist alley' of presumably sword vendors. Roxas doesn't really know what to make of the different kinds of equipment, though he does find the overall absence of firearms in this place to be... weird. Of course, the Organization had relatively few ranged weapons users, but all of their weapons were expressions of their Will. It wasn't like they just carried a .357.

That was a practice of weirdly modern-thinking sorcerers.
Odette Raskins Hearing Meika shouting draws Odette's attention that-a-way, and she blinks slowly as she sees her throwing that champagne glass at Ozhira, yet another unfamiliar face. "Meika...?" She asks aloud in both confusion and concern, raising a hand to try and get her attention just as she starts leaving. She lets out a worried noise and looks from Meika to Ozhira, even more confused by their apparent lack of reaction.

Also, chirping.

Lilian coming by puts Odette on the back foot, and she fumbles her words a bit before finally getting something sentence-like together. "Eh? Oh! Um.. Y-yes, of course. I.. Er. I'll try!" She replies with an eager nod, clearly not understanding what context Lilian's thinking about. She also finds herself blushing and giggling a bit at being called sweet, then clears her throat and taps a fist against her chest like some kind of vague... Salute? Gesture? Gesture.

"I won't let you down, Miss Rook. And.. Um... Same to you! E-even if not everyone here knows, I do." Coincidentally, she's thinking about Lilian encouraging Lucius to pull through.

Seeing Rita closer up confuses Odette's mind somewhat, since... Well, she's adorable. She's also apparently got a fancy title already, so that must make her... No, trying to figure out any more ages might just more targets on her head. She giggles eventually, just nodding after a moment at Rita's own introduction.

"Okay, Rita. J-just Odette's fine, too! Yes, I'm in EMT with the Company. Only a few more years before I can afford to start my paramedic training and everything." She explains with just a bit of an ego-boosting puff, then deflates immediately once she realizes she might come off as a jerk saying it that way. "Er... N-not that I can really fight or do most of the stuff a lot of people can do here. O-or even..."

She pauses. "Infiltration? Wow... I didn't think I'd meet anyone else that was into that." She murmurs with a curious glint from behind her glasses, then freezes up momentarily before quickly adding "N-not that I do that a lot or anything. It's just... You know. A side thing? The medical stuff's way more important, anyway, but knowing more than one thing's..."

Fumbling her words again, she relaxes a bit more at hearing Rita's history with monsters. "Good ones? O-oh, sure! I mean, if I can figure out the anatomy stuff, anyway. Making sure the right parts are closed up or open the right way so I don't.. Uh. Put stuff where it shouldn't go." She replies with an awkward chuckle, then strokes her chin lightly in deeper thought, apparently not minding the idea of working with monsters one bit.

"Or pumping poison into them that would be good for humans... I-I've heard some horror stories about medbays that didn't know how to treat non-human patients, so I'll try real hard to avoid that."

Odette's eyes still have an excitable glint to them, of course, as she speaks with Rita. In particular, she's looking right at her mouth! "Say... Um. Rita? D-do you have.. Like. A monster translation power or something to help them understand you? Or some kind of special tongue for speaking to them?"
Lilian Rook     Lilian excuses herself from Xion last. Her smile is apologetic, but also genuine. "A little ice rink sounds quite nice, actually. I already planned for an arboretum. It's just a matter of not getting carried away in the planning stage; else we'll have a petting zoo and no meeting rooms." The way she looks to the crowd . . . That's the exact same face she made the first time she found Xion in the corner of a bustling party, and talked to her about showing up when no one needs you. She opens her mouth to say something, then decides there's no call for it "I hope you can make a fond memory or two." she says.

    Shortly after, she softly laughs for Roxas, says "People are the most cooperative when they're desperate to have you watch their 'sick flip'. I'm careful not to give out too much free attention, just so they want to show off at times like this. Isn't that a little toxic?" Easing out in Meika's direction, she glances imploringly over there, and says, "The next time we go, you're formally invited."
Blemishine     Wasn't that RESCUE project of Ishirou's largely your handiwork?

    "Oh, I'd absolutely call it a joint effort, Dame Com--right, here it'd be Director Rook!" Maria intones warmly to Lilian, when her rounds bring her their way. "Ishirou had to handle all of the software aspects; I'm honestly no good at that sort of thing. But the construction, yes! It was a much bigger endeavor than... well, anything I've had to do before! I think I only pulled it off because I had offworld designs to draw from-- and plenty of structural advice from Miss Eunectes back home..."

    You'll need a separate workshop license to practice here. Give it some thought before you float it to me.

    Luckily, her continued chatter is stopped short by a healthy dose of that. "Ahaha. In that case, I'll think long and hard about it!" Says the woman who had not actually contemplated getting workshop licensing too, and now will have it on her mind. This will go well for everyone involved once she realizes she has that card in her pocket. Lilian gets a wave before she moves on, "And the speech was great!"

    If you take care of them, they will take care of you.

    Luz gets several approving nods in succession when she starts getting into it. "Mmn! I'll be the first to say more elaborate equipment has its place, is even necessary a lot of the time - but in situations like that, you need reliability. A weapon-- any tool, really, is an extension of their user. If you couldn't count on, say, your own arm... what can you count on?"

    "Not to say more complicated things are /un/reliable, they just need to be made well and made to last. I can imagine every Workshop has to have quality assurance, but preference and need should always come first! I'm sure the average city dweller has to think the same way; no way they'd be able to fix up anything that breaks without hiring help."

    Maybe you can drop by sometime and we can talk about craftsmanship.

    Maria /actually/ has sparkles in her eyes.

    Even guns were hard to keep together, back home. But, I doubt that's why.
    But as for firearms, it's that hefty bullet tax, you know? Most people use it as a desperation weapon but it's not like the really good Fixers can't just deflect bullets anyway.

    "Ohh, so it's a money /and/ a skill issue..." She says thoughtfully, completely ignorant of any potential double meaning there.

    "I suppose it is a little different then. Where I'm from, firearms are..." Maria ponders how to put it. "...sort of only usable by certain individuals, and aren't practical for just anyone. They also don't use powder or anything like that. The internal workings are miles apart. Not compatible at all with offworld sorts."

    "Trying to mass produce them for normal people... well, there've been attempts. That failed. You'll see things like crossbows way more often for being easier to use... or just melee armaments, for packing more punch most of the time."

    ...Than guns? Maybe their worlds do have things in common.
Angela KALE OFFERED HIS TAILFEATHERS

Rene considers. They don't exactly look like Cinq Association feathers so it could...work? "Alright! Then these shall be the feathers that serve as our new bond!"

"Huzzah!" Porthos repeats.

"Yes! Our trio is reborn once more with the favor of our new companion!" Dart exclaims.

Ceri is still a bit nonplussed but she smiles and shakes her head, like, what is she gonna do?

''Did you think she was too glamorous and fancy to talk to a street rat like you?''

For the most part, yes.

Finn is a temperate enough guy to not let it show on his face but there's the tone of being pleasant surprised in his voice. "I hope I don't disappoint, Director. I know my skills are not exactly what you're hoping for, but I can be professional and I work hard, you can count on that. ... I'll do my best to improve my skills so as to not disappoint you, Ma'am."

Ceri pulls away from her old crew to listen to Lilian carefully. She grimaces openly at the idea of an annoying fangirl but she exhales and nods with understanding. Part of the point of this venture is to give the hopeless their shot, after all. Or at least, part of the methodology.

"Mysterious? ... City keeps its records clear, might be someone from the Outskirts. Or someone a Wing picked up to run tests on." Ceri says. "The Rook Office is full of old reliables but anyone special works for LobCorp already."

''I'll be fighting in that duel myself.''

Ceri's mind thinks: Heh, that'd be a real bad day for them But her mouth says, "...It isn't a bad idea, but you might get too many people trying to abuse that if they realize that's the policy. I'm not saying they'd put you in danger, but it might be annoying to have to deal with that often. Might want to get some seconds ready if you don't want to humiliate someone personally. I had to."

She jerks her head over to her friends over there.
Angela YES EVEN THE ABSOLUTE LOWEST OF THE CITY

The Rats are nothing if not loyal to Lilian, particularly Knifty who immediately starts sniffling and sobbing when Lilian shows up and tries to awkwardly offer her shrimp. She tries to say words and she just sort of makes noises. She is thinking that maybe she actually died at some point and this is some sort of weird afterlife.

THe other three are more grounded but are no less gracious. "Oh hell yeah..." Pete says. Lenny elbows him in a way identical to how Meika elbowed Phillip earlier. "Er, yes ma'am. We know this..might be the only chance we get."

"We won't disappoint." Mang-Chi says.

"Strong promise to make." Lenny adds. "But if we fail this shot that just means we never had it in us at all."

Their jaws literally drop when they actually recognize the number of Ahn Lilian is offering.

"Oh shit, we split that four ways and..."

"I think it's ''each'' Pete." Lenny says.

Knifty faints and Mang-Chi has to catch her.

''I reserve the right...''

Pete's face goes pale at mention of organized crime elements, considering his stated dream. "...We won't be stupid about this, Director. Yeah we worked with Syndicates before, but that's because... Well, it was the only opportunity. I guess I didn't dream big enough."

"Oh Wings... He's going to be dreaming of making Grade One next." Lenny sighs. "But ... yeah, I got close before... But you sure have a way of giving motivation, Director."

''Some of your fellow members will be . . . . idiosyncratic.''

Murmurs of understanding. Yeah that's pretty normal for The City.
Kale Hearthward The feathers are a hit!

And then later Kale's medic is going to get on his case about 'early' molting and how it doesn't actually work that way and Kale's already tuning out the lecture before it even starts, really.

Lilian has something she needs to relay? Yeah, Kale's on it.

"I should warn you, Lilian's likely to intervene if there's ever a duel involving something that annoys her," says Kale. "Made-up pretenses, or particularly stupid rules, or that sort of thing. I wouldn't try to abuse that to your own advantage, or get out of your own battles, but - know she's got your back if someone *else* is."
Lilian Rook     Lilian doesn't take long to reach Meika. No one in the crowd would dare get in her way, or even fail to move aside at a generous remove (and if they do dare, they won't for long) so she has as long as the geometry of the room demands to think of what to do, and that is not nearly long enough.

    Her first impulse is obviously to scold her. The sound of her heels closing in on Meika isn't exactly a relaxed pace. Even though she only sees her weekly at this point, distance hasn't exactly smoothed all of Lilian's feelings about Meika; just let them cool down, until stoked again.

    There's a second, audible hitch, where she should have aggressively called Meika's name just before getting there. Her step falters just in front, having lost steam.

    A third pause, stiffly awkward. The urge to kneel down and ask what's wrong, wipe away tears and tenderly treat Meika like a kid, exuding from Lilian's uncomfortable stance and the way she holds her arms. That too is pushed out of mind. She's eighteen, a combat veteran, her employee twice over, and a former Paladin. So . . .

    "Meika." Not 'Kirenai'. Not 'Chevalier Crimson'. "I understand you can't be terribly happy about finding your own way in the world at Dawn Office, then being dragged back to me once again by random happenstance. I wasn't too pleased to be surprised by it either. I'd have liked to keep this and that separate." Lilian says, folding her arms. It's meant to be standoffishly probing; not too close, but not too aggressive. The fact that it actually aligns with Meika, being confused about the elaborate coincidence alongside her, is unintentional.

    "You know you can't be shouting and throwing things at a party." Lilian continues, like there was a 'but' before it. Sighing unhappily, she lowers her tone to something like worn resignation. "Let me guess. Confusion, deja vu, memory gaps, misconfabulation, seeing patterns in random chance." Lilian says. "Brain fog, emotional malaise, mood swings, difficulty with focus and recollection-- am I close?"
Rita Ma      Rita couldn't be more transparently charmed by Odette; despite everything, it's an easy click for a peer relationship. "Oh, you're like a spy too? Why didn't you say so? That's amazing. I'll love it if we can work together, Mi- um, Odette! Look..."

     Rita rolls up her loose sleeve and dapples her hand ghostly-invisible, fading from solid at the elbow to completely vanished at the wrist. She lays it on top of Odette's hand, and now Odette's has vanished too- as if a seamless portal to 'the floor beneath' were eclipsing it. Then she hand-squeezes, invisibly, and laughs before de-cloaking and letting go. "See? We'll make a great team."

     There is no way that Rita's mouth is human. Most people don't stare at teeth mid-conversation, and she's been counting on that, but dear god. Anyone drawing it realistically would be called out as deranged. There are even little drool-strands catching the light. When she bites into a shrimp, it looks like a sharkbite victim in miniature. With other people there's a little crunch, but hers glide silently.

     "Huh? A special tongue... sort of. It's more like a thoughts-and-feelings thing. Why do you ask, Odette?"

     "Are you well? Sea Hunter?"
     Rita takes a second to parse that as her name, too. She looks between her two conversational partners: "Ah! Sorry. Odette, this is M... Ozhira!" The honorific is dropped for a completely different reason. "We worked together recently. They're really nice." 'But a little strange' goes unsaid in the knowing glance.

     "I'm feeling okay, yeah. I'm not 'adapted' to alcohol but I've been staying away from it," Rita jokes. "There was some not-nice stuff before, but... why do you ask, Ozhira? Do I not seem okay?"
Xion 'I want to do the skating thing now.' 'A little ice rink sounds quite nice, actually.'

"An arboretum sounds wonderful," Xion admits as she disentangles, pinky extending while thumb and a trio of mates handle the balance of her water glass in parting wiggle. "Something that pushes people together gently can do a lot more than sand marked by a sword."

Xion finally giggles, bubbles about a dry chuckle. "I think there's a balance between petting zoo and meeting rooms. Low numbers of meeting rooms mean more things are informative e-mails, for example. That's nice, right?"

Xion doesn't want to be pinned down and interrogated on *why* she drifts to the corner of parties, and mercifully again Lilian lets her go about it. A conversation they've already had, certainly.

'You're one of the people who matters, Xion.'

"Thanks, Roxas," Xion murmurs, after the pair have escaped into the forest of treasures and mad trinkets. "I'd like you to have a good time, and I know..." He won't if she's not. A furtive flick of the eyes catches the tail of a conversation, and Xion pivots to join Maria and Luz. "I knew I was going to be working today." Her voice comes without eye contact. "Sorry."

Thankfully there's a conversation to join that's most-recent adventure relevant!
'If you take care of them, they will take care of you.'

"It's incredible it's being talked about here too," Xion leads in, rolling keychain around her palm with a wobbling roll of her hand as she approaches. "Roxas and I-" The noirette notes her companion-in tow. "-just had to tell a bunch of young hurt people the same thing. That it was a truth, and the start of important things. Do you have a favorite kind of tool?"
Angela ''I don't- do I *look* like someone people'd here know?''

The Dawn OFfice, now informed, are kind of in a rough spot of not wanting to press specifically on Meika's injuries.

Yuria, who is oblivious, does say, "Hey...I'm really sorry this...seems to keep happening. I'd be really stressed too. You're a good friend."

She does intend to follow after Meika, eventually, but is inclined to give her some space because--she thinks she needs it.

It isn't until Lilian approaches that she not-so-subtly sneaks over, intending to eavesdrop. She mostly wants to know what's going on with her friend.

She catches Lilian reading off the symptoms.

"..." She tries to stay out of sightlines.
Meika Kirenai 'Meika.'

    Her head jolts up at Lilian's words- not before, at her presence, or her footsteps, or anything as acute as her skittish senses used to make common. She scrambles to her feet, a forearm unsubtly swiping past her own eyes with a paired sniffle, as if that'll really clear away the haze of having-been crying. "Miss- Miss Rook, I- I was just, I-"

    Eyes find the floor more than anything else. "It's- it's not you, that's why, or anything. I just- surprises at all are- I- I'm sorry, Miss Rook- Director Rook. Happenstances keep happening, and- and I don't get it. Like something's just..." She shrugs, resigning to the stance of not having a good excuse- it feels more sensible to assume she's the one wrong with something.

    "I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to throw the- it won't- won't happen again." A short pause. "... Not like... I'd be somewhere like this, again. Aha. "

'Let me guess-'

    "... You're- I- that sounds- *why* are you close..?" Her brow furrows. There's some sort of assured-seeming reaction, but that link is still unsaid. "... Like- like there's some big sort of prank going on, and- and I don't get to know what's..."

    "What's going on..?" The trail-off rerouting of her words is far quieter, with the impression she'd take a step back if there wasn't a wall behind her. Her hand digs into her opposite upper-arm, and she tries, uselessly, to watch Lilian's general demeanor for any sort of clue on that before she'll say it. "Is something- is something, actually, going on..?"
Ozhira     "Ah? No." Ozhira's head shakes from side to side, a conscious effort to emulate the body language, "We thought it was, a pleasantry. A-- greeting. Of a sort."

    Their posture straightens when Odette is introduced, the creature examining them with a somewhat neutral stare that only incidentally makes eye contact. There is no sort of 'sizing up' glance up and down that one might expect when meeting a new person.

    "Odette. Hello." The attempt at a smile when introduced goes disastrously, some mix of failing to smile and also showing far too many large, triangular teeth that match together perfectly like the teeth of a piranha.

    "Rita is-- a great hunter. We hope to learn, from her. As we learn from the Great Hunter." They lean forward a bit towards Odette, unprompted. Something about her skittish Prey Animal behavior has the Devourer distracted.
Ivy Carrow     "Still need maintence." Luz insisted, even as she was nodding along to Maria's points. "Smaller parts are more vulnerable parts. Need a place to make replacements. A weapon for the well-funded, who isn't far from a..." She picks up the terminology that's been used. "...'Workshop.'"

    "I suppose it is a little different then. Where I'm from, firearms are..."

    "We don't..." She frowned, changed her tune. "...Didn't have access to much steel. Or iron. Had to melt down, what we could find. And bullets, weren't much use." A little odd for her to say, since she had a sidearm holstered on her belt. It seems pretty clear which weapon she preferred.

    "It's not like that, anymore. Still. Feels wasteful."

    "-just had to tell a bunch of young hurt people the same thing. That it was a truth, and the start of important things. Do you have a favorite kind of tool?"

    "Machete." She said, straightforwardly. "Practical. Multipurpose. You can cut through foliage, and do some damage too. And works well, when you have to hack something apart." Something like...what? "Unlike guns."
Angela OH GOD I THINK I AM CAUGHT UP WITH THIS ONE

''So it's a money and a skill issue''

The Rosespanner Fixer grins.

"Heh, you got it. But trust me--we just don't have the money. We're plenty skilled. Sometimes we even take work from Wings--a lot of Workshops actually will take normal Fixer jobs from time to time. To test out their gear, or make extra money." He seems strangely confused by the idea of guns that don't require powder. "Like lasers? Those exist but the energy expenditure is insane. Only real wealthy Fixer Offices could afford something like that. I heard Nemo's office had that face thing going on."

He looks over to Luz and gives her a nod. "Yeah it's more like that. I guess bullets might start getting more common eventually now that Outsiders are coming in but I'm guessing the bullet tax is gonna stay for the rest of us. Not sure if Trideag will get special compensation or not since the bullets aren't from the City itself. But the Head will probably have something to say if it becomes too common with Outsiders."

He looks towards Xion as she arrives. His eyes settle on the keychain. "You with Dieci? ... Oh no, probably Trideag--sorry, I was setting up here and missed the whole thing."

He looks to Blemishine. "Oh I'd love to work on a real nice crossbow sometime. Usually we have to stick to our staples.")]
Lilian Rook     Time Warp!:

    'I know my skills are not exactly what you're hoping for, but I can be professional and I work hard, you can count on that. ... I'll do my best to improve my skills so as to not disappoint you, Ma'am.'

    "Skill is easier to come by than character." sais no one but Lilian ever. She clearly means it, and who's to second guess her on this type of skill? "You needn't worry about disappointing me. What I want you to worry about is coming home alive. You . . ." Lilian halts mid-sentence. A stranger wouldn't get the more complex impression-- not easily-- but there's something about the way she chooses to convert a less sincere thought into one moreso in the moment.

    "Have particular feelings about your personal humanity, don't you? It's not a matter of money, it's something else." she says, mysteriously. "I don't fully understand yet, but I think that you have nothing to fear from me." She turns his face with a finger, as if curious to look at something, but it's only so that he can feel that her armoured finger is exactly as warm as her skin, with a faintly regular ebb and flow. "So prioritize your present as well as your future."

    'City keeps its records clear, might be someone from the Outskirts. Or someone a Wing picked up to run tests on.'

    "If there's no reason for there to be private records save something that should instill antipathy for a Nest, I suppose I'll call her up and put her on the same probation as those three." Lilian says. "The Rook Office pair . . . Well. I'll trial them, if you can't think of any complications. But I may ask you to monitor them at times."

    'I'm not saying they'd put you in danger, but it might be annoying to have to deal with that often.'

    "I've thought about it." Lilian says. "The Fixers most likely to be hired will likely have little say in the matter, and be very glad to know it's unlikely that they'll die." She eyeballs the current Cinq reps on purpose.

    "But duels are a form of bargaining, are they not? As the patron, I'm permitted to demand compensation for someone wasting my time, and for a challenger, it's a rather glaring matter to decline a match of honour over the compensation, isn't it? Even if I have to hand something off to an understudy once in a while; you or Rita, ideally; I should hope that they learn quickly that frivolous litigation and juvenile hazing of my Fixers will cost them dearly."

    Lilian really doesn't know what to do with Knifty crying on the spot. She'd erroneously assumed that she'd sat down and read forty pages of legalese; the realization that these four had blindly put their lives in her hands visibly occurs on her face over several seconds. "Th-thank you?" she says, a little stunned, upon receiving shrimp.

    'Oh hell yeah...'

    Lilian eyes the elbow approvingly, but says "At ease. I'll let you know when to address me with full formality."

    'Er, yes ma'am. We know this..might be the only chance we get.'

    "Perhaps not your only chance. But easily your best. No matter where you look, you won't find anyone equal to me or an offer equal to mine." says Lilian. "If someone seems like they have one, run away if you can, and kill them if you can't"
Lilian Rook     'Oh shit, we split that four ways and...'

    Lilian is obviously just about to worriedly go all 'is that too little???' and fret, until she sees Knifty faint. Then she has to down-tune her bearing. "This is per head." she confirms. "If it looks like a lot, it's because I'm asking a lot of you. This Association will demand something more difficult of you than merely working yourselves to the bone."

    "Thou art . . . You're responsible to two things: the people who have been family to you, and the people who bleed on your behalf. All other concerns come after. You'll understand how serious that is in time."

    'Yeah we worked with Syndicates before, but that's because... Well, it was the only opportunity. I guess I didn't dream big enough.'

    "I'm aware. Details like that don't get past me." Lilian says. "I don't take chances when handling things myself; if I touch it directly, it gets done. So I've no need for apologies." She could easily demand more promises, but . . .

    'Oh Wings... He's going to be dreaming of making Grade One next.'

    "Dream as big as you like, so long as you keep your feet on the ground and my orders in your brain." Lilian says, shrugging. "Who knows what's possible for someone working under the equal of the Legendary Red Mist~?" For the first time, she plays into it on purpose.
Odette Raskins "A spy? I-I don't know if I'd go that far..." Despite her words to the contrary, Odette can't help but giggle a bit at how cool Rita makes it sound. "Although if we ever get the chance to do cool stuff like in all those old timey shows, then sure!"

Wait. Would Rita really be up to that? She looks so innocent and cute, though... Nothing like her inspirations back home, that's for sure. Then again, maybe somoene would be ideal for blending in! But if that's the case... Oh, that'd worry Odette to no end. She's still grappling with such thoughts even as Rita rolls up that sleeve, only interrupted by the sight of her hand fading followed by that touch to her hand making herself disappear.

"Wow... W-wait, can we still... We can still touch stuff like this, right?" Odette asks as she steps in place a few times to make sure she can still feel the ground with those feet she can't see, letting out a marveling squeak at how uncanny it all is to experience. "Neat! This kind of power really would be perfect for... A-all sorts of stuff, yeah! Infiltration, espionage, getting to injured people without medic-hunting jerks knowing what's going on..."

There's just a bit of bitterness at that highly specific idea, and then she pumps her free hand lightly while the other clasps Rita's gently. "We would! Hehe.. I'm looking forward to it, Rita."

And then she sees the teeth. There's definitely something beyond human about what Odette's seeing, but none of that really bothers her. If anything, it just gets her to start running a thumb over her own teeth idly, feeling those little points and noticing that they're definitely not as good at slicing through shrimp like that.

It also reminds her that she hasn't bugged any of the butlers and maids for more shrimp yet.

"Thoughts and feelings... Huh? O-oh! Just curious." She admits with a light giggle, pulling her eyes away from how good Rita's making shrimp cocktail look. "I ran into a few people at work that figured out how to make these things that could translate what monkeys said into something humans could understand, but that was with a brain interfacing... Thing? I think. Rather than on thoughts and fee..."

Wait. Isn't that the same thing? That has Odette tapping her chin lightly. "Rita? Did anyone ever do experiments on you?"

And then Ozhira approaches, reminding Odette almost immediately of what happened with her and Meika. Before she can try and re-process that, Rita introduces them, and Odette quickly dips into a light curtsey. "Oh! H-hi there, Ozhira!" Miss? Mister? She's not sure until Rita addresses them. "You've already worked together? Wow.... Real small world, if everyone already knows each other like this." She laughs gently again, then gets some more shrimp to munch on while looking between Rita and Ozhira again.

"Great Hunter? Oh, because of the infiltration stuff..." Odette nods in vague understanding, tilting back just a bit as Ozhira leans in. She fidgets a bit anxiously at that, too, eventually avoiding eye contact as her own skittishness starts to come right on back. "Wh-what about you? Any.. Um. Specialties? I've only done a bit of espionage stuff, b... But I'm an EMT first and foremost."
Roxas "You don't have to be... the hero of my heart, Xion. I'm just fine right now. If this whole thing is just on-the-clock, we'll head off and do something fun later," Roxas answers, shrugging almost theatrically. As they come up on Maria and Luz... well, he just looks kind of benignly interested. Introductions are probably in order, but since he's been focused on Xion, and Xion seems to be addressing people she knows already, he just lets it lie there-- and gets introduced along the way.

Raising his free hand, he offers a finger-wiggling wave. "Hi there! Yeah, that... well, I won't say it happens a lot, but manufactured elites do kinda seem to end up in that situation more than most. I get the appeal of a machete... what do you think of kukri? It's a little heavier on the swing, but it's also got that survivalist bent to it."
Lilian Rook     'It's- it's not you, that's why, or anything. I just- surprises at all are- I- I'm sorry, Miss Rook- Director Rook.'

    "Director Lilian." says Lilian, a little too sharply by habit, before easing back, "It'll confuse people who've heard of Rook Office othrwise. Most people here don't have family names."

    '... Not like... I'd be somewhere like this, again. Aha.'

    "That's a shame. I suppose I'll count one less guest seat out at my wedding." Lilian smiles in such a way that it is maddeningly impossible to tell if she's joking.

    '... Like- like there's some big sort of prank going on, and- and I don't get to know what's...'

    Lilian breathes quietly through her teeth. That particular description is painfully vivid. It makes her skin crawl.

    'What's going on..? Is something- is something, actually, going on..?'

    Lilian goes silent. Her weight shifts, subtly, and her eyes wander, as she thinks very carefully on what to share. She has the demeanour of a friend deliberating whether to tell Meika her boyfriend is cheating on her, with the following look of resolve to just say it straight.

    "A potential rare side effect of the treatment you're undergoing." Lilian sighs, finally breaking her own record for how minutely she can divide a truth before it becomes homoepathic quackery. "Your symptoms aren't exactly the same, but they're similar to a period of confusion and agitation I experienced when undergoing an earlier version-- ah, that was when I was younger than you, by the way."

    Exceedingly guilty for telling a half-truth more like a one-thirteenth-truth, Lilian says "The staff aren't trained to recognize it. Some of them have been there for ten or more years. I didn't want them to connect the dots." Her shoulders slump with a deep exhale behind them, though her arms stay folded. "They should subside in time; you'll likely experience them slowly fading to a more manageable point after one year, and feel just about normal again after three. You also have the option of trialing a modified version of what I put together for myself, back then, but I wouldn't necessarily suggest it. It's . . . effective. On the order of eight to twelve weeks. But I found the experience . . . unpleasant."
Blemishine     ...Didn't have access to much steel. Or iron. Had to melt down, what we could find. And bullets, weren't much use.

    "Hmm..." Maria glances down at Luz's sidearm for a moment, then back up to her face with a smile. "If old habits die hard, that's probably for a reason. No need to change a good relationship with what you have, right? It doesn't have to be the fanciest tool on the block to be the right one for you."

    "Like I said! Preferences." She nods, though it's not exactly sage wisdom and she knows it.

    Like lasers? Those exist but the energy expenditure is insane.

    "Ahaha, oh, no! It's more like... people from Terra have different affinities for using what... well, most offworlders would probably call magic, and our firearms interact with that." Pause. Blink. "...I suppose that'd make them sort of like magic wands...? Magic wands that only do one thing, but..."

    This will keep her up at night for a while.

    "Oh, but the things I'd /do/ for a laser to pick apart..." Despite /just/ being told how expensive it is, she might have a future City purchase in mind. She'd like nothing more than to see how... pretty much everything in this room works. She absolutely should not be left alone with any of it.

    She realizes her mind is wandering yet again. "A-Ahem, anyway...! I'll need to see if I can bring one of our crossbows when we have that chat later, sir!" She's probably on the verge of continuing on, mentioning something about the bullet tax, and continuing this train of thought when a certain pair of Nobodies pay them a visit.

    "Oh, hello~!" Xion gets a cheery wave of greeting, and Roxas gets a return one right back. She, too, gets right into the flow of thinking over Ivy's answer, rather than stopping to even think about introductions right away. "Ooh... blades that're good for utility /and/ combat! I think I'd prefer a heavier and thicker blade there, too."

    Her eyes drift down to the blades on display, and she makes a few motions with an arm as if imagining swinging a few of them. Is she just guesstimating their weight?
Rita Ma      "Oh! That's really sweet of you, Ozhira. It is a greeting. Sorry, I just got lost in my own thoughts, is all."

     When Ozhira leans in to peer at Odette, Rita observes neutrally for a moment, then waves her hand in front of Ozhira's face like she's trying to prompt a motion-activated door. "Mmp," she says, gently dog-scolding.

     She knows exactly what they were thinking, after all.

     "Rita? Did anyone ever do experiments on you?"
     Rita's smile vanishes. Her mouth works to try and find explaining words; she can't, and she laughs awkwardly to fill space, which is strangely unlike her. "Well... you can tell, can't you? I used to be normal," she says, as opposed to 'a Star of the City', or as opposed to 'someone whose mouth gets stared at', or as opposed to 'someone Ozhira calls great hunter'.

     "I don't think I like doctors very much anymore. But you're okay." Just then, something medical does seem to happen with Knifty's collapse. "Oh-- just a moment, Odette! Sorry!" Rita holds out her shrimp cocktail like she expects Odette to hold it, holds up a finger, and slips off past Ozhira towards the street rats.

     "Anyway," she murmurs to Ozhira in passing- or if they decide to accompany her- "I'm a little flattered, but I don't think I have a lot to teach you about hunting. It's not what I'm 'for'. I just had to get better at it, because of... things."

     She crouches down next to Knifty, who's tear-streaked and fainted in Mang-Chi's arms, and places a hand on the poor woman's shoulder in case she needs healing while smiling up at the others. "Sorry, I didn't catch what happened. Does this happen to her often? ... You were talking to Ms. Rook earlier. Are you going to be working with us, too?"

     Surely this isn't one of those people with idiosyncrasies. That's the most normal, wholesome girl anyone's ever met.
Meika Kirenai 'Most people here don't have family names.'

    A short little grimace. "... Yeah, I- right. Director Lilian. I- I noticed, that little bit. It's taken a while to get Mister Salvador- um... the Office's Operator," Meika has no idea the two have talked, "To- to stop just blending mine into... right. I'll remember."

' I suppose I'll count one less guest seat out at my wedding.'

    "Oh." Not knowing if that's a joke, or something she should backtrack on, or apologize for, or something else, results in that quiet little more-noise-than-word. Still- precaution-taking, "... Sorry. Didn't- didn't mean anything, really."

    As Lilian ponders words, Meika's passive gaze, taking any little hint that something's being deliberated on, is painted-through with unspoken worry and hope for anything at all to be said. And-

'A potential rare side effect of the treatment you're undergoing.'

    Meika's eyes widen, taking in and processing that the offered graspable reason why the world feels like a papier-mache coated charade about making her feel perpetually out of the loop, with egg on her face, and spotlit in some unfathomable punchline, or otherwise doing-something-wrong she can't tell, could be as tangible and known as just a medication side effect.

    It makes sense. Anything with listed feelings, tacked on to the trustable unknown of 'because of the medicine', can make sense, in the exact way that feels stupid to not have guessed previously.

    "... It can do- *that's* why? I- I thought I might've just been going crazy, or-" There's actually a sharp little bark of laughter, born of dumbfounded-relief. "... That- that's... it? Why- why little coincidences feel- so it's really, just... as simple as... huh."

    'I didn't want them to connect the dots.'

    "... What's that mean? Dots about- what?" A soft little fidget, less tense, still confused, with a visible tremble to her posture. "... Three- three whole years? It's- a couple *weeks* has felt-" Words cut off, and she gestures outwards, towards everything.

    "... How *much* worse..?"
Angela TIME WARP

It's okay that there's some time warping in poses once the scene reaches double digit players and npcs simultaneously.

''Skill is easier to come by than character.''

Finn's eyes light up like she always believed that and that's why she has always struggled to get out of Fixer Grade Nine. But before he can say something kind of dumb, Lilian hits him directly in his Trouble and words fail him. He doesn't even resist as she pushes his face around with a finger.

"I... Am not sure I fully understand myself." He admits, bashfully--blushing from embarrassment. "I mean sure, some augments are dangerous, some just are expensive--I guess most would just say it's a matter of pride, just wanting to prove that I could do what others do without relying on their advantages but ... I dunno, I just ... am a little weird about augmentation, I guess. I know that puts me at a disadvantage, ma'am... I'm sorry, I'll...try to find a better way to put it. Feelings about my humanity. ... I really ... liked your speech, Director Lilian." He nods, though. He doesn't intend to die.

"It's hard to say," Ceri admits on the matter of Solace. "It'll definitely be easier to read the Rook Office when they're on a mission."

Lilian mentions an alternative result to accepting duels: Taking something from the losers. "Yeah, could work." Ceri admits. "But there'll always be maniacs. I mean you've met Myo."

''Th-thank you?''

"Y'welcome..." Knifty manages, hiccuping. One thing about having nothing is that even an unknown lifeline is still a lifeline. It's doubtful that all of them know how to read but they nod along, absorbing all they can from the living legend before them. They'll maybe get 60 percent of it between the four of them but the good news is that Rats are inclined to be a tight-knit group--they'll ideally help each other keep track of what they're missing.

"Don't worry, if someone offers us a better sounding deal we'll run real fast." Mang-Chi promises because, frankly, some dreams are too big as it is and some dreams are too big so as to be suspicious.

''If it looks like a lot...''

The Rats still conscious are a little anxious. These are people who have failed before, particularly Lenny. They don't WANT to disappoint Lilian but are sort of primed to expect it. When Lilian mentions the people who have been family to them--the RAts just look towards each other.

"You're really not like the other bigwigs." Pete admits. "...Don't let 'em make you like 'em."

"Pete...!" Lenny says and then sighs. "...Moment of honesty, I guess. Don't worry, ma'am. I heard your speech. We believe in you."

When Rita moves to check in on Knifty, the Rats forget she's a Star and Mang-Chi sets her down carefully so Rita can get a look.

"She's malnourished." Lenny remarks. "With all the excitement and all the overeating, se might have overloaded herself. Er--" She looks around to the others before admitting, "First time we met her. But we know she's one of the Rats or she wouldn't be like this. We had each other but it looks like she just had...herself."

''Are you going to be working with us, too?''

"We're probationary." Mang-Chi smiles. Something about RIta makes them feel at ease even though she's a Star. Instinctive Urchin Solidarity. "So long as we measure up. You'll help keep us in line, Miss Rita?"
Angela MEIKA THE SUFFERER

Yuria is frowning and fretting. It's tough to understand what exactly has been done. But it sounds like Meika's current pain is a ...side effect? Maybe of some kind of medicine or training? Lilian IS basically a Color herself--who knows how insane her training regimen is? She's never heard of such a regimen fucking with someone's mind but ... it doesn't seem impossible.

But that doesn't really explain why everyone is being weird about Meika either.

She feels she doesn't have enough information. She continues to eavesdrop.

BLEMISHINE

Brings up magic! Magic is...not REALLY a force known as such in the City even if, okay, some of their tech might as well be.

"Maybe we could do some trade with your world." The Rosespanner operative says, offering a hand. "Ah, call me Mickey. But--yeah. Here's our office number." He extends out a Rosespanner business card which essentially has a pattern of a large wrench with a rose in the center of it. He's feeling good about this exchange.
Ozhira     Ozhira starts when Rita's hand waves in front of their face. The little 'mmn' that follows makes their posture straighten, blinking slowly. After a moment, the creature attempts a smile and averts their eyes from Odette's skittish self, affecting an expression that mixes nervousness and anxiety.

    "Oops."
Rita Ma      "We had each other but it looks like she just had...herself."
     "Oh," Rita breathes, rich with pained sympathy. "Well, she'll have all of us from now on, right?"

     She moves on to her assessment, though it's more grounded in personal experience than medical expertise. Fitting the Urchin Solidarity, she down-shifts into a less formal voice: "Whenever I over-ate after starving, sometimes I got weak and my chest felt funny. But meat helps. Can one of you get the shrimp, if she wasn't having that already?"

     Rita's hand on Knifty's shoulder glows, just slightly. Like when she hugged Gebura, it's a little kick-start of energy to get Knifty back into consciousness. The first thing she'll see is Rita's adorable smiling face. "There. Be careful how much you eat for a little while, okay? And stick with fish and shrimp for a few days. They're easy on your body.

     Glancing back up to Mang-Chi, Rita makes a sweetly dubious 'mmm' as she stands from her crouch. "I don't know about that. I've never kept anyone 'in line' before. Is it okay if I just encourage and support you?"

     "Oops."
     "It happens," says Rita, to whom it has certainly happened.
Lilian Rook     'I'll...try to find a better way to put it.'

    "I expect to hear it soon. Don't rush, but it is important."

    'But there'll always be maniacs. I mean you've met Myo.'

    Lilian bites her lip a little. "Well. Roughing up someone like her has its own charms." she says, normally. "I'll think on it."

    'You're really not like the other bigwigs.'

    "I'm not." Lilian agrees. For the first time today, she doesn't sound proud of it. Just . . . tired.

    '...Don't let 'em make you like 'em.'

    "They've been trying for too many years to count. I've gotten quite skilled at turning them away."

    The way the Rats look at each other doesn't escape her. Lilian smiles, just a little. She hesitates a moment longer, then shares in a conspiratorially low voice, "I turned away a particularly well-off T-Corp operator for the position you have right now, you know. I have my pick of success stories and classy talent; that way you look out for one another is what I want."

    She is, unfortunately, gone before Rita shows up, and cannot say anything in defense of (economically speaking) being a sheltered twenty-four year old with opinions on business and labour exclusively informed by beloved house staff.

    ......

    '... It can do- *that's* why? I- I thought I might've just been going crazy, or-'

    "I'm surprised that you're surprised." Lilian says. Her posture is already perfect for lofting an brow for a second. "The rehabilitative therapy you're undergoing is something that can only be done at your age band because affects your nervous system. I thought we went over this?" She did, technically, but it was boring smoke and mirrors. "Well, I apologize for not informing you of this particular risk; I considered it suitably remote, and didn't want to . . ."

    '... What's that mean? Dots about- what?'

    ". . . implicate some of my worse years in the research." Lilian says. The moment of defensive bitterness isn't feigned, despite her speaking in code and metaphor. "I took over the company to handle cases like yours and Onyx's, because I wish someone would have done so for me. There was a point at which I struggled with severe issues related to yours, and nosing around the company's research was how I took steps towards resolving it."

    She breathes in with a tinge of resentment that she has to explain at all, and continues only in a brusque, hurried manner. "I wasn't formally in the program, so there are senior employees who would react in a bothersome way if they were to realize I was suffering side effects from a self-administered treatment, back then. It was dangerous and irresponsible of me to do so, and it was in the interests of my personal goals, and not scientific research, to do so."

    '... Three- three whole years? It's- a couple *weeks* has felt-'

    Lilian is trying to be soft. She really, obvious is. Just . . . charging through that last answer took a lot out of her. "It'll be easier to manage now that you know the cause. You genuinely would be astonished how much symtoms are exacerbated by the anxiety of not understanding them." Lilian sighs, and rubs the bridge of her nose.

    '... How *much* worse..?'

    "Unless you happen to enjoy miserably sleepless nights, nauseating pain and fatigue, random inconsolable emotional peaks, and puking up your guts on the regular, then quite a bit worse."

    That much isn't quite a partial truth any more. It's only that Lilian's conscience demands she warns Meika first.
Rita Ma      "She's paying you enough you can have nice food from now on, right?" Rita adds to the Rats, just-making-sure rather than suspicious-of-Lilian. She doesn't really know how much good food here costs! "That's an important part of being strong."
Xion ... and back in the artist alley...

'You with Dieci?'

Xion looks down at her left wrist, and from a thumbing-into-her-pocket rest, lifts the idle wrist up to dangling keychain out. "Dieci? I'm not familiar. I'm with Director Rook's Trideag, that's right." The Nobody answers smoothly. "I'll go see if they're around later. They are, aren't they?" She also didn't see everyone who came in, siloed like a merchant in some ways, and appreciates the tip audibly, but doesn't know where to go with it now.

Nowhere, but, she's used to going there.

'If this whole thing is just on-the-clock,'

Xion doesn't have a direct comment any more for 'on the clock', not before everyone else, but a lot of her unsmoothed reactions and odd pains could be ignored for a time just wandering into another conversation and doing that for a while. If she was going to be at a party, she might as well help someone.

So she talks about cool knives instead. "Ooh, yeah, something with head weight is fantastic for chopping, and a good curve can mean you get a lot of that cleaver action without as much work. I'm partial to heavy heads myself! But, most of our-" Roxas and hers. "-weapons are topheavy." Being toothed keys and all.

Between Luz and Blemishine endorsing the heavier end of utility-survival tools, Xion comes back to guns... with an agreement.

"Well they're not *swords* are they? I mean." The noirette makes a gentle laugh spill out, sworling the bottom quarter of Roxas' original water like a fine spirit. "I hope you name your tools, too. And mostly need to cut thick plants for as long as you need an edge! It's harder, when it's not survivalism."

A helpful nod is her finish. "Try the kukri! I've heard it's a hunter's trusted companion."
Angela DETECTIVE YURIA

She gets a clue! She almost misses it buy she has a clue! She draws out a datapad that she usually uses for theoretical schematics and writes: 'ONYX' down. She'll have to think about if and how to follow up because it sounds like some kind of medical or augmentation thing? She's not entirely clear but if it's something Color-slayer (Gebura: I'm not dead) went through... she might end up nearly as strong. ... Or dead? She's not sure but it's worrying either way. It definitely sounds ROUGH.

RATS

''Well, she'll have all of us from now on, right?''

"Yeah! Of course!"

There is no Rat alive who doesn't understand the pain of going without food. Lenny stares for a moment before going, "Oh..yeah, yeah, she's right. But don't overdo it, the body needs to relearn how to eat properly."

Knifty jolts awake and blinks twice at Rita. "Whuh...?" She says. "...Why is everyone...so nice? I didn't think I'd be hired I just thought being seen applying for the Association would get the Chefs off of me..."

She sniffs. "...Sorry...Thank you...sorry." She spirals a little but she eats shrimp slowly and carefully. Her heart is pounding and just won't stop but she otherwise is stable.

''I turned away a particularly well-off T-Corp operator...''

The Rats are stunned by this revelation for 1d4 rounds but they quietly reinforce the importance of looking out for one another.

''She's paying you enough you can have nice food from now on, right?''

"Uh...I mean...Yeah? Can't eat steak out every day but ... fuck, it's actually tough to wrap my head around, Miss Rita. We'll make sure Knifty gets what she needs. We had to be careful about adding other mouths before but ... Fuck, now there's noting in the way...I..."

He rubs at his own eyes. "Guhhh...."

"Heh, such a romantic, Petey." Lenny says.

''Is it okay if I just encourage and support you?''

"Well... That's plenty, Miss Rita." Mang-Chi says. "Wouldn't have guessed you ... ...I'm glad you've got better than you had before too." He rubs at his neck. "Glad you can eat your fill now--getting big and strong right?"

Yeah he has no idea.
Rita Ma % Rita holds a nostalgically overwhelmed expression for a little while as she looks down at Knifty- it's a special chance that not many people ever get, to balm the wounds of someone so like your own past self.

     Then she gets conscious of the fact that she's standing over someone-who-should-be-a-peer, and turns to sit against the wall nearby with her legs drawn up against her chest, arms wrapped around her legs, and cheek resting on her knees. "There's been a lot of ups and downs," she tells Mang-Chi. "But I was there too. I didn't know Ms. Rook then, but I was lucky to have people to look out for me. I--"

     Oh no. Am I going to be their Kana?

     No, that's probably Ms. Rook. Whew.

     "--I'm really glad, that she's going to be taking care of you. There's not a lot I can teach you about fighting, but I'll be doing my best to keep you safe when we work together, okay? I'm sure you'll be growing up big and strong too."

     It continues to be unclear what Rita thinks is a normal age to stop growing at.