Aisling Wilde (showmeonce) wrote in emillion, |
If Aisling Wilde could find the damn guestbook, she’d have already been gone. Instead, she was flitting from guest to guest, dancing and trying to get information about the layout of the house because she sure as hell had never been here, instead of getting out of dodge and having a nice shot of whiskey - or five - before bed. She’d narrowed it down to the second floor, but for fucks sake, did Reinholdt need twenty fucking bedrooms?
Once she’d gotten all she could, she took off towards the entrance to wait for Miles. She nearly passed by Lea on her way through the crowd, but she caught sight of her just in time and immediately turned around, making her way towards the councilor. It was hard to miss Lea despite the masques; she’d spent so long emulating the other woman’s form that it wasn’t a challenge to pick her out of the crowd. Lea wouldn’t tell her where to go - not that Ash would ask, but maybe she’d at least get a hint out of it. Or a dance.
The thought of leading Lea around the floor cracked her up. “Hey.”
Azalea turned to the newcomer, and a smile bloomed on her face upon recognition. A hurried, courteous dismissal was given to present company before she said, “Hello, honey!” The delight in her tone was genuine. After all, as long as it was possible, Lea was genuine. It was too troublesome to suffuse in lies that which could be gilded by the truth. “How’s your evening been going?”
Ash grinned back. “It’d be better if you danced with me,” she teased. “I’ll even let you lead.” She held out her hand for Lea to accept, if she wanted to. There wasn’t much of a point talking on the sidelines considering how many of their guild was here, and the fact that nobles were notorious for eavesdropping and gossip. Any conversation would have to be had on the dance floor.
Besides, it had been ages since she’d danced with Lea in any way, and while she enjoyed watching, she much preferred to be partnered with her. Lea had a habit of making everything graceful, a trait that Aisling desperately wished she could emulate.
“Sure thing,” Lea accepted with a laugh, comfortably sliding into the lead’s pose. Dancing with Ash was always a pleasure; really, the woman was her own most stringent critic. The music picked up, and the pair began to sway into the beat. They were not a strange sight, if only a bit uncommon among the nobility, so nobody paid them any more heed than necessary.
As Ash had intended, it was the ideal circumstance for conversation.
“Now, how’s your evening really been going?”
It was easy to find the rhythm, and she let herself be lead. “Could be better,” she replied, rolling her eyes. That guest book was going to be the death of her. “The company is good, though.” And it was. Basil was entertaining enough, and she’d had plenty of partners to dance with - some of them good, even - and she had still managed to avoid Reinholdt, which was definitely a plus in her book.
Especially with that invitation for drinks still up in the air.
“What about you?” she asked, letting Lea move her into a spin. “Already find that book and signed it?” It was worth a try. Fortunately, Lea would know Ash wasn’t asking for its location, just asking a question.