Life of the Party [M]

[MorningStar]

@visualspice

---

"Fuck you, boy."

The Nobleman's gaze froze in horror as reality crashed down upon him. Theodore was never truly a Noble, never "Theodore." He was a Lola, that woman's son from years past. Everyone believed he was dead—Viktor claimed it so. Yet, there he stood, exposing their collective foolishness, a charade that endured for years. Had Viktor deceived them all? Or was he, too, ignorant of the truth?

"W-What the hell do you-"

"Shut up," the young man standing before him hissed.

Damien Lola confronted the Noble, his eyes resembling ice, cold and unwavering as he glared at his prey. A surge of concentrated anger emanated from his gaze as he advanced, taking one step closer to the Nobleman. In response, the Nobleman retreated, matching each step until the man found himself cornered against the wall, sheer terror etched across his face.

"Dirty scum like you need to be cleaned," Lola scowled as he continued his slow pace toward the man. "Isn't that what you use to say to her?"

"Don't t-take another step closer. I will screa-"

The Nobleman's attempt to speak was abruptly cut short as Lola lunged at him, delivering a punch that connected directly with the Noble's nose.

Thud!

The Nobleman's head collided with the wall, and he slumped to the ground with a whimper. Lola, now kneeling to meet him at eye level, asserted, "No one would hear you even if you did. There's a party downstairs, and the door is locked. No one would even think of coming to this section of the estate. It's just you and me now."

Finally. Justice. He had waited so long for this moment.

He extended his palm, focusing on his elemental mastery of water. In a matter of moments, a block of water materialized, and the young man directed it precisely around the Nobleman's head.

The Nobleman's eyes widened in desperation as he struggled to breathe. Lola prevented any escape attempts, holding him down. With flailing arms and kicking legs, the Nobleman fought for air, steadily losing oxygen. A plea lingered in his eyes, but Lola felt no sympathy as he watched those eyes until the light extinguished.

"I did it," he said under a breath as he got back up to his feet. Gods. That felt good.

Lola regretted landing that punch, but he couldn't resist the satisfaction it brought. He refrained from moving the body for now, uncertain if he even wanted to. The revelation of this unfortunate soul's corpse might serve as a sufficient distraction for him to pursue his next target. Concealing the slight bruising on his knuckles became his immediate concern.

He pulled out his black book of names, flipping through the pages. Missendria Rakkel. He knew she was not involved in the original incident, but reports informed him that she may be aiding those who he was after. He would crush anyone that got in his way.

Returning to the door, he took a moment to ensure the coast was clear. Satisfied, he unlocked the door, stepped into the hallway, and seamlessly rejoined the festivities downstairs.

--- --- ---

"Theodore" wore a beaming smile, his eyes alight with energy, as he navigated through the lively crowd of the Nobleman's party. He exchanged pleasantries with handshakes, nods, and grins, seamlessly returning to the company he had been keeping before his brief detour.

"Ah, Theodore! There you are!" one of the men called out as he approached.

"Yes, I apologize, I had to excuse myself for a bit," he said cheerfully. "All of these spirits were starting to get to me!"

"Theodore," a woman in the group cut in with a chuckle. "You never finished your story. You were telling us about the time you had stolen those Dragon eggs?"

"Ah right!" he chimed in, though the tale was nothing more than another fabrication. The strain of concocting these stories was taking its toll, but the disguise was proving worthwhile. Do Dragons even lay eggs? Surely they do.

The party persisted for another hour or so, until a sudden disruption shattered the festivities.

'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHH!'

The piercing scream echoed through the halls, sending shivers down the spines of those who heard it. In response, a woman bolted into the open at the top of the staircase, panic and fear etched across her face.

Someone had found the body.

[visualspice]

Any other girl might have relished over the chance to play dress up and schmooze with the nobility. This world was filled with glitz and glamor and dreams beyond her comprehension.  Where opulence ran in fountains and even the lighting and plush drapery cost ten times the homes in which she lived.

Frankly, Missendria Rakkel couldn't have given two rat tails about it .  Any of it. This wasn't a party she was meant to be seen- Hell, this wasn't even her world.  She was hardly a woman to oogle and swoon over pearls,  or make goo-goo eyes with the men dripping in velvet.

But here she was- a pretty face tossed into the shark tank and told 'good luck on your swim'.
She had arrived a lot later than was of convenience, her sleek, deep violet dress flowing behind her with a train of sumptuous silver lace. It was a gorgeous piece, no sleeves but cut to her form to accent it in just the right ways, with silver bracelets and pearls looping up her arms and skirts to where they were pinned against her throat by one large glittering, deep blue jewel.

Hell.. her little outfit alone was worth more than the entire street she grew up on. She had been snuck inside the back, so as to avoid being seen and invited in at the door. But no one would make a fuss over an unknown and beautiful woman not having an invitation to the ball- rather, she would be stirring up gossip with her mere presence alone.

She was fine with that. The plan wasn't to interact with many outside of her intended target. But hell- walking in these silver heels had her mood even more soured than when she had to wait over an hour to be dressed! She supposed she should be relieved she survived this long.. and that her latest job had her outside of the slums.

But why put her here? She couldn't help but feel as if she stood out like a sore thumb. Truthfully, she fit in like any other bell here. She just hoped she'd be able to find this Theordore What's his face lordling and just see what she could gather. She just hoped he wasn't gay. It would make her tactics a lot more awkward if she had to deal with that kind of wrench. Hell.. the more she considered what little Intel she had.. the man likely was.

She passed a mirror and found herself pausing, startled by her own reflection. Was that really her? Her hair was tamed into rivulets and curls that fell into a cascading layer of dirty gold along the contrast of her deep, twilight colored gown- in which who's colors choice amplified the bold violet color of her eyes.

She snorted softly.
"Atleast if I were a man I'd find me ravishing."

Silly, yes, and she shook her head, long silver earrings tinkling in their layers of gemstones and filigree. Now was not the time to give herself an ego boost- but hell.. atleast if she somehow died on this mission she'd die looking like a bomb shell.

She had been making her way towards the music when she stepped out and almost completely into another man. She apologized hastily before the two parted ways. Then she cursed herself for not catching their name. What if he had been her mark? The man she was supposed to get Intel on?

She took a mental picture of him as best she could- then moved towards the grandstaircase to join the party.

Entering the party this way was a huge mistake, for as she began to descend the stairs- everyone's eyes were on her.

Oh kia's breasts, - what had she gotten herself into. And as she was making her way off the staircase- she almost ran into another man, who seemed to be in much haste to get up those stairs. She had managed to catch herself before she fell over a clumsy step of her heels, and the man who helped her chastised the man who nearly bumped her from the stairs.

And thats when she realized who her mark was. It was him. Mister had to rush up the staircase Theordore . She made a mental note to go after him, but not before making polite small talk. She eventually got some information about her mark before she was able to return to the top floor again and began to wonder just where he disappeared off too.

"Probably is gay," She mused quietly to herself. She had almost ran into two men. They probably plotted somewhere quiet to go have a rut or something. Not that she cared. She cared enough that it was her job, so simply tucked more of that away for later.

Then she noticed a room at the end of the floor she had yet to explore- and as she crept inside- the door creaked eerily in the dark and quiet of the room.

Huh.. she supposed no one was here either. She was just about to turn and go when she nearly tripped over a body on the floor. She barely managed to catch herself against the unlit hearth and scrambled back into a corner, away from the body as if it might spring to life and attack her.

But.. as she crept closer to inspect...
The man was as dead as a door nail.
And then she heard it...
Footsteps.
Someone was coming.

Swearing, she pressed herself into a shadowed alcove of the room and held her breath. She couldn't see who had entered but she prayed they hadn't seen her.. nor the body.  Hopefully they would just keep passing through...


Then she heard the woman scream.

Shit.

[MorningStar]

The moments leading up to the reveal were painfully dull. His noble persona, "Theodore," effortlessly navigated the art of entertaining others, indulging in sophisticated conversations, and skillfully playing the high nobility game, all while maintaining an air of arrogance.

It was disgusting.

The individuals attending this ball were oblivious to the realities of the other half—their struggles, hardships, and the daily grind required to make ends meet. While Lola encountered some nobles who weren't entirely reprehensible, he found it challenging to refrain from passing judgment on the entire class. To him, their lives seemed to be a melancholic existence, void of any genuine substance or value.

That's why the vibrant young woman he passed in the purple dress lingered in his thoughts. The genuine smile he offered her took him by surprise, as it felt more authentic than the ones he typically mustered. Witnessing that expression on her face stirred a sense of familiarity within him. He recognized that look only too well—it was a face he himself had worn countless times before.

She didn't belong here. Whether a noble disillusioned with her privileged life or concealing herself with an ulterior motive—he couldn't discern. Truth be told, he didn't really care. He wanted to strike up a conversation with her out of pure curiosity, but that time had passed. The party was interrupted by the piercing scream, the sudden tension in the air, and the news of the body found upstairs.

---

Lord William was dead, and everyone in attendance now knew about it. There were gasps and murmurs, the estate stunk of fear and legs were frozen to the ground with the sudden news. And Lola fucking relished it. Still, he best keep up his act, he thought, there was still work to do.

His eyes widened in a feigned display of shock, his breaths deliberately ragged and harsh. Trembling hands hung at his sides as he stared, or rather pretended to stare, in horror at the top of the staircase. In a hushed whisper, he questioned aloud, "Who could have done this?" directing the inquiry mainly to those few individuals he had been in close proximity with during the event.

Yeah, that should be enough.

"No one leaves until we've conducted a full investigation," declared one of the guards, his stance firm, as he and another positioned themselves resolutely in front of the front door.

Protests erupted immediately, and a nervous shuffling of feet resonated through the room. "I've been here the whole time," asserted one or more individuals. Another voice cried out, "I would never do such a thing!" The air filled with a chorus of pleas, including desperate appeals like "I just want to go home!"

"Have you searched the room thoroughly?" inquired one of the guests, though their question struggled to rise above the murmur of the crowded estate.

Lola's heart raced in delight as panic and chaos quickly overtook the room, concealing his bruised knuckles in his pocket. He need only wait for his next opportunity.

[visualspice]

Everyone was alerted now. She had to think quickly before she herself was caught at the scene of the crime. In all honesty, it'd be easier just to play dead- but she shook off those foolish thoughts as she made her way towards an open window in the back of the room.

The shudders were only open a portion of the way so she frantically threw them open the rest, the night air hitting her with a startling chill. She grit her teeth against the night winds and peered out to see...

..and be reminded she was up on the second floor. She cursed. But when she heard a group of people approach, she wad quick to remove her damn shoes before all but throwing herself out the window.


Like a spider, she clung to the side of the building, one shoe in mouth, the other tucked down the front of her dress between her cleavage. 

She couldn't believe she was doing this. But what other choice did she have? She was making her way, careful and slow, along the lip of the building, when she heard voices mention the window.

Damn it.

Couldn't a girl catch a break? So she did what any girl on her situation would do..
She pressed herself Bodily into a vine infested alcove and hoped to the God's names no one could see her there in the dark.

[MorningStar]

It was unfortunate that the woman who had caught his interest earlier was the one who had so considerably set herself up to take the fall. Well, regardless. He had work to attend to, and some situations were beyond his control. At least, that's what he told himself.

Lola existed in a moral gray area. He never desired to directly harm innocent individuals, but if he had to compromise their well-being for personal gain, he wouldn't hesitate. Nothing would impede his work. Nothing.

---

Several guards and other partygoers filed into the room, among them "Theodore." His gaze swept across the area, and he observed the window curtain swaying in the breeze. "I will check the window," he declared.

Peeking his head outside, he spotted her. She was skillfully concealed, and those with less keen awareness might have overlooked her. In the shadows, her silhouette was unmistakable—the hair, the dress, the curves. Yes, that was undoubtedly the woman from before.

He flashed her a small, sly smile before shouting, "I found someone!"

[visualspice]

She could not believe her luck. Not only did someone poke their head outside and looked straight at her... he had the audacity to smile like a damn cat in the cream before bellowing her whereabouts.

She wanted to throw her damn heeled shoe at his head- but what good would it do? She wasn't exactly in the most innocent of locations after a damn murder, that was for sure.

And just when she thought things couldn't have gotten any worse- she felt the vines begin to tear beneath her white knuckled fingers. And in a yelp, she began to fall down along the trellis. 

[MorningStar]

Lola deftly exploited the all-too-amusing situation to his advantage. As the crowd, including vigilant guards, began to gather, he turned to one of them, locking eyes with calculated intensity. "Doesn't she appear guilty?" he murmured, his voice a subtle tool of influence as his eyes flashed with "influence." The guard's demeanor shifted abruptly, from frantic pursuit to an air of resolute certainty. "She's attempting to escape!" he proclaimed, swiftly climbing out in pursuit.

The room erupted into chaos once more.

Damien melted into the shadows, softly uttering what seemed like a spell under his breath—an imperceptible incantation amid the uproar. In a matter of moments, one man seamlessly blended back into the throng, while another discreetly slipped out the door.

With calculated precision, Damien Lola descended the stairs during the distraction, strategically positioning himself to intercept the woman outside. Meanwhile, a duplicate Lola remained, providing a convincing alibi during the unfolding event.

[visualspice]

She stopped falling, bare feet having somehow found purchase on an ornamental piece of jutting stone from the building. Her hands, twisting into a nesting mess of vines, which thank Kia's name, jerked to a stop as they ceased ripping under her knuckles. 

But she winced as she felt the blood seeping from fresh wounds on her hands, and blinked back tears as she tried to figure out just what the hell happened. 

Thankfully, she was still somehow alive.

She was catching her breath as she recalled to commotion about, then dared to peek fingers at the ground to see how far she'd fell.

She was maybe two of her whole heights Wirth away from having possibly fallen to her death, and her heart hammered inside her ears as a heat of fear took hold of her body.

How has this task gotten so off course!?

Then something slipped- and plummeted to the ground.  Her heart sank, blood going icy, befire she realized it was just one of her damn silver heeled shoes. 

[MorningStar]

Amidst the escalating chaos within, Damien found his route to the outside growing more opportune. Stepping into the open air, a gust of cold wind greeted him.

Surveying the surroundings, his eyes combed the area for the elusive woman. Odd, he mused, she should have dropped by now. He half-anticipated finding her sprawled on the grass from an unfortunate stumble. "Now, where did you—"

Thunk!

Lola winced, a sudden pang of pain gripping his head, his guard momentarily lowered before he pinpointed the source. A lone shoe. He looked up to find the woman.

"Really?" he said, irritation lacing his voice as he addressed her. "A fucking shoe?"

[visualspice]

She felt her body tremble as she fiercely held on for dear life. She had managed not to plummet to her death..but she still wasn't close enough to the ground to ignore potential injury.

Gods.. what was she going to do now?

The she heard it.. was that a voice down below?
She turned to see who it was, but the action must've been too much for the already strained vines as she heard a section snap and she lost her grip, barely managing to hold onto a closer section of the vine covered trellis- as the other shoe fell out from where it had been perched between her cleavage. 

[MorningStar]

Out of his usual character, Lola diverted his attention for a split second, sighing and massaging his temples.

Thunk!

"Ouch!" he exclaimed, sensing yet another pulsating ache on his head. "Seriously, another shoe?"

He gritted his teeth in irritation, glancing up with a determined squint. "Why don't you come down here?" he suggested. "I promise I'll catch you."

He had no intention of catching her, but he needed a quick exit strategy to spare himself from more embarrassment and expedite this mission.

[visualspice]

After a long moment of calming herself down, well.. calming herself enough to register what the voice said- she couldn't help but cut back -

"Are you kidding me? We would only both get hurt if you tried!"

Although she supposed she should be thankful he was offering help- she wasn't sure there was any ideal solutions to her precarious situation. 

She tried to look around for any other options...
She eyed the trellis- it ended in a garden bed of twisting vines.  Maybe she could attempt to climb down...

But her luck had run out. Between her precarious position and her weight held back by the vines...
She finally lost her footing and the vines split as she let out a scream and fell towards the courtyard.

[MorningStar]

Initially, he had no intention of catching her. Yet, the unexpected rapidity of her descent, coupled with gravity mocking his reflexes, prompted a sudden change of heart. In a desperate eleventh-hour decision, he thrust his arms outward in a futile attempt to thwart her collision course, but it was an exercise in futility.

His neck jolted backward, and the force sent his entire body tumbling as the woman crashed into him, spiraling them both into the grass.

As if scripted for added chaos, the symphony of footsteps echoed through the estate's door, rapidly advancing in their direction.

[visualspice]

The pair landed into a painful pile of bruises and limbs. Somehow, her dress became entangled around the man's arm.. throat.. leg!? She couldn't tell, she just felt rhe fabric rip when she attempted to remove herself from him- and likely was giving him more a show than a 'lady' of he'd standing ought to give. And as she attempted another way she let out a cry as her long blonde hair was stuck to something.  She couldn't even tell if it was something of his or hers.

[MorningStar]

"Ouch," he grunted softly as he hit the ground.

This was far from his meticulously laid-out plan. Every move he intended to make to frame this woman was being unintentionally thwarted by the absurdity of the situation. And now, she was sprawled on top of him, their bodies tangled together like some scene out of a romantic farce. He let out a frustrated sigh.

To make matters worse, he hadn't even had a moment to collect himself and calculate his next move before one of the guards loomed over them on the soil.

"Lord Theodore!" the guard exclaimed, his breath heavy with the chase. "Is this the culprit?!"

He paused, glancing between the tangled duo and the house.

"Wait," he began, confusion and suspicion lacing his voice. "I just saw you upstairs. How did you get down here so fa—"

"You're confused," Lola interjected, locking eyes with the guard. A subtle flicker danced across his pupils. "I was never upstairs. I came down here to pursue the potential culprit, just ahead of you. You remember."

The guard blinked slowly, tension and suspicion melting away to a matter-of-fact resolution. "I'm confused," he echoed, turning to Damien. "You were never upstairs. You pursued the culprit. I remember now."

It was a temporary fix, but he needed to act swiftly to regain control.

Wait.

Something soft pressed against him. His face flushed with embarrassed heat.

[visualspice]

She stiffened the moment she heard a gaggle of people approach. Then her face went red as she realized her position over the man..


Wait.. did someone just call this man...

Quick thinking had her throwing herself more dramatically at her rescuer. 

"Oh, Lord Theodore!" She went on. "Thank you for rescuing me from that rapscallion! I was so afraid he'd have killed me next!"

If he didn't have an eyeful before, she was all but thrusting herself into his face, arms around him like a gracious vixen. She could only pray he didn't try to turn the situation around on her.

Not now.. when she was literally ontop of her mark. 

[MorningStar]

"Theodore's" face deepened in shades of red, a feigned warmth from the woman enveloping him in insincere gratitude. Yet, he saw an opportunity in this moment.

"Leonard," he spoke directly to the guard, "this is... a friend of sorts."

Choosing an expression of bashfulness, his eyes conveyed a studied endearment toward the woman. Damien began to distance himself from her, prompting Leonard to caution them about the unsafe circumstances, how this "wasn't the time nor the place," and their lingering suspicion as potential suspects.

Once back on his feet, Lola continued the charade, intertwining their fingers as they walked back toward the house.

"You are quite the woman," he whispered to her, a newfound calm in his voice. "You're also a bad actor. Who exactly are you?"

[visualspice]

Oh thank God he played along. She really didn't want to attempt to throw her mark under the carriage. That would make getting his information a lot more difficult. 

Somehow she ended up on his arm, but it was all a blur after the pair got untangled (or perhaps she just didn't want to recall that embarrassment. ) Either way, as the pair walked, she used a free hand to adjust her hair, dress and .. 

"Oh," she stopped suddenly.  "My shoes ." And moved to conveniently tug away from him do as to pretend not to hear his statement. 

[MorningStar]

"Ah, right you are," he responded, adjusting his weight in sync with her subtle movements. "I'll join you."

Aware of her intentions, he couldn't afford to let his guard down. There was something off about her that demanded his attention. He couldn't risk diverting his eyes from her, now entangled in a cover story of two young lovers surreptitiously navigating the estate.

[visualspice]

She wished she could just throw the damned shoes away.  They weren't exactly practical to walk about in, however, it was apart of the attire.. no, the whole set up.  She had to look and act the part.

And of course her 'rescuer' continued to latch on. She wasn't sure if that was intentional or not. She suppose d it fit for the image.

"You're too kind. I honestly feel almost naked walking around this place in my bare feet  "

Nevermind the fact she had just been climbing thw building that way.

Which brought up an interesting point...
He didn't outright throw her to the wolves.  Was that genuine or was there an ulterior motive here?