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Infinities Edge

A minute or two... it sounded impossible, and yet, her head had already begun to clear... the spinning having stopped as soon as he'd caught her. Still, there was so much about where they were that made no sense whatsoever it was hard to distinguish what was actually happening and what might have been a drink-enduced hallucination.


Settling into the chair she looked up at him, smiling dryly, "Fun as it's been... I have to agree. Tell me there isn't some ludicrous version of a hang over in my future. And if there is, lie to me?"


Chuckling, she leaned her head against the chair back, letting her eyes fall closed, as Elias addressed the AI again. A moment later, she peeked her eyes open with a soft frown. Her personal history... her effects... because those had everything to do with the case, certainly. Her privacy had been invaded so violently, it was a miracle they hadn't taken her wardrobe...


"...They're nothing, if not thorough, hmm? Good thing I don't exactly keep a lot of skeletons lying around... Shame, really, that they didn't take the clothes. I had some really killer outfits." Looking up again she smirked, "...Have I thanked you yet? For being the one person in the galaxy who doesn't think I deserve to be burned at the stake?"
 
"For the record, I don't either." It was Carlith's voice again, she was sitting at the end of the table, scanning through Gemma's file, she was wearing different clothes now, full combat armor, a rifle sitting against the wall. She smiled at Gemma, "But isn't it exciting, Eli's never brought a girl home before! This is so exciting!" She giggled and then glanced to Elias, "Oops... he's... got good hearing..."


Elias was already in the kitchen, his features hadn't shifted at all. He was cooking, in hypertime. His abilities were enhanced by the nanites, so he was using them to cook. he grinned lightly as he worked on it. It took him seconds to make food, less time to prepare it. All he had to do then, was let it cook. Which with the familiars that worked in the kitchen as well, the cook time was far reduced.


Within minutes, he was walking back into the dining room, simple order hors d'oeuvres, but lots of them, complex ones as well, he brought them out on multiple platters, balancing them carefully he brought them out to the table and set them down, to Gemma, and to a frown from Carlith.


"Really boy, After I taught you to cook five star dinners, you bring the first girl you bring home snacks?" Carlith tossed the files down and stood up, scowling, she and her rifle vanished.


Elias paused, and muttered, "Yeah... Bi-Polar demonic..." He paused and ceased what he was about to say, shrugging slightly with an annoyed glance to the wall where Carlith had just been.
 
Gemma jumped when the other voice interrupted, spinning in her seat to face the woman from the closet, eyes wide and bright, startled. She couldn't speak... could think of nothing worthwhile to say, and a moment later, when Elias returned, she'd only looked up at him with a helpless expression, shaking her head.


She'd begun to feel better... or at least considerably less worse for the wear, but she still wasn't nearly sober enough to handle the impossible horned-woman and her oddly affectionate words, all of which felt like thinly veiled threats... There was something so unconsciously frightening about a person who could do the things his Aunt could... but more unnerving were the thoughts of the things Gemma had not seen her do, yet.


When Carlith vanished again, Gemma shook her head, her fingers massaging her temples, "...Is this gonna happen a lot? Them just... popping up like that?" Breathing out, she turned her attention to the food instead, a brow quirked at the amount he'd brought in. He hadn't been gone nearly long enough to make a sandwich, let alone an entire selection of hor d'oeuvres.


Still, she couldn't complain. It was food, and she was famished.


"...This place..." Shaking her head, she smiled, looking up at him again, "...For the record, I like snacks. Her, though? I'm not sure I'm terribly fond..."
 
Elias nodded at her, a grin on his features, "Yeah, and they won't always recognize you, sometimes they'll show up... and have this look on their faces..." He shrugged again, and shook his head slightly, "Like they know things... that haven't even happened yet... It's a time thing... I don't think about it, it's not part of my pay grade."


He paused on the comment about Carlith, "Most people... don't at first... then they end up in bed with her. I'm happy to say I've avoided that, but she's always been that auntie of mine that I always looked up to and... was kind of scared of. Never saw her as sexy..." He muttered with a shrug.


He nodded to the files, "That, is in my pay scale though... and we did recover your wardrobe. It's in the lab. Valorians aren't through, But... they are... your company was an asset to them. Nano-tech, it's one of their primary focuses, Your company is an asset, Just like I am..." He glanced at the wall where Carlith had been, "Only difference is, I'm family... The nanites that are in me, were my mothers, the nanites in her... They're Lunaris'."


He turned his gaze back to the files, and sighed quietly, "Either way, enough on that, We need to... focus on what's at hand..."
 
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"Great. So not only will they potentially eat me, but they might have done it in the future and are recognizing the error of their ways in the present? That's not remotely disconcerting. Not at all. I'm starting to see why you never brought a girl back here, before me..."


Gemma laughed, and it was the first time in a long time there was anything that felt genuine in her amusement. She'd known people like Carlith... different, of course, outwardly, but otherwise, quite similar. It was a charisma... a draw, which was hard to ignore, regardless of how the person might repulse you. She had managed, in her time, not to fall for the vast majority of them, "I think I can probably manage to resist that. She's not my type..."


A brow rose when he continued and she straightened up in her chair, "...This all feels so bizarre. Having people pick through my things... It's exhausting." Running her fingers through her hair she tucked her legs up in front of her, leaning her chin on her knees, "...And what is at hand? Cause I'm pretty much just lost, here."
 
Glancing over the pile, Elias looked at her, and asked, "What shouldn't be here. What's wrong with this stack of evidence. There's something, Carlith figured it out the moment she looked at it all. She just won't tell me, or the Valorians. She said something.. Something is wrong here. That someone who knew what should be here, would know what wouldn't belong. From there, I'd be able to figure it out... I have another name, besides Reaper. They call me The Hound." He said looking at her with a shrug, "Because according to the rumors, I'm relentless, and I always find what I seek." His gaze had turned to a steely, cold look, "It's true honestly, I've had a zero rate of failure." He finished.


He paced around the table, he wasn't eating, but he was watching her, waiting for her to figure out what was wrong in the stack of her possessions. In the evidence against her. Elias's nanites were tracing everything she did, every muscular reaction, pheromone trace. If she reacted to anything in a way that would be deemed relevant, he'd notice it, and he'd be able to mark what she'd been looking at the moment she reacted.
 
Gemma rose from her seat, looking over the mess on the table, her lips pursed in concentration as she tried desperately not to be overwhelmed by the intense amount of information had been accrued. They had told her, when she'd stood before the board, that the evidence against her had been impossible to ignorable and from looking at the pile before her, she wasn't surprised by that notion.


The trouble was, the vast majority of it was completely falsified. She was smart... it had been a large factor in how she had managed to get to such a high position so young in life, but she was also considerably observant, and she made it a habit not to forget important details... The forms, indicating her correspondence with unknown numbers, the bank transfers and account information...


The 'evidence' on the table was good. Really good... but none of it... not a lick of it was true.


"...It's all wrong. Everything here, with the evidence... Damn. I could never fight this not really. It would be my word against paperwork, and that doesn't exactly hold up in a court room. But all of these... the dates, the numbers... they're off. I mean, it's well done... If I was anyone else, I'd suspect me..." Frowning softly, she glanced up at him, "But none of it's real. God. Who are these people...?"
 
Elias raised his eyes to the ceiling and sighed, shaking his head. "That's... disconcerting... That mean's whoever did it... is dead... or..." He glanced at the wall, "She wasn't the one you met earlier. Right... Well this is going to be vicious."


Elias moved to the edge of the table, and sat down on one of the chairs, he muttered, "So were back to square one... But Auntie knows who did it... she's just requiring me to play my part..." He had a foul look on his face as he spoke.


With a frustrated sigh, he brought his fist down on the table, "What am I missing! What did she see!"


It was then, as though brought in from a television moment, Carlith appeared, holding the outfits both of them would need. "You'll find it Reaper. It's why you were chosen to be what you are. Now, the Soreno's are going to be very pleased to see you, Just... be nice for once... I do know how you can bicker." She was grinning, a knowing look in her eyes, like a mother who had already watched her children grow.


Elias stared at her, and then looked away, "I'll do my best Auntie.." he muttered.


Carlith smiled as the outfits left her hands, floating beside her, she motioned towards Gemma, "Take care of your little friend now." She moved to the bar, and tapped it, repairing the damage he'd cause with a mere touch. The house rebuilt the frame of the bar, and retacked the wood into place. She took up the bottle that had been left behind and pulled the stopper out of it, taking a long, slow, luxurious drink.
 
It was a little like trying to understand a cypher... written in another language. If his aunt knew who was responsible, why wouldn't she just say so?Why all this show? Why drag Gemma through the mud, when the answer was already figured out? To test Elias? Weren't there better ways to hone his skills than ruining her life in the process?


Seething, internally, Gemma stared ahead blankly, her eyes fixed on the false evidence as she shook her head. None of it make any sense... and the deeper they went into the proverbial rabbit hole, the less clear things became. She felt toyed with... as if her life meant nothing and she were just a piece in a demented game spanning the galaxy. And she was less than amused.


Her frustration showed, as she looked up to see Carlith once again, popping in out of thin air. The woman was a nuisance... a tease, without the benefit of enjoyment. Glaring at the woman, she bit her lip to keep quiet, wise enough to know her outburst wouldn't be well received. Instead, she turned to Elias, "What's next, then?"
 
With a light sigh, Elias pushed himself up, motioning to the dark blue formal attire that was designed for humans but it was built towards the Calonian formalities. Elias took the first of the outfits, the one for males, and carefully dismantled it.


"We get dressed, we go talk to the other two aunties, we go on the damn goose chase, and when were done, we put you on display as the woman who cleared her own name. It will clear me of this god damned test they're putting me through and it will bring you deeper into a fold of very elite people who are extremely powerful and able to influence... most if not all of the major governments and companies in the civilized galaxy." He said calmly, as though he was reciting the plans for an evening. "If all goes well, You'll have some interesting stories for your grandchildren about an idiot with some very advanced nanites and a really crazy family." He smiled as he finished.


He motioned to the second outfit, "Your going to need her help to put it on, it's one of hers, she wore it for a Gala, a long, long time ago." he was stripping down, like this was a normal part of his day. Humility, pride, and embarrassment aside. Elias was a man of action, he didn't mind nudity, it was part of life. He was already older then most people realized. "I don't mean Carlith either, She had to raid my Mother's wardrobe for that. Your almost her size... Carlith's bust is..." He glanced at the woman, who had turned to him with a raised brow.


She commented a moment later, "Ample..." She had a smile on her face, she was leaning back, so her large bosom showed very clearly beneath the corset she wore, her legs were crossed as she sat on the barstool and leaned against the bar, "I never would wear those things, It sure did piss off Meera... But..." She grinned, "I didn't care, that's when she was seeing Master. We all know his taste in women... Only dates them for a few years before he sends them on their way..."


Elias let out a snort, and nearly began laughing, "Yeah, but not you, and never mother. You he just can't quit, and mother he always saw like one of his protégé children, like..." He paused, remembering his place.


Carlith growled lightly, "Careful boy... Civilians, even privileged ones who have contracts, don't get to know Her name." She was gripping the edge of the bar with one of her nearly clawed fingernails.


A moment later, the doorway slid open, and a figure appeared there, She scowled at Elias directly, "This had better be important boy, I'm in no mood for..." She stopped, dropping the keys she was holding onto the floor, staring directly at Gemma, "Oh by the nine hells... You brought home Gemma Livingtree. Please tell me this is a social call. A time flux Social call..."


Fate Grim's jaw was hanging from her skull, nearly enough to audibly pop out of place at her shock.


Carlith grinned, and said, "Isn't our little Reaper so pretentious! He's just like Master when he was young, So full of zest and danger! Now were all involved in attempted murder and grand treason!" she clapped her hands together maniacally, like this was all some sort of game as Fate just stared at Gemma like she was some sort of amazing creature she'd never seen before.


Elias sighed, and covered his face with his hand, "Damn, and here I thought we'd be able to come to you..."
 
It felt good to hear, at least... The idea of clearing her own name. Currently, it also felt like a pipe dream, but all things considered, at least she wasn't trying to do it on her own. Still, it bothered her that someone... anyone knew the answer and they were keeping it close to the chest. Why they felt the need to test Elias at all was beyond her, but the fact that they thought she was, in any way, expendable was infuriating.


But all of that became irrelevant the moment Elias began to disrobe. Stunned to silence, Gemma stared, stunned by the sudden, inexplicable lack of modesty. After a moment of gawking, she spun around, blushing furiously, using Carlith as an excuse to hide her mortification. Of course, watching the woman's display was no less embarrassing, and as quickly as she had turned from Elias she dropped her head into her hand, staring instead at the carpet.


It was only when Carlith's tone of amusement twisted into something darker... a tone of warning, that Gemma looked up. More secrets. More things she wasn't privileged to know. This entire endeavor was beginning to feel like a horrible joke, at her expense...


"...Now hang on a minute--"


She started, but the door opened and at the exclamation surrounding her name, Gemma fell silent. Even if she had not seen her in the hologram earlier, Gemma would probably have recognized her as Elias's mother... but she had not, by any stretch, imagined meeting the woman in person. It was oddly intimidating, particularly when her eyes fell on Gemma in that scrutinizing way.


Looking to Elias, no longer caring what his manner of dress was, she gave him a silent expression... a plea for help.
 
Having always been quick to switching clothing due to career choice, Elias was almost fully dressed in the Calonian garb, the long flowing pants accompanied by a traditional tight fitting top that was complimented by a flowing sash like cloak and cowl. There were ceremonial epaulets for the male version of the costume as well as a delicate looking breastplate that gleamed with a regal status. To a Calonian, anywhere in the universe, this outfit would scream out Royalty. It was dark blue with swatches of dark purple and lighter blues, the metal parts were dull silver hues with intricate carvings throughout them. Elias wore it well, to him it was simple. But he knew from experience, the female version was anything but.


The female version was a mish moshed bit that had less armor and less covering, but a slightly see through cowl that would, without directly revealing the wearers skin tone or real appearance, show off their body as much as possible. The pants were tighter fitting in retrospect to the males, and it had a corset like breastplate that was so finely intricate that it would take someone with a great deal of skill to equip it on their own, let alone get it off. The breastplate covered the chest almost entirely but had swirling cut outs from top to bottom to show off the skin of the wearer. Cal Droma and her colonies were ruled by the female gender of the species, and they were a very vain race, proud of their fur above most else. Battle scars shown beneath armor was even more of something to flaunt, so the traditional armor of a courting female was designed to show off.


Elias sighed and shook his head at his mother, and Carlith both, "This is business, Honestly, How did either of you get anything you ever tell me you did done. I'm starting to doubt some of the old stories you used to tell me." he said flatly. His tone displayed irritation and radiated a genuine annoyance for what was going on.


While Carlith was powerful, and Fate was rumored to be one of the strongest women alive, Elias had a reputation for being one of the most lethal living creatures in the known universe. So both women, regardless of how well they knew him, paused before replying. Carlith gained a defeated appearance, and Fate simply shook her head.


"Well someone grew up and lost his playful spirit..." Carlith murmured with an annoyed tone of her own, "Honestly... When did you turn into Master's double..."


"When we crafted him into his double..." Fate said quietly, "He's exactly as we always envisioned love, Won't your daughter be pleased when she finds out her favorite pupil has become such a fine weapon. She always was a sadist." Fate's voice was harsh, even for a joking rebuttal, it showed genuine animosity for what her son had become. "Regardless, Miss Livingtree, It would be helpful if you would strip down. This outfit is terrible to get into, I should know, It's mine." She stared at the thing, making a face.


Elias was dutiful, He moved closer to Gemma and then turned his back to her, he was within a few feet, there was a shimmer throughout the room and the collective nanites in the room switched off.


He spoke without turning around, "Gemma, if they give you too hard a time, I can help you get into it. Mother just knows the best forms for it."


He'd remained silent through their words, he knew they were right. His teachers were proud of him, but for all the work they had put into him, they had turned him into a weapon more terrible then a star splitter. It hurt him a little to think about it.
 
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It was a two-fold feeling she had, when Elias spoke. She was both relieved at his stern lecture to both women, who seemed to grasp that it wasn't time to tease her, that it wouldn't be accepted, anymore... but also a little frustrated by the nearly caustic sense of being relegated to little more than business. It was stupid. It was stupid and tacky, to expect anything beyond a business arrangement, but moments before, she'd gotten the indication that for the first time in ages she wasn't alone in the universe... that someone actually gave a damn if she made it or not. True, he probably did care, but was it for anything more than his own personal gain?


Maybe she wasn't being fair... and she was certainly being a little ungrateful, but it was what it was and regardless of what she was thinking or feeling about the mess, she had to keep it together, or nothing would matter... Ultimately, it was the end for her, if she didn't hold herself together.


Looking to the wardrobe choice that had been selected for her, however, it was all the more difficult to hold her tongue. It was nothing like what she would have worn, and while it was certainly a good sight better than the sack she'd been assigned on the desert planet, it appeared to uncomfortably less clothing than she would have liked.


And then she was asked to strip down and the heat rose in her cheeks again, her eyes widening. Graciously, Elias turned his back, but there were still more eyes on her than she was remotely content with. Biting her lip, she looked between the two women. Then Elias spoke and she nearly choked at his words, "What!? No! No, no... Really! It's fine... I'm sure they'll be just fine. I...You just... stay. Stay just like that. Don't... turn around."


Frowning, she took a breath, a deep, calming breath and squeezing her eyes closed, pulled off the tunic, letting it fall to the ground, "Let's just... get this over with."
 
Carlith and Fate looked at Gemma, then at each other, and within seconds, almost bent over double trying to hold back laughter. They shook their heads.


"You can count the days that this house has had women fully dressed at all times in it in the common areas on one hand sister. Trust us, Modesty died when I was still young." Carlith giggled out, she was barely able to speak as she did.


Carlith and Fate moved in like sharks on Gemma, Carlith was a seamstress, so she was a master at setting up clothing, she'd been taught by her master and he'd been making clothing since he was a child. The many long millennias of experience he had had rubbed off on her, so as she compared the workmanship she'd already applied to the modified outfit made her smile.


"I had to shorten everything, Fate's such a long, spindly thing, What with being ridiculously tall and all. I swear, poor Killian." she said, mocking the woman's husband openly. "He always had only eyes for you though. Poor thing..." She teased the other woman brutally.


Fate chided in, "Well at least mine doesn't bounce from woman to woman as they age." She grinned as she caught Carlith's glare.


"Yeah well-" Carlith started before she was cut off.


"Enough!" Elias snapped, "Modesty is one thing, but dignity and pride are quite another. Aquarius and Father would punish you both if they heard any of this. Carlith, YOU should know better, you know he views your memories actively. Where is your brain when it matters most?"


He'd slammed his fist against the table. Elias had been raised by these people, and he rarely saw them together in any moment's that were informal, so seeing them like this disturbed and annoyed him, "Your leaving a very bad impression of who we are to a guest of this house. I may be the apprentice but I am HIS Apprentice, I will not brook the insults you are casting upon their names."


Carlith's eyes widened, Fate was frozen in shock as Elias spoke so firmly, and with such prestige, even if it was in rebuke to two who were above him in status climbs within the house's pecking order. Carlith turned her gate to Fate, holding up the outfit, she shook her head at the woman, and Fate just shrugged.


"Looks like we've been put in our place, haven't we..." Fate muttered quietly to Carlith.


Carlith nodded, her eyes still wide, "Who knew he'd taken in that much of the masters formality..."


Fate sighed quietly, "You know how Aquarius is... He leaves himself on all of us in some way or another, Elias got his gentlemen's voice."


Carlith would nod again, "And all of his vicious bravado... but with the skills we gave him to back it up... I'm actually kind of scared of Eli now..."


Fate shrugged, "He did win last years tournament."


Carlith froze, and stared at Fate for a long, hard moment, "The one where..."


Fate simply nodded.


During this exchanged, Elias bristled, he was enraged by the women's antics, they disregarded appropriate protocol, ran their mouths, and spoke poorly of the master of the house as well as his own father. Even if they did outrank him, he was still the protégé, he had spoken within reasonable terms and his anger was justified. He had yet to step out of line. He glanced back towards Gemma quietly.


"I apologize... for the unbearable way my relatives are acting. They are childish, and know no sense of humility." he said softly, he wasn't turned enough to view Gemma, just give her a sense that he was acknowledging her more readily.
 
It was a little like watching hens, pecking in a yard. She'd seen her share of them on the desert planet and the imagery was only too perfect. Back and forth, gossiping, teasing, poking, prodding. Gemma's embarrassment had reached a level where it almost physically hurt, but she said nothing... did nothing. Truth of the matter was, she was terrified of the two women. These were the ones who had trained Elias, who had raised him, and she had seen what he was capable of. She would do nothing to incur their wrath, if she could avoid it. Still... she felt a little foolish, being pinched into the outfit, like a doll they were having entirely too much fun tormenting.


Then Elias spoke, a tone which both frightened and enervated... If he had been speaking to her, she would likely have perished on the spot, but hearing him chastening the women who had, until that point, been driving her mad, it was, to put it mildly, exhilarating. She fought a smirk, certain even after the lecture the women wouldn't take too lightly to derision, even if it was well deserved. Still, when Elias looked back, she couldn't help the light smile that graced her lips.


"...No need to apologize, Elias..." She said, softly, "I'm sure they meant nothing by it."


In her opinion, the best revenge was behaving in exactly the way Elias had accused the women of lacking. If she could combat their brashness by behaving like a lady, she would, in her own way, have something of a small victory.
 
Elias snorted slightly, his facial features twisted into a bitter scowl. He was furious with his relatives, but when Gemma spoke, he calmed considerably, falling back into the stoic, honorable sense. To her words though, he responded gently.


"Believe me... They do... Though Carlith tends to be a woman of Action... She just realizes your under my protection directly..." He clenched one of his fists as he spoke, an unsaid threat passed throughout the room.


Carlith shuddered, muttering, "Man... I would so hit that if he weren't like one of my kids..."


Fate's right palm collided with the back of Carlith's head, "Do you want to get stabbed? He's serious, and your still fucking around, lets help them finish this and then we'll go tease Ayn or something."


Carlith bristled slightly, but calmed. The two of them helped Gemma dress before stepping back. They shrugged slightly, saying, "Well... It looks proper... I'm just not sure if..." Carlith started, and Fate finished, "That outfit is going to do her any justice..."


Elias snorted slightly, and shook his head, "More like she wears it better then..." He turned around, and glanced Gemma up and down, he finished his words, "You do... Right... So she does..."


Elias crossed his arms over his chest, and raised a brow, frowning with clear amusement, "This... Might actually work... Like actually... Just need to do something about the hair." He glanced to Carlith, "You able to do the complicated braids?"


Carlith shrugged, and muttered, "Yeah, Sure... Why not..." She looked to Gemma, and grinned, "Ready for your makeover Miss Livingtree?" She asked wickedly.
 
Gemma's cheeks flushed when Elias turned around. The compliment was unexpected, and to see him even a little flustered was surprising. A smile formed and she shrugged, looking down at herself. It was hard to tell how she looked for her perspective, but she wore it better than she'd expected to, at any rate, and she imagined Elias had relatively decent taste, so she could trust his judgment, in the very least. It was certainly better than what she had come in with...


She felt strange though, out of place. Like she had borrowed something from a princess, but she was clearly below the station. She couldn't imagine she would make nearly the impression they were hoping for, and she would certainly never make the impression that Elias would. He was everything he needed to be... bold, structured, powerful, handsome. She felt like a duck, in a pond of swans.


Reaching up to run her fingers through her hair, tugging at a strand with a slightly awkward expression, she watched the exchange between Elias and his aunt, straightening when Carlith turned back to her, giving the woman a firm nod, "Sure. Yeah, of course..."
 
With a crack of her knuckles as she pressed them together, Carlith's eyes shimmered. She nodded to Elias.


"You signed Clause seven, page three section B right?" She asked suddenly, grinning at Elias with a darker look on her face then should have been there for doing a makeover.


Elias nodded, and Carlith's eyes flashed and glowed, her body changed rapidly and she was coated in arcane runes, she was muttering something, in a language long since dead, it was a very fluid, rapid speech that was accompanied by a shimmering of purple electricity that coated her body from head to toe for a brief second. She reached out and tapped Gemma on the forehead a moment later.


"There, Done. Take your beautiful lady to her ball, but be back before midnight lest the spell wear off." She put the back of her hand against her forehead and let her head fall back dramatically, giggling crazily as she moved back to the bar and sat down.


Gemma's hair would have straightened, and then tugged itself into thousands of tiny braids that would wrap themselves into more complex matrices of braids until her hair would give her head the appearance of a complexly designed orb held in place by a brooch that was covered in claws of a savage looking beast. Her face would be cleaned, pores rinsed from head to toe, her face would be given the light makeup of an earth delegate representative to the Calonian Empire, a light curving touch to the edges of her eyes with a dark eyeliner, a slight blush to match her skin tone on her cheeks, an eye shadow that would give her eyes the illusion of going from blue and shifting into her own skin tone with light plating, her lips would be given a light lipstick, coated by a slight gloss, neither of which would leave behind a coating. Things on Cal Droma were formal, so Carlith had given her a full makeover including a reduction of her appearing pheromones.


Elias had crossed his arms over his chest as he paced around her carefully, when he came to the point the table was in his way, a swift shove with his right leg pushed the object against the wall and he nodded carefully as he stepped around her, "Very good auntie, you haven't lost your touch, I haven't seen you use that spell in a while."


Carlith stood and took a bow, "I'm so glad I still meet your approval O Cynical Reaper." She was grinning as she spoke, but she unceremoniously dropped back to the barstool.


Fate meanwhile had been leaning against the doorsill to the room, she spoke and commented, "She looks like me Carlith, When Kellian and I took Elias to the twins for his training. Your clever, but they're going to see through it."


Carlith nodded, she had a new bottle in her hand, a red one with mist rising from it, she took a drink straight off the top, and pointed at Gemma with the same hand holding it, "Yeah, I know, I have a plan for that."


Elias turned on Carlith, he'd been continuing to examine Gemma, he'd paused when he was between Carlith and the woman, so now as he looked Carlith in the eye he raised a hand towards her and stated flatly, "No, From here on out, We'll handle things. I know Calonian protocol better then any other living human." Elias' tone was firm.


Carlith and Fate both looked to one another, Carlith shrugged and slid off the barstool, and made her way towards the door. She grabbed Fate by the shirt and said, "Come on, We'll go to Paris, have lunch on top of the tower. I slept with the prime ministers wife last year, he owes me a favor." The two were gone, and Elias sighed, turning his attention back to Gemma.


"I need you to walk for me, from the door, to the wall, then back again, the way you move, and turn, needs to be proper for the political climate there." he stated calmly, his eyes were back to the calm, warmer appearance from earlier, to where he'd softened up slightly.
 
It wasn't remotely what she'd been expecting. She'd felt almost nothing, but reaching a hand up to her hair she could feel the changes, shocked by how quickly they'd be performed. If she hadn't already encountered so many impossible things over the last few hours, she might have been frightened by what she could only reference as magic... but it was, nevertheless, a surprise.


As Elias stepped in to appraise, she listened to the exchange between his Aunt and Mother, concerned by Fate's words. It didn't sound like a compliment, in the slightest, and Gemma was sure it wasn't intentional, but nothing was done about it, and after another brief exchange, where once again, Elias stepped in to take control, the pair of women took their leave and for the first time since they had both appeared, Gemma felt like she could breath again.


Looking to Elias, she laughed dryly, shaking her head, "They're... something else, those two."


Giving him a nod, she started across the floor, careful to keep her posture. As a young girl, she had gone to Finishing School, and there, they had taught her all manner of etiquette... but it had been some time, and she was out of practice. Still, she could guess what he was looking for, and did her best to deliver.
 
Elias watched, his facial features had relaxed, he'd looked stressed during the time the other two women were in the room, now, he looked calm, as though he'd erased the interaction from his mind, like it had never happened. He pulled one of the chairs back so he could sit and watch her movements. He gazed at her calmly, his eyes tracking every little detail.


"Sit, on the floor, knees folded beneath you. Take your time, don't look away from me as you do, It's very important. When your seated, hands in balled fists against the ground, a slight bend in your back, then bow your head to show respect. After that, straighten, and pull back to a seated position with your hands relaxed in your lap." Elias kept his attention on her, his facial features were steady as he explained the next few actions he needed her to do, but there was a certain amusement in his eyes.


There was quiet in the room now, he was calmed, at peace, Carlith had paused at the door and looked back. Holding Fate there, she nodded, murmuring quietly, "Look's more like Master every day... He's quite the protégé, handles himself the same way..." Fate nodded quietly, wordlessly, before turning and making her way up the stairs, away from Carlith, who simply blinked out of sight.
 
Completing the first task, grateful that she hadn't been chastened, Gemma turned to him like a diligent pupil, nodding at his next set of instructions. It was marginally more difficult, and she almost fell on the first try, but after righting herself and taking a breath she tried a second time, picturing his detailed directions in her mind before making another attempt.


She kept in mind the concept of a Geisha, back in the ancient world... Japanese courtesans, known for their impressive display of respect and traditionalism. If she could do anything for Elias, she would do her absolute best at those things with which he could exercise no actual control. She would do everything he asked, to the best of her ability and try, desperately, not to let him down.


After lowering her head in a bow, she straightened up, folding her hands in her lap.


"...I don't suppose I'll be able to write a cheat sheet on my arm for all of this...? I hope I don't forget anything. It's funny... everything I've been through, everything I've done in my life, this is probably one o the most intimidating moments I've ever encountered, and I have pretty much no idea what I'm even walking into..."
 
Smiling warmly, Elias stood up, and offered her his hand, to help pull her up from the floor. His fingertips would feel soft and delicate if she were to take his hand. He motioned to the door, "I'll explain the rest as we go, But honestly, It's nearly the point in time where were going to want to land and find the Aunties on Cal Droma."


He would wait for her to rise before guiding her up the stairs and to the second floor. There was a long hallway, that lead it's way to another set of stairs. Elias lead her down it, and the hallway would seem far shorter then it actually was. Hey would guide her up the stairs, which would lead to a single, small landing, and they would be placed on the fifth floor. He'd lead her several more steps, and they would be right outside his bedroom door.


"Before you get confused, the house has a telepathic field that it uses to figure out where someone is trying to get to, to allow it to help you get there faster." He spoke quietly as they made their way through, "However, if your not supposed to be here, or if your a member of the old Templar's from the Catholic Vatican... it leads you to a hallway where every door leads to a room full of worse... and worse things..." He shuddered, "I remember... when I was a kid... getting stuck there... for a week... they had to replenish the bad things..."
 
The smile was enough of an indication that she had done well, and the boost in confidence was entirely what she needed, at that point. Taking his hand, she rose to her feet, carefully and daintily as she could managed, figuring it was better to keep herself in that particular mindset than risk forgetting when they go to where they needed to go.


"You sure we can't just... drag it out another couple minutes... or months?" Smiling faintly, she shrugged, "Not that the rest of your family hasn't been great... I'm just not sure I can beat the odds of at least one of them trying to eat me."


Shaking her head, she followed him up the stairs and down the many hallways. It was quite a trek, and compared to how they'd gotten to the study and dining room the first time around, it was a little exhausting. By the time they reached their destination she was a little out of breath, though she suspected that was largely due to the corset... not entirely a usual wardrobe choice for her.


As he continued, she glanced up at him, chuckling softly, "...Worst I had was a closet in the basement with a cognitive-control furnace. If I went in, I'd get the wooden spoon on the back of my hand. Only had to learn that mistake one or two times before it clicked."
 
Elias paused, mid step before he entered the room, he glanced back at her, looking at her incredulously, "The hallway, was filled with the most sadistic, and savage demons that have ever been captured by Master Aquarius and the others. It was an unintentional test... One that I... am unsure if I passed... the look on my mothers face was not one of worry, fear, or pride..." Elias said grimly, "It was of disgust, and shame..." He pushed the door open, and stepped into the room ahead of her.


He moved to the table, and took up the dismantled gun, he slid it's parts and components together, sliding the shells into a revolving case, one that seemed to consume the shells rapidly as he slid them in, there were several types, red ones, blue ones, green ones, white ones, black ones, brown ones, and purple ones. Elias loaded them all up, and clicked the latch of the firearm over. He took a strange, ornamental sword from the wall, and slid the firearm into the swords body, a receptacle built for it accepted it readily. He took another case of the shells he had filled the gun with off the table and checked them, before pulling a long sash out of it. He carefully wrapped the sash around the weapon, a longsword gun blade, with magic shells.


He turned back towards Gemma, and held it out to her, "This will be your first time to Cal Droma as a member of the Wind Flame Delegation, You are a female, as such, you are required to bring a gift to at least one of the two ruling bodies. This, Will be given to the more forward of the sisters. You will know which I mean when we get there. You will present the second with this." He held up another box, one that had not been on the table earlier that day, "You will not open it, or reveal that you know of it's contents until after she has opened it. If any of the security requests permission to open them, you will refuse, and respond as though insulted." He said carefully. "Do you have any questions?" he finished, gazing at her with a steely look, as though everything was about to become very hard.
 
She looked sheepish, as he continued, listening to what he'd been through with something of a startling embarrassment. Of course her discipline as a child wouldn't measure up. For all she had been through, her childhood, at least, had been fairly uneventful. Her parents had been good to her, had cared for her and given her everything she needed to learn and grow and become the woman she was today. They would never have harmed her or put her in harms way, and they certainly wouldn't look at those things as a measure of pride or value...


She hadn't meant to compare...only sympathize, but how could she do that when she was so obviously from a different world...


"It was a pretty big spoon, though..." She said, coyly, with an edge of self deprecation.


Following him into his room, she stayed in place, watching as he moved to the impressive looking gun she'd spotted on the desk earlier. As he pieced it together, then brought it to her, a brow quirked and his words threw her. Her role in this mess was growing more and more heavy, and considering she had no concept of what she was doing, that was terrifying. There were so many instances where she could make a mistake and ruin everything for the both of them, and she wasn't even sure what all of those instances were.


Taking the box, she frowned softly at his question, "...Just..."


Pausing, she looked up at him, her eyes full and wide, naked with fear, "...Be honest, Elias. Do... do you think I have half a prayer of getting through this alive...?"
 

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