IC: Sanei The conversation between Eshai and I petered out quickly, and we finished our meals in silence. It was, I told myself, for the best. While I found it strange to have a constant companion who never spoke, the difference in our status made talking in and of itself somewhat risky. Order, after all, was a virtue, and casually talking to someone with no clan threatened to upset that Order. At the very least, the silence gave me time to come up with something to do. Finally, I had an idea: I didn't really have any decent clothes in my clan colors, so why not buy some? I didn't really need them, and I usually kept myself constantly busy, so I'd never found the time to buy them. But, for now at least, that wasn't an issue. Besides, I was a Menti warrior of Clan Umbraline! Looking my best should be higher on my list of priorities, I thought. So, we paid for our lunches and struck out for the Markets. I didn't look back to see what Eshai was up to; I felt sure she was close behind me. Besides, my attention was elsewhere. I arrived just in time to pick up a few words from a conversation that seemed to have captivated the entire marketplace, which sat in uncharacteristic silence. It would have felt oddly empty without the familiar cries of merchants hawking their wares, had it not been for the voices that rang out, both audibly and on the mental plane. The subject seemed to be about expanding beyond the Archipelago... hmmm. It hadn't really occurred to me that there'd be anywhere to expand, despite the arrival of the six strangers- what had they been called, Piraka? It simply hadn't occurred to me. Then, a voice rang out. One belonging to the Crown Princess, asking a Dasaka standing on a roof to continue speaking. The Crown Princess. Despite being near the edge of the crowd, I quickly bowed. There was no harm in doing so, after all. Better safe than sorry, just in case. By now, any thoughts of buying clothes had vanished from my mind completely. What was the conversation about, exactly? Who was the Dasaka standing on the roof? Why was the Crown Princess here, and did it have anything to do with the topic at hand? I supposed I'd just have to wait and find out.