"Here." He offered with a smile, giving her the coordinates in a scrunched piece of paper.
Victoria compliantly grasped and observed it; taking into memory the details scribbled before returning it back with a nod.
He smiled, accepting it back from her as she returned to her former pose; hands in front, waiting obediently for her orders to be given.
"Just fr**king tell him how you feel."
She blinked with a forlorn expression, gazing downwards in thought while he continued around the room, pacing back and forth.
"The cult will organize another gathering tonight." He continued, while gazing upwards in thought.
His words dulled out in her head as her eyes zoned in on his bed in fascination, lewd thoughts and actions suddenly occupying the place of rational thought when he snapped her out of it.
"Victoria .... ?" He gently chided - calling her to attention.
"Master !?" She answered wide eyed, suprised that she had zoned out completely.
"Focus ..." he ordered with a snap of his fingers - something she hastily nodded at in understanding.
"Now .... alot of the cult's senior acolytes and members will be present at that gathering." He continued, eyeing her intently.
"Meaning stealth will be absolutely crucial for its success."
Victoria cringed in distain at his statement, not pleased by the implication of a subtler approach to combat over direct confrontation.
Regardless she nodded slowly in understanding.
"We might also get information about what is in this box and why it is important to the cult." He added, gesturing to the previously reclaimed box.
Victoria nodded again, her expression steeled with conviction.
"Hence why ... you will need a partner for this one." He said with a nod.
"I can do it myself, i can infiltrate alone and-" Victoria began, not pleased with being paired to a partner at all.
"No." Shadow simply replied.
"You'll need to go with somebody else, not just to butress your cover but to be safer if something does go wrong."
Victoria felt the impulse to say that he was wrong and that she could pull it off on her own, before seeing some reasoning and logic in his statement.
"Alright ...." she agreed, nodding compliantly.
"Except, there's a problem with that ..." She replied, thinking back - a bit solemnly - to the events of the prior days before.
"-Ever since ... my encounter with Alpha and the news of our my desire for her position coming to light ..." She began, remembering the event that had happened a few days prior.
" ..... Everyone just ...."
" ... what ... ?" He inquired with a pensive expression.
She resisted the urge to swallow or gaze downwards in a languid state, merely staring back with a pensive expression into the distance.
It had started gradually, steadily picking up speed and pace as each day went by - starting with the dirty looks and glances, all the way to some members downright avoiding her and going out of their way to exclude her from their activities and unions.
Victoria wasn't one for social interaction and is introverted by nature - but that didn't make active ostratization hurt any less.
With great difficulty she opened her mouth to reply.
