Dreadlords Dance for all that we've been through

[Maseno Luana]

Trix paused in her serving when she noted the dour tone and glanced across at her cousin. He seemed to have curled in on himself at the thought of the future as though he would much prefer to stay here. She supposed there was some comfort to remaining in what a establishment that you had known your whole life, but there had always been an itching clawing need in her to get out of these walls. It was why she had taken so many missions and why she still did. Sitting still didn't suit her.

"Fuck that," she retorted and passed the next student their cup. A group of initiates was beginning to dance in a large group all their bodies pressed together and uncaring of who watched or saw them let loose. Her lips twitched. "The whole point of this stinking revolution was to have a choice. Including you. Surely Jiya would throw her weight behind you if you wanted to pick your own path."

Trix had never been shy about her word choice or opinions. Maseno bit back a cringe at her thoughts but did not immediately have a response for her. The truth of the matter was obvious - yes, they should all have the right to their choice now and, yes, Jiya would absolutely move to his defense if she thought he was being slighted. At the end of the day, it was less about the perception of choice.

Maseno had a choice, of course, but the undeniably immense amount of pressure placed upon him by the powers that be would leave him little option in the end. The expectations of Archon Morid's protege, the eldest surviving Luana son ...

He did not like to let people down.

But he also did not get much time to think on an appropriate response before the eddies of bedlam began to unravel in the hall. He'd been so distracted in talking to Trix that he'd not been paying any attention to his classmates. The sudden outburst from Leander followed by the laughter of his sister drove Maz from his seat in alarm so quickly he dropped his crutches. Their clattering to the ground was swiftly overtaken by the boom of Victoria's arrival with her hounds.

The grotesque beasts went bounding through the crowds, toppling Initiates and scattering chairs. One of them dove straight for the food table, bouldering past his broken leg and dropping him immediately to the ground between the empty tables.

 

[Livia Quinnick]

There was a slight wickedness to her gaze as she met his eyes, grinning at his words as they managed to slip out the main doors, just narrowly missing Victoria. "Obsessed? I believe the jury is still determining if that ruling is correct. I prefer to learn the lay of the field myself..."

From behind them, the sounds of the canines Victoria was known to produce created quite the symphony of chaos. Oh that certainly will keep the Proctors occupied long enough for the two to unwind away from the crowd.

"Besides," Livia continued, sliding her arm from his and working on removing the cork from the bottle, "I already knew you would be the one more suited to the fun I am after than any of them back in there." After her success in freeing the cork, she tossed it to the side and took a generous swig of red wine before offering it to him.

"I hope I am not wrong."


Rowley Stone

 

[Rowley Stone]

"Oh, now hiding your interest, you choose to insult me?"

Rowley took the wine from her and down a hearty gulp capped off with a content sigh. He moved along with her, by now, his frequent drinks were providing a warm buzz that would have been perfect with some of Zaire's drugs. However, Zaire obviously had something important to do.

"You wound me. To question my ability to keep up with your fun? The wine must be getting to your head."

He was disappointed to hear the arrival of the dogs as they left, Vickie's dogs were absolutely feral in the best ways possible. However, now having committed to their adventure, he followed along apprehensively waiting for Livia's fun.

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Liv plucked the little bag she snagged off the attendant minding the wine, dangling it before his eyes. "And it will not be the only thing." She tossed it towards him before motioning for the bottle. Already, she was behind in feeling that buzz, and now there was an urgency to put this night past her.

She really should have gone back to her room at the start of the night.

"Would it put a smile on your face to hear me say that I do in fact find you fun," Livia turned to look both ways to see if the coast was clear before stepping towards the doors that led outdoors, a different route to what she had taken much earlier. "and perhaps you may be the obsession of the night if you play your cards right." To which she nodded towards the bag. It may not be to the caliber of the stash Zaire would have provided, but the guy found horrible timing to finally take up a dance with Houri.

Rowley Stone

 

[Trix]

Trix's eyes were suddenly ringed with silver as Houri was sent tumbling to the ground. She could only admire her cousins grace as she caught herself before stumbling and the restrain for not frying the little fuck into a charred piece of bacon. She had seen first hand Houri's quick mood swings, knew what Jiya suspected had broken inside her, and was fully prepared to step up to her side and defend whatever action she took. So it was with pride that she watched Houri handle it like a Queen. Her lips tugged up into a smirk as the gathered initiates either totally ignored Leander or outright laughed at him.

She kept the smirk on her face, arms folded even as she delved into her power ready to use it should the blondes decide to take revenge.

"She should have fried him like a-" Trix's low mutterings were cut off by the sudden appearance of demonic dogs. One lunged through her cousin to get at the punch bowl which Trix swiftly raised out of the way on top of a large vine leaf.

"Oh no you don't, bloody mutt. Get," she shooed it off. Whatever poison it could smell from her perfume, the beast wisely decided not to bother her further and mooched off to find another to terrorise. Which was just as well as Trix was in no fit state to fight when she saw Maz sprawled on the floor. Laughter burst out of her and she hugged her sides as they began to ache. "Oh god, Oh god I wish we had an ink slinger so they could capture this moment," she wheezed, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. "I'd label it, Archon To Be."

 

[Rowley Stone]

"It..." He grabbed the bag of what he assumed were drugs, "would certainly be a start."

He traded of the bottle to her before taking a small pinch of the dust-like substance in his fingers...It would do. Rowley had the awareness to look mildly offended. Had he not been playing his cards right all night? He always did, after all, he was very good at playing these little games.

Not wanting to waste time, as soon as they stepped outside, he took a bit of the substance to his nose and downed it. Gah, that stuff burned, that's how you knew it was bad.

"Well, let's keep playing then."

Livia Quinnick

 

[Oraya Urahil]

"Alistair, while it is good to distract oneself with a busy schedule don't let it make you lose sight of-" Oraya's gaze swept over Kristen and Alistair's shoulders as Leander Urahil called out her name. And her sister's. Fair brows pinched together in worry and surprise but before she could even take a step in that direction, the Luana girl was also talking loudly.

And then a chandelier was floating in the middle of the ballroom.

How strange.

Then demonic dogs. The crippled Luana boy in a rather compromising position.

"Oh my," she turned back to Kristen and Alistair. "If you'll excuse me, duty calls." They'd given her a chaperone whistle and she quickly brought it to her lips and gave it a sharp blow.

"Excuse me, young lady! YOUNG LADY please get your pets under control at once. First and final warning. Yes you!" Oraya sternly made eye contact with Victoria Von Fleet that meant business. Then her gaze went to her baby brother as she began walking toward him. A silent look to him as she drew closer, following his gaze to that Luana girl.

The one that was supposedly crazy.

Her look was clear: Are you okay?

 

[Thraah]

When Victoria had entered Thraah practically jumped for joy but as she was enjoying the disruption the corner of her eye saw something fall, a stick or a cane... A crutch.
Then a body fell as one of the doggies leaped up to get the food on the table. Instinct drives her. Folk shouldn't be shoved if they can't stand proper.

The whole room moved in slow motion. Casting aside the bite sized nibbles she was gathering for later into the face of another onlooker she began to run.
"Heeey!"
Thraah set her path and with glorious upkicks of ruffled pink skirt she managed a sliding Anirball tackle to just about slow Maseno with her arms. He still fell but it was not as rough as it should have been.
"I gotcha, sorta. "
She said half apologising for not being faster and less out of breath than her action implied but when she looked him in the face her own dropped and her breath really left her.
This was Maseno Luana and while she never paid much attention to him, he was really REALLY close now and well.
His amber eyes, that chiseled jawline... The gods did well on this one no doubt.
Thraah's face went red like a beetroot.
"Hey... Are eh, are you okay? You fell is all and I caught you, kinda. Which is why I'm here. You um...*ahem* you okay? I already said that."
Her mouth attempted a smile she prayed would be charming despite the flecks of food still on her cheeks. Inside herself she was screaming with fear and shame and excitement.

Maseno Luana Trix

 

[Maseno Luana]

The floor was quite a bit more lumpy than he'd been expecting.

And pink.

Maz blinked the spin from his eyes, first looking toward the sound of Beatrix's laughter. There was a punch bowl suspended from a vine sideways, but the punch wasn't falling out? No, wait, he was sideways.

With a grunt he lifted his head to look rightside up only to come face to face with ... "Thraah?"
Oh yes, he knew her name. He knew everyone's names, even if they rarely interacted beyond lessons or training, even if his leg was currently exploding with pain which had begun to radiate up his side and into his spine. He winced as he moved to sit up, "Yes," a lie, but he was definitely thinking it might need to be an early night, and he might take the one Nurse up on her knock-out concoction, "thank you. Was... that a dog?"

Trix was still guffawing in the background. Elegantly.

 

[Thraah]

*badump*
He said her name.
*Badump-ump!*
He KNEW her name, like before today.
*Badududududududu...*
Thraah began to ebb heat well above her natural body temperature. It was the kind of warmth that came from a hearth or campfire. An inviting thing that was not harmful. It radiated from her as the fire gem inside reacted to her emotions.
"Eh You're handsome-WELCOME, heh, you are uh, very welcome. Maseno, Luana that's your name. I know it pfft, course I do everyone knows who you are."
Thraah was finding it very hard to notice anything outside of Maseno's immediacy. So when he asked about a dog all she could say was
"Huh, dog? What dog?"
She'd seen it well enough, a big monstrous thing hell bent on disruption.
"Oh yeah. They're fine, harmless really. Unless you're hurt. Are you sure you're okay?"
She looked over him to inspect him for obvious injury but did not notice any cuts or bites. As he moved to sit up she felt the quiet strength of his body in her hands.
*Oh boy!*

Maseno Luana Trix

 

[Silas Artesto]

Silas knew what and who it was before the mangy familiar had even touched him. He'd wondered it Victoria had heard about the dance, and if she had, if she had any interest in it. It seemed the type of event that would bore her; she never cared much for making friends with the rest of their class. Except for him, for whatever reason. Artesto had been blessed enough to be the exception to the rule.

Usually, he tolerated it-- Victoria was a bit loose in the head, but she was there for him when he needed her, and underneath all that... boisterous personality of hers, the Initiate had a suspicion she was actually somewhat good-natured.

But tonight, of all nights... suddenly he was cursing the magnetism he'd apparently been blessed with tonight. No longer was he pressed up against a cute girl like Zin or Houri, but a rotting nightmare hound that smelled like thousand-year-old swamp ass. Now his night was over for sure; he smelled like shit, and nobody was going to dance with him or go anywhere else with him for that matter, if they couldn't stand the stench.

Mercifully, the dog's handler didn't keep him waiting long before she pried the canine off of him, pushing it aside and looking down at him like she'd done absolutely nothing wrong, that careless grin plastered on her face.

Silas felt himself sneer as he pulled himself up to his feet.

"Vicky, now really isn't the time. I was kinda in the middle of something, and..." Wrinkling his face, he looked down at his slobber-coated apparel, thick with slime from the mutt's maw. "...and I swear if your pet ruined my father's suit, I'm going to be pissed."

His expression shifting into one of defeat, he looked over at Zinnia and shrugged with a sheepish smile. Later, his eyes spoke to her. He needed a bath and a new set of clothes before he did anything else.

Shifting his attention back to Victoria, he sighed.

"Why are you even here, Vicky? I thought weren't into people."

 

[Victoria Von Fleet]

For the first time in probably ever, Victoria felt her feelings getting hurt. Silas was her number one person, the one she could always count on, and he was mad at her. It wasn't like his usual irritation, and she felt her lip tremble just slightly.

It wasn't the Procters that made her call in her hounds, the was the tone of Silas's voice. With a wave of her hand, all the hounds melted into the floor and the chaos ceased.

"I was upset because no one wanted me here, I thought maybe you'd at least be okay with me for coming." Her voice was quiet for once, and she turned from him, the pout on her lips now fully apparent. "I guess I was wrong." Granted, she had had the intent on causing trouble, but not for Silas, for everyone else. He was her best friend, and even he didn't want her.

Silas Artesto

 

[Zaire]

He saw her outstretched hand first. Her palm caught the light from the chandelier that she had enhanced, pieces of the rainbow, like a broken stained glass window, danced over her dark skin. It enthralled Zaire not because it was pretty but rather for the visual of Houri’s palm altogether. She was an initiate, like him, yet at this time her hand looked far softer. He was certain she had callouses, but he could see none. The lines of her future, those dark long crevices that curved and crossed over each other, gave a future for only Zaire to see.

The future of what would come to be. Their future. Her holding out her hand to him once again and he would take it. They would dance and dance and dance, but this time, Houri wouldn’t be in green and gold but in white. Instead of initiates and proctors surrounding them it would be their family; their mothers standing together and whispering but both would wear wide, happy smiles. Maz would be there too, standing next to Dak, who somehow would have returned and be alright and not hurt or dead or anything bad.

Zaire looked up from her hand to her face. He could see his reflection in her dark eyes. The gold flower clip in his hair glinted, a speck of gold like the light at the end of the tunnel.

“You’d want to dance with me?” Zaire asked, his voice as small as he felt most of the time. Like the fourth level he was sure to become, only able to make the strong stronger. There was only a second long pause. Houri wouldn’t have asked if she didn’t want to. What other chance would he have to dance with her? If he messed things up now then there was no way he’d get another chance this good, with her hand outstretched to his.

He took her hand, taking a step forward. In front of the whole Academy, though no one would notice it, Zaire felt a divine spark of life race from his hand to his heart.

“Forget I said that. Let’s dance.” He said, suddenly confident. But how could he not feel this confidence that made him feel like he was the luckiest (and tallest and muscular) guy in the room? Holding onto his hand was the most beautiful woman in all of Arethil. In his hand was true divinity, a goddess of timeless beauty that could break through all the trends of the world and its various cultures.

How a simple man like Zaire could experience heaven before dying just by holding her hand was beyond his comprehension. Yet his brief human morality and simple mind wouldn’t dare question it. Zinnia was right, there wasn’t enough time in his life to be passive and let all the wonderful and beautiful things in life pass him by.

And so, with Zinnia’s words in his head, Zaire took Houri to the center of the dance floor. Luckily, Leander and Vicky ‘s separate outbursts had made quite a few couples leave the dance floor. Or maybe everyone was starting to head elsewhere on their own. Regardless of the reason, the two of them could have most of the space to themselves.

Houri

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Livia flashed Rowley a wicked grin, turning round to continue leading the pair to the spot in mind. There, she sat on the stone bench that gave them a view of the windows to the hall, the glimmering chandelier still reflecting lights about the room. The Initiate paused before the bench, lifting a foot and testing the steadiness before lifting herself to stand and face Rowley as he caught up.

"Shame. I thought there was the chance that would of been pure stuff..." She was much taller than him now, grinning down at him. "It cannot be that bad, can it?" Lowering herself to place the wine bottle a little ways from the long skirts of her dress, Livia straightened herself and held her hand out for her to test.

If he was right, then at least they had wine to entertain their interlude from the dance.

Rowley Stone

 

[Houri]

Houri's head canted to the side quizzically at his initial question. If she hadn't wanted to dance with him, why would she have asked? She opened her mouth to say just that when he seemed to realise the silliness of his own question and finally led her back to the dance floor. As they walked Houri couldn't help but cast a quick look in his direction. Their mission together a few weeks back had cleared the air in many regards - she knew he no longer hated her - but it had also brought up more questions like why did he always seem in pain when he looked at her? She'd asked her sister what it could mean and she had merely smiled and shook her head, claiming such answers could only be answered by Zaire. When she'd asked Ollie he'd merely shrugged. If a guy couldn't figure it out, how was she supposed to?

Perhaps she would get some answers during this dance.

The musicians seemed glad that one of their most devoted dancers was returning to the dance floor and she flashed them a bright smile before they readied their instruments. Houri turned to face Zaire and offered the usual curtsey in return to his stiff bow, then took one of his hands in hers and rested the other on top of his shoulder. If she had any issues about his height Houri did not let on.

When the music started she gave him a hesitant smile before letting him lead. She knew he would probably have preferred to be with Lumen, but maybe she would be enough in her stead.

 

[Rowley Stone]

"No, it's not that bad. It actually does the job, just a bit of a burn."

Ro scrunched up his nose as he attempted to ignore the slowly diminishing burn. As the burn faded, it was replaced with that forced calming and relaxing that made his entire body sag with delight, but his brain felt like it had been struck by lightning.

A common drug used by some soldiers, perfect for muscle relaxation, but good for staying awake.

"Yeah, definitely has a nice kick." He explained with a chuckle.

Livia Quinnick

 

[Maseno Luana]

*badump*
He said her name.
*Badump-ump!*
He KNEW her name, like before today.
*Badududududududu...*
Thraah began to ebb heat well above her natural body temperature. It was the kind of warmth that came from a hearth or campfire. An inviting thing that was not harmful. It radiated from her as the fire gem inside reacted to her emotions.
"Eh You're handsome-WELCOME, heh, you are uh, very welcome. Maseno, Luana that's your name. I know it pfft, course I do everyone knows who you are."
Thraah was finding it very hard to notice anything outside of Maseno's immediacy. So when he asked about a dog all she could say was
"Huh, dog? What dog?"
She'd seen it well enough, a big monstrous thing hell bent on disruption.
"Oh yeah. They're fine, harmless really. Unless you're hurt. Are you sure you're okay?"
She looked over him to inspect him for obvious injury but did not notice any cuts or bites. As he moved to sit up she felt the quiet strength of his body in her hands.
*Oh boy!*

Maseno Luana Trix

Maseno wasn't certain if it was his mind still reeling from the combination of his recovery, injuries, and fall or if Thraah was talking too fast for him to keep up. Had she... did she call him handsome? The Initiate lofted a dark brow at his colleague who still seemed to be holding on to him as he sat and fretting over his wellbeing.

Unusual, but not unappreciated.

He offered her a faint and wincing smile, "Yes, as well as I can be I suspect. Thank you."

Was it just him or was there an unusual amount of heat radiating from Thraah? She was a fire practitioner, if his memory served him well - and it usually did. Mas tiredly gestured to his two wayward crutches with either hand to pull them back to his service and set one up in a manner suggesting he was about to try and get back to his feet.

His body hurt. Deeply so. He would have been content to remain on the floor but that was hardly becoming of his namesake and standing within the class.

"Thraah, would you be so kind to help me back on my feet? My left leg is broken and not of much use," it was an unusual request and admittance of weakness coming from a Dreadlord Initiate to a Dreadlord Initiate. Maseno had not been without manners for many years now and he wasn't sure he could get back to his feet without a fair amount of struggle.

Seeing as how Trix was being so incredibly helpful and all. Certainly she was too busy tending the punch bowl to be of assistance.

 

[Thraah]

Thraah's face twitched when Maseno smiled at her. His eyes were like, wow they just went on forever didn't they?
When he said "Thank you" her body let out a fresh wave of heat like stepping outside into summer sunlight.
"That's great and hmm? Oh no problem, not a problem at all heh, anytime!"
She said grateful of his calm nature about her. Not everyone was as nice as he was when she showed up unannounced.
Thraah had seen Maseno use his abilities but never this close. Watching the crutch snap into his hands provoked it's own response.
"Cool!"
But perhaps the most impressive part was when Maseno readied himself to get up and asked for her help.
Nobody ever asked her for help. Not anyone, not ever.
"Y-yeah of course I'll help you get it up. Anytime!"
She was already lifting and supporting by the time she replayed her own words back to herself.
A fresh wave of heat fuelled partly by her embarrassment and partly by proximity to Maseno flooded from her then.
Supporting him from his chest and back, wow he was tall, she helped him up and together they got him standing.
"You eh, you want a seat or to uh... Leave maybe?"
No more eye contact, that was dangerous stuff. Just, keep it cool.

Maseno Luana

 

[Trix]

The laughter suddenly cut off.

"A seat," Trix answered before her cousin could, shouldering Thraash out of the way and looping her own arm about her cousins waist. The death glare she settled on the initiate was enough to make most grown Dreadlords find somewhere else to be. The kid seemed oblivious to it though and as Trix settled Maz into the now rightened chair, thanks to her vines, she handed the other kid a cup of punch.

"Here, now scram."

 

[Thraah]

Thraah was dumbstruck.
The rudeness knocked her from her thoughts and it was only after the cup of punch had been offered that she took it in a haze that she realised what had happened.
Maseno was sitting there was someone between them and she was being told to go away, again.
The punch began to boil.
*Too good to last...*
On the fringes of her poofed shoulders her offensively pink dress started to smoke.
*Was being nice is all...*
The heat from her body became higher than it had been before, no longer pleasant and warm but a threatening thing, a hungry thing.
*He was being nice...*
The cup and her gown both erupted in fire as anger manifest in radiant heat dangerous to be close to caused her to immolate with a single punctuated word as she tossed the cup, now smoking and warped, onto the floor.
"FINE!"
Storming off, leaving flaming footprints of scorched floorboard in her wake Thraah made for the main exit, shoulders hunched and eyes literally aflame.
She was not quite human looking as initiates parted before her to not get caught in her wake.
Kress help any who thought to stop her now.

Trix Maseno Luana

 

[Maseno Luana]

The moment Thraah moved to help him to his feet, regret and hideous agony filled Maseno Luana from head to toe. Teeth grit, he bit back the groan of pain that flared from his leg and tried instead to concentrate on just getting himself standing again. Truth be told, had Trix not intervened, he may have collapsed again.

The nurses had insisted on a wheelchair and he now knew why. Lesson #864: listen to the nurses. Hindsight was forever 20/20.

With his eyes flashing white briefly between the exchange, when his vision returned he was already on a chair and he could not remember getting there. Thraah was amidst a mental implosion ... or was it a radioactive meltdown? Either way, the heat she was putting off was at a level of uncomfortable that made the Luana wince even more and lean away for her emotional inferno.

What had just happened?

"Than-" Thraah was storming away in a furious flurry of smoke and fuscia.

Where was Thraah going? Why was Thraah going? Who was - oh.

"Beatrix," he was sweating and trying to still the shudder of his leg. From the pain. From the sickness of the spin. From the fury of Thraah. Maseno eyed his cousin but it was a pathetic expression indeed.

"Was that your doing?"

 

[Trix]

The obedient vines dutifully set down a second chair next to Maz's and Trix plopped herself down into it.

"What? She was annoying," the Dreadlord sighed and waved a hand dismissing the lecture she knew was coming before it could even begin. Blah blah blah, be nicer, blah blah blah, friendship was magic or some shit like that. She heaved a dramatic sigh and then eyed his white knuckles and the strain about his mouth. "Besides, I don't think you're up for what she was offering you right then," a delicate sniff.

She picked up a goblet of punch, the big vine leaf having set it back down on the table, and let small small tiny daisy-like flowers grow along the rim. She carefully plucked off the petals and tossed them into the punch before swirling.

"Here, this will help the pain."

 

[Maseno Luana]

Annoying?

Maz frowned, "She was helping m-"

"Besides, I don't think you're up for what she was offering you right then,"

Dour confusion colored his face. Truly, he knew not what she spoke of. Thraah had only been offering to get him to a seat or back to the hospital wing which, frankly, didn't sound so bad right about now. He'd clearly not caught what Trix had picked up.

Yeh gatta be quicker than that.

The line of his jaw was so taught, Trix could have used it to cut more ice for the punch. He eyed the proffered cup and the little petals swilling within it dubiously. She wouldn't purposefully bring him harm, Trix was family, but that didn't mean he immediately trusted whatever concoction she'd put inside.

Help with the pain indeed.

Maz sighed deeply and decided at that moment he didn't care if it made him sprout flowers from his fingertips. Anything was better than the sour hell he was presently experiencing. So he drank it all in one slow downing.

 

[Silas Artesto]

Silas' expression shifted from one of irritation to something softer. He hadn't meant to hurt her feelings, but his ire had made his words come out far sharper than he'd intended. He knew he was the only person Vicky really considered a friend, and telling her off like that, regardless of her entrance strategy, was a bit chilly on his part. This dance was for everybody, not just the social types.

Wiping another layer of slime off of his clothes, he winced a bit as she turned her back on him. "Vic I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that." The hounds were dispelled, and the shouts of scolding from the Proctors began to ring out not that she seemed to care.

Stepping forward, Silas reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to shake the embarrassment of going from smoothest moves in the room to covered in slobber and pleading forgiveness for a social faux pas. "Look... I hear they're working on putting up a new statue in the courtyard. It sure would be a shame if somebody didn't smash that up, wouldn't it?"

Victoria Von Fleet

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Liv jumped down from the bench, landing steadily before Rowley and taking a small pinch to place on the back of her opposite had, taking a quick inhale to test. Her nose scrunched delicately as her face soured, registering the burn he had noted and pulling another face as it passed. "Oh, that is awful." It would do for the time being.

With each passing minute, she soon forgot the trouble she experienced at the beginning of her dance with Rowley. "I usually dance better than I did with you earlier, you know." Perhaps if she had been partnered with him at the start, she would not need to worry so much. She enjoyed any dance, the way one could move to music. It had been drilled into her nearly every day when she lived at home, a famed instructor personally teaching Livia the perfect poise that came with disciplined dancing such as ballet and other like types. "Looks like you will go without seeing my brilliance. Doubt they will do something like this for us in the future." She snorted. Reaching for the wine, Liv hugged the bottle and stared up at the windows to the hall once more.

"What are our theories of what transpired with Leander and Houri to call such attention like that?" It was such an odd thing to happen. She expected as much from Urahil, but she also could applaud Houri's swift recovery and ensuring nobody's night was being interrupted.

Rowley Stone