Owner	Pose
Namora	A September day in New York, nothing out of the ordinary, right?     Except there are embassies for aliens here, embassies for other branches of humanity too. One of these is the Atlantean embassy, where not long ago a fundraising event was held which was attended by many august persons - T'challa of Wakanda, Thor of Asgard, Diana of Themyscira, Doom of Latveria and the host himself Arthur, King of Atlantis. Or at least that's what the surfacers call him. Some Atlanteans know better, that the true Atlantis was destroyed by the Axis powers long ago and they and their true king live a nomadic existence on their fleet of submarine craft.     Still, it's been quiet in the embassy's environs, until today. Drifting down from the sky is a damp lady. She is tall, with flowing blond hair held back by a silver ornament wrought with scallops. She has what on the surface world would be thought of as a one-piece bathing suit of black with red trim, a high and flaring collar as well. Her feet are bare... and she has little feathered wings at her ankles. The regal woman lands near the entrance and looks its obvious defenses over.
Aqualad	Put any two suboceanianic peoples in a room with surfacers, and the humans couldn't tell you the difference between them. Even the more mutated Tritons fall under the category of 'merpeople', and are more closely associated with the sea and Atlantis than humanity is. But for those who dwell under the sea, there is a sharp and vast cultural divide between the various realms. Poseidius, ancient and steeped in tradition; Tha-Korr, noble and proud. Aquaria faces that divide, and the bitter antagonism of it can be seen in the faces of the Royal Guards who bracket the entrance to the Atlantean Embassy. They wear the armor of King Orin's court, and despite the relative simplcity of their ceremonial weapons they are certainly a match for any mortal who might bring trouble to them. But, the court of Namor's family is beyond most mortals. "Halt!" the senior Guard says, as Aquaria approaches the gate. He gives her an unimpressed look, face twisting a little. "What business does Tha-Korr have here?" he demands of her.
Namora	Aquaria's lip starts to curl in a sneer, but she composes herself. These are only doing their duty, after all. Instead she puts on her courtly smile, drawing herself to her full height.     "I am Aquaria, called Namora. I would speak with your King. I will wait while you summon him." she says.
Aqualad	"Namora?" There's a quiet confab among the guards, and the senior of the embassy staff comes out to join the discussion. One lone emissary from Tha-Korr is nothing. The cousin of King Namor, though? A consensus is reached, and the watch commander moves to face Namora. "King Orin is not here. And even if he were, I would not 'summon' his Majesty to speak with a Tha-Korr wre--" There's a barked reprimand from behind him, and the Guard Commander turns to look. A tall, broad shouldered young man is exiting the Consulate; despite his surfacer clothing, his gills and the webbing between thumb and forefinger betray his submarine heritage. "Captain," Kaldur says, approaching the gate, his voice cold. "You are speaking to a member of the royal family of Tha-Korr. Proper deference is due." Being dressed down by Kaldur sparks an angry glint in the Captain's eyes, but as he inhales to speak, Kaldur snaps his gaze to him again. "Dismissed, Captain. I will manage this from here." As the Captain storms off, Kaldur looks at Aquaria, his pale, platinum eyes a sharp contrast against his dark features. "Greetings, lady Aquaria," he says, his tone even and his words precisely enunciated. "I regret King Orin is not here today. I am Kaldur'ahm, and I may speak for him. Is there a message I can convey to his Majesty for you?"
Namora	Namora begins to rise into the air as the commander seems about to insult her, but she alights again when the dark-skinned young man emerges and brings the captain to heel.     She lowers her head a touch to Kaldur as he introcudes himself. "Kaldur'ahm." Aquaria echoes. "Greetings to you. very well. Is there a place we may speak privately? I have news that your king may find interesting but troubling."
Aqualad	Kaldur returns the half-bow, shoulders ducking. It's more polite than friendly, but at least he doesn't contain the blatent animosity that the Guard Captain does. On the other hand, it's been a few years since the last major dustup between their nations, and Kaldur looks quite younger than the Captain. Memories are short among the young. He weighs Aquaria's words, giving her an appraising look, then nods once. "Very well, Lady Aquaria," he says. "Please, come with me." He beckons her to follow him, and pauses when the Captain glowers angrily. "I will take full responsibility for her presence, Captain," Kaldur tells the man-- and then they're walking past him and into the Consulate. Through a set of doors, down a short hallway, and a right turn into a small conference room. Kaldur gestures at a chair formed of soft, yielding kelp fiber. "Please, seat yourself. Do you require any refreshment?" he inquires, his voice calm and quite civil.
Namora	She does sit. "No, but your hospitality is appreciated." She adjusts her hair as she sits, so it flows all in one mass down her back. "Your manners are impeccable, Kaldur'ahm. You are a credit to your people."     "But why have i come, you wonder." she continues after a moment. "I wished to warn your king that there is a troubling epidemic among our people, it affects the gills..." and she unconsciously brings her right hand up to touch the gill behind her right ear with a finger. "... it turns them black and of course the victim eventually suffocates painfully."     "We have not yet found a cure and some of our scientists believe this is caused by some sort of pollution rather than it being a virus or a parasite." she says with a sigh. "This is troubling enough, of course... but perhaps of more interest to you may be that there is anger and resentment among our people, even unto the highest levels of our government."
Aqualad	Kaldur inclines his head slightly, seating himself so he and Aquaria share the corner of the table. He listens patiently for her to speak, quiet and his features unreadable; his pale, platinum grey eyes regard her face, and he is silent for a few moments after she speaks before volunteering his thoughts. "I am a servant of the King, Lady Aquaria. Without manners, we are no better than sharks." He purses his lips slightly, contemplating her words. "A disease of the gills?" he inquires. "That is distressing. And your scientists are certain it's not an infection-- muckrot, or black algae?" he inquires, naming a pair of somewhat uncommon but known diseases.
Namora	"It is something new." Aquaria says. She shifts in her seat, perhaps a bit uncomfortable. She looks down a moment and then back tp Kaldur. "The Queen has died of this affliction. There is... considerable anguish over this sad happening."     She takes a deep breath. "I hope you take my meaning. I fear the expression of this fury may be something we all regret. More than that I cannot say."
Aqualad	Kaldur starts. "I... I see," he says. "My... condolences." The death of the Queen of Tha-Korr is a profound moment, and he looks uneased that a routine diplomatic discussion has suddenly become a major pivot point in the relations between Tha-Korr and Poseidius. "I... forgive me for being blunt, Lady Aquarius," he says, shifting in his seat. "But I must ask if you are here on behalf of King Namor... or on your own recognizance," he says. "If Tha-Korr is making a formal request of King Orin, I feel confident he will lend what aid he can. But if you are here on your own, then... our options become more limited."
Namora	"Please understand that I love my royal cousin. He is like a brother to me, more than a King." Aquaria says. "But I am a dutiful subject too."     "I was not here, Kaldur'ahm. I did not tell you these things. I did not warn you that the Avenging Son is more than a name, especially now that his love has died." and she shakes her head sadly. "And he did so love her."     She considers, though. "I do not believe the King would ask your people for assistance. If he chooses to seek help, I suspect he will ask someone such as Doom or Richards.
Aqualad	"Forgive me, but those people are not known to me," Kaldur admits to Aquaria. Sympathy crosses his face at her words, though there is some recongition there too-- duty and necessity are sometimes at odds, and he clearly respects her courage in striking out as she has. "If your King is reticent, then there may be another option," Kaldur suggests, carefully and delicately. "At the moment, my assignment is a diplomatic one to the surface world. I am serving with one of the teams that protects Earth from threats-- the Titans. They are not beholden to a government or any alliance but one another. Yet, they are capable and intelligent people," he says. "It may serve your interests to speak with the Titans about this matter, without compromising your King's faith in your discretion. Of course, the choice is yours."
Namora	Aquaria drifts out of her chair and then to her bare feet. "I thank you for your time, Khaldur'ahm. I will consider this, but I fear that I must return to our fleet and my cousin's side."     She looks to Kaldur once more. "I would advise you to counsel your king to avoid preemptively confronting Namor. He would think it betrayal on my part and the last barrier to the tsunami of his vengence will be done. I fear what he would do... and what I would have to do in turn."
Aqualad	"I will be honest with my King," Kaldur tells Aquaria. "Both with what I know, and what my opinion is. And I will convey to him the urgency of your discretion," he assures her. "I have no right to ask it of you, lady Aquaria," he remarks, before she can go. "But if you learn anything new, please, you can reach out to me personally at the Titans Tower. This rotting of the gills could threaten Poseidius in time, and we would be fools to ignore your warning." He bows respectfully to her. "Good day, Lady. I hope you return home to better news."