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Saint-14 opened his arms wide to hug Eris as he approached. Eris tensed and sucked in a sharp breath, pressing herself against Drifter in the hopes of rendering herself inextricable and therefore un-hug-able, but it was no use, Saint simply widened his arms and hugged the Drifter and Eris both together.
“My friends! It is good to see you!”
“Put them down Saint! We promised Zavala we would behave ourselves.”
The Drifter laughed as both he and Eris' feet returned to the floor. “Good to see you too, big guy. How you livin’?”
“We are doing well! Osiris is home from Neomuna for the Dawning. It is a good time to be alive.”
“Eris," Osiris said. "I see you have brought your own social butterfly to the event. A wise choice. I certainly appreciate mine.”
Eris gave Osiris a small nod.
"A butterfly made of metal! Ha!" Saint's voice boomed as he laughed.
A loud bell rang out, demanding everyone’s attention. The music stopped.
“What is happening?” Eris asked the Drifter in a nervous whisper.
“Speeches is my guess. Fancy gatherings like this always have speeches,” the Drifter said quietly.
“Likely a toast as well,” Osiris added.
“I’ll go get us somethin’ to toast with. You ok with these two for two minutes, Moondust?”
She nodded. The Drifter took the empty champagne glass from Eris’s hand and maintained eye contact with her as he pulled her gloved fingertips up to his lips for a quick kiss before slipping away.
Eris clutched the strings of her spherical handbag holding her ahamkara bone tightly in both her hands, feeling suddenly exposed and scrutinized. Osiris and Saint looked at each other briefly and then stepped to either side of her, shielding her from the crowd.
Eris tensed at first and then, realizing what they were doing, relaxed and gave them both a small smile.
“I admit I was surprised to see you. This is not something you would normally attend.” Osiris kept his voice low, unfolding his arms and gesturing with one hand as Commander Zavala began addressing the crowd in what Eris could only guess was halting Ulurant.
“My presence was required.” Eris explained quietly. “I was informed that failing to attend was… not an option.”
“I was likewise required.” Osiris told her. “I suspect for similar reasons.”
Eris nodded.
“Hey hey,” the Drifter reappeared with four glasses of champagne dangling from his fingers, two in each hand. He stretched one hand out to Saint and Osiris so both could take a glass from him, then he handed one glass to Eris before sliding his arm once more behind her back.
She sighed in relief at his return and leaned against him slightly.
“Told ya I wouldn’t be long.”
“I admit I am even more surprised to see you here than I am to see Eris,” Osiris said softly so only the four of them could hear.
“What? Thought they’d throw me out at the front door?" Drifter likewise kept his voice low so as to not interrupt the Commander's multi-lingual speech. "I got an official invite and everything. Although they couldn’t stoop to sayin’ my name at the intro." He grinned. "I’m… a companion!”
Both Saint and Osiris quietly laughed.
“I more mean the openness of the event,” Osiris continued as Zavala's speech went on. “I remember your paranoia about snipers.”
The Drifter nodded and glanced up. “I’d be lyin’ if I said I wasn’t scannin’ the rooftops,” he commented in the same low tones they were all using.
Zavala switched to even more halting Eliksni. The Drifter winced. “Big blue needs some coaching on his pronunciation. He just thanked us all for not wearing shoes.”
“Ah! So my ears are not wrong.” Saint said as quietly as he could. “I thought that was what he said.”
“It is the thought that counts. I’m sure House Light will understand,” Osiris added.
“Why are you scanning the rooftops?” Eris asked.
“Fancy party like this is a great way to get shot, especially the kind of shot that turns ya all green and nasty and permanently dead.”
“You are in danger?” she frowned.
“Not specifically. Just generally the sort of thing I would usually avoid.”
“The Drifter has traditionally eschewed these types of occasions.” Osiris continued. “Deathtraps I believe was the word you used.”
“Yup. Normally the only time ol'Drifter would be at somethin' like this would be servin' drinks or killin' somone. Sometimes both at the same time.”
Osiris snorted. Saint inclined his head, intrigued.
“You are risking your life for me," Eris said. "Again.”
“First of all, yours truly is small potatoes compared to who else is on display as this shindig and anyone trying to get in here to shoot anyone will need to get through the combined security of both Saladin and Ikora. Second, worth it. And third, you may note the conspicuous absence of two of the best snipers we know, who are not currently wanderin’ around at this party. My guess is both Devrim and Crow are on overwatch right now bein’ our guardian angels. So, while yes, I normally would not be caught dead, pardon the expression, at something this exposed, circumstances have aligned in such a way as to make it a rare but occurrin’ occurrence.”
“Ah yes, you are right, my friend.” Saint-14 nodded. “I too have noticed their absence and I agree. This is likely what they are doing. It is good to have such friends as these.”
“Damn straight, brother.”
Zavala was now giving his speech in English. He spoke of solidarity in times of Darkness, of how the Traveller had been who we looked to for protection in the past, and now we looked to each other, to our alliances and our friends. It was an inspiring speech, as his words always were. He lifted a glass in a toast to old friends and new ones, the dead and the living, and the promise of peace between Caiatl's Imperial Cabal, the Reef, Earth, and the Eliksni of the House of Light.
Eris, the Drifter, Osiris and Saint all raised their glasses and then softly clinked them together before sipping the bubbly liquid.
The music resumed, this time performed by a two-Eliksni, one human jazz trio. Drifter and Saint-14 both began to move slightly to the music while Eris and Osiris remained completely still.
Lord Saladin approached them two songs later.
“Eris, Osiris, the presentation is about to begin. If you would both come with me please,” the Iron Lord spoke with gruff politeness and thinly veiled irritation.
Osiris handed his glass of champagne to Saint with a sigh.
Eris shrank back against the Drifter.
“I suppose this is something that uh… companions… can’t come with?” the Drifter asked.
“Correct,” Lord Saladin told him with a frown.
Eris remained pressed against the Drifter, steeling herself while focusing on keeping the glass of champagne in her hand from trembling.
It won’t be for long,” he whispered so only she could hear. “Just think of how it felt when ya slit Savathun's throat."
Eris nodded and straightened her back, shifting her feet to an almost battle stance.
"You'll be fine. Trust.” He took the champagne glass from her and once more brought her gloved fingertips to his lips. “Go kick ass.”
Osiris stepped forward and held out his arm. “Allow me.”
Eris looked at Osiris, then back at the Drifter, squeezing his hand once more before releasing it and reaching for Osiris’ arm.
“Lead away, Lord Saladin.” Osiris gestured with his free hand and together the three of them walked away.
“And now it is just us,” Saint said as he and the Drifter watched their partners depart. “Come! Tell me why you have not yet participated in the Trials of Osiris! Surely it would be important to know your competition!”
“Well that’d be admittin’ we’re competing, now wouldn’t it? And I ain’t stupid enough to go up against you.”
“Ah, you are not stupid at all, little man. Nor am I. One cannot be as old as we without knowing many things. But… the past is the past. Water under the street, yes? Being here, now, is what matters. How lucky we are to have those we love honoured by such a feast. It is good to be here standing next to you. I am happy.”
Drifter's smile reached his eyes as he nodded and lifted the champagne glass in his right hand to clink against the one in Saint’s left. They both drained the alcohol from the glasses together. They then did the same with the glasses in their opposite hands and laughed, continuing to both move in sync with the music.
After a few minutes a server with an empty tray came by. Drifter recognized them as a Gambit regular and immediately noticed the subtle bulge in the small of their back indicating a weapon.
"Firesprite-7 is that you in that fancy suit?" Drifter asked.
The Exo's faceplates formed a smile. "Sure is, Drifter." He held out his tray to take their glasses.
"Look kid, if you need extra glimmer, you don't have to serve drinks. Swing by Gambit and Drifter'll fix ya up."
Firesprite leaned in close "Vanguard's paying quite a bit for me to be on call tonight. Just in case. You enjoy yourself. We got several fireteams keeping an eye out."
"Let me guess. They tell you to keep an eye on me, specifically?" Drifter asked with a grin.
Saint -14 laughed loudly and slapped his thigh.
"I mean yeah," Firesprite told the Drifter. "But my team all knows you wouldn't do anything to mess this up for Eris. It's part of why we volunteered. You two deserve a night off. We got your back, man."
"Ya know, having a crackshot invader like you on overwatch actually does make ol'Drifter feel a bit safer, brother. Thanks."
"Happy Dawning, man." Firesprite nodded at both of them and continued off to other people in the crowd, gathering empty champagne glasses.
"Ah look! It begins to snow!" Saint exclaimed, raising a hand to the sky. Both he and Drifter looked up and let the snowflakes drift softly down on their upturned faces as the pleasant jazz continued permiate the air.
"Ya know what? Fuck it." Drifter turned to large Titan Exo. "Both our better halfs ain't here and this music is great. Care to dance?"
"My friend, I thought you would never ask!"