Partners in Crime

Elysian Portrait

March 1, 2023

Dusk and Xavia find themselves outside an opulent mansion, queued up behind several other elegantly attired couples and wealthy individuals. Xavia is considerably pissed off at the forced arrangement. He wears a formal suit adorned with sun motifs, complemented by a matching mask, while Dusk is clad in a violet dress adorned with celestial patterns, accentuated by a moon-themed mask.

All of this expensive and ridiculous get-up just to recover a painting known as the Elysian Portrait, currently owned by the party's host, Lady Marcella and wanted by their employer, Aurelius Van Helsing.

Squaring his broad shoulders, Xavia leans against a nearby pillar as he grumbles under his breath, "Would've been easier breaking in and stealing the damned thing than playing dress up. I should be figuring out how to manipulate my nen to get us in without being seen."

Hearing Dusk's soft giggle beside him only irks him further, Xavia turns sharply towards her. His dark brown eyes narrowed at her mirthful expression beneath her intricate mask. This job was already a pain in the ass for him but having to attend it with Miss Sunshine and Rainbows was just adding insult to injury.

"Why do you find this funny?" He growls lowly before turning away again.

"Because you're taking this more seriously than I thought," Dusk replies, her eyes gleaming with amusement. She takes a step closer to him, the soft fabric of her dress brushing against his suit, "I mean look at us! Feels like we are on a... Uh..." She hesitates for a moment as she tries to find the right words before settling on, "A strange date."

"A date?" Xavia repeats incredulously, scoffing at the notion, "Do you honestly think that I would ever-" He cuts himself off as his eyes scan the crowd ahead of them, irritation flaring within him, "Just focus on your job, Dusk."

His hands clench into fists in his pockets as he resists doing something rash, like tossing her over the mansion wall. This was nothing short of torture for him.

Rolling her eyes, she lets out a huff of exasperation, "Fine," She says curtly, turning to gaze at the ornate building in front of them.

Underneath her mask, however, Dusk can't ignore the flicker of disappointment that danced across her heart when Xavia dismissed the thought so callously. All she wanted was for them to have just one fun night together.

With a dismissive snort, Xavia adjusts the collar of his suit, feeling as if it's suffocating him, "Try not to get us caught," He spits out before falling back into his cynical, impassive demeanor.

Despite himself, he feels an odd pang of unease at her sudden silence. He turns to glimpse at her as she tugs on the hemline of her star-adorned dress and looks away. Taking note of how it sways around Dusk's body in ways that are drawing attention from other men in line, a sight Xavia finds surprisingly disconcerting.

As they reach the front entrance, the door attendant asks for their tickets, which Xavia provides from his jacket pocket. Upon viewing them, the man offers them a closed-mouth smile, "Ah, you must be Aurelius Van Helsing's cousin and his lovely wife. Please do come in," He motions for them to enter the mansion.

Xavia forces a smile at the door attendant's words, "Yes, that would be us," He mutters out through gritted teeth as his fist clenches tighter around Dusk's arm.

He notes to himself how Aurelius has a wicked sense of humor by having him play husband and wife with someone who irritates him this much.

As they step into the building, the white-haired man drops her arm like it was burning him and quickly adjusts his mask to hide his annoyance with his disguise. He turns sharply towards Dusk, shaking off any remnants of physical contact as if repelled by it, yet he pauses when noticing how well she seems to fit in with this crowd.