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Male telfay were the ones meant to display for their females. It was why they all went around shirtless, but for accents and jewelry. But females, muted in both color and temperament, were meant to be modest and covered. And while Sandy definitely dressed like a telfay, just the fact that she was human made her sensual in completely immodest ways.
“Good work, my son,” Elffa said, smiling at him like she really might be proud.
“Thank you,” he responded robotically, because she expected it. But he didn’t look away from Sandy who silently wrinkled her cute little nose at him. Like she was sharing a secret, teasing remark that the others weren’t permitted to hear.
She was adorable. Sexual. Perfect. He wanted her with a desperation that choked him. Not just because she was beautiful, but because she was kind. She was compassionate. She was everything he’d ever missed in his life and knew he couldn’t have.
“Drevor,” Elffa turned to him. “Make sure they get home safe. I’m leaving. Places like this always give me a headache.”
“Yes, tilla,” Drevor inclined his head properly.
Elffa turned to leave, but Rane saw a familiar flash of green and blue in the crowd. Orza and Kirs were definitely there, watching him. Making sure that he and Sandy didn’t go anywhere. It behooved his mother to keep him there.
Her out-of-control son at a party? What was unusual about that? He might even do something ludicrous for the media to feast on.
“What are you doing here?” He asked Sandy, stepping closer to her.
“Your mother, I assume, insisted I come. Green and Blue brought me though.”
“Green and… Oh, you mean Kirs and Orza?”
“I suppose. It’s not really important that I know their names.” She shrugged her shoulders. Casually dismissing them with such simple words and movements.
Just like that. They controlled her as assuredly as they did him, if not more. At least Rane had a fighting chance against one of them. Sandy wouldn’t even have that. But she wasn’t concerned. They were nothing in her eyes. Not even worth distinguishing by name.
And there was so much power in that. Stunning him. He didn’t understand how she could be in their control and still so totally out of their reach.
“Rane,” Drevor interjected, catching their attention.
And even in that, Sandy only moved her eyes. Her expression was guarded, unapproachable. It was a look that she had leveled at Rane before too. Before he had broken down in front of her, making it soften.
She was measuring him, he realized. Judging Drevor to see what kind of person he was. If he was someone she would soften towards like Rane, or someone she would dismiss as unnecessary, like she had Orza and Kirs.
“Yes?” Rane answered, not quite sure about Drevor himself. He had always dismissed him as he was his mother’s assistant. Elffa only hired capable people, but if it was someone who had the potential to be around Rane, she had to make sure they were loyal and wouldn’t do something stupid – like sympathize with him.
“I have unlocked your account,” Drevor said calmly. “You can spend your credz again as you wish. Of course, you have a thousand credz limit per day, and you can only purchase within the city.”
That wasn’t unusual. It kept him from leaving the city – or even purchasing a ticket out of the city. And the cap meant he couldn’t buy anything too extravagant.
Rane had a great deal of money. He earned a lot through trikball alone, but he also had brand sponsorships and he even got paid to show up to events. But he didn’t actually have access to his own wealth. His mother did. Her access was complete and unfettered.
Just another joy of being him.
“Tilla Sandy,” Drevor turned to her next, inclining his head respectfully. She was unmoved. Didn’t even grant him the courtesy of a response back.
She used silence as a weapon, and it was surprisingly effective. Even Drevor, for all that he was usually calm and unflappable, seemed a bit taken aback by her refusal to acknowledge him beyond an aloof look through those bright, green eyes.
“Er, I’m afraid you don’t have access to Rane’s credz, but he can spend them on you, if he so wishes. I do want to tell you that we’ve put in an application for you to be reviewed by the tribunal. Do you understand what that means?”
She gave him nothing. Not a single twitch in her expression. It made her impossible to read. More than that, the look wasn’t one of neutrality. It was one of partial disdain. Almost like she as begging his pardon for even speaking to her. It gave Drevor pause as he tried to decide if he should explain or not.
Sandy had no power in this situation, but looking at her face, it did seem like they were all children playing at her feet, acting as though they were the ones in control of her. And she accomplished all of that with one haughty, unflinching look and unflagging silence.
“I’ll explain it to her,” Rane cut in, more for her sake than Drevor’s. He wanted to explain what was about to happen. What his mother was probably about to do. He didn’t think Drevor would give her a proper warning.
“As you wish,” Drevor inclined his head, giving Sandy a searching look of his own. “It was lovely to meet you, tilla.”
Still nothing. She just stared. Unblinking. Unmoving.
