delight_in_wt | 10 Consimbs 4385: An Evening Between Spies

I had made arrangements that Pinsitter and I might dine at Worth Your While. You shall recall it, cuz: the riverfood restaurant with the rubinesque Orren proprietor, Mosplash, and the pink-and-white Rassimel waiter, Vasory, who kept asking about the furstyling trade. It is not precisely upscale, of course, but one may dine there without risk of a brawl erupting, and it is the most fashionable place I know that will serve Khtsoyis.

Pinsitter and I floated through their double doors together, tentacle-in-tentacle. Vasory has switched his furstyle to white and white, with white highlights. No, truly -- he was three different shades of white, in an elaborate twining pattern with dots. He looked a bit out of sorts when he caught sight of us, but he rushed to attend us. Their lower floor was roped off when we arrived, but he took up the rope and showed us to a table downstairs -- rather to my surprise, as the main floor was not crowded. But I do not complain! We had the lower floor all to ourselves, and it made the restaurant a charmingly intimate locale. It put me in mind of Gran-Gran's tales of Darraden's, and I mentioned as much to Pinsitter. Naturally, not being of Vheshrame, Pinsitter had not heard of the establishment, so I had to explain about it being Vheshrame's most exclusive eatery, replete with private dining rooms suitable for visiting nobles. "It's famed for its protections against scrying, and as such, host to many secretive conspiracies and assignations."

"Oh? And what sort of secrets d'ya think we're hiding, here?" Pinsitter asked me teasingly.

"Ahhh ... no doubt some clever plot to get away with criminal mischief," I said. "Such as being caught nude at a Naked Parade."

She giggled, flicking a tentacle at the brim of my chapeau "That seems a little ... normal, to be a clever plot. Can't we have a stranger one?"

I thought hard. "Perhaps ... we are spies of the Duke, working in deep cover to ferret out treachery. Skulking amongst the underclass -- how better to go unnoticed?"

"Ah! You, maybe, are the loyal Duke's spy," Pinsitter said, snaking one of her tentacles about one of mine. "I am the leader of the rebellion! And you have caught me out. Now ... " Another of her tentacles looped around mine, the two curling around my limbs to draw me closer to her. "The only hope for my rebels is for me ... " She pulled me near enough for me to feel the breath of her words against my skin "... to seduce you to our side."

"I daresay ... the Duke is doomed," I murmured.

Our waiter, who had thus far shown a much appreciated indifference to our existance, chose that moment to reappear. Pinsitter and I sprang apart while I selected dishes more or less from memory in placing our order.

I might never have forgiven Vasory his unwanted diligence had Pinsitter not been quite interested in resuming the little charade as soon as he'd vanished upstairs again.

And no, we did not spend the entire evening pretending to be spies. I am also compelled to note that much of this pretense did, in fact, consist of inventing details of our respective plots -- Pinsitter's rebellion is the Movement to Mandate Nudity, which seeks to make clothing illegal everywhere within the city walls. ("What, even armor?" "Especially armor! What do we have city walls for, anyway?") Naturally, I had infilitrated the movement by being captured as one of their own ("Not so much an "undercover" agent as an "uncovered" one.") Thereby were they tricked into revealing their leader and their plot when they opted to 'rescue' me. As Pinsitter is far more attractive ("Your cause, of course, I mean your cause -- did I leave that word out?") than the Duke's cause, I am now a double-agent in her service. Wait, I already was a double-agent, wasn't I? Triple-agent? Is that a phrase?

It was all extremely silly and we spent an inordinate amount of time giggling even before the first glass of wine arrived. The service was shockingly slow, for which I gave Vasory an inordinate tip in thanks. The food was splendid, albeit not so splendid as the company. Pinsitter gave indication that it was entirely Worth Her While, and furthermore consented to repeat the experience in a week's time.

Needless to say, I floated all the way home in more than just the literal sense.