"This is ridiculous." Artemis grumbled. "Parties are awful." He wiped a hand across his brow, his sweat-soaked bangs clinging to his hand. Summer was the worst. Parties were terrible. And outdoor parties in the summer were hell itself. Why, why had his father decided it would be a good idea to invite the Wayne family, of all people, to the estate. Not that he had anything against them, but one Bruce Wayne's adopted daughters- Stephanie, was it?- had bonded with his mother and the guest list had quickly spiraled out of control. Now, several thousand people had been invited and several hundred types of hors d'oeuvres were being served.
Butler was gone, patrolling the grounds for suspicious individuals with Juliet. With no small amount of protest from Artemis, his father had separated the two, leaving him stranded in this sea of people without a single confidant.
"Isn't this just amazing, Arty dear?" Angeline Fowl beamed down at her son. Her blonde hair had been styled to perfection, and not a drop of sweat appeared on her skin even at this infernal temperature. Artemis had to admire her composure.
"...Fine, mother." Artemis replied, adjusting his tie. God, the heat really was getting to him if he was fiddling with his suit. "Simply perfect."
Thankfully, Angeline missed the note of sarcasm in his voice, and she pecked on the cheek and flounced off to greet other guests, including the illustrious Mr. Wayne himself. Artemis was
starting to hate the man, just because of this party.
"You look miserable." Artemis turns slightly right, trying to move as little as possible, (as to avoid the embarrassment of 'pit stains'. Juliet had warned him about this.) and is faced with a man.
Not just any man though. If Artemis is remembering correctly, this is Richard 'Dick' Grayson, heir to the entire Wayne Company. Voted most wanted bachelor by one of those ridiculous tabloids- Artemis can't remember which- this year. He's too busy being miserable to care at this moment.
"I am." He snaps,cordiality forgotten, and returns to watching people pass by and counting the seconds until he can retreat to blessed solitude and air conditioning. God, he's never realized how amazing it is until now. However, this Richard character refuses to quit, and seems to take pity on him.
"Here, want a drink?" He holds up a pair of bottles, and without second thoughts Artemis grabs one, pops the cap and downs it, loving every second the cool substance flows down his throat.
Once he finishes, he feels slightly more civil and ready for conversation.
"Thank you."
Dick grins. "No thanks needed. But one child of an eccentric millionaire to another, how do you know I didn't poison your drink?"
Artemis closes his eyes, trying to remember the exact details of the bottles Dick was holding so carelessly in his hands, and a smirk graces his face as his eyes pop open. Ah, the perks of having an eidetic memory. "Both bottle caps were sealed, and judging by the frost that had accumulated on the glass, no hands but yours had touched it."
"Damn." Dick whistles. "And they say Tim's smart."
"Timothy Drake?"
"Wayne now." Dick corrects, glancing down at him. Artemis can't help but be a little suspicious of the man. Holly would say it's jealously, and make a snide comment about his height, however, she was even shorter than him. Artemis couldn't help but feel a little smug at the fact.
"Do you know him?" Dick asks, genuinely curious.
Artemis frowns. "Distant cousins. From what I know, father had a 'falling out' with one of his in-laws."
Dick laughs. "Y'know, you really remind me of someone. My lil' brother, Damian Wayne." He jerks a thumb towards a boy in a white, pinstriped suit with a red tie. Judging by the way Dick's words are starting to slur, Artemis thinks he may be a little drunk. Oddly enough, it hadn't been too obvious before, but now...
His father beckons to him, and Artemis walks towards the imposing figures of both his father and Mr. Wayne, a pleasant smile plastered across his face. It's a farce of course; he's loathing every second he moves.
"Father." Artemis Fowl the First turns towards him, genuinely pleased to see his son. Bruce is simply curious, but once his father begins to launch into a detailed account of the family business (excluding the former criminal activity, of course) Wayne looks to be genuinely interested. Probably looking for business opportunities. Having heard the speech before, Artemis lets his gaze wander till it zooms in to the boy on Bruce's right.
He hadn't noticed him previously, but now, he wonders how he couldn't have. He holds himself with an air of importance and most definitely pride, and although most probably can't sense it, he radiates hostility. Artemis's eyes take in his impeccably tailored suit and tie and he wonders how alike they must seem.
The other boy appears to be surveying Artemis as well, and gives a derisive smirk in his direction. Artemis can feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise, and he wills himself to stay calm. Instead of letting an angry flush cross his face, he raises an eyebrow, causing the boy in front of him to frown.
Bruce Wayne takes notice of the action claps a hand over his son's shoulder. "I see you've seen my son, Damian." He says, following the statement with a hearty laugh. The boy gives Artemis a downright predatory grin, and he can feel his eyes narrow.
Artemis gets the feeling they'll be seeing a lot more of each other.