summonere | noctium inbox

[ With her hand delicately placed atop his arm, she accompanies him into the restaurant, the two of them making an eye-catching pair with the way they seemed to contrast one another. The warm colors of the lanterns set the mood for the evening as live performances filled the place with ambient music, a waiter coming up to them to greet and lead them to their table.

Roxanna request somewhere more private, adopting a more demure tone that insinuates a desire for more intimacy with her partner. ]

I fear I’ll be far too nervous with an audience.

[ With only slight hesitance towards the pitiful eyes of a maiden, the waiter concedes and takes them to a table for themselves. She expresses her thanks, despite having saved them the trouble of calling for aid should anyone to close to them start feeling unwell. Whether V succumbs to that as well remains to be seen, but one victim was better than several. ]

You have some interesting companions with you. Are they native to this place or yours?

Edited 2021-10-11 02:18 (UTC)

[ As they sit, the two little ferrets scurry to make themselves comfortable. One settles into the dip of V's collar, inside his shirt, and the other climbs up onto his shoulder. ]

I summoned them recently from the realm I left, but that was not my native realm either.

[ He answers with calm and collection, although he's idly looking at the arm she touched. There's definitely... something... but he hasn't quite put a finger on it yet. He glances back up at her, head tilted slightly in attendance. ]

My former master created them for me.

So you’re a seasoned traveler then.

[ She wondered what he was trained in then, if this was a master of his. Was he also capable of creating his own creatures? ]

I admit, they’re a surprising match.

[ Someone seemingly more eerie with such playful little animals. ]

Are you fond of games?

[ ...That's definitely a way to put it. Maybe he'll keep that in mind for the next time he needs a more succinct way to explain where he has been and where he is going. There isn't much a 'native realm' any longer. He's very different than he was. ]

We were members of the Autumn Court.

[ He ruffles one of their little tails, it makes a sound like autumn leaves rustling. And that's the explanation he provides, rather than go into much detail about how he uses the cute creatures as spies when he has the mind to. ]

And we are very fond of games, in fact.

[He folds his claws on the table, leaning in on his forearms with interest. ]

[ There’s something almost familiar with the term he used, but his demeanor changes, his interest clearly shifting elsewhere. She chuckles, amused. ]

I take it that’s why you bid for me.

[ A first, since most others tend to be more superficial.

A waiter comes by to offer drinks. ]

What will you be having? Do you like wine?

[ The ferrets little tail is vibrating noisily, that sound of rustling leaves. V listens to this thoughtfully. His answer is a touch distracted as he answers her, ]

Curiosity killed the cat, as they say.

[ A mysterious game is almost irresistible, in fact. ]

I've been letting the waiters do as they will in these places. I confess I don't find food terribly interesting. Necessary, but not a hobby of mine.

[ The ferret’s gesture is curious, but her attention returns to to her companion when he responds to her question, prompting her to quirk an eyebrow. ]

Is that so?

[ Holding up her hand to the waiter, she pushes herself back up, purse in hand. ]

Then there’s no need to stay here now is there?

[ While he may seem to have riskier hobbies, she doubted being bored to death was one of them either. ]

Fancy going off script?

[ The tilt of his head indicates his curiosity, he is taking thoughtful notes about this strange woman who is clearly very confident about her place in the world. V certainly doesn't care that the waiter is a little put out, but others would. He gets up, his pets following along the a squeak-- cheeks stuffed with spider snacks. ]

I'm at your disposal.

[ Who is entertaining who here? He doesn't care much about that either. ]

[ She slips some money into the waiter’s pocket, not looking to making enemies just yet, although he might not notice until later on. Connections came in handy, after all. ]

I’ll give you three chances to guess. And you’ll have the whole night to do so.

[ She ignores the calls of bright and colorful booths, leading him towards a more secluded and quieter park. ]

You are free to ask questions of course. The point is just to figure the lie. Sound fair enough?

Fair enough. And if I fail?

[ He is used to such games, but in the Castle the punishments for failure were always severe. ]

[ She hadn’t mentioned a consequence, a teasing smirk tugging at her lips. ]

Is that a request for a punishment?

[ Unlike her siblings, Roxana did not eagerly search to harm others. But she couldn’t deny that deep down, a part of her enjoyed it, her interest piqued subtly by the idea. And she was rather good at it too.

But she wouldn’t go that far with him of course. That was reserved for special cases after all. ]

[ A request for-- He flushes, just a little, lips parted as he considers his words. ]

Why play with no stakes.

[ He's creating a problem for himself, the same problem that he always has with blondes. ]

Hmm, then, if you fail…

[ The subtle shade of pink dusting his cheeks was a rather endearing sight, her smile widening into something sweeter, despite her words.

She reaches out, a delicate finger pressing against his chest, right above his heart and trailing down slowly. ]

Lend your body to me.

[ His flush deepens, but he keeps his many eyes on her, defiant of his own embarrassment. He also knows better than to assume what that means. ]

For what, precisely?

[ His body has been borrowed often. He has been used as all but a pen, a writing mechanism for the Whisper on the Wind. His lord and master would leave him slumped somewhere in the library when it was finished with him. He was also entirely reshaped and subjugated under the demon king Mundus, made into a hollow suit of armor that moved according to the demon's whims. ]

If you succeed, then that would be irrelevant, wouldn’t it?

[ It hadn’t gone unnoticed, that he didn’t say no to her first question. ]

Surely you aren’t looking to fail.

Are you saying I should make decisions with incomplete information? One might wonder what you are trying to trick me into.

[ Is he going to refuse or back down? Of course not, he's an idiot Sparda just like all the rest of them. ]

[ Stepping into his space, she tiptoes high enough to whisper against the side of his face. ]

Why play with no stakes?

[ She doesn’t linger, pulling back to meet a pair of his many eyes again. ]

Do we have a deal?

[ He snags her wrist so she can't flutter away and pretend not to hear, ]

Should I lose, you can only have me for a day. Twenty-four hours.

[ He can't just make deals without boundaries. The game must end at some point and he be released back to himself. ]

Then it's a deal.

Edited 2021-11-03 07:42 (UTC)

[ She doesn’t fight him, knowing physically it would be futile. But Roxana is aware that this isn’t a threat. Not when he so willingly offered a whole day for the few hours she would have only required. What kind of things was he imagining, she wondered. ]

Twenty four hours it is.

[ This firmer side of his wasn’t so bad either. ]

It seems only fair to ask then, what you would like for a reward should you win.

You'll tell me a secret.

[ He answers without any hesitation. He knows what he wants, from anyone. The Castle changed him, gave him needs and compulsions that he know must bend to. ]

[ Her hand tenses in his hold, the playfulness in her eyes darkening for a moment. That was a rather heavy price where she was from, her whole life built upon secret after secret.

But this wasn’t the world of her novel, something she had to remind herself. Still, the prospect of showing such vulnerability was almost repulsive to her, against everything she’d worked to become.

The smile remains on her face, though they don’t reach her eyes. Her secrets couldn’t hurt her here, not really. ]

Alright. Though I’m curious as to how you’d benefit from that.

Irrelevant, isn't it, if you successfully fool me.

[ The scales are balanced then, everyone is a little uncertain about what they might lose. ]

[ Touche. She scoffs lightly, gaze falling to hand still wrapped around her wrist.

The tingle of manna was there, despite the seemingly confrontational moment. That he hadn’t felt weak from touching her was quite surprising as well.

She holds up one finger after the other as she speaks. ]

I have 15 siblings.
I’ve faked someone’s death.[ A second finger.]
This is my second chance at life. [ And a third. ]
One of these is a lie.

Can you guess what I lied about?

[ It was a trick question, sneaky even, insinuating three options when there were secretly four. ]

[ His many eyes narrow slightly and the pair of ferrets rustle their tails in warning again. He lets go, straightening out his shirt fussily as he listens to her challenge. ]

Isn't this everyone's second chance?

[ He asks with airy disinterest. He looks around them quietly, observing a path off among the trees that he motions to in suggestion. ]

[ A smile knowing smile spreads on her face as she turns, continuing down the path. The night air was pleasantly cool against the ruby’s skin, a gentle breeze blowing through golden hair. ]

That depends on your definition of it.

I cant believe it says stairs SOBS

haha, total forgiveness

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