Here she was, continents away from Nerima, and she still behaved this way. It was as if she didn't know any other way to behave.
If weren't for the near constant buzzing her senses had started giving her, she would have slackened the act somewhat, but she couldn't risk it if there was a possible danger. Even if what she sensed didn't feel dangerous.
"Yes," Kodachi was saying. "It is a modest dwelling, I'll admit, but I shall require as few distractions as possible while I am attending school..."
"Excuse me, Miss Kuno," a girl's voice called out, attracting Kodachi's attention and immediately she felt a weight strike her chest.
It was that girl from the attack on the fair, and her boyfriend. Harry, Kodachi remembered, and from a resemblance to another guest, she had to assume that he was Harry Osborne. Of course, she should have known that anybody who would have been on that balcony would have had a chance of appearing at this party. She only wished this pair had decided not to attend.
She opened her mouth to talk them, and she knew what would come out.
"Yes," Kodachi asked. "What is it? I was in the middle of a conversation." She gestured to the other socialite that she had been speaking to."
"Don't you remember?" Mary Jane asked.
"I don't often commit to memory the faces of every person I see," Kodachi said.
"On the balcony?" Mary Jane reminded her. "You carried Harry away."
"Carried..." Kodachi blinked for a moment. "Ah yes, he's the one that fainted in the attack, right?"
"I didn't faint," Harry said, a bit angrily at the younger girl. "I got hit in the back of the head."
"Yes," Kodachi said doubtingly. "I'm sure that's what happened. Now, I was having a conversation, so I'll merely accept your apologies and we can finish with this."
"Apologies?" Mary Jane repeated, confused beyond belief.
"Yes," Kodachi said. "For my wasted time and effort. I do believe that section of the balcony never fell so my 'rescue' of him was completely pointless, while you were rescued by that garish acrobat in the mask, making my return to get you equally pointless. And now you are both engaging my attention when there are better things I could be doing. So, I'll simply accept your apologies and move on."
Kodachi bowed and left, wishing the sensation she felt in the background would fade away or become something more specific. In the latter case, she would be able to react and end whatever the problem was. In the former, well, then she could put away the Rose.
At least, she hoped she could.
The thought ground on her through the next conversation, which she went through automatically, filling in responses from the Rose's language.
"Excuse me a moment," she said at a break in the conversation. "I have to go powder my noise."
She left the hall, leaving the high society types to circle among themselves, just as they had been doing while she was there. The Black Rose wouldn't have noticed, but Kodachi did. She was unnecessary at this party, just a bit of entertainment for the industrialists and politicians and old money that had been invited. They would only get offended, or suspicious, if she stayed absent from her own party.
Either case allowed her to get out of the sight of the others and escape the Rose for a time.
She stepped out of the ball room and glided down the hall into a darkened room at the end of the hall that may have served as a library or second study for the previous owners. She sat down in one of the chairs heavily and leaned her head forward into her hand.
She was pathetic. That was the only thing she could say about it.
Even now that she was thinking clearly, her first reaction when socially threatened was to turn to the Rose, again. The idea that a year ago she wouldn't have been acting did not occur to her. All she saw was that she couldn't escape herself.
And now that sensation was building again. She had almost forgotten about it until this point.
She turned to look at the door in the moment before it opened.
"This part of the building is not open to the guests," she said in a cool tone.
"Oh, sorry," the young man on the other side said. "I was looking for the bathroom."
Kodachi sat up a moment, a frown on her face at the comment. It was coincidentally similar to her own excuse for leaving the party. Then she saw the camera hanging from his neck.
"Would you be Mr. Parker, then," Kodachi asked, remembering the name Jameson had mentioned. "You're the photographer that Mr. Jameson retained for me?" She stood up and flipped back her hair.
"Yeah, that's me," Peter said, watching her closely.
Kodachi frowned a moment and checked her clothes for any sign that they were too loose. She was, after all, well aware of the effect her own beauty had on some men. It wasn't always a good thing, and the odd tinglings she was getting were setting her on edge.
Peter, for his side, was wondering just how this girl could be considered a danger to him. He "knew" she was one, based on how he felt at the moment, but he saw no reason. And he wasn't quite certain either, it didn't feel the same way danger did, not at all.
"You take pictures of that masked creature from the fair the other day," Kodachi said idly, getting down to business. "Don't you?"
"Spider-Man?" Peter asked in return.
"I believe that is the rather uncreative name he gave himself," Kodachi said. "I do hope you realize that my party is not a street brawl while you're taking the photos."
"I'll try to remember that," Peter said. "What are you doing over here?"
"I'm seeking a measure of privacy is all," Kodachi said. "That is a concept you understand in this country, is it not? But why should I ask you that, Jameson tells me you're something of a...I believe the word is fan...of that clownish thug in your photos."
"Spider-Man is not a thug," Peter Parker said, rising to the bait. "Mr. Jameson doesn't know what he's talking about. Spider-Man tries to help people."
"Mr. Parker, you shouldn't trust people in masks," Kodachi said. "Does your little masked man tell you anything about himself? I'd wager not."
Peter frowned and Kodachi thought he was about to say something else, when a change came over Parker's face.
"You're asking a lot of questions for someone that doesn't care," Peter said cautiously.
"Don't care," Kodachi said with a snort as she strode past Parker. "I merely don't approve, I never said anything about not caring."
"Maybe that's why my spider-sense is acting funny," Peter thought to himself after she left the room. "But what does she have against Spider-Man?"
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(Posted Fri, 25 Jun 2004 17:38)
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