Melisa wove through the crowd, keeping her eyes and ears open for anything useful.
The warehouse's makeshift dance floor was slowly devolving into exactly what everyone knew it would, but there had to be more going on than just the obvious. There had to be.
A particularly enthusiasticuple nearly knocked her over in their rush to find a privaterner. Well, "private" being a relative term here.
[Focus on the mission,] she reminded herself, deliberately not looking at what her mother was doing with those two admirers of hers. [Someone here has to know something about the manor.]
That's when she spotted them. Vira and her brother Koros, tucked away in a darkerrner of the warehouse. Just like in the restaurant, they were arguing again, as usual. No surprise there. Those two fought like cats and dogs, from what little Melisa knew of them.
Melisa slipped closer, using anveniently placed support beam asver. Her heart pounded as she strained to hear their heatednversation over the music and various moans echoing through the warehouse.
"... can't just keep doing killing random people," Koros was saying, his voice tight with frustration. "We need to send a stronger message! The humans need to understand-"
"By doing what? You want to storm the palace or some shit?" Vira shot back. "Real brilliant plan.
Melisa's tail went rigid.
[Storming the palace???] Melisa blinked. [You're going to get yourselves fucking killed!]
But, what Koros said next made it slightly difficult to care about that.
"Between my squad killing nobles and Rax's squad burning down houses, we've just about done everything we can," Koros growled, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "How else are we supposed to send a message?"
For a moment, Melisa froze.
That name rang through her skull.
[Rax? Okay,] she nodded to herself. [Finally, I've got a name.]
"Or maybe," Vira's voice dripped with sarcasm, "weuld try something that doesn't involve attempted murder? Just a thought."
"You've gone soft," Koros spat. "Too busy spreading your legs for every pretty face that catches your eye to remember what we're fighting for."
"Better than spreading violence because your dick's too small to get attention any other way."
"Enough," Koros cut her off, fists clenched. "I'm not having this argument again. Not here. We'll discuss this later, when you're thinking with your brain instead of your cunt."
He stormed off, shouldering his way through auple who were doing their best to fuck against a wall. Melisa moved to follow him, her mind racing with what she'd just heard, but-
"Well hello there, beautiful."
Vira's hands found Melisa's hips from behind, pulling her close.
Her breath was hot against Melisa's ear, carrying the faint scent of wine and desire.
[Shit,] Melisa thought as Vira's fingers traced patterns on her skin. [Need to follow Koros but... gods, her hands feel good. And she clearly knows something about the manor too...]
"Enjoying the party?" Vira purred, and Melisauld feel the other nim's tits pressed against her back. One hand slid dangerously close to the hem of Melisa's dress. "Or were you hoping for a more... private entertainment?"
[Focus! You need to learn more about that Venimos guy! But... maybe I can get more out of Vira anyway? She seems more likely to talk, especially in certain... moments.]
"Maybe I was looking for you," Melisa heard herself say, turning in Vira's embrace. The way Vira's eyes lit up made her pussy throb traitorously. "You seemed tense. Thought you might need some... stress relief."
---
{Margaret}
Margaret was having quite the time with her new friends.
The nim boy had lovely hands and the kitsune'sck was exactly as impressive as its outline had suggested. But even with a pleasant buzz from the wine and two sets of eager hands exploring her curves, her eyes kept drifting to her daughter.
Melisa - or "Melanie" as she was supposed to remember to call her - was getting increasingly handsy with a gorgeous nim girl in therner. The way they were grinding together made it clear that "intelligence gathering" wasn't the only thing on her mind anymore.
[Maybe I should check on her,] Margaret thought, watching Melisa stumble slightly. [She's looking a bit... wobbly.]
Motherly instincts won out over the kitsune's attempts to get her tits out. Margaret extracted herself with a promise to return, adjusting her dress which had somehow lost another button in the festivities.
As she approached, Melisa spotted her and practically bounced over, her cheeks flushed with wine and arousal.
"Heeeey," Melisa stage-whispered, nearly tripping over her own tail. "How's the party?"
"Iuld ask you the same thing," Margaret raised an eyebrow, steadying her daughter. "Found out anything useful between all that... dancing?"
Melisa's eyes went wide. She grabbed Margaret's arm and pulled her closer, speaking directly into her ear.
"I need to find someone called Rax," she slurred slightly. "He's the one burning houses!"
Margaret blinked.
The name tugged at something in her wine-addled memory.
[Rax? Why does that sound so...]
"Wait," she frowned, trying to focus through the pleasant haze of ahol and recent groping. "I know that name. I've heard it before, I think..."
But the details kept slipping away like water through her fingers. Something about Melistair mentioning a friend from work?
Unfortunately, the thought dissolved as Melisa's nim friend sauntered over, clearly intent on reclaiming her dance partner.
[I'll remember in the morning,] Margaret decided, watching her daughter get pulled back into an embrace that definitely wasn't just dancing anymore. [Assuming I can remember anything after tonight.]
She turned back toward where her own admirers were waiting, their hungry gazes promising an interesting end to the evening.
[At least she's having fun with her investigation,] Margaret thought. [I should have my own fun, right? I mean, ya can't blame me...]
So, as she walked back, Margaret pulled the neck of her dress down and winked at the nim-kitsune duo.
"So... Where were we?"
Right. She wanted to focus on her own fun for the moment. Not her daughter's.
Even if said daughter was currently getting felt up by a very attractive nim barely ten feet away.
[... I need another drink.]
