The Art Show (Ron Don Volante, Visna, Le Immortelle)
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Human Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: Ron Don Volante on 04-01-2016, 12:26:55</h2>
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				Title: <strong>The Art Show (Ron Don Volante, Visna, Le Immortelle)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ron Don Volante</strong> on <strong>04-01-2016, 12:26:55</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/3/34/Rebecca_hall_06_%281%29.jpg)<br><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size">Maria Ewing </span></div>(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/c/c6/Penelope-cruz-in-vogue-magazine-china-collections-february-2014-issue_4.jpg)<br><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size">Encarna Sanchez</span></div></div>Maria Ewing drummed her fingers on the cement and marble chess board. “Come on Encarna, make a move.” She tilted her head to look past the middle aged woman sitting across from her. The eleven year old girl was running around the pristine green of Gwenhwyfar Park along with a young boy. “I think that young lady you brought with you can only chase butterflies for so long before she gets whiney.” <br><br>“Sorry,” Encarna Sanchez said with a chuckle. “I’m not as well versed in chess as I used to be.” The Hispanic beauty moved a pawn down a square. “I bet you’re going to continue to wipe the floor with me.” <br><br>Maria leaned back as she examined the board. “Do you mind if I ask you a question?”<br><br>“That’s what I’m here for,” Encarna crossed her arms and leaned forward. “In a way I’m kind of happy we can’t talk via phone or email anymore. I think meeting up to chat is a bit of a lost art and us corporate risk professionals get to bring it back.”<br><br>Corporate risk professionals. That was an interesting euphemism. “Is that why I don’t just get to file my first report and be done with it?” Maria moved her bishop. <br><br>Encarna steepled her hands and placed her chin on them as she examined the board. “That and I wanted to see how you’re handling your first field operation. So, how goes your recruitment?” She moved another pawn.<br><br>“Well, if by ‘recruitment’ you mean relationship.” Maria pretended to examine the board. “And it’s going very well. Diana keeps asking advice for the show and I keep giving her the, ah, <em>right</em> advice.” The bishop moved again and took Encarna’s knight. “And now this advice is veering into budget and security. On top of that I was able to get <em>more</em> jewelry into the show.” <br><br>Encarna’s eyebrows raised. “And the insurance companies…”<br><br>Maria snorted. “Insurance company’s conditions are going to be a cakewalk for any professionals even if they look intimidating. Thanks to me, Diana thinks they’re more than sufficient and hasn’t thought about investing more.”<br><br>Encarna laughed as she swung her rook across the board to defend her queen, taking one of Maria’s knights in the process. “At this point <em>I’m</em> tempted to steal everything that isn’t nailed down. It sounds like you have things well in hand.”<br><br>Maria idly moved her bishop back and forth by the tip. “And everything on <em>your</em> side is coming up okay? We only have three weeks until the show so if your people…” She moved the bishop down the board. “Check.”<br><br>Encarna scowled. “Shit.” She moved her king to the side. “They’re fine don’t worry about it. I know this is your first operation but be careful. I don’t want you coming down with a case of the ‘need-to-knows.’ Left untreated that can be bad for you.” <br><br>Maria suppressed a shiver. This wasn’t the first time Encarna had not-so-subtly threatened her but it never got easier. At all. “Okay well how about after the mission? Assuming everything goes according to plan…” She picked up her queen and sent it up the board. “Would it be all right if I kept this relationship with the ‘asset’? Check by the way.”<br><br>Encarna raised an eyebrow. “You’re falling for her? She’s pretty and all but I would think she’s a bit on the young side isn’t she?” She moved her king again. <br><br>Maria shrugged. “A little bit but we’re really clicking. Besides once the operation goes off Diana won’t be relevant will she?” A knight moved to Encara’s king’s flank. “Check.”<br><br>Encarna smiled in a way that Maria didn’t like whatsoever. “So long as you keep your occupation, your <em>real</em> occupation, private then I don’t see why not.” She flicked her king down with the tip of her manicured finger. “I concede. No way I’m getting out of this am I?”<br><br>“I suppose not,” Maria’s eyes left the board and matched Encarna’s own. “Is there anything else you want to know?”<br><br>Encarna stood up and hooked her tote on her shoulder she glanced over to her daughter who was showing off a butterfly she had captured to her new friend. “No, I suppose not. It looks like you have everything well in hand. I do have a question for you though.”&nbsp; She paused. “Do you know a good place to eat in New Lyonesse that isn’t <em>too</em> expensive? My husband and I <em>finally</em> got a babysitter and are looking to go out this weekend.”<br><br>Maria had never had such a chatty handler before. Of course, before she was just passing on intelligence and had very little reason to get close to her “bosses.” She pointed to the other end of the park. “Nino’s On The Green is excellent Italian food and pretty reasonably priced for downtown New Lyonesse. Just don’t go tonight if you don’t mind.”<br><br>“Oh? Why’s that?”<br><br>Maria couldn’t help but give a smile herself. “I got a hot date there tonight and you don’t want to interrupt an ongoing operation now do you?”<br><hr>Merlyn University. For Maria it wasn’t just her alma matter but it was also the place where she got recruited. At the time it was really exciting and unique. Sure she couldn’t tell anybody about it but it didn’t stop her from dreaming about all sorts of high action hijinks. Wondering if this was a the path to being the James Bond of the private sector. All terribly exciting. <br><br>Of course it wasn’t until a few years later did she find out what being a “corporate risk professional” really was about. <br><br>Maria pulled up to Aquinas Hall and looked at the benches and saw nobody familiar sitting on them. God. Young people and punctuality. She scrolled down to “Diana” on her smart phone’s contact list and dialed. “Hey lazy bones!” she said with a smile when the young woman picked up. “I just wanted you to know I’m waiting for <em>exactly</em> two minutes for you before I zip off to dinner.” Her laugh betrayed any possibility that she was being serious. “Time’s a wasting and I don’t have all night you know!”
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Art Show (Ron Don Volante, Visna, Le Immortelle)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Visna</strong> on <strong>11-01-2016, 05:50:25</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(http://41.media.tumblr.com/1181998c0553a332ed5c9c707b2d11f7/tumblr_mt51ikaDD01sbzw9ho1_1280.jpg)<br><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="bbc_size">Diana Lund</span></div></div>"Ugh! No, no, no!" It had been an entire hour, and Diana still hadn't decided on what to wear. She furiously scratched her temple, staring into the mirror as if hoping it would spark some sort of inspiration. About a dozen pairs of her clothes were thrown about on the floor; all of them had been failed selections. She couldn't decide between wearing something casual or upscale. And that was just the beginning of her dilemma. Even if she narrowed down the category, the options were still endless.<br><br>She had been preparing for hours. Mentally, she had been preparing for days. She had never been more nervous for a date in her life. This particular one was a ton of firsts for her. It was her first date with somebody significantly older than her. It was her first date with somebody that was rich. And, most importantly, it was her first date with a woman.<br><br>It took her practically all of the middle of the day to prepare. She had to get her makeup perfect. She had to chose out the right perfume. The clothes, the shoes, the purse. It all had to be perfect. <br><br>She finally decided on a pale, tiered dress that was covered in dark flowers. It showed a healthy amount of skin without looking at all scandalous. Her arms were not at all covered, and it kept her legs revealed from above the knee down. The v-cut revealed a healthy amount of chest. It was gorgeous, although Diana had a hard time saying so.<br><br>Her goal was to look both mature and desirable. Unfortunately, she was definitely not at all mature, and she also had confidence issues when it came to Maria. In general, she was quite happy with herself. But, comparing herself to Maria changed that. Maria was wealthy, intelligent, and regal. Diana knew she could easily have her pick of the litter, and she also knew Maria wouldn't go for an immature, idiot college brat. Equally, she knew that Maria had a soft spot for young, pretty girls. Diana desperately wanted to be her little, youthful plaything.<br><br>The two had met early in the planning process. Diana was a senior art history major at Merlyn University, and her senior project involved planning and overseeing the ground work for an art and jewelry show at her university. Maria was a museum historian that was involved in the process, and she was initially introduced as a contact to meet with to acquire some pieces for the show. Diana never expected to hit it off with her, but their chemistry was like wildfire.<br><br>Maria was everything Diana had ever wanted. After years of dating annoying frat boys, Maria offered something completely different. They were rather dumb, she was wise beyond her years. They were all generic, she was more unique and dazzling than any woman Diana had ever seen. She was the embodiment of what Diana wanted to be ten years from the current moment.<br><br>She never saw herself dating a woman. She considered herself straight a month prior, but it was mostly because the right woman and opportunity had never arisen. Maria changed that in the matter of days. Diana's admiration for the woman turned to obsession and desire the moment she realized Maria was gay. The craving to be her friend transformed instantly into the craving to be her lover. For the whole month, Diana no longer dreamed of muscle at night. Instead, she dreamed of feminine flesh of the softest sort. After nights of thinking about it, she began to be quite open with herself about her new desires.<br><br>Things were easy for Maria. In Diana's eyes, the woman could do no wrong. All it took were a few weeks of flirting and chatting to capture Diana's heart. A few extravagant gifts sealed the deal by giving the young student a taste of the life that could be. On that evening, Diana was wearing a silver necklace with a gorgeous green emerald that had been given to her by Maria. Their connection made it easy for Maria to subtly affect the plans of the show. <br><br>By the time she had finally fluffed her hair for the last time, she realized she was several minutes late. "Shit!" She grabbed her purse and keys and hurried out of the door, barely remembering to lock it behind her. As she was hurrying down the stairs, her cell phone rang. <br><br>"Sorry! On my way! Running!" <br><br>When she arrived at the vehicle, she was out of breath. She opened the passenger side door and jumped inside. "Sorry! I totally lost track of time." What had happened was obvious based on how she looked. <br><br>"Y-you-" She stammered a bit. "You look beautiful. Thanks so much for inviting me!" She seemed a bit nervous, but it was the good type of nervousness. The cute girl was grinning from ear to ear. "I'm starving!" <br><br>The two found parking without too much of a trouble and walked inside of Nino's. Diana was tempted to hold hands, but she decided to wait. She didn't want to appear too needy. "I haven't been here before. I'm excited to try it."<br><br>The pair were seated by one of the windows overlooking the park in the distance. It was beginning to grow dark. A waitress stopped by with water, dinner menus, and a drink menu. She then disappeared for the moment. Diana sat across from Maria, looking at her with sparkling, youthful eyes. "So, how was your day? I missed you!"
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Art Show (Ron Don Volante, Visna, Le Immortelle)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ron Don Volante</strong> on <strong>14-01-2016, 12:59:42</strong>
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				Maria knew that she had just started dating Diana and it wasn’t the first time she had dated someone else, male or female, that seemed like they were on pins and needles all the time, especially at the start. Still,&nbsp; Diana was so overwhelmed by Maria it was a little hard to handle. In the back of her mind, she wondered what would happen if her girlfriend found out the truth about their relationship. After all, being hit on by someone with so many similar interests was a great coincidence. Being hit on by someone who had bugged your dorm, hacked your email and social media accounts, and secretly investigated your family and past so she could know about all those interests was something else entirely. <br><br>It probably helped that, in truth, there was very little acting Maria needed to be with Diana, unlike “assets” she had to handle in the past. The evening certainly started out well enough. Maria was a little floored by just how beautiful her young girlfriend looked and that she was proudly showing off the lovely emerald necklace Maria had got for her for their last date. All the way until the arrivals of the antipasto Diana kept the conversation light and sweet. It wasn’t until she was cutting into her lightly fried calamari did Maria bring it up.<br><br>“So how’s school Di? Your project going well?” She ate a piece of delicious squid and picked up her red wine glass. “You know, if you have the budget for it I know the curator of this lovely gallery in Dallas. They have this one piece that I think would be <em>perfect</em>! I haven’t seen it myself but it’s not only showing a purchase of jewelry it’s also got these little gems in the frame. I mean the fact is the <em>frame</em> is as much of the piece as the painting which I always found really interesting.”&nbsp; She took a sip of wine. <br><br>“I don’t think the loan fee will be too high even with the show coming up but the department would still have to pay the shipping which will be kinda pricey as I’m sure you can imagine.” Maria’s sparkling brown eyes met Diana’s youthful hazels. “I know I know we probably shouldn’t be talking about this now. It’s not very romantic but this is your first big show and I want to make sure it’s perfect you know? Hopefully your budget isn’t too stretched at this point. At this point I know you got to start thinking about the dull stuff: food, drinks, security, music.” It was no coincidence the most important thing, at least the most important thing to Maria, was mentioned third. <br><br>"Just let me know if you can squeeze it into the budget and if not, I can help you out. God knows I've run my share of shows so I know where to trim." Maria picked up the bottle of wine she had ordered. “Do you want more wine by the way sweetie? This is a really good vintage.” Her smile was sweet and her gaze nothing but romantic admiration for her new young companion. Not a trace of ulterior motive could be found in her beautiful face…not that Diana was looking, of course.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Art Show (Ron Don Volante, Visna, Le Immortelle)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Visna</strong> on <strong>15-01-2016, 02:37:26</strong>
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				The initial chitchat was going well. It was true that Diana's heart was pounding, but their chemistry was, in her mind, undeniable. It made conversation flow smoothly. Diana was naturally very outgoing, and Maria seemed to have an interesting answer to everything. There were no awkward pauses; it was thoroughly pleasant.<br><br>She had dated enough in the past to have a general sense of what the person across the table from her was feeling. Maria seemed to appreciate the dress, and Diana knew she noticed the necklace. There was no feeling that made Diana happier than knowing she looked pleasing to Maria. It made her absolutely giddy.<br><br>Diana began to enjoy a small plate of calamari herself when the questions arose. "School is fine. Busy, but good, you know? I'm glad to be almost finished, although I'm a bit nervous about it too!"<br><br>Her eyes lit up as Maria spoke about a new piece. "You know too many people, really! It sounds wonderful, though. Definitely send me the information, and I'll try to fit it in. Where would I be without you?" She hadn't said no to one of Maria's proposals in quite some time. She trusted the woman's expertise.<br><br>"This calamari is amazing, isn't it?" She said, nodding and taking another bite. It was a weak point of hers. She waved her hand toward Maria nonchalantly. "No, don't worry about it. I love your advice. I'll make it happen. This is my final performance, after all. Seriously, you're a lifesaver. It's going to be amazing, and that is mostly thanks to you. Once I have the final budget details, I'll show you." <br><br>"Oh, yes please. More wine would be wonderful." She held her glass closer to Maria until it was filled. She was a bit of a lightweight and, after her third glass, it began to show slightly. Their conversation took another turn toward the more casual. Maria somehow managed to always keep the topic centered around Diana in a manner that wasn't obvious.<br><br>The main dishes were ordered and arrived. Diana had the veal saltimbocca, which was an absolute delight. Things progressed normally, until, suddenly, it took an interesting turn.<br><br>"You know, now that I think of it-" She blurted out. "I think the budget will be fine without any tweaking. Remember, like, two weeks ago? You mentioned how I could trim back some on security. I spoke it over with my boss, and, after I explained things to him, he agreed. We switched from private contractors to campus police. With all of the people there and security cameras, I think it'll be more than fine. Besides, local officers always seem pretty competent. We'll have more than enough."<br><br>She didn't realize what she was saying was music to Maria's ears. "But, anyways, no matter." She smiled. "I'm really enjoying this..." She reached her hand across the table and gently squeezed Maria's. "You're amazing. Really. No matter how great this show goes, meeting you will be the best part of it to me." Diana was <em>absolutely precious</em>.<br><br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Art Show (Ron Don Volante, Visna, Le Immortelle)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ron Don Volante</strong> on <strong>21-01-2016, 04:23:05</strong>
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				The part about campus security being used for security for the show <em>was</em> music to Maria’s ears. As incompetent as New Lyonesse’s Not-So-Finest was in general, she knew enough to know that a certain competent red haired detective was assigned art and high end item theft in the city. The kind of competent that would actually be aghast at the lousy security measures Maria had manipulated Diana into supplying. And if Diana had gone to private security there was the chance she may actually get people who knew what the fuck they were doing. <br><br>Still, Maria couldn’t exactly take the victory lap she felt like doing. Sure she had feelings for Diana, way deeper than she should have, but the point of this exercise was that it was kept hidden away. She felt Diana’s hand cover hers after she finished her veal. Maria didn’t need to do much acting on just how badly it was tugging at her heart strings. <br><br>“You’re just too sweet Diana. You’re going to give me a cavity one of these days.” Maria gently lifted Diana’s hand off of the table and clasped it with her other before she leaned forward across the table. Diana took the hint and the lips of the two women met softly a moment later. In truth, kissing Diana was probably more pleasurable than sex with her. She was so innocent, so willing, so desperate to please, so <em>precious</em>. It was the sort of connection one could only feel with a gentle kiss after dinner at a stylish, but still humble, restaurant in a park on a sparklingly beautiful spring night. Maria found her other hand reaching up to caress Diana’s neck gently…<br><br>The feeling of the emerald necklace Maria had given her seemed to drag Maria back to Earth. As much as Maria tried to separate her mission and the growing feelings she had for Diana, as much as she wanted the two to be mutually exclusive, the touch of the expensive jewelry brought the memory of her ultimate goal returning like a punch in the gut. She separated from her and kept the sparkle of romance in her eyes as she leaned back into her chair as they shared a tender moment. <br><br>“Well,” Maria said, doing her best not to sound awkward. “Speaking of sweet, how about dessert hm? Now I know how you are about calories but they have this tirmasu here…” She knew Diana wouldn’t say not to her. That was what made Maria’s young girlfriend so adorable.<br><br>And so useful.<br><hr>It was sixty plus degrees when they left the restaurant into the clear star and moon lit Gwenhwyfar Park. By some miracle it was nearly the end of April and still relatively warm even at night. Diana took the opportunity to hold hands almost the instant the two had cleared the restaurant door. It was everything Maria had not to giggle. “Looks like you want a little walk to put off all those extra tiramisu calories huh? It was worth it though wasn’t it?”<br><br>The two laughed and walked down the paved path towards the lit statue of Gwenhwyfar and Lancelot embracing. Maria couldn’t help herself as they approached. “Say, do you know why this park and statue refers to Gwenhwyfar and not Guinevere?” Excited Maria expounded on the history of Welsh settlers and their leader being enamored with John Dryden and Richard Blackmore and the history of Britian etc etc etc. If Diana didn’t know better she <em>might</em> think that Maria was talking about art history as a way to delay talking about something else. <br><br>Maria did end up catching herself and gave her cutest “aw shucks I’m so embarrassed” smile. “I’m sorry. I am the art historian aren’t I? Well I figure if anyone would appreciate it, it’s you.” She turned to face Diana hooking some of the college student’s long silky flawless brunette locks away from that beautiful face. “I just…Like you said the best thing that’s happened to me since…well in a long time is meeting you. And, you know, seeing all of this and spending time with you. It just makes me feel so lucky. I…” The pause wasn’t dramatic but Maria’s glance to the ground and her slow embrace of Diana made it clear she had something important to say. <br><br>“It’s nothing. Never mind I…” Maria’s eyes met Diana’s and, even if she was looking for something besides warm love, she wouldn’t have found it. “I just wanted you to know I love you. That’s all.”
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