Gossiping (Afina)

[Anastasia]

"Yes, though your location was difficult for us to reach. We have bargained with the marid for aid." Sir Richard explains.

[Ebiris]

"We move around quite frequently," Afina agrees. "However if you provide a location for your volunteers we can easily provide gates direct from their mustering point to Aurora itself. If you'd like we can even take you back there with us so you can get a look at things yourself before committing your people to our cause."

[Nephrite]

"We'd be well-served by those with the history of a planetar in their blood." Moore says with a smile.

[Anastasia]

"Ah! You've heard of our family," The knight's face lights up, "Then you know there's no need for any of that. We are honor bound to aid you, no matter if you have a mud hut and a stick as your base."

[Ebiris]

Well they did give all the former slaves a good look and a talking to before they left so he should have a decent idea of what he's in for. "Then we'll be glad to have you. We have several others to visit while we enjoy the marid's hospitality, but we can arrange a timetable for taking on your volunteers after our other business here is concluded."

[Anastasia]

"Done," Sir Richard says.

Okay, the rest of this is logistical stuff that can be done OOC instead of IC. We'll skip over that.

Once you have the logistics of it sorted out, a sea elf swims up. A female, delicately beautiful and small. She is thin even for an elf and bows deeply to you, "Ma'am, sir and sir, there is someone who wishes to meet with Aurora immediately."

[Ebiris]

"And who might that be?" Afina asks the obvious question.

[Anastasia]

With the barest hint of a smile, "The Great Padisha, ma'am."

[Nephrite]

Moore blinks. Maybe she wants to apologize for being so rude earlier.

"Oh, how kind of Her."

[Ebiris]

Well that's an offer not to be refused! "We'd best not keep her waiting then. Lead on, if you please?" she says agreeably.

[Anastasia]

The sea elf merely smiles slightly and bows again, leading the two along. You are lead through a single archway and you are suddenly in a vast, private undersea garden. It is all tended beds of seaweed and color clusters of plankton, swirling around a tall throne of stone. Here the Padisha sits. She has green hair tied back into two ponytails and wears a clingy black dress. Standing behind the throne is the Tsunami Lord, silent.

"Approach," The Padisha commands.

[Ebiris]

She hardly has time to admire the lovely garden before her attention focuses onto the marid monarch before her. To be on the safe side Afina sticks with courtly conduct and approaches to a respectable distance before bowing, her eyes avoiding the Padisha's.

[Nephrite]

Moore follows after Drena again and takes up the same relative position he did last time, bowing his head as he did before.

[Anastasia]

Drena does the same, sinking to a knee behind Afina and in front of Moore.

"Afina, Afina, Afina," The Padisha laughs, "Mmmmm yes, the current you cause is even different from that of any other creature in Water. What is to be done with you? There are those that call you an abomination, who wish to exterminate you for Water's honor. To grind your bones to dust and spread the dust amid Water's currents forever and ever."

She still wears the necklace Aurora gave her, looking down at the emerald. She traces a finger along it, "So gauche to give a gift that came from the embrace of Earth. There are also those who believe gemstones are an affront to any proper marid, because they come from Earth."

[Ebiris]

On one hand it sounds like they messed things up with the gift, on the other she gets the feeling the Padisha likes a bit of gaucheness now and then. Certainly she'd heard rumours about her love for green gemstones and she doesn't believe them to be false! "Maharaja of the Ocean," she speaks up now that she's been addressed, "To countenance such wishes would be short-sighted. Success would be far from guaranteed, and without wishing to add to the arrogance you accuse me of I am far more valuable as a friend than an enemy.

"Water is my nature, even mingled with the other elements it is still incontrovertible. Grinding my bones to dust wouldn't preserve Water's sanctity better than simply letting me continue to exist as a part of Water that may never be evaporated. As for the gift?" She allows a lithe shrug, "Pearls you have in abundance, is not a little novelty, a little something taken from Earth and given to Water, a fair thing?"