[attr="class","ophelia"]

[attr="class","ophelia b"]

[attr="class","ophelia i"]"perhaps i am."

her smile slips into coyness.

"would that be alright?"

he's a man of beauty, of elegance, of perfection. and what is she if not grace?

it'd be an honor, she realizes, to help him with his craft. his pride and joy...

the smile widens further into her cheeks at the thought.

luciano fisk
mission

[attr="class","ophelia"]

[attr="class","ophelia b"]

[attr="class","ophelia i"]despite herself, her smile grows. her grip, too, tightens against his hand.

"your love is playing aloof?"

somehow, the thought amuses her immensely. she's never known luciano fisk to allow anything to elude him for long.

he is, at his core, charming and persistent.

"inspiration strikes when you least expect, doesn't it?"

the expression she gives him is as understanding as it is prying.

"are you in need of a new muse?"

perhaps she'd volunteer...

luciano fisk
mission

[attr="class","ophelia"]

[attr="class","ophelia b"]

[attr="class","ophelia i"]fondness seeps in. it spreads, festers, grows like ivy against brick. and despite herself, she feels a swell of heat at the cheeks. it's been a long time since she's flushed. there's no need for such a thing in business. it's kept hidden away, tucked into a tower and guarded by a money hungry dragon.

and this isn't business. this is freedom. this is warmth. this is affection.

"unfortunately, it's a habit i cannot quite shake." and if she could, what habit would she replace it with?

she smiles anyway, thumbs tracing lazy patterns into his skin.

"better with you here," she muses. it's soft, tender, delicate. her touch mirrors a gentleness even as she beckons him closer with a small tug. "i'm glad you've been well, dear one. i worry, as i'm sure you're aware."

he's the cherished one; the man placed on a pedestal and left to look every inch a god. and with a pat of her hands on his skin, her smile begins to loosen into the inklings of a grin.

"now, give me all the details. what brings you here from sinnoh's shores?"

luciano fisk
mission

[attr="class","ophelia"]

[attr="class","ophelia b"]

[attr="class","ophelia i"]"madam coin." she turns at the sound. her smile turns a little more personable, a little more genuine, when she sees it's her assistant addressing her. "your car is here."

"thank you, dear." she moves to leave but lingers for a moment, a ghost in the doorway. her head turns and the smile widens when she locks eyes with the younger woman. "go home and relax. enjoy your night!" she's out the door before she can hear the amused laughter fluttering into the room.

and when she steps out into the fresh air, it's not to an actual car as she had expected. no, it's... a dragon? she suppresses the urge to tilt her head, to stare as if the man outside the taxi has three heads.

he opens the door for her and she offers a small smile of gratitude.

"thank you, cade," she murmurs. stepping up and into the taxi is easy, simple, fluid motions. and when she's inside, there's a pretty little bird. it chirps delicately, bowing with a grace she almost wishes she could possess.

"well, hello." it's a soft coo accompanied with the slow extension of her hand. she offers it up to the oricorio, to gently brush soft feathers. "quite the pretty creature, aren't you?" pretty, pristine, pure as all the best things are.

Cade Atreides
mission

[attr="class","ophelia"]

[attr="class","ophelia b"]

[attr="class","ophelia i"]she flashes a smile at the sentiment, at the way his fingers graze her skin along the path to her ear. the flower settles, cool and smooth against the back of her ear.

"please, there's no need for such formalities." and she'll never quite get used to the term madam coin. somehow, it holds a great responsibility she's not sure her shoulders could bear.

without hesitation, she's reaching for his hand with both of hers. her touch is gentle, fond. "it has," she murmurs. fingers rub small circles into the warmth of his skin. "have you been well?"

her oldest friend, her dearest friend... in hoenn, of all places. it fills her with a happiness she couldn't even hope to express.

luciano fisk
mission

[attr="class","ophelia"]

[attr="class","ophelia b"]

[attr="class","ophelia i"]they play a part in a game. meetings mean shifting pawns into place and words are nothing more than moves dressed up as something grand.

he knows the playing field as well as she does. perhaps even better, if she had to take a guess.

her head bobs gently at the invitation. and heels echo behind him as they move beyond the gardens. his mansion looms with an impressive shadow the closer they get and she's sneaking peeks at what it holds. it seems so vast, so grand. perfect for a meeting, perhaps.

"thank you," she murmurs, flashing a grateful smile to his butler as the man busies himself with preparing drinks.

they continue into the lounge. and only when he motions does she lower herself onto the couch. her legs cross immediately, one folding over the other. his pikachu joins them, eager to sit in on their discussion.

"really?" the opportunity to jump on the fresh slate of an older company was, truthfully, too good to pass up. her smile widens, rows of teeth ushering in practiced motions. "the way i see it... there's nothing better than a new start."

she lets the concept flutter and fall into silence before continuing.

"funding for technology, mostly," money talks better than she ever could. "and the chance to build a better hoenn." she sees it so clearly: the war-torn region climbing back onto its feet with new energy, with her energy. "tell me, mr. rose, have you ever been to sunyshore?"

Amor Rose

[attr="class","ophelia"]

[attr="class","ophelia b"]

[attr="class","ophelia i"]disappointment swells for a moment. it clings in a way she detests, even as her mind chastises and points out the most important part: you can see her after this.

and with the small realization, she nods. "next time," comes as an echo of confirmation. it settles softly with a flutter she'll recognize later as excitement.

her smile grows with toni's laugh. it's her favorite sound, really. a pretty song she can't seem to turn off. no, she'd play it on repeat if she could. and to loosen the remaining nerves, she sips at her glass of white, a stark contrast to toni's red.

despite herself, her cheeks radiate warmth beneath a compliment. "it's nothing," she murmurs. her glass settles back onto tablecloth and she releases the lifeline it holds. "business is business, after all, but thank you." and she means it.

she leans a little, as if to make the conversation more personal with proximity alone.

"i'm just glad expanding into hoenn's industry led to seeing you again." i've missed you too.

Antoinette Spina
mission

[attr="class","ophelia"]

[attr="class","ophelia b"]

[attr="class","ophelia i"]and there, ladies and gentleman, is the absolute charm of antoinette spina. her ability to place you at ease, to live a little and mean it... it's irreplaceable.

and for a moment, she's feeling the greed settle in. the incessant urge to keep her close, keep her tethered. she has to breathe, has to remind herself that this is toni. and a golden cage would still be a cage, most of all for the freest person she knows.

her smile grows genuine, albeit slower than toni's. the woman's energy is, simply, infectious. it's difficult to not get swept up in all she has to offer.

"different?" a light laugh escapes. somehow, the thought amuses her. "i don't suppose you have a few stories you'd like to divulge?" she's certain they'd be captivating, to say the least.

that smirk... it instills something in her. she shifts in her seat as if movement will stall the inevitable.

"duty calls, i suppose," she offers. it's noncommittal, as if she wants to brush off her justification for storming the shores of hoenn. and mostly, it does nothing more than settles the homesick feeling that's burrowed too deep into her bones to shake. she makes an effort to tease, to dive back into old habits and older bonds. years of playing professional have made her rusty but she tries anyway, if only to hear toni laugh again. "happy, hm? do tell, i'd love to hear more."

Antoinette Spina
mission

[attr="class","ophelia"]

[attr="class","ophelia b"]

[attr="class","ophelia i"]she steps up to mansion gates with a smile. practiced, calculated, yet eased into her cheeks.

this meeting is one of an important purpose. one she requested, seeing potential in a company so foreign to her. this is not sinnoh, she must remind herself of this. even as she passes through gates, with the comforting click of heels becoming a makeshift cape, she goes over points in her head like a mantra.

a perfect investment opportunity, aligning interests, one of a kind company. playing to a preset standard she always believes works well enough when presented at the right time. and now, with hoenn shifting further into a state is disarray, seems like the perfect chance...

"hello," she greets with a soft wave, restrained and professional. the smile widens a little further, almost becomes real. "i'm sorry, i think i'm a little early!" and it's sealed with a light laugh. pleasant, personable, almost free.

Amor Rose

[attr="class","ophelia"]

[attr="class","ophelia b"]

[attr="class","ophelia i"]well, this is... awkward.

her hands stay folded in her lap, fingers itching to pick at cuticles or invisible lint on her dress. anything to distract from the fact that silence is thick with tension. and unfortunately, she can't simply smile her way out of this.

"has hoenn treated you well, so far?" small talk, idle chitchat. it's familiar, what she knows, what she's fluent in. her company, however, is a wildcard. unlike the ceos she surrounds herself with, toni is... a breath of fresh air, truthfully, even if she'll never admit it out loud.

faintly, the sound of her heel tapping incessantly beneath the table rushes her into leaning in, into lowering her voice into a whisper.

"i didn't think i'd find you here, of all places."

Antoinette Spina
mission

[attr="class","ophelia"]

[attr="class","ophelia b"]

[attr="class","ophelia i"]oldale has a particular charm she hasn't seen since sinnoh, since the endless fields of floaroma. quaint, fresh, pleasant smelling. it's familiar in a way that isn't. and maybe, just maybe, she should've chosen the welcoming little town instead of the busy streets of rustboro.

ah, but... obligations keep her tethered to busy cities, schedules, and people.

her first little sliver of free time is spent among the flowers. running fingertips along pretty petals, taking in the floral aroma they emit... it's lovely.

there's something peculiar about one bloom, however. it's... hard to the touch, smooth faceted, and shiny. certainly not like the flowers of floaroma. is this a hoenn variant?

she shouldn't... but she plucks it anyway. and as she holds it up to the sun, twirling it around in her fingertips, she asks a question of the approaching man. a familiar face, perhaps the most welcome one in this foreign place.

"what do you make of this, luce?"

luciano fisk
mission