[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/vYFFhvq.png[/img][/center] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/A0ETWbS.png[/img][/center] [sub]banner credit to [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/hellis]Hellis[/url][/sub] --- [b]Time: Present Day - Afternoon Location: Central Park, New York City[/b] Under the safety of her illusion charm The Ambassador worked her magic calling upon the Arcane Stream to open for her. She knew she wouldn't be able to stay by Mandate until she was done here in New York. Which wouldn't be for much longer, a few more days at best before her company finished their trip. Blue light outlined her hands lifted up to the sky, French falling from her lips like the most familiar song she knew. Within minutes the rift opened in a jagged strip of light stretching several feet above her. Seconds later a large wooden door formed from within the light. A golden doorknob was the final touch, light spilling from its edges. Her hands returned to her sides and blue eyes fluttered open. "[color=thistle]Mandate, are you ready to see Paris? We'll be travelling through this portal.[/color]" She said holding out her hand expectantly for Bach to pass over her purse. Bach did so quickly and her cellphone dinged with a new text message tone. She tapped the password unlocking her phone to a read her text from Lekh, responding so quickly. [b]Of course, are you planning to visit Lost Haven soon? If it is of interest, I have some news about a mutual acquaintance of ours that left without saying goodbye a few months back.[/b] The smile she had was unmistakably pleased. Mandate, on the other hand, was unmistakably entranced. She had straightened to her full towering height, and then froze as the kind Ambassador began to weave what the golem presumed was some form of magic. It was, like the Ambassador, very pretty. The golem's singular eye roamed to and fro across the whole of the display, from the blue light upon the lady's hands to the rift that had opened within only minutes. It was light without a source, and rips in the air without explanation. Amazing. The door that had begun to assemble itself from that display was just... Mandate would have furrowed her brow if she had one. It was... Ah! [color=LightPink]"Icing on top of a cake."[/color] the golem hummed- mostly to herself. Her understanding expanded, as inexorably as ever! Mandate stood there, pleased with herself and eager to explore, as her lone eye roamed over the door once more. Certainly, the Ambassador wouldn't mind if...? Tilting her head, Mandate tapped her fingers together once, twice, thrice, before she reached forward, eager to brush against the polished wood and examine the texture and-- Words. The Ambassador was saying something, something important, probably. Jerking her hand back from the surface of the door and to her side, the golem's eye snapped back to the relatively short human. The blue glow had stopped, and the door had stopped assembling, so that meant she was probably done. She had said... The memory swirled to the surface easily; she had spoken of going to [i]Paris[/i]. The city. [i]Oh yes[/i]. Mandate's eagerness showed in the chirp in her voice. [color=LightPink]"Yes! I am eager to see. Can I touch your door? It is a very interesting door."[/color] She hoped that her V of a smile was convincing. Odette looked up from her phone then reluctantly putting it away back into her purse. Her expression returning to something more neutral. "[color=thistle]Of course. As exciting as it is to touch this door, what lies beyond it is much more interesting.[/color]" Her hand gripped the doorknob, twisting it delicately. The door opened slowly but within a crack the magic flooded the area. The grass grew a little greener, the air smelled sweeter like the city smog was a distant memory, while Odette felt energized. She took a deep breath in, "[color=thistle]The Arcane Stream. The Earth's beating heart of magic. This portal will bring us instantly to Paris. I will need you to hold my hand as I lead you through the door.[/color]" Bach stepped through the portal first disappearing behind the wall of light. He popped his head back through and said, "[color=darkseagreen]See you on the otherside.[/color]" Holding out her hand to Mandate, Odette showed a well practiced smile. The sincerity far from her eyes. She found the intelligent golem incredibly charming in her innocence but she was much more eager to find out [i]why[/i] anyone went to the great trouble of building a multi-soul intelligent golem. Her first assumption was Mandate was meant to be a weapon. What was she built for? How could she be used to benefit The Ambassador and her alone? Earning her trust will be relatively simple, however keeping her in Paris would be another matter entirely. Mandate would need a guide and someone to watch over her while Odette was away. Without needing more than a few seconds to think she already had the perfect goblin for the job. Mandate, for her part, had placed a hand against the lovely wood of the door almost as soon as she had been given permission to do so. It wasn't that much different from the wood she had already felt in her short existence, but it was special all the same; it was magical wood, after all. Pleased with her investigation, the golem stepped back and allowed the Ambassador to open the door, and found herself entranced all over again. It was... Beautiful. An ethereal light that seems to [i]invigorate[/i] the world around it, like a breath of fresh air from the lungs of the world. Perhaps that was exactly what it was, if the Ambassador's words were any indication. [i]Even the world has a heart?[/i] Perplexed and fascinated, the golem placed a clawed hand against her chest, curling her taloned toes in the grass beneath her feet. [i]Is everything alive?[/i] [i]Am I alive?[/i] Her thoughts were interrupted when her gaze returned to the Ambassador. She was holding out her hand, and the young entity did not hesitate to reciprocate. Her 'mane' seemed to flex once more as her massive hand enveloped the Ambassador's ever so carefully. [i]I don't want to break your hand,[/i] she did not say. Instead, she nodded. [color=LightPink]"I am ready."[/color] Substantially quite large by comparison to Odette as they stood side by side. Gently, she tugged for Mandate to follow. She went first through the light of the portal, crossing the threshold. Always feeling the little bit of a jump in the pit of her stomach. The portal opened directly to her permanent portal in Paris. There was no need to travel along the leylines, not today. Odette blinked the light of the portal brightening the clearing surrounded by various ages of yew trees. Her eyes scanned up to the gnarling branches of the largest tree within the copse, the yew the portal was built into. Yews were Bach's patron tree, symbolically recongized through out history as a tree of immortality and death. It's ability to live for thousands of years while it's leaves were poisionous to humans. It casted a dual purpose especially to Bach and Odette, the tree anchored their permanent portal but their pact as well. Only they were aware of it's dualality. She often pondered the tree when she needed time to herself. The copse clearing being a great place to think and be with one's thoughts alone. The Fey Sentry stood at attention for The Ambassador's arrival. The Sentry's armour was polished to a perfect shine of copper while their glaive glittered, intricately designed blade of silver. Earth Elves volunteered and trained specifically to defending the portal from intruders from both sides. While the Sentry rarely seen any real offences against the portal, there was one on duty always. Not a soul passed through the portal without The Ambassador's explicit permission. "[i]My Lady Ambassador. Welcome home.[/i]" He said. The Ambassador bowed her head in acknowledgment to the Sentry and said in Common Fey, "[color=thistle][i]Thank you, Sentry. The visit will be a short one.[/i][/color]" He nodded, "[i]We always look forward to seeing you, My Lady.[/i]" "[color=thistle][i]Have a wonderful evening.[/i][/color]" She said simply waving him off she beckoned to Mandate switching seamlessly back to English. "[color=thistle]We are a short ways from the city but once we are free from the forest you will have a breathtaking view.[/color]" [color=LightPink]"If I had breath, it would already be taken."[/color] Mandate replied, her voice breathy and distracted. [i]Awed[/i], in a sense. In truth, she had scarcely paid attention since they had stepped through the portal, her hand remaining latched onto the Ambassador's for longer than particularly necessary as her singular eye hungrily tracked the environment. It was, to her inexperienced perspective, as beautiful- if not moreso- than the park they had just left. New trees, unfamiliar to her and wide in their arrangement of branches, like a roof upon a singular, gnarled pillar. She had detached herself from the Ambassador a few moments after her gaze had finally ceased to move, her fingers delicately brushing from the door to the tree. The name came to her. [i]Yew.[/i] [i]I see yew.[/i] Amusing. The Sentry was almost as eye-catching as the tree, albeit ultimately less distracting for the strange golem; he was given a small wave of her hand, and her eyes scanned his equipment with a palpable curiosity. The Ambassador probably would not like it if she were to attempt to peel it open, she decided, returning her focus to the aforementioned pretty human. [color=LightPink]"But,"[/color] she continued, hesitant to leave the clearing but eager to explore all the same, [color=LightPink]"I haven't seen Paris. I think it will steal even more breath. Does it have many towers?"[/color] For some reason, it felt right to assume that Paris would have towers. She giggled, "[color=thistle]I'm happy to hear you are enthusiastic to see it. Paris has a singular tower known as the Eiffel Tower.[/color]" Odette responded leading the way through the small forest, treading the well worn path. Bach was at her side his hand brushing past the trees, looking rather content. "[color=thistle]I also want to introduce you to a special friend of mine. She will be your guide through Paris.[/color]" Odette commented over her shoulder to Mandate as they walked through the forest. Bach tilted his head at her unsure of who she had in mind. After a few minutes of the leisurely pace they opened up away from the forest, a few miles away from the city limits but clearly able to see the vast horizon Paris enveloped, the Eiffle Tower being chief among it's most famous landmarks. Even for a Parisian such as herself, she always felt a tinge breathless when she saw the city. [i]Her[/i] city. It's streets, the people, and the magic belonged to her. Unknown to the people of Paris, save for all who knew The Ambassador. She allowed Mandate the time to appreciate the view while digging through her purse for her grimoire. Mandate, for her part, was as pleased as she had ever been, standing by the Ambassador's side and gazing out over the cityscape. The confirmation that there was indeed a tower within Paris- even called a tower in its name!- had excited her for reasons she couldn't quite understand. Like correctly slotting a peg into that amusing children's toy that had occupied her for awhile, it brought a sense of [i]rightness[/i]. And now, to see that place with her own eye was... Wonderful. Beautiful. A sweeping, low cityscape, save for the few higher buildings-and the tower!- whose windows glinted in the afternoon sun. A subdued... Mandate tilted her head down, searching for satisfying words. Prettiness? Yes, prettiness. Of course. Mandate raised her hands up to her chest, tapping her fingers together giddily. It was a strange gesture to her, but it felt right as a way to illustrate her excitement. And she would be meeting new and exciting people! Perhaps more exciting than the Ambassador's strange and warbling friend? Unlikely, but wonderful! She clasped her hands together for a moment, then flung them back down to her sides, shifting on her feet in excitement. Her 'mouth' was inadequate to convey her excitement. [color=LightPink]"Ambassador! I do not have breath, but it is being stolen!"[/color] she declared, her harmonious voice full of delight as she turned her gaze back to her [i]wonderful[/i] new friend. [color=lightPink]"Your city is wonderful, and its Eiffel is also wonderful!"[/color] The grimoire opened in the base of her palm, it's worn leather covers soft and the ledges carefully protected by silver pieces. The clasp was made of silver, bearing the symbol of the yew tree. The wind gently tugged at the aging pages. The massive tome was the accumulation of The Ambassador's favoured spells. Spells she crafted herself from scratch to ancient faerie magic, changed and suited to her needs when the situation called for it. The strength in her fey spellcraft was in the ability to deconstruct it and change it. Combining magic from the Arcane Stream and her indepth understanding of faerie magic, a feat reserved for humans. "[color=thistle]First and foremost, we need to glamour you, Mandate. Unfortunately Parisians are not that much better in regards to being comfortable seeing a golem. However it should be no problem to craft something simple.[/color]" Odette said pausing on a page for magical glamours, one she would usually use for herself when in flight now she simply needed one to fool the ordinary human into seeing Mandate as a human. Beginning the spell with a string of French, Words of Power drew in close to Mandate wrapping about her... then deflecting in wayward directions forcing the ballerina to duck. Bach and Odette shared a look of confusion, "[color=darkseagreen]Uh-[/color]" He began then ran a quick eye over the page Odette was on. "[color=darkseagreen]You [i]aimed[/i] it at her... right?[/color]" That earned him a elbow jab to his ribs. "[color=thistle]How incredibly helpful of you.[/color]" She said tight lipped. Bach rubbed at his ribs, "[color=darkseagreen]Just enchant something instead. We can figure out why she [i]literally[/i] deflected your spell.[/color]" He replied then ran an eye up and down Mandate. "[color=darkseagreen]Curiouser and curiouser.[/color]" She rummaged through her purse with one hand, balancing the book open still. "[color=thistle]Now where is that... pendant... the one that Mara gave me...[/color]" Her arm disappeared deep into the purse nearly up to her shoulder. Her fingers brushed against what she was looking for and triumphantly pulled it free. A simple [url=https://img0.etsystatic.com/119/1/6448769/il_340x270.1044259796_ien3.jpg]polished piece of rose quartz, hand woven into a necklace.[/url] Closing the necklace into the palm of her hand. Odette began the spell again, altering it slightly to enchant the jewellery instead. Her hand glowed a bright blue when the spell was complete did she open her palm, the rose quartz glittering with enchantment. "[color=thistle]Here Mandate, my dear please wear this around your neck. It will protect you.[/color]" She offered the necklace up to the golem. Mandate's gaze remained locked upon the necklace, hesitant to touch the pretty rose quartz. Normally, she would have gladly grasped the jewelry and examined it, but her emotions were somewhat tumultuous. The strange magic that the Ambassador wielded was unfamiliar, but that tingling sensation as it was forcefully [i]evicted[/i]... [i]Dark corridors, dark words, dark power.[/i] Mandate's 'mane' bristled once more, then settled into its orderly configuration. Her 'mouth' was a flat line, neither its smile nor its frown as she internally debated with herself for a few moments. It felt longer to her, with her multitude of conflicting emotions. [color=LightPink][i]The Ambassador wouldn't do that. She is nice, and sweet. She has helped me. This place is nice, and I am... Safe.[/i][/color] Reassurance, or a conversation? It was impossible to discern. Odette's eyes flicked up to Mandate's mane flaring momentarily, she had curiously reacted in similar way earlier before they crossed the portal. Resisting magic in more ways than just one. Mandate had made a note about not liking the massive spell that ripped souls free from the leyline... did Mandate lose any? But that dark place was as far behind her as New York- No, further, New York was a portal away. The distance of a world and a step. The place she'd left behind was far beyond even that, and she wouldn't go back. The Ambassador wasn't going to hurt. She was... Helpful. Over and over, Mandate's thoughts repeated themselves, a comforting mantra as she reached towards the smaller woman. Ever so delicately, Mandate lowered her hand, plucking the necklace up with two hands. When the familiar feeling did not pass through her, the worry ebbed away as easily as the tide, dropping out of her stream of thought as her self-encouragement was proven correct. The prominent V of her smile bloomed once more. A gift! Mandate brought it to her chest, cupped within her large hands as if it were a butterfly. [color=LightPink]"Thank you, Ambassador!"[/color] she blurted, her tone sincere and as jubilant as it had been only moments before. [color=LightPink]"Is this a gift? It looks like one; it is very pretty. I enjoy wearing pretty things."[/color] Her claws brushed across the surface of the Rose Quartz, admiring the pleasing smoothness of the crystal. Without another thought as to the reputability of the Ambassador -she could be trusted, after all- and a renewed eagerness, the golem began to fuss with the necklace, testing its size; it would fit, thankfully. As she slipped it on, she spoke to her treasured and only companion. [color=LightPink]"Ambassador, can I call you miss? I think it is polite, and I would like to be polite to you! Miss Ambassador, what was that strange thing earlier? How will this jewelry protect me?"[/color] "[color=thistle]You may refer to me as Miss Ambassador. Manners matter, Mandate. I appreciate your polite decorum.[/color]" Odette said rather sweetly. "[color=thistle]What I did to enchant the necklace earlier, I tried to do to you first. My spell was meant to give humans unlike myself, the illusion you looked human as well. The necklace however, so long as you wear it, you will appear human to everyone around you. Very convenient for a golem such as yourself.[/color]" Mandate preened as much as she could under the Ambassador's approval, tilting her head to the side and humming her agreement with the small woman's statement. [i]Manners mattered.[/i] [color=LightPink]"Unlike yourself, Miss Ambassador? Should I not show anyone that is not you that I am a not-human?"[/color] she asked, mentally making a note of that condition. Odette nodded reassuring the golem, "[color=thistle]Until I explictly say to remove the pendant you are to wear it. Can you promise me you will wear it all the time?[/color]" What did she do that humans would find not-human? Some humans could lift cars now, but not all of them did. She could lift more than cars, but would that be more or less suspicious? Questions in need of answering. The golem decided to avoid lifting anything for awhile; she was certain that it was generally a suspicious way to behave. Mandate fidgeted slightly with her new necklace. Perhaps some tearing, if no one was looking. Mandate nodded, her smile showing nothing of her thoughts as she voiced her assent. [color=LightPink]"Of course, Miss Ambassador! I'll keep it very safe."[/color] It was a present from the Ambassador, after all. It was precious. ------ [b][i]Time: An hour or so of travelling later... Location: Along the Seine, Paris.[/i][/b] The Seine was calm and quiet to humans. Unseen the river was rife with young selkie pups. The setting summer sun casted an eerie orange glow over a lone goblin. Mara the lanky, considerably ugly fey sat along the edge of the concrete. Her net deep in the water waiting patiently for a pup to come close. Her eyes squinted through the glass soda bottles she wore for glasses. Completely unaware of the two figures approaching her. She waited for one to slip close, then with expert reflexes she snatched up the hissing selkie, skinny arms jerking about trying to contain it. She lifted with her knees, very important to avoid backpain, then plopped the pup into her large glass fishbowl, possibly bigger than the small goblin herself. With a splash and a hiss the selkie was emptied into the bowl. "You don't know it yet kid, but I'm doing you a favour. The Seine ain't no place for you lot to be frolicking about." Mara said flatly over the rim of the bowl then received a swift angry splash in reply. "[color=thistle]Good evening, Mara.[/color]" Odette said approaching the goblin speaking in English largely for Mandate's benefit. "[color=thistle]Any luck tonight?[/color]" The goblin looked over her shoulder at The Ambassador. "Sure sure, ungrateful little pups think I'm being the stick in the mud fishing them outta the Seine." She gestured at the bowl and hissing pup, "C'mon, these kids are left to their own devices and it's up to folk like me to make sure they get back somewheres safe." "[color=thistle]They will appreciate you, given enough time. Mara, I was hoping to speak to you. I want to hire you for a special job. First however I would like to introduce you to Mandate.[/color]" Odette said gesturing to the glamoured golem. "Sure, My Lady. Y'know I don't mind doing business with you. What d'ya need?" Mara said evenly digging out a dirty rag from inside her shirt, drying her face. Mara tucked her rag away then nodded at Mandate, "Nice to meetcha Mandate, the name is Mara." Mara ran an eye over the substantially tall and rather stocky human. Her arms were toned with visible muscle through the plain white tshirt she wore. Mandate's dark brown hair was tied into a pony tail, her eyes a dark brown. Around her neck Mara spotted the rose quartz pendant and recognized it immediately. "Hey! That's the pendant I gave you, My Lady. Looks like... it's enchanted?" Mara said curiously squinting up at Mandate's human glamour still considerably tall figure especially compared to the small goblin. Mandate would have blinked if she was capable of it, her singular eye flicking its focus from the curious bowl to the goblin that it seemed to belong to after a moment's silence. Both her eye and her smile were unable to convey the sheer [i]excitement[/i] passing through her, but it was probably more firmly demonstrated in the way that she rocked upon her feet and seemed to almost bounce in place. She pushed up to the tips of her toes as her hands clasped together in front of her chest, then lowered herself back down as her hands returned to her sides. Fidgeting, moving in brief bursts. The broad, strong figure the glamor had given her translated the movements somewhat awkwardly, but conveyed the enthusiastic energy behind them fairly well, at any rate. Mara's expression seemed to shift when she observed Mandate nearly bouncing on the spot. Shifting between confusion and curiosity. Something was off about this particular human. Not that most humans that towed in behind The Ambassador were [i]normal[/i] but this one... It was sheer force of will -and a slight fear of the Ambassador's disapproval- that kept her from touching anything and everything she saw in the new landscape that surrounded her; she found that it was helpful to place her hands together when the urge became unbearable, such as when she was exposed to yet another strange companion of the Ambassador. At least they were starting to become clearer, given time. The odd not-thing that Mandate had first met alongside the Ambassador was starting to gain a more coherent figure, and she could even understand this new one, strange and tiny though -she? They sounded like a she- was. The golem tilted her head and gave a soft hum, which had an unnerving effect upon her glamor; her smile was bright and warm, but her eyes were as dead as the lives that went into Mandate's creation. The Ambassador probably wouldn't appreciate it if she snatched up the fish bowl and started looking at it and the thing inside of it all over like she dearly wished. Her hands squeezed together tighter. Definitely no grabbing. Oh, she was supposed to be speaking, yes! The mention of the pendant was what grabbed the golem's attention the most, for one reason or another. Her hands pressed against her chest, clasping the crystal in question and bringing it up to her face. Her mouth flattened into a line to indicate her focused curiosity, at odds with the light and pleasant tone of her strange voice. [color=LightPink]"Oh, this? This was Miss Ambassador's gift to me! It is magical, and very pretty. Was it a gift from you first? Miss Ambassador, do you get a lot of gifts?"[/color] Mandate paused for a second, then perked up as if remembering something. Her smile returned, both on her glamor and on her true form. [color=LightPink]"Also, hello Mara. It's nice to meet you; you're different and your glasses are nice. Do you steal children from the river often?"[/color] Her curious tone was as wholly genuine as her smile. Mara's long gnarled nose twitched, she stared at Mandate considering her questions, "It was a form of payment. Naw, I ain't stealing no children. Just moving some selki pups around, leaving the kidnapping business to the creepier folk." Mara paused wincing, "Beg your pardon, My Lady. Not a slight at you." As she winced the goblin looked up at Mandate squinting a little harder than necessary. "But ma'am, that ain't no human. Who is she?" Mara said pointing a bony finger at the golem. Odette's smile came so easily, "[color=thistle]She... is Mandate. My dear would you please remove the pendant, momentarily?[/color]" Mara watched with beady eyes. [color=LightPink]"Of course, Miss Ambassador!"[/color] Mandate replied, as cheerful as ever as she considered her strange new companion's words. As her clawed fingers delicately lifted the necklace off of her neck, she turned her cyclopean gaze towards the Ambassador once more. [color=LightPink]"Does that mean [i]you[/i] steal children from rivers, Miss Ambassador?"[/color] she chirped inquisitively, her head tilting to the side as she held the necklace in one massive hand. She didn't want to lose the payment-turned-gift, after all; it was precious to her, because it was the Ambassador's. Mara took off her glasses, her eyes huge on her ugly bald head. "A golem...? I'm holdin' a conversation with it, how's that possible?" She shook her head then rubbed some dirt off the glasses. "More importantly, what does that got to do with me?" Odette shrugged her smile not wavering, "[color=thistle]Depends on you. I found Mandate in Central Park, couldn't very well leave someone as unique as her on her own. Now could I?[/color]" Mara shrugged ignoring that The Ambassador didn't answer her question. "Depends on what then, My Lady?" "[color=thistle]As you know, I am in no position to keep Mandate by my side all the time. However she is safer here in Paris with a very reliable and [i]neutral[/i] figure such as yourself. There are no borders here in Paris for you, Mara.[/color]" Odette said smoothly turning to observe the selkies in the Seine. "[color=thistle]You will be aptly paid to keep Mandate company and most importantly... out of trouble. Can I trust you to see to it?[/color]" Odette looked to the golem, gazing into her singular red eye. "[color=thistle]I do apologize Mandate, unfortunately I must return to New York for a short time. I will be back in Paris, but you will not be alone.[/color]" Mara grunted. "Hrm. Keep a smart golem company? Piece of cake, My Lady. I could always use an extra pair of hands. Eh, Mandate? Ya don't mind hanging around this old goblin?" Mandate froze in the midst of her excited examination of the surrounding area, her gaze focusing upon the small human once more. After a few moments, it flicked to the even smaller fey being, then back to the Ambassador. Her hands curled back around the necklace as the situation processed. [i]Left?[/i] she wondered to herself -literally, as she felt the question echo through her component parts. [i]I am being left here?[/i] Uncertainty tickled at Mandate's consciousness, before she clamped down upon it and the returned bristling of her 'mane'. The Ambassador, of course, was not going to be gone forever. [i]I've only just met you, friend.[/i] she did not protest, because some greater part of herself pushed down against it once more. Selfish thoughts circled, a natural inclination to do as she pleased that worked counter to her desire to please her new yet dear companion. Her only companion? [i]Why does it bother me? I am always alone and together.[/i] More things to consider, in time. Mandate filed the strange sensation away. She was not alone at the present; it was pleasing. She would... Not be alone when the Ambassador left, would she? She had the small human's assurance, but... Mara did not present the same caliber of company, but maybe that was a wrong impression. A biased impression, admittedly; Mandate already considered the Ambassador her favorite person. Slowly, Mandate raised the crystal necklace back up, and replaced it around her neck, using the motion to disguise the slump of her shoulders as she turned her dead eyes and soft smile back onto Mara. The interesting sensation of stubborn refusal faded away -or was pushed back- as she responded. [color=LightPink]"I think that will be okay, Miss Ambassador."[/color] And she believed it. Odette brought her hands up, her eyes twinkling happily, "[color=thistle]Somehow I [i]knew[/i] you would understand, my dear Mandate. Truthfully I am so happy to hear you will be spending time with Mara. I would trust no one else with you. Time will fly while I am gone and it would hardly seem as if I was absent.[/color]" Mara quietly huffed not comfortable watching The Ambassador manipulate the golem. She was smart enough not to open her mouth to get between The Ambassador and her work. Briefly she caught her blue eye, the woman hardly missed a thing. Mara shifted her gaze to Mandate. This golem seemed very new. Mara decided she'd at least knock some common sense into the inquisitive golem. Odette held out a hand to the golem, "[color=thistle]You and I have much to discuss when I return. For now, Mara will be your guide through Paris. Let the city fill your time and thoughts. As I said before, you will not be disappointed.[/color]" Despite the situation, Mandate's smile became firmer as she straightened up beneath the Ambassador's attention, turning to face her fully once more. The happiness and approval was gratifying, a new and welcome sensation; approval was not something she'd experienced since her creators had seen that she'd formed properly. She'd killed them afterwards, so it wasn't a very good comparison. [i]Go away.[/i] Banishing the thoughts firmly, Mandate reached out. Her large hand clasped the smaller one of the human, mindful of the claw tips of her fingers, before her other hand closed over it as well. The thought satisfied her, of seeing Paris fully, and admiring things that were almost a world away only an hour ago. The Ambassador herself would be only a world away herself. [color=LightPink]"Of course I won't be, Miss Ambassador; it's your city, and it is beautiful!"[/color] The smile of her glamor had regained its full brightness, overshadowing the dead look in her fake eyes as she reluctantly released the blue-haired woman's hand. [color=LightPink]Thank you."[/color]