The invitations that had gone around hadn't explicitly mentioned the 'orgy' part, so Ion wasn't aware quite what he was walking into at first. Accidentally stumbling across a couple mid-coitus while looking for the hot tub had been his first clue toward the true nature of the party.

So he'd retreated to a quiet spot by the window, glass in hand, to give himself time to recover. It's not that he disapproves, exactly - it would have been considered terribly gauche back home in the Empire, but he's long since learned that this place doesn't operate on the rules he's familiar with.

But it was still embarrassing to barge in on, all the more so because he can't seem to get the image out of his head. It summons up thoughts of Esther and the tangle of confusion and longing that always comes with them, and he's debating whether it wouldn't be better to just leave when he's hailed.

"No," he says slowly, brows furrowing ever-so-slightly as he looks up at the other man, "I'm not."