Faction An Evening at the Golden Orchid - Galactic Alliance

[Ko Vuto]

Location: Pole Anaxes
Attire: X
Tag: Saria Rae

Ko’s body perked up some as he heard someone addressing him, well, more like his inability to eat any of the food here. Although blind, he noticed she extended her hand to shake. Ko rotated his body some towards Saria, his gaze didn’t quite fall on her however. Even with his goggles on he seemed as though he was looking off past her. But he had no issue grabbing her hand to shake with his own clawed digits.

“Well… I’m not really going hungry this evening, I just ate before arriving. Predicting that the menu wouldn’t be well adjusted to an individual like myself.” He expressed, letting her know that he wasn’t really going to go hungry like she said. “But I could understand not wanting to ruin a lovely dress.” It was a bit presumptuous on his part to say that her dress was nice, considering that everyone kinda just looked like humanoid wisps of Force energy to him now. Unless that had a particularly large and noteworthy piece of attire.

“I’m Ko, a pleasure to be acquainted with you as well Miss Rae. Your reputation as an academic precedes you.” The Kel Dor said as he pulled his free hand back before taking a little sip from the straw he had in his little cup of hot tea. He knew a bit about the Mirialan padawan. Mainly that she was more of a diplomatically inclined padawan. Something that he had initially viewed for himself after leaving the agricultural corps. But after meeting Jonyna, she sort of set him on more of a warrior's path. “I’m not really the biggest fan of these kinds of social gatherings, but I understand why they crop up. What are your thoughts?” Little did the well-mannered Kel Dor know, he might come to endure quite a few of her thoughts.​

 

[Makko Vyres]

MAKKO

Catching sight of Colette and Shan Pavond colliding, he swore on whatever the Force was guided by that he was going to force them towards the dance floor if they could not work this out themselves.

Well, he admitted to himself, I probably wouldn't.

Given how quickly Colette deflected all such questions he would have possibly just made things worse. They were talking and they were not here to just be everyone's gossip. Even if he adored drama, he had found that dramatic could be painful too.

He was considering approaching the Nobles. Perhaps with a thoughtful hand on his chin to prop his gaze up to above eye level for the whole conversation. Feeling a slight prickle at the back of his neck, he turned to see Corazona von Ascania .

Makko had missed the champagne incident. He gave her a slight nudge down the bond as he made eye contact.

Makko could have sent a measure of understanding down that same bond, but it was far more amusing to make sign language. He tilted his head towards Shan and Colette. Then he brought up both hands and opened and closed them.

Look, Shan and Colette are talking!

A frown. A glance at the man who was clearly talking at her. He imitated a yawn and then tying a rope around his own neck.

Are you bored yet.

"Excuse me are you quite alright?" asked a voice

Makko nearly jumped. A short old man, was looking up at him with concern. Makko wasn't a good judge of ages when it came to the elderly. He could have been anywhere from sixty to a hundred to Makko.

"Er, yeah nothing. I'm good," Makko replied. His cheeks had flushed with embarrassment. With his head down, Makko started manoeuvring through the crowd to enact a rescue.

 

[Colette]

Shan Pavond

Mission successful, you've certainly stepped out of both our comfort zones.

"Ahaa, you've certainly, uh, zone- yeah, you…" Colette got even redder somehow. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "Mission successful…" She trailed off in a whine that betrayed her feigned confidence. "You stepped—"

Colette abruptly decided to just give up. They were both clearly very uncomfortable in this moment, and for a moment she could have sworn she saw Makko mimicking something about hanging himself from the corner of her eye. Was it really going that bad?

"Stuffier than a…" She tried to joke off of what Shan had said. "Nose. Stuffier than that- than a nose."

Goddamnit. THINK, COLETTE.

"Look, uh, it's not that I meant to sort of avoid you. Or ignore you. Or do everything in my power to be far away for a bit." The girl said and motioned for Shan to follow over towards one of the windows where the air would hopefully be at least a little more chilled. "That was, uh, just a coincidence. And hey, uh, look I probably shouldn't have done what I'm done, and I'm sorry."

"We can uh, pretend it never happened. If you want. I mean, I want what you want, probably. And you want to, uhh…"

"Actually, what- errr... How do you want to go about this, like do we… Talk or, what?"

 

[Shan Pavond]

"...Colette. Breathe. Okay?" Shan sighed to himself, putting his hand on Colette 's shoulder. He might have been embarrassed but he could only imagine Colette felt. And her happiness meant more to him than his own awkwardness right now.

He followed Colette over towards the window, staring out into the night sky as he debated things over in his head. And for once, Shan wasn't listening to Colette fully. His thoughts were all over the place. Blurring together in and out. Focus Shan. Just focus on Colette. "...You don't need to be sorry Colette. You needed time...and so did I."
To be fair he needed more time but that wasn't a luxury right now. How exactly did they want to go about this? Talking was nice but it would be awkward when there was silence. Normally silence was golden but...he didn't like silence around Colette. He liked listening to her. He liked hearing her talk. He was oblivious to Makko off in the distance. If he was being honest to himself, since he noticed Colette, everyone else in the club had faded into the background for him.

"...I think...I'll go with the "or what." I...don't want to pretend what happened, didn't happen. I liked it...even if I was worried I had upset you." Shan broke out into an awkward smile at that, holding his hand out towards Colette all of a sudden, before nodding his head further into the club. "I can't dance well...but...well...It gives us both an excuse to be quiet, right? It's...ironic. For once I don't have the words to say what I want."

 

[Anodyne Lyori]

Kol Ambo - OPEN
​

Anodyne didn't realize the stranger was talking to her at first. She blinked and turned to face him, scrambling to a form a forced, professional smile. He was an older-looking man, not exactly the upper crust type she was expecting to run into tonight.

"Anodyne," She offered, acknowledging him with a nod as she anxiously tapped off her glass. What else was she supposed to talk about? There was an awkward pause, "…Is this your usual sort of haunt?" The ambassador asked, sussing out his presence as uncommon.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I love dancing with your mom. Not too much a fan of these kinds of events, though. It's all about making the rich feel richer so they'll spend some money to help save lives. You'd think they'd just help." Oh, yes. He had his opinions on this sort of event. He couldn't say he liked anything about this. If it wasn't going to help people, he'd be telling these rich slobs off at any given moment.

All this did was remind him of the Sith.

Aris, on the other hand, was indifferent. He stood beside Kahlil, already nearing his mother in height. Epicanthix were just that much taller than the other humanish species. And he was focused elsewhere. A book, casual reading. Studying. He was going to be a Padawan soon, and he wanted to get as much of a head start as he could on whatever it was he might be learning. Especially on the academic side.

"At least we'll have good food while we're here."

Valery Noble

 

[Kol Ambo]

"…Is this your usual sort of haunt?"

"Maybe," Kol said, glancing around briefly, "I can't tell yet if they have Bantha Burgers or not. Maybe hiding behind the Mehlanese fodu over there."

He smiled again, this time with actual mirth.

"This does seem like your kind of haunt though, Annie. You at least have the getup for it.

I always wonder if these shindigs manage to bring in more money than they put out. But I guess they must, or else they'd stop happening, eh?"

Then, to better explain his presence, he went on, "Sometimes when one of the ritzeratti can't make it to an engagement like this, they donate their tickets to the less-fortunate (but still respectable.) Like law-enforcement. I'm a Marshal and part-time Sector Ranger. I had the fewest arrests this month, so I got the short straw.

I guess they'll rethink the respectable part next year."

He winked.

"You know, while you look the part, I get the sense you're not much more comfy around here than I am."



Anodyne Lyori

 

[Saria Rae]

Tags: Ko Vuto
Dress Reference

“I’m Ko, a pleasure to be acquainted with you as well Miss Rae. Your reputation as an academic precedes you.”

"Why thank you," Saria beamed.

So polite, and astutely well spoken at that. It was no wonder that Ko had such a positive reputation. It was nice to, at the very least, have another individual to speak to on the same level. An intelectual equal, perhaps. It was a rather exciting though. Saria needed herself a rival that matched her own prowess after all.

And then Ko asked for her opinion on the nature of the event. He had just opened a floodgate.

"I believe an event like this could be taken advantage of far more than it is," the Mirialan frowned, crossing her arms. "With so many political leaders and manufacturers all in one place, you'd expect there to be more discussion on how to tackle the war as a linked economy. There hasn't really been much of that at all..."

One would expect a pause there, but Saria had a lot on her mind. She had the wit about her to poke at the holes in the structure of elite parties such as these, and she was certainly going to speak it very much at the expence of Ko.

"…and honestly, it’s a travesty that the present representatives aren’t taking advantage of the allocated time slot. It’s almost like they don’t even comprehend the opportunity sitting just beyond their noses. Especially given the political implications of an invasion on Galactic Alliance soil, I feel that there should be far greater discussion on the allocation of funds that are generated by this event. Unfortunately all I’ve heard is hogwash. It seems that we’re a select few with the aptitude to actually conversate on the more complicated matters plaguing our institution. It’s imperative that these socratic sessions occur now more than ever, especially…"

Perhaps a minute passed. Maybe five. Time would become unclear as the padawan opened up on every neuanced problem she had been considering about the undertones of the event. At the very least, this steady stream of words would eventually come to an end. Saria was, of course, completely oblivious to the lenght of her rambling.

"It's nice at the very least," she decided. "Fun for those who may not engage with the world of intergalactic affairs. I suppose I just never indulged in the pleasantries of any of the high-end venues I've attended."

Maybe she needed a change of pace. Perhaps the best course of action really was to turn her brain off and have fun.

She just had to figure out how to do that.

 

[Horace von Cholmondeley II]

"In fact, they do."

Horace startled as a stranger suddenly spoke up behind him. "Chit!" he blurted, grimacing. The fact that people could sneak up on him was a sign of weakness, as far as he was concerned. And he hated to show any weakness.

Vincent stepped forward from the shadows behind the rather large bearded man. Motioning towards one of the many wait staff standing at the ready, he whispered but loudly enough that the man beside him could hear. "Come boy, and pour for me a cup, of old Falernian. Fill it up with wine, strong, sparkling, bright, and clear; Our host decrees no water here." A knowing nod in reply and the lad darted off with purpose.

"What the feth are you going on about?" Horace asked bluntly. Was this some foreign custom that made people speak in rhyme?

The stranger offered him a flask of Corellian whiskey, renowned for its flavor. Horace had tasted the stuff and liked it. With a grunt, he took the flask and chugged it down. The liquid settled over in him in a pleasant buzz.

While the mysterious man dropped hints that he had more to offer, Horace's tipsy gaze swiftly became fixed upon the nearby figure of Anodyne Lyori . "BY THE GODS!" he exclaimed. "Sharp-eared goddess, take me home and put me to bed!" His bellowing voice carried across the room. "I can see all the way to Axilla up that skirt! Oh, to be young again..." He caught sight of Kol Ambo beside her and laughed. "Not that age has stopped him, ha ha ha!"

"What brings you to Anaxes, your Majesty?"

"Love for our people, of course," Horace swiftly shifted gears, adapting a tone of selfless righteousness. "I am here on behalf of all of Ukatis. The Mandalorians may have wounded us, but we are far from beaten."

Vincent Coyle​

 

[Colette]

Shan Pavond

Colette took a seat on the windowsill for a moment to pull herself out of her terror. She chuckled for a moment even. If it was time that she had needed then how would anyone have known when the right time to act was? No, what she needed was her head pulled out of her ass. Something that Makko — of all people — had, admittedly, been very good for.

"Oh no, I can stand up just fine. Thanks." Colette said and waved away the boy's hand before he clarified his intention. "Oh!" She exclaimed. "Oh no. I-I-Iiiii… Wouldn't know- the FIRST thing about dancing in polite society."

She grabbed the hand to pull Shan into a tight hug.

"I don't really want to pretend it didn't happen either." She admitted. "You're such a good person, and I just…"

"I think dancing is a good way to not think too much about all of this."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Dress | Wedding Ring
Tag: Kahlil Noble | Open

Valery was blushing too much over him admitting that he loved to dance with her, to notice the rest of what he said. Vera couldn't agree more though, and looked around with a sigh. At least, until she noticed a lot of familiar faces at the same time. Sure, there were types here who just wanted to make themselves look good, but there were a lot of really great people to show their support as well. From Shan Pavond and Colette being weird again, to Makko Vyres and Corazona von Ascania .

Maybe they just stood out to Vera because they had all been her target once.

"Well, let's just make the most of it, hm?" Valery smiled after snapping our of her little happy trance, and squeezed his arm a little. Her eyes then turned back into the room, where she soon spotted Makko Vyres looking their way. She waved and offered a warm smile - perhaps they could go talk to him soon.

"Hey Aris, you're a bit quiet-" Valery stopped, blinked and realized just how tall he was getting. Not quite as tall as his Mom just yet, but he was awfully close. Vera too, for that matter, although not as tall as her brother. Valery felt very small all of a sudden, and looked up at her husband as if she was in need of help.

"Yeah, come on, Aris," Vera said before she snatched his book away. "You can read later. Let's go dance, get snacks and maybe meet some people!" Vera grinned and looked around. Maybe she could get a friend here to dance with her too!

"Do you want to dance, love? Or maybe first find a senator or two to talk to, and get that over with first?" She teased with quite a grin.

 

[Shan Pavond]

"I don't care about dancing in polite society. I care about dancing with you." Shan said rather simply. He was perhaps more blunt than he normally would be...but this wasn't the time for him to try and mince his wounds, or try to dance around it all. However he let out a small yelp as Colette pulled him in for the tight hug, causing the Mirialan to break out into a small blush before he returned the hug, a small smile spreading across his face.

Wait. Don't get distracted Shan. Listen to what Colette was saying. "I still want us to think about it Colette. And...talk about it. It's important. How you feel is important...and how I feel is as well." The Mirialan squeezed Colette's hand gently before nodding his head off in the direction of the club, for the dance floor...area, or whatever it was.

"You're a good person as well Colette. One of the best. I'm erh....glad to know you. Even though I feel like I'm putting my foot in my mouth everytime I talk..." This was more awkward than Shan was used to at the end of the day, but it had the bright fact that it involved Colette. That was the only reason Shan would be going through this torture. The torture of dancing.

Colette

 

[Tirin Raene]

TAGS: @ open
​

In the midst of a starlit evening, as the Golden Orchard was aglow with the soft luminescence of a thousand twinkling lights, a figure of quiet distinction made his way through the throngs of elegantly dressed attendees. This was Tirin Raene, a Jedi Consular, whose presence carried the serene confidence of a seasoned diplomat and the subtle strength of a skilled warrior.

Clad in robes of the richest silk, Tirin's attire was a canvas of deep violet, adorned with intricate accents of silver and red that caught the light with every graceful step he took. The robes, fashioned in the style of a martial artist, flowed around him with an effortless elegance.

Tirin moved with the poise of one who had mastered the art of balance - between strength and gentleness, action and contemplation. His lightsaber, was discreetly attached to his belt.

As he mingled among the guests, his demeanor was both engaging and thoughtful, his words carrying the weight of wisdom yet the lightness of genuine interest.

 

[Raphael Calgar]

TAGS: Renata Westaway | Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble | Alicio Organa | @Open

Raphael stepped carefully down the stairs, matching the woman's somewhat diminished pace. "No, please. One has nothing to do with the other." He paused as she held the banister. "I'd be happy to give you the details." They continued down the staircase, music getting just a touch louder as they grew closer and closer to the main level. "Ms. Fortan," he said delicately. His eyes narrowed, a distant look spreading across his features. "Yes. We uh," he hesitated, biting the inside of his cheek. Thinking about the event was still a touch difficult, his heart rate increasing slightly. "Well, she was captured as I assume you already know. We were boarded on our way back from Ukatis, somewhere in the Thyferra system. If it's the seeds you're after, I'm afraid I'm still waiting on Director Messervy but you can rest assured they'll be equitably distributed between our people."

As their feet touched down on the main floor, Raphael winced inwardly. He'd begun to put the pieces together but Renata's words finished the slowly resolving puzzle in his mind's eye. "Ah. Yes. That would do it," he nodded. "Well," he said, looking around cautiously. "I can provide you with what intelligence I was able to acquire. I've got our local intelligence wing on it as well but they've dug up precious little - not really our forte as you might imagine." Raphael sighed, polishing off the flute in a single tile of the glass before depositing it on a passing tray of empties. "I don't suppose you'd like something stronger?" he asked, stepping towards one of the several pop up bar tops nearby. "I imagine you know Natasi better than I, and I get the idea that she's what you might call stubborn? It's the only reason I'm here and she's..." he waved his hands. "Wherever."

"Brandy, neat," he nodded at the tender. "Anything else for you?" Raphael asked Renata. "So, Prime Minister? That would make you..." he squinted one eye, tilting his head to the side. "Prime Minister Renata Westaway?" He pointed a finger towards her, accusatory. Heavens and hells. That's why she seemed familiar. Cheeky. "Now that the jig is up, I suppose I'll properly introduce myself. Raphael Calgar, Planetary Governor of Anaxes and representative to the Senate." He offered a shallow bow, a smile stretching across his lips. A gentle cough from the barkeep and Raphael feigned surprise. "Ah, thank you sir." A quick dollop of creds found their way from Raphael to the man. Payment of course was unnecessary and Raphael had funded the majority of the booze, but tips were a great way to ingratiate oneself.

"So, as I was saying, you can expect full assistance from myself and my office - I've got several irons in the fire. I wouldn't want to leave it up to the mooks at the SIA to be the only option. They move, what's the word, slow."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

ANAXES

Cora followed the line of Makko's gestures toward Shan and Colette. The sight of them interacting - adorably awkward - lifted her lips into a genuine smile that was still muted enough to be polite.

She'd never imagined that the pair would've developed a budding romantic interest in one another, but what was the saying? Opposites attract? Cora had to wonder what Kahlil and Valery thought.

Makko's next few hand motions made her snort in a most unfeminine manner. The man holding her hostage paused, looking mildly affronted.

"Apologies," Cora pressed the tips of her fingers to her lips, trying to hide her blooming smile. "I had a bit of trouble swallowing." She lifted the flute of champagne as Makko Vyres made his way over.

"Excuse me for a moment." The Padawan inclined her head towards the approaching Knight. "My colleague has something he wishes to discuss. Jedi business." Her voice lowered as she peeked up at the wealthy investor from beneath her lashes.

"Is something the matter?" A flash of concern crossed his face, to which Cora quickly shook her head. "All is well. One moment, please." Taking hold of Makko's arm, she allowed him to escort her away in time for King Cholmondeley's brash words to wash over them. A flush of embarrassment burned her pale cheeks.

"That man has no shame." She rumbled once they were out of earshot, all but stopping herself from glaring daggers at the bloated king. “As if Ukatis’ reputation hasn’t suffered enough.”

 

[Vincent Coyle]

-
Tags: Horace von Cholmondeley Sr.
-

Apparently, the nuance was lost on the man. Should have figured that, never can tell with these royal types. It was a strange dichotomy. On the one end, you had royals all up in their own business quoting this author or that famous historical figure, or some obscure work of theatre. On the other, you had well, this. Though, as the King of Ukatis remarked audibly at a rather comely young woman. Coyle's gaze followed the King's, eyebrows rising as he nodded subtly in agreement. Quite a bird, indeed. Though, he didn't want to particularly be associated with Cholmondeley Sr.'s boisterous articulations. I'm going to need more liquor for this, Coyle realized, ruefully. It's a good thing more is coming.

Taking another swig, well, attempting, from his own flask he gave it a shake, a solitary drop falling to the floor. One man's sip, another man's gulp I suppose. "I like the cut of your jib. Fight's just getting started and those bucketheads are asking for the ol' one two. I bet you felled a man or two in your time, eh?" Vincent transitioned into a more relaxed mode of speech, jovial and cordial as opposed to his normal gravely.

​

 

[Makko Vyres]

MAKKO

As he approached Corazona von Ascania Makko's confident attitude started to waver. He had been uncomfortable around Cora since her return from Ukatis at times, but this was not the same. Cora was wearing a floating dress of dark nile blue that flowed into a dusky grey that bared her shoulders. The jewel of the crowd.

He was nervous. She looked incredible and he was just playing dress up. Makko found himself fiddling with the cuffs of his shirt to make sure they settled right.

"Hey."

He thought he was escorting her to safety, but the booming voice of her ex-father-in-law carried well. Cora had a hold on his left arm, but he placed his right hand over the top of hers. His thumb idly stroked up and down over soft skin. He slowed the pace as they wove through the crowd.

"What an ass," he muttered. He felt a pang of pity that such a fool ran an entire planet, but there nerves were still raw from everything Cora had been put through. He couldn't help the sharp edge of his tone. He let out a resigned sigh and tried to member the thoughts he had been trying to gather together before. It was unlike Makko to not know what to say.

"You look amazing by the way. Love the dress," he said. He nodded in the direction of Shan and Colette heading for the dance floor. "Don't they look sweet. I tried to tell her to face what she did at the party and think about it. I'm not sure she listened. She's stubborn."

"A padawan more stubborn and belligerent - and yes I know what that word means I've been reading okay - than me."

 

[Colette]

Shan Pavond

He was persistent though, in an almost kind of cute manner. Colette exhaled a small laugh for a moment. She let him continue to hold her hand as they went over towards the neatly named 'dance-place-thing' where people embarrassed themselves. It would seem that Shan was actually quite intent to join them as well in this endeavour, and who was Colette to make him do such a thing alone?

"Shan," Colette spoke with a softness she didn't even know she had. "You're not putting your foot in your mouth." She continued. "I really treasure you, as a friend. Regardless of where you keep your footwear."

They approached the doors. It wasn't so much the embarrassment that scared her as much as Valery's reaction to whatever mess Colette was about to make. These stuffed up and self-important so-called 'leaders' were of little concern to the kid, but it most certainly would matter to Valery. She was the one who had to tackle their demands and questions as Grand Master of the Order after all.

'Master Jedi Valery Noble, why did your padawan punch a guest at our fundraiser?'
'Well you see, she is a very wild spirit and he probably deserved it'

Eh, maybe not quite.

"You know," Colette chuckled to herself. "I can't help but notice that I'm breaking the dress code a little. There are a lot of dresses here."

She smiled at Shan.

"Their loss I suppose, right?"

 

[Shan Pavond]

As a friend. As a friend. Shan wasn't too sure why that statement disappointed him. It was nice at least to hear that she wasn't putting his foot in his mouth. "I erh...really treasure you as well Colette. You're...an amazing person. There's not many of those in the Galaxy. Good people? Sure. But you're amazing. You...help me to be more confident."

He glanced up towards the doors for a moment, debating whether or not to actually step in. Was he really willing to make a fool of himself dancing?...Yeah. Yeah. If he just focused on Colette, then it didn't matter how much of an idiot he looked like. Because he'd be happy, and what was better than being a happy idiot? Well. A happy genius would be pretty nice but the idea of him being a genius went out the window as soon as he bumped into Colette.

He knew Makko and the Nobles were here and part of him wondered if they were watching the pair. Did it matter if they were? Maybe. Kahlil had told him to listen to Colette, and he was doing his hardest to listen to his master's advice. Which is why when Colette spoke about her outfit, Shan actually turned to look at her, glancing up and down for a small moment before breaking out into his own small smile.

"It is definitely their loss. You're proving that people can still be beautiful out of dresses." The Mirialan tugged at his suit for a moment, turning his attention back towards the door as he actually processed what he had just said and gave a nervous chuckle. "...I feel like I prefer my robes though to this. This suit is too stuffy."

Colette

 

[Anodyne Lyori]

Kol Ambo - Horace von Cholmondeley Sr. - Vincent Coyle - Open​

---

Kol's casual attitude speaking with someone he just met struck the aristocratic Anodyne as bizarre. In a way it was disarming, but she was used to the structured facades and double-spoken whispers of her fellow upperclassmen. Although being called 'Annie' by the stranger caused her to circle right back to confusion, unsure of whether or not she should be offended by his presumptions. "Um, n-no… I've been around such events plenty. I just—"

"Sharp-eared goddess, take me home and put me to bed!" His bellowing voice carried across the room. "I can see all the way to Axilla up that skirt! Oh, to be young again..."

In stark contrast, the King gave her something to very clearly be offended by. Anodyne locked up, and her porcelain skin turned burning hot pink in embarrassment as she realized she was being catcalled in the middle of an Alliance public event. Her first Alliance public event no less. For the life of her she couldn't find a single politician under the sun to mingle with, but she could be objectified by a portly, chair-ridden chauvinist for all to hear. Perhaps in other circumstances she would have maintained enough composure to remove herself from the situation, but his shameless use of epithets struck the ambassador harshly. The sort of thing she heard muttered back on Jelucan behind her back. Sharp-eared. Half-breed. Bastard. Anything that distinguished her as the Other.

Already on edge, Anodyne raised a finger politely to Kol, then spun around to Horace, "E-excuse me?" She shakily uttered, baffled by his brazenness. The ambassador approached closer, trying to put on a stern face, though it was undermined by her frazzled emotions, "What gives you the right to speak to me in such a way?" She had no idea who he was, of course.