linkingup | Argenti's Palace

[Since he'd been following in the dance, he'll lean even further into the dramatics and curtsy again towards the shadow with the woman's voice. If it doesn't help their case, hopefully Argenti can appreciate it after the fact, at least.

...But, yeah, what the fuck is a Wondergazer?]

That is such high praise, my lady~

Oh naturally, I cannot allow either of you two clearly devoted individuals just go away without praise! Those who are so dedicated must stick together.

You know how it is, after all. Others often revile us with such jealousy and mockery because of how deep our faith is. But it simply means that we can spend our time having a ball while they drown in a pit of sorrow and despair!

[ She says and the others laugh, you know in the way nobles do in high society. But they seem a little less composed than that, given some of them were hooting and hollering in cheer earlier. Kind of very expressive, in fact.

One of them, a shorter male asks: ]

So, what brings you two here? We shall not keep you waiting if you have an audience.

Edited 2024-09-15 20:01 (UTC)

[ The vibes are rancid here. It's a good thing they're just passing through to get Argenti, because dealing with this for the full duration of an actual party would be utterly exhausting. ]

Ah, you have rightly surmised that we're dying to meet someone. We've come to see one of the Knights of Beauty, Idrilia's most devout Argenti. Have you seen him yet?

[The vibes are so rancid, and any pleasant smile lingering from before immediately turns fake as hell. At least he doesn't have to consciously put it on, just keep it there, and his grip on McGillis's forearm tightens.]

If you'd tell us, we'll be on our way. We would, after all, hate to distract you from your merriment for even a moment longer than we must.

[ As if they sense their displeasure, they seem to become more amused, more jolly, smiles sharper, like fangs. But, they are still "pleasant" for normal conversation, even as one raises a fan as if to fan themselves. ]

Devout ones, we have indeed seen him! It is hard not to.

Yes, how can we miss someone who has been blessed by Idrila themselves?

[ One of them leans closer as if to whisper something like a secret: ]

He heard THEIR voice. Can you believe that?!

[ Then, the smaller male points towards the stairs, short and straight to the point: ]

He's beyond there, and will likely await you all. Gather together once you have finished business with whatever you need attending to. We shall not keep you for long.

Edited 2024-09-15 20:26 (UTC)

Then we thank you for your help and kind words. We do not wish to keep him waiting.

[ Come on Celeste, let's get out of here before we get eaten alive in a very unfortunate manner. ]

[He will absolutely allow himself to be taken away from the shadows. He'll show them eaten alive, grumble grumble, etc. (No he won't, he probably can't eat shadows--)]

Let's gather everyone else...

Yes, let's...

[ And once they're a bit further away from the ballroom shadows: ]

Argenti also comes from more humble beginnings than this. I wonder if he felt the same as we did just now.

I'm... not sure if I want to hope so.

[He can show a little honesty, here. They know the feeling is awful, and are clearly fond enough of Argenti to not wish it on him, but on the other hand, if he fully embraced the attitudes on display once he was accepted into the fold...

It was barely worth considering.]

[ McGillis has loved a horrible privileged man before, but he still doesn't like the idea of Argenti looking down at people this way. Luckily, it also feels like the far less likely option. ]

He's dedicated to his Idrila, but all of this... I can't picture him seeing it as true worship.

[There's no accounting for taste, McGillis.]

Mm. Perhaps this aspect is part of what tarnished him, once he had his eyes opened to it.

[If the gate riddle was referring to Argenti, anyway.]

That's the most favorable expectation, but we've learned a lot about not judging others based on assumptions lately.

[ HE HIMSELF HAS BEEN AN OBJECT LESSON..... ]

We've also learned a lot about not assuming the worst of people.

[LISTEN HE'S ALSO BAD AT THIS ONE....... BUT.... OURGENTI.....]

Have we now?

[ Eyebrow raised, though McGillis' tone is more banter-like than anything.

Look, Izou might have a lot of irksome wrong assumptions about his life story, but he very much did do the thing he tried to kill him over. And nobody changed his mind on that conclusion either. ]

I believe so.

[Hey, you're both still alive and well enough to be thrown into a palace, so someone out there thinks that has to count for something. Whether they've realized it themselves yet is another matter entirely. Still, the banter is returned, and McGillis does get a bit of a conspiratorial look.]

Even if someone's come close to failing a class for once in his life.

[You're getting a C- in assumptions school.]

[ He wasn't the one making false assumptions to begin with, thank you very much! ]

Careful now, you'll wound my fragile pride.

[ He doesn't look very wounded, with the way his teeth are showing in his smile. The dance session has done a lot to dispell any lingering awkwardness regarding Celeste. ]

[Wasn't he? Because Half-truths and hiding context on the assumption that something bad would happen, to make that bad thing happen faster sure does seem like it.]

What pride?

[He doesn't look wounded, so he does get some teasing. This is what happens when you let your guard down around him, McGillis.]

[ This is what happens, indeed - it's not all that unfortunate. Actually, he's enjoying it. ]

What a low blow from my own dance partner. I see now why vampires are known as devious creatures.

[ Celeste has a point though, unintentionally. McGillis sometimes just acts prideful because it makes people blindsided by how low he's actually willing to stoop. ]

Oh, terribly devious.

[Sure, he'll lean in to the accusation. It's not the most inaccurate, anyway, even if he does know his fair share of head-empty vampires.]

Why, if you're not careful, I'll get you to agree to another dance at the masquerade later this week.

[It was one thing to do something like this - mildly unpleasant, reinforcing the sort of masks they keep up, playing in to the expectations of the shadow-nobles of the palace - for the sake of the mission at hand. It was another thing entirely to not only attend a masquerade ball, but to do it again.

But he did catch that McGillis seemed to be having some fun with him, if only a bit. And that counted for something.]

Unless you're too proud, that is.

[And there's the trap - claim he is a proud creature and deny him, or agree and admit that it wasn't such a low blow after all.]

[ Oh, it's an evil trap indeed - but it overestimates McGillis' reluctance to attend the masquerade. He'd have been there either way, both because it seems like an event where the God of Conflict might try to interfere again and because... he likes masks, actually. Becoming Montag for a night, even when his true identity is obvious to all thanks to his height...? Well, it sounds appealing. It's a good time to not be McGillis Fareed for a minute. ]

Too proud to show off again? Now that seems like a paradox to me.

[ They're going to cut a great figure when actually dressed for the occasion. ]

I'm going to forego carefulness and promise you that dance outright.

[What an odd thing to be trapped by - the affinity for literal masks, instead of figurative ones, of all things. Not that he minds having his trap foiled, of course. It deprives him of the scrunch of consternation on McGillis' face, sure, but it reveals something else about him that he didn't know. A fair trade.

And besides, they are going to cut a great figure.]

Then I will graciously accept that promise and intend to hold you to it. [A beat-] And to me.

[A little bit of flirting is allowed, surely.]

Argenti's Palace

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