[Job] Shimmering Feelings (Akeya/Nymara)

Job Details:

War had broken out in Ishgar, which had many consequences. When nations resorted to bloodshed to achieve their objectives it ruined many lives, but also created many opportunities for others. The fate of millions lay in the balance, and how things would turn out was difficult to predict. Oftentimes, the bigger country with the stronger military would swallow the other, either partially or completely. However sometimes luck was on the side of the weak, or even if the bigger country won the war the aftermath would wreck them.

Of course, the situation was made significantly worse by the fact this was not just two countries clashing. Almost the entirety of Ishgar had divided itself into two large alliances, ready to tear each other apart. The conflict between Bellum and Pergrande had made the two countries call onto their allies for aid, and most of them had answered. Old grudges had been brought to the forefront, and where before one could travel from any country to another with little inconvenience borders had been closed and armies were raised to answer the ancient call for blood. Only the smaller and more isolated countries had refused to join either side, and even they were cautious to accept visitors at this point, as they were afraid to draw the ire of one of the coalitions if they showed themselves too friendly with the other.

And then there was Joya, of course. Close to the centre of the continent, first having accepted the role of acting as host for the attempts at resolving matters peacefully only to have a significant portion of their population wiped out in an act which signalled the start of the war. They certainly weren't getting involved in the war, at least not on either side, as they had solid cause to treat both sides with open hostility and distrust.

But none of that was immediately relevant to Akemi. At least, it wasn't her highest priority. Her highest priority was a new job she had accepted and which she wanted to drag Nymara along to. It did have something to do with the war, but from another angle. The profit angle, actually.

The raven-haired assassin read through the details of the mission. A wealthy and influential merchant was hosting a ball for nobility from Fiore, Ca-Elum, Desierto, and Bellum. The official reason given was that it was meant to strengthen bonds between the upper class of the members of the Luminous Covenant. After all, it was important for those who fought together to get along and trust each other. Distrust within the coalition could lead to weakness, and against an enemy as powerful as the Ironheart Pact such weakness could quickly spell their doom.

The unofficial reason was that the merchant was hoping to quickly snatch some of the best weapons trading deals and get rich from the war. The guests from Ca-Elum were the primary targets, as that country was known both for its high-quality weapons and its lucrative trade deals. Bellum might also be able to produce some impressive magical products, but since they were at the forefront of the war they would most likely loathe moving any of their military materiel towards Fiore. As for Desierto... well, to be honest, they really didn't have anything to offer. Desierto was arguably the weakest part of the coalition both in military and economical matters, even if their forces were good at the kind of activities Akemi herself also excelled in.

Where she came in was that the merchant was aware that such a gathering might also become the target of spies and saboteurs from the Ironheart Pact. This trade deal, while also beneficial for the merchant himself, could end up expediting the transfer of Ca-Elum weaponry into the hands of those who would wield it against Pergrande and its allies. When it came to a war of such a scale it wouldn't be unheard of for the ball, and everyone who attended it, to be destroyed in a freak accident. Obviously, that was unacceptable, and so the merchant had reached out to Fairy Tail to hire additional security. The reason why the merchant hadn't attempted to gain assistance from one of the legal guilds was that this trade deal wasn't necessarily in accordance with the will of the Council. That, and he wished for the mages who accepted the job to attend the ball undercover and be ready to dispatch any suspicious figures post-haste, something that the Rune Knights and the court of law might not be entirely in favour of.

Akemi considered it fair game, however. Assassination was something she was very good at, as well as countering other assassins. The merchant might be using this opportunity to line his pockets, but the weapons would still end up being used against the Ironheart Pact, and business was business. The only concern she had was also an opportunity: the merchant, understandably, wished for any infiltrators to be dealt with quickly, conclusively, and in a matter which displayed both skill and control. Destroying the manor where the ball would be held would give the wrong impression entirely. Which meant that Nymara would have to be careful with how she used her fire.

However, training Nymara to control her flames was exactly what Akemi had been working on all this time. When it came to raw firepower the redhead didn't need much training at the moment, so it was all about control and precision. It might not exactly be what the merchant wanted, but Akemi thought this was a good opportunity to see whether Nymara could finally keep the collateral damage to a minimum. Best case, there weren't any spies or saboteurs and they could just spend the evening keeping watch while the nobles did their thing.

Walking through the halls of Fairy Tail's guild hall Akemi followed the familiar scent to wherever she might find Nymara. The fiery redhead could be found in multiple locations within the guild hall, the bar being one of them. While Akemi was a strict mentor who made sure to keep an eye on her apprentice she wasn't going to dictate everything Nymara did. If the woman wanted to drink herself into a stupor now and then that was her own choice, as long as she didn't complain when Akemi showed up and dragged her away from the bar for more important matters.

Current Appearance:

WC: 1,067
PWC: 1,067/7,000
TWC: 1,067/14,000

@Nymara

Well, it looked like her suspicion that Nymara was getting drunk was spot on. Perhaps that wasn't entirely unreasonable: while they hadn't known it at the time, they had narrowly avoided getting involved in the catastrophe that had wiped Felidae from the face of Ishgar. Whether the attack that had destroyed the city would have killed them as well was a matter of debate, as Akemi was pretty confident in her abilities to survive even under extreme circumstances, but it was still a reasonable response from Nymara to feel weighed down by the realization. Not to mention the fact that for the first time in ages the entirety of Ishgar was engaged in open warfare. Or at least, the majority of Ishgar. Those nations which claimed to be uninvolved might be successful at avoiding conflict in the end, but Akeya suspected their independence might end up being more temporary than they hoped.

But even if that was the case, she needed Nymara sober for this mission. For one thing, they wouldn't be allowed to attend the ball if Nymara was already noticeably intoxicated upon arrival. For another, since this mission was also meant as an opportunity for the redhead to show off how much better she'd become at controlling her flames her being drunk would definitely get in the way. Even people who consistently had more restraint than Nymara could quickly become much more reckless and rough when they had significant amounts of alcohol running through their veins.

At least Lucky had been trying to keep Nymara from going overboard, even if the attempts hadn't been too successful. Having the cat looking after her apprentice meant that Akemi had an assistant in curbing Nymara's more reckless behaviour. And if that failed, she had someone who could recount to her what had happened so she could decide what to do with Nymara.

"We are heading out yes. We've got a new mission lined up." She wasn't going to let Nymara get out of this one, even if there was a good chance that her apprentice wouldn't find it very interesting or fun. "I understand your need to unwind, but I assure you that this mission should allow for that as well. However, you will have to sober up beforehand." She folded her arms to non-verbally refuse the offer of the drink. Not that it mattered much anyway, since the fiery redhead downed it herself not long after.

"I'll brief you on the details of the job once your head is no longer swimming with alcohol. Come with me." She motioned for Nymara to follow as she walked out of the main hall and towards the library. Aside from finding that location more comfortable herself, she had something that would help with Nymara's condition that the redhead might already be familiar with. She glanced at Lucky, not explicitly telling him to come along but also not forbidding him from following. "Alcohol is a matter of practice, but you're better off not dedicating any effort to it. Beyond that, a common trait for all slayers is that their stomachs are significantly larger than their physique would imply."

Thanks to modern technology, which combined mundane physics with arcane physics, buildings like the guild hall had free access to virtually limitless water through pipelines. As such, a barrel full of water was, for the most part, a thing of the past: why bother keeping still water around that could possibly become unhygienic if you could just get it straight from the tap? However, Akemi had a good reason for placing a barrel of cold water near the entrance to the library. She didn't want people to stumble into her trove of knowledge while chemically compromised since they'd often make a mess. As such, if needed she'd have them dunk their head in the water to help shake off the effects. Forcefully, if need be.

"I trust you know what to do yourself." She pointed towards the barrel. "I need you clear-headed for this, so if you protest or hesitate I'll put your head in there myself." Her voice was as calm and serious as always, and the threat wasn't empty either. It had become clear to Akemi that Nymara was a person who wasn't a stranger to physicality or tough love, and as long as she gave the redhead a heads up so she didn't breathe in water she wouldn't have much cause to complain if Akemi grabbed her head and pushed it in.

However, she'd much rather that Nymara showed enough presence of mind to take care of it herself. A barrel of cold water might not purge the alcohol entirely, but it would at least sober her up a little. The details of this mission were important, and Akemi didn't want Nymara to get the wrong idea and make a mess because her attention had been compromised by the toxins in her veins.

Current Appearance:

WC: 820
PWC: 1,887/7,000
TWC: 2,731/14,000

@Nymara

As she could have predicted, Nymara immediately protested against Akemi's advice for Lucky to leave the alcohol be. Like a proper drunkard, the redhead had to make it clear she thought alcohol was great. Akemi, for her part, just shook her head. "I've tasted those drinks before, and while some of them might not taste bad they're not worth the loss of cognizance." The assassin prized her ability to remain clear-headed and practical, along with all the knowledge she'd accumulated over the years, and if there was a drink in this world which was worth turning into a drooling dullard she had yet to come across it. And she had no interest in finding it.

More importantly, Nymara did as she was told and dunked her head into the water barrel. The redhead's ever-present head caused the water to erupt into steam, which made Akemi frown and step back as she waited for Nymara to finish the process. She'd probably have to refill the barrel once her apprentice was done, and make sure the steam didn't enter the library either. Moist air was bad for paper, although that did make her wonder if maybe she should look into some of that new technology people used these days where data could be stored inside magical devices. It would cut down on maintenance a lot, but...

Her thoughts were interrupted as Nymara pulled her head out of the water and shook it, sending hot droplets everywhere. The droplets that had been heading towards Akemi halted in mid-air as she took hold of their shadows to arrest their movement, then dropped to the ground. Akemi herself didn't outwardly acknowledge them as her gaze was on Nymara instead. "It's a start. You'll have to take a shower for this mission anyway, so that might help sober you the rest of the way up." She imagined that this would cause Nymara to have questions: not many missions would have you take a shower beforehand.

With another motion for Nymara to follow her, Akemi led Nymara away from the library. In fact, they'd be making their way out of the guild hall entirely and towards the large dormitories that were located directly opposite of the guild hall, across the street. Since the guild hall itself was more meant for business and a gathering location, members who didn't have their own home would have to make do with Fairy Hills. Akemi herself had a room here, although mostly for convenience: her actual home was far removed from here, and not a place easily accessed by anyone other than herself.

Of course, she could explain the details as they walked. "As you're aware, after we left Felidae City the Symposium, meant to de-escalate the hostilities between Bellum and Pergrande, was attacked and the city was reduced to ashes. As a result, Bellum and Pergrande are openly at war, and Fiore has allied itself with Bellum." This was all background information, but Akemi wanted to make sure that Nymara was up to date before she got to the details of the mission. "For many people, the primary consequence of war is that many people will lose their lives. However, for some war is an opportunity, even an economical windfall. Can you imagine why?"

The truth was, she wanted to keep the more sensitive information for once they were inside her dorm, where she could be certain that they wouldn't be overheard. It might have been easier to go to her office instead, as that was warded against eavesdroppers as well, but unless Nymara had been stashing away clothes in the guild hall they'd need to go to the dorms anyway. That, and she was interested in hearing Nymara's answer to the question: she wanted her apprentice to use her brain more often, which meant that she sometimes had to actually ask questions and then leave it up to the redhead to try and find the answer.

Current Appearance:

WC: 657
PWC: 2,544/7,000
TWC: 4,055/14,000

@Nymara

Akemi glanced sideways at her apprentice when Nymara guessed that the shower was needed to hide her scent. While it wasn't the correct answer for this particular instance it was not a bad assumption. "Usually that would be the correct answer, but this time around we're doing something a little bit different. But I would keep that in mind for other missions." She knew Nymara wasn't really suited for stealth, in either skillset or personality, but even the most straightforward brawler could benefit from being able to remain hidden when the situation called for it. "You can't always rely on brute force to get what you want. Sometimes you have to use more finesse than a fist."

The following argument between Nymara and Lucky about their living conditions made Akemi frown. "If I find out that you're sleeping under a bridge because you keep wasting all your jewels on booze I'll be staging an intervention. It's one thing to enjoy alcohol, it's another to drink yourself into poverty." With how young Nymara was, Akemi wasn't even entirely certain it was a good idea to let the fire dragon drink as much as she did. Then again, it was clear that Nymara's constitution was good enough for it, so it was unlikely that the alcohol would harm her as it would have harmed anyone else. Still, one could get addicted to alcohol, and even if her apprentice wasn't as vulnerable as most others she clearly wasn't immune to the effect alcohol had on the brain. "Especially since, as a certified adventurer, you should be making more jewels than most people would even be able to spend on drinks alone." Being an adventurer was a risky job, often involving life-threatening scenarios. However, for those who had the talent for it, the rewards were plentiful.

But now was not the time to get into a big argument about Nymara's drinking habits. Especially since part of her money most likely also went to wasting her surroundings and then having to pay for the repairs. Akemi was quite certain that the fire dragon had managed to escape having to pay for the repairs more than once, but now that she was the assassin's apprentice she wasn't going to get off that easily if she went overboard and lost control of her flame.

Akemi's room was sparse, for the most part. She hadn't changed much to the standard layout or furniture, although she'd covered every single wall with shelves which were filled with books, scrolls, and tomes. She'd also covered the lights with pieces of thin, translucent cloth and closed the shutters on the windows, so the entire room was cast in dim light. The observant eye would notice that the cloths were of various shades of blue and orange, which evoked an atmosphere similar to twilight. For someone with enhanced senses, such as Akemi and Nymara, such light wouldn't be an issue, but for the average person the room would most likely contain too many shadows to be easy to navigate in.

Coming to a halt in the middle of the room, Akemi turned around to face Nymara and folded her arms. She raised an eyebrow as her apprentice suggested that they were going to steal weaponry, the corner of her mouth twitching before she answered. "Not quite, although you were very close." She motioned with one hand. "There's a rich merchant from Fiore who wishes to establish favourable relationships with the high society from the members of the Luminous Covenant for purposes of trade. That means Fiore itself, Ca-Elum, Bellum, and Desierto. Ca-Elum in particular is receiving a lot of attention, as they're one of the biggest producers of high quality weapons in Ishgar." The corner of her mouth twitched again, amused at the thought of Nymara approaching the question from the wrong side. "For this he's organized a ball, which will be attended by nobles and the like. Rather than disrupting the ball, however, we've been hired as security. Our job is to keep an eye out and get rid of anyone who might wish to cause trouble." Her eyes sharpened a bit. "You've been making progress with your training, which is why I think you can handle this, but I want to emphasize that our client will be very upset if we do too much damage to his mansion. More importantly, I won't be happy either if you end up losing control."

"Now, as for why you need to shower... Obviously it wouldn't do for security detail to smell like a pub, but the stakes are a little higher than that. The merchant is paying extra for not scaring the guests, and surrounding the mansion with security would remind them that they might be targeted. As such, we'll be taking the part of the ball as guests ourselves."

She pointed towards the bathroom with her thumb. "Not every job is about finding something to set on fire, and this will be a good opportunity for you. Since you've just admitted to living under a bridge you can use my shower, and unless you've got an outfit stashed away somewhere which would be appropriate for a ball I'll find a dress which fits you. Any questions?"

Current Appearance:

WC: 873
PWC: 3,417/7,000
TWC: 5,585/14,000

@Nymara

Akemi pointedly ignored Nymara's blank look towards Lucky. For an assassin covering your scent so you didn't get discovered was, in fact, quite important, and even if Nymara wasn't planning to focus as much on stealth and subtlety as her master Akemi was still going to at least teach her the basics. After all, even if you didn't want to be an assassin, you might still have to be able to catch your own food someday.

"Being stealthy has the advantage that you can get the first hit in before the target has the opportunity to react or defend themselves. Given that you need prompting to remember this I might make it the focus of our next training session." Some more emphasis on tactics and strategy might be a good idea anyway. She could reconfigure the training room into something like a mountainous region, have Nymara try to catch her while Akemi herself tried to tap the redhead from somewhere unseen. Done properly it might even be fun for the fire slayer, which should keep her from complaining or getting frustrated.

Lucky's hint that Nymara not only drank a lot, but also ate a lot, had Akemi sighing. "Well, at least eating a lot means you've got a lot of energy to burn, which can be useful. Still, it'd be a good idea to cut back a little so you can keep some jewels tucked away in case you need them. Some things are most easily obtained by paying for them." In Akemi's case it was mostly scrolls and the like, something that she imagined Nymara wouldn't necessarily be interested in. But everybody could benefit from having some spending money, in case something struck their fancy or unexpected circumstances forced them to change priorities on what was important.

It seemed that both Nymara and Lucky appreciated Akemi's choice to dim the lights in her room, resulting in the assassin giving a quick nod in response to Lucky's comment. She herself found this a lot more comfortable, even if she had become used to the brightness of the outdoors. If Nymara and Lucky studied the scrolls, tomes, and books that lined the walls they'd find that it was mostly a mixture of historical records from all over Ishgar and magical theory. So far as Akemi was concerned knowing as much about how magic worked was a non-optional requirement for developing one's own magic. She couldn't deny that there were plenty of entities who managed to achieve great heights without such intense study, but she was hoping to achieve equal or even greater height while being a lot more efficient and effective.

"Playing would imply that you're not actually acting as a bodyguard. Although to be more precise, you're protecting everyone at the ball, not just the host." She wanted to clear that up before Nymara got the idea that she only had to look after the merchant. If the redhead ignored threats directed at the guests it could actually become a bit of a problem. "And yes, we will have to keep collateral damage to a minimum. If the mansion does get attacked you won't be blamed for the disruption of the ball, but if you do damage the mansion in the process of fending off the attackers our client will file complaints and the reparations will come out of your pocket." She smirked slightly at that. "Another reason to not drink and eat all your jewels away. That said, since we'll be attending this ball as guests ourselves you'll be allowed to eat from the buffet, as long as you don't clear the table by yourself."

She tapped her cheek at Nymara's reasonable question about wishing to know how likely it was that the ball would be attacked. "The client didn't say anything about attacks that he's certain will happen. It's more likely that we're hired as insurance. If you're lucky the ball will end without any incidents and you don't have to worry about controlling yourself." That would probably be the most fortunate outcome for the merchant and the guests. Akemi would rather have some nuisances show up so Nymara was forced to improve her self-control, but the dark claw mage was not looking forward to hearing the merchant kick up a fuss if part of the mansion got destroyed.

Lucky then chimed in with a suggestion that was actually quite welcome. Akemi shifted her attention towards the cat and nodded. "That's not a bad idea. On the way to the ball Lucky can instruct you on the basics, and guide you through the more complex encounters if necessary. That said, you're young and beautiful, so you can get away with some abnormal behaviour without the other guests getting too upset about it." If people found you attractive they were a lot more forgiving when judging your words and actions. "If you don't have a dress I'll find one that suits you, but since I'll have to take care of some things afterwards the two of you will be travelling to the mansion without me. I'll meet you there instead."

While attending the ball was well and good, to truly be prepared for trouble Akemi wanted to scout the surrounding area and perhaps set some traps which would serve her well in defending the place. Her magic was for the most part meant to be used in the moment, but as she developed her skills she also picked up new tricks, including some which she still found rather baffling herself.

With Lucky having left the apartment to give the two women their privacy Akemi followed Nymara into the bathroom. No sense in wasting time waiting for the redhead to finish before showering herself, and she'd probably be done before Nymara anyway so she'd have time to find a good dress for her apprentice.

---

After Akemi had finished her shower quickly she had remained true to her word and procured a dress for Nymara. The measurements were correct, and the dark design should make her look both stunning and intimidating. The fire slayer did have a point that she wasn't used to mingling with high society, so it wouldn't hurt to discourage the guests from approaching her on a mere whim.

Of course, there would probably be those who'd approach her because they didn't know who she was and they were smitten with her, but Akemi figured they'd handle those as they came. She did already have an idea of how to handle it as well, but it'd be funnier if she didn't tell Nymara in advance.

Leaving Nymara to finish her shower, get dressed, and receive some education on etiquette from Lucky on the way to the mansion, Akemi cut down her own travel time to less than a minute by finding a convenient shadow, stepping into it, and stepping out of the mansion's shadow and immediately turning invisible. By shifting between shadows she managed to quickly cover the entire estate. The estate itself seemed to be fine, properly prepared for the ball that would take place that evening, but the surrounding town... Akemi frowned. In a place like this, troublemakers could easily slip in from any direction. Shirotsume was a fairly lawless place, with powerful individuals relying on retainers and hired muscle to enforce their own rule within their territory. The merchant who acted as their client was certainly wealthy, and had managed to seize a fairly large territory, but the other big players of Shirotsume might find that reason to interfere with this ball as well.

As evening fell and the ball was soon to begin Akemi shifted back to her room and got dressed as well. Once she was as prepared as she could be she shifted back to Shirotsume, waiting some ways outside of the town so she could wait for Nymara and Lucky to arrive so the three of them could enter the merchant's estate proper.

Appearance:

WC: 1,322
PWC: 4,739/7,000
TWC: 7,875/14,000

@Nymara

It looked like Nymara and Lucky actually managed to arrive on time. Akemi wasn't too surprised, as she'd made sure to inform Nymara of the task they'd be undergoing with plenty of leeway, but it was still good to see that the fire slayer and the cat managed not to delay themselves. A part of her had been worried that Nymara, clearly not very comfortable with the upcoming mission, might try to calm her nerves with some alcohol and then forget what she was supposed to be doing. It wasn't that she distrusted Nymara as she was aware that the redhead could be a bit careless at times.

However, that was purely a hypothetical possibility that, as it turned out, had failed to be true. Instead, Akemi could straighten up and raise a hand to announce her presence to the other two, waiting for them to reach her so... apparently Nymara could be absolutely flabbergasted by Akemi's appearance. It was true that usually, Akemi dressed like she didn't care too much about what others thought of her, as her clothes served their purpose of covering up her important parts and otherwise were rather messy. As such, she couldn't exactly blame Nymara for being surprised, although she was definitely amused by it.

"This isn't actually the first time I've worn this dress, but it's true that it's the first time you've seen it." She answered smoothly, looking Nymara over as well. Being in the shower with Nymara had given her the opportunity she needed to get a good idea of the firebrand's physique, and from the looks of it she'd managed to pick the right dress to suit that body. "You look beautiful as well, so I think we're all set for the task at hand." The corner of her mouth curled upwards into a slight smile. "Well, aside from the fact that you seem to be ready to combust. Try to take deep breaths and turn down the heat." They could hardly arrive at the ball if Nymara was turning all the water around her into steam.

Akemi was pleased by Nymara's reaction, so she wasn't quite as stern as usual. So far every compliment she'd thrown her apprentice's way had flown right over that red-haired head, which made her wonder if Nymara was just that oblivious. So instead she'd dressed up in a manner which, as long as Nymara had a libido which was capable of reacting to the female physique, should definitely provoke a response. And it had, so at the very least Akemi had received confirmation that her apprentice's sexual orientation was one which included her mentor. And at the same time, she'd been able to find a mission which would give her the opportunity to make Nymara put on a nice dress as well, so Akemi herself also had something nice to look at while on the job.

"Black does look really good on you."

Appearance:

WC: 489
PWC: 5,228/7,000
TWC: 9,661/14,000

@Nymara

Watching Nymara do her best despite having been forced into a scenario she had zero experience with was pretty endearing. Usually, Akemi would find the stuttering and the stumbling tedious, and a sign that Nymara needed more training in remaining in control of herself, but given that her current lack of composure was a direct result of her being dumbstruck by Akemi's own beauty, and by extension Nymara's attraction towards the assassin, it actually was quite pleasant this time around. Of course, she would have to get Nymara to regain enough control to not blow her cover as a guest at the ball before they arrived, but that didn't mean she couldn't have a little bit of fun before then.

"Good." She simply commented after Nymara managed to keep herself from igniting her surroundings through sheer heat. "The weather is already warm enough that we won't be needing your aura to keep us warm. Of course, we will still be sticking close together for the duration of this mission."

It was rather surprising to watch Nymara actually drop her bravado for a bit. That soft smile wasn't something the redhead would usually wear, but it looked nice on her. Akemi smiled back before motioning for both the fire slayer and the cat knight to follow her as they headed towards where the mansion was located. The sky was already growing dark, but there was enough lighting that even if they didn't have night vision they wouldn't have had any trouble making their way through the streets. They did, however, have to ignore some stares on the way: these streets weren't terribly crowded, but the few people that were present couldn't help but look at the two gorgeous women walking past, as well as curiosity for the exceed that accompanied them.

"Most likely their appearance won't differ much from Nymara and I, although not as beautiful of course." Akemi might be a rather cold and withdrawn person, but that didn't mean she didn't have a high opinion of her own looks. "This isn't meant to be a costumed ball, so everyone will be looking to impress without going overboard." She glanced down at herself quickly. "In fact, I might actually be a bit underdressed." She wasn't exactly embarrassed, but it couldn't be denied that this dress was very provocative, accentuating her curves even more than if she were simply naked. No doubt part of the reason why Nymara was only now realizing her own attraction towards her mentor despite having shared a shower with her before.

"I'm not very interested in such events myself, but we'll still have to blend in for a while. I don't expect you to engage in conversation unless someone talks to you first, but we can keep each other busy in the meantime while I keep an eye on things. My abilities are more suited for spying and scouting than yours, so you just concern yourself with keeping your temperature under control." The corners of Akemi's mouth twitched again as she was curious whether Nymara would be able to retain control after the dark claw mage's next words.

"With both of us looking the way we do we'll no doubt attract those who have a more physical interest in us. To avoid them being too pushy with us we'll have to act like we're a couple to dissuade them." She looked at Nymara. "Since these people belong to high society merely telling them you're not interested won't convince them: they're used to getting what they want as long as they keep trying. However, if you're already in a relationship with someone they can't intimidate they should back off." The idea that anyone at the ball would be able to intimidate Akemi was, of course, preposterous.

Appearance:

WC: 629
PWC: 5,857/7,000
TWC: 10,787/14,000

@Nymara

Well, it looked like Akemi's plan had succeeded: Nymara looked like she was about to burst into flames from sheer awkwardness and embarrassment. Her speech patterns were completely different from how they usually were as she tried to keep herself under control. The dark claw mage smirked as her redheaded apprentice assured her that she'd do her best to stay alert. "Excellent. While I'll be taking care of surveillance I'll be expecting you to take care of any intruders that we do encounter, given that it's a good opportunity for you to learn some more control over your flames." Admittedly it was unlikely that anyone would be sending an assassin towards this party that Akemi wouldn't be able to handle, but there would be little point to attending this event if Nymara didn't learn something from it. Or two things, since the firebrand was clearly being forced to learn something about herself that she hadn't been aware of before.

"It's both a cover and an attempt for the host to impress the guests, but you're correct that it wouldn't compare to the kind of balls held for royal gatherings." Akemi briefly rolled her eyes at that. She really didn't have a high opinion of the whole royalty thing, and the fact that their festivities tended to be some of the most absurd occasions both in execution and expenses was one of the reasons why. "If we were attending a royal ball we'd either have to wear such extravagant outfits that you could barely see us underneath all the bells and whistles or we'd be competing to see who could wear the least while still remaining legally decent, depending on the mood of society's upper crust." Decadence always manifested itself in one of two ways: showing off your wealth and status as much as possible, or coming as close to violating laws and ethics as possible without getting arrested.

Admittedly it wasn't like it was inevitable that gatherings of aristocracy turned into displays of decadence, but Akemi's cynical worldview made her speak of it as such anyway. Although the point was moot since there wasn't any reason to believe either she or Nymara would be attending a royal ball soon.

"Try to keep your adjustments to a minimum once we're inside. As for gaining anyone's approval..." Akemi shrugged. "It all depends on what your goals are. If your main concern is wealth and fame gaining the support of those who already are wealthy and famous is one of the easiest methods to achieve your goals." She looked over her shoulder at Nymara and Lucky. "That said, I don't think any of us are interested in that, so as long as we don't antagonize anyone I'd consider it a successful mission." The wealthy and famous could be quite petty when they felt slighted, so even if Akemi had no interest in stroking their egos she'd still avoid earning their ire. Few things were as annoying as some proud and self-absorbed noble doing their best to make life difficult for you.

"I'm not sure I'd call the way that nobles speak normal, but I'm curious to see how you'll fare if one approaches you." Akemi's attention was pulled away when a nearby flower spontaneously combusted. With a quick swipe of her hand, the flames were smothered by shadows, although the flower had already sustained extensive damage. The raven-haired assassin kept her face calm as she watched Nymara try to keep herself from igniting, but the corners of her mouth kept twitching upwards. Really, getting Nymara hot and bothered was too amusing. "Well, I'm glad you're seeing the sense of it. Just keep an eye on your breathing and your temperature. Now come on, we don't want to be late."

Reaching out Akemi grabbed Nymara by the hand, motioning for her apprentice to walk next to her as they passed through the gates and walked down the path leading to the entrance to the mansion proper. Most of the mansion's windows were already alight with activity, sounds of people talking and moving around drifting out into the evening sky with music permeating the air. As they reached the door it opened before they could even knock, a servant dressed in sharp black standing before them. He looked at all three of them, his expression neutral although his eyes did light up a bit seeing Lucky. "Good evening, ladies, sir. May I know your names?"

Given that Akemi was the one who had accepted the job she took the lead. "I am Akemi, and this is my partner Nymara and our companion, Sir Lucky. We were invited by Master Carleson." From her understanding the merchant didn't want to deal with the hassle of guests having lost their invitation, so instead he'd chosen the far more unreasonable option of having his servants memorize the full list of guests.

Fortunately, this servant appeared to have done so correctly, as he nodded and stepped to the side with a bow. "Welcome, Lady Akemi, Lady Nymara, Sir Lucky. Master Carleson wishes me to remind you that everyone should keep from the third floor: it's not meant to be part of the festivities."

Akemi nodded. "Understood. We'll make sure to stay clear of the third floor." She'd lead the way into the mansion now that the servant was no longer blocking the way, following the sound of activity from the hallway to a large room which served as the heart of the evening. As one would expect from a merchant who was trying to impress the high society, the mansion was quite luxuriously decorated. Clearly, this building had been designed for the purpose of displaying the wealth of the owner, even if it still didn't compare to the palaces of royalty.

Appearance:

WC: 961
PWC: 6,818/7,000
TWC: 12,601/14,000

@Nymara

"You're not wrong about them difficult to deal with. Most of them were raised from birth to believe that they're above the rest of society, and that the rules don't apply to them in the way they apply to others as long as they know how to wield their political and economical power." Akemi ignored the fact that dragons were much the same for the sake of personal convenience, although if pressured she would have been able to provide some arguments for the vital differences between nobility and dragons.

"The ones who managed to reach this position through hard work can be more reasonable, although often they're so focused on gaining more power and holding onto what power they have that they're not very cooperative." It was easy for these individuals to completely forget about how they reached their current position: humans and their kin were social creatures whose achievements were built on cooperation. A dragon might be able to achieve great heights on its own, but humans couldn't say the same.

"If you wish to reach your goals through your own efforts there's not much point to striking any deals with the people we'll be meeting today, but I'd still advise you to not anger them. If you offend them they might even try to get in your way, and while we would be able to handle that it's more of a pain in the ass than it's worth dealing with." Akemi didn't bother to try hiding the distaste in her voice, her golden eyes narrow as she spoke of the crust of society. They were similar to dragons in some way, but the differences made her detest them where dragons were much more tolerable. Possibly because dragons might have a high opinion of themselves, but they also tended to stick to their own territory. Nobles, however, were constantly validating their importance by bossing others around. And it wasn't like Akemi had a high opinion of dragons who liked to do that either.

She nodded as Lucky suggested that Nymara find something to drink once they had entered the mansion. "If you're having trouble regulating your temperature it'd be a good idea to cool yourself down with a drink. Try not to drink too much alcohol though: you already have enough trouble controlling yourself when you aren't intoxicated." A bit blunt, but accurate in Akemi's eyes. With the servant having permitted the both of them entrance she could lead the way to the main ballroom where most of the guests would be, noting that Nymara was gripping her hand rather tightly. Well, that wasn't really a problem: if it helped the firebrand from igniting Akemi had no complaints.

Akemi's face remained neutral as they entered the ballroom, and while she would have advised Nymara to not look so disturbed by the scene before her Lucky was already on it. The cat knight really was useful for these kinds of situations.

"I will be on the lookout for anyone who tries to remain unnoticed, or who sneaks into the mansion without being invited. If you wish to help out, you can try to see if anyone is behaving oddly: while all guests were memorized by the servants, it's not impossible for a skilled enough infiltrant to get around that obstacle." Replace the actual person with a convincing look-alike, manipulate the host so they send an invitation to the wrong person... When it came to tricky stuff like assassination and subterfuge there were no certainties, only questions of how many resources the enemy had at their disposal and how willing they were to use those resources for the task.

She'd guide the three of them towards the table with the drinks after returning the nod of the nobles that had passed them by. As one might expect, nearly all of the drinks were alcoholic, but there was some glacial water as well, in case someone wanted to drink something more refreshing without risking intoxication. Given that Nymara was having trouble with cooling down Akemi would fill a glass with the water and hand it to her companion, while refraining from taking a drink herself. Her attention was mostly on the mansion as a whole now, perceiving the other rooms through the twisted web of dark and light that permeated reality.

"There doesn't appear to be any dancing planned, so you don't have to worry about that." She pointed this out to Nymara casually, although she honestly didn't know whether the redhead had every tried dancing before. Although even if she had, Akemi would have been able to guarantee that it wouldn't fit into this scene.

As for the other guests, none of them had approached the three of them yet, although they had received some glances upon entering the room. Two beautiful ladies, accompanied by a cat who seemed to be the most comfortable of the three. While Akemi spoke poorly of them these people did have some skills, and being able to read others was one of them. Akemi's stance and attitude came across as distant and reserved, not looking for any interaction with others, while Nymara looked like she really didn't know what she was doing here. From the perspective of the nobles, Akemi was most likely the one who'd been given the invitation, with Nymara being the companion.

Unless the one who had been invited personally was Lucky, since he seemed to be in his element here. Fiore was a progressive country, so it wasn't impossible...

Appearance:

WC: 918
PWC: 7,736/7,000 (Completed)
TWC: 14,582/14,000 (Completed)

@Nymara

"That depends on what you consider high-quality alcohol, but you're correct if your main focus is on the alcohol content." Akemi didn't have any interest in getting drunk, but that didn't mean she'd never read up on how the production process worked. "Up to a certain point it's possible to produce beverages using the correct ingredients and methods, but beyond that point, you have to use an extra process to concentrate the alcohol. That makes them more expensive, so the strongest drinks are almost always in the hands of the rich. Furthermore, with many beverages such as wine, it's believed that letting it age under favourable conditions improves the quality, with the ageing process lasting decades or in the rarest of cases even centuries. Since that means these older drinks are of a limited edition the prices go up even more. As a result, the "uppermost crust of our society" likes to compare the size of their wine cellars and the age of their collection as part of their complicated pecking order."

Akemi was talking quite a bit about a topic she didn't care for that much (beyond it allowing her to understand the behaviour of influential, if annoying, individuals), but there was a purpose to this: blending in. The topic was a bit unorthodox, and she probably would have received some glares if the aristocrats present at this party overheard her, but as long as she and Nymara looked like they were in a conversation just like everyone else they would fit in better than if it was just Akemi looking around while Nymara tried to keep herself occupied with the food.

Whether Nymara would be able to avoid offending anyone was not a mystery that Akemi would be able to resolve, since it highly depended on who approached the redhead and how her apprentice would act now that she was completely out of her element. Rather than wasting time worrying about the possibility Akemi would push her attention further outwards, beyond the walls of the mansion and onto the surrounding grounds. So far she hadn't sensed any suspicious activity, which either meant that there weren't any infiltrators yet or they were good enough to not be easily caught.

A short hum escaped her lips as Lucky suggested that he find the opportunity to move to the rafters so he could overlook the situation from above, which might provide clues that weren't as visible from the ground level. Since they were looking for subterfuge it would be good to have someone looking at things from a different angle, as Lucky might be able to spot someone behaving in a manner that might appear normal from down below but betrayed ulterior motives for him. "That's a good suggestion. Find an opportunity to go up, then stay hidden until you see anything suspicious. I'll be able to see you from the shadows, so you don't have to reveal yourself to the people below to alert me." It would be a one-way form of communication, but Akemi doubted that she'd really need to inform Lucky of anything. Unlike Nymara he was quick on the uptake and didn't need anything explained to him as long as he had sufficient information to figure out the answer himself.

She couldn't help but smirk slightly as she noticed that Nymara was having a hard time looking away from her. Akemi wasn't wasting the opportunity to get an eyeful of her beautiful apprentice as well, but since she was trained for this kind of thing she was being a lot less clumsy about it, either looking at Nymara from the corner of her vision or glancing around as if she was merely observing the rest of the party. "As interesting as it might have been to see you dance, that it's not part of this event means that it'll be easier for us to remain inconspicuous." She gave a quick nod towards Lucky as he announced that it was time for his departure.

"As for the two of us, let's go grab something to eat for now. There's no telling how long it'll take one of these aristocrats to approach us, and it'd be better if we've gained at least some benefit from attending this party before then." Akemi was pretty confident that having to put up with the nobility was going to sour their mood, and she knew that Nymara would appreciate the opportunity to enjoy herself through her stomach. Keeping one hand interwoven with Nymara's she led the way towards the buffet, although as she arrived there she blinked at the sensation of... something. It wasn't in the room, not yet, but something had stirred somewhere in the mansion. Ever so slightly... maybe just a rat? No, that would be too optimistic a thought. "Don't eat too fast, but don't dally too long either. We might have to do our job soon." She uttered these words in a low voice, low enough that Nymara's enhanced hearing would be required to catch it. Her outwards demeanour remained the same, if perhaps a bit more alert than before, but internally she was trying to sharpen her sensory abilities. Hearing every conversation that was going on in this huge room was going to give her a headache in the long run, but she needed to be on guard.

Appearance:

WC: 890
PWC: 8,626/7,000 (Completed)
TWC: 16,796/14,000 (Completed)

@Nymara

Akemi motioned for Nymara to quiet down when the firebrand began to speak loudly about brewing her own drinks. She'd known in advance that getting the girl to not blow her cover would take some effort, but she was determined to keep trying. If it taught Nymara a thing or two about not getting too excited about things that would also be beneficial in the future. "I'm sure we could find someone who could help you try to brew something for yourself, but personally I've got no interest. As for whether the aristocrats would care..." She idly looked around, taking in the behaviour of all the other people in the room. While the three of them still got some occasionally stares most people had returned to their own business. "Sir Lucky has the correct idea here. They wouldn't care unless you started selling your drinks." There was also the chance that Nymara accidentally made something so delicious that some nobles would want it for themselves, but those odds were practically non-existent.

She rolled her eyes as Lucky commented on how strange it would feel to talk to a shadow. "You'll get used to it." She replied dryly before the cat disappeared into the crowd, no doubt finding himself a good spot from which to ascend and reach the rafters. Given how seriously he was taking this job she didn't need to worry about him, so she'd instead turn her attention to Nymara, who was wondering how one was even supposed to dance while wearing such clothes. "The kind of dancing performed at these gatherings isn't as lively as what you're probably familiar with. That said, it's hardly like these clothes are constrictive." She'd gone for a rather minimalistic design for both herself and Nymara, relying on the quality of the fabric and the way it revealed their skin rather than sheer opulence. If they did have to deal with intruders it wouldn't be the first time that Akemi had to fight in such an outfit. "Try not to pull on your dress so much. Once we're done here I'll help you take it off."

There was something endearing about Nymara's attempts to remain in character, although inwardly Akemi winced at the awkwardness the redhead displayed. It was a good thing that they hadn't been approached by some of the actual aristocrats yet, but the way things were going it would only be a matter of time before Nymara began to draw unwanted attention. Unlike Nymara, Akemi paid little attention to the people they passed by, only acknowledging their gaze with her own golden eyes before moving on. She had little interest in socializing with the aristocracy, and it wasn't out of character for someone like her to behave in a rather reserved manner.

"Don't move with so much greed." She softly pointed out as Nymara got to work filling her plate. "The kind of food served at these parties is meant to be enjoyed for the taste rather than the amount, so if you just eat as quickly as possible you'll look out of place." As she talked she tried her best to keep an eye on their surroundings, as well as the presence she'd sensed before that was moving about inside the mansion. Its movements were slow and deliberate as if it definitely didn't want to be noticed. As she focused on the room it was in she couldn't see it, which meant it was relying on an advanced concealment technique. It also slipped into the next room within the blink of an eye. Had it noticed that she was paying attention? She doubted it: there was nothing to give away her focus, unless it had some ability that allowed it to detect thoughts and intentions.

While Akemi was investigating this presence Nymara had been approached by a noble, forcing the raven-haired assassin to divert her attention toward the man. He was certainly handsome, although his smile and his mannerisms made him suspicious in her eyes. Well, more suspicious than usual. He also seemed to be taking Nymara's awkward responses in stride, except...

Akemi's eyes narrowed slightly when she noticed how the man paused. He was looking at Nymara... what did he see? That reaction wasn't suitable for him merely realizing that she wasn't a noble. The assassin kept her face neutral as she tracked the presence which was moving about through the mansion while at the same time figuring out what this Lord Harrington was thinking. She could feel his surprise and confusion, but that was replaced by... an intense curiosity. Something about Nymara had really caught his attention.

The presence upstairs was now nearly directly above the ballroom, albeit on the third floor where the guests weren't allowed to come. If it tried anything Akemi might have to quickly ditch all this pretence and jump into action... Unfortunately, she couldn't exactly warn Nymara about this when she was being addressed by the nobleman.

Making some slight motions with one hand she shaped some shadows into words next to Lucky to respond to his earlier warning.

"New arrival too interested in Nymara. Presence above the ballroom on third floor. Trouble might begin soon."

Lucky wasn't a combatant, but it would still be good to have him be aware of the situation. Lord Harrington, meanwhile, had decided to acquire after Akemi herself, forcing the assassin to turn her attention completely to him. She studied him with her golden eyes, his smile failing to impress her.

"I'm Lady Akemi. It's a pleasure to meet you Lord Harrington." Her words matched her face, calm and politely neutral. She answered his bow with a small nod. "Master Carleson was so kind to extend an invitation to us due to his friendship with my father." It really was a hassle to have to come up with these kinds of cover stories, although Akemi had gotten used to it. "As one should expect, our host has made sure to make an impression. Although I would imagine that for one such as you gatherings of this scale and quality are unremarkable." The man carried himself with an air of confidence, which was to be expected of a noble. What was worrisome was that, despite his young age, he already claimed to be familiar with everyone who attended these parties. If he was influential even amongst the aristocracy getting his attention was a problem.

Appearance:

WC: 1,068
PWC: 9,694/7,000 (Completed)
TWC: 19,105/14,000 (Completed)

@Nymara

Akemi wondered if it was a good idea to encourage Nymara's dreams of making her own drinks, especially since it might only cause the redhead's alcoholism to deepen, but at the same time, it'd at least given Nymara something to do that wasn't either breaking things or going broke eating absurd amounts of food. "If you somehow managed to produce some truly good beverages they might be interested, but that's unlikely to happen any time soon. Creating good drinks is a lot more work than you might think, and it's a very precise art." Not that she was an expert on the subject, but she knew that much at least. A small change in the recipe could have a drastic influence on the outcome, so most likely Nymara's first attempts would suffer from her enthusiasm. "But let's keep further discussion on that topic for another time." She wasn't even sure Nymara would remember the idea after today, but she didn't want to spend the entire evening talking about brewing beverages.

While she appreciated the interest Nymara was showing in her appearance Akemi was getting worried that the redhead may be a bit too obvious about it. Clearly, she'd never had to confront this part of herself, and now she was behaving almost starstruck. The people attending this ball might be arrogant and self-absorbed, but the majority of them would be good enough at reading others that some of them must have noticed that Nymara's behaviour was peculiar. If she kept behaving like this they might start thinking that Akemi and Nymara had never met before, which would lead to a lot of speculation. Not a huge issue, but Akemi would rather not have their cover blown if she could avoid it. "That's part of it, yes." She simply replied to Nymara's suggestion regarding shoes.

When the redhead not only didn't question Akemi's words about removing her dress after the ball but even suggested that she'd return the favour the raven-haired assassin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Was Nymara really that oblivious, or was she just not paying attention? She didn't comment on it, however, as it seemed Nymara's thoughts had turned somewhere else. Better to leave the firebrand be if she was busy working on something internally. Especially since it also meant that they had a grace period in which Nymara's intense introspection kept her from acting in a manner that the nobles would find suspicious. Of course, she could try to educate Nymara on not letting her thoughts show too openly on her face, but she'd rather have Nymara come across as young and inexperienced than make a note of everything the girl could do better. Beyond a certain point such corrections stopped being helpful and would instead cause Nymara to become unfocused.

A quick shake of her head was the only response she had to Nymara's complaint regarding the warning to not overeat. She might explain the fine details at a later date, but right now she'd be satisfied as the redhead took her words to heart and slowed down the speed at which she ate, even if it wasn't a big difference.

More importantly, she now had to navigate her way through a conversation with someone who was clearly well-versed in the arts of conversation. What a hassle.

She inclined her head to acknowledge Lord Harringoth's words, then replied smoothly even as her thoughts raced behind her eyes. How much information to provide, how much to hold back... If she blurted out every part of her cover story at the slightest inquiry it'd be suspicious, but if she was too defensive it'd also raise alarms. The important thing was to act natural, but what would be natural for her character...

"His desire to befriend those who share his interests is no secret, true. My father has told me more than once that Master Carleson has vigour and drive that others would have a hard time matching." She followed Harringoth's example as she looked at the crowds of people who were supposed to be very important, but whom Akemi really couldn't care much about. Even if she didn't show it on her face. "I imagine he would wish to do both if events allow for it. Commerce is in his blood, after all." Carleson wasn't old nobility, but an example of a man who managed to rise in the social hierarchy through the accumulation of wealth. Akemi wouldn't comment on whether this accumulation was entirely ethical, but it was clear that unlike the old nobility Carleson would take every opportunity he got to improve his position.

"I'm glad to hear you still cherish our homeland. There are those who, after leaving for foreign lands, return only to find that their place of birth has lost importance. A sad thing, I'd argue." She shook her head before quirking an eyebrow at Lord Harringoth. Was he truly curious, or was he fishing for holes in their cover? He was sharp enough that he might have seen through them already, in which case he was just maintaining the facade because it was beneficial for him to not immediately expose them. There was no way to tell, however, so she'd have to forge onwards.

"My father?" She looked at the crowds of nobles and closed her eyes briefly. "I would be surprised if more than a handful of those gathered here had ever met him in person. It's been years since Lord Ravensworth attended any events himself. Time has not been kind to my father, I'm afraid." The name wasn't the most creative lie she'd ever made up, but at the very least it was a suitable name for a noble family. Now she just had to keep Lord Harringoth from digging too deeply. Feed him some crumbs of information to keep things rolling, but don't expose that she and Carleson were pulling the wool over everyone's eyes.

And she had to do this while her attention was also diverted to what was happening up above. Lucky was taking her warning seriously, which meant that she at least didn't have to use all her attention to figure out what was happening upstairs. The exceed had found a way out of the ballroom and up to the third floor without any issue, but it seemed like he would need some assistance when it came to actually entering the third floor. While Akemi kept most of her attention on Lord Harringoth she'd also twitch some of the fingers on her right hand, taking control of the shadows inside the lock of the door Lucky was facing. Lockpicking was fairly easy, although having to do it without revealing that she was multitasking meant that it'd take a bit longer...

She blinked involuntarily as she felt a surge of magic close to Lucky. It came directly from behind the cat, and as she abandoned the lockpicking attempt for the moment she instead turned her attention to the gargoyle. Another twitch of her fingers and Lucky would see words form very quickly in front of him.

"Gargoyle. Dodge left."

Appearance:

WC: 1,183
PWC: 10,877/7,000 (Completed)
TWC: 21,197/14,000 (Completed)

@Nymara

Having Nymara focus on the food at least meant that she wouldn't accidentally put her foot in her mouth while speaking, although it also meant that she might stop thinking about maintaining the act as her stomach assumed command. For the moment there was little Akemi could do but accept that Nymara would do whatever it is she was going to do, and the best the assassin could do was try to keep the situation from getting out of hand.

Which was made difficult by Harringoth's continued interest. It was becoming increasingly evident that to the man this was more than just casual small talk: he was getting something from talking to the two of them.

"My father and I wish him nothing but good fortune, as it would seem only fate itself would be able to halt the advance of someone so ambitious and resourceful." Possibly exaggerating a little bit here, but if there was one thing that the nobility liked it was showering each other with praise even if a poisoned dagger was slid in between the words.

They also liked to insist on the importance of their lineage, although having to put up with nobility putting on airs was the least of Akemi's worries right now. That was the second time that Lord Harringoth had shown Nymara an unusual amount of interest. He was so composed and socially adept that for him to show even this much attention towards the firebrand meant he either was signalling that she interested him, or whatever it was that was drawing his attention was so significant that it interfered with his otherwise smooth demeanour. "To forget one's origins is a foolish thing, indeed." Whatever it was that made Harringoth so interested in Nymara, Akemi doubted that it was mere suspicion. She also didn't think it was anything good.

The man in question then made a show of trying to remember Lord Ravensworth, only to conclude that he wasn't able to recall. That didn't surprise Akemi in the least: to the best of her knowledge, right now there was no such thing as a House Ravensworth. Instead, she nodded as if accepting his apology. "I'm sure my father would have appreciated the opportunity to meet you, but I don't think his health would allow for it."

She tilted her head to the side slightly as he showered her with compliments. As smooth as his words were, she was pretty sure he was merely going through the motions. By this point, Lord Harringoth had already made it clear what truly interested him, and even if he recognised Akemi's beauty it wasn't her. "I've been told he was quite the handsome man when he was young. But yes, it does seem like we won't be able to enjoy a dance together this evening." Not that she found the kind of dances performed at these kinds of balls enjoyable.

But now he had turned his focus on Nymara, which meant that Akemi had to hope that her apprentice could maintain the minimum amount of decorum necessary to not blow her cover completely. Fortunately, she was in a position where if Nymara slipped up she could try to perform some damage control.

Of course, the fact that he was now directly addressing Nymara meant that Lord Harringoth most likely was trying to get information from a more vulnerable source.

"Our fathers share a passion for hunting, even if their last trip together was quite some time ago." Akemi shifted her gaze to Nymara, who now wisely was occupying her mouth with a drink so she had an excuse not to talk. Akemi decided to show a small smile, to indicate that her partner at least elicited a positive response from her even if she was stoic towards everyone else. "We have known each other for close to a year now, although this is the first time that we have attended a party together. Nym's father has always given her a lot of freedom: I would have come here alone if my father hadn't insisted on the importance of letting Nym experience such events for herself while she's still young."

Not the best cover story, but at least it explained why Nymara's behaviour was a lot less stiff than everyone else here. A daughter who'd been left to her own devices.

She was still keeping a close eye on what was happening outside even as she kept the conversation with Lord Harringoth going. Lucky would have to fend for himself against the gargoyle beyond the warning Akemi had given him: if she used enough energy to help take down the statuesque defender of the manor the more sensitive people in the building would notice, and even if they didn't manage to trace the magic back to her it'd still lead to trouble. Instead, she tried to observe the presence on the third floor up until the point where the exceed tricked the gargoyle into bypassing the lock entirely by flying straight into the building, suppressing a small wince as her sharpened senses allowed her to pick up on the noise the entity's entrance made. She could also tell that several other people in the room paused and frowned for a moment, but fortunately, they seemed willing to dismiss the thought and return to their conversations.

"Understood. Try to avoid more destruction."

A singular incident might be dismissed by the party attendants, but if Lucky encountered more trouble they'd either have to provide a more intrusive distraction in the ballroom or drop their cover entirely.

The presence that had been moving around above the ballroom had fled once the gargoyle had broken into the building, leaving Lucky alone. It looked like he was in some kind of office or library, with shelves covering most of the walls filled with leather-bound books. The gargoyle had barrelled right through a desk, wood splinters strewn out across the floor along with various papers and files which were in bad shape as well. If their client didn't manage to make a killing from this event he'd most likely be unhappy about the damage done by the gargoyle. And the destroyed gargoyle.

The feline knight wouldn't have much time to study his surroundings, however: the presence which had fled the room upon the arrival of the stone guardian now returned by simply stepping through the wall as if it didn't exist. It was barely visible at all, little more than a light haze in the air which was almost entirely hidden by the shadows of the evening. It paused briefly to assess the situation, seeing that the gargoyle was destroyed and only Lucky was left, before approaching him swift as an arrow, a soft swishing sound indicating that the concealed presence was cutting the air with an edged weapon, most likely intended to silence Lucky before he could alert the guests below.

Appearance:

WC: 1,149
PWC: 12,026/7,000 (Completed)
TWC: 24,105/14,000 (Completed)

@Nymara