First Reply Another Step

[Meya Liefi]

The party occupied the sprawling estate of a wealthy Corellian family. Meya was already inside the grand reception hall that opened into manicured gardens and terraces overlooking the city. Warm light spilled from elaborate chandeliers overhead, catching on polished floors and the glassware carried between guests.

Music drifted through the room, elegant strings mixed into the steady murmur of conversation, occasional laughter, and the soft clink of glasses. The air smelled faintly of expensive perfumes, fresh flowers, and the rich food being served from tables along the far wall.

Meya moved without hurrying, with a single bodyguard following several steps behind her. This night she choose to wear a long black dress that fitted closely through her waist before falling into a flowing skirt. Fine golden stitching traced the edges of the dress and formed subtle patterns along the bodice and sleeves.

Gold earrings hung against her neck, accompanied by several rings, a thin chain resting against her throat, and delicate golden chains woven through her hair. The chains in her hair shifted softly with each step, occasionally giving a faint metallic clink against one another that had become somewhat of her signature. The overall effect was elegant rather than ostentatious, she believed at least - black dominating the dress while the gold provided accents throughout.

Her golden eyes moved steadily across the gathering, taking in faces, security positions, exits, uniforms, and the small details that might reveal who belonged where. She was here to meet someone, but the gathering itself served another purpose. An invitation into the estate had provided her a way into Republic space.

 

[Ala Quin]

Some times you just had to get out. And for Ala, who was still limping after the attack on the Jedi prison compound, she needed to get out of the council chambers and into something different. Different in this case was picking out one of the representative assignments to mingle with the Nabooian aristocracy.

Granted, it was not her ideal distraction. But it was just enough out of her comfort zone that she could worry about her dress more than the entire Order splitting down the middle. In this case, the only thing that was split was the side of her dress. Probably a little too showy for a grandmaster, but Ala had never been opposed to living a little.

The expected pleasantries were exchanged as she passed through the crowd. Several expressed concern over her wellbeing, which Ala brushed off with a pleasant smile and a few words of affirmation. It was nice to have people concerned about her, but there was often this general unease with the reality that they only cared because of her title.

Grandmaster. It still sat poorly on her shoulders.

Still, she forced herself to lean into the distraction. Plucking a flute of Nabooian wine from a passing server droid, she toasted a nearby Baron whose gaze had lingered just a second too long on the slit of her dress. "Careful, my lord," she murmured, a sly edge to her smile as she glided past him. "Those eyes might fall out of your head."

| Meya Liefi @Open |​