Chase Fashion Presents: A Charity Gala

[Seydon of Arda]

“Mr. Valkner,” Seydon said, shaking the proffered hand and imparting a slight clench. “Pleasure’s all mine.”

He noted the couple made for an easy gala appearance; at once present yet removed, easy aloofness, with an edge of mystery in the slightly brooding shadows in Mara’s expression and the more open, more boisterous snickers present in Hylo’s grin. His sudden floral bloom out the part of his hair garnered a pause. The blossom bobbed in time with the boy’s swallow. Better manners dictated ‘no comment.’ Face was reciprocal and dignity cost nothing to respect. Seydon adjusted his sleeve cuffs and fidgeted with the ride of his starched collar. Where was that woman?

“You here after trouble?” He murmured at Mara. “Just mingling? Always figured you kept donations as an ‘arms length’ thing. Also…”

He looked to Hylo. “Pardon any rudeness. Professional curiosity. Zelosian? Sylphe? You got that ‘always spring’ scent, bit of earth undertones,” Cats-eyes shivered and narrowed, pouring over the man. “…Looking a little ‘cool’ too. How’d you hook in with Ms. Merrill?”

[member="Hylocereus"] [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] [member="Rosa Gunn"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

They weaved their way through the gala hall with practiced ease and a certain style that suggested something akin to: I will take the time I need to go where I need to be, I can do this... because I have money and blood. It was the swagger of old money and old blood, who need not hurry anywhere unless they chose to.

Secondly, it gave both of them the time to properly show each other off.

This was a dance, after all.

Both had shown their interest in one another. The slow track, the fake smiles and nods to the cloistered groups around them, that was all part of it. "Mm, deplorable? I suppose that is one way of describing it." Exciting was another, exhilarating a second. Many people had lost their lives on that day. But what did that truly matter to one such as Itash or one such as Cass? People died every day in a Galaxy such as this one and the number one thing the conference in the Corporate Sector had done for Tash... it was additional business.

A handful of the nobles and corporate owners he had rescued had wanted to sign up with Didact.

Then there was the... aftermath of his rescue of Cass.

Pleasant, very pleasant. "Business is thriving and I haven't been shot at in a week or so, I'd consider that good fortune." Tash finally retorted, before offering her another smile. A knowing one. Both of them had become aware of their... excitement during that shoot-out. But the Tapani supposed that wasn't the civilized way of experiencing things. "How about you? I admit, I am surprised - pleasantly - to find you here, miss Paige. I did not expect you to be interested in these sort of galas and events."

[member="Coren Starchaser"] -- Oh, yes.

 

[Hylocereus]

"No," Hylo said in reply to [member="Seydon Gunn"] saying the pleasure was all his. "That's just my pheromones." Frowning he thought that was he uncontrollably letting loose his pheromones again. Its been a long time since he'd done that, mostly when he was a much more awkward teenager. "Sometimes when I'm nervous they just go off and people start to like me."

Then Seydon asked him about the smell. "Dirt!" Hylo said excited. He'd just had a wonderful romp rolling around in some soil, although he took a shower before coming down to the party. "Mostly Sylphe," Hylo nodded. "But there is some zelosian in there too." He nodded his approval at the mans knowledge.

"I met Mara training in lightsaber combat." Turning he squeezed her a little and then said. "I knew she was special from the moment I saw her." The reverse was not true. Hylo knew it, but didn't particularly care. "Then we were friends for awhile and this tower was going to be taken from me and Mara helped me and my potted plant Edgar take down a mob boss." He nodded furiously. "And then I asked and she said yes."

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] [member="Seydon Gunn"]

 

[Luther Lewis]

Joza had pointed out two cheeses, and Isabella reached for the first. She popped the cube in her mouth and resisted a grimace. Swallowing it with minimal chewing, she steeled herself and reached for the other cube. This one was more pleasant, but she still had trouble with the taste. "Delicious" she lied. She liked sweet food too much to enjoy anything savory unfortunately.

She turned back to the Zeltron. "Miss Maxine Layton, heir to blah blah blah" she said, with a wicked grin on her face. "Why does everyone have to introduce themselves with such meaningless titles? Why can't we be perfectly candid when we meet one another". She took a sip from her drink. "Maybe I should start the trend" she continued. "Miss Maxine, god-awful gossip-monger!"

The start of an operation involved gaining the trust of the individual, so you can tease out secrets. The end of operations, however, followed a different tack. It is important to make sure the other guests would never suspect you as a spy, just in case there was an investigation later. Gossipers can never be spies. Not very subtle, they enjoy trivial information as much as juicy secrets. Not to mention they spill all the secrets after a couple of drinks.

"Shall we start with our esteemed host, [member="Damian Starchaser"]? Very good taste in fashion and easy to get along with. Also, a clone some say, which I find strange. The man has such a strong..." she searched for the word. "Uniqueness about him." She pointed to [member="Coren Starchaser"] standing next to the boy. "His uncle looks ill-equipped to handle the sharks that swim here unfortunately, poor thing. The man's something of a war-hero in the Alliance I hear" she whispers conspiratorially to Joza.

Next her finger moved to [member="Lin Kai"]. "The Mirialan in the fine tuxedo is something of a philanthropist. Didn't find much on [member="Ereza"], the woman he is talking to. She has the look of a hunter however, with those hard and calculating eyes." Most of her information was delicately extracted from chatty nobles who had a bit too much to drink. Most feared Ereza, so all she knew was the woman's name. "Miss [member="Cassandra Paige"]" Emphasizing the 'miss'. "is a little uncomfortable with other species it seems". She took a long sip from her drink. "Good taste in drinks though, so I can forgive her".

"[member="Rosa Gunn"] walks with the sort of poise that only over-confident or very powerful people have" The woman was subtle and played the 'game' well. Such people usually could talk others into loops and leave them bewildered. "Her husband, [member="Seydon Gunn"], looks the part of warrior but has an impressive and refined taste". Better than Isabella's taste at least; she still couldn't work out what she was drinking.

"The one who looks like she trusts no one is [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"], companion to @Hylocereus. The Aforementioned plant-man apparently gets drunk off sugar, which I find incredibly amusing." She tried one of cheeses again and immediately regretted it. "[member="Itash Mecetti"] suits this venue, he has that kind of swagger speaks of wealth and power."

Her eyes were alive as she turned back to Joza. This game what she loved; it was the part of her job she was best at. It was typical of her that she would still play games even when her mission was over. "And how can I forget [member="Joza Perl"], the resplendent pink beauty?" Her drink was finally empty, much to her disappointment. "No gossip on you however" she lied. "Except perhaps on your impressive attire".

 

[Noah Corek]

Noah sighed as he finally made it to be bar and looked at the selection of booze that they had. A waiter came forward and asked him what his poison would be. "Tell me. Do you have Fondorian Ale, Thyferrian Brandy and Kiffex Gin?" At the mention of the three types of alcohol the bartender smiled. "If I'm not mistaken those three are the three main components to a Omega Pyre a drink favored by the contractors of the Omega Pyre of which the drink was named after and judging by your beret," The man gestured to the beret now folded and tucked into Noah's right shoulder strap, according to the regulations. "your quite the high ranking member." Noah chuckled and looked at the man with a smile. "A lot of info to be known by a simple bartender." Noah pointed out as the other man began to look for the alcohol. "Well I actually use to be a freelancer merc. I indeed to sign up with the Pyre but my last freelance job before joining I took a blaster bolt to the knee." The man explained as he finally found all the bottles he was looking for. Turning around the bartender placed a tumbler on the bar and then poured one third of each liquor into the glass. The resulting mix caused the drink to turn a dark orange in color, a color which was closely linked with the Pyre. Smiling Noah took a swig and raised his glass before walking away.

Surveying the room and decided to take a look at who he could bother. He could bother his adopted niece [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] and her fiance [member="Hylocereus"] Valkner but they seemed engrossed in a conversation with a man he recognized as [member="Seydon Gunn"]. The host [member="Damian Starchaser"] seemed engrossed with a conversation with hmmm it was [member="Coren Starchaser"], Noah liked Coren he was a good soldier, though he figured the two needed family. [member="Cassandra Paige"] and [member="Itash Mecetti"] were in their own little world and besides the look about her and the snippets of her conversations he had caught told him she was, to put it lightly, a queen. [member="Rosa Gunn"] seemed to be trying to elude her husband and he felt like she didn't need any help with that. Finally his eyes settled on a Zeltron he knew and a Chiss whose file he had read. [member="Joza Perl"] and [member="Isabella Fonti"]. Joza he had encountered a few times doing work with the ORC but Isabella this would be the first time he could remember interacting with her.

As Noah began making his way toward the blue and pink skinned women Noah began to review Isabella's dossier in his head. Daughter of Drey Fonti, a First Order Rear Admiral, and Maria Fonti, a retired First Order naval officer. She had grown up around her mother grew to resent her over personal issues. To get away she had joined the navy and due to her high performance scores from the Cadet Academy he mother had put her in at age fourteen she was assigned to counter-intel aboard a frigate. There she discovered the true nature of the First Order she defected and brung a crapload of intel about the First Order with her, after that she was assigned to the SIS and was particularly fond of taking part in operations against the First Order. Finally as Noah reached the two women he caught their entire conversation and decided to insert himself in the end. "And what of me Miss Layton was it?"

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Seydon Gunn"] [member="Hylocereus"]

There was, and always had been, something deeply alien about Hylo's manner of speaking. Blunt, honest, enthusiastic, and framed in simplest possible terms - it used to grate on her. These days she found it refreshing.

"The plant he's talking about is a friend of ours - a sapient, telepathic Murakami orchid. That's him over there." Edgar wore a new pot for the occasion, and sat on the wet bar under a drip of sugar water.

"As for why I'm here...well, It's almost home. Hylo owns and operates this arcology, penthouse garden through homeless shelters. I'll probably be moving in here after the wedding." And putting her vendetta aside to commit to something new. She had no doubt her father thanked the Force for Hylo's proposal on a daily basis.

 

[Damian Starchaser]

Damian for his part leaned and gave a polite peck to the back of Rosa's hand before settling back in. "Of course there is more than just blue milk," Damian said with a nod. "Hylo, our resident expert and host for the evening, has said that there is a number of reason we want to rotate crops so we produce more than just cash crops on our various farming enterprises. We could easily shuffle foods to you at cost." He nodded firmly before noticing the look Coren was giving him. Right well now Damian regretted not telling his uncle to not make a scene. Instead, hoping the man would get the message he turned with a smile and winked at him.

In his turning he spared a glance over at [member="Joza Perl"] who was talking to a woman marked in the registry as Maxine Layton ([member="Isabella Fonti"]), and a soldier named [member="Noah Corek"] who was representing the Alliance. Damian had done background on people in attendance and knew the Reputation of Noah Corek, however Maxine was something of a mystery being from an obscure sector of space where records weren't the best. That's exactly why Damian liked the Outer Rim Coalition himself, it made it easy to backstop an investigation with fraudulent credentials. She of course wasn't the only suspicious person at the party, several donors were indeed darksiders or those who perhaps had some sort of connection to a criminal element. Still his gaze lingered on the colorful women for a moment before flashing a sweet smile at Joza. Let them read into what that meant.

The toothpick in Damians hand played happily through his fingers flipping like a gymnast on bars as he looked back to Rosa and Coren. "We're also expanding our enterprises as well. So more opportunities will be opening up in the near future."

[member="Rosa Gunn"] | [member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Seydon of Arda]

He’d read the part treatise, part essay subjects Mara had authored in the wake of the Ilum raids. Squaring off against nearly ten-thousand years of proud martial heritage, she had deconstructed the mystique of Mandalorian culture with cutting accusations of appropriated fascism, enforced hegemony, toxic machismo, and inculcated ideas of paradoxical honour and conduct. The prose had been coldly bitter and enraged. Mara had taken wounds. Padawans in her charge had been ruthlessly cut down in an attack that’d been punitive at best. Seydon feared, alongside her father, that Ilum’s stark frigidity had found purchase in her.

Now, Hylo was making her smirk and giggle. There was flush to her cheeks and the blood was running warm again. Ilum was compartmentalized, tucked away to its appropriate place. Mandos were Mandos and could either go to hell or get out of her way. Seydon wordlessly toasted with his champagne flute and turned back to crowd-gaze.

“Rose and I,” He said to Mara. “We’re… We’re a little more settled. She’s got her Foundation, still refurbishing the place on Teth. You still practice, still keep the implements sharp and ingredients fresh, retain your edge still, but when you’ve lacked for domestic bliss? Married life ain’t so bad. ‘Specially when you manage to get it halfway right. …Jorus needle you about grandkids yet?”

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] [member="Hylocereus"] [member="Rosa Gunn"]

 

[Ereza]

"Sometimes."

A smile cracked his lips. Not the debonaire too-bright grin he put on for the others. Just a smile. Cautious. Curious.

"We're both green after all."

Growing up in an immigrant family, he'd heard any number of slights used against Mirialans. "Greeny" being a favorite. He remembered the day a group of bellhops had called his father that one day, when they thought he could not hear. He also remembered when his father bought the hotel they worked at immediately afterward.

Money did have its uses.

"New to Coruscant? I don't recognize you."

[member="Ereza"]

She appreciated the glib reply. Ereza could imagine the sorts of disdain the man's skin color garnered for him, for his people. The woman recalled instances of racism within her own, but green. That wasn't a color of skin her people knew.

"It is a big planet," wryness crawled into the corners of her lips and eyes, turning to fully face the man though neglecting to leave the place she'd come to settle between a large overlook window and a very healthy ficus, "impressive that you should recognize everyone on it."

 

[Joza Perl]

A crimson brow raised at the “Heir to blah blah blah” part. Wasn’t exactly expected of a socialite and was just what Joza was hoping for. Classy social gatherings were waning in interest to her, and so far the highlight of the evening had been jabbing [member="Damian Starchaser"] with a toothpick once or twice. Speaking of, she spied him across the room sending her a certain smile that meant retribution was to be exacted.

She responded by looking him dead in the eyes and eating another cube of cheese with no small amount of intensity.

Turning back to [member="Isabella Fonti"], she arched the other brow. “Wait, Mara’s man gets drunk off of sugar?” She eyed the recently engaged couple with interest for a moment. “Quite the goldmine of gossip you’ve got there. Didn’t know Rosa was married.” She shrugged, only having done business with the woman once concerning humanitarian aid. The topic of husbands hadn’t really come up, of which Joza now had two. At the same time. Accidentally.

Her lips twisted into a quasi pout at the mention of her lack of information on Joza. “My clothes?” She tisked. “How boring. C’mon, there’s plenty of dirt on me.” She glanced to [member="Noah Corek"], a familiar face that was coming into view as he approached from her periphery and asked the question of the hour.

Cue more cheese.

 

[Claire Organa]

Claire had found a comfortable view of the room she watched everyone as they moved about the attempt to hide glances at one another, an awkward smile between two friends? lover? She did not know she assumed.

She started to put some names to the faces as the other guests began talking.

[member="Joza Perl"] - zeltron so obvious, Club Owner...hmm maybe she could use some outfits for her staff. Claire made a mental note. [member="Ereza"] someone behind her whispered it fear? Don't know much caught someone else saying her name, I could have heard it wrong.

Interesting a stranger that someone didn't now anything about. Excellent.

[member="Seydon Gunn"] and [member="Rosa Gunn"] well well the whispers grew stronger. She's a researcher, does a lot of charity work. Him...I don't know much about they say he is her husband.

Isn't it funny how easily people can dismiss someone just because they don't have a large presence or company. Charity work was admirable Claire wasn't sure her clothing business would help there. But food supplies from Laira's company might be useful.

[member="Damien"] starchaser and [member="Coren Starchaser"] - Organizers of the event, well they assumed they were both organizing it. It was confirmed Claire knew no one which made her laugh.

There were some other faces that no one around her seemed to know like [member="Isabella Fonti"] | [member="Hylocereus"] | [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] | [member="Itash Mecetti"] | [member="Cassandra Paige"] | [member="Lin Kai"] |@ . Oh how to begin and where to be then she felt a touch to her arm.

"Ms. Organa, of Contessa?" A woman's lavendar eyes met hers, "Yes mam" she couldn't tell a lie when caught openly. "Yes I admire some of your designs however many of them don't seem to suit a larger woman of my size." Claire stepped back she was a full figured woman Claire assumed she had children, and lead a full life. "Well let's rectify that then, you and I must get together and talk. We could right now spend a few moments, do you have the time?"

Excellent.

 

[Hylocereus]

Hylo's face turned a bright green at the mention of children. It practically drowned out everything else [member="Seydon Gunn"] had said. Looking over at Mara he considered her features for a moment. They were still in the casual phase of their marriage working out what seemed, up until this point, the big things. Things like where to stay, what furniture to keep, and where it was appropriate to grow gardens. The answer to the last question was not the living room. I mean it made sense when it was explained to him. After all they had to live there together.

Gulping hard Hylo looked over at Mara. "We haven't really discussed sprouts." Of course Slyphe and Zelosians could both have children with humans for reasons that made little sense to Hylo when explained to him. And Zeltrons and Humans could obviously have children together and there was a ton of near humans who were bizarre mixes of multiple species in the galaxy.... Taking a deep breath Hylo then said in reply, "Right now I think if it happens, it happens." Did he want kids? Probably. Seemed like an adventure. Did Mara? He gulped hard looking at her. "What about you Mr. Gunn. Do you have children?"

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]

 

[Cassandra Paige]

Deplorable had been the political word. She knew, logically, that the whole thing had been awful. And really it had been stressful at the time. But the property damage was surely covered by insurance or if not, repairable with little issue- Cass came from a family where credits barely signified. There was nothing money could not fix for a Paige to the point that it had very little meaning on its own.

The loss of life?

Well, it hadn't been anyone she knew. So it hit her radar even less. Buildings needed to be fixed after all. Once someone was dead, well, there wasn't anything to be done so why bother?

She glided along on his arm, smiling up at him in return.

"Oh, the ticket was purchased for me," she said with a derisive laugh. "My mother. Thought I should network. As if this were the sort of place I would find someone to truly connect with," she paused, smile widening ever so slightly. "I'll have to apologize to her of course. You were a pleasant surprise yourself."

She would do no such thing. After all, if she hadn't met him on her own they would have been unlikely to connect here. Her mother got no credit for catching a Mecetti's attention.

Hmmm. She wondered if it would be possible to fulfill both of her mother's requirements.... and then laugh in the old hag's face when she turned her nose up at the paltry offering. If she could succeed on her own, after all, what did she need with the Paige fortune? Let her sister inherit the doddy old business. Who needed that if she could create something new?

And catch a Mecetti in the process?

Hmmm indeed.

One step at a time.

She reached up with her other hand, laying it lightly on his forearm as they stepped into the gardens.

It was green, lush.... humid.

Cass hated it.

But she watched his reaction, looking around with polite if bemused interest herself.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

Ah.

That made so much more sense and it got her a mildly sympathetic glance from him. "Oh, you shouldn't give her the satisfaction." Tash retorted after a moment of thought, while smiling bright at her compliment. It was always pleasant when those around him realized just who they were interacting with. "If she is similar to my late mother then she would never let you hear the end of it." It had been a relief when she had passed, truth told. While his father had been more amicable... his mother had always tried to push him towards this or that.

Quite frustrating.

They strode further and finally entered the gardens.

It was bright, emerald, lush. It was all that had been advertised and more. Tash sniffed. "It is quite... wet, don't you think?" He was studying the trees, the grass, it almost felt like he was breathing water in that moment.

Couldn't they do something about this humidity? "I suppose the trees are lively enough." You had to give credit where it was due after all. They couldn't have been complete amateurs, considering the brightness of the leaves. Very... lush and healthy. "Forgive me for dragging you out here, but I suppose I was interested in talking to you without being surrounded by..."

One glance over to the party outside would tell her enough about his opinions.

 

[Sal Katarn]

"Maybe," he replied stoically, passing over the coy jibe, "but this room isn't."

Implying he knew, or knew of, everyone in attendance, which was almost true. Most of them were business executives with ties of one sort or another to Lin Tech. Some were just influencers. Others were enigmas.

"I'm Kai."

[member="Ereza"]

 

[Luther Lewis]

A mischievous smile crossed her lips as she turned back to [member="Joza Perl"]. "I swear darling, everyone thinks far too highly of you to think of anything malicious". Isabella's faux Coruscanti accent was hurting her throat, maybe she should make her exit soon. She turned to find [member="Noah Corek"] approaching. 'Of course' she thought. 'No rest for the wicked'.

"Mr. Corek you embarrass me! I wouldn't ever spread gossip about a fine upstanding gentleman like yourself". She had a devious expression on her face but she was racked with nerves. Noah Corek was a well-known name around the SIS, a name that carried a lot of respect and weight. Did he recognise her? Surely not, the two of them had never actually met. Her nerves wouldn't settle however. The man's blue eyes had an intelligent, piercing look that made her squirm inside.

"I might have heard a whisper or two, but they were all in good taste, I assure you". It wasn't that far from a lie. The worst she had heard was that the man was a rubbish pilot. Considering she still had a parking fine for landing a speeder on-top of a house, she wasn't really in a position to judge.

She winced, unconsciously rubbing her throat. She did really need to excuse herself, she'd been at the gala too long and her mission handler would be worried.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa wasn’t overly familiar with the Galactic Alliance on the whole, only that they were one of the last standing powerhouses that stood against the darker sides of the galaxies powerhouses. The Silver Jedi order had given up the east their number dwindling and the Galactic alliance was all that stood between them and another Dark age. She pursed her lips momentarily, sympathy flashing across her eyes.

“My condolences,” she said with a slight incline of her head. “I know the war has not been kind to the Alliance or its people.”

Intrigue increased at the mention of Hylo, Rosa knew he owned and designed this building, vertical farms were something the Foundation could use at its settlements. “That would be wonderful.” she caught the tension, the wink from Damien that hid a silent plea for his Uncle and smiled.

Eyes drifted for a moment across the crowd passing over those by the food table. She glimpsed Seydon talking with Mara before someone moved to block her view. She reached out in the force slipping into his mind with practised ease. You made me walk in on my own. The toothpick twirling in Damian’s hand gave her an idea. A sharp illusionary poke on the back of Seydon’s hand and she retreated again.

“I’d be interested in discussing something in more detail with you Damian. The Foundation is always looking for sponsors.”


[member="Damian Starchaser"] [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Seydon Gunn"]

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Fashionably late...that was the term wasn't it? Calina wasn't entirely sure, shindigs of any kind were not her scene but it was an oppurtunity to catch Mara in an environment where neither of them would be held accountable for talking. After all, charity galas attracted all kinds of wealthy patrons, sith were no uncommon here...and Calina wasn't exactly your typical sith either. Nor was she particularly well known.

No, this was a safe place, or as safe as it would get. This would be the last chance Calina would get to update Mara in person before things got too complex. The dress wasn't anything spectacular, elegant enough for her to blend in and something she was comfortable in. She slipped past the footman at the door, slipping the invitation into his hand without a word. Ice blue eyes scanned the crowd and groaned at the sight of [member="Itash Mecetti"] disappearing into the gardens. At least he was occupied. She made a mental note to avoid him before disappearing into the crowd herself. Mingle first, find Mara along the way.

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] [member="Coren Starchaser"] [member="Damian Starchaser"] [member="Isabella Fonti"] [member="Joza Perl"] [member="Lin Kai"] [member="Cassandra Paige"] @Clare Organa [member="Ereza"] [member="Noah Corek"]

 

[Cassandra Paige]

She laughed lightly, a genuine smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as they walked.

"Mmm you are very smart, Lord Mecetti," she said with a chuckle. "And very correct. Every time I disagreed with her it would be 'Well what about that one time that has nothing to do with this one?'" She rolled her eyes.

As they moved along the paths, deeper into the gardens and away from the noise of the gathering, she let herself move a half step closer, hip brushing his 'accidentally' as they rounded a corner. She leaned over slightly, as if looking at a particular flower on the path across from him.

"Well, I suppose I can forgive," she murmured, glancing up at him before straightening up again slowly.

"It's very noisy in there, and really, how could I protest having you all to myself?"

It was a risk, but as she smiled up at him she was certain one worth taking. She lifted her glass to her lips, taking a small sip and watching him over the rim.

"Was there something.... particular?.... on your mind?"

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Seydon Gunn"] [member="Hylocereus"]

"Nah, Dad hasn't brought it up, at least not to me. He's been dying to, though." She tapped her temple. "Empath."

Her attention wavered, broke, and refocused on something entirely different.

"I know you said not to abandon you, Seydon, but I've just seen something I need to handle. Sorry, Hylo - give me a minute. You could tell Seydon about the carnivorous plants on that one death world-" Which was her best guess as to a subject that would occupy both of them sincerely. With a smile to both, she broke away and slid through the crowd.

In the middle of the sociable press, she came up beside [member="Calina Ovmar"]. Her undercover Sith associate had dressed down in an understated-glamour kind of way, but that mouth would stand out anywhere - even before it started talking.

"Been too long," she said, knowing the walls had ears. "So glad you could make it."