She never really liked these parties.
Oh, the food was excellent (not the best she'd ever had of course, but it was definitely better than anything Mama could make on her best day)—but even the best food tasted mediocre when it was paired with a display of the biggest egos in the country. Good thing she'd had plenty of practice hiding her real thoughts behind an unassuming smile.
"…and our son here is starting school next month at the prestigious Garden Academy! We're so happy, Garden is well known to be one of the best in all of Westalis. I've heard that the academy director's grandson is starting this year too, oh I do hope everyone will get along with our little Tsubasa…."
She listened politely as the Vice Minister's wife gushed with apparent anticipation for the start of the school year. Appearances suggested a doting mother, excited for her child to make new friends. Indeed, there was nothing in her expression to suggest otherwise.
The brat better not embarrass us at school; so many important people will have their kids there, this is our best chance to get on their good side.
Anya flashed her most innocent smile as she congratulated the noblewoman on her son's acceptance. It was amazing how much information could be gathered just by paying attention to body language, especially after a few drinks. A subtle shift here and there suggesting disquiet. A stutter, to cover a lie. Alcohol was really a wonderful thing.
With a subtle glance at her watch, Anya excused herself with a murmur and left the ballroom. Her eyes flickered around the foyer to check for unwanted witnesses. Finding none, she turned and silently walked towards the east wing of the mansion, her pink hair glittering with the reflection of hallway lamps.
A wry smile made its way to her face. Poor Tsubasa was probably just another kid born to semi-wealthy parents, forced to attend stuffy functions and grovel to the top class. Parents wanting to use their kids to make connections was commonplace among the high-class society, so nothing was particularly unexpected. It was almost actually nostalgic, in a way. Unbidden, a memory suddenly jumped to the forefront of her mind; a time when she had a full, warm home with dreams of grandeur, and the world was hers for the taking.
"Look Papa! I got a Stella today at school!"
"Oh, that's amazing Anya! I knew you could do it!"
"Yay! Are you proud of me Papa? I worked so hard to get it, Sy-On boy and Becky were both so amazed!"
"Of course, this is excellent news! All that extra preparation really paid off, good work Anya!
.
.
.
I'm so proud of you"
Anya brushed her hair out of her face. Why did she suddenly remember that? It had been so many years since she had thought about that particular memory. That felt like a lifetime ago, back in her second year at Eden; she had scored first place in her year on math, and the Forgers had celebrated with a family dinner and trip to the amusement park.
Get a grip girl. You're on the job right now. Don't get distracted.
At the end of the hallway, Anya stopped and flicked open a hidden panel in the wall to reveal a keypad. She typed in a short passcode; there was a faint beep as the door unlocked. She shut the panel and then paused to listen—good, she couldn't hear any nearby thoughts. Security was spread out all around the ballroom today, so there were only a handful of guards patrolling the non-guest areas. Right now, the closest guard was… at the mouth of the east wing, thinking of the best way to catch the eye of one of the ladies sitting alone. Anya smiled and slipped into the room.
xxx
Less than 10 minutes later, she stepped out again and made her way to the exit. As she passed by the ballroom, she briefly glanced towards the guard that was supposed to be watching the master office. He was chatting up one of the female guests, clearly hoping to impress her. A quick listen in on his thoughts was enough to make Anya want to cackle. It was worse than some of the things she heard her old high school classmates say, and that was already a very low bar!
Don't worry bud, you won't be losing your job tonight. You're lucky I'm so damn good though. If anyone found out that someone had been inside, you'd be in some seriously deep trouble. … Man, is that really your best pickup line though? If you're going to ditch your patrol to try and win the ladies, at least come up with something cooler. Even Franky could do better. Probably.
xxx
"Good work Starlight. Did you have any trouble?"
Anya shook her head. "No, it was even easier than I expected. The wonders of wine and Moscow Mules." She reached into her handbag and pulled out a small flash drive. "Everything's here."
"Perfect. You'll have at least the next week off. Go home and rest." The woman who spoke had strawberry-blonde hair that clashed quite startlingly with her long dark dress. And yet somehow, she pulled off the look magnificently. Traces of wrinkles over her hands betrayed her years as Sylvia Sherwood brushed aside some files. Despite being at the age where many would have considered retirement, the Handler's mind was still as sharp as ever. She looked up through her round framed glasses and gave a brief once-over of the agent still standing in front of her. She frowned. "What's wrong?"
Anya twitched but stayed silent. Sometimes, she hated how observant her boss was. Nobody else could hope to catch a glimpse of her thoughts when she really tried, but Sylvia seemed to always know everything. She sometimes ironically wondered if her boss didn't actually somehow manage to develop her own mind-reading abilities–it would certainly explain a lot. Anya supposed that was why she was so good at her job.
"…"
It was hard to ignore Handler's piercing gaze. After a few more moments, Anya acquiesced. "Nothing to worry about. I just—something at the party made me think of…..of him." Against her will, a lump seemed to form in her chest. Even after all this time, it was still so hard to talk about him. God, when was the last time she stuttered?
Sylvia's eyes widened a fraction of an inch before they softened just a little. When she spoke again, it was with a gentler tone. "Go home, Agent. You've earned your rest. You're off for the next week, enjoy it."
Anya nodded and made her way back to the lift. She was going to go home and call Mama. She was going to tell her that everything was fine, that she had succeeded, and nothing had happened. She was going to make sure that Mama was doing okay by herself.
Mama must be tired, having to take care of little Loidy by herself. I know he's only a few months old, but puppies really do have so much energy. Anya let out a small chuckle. Well, then again, Mama is also kind of insane, so maybe I should be more worried about Loidy. Hmm, if I hurry, maybe I can try to catch the last train tonight. Most of my stuff is already packed up anyways, and I'd rather not have to take a taxi.
xxx
The walk back to her temporary apartment felt longer than usual. The sun had long since gone down, and with it, so had most of the city's usual hustle and bustle. A flustered salaryman was talking hurriedly on the phone, probably apologizing to his family for heading home so late. In her mind's eye, Anya could remember many phone calls with her favorite person in the world, where he did the very same thing before asking her to order takeout for the night. Anya looked up and gazed into the twilight.
I miss you, Papa. When I see you again, I'll have so much to tell you. Don't worry though, I won't come find you too soon. I'll take good care of myself and Mama. I'll treasure my friends. So, don't worry about us. We'll be okay.