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hiddenwashington · 3 months

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with the last year being potentially the bloodiest yet for all those entrapped within the city, the cheer of the new year, a fresh start and some hope for improvement is exactly what everyone needs. though it's certainly hard to put any stock in hope for a peaceful year in this city. and while the galas held at the white house have a mixed history of success, and an unfortunate history of tragedy, the ones that go over well tend to be incredible mood lifters. a masquerade ball is always a hit, and they will be going all out to help everyone forget the horrors the last year has held, and to wipe away the stain of last valentine's day's bloody nightmare. to change it up a bit, those in charge have decided that, rather than hosting the event at the white house, they are going to be hosting a fundraiser for the smithsonian museum. invitations are sent out to the entire city, beautiful pale pink and silver cards detailing the location and date of the masked ball being held. bring your beloved, your best friend, or sign up for a blind date if you're feeling a bit adventurous! the museum is decked out, lit entirely by strings of lights and candles, the entire place turned into a hall of mirrors decorated in pinks and reds, with roses falling from the ceiling and and covering the tables. to entertain the guests, there's a photo booth with various props and backdrops, professional photographers roaming the area, live music, and plenty of food and drink for everyone. hopefully this will be a suitable close to an otherwise disastrous year, and a way for everyone to forget their troubles for a while.

tldr ; almost as a thank you for those who have stuck through the nightmares that have come with living in washington, those in charge have put together another gala, an evening of nothing but dancing and fun to try and lighten the spirits of the citizens as we continue on in this new year. those who have signed up for a blind date will be finding out their partner from their invitation and we hope to see everyone there in their valentine's day best!

OOC INFORMATION

hi friends !!! welcome to another hidden mini event !!! we've somehow already had 5 of them and we are so excited to bring you our 6th one !! we wanted to mix things up a bit, bring you guys a different element to a classic rp ball event with these blind dates so we hope you all took advantage of that if you wanted to participate! we are so excited to get this moving and see how all the drama unfolds from inside the museum walls! we hope you all enjoy this as much as we did putting it together ♥

DATES

it will run from feb 10th - feb 21st

this event will last eleven days ooc , but one night in character

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE BALL

a basic layout of the smithsonian : we will be using the museum of natural history for this event! the main gala will be held on the first floor, the rotunda being used as the dance floor, the rest of the museum is still open to those in attendance, your characters are free to explore all that it has to offer, from the dinosaurs, to the live butterflies, to the night sky exhibit-- please feel free to use this map to help you navigate the setting! there is also a ton of information on the smithsonian website about each exhibit!

food and drink : free food, an open bar, candy bowls and sweets available to everyone! any valentine's treat you can think of has been sourced and provided for all to enjoy!

dancing : of course this is a gala, so go wild during a faster number, or finally extend an invitation to someone special to dance to one of the slower songs. request songs from the band and enjoy in every way you can!

outfits : dress to impress, wear that gown you’ve been eyeing for far too long, don your best masquerade mask, find your best suit, whatever fits your style best. and feel free to post outfits and looks now if you so please!! we'd love to see what everyone wears!!

get creative : this is just a new setting, with something new to work with! you do not have to adhere to any real guidelines, beyond 'remember the rules of the rp'. so if you wanna do something really off the wall, maybe dm an admin. otherwise, there's more guests than agents and security, if you wanna try to ride that t-rex skeleton, just make sure your date is keeping watch!

most of all, have fun : we want this to be a creative outlet, so please, if there is something that you think could be at this ball, be it a game, food, etc, we’re open to it !! also, feel free to have your characters make up their own drama, to go a little wild, cut loose !! just keep it within the realm of possibilities, we don’t want anyone escorted out before the party has really begun!

BLIND DATES

if you submitted your character for the blind dates , please follow this link to find your matches!

please review your pairings and let us know if we missed you, or if you've been matched up with the same writer too many times, or for any reason that you may need a new match!

be sure that you reach out to your blind date partner so that you can both plot together and get on the same page about the vibe between characters, and how it will go! we want this to be a chance for you to mix up who you usually write with, so please be sure to branch out with these new pairings!

QUICK HOUSEKEEPING :

one stop shop for all your plotting, posting and tagging questions !!

feel free to begin plotting now! you can post plotting calls, starter calls, outfit edits or anything of the like !! just remember to keep any in character posts saved for the 10th!

we usually start the events around 10-11 am est / 2-3pm gmt , so please keep that in mind when queuing any starters !! you’re probably best off queuing for around 12pm est/4pm gmt!

unlike our full events, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PUT OTHER THREADS ON HOLD! you are more than welcome to continue to write outside of the event !!

feel free to have your characters begin talking about the invitations, the excitement, or asking people to go with them if they are not going on a blind date! so, feel free to begin plotting and getting everything sorted for when the event begins!

please tag all posts (in character , out of character , para , etc ) with hwminievent6, or with "valentine's ball", "valentine's gala", something to indicate that those threads are taking place in the mini event, since people will be doing both event and regular threads!

please please remember to still tag all triggers that may apply!!

again, this is a MINI EVENT and therefore NOT MANDATORY

as always, please make sure to have fun & feel free to really cut loose besties!! we hope that you and your characters find something to enjoy at the ball! we cannot wait to see what different ideas you all come up with and cannot wait to see your threads on the dash! please do not hesitate to ask any questions that may arise & let us know if you have any suggestions or need help! with that all said, as always, PLEASE LIKE THIS WHEN YOU HAVE READ IT ALL! ♥

#hw: event #hwminievent6 #hw: admin #hw: ooc

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lunaofthevalley · 6 years

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This is not Another Cinderella Story

Steve Rogers x Reader

Plot: She was an ordinary girl with a not so ordinary crush, and he was a not so ordinary guy with an ordinary wish.

Note: If you'd like to be added to the tag list, comment down below or send me a message or an ask. I'm opening up requests for imagines and Ships right now if anyone is interested.

Dear Ms. Y/N Y/L/N,

As a hard working member of both Stark Industries and the Avengers Compound, it is with great pleasure that we inform you that you have been cordially invited to attend the Celebration Gala taking place next weekend to commemorate Mr. Starks 49th birthday.

The Gala will be taking place at the Stark Tower on the date of May 29th. It will be an elegant occasion and the theme will be a masquerade ball. It is required that those in attendance are in formal attire, Formal gowns for the ladies and Tuxedos for the gentlemen. And also do not forget your mask.

We hope you can attend the event. Please RSVP in advance to take you into consideration in terms of seating and food.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries.

Y/N could only stare down at the small letter in her hand. She traced the words with her fingers as she read the message over and over again.

She had been working for Stark Industries for 4 years, it was her first job fresh out of college, and in those 4 years she had never been invited to a official Stark Event, which only the big leagues were invited to, so it was quite a surprise to find the letter sitting on her desk this morning when she came into work at the compound.

"What you got there Y/N?" Y/N looked up and saw it was Anna, her desk neighbor who had asked.

Anna was...nice, to say the least. She was a very judgmental and bossy person, but Y/N liked to see the best in people so she never complained.

"Um just some letter I got this morning." She vastly explained.

Anna pursed her lips. "Seems to me its more than just a letter."

Y/N quickly racked her head for an excuse, she didn't want to tell Anna about the Party, knowing waves of criticism would come her way is she told her she had been invited, "It's about my grandma's Will, there will be a meeting next weekend so the close family members know what they get when she, you know, passes."

It wasn't a complete lie, she did have to attend the meeting but that was in a months time, not next week end as she had just said.

"Oh, I thought it would be something more exciting, you know like the invite to Starks party."

Y/N tensed in her seat, "You were invited?"

Anna noticed the change in Y/N's mood, but thought it was due to the girl not receiving a letter. "Yeah, such a shame you didn't get one again. But hey, there's always next year right?"

Y/N nodded slowly, "Yeah, next year."

"Are you girls talking about the Stark Party?" A third voice had now joined in their conversation. Y/N and Anna looked up to see it was Dina, one of their co-workers who was stationed just down the hall. Y/N gave a tight lit smile at said woman's appearance.

If Anna was slightly Unpleasant, Dina was way worse. It's as if she had no filter and took a joy in making Y/N feel bad when she could, critiquing even the cup of coffee she would make herself in the morning.

If she thought about it, Dina and Anna were like the evil stepsisters she never had, both had lousy attitudes which she constantly had to put up with, and were also from the upper east side, which made them, more or less, one in the same.

"Oh hey Di, we were just talking about Starks party. Y/N didn't get invited again."

Dina turned to look at Y/N with a pout, "Aw sweetie, that's like the third time you don't get invited right? Such a shame, but then again you're only just a lousy secretary."

Y/N rolled her eyes. "Aren't you also a secretary Dina? Last time I checked you ran Finances while I'm in charge of the Teams documents."

"I run finances for the whole company, you only make the teams time tables." That was a lie, Dina helped run the finances, she didn't actually do them for the whole company by herself.

Y/N was in charge of keeping tabs on the team, it had been her promotion once she was moved to work at the compound. She goes over their schedules, diet plans, fitness regimes, their personal finances, as well as any other doubt or problem they had, they contacted her.

Sure she had actually never met any of them in person, besides Mr. Stark and Peter, (which is a long story as to how she found out his secret), they all mostly always sent her emails or texts, which were mostly short, strange requests from Thor who had still not learned how to use a laptop.

"Besides who cares if I wasn't invited, it's just a stupid party for rich people, with rich people food." Y/N said in defense.

Anna and Dina looked quite offended by her statement.

"Just a party, how dare you? It's like one of the biggest events in New York. Anyone who is anyone is invited."

"Which is probably why Y/N here wasn't invited." Dina smirked.

Y/N was about to reply when she noticed Dina and Anna's attention had shifted elsewhere. She looked behind her towards where the other two were staring and was met with the view of one Steven Grant Rogers.

He was entering the room some files in his hands, which she guessed he was taking down to the Operations department.

It was very hard not to look at him, he oozed confidence and his general aura seemed to pull anyone to him.

Y/N had seen him a variety of times during the last couple of years and she had always liked him, not only as a person, but also like like him. She wouldn't lie, like 75% of the female staff she found Steve attractive, but besides that Y/N was attracted to his person.

He was a genuinely nice guy from what she could tell, old school manners with enough modern charm that he was what woman would define as a perfect man. Sure she didn't actually know him that well, but she knew enough from 2 years worth of emailing back and forth.

"Oh isn't he one fine specimen of a men." Anna spoke up after a few silent minutes.

Dina nodded in agreement, "I would let him do anything to me. Just look at those arms, they're so thick and nice, his thighs too."

The situation had gone from okay to very unpleasant for Y/N, she had no desires in knowing what Dina would let Steve do to her.

Y/N turned around in her seat to face them again, "He's alright, I guess." She would never tell them of the crush she had developed on Steve, she didn't want to hear how undeserving she was of him.

"If that's your opinion of him I think you need to get your glasses fixed hun," Anna told her as she turned her gaze away from Steve.

"Leave her, much less competition for us in terms of winning him over." Dina stated, "god I hope I get to dance with him next weekend. I've been waiting for a dance since I first laid eyes on him."

"How will you know it's him? It's going to be a masquerade ball Dina, everyone will be wearing a mask." Y/N sasses.

Dina looked down at Y/N like she was a toddler about to be scolded, "Have you seen the size of that man? he's not hard to miss Y/N. Even with a mask I could tell who he is, he's the most well built on the team."

"Actually all of them are pretty well built, as you call it," She argued back, "Sam, James, Clint, Rhodes, even Mr.Stark. The only one who isn't is Dr.Banner, but that's another thing completely."

"Whose James?" Anna asked

Y/N turned back to look at her, not knowing if she was kidding or not, "James as in James Buchanan Barnes...better known as Bucky. Y'know Steve's best friend from the 40s, the only other super soldier on the team."

Anna still seemed confused so she turned to Dina, "The ex-soviet spy, the murderer." She explained.

Y/N turned back to Dina, appalled at her way of describing Bucky, "He's not a murderer, the Winter soldier was, he was brainwashed to do those things! You can't expect to win Steve over if that's the opinion you have on James, the person he cares about and trusts most."

Dina rolled her eyes, "Ugh whatever, he's irrelevant."

"He's not irrelevant." Y/N murmured under her breath.

"I only care about Captain America and his gorgeous muscles." Dina continued. "Can't wait for next weekend when he has me in his arms spinning me around the ballroom. Such a shame you won't be there to see it Y/N, I would have loved for you to record the moment."

Y/N looked back at where Steve was standing, "Yeah, what a shame."

She would never admit it, but she too imagined what it would be like to dance with Steve.

Part 2??

PERM TAGS: @sighspidey

#steve rogers x reader #steve x reader #steve rogers #chris evans #chris evans x reader #marvel imagine #marvel #mcu #captain america #captain america imagines #avengers masterlist #avengers imagines #avenegrs infinity war #avengers #cinderella #this is not another cinderella story #lunawrites

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garbageismydomain · 7 years

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And the Band Played On

And here I am @huxloween friends, all caught up with the prompts. This one is for Masquerade. For being super old-person tired I was very productive. I will say, I may have gone over board with the descriptions of opulence.

Canto Bight had always been an opulent city. Why wouldn’t it be? It was a place for those who funded the First Order. Snoke’s owned this planet and owned all who came here to gamble, either through his own charisma or through the loan sharks he employed to keep those who had been on the fence firmly supporting the First Order. After the use of Starkiller even those who had been kept on their side by debt alone were now held by fear. It wasn’t unwarranted.

Now they were all here, guests of Snoke himself at a gala that he had invited them all to. Hux, although unaccustomed to balls himself, had been commissioned to program for the event. Currently all manner of rich foods from all corners of the galaxy were laid out for those attending to imbibe as well as a bar fully stocked with every liquor, free of charge. None of the flavorless nutrient paste and synthetic alcohol strictly rationed that were custom among those most touched by the war. Those who were fighting this war for the old Imperials, just as corrupt as the Republic that they loathed, would likely never know such grandeur.

Hux hated it all.

But still he smiled and greeted the members of the council, excusing Snoke for being late, as he was far more preoccupied with the workings of the Order to spend an entire night reveling. They would never know that truly it was Hux and Kylo Ren that ran the Order, and Snoke was nothing more than a figure head that fed their various vices. The vicious fake smiles that crossed each face at Hux’s greetings left a vile taste in his throat. His smile was just as cold, but they would never be able to tell. They were far too used to being catered to that they could not even imagine that they were not appreciated.

Even Hux’s preoccupation with façade and decorum would have been tested if it were not for Kylo Ren at his side. At Hux’s suggestion he had come in disguise as an escort. Hux had been surprised when, several cycles ago, Kylo had modeled his ensemble for him. A scandalously sheer and low-cut robe with slits that went far too high. There were only small sections that were covered with thicker fabrics to protect his dignity. He hadn’t yet had the final parts, but he had wanted Hux to see them anyway. Hux had shown his approval for the entire evening regardless.

When the man had joined him on their transport Hux found himself nearly breathless. Apparently the thick gold collar with chains running down his arms to thick slave bands had not been delivered until the night before. Nor had the gold paint that adorned his legs. Others would see nothing more than a floral pattern emblazoned across the pale skin of an escort that was on Hux’s arm. None but Kylo and himself would recognize the fauna of Arkanis or the ancient language that declared him a belonging of Hux.

“How am I to concentrate with you dressed as you are?” Hux had purred at Kylo, kissing his cheek before he slipped the black and white beaked mask that Hux handed him to cover his scar. Hux was thankful he’d determined that this would be a masquerade.

“As you always do,” he murmured back, returning the kiss lightly on Hux’s lips. “Like a General.”

Hux smiled and pulled his red and white mask over his own face. It was patterned like a Zabrak Sith of legend. Kylo had picked it out himself, insisting on the pattern being a white face with red markings. Flattering to Hux’s complexion and a reminder of his own grandmother’s cosmetics.

Now as Hux seethed after his last greeting he felt Kylo’s hand on his shoulder. He handed him a glass of some sweet drink he’d gotten at the bar. There was just enough alcohol in it to calm Hux’s nerves but not dull his senses.

“Tonight is a happy night, Hux,” he said, letting his hand slide down the fine dress jacket Hux had pulled from deep in his closet. The gold and bone buttons had been polished by a droid for just this occasion. He’d pinned his own medals to the breast, every one he’d earned since he graduated the academy, to show he had honor, a sneer graced his lips just to be kissed away by Kylo.

“Please, one dance before midnight?” he whispered. Hux acquiesced. Taking Kylo’s hand and walking with him to the dance floor.

The band had slipped into a waltz as they had stepped out and Kylo place one hand in Hux’s and the other on his shoulder. Hux had never been one for dancing, but he did know how to lead. As they moved round the floor Kylo leaned in to whisper to him.

“You should hear what they’re thinking, they are so envious of you,” he said with a grin.

“Oh?” Hux smiled wickedly. Nothing pleased him more than to hear how others viewed Kylo. How their perverse thoughts turned to him. He lorded it over them, that only he would ever know Kylo in the way that they wished to. “I would think that this room would be full of the most virtuous,” Hux snarked.

“Oh no, never.” Kylo growled. “That one over there—” He nodded to one of the highest ranking members of the council that had at one point said some rather rude things about his orientation to his face years ago. “Is wondering how it would feel to have his cock stepped on by my heels.” Kylo smiled wickedly. “And I won’t disgust you with a description of what he’d want to happen next.”

Hux hummed. There were only a few things that would truly disgust Hux and none of them were particularly pleasant to hear about. So they continued to dance in silence, Kylo drifting closer inward and resting his head on Hux’s shoulder to press kisses across his neck.

Hux glanced at the clock. It was five minutes to midnight and time for him to announce the arrival of Snoke. Ren himself would go to fetch him so they walked to the edge of the dance floor and Hux took his place on the dais before Snoke’s throne. He picked up a glass of champagne and a fork, tapping it lightly to gain the attention of the attendants.

“Attention please,” Hux spoke as the band silenced their instruments. Mitaka was not only an accomplished lieutenant but an excellent cellist and band leader. He gave him an appreciative nod, and could tell that he was beaming under his simple mask.

“I apologize for interrupting your revelry but I must introduce our host, Supreme Leader Snoke. Finally he will be able to join us and make an important announcement concerning the future of the Order,” Hux finished. Snoke lumbered out behind him and sat on his gilded throne, just as pompously as he always had. No one remarked on his stiffness, nor the lack of praetorian guards. They were far too drunk for that. Hux smiled as Snoke began.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Snoke began, the voice coming from his mouth generated from memory by Kylo Ren. He was leaning against Hux’s shoulder to hide the movement of his mouth. “I welcome you all to our fine gala. I have called you all here to witness the end to the galactic war and the ascension of the First Order to the ruling power of the galaxy.”

Around the room several large golden curtains dropped, revealing large holo screens with each showing a different planet containing a Resistance base. Within moments each of the planets in succession turned to burning balls of fire, eventually becoming debris freely floating in space. There was a moment of silence across the crowed, some covering their mouths to gasp at the spectacle, others simply gaping in wonder. Then a raucous uproar of approval ripped through the entire crowd. The shouts were those of the victorious, each feeling that it was personally hard won. Hux was hardly able to keep from rolling his eyes. Snoke raised his hands and a hush fell over the crowd.

“Now, my good men and women,” he spoke triumphantly. “Eat, drink, dance, and celebrate the ascension of the Order.” He finished, slumping lightly with his head balanced on one hand as if bored. So characteristic of Snoke, but mostly because it was a posture that was much easier for Ren to hold with little effort.

As the band struck up again, a fast trotto as a celebration, trapdoors in the ceiling opened and flower petals and golden leaves began to rain around the room. There was a bit of laughter as everyone danced happily. Kylo offered his hand to Hux again and he gladly took it. They danced their way to the center of the floor smiling broadly.

The first person to fall was by the bar. It appeared as if he had simply gotten too far in his cups and he had passed out on the bar. Others standing behind him laughed brightly at his misfortune. They wouldn’t realize he was dead until they themselves had joined him.

It was like a wave, more and more people began falling to the floor. Some had been able to make a small noise of distress before doing so. Slowly the other dancers began to notice the people dropping around them. They began to stall on the floor, but the band played on and Kylo and Hux continued to dance and smile. There was a moment of panic where it appeared as people would stampede but one by one as they went to take a step forward they fell to their knees, some dead before they hit the floor.

The last man standing was the one who had been thinking horrible things about Kylo. Hux gave him the most triumphant smile he’d ever given over Kylo’s shoulder before he dropped to the floor dead. As soon as he hit the floor so did the body of Snoke, dead shortly after they had arrived, his own apprentice’s lightsaber through his heart. Hux would always treasure the moment of confusion in his eyes before his realization. Kylo said that in his last moments he cursed Kylo for besting him and Hux for his deception. It was a delicious thought to hold.

The band slowed down and Kylo and Hux did too. The band had been given the same patches that Hux and Kylo had affixed to themselves with the antidote for the poison that had rained down with the sweet smelling flowers covering the slightly acrid smell. Hux had been especially thankful that the entire band was so devoted to Hux. They would never breathe a word of what actually happened here tonight.

Quickly they packed up their instruments and followed Hux and Kylo to the transport. Once they had taken off and escaped the expected blast radius of the explosion Hux called Kylo over to the view port. He smiled and gave him a chaste kiss before turning back to the planet and pushing the detonator he held in his hand. Almost immediately he saw the crust of the planet crack and the flames from the massive explosive burst out. Cantonica, Canto Bight, and all of the corrupt heads of the First Order were no more. Hux let out a pleased sigh.

Kylo leaned and whispered “Long live Emperor Hux,” into Hux’s ear before sucking the lobe between his teeth.

#cw: character death #huxloween #prompt: masquerade #cw:poisoning #general hux #kylo ren #gala #seriously indulgent #fanfiction

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misspandalily · 7 years

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drink, lipstick, pull yourself together

Nejiten month week 3!!! Prompts used: can i have this dance, seduction/sexual tension.

AO3 | FFN

She's the last person he expects to see on this mission. Even with her face hidden from view with an elegant bowler hat and her body clothed in a velvet black ensemble, he knows exactly who he's dealing with.

They're far away from the festivities of the Uchiha Gala, in a dimly-lit exhibition room they both know contains a rare painting worth billions. His father is languishing on a hospital bed, his life helplessly dependent on machines that're costing Neji an arm and a leg.

He needs this painting for Hizashi to not die in pain, because in Neji's life of organised thievery and art heists, the only honourable part of himself is his devotion to the one parent who hasn't died on him yet. His father will be treated in a Private Hospital and by the Tsunade Senju herself, even if she's unbelievably expensive and hard to find. Hell will freeze over before he lets his father suffer just because his Uncle refuses to sign him off on a mission to steal the most priceless painting in the world, nay, Universe.

Although, considering who his unexpected rival is, stealing it from the gallery will be much harder than he anticipates.

Neji doesn't speak up, just quietly manoeuvres his way down the hall and begs for his shoes not to make a noise. His investment in noise-cancelling soles is well-spent; they're blissfully silent.

The revised plan is to take the painting from her as soon as she retrieves it from the wall - he's blocking the entrance, and there's only one way she'll be able to escape unless she's daring enough to jump down five storeys in that dress. With a dexterous, gloved hand, Tenten disables the alarms set on the frame and slices out the canvas with a Stanley knife. Neji watches her roll it up and slide it into a thin cylindrical tube before slotting it into her handbag. It's inconspicuous to anyone who doesn't know better.

He follows her as soon as she straightens her posture and resolutely struts away from the crime scene, taking little notice of the man slinking behind her in the shadows. Or so he thinks.

Seconds away from reaching the archway, Tenten tilts her head to the side, lifts her chin, and gives Neji a small, knowing smirk. In the moment that he realises he's been duped, Tenten removes a smoke bomb from her handbag and tosses it at the ground before him. He knows to avoid it and manages to escape the fog within seconds, but it's all she needs to make a run for it.

Frustrated, Neji races after her retreating figure, her form cutting a dark silhouette against the pale white light coming from the ball room. She makes a sharp turn right and disappears from his view.

By the time he rushes through the doors of the ball room, the only possible direction Tenten could have gone, he's cursing Sasuke Uchiha for making this a black-tie event. His vision is bombarded by people in black, some masked, some downing wine goblets like water. The only one who isn't joining in, though not by lack of trying, is Lee, who's in a deep forest green and entertaining some drunk men by performing handstands. Trust the one accomplice he has in this crime to be somersaulting on a marble floor, Neji thinks, and then catches sight of the one woman wearing a bowler hat. He charges forth and grabs her wrist before she can weave her way out of the dance-floor and into the lattice of white tables in front of the exit.

She struggles at first, trying in vain to escape - he almost regrets his actions when she winces in pain from the grasp of his fist, but the image of Hizashi dying from stomach cancer is enough to squash it down. Something in Tenten's face clears. She replaces her ire with a smile.

"May I have this dance?" He leaves no room for objection, choosing to lead her into the throng of waltzing dancers as she gives him the same musical laugh that draws him in almost every single time they meet on the job. The operational word being, almost. Neji's not trying to flagrantly defy Hiashi on a mission this time, he's just straight up disobeying him and possibly buying himself a one-way ticket to a Witness Protection program as soon as he's able to pay off all the medical bills and funeral costs. The point is, Tenten's plump, red lips aren't seducing him as well as they did in the past because this time he has a clear purpose.

"Oh, you just can't get enough of me." Even underneath the big hat, he's able to see her eyes glimmer with delight as he leads her through the dance. The attempt to fool him into thinking he's the alpha isn't tricking him. He knows just how well Tenten can dance - backwards and in stiletto heels. The bag on her side is his primary objective, although it does seem to be caught beneath their armpits.

"Hardly." He pulls her in at the waist and presses her up against him. Her chest is tough, presumably due to the bullet-proof vests she ensures is always on her person, as well as the thick coat she's wearing. Neji respects her practicality. It's winter, and gun violence is becoming increasingly prevalent by the day. "You have something I want." Neji doesn't let go when the music changes. It elicits a few affronted huffs from surrounding dancers. Their steps quicken.

"I assure you, sweetheart," she leans back, allowing him to see the shit-eating grin on her face, "You're not getting it tonight."

"Very funny," he says bluntly, "but I meant-"

"I know exactly what you meant. And my answer?" He waits for her expectantly. "Not going to happen." The knee to his groin is expected, yet the subsequent elbow to his face is far from it. Neji is disarmed, but still beelines after her when she makes a run for the nearby wall and defies gravity on her way to the other side of the accumulated crowd. There's a commotion, and Neji isn't keen on replicating the parkour he'd just witnessed (neither can he replicate it, actually), so he pushes shocked businessmen aside and heads towards the exit.

Upon reaching it, his vision is impounded by a black leather handbag that slams against his face hard enough for him to fall to the ground. The cartilage of his nose appears to be disgruntled, but not broken. Neji's ears pick up on the sound of heels clicking away and scrunches his face before peeling himself off of the ground.

"Did you just get dumped?" Neji hears the raucous voice of Lee behind him and rolls his eyes. A muscly green arm pulls him up and helps him steady himself. "Again?"

"No," he pulls his phone from his pocket and pulls up a blinking, red dot that's edging away from his blue one on a map. Lee looks over his shoulder and lets out a low whistle. "Not yet."

"I thought I'd find you here," Tenten rests her cheek on her palm when she sees him striding into Ichiraku's calmly. "Although this time you're disappointingly slower than before."

She gestures to the two steaming cups of coffee sitting in front of her as he sits down. Tea is his preferred beverage, which she knows - it's like a punch to his face.

"I'm touched that you waited," Neji sets his phone on the table, their dots merging to become purple, and lets the information sink in for her. "Why do you do this?"

To his surprise, she gives him a knowing smile and holds her right hand out, palm skywards. "Just foreplay, sweetheart," she grins. There's a small black spot sitting in the centre. Neji doesn't allow his inner frustration to surface, even though he wants to slam his fist into a wall for somehow letting her one-up him again. They're two of the best agents in their respective companies, and yet he feels like he may as well be Naruto when she comes into the picture. The beginnings of his internal monologue are suddenly interrupted by the fact that Tenten looks...sincere. All pretences of cheek and sardonic humour gone, he feels like he's looking into a mirror of himself, and it's as gut-wrenchingly uncomfortable as Lee constantly claims.

"My boss is giving me an out. For life. I'm doing this as my official last assignment," she starts. He immediately squeezes his eyes shut and feels the vein in his forehead popping out slightly. Of course this is her last assignment. Of course he's hit by a wave of conscience for her on the one mission he doesn't need or want it. A week earlier and he would've been fine with the decision to not let her get away with the painting. A week earlier, they hadn't poured their hearts out to each other yet. When he opens his eyes again, she's staring at him expectantly.

"You're cleaning up."

"I'm starting afresh," Tenten slides a piece of paper over to him. He barely dips his chin down to read it.

"You're moving," he sees her new name printed in bold on the top of the sheet, followed by the signatures of several other individuals.

"I'm planning on moving," she corrects him again with a sad smile. "But I can't." Neji frowns. Tenten removes the tube from her bag and places it on the table before him. "I can't leave in peace knowing what I do about you and your father. Take it. I can stay with Danzo a little longer if necessary." He briefly contemplates seizing it and pawning it off for his fathers medical bills, then thinks back to the years he's spent watching Tenten robbing banks and performing art heists at ungodly hours to pay off her own crippling debt. There are plenty of other expensive paintings for him to steal and sell later on; though the urgency for this particular one bites into his conscience even harder. The bank seemed unwilling to loan him more money, too.

Neji takes the high road. He pushes the tube back to her side of the table and downs the cup of coffee as a way of punishing himself. Her face starts to blur at the edges. "You need to escape. Danzo has done enough."

A pained expression crosses her features. "I-"

"No," he cuts her off abruptly. Tenten's lips disappear into a thin line. "Go when you have the chance." He takes a deep breath when another bout of wooziness starts to overtake him. A hand reaches up to his forehead, though he isn't sure whose it is. He feels it gently moving along the tattoo that's lying beneath his bandages, hears her soothing tone above him and allows his eyes to shut tight.

"Gets you every time." The voice is sad. He blacks out.

Certificate of Death

This is to acknowledge the death of

Hizashi Hyuga

On the 3rd day of July in the year 2017

At: Konoha Private Hospital

Signed: Dr Tsunade Senju

#nejiten #nejitenmonth #2017 #art thieves #femme fatale #seduction maybe?#AU #fanfiction #naruto #neji hyuga #tenten #rock lee #hizashi #father son #no kiss here at all soz

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