At Cookie’s sudden excitement and valiance, Myst chuckled good-humoredly, although she did consider his offer. She hadn’t asked for help with this ‘endeavor’, but here it was, bouncing around in front of her face, tailored suit and all. This was indeed a matter of great gravity, and she had the suspicion that Cookie saw it as more of an action-packed adventure, much like those seen in movies (which was understandable, him being an actor and all). The problem was, things didn’t always go as they did in movies – the typical damsel in distress, and a hero swooping in at the last moment to defeat the monster and save the day. She sighed. If only things could work out like that for once. She had to agree with Wodehouse though, a commitment like this needed to be very carefully thought out, as it wasn’t something to be taken lightly. Fio’s following words set these sentiments in concrete.
Myst patted Cookie’s arm in a friendly manner. ”I certainly do appreciate the offer, I really do, but your chauffeur and father both have a point.” Her tone was mild as she spoke, although concern colored her voice. ”This situation is very serious, and, as you’ve experienced, quite violent, at times. Your offer is very generous, but consider, you’re making it to all but total strangers, and truthfully, it’s quite a thankless job…nothing like it is in the movies, I can tell you.” Her eyes sought to catch his gaze, trying to convey just how grave the situation really was. ”I’d at least give it another good thinking through before jumping feet-first into it, if I were you.”
As Myst addressed Cookie, Sefiria turned to Fio to reply to his question, at least, as best she could, with her limited knowledge of the current ongoings.
”As far as I know, the leader of Myst’s…’bunch’, has been out and about, supposedly hunting for Serissa, or at least recruiting help.” She shrugged. ”I’m not exactly all that familiar with all this myself, so that’s pretty much the extent of my knowledge on the matter.” She hated feeling victimized, and worse, there wasn’t all that very much she could do about it. Breathing deeply to settle herself, she addressed Fio again. ”I’ve noticed that you don’t seem phased by all this as much as one might expect a stranger to be.” She regarded him, her gold eyes trying to find some sort of sentiment in his own over this matter. ”If I didn’t know better, I’d say that you see stuff like this often, on the streets and such.” She didn’t mean to be nosy, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she simply had to ask.
When Myst had finished her small monologue with Cookie, she turned to address Fio again, trying to handle this in a friendly, yet business-like manner at the same time. ”Well, we certainly weren’t looking to recruit people when we happened to run across you, and as kind as it is for you to offer your services, you are more than right to inquire about the ‘details’ first.” Her eyes were steady as she watched both father and son, trying to convey her message clearly. ”It’s true, this is a potentially (and likely) dangerous matter, and as people, we are but strangers. It wouldn’t seem like the wisest choice for you to risk your necks helping total strangers, and likewise, it would be equally foolish and reckless for us to trust our lives with strangers, especially against so deadly an adversary.”
”Say, for a moment, we humor this idea though.” She drummed her fingers on the smooth bench thoughtfully, perusing both Fio and Cookies’ faces. For the time being, Sefiria watched on, the tiniest of frowns furrowing her brow as she focused on the matter at hand. She remained silent though: This kind of thing, negotiations and the such, were Mystique’s forte. ”It’s understandable that you have a family to watch out for and obligations to fill, and that you certainly don’t have the time to be fighting a stranger’s wars.” She dipped her head in acknowledgement of the fact. ”I know that I would react in the same manner, if I had been placed in your position.”
”At the same time, we’re not making any headway with our conflict with Serissa…in fact, with the onset of this attack on Sefiria, things aren’t looking spectacular for us.” She had to grit her teeth to admit it, but it was true. If their opponent’s cronies could launch this kind of attack right under their noses, then things certainly were not looking good. ”This is where you would come in. They say strength lies in numbers, and your help might be just what we need to turn the tide. Of course, you could do it out of the kindness of your heart to protect the innocent and defend justice…” She smiled sweetly, although there was wry humor in her twinkling eyes. ”Or, if that’s not enough to sway you, consider the implications if you were to help us win our war. You would gain some powerful friends and allies, who would be willing to put their lives on the line at your beck-and-call in the future. Our force isn’t small, and with this victory under our belts, we’d be more than happy to assist you, if you ever require our aid.” Yes, in her eyes, this was a very practical arrangement, and beneficial to both parties. ”So, what do you say?”
{I apologize if it doesn’t make sense, or gets rambly in places. It’s really late (or would it be early?) for me, and I’m exhausted, but I’ll make it up to you guys x3}