[Citadel, Tayseri] Leaving the Ducts Charity Dinner (Open to all)

"Good fortune with that," Daia smiled. "There's quite a buzz on the pildavi scene back home about the Keepers, I imagine you'll have no shortage of fans here. Apricity - the club attached to the agency I work at - has a similar venue during the season, a kind of sports-bar-themed side venture, and it's proven very popular. Taleeze - that's her over there, have you met? - has put a lot of effort into pildavi's popularity there, I like to think we've even made a few new fans for the sport along the way." Admittedly, she reflected, the skimpy themed host and hostess outfits probably helped, but there were patrons who'd started turning up to watch the games, as well as the staff, so that counted.

"Thirty years?" she pondered. "You must have been on Earth almost as long as any non-native." She wanted to ask how Alystae felt about the world - a lengthy stopover, or somewhere that had come to feel like home? - but there were all too many obvious reasons to approach that subject with care. The places she lived, the people she knew... all too many were likely gone now.

"We've had a number of human immigrants on Illium," she said instead, to keep the conversation in the general area. "I only made the return trip once - so far - about a year before the war. Just a quick fortnight, to see the championships of a terran sport I've become rather enamoured of. And as it happened," she grinned, "I proposed to my bondmate, so there are some quite fond memories, obviously."

"I want to see him." Chris crossed her arms and stared dead on into her ex-wife's face. "You can't just keep him from me, I'm just as entitled to help raise him-" She's silenced by an angry shove to the shoulders. Stumbling back, Chris found her balance with some difficulty.

"You're entitled to nothing. You sold us out, you bitch. You- I don't know what you did. You're a fucking coward-" Sarah clenched her fists and exasperatedly tugged at her hair, tears streaming down her face. "You're a coward and a liar and I don't want to see you near me or my son ever again. Get the fuck out of here. You never went to the police when we needed you the most, You lied about being in prison for God-knows-why and you've embarrassed us both in front of these people." She gestured off at the crowd.

Chris was red in the face and spoke after a moment, to Sarah's under-the-breath hissed insults. "My lawyer will be contacting yours. I'm going to fight tooth and fucking nail for custody if you want to go down this route." She leaned in, elevating her tone. "How do you think the judge will feel if I tell him you're an ex-terrorist with blood on your hands? A drunk? A drug addict? Hmm?" She pushed her hair out of her face and continued to speak, brows furrowed.

"Maybe you should get more in line with the real world, Sarah- I'm the victim here and you're withholding my right to see my son. Have fun at the charity dinner, dear, my lawyer will contact yours." She collected herself and turned, stepping quietly out of the charity dinner. Sarah took a nearby seat and buried her face into her hands.

Max blinked after hearing what Lowell had to say, staring off into space for a few seconds as the human walked off to his seat. He only vaguely heard the human women's speech in the background, clapping more out of reflex than anything else. Good luck? Rumors? Surely he wasn't referring to... No, no. Yes that had a been a real cluster, but no one had any way to prove anything. There was no direct evidence, it was all hearsay! Besides, who were they going to believe? An Assemblyman, or a gaggle of illegal biotic hookers and a perpetually-stoned comic book artist? Nahhhh. Lowell was just trying to throw him off his game to get what he wanted, and Max wasn't going to let himself be shaken so easily.

After reassuring himself there was nothing to worry about, Max turned his attention back to his Asari companion. It was too bad that dress of hers wasn't as revealing as he would have liked, but it just left more to the imagination he supposed. She continued to chat as the human woman- Michelle! That was here name -continued her speech to the attendees.

"Indeed. I'm sure it must have been very emotionally touching. It was very kind of you to take the time to go and see the kids in person. You seem like the quite the tender, generous soul, Arina. Do you mind if I call you Arina?"

Max smiled a special type of smile. The smile that was typically the last thing the interns saw before he was scrambling to find a janitor's closet for them to sneak into. He didn't expect it to have an immediate and drastic effect like that in this situation, but it was a stepping stone.

Arthur remained quiet and discreet, wearing his polite diplomatic smile at all times. He followed Taleeze's lead around the hall closely "Arthur Hoffmann, Systems Alliance. Most pleased to meet you." he answered curtly to every greeting he received.

The venue seemed very warm. A much more cozy place in comparison to the large, grand and cold ballrooms in which other such events usually took place. Many pleasant scents came from the buffet. Some of them bore a certain Terran familiarity while others felt more... 'exotic'. Arthur's only hope was for none of his allergies to act up...

He listened quietly to the speeches carefully, nodding along noteworthy points that stood out the most for him while cracking a faint smile to any whispers of small talk that reached his ears all the while.

The human follows his asari companion towards Ms. Rondor He smiles to her warmly once again and gives her a brief and polite bow.
He felt the desire to jump into the conversation, not wanting to make his silence falsely appear as coldness... but as the conversation drifted towards topics beyond his field of knowledge or understanding he did the only thing he could think of doing. Smile and nod along. He had dealt with many sporting events throughout his career. The memories from the matches at Olympia were still fresh. Sure he could say a few words about the sport's significance and/or history but he was completely lost when it came to more technical matters. That's for the players themselves.

He grabbed this brief opportunity to discreetly scan the people in hall. He remembered that he had been very focused from the very moment him and Taleeze had arrived, not even bothering to give the room a glance around. His eyes only have time to search some tables at the back. There were many people present but none of them seemed too familiar He recognized some faces from the Citadel Embassies but that was just about it. Well, for now at least. There was a large portion of the hall still waiting to be thoroughly scrutinized!

Arthur's attention snaps back into the conversation just in time so he wouldn't make a big fool out of himself. Good timing is a skill you eventually develop in a job like his own. Still smiling, he turns to Taleeze and then back to the Hostess.

"No, I don't think we do unfortunately. But I sure hope this is about to change very soon. Oh, Miss Rondor, I didn't get the chance to say this earlier so I'd like to congratulate you on this wonderful event you've managed to set up. It is all time well spent so far!"

If Max had not been a politician, Arina might have looked at him differently. She noted his impressive blue tongue though when he smiled his charming turian smile at her like that. He had a charming smile, for a politician.

"Do I look like that." she said with a chuckle. "Yes, the kids were fantastic. The embassies care about all the asari that come out of the ducts and we want to make sure they know where to turn to to become valued members of our community again. The temptations of fast money are manifold, be it illegal prostitution or crime syndicates. I heard that LTD had minor troubles with local gangs already."

The scholars of the Greater Encompassing had arranged themselves into a particular pattern, which reproduced in two dimensions the form taken by a school migrating in the open ocean. The unEnkindled lifeforms of Kahje had come to fear this formation, for it signalled desperate times for any reef or island shelf unlucky enough to be the target. Laykalar felt a momentary kinship with those Wordless creatures.

He came to a stop before the scholars and offered respectful greetings, a show of largely sub-vocal luminescence that was the equivalent to the submissive body language of other species. Among hanar, of course, social status was less a measure of inherent personality traits or aggression, but instead of intellectual prestige and religious devotion. The only true leaders, some maintained, were the Enkindlers, and those who could demonstrate the greatest insight into their will and desire received the greatest followings. Like all the most essential virtues, charisma was something they'd been gifted by the divine, a consequence of their capacity to follow in the wake of those who originally stoked the Light.

Laykalar had great respect for this community of scholars, who had taken him into the galaxy, and he was disturbed by the fact that they'd made no move to integrate.

"It humbly invites the learned others to make their presence known! Many of those in attendance are of considerable influence within their communities. It believes there is no greater opportunity to open a permanent dialogue with the more insular sects. It would suggest engaging the Sundowners, or perhaps the honoured Assemblyman! It believes he rarely makes such appearances!"

The learned Jasthe spoke with obvious contempt. "This one feels it necessary to remind the other that 'hanar custom' follows in the wake of many millennia of increased illumination, involving careful regard for collective standards. It is not an entertaining diversion for aliens, comparable to the spherical coloured objects the other has placed around the stage". Rarely had Laykalar viewed such evident distaste.

He wobbled unhappily.

"Free exchange of thought is always commendable" said Tathissyl. "It must however take place within a framework of decorum. Truth is to be comprehended through the form best suited to its revelation, or it will remain illusive. These ones do not wish to be "thanked" for their commitment. This one does not doubt the enthusiasm of the other's alien companions. The host has demonstrated its evident emotional investment in this event and the cause it represents. The other appears to have found in this leader a validation of its own pre-existing tendencies".

"It believes the learned Rondor to be a truly sophisticated intellect!" said Laykalar, with a hint of desperation. "This is evidenced in how her own people have chosen to relate to her! This one notes that the human authorities placed a troubled individual within her authority, with trust that her example would aid this individual in readopting a manner more suited to social inclusion! This other is himself a source of much insight -"

"There is also the matter of the potential for others to be misled regarding correct standards of discourse, and for codes of behaviour to be misrepresented by the simplistic and unstructured manner in which the other, Rondor, has articulated them".

"This one believes the other has misrepresented the essential argument made by All-Bright Olos the 10th in his defence of the esteemed Fergelisyndis" noted Gesheni, indicating the fourth of the hired VIs. At least, Laykalar thought in an attempt to retain his cheer, Gesheni had actually spoken with it.

"This one was not intending to reproduce the exact arguments" he explained unhappily, "but rather to produce a nexus that would allow a given guest to find their own means of relating to the current issue by pursuing a chain of virtuous arguments. To this end, it attempted to present the argument in a manner more accessible to outsiders".

"The other has arrived at the crux of the dilemma" said Tathissyl. "The evening thus far is an indulgence of the aliens. The other must retain its distance lest it lose its capacity to correctly evaluate that which it observes. This one is well aware that the other has been excited -"

"The other would do well to remember that these ones conduct themselves with dignified purpose, that the Finding is not a means to a personal end", Jasthe spoke simultaneously.

"- and these ones have displayed considerable tolerance. The goal of the Finding is to further these ones' comprehension of the truths revealed to the Many Voices post-Darkening, and return with renewed understanding, so as to share with the people that which is judged suitable for enhancement of the Primacy. Although the other has demonstrated an admirable enthusiasm for the pursuit of xenocultural understanding, it is these ones' judgement that it has been indulgent and unfocused. As it has encouraged the aliens present this evening to indulge".

Albert didn't know a thing about the Assemblyman's indiscretions, but he did know a thing about politicians, they didn't always have noteworthy secrets, but they themselves almost always thought they did, and that was exploitable.

He fake-discreetly called over a member of the press, it looked like he was being discreet, but he made sure Max would see it.

What followed was his conversation about nothing really, as far as the asari was concerned Albert seemed to want to pick-her-up. But he made sure he pointed towards max a few times. Mostly saying things like "I was talking with the assemblyman over there and you caught my eye…" of course from the turians perspective, without hearing what Albert is saying it looked all but innocent, with him talking to a reporter and pointing the turian out...

Then the reporter walked away.

"Confident greeting: Could I possibly have a moment of your time, Mr. Lowell?"

There was a balance to be achieved between discretion and making use of the opportunity. Albert Lowell was well connected and a member of CDN to boot. Xuumo had decided he should take advantage and offer a momentary paw, a possible investment down the line.

Bless you, Alonso. You keep on giving.

"Of course, good sir." Albert focused his attention on the Elcor while he took a quick sip, Max could stew on his uncertainty for the moment.

"So how can I be of service?"

"Pleasantly conversational: I do not desire service, Mr Lowell.

With humour: Nor is this about the pilot and the three stewards. I merely wish to offer my regards. I am Xuumo-kalashasi; you might remember the story a few weeks back, concerning the recovered artefacts?

Regretfully: The embassy's announcement unfortunately received less attention that we'd hoped, due to the incident on Sur'Kesh. You did, however, offer comment".

Max smiled and nodded as Arina talked, but he couldn't help but notice Lowell approaching and talking to a reporter, occasionally gesturing over towards the Turian. MAx tried not to be obvious about his glances back, and to keep his attention on Arina, but the whole thing made him feel uneasy. What was that slippery human up to? Did he really have something on Max, or was he just trying to put him off-guard and bluff him? Max resolved to have someone at the office do a little digging around and find out more about this diplomat...

Max turned his attention fully back towards Arina, nodding solemnly when she mentioned gangs. "It's a disgrace, these gangs trying to exploit children; 'inducting' them in at a young age so they have no other chance at a normal life. That's what I try to explain to people when I tell them focusing on security and law enforcement isn't just about being beating your chest. It affects everything and everyone! If we could at the very least force these gangs into a retreat, it would give LTD more room to work. And if we can obliterate these gangs entirely, we can transform these troubled neighborhoods and give these kids a new lease on life. We didn't win a war for the fate of the galaxy just to let this station turn into another Omega!"

Max loved that 'Omega' line his speechwriter had come up with. It always played well.

"Ah yes, you are the one who rediscovered that art collection, that was some fine work."

Albert shifted in his seat, "it would have been a bigger story if it were not for the attack. Still finding those artifacts, and being remembered for it, is a reward on its own."

Xuumo forced down a momentary surge of displeasure. The salarians had come close to ruining the triumphant atmosphere of the artefacts' initial return, and it seemed they were still casting their shadow over everything he wanted to accomplish. Part of him wished the Democratic Union would complete its efforts on Sur'Kesh and rid him of future complications.

"Solemn correction: In fact, the artwork was a separate incident, and tied directly to the unfortunate events at Entish. Proudly: I speak of the Embalhoth Collection, a truly essential morale boost for our people. With modesty: But that is not what I'm here to discuss.

Pleasantly conversational: I wished to offer you my regards, Mr. Lowell. I have recently resumed employment with the Courts, and you are a known quality among those of my people here on the Citadel. As someone with a vested interest in elcor-human relations, I thought it worth my while to introduce myself properly. Knowingly: The site I will not name is not, I'm sure you'd agree, a suitable forum".

He wondered, come to think of it, why Lowell would frequent such a place.

"Taleeze? The short thing over there talking with Miss Rondor? Afraid not, been working fourteen hour days for the past two weeks, it doesn't leave me much time for socialising that doesn't entail work Daia." Alystae remarking as she took a look at the highly made up asari, in contrast with the tall maiden's nearly spartan approach to makeup and embellishment. Alystae went with a soft dark plum color for her lipstick and a hint of dark purple eye shadow to contrast her dark honey eyes. The observation about her exile on earth did Alystae on edge momentarily, when she arrived on that little blue marble it was right after the Relay 314 incident, when humans had little but apprehension for aliens (thank you very much Turian Heirarchy), but aliens were also needed, in the beginning of humanity's relationship with the council. Several human enterprises, were looking for non-humans to give them an edge when dealing with alien businesses, legal and otherwise.

Taking a swallow of her drink, Alystae gave Daia a cold smile, "Well, my residence on earth wasn't a pleasure trip but some parts of the planet do have their charms. The part of the UNAS I was residing was crazy about a sport called 'american football', I ended up liking the sport. What I can say about my stay on earth is that it was much better than my little trip on Illium, and I learned why humanity as a whole despises the institutions of slavery and 'indentured servitude' An opinion that I share with equal fervor." Chuckling lightly at the last, Alystae's eyes took an contemptous look at the mention of Illium, the decadent planet in sharp relief to the homeworld of humanity. During her thirty or so year exile, Alystae had toured the battlefields and monuments of the UNAS, Gettysburg and Bull Run foremost in her mind, Alystae learned that it wasn't the batarians that turned the humans against slavery and it's like minded enterprises, it was humanity's evolution as a race that eventually eradicated the 'peculiar institution'. That same ferocious determination had propelled humanity to the stars in Alystae's eyes "But to answer the question, from Shanxi to the Reapers descending, I saw humanity's rise first hand. It was quite the heady experience, seeing a race rise to power that quickly. I suppose it's why I believe that the asari need to be more proactive and assertive, we believed that due to our 'cultural superiority' we didn't need to assert ourselves nor take a more active hand in council space security, as sad as it sounds Daia, only dead things stay the same. Thessia was a brutal wake up call for us all in my opinion."

Finishing her little speech, Alystae had the good grace to be slightly embarrassed, downing the rest of the bourbon smoothly while giving Daia a brief apologetic smile, "But I do beg your pardon, this is neither the time or place to discuss the future path of our people, this little gala is about the war orphans here on the citadel. My apologies for my poor timing." Despite the smile Alystae was wearing, her eyes remained just as hard as when she mentioned Illium. Alystae, in an attempt to push the memories of Illium and what she found there away, decided to change the subject slightly, "Might I ask how Illium's reconstruction effort is going Daia, we hear alot about the Illium entertainment scene, but not much about the rebuilding?"

"Oh pardon me about the confusion," Albert smiled apologetically, "Anyway it is pleasure to meet you in person Sir... as for that forum, I agree, it is a lot of things, but it is not a place to make formal introduction."

"So what will might your position within the Courts be?"

"Well, no non asari biotics that I know of yet. But if you're saying that biotics even without implants can play maybe I can check the local leagues, see if I can get a coach. Of course it means that if they become biotically active I'll need to make sure their diet follows suit... I'm sorry, just a second."

From the corner of her eyes Michelle saw something was wrong with Laykalar. He was talking to his elders, too far from her to hear (maybe they didn't even activate their voice simulator when talking to each other), but something was... off. She realized that it was the lights he was emitting. It was subtle, but after all that time spent with him she started to discern his body language, the luminescence of when he was happy, and of when he was upset. That was definitely upset. she got on her commlink.

"Mr Snow, something's wrong with Laykalar. I think those old coots he invited are giving him a hard time. Do you mind go check on him please?"

"Sorry", said Michelle coming back to her guests, "and no, we never met. I'm very glad you're enjoying the party sir, thank you! What convinced you to come, if I may ask?"

"Yeah boss, I'm on it. Oh, looks like T'Naron is talking up Miss T'Nara, the pornographer and the gangster. Kind of poetic," snarking into his comm, Snow began to make his way to Laykalar, the three drell having disappeared into the crowd. Passing by the table where Max the Gun Nut was holding court, hearing the bareface wail about the 'plague' of gangs and crime, "yeah right, as if the rackets and syndicates didn't exist previously, wishful thinking Mr. Assemblyman." Snow pushing the criticism out of his mind, nearing the hanar academic delegation, Laykalar's instructors and mentors. And if Laykalar's changed demeanor didn't clue the red hood in that it wasn't going well, the steady, almost relentless pulsing from the elders clinched it in Snow's mind.

"Fuckin' hell", muttering softly, Snow moved through the crowd, eventually nearing his colleague and friend. "Friend? I guess Laykalar is I suppose," thinking about the improbablity of a mean bastard like himself friends with Laykalar, an individual whom he envied and wished to protect in equal measure. "Hey there Laykalar, boss sent me over. Are..you okay? I hope I'm not interrupting anything," interjecting himself into the discussion, Snow didn't give a shit if he interrupted a doctorate dissertation, and judging by Laykalar's luminesence, an intervention was in order...

If the group was unimpressed with the dinner as a whole, they were very displeased with Snow's approach. Laykalar was glad to see the human, but he also felt ever more uneasy as he picked up on his elders' reactions. It seemed to reinforce the assumption that there existed an inherent conflict between the two communities he'd become a part of. He had sadly anticipated that his elders wouldn't understand the value of what he did here. He was certain, more than ever, that they were incorrect about this, that the work he was doing was useful to his intellectual development. To question his learned elders directly was inconceivable, though, and he had no idea how to express himself.

As Snow greeted him, he tried to muster his usual cheeriness, but he could tell it wasn't working.

"This one was trying to ensure that all the guests were enjoying the evening's entertainment" he said, unable to keep the uncharacteristic glumness out of his voice, even through the vocal modulator.

Daia nodded when Alystae voiced her opposition to slavery, whatever form it took, but let her move to another subject as she wished; she didn't mind discussing whatever came up, within the bounds of decorum, but she tended to be a conversational follower rather than leader anyway.

"Of course," she agreed when Alystae raised Illium's rebuilding. "There's a lot of activity, naturally - the high and mighty aren't keen on not having their soaring towers and luxurious mansions. No sense pretending they're any more committed to sharing the wealth than before the war," she admitted, "but at least they haven't forgotten the best returns come from a healthy economy all over, so there's enough growth to go around. And we were lucky, too, not being a 'priority' target; for all the destruction, the machines really only landed as much as they needed to to wreck Illium as a commercial power. There's none of the ecological damage the core worlds suffered, so that's something to be grateful for."

Her smile faltered slightly as she considered the state of her homeworld.

"Mind you," she went on, the corners of her mouth turning down a little, "it [i]is[i] Illium, I don't have to tell you 'business as usual' - so far as anywhere in the galaxy is usual, at the moment - includes its share of ugliness. I don't want to drag the conversation down that route," she said, with a shake of her head. "Let's just say there's still a lot of work to do before the colony as a whole could be called anything like 'fair'. But I don't want to make it seem as if there's nobody trying."

After a moment to herself, Sarah stood, marching over to Michelle Rondor after a moment of psyching herself up. Waiting for her opportunity to speak, she reached into her handbag, removing a credit chit and offering it over. "Sorry to interrupt, Michelle." She rubbed her bloodshot eyes clean. "I'- I've got a donation here for you." She inhaled sharply through her nose, continuing on with a strain to her voice. "I managed together some eight thousand, sold some of my old belongings. I'm always proud and happy to help the children of the ward I live in. Congratulations on the success of the dinner!"

"Is there anything you'd like me to do?" She rubbed her hands together in front of her chin. "I can play music again. I need something to keep my mind off of all this recent turmoil. Chris just harassed me about custody and threatened to sue me- Like.." She pointed over to the location, just off a corner of the building. "Just over there. I - I don't know what I'm supposed to do."