Despite Dance being in town, I had not seen him for more than five minutes. He was smug and kept telling me not to be late. He kept telling me it would be a bad look for him as if I cared about making him look bad. He was more than capable of doing that himself.
I cursed him when I knew I was running late despite my best efforts. I didn't want to see his smug grin or hear his "you made me look bad, rookie" speech.
It was not even as if I had to get ready.
Leaf of Broken Season: Dress To Impress: Black – Deep V.
Caesura from Grace Apparel really came through for me. I still thought he was a total perve, but the reality was that he was so far beneath me now that I barely registered what he thought of me. As a bonus, he would show me how he went through the design process. I was pretty excited that he would intern me at Grace Apparel! If I have time and when I get all my other stuff sorted out. It seemed like a pipe dream and a bit of normality. A link to my old life.
The entire outfit and accessories were, in a word, fabulous. The boots were designed to be comfortable and able to withstand abuse. I was not planning on stomping or kicking anything, but I could if needed. They were not quite knee-high boots and had small heels. They were lightweight yet able to deflect modest arms fire and blade attacks. I am unsure what type of event Caesura thought I would be attending, but most of the material he used had similar protections.
He had paired them with some mid-thigh fishnet stockings. I was not a fan. I personally thought they looked sleazy, but with my recent gains in Body, my legs did look great. The fishnets made them look even better, showing off the definition of the top of my calf and thigh muscles. I could make some sacrifices for vanity. It was not like I was totally vain or anything. Besides, they were armour-coated. Each strand of the netting would stop slashing blades and, when activated, could displace kinetically enhanced force attacks.
For the price, there was not a lot to the dress itself. I was unsure if I was comfortable with how revealing it was. Still, Raechina or Rach, as she insisted, I call her, had also emphasised that this was the dress I had to wear. It had two thin shoulder straps that became wide enough to cover my breasts and wrap around my back, leaving my shoulders bare. The straps wrapped around under them to continue around and meet with the back with a deep v-neckline. What was with showing cleavage? I had it in spades, but it didn't mean I wanted everyone to be looking. I added a sports bra to stop wardrobe malfunctions.
Rach said, "Use every weapon at your disposal, and your Body is a weapon, Beauty and Brawn. Seduction or Slaying." I sighed and agreed with her but was not too fond of it at the moment, being totally untrained in my class.
The back of the dress was a short skirt just below knee height, with the front dropping to mid-thigh on the side. The front left my abs bare, which I had noticed was becoming a common theme in my clothing, too. I blamed my new class for sending me class-related urgings to have bare skin showing. Solace said it was not a thing. I was thinking as much as I loved him, I would possibly have to find a new fashion stylist if he didn't start producing clothes I could wear around comfortably without falling out of them.
I was also quite proud of my looks and tried hard not to be too vain, only a little strutting, but I rocked this dress. I couldn't wait to see Luke's face. When he saw me, it would be amazing.
Rach helped me dress for tonight, ensuring my hair was done well. We spent at least an hour changing my hair with my wand. We used nearly every combination, and she was still not entirely satisfied. Getting an Imperial Handmaiden was high on her priority list, someone who had up-to-date fashion skills. I would have thought that an Empress would have been busy and not had the time to hang out and act like one of the girls getting ready for a big night out.
From what I could work out, this handmaiden would be responsible for the appearance and comfort of the Empress, and when I was around, me too. It was sweet. Rach also ensured that the dress was laid out correctly for when I actually put it on. I guess she had seen it done enough times and had servants do it so that she could do it for me. It was quite a trip thinking that the Empress of the Empire was dressing me! There were some weird tensions, too, but she was the Empress, so who was I to gainsay her wishes, especially when I didn't mind too much when she got a little handsy.
Her hands would linger slightly longer, and her compliments made me blush.
She also purchased some enchantments for me so I would not have wardrobe malfunctions or other inappropriate displays unless I wanted them. They were configured through my AI.
Solace: You must get a new AI if you wish to run those routines.
I just laughed at her.
I spoke to Caesura about them, and he told me they were not needed with his designs, but he would be happy to include them in the future. I suggested they should be standard with the garments at his prices. He just snorted at me and told me to thank him tomorrow.
None of that helped me to be on time. I cursed everyone and everything. Ultimately, I was late because I had not checked the portal protocols that Alakaʻi had implemented for the resort. She had a security lockout on teleportation and portals into the resort until the end of the weekend. Something about operational security. There was a temporary teleportation station outside the resort, but I had not added it to my list of pre-defined teleport keys. I was late because I had added the penthouse suite at the hotel where I stayed for a couple of days, thinking I could duck there just before we were expected in the Min Min Cantina for the party. I was in my own room and tried to teleport.
Error: Teleportation is Blocked for that location.
Since I was in a rush, I decided to ride over. I rode my bike and did the ten-kilometre ride in record time. Thank god for Leaf of Broken Season. I could swap looks with no fuss. I had not been inside the Cantina before because Luke was being very tight-lipped about it, and the truth is, I was not that interested in playing silly games.
It would be fantastic, or it would be crap, and I'd have fun at the party regardless. I kept telling myself that. I almost believed myself. The reality was I was almost beside myself with fear and worried about the evening.
Knowing Luke, I would be guaranteed to see some stupid geek stuff in the design. Learning about it beforehand would have just made me more annoyed at the stupid idiot. There would be at least one reference to the original Star Wars and probably the Mandalorian.
When I arrived, it was good to see the resort being used and starting to be full of people, beings and beings that could be people. People – ha – I would have to change my terminology to sapients or devise a word for animals with which you could have a philosophical discussion. Beasts I would have considered monsters not long ago were now considered relatively normal. A few even stopped me to discuss Earth Culture. Being the nice person I was, I was more than happy and frustrated to stop for a couple of questions as I tried to hurry.
I was not procrastinating at all. There were people who I wanted to see desperately, but my anxiety was spiking through the roof.
Solace: Calm. It will be OK.
Rachael parked my bike again, and she looked happier or at least more engaged. I would have been glad to put the thing into my inventory, but she seemed pleased when I pulled up. I liked to give acquaintances some work and then realised how condescending I was starting to be. I also knew she wanted to ride it. I'd have to help her out when I got time later. She had been a little bored waiting for the resort to open. You can do so much training and waiting and not go insane. Or, in my case, not enough training and go insane. I didn't mention the pregnancy again, and I didn't even need Solace to remind me.
See, I can learn to be socially correct.
I moved through the resort's foyer and to the heart of the Min Min Cantina, which was underground and had been excavated two levels deep. I had not seen the excavation in progress, but from the casual conversations, it had been quite the thing to see. The stairs were broad across and half height so that there were more steps but shallower, making the stairs almost ramp-like. I would have preferred standard steps, but we were catering for all sorts of beings now and in the future. The first-floor room had a small reception, cloakroom, and security. Luckily, the Drakes were supplying protection tonight, but I was not sure that Min Min Min could contain any of the three hundred and eighty-seven guests if things got out of hand.
Luke and I were the most powerful people from Min Min, and we were candles against the bonfires of some of the Drakes—well, the very few I had met. Dance was fun but terrifying. If the others were like him, then this gathering was a scary concept. I was supposed to be meeting the Empress at her penthouse suite, and I was escorting her down.
I made my way to her room. I had no idea why she chose me to accompany her, but again, this was just my party, and I had no say in what was going on. Maybe she needed to be seen to be with one of the guests of honour.
I ran, walked and hurried to the penthouse. Since Luke was unavailable, Rach now had her Legion bodyguards for tonight. I was surprised to see Xar and Eolus outside her door. They were in fine-looking earth tuxedos, keeping with the themes Earth-style, for the party. Someone had shared a pattern and made them as systems clothing, and they had pretty decent buffs and armour. I think the theme was an effort to earn some sympathy for our possibly doomed culture or something; maybe they were just bored, and we were new and exciting. Regardless of why they wore them, I stopped and smiled in appreciation.
Item: Tuxedo
Five-piece set. (Shirt, Pants, Jacket, Shoes, Tie)
20% increase to all resistances.
"You are late, looking lovely but late," Xarius started and opened the door for me.
"Looking sharp yourself, Xar, Eolus." I winked as I brushed past them.
"You're late, looking lovely but late," Rach purred at me from the lounge chair, smiling as she mimicked Xar. She was full-on lounging on. How someone so important could exude such a calm, easy-going aura was beyond me. How someone dressed like her could lounge was also beyond me. She was all smiles. Her eyes seemed to widen, and I swear I saw her pupils dilate, and I heard her heartbeat crank up slightly.
I was getting used to some of my heightened senses, and I tried to downplay the advantages they gave me among friends. For now, I regarded her as a bossy and assertive friend, but a friend, nonetheless.
She stood and smoothly glided over to me, giving me a hug and a slightly less-than-chaste, friendly kiss. I cringed slightly, trying to keep my head straight. She confused me, but I was pretty excited. I was hoping to get through tonight so I could get going with my training, obligations to the Eldest, and quests, but I needed to find a class trainer!
Solace: Your biological signs are similar to those you exhibit when you and Luke…
NOT NOW, SOL. Seeing her dressed like that is bad enough, and I don't want to think further. Can you dampen my responses or something? I am out of here soon. I don't even want to be considering this.
Solace: Hrmph. What would a parent say - hormonal teens? I'll try to keep a lid on the more excessive responses, but I'll have you know I am not cut out for bio-psycho manipulation; your hormones are erratic and way outside my predicted model.
Cut the science, Einstein. I can hear a summary later. Dope me up a bit.
I felt a slight easing of my thoughts and a lot calmer, which was good because Empress Raechina Avidan Janar was dressed to kill.
It was a black, skin-tight, one-piece outfit covering everything from neck to ankle, but it seemed to put it all on display. Padding was her only real modesty, combined with a dark jade shawl draped over her, offering coverage when she wasn't moving around too much. I knew the outfit was the highest-quality armour that Xar could get in a tiny package.
The arguments over what she was wearing had been legendary, and I was only hearing them secondhand. Caesura was quite the gossip with those to whom he could talk. Since I had referred him, he felt he needed to tell me everything.
The compromise was the shawl, which also contained a reactive personal shield and the circlet, which included some communication and detection equipment that interfaced with the security team.
Luke and Mike had copped it when Dance turned up and asked about Imperial Security. Lucky for them, Xar and Eolus were qualified for detached duties for minor Imperial Nobles, so they knew what they were doing. They only lacked true power if something went wrong. That got me wondering what the point was, possibly more containment or something. I knew that if she cut loose, I would have no chance against the Empress. I might go toe to toe with her, but she had so much more training than I had. I also knew that if someone tried anything with the Drakes, they would only get away with it because they let them.
She was armed, I knew, because she had shown me that she had the Empire equivalent of a Katana in her dimensional storage. I joked that it was not an appropriate weapon for an Empress. She smirked, told me it was her class weapon, and let me identify her. I was shocked to see that she was a Level 89 Moonblade Assassin. This was close to one of her class outfits. It made me wonder what my spelldancer outfits would look like. Class outfits gave great bonuses, so people wore them when they could get them.
As we played dress up earlier, she told me she had spent nearly her adult life in time-compressed training and learning and had fallen into the classpath. Ironically, it was one of the few classes that covered everything a future ruler needed, including combat. Her childhood sounded exciting but not fun. It was a story that I would have to get out of her later. It was hard to forget sometimes that she was the most critical person in the Empire.
Any doubts about why I was escorting her were driven away as she proceeded to kiss me thoroughly. I got over the shock, found that I enjoyed it, and broke it off after a few moments, "My god, you are beautiful, your majesty, but we need to get going. I can't be late for my party. It was part of... Well, we don't want the Drakes to think that they can trump you."
Fuck. I was not ready for this. I had to talk to Luke and was out of here soon anyway. Xar was going to be pissed at me, and Julie, well, she would try to make a profit and think it was good for Earth. What a mess. The biggest problem I had was Rach knew precisely what she was doing.
Solace, get me under control.
Solace: I am trying.
She pouted a bit and smiled. "You are no fun. Did you know that this was my first real party without my father making sure I behaved and acted with the respect that the Heir to Hunter's Throne should display in public?"
Again, I felt some sympathy for her upbringing. It sounded lonely.
"I have decided that since we are far away from the public eye—well, at least the Empire public eye—and a Drake event is considered a Mythical Secret for privacy reasons, I can have some fun."
"What is the Hunter Throne?" I asked, curious and trying to deflect some of the sensual energies in the room.
"That is a lesson for later, but know for now I am the rightful owner and entitled to sit on the Hunter Throne, and the rest you can discover later. Tonight, I will not be told. Even that stupid engram of his was trying to be bossy, giving me orders, making deals and all that. Not tonight. Tonight, I have several more important goals!"
I smiled. She was getting a little intense. Rach really didn't like her father's engrams.
"He was lucky you stopped me from removing his excess energy and relegating him to a smaller, less impressive core. That thing forgets that it is not my father and that he surrendered his right to the throne and the right to be my father."
The only reason I had stopped her was out of respect for the Rax I knew, the guilt I still felt and the hope that there was a spark of the former Emperor. I sighed. If I had known the difficulties and the drama, I would have just gone for a Tier 4 core. It would have been easier and less effort. But I needed to meet Eldest anyway. Funny and creepy how the system fuckery worked things out.
Damn Karma.
"We could get a Tier 4 core. That core he is in is worth a lot of credits." Not that I needed the money.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Rach looked at me, "He will be more useful where he is once he learns his place. Besides, Dance seems to think something is going down, and we must let it play out. But I will not replace my memories of my father with that abomination."
I heard a tinge of bitterness in her voice and a hint of a tear in her eyes, which seemed to be replaced with some anger. This was not the first time she had started talking about the betrayal and how she didn't want the responsibilities. It was a problem for later, and despite my growing feelings for her, hopefully, a problem when I was gone.
She breathed deeply, calming herself. "We need to get there. Luke was adamant that we arrived on time and were already going to be late. He didn't want us to make too much of an entrance as if the Empress could not make an entrance. Sometimes, he is self-sure and needs a reminder of who I am. We have a few more minutes." She smiled and kept me busy.
We were interrupted, thank goodness, by a knock on the door.
She grumbled about rude security, and I joked, "You can't keep them waiting."
"Well, you should have thought of that before you put that dress on! You can't blame a girl for showing some appreciation. I don't believe it's my fault, honey, and besides, what will they do? You know I'll pull rank now, and it is your party. You can be late if you want to."
I sighed, "I know. It is just... "I sighed. I didn't want to tell her that I was missing Luke. I had not seen him since he locked himself away with the Emperor just after they returned from the incursion mission.
He had sent plenty of messages, and I was given the run around whenever I tried to see him or Rax. Something was up, but I was unsure what it was or what I could do about it. The real Rax and I had made some connection. I am uncertain if the engram felt guilty that he had fallen apart towards the end or was embarrassed that he had needed rescuing. Maybe he didn't even remember. More likely, the engrams didn't have the emotions of the living Rax.
I was looking forward to seeing Luke and wanted some closure with Rax. Of the two, one would be fun and the other emotionally draining. At the moment, what Rach was doing and offering to me was unfair to Luke or me. There was a lot I needed to say. Most of all, I needed to say goodbye to him before I left, and I had to say goodbye to Rach. "...you know …we need to get going." I left it trailing, not knowing how to say what I felt.
"You are so transparent. You wear your heart on your sleeve. I am sorry and will stop taking advantage of that and you. I can tell you want to see your man and jump him", Rach laughed, "From what I have seen, I would, too. He is delightful." She could ramp the seductress up. I could hear the purr in her voice. She smiled.
I blushed as she said, "You are too easy and so much fun. I think I will keep you around." she hugged me again, "Hurry up, we are late." She grabbed my hand with a laugh and started tugging me towards the door, running.
Finally, I gave in, let the infectious enthusiasm engulf me, and I ran and joined the laughter with her.
Xar and Eolus dampened the mood somewhat and were quite put out when we looked at each other and giggled at them, as they rightly took their duties very seriously. It took some time for us to get it together before we left the elevator, and soon after, we were led to the entrance to the Cantina.
Luke could be a pretentious idiot sometimes, so I was not too disappointed with the design and the apparent choices and touches he put into the design. Instead of a straight elevator ride to the underground Cantina, he built a vast archway that would not have looked out of place in Las Vegas or a Neo-Tokyo Anime. Neon was one of the themes: hot pink, blue and white. It was tacky, fun and lovely at the same time. It set the tone for fun, casual and classy in a high-class strip joint way. Not the image I would have picked, but I am not sure how but it worked. The arch led down the broad staircase to the security room. Orcish mercenaries hired to keep things as contained as possible greeted us. They bowed at Rach and still asked her to remove her weapons. It took a while. She checked an impressive pile.
"Powers capped. Drakes say you behave or else. Fights in the arena." The orc grunted as he opened the door. We knew it was not an idle threat as there had been a thorough security briefing earlier in the day. We could hear the music drifting up the dimly lit stairs.
We walked down the stairs. "I hate these places that cap powers, but they are needed. I've heard about some of these parties the Drakes pull.", Rach said with a wince.
SYSTEM TEMPORARY PEACE ZONE:
Offensive skills are temporarily disabled.
Permanent Karmic Penalties apply for breaching Guest Rights Conventions. Conflicts may be resolved in designated areas.
LOCAL SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT:
Your hosts, Luke and Sarah, Welcome you. Drink up!
Warning: Due to your transcendent nature, your powers are unaffected.
The Guest Rights Conventions still bind you.
Discretion is advised. Karmic Guides are available.
Solace: be careful. I would predict that others here are similarly unbound.
I'll be fine. I wish I had a bit more to do with the setup. Does that make me a bad person after all the work is done? I am the sort of co-host, after all.
As we entered the room, I was stunned. Luke had outdone himself. I was also stunned when we were announced.
The music stopped.
LOCAL SYSTEM: Presenting Co-Host and newest member of The Drakes, Sarah Owens.
LOCAL SYSTEM: Presenting Her Royal Highness, Empress of the Empire, Pinnacle of the Hunter Throne, First of her name Raechina Janar.
LOCAL SYSTEM: Long Live the Empress.
A spotlight appeared on us, and nearly every eye swivelled towards where we were entering.
Rach dipped me and gave me a deep, passionate kiss. She let me go when we came up for air and turned to the silent room. "OK, EVERYBODY, LETS PARTY!"
The room erupted into wild cheers, and a waiter came over with a tray of glasses. In my shocked state, I grabbed one and finished it in record time, then grabbed a second. I was not entirely unhappy, but very shocked.
"Nice effort not to make an entrance," I laughed.
She grabbed my hand and led me to our large, reserved table in the back of the room. I had no idea how she knew where it was, but I was glad for a bit of time to reflect on Luke's fantastic job.
The room was a mix of open and closed areas; there were three distinct zones, with dance floors, booths, tall tables and stools with bars standing alone and running along the walls. There were tables seating between 8 - 16 people around the room in a not-too-obvious pattern but unobtrusively spread out. As we walked through the room, it was clear that some tech and magic were involved in the acoustics and lighting, as there was minimal noise and light bleed between different sections. Despite being dim, you could see reasonably well. Maybe it was just my high perception.
The entire far left area of the large room was glass and looked out into the lake. Lights were set up to give a beautiful underwater view of tall plants and fish darting, oblivious to the viewers standing meters away from them. The room had something for everyone, quiet nooks for some quiet conversations. There were also two dance floors, one with a live band on a stage, and the bars flowed from one area to another, with a great cocktail bar in the middle. It was a large circular bar with several bar staff spinning drinks. The blue and pink neon theme seemed spot on. I smiled at the homage to the movie Cocktail. There was a dim haze of smoke machines and the smell of a crowd of people. All in all, it was terrific.
Once I got over the shock of the room's beauty, I was doubly shocked at the crowd's diversity. We had over three hundred and fifty guests – closer to three hundred and ninety and over thirty wait staff and bar attendants to see to everyone's needs. The room's sound level was comfortable and not too packed, but enough people to have a great vibe. Some areas were busy, while others seemed to exude a chilled vibe.
On one side of the aquarium glass wall, another door had two more orcian security guards. The guests themselves were just as impressive. The predominant race was hard to pick, but most were humanoid. I saw most of the more common Earth fantasy races and was enthralled by the etherealness of the more fae-like humanoids. They were more disturbing in their elegance, grace, and arrogance and came across as colder than the more fearsome races.
There were plenty of orcs, goblins, insectoids, rodents, and trees. I was happy that the party theme worked well, with most of them wearing Earth-style clothing. The mix of cultural attire was as diverse as the races represented, and most cultures and modern periods were represented. A small lizardoid wearing a geisha kimono was particularly impressive and summed up the entire ensemble. All in all, it was a fun atmosphere.
The table Rach led me to had several people sitting at it already. The only ones I recognised were Luke, who had a strange, stunned look on his face, Julie, Mike and, of course, Dance, who had the biggest shit-eating grin as he winked at me. Seating was prearranged, and I was near the head of the table, next to Luke, and Raechina sat on his other side.
Dance pulled my chair out, "You won me a packet, yes both of you, even if you were slightly late, not quite an hour, so I'll shout the first round of drinks!" as he signalled to an unobtrusive waiter. Once the order had been placed, he smiled, "Grand entrance, I could not have set a better tone, and well done, your royalness", again with a smirk at Raechina.
I blushed as I sat in the chair Dance pushed in for me, "You certainly have impressed the Empress with your dress from what we all saw".
I blushed again and noticed Luke was looking everywhere except at me. Damn, he had filled out well, and his outfit displayed that to good effect. Ripped muscles were evident even under his tailored suit.
Dance had not changed. He was still the most non-descript person ever, bland to the extent that it was almost freakishly vague when you thought about him. I could not remember what he was wearing, even though I had just looked at him to try to work it out. It was black. Then forgotten.
Dance was sitting opposite me. Julie sat to his left. She smiled at me, only slightly forced, with a raised eyebrow. I could hear the implied question, "WTF? Behave or something?" I didn't know her too well, but once you got past the entire I am the queen of the system in this backwater, she was not too bad. She was one of my mentors in this entire Integration business, and I had been a very poor mentee.
Of all of us, Mike looked the most uncomfortable, possibly because he was totally outclassed by all the beings here. He was probably the lowest Tier and level and was new to his skills and powers. I didn't feel bad for him. He was doing well. This was just a wake-up call for him. This was our future—dealing with power from a position of weakness without being taken advantage of. He would either step up and gain levels and tiers with support or fade away. That was the sad nature of the new reality. It was important to have allies and work on your strengths.
Mike was included at the party out of respect for his position as the settlement administrator and because he had been the party's actual organiser. I am sure Dance had been dealing with Mike behind Luke's back. I had nothing to do with this except throw some booze and credits at Mike. Luke had no ability or genuine interest in organising it. Thinking back, he had been good at getting people to run things for him since I had known him. Luke always contributed but never really helped. I don't think he had an organised bone in his body. Good leadership or lazy. I'd asked the question many times.
My excuse was I had been too self-absorbed to give it the thought or attention it needed. It was not until now that I began understanding what I was getting into. Maybe the Drakes were an alternative or a backup for some of my plans, as nebulous as they were. Something was driving me, and it was beyond what Earth could have hoped to deal with.
I looked around, and I think Mike was also put out because Alaka'i could not attend. Even though the Cantina was technically part of the resort, she was bound to the resort. She could not leave without massive energy expenditure due to some of the additional security restrictions in place. I was happy for her not to be here as it left someone competent in a position to respond to emergencies, not that anyone was expecting anything to happen tonight. You must be pretty brave to start something at a Drake event.
While drinking and waiting for food, I asked Dance, "Is there a formal part of the evening? Do we meet the leaders of the Drakes or what? I want to ask you for some advice before you all leave?"
He looked at me with a frown and said, "Before I leave, would you listen to my advice? You barely heeded my last advice, and look at what happened. On second thoughts, yes, I can give advice. Most wise people don't like to give advice, so you are lucky I am not counted amongst the wise."
Before I could respond, he laughed, "You would know, if you had read your induction pamphlet, we don't have leaders - as if there are leaders we would all follow. There is a hierarchy, but we only use that when trying to prove shit to each other. We all think we are better than all the rest, which is OK. You get a feel for it after a while, and to be honest, I think we are all bored trying to prove how good we are. The first rule is, as you know, there is always something bigger and always a deeper pond. We tried electing a leader, but that didn't work too well. Don't worry. If you hang around, you will meet the most important people tonight or over the next few days."
He grabbed another drink and winked at me, "I'll let you in on a secret. You have met the only one worth knowing, so don't worry. However, a second opinion could not hurt. I should throw you to The Hodaa mainly because it would be funny. Oh, and a couple of others. Just meet everyone."
"The only real one I know is you, or have I secretly met others?" I smiled at him, "Because if your it, then the Drakes are screwed."
There was a little laughter around the table, and people settled in for a night of drinking, dancing, and food. I secretly hoped to get some time alone to talk to Luke, but it was impossible between the Empress and the seemingly endless procession of beings who wanted to congratulate me, dance with me, or buy me a drink.
I congratulated Mike on his efforts. The food and beverages were above and beyond what I expected. Mike had done well, and I think it testified to the power of a logistics class and some talented employees. I was worried when I learned that Luke was expected to cater to this solo. Even being off the hook for organising it, even though I was secretly glad I had nothing to do with it, my name was on the ticket. I felt a sense of relief that it was actually working out well.
Next time, I will be more focused. Usually, I would be all over this. It was kind of my thing, parties and all. Maybe not BBQ, though. Despite being a carnivore's delight, the food was a good BBQ. There were steaks, sausages, pulled pork, brisket, ribs and, as a dig at Dance, some rather large prawns and small cocktail shrimps. The salads, as were the sauces and condiments over a dozen different sauces and dips, were plentiful and varied. Pieces of bread were also simple, but there were so many kinds of bread. A continual stream of serving people seemed to glide around and between people, ensuring that nobody went without food or drinks.
I think we were even satisfied Dance with the quality, variety and sheer quantity of different alcohols and food. After his fourth or fifth helping, he let out a belch to signify his delight.
The real star of the party was the Empress, despite her pretending to play it low-key and being difficult to pin down. She played the room like a master leaving everyone full of love, lust or envy. I spent quite some time watching and trying to work her out. The easy laugh, the genuine smile and the drop-dead gorgeous figure were hard to ignore. She had made me uncomfortable with our entrance, not that I minded too much, but it was more of a public claiming of me as hers, and I didn't know what that meant or how to respond. It was not like I had made a choice. Luke seemed to be taking it all too comfortably, if somewhat awkwardly in a boy way. Which meant he did not talk about it and ignored it. My feelings were both strange and exciting.
In true powerhouse style, most people who spoke to me were blunt and direct and would ask something like, "So, you and the Empress?" After a while, I stopped blushing and mumbling, but I didn't have a good answer for them or myself. I felt conflicted about Luke more than anything. Was he trying to friend-zone me and not have the courage to talk about it? He was male, after all.
I had wanted to spend some time with him before I left to pursue the needs of my class, to find some proper training and fulfil my obligations to the Eldest and that damn Nalios. I could not even think of the name without it having some significance, and I felt it pulled me away from here and into the more expansive universe.
But Luke was glued to Rach's side when she wasn't tormenting me or when he was small-talking the throngs of well-wishers. I tried to get him alone to talk, but it was just not working out for me. There was no grand conspiracy. It was just not the time or place.
Luke and Race danced, drank and ate. Laughing and joking, it was seemingly a perfect match. She was an outrageous flirt, and Luke didn't know where to look or put his hands when they danced, but he seemed to be enjoying himself. I felt a little kick in the guts, even though it would be hypocritical of me. A master manipulator was playing us, and I had no idea what the game or instrument was, yet I felt I would be happy to be her instrument. Hmm, maybe not. I needed to find out what I wanted first. Damn her and her games. Couldn't she have waited until after I had spoken to Luke and sorted out where everything fits into my new worldview?
Since my time away, Luke had become slightly taller and bulked out to be a powerful-looking and intimidating person. He exuded a presence, somewhat mysterious and naive at the same time. Compared to the slightly awkward and kicked puppy feeling I got from him at school and uni. That triggered my nurturing instinct and enabled me to get to know him. Now, he seemed more relaxed and calm, yet simultaneously had a commanding menace about him.
I also tried to speak with Mike in my rare moments of peace, but he was becoming a workaholic. He was laser-focused on bettering the burgeoning community he was administrating. Most of what he wanted to discuss were the plans for Min Min and Earth Inc. He was missing Alakaʻ i, and to be honest, she would have been an asset here, with her straightforward, gentle nature and caring attitude. It would have contrasted the blunt, mildly aggressive and arrogant attitude of many of the guests. Julie spent the evening working with Mike to build connections with influential people. Half of what Dance said was for her so she could use her political acumen to form decent alliances.
After a while, I understood why the invites said Check Grudges at the Door; nearly every guest had a bad word to say about someone. I discovered more bad blood or century-old grudges than I had ever hoped to, and it made me wonder how the Drakes functioned. They seemed to be a bunch of super powerful, gossipy children. Still, everyone appeared to have a great time and even people who had just spent the last half hour telling me how much they hated each other were still smiling and sharing a drink.
Sitting back, I could see that the Drakes, far from being a monolithic and organised group, were a loose collection of long-lived beings. While they differed in many ideologies, they seemed good-natured and had stepped up and organised to stop wholesale destruction if open conflict erupted between members. Everyone here represented a powerhouse; some were System-affiliated, others were not and seeing the depth and breadth of the guest list opened my eyes to how small our pocket of the universe was. Even the Empire, while a significant faction, was an equal among many here.
I had Dance providing me with a running commentary on who was who. Most of this was meaningless to me as I was still very much an Earth local, and I had no idea about the plots, politics, and transdimensional romances that seemed familiar to him.
Despite being in a room full of people at a party in my honour, I had never felt so alone.