AU for _deadlydance_, set immediately after "The Price"

[birthrightgreen]

She wasn't nervous. She had nothing to be nervous about. It wasn't like it was a romantic evening. They'd just worked so hard on the case, working to catch the rabid witch who'd been slaughtering innocent males. And they had, with Jaenelle's help. Now Jaenelle and Daemon were back on their honeymoon and she...

She was here in Amdarh, back how she had been, nursing the bruises Falonar had left. So, why, exactly was she changing her dress? The one she had on was perfectly acceptable. She was going out dancing with a friend. She could use a friend right now. What she couldn't use was a male thinking he was just going to sweep in and carry her off.

Not that he was probably thinking that, but she was suspicious.

He was a male, and years of seeing them abused by her own sex still hadn't made her trust them as a gender. Then again, she didn't trust most people.

With a growl at herself, she finally settled on a black dress with enough slink to impress and a enough swirl to make a statement on the dance floor, no matter how elegant and formal. Hair pinned half up, the rest left down. If people stared at her ears, so be it.

She was ready. It was going to be fun. She kept repeating that. Fun. With a friend.

Just a friend. He wasn't expecting anything. He wouldn't be that foolish.

She just wished she knew what he wanted.

Comments

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She lifted her chin, voice eerily calm, perfectly polite as she cut into the steak. "It's them or no one. I made an inadvertent choice when I came here. Allied myself with the Sa Diablos and locked myself into a world where they'll accept me to my face and talk about me behind my back. Or I can retire into seclusion and go mad with boredom."

She shrugged. "I prefer not to be bored. Everything has a price. I'm willing to pay it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

Rainier knew there was a calmer place to be. He could see it, he just had to reach far enough.

"They talk about everyone behind their back Surreal, not just you. Even after everything, too much of the Blood lifestyle has an idleness breed into it that allows for such pointless wastes of time."

Calm. He was almost there.

"There are good things here."

He reached out a hand, and once Rainier was fairly certain his fingers wouldn't get removed, he entended that compelling tilt of her chin, once more.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Her breath caught at the touch of his fingers. She resisted the urge to act as feral as she felt and bite him, then realized that wasn't really really what she wanted to do.

The urge underneath scared her more than the discussion.

"I know there are." It was more an admission than a snapping. "And I'm not ashamed of what I had to do to survive." She swallowed, hard. "But I'm more than that." That sounded hollow even to her ears, because maybe. Maybe she really wasn't.

Those urges underneath seemed to support that.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

Rainier allowed himself the merest moment of indulgence his faingers brushing the soft skin there before pulling his hand back, determined tilt still in place.

"Believe me Surreal, no one could see you -- and that means you have to let them see you." Because he sensed she often didn't. "And ever doubt that are aren't 'more than that.'"

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"They have to want to see," she said quietly. So far, he was the first one outside of family who'd tried.

And she wasn't sure what he saw. What he wanted. What...

She took a bite of her steak, trying to find her balance again.

"May I have another glass of wine, please?"

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"I know."

Rainier summoned the wine, this time in a new glass. Made from cut crystal it was strong, not delicate. But he liked looking at it.

And it was his silent apology.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"Thank you," she said, still very quiet, accpeting the wine and the apology. She took a sip of the wine, welcoming its warmth, then had to put it down when her hands didn't seem to want to stop trembling.

She'd been in terrifying situations and faced them better than she was this, she thought with an inner scowl.

"Are there any good plays running soon? Have you read any reviews?" She looked back up at him with a slight smile on her lips.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

Rainier nodded, and forced himself to momentarily focus on his own food. He welcomed her offer of conversation.

"Actualy, there is a playwrights festival starting soon, so there wil be plenty of variety to choose from. I believe the bill I recieved mentioned a historical piece, a romance, and a farce."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She smiled, cutting another piece of her steak. "A festival sounds amusing. I've found they have even more of an excited energy than usual."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

Rainer nodded, easing back into his chair.

"The playwrights are generally excited, and that enrgy feeds the players, and in turn the audience. I believe it is actually to last an entire week?"

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"Will there be a different play each night, or only the ones you mentioned?" She leaned back as well, sipping at her wine.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"A different play each of the first six nights, with an encore of the winning play the following evening. Most of the pieces utilize the same house actors throughout. I'm sure it is a lot to learn, but the seem to enjoy it. I've never been dissapointed."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"It sounds like a lot of fun," she said with a delighted smile.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

He smiled warmly.

"I will send the schedule over to your home, and whichever nights you would like to attend, I would be pleased to escort you."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She fiddled with her wine glass. "Even if I wanted to go every night?"

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

Especially.

"Even if you want to go every night."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"You might get sick of me rather quicker than that." Especially if she kept snarling at him when he was trying to be nice.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

Something in his eyes warmed slightly, and Rainier tilted his glass slightly towards Surreal.

"I assure you, I will not grow tired of the Lady's company."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Her smile was a touch rueful. "All right."

Time would tell.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

His own smile was a touch encouraging.

"All right."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She flushed a little, nodded.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

There was a look of concern.

"Is something wrong with your dinner?"

Because if so, he intended to fix it.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She glanced up, meeting his eyes with a slow smile.

"Nothing's wrong with my dinner."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

He managed to keep is voice fairly firm.

"Good."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"It is." Her smile was warm, before she dropped her gaze back to her wine.