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Post by Virianus Devinian on Jan 21, 2015 19:14:57 GMT -5
Virianus Devinian wasted no time in expressing his satisfaction with the woman’s decision.
”Excellent. In that case, we should take a few moments to move on to logistics, if you don’t mind.”
Stepping away from the window and the Siren, Alpha moved back to the center of the room before turning to Kereth and continuing.
”In order to make your nomination official, I need only send some information as to your qualifications to the Council Members. I leave it to you as to what you would like me to say about you – your Guardian days may be an easy selling point, yet if you would rather I not make that information public to the Council, I will respect your wishes. The vote for your confirmation will be in five days, and I can already virtually guarantee a majority vote in your favor, but in order to ensure as smooth a confirmation as possible, I would ask that you take this timespan to familiarize yourself not only with the city and the Tower itself, but to meet the Counselors personally and persuade them as to the great validity of your candidacy.”
What Alpha proposed might seem daunting to Kereth at first, but the Magistrate wasted no time in beginning to contemplate the resources necessary to ensure her success in the proposed endeavor. The Siren would be ill-equipped to navigate Vascxious Sigma, and especially Vascxious Sigma Politics, on her own, and with Alpha far to busy to take her by the hand himself, she needed a competent guide and liaison as she prepared for confirmation.
Alpha would fix the Siren in an appraising gaze, watching her motions as she chose to follow his path away from the window or make some other directional decision.
”Obviously, I have no expectation of sending you to find and deal with the other Counselors alone, considering your unfamiliarity with both them and the city. Tell me, Keretheriel: what is your opinion of the young lady Dorya, who escorted you here?”
Virianus had already had a mind to put Dorya temporarily under Kereth’s need, for more reasons than just those superficially evident. Overall, the Operative represented both the most competent and the most otherwise-unburdened choice when it came to giving the Siren support, but Alpha would make other arrangements if Kereth felt in some way uncomfortable with Dorya. Such rejection would be unlikely, however.
Alpha would wait for Kereth to speak her opinion before continuing to lay out his design, his tone casual in nature, though the piercing set of his gaze on the woman belied the thought that he was no longer paying close attention.
”I had thought to assign her to you, temporarily of course. She is quite knowledgeable about both the city and the individual members of the Council, and would be a great asset to you in the days remaining until the vote, at which time you will have an entire organization of aides to choose from. Unless you object, that is?”
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Post by Keretheriel on Jan 22, 2015 10:49:17 GMT -5
The Siren watched as the tension, almost as if by magic, eased and all but dissipated. She'd given the Magistrate what he wanted, at least superficially. It remained to be seen whether or not there were hidden layers to his design though Keretheriel wasn't going to hold her breath on the idea that he was nothing but straightforward. The truth of it was that she was confident in her ability to make the best of any situation: the reality was that Vascxious Sigma was probably the safest place for her to be considering there was no telling when Arktouros─ not to mention the entity or entities Alpha himself noted as taking notice of her─ would resurface. Of course, she really should be thinking that making a public name for herself again could be problematic in the long run, but Keretheriel usually didn't need to consider her actions in those terms: her inherent ability to adapt and change to suit what was needed was invaluable and had been the primary reason she was still around, centuries after she should have been dust. In all, whether her commitment was a mistake or not Keretheriel would survive it. The game just got so much more interesting.
The Siren turned to follow the Magistrate, but mostly kept a fair distance between them.
”My Guardian days are certainly impressive if you leave out the part where I committed unforgivable atrocity,” her eyes rolled and shoulders shrugged, midnight locks shaken loose, as if she couldn't see why anyone would be upset with her for torturing a Mithrian and her companion for information she needed, ” and brought chaos and disarray to an organization dedicated to protecting humanity. I'm not sure how morally ambiguous the rest of your Counselors are, but somehow I don't imagine those particular facts being glossed over by a group intent on acting in the best interests of a City like Vascxious Sigma. Your judgment is probably better on how my history would be received than mine is. I'll focus on the 'meet and greets.'”
Alpha might be pleasantly surprised by her immediate change in direction: Keretheriel was in no way overwhelmed by what he laid out. It was child's play compared to what she'd been doing to actively assert her presence in other Cities: here she had an in. . .
When the Magistrate asked about her perspective on Dorya, Keretheriel couldn't help but offer a faint smirk.
”She is incredibly focused and efficient, and perfectly imperturbable─ I can see why you'd send her for me.”
She watched him, but not closely: he wasn't the only one thinking about other things.
”I trust that you wouldn't offer me what you have and then supply me with inferior resources, Magistrate. It would be a monumental waste of our time if you were to put so much effort into bringing me here to persuade me that I had a place on your stage and then turn off the lights during my audition. . .”
Her smile was cryptic, but her sentiments very clear.
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Post by Virianus Devinian on Jan 22, 2015 12:18:50 GMT -5
The Magistrate chuckled at Keretheriel’s assessment, nodding and gesturing in affirmation of her words as she spoke them. Of course, the Siren had little understanding of the landscape of the rest of the Council, and therefore had little idea of just how that piece of information would be received, but Alpha relented not because of her appraisal, but over another point entirely – her verbal interpretation of her own actions was interesting, and quite revealing as to how the woman chose to view herself and her past.
”Considering that there is another former Guardian of Balance already in place within the Council, perhaps you are right – I will choose the appropriate light in which to cast you for the Counselor’s consumption, and perhaps it will then be wise to leave your affiliations unknown for the time being.”
Alpha was already beginning to draft the necessary statement within his mind, and was eager to get the ball rolling on that regard. He would allow Dorya, then, to handle some of the more incremental logistical needs with regards to allowing Kereth to ‘settle in’ – especially since the Siren herself had indicated that her opinion of the Operative was in some way favorable.
Stepping toward the door, Alpha continued to speak, his words carrying over his shoulder to Kereth despite his body’s position that directed them away from her.
”Of course you are correct – it would be foolish of me to provide you with less than adequate support. By that standard, I have total confidence that Dorya will be of great help to you – perhaps you can even help her in some way, as well.”
Alpha let his final words hang as his fingers closed around the handle of the door. Pulling it open, the man would wait for Dorya to turn from hr at-ease position and meet his gaze before he addressed her.
”Dorya: our meeting is finished for now, and we have need of your expertise. Won’t you join us?”
Stepping back enough to make room, Alpha would allow the Operative to walk through the door before closing it behind hr and stepping past the woman, moving back to the center of the room to stand beside Kereth.
”The esteemed Keretheriel has agreed to be the newest nominee for the Council election in Seventh District, voting for which will be held in five day’s time. Considering the short time period in which she must get acquainted with the city, as well as her need to meet with the other Counselors, I have decided that your presence would be the most helpful in creating a smooth transition and election process. Therefore, I am assigning you to act as Keretheriel’s direct aide: please see to anything and everything she may require, and treat her instructions as though they were my own. As a suggestion, I feel it best that you begin by finding her an appropriate temporary domicile, either within the Tower or in Seventh District. Are you willing to take this assignment?”
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Post by Tahliya Carystian on Jan 22, 2015 20:26:08 GMT -5
Dorya had already begun spinning around on her heel when she heard the rattling of the door handle, and therefore as Alpha fully opened the door and began to speak, the Operative was already facing him, her features etched with her normal neutral expression. The Variance didn’t hesitate to step inside, walking past the Magistrate and taking up a position some five feet away from wherever Kereth ended up, falling back to her common at-ease position after nodding in affirmation to Alpha’s initial request.
The meeting certainly hadn’t taken as long as Dorya had expected – either it had gone exceptionally well or exceptionally poorly, which meant that either Dorya was being called in to assist in some way, or she was being called in to dispose of Kereth somewhere outside the city limits. The Operative briefly caught the woman’s eye, but kept her expression neutral. She turned back to Alpha as he began to speak.
The Variance’s mind worked rapidly as the Magistrate told her what was going on – Dorya couldn’t help but have some small sense of self-satisfaction at correctly guessing the reason for the meeting and not wavering under Kereth’s skepticism. This new information meant that the Operative had played her cards right after all – the Siren was five days away from taking one of the most powerful positions in the city, and therefore an early deal with Keretheriel could very quickly work to the Variance’s advantage. Dorya might have kept her outward expression neutral, but inwardly she couldn’t help but smile.
“As you wish, Magistrate.”
As far as Dorya was concerned, nothing else needed to be said: this assignment, based on the way Alpha had given it to her, superseded all other duties that the Operative might have. Dorya turned to Kereth and bowed her head slightly in recognition of her new position, unofficial though it might be.
“Congratulations, Miss Keretheriel. As the Magistrate has indicated, it would be wise to first move on to the task on deciding where you wish to stay within the city. If you’d like, I can go over the options with you?”
Dorya now knew she would have that alone time with Kereth that she had been looking for, potentially in spades, since the Operative would now be more-or-less waiting on the woman hand and foot. It was a strange shift in the woman’s status: Kereth had essentially moved from being a bounty Dorya had to collect to being a head of state who Dorya must serve, but if the sudden shift made the Variance in any way uncomfortable, she didn’t show it in the slightest.
“Once that decision is made, I will happily fill you in with relevant information about the other Counselors and begin making appointments.”
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Post by Keretheriel on Jan 22, 2015 22:27:34 GMT -5
Another Guardian? Now that was intriguing. Her expression didn't change, but suddenly her thoughts were racing. . . Any Guardian that chose to serve a creature like Alpha might have more in common with her than she wanted to think about, though she understood how certain ties could resonate very strongly even with a current lifepath that wasn't altogether, say, one of Light. The Siren may have spared a few moments to mentally tick through a short list of who that Guardian could be, but quickly abandoned the task. Those that served the Guardianship in her time either would never serve Alpha or it was extremely unlikely they'd found a way to survive beyond their original lifespans. She'd only been able to do so because of the Magistrate's assistance, to be fair.
That Alpha moved to bring Dorya back into the room caused Keretheriel to straighten nearly imperceptibly. The game was certainly proving to be worthwhile already. How convenient that he'd had seen fit to pair her with an actual 'in,' one that she'd already made some progress with. . . Pale eyes watched their interaction closely, the permanent smirk curling at her mouth.
The formalities and trappings of orders and structure brought to mind images and faces she hadn't thought on in quite some time, and Keretheriel very calmly detached from them, focusing more intently on the exchange between Alpha and his Operative. Dorya was officially her new aid, and with interestingly specific orders issued as well. Those eyes narrowed subtly as a few implications were considered before the Siren's expression lightened again.
”Well then, Magistrate. I suppose all that's left is to settle in. Should I expect to be seeing more of you in the coming days?”
The question was innocuous, but held a certain suggestive tone that no one in the room would miss even if they chose to ignore it.
”Dorya, I suppose we should take our leave then, and leave the Magistrate to his busy, busy schedule.”
The Siren grinned, eying Dorya sidelong.
”Let's go over those options over dinner, shall we?”
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Post by Virianus Devinian on Jan 23, 2015 11:47:12 GMT -5
Alpha had been pleasantly surprised with the speed at which things had progressed with Keretheriel’s nomination. While the Magistrate certainly hadn’t gone into the situation expecting failure, the Siren’s quick assent made things substantially easier for him, especially when it came to the speed at which he could begin moving other pieces around the proverbial chessboard.
Of course, there was always the issue of unpredictability with Kereth, but her independent nature was a large part of the reason he had chosen her in the first place. While he would certainly have a harder time anticipating her actions than he did with many of the others, Kereth offered a unique opportunity to throw all the rest of the Council off their respective games, introducing variables into the equation that would force the lot of them to recalculate and, as such, find better ways to work. Søren, it seems, was already doing such: his not-so-subtle threat to her position had done its work admirably. Now, Alpha could sit back and watch as Keretheriel began doing similar to the remainder of the Council, allowing the Magistrate time to focus on getting his own affairs more appropriately in order.
Alpha nodded to Dorya as she spoke in affirmative to his request, and stayed silent as the two conversed lightly. Dorya would gain quite a bit from working with Kereth, though Alpha also imagined the personal cost might be higher than the Operative could anticipate. Still, Dorya was a rising star in his eyes – who better to hitch her to than one of like status?
Kereth’s question to the Magistrate almost prompted a laugh from the man, but Virianus kept his tone far more neutral than the Siren had as he responded in kind.
”As delightful as it would be, I am afraid that my responsibilities keep me far too occupied to allow me time to pay you a visit before the upcoming vote. However, my dear, my office door shall certainly be open to you, if there is anything pressing you require of me.”
Alpha tipped his chin down, both to Keretheriel and then, in turn, to Dorya, before stepping toward the door.
”I shall ensure that you receive a copy of the information I send to the other Counselors, Keretheriel. To you both, I look forward to many prosperous days ahead. Fare well, won’t you?”
Alpha smiled beneath his mask as he stepped through the door, down the hallway, and into the lift. Now it was time for him to return to his office, though this time he would be working from the one attached to his bedroom rather than his office annexed to the Council chambers. As the lift doors slid closed, the Magistrate clasped his hands behind his back and set back on his heels comfortably; it was to be a long, prosperous night ahead.
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Post by Tahliya Carystian on Jan 23, 2015 12:02:54 GMT -5
Dorya carefully stayed silent as Keretheriel and Alpha exchanged words of obvious understated meaning. Briefly, the Operative wondered further as to the specific nature of the pair’s past relationship – Alpha, in that way, was as unreadable as ever, but Kereth’s hinting indicated that they either could have been closer than acquaintances at one time, or that she was at least teasing at the possibility of them being closer in the future. It hardly mattered, in either case, but Dorya tucked the question away in the rear of her mind on the off-chance it would get cleared up by later conversation.
Dorya was taking a quick stock of resteraunts in the city where it would be possible to get a last-minute dinner reservation as Alpha indicated he would be taking his leave before the two women would get the chance to. Unsurprising, considering the speed at which Alpha seemed to move between situations: Dorya took the act in stride, as she always did when it came to the Magistrate, and simply bowed her head and spoke respectfully as he passed.
“Magistrate.”
Until Alpha was truly gone, Dorya kept quiet, but fixed Keretheriel in an unreadable gaze, waiting for the sound of the lift doors closing before choosing to verbally answer the woman’s earlier request. Truthfully, the Operative hadn’t expected ‘dinner’ to be high on the woman’s priorities, but she couldn’t accurately predict anything the woman was about to do, at least for the time being, so the Variance didn’t bother concerning herself over the reasons that the Siren felt she needed to eat. Instead, she just moved on to analytics first – efficiency before all else, after all.
“Considering the size of the city, the options for dinner are almost infinite. However, I think you would enjoy either Sky-Lounge in Third District, or the Hundredth Balcony, a very elite establishment in Seventh.”
Dorya would wait for Kereth’s response, not continuing on to more serious conversation just yet. There would be time for that, as Kereth had indicated before, when they were away from prying ears and eyes. For now it was all business . . . though the slight smirk threatening to turn the Operative’s lip upward did touch slightly on her deeper, less logistical thoughts.
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Post by Keretheriel on Jan 24, 2015 20:29:03 GMT -5
Alpha shouldn't have been too terribly surprised that Keretheriel was quick on the uptake─ really, what did he expect to happen? That the Siren, would linger, awestruck and dumbfounded after making another devil's bargain? He'd offered the former Guardian direction, and she already had reason to stay in Vascxious Sigma for the time being. It would certainly make her life easier to walk the streets of the Trade City with actual legitimate status rather than duck and cover between the Steam Tunnels and the surface. Besides, the Magistrate explicitly set the expectation that she act as a catalyst, an agent of disruption: how could she pass on the opportunity to do what she did best?
The Magistrate's oh-so-even response caused her lips to twitch in amusement.
”In that case, I'll be sure to cast shadow on your frame for only the most urgent needs. I'm sure I'll find Dorya to be of impeccable service for all else.”
Again, innocuous, but also so devious. Keretheriel was incorrigible.
When Alpha took his leave, Keretheriel inclined her chin in his direction but didn't drop her eyes.
”Oh, I'm sure we'll fare quite well, Magistrate. . .”
The flash in bright eyes and the small smile that accompanied that darkly rich murmur added nuance to the otherwise confident assertion. Satisfied that they were alone, Keretheriel turned immediately to Dorya and favored her with a deepening smirk.
”If it is Seventh District I will be vying for then I expect that is the first place I should become familiar with. We'll save Third District for when it's time to romance its Counselor.”
The Siren paused, catching Dorya's stare before moving to close the distance between them. She watched her carefully, unmoving for about the space of a breath before shaking her head. Whatever she saw, or thought, or decided would remain locked behind those startling eyes.
”Shall we then?”
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Post by Tahliya Carystian on Jan 28, 2015 11:37:01 GMT -5
Dorya took note of the heavy subtext at work in the interaction of the Magistrate and her new Assignment, but made no attempt to think further on its implications at the moment. Kereth was obviously one to play games with subtle manipulation, as too was Alpha – their power-plays would be done with double-entendre and carefully-planned significant glances, not swords or armies, and the Operative could admit to herself that she was not yet schooled enough in that arena to follow the combatants moves with any great degree of accuracy. For now, Dorya chose to focus on figuring out how best to establish a working relationship with the strange woman in front of her: one which would be of benefit to both women in their future endeavors. Alpha was always a consideration when it came to Vascxious Sigma politics, but one that could be watched rather than heavily analyzed, at least in the current moment.
The Siren’s decision to focus on Seventh District didn’t surprise Dorya: the Operative had already more or less assumed the woman’s choice, which was partly why Dorya had only given Keretheriel two distinct options. Obviously, each district had more than enough eating establishments, when combined, to keep them fed for years, even with no repeat visits to any one place. The choice to offer Seventh as an option was obvious, considering Keretheriel’s new positional relation to the area. In contrast, the offer of Third had more to do with the propensity of other Council members to visit that particular establishment, raising the probability of a chance encounter. Truthfully, Dorya was glad the woman had chosen Seventh District – the Operative would be more likely to make progress with the woman were they not interrupted.
The Operative nodded in time to Keretheriel’s decision and fished her communikay from one of the side pockets of her coat. Flipping the device open, she accessed the Tower’s logistical message network and selected transportation services, and after a few seconds of typing sent a brief message to the State Transport Division within the Tower, instructing them to get a vehicle ready to transport a diplomatic passenger to the 100th Balcony in Seventh District. Once done, the Variance tucked the device away again and spoke to Kereth.
“Transport will be waiting for us by the time we reach the Atrium in order to take us to Seventh District. I think you’ll enjoy the restaurant I’ve suggested – it is a favorite for out-of-town visitors and traders, and overlooks the Airdock, which is one of Seventh District’s most important landmarks.”
Calling the Airdock a ‘landmark’ was underestimating the site importance significantly, but Dorya was sure Keretheriel could figure out the implications without any assistance from her new attendant. Turning, Dorya would wait for Keretheriel to walk towards the lift before falling into step just half a pace behind her, the correct procedure for an assistant to a potential head of state.
“I’ll ensure that the 100th Balcony has a table set aside for us when we are on our way.”
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Post by Keretheriel on Feb 5, 2015 10:21:11 GMT -5
Keretheriel watched wordlessly as her new Aide, officially appointed, retrieved some sort of device and flipped it open. Pale eyes narrowed in mild curiosity as Dorya's gloved fingers tapped the little gadget repetitively and then, finally, snapped it closed and spirited it away. When Dorya looked to Keretheriel again, one of her sharply-arched brows would quirk upward just enough to suggest that perhaps the Siren wasn't abreast of all the technological developments in the Trade City. The moment would pass very quickly when Dorya began to speak, setting expectations for travel and also providing a casual summary of the Hundredth Balcony. The Siren paused mid-turn and fixed Dorya with an unreadable stare.
”The Airdock? As in, the main entrance for air travel to Vascxious Sigma?”
Keretheriel watched her only for confirmation before the corners of that full mouth teased into one of her trademark smirks.
”I'm going to guess that one of the main roles of any Counselor for Seventh District has to do with that 'most important landmark.'” The heavy accent marking her words became distinctly more clipped as she leveled her stare further.
The Siren laughed, shaking her head as she sorted very quickly through the implications of such status. If Seventh District had the market on travel in and out of the City, that was a fair amount of leverage on any of the Counselors that happened to preside over Districts centered on imports and/or exports. Logistically speaking, she could cripple the City very quickly as well as apply pressure to specific Districts in any effort to disrupt or motivate. . . Alpha really had given her a perfect opportunity to be the catalyst he'd said the Council needed.
As Dorya turned Keretheriel straightened and began to stride purposefully back toward the hallway that led to the lift as well as to the other duplicate 'waiting rooms.' Her Aide would probably very quickly notice that the long, flowing train of lavender silk was not only shifting in color, but also seemed to be shrinking. By the time they reached the lift and the Siren was turning back to favor Dorya with a small, but completely devious, smile she'd probably take note of the wardrobe change considering that it was now profoundly different. What draped across the dangerous curves of Keretheriel's form quite possibly wouldn't pass as a dress for some: indeed, her newest gown was apparently made up of a series of very fine, delicate black chains─that seemed to reveal just as much as they hid─ connected to slightly thicker 'seaming' that reflected the lines of an actual dress down her center-line and leaving her shoulders and arms bare. While the artful placement did much to ensure she'd not be showing more than she wished it would be quite clear the Siren was wearing nothing else to protect her modesty. Interesting choice, to don chains. Even dainty ones as these. . .
Was her hair a little shorter? Keretheriel took the opportunity to test the integrity of her dress and raised both arms, using her hands to pull the thick, messy lengths of blue-black hair away from her face─ every thin chain biting into her flesh deliciously and showing her body to be just as firm and luscious as it looked─ pausing for just long enough to drop her gaze as if she had no intention to offer any sort of show until both hands dropped fluidly back to her sides. Her hair remained pulled back as if it had been pinned, the long stream of it falling down her nearly-naked back in voluminous curls. Long, thin chains of the same black metal draped across her forehead and dangled down the sides of both temples.
”Excellent. We have much to discuss, Do-ry-ah.” She spoke that name as if it now belonged to her. . .
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Post by Tahliya Carystian on Feb 6, 2015 11:29:58 GMT -5
Dorya certainly noticed the distinct changes taking place in Keretheriel’s attire, though she said nothing as the two women strode towards the lift. From her position just slightly behind the not-yet-elected dignitary, Dorya was primed to watch the whole rapid change, a fact that had quite certainly been at least somewhat intentional. While the Operative might well have been looking, it wouldn’t have been obvious enough to easily catch, especially considering that she continued to address Kereth’s questions in an analytical, matter-of-fact manner, though perhaps with a touch of sarcasm seeping into her words from time to time.
“Good guess – and yes, the Airdock handles the bulk of all commercial shipping and receiving for the city. Considering that Sigma is the continent’s premier trade hub, it’s vitally important to the city’s economy.”
An economy that, while thriving, was being impacted by a trade-slowdown due to problems with the Airdock - more specifically, its administration. Dorya was fairly certain that Alpha was using the somewhat dire nature of Seventh District’s vacant seat to push through Keretheriel’s nomination, but his choice presented a problem: while the Siren was undoubtedly Council material in almost every sense of the word, the Operative was having a difficult time seeing her running massive organizations like the Trade Administration and the Port Authority. Presumably, that’s why Alpha had designated Dorya as Kereth’s aide – not only to prop up the fledgling Counselor, but to demonstrate the true depth of her considerable potential.
Dorya smiled to herself as she pressed the lift control, letting Keretheriel step in first once the doors slid open. Alpha was giving her a very clear, serious opportunity with this turn of events, and the Operative was primed and eager to take full advantage of it. She didn’t mind playing into Alpha’s hands in this instance, considering how significant the personal benefit to her could potentially by. As the lift doors closed, Dorya selected the control to take them to the Atrium and then turned to face Kereth.
“I’m suddenly not sure if I am under . . .” Dorya drew her eyes across the extremely eye-catching garment that Kereth now wore, making a point to signify to the Siren that yes, she did notice the change. “ . . . Or over-dressed.”
The Operative briefly looked down at her own dress, examining her military-style clothing that, while bearing no specific divisional insignia, denoted her as a member of the Special Operations branch of the Vascxious Sigma Peacekeeper Corps. Spec Ops was not known for accompanying dignitaries – that was usually a job for normal Peacekeeper officers or TPS, the Tower Protection Services, which acted as diplomatic security for visiting heads of state. However, it wasn’t unheard of for the Magistrate and other top-ranking Counselors to lean on the Spec Ops branch in certain situation, so Keretheriel being seen in public being escorted by Dorya was not a situation without precedent. It might make the news, though – especially with the Siren wearing that.
“Though, being accompanied by someone in this uniform does add a sense of legitimacy to your new status.”
The situation Dorya now found herself in was objectively absurd in certain ways, but the Operative never dwelt on the abject strangeness of her job – she always took it in stride, which was exactly why she had been so successful in the past. Truthfully, her time spent secretly working for Spec Ops while publicly assigned under Black Sun’s Queen Ghanima hadn’t been any less strange than her current assignment with Keretheriel . . . though the latter certainly had the potential to be more profitable to the Variance’s status. Could, that is, if the Operative played her cards right.
Looking Keretheriel directly in the eye, Dorya dropped the smirk that had just developed on her features in favor of a more pleasantly amused expression.
“That being said, I’ll be glad to follow any direction you have as to my physical presentation – I will be accompanying you to most, if not all, public events, and I won’t presume to predict what image you want to present at any given time.”
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Post by Keretheriel on Feb 9, 2015 14:44:33 GMT -5
As the Siren stepped into the lift Seventh District's logistical use was given weighted consideration. The ease at which Alpha offered her such significant power was both troubling and exhilarating, and, really, this was one of those moments that Keretheriel realized that perhaps she'd acted somewhat impulsively. She should have been trying to figure out if her self-assurance had landed her in a set of circumstances she wouldn't be easily extricating herself from, but introspection had never been one of the Siren's stronger points. Confidence in her own ability, however, was certainly on the list of her more prominent qualities: navigating Vascxious Sigma politics would be fun and she intended to enjoy it.
Her chin lifted when Dorya turned to face her, fever-bright eyes surveying her form as well.
”Let us keep you in uniform this time, my Love. The Tower's weight in your escort will draw the eye of our audience and leave, as you say, an impression of legitimacy. They will wonder, but not dare approach. We will be associated with power, but unknown and more interesting for it.”
Though her reply began with a degree of engagement Keretheriel became less attentive the more the words poured from her mouth. Until she addressed the latter remarks from her Aide.
”All public events, my Dear. If you are vying for a seat at the Magistrate's table we must pull you into the public eye and begin shaping their perception of you. There are two other open seats. Alpha did not say when the Council would be voting on those, but I think it safe to assume it will be sooner rather than later. Am I correct in assuming that is your goal? To claim one of those Districts for yourself?”
Keretheriel offered a calculating stare as she listened for the other woman's response and ignored how quickly the lift was transporting them to Dorya's intended destination. .
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Post by Tahliya Carystian on Mar 12, 2015 18:24:09 GMT -5
The lift had already begun to slow by the time Dorya responded to the Siren’s pointed question, despite the fact that the Variance didn’t hesitate for a single second before affirming Keretheriel’s suspicions.
“Yes, it is.”
Dorya pursed her lips slightly as the lift slowed to a stop, her expression shifting as she thought better of her impulse to elaborate. Best not to talk about sensitive matters in public spaces: the two would have more than enough time to confer on what Dorya was aiming for over the next few days, considering just how closely the Operative would be working with her new overseer. As the lift doors opened into the busy Atrium, the Variance would touch one side of the sliding metal frame, essentially holding it open for the Council Nominee to walk out first, with her bodyguard/advisor/newfound friend falling in step close behind.
Were Kereth to walk through the entirety of the Atrium floor and out the front doors of the Tower, she would find a sleek black transport vehicle sitting directly outside with the driver patiently standing by the passenger door, waiting to let the two women in. Once inside, the vehicle would quickly take Kereth and Dorya to their destination in Seventh District, where their reserved table would already be waiting for them.
Dorya would check her communikay during their stroll across the Atrium just to ensure everything would be ready for Keretheriel’s arrival, and simultaneously check on her request for lodging within the hotel floors underneath the 100th Balcony – those kind of arrangements usually took a bit longer to line up than getting a diplomatic official a table at a nice restaurant. Once complete, Dorya would keep quiet for the time being – assuming Kereth didn’t have a mind to continue asking questions.
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