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etrayalogs2025-01-17 12:09 pm
etrayamods) wrote in etrayalogs2025-01-17 12:09 pm
JANUARY MINGLE
WHO: Everyone!
WHEN: January 17th - January 23rd
WHERE: Etraya
WHAT: The arrival of newcomers and some new construction!
NOTES\WARNINGS:
WHEN: January 17th - January 23rd
WHERE: Etraya
WHAT: The arrival of newcomers and some new construction!
NOTES\WARNINGS:
 ⏵ arrival ⏴ Welcome to Etraya! Arrival goes as expected - characters awaken on hospital beds and are offered an explanation of their situation: that they have arrived in the city of Etraya, and they are their world's only hope. They are welcome to wander the hospital if they would like to - the upper floors are mostly empty, full of pristine hallways and numerous rooms filled with supplies, cots, and things one would expect from a relatively average 21st-century hospital. A coat rack is situated by the doors leading out of the hospital, covered in warm clothing that fits the new arrivals just right - whether it's to their preferred style or not is something else entirely. Some of them appear normal enough. Others? Well. Looks like someone was trying to improve on last month's designs. Outside the windows, the grass is covered in a couple of inches of loosely packed snow. We hope you enjoy your stay.  ⏵ passion for fashion ⏴ As the newcomers find themselves leaving the hospital as per their usual arrival, they will find that not too far from it is a small boutique. Newly added, just as they have been, though they lack the context to know this. Companion bots will encourage them to go in and meet the particularly unique bot inside, dressed to the nines in line with the fashion the boutique itself is offering. While small, it's clearly been decorated to emphasize the loose era and taste of the particular fashion it's advertising. The building itself is also petite, and made to feel more personal rather than a commercial experience. It has a single dressing room, and outside of it has an area with mirrors where one might take in their lovely visage from nearly all angles. There is a little waiting area with seating in the front, for those who are not being molded through Theobold's vision, or simply waiting for whoever is. The tastes and aforementioned era of this little establishment is decidedly Victorian, with a bold splash of neon trimming, cog-like adornments, and other accessories that brighten up the otherwise neutral fabrics typically used in the style of dress. Theobold, as he has named himself and will not let anyone forget, has taken to a three-piece suit, a deep emerald in color, with a black vest, and matching black gloves. He will take it upon himself to judge each person's attire (which he will unabashedly hate), then restyle them into something more along his tastes (even if it takes him a while, he will find something you don't ruin). There are, of course, many different combinations to pick from, all hearkening to a very loud style of dress that seems as much neon as it is punk or steam. One might even name it steampunk with a splash of neon. Neon Steampunk? Something like that. An interesting combination to say the least, Theobold insists as much. This is, of course, not simply limited to newcomers, though they will likely be exposed to this boutique more quickly than the others. Any who come near the general area of the hospital (thus the boutique) will find themselves being encouraged by the other bots to come inside, and they will likewise be judged and restyled to Theobold's tastes—which are as bright as they are bold. He really doesn't take no for an answer, though he can't truly stop anyone from leaving any more than a pushy grandmother fussing over her grandchild's clothes might. He has obviously discovered his passion, why not indulge him?  ⏵ trending or treading ⏴ After enjoying the privilege of being restyled by Theobold, he will also insist that you take the outfit for a spin around the city! See what people say, take note of how many looks you catch, how many eyes are on you. He wants to hear about it as well, clearly to validate his own artistry, and who can blame him? Does not every artist strive to hear a little bit of praise for their hard work? Do they not yearn for recognition from the public? Theobold may be a bot, but he is also an artist honing his craft! His boutique is not above critique, though he hopes the critique isn't too harsh... Should one indulge him, telling about what others thought, he will gladly gift the outfit to the wearer. A humble act of his endless generosity! Or if they fancy another outfit of their own taste from his boutique, then that will suffice as well. Even if it breaks his heart that you don't like the outfit. No, no. It's fine, really. It's perfectly okay. Everyone has their tastes, and yours just happens to stab him in his mechanical heart. He'll get over it. In time. Probably.  ⏵ leaving tracks ⏴ Companion bots have taken to building train tracks, as well as what appears to be a train station, in the South Eastern island of Etraya. The area is, for the most part, blocked off from Etrayans. After all, it is a construction zone, and the companion bots are ever vigilant with safety. At least they try to be. However, if people wish to lend their aid in the construction, well, they won't necessarily stop them. However they will assure them that they are not in need of assistance, and might intermittently remind those especially helpful Etrayans of that fact. Those who wish to simply watch the construction may do so, but nothing especially interesting is going on beyond the mystery of what this these tracks and the station might be for. Besides a train, of course. After all, since when has there been any mention of a train? Asking the companion bots about it will yield little results. They won't be able to give any further details besides the obvious: when this is done, it will be for a train. It seems even they might not know the full extent of what this entails, or maybe they cannot say. Regardless the reason of their lack of explanation, it seems patience might be the key to the answer. Some may notice that in the area Gorgug's friend had gone exploring outside of the environmental bubble, there is a message written on a massive piece of fabric, which is tied to two large rebar poles. The message is in an alien language, but the earpiece will automatically translate it: DID YOU THINK YOU WERE THE ONLY ONES? On the bottom of the fabric are four vertical lines. Every Friday, a vertical line becomes crossed through with a horizontal one. For all questions relating to this log, please refer to the mod queries comment. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ. |
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That's about it. He made a point to know the rising stars and the falling ones when it came to threats against the Lanes. He knew most of the gangs, big and small. He and Benzo had quite the network of information; they had to in order to survive as long as they had.
He pushed a hand through his own hair. "Ah well, I figure all our hair will be growing out. Not like I'm letting a bot cut mine."
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It was as simple as that. Sevika wouldn't go into the gory details of what she did to him, the coup, or any of that. It felt so far in the past when it couldn't been, what? Half a year ago at this point? Longer? So much had happened since then, and here she was, having to keep up acting like this wasn't one of the least interesting parts of recent history.
"Him, Renni, Smeech... The rest haven't shown their faces for a time. Could be they got caught up in the Grey when it was happening, could be they went into hiding and didn't bother to tell me."
Like they owed her that information. Well, she sure felt like they did.
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He flipped his hat back onto his head to free up his hand; he preferred a miner's helmet over this thing. He turned his head to view her from under the brim of his hat, surveying her.
"At the end of our little group therapy session, you were going to say something but decided not to. Care to share with the least invested person what was on your mind?" He suspected she was lying when it came to her timeline, that she was in fact further ahead than even Jinx.
"They were supposed to stop using the Gray on us," he said simply. "Guess not having a Sheriff in the back pocket has draw backs."
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He would end up like Vander had. It wasn't a secret between the two, her and Silco, how she would kill him all the same. Same as she did Finn, same as she did Smeech. There was no lack of certainty there when she said that, but when Vander brought up the meeting, it was there again. She twitched her lips and glanced away from Vander, back to Theobold's shop.
"I told you all everything you needed to know," she told him after a small silence where she simply smoked and watched the next fool wander into the robot's store. That itself wasn't a lie. It also wasn't the full truth.
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Though, Vander had no doubt that Silco kept a firm grip on the reins of power, and that determination of their youth still seemed as rigorous and aggressive as ever. If there was a chink in the armour, it was Jinx. He had already decided on that, which meant Silco's effectiveness was compromised, not that it mattered the guy being dead.
He noted the tell again by virtue of keeping his eye on her. So, she was holding back.
"Did you? How about I decide what I need to know after accessing the information for myself?" He dropped the remains of his cigarette to the ground and stamped it out with a bootheel before leaning down to collect it and tuck the filter into his pocket. "Is it information you can't risk getting back to the big man?"
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"Holding a sword over Silco's head isn't deciding who lives and dies, and you fucking know it. Don't act like it is when you were the one doing all the deciding before. Who to sacrifice to the enforcers, who got to thrive, who had to suffer because they wouldn't play your game."
Like she was ever the traitor? Ever?! She wasn't loyal to Silco! She wasn't loyal to Vander! She was loyal to Zaun! It was the only reason she even considered... even considered... She doesn't put her cigarette out on the ground. Rather, she takes it in hand and crushes it. The sizzle of the ember against her skin, the burn of it, curbs her anger. She hadn't come out here to start another fight.
"Everything I do is for Zaun. Even the worst of it. If I leave out something, it's because it wouldn't help any of us."
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"I did what I thought would protect our people, and yeah, I made tough decisions on what kind of shit Piltover would be willing to overlook so we could survive." He did understand that driving for something required personal sacrifices, some of which he hadn't been willing to make. He knew it was a flaw; he didn't regret it. "War with Piltover doesn't end well for us. Revolution doesn't require war."
But the Noxians would. So much had changed and new players messing with the field complicated everything those two with their little Zaun council had built.
He didn't move where he was leaned on the wall, not intimidated or moved by the idea that she might throw down with him. Perhaps he'd even welcome a second round; they had plenty of history to work out it seemed. May as well do it the Zaun way.
"So you did leave something out." He closed his eyes a moment. "It would help if it was something that would inspire hope."
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"You did what you thought would protect us... and so did I..."
But harping on that old wound wasn't going to get either of them anywhere right now. She chewed on her decision a moment longer but in the end? She sighed. Her shoulders slumped, deflated, maybe even defeated, from the look of her now. It was a rare sight. How long could she even carry this burden?
She looked down, not wanting to watch Vander's face or guess at his thoughts while she did.
"I told you before. The war is over."
She had, back when they first ran afoul of one another here. It was a stupid move on her part, but she hadn't completely grasped how dangerous it might be then.
"If I tell you... You know you can't tell him."
There was no mistaking who she meant. Silco.
"Because if it comes from anyone other than me, it's over. I won't be able to help you and your little Piltie pets with him anymore."
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"I know. I respect you for it, even if I don't necessarily agree." His respect was the best that he could offer, which was most likely more than she deserved after playing a part in the death of his children. Yeah, kids died all the time, but that wound still cut deep. It was fresh.
"So you said."
The war being over brought up so many questions, and he doubted he would fully grasp what that meant given his current time period. It meant something to her, and because she believed so strongly in Zaun that he would accept her word for it.
Yet, his gaze narrowed at her accusation. "Piltie pets? Don't push your luck; I'm not allied with anyone, but they just so happen to be less likely to murder me." For once, he actually sounded offended, his hands clenching at his sides. He'd ally with whoever he had to to get the job done, but he was still Zaunite through and through.
"I know how to keep information confidential. It's a task I'm already doing," he remarked coldly.
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Ugh, but that wasn't something Sevika ever wanted to get into. The worst thought was if the two ever got hitched. Would she be forced to attend that? As a councilor? Awful.
There was another long pause from Sevika. She had to sort out how much to tell. Some things even Vander couldn't know. If he wanted something that inspired hope — laughable, right? — then he can't... know. About Jinx. About Isha. About... himself, if Jinx was right about him being that monster from Stillwater.
Focus on the ending, then. That was the best she could offer him.
"...Noxus let loose some real fucked up shit against Piltover once they were done with us. A bunch of unstoppable automatons, created by some guy calling himself the Herald."
Hence, Sevika's new and unexplained twitchiness around the robots here.
"I can't give you the details on those. Pretty sure only Talis would be able to, but not the one we have here. The one from my time. I wasn't lying when I said I didn't have as many details about what was happening on their side during all that time."
There was a struggle to get the words out. It was all still fresh in her head, that fight. Those things. What she had seen, that endless infinity that made her feel so... pointless. How, no matter what they had done, it hadn't been enough, everything relying on the Herald losing control for even the barest of seconds. She won't share any of that with Vander, but she couldn't hide that hint of trauma, the look of a soldier still reeling from a war. She wouldn't meet Vander's gaze, even now, although it was less about avoiding him now and more that she was lost in her own head.
"He... asked for our help. Everyone's help. I wasn't going to make that choice for Zaun, so I walked. There was an evacuation to plan instead, but once everyone who wanted out was out, we rallied those who were left. Noxus assumed we weren't going to join the fight, but it was a better plan for us to take everyone by surprise and catch Noxus between Piltover's forces and our own."
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Well, there was that strange approval seeking from Caitlyn about Vi. However, after that, they had kept to themselves mostly.
The fact was that he had been provided a considerable amount of personal information from many people of their world and beyond. He filed it away and kept it to himself, aware of the value of being trustworthy in a place where information was potentially the only currency of value here. He wouldn't squander it, which was why he didn't provide information he knew Sevika already would be aware of. He played his own hand, and if she believed he was uninformed, that was even better for his own position.
So he listened, stuffing his big hands in his trouser pockets and let the information roll over him. He'd always been wary of Noxus, but then again, everyone had their own agenda even Piltover and Zaun.
"So Noxus released machines on Piltover? Why would they do that?" Jayce had gone into absolutely painful detail about the Hexgates, but as someone who had never seen or experienced one, it was difficult to understand the sheer power they were capable of.
Yet, the way that Sevika spoke and her body language told him plenty more than the content of her words. Something terrible had happened, and she had survived it yet still navigated whatever those personal consequences were like. All the fine broken pieces that never fit back together quite right, but she had Zaun. Believe in a cause, not a person.
"Heh, Noxus doesn't know Zaun if they thought we wouldn't fight. Everything is a fight with us." It was interesting that she had developed from an underling to leading. Sometimes she lacked the presence to move a crowd, to push a cause, but people respected her regardless. She was a woman who managed to carry a movement on her shoulders. He'd seen it. "And how did two cities with no formal military do against Noxus?"
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They had won, but there had been a cost. There always was, with a fight like that. With a war, not the long-running, often cold war between Piltover and Zaun. With Noxus, it had been vicious and bloody; a fight for their lives, all of them, for a whole damn world.
"They wanted the Hexgate. If they took that, they could go anywhere and spread their empire forever. You have to understand how much Talis' work changed the world. Half the reason we stepped up shimmer production and industrializing Zaun like we did, it was to keep up with Piltover, to prove we could stand on our own, but I'm not surprised that other nations had their eyes on Hextech, too. Only... the Herald... according to Talis, if he got it... It wouldn't have gone the way even Noxus had wanted."
This brought Sevika to how unfair her being here was. Again. Again! She shouldn't have to go through this again! She finally drew her gaze up from the distance, off to the side where it had been until now. She looked up, directly at Vander.
"He was going to end the world, Vander, and after what I... what I saw... I can believe it. That he had that kind of power."
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He had nothing to say on the matter, just watched and listened. What could he say? It did make him wonder about the Shimmer production, some of the confusing information that Jinx had told him about his apparent failure to remain dead. Hairier, a beast, taken in by someone and changed...
Where was he as this beast all this time? Had he been part of the war?
It didn't matter, he decided. This wasn't about him. It was about this cataclysmic event. He met her gaze, and he believed her words. There was something haunted in her gaze, a look he couldn't recall ever seeing in her before.
"I believe you," he replied softly. He did. Yet the invitation to continue remained, open and nonjudgmental. Classic Vander. "I assume that someone found a way out of that predicament, or else... is that the end of it all for Runeterra?" Were they saving the world for naught?
me forgetting to go warning s2 spoilers uh here it is now
Sevika fished out the rumpled pack of cigarettes from her pocket and used her teeth to pull one out before stuffing those away again, only to retrieve her lighter. Her hand trembled slightly, but she could tell, which meant Vander would be able to, and she hated that, too. Hated it. This wasn't who she was. She wasn't allowed to be this.
She tried the lighter and fumbled, not lighting it. Another try, another, and she grumbled around the cigarette in her mouth in frustration.
"...stupid, shitty piece of..."
What else was there left to say? At least the ending she could confirm simply enough.
"Runeterra's fine. Bet most the world never even knew they were in danger."
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Even now, he was aware that it affected her, that recounting the events was as fresh for her as the cannery was for him. He reached into his pocket for his matches when she couldn't convince her fingers to light the golden monstrosity. He reached out to flip the lid closed on the lighter, replacing it instead with a match which he flicked with his thumb to light for her.
"Maybe, maybe not. Is there a reason that this information hasn't been provided to him?" Silco, he meant. Obviously. "Pilties I can see. They don't have the same constitution."
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Something to do after... this. Stop by the liquor store, go home, feed the stupid poro, get wasted. Sounded like a night.
"I'm not sure he could take all of this without losing his shit," Sevika admitted at long last. It was a lot. At least now that she had a cigarette in her hand again, she found something to steady herself, to center herself against the terror she was reliving.
"Especially the... last part. After everything, Piltover..." Okay. Here it was. The big thing Silco would actually lose his shit over, truly and completely. "...Piltover gave us a seat. On the council."
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At this rate, he was going to have to go back to his small nondescript apartment and work off all of this energy on the bag he had hung. He considered offering, but declined as he didn't want her to know where he currently lived. It was safer for all involved that they kept to their own living quarters.
"I figured he'd be annoyed, but war was always what he thought was necessary to put in the amount of fear required for change," he said around the cigarette between his lips. He took another drag and breathed out smoke around it as she arrived at the actual crux of the matter.
Vander opened his mouth in surprise, cigarette dropping from his lips, and he fumbled to grab it again. He coughed, having inhaled and swallowed at the same time, leaving him coughing as the overwhelming reality hit him. A seat at the table. A real seat... and Silco not there to fill it with his scrawny narrow little ass. Yeah, he'd lose his shit.
"An actual seat at the table," he said, just to taste the words on his tongue and lips. He leaned against the wall again, returning the cigarette to the corner of his mouth. "Fine, I can see why you kept that detail to yourself." A real seat of power for Zaun. A life's dream realized. He could hug her, but he valued his windpipe too much. Still, he basically vibrated next to her. "Who sits it?"
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There she was. That Sevika that Vander knew best of all, the one who bubbled with anger and violence. There wasn't any way she could keep it out of her words as she spat the question out around her cigarette. There was only one person left who would qualify; everyone else was too young, and they had already seen what sticking someone young and politically untried on the council did with Talis. She wasn't going to let someone else bear the burden. Let them spend about ten more years maturing, and then she'd be able to give it up, provided she had survived that long.
It shouldn't have been her, though. It should have been Silco. It should have been Vander. Hell, even Benzo... but her? Only who else? Who else could there have been? Ironic. She had helped narrow down the options, so perhaps she could only blame herself.
"No one else wanted the fucking job," she went on. "So now I have to suffer through dealing with those assholes myself."
And she hated it. Hated it so much, but in the end, it was for Zaun. It was always for Zaun.
i don't have a happy enough icon for this moment XD
He looked at Sevika, and he felt a swell of complicated sharp pride. She had flourished in the infancy of the Zaun revolution after the Day of Ash, and he had known her to be a diamond in the rough. Then she walked, and he hadn't blamed her. Now she managed a giant man baby who was too smart, conniving, and resilient to say die, but did it matter? She had superceded them all.
Oh Silco would have an absolute shit if he knew. No wonder she hadn't told him.
Without warning, Vander stepped around the corner into the alley with her and threw an arm around her and moved to try to lift her right off the ground for a few seconds. "We did it! You're the voice of Zaun now! Ha, their faces...." he trailed off and okay maybe there was a little (just a teeny-tiny) twirl in there.
He clapped his hands as he went back to his spot around the corner, clenching his fists in his excitement and finding them trembling as he brought them in front of him. For a few seconds he could forget what it had cost, what they had all sacrificed for that one moment.
thanks she hates this
The sound Sevika made when she found herself scooped up in big, burly arms for a hug was disgruntled. No one should be this happy! And with her arm pinned to her side in the hug, all that was left was her lashing out with a boot to kick his shin. Somewhere in the twirl, she lost her cigarette, it landing somewhere in the alley, now lost to the both of them. Fan-fucking-tastic.
"Will you put me down, you big oaf?!"
Ughhh, ugh, ugh. She should have expected this, but she wasn't used to anyone daring to enter her personal space quite that closely when it wasn't a fistfight. At least he put her down at the end, but that didn't mean she wasn't left looking flustered and utterly offended by the whole event.
Yeah, screw lurking in the alleyway after that. She stepped out after him to smack him in the arm, mad but not mad enough to haul off and punch the guy after the fact.
"Never do that again."
the hugging will continue until moral improves
And her reaction? It was worth every second of her discomfort. If anything it was better revenge than laying her out in the grass and throwing her bodily into a hospital. Her disgust and anger made his elation even overflow further. And the boot to the shin? Worth the sting for her being pissy.
Of course, the fact that she decided to follow him out of the alley rather than shrink back to avoid potential gawking onlookers. There currently were none, but of course, she seemed perturbed enough to punch him in the arm. His smile was huge and look, she had entered his range again rather than retreating.
He moved to throw his arm around her shoulders in an attempt to pull her in against his side. "Whatever you say, Councilor." He dropped his voice to avoid anyone actually listening, but she would hear. That's what was important. "We should have a drink!"
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Seriously? Weren't they enemies?! Or had this been enough? Enough suffering for him to consider his revenge settled? How stupid that would be. They had no idea how well she'd even do as a councilor.
"Will you shut up?" She hissed back under her breath. A drink sounded so good right now. "I said to keep it do yourself. As far as everyone else gets to know, I'm just Silco's thug again, and it's going to stay that way."
A reminder because she felt Vander needed it. She was still at Silco's side. It wasn't something to easily forget. Regardless, she sighed. A drink... maybe just one...
"...only if you have somewhere other than Harry's to get a drink. People know to look for me there."
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No, he had not forgiven her or Silco, and he would make them both pay for his death but more the death of Mylo and Claggor. They hadn't had to involve the kids, though it was dawning on him with all the thinking time he had that kids may have been necessary to bring him in line. His kids had died for this dream which had finally been realized, even if he might not see it himself.
His arm tightened and he pulled his smoke from his lips and butted it out on the wall behind them. "Don't worry, Councilor, I'm better at keeping secrets than you know." He hugged her closer to him, aware it annoyed her. "Do they call you Councilor Sevika or give you a fancy family name, or did you choose a family name?"
He took his top hat off and set it on the top of her head. "I know a place called Rocky's. You won't be recognized. It's where people with a sense of humor go," he remarked and half dragged her off the wall before letting her go. The high would only last so long, but he was a master of the personal façade. "This way."
He walked off, expecting she would follow and not perturbed if she took this as her cue to shuffle off.
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She grimaced at the tightening arm and shot Vander an offended look when he even suggested a family name. Who did he think he was?
"The first one. They can choke on their family names. That isn't how we do it."
Sevika would always simply be Sevika. Even adding her title to the name felt suffocating. She only had to hold that seat until she got what she wanted — a free Zaun, separate from Piltover, standing on its own — or one of the brats matured enough to hand the seat over to.
The hat... well, she hoped Vander wasn't attached to it because it immediately came off her head. It would end up on a passing robot instead. If he wanted it back, he'd have to chase that down. Good luck, big man, although that wouldn't happen immediately. She kept it in her hand as she moved to follow along.
Rocky's? She hadn't heard of it before, but it would have to do.
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Everyone had their pride and their price.
It was honestly too bad that they didn't give her a fancy title. He expected they had maybe tried and she'd made a big deal about refusing it, grousing as any good Zaunite would. That thought buoyed his mood even as his hat went off elsewhere; he was definitely not attached to it.
Of course, he did have to ask. "Does Pow-er, Jinx know the extent of this?"
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