This was easier than he had expected, they were in, just like that.

Lucien practiced what Aria and Selan had taught him as he sauntered down the hall. He swung a bony hip to the left then right. Left, right, left, right, hey! He was actually getting the hang of this--not! He looked like a tipsy lady, ready to fall flat on her behind. It wasn't exactly a pretty sight.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Xan narrowed her eyes and tugged rather harshly on Lucien's sleeve.

He attempted a shrill yelp only to have Xan stare at him with an exasperated expression. "What am I doing? Being gorgeous, of course." He chirped before trying to imitate one of Aria's flirtatious winks. Well, at least he managed to get the wink done right. The summoner trailed after the others, but Xan decided to stay behind him so she could smack him if he did anything unpredictable. This plan was ridiculous...but it was working. Xan had to admit, Selan was a makeup guru.

Eventually they got in, past the guards and the weird devices. The pride were sent into a pristine conference room where they awaited Miss Lady Vasco.

The atmosphere was tense, but Lucien looked like he was having fun.

"What kind of questions do you think we'll be asked...?" Selan questioned.

Xan shrugged. "The basics perhaps? Name, age, address. Availability, working hours, and salary?" Her eyes flitted from Marcy to Diane to Lucy and finally to Thunderhawk. The first two made very convincing ladies...it was frightening, really. Perhaps this could work. Xan crossed her fingers then glanced at Aria rather nervously. If they found out, it would be game over, and they'd be thrown out of Los Paraisos for sure.

“Wake up, Bart.”

Los Paraisos: The Grande Diamond: ???

The sensation of something hot landing on his lap shocked the sleeping man, lying back in his seat to a fully alert screech, his hands reaching down to the piping hot food resting in his lap and gingerly trying to lift it up. As he did, the magazine that had been resting over his face to shield his eyes from the overhead lights fluttered to the ground.



“Damnit, what the hell, I was catching some good z’s there!” Bartholomew “Bart” Rant moaned, placing the carton of steaming noodles and chopsticks on the desk in front of him, dusting down his lap and checking his suit for any errant spillage of sauces.

His companion bent down to the floor, reaching to pick the magazine up.

“Now now, how many times do I have to tell you?” The other man sighed. “We’re on a job. That means being awake and doing what we need to do.”

“But it’s so fucking boring!” Bart grumbled loudly again. His eyes flicked to the embankment of monitors in front of him, the dim glow of monochrome images lighting up his face. Over two dozen monitors were piled atop of one another imbedded in the wall before him, with each one showing a view of The Grande Diamond mansion from somewhere inside. Images of the nobles partying below, images of black clad security guards standing rigidly throughout the building, and other, various important rooms… “You know me,” Bart continued. “Unless we’re actually doing something, then I don’t fucking care. I can’t sit around watching this shit all day. This isn’t what I got a reputation for. When do we get back to pulling off some real jobs?”

“This is a real job. Not everything needs to involve assassination or explosions…” The man shook his head. He tilted the magazine to its side, holding it out as the pages unfurled to reveal a large pinup. “You should consider yourself quite lucky. Not everyday we get to be paid this well, and to kick back and hang out at Los Paraisos for doing little work. Plus…” He tilted his head to the mechanical console, and the object atop. “You’ve got noodles.”

“Whatever… give me my magazine back.” Bart stretched his hand out behind his back, flicking his fingers in a ‘gimme’ gesture. The other man casually threw it to him.

“You’re never going to win Heather around if she sees you carrying stuff like that.”

“Eh, whatever.” Bart shrugged, unfurling the magazine out to ogle another glossy spread with one hand, the other reaching for his chopsticks and the delicious food inside. “Where are the girls, anyway?”

“Out and about. Patrolling the estate and keeping an eye on trouble. As so should you,” The man’s index and middle fingers pointed at his eyes, and then the monitors.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever…” Bart slurped up his noodles. “And what the hell are you off to do?”

“My job.” The man strode towards the security room’s exit, straightening his suit’s tie. “Escorting the man to the boss.”

---

Los Paraisos: The Grande Diamond: ??? [2]

“Where… where am I…?

What’s… what’s going on…?”

“Hey! Fucker! Get me the fuck out of here right now you smelly piece of shit!”

“Jo… Josette?”

“Estelle?!”




Although her thoughts drifted back to consciousness, her vision remained swamped in a murky sea of darkness. Her sense of hearing and smell returned with their regular acuteness, but it was impossible for her to see anything. And in quick succession she was able to realise that her freedom of movement was restricted as well. Both her arms behind her back and feet were bound by their wrists and ankles, and what masked her eyes was a blindfold. It didn’t take long for her, even with the piercing headache that engulfed her brain and continued to achingly throb over and over with pause, to connect all the dots to what was going on to finally realise what had happened.

She… and Josette… they had been…!

“Josette, are you alright?!” Estelle’s head turned sharply in both directions, trying to find any ability to pry herself loose and search for where Josette was in relation, neither coming to much success.

“Alright?! No I’m not al-fucking-right! Some fucking joker’s kidnapped us! Wait until I get my fucking legs free, I’ll punt that piece of shit into the sun!!”

“Boss… what do you want us to do?” Asked a broad, muscular man with a dopey smile who scratched his cheek. He, and four other men all standing within a large room, around a big Magitech truck which housed five bound and blindfolded young women in its back, all turned to look at the sixth man who stood with presence, his hands resting on his hips and a confident smile sketched on his face. Clad in an outfit of dark greys and black, his ensemble held a blue cloak to match the cold eyes resting on his smiling, freckled face. A face smiling at a night’s worth of work well done, and the knowledge that this particular job was nearing completion.

“Gag her.” The messy haired man replied. “Just be sure not to hurt her. I don’t want any scratches or bruises.”

“You really think Lord Dumont’s going to want a girl like her?” One of the man’s underlings asked with hesitation.

He shrugged his shoulders and laughed. “In my experience I’ve found the loudest ones are normally the most fun to break.”

“B-boss! Look!”

Sidestepping into a turn, the freckled man focused his ice blue eyes on the edge of the room, as with a ‘ding!’ two metal doors slid into their respective walls and out emerged a well tailored, suited man blonde man stepping out, his fingers flicking at a lighter to ignite the cigarette hanging in his lips.

“Neil Hunter?” The suited man asked.



“That’s me.” The freckled man grinned.

“C’mon with me,” The messy blonde haired man shook his head to the elevator he had come from. “We’ll go to the boss.”

“You don’t want to check the women first?” The enigmatic kidnapper, Neil Hunter asked with surprise, but the blonde man simply shook his head from side to side.

“Nope, not my job, and none of my interest. I’m only working security.” The blonde man explained. “I think a Lady Vasco will be checking them out, but she’s running a bit late with something else first. Your men are trustworthy enough to stay here without you?”

“Yeah, they are. They know what’s good for them.” Neil lifted his head and grinned a toothy smile, flaring an icy cold stare at his men. They all grew more rigid. “You know what to do, boys. Keep your eyes on, and hands off, the merchandise.”

“HEY! YOU STUPID FUCKS! GET ME OUT OF THIS GODDAMN FUCKING SHIT FUCK ALREADY OR I’M GOING TO-”

“And someone gag her already,” Neil sighed, walking into the elevator as the doors closed behind him. The blonde flashed a wry smile.

“Feisty, huh?” He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and pushing one up in Neil Hunter’s direction. “Want a smoke?”

Los Paraisos: The Grande Diamond - Conference Room
And so the group waited. While it wasn't a particularly long time it was a painfully awkward affair, with very few being willing to say anything. Was it nerves?

It wasn't the security guard's place to judge. Instead, he discreetly put his hand to his ear as his communicator buzzed to life. With a brief murmur in response he unlocked the door again with a subdued -click-, before pulling and holding the door open. The group could hear the sound of heels clicking briskly against the marble floor outside.

And finally, their interviewer had arrived.

"Lady Vasco," he bowed.

"Ah, you're ever so good to me, Peter. So, is this our group?"

A beautiful woman stepped through the threshold, regarding each of them carefully. She was slightly tall and slender, exaggerated somewhat by her rediculously tall heels. Her dress was a tapering affair, short at the front exposing most of her long legs, while it trailed along the floor at it's longest point at the back. She tossed her dark hair over her shoulder, her glossed lips pouting slightly.

"Well, this is certainly a mixed bag." She made no effort to hide her words, her light, pleasant voice taking on a slightly harsh edge. She then seemed to catch herself and gave a deep bow. "My deepest apologies for keeping you waiting, you took us all by suprise. My name is Iliana Vasco. You may call me Miss Vasco, or Lady Vasco."



She stepped forward until she was at the end of the table, allowing the guard to close and lock the door once more. While some of this group were smiling effortlessly, some of them looked a little more strained. She laughed a little, her laugh higher-pitched and musical. "Now, there is no need to look so nervous. You've all been to an interview before, yes? Although I must say I'm curious as to where you all heard we were hiring. We only publicly announced as such this morning..." she trailed off, although she looked expectantly towards the group for an answer.

She started to walk around the table, her fingers trailing across the backs of their seats as she went. Her fingernails were a bit short compared to how she otherwise presented herself, although they were immaculately painted none-the-less. Her eyes flicked from one to the other - from the gorgeous curvacious jet-haired woman, to the beautiful blonde with the delicate features, to the other beautiful blonde, the slender dark haired girl and the dark blue, curly haired woman...

Right down to the final blonde and dark haired girl. There was something slightly off about the former - although thanks to Selan's remarkable work she couldn't really place what it was right now. And the latter...

"You're rather plain," Iliana once more made no effort to lower her voice, coming to a stop by Xan and pulling her face towards her. Her gaze seemed to almost pierce through the metallurgist. "Very good facial structure though. We can work with that."

She released her grip and continued to walk, before coming to a stop by the chair at the end of the table. She sat down, swinging her legs rather theatrically across one another.

"As we don't have an appointment, let's keep things short. You all know what this job involves, yes? Our customers must be kept happy at all times, and it will be your jobs to ensure that happens. You must cater to their every whim, no matter how great or small. You will be the faces of The Grande Diamond, if you will. But of course you know this, you wouldn't be here otherwise, would you?" She laid out a sheet of paper in front of her, and readied a pen. Her eyes, however, remained fixed on the group. "So the basics for now. One at a time, I want you to walk the length of this room. As you do so I want your names, ages, and why you are applying for the job. Understand?"

Los Paraisos: The Grande Diamond - Conference Room

He was sitting very still, one ankle hooked behind the other to achieve a demure feminine pose without needing to cross his legs. There was only so much he could physically manage to do. Holding his hands down in his lap, he waiting quietly until Lady Vasco arrived, too nervous to speak. What if his voice cracked? What if he gave up the game and ruined it for everyone? No, silence was better.

Soon enough Lady Vasco appeared, the disdain evident in her voice before she schooled herself. Apparently the disguises weren’t that great. He could feel a bead of sweat growing at the nape of his neck - damn this wig was hot! - and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Staring down at his hands, he waited for her to pick him out of the line up.

"You're rather plain," Iliana once more made no effort to lower her voice. "Very good facial structure though. We can work with that."

Dylan peeked to the side, almost sure that it was Thunderhawk. But no, it was Xan. He huffed at the comment. Sure she’d didn’t have the same glamour as Selan or Aria did, but she was a stunning woman none the less, albeit in a more austere way. Lady Vasco released the metallurgist, returning to the head of the table and giving her little speech. Aislin, she was pompous.

"So the basics for now. One at a time, I want you to walk the length of this room. As you do so I want your names, ages, and why you are applying for the job. Understand?"

Dylan slowly got to his feet, handing his wobblyness by placing one hand to the table to brace himself. “Well, might as well get it done,” he said softly as he stepped back from the table, taking great care to control his voice. He remembered his sister’s way of speaking, the light tone to her voice, the higher pitch that was surprisingly easy for him to copy. 


He took great pains to follow Selan’s teachings as he crossed the room, keeping his steps light, short, and firm. “My name is Diane, I am 21, and I want this job because,” he turned back around, glancing up at Lady Vasco from under his bangs, “I am very good at knowing what men what. Sometimes before they even realize it themselves.”

With a spring in his step, he returned to his seat and the same, demure position he had before.



Los Paraisos: The Grande Diamond: ???

“Do not slurp,” Heather said as she entered the room, slipping past her coworker on his way out. Not giving Bart any other kind of acknowledgement, she took the now empty seat next to him and turned to the monitor that displayed the Conference Room. Having women show up to interview for this job wasn’t strange, but having them appear so quickly and in such a large group without an appointment? That was weird.

She eyed the group critically, the angles allowing her to inspect them as Lady Vasco entered the room. It was a strange mix. Though the video quality wasn’t exceptional, she could still easily tell that some of the women were far more stunning that the others. Was that their game? Coming with prettier friends and hoping to get tossed a bone? Seemed like a poor idea to her mind as it only stressed their inadequacies.

Perhaps it was nothing, but Heather O’Roark was nothing if not thorough. And there would be no shenanigans pulled on her watch.

Leaning back in her chair, she switched the audio to play from the Conference Room. “Bart, grab me a tea. A green tea,” she commanded as she turned her attention on the scene playing out before her.

Los Paraisos : the Grande Diamond

So this was what it was like in a high class establishment. Aria looked around in wonder at the tall ceiling, gold and ivory décor and the sparkling fountain that let out a burst of water high enough to almost reach the top floor as they were led to the waiting room. She gave a short scan of their group as the passed through a short hallway monitored by the security cameras. Makeup was fine, wigs were pinned firmly in place and- what was Lucien doing?

She bit back a laugh as he strutted down the hall, hips swaying exaggeratedly before being stopped by a very exasperated Xan. He certainly wasn’t one to feel pressure, was he?

The spacious conference room was decorated in a more conservative yet still very tasteful manner. As the guilder sat down and waited for ‘Miss Lady Vasco’ to arrive, a nervous silence descended upon the group before Selan piped up.

"What kind of questions do you think we'll be asked...?"

"The basics perhaps? Name, age, address. Availability, working hours, and salary?"

Aria gave a confident smile at Xan in response to the nervous glance she received. They’ll be fine, she was sure, but crossed her fingers as well.

Soon enough their interviewer had arrived. She had an air of authority around her that made the illusionist slightly more nervous about the whole deal. The woman obviously knew her stuff- fooling her was going to take quite a bit of effort. Still, Aria maintained a steady and polite smile on her face as Miss Vasco scanned the room, gaze piercing each of them by turn.

"You're rather plain, very good facial structure though. We can work with that." Aria gave a small huff at the lady’s assessment of her friend. Sure it was her job to pick out the best women to serve their establishment, but that was a rather unnecessary remark.

Eventually she sat down and having outlined the job, started the interview.

“"So the basics for now. One at a time, I want you to walk the length of this room. As you do so I want your names, ages, and why you are applying for the job. Understand?"”

Dylan went first, doing a very good job in disguising his voice as he walked the length of the room as instructed before returning to his seat. She was next and she stood up, giving the woman small bow of the head in greeting before giving a confident saunter as instructed, making sure to sway her hips just the right amount.

“I’m Aria, age 20. I want this job because I feel it’s well tailored to my competencies, Miss Vasco.” Her tone was warm but polite. “I’m very good with handling customers and picking up on body language, so I would be very well suited to a job here.” She gave another nod before sitting back down. So far so good.

Los Paraisos: The Grande Diamond

Selan pursed her lips into a thin line as Lady Vasco examined each of them. Out of everyone, she singled Xan out as being "plain"? Very odd, but it was good for them, in a sense; she apparently had yet to notice anything off about her prospective employees. The woman had an unnerving intensity that didn't assuage Selan's concerns, but she carried on, giving them a simple task to complete. Dylan and Aria were the first to go, and they appeared to do well enough for Lady Vasco to look expectantly for the next girl. Selan briefly flicked her eyes toward the paper that the woman was quickly jotting down notes on, unable to read anything from where she was sitting. She wondered what would be written about her.

The little "interview" was by far the least of her worries, and following the others, she too rose from her seat and strode across the room in one smooth, brisk movement, her high heels clicking on the floor. "Lady Vasco, my name is Selan, and I am 22. I am applying because I think I would be a fitting face for The Grande Diamond. I am also very talented in the art of song and dance, if that would please the customers." Selan was noticeably playing up her accent, trying her best to display her appeal as an exotic, foreign beauty.

She returned to her seat and smiled, waiting for her fellow ladies to finish their introductions. On the inside, she was dreading the moment of Thunderhawk's turn.

They sat in tense silence for what felt like hours, before finally, Lady Vasco arrived.

She strode towards them with an air of authority and experience and the atmosphere grew heavy. Lucien remained seated with his hands on his lap and a smile on his face while Xan sat stiff. It was now or never and if they were found out, they'd lose the best bet they had at finding Estelle, Josette, and the other missing women. Funny, how Lucien was a lot calmer than her. He was the one in a dress, but he looked amused and rather excited about the whole ordeal.

Lady Vasco eyes flitted from person to person before she pulled Xan's face towards her. Beneath the blank expression she was trying to maintain, Xan was a bundle of nerves because the stakes were high and failure was not an option, so when Lady Vasco pulled her close, she assumed that they had been found out and froze.

"You're rather plain. Very good facial structure though. We can work with that."

She moved on and Xan held back a relieved sigh. She eased herself onto the couch, took a deep breath, and allowed herself to relax. Perhaps they were really in the clear, Lady Vasco seemed rather content and she wasn't calling the security yet. That was definitely a good sign, right?

Lady Vasco told them to walk towards the center of the room and give her the basics. She watched as Dylan went first and introduced himself as Diane. He did a great job, and Lady Vasco didn't notice a thing. Aria followed after him and spoke both calmly and politely, and after her came Selan who seemed to go through the procedure effortlessly. Lucien gave Dylan a quick, encouraging tap on the shoulder when he returned. The summoner wanted to give both Aria and Selan a thumbs up, but decided to sit still.

When Selan returned to her place on the couch, Lucien got to his feet and strode towards the center of the room, hips swaying. He stopped, then turned to look at Lady Vasco and his friends with a cheerful smile. "I'm Lucy, also 20." He said in a voice he tried his darnedest to keep high but not too high. "I'd like to apply, because who doesn't want a little excitement in their lives?" He tried to giggle. "Besides, I'm eager to please anyone~." he finished with what was supposed to be a purr before he made his way back to his spot on the couch.

Xan felt tense, most missions she could think her way through but this one needed her to act. Gods help her, for a few moments she was stuck in her thoughts, then it finally hit her. She had been working with Aria for more than a year, so what if she tried to imitate her friend? It couldn't be that difficult, right? It would be like practicing a new a battle tactic. Yes...yes, just like that. The girl got to her feet and took calm and hopefully graceful steps towards the center of the room. She gave a smile, "I'm Xandra, and am 19. I want this job because I figured it would be time for something new and exciting." She pictured Aria smiling coyly and did her best imitation. "I try to keep people happy and content and...I always follow orders." She added a pinch of mischief into the last line, her smile turning playful. The girl finished up with a slight bow then made her way back to the couch. This was going to be a very long process for all of them.

A passerby waltzed on slowly towards the conference room, hands up and pressed against the back of her head as she whistled to the beat of the lively music playing. Like the women of the Pride, she too wore a beautiful dress, a suit dress that cut off at her thighs and lacked a jacket. It was zipped to the top when she arrived, though the zipper trailed down to her abdomen by the time she reached just outside the Pride's room. Her tie was lost somewhere in her cleavage.



To her, the room initially looked like any other throughout the building. Door shut, people dispersed along inside. As if she were window shopping, the dark-skinned white-haired woman glanced fleetingly at each window she passed by during her saunter on the ground floor. She did not pause at or ponder what patrons were doing or discussing, or whatever else may have gone on in those rooms - but this one... this one caught her eyes.

Her whistles ceased and her hands dropped as she passed by the conference room's long window, before she backtracked to the door to hide herself from view. Then she peeked forward again, pressing her pointy nose against the glass. A sea of women were scattered along the leather seats inside, with some of them rising and strutting to the other end of the room. Those seated faced a single direction with a table perched before them, and a single noble lady sitting on the opposite end, pen and paper in hand.

Mordie giggled. "An interview?" she whispered to herself, bringing a hand to her pink lips. Though only one eye peeked into view from behind the glass, it was enough for her to see the backs of everyone. What a sea of personalities! She paid close attention to their postures and the way their hair was kept, though she backed out of view every time a lovely lady returned to her seat.

They had them all - dainty, lively, confident, seductive, playful, fluffy. Oh, the booming lovehandles the blondie to the end had - why, Mordie herself could feel some jealousy retching inside her just looking at her backside. Beautiful. She curled her lips impishly, hoping to see how big-and-beautiful shook her hips when she walked.

Los Paraisos: The Grande Diamond: ???

“Well well, if it isn’t my favourite girl Heather,” Bart leaned back in his chair, propping his feet back on top of the embankment of controls for the monitors, casually looking through his magazine as the other rolled up more and more of his noodles with his chopsticks.

Heather O’Roark. Diligent, dutiful and reliable, if but to a fault, she single mindingly focus on the job first, and fun last. That was something Bart could get behind, compared to his other companions who enjoyed wiling away their time on pointless frivolities, although Heather was simply a tad too high strung. She needed to loosen up more, as if cracking a smile would kill her, although it certainly helped maintain their group’s reputation with all the work she would do to make up for Bart’s own lack of. Either way, Bart had made himself a promise an eternity ago that he would be the one to force a smile to crack on her lips... somehow.

“Mistress wants a green tea?” Bart replied, returning his eyes to his magazine and picturing Heather’s head atop the many lovely portraits inside. His chair swung just so that he, and the magazine, were out of his partner’s view. “Sure, I can get you a green tea, if you give me a back and foot massage.”

---

Los Paraisos: The Grande Diamond: Ground Floor: Conference Room

He felt his entire body tense up the moment she entered the room. He knew that the ease in which they originally got into the building would be a small feint for much harder trials within, but he hadn’t expected to have his disguise and mannerisms scrutinised by a woman like this quite so early. And a woman like Lady Vasco… Thunderhawk knew all too well. The kind of women he would have his eyes locked on to the moment he’d seen them. The type that commanded attention whilst subtly glancing over and taking notice of a hundred different details about you. The type that looked down on you. The type that was just like her.

He watched Selan pace up and down the conference room, following Dylan and Aria, and with Lucien and Xandra following. He took note of the way in which they swaggered, their hips rocking from side to side, and their chest bounced up and down, along with that sultry turn and wink back to their interviewer in an attempt to charm and gain her approval. He took great care and attention to observe all of this, with the hope that he could somehow, magically replicate it so as to not have their ruse busted from the outset. And he promised, that was the only reason he ogled his partners so intensely.

‘Huh, Aria and Selan really do have it going on… shame about their personalities, though.’ Thunderhawk mused to himself. ‘Even Xandra’s more woman then I thought she was. Was she acting like Aria just then? Is… is that what I should do? Try to impersonate Aria and Selan…? Can I? Can I- oh shit, it’s my turn now isn’t it?!’



Thunderhawk was snapped out of his reverie once he realised that after Marcus finished his walk, it would be his turn, and the spotlight was centered squarely on him. He… he wasn’t ready. He couldn’t be ready. How in the world could he have thought he’d be able to masquerade as a woman?!

“The reason why I’d like to work here, at the Grande Diamond, is that there’s no finer establishment on the entire island… if not the entire world.” Marcus explained, with his uncannily on pitch feminine voice and delicately subtle mannerisms. It was frightening how good he was. “If one is to work, should it not be at the best?”

He slowly turned, gracefully stepping foot over foot back to his seat, leaving all eyes on attention resting firmly on Thunderhawk. This… this was the moment of truth. He gulped, and rose from his seat. It was forntunate indeed that Aria had recommended the long dress – not to mask the hairiness of his legs but to obscure the shaking of his knees.

‘Deep breath, Hawk, deep breath. You can do this. You’re a C… well, D Rank Guilder. And a bit of subterfuge is nothing for a D Rank Guilder.’

His chest fell as he exhaled, and his eyes flicked open with a spark of unbridled determination. He started to walk forwards, from one end of the table to the other, doing his best to follow in the footsteps of his allies and show ‘the goods’ for Lady Vasco to be able to see quite clearly. And then, centring himself as he did, he spoke.

And by the gods, it wasn’t actually terrible.

“My name is Henrietta, age 23. As for the reason I am applying for this job, well…”

His mind suddenly stopped, coming to a blank on what to say next. He needed something. Something good. Something convincing, that would help not only keep any suspicion away, but to make sure it couldn’t have a chance of igniting in the first place. He thought back over his partners’ various reasons. He could copy one of theirs, wording it slightly different, and the result would be perfectly okay, wouldn’t it? But then it also risked the chance of sounding… well, boring. And knowing the type of woman Lady Vasco was like Thunderhawk did, they couldn’t stomach boredom. Their time was precious. Far too precious to be witnessing the same thing over and over. They had to see something different and interesting. Something that left an impression.

Instead of appealing to her as a simple job interviewer…

Thunderhawk decided to try honesty and respect (of a sorts). Instead of trying to charm and butter her up with politeness as the others had, he would appeal to her more personally and truthfully (...well, again, of a sorts).

“The money. I’ve heard the job pays well. I'm quite willing to do anything for good money.” He winked.

Los Paraisos: The Grande Diamond - Conference Room
Urgh.

Iliana rested her chin delicately on one hand, her other busily writing away in shorthand. She wasn't looking at what she was writing of course - no, she might miss something important. But she was very well practiced indeed.

So here they were, all doing the usual of spinning the question around to try and make themselves look better. Nothing she hadn't heard before, but she wasn't really asking what they were good at. Pah.

That was at least until the final two. Marcy's answer was probably the best she had heard so far - why yes, The Grande Diamond was the best. Of course it was. Even then, her answer was another of those she had heard countless times before. But the second...

“The money. I’ve heard the job pays well. I'm quite willing to do anything for good money.” Followed by quite a terrible wink.

At first, Iliana's stoic expression darkened, her pupils contracting with annoyance. Then, however...

She covered her mouth with her hand, giving out a small chuckle. She briefly wondered if this woman was taking it seriously, although the expression confirmed to her that yes, she was.

She clapped her hands together. The woman may be a little unfortunate with her thick waist and stocky frame, but she certainly liked the cut of her jib. "Now that is more like it, Henrietta dear. I don't want to hear what you think I want to hear, I want to hear honest answers. Even if you did lie about your age," she locked her eyes with Thunderhawk's. "I can tell, darling, even with all the makeup you've... plastered on. I'd say you're more 25, am I right? And yes you're right, we pay exceptionally well."

She interlocked her fingers under her chin, once more scrutinising them all. She had already picked out those she liked the most. And even among the others, her initial ranking had changed. However, she made no move to give anything away at all.

Gentle Diane, perhaps a bit nervous, every movement deliberate. Lively Aria, polite and full of confidence. Stunning Selan, an absolute gem of a beauty with a somewhat mysterious air about her. Playful Lucy - to be honest she could think of a few clients who would enjoy her company. The suprisingly saucy Xandra - the prosthetic arm she noticed during her walk was a little disconcerting, but she could think of a client or two for her too. Delicate Marcy, another absolute beauty and full of feminine charm. And Henrietta. Oh, Henrietta. She liked her already. The odd duck of the group. However...

"Now, my turn for honesty. Right now, not all of you seem suitable for the job. You will need to change my mind. I want actions and demonstrations, not words and empty promises. I want proactive people with initiative."

"I want you all to show me what you can do, not just tell me."

She locked her eyes with Selan in particular. Truth be told, she now recognised the songstress as the media's current darling, a woman who had apparently wooed the entire resort with a preformance with some man at La Macabaret. It would certainly be a good thing to take advantage of her 15 minutes of fame, especially with her beauty. But she didn't get to where she was by believing everything she was told. If she got a coin for every time some hack told her about their talent in something! She wanted to see this for herself.

"I want you all to show me you want this job, yes? Give me an example of your skills."

She put her pen back to the paper, looking back up to them all expectantly.

Los Paraisos: The Grande Diamond - Conference Room

Dylan watched as the other’s presented themselves much in the same manner that he had, and he was quite impressed by their performances. There was nothing that would give them away. Still, it seemed that the first stage of the interview had not sold Lady Vasco on them.

"Now, my turn for honesty. Right now, not all of you seem suitable for the job. You will need to change my mind. I want actions and demonstrations, not words and empty promises. I want proactive people with initiative. I want you all to show me what you can do, not just tell me."

Demonstrations? Actions? What did she want them to do? He didn’t really have an idea of what the jobs were, exactly. Were they supposed to be waitress? Hostess? Companions of some sort. Besides, how on Ddear where they supposed to prove any of their skills with the test she had just asked for? All she wanted was to see them walk.

"I want you all to show me you want this job, yes? Give me an example of your skills."

“Well,” Dylan began, ensuring that he kept the bite of out his voice. He was only mostly successful, “if I’m to show off my talents then I will need my materials.” Reaching into the bag that he had slipped over his shoulder during his make-over - really these things were so useful! Why didn’t men carry them? - he pulled out his slate and chalk.

“I have found that many people are charmed by art, especially if you create something that the person values. Sometimes even that doesn’t matter, as they just wish to show off their knowledge and thus any old drawing will do.” He sketched as he talked, quickly drawing a stunning reproduction of Lady Vasco. He was limited by his medium, unable to do much fine shading or line-work, but the likeness flowing from his fingers was unmistakable. “But sometimes you can tell from a simple conversation what he will want to see the most. And often it will be something to flatter his vanity.”

Finished with his work, he placed his slate down on the table, edging it towards Lady Vasco. “I am quite skilled with other mediums as well.”



Los Paraisos: The Grande Diamond: ???

“Mistress wants a green tea?” Bart replied. “Sure, I can get you a green tea, if you give me a back and foot massage.”

Heather rolled her eyes. “Of course,” she said without turning away from the screen, “but I was just thinking that you could, for once, do something useful. You see, here I am monitoring an unusual situation. You never know what such a strange group could be up to. But you, Bart, are simply eating and staring at tits. So yes, you can get me a green tea because at least then you would help me do my job since you are so incompetent at your own.”

The group was now past the first stage of the interview, and Heather could see that they had yet to impress Lady Vasco. Perhaps they would finish up and depart with no trouble at all. But Heather had a bad feeling, and she would keep a sharp eye on the group until she was sure.

Even if that meant she had to stay in the room with Bart.

Los Paraisos : the Grande Diamond

"Now, my turn for honesty. Right now, not all of you seem suitable for the job. You will need to change my mind. I want actions and demonstrations, not words and empty promises. I want proactive people with initiative. I want you all to show me you want this job, yes? Give me an example of your skills."

Ah. So there was more after all.

Aria had been rather confused by the brevity and simplicity of the first part of the interview as to how a simple walk supposed to showcase them, but now they were supposed to show off their skills. Now what should she do?

While Dylan started on his quick sketch on the board, a slew of thoughts ran through her head. What talent could she showcase? Her violin was tucked securely back in her hotel room, not to mention she’d probably clash with Selan who she assumed would be singing judging by the performance she had seen earlier. She didn’t particularly want to do any illusions as a showcase either, as it would potentially raise a few questions and might end up exposing them. Her eyes flitted around the room before landing on a few packs of cards sitting conveniently on a coffee table nearby, presumably for private games for high end patrons or something like that.

After Dylan showcased his stunning chalk portrait of their interviewer, it was her turn once again.

“Would it be alright if I borrowed a pack of cards, miss Vasco?”

After she was given the go-ahead, she sat down with a pack of broken-in cards with a smile. She would have to write to thank her mom sometime after this mission.

“I ‘m quite dexterous, miss Vasco. Nimble with my fingers and quick to adapt.” She started out with a few simple cuts, before warming up into some more complicated one-handed cuts, soon shifting into freestyle shuffling to the point where the cards were splaying into all kinds of fans and almost flying through the air but ultimately landing into a neat pile in front of her. She picked up a card from the top of the pile, a seven of spades, before giving it a quick flick and putting it back onto the table where the single red decorated heart lay shone up on the glossy card. “Potentially able to fool the eyes and able to let people see what they wish to see.”

With another flip the card was back in the pile that was reshuffled and placed neatly back within the box.

Los Paraisos: The Grande Diamond

Selan noted the way that Lady Vasco stared at her, and it occurred to her that Aria's illusion had apparently worn off at some point. She wasn't sure if she had made an incredibly thoughtless mistake or a very lucky one -- Selan's name and face were prominently featured in the morning paper, and she was immediately thankful that she hadn't lied about her name. If the woman didn't recognize her already, she most likely would by the end of the day.

Dylan was the first to display a talent for Lady Vasco, and he chose to showcase his artistic skill, wisely neglecting to explain his hidden ability. It was probably good that one of the men went first, as hesitation might arouse some suspicion. Aria then displayed her impressive dexterity with a deck of cards, prompting Selan to wonder if she had ever worked inside a casino before. Illusionists would have to be a valuable asset to gambling establishments, right? Instead of being the ones scamming them, they'd be preventing too many people from winning...

When finished, Aria pushed the deck of cards back across the table, and Selan decided that she would take her turn next.

"I'll keep it short," Selan assured Lady Vasco as she strolled toward the far end of the room.

The songstress immediately began a confident, sultry song and dance number, a stark contrast to the demeanor she typically displayed in the company of her friends. She turned up her sex appeal without compromising her usual sereneness and tastefulness, but even still she seemed like a different person. There was very little that ignited Selan's passion like getting lost in a performance, and it definitely showed.

As promised, she kept it down to just over a minute before it was over and done with and she returned to her seat. She thought it went rather well, but there was no telling what Lady Vasco might think.

It wasn't over, there was still a long way to go.

Now they wouldn't just speak, they would need to show Lady Vasco what they could do. Lucien's eyebrows furrowed in concentration for a moment before he brightened up. Oh, oh, he knew what he was going to do. He'd do some stand up comedy, imitate a few animals and get some laughs. Who didn't love a good laugh? That was definitely what he'd do. The summoner sat still and watched as Dylan went first. His drawings were always amazing and, so he was sure to stun Lady Vasco. He cheered inside his head for his friend and watched as the matter artist began creating a skillful piece of art.

Aria was up next, doing a tricky and amazing card trick. He watched as the seven of spades turned into a heart and wondered how she had done it. It was a nifty trick, and maybe he'd ask her about it when this was all over. Xan stared at the card trick with a smile, though she worried about what she would do. She couldn't sing or dance...maybe she should have waited outside. She had followed them in to try and help, but now she was more of a problem, in her opinion. The girl's eyes flitted across the room as she wondered what on earth she would do. Eventually, her eyes landed on a few steel plates and metal pipe, perfect.

"I'll keep it short," the girl was snapped out of her thoughts when Selan strode towards the far end of the room.

The songstress delivered a beautiful melody complete with a mesmerizing dance. It was no wonder Selan had gained a fanclub over night, she was great at what she did and knew how to keep a crowd's attention. The danced was over quickly, but Lucien wished it could have lasted a little longer. Lucien clapped before snapping out of the daze his friend's dance had caused. "Oh my, sorry." He stated before taking a few steps away from the couch.

"Soooo, I know this guy who got hit in the head with a soda can. Lucky for him it was a soft drink." He looked cheerful, despite how horrible his joke was. He began telling a few more and laughed at his own jokes. When he ended he gave his audience a smile. "I'm also very good with animals." Lucy began impersonating animals and due to all his time around them actually did a passable if not good job.

Xan stared on in horror. They were going to die. "E-Excuse me Lady Vasco. Could I borrow the plates and the pipe over there?" Xan explained how she was going to do a balancing act and when their host agreed she went to get the items she would need. It was her lucky day, the plates on the table were made of steel and so were the pipes. She pressed her fingers into the backside of the plate, molding the metal just so, so that it would be rather simple to balance on the pipe. She did the same to the other plate then returned with two pipes and two plates. The metallurgist did a little balancing act and walked around the room with the plates never falling off the edge of the pipes. When she was done she returned the items then went back to her place on the couch.

Los Paraisos: The Grande Diamond: Conference Room

She wanted a demonstration of their skills now?

Thunderhawk bit the edge of his lip, as one by one the rest of his companions began to display their various talents in an effort to showcase their worth as an employee of the Grande Diamond. Doing their best to win Lady Vasco’s admiration in order to secure a job and thus not have their cover horribly blown. One by one, his companions began to provide short demonstrations, from incredible displays of art, song and dance, to more practical abilities that would aid in serving the establishment’s clientele in the running of games, serving of food and drink, and perking up the spirits of rich clients in look of companionship.

And Thunderhawk realised he had no such skills to showcase.

There wasn’t anything here he could do to impress Lady Vasco. He didn’t have any magical abilities that could be exploited, nor did he have any grace or charm in which to soothe anyone. The majority of the time, he proved the complete opposite. He was a hardy enough fighter when it came to being embroiled in a scrap, and he had enough common sense to know when enough was enough and getting the hell out of danger when the coinage simply wasn’t worth it in order to save his skin, but how on Ddaear would that be of any benefit? And in this pause, as he deeply considered just what he could do, what he could actually contribute to the world and his friends, he realised… there was nothing.

He was an abysmal Guilder and an abysmal man. He was lucky he ever managed to reach C rank, and blessed that he had only ever gotten deranked and not dismissed. He was lucky he even had these people he was worth right now to talk to. After all, he had wasted his life being nothing more then a lecherous, cynical drunk. A life that was now coming back to haunt him, and throw them all in jeaopardy.

This was it, he thought to himself as Xandra finished her demonstration. This is where it all falls apart because I absolutely useless-

Wait. Wait that was it!

“Batilda, Blue Lagoon, Greyhound, a Lime Rickey, Red Lotus, Sexy Beach, Blue Blazer… I know every type of alcoholic drink there is in the world, how to make and serve them,” Thunderhawk replied with a smile. “Unfortunately I can’t demonstrate this right now unless we were at a bar, but I can assure you… you wouldn’t be disappointed.”

The rest of the group all fixed their eyes and stared at him. As far as abilities went, that was certainly Thunderhawk. Who could have ever imagined he would use such a horrible negative facet of himself as a good thing?

“As for me,” Marcus picked up, smiling a bedazzling smile. “I have a very acute attention of my surroundings and finer details. Good hearing too, and a good reader of body language, which makes it both easy and fun to handle customers. For example.” Marcus turned her eyes in the direction of the door, the window inset to it, and the stunning curvaceous woman beyond. “We have an audience.”

Los Paraisos: The Grande Diamond - Outside the Conference Room

"Ooh! Ooh! What's this?"

The Pride's watcher outside bounced behind the glass window as the others demonstrated their talents. Still she kept to the corner crouching, hoping Iliana's eyes were too focused on the others to care for Mordie's presence. First the demure one, then the confident one, then the seductive one... Each of them boasting their individual skills. Only when Selan returned back to her seat did Mordie notice her face and gape in awe. "Ain't she that singer from last night? Oh, how lucky the ol' GD is now!"

Next came the lively one and Miss Natural Beauty, who performed some odd impersonations and balancing tactics. Mordie giggled again - truly this band of personalities was unpredictable, and she found herself much too immersed with merely watching their backsides perform. Though she was disappointed big-n-beautiful did nothing. She wanted to see those hips in action, dang it!

The final lady of the group suddenly turned around, her sleek eyes landing on their watcher. Rising to her feet, Mordie clasped one hand over her wide smile and waved brightly with the other to anyone who looked back to see her. But she withdrew from her show and leaned back on the wall beside the door before she could see Iliana's reaction. Hopefully it wouldn't be one of annoyance.

"Hoooey! That was somethin'." Mordie fanned herself with her hand and gazed up to the security camera before her. She quite liked the idea of flitting about this new batch of hirees until she was summoned (or sent away) elsewhere, considering there wasn't much else to do around the Grande Diamond aside from watching people anyway. So she remained just outside the room, staring at the door with a wide grin.

Los Paraisos: The Grande Diamond - Conference Room
Iliana... was not expecting this.

She had lost count of the amount of people who locked up in indecision. The amount of people who clenched their fist and gave some grand, meaningless speech. The amount of people who tried to demonstrate on her.

But these women...

Her eyes widened in shock and she brought her fingertips subconciously to her collarbone when Diane presented the drawing - her perfect representation in chalk. She stared in mild awe at Aria's firework display of red, black and white, hearts, clubs, diamonds and spades. Selan proved to be true to her word, giving possibly the best preformance Iliana had ever seen dispite it's spontanious nature. No wonder she was so famous already. Yes, they had to have her. They must have her.

The less said about Lucy the better. Her expression quickly darkened again at the display as she pushed Dylan's tablet back towards him. "Is this a joke to you?" Iliana hissed, her tone as cold as ice.

Xandra mercifully interrupted that one, before giving an extremely impressive show of balance which improved her mood again. Henrietta at least claimed to be exceptionally skilled with drinks, and with the names she gave she at least had a good knowledge. And Marcy...

“We have an audience.”

Iliana's eyes burned with annoyance. This was a private meeting! "How rude!" she huffed. Whatever. Let the woman stare at them, whoever she was. She will be having words later. She was a little embarrassed that Marcy noticed that and she didn't, but she supposed that just showed how observant the blonde was. She swapped her legs over, crossing them again in that same theatrical fashion. She then glanced back down at her notes for a moment. What an interesting group. Certainly the most interesting she had seen in a long while.

"You have all suprised me," she said finally, looking back up to them all. "I would love to interview you further, but we are out of time. I have other business to attend to. So, it seems we are at a dilemma."

Swinging her legs once more, she stood up and began to pace around the table again. She let her fingers trail across the group's shoulders as she passed, inspecting them intensely and up close. There was something which bothered her about Henrietta, and a little with Diane and Lucy too the more she thought about it. However...

"But you suprised me. I have been in this business for a while, so as you can imagine that is impressive. So, let us try something a little different." She stood facing them all, flicking her hair once more. "Peter!" she clapped her hands twice. "Open the door!"

The guard did as he was asked. Iliana paid no mind to this, however. "I think we should give you a test run. Business will pick up in around three hours, it will be a perfect opportunity to see you put those skills into motion. You will be fitted with your uniforms in two hours and given a quick briefing before you begin."

"At least, for some of you." She stared at Lucien, tapping her fingers against her arm. "You are a pretty face, Lucy dear. But I don't think you fit the role we were talking about. As soon as you open that mouth of yours... oh, it is dreadful, dear. We do however have another role which might be more... fitting to your talents. I assume you can at least scrub a toilet, yes? And Henrietta, I would like to start you off with barwork. You will both need to be fitted with uniforms as well, so make sure you are there in two hours time also. If all of you continue to impress, we might discuss matters further."

"And Selan, Marcy." She paused for a moment. These two were particularly stunning, even among this group. Any other day and she would have considered taking Aria... "You two are coming with me. I think my superior would be extremely pleased to meet you both. Good luck to you all," she gave one last bow, before striding back out of the room.

"Darling!" She called, coming to a stop in front of the broadly smiling Mordie. "Since you clearly have nothing better to do, could you please give our prospective employees a quick tour?" she gestured towards the group in the room. "Make sure you don't let them go anywhere they shouldn't be, wouldn't you?"

She then began to head off towards the stairs, expecting Selan and Marcus to catch up themselves. Time is money after all.

Los Paraisos : the Grande Diamond

"I think we should give you a test run. Business will pick up in around three hours, it will be a perfect opportunity to see you put those skills into motion. You will be fitted with your uniforms in two hours and given a quick briefing before you begin."

Aria supressed the victorious smile that tugged at her lips, instead placing on a mask of relief and gratitude at the woman’s words. Against all odds they had managed to deceive and impress Lady Vasco enough to be given jobs at the Grande Diamonde, albeit temporarily. Which was fine; it wasn’t like they were planning on sticking around long term anyways. Though she was rather curious how Lucien managed to-

"At least, for some of you."

Ah. Well. That made more sense.

She gave a sympathetic glance to the disguised blue haired man. Hopefully he wouldn’t have too much trouble as high class establishment were usually quite clean, weren’t they?

Miss Vasco quickly hurried off after giving instructions a very familiar looking woman with Selan and Marcus in tow to see her superior. Aria was rather curious as to why her superior would be wanting to meet only two prospective employees but as she hadn’t been called turned her attention back to the white haired woman at the door.
Oh wait, wasn’t she at the casino yesterday with the Handsome Rugged Gambler Man or whatever his name was? (Ok, that probably wasn’t anything close to his name but details schmetails.) Perhaps she wouldn’t ask too many questions, or recognize them at all?

Doubtful.

She gave an internal sigh, before approaching their guide with a friendly smile.

“Hey, fancy meeting you here! “

Los Paraisos: The Grande Diamond

Selan took a deep breath, finding relief in the fact that Lady Vasco seemed to be pleased with most of their interviews. Lucien was determined to be unsuited for any job that requires him to be seen or heard, but Selan interpreted that to be to their advantage -- tucked away in a restroom, he wouldn't be caught any time soon. Splitting them all up wasn't the most favorable outcome, but if they managed to get this far, the others would surely be able to take care of themselves until they could regroup.

She and Marcus strode ahead of the others to follow after Lady Vasco, giving one last look at the others. Immediately upon leaving the room, they were briefly face-to-face with a gorgeous woman with striking features and an even more striking figure. They made eye contact as they passed by, the white-haired woman smiling widely before turning to her new charges.

The pair caught up to Lady Vasco just as she started ascending the stairs, falling into step behind her. Selan glanced at Marcus sideways. There was a hint of concern etched in her brow, and she wished she were able to discuss the situation with him. As it was, they had no idea what was to come next, or who this superior was. It was safe to say that Marcus and herself were the standouts of the group, but they weren't being fitted for uniforms like the others just yet, were they? The uniformed women she was when they first arrived didn't show any signs of forcibly working against their wills... A dark thought crossed her mind; what if the kidnapped women had walked this exact same staircase, to gods knew what?

Don't jump to conclusions just yet, the only thing we can do right now is investigate. If things take an unexpected turn, Marcus can use his magic. And the others are nearby as well...

Selan slowly exhaled and held her head high. So far so good.

Los Paraisos: The Grande Diamond - Conference Room

Dylan beamed in triumph when he saw Lady Vasco’s reaction to his drawing, the way she raised her hand to her throat, her eyes wide in shock. He was certain that he impressed her, but he could only hope that it was what she was looking for. She held his slate clutched in her hand as Aria presented a dazzling display of dexterity, eventually passing it back as Lucy performed...animal impressions? What on Ddear?

Pulling a cloth from his bag, he wiped his slate clean as the others presented before storing safely in the bag. The other displays were quite interesting, ranging from a beautiful performance by Selan to a blunt display of alcoholic knowledge by Thunderhawk. He certainly was a character.

"I think we should give you a test run. Business will pick up in around three hours, it will be a perfect opportunity to see you put those skills into motion. You will be fitted with your uniforms in two hours and given a quick briefing before you begin."

Dylan smiled - that was easier than he expected. As long as he could get changed away from prying eyes everything should be fine. And it looked like they were even getting a tour of the place! Getting to his feet as Lady Vasco departed with Selan and Marcus in tow, Dylan approached Mordie. “Hello,” he said softly in his demure lady-voice. “My name is Diane, pleased to meet you.”