5 hours ago
The meal had actually been lovely. In the right circumstances Lore was an easy and animated conversationalist (not just about schedules), and the time passed without any awkwardness on her part, so she counted it a success. She talked about the food, she talked about her childhood with Damien and her time in New York – and more recently the people she had seen at the Vasiliev ball, where she had floated like a wallflower at the edges of the room completely unnoticed. She asked Matías questions about himself too, openly curious about his life without seeming to worry about accidentally stepping on a landmine of his familial past. Not that she was insensitive either; it wasn’t naivety so much as straight-forwardness. Lore took people exactly as she found them, which made her unpretentious company… but also meant it had not even occurred to her to prewarn Matías who Cadence actually was.
In usual circumstances Lore was always punctual, and to her that actually meant early (because obviously on time was just a socially acceptable form of late). But in this instance she intended to be tardy, and had arranged to meet Matías outside the Radiance and have the cab drop them a five-minute walk away from where the carnival sat against the river. Ezvin had been pleasant and playfully flirtatious at the coffee place, but in truth Lore’s first impressions were of a man who liked to affect those around him – not in any malicious way, but certainly in a way that naturally magnetised. Damien was cut from the same cloth, and she saw it often enough in boardroom meetings to recognise such self-aware charm. Cadence was certainly enamored, though. Lore had no idea as to the actual nature of their relationship, and nor was it her business, but she thought Cadence might appreciate the brief moment it was just the two of them. So it was an acceptable reason to be late.
She wasn't sure what you were supposed to wear to an evening trip to a carnival, and had simply bundled up comfortably for the weather. Her tastes were naturally conservative, so she didn’t stand out. During the walk she chatted amiably with Matías, until she motioned that she could see the others up ahead. Naturally she took it upon herself to industriously handle the introductions.
In usual circumstances Lore was always punctual, and to her that actually meant early (because obviously on time was just a socially acceptable form of late). But in this instance she intended to be tardy, and had arranged to meet Matías outside the Radiance and have the cab drop them a five-minute walk away from where the carnival sat against the river. Ezvin had been pleasant and playfully flirtatious at the coffee place, but in truth Lore’s first impressions were of a man who liked to affect those around him – not in any malicious way, but certainly in a way that naturally magnetised. Damien was cut from the same cloth, and she saw it often enough in boardroom meetings to recognise such self-aware charm. Cadence was certainly enamored, though. Lore had no idea as to the actual nature of their relationship, and nor was it her business, but she thought Cadence might appreciate the brief moment it was just the two of them. So it was an acceptable reason to be late.
She wasn't sure what you were supposed to wear to an evening trip to a carnival, and had simply bundled up comfortably for the weather. Her tastes were naturally conservative, so she didn’t stand out. During the walk she chatted amiably with Matías, until she motioned that she could see the others up ahead. Naturally she took it upon herself to industriously handle the introductions.