In sickening slow-motion, the suspicious substance spilled into the air… and landed on an unfortunate place…
Indeed, esteemed, talented and good looking reader of this novel, that's right, you are absolutely correct!!!! - in deducing that the landing place was none other… than the front of Reverend Eli's freshly cleansed pants!!!!!!
Oh no... The Reverend felt an all-too-familiar trickling sensation of wetness, even as he felt an all-too-familiar sickening of please-let-me-forget-ness…
"D*vild*mnit!!!!!!!!!!" He swore.
He immediately tried to fish out his pack of tissues… but it was too late… as even though he had brought them this time, they had already become… soggy. The theologian had trained tenaciously, but once again, he had been thwarted by a terrible twist… of Sally's wrist!
___
In this moment of mayhem, Bob, via his Valentine avatar, made his move.
At this point, he didn't need to do much. Just a… cursory glance at the Reverend's trousers was enough.
At this point, Bob's Face-slapping Skill had reached the stage where physical contact was not even required.
"J-junior, you dare?!?!"
The Reverend couldn't help but utter the words which would lead to his inevitable sequence of humiliation, since he noticed that Valentine had raised an eyebrow at the dubious compromising scene and was struggling to keep a straight face.
Valentine's Face-slapping Aura was too much however. With a single glance of judging intent, the Reverend was sent scurrying off to the mens room, clutching at his freshly created wet patch!!!
___
As they departed from the dark corridor, which had led to many unspeakable acts and cursed chains-of-events taking place, and leaving the Reverend dabbing away in vain to remove that... stain, Sally realised using her [Intuition of the Ice Queen] that she had quite possibly escaped from imminent danger...
Entering back into the glow of the ballroom Sally turned to look at her rescuer... Oh he was extremely handsome and why did he look so familiar... why did he feel so familiar…?
For his part, Bob, even in his Valentine persona, was as usual completely nonplussed since He wasn't OP after all, and didn't recognise Sally as Allie in the slightest.
"Sally… may I call you that?"
Sally nodded.
"Sally... Are you feeling okay?" The voice was warm, rich, masculine…
Her breath caught, since breaths getting 'hitched' was getting way too overused lately and likely a classic sign of AI writing...
"Yeah I'm fine… thanks…"
Sally wasn't sure what to make of all the events that had transpired, but as she raised her voice to speak, the handsome man had already disappeared...
"Take care…" His voice echoed in the wind.
Who was that?!
All she had in her hands now was an elegantly embossed business card…
___
Valentine was not OP, and although he had done an admirable job of shadowing the situation, including the incompetent suitors, Sally the Dark Rizzards and even the Church of the Seven Deadly Sins, he did not realize that in this game of cat and mouse, he too was being watched…
The beautiful blonde lady that tailed Valentine was of course none other than Lucy, the daughter of the billionaire Scroogeux, tasked with finding out more about this enigmatic and potentially outstanding young man.
Her beautiful eyes narrowed as she took in the scene... at first she wasn't entirely sure what was going on as Valentine had followed some shady people into a dark corridor…
However she noticed that not long after, Valentine had come out with none other than Ice Queen Sally and handed her something before slipping away.
___
Indeed, this was because it was in fact just about time for Valentine to make his address to the World Ball attendees.
"An opportunity has arrived... to live life to the full, and to make a real difference."
"What you choose to do with this opportunity is up to you, my fellow friends, my fellow pioneers...
"Join us today, as we aim to do our part, in making the 'Future of Humanity' just that little bit brighter..."
As Valentine descended the podium and went backstage after his address to rapturous social applause, a beautiful blonde lady suddenly appeared by his side.
"That was impressive." Lucy said, conveying an aura of elegance, worth and value.
"Thanks, you are?" Valentine's modus operandi was always to make positive connections with others and to further Bob's genetic strategies… aside from this, he didn't have any other motivations.
"Lucy. Lucy Overson. Could you tell me more about the Future of Humanity Project? Could I ask, what exactly is it you want to do?"
"I'm happy to share... but it can't be all about me Lucy... Tell me about yourself too…"
After some pleasant chatting, Lucy, found herself increasingly trusting Valentine, such was the power of his Rizz!!!
"Oh?!" Her already flute-like voice had gone still higher, and her cheeks were flushed... her Interest Meter had risen considerably since the beginning of the encounter!
This Valentine was certainly an interesting man…
____
In the current stocktake, the World Ball had truly been an itinerary of insanities, and believe it or not, there was still more to come...
So far…
Sally had now met Valentine.
Bob - as Valentine - had shadowed the Dark Rizzards and countered their plans.
Sally's suitors had each gotten their deserved desserts.
The Dark Rizzards had enacted their plan, only to be foiled by the Church of the Seven Deadly Sins… Indeed, regarding this, it was safe to say that Itvashim, Itvasme's twin brother, truly... didn't know what he had gotten himself 'into'…
The Seven Deadly Sins had failed to capture Sally again, but Doris had definitely gotten her share of excitement… why... after that... turn of events, she felt 10, no, even 50 years younger!!! ...
The same could not be said for Itvashim, who Itvasme later found passed out, now sporting white hair, and... wrinkly...
Lucy, the daughter of the discerning billionaire Scroogeux, was now very interested in Valentine and wanting to report back to her father regarding the favourable impression she had gotten of the handsome young man and the 'Future of Humanity' Project... it truly seemed like this really was the real deal and worth investing in!!!
Bob - as Valentine - had made lots of connections and bank ensuring that the Future of Humanity Project might finally get off the ground…
As the event drew to a close, the media had also documented it thoroughly, and in particular, Ice Queen Sally dazzled in her beautiful dress, which radiated like a sea of stars against the backdrop of heavenly goddess-white, whilst Valentine had also made a radiant impression with his speech and vision…
Sally hadn't managed to find a suitable suitor yet… but still… this Valentine... was certainly an interesting person…!!!
She looked at the beautifully wrought business card in her hands. As she turned it over in her delicate fingers...
["Valentine Richést..."]
["The Future of Humanity Project..."]
The gold-foil-embossed lettering gleamed in the light…