|| Written with @littlelosttsis in mind uvu.
“So I hear the Convocation has a new asset.”
Zodiark’s attention finally snapped back into the conversation, having been drifting for the last hour and a half. The meeting of The World’s Most Evil Bastards ( or, for sake of abbreviation, T.W.M.E.B. ) had gone smooth two thirds in, and he was beginning to lose his patience with these idiots. Zodiark had shown up, mingled as he needed to, and had hoped for an early night out when the leader of the Espers had cajoled him into staying for a little longer. ‘A game of darts’, and he knew that was code for, ‘we’re bringing up information that may be of use to you.’
Didn’t stop him from wanting to choke a bitch out, though.
“Depends entirely what you’re talking about. I have many assets. Some more valuable than most. Like how SeeD keeps trying to snipe my Emissary from me.” The leader of SeeD raised her hands up in a surrender gesture, a Roegadyn with a mean streak for stripping her lessers’ backs with thorns and nettles.
“That was a mistake, Zodi. We haven’t tried that since.”
“Pardon me for not believing you, Wiltwyda. Your cronies gave Elidibus a dislocated shoulder and stalled our progress for a month.” His mask’s eyes narrowed at her, to which she shrugged.
“Hyurs are so fragile, what can I say? At least he didn’t get a concussion.” She tipped the last of her drink in her mouth and dropped the glass on a tray waiting. “So what’s this new asset about, Feinneaux?”
“That’s Master Puidaire to you.” An Elezen woman at the man’s side sniffed, earning an eyeroll and shrug.
“Don’t give two shits about titles here, and why’d you bring your bird anyway? Can’t you leave them at home like a normal person?”
“Enough.” Feinneaux said, giving the woman a glare and giving her a stern shove. go away, was not so heavily implied if not outright stated. The woman scowled, and slinked away to find a perch elsewhere. “As for the asset, that depends, Zodiark; how much are you willing to tell us before I say anything?”
“None of your business, frankly.” He declined the offered drink, not one to drink in front of others. Parties like this had some manner of drug laced in something; and he doubted that people here weren’t about to quibble if someone went sideways. “But if you must know, we’re entertaining a guest at the moment.”
“Ooooh, one of Radz’s? I hear that shadow runner is giving them troubles.” Wiltwyda said, a sigh in her voice. “What I’d give to get my hands on them. I hear they can get into anything if they put their minds to it.”
“No, someone… different.” Zodiark supplied, “And she has become rather valuable in her short time with us.”
“Oho? Has Zodiark found a new favourite?”
“Don’t be so crass, she seems so fond of Elidibus. I’d hate to get between them.” A wry tone of voice, “I was thinking about offering her one of the vacant seats, actually.”
That got the pair’s attention, and Wiltwyda dropped her hand from where it’d been idly twirling hair around a scarlet clawed finger. “Is that so?” She purred in a low voice, green eyes flashing in the light. Zodiark smirked behind his mask. Announcing a new candidate into one of the circles always gave room for gossip, and for those at T.W.M.E.B. to understand one simple thing:
“Oh, but it’s not fair!” Wiltwyda whined as Feinneaux stared at Zodiark contemplatively, “Why do you always get to have so many?”
“Maybe if you didn’t kill your lieutenants for bringing up valid points, you may have more people under you.” Zodiark answered wryly, “How else do you paint your nails in the morning, Wilt?”
She grinned, wiggling her hand out at him to flash the scarlet talons, “I use my lucky, poison coated nail polish of course. This isn’t the lucky one today though, since it’s an important meeting and all.” Wiltwyda dropped her hand to nod at Feinneaux, “Finny here was going to tell us about his latest expansion project. Gridania’s starting to heave under all the inner turmoil, and Ul’dah’s closing ranks. And we all know Ishgard’s too snooty to even send someone to this darling affair.”
Maybe they just didn’t want to deal with you, Zodiark thought to himself, feeling himself growing restless. He was starting to hate it here, and his mask was getting too hot. It was time to go. He wanted to go back to his place for the night and just not exist for twelve hours, was that so much to ask for?
Thankfully, the meeting was ending soon, and Zodiark managed to escape to his hotel after another thirty minutes of idle chatting and getting under each other’s skin. The conversation had drifted away from his unexpected yet not unwanted guest, and he could only heave a sigh of relief as he got into the car with Nabriales at the wheel. Dear fucking gods, he hated parties. He hated people, and he especially hated the World’s Most Evil Bastard events.
“Home, boss?” He asked, earning a sort of look from the mask that could only read ‘deadpan’.
“Home. And if you get us there under half the time consider yourself getting a bonus for staying out tonight for this.” That earned a laugh and the window rolled up.