Silas University was frequently host to strange events and unusual activities. Maybe it was something in the soil or the water, but everything was just a shade... off at campus. Eyeballs in luncheons, the chemistry club press-ganging test subjects, at least two organizations at open war with each other. There was rarely a boring day.

As if Silas was desperate not to break with this tradition for unusual activities, there was a gala event planned the next weekend on campus. The cause? A new display about a recently obtained jewel that the Silas Museum of Unnatural History had recently come into possession of, thought to be worth millions. The town hall on Silas' campus was an old-timey reception building, one that had been used for balls and parties in the past.

The jewel would be on display on the second floor lobby, while a party - there would be dancing - was held in the main room. There would be a record number of whos who at the party, so of course Laura had to come.

Her roommate Betty was a huge help. Laura hadn't exactly prepared clothes for partying, but Betty had! It turned out that in addition to being prepared to party hard college-style, Betty had really formal-looking clothes in her closet that fit Laura perfectly. Laura suspected that deep inside, or perhaps recently, Betty had been a very uptight and formal fashionista. The Betty of the now had no use for the clothes, so Laura was free to 'borrow' anything she wanted.

The fact Betty was willing to borrow Laura some clothes wasn't the only good thing about her though. She was also a great listener, she had a great sense of humor, and she was so warm and encouraging! Even if she was focused on partying over learning, unusual for a math major (Betty admitted she'd chosen Math because it came easy to her, not because she was overly interested in it- but anything to get a scholarship to go partying at college, right?) the smart-and-maybe-too-extroverted Betty and Laura made fast friends. Laura was calling Betty her new best friend after a few weeks, a title Betty wore with an adorkable blush.

Betty chose flashy clothing that glimmered and twirled. When she demonstrated her twirling technique in front of Laura, she looked like a human disco ball. Flashy, glimmery, twirly, that was Betty up and down. Laura chose a blue top with some major neckline and a short skirt to go with it. It was a little daring, but next to Betty Laura looked ready for a formal event.

The two went as a pair (of course!) to the gala. It was fun and champagne flowed easy. Both Laura and Betty had perhaps a glass too much. There was dancing, mostly with each other, and all of it terrible, at least from Laura's end. Betty didn't seem to mind.

They talked all night. Betty had apparently been intended to go to an Ivy League university, but just as an excuse to go abroad she'd toured some foreign schools. After her visit to Silas she fell in love with the place. Something about the atmosphere, the architecture, the way the earth groaned.

Laura hadn't visited Silas before choosing it- she'd just chosen the farthest acceptable school she could to get away from home. She loved her father, and he her, but twelve years in a bubble was enough time for her. That and the Krav Maga he made her take was really eating into her computer hacker life- she only had space for so many seperate identities.

The night waned on and Laura began to suspect nothing terribly exciting was going to happen at this event. Everyone was well behaved, even Betty wasn't flirting with her admirers as much as she usually did. No, Betty only seemed to hang around Laura tonight and the perky brunette wondered why that was.

Then Laura spotted Carmilla in the crowd. The very same thief she'd watch knock out full grown men with ease and break into a casino vault was now... making small talk with girls near the drinks, wearing a corset and leather pants. Maybe it was the champagne, but Laura felt irresistibly attracted to her. She told herself it was because of the story she was going to break wide open when she cornered Carmilla and then- and then- she wasn't sure what, but she felt confident and tipsy enough she could wing it.

Obliviously interrupting Betty's strangely heartfelt request for a dance, Laura gave a quick excuse as to why she needed to run to the other side of the ballroom and put on her game face. She was a professional. A reporter. A journalist. She was on the trail of a hot story and here was the bait.

She decided to play it cool. Smooth. She'd wait until Carmilla was alone, maybe after she had dismissed another unremarkable suitor for her attention.

Which is why she was caught by total surprise when Carmilla walked up to her.

"Hey there, cupcake." Carmilla said. Laura nearly spilled her drink, turning around much too quickly. "Whoa there, a little jumpy?"

"Sorry, I just- I wasn't expe- you startled me, is all." Laura gave a weak laugh and watched as Carmilla took an empty champagne glass and filled it up, settling herself at the table beside Laura.

"Not used to being approached? Easy there, I'm not going to bite you." Carmilla spoke coolly, taking a sip of her champagne. "By the way, I'm Carmilla. What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Laura. So... what brings you to Silas? Business or pleasure?"

Carmilla looked down the length of Laura's body and rested her eyes on Laura's own for only a moment before smirking and turning away. "A little bit of both, you could say. I'm here for business, but pleasure is never too far away." Her voice was coated in sex, sleek like a panther, and the way she glanced at Laura could certainly be called predatory.

"Oh, yeah?" Laura asked, oblivious to her new designation as prey. "What kind of business do you stea- get into?"

"Mm, all sorts. Depends on who's paying me and what they want." Carmilla sipped from her glass and watched Laura carefully. "What about you, cutie? Business or pleasure?"

"Oh, I'm totally business." Laura laughed nervously. "I'm actually trying to become a journalist. Yeah."

"Oh, really?" Carmilla asked, with what seemed like genuine interest. An idea came to her and she gave a sly smile. "I could give you a personal interview, if you'd like."

Before Laura could properly formulate a reply to that, the music settled down and a waltz began to play. Carmilla set her glass on the table and extended a hand to Laura. "Tell me, do you know how to waltz?" Laura nodded, confused. and set her own drink aside. "What do you say we hit the dance floor and discuss this further?"

"Is this business or pleasure?" Laura laughed weakly, a bit taken aback by the forwardness, and a bit intrigued. Maybe it was the champagne, but a waltz with this lady- this very dangerous lady she knew to be a thief- seemed sort of... appealing at the moment.

"Mm, this is all pleasure." Carmilla purred, and pulled Laura onto the dance floor.

Face to face, chest to chest, Carmilla lead Laura on a dance through the center of the room, moving in sync. Fingers thread through fingers, Carmilla twirled Laura, and their hands reclasped together. To Laura's great surprise, she was enjoying herself. She had to fight to remind herself that dancing was not why she was here.

Taking advantage of the intimacy of the moments, Laura locked eyes with Carmilla. "I know what you're here for." She said, causing Carmilla to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh really now, sweetheart? What do you think that is?" She practically purred into Laura's ear.

"The jewel. You're gonna steal the jewel, aren't you?"

To her credit Carmilla didn't mis-step, but her eyes widened and lips tightened, and the flirtatious way she'd been regarding Laura vanished. It was not unlike a cat suddenly losing its good mood and turning into an animal dangerous to touch. "And how would you know that?"

"I, uh... I'm very good at reading people." Laura said. "Plus you're like a super criminal, you stole from that Electric Ice casino. I saw you do it! I mean.. I didn't SEE see you do it, but I saw- er, it doesn't matter how I saw it." Laura tried to cover the slip of her tongue, but it was too little too late, and the cat had it. Carmilla's eyes lit up with understanding.

"They haven't even let that slip to the news yet. So how would you know about that? You 'saw' it, huh? Ah.. you were the one controlling the cameras." Carmilla relaxed and gave Laura a twirl, perhaps dragging the freshmen back against her a little roughly. "A little too young to be working security... was someone poking their nose where it shouldn't have been?"

"Um... maybe." Laura admitted, caught off-guard. "But that's not important."

"Oh, but it means everything, cupcake. You didn't go to the authorities, you came looking for me specifically. I'm touched."

"Yes, so I could stop you from stealing the jewel."

"And how exactly do you intend to do that? Begging, pleading? A little enticing, but that's not going to stop me."

"This is not the conversation I thought I'd be having." Laura admitted. "I thought you'd just... I'm a journalist, you're supposed to-"

"What did you imagine would happen? I would just give up all the juicy details and maybe turn myself in afterwards?" Carmilla smirked. "Just how much champagne have you had? You're a child, playing at childish games." The waltz ended at that point, leaving the two standing close together, staring at each other as the other dances began to separate. "You don't even begin to understand what you're getting into."

"...maybe not, but I'm not going to give up."

This caught Carmilla off guard, and not in an unpleasant way. A sly smile crossed her lips, and after a few moments, Carmilla leaned in close and whispered into Laura's ear. "Then let the games begin, player. Maybe I'll even give you that personal interview I promised after all." She carefully placed a kiss on the stunned Laura's lips and stepped away, letting Laura's arms drop from around her, turning away, and striding off to go steal a very specific, very valuable jewel sitting in the room above them.

Laura could do nothing but stare.