Welcome to Gaia! ::

Of all of the thoughts and possible inklings of ideas that Aandes had conjured, this was not one of them. Not even close. That the Queen seemed so positively electric about this sudden, bizarre idea was totally jarring. Thankfully, his face had locked up at this point. Aandes’ surprise was genuine though, and he quickly transitioned into flustered thankfulness.

“Oh my god! Your Highness, this is incredible.” He exclaimed. Incredible was one thing, ridiculous was another. He took care not to crinkle the paper or shake it too obviously in his grip. Schishi Schrad? The name was familiar. The tabloids had mentioned a highblood party gone awry, ending with a tragic fire. It reeked of foul play, but on Alternia anything was game. Apparently, so was a musical. He’d have to do his research. This could still be a trap - misrepresent the Queen’s pet project and be shamed forever. Or, be stuck as the creator of a kitschy propaganda musical.

But then again… Wasn’t it perfect? Aandes would be lying if he didn’t feel thick despair in his bile sack thinking about his inevitable military service. Taking this opportunity was limitless. He could shape himself however he wanted. Unlimited resources. Connections, a royal crew, delving into the very inner workings of Regina’s society. Or at least, the inner workings of whoever she chose to accompany him on this frivolous, expensive endeavor. He would be in rich company. He would be the one invited to the parties. No – he’d be the one throwing the parties. Not to mention the social control, the protection, the esteem, the –

“I’ll do it! I’ll consult with Odette, of course, but as her agent and producer of the Agency I’m confident she’ll be on board. I’m so honored you chose me for this endeavor.” Aandes made a display of gratitude before straightening and running his thumbs over the sheet of paper once more. ‘Schrad: The Musical’. The adrenaline was fading quickly, leaving him with hundreds of new thoughts about the project. He could do this, and he could do it right. Be careful, Aandes.

He smiled. “Thank you again.”

"Good. Great! Awesome." Of course there hadn't been any actual question in Regina's mind over the tealblood accepting - after all she hadn't made an offer, she had given a friendly order. But Aandes's interest sounded genuine, over the faint surprise, and that was all that mattered.

Admittedly the real goal of the project was to surround the 'newly reformed redblood' and her mystery sponsor with work that would keep them well away from any actual sensitive military information. She had plenty of reliable older agents who had worked to monitor Erilyn Awassi - the previous glamour troll with dubious affiliations - under the guise of stagehands and production trolls. Keep Cygnet and LaMode in the glitz and glamour, distract them, give them what they want, keep tabs on them, and make causing trouble more costly to them than to her in the long run.

The musical itself would simply be a bonus on top, a nice bit of heart-tugging space drama propaganda, and a final use for Schrad. Already the empress's mind was racing forward on iron rails towards various trolls she could alternately reward, bribe, or punish using the production, ideas clicking into place one after another at the speed of thought. Despite what some sour-faced trolls might think, there was plenty of ways wars could be fought - and won - through song and dance as well as with bladed edges.

As her brain hummed, she pulled out another slip of paper, this one a small thick card with a civisect address printed on it, and the queen's signature scribbled in the bottom corner. Flourishing the small square, Regina offered it to Aandes with less force than she had the pitch sheet. "Here's the address to the local public media office. I'll send word to them that I've contacted you and pass along the script, bank information, a list of the crew I got on offer, and everything else. They should be able to work with you on everything, but if you got any troubles just send a letter to my main bunk in four fronds. I'll put your name on the approved list so I'll get any mail from you directly and quick-like, but I doubt there'll be any problems."

“Great. I’m sure I won’t be at your doorstep with every whim, but if I’m stuck I’ll shoot you a message. Thank you again.” He gave her a quick bow after accepting the card and holding it carefully in his fingertips. Couldn’t lose this – he’d commit it to memory as soon as possible. “I look forward to working with you!”

Working with Regina? Ha. In terms of the production, Aandes was replaceable. He was working under Regina, as far as she was concerned. Under her thumb he’d be happy, well-fed, acclaimed and rich. He’d be lying if he said that wasn’t a selling point of this “job offer”. He was working beside her, playing her game. Working opposite of her, funding his kismesis’ treason and holding the life of his starlet in his hands. Other than Rasali and—to a large extent, Odette—there was no one he could trust.

Ha! What else was new? Alternia was a loaded game from the start. So what if he was playing on riskier grounds? As long as he was playing – as long as he was a source of entertainment for Regina – she’d keep him alive. If he was a threat and he was culled, it would at least give him the satisfaction of getting under her gills. The show would go on, the game would begin a new chapter, and Aandes was more than willing to play.

Aandes bowed out of the rest space and gave a wave to the familiar redblood at the counter. He was a persistent one, for sure. Maybe he pined for a glamourous life like Odette’s? Charming.

“Ah, yes! It’s no trouble at all, you just caught us before we started to pack up the booth. Lucky you!”

He turned to Odette and gave her a small wave. “Odette! We have a winner! Would you mind?” It was difficult to keep a straight face when inside he was shouting, screaming, ODETTE. WE. NEED. TO. TALK. Unfortunately, Aandes was no telepath. Hopefully this fanboy would be on his way after receiving his snapshot memento.

Standing in the shadow of the booth's side, Regina watched Odette and Aandes fuss over some simple-looking dumpy yokel. Part of her wanted to try and approach Cygnet again, daring her to try and stutter now. But Regina had other things to do, and a booth of her own to get back to. And finally, a greenblood to see and do some damage control over. There was no point in going over and throwing her weight around, not when she had just done her best to chum up to LaMode. Besides, she'd have all the time in Alternia later - Odette was working for her now. With a final critical glance over the scene, she turned around and walked off into the thinning crowds.