New Year, New York

[GuestGuest]

Marty had arrived early, a bit nervous not that he had any reason to be, after all, this was just two friends meeting up during the holidays. Not a date, nope not at all. Perhaps it was wondering how Fifi would feel about the idea he had came up with and had managed to get set up for their personal communication. It was the most non-invasive way he could manage and yet still give them a way to keep up with events between them. His was tucked in his inner jacket pocket and was always with him since the day he had picked them up. Hers was sitting on the cafe table wrapped in blue and silver, waiting for her arrival to open it.

He watched the walkway for her approach, wondering if she would come or not. Marty had learned nothing was ever sure when Fifi was involved. He didn't have long to worry though when he saw her approaching, after all, it was hard to miss her in the gown she wore. He stood as she entered the cafe and held her chair till she sat, sitting himself.

[Fifi LaRoux]

..Meanwhile in Paris Fifi was bored, the lavish party felt to be dragging on forever even after the fireworks had lit up La Tour Eiffel officials where still insisting upon taking up her time to tell her of their accomplishments during the war and how they felt inspired by Nicci's passionate speech to reclaim the spirit of France against the bitter mood of the ever looming financial crisis. Indeed talk of the European Council meeting seemed to be all that anyone wished to speak about. Well that and the women and reporters of course who wished only to know only who made her dress (a offering from the 2012 Matacore Alchemy Collection) shoes and any beauty, style tips and irrational questions on how she felt towards Nicci's speech. It was just like any other new years. Powerful people had lost their attraction to her after the first time, more often then not she ended up dwelling on the days where she would spend the holiday with her family, too far from the Champ de Mars to see the fireworks well but happy none the less.

She didn't mention to the reporters that the dress was both heavy and uncomfortable and made her back ache from where the boning was too tight. It was cold too, the outdoor party making her wish that Nicci had not insisted that they went down to the main group before the tower before returning to his Chateau to continue the celebrations. Fifi did not feel there was much to celebrate, she had been bogged down in the case of Ugo Iskna who had disappeared after her messup in England. Fifi did not like being made a fool of and it would only be a matter of time till she had him. Such a pity that she could not be on the case tonight, instead she was to make conversation and avoid Nicci's eye as he smoothtalked his way into the bed of whatever beautiful young witch caught his eye.

He of course would not be alone in such games, she had already cast her eye over the Quiberon Quafflepunchers to make a guess of which of the girls would take place on the National team. The rest however where not of her taste and so it seemed there would be nothing to entertain her until she could make a disappearance for her rondevu with Marty. Would she have to wait so long? She had already set her portkey having learnt her lesson about trying to use it while drunk and was a few drinks on her way to being tipsy when annoyance overcame her at the sign of Baron Yorick coming her way, no doubt to ask for a dance so he could choke her with his putrid breath. Forget it, Fifi turned tail and made her way out of the room, following the maze of corridors to the bathroom. Accioing her coat she wished for time to change but at any moment she could be discovered. Better to go now and hope that Marty would already be there despite how early it would be in New York, hours before midnight no doubt.

New Years was one event she never did need a time turner for, just a portkey as she disappeared from after midnight to land lightly in New York City, hours of time before the ball was due to drop and celebrations reached their head. "Ai am sorry to be so early" She explained unbuckling her coat as she walked in ignorant to the looks she was getting, her dress felt ridiculous in such company but she did her best to ignore it.. though it did make sitting rather uncomfortable as the stiffness forced her back to arch in what was supposed to be a 'alluring display' "Nicci's new year ball" she said gesturing to her gown, "He says he is sorry that you did not gain a invite but there was certain people of whom would refuse to be in the presence of once such as yourself" it was all too obvious what she meant. While Marty had managed to gain a bit of fame in the Wizarding World there was no question that amongst the elite he was still very much a Muggle.

[GuestGuest]

"Don't be sorry!" he quickly assured her, as she explained why she was so dressed up in what appeared to be some form of archaic torture beautiful shade of extremely painful blue poorly designed for ease of wearing gown. "You look beautiful," he told her, hesitating before adding, "Though uncomfortable?" If clothing like that was what was required at 'Nicci's New Year's Ball', Marty was counting himself lucky at the moment. Tuxedos were not his first choice of garb but they weren't that uncomfortable. However, judging by the look of this dress as she took off her coat and sat, Marty was fairly sure he did not even want to question what the men's dress robes were like. "If you want to change..." he offered, in case she wanted to 'pop' home for a moment or perhaps had another change with her. Transfiguring her outfit slipped his mind but even then she would need to retreat to the ladies room to do so. He would wait if she wished to.

"I understand," he assured her, adding with a grin, "People here still look at those of us from New Jersey strangely." Marty knew it was his Muggle status that was the problem but it wasn't a major problem to him. Muggle society had their 'class systems', too. It was part of life.

[Fifi LaRoux]

Brushing off the compliment Fifi gave Marty a slow smile "Of course Ai do", she wasn't about to be shy of her looks when so much effort had gone into primping and painting to ensure that one Fifi LaRoux would be the belle of the ball.. so to speak. "Comfort and Beauty Ai have found to be mutually exclusive if Ai must say so" Fifi explained before putting a hand against her chest for a moment, it did not help to breath too much in such a dress, nor did it help that she didn't quite fit the 'model' for whom the gown was designed. While she wore the dress well it too took it's own tole to make good of her 'assets'. She'd at least managed to hide her wand amongst the layers, while it did not make anything more comfortable it at least allowed her a feeling of safety against all the people, any one of whom could have wished harm upon herself or Nicci.

Tonight however she was intentionally lax in her duties, if Nicci had wished her to stay by his side all night or watch from the background he should have made such clear rather then his assumptions that she would have no wishes of her own. It was not the discomfort of the dress but the looks she was gaining from the rather less flamboyantly dressed and far more appropriately dressed people in the cafe that made Fifi nod "Ai will not be a moment" she said before gathering up her skirts and being pointed towards the ladies bathroom, taking the disabled one instead (Fifi never went into toilet stalls by choice) she looked over herself in the mirror, ridiculous, it was all ridiculous! She all but broke a fingernail getting the back of her gown open enough to breath, Nicci had been lucky the night was without trouble for it took a good minute just for her to get to her wand. "Right!" she said with a hint of savagery as she transfigured the bathroom mirror to give a better angle. "voyons voir*" she said to herself before flicking her wand at the dress to 'fix' it to something more akin to Muggle fashions.

Vanishing away the excess fabric she fiddled with smoothing over the remaining fabric, deciding it fit enough to be seen in she strode back out of the bathroom to sit down once again "Better?" she asked Marty, certainly she was more comfortable but that was always a secondary consolidation. "So what is it that you wished to bring moi all the way out here for?" Fifi had barely even glanced out the window, it was too early for fireworks and she never much liked them, not after the dark mark that had graced the sky above her family's home. Not since the war where sparks in the sky where often the last thing seen before coming across a body. Fifi shuddered, it was not good thoughts to dwell on tonight, better to do as Nicci said in focusing on the future, a bright future for all Wizards, and maybe Muggles as well? Fifi did not know.

*lets see

[GuestGuest]

Marty was not surprised when she excused herself and suspected there would be a bit of magic afoot once Fifi had some privacy and he waited patiently for her to return, taking the time to remove her gift from his jacket pocket and setting it on the table. He stood as she returned and smiled at the somewhat more comfortable adjustments she made to the gown. "If you are comfortable in it, then it is much better," he told her smiling. As the waiter approached, he deferred to Fifi's expertise and told the server that whatever the lady ordered would suffice.

Once that was taken care of, and Fifi asked her question, he smiled and handed over the wrapped box. "Well, the first reason is Joyeux Noël to you, Fifi," he told her as he did. He had found a way for them to communicate with each other that would not invade Fifi's privacy but allowed her the luxury of reading the messages at her leisure. He hoped she approved of it. The journal would resort to opening only by her once she set her finger on the catch. Only Marty could ever open it and if he could, that would mean. . . Well, he really did not want to think of what it would mean but he had the matching journal and in the same event, it would automatically arrive at wherever Fifi was and only she would then be able to open it. The perfect part of it was that what was written in one, appeared in the other. The shop keeper and his former physics professor who turned out to be a wizard also (Marty still was surprised by that bit of news having run into the man at the Ministry after he had taken his first test) had both assured him that it would not be affected by being reducio'd or returned to its natural size should Fifi need to hide it.

The second reason, was the skates he had under the table in his bag. But he waited to see her reaction to the gift before suggesting they go ice skating.

[Fifi LaRoux]

Crossing her legs it was clear that in creating comfort Fifi had also made her dress quite a bit shorter then was the proper polite wizarding fashion. While there had been some attempts towards 'modernism' the fact was that one did have to conceal a long piece of wood and so the more daring Muggle styles where more a fancy then able to catch on in the wizarding world. Shrugging she glanced over the gift but was distracted as the waiter approached.. he'd probably been afraid to before due to the rather, odd, entry she had made. Amongst apologies from the waiter she ordered quickly with just a glance over the menu, American food was bound to all taste much the same, heavy and overloaded in sugar, fat or salt. But this was Marty's treat and so she would do her best to be nice.. especially since Marty was most certainly paying for this outing. Fifi had never gotten into the habit of carrying Muggle currencies, why would she? She was Fifi LaRoux after all!

"Marty.." Fifi said with a shake of her head, though there was the smallest hint of pleasure that was given away at his bold actions. Fifi herself did not celebrate any of the holidays except where she was obligated to. Birthdays where more often then not mourned and as for Christmas, well she was most certainly on the side who found it the most depressing day of the year. If she was honest there where few celebrations that she allowed herself to enjoy, more often then not it was simply a matter of work to force herself out on the premise of having a good time, or so they said anyway. "How... interesting.." Fifi stated as she ripped the wrapping away to discover a book, she had almost said 'how brown' but that wouldn't have been nice. Normally she would take more effort to avoid touching a gift given to her in such a way, certainly a few months ago she would not have accepted a gift from one who worked with Smoking Llama.. even on their own 'side' as Nicci and Marty both assured her he was. "How does it operate?" she asked, Fifi had never been mechanically minded and while her family's antique shop had occasionally carried wonders of Magical invention her mind had been more on the beauty then what it took to make such a thing operate.

[GuestGuest]

"What?" he asked, with a bit of a grin when she spoke his name. "I told you I'd work on finding a way for us to keep in touch and that's what I did," he reminded her, waiting for her to unwrap the package and knowing that he probably should have hunted for a one with a fancier cover but time was limited since he wanted to do it by the time he'd see her tonight. At her reaction, he suspected it was too bland but at her question, he explained. "Once you touch the lock with your finger tip, the journal is keyed to you and only you. No one else can open it, not even me. Same with mine. Whatever one of us writes in our own, appears in the other. No more need for owls or floo or even Muggle mail." He waited as she examined it further hoping for a good reaction to it. At least the fact it was acceptable for communicating.

[Fifi LaRoux]

"and what if one's finger was to be cut off?" Fifi automatically replied, because it was always in her nature to immediately jump on any flaw in a plan. Never mind that she had all her fingers and that chances of them being removed in the next few seconds where highly unlikely but it wasn't in her nature to ignore a possibility of something happening that was unexpected. "It seems that you are full of wonders Marty Harper, to think but a few months ago you would not consider the possibility of such abilities and yet here you are" Fifi wasn't sure if she should be proud or fear him. All her life she had for the most part ignored Muggles and yet if just one man had taken to the knowledge of their world so quickly just what could come of more Muggles like him knowing of her kinds existence?

Like all girls she had been taught why it was that the International Statute of Secrecy had been brought into existence to protect Muggles and Wizards from each other. Fifi had to wonder though if it was not the misunderstandings that where the greatest risk in allowing Muggles to know the truth about magic. Could it be that they would simply be better at it? Not at practicing magic for of course that was impossible but at understanding and having the flexibility of mind to think up what they could not? "Very clever" she simply stated as she opened the book up to run a finger over the blank page. Would she use it? She didn't know. Certainly she could always burn it if the mood took her but for the moment she simply placed it back on the table as the first of their meal arrived. "So what of now? No doubt Nicci is already wondering where it is that Ai have gone, must it be simply a meal and conversation or is there something else that you do wish of me?" Raising a eyebrow Fifi intentionally stretched her leg out before her to touch Marty's for a brief second. She was of course only teasing but couldn't help but wonder at the effect such would cause. Why? Well that was who she was, always pushing her luck for effect then ready to run the moment things got too much for her. Marty intrigued her, he was so much unlike any man she had ever met and yet she didn't want him, not in the way that she wished of other men and neither it seemed did he want her. That was rare enough to cause her to wonder what side he was on, where it not for his dismal taste in fashion she might have considered it already.

[GuestGuest]

"Logically, most people would touch the lock with their fingers but it's not the fact it's the finger tip that locks the journal to you but the touch itself," Marty explained not the least bit surprised or annoyed at the question. Oddly enough, he asked something similar though not quite as gory when he was in the shop. It was a question. That's what scientists do, ask questions. "From then on, that's what opens it. The touch by it's owner. Doesn't have to be the same finger, or a finger at all." He blushed a bit at her sort of/kinda praise. "Well, I believe. Understand? Going to take a lot of time. Some things, well I doubt I'll ever really understand why and how. But I do believe," he admitted. "This was easier for me to hunt out then some things. Muggles have a security device similiar to it but it reads your eyes. Uses low energy light and is a lot more time consuming to make compared to magic."

Marty counted it a small victory when Fifi did not immediately cite reasons why she hated the idea of the book (as she had for owl post and floo) nor tried to immediately destroy it. Okay, he did admit to himself she might just do so later but for now, she was not tossing aside as a bad idea. Their food arriving, Marty managed a shy grin as she asked what other ideas he had for the night. He was about to reach down for his bag with his skates in it when she brushed her leg against his. Cue one very red from blushing Marty, at a lost for words for a moment and trying to gather himself before finally just pointing to the bag next to his chair and getting out the question, "Well, I hoped you might enjoy or be willing to try ice skating?" as he indicated the scene out the window of the cafe.

[Fifi LaRoux]

"Ah alas Ai am no scholar" Fifi admitted brushing off her ignorance, the arrival of wine brightened her mood considerably, a snap decision that if Nicci was to come under fire tonight he could burn, she would spend this night how she wished. She enjoyed listening to Marty talk, even with that horrible American accent his words where enough to rile her curiosity in the object before her. "Touch, humm Ai see.." with that she closed the cover and held the lock up to her lips "Sealed with a kiss" a slight smudge of silver lipstick from where she had kissed it. Of course it did not take much thought to find flaws in Marty's plan, why they could simply cut off her hand, tie her up and force her to touch the book or use any number of spells to strip her of her wits. That was the problem with magic, it was just like any other weapon that the moment a spell was found there was forever a counter-curse and continuation to find something stronger, and more powerful. Spells like the killing curse where not all flukes but the result of the endless war to find the 'spell of all spells'. The nuclear bomb of magic so to speak.

"Humph" Fifi was unimpressed with the Muggle version of the locking book "Hardly secure, why it would just be a gift to anyone wishing to rip out the eyes of the one with the key" and that was without magic! No wonder that so many Auror's spent their time chasing wizards who had chosen to specialise in making a life off crime from the mistakes of Muggles. If the best of their security could be beaten by a potion a student could brew well, it was all but asking to be beaten was it not? No wonder they had found that pickings outside of the magical world where much easier to be had when those you had to outwit did not even know of ones existence, nor the advantage it gave. "Ai would expect the 'Ice Queen' would use something with a little more bite" a sneer of amusement on her lips, she couldn't help it, work or not Nicci had told her to leave the case of The Smoking Llama alone, which was exactly why it continued to intrigue her so.

It seemed a night of intrigue, Fifi let out a laugh at the expression on poor Marty's face. So he was a man after all! How delicious! Of course Fifi would never want him in that way but it did help to know which way his heart lay, another clue that it was to what made Marty Harper tick, and why it was that he had managed to get under her skin in such a way. Maybe it was because he was so fumbling in everything he did? Like the way he tripped over himself in asking if she would 'try' ice skating' as if she was some Princess who had been locked away in a castle for her entire life unable to do anything lest she break. Okay, so maybe that analogy had some truth in it but long before she was Fifi LaRoux closed away in her apartment high above the streets of Paris she had been a young girl with plats and a family who would visit Place de la Trocadero each winter to skate. For a moment suspicion clouded her judgement, had he found something out from Nicci? It would have been just like Nicci to have informed Marty behind her back in order to set up this 'date that was not a date' "You know, do you not?" Fifi said with a sigh, her eyes turning away from Marty to watch the people enjoying the ice down below. Of course he did, why else would he have gone to such a effort to ensure she was not left alone on one of the most depressing nights of the year. It was all a set up!

[GuestGuest]

Marty looked sheepish and a bit upset with himself for rambling on as he had. "Sorry," he apologized. "Sometimes, I forget myself and ramble about the hows and whys and workings. Just tell me to stop when I begin to do that," he told her. The light heartedness of the evening almost disappeared completely as Fifi mentioned his Muggle employer and a look of distaste appeared on Marty's face. "It's my night off, let's not even think about that," he said quietly. Besides the fact that it was Marty's night off, he still harbored a small (read that 'if he could slap that woman silly he would') resentment at her attempt to have him done away with in Paris. No, tonight, it was a night to relax, forget about work, at least his since Marty suspected Fifi could never really completely forget about hers considering the nature of it, and enjoy the company of Fifi, his friend.

It seemed to be going well until he brought up the ice skates. "Know?" he asked, "No.. It's why I asked. We've never talked about sports or hobbies or stuff so I didn't know if you could. . . ." There was something in her voice and Marty hesitated before going on. "That's what you're asking, isn't it? If I knew about you and skating? It's not. . . Oh shit. Did I bring up a wrong subject?" Poor Marty looked totally confused and worried that he'd said something wrong and it was rather obvious that he had no idea what she was referring to.

[Fifi LaRoux]

Fifi just shrugged, if he talked to much she had no problem what so ever with telling him to shut his mouth. Fifi LaRoux had never been known for her patience after all. So why didn't she? Fifi had never allowed anyone to intrude on her time in such a manner. Even Nicci did not get that. Maybe these things where just meant to be? For all the time she had lost in trying to make sense of herself and the situation she had fallen into (quite literately as was the case with the events that had brought her attention to one Marty Harper. Time had always been her enemy, either there was too much in wait for a case to break, the delicate flow of pieces coming together that would present the perfect opportunity to 'correct' what had gone awry.

The failure of her last case had continued to bother her, she did not like the impression given that she was incompetent and while of course the British Minister was a dear 'friend' who at least in public saw eye-to-eye with Nicci and her the Muggle situation had put quite a strain on diplomatic relations even before the 'Euro' crisis had lead to quite a few Wizard's questioning the wisdom of the magical world using a central form of currency worldwide. Few however went on to consider that thanks to the Goblin banks setting the exchange rates and having a knack for spotting false coinage the Magical world had been immune to much of the rough and tumbles, though Europe had of course suffered quite the recession from having to rebuild after the war.

Some things of course could never be reparoed, Fifi's trust was the first of such which was why, friend or not even Marty was not immune to her second guessing. "You talk enough for both of us" Fifi stated, the words flying out of her mouth before she had a chance to catch the full meaning. The look on his face cooled her temper just enough for her to take pity on him. Perhaps it was just a misunderstanding after all and she should give him the benefit of the doubt. "You did not talk to Nicci?" The look on his face answered the question more then any words could and so Fifi took a last taste of her food before pushing the plate away. She'd barely touched it. "To answer your question Marty Ai do know how to skate, though not for many years have Ai done so". Hungry though she might have been had the food been more to her liking she had already had her fill at the ball. "but first we must find a place that does sell what is required" because Fifi LaRoux did NOT hire skates, and she was hardly going to ruin her heels with some transfiguration. Surely there would be somewhere that sold high end designer ice skates a size 37 1/2, it was New York after all.

[GuestGuest]

Her words stung, sharply. Marty, however, did not respond in kind but, instead, fell silent, looking down at his plate and using his fork to push a piece of food around while he took time to compose himself from the reality of her comment. Until she asked about talking to Dominic. "Talk to him?" he asked, though quieter than before. "No, not really. I mean, we talked in Paris but not about anyone's history or who things. Mostly it was the workings of the Ministry, what I'd be doing, safety for my parents... Things like that. I always believe that if someone wants me to know about their life, they'll tell me themselves." Marty wasn't sure what she has thought Dominic had talked about to him, but their discussions had been purely business related and if anyone's history was talked about, it was Marty's.

Things seemed to begin to return to the previous mood when she answered that she had skated before and would need to find a shop that sold skates. Marty pulled out his mobile, selected maps and typed in 'designer skates'. Yes, he was learning there was nothing ordinary about anything Fifi did. It pulled up the names of two shops, both within walking distance of the rink and apparently, both still open. He relayed the information to Fifi.

[Fifi LaRoux]

Pity and Sympathy? Two things she had never allowed for anyone else but herself and yet here she was being sympathetic towards a man who of all people was a Muggle and a American to boot. To think that had there not been a war she might very well have found herself quite at home with the fringe groups campaigning to keep the magical world closed to Muggles forever. It had taken the rise of He Who Shall Not be Named and his followers to push such ideals to the fringes amongst the new found power of the 'magically aware', nobody had realized just how many Muggleborns or Halfbloods there where but every year more Muggles had their peaceful little lives shattered with the arrival of owls and notes proclaiming that their dear precious child was of magical stock and the world they knew was entirely based upon false pretenses.

"Ai am sorry Marty" Fifi sighed, she seemed to be making a lot of apologies of late. "It is just..." she paused, lost for words to explain the mixture of heartache and longing that he'd accidentally stumbled into. "Nicci, he does what he thinks is best and maybe it is that he is right but.." she shrugged "..there is nothing to say". She was not ready to talk about herself, maybe she never would be. Ironic considering her unauthorized biography had gotten a full write up in the Daily Prophet despite the lack of a single shred of truth in any of the claims.. well apart from the ones about her and Nicci, but much of the nation knew that one by now. Fifi smirked to herself, oh if only they knew the truth of what she did. Quite a few higher ups would probably be horrified to know what particular fantasy's the well spoken and well liked French Minister for Magic got up to while alone. That said she did have to give him some benefit of the doubt, he did look rather dashing in a corset and high heels after all.

Marty she was all most certain would not be a high heels type. Though you never could tell. Speaking of heel's it was the matter of a pair of skates that now came to the fore, "How did you do that?" Fifi asked, she had seen him take out some kind of plastic Muggle device but whatever it was escaped her. She knew that they where popular in the Muggle world however when you traveled as erratically as she did it was hard to keep track. For all Fifi could figure Marty had just come up with the names out of thin air. "We best go before they do close, it is unlikely that they would plan to stay open all night after all" Fifi said as she waited for Marty to pay the sizable bill. Fifi hoped he didn't tip, the service was most certainly not worthy of it. Slipping on her coat she excused herself a moment to 'powder her nose', redoing the warming charms and double checking her makeup was a habit that she was probably never going to break out of. Shopping, now this was something Fifi could allow herself to get excited about. Poor Marty really should have known better then to pass on information about a place that sold shoes. Clearly there was no way that she was going to not go to both of them, and it was in the second that she came upon a dilemma of the kind only the very fashion conscious and slightly suicidal would imagine.

"C'est magnifique.." there was a element of awe as she looked over the pair of skates that someone had for some unfathomable reason decided was only made perfect by adding a three inch heel and triple blades. The others where bearable and certainly less likely to result in a injury by the end of the night but love, as they said was blind, and bloody stupid to boot! "Ai shall take it!" she said glancing over at Marty, she hoped he did not mind, but with 40% off the cost was still a tad over one thousand dollars. If that was the price of perfection Fifi would pay it gladly many times over.

[GuestGuest]

Marty managed a small smile at her apology. "It's okay..." he began but found she was continuing on and as she explained about how Dominic was, he nodded with understanding. "Only he can know what is right for him and it really is hard trying to also determine what is right for others, not just staff but so many he doesn't even know. I don't envy him or any one in that type of position," Marty admitted. He nodded at her decision that there was nothing to say, accepting that. If she ever wanted him to know, she would tell him. If not, he didn't need to know it. It was how he always felt about others. Only one time had he actually made an effort to try to find out about someone, a memory he just as soon rather forget.

However, the conversation became a bit more lively at the mention of finding Fifi skates. "Navigating program in the phone," he said, trying to keep the explanation as simple as he could. The simplest would have been phone is magic which he would not insult her by saying. She wasn't a two year old after all. The other was a nice long discourse on 'there's an app for that' and how they work. Even Marty would have been snoring before reaching the end of that.

Paying the bill and leaving a barely enough tip considering the service, Marty led the way to the first shop and stood back to let her wander and choose. His eyes widened at the sight of the high heeled death traps sophisticated skates she selected but Marty paid for them. While it wasn't above his resources, he was glad that there was at least an almost half off discount. Once they were paid for, he took the bag from the clerk and waited for Fifi to decide if she wanted to visit the other store also or head to the rink. He was finding that it was fun just shopping on the spur of the moment with her.

[Fifi LaRoux]

"Sometimes Ai think Nicci mistakes one for one's country" Fifi admitted, she agreed with Marty that being responsible for so many others was not a position she nor anyone no doubt would envy. The overall question was always how one coped and politics was never home to those who could not be ruthless when push came to shove. Nicci had proven that many times over. The other school of course where the ones who played for the power alone, toying with the hearts and minds of their nation for whatever gain they could. Fifi knew Frump and his cronies where such men, they had watched Europe fall to darkness shipping champagne as so many died at the hands of Voldemort and his followers. Now it was a whole new battle in Europe, this time it was not a dark wizard but the choices of rich bankers who held nations at their beck and call. "You are a very singular man Marty Harper" Fifi couldn't recall if she had said that before but the more she came to know him the more it struck her that Marty Harper did not act like any other man she knew. "Such a pity that you where born a Muggle, Ai am sure you might have made a very fine Wizard, our world can always use more good people" she said bitterly. She couldn't help but think a moment of Cherry Clinger and Nicci, Nicci had really goaded her that time and to use someone she had considered if not a friend (for she freely admitted she had no such.. well apart maybe for Marty) a college who she could work with. Now she did not know, Nicci seemed to take pleasure in ruining everything.

Not tonight though, Fifi might not have understood a word Marty had said about his 'phone' being able to give directions. She could understand it being able to 'point' towards something (after all they had spells for that) but how it just 'knew' that the shops where there she could not fathom. It wasn't like a telephone was able to read after all. Obviously she was doubtful of any wisdom handed down by a lump of plastic.. no matter how shiny it was and so finding that indeed they had been led to not one but two shops that sold both skates and shoes was quite astonishing. "Ai hope the skates where not too expensive" Fifi asked Marty, she was wise enough to wait until they had been paid for, boxed up and they had already left the store. While she did enjoy shopping there was in her heart a eagerness to try out the skates and so it was back to the rink where she had to wonder for the first time about whether it would have been more wise to buy the logical pair of skates as well.

There was utterly no elegant way to put on a pair of skates, Fifi was honestly embarrassed as she unlaced her heels and exposed her toes to the chilled air. She might well have been wearing stockings over them but it was most out of character for her to be without heels in public in such a way. Only when she was alone in her apartment or having just gotten out of bed after a interesting night would she be without her trademark heels. Without shoes her feet looked a mess, partly blamed on her first dance instructor forcing her to dance en pointe' before her feet had fully adjusted, mostly of course for her habit of wearing ridiculously uncomfortable shoes. Fashion always had victims and Fifi's small toe had born the brunt of the worst of it. It was not something she wished to discuss however and so pulling on the new pair of heels she found them to be a uncomfortable fit but refused to admit her feelings as she quickly did up the laces and stood up to take two steps, getting a feel for the unexpected height, she'd worn platform's a few times but disliked most for she saw the thin heeled kind to be a whore look. While walking was near out of the question for the boots where heavier then she'd expected she reached a hand out to Marty to help her balance, it would be better on the ice she hoped as she got a feel for the unusual skates. "Ai have to admit, this was not how Ai was expecting to spend the holiday" she said with slight frustration at her skates, looks 10, feel.. not so great but what did it matter, she was in New York and it was New Years so who cared that she felt ungraceful, she looked fabulous and that was what mattered after all!

[GuestGuest]

Marty couldn't comment since he really had no knowledge of what Dominic thought of anyone but he hoped he'd never reach the point in his life where he felt that way about people. In a way, it reminded him of McQueen, more so with her as it seemed everyone at Smoking Llama was expendable. Obviously, he was, she had proved that. He was brought out of his unplanned reverie by Fifi's next words. Raising an eyebrow as she referred to him as a singular man, he wasn't sure if that was good or bad until she continued. Well, obviously, that meant it was good and resulted in Marty blushing quite a bit. "Thank you, Fifi," he told her. "Means a lot coming from you. From what I have read in old copies of The Global Voice, you're a pretty spectacular witch."

From there, Marty concentrated on finding the store for her skates and waiting as she tried on the various ones she considered. As they left and she sort of apologized for the cost, he shook his head and simply told her, "Not to worry." Back at the rink, it was a matter of concentrating on getting his own skates on and laced up and by the time he was finished, she was nearly done with hers. Marty had to admit that if she could even stand in them, it would be a major feet of magic but stand she did. Offering arm for her to rest the hand she extended on, for it would give her a more secure balance if she needed it, he led her onto the rink and began slowly skating, leaving it to her to decide how fast she wanted to go.

He smiled at her comment. "Well, I'm glad I managed to surprise you a bit. I just hope you will enjoy yourself tonight."

[Fifi LaRoux]

Fifi had to laugh at Marty's compliment "You should have seen what they said about Moi in Playwizard" she replied with a flutter of eyelashes. If Marty had been going though her old records it would have been hard to miss the 'LaRoux bares all' series, to her it was just a passing fancy, clothes on or off as long as she was given the luxury of the right lighting and someone behind the camera with good eye Fifi saw nothing to be ashamed of in exposing herself for arts sake. It was the woman underneath that she found herself uncomfortable about exposing. Of course spectacular was a description often attributed to her, not just for her reputation as a Hit Witch but for her performance in and around the bedroom..or nearest convenience. Where it not for the fact that Marty had never showed any willingness towards exploring that side of her Fifi might well have offered to show just how spectacular she was, in the bedroom.

Never since before she was Fifi LaRoux famous Hit Witch had Fifi counted anyone amongst the opposite sex who she liked but had not at one point slept with, sure there where those she had worked with and where fond of like Clevon Braisher but they hardly counted. None of them had affected her life in the same way as Marty had. Right now she should have been posing for camera photos and mingling with the rich and influential, instead she was carefully edging her way on a pair of skates on the arm of a man who did not belong in her world and had events not come to connect them wouldn't even have known she existed at all. Fifi had spent more then a few days since meeting Marty wishing that he had never found her in that field and upset the careful balance of her life. Now as she stepped onto the ice and slowly started to adjust to the height and feeling of being far above the ground she started to find some of the old rhythm of skating, it was like riding a broomstick.. once you learned how you never really forgot, though she couldn't go as fast or as bold as she might once have been. No doubt people looked at them oddly, no doubt they stared at her in her electric blue coat and heeled skates. Never would they understand and yet, on one of the most depressing days of the year Fifi did admit that yes, she had fun.

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