Closed [The Quay] We drink, and drink, and drink some more

[Caela Dorin]

.

One of the blondes in purple that had caught her eye before had made her way over to make friendly overtures, perhaps thinking that the dancer wanted company. She wanted Kechaiya's company, sure but that was out of the question. Barring that she only wanted more of the delicious berry cider. Maybe if she thought hard at somebody about it, the drink would just appear. A frown creased her brow as she concentrated on thoughts of berry cider. "I'm not wearing purple," she mumbled distractedly, watching for the approach of anyone with alcohol. She didn't bother answering the woman's question until after her partner came carrying food and drink. Only two drinks, one for each of them. The dancer sighed.

"I'd enjoy it a bit more if I had more to drink. Don't think these tankards work right. They seem too small," she commented, glaring at the vessel once more as if it was its fault. Her eyes drifted to the man that she'd introduced as Kvist. There was something familiar about him but she couldn't place him no matter how much she squinted at him. She leaned in closer to try to peer into his face and almost slammed face first into the table. Recovering her near loss of balance more sluggishly than normal, Caela gave the table an experimental shake. It didn't wobble so it couldn't have sent her nearly sprawling over its surface. Huh.

Before she could discover that little mystery she found that another person had come to join them, a stranger to her and apparently also to the other two if his question was anything to go by as he sat down. The fact that her table had remained empty for as long as it had was a small miracle. It had gone from just herself sitting there to a small gathering of humanity around the table in the blink of an eye. This small group was sure to attract others soon and maybe one of them would bring more to drink so she didn't have to go get something herself.

There was something ludicrous about the new occupant, she thought it could have been the wild - to her eyes - gesturing that he was doing. It set her giggling at him and then when the comedy of the newcomer wore off, she found herself laughing from behind her hands at nothing in particular. Things were just very funny in general all of a sudden. Her giggling had more or less subsided when Kechaiya walked by her table with Noven. Oh I know where they're going, she thought slyly. What she "knew" brought the giggling on in earnest again, laughing so much that it brought tears to her eyes. Once the tears had stopped streaming down her face and she got her breath back she turned to the lone fellow.

"You ask somethin'?" she asked, trying to peer into the mug that he'd set down on the table. "Got any cider in there? Could do with some more cider. Will you get me some?" The blonde brightened at the thought, beaming at the man. The same smile was directed to the man that the woman S'Essy had introduced as Kvist. Maybe he'd get her something if she kept smiling at him. "Have a name?" Her attention swung back to the newest man, becoming a bit dizzy as her head turned. "I have a name! My name's Caela and this is S'Essy and Kvist. They just got here. I don't know who they are. S'Essy's wearing purple but I'm not wearing purple." She nodded sagely.

You shouldn't have drank at work. A brief moment of lucidity, an internal groan and then it was gone again.
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[Firenze]

Dor'gen grabbed some of the meats off of her plate and ate them rather quickly, she watched him as he swallowed them with content. Keeping her eyes on him, the rest of the party seemed to dull. She liked the way he move, she liked even more that he was taller than her, considering she was taller than most people. It gave her a sense of security, in addition previous acts that he had proven to be a trusty companion.

A smile played on her lips as she drank some of the berry cider, content in the warm room, with bodies swaying, drinking and being merry. She hadn't felt more happy in her life. Even though she didn't know anyone except for Dor'gen here, she felt like that this is where she was supposed to be, surrounded by merriment and laughter. Normally, she didn't like being in large crowds, they tended to make her uneasy, but with the aid of the beverage in her hand, it helped her to relax and enjoy the evening more.

She noticed as he started talking to the woman in front of him, bantering and laughing. A tinge of... jealousy? sprouted in her and fanned it's self through her body. A blush crept around the purple features on Dor'gen's face and the jealousy blossomed in Firenze. She wanted to show the girl her teeth, growl and scratch her. Who was she to make Dor'gen blush?

Firenze turned her head away sharply, trying to drown out the flirtations between the two. Her eyes were narrowed and if she was in her tiger form, her ears would more then likely be lying flat. She didn't like this feeling, but she didn't like Dor'gen flirting with another woman even more.

As she was looking around, trying to find a distraction, Fire noticed some of their party had wandered off to a table. She left the large purple man's side and made her way over. Plunking into a seat, she folded her arms in almost a pouting fashion.

Unfortunately for her, the peace didn't give her enough time to calm as Dor'gen made his way over to the table shortly after her. He began introducing her to the people at the table and she smiled at them, until a man walked over pulling a chair out, the legs screeching against the floor. Deciding this was a good out for her to sneak away.

Standing up abruptly, pushing her chair out, she made her way back over to where the cider was being kept. She downed her drink quickly, burning the back of her throat, as she tried to drink off the jealousy. She filled her cup up, and tipped it back, drinking another half of the glass. Her stomach warmed and she felt the liquid fire making it's way from her mouth to fueling the warmth in her belly.

She watched over her cup as a rather cute couple, a dark eyed woman and a man that was as tall as Fire walked past, she could tell they were clearly only seeing each other, that none of the party mattered.

Finally after a few ticks, the strong feeling subsiding, she decided to fill her cup back up and make her way back to the table. She didn't want to be the problem of the party. Sitting back in her chair, she continued sipping the cider and watching the conversation around her.


OOC InfoWord Count = 572
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[Lianel Lighthand Terras]

The Konti woman smiled at S'Essy's easy going attitude at her lack of understanding of Kontinese, watching the display of dominance over the human male with much amusement. She finished the last of her cider with a long easy swig, picking up a few bits of fruit and inspecting each one individually before placing it into her mouth. Strange how the more she drank the less she wanted to eat. Oh how the liquor flowed...

There was something deeply pleasing about drawing color to the purple Akalak's features, her eyes absorbing that and his grip on his mug of cider. She needed a re-fill on one of those, or the ale...based on that gentlemen mistaking her for his Konti companion. To Dor'gen's compliment on the color purple suiting her, Nitai bent her legs in a little curtsy, eyes glancing up through a few stray white blonde curls that fell over her face, sweeping them out of the way as he and his purple clad companion moved with S'Essy and Kvist, the woman moving off to get another drink.

Nitai stood, tapping her foot absentmindedly to the beat of the music, then glancing at her rather silent and taciturn cloaked companion, a playfully evil smile spreading across her lips and revealing a bright smile.

"Don't you dare move, Varan." She said, a finger pointed a bit menacingly at him. If he was wise, he would probably do well to leave, as it was, assuming that he would adhere to her instruction through her mystical ladylike charms, Nitai sauntered off to a keg, passing the woman she had heard was Firenze on her way back. She flashed her a smile, having been paying too much attention to Dor'gen during their exchange to notice the flare of jealousy, and proceeded to fill her now empty tankard to the brim with ale, spilling a bit before she brought it to her lips and proceeded to sip the concoction on her way back to the slave.

Now fully feeling the effects of the alcohol, color rising to Nitai's cheeks from the heat of the beverage in her hands, she placed the semi-full tankard by Dor'gen's elbow, leaning over him for a moment to whisper. "Mind watching that for me?" She gave him a small smile and a wink, then shifted back and found the cloaked man, still a source of much curiosity for the Konti, and a point of focus in her rising inebriation as well.

"And now, sir? We dance." She wove her arm through his and led him, hopefully willingly, to the space in which a small amount of people were gathering to dance, not so far in fact from the two individuals that she didn't realize had hosted this very party. Even with the very little she knew about 'Varan' she was almost positive he neither knew nor wanted to dance. Nitai herself, was fairly atrocious at the act of dancing, but the sound of a speedy fiddle was calling to the same part of her that was feeling mesmerizing-ly giddy from drink, and whether elegant or not, partner or no, this Konti was going to dance.
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[Pulren Marsh]

It was all so loud out there. Pulren had been on the fence about whether to join the raucous party that Bitz and Web were throwing for most of the evening. Many people would be there and his believed safe haven would be open to every manner of friend and foe. Markus and S'Essy would be out there in there Zeltivan masks. The hostesses would be entertaining. Would Viper make an appearance? The lovely Caela? Would all of his individual gallivanting come to an ugly head? He looked in the mirror he had purchased and watched the sweat drip from his brow.

His chest felt like it was going to cave in from the stress. Chimes became bells as the party became more lively and there were more and more voices. Could he pull off Palaren in this environment? It was much easier to lie and play pretend in one on one situations, but now he had to prove himself in so many ways. To top it all, should he go out there and make a blathering fool of himself dead sober, Gods forbid drunk, then his livelihood and residence at the Quay could very well be destroyed as well. It was maddening, the scenarios that the mind could create.

Pacing back and forth in his room, he felt the dimensions of it closing in on him a tad, his breaths short and rapid. He had to lie down. Doing do, he looked up at the ceiling and did everything in his power to calm down and put his fears out of his mind. He tried to focus on Laviku and the still depths of the ocean. The tranquility came and wrapped him up like a blanket, stealing the anxiety from his chest and lulling him into an easy rest.


-- blink --

The sounds of musicians changing the tempo of the music woke him up. Taking a deep breath, he immediately felt salt stinging his eyes. How had he let the party slip by while he hid in his room? Would it be over now? Swinging his legs over, Pulren rolled his head on his shoulders and stood, quickly going to the basin and splashing his face with cold water.Looking back in the mirror, he did his best to straighten out his clothes, the black linen a little crumpled from sleeping, his hair being pushed and slapped into place where a comb wouldn't work with him, all the while the man grumbling into the image.

"Don't be a fool. Enjoy yourself. You're Palaren Marshall, for petch's sake. Get out there and make it happen!" He stepped back away from the mirror, clearly Pulren looking at older Palaren in the mirror. Palaren looking back with expectancy and saying to him,"You are selling me out there, boy! I do not exist without your handiwork. If I am to prosper, you must swallow your pride and your fear and command the room as I would. Do you understand?!" He vaguely nodded at the mirror, aware of what he was doing, though the Palaren in his mind still hammered away at him. Turning and opening his door, he quickly opened and closed it, fishing out his key for the door that separated private rooms from public spaces.

Once he found himself standing on the other side, he briefly put his forehead against the cool wood, the sounds of fun and laughter echoing through the other side. "You're Palaren Marshall, motherpetcher. Grow that pair you fancy and be him." The words were whispered to himself as the key slid into the lock. The final door opened and he passed through it, closing and locking the door back behind him. There was quite a scene unfolding and many guests there. As he had suspected, Web and Bitz were hosting and doing a fantastic job of it , as expected. His eyes turned to Viper and then Caela. The soulless woman could be seen as well, though she didn't seem so unhappy as a soulless woman should be.

Straightening himself and standing, one more time the words cracked through his head in that same gruff voice. "Palaren Marshall, motherpetcher. Don't forget it."

[Toan Onox]

With the big purlpe (ish?) brute right across the table Toan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, sudden interest found in the big guy as he'd never actually met somebody who turned out be his size... nor a different color for that matter. "Interestin," He waved a hand with the combination of a shrug, "I'd assume them t' be quite the popular ones, hosting a glorious feast such as this." His use of hand gestures never quite ended in the stupor he held onto, his attention spanned from the jolly purple giant to the woman that in turn decided to address him not a moment afterwards. "Nato, at your service!" He enthused as he laid the mug down between him and the blonde, he found it humorous she looked rather interested in the cider he'd brought along.

Caela, what a nice name that is. He nodded in thought as his chin remained planted on the end of his palm, eyes of wonder found on Caela as she proceeded to introduce the rest. "Purple is a popular theme we have then." He mused with a quick smirk to follow, his other hand quick to nudge the mug closer to Caela. "Something tells me you're in a mood to drink." He then glanced around to the others with a bit of enthusiasm in his eyes, his hands moved about to once side of his waist as he patted it down, only to move along to the other side and find what he wanted wasn't with him at all. "Bugger! It seems I let it with my good friend." He glanced over his shoulders from the area where he came from, the spot now empty as his bondmate Ven no longer looked to be over there. His sketchbook no doubt looked to be gone as well, no doubt the young Kelvic took it with him for safe keeping since Toan stumbled off so frantically.

"Well now this is rather embarrassing, let it be said though I've got an absent mind. Perhaps another time then," He twisted around to give the large man named Dor'gen as grin, "unless of course I find him or he finds me before the nights over. Oh right, I'm an artist good sir. And you definitely would be somethin I would love to draw." He pointed at Dor'gen with a bit of a cheer, another twist around as he looked for another serving girl with more spirits. None seemed present at the time, but alas he needn't drink anymore as of now, still that didn't keep him from pretending such was the case. "Well now, if only drinks were within reach. Never let it be said you can't enjoy one to many, a sip may lead to another sip, and by that next sip you already find your mug empty!" He humored the group as he hoped to provide a bit of entertainment to the lot, he definitely felt like a fish out of water at this point even if he'd been boozed down enough. "So how's everybody enjoyin' themselves?" He questioned with the intent to engage in their conversation, he would then recede to a more quite and observant demeanor as he listened to everyone closely.

[Victus]

Victus (oops, sorry, "Varan") had never had so many people speak to him without cursing, threatening or cajoling in his life. Often it wasn't more than a few words, but they... noticed him. They smiled and nodded his way, acknowledged his presence without a sneer or the grey, bored look he'd become used to. Oh, just a slave. Not important. Ignore it. There were a couple of breathtaking blondes who seemed more like princesses from the healer's old stories than the females Varan had seen in Sunberth. Poised and proportioned and mingling without care. A sinewy brunette that moved like a snake wound through the crowd, strange slitted eyes making Varan frown. A behemoth of a male with purple skin, the sight of whom bought harsh memories crashing back to the forefront of Victus' mind. It was like the return of his old instructor, Tarak, the mute Akalak who'd battered and beat him into a killer with his fists. But even Tarak was a child compared to the sheer size of this one, wading through the crowd like an adult through a kindergarten class. A few males were equally adept at carousing, too. Victus frowned in his hood. Hmm. He'd always assumed females had the edge in that area. They seemed to project an air of ease and welcome, at least the ones here did. There were no hard, calculating stares from them; no suspicious looks over him and his shrouded form. He was expecting that from the men, and... no. The same strange, unilateral acceptance. Victus nodded eagerly at Nitai's command, utterly missing the humor behind her tone. Slaves, after all, were used to it, and learned young not to examine their orders too closely. The purple monster walked off with her, impossibly huge compared to the waif, and Victus watched on... Acceptance. That was the word he'd been searching for. Laughing, joking, drinking, singing examples of humanity (and a few other races) surrounded him, and he did not feel the urge to flee or hide. There was no danger in them. Despite a lifetime of paranoia and pain, Victus couldn't see them suddenly attacking him, informing on him... they were in too good of spirits. Won't last forever, his ever-present instincts warmed him, as he finally agreed to a mug of spiced ale, so enjoy it while you can... but do not linger. Victus nodded firmly, hood bobbing to everyone as he did so. From within it his harsh features relaxed, small and bemused smile on his lips as he watched the woman Nitai and her hulking escort whirl and shudder on the makeshift dance floor. Others joined them, and Victus sipped from the mug and the sights both. The slave breathed in, savoring the smell of roasting meat and smoky flames and a whole constellation of perfumes and colognes... and the brands on his skin didn't seem to prick at him. No shit or sweat, coppery blood or damp, dank dust in some cellar. He didn't feel the need to badger or question or natter, but no-one was demanding similar from him, either. Even silent and brooding and watching, he scared and chilled nobody. He was just... another plate at the table. Equal to all. Such a strange thing to think. Victus, as he had been known for most of his life, reclined in his seat, and enjoyed himself without having to hurt anyone... and then she came along and bloody wrecked it! "And now, sir? We dance." "S-uh?! Catching him, unaware, Nitai snaked a soft but quite insistent arm under his own and suddenly Victus was on his feet. They didn't listen to him for a moment, probably matching his surprised expression, but soon they were stumbling behind the blithe girl as she headed to- "N-No!"

[Eleazar Victor Syroin]

He was late. He was really petching late. Shyke. Why of all days was he late? For the last few days now the entire town had been buzzing with new of a party at the quay. It was going to be a big event with free food and booze, music provided and so on. Not too surprisingly with the threat of possible starvation still on the majority of people's minds, a large turn-out was expected. The opportunities for the thief couldn't have been better, a free meal along with plenty of drunks to pickpocket and a large crowd to cover his tracks. The only downside would be that most people wouldn't have bothered to bring any money given the nature of the event. Oh well, nobody was going to turn up to a party without looking their best, so he wouldn't be heading home totally empty handed. That's if he got there before the food disappear or a brawl was started. Stopping for a breather once he hit the dockside area, Eleazar subconsciously tugged at the collar of his shirt uncomfortably. With his recent deal with Caela putting him in a more financially stable situation, he had decided to buy a new set of clothes for the party. It wasn't anything fancy, just a simple blue tunic, a pair of boots and some black trousers but it was less likely to stand out than the tatters of clothing her normally wore. His old time beaten coat had been kept but at least the majority of the mud had been washed off it for the occasion. To add to his slightly less mangy appearance Eleazar had also taken the time, a whole three bells of scrubbing, to wash himself clean. The feeling of wandering around with his skin bare of a protective layer of muck was odd to say the least. Finally reaching the Quay, he didn't even pause to look about beyond locating where the food was. Free food first, pickpocketing later. Helping himself greedily to large portions of the meat before towering up his plate with what else was available, the teen grabbed a tankard of cider before looking about for somewhere to sit. The place was packed as had been expected. Dancers twirled off at one end and a huge purple giant of a man towered over the crowd. Scanning the tables for spaces, the sharp contrast of blonde and red instantly drew his eyes to a familiar face. There, surprisingly next to two other recognisable faces, was Caela being beautiful, charming and the centre of attention; just as she normally was. Unlike she normally was, she appeared to be a bit tipsy of her cider, a drunk Caela would probably be amusing to watch thought the thief with a grin. Mind made up, Eleazar carefully made his way over to table she sat at. Avoiding spilling his food whilst traversing the crowd, an odd trio greeted him when he arrived. Obviously there was Caela but there was also Calyn's look-a-like from a season and a bit back, along with Lion from the raid earlier in the season. Taking one of the available spaces, he gave a polite smile to a three before setting about eating his meal. To those that weren't paying that much attention to him it would appear that portions of his food would just vanish. Those that were, would be honoured with the sight of him wolfing it down like someone would take it away from him any chime now. Pausing to breathe, more elegant sips of his drink were taken before he decided to make small talk. “'Ello Ghostie, Caela and Lion, was it? Enjoying 'e party 'us far?” ReceiptDyed, linen tunic = 7 SM & 5 CM High, leather boots = 1GM Wool (medium), dyed, trousers = 1GM & 8SM 4oz bar of Soap = 6SM Total = 4GM & 1SM & 5CM to be subtracted from Ledger

[Tara Kenja]

Behind the doors of the docks was the frantic Kelvic. Leaning against the stone building she gently placed her dress on the ground as though it was the most important thing to she had purchased. She out of view from the party, and took the opportunity to change her attire. Stripping, Tara folded her normal clothing and threw them on the ground as though they were trash. The sound of crashing waves filled her ears.

Was she late? Was she early?

This was her first party ever that did not consist of her waiting on lazy citizens of Kenash. She didn't know what it was like to be invited to a party let alone get invited by two handsome men. Both more than physically fit for her taste. There was nothing that would make her want to decline Markus and Dor'gen's invites. Hopping, Tara began to make her way back to the noise. After struggling into her brand new she started combing down her unruly curls.

Which was virtually impossible. The golden and brown highlighted locks bounced on her shoulders upon movement. Constantly she pulled the strands back behind her ear though they always came forward. Following the influx of people she stuck to the back. Assuming whoever came in first was more important, well that's how she was treated in Kenash. Everything was so foreign to her. She felt out of line.

Eyes turned to see who was now arriving in the Quay. It was as though the necklace around her turned into a collar. It was strange, these eyes did not burn in her skin but yet the flustered her cheeks. Turning them a gentle pink. For a tick she looked down at her own sandals as though there was something interesting on the floor. Her soft small hands smoothed out the few crinkles in her purple dress.

The bow tied tightly around her body brought it all together. Her exposed arms had a few oncoming bumps, triggered by the excitement and thrill she gathered from going to a simple party. Tara's necklace was laid perfectly atop of her chest, the white bird stud out against dark lavender fabric. Now that she was certain that her presence was welcome, her walk changed. Now Tara's shoulders were high and her movements appeared feline-like.

Ambling through the crowd she was looking for one hard to miss Akalak. There was a silly smile on her lips as she finally caught a glimpse of Dor'gen. Tara tried to move as relaxed and calmly as possibly but all Tara wanted to do is bound forward and hang on him. But he wasn't looking for her. It didn't take long for her smile to play down. Following his gaze she found it on another woman.

Typical.

Thoughts ran through her head. She was probably prettier than her, could afford expensive clothing, and had a nicer body than her. The possibilities that ran through her head were limitless. A man came to her and offered a drink, she turned him down. What was she going to do to get the attention she desired? Than an idea clicked in her head.

It wasn't a full proof plan but it have to work. It would only her a chime to get next to him. Unannounced, she sat down softly in his lap. It was most certainly the boldest act she had ever done to peruse romantic emotions. Of course everyone was so busy, who would notice a woman sitting in a purple skinned giant.. Tara acted as though it was nothing.

Her smile was genuine, her voice rolled off as sweet as sugar. "What do you think about my dress?" Looking away from Dor'gen for a chime she looked down at her lap and smoothed out the invisible creases.

ReceiptDress, - 8 sms

[Dor'gen]

Quite literally, as the words formed and fell from the Akalak's lips, a screen nearly derailed his dialogue. Whilst in the middle of addressing the newcomer to their midst, Dor'gen watched from his peripheral vision as his companion scooched her chair back. The movement was quite...sudden...and was characterized by an urgency of sorts? "Perhaps she has to relieve herself?" he asked himself, fully expecting no response. However, there were times when the "darker" sibling within him could not hold his tongue. Being the more observent of the two by far, Goa picked up on that which was utterly lost on his sibling. "Aye. To relieve herself of the tower of ignorance that is Dor'gen." came his curt reply.

There was then a disapproving tut which echoed throughout the corners of the Akalak's psyche.

"By Akajia's perky tits, what's crawled up your arse this time?" came Dor'gen's response. Although subtle, his eyebrows could not help but furrow; for this was not exactly the sort of conversation he anticipated having tonight. "Are you really that daft? Or was your cider laced with a heaping dose of stupid?" Goa spat, practically seething. To this, Dor'gen rolled his eyes. He was not...not...about to have an argument with himself in the middle of a party. "I'm not doing this with you. Either spit it out or shut the Hai put." he said, folding his arms "casually." There was a pause on Goa's part, which Dor'gen knew to interpret as the calm before the impending storm.

Yet, before the darker sibling could begin to fill Dor'gen's mind with his "explanation", the source of the Akalak's flustered behavior sauntered over. With a grace that put all others to shame, she approached the table with tankard in hand. She greeted Dor'gen with a wink...which seriously did not help the blushing problem...before making a simple request of him. "Absolutely." he said...which only resulted in a scoff of frustration on Goa's part. "Oh. My. Petching. Gods." he groaned. "Now you're the glorified babysitter for a tankard of cider. Congratulations!" Dor'gen simply held his "composure" until Nitai had saunted off once more before allowing his brow to knit once more.

"I didn't know watching a drink was a crime." he said, defiantly. "Let me spell it out for you, shyke-for-brains." came the vicious retort. "For one, who's babysitting the drink and who's dancing with Nitai, hmm?" This was quite the compelling argument, one that inspired the Akalak to take a gander at the "dance floor." Sure enough, there was the beacon that had drawn his attention...placing her attention on another man. To see that manifested what felt like a ball of pure ice in the pit of the Akalak's stomach. Oh, and that's just the tip of the spear." said Goa, clearly indicating that this wasn't the root of the problem.

"You invited two people here tonight, Firenze and Tara. Do you know how petching delighted they were when you told them about tonight, hmm? Hell, do you see the dress Firenze bought? She didn't get it for her health you idiot. She got it for you; to impress you. Yet you're going gaga for a woman who sees you as a babysitter for her beverage?!" he began, fuming so much that Dor'gen imagined him foaming at the mouth. "Quit blushing like a teenage girl and put your attention where it belongs dammit!" Dor'gen had to admit, he was severely surprised by the outbursts of his sibling. After all, it was rare to see the "vulnerable, intellectual Goa" get riled up over anything.

But, he had to admit...he had a point.

Drawing a calming breath, the Akalak took a moment to reach for his cider before indulging in a sip. The act was more about giving himself a few ticks to process what Goa had said than simply sating one's thirst. After a few swigs, he set the tankard back down upon the table...and reached out his offhand. Setting it upon Firenze's lap, he offered a warm smile and said. "By the way, you look beautiful tonight. That dress suits you so well." Dor'gen would have said more, and actually opened his mouth to do so. Yet before he could so much as utter a single syllable, he found his lap invaded by the presence of another. From where he sat, there was but a blur of purple and bouncy curls; before a voice gave it all away.

Tara had arrived.

Now, what strange timing was this? A question about her dress the second he had complimented Firenze? Was this Lhex's idea of a joke?! Regardless, the Akalak allowed his eyes to travel up and down the Kelvic's form, taking a moment to appreciate how she had "dolled" herself up for the evening. To say the very least, she looked beautiful. In fact, Dor'gen had to admit...he was sitting beside two of the most beautiful women in the room. "Finally getting your priorities straight..." grumbled Goa at this train of thought. "Must you? Must you?!" came Dor'gen's response, before he got his shyke together once more. "Tara, that dress looks amazing on you!" he said, beaming.

For the most part, the argument between he and his inner self had resulted in his not hearing much of what the intruder had to say...not that it bothered the Akalak much. Turning his head ever so slightly, he caught bits and pieces whilst his dominant hand came to rest upon Tara's lap. Something about...a misplace notebook? Drawing? Him!? "I'd rather not be immortalized on paper." he growled, before relaxing in his seat a bit. "But...I will say, I'm having a great time. How's about yourself, stranger?"

Word Count957
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[Victus]

Victus had seen dancing before, but never attempted it. To his eyes the movements were a strange, pacifistic imitation of combat: two beings writhing and jerking and twirling around each other but never quite managing to land a blow.

It occurred to him that there was a... romantic angle, to such frivolities, but the cage fighter didn't allow that possibility to creep into his mind. That was a locked door and he would not open it again. Bad things happened when he did.

But Nitai was going to damn, by the gods, and he was along for the ride. The bloodied gladiator looked more like a startled puppy within his hood, knowing he made a strange sight on a dance floor filled with people wearing their smiles and ruddy, happy faces for all to see. But he would not lower it.

Then she turned to him with a smile that could have lit the darkness of the oceans. Warm and more than a little tipsy (he wasn't that blind), she nonetheless exuded a buzzing excitement that was as infectious as black pox. The breakneck strings warbled around them and he found his heart beating in time with them, rhythm pulsing down to his feet and... gods, suddenly he was eager to join their dance.

Victus found a flickering smile answer her and he held out his stiff arms like a tailor's mannequin, waiting for her to direct him.

If she knows. Well, of course she knows. One of us has to... right?