Inside the Gala, the Venn Diagram of Dashers and Nobles
Alud laughed with his friend's delivery. There would likely be more Khylokians to dust in the future, it was true. They didn't seem to mind. He teased and interjected in the following exchanges, before Tuahine eventually asked him bluntly what he was doing here.
"Good Wine.", he lied with a modest hum of amusement. "No. I suppose it can't hurt to tell you. I am learning." He glanced away, gesturing to the grand hall as he continued to speak, champagne flute-hand shimmering in the light. "I love my homeworld, but it is a slice of the whole of Tekhum. Where my mother sees only outsiders and exploiters, I know there is far more here to see. To learn. I may be a Prince of Veehra, but I have seen how outsiders and greenlanders speak of the Clans. We must change that. And it's going to become worse before it gets better. The Crater's Basu-Rahman affiliates are burning as we speak; we are about to be the greatest villains Tekhum has ever seen in the eyes of those who believe what they see."
There's a sense that he's smiling under the mask, though no clear way to see that.
"So it is good to show another face."
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A tall figure struts into the Gala, dripping with confidence and cinnakite. Morgaine, Cardinal Witch and heir apparent, enters the scene in a deep green form fitting floor length gown lined with hundreds of tiny amber stones. Around them floats an amber stone shoulder piece as if Morgaine themself has rings and a gravitational pull.
Behind them hurries a shorter witch who fusses over Morgaine's train and mutters to herself quietly. This witch also wears a deep green dress, but rather than having stones sewn into her gown, her jewelry is of a similar gravity-defying design. Despite being dressed more humbly, she still carries herself with graceful confidence. As creator of Morgaine's stunning attire, Witch Iona is widely known in Mek-01 as a genius in cinnakite research as well as fashion design.
After entering, Morgaine heads towards the snapparazzi, eager to show off their glittering self. Iona stops next to a member of the waitstaff, picking up a glass of wine and taking a delicate sip. She watches Morgaine as they pose and makes mental notes of possible stress points that will need adjustments in the future. She knows she should be mingling, but she can't help eyeing her work in action. Pleased with herself, Iona smirks into her drink and begins to relax and enjoy the party.
Inside the Gala, Tiyansi and the Witches
Later in the Gala, after disentangling himself from his previous conversation, Alud Soom stepped into the fray with Princess Tiyansi - who he recognized, even if he'd never spoken to her directly - and a pair of newcomers he did not. From their bearing (and presence) though it was clear they were persons of importance, so it couldn't hurt to say hello.
"Truly.", he added to the Princess' words. "There has been talk of the Peludo making strides in antigravity back home, but they're a practical people and have been using it primarily for railwork - this is the first I've seen of such principles applied to tailoring."