”well, lucky for you, i’ve done this my whole life—minus the last three and a half years.”[break][break]
at his request, she nodded, ”i promise to keep it simple.”[break][break]
she moved into place, allowing his hand to rest easily against her back, her hand in his other. it felt easy, casual, something she’d done with friends, and diplomatic visitors time and time again.[break][break]
around their carved out space on the dancefloor, she led with basic steps, each movement refined and proper.[break][break]
”when did you learn to dance?”

[attr="class","ooc"]FERNANDO SILPH

”ah.” the chuckle that left her didn’t know the situation. ”i always wondered what it might be like to have siblings.”[break][break]

there was then a break in small talk she hadn't seen coming. given his social stature, iseult assumed fernando expected most people to accept what he offered. although, she'd also been raised with a sense that she wasn't 'most people'.[break][break]

”to be honest,” she echoed, eyes lingering over his shoulder, idly above the heads of a row of wallflowers, ”i had little better to do than study and answer emails.” given the professional nature of the evening, it didn't feel offensive to admit.[break][break]

”but i’m more than happy to be here. besides, i figured if you were asking me, the date must have crept up on you.” and as usual, she was there to help.

[attr="class","ooc"]FERNANDO SILPH

”he didn’t.”[break][break]
but had he, her father—who had enthusiastically encouraged her to go—would have still been highly in favor of fernando’s invitation. unbeknownst to iseult, ingolf was well aware of GABRIEL BLACK ’s ties to rocket, having been tied to them for so long himself. it was what they were in hoenn for, after all.[break][break]
not to mention, forty-three-year-old gabe had countless children her age coming out of the woodwork every few weeks in numbers no one knew exactly. it wouldn’t be suitable.[break][break]
”with everything that’s happened, my mind hasn’t really been on parties. i also grew up on things like these. with the freedom to choose when to make appearances now, it hadn't really struck me as something to plan for.”

[attr="class","ooc"]FERNANDO SILPH

”can’t have that.”[break][break]
she chuckled, knowing better than to comment any further. iseult knew gabriel’s singular wife to be a woman with a big heart, and a sister who seemed to have caught his eye. she could only imagine that eye had wandered further before.[break][break]
despite the shakiness of his step, she led on without the trace of awareness on her face, not wanting to throw him off further by looking any less confident in him.[break][break]
“i often miss kalos,” she admitted. ”i wouldn’t say i miss the lifestyle itself, but it’s not something i’ve abandoned, either. i’ll return to it, eventually.” their residence in hoenn was, presumably, not permanent—despite her growing desire to stay, now weighted to the region by trauma shared with its people.[break][break]
she might've asked about kanto, then, but thought better of it, because for that longing there could be no solution. everyone knew kanto was lost.[break][break]
instead, she changed the subject, “do you recognize anyone here, yet?”

[attr="class","ooc"]FERNANDO SILPH

”my father seems rather set on staying here for now.” for whatever reason that was. she’d only asked once. ”and i find it difficult to consider leaving, myself.”[break][break]
as his attention drifted around the room, her eyes watched all the opposite, noting little except the strange effect of so many faceless people gathered.[break][break]
”i could guess at a couple.” but none she was sure enough to name quite yet. another couple of steps, and she asked, ”pardon me, mr. silph, but do you find this a little strange? a masquerade, just as we’ve found out so many enemies have been hiding in our midst?”[break][break]
the megalopolans. the drk triad, who, in the beginning, had struck on a dancefloor not unlike this one.

[attr="class","ooc"]FERNANDO SILPH

unsure if fernando was pleased or amused at her skepticism, iseult returned his smile with one that tried to be just as ambiguous. alas, he could not be matched this evening, with no readable gaze to be met.[break][break]
they were joking if he was.[break][break]
”hm. i couldn’t say—not without damning evidence, of course.” PENELOPE LIVY ’s partner CIAN MAHER had just revealed himself as former rocket, which was at least a little suspicious. however, in the case that this was a) silly or b) bait, she opted for the least risky answer which was none at all.[break][break]
her eyes returned to the space over his shoulder. [break][break]
”but you must have your reasons if you’ve narrowed it down that much. why them?”

[attr="class","ooc"]FERNANDO SILPH

fifty-fifty were terrible odds, so she left the gamble on the table. it wasn’t time to make enemies through the office grapevine. she’d only just gotten there.[break][break]
at this point, he didn’t seem to be joking—at least not about the risks of such an event. the suspicions of his colleagues were tossed out for now, but her concern remained, roots of a mental weed stretching beneath the surface.[break][break]
”i see.” it was perhaps smart of him not to associate the company's name with an event that clearly endangered its attendees. she could only imagine they weren’t the only critics.[break][break]
”is it why you chose that mask?”

[attr="class","ooc"]FERNANDO SILPH