[center][h3]Slow Dancing & Confusion[/h3][/center] The sound of slow, deliberating steps were drowned out by the music and sounds of the party. Its owner would be unrecognizable to those that were familiar with her, because, for the first time in her life . . . [color=a187be]"Is this truly necessary, Heather?"[/color] Meruin was dressed in clothes that actually took effort to wear, and actually looked good wearing it. Moreover, she had make up on - thanks to her protests, the amount applied was minimized, but it was still a completely new thing for her. She even had perfume on. Heather was the one that insisted on all of these things, and in fact, insisted that she attend the party in the first place. Thankfully, despite all the things she insisted on, she had at least compromised to do things at Meruin's pace. [i]"Yeees, it is. Trust me, if those two dashing cuties you met at the library are here, it'll be worth it!"[/i] said Heather, giving a metaphysical thumbs up. Meruin, in response, shot her a flat look. [color=a187be]"And if they aren't here?"[/color] [i]". . ."[/i] [color=a187be]"Well?"[/color] [i]"Nevermind the specifics Merry! What's important is that you have fun!"[/i] The tiny mage groaned, and placed a hand to her face. Heather was great at social cues and reading people, but Meruin never, ever counted on her to be thorough with her plans. She had Scipio for that. Sighing, Meruin relented and made her way fully inside. Once there, the songs and voices of the people were drowned out by her own thoughts. [color=a187be][i]"So he really is an Oni, and for that matter, that woman he was fighting,"[/i][/color] her lips curved into a small smile, [color=a187be][i]"a dragon, or at least a relative to one. It's almost too good to be true."[/i][/color] She was able to witness that titanic battle between that now confirmed Oni and another woman. Their exchange of fists made it possible for her to observe their fight only through seals she had left in place. Saying that getting close would be hazardous to her health was an understatement. That was three out of four possible blood samples. Honestly, all that was left was a phoenix, and though Meruin scarcely dared to hope that her luck could run her by four times, she also couldn't help but feel that it was actually [i]possible[/i]. She knew not where the dragon came from, but it appeared that the Headmistress knew her. If she was harboring a dragon, then for all Meruin knew she could also be hiding a phoenix! Meruin was so into her own thoughts that she nearly bumped into someone - however, getting lost in her thoughts and not watching where she was going has taught her body how to stop on a dime. The moment her eyes were aware of the person in front of her, Meruin's feet ground to a halt. [i]"KYAAAAAAAAAAA!"[/i] Visibly flinching, Meruin tuned out Heathers empassioned shriek in favor of looking at the person in front of her. [color=a187be]"Good evening Swen."[/color] The nobleman blinked, golem in tow, as he nearly ran into the woman that he had encountered two days before. He quickly blushed, and for a moment lost composure. [color=gray]"Good ... good evening, Lady Hazy."[/color] A slight bow was offered for his attempted date that stood before him. She had obviously dressed up for the occasion. And she was gorgeous to his eyes. He took a quick look over his shouler, and after making sure the demon prince wasn't following him. [color=gray]"My lady, last time there were doubts about my heritage."[/color] The magierprinz pulled out a necklace with the seal of his house upon it, along with the lesser tome of Zaberbuch. A letter appeared in his hand as well, which he offered. [color=gray]"The seal and lesser tome of house Zaberbuch. Along with a letter providing evidence for my claim from my mother."[/color] Meruin stared. So he actually considered her words about providing evidence, and apparently had the means to actually do so. That was . . . surprisingly ernest. More surpisngly was that he actually decided to talk her again. She took one look at the necklace and read through the letter. Again, it was genuine. Faking a noble house's seal and signature was only done by the cleverest of crooks or the most suicidal ones. Swen looked like neither, so the most likely option was . . . that he was not lying. Any evidence that could be reasonably requested from him had been provided. Now onto further buisness. [color=gray]"I understand you denied my hand last time I asked for you here, but ... could I have your hand for at least a song?"[/color] Once again, she had been asked to be his partner for the night. Why her though? What was it that he thought he could get out of her that he didn't already have -- okay, foolish question, Meruin could easily pick a few things she knew she had and he didn't, her research notes for one, but she doubted that he'd be interested in those. Further deliberation was cut-off as Heather once again interrupted. [i]"Go for it Merry!"[/i] It seemed, no matter what, Heather was determined that she see it through with the Magierprinz. Her intentions, much like Swen's, mystified her, but she learned over the years to trust in the spirits she contracted. Besides, it wasn't as if she was trying to have her court him, so what was the worst that could happen? Shrugging her shoulders, she gave an impassive, [color=a187be]"If you wish."[/color] She wondered what to do next . . . normally, this would be the time for someone to hold out their hand for a dance. Was it supposed to be her or Swen? Swen answered that question, extending his hand graciously for his newfound interest. [color=gray]"It would be my honor to do so."[/color] Internally, the nobleman was jumping up and down giddily, and it showed with a smile on his face. There was no reaction from Heather this time, but Meruin could feel her excitment. Taking the boys hand in her own, Meruin nodded. She guessed the most polite thing to say would be, [color=a187be]"As it is mine."[/color] And with that, the dance was underway. The golem followed Swen and Meruin to the dance floor. When the two started dancing Ritter cocked his to the left, wondering what they were doing. Then the golem grabbed the person nearest to it and started copying its master. Ritter was not holding back any of its strength or rather it was incapable of doing so. It tried to dance but was failing at it, very much so that it was knocking into others on the dance floor. Swen started their movements to the slow music with a comfortable but not awkwardly distance gap between them. As a nobleman, he had lived a life tailored to banquets and balls, so he had practice in this regard. Although before this it had mostly been practice with relatives. Right now, beauty stood before him. Normally, he would have told his golem to stop harassing the poor man, but there were others here to take care of that ... ... right now, he allowed himself to be distracted. [color=gray]"Are you comfortable, Lady Hazy?"[/color] He would adjust his movements to her if neccessary. Meruin closed her eyes. Despite that, she still managed to keep pace with Swen. In response, she said, [color=a187be]"Yes I am. I'm not surprised though. I'm sure you've done this before."[/color] Another step, and another small silence. [color=a187be]"Still, you seem awkward. Am I doing something wrong?"[/color] Meruin noticed that his movements had a wary air to them, as though he were nervous around her. She hated to think that she was doing something wrong, especially since she had been rather confident in her dancing skills. The boy's cheeks flushed and he looked away slightly. [color=gray]"Of ... of course not!"[/color] She wasn't doing anything wrong! After a few seconds, he turned back to face the girl, unconciously drawing her in close. [color=gray]"I'm simply wondering what brings a Lady like yourself to Montagne. It can be a little ... crazy around here sometimes."[/color] That was a good way to start a conversation and get closer. Hopefully she didn't consider that an insult ... [color=gray]"Bu- but it's been worth it for me!"[/color] He was honestly enjoying himself, and anyone with any sense of social cues would be able to tell. Oh, good. Witholding a sigh of relief -- sighing while dancing was an insult to the practice -- Meruin could tell that he wasn't lying when he said so. In fact, she had a vague suspicion that he was having fun dancing with her. Strange. Meanwhile, Heather was panting heavily in the background of her head, and she resolved to both ignore her, and then later interrogate her for her reasons on insiting to this meeting. Not to say that it hasn't been interesting, but so far, she had yet to see a tangible benefit for her. [color=a187be]"It's a relief to hear that," she at least admitted, [color=a187be]"I dislike poor preformance, in myself above all others."[/color] [color=a187be]"As for why I am here? I suppose . . ."[/color] Meruin struggled for a way to explain her circumstances. She had never needed to before, and found that now that she had to, she couldn't. How could she explain her ambitions to someone in a way that didn't sound childish? How could she avoid looking desperate, though she knew her methods were oftentimes extreme? Swen listened attentively, but saw how the girl was clearly uncomfortable. [color=gray]"If you don't wish to inform me, that is fine."[/color] The nobleman gave Meriun a reassuring smile. Meruin shook her head. [color=a187be]"It's not that I don't wish, it's that I don't know how. You are the first to ask me why I am here, and I don't know how to respond."[/color] And that was the bare-bones of it. In the meanwhile, Heather was practically salivating from the events that played out before her. This was just too good, and she knew she would never regret having persuaded Meruin to push through with this! Returning to Meruin, she found that she did not like being unable to explain herself. It was such a simple question, and yet somehow she had found herself overcomplicating the answers forming in her head. She, who prided herself on her ability to analyze and dissect logic and reason, was having trouble explaining her own circumstances. No, wait, this was wrong. She [i]should[/i] have been able to do so. It wasn't complicated, so why was-? Meruin abruptly stopped dancing, her eyes glassing over. Swen prepared for a response from her, but as Meriun's feet countinued to move in silence the magierprinz wondered if her past was ... complicated. When his lady's feet stopped, the prince looked into her face again and noticed the eyes of someone staring off into a bleak distance that wasn't there. He gently pulled her out of the way of the other dancers, looking for a nearby chair for her to sit in. There wasn't one nearby, so it would probably be a good idea to check and see if she was alright for now. [color=gray]"Miss Meriun, are you feeling alright?"[/color] A clearly concerned look landed upon her face as he examined her for signs of sudden illness. The back of his right hand pressed against her forehead, seeking to see if she was too hot or too cold. She shook her head, not in response to his question, but as if she were in denial. There was something wrong. Something very wrong. [color=a187be]"Why can't I think?"[/color] she mumbled. Slowly, she let go of Swen, and a hand reached up to her forehead, her hand over his, her thoughts swimming. [color=a187be]"I can't think of a reason why I'm here. Why?"[/color] This wasn't normal. No, it couldn't be. There was something stopping her. Ritter stopped 'dancing' and looked around when it noticed Swen was no longer dancing. The golem immediately went over to his master after spotting him. It watched Swen touch Meruin's forehead and then she touched her forehead as well. The golem decided it was best to do the same since everybody was doing it. Ritter reached out and somewhat forcefully poked Meruin on the forehead. The small mage was cut from her intense introspection as the huge stone finger prodded her forehead. Giving a small yelp of surprise, Meruin jerked bacwkards. Unfortunately, due to Swen's hand being underneath her own, she instinctively grabbed it and the sudden loss of balance for the both of them resulted in the obvious. By the time she regained her bearings, she realized that she had fallen to the ground, with Swen on top of her. [color=a187be]"Oh."[/color] There were some things that were awesome about having a golem as your contractual bodyguard. This was one of them. An hour from now, thoughts about how he could have used this situation would enter any fourteen year old's mind. For now though, embaressment filled him and he realized this was not a noble thing to be doing. And everyone was looking. First problem first. The nobleman rotated his head, looking towards Ritter. [color=gray]"Go ... go bother them!"[/color] That would be enough to get rid of the stone object ... to remove any source of confusion, the magierprinz pointed in the direction of a pink haired demon before turned back towards his date. The nobleman's face had gone tomato. Swen spoke in an undignified high pitched voice, concerned for the girl's safety and wanting to die on the spot. [color=gray]"Are ... Are you okay!?"[/color] He hadn't moved yet. Meruin noticed that he hadn't moved yet. So she asked him if he could move. [color=a187be]"Could you . . . please . . . move?"[/color] She was a little short of breath -- Swen was a lot heavier than she was, after all -- so her voice came in small, airy pants . . . Right next to his ear. And then there was Heather, who was torn between shrieking and cheering as loud as she could, or just staring numbly at the heart-pounding spectacle that was playing before her. In the end, she decided to just enjoy the moment. Swen felt as if his heart was prepared to fall out of his chest. The urge to kiss this woman suddenly raged within him. What was this ...? Whatever it was, embarressment won out quickly and the nobleman stood up, taking a step back. The magierprinz considered running at that point, and extended a chivalric hand to help Lady Hazy up. [color=gray]"Appologies. My familiar has only been around for a day and doesn't understand society."[/color] Getting to her feet, the small mage gave an understanding nod. So the golem was his familiar. Ritter looked at Swen and tilted its head to the right. The golem straightened its head and brought its index finger on its right hand to the right temple area. It proceeded to grind its finger against its head as it thought what Swen’s order meant, like it had observed others do. The golem abruptly stopped its scratching after it understood his master’s order. Ritter turned towards where Swen had pointed and ran in that direction. Since the golem was slower anybody could jump out of its way with relative ease, which some had to do. Swen turned around to watch the rock sprint off, [color=gray][i]I should give it more specific commands in the future ...[/i][/color] For now though, there was a lady to attend to. And to get away from the stares ... and possibly that golem getting them into trouble. He offered her a hand. [color=gray]"Would you prefer to return to the floor, or perhaps go acquire refreshments?"[/color] If at this point she said "let's go study" he'd be perfectly happy to. But apparently, the headmistress was approaching. Livia quietly approached Swen, a small smile painted on her face as she approached. He was definitely nobility from the look of him. His name alone just screamed of the pompous arrogance and self-importance that most nobles had. As much as she’d love to just kick him out of her academy, such a thing was probably not a good idea. She would deal with this gently for now. Chen followed her at a distance and waved at Swen with a vicious smile. It felt so [b]SO[/b] good to win. He then smoothly moved to the left slightly, to reveal Swen's golem on the floor on top of the remains of a broken table. [color=662d91]“Swen Zauberbuch, I presume? Livia Fiore, headmistress, though I doubt I need an introduction.”[/color] She introduced herself with a small nod towards the boy. [color=662d91]“Perhaps…may you tell me where your golem is?”[/color] The nobleman lowered his hand that had been extended towards Meriun as the headmistress began to question him. Chen was behind the headmistress, waving. There was no way this could be good. Despite his efforts to stay calm, the heir was obviously flustered. Maintain protocol. A slight bow towards the headmistress. [color=gray]"I ... I am indeed Swen Zaberbuch. And my golem is ..."[/color] What had he said before? Go bother a table? Where was that table located? A nine and a half foot tall boulder should be easy to spot ... but Swen saw no such figure looming above the crowd. [color=gray]"... he is ..."[/color] It took him some time, but looking to Chen's right revealed his golem. On the ground. On top of a small pile of rubble. Oops. He looked towards Meriun for a second, giving a nervous smile before stepping away from her to dissassociate the lady from the situation. The nobleman knew that if he needed to find her later, he could. [color=gray]"... Ritter is on the ground ... on top of a ... broken table ..."[/color] He gulped. There was no way he was walking out of this one. The fourteen year old's eyes went downwards, facing the floor. His dance was ruined, and he was probably going to be in serious trouble for not only destroying school property on the fourth day of his arrival, but also for having that occur at a formal event. A noble was taught to respect authority. He had forgotten to do that for his heart being distracted. [color=gray]"... I'll ... collect my golem ... and ...?"[/color] And what? The fourteen year old's voice choked up slighty as he finished speaking, making it obvious he was not proud of this situation. Meanwhile Chen was desperately trying not to burst out laughing and maintain a serious expression, trying to appear as if he was disappointed in Swen. He failed miserably as he began laughing his ass off in the background. At which Swen shot a glance, before looking towards the floor again. Prince Greed was succeeding at his efforts of pettiness, for sure. Livia offered a small, serious frown to Swen. [color=662d91]“Hmm…destroying school property is not exactly a smiled upon activity.”[/color] Livia sternly replied. [color=662d91]“Even tonight during the party where I allow some...leeway with activities.”[/color] She cast a glance towards the laughing student. Judging from his laughing, he had wanted this outcome for something. His entire attitude was rather obvious he had something up his sleeve. Well, unfortunately for him she was going to not be as hard on Swen as he might have liked, and she wasn’t so easily manipulated. She turned her attention immediately back to Swen though, and offered him a small smile. [color=662d91]“Especially that golem…really, bringing such a thing to the party was a bad idea in itself.”[/color] As Livia spoke, a bottle of red wine that was sitting on a server’s platter near Chen uncorked itself. [color=662d91]“Especially so since you cannot seem to control it well.”[/color] The bottle was positioned right over Chen’s head, floating silently. Ominously. [color=662d91]“But…well, everyone makes mistakes, no?”[/color] She quietly spoke offering a small wink to Swen. [color=662d91]“And I can think of another little student who deserves a bit of a lesson than you, hmm?”[/color] The bottle of wine emptied its contents right onto Chen. The laughter stopped almost immediately as wine poured all over Chen. He quickly looked around to see who had done that and saw nobody nearby. [color=crimson]"God damnit, this is not a good follow up to being thrown into a chandelier."[/color] Chen sighed as he mumbled this to himself, but quickly got over it. He wasn't a big fan of these clothes anyways. He then continued to laugh, this time at his own misfortune, sputtering incoherently about ruining monkey suits and chandeliers. Chen wiped a tear from his eye and walked over to Swen and Livia. [color=crimson]"I'm done messing with you. Karma seems to like you a bit too much for my liking.[/color] He chuckled a bit as he said the second part. [color=crimson]"See ya later Zauberbuch. And try heeding my advice next time huh? Might prevent something like that." Chen pointed towards Ritter quickly and walked away, whistling a merry tune. Or trying to anyways. He approached Meruin, still soaked in wine, and smiled. [color=crimson]"How ya doing Ms. Hazy? Enjoying the dance?"[/color] Swen looked back and forth between Chen and the Headmistress, trying to decide which to take care of first. Meruin watched with stoic silence at the scene playing in front of her. One minute, she was near breaking down from a sudden and disturbing revelation, the next, well, she found that suddenly she didn't care all that much anymore. Were parties always this chaotic or was it just this one in particular? Well, at least it relaxed her somewhat. As the Headmistress talked to Swen, Meruin listened in on their conversation. Something to do with his golem. She did recall him saying that the golem wasn't used to interacting with people yet, so in hindsight, she questioned why he ordered it using such vague -- and frankly, troubling -- words. Of course, she also concluded that she had a part to blame. Somehow. There was a certain disconnect with how he ordered the golem before and after they had fallen to the ground, though she couldn't identify what that disconnect was. Something about the both of them together on the ground caused Swen to react rashly to situation. What was it? In the background of her mind, Heather was groaning and burying her face in her palms. Turning to Chen, she gave a small nod. [color=a187be]"It's been more enjoyable than I expected,"[/color] she admitted, [color=a187be]"Swen, at least, is a skilled dancer, so that contributed much."[/color] Speaking of which . . . should she help? She had already concluded that part of the blame was hers. So naturally speaking, it should follow that she take some of the punishment. At the same time, Meruin wasn't really looking forward to listening to a sermon from the Headmistress -- in all likelyhood, she probably knew what she was going to say. Livia gave Swen a soft smile. [color=662d91]“I would dislike intruding upon your dance, however I do need you to collect your golem before it causes anymore trouble. It would be quite troublesome for the both of you if it were to accidentally seriously injure someone.”[/color] She looked over to Chen. So that’s probably why he had wanted her to…intervene in this dance of Swens. They were fighting over a girl. Heh. Adorable. Wasn’t her problem, however, and she truly did need to tell Swen to keep a better eye on his golem. Perhaps this would be a good lesson. [color=662d91]“So please, do collect your golem and remove it from the premises or have it wait outside. If any further incidents occur, I will be forced to take disciplinary action and I would dislike doing something on the night of the ball, understand?”[/color] Swen gave a bow. This had honestly turned out very well. [color=gray]"I apologize for my mismanagement, Headmistress, for this is the first day he's been beneath me. I shall go collect him now."[/color] After taking a glance towards Chen's flirting and furrowing his brow, the nobleman started searching for him familiar again. Before he left, Meruin made her decision. It would be rude to let him take all the blame, especially since he took the time to entertain her tonight. [color=a187be]"One moment, Chen,"[/color] she said, before pacing towards the Headmistress. [color=a187be]"Excuse me, Headmistress Livia, I'd like to say I was also somewhat responsible for his Golem going wild like that,"[/color] she said, [color=a187be]"I think Swen was slightly disoriented when he fell on me. That may serve as a reason for his reckless command of his familiar."[/color] Swen's face blushed furiously, hands waving in front of himself to dispel Livia's first thought. Any thought of formal noble action had immedietly parted. Chen watched the interaction and stared at Meruin for a second. [color=crimson][i]'Either shes trying really hard to embarass him or she's genuinely oblivious.'[/i][/color] He then looked at Swen furiously waving his hands and snickered. [color=crimson][i]'That answers that question I guess.'[/i][/color] [color=662d91]“Oh? He fell on you?”[/color] She chuckled, a mischievous glint in her eye as she spoke. [color=662d91]“Getting a bit too familiar on the dance floor isn’t appropriate conduct either, you know. Perhaps you should take this matter back to your dorms, hmm? Or you know, it’s fun to do it elsewhere as well, just make sure you keep the noise to a minimum.”[/color] After a few moments, she continued with a smile. [color=662d91]“Don’t worry, I’m not going to punish either of you. It was an honest mistake and I think I may have embarrassed Swen enough for him to remember this incident.”[/color] Swen thought death would be preferable to this discussion, only managing to stammer out a few words. [color=gray]"Thank ... thank ... headmistress"[/color] It was hard to tell if he was trying to convince himself to formally thank the woman for her mercy, or actually attempting to do so. After a few seconds simply looked towards the floor and headed of to collect Ritter and put him outside. The magierprinz's face was the color of fire. Livia simply chuckled quietly to herself as Swen left. [color=662d91]“Life is short, my precious little student. Most people don’t get second chances, so don’t waste it~”[/color] She quietly said after him, as she watched him collect his Golem. She was going back to the table, when she felt something tugging at her dress. That wasn’t something the Headmistress as felt since Roux was little. She tilted her head down, to see who was trying to get her attention. It was one of Katherine’s dolls. [color=662d91]“Oh, hello little one. Is something wrong?”[/color] The doll kept tugging at Livia's dress, trying to pull her towards where Katherine was. Of course, it wasn't strong enough by itself and had to go about it in another way. It stopped tugging, and ran back a little, making a motion trying to get the woman to follow it. Actually, it couldn't see Katherine anymore, so it did the second best thing by leading the headmistress to where the doll's "corpse" was. A few of the dolls were gathered around, practically mourning their lost comrade. Livia frowned. Something was obviously amiss, but she didn’t know what. Had something happened to Katherine? After excusing herself from conversing with Meruin and Chen, she followed the doll to where it was leading her, and she immediately felt a slight pang of anger. She immediately knew what it was. Something had happened to one of Katherine’s dolls. Chen waited for Meruin to get finished talking with the Headmaster and walked back over to her after their discussion was over. [color=crimson]"Hey, I'm going to go now. I kinda want to change out of these soaked clothes and I'm not much of a dancer anyways. So... yeah. Later."[/color] He then left the ballroom quickly, all the while trying to squeeze any alcohol out of his gloves which he refused to ruin, he didn't care about the rest of the suit, but he actually liked these gloves. Is it illegal to pour alcohol on a minor? He should look that up later. He should also try and find the Headmistress so he could find a place to stay for a bit. [color=a187be]"You might want to bleach those,"[/color] offered Meruin helpfully, watching Chen leave. That was eventful. It took a minute, but Swen returned with a Golem in tow after a short while. Overall, the interaction with Chen, Livia, and his own golem had exhausted him. A gentleman still had his jobs, though. Sure he needed to get Ritter out, but ... he offered an arm to his lady. [color=gray]"Could me and Ritter have the honor of escorting you back to your dwelling? This has been an ... active ... day, and I must retire."[/color] She stared at Swen for a moment, before nodding. [color=a187be]"If you wish,"[/color] she said quietly, [color=a187be]"so . . . are you okay? I apologize for inconveniencing you."[/color] She was referring to flustering him, but that was up to interpretation. Meruin reached and locked her arm with his. Emerald eyes staring into his, she tilted her head. [color=a187be]"Well? Shall we?"[/color] And with that, the pair of them and his bodyguard golem (who had been instructed to follow and NOT copy his actions) walked out into the night. Unless his lady felt a need for conversation, Swen was perfectly content with a satisfied silence of pleasant company. [hr] At the feast table Draél decided to down a blood elixir someone had put there... and he realized whoever had arranged this feast certainly had good taste. Once he realized there was likely only one way out of this trouble he picked up the dagger at the table and slit his palm. He squeezed until the liquid dripped on the ground then slammed his hand down upon it. [color=darkblue]"Infinite power that dwells in this land... listen to my voice and come to my hand... I call upon the power, to smash to tinder, to turn this world to ash and Cinder... Meria, my love... from the fiery depths.. return to me as I summon thy"[/color] he chanted silently. Meria was in her room, putting on a [url=http://www.27dress.com/images/201507/goods_img/102167_P_1436486237860.jpg]dress.[/url] She carefully pulled up the zipper, struggling only a bit. When she had put it on, she glanced into the mirror and turned a bit red, shaking her head as she got ready to take it back off, reaching her arm over to the zipper. It doesn't match me at all... However, there wasn't enough time as she suddenly her intuition kicked in as she realized that she was being summoned. Meria closed her eyes a bit, allowing her to be teleported to her master. Meria looked at Drael with a worried look at first. "What happened?" before she took in her surroundings. She wondered what was wrong that he had to summon her at a ball. Well, she was going to go later but... It was going to be after she had changed. How embarrassing. Draél looked at his familiar as she arrived, then to his palm as the cut faded away. He gave a sigh before giving Meria his full attention and a quite concerned look. [color=steelblue]"Trouble... Seems there's some kind of big event back home, and my father want me to attend for some reason, so he sent two servants to collect me... or my head if needed"[/color] he said giving her the rather short version of what was going on at the moment, of course he preferred if he could avoid it by outlasting the event. However he smiled slightly at Maria's appearance [color=steelblue]"You look good in that dress..."[/color] he said before looking around, he could sense menevolence nearby. [color=steelblue]"Something's nearby... something foul"[/color] he said before he leaped out a nearby window, gently swinging his hand to make it open before he flew outside. Surely he didn't want to fight the headhuntressess if he could avoid it, but he had a feeling that something were about to come for him. And he were right, it was his father standing there not in direct person but rather close to it. He told him that his time in the mortal realm was over, and it was time to return to Oblivion again... This time Draél had a bit of a dificult time saying no, he couldn't fight his own father again and thus he decided to just comply to save this place from yet another dissaster. [color=steelblue]"Fine..."[/color] he said and flew to Meria's side for a second, [color=steelblue]"Sorry, Seems My time is up. I appologize if I've been a bad master to you. I free you of your bond, and as your final command I ask that you do not try to find me, live happy where you wish too... For me as well. Now I must take my place at my fathers side. I Draédelic Falafhmier, The Defiler, relieve you of your contract, and take my leave for my Realm in Oblivion. Good bye"[/color] he said as he vanished in a red fiery smoke dropping but his dices on the ground as he left. [hr] [color=662d91]“Make room.”[/color] Livia commanded to the dolls. The spirit was still lingering in the area, but it was weak and she didn’t have much time. She’d have to hurry. A few words in language of Latin were spoken as Livia knelt next to what was next to the doll. The headmistresses’ eyes glowed a soft blue color as she did so. Most other Sanctus mages probably wouldn’t be able to recall a spirit that was fading as quickly as this one was. But well, she wasn’t most Sanctus mages, was she? She closed her hands around some invisible substance, fingers barely touching the soul of this doll as she poured some of her magic into it, strengthening it so it wouldn’t fade as quickly. Next, she looked for something that she could use to contain the spirit for the moment. The head hadn’t been completely destroyed, so that would have to suffice for now. A force unseen towards the others would pick up the head, and bring it over to Livia as she held onto the soul. A few more words in Latin were said as she gently placed the soul inside of the head. It was only a temporary solution, but she had placed a magic seal on the head for now that would prevent the spirit from escaping. Meredith could probably fix the body, or even give the doll a somewhat better one. But for now, she had to find Katherine. With a sigh, Livia stood as she ceased her spell casting, handing the head of the doll to a few of the other dolls. She took a look around, and found Katherine running off somewhere, likely after the culprit. Unfortunately, as much as Livia would like to see the outcome of this, now wasn’t the time for it. [hr] [color=green]"What's going on down here?"[/color] Katherine asked as she started to lightly push through the group of students. One was poking at something. It looked familiar. A cute little blue dress and blond ha. . . [color=green]"Wait. . . N--"[/color] There was no mistaking it. It was a sight that only she would recognize swiftly. To most, it would be like a toy breaking. But no. Not to Katherine. It was like taking a part of yourself, ripping it out and then crushing it beneath an anvil. Hell, she couldn't even tell what number it was anymore through a pure spiritual bond, a residue of being tethered to the spirits for so long. She didn't even notice when the tears started to roll down her face, only that the were dripping to her hands resting on her knees. Not only the tears, she didn't notice that she was now on the floor. [i]Why? Why did someone have to do this?[/i] She thought to herself. Thoughts kept running through her head. Some wondering how anyone could do this to a cute, little, innocent doll as this one and others wondering who it was exactly. Seventeen saw it did it? [color=green]"Seventeen. Come here darling. It's time to switch out tethers."[/color] Yes, if she could link with Seventeen, it could tell her just who did it and point her in the direction. [color=green]"I apologize Six. But we must part our link for now. I promise we'll rejoin later."[/color] Now she could easily tell who did it. [color=green]"My, my. I remember seeing him earlier."[/color] She could only laugh. Maniacally. Crazy enough to make others near her back up, not wanting to get on her bad side. Now she had her target. A poor, pathetic excuse of a man, no? Harming innocent children? Who in good conciousness could destroy an example of art? Someone without the good grace of anything. Someone who wasn't even worth saving. No, not even a person at this point. An animal. And animals were killed all the time. For food, safety and other things. She was trembling though what caused it was mystery at this point. Fear that it might happen again? Perhaps. Sadness, well, this was quite a likely case. Excitement? A horrid thought, truly, but altogether true. Now everything felt slow. Time passed minutes per second and dragged against the ground as much as it could as the possesed girl made her way over to where her target was. Unbeknowst to her, however, the very doll she just switched off tethers with headed over to Livia, to inform her. Katherine had him in her sight, but something happened. [color=green]"So he's going to run? Running from justice then? My, how brazen. He wants rougher punishment then."[/color] The girl practically mused. A creepy smile started to grow across her face as she started to chase towards the boy. Livia followed after Katherine, quickly catching up to the girl and placing a firm, but gentle hand on the girls shoulder as she did so. [color=662d91]“Katherine, my dear. Now isn’t the time for vengeance.”[/color] Katherine stopped when she felt the hand on her shoulder. No. She couldn't let anyone stop her now! Not when she could easily reach the culprit! She recognized the voice before she saw the face and had only thoughts of continuing. [color=green]"Don't stop me Headmistress. Swine like that deserve to be sent to the slaughterhouse."[/color] She teared up slightly before speaking again. [color=green]"I know they say it won't bring them back, but it will make me feel even a sliver better."[/color] A moment later a small company of dolls brought over the head of the broken doll. Katherine was shocked. [color=green]"Why are you all happy?![/color] She cried out. Her emotions overtaken her senses. [color=green]"Did you not like-- 19. . ."[/color] What started as confusion as to why they seemed so happy carrying the head, Katherine quickly figured it out. Somehow, the doll's spirit was put back in the mostly damaged head. She had no more words. All she could do was drop to her knees and pick up the head, holding it close with tears running down her face. Livia smiled down at Katherine. [color=662d91]“Be gentle with the head. One of your dolls got my attention, and I was able to stop the spirit from disappearing entirely.”[/color[ She sighed. Really, tonight was probably the most tiring night that there had been in the history of Montagne. At least, regarding the night of the ball. [color=662d91]“I was able to put the spirit in the head, but I cannot fix the body myself, and if you don’t get a proper body back soon I fear there won’t be much else I could do.”[/color] Livia continued. [color=662d91]“Meredith can probably fix the body though, with a little Alchemy if you want her help. She should be in the Infirmary at this time, so if you wish to excuse yourself from the Ball for now, I understand.”[/color] Katherine gave the soulhead to one of her dolls and stood up, slightly weak knee'd and turned to Livia. She had no reason to doubt the woman since she seemed great at handling spirits. The Puppeteer was a little sad that she didn’t have the train of thought to look for the spirit, but that was far beyond the point. [color=green]”Thank you, Headmistress.”[/color] Without a second thought she hugged the woman for just a few seconds before releasing and turning away. [color=green]”I likely have something that can hold the spirit back home. I. . . Like to make the vessels myself.”[/color] Livia was not expecting that hug from Katherine. Her face reddened for the second time that night, though it was not quite the same from Roux. As soon as she was released, she brought a hand to her mouth as she spoke. [color=662d91]“You-er, quite welcome.”[/color] She replied with a slight stutter. [color=662d91]“It was no trouble at all, for my precious little student.”[/color] Her voice took quite a serious turn as she finished the sentence however, and looked in the direction where Drael had flown off, as a familiar decided to attach itself to Katherine’s leg. [hr] Through the night Shino had been eating and drinking all kinds of foods and stuff to her own self satisfaction. Students were dancing and having fun, they have been going on dates, etc. Shino however seemed to be the only one being left out for the most part. She was busy in her own way but no one really seemed to notice the cat girl. She did not really mind but she was a little envious at the people around her. Perhaps she was to young to understand or have the same general interest as these older students and that would have made them be apart this much. Shino wanted to join in on the fun too. She might not really understand what was so much fun about the whole ball idea but she felt like she wanted to try. Shino stood up from beneat the table first bumping her head against the bottom of the table and after tripping over her own feet making herself fall backwards. She felt weird like she lost her sense of balance and common logic. Shino slowly got up again and looked around her. Everything was spinning but she didn't feel that bad apart from her hurting stomach. Shino carefully walked and waved about as she did. After a few minutes her eyes had caught something familiar. She saw the room mate from before, Shino shyly waved even if she didn't see it and headed over towards the girl. Her face was bright red from the drinks she had and her clothes were filled with stains and left over food. Shino tripped over and fell forwards but could hug the leg of Katherine just in time to maintain her balance. [Center]"nhai nhai mama! How is you! Shino is fine fine! Shino has eaten much good food. Humans offer food to Shino on food to Shino on the tables. Humans really kind nya."[/center] Shino rubbed her head against the body, her body felt nice and cold when she herself felt so hot at the moment. Shino had small hiccuping Katherine started to walk away, then Shino jumped on her leg. She was saying somethings very slurred. She must have been drinking. Really, it wasn’t good to leave such a thing laying around. Small children being drunk was. . . Well, quite bad. Children made bad decisions in the first place. Shino was adorable, like a little doll. They started on the wrong foot, but Katherine had hoped they would fix themselves. [color=green]”Are you enjoying yourself Shino?"[/color] She tried to ask happily but it felt like all of her energy was drained from the past few minutes and her face wasn’t very convincing. [color=green]”Just be careful. I need to return to the dorm for something, so I must leave for now. If there is still time I will return.”[/color] With that she scratched the catgirl behind the ears. Such cute fluffy ears. [color=662d91]“Katherine, do not worry about the culprit. He has also been messing with [i]my[/i] spirits.”[/color] Livia said to Katherine, interrupting the familiars and hers conversation. [color=662d91]“He will not be allowed to exist on this campus for another day. I will deal with him tomorrow.”[/color] [color=green]"I'd feel better over all if you had said that without the 'on this campus' part. But I understand."[/color] That boy had a great amount of nerve to mess with the headmistress' spirit. Still, Katherine was just glad that the doll's spirit was still here. There was definitely another type of doll she could use back home. [color=green]"I need to go back to the dorm, Shino. If you're not feeling good I can take you back with me."[/color] She gave a weak smile to the Headmistress, "Thank you again Headmistress," before gently pulling Shino's hands off her leg. Katherine seemed nice to Shino so Shino affectionately rubbed her head against the body of Katherine. Katherine asked if Shino felt good, Shino had to ponder for a moment. She layed the bottom of her head against Katherine her belly as she thought about it. [Center]"Shino doesn't know, Shino feels funny in her head but Shino's belly hurts nya."[/center] She made a regretting face and rubbed her belly a little in pain as Katherne said she should be careful in this state. Shino gave a bright convincing nod at Katherine. The girl scratched behind Shino her ears which immediately tensed Shino up. She became a tad redder and tried moving away but her legs stopped working. Shino wanted to resist but the feeling coming with the scratch was irresistible for a cat girl. Shino purred and almost fell to her knees from the good feeling but Katherine stopped before Shino reached her limit. Shino affectionately rubbed her head against Katherine her belly without saying any more words so she might get the good feeling back again. Katherine seemed to be leaving due to feeling not so wel Shino gave quite a dissapointed look at Katherine but let go of her leg anyways not to be a hugo bother to her. Katherine asked if the catgirl wanted to stay or go to the dorm together with her. Shino shook her head in denial and looked quiet emberased at Katherine as she talked. It still sounded like she was rather tipsy and already had a hard time talking on her own. [center]"Shino wants to eat more food and maybe tummyache will go away soon after having eaten some more"[/center] [hr] [color=C3B091][b]"Ah, what a lovely sound…"[/b][/color] Vera whispered to herself. Although a majority seemed to be enjoying the dance with their acquainted partners, Vera had been left alone. Not that she particularly minded, however. Sure, a date would have been nice, but lingering around the food table and listening to the orchestra play their tunes was equally satisfying. Even if she wasn't to dance, or dance with [i]someone[/i], Vera would act properly and sensibly. It was expected for a noblewoman such as herself walk with beauty and grace, displaying the pride she held for her household to the masses through her actions and movements. A flowing scarlet gown clung to her body as she sipped on a small glass of wine. Just a few sips wouldn't hurt too much, would it? After conversing with a few of the newer students Vera would continue to watch the dance floor from the sidelines, a smile creeping onto her face every now and then. She would dodge the various 'problems' here and there to avoid causing any more commotion. But all those other hilarious instances that were happening in front of her made her choke on her drink a few too many times. [color=C3B091][b]"Well, I doubt this will be an evening I'm ever going to forget."[/b][/color]