dmitri let out a sigh when their company was gone and gave dahlia an exasperated look when she told the serving boy to sit down next to them. "well aren't you awfully optimistic?" he asked blandly, tone a little sharper than he had intended. regardless, he returned taylan's nod with a flickering half-smile and let the other one introduce himself.
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"you know what i think?" riley asked, words sounding as though she was dancing along the edges of a knife- dmitri's ice-blue eyes invited that she might very well be. "i think you're finally growing a heart inside that old ribcage of yours."
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dmitri scoffed and shook his head- the observation felt so out-of-nowhere that he didn't even feel the need to verbally discount it. instead he let the lull in the conversation pass, where riley and basil exchanged glances. unable to freely speak due to the presence of outsiders that, at the very least, did not seem to warrant interest-- they chatted among themselves and, for the most part, the three higher-ups seemed to lazily observe the proceedings of the tables below them-- occasionally commenting on the game or any particular person that caught their eye.
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as the night progressed, one by one, the gambling tables closed and people's interest diluted; more began to take a fancy towards the dancing or the food, and the plethora of other ways it was possible to network. "i should go," dmitri said. basil flicked his hand in a half-hearted wave and riley turned her wrist like a princess waving from a carriage. "see you soon~"
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dmitri waved across the table at dahlia and her acquaintences. "goodluck, kid."
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he left the wine glass on the table and stood up, puling at his coat and cape before beginning the long descent from the top of the balcony to the podium on the lowest floor.[break][break]
the room stilled even as he got up from his seat. however the silence when he spoke first-- "good evening to all of my guests for tonight, and the ever-skilled members of coven silvertongue. for those of you that do not know, i am high priest dmitri wisbane, leader of silvertongue, and i believe that it is time that i addressed the accusations against my coven." -- was truly defeaning.
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every eye went to him, every eager reporter ready with quills and atheneum interfaces. dmitri basked for a moment in the silence.
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"for anyone that is completely blind- there is no reason for silvertongue to have an undue provocation against one of their greatest allies."
[break][break]-xxx-[break][break]riley, from her position at the table, sighed and rolled her eyes. she turned to basil. "i don't know about you, but i'm not staying for the fallout of this farce." her eyes turn harsh, and just as the words leave her mouth, she vanishes into thin air. basil sighs and gave dahlia a half-smile. "don't mind her. she's one crazy bitch."[break][break]
-xxx-
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dmitri, despite seeing the movement out of the corner of his eyes, continued with his speech.
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"gale valley and silvertongue have been doing business for more than eighty years- yes, since the very conception of this coven." his tone grew angrier with every word- eyes harsher as he stared into the depths of the mixed crowd before him. "the only reason i have not spoken a word about this, is because i had good faith that sundial would awake from its meaningless accusations and come to realize the errors of its judgment." his grip on the podium relaxed as he smiled an ironic smile. "unfortunately, that is not the case."
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"yes, the witches of silvertongue are mercenaries. but unfortunately, thousands of people would have you believe that there is shame in that fact alone. and it is for that reason, perhaps, that the leadership of silvertongue has changed hands one hundred and twelve times. but let it be known that there is honor among thieves. and that we refuse to acknowledge the ludicrous accusations because doing so would be admitting that they are not, in fact, ludicrous.
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"but the fact of the matter stands. i will no longer tolerate the specious claims of the many; there was no reason to have stalled this gala, nor is there any reason to back down."
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there was a shift in the atmosphere, and then dmitri smiled again. "but the night is still young, my guests. please enjoy yourselves and once again, a hearty welcome to the silverwing gala...."
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the speech continued-- dmitri went on to thank sponsors and affiliates, mention the names of particular people, and say comical anecdotes about his time as a fledgling as if nothing had happened before. and when all was said and done, he left the podium for another announcer and walked through the crowd, out of the door, and into the open air of downtown sundial beyond.
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notes: dmitri isn't in a great mood; riley jabs at him anyway; dmitri leaves the table and wishes dahlia luck; riley disappears abruptly; basil calls her out; dmitri gives a short address followed by a speech;
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updates: gambling is over! posts following this update will not count toward your post count. you are free to respond or react if you like. the thread will be closed and rewards will be given in 24hrs