"There's a lot going on, but it's okay."

Nod. "You get used to it. Or at least I hope."

And down they go.

Of course, the elevator is excessively ornamented to the point of tackiness. The buttons appear to be mother-of-pearl that was somehow shaped to displays the numbers.

The door opens to a circular hallway, glass walls on all directions, each panel is individualized and adorned with gemstones.

They see her inside the apartment, headphones on and dancing like one dances when they're alone.

" - do we say hi?"

"I think there is no way to escape the awkwardness."

He taps on the glass.

She notices and freezes, but shrugs off the embarrassment and answers the door. She hugs Trevor.

"Hi, Trevor! Hi, Isel! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you! I hear you can screen us for likelihood of racing off to conquer our neighbors?"

She bounces. "Yes! And if I had had the forewarning, I would've made you a paper saying '100% certified to be a dreamshaper'. Seriously, you're going to rock. Your immediate family is great too! Aitim can absolutely replace the need of veto-people too and become a dreamshaper if he wants to. So is his husband, parents and non-twins siblings. I know Telkam doesn't look responsible enough, but I think he is going to be better with dreamshaping than not-"

"They weren't even on the list."

"Uh? Are you sure?"

"I didn't look that closely to be sure? Did you get the right list? How many people?"

"Forty plus change? I don't know what your list looked like, but... it sounds perfectly reasonable that Aitim's siblings would feature? At least to me."

"Okay, messaging Felix. Let me show you the list and see if you at least got all the intended ones."

She checks. No one is missing.

It just has extra people added.

Yup! She can provide reasons why people are approved or not, but figures that people not on the list might not want certain information divulged?

Felix answers:

I wasn't looking closely enough at the time. When I added the list the blueprints changed subtly and added people that would make "sense" to add under the narrative "Dana knows these people well-enough to vouch for them."

"I mean, I'm happy to have more people on this list? It looks even more nepotistic but it's not like people will do worse than grumble, about that..."

She nods and bounces. "Pretty much everyone that Aitim listed. Plus," and she recites names.

" - cool. We'll take it."

"I am very glad to help! Seriously, being alive: rocks. shaping history: rocks. helping reds: rocks. being alive: rocks doubly so! Could you introduce me to Afen? I want to teach him a language and watch as he learns it at apparently-magical rates."

"Yeah, sure, okay."

Bounce bounce.

Heh.

"Well, I hope your government likes the good news."

"The government is going to be like 'fuck you Aitim' but not very loudly because they want him to like them." Grin.