☾. effervescence.
ten minutes earlier…
The girls left her apartment nearly two hours in advance, because Somin hated being late – by leaving early it was safer. They had not forgotten their trusty identity concealers for this official gathering where celebrities of all kind would attend and blend among the crowd. She hated it that she could not recognize who were around her – she could be conversing and having a great time with a serial murderer and never know, because of those stupid masks. It was beyond annoying and that was why she wanted to leave as early as possible and stick to Nana she was aware of.
“Spotted anyone worth a one-night?” she asked jokingly. Her Harlequin colombina might hide part of her features, but it did not hide her amused smile. “I don’t know why, but I’d love for something to happen aside for bothersome speeches and troublesome dances.” The brunette was already at her second share of hors-d’oeuvres and her third glass of champagne while she avoided the mass. “Oh look, the prime minister is about to bore us to death. Heard they even have prizes too. Hur-fucking-ray~.”
lanky arms threw themselves up in triumph as she looked upon possibly her greatest creation of all time. “you may as well call me picasso at this point.” she lightly teased the detective, wiggling a finger in her direction. “i was only ever there for show. standing around with a bunch of middle aged rich people with your mouth shut never really becomes an enjoyable hobby.” she slightly adjusted the bodice, fitting the white lace and tulle against her pale skin.
it didn’t seem as though somin had noticed - if she could have helped it, she wouldn’t have lied to the one person she considered a close friend. she had heard long before from clients and fellow rogues of this ball, and of course, whispers of potential involvement of the gangs. with masks on, under the cover of dim lights, she knew that this would be her greatest opportunity to obtain any information on the elusive leader of the black lotus. her dress, gloves, and mask were all white, adorned with lace - almost reminiscent of a wedding gown. as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, her long eyelashes flickered slightly. had she done this on purpose?
ten minutes before ---
her chest was tight, fingers digging into her palms as she tried to stop the chills from running up and down her spine. she wouldn’t have been able to conceal her piercing glare without her mask - it was a miracle that somin hadn’t noticed (or at least acknowledged) her anxiousness. it wasn’t the large masses of strangers that intimidated her, given that she had grown up among modern aristocracy. members of the black lotus were slinking among other gang members, socialites, and the police force - was there a single innocent person in the hall? she sipped her champagne, attempting to ease her nerves while still remaining alert. she would have to slip away from somin at some point and grab ahold of a black lotus, but she also needed to be patient.
her companion’s voice brought her back to attention. even in her state, she could let out a slight chuckle and a smirk in response. “how much do you think the prime minister would pay to sleep with me?” a typical, highly inappropriate joke that she knew the brunette would appreciate. “how much would i have to pay you to seduce him?”









