High Commander Diah's Resistance

*Yeah... Winged Dancing? Not Really My Thing...😒

I knew it... they really were a bunch of fools on parade. It was no joke an assembly line of tournament hopefuls that actually began to line up to state their name, Aerie and who knows what super awesome-sauce... thing, was supposed to woo me into wanting to gift them with my archaic lacy hanky the next day when the tournament kicked off. Yeah right... like that was gonna happen. Maybe after I got Goldest to give it a good tongue bath first, then they could have the gooey sticky thing. But even I wouldn't be that juvenile, even if their grossed out expressions would make my day.

But alas, I was stuck having to actually talk to the delusional galoots. Despite how unamused I was with this whole situation, and with me being forced to participate in what amounted to a ritual that the people of this world had themselves not even enacted in at least a generation... I still felt it was wrong to make these guys prance around like they were trying to be my own personal Godiva Dark Chocolate Ice Cream cone display... with nuts. 'Cause I had to be a special kind of batty to want to help make anything for these guys easier. It might send the wrong message after all.

With an internal sigh of resignation I stood, since the right thing is still the right thing, despite the irritation it may cause me later. My action drew the rooms attention as I had made my move before the first guy in line could begin blathering about his pedigree. I raised my hands in the air palms out in a halting gesture before saying, "In order to save you all time, I will introduce myself... and simply state this, who you all are is clear to see even if I don't know your names personally yet... you must all be some of the finest and strongest your Aeries have to offer, or why else would you be here? There is no need for you to line up and display yourselves in this manner. In truth I will not recall whatever details you recount in haste so that the next in line might have their few seconds of the Halls time. There will be dancing after the dining yes? Why not then take that time to introduce yourselves to me while I am directly in front of you? After all, am I not expected to dance with you all at least once?" I paused and once I heard at least a few tentative murmured agreements, I nodded and pressed on.

"I am Alanna of the planet Earth. Your High Elders have been given word by the general consensus that in order for your people to feel comfortable with my singular presence here on Luve I have to accept their demands that I take a Luvian mate. I personally have no interest in such a thing... and not because I have a problem with the idea of taking a non-human as a mate... but because I don't want any mate at all... But it's been made clear that my preferences on this matter don't really matter... so, I will do my best to tolerate this situation as best as I possibly can... but be warned... anyone who thinks to take that which I am not willing to give? You may as well withdraw your registration from the tournament now... because I will not be forced to physically mate anyone, literally or figuratively before I am mentally and emotionally ready to do so, if ever... That being said, if you still feel that this is tournament is worth pursuing, by all means, I will save you a dance after dinner." And with that I dipped into a curtsy before I turned and went back to my chair to sit.

I was facing the table of High Elders that didn't have Diah and Tav's parents, and they looked both sour and pissed. I kept an innocent expression on my face and blinked curiously at them with my head tilted slightly. They motioned for Diah to join them and he complied with a cringe, as though he knew they were about to start yelling at him. As soon as he reached their table a flurry of whisper yelling began. I chose to ignore it for them for the moment in favor of seeing how my little verbal bomb drop was being received by the Hall in general. The parade of fools had disbanded slowly, the males with fairly baffled and uncertain looks on their faces. A few still looked pretty determined though, Cradion-Tooru being one of them. He was just smirking at me and when he caught me looking at me and just gave me a 'game on' kinda nod and bow before he headed off to his own alcove table.