21:19 <banana> It's the morning after another night. Not properly morning, just 3 or so, but Sergio's awake. This time he hasn't left yet. He's watching Willie, and the pressure of his gaze wakes her up, too. 21:20 <VoxPVoxD> Sergio perceives it first as a quickening of her heartrate and a gentle but pronounced intake of breath. Then her eyes flutter open gently in his direction in the dark. Are they at hers again? 21:28 <banana> Willie's in her own bed. She feels a little groggy. Pleasure's still with her, an immense warmth. Sergio's got his pants on, but he's been kind enough to leave the shirt for now. 21:29 <VoxPVoxD> Mmmm. "Mmmm." 21:29 <banana> Sergio: "Sweet lady." 21:30 <VoxPVoxD> "Dashing gentleman." 21:30 <banana> "I prefer to lounge idly." 21:31 <VoxPVoxD> "That's not what your torso says." 21:31 <banana> "You'd be surprised how little effort it takes to maintain. Getting in shape was a hassle, but after that it's a matter of... nutrition." 21:32 <banana> Sergio slaps his chest and chuckles. "I'll have to leave soon - I thought you might like to talk, first." 21:34 <VoxPVoxD> Willie sits up, bringing pillows with her to support her against the headboard. Her head spins a bit; a gauzy nightgown is pooled on the floor beside her bed. "Stealing away before the break of dawn after such a spectacular evening just makes you seem even more dashing, you know." 21:34 <banana> Unfortunately, the bed's become cold. Willie may need a heater or a hot water bottle once he's gone. 21:35 <banana> Sergio: "I'm happy with that as long as it doesn't resemble a walk of shame." 21:36 <VoxPVoxD> Maybe so. In the meantime, Willie's body always runs a little hot - her resting temperature is just shy of 38 degrees. "I certainly hope it doesn't." A weak chuckle. 21:38 <banana> Decisively: "Let's minimise shame entirely. I told you we had mutual acquaintances, and you deduced I was keeping secrets." 21:38 <banana> The reckoning could not be postponed indefinitely. 21:42 <VoxPVoxD> Willie takes a deep breath, to relax a bit. "Yes. I should emphasise that... I trust you. That's why we can talk about this." Nevermind why we can talk about it while cumulatively 75% naked. 21:43 <banana> "Thank you, Willie." Sergio raises a cool-fingered hand to caress her cheek. "I wonder whether you've already heard some things about the people I'm talking about. The circles you might have moved in..." 21:43 <banana> "I don't suppose you remember the name Simpson Kirkpatrick." 21:46 <VoxPVoxD> She's a bit hazy, between the blood loss and being just-woken-up, but her eyes are bright and lively in the darkness. "I have the sense that I've been introduced to that name before. But I can't put a place or a face to it." 21:46 <VoxPVoxD> "Balmoral maybe?" 21:46 <VoxPVoxD> She hasn't been since she was 13. 21:46 <banana> Sergio: "Could be. He's certainly moved in exalted circles at one point." 21:47 <banana> "Simpson doesn't really matter. My point is simply that there's a secret society." 21:47 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "A secret high society." 21:48 <banana> Sergio: "Classic conspiracy material! Ancient traditions, fallen on hard times. The covenant soldiers on, bringing in relatively young folk with ideas about art. But they still hearken back to their origins, which is to say, blue blood." 21:48 <banana> "You don't know these people, but they know you well enough that they'd be willing to meet. I've asked." 21:49 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Know me by station? By reputation? People will have very different ideas of me if they know me by my last name, or my CV, or that spread in the Sun." 21:50 <VoxPVoxD> "What are they expecting?" 21:52 <banana> Sergio: "Not much. All they know about is the blood. This is something I've asked for, alii' arcana." 21:52 <banana> Other peoples' secrets. 21:53 <banana> "I want to be able to tell you things, invite you to places, ask you questions and expect reciprocation. These people hold the key to that, Willie." 21:54 <VoxPVoxD> A little breathlessly: "Yes. I want that too. I feel as if I am on the periphery of something I can only see you through darkly." 21:55 <VoxPVoxD> "What sort of impression should I give to make this easier for you?" 21:55 <VoxPVoxD> "What should I be worrying about?" 21:56 <banana> Sergio takes her hand and kisses it with full, cold lips. "I'll explain." 21:56 <VoxPVoxD> She shivers a bit, but she leans forward rather than back. 21:57 <VoxPVoxD> In the stillness and dark even *she* can hear her own heartbeat. 21:57 <banana> "If you're willing, come to Inchcape at midnight. I'll be waiting there to escort you in. It would be best to bring displays of wealth - jewelery. Servants. You want to look like someone born to a noble name, because that's one of the two criteria to be trusted with covenant secrets." 21:58 <VoxPVoxD> "The other?" 21:59 <banana> "Conveying the certainty that you won't betray those secrets." 21:59 <banana> Sergio: "All you'd need to do is meet a few people and either befriend them or just.. be acceptable, tolerated. The basic problem is this:" 22:00 <banana> "The society, which I have never previously regretted joining, is actively murderous in the event that trust is not granted." 22:00 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Are you in danger as well?" 22:01 <banana> He puts on an accent. "Lil' bit." 22:01 <banana> "Not really. I'm in good standing, in the deep end, all of that. The only way I'd be blamed or punished is if you did something completely nuts." 22:02 <banana> He doesn't seem to think it's a possibility. 22:02 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "And their sense of the completely nuts comports with mine, as a sane outsider?" 22:04 <banana> Sergio: "Yes, I'd think so! Arson and massacres and so on. We can rule it out." 22:04 <banana> "There's not much chance you get attacked, either. If they don't trust you it's more common to presume you'll forget, or to.. perform... blackmail of a sort." 22:04 <banana> "But I have to emphasise the risks. These people aren't criminals; they're too rich." 22:05 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "They only do the crimes that aren't actually illegal, like tax evasion." Or rape. 22:07 <banana> "Some of that! I know Simpson pays some taxes." 22:07 <banana> Sergio: "And if they think that you both can and will betray their secrets, murder would be the last resort." 22:07 <banana> "So don't do this for me. You need to think about how much you care about secrets." 22:08 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "That's quite difficult to disentangle. I care about these secrets in large part because I care about you. But at this point I am dreadfully curious." 22:09 <VoxPVoxD> "If I brought someone with me, do you think it would be alright if he were armed? Armored?" 22:09 <banana> Sergio's face is somber- and then it brightens up. "Oh, yes. That sort of thing gets you taken seriously." 22:09 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "That's good to hear." 22:10 <banana> "In a millieu where people are willing to kill to keep secrets.. having a personal guard is mutual deterrence. It reduces the risk." 22:10 <VoxPVoxD> She leans in conspiratorially, her breath brushing his ear, cheek, throat: "I've got a guy." 22:10 <banana> "If you want him." 22:10 <banana> "Ah wait, you mean- right." 22:11 <banana> "Well, a guy for this, with less baggage - that would be good." 22:11 <VoxPVoxD> Willie grins. "I'm honoured, of course. But what I absolutely don't want is to put you in a position where you have to take my side against theirs. That is a more practical failure state than firebombing." 22:12 <VoxPVoxD> "So yes, I've got a guy, quite apart from the fact that I've got a man." 22:12 <banana> "If it comes down to it... I will." Sergio sounds surprised. 22:13 <banana> "Let's try to avoid that." 22:13 <banana> "That's everything I'm allowed to give you until we're on the grounds of Inchcape. If you'll come." 22:14 <VoxPVoxD> Willie swoons. He would do that for her? "Absolutely. I'll be there with figurative bells and literal diamonds on." 22:15 <banana> For now Willie's got nothing on, but she gets a hug. 22:16 <VoxPVoxD> She reciprocates and more, dragging her hot lips across his cold collarbone, his neck, his chin, his mouth... "If you're leaving, you should do it soon. Otherwise I won't let you." 22:17 <banana> It looks like Sergio really does have to go, because he rubs his cheek against hers for a few moments and then pulls away. "Alright, I won't test you! We'll see each other soon, unless you change your mind. Wouldn't be a character flaw, just a choice." 22:18 <VoxPVoxD> "Do you think sticking by you is a character flaw?" 22:19 <banana> "I do not. I think we might go to some pretty unusual places." 22:20 <banana> Sergio's doing up his shirt pretty hurriedly at this point, but he doesn't rush out the door. In fact, he pauses for a moment. "You've reminded me.What was that about animals?" 22:21 <VoxPVoxD> Willie: "Oh. Well I was curious, for selfish reasons. I am very fond of animals. So that you are too is a great credit in my books." 22:21 <VoxPVoxD> Then: "...Far fonder of them than they are of me, in fact. I used to love to ride horses and run with the dogs. Now even the neighbor's cat hisses on sight." 22:21 <VoxPVoxD> She sounds more than a little sad. 22:21 <VoxPVoxD> Not a tone he's heard from her before. 22:21 <banana> "Hmm. Hmmmmm." 22:22 <banana> Sergio: "Leave that one with me. I might have an idea." 22:22 <VoxPVoxD> Willie has no idea what this means, but the tone of his voice immediately puts her into 'into it' mode. 22:23 <VoxPVoxD> She just nods. The headache's starting to creep up the back of her neck.