Magna City Shining Congress – Main Lobby

[Tetra]

Koa had picked idly from the buffet table, circling around to sample whatever looked tastiest before working his way back towards the other Wayfarers. At least the food is good. He gazed idly at the portrait, wondering what it would feel like to be the head of something for that long.

His attention wandered outward as he tried to spot anything interesting or hear any good conversations and he almost dismissed the Grovyle standing near Laura. Almost. A familiar scent tickled his nose and his hackles went up. What... what was he doing here, just chatting like he hadn't-

Gritting his teeth, Koa forceably pulled himself together. Now wasn't the place. He could practically hear Kitto admonishing him. Telling him to pay attention. Laura didn't look threatened. Archie hadn't attacked. And they were guests here. Jumping a Covenant member would be a bad look or whatever... Although he did allow himself to briefly fantasize about "accidentally" spilling punch all over Ralsen's suit.

Still, he wanted to make sure her and Archie were okay so he casually worked his way toward them. "Hey Laura," he said. Turning to Ralsen, he dipped his head. "Hello, how nice to see you here," he said, not really trying to hide the note of sarcasm. He didn't have to be happy about seeing him.

 

[Inkedust]

Bellatrix's ears perked when she heard the unambiguous discussion of Radiance and she found herself silently approaching to listen in... only to be immediately recognized by this hypno. Ah well.

"Bellatrix," greeted the ghostly zoroark. "I see that you've been keeping a close eye on us Wayfarers." Arthur's excitement was reassuring. Easier to pull the information out of him if he was already so warm on them. "But please –" she looked Arthur in the eye and raised a glass "– do continue, I must admit that I am utterly fascinated by the conversation."

 

[Ambyssin]

"Hello there, Gladion. It's been a little while, hasn't it? I hope life has been treating you well. Will you introduce me to your friends?"

Nova's first instinct was headbutt. And that was (debatably) bad.

His second instinct was aim between the legs. And that was (debatably) also bad.

So, he fell to his third instinct... which was to approach the buffet table and eat directly off one of the trays like he was grazing in a field or something. Which, given his beak was built for much larger than finger foods, amounted to two-thirds of what was on that tray.

At least he wasn't that hungry anymore.

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Well, that didn't take long. Their little group had been called out, not by a familiar face, but an eager one. A very eager one. The way things stood, there was no escaping an introduction, though wasn't that the whole point of all this?

Steven put on his best polite smile and waited for Bellatrix to finish before dipping into a polite bow. "Right you are," he said in response Arthur's first question. "My name is Steven. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Bringing a claw to his chin, he gave a thoughtful hum. "This may be forward of me, but it sounds like you're a 'mon of science, and about Radiance no less. Consider me just as curious as Ms. Bellatrix."

 

[Sinderella]

Odette likely could not have picked better company to the pavilion had she tried. She had to refrain from smiling at Steven, lest she look like a stark weirdo who couldn’t keep her eyes off him for some reason or other. Instead, she offered Bellatrix a nod, and couldn’t do much else before her eavesdropping gene flicked into gear. She’d stopped to get a better listen, but needn’t have bothered. A jolly hypno approached them, and it seemed that their reputations had preceded them. Well, then the rest of this conversation should go swimmingly, shouldn’t it?

“I’m Odette,” she greeted. “We don’t mean to intrude on your conversation, but…as a previous user of Radiance, I’d be happy to offer some insight.”

 

[Chibi Pika]

She glanced sidelong at Archie. "I'm up for it. Rather have another person or two with us, if we can." She gave Ralsen a quizzical look. "Anything we ought to be looking out for...?"

Ralsen hummed. "Not anything in particular. All the high clearance rooms will be closed off during the party. But taking note of the building layout and points of interest could be useful for the future, to better prepare for an eventual break-in." He said it rather casually, as if it went without saying one would happen eventually.

Koa's sarcasm wasn't lost on him, but he didn't seem to mind it. Ralsen glanced toward the other side of the room, a sudden gleam of curiosity in his eye. "I'm interested in the round table that's happening soon. Perhaps I'll see you all later?" The Grovyle didn't wait for an answer before slipping seamlessly back into the crowd.

---

Jade had decided to stick close to Gladion and Nova for now. She didn't think she'd do all that well at making a good impression talking to strangers, and this way she could lend an extra pair of eyes to see if anyone took an interest in the two chimeras. Well, more interest than usual. The kind of interest that came from recognition.

She just didn't expect it to come so soon.

"Hello there, Gladion. It's been a little while, hasn't it? I hope life has been treating you well. Will you introduce me to your friends?"

Jade froze in place, eyeing the newcomer in a way that hopefully didn't come off as too alarmed. He... couldn't possibly be expecting them to be glad to see him, right? Not after the attempted kidnapping at the university. And Jade hadn't even been there for that. No, her last memory of him was months older (even if she hadn't gotten a good look at him at the time). The one who'd attacked Brisa on the train...

Jade glanced carefully at Gladion, curious how he'd respond.

 

[Cresselia92]

Carrying a cup of freshly brewed nightshade tea in his claws, Silver wandered toward one of the quieter perimeters, while paying attention to the chattering guests. He didn’t pick anything that he considered interesting or worthy of note, but as soon as he got through the crowd, he noticed a familiar Grovyle walking toward Laura and Archie. That was… ah, yeah, Ralsen! The scholar he met at the monastery, right? What was someone like him doing in that fancy place?

Intrigued by that gathering, the young Sneasel walked toward the trio, catching an interesting exchange when he got within earshot…

"It's all a bit too formal for my liking as well. Though, I can't deny it's a good place to gather useful information." Ralsen met her eye with just a hint of a smirk. "You know, I bet some of you could slip into the halls and no one would bat an eye. Honored guests, right?"

“I suppose you would know a thing or two about that,” he said, his tone measured.

Silver tilted his head. What did Archie mean by that statement? Slipping into halls without being noticed… Was that Grovyle some kind of spy or something?

Laura seemed to tense up for a moment, but quickly regained her composure and sounded on board with the Grovyle’s suggestion. Looking around the place, hmm… that wasn’t a bad idea, was it? If anything, it sounded way better than attending that snobby snooze fest.

While Silver contemplated whether to get closer, another familiar voice cut in, filling the atmosphere with more tension and a bucket of sarcasm.

"Hello, how nice to see you here," he said, not really trying to hide the note of sarcasm.

‘Wow, someone’s words are sharper than his teeth today…’ Silver frowned and sipped some of his tea, working hard to piece the scarce hints together. ‘Yeah, something big has happened between them all, and it doesn’t seem like it was a pleasant experience, either.’ He stared hard at Ralsen, as if looking for the answer on the Grovyle’s face. ‘What kinda reprehensible stunt did you pull off?’

And then, the Grovyle took off, apparently unbothered by the tension in the air. Knowing well that he wouldn’t have gotten any information by simply standing there, Silver approached the group and looked at the others, his gaze mildly inquisitive.

“Okay, huh, care to explain what happened between y’all and that Grovyle?” he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly and a paw on his hip. “You seemed very close to throwing down with him for… whatever reason I’m unaware of.”

 

[Weazel]

Well, that wasn’t suspicious at all. Just what was that Grovyle’s angle? Who’s side was he even on – other than, obviously, his own? If looks could kill, Ralsen would certainly have fallen over dead between the one Koa gave him, and the glare Archie bored into the back of the Grass Type’s head right up until he disappeared back into the crowd. He wondered if scoping out the place really was the wisest course of action… But they couldn’t let themselves get spooked now.

Thankfully, Silver’s appearance diffused some of the tension. And also made Archie feel somewhat underdressed. Oh well, too late to change out of the ‘rugged frontier bounty hunter’ thing he had going on. The Dewott folded his arms and leaned back on his heels, speaking softly so only the four of them could hear.

“Raided Ranger HQ and tried to steal Timeless Oasis’ relic,” he said, then gave the crowd another quick scan. “Had his Pokemon team with him then, but I don’t think I see them here...”

 

[canisaries]

"Pleasure to meet you," she said, earnestly. "I've been following your adventures as closely as I can! But it's so hard to get real news from so far away. Did you actually battle a Saint? Do you really have memories of your home worlds? Oh, I'm sorry, I'm being rude! Please, allow me to welcome you to Alexandria, the amaranth state!"

The flustered Ribombee could be an opportunity... She was clearly an Alexandrian local, more in tune with the Covenant's core than the misfits of Teardrop Station. And she already seemed thoroughly won-over by the legends of the Wayfarers.

"Pleasure to meet you too," Andre said, smiling. She seemed nice, but of course, she was still Covenant. "I'm Andre Duval, and these are..." He prompted the others to introduce themselves.

 

[Namohysip]

Mhynt had quickly found that the best thing she could do was guide Nova on how to properly... not do that.

She explained a few things to him while observing how the others acted, explaining some of the cordial gestures and other things that these Pokemon in suits in a façade of humanity were trying to do to distance themselves for whatever perceived savagery the lowly nonhumans acted on.

She glanced to make sure her little bowtie was still on. Right. She hadn't forgotten that, at least.

 

[Ambyssin]

Nova had no clothing or accessories and looked the part of a 'mon who'd been hanging out with the Escarpa in between ploughing dusty ground. He glanced at Mhynt, then jerked his head in the greninja's direction.

"Pretty sure that's the guy who ganked the team that went to the museum instead of the Comb," he whispered. "I'm eating so I don't act on instinct... which is to fight him off."

 

[Jackie Cat]

"Hey Laura," he said. Turning to Ralsen, he dipped his head. "Hello, how nice to see you here."

"I'm interested in the round table that's happening soon. Perhaps I'll see you all later?" The Grovyle didn't wait for an answer before slipping seamlessly back into the crowd.

“Okay, huh, care to explain what happened between y’all and that Grovyle? You seemed very close to throwing down with him for… whatever reason I’m unaware of.”

“Raided Ranger HQ and tried to steal Timeless Oasis’ relic. Had his Pokemon team with him then, but I don’t think I see them here...”

"His team wouldn't exactly mingle well. They're more like wildren than feral sapients," she explained. There was no way Ralsen would have them out around other Covenant – the existence of his team and their capsules was a secret, a secret she held over him as leverage. "It doesn't matter now. We talked, back in Novelux. He's not ideologically Covenant at all, he's just looking for a way home. He promised to pass on leads to us so long as we helped with that. Seemed fair enough."

Laura downed the glass of sweet wine she'd picked up, and made a face. It looked like at least part of her visit was accounted for, then – and not by anything she'd expected or prepared for. Fine.

"We should draw as little attention as possible. I spotted a hallway leading off from that ballroom-looking place, with the bandstand and stuff. Let's slip through there, take a look around, maybe see if we run into some regular staff – y'know, non-humans who might have their ears to the ground, kinda thing – and if anyone asks, we're just looking for the bathrooms."

She chuckled awkwardly, and put down her glass on a side table. This was so weirdly familiar. Just like Perihelion, in Galar...

"Let's go. Remember to smile."

 

[Jackie Cat]

"Welcome! If I am not mistaken, you are some of those bright-and-shining heroes from the western frontier, am I right? Please, please, join us! Or, ha, nevermind whatever I was saying before, I'd much rather get to know you instead."

"I beg your pardon – you can call me Arthur. And what might your names be, good sir and ladies?"

"Bellatrix. I see that you've been keeping a close eye on us Wayfarers. But please – do continue, I must admit that I am utterly fascinated by the conversation."

"Right you are. My name is Steven. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"This may be forward of me, but it sounds like you're a 'mon of science, and about Radiance no less. Consider me just as curious as Ms. Bellatrix."

“I’m Odette. We don’t mean to intrude on your conversation, but…as a previous user of Radiance, I’d be happy to offer some insight.”

The Hypno smiled, one brow lifting half off his face with intrigue.

"Oho, then you're already familiar with the power? Well, that's remarkable. Quite remarkable! I'm sure you may already know this, but the Covenant of Light holds Radiance to be sacred – we believe it to be the power that brings humans to Forlas, that allows pokémon to evolve, and that gives divinity to the Saints. And yet, it is a most fleeting, ephemeral energy—! It is truly the challenge of our era to study and (hopefully) understand it, and to let it work in us for the good of our world. To that end, I would love to hear from you about your own experiences with it!"

He paused to reach in a suit pocket for a golden pocketwatch on a chain, which he checked momentarily before returning it.

"However, this timepiece tells me we don't have long before the first of today's roundtables begins. Hmm...! Perhaps you fine people could come with me? Why, there's room for you to take a seat. I'd be terribly interested to hear your perspectives on the topics at hand. Please, please, do come along!"

The Hypno beamed like a boy half his age, an inner youth shining through what otherwise seemed a middle-aged visage. He unclipped a short cane from a strap at his waist, and extended it with a snap to form an elegant walking stick. He lead the way without any apparent fatigue or physical frailty, the stick tapping briskly on the marble pavilion floor. No hypnosis was in play, but his force of personality was such that it seemed impossible to say no to him.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Hello there, Gladion. It's been a little while, hasn't it? I hope life has been treating you well. Will you introduce me to your friends?"

The voice was calm, friendly, almost self-effacing. There was almost a kind of sheepish laugh in it, as if the speaker were trying to come off as awkward and non-threatening.

But it was the voice of Greninja Matthias, and Gladion knew what that voice sounded like in the midst of combat.

"If you'd like to talk, perhaps you'd care to join me in the lounge? There's an open bar, if you like that sort of thing."

Hearing that voice made Gladion’s heart rate spike, readying for an attack. None came.

Of course Matthias was here. Why wouldn’t he be? This was where all there Coven sycophants met up, so it would be weirder if Matthias didn’t show.

That posed a danger to him. Matthias knew why he was here, but more importantly, that he knew what was up with the Knights. I’m exchange, Gladion knew Matthias didn’t actually intend to be loyal, but given how he seemed to fall into line anyways it wouldn’t be a surprise if his superiors already knew and just used him anyway. (But if so, would Matthias know that?)

After a moment sizing up the power dynamic between them, Gladion decided it was best not to piss off Matthias. But he didn’t have to act super chummy either. Matthias knew where he stood.

He gestured to the Meowth at his side. “Jade.” Then he pointed over towards the other Silvally. “Nova.”

Laura seemed to have disappeared from his line of sight. That was probably for the best, he could spare her being dragged into an unpleasant conversation. (Odette? He still wasn’t sure where he stood with her, but her familiarity with this kind of thing would’ve been nice. But she seemed occupied.)

“They were clearing Whisperwind Comb when last we met.” It was a jab: They had done what he needed the Rift-Mender for. (Which he had, of course, failed to get.) Implicitly placing them above him in competence. It was the kind of jab he thought he could get away with right now.

 

[Jackie Cat]

"Hello there, Gladion. It's been a little while, hasn't it? I hope life has been treating you well. Will you introduce me to your friends?"

"If you'd like to talk, perhaps you'd care to join me in the lounge? There's an open bar, if you like that sort of thing."

"Pretty sure that's the guy who ganked the team that went to the museum instead of the Comb," he whispered to Mhynt. "I'm eating so I don't act on instinct... which is to fight him off."

Jade glanced carefully at Gladion, curious how he'd respond.

He gestured to the Meowth at his side. “Jade.” Then he pointed over towards the other Silvally. “Nova.”

“They were clearing Whisperwind Comb when last we met.” It was a jab: They had done what he needed the Rift-Mender for. (Which he had, of course, failed to get.) Implicitly placing them above him in competence. It was the kind of jab he thought he could get away with right now.

Matthias just smiled, and bowed his head in greeting to the others, and to an inconspicuous Mhynt near Nova's side. They would see he was wearing something quite different to most of the attendees, now that they could get a proper look at him – a wrapped garment of black silk in Tsainanese style, beautifully decorated with a pattern of breaking waves in silver on the dark cloth. Gladion and Jade might recognise it as similar to a kimono. It was striking, intricate attire – perhaps it had symbolic significance?

"I remember," he said, as lightly if they were discussing travel arrangements, or the weather. "Congratulations on making it through the Comb. That dungeon is a challenging one. You must have learned a great deal about each other from that experience."

He smirked – an oddly relieved expression, as if he were free of some nuisance he was sick of. It wasn't the embarrassed or resentful reaction Gladion was hoping for. Did he not care about Whisperwind Comb after all?

"I'm glad you found who you were looking for and brought them home safely. It's for the best."

He definitely meant Brisa. Was this coded language, to avoid talking openly about the subject? In any case, he certainly didn't seem upset that he hadn't caught Brisa, in the end. He'd pursued her for a long time and over a long distance – if she was that important to the Covenant, and he had so many resources at his disposal, it was practically a miracle he'd failed.

His expression didn't look like that of someone who'd failed, though.

"Come on, let's get away from all these dull dignitaries, shall we?"

He extended a hand towards the lounge bar, still smiling earnestly.

 

[MintyMimix]

"Pleasure to meet you," she said, earnestly. "I've been following your adventures as closely as I can! But it's so hard to get real news from so far away. Did you actually battle a Saint? Do you really have memories of your home worlds? Oh, I'm sorry, I'm being rude! Please, allow me to welcome you to Alexandria, the amaranth state!"

Ghaspius couldn't help but eye the Solrock with a curious look — perhaps staring a bit too long at the chalk stains before twirling over and answering the others.

"Certainly did just get here," he replied, raising a tassel to the brim of his hat. "Mismagius Ghaspius, a pleasure to meet ya, Angel. Ya seem just as graceful as one, I gotta say!" He couldn't help but smile at the Ribombee's genuine excitement, his expression easing from token to nostalgic. His little sister used to be just as curious when they were younger, after all.

"'A' Saint, love? 'fraid ya got your numbers mixed up. At least three of 'em issued a challenge." A chuckle escaped his lips; he always found the best response was to play into that wonder. "The fine folks here can attest to one of them, but, hey, sate a ghost's curiosity — what sorta news have y'all heard about us?"

He hummed to himself as he glanced at the other Wayfayers. "And I'm sure my companions would be more than happy to spin a yarn all 'bout where they came from, too!" He added, silently grateful that the others with him were actually from human worlds. Conversation was a formula, and his own origin needed to be carefully timed at the right temperature before being added to the mix.

 

[Shadow Serenity]

Upon arrival in their new location, Kimiko shivered; sudden fluctuations in temperature did not agree with her grass-type form. As she silently attempted to adjust, she observed the new room around her, full of bright color and far more modern than anything found in Frontier Town. More human. Within moments, she felt drastically out of her element. The last formal party she'd been to had involved ghosts shoving all the guests in cages, packed away for a trip to some unknown location for soul harvesting. It was not an occasion she enjoyed recalling, but the grand lobby cared little for her growing anxiety. Contrary to her expectations, the fact that it was so recognizably human did not ease that knot, either. Suddenly, she wasn't sure it was the temperature that made her shiver.

All the eyes in the room were drawn their way by virtue of their sudden teleportation, too. A quick glance at her companions confirmed that at least she wasn't the only one feeling on edge. She, too, was woefully under-dressed for the occasion, adding only a scarf around her neck (making sure it did not cover her necklace) to match the ribbon on her tail. Several others began to wander off; Kimiko had a mind to hover by someone familiar like Odette or Silver, but the last thing she needed was to get in their way. She instead found herself drawn towards the live band.

She stood there awkwardly for a little while, trying to listen in on the discussions going on around her while pretending to be interested in the music (well, she didn't have to pretend much, but the band was not why they were here). Eventually she caught sight of Laura and a few others slinking off down a nearby hallway. She pointedly ignored them as they passed so as to (hopefully) not draw attention to them. A tapping sound drew her attention elsewhere, where she spotted Odette and some others following a hypno away from the main room. She frowned and debated following, but again, reminded herself that if anyone knew what they were doing here, it was Odette. Still, Kimiko took note of the direction they'd gone, just in case. Still, with everyone else on the move, she took that as her cue to stop idly standing around.

She spotted Ghaspius and a few other vaguely familiar faces near the buffet, talking with a small, bug-like 'mon that Kimiko was not familiar with. But the ghost's group seemed like the only collection of Wayfarers to not abandon the lobby, so Kimiko found herself hovering at the fringes of their group. She extended a vine and picked out a snack, less out of hunger and more for something to do with her idle hands. It did not ease her discomfort.

"I've been following your adventures as closely as I can! But it's so hard to get real news from so far away. Did you actually battle a Saint? Do you really have memories of your home worlds?

"I'm afraid I missed the duels with the Saints," she admitted, with a smile she hoped appeared more apologetic than embarrassed. "But I was part of a group that explored Whisperwind Comb. Right hell, that was." She hoped that would offer some measure of credibility to compensate for the lack of interaction with the Saints. Even so, it might be better to pick up the other thread...

"Oh, name's Kimiko, by the way," she added with a light bow. "I'm not sure you'd find my home world very interesting. It's, uh..." She cast a silent look towards Ghaspius. "Let's just say my little corner of it is controlled by a large coven of feral-like ghosts." Was that the right term? What was a group of ghosts called, anyway?

 

[canisaries]

"I'm afraid I missed the duels with the Saints," she admitted, with a smile she hoped appeared more apologetic than embarrassed. "But I was part of a group that explored Whisperwind Comb. Right hell, that was." She hoped that would offer some measure of credibility to compensate for the lack of interaction with the Saints. Even so, it might be better to pick up the other thread...

"Oh, name's Kimiko, by the way," she added with a light bow. "I'm not sure you'd find my home world very interesting. It's, uh..." She cast a silent look towards Ghaspius. "Let's just say my little corner of it is controlled by a large coven of feral-like ghosts." Was that the right term? What was a group of ghosts called, anyway?

At the mention of the Comb, Andre pulled a face, though he had enough self-control to make it subtle. He did not want to talk about the Comb with Covenant members. Not just because it touched a nerve with him, but because the other team shouldn't find out about discord among Wayfarers. Oh, well. He'd just downplay it. Yes, another Wayfarer and I had a bit of a disagreement, but we're working on it. You know, maybe not even that. Yes, despite the initial shock, we all learned valuable lessons about one another that have improved our mutual understanding and strengthened our ties. Though Kimiko could contest that. Maybe he should just hope there were no further questions. He could facilitate that by latching onto another subject.

Kimiko then talked about her homeworld - perfect. Her description was quite extreme. Did she bring that up as a quip, or did she actually want to talk about it?

Andre gave a brief, subdued, polite chuckle. It was a chuckle he had a lot of practice in to make it sound natural and charming - he'd like to think so, anyway. Couldn't be too bad, though, as it had fooled many of his targets in the past. "Well, that's already a lot stranger that what I've got going on back home. Care to tell us more, or is it a... sore subject?"

 

[Jackie Cat]

Ghaspius couldn't help but eye the Solrock with a curious look — perhaps staring a bit too long at the chalk stains before twirling over and answering the others.

"Certainly did just get here," he replied, raising a tassel to the brim of his hat. "Mismagius Ghaspius, a pleasure to meet ya, Angel. Ya seem just as graceful as one, I gotta say!"

Angel laughed with a hand to her mouth, a stridulating sound – like a violin.

"Such a charmer, Ghaspius," she teased, obviously pleased at the compliment. "You must be the flirt of the group!"

From her tone – and the way she hovered a little higher in the air – she in no way wished to discourage this.

"HOW CAN YOU TELL?" muttered Solrock Apricity, at a normal speaking volume. He tapped where his mouth ought to be with another discontinuous rocky 'finger' in a pensive gesture.

"Warm-bloodeds are built different, doc," joked Roscoe.

Angel rolled her eyes mildly, mock-irritated.

"Did you actually battle a Saint? Do you really have memories of your home worlds? Oh, I'm sorry, I'm being rude! Please, allow me to welcome you to Alexandria, the amaranth state!"

"'A' Saint, love? 'fraid ya got your numbers mixed up. At least three of 'em issued a challenge." A chuckle escaped his lips; he always found the best response was to play into that wonder. "The fine folks here can attest to one of them, but, hey, sate a ghost's curiosity — what sorta news have y'all heard about us?

Angel's face filled with incredulous wonder. "Well, those things I asked about, mostly! And there is some rumour or other about a mission to the realm of Lethe...? I could even believe it at this point, if there are truly so many of you. And knights all, at that!"

'Knights' stood out from her speech. Was that what 'warrior' types were called in the Covenant? By implication, not all Covenant, perhaps only a few, had such a role. Angel almost certainly was not a knight herself. What was her role, anyway...?

"And I'm sure my companions would be more than happy to spin a yarn all 'bout where they came from, too!"

"Oh, name's Kimiko, by the way," she added with a light bow. "I'm not sure you'd find my home world very interesting. It's, uh..." She cast a silent look towards Ghaspius. "Let's just say my little corner of it is controlled by a large coven of feral-like ghosts."

Andre gave a brief, subdued, polite chuckle. "Well, that's already a lot stranger that what I've got going on back home. Care to tell us more, or is it a... sore subject?"

Angel looked between the three Wayfarers, her eyes wide. This was well outside her own life experience, clearly. "How dreadful! One would think you would need a summoned hero of your own if things are so dire there. Overrun with ferals, my word... Well, if it's not improper of me to ask, I have always been curious about the human world. Or, worlds, as it apparently may be?"

As much as the Wayfarers might enjoy telling this new fan of theirs all about themselves in detail, it might occur to them that they ought to be asking Angel about herself as a means to getting information about the Covenant. It might be a good idea to keep a balance...

 

[MintyMimix]

"Such a charmer, Ghaspius," she teased, obviously pleased at the compliment. "You must be the flirt of the group!"

Ghaspius's robes flourished, as though he were taking a faux form of a bow with his limited locomotion, not denying her words. "I just wanna tell the honest truth about folks as I see 'em," he said. It wasn't a lie, after all; Angel really did seem graceful! He just conveniently forgot to mention his own colorful preferences in the response.

I could even believe it at this point, if there are truly so many of you. And knights all, at that!"

"Oh? Ya don't fancy yourself a knight as well? Ya look like you got a groovy technique or two to me!" He asked, using the term he only heard just moments ago — a mad scientist when it came to words as much as his brews, it seemed. "That mean your turf's already covered with 'em, then?"