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

Alonso accepted the asari's hand and said "pleased to meet you".

Xuumo, meanwhile, considered Arina's words. Listen to his heart. That was a metaphor the bipeds - asari and humans at least - used frequently. They believed that while analysis and consultation had their place, it was almost equally important that a person be willing to act on intuition and self-knowledge, to understand where their motives and feelings were leading them, and place faith in those desires. Xuumo thought of the legend he had once chosen to share with the CDN board, that of the Dorgalanoss. He had always been intrigued by it; the spirit that prompted the urge to migrate, that led the elcor back and forth for its own amusement. Its purpose within his faith, he supposed, was to help his people acknowledge that memory and custom could never provide total certainty, and that humility, or at least an awareness of mortal limitation, should be present in the minds of elcor.

Where, then, was his heart leading him? Were they talking about literal hearts, it might be problematic. To pump blood around their massive frames under Dekuuna's crushing gravity, the elcor body utilized what were often considered secondary or tertiary hearts.

His instinctive urge was to for Dekuuna, to accept that he had tried his best and should just swallow his pride now, return home not as a nobody but as an elcor who had performed an important service for their people. That, perhaps, was enough. His secondary heart, though, was clamouring still for more. If that meant salarians, that was what he must endure. Where Alonso came into this, he didn't know.

Too many hearts, Ms. Caenis. But I will keep your advice in mind.

Michelle activated the loud speaker on her tool again, this time with an edge to her voice.

"Excuse me everyone, your attention please. I've just received troubling news. I'm sorry to inform you that a break in in our office was attempted by gangers. The attempt was thwarted, but there were wounded.
We're going to have to conclude this dinner a little earlier than expected I'm afraid.
Despite that unfortunate turn of event, however, that dinner was an amazing success. Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen for trusting us. I can assure you that we will not back down now. If those criminals are so anxious to shut us down, we must be doing something right.
With your help we will get those kids out of the ducts.

Thank you for your attention, be safe."

Laykalar was anxious to get back to the hall. Apparently realizing this, and given that they would need to speak with Rondor anyway, C-Sec agreed to escort him back.

The hanar hoped he could explain himself to the guests. He had a lot to talk about.

Rondor's announcement interrupted them. More gang problems, then? Xuumo saw Alonso tense at the news, and he released a scent he hoped the boy would recognise as reassuring.

"With affected weariness: This place never seems to settle down, does it Ms. Caenis?

Irony: Perhaps the Union will be a more stable assignment by contrast. Complimentary: How those of you assigned here on official business cope, I do not know".

There were indications of the elcor's thoughts in his reactions that were transported by Arina's interface. She knew she had given him an angle to think the problem through. He would not hastily decide on the spot or jump to conclusions.

Michelle's announcement made her frown. Would this part of the Citadel ever come to rest?

"It looks like they have enemies and are a target. That means they are truly making a difference though." She finished her glass of wine.

"Anyway, let's keep in contact, Mr. Xuumo, here's my data." she activated her omnitool and sent him her private contact at the embassy.

"If you feel like it we can continue this conversation at a later date. I know a restaurant that you might like, it's called 'the Forrest at Night' and it is just what the name promises." She thanked Temria for introducing her to that gem.

"Appreciative: I would enjoy that greatly, Ms. Caenis. As much as I respect Michelle Rondor for her work here - for having rescued Alonso in particular - she has a tendency to attract trouble. Slyly: As her little announcement just now should make clear. With formal regard: This restaurant sounds much more appealing".

Hopefully there would be less hanar food.

Laykalar's return to the hall was a little more orderly than his exit from it. The cake was absent this time, as was the drell waiter, still recuperating. Sarah had left, sadly before he could offer appropriate thanks - not only for her actions against the gangster but for the evening's entertainment; the music had been truly very pleasant. Justicar and the volus tech were still answering questions, and Snow... Snow was receiving much-needed medical attention. Part of Laykalar's mind was still sadly contemplating the human's last words as he'd been carried away. There was so much healing to be done.

He would have to make sure that he enabled that healing.

Laykalar's general demeanour was different too from what it had been, at once more familiar to those who knew him yet unusual all the same. His air of positivity had returned, but his hyperactive manner had been replaced with a calm focus. Perhaps his system was still in shock from the combination of action and barely-legal mindfish, but he felt engaged. As he drifted back into the hall, he was able to find satisfaction in the decorations, in the cards bearing personal messages of thanks from the children receiving aid, in the banners and displays, in the symbolic ball pool and the VIs. This was his contribution. He had immersed so deeply into the station community that he was helping shape it - and for the better.

The guests had mostly completed their meal, but were clearly perturbed by Rondor's sudden and rather blunt announcement. It was unusually terse for the pleasant-mannered and learned human. He imagined she must be feeling overwhelmed; he would need to take charge of the guests and let her focus on security. He wouldn't let the evening fail after so much work.

He glided over, and spoke reassuringly. "This one will take charge of the guests. The other may rest assured that this one has matters in hand!"

"Yeah, Sanka," Daia said, smiling fondly. "He ate a kaffe table once. Uh, Sanka was the choriick, not the owner, obviously..."

She broke off as Michelle began her announcement, and took on a dismayed frown as the details were given.

"Well," she murmured. "I suppose that underlines the importance - anything that upsets the gangs enough." She shook herself, and looked back at her companions. "You two are alright getting home? I'm sure you'll be okay with Davril," she said to Kari, "so long as you don't take him out for that stunt he pulled on stage. Taleeze, have you got a ride back to where you're staying? I'll be getting a cab if you want to share..."

Crossing the symbolic ball pool, Laykalar took the stage for the final time. His multi-directional vision took in the sight of the guests, their expectant gazes and faintly puzzled expressions. He believed some of them were puzzled, at least; it was still hard to read the shape of their facial distortions. Almost without thinking, he reached out with a tendril and tugged on a makeshift lever, dropping a pair of balloons from the ceiling. They sported the legends "Many thanks!" and "Pleasant evening!" respectively. One bounced lightly off of the back of the room's only elcor.

"It humbly requests the others' collective attention!" He had it already, of course, but formal decorum should be observed. He wanted no miscommunications. "This one offers apologies for the sudden announcement. It wishes to clarify the learned Rondor's statement, so as to prevent alarm". His earnest voice suggested that alarm was a most frightful thing to contemplate indeed, yet apparently it could be easily kept at bay by reassurance from a bouncing hanar on a stage surrounded by a ball pool moat.

"It regrets to note that Leaving the Ducts' central office has been targeted by criminal elements, which led to an altercation, the fallout of which requires these one's attention". He thought of Snow, and knew that he must pursue any updates as soon as formalities were over. "Given this development, it is prudent that the evening conclude slightly prematurely. It regrets that an opportunistic act of criminality should detract from the others' entertainment and conversation, which it hopes have been highly enjoyable". He raised his voice, speaking with what was almost a firm confidence, albeit tinged with zealous idealism. "But this one is confident that the others' tremendous support has served to demonstrate why the criminal element cannot and will not win! This evening's turnout, it believes, is a demonstration of the positive and lasting effect Leaving the Ducts is having upon the local community, and the immeasurable opportunities for growth which the ward's community offers in turn.

These ones cannot hold back from their efforts to achieve a brighter and more illuminated tomorrow. They are working to ensure that no child is left vulnerable to exploitation. It is this one's vision that the tides of recent galactic history leave no detritus in their wake, that in rediscovering the changed environment in which they dwell, these ones can formulate a new argument for their mutual interdependence and friendship! The honourable others have contributed to that vision through their attendance and generous donations tonight, and this one eagerly extends its thanks, and that of Leaving the Ducts, for their support! It wishes too to extend its gratitude to the catering staff of the Hungry Tides restaurant, for their efforts."

Remembering the custom he had seen Rondor employ, he tapped the tips of his forward tendrils together. Some of the guests picked up on his intention and began a short round of polite applause. Possibly others mistook it for nerves.

He couldn't see Quylid, and he wondered if the humble hanar had finally retreated entirely to somewhere private.

"This one hopes the others have had a most stimulating and productive evening!"

A few levels down, Alystae entered the unofficial nexus of her New Dillinaga Co-op, an asari miner themed bar known as Freezers Perch. Outwardly she was placid, but internally she was raging. The LTE knuckledraggers had upped the bounty on Miss Rondor's attack dog, to say nothing of turning Durix loose in HER territory. "No tides damned way this shit goes unanswered", thinking as she tossed her coat to Tarsk, the old krogan brawler at the door who was almost sober for once. The other members milling about by the bar, save Xinthus and Aricia, who were posted at the exits.

"Are the security arrangements in place Randall?" The Ice Bitch drawling at her human enforcer as he walked over to her, his knife tucked in his belt, and hazel eyes displaying a disturbing glee. "Yup, round the clock surveillance, the warehouse is on lockdown, and my hitters are present and accounted for." "Good, I have a task suited for you Randall, a labor of love in your case," Alystae maintaining her bearing as she gazed at her sadist of a lieutenant, the next words confirming what everyone was waiting for, retaliation, "I need you to take a few of your boys, head over to where the LTE maintains a small safe house, and make the inhabitants disappear, no witnesses..."

There were still things left to resolve; crises by any other standards. Snow was still in a very uncertain condition, and Laykalar was greatly concerned for his human friend. There would be even more stress for Leaving the Ducts following the latest incident, and he was unsure as to how he would justify himself to the scholars back on the Greater Encompassing. All of these were pressing, alarming matters. Yet as he offered polite farewells to guests leaving the hall, exchanging final pleasantries and expressing his gratitude, he felt that he could handle them. He was part of this community, and he was making a positive difference.

He silently addressed the emptying room. This one will not give up!

Those waves would continue to pound them, and each time they would adapt. As Enkindled beings, they could do nothing less.

He wondered if Rondor might agree to keeping the ballpool.

Finish