High Commander Diah's Resistance

Oh Joy... Prancing Idiots A'Gladiating😒

Pic above is the ground level view in daylight of the arena from the VIP section, cuz ya know, Lana totally WANTS to see a bunch of morons duking it out up close and personal...

Sadly, it was proven my hopes of less morons to have to watch getting the stuffing knocked out of them was not to be. Hmm, stuffing... oh that's right, if I'm right about what time of year it is roughly? It's gotta be close to Thanksgiving, if not the week of. That thought makes me a bit sad. I used to really love making a ginormous FEAST. Family, friends, the whole kit and caboodle. It was second only to Christmas dinner. Little flashes of memories of Cayla at different ages reeled through my mind as we traveled to the tourney grounds. Her and Collin sneaking into the kitchen at various times to 'help', only run out like the partners in crime they were when they got their hands on the snitches of food or treats they were really after. I smiled to myself recalling those moments in particular. The mental echo of their mischievous laughter as they raced out of the kitchen with their pilfered goodies easing the ache in my chest.  Collin always knew how to keep her happy and occupied so I could focus on getting everything to come together perfectly. God did I miss that man and amazing girl.

"Lana? We are here child." I startle and turn my head quickly to the sight Lady Roza is indicating outside the window of the transport. It's the VIP entrance of the Arena, and it is covered in what are clearly paparazzi Luve. Great, just what I wanted to put up with this morning. Awkward and invasive questions being shouted at me while vid-cams hovered all up in my grill. Fabulous... I'd say it couldn't get much worse, but seeing as I can spot Cradion-Tooru slinking and creeping through the crowd towards us? I'm gonna have to say it can get exponentially worse. I wonder if I would sneak out through the transport's farther door and somehow make it into the building before anybody notices? Yeah, I didn't think so either.  So I just gritted my teeth and took the hand Diav proffered to help me from the transport.

Once clear of it, the questions began in earnest. They were cliche at best, "Dristi Shula! Are you excited for the tournament to commence?!", "Dristi Shula over here! Whom do you wish to win you to their side!", or my favorite, "Dristi Shula! Will you be relieved to leave the care of the High Commander? I understand he was very harsh with you upon your first meeting?!" This bish... I turn a catty stink eye on the lady reporter Luve who just went there. I know her words were not exactly anything to get riled about per say? But I'd like to know how she knew those details to start with. I was under the impression that by Diah taking me in, that whole incident would be hushed up to protect his reputation. And here this chick is, making it clear that is not the case. I turn a 'Da Fuk?!' look on said HC's daddy-kins, who is glaring high powered lasers at the now pale and gulping reporter. Diav gives my hand a slight squeeze and lets go in a way that leads my hand in the hapless chicks direction. Oh, I've just been sic'd on someone. Can you see the wicked grin? The little devil horns growing perhaps? I can almost feel them as I turn my malicious little smirk on the lady and put a little sway in my stride as I stalk her, narrowing my eyes as I let her know she done fluckered up good.  

"How pray tell, are you privy to anything to do with my first encounter with my darling High Commander Diah hmm? The likes of you ought not to be. In fact, no one ought to be that was not either there or in the room with the Elders when it was decided I would be his ward. So whom did you learn this forbidden intel from my dear?" I had reached the female by this point. She was shaking already, which I felt a bit bad about, but not really. She knew something she shouldn't, and I needed to know how and why. So I drew out some of my own mojo that I hadn't had to call on in decades. I don't believe in manipulating people, and especially not here in a public forum where I was being watched and recorded... but desperate times and measures and what not. As she darted her eyes around nervously, I sized her up. She was pretty, as were most Luve. But it was that generic plastic made for TV, barbie doll pretty. You saw it, recognized it as 'pretty' but forgot it as soon as you walked away. I was actually forgetting as I glanced away it was so generic. I could work with that. She went to talk, making noises about not revealing her sources. I placed a lingering finger against her lips sliding it down in a faux suggestive manner as I stepped into her personal space and let the movement waft the scent of my awesome bodywash drift over her. I knew she was effected when her pupils dilated. This was good, she was someone who could be effected by using her senses against her. Underhanded, and I would have to apologize profusely later, but we really needed to know who gave her restricted knowledge.