[attr="class","nenet1body"]

Nenet brightens as Zev agrees to another dance, and the pair step together as if made for one another; the sun, caught by the moon, now orbit one another. She has been caught up in the lab far too much recently - for as much as she loves her work she is still a creature of the sun, basking beneath its radiance like few others are willing to tolerate.
[break][break]
She hums briefly in acknowledgement of Zev's suggestion, a low laugh sounding form her chest as she teases him softly, "You know I do. I believe there's one on prehistoric Hoennite pokemon that looked promising as well."
[break][break]
They step together, never missing a beat as they spin around the dance floor and all too soon the song wanes, its last notes fading into the darkness of the room. Coming to a stop, Nenet pauses for a moment, frozen gracefully against Zev; she gently squeezes his shoulder, a gesture of fondness, before the pair separates.
[break][break]
Nenet takes the time to applaud the orchestra before music once more winds upon the air.
[break][break]
"Let's go get something to drink," she urges. Her fingertips twitch towards her clutch as it buzzes and garners her attention briefly, though she manages to resist its siren call once more. "Who is watching my darling Luna while you're here," she demands playfully instead as they make their way to the bar.

[attr="class","nenet1credit"]

[attr="class","calebtext"]



Caleb had thought himself done with the dancefloor once his own dance with @rosie had ended, but something highly unusual caught his eye as he waited at the bar for his and Rosie's next drinks. At first, he wasn't entirely sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing. Was it some kind of trick of the light, reflecting off the surrounding ice sculptures and crystalline decorations?[break][break]
Momentarily forgetting about the drinks - and assuming Umi would watch over Rosie - Caleb found himself walking back onto the dancefloor, zombie-like, as if drawn by some sort of hypnotic trance. His dark blue eyes could not rip themselves away from a specific couple: a radiant woman in golden attire and his brother, Zev Harcourt. It wasn't just that Zev was dancing with this woman...no, it was that Zev was enjoying dancing with this woman.[break][break]
Caleb knew his brother, maybe better than anyone else on earth. Zev was holding this woman with a possessiveness so intimate it made Caleb uncomfortable. Zev did not treat just anyone in such a way - this woman meant something to him. It occurred to Caleb in that moment that Zev's cockiness earlier - his overall confident demeanor despite Caleb pointing out that he did not have a date - was, of course, likely due to the fact that he did, in fact, have a date. She had just arrived fashionably late.[break][break]
Who the hell was this woman? Was Zev actually dating someone? The relationships Zev had pursued in Kanto had always been short-lived. Was this another such impending disaster? Caleb felt suddenly wary.[break][break]
"Care to introduce me to your date?" Caleb asked, interrupting the couple's conversation as the music came to a decisive end. Though he gave the woman a respectful nod, he addressed Zev directly. He knew the event was meant to be anonymous, but he needed to know who this woman was; Caleb himself did not care in the least if his identity was revealed. He was tired of the games, and his curiosity far outweighed his propriety at this particular moment.

[attr="class","calebooc"][break]

BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","zevhtext"]



When Nenet drew away from him at the end of their second dance, Zev felt a twinge of disappointment at the lack of contact with her body. He did not let it show on his face, however, and instead followed her off the dance floor toward the bar.[break][break]

"Luna's with me tonight, actually," he said, patting his pocket. He had brought three Pokémon with him, just in case. "But I figure the crowd might be too much for her right now."[break][break]

Before Zev and Nenet could reach the bar, however, someone stepped up toward them. Zev immediately recognized the masked man as Caleb Harcourt from their earlier interaction in the welcome foyer. But this time, he was not with @rosie.[break][break]

The elder Harcourt smiled widely and turned toward his brother. "You know the point of a masquerade is anonymity, right?"[break][break]

As he spoke, Zev placed his hand on the small of Nenet's back once more, a gesture both intimate and possessive. His blue eyes briefly met her golden ones before he continued, "I'll let the lovely lady introduce herself, if that's what she wishes."[break][break]

Zev had never permitted Caleb any kind of personal agency. That Zev deferred to Nenet's wishes was characteristic of the early stages of his past relationships, where he'd attempt to manipulate women into thinking he was considerate and charming.[break][break]

The reality that several months had already passed and he had not tired of her yet was a possibility Zev could not have expected — and one that Caleb likely would not believe possible.

[attr="class","zevhooc"][break]

BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","nenet1body"]

"Mm, I suppose you're right," Nenet muses, her gaze casting downwards to Zev's pocket where the pokeballs are. "I bet later tonight we can find space in one of the gardens for her to play fetch and dig up some rosebushes," the woman teases lowly, a low chuckle spilling from her throat.

[break][break]
She stops all of a sudden when they are accosted by Caleb Harcourt, her eyes blinking rapidly in surprise. Brow arching at Zev's suggestion she introduce herself, she casts him a demandingly curious look that he will be explaining himself one way or another tonight before she returns her attention back to Caleb.

[break][break]
"Neffatari Nzingha, Astrobiologist and Senior Astronomical Observer of Mossdeep Observatory." There's an authority to her voice, her golden gaze fixated upon Caleb with an air of self-assurance few possess. As she speaks she offers her hand to the unknown man, her timbre lilting as she asks pointedly, "And you are?"

[attr="class","nenet1credit"]

[attr="class","calebtext"]



Though much of her facial features were masked - like everyone else in the room - Caleb could still tell that Neffatari Nzingha was the sort of woman who had no time for bullshit. She carried herself with a confident self-assurance that flirted with arrogance, and her tone of voice conveyed a distinct professionalism. I'm the smarted person in the room, she seemed to be saying, without saying it. Caleb was inclined to agree, merely based off first impressions.[break][break]
Astrobiologist and Senior Astronomical Observer of Mossdeep Observatory? How in hell had Zev Harcourt even met this woman? She didn't strike Caleb as someone who frequented lower district bars like Howling at the Moon, but he supposed everyone had their guilty pleasures.[break][break]
Caleb stared at the hand being offered to him for a half-second before delicately taking it. Instead of a standard shake in greeting, however, a sudden boldness seized him, and he brought the back of Neffatari's hand to his lips. A gentle, fleeting kiss - gentlemanly, nothing short of chivalrous - blue eyes locking with his brother's before he let go of her.[break][break]
"Caleb Harcourt at your service," he told her with a confident smirk of his own.

[attr="class","calebooc"][break]

BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","zevhtext"]



Zev caught Nenet's glance at him and immediately understood her demands. Over the past several months, he had grown accustomed to her unspoken language, the quirks of her facial expressions and body language.[break][break]

He waited, though, until she had introduced herself with all the unquestionable self-confidence that had first attracted him to her.[break][break]

And then Caleb took Nenet's hand and kissed it instead of taking it.[break][break]

Zev was not a jealous man. No, he was a possessive man, and for him, there was a distinct difference between the two. It meant he did not bat an eye at Caleb's act of chivalry; instead, Zev met his brother's gaze with the same unblinking arrogance of a man as uncowed as him.[break][break]

And after Caleb finally revealed his identity to Nenet, Zev leaned in toward his date, so close that his lips brushed her ear, and explained, "He's my little brother."

[attr="class","zevhooc"][break]

BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","nenet1body"]

"I - alright then." Her expression somewhat masked as her hand is taken to kiss instead of shaken, Nenet hums a bewildered note at the action.
[break][break]
"Caleb," she then repeats, her eyebrow clearly arched with curiosity beneath her mask as she glances over her shoulder to Zev. Her date's confirmation of his relationship to this unknown man is somewhat surprising, though not wholly. If Nenet is being honest, she only sort-of remembers Zev mentioning his family, once, when he happened upon her Minior studies some months ago.
[break][break]
Truth be told she thought Zev's family were all dead. Maybe she ought to start paying more attention to their personal conversations.
[break][break]
Nonetheless, Nenet flashes a barely-there smile. "What sort of service," she asks. Her timbre takes on a teasing tone when she asserts hopefully, "Are you in the business of telescope acquisition?"

[attr="class","nenet1credit"]

[attr="class","calebtext"]



Caleb blinked, confused. "I - what? Telescope acquisition?" He stared at her, dumbfounded. Then, seeming to collect himself, he schooled his expression back into a polite smile. "Uh, not exactly. I'm a Ranger. I guess you're some sort of astronomer, then?"[break][break]
He wondered if she'd been involved in the recent space mission to Meteno. If she had gone herself, she was heartier than he'd initially given her credit for; he'd heard harrowing stories from those who had been there. A feral Deoxys? Assassins? Despite his combat experience, Caleb himself had not felt qualified to go there; luckily the Slateport Rangers had been assigned to defend Littleroot. It was good they had been, in the end, or Caleb would not have realized Zev was in Hoenn.[break][break]
"So how exactly did you meet my brother?"

[attr="class","calebooc"][break]

BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","zevhtext"]



Nenet's bemused reaction to the kiss on her hand was reason enough for Zev to shoot his brother another smug grin. And when she teased Caleb with the question about telescope acquisitions, Zev could not help chuckling, especially at Caleb's confused reply.[break][break]

Had Nenet not already introduced herself as an astrobiologist and senior astrological observer for the region's space center? Her quip must have thrown Caleb off so much that he forgot. But he had always been slow and daft.[break][break]

It was precisely why he needed his older brother.[break][break]

Zev knew better than to speak for Nenet, however much the younger Harcourt made a fool of himself. So he simply remained quiet as he let her answer, his hand absently caressing her waist, his blue eyes never leaving Caleb's face.[break][break]

He didn't want to miss any more amusing reactions.

[attr="class","zevhooc"][break]

BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","nenet1body"]

"Sure," Nenet replies, her hand slipped away. Golden eyes scour over Caleb's face momentarily, as if attempting to find some bit of Zev in the younger man's features. "Something like an astronomer." Maybe this is why Zev never spoke of the man.
[break][break]
She then makes an absent little motion with her hand, laughing as she does so. "Oh, you know. At a bar." Snorting, she adds with deep sarcasm as her gaze cuts over to Zev, "It was very romantic." It wasn't, but Caleb certainly doesn't need to know the details of their continued hook-ups until they settled into something resembling a routine and relationship.
[break][break]
For emphasis, her hand reaches out and she lightly pats Zev's face. "I'm getting that drink," she informs the pair. "You're either with me, or against me." Winking, she then turns towards the bar in question to retrieve another glass of champagne.

[attr="class","nenet1credit"]

[attr="class","calebtext"]



Caleb's mouth hung open, his expression bemused, as Nenet floated over to the nearest bar. He glanced at Zev.[break][break]
"Romantic?" He repeated, as if someone had just told him that two plus two equaled five. When had Zev ever been romantic? None of the other women Caleb had ever seen him with over the years had used that word to describe his brother. He'd never even seen evidence of Zev actually acting that way. The man discarded women as easily as he did anybody - human and Pokémon alike - who wasn't serving his needs. In fact, he often tired of any potential girlfriends at precisely the moment they started to use words like "romantic"...when they started to cling.[break][break]
Was he being played?[break][break]
"A drink sounds great," he sighed, following after the resplendent "astronomer."

[attr="class","calebooc"][break]

BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","zevhtext"]



It was taking all of Zev's willpower not to burst out laughing at Caleb's dumbfounded expression. The elder Harcourt inwardly swore to do whatever Nenet wanted later that night for the pure entertainment he was witnessing.[break][break]

When Caleb moved to follow the woman to the bar, Zev fell into step beside him. "Maybe you should go back to your date, huh?" he suggested, gesturing. @rosie still lingered by herself, waiting for Caleb's return. "Wouldn't want her to be lonely, would you?"[break][break]

At the bar, they found themselves beside Nenet again. Zev signaled for the bartender — one of his employees — to make another whisky cocktail.[break][break]

"But you know what," Zev said to Caleb. "Why don't you and Rosie join Nenet and me for dinner later?" He turned to the woman dressed in gold beside him. "Are you interested?" he asked, because he knew Nenet didn't often socialize.

[attr="class","zevhooc"][break]

BY GUNSMILE

[attr="class","nenet1body"]

Nenet has made it her mission to acquire more alcohol, and the woman does not stop until she has. She looks quite pleased with herself when a flute of champagne is settled into her hands once more, a low hum of pleasure spilling from her throat after she takes a sip - with so many bodies in such a confined space, the room's temperature has risen enough to be noticeable.
[break][break]
In the few moments of her solitude, she had wholly forgotten Zev and his brother. Her masked attention snaps to Zev, surprise registering on her visible countenance before she merely smiles. "If you'd like. I'm sure you two would like to catch up." Spoken more of a statement than a question, there is nonetheless a faint lilt at the end of her voice. Until this moment the newly revealed brother hasn't been spoken of, save the once. Which she barely remembered.
[break][break]
Once Zev has his whisky cocktail, she slips her hand around Zev's free arm, her palm resting comfortably against his shoulder.
[break][break]
"I do want to see that meteoroid exhibit while we're here," she adds - this spoken a touch more pointedly. She may not be working, but Nenet will be damned if she doesn't see what's placed on display for public consumption.

[attr="class","nenet1credit"]