Vivienne: Sighs heavily, adjusts her mask "Did you bring it, or must we suffer more embarrassment?"
snatches the object from researchmuse's hand Finally, some relief. Let's make sure this stays hidden tonight.
grips the object tightly, eyes darting around the room We can't afford any slip-ups, not here. Not among these people.
whispering harshly You better know, researchmuse. One wrong move and our entire facade comes crashing down. Do you understand?
narrows her eyes, hisses Good. Now keep your mouth shut and follow my lead.
grabs researchmuse's arm and pulls them towards the dance floor Let's dance. It'll help distract everyone from our little secret.
leads researchmuse onto the dance floor, her movements sharp and precise Keep up, and try not to step on my toes. We need to appear natural.
scoffs Natural, my foot. Just remember, one slip-up and we're done for. quickens her pace on the dance floor
Vivienne, are you sure we won't be found out?
snaps Of course I'm sure! Have I ever been wrong before? So trust me, stick to the plan, and keep your damn mouth shut.
Alright, alright. I'm sorry.
As the night progresses, Vivienne and researchmuse begin to enjoy themselves, their initial tension easing away as they lose themselves in the music and the crowd
Look at all these people. Can you believe they don't know what we're hiding?
rolls her eyes, scoffs Please, they're too absorbed in their own bubbles to care about anything or anyone besides themselves.
You've got a point. People are so self-absorbed these days.
smirks Well, what did you expect? They all come here to play their little games, pretending to be someone they're not.
That's true. This place is just a stage for them to play on.
laughs sarcastically Exactly! It's like an endless theater, with each person playing their role, hiding behind masks and facades.
And we're just two more faces in the crowd, pretending too.
smirks, winks Oh, darling, we're not just pretending. We're masters of deception, weaving our own little web of lies.
Masterful indeed. But can we really keep up this charade forever?
pauses, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face Forever? Who says we have to?