The Vesuvian sunset was coming to an end, giving way to a twinkling night sky and setting the stage for the evening's festivities. Eager party-goers filed into the palace as Natiqa looked on from the balcony. Gemini sighed and sank onto the chaise lounge, reaching for the bubbly drink next to her on the end table. She was not looking forward to the ball one bit.

Natiqa turned and fixed her with a look, a playful smirk on her lips. "Now, Gemini," she began. "How can you sigh like that when you look this good?" She gestured to the form-fitting dress draped over Gemini's form. "That thing looks like it's been poured onto you. Damn, you look hot!"

Gemini smiled despite herself. "Thanks, Tink." Natiqa snickered; a palace servant had misheard Gemini pronounce "Tiq" as "Tink" once, and the nickname stuck as an inside joke that never failed to bring a grin to "Tink's" face. Raising her thigh caused the garment to shift slightly, showing off the high slit. She remembered how Nadia had asked her what her favorite color was a couple of weeks prior, and what style of clothing she typically liked. The reason behind the inquiry became apparent when Portia delivered a beautiful (and expensive) new dress to the shop earlier this week. With a big smile on her face, she'd proudly told Gemini that she was invited to stay at the palace the night of the Lovers' Day ball and that she could come early to get ready if she liked. Natiqa was wandering the halls, bored and already dressed when Gemini arrived, and she happily offered her assistance getting ready. "Nadi really did a great job finding something that suits my tastes, I'll have to thank her later."

Natiqa hummed her agreement. With one last look outside, she moved to stand behind Gemini and started playing with her hair. "What are we doing with this? Your hair is getting so long!" In response to the light touch on her scalp, Gemini's eyes fluttered shut. "I remember you were rocking a badass bob when we first met."

"Ugh, that was over a year ago," Gemini grimaced. Opening her eyes, she frowned down at her shoulder-length hair. "My hair takes forever to grow." She pinched a piece between her fingers before letting it fall away with disdain.

"Should we do a low pony? I love a low pony." Natiqa tugged her hair back and looked into the mirror on the opposite wall expectantly. "It will complement the… mature look your outfit is giving." Gemini just nodded, causing Natiqa to click her tongue. Looking around the room, she spotted a pair of fashionable heels by the door and let out a tiny squeal. "Are those the shoes you're wearing?"

"Mm." Gemini sipped at her drink.

"You're going all out with the visuals tonight, huh? Sheesh!" Normally, she would have been preening at the way Natiqa hyped her up, but she wasn't in the mood. There was a pit in her stomach all day, and she wished she could just go home, swipe Asra's expensive wine, and end the night crawling into their bed in a drunken haze. Alas, she was an honored friend of the Vesuvian palace ever since last year's events with Lucio and the Devil, and her absence would be noticed at Nadia's extravagant events.

Natiqa exhaled slowly, and Gemini felt bad for bringing down the vibe. She slid into the seat across from Gemini and sat cross-legged, leveling her with a stare that the latter knew was coming. "Okay, what is wrong with you? Spill."

Gemini knocked back the rest of her drink, frowning when it went down the wrong way and choking back a cough. "It's Lovers' Day."

Natiqa quirked an eyebrow. "Uh-huh," came her reply, tone encouraging her to continue.

"It's Lovers' Day, there's a ball tonight, I look goddamn hot, and I have no date." Although she omitted the final reason she felt down, she was certain Natiqa picked up on the unspoken words.

"Yes you do," she smirked, shrugging. "I'm your date."

"Tink…"

"I mean it! I promise I will be your guardian angel. I won't leave your side nor let a single piece of that pretty little heart break tonight."

Gemini chuckled. "Sure, until some Morenian noble comes over to talk politics with you." As much as she wished Natiqa's words were true, the duties of an ambassador never ended.

Said ambassador waved her hand dismissively. "I can curve them," she retorted. "Diplomatically, of course." At that, both women burst out laughing, a mischievous look sprouting on Natiqa's face after they calmed down. "Right, let's play a game."

Gemini played along with the change in subject. "I'm down. What is it?"

Natiqa grinned wickedly. "FMK." She cracked up at the look she received in response. "Come on, it'll be fun, I promise!"

Fun, she says. All thoughts of sneaking around the palace and causing mischief, as was usual for them, vanished. Gemini was skeptical of how a romantically-inclined game was supposed to help when romance was the source of her sour mood. "Can't we go pull a prank on Vlastomil?" she pleaded. "Or even better, Valerius?" Seeing him perturbed would make her feel immensely better.

Natiqa simply replied, "Procurator Volta, Praetor Vlastomil, and Consul Valerius."

Gemini sat back and groaned in protest, pretending to consider her options as she stared up at the high ceilings of her guest room. "Fuck Valerius—" Natiqa's playful exclamations interrupted before she could continue.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Natiqa raised her hands, mirth dancing in her eyes. "Is this…?"

Gemini gave her a flat expression. "No," she returned. "Given the options I have," Natiqa's eyebrows waggled at this, "that's just how it is. Marry Volta, and kill Vlastomil. Remind me, how old are we again?" The game was fun when she was a teenager, but she was quite bemused by it now.

Ignoring her, Natiqa launched into the next round, leaving Gemini helpless to cooperate. They continued the game for a bit, the sky darkening with each outrageous response and howl of excitement as she eventually got tipsy enough to get into it. Finally, Natiqa tore her gaze from Gemini doubled over in laughter to check the clock. "Alright, last one, or we'll be late." Gemini settled down and sat up. She was grateful to have a friend like her—she could be flitting about the palace right now doing any number of things to help Nadia with last-minute touches for the ball. Instead, she was with her, trying to cheer her up so she wouldn't feel so low once they had to make their appearance in the main hall. She also was not one to help with event preparation to begin with, but it was the thought that counted.

Putting a finger to her lips, Natiqa thought for a moment before holding up a fist. "Pontifex Vulgora, the finally late Count Lucio," she listed, sticking up a finger with each name. Gemini made a face at the already unimpressive list. With a self-satisfied smirk, the final option was revealed: "Quaestor Valdemar."

Silence. Then, the sound of barely contained giggling as Gemini dramatically rolled her eyes and fell back onto the chaise. While Gemini sulked at ending the game with that lineup, she couldn't deny the extra heavy thump in her chest when she heard the last person's name. It should have made her skin crawl, thinking of the creepy doctor's malicious smile and decidedly non-human mannerisms. And yet…

Am I attracted to the Quaestor? The thought startled her. Before she let her mind stray further, she shook her head and coughed, hoping to cover for her pause in answering. "First of all, yuck, Natiqa." A grin was flashed her way while she pondered over her choices.

"I want an explanation for these, too," Natiqa added innocently. Perfect.

"Kill Vulgora, for sure. As far as I'm concerned, it would be self-defense." She shivered at the thought of their red face and "murder eyes," as she called them, and Natiqa chortled. "Marry Lucio, because he's dead and it would be no trouble to immediately get a divorce." The laughter increased while she tried to think of how to explain her last choice; abruptly, Natiqa sat up, mock scandalized.

"Oh ho ho, that means—"

"Yes, fuck the Quaestor," Gemini admitted, beating her to the punch. "They're not dead, and they're not Vulgora, so that's all."

Natiqa cocked her head. "You sure about that first one?"

Gemini's lip twitched. "Not at all." They both cackled at that, and she stood up and smoothed her dress. Padding to the vanity, an assortment of bobbles and fine jewelry greeted her. "Now come help with my hair, please. It's almost time."

A knowing grin played on Natiqa's features as she complied. "Oh, you're not sliding out of this that easy." She proceeded to tease Gemini about her implied attraction to Quaestor Valdemar as she slicked back her hair and put the finishing touches on her makeup. Soon enough, she stood back and admired her handiwork in the mirror. "Alright, cutie pie. Whaddya think?"

Natiqa is so good at this, what the hell. Gemini turned her head to admire the way her cheekbones glittered in the fading light and sounded her appreciation at the severe lines artfully drawn around her eyes. "Sexy."

"No, the makeup." She swatted at Natiqa as she laughed. Once Gemini laced up her heels, she took the arm offered to her as they made their way down to the main hall. They chatted lightly about random things before the conversation returned to where Gemini preferred it did not.

"So," Natiqa prompted, dropping her voice to a whisper. "Are we on the prowl for the Quaestor tonight, or—"

"Sh!" Gemini was mortified, looking around the empty hallway to make sure no one heard. "Will you drop that already? No!"

Natiqa shot her a teasing smile, followed by a "Sorry, sorry." She was silent for a moment before continuing. "But as you said, it's Lovers' Day, you look goddamn hot, and you're single. You're not going to try to get a cuddle buddy for the evening?"

"No," Gemini groaned. She was already in a vulnerable state—she did not think a one-night stand was wise. "You know I'm not in the state of mind for that."

They fell silent again, Natiqa looking like she wanted to say more before she sighed instead. "Alright, no doctor or stranger love tonight."

Not wanting her to be too disappointed in her, Gemini offered, "You know what, there might be someone after all." The familiar sparkle returned to Natiqa's eyes as her face lit up.

"Ooh, tell me!" She exclaimed.

"Is Nazali coming tonight?" Just as she anticipated, Natiqa's face fell, her excitement morphing into a deadpan expression.

"What."

"They are very attractive, and maybe I'll flirt with them a little if they're game," Gemini pressed on, pretending to be oblivious. "Actually, the entire Satrinava family is hot." She raised an eyebrow to Natiqa's vacant stare. "Especially your dad. Total DILF."

"…DILF."

"That's 'Dad I'd Like to F—"

"I know what it means!" Natiqa shrieked, wrinkling her nose and pulling away. Gemini's laughter was cut short as they approached the double doors leading to the main hall. Her palms started to sweat, and she was thankful for the arm-length gloves currently shielding Natiqa from her clammy grip.

"Ready?" asked Natiqa, looking over at her.

She took a deep breath. "Ready."

#

"Cheers, babe." Following the clink of their glasses, the two friends downed their shots in unison, Gemini expelling a refreshed sigh and Natiqa scrambling to stuff a lime into her mouth. It was nice of Natiqa to suggest them to take the edge off even though she wasn't a fan of alcohol herself. Gemini turned to survey the room.

The palace decorators really outdid themselves—pink, red, and white streamers draped from the impossibly high ceiling, and the chandelier emitted a subtle rosy, warm light. The tiled floor was filled with illusions of swirling hearts, occasionally bathing a dancing couple in its light. As usual, long tables stacked with various delights—both Vesuvian and foreign, no doubt to suit all visitors' tastes—lined the perimeter of the dance floor. At one corner of the room, a fountain bubbled with pink champagne; directly across from it on the other side of the room, there was a chocolate fountain with a varied spread of snacks to dip with. A giant heart-shaped structure sat just outside the main window, pulsing pink and red.

Needless to say, the atmosphere was… romantic. It both brought a smile to Gemini's lips and made her shoulders slump. Oh, how she couldn't wait until the night was over.

"Gem, how can you drink this stuff?" Natiqa's incredulous voice pulled Gemini out of her thoughts. "It burns!"

"I like the burn," she replied, spotting a shock of wild red hair. Its owner beamed at them, making her way through the crowd. A warm smile blossomed on Gemini's cheeks. "Portia!"

"Long time no see!" greeted Portia, patting Gemini's arm. She stepped back as she took in the rare image of her in a dress. When Portia voiced her approval, Gemini stood up a bit straighter and adjusted her leg to show off the slit, eliciting appreciative sounds from her friends. Maybe praise would cheer her up after all. The three chatted about what they'd been up to recently, and the other shared a laugh as Gemini complained about the cursed game she'd been coerced into earlier. Eventually, Portia cleared her throat before flagging down one of the servants strolling around the room with a tray of shot glasses. "Anyway, should we do a shot?" Gemini watched the way Natiqa's face changed, amused.

"We just did one," she remarked gravely.

"It's Lovers' Day, let's do another!" Portia expertly grabbed two of the offered glasses in one hand, taking a third in the other. When Natiqa hesitated, Gemini chuckled and took one shot in each hand.

"I'll take yours for you, Tink," she said. Natiqa's shoulders sagged in relief.

"Oh, thank god," she breathed. "I can't afford to get inebriated right now anyway." Gemini merely winked before tipping a glass backward, draining its contents. The way her throat was set on fire was just what she wanted—no chaser necessary. She grinned contentedly as the heat spread through her chest. A little liquid courage to keep up her brave face was the boost she needed to make it through what would be an exhausting evening. If she gave it at least three more hours, she could probably sneak off back to the room she was staying in and pass out early. On any other night, she would be up for dancing on tabletops with Portia and making a fool out of herself with her lack of skill, but alas.

"Gemini?" She was again brought back to the present by someone speaking to her. "Gemini, are you alright?" a regal voice called. Tuning back into her surroundings, she could see Nadia in elegant dress, impeccably on-theme for the night as usual. Gemini wasn't sure how long she'd been standing there, but given that even Natiqa looked worried, she could hazard a guess. Stiff upper lip. She tilted her head slightly and flashed her usual lopsided grin.

"Nadi." Nadia was visibly relieved to hear her warm timbre, though her eyebrows remained a little scrunched up in concern. Before she could press further, Portia returned from chatting with one of the servants and perked up when she saw her lover. Nadia leaned down to peck her freckled cheeks, Portia giving her a soft greeting in return. Gemini signaled Natiqa to follow her lead and they moved to give the lovebirds some space. They didn't get very far before a jovial man called out to Natiqa, who winced; Gemini could tell he was someone important from a neighboring city by his expensive attire and his slight accent. She smiled—it was just as she had predicted.

Natiqa mouthed an apology before turning around with an amiable grin. "Johannes! How is the night finding you?" Gemini just shook her head and lingered for a moment, admiring how quickly her friend could turn on the charm. Just moments earlier, she was grimacing about taking a shot, yet she smoothly took the glass of purple liquid that the nobleman offered her. She hoped for her sake that it was something sweet and scanned the room for somewhere to stand non-awkwardly. Her eyes caught a table full of steamed buns, and her mouth watered. Even though she'd had dinner, she decided she could afford to indulge herself a little and strode over with purpose.

Her mission was interrupted when she felt two pokes on either side of her waist—immediately after, she was swept up into a bone-crushing hug. Oh no.