Sara and Lalatina stared wide-eyed at the bustling community on Sonia's communicator.
"The Void Island has more men than women, and Mr. Stark is quite outgoing and generous, so I can understand the atmosphere here," Sonia remarked, noticing their reactions. Clearing her throat, she closed the projection, feeling slightly embarrassed.
There were only a handful of women on the island, herself included, and they mostly observed without participating. As a result, the male members of the community assumed the women were muted, leading to more uninhibited exchanges among themselves.
Having worked at the Elite Hotel for many years, both Lalatina and Sara had witnessed the lavish lifestyles of the wealthy.
"It's nice to see that the atmosphere in the Void God Cult is quite harmonious," Lalatina commented, her smile genuine. As someone who had introduced these dynamics to Mr. Stark, she felt reassured, believing she wouldn't encounter any problems on the island. However, she noted how they seemed to take pride in bringing women back from the Elite Hotel, which puzzled her.
Why would such powerful individuals feel a peculiar sense of competition over that? It was true that she was only here for eleven months and didn't see herself as truly following Mr. Stark. But she chose not to delve into it further.
"I've never seen a community like this before," Sara mused. "Is this community only for members of the Void God Cult?"
"Yes, nearly all members have joined this community," Sonia replied, nodding slightly. The only exceptions were a few on Earth and those fanatic followers from Mogli Star.
Sonia remembered that even Kassadin was lurking in the community, though he had never spoken up. It made her wonder if Kassadin hadn't been prompted by her in the first place.
"Lalatina, did Mr. Stark ask for women himself, or did you recommend them?" Sonia asked, shifting her gaze to Lalatina.
"Mr. Stark asked for women barely ten minutes after he checked in," Lalatina replied. "Of course, I followed the rules and recommended accordingly."
"Why do you ask, Elder Sonia?" she inquired curiously. "Guests have needs, so we provide information. If they don't ask, we don't recommend to avoid annoying. Isn't that the rule at the Elite Hotel?"
"It's been over two years since I left the Elite Hotel, and I've forgotten some things," Sonia admitted, smiling lightly. "I was just curious."
Now, remembering why she hadn't made any recommendations, she realized that perhaps her allure hadn't worked. She considered that Kassadin might prefer strong women and had been waiting for the right moment. She had never thought that Kassadin's preferences could be unconventional.
It made her think: If Kassadin didn't like women, how could she even begin to change that? Other issues could be addressed, but if his preferences were truly different, it would be challenging.
But that was just speculation for now. Sonia decided she needed to find a way to test Kassadin's inclinations. She felt a strong urge to return and check, but she still had tasks at hand as they headed to Tony's lab.
"So this is Mr. Stark's lab?" Lalatina asked, astonished at the vastness of the area, filled with various structures.
She had seen labs before, but she had never encountered one this extensive. It felt more like an experimental zone than a lab.
"Yes, this lab is exclusive to Mr. Stark," Sonia explained. "If Mr. Stark decides to hire you in the future, the benefits will match those at the Elite Hotel."
"This will be your workplace for now," she added. "Come on, let's go find Mr. Stark and see if he agrees to let you stay with Sara."
As they approached, Tony was happily bragging in the community about his recent experiences with Kyle and others.
"Mr. Stark, Sonia is here," Jarvis announced suddenly.
"Sonia's here?" Tony wondered aloud. "What does she want?"
He hoped it wasn't because of his somewhat risqué comments in the community.
"Wait, it's not just her—Sara and Lalatina are with her," Jarvis clarified. "I believe they're here to discuss Lalatina's situation since she'll be working here for a while."
"Oh, is that all? Then I'm fine," Tony replied, visibly relieved. Knowing Sonia didn't have an air of superiority, it made him feel more at ease.
Even though she saw herself as merely a housekeeper, Sonia's humble approach made it easier for the other members to feel less constrained around her, leading to a natural respect for her.
Yet Tony recognized Sonia's importance in Harvey's eyes; while it might not be exceedingly high, it certainly wasn't low. Thus, he felt it was wise to maintain a degree of respect towards her.