BuzzingBee

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Once Crow responded to Cedric, the male knight shifted his gaze to look expectantly at Penelope, waiting for her answer. Though she knew it likely wasn't Cedric's intentions to ruin her time alone with Crow, she could help but feel disappointed and wish that there was a way to politely reject him in order to spend more time with Crow instead. However, unable to think of a good excuse, she turned to Crow to part ways, feeling a small hit of guilt as she noticed his force smile.

"Alright." she said then paused as she offered him a more genuine smile. "I know you'll be busy with those admirers of yours but do try to remember to save your friend a dance as well." She hoped that her friendly reminder would help lift his soured spirits. After all, the knight had every intent to at least steal him away for one dance. She'd like more but she had a feeling that wouldn't be possible that night. Setting her wine glass on a servants tray she turned back to Cedric and gave him a small smile. "Lead the way."

Cedric's gaze lingered on Crow for a moment, with an almost thoughtful look in his gaze. Penelope found it a bit strange, unsure what could have been going through his mind. Whatever it was, he seemed to push it aside as he focused on her instead, giving an eager look as he offered her his arm. Once she took it, he lead them out onto the dance floor. Both of them stepped into position as the minstrels started up their next melody. It was another elegant song, with a slow tempo but light hearted notes. For one reason or another, Penelope was reminded of the coming of spring when she heard it.

Realizing she should be focusing on her partner rather than the song, her attention snapped back to Cedric. She followed his lead and shifted into her spin as it came up. As she moved back into him and he placed his hands on her waist to bring her close to him, she noticed a strange gleam that was difficult to read in his dark eyes. Confused and feeling a bit awkward being so close to him, the knight gave him a questioning look. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing... I just happen to remember a time when you couldn't dance to save your own life." Cedric responded, a smirk taking over his lips. "It's nice to see you've learned. You're quite good at it."

"Yes well, I've learned quite a bit since we were last on speaking terms." Penelope retorted, rolling her eyes.

"I'm sure you have." Cedric mused with a shrug. He dipped her down as routine of the dance but his face hovered over hers a little closer to hers than was normal between two people that weren't courting. "I hope I get the chance to see what other new tricks you've got up your sleeve."

His breath was warm on her skin and she was unable to escape it thanks to the lacking distance between them. She stared up at the male knight a bit dumbly, unable to believe he had made such a sultry remark to her in the middle of dancing. Her heart began to beat anxiously, wanting to get out of their current position as quickly as she could. Luckily the position only lasted a second longer before he lifted her back up and they were able to move into the next steps, which allowed for much more space between. It was something Penelope was thankful for.

As the dance went on, Penelope avoided Cedric's gaze. She was still processing what happened. She had thought that he had been sincere in asking to rekindle a friendship but it seemed she had been wrong. Not wanting to make a scene by storming off or chiding him for his words, she remained silent the rest of the time, which seemed to upset Cedric who looked over at her with a small frown. However, he made no attempt to say anymore to her until the dance was finished.

"Penelope, I'm sorry. Can we talk for a minute?" Cedric asked with a frown.

"I'd rather not." Penelope responded with a hint of sharpness in her voice that made the male knight flinch.

"Sorry to interrupt but, may I have this next dance, ma'am?"

The female knight blinked as another nobleman stepped over to her with what she thought seemed to be a fake smile. Despite being put off by it, she saw it as a quick escape from Cedric's company so she accepted the invite without hesitation. "Of course." she said politely. Taking the stranger's arm, she stepped away from Cedric and into the next dance with this new nobleman whom she was unfamiliar with.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Unfortunately Cedric's on full douche mode so it didn't last xD he's also 100% trying to cockblock Crow lmao

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Penelope let out a quiet sigh as Naida quickly pushed for more than a formal exchange between the two. As she prompted Crow about her appearance and he admitted to her looking beautiful, the knight had to bite back to suppress a soft smile from taking over her lips. His attraction had already been plainly obvious when the two had locked eyes but she still felt warmed by hearing him say it outloud. Finding herself a bit unsure what to say without giving away anymore to Naida, she dipped her head to him in an appreciative manner.

Luckily it seemed she didn't have to worry about Naida's presence for long though. The knight watched as the princess scurried off with clear excitement over the situation. It made her smirk a little in amusement before gaze was pulled back over to Crow. Suddenly she felt quite appreciative of Naida's attempt to give them alone time. With a busy night ahead for both of them, Penelope was grateful for what she could get. As Crow spoke up again, she smiled at his words, watching as his eyes swept over her again.

"I dunno, I think we both lucked out really." Penelope mumbled, blushing a little as she looked over at him. "Although I doubt I could do that, I'm glad you think so." The knight gave her shoulders a small shrug and took a sip of her wine. She was about to open her mouth to say something more when a new voice joined in.

"Hey Penelope!"

She turned her head to see Cedric trotting over to join them. The male knight had apparently cleaned up his look as well, trimming his hair down slightly and dressing up for the event. Of course, his freshened appearance didn't have quite the same effect on her as Crow's had. The knight stifled the disappointment of getting her time alone with Crow cut so short and forced a friendly smile. "Hi, Cedric. You just get here?"

As he reached the two, Cedric gave a respectful dip of his head to Crow before focusing his gaze onto Penelope. She noticed his eyes drift over her body before shifting back onto her face. For a moment, the knight wondered if he had even registered her words as he seemed slight dumbstruck. "Ah yeah I just came in with a couple other guards that managed to get this evening off." he said with a shrug. He paused and looked her over again, letting an unusually charming smile take over his lips. "You look beautiful, Penelope."

"Oh, thanks. You look nice tonight as well, Cedric." Penelope said with a polite smile despite feeling rather uncomfortable with accepting such a compliment from another man right in front of Crow. She casted a subtle glance towards the viceroy, silently wishing they were already publicly courting to avoid what she considered to be a bit of an awkward situation.

Cedric's smile grew. "I was coming to see if perhaps, you'd care to dance with me for this next song, Penelope?" he asked then paused as his gaze drifted over to Crow. "Ah, so long as I'm not interrupting anything here, of course."

The Case of the Full Moon [buzzingbee + Sunflower]

Kathryn kept a straight face as she listened to the two women talk. What caught her off guard was that the older one claimed that it had just been a deer. The detective's eyes widened subtly, surprised by the claim and also confused by it. She knew what the scene had looked like when she had woken up that morning. There was no way it was a dead deer, so it lead her to wonder why this woman—a complete stranger—was covering up the murder. Lost in thought, Kathryn barely registered that she had begun to address her specifically.

Kate tried to ignore the feeling of Annabeth's gaze on her. Her partner was likely confused about why this woman wanted to speak with her alone and honestly, the detective was too. This stranger clearly knew something and that was quite worrisome for the lone wolf. It made her reluctant to go anywhere alone with this woman. However, curiosity outweighed her cautiousness.

"Alright. I'll speak to you and this friend of yours then." Kathryn said nodding her head in confirmation. She glanced at the crying girl and then turned to Annabeth. "Why don't you help her get home while I speak with them?"

Ann glanced between Kathryn and the strange woman before nodding her head. "Alright. I'll see you once you get back then." she sighed and placed an arm around the younger girl to lead her away from the other two.

Kate watched them for a moment before looking at the strange woman across from her. "Name's Kathryn Wells. Shall we walk and talk?" she asked, gesturing for her to lead the way to the bakery.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Penelope's just as guilty xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

The two friends stepped over to the drinks, and Penelope made sure to grab a couple bites of hors d’oeuvres on their way. They each picked up a glass of wine and stepped aside as other nobles came by to get drinks as well. Penelope took a small sip from her drinking, knowing well enough to pace herself since she hadn't truly eaten prior. As she lowered her glass, she turned to Naida about to strike up a casual conversation but hesitated as something, or rather someone, seemed to catch her friend's eye.

Following her gaze, the knight found that she was looking over at Crow, who must have recently entered the party. Penelope let her gaze sweep over him, finding herself yet again impressed by just how well the former thief cleaned up. She found him attractive regardless but between his more groomed hair and clothing that fit him well, she couldn't help but stare. Her heartbeat sped up slightly on its own accord and she felt a warmth creep over her cheeks. As she met his gaze, the knight found that his expression wasn't far off from her own. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Even though they still needed to keep their heads down that night, she couldn't help but feel a bit pleased that the dress she wore was able to draw out such a reaction from him. It nearly made her forget who she was standing besides.

As Naida grinned and waved Crow over, Penelope snapped out of her brief trance and turned her head away from her friend in hopes of trying to hide away what she could of her brief expression towards the viceroy. Unfortunately she doubted it did any good. Looking back to Naida after composing herself a bit, there seemed to be a particularly strong gleam of enthusiasm in her gaze. Penelope let out a small sigh and instead shifted her gaze over to Crow as he approached them.

"Hey Collin!" Naida greeted cheerfully. "He looks handsome tonight, don't you think Penelope?" The princess smirked mischievously and nudged her friend's side suggestively.

Penelope rolled her eyes at Naida before shifting her focus back over to Crow. "Yes. You look good, Collin." she told him, trying to keep her tone as casual as possible despite a small smile crossing her lips. She might have agreed with Naida too easily but the knight felt it wouldn't have been right to go about it any other way. There was no sense in lying about something that seemed rather obvious to her.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Yeah cx plus it'll be interesting to develop his character that way!

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

The servants had finished the preparations with time to spare and Penelope stood in the ballroom, eying the decor with hope in her eyes. Now that she was seeing everything fully coming together, a new boost of both energy and confidence ran through the knight. Everyone believed she could pull it off, so perhaps she really could thanks to all the help she had received along the way. With that thought it mind, she put on a pleasant smile as guests began to trickle into the room. She watched as some gravitated towards servants with hors d’oeuvres while others already began to form small groups, starting up conversations.

As she was observing the room from where she stood, someone nearly bumped into her. The knight blinked and back out of the way in time to avoid the collision. Her gaze landed on the young noblewoman. She had a dark complexion with short curly hair and a freckled face that was staring back at her with mild surprise. "S-sorry." the woman stammered.

"It's fine." Penelope smiled reassuringly. She eyed her for a moment longer. There was something familiar about this woman but she couldn't put a name to the face.

"Beatrix!"

Penelope watched as the woman reacted to the name and suddenly she was able to recall exactly who this woman was. She had been one of the few noble children that Penelope was able to play with growing up. Her parents had separated them quite a few years ago and Penelope hadn't heard from or seen her since.

A nobleman with messy brown hair came trotting up besides her. His gaze flickered between the two women confusedly. "There you are.. Uh, is everything alright here?"

"Yes I just didn't pay attention to where I was go." Beatrix admitted in a quiet manner.

"Beatrix Warner?" Penelope questioned with excitement seeping into her voice. As Beatrix responded with an unsure look, the knight smiled at her. "It's me, Penelope Vermillion. We used to play together as children."

As Beatrix's eyes widened in recognition, the nobleman that was with her eyed Penelope with newfound interest as well and cut in before she could speak. "Vermillion? You're the one hosting this party then, aren't you?"

"Yes I am." Penelope smiled. "At least, one of the ones hosting."

"Penelope is good to see you again. It's been so long I barely even recognized you." Bee mused, a small smile crossing her lips.

"Same to you." Penelope nodded. With the years that had passed, Bee had changed quite a bit and the knight could tell it was not only on the outside. Her memories of her childhood friend were of a much louder and rambunctious kid. The woman standing before her was near timid and rather quiet. It seemed that growing up had shaped her into a much different person. Regardless though, the knight was excited at reuniting with her old friend. Unfortunately it seemed she wouldn't be able to stay for long.

"Penelope!" Naida's familiar voice called out from behind her.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw her friend grinning and waving her over. Penelope smiled and turned back to Beatrix and the man. "Guess we'll have to catch up another time though." she said with an apologetic look. "Have a good time and hopefully we can get a chance to talk more later!" She turned and headed off to join Naida. As soon as she reached her, the princess hugged her in greeting and stepped back with a bright smile.

"I love your dress! You look great tonight, Penelope!" Naida beamed. A more mischievous expression crossed her features. "Trying to impress someone?"

"Yes, the whole crowd." Penelope responded, rolling her eyes at Naida's insinuation. She sighed and then smiled at her friend. "Have you already been drinking?"

"Maybe a little." Naida shrugged innocently.

Penelope shook her head with a hint of amusement. Of course, she wasn't surprised to hear that she had drank before coming to the event. Having been friends with Naida for quite some time now, she knew her usual routine for getting ready for parties and the like. Sometimes having even participated herself. "Well you're ahead of me then. I think I'm going to go grab a glass of wine." she mused, suddenly thinking it might not be a bad idea to have a small drink.

"Shouldn't you stay sober?" Naida questioned, folding her arms.

"I'm only having one drink. I know how to practice self control." Penelope stated, giving her friend a small poke. "Plus it'll help me relax, and gods know I need to that right now."

"Alright fair enough." Naida smirked. "Let's go!"

The two headed over towards the servants with drinks, weaving through the crowd that was slowly growing as more people appeared. Just looking around at the various passing nobles made the knight all the more eager to grab a bit to drink. And perhaps some of the hors d’oeuvres just to keep the alcohol from affecting her too strongly.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Oh nice xD
I like that idea lol

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Dimia had finished her in fairly quick time, which was actually quite impressive to the knight as the style seemed quite complex. After braiding her long, ginger locks, she had carefully wrapped it up into an elegant bun. The style seemed to compliment the dress she had chosen to wear, making her look tidy as well as bringing out the sharpness of her features. While Penelope thought it looked nice, it wasn't something she'd choose for herself. As Dimia insisted on doing her hair, Penelope made sure to request a more simple design, something that could just get her through the night without causing any hassle. Surprisingly, Dimia listened and gave her exactly that.

Eying herself in the mirror, Penelope was impressed yet again. The noblewoman had braided her hair into a simple yet elegant side braid that trickled down from the top of her head all the way down to the bottom tips of her hair. A few locks of her hair remained a little loose or otherwise detached, working to make any messiness seemed planned which would be perfect to get her through the dances of the evening to come.

"So what do you think? We don't have much time to play around with a bunch of styles." Dimia said placing her hands on her hips.

"I think it's perfect actually. Thank you Dimia." Penelope said with a small smile.

Dimia paused and then let out a small sigh. "No problem. Are you sure you don't want to put on a bit of makeup before we leave?"

"Positive." Penelope smirked amusedly. "I'm worried I'd sweat it off before the end of the night just from the anxiousness I feel."

"If you say so." Dimia shrugged and turned to lead the way out. "Come on then. The servants should be finishing up the touches on the decorations and then the drinks and food should start floating in... And with it, the guests."

Penelope rose to her feet, mentally preparing herself for what would come next. With everything almost in place, the party would start soon. Of course, the first half or so would be her time to make good impressions and relax until everyone had had a few drinks. Despite being focused on the goal, she hoped to enjoy at least a small portion of the party, after all it wasn't very often that she attended something this grand, let alone hosted it. With that in mind, she trotted after the Lenz's as they headed into the ballroom, where the festivities would soon begin.