Party of Millions (C 1.3, E 1.4, L 1.5)

Location: Downtown Archipelago - The Tower
Time: evening

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Canary,

After one of Millions' guards led you to a small room with a shower and changing area and handed you a dress afterward (what does it look like? Do you wear it and let the guard have your regular clothes washed?), you followed them to "the party", which is held at a place called "noa":


Like People's Organic, the place has power and it is opulent. There are dozens of people here, all with fresh clothes and clean, unmarked hands. Like children, they remind you of children, Canary. Never worked a day in their lives. Never been baked down by the sun or worried about where their next meal might come from. You recognize people from the families who rule here, as well as the hangers-on who keep them happy to make sure they get to eat and live in comfort, despite the loss of their own freedoms to do so.

There is a chef here. And menus. What do you order?

When you enter, the guard peels off and remains outside. She calls into her ear and hand to announce your arrival, probably, because Millions quickly finds you to usher you to a seat at his table, which is full of more clean and soft people. They chat amiably and tell innocuous jokes as Millions watches for his son to arrive. How do you spend the time?

Being escorted to the shower I have this weird feeling of being "required" rather than invited. If I wanted to just walk out, could I?

I reach that clean little room with the shower and they leave me be... I glance up at the window vent... too small for me. I wonder if I could overpower the guy...

These thoughts are in my mind as I peel off my old clothes down to the skin. You can see the tan lines at my wrists. I regard myself in the mirror for a minute, then get the shower on. Realize the last time I had a warm shower it was heated by residual heat from my engines and left me smelling strongly of diesel.

A dress? Well... I slip it on and run a brush through my hair until I get out most of the tangles. Think about tying it up in a tail again, but decide to leave it loose.



Yeah, I let them take my things to wash. They're not meaningful to me in any special way other than being my things. And clean things are better than dirty things. Especially when it's for free.
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Once I arrive at the party it feels, at first, like everyone's watching me. Until over time I realize that basically nobody is. Oh, I don't waste time finding a strong drink. A mouthful of whatever it is they're serving. The tower... these people? Who are they? Do they realize people just an island or two away are all but starving? Like... foraging though garbage for scraps?

I put it out of my mind and just enjoy the opportunity. Tomorrow I may be moored somewhere much less accommodating. I hope that Dinero can deal. Imagine growing up with this! I close my eyes and savor each flavor, try every drink I'm offered... I don't talk much. I lean in like I'm interested in conversations but do little to participate. Well, until later in the evening when I've had enough alcohol to loosen up, maybe.

For my meal I order the Noa Burger, cause that sounds decadent. I wonder if it's actual real meat... is this a daily thing here?

I look to one side, like, is she talking to me? Of course she is... who else here drives a boat.

I nod aS I finish a gulp of my beverage, "big boat... small ship. Yeah, I do," I look at her. Not a hair out of place ... but the way she's eating. Remind me a bit of me. "It's pretty good. Freedom... respect. I guess. Feels good to be useful..." diplomatic answer, yeah. I'm not that drunk yet.

I drink another mouthful, "are you from uh... here? You ever been out on the open water?"

Belong?

My expression sours slightly at the comment, "big difference 'tween rafting back and forth Tower and the Library or whatever... and the open seas... but..." I shrug, "I know what'cha mean."

My eyes follow that angry stab of her salad. I shake my head gently no, "nah. Contract work. Little more on the regular, though..." A thought forms in my head. "So hey... you might know, uh... Dinero then? What's he like?"

Yeah, he is loaded. Riding along with me seems like kind of a crazy thing... i wonder how Dinero feels about all this.

"I uh..." trying to keep relaxed, I take another mouthful of drink, "I might get some opportunity to work ... uh... with him. Sometime."

I look at her face. She doesn't give the feeling that she's into him, though, despite "handsome" being the first word she says.

"Was just hoping he's, you know... fair."

For him, huh? That's not what it sounds like.... but now I'm a little concerned.

"Thanks," I say quietly to Yale just as Millions calls out and I'm suddenly in a very uncomfortable spotlight.

"It's... really good!" I've actually barely touched it and I scoop it up to take a bite as if to show everyone. I give a thumbs-up, now, with my mouth full.

What have I gotten myself into?

So many faces looking at me. What the hell are you doing, Millions?

"I couldn't say... sir... what do I know about cookin' anyway?" I admit, slightly shaking my head. Is it really just up to Millions? These people have to do what he says, live how he says? "but... let people do what they're best at, right?"

I'm rapidly losing my appetite, but I quickly throw down the rest of my glass. Is he just calling me out in front of everyone to what... make a point? Make me feel how important he is?

I stand up, angry for a second... but realizing where I am, I quickly try to hide it.

"You did the right thing," I finally agree through a fake-ish smile, "it's all business, right? Once you get that straight everything is easy... yeah?"

I regard my recently emptied glass. Uncomfortable in this dress and even more so in this place amongst these people... I wonder to myself if I've been drinking the same wine we carried inside. "Look... I just bring the food to your door... the wine, today, actually... no thanks to the so-called security you keep at the docks."

"It is good," I answer Dinero with a nod. "Holdin' court. Teachin' me a few things about business..."

But to Millions' question, I take a second and lower my eyes. It would probably be best to discuss this in private, but here we are. I lower my eyes, lean in a bit closer and summarize, "it's not for me to say how your docks are run, but I had to make some maneuvers and come 'round the back way to avoid gettin' waylaid by dock security. And we're not talkin' normal profiteering ... 'dock tax' bullsh!t either."

Yeah, dock tax... I can't count how many times I've had to pay some fee to 'friendly' dock workers only interested my 'safety.' But this clearly wasn't that.

Also serious, I keep it low and talk only to him, "that's how I read the situation. Looked like trouble, I came 'round. All I can testify to is what I seen, and the attitude of those men looked like trouble." I don't mention Edmund, for the moment... after all, it was mostly his warning that got us on guard. But Dremmer looked like trouble and I don't turn a loaded boat from the docks for nothing.