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The moon sits high in the sky, its ghostly light casting bands of white as it streaks out from behind the clouds. The shadowed faces of party guests are illuminated as they step into the moonlight, revealing elegantly decorated masquerade masks with curled designs and fine trim. But as quickly as they stepped into the light, their faces become dark again as they slip back into the shadows. A steady stream of figures file through the night, heeding the call of the masquerade ball. Ranmaru is among those party guests, upper face obscured by a black mask with a checkered design and silver trim lining the edges. He slips out of the shadows, blending in with the crowd as he joins the line of people waiting to go inside.
Somewhere on the dance floor, among the guests is his new partner. From the little information he's been given, his partner is an intelligent individual, adept in spy work and infiltration missions. He has never met him before, the two of them being part of separate divisions within the agency, but he has to admit he's curious what kind of person they are.
As he nears the entrance, the sound of an orchestra can be heard inside. Ranmaru mentally counts in his head, fingers tapping in time with the music to get a feel for the tempo. Dancing isn't his forte, and he's certainly not confident in his waltz, but he's sure he can keep up with this pace. As he files through the entrance, his eyes scan the room looking at the other people gathered. Already there's several pairs on the dance floor, elegant ballgowns swaying and fabric weaving through the air as couples dance around each other. At first glance, he can't see anyone resembling his partner, although in hindsight he realises that the only thing he has to go off is a photo. But at least he knows his partner will also be looking for him as well, so it won't be a one-sided search.
"Mmm~, look at all those lovely ladies," whistles a voice in his ear, startling him for a moment. "It's a shame this is a mission."
"Don't compare me t'you Ren," he grunts, adjusting the comms earpiece behind his mask. "I know my objective at hand. Now if you haven't got anythin' important to say, 'm tuning you out."
"Roger that~," he says with a chuckle. "Why don't you take a look around?"
Ranmaru scoffs, but complies with Ren's request. In front of his eyes, the contacts he's wearing focus in on the faces of the people in the room. One by one, the data is relayed back to Ren, the faint sound of the keyboard clicking away audible in Ranmaru's earpiece. He walks around the edge of the dance floor, weaving in between some of the standing guests. He finds a spot against the back wall, leaning against it and folding his arms across his chest.
"No sign of the target," Ren reports, and Ranmaru can hear the frown in his voice. "And your partner is nowhere to be seen either."
"Sure it isn't the masks interfering with the facial recognition software?"
"It would take more than a mask to do that," Ren replies.
"Well, he doesn't strike me as the kind t'be late either," Ranmaru grunts. "Keep ya eyes open."
"You too~."
Ranmaru pushes off the wall, pacing around the room again. He continues to sneak occasional glances to the doorway, only to be met with disappointment when his partner doesn't appear. The masquerade masks don't help either, making the search more difficult. At this point, he's counting on his partner finding him first rather than the other way around.
He pulls at his tie, loosening it slightly as he hisses. He's not used to formal dress, more adept at physical work rather than stakeout and infiltration-type missions. Being involved in the actual collection of information for once is new to him, if his discomfort is anything to go by. He also notes that it's getting way too warm inside the ballroom for his liking. Ranmaru growls, prompting Ren to become concerned.
"You okay there, Ran-chan?"
"Where the 'ell is this guy?" he grumbles.
"He'll turn up soon enough," Ren reassures him in a soothing voice. "Unless you were talking about your partner? Who I'm sure won't be long either."
"Screw this, I need some air."
Ren laughs quietly as Ranmaru walks out of the ballroom, choosing to explore the rest of the venue. The hallways aren't nearly as crowded, save for some party guests mingling among themselves in small groups. Grand paintings hang on the walls, Ranmaru almost half-expecting to find something hiding behind if he were to look. Ornaments sit on tables underneath the paintings, and they too appear as if they could be hiding something. Ranmaru walks past them in favour of stepping outside, where the cool of the night air comes as a welcome relief. He undoes the tie even more until it hangs loosely around his neck, Ranmaru taking a deep breath of much needed air. Now, he's able to think more clearly and re-focus on the mission at hand. He spends a couple more minutes outside, listening to the sounds of the orchestra and the quiet chatter of people on the balcony above him before fixing himself up and returning to the ballroom. Almost immediately, there's a whistle in his ear accompanied by the clicking of a keyboard.
"Bingo," Ren hums into his earpiece. "At your two o'clock; we have eyes on the target."
Ranmaru's contacts lock onto one of the guests standing in a corner of the room, confirming a match to the suspect they are investigating. A brief look around tells him he isn't alone, as his contacts pick up on several other guests whose attention keeps turning back to the target. Most likely his associates, Ranmaru thinks to himself as he begins to make his way towards them.
"What are you doing? We aren't supposed to engage," Ren says urgently.
Ranmaru ignores the warning and continues to approach the suspect. His actions catch the attention of some of the henchmen, but they're already too late to stop him, not without drawing unnecessary attention to themselves.
"Ran!"
Just as he's about to make contact, a woman suddenly slides up to him with a firm palm to his chest. Ranmaru freezes in place, caught off guard. She looks up at him, revealing deep aquamarine eyes framed by a gold masquerade mask. Her curled hair falls just past her shoulders, braided in some parts and decorated with a feathered hair ornament inlaid with pearls and jewels. She drags her fingers down Ranmaru's chest, keeping the pressure light before she withdraws her hand with poised grace. She takes a step back and extends her hand once more, fingers stretched towards Ranmaru.
"May I have this dance?" she smiles, voice light and airy like a siren's song.
Luckily for Ranmaru, he isn't fazed by her charms or her looks. But having extended the invitation to him in front of other guests, it wouldn't do well to turn her down. His eyes flicker briefly to the target standing just behind the woman, who seems to be watching the scene with mild interest. He doesn't want to arouse suspicion, so Ranmaru takes her hand in his, the brush of her silk gloves smooth against his fingertips as he leads them out onto the dance floor.
"Oh my," he hears Ren whistle in his ear, the smirk in his voice evident. "You've scored yourself quite the catch there."
Ranmaru curses low under his breath, rolling his eyes. The woman looks at him, a slight tilt to her head as she eyes him curiously. Ranmaru shakes his head and waves off her concern, prompting her to giggle in mild amusement.
Her fingers snake up his shoulder, placing one hand there for support as she slips her fingers in between Ranmaru's. He follows through, tentatively placing his hand on her waist. She doesn't flinch at the contact, almost leaning into his touch as they begin to move in time with the music. In his head he counts out the rhythm, trying his best not to step on any toes lest the dance end prematurely. But the woman seems content to let Ranmaru lead, despite his lack of confidence. Her dress fans around her as she twirls away from him and back into his arms, a flurry of wild lavender amongst the other muted shades that occupy the dance floor.
As she returns to him, Ranmaru sneaks a glance at the other guests, letting his eyes wander back to the target every now and then, but also keeping an eye out for his partner. Surely, they would have arrived by now, but it seemed strange that they hadn't made contact with him yet. Ren was also being surprisingly unhelpful, despite being the main point of contact for all personnel involved in this mission. It didn't make sense, unless his partner had some reason for intentionally avoiding him.
Suddenly there's a soft pressure against his cheek, and his eyes immediately snap back to the dance. The woman's fingers are pressed to his cheek, commanding his attention. She seems to have noticed his wandering eyes, giggling quietly to herself as she releases their joint hands. Her hand drops from his cheek as she laces her fingers behind his neck, pulling him close.
"You know, it's rude to ignore your partner during a dance," she chides softly.
Ranmaru flushes, biting on his lip as he meets her gaze head-on. The gold of her mask shimmers beneath the overhead chandeliers, rainbows of light shining in her clear, aquamarine eyes. Something about them seems vaguely familiar but before he can think on it further, she presses herself against him, close enough that Ranmaru gets a faint whiff of her perfume. It's a sweet cocktail of smells, flowery notes mixed with a hint of spice. It's not that he finds it unattractive, but it's a touch too strong for his liking.
"Sorry, been lookin' for someone," he says, sheepish. "But I don't think they've shown up yet."
"My, how terrible of them to keep you waiting," she answers back with a smile. She trails her fingers down his neck, fluttering over his collarbone until they come to rest on a club-shaped motif pinned to his lapel. Ranmaru watches her carefully, keeping himself composed as she traces the outline of it with her thumb.
"It's interesting, isn't it? The charm of a masquerade ball," she comments. "No one knows who you are, hidden behind a mask."
Ranmaru says nothing, choosing to concentrate on the dance at hand. They continue in silence until he catches the movement of the target out of the corner of his eye. He watches them leave with another guest, exiting the ballroom out of the same doorway that Ranmaru had retreated through earlier. He fumbles, eyes darting between the door, the live orchestra, and the woman he's with. She begins to look concerned, clasping his hand a little tighter.
"Is everything okay?" she asks.
"I…" Ranmaru begins, spluttering over his next words. "I-I… I need t'go."
"So soon?" she murmurs, voice edging on a whine. "Why the sudden rush?"
Ranmaru swallows, searching his mind for an answer but he comes up blank. The woman places her hands on his chest, seemingly disappointed but eventually smiling slightly, just shy of letting her head rest under his neck.
"I understand," she murmurs. "I shouldn't keep you waiting."
She takes a step back, dipping into a curtsy to signal the end of their dance. Ranmaru responds with a bow, wishing that their dance didn't have to end as abruptly as it did. But he reminds himself of the mission at hand and knows that he can't afford to be distracted.
"I'm sorry," he says as he straightens up.
The woman shakes her head, approaching him as she presses her hand to his chest again, the other hand sliding under his chin. She runs her fingers along his jaw, standing up on her toes as she leans in, lips close to his ear.
"It's been fun," she whispers in a low voice. "I'll be seeing you, Spiky Club."
Ranmaru goes still at the mention of his codename, inhaling sharply. Before he can say anything, the woman brushes her fingers under his chin and begins to drift away. Ranmaru lurches forward, trying to go after her but he's caught in the middle of the dancefloor. One of the dance couples blocks his path, and by the time it's cleared there is no trace of the woman from before. He exhales slowly, realising that the agency needed to be contacted if his identity was compromised.
"Oi Ren, need ya help," he hisses, frowning when he receives no response. He realises now that Ren has been unusually quiet since the start of their dance, prompting him to become concerned.
When he lifts his fingers to his ear, he's surprised to find that his earpiece is missing. He hadn't taken it off, and he had fought through many missions before without it coming loose, so he couldn't have lost it during the dance. He thinks back on the night, to his exchange with the mysterious woman and her parting words to him.
I'll be seeing you, Spiky Club.
The drop of his name just when she was leaving had to be more than mere coincidence; it was as if her final words were a promise, an invitation to come and find her. Ranmaru wasn't one to pass up a challenge, and he needed to find out who she was, as well as figure out how she knew his name. Knowing that he needed to see her again, Ranmaru slinks out of the ballroom in search of the woman, her touch still warm against his skin.