12-30-2024, 04:07 PM
The suite was a hive of activity through which Lore wove her way without looking, eyes on the wallet’s holoscreens containing all her notes for the evening. Jessika was proudly grassroots, but this was also a big night, so Lore had arranged for everything to be taken care of – hair, makeup, jewellery and accessories, dresses, childcare, transport, predrinks (for nerves), nibbles (to counteract the alcohol, obviously). The list went on. Though what she was actually going through right now as she dodged the bustle was what she knew of the expected guestlist – names, connections, cues for the smalltalk. Especially the latter.
In all honesty Lore would have much rather preferred coordinating entirely from the shadows, but neither was it appropriate for Jessika to attend alone. By now she’d given up correcting on her own connection to Damien every time someone introduced her as his sister. Privately she wondered if Jessika didn’t actually prefer it that way, considering what Lore assumed of their own relations. So, accompaniment by the new Patron’s “sister” it was. It felt a strange prestige given her actual earned acumen, but it seemed to eclipse it here. And honestly Lore let it. She preferred not talking about Damien. Or thinking about him.
So far as she knew, Damien himself remained behind in Mexico, apparently uninterested in accepting his new crown in person, though she had a whole section dedicated to contingency in case he just showed up. He was as insouciant as a lion, and just as majestically dangerous, which meant his whims weren’t the sort of thing she had any fun predicting. He’d better not just show up. Not only would it make the most awkward third wheel of her, but it would also mean she could have spent the evening doing something a little more aligned to her taste. Which generally involved far fewer people.
“You’re going to be late,” someone said, to which Lore affected half a smile. Actually she still had six minutes before she needed to sit down for hair, which gave her plenty of time to have a quick chat with the chauffeur about their entrance.
In all honesty Lore would have much rather preferred coordinating entirely from the shadows, but neither was it appropriate for Jessika to attend alone. By now she’d given up correcting on her own connection to Damien every time someone introduced her as his sister. Privately she wondered if Jessika didn’t actually prefer it that way, considering what Lore assumed of their own relations. So, accompaniment by the new Patron’s “sister” it was. It felt a strange prestige given her actual earned acumen, but it seemed to eclipse it here. And honestly Lore let it. She preferred not talking about Damien. Or thinking about him.
So far as she knew, Damien himself remained behind in Mexico, apparently uninterested in accepting his new crown in person, though she had a whole section dedicated to contingency in case he just showed up. He was as insouciant as a lion, and just as majestically dangerous, which meant his whims weren’t the sort of thing she had any fun predicting. He’d better not just show up. Not only would it make the most awkward third wheel of her, but it would also mean she could have spent the evening doing something a little more aligned to her taste. Which generally involved far fewer people.
“You’re going to be late,” someone said, to which Lore affected half a smile. Actually she still had six minutes before she needed to sit down for hair, which gave her plenty of time to have a quick chat with the chauffeur about their entrance.