( @rebelcodes ) . SHINY, SPARKLY, SINISTER... i, continued from here .
hidden walls, secret exits, and false rooms. the venue was complex, far more complex than any of the fanciful people attending the up - coming party could ever realize. given its normal clientele, some of whom it would be not an exaggeration to call THE MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, it paid off to be structured as a confounding labyrinth. and what this meant for jack, who it would not be an exaggeration to call dangerously crafty, was that he had a particularly pleasing puzzle on his hands. each time he blinked, he could see the outlines of the blueprints on the back of his eye - lids. they would have to sneak their way, and if everything went marvelously, only one of them would have to sneak out. hidden walls, secret exits, and false rooms...
jack rubbed a hand over his eyes, stretched, and blinked down at the many faces staring up at him. the photographs were mismatched, having come from different sources, but together, they created a coherent image. AND JULES WAS RIGHT. these people had more in common than not, although jack reckoned that most of them would argue such a notion. everyone liked to think that they were somehow special, somehow a cut above all the others, and admittedly, a few of them were... but certainly not in any way that they should be proud of. jack reached beneath a haphazard pile of photos with his long, bronze fingers, and drew out a picture of a very familiar face : J. HENRY BURTON, golden boy, top contender for the next ( & historically youngest ) governor, and their mark.
“ you’ll certainly look the part, ” he said, staring down at the busy photograph. “ and you’re certainly his type, BUT YOU’LL HAVE TO PLAY THE PART, too. it won’t be enough to only catch his eye, especially at a party like this. he’s going to be pulled this way and that all night long unless we slow down that momentum. ” jack held up the picture to jules and nodded pointedly at it. the photo had been taken a different fundraiser event earlier that month. although the camera was focused on burton, he was not the only smiling face in the frame ; on his arm was a beautiful young woman, doll - like, and the likely runner up for the next state pageantry crown. ana, short for anastasia, she who will rise again...
and hovering just above burton’s left shoulder was an older man who, although not particularly handsome, exuded such charisma that he nearly eclipsed the golden boy. THIS WAS JULES’ MARK. “ marco. not the type of man who will be easily diverted, no matter how good either of us look. we’re going to have to find something for you to use as bait, THEN YOU’LL HAVE TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO KEEP HIM AWAY FROM BURTON. jules, ” he said, his voice dropping to a low, serious note. “ can you pull this off? ”
