Unmasked

[brave_heart_verity]

Verity's sitting on one of the benches around the Forum, all pink braids and French stripes and soft jeans, idly fingering a new ring and studying a brochure someone handed her. Not the Brochure, just a flier for a temporary costume shop. (Both the shop and the costumes being temporary, one of those things is very important when the other disappears.) The pictures are bright and cheerful, almost inappropriately so. This is a highly sanitized, 'safe' for 'children' sort of Halloween being peddled. Meanwhile, Bobbi sniffs around to check for changes to the area and signs of adventure. She's a pupper of valor and courage, ready to take on any strange sniffs and mysterious smells.

"Is your Halloween tradition to put a mask on, or take one off?" The question begins when she lifts her attention to the wider worlds and does the now-habitual mental and visual sweep of her surroundings. As casually as it's asked, she knows this is a deeply probing question, so she'll give anyone wary of answering an easy out. "You coming to the Ball?"

Comments

[brave_heart_verity]

Bobbi's favorite tends to be whoever's doing something nice for her at the moment. It'll be Verity again soon enough.

There wasn't technically a question there, so he can put that wounded dignity aside before she feels the need to poke his ego further. "I'm sure whatever it cost you was too cheap." Don't listen to her grumbling she's going to enjoy herself one way or another. "You're sure you don't mind the fact I'm going to use it absolutely frivolously?"

[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

Bobbi's love is very democratic.

"Frivolity, dear Verity, is the very point of the ball," he assures her, smoothing down his ruffled dignity. Because it's her, though, he is obliged to admit, "it will leave me absolutely steaming, but I could ask no less."

[brave_heart_verity]

Oh yes. One pupper, one vote and all that.

That smile that's been threatening breaks through then--at the admission, not the reassurance. "Well, we both knew the stakes. Although I'm sure you're going to look better in the tights than I am."

[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

The Vetinari school of political science.

There it is. He dips his head slightly in recognition of it, and answers with a wry twist of his lips. "That, I think, will be a highly subjective matter," he counters. "I hazard to guess there are a few prospective judges who would be highly inclined in your favor."

[brave_heart_verity]

The Patrician is an infamous lover of dogs, so it's no surprise they'd look to him for guidance. And treats.

He knows it's usually lurking about somewhere these days. The worst of the year is behind her and she can breathe again. "No doubt, but as you well know, I've been trying to learn the fine art of letting other people be wrong."

[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

Indeed, Verity's ways are well known to him by now. He's grown accustomed to her looks, accustomed to her voice, accustomed to her face.

"Ha!" he scoffs, but adds, "I know better than to embroil myself in that question. I trust Mr. Murdock is well?"

[brave_heart_verity]

Is this the beginning of the part of their relationship where he buys her lots of enormous hats?

Her smile grows into a full-fledged grin, marred only by realizing he hasn't sat down yet. Tragedy. If he'd like to, Bobbi will join them for cuddles. A little fur finishes any outfit, doesn't he know that? "As if I'd allow otherwise?" As if she controls or can fix all the ways a person can be hurting...

"Yeah, he's well. There's no shortage of things in need of legal wrangling in the Kitchen, and some of his clients have even started paying with money. Not that I don't love bananas, but." Nobody loves bananas that much.

[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

He may as well sit--his next appointment isn't for a while, yet. "Crusading is hungry work," he muses, adding, "I seem to recall paying in more than plantains."

[brave_heart_verity]

How generous of him. Bobbi will shamelessly take this opportunity to make herself comfortable. Schon's knee is in dire need of a pupper head resting on it. Being a pupper pillow is really a great accomplishment for a knee.

"It is," she agrees, "and you do. But you're a fair bit luckier than his clients, too."

[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

In much the same way, scritches are a really great accomplishment for a puppy's ears. Bobbi's ears, it is safe to say, are very accomplished. The thin man's slender fingers work idly, seemingly independent of his attention.

"Guilty, as charged," he quips. "If the fine Misters Nelson and Murdock are finding their current fiscal flow failing, I could perhaps find some more work for them. I do have a few contracts that could use the review of a studied eye, to see if there are any loopholes that have been missed..."

[brave_heart_verity]

Bobbi is all kinds of accomplished. Just look how well-trained her tall ones are! She's smug as a pug about her current situation.

"As if you feel guilty about anything." She tosses back the tease with a smile before dropping her gaze to Bobbi. Her ears are busy, so Ver will scratch her back. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind a little more business. I'll let Matt know. You've met Foggy, right?"

[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

Are pugs smug? Perhaps a dog would know.

"Pleading guilt and feeling it are, I believe, legally distinct activities," he counters, enjoying as he does the back-and-forth wordplay. "I believe Mr. Nelson put in a brief appearance at last year's ball. Hopefully both will return this year--and not consider it some onerous company mixer, hmm?"

[brave_heart_verity]

Maybe not, but in all things, Bobbi strives to be cute for the tall ones.

"Are we in a court, sweetie, where judgment will be passed? I'm not sure I could offer an impartial judgment in this case." Weighing facts is something at which she considers herself extremely skilled, but he's her friend and she's still not always sure what to do with that.

He can just keep making her blush it's okay no troubles. "Oh, I'm sure Matt's coming. I hope Foggy does too."