12699/Myth Apprehensions

Myth Apprehensions
Date of Scene:	07 September 2022
Location:	Kían's estate, Kyshán
Synopsis:	Diplomacy is complicated.  And some people have no sense of fashion.
Cast of Characters:	Kian, Michael Hannigan, Caitlin Fairchild, Gar Logan, Terry O'Neil, Donna Troy

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Kian has posed:
    Two years and change on Earth are not enough to wipe out a lifetime otherwise, and Kían has reverted to a lot of old behaviors with breathtaking speed.  His accent has gone to hell, too.
    So, he's having a perfectly normal day for an Akiár.  Got out of bed, showered, breakfasted, lounged about catching up on the news, handled some messages that were waiting for him, and now he's on a balcony overlooking the lake to the west, playing a board game with his old friend Raká, enjoying the late morning air.  It looks like the bastard offspring of three-d chess and backgammon, but they seem to know what they're doing.
    Whether it goes unnoticed that among the things he didn't do this morning was get dressed… well, the birdfolk do things differently.  And in any case, he looks spectacularly happy and relaxed.  The time away from the hustle of Earth has done him worlds of good.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    Mike's morning was a lot less eventful.  Save for looking over something in his sketchbook and spending a chunk of the morning trying to figure out whatever happened to the shirt he had taken off for the wingset, he just had a shower, breakf-
    Okay, similar to Kian's list only without the spachessmon game.  Either way the search for the shirt is on.  But at least he wore pants.
    Catching a glimpse, Mike peeks out on to the balcony.  "By any chance have you guys seen a black shirt floating around?"

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
    The door to Caitlin's room opens.  The redhead walks out onto the balcony, hair still mussy, wearing her pink hoodie and loose-fitting pajama pants.  There's a coffee cup in her hand and she looks around blearily.  There's Mike, there's Kian—
    —Caitlin just turns around and 'nopes' right back into her room.
    "I am not coming out there until every last person is properly dressed!" she shouts through the cracked door, and pulls it firmly shut behind her again.

Gar Logan has posed:
    Gar Logan must be an early riser, or he's been out for a while already going back to the night before.  Whatever the truth is, he's flying in from parts unknown, touching down at about the same time he hears Caitlin screech through the mostly closed door, a slam following.
    Looking down at himself, he shrugs and—for the moment—lets the wings and Akiar features fade away until he's back to normal, shown in his Titans costume.  That might not be something the birds have seen before.  "S'up?  I've been flying for hours, and boy are my arms tired?  Well, wings, but… you know."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
    "Oh, is Cait awake?"  Terry's voice comes from somewhere in the palatial abode that is Kian's 'modest' house.  The human redhead—for he needs to take time as human, else he become too chaotic—emerges just as Caitlin's door closes like the tomb of the ancients, with a slam like the doors of fate.  "Huh, I wonder what—"  He comes out into the balcony.  "Okay, I don't wonder anymore."  He smirks and crosses his arms.  Unfazed completely by the nudity, he himself doesn't participate.  For starters, he's in human form, which means that he's a ginger.  A very pale ginger.  Which means that the sun is his enemy—a thing he has in common with vampires.  He's dressed in casual summer wear, but also lathered in sunscreen on his bare arms, and his face, lest he turn not into a cat, but a lobster.  He greets Mike and shakes his head.  "Alas, no shirts… but you can borrow one of mine.  My human clothes don't have any cat fur in them…" and then he grins at Gar's arrival.
    "Late night out?" he asks with a good-natured tease and a cock of an eyebrow.  "See if you can go extricate Caitlin out of her room, greenie, while I try to convince Kian and Raka to put something on.  Under protest."  He pauses.  "Mine."

Kian has posed:
    Raká, who's wearing the translator (and, for that matter, a black Akiár kilt), watches Caitlin enter and exit, and looks to Kían for an explanation.  «What is she talking about?»
    Kían just shakes his head.  "Eart' people are weird."  He stands up, hands on hips.  "This iss not Eart', you know!" he calls back, but good-naturedly, adding for Terry's benefit, "Under my protes' too…" and flits to his room to grab a kilt, a brief one that only just does the required job.  "It's safe now, I'm overdressed!"
    He takes his seat and picks up his dice—eight sided, or as he would insist, ten—and grins at Gar.  "Did you haf a good flight?  It's a beautiful mornin' for it.  An' I don't know what you need a shirt for, Mikal, but if you do, I'm sorry, I haven't seen yours.  Isn't it where you put your wingset on?"
    He looks back to Cait's door and calls, "It really iss safe now!" then rolls his dice.  "Ai, qokh."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    As Caitlin shouts, Mike turns his head in the direction of the door, hearing the protest.  "That's why I'm looking for my shirt!  Could you check in that room while you're there?  Maybe someone was trying to be nice and put it in there.  It's black with a diptych of a wolf and raven."
    Not likely but it's better than assuming the shirt is… LOST.
    Mike's head turns as Gar arrives.  "It is very nice weather for a flight," he admits, smiling.  "I think I startled Kian and Kiar coming in though."  He looks back to Kian.  "I still can't believe that's the first time you saw me like that."
    Hearing Terry's voice, Mike turns his head immediately to look over.  "Good morning!"  The offer to loan a shirt gets a nod.  "Thanks Terry.  Much appreciated."
    Mike turns to look over to the formerly Nekianed one.  "Well.  I don't NEED to wear a shirt but, I just wanted to wear that one.  Of the ones I've packed it's my favorite.  The design kind of speaks to me."

Donna Troy has posed:
    Those who know Donna might guess that, this being morning, she is out somewhere in the forest where birbs will not see her to do some training.  There may be a tree somewhere that has had violence perpetrated upon it, who knows.  Away from prying eyes, the birb population won't be traumatized by an understanding of what the very large kitchen knife she wears at her belt is actually for.
    Alternatively it's entirely possible she has been doing lasso training.  Accidental birb witnesses might be less traumatized by that, though probably very puzzled.  They might just put it down to being some weird Earther ritual, though.  Perhaps on Earth, trees are prone to uprooting themselves and going for a wander, and occasionally need herding to keep them in place.
    Honestly, it would probably be confusing enough to any birb witnesses who are aware that there are wingless aliens visiting just to see Donna on her way to some quiet spot in the forest, because the thing about wingless aliens is that they are wingless, and that's probably less odd to the population of birbworld than the notion that some of them can fly anyway.  At least when Mike flies, he has the decency to turn into a bird before doing it.
    Hopefully Raka at least will have had such things explained to him and won't be too startled when Donna comes in for a landing on one of the convenient balconies the flight-oriented culture builds into its houses, blatantly and gratuitously failing to display the slightest hint of wings.
    "You're all up finally then?" Donna calls out as she walks inside, entirely unconcerned about any nudity that may or may not still be on display.  "Did we bring snacky-shakes?  I'm hungry."

Gar Logan has posed:
    "Oh, I was talking qihar strategy with Kala," Gar says evasively, giving Terry a quick grin before he wipes it away, literally.  "Hmm?  Cait's still hiding?  Hey, Cait!  It's safe to come out!  If you don't, I'll drag you out myself!"
    To prove this, he opens the door just wide enough to pass through as a small but energetic dog, a Siberian Husky in fact.  "Puppy Power!" he barks, making a show of growling as he nips gently at one of Cait's ankles.
    All this, while Kian rolls his dice after throwing a kilt of his own on, with Raka nearby.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
    "Donna, is everyone out there decent?  I'm gonna tell on you to your mom if you lie to me," Caitlin says through her partially open door.  A Siberian Garsky takes advantage of that and there's some thudding and wall-shaking as Caitlin dances around, trying to escape the puppers nipping her bare ankles.  It's not that he is gonna hurt her—it's just a surprising amount of unexpected motion around her feet.
    The door's hauled open and she yeets Gar over the balcony and into the living room.
    There's something that sounds a lot like 'rassum frassum grumble' from Cait's quarters and she finally emerges from within.  She shuffles out of her room and starts heading down to where people are congregating.
    Coffee coffee coffee—it's just some instant mix and hot water, but it's enough to at least kickstart the redhead's brain.  She pushes her unmanaged hair around in a fruitless attempt to get it to lay flat, and finds the sturdiest looking perch she dares sit on in Kian's opulent house.
    Alien or not—it is definitely Very Much, and Caitlin knows it.
    "I was up until… three or four, talking with a couple geneticists," Caitlin says after she's got some coffee in her system.  "I am not getting much rest on this trip for some reason."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
    "Everybody is dressed," Terry answers Caitllin, "But ain't nobody decent, 'cause I'm here."
    He chuckles a little as Caitlin handles the green pup, but he refrains from quipping then.  "Caitlin, if you have any trouble falling asleep, there are ways—Wonderland-tested ways—to help.  I happen to have memorized several of Humpty's most famous poetry that is guaranteed to either put you into a coma or wish you were in one.  It never fails…."
    A glance at the Amazon, and a raised eyebrow.  "Hey there, stranger.  Haven't seen you much around.  You totally missed out on an epic game.  Right?" he says, grinning.  "I too a ribbon and everything!"  And then he points with his thumb.  "Raká!"

Kian has posed:
    «Beginner's luck!» Raká retorts, but with a grin.  «You won't do so well next time!»
    "Yis… nnh, yes, Gar and I haf a perfect record to maintain!  You should haf seen it, Donna, we brought a qihár win home for team Titans!"  Rubbing it in a little?  Kían?  Never!
    Well, maybe just a little.
    "Maybe if you weren't workin' you would be more rested, Cait," Kían says teasingly.  "This iss suppose to be a vacation, you know!"

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    "Morning Donna," Mike greets as the most recent arrival comes in for a landing.  "I've been up but unless you want a play by play of what I've been doing in my room, I'm going to just leave it there."
    Seeing Gar turn into a green Husky gets a bit of a chuckle out of Mike but once the doggo goes through the door, the rest of the show is obscured.  Seeing the door swing open and a blur of green puppy go flying off the Balcony, Mike's expression changes.  Is tha—?  "Gar!"  The musician moves over to the edge of the balcony, glancing down to make sure he at least shifted or landed properly.
    When he's certain Gar's not a puppy puddle or making them from that toss, the musician looks over at Caitlin.
    He shakes his head, stepping away from the edge.  The smile is gone as he tries to catch up on the rest of the conversation.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna looks at Terry with a wry smile.  "I've been exploring," she explains.  "I'm sure it's for the best.  After all I doubt a local pick-up game here has access to the extremely complicated and expensive equipment we have at the tower which was required to give the Akiar champions any chance at all competing with me, and after all this would be my second game, so I'd know the tactics now."
    Donna flashes Kian a quick wink.  She'll never stop teasing him about that.  Raka with his theories of beginner's luck can read whatever he likes into that.
    Donna goes to investigate the coffee situation, giving Caitlin a shoulder-bump on the way.  It may not be food, but coffee is always good, even if instant.  "I'm sure we don't need to hear that, Mike," she comments.  "It sounds like I'm going to get a play-by-play of the qihar game whether I like it or not, but there's no need to get into the details of your private activities.  Unless you want to scandalize Caitlin as revenge on Gar's behalf, of course."
    She tilts her head Kian-wards.  "So," she says.  "While we're here, should we be doing something… ambassadorial?  This visit is pretty historic for your people, after all.  Only the second time you've had visitors from another world, right?"

Gar Logan has posed:
    There's a 'Yiiiiiiiip!' as the green husky puppy flies over the balcony.  Lacking wings, it's additional proof that such things are not meant to be.  Couple choices, here.  Go bird and just fly around, or perhaps go cat.  They always land on their feet, right?
    Or there's a third option: go rut and glide over to the table Kian and Raka are gaming at, landing atop the head of the former with a scolding chitter.  "Just because you toss me out of the Tower a lot doesn't mean it's cool to do it here too, Caitlin Middle-Name-If-You-Have-One Fairchild!  Sheesh!"  Gar waves small arms at one of the largest Titans, the flying membrane easier to see this way.  "Oh, hi Donna.  Yeah, I took both of Kala's ribbons.  It was awesome."
    He picks at Kian's hair for a spell before hopping down to the table, looking toward Raka as well.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
    Caitlin bumps Donna back, the gesture approximating something like a hug for more sentient people.  Without being asked she's already pulling a second cup around for Donna, and pauses midway through adding the coffee crystals to narrow her eyes at the Princess for the 'helpful advice' she gives Mike.
    But she's not the sort to deny someone coffee, and hands over the second cup anyway.  She looks Donna up and down and raises her brows with a querying expression.  "Did you find somewhere to work out?" she murmurs under the other conversations going around.  "I really want to go lift but I'd settle just for some calisthenics where no one's staring at me."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
    "Luck?  No, my good sir, skill!"  He leans over and rests an arm on Raka's shoulder.  "I will have you know that felines are the epitome of grace and flexibility in all of creation.  There's a reason why Earth dedicated one of its best-selling musical spectacles to us.  Ask Kian, I've shown him the recordings of it."  It is a good thing he is in his human form and bleeding off the chaos.  The fact that he's this Cheshire-like while human shows he has been building a considerable 'charge'.
    But Donna's thoughts cause him to change tracks quickly, and he straightens up.  "Dear heavens, you are right.  Aside from the fact that we are being intergalactic drug mules for the Royal Family… we really should do something ambassadorial.  After all, I'm a representative of the Monarchy of Hearts here.  In, you know, absence of absolutely everybody else."

Kian has posed:
    "Oh, no!" Kian says, waving his hands frantically, "nothin' official!  I made it clear when I said we were comin' for a visit that it was to jus' haf some peace an' quiet, no formalities, an' especially no Rhyták stuff!"  Raká rolls his eyes at that last, and rolls his dice and moves his pieces on the nearly-forgotten game board.  "I tol' them we are not governmen' representatifs so we could not open anythin' official anyway."
    He stops, and looks inquisitively at Donna.  "I don't think we're governmen', are we?"
    He shrugs, and takes his turn.  "I think you do not know how to relax, Cait.  If it isn't science, it's workin' out.  Why not jus' sit down an' enjoy the view an' the company?  I mean, you're on a planet that doesn't throw criminals an' alien invasions at you.  Take advantage of it!"  He reaches up and scritches Gar-rut.  "Like Gar here!"  No, Kían didn't really react when Cait heaved him over the platform.  He expected to see a Garbird or a Garkiar or a Garodactyl or something.  Also, things and teammates get chucked off and out of the Tower all the time.  Another weird Earth thing to get used to.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    As Donna hits the conversational ball that was teed up for her, Mike's smile comes back to life, although with a twinge of smirkiness for flavor.  He looks over to Caitlin, expression twisting deviously for a few moments in consideration.
    When Gar makes his way back up, Mike parts his lips.  "Nah," he responds to Donna's suggestion.
    He looks over to Donna once more.  "I figure the game would fit that.  I think someone was recording it."  Mike looks over to Kian.  "Weren't they?"
    He looks over to Raka.  "Either way I had a lot of fun.  It's not often I get to fly and feel it."

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna takes the coffee from Caitlin with a grateful smile, and gives a slight nod of her head.  In the same hushed tones, she responds, "I didn't exactly locate a gym, but there's a nice quiet clearing not too far away, and there's even a fallen tree you can use for a bit of lifting."
    It's even possible the tree had fallen before she got there.
    Donna allows herself a small conspiratorial smile in Mike's direction before re-engaging in the general conversation.  "The thought of Terry being ambassadorial is one that should fill any sane sentient with foreboding and strong feelings of existential dread.  However it's probably on point for Wonderland.  At least if he tries it here, it's unlikely it'll cause major problems.  We'll just have to be clear he's not acting as a representative of Earth, and honestly it's pretty unlikely that even Terry could get the Akiar to declare war on Wonderland."
    "We don't have a single Earth government, Kian.  There isn't anyone that can represent Earth to the Akiar—I do have diplomatic status with the United Nations, but that doesn't let me represent the Earth to other worlds, only Themyscira to the United Nations.  Technically yes I am a government representative, but I was thinking more about politeness than starting an official dialogue between your people and mine.  The largest part of diplomacy is shaking hands, after all."
    She tilts her head to the side.  "Which given the whole touch telepathy thing may amount to the same thing as negotiations with your people, come to think of it.  But I mean more… diplomatic etiquette.  What's "Rhytak stuff"?"

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
    Caitlin attends Donna's words with a perked ear.  At the word 'technically', Caitlin flickers a glance at Terry.  Wonderland's… Wonderland, and a title of any sort is worth some status no matter where you are.  Politics are politics.  But as Donna gets on her spiel about ambassadorship and her status as a princess, Caitlin looks at Gar and Terry both, and puts a fingertip to her nose.
    When the boys follow suit, she looks at Mike and prompts him to follow suit with a pointed motion of her eyebrow.  Kian's given a similar look.  When Donna finally prompts the other Titans with the question of a Rhytak, she has been volunteered by the principle of exclusion as their designated representative.
"Hail, Madame Ambassador," Caitlin tells Donna, and grins wide.

Gar Logan has posed:
    Gar Logan makes a contented rut noise when Kian returns the attention, then he hops off the table to scuttle away and take the form of an Akiar once again, giving room for the wings to come in.
    "Yeah, this is supposed to be a vacation, but they like me and they really like Vorpal.  If you don't know, Kian can explain it."  He puts the native on the spot.
    Like this, he's dressed more like a traditional Akiar, just the kilt for now, and he also has that coppery/green-tinted phoenix pendant on a necklace, more prominent this way.  Then he takes a moment to recognize what Caitlin's up to, following suit.  "Hail!  Hail Donna!  Ice and snow and sleet and hail!"  After this, he goes airborne until certain it's safe.  Safer, perhaps.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
    "So who is going to tell her that Akiar ambassadorial visits usually observe the same dress code as Betazoid weddings?  Anyone?"
    Yes.  He just did a Donna Troy/Deanna Troi joke.
    You can imagine what his headstone will say:

      Here Lies Terry O'Neil
      For whom mischief often would feel
      Like the right lens from which things were said,
      Suffice to say he is now very dead.

    "Gar?  You get back here, you traitor!  Come and take your punishment like… a bird!"

Kian has posed:
    Raká is mostly uncomprehending; the only thing he has to add is, «I wonder if we want diplomatic relations.»
    "Oh, there probably will be eventually," Kían tells his fellow birdman, "but I'm pretty certain it will be wit' an actual diplomat, not one of us."  He eyes his teammates.  "Definitely not wit' one of us."
    «And you haven't told them about being Avatar of Kiáre?»
    Kían winces.  "They know.  Gar an' Terry were here when I found out about that.  I just… you know how I feel about that, 'Ka."
    He very definitely has a sour look on his face as he explains to his teammates.  "So, because I haf powers that are not shared among all Akiár'yw, an' because of the way I disappeared, they made me a Rhyták, and reappearin' with Gar an' Terry last year made sure they won't reconsider.  I'm suppose to be an avatar of my Goddess Kiáre."  He gives Raká a pained look.  "I know you believe it, tavárik, but I really don't feel like a divine anything."

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    Mike looks between the group as they each start to put their fingers to the side of their nose.  What in the–?  Then there's Gar and Terry—seeming confused, he brings a finger up as well, touching his nose.  "Why are we doing this?"

      Though his question did linger
      regarding the movement of a finger
      And yet when the challenge arose
      He avoided fate by a nose.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna stares.  Donna stares more.  Donna shakes her head.  She folds her arms across her chest and gives Caitlin a look.  "You're all a bunch of clowns," she declares.
    There's a brief rolling of eyes.  "You guys know how I spend a lot of my time away from the Tower working at the Themysciran embassy?  You do know what an embassy is, right?  You don't need to volunteer me, it's my job."
    She turns to Kian, giving him a very patient look.  "I am an actual diplomat," she points out.  "When I'm not punching bank robbers or trying to save the planet, I'm quite often representing Themyscira by talking to other diplomats or heads of state.  I spend a fair bit of my time saying 'no' in a variety of ways to countless trade delegations.  That's why I said it."
    She glances at Raka.  "As for Kian's status as an avatar of your goddess, well… don't you think he'd know?  Wouldn't Kiare have told him?  As I understand it, Kian has never even met Kiare.  Perhaps she has granted him his powers to be her champion, rather than being an avatar.  There's a difference."
    She gives a slight shrug, then stares at Terry.  "I'd ask what a Betazoid is, but honestly… you're Terry.  That tells me all I need to know."

Gar Logan has posed:
    Gar Logan sticks his tongue out at Terry, then buzzes him when the redhead's looking somewhere else, tapping the top of his head with a couple fingers before looping around again for a landing.
    Shrugging Donna's way, he says, "Yeah, that's all true, but she started it."  A thumb is jerked Caitlin's way.  "So we just went with it."  He keeps things to himself as far as Kian's special abilities are concerned.  Not his story to tell.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
    Caitlin pops to her feet and gives Donna a biiiiig hug around the shoulders.  "And yoooooooou," she draws it out, "are it."  Donna gets a smooch on the cheek and Caitlin releases the princess so she can head towards the stairs up to her room.
    "Mike, do they not have the one-two-three-not-it rule where you grew up?" Caitlin inquires of the man, speaking down from the balcony.  "Keep it in mind for next time, otherwise you get volunteered for all the worst stuff," Caitlin advises him.  She steps into her room and leaves the door ajar so she can listen to the conversation while getting changed in privacy.
    "Kian?" she calls through the gap.  "Am I gonna set off an interplanetary war if you and I go to a laboratory and do some tests?  I'd like to see if your home planet affects your powers differently than Earth's environment does."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
    "Donna, I have failed you in your Earth education.  How is that you don't know the epic tale of Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the U.S.S. Enterprise?"  And yes, that song is now probably firing off in your head, because the human mind is a very treacherous thing.  You are welcome.  "This is inexcusable.  When we get back we'll need to do a marathon.  We will watch everything—"  He pauses, and amends, "Okay, we'll start with the first episode, then we move to season three.  That's when it actually got good.  And it avoids that one VERY problematic episo-HEY!"
    He swats at Gar buzzing him, and shakes his head.  "Cheeky…."  He leans in and confides to Michael, "We were leaving Donna to do all the diplomat-stuff, but she is a masochist who apparenty enjoys it, and right now Caitlin seems to be proposing we break reality while we visit, so I suggest finding something to eat soon-ish."

Kian has posed:
    Kían listens to Donna, and remarks, "Well, it's goin' to depend on whether they want to open up formal links between Eart' an' Akiár.  I think they probably won't.  I know our researchers haf found a other races by their radio signals, but they haf not wanted to make contact."  He glances at Raká, and does not add the reason given him by the viceroy.  "And the priesthood decides on who iss and iss not a Rhyták.  Unfortunately I did not get a say in it.  But I did tell them that if I am one, they can't tell me what to do, and if I'm not, they can't tell me to pretend to be one, so I think I haf gotten some control of my life back."  Raká looks scandalized at Kian—he hadn't heard about the incident between Kían and the High Priestess, with Terry along for extra shock value.
    "Oh, no, that won't be a problem, Cait.  Research iss what started all this.  I was on a transport to the homeworld to be studied at the Imperial University.  That was before the hierarchy decided I should be a Rhyták."  Kían shrugs in Donna's direction.  "It's what they usually do wit' rhy'thar carriers.  I think because they don't know what else to do wit' us.  The last major holder of a rhy'thar was made Rhyták.  As far as I know, he never did anythin' wit' it."
    He does consider what Cait's proposing to study, and muses, "I don't feel any differen' between usin' my powers here, an' usin' them on Eart'.  I would be surprised if there was anythin' beyond the effec's of gravity, planetary magnetic field, things like that."  The science bird has had his curiosity piqued.

Michael Hannigan has posed:
    "One-two-" Mike pauses, furrowing his brow.  "I don't know.  Maybe?  Seems like something you'd need friends f–"
    The brow lifts as a silence falls over the man who makes a living fighting the sound of it.  But that doesn't last for too long as a the sound of a breath being taken in and exhaled escapes from his lips.  Mike glances aside.  "Right… I almost forgot.  Still need to find that damn shirt."  He looks over to Terry.  "Go eat.  I'll catch up later."
    Giving a practiced smile, Mike turns to head back to his room.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna watches Caitlin's departure with a shake of her head.  The alien air is obviously doing strange things to her friend's brain.  "I was literally offering," she points out to the departing figure.
    "But not offering to open formal links with Earth," she tells Kian.  "I just made that clear.  Just, you know, regular diplomatic exchanges.  I'm not going to press the point though.  It's not like we're going to decide it's a diplomatic snub and conquer your world."
    "Tell me this though, Kian…."  She glances momentarily at Raka.  "You've met a few of our gods on Earth now.  Do you think it makes much sense that the priesthood decides that?"  She sips her coffee.  "Brave priests," she adds.
    "Terry, I am not an alien.  You're thinking of Kian.  I don't need an 'Earth education'.  And I know who Captain Picard is.  I've seen some Star Wars before."  Yes, she said that, possibly on purpose.  Luckily Madison isn't around.  "That doesn't mean I paid much attention to the geeky details.  However food does sound like a good idea."