[h1][color=778899]A[/color]maryllis and [color=077ae6]M[/color]ariette[/h1] [sup]Moonlight Rendezvous and the Exchange of Cake[/sup] Winter nights were colder than summer nights, but Amaryllis was out and about regardless, white breath escaping her mouth as she dashed underneath the starry sky. A meal, a break, and a conversation was what she needed to get herself back on track, and with school stalled until construction repairs were completed, she certainly had time now. Time to catch up to everything she missed, and time to kill all that had spawned in her absence. But first, she had other things to do. Landing atop a water tower with a click of her heels, the Knight of Rose sheathed her Sword and summoned her Backpack, catching it as it popped into existence in front of her. She unzipped the bag, pulled out a small, white box, and took a breath. How was she going to word this again… [color=778899]“Sage of the Mirrored World,”[/color] she spoke, cold moonlight reflecting off silver ornaments, [color=778899]“I beseech thine presence. If dost hearst mine call, arrive, ‘fore errant eyes gaze upon this tryst.”[/color] Well, probably should have called Mariette instead, really. The first thing to meet Amaryllis was silence. The silence of the night as silent as it could begin an almost abandoned town, for just long enough that one could perhaps assume her words had reached no soul… [color=077ae6]‘Knight of the Rose. You seek me?’[/color] Mariette asked, her voice being heard before the hole in reality actually opened, allowing the girl in a dark dress, white eyepatch and clutching a stuffed bunny to tread out in front of Amaryllis. Appears she'd been heard, after all. Amaryllis was glad she waited, and the relief almost showed on her face as Mariette popped into existence before her. Portals really were great, huh? The Knight of Rose moved her hand away from the sidepocket of her Backpack, where her smartphone was, and then offered the white box to Mariette. [color=778899]“Indeed I do, Lady Mariette,”[/color] she spoke. [color=778899]“I’ve called you, bearing gifts in recompense for your assistance with that lich early this day. T’was unfortunate that the Ascendancy arrived so soon after our vanquishing of the monster, but it’ll certainly be unbecoming of me to isolate you from post-battle celebrations for a mere interruption.”[/color] Amaryllis blinked, realizing that, even for herself, this was way too long-winded. [color=778899]“Basically, what I’m saying is thanks, and what I’m giving you is actual, edible thanks.”[/color] [color=077ae6]‘Edible?’[/color] Mariette asked, looking a little confused by the word. Rearranging so one of her arms held Bunny, Mariette curiously reached forward to pick up the white box and then placed it on top of a small portal she formed in mid-air. If Amaryllis looked straight down, the other end of the small portal was on the surface they stood on, creating an impromptu table. Being very interested in what it contained, Mariette wasted no time carefully opening the box, leaning a bit forward to look on closely. The contents of the box turned out to be a bunch of cobbled together slices of cake gathered in the same box, ranging from light fruity stuff to dark chocolate cheesecakes, and- Mariette closed the lid. She was… feeling strangely excited about this. How would they taste? How sweet would they be? … She couldn’t let the others find out about this. … Maybe Eli. Eli could have a slice. [color=077ae6]‘… I gratefully accept,’[/color] Mariette said after a pause, looking back to Amaryllis, holding back her slight giddiness and maybe coming across somewhat awkwardly because of it. Amaryllis smiled. Even in the darkness, she could see a glint in Mariette’s singular eye. It really was a good idea to bust her ass off to another town with a bakery that was actually open for business, huh? Though she hadn’t been the one to select cake slices, in the end it worked out. [color=778899]“I pray you enjoy this small tribute,”[/color] the Knight of Rose replied. [color=778899]“Now, I’ve…”[/color] She stopped mid-sentence, blinking. Wait a second, wasn’t this like...super standard scumbag manipulation techs? [color=778899]“...got a request for you, but it like, totally has nothing to do with that gift I just gifted you with, so if you don’t want to do it, that’s totally fine,”[/color] Amaryllis babbled. [color=778899]“Basically, like, you can surveil the entirety of Penrose, right? Could I ask you to look for someone for me, Mariette? Sorry if I’ve been asking a lot outta you recently…”[/color] Mariette stood up straight again, looking at Amaryllis as she gently sank the white box into a portal to an unknown place [sub](her hammerspace handbag)[/sub]. Better not have the temptation too close while talking requests. … Mariette tilted her head a bit. Was Amaryllis sure that box of treats wasn’t intended to butter her up before coming to requesting? [color=077ae6]‘“The entirety of Penrose” is an exaggeration, as much as I’d like to I don’t know what happens every moment everywhere, but wide-spread surveilling is indeed one of my abilities. Who would I look for, and why are you looking for this individual?’[/color] Mariette asked, staying formal. Amaryllis took a moment to gather herself, but after a breath, she too was in her formal, Knight of Rose mode. [color=778899]“The one that I seek is Sammy, Elucidator of the Amplified Scope. Within the dream realm of Dan, her presence was missed, and outside in the realm of Penrose too, she has yet to emerge. Her companion, the Feline Mafioso, seeks your aid in discovering her whereabouts or, if foul play manifests in the most dreadful manner, her burial grounds.”[/color] A pause. Rusted petals were spontaneously beginning to bloom around her again. She touched one, watching it disintegrate upon contact. [color=778899]“I too, would like your help in this endeavor, Mariette, as do the rest of the Penrose Outer Alliance, which sought me as a middleman for such a contract.”[/color] [color=077ae6]‘Ah. The detective…’[/color] Mariette commented, considering for a bit. [color=077ae6]‘Looking for someone that has vanished from the streets is different from simply keeping watch on the members of society that are currently moving about. It will require… actual detective work,’[/color] Mariette said, thinking on the matter. [color=077ae6]‘Hm. Very well. I’ll surveill Penrose for her, as part of my regular surveillance. I’ll do that simply because it’s a request from you. To actually go out of my way to seek her out, however… What would the Outer Alliance offer me?’[/color] Mariette asked. [color=778899]“Thank you kindly,”[/color] Amaryllis said, with a small bow and flourish. [color=778899]“As for the offerings of the Outer Alliance, I must confess that I’m not wholly certain, as they’ve requested me to engage with you to simply test whether there was any hope of a partnership to begin with.”[/color] The Knight of Rose paused briefly, the gears in her head turning. [color=778899]“That being said, if it pleases you, I could certainly accompany you on investigations that would require you to be on the streets and even fund it. Perhaps when it is necessary to venture into places such as amusement parks, arcades, and cafes?”[/color] [color=077ae6]‘…’[/color] Mariette had to pause there for a bit, staring silently at Amaryllis. Was she just asking to hang out, or…? … Mariette filled the empty space with something she was wondering. [color=077ae6]‘Given that they’re coming to me, that would mean they’ve already exhausted their own resources, correct? They are the ones who should have contacts that knew where Sammy would be found and who saw her last. They should already have done some manner of asking around, I presume. The first step would be learning what they’ve found so far, and after that I can focus my somewhat more powerful surveillance magic for them. Right?’[/color] [color=778899]“Though I’m uncertain about the extent of their own information network, seeing how they’re small enough that I didn’t even know they existed until today, I presume that would be the case, yes.”[/color] Amaryllis pulled her phone out of her backpack, flipping through her contacts until she found Nuncio’s entry. She showed the details to Mariette afterwards, saying, [color=778899]“Best to get in touch with this gentleman here; he’s the one that tasked me to...task you with this...task.”[/color] Mariette accepted the numbers, pulling the phone she’d obtained to write it down on, and nodded to Amaryllis. [color=077ae6]‘Very well. I’ll contact Nuncio, and I’ll also notify you if I’d like to head somewhere potentially dangerous to investigate. That should do, should it not?’[/color] Mariette asked. [color=778899]“Indeed it shall,”[/color] Amaryllis replied with a bow of her head. [color=778899]“And I do hope you enjoy the sweets. Tell me your thoughts on them though; I mostly just took wild guesses at your tastes, Mariette.”[/color] [color=077ae6]‘I certainly will. I’d have had to make wild guesses of my own, when it comes to my taste in desserts…’[/color] Mariette replied, nodding a bit. Okay, so she’d been tasked with finding this detective girl… … … [color=077ae6]‘… Who is Sammy to you?’[/color] Mariette asked, simply for curiosity’s sake. [color=778899]“A...friend, I suppose.”[/color] Amaryllis looked off to the side, her eyes narrowing slightly. [color=778899]“They all seem to die or disappear recently, so I do what I can for them while there’s still a chance.”[/color] Mariette gazed at Amaryllis, contemplating the words for a bit. She knew of at least one of those the knight spoke of. Regardless… she took a moment to envision that perhaps it was similar to if Eli had vanished from Mariette’s side, after the pain of having lost Deni. Perhaps. Viewing it like that… [color=077ae6]‘Alright. I will do what I can, and notify you when I’ve made progress,’[/color] Mariette told, an additional tone of decisiveness in her voice. [color=778899]“Thanks. I’ll be off then.”[/color] And with that, the Knight of Rose stepped off the tower, back into the darkness. Mariette watched her jump off, and… Well, now she’d promised that. Sort of. Now, guess she’d better produce some form of results. It was unfortunate she couldn’t just Absolute Direction to Sammy’s current location… or? … Yeah, figured as much.