A few days after the events of Moxie at Moxie, Ozymandias and Asp went out for drinks to get to know each other better.
Introductions
The two members of the Veiled Threats met up to hang out and get to know each other better. Ozymandias didn't really know what to do with Asp, given their relative age differences.
- 'Girls your age go... what... shopping or something to, y'know, bond or whatever?'[1] -Ozymandias
Asp was easy, sassing her a bit and suggesting that they could do anything from go to a pub to a museum. Ultimately, the pair decided to go to the Byzantine, an upscale jazz and blues lounge run by Reverb Ozymandias secretly found saxophones whiny, but was up for it anyway. She was concerned about their outfits, but Asp let it be known precisely how much she cared what other people thought:
- 'Meh. We're gorgeous. And even if we weren't, I'm not in the business of caring what randoms think.'[2] -Asp
Ozymandias tried to hide her anxiety about the hanging out thing, but Asp saw through it:
- 'I promise, if you don't enjoy it, the drinks are on me and you can pick the next spot, okay?'[3] -Asp
Ozymandias explained that she was more worried about making sure they would get along in this faux-bal than the pub, but as if by magic, the girls began to banter and whatnot in the cab.
The Cab
Shooting back and forth about Asp's age, Ozymandias's age, and relative drinking capacity, the ladies looked like they were moving to a drinking bet.
- 'Are you challenging me to a game of shot for shot, kiddo? I might even be inclined to carry you home when you lose.'[4] - Ozymandias
- 'That's sweet. You want to take me home. Don't think I didn't notice that.” [5] - Asp
Ozymandias explained where she was from, and revealed a secret weapon: her ridiculous Boston accent that she'd been covering up all along.[6] Asp was stunned. She had no idea how to handle this accent, but she suggested that it was awesome and that she should run the accent at the bar and cut loose.
Mandy objected, figuring it would make it where she couldn't be understood, but in that, a challenge was born: whenever someone bought Mandy a drink, she had to speak in Bostonese.[7] Mandy's counter-challenge, however, was far more amusing than all that.
- 'Any time someone comes to offer you a drink, you send a flirty text to Cut.'[8] -Ozymandias
But Asp was undaunted. This was totally worth it, right?
- 'Challenge accepted.' [9] - Asp
- 'You'd better be convincing, little snake. I'll be watching.'[10] -Ozymandias
The pair arrived at the Byzantine's public area, ready to play out their bet and counter-bet.
At the Byzantine
Once Ozymandias and Asp were seated, Asp immediately asked a serious question that had been nagging at her: why was Ozy always on about leaving?[11] Ozy explained that she went where she needed to be – and then derailed the discussion to go get drinks, buying the first round and obligating Asp to send Cut a flirty text message.
But as Ozymandias headed for the bar, the little snake got snakey, sending Cut a secret message:
- 'You are going to get a series of very interesting texts from me. They are Mandy's idea. Roll with it and send me some good stuff back. Let's see how hard we can fuck with her.'[12] -Asp
Deleting that, she began to send some really bad flirty text messages at her fauxbal-mate to create evidence for Ozymandias, who returned with drinks and an explanation as to why she was always on the move:
- 'I don't like to stay still for too long. I've been traveling a lot since... well, since I was younger than you. I enjoy seeing new things, learning new things, exploring modern and ancient civilizations and cultures.'[13] - Ozymandias
Asp was, to Ozymandias's surprise, very interested in the whole archaeology thing, asking about the coolest places Mandy had been. Apparently, it was a place called Sacsayhuaman, because the stones of the complex were of such outstanding craftsmanship.[14]
As it turned out, a guy came with a drink for Asp, and she was obliged to send Cut another text message – neither of which her fauxbal-mate responded to. But Ozymandias didn't seem interested in the bet anymore. She actually seemed to be enjoying herself.
- 'Ahem, yes, when you think of how quickly things go to ruin in our modern age, and yet these ancient structures have remained and been able to so effectively continue to do their tasks... the experience has definitely left me to say that things just aren't build like they used to be.'[15]
Asp asked her to give her a guided tour at the museum sometime, which Ozymandias found surprising. She'd been serious? Gasp! Sensing an interest, Mandy explained the history of the asp in Egypt. Some of that, Asp knew, but new details were coming out which were really cool[16]. The girls moved on, discussing firearms and hand-to-hand training and why Ozymandias used guns: to protect herself in third-world countries. Asp offered hand-to-hand training, and things got surprisingly flirty.
- 'I can go easy on you, if you ask nicely.'[17] - Asp
- 'Thanks for paying enough attention to my ass to know. I could perhaps be persuaded to ask nicely. Maybe.'[18] - Ozymandias
Ozy ordered a drink, but Asp jacked it, seizing the day and forcing Ozymandias to show off her Bostonese, which the author of this Page will not attempt to duplicate as he will not succeed.[19]
Ozy let it be known that Cut was never to know about the Bostonese. Asp made no guarentees.
