Chapter Eighty-One - UnDenial

It wasn't denial.

Denial implied that she wasn't acknowledging something, that she wasn't taking it for face value, that she couldn't compute and therefore chose to ignore it.

Ivil knew that Aurora was too smart by half to be in denial. So it was something else, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was. The right move seemed to be leaving things as they were. Aurora would figure it out in due time, and Ivil wasn't going anywhere.

They had an eternity to figure it out, and she planned on enjoying as much of that eternity as she could.

The dancing came to an end with good-humoured complaints about swollen feet and a few compliments shared with shy smiles.

The thing between them hung there. A guillotine blade in a zero-g environment. The string was cut, but there was no momentum to its mass, so everything stayed where it was.

Ivil played arm candy to Aurora as she went about her work. She greeted dignitaries, spoke to lesser politicians, shook hands, kissed cheeks, smiled, laughed, and spun her web across the room. Ivil had always found Aurora attractive. She was. Now, she found her resplendent as the Phobian noblelady smiled brightly and made quick friends.

She had an impressive memory for names, a quick wit, a way to draw connections between people in a hurry, and plenty of worthwhile gossip that had the Jovians fluttering around her like moths around a flame.

Ivil knew it was fake. The smile, the laughter, the quips, and yet...

An oil painting wasn't real.

It was pigment on canvas, it was colour and shade and contrast, drawn and dabbled across cloth to make something in an artist's mind become more real than their mere imaginings, but it was a representation of reality.

It was no less beautiful for being a representation, but Ivil wasn't going to be fooled so easily. Her lips wouldn't touch the canvas when she wanted what the painting was showing.

Here and now, Aurora was the image of a clever, well-connected, well-educated politician growing into their power and accumulating more. She was a masterwork canvas of a rising star, and Ivil hung off of her arm as a silent protector.

The party came to a gracious end. The music was set lower, the older guests begged off to head back to bed at a timely hour, and only the young and drunk remained, so Aurora and Ivil made their polite escape after thanking the host who seemed utterly exhausted from an evening of spinning so many plates.

They were quiet as they walked back to the Sappho, but Aurora hung onto Ivil's arm the entire way nonetheless, until they slipped into the airlock and reached the corridor where their rooms were waiting.

Aurora stopped, and Ivil did the same. "Thank you," she said. She finally deigned to meet Ivil's eyes. "But..."

"But?" Ivil repeated.

Aurora seemed to drop what she was going to say. Instead, what she asked felt unrehearsed. "Would you really give me the world?"

Ivil nodded. "I would, but I don't think I'd need to. You're clever, smart, knowledgeable, and most of all, you're ambitious. If I only gave you the right tools, Aurora, I think you would take the world for yourself."

"Oh," Aurora said. She tore her gaze away. "That was... one of the nicest compliments I've received, I think."

"It wasn't a compliment. Saying that you're beautiful isn't a compliment, it's a statement of fact, and saying that you're ambitious is likewise just speaking the plain truth."

"You're a flatterer," Aurora said. "That's a statement of fact too, isn't it?"

Ivil smiled. "I suppose I am, for the right person. I... I think this could work. If you want my help settling things with your family, just let me know. I'll do what I can."

Aurora nodded. "I'll consider it," she said. "I had a lovely evening. Thank you."

Ivil nodded, then watched as Aurora moved down the corridor. The woman looked back once before slipping into her room.

Being alone again, so suddenly, left a bit of an ache in her stomach. Though... she wasn't entirely alone, was she? Ivil turned around and looked at the lockers next to the entryway. "You can come out now."

"... There's no one here?"

"Likely story," Ivil said.

The door opened, and Twenty-Six practically spilled out of it. "Okay, fine," she said. "But I didn't mean it!"

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"Mean what?" Ivil asked.

"To spy?" Twenty-Six brushed a hand down her overalls. "You didn't think I was spying on you?"

"I think you were standing here when the airlock started to cycle and for some reason dove into a locker instead of standing here, where you're allowed and expected to be," Ivil said.

"Oh. Uh. Yeah, sorry? I wasn't really thinking?"

Ivil nodded, then reached over and placed a hand atop Twenty-Six's head, where it felt like it belonged. "It's okay. What were you doing before I caught you not spying on us?"

"Ah, honestly?" Twenty-Six asked. She stretched out a little, reminding Ivil of an affectionate cat pressing into a rub. "I'm kind of bored? Usually there's a million things to fix, but this ship is in tip-top. I'm waiting for a few parts to arrive for the Held Together. I had to order them special. I might need help installing a new cowling. It's way too big to move solo."

"I might be able to help with that," Ivil said. Moving a bit of metal around was a non-issue.

"Meh. We can hire some help, there are plenty of services here for that kind of thing. It's a small job. Once we have the current engine cowl off, I want to take a peek inside. No one's been in there since the Held Together was retrofitted, and that was ages ago. Anyway! What are you up to?"

"Nothing much," Ivil said. "Aurora and I had... a nice evening, I think."

"Oh," Twenty-Six said. She looked towards the room Aurora had entered. "I wanted to talk to her about the budget, but this isn't a good time for it, is it?"

"You're quite good at reading people, aren't you?" Ivil asked.

"Being observant kept me alive this far," Twenty-Six said with a dimple-cheeked grin. "And a good mechanic knows when to let things settle. I'll see if I can help later, but I think maybe she wants a bit of space?"

"What about you, do you want some space?"

Twenty-Six shrugged. "No? I guess not. Why?"

"I was considering asking you out."

"Wow. Not even five minutes after bringing Aurora back?"

Ivil smiled a small, private smile. "It behoves one to be observant, you said. I observe that you're a little envious, I think."

Twenty-Six flushed, then shrugged a little. "Maybe? You two looked super pretty today."

"I'm certain we can find you a nice dress. Do you know how to dance? I can teach you."

"I don't think anyone wants to see me dancing," Twenty-Six said.

"I do," Ivil replied earnestly.

She didn't say that she had seen Twenty-Six dancing before. Though to call it dancing was a stretch. When Twenty-Six was alone in the engineering bay, she'd sometimes do a little side-to-side sway, moving her heels while shaking her rear and shoulders. It wasn't quite a dance, but it was very cute.

Twenty-Six's mouth worked for a bit before she huffed. "Nuh-uh. Nope! I wouldn't mind going out, but not for dancing."

"I see. How about the arcade? I've been told that there's a nice one somewhere on Driftwood. It's mostly a scam, but that doesn't mean we can't have a good time. And I can show you how to cheat at some games with your core."

Twenty-Six grinned. "Oh? You think I need to cheat to beat you?"

"Yes."

"Hah! I'll show you! You're on! Uh, but you're not going dressed like that, are you?" She gestured to the suit Ivil was still wearing.

"Why not?"

"I, well, you look very nice in that, but it's a bit formal?" Twenty-Six was in overalls, though she had the front opened up all the way to the crotch, exposing the thin muscle shirt she wore beneath. Her equivalent of casual wear.

Ivil shrugged. "I don't see why not? Shouldn't I look good on a date?"

"Ah, well, uh," Twenty-Six stuttered as her cheeks reddened. "I guess. But I don't really have nice things to wear, so it's not fair."

There was a dangerous gleam in Ivil's eye for a moment. The kind of thing that would make even a planetary ruler nervous. "Oh? Are you saying that I should drag you out to buy some nice clothes?"

"I'm not saying that at all," Twenty-Six said.

"Are you sure? I think it would be fun to play dress-up with you."

"Nope! I heard Missy's horror stories, I'm not falling for it!"

"Ah, fine then. Let me get changed. I'll allow you to win this one, to make up for all the losses later."

Ivil would get her chance, later.

***