Just Be Yourself (Ravian)

No rich parents, okay then...semi rich? She was supposed to be charming and upper class. She could handle that, it seemed like the perfect chance to 'jokingly' make fun of Pix. Just a few quips here and there...maybe a few more than a few. Actually, nix that, she'd hit the very limit of tasteful. That wasn't even counting how many times she was going to try and prove how much smarter than him she was.

She smiled softly as she walked, confident. Upper class people were confident right? She briefly wondered about giving herself an accent, just to annoy pix, but decided against it. A Scottish accent probably wasn't very 'upper class' and she'd have hell to pay if she did something completely wrong or blatantly bad for her 'owner.

Nix watched and followed Pix, though once inside the...whatever it was, she started looking around at the guests. Thanks to her lack of attention she just barely bumped into P-...Hugh. [color=white]"Oh, sorry Hugh her tone was...interesting to say the least. This was going to be a fun night. As Pix's dad moved towards her, she curtsied, yes, curtsied. She was polite of course, smiling at the soon to be senator...maybe. "The pleasure is mine. My name is Nix." of course she never had thought up a last name for herself, it never had seemed necessary. She hoped it wouldn't draw attention.

She glanced at the chess game already seeing several paths to victory already. She glanced at Hugh though and decided against taking this chance. There would undoubtedly be more to prove herself at. "I'm sure you will succeed in your endeavors."

This was gut-wrenching. Regardless of what she said, Hugh found himself wincing at every word. Nix only needed to utter one syllable wrong and his father would pounce. He knew it to be the case. The cur was relentless, the bane of his childhood, his enemy before he ever knew of any Titans. What stinging retort would the elder Exley subject his naive android to? "Why thank you. Our gardener had a daughter called Nix. Hugh will remember." ...I f*cking hate him. "And this is Mr Rodger Cranston. Chairman of our State Capitol Building. Please tell us more about yourself, dear."

"Dad." Pix cut across the pleasantries, "If we're gonna talk. Can't we go somewhere more private?"

Darren Exley seemed taken aback by the impolite suggestion, "But Rodger has been like a brother to me. I was hoping you two would have the chance to meet. He's overseeing the youth program right now, you see."

His father's hint did not go amiss. No dad. I don't want to meet your windbag friends. Don't care how much worldly influence I'm passing up. Ever keen to give his son a leg up on the competition, Darren berated Hugh with stranger after stranger. It's not what you know, it's who you know. Considering the H.I.V.E. crowd Pix had fallen in with, he was inclined to agree with his father on this one.

"How do you do?" Mr Cranston greeted as the two shook hands. Hugh made zero effort to hide his utter contempt for the fat-cat, his face soured as only a teenager could manage, "I gather you live away from home."

"Yeah. I go to a Business School. At Nunya." "-I think me and my family would like to be alone after all. Excuse us, Sir." Darren was quick to interject, ushering the politician away with a flourish of remarks on who else he could speak with.

Given a spare moment, Pix released a discreet but scornful laugh. That'd teach him, "If you weren't here, I'd be sat in the corner right now." He spoke low to his android, sporting a contempt smirk, "He's being mindful of my girlfriend, too gosh damn civil. Don't know how I ever put up with it."

"Think of it as a game of chess. He won't sacrifice his credibility while my pawn is right next to me." For a second he beamed at his partner. Though as usual the moment was ruined by a distinct impression Nix didn't share his joy, "Oh. Or would you rather be thought of as a bishop?" He pinched at her ridiculously long sleeves.

Had he just tried to insult her? Nix could swear that he had just compared her to the daughter of one of his gardeners. Usually she wouldn't mind but if half of what Pix, er, Hugh had said about his dad was true she had just been insulted. It was pretty passive, but still. Of course she just blinked and stared on innocently as if nothing had even happened. "A Gardner's daughter you say? What a coincidence I was named Nix after the greek goddess of the night, renowned for beauty, power and rarity. It was considered lucky to even be in Nix's presence." Smooth. There was the tiniest bit of spite in her voice.

Pix probably wouldn't like that though. He did seem to have a large amount of contempt for his dad though, maybe he would let it slide? That didn't seem likely though. She'd deal with it after they left this uptight place. She was pretty sure Pix wouldn't do anything drastic while they were here. He had to keep up appearances after all. Though, to be honest, he didn't seem to be trying to do that at all. He seemed to be egging his dad on. He even said that she was the only reason he wasn't in trouble.

She didn't really get Hugh's plan, she whispered to him "Why did you bother dragging me along if you're just gonna antagonize your family anyways. I thought I was supposed to make you look good." she had a sort of hushed intensity about her. It was mostly because she no longer had any idea why she was here which meant Pix was wasting her time for even less of a reason than she had previously thought.

"I actually like Rooks more, they're straightforward, simply and effective." she brushed off his comment. She pulled up her sleeves before simply letting them fall back down and, while Hugh's dad wasn't looking, stuck her tongue out at her owner with a look that conveyed how annoyed she was perfectly. She then smiled sweetly and innocently at his dad once again "So how is Hugh doing at his school? He never seems to tell me." that should teach him to mess with her time. She was pretty sure Hugh had mentioned his dad not knowing about Hugh's less than idealistic situation at the H.I.V.E. and also had mentioned that his dad shouldn't find out about it. Of course she couldn't help it if Hugh couldn't keep his own lie up.

((OOC: Don't hate me. T_T ))

Despite possessing a processor the likes of which could not be fathomed on Earth, the android had missed some important undertones. Exley felt begrudged to explain the subtleties of his situation. Especially since any dumbed-down version would paint him in a bad light. Nevertheless, for once the lad swallowed his pride.

Besides, she had asked some good questions, “It's very simple, Nix. You're not my trophy girlfriend here. You're a shield. My dad can get very... unpleasant. But only to people who know him well. You act as a buffer, keeping him in check.” Hugh continued to speak sorely, “Let's face it, you think that I'm a git. And where would I get that from? Senator Git himself.”

Across the way he spotted his father returning. Pix hurried up his explanation, “I know I shouldn't antagonise the sleeping lion, but I don't often have the upper hand when he's around. Today he has to behave. Especially with all this press about. Is it petty? Yes. But that's what parents do to you, Nix. They screw you up inside.” He coughed to mask his fluster, “Be glad you never had any.”

Darren Exley ushered them aside so that no more acquaintances would be tempted to join them. Hugh was more determined than ever to irritate his father, but he was suddenly put on the defensive. Nix was being childish, landing him in it. Pix bit back a furious glare in case his father should pick up on the significance. Instead he had to let his android be irritating.

“Then you are not alone. Hubert never usually keeps his mother and I in the loop. Sign of a busy man. So what news at school, son?”

“Don't the report cards tell you enough?” He didn't fake them just so that they could be ignored.

“Quite frankly no. I have never visited the facility, so I don't know what it is like. Though you say it comes with a fine reputation for its political sciences.” Darren expounded, “Who teaches there? I may know of them.”

“Err. Mr...” Disaster, Hugh's mind went blank. A million surnames on Earth and suddenly he could not think of a single one, “Ben.”

“Mr Ben?”

“Yeah.”

“Like the rice seller?”

“Like the rice seller; he's foreign.” Pix sped through the confirmation, gritting his teeth as he continued, “But we didn't come here to talk about me. This is your day. Right, Nix?” Hopefully she wouldn't take advantage of the situation again. Oh who was he kidding...