Complete Private Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

[Fiora Di Angelo]

Even Val's words didn't let the weight off her back so easily, but that's what comes with one's mistakes-- She wouldn't keep them around, but neither would she disregard them simply because of an apology. Not for others, and not for herself, a rule that goes both ways.

Instead, Nico poured her attention once the blonde begun to explain her little journey with 'photography'. "Well, obviously it didn't go perfect. I mean, you still have to hide this thing from others, don't you?" She gave her own two cents in the matter, folding her arms under her bust, a quick peek went over to exactly what Val planned to do with her phone as soon as it went back onto her hands, sighing off as the blonde did exactly what she expected her to when told not to. "I know it won't stop you and I still try. Goddamn gremlin." She snorted a little, shooking off her head but not the smile that got to her lips from that.

Fortunately Val was there to remind her things would work out. A third voice always helps, specially a third party's, given the blonde had no involvement on this one. For once beaten in that regard by her totally-not-boyfriend Ari. What she couldn't be bested on though by that barista was on shit-eating grins, because that's what Valeria specialized on. Even the faintest of glances back to her eyes made Nico recoil and steer her gaze away just when Val continued to press on. It almost made her words choke out when trying to explain it. Her answer though didn't make it any less embarassing for her.

If only, it made it worse, granted she now had the cursed app open in full display on Val's phone, and she was made to pick. "I'm kind of squeamish about these kinds of pictures now that I'm with someone." She admitted, voice slipping between her clenched teeth. It certainly didn't make it better that each picture got worse the more she swipped.

It wasn't that she hated or not the pictures. But rather, it felt completely wrong in her mind to do so.

"This one. I... Kinda something like this. Ronja has a lot of maids, and I could surprise her that way? Maybe with something more 'me'." She cleared her throat, sliding the phone back to Val to get her opinion, and the sacrilegious pictures out of her way.

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

"Well… does anything ever go perfect?" The smile on her lips showed Val meant nothing with her question, instead simply pointing out a natural truth before continuing. "While I like my hobby, and I’m lucky enough it covered all those expenses at the time, I don't want everything else to be influenced by it… so I keep it on the downlow."

She could’ve stuck with just that of course, it’s not like her wallet was hurting after all, but Valeria preferred not having all her eggs in one basket. Not to mention that there were so many other things she wished to try, and considering she was lucky enough to have the means to pursue her interest it seemed like a waste to not do so. It also helped that her source of income didn’t come from just one activity either, since it meant she could still enjoy her hobbies while creating instead of having the tasks become tedious and lackluster from having to pump out the same type of content again and again to make ends meet.

”Goddamn gremlin." Her action to follow Nico’s account gathered an expected response, a cheeky grin on her face as Valeria replied. "Takes one to know one~"

While there wasn’t much else she could say to reassure Nico that everything between her and a sweet little brunette would turn out well in the end the pinkette had opened the possibility to something she could do to help instead—and Valeria wasn’t the type to let a good opportunity go to waste. The embarrassment on Nico’s face was something she wouldn’t have thought possible if her own two eyes weren’t currently witnessing it, though the blonde was mindful enough to let up on her teasing as the pinkorilla browsed the offered pics for a possible starting point of reference.

"I'm kind of squeamish about these kinds of pictures now that I'm with someone."
"Mmm, I see… tell me, do you feel the same way when you look at The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli?"

It was a simple question, one she was curious to see how Nico would respond to, before her friend finally seemed to settle on a picture as the phone was handed back to Val. "Truuueee… that could be quite a surprise for Ronja." It was definitely one of her earlier works, back when she’d been nervous about trying this for herself and learning along the way, but probably a good pick given Nico’s own apprehension towards it.

"Do you have a pic of the outfits the maids use in Ronja’s place?" If she remembered well that outfit was still somewhere in one of the closets of her house, perhaps it’d be similar enough that it could serve the purpose with a few minor tweaks and alterations? "Maybe I can alter mine to fit and ship it over to you in Philly."

@Nico

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

"Yeah: fuck-ups. Somehow is the only thing that when it does happen, it happens perfectly." She rolled her eyes. Because to Nico, that's just what bad luck did: Bad shit always found a way to roll a natural twenty on her own game. But it was a valid point for Val in this case, girl recognized it's not all flowers in the world of softcore patreon.

Nico waged a finger in her direction, left hand tapping away at her lips, quietly appreciating a good comeback. "Touché..." And commended it for it even, her nerves not ceasing the slightest as her body language could tell.

Mainly, because of having to swim through provocative pictures that did not match the artistic description Valeria kept giving it. No matter how hard she tried to see it the way her friend did, her eyes witnessed images worth spoilering to keep them a secret. Amidst the chaotic experience thoguh, genuine curiosity erupted in the form of a question.

Baffled, she leaned back to give Val a better glance, as if to confirm she's being serious and with silence being an apparent reply. "First, she ain't real, and even if she were she is fucking dead. Second, the whole composition of The Birth of Venus is far from our standards of beauty. It won't give people the same reaction expected back then." She counted both points, adding a third finger to the mix. "Third, it's a piece of art. It's kinda a bad comparison with what you are doing, Val. If everyone saw it the way you do, then you wouldn't need to hide the patreon to avoid it being what defines you, because the definition in the masses ain't the same." Nico finally concluded her explanation, her voice had gone cold and stable once again the entirety of the time, only moments later becoming self-aware of it...

"You just made a stupid comparison to calm me down, didn't you? Fuck you, it worked." She couldn't deny the genius behind it, nor show herself angry at it. Grateful would be the right word for it. With that out of the way though came a much 'trickier' question, hands ending on her thighs as she hummed outloud. "Hmm... They don't look anything out of the ordinary, really. It's also kinda hard to think about the maids. The one in charge is... A piece of work." She tugged at the collar of her shirt at the reminder of Lena's eyes. Even on the way out from Ronja's home she couldn't feel safe.

Hell, not even back in the plane...

"I got a few friends who could touch it up if anything. It would be too suspicious if I asked Ronja to show me her maids, also very creepy." She actually considered it, but let it go with a chuckle once the idea really struck her as awkward as fuck.

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

It was interesting to see how Nico had approached the simple question the blonde had presented before her. A soft chuckle slipped from Val at the very end as the pinkette had counted off three different reasons why she felt the comparison wasn’t appropriate and, while the blonde didn’t quite agree on all of the points made, at least it had served its intended purpose of calming Nico down… something that the older woman finally noticed, and it earned her a wide and cheeky grin from the younger girl.

"You’re welcome~"

The topic soon turned towards Ronja’s maids and, while Valeria didn’t have much knowledge or experience with them, she was almost sure that she knew the name of the one in charge. "Lena, right?" The way Nico tugged at the collar of her shirt after talking about the maid didn’t go unnoticed, causing Valeria to tilt her head just slightly in a questioning glance. "A piece of work…?"

She’d have to conceded that the pinkorilla did have a point, asking Ronja to show them her maids and their outfits would’ve been sussy as fuck and would probably ruin the whole surprise before it was even underway. "Mmm... do you chat with Ronja often through video call?" Her mind went back to the phone call made earlier in the day, and had this been a cartoon Nico would’ve probably been able to see a lightbulb over Valeria’s head as an idea slowly flickered to life.

"Maybe if they cross through the background at some point you can take a quick screenshot of them? That way we wouldn’t have to ask Ronja, and even if it's a far away shot it should be enough for me to do any of the bigger modifications needed… that would only leave the smaller details to your friends if you get the chance of a closer look of their uniforms."

@Nico

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

The very name coming out of Val's mouth didn't quite surprise her. They were all friends with Ronja, so it seems that Ronja shared a few more details than expected, but that's who the brunette was afterall. And not without it's due warning. One that the blonde was not aware of. It made Nico blink a few times, but ended up nodding in the end when Valeria repeated after her.

"Listen Val, I got robbed a few times. Been at gun point, knife point, any kind of point people can threaten you with-" It wasn't a brag competition and her voice proved it so. "But that woman? Fuck, I rather fight some ungodly abomination inside the game than deal with her. It's cool, I know Ronja won't let her touch a hair out of my head. But I bet she's stalking our phone calls or reading our messages." She crossed a finger on her chest, because she swore upon her word this was exactly what Lena is capable of, and that was only what she -knew- on surface level.

Nico stared at Val ask the most obvious out of this world, and she let her bored expression put it better than words could. Because if one thing Nico did, was call Ronja every single day this planet has per year. That lightbulb might very well all cracked up when it lit on. But hey, at least she had one unlike herself, if they were in a cartoon world that is.

"Well, last call we had she was just kinda on the bed. I mean, I know her times so I can probably try to call her a bit before lunch or dinner, maybe I can get you a better picture with that. Most of the times when we chat the maids don't get inbetween." She was thankful for that, but it shouldn't surprise her this much the amount of care the maids put to their jobs, if anything it's common sense not to jump into someone's voicecall from behind them.

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

She knew little of Lena aside from her name, blissfully unaware of the wide range of skills that Ronja’s head maid was master of—or how scary the woman could truly be. That woman probably had detailed files of every single one of them, down to things that perhaps they themselves might be unaware of.

A glance was given down to her device as Nico mentioned the possibility of Lena somehow tapping into them, before she shook her head to shake out that thought. "Naaah… that sounds like some FBI agent type of bullshit." It wasn’t impossible, that much she knew, but that also wasn’t a cheap and easy thing to pull off… and surely neither of them were special enough to be worth so much trouble, right?

"... why are you staring at me like that, Nico?" It took a moment for the pieces of the puzzle to finally click inside her head, a small ‘o’ shape forming on her lips as she realized how absurd her question had been. "Right, of course you do… that was a dumb question."

Nico’s offered alternative wasn’t bad and it would certainly avoid alerting Ronja that they were up to something… but it was also heavily dependent on luck, and as the pinkorilla had pointed out the brunette’s maids were all quite good at their jobs. "Hmm…that could work, I guess—oh!!!" It was then another idea crossed her mind, the blonde’s face lighting up instantly as she turned towards her friend.

"What if I ask her, Nico?" After she’d spoken with Ronja before about her Twitch account, and had even seen her handle active on the chat a few times. "Could say I'm having trouble figuring out a maid cosplay that's practical and realistic for my Twitch stream?"

It was a simple enough and innocent question, and Valeria felt confident enough that nothing about it should link it back to Nico in any way. "Can't ask her anytime soon though, that’d be a bit too obvious buuut… probably a week or two after we’re back from Hawaii?"

@Nico

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

"Yeah that's exactly what I said at first." She seen it coming, but couldn't blame Val for denying it. It all sounded unhinged coming out of her mouth, but actions spoke more than words did. "If she ain't FBI she's probably some other country's version of it. Or maybe she's just that scary, I dunno." Or perhaps that's what she wanted them to think: that she isn't. Put some doubts in their heads...

But Val's challenged intellect helped get her mind out of it, her stare just deadpanning once her face turned to a silent 'oooh', making Nico slowly cover her face on the most disappointed form of a facepalm she could ever achieve.

Nico hummed outloud as for once Val had a really good idea on her hands, tapping away at her chin as she gave it a moment to sit in her brain for any flaws. "Hmm. Yeah that would work, can't imagine Ronja wouldn't fall for that one." Nico nodded, both to the blonde and herself, as the idea turned out to be solid enough. Ronja wasn't one to turn away a friend in help, and less so with something as simple as taking pictures of the main uniform for the maids. Nothing weird about it, right?

"Two weeks, I can probably work with that. I'm not sure yet when I'll see her again, so we got plenty of time to get it done and see if it actually looks as good as I picture it." Nico smiled, suddently sending her right fist against the puerto rican's shoulder, in a very friendly but still a bit painful gesture of friendship. "Look at you having good ideas out of a sudden eh? Guess you think better after being bullied a little." That's her headcanon truth and no one would change it.

"Speaking of bullying you a little... Anything planned with Ari for tomorrow?" This was still a girls night, right? Night-time, chit chattery and gossips. Things friends do.

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

She was surprised at the seriousness that crossed Nico’s face as she talked about Ronja’s head of staff, one eyebrow arching high in the air before she gave it a bit of extra thought. "Mmm... what if she’s an ex-CIA agent?" Unlikely surely… but that didn’t stop the thought from being amusing in its own right.

Nico’s initial deadpan expression finally shifted as the blonde managed to produce a better idea, the hum that left the pinkorilla being a positive enough sign that Valeria might actually be on to something this time around. "Exactly, two birds with one stone~" Was it a bit of extra effort? Absolutely. Did Valeria mind though? Not in the slightest, if anything she found it cute that Nico was willing to go the extra mile to surprise Ronja.

"Guess you think better after being bullied a little." The unexpected fistbump to her shoulder had caught her by surprise, but it was the pinkorilla’s words that earned a short retort from the blonde before Valeria stuck her tongue out at Nico in quite the childish reaction. "H-Hey…!"

But it seemed Nico wasn’t quite done yet as her gaze focused on the Puerto Rican and, before Valeria could get a word in, the pinkett followed up with a question the blonde hadn’t expected. "Tomorrow…?" The confused tone of her voice was accompanied by a light head tilt to one side as she echoed her friend’s last word, before a light frown crossed her face as she thought hard about it for a moment.

"I mean… we’re all going to the beach and stuff tomorrow, right?" At least those had been the plans settled upon during the evening, unless she’d missed something? "... why?"

@Nico

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

A plausible theory, one she had to think about a little only to shook her head after looking pensive for about ten or so seconds. "I doubt that. Ronja ain't from the U.S, so I don't think her family would pick a former U.S agent for that. Unless there is a CIA for other countries that's also called CIA?" She shrugged, as that would only make things more complicated and... It didn't make sense in hindsight.

But let alone her stray thoughts, what mattered was Val's idea. She smiled, giving her silent vote of confidence to her friend. Although her punch proved enough for that, and the deal was sealed with the gremlin sticking her tongue out and pouting about it.

And then all of a sudden her braincells died again as she didn't quite grasp her question, or rather, she was playing dumb. As expected, it was late in the night, but she gave her the benefit of the doubt and rolled her eyes jokingly, until she elaborated.

And this was serious... Val was dense like a brick. It was too late to even gasp in awe about it, and instead, Nico gave her a suggestive sideglance. "Yes, we are all going to the beach tomorrow. Dayeon... Me... You... Ari." Her voice rolled out at his name, a sharp breath coming out of her mouth as she glanced away for a second in disbelief. "Girl- Come on, I'm not the only one whose bumping shoulders here, It's pretty obvious by now. I've been cheering for you two for a while." Nico smiled, laying back over the bed with her legs hanging off from the left side of the mattress.

"I know that all don't concern me, but It's nice to see Ari happy and not sounding like a drone like usual. That idiot could use for some color in his life." Her hands went behind the back of her head to rest on, turning her attention from the ceiling back to Val. "And you are that color obviously. But you never heard me say that cheesy crap."

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

”Unless there is a CIA for other countries that's also called CIA?”
"Probably, though they’re definitely not called CIA… I think?"

It made sense that each country would have their own Central Intelligence Agency, though the blonde wasn’t exactly well versed on what the naming conventions for them might be. As it stood it provided an interesting line of thought and speculation, with how little she knew of Lena perhaps it wasn’t a surprise that the blonde was willing to let her imagination run wild and fill in the blanks… especially after Nico’s own reactions when talking about the woman.

Entertaining as those musings could be, they were tabled away for topics closer to home. The pinkett shifted to make herself comfortable on the bed as the conversation—and those baby blues—focused on Valeria now. ”I've been cheering for you two for a while.” The pinkorilla decided to go for the direct approach this time around, a move that would prove to be super effective as it left nothing to chance or possible misunderstandings.

”That idiot could use some color in his life, and you are that color obviously.” She couldn’t help the sheepish smile that tugged at her lips upon hearing those words, a rosy tint coloring her cheeks even as her hands reached for a few loose strands of hair to keep themselves busy. "Well, we did get to talk a bit on the ride over from the airport… thanks for that."

She hadn’t missed the way Nico had ensured they’d get some privacy for themselves shortly after arriving, and her thankfulness for it showed in the earnest tone of her words. "We decided to give us a chance and take it easy… see where things go." While their talk had been short it had confirmed that they were both on the same page this time around, and that verbal confirmation alone had reassured the blonde tremendously and eased the anxious feelings that had been swirling within her chest when she’d first arrived in Hawaii.

@Nico

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

The CIA that isn't called the CIA but it's a CIA of another country. At least Val made her feel less stupid about it when even she doubted on the naming conventions. They were so simple afterall, just like how 'police' is just changed a bit for each country. 'Polizia' in italian and 'Policia' in spanish. Maybe the CIA had their own.

Of course all that went to the drain much like every single in-depth thought Nico had at the moment. She didn't wish to commit the mistake of being vague, and apparently it worked in her favour given her friend's reactions. It was certainly charming to see her fluster like that, enough to get a little smile out of her. "No need to thank me, It was nothing. Just moved myself a lil' bit." She waved it off. It wasn't a big deal. Positioning is key in strategy games, and that's all she did: Position herself away from them to give them what they needed.

"We decided to give us a chance and take it easy… see where things go."

Nico quickly leaned forth as if she were doing sit ups, resting her hands over the bed to hold herself stable. Sure, she was comfy laying down, but the thanks out of Val were enough to leap her spirits, a bubbly sensation crawling on her chest as she tried to keep her excitement down a few notches, holding out an optimistic smile for her like a candle full of hope and enough wax to last. "That's perfect. Then my job here's done and I can leave Hawaii." She joked-- Not in a million years she would while they were still here.

Besides, Ari has the keys for the apartment.

"But really, no need for me to poke my nose around the matter anymore then. Just get to know eachother better out of the game." God knows Ari is hard to get to know at times. "It can't be easy with Dayeon around, given what happened but eh, I don't think she's being a bitch so she's fine... Even if she could get a few lessons on cooking." She laughed, pointing a finger back to Val. "And you new tastebuds. But I'll forgive you for that if you convince these anti-socials to play beach volleyball."

@Val

 

[Luthien]

Nico could try all she wanted to downplay her own contribution, but the blonde knew better than to think it had been nothing. She’d been observing them, enough to probably notice the awkward tension that had settled between the pair shortly after spotting one another in the airport for the first time since summer, and had been considerate enough to grant them time together when the opportunity presented itself.

All that took conscious effort to pull off, the type that not everyone was willing to invest for people unless they were close, and the blonde mentally tucked that piece of knowledge away.

"That's perfect. Then my job here's done and I can leave Hawaii." A laughter escaped her when the pinkorilla uttered those words, unable to keep the mental image of a certain meme out of her mind. "Pffft, as if you’d drag your ass back to Philly’s cold and slush early while we’re here."

A nod of agreement left her at Nico’s encouraging words, though she couldn’t help the way her smile dimmed ever so slightly when the pinkette mentioned their idol friend. "It’s complicated… but I think it’ll be fine." At the very least Valeria desperately wanted to believe her words to be true, the complete image revamp that Dayeon had suddenly pulled had only concerned the blonde over the well being of her friend.

”Even if she could get a few lessons on cooking, and you new tastebuds.”
"H-Hey—!"
”But I'll forgive you for that if you convince these anti-socials to play beach volleyball."

The beginnings of a protest were quickly cut off as Nico proposed a truce in the form of beach volleyball, and if she’d looked closely enough she might’ve spotted the way those amber eyes absolutely lit up at the thought. "Deal!" Sports were something she’d enjoyed during her high school days, though living alone as an adult meant that Valeria rarely got the chance to play them anymore… and while her favorite might’ve been softball she couldn’t deny that volleyball was pretty fun too.

"But no crying when Ari and I kick your butt~"

@Nico

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

All she would have to do was pull her cape and disappear in the middle of the night. The best she could afford at the moment was a very mysterious, wave over her own face to add into the corniness on cue with Valeria's laughter.

"You daring me?" A playful scowl over her face, with eyes sharp like a knife prop in a movie, and the act instantly dropped at the dismissive wave of her hands. "Yeah you right I wouldn't. Fuck Philly." Cold, full of crime and pollution. Like most of the planet! Only this is the one section of it she can actively rant about.

She didn't want to indulge too much into how things panned out with Dayeon. Her presence made sure Val had someone to shoulder it if she ever needed it; She hoped the message would come across, wordless as is. But the blonde never had an issue in that regard. If anything, she could read her expressions better than most could.

It wasn't a topic for her to add onto, but one to change before she let the little beads of concern mask her face with that bland colour of worry no one likes to see in the middle of the night after a long day. Fortunately, Val was easier to get an expected reaction from unlike Ronja, and at her half-protests the pinkette grinned.

"Lots a' confidence there, Val. I would too if I was doing a three V one, couse Dayeon's gonna fuck up every pass I give her." She laughed. She could hardly say she knows best when it comes to sports, and if she even was remotely good at the moment it was thanks to her active life in Philly rather than any actual skill on the game itself. "I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, but..." She paused right as her confident air was at it's peak. "I absolutely fucking suck at volleyball." Admittance in the most non-chalant of ways.

"So if you lose, then you gotta consider retiring from sports couse that would be embarassing~"

@Val

 

[Luthien]

She was thankful for the concern Nico showed towards her and, with both girls being observant to a fault, little words were needed between the two to understand one another as the topic of a certain idol simply drifted back into silence once more. Instead they focused on a livelier topic as their competitive natures rose to the surface once more, and a hearty chuckle escaping the blonde when Nico dunked on her would be partner for tomorrow.

"I dunno, sounds like you’re underestimating Dee quite a bit." Granted she’d never played volleyball with the older woman, but it wasn’t exactly a secret how fit most—if not all—Korean idols were. "What if you’re the one that ends up holding her back, mmm?"

And that’s when Nico decided to deliver the truth of her non-existent volleyball skills, earning another laughter from the blonde. "Well I can’t exactly retire from sports since I’m not a pro-player in the first place… but how about this?" Her amber eyes focused on Nico’s baby blues, a mischievous grin beginning to pull at the edges of the girl’s lips before she continued.

"If you win I’ll cut any pasta I eat for a whole day," Her gaze remained focused on her friend as the bait was set forth, hoping that the pinkorilla wouldn’t think twice as she reached out for it. "... but if I win you’re gonna learn how to twirl pasta properly."

@Nico

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

"Underes- Who you think you talkin' to?!" Nico scolded Val for going so far as to turn her words upside down. "I'll have you know that teachers used to say I'm a quick learner back at high-school. I'm Nico 'fucking' Bellantoni." She smiled proudly, pushing her chest out to add to that.

It didn't bother her to see how Val laughed off to the truth, if anything it worked like fuel for her smile. But that didn't last once a "How about this-" was dropped.

Her gaze sharpened almost into a squint as she listened to the blonde carefully, the very "reward" for victory was an omen for the loss condition, which didn't surprise her when she was right about it. It was a war declaration, and the smug puerto rican sure knew as much.

Her right hand stretched out to give her a handshake to seal their contract "Oh I'll cook all the pasta you need once I win. Get your favourite fork & knife combo, girl. 'Couse I'm not losing this one." Nico said, grinning the whole time without blinking once as starglitter covered her eyes in a dangerous glee full of competitive spirit.

"I gotta hit the couch though. It's pretty late and the drinks almost took me out." Just one more and maybe she wouldn't have woken up at all back then.

The pinkette pushed herself out of the bed and headed over to the door, pushing the knob open before glancing over her shoulder towards Valeria. "Good night. And... Thanks for helping me out." Even if they didnt have the maid dress done yet, she had no doubt Val would get it done flawlessly.

It was hard to trust someone this much, but it felt natural when the blonde was the one kept in mind. And thats something she would sleep on tonight.

@Val