It was really not part of my training at school, given I wasn't part of the drama class, or as Abhorsen.
[That kind of deception was less than effective when you carried some obvious and unique equipment.]
I managed acceptably in Braccia- Yzak and I passed ourselves off as siblings, to explain our similar magic, but people there didn't ask too much about my past- and given I was infiltrating a group of magic users, I didn't need to conceal my talents.
（ he taps his fingers idly against his desk. with the information from the file, he already has a few ideas about what will best result in access, so — ）
The easiest cover stories to maintain often have an element of truth to them, and a mistake most amateurs make is giving too much information. Never volunteer what isn't asked for unless it is a detail that is impossible to confirm — having a childhood illness versus working for a specific company, for instance. Redirect rather than refuse questions. If someone asks you where you attended school, you might roll your eyes and say you've been trying to forget, or that your family moved so much you could barely keep track, or that you're afraid if you say the name of the school outloud they will come looking for monetary donations. One way to gain someone's trust is to tell them something that seems like a lie but can later be confirmed as the truth. Most people will be embarrassed and ashamed for doubting you initially, and will therefore be more willing to lend credence to what you say later, even when it may seem otherwise unbelievable.
（ here is your crash course, sabriel. ）
You are accustomed to moving within high society, yes?
[Sabriel listens intently, mentally summarizing what he says while trying to commit the whole of it to memory. Don't volunteer information, avoid specifics that can be disproven, redirect and gain trust by giving them information that seems outrageous but can be confirmed.]
I went to a school for young women of the upper class, where etiquette was a required subject.
Then it would serve you better to act in that capacity.
（ it's easiest to be what you know best, so that there is no moment where your personality seems disparate. he is capable of it, but that is because he has a long and storied history as a spy, and it is not something he would ask of someone with considerably less experience. ）
Do you expect you will need support in maintaining character?
I think so. It's... easier to have someone who can back up what I say, and it also provides a useful excuse if I need to work with them.
[That much, she'd learned from the Braccia mission- it had been an easy excuse to tutor her less experienced 'brother' or for them to be clearly familiar with each other.]
（ he sends along a file he's been working on with his backstory — for all that he suggested to her that one should not give more information than necessary, this file is intricately detailed in every possible place with every scrap of knowledge that could be gleaned from viveca's file. having perfect recall means this file is most certainly not for his own benefit, it's something done specifically for her. ）
Build details of a story that aligns with my own. We should identify how 'we' first met, what lead to an engagement, etc — these stories can then be used socially to endear us to others and create a sense of familiarity.
[Sabriel accepts the file, scanning over it, absorbing every detail
Sabriel shoves aside every thought of Touchstone that enters her mind, instead focusing on the task at hand, calling up memories from school- the heavily supervised social events with boys bussed in from equally expensive schools, the young men who came to see their sisters and cousins...
Those young men had always seemed immature to her, although some of her classmates found them appealing enough.]
Marriages among people of that social class rarely happen without the parents consent and involvement, but the choice is ultimately up to the couple involved. We could easily say I went to the same school as your sister or cousin- or that you went to school with a relative of mine, who introduced us, or that we met at a ball if you don't want to invent any relatives. The courtship would have been in public, or with a chaperone present, at least until the engagement.
[Sabriel's drawing from the lessons in her etiquette textbook now, and what she's heard from other girls talk of their own relatives.]
If a chaperone is expected to prevent physical impropriety, it may be that this world has no such sexual hang-ups.
（ it seems such things tend to exist in places where a woman's virtue is a thing to be guarded — it certainly isn't anything shinobi ever cared to enact upon their young. he and izumi spent many hours together without it being a concern raised by his parents or her mother. ）
[It had been such an ever present note in her background- that young ladies don't spend time alone with young men, a rule that Sabriel had vaguely assumed was true for all the upper class, everywhere.]
Perhaps. And the town in question doesn't seem to be a center of high society anyway.
[Which means less familiarity with the ways of high society, and more room for error.]
As for how we met... there's always how things go in a certain sort of novel, about catching each others gaze from across a ballroom. Or perhaps our parents were in business together, and we met through them.
As for endearing anecdotes... there's always talking about our first dance, or how one of us nursed the other through an illness or injury. Or me losing my hat, and you retrieving it.
（ 'certain sort of novel' gets perhaps a bit of a faint raise of his brows. ）
Best we say it's a matter of business. That will explain any interest you may need to show in our venture.
（ and it's also a little less idyllic. ）
We should practice dancing together, if it's something we intend to use as a cover. People may ask for an encore. It isn't something I've ever done. The hat reference would be easier.
[Look, it wasn't her thing, but her roommate would read passages aloud on occasion.]
Yes, that should work. And it will give me a few more avenues to seek out information. And we won't have to fake being madly in love.
[Sabriel knows she's not that good an actor, and Itachi... well, she's not sure how skilled he is, but 'openly emotional' doesn't seem to be his natural state.]
Waltzes aren't particularly hard to learn- social dances like those are less about artistry and more about an excuse to stand next to someone. I can certainly show you several I know.
（ he arrives first simply because he was already in the kitchens, so she finds him doing some light stretching when she arrives, things that look artfully lifted from ballet. long years of training have left him with keen physical acuity and a deep understanding of his own body, and a knowledge of when he has pushed himself too far.
— which doesn't seem to be a problem at present, at least. when he sees her, he lets down his right leg from a scorpion stretch, and gives her a nod. ）
Sabriel-san.
（ he will need to drop the honourific when they are on-world — it wouldn't do for a married man to refer to his wife so formally. oddly, it is kisame's insistence on calling him あなた that stands out in his mind. ）
[Sabriel goes into a much more abbreviated set of of stretches as she speaks.]
As I said- waltzing is intended to be a social activity, and thus, it's is not intended to be particularly difficult. Normally, the man is expected to take the lead- in which case, your right hand would be at my upper back, with your left hand holding my right.
[Sabriel demonstrates, holding her hands in the air to grasp an invisible partner, before going through the box step.]
In Ancelstierre, it's considered traditional for the man to lead, although things are more flexible in the Old Kingdom, from what Touchstone tells me.
[Although that information is, admittedly, two hundred years out of date. Sabriel continues, demonstrating not just the basic box step, but several turns and other flourishes.]
I was the tallest girl in my class, so I ended up dancing as the lead fairly often during practice.
You're somewhat taller than me. Does that make it more difficult for you?
（ it isn't a significant amount, and he could transform if he felt like maintaining a taller body — the drain on his chakra would be minimal at best, compared to the sharingan he always keeps active. ）
（ it's a soft noise of acknowledgement, and on her next pass he steps in rather seamlessly. he is not comfortable dancing, nor with being so close to another person — shinobi rarely touch each other save for violence — but he's steeled against it, and can tolerate both when he is aware of the necessity.
it is as he said — he does not require much practice or instruction. he has all the grace of a lifelong dancer, even if it is generally plied towards more utilitarian means. he copies her precisely, attentive to her every step and fully capable of acting in mirrored concert to her, but no amount of practice will chase the faint tension from his shoulders. ）
[Sabriel falls into step, moving into the position of the follower, her touch light, even as she notes the tension in his shoulders.]
We shouldn't need to do this often- it doesn't sound like a place so prosperous as to have regular balls, but- well, there were parties in Braccia and Gyeonje, so it's always possible we'll be expected to act as people of that class would at events.
As much as can be, given how all the missions have had... complications in one form or another.
[The plague, and the revelation of the lord's responsibility, the Devil's true identity, the revelation that the castle was alive...
But Sabriel still keeps time with Itachi despite her thoughts, following his lead and responding to all signals that let her know which move is coming next.]
（ whatever that complication may be, they'll face it. they don't have a choice in the matter — and people thus far have shown themselves to be able to rise to the challenges. it's an odd thing, having faith in others. it doesn't sit comfortably, yet it is something he is learning to carry just the same. ）
Are you at all familiar with the sort of world Viveca has presented thus far?
（ there's a distant country that he's only ever read about that has a similar aesthetic... those ridiculous hats... but he knows precious little about it. ）
I've seen films about such places, with people wearing hats like that. Although I'm not sure how accurate they are. The ones set in the Old Kingdom managed to get nearly everything wrong.
We may need to watch for gunfights and duels, though. That's what all the stories were about- gunfights, duels, marauding bands attacking remote settlements and trains.
[Admittedly, films by their nature tended to focus only on the most exciting parts.]
Given the level of technology, I suspect swords and magic will attract more attention than we want.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
audio;
[That kind of deception was less than effective when you carried some obvious and unique equipment.]
I managed acceptably in Braccia- Yzak and I passed ourselves off as siblings, to explain our similar magic, but people there didn't ask too much about my past- and given I was infiltrating a group of magic users, I didn't need to conceal my talents.
no subject
（ he taps his fingers idly against his desk. with the information from the file, he already has a few ideas about what will best result in access, so — ）
The easiest cover stories to maintain often have an element of truth to them, and a mistake most amateurs make is giving too much information. Never volunteer what isn't asked for unless it is a detail that is impossible to confirm — having a childhood illness versus working for a specific company, for instance. Redirect rather than refuse questions. If someone asks you where you attended school, you might roll your eyes and say you've been trying to forget, or that your family moved so much you could barely keep track, or that you're afraid if you say the name of the school outloud they will come looking for monetary donations. One way to gain someone's trust is to tell them something that seems like a lie but can later be confirmed as the truth. Most people will be embarrassed and ashamed for doubting you initially, and will therefore be more willing to lend credence to what you say later, even when it may seem otherwise unbelievable.
（ here is your crash course, sabriel. ）
You are accustomed to moving within high society, yes?
no subject
I went to a school for young women of the upper class, where etiquette was a required subject.
no subject
（ it's easiest to be what you know best, so that there is no moment where your personality seems disparate. he is capable of it, but that is because he has a long and storied history as a spy, and it is not something he would ask of someone with considerably less experience. ）
Do you expect you will need support in maintaining character?
no subject
[That much, she'd learned from the Braccia mission- it had been an easy excuse to tutor her less experienced 'brother' or for them to be clearly familiar with each other.]
no subject
（ he sends along a file he's been working on with his backstory — for all that he suggested to her that one should not give more information than necessary, this file is intricately detailed in every possible place with every scrap of knowledge that could be gleaned from viveca's file. having perfect recall means this file is most certainly not for his own benefit, it's something done specifically for her. ）
Build details of a story that aligns with my own. We should identify how 'we' first met, what lead to an engagement, etc — these stories can then be used socially to endear us to others and create a sense of familiarity.
no subject
Sabriel shoves aside every thought of Touchstone that enters her mind, instead focusing on the task at hand, calling up memories from school- the heavily supervised social events with boys bussed in from equally expensive schools, the young men who came to see their sisters and cousins...
Those young men had always seemed immature to her, although some of her classmates found them appealing enough.]
Marriages among people of that social class rarely happen without the parents consent and involvement, but the choice is ultimately up to the couple involved. We could easily say I went to the same school as your sister or cousin- or that you went to school with a relative of mine, who introduced us, or that we met at a ball if you don't want to invent any relatives. The courtship would have been in public, or with a chaperone present, at least until the engagement.
[Sabriel's drawing from the lessons in her etiquette textbook now, and what she's heard from other girls talk of their own relatives.]
no subject
If a chaperone is expected to prevent physical impropriety, it may be that this world has no such sexual hang-ups.
（ it seems such things tend to exist in places where a woman's virtue is a thing to be guarded — it certainly isn't anything shinobi ever cared to enact upon their young. he and izumi spent many hours together without it being a concern raised by his parents or her mother. ）
no subject
Perhaps. And the town in question doesn't seem to be a center of high society anyway.
[Which means less familiarity with the ways of high society, and more room for error.]
As for how we met... there's always how things go in a certain sort of novel, about catching each others gaze from across a ballroom. Or perhaps our parents were in business together, and we met through them.
As for endearing anecdotes... there's always talking about our first dance, or how one of us nursed the other through an illness or injury. Or me losing my hat, and you retrieving it.
no subject
Best we say it's a matter of business. That will explain any interest you may need to show in our venture.
（ and it's also a little less idyllic. ）
We should practice dancing together, if it's something we intend to use as a cover. People may ask for an encore. It isn't something I've ever done. The hat reference would be easier.
no subject
Yes, that should work. And it will give me a few more avenues to seek out information. And we won't have to fake being madly in love.
[Sabriel knows she's not that good an actor, and Itachi... well, she's not sure how skilled he is, but 'openly emotional' doesn't seem to be his natural state.]
Waltzes aren't particularly hard to learn- social dances like those are less about artistry and more about an excuse to stand next to someone. I can certainly show you several I know.
no subject
（ even before the sharingan, he only ever needed to see something done once. the sharingan just makes it easier to piece things apart. ）
Are you currently occupied? If not, let us meet in the training room.
no subject
no subject
— which doesn't seem to be a problem at present, at least. when he sees her, he lets down his right leg from a scorpion stretch, and gives her a nod. ）
Sabriel-san.
（ he will need to drop the honourific when they are on-world — it wouldn't do for a married man to refer to his wife so formally. oddly, it is kisame's insistence on calling him あなた that stands out in his mind. ）
Please forgive my inexperience.
no subject
[Sabriel goes into a much more abbreviated set of of stretches as she speaks.]
As I said- waltzing is intended to be a social activity, and thus, it's is not intended to be particularly difficult. Normally, the man is expected to take the lead- in which case, your right hand would be at my upper back, with your left hand holding my right.
[Sabriel demonstrates, holding her hands in the air to grasp an invisible partner, before going through the box step.]
no subject
Is there a reason the man is expected to lead?
（ it's curiosity more than protest. the shinobi world is much more utilitarian than this, and gender roles are not so clearly defined. ）
no subject
[Although that information is, admittedly, two hundred years out of date. Sabriel continues, demonstrating not just the basic box step, but several turns and other flourishes.]
I was the tallest girl in my class, so I ended up dancing as the lead fairly often during practice.
no subject
You're somewhat taller than me. Does that make it more difficult for you?
（ it isn't a significant amount, and he could transform if he felt like maintaining a taller body — the drain on his chakra would be minimal at best, compared to the sharingan he always keeps active. ）
no subject
I've let men shorter than you take the lead- don't worry, our heights are close enough that it will work either way.
no subject
（ it's a soft noise of acknowledgement, and on her next pass he steps in rather seamlessly. he is not comfortable dancing, nor with being so close to another person — shinobi rarely touch each other save for violence — but he's steeled against it, and can tolerate both when he is aware of the necessity.
it is as he said — he does not require much practice or instruction. he has all the grace of a lifelong dancer, even if it is generally plied towards more utilitarian means. he copies her precisely, attentive to her every step and fully capable of acting in mirrored concert to her, but no amount of practice will chase the faint tension from his shoulders. ）
no subject
We shouldn't need to do this often- it doesn't sound like a place so prosperous as to have regular balls, but- well, there were parties in Braccia and Gyeonje, so it's always possible we'll be expected to act as people of that class would at events.
no subject
（ his contingency plans have contingency plans, usually to a power of at least three.
he spins sabriel with care, and dips her in one of those flourishes she'd demonstrated so neatly earlier, tugging her back up after a moment. ）
no subject
[The plague, and the revelation of the lord's responsibility, the Devil's true identity, the revelation that the castle was alive...
But Sabriel still keeps time with Itachi despite her thoughts, following his lead and responding to all signals that let her know which move is coming next.]
no subject
（ whatever that complication may be, they'll face it. they don't have a choice in the matter — and people thus far have shown themselves to be able to rise to the challenges. it's an odd thing, having faith in others. it doesn't sit comfortably, yet it is something he is learning to carry just the same. ）
Are you at all familiar with the sort of world Viveca has presented thus far?
（ there's a distant country that he's only ever read about that has a similar aesthetic... those ridiculous hats... but he knows precious little about it. ）
no subject
We may need to watch for gunfights and duels, though. That's what all the stories were about- gunfights, duels, marauding bands attacking remote settlements and trains.
[Admittedly, films by their nature tended to focus only on the most exciting parts.]
Given the level of technology, I suspect swords and magic will attract more attention than we want.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)