beauty and the beast [mission/closed]

Orion was speechless. If it had been a cartoon, his lower jaw would have hit the floor, and his heart would have started to spring from his chest. Mynte looked absolutely amazing, gorgeous, and divine. "This is one goddess I could never slay," Orion whispered to himself, as he did his best to keep cool. The dress fit Mynte almost like a glove, and there would be a lot of heads turning tonight once they both make their entrance.

"Nothing...ah...you look... Orion paused, unable to articulate, "I mean, you look a-amazing, Mynte. Yes, you look very beautiful." There, he said it.

Without pause, his face already blushing a storm, he continued, "Shall we go? We have some documents to steal tonight!" He held out his arm, asking for the water mage to loop hers around his. They had to play the part of a couple, after all. There was no ulterior motive. None at all.

Arthur

"That's Mister and Missus Adam Prince." Orion nodded to the doorman, who seemed to be skeptical of the names given. The problem was likely due to Orion's still scraggly look. Unlike Mynte, it was difficult for the god slayer to look proper, and he definitely did not take the time to do so tonight. The invitation should work, however, since they had been guaranteed the city council's protection no matter what happens.

Eventually, they both got in. Orion, still linked to Mynte, was dazzled by the beautiful home. The foyer consisted of a huge staircase that ended into two separate wings. A chandelier of gold-like substance hung from the ceiling, illuminating the brilliance of the home. Paintings, statues, and suits of armor lined the walls. All-in-all, it was something Orion would never be able to afford.

"Mynte, we should try upstairs first hey?" Orion whispered, his eyes still wandering around the magnificent hall. The party seemed to be happening all around the place. Waiters ran around with plates of pastries, while drinks were served by waitresses who carried trays. "Or should we mingle first?" It was their first mission, but he also would like to get Mynte to start getting used to making decisions on-the-fly.

Arthur

Orion nodded, and proceeded with Mynte as she led the way upstairs. They were told about rooms that might have the documents they will need to prove corruption. Or at least, proof of misappropriating funds. The fact that such magnificence is owned by a city official was fishy enough, but the man had to gall to flaunt it around. If anything, this official needed to be brought down a peg or three.

Then, he felt himself falling.

Only his quick reflexes saved Mynte from falling on the hard floor, as Orion quickly placed himself between her and the ground. The god slayer held the young woman tightly on her waist as he braced for the impact.

BAM!

Orion could feel the stares, and he was sure there were many. But first things first, he had to make sure, "You alright, Mynte?" If he had succeeded, he would open his eyes to the girl's face just an inch from his. He could smell her scent, and their lips would only be a few centimeters to touching. Her eyes, however, captivated him the most. He paused, reddening slightly from the interaction.

"Uhhh..." Speechless, once again.

Arthur

Orion was thankful that the mermaid-turned-human had quickly got off of him. It saved him the trouble of trying to articulate his words. It was always hard, articulating anything when he was in close proximity of the water mage. He really was not sure why though. It probably was her hair, those fishes can get pretty distracting.

Then, he heard a voice, asking about them. Orion turned towards the man. He thought he remembered the face, but then Orion had a bad memory, "Oh! Most likely from," the lightning god slayer paused for a quick second, trying to think of a random place or event, "council meetings! Yes!"

He could feel his pulse starting to beat quite heavily against his skin. "We are independent contractors for the city." Orion smiled, hoping that Mynte would validate his story. They cannot get caught, after all, their guild's reputation is at stake. Plus, Orion needed to pay his tab at the local pub with the money he would be making with this mission.

Arthur

Orion was wary of this man. He had an aura about him. Malicious was the word. Not evil, no. Malicious was definitely it. There was something going on underneath the surface, but Orion had to play cool. If any fights occur, he'll be able to handle it. The problem was, there would be nothing left of the house if it came to that. Orion was known as the god of destruction for a reason after all.

"Sure, I'm assuming you know your way around?" Orion calmly took Mynte's hand, and led them to follow the man who had introduced himself as Franco Barilla.

The man took them to the main hall, the library, the courtyard where a hedge maze was planted, and finally to the ballroom. It was a boring tour, but the man had been eyeing the both of them every so often. More Mynte than Orion.

"A dance then, my dear?" Orion held his hand out for Mynte to take. Franco Barilla looked a bit taken aback, most likely looking to take them around the house some more. Orion, however, did not trust the man one bit. "The tour has been great so far, maybe we can continue it later on?"

Franco stared at Orion, and then glanced at Mynte, "Later on it is. I'll be showing you the second floor, not much there but there is another library, and the councilman's personal office." Franco ended it with a slight smirk caught by Orion, before leaving them behind.

Orion still had his hand out for Mynte to take for a dance, if she wished.

Arthur

Orion was not a born dancer. In fact, he was the opposite of one. His large barrel-chest, wide shoulders, and height made it hard for him to be graceful. As one would put it, he was built like an ox, and exes don't dance at all. He lacked grace. He lacked coordination. And most of all, he lacked the courage to even try it.

But then he was with Mynte. The song played in the background, but it didn't matter. It never mattered at all as he let his own rhythm guide the two of them. He had never truly let himself go, not until right now when all he could think of was how beautiful Mynte was as she held her own through the motions of the beat. She was graceful, elegant, and everything Orion was not.

He lost himself, almost forgetting why they were here in the first place. Right now, they were just Mister and Missus Prince, contractors to the City of Gabbro. They weren't Orion, the god slayer, nor Mynte the water mage. And maybe this was a better life. Maybe this was what he always wanted. Peace in life, and love everlasting.

But then the music stopped, and everyone parted. Orion almost missed it, but his mage senses were once again on high alert. They were on a mission, and failure was not an option, even though he'd rather just keep dancing.

"Mynte, we should get going. We still have a mission to finish, and we don't have all night," Orion started. Although what was unsaid was: "I wish I could keep dancing with you all night."

Arthur