Very well. [He rubs at the bridge of his nose for a moment.] If it's of your own volition, I suppose that there's nothing I can do about it. Just be sure to run it through a secretary. [And he'll do what he can to prevent an actual appointment from being made.]
Jade, please. I don't need a secretary in order to have lunch with my sister-in-law. [Her hands half-steeple again.] Your desire to keep turning me aside from seeing her implies that something is really wrong.
[Tear had heard most of what had happened on the mission from Frey the night before, and though she spent the night with him and would do so for the next few days she felt she needed to return to House One for more than supplies.
After all, Frey wasn't the only one she knew who had gone to investigate the Iron Eye.]
[It was a quiet morning. Jade was sitting at the kitchen table, dressed simply in his robe as he mixed his tea, reflecting on everything that had transpired recently - and what he had learned from the tunnels.
Tear's absence had been noted, but he saw little need for concern. It seemed like she'd made a social visit, after all.]
[She's glad to see she didn't have to go seek him out in his room once she enters, though Jade might notice that she's studying him a bit more carefully than she might otherwise be. There weren't any noticeable signs of what had transpired during the mission on him...]
You seem refreshed for having just returned from the the harsh climate of a desert.
[She is lucky to have caught him during his tea; otherwise, he had mostly kept himself in his workshop ever since some time before the mission.
He does give a slight smile and a shrug at her comment. There hadn't been any physical conflict at the mission, so he looked even less scathed then he had trekking through Kimlasca's desert. He does take not of her observations, though.]
Don't you know by now? I have quite the talent for keeping cool in heated situations. It was almost like a trip to the beach.
Was it? It seems not everyone who went shared your sentiments about the trip, or maybe it was just that one person in particular. [She knew that wasn't true of course, even if she hadn't spoken to any others about it yet. ]
Since when do trips to the beach also involve plotting behind the backs of those we can call our captors?
[So she knew. It made sense; her boyfriend telling her did seem like a strong possibility. Jade is unphased by her inquiry, and he pushes at his glasses after a sip of tea.]
You should know from looking at our emperor - we of Malkuth like to mix business and pleasure. If we do manage to accomplish something for the greater good of the war effort and this enclosure's general safety in the process of a leisurely travel, then all the better.
I'll be sure to get a better look at him next time. The urgency of our goals had most of my attention at then, and that was one aspect of Malkuth my brother never showed. Perhaps Hod was different. [That, and Peony was simply... unique. With a shrug she takes a seat at the table across from him, folding her hands in her lap and otherwise composed.]
You believe that the result of this last mission was for the greater good, then?
Perhaps it was. Hod has often seemed particularly tricky in terms of humor. [He says with - the banter feeling more like a formality than anything else - as he folds his hands together on the table.]
Mm. The fact that I gave my support should speak for itself. Do you honestly believe that I would have acted for anything other than everyone's best interests?
You would know more than I do. [It really was more a formality, but it seemed better to go about it this way than to jump right in after having spoken with Frey the night before. While she may not have been there herself, hearing about it through Freyjadour's account was enough worry on its own.]
I believe that you would act in the best interests of everyone if you were truly yourself, and to my understanding this was a decision that was difficult on a number of people on that mission. I only know what was decided in the end. What I want to know more of is what led up to it, and I know that you are one who would want to know all that you can before taking a course of action.
That's refreshing to hear. Very well, then. [He smiles.] It may troublesome to explain things, but given Guy's absence from this world, I find that I am left with no choice.
Do you know the basics of this mission at least? We were sent to investigate the Iron Eye and to determine their status as a threat to the Malnosso, under the guise of appraising their abilities for the Malnosso.
Considering what I have heard regarding your role, you would have had to explain things to others unless you had had someone accompanying you the entire time and reported on your behalf. [She answers the smile with a shrug. Really with the tone they've been keeping so far, this may seem as though it were a simple report.]
I heard that things did not turn out that way, even if everyone on the mission did initially start out in their roles the way it was reported to the village before those attending were dispatched.
Yes, but you're getting ahead of yourself. Let's see. I believe one of the first factors which began to point us in a new direction was the presence of one Sir Catherine. I assume you're familiar with him?
... I am familiar with him. [She spoke with him once before as a matter of fact, though under the influence of an experiment. There wasn't much of a surprised reaction from her as she hears that he was there, given that Frey had also mentioned him the night before.
But it was still troubling.] So he really was there...?
Yes - in the blue flesh, so to speak. [Although from her statement, it doesn't seem as if she's talked to him as much as some of the others - who had built up a trust in him.] It seems he's now on the run from the Malnosso himself, which is what lead him to do business with the Iron Eye. He's the one who commissioned the shift bomb's construction. And, what's more... he's the one whose attempt to permanently remove Zompano from both the Organization and this world backfired. Which, of course, resulted in our beloved Lord Mayor getting his position in the Third Party.
[For continuations of mistletoe event threads from here and elsewhere. If it's not too much trouble, include a link to the original thread for reference purposes!]
[Cliff froze, green eyes wide and staring at the man. The moment he could move he shoved Jade off, needlessly quick with his movements and backed away.]
[Perona's still expecting something to happen - maybe a delayed reaction or something, but is pleasantly surprised to find that she is safe from having her emotional state altered like it was the prior times she'd been trapped. It was a nice change to things definitely. Kissing people was annoying, but she could accept it after a bit of complaining and whining. Being forced to kiss a complete stranger when she wasn't in control of herself was inexcusable and unforgivable.
screwing up her face at the remark, Perona turns her scoff into an airy laugh. Quick and a little harsh. Is he joking?]
Stunned, more like. [The hand gripping her own is not turned down, and she allows the motion. In all honesty, it's refreshing having someone with a grain of class and wit in his head gracing her with a kiss than a toothless swine. Eugh...] Oi, oi, chivalry still exists...another thing to be stunned about.
[Making an attempt to step out of the mistletoe a moment after the kiss is placed to the back of her hand, the young woman even gives her gent's hand a tug as well, so he doesn't get stuck under there in her place or something.]
[Well, that's certainly not at all what Ion was expecting. And right away, he starts flailing a little and laughing. Normally he might find this a little undignified, but right now all he can do is laugh.]
[He gives an amused grin at her reaction, spreading his arms in a shrug.]
Chivalry, you say? And here I thought that I was only taking the more hygienic route. [He says with a smirk.] Now, let's see if it was successful.
[His boots were made for walking, and that's just what he'll do, as he moves following Perona's touch. ...If the mistletoe is truly satiated, that is.]
Don't worry, fon master. It will all be over soon.
[He keeps it up for a few moments more.]
Peta peta peta peta peta peta...
[He lets it die down, and then? As fastly as he can manage, he lowers his face and presses his lips against Ion's for a moment. Then he pulls away swiftly.]
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