shylarah

To Dance with the Stars

Lee took a few precautions. She did more or less trust Axel, but he was still a stranger, and she had difficulty telling where she was when she traveled by car, or anywhere she was unfamiliar with. The sun was warm on her face by the time she reached the street with her studio, and promised an afternoon that would be closer to hot.

"Good morning Axel." The dancer greeted him with a wave when she was close enough to make him out, a couple yards away. She carried a messenger bag over one shoulder, as well as a light jacket that she'd not bothered to put on, given the warm sun overhead. "I hope you weren't waiting long." She smiled and held out a hand to shake. "I look forward to meeting your coworkers. Did you manage to find a parking spot nearby? I know it can be hard, depending on the time of day."

Why We Fight? (WWII with superpowers)

Izkry fussed with his cuffs, making a face at his sister as she straightened his bowtie. He hated suits, absolutely loathed them, and the stiff collar and tailored clothes made him uncomfortable. Belasý brushed his hands down and smoothed his hair. He didn't really need a cover identity, as he was working as waitstaff, but he would be answering to Isaak Meyer for the duration of the event.

"You going to be okay, Bel?" he asked softly. She was going to be on her own, in a crowd, under a false persona, having to work closely with someone else. This wasn't a battle, a place where she could shove everything else aside with the need to stand or die. This was espionage, infiltration. They'd received a very little training for that, years ago. She more than him -- her power over water made her a candidate to be the perfect assassin, someone who might fill her target's lungs until they suffocated and then drain the water away with no one the wiser.

The young woman examined her reflection in the mirror. She'd let Maria help pick her dress, going with a floor length, close fitting piece in a deep blue that approached black and brought out the intense hue of her eyes. The modest neck, short draped sleeves, waterfall design sarong skirt, and long, clean lines flattered her long limbs and curved figure. She'd added simple makeup, and curled her hair and pinned it up, though one curl shadowed the side of her face in a way that evoked her usual peek-a-boo bangs style. A simple beaded bracelet, stud earrings, gray gloves, and matching pumps completed the outfit. Mentally preparing herself, she turned to Izkry and nodded. "I will do this," she told him softly, walking over to kiss his cheek. "Stay safe."

"You as well, Bel." He let his concern show clearly for a moment longer, then offered her his arm with an air of pompous formality. "If I might escort Ms. Elisabeth Carleton to her date for the evening?" He couldn't quite keep a straight face, and as Belasý placed her hand in the crook of his arm he broke into a playful grin.

She chuckled softly. He never let anything get him down, and she admired that. For the moment, she focused on keeping her gait smooth and her manner in keeping with the British heiress she was posing as for the event. Captain Stevens -- Captain David Rogers, she reminded herself -- was already waiting. She inclined her head politely, even going so far as to meet his eyes for a moment. The charade started now, and Bel worried that if she let her mask slip for a moment she wouldn't be able to recover it. It had been years since her undercover training, and it had been rudimentary at best. This was the real thing.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

@Mogtaki Poor Cecil. *pats him*

Why We Fight? (WWII with superpowers)

@Oak7ree I'm guessing Izkry ends up on the waitstaff...but I need a final decision on Bel. She cleared to be Captain Stevens' +1? *hopeful wiggling*

Pariah Online: Prologue [ closed ]

*makes weird noises*

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

"She might let you -- seems like she knows most of it already. If you two were close, you should have it. Maybe they can copy it or something if they need what's inside." She was glad he wasn't angry about her sharing a vision. "Yeah, I'll remember this, and ask if I find someone. ...I'm sorry it hurt you." She could remember how he'd cried out. Amuné was certain of that now. "Sometimes they hit really hard."

Food was an appealing prospect, but any thought of eating was driven out of her mind when Nymira rebuked Cecil. "No! That was bad, /bad/ magic -- there was death in it! If Cecil hadn't stopped it then you'd be dead. He was really brave and now you're thanking him by saying he was wrong but he /wasn't/!" She could remember the ugly color of the Varuna's magic, the way just being near it gnawed at her senses. She couldn't suppress the shudder that ran through her. "Why are you always so mean?!"

Cecil was already heading off, and the girl ducked away from Ethan and darted after him, with Wyth following at a more sedate pace, pausing to look up at the healer by the door. It didn't take Amuné long at all to catch up with the Machina. She fell in step beside him, slipping her hand into his and giving it a squeeze. "What you did was really brave and Nymira is just a meanie. Don't listen to her, okay? You were doing your best and you saved her life and you were the only one who could have done anything. And even you were hurt bad. She should be thanking you. I'm just glad you're okay now."

The girl looked down for a moment, letting Cecil pick their destination. Norman's would be fine with her. She'd eat later. "I'm sorry I had to leave you all alone in the shop," she added. "I didn't want to, but they made me. I hope it wasn't too scary. I wanted to be there so you'd have someone you knew. But at least Mr. Norman was there, right? He seems okay." She paused and took a deep breath. "I know you've said you're worried about keeping yourself working, and about it being a burden on everyone. I don't see it that way, and I don't think they do either." Amuné's grip tightened slightly as she tensed, the next words sounding awkward. "I dunno if it helps any, but...I feel the same way a lot. Like I'm no good and just causing problems. So...so if you ever want to talk about it or anything I'll listen, okay?"

Why We Fight? (WWII with superpowers)

@Oak7ree ohnoes!

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Ethan's joke got an uncertain smile. Flying all over could be inconvenient, and you might hurt yourself, but while she didn't get injured she saw all sorts of bad things she didn't want to, and her attempts went wrong a lot. "Yeah, I saw you, and the rokorm, and vazra -- did the hound things turn up too? I couldn't tell if that was for sure or just maybe. Taliya has the book, it has all sorts of monsters and what they can do and how to get rid of them. He wrote it to help other people, I guess. Sorta like Mommy's book about herbs and stuff. She says I can have it to keep when I'm old enough to be a healer all on my own." Amuné was looking forward to that.

The question about what had happened during the one attack confused her. "Um...that one came after me, and you and Wyth stopped it...." The girl's brow furrowed as she closed her eyes to remember just what had happened. It seemed like so long ago already, but it hadn't been all that many days since. "I couldn't do anything except watch and pray.... You were worn out, everyone was, and I was scared. Oh!"

She opened her eyes wide, looking up at Ethan in shock. "I did See something, I remember now. And then you were unconscious, and...you think that was me?" Amuné wasn't sure what had happened, but it seemed like Ethan's guess might be right. It made sense to her. "I'm sorry, I don't know how I did it. I don't think I've ever done it before, but...well I didn't use my magic much. I don't know everything it does." She scuffed the toe of her shoe against the ground, feeling guilty and anxious. Not only did she need protecting and not have a good way to help in return, but now she'd actually hurt Ethan by mistake. "I didn't mean to. ...Are you angry?"

To Dance with the Stars

When Axel said her name, Lee turned to face him across the room. "A house call?" she echoed, expression thoughtful. "It depends, I guess. You're talking about what, general ballroom, nothing overly elaborate, right? If you have a clear room large enough it's not out of the question." She waved at him to follow and headed for her office. The decoration was spartan, with a handful of framed photos on the walls and a few certificates, including a notarized copy of her master's degree. Lee riffled through a drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper. How she identified it was clear once she handed it over: there was a line of braille at the top. "This is a list of my usual rates," she explained. "Private lessons cost a little more than the general classes, and I charge per person, but depending on how many of you there are I'd be willing to negotiate a group discount." Her system was straightforward, with fees determined based on length, frequency, and number of lessons.

"The real issue for me is getting to the place you'd prefer to use. Anywhere other than here, and time constraints can become a real issue. I'm not inflexible, but it's generally more convenient for everyone to just use the studio here. I wouldn't be able to say for /sure/ I can accommodate you until I've been there -- since my first time going somewhere can sometimes turn into an inadvertent adventure." The dancer smiled, a mix of apologetic and self-depreciating. "What's the nearest bus route, and how far from it are you?" Lee knew most of the bus routes pretty well, though she'd have to check times. "If it's more than a half-hour ride each way, I may need to charge a bit extra, since I'd be tied up longer. So I guess it comes down to how badly you want lessons there instead of here."

Why We Fight? (WWII with superpowers)

Belasý favored Anton with a mildly approving glance. She'd indicated the problems, yes, but also proposed a solution. It was important to know what might pose a problem, so one could make contingency plans. It was to be expected that Command would overlook things. They always did.

Maria was more abraisive about her concerns, but the woman seemed best suited to spy work, and Bel could tell she didn't take well to idiots. Good for her. And then John asked if anyone spoke Russian. Her expression tightened, but she tilted her head ever-so-slightly when Izkry looked her way.

"Belasý speaks Russian. Well, I say 'speaks'...this might perhaps be generous, yes?" He flashed a brief smile at the joke. "But she knew enough to keep up with most conversations, when we were younger. I imagine it's a little rusty, but give her a bit and she'll pick it back up. She is a fast study -- Frauline Maria, if you teach her the cutlery and such I think she would be fine. I am...less quick to learn such things.

"I might be able to pass as serving staff, if I must. But I might do better as one of the valets -- I drive well, and then I could keep an eye on those coming and going, though it would be up to the rest to watch other ways in. The biggest issue for me is my accent and my manners." Izkry ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. "My accent is decidedly Germanic, and I would never pass for upper class without a lot of work."