Ante chuckled in response to Mordenite's greeting, expertly hiding her embarrassment at her gaffe. The last thing she needed was to add extra undue suspicion that she was playing a part. After all, she didn't want to think of it as playing a part or keeping secrets... she was just going to enjoy the ball, and if she did so in a way that glorified the part and accentuated her own graces, she'd probably find that other aspects such as the guests enjoying themselves and purchasing drinks would probably fall into place by themselves. "Thank you for saying so, Mister Mordenite. I believe I misspoke... You're quite right, in that I'm used to this sort of atmosphere, although it's been quite some time since I've attended a social gathering like this, due to circumstances surrounding my operator. I simply meant to convey that I've never attended one by this particular hostess before," she corrected herself. If he were the gossipy type, he might tell her a bit more about what he thought of the hostess now... but, she had to assume he wasn't. As such, she continued the conversation hastily herself. The gargoyle-like figure had introduced himself as someone with a 'background;' being a bit of a gossip herself, she couldn't help but want to know more. On one hand, it wasn't nice to pry into people's pasts, but on the other hand, it would just be unnatural for a stranger not to question into what another stranger meant by such a comment. "Isn't the atmosphere just wonderful, though? I must admit that attending events like this one is a passion of mine! Ah, but if you don't mind my asking, what sort of 'background' are you referring to? You seem like a pleasant sort, and I mean that earnestly," she inquired with genuine curiosity.
The princess had made up her mind that she would indeed check if he wanted to dance, as was a polite gesture by any party-going maiden. Regardless of whether he wanted to or not, she was of the belief that she was enough of a ballroom-dancing pro that she could lead anyone to a fantastic dance, no matter what the song and no matter how unwieldy or inexperienced the partner. That said, this wasn't the song to start on... furthermore, it wasn't the time to ask for a dance, either. They ought to get all of their introductions and pleasantries out of the way first, to decide whether they cared for one another's company, before committing to a dance. It was perhaps a testament to Ante's unique state of mind that she was giving so much consideration on how best to dance with a nine-foot-tall gargoyle. Given his surprisingly limber body, however, it might not be as hard as she'd first figured.
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Fold made her way across the balcony with slow steps, looking discretely this way and that as she did. It wouldn't do to turn her head too much; there were so few people here that anyone being gawked at was going to assume she had a personal interest in them, when, in fact, none of those present matched the description of a navi she was looking for. This did give her time to appreciate the night air and the spectacular view that the balcony provided. She did give pause when she noticed the hedge-maze, though, and gulped quietly... she really hoped none of the navis she was looking for were in there. In fact, there were all sorts of locations scattered across the party-grounds. Without some equipment or going down there on foot, given the shade of darkness over the courtyard, she had no good way to make out specific figures in the maze or near the lake from where she was standing. Once she'd gotten her fill, she took a deep breath and turned back around, headed for the way she came in while thinking only thoughts related to the princess she'd left behind downstairs.
As she drew closer to the entrance she'd come through originally, she heard the tingle of a bell in the near distance. With a curious frown, she lifted her skirt ever so slightly from her ankles to walk a bit more quickly, so as not to miss out on whatever the source of the noise was. After all: any anomaly she could follow up on was better than wandering aimlessly.
The Scotsdale Virtual Estate
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Of all the drinks arrayed in their bottles, the one that most easily fit the sort of drink Dare was looking for turned out to be one called FireFist, of the Jenny Tyler brand. It was an orange liquid, and the bottle bore the brand name and establishment date in an arch across the top, with a small icon of a stylised women in dark glasses with a shot glass full of ice in one hand. Beneath, taking more visible pride of place on the label, was the name of the drink itself, beneath the picture of a Champy punching the air. It arrived before her straight and rocky, ice clinking in the glass, so probably a sipping shot, rather than a slamming one.
Eyebrows rose on both navis as Dare swiftly disowned her dressed up appearance, and Saija even laughed.
"So, you're coat-tailing the whole dig, then? That's refreshing... I'm so sick of toadies and snakes. You're damn right I don't normally dress like this." She snorted and shook her head. "Sorry. Shouldn't have judged."
Beside her, Drisco chuckled, spreading his hands wide in a pleased gesture. Between her explanation and her choice of drink, it seemed she'd made his case.
"Ah! So you see, the young beauty truly is a devil in disguise at this party! I like it! Barman, another if you please! My good friend Saija is buying!" He turned a mock bow towards his colleague, swweping one hand across his chest with another broad smile. Saija just grumbled and turned her eyes back to Dare.
"Fine, fine. I'd say nice to meet you, Dare, but you just cost me another drink for this oaf. Still, if you're here to do her high and mightiness our hostess some mischief, I'm certainly not going to get in the way. Be my guest!" By this point, Drisco had acquired a new drink, even though his current was still half full. This one, however, he slammed back in one go and clicked the glass upside-down on the counter top. Apparently gambling wins had to be enjoyed in the moment, for this navi.
"I will tell you though, even if her plans go as she says, I can still—" he was waving one hand, finger pointing upward, towards Saija, but the other woman waved a frustrated hand and cut him off.
"Oh give it a rest. Don't bore the girl with that, I'm tired of talking business anyway. I see no good in any of it for any of us, in the long run. If the three of us here are the only ones not interested in stupidly big dresses and plonky grand piano music, we should do something the make the evening more lively. I think anything would be better than talking to you for much longer. Say Dare, why don't you win me back a drink, huh? This lug can't resist a bet, you know." As much as Saija was clearly grumpy about the whole affair, the prospect of having someone that was actually a bit lively seemed to be piquing her interest. Drisco, meanwhile, just seemed more than pleased to have the undivided attention of two beautiful women all to himself. He laughed.
"Aye, Aye, a fine idea! The tables are free," a small tilt of his head indicated the pool tables, "or perhaps we can do something else. I am game for anything!" The broad timbre of his south netfrican accent was accompanied by another wide gesture, open to suggestion.
----
Meanwhile, in a more refined setting, a gargoyle gave a low, slow chuckle, then shook his head.
"Ah, I take your meaning now. There are many here who have not attended one of lady Zennocracy's functions before. The new partnership we celebrate brings many different businesses together, in ways they have previously had little chance to interact, of course. Would that I had colleagues who suited this setting as well as you yourself. I'm sure that whomever's party you arrived with, they are most glad of your presence this evening." Again that slow, warm laugh. "But I shall not ask, for though we celebrate tonight, this evening is not one for discussing business. The dealing was clever, but those of us who think more slowly, more carefully, can see that there is only one person it truly benefits, and her careful deceptions in this truly does..." His face had hardened and his hands curled into balls, and then, briefly, the surface of his skin shifted, changing from grey stone into something more beautifully crystalline, pale yellow and mostly transparent, small sprays of crystal growth began at most of his joints. Although it was a beautiful ting to behold, it was also clear that it had happened because the thoughts had displeased him greatly. His voice tailed off and he visibly drew a long, deep breath, calming down. His skin faded back to plain stone, and the small crystal sprays flaked off and fell to the ballroom floor around him, where they stayed and glittered slightly. He shook his head and bowed to Ante again.
"Deepest apologies, Lady Ante. This is why we ought not discuss business, I fear. Normally I am a very calm person, but some things simply agitate me beyond all reason. I cannot abide deception, you see. Again, I am sorry." After a moment more his thoughts got around to the rest of her question, and he brightened again, offering a soft laugh.
"Ah, but I fear you mistake me. Perhaps I mis-spoke. I meant only that, as far as guests go, I truly am more part of the background than of interest. If we were talking of a maiden, we might say a wallflower. When talking of someone like myself, I was unsure of how to say it. Suffice, I am simply not that interesting I fear. I simply enjoy watching the others go about their ways. It is nice to watch beautiful couples dancing; I fear I myself am simply not built for it." Again he chuckled and shook his head. "You are very graceful yourself, though. It would truly be a shame if you did not find a partner to share a turn about the floor with this night. It would make me glad indeed to watch such."
--
As she followed the sound of the jingling bells, Fold moved further back the way that Zennocracy had first led them, until she arrived at the grand library. In the doorway, there didn't appear to be anyone in sight at first, until another jingle and the sound of a rolling ladder overhead announced the source of her mark. If she stepped into the library proper and looked around, it would be easy to see someone that looked more or less like a normal navi, coloured in bright reds and greens, and wearing something that could only be described as a Christmas elf outfit. The jingling was coming from a number of bells on his person; at the end of his shoes, his wrists and elbows, the buttons down his front, and three on his floppy, pointed hat.
He was busy scanning the shelves in what appeared to be the legal reference section of records, humming quietly to himself. By all accounts this was one of their targets, but, what exactly was he doing here, away form all the other guests? Fold herself would barely have time to lay eyes on the navi properly when, as though by some sixth sense, he would stop scanning the books and look around, down towards her.
"Oh, it's you!" His voice is dry but chipper, somewhere between an accountant and a store clerk. He jumped down from the ladder, then quickly slipped around to slide down the second set of rungs between the upper level and ground floor.
"I was wondering when one of you would show up. Zenny's little unofficial wall-flies, right?" He waved a hand as though to preclude any objections. "Oh don't worry. I saw that she put out a mission request. Someone has to keep an eye on things and dot all the 'i's, don't they? I wouldn't fret too much, I don't know exactly what she wanted, of course, but I know she'd never do anything at all to jeopardised this arrangement, so I can't imagine she'd have asked the three of you to do anything at all more than making sure we're all happy. Well, I'm DueAccountabilityMan, but you can call me Duey, if you like, and I'll tell you how you can make Me happy." The words washed past Fold at an unrelentingly quick rate, all in that cheery, if dry voice, but he reached out a hand to offer a shake as he introduced himself at least.
"You can help me look for something here. I need you to find the ledger volume MMXCIV, of 'Internal Negative Gearing With Relation to External Corporations Case Law' It should be up here somewhere, and I'd rather check it off the shelf, rather than access it formally through the main data bank. I've got a love of traditional media, which I know is strange for a NetNavi, and having a library like this build of actual books, even if they're just data replicas, is a little bit wonderful. Also if I read it here, no-one will know I've looked at it, and you aren't going to tell anyone, are you, if you're trying to keep me happy, right? Come on, let's get searching!" He grinned at her, then with another set of jingles, nipped back up the ladder.
Eyebrows rose on both navis as Dare swiftly disowned her dressed up appearance, and Saija even laughed.
"So, you're coat-tailing the whole dig, then? That's refreshing... I'm so sick of toadies and snakes. You're damn right I don't normally dress like this." She snorted and shook her head. "Sorry. Shouldn't have judged."
Beside her, Drisco chuckled, spreading his hands wide in a pleased gesture. Between her explanation and her choice of drink, it seemed she'd made his case.
"Ah! So you see, the young beauty truly is a devil in disguise at this party! I like it! Barman, another if you please! My good friend Saija is buying!" He turned a mock bow towards his colleague, swweping one hand across his chest with another broad smile. Saija just grumbled and turned her eyes back to Dare.
"Fine, fine. I'd say nice to meet you, Dare, but you just cost me another drink for this oaf. Still, if you're here to do her high and mightiness our hostess some mischief, I'm certainly not going to get in the way. Be my guest!" By this point, Drisco had acquired a new drink, even though his current was still half full. This one, however, he slammed back in one go and clicked the glass upside-down on the counter top. Apparently gambling wins had to be enjoyed in the moment, for this navi.
"I will tell you though, even if her plans go as she says, I can still—" he was waving one hand, finger pointing upward, towards Saija, but the other woman waved a frustrated hand and cut him off.
"Oh give it a rest. Don't bore the girl with that, I'm tired of talking business anyway. I see no good in any of it for any of us, in the long run. If the three of us here are the only ones not interested in stupidly big dresses and plonky grand piano music, we should do something the make the evening more lively. I think anything would be better than talking to you for much longer. Say Dare, why don't you win me back a drink, huh? This lug can't resist a bet, you know." As much as Saija was clearly grumpy about the whole affair, the prospect of having someone that was actually a bit lively seemed to be piquing her interest. Drisco, meanwhile, just seemed more than pleased to have the undivided attention of two beautiful women all to himself. He laughed.
"Aye, Aye, a fine idea! The tables are free," a small tilt of his head indicated the pool tables, "or perhaps we can do something else. I am game for anything!" The broad timbre of his south netfrican accent was accompanied by another wide gesture, open to suggestion.
----
Meanwhile, in a more refined setting, a gargoyle gave a low, slow chuckle, then shook his head.
"Ah, I take your meaning now. There are many here who have not attended one of lady Zennocracy's functions before. The new partnership we celebrate brings many different businesses together, in ways they have previously had little chance to interact, of course. Would that I had colleagues who suited this setting as well as you yourself. I'm sure that whomever's party you arrived with, they are most glad of your presence this evening." Again that slow, warm laugh. "But I shall not ask, for though we celebrate tonight, this evening is not one for discussing business. The dealing was clever, but those of us who think more slowly, more carefully, can see that there is only one person it truly benefits, and her careful deceptions in this truly does..." His face had hardened and his hands curled into balls, and then, briefly, the surface of his skin shifted, changing from grey stone into something more beautifully crystalline, pale yellow and mostly transparent, small sprays of crystal growth began at most of his joints. Although it was a beautiful ting to behold, it was also clear that it had happened because the thoughts had displeased him greatly. His voice tailed off and he visibly drew a long, deep breath, calming down. His skin faded back to plain stone, and the small crystal sprays flaked off and fell to the ballroom floor around him, where they stayed and glittered slightly. He shook his head and bowed to Ante again.
"Deepest apologies, Lady Ante. This is why we ought not discuss business, I fear. Normally I am a very calm person, but some things simply agitate me beyond all reason. I cannot abide deception, you see. Again, I am sorry." After a moment more his thoughts got around to the rest of her question, and he brightened again, offering a soft laugh.
"Ah, but I fear you mistake me. Perhaps I mis-spoke. I meant only that, as far as guests go, I truly am more part of the background than of interest. If we were talking of a maiden, we might say a wallflower. When talking of someone like myself, I was unsure of how to say it. Suffice, I am simply not that interesting I fear. I simply enjoy watching the others go about their ways. It is nice to watch beautiful couples dancing; I fear I myself am simply not built for it." Again he chuckled and shook his head. "You are very graceful yourself, though. It would truly be a shame if you did not find a partner to share a turn about the floor with this night. It would make me glad indeed to watch such."
--
As she followed the sound of the jingling bells, Fold moved further back the way that Zennocracy had first led them, until she arrived at the grand library. In the doorway, there didn't appear to be anyone in sight at first, until another jingle and the sound of a rolling ladder overhead announced the source of her mark. If she stepped into the library proper and looked around, it would be easy to see someone that looked more or less like a normal navi, coloured in bright reds and greens, and wearing something that could only be described as a Christmas elf outfit. The jingling was coming from a number of bells on his person; at the end of his shoes, his wrists and elbows, the buttons down his front, and three on his floppy, pointed hat.
He was busy scanning the shelves in what appeared to be the legal reference section of records, humming quietly to himself. By all accounts this was one of their targets, but, what exactly was he doing here, away form all the other guests? Fold herself would barely have time to lay eyes on the navi properly when, as though by some sixth sense, he would stop scanning the books and look around, down towards her.
"Oh, it's you!" His voice is dry but chipper, somewhere between an accountant and a store clerk. He jumped down from the ladder, then quickly slipped around to slide down the second set of rungs between the upper level and ground floor.
"I was wondering when one of you would show up. Zenny's little unofficial wall-flies, right?" He waved a hand as though to preclude any objections. "Oh don't worry. I saw that she put out a mission request. Someone has to keep an eye on things and dot all the 'i's, don't they? I wouldn't fret too much, I don't know exactly what she wanted, of course, but I know she'd never do anything at all to jeopardised this arrangement, so I can't imagine she'd have asked the three of you to do anything at all more than making sure we're all happy. Well, I'm DueAccountabilityMan, but you can call me Duey, if you like, and I'll tell you how you can make Me happy." The words washed past Fold at an unrelentingly quick rate, all in that cheery, if dry voice, but he reached out a hand to offer a shake as he introduced himself at least.
"You can help me look for something here. I need you to find the ledger volume MMXCIV, of 'Internal Negative Gearing With Relation to External Corporations Case Law' It should be up here somewhere, and I'd rather check it off the shelf, rather than access it formally through the main data bank. I've got a love of traditional media, which I know is strange for a NetNavi, and having a library like this build of actual books, even if they're just data replicas, is a little bit wonderful. Also if I read it here, no-one will know I've looked at it, and you aren't going to tell anyone, are you, if you're trying to keep me happy, right? Come on, let's get searching!" He grinned at her, then with another set of jingles, nipped back up the ladder.
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Dare grinned, feeling pleased that she seemed to have gotten the most interesting the party had to offer. She'd been coming up with a flattering line earlier, but she really did feel like if she had wandered into this room for no particular reason, she would have eventually wandered over here. "Don't sweat it. Sometimes, though, people in fancy dresses like this can be more exciting than you expect! I got a lesson on that recently. Of course, the interesting ones have a way of finding each other in a crowd."
She worked on her drink pretty quickly. She'd taken a tentative first sip before deciding she had pretty good taste and downing the rest in short order. In reality, the only alcohol she'd had before was when she had accidentally run afoul of cooking wine at the Festival de Fortune. This was such a vast improvement, she mentally made a note she'd have to be careful. "I could get used to this..."
She let the two of them talk uninterrupted through their thoughts on their deals with the hostess. As she predicted, they naturally guided themselves away from that conversation topic. "Sure, that sounds good to me. Any victory is sweet to me, but one that ends in a free drink sounds even sweeter." She was going to suggest a game and a wager herself, so if they wanted to anyway, things couldn't be going much better.
Dare followed Drisco's hands with her eyes, looking from the pool table and back to him. She had a good knowledge of competitive sports, it being one of her primary areas of interest. She hadn't actually played before, and Drisco had probably played if he suggested it, but she'd probably still give it a shot.
That said, there was one problem with pool. Whatever game Dare suggested, she was going to recommend Saija wasn't required to wager. After all, it would be a bum deal if she had to pay twice in a row. If she played pool, Saija would be forced to either watch or play for ambiguous stakes. There might be a way to work it out, but it seemed like too much effort. Anyway, Dare had another idea, which might also be a good chance to show off...
"I've got a suggestion. How about we play a game of 'Catch Me'? Kids have been playing it for a long time, but they didn't get a copyright, so I'm gonna say I just made it up. The rules are simple: I'm going to leave here, head for the staircase, then come back to the bar." She indicated the directions with her finger, just in case they didn't know which direction the stairs were in. "You can't touch me before I leave the room, but any time after that, if you can touch me for 2 seconds, you'll win. If I touch the bar, no matter how long, after touching the banister of the rail, I win. It's up to you whether you stay here and play goalkeeper or come after me. Also, if you rough me up in any way, you lose, but don't worry about that. I'm talking about if you knock me flat to catch me or something, not if you grab my wrist. Actually, for an added twist... why don't we say Saija can join us? She can play on your team, so of course, she touches me two seconds, you both win."
"To give Saija an incentive, we'll say that if you win, there's two rounds on me. If I win, Drisco buys one... but since I'm playing for higher stakes, we'll say you two also have to give me something. Some keepsake to put on my trophy cabinet, doesn't matter what. How's that? It's a game that's really stacked against me, but I mostly just want to show off anyway. Then again, who knows? Maybe I'm bluffing and I'm just going to take a leisurely stroll, being so greatly afeared of drawing the ire of our other guests." She raised a dangling hand in the air to punctuate this last point, which she spoke in a hoity-toity voice that may or may not have sounded like Ante. If that didn't seem to strike them, she resolved she'd revisit pool, but if she could get them to go along with it, she might have a chance to pocket her objectives quickly. It really was bad stakes for her, since she really had no idea what abilities the two Navis had, but she was really more interested in finding out if they were willing to chase her around in high society company.
She worked on her drink pretty quickly. She'd taken a tentative first sip before deciding she had pretty good taste and downing the rest in short order. In reality, the only alcohol she'd had before was when she had accidentally run afoul of cooking wine at the Festival de Fortune. This was such a vast improvement, she mentally made a note she'd have to be careful. "I could get used to this..."
She let the two of them talk uninterrupted through their thoughts on their deals with the hostess. As she predicted, they naturally guided themselves away from that conversation topic. "Sure, that sounds good to me. Any victory is sweet to me, but one that ends in a free drink sounds even sweeter." She was going to suggest a game and a wager herself, so if they wanted to anyway, things couldn't be going much better.
Dare followed Drisco's hands with her eyes, looking from the pool table and back to him. She had a good knowledge of competitive sports, it being one of her primary areas of interest. She hadn't actually played before, and Drisco had probably played if he suggested it, but she'd probably still give it a shot.
That said, there was one problem with pool. Whatever game Dare suggested, she was going to recommend Saija wasn't required to wager. After all, it would be a bum deal if she had to pay twice in a row. If she played pool, Saija would be forced to either watch or play for ambiguous stakes. There might be a way to work it out, but it seemed like too much effort. Anyway, Dare had another idea, which might also be a good chance to show off...
"I've got a suggestion. How about we play a game of 'Catch Me'? Kids have been playing it for a long time, but they didn't get a copyright, so I'm gonna say I just made it up. The rules are simple: I'm going to leave here, head for the staircase, then come back to the bar." She indicated the directions with her finger, just in case they didn't know which direction the stairs were in. "You can't touch me before I leave the room, but any time after that, if you can touch me for 2 seconds, you'll win. If I touch the bar, no matter how long, after touching the banister of the rail, I win. It's up to you whether you stay here and play goalkeeper or come after me. Also, if you rough me up in any way, you lose, but don't worry about that. I'm talking about if you knock me flat to catch me or something, not if you grab my wrist. Actually, for an added twist... why don't we say Saija can join us? She can play on your team, so of course, she touches me two seconds, you both win."
"To give Saija an incentive, we'll say that if you win, there's two rounds on me. If I win, Drisco buys one... but since I'm playing for higher stakes, we'll say you two also have to give me something. Some keepsake to put on my trophy cabinet, doesn't matter what. How's that? It's a game that's really stacked against me, but I mostly just want to show off anyway. Then again, who knows? Maybe I'm bluffing and I'm just going to take a leisurely stroll, being so greatly afeared of drawing the ire of our other guests." She raised a dangling hand in the air to punctuate this last point, which she spoke in a hoity-toity voice that may or may not have sounded like Ante. If that didn't seem to strike them, she resolved she'd revisit pool, but if she could get them to go along with it, she might have a chance to pocket her objectives quickly. It really was bad stakes for her, since she really had no idea what abilities the two Navis had, but she was really more interested in finding out if they were willing to chase her around in high society company.
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When Ante had first spotted her mission target, Mordenite, she'd simply been thankful that it seemed she'd manage through this portion of the mission with no troubles, chewing the scenery and admiring the festivities. She hadn't imagined that she'd meet someone who shares her interest in the finer things in life: grand culture, the meticulous studying that goes into maintaining etiquette in high society, a love of the fine arts, both those related to one's talents and those related to courtship. "Perhaps... we even resemble each other in age?" she thought to herself, again overestimating how old she really appeared to others. Granted, she was old-fashioned, but she wasn't old, no matter what she and Fold seemed to believe. "No, I shouldn't think like some old biddy," she reminded herself, mentally shaking off her brief flight of fancy. She needed to respond to his questions, not debate with her own internal monologue. "I did arrive in the company of a few other fine women, who I would love to introduce you to at a later date. There's Miss Dare, a spry young lady with a love of... challenge, risks, gambles, those sorts of things. She's got a penchant for horseplay that one expects of a child or perhaps of the rougher sex. But then, that's part of her charm! She's a lovely girl, I'll make it a point to introduce you. Miss Fold also travels along with me. She thinks of herself as a bodyguard, but I've no need for one; I simply consider her a friend. Like myself, she's grown up in a cultured background. We've known each other for such a long time... I suppose it's her bad luck that we've already separated." She thought about adding some malarchy about how Fold valued her independence and liked to go off on her own, but if Fold showed back up, that would pretty clearly be revealed as the lie that it was, since Fold would immediately show just how thoroughly she appreciated constant, close contact with her princess. Ante wasn't blind to the affection Fold had for her, after all.
"Oh, excuse me! I've talked your ear off and you're right, it isn't necessary for us to speak of anything too personal," the princess laughed, regretting that she'd gone right ahead speaking about her friends without realizing that he'd already told her not to. She slowed down laughing as she realized that he was indeed upset about something; rather than her, he seemed to have the hostess, Zennocracy, on his mind. This caused him to start shedding crystals like a chandelier slowly crumbling onto the floor. It reminded her somewhat of her own clothes dissolving into poker playing chips, a thought that left her feeling uncomfortable, especially in this setting. She gulped, then patted his forearm gently; she might have chosen the upper arm, but that would be fairly awkward given the height disparity. "Now, now, Mister Mordenite. We don't need to talk about politics," Ante attempted to calm her new friend, all the while growing more nervous herself. "If he hates deceivers more than anything, then just what am I doing right now? He's bitter about the very thought of my boss and her machinations, and here I am, playing him like this! Perhaps I should fess up to the ploy right now? A good man like this, a true gentleman... meeting him was worth far more than whatever Zennocracy plans to pay me, I'm sure..."
But no, that wasn't an option. She needed to remember Dare's feelings in all of this as well. Without even having the option to consult Dare, or really, Fold or Teruko, or even Bruce, for that matter, she couldn't make the call to break their cover herself. As such, she decided she'd simply continue to let as much of the truth shine through as possible. After all, she hadn't really lied to him thus far. She'd only chosen to omit certain details of her reason for attending the ball. Without thinking about what she was doing, she began to gather the crystals from the floor... she reflected that it must be rather difficult for him to do it himself, given that his fingers were so large and the shards were so thin. She bent at the knees rather than at the waist; a lady gathering shards from the floor was a little unusual, but a lady extending out her behind to a new acquaintance while doing so would be downright vulgar. Uncertain of what to do with them once gathered, she simply set them down on a nearby table, where she supposed she could hail for a servant to take them later, discretely, if possible. She kept one herself, admiring its color before secretly tucking it behind her back. She wanted to keep a momento for herself; Hoodwink's request really hadn't come into her mind.
Ante blushed bashfully at the comment Mordenite gave her, partially because she found herself becoming fonder of him with every passing moment and partially out of simple giddiness. How long had it been since she had met a real, attentive gentleman? For that matter, how long had it been since she'd attended a ball or danced? It was enough to make a girl blush, at least, if not faint. "Then you are fortunate, good sir, as I fully intend to occupy the dance floor myself this evening. It has been too long, far too long, since I've had the opportunity, and I intend to make the best of it. But, I must confess, being new here and having arrived in the company only of women, I have no options lined up for an appropriate dance partner," she sighed. "You've studied the dancers, as you've said. There's a grace about you, or perhaps a majesty, that leads me to believe you could be an adept dancer. The two of us could be appropriate partners in a dancing duet!" Ante announced, unable to restrain her thought any longer. She hadn't wanted to do anything as badly as she'd wanted to dance with Mordenite for quite some time. "I'm told I'm a good teacher, for those willing to learn. Won't you follow me onto the floor?" She extended one hand, hoping that the gargoyle-like gentleman would agree.
---------------------------
Fold, unaware of the Beauty-and-the-Beast-like scenario unfolding downstairs, slapped one gloved hand to her face in a gesture of obvious depression. She figured there was no reason in hiding her feelings on the matter, because the other navi was certainly being painfully honest with his own motivations. "I really do have bad luck, don't I? How many secret operations are revealed before they even leave the GNA's mission kiosk?" she sobbed, moving over to the new blackmailer and shaking his hand in her own without much enthusiasm. DueAccountabilityMan could feel the characteristic strength of the hand and the hardness of the fingers behind the black, latex-material glove, traits that wouldn't be normal in most women's hands. "Well, Duey, if I'm going to help out, can I at least ask why you're dressed as a Christmas elf? If you don't answer, I'm afraid I'll be distracted all evening and won't be much assistance a'tall," she droned, possibly more annoyed by the outfit than curious. It would be hard for anyone to comprehend just how suddenly and deeply she'd been aggravated without understanding her personality. From her perspective, after all, she was missing Ante's ballroom dancing for this.
Exercising at least a little military discipline, she straightened her back, straightened her face, and folded her hands in front of herself while she listened to Duey's request. All things considered, it wasn't really anything terribly upsetting that he was asking of her. She didn't really see how she could be held accountable for any damage to Zennocracy. After all, he was going to find the book eventually anyways, with or without her help. If anything, she ought to be rewarded for keeping Duey happy... which she couldn't do if she remained gloomy, she mused. After a deep sigh, she managed to straighten up further and put more pep into her step. "Of course not, Duey, I have no intention of telling anyone anything. My lips are sealed. But, I think you should seriously consider if anything you're going to read in your own hostess' library is going to affect your ability to adequately deal with negotiations involving said hostess," she offered, starting what was sure to be a long and toiling process of searching the library for her new acquaintance's frustratingly long book title. Her broad, overly toned back and shoulders shifted with the movements of her arms as she checked out books from the rows opposite Duey. "'Ledger volume MMXCIV, of 'Internal Negative Gearing With Relation to External Corporations Case Law...'"
"Oh, excuse me! I've talked your ear off and you're right, it isn't necessary for us to speak of anything too personal," the princess laughed, regretting that she'd gone right ahead speaking about her friends without realizing that he'd already told her not to. She slowed down laughing as she realized that he was indeed upset about something; rather than her, he seemed to have the hostess, Zennocracy, on his mind. This caused him to start shedding crystals like a chandelier slowly crumbling onto the floor. It reminded her somewhat of her own clothes dissolving into poker playing chips, a thought that left her feeling uncomfortable, especially in this setting. She gulped, then patted his forearm gently; she might have chosen the upper arm, but that would be fairly awkward given the height disparity. "Now, now, Mister Mordenite. We don't need to talk about politics," Ante attempted to calm her new friend, all the while growing more nervous herself. "If he hates deceivers more than anything, then just what am I doing right now? He's bitter about the very thought of my boss and her machinations, and here I am, playing him like this! Perhaps I should fess up to the ploy right now? A good man like this, a true gentleman... meeting him was worth far more than whatever Zennocracy plans to pay me, I'm sure..."
But no, that wasn't an option. She needed to remember Dare's feelings in all of this as well. Without even having the option to consult Dare, or really, Fold or Teruko, or even Bruce, for that matter, she couldn't make the call to break their cover herself. As such, she decided she'd simply continue to let as much of the truth shine through as possible. After all, she hadn't really lied to him thus far. She'd only chosen to omit certain details of her reason for attending the ball. Without thinking about what she was doing, she began to gather the crystals from the floor... she reflected that it must be rather difficult for him to do it himself, given that his fingers were so large and the shards were so thin. She bent at the knees rather than at the waist; a lady gathering shards from the floor was a little unusual, but a lady extending out her behind to a new acquaintance while doing so would be downright vulgar. Uncertain of what to do with them once gathered, she simply set them down on a nearby table, where she supposed she could hail for a servant to take them later, discretely, if possible. She kept one herself, admiring its color before secretly tucking it behind her back. She wanted to keep a momento for herself; Hoodwink's request really hadn't come into her mind.
Ante blushed bashfully at the comment Mordenite gave her, partially because she found herself becoming fonder of him with every passing moment and partially out of simple giddiness. How long had it been since she had met a real, attentive gentleman? For that matter, how long had it been since she'd attended a ball or danced? It was enough to make a girl blush, at least, if not faint. "Then you are fortunate, good sir, as I fully intend to occupy the dance floor myself this evening. It has been too long, far too long, since I've had the opportunity, and I intend to make the best of it. But, I must confess, being new here and having arrived in the company only of women, I have no options lined up for an appropriate dance partner," she sighed. "You've studied the dancers, as you've said. There's a grace about you, or perhaps a majesty, that leads me to believe you could be an adept dancer. The two of us could be appropriate partners in a dancing duet!" Ante announced, unable to restrain her thought any longer. She hadn't wanted to do anything as badly as she'd wanted to dance with Mordenite for quite some time. "I'm told I'm a good teacher, for those willing to learn. Won't you follow me onto the floor?" She extended one hand, hoping that the gargoyle-like gentleman would agree.
---------------------------
Fold, unaware of the Beauty-and-the-Beast-like scenario unfolding downstairs, slapped one gloved hand to her face in a gesture of obvious depression. She figured there was no reason in hiding her feelings on the matter, because the other navi was certainly being painfully honest with his own motivations. "I really do have bad luck, don't I? How many secret operations are revealed before they even leave the GNA's mission kiosk?" she sobbed, moving over to the new blackmailer and shaking his hand in her own without much enthusiasm. DueAccountabilityMan could feel the characteristic strength of the hand and the hardness of the fingers behind the black, latex-material glove, traits that wouldn't be normal in most women's hands. "Well, Duey, if I'm going to help out, can I at least ask why you're dressed as a Christmas elf? If you don't answer, I'm afraid I'll be distracted all evening and won't be much assistance a'tall," she droned, possibly more annoyed by the outfit than curious. It would be hard for anyone to comprehend just how suddenly and deeply she'd been aggravated without understanding her personality. From her perspective, after all, she was missing Ante's ballroom dancing for this.
Exercising at least a little military discipline, she straightened her back, straightened her face, and folded her hands in front of herself while she listened to Duey's request. All things considered, it wasn't really anything terribly upsetting that he was asking of her. She didn't really see how she could be held accountable for any damage to Zennocracy. After all, he was going to find the book eventually anyways, with or without her help. If anything, she ought to be rewarded for keeping Duey happy... which she couldn't do if she remained gloomy, she mused. After a deep sigh, she managed to straighten up further and put more pep into her step. "Of course not, Duey, I have no intention of telling anyone anything. My lips are sealed. But, I think you should seriously consider if anything you're going to read in your own hostess' library is going to affect your ability to adequately deal with negotiations involving said hostess," she offered, starting what was sure to be a long and toiling process of searching the library for her new acquaintance's frustratingly long book title. Her broad, overly toned back and shoulders shifted with the movements of her arms as she checked out books from the rows opposite Duey. "'Ledger volume MMXCIV, of 'Internal Negative Gearing With Relation to External Corporations Case Law...'"
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Perhaps good taste in hard liquor came with the territory of being Dare, but one way or the other, a full shot of Tyler's FireFist, downed on an otherwise empty stomach, was remarkably more potent than a few pulls of soft wine. Drisco raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed, but Saija waved a finger at Dare.
"Oh no, I'm not dashing anywhere in these damn clothes... And especially not in a catch-race with a girl who's got exhaust pipes for heels. I'm no genius, but I'm not as gullible as this fool. Here's how it goes: you play him for something, play your chasings if you want, just don't get the hoity-toity crowd alarmed. You win, he buys me back that drink. He wins, then it's all on you. It's only fair I think. You good with that, Dris?" Zennocracy had warned that, despite her looks, elegant refinement wasn't in this lady's repertoire, but she seemed quite set that Dare was simply the focus of the wager, once again, and not a possible victor.
Fortunately for Dare, Drisco was ginning broadly again, pure white smile a stark contrast to his dark skin. He laughed, waving one hand back and forth, before reaching out to stroke the other swiftly over Dare's shoulder in a very brief but very noticeable affectionate. It might be a little much for two who had only just met, but he seemed like the friendly type, and along with the way he was prone to punctuate everything with hand gestures, it likely wasn't too much of a surprise.
"No, Saija! I find that I like very much our friend's suggestion of playing for trinkets and keepsakes. Yes I will buy for you, if she can win the first game, but I think I should enjoy winning some taste of such an intriguing young lady to keep for myself!" He chuckled again, then brought his hands together to unfasten one of his cuff-links. They bore a round symbol that looked like about a dozen hands all reaching outward from the centre, and if she looked, Dare might noticed the same icon repeated in a few other places, subtly, about his person. I was likely his own navi symbol, when he wasn't in this particular .GMO. He held it up to Dare, eyes dancing.
"If you win our first game, oh daring one, I will buy Saija her drink, yes, but I will also surrender this token to you. So tell me..." He reached out his free hand again, this time to brush the back of two fingers down her cheek. "What is it that you will offer me, if I should win?" Saija just snorted and took another sip of her own drink. She seemed content enough with his revision of her own revision; truth be told this sort of dickering was probably almost instinct for those entrenched in the world of big business. Or perhaps she was just content that she'd probably get Drisco buying back her drink. Either way, she shook her head with a small chuckle at her companion's flirtation.
"Careful Dare. Give him an inch and he'll take a yard." As much as it sounded like a caution, she didn't seem too invested in actually warning Dare off him, and simply sipped her drink, looking back to the band for a few moments. Somewhere amongst their negotiating the deal had slipped Saija out of having to give up a trinket, but the fact was easy to miss, amongst the subtle redefinitions.
--
Though he had calmed down again and returned to his more congenial nature, the tall gargoyle seemed momentarily abashed as Ante recovered the small florets of crystal. Even so, he recognised the propriety of clearing the small shards from the floor, and murmured an embarrassed thankyou to her for the gesture.
"I'm often told that they are quite striking, it's true, but alas, I fear all I am ever able to see in them is the hallmark of my own rage, and I can never truly feel comfortable being reminded of that." she sighed and shook his head, then shrugged a little, resettling his stance. "My operator, and indeed many others, have told me that I am formidable when force or strength are required, but truly, I detest violence, and it always saddens me afterwards, whenever my ire is thoroughly roused." He looked back to the dance floor, where the music's tempo was gradually climbing to a formal staccato-allegro with the few remaining couple's motions matching the sharpness of the tune. Meanwhile, subtly, Ante found it quite easy to catch the eye of a liveried navi and get the rest of the shards cleared away discretely. If she hadn't sought one out, they likely would have remained there all evening; the small sprays of crystal seemed far to pretty to be rubbish, and most staff would likely have assumed they were set aside for a reason.
Her proposed solution to her lack of a dance partner clearly surprised Mordenite, as he smiled brightly, and chuckled with the deep sound of honest joy. Even so, he was shaking his head in that slow, ponderous way of his.
"Ah, you do me too great an honour, my lady. I assure you that I am no dancer, and if I seem graceful to you, it will only remain while I am slow, and still." He reached a gently hand to cup softly over hers while she patted his forearm, smiling down to her still.
"Besides, you flatter me overmuch already, one as young and beautiful as yourself, spending her time this evening with an old statue like myself." As cordial as he was, the gargoyle seemed quite certain that he wasn't going to move from his corner, unfortunately.
"I'm sure you'll find a suitable young gallant to take your hand this evening, miss Ante, do not despair. True, I have not seen any other guests so far that seem free and suitable for your own grace and elegance, but the night is yet young, after all. Do not feel the need to wait overlong on one such as myself. I am most pleased simply to have had the chance to meet you."
It was at about this moment that another figure entered the ballroom. While various navis had indeed been coming and going the whole while, this man entered at a time when the wide doorway was otherwise clear, and it made his arrival striking to see, if ante had happened to look in that direction at the right time.
He was dressed in smart black dancing shoes and a deep red pair of suit pants. Above that, a long-sleeved white jacket top with rich gold trim, and the buttons picked out down the left hand side. The shoulders bore classy gold epaulettes with long tassel fringes, joined across his chest by a thin passant. At his waist, the navi bore a long, slender rapier with a basket hilt on one side, and and equally slender dagger on the other, complete with a gold-worked red velvet sheath. For want of a better word, he looked downright princely, all told. Many of the other guests were also dressed up in elegant formal attire, but something about this man stood him out above the rest. It was almost as though a small aura of space remained around him as he began to cross the room; other guests weren't getting out of his way, per se, they just simply... weren't where he was heading, when he was heading there.
The most important thing to notice about this particular navi, though, was not his finery, fine though it was, nor his graceful movement, though it was indeed very graceful; it was his face. His sandy brown hair had been tamed into a much more refined and well-cared for look, perhaps, but the twinkle in his eye and the soft smile on his lips left no illusions that this was the very same man that Ante, Dare and Fold had first met at the pavilion beneath the moon. Exactly why Hoodwink was here, now, or why he was dressed suddenly as regal nobility, or royalty even, was anyone's guess, but his steps carried him unerringly towards where Ante chatted. If she had seen him beforehand, his eyes would hold hers until he reached the pair, but if she hadn't happened to glance his way yet, he would stop a pace or two away and clear his throat softly.
"Please excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt. I hope you don't mind, sir, but I would like to speak with Lady Ante for a moment, if she will allow." As before, his voice had the feel and sound of proper refinement, but with a slightly rough edge that showed he was more used to speaking plainly. He put one hand to his chest and inclined his head towards Mordenite as he spoke, and the gargoyle returned the gesture with a slow, polite nod of his own. As Hoodwink raised his head again, his gaze shifted back to Ante, to see if she wished to hear him out.
--
elsewhere, in a room that was very much not the life of the party, Fold was beginning her search. Duey chatted happily and answered her questions as they both looked, but given how badly he'd already rubbed her the wrong way, it didn't seem like small talk as going to mend the breach any time soon.
"You're not half wrong about the insecurity of the GNA's public boards. Still, no real harm done, after all. Least not this time. I never asked which one you were, did I? Terribly rude of me. Sorry about that. I know that the three of you are Ante, Fold and Dare, but I didn't ask who exactly I'm getting the help of here and now."
If Fold was feeling cordial enough to introduce herself, the navi would offer a gracious platitude in return, though without pausing or even looking away from his search.
"As for the costume... pretty neat, don't you think? Just the thing to rub Zennocracy the wrong way without really upsetting the apple cart, as it were. Don't have a lot of options when you're just a normal navi like me, but I do what I can. I'd love to have all that extra processing power and advanced functions and capabilities that come along with being a navi as advanced and custom as you are, but I guess those are the breaks, right?" If he was at all aware that Fold herself was a support program, and not actually a full navi, he certainly didn't show it.
Strangely enough, It would only take a brief moment's searching for Fold to come across the neatly organised and ordered collection that went by the long-winded title he had asked for, and only a few moments more to find the exact volume number he'd requested. It seemed downright strange, in fact, that the navi hadn't found it himself right away; it was exactly where it ought to be, in the well organised shelving, and he seemed the logical and thorough sort.
"Oh no, I'm not dashing anywhere in these damn clothes... And especially not in a catch-race with a girl who's got exhaust pipes for heels. I'm no genius, but I'm not as gullible as this fool. Here's how it goes: you play him for something, play your chasings if you want, just don't get the hoity-toity crowd alarmed. You win, he buys me back that drink. He wins, then it's all on you. It's only fair I think. You good with that, Dris?" Zennocracy had warned that, despite her looks, elegant refinement wasn't in this lady's repertoire, but she seemed quite set that Dare was simply the focus of the wager, once again, and not a possible victor.
Fortunately for Dare, Drisco was ginning broadly again, pure white smile a stark contrast to his dark skin. He laughed, waving one hand back and forth, before reaching out to stroke the other swiftly over Dare's shoulder in a very brief but very noticeable affectionate. It might be a little much for two who had only just met, but he seemed like the friendly type, and along with the way he was prone to punctuate everything with hand gestures, it likely wasn't too much of a surprise.
"No, Saija! I find that I like very much our friend's suggestion of playing for trinkets and keepsakes. Yes I will buy for you, if she can win the first game, but I think I should enjoy winning some taste of such an intriguing young lady to keep for myself!" He chuckled again, then brought his hands together to unfasten one of his cuff-links. They bore a round symbol that looked like about a dozen hands all reaching outward from the centre, and if she looked, Dare might noticed the same icon repeated in a few other places, subtly, about his person. I was likely his own navi symbol, when he wasn't in this particular .GMO. He held it up to Dare, eyes dancing.
"If you win our first game, oh daring one, I will buy Saija her drink, yes, but I will also surrender this token to you. So tell me..." He reached out his free hand again, this time to brush the back of two fingers down her cheek. "What is it that you will offer me, if I should win?" Saija just snorted and took another sip of her own drink. She seemed content enough with his revision of her own revision; truth be told this sort of dickering was probably almost instinct for those entrenched in the world of big business. Or perhaps she was just content that she'd probably get Drisco buying back her drink. Either way, she shook her head with a small chuckle at her companion's flirtation.
"Careful Dare. Give him an inch and he'll take a yard." As much as it sounded like a caution, she didn't seem too invested in actually warning Dare off him, and simply sipped her drink, looking back to the band for a few moments. Somewhere amongst their negotiating the deal had slipped Saija out of having to give up a trinket, but the fact was easy to miss, amongst the subtle redefinitions.
--
Though he had calmed down again and returned to his more congenial nature, the tall gargoyle seemed momentarily abashed as Ante recovered the small florets of crystal. Even so, he recognised the propriety of clearing the small shards from the floor, and murmured an embarrassed thankyou to her for the gesture.
"I'm often told that they are quite striking, it's true, but alas, I fear all I am ever able to see in them is the hallmark of my own rage, and I can never truly feel comfortable being reminded of that." she sighed and shook his head, then shrugged a little, resettling his stance. "My operator, and indeed many others, have told me that I am formidable when force or strength are required, but truly, I detest violence, and it always saddens me afterwards, whenever my ire is thoroughly roused." He looked back to the dance floor, where the music's tempo was gradually climbing to a formal staccato-allegro with the few remaining couple's motions matching the sharpness of the tune. Meanwhile, subtly, Ante found it quite easy to catch the eye of a liveried navi and get the rest of the shards cleared away discretely. If she hadn't sought one out, they likely would have remained there all evening; the small sprays of crystal seemed far to pretty to be rubbish, and most staff would likely have assumed they were set aside for a reason.
Her proposed solution to her lack of a dance partner clearly surprised Mordenite, as he smiled brightly, and chuckled with the deep sound of honest joy. Even so, he was shaking his head in that slow, ponderous way of his.
"Ah, you do me too great an honour, my lady. I assure you that I am no dancer, and if I seem graceful to you, it will only remain while I am slow, and still." He reached a gently hand to cup softly over hers while she patted his forearm, smiling down to her still.
"Besides, you flatter me overmuch already, one as young and beautiful as yourself, spending her time this evening with an old statue like myself." As cordial as he was, the gargoyle seemed quite certain that he wasn't going to move from his corner, unfortunately.
"I'm sure you'll find a suitable young gallant to take your hand this evening, miss Ante, do not despair. True, I have not seen any other guests so far that seem free and suitable for your own grace and elegance, but the night is yet young, after all. Do not feel the need to wait overlong on one such as myself. I am most pleased simply to have had the chance to meet you."
It was at about this moment that another figure entered the ballroom. While various navis had indeed been coming and going the whole while, this man entered at a time when the wide doorway was otherwise clear, and it made his arrival striking to see, if ante had happened to look in that direction at the right time.
He was dressed in smart black dancing shoes and a deep red pair of suit pants. Above that, a long-sleeved white jacket top with rich gold trim, and the buttons picked out down the left hand side. The shoulders bore classy gold epaulettes with long tassel fringes, joined across his chest by a thin passant. At his waist, the navi bore a long, slender rapier with a basket hilt on one side, and and equally slender dagger on the other, complete with a gold-worked red velvet sheath. For want of a better word, he looked downright princely, all told. Many of the other guests were also dressed up in elegant formal attire, but something about this man stood him out above the rest. It was almost as though a small aura of space remained around him as he began to cross the room; other guests weren't getting out of his way, per se, they just simply... weren't where he was heading, when he was heading there.
The most important thing to notice about this particular navi, though, was not his finery, fine though it was, nor his graceful movement, though it was indeed very graceful; it was his face. His sandy brown hair had been tamed into a much more refined and well-cared for look, perhaps, but the twinkle in his eye and the soft smile on his lips left no illusions that this was the very same man that Ante, Dare and Fold had first met at the pavilion beneath the moon. Exactly why Hoodwink was here, now, or why he was dressed suddenly as regal nobility, or royalty even, was anyone's guess, but his steps carried him unerringly towards where Ante chatted. If she had seen him beforehand, his eyes would hold hers until he reached the pair, but if she hadn't happened to glance his way yet, he would stop a pace or two away and clear his throat softly.
"Please excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt. I hope you don't mind, sir, but I would like to speak with Lady Ante for a moment, if she will allow." As before, his voice had the feel and sound of proper refinement, but with a slightly rough edge that showed he was more used to speaking plainly. He put one hand to his chest and inclined his head towards Mordenite as he spoke, and the gargoyle returned the gesture with a slow, polite nod of his own. As Hoodwink raised his head again, his gaze shifted back to Ante, to see if she wished to hear him out.
--
elsewhere, in a room that was very much not the life of the party, Fold was beginning her search. Duey chatted happily and answered her questions as they both looked, but given how badly he'd already rubbed her the wrong way, it didn't seem like small talk as going to mend the breach any time soon.
"You're not half wrong about the insecurity of the GNA's public boards. Still, no real harm done, after all. Least not this time. I never asked which one you were, did I? Terribly rude of me. Sorry about that. I know that the three of you are Ante, Fold and Dare, but I didn't ask who exactly I'm getting the help of here and now."
If Fold was feeling cordial enough to introduce herself, the navi would offer a gracious platitude in return, though without pausing or even looking away from his search.
"As for the costume... pretty neat, don't you think? Just the thing to rub Zennocracy the wrong way without really upsetting the apple cart, as it were. Don't have a lot of options when you're just a normal navi like me, but I do what I can. I'd love to have all that extra processing power and advanced functions and capabilities that come along with being a navi as advanced and custom as you are, but I guess those are the breaks, right?" If he was at all aware that Fold herself was a support program, and not actually a full navi, he certainly didn't show it.
Strangely enough, It would only take a brief moment's searching for Fold to come across the neatly organised and ordered collection that went by the long-winded title he had asked for, and only a few moments more to find the exact volume number he'd requested. It seemed downright strange, in fact, that the navi hadn't found it himself right away; it was exactly where it ought to be, in the well organised shelving, and he seemed the logical and thorough sort.
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Dare stifled a hiccup, starting to come to terms with just how much alcohol she had been talking about when she insinuated buying two more rounds of that. "Maybe it's a good thing Saija shied away from it after all..." She was a bit disappointed that Saija hadn't taken her up on the challenge, but it couldn't be helped. She couldn't blame her: none of them had any knowledge of the abilities of the other, but Dare had already revealed an aspect of herself that implied an edge in this competition, so Saija was really just following reasonable betting odds. She already seemed sour about being on the losing end of a deal, so she probably wasn't looking to lose any more tonight. She was sorry to lose her chance at making a clean sweep of two targets at once, but then, the night was still young.
Drisco, however, didn't disappoint. Dare returned a smaller smile. Her eyes traveled to his hand as it touched her shoulder, then back to his face, showing she didn't miss his gesture but also didn't necessarily reject it. Her own eyes scrutinized the cuff link he was holding up. She figured that would probably fit the bill of their shadow sub-employer's request pretty well, but the finer details of it were what stood out to her. She was suddenly becoming aware of the hand motif that decorated Drisco's person. Put together with the fact that Zenny had mentioned he was not in his default appearance... "I wonder if this 'avoid being caught' thing could end up tougher than I thought. Well, no backing down..."
Dare registered his more familiar gesture, fingers to the face, by drawing back with a drawn smile of mock offense. "I wonder what kind of prize you have in mind, Thumbs! Since you chose something so personal as cuff links," Dare teased, reaching to the flower brooch on her own breast, "I'll offer this. If you have something else in mind, maybe let's save it for a higher stakes wager later, okay? I'm not planning on letting Saija off the hook, either." She leaned around Drisco to make her declaration to the person in question directly. "I'll find a way to get her off the stool and enjoying herself before the night's over!"
The Navi hopped off her stool and began stepping towards the stool. "All agreed? If so, I'm going to make my start..."
Dare walked leisurely towards the door. She'd made the rules clear that she couldn't be touched before leaving the bar, so it would surprise her if anything interrupted her before she got out. She kept her head turned to the side, so she could both keep eyes in front of her and back, to see if Drisco was doing anything of interest.
As soon as she reached the door, however, she planned to throw Saija's concerns to the wayside and test the patience of her employer. She had no intention of a leisurely stroll when the goal was competition. Unless something physically prevented her from doing so, her plan was to began running guns-blazing to the bannister, etiquette be damned. She felt confident that, assuming the traffic in the hallway wasn't any greater than it had been before, she would be able to navigate through the throng with relative ease, even at high speed. If Drisco surprised her and turned out to be faster than she expected, she'd simply turn on her Trail Blazer. She'd try to make her way to the staircase, after which point she might have a clearer idea of what Drisco was up to and could plan out the next stage.
Drisco, however, didn't disappoint. Dare returned a smaller smile. Her eyes traveled to his hand as it touched her shoulder, then back to his face, showing she didn't miss his gesture but also didn't necessarily reject it. Her own eyes scrutinized the cuff link he was holding up. She figured that would probably fit the bill of their shadow sub-employer's request pretty well, but the finer details of it were what stood out to her. She was suddenly becoming aware of the hand motif that decorated Drisco's person. Put together with the fact that Zenny had mentioned he was not in his default appearance... "I wonder if this 'avoid being caught' thing could end up tougher than I thought. Well, no backing down..."
Dare registered his more familiar gesture, fingers to the face, by drawing back with a drawn smile of mock offense. "I wonder what kind of prize you have in mind, Thumbs! Since you chose something so personal as cuff links," Dare teased, reaching to the flower brooch on her own breast, "I'll offer this. If you have something else in mind, maybe let's save it for a higher stakes wager later, okay? I'm not planning on letting Saija off the hook, either." She leaned around Drisco to make her declaration to the person in question directly. "I'll find a way to get her off the stool and enjoying herself before the night's over!"
The Navi hopped off her stool and began stepping towards the stool. "All agreed? If so, I'm going to make my start..."
Dare walked leisurely towards the door. She'd made the rules clear that she couldn't be touched before leaving the bar, so it would surprise her if anything interrupted her before she got out. She kept her head turned to the side, so she could both keep eyes in front of her and back, to see if Drisco was doing anything of interest.
As soon as she reached the door, however, she planned to throw Saija's concerns to the wayside and test the patience of her employer. She had no intention of a leisurely stroll when the goal was competition. Unless something physically prevented her from doing so, her plan was to began running guns-blazing to the bannister, etiquette be damned. She felt confident that, assuming the traffic in the hallway wasn't any greater than it had been before, she would be able to navigate through the throng with relative ease, even at high speed. If Drisco surprised her and turned out to be faster than she expected, she'd simply turn on her Trail Blazer. She'd try to make her way to the staircase, after which point she might have a clearer idea of what Drisco was up to and could plan out the next stage.
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Mordenite furthered his image as a gentleman, even while Ante cleaned up his sheddings. "You're right; I find open hostility off-putting myself. That said, it is my belief that the battlefield is rightfully a place of honor. Although often besmirched by underhandedness and foul intentions, I enjoy a good duel now and then. Combat can be as gentle a sport as any, when performed in good spirits," she agreed, providing her own opinion on the net's tendency to break out in battles. "Still, civility aside, there are times when it is only right to be enraged by injustice. You shouldn't apologize for any of that, Sir Mordenite." Once the manservant had taken the shards away and thus cleared the air of that topic, she returned her attention to her acquaintance.
Her face reddened as he offered her further praise, calling her beautiful (a compliment she happened to agree with) and young (a compliment she did not agree with, but was happy to accept all the same). "Spending my evening thus far with you has been nothing but a pleasure, Sir! I mean that," she murmured, feeling like she was going to start tearing up again. When was the last time she'd met someone so wonderful as the gargoyle had turned out to be? Had she ever? She couldn't recall anyone who'd ever struck her as such a gentleman, even during her days hosting balls at the castle and journeying out with huntsmen on expeditions outside, riding nearly saddle to saddle with experienced gentlemen's gentlemen. She fought back the tears, however, as she sensed he was the bashful type who didn't especially want her to air her gratitude for what he probably considered common courtesy, but to her was an oasis of manners and geniality in a sea of baffling behaviors and unpredictable insanity, the sea which spanned far and wide across the net. "If you choose not to dance, I won't object. If it will please us both, then I will find a willing partner for the festivities, as you suggest," the princess responded.
As it turned out, while she was looking for a partner herself, someone instead found her. Ante barely recognized the regal figure that had appeared before her; she pressed one hand to her chest thoughtfully, looking preoccupied and feeling awkward as she struggled to recall the acquaintance. "You'd think I'd remember someone so... distinct," she thought to herself, before finally coming upon her answer. She wasn't certain that she ought to acknowledge that they'd met before, but when he used her name, she figured it would be fine to follow suite. "Sir Hoodwink! You surprised me," she chuckled, which was not a lie. This wasn't the first time that someone who looked like (or was) a prince had spoken with her, but she had to admit that he wore the outfit rather well, in spite of how he might prefer the rougher look. It sounded as though he had something important to say, so the gray-skinned navi dropped her hands to her lap and nodded. "Of course I will listen. But... I've been hoping to find a partner for the dance floor tonight. You've just come along and I find myself bold enough to ask you to dance with me," she spoke succinctly, offering her hand. "Seeing as we're already acquainted and have 'broken the ice,' so to speak, you'd be an ideal partner. I can even lead you if you like?" She had a sense that he wasn't the type to want to be led in a dance, but ended up picking on him in spite of herself. "Would that be alright? I'll be happy to listen to whatever you wish to say."
As a final thought, Ante desperately hoped that he wouldn't say that he needed to speak in private, not only because she desperately wanted to dance, but also because a handsome, roguish fellow coming out of nowhere and asking for her to join him somewhere more private would reflect very poorly upon her character, which she wouldn't want to happen in front of her new acquaintance. Further breaking her train of thought, a burst of noise that sounded remarkably like Dare's shoe-pipes igniting coming from nearby. That couldn't be right, however, so she dismissed the thought. There was no way Ante's acquaintance was dashing around the elegant party like a child when Ante had just seen her join two other refined party-goers at the bar for a simple drink.
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"Oh, I'm Fold. You can tell because I have the bad luck," Fold responded to Duey, dryly explaining the fitting nature of her name. "Your costume is amusing, I'll give you that. Or, I'm sure it would be, under ordinary circumstances," she continued with a smile that was more dutiful than genuine. She felt especially awkward now that DueAccountabilityMan was describing his own hardships as a NormalNavi. Few NormalNavis were as clearly intelligent, crafty, or even as concerned with their place in life as this stranger was, so much to the point that she'd found herself wondering if he was really a NormalNavi at all, or if his appearance was simply a disguise. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm actually an SP. It's a long story," she sighed. Duey didn't exactly strike her as the type to physically threaten someone, so she doubted telling him her weakness would come back to bite her in this situation. "So, while I may be as fashionable as I please, I highly doubt there's much to my abilities at the moment that would impress you." That wasn't going to make anyone feel better; in fact, it had just depressed her more. "But nevermind my troubles; let me see what I can do to help you."
Almost as soon as the words had left her mouth, Fold found the right book, which was improbably for a multitude of reasons. For one, her acquaintance seemed almost frustratingly intelligent and resourceful, yet hadn't found the book, which had been sitting in its proper location all this time. For two, he hadn't found it despite having already been searching in this room for some unknown period of time when she arrived. For three, she was horrendously, cursedly unlucky, in her own experience. The idea of her finding the right book in a huge library at a glance seemed wholly improbable. It was for this reason that she eyed the book suspiciously, like a captive worried that his or her food might be poisoned for no reason but the supposed mean spirit of their enemy.
"Your book is here," she notified him, pointing at the book with one hand while resting the other at her hip in an impatiently curled fist, a tomboyish gesture of her defiance. She hoped he wouldn't call her out on the fact that she was acting like she was worried of being poisoned by a book for some reason, but if he did, well, he would not be wrong.
Her face reddened as he offered her further praise, calling her beautiful (a compliment she happened to agree with) and young (a compliment she did not agree with, but was happy to accept all the same). "Spending my evening thus far with you has been nothing but a pleasure, Sir! I mean that," she murmured, feeling like she was going to start tearing up again. When was the last time she'd met someone so wonderful as the gargoyle had turned out to be? Had she ever? She couldn't recall anyone who'd ever struck her as such a gentleman, even during her days hosting balls at the castle and journeying out with huntsmen on expeditions outside, riding nearly saddle to saddle with experienced gentlemen's gentlemen. She fought back the tears, however, as she sensed he was the bashful type who didn't especially want her to air her gratitude for what he probably considered common courtesy, but to her was an oasis of manners and geniality in a sea of baffling behaviors and unpredictable insanity, the sea which spanned far and wide across the net. "If you choose not to dance, I won't object. If it will please us both, then I will find a willing partner for the festivities, as you suggest," the princess responded.
As it turned out, while she was looking for a partner herself, someone instead found her. Ante barely recognized the regal figure that had appeared before her; she pressed one hand to her chest thoughtfully, looking preoccupied and feeling awkward as she struggled to recall the acquaintance. "You'd think I'd remember someone so... distinct," she thought to herself, before finally coming upon her answer. She wasn't certain that she ought to acknowledge that they'd met before, but when he used her name, she figured it would be fine to follow suite. "Sir Hoodwink! You surprised me," she chuckled, which was not a lie. This wasn't the first time that someone who looked like (or was) a prince had spoken with her, but she had to admit that he wore the outfit rather well, in spite of how he might prefer the rougher look. It sounded as though he had something important to say, so the gray-skinned navi dropped her hands to her lap and nodded. "Of course I will listen. But... I've been hoping to find a partner for the dance floor tonight. You've just come along and I find myself bold enough to ask you to dance with me," she spoke succinctly, offering her hand. "Seeing as we're already acquainted and have 'broken the ice,' so to speak, you'd be an ideal partner. I can even lead you if you like?" She had a sense that he wasn't the type to want to be led in a dance, but ended up picking on him in spite of herself. "Would that be alright? I'll be happy to listen to whatever you wish to say."
As a final thought, Ante desperately hoped that he wouldn't say that he needed to speak in private, not only because she desperately wanted to dance, but also because a handsome, roguish fellow coming out of nowhere and asking for her to join him somewhere more private would reflect very poorly upon her character, which she wouldn't want to happen in front of her new acquaintance. Further breaking her train of thought, a burst of noise that sounded remarkably like Dare's shoe-pipes igniting coming from nearby. That couldn't be right, however, so she dismissed the thought. There was no way Ante's acquaintance was dashing around the elegant party like a child when Ante had just seen her join two other refined party-goers at the bar for a simple drink.
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"Oh, I'm Fold. You can tell because I have the bad luck," Fold responded to Duey, dryly explaining the fitting nature of her name. "Your costume is amusing, I'll give you that. Or, I'm sure it would be, under ordinary circumstances," she continued with a smile that was more dutiful than genuine. She felt especially awkward now that DueAccountabilityMan was describing his own hardships as a NormalNavi. Few NormalNavis were as clearly intelligent, crafty, or even as concerned with their place in life as this stranger was, so much to the point that she'd found herself wondering if he was really a NormalNavi at all, or if his appearance was simply a disguise. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm actually an SP. It's a long story," she sighed. Duey didn't exactly strike her as the type to physically threaten someone, so she doubted telling him her weakness would come back to bite her in this situation. "So, while I may be as fashionable as I please, I highly doubt there's much to my abilities at the moment that would impress you." That wasn't going to make anyone feel better; in fact, it had just depressed her more. "But nevermind my troubles; let me see what I can do to help you."
Almost as soon as the words had left her mouth, Fold found the right book, which was improbably for a multitude of reasons. For one, her acquaintance seemed almost frustratingly intelligent and resourceful, yet hadn't found the book, which had been sitting in its proper location all this time. For two, he hadn't found it despite having already been searching in this room for some unknown period of time when she arrived. For three, she was horrendously, cursedly unlucky, in her own experience. The idea of her finding the right book in a huge library at a glance seemed wholly improbable. It was for this reason that she eyed the book suspiciously, like a captive worried that his or her food might be poisoned for no reason but the supposed mean spirit of their enemy.
"Your book is here," she notified him, pointing at the book with one hand while resting the other at her hip in an impatiently curled fist, a tomboyish gesture of her defiance. She hoped he wouldn't call her out on the fact that she was acting like she was worried of being poisoned by a book for some reason, but if he did, well, he would not be wrong.
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Whether she meant it or not, Drisco seemed to take Dare's offered words as coy flirtation and a sign that she'd be willing to risk... more, later. He laughed again, deep mirth and pleasure etched into his voice, and only resounding more with his rich accent.
"I do like your style, oh Daring Lady! I think we shall have a fine evening together, and perhaps you will even join us for the next round, hmm Saija? But now, to the game!" He took one step back from Dare, then bowed ever so slightly, still watching her with a broad grin, and stepped to the side to let her pass by on the way to the door.
Saija, on the other hand, snorted quietly and gave a short, vaguely derisive laugh as she sipped her drink.
"Hah! You want to get me enjoying the night, then you're going to have to show some more leg than that." It was delivered in the sort of casual tone that said she wasn't expecting to get anything 'fun' in that sense from the ball this evening, and had already resigned herself to it, but Drisco half choked on the sip he was taking from his own drink when he heard her. This might explain why she had taken no interest in his flirting, but also didn't seem threatened or intimidated by it.
One way or the other, the result saw Dare heading for the door, while Drisco watched her go, quite intently, and with the tell-tale tilt of his head that marked his appreciation. That she could see him looking with her backward glance didn't seem to perturb the dark-skinned navi in the slightest. He didn't move from his spot by the bar, though, even as she passed out through the archway.
There were several factors that made Dare's plan to go hell-for-leather an... interesting choice. The first, most obvious one that would likely come to her awareness was that, while she'd gotten some decent practice in standing and walking in heels, tyring to run in them was a whole new, potentially dangerous, ball game. The next was coming to grips with the effects of a full shot of hard liquor, which, knocked back as quickly as she had, would probably be going right towards her head. While one shot, no matter how unprepared for it she might have been, probably wasn't enough to make her visibly drunk at all, tasks of co-ordination and balance that were normally easy would probably be a fair bit more taxing for her now; already difficult ones, well... it wouldn't do her any favours. Last of all, the large fancy dress might look truly stunning to walk about it like a lady, or for graceful dancing and turns about the floor, but few of them were designed with running in mind. All together, this would make trying to sprint to the banister hazardous at best, and potentially quite disastrous.
It was fortunate then, that the area was not particularly crowded at the moment. Only a few guests passed back and forth, on their way between different rooms of the mansion, and none would be blocking her way... at least, provided she could make a more or less straight line... but the small handful that were present were most certainly going to stare.
Regardless, as she made her way towards her goal, shortly after passing through the acrchway, Dare felt the whisper of a finger running down the back of her neck. It lasted only a moment, and clearly there was no-one actually behind her. A moment later, there came the sense of two hands reaching around her waist, pressing fingertips from her sides, just below her ribs, inwards and down to lace across her middle, before it, too was gone.
One of the people watching her progress was Drisco, smiling broadly... and so was a second one on the other side. Both figures were a short way ahead of her, but he certainly hadn't passed her at any point. Another sensation followed the others, this time several hands reaching upwards, sliding exploring fingers slowly up her calves and thighs, as though they were under her dress and much closer to skin. As before, it faded quickly, though, the feeling lasted a few seconds this time. If it were tactile illusion, though, it couldn't fairly be counted as a touch, right?
By the time Dare reached the banister, in whatever state she made it at last, Drisco appeared to be sitting nonchalantly on the railing a short way up the stairs, grinning down at her. As much as the way he slid down smoothly to dismount in front of her seemed to have a lot of presence to it, it had to be very improbable that this was actually the genuine article... although, if he was opening with illusion and decoy, there was no telling whether or not he'd count teleports as unfair either. The Drisco in front of her, however, didn't make any immediate move to touch her. Instead he leaned in close enough to put his lips near her ear, yet without contacting.
"Tell me, Daring Lady... Have I told you the old Netfrican folk story, about the shadow with a thousand hands?" He left the question hanging and chuckled, low and deep, and promptly disappeared, although for a few seconds after the illusion faded, the sensation of lips by her ear remained, becoming a soft caress that dragged over the arch of her ear, then applied the barest hint of teeth, before it, too, was gone.
By the time Dare was facing back towards the arch that would lead her back to the relative safety of the bar lounge, she would be able to see, amongst two or three version of Drisco still in the junction area with her, another leaning with his back against the archway, flashing teeth as he watched her.
----
In the ball room, the quick music reached its climax just as Ante turned to face her returned companion. At her assent, he took both of her hands in his, and raised one to kiss the back delicately, eyes down. When his head rose again his smile looked ever so slightly bashful.
"Please forgive my intrusion, Ante. I know I oughtn't be interrupting you now, when I'm sure you have many other people to meet and see." It was a tactful way of acknowledging her task without drawing attention to it, or letting on to anyone else who might hear. "But I found, after we parted last, I just had to come and see you again." The music faded to a stop and there were several moments of silence as some couples left the floor while the musicians picked out their next piece. In the lull, Ante confessed her desire for a dance partner, and at once Hoodwink's eyes lit up and his smile deepened.
"My lady, it would be my absolute pleasure! I was about to ask the same of you, if you'd agree. Shall we?" He turned outward to lead her by one hand out onto the dance floor. The music was just beginning again, once more a slow, traditional waltz, and more couples came onto the floor, until the space was nearly half full. There was still more than ample room for everyone, but it was enough to dispel the nerves that some dancers would feel on a less occupied floor. A space continued to preserve itself around Hoodwink, and thus by extension around Ante as well, and he led her to the middle of the floor before turn back. "I would feel the cad, if I were to leave a beautiful lady to lead. Please, do allow me." With the opening notes, he bowed deeply to her, holding one hand and kissing the back of it again in the traditional pre-waltz pose, then lifted his left hand to cup hers and slipped his other gently around her waist, taking up the first step.
It was a slow waltz, but even so, her partner's footwork was deft, smooth and precise as they began to turn about the dance floor. For the first few bars he simply watched her eyes, but then spoke softly, not much above a gentle whisper.
"It has been a while since I've danced like this, and even longer since it was with such captivating company, Ante... I hope you don't mind if our discussion waits for just a few more minutes? I'd like to enjoy the dancing, and your company, for a little while longer. I cannot pretend I knew what to expect when I came to meet you earlier, but I know I was not expecting the pleasure of such beauty, or refinement." Each graceful turn carried them gradually around a circle in the middle of the floor, which remained remarkably clear for them, with most of the other couples taking wider rings around the outside. If Hoodwink noticed that he had monopolised pride of place on the dance floor for himself and Ante, he gave no signs of being aware of it.
----
Fold was, unfortunately, having a far less magical time of things. She had found the book almost right away; exactly where the clearly marked organisation of the library said it would be, and especially for someone as consistently unfortunate as her, it was genuinely concerning. Duey didn't seem to think so.
"Ah, you've found it then? Excellent!" He looked out and across to her from where he was making cursory searches of his own and gave her a big, pleased grin, then swung off the upper level down to the floor again and headed over to one of the many reading tables, waving for her to follow.
"Bring it on over then, and we'll have a quick look-see and find out if it's what I need."
He leaned on the edge of the nearest table while he waited for Fold to arrive with the requested book, not looking too directly at her, or the shelf she had been searching. He kept chatting though, raising his voice enough to be heard while they were further apart, though he'd return to a more sensible volume if and when she drew closer.
"I must say, I'd never have guessed that you were a support program, underneath all the finery. You don't look it, that's for sure. Maybe I'm just old fashioned, who knows. Sorry if I offended, of course. So, I guess you assist one of the other ladies you arrived with tonight, then? Which one, if I can ask. Oh no, let me guess, if you're Fold, then... Well, I guess it could be either really... Ante fits the theme, of course... but Fold opposite Dare, also makes a certain amount of sense, if you think about it. Hmm..." He rubbed at his chin for a moment, pondering, then shook his head. "No, you shall have to tell me, I'm afraid I can't be certain enough to guess! Care to tell me a bit about her?"
"I do like your style, oh Daring Lady! I think we shall have a fine evening together, and perhaps you will even join us for the next round, hmm Saija? But now, to the game!" He took one step back from Dare, then bowed ever so slightly, still watching her with a broad grin, and stepped to the side to let her pass by on the way to the door.
Saija, on the other hand, snorted quietly and gave a short, vaguely derisive laugh as she sipped her drink.
"Hah! You want to get me enjoying the night, then you're going to have to show some more leg than that." It was delivered in the sort of casual tone that said she wasn't expecting to get anything 'fun' in that sense from the ball this evening, and had already resigned herself to it, but Drisco half choked on the sip he was taking from his own drink when he heard her. This might explain why she had taken no interest in his flirting, but also didn't seem threatened or intimidated by it.
One way or the other, the result saw Dare heading for the door, while Drisco watched her go, quite intently, and with the tell-tale tilt of his head that marked his appreciation. That she could see him looking with her backward glance didn't seem to perturb the dark-skinned navi in the slightest. He didn't move from his spot by the bar, though, even as she passed out through the archway.
There were several factors that made Dare's plan to go hell-for-leather an... interesting choice. The first, most obvious one that would likely come to her awareness was that, while she'd gotten some decent practice in standing and walking in heels, tyring to run in them was a whole new, potentially dangerous, ball game. The next was coming to grips with the effects of a full shot of hard liquor, which, knocked back as quickly as she had, would probably be going right towards her head. While one shot, no matter how unprepared for it she might have been, probably wasn't enough to make her visibly drunk at all, tasks of co-ordination and balance that were normally easy would probably be a fair bit more taxing for her now; already difficult ones, well... it wouldn't do her any favours. Last of all, the large fancy dress might look truly stunning to walk about it like a lady, or for graceful dancing and turns about the floor, but few of them were designed with running in mind. All together, this would make trying to sprint to the banister hazardous at best, and potentially quite disastrous.
It was fortunate then, that the area was not particularly crowded at the moment. Only a few guests passed back and forth, on their way between different rooms of the mansion, and none would be blocking her way... at least, provided she could make a more or less straight line... but the small handful that were present were most certainly going to stare.
Regardless, as she made her way towards her goal, shortly after passing through the acrchway, Dare felt the whisper of a finger running down the back of her neck. It lasted only a moment, and clearly there was no-one actually behind her. A moment later, there came the sense of two hands reaching around her waist, pressing fingertips from her sides, just below her ribs, inwards and down to lace across her middle, before it, too was gone.
One of the people watching her progress was Drisco, smiling broadly... and so was a second one on the other side. Both figures were a short way ahead of her, but he certainly hadn't passed her at any point. Another sensation followed the others, this time several hands reaching upwards, sliding exploring fingers slowly up her calves and thighs, as though they were under her dress and much closer to skin. As before, it faded quickly, though, the feeling lasted a few seconds this time. If it were tactile illusion, though, it couldn't fairly be counted as a touch, right?
By the time Dare reached the banister, in whatever state she made it at last, Drisco appeared to be sitting nonchalantly on the railing a short way up the stairs, grinning down at her. As much as the way he slid down smoothly to dismount in front of her seemed to have a lot of presence to it, it had to be very improbable that this was actually the genuine article... although, if he was opening with illusion and decoy, there was no telling whether or not he'd count teleports as unfair either. The Drisco in front of her, however, didn't make any immediate move to touch her. Instead he leaned in close enough to put his lips near her ear, yet without contacting.
"Tell me, Daring Lady... Have I told you the old Netfrican folk story, about the shadow with a thousand hands?" He left the question hanging and chuckled, low and deep, and promptly disappeared, although for a few seconds after the illusion faded, the sensation of lips by her ear remained, becoming a soft caress that dragged over the arch of her ear, then applied the barest hint of teeth, before it, too, was gone.
By the time Dare was facing back towards the arch that would lead her back to the relative safety of the bar lounge, she would be able to see, amongst two or three version of Drisco still in the junction area with her, another leaning with his back against the archway, flashing teeth as he watched her.
----
In the ball room, the quick music reached its climax just as Ante turned to face her returned companion. At her assent, he took both of her hands in his, and raised one to kiss the back delicately, eyes down. When his head rose again his smile looked ever so slightly bashful.
"Please forgive my intrusion, Ante. I know I oughtn't be interrupting you now, when I'm sure you have many other people to meet and see." It was a tactful way of acknowledging her task without drawing attention to it, or letting on to anyone else who might hear. "But I found, after we parted last, I just had to come and see you again." The music faded to a stop and there were several moments of silence as some couples left the floor while the musicians picked out their next piece. In the lull, Ante confessed her desire for a dance partner, and at once Hoodwink's eyes lit up and his smile deepened.
"My lady, it would be my absolute pleasure! I was about to ask the same of you, if you'd agree. Shall we?" He turned outward to lead her by one hand out onto the dance floor. The music was just beginning again, once more a slow, traditional waltz, and more couples came onto the floor, until the space was nearly half full. There was still more than ample room for everyone, but it was enough to dispel the nerves that some dancers would feel on a less occupied floor. A space continued to preserve itself around Hoodwink, and thus by extension around Ante as well, and he led her to the middle of the floor before turn back. "I would feel the cad, if I were to leave a beautiful lady to lead. Please, do allow me." With the opening notes, he bowed deeply to her, holding one hand and kissing the back of it again in the traditional pre-waltz pose, then lifted his left hand to cup hers and slipped his other gently around her waist, taking up the first step.
It was a slow waltz, but even so, her partner's footwork was deft, smooth and precise as they began to turn about the dance floor. For the first few bars he simply watched her eyes, but then spoke softly, not much above a gentle whisper.
"It has been a while since I've danced like this, and even longer since it was with such captivating company, Ante... I hope you don't mind if our discussion waits for just a few more minutes? I'd like to enjoy the dancing, and your company, for a little while longer. I cannot pretend I knew what to expect when I came to meet you earlier, but I know I was not expecting the pleasure of such beauty, or refinement." Each graceful turn carried them gradually around a circle in the middle of the floor, which remained remarkably clear for them, with most of the other couples taking wider rings around the outside. If Hoodwink noticed that he had monopolised pride of place on the dance floor for himself and Ante, he gave no signs of being aware of it.
----
Fold was, unfortunately, having a far less magical time of things. She had found the book almost right away; exactly where the clearly marked organisation of the library said it would be, and especially for someone as consistently unfortunate as her, it was genuinely concerning. Duey didn't seem to think so.
"Ah, you've found it then? Excellent!" He looked out and across to her from where he was making cursory searches of his own and gave her a big, pleased grin, then swung off the upper level down to the floor again and headed over to one of the many reading tables, waving for her to follow.
"Bring it on over then, and we'll have a quick look-see and find out if it's what I need."
He leaned on the edge of the nearest table while he waited for Fold to arrive with the requested book, not looking too directly at her, or the shelf she had been searching. He kept chatting though, raising his voice enough to be heard while they were further apart, though he'd return to a more sensible volume if and when she drew closer.
"I must say, I'd never have guessed that you were a support program, underneath all the finery. You don't look it, that's for sure. Maybe I'm just old fashioned, who knows. Sorry if I offended, of course. So, I guess you assist one of the other ladies you arrived with tonight, then? Which one, if I can ask. Oh no, let me guess, if you're Fold, then... Well, I guess it could be either really... Ante fits the theme, of course... but Fold opposite Dare, also makes a certain amount of sense, if you think about it. Hmm..." He rubbed at his chin for a moment, pondering, then shook his head. "No, you shall have to tell me, I'm afraid I can't be certain enough to guess! Care to tell me a bit about her?"
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Dare already had an off feeling as she left Drisco and began down the hall, but that feeling compounded as she continued to make her way through. She thought she was faster than the average Navi even on her slow days, but while she couldn't look back to confirm it, it certainly seemed as though Drisco hadn't opted to chase her at all. Thanks to the multitude of unexpected problems, she hadn't even made particularly good time until she hit her stride. "Is he planning to make me run around by myself out here and look like an idiot? What a-"
Her thoughts were cut off by a very unfamiliar experience. Her first attempt to rationalize it was that her hair must have come undone, but that didn't seem to be the case. It wasn't a feeling she was familiar with while running by any stretch of the imagination, but it was followed by a feeling she wasn't familiar with while running or otherwise. She almost missed a step, overcome with the surprise of it, but, to her credit, caught herself and kept up her sprint.
There wasn't any denying that something was going on, as she started seeing the likely culprit on either side of her in the hall and feeling hands caress her in a way that no woman had probably ever been caressed mid-run before. On the other hand, that made Dare confident that she wasn't actually being touched yet, which made her believe that in spite of her miscalculations up to this point, she might still have a shot at winning. She grit her teeth and continued.
The Navi skid to a sloppy stop at the bannister. She was slightly surprised to see Drisco perched there, but not nearly as surprised as she might have been moments earlier. "Me running through the halls and you sitting on the rail! I wonder what our hostess would say if she weren't pre-occupied," Dare remarked, looking flushed from a bit more than her drink and her run. She was already in a sprinter's stance as Drisco approached her: naturally, it wouldn't do to let him lay a hand under the pretense of dialogue. There wasn't really anything there to push away, repel, or complain to, however, as his gesture carried itself upon the air and onto her ear. She let out an involuntary, inaudible gasp in response, whirling around to not catch him as was always the case in such situations.
Of course, there was plenty of Drisco in the hall for her to look at, even if the one she suspected was "real" had disappeared into thin air. She gave each of them a challenging smile now. "Oh? I've never heard that one before. When you're as busy creating your legend as I am, you don't have much time to learn about others! No offense, Mr. Shadow."
Drisco appeared to have his plan for winning already in hand. In reference to the tortoise and hare fable, Dare certainly felt like the tortoise, as bizarre as that was to imagine. As such, Dare decided she had a moment to fully plan out her strategy going forward.
First off, she needed to optimize her run. There wasn't much she could do on the fly about the drunkenness, much to her regret. Furthermore, while she'd sacrificed her outfit and dignity to win contests before, she thought Ante, Zenny, and Fold, for all she knew, would first kill and then disassociate themselves with her if she tried it here. That left the shoes, and darn if Dare wasn't willing to cut those off for an advantage. She stepped out of them carefully and placed them out of the way against the wall by the bannister, in an unusual display of both carelessness and attentiveness to manners.
Next, she needed to come up with a plan to get past the team of Driscos ("Driscoes? Driscii?" she found herself thinking) that seemed to have been fielded against her. This would involve reaching deep and dangerously into her bag of tricks. If she had one advantage, it was that Drisco hadn't seen her pull out her stops yet. With any luck, he thought she had already hit her top speed earlier. If that was the case, he was in for a rude awakening. Dare carefully tracked the crowd ahead of her, making sure to preemptively scout out any areas of thin traffic she could take advantage of...
... Being both tense and addled, however, she didn't spend too much time on that. She really only needed the first opening, anyway. Her plan was to start running at the speed she'd achieved before, then turn on her trail blazer as she went straight through the middle of the two assailants. She needed an opening here because there was, unavoidably, a flaming tackle which accompanied this move, and she had to make sure she didn't hit anyone with it.
If this first hurdle could be cleared, Dare figured her top speed would be such as to easily carry her to the arch. That, she imagined, would be where Drisco would play his trump card... whatever it was. Her hope, then, would be to break out her Bus Jumper (a move she'd been wanting to try out in competitive capacity for a while now, anyway). She would fire her jets, leap over Drisco, and hopefully stick a landing, allowing her to win the speed contest and return to her seat. She really wished she could just break out her Gate Crasher, but she doubted the wisdom of using a physical move like that in an area like this. "But all this fire is fair game?" an ignorable voice in her head critiqued.
Also, if Drisco's trump card turned out to be a non-physical hold, she luckily had a remedy for that as well. She could pop her leg jets and Psyche Up to shake off such a spell.
If her opponent's ghostly advances continued like they had been, she might have to anyway just to keep herself focused on the task. Dare hadn't really been manipulated that way before, and she could only assume very few women had been WHILE running.
[Prep Trail Blazer, Psyche Up, and Bus Jumper, to be used in that sequence]
Her thoughts were cut off by a very unfamiliar experience. Her first attempt to rationalize it was that her hair must have come undone, but that didn't seem to be the case. It wasn't a feeling she was familiar with while running by any stretch of the imagination, but it was followed by a feeling she wasn't familiar with while running or otherwise. She almost missed a step, overcome with the surprise of it, but, to her credit, caught herself and kept up her sprint.
There wasn't any denying that something was going on, as she started seeing the likely culprit on either side of her in the hall and feeling hands caress her in a way that no woman had probably ever been caressed mid-run before. On the other hand, that made Dare confident that she wasn't actually being touched yet, which made her believe that in spite of her miscalculations up to this point, she might still have a shot at winning. She grit her teeth and continued.
The Navi skid to a sloppy stop at the bannister. She was slightly surprised to see Drisco perched there, but not nearly as surprised as she might have been moments earlier. "Me running through the halls and you sitting on the rail! I wonder what our hostess would say if she weren't pre-occupied," Dare remarked, looking flushed from a bit more than her drink and her run. She was already in a sprinter's stance as Drisco approached her: naturally, it wouldn't do to let him lay a hand under the pretense of dialogue. There wasn't really anything there to push away, repel, or complain to, however, as his gesture carried itself upon the air and onto her ear. She let out an involuntary, inaudible gasp in response, whirling around to not catch him as was always the case in such situations.
Of course, there was plenty of Drisco in the hall for her to look at, even if the one she suspected was "real" had disappeared into thin air. She gave each of them a challenging smile now. "Oh? I've never heard that one before. When you're as busy creating your legend as I am, you don't have much time to learn about others! No offense, Mr. Shadow."
Drisco appeared to have his plan for winning already in hand. In reference to the tortoise and hare fable, Dare certainly felt like the tortoise, as bizarre as that was to imagine. As such, Dare decided she had a moment to fully plan out her strategy going forward.
First off, she needed to optimize her run. There wasn't much she could do on the fly about the drunkenness, much to her regret. Furthermore, while she'd sacrificed her outfit and dignity to win contests before, she thought Ante, Zenny, and Fold, for all she knew, would first kill and then disassociate themselves with her if she tried it here. That left the shoes, and darn if Dare wasn't willing to cut those off for an advantage. She stepped out of them carefully and placed them out of the way against the wall by the bannister, in an unusual display of both carelessness and attentiveness to manners.
Next, she needed to come up with a plan to get past the team of Driscos ("Driscoes? Driscii?" she found herself thinking) that seemed to have been fielded against her. This would involve reaching deep and dangerously into her bag of tricks. If she had one advantage, it was that Drisco hadn't seen her pull out her stops yet. With any luck, he thought she had already hit her top speed earlier. If that was the case, he was in for a rude awakening. Dare carefully tracked the crowd ahead of her, making sure to preemptively scout out any areas of thin traffic she could take advantage of...
... Being both tense and addled, however, she didn't spend too much time on that. She really only needed the first opening, anyway. Her plan was to start running at the speed she'd achieved before, then turn on her trail blazer as she went straight through the middle of the two assailants. She needed an opening here because there was, unavoidably, a flaming tackle which accompanied this move, and she had to make sure she didn't hit anyone with it.
If this first hurdle could be cleared, Dare figured her top speed would be such as to easily carry her to the arch. That, she imagined, would be where Drisco would play his trump card... whatever it was. Her hope, then, would be to break out her Bus Jumper (a move she'd been wanting to try out in competitive capacity for a while now, anyway). She would fire her jets, leap over Drisco, and hopefully stick a landing, allowing her to win the speed contest and return to her seat. She really wished she could just break out her Gate Crasher, but she doubted the wisdom of using a physical move like that in an area like this. "But all this fire is fair game?" an ignorable voice in her head critiqued.
Also, if Drisco's trump card turned out to be a non-physical hold, she luckily had a remedy for that as well. She could pop her leg jets and Psyche Up to shake off such a spell.
If her opponent's ghostly advances continued like they had been, she might have to anyway just to keep herself focused on the task. Dare hadn't really been manipulated that way before, and she could only assume very few women had been WHILE running.
[Prep Trail Blazer, Psyche Up, and Bus Jumper, to be used in that sequence]
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With a surprisingly gentlemanly gesture, Hoodwink affirmed that his outfit and being here weren't just coincidence; he could walk the walk, when it came to playing the part of a respectable socialite. It actually made Ante wonder which was his real self, the one that stood outside in the darkness giving mysterious objectives or the one that kissed lady's hands and dressed like a nobleman. Not that one couldn't be both, but one typically wasn't, in her experience. "Then by all means," she responded with a smile, as he seemed ready and willing to lead in the dance. She was surprised to see him looking so tickled about the dance, but then, she was feeling elated herself. A respectable dance with a respectable gentleman! She'd be hard pressed to dream up such a delightful scenario even in her own flights of fancy. It helped that even the party appeared to be arranging itself around the two of them, which she was grateful for; it showed etiquette on the part of the other party-goers, for one, but it also made her feel like the belle of the ball, providing that final cherry atop an already perfect sundae.
She didn't begrudge Hoodwink a second kiss on the hand, nor the placement of his hand at her waist; these were gestures common to the waltz and, rather, she was pleased to see that he was so skilled at the art. She kept his eyes with her own, although she felt herself becoming increasingly shy as he held them, wishing she could think up some conversation to make it seem less like she was struck speechless by the dreaminess of it all. When Hoodwink took the opportunity to speak himself, she only found herself further flabbergasted, with touches of red popping up across her gray flesh. "You must believe me when I say that I'm equally delighted to meet a like mind. It's all been... so perfect tonight..." she sighed, fighting hard to keep herself from crying. She was beginning to feel like Cinderella; any second now, the clock would strike midnight and she'd be returned to a life of self-deprecating nonsense. "I'd be happy to dance with you as long as you'll have me."
Of course, a dance is a cooperative exercise: it takes footwork, coordination, trust of one's partner, and the competitive nature that drives one to perfection. All of these things meant that her heart's pace was quickened and she was fully applying herself. Which meant, at the conclusion of their first dance together...
Three of Clubs
Four of Spades
Ten of Diamonds
Queen of Hearts
Two of Spades
MULLIGAN!
Seven of Diamonds
Seven of Spades
Six of Spades SWAP ONE! --> Queen of Spades
Three of Hearts SWAP TWO! --> Seven of Clubs
Jack of Diamonds
THREE OF A KIND!
10 points awarded!
TOTAL POINTS:10
HAT OFF!
TOTAL POINTS: 6
GLOVES OFF!
TOTAL POINTS: 2
BELT OFF!
TOTAL POINTS: 0
NECK HOLDS
REMAINING POINTS: 0
If Mordenite was still watching, the event that unfolded next might remind him somewhat of his own tendency to shed crystalline shards. Ante's hat, both gloves, and her belt all, with no sign of tampering, simultaneously burst into a cascade of poker chips, which unfortunately scattered across the floor instead of forming a tidy pool around her feet as is shards tended to. With that, she was left with her hooded undersuit, her choker, as well as her dress and boots. These would be enough to remain perfectly modest, but nowhere near enough to erase the notion that something very peculiar and dangerous had just happened. Ante felt her face swap over to full red now, as she imagined the horrible scenario in which her dress disappeared, exposing her undersuit-figure to everyone in the audience. She couldn't allow herself to even imagine anything worse than that happening, but the truth was, it could indeed be worse; the events at PhoenixMan and VultureMan's company contest had proven that. As much as she wanted to continue dancing, there was no way she could feasibly continue to do so in full view of others. They must already be baffled, not to mention annoyed at the cleanup, in the case of the servants. She hated to put that on them, but there was simply no time for her to gather up the chips herself.
"S-Sir Hoodwink!" she squeaked, clasping both hands over his in an overly familiar but clearly jittery way. "Would you happen to know somewhere private where you could deliver your message to me, alone? I'm afraid I-I've... I've come down with something and mustn't be about the other guests," she murmured, clutching one hand to her head. That part wasn't acting; she really was starting to feel faint. "Please, guide me away..." Her request was urgent and she desperately hoped that he'd drag her off somewhere away from the other guests, not thinking how improper it would look for a man to pull a lady away from the party by her hand. The Cinderella story had come to its climax in the worst way, now bearing the unfortunate similarity of the vanishing party clothes.
---------------------------------------------------------
Fold found herself highly aggravated that Duey was playing along with her paranoid fantasy that some kind of poison dart might shoot out of the book; if he really was intending the book as a trap, his continued insistence that she be the one to grab it definitely fit the bill. In this case, her civility won out over her paranoia. She drew the book quickly from the shelf, as if she'd never been worried about it, then headed over to meet her blackmailer. She continued to indulge his requests, including those for light conversation. "Well, I was a navi once. However, a certain hacker took meddled with the elements of both my composition and Ante's. I won't go into specifics, but it left me without a body. I was forced to inhabit the princess' body as remnant data until we received an SP base and crafted this new body for me," she explained, unsure of whether Duey would care or not. As she explained, she handed over the book, hoping that the efforts of the others would be sufficiently pleasing to Zennocracy to make up for her own aiding the enemy (though she really wondered how much she was "aiding him," given that all she'd really done was confirm what he already knew and get him a book he could easily have grabbed on his own).
With her statements, she'd confirmed his second question, but once she heard his request to its completion, she found a topic she could be genuinely enthused about and speak at length on. "You want to know more about Ante? I suppose I'll indulge you," she chuckled, although she was just as much indulging herself with the exposition. "Ante was originally a princess amongst nobility in a certain faction on the net. I was the captain of her guard, although I could hardly lay claim to that title now, finding myself as far weakened as I am. Of course, a princess, doesn't have much of a claim on the net; there is limitless land, there are limitless subjects, and furthermore, there is no 'bloodline' to be born into. While not born into royalty, Ante was created for it with the lofty ideal of simulating a royal court experience, one where we all served the royal family in equity and were rewarded for our services by her very wealthy patron and operator. The purpose of the court was entertainment, I suppose, but we also handled diplomacy, we served as an army for those who needed one, champions of justice to help the weak, aiding those who voluntarily submitted themselves to the court's 'rule,' although you must know that we did not tax or subjugate anyone. It all sounds rather idealistic, but we were a benevolent court with a gracious princess in rule, a willing army to serve her, and contented citizens who relied upon her for fair-headed decisions and her army for able arms."
"But back to the princess herself... as much as we were 'good knights,' we needed real royalty to serve. Ante embodies all of the ideals of perfect royalty: dignity and sophistication. A head for fair decisions. Judgment only when called for. A certain charming innocence; not naivety, mind you. Firmness in her beliefs with an ear for those of others. Beauty! She's still beautiful now, but you should have seen her fair skin before the hacker took it from her... what a stunning woman she was! Her lips were always ruby red in contrast with that skin and her eyes that same, glowing color... Ah, such gorgeous skin~" Fold cooed, seeming overly attached to the concept of how perfect Ante's skin was. "Well... I describe her as perfect, but we all have our faults. She... well... I'm sure she has some faults?" the attendant shrugged, unable to come up with anything. It would surely be folly if Duey didn't take this opportunity to change the conversation to something else.
She didn't begrudge Hoodwink a second kiss on the hand, nor the placement of his hand at her waist; these were gestures common to the waltz and, rather, she was pleased to see that he was so skilled at the art. She kept his eyes with her own, although she felt herself becoming increasingly shy as he held them, wishing she could think up some conversation to make it seem less like she was struck speechless by the dreaminess of it all. When Hoodwink took the opportunity to speak himself, she only found herself further flabbergasted, with touches of red popping up across her gray flesh. "You must believe me when I say that I'm equally delighted to meet a like mind. It's all been... so perfect tonight..." she sighed, fighting hard to keep herself from crying. She was beginning to feel like Cinderella; any second now, the clock would strike midnight and she'd be returned to a life of self-deprecating nonsense. "I'd be happy to dance with you as long as you'll have me."
Of course, a dance is a cooperative exercise: it takes footwork, coordination, trust of one's partner, and the competitive nature that drives one to perfection. All of these things meant that her heart's pace was quickened and she was fully applying herself. Which meant, at the conclusion of their first dance together...
STRIP DRAW
Four of Spades
Ten of Diamonds
Queen of Hearts
Two of Spades
MULLIGAN!
Seven of Diamonds
Seven of Spades
Jack of Diamonds
THREE OF A KIND!
10 points awarded!
TOTAL POINTS:10
HAT OFF!
TOTAL POINTS: 6
GLOVES OFF!
TOTAL POINTS: 2
BELT OFF!
TOTAL POINTS: 0
NECK HOLDS
REMAINING POINTS: 0
If Mordenite was still watching, the event that unfolded next might remind him somewhat of his own tendency to shed crystalline shards. Ante's hat, both gloves, and her belt all, with no sign of tampering, simultaneously burst into a cascade of poker chips, which unfortunately scattered across the floor instead of forming a tidy pool around her feet as is shards tended to. With that, she was left with her hooded undersuit, her choker, as well as her dress and boots. These would be enough to remain perfectly modest, but nowhere near enough to erase the notion that something very peculiar and dangerous had just happened. Ante felt her face swap over to full red now, as she imagined the horrible scenario in which her dress disappeared, exposing her undersuit-figure to everyone in the audience. She couldn't allow herself to even imagine anything worse than that happening, but the truth was, it could indeed be worse; the events at PhoenixMan and VultureMan's company contest had proven that. As much as she wanted to continue dancing, there was no way she could feasibly continue to do so in full view of others. They must already be baffled, not to mention annoyed at the cleanup, in the case of the servants. She hated to put that on them, but there was simply no time for her to gather up the chips herself.
"S-Sir Hoodwink!" she squeaked, clasping both hands over his in an overly familiar but clearly jittery way. "Would you happen to know somewhere private where you could deliver your message to me, alone? I'm afraid I-I've... I've come down with something and mustn't be about the other guests," she murmured, clutching one hand to her head. That part wasn't acting; she really was starting to feel faint. "Please, guide me away..." Her request was urgent and she desperately hoped that he'd drag her off somewhere away from the other guests, not thinking how improper it would look for a man to pull a lady away from the party by her hand. The Cinderella story had come to its climax in the worst way, now bearing the unfortunate similarity of the vanishing party clothes.
---------------------------------------------------------
Fold found herself highly aggravated that Duey was playing along with her paranoid fantasy that some kind of poison dart might shoot out of the book; if he really was intending the book as a trap, his continued insistence that she be the one to grab it definitely fit the bill. In this case, her civility won out over her paranoia. She drew the book quickly from the shelf, as if she'd never been worried about it, then headed over to meet her blackmailer. She continued to indulge his requests, including those for light conversation. "Well, I was a navi once. However, a certain hacker took meddled with the elements of both my composition and Ante's. I won't go into specifics, but it left me without a body. I was forced to inhabit the princess' body as remnant data until we received an SP base and crafted this new body for me," she explained, unsure of whether Duey would care or not. As she explained, she handed over the book, hoping that the efforts of the others would be sufficiently pleasing to Zennocracy to make up for her own aiding the enemy (though she really wondered how much she was "aiding him," given that all she'd really done was confirm what he already knew and get him a book he could easily have grabbed on his own).
With her statements, she'd confirmed his second question, but once she heard his request to its completion, she found a topic she could be genuinely enthused about and speak at length on. "You want to know more about Ante? I suppose I'll indulge you," she chuckled, although she was just as much indulging herself with the exposition. "Ante was originally a princess amongst nobility in a certain faction on the net. I was the captain of her guard, although I could hardly lay claim to that title now, finding myself as far weakened as I am. Of course, a princess, doesn't have much of a claim on the net; there is limitless land, there are limitless subjects, and furthermore, there is no 'bloodline' to be born into. While not born into royalty, Ante was created for it with the lofty ideal of simulating a royal court experience, one where we all served the royal family in equity and were rewarded for our services by her very wealthy patron and operator. The purpose of the court was entertainment, I suppose, but we also handled diplomacy, we served as an army for those who needed one, champions of justice to help the weak, aiding those who voluntarily submitted themselves to the court's 'rule,' although you must know that we did not tax or subjugate anyone. It all sounds rather idealistic, but we were a benevolent court with a gracious princess in rule, a willing army to serve her, and contented citizens who relied upon her for fair-headed decisions and her army for able arms."
"But back to the princess herself... as much as we were 'good knights,' we needed real royalty to serve. Ante embodies all of the ideals of perfect royalty: dignity and sophistication. A head for fair decisions. Judgment only when called for. A certain charming innocence; not naivety, mind you. Firmness in her beliefs with an ear for those of others. Beauty! She's still beautiful now, but you should have seen her fair skin before the hacker took it from her... what a stunning woman she was! Her lips were always ruby red in contrast with that skin and her eyes that same, glowing color... Ah, such gorgeous skin~" Fold cooed, seeming overly attached to the concept of how perfect Ante's skin was. "Well... I describe her as perfect, but we all have our faults. She... well... I'm sure she has some faults?" the attendant shrugged, unable to come up with anything. It would surely be folly if Duey didn't take this opportunity to change the conversation to something else.
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For Dare, there was little point in pretending that the other party guests present weren't staring, and whispering back and forth in that politely mortified, gossipy way that the upper class tended to favour. Amongst the supposedly hushed comments that, as it so happened where stage-whispered just loud enough for her to hear, came several choice remarks from different clusters of guests.
"...really is some rather poor form I'd say..."
"...quite uncouth to be behaving so..."
"Reeling and staggering like that... talking to herself and the thin air... just how much do you suppose she's had then?"
"Too much, I'd think. Someone really ought to get her an escort home..."
"Yes... or at least have the service put her outside..."
Fortunately for Dare, the other useful feature about the well-to-do was that they were often fond of talking about what 'someone' should do, while never lifting a finger to action themselves. So it was that, while many frowned and tutted disapprovingly at her antics, none of the guests present in the hall actually took any action beyond murmuring to one another and sipping their drinks.
None of them really seemed to notice the sudden appearance, or disappearance, of the dark-skinned Drisco figures, either, and if some thought she was talking to the air, then perhaps the illusory play she was dealing with was actually focused entirely on her, to the exclusion of others even perceiving it... Not that that consideration would really help Dare much if she had it.
Having made his introduction, however, Drisco continued doing his best impression of an old Netfrican demon. Rather than answer her directly, another sensation began as she made her way back towards the arch that would return her to the bar, and sanctuary. This time it was hands slipping swiftly around her hips from behind, fingers running over the very tops of her thighs in a pointedly inwards slide. It didn't fade as she headed for the arch, but was joined by the feeling of another pair of hands, these ones rubbing and massaging in more soothing sensations, on her shoulders.
Dare's acceleration towards her goal didn't leave her opponent time for any more slow-working tricks, though, and the copies of her opponent that nestled amongst the other guests each faded as she passed. The sensations lingered until Dare kicked it up another fiery notch with her trail blazer, as she did they were replaced by a sudden, much more direct and notably more forceful sensation; the feeling of a somewhat sharp, quick slap across her behind. One would really want to hope that was another illusory sensation, and not an opportunistic guest.
As it turned out, of course, there was very little chance of it being the latter. The sudden bust of flaming glory that was Dare hitting her stride had the added effect of causing a veritable cacophony of startled gasps, shouts and even a couple of shocked screams as those guests that were in the hall all began to scurry away in whatever direction their closest exit was, for fear of the sudden turn of events. The ruckus was enough that, floors above and unseen by any others, Zennocracy looked up from her work, and muttered a curse to herself before standing up.
On the bright side, the fast and furious addition of fire had served to swiftly clear the hall of curious guests, leaving only Dare and Drisco... or, well, Dare at least. Whether that was actually Drisco leaning on the archway or not was still up for grabs. Dare wasn't taking any chances, though. The man's eyes widened as she sped at him, then positively launched herself high above his head in her passage through towards the bar lounge again. Surprised or not, his smile didn't falter and as she passed overhead everything else in her vision seemed to dim. At once she was still in the grand, brightly lit mansion, but at the same time, the sensation of being surrounded by an empty black void was rather hard to shake off. While she was still airborne, sailing clear over the head of the figure in the archway, any downward glance would show that it wasn't a garishly dressed Netfrican male she was leaping over, but rather a chorus of shadowy, black hands, all reaching up towards her in a sea, yearning to grip and grab and hold and pull her down to them.
Depending on how focused she was in that moment, if Dare could psyche herself in and focus enough to actually stick the landing, that in itself would be more than worthy of praise. The sense of endless black and the sea of hands ended the instant she touched the ground, no matter what level of grace, or a lack of it, she actually touched down with.
Back in the atmosphere of the bar lounge, now, her goal was only a scarce few metres away, and there didn't look to be anyone in the room at all, save the bar staff and the Drisco by the arch. He had turned around to watch her, laughing to himself as he did, a surprised and bemused expression working is way through his features.
"It is one grand surprise after another with you, Daring One. My hat is off to you!" He laughed again and picked up his drink from a small table by the arch to take a sip. If Dare was paying attention to the action, it might tell her that no decoy or illusion could do that, but that would depend entirely on her own presence of mind at that moment.
The sensations began again in earnest as he finished speaking: the feeling of fingertips softly dragging lines down her calves, delicate touches brushing over the tops of her ear, and across her lips with delicate slowness, fingers sliding firmly around the back of her neck like a grip, a hand on her right thigh, another delicately caressing her left breast. Each off-putting in their own way, perhaps, but unless he could physically catch her before she reached the bar, it seemed like Drisco had underestimated her willingness to make a scene in the name of victory. Three more metres was all it would take, after all.
-----
As they danced, Ante's temporary prince was content enough simply to watch her without speaking. Mostly, he held her eyes, though there were moments when his gaze traced the rest of her face; the eyes never wandered far, however, and at no point did they drop below the smooth skin of her neck. The dance itself was only a few minutes long, though to those enjoying it, it may surely have felt both far longer, and far too short. As they drew closer to the end of the piece, Hoodwink broke his silence to answer her, smiling in a way that curled one side of his lips slightly more than the other, showing his teeth on only one side. It was a slightly more roguish look than one might expect from a prince, but along with the graceful movements and the soft tone of his voice, it only served to further blur the question of which way he should truly be taken.
"Some may disagree, but I find you truly beautiful, Ante, and dancing so has been a joy. You have grace and skill, and I would keep you all night if I could. Sadly, business permits me only one turn of the floor this night. To be honest, I shouldn't have diverted even this long, and yet..." He had probably planned to finish that thought after bowing to her at the close of the dance, as the music came to a stop, but fate intervened and Ante's peculiar recoding difficulty took the initiative from both of them.
The sudden burst of poker chips cascading from her form at the dance's end, along with the sundering of her more peripheral garments came as quite a surprise to everyone, and a few guests gasped, looking her way. In this setting, anyone who didn't know Ante personally might have simply assumed it to be a sign of a young lady growing quite overcome by a dance with a handsome beau, and a couple smiled to themselves, clearly thinking this to be the case. From the corner, Mordenite, who had been watching the pair dance with a quiet pleasure of his own, noticed Ante's distress more clearly, and he had begun to uncurl himself as though to move, but Hoodwink reacted faster.
She would have felt the man start slightly at the sudden explosion, but he moved before the first chips hit the ground, stepping in closer and covering one side of her, a hair's breadth from letting his body press against hers, but not quite touching. His other hand had curled out around her to the other side, and already had the slim, ornate dagger out, but it became quickly apparent that it was a defensive action, protecting Ante as though worried something was attacking her. The pose left his lips right beside her ear and he whispered to her.
"You're safe, I promise." A moment later he seemed to remember where he was, and confirmed that, in fact, Ante wasn't under attack from anything but her own coding. The dagger was back in its sheath again in a blink, more or less before the last of the poker chips had clattered to the smooth floor.
Ante's own desperate plea was met with a concerned nod and his eyes flicked to the side briefly. A moment later, a mid-length cape, pale white on the back and red velvet inside, with the same gold trim as the rest of his outfit materialised over his shoulders. It completed his own look, and was clearly part of the outfit that he had shed earlier and only now refreshed. He swept it from his back and, in one smooth motion, draped it comfortingly around Ante's own shoulders, keeping one arm wrapped about her cautiously as he did. Anyone watching the large gargoyle in the corner would notice him relax again, sighing softly as he accepted the situation to be well in hand.
With a firm step Hookwink began to lead her off the dance floor and towards one of the side doors that would take them away from the other guests. Rather than waving ahead with one hand as others might do, his free hand remained holding hers in a comforting grip. Despite this, the guests more or less parted for them anyway, and they had no trouble reaching the door. His hand left hers for long enough to push it open, then returned. It closed behind them and the hum and murmur of the crowded ball room faded into quiet. He paused just past the door looking around hurriedly. They were in one of the mansions many connecting hallways, but without an existing knowledge of the layout there was no real way to tell what passage led where.
"Ahh... this way!" Or maybe there was? He led Ante to the right, then took a left-hand passage that was slightly smaller. It ended in a small antechamber and a tall double door with a placard that read 'Arboretum' on it. When he first tried the handle it didn't turn, but he held it a moment longer and a soft click issued, letting it turn properly and the door open enough to pass them both through.
On the other side, the air was pleasantly cool. They were, indeed, in and immaculately laid out green area, with a broad array of indoor plants and flowers, ordered into decorative patterns and artistic displays. The pathway through the long room wound back and forth, and split in some places to better appreciate the full grandeur of some of the more exotic-looking plants showcased. The ceiling and the outward facing wall were actually made of pane glass; the outer wall would, in daylight, give view of the estates, though now it was simply black night and starry skies. The ceiling was an unusual architectural design. It was a high ceiling, as one might normally expect, but since it was also a lower-floor room, and a glass ceiling couldn't support an normal floor, it actually appeared to intrude slightly upon the floor, and room above. More than that was hard to tell, as it was; the lighting was low here, easy enough to see by, yet dim. Looking up would reveal that, indeed, there was more mansion beyond the glass ceiling, and that, all the way up glass divides presented a direct line for sunlight, but what the rooms above were, or anything more, wasn't feasible for now.
More importantly to Hoodwink and Ante, was that there were a number of long, comfortable benches placed at regular points along the arboretum path, perfect for sitting and appreciating the beauty, but right now equally well suited for letting a flushed lady rest and recover herself away from prying eyes. Hoodwink led her to the nearest such bench and helped her sit, taking a seat beside her and releasing the hand around her shoulder so that he could take her hand in both of his.
"I do not know what happened, Ante. I swear to you, it was not my doing. We are away from other guests now and no-one can see us. Are you alright?" His gaze was mostly caught up in searching hers to ensure she was well. He had seated them right towards one end of the long, cushioned bench, and it would be easy enough for Ante to lie back, if she felt the need to.
---
Despite her misgivings, Duey seemed quite interested to hear her story as he began flipping through the pages of the ledger, searching for something. He looked up to her every now and then as he scanned the pages.
"Truly? And you managed to hold onto yourself through that? I'm impressed, really I am. I know that if this body of mine were destroyed, well, that would be it for me. No coming back from something like that. It's a good thing my life doesn't ever put me in any physical danger, no?" He didn't interrupt further as Fold began to tell him all about Ante, merely listening and nodding along to her. As she faltered away trying, and failing, to think of any imaginary faults that her liege-lady might have, Duey nodded once more.
"It really does sound like the two of you have been through quite a lot of unpleasantness, if you don't mind my saying. It's quite admirable that you're still helping people, though, if you don't mind my asking, what brings you to taking GNA Miss—Ah-ha!! Here it is!" His thought immediately broke off as he tapped gleefully at one passage in the thick tome that looked exactly like every other paragraph on the page. "I knew it! Oh I've got you now, old girl!! Ha-ha!!" He jumped up, looking like he wanted to dance a small jig, and barely restraining himself from it. "I'd give you a hug, miss Fold, if I didn't think you might brain me for it. This has absolutely made my night!" He leaned in to read the passage again once more, confirming it to himself, then closed the book and offered it back towards Fold.
"Let me explain, this just won't make any sense otherwise. Oh it's too ironic and wonderful, haha! You see, there's a particular little bit of case law that affects part of our recent dealings, but it's only relevant if it can be shown that the parties involved were are of the stipulations at the time of contracting. It's a notoriously difficult thing to prove, you understand, but one thing that will suffice as proof is possessing record of it in a personally commissioned or privately owned collection. So you see, I needed proof that Zenny had this ledger in her own collection before I could act." His grin was positively devilish now, but his eyes sparkled with glee and excitement. "I was searching for it, but Zenny is a clever old girl. She knew about it alright, but having to admit that she did, and thus bring it into play, will cost her dearly... so she had her own collection on private lock down, and she even put a perceptual filter over the series itself here in the library. I was searching for several minutes right where it ought to have been, and I couldn't find the thing! Truly wicked, no?" He reached out enthusiastically to clasp Fold's hands in his, despite the fact that he'd just handed her the book as well.
"Ah, but then you came along, miss Fold.. you on personal employ from Zennocracy herself... and you have a token directly from her own hand, don't you... something of hers that she gave you just this night. You must have, because that let you see right past the filter like it wasn't even there! Oh this is just too good! Thankyou, and thankyou again, Miss Fold, you've made my night, my week, my whole year! I can take her to the cleaners with this one. I was hoping to make tonight my very own Christmas, and it is, it truly is, haha!!" He jumped back and spun around, arms wide and head back.
"Careless, Zenny! You got careless, and this time it's going to cost you!" He laughed again, then gradually calmed, coming back to face Fold. "I am afraid I'm going to have to ask you to help get the book back where it belongs, too, I still couldn't really find the section where it goes, but after that, well, I am dressed for Christmas after all: I think I owe you a gift." If Fold felt like returning the book to its shelf, Duey would accompany her, hands behind his back and walking alongside with an amiable grin on his face. Of course, she could just as easily deposit the ledger one one of the few small stacks of books waiting to be re-shelved, or even refuse to touch it again and steer well clear of his attempt to hand it to her in the first place; nothing was really going to dampen DueAccountabilityMan's mood at this point, and he would likely just shrug, contented regardless of her decision. He had what he needed, after all. Either way, his comfortable conversation would continue.
"Well, one gift for free: I can certainly promise you that, whatever this does to Zenny's prospects in our little dealing, she'll certainly never hear from me how I found my proof. I would never dream of implicating or making things in any way difficult for you, not when you've helped me so much. For another... let's see... which way would it be from here... Ah!" He began to move back towards the main entrance of the library, then turned and beckoned with one finger. "Come with me... There's something I'd like to show you about our mutual friend, miss Zennocracy. Something you might like to know." It was, of course, up to Fold whether to follow the navi or not, he certainly seemed very well pleased, of course, but at what cost? Then there was the side matter of acquiring a trinket from him, too, if she still felt like trying for it.
"...really is some rather poor form I'd say..."
"...quite uncouth to be behaving so..."
"Reeling and staggering like that... talking to herself and the thin air... just how much do you suppose she's had then?"
"Too much, I'd think. Someone really ought to get her an escort home..."
"Yes... or at least have the service put her outside..."
Fortunately for Dare, the other useful feature about the well-to-do was that they were often fond of talking about what 'someone' should do, while never lifting a finger to action themselves. So it was that, while many frowned and tutted disapprovingly at her antics, none of the guests present in the hall actually took any action beyond murmuring to one another and sipping their drinks.
None of them really seemed to notice the sudden appearance, or disappearance, of the dark-skinned Drisco figures, either, and if some thought she was talking to the air, then perhaps the illusory play she was dealing with was actually focused entirely on her, to the exclusion of others even perceiving it... Not that that consideration would really help Dare much if she had it.
Having made his introduction, however, Drisco continued doing his best impression of an old Netfrican demon. Rather than answer her directly, another sensation began as she made her way back towards the arch that would return her to the bar, and sanctuary. This time it was hands slipping swiftly around her hips from behind, fingers running over the very tops of her thighs in a pointedly inwards slide. It didn't fade as she headed for the arch, but was joined by the feeling of another pair of hands, these ones rubbing and massaging in more soothing sensations, on her shoulders.
Dare's acceleration towards her goal didn't leave her opponent time for any more slow-working tricks, though, and the copies of her opponent that nestled amongst the other guests each faded as she passed. The sensations lingered until Dare kicked it up another fiery notch with her trail blazer, as she did they were replaced by a sudden, much more direct and notably more forceful sensation; the feeling of a somewhat sharp, quick slap across her behind. One would really want to hope that was another illusory sensation, and not an opportunistic guest.
As it turned out, of course, there was very little chance of it being the latter. The sudden bust of flaming glory that was Dare hitting her stride had the added effect of causing a veritable cacophony of startled gasps, shouts and even a couple of shocked screams as those guests that were in the hall all began to scurry away in whatever direction their closest exit was, for fear of the sudden turn of events. The ruckus was enough that, floors above and unseen by any others, Zennocracy looked up from her work, and muttered a curse to herself before standing up.
On the bright side, the fast and furious addition of fire had served to swiftly clear the hall of curious guests, leaving only Dare and Drisco... or, well, Dare at least. Whether that was actually Drisco leaning on the archway or not was still up for grabs. Dare wasn't taking any chances, though. The man's eyes widened as she sped at him, then positively launched herself high above his head in her passage through towards the bar lounge again. Surprised or not, his smile didn't falter and as she passed overhead everything else in her vision seemed to dim. At once she was still in the grand, brightly lit mansion, but at the same time, the sensation of being surrounded by an empty black void was rather hard to shake off. While she was still airborne, sailing clear over the head of the figure in the archway, any downward glance would show that it wasn't a garishly dressed Netfrican male she was leaping over, but rather a chorus of shadowy, black hands, all reaching up towards her in a sea, yearning to grip and grab and hold and pull her down to them.
Depending on how focused she was in that moment, if Dare could psyche herself in and focus enough to actually stick the landing, that in itself would be more than worthy of praise. The sense of endless black and the sea of hands ended the instant she touched the ground, no matter what level of grace, or a lack of it, she actually touched down with.
Back in the atmosphere of the bar lounge, now, her goal was only a scarce few metres away, and there didn't look to be anyone in the room at all, save the bar staff and the Drisco by the arch. He had turned around to watch her, laughing to himself as he did, a surprised and bemused expression working is way through his features.
"It is one grand surprise after another with you, Daring One. My hat is off to you!" He laughed again and picked up his drink from a small table by the arch to take a sip. If Dare was paying attention to the action, it might tell her that no decoy or illusion could do that, but that would depend entirely on her own presence of mind at that moment.
The sensations began again in earnest as he finished speaking: the feeling of fingertips softly dragging lines down her calves, delicate touches brushing over the tops of her ear, and across her lips with delicate slowness, fingers sliding firmly around the back of her neck like a grip, a hand on her right thigh, another delicately caressing her left breast. Each off-putting in their own way, perhaps, but unless he could physically catch her before she reached the bar, it seemed like Drisco had underestimated her willingness to make a scene in the name of victory. Three more metres was all it would take, after all.
-----
As they danced, Ante's temporary prince was content enough simply to watch her without speaking. Mostly, he held her eyes, though there were moments when his gaze traced the rest of her face; the eyes never wandered far, however, and at no point did they drop below the smooth skin of her neck. The dance itself was only a few minutes long, though to those enjoying it, it may surely have felt both far longer, and far too short. As they drew closer to the end of the piece, Hoodwink broke his silence to answer her, smiling in a way that curled one side of his lips slightly more than the other, showing his teeth on only one side. It was a slightly more roguish look than one might expect from a prince, but along with the graceful movements and the soft tone of his voice, it only served to further blur the question of which way he should truly be taken.
"Some may disagree, but I find you truly beautiful, Ante, and dancing so has been a joy. You have grace and skill, and I would keep you all night if I could. Sadly, business permits me only one turn of the floor this night. To be honest, I shouldn't have diverted even this long, and yet..." He had probably planned to finish that thought after bowing to her at the close of the dance, as the music came to a stop, but fate intervened and Ante's peculiar recoding difficulty took the initiative from both of them.
The sudden burst of poker chips cascading from her form at the dance's end, along with the sundering of her more peripheral garments came as quite a surprise to everyone, and a few guests gasped, looking her way. In this setting, anyone who didn't know Ante personally might have simply assumed it to be a sign of a young lady growing quite overcome by a dance with a handsome beau, and a couple smiled to themselves, clearly thinking this to be the case. From the corner, Mordenite, who had been watching the pair dance with a quiet pleasure of his own, noticed Ante's distress more clearly, and he had begun to uncurl himself as though to move, but Hoodwink reacted faster.
She would have felt the man start slightly at the sudden explosion, but he moved before the first chips hit the ground, stepping in closer and covering one side of her, a hair's breadth from letting his body press against hers, but not quite touching. His other hand had curled out around her to the other side, and already had the slim, ornate dagger out, but it became quickly apparent that it was a defensive action, protecting Ante as though worried something was attacking her. The pose left his lips right beside her ear and he whispered to her.
"You're safe, I promise." A moment later he seemed to remember where he was, and confirmed that, in fact, Ante wasn't under attack from anything but her own coding. The dagger was back in its sheath again in a blink, more or less before the last of the poker chips had clattered to the smooth floor.
Ante's own desperate plea was met with a concerned nod and his eyes flicked to the side briefly. A moment later, a mid-length cape, pale white on the back and red velvet inside, with the same gold trim as the rest of his outfit materialised over his shoulders. It completed his own look, and was clearly part of the outfit that he had shed earlier and only now refreshed. He swept it from his back and, in one smooth motion, draped it comfortingly around Ante's own shoulders, keeping one arm wrapped about her cautiously as he did. Anyone watching the large gargoyle in the corner would notice him relax again, sighing softly as he accepted the situation to be well in hand.
With a firm step Hookwink began to lead her off the dance floor and towards one of the side doors that would take them away from the other guests. Rather than waving ahead with one hand as others might do, his free hand remained holding hers in a comforting grip. Despite this, the guests more or less parted for them anyway, and they had no trouble reaching the door. His hand left hers for long enough to push it open, then returned. It closed behind them and the hum and murmur of the crowded ball room faded into quiet. He paused just past the door looking around hurriedly. They were in one of the mansions many connecting hallways, but without an existing knowledge of the layout there was no real way to tell what passage led where.
"Ahh... this way!" Or maybe there was? He led Ante to the right, then took a left-hand passage that was slightly smaller. It ended in a small antechamber and a tall double door with a placard that read 'Arboretum' on it. When he first tried the handle it didn't turn, but he held it a moment longer and a soft click issued, letting it turn properly and the door open enough to pass them both through.
On the other side, the air was pleasantly cool. They were, indeed, in and immaculately laid out green area, with a broad array of indoor plants and flowers, ordered into decorative patterns and artistic displays. The pathway through the long room wound back and forth, and split in some places to better appreciate the full grandeur of some of the more exotic-looking plants showcased. The ceiling and the outward facing wall were actually made of pane glass; the outer wall would, in daylight, give view of the estates, though now it was simply black night and starry skies. The ceiling was an unusual architectural design. It was a high ceiling, as one might normally expect, but since it was also a lower-floor room, and a glass ceiling couldn't support an normal floor, it actually appeared to intrude slightly upon the floor, and room above. More than that was hard to tell, as it was; the lighting was low here, easy enough to see by, yet dim. Looking up would reveal that, indeed, there was more mansion beyond the glass ceiling, and that, all the way up glass divides presented a direct line for sunlight, but what the rooms above were, or anything more, wasn't feasible for now.
More importantly to Hoodwink and Ante, was that there were a number of long, comfortable benches placed at regular points along the arboretum path, perfect for sitting and appreciating the beauty, but right now equally well suited for letting a flushed lady rest and recover herself away from prying eyes. Hoodwink led her to the nearest such bench and helped her sit, taking a seat beside her and releasing the hand around her shoulder so that he could take her hand in both of his.
"I do not know what happened, Ante. I swear to you, it was not my doing. We are away from other guests now and no-one can see us. Are you alright?" His gaze was mostly caught up in searching hers to ensure she was well. He had seated them right towards one end of the long, cushioned bench, and it would be easy enough for Ante to lie back, if she felt the need to.
---
Despite her misgivings, Duey seemed quite interested to hear her story as he began flipping through the pages of the ledger, searching for something. He looked up to her every now and then as he scanned the pages.
"Truly? And you managed to hold onto yourself through that? I'm impressed, really I am. I know that if this body of mine were destroyed, well, that would be it for me. No coming back from something like that. It's a good thing my life doesn't ever put me in any physical danger, no?" He didn't interrupt further as Fold began to tell him all about Ante, merely listening and nodding along to her. As she faltered away trying, and failing, to think of any imaginary faults that her liege-lady might have, Duey nodded once more.
"It really does sound like the two of you have been through quite a lot of unpleasantness, if you don't mind my saying. It's quite admirable that you're still helping people, though, if you don't mind my asking, what brings you to taking GNA Miss—Ah-ha!! Here it is!" His thought immediately broke off as he tapped gleefully at one passage in the thick tome that looked exactly like every other paragraph on the page. "I knew it! Oh I've got you now, old girl!! Ha-ha!!" He jumped up, looking like he wanted to dance a small jig, and barely restraining himself from it. "I'd give you a hug, miss Fold, if I didn't think you might brain me for it. This has absolutely made my night!" He leaned in to read the passage again once more, confirming it to himself, then closed the book and offered it back towards Fold.
"Let me explain, this just won't make any sense otherwise. Oh it's too ironic and wonderful, haha! You see, there's a particular little bit of case law that affects part of our recent dealings, but it's only relevant if it can be shown that the parties involved were are of the stipulations at the time of contracting. It's a notoriously difficult thing to prove, you understand, but one thing that will suffice as proof is possessing record of it in a personally commissioned or privately owned collection. So you see, I needed proof that Zenny had this ledger in her own collection before I could act." His grin was positively devilish now, but his eyes sparkled with glee and excitement. "I was searching for it, but Zenny is a clever old girl. She knew about it alright, but having to admit that she did, and thus bring it into play, will cost her dearly... so she had her own collection on private lock down, and she even put a perceptual filter over the series itself here in the library. I was searching for several minutes right where it ought to have been, and I couldn't find the thing! Truly wicked, no?" He reached out enthusiastically to clasp Fold's hands in his, despite the fact that he'd just handed her the book as well.
"Ah, but then you came along, miss Fold.. you on personal employ from Zennocracy herself... and you have a token directly from her own hand, don't you... something of hers that she gave you just this night. You must have, because that let you see right past the filter like it wasn't even there! Oh this is just too good! Thankyou, and thankyou again, Miss Fold, you've made my night, my week, my whole year! I can take her to the cleaners with this one. I was hoping to make tonight my very own Christmas, and it is, it truly is, haha!!" He jumped back and spun around, arms wide and head back.
"Careless, Zenny! You got careless, and this time it's going to cost you!" He laughed again, then gradually calmed, coming back to face Fold. "I am afraid I'm going to have to ask you to help get the book back where it belongs, too, I still couldn't really find the section where it goes, but after that, well, I am dressed for Christmas after all: I think I owe you a gift." If Fold felt like returning the book to its shelf, Duey would accompany her, hands behind his back and walking alongside with an amiable grin on his face. Of course, she could just as easily deposit the ledger one one of the few small stacks of books waiting to be re-shelved, or even refuse to touch it again and steer well clear of his attempt to hand it to her in the first place; nothing was really going to dampen DueAccountabilityMan's mood at this point, and he would likely just shrug, contented regardless of her decision. He had what he needed, after all. Either way, his comfortable conversation would continue.
"Well, one gift for free: I can certainly promise you that, whatever this does to Zenny's prospects in our little dealing, she'll certainly never hear from me how I found my proof. I would never dream of implicating or making things in any way difficult for you, not when you've helped me so much. For another... let's see... which way would it be from here... Ah!" He began to move back towards the main entrance of the library, then turned and beckoned with one finger. "Come with me... There's something I'd like to show you about our mutual friend, miss Zennocracy. Something you might like to know." It was, of course, up to Fold whether to follow the navi or not, he certainly seemed very well pleased, of course, but at what cost? Then there was the side matter of acquiring a trinket from him, too, if she still felt like trying for it.
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To Dare, the other partygoers were like trees in a forest, obstacles meant to be dodged, and their words like whispering in the brush, meaningless noise meant to be drowned out by the sound of one's own velocity. That her mind's poetic formulation of "haters gonna hate," and although that left her with one less distraction, there were certainly enough left. Dare supposed Drisco (because she could only assume it was Drisco) was good with his hands in a normal situation, but few people ever ask for a massage while running. "Ack!" she gasped, picking up a little bit of unintentional speed to go along with her Trail Blazer as she felt something sting across her backside. "And I'm pretty sure nobody asks for that." Dare was keeping her lips drawn as she ran now, trying to decide how much personal dignity was worth shedding for this win.
There wasn't any point in worrying about it now, however, as the finish line was just a corner and a Shadow with a Thousand Hands away. Dare mustered all of her energy to avoid trying to toss the guy with her Gate Crasher and just do her flip as she'd planned.
Once airborne, the daredevil Navi was reminded of the same pieces of poor planning as before... one, she was already feeling slammed, and she was instantly doubting her ability to avoid tossing her Fireball upon landing, and two, she was wearing a dress, so her aerial flip was probably giving some dandies a pleasant view of her drawers at the present moment. "I guess they'll know what they look like before I do... I hope Ante didn't play some practical joke on me," she mused.
Her undergarments and the possibility of blowing chunks seemed far less imperative than just sticking a proper landing, however, when she got a proper view of what she was flipping over. She thanked herself that she'd gotten her huge dress overhead, and that Ante had put her hair in a bun: she guessed those were probably the only things that kept the mass of hands from getting a good dangling grab point while she was over. "Just gotta get over... just gotta get over!" Dare fired her jets, which propelled her a bit and let her terminate the flip more quickly. Landing after what felt like a solid minute, Dare was never happier to get out of the air and back on the ground.
Dare was impressed by Drisco's giant hand mass, but not exactly frightened. She wasn't the type of Navi that scared easily. "Not bad, Thumbs!" she shouted back to Drisco, keeping a grin that was wider and twitchier than normal in light of the phantom funtime spreading across her body once again. "I'll admit, you got me to work up a sweat. But a- ah- a drink after you've worked hard just tastes even better!"
She turned around, trying to keep a brave face on. She thought she might be bluffing about that drink tasting good right now, although she certainly hoped not. However, what she was REALLY afraid she was bluffing about was the win. Wasting little more time, she began her sprint to her barstool, intending to vault onto it without refinement or care of what shape her dress ended up in. At this point, she really had used up all of her trump cards. She didn't think she was going to get any help from Bruce either... she didn't know what he was up to, but it didn't seem like he was ready and waiting to answer an SOS. If Drisco decided to pull even one more trick out of his sleeves, her goose could be cooked. "All you can do is keep the speed up... don't you dare slow down!"
There wasn't any point in worrying about it now, however, as the finish line was just a corner and a Shadow with a Thousand Hands away. Dare mustered all of her energy to avoid trying to toss the guy with her Gate Crasher and just do her flip as she'd planned.
Once airborne, the daredevil Navi was reminded of the same pieces of poor planning as before... one, she was already feeling slammed, and she was instantly doubting her ability to avoid tossing her Fireball upon landing, and two, she was wearing a dress, so her aerial flip was probably giving some dandies a pleasant view of her drawers at the present moment. "I guess they'll know what they look like before I do... I hope Ante didn't play some practical joke on me," she mused.
Her undergarments and the possibility of blowing chunks seemed far less imperative than just sticking a proper landing, however, when she got a proper view of what she was flipping over. She thanked herself that she'd gotten her huge dress overhead, and that Ante had put her hair in a bun: she guessed those were probably the only things that kept the mass of hands from getting a good dangling grab point while she was over. "Just gotta get over... just gotta get over!" Dare fired her jets, which propelled her a bit and let her terminate the flip more quickly. Landing after what felt like a solid minute, Dare was never happier to get out of the air and back on the ground.
Dare was impressed by Drisco's giant hand mass, but not exactly frightened. She wasn't the type of Navi that scared easily. "Not bad, Thumbs!" she shouted back to Drisco, keeping a grin that was wider and twitchier than normal in light of the phantom funtime spreading across her body once again. "I'll admit, you got me to work up a sweat. But a- ah- a drink after you've worked hard just tastes even better!"
She turned around, trying to keep a brave face on. She thought she might be bluffing about that drink tasting good right now, although she certainly hoped not. However, what she was REALLY afraid she was bluffing about was the win. Wasting little more time, she began her sprint to her barstool, intending to vault onto it without refinement or care of what shape her dress ended up in. At this point, she really had used up all of her trump cards. She didn't think she was going to get any help from Bruce either... she didn't know what he was up to, but it didn't seem like he was ready and waiting to answer an SOS. If Drisco decided to pull even one more trick out of his sleeves, her goose could be cooked. "All you can do is keep the speed up... don't you dare slow down!"
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Unfortunately, the first thing that Ante thought when Hoodwink drew her close and whipped out a knife, placing it close to her back, wasn't that he was trying to defend her; she became ashamed of her initial impression, when she realized that he'd been intending to protect her from the unseen source of her virus. She also found herself thinking that this was the first time she'd ever really been so close to a man in any capacity other than dancing. She could hardly mind given the person and the circumstances, of course. Ante's worries diminished further as they left the dancing floor, away from the other guests, and found a private spot to themselves, where her disgraceful affliction would not be as much of a concern. In fact, by the time the two were alone together, she found that she was neither afraid nor in any sort of shock, such that her previous anguish could hardly be remembered when she took her seat next to Hoodwink. "Oh, I'm quite alright. Thank you for your concern," the princess responded, taking note of the fact that Hoodwink still hadn't released her hands, but not objecting to it. "I'd judged him all wrong... He's either a very caring person or very devoted to flirting," she thought to herself, smiling whimsically in spite of the situation.
Now, however, she'd begun to feel a bit guilty. After all, he was worried that she was being targeted by some shadowy hoodlum or assailant, when in reality, all she'd done was withheld information from him that should have been presented earlier. "I'm very sorry, Sir Hoodwink. It was quite crude of me to do so, but I'm afraid that I failed to give you a full briefing of a pre-existing condition of mine that may interfere with this mission..." she murmured, allowing him to continue holding her hands while staring up sheepishly into his eyes. "You see, quite some time ago, a virus was placed within me by a certain hacker... the effect transformed me such that... in situations of concentration, for instance, battle, my clothing tends to shed itself automatically based on an algorithm... a card game in which high value hands strip the clothes from my back. It's quite embarrassing, so I wanted to omit the detail if possible... I figured it would do no harm, since I wasn't intending to do battle. But I suppose dancing also triggers the start of the process," she sighed. "I really ought to have let you and Miss Zennocracy know earlier."
With that out of the way, she waited a moment, then started slightly. "But I've derailed you completely from your original purpose! You had come to the dance floor to share some new information with me, I believe?" Ante inquired. She might have taken the time to admire the scenery again if didn't find herself devoting the whole of her attention to Hoodwink. She might also spare some thought to the shouting and jet-flaring noises coming from down the hall where Dare was racing, had she not been preoccupied.
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"Self-defense is the priority of all of the net's citizens, I'm afraid. You'd do well to learn to protect yourself," Fold lightly chastised Duey, as was her nature as a bodyguard. "As for the GNA? Well, we were simply hunting for a way to earn-" Before Fold could finish her answer, the normal-navi turned scholar giggled with mirth and presented his new findings. A growing sense of unease began to grow in her stomach, one that made her feel as though she might nervously bop her blackmailer, with or without the attempted hug. As he continued celebrating and she continued pondering, however, she found herself becoming more stable and thinking more clearly. "I'm probably the only one of us who is experiencing this kind of dilemma. That means that all of our fates depend on me here... Violence would be the wrong way to go. Furthermore, Hoodwink has already promised to sweeten the deal for us if we obtain trinkets and informed us that Zenny wouldn't be likely to pay much... On the other hand, I have a fellow here who is quite indebted to me. Perhaps I should see what he's willing to offer me, as well as whatever he has to show me regarding Miss Zenny... The whole landscape of the mission could still change, so much so that other obligations take precedence over pleasing our original employer."
While she was thus occupied in thought, she moved to return the book to exactly where she had left it. If it so happened that she needed to pull a fast one on Duey, she'd think about how to do that later. The night was still relatively young and Duey was in her sights. She placed it carefully onto the shelf, remembering the exact spot... after all, if Zenny caught on to what was happening herself, she might take away Fold's means to locate the book later on in the night.
With that finished, Fold turned back to DueAccountabilityMan. "That's quite generous of you, considering how little I've done to deserve a request. Might I ask... Would you be willing to pay me zenny, for my service? As I was about to say earlier before the topic of conversation turned, we are only here working for Miss Zennocracy with the intention of doing service and being paid. Depending on what else I learn, we may end up more fulfilled having assisted you instead, but I'm afraid we'll come out of it equally poor as we started unless some payment is furnished," she inquired. "I'm truly sorry if that sounds greedy of me. But I would hate to disappoint the princess, after all." Besides that, there was plenty of time left in the night, and if they happened to become friends, she had a pretty good feeling that she could simply ask Duey to give her something and he'd oblige. A lot of the Black Queen's plan relied upon patiently waiting and seeing how the rest of the night unfolded. "Well, you don't have to decide right now either. In fact, it may be best if you showed me whatever it is you think I ought to see first..."
Now, however, she'd begun to feel a bit guilty. After all, he was worried that she was being targeted by some shadowy hoodlum or assailant, when in reality, all she'd done was withheld information from him that should have been presented earlier. "I'm very sorry, Sir Hoodwink. It was quite crude of me to do so, but I'm afraid that I failed to give you a full briefing of a pre-existing condition of mine that may interfere with this mission..." she murmured, allowing him to continue holding her hands while staring up sheepishly into his eyes. "You see, quite some time ago, a virus was placed within me by a certain hacker... the effect transformed me such that... in situations of concentration, for instance, battle, my clothing tends to shed itself automatically based on an algorithm... a card game in which high value hands strip the clothes from my back. It's quite embarrassing, so I wanted to omit the detail if possible... I figured it would do no harm, since I wasn't intending to do battle. But I suppose dancing also triggers the start of the process," she sighed. "I really ought to have let you and Miss Zennocracy know earlier."
With that out of the way, she waited a moment, then started slightly. "But I've derailed you completely from your original purpose! You had come to the dance floor to share some new information with me, I believe?" Ante inquired. She might have taken the time to admire the scenery again if didn't find herself devoting the whole of her attention to Hoodwink. She might also spare some thought to the shouting and jet-flaring noises coming from down the hall where Dare was racing, had she not been preoccupied.
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"Self-defense is the priority of all of the net's citizens, I'm afraid. You'd do well to learn to protect yourself," Fold lightly chastised Duey, as was her nature as a bodyguard. "As for the GNA? Well, we were simply hunting for a way to earn-" Before Fold could finish her answer, the normal-navi turned scholar giggled with mirth and presented his new findings. A growing sense of unease began to grow in her stomach, one that made her feel as though she might nervously bop her blackmailer, with or without the attempted hug. As he continued celebrating and she continued pondering, however, she found herself becoming more stable and thinking more clearly. "I'm probably the only one of us who is experiencing this kind of dilemma. That means that all of our fates depend on me here... Violence would be the wrong way to go. Furthermore, Hoodwink has already promised to sweeten the deal for us if we obtain trinkets and informed us that Zenny wouldn't be likely to pay much... On the other hand, I have a fellow here who is quite indebted to me. Perhaps I should see what he's willing to offer me, as well as whatever he has to show me regarding Miss Zenny... The whole landscape of the mission could still change, so much so that other obligations take precedence over pleasing our original employer."
While she was thus occupied in thought, she moved to return the book to exactly where she had left it. If it so happened that she needed to pull a fast one on Duey, she'd think about how to do that later. The night was still relatively young and Duey was in her sights. She placed it carefully onto the shelf, remembering the exact spot... after all, if Zenny caught on to what was happening herself, she might take away Fold's means to locate the book later on in the night.
With that finished, Fold turned back to DueAccountabilityMan. "That's quite generous of you, considering how little I've done to deserve a request. Might I ask... Would you be willing to pay me zenny, for my service? As I was about to say earlier before the topic of conversation turned, we are only here working for Miss Zennocracy with the intention of doing service and being paid. Depending on what else I learn, we may end up more fulfilled having assisted you instead, but I'm afraid we'll come out of it equally poor as we started unless some payment is furnished," she inquired. "I'm truly sorry if that sounds greedy of me. But I would hate to disappoint the princess, after all." Besides that, there was plenty of time left in the night, and if they happened to become friends, she had a pretty good feeling that she could simply ask Duey to give her something and he'd oblige. A lot of the Black Queen's plan relied upon patiently waiting and seeing how the rest of the night unfolded. "Well, you don't have to decide right now either. In fact, it may be best if you showed me whatever it is you think I ought to see first..."
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If Dare had been in a clearer frame of mind, certain small features might have raised an alarm or two. As it was though, they went ignored while she made her final dash to the finish. The first warning bell should probably have been the sight that, aside the bar staff, no-one else looked to be present in the room. Saija's whereabouts became clearer, though, as the second danger signal revealed itself.
Of all the touches, strokes and caresses that Drisco had been distracting her with, the much firmer grip around the back of her neck was something markedly different from the rest, and ignoring it like the rest proved fatal. Where the other soft stroking and groping faded, this hand did not, and as Dare broke into her last run, she found herself very firmly tripped up by something as unyielding as it was invisible, at shin height. The neck grip held gently, but no less unyielding and pressed down even as what was more than likely an extended leg, tripped her, and the result left Dare pinned delicately to the floor by little more than two fingers and a thumb. A second pair of fingers pressed softly against the small of her back, balancing the hold, though there was no real pressure or force to either; if Dare picked herself up immediately, she'd certainly be able to without any struggle, but at this stage, it hardly seemed to matter.
Saija shimmered into sight a moment later, revealing herself as the source of the firm but gentle hold, and indeed the trip. She was crouched with one leg extended still, beside Dare, each hand only contacting Dare with a couple of fingers. On on hand, with her head turned towards Sajija, it was easy to see that the woman had disregarded the modesty of her dress, the crouched pose giving a very easy view of matching silken undergarments, for those who happened to have their faces at ground level. On the other hand, this was far longer than two seconds. The woman was smiling softly, pleased with herself, and took a moment to run her tongue over her lips slowly as she looked over her catch. In particular, she found Dare's eyes and winked.
"You did say I could play..." That she herself had vocally opted out didn't seem to bother her conscience at this point, though between her earlier comment, and the way she was watching Dare now, one might begin to discern an ulterior motive in her returned interest.
Drisco had walked over, chuckling mirthfully with both hands spread wide.
"An exhilarating game, was it not? And well played by all! Brave to the last, Daring one, but it seems the shadow triumphs in the end!" He extended a hand to help Dare up, if she wasn't already on her feet, but Saija snorted and did the same, on Dare's other side.
"Hah! You were totally just going to let her win if I didn't step in!" Drisco shrugged, putting on a face of mock innocence.
"Maybe, maybe... who can say for sure? The night is young, after all." He inclined his head to Dare, putting one hand over his chest, then spreading both before himself, palms up. "You see, Dare, I made a deal with Saija, here. I agreed to buy back her drink for her, so long as she would help me best you. Come, let's return to the bar. I would claim my prize, but first, we must have another round of drinks. The round is on me, for I am feeling generous and lucky."
"And you owe it to me, at least..." Saija added with just a hint of snark.
By the time Dare arrived back at the bar, another FireFist would be waiting for her, and Drisco would be waiting for his prize, but on her other side, Saija piped up after taking a sip of her own drink.
"Alright, so I'm in then. Next game! But I made the catch on that one, so I want something from you too, Dare, first. It's only fair, right? What'll you give me for making the touch, huh?"
This was beginning to head in a risky, but potentially highly successful direction. Both of them seemed to be enjoying themselves, at least, but between the looks and words, it was starting to look like both of them were making hopeful designs on Dare's company for the night.
----
The apparent worry on Hoodwink's features faded to concern as Ante explained her unfortunate predicament to him, and the hand covering hers stroked back and forth slowly in what was probably an unconscious gesture of comfort.
"I see. I understand why you wouldn't want to tell anyone about that, and I'm sorry that you ended up having to reveal it like this. I feel somewhat guilty myself, really. Others say I have unnatural luck. What I want, I get, and many things simply rearrange themselves to suit. I felt rather ashamed because, well, I was longing for a chance to be more private with you... but I would swear to you, I didn't wish for that to occur." He took a long breath, looking around the arboretum briefly, then finding ante's eyes again.
"I wonder... If you kept my cloak tonight, Ante, would that protect you? Perhaps your affliction can't affect clothing that isn't formally a part of your own outfit? Keep it, at any rate, I insist." He grinned again and ducked his head.
There were another long few moments of the navi simply appearing to enjoy Ante's company before she brought things back on track. Now, though, it was Hoodwink's turn to look embarrassed. He dropped his head, and a very delicate pink touched his cheeks.
"I... ah... Ante, if you were concerned about what others would think of you omitting information, then please, I must beg you forgive me if I, myself, wasn't entirely honest with you." He looked away, swallowing, then back to her eyes again. "I did wish to speak with, yes, but what I wanted to share was not strictly relevant." He cleared his throat before continuing, though there was an earnest edge to the soft tones of his voice. "When we parted ways at the beginning of this evening, I found I couldn't stop my mind from wandering off task, to think of you. I just..." His hand on hers stopped stroking for a moment, and squeezed briefly instead. "I'm sorry, Ante, I simply had to see you again. I have no more information to share, and I hadn't even meant to attend the ball tonight. If Zenny sees me here, she won't be pleased. All I can say is... you are beauty, and you are grace," he lifted one hand turning it as though to brush the backs of his fingers caressingly against her cheek, though he hesitated, meeting her eyes again to see if she would consent to the familiar touch, first, and wouldn't make it unless she did. "And you are consuming my thoughts... may I?"
After a moment, he sat back, reclining a little bit now that the immediate sense of urgency was passed, though his features were pensive.
"Ante, I find I'm beginning to regret appearing before you as I did first. How can I explain it..." He looked around the garden, then sat forward again, reaching for her hand once more to continue the same slow stroking. "I lead the rogue life, it's true. I spend more time around rougher folk than settings like this, but... Tell me, Ante, have you heard the legend of Loxley? It tells the story of a ruler's son, prevented from succession by a usurping regent, but who could not bear to live recluse in the prince's life while those rightfully under him were made to suffer tyranny. The story goes that he shed his title and made himself outlaw, living amongst the people so that he could more directly fight for them." He sighed softly. "There is some small part of that tale that is similar to my own situation, but I often find myself missing the more refined elements of life. Seeing you this evening, Ante, dancing with you now, it shows me what it is I'm truly wanting for, and what I want now, is..." He swallowed again, pausing for a long breath. "Well, someone like you, Ante. Someone to spend time with, someone to dance with..." He raised her hand to kiss the back of it gently for the third time that night. "Someone to hold and to care for, and to share the elation of a romantic night with." There was a flush in his cheeks as he spoke, but to his credit he held her eyes, waiting to see how she might respond to such... boldness.
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As they returned the book, Duey chuckled and shook his head, though he didn't seem put off by the request in the slightest.
"Don't worry, I don't think you greedy for asking, miss Fold. One can hardly circulate in the word of big business without expecting requests to be of capital value more often than not. I'm sorry to say, though, that currency is actually one of the things I'm simply unable to offer. Strange I know, seeing as I deal with funds most days, but, that's all tied up in business after all, and it's not really mine, per se." He sighed, shrugging as they returned to the main entrance. "I don't even have any actual funds of my own, either. My life is a simple one, and one without personal expense. I do the work I was made for, as shrewdly as I may, and I help my operator, and that's about it, I'm afraid."
As they stepped out into the hallway again, Duey led her further along the line of portraits, apparently with a destination well in mind. He kept only a bare half step ahead of her, just enough to lead the way, while still doing his best to actually walk with her.
"My greatest asset is really in information, which is why I think you'll be interested to see what I have to show you, but first we need to get to—" He stopped short, perking up to listen closely to a sound that came from up the hall ahead of them. It was the click of heeled shoes marching at a resolute pace down the flight of stairs that had led to Zennocracy's private office, earlier, and realistically could only be the woman herself coming down. "Ah, let's not. Quickly, in here, miss Fold!" Seemingly, Duey didn't feel overly like meeting their host face to face right now, and he reached to take Fold's hand as he ducked away into a side door.
The room he led them into turned out to have most of its lights off, save some dim floor points that outlined a few book cases and a couple of consoles. More impressive, however was a large astronomy device that dominated pride of place in the room. Nearest the door, the room was more like a combined library and sitting room, but about two thirds of the way out, the room was curtailed by a banister, and the ceiling was replaced with glass. The large telescope took up a circle in the centre where the floor of the room ended, but stepping up the the bannister on either side would reveal that the last portion of the room was actually a cut-away open well. The far wall was glass that looked out into the mansion grounds, and above the ceiling, a section looked as though the glass could retract to allow the telescope to extend and move. Rather than a floor, the last section was open space, and looking down one might see the glass roof of the floor below; actually the ceiling of a very well-appointed arboretum. Even if someone down below couldn't see much looking up, the lighting was such that, if Fold were to walk to the rail and look down, she would very likely see a certain couple sitting close together on one of the garden's long benches.
Duey was waiting by the door, listening to Zennocracy pass by in silence. The quick march sounded quite like she was positively storming. When the footsteps had passed, Duey breathed a small sigh, then grinned towards Fold.
"Sorry about that. Let's see... Ah, I guess this would be her observatory. It's a replica of the actual Scotsdale Estate, you see, so even if the net sky here wouldn't hold much interest, it was still built to specification. Ah, actually... this will do fine, I can access from here." He darted quickly across to one of the consoles that was apparently for working with the giant telescope, but as he woke it up, it showed that it was quite able to do other things as well. Duey glanced up again. "This will only take a few minutes, miss Fold, just wait a moment, and I'll have it up in a jiffy." While he worked, Fold was indeed left with a few minutes to herself to explore the chamber as she wanted.
Of all the touches, strokes and caresses that Drisco had been distracting her with, the much firmer grip around the back of her neck was something markedly different from the rest, and ignoring it like the rest proved fatal. Where the other soft stroking and groping faded, this hand did not, and as Dare broke into her last run, she found herself very firmly tripped up by something as unyielding as it was invisible, at shin height. The neck grip held gently, but no less unyielding and pressed down even as what was more than likely an extended leg, tripped her, and the result left Dare pinned delicately to the floor by little more than two fingers and a thumb. A second pair of fingers pressed softly against the small of her back, balancing the hold, though there was no real pressure or force to either; if Dare picked herself up immediately, she'd certainly be able to without any struggle, but at this stage, it hardly seemed to matter.
Saija shimmered into sight a moment later, revealing herself as the source of the firm but gentle hold, and indeed the trip. She was crouched with one leg extended still, beside Dare, each hand only contacting Dare with a couple of fingers. On on hand, with her head turned towards Sajija, it was easy to see that the woman had disregarded the modesty of her dress, the crouched pose giving a very easy view of matching silken undergarments, for those who happened to have their faces at ground level. On the other hand, this was far longer than two seconds. The woman was smiling softly, pleased with herself, and took a moment to run her tongue over her lips slowly as she looked over her catch. In particular, she found Dare's eyes and winked.
"You did say I could play..." That she herself had vocally opted out didn't seem to bother her conscience at this point, though between her earlier comment, and the way she was watching Dare now, one might begin to discern an ulterior motive in her returned interest.
Drisco had walked over, chuckling mirthfully with both hands spread wide.
"An exhilarating game, was it not? And well played by all! Brave to the last, Daring one, but it seems the shadow triumphs in the end!" He extended a hand to help Dare up, if she wasn't already on her feet, but Saija snorted and did the same, on Dare's other side.
"Hah! You were totally just going to let her win if I didn't step in!" Drisco shrugged, putting on a face of mock innocence.
"Maybe, maybe... who can say for sure? The night is young, after all." He inclined his head to Dare, putting one hand over his chest, then spreading both before himself, palms up. "You see, Dare, I made a deal with Saija, here. I agreed to buy back her drink for her, so long as she would help me best you. Come, let's return to the bar. I would claim my prize, but first, we must have another round of drinks. The round is on me, for I am feeling generous and lucky."
"And you owe it to me, at least..." Saija added with just a hint of snark.
By the time Dare arrived back at the bar, another FireFist would be waiting for her, and Drisco would be waiting for his prize, but on her other side, Saija piped up after taking a sip of her own drink.
"Alright, so I'm in then. Next game! But I made the catch on that one, so I want something from you too, Dare, first. It's only fair, right? What'll you give me for making the touch, huh?"
This was beginning to head in a risky, but potentially highly successful direction. Both of them seemed to be enjoying themselves, at least, but between the looks and words, it was starting to look like both of them were making hopeful designs on Dare's company for the night.
----
The apparent worry on Hoodwink's features faded to concern as Ante explained her unfortunate predicament to him, and the hand covering hers stroked back and forth slowly in what was probably an unconscious gesture of comfort.
"I see. I understand why you wouldn't want to tell anyone about that, and I'm sorry that you ended up having to reveal it like this. I feel somewhat guilty myself, really. Others say I have unnatural luck. What I want, I get, and many things simply rearrange themselves to suit. I felt rather ashamed because, well, I was longing for a chance to be more private with you... but I would swear to you, I didn't wish for that to occur." He took a long breath, looking around the arboretum briefly, then finding ante's eyes again.
"I wonder... If you kept my cloak tonight, Ante, would that protect you? Perhaps your affliction can't affect clothing that isn't formally a part of your own outfit? Keep it, at any rate, I insist." He grinned again and ducked his head.
There were another long few moments of the navi simply appearing to enjoy Ante's company before she brought things back on track. Now, though, it was Hoodwink's turn to look embarrassed. He dropped his head, and a very delicate pink touched his cheeks.
"I... ah... Ante, if you were concerned about what others would think of you omitting information, then please, I must beg you forgive me if I, myself, wasn't entirely honest with you." He looked away, swallowing, then back to her eyes again. "I did wish to speak with, yes, but what I wanted to share was not strictly relevant." He cleared his throat before continuing, though there was an earnest edge to the soft tones of his voice. "When we parted ways at the beginning of this evening, I found I couldn't stop my mind from wandering off task, to think of you. I just..." His hand on hers stopped stroking for a moment, and squeezed briefly instead. "I'm sorry, Ante, I simply had to see you again. I have no more information to share, and I hadn't even meant to attend the ball tonight. If Zenny sees me here, she won't be pleased. All I can say is... you are beauty, and you are grace," he lifted one hand turning it as though to brush the backs of his fingers caressingly against her cheek, though he hesitated, meeting her eyes again to see if she would consent to the familiar touch, first, and wouldn't make it unless she did. "And you are consuming my thoughts... may I?"
After a moment, he sat back, reclining a little bit now that the immediate sense of urgency was passed, though his features were pensive.
"Ante, I find I'm beginning to regret appearing before you as I did first. How can I explain it..." He looked around the garden, then sat forward again, reaching for her hand once more to continue the same slow stroking. "I lead the rogue life, it's true. I spend more time around rougher folk than settings like this, but... Tell me, Ante, have you heard the legend of Loxley? It tells the story of a ruler's son, prevented from succession by a usurping regent, but who could not bear to live recluse in the prince's life while those rightfully under him were made to suffer tyranny. The story goes that he shed his title and made himself outlaw, living amongst the people so that he could more directly fight for them." He sighed softly. "There is some small part of that tale that is similar to my own situation, but I often find myself missing the more refined elements of life. Seeing you this evening, Ante, dancing with you now, it shows me what it is I'm truly wanting for, and what I want now, is..." He swallowed again, pausing for a long breath. "Well, someone like you, Ante. Someone to spend time with, someone to dance with..." He raised her hand to kiss the back of it gently for the third time that night. "Someone to hold and to care for, and to share the elation of a romantic night with." There was a flush in his cheeks as he spoke, but to his credit he held her eyes, waiting to see how she might respond to such... boldness.
------------------------------------------
As they returned the book, Duey chuckled and shook his head, though he didn't seem put off by the request in the slightest.
"Don't worry, I don't think you greedy for asking, miss Fold. One can hardly circulate in the word of big business without expecting requests to be of capital value more often than not. I'm sorry to say, though, that currency is actually one of the things I'm simply unable to offer. Strange I know, seeing as I deal with funds most days, but, that's all tied up in business after all, and it's not really mine, per se." He sighed, shrugging as they returned to the main entrance. "I don't even have any actual funds of my own, either. My life is a simple one, and one without personal expense. I do the work I was made for, as shrewdly as I may, and I help my operator, and that's about it, I'm afraid."
As they stepped out into the hallway again, Duey led her further along the line of portraits, apparently with a destination well in mind. He kept only a bare half step ahead of her, just enough to lead the way, while still doing his best to actually walk with her.
"My greatest asset is really in information, which is why I think you'll be interested to see what I have to show you, but first we need to get to—" He stopped short, perking up to listen closely to a sound that came from up the hall ahead of them. It was the click of heeled shoes marching at a resolute pace down the flight of stairs that had led to Zennocracy's private office, earlier, and realistically could only be the woman herself coming down. "Ah, let's not. Quickly, in here, miss Fold!" Seemingly, Duey didn't feel overly like meeting their host face to face right now, and he reached to take Fold's hand as he ducked away into a side door.
The room he led them into turned out to have most of its lights off, save some dim floor points that outlined a few book cases and a couple of consoles. More impressive, however was a large astronomy device that dominated pride of place in the room. Nearest the door, the room was more like a combined library and sitting room, but about two thirds of the way out, the room was curtailed by a banister, and the ceiling was replaced with glass. The large telescope took up a circle in the centre where the floor of the room ended, but stepping up the the bannister on either side would reveal that the last portion of the room was actually a cut-away open well. The far wall was glass that looked out into the mansion grounds, and above the ceiling, a section looked as though the glass could retract to allow the telescope to extend and move. Rather than a floor, the last section was open space, and looking down one might see the glass roof of the floor below; actually the ceiling of a very well-appointed arboretum. Even if someone down below couldn't see much looking up, the lighting was such that, if Fold were to walk to the rail and look down, she would very likely see a certain couple sitting close together on one of the garden's long benches.
Duey was waiting by the door, listening to Zennocracy pass by in silence. The quick march sounded quite like she was positively storming. When the footsteps had passed, Duey breathed a small sigh, then grinned towards Fold.
"Sorry about that. Let's see... Ah, I guess this would be her observatory. It's a replica of the actual Scotsdale Estate, you see, so even if the net sky here wouldn't hold much interest, it was still built to specification. Ah, actually... this will do fine, I can access from here." He darted quickly across to one of the consoles that was apparently for working with the giant telescope, but as he woke it up, it showed that it was quite able to do other things as well. Duey glanced up again. "This will only take a few minutes, miss Fold, just wait a moment, and I'll have it up in a jiffy." While he worked, Fold was indeed left with a few minutes to herself to explore the chamber as she wanted.
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"The finish line is right there!" Dare thought, still shaking off phantom hands mid-sprint. "What'd I say in the rules, again? Do I have to sit in the right one? I can't remember... I'm gonna be ticked if I accidentally sit in Sajia's-"
Having that thought a couple of seconds ago might have saved Dare from disaster, but while Dare's feet were working double time, her head wasn't keeping up. She'd started to phase out the feelings of the various comforting touches, but not to the point where their absence wasn't immediately apparent. Of course, there was only a split second to react to anything after realizing that, and reacting to an invisible leg tripping you up while running headlong would have been quite a feat.
Dare's speed would quite literally have been "break-neck" if whoever had tripped her hadn't been kind enough to restrain her fall as well. As a result, she'd managed to spring her arms out in front of her, fast enough to leave her on the floor in the stance of one having just finished a push-up. She realized that that result also left her dress hiked pretty well up her legs from the momentum, and quickly flipped around in place.
She'd been expecting to stare down either Drisco, multiple Driscii, or a monstrous wave of hands, and a look of genuine shock registered at seeing... someone's panties. "You're not Drisco!" she exclaimed, quickly scanning her eyes up to the more appropriate location by which one can identify another person.
Seeing Saija's face and registering her loss had very little weight in Dare's current mind compared to the very lame utterance she'd just made. "Gggggh! Losing's one thing, but I have to lose on the note of 'you're not Drisco'? While accidentally sneaking a peek?! I'm gonna need to buy us all two rounds to drink this off... I'll never forgive myself!"
Dare hardly thought what she'd gotten counted as a fair loss, but she had several reasons for not pressing the issue. One was that she already felt like a big enough loser without making a scene crying on the floor about having to give a guy a flower and buy him a drink. Another was that she had a responsibility to keep her guests entertained, and she had a feeling throwing a temper tantrum was not going to make her any more fun to hang out with.
More than that, though, she had genuinely enjoyed her race, and as opposed to when she'd been doing it in contests tourneys, she'd managed to find two people who seemed like they were willing along to go with her spontaneous competition in spite of their surroundings. She thought to herself that these might not be bad contacts to hold on to.
Dare took the hands of the two and pulled herself up. "'The shadow wins' my tailpipes! I was smoking you," Dare retorted to Drisco. "And you, Saija! Are you trying to break your own leg? You're lucky I didn't sock you out of the way," the Navi chided, as if she would have had a chance to do so. She broke into a grin again to drive home that her complaining wasn't serious.
She was happy to make it back to the bar, but by this point she was feeling the effects of her previous competition. No shoes, panting and sweating in a very unladylike way, and probably getting dirty looks from at least half a party. "Am I going to have to explain to Ante how I got the three of us thrown out?" Even though she wasn't feeling great, she went ahead and took a hearty drink, as though now fearing she was going to get banned from the bar any second. "It was solid of you to buy us another round," she told Drisco. She hastily unclipped her flower brooch and passed it to him. "And it was solid of you not to break my nose," she told Saija, untying the ribbon from her hair and letting it fall naturally around her head. She gave it a quick hand comb to get it any semblance of neat before handing the ribbon to Saija. "Although, the nerve! 'Give this guy an inch and he'll take a mile!' You took a couple miles there without me giving a dang centimeter. I want to know how many of those hands belonged to you, too."
The Navi did some more drinking and set down her glass, beginning to wonder if it was really all right to be drinking this much after so much running around. "Anyway, I came up with the last one, so one of you tell me what we're doing next and what we're doing it for. My name's Dare, and I never pick Truth! So, I'll do anything." With this crowd, that was a pretty big blank check, but if it was really too crazy, she figured she could always say no. "Not that I would ever say no to a challenge," she thought, taking another sip, "... But I could."
Dare thought to herself that Saija had certainly changed her tune in terms of enthusiasm. "Heh, I'll have to tell Ante later. I bet she'll be jealous that I was getting so much personal attention!"
Having that thought a couple of seconds ago might have saved Dare from disaster, but while Dare's feet were working double time, her head wasn't keeping up. She'd started to phase out the feelings of the various comforting touches, but not to the point where their absence wasn't immediately apparent. Of course, there was only a split second to react to anything after realizing that, and reacting to an invisible leg tripping you up while running headlong would have been quite a feat.
Dare's speed would quite literally have been "break-neck" if whoever had tripped her hadn't been kind enough to restrain her fall as well. As a result, she'd managed to spring her arms out in front of her, fast enough to leave her on the floor in the stance of one having just finished a push-up. She realized that that result also left her dress hiked pretty well up her legs from the momentum, and quickly flipped around in place.
She'd been expecting to stare down either Drisco, multiple Driscii, or a monstrous wave of hands, and a look of genuine shock registered at seeing... someone's panties. "You're not Drisco!" she exclaimed, quickly scanning her eyes up to the more appropriate location by which one can identify another person.
Seeing Saija's face and registering her loss had very little weight in Dare's current mind compared to the very lame utterance she'd just made. "Gggggh! Losing's one thing, but I have to lose on the note of 'you're not Drisco'? While accidentally sneaking a peek?! I'm gonna need to buy us all two rounds to drink this off... I'll never forgive myself!"
Dare hardly thought what she'd gotten counted as a fair loss, but she had several reasons for not pressing the issue. One was that she already felt like a big enough loser without making a scene crying on the floor about having to give a guy a flower and buy him a drink. Another was that she had a responsibility to keep her guests entertained, and she had a feeling throwing a temper tantrum was not going to make her any more fun to hang out with.
More than that, though, she had genuinely enjoyed her race, and as opposed to when she'd been doing it in contests tourneys, she'd managed to find two people who seemed like they were willing along to go with her spontaneous competition in spite of their surroundings. She thought to herself that these might not be bad contacts to hold on to.
Dare took the hands of the two and pulled herself up. "'The shadow wins' my tailpipes! I was smoking you," Dare retorted to Drisco. "And you, Saija! Are you trying to break your own leg? You're lucky I didn't sock you out of the way," the Navi chided, as if she would have had a chance to do so. She broke into a grin again to drive home that her complaining wasn't serious.
She was happy to make it back to the bar, but by this point she was feeling the effects of her previous competition. No shoes, panting and sweating in a very unladylike way, and probably getting dirty looks from at least half a party. "Am I going to have to explain to Ante how I got the three of us thrown out?" Even though she wasn't feeling great, she went ahead and took a hearty drink, as though now fearing she was going to get banned from the bar any second. "It was solid of you to buy us another round," she told Drisco. She hastily unclipped her flower brooch and passed it to him. "And it was solid of you not to break my nose," she told Saija, untying the ribbon from her hair and letting it fall naturally around her head. She gave it a quick hand comb to get it any semblance of neat before handing the ribbon to Saija. "Although, the nerve! 'Give this guy an inch and he'll take a mile!' You took a couple miles there without me giving a dang centimeter. I want to know how many of those hands belonged to you, too."
The Navi did some more drinking and set down her glass, beginning to wonder if it was really all right to be drinking this much after so much running around. "Anyway, I came up with the last one, so one of you tell me what we're doing next and what we're doing it for. My name's Dare, and I never pick Truth! So, I'll do anything." With this crowd, that was a pretty big blank check, but if it was really too crazy, she figured she could always say no. "Not that I would ever say no to a challenge," she thought, taking another sip, "... But I could."
Dare thought to herself that Saija had certainly changed her tune in terms of enthusiasm. "Heh, I'll have to tell Ante later. I bet she'll be jealous that I was getting so much personal attention!"
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Ante accepted the cloak tentatively, with an appreciative but humored smile. "I thank you, Sir Hoodwink, but know that I have tried that means of subversion before. I've found that the algorithm not only includes additional layers in the queue for termination, but also adjusts all numeric 'milestone values' to reflect the new total. So, I'm sorry to say that it won't help me much in that sort of pinch; if it's a cloak you value, you ought to keep it yourself," she returned... but she wasn't averse to the gift, so she held onto it regardless. "Hm hm... Now I've collected a trinket from you as well. I'm rather surprised at how good I am at this task," the princess chuckled. All the same, despite her mirth, she did not miss the familiarity of the gesture upon her hand as he rubbed the outside with one thumb.
As his story progressed, all rather charmingly, he squeezed her hand, perhaps unconsciously. The action seemed to implore Ante to understand his genuineness; she found herself touched, but also embarrassed, unsure of what to make of the situation that was unfolding. "Beauty? Well... You're hardly bad-looking yourself," she joked, feeling her lips curve into a silly smile in spite of herself, almost as if the joke was a defensive mechanism to keep her from fully acknowledging what her acquaintance was driving at. Even she found the joke tasteless after she'd let it come out. "Please, a young man like yourself shouldn't flatter older women..." Although, with the possible exception of the odd hue of her skin, there was nothing keeping one from surmising that the two appeared roughly the same age. "If I so consumed your thoughts from such a simple conversation as we had, earlier, I..." she muttered, gulping partway through her sentence as she tried to deflect Hoodwink's compliment. Her heart had begun beating faster inside of her chest, energized by a mixture of fear and excitement. Only a handful of thoughts now occupied her mind, all singularly focused on the man sitting next to her.
Thankfully, Hoodwink digressed from the topic of her to explain a few things about himself, offering her a chance to recuperate. "I had not heard Loxley's tale, but it is a fine one; I believe that's an excellent sort of lifestyle. You must know that I admire this world, with all of its glamor and gentle manners, but I would never devote myself to it at the cost of other people's happiness," she replied, meaning to empathize with him. Apparently, those people didn't include Dare, who had been dragged into a mansion in a ritzy party dress that she never would have picked out herself... but she believed she was telling the truth, anyway. As soon as she'd gotten her breath back, however, Hoodwink stole it from her again, mentioning that he'd enjoy dancing with her again, which she wouldn't mind at all, but also holding her, caring for her, and 'spending a romantic night' with her, all of which were causing her face to go nearly as red as her dress, in spite of the naturally gray tone it held. She couldn't bring herself to reject, however, because... in reality, all of that was beginning to seem more and more alright as the night progressed. "I... You should know that... proper courtship rituals... I would have to be wed before it would appear appropriate... for us to ... to spend that romantic night together that you mentioned," she murmured, but again, the more she talked, the less she was finding herself caring about courtship rituals. "O-Or, perhaps I'm being foolish... after all... we're both living a life quite different from our previous... All the same, I-I wonder... what you might mean when you say a romantic night, together?" she asked, prodding the issue further. He found that he now held her bright red eyes perfectly with his own; if there was anything suspicious about a guy named Hoodwink, who claims that he always gets what he wants, treating her in this fashion, that conclusion was lost to her.
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In the mean time, there was someone watching the proceedings unfold who was just as involved in both the emotions and the stakes as Ante was: her bodyguard, Fold, who was currently hunched over near the glass in the best position to watch the situation unfold, nearly pressing her face against the glass. It wasn't at all a graceful position to be in and would be even less graceful if Ante caught her spying. Fold had a lot of things she ought to address herself: the matter of what payment she could request from Duey to replace the cash, the matter of Zennocracy seemingly storming off to address some nuisance in the mansion, or the console that Duey had found and now occupied himself with. She certainly wasn't interested in exploring the rest of the room and just barely managed to hear what her acquaintance was saying to her. "Oh, yes... Please, do," she gasped, finding her own heart hammering insider her, almost as hard as Ante's was. To think: Ante was down there with a handsome-looking, princely figure, just the two of them, sitting so close together, each holding the other's hands... How had the situation progressed so quickly? Fold had never seen Ante warm up to any of her suitors that way; the princess always been a bit icey, in a way, and rarely consented to a second meeting after the first was arranged. Warm to most people, but not so much to those who courted her.
"T-Take your time, Sir Duey," the Black Queen murmured, not thinking that if she was going to add Sir, she really ought to at least fill out his name as DueAccountabilityMan. "Oh... Oh dear goodness! I have to warn the princess! There's a chance that Miss Zennocracy might have noticed her heading off with that gentleman and has come to act as a wedge between them!" she gasped, wringing her gloved hands together. "I should probably warn Miss Dare as well," she reasoned, although she wasn't as invested in that scenario. She elected to send an e-mail, addressed to the two of them. She'd have to do it that way rather than use the direct communication line, as there was a good chance that Zennocracy would be monitoring that one.
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Realizing her SP's message, Ante started, realizing that if Hoodwink was not supposed to be here, the last thing he should be spotted by Zennocracy, cavorting with an outsider. "There is a chance someone is coming, from whom we should remain hidden... Let's move to the outer edge of the greenhouse, so that we can cover our presence with the foliage if needed." She pointed to the darkest corner of the greenhouse and urged Hoodwink onward. Hopefully, it would prove a decent place to keep hidden, whatever the two of them might end up doing.
As his story progressed, all rather charmingly, he squeezed her hand, perhaps unconsciously. The action seemed to implore Ante to understand his genuineness; she found herself touched, but also embarrassed, unsure of what to make of the situation that was unfolding. "Beauty? Well... You're hardly bad-looking yourself," she joked, feeling her lips curve into a silly smile in spite of herself, almost as if the joke was a defensive mechanism to keep her from fully acknowledging what her acquaintance was driving at. Even she found the joke tasteless after she'd let it come out. "Please, a young man like yourself shouldn't flatter older women..." Although, with the possible exception of the odd hue of her skin, there was nothing keeping one from surmising that the two appeared roughly the same age. "If I so consumed your thoughts from such a simple conversation as we had, earlier, I..." she muttered, gulping partway through her sentence as she tried to deflect Hoodwink's compliment. Her heart had begun beating faster inside of her chest, energized by a mixture of fear and excitement. Only a handful of thoughts now occupied her mind, all singularly focused on the man sitting next to her.
Thankfully, Hoodwink digressed from the topic of her to explain a few things about himself, offering her a chance to recuperate. "I had not heard Loxley's tale, but it is a fine one; I believe that's an excellent sort of lifestyle. You must know that I admire this world, with all of its glamor and gentle manners, but I would never devote myself to it at the cost of other people's happiness," she replied, meaning to empathize with him. Apparently, those people didn't include Dare, who had been dragged into a mansion in a ritzy party dress that she never would have picked out herself... but she believed she was telling the truth, anyway. As soon as she'd gotten her breath back, however, Hoodwink stole it from her again, mentioning that he'd enjoy dancing with her again, which she wouldn't mind at all, but also holding her, caring for her, and 'spending a romantic night' with her, all of which were causing her face to go nearly as red as her dress, in spite of the naturally gray tone it held. She couldn't bring herself to reject, however, because... in reality, all of that was beginning to seem more and more alright as the night progressed. "I... You should know that... proper courtship rituals... I would have to be wed before it would appear appropriate... for us to ... to spend that romantic night together that you mentioned," she murmured, but again, the more she talked, the less she was finding herself caring about courtship rituals. "O-Or, perhaps I'm being foolish... after all... we're both living a life quite different from our previous... All the same, I-I wonder... what you might mean when you say a romantic night, together?" she asked, prodding the issue further. He found that he now held her bright red eyes perfectly with his own; if there was anything suspicious about a guy named Hoodwink, who claims that he always gets what he wants, treating her in this fashion, that conclusion was lost to her.
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In the mean time, there was someone watching the proceedings unfold who was just as involved in both the emotions and the stakes as Ante was: her bodyguard, Fold, who was currently hunched over near the glass in the best position to watch the situation unfold, nearly pressing her face against the glass. It wasn't at all a graceful position to be in and would be even less graceful if Ante caught her spying. Fold had a lot of things she ought to address herself: the matter of what payment she could request from Duey to replace the cash, the matter of Zennocracy seemingly storming off to address some nuisance in the mansion, or the console that Duey had found and now occupied himself with. She certainly wasn't interested in exploring the rest of the room and just barely managed to hear what her acquaintance was saying to her. "Oh, yes... Please, do," she gasped, finding her own heart hammering insider her, almost as hard as Ante's was. To think: Ante was down there with a handsome-looking, princely figure, just the two of them, sitting so close together, each holding the other's hands... How had the situation progressed so quickly? Fold had never seen Ante warm up to any of her suitors that way; the princess always been a bit icey, in a way, and rarely consented to a second meeting after the first was arranged. Warm to most people, but not so much to those who courted her.
"T-Take your time, Sir Duey," the Black Queen murmured, not thinking that if she was going to add Sir, she really ought to at least fill out his name as DueAccountabilityMan. "Oh... Oh dear goodness! I have to warn the princess! There's a chance that Miss Zennocracy might have noticed her heading off with that gentleman and has come to act as a wedge between them!" she gasped, wringing her gloved hands together. "I should probably warn Miss Dare as well," she reasoned, although she wasn't as invested in that scenario. She elected to send an e-mail, addressed to the two of them. She'd have to do it that way rather than use the direct communication line, as there was a good chance that Zennocracy would be monitoring that one.
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Miss Zennocracy is on her way out of her office! She appears upset and is most likely on her way to visit one or both of your locations.
I can't say why, but you should consider avoiding her for now. I am presently investigating her intentions.
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Realizing her SP's message, Ante started, realizing that if Hoodwink was not supposed to be here, the last thing he should be spotted by Zennocracy, cavorting with an outsider. "There is a chance someone is coming, from whom we should remain hidden... Let's move to the outer edge of the greenhouse, so that we can cover our presence with the foliage if needed." She pointed to the darkest corner of the greenhouse and urged Hoodwink onward. Hopefully, it would prove a decent place to keep hidden, whatever the two of them might end up doing.
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By the time they were back at the bar, and Dare was attacking her second shot, Saija had finished her current drink and taken a small sip from her new glass. It seemed contrariness was somewhat in her nature as she pouted softly and gave Dare a sidelong look.
"Aww, I though I showed you quite a few inches there. Was it not enough...?" Even so, she smiled and accepted Dare's ribbon, weaving it through her own hair in a quick motion that only took a few seconds. Her fingers came away with on of the feathers she was wearing as decoration, and she reached out to stroke the other woman's cheek with it before turning the quill around in her fingers and offering it.
"Fine then, if you insist. I suppose I was cheating just a little." The pouting turned back towards a seductively hopeful grin, and if Dare would let her, she'd even attempt to affix the feather in the other navi's hair herself. "Though you should know..." The grin split to reveal a row so small white teeth. "Hands are his game... I'm far better with... other parts." Her tongue slipped out just enough to slide over her lips as she looked at Dare, though the gesture was more or less hidden from Drisco's sight by virtue of the angle.
As it turned out, that FireFist really was fairly strong. If nothing else, Dare would certainly be beginning to feel the buzz and the happy by the time she was part way through the second. Beside her at the bar, Drisco had unfastened his other cufflink and turned his cuffs back more comfortably, setting the two little icons down on the bar beside his glass. He seemed vaguely torn between simply wanting to watch the exchanges between Dare and Saija, and wanting to get in on some of that himself, with one, or the other, or maybe both.
"Well, if we are all playing now, my enchanting companions, Perhaps our wager should expand as well." He spread his palms wide, palms open as he flashed teeth. "Let us make it double or nothing; we all play, whichever of us do the worst must give something to each of the other two, while the one who places second offers a prize only to the winner. What say you both?" He arched one eyebrow, clearly confident of his own prospects in such a deal, but Saija took another, longer, sip of her drink.
"Hah... you think I'm going to give it up to you tonight, you've got another think coming." He gaze went past dare to Drisco, and she looked quite haughty over her glass, but then she giggle and her eyes flicked back to Dare. "Even if I have to make sure Dare wins to avoid it, haha." Drisco shrugged and raised his hands in an unconcerned gesture, though the action did become a small reach the that resulted in a very light stroke over Dare's shoulder. It felt exactly the same as all the other phantom touches he had directed at her before.
"That does not bother me, Saija, for I have no intention of losing out next game. The night favours me, you see!" He laughed again. It was becoming fairly apparent that both of Dare's opponents were very much end-justifying-means players, with a solid 'all fair in love and war' twist to it, even if their individual approaches were different. Neither was above deliberate and obvious collusion to achieve what they wanted, whether it be within the game our outside of it. The other thing that might possibly be looming was the intended direction to their wager increase. Neither had actually said it, but there were only so many little trinkets to pass around before they might need to begin wagering articles of clothing instead... and Dare had already sacrificed her shoes.
"As for our game, let me think a moment..." Drisco raised one hand to his chin in the archetypal gesture of contemplation, though that was no indication he was doing any such thing, really. "I have it! Perhaps the two of you would—"
Further suggestion was cut off by the man looking back towards the entrance of of the bar Area where there were several raised voices. It sounded like various party guests calling out their upset to someone. The voice that answered their concerns was smooth, graceful and indulgent, not at all like the tone that Zennocracy had addressed Dare and her friends earlier, but unmistakably her voice all the same. Drisco and Saija both seemed caught up in listening carefully as further pleasantries and congenial reassurances were offered, tense. The pronounced click of heels came their way, before Zennocracy herself swept into the bar and looked around. Her eyes fell on the three of them right away, and she didn't look particularly impressed. Her gaze didn't linger on Dare any more htan the other two, and indeed, she only greeted Drisco and Saija properly before speaking.
"Good evening, SaijaTsun, DisgolokoMan. I hope you're enjoying the ball? I'm afraid to say some guests have reported running and shouting and a deal of inappropriate behaviours. There were some who said they had been much frightened by actual fire and violence breaking out here," she glared slightly, though the look was diffused between all three of them. "But I'm certain they must have been over-exagerating." Now here eyes fixed on Dare properly and she folded her arms.
"You, young lady. My servants reported that the main perpetrator of this disruption was someone who looked rather like you. Whose group are you here under invite from? I won't have behaviour like that in my halls." One way or the other it seemed Zenny was more than happy to throw Dare herself to the wolves in order to deny all connection with her in front of her important guests, but before Dare herself had any time to respond, Drisco stepped up beside her and slipped an arm around her shoulder, laughing in his usually all-encompassing way.
"Ah you must forgive, dear Zenny. The young lady is with me tonight. It is my fault; she tries so hard to please me, you see, and at times I do forget her zeal. I promise you, I will take good care of her for the rest of the night!" Saija was glaring daggers at Drisco's back, whenever she thought Zenny wasn't looking, but she didn't speak out. Both were under the impression that Dare was secretly gate-crashing, and apparently neither wished to risk getting their new companion and play mate ejected.
Zennocracy herself looked back and forth between Dare and Drisco, her eyes narrowing. It would be hard to guess what was going through her mind at that moment; on the one hand, those sorts of disruptions were exactly what she didn't want, especially from the help was was hiring to keep everyone happy but, at the same time, these two were seemingly content, and not discussing business, and somehow, she really had no idea how, Dare had endeared herself to them both enough to cause them to cover for her. Her eyes flicked back and forth as she weighed her options carefully. At last, she nodded slowly.
"Very well. See that nothing of the sort happens again. I wish you all a pleasant evening, but I won't have you or your entourages frightening or upsetting the other guests. It looks bad." With a small bow of her head, Zennocracy called the conversation to an abrupt close and turned on her heel, striding from the bar room again. She headed towards the main ballroom, muttering quietly to herself about 'checking on everyone else', but was swiftly out of earshot. Saija knocked back the rest of her drink, and Drisco did the same with a chuckle. The woman took a breath then shook her head at her colleague.
"You're damn lucky Zenny wants the two of us to stay happy tonight, or she'd never have let you get away with that. What if she back checks the invites and works out you're claiming one more than you brought?" Drisco was unfazed by her concern, and raised his hands in a helpless gesture.
"Well then she will assume that I have been a bad man, and brought along one more to the ball than I was supposed to. Nothing will go amiss, Sajia... I wonder if you are not simply sore that I claimed our new friend before you?" Saija grumbled but didn't give him the dignity of an actual response to that. The Netfrican-looking man turned his attrition back to Dare, smiling broadly.
"Well, it does seem that I have been charged with your proper care and discipline this evening, oh Daring one. Out hostess seems to think I should punish you!" He laughed again, and the remark sounded by and large like a joke.... Mostly. Probably. Saija didn't seem happy to let him have all the fun and she tapped roughly on the bar counter.
"Not if I win that prize first, hah! So are we playing or not? What's the game, if you're so confident?" The more she drank, the less tactful Saija was becoming in suggesting that she was wanting to win Dare herself as a prize. Drisco seemed to be holding the drinks better, and wasn't showing any sign of drunkenness at all, yet, but it was doubtful that his hopes were any more noble, at this point. There was, however, a lull long enough for Dare to interject or redirect if she wanted to, before Drisco got around to suggesting his new game.
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As Ante explained the exceptionally thorough level of difficulty involved in trying to keep her clothed and decent, hoodwink nodded again, seemingly disappointed that his suggestion wouldn't work, but equally just as content for her to hold onto the cloak for as long as she could. He ducked his head gently and accepted her compliment in good grace, but when she spoke of her age he raised an eyebrow, smiling wryly.
"Ah but you see, Ante... Out there in physical world, age might be a hamper, but never here. If you say you are older, I cannot possibly argue with you for how could I tell: to me, you are as beautiful now, as you were the day you first opened you eyes. More time to live, for you and I, only ever means that you possess wisdom and experience, alongside your beauty, grace and charm." He spared a wink for her, that hint of roguish rough edge slipping out again for a moment. When she grew flustered over the wording of his request, he smiled and brought his other hand in to cover, so that he was holding hers between both of his own, and he lowered his eyes politely for a moment before returning to meet her gaze.
"Ante, I promise you, I would not ask more of you than you felt comfortable with offering, no matter the circumstance. But it is my hope that..." He paused, blinking a few times as he watched her eyes. For a few moments he seemed genuinely lost for words, before recovering.
"I fear I have been to long around rougher folks, Ante. I... struggle, to find the words to say what I want to, without sounding crude. Please forgive me if the comes out poorly." He drew a breath and swallowed.
"What I have felt this evening has come on suddenly, true, but I cannot remember ever meeting one such as you. A romantic night together might be spent a myriad different ways, each as enjoyable as the other; walks beneath the stars, engaging conversation, dances, songs, intellectual pursuits, but yes, also... sharing of ourselves with one another in more intimate ways as well." The slight blush dusting his cheeks had grown, and he was certainly showing all the signs of a young man uncertain if his belle felt as he did. "I... Ante, I would be lying if I tried to pretend that such physical desires were not something I thought of and wished for, but I want to promise again that I would not ask you to move any faster than you are comfortable with, or to share any more of yourself than you are comfortable sharing with me. Rather, it is my hope that, perhaps later on, you might find such a proposition to be a comfortable one." He licked his lips, apparently testing his nerves.
"Perhaps, for now, Ante... maybe I might be bold enough to ask as much favour from you, as a kiss?"
It was at about that point, however, that the more pressing danger reared its head. Hoodwink's eyes darted back to the door for a moment, the returned to Ante. He seemed uncertain for a moment, hanging for the moment after his request, but practicality won out after a second or two and he nodded quickly.
"Ah... yes, indeed, we can't have that... Come..." He stood, still holding her hand, but just before they could move away, Hoodwink snapped the fingers on his free hand, then darted to the door, holding the handle for another brief second until a click sounded, locking it again. He rejoined Ante with a quick smile, and together pressed further along the path, slipping deeper into the garden.
Zennocracy was, at that time, threading her way through the watching crowd in the ballroom. A quiet work with one of the serving staff, and then another, led her to the figure of Mordenite, who was still smiling to himself as he watched the dancers. A graceful bow and some nodded pleasantries later saw him talking to the business woman, then pointing in the direction of the door they had left from. Her face darkened when the kindly gargoyle mentioned the name that Ante had used to address the man she had danced with, but she smiled and thanked Mordenite regardless and strode quickly for the door herself.
A short distance away, the arboretum's path threaded this way and that through the garden, and before long had passed several large, obfuscating displays. None seemed to be quite perfect enough to block sight with the door though, at least not if someone came in and began to walk the path herself. They were almost at the back and dimmest part of the long garden when the sound of the far door being unlocked reached them. In response, and still holding ante's hand, Hoodwink darted off the path and under the dense, bell-like canopy branches of a particularly exotic specimen. It was a short tree, only about seven feet high, but the branches fanned over and drooped to the ground, creating a lush, dark bubble of space around the trunk. A little sign identified its botanical name, but under the circumstance, it seemed highly unlikely that either of those sheltering beneath it were going to notice.
The door at the far end opened just moments after the branches had settled back into place and stilled. They couldn't see, of course, but the click of Zenny's heels walking a few feet along the path to look around were quite audible. There were, of course, some far more attention-drawing pieces of sensory input for Ante to be concerned with at the moment. In the rush to find a hiding spot, Hoodwink had moved to put his back to the trunk of the tree, on the far side to the door, and had, seemingly unconsciously, hugged Ante close to his body. He held one hand wrapped around her shoulders, holding her close while the other rose to put one finger to his lips briefly. In truth, there was barely enough room to do so; the closeness of their position had brought their eyes, and their lips, intimately close, and it was impossible not to feel the soft fluctuation of his breath on her skin. It carried the faintest hint of fresh mint. Pressed close as they were, she would also be able to feel the rapid beat of his heart, one chest against another.
The click of heels paused, and one could imagine their hostess looking around to work out if they had, indeed come this way or not. She didn't move any further into the garden immediately though. If they were lucky, she might leave the way she came and search elsewhere.
----
Up above, the pair's unseen audience had the opportunity to see, but not hear, the pulse-quickening exchanges between the two, up until they began to retreat further into the garden. From her vantage, Fold was easily able to watch them, right up until the point that they ducked under the concealing canopy of one particular tree. Up above, the view was a little bit less opaque than it would be at ground level, but not by a lot: she could probably tell that they stood pressed close together beneath the tree, but beyond that, making out exactly what was going on amidst the small, subtle movements would be more or less impossible. She would be able to see Zenny enter the room at about the same time the other two hid from sight. She only walked a few paces in and looked around. Her face was visibly vexed and irritated, but the saving grace was that, from the ballroom, there had been a number of ways the pair might have gone, and this door had still been locked, after all.
It was only another minute before Duey, behind her, make a small sound exclaiming his success. A few more taps later, and the console projected its image onto the clear wall.
"Here we are, miss Fold. Have a look at this, if you... Something caught you eye down there?" He noticed her distraction, but continued setting up the display regardless, for when she did eventually look over.
"Anyway, what I wanted to show you was this..." It was, in fact, a chart sheet covered in a very great many numbers, laid out in a various multitude of columns and rows, and which, unless explained were probably going to look like gibberish to most people. It vaguely made one wonder why he bothered with the documents at all, rather than just telling her, but he probably just wanted to back up what he had to say with some proof, even if it was incomprehensible proof.
"The Scotsdale fortune is old money, but their net wealth up until Maxwell the elder, Zenith's father, took control of the family looks like a small nest egg compared what it is now. Between Zennocracy's work and the shrewd acumen of both Zenith and her father, their wealth and worth has grown positively exponentially. Their general policy is to accrue capital, and resist expending it except in cases where they can very swiftly turn their resources to a good margin of gain... but in the past year or so... well... look." He waved a hand at the impenetrable table of figures.
"I'm no detective, you see, but what I am is very good with numbers. Zenny has been sinking a positively vast amount of wealth into something, and more importantly she's been doing it in a very careful and covert way that leaves neither the money, nor the expenditure of it, any provable ties to Zenith or her family. Zenith must know about it, though, there's no way she couldn't."
Duey had begun pacing back and forth in front of the screen, as much caught up in his own thoughts as explaining them to Fold, he glanced her way every few moments, but otherwise his eyes were turned down in thought as he paced. The seriousness of the scene was offset by the merry jingling that the small bells on his outfit made with every step.
"If it were any sort of legal endeavour, I'd be able to find something about where it was going. Some subsidiary, some private source, side manufacturers, component producers, research costs, travel expenses... something... All I've been able to learn, though, despite my digging, is that it's going into a single organisation, and I can't even get a solid lead on a name for it, let alone any details. Whoever they've got doing their data manipulation is terrifyingly good. The only explanation for all the cloak and dagger is that whatever it is she's sinking money into, it's organised, and it's criminal." He paused in his pacing, and the jingling bells fell silent again.
"That's all I know, sorry to say. What I wouldn't give for a proper leak of some sort, but it seems like Zenny's favourite maxim is pinning me down. "Capital is King" she likes to say. The Scotsdale coat of arms says something similar, you might have seen it. "Gold is Power Itself", I believe it comes out as. I have none, and so there's nothing that I can do to shake any more information free. It's my hope that if I can put some pressure on her unexpectedly with this latest deal, I may be able to press myself into a position where I can bargain some more details out of her directly. Blackmail is such a dirty word, but alas, in the world of big business, if you don't use every tool you can, someone else will." He sighed and shook his head, then closed off the console.
"I know that Zenny has only asked you three here to entertain and keep us oblivious to thinking too much over the closure of this contract, but I thought the information might interest you. Be cautious if you ever accept any more serious work from the lady in the future. For my part, I'm pleased to give you as glowing a report as I can, since, well, anything that might oblige her to pay out a few more Zenny from her own pocket pleases me. If you'd like I can furnish you with a copy of the documents and sheets I just showed you. Just in case you're interested. They've got my own notes as well, explaining all the connections and pointing the trial out, as it were." He chuckled, though it sounded slightly more nervous than any sound he'd made so far. "Besides, it might be wise for me to have a secret copy of all that in someone else's hands, if this really is as shadowy as I suspect."
"Aww, I though I showed you quite a few inches there. Was it not enough...?" Even so, she smiled and accepted Dare's ribbon, weaving it through her own hair in a quick motion that only took a few seconds. Her fingers came away with on of the feathers she was wearing as decoration, and she reached out to stroke the other woman's cheek with it before turning the quill around in her fingers and offering it.
"Fine then, if you insist. I suppose I was cheating just a little." The pouting turned back towards a seductively hopeful grin, and if Dare would let her, she'd even attempt to affix the feather in the other navi's hair herself. "Though you should know..." The grin split to reveal a row so small white teeth. "Hands are his game... I'm far better with... other parts." Her tongue slipped out just enough to slide over her lips as she looked at Dare, though the gesture was more or less hidden from Drisco's sight by virtue of the angle.
As it turned out, that FireFist really was fairly strong. If nothing else, Dare would certainly be beginning to feel the buzz and the happy by the time she was part way through the second. Beside her at the bar, Drisco had unfastened his other cufflink and turned his cuffs back more comfortably, setting the two little icons down on the bar beside his glass. He seemed vaguely torn between simply wanting to watch the exchanges between Dare and Saija, and wanting to get in on some of that himself, with one, or the other, or maybe both.
"Well, if we are all playing now, my enchanting companions, Perhaps our wager should expand as well." He spread his palms wide, palms open as he flashed teeth. "Let us make it double or nothing; we all play, whichever of us do the worst must give something to each of the other two, while the one who places second offers a prize only to the winner. What say you both?" He arched one eyebrow, clearly confident of his own prospects in such a deal, but Saija took another, longer, sip of her drink.
"Hah... you think I'm going to give it up to you tonight, you've got another think coming." He gaze went past dare to Drisco, and she looked quite haughty over her glass, but then she giggle and her eyes flicked back to Dare. "Even if I have to make sure Dare wins to avoid it, haha." Drisco shrugged and raised his hands in an unconcerned gesture, though the action did become a small reach the that resulted in a very light stroke over Dare's shoulder. It felt exactly the same as all the other phantom touches he had directed at her before.
"That does not bother me, Saija, for I have no intention of losing out next game. The night favours me, you see!" He laughed again. It was becoming fairly apparent that both of Dare's opponents were very much end-justifying-means players, with a solid 'all fair in love and war' twist to it, even if their individual approaches were different. Neither was above deliberate and obvious collusion to achieve what they wanted, whether it be within the game our outside of it. The other thing that might possibly be looming was the intended direction to their wager increase. Neither had actually said it, but there were only so many little trinkets to pass around before they might need to begin wagering articles of clothing instead... and Dare had already sacrificed her shoes.
"As for our game, let me think a moment..." Drisco raised one hand to his chin in the archetypal gesture of contemplation, though that was no indication he was doing any such thing, really. "I have it! Perhaps the two of you would—"
Further suggestion was cut off by the man looking back towards the entrance of of the bar Area where there were several raised voices. It sounded like various party guests calling out their upset to someone. The voice that answered their concerns was smooth, graceful and indulgent, not at all like the tone that Zennocracy had addressed Dare and her friends earlier, but unmistakably her voice all the same. Drisco and Saija both seemed caught up in listening carefully as further pleasantries and congenial reassurances were offered, tense. The pronounced click of heels came their way, before Zennocracy herself swept into the bar and looked around. Her eyes fell on the three of them right away, and she didn't look particularly impressed. Her gaze didn't linger on Dare any more htan the other two, and indeed, she only greeted Drisco and Saija properly before speaking.
"Good evening, SaijaTsun, DisgolokoMan. I hope you're enjoying the ball? I'm afraid to say some guests have reported running and shouting and a deal of inappropriate behaviours. There were some who said they had been much frightened by actual fire and violence breaking out here," she glared slightly, though the look was diffused between all three of them. "But I'm certain they must have been over-exagerating." Now here eyes fixed on Dare properly and she folded her arms.
"You, young lady. My servants reported that the main perpetrator of this disruption was someone who looked rather like you. Whose group are you here under invite from? I won't have behaviour like that in my halls." One way or the other it seemed Zenny was more than happy to throw Dare herself to the wolves in order to deny all connection with her in front of her important guests, but before Dare herself had any time to respond, Drisco stepped up beside her and slipped an arm around her shoulder, laughing in his usually all-encompassing way.
"Ah you must forgive, dear Zenny. The young lady is with me tonight. It is my fault; she tries so hard to please me, you see, and at times I do forget her zeal. I promise you, I will take good care of her for the rest of the night!" Saija was glaring daggers at Drisco's back, whenever she thought Zenny wasn't looking, but she didn't speak out. Both were under the impression that Dare was secretly gate-crashing, and apparently neither wished to risk getting their new companion and play mate ejected.
Zennocracy herself looked back and forth between Dare and Drisco, her eyes narrowing. It would be hard to guess what was going through her mind at that moment; on the one hand, those sorts of disruptions were exactly what she didn't want, especially from the help was was hiring to keep everyone happy but, at the same time, these two were seemingly content, and not discussing business, and somehow, she really had no idea how, Dare had endeared herself to them both enough to cause them to cover for her. Her eyes flicked back and forth as she weighed her options carefully. At last, she nodded slowly.
"Very well. See that nothing of the sort happens again. I wish you all a pleasant evening, but I won't have you or your entourages frightening or upsetting the other guests. It looks bad." With a small bow of her head, Zennocracy called the conversation to an abrupt close and turned on her heel, striding from the bar room again. She headed towards the main ballroom, muttering quietly to herself about 'checking on everyone else', but was swiftly out of earshot. Saija knocked back the rest of her drink, and Drisco did the same with a chuckle. The woman took a breath then shook her head at her colleague.
"You're damn lucky Zenny wants the two of us to stay happy tonight, or she'd never have let you get away with that. What if she back checks the invites and works out you're claiming one more than you brought?" Drisco was unfazed by her concern, and raised his hands in a helpless gesture.
"Well then she will assume that I have been a bad man, and brought along one more to the ball than I was supposed to. Nothing will go amiss, Sajia... I wonder if you are not simply sore that I claimed our new friend before you?" Saija grumbled but didn't give him the dignity of an actual response to that. The Netfrican-looking man turned his attrition back to Dare, smiling broadly.
"Well, it does seem that I have been charged with your proper care and discipline this evening, oh Daring one. Out hostess seems to think I should punish you!" He laughed again, and the remark sounded by and large like a joke.... Mostly. Probably. Saija didn't seem happy to let him have all the fun and she tapped roughly on the bar counter.
"Not if I win that prize first, hah! So are we playing or not? What's the game, if you're so confident?" The more she drank, the less tactful Saija was becoming in suggesting that she was wanting to win Dare herself as a prize. Drisco seemed to be holding the drinks better, and wasn't showing any sign of drunkenness at all, yet, but it was doubtful that his hopes were any more noble, at this point. There was, however, a lull long enough for Dare to interject or redirect if she wanted to, before Drisco got around to suggesting his new game.
----
As Ante explained the exceptionally thorough level of difficulty involved in trying to keep her clothed and decent, hoodwink nodded again, seemingly disappointed that his suggestion wouldn't work, but equally just as content for her to hold onto the cloak for as long as she could. He ducked his head gently and accepted her compliment in good grace, but when she spoke of her age he raised an eyebrow, smiling wryly.
"Ah but you see, Ante... Out there in physical world, age might be a hamper, but never here. If you say you are older, I cannot possibly argue with you for how could I tell: to me, you are as beautiful now, as you were the day you first opened you eyes. More time to live, for you and I, only ever means that you possess wisdom and experience, alongside your beauty, grace and charm." He spared a wink for her, that hint of roguish rough edge slipping out again for a moment. When she grew flustered over the wording of his request, he smiled and brought his other hand in to cover, so that he was holding hers between both of his own, and he lowered his eyes politely for a moment before returning to meet her gaze.
"Ante, I promise you, I would not ask more of you than you felt comfortable with offering, no matter the circumstance. But it is my hope that..." He paused, blinking a few times as he watched her eyes. For a few moments he seemed genuinely lost for words, before recovering.
"I fear I have been to long around rougher folks, Ante. I... struggle, to find the words to say what I want to, without sounding crude. Please forgive me if the comes out poorly." He drew a breath and swallowed.
"What I have felt this evening has come on suddenly, true, but I cannot remember ever meeting one such as you. A romantic night together might be spent a myriad different ways, each as enjoyable as the other; walks beneath the stars, engaging conversation, dances, songs, intellectual pursuits, but yes, also... sharing of ourselves with one another in more intimate ways as well." The slight blush dusting his cheeks had grown, and he was certainly showing all the signs of a young man uncertain if his belle felt as he did. "I... Ante, I would be lying if I tried to pretend that such physical desires were not something I thought of and wished for, but I want to promise again that I would not ask you to move any faster than you are comfortable with, or to share any more of yourself than you are comfortable sharing with me. Rather, it is my hope that, perhaps later on, you might find such a proposition to be a comfortable one." He licked his lips, apparently testing his nerves.
"Perhaps, for now, Ante... maybe I might be bold enough to ask as much favour from you, as a kiss?"
It was at about that point, however, that the more pressing danger reared its head. Hoodwink's eyes darted back to the door for a moment, the returned to Ante. He seemed uncertain for a moment, hanging for the moment after his request, but practicality won out after a second or two and he nodded quickly.
"Ah... yes, indeed, we can't have that... Come..." He stood, still holding her hand, but just before they could move away, Hoodwink snapped the fingers on his free hand, then darted to the door, holding the handle for another brief second until a click sounded, locking it again. He rejoined Ante with a quick smile, and together pressed further along the path, slipping deeper into the garden.
Zennocracy was, at that time, threading her way through the watching crowd in the ballroom. A quiet work with one of the serving staff, and then another, led her to the figure of Mordenite, who was still smiling to himself as he watched the dancers. A graceful bow and some nodded pleasantries later saw him talking to the business woman, then pointing in the direction of the door they had left from. Her face darkened when the kindly gargoyle mentioned the name that Ante had used to address the man she had danced with, but she smiled and thanked Mordenite regardless and strode quickly for the door herself.
A short distance away, the arboretum's path threaded this way and that through the garden, and before long had passed several large, obfuscating displays. None seemed to be quite perfect enough to block sight with the door though, at least not if someone came in and began to walk the path herself. They were almost at the back and dimmest part of the long garden when the sound of the far door being unlocked reached them. In response, and still holding ante's hand, Hoodwink darted off the path and under the dense, bell-like canopy branches of a particularly exotic specimen. It was a short tree, only about seven feet high, but the branches fanned over and drooped to the ground, creating a lush, dark bubble of space around the trunk. A little sign identified its botanical name, but under the circumstance, it seemed highly unlikely that either of those sheltering beneath it were going to notice.
The door at the far end opened just moments after the branches had settled back into place and stilled. They couldn't see, of course, but the click of Zenny's heels walking a few feet along the path to look around were quite audible. There were, of course, some far more attention-drawing pieces of sensory input for Ante to be concerned with at the moment. In the rush to find a hiding spot, Hoodwink had moved to put his back to the trunk of the tree, on the far side to the door, and had, seemingly unconsciously, hugged Ante close to his body. He held one hand wrapped around her shoulders, holding her close while the other rose to put one finger to his lips briefly. In truth, there was barely enough room to do so; the closeness of their position had brought their eyes, and their lips, intimately close, and it was impossible not to feel the soft fluctuation of his breath on her skin. It carried the faintest hint of fresh mint. Pressed close as they were, she would also be able to feel the rapid beat of his heart, one chest against another.
The click of heels paused, and one could imagine their hostess looking around to work out if they had, indeed come this way or not. She didn't move any further into the garden immediately though. If they were lucky, she might leave the way she came and search elsewhere.
----
Up above, the pair's unseen audience had the opportunity to see, but not hear, the pulse-quickening exchanges between the two, up until they began to retreat further into the garden. From her vantage, Fold was easily able to watch them, right up until the point that they ducked under the concealing canopy of one particular tree. Up above, the view was a little bit less opaque than it would be at ground level, but not by a lot: she could probably tell that they stood pressed close together beneath the tree, but beyond that, making out exactly what was going on amidst the small, subtle movements would be more or less impossible. She would be able to see Zenny enter the room at about the same time the other two hid from sight. She only walked a few paces in and looked around. Her face was visibly vexed and irritated, but the saving grace was that, from the ballroom, there had been a number of ways the pair might have gone, and this door had still been locked, after all.
It was only another minute before Duey, behind her, make a small sound exclaiming his success. A few more taps later, and the console projected its image onto the clear wall.
"Here we are, miss Fold. Have a look at this, if you... Something caught you eye down there?" He noticed her distraction, but continued setting up the display regardless, for when she did eventually look over.
"Anyway, what I wanted to show you was this..." It was, in fact, a chart sheet covered in a very great many numbers, laid out in a various multitude of columns and rows, and which, unless explained were probably going to look like gibberish to most people. It vaguely made one wonder why he bothered with the documents at all, rather than just telling her, but he probably just wanted to back up what he had to say with some proof, even if it was incomprehensible proof.
"The Scotsdale fortune is old money, but their net wealth up until Maxwell the elder, Zenith's father, took control of the family looks like a small nest egg compared what it is now. Between Zennocracy's work and the shrewd acumen of both Zenith and her father, their wealth and worth has grown positively exponentially. Their general policy is to accrue capital, and resist expending it except in cases where they can very swiftly turn their resources to a good margin of gain... but in the past year or so... well... look." He waved a hand at the impenetrable table of figures.
"I'm no detective, you see, but what I am is very good with numbers. Zenny has been sinking a positively vast amount of wealth into something, and more importantly she's been doing it in a very careful and covert way that leaves neither the money, nor the expenditure of it, any provable ties to Zenith or her family. Zenith must know about it, though, there's no way she couldn't."
Duey had begun pacing back and forth in front of the screen, as much caught up in his own thoughts as explaining them to Fold, he glanced her way every few moments, but otherwise his eyes were turned down in thought as he paced. The seriousness of the scene was offset by the merry jingling that the small bells on his outfit made with every step.
"If it were any sort of legal endeavour, I'd be able to find something about where it was going. Some subsidiary, some private source, side manufacturers, component producers, research costs, travel expenses... something... All I've been able to learn, though, despite my digging, is that it's going into a single organisation, and I can't even get a solid lead on a name for it, let alone any details. Whoever they've got doing their data manipulation is terrifyingly good. The only explanation for all the cloak and dagger is that whatever it is she's sinking money into, it's organised, and it's criminal." He paused in his pacing, and the jingling bells fell silent again.
"That's all I know, sorry to say. What I wouldn't give for a proper leak of some sort, but it seems like Zenny's favourite maxim is pinning me down. "Capital is King" she likes to say. The Scotsdale coat of arms says something similar, you might have seen it. "Gold is Power Itself", I believe it comes out as. I have none, and so there's nothing that I can do to shake any more information free. It's my hope that if I can put some pressure on her unexpectedly with this latest deal, I may be able to press myself into a position where I can bargain some more details out of her directly. Blackmail is such a dirty word, but alas, in the world of big business, if you don't use every tool you can, someone else will." He sighed and shook his head, then closed off the console.
"I know that Zenny has only asked you three here to entertain and keep us oblivious to thinking too much over the closure of this contract, but I thought the information might interest you. Be cautious if you ever accept any more serious work from the lady in the future. For my part, I'm pleased to give you as glowing a report as I can, since, well, anything that might oblige her to pay out a few more Zenny from her own pocket pleases me. If you'd like I can furnish you with a copy of the documents and sheets I just showed you. Just in case you're interested. They've got my own notes as well, explaining all the connections and pointing the trial out, as it were." He chuckled, though it sounded slightly more nervous than any sound he'd made so far. "Besides, it might be wise for me to have a secret copy of all that in someone else's hands, if this really is as shadowy as I suspect."
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Dare took a look at the message Fold sent, frowned, and put it out of her mind. It'd probably be a good idea to excuse herself and deal with the imminent disaster away from her targets / buddies, but her drink was really calling her name... and maybe Zenny was on her way to do something else? "After all, why make a scene when she could just use our communicator? Then again, making a scene and upholding her reputation as a party host may be the point..."
In the middle of a sip of drink, Dare swallowed hard and blushed a bit at Saija's comment. She was really hoping nobody had caught that... In any case, Saija certainly didn't seem to have taken it as an insult. In fact, it would be within reason to guess it had been intentional.
Thinking she had been baited and not made a fool of by circumstance made Dare feel a bit better about herself, and she didn't complain about having her hair abruptly adorned. Saija was giving her a token of apology, as well as some... gestures of her appreciation. Dare raised an eyebrow at Saija and gave her a crooked smile that conveyed a bit of the genuine fact that being openly hit upon by a woman was a new experience for her. She didn't say anything, and instead worked on finishing her drink.
She turned to Drisco and gave him a thumbs up on his proposal. "Double or nothing is a bold wager for a guy who's already used up so much of his good luck tonight!" So excited and, frankly, distracted was she by the games that she had completely forgotten her employer's request or impending arrival. It wasn't like her to forget about a target goal, so maybe that was the FireFist?
Sure enough, Zenny was upon them promptly. Dare didn't have to play at being relaxed: the drinks had smoothed her out so much that she half imagined Zenny had shown up to join them in their game, raising the stakes some more. She simply remained quiet as Zenny got to her point, even pantomiming a "Who? Me?" gesture when the hostess called her out in particular.
"Yes, ma'am! I'm here with Drisco," she said, having no trouble slipping in familiarly close to Drisco in her current state of inebriation. "I'm here to make sure he spends aaaaall of his time and money with me at the bar, you see? I'd say it's working!" She laughed at her own joke, which contained more than a hint of the truth. "But anyways, I understand, I was out of line. I'll put a cap on the noise, ma'am."
Dare had more she wanted to say, but she figured there were only two probable outcomes if she continued to make trouble here: either she could get thrown out herself, or she could get herself thrown out AND some friends. She had a feeling that if Zennocracy suddenly ejected the new life of the party SaijaTsun and DisgolokoMan had found, their minds would probably turn quickly back to their hostess in a very critical light, which would speak ill for the success of her mission. At least, it seemed like Zenny had decided to keep backing her investment for the time being.
The Navi took her seat back at the stool, only half-listening to the other two around her. She probably needed to tone it down, or she really would be endangering the success of their mission. There was just one problem: she was beginning to feel exceptionally happy from her happy juice. Would she be able to exercise control? As if to answer that question, Dare finished off her drink and set it on the counter.
"Enough squabbling, there's plenty of me to discipline with your hands or whatever other body part you're good with!" Dare added a bit of an exaggerated laugh to that, trying to indicate very clearly that was intended to be a bit of witty banter and not a request. "But I don't think you two are going to want to hear the word 'discipline' for a while after the spanking I'll give you in the next game. What's it gonna be, Thumbs?"
Dare thought for a moment and decided there was one thing she really should add in the spirit of trying to complete her mission. "Uh, and if I can request... I was talking big and showing off before, but getting thrown out of this party would really kill my night. So if your next game is a shouting contest or a run-around-and-bother-the-other-guests contest like I just held, can I suggest we find somewhere more private to do it? Sorry to go full gear and then put the brakes back on it, but if I lose again, I'm going to want to drink myself to sleep. How am I supposed to do that without a bar?"
Dare wasn't thinking about the fact that the two might interpret her request to "take it somewhere private" the wrong way. Given the current climate, a more cautious competitor might have realized that "wrong" could very easily be the current heading of the night...
In the middle of a sip of drink, Dare swallowed hard and blushed a bit at Saija's comment. She was really hoping nobody had caught that... In any case, Saija certainly didn't seem to have taken it as an insult. In fact, it would be within reason to guess it had been intentional.
Thinking she had been baited and not made a fool of by circumstance made Dare feel a bit better about herself, and she didn't complain about having her hair abruptly adorned. Saija was giving her a token of apology, as well as some... gestures of her appreciation. Dare raised an eyebrow at Saija and gave her a crooked smile that conveyed a bit of the genuine fact that being openly hit upon by a woman was a new experience for her. She didn't say anything, and instead worked on finishing her drink.
She turned to Drisco and gave him a thumbs up on his proposal. "Double or nothing is a bold wager for a guy who's already used up so much of his good luck tonight!" So excited and, frankly, distracted was she by the games that she had completely forgotten her employer's request or impending arrival. It wasn't like her to forget about a target goal, so maybe that was the FireFist?
Sure enough, Zenny was upon them promptly. Dare didn't have to play at being relaxed: the drinks had smoothed her out so much that she half imagined Zenny had shown up to join them in their game, raising the stakes some more. She simply remained quiet as Zenny got to her point, even pantomiming a "Who? Me?" gesture when the hostess called her out in particular.
"Yes, ma'am! I'm here with Drisco," she said, having no trouble slipping in familiarly close to Drisco in her current state of inebriation. "I'm here to make sure he spends aaaaall of his time and money with me at the bar, you see? I'd say it's working!" She laughed at her own joke, which contained more than a hint of the truth. "But anyways, I understand, I was out of line. I'll put a cap on the noise, ma'am."
Dare had more she wanted to say, but she figured there were only two probable outcomes if she continued to make trouble here: either she could get thrown out herself, or she could get herself thrown out AND some friends. She had a feeling that if Zennocracy suddenly ejected the new life of the party SaijaTsun and DisgolokoMan had found, their minds would probably turn quickly back to their hostess in a very critical light, which would speak ill for the success of her mission. At least, it seemed like Zenny had decided to keep backing her investment for the time being.
The Navi took her seat back at the stool, only half-listening to the other two around her. She probably needed to tone it down, or she really would be endangering the success of their mission. There was just one problem: she was beginning to feel exceptionally happy from her happy juice. Would she be able to exercise control? As if to answer that question, Dare finished off her drink and set it on the counter.
"Enough squabbling, there's plenty of me to discipline with your hands or whatever other body part you're good with!" Dare added a bit of an exaggerated laugh to that, trying to indicate very clearly that was intended to be a bit of witty banter and not a request. "But I don't think you two are going to want to hear the word 'discipline' for a while after the spanking I'll give you in the next game. What's it gonna be, Thumbs?"
Dare thought for a moment and decided there was one thing she really should add in the spirit of trying to complete her mission. "Uh, and if I can request... I was talking big and showing off before, but getting thrown out of this party would really kill my night. So if your next game is a shouting contest or a run-around-and-bother-the-other-guests contest like I just held, can I suggest we find somewhere more private to do it? Sorry to go full gear and then put the brakes back on it, but if I lose again, I'm going to want to drink myself to sleep. How am I supposed to do that without a bar?"
Dare wasn't thinking about the fact that the two might interpret her request to "take it somewhere private" the wrong way. Given the current climate, a more cautious competitor might have realized that "wrong" could very easily be the current heading of the night...
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This time around, Ante did not bother pursuing the matter of her concerns over her own age any further; whether they were founded or unfounded, they clearly didn't matter in this situation. Her own lips were parted into a small frown, as she held an intense internal battle with herself to try to decide whether or not a kiss was appropriate given the situation. Before she could contemplate it too deeply, Hoodwink grabbed her up and took her to safety again, which appeared to be a talent of his. Given that he was the roguish type who apparently hung around with rough company, it should not be surprising for her to learn that he was adept at getting quickly out of sight.
Of course, his skills as a thief nor his skills as a prince were on Ante's mind once the two of them ended up hugged together in the shadow of shady, hanging tree foliage. While she had simply assumed that her proximity during the rescue by Hoodwink earlier was the closest she'd ever been to a man, this time around, she was quite certain that she'd never huddled quite so close to anyone as she was currently embracing the prince. The only possible exception was when she'd fed Mr. Gold earlier, but she didn't think that even that beat out the current situation. Despite her lips shuddering and hanging open, she managed to avoid saying anything or making a sound. Her silence wasn't bred from concern for her mission, but rather, out of embarrassment at the idea of anyone seeing her doing anything so intimate as she currently was. With her heart thumping quickly and her ordinarily gray face glowing red, it wouldn't be hard for Hoodwink to realize her state of distress. The question on Ante's mind, however, was whether or not it was appropriate to grace Hoodwink now with her first kiss... well, her first kiss not given upon the cheeks for foreign etiquette. She desperately wanted to cover her mouth as well, to hide the trembling of her lips, but there was no way to do it with how her arms were necessarily now looped around her partner due to the limited space beneath the tree.
While she weighed the issue, it was as if two little Antes emerged, one with halo and one with horns, to try to persuade her one way or the other. Only, in this case, the matter was more concerned with her pride as a woman and less focused upon a distinct moral compass.
"A lady knows that allowing a gentleman a kiss on their very first encounter demeans her status. It shows poor judgment, impatience, inexperience, ineptitude, and a lack of class, above all!" the halo-Ante argued.
"But just think of poor Sir Hoodwink, doing his best to flatter her and win her heart. He'll simply be crushed if he doesn't get some small token of affection!" the second argued, sounding somehow more sympathetic than a voice of misbehavior ordinarily would. "He's been such a gentleman to her and he's of good social standing. I hardly see the complaint!"
"The rules of courtship bend for no situation! If you bend one rule, you may as well bend them all; if you do not strive for perfection, you shall never achieve it! Therefore, we must err on the side of modesty," the first countered.
"Modesty! There's a tree hiding all but Sir Hoodwink and Milady, Ante, from view, no one can see the two of them. No one need know. It will be a secret... a romantic secret~" the second cooed, pressing her hands to her cheeks and swooning.
The first found herself swooning for a moment as well before shaking her head desperately. "No! If Sir Hoodwink is a true gentleman, he'll understand that this cannot be rushed. That's just the way of it," she defended.
"Right, you're right, of course," the second conceded, sighing deeply and crossing her arms. She began to smile and bat her eyes in a mischevious expression. "But... If Sir Hoodwink took the initiative himself, well, we could all simply blame it upon the situation at hand, I think. A perfectly natural thing to do given the tension in the air, the false tells that our very modest lady is giving off, and so forth. I don't believe any party would blame the other for that."
"Scandalous!" the halo-Ante cried, shaking her fists in the air. "And yet... I-I can't... turn my head..."
With that, Ante stopped experiencing metaphorical visitation by twin guiding personalities and found herself unable to stop gazing forward with sparkling eyes, breathing hard but making barely a sound, save said breathing.
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Up above, Fold watched with an expression not unlike Ante's own, as if she herself was waiting to be kissed. She pressed both hands to her breast and wiggled her butt without realizing it, like a cartoon character in love. "Oh! What are they doing...? I can't see...!" she gasped, half excited and half disappointed to see that they'd vanished from her sight, hiding as she'd instructed they ought to given Zennocracy's approach. Thankfully, before Fold could burst out of sheer anticipation, Duey brought her attention back to their own task. "Oh! Excuse me, sorry," she laughed, stepping away from the glass so as not to look quite so obsessive.
Although Fold was a devoted study of military arts and a decent study of literary ones, math and science were not her strong suits, and accounting even less so (she was a pretty frivolous spender herself). She did her best to keep up regardless. Luckily, even if she wasn't especially good with finances, she had a lot of exposure to financial intrigue and plots, given the nature of her old work, so it didn't take her long to get the gist of Duey's assertion: namely, that Zennocracy was funneling the family fortune into some necessarily hidden organization. Most necessarily hidden organizations were evil or at the very least unscrupulous, as the world typically proved, so Fold agreed that it was a safe assumption to make.
The answer to Duey's questions now seemed clear. "Of course. I'll take both your positive review and a copy of your research. The former will solve my short term problems, and I am one-hundred percent positive that the princess, along with one she trusts as implicitly as she does Miss Dare, would want to aid you in exposing whatever shadow organization the hostess is funneling her money into. I have to admit, I don't find her particularly trustworthy myself either and there will be no love lost between her. And... just the way she treats herself as so important, in the presence of the princess! It sets the blood boiling!" the bodyguard grimaced, although Zennocracy really hadn't done much to offend Ante personally. "Ahem. Yes, I'll be happy to help you in any way I can. However, as a man of not only few financial means, but also, I gather, low capability for protecting oneself, I would definitely advise you against probing too deeply into this organization. The correct thing to do would be to find a trustworthy group, perhaps one of the major factions, and present them the information, leaving the rest in their hands. If Zennocracy has hidden her secret as well as you say and furthermore, if we are convinced that it is indeed a criminal secret, no doubt she is well prepared to defend it. You're free to do what you feel is best, but take your own safety into account and, for your own sake, do not confront the lady directly with that blackmailing material."
Fold's words likely seemed overbearing, if not paranoid, but it was not the job of a trained bodyguard to allow innocents to confront criminals who may harbor dangerous intentions. Duey wasn't Ante, which meant Fold had no obligation to guard him, but a simple sense of decency stopped her from giving Duey free reign to do as he'd suggested. Sensing that he might not necessarily want to hand the material over to another large organization, which might end up being just as corrupt as the one he needed to expose (heck, might be the one he was trying to expose), the black-dressed lady offered another option. "At the very least, catch her in a public location before confronting her and do not accept any invitation into a private setting. I'm not sure if you watch a lot of television, but I suspect you're the type to read frequently. As such, you must know that... well, grim as it may be, big, well-funded shadow organizations have a nasty habit of silencing potential threats through violence," she finished.
Of course, his skills as a thief nor his skills as a prince were on Ante's mind once the two of them ended up hugged together in the shadow of shady, hanging tree foliage. While she had simply assumed that her proximity during the rescue by Hoodwink earlier was the closest she'd ever been to a man, this time around, she was quite certain that she'd never huddled quite so close to anyone as she was currently embracing the prince. The only possible exception was when she'd fed Mr. Gold earlier, but she didn't think that even that beat out the current situation. Despite her lips shuddering and hanging open, she managed to avoid saying anything or making a sound. Her silence wasn't bred from concern for her mission, but rather, out of embarrassment at the idea of anyone seeing her doing anything so intimate as she currently was. With her heart thumping quickly and her ordinarily gray face glowing red, it wouldn't be hard for Hoodwink to realize her state of distress. The question on Ante's mind, however, was whether or not it was appropriate to grace Hoodwink now with her first kiss... well, her first kiss not given upon the cheeks for foreign etiquette. She desperately wanted to cover her mouth as well, to hide the trembling of her lips, but there was no way to do it with how her arms were necessarily now looped around her partner due to the limited space beneath the tree.
While she weighed the issue, it was as if two little Antes emerged, one with halo and one with horns, to try to persuade her one way or the other. Only, in this case, the matter was more concerned with her pride as a woman and less focused upon a distinct moral compass.
"A lady knows that allowing a gentleman a kiss on their very first encounter demeans her status. It shows poor judgment, impatience, inexperience, ineptitude, and a lack of class, above all!" the halo-Ante argued.
"But just think of poor Sir Hoodwink, doing his best to flatter her and win her heart. He'll simply be crushed if he doesn't get some small token of affection!" the second argued, sounding somehow more sympathetic than a voice of misbehavior ordinarily would. "He's been such a gentleman to her and he's of good social standing. I hardly see the complaint!"
"The rules of courtship bend for no situation! If you bend one rule, you may as well bend them all; if you do not strive for perfection, you shall never achieve it! Therefore, we must err on the side of modesty," the first countered.
"Modesty! There's a tree hiding all but Sir Hoodwink and Milady, Ante, from view, no one can see the two of them. No one need know. It will be a secret... a romantic secret~" the second cooed, pressing her hands to her cheeks and swooning.
The first found herself swooning for a moment as well before shaking her head desperately. "No! If Sir Hoodwink is a true gentleman, he'll understand that this cannot be rushed. That's just the way of it," she defended.
"Right, you're right, of course," the second conceded, sighing deeply and crossing her arms. She began to smile and bat her eyes in a mischevious expression. "But... If Sir Hoodwink took the initiative himself, well, we could all simply blame it upon the situation at hand, I think. A perfectly natural thing to do given the tension in the air, the false tells that our very modest lady is giving off, and so forth. I don't believe any party would blame the other for that."
"Scandalous!" the halo-Ante cried, shaking her fists in the air. "And yet... I-I can't... turn my head..."
With that, Ante stopped experiencing metaphorical visitation by twin guiding personalities and found herself unable to stop gazing forward with sparkling eyes, breathing hard but making barely a sound, save said breathing.
-------------------------------------
Up above, Fold watched with an expression not unlike Ante's own, as if she herself was waiting to be kissed. She pressed both hands to her breast and wiggled her butt without realizing it, like a cartoon character in love. "Oh! What are they doing...? I can't see...!" she gasped, half excited and half disappointed to see that they'd vanished from her sight, hiding as she'd instructed they ought to given Zennocracy's approach. Thankfully, before Fold could burst out of sheer anticipation, Duey brought her attention back to their own task. "Oh! Excuse me, sorry," she laughed, stepping away from the glass so as not to look quite so obsessive.
Although Fold was a devoted study of military arts and a decent study of literary ones, math and science were not her strong suits, and accounting even less so (she was a pretty frivolous spender herself). She did her best to keep up regardless. Luckily, even if she wasn't especially good with finances, she had a lot of exposure to financial intrigue and plots, given the nature of her old work, so it didn't take her long to get the gist of Duey's assertion: namely, that Zennocracy was funneling the family fortune into some necessarily hidden organization. Most necessarily hidden organizations were evil or at the very least unscrupulous, as the world typically proved, so Fold agreed that it was a safe assumption to make.
The answer to Duey's questions now seemed clear. "Of course. I'll take both your positive review and a copy of your research. The former will solve my short term problems, and I am one-hundred percent positive that the princess, along with one she trusts as implicitly as she does Miss Dare, would want to aid you in exposing whatever shadow organization the hostess is funneling her money into. I have to admit, I don't find her particularly trustworthy myself either and there will be no love lost between her. And... just the way she treats herself as so important, in the presence of the princess! It sets the blood boiling!" the bodyguard grimaced, although Zennocracy really hadn't done much to offend Ante personally. "Ahem. Yes, I'll be happy to help you in any way I can. However, as a man of not only few financial means, but also, I gather, low capability for protecting oneself, I would definitely advise you against probing too deeply into this organization. The correct thing to do would be to find a trustworthy group, perhaps one of the major factions, and present them the information, leaving the rest in their hands. If Zennocracy has hidden her secret as well as you say and furthermore, if we are convinced that it is indeed a criminal secret, no doubt she is well prepared to defend it. You're free to do what you feel is best, but take your own safety into account and, for your own sake, do not confront the lady directly with that blackmailing material."
Fold's words likely seemed overbearing, if not paranoid, but it was not the job of a trained bodyguard to allow innocents to confront criminals who may harbor dangerous intentions. Duey wasn't Ante, which meant Fold had no obligation to guard him, but a simple sense of decency stopped her from giving Duey free reign to do as he'd suggested. Sensing that he might not necessarily want to hand the material over to another large organization, which might end up being just as corrupt as the one he needed to expose (heck, might be the one he was trying to expose), the black-dressed lady offered another option. "At the very least, catch her in a public location before confronting her and do not accept any invitation into a private setting. I'm not sure if you watch a lot of television, but I suspect you're the type to read frequently. As such, you must know that... well, grim as it may be, big, well-funded shadow organizations have a nasty habit of silencing potential threats through violence," she finished.
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If Saija had been glaring daggers at her colleague's back while Dare cuddled up to him for the sake of their act, she was much mollified by Dare's talk of discipline, and finding somewhere private to conduct it. Her grin was back, a little more predatory than before, and she slipped from her stool to sidle up intimately close to Dare, swaying back and forth in a pleading way, like a child who wanted more candy.
It seemed, with her brash and forward personality, neither of them were taking Dare's comments entirely as mere jokes; Drisco certainly seemed pleased, and chuckled, stepping in closer to her as well. He raised a hand and waved two upraised fingers back and forth.
"I think I have still ample luck left for the evening, daring one. But there is only one way for us all to find out, is there not?" Before, his eyebrows had jumped at her suggestion that they 'find somewhere more private', but now he leaned his head in towards her, still smiling broadly. "I'm sure we'll see who will be the master, and who will be getting their due."
As he spoke, there came the feeling a the backs of two fingers stroking slowly down Dare's cheek, though Drico's visible hands weren't doing it. The sensation was joined by more delicate fingertips, sliding slowly over her shoulder and trailing with a gentle caress down her back. On her other side, Saija drew a sharp breath.
"Hey! I haven't had nearly enough yet to let you do that to me, you great oaf!" She pouted, but despite her words, her voice sounded far more amused than her expression implied. She had seemed far more adamant about not wanting his hand earlier, but apparently the alcohol was loosening up all her boundaries, not just her propriety towards Dare. Drisco laughed warmly and spread his visible hands wide in a mock helpless gesture.
"Then perhaps I should get you another, my dear Sajia?"
"Hmph, maybe you should. And one for Dare too! If we're going somewhere else we should at least have afresh to tide us over." Her demeanour had slipped back to pouty and standoffish, or at least the act of it; it was becoming gradually more clear that that was just an affectation, rather than any actual offence, and an affectation that was slipping more and more.
For her own part, at the bottom of her second shot and with a minute or two for it to sink in, Dare would be finding herself feeling very warm indeed. Too warm, really, and all her many-layered finery would really not be helping matters. Drisco shook his head and chuckled, waving one hand to dismiss her worry.
"Ah, but I have a better idea, my beautiful companions. We cannot take the bar with us, perhaps, but enough for the evening, I think that will be no trouble at all, will it my good man?" As he spoke he had turned his attention to the nearest bar staff, who nodded in turn. He raised two fingers as well, then indicated Dare and Saija. "And one each for my ladies to carry as well, I think." With a nod, the bar man quickly set a new drink in front of Dare and Saija, then proceeded to set up a tray with two bottles; one of FireFist, and the other of the peculiar mixture Saija was drinking, along with three clean shot glasses and a pitcher of ice. Drisco scooped up his cufflinks to drop them onto the tray as well, then picked the tray itself up and stepped away from the bar, sweeping a slight bow to the two women though in truth it was only the barest hint of the gesture.
"I do think then, that we should make the next game one of finding, should we not? I know nothing of this grand house, but perhaps my luck will continue. Let us walk together, and peek at all the many rooms we might find, away from other guests. The first to find one that suites our wants will win the round." He moved towards the side door that led from the bar and out into the hallways of the mansion, then turned to wait for one of the others to open the door and lead through.
Saija had taken hold of her fresh drink and sipped it once, but now she followed suit. As she did, the other woman attempted to slip her free and into Dares and pull her along as well, though she would wait alongside, swinging the hand slowly at least until Dare had claimed her own drink, before gently pulling her along. It seemed that neither of the two had taken Dare's suggestion of moving somewhere quieter as anything less than a request and an imperative; both had comfortably assumed that that was what they were now doing, with no further questions.
----
While competition and alcohol might seem to be moving things a bit too quickly at the bar, elsewhere, the moment hung for an age; Zenny unseen but prowling, looking for the pair while they hid, as though from a deadly predator; the cool, shadowed nook they sheltered in forming a private bubble between the two, and the rest of the world; Hoodwink's arm about her, soft breath on her cheek, lips achingly close to hers as he held, cautious and tense, protective. It was a forever that was at once both frightening, and exhilarating. His heard was beating quickly, but not by any means wild; Ante would be able to feel it, pressed chest to chest as they were, though if she noticed that over her own body's reactions it would be a surprise... or show that she was paying quite a bit of attention directly to her twice-over rescuer.
Then Zenny made an irritated sound, clicking her tongue, and spun on her heel, heading back to the door. As she passed through it, and the lock clicked again, the tension slipped out of Hoodwink's body, and his eyes drifted down again to focus once more on Ante.
There was a lot to see; the glisten in her wide eyes as she looked back at him, the flushed pink glowing on her skin, the fast beat of her heart, close to his; the hard, almost breathless panting that made her chest shift subtly; the way she held close to him, watching him, almost as though she was waiting for him. Whether Ante herself would look back on it as fortunate or unfortunate, it had become very much one of those situations where a lack of any resistance or denial was easy to equate with desire and consent, and Hoodwink himself was emboldened by their near brush with danger.
As the door clicked locked again and he looked back to Ante, there was only another moment before he tilted his head and bend his neck gently, his eyes slipping shut. It was only a very small movement, but their lips were already very close. There was no uncertain brushing of lips, or hesitations at this point; Hoodwink knew what he was doing, and he was devastatingly good at it. The arm holding her grew firmer as he pressed his lips softly to hers. The kiss began chaste and proper, and everything one might expect from a formal gentleman; his lips were warm and giving, closed as was proper, but by no means tight or pursed. This was a kiss backed by strong emotion and desire, and after the first few moments passion began to break through propriety. He pressed more firmly, closer and deeper, though not enough to be in any way forceful. His lip parted just enough to play delicately against hers, though of course he proper enough to keep his tongue firmly behind his teeth the entire time. Even so, a small sound that might have been a muffled moan or sigh of enjoyment managed to escape as he lost himself in the intimate moment.
Passion drew the kiss out a little bit longer that was proper, but well within what one might allow as romantically driven by emotion. By the time they broke and Hoodwink lifted his head to find Ante's eyes again, he, too, was panting softly now, out of breath. He seemed momentarily without words as his eyes searched hers, though whether she had embraced the intimacy and kissed back, or hadn't, was probably having a notable impact on what his next words might be.
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While Zennocracy prowled below, searching for the the woman that she had warned specifically against interacting with Hoodwink, up above, Fold and Duey were discussing matters that might well make her ears burn. Though she was missing out on the rather bold behaviour of the rogue-turned-gallant, Duey at least seemed very complimented by Fold's concern for him. He nodded and brightened.
"No doubt, no doubt. I'm flattered, miss Fold, truly, so let me promise you that I'll be quite careful, don't you worry." He grinned and winked at her. "I'm older than I look, and even if I'm not the most physically capable navi around, I know how to take care of myself and keep safe. Good insurance is one of those ways, of course, so here. This is for you." With a small flourish he reached one hand to his chest and plucked the top bell off it. It seemed to come free with unusual ease and as he held it up between thumb and forefinger for Fold to see, data began to flow into the spaces between the object. After a moment the quiet jingle was silenced, the minute rattle no longer able to move. After another few moments what he was holding was a small bell that appeared to have been completely crystallised. He let it roll onto his palm and then held it out to Fold.
"This contains all the documents I've collected that show the trail, and I've also included a set of all my notes to date, and anything else I've been able to learn. I feel better already, knowing that there's a back-up copy of the data in someone else's hands, especially when it's someone I'll be able to reach in the future if I need to, but also someone who bears no actual connection to me in the slightest." He hesitated then ducked his head slightly. "I hope you don't mind my lifting the three of your contact details from the GNA. I promise I was circumspect."
Once he had handed over the documents to Fold he grinned and stretched as though trying to shake off the serious air, then extended an arm as though offering escort.
"Well, with all that sorted, perhaps I can accompany you back to the party, miss Fold. I oughtn't monopolise all of your time, after all. Rest assured, if I see Zennocracy any time soon, I'll be certain to let her know that I spent an enjoyable evening in the company of a beautiful lady who quite prevented me from thinking about business at all." He chuckled softly. If Fold elected to stay where she was, and maybe look for another glimpse of Ante, down below, Duey didn't seem the sort to object, though it was clear he was equally willing to walk with her back as far as the more crowded areas of the party at least, if she wished.
The evening was moving along, and the atmosphere seemed to be generally quite pleasant all around, at least in most cases. Admittedly all three of them had more or less shut themselves off from the actual body of the party, it was true, but on the whole things seemed to be going quite well, even if none of them had yet encountered the fifth important guest.
It seemed, with her brash and forward personality, neither of them were taking Dare's comments entirely as mere jokes; Drisco certainly seemed pleased, and chuckled, stepping in closer to her as well. He raised a hand and waved two upraised fingers back and forth.
"I think I have still ample luck left for the evening, daring one. But there is only one way for us all to find out, is there not?" Before, his eyebrows had jumped at her suggestion that they 'find somewhere more private', but now he leaned his head in towards her, still smiling broadly. "I'm sure we'll see who will be the master, and who will be getting their due."
As he spoke, there came the feeling a the backs of two fingers stroking slowly down Dare's cheek, though Drico's visible hands weren't doing it. The sensation was joined by more delicate fingertips, sliding slowly over her shoulder and trailing with a gentle caress down her back. On her other side, Saija drew a sharp breath.
"Hey! I haven't had nearly enough yet to let you do that to me, you great oaf!" She pouted, but despite her words, her voice sounded far more amused than her expression implied. She had seemed far more adamant about not wanting his hand earlier, but apparently the alcohol was loosening up all her boundaries, not just her propriety towards Dare. Drisco laughed warmly and spread his visible hands wide in a mock helpless gesture.
"Then perhaps I should get you another, my dear Sajia?"
"Hmph, maybe you should. And one for Dare too! If we're going somewhere else we should at least have afresh to tide us over." Her demeanour had slipped back to pouty and standoffish, or at least the act of it; it was becoming gradually more clear that that was just an affectation, rather than any actual offence, and an affectation that was slipping more and more.
For her own part, at the bottom of her second shot and with a minute or two for it to sink in, Dare would be finding herself feeling very warm indeed. Too warm, really, and all her many-layered finery would really not be helping matters. Drisco shook his head and chuckled, waving one hand to dismiss her worry.
"Ah, but I have a better idea, my beautiful companions. We cannot take the bar with us, perhaps, but enough for the evening, I think that will be no trouble at all, will it my good man?" As he spoke he had turned his attention to the nearest bar staff, who nodded in turn. He raised two fingers as well, then indicated Dare and Saija. "And one each for my ladies to carry as well, I think." With a nod, the bar man quickly set a new drink in front of Dare and Saija, then proceeded to set up a tray with two bottles; one of FireFist, and the other of the peculiar mixture Saija was drinking, along with three clean shot glasses and a pitcher of ice. Drisco scooped up his cufflinks to drop them onto the tray as well, then picked the tray itself up and stepped away from the bar, sweeping a slight bow to the two women though in truth it was only the barest hint of the gesture.
"I do think then, that we should make the next game one of finding, should we not? I know nothing of this grand house, but perhaps my luck will continue. Let us walk together, and peek at all the many rooms we might find, away from other guests. The first to find one that suites our wants will win the round." He moved towards the side door that led from the bar and out into the hallways of the mansion, then turned to wait for one of the others to open the door and lead through.
Saija had taken hold of her fresh drink and sipped it once, but now she followed suit. As she did, the other woman attempted to slip her free and into Dares and pull her along as well, though she would wait alongside, swinging the hand slowly at least until Dare had claimed her own drink, before gently pulling her along. It seemed that neither of the two had taken Dare's suggestion of moving somewhere quieter as anything less than a request and an imperative; both had comfortably assumed that that was what they were now doing, with no further questions.
----
While competition and alcohol might seem to be moving things a bit too quickly at the bar, elsewhere, the moment hung for an age; Zenny unseen but prowling, looking for the pair while they hid, as though from a deadly predator; the cool, shadowed nook they sheltered in forming a private bubble between the two, and the rest of the world; Hoodwink's arm about her, soft breath on her cheek, lips achingly close to hers as he held, cautious and tense, protective. It was a forever that was at once both frightening, and exhilarating. His heard was beating quickly, but not by any means wild; Ante would be able to feel it, pressed chest to chest as they were, though if she noticed that over her own body's reactions it would be a surprise... or show that she was paying quite a bit of attention directly to her twice-over rescuer.
Then Zenny made an irritated sound, clicking her tongue, and spun on her heel, heading back to the door. As she passed through it, and the lock clicked again, the tension slipped out of Hoodwink's body, and his eyes drifted down again to focus once more on Ante.
There was a lot to see; the glisten in her wide eyes as she looked back at him, the flushed pink glowing on her skin, the fast beat of her heart, close to his; the hard, almost breathless panting that made her chest shift subtly; the way she held close to him, watching him, almost as though she was waiting for him. Whether Ante herself would look back on it as fortunate or unfortunate, it had become very much one of those situations where a lack of any resistance or denial was easy to equate with desire and consent, and Hoodwink himself was emboldened by their near brush with danger.
As the door clicked locked again and he looked back to Ante, there was only another moment before he tilted his head and bend his neck gently, his eyes slipping shut. It was only a very small movement, but their lips were already very close. There was no uncertain brushing of lips, or hesitations at this point; Hoodwink knew what he was doing, and he was devastatingly good at it. The arm holding her grew firmer as he pressed his lips softly to hers. The kiss began chaste and proper, and everything one might expect from a formal gentleman; his lips were warm and giving, closed as was proper, but by no means tight or pursed. This was a kiss backed by strong emotion and desire, and after the first few moments passion began to break through propriety. He pressed more firmly, closer and deeper, though not enough to be in any way forceful. His lip parted just enough to play delicately against hers, though of course he proper enough to keep his tongue firmly behind his teeth the entire time. Even so, a small sound that might have been a muffled moan or sigh of enjoyment managed to escape as he lost himself in the intimate moment.
Passion drew the kiss out a little bit longer that was proper, but well within what one might allow as romantically driven by emotion. By the time they broke and Hoodwink lifted his head to find Ante's eyes again, he, too, was panting softly now, out of breath. He seemed momentarily without words as his eyes searched hers, though whether she had embraced the intimacy and kissed back, or hadn't, was probably having a notable impact on what his next words might be.
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While Zennocracy prowled below, searching for the the woman that she had warned specifically against interacting with Hoodwink, up above, Fold and Duey were discussing matters that might well make her ears burn. Though she was missing out on the rather bold behaviour of the rogue-turned-gallant, Duey at least seemed very complimented by Fold's concern for him. He nodded and brightened.
"No doubt, no doubt. I'm flattered, miss Fold, truly, so let me promise you that I'll be quite careful, don't you worry." He grinned and winked at her. "I'm older than I look, and even if I'm not the most physically capable navi around, I know how to take care of myself and keep safe. Good insurance is one of those ways, of course, so here. This is for you." With a small flourish he reached one hand to his chest and plucked the top bell off it. It seemed to come free with unusual ease and as he held it up between thumb and forefinger for Fold to see, data began to flow into the spaces between the object. After a moment the quiet jingle was silenced, the minute rattle no longer able to move. After another few moments what he was holding was a small bell that appeared to have been completely crystallised. He let it roll onto his palm and then held it out to Fold.
"This contains all the documents I've collected that show the trail, and I've also included a set of all my notes to date, and anything else I've been able to learn. I feel better already, knowing that there's a back-up copy of the data in someone else's hands, especially when it's someone I'll be able to reach in the future if I need to, but also someone who bears no actual connection to me in the slightest." He hesitated then ducked his head slightly. "I hope you don't mind my lifting the three of your contact details from the GNA. I promise I was circumspect."
Once he had handed over the documents to Fold he grinned and stretched as though trying to shake off the serious air, then extended an arm as though offering escort.
"Well, with all that sorted, perhaps I can accompany you back to the party, miss Fold. I oughtn't monopolise all of your time, after all. Rest assured, if I see Zennocracy any time soon, I'll be certain to let her know that I spent an enjoyable evening in the company of a beautiful lady who quite prevented me from thinking about business at all." He chuckled softly. If Fold elected to stay where she was, and maybe look for another glimpse of Ante, down below, Duey didn't seem the sort to object, though it was clear he was equally willing to walk with her back as far as the more crowded areas of the party at least, if she wished.
The evening was moving along, and the atmosphere seemed to be generally quite pleasant all around, at least in most cases. Admittedly all three of them had more or less shut themselves off from the actual body of the party, it was true, but on the whole things seemed to be going quite well, even if none of them had yet encountered the fifth important guest.