I'll meet her by and by

Dawn looked almost doll-like when she stepped onto that stage, her delicate features lit by the lights hanging overhead. She walked forward with elegant poise, graceful like a ballerina, making full use of her years of gymnastics to move with sleek and measured intent.

She stopped before Nick and stared into his eyes, not saying a word.

Nick swallowed as he met her gaze. Very rarely did Dawn ever choose to wear contacts. Not that he could blame her, they were irritating. But without her glasses on, he could look deep into her eyes unobstructed, and see the warmth in those chocolate pools. Expressionless as she might have been, emotions worth a thousand words were contained in her gaze.

“It’s been quite a while since we’ve last talked, hasn’t it?” Dawn posed an odd question to Nick, and it took him a second to register it. When he did, he nodded.

“I-I suppose it has, yeah,” he agreed.

“…A pity,” she finally said, giving him the faintest hint of a smile. “I sincerely hope you don’t think I was intentionally avoiding you, or anything like that.”

Nick had been concerned about why he’d seen so little of Dawn these last few days. It couldn’t have just been his hectic schedule, no, there was a very clear absence of the cat girl. But he’d never once thought that she was avoiding him.

He shifted awkwardly in his seat and shook his head. “No, of course not,” he replied. “I just assumed you were busy, that’s all.”

Then Dawn giggled. It was something she so rarely did that Nick was caught completely by surprise. He looked at her with wide eyes, and saw her crinkle her nose cutely.

She shook her head. “I’m never too busy for you,” she assured him. “After how long we’ve known each other, you should realize that by now!”

That brought Nick back quite a bit. To all the times she’d politely turned down his advances, saying that she was too busy for things like dating. Back when she’d tolerated his feelings for her, before she’d gotten too creeped out.

After all they’d been through since those days, it might have seemed a little silly for Nick to be feel relieved hearing that from her. But he felt relieved all the same.

“We should really catch up sometime,” she continued. “You wouldn’t mind, I hope? I’m told I can be quite intellectually stimulating.”

“You do have a penchant for being the smartest person in the room,” Nick joked.

“Oh? I see, am I just a big brain to you, then?” Dawn asked, giving him a sly smile. Her ears wiggled suggestively and Nick was surprised. That was rather forward for Dawn… was this how she flirted with people?

“Ah… no, that’s not true at all,” Nick said, his voice catching slightly in his throat. “I just thought you might want to… I don’t know…”

“Nick.”

Dawn’s voice cut into his thoughts, and she looked pointedly at him.

Nick swallowed. “Yeah?”

“…No, it’s nothing,” she said, giggling. “I just wanted to keep you from putting your foot in your mouth, that’s all. I prefer when you’re acting all cool and sophisticated.”

Nick felt his face heat up. “Sheesh.”

“But embarrassed is also good,” she added, nodding thoughtfully. “Yes, that’s also very, very good…”

Nick rolled his eyes. But he couldn’t help but feel pleased in spite of himself.

Still giggling, Dawn slipped away, leaving a lasting impression Nick was pleased with, and also intrigued by.

It had been some time since he’d seen a lighter, more playful side from the girl who always **** herself to be so stuffy and mature.

“Well, that certainly was cute,” Dakota mused. “Now for our next guest, we’ve got someone who’s sure to give us quite a show tonight… Sylvia River!”

She’d actually given Sylvia a decent introduction, Nick was pleasantly surprised. It was almost enough to take his mind off his concerns about how Sylvia’s little courtship ritual was going to go. If she did choose him, and went heavy on the whole “Daddy” thing…

He shivered in spite of himself. Not helping was the way Sylvia pranced across the dance floor with a big smile on her face, delighting in being the center of attention. When she skipped her way up onto the stage, she made a big production of it as well, even throwing in a bow for good measure.

Yep, Sylvia really enjoyed making everything all about her, that was for sure. And Nick had to admit, it could even be cute sometimes.

Right now, though, he was more concerned with how her courtship was going to go, and if she-

Wait, what? HUH?!

Sylvia walked up to the judge’s table, but it wasn’t to start laying it on thick courting the guy she referred to as “Daddy”. It seemed even she was smart enough to figure out that wasn’t going to go over well for her.

But that didn’t make the decision she did make any less of a surprise.

Sylvia stood in front of Mary with a big smile on her face, as the stunned and confused redhead stared blankly back at her, trying to process was the scantily-clad girl was doing.

“Hello?” She squeaked out.

“Hey there, Pretty Mary Sunlight! How have you been?” Sylvia asked. “We haven’t really gotten to chat tonight, have we?”

“I-I guess not…” Mary stammered. “Is… is that why you picked me?”

“Hmm? Picked you for what?” Sylvia blinked innocently.

Mary flinched. “Oh! R-right, um… that’s not…”

Clearly, like Holly, Mary hadn’t been expecting anybody to come talk to her for this event. So when Sylvia of all people came up to say hello, it had caught her completely off her guard. But unlike Holly, she was much worse at rolling with the punches- or in this case, the attention of a cheery girl with cherry red hair and a smile like sunlight.

“I just wanted to say thank you for everything you’ve done for me recently,” Sylvia said, taking Mary by the hands. “This was the perfect chance.”

Mary blinked. “Um… you’re… you’re welcome? But I haven’t really done anything worth thanking,” she stammered.

“That’s not true at all!” Sylvia shook her head. “You’re always so supportive of me, and your kindness towards Daddy and the other girls inspires me to be a better person…” She sighed in a swoon, tilting her head to the side as she gazed into Mary’s eyes.

“You’re quite great, you know that?”

Mary felt her heart swell slightly at Sylvia’s kind words. She fought back her tears and smiled a little. “You… that’s very sweet of you to say, Sylvia. Thank you.”

“It’s what you’re always saying, right?” Sylvia pointed out. “Be sincere about how you feel, don’t hold anything back, and definitely don’t lie. And you’re completely right, Mary, honesty is what’s most important. Which is why, this challenge isn’t the best fit for me, I’m afraid.”

She scratched her hair and smiled sheepishly.

“Dancing around my feelings and trying not to harm my reputation… I’m no good at that, and we both know it. Which is why right now, I’m going to make my intentions clear. Even if I don’t end up getting a lot of points for it,” she said firmly.

Mary’s eyes widened. Her face turned red. “Are… are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Sylvia smirked. Figures.

And then, she leaned in close. For a second, Nick thought that Sylvia was going to kiss her! Mary must have felt the same way because she froze like a statue, her eyes widened into pinpricks as…

…

Sylvia whispered something into her ear.

As Mary registered the words left unheard to the other judges, her face changed quite rapidly. She went from surprised, to confused, to suddenly very, very red and flustered.

“Th-that-!” She stammered, pulling back like a rattlesnake had bitten her. She stared at Sylvia in shock. “You-?”

“Subtle enough?” Sylvia wiggled her eyebrows. She skipped away, winking at Nick as she went.

“Wait, does that count?” Carly asked.

“She didn’t actually say anything,” Dawn pointed out. “She whispered it to Mary. Don’t all the judges need to…?”

Dakota stroked her chin thoughtfully. “Well, the judges certainly saw something,” she pointed out, gesturing to Mary. “I’d say that expressive face of our lovely little redhead there says quite a lot all on its own. As for Sylvia needing to speak her courtship out loud, well…”

She glanced pointedly at Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin, who shrugged in response.

“…We’ll leave that up to the judges to decide, I reckon,” Dakota determined.

Nick looked over at Mary, whose expression was still dazed and confused. He couldn’t quite be sure what Sylvia had said, but whatever it was, it was written all over her face.

That was pretty sneaky of her, I’ve gotta give her credit. Mary is by far the most expressive person here. By “courting” her with whispers, she’s subtly kept herself from ruining her reputation, more or less, while making it quite clear to everyone exactly what’s going on… plausible deniability? Maybe? I guess so?

He wasn’t really sure how to grade that little performance. But Sylvia had definitely put a lot of heart into it, that was for sure. And that wasn’t nothing.

Which just left one person to go.

Dakota was quite pleased by how the evening had transpired so far. “After such an exciting and sneaky performance like that, I’ve gotta say, even I’m surprised. But there’s still one more person to go! The lovely young lady whose party you’re all attending, Gina DeAmico! Let’s give her a round of applause, folks!”

Again, Nick was taken aback by how different Gina looked, walking out in that dress. It seemed so unlike anything he’d ever seen her wear. Back when she was **** into nice clothes by a transformation she had looked out of place, and when she’d worn a dress to his wedding, she clearly didn’t look comfortable in that, either.

But this was different. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but she seemed like she had finally gotten comfortable in her own skin.

Her straight hair, her beautiful smile, it all just kind of worked. While she might never make a delicate and graceful lady, she had her own shining charm, and she knew how to carry herself with her head held high.

And that confidence led her to make a choice he never would have imagined.

Rather than courting him, as she’d clearly intended to do when proposing this event in the first place, she chose someone else instead.

And for the first time tonight, Octavia looked genuinely surprised.

“Eh?! What’s going on here?!” Vivian demanded, placing her hands on her hips. “Is she trying to court Octavia!?”

For a brief moment the heiress looked incensed, but those feelings quickly gave way to a look of amusement. “Hah! Good luck with that one! Octavia doesn’t go in for that sort of thing, I’ll have you know.”

“The guests can court anyone they wish among the judges,” Dakota pointed out. She was quite intrigued herself with what Gina was planning. If she could actually break through the icy exterior of the butler, what an upset that would be!

Nick was amazed. Gina, who seemed defined by her laziness and always taking the easy way out, was taking up a challenge that he honestly would consider impossible.

Courting Octavia of all people? Vivian was right, it seemed absurd to think of the stern disciplinarian being in any way receptive to any attempt at seduction Gina might throw her way! The fact that Octavia herself was surprised by the decision only lent credence to that!

But apparently, Gina knew something that nobody else did. She looked at Octavia with express intent, standing perfectly still. Her back was straight, her chest was out, and she carried herself with perfect posture.

Maybe that was what it would take to win over the strictest judge at the table.

Octavia said nothing. She sat patiently in her seat, not taking her eyes off of Gina’s as she waited for the other girl to make her case.

As the two shared a tense gaze, Nick realized what Gina was aiming for.

So that’s it… that’s what this whole party has been about, after all. Gina… she’s trying to prove that she can be a mature person, that she’s not some burnout loser. She was trying to throw a classy party… and this… this is her trying to test whether or not she’s succeeded.

The punk girl had stepped up to be judged by Octavia’s lofty standards. If she could get a high score from the other woman, then that would reassure her that she had done a good job. It wouldn’t even matter what the other judges thought, Nick included.

His heart went out to her, it really did, because courting a woman like that couldn’t be easy. Nick had made several women fall for him already, and Octavia seemed like an iron wall to him.

“I hope you’ve enjoyed the party,” Gina said finally, choosing every word carefully. She made sure to be as respectful as possible to the other woman.

“…I found the festivities to be quite adequate,” Octavia responded evenly, nodding slightly. “I felt that you put quite a lot of thought into every aspect of the night.”

“Oh, you did? I’m glad to hear that,” Gina replied. “I really wanted tonight to be a success.”

She smiled slightly wider. “If everybody is having fun, that is a worthwhile party in my book, wouldn’t you agree?”

Octavia blinked. “…That is the minimum requirement of any host,” she answered.

Gina would have to try harder than that if she wanted to score any points of Octavia.

“I know, and that’s why I wanted to thank you,” Gina continued without missing a beat. “This wouldn’t have been possible without your help. Not just your work as a judge for these events, but the advice you gave for planning things out, that was very helpful. You have my sincerest thanks.”

It felt weird, seeing Gina act so politely. Nick felt his skin crawl, like he was looking at a pod person or something. Not that it was a bad thing, but it was just such un-Gina-like behavior that he didn’t know what to make of it.

But he had nothing but pride for her.

“Your thanks are not necessary,” Octavia replied. Her tone was icy, but if you strained your ears, it was possible to hear the faintest tinge of human emotion in her voice. “I was merely doing my duty.”

Gina shook her head. “Your duty is to serve as Vivian’s butler, correct? So I wouldn’t consider this a part of that.”

Octavia raised her eyebrow slightly.

“I’m not talking to you as a butler, either,” Gina added. “After all, tonight is your night off. Vivian said so, or have you forgotten?”

Octavia blinked again. “…I suppose that is true,” she conceded.

She had been planning to dock Gina points for coming to speak to her. After all, courting a servant? Something like that was absolutely out of the question, and a massive, flagrant stain on a member of the upper crust.

But since Gina had made it clear that Octavia wasn’t a butler tonight, it would be unbecoming to deduct points for that on this occasion, so Octavia refrained. Well played.

Gina’s smile widened. “I really admire you, you know,” she continued. “You seem like you’ve got everything planned out. It’s very impressive. I… I’m not the best at things like that.”

She shook her head. “I can’t even do my laundry.”

Octavia didn’t have a response to that. She was mostly just watching Gina, letting her talk. Or maybe she was giving the other girl enough rope to hang herself with. From where Nick was sitting, it was hard to tell.

Gina sensed a lull in the other woman’s demeanor, and found the perfect point to change directions. “I think… you enjoy your job quite a bit, don’t you?” She asked.

“It is important work,” Octavia replied. “But I would not use the word ‘enjoy’.”

Vivian frowned.

“How would you describe it, then?” Gina asked curiously.

Octavia sat up a little higher in her seat and placed her hand over her chest. “My duty… fills me with a deep sense of pride,” she answered. “And that is what matters most.”

Gina nodded thoughtfully. “I see… I’m impressed by you even more, if I’m being honest,” she admitted. “Pride that comes from working hard… it’s an admirable thing, isn’t it?”

A shadow crossed over her face even as she smiled. Nick winced, seeing the pain in her expression reflected back.

“…I’d like a chance to get to know you better,” Gina said finally. “I’d like to better understand you, if that makes sense. And… that pride of yours. Does Vivian ever give you any days off or anything like that? Like tonight?”

Octavia wasn’t sure how to answer that question. It wasn’t ever something she’d needed to consider.

“…I do have time for myself on occasion,” she replied, curious where Gina was going with this.

Gina smiled.

“Well that’s good, then,” she said, nodding thoughtfully. “Yeah… yeah, that’s really good…”

Her lips turned up in a small smile.

“In that case, maybe… next time you have some time to yourself, do you mind if I came and we could speak again?” She asked. “You seem like a very interesting person, Octavia, and I’d be quite pleased to get to know you a little better.”

Octavia was, for the second time tonight, surprised. But only for a moment. After all, this was the event, wasn’t it? The girls were to court the judges. Gina’s invitation wasn’t extended out of sincerity, it was part of the event.

And yet, for a moment, Octavia had forgotten that. Even now, looking into the other girl’s eyes, she could see only sincerity.

I suppose that’s worth a couple of points.

“Perhaps that could be arranged,” Octavia agreed with a nod. “I would be amenable to that.”

Gina’s eyes widened. Nick could see how hard she was fighting back the joy on her face, so she could keep looking respectful and dignified.

“That would be just splendid,” she said, nodding. “I would enjoy that.”

Knowing that if she said anything further she ran the risk of tilting things in a bad direction and losing points, Gina took the opportunity to politely excuse herself.

“Thank you for your time, Octavia. If you don’t mind, I must be going. It was a pleasure speaking with you,” she said, lowering her head politely.

“Indeed,” Octavia replied, returning the nod. And with that, Gina departed, making sure to look as graceful and elegant as she could in spite of her lack of practiced poise.

Nick was stunned by her performance. She’d really done a phenomenal job. But then, all the girls had, hadn’t they?

This was going to be some event to score…