Just an Illusion || Nesia [Complete]

[Alfred F. Jones]

it's a

revolution

Word count: 887

Tags: @derpinesia

Notes: Here it is! (also, Inception references <3)

Alfred had pulled many cons and played many personas. Today though, he was trying something new. Something he hadn't really ever tried before.

Cons relied on one's ability to sell a product. This time, the con was to sell an idea. An idea to the public, that could not be purchased with money but only with sweet talk. An idea that was meant to grow and nurture itself, one that Alfred had little to no control over. He was simply supposed to plant it and watch it grow.

An idea. It's almost impossible to eradicate an idea. An idea could transform the world and rewrite the rules.

But only if you went about it properly.

Alfred was wearing green contacts for the masquerade. His normally blond hair had been dyed maroon and slicked back. Alfred wasn't going to be taking chances. His stupid curl still hung up, but Alfred had given up on trying to tame that bit of his hair a long time ago. He was dressed in a white suit as per the protocol given to Alfred through the invitation. It fit Alfred well, almost perfectly in fact. There was a single button on the suit, giving it a much more casual look than the average business suit. Accompanied by a pale grey shirt and a green tie, Alfred looked very much the part of the role he was supposed to play. The image may have been slightly dampened by the knives in his sleeve and the gun Alfred concealed, but those were tucked away and out of sight.

And the mask...

The mask had been both the trickiest part and the part Alfred enjoyed the most. It would keep his identity relatively secret, which was why this event was the perfect guise for Alfred to speak with those that in other circumstances, he would never have dared approach. This was something he and Francis had discussed in detail a while before. Francis was a well-known politician, capable of something but only so much. He couldn't break the law or risk his life the way Alfred could. Not to mention, he had to make a speech at the ball at some point. To be recognized would be disastrous for him, especially at such a large event.

Alfred, on the other hand, was unknown. Not only that, he was unknown, endearing, sociable, and a conman to boot. He could do whatever, be whomever, and get away with it. Certainly he'd done so in the past. Of course, it was a risk, but Alfred didn't really value his life the way most others did, or at least not as much. At any rate, Alfred was the man for the job. Sometimes Alfred felt used, with his unique position, but he'd learned to ignore it and try not to care.

The mask was silver and green. Originally, Alfred had wanted to go with blue, but the green complimented his contacts much better. Intricate designs were patterned all over it, but the most important part of it was the detail of a galloping horse, a sword, and a shield. He would play the role of the knight tonight and Alfred would play it well.

Taking one last glance in the mirror, Alfred smiled. He looked ready for a party.

Entering the ball, Alfred had to blink twice in the bright light. There was a live orchestra playing some classic song that Alfred had never heard in his life. He wished he'd brought his own music to the dance. Alfred could dance, but he didn't like ballroom dancing. No, that was all boring and slow. Someone should've brought a beatbox or something to lighten up the mood.

Where was the best place to begin? Alfred could certainly ask someone to dance, but that would generally be best with a conversation to start with. Besides, Alfred didn't really want to slow dance, which was all the band seemed to be playing right now.

Was there anyone he would like to approach? No, Alfred decided. You couldn't really tell who anyone was, in this massive crowd, except for the Governor, whose presence was too obvious to disregard. Most people would be civilians, but there were always politicians around, and Alfred figured he could leave that convincing to Francis. Alfred would talk to the people.

And where would the people be? Why, they would naturally be near the food.

Alfred made his way over to the tables. With his disguise and knowing what he was meant to do, he didn't want to eat too much, but god the food! It all looked mouthwatering and delicious. Alfred picked up a plate, arbitrarily selecting a few to taste. He stood to the side, allowing others to have their share, while he sampled his own.

Mmm. Chocolate. Alfred's nerves were high that night from the tension. It was hard, being in such a large, social situation so soon after...well, after what had happened. Alfred didn't like thinking about it. But this was his job, what he was supposed to do for the Freedom Fighters, and Alfred was not about to back down. The chocolate seemed to make all of that fade a little. He'd be fine. There were so many people tonight anyways. Who would pay attention to someone like him?

Tonight would be alright.

i suppose

by Worldie for Leia

[Deleted]

When winter started a couple of months ago, Nesia packed her clothes and left south to Thailand, avoiding the cold she barely could stand. The jewelry company she was working for, Mutumanikam, recently opened a branch store in its capital so Nesia could use it as a reason to leave Archadia for a while. She was there for one and half month before returning to the north.

There was an invitation found in her mailbox; the physical one, that is. Her friends and acquaintances rarely sent her anything via snail mail, so she doubted that it was from one of them. A quick glance at the sender's address confirmed that it was sent by the governor, inviting her and the rest of Archadia residents to attend a masquerade ball. Being recently returned from a long flight and suffered from jet-lag, Nesia left the letter beside her TV.

She didn't pick it up again until almost a week later, less than twenty four hours before the ball started. The woman read it thoroughly while she was looking around her closet to find anything that matched the chess theme. Nesia took a pair of black pumps and a purse with check pattern that resembled a chess board. Sadly, two most crucial things she needed were nowhere in her closet: the black gown and the mask.

Fifteen phone calls and a long taxi ride around the city later, Nesia arrived at the venue. She was wearing a long sleeved black gown, borrowed from a coworker whose brother happened to own a boutique. Her black-gold mask covered the upper half of her face. A crown shape sit between her eyebrows, adorned by five small diamonds. There was a cheaper King mask at the boutique, but Nesia liked the crown in this Queen one even though purchasing it had made her credit card almost exceed its limit.

Like all the parties she had attended before in the north, this one was also displaying a good amount of opulence. Maybe because the governor was the host himself, she mused as her gaze landed to the man surrounded by guests at the balcony. Even with the costume he was wearing, Nesia could instantly recognize him. As usual, the woman strode to the buffet first. Nibbling on a snack, she explored the hall visually. With all of these elaborate costumes and masks, it's hard to guess who's who. Aside from prominent political figures, she had no idea who's got invited to the ball.

Recalling what's in her invitation, Nesia was curious about the day entertainment. The mutant fight. She could observe them closer, and maybe looking for one or two mutant she'd love to own someday. Even though her parents owned several mutants back home, Nesia was never allowed to talk to them when she was young. The mutants were only displayed to potential buyer, due to a widespread myth saying that if a child gets too close to a mutant, he'd be a mutant too. But after hearing that there were people like Freedom Fighters who fought for mutant rights, Nesia thought the myth was created so children wouldn't form any bonds with mutants around them.

Nesia noticed that more people had gathered at the table. They were taller and apparently knew each other despite their disguises. Feeling uncomfortable, she moved to another table. The food was good and she just wanted to taste them all before she went to the dance floor later. Although since this was a ballroom dance, Nesia was unsure if she would like to dance with an unknown partner. She preferred solo dance after all.

The plate that was full of chocolate now empty. Weird, she only had eaten three or so. "Aw, it's gone already?" she muttered to herself, didn't want other people on that table to hear her. That would be impolite and implied that they ate it a lot. "In every table, it seems people always go for the chocolate first before other snacks. I hope they still have a lot more of this..." Nesia turned to look for a server and signaled him to refill the plate.

[Alfred F. Jones]

it's a

revolution

Word count: 515

Tags: @derpinesia

Notes: Sorry for the name stuff... >>

Alfred had just about finished the snacks he'd taken for himself and while Alfred was aware he should probably start making his way around the ball to talk to people, he really did crave a little more before he worked the floor. Besides, the sweetness of the chocolate had helped calm his nerves. And God knew that he would need to be calm if he was going to pull tonight off without attracting any unwanted attention.

He made his way back to the table, only to find that the plate was completely empty. Alfred felt a wave of disappointment wash over him. Now there was nothing to distract him, nothing that he could use as an excuse. He glanced at the other deserts, but they seemed rather lacking now.

He would have to find someone to talk to, someone that he could possibly strike a conversation with. That was easier said than done. Most people had arrived at the party in pairs, coordinating with their respective friends. They were less likely to be willing to talk to an arbitrary stranger. No, Alfred had to find someone who would be open to a little conversation.

"Aw, it's gone already?" Alfred looked up curiously. A woman stood next to him, her sleek, shiny dark brown hair falling over her shoulder. She had voiced his precise thoughts, so he allowed himself a moment to see if she was a potential person he could talk to. Her dark skin made her stand out amongst the pale skin that most Russians had. Was she a foreigner then? She was dressed in a long sleeved black gown and a crown shaped black-gold mask. The woman was shorter than Alfred by quite a bit, despite the heels she was undoubtedly wearing.

"In every table, it seems people always go for the chocolate first before other snacks. I hope they still have a lot more of this..." the woman muttered to herself before flagging down a server and signaling him to refill the plate.

Alfred automatically smiled as he walked closer to the table. "Ah, but can you blame them?" he asked. "Chocolate is certainly the best." He laughed a little. "At least, in my opinion that is. Though it does seem that almost everyone at this party agrees with me."

Alfred picked up two glasses of champagne. "Care to have a little drink while we wait?" he said, offering the other glass to her. She seemed to be nice enough. It was at least worth a shot. Alfred could ask her a few questions, see how she stood on the whole mutant deal. Who knew?

Oh, right. He should probably introduce himself. Names...shit, Alfred had forgotten about names. He couldn't use his real name here, because...no, best not to think about it. He simply shouldn't give his real name.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I should introduce myself. Alfred Tennyson," Alfred said, offering his hand to the woman. He gave her a smile. "How are you enjoying the ball so far? Other than the lack of refreshments, of course." He chuckled lightly.

i suppose

by Worldie for Leia

[Deleted]

Nesia saw the waiter approached and refilled the snacks quickly. While observing him, she noticed someone else was standing nearby in her peripheral vision. The woman turned her head to face a man in white suit. His hair was dark red. It's a contrast to his tie and mask. Nesia liked the contrasting colors on him.

"Ah, but can you blame them? Chocolate is certainly the best. At least, in my opinion that is. Though it does seem that almost everyone at this party agrees with me."

She blinked, cheeks reddened slightly as she realized that he must had heard her musings about chocolate. Chuckling, Nesia avoided awkwardness by responding, "it is true. No one can't resist chocolate and I'm sure the governor had ordered them from the best chocolatier in Archadia." Nesia took a less popular snack from the table. "Maybe I should ask someone about which shop this chocolate came from." She bit it a little, feeling the salty crust crumbling between her teeth. This one was good, just not as good as the chocolate ones.

At first the woman thought this red haired man would just take a snack and leave her. Instead, she found him holding two glasses of champagne and asked her to join him. Nodding, Nesia took the glass from him. "Sure," said her. She fiddled the glass a bit before swapping it for a glass of water from a passing waiter while the man was looking elsewhere. Nesia didn't like champagne. Refusing the drink directly might insult him and Nesia didn't want to leave bad impression upon first meeting. He could be an important person under this mask or even a future client.

Her thought halted at that word. It seems that every time she went to a party Nesia only think about finding new clients. A coworker had told her that she should relax and enjoy the party for herself. Getting to know new people and making relations. Maybe she could start doing so from tonight's party. This man seemed to be a good person.

Nesia accepted his hand, shaking it firmly before releasing her grip. "I'm Nesia. Nesia Notonegoro," She said her full name slower and clearer than her usual articulation. It wasn't just once or twice people spelled or wrote her name wrong. It's somewhat annoying, but Nesia didn't blame them. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Tennyson." Oops, there goes her old habit of addressing people with honorifics. Alfred Tennyson didn't seem much older than her. There was no visible wrinkle or graying hair after all.

"Oh, the refreshment is certainly not lacking." Nesia saw the waiter had left the table after refilling all the plates. She took the chocolate one, showed it to Alfred before popping it into her mouth. "I just arrived and headed straight to the buffet. So far I haven't tasted anything that disappoint me. I also get to observe other guests' costumes. They're all very elaborate."

"So how about you? What do you like the most from this party?"

[Alfred F. Jones]

it's a

revolution

Word count: 527

Tags: Nesia

Notes: Sorry this took me so long. ;;

The woman seemed a little surprised by Alfred's direct comment towards her. Perhaps she wasn't expecting anyone to talk to her. Well, it was a party, and parties were built upon socializing.

She seemed to recover quickly, chuckling lightly at Alfred's comment. "It is true. No one can resist chocolate and I'm sure the Governor had ordered them from the best chocolatier in Archadia." She reached and picked up a different snack. "Maybe I should ask someone about which shop this chocolate came from."

Alfred smiled lightly. "That might be a good idea." Mm, chocolate.

The woman took the champagne easily, though when Alfred looked again, it was water. Huh. Maybe she didn't like champagne as was too polite to refuse. Alfred sipped his own glass. Personally, he wanted Coke, but that was hardly appropriate in this setting.

"I'm Nesia. Nesia Notonegro," the woman said as she accepted his hand. Notonegro. That didn't sound Russian—not that Nesia looked Russian. Alfred tucked the name into the back of his mind. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Tennyson."

Alfred laughed. "Oh please, call me Alfred," he said easily. "It's nice to meet you, Nesia." Nesia Notonegro. Alfred repeated the name in his head, making sure he had it memorized correctly.

A passing waiter refilled the plate with the chocolate snack and Nesia picked one up, showing it to him. Alfred swiped one from the plate as well and resisted the urge to pop the whole thing in his mouth. The warm taste of the chocolate eased his nerves a little as he continued his conversation with Nesia.

"I just arrived and headed straight to the buffet. So far I haven't tasted anything that disappoints me. I also get to observe other guests' costumes. They're all very elaborate."

Sounded like she was into fashion. Not much for Alfred to talk about there...he usually just tossed on whatever was next to him. Unless he was prepping for a con, that is.

Speaking of cons, he hadn't even sorted out what sort of person Alfred Tennyson even was. Alfred usually liked to do this ahead of time so that he could fit into a character, but he had been so distracted lately...he'd just have to go with the flow, he supposed.

"So how about you?" Nesia asked. "What do you like most from this party?"

What did he like most? Nothing...not really. Well, maybe. He liked the fact that his hair was dyed and he could relax a little and pretend he was okay and was someone else. He liked the fact that he was on a con, where he could think for once. He liked the fact that he wasn't in his apartment any longer. But it wasn't like Alfred could say any of that.

"The people," Alfred said instead. "It's rare that everyone from every walk of life is invited to a celebration, and it's somewhat refreshing. And the food, I suppose. Chocolate is my vice." To prove his point, Alfred took another one of the chocolate snacks and ate it.

"So, Nesia...what brings you to Archadia? You don't seem like you're from around here."

i suppose

by Worldie for Leia

[Deleted]

"The people," Alfred replied. "It's rare that everyone from every walk of life is invited to a celebration, and it's somewhat refreshing. And the food, I suppose. Chocolate is my vice."

She nodded at his last statement. Food is wonderful and who doesn't love chocolate? As Nesia took her third chocolate, her mind vowed to not take any more chocolate tonight. Her dress would be too tight around her waist if she let her appetite blinded her logic. "It's really hard to resist them, yes." Nesia glanced at the buffet, sighing. No more chocolate for tonight...

"That's what makes every party more enjoyable, isn't it? People from every corner in Archadia are invited. If we met any of these people in one ordinary day, we probably wouldn't pay any attention to them. But they're here now, wrapped in beautifully crafted costumes." Nesia sipped her water, her eyes scanning the party hall. "It makes me curious about the person under the disguise." Although Nesia doubted they were as fascinating as their fancy attire. As a jewelry designer, she had long realized that most people possessed boring layer on the outside, which was why they covered it under extravagant accessories. Of course not everyone is like that, but still...

The woman tilted her head. Was Alfred just like those people or was he different from them? It's hard to tell since she just met him few minutes ago and they had done nothing but a polite chit chat. Chances are, once they parted from each other she won't see him again in near future. Maybe she wouldn't even remember him, his horse-themed mask or his striking red hair. Like most of her clients, unless they stopped by often.

"So, Nesia...what brings you to Archadia? You don't seem like you're from around here."

"Hm?" Nesia blinked, momentarily forgot that Alfred was near. "Ah, Archadia? I'm working for a jewelry company and my bosses happened to open a branch shop here when I joined. So, here I am." She ended her explanation with a wide smile. Obviously the truth was more than that, but Alfred was a mere stranger. Even though he seemed nice enough to get to know further, there's no use in telling him about family matters. That'd make things awkward too. "It's too cold for me, but so far I've managed it well enough. Archadia is very different from my home. It's always summer back in my homeland." Laughing, Nesia placed her empty glass on the table. "I've been told that I'm lucky to live in a tropical paradise, but it's not as great as people thinks, really." Humming, Nesia tapped the table with her fingers, following the music played in the hall. This song was more catchy than the previous one.

"People in Archadia come from many places. Are you from here?" Nesia stared at him. Europeans looked similar to each other, making it hard to tell someone's origin. But from the way Alfred spoke, Nesia doubted he was born here. His name didn't even sound Russian. "Ah, no. I don't think you're from here. You don't roll your R's like the Russians do." Nesia was aware that she also did roll her R's; her native language required her to say the letter loud and clear. "You can be from anywhere, hmm..."

[Alfred F. Jones]

it's a

revolution

Word count: 626

Tags: Nesia

Notes:

"That's what makes every party more enjoyable, isn't it? People from every corner in Archadia are invited. If we met any of these people in one ordinary day, we probably wouldn't pay any attention to them. But they're here now, wrapped in beautifully crafted costumes." Alfred smiled. "It makes me curious about the person under the disguise."

"Maybe it's worth spending a little time, trying to find out," Alfred commented. "Everyone's got a story of some sort, right? We don't usually bother to get to know them well enough...but perhaps we should."

"Hmm?" Nesia seemed a little distracted before she answered Alfred's question. He wondered what she'd been thinking about. "Ah, Archadia? I'm working for a jewelry company and my bosses happened to open a branch stop here when I joined. So, here I am." Nesia smiled widely, almost a little too widely, but perhaps Alfred was just reading too much into it. He'd been doing that a lot lately. Business was the usual reason why people came to Archadia. It would be rude to assume there were any other reasons.

"It's too cold for me, but so far I've managed it well enough. Archadia is very different from my home. It's always summer back in my homeland." Nesia laughed a little, probably recalling good memories from home. "I've been told that I'm lucky to live in a tropical paradise, but it's not as great as people think it is, really."

"Where is home?" Alfred asked curiously. Nesia hadn't mentioned that.

Nesia hummed a little, tapping her fingers against the table to the music. Alfred wondered if she would like to dance. It seemed like most girls tended to enjoy that sort of thing. And it would be an opportunity for further conversation.

"People in Archadia come from many places." That was very true. Perhaps it should be surprising...but it really wasn't. Archadia was a poliical center in the world today. Its strong affiliation with mutant control made it key to society. The Underground and Weeds certainly drew visitors from all across the globe here. "Are you from here?" Nesia thought about it for a moment. "Ah, no. I don't think you're from here. You don't roll your R's like Russians do." That was a good observation, one that Alfred might not have picked up on. He was much more prone to simply noticing accents rather than picking up on little details. "You can be from anywhere, hmm..."

Alfred smiled. "I'm from America," he replied. "Home of the Brave, Land of the Free." He chuckled a little at his statement. It seemed like the first thing to pop to his mind when he thought about the U.S., his automatic response when people asked where he was from.

The U.S....Matthew...home. Matthew...Alfred's mind began to wander. He remembered running and laughing. He remembered the rain, the hunger, the time on the streets. He remembered being caught, he remembered...

No, no! He wasn't supposed to be thinking about this, was never supposed to be thinking about this. Alfred had carefully constructed barriers over the last two years and until now, they had always held. Of course, from time to time, he was reminded of those old memories, but now...well, it seemed like the interrogation had basically broken them down.

Alfred smiled at Nesia and set his champagne glass down. Time to move on from this dismal topic. He recalled how Nesia had been tapping along to the song the orchestra was playing. "Would you like to dance?" he offered. "This is a good song and it'd be a shame to let such an opportunity just slip by."

Inside, Alfred hoped that Nesia would accept. Anything to distract himself from unwanted thoughts.

i suppose

by Worldie for Leia

[Deleted]

Nesia just grinned mysteriously at him when Alfred asked about her home. She liked playing riddle with these people, giving them vague hints about her country. Most people needed at least three clues-- with the third usually being an obvious one --before they gave the right guess. There were also some who failed to guess, and some who didn't even know that her country existed. It was not uncommon for people to ask where exactly Indonesia is on the world map. It'd be amusing to see Alfred trying to guess her homeland.

"The United States? Interesting. I only went there twice, and one was during the Independence Day. It was really noisy, but the fireworks were awesome." Nesia was six at that time. The sight of fireworks were indeed beautiful, but the noise scared her so much. Luckily her parents let her stay in their hotel room while they were going outside. "Ah, you seem very proud of your homeland." Like most Americans she had met before.

Even though his face was partially covered with the mask, Nesia could sense that Alfred was suddenly preoccupied with something else. Maybe the talk about home reminded him of something else? It must be something private, so Nesia turned her attention away to take another snack and enjoy the music. Her mind wandered off to her siblings. They weren't as close as they had been in their childhood, but they still held a special place in her heart. Maybe after this party she could call someone to check up on things.

"Would you like to dance?" Alfred suddenly offered. "This is a good song and it'd be a shame to let such an opportunity just slip by."

Nesia raised an eyebrow. She could dance, just not ballroom dancing. She was exceptionally good at traditional dances, since it was her passion. Her parents taught her waltz in her childhood so she knew the moves. But since it required her to be physically close to the male partner, Nesia usually avoided this dance in parties. On the other hand, it would be impolite to refuse. And didn't she have done things she never tried before since moving to Archadia? A voice in her head nudged her. Just a dance wouldn't hurt.

"Sure, I'd like to," Nesia smiled at him. "But just one dance. I'm not really good at ballroom dancing. Mostly because my partners usually taller than me. I have to match their wider steps." When the song ended and a new one was played, Nesia led him leaving the buffet. She was a tad worried if Alfred could see or sense that she wasn't comfortable being close to him.

An idea suddenly popped in her mind. Nesia could make him guess where her homeland is. It would get her attention away from the dance. "Ah, Alfred, I haven't told you about my home, right?" she asked him as they mingled with the other guests who danced to the previous song. "How about this, I'll give you three clues. New clue is given if you guessed wrongly. Hopefully you can guess it right before this song--" a soft tone was slowly rising in the ballroom, followed by a deep baritone "--is over."

Then she awkwardly moved closer to Alfred and let him took her hand. The woman struggled to keep her façade as they started dancing. Don't step on his feet, don't step on his feet...

She cleared her throat. "I've mentioned to you that it's always summer back in my home. That is your first clue." To be honest, it was quite vague. But at least it would narrow his search down to countries on the equator.

[Alfred F. Jones]

it's a

revolution

Word count: 600

Tags: Nesia

Notes: He's so off, I'm so sorry. Wrong continent, Al.

Nesia didn't reply to Alfred's question about where she was from. Whether this was on purpose or not he couldn't quite tell. She smiled though, so it must not have been too sensitive of a topic.

"The United States? Interesting. I only went there twice, and one was during Independence Day. It was really noisy...but the fireworks were awesome."

Alfred grinned. "They are. Always the best around the Fourth, but Christmas fireworks aren't lacking either." Fireworks weren't exactly a priority in Archadia, it seemed. Just another thing to miss...

"Ah, you seem very proud of your homeland," Nesia noted.

Alfred blinked, taking care in his reply. "Yes, I am proud of where I'm from," Alfred said, phrasing his words carefully. "I'm proud of the foundation it was built on, the ideals that created my country." He hesitated a little before continuing. "I can't say I'm proud of everything it's done, but I do love it. And miss it."

He really did, didn't he?

Relief flooded Alfred when Nesia agreed to a dance. Thank goodness. Well, at least this would give them something to do and some other topic to focus on. "But just one dance. I'm not really good at ballroom dancing. Mostly because my partner's usually taller than me. I have to match their wider steps."

Alfred laughed. Whether it was from Nesia's statement or simply relief from shifting from more personal topics, he didn't know. "Can't say I'm the best ballroom dancer either. I've been taught, but it's not exactly my favorite thing. But hey, might as well have fun with it while we can, right?"

Alfred could dance, and actually surprisingly well for someone who'd only been at it for a year. He'd been determined to learn so that he could fit in at parties and do his job properly. It was really an interesting profession and really, had made Alfred a jack-of-all-trades.

They walked away to the center of the floor. Alfred let Nesia go first. Whatever she felt more comfortable with. "Ah, Alfred, I haven't told you about my home, right?" No...she hadn't now that he thought about it. "How about this, I'll give you three clues. New clue is given if you guessed wrongly. Hopefully you can guess it right before this song is over."

Alfred almost instinctively knew that chances were, he was not going to get this right. He was terrible at geography. You'd think that someone who had been on the run for two or three years, crossing multiple borders, would at least know where he was. That was not true. All Alfred had been determined to do was run and Matthew had always been the one who—

The next song started up, interrupting Alfred's thoughts. Alfred took Nesia's hand and danced with her easily, moving his feet to the familiar beat. Nesia seemed to be very focused on what she was doing, an intense concentration coming over her face. Luckily, the song wasn't too fast and Alfred could lead Nesia quietly through the steps.

It wasn't a bad song, but mm. After this, Alfred knew he'd be ready for another break.

Nesia lifted her head before speaking up again. "I've mentioned to you that it's always summer back in my home. That is your first clue."

"Always summer, hmm..." Alfred looked upwards, frowning a little in concentration. Well, his first thought was Hawaii, but...

"Brazil?" Alfred asked weakly. Brazil was pretty big, with its entire Amazon rainforest and stuff. Wasn't too terrible of a guess, was it? "I'm sorry, I'm an absolute moron when it comes to geography..."

i suppose

by Worldie for Leia

[Deleted]

Nesia was grateful Alfred seemed to be a better dancer than her - in ballroom dance, that is. The woman still believed she could dance better than anyone else in the ballroom as long as it's not waltz or something similar. She let him lead her, and after the designer got the feel of the song, she no longer needed to worry about stepping on Alfred's foot. Dancing was easy once you feel the beat, and it's easier with an experienced partner.

She blinked. It seems Nesia started to enjoy this dance...

"Brazil?" Alfred's finally spoke after a while. Maybe he took some time to think his answer. It broke her focus a little, and Nesia would have tripped if Alfred didn't hold her body. She noticed that her lack of concentration made her movement more stiff. Follow his steps, you silly.

The woman chuckled to cover her nervousness. "Wrong answer, Alfred. Too bad," she told him and smiled apologetically. She had never been to Brazil before. But she knew its climate was similar to her homeland, just not in the same continent.

"I'm sorry, I'm an absolute moron when it comes to geography..."

"Oh, you don't have to apologize. I'm not that good at geography either." Nesia shrugged. "My clue was quite vague, and everyone answered wrong at first. Don't worry." The song picked up the pace, and Nesia was not ready yet to follow it. Her eyebrows furrowed as she hurriedly quicken her steps before something bad happened, like tripped on Alfred's foot. "Brazil is a good guess, anyway. My country has a similar climate, rainforest and tropical."

Now what should she give for the next clue? Her mind didn't stop thinking as they continued to dance. The second clue she had was quite obvious and many people were able to guess correctly at the second attempt. But didn't Alfred said that he's not good in geography...?

"This will be an easier clue, then," Nesia finally said. "My homeland has so many islands; there are thousands of them. None of our landmass is a part of any continent." Now Alfred can use that to narrow his guess further.

[[ notes: I am sorry this is too short but they're still dancing and I kinda confused on how do I turn it into 600 words orz I promise it'll be longer in later posts ;w; ]]

[Alfred F. Jones]

it's a

revolution

Word count: 592

Tags: Nesia

Notes: Dancing is hard. Al's gonna start asking questions of his own soon

Nesia's movements were a little slower and less practiced than Alfred's, not that he thought much of it. She didn't really seem like a bad dancer, just unfamiliar with the steps. Alfred slowed himself just a tad bit. He was used to dancing to fast songs and sometimes got ahead of himself with slower, formal dances.

Nesia chuckled a little after Alfred responded before amiably replying. "Wrong answer, Alfred." Alfred laughed a little at himself as well.

"Oh, you don't have to apologize. I'm not that good at geography either. My clue was quite vague, and everyone answered wrong at first."

So did she ask this question often? Alfred guessed so, based on what she said. Seemed like Nesia liked to test out new acquaintances. Certainly an interesting way to assess people, and he supposed, get to know them as well.

The song sped up and Alfred matched the rhythm easily. Nesia followed, perhaps a little less smoothly, but Alfred was patient. Besides, if the song was approaching a climax, it would probably be over soon, which Nesia might be more comfortable with.

"Brazil is a good guess, anyway. My country has a similar climate, rainforest and tropical."

Rainforest and tropical...hmm... What other countries were there in the tropics? Australia? Alfred didn't remember Australia as having rainforests exactly—more like gigantic things out to eat you and the Great Barrier Reef. Besides, Nesia didn't really stand out to Alfred as Australian, but perhaps that was just him stereotyping.

"This will be an easier clue then," Nesia said after giving the subject some thought. "My homeland has so many islands; there are thousands of them. None of our landmass is a part of any continent."

Okay, so definitely not Australia. New Zealand? No, that was only two islands. What other countries were in that region that weren't part of a continent?

...Madagascar?

...No, definitely not.

"The Philippines," Alfred said. That matched the description, right? There were a bunch of islands in the Philippines, though he didn't know the exact number. He'd never really heard of rainforests in the Philippines but it wasn't completely unfathomable. "Or..." Alfred thought about it for a moment.

Okay, there was definitely a country nearby that also had a bunch of islands. It was during these moments that Alfred wished he'd paid more attention during his short years in high school, or even that he'd actually graduated high school.

Or maybe just that he'd actually studied a world map. He could name the fifty states by heart but countries...especially Europe. That continent was just a bunch of tiny countries bunched together and you could probably cross half a dozen in less than a week. Half the time that he'd been on the run with Matthew he'd had no clue where they were or where they were headed. It was his brother who kept track of these things.

"There's another country nearby," Alfred mused, trying to redirect his thoughts. "At least, I'm pretty sure there is. I know I always got those wrong on tests..."

The name India seemed to come to mind, but India was definitely part of Asia and not a bunch of islands.

What was that region called again? The Indo-Pacific or something? Man, this took more brainpower than hacking into the Underground security system.

"Indo..." Alfred frowned.

"Indonesia?" Alfred ventured a guess. Ah, yes, that was the name. Alfred smiled a little. He could be wrong, but he didn't think he was. Which didn't happen a lot with geography, so maybe he'd gotten lucky.

i suppose

by Worldie for Leia

[Deleted]

"The Philippines."

Nesia's smile widened a little. Her pupils dilated, amused by her own riddle and the person who currently tried to solve it. It's not surprising if he thought The Philippines first; after all, Americans were generally more familiar with the Filipinos than Indonesians. Alfred's answer was so close, just a mere inch too north on the world map. While The Philippines was also an archipelago, it didn't have as many islands as her homeland. Hers had ten thousand more islands and occupied a wider area. Those were pretty visible even in a photo taken from a satellite, but sadly not many people knew which country that ruled them. Nesia was about to tell him that he guessed wrong, although it was similar -- both geographically and culturally -- to the right answer; but he preceded her.

"Or.."

"Mm? Or what?" she was tempted to say that he only allowed to guess once at a time, but god, Nesia was thirsty and this mask felt heavy on her nose. The designer wished to return to the refreshment table and downing several glasses of water. Not to mention that her heel began to ache too. She was unaware that her dancing pace quickened in order to end the dance sooner. Her grips on Alfred's hand also tightened, leaning closer to him so her weight wouldn't burden her tired feet.

"There's another country nearby," Alfred said. "At least, I'm pretty sure there is. I know I always got those wrong on tests..."

"What is it?" She couldn't help but chuckle at his last statement. "The Philippines are surrounded by many countries, you know. You should be more specific about it." She enjoyed looking at the American man trying to figure out the answer since Alfred made a really funny expression behind his mask. Nesia wondered if she could see his face later once the dance is over. And speaking about dance, this song was almost finished. He took too long time to think, apparently.

He frowned. "Indo..."

Nesia didn't hold back her grin as she took one last spin and the singer ended his singing in a very high note, his vibrato echoing in the ballroom. The woman inquired, "yes...?" Oh wow, he's so close. And he's not even mistook it with India first; but it wasn't even an archipelago.

"Indonesia?"

The music ceased and several people clapped the performance. Nesia did too, but she wasn't applauding the musicians. "Congratulations. You managed to guess it right when the song ends." Since they weren't dancing anymore, Nesia gladly took a step back to widen the space between them. "You did it well. I don't even need to give you three clues." She nodded and gestured him to return to the snacks. Ah, food. The one thing they had in common.

Nesia took a glass of water and drank half of it quickly. "Speaking about home, now I missed going back," she said, twirling the half-empty glass. "I didn't have a chance to visit home in my vacation. Because work held me back in Bangkok." Nesia shrugged. There would be more chances to go home, but when it did come, Nesia doubted she'd visit her house. Maybe she'd just go to the eastern islands and stay in a resort for weeks. Mm, paradise.

"Oh, by the way..." Nesia straightened her back and faced him. "What brings you to Archadia far from your homeland, Alfred?" Really, Nesia didn't remember if Alfred ever mentioned what he's doing in their conversation. Probably just a job, but it could also be something else entirely.

[Alfred F. Jones]

it's a

revolution

Word count: 673

Tags: Nesia

Notes: I'm so slow now I'm sorry.

Nesia laughed a little when Alfred mentioned his terrible geography tests. If it had been a less formal setting and they had known each other better, Alfred might have stuck his tongue out at her teasingly. Unfortunately, they were in a ballroom and that was definitely not proper etiquette. He settled with a mildly embarrassed smile instead.

The song thundered to an end. Well, less of thundered and just...ended. Classical could be so dull sometimes, but eh. That was life he supposed. Alfred and Nesia stepped apart and Nesia, along with several others, began to applaud. Nesia was looking at Alfred though, with a twinkle in her eye.

"Congratulations. You managed to guess it right when the song ends. You did it well. I don't even need to give you three clues."

Alfred's smile widened and he had to mentally remind himself that he was supposed to be a decently well composed businessman. "I did? Well, I'm surprised, but that's good!" He laughed a little at himself.

Nesia headed over to the snacks table again and Alfred joined her, glad to do so. At least this dance hadn't gone on for too long. Those could be dull. Nesia picked up a glass of water and Alfred did the same, allowing the cool liquid to slip down his throat. Mm. It was surprisingly warm in the ballroom. He'd head out later that night, possibly chat up some other people...

In dancing and talking with Nesia, Alfred had nearly forgotten that he was here on a job. He focused his attention as Nesia spoke up again.

"Speaking about home, now I missed going back." Alfred's expression softened. He could certainly relate to missing home. He hadn't been in the states for what? Four years now? That was a while. He wondered if he'd ever be able to go back, really. Was he still wanted for questioning? Maybe...the U.S. government could be harsh when it wanted to. But it had been four years after all. Maybe they'd forgotten...

"I didn't have a chance to visit home in my vacation. Because work held me back in Bangkok."

Alfred nodded. "I'm assuming you travel a lot then?" he asked. "Your jewelry company must be rather large if it's got branches here, in Indonesia, and in Bangkok."

Connections. Of course, that wasn't really Alfred's goal here tonight, but he was always looking for opportunities. Granted, since his hair was dyed and he was wearing contacts and a mask, Nesia was unlikely to remember him. Even if she did, it was much more likely that she would be suspicious of why he'd dressed up. No, if he wanted to get anything out of this conversation, he would have to drive it in a different direction.

"Oh, by the way..." Alfred looked up, jerked out of his thoughts. "What brings you to Archadia far from your homeland, Alfred?"

Of course. He couldn't avoid all questions. The thought of his brother floated to his mind again, but Alfred shoved it away. He didn't want to think about it...not now. It would just distract him. Luckily, it didn't take long to come up with an answer. "I'm working here on a project for my company. Not sure for how long—depends on how much the company wants to invest in Archadia and whether or not the project succeeds. I'm here to help coordinate everything and possibly to work on advertising if the project doesn't fall through."

That was plenty, almost impressive if Alfred didn't lie on a daily basis. With his disguise, it was easier to fall back into the once-familiar rhythm of things. And a secret project meant that Alfred wouldn't have to elaborate.

"So, Nesia," Alfred said, easily shifting the topic, "are you going to be staying around for the rest of the festivities this week or are you just here for the ball? There's a mutant display for the rest of the week and some shops have booths set up—is your company opening one up?"

i suppose

by Worldie for Leia

[Deleted]

"I'm assuming you travel a lot then? Your jewelry company must be rather large if it's got branches here, in Indonesia, and in Bangkok."

Nesia shook her head, leaning on the sturdy table. "The company is based in Paris, actually. We have several branches throughout Europe and North America as well. The one in Bangkok is the first Asian branch we open." Nesia had met the company's representation few years ago, at an exhibition in her hometown. "Maybe we'll open another in Indonesia too, soon." But if they did, she would have more reason to go home. Not that she didn't like it, but her family would know - as always - and they would try to persuade her to go home and attend family gatherings. Nesia preferred not to meet them all at once. Her family could be a bit... suffocating, to say the least. Seeing them few times in a year were more than enough for her. "I get to travel, but not a lot. My job requires me to be here in Archadia as long as possible. Maybe I'll get to travel a lot after I get a promotion," she added, chuckling.

Alfred seemed to be occupied so often. Her curiosity nudged her to ask him about it, but experience had taught her that not everyone was comfortable enough to share their thoughts. It could be private and personal. So she kept her head down, staring at her second glass of water while she observed him from the reflection. Still, it's strange for someone to be so troubled in such a joyous occasion. Most people were here to forget about their problems. Perhaps it's about his work? From his answer, Alfred sounded quite busy here in Archadia. No wonder he kept thinking about work, especially if it's a big project.

Nesia was ready to ask him further about his work, but Alfred took her prolonged silent to change the topic.

"So, Nesia, are you going to be staying around for the rest of the festivities this week or are you just here for the ball? There's a mutant display for the rest of the week and some shops have booths set up—is your company opening one up?"

For the second time after their dance, she shook her head again. "We don't have a booth here. Our Archadia branch is fairly new and the guys from the sales department are still analyzing Russian market. Maybe we will open a booth next time." Nesia swirled her glass. "Hmm, I don't know yet. The ball is the reason why I'm here. Perhaps I'll go looking around later. Mutant display will be interesting, I bet. I have never seen it anywhere." More like her parents forbade her to go to such place. Children would catch their mutant-ness easily, they said, just like viruses. By the time she realized that it wasn't true, Nesia had lost interest and occupied with school works.

Another dance had started. Nesia's gaze swept around the room, enjoying the sight of luxurious gowns moving and spinning on the floor. Her own dress, suddenly, felt heavier on her body. The party began to lose its magic and the perfumed air felt choking. "Alfred, do you mind if we move somewhere else? I need fresh air." She glanced around, looking for a way to the nearest balcony. It would be cold outside, but she needed fresh air the most.

When they were leaving the buffet, Nesia remembered that she still had no idea about what he's doing in the city. So she spoke, "how long you'll be staying here? Are you going to leave if your company is not interested in investing here?"

[Alfred F. Jones]

it's a

revolution

Word count: 739

Tags: Nesia

Notes: This has taken forever, I'm so sorry.

"The company is based in Paris, actually. We have several branches throughout Europe and North America as well. The one in Bangkok is the first Asian branch we open."

Paris? Made sense for a jewelry company, Alfred supposed. He wondered still why Archadia...Bangkok...if that was in Asia and Nesia came from Indonesia, why hadn't she been stationed there? Or perhaps a language barrier...no, even though they spoke a decent amount of English in Archadia, Russian was the primary language. He was probably overthinking, really...

"I get to travel, but not a lot. My job requires me to be here in Archadia as long as possible. Maybe I'll get to travel a lot after I get a promotion." Nesia chuckled a little and Alfred gave a brief smile as he sipped his water.

"You should—traveling's fun and you seen like someone who works pretty hard. I'm sure you'll get there sooner than you expect." Nesia did seem like the sort of person who was constantly doing her job, a typical citizen. It was difficult, Alfred knew, to get people who were normal and mostly unaffected by mutants to join the FF. He wondered if Nesia had any family or anyone in particular she was seeing...those were also reasons why people could be reluctant to join in what might escalate into rebellion. Alfred wasn't really scientific about the whole art of changing ideals, but he knew the basics.

Nesia' reply to his question reaffirmed that in his mind. "The ball is the reason why I'm here. Perhaps I'll go looking around later. Mutant display will be interesting, I bet. I have never seen it anywhere." It was more curiosity than hostility, which could serve well. Perhaps if Nesia could see that mutants were really not that much different than humans, that their imprisonment was wrong...perhaps she could potentially become an ally.

"You should take a look," Alfred commented. "It's not something the public gets to see particularly often." He didn't dare say much more than that. It was hard to broach on such a forbidden topic, especially at an official party. "Have you ever owned a mutant, Nesia?" Alfred asked with mild curiosity in his voice. "I'm assuming not here since you just moved...but maybe back at home?"

As another dance started up, Nesia suggested they move outside, which was fine with Alfred. It was stuffy inside the ballroom...though Alfred didn't like the cold much better. Sometimes he wished that the mutants had been kept in somewhere warmer...like California. No, that was a terrible idea, the United States would never endorse that on their territory...

At least, hopefully not...

"How long will you be staying here? Are you going to leave if your company is not interested in investing here?" Nesia asked.

Back to his fake job. Alfred smiled lightly, though inside he was sighing. Nesia didn't seem to have that much interest in talking about mutants. If he brought it up again, it would seem somewhat suspicious.

"I'm not quite sure, to be honest." Truth. "If my company is uninterested in investing..." if I get my brother out and if we bring about a massive change in both Archadia economy and culture as quickly as I'd want it to happen "then yes, I'll be leaving Archadia. They'll most likely either send me back to the States or to another place they're interested in seeing. I think I'll be here at least a couple more months, if not longer, as proposals are made, ideas are scratched and discarded, and talks are held with local businesses." Alfred shrugged. "I think my company will invest though. Archadia has a booming economy with the whole mutant trade that centers around here. Jobs are fairly plentiful, though the conditions aren't exactly refined in many places. There are improvements to be made, but Archadia looks like a promising place to make them. If that's the case, I'll stay until we get our project in place and have everything basically set to go." Which would mean a few more years of working things out with the FF...assuming I survive until then. "Doubt they'll have me supervise—I'm on the business end of the whole project—but still. It takes a lot of behind the scenes work to get things going so that'll take at least a couple of years. I'd like to return home after that though."

i suppose

by Worldie for Leia