As the party continued, Jasmin moved about with the practiced grace of one long experienced to hosting upscale events. The evening was going well, she thought. Nothing well and truly major had gone wrong, and as far as she could tell, she hadn't run in to anyone there to cause trouble. It left her making her way through the crowd with a Singpore Sling, highly alcoholic though it was and having less of an immediate effect. A slight frown crossed her face, though, at the newest arrival she found herself almost literally crashing in to, gone just as quickly.
She forced a smile to her face as made out the familiar sight of Balthazar Romano and his new associate standing to the side. Putting on her best smile, she moved to put her free hand up on Balthazar's shoulder, moving to kiss each cheek lightly. "Ah, Balthazar, such a pleasure to see you. Didn't realize you were on the list or I would have made it a point to come greet you, personally. How are you this evening?" And how many women have you tried to pick up so far? she wondered.
“Oh you know I hate to miss any A-list party”. The older man took in the sight of the vampiress, decked out in her overly sexualized outfit. A grin crossed his face. “You‘re so stunning, I think my heart might just stop,” he purred, turning on the charm. “Perhaps that was your plan all along; shame on you, trying to kill an old man.”
You have to have a heart before I can make it stop. "Alas, you have uncovered my hidden agenda. As always, however, you have managed to survive my best attempts to do you in." She clears her throat slightly, taking a perhaps longer sip of her drink than she intended. "I hope things are going well?"
Taking Jasmin’s arm, the two began circling the room, Balthazar’s bodyguard trailing a few steps back.
“Things are well, for now,” the sorcerer said cryptically. “Great party by the way,” he added, changing the subject, as he smiled and mouthed ‘hello’ to some bossomy blonde across the dance floor. The girl giggled, waving back as she flashed a coquettish smile. “Money and power, it’s the best aphrodisiac,” he whispered, into Jasmin’s ear.
Jasmin stopped and turned to him, with her thin smile. She knew he was like that, but the earlier ruining of her evening several nights before still grated. "Yes, it is. Many young women have told me the same thing." Well for now. That hung in the air, along with their earlier discussion. Just what was he planning? "I know you. You've got something on your mind, and it's more than A Little Piece of Heaven."
“You’re always so straight to business,” he sighed, their arms still locked. Romano was about to speak, when he noticed a familiar face across the room. Balthazar scowled. “Playing with fire are we?” Jasmin followed his gaze to the Hispanic man at the bar, waiting for drinks to be delivered. From the look on her face, he knew she wasn’t following. “His name is Pablo Sandoval. He’s a cop who specializes in cases dealing with people who run in our social circles. If I were you, I’d be wondering exactly why he’s here”.
Jasmin looked over at him, flashing a small smile. Special Crimes Unit. Of course. It was the way that her luck went. Still, she wasn't too concerned. It wasn't without the realm of possibility that something strange could happen at an event which was, in a sense, dedicated to the supernatural. Even when said dedication was to a romantic, highly inaccurate version of how things really were. “Probably just a fan. You worry far too much for your own good some nights.”
“Well, there’s something else, but we need to talk private. Especially with people like him, around”.
“Unless you haven’t noticed, this is a bit of a busy night and I don’t have time to…”
Balthazar interjected “well if it’s time we need,” he huffed, catching Jasmin off guard as he grabbed her hand. The sorcerer began to mutter under his breath, weaving together the pieces of the spell which would offer them some privacy. “Perhaps you now you’ll be more willing to listen”.
Jasmin looked about the room again. Balthazar was still clear, but everything else seemed slowed down, blurry. Like looking through a glass. I really hate it when he does that. No matter how often he dropped the Cone of Silence, she would never get used to it. "This is important if you're willing to risk this. What's going on?"
“I need your help finding an artifact,” he said, his face serious for the first time all night. “We both know that you have the most comprehensive library in all of New York and I need some information which no one else seems to be able to provide. Of course," he added, the sly smirk once again emerging, "If you help me, i'll be indebted."
Most comprehensive in all of New York, now? Now she definitely knew that he was up to something. Yes, she had a decent collection of general knowledge. But she knew damn well that her own collections could not hold a candle to the more specialized occultists around. “What are you looking for, Balthazar?”
“Whatever you can find on The Eye of St Vigeous”. Balthazar seemed to waver, the exertion of the magic catching up on him. “And this is time sensitive my dear. The quicker you can help me, the more I'll make it worth your while”. The wizard hesitated a moment, considering if he should bring up the other topic that was weighing on his mind. The Drop...Tabitha had mentioned Carmine had the object and that spelled trouble. Let's just see how that plays out he decided, not wanting to show all his cards to the crafty vampiress.
The Eye of St. Vigeous. The name hung there, not because of what it was but because of part of the name. She knew in the vaguest sense who St. Vigeous was. Any artifact related to him, though, spelled trouble in the hands of a human. Especially among the older vampires, it would make him both a target and a person with leverage. “I'll see what I can find,” she said softly to him, mind already racing to recall details. “No promises, though.”
With that, the room came back into focus as he let the spell drop.
“Now, that business is out of the way,” he huffed, his breath coming a big heavy, “I think it’s time to enjoy the party”.
“Yes, it is,” she spoke, staying locked into his arm for a few moments longer, as her mind considered the possibilities. Whatever he had gotten himself in to had to be bad for a meeting, and if that bad gave her bad publicity, he'd pay. She was broken from her reverie, disengaging from him gratefully as someone else approached.
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