The Louvre, Gala, Main Area
Mentions @WhiteAngel25, @Estylwen and @Lexisheeps
Aurélie felt like a small child once more, holding her mother’s hand and trusting her utterly and completely when navigating busy streets or cramped events. She hadn’t known Sabrina wasn’t her biological mother then, as she had been too young to understand. But eventually, her parents sat her down and told her the truth. She had a mother somewhere in the Netherlands who had dumped baby Auri with college-aged Thierry and left France altogether. It had been a bit confusing for her to learn about the other woman, but nothing had been more clear to her than looking up at Sabrina with a raised eyebrow.
”So? Maman is my maman now.”As she felt her mother’s firm handhold as they stepped out to the lobby, Aurélie knew there would be no anonymity for her tonight. The sensation was odd. The old de Villiers daughter wouldn’t care. Maybe she even kind of liked it, the attention. But now gasps, mutters and whispers filled the spaces beside them as further along the crowd was chattering along, unaware of the freakshow taking place by these doors. She’d gone missing with her sister 7 years ago. And it was probably a really, really bad idea, but Auri read the comments online.
The little girl is 10, she’s innocent, a victim. But the 18-year-old? She should’ve known better. She probably caused it. She should’ve been more careful. I heard she wasn’t very nice anyways. She was just a rich spoiled girl.She had brought her new phone to her mother in tears, asking if this was what people thought of her. Some people did. Some didn’t. And it didn’t matter. Well, that was what her mother had assured her. Shame left a bitter taste in her mouth as she tried to focus on anything else but the whispers, her eyes going to a covered glass case with the artefact in it. Theo had said it was nothing special, but she knew he was downplaying it. Because he couldn’t help but compare himself to Thierry and Nick.
”Sabrina!”A voice now familiar called out to her mother and Aurélie turned her head to see Nick approach with her little sister. The man made her feel a nervous loop in her stomach and she wasn’t quite sure why. He had emanated trust and comfort when he saved her from her cell. Though, as her chest rose up and down in her tight bodice, she knew it had something to do with what he represented, and what he said at the docks. The end of her family as she had left it behind. She didn’t know him. She didn’t know how to read his mannerisms, and she sure as hell didn’t know the history. All she knew was how he talked to her in the facility, and how he spoke to her mom. From safety to betrayal. Two very different Nick’s, in Aurélie’s opinion.
All she could muster was a slight nod, a soft curl of her lips before she avoided his gaze entirely, her blonde curls sliding over her bare shoulders as she looked at her little sister instead. Without realising, her face lit up at the sight of her little sister. Her whole reason for fighting, for being here, for not giving up. The recognition in Cosette’s eyes threatened to break the dam in Auri’s emotions but she kept it together. There had been so many times when she hadn’t recognised her big sister anymore.
”Salut, ma petite lumière.” Her voice was soft, laced with fondness as she let go of her mother’s hand to hug her sister back, squeezing a little harder than necessary.
”You look very, very pretty yourself!” A small laugh fluttered from her lips as she straightened again.
It seemed the universe really didn’t allow the eldest daughter a break, and while she knew she would be met the face of her father, she still wasn’t entirely ready to see him rushing up to them. For a once very confrontational teenager who didn’t hide any of her feelings, she sure as hell did a lot of avoiding his eyes right now. They turned to the floor as she nervously picked at her freshly manicured nails.
With a couple of blinks she managed to keep the welling tears at bay as her newly combined family talked, and she picked up on Thierry having seen Theo. She hoped it went well. She hoped Theo was okay. As the topic changed to the two Americans that saved Cosette, her eyes went to her sister and gave her a little wink, hoping her sorrowful eyes weren’t too noticeable. She hadn’t had the chance to thank the Vice President and the Star woman, so she’d have to be sure to find a chance to do so tonight.
The Louvre, Gala, Main Stage
Mentions @WhiteAngel25, @Estylwen and @Lexisheeps
Theo pushed out a shaky breath as he watched his father leave and Céline entered, a curious look on her face that Theo knew all too well. Not many people knew of his struggles with his father, and Theo kept his feelings close and guarded for a long time now. But Céline, unlike his other situationships, worked at the Louvre and was acquainted with the culture in the company. And who his mom and dad were. They sometimes talked. You know, in between the
sessions. The son was glad she didn’t push for more information and instead let out a hearty laugh at her comment.
”Funny, usually you like it when I take my time.” He raised his brow at her, the cheekiness returning to his face, then gave her a qui k wink before letting himself be guided to where he needed to be. His nerves had settled, despite being in the wings of the stage allowing him to hear the crowd. Damn, there were a lot of people out there. No matter though, Theo wasn’t afraid to talk to crowds.
He tried to peek, seeing men in neatly pressed suits and women in extravagant dresses meander about, talking, pointing to the covered artefact. There was a double feeling in the man. What he found, what he restored, it wasn’t nearly as amazing or cool as some of the things his father, his mother and Nick had discovered or seen. They wouldn’t be impressed. Or well, his mom would be, but the woman was also proud of his god-awful clay sculptures from kindergarten and his charcoal messes from middle school. And the sorry excuse for Pâtes à la Ratatouille he tried to make here when they lived with just the two of them. The thought of his mother and her proud smile made the son smile too. It didn’t matter if he wasn’t like them, yet. Everyone had to start somewhere.
He swallowed and looked down at his shoes for a moment. The fact that his mother was here, able to see his milestone, was already rewarding enough. He almost thought he lost her, that one day. He cleared his throat as he was approached, and put his grin back on as Monsieur Dupont stood before him. Theo had known the man since he was a little boy. He presented all the Louvre events. He was funny and enigmatic, and Theo ate up all his words every time. And now? He was going to introduce Theo himself.
”Oh, you know… big shoes to fill.” He grinned at the man.
The Louvre, Gala, Grand Entrance
A collab with @WhiteAngel25, mentions @Estylwen
Earlier that week...Kai was glad to have his Star back where she belonged and safe. He checked on her (what seemed like) every two hours for the first few days. Nova wasn't used to such missions, and he wanted to make sure that she was stable for the moment to continue her normal duties in the lab. He had to lessen his visits though. They still had to track down and find Stella. Knowing HiveMind, they probably had her in a makeshift facility in some basement somewhere.
Kai found himself getting lost in Nova's beautiful multicolored gaze, especially when she got excited speaking on a subject. The way her voice rose to a vibrant level as she was just as determined to find Stella. While Kai appreciated Nova's enthusiasm, there was no way in hell he'd let her step foot in another HiveMind facility. He about lost her once. He wasn't going to lose another person he-.
Dragon couldn't think like that. Forming a romantic connection in his field of work was dangerous, but he also couldn't stand any man near their age around Nova. Just the thought of some idiot trying his luck made Kai's fingers burst into flames thanks to his augmentation. The number of copied paper reports had increased within the last few days. He even couldn't help himself by sending coffee to her regularly or having one of his assistants help her grab things quickly from her apartment. Kai wanted to do nothing more than have his Star safe and cared for for the rest of her life.
"Aw, the hell with it," Dragon muttered as he shot Nova an email.
'Is there anything I can do for you, Nova?'It didn't take long to receive a reply.
'Yes, coffee, please. The way I like it. Thank you!'Kai assumed that Nova must have been on break. He left his office to personally deliver her coffee order this time. Dragon even brought a paper copy of his email from the Louvre, inviting him and Nova to celebrate Theodore de Villers's achievements in archaeology and, the most obvious, the return of Cosette and Aurelie. Kai was glad when Nova accepted the invitation to go with him. He was already making plans with his mind to court his Star properly from here on out.
Dragon observed his Star with gentle amusement and happiness. He was glad that Nova was enjoying the sights of Paris, especially at night. Kai was getting closer to telling her his real name, it would be tonight after the Gala.
Nova was beautiful in her emerald-sheen gala dress. It fitted her body in a sweet yet tempting manner. There were several moments when Dragon had to remind himself to be a gentleman and not want to tear that dress off her form and leave her breathless.
”It seems a bit… hectic.”Kai took Nova's hand was the closest to him as the car slowed, he pressed his lips against the back of her hand.
"I apologize for not saying this sooner, Nova. You look ravishing tonight," he murmured and gently returned her hand back to her lap and his into his own.
"And don't worry, I will be here with you every step of the way."Nova’s breath got stuck on an inhale as warmth enveloped her hand. The motion separated her fidgeting hands as he held one in his own as her gaze lowered to her hand, dwarfed by his, before her eyes flicked up to meet his in surprise. Dragon’s eyes were soft and caring somehow, and Nova blinked as her breathing picked back up. The gentle touch of his lips against the skin of her hand made her pulse skitter and her lips part to ensure oxygen still reached her brain somehow. The compliment heated up her cheeks but he had managed to distract her from the chaos outside of their car.
Her lips curled up into an amused smile.
”You look quite presentable yourself, Mr. Vice President.” Her tone was teasing and despite the things this man did with her constitution she felt her nerves fade a little. It’s just a red carpet and a gala, what can go wrong, right?
”I’m not a fan of crowds.” The scientist admitted with a sheepish grin. Her manicured hand came up to motion at her ear.
”It gets overwhelming.” Pressing her lips into a tight line, she looked back down at her lap. The augmentation she managed to afford on her own could never keep up in large rooms and crowds. And even though it had been upgraded by Voidlight, Nova loved the solitaire and silence of her basement and she was well on her way to becoming a cat lady. But with this man beside her, she was beginning to think she should face the music more.
The limousine came to a halt and Nova’s eyes flickered back up to Dragon’s. As their door got opened the basement-dwelling woman took in a sharp breath.
”Let’s do this.”Kai smirked at Nova's reply, the teasing tone of her voice made his gaze darken with desire for a moment. The glint lasted just for a second as he didn't want to push Nova too far. He was used to the flashing lights and red carpets, but Nova, this was her first time. An event like this needed to be introduced to her slowly.
”I’m not a fan of crowds. It gets overwhelming.” Dragon watched the bashful smile appear on Star's lips, and as she gestured to her augmentation, he couldn't help but feel guilty. He should have known that noise was a big reason for her social anxiety.
”Let’s do this.” Before she could step out, Kai reached up and gently tucked a stray hair behind Nova's ear.
"If at any time you feel overwhelmed, you let me know and we can go somewhere quiet. I promised to take care of you tonight, Nova, I fulfil my promises," he informed his date for the night.
Nova blinked but didn’t move when Dragon’s hand came up to brush some hair behind her ear. He was close enough to hear her heart beating out of her chest, but the woman decided she could easily disguise that by claiming it was nerves for the event. His promise struck true though, and she knew he was fully committed to this promise he made. He was being considerate, but this seemed to go past casual politeness.
”Thank you.”The two Voidlight employees moved down the red carpet, Kai leading Nova gently by his arm. A practised PR smile on his lips as he only took Star to the main key photographers. Once inside the Louvre, Dragon didn't let go of Nova, in fact, he slid his arm around the small of her waist and leaned over.
"Do not stray too far, just because this is a gala, doesn't mean Hivemind won't try to pull something. With what Thierry sacrificed, they would be nuts not to try something tonight," his voice low and deep.
"I mean it, Nova. No curious wandering off, no matter what. Okay?"The flashes of the cameras were bright and overwhelming, and the scientist’s augmentation had trouble keeping up. She was sure people were yelling things like ‘over here’ and ‘big smile’ but Nova was like a deer in headlights, instead. She took in a deep breath and ignored the words in her vision, and instead focussed on the feeling of the man’s bicep under her manicured hand and looking into the camera’s with the most charming smile she could give.
She could already see the headlines. ‘The Vice President of Voidlight, accompanied by basement dwelling scientist. Charity case, or golddigger?’ The thought made her grin, and she was sure her pictures were better for it. She felt a bit calmer, now. As they walked from the main banner she uncurled her hand from his arm, only to receive his warm hand around her waist. Well, she wasn’t going to complain about
that. It’s not as if she had shamelessly fantasised about this moment many times. His voice reached her ear, once more in that timber that seemed to reach the little part of her eardrum that still worked. His warning was in writing in her vision anyway. Aware of the cameras, she smiled widely and gave him a short nod.
”Okay.” Her voice was cheerful, but her eyes fell on an approaching woman.
Suddenly, a tall woman dressed in a black decorative hat and matching feather dress appeared. Dragon recognized her as Madame Veno. He was honestly surprised that she was here greeting them, most of the French avoided American institutions.
Dragon let go of Nova just briefly to shake Madame Veno's hand as she spoke of congratulations. Kai became quickly suspicious the moment she started speaking of details of the recovery mission that were not public knowledge. He didn't let that phase his cool, calm smile on his face.
"You flatter us, Madame Veno. Someone as informed and inquisitive such as yourself honoring us with an invite, we are truly grateful," Dragon replied as he took the business card. His tone was that of a person who was used to the elite group of people in the world.
"We will most definitely visit as you said, at the earliest convenience, but first, I must show Madame Star to the dance floor for a dance," he added as he pocketed the card and led Nova away.
Nova shook the woman’s outreached hand after Dragon had as well. She didn’t know who the woman was but thought she saw a twinkle of recognition in Dragon’s eyes. It wasn’t until the woman fully addressed her instead of Vice President that Nova paid extra attention. It took all of her willpower and her three whole minutes of media training not to narrow her eyes at the woman, casually dropping that she knew of Nova’s research, and results thereof. Almost no one knew about the discovery she made a few days ago, the interesting traits of the heart of hearts.
And then,
through the grapevine how Dragon saved Nova. Her entire media training relied on shutting the hell up and letting Dragon do the talking. The only reaction to the woman’s words was the pinking of her cheeks at the mention of romance, and Nova decided to play along and divert the conversation to that.
”Isn’t it?” She said, with a soft laugh, her head cocking slightly to the side to touch Dragon’s bicep. Rather the woman focused on the romance than the secrets, yet something told Nova she wouldn’t be easily fooled in any case.
After an exchange of more pleasantries and a card, Nova was whisked away by Dragon once more. Politely, she gave the woman a slight bow of her head.
”Pleased to meet you, Madame Veno. Until then.”As they walked away and into the Louvre, Nova barely had eyes for the grandeur the Gala had to offer. Instead, once they entered the hall of people, Nova made use of the relative anonymity to push herself up on her toes a little to whisper to her companion. She was curious, which was just a fancy word for nosy in Nova’s case.
”Who was that? And how did she-” The woman glanced around for a moment before focusing back on Dragon.
”How did she know? Are we like… planning on going?” She rocked back on her heels and sent a curious raised brow his way.
Dragon led his Star closer to the dance floor. His PR smile was still on his lips as he weaved with Nova through the crowd. He listened to her murmured questions. He glanced down at her spectacular multi-colored gaze with his dark one. Kai let his arm drop to Nova's waist, pulled her close to his strong form in a respectable manner, and then took her free hand into his. He leaned down to whisper into her right ear.
"Madame Veno is one of the few women to have broken through levels that even Madame Lennox, Cosette's mother, has yet to achieve," he spoke as he led Nova in the dance. The Dragon smoothly led his date around on the open marble floor, any mistakes in the dance were well covered.
"I'm not sure as to how she knew of the more intimate details of the mission, however, if she knows," Kai paused to twirl Nova out and then back into him, only closer to his person this time.
"It confirms that something big will happen tonight and reinforces my words earlier. Stay close to me," he encouraged with a heated gaze. One would not like to know what Dragon would do to those he loved, Von Galloes was in for a world of pain once Stella was safe and out of his clutches. But that wrath was not his to carry out, the de Viller family would have that satisfaction someday.
Nova was too wrapped up in her curiosity to feel shy about starting a dance with Dragon. She barely noticed that he took her to the dancefloor, but it did bring enough anonymity to have their conversation. Win-win, she guessed. As he pulled her to him, it felt natural, and Nova noticed her small casual coffee dates with him, or interactions talking about work or Cosette or about her cat had made her less of a nervous wreck around the man. Which wasn't like her to begin with, so what was it with this man? Her brain was in overtime though, trying to figure out how the woman knew Nova's research.
As they danced, Dragon's lips came close to her ear and she could smell his cologne. It wasn't overwhelming, but a soft dusting of comfort and warmth. Could she order a pillow sprayed with it? Or rather, maybe he should come spread it on her pillow? Her eyes narrowed and she nodded dutifully, grateful for the information Dragon gave her, and the trust he seemed to be having in her to hold the information safe. Nova had always been a knowledge seeker, wanting to know more. It was an inherent trait of being a scientist, after all.
She easily executed the twirl and ended up back in his arms, but there was no blush or reaction to the closeness of his body because her brain was still processing the bits of intrigue. Was it Brenda? Damn, Brenda. If she blinked really sweetly, would Dragon fire the woman? The tone of the man speaking to her changed to a more serious one once more, and she put her eyes up to his, seeing the warning in them. She flashed him a grin.
"Close to you. Got it. I could think of worse things." Her genuine smile displayed a hint of playfulness once more as they slid smoothly over the floor. As if to put her money where her mouth was, the next time the man twirled her she ended up even closer.
The dance was nice, but Nova knew they should probably search for Madame Lennox and provide their thanks for the invite. Even so, Nova would gladly just stay here all night where she could pretend trouble, Hivemind and Madame Veno didn't exist. The thing she was looking forward to was seeing Subje-
Cosette again. Nova had grown quite fond of her little fellow survivor. She just regretted she didn't have good news about Stella,
yet.
But, with Dragon's warning in the back of her mind, she finally understood why his assistant had her outfitted with a dagger on her thigh.
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