The air in the Council chamber was thick enough to choke a vacuum-rated ventilation system. It smelled of old bureaucracy, and the distinct, musk-like scent of Nine's sheer, unadulterated terror.
The smell was not unpleasant, but it was overwhelming. Like standing in the midst of a room filled with smoke, a layer of crushed fermented pineapples and beneath it all, dry leaves and a metallic tang.
Sunshine stood tall, her boots planted firmly on the cold polished floor_ ready for whatever was to come. That smell emanating from Nine seeped into her hair, but she did not have the energy to berate him. The insectoid beside her was a vibrating mess of chitin and nerves. The clicking of his mandibles sounded like a frantic typist on a deadline.
"Nine," Sunshine hissed under her breath, not moving her lips. "If you vibrate any harder, you're going to make them think that we did something wrong."
