At that moment, Blush's mind blanked. She could feel her hands shake a bit as she put one over the other and placed them delicately in front of her waist. She glanced around the room, head going from one side to the next, as if searching for the one true thing she held dear. She walked around the room, inspecting everything in detail (most notably, the stuff on the table meant for consumption). Afterwards, her quest done and, seemingly, fruitless, she sighed.

"I would love to join you all, but I must depart briefly. I've a matter I need to see to." Bells or not, she made haste out of the room, back to the Grand Vestibule, where she briefly glanced over at the men standing there, before her attention waived and she found herself desperate. She hated showing others this and she would be damned if now was the case.

She made her way over to the door leading to the Central Hall, eager to get inside to find the kitchen. Surely what she needed would be there.

Swamp held his hand out in front of him as if they were a set of scales, and he was tangibly considering options available to him. The question from the Chanteuse seemed a little confusing at first, albeit one that was readily puzzled out. His eyes darted to the cards, where he had placed them back on the table. He shook his head. It was just a minor twitch of his neck that would barely register under normal circumstances, but with the avian-looking mask on the motion was somewhat exaggerated, due mostly to the changing position of the tip of the beak. In truth, it was probably a bit awkward.

Judging by the expression on her face and the fact that she was already opening her instrument's case, Dr. Swamp went with the assumption that his Gaming Room companion had already made her decision as to the route she wanted to take. "Only if you wish to play, yourself." he assured her. "Preferably without interruption from others." He glanced toward the door, then peered a little harder, hoping to find some kind of locking mechanism. A couple of tentative, cane-assisted steps nearer to it, and he had to admit to himself that he couldn't locate anything of the sort. "Hmm... Aha!" he exclaimed, grabbing the back of one of the chairs around the table near him and sliding it alongside, half using it to balance himself in place of his walking stick. As Dr. Swamp came to the door, he turned the chair about and used it as a brace underneath the knob of the closed door.

Fearing that the action might be intended as a prelude to something ungentlemanly, Dr. Swamp took the opportunity to walk farther away from the door than was Amaranthine and sat at the table on the other side of the room. The distance, he figured, coupled with his own less-than-stellar demonstration of personal mobility, would likely give the Chanteuse ample time to flee the room if she felt the need. He rested his stick on the table in front of him and said aloud, "That should give some measure of privacy. If it is your desire to play, please do. I would feel obliged."

Cobalt watched as the doctor stepped through one of the corridor's doors, presumably following after where Amaranthine had stepped through. For a moment, he considered following after him, but he abandoned the idea. His relationship with the doctor so far had been far from friendly, or even conversational, and although he was intrigued by the musician herself, it was clear that the doctor had latched his claws on, and presumably had no intention of letting anyone else get near his intended prize.

Deciding that he would keep his wandering around the Manor, so that he could at least have some sense of his surroundings if the night was to escalate further, he paused as he looked around at the doors surrounding him. Eight doors led off the corridor. One, that he had originally come through, leading back to the Music Room, the disconcerting man and his feathered companion. Another, that led through into the Red Library, and the remarkably unfriendly Librarian. A third, that the doctor and Amaranthine had stepped through, and presumably were continuing their child-like flirting. Reaching a decision, Cobalt pushed open the door opposite the one which the other two guests had already moved through.

The room beyond the door was clearly a Billiards Room. The biggest clue, unsurprisingly, was the Billiards table, that dominated most of the space. Cobalt's eyes scanned the room, but nothing of particular interest sprang out at him. or demanded his attention. A shame. There was only one thing in the room that did warrant Cobalt's attention, and that came in the form of the lanky girl standing in the corner. Thick brown hair, and dull brown eyes, she was hardly a great beauty, but seeing any woman's face after the string of masks, was surprisingly welcome. Putting on his most charming smile, Cobalt nodded in greeting, attempting to catch her eyes as he moved to lean slightly on the table.

"Good evening, ma'am. Do you play?"

Mauve's head tilted a bit to the side, gaze flitting downwards for a brief moment as Miss Crème reached into her purse for a piece of candy. Following the ascent of the woman's hand to her lips, Mauve's dark blue eyes then came up to meet the woman's hazel. There was a sparkle to her eyes as the woman gave a brilliant smile and gracious reply. She glanced to the side, before leaning in slightly towards the Miss. "There's nothing wrong with being a little scared, you know. After all, it's a natural human reaction to being in a dangerous situation," she stated reassuringly, thoughtfully keeping her voice low. She then pulled away in order to give the woman a more comfortable amount of space between them.

Her gaze travelled after Miss Crème as the woman soon walked over to the table and took a seat. Her blue eyes soon followed the woman's gaze over to the seeming object of her attention, the Debutante Blush. A glint came to her eyes before she turned on her heels at hearing someone else enter the room. Her eyes narrowed a bit when her gaze landed on Madam Envy, before she gave a subtle roll of her eyes and turned away in seeming disinterest. Nevertheless, the woman's voice soon pervaded the room, making it hard to ignore. She could almost feel the woman's gaze turn to her at a particular point in her pleasantries. However, Mauve did nothing to acknowledge it, instead eyeing Crème and Blush as they interacted with one another. However, she soon found her gaze gravitating back to Madam Envy. The woman's words surprisingly struck a cord with her. They made logical sense to her, so much so that Mauve actually agreed with them. She found herself nodding her head in agreement.

Just then, the sound of three loud rings echoed through the room out of seemingly nowhere. "What in the bloody hell is that?" she exclaimed, looking around the room in utter confusion. What was it? Where had it come from? And what on earth did it mean? Hell if she knew. Her black brows furrowed, as she felt totally lost on the matter. Her baffled gaze turned sharply to look back at Captain Moss as he explained what it was. "Oh," she stated simply, as that was all she could manage in the moment.

Turning her head, there seemed to be a cruel expression on the woman's face as she was addressed, her fingers tightening around the fire poker she held. "No," she said simply.

Cobalt's eyes flickered to the make-shift weapon that she clutched, just for a instant, but he didn't let the smile fade from his face, keeping his eyes as friendly as he could manage. Any other night, and he would have read the signs and taken his leave, but danger seemed to be stalking the shadows, and he welcomed any conversation, for not at least.

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you. Allow me to introduce myself. Justice Cobalt, at your service."

"Ya, you want to tend to the fire?" she asked with sarcasm before she turned and started to poke the logs, moving them to get them better in place while they burned. The fire roaring to greater life than before.

With her back turned, Cobalt frowned slightly. Certainly not the most welcoming greeting so far, but if nothing else, he wanted to at least learn the girl's name, before her icy nature fended him off. Resuming his smile again, Cobalt took a few steps closer to the fire, careful not to get too close to the apparent servant, more specifically staying out of range of the fire poker she still held, just in case she was suddenly inclined to use it as a make-shift weapon.

"I've stoked a few fires in my time, and I'm always more than willing to lend a hand. I'm afraid I didn't catch your name."

Turning, the woman smiled slightly but it didn't improve the way she looked by any stretch of the imagination. She was unremarkable to look at and there was a cruelness that did not leave her eyes. "No, I have it," she said but even though she was blunt the voice was more accommodating than it had been. "Me name is Jane," she added as she dusted off her hands on her apron. "What can I do fer ya sir?"

Creme nodded at Envy's words. Taking a look around sounded like better and better idea the more she thought about it. This was surely a once in a life time experience, and enjoying this while they could sounded like a much more fun option than sitting around and waiting for something horrible to come there way. As the others seemed to find themselves agreeing with Envy as well, Creme was surprised to see Blush run off. Knowing it wouldn't be proper for her to run after her, she silently watched with a concerned look on her face. She hoped she'd return soon.

The candy in her mouth was about halfway finished at the point when Mauve whispered to her. She nodded affirmatively. She was glad the madam understood her apprehension. She flinched at the ringing, but settled herself quickly upon the man's explanation. She had a nervous, slightly embarrassed smile on her face. The night truly was getting to her, making her far more on edge than she normally was. She straightened herself, and readied herself to go on an exploration of this place with the others.

Madam Envy smiled inside her mask, bearing a rather proud stance as she eyed each and everyone in the room. Her eyes followed the woman who for some unknown reason had to hurry herself out of the room, ignoring her then turning her attention back to the group. One introduced himself as Captain Moss, and the other one being Prima Rave. She returned their introductions "Charmed." giving a slight nod to Moss, and then to Rave, who, to Madam Envy, sounded less impressed than the other man by reasons she herself could only assume. Never the less she made her wary, if there is even a hint of suspicion on her--she may know better than to dismiss it.

Their pleasantries were cut by a loud ring, Madam Envy could only figure it coming from the front door. More guests perhaps, but playing for which side of the game, she has no clue. Envy turned to Moss "I would like to see more of the place. " she says to him "Though if you think it necessary, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take a peek on the newly arrived 'guests'."At the moment Madam Envy itches to see more of the mansion, but that could always wait. She took the last sip on her goblet and settled it down at the edge of the table. Her throat is calm for now, though sooner she would need to drink something solidly warm, and not the usual feeling one gets from mere alcohol.

Jasper tilted his head as he took each mans outer coats, waiting for them to deglove and place them in their top hats before handing them over. If the man had any concern he didn't show it in his face or in his voice as he asked, "will this be a problem?"

They each seemed to shake their heads. The one man with dark hair and too light eyes looked at each of the doors as people started to enter the Grand Vestibule. "No, we can perform without one but we would prefer to have a pianist or at least someone who can handle an instrument," he said in passing as he gave a nod to the an that had ended the room through the door just north of them.

"Perhaps one of the guests this evening?" the blonde asked and Jasper huffed a bit.

"The lord of the manor would not dare impose on his guests to ask to be the mere entertainment of this event," he said partially aghast. Turning he stopped as he noticed Debutante Blush had entered the room. "Yet if any of these degenerates that have already imposed themselves on us should happen to be versed, then by all means bother them to your aide," he added in a huff.

"They are not part of the ball?" one of the dark eyed and dark haired men asked a bit confused.

"Unfortunately they will be attending but not by his Lords invite," Jasper added as he looked back at them. "Refreshments are in the Breakfast Room and you know your way to the Ballroom, you will be put up in the guest house later this evening."

Walnut observed Titian's reactions carefully, knowing that if things went one way she'd have to avert her course and take some drastic measures for the sake of dignity. Yet seeing him respond positively to her suggestion, she smiled genuinely at him from underneath her masquerade mask - and as it only covered her eyes truly, her smile was visible. Perhaps others would have found it strange or odd to spend this much time with a stranger in a situation such as this, but to Walnut, that was precisely the exact reason to do such a thing. She felt she had glimpsed Titian's character - and he seemed to have glimpsed her own.

"If only we had chains, then we could have some real fun..." Walnut mused, letting her eyes sweep around the lunar ballroom one last time - yet her thoughts were elsewhere and certainly not on the décor. She then gave him a nod, taking his arm as she headed to the door and headed through, emerging in the Starry Salon where they had been not too long ago. The lunar ballroom could be revisited another time - perhaps with the same partner. Aside from the servant, they appeared to be alone and she paused for a moment. "To the central hall?" she asked. The alternative was the trophy room.

This was just so damn weird, Rave just didn't know why she didn't trust a word of Envy, but damn it, she really didn't. A part of her wanted to get away from that woman and not deal with her. Still that didn't seem too overly possible as the others in the room seemingly agreed with her. Rave just shrugged and blinked a few times and took a breath as Blush stormed off, giving an excuse. What could she have to deal with in this manor? Rave didn't know that answer, but the woman was gone before she could even propose to aid her somehow.

She then looked around at the others, her gaze falling on Envy once more and her hand slightly twitched. She was leaving this room now and if the others wanted to join her, they were free to do so. As friendly as she was, she wanted to see more of the place and staying in this room was not going to do that.” I'm... going into the next room now.” She said slowly and pulled the door to the next room and walked into it.

Inside the room there was a piano in the middle of the room, the others who had entered before them seemed to have left, all but one. A man with a beaked like mask and colorful attire.” Hello.” She called a greeting as her eyes studied the man. There was nothing special she could read about him. All she knew was that he was naturally creepy and there was a raven on his shoulder. Well she was in no position to argue about it cause she had a ferret in her pocket.

Cobalt almost sighed with relief. Finally, she at least seemed to warming to him, and he had a name. In truth, she really wasn't much to look at, the cold look in her eyes never fading. Although he could hardly be one to judge, for all she knew, beneath his mask was nothing but the mangled remains of a face, burnt away in some horrific accident. Pushing his advantage while he had it, Cobalt nodded his head slightly.

"A pleasure to meet you, Jane. I'm merely looking for conversation to while away the cold night. If I'm to be a guest here, I thought it best to get a feel for the house. Tell me, is there anything I should look out for during my wanderings?"

Jane looked around a bit before heading to the door and peeking down the hallway. Once she was sure it was clear she closed it slowly and turned back to Justice Cobalt. "Don't be going wanderin' if you value yer life sir. People rounds here don't be takin' kindly to y'all bein' here, ain't be safe."

Cobalt watched Jane as she moved to door, his smile fading slightly at her warning. He took a step closer to the servant, his voice low as he spoke, wary in case anyone was listening.

"You've done me a service I won't soon forget, Jane. Are there others who work here that I can talk to, that you trust?"

Jane spoke quickly again, before opening the door again and looking down the hallway in each direction. Turning she looked at the man before rushing back towards the fire and stoking it some more with the poker.

Cobalt bowed his head slightly, moving to the door himself as he did so, sensing that he had distressed the young woman enough already, and learnt everything he could from her.

"I won't trouble you any further, Jane. Thank you"

Titian gave a slight chuckle as he rubbed the bottom of his chin, scratching the hair slightly. "I am sure we can improvise," he said followed by a wink. Leading her from the Lunar Ballroom into the Starry Salon he looked around. Quinton was still standing there in front of the door that lead eastward, exactly where they were told not to go. Looking ahead that was back where they had just come from not too terribly long ago. Then there was the other door, the one they were told lead to the trophy room.

The man seemed to ponder to himself for a moment. The man looked down at Professor Walnut and leaned in, whispering against her ear. He made sure to keep his voice down, it seemed as if he didn't want the staff to know what he was saying. Quinton, whether he did or did not, did not show any interest. Standing up straight, Titian waited for the little petite gem on his arm to chose which way they would go. One was pointless, one was guarded, which left two: To the south or to the west. Was it a time to take the path they knew or try something new?

It seemed that the man known as Dr. Swamp to her and the others was willing to allow her to repay him with the bit of music right then. Yet as he closed the door and found a chair to block it, that created a look of apprehension to rise on her features. Though most were hidden behind the intricate mask it was clear in her large eyes. Flicking as she took both violin and bow in her hands she stepped around the back side of the table and forced a smile in the mans direction. "Music, like most things, should never be caged," she said in a charming voice, reaching a foot down and moving the chair back out of the way before opening the door, but only slightly.

Taking a deep breath she moved to the center of the room; between the two tables, the door and the fireplace. The room was quiet save for the crackling of the wood as the flames rose up behind her, casting long shadows on the walls and filling the air with warmth. She stood with her feet a little more than shoulder length apart and her back straightened. She had seemed so shy and reserved before this moment but something seemed to come over her and despite her small stature she held herself as if she was a giant among men right then.

Bringing the instrument to rest below her chin her brow raised. Body swaying as she drew the first note. It was a familiar tune to those who perhaps frequented grand halls to hear such types of music. The notes were clear and precise as she played but there was a maturity to execution and a deeply expressive interpretation in the notes as she played. Her eyes closed through some stanza's, she played from memory, her body moving and turning with the longing of the sounds. Each note blossoming and layering over the last, like a fine wine that was being allowed to breath for the first time in years.

Blush ignored the men at first, but the one's comments ruffled her feathers. They were imposing on them? The nerve! They were all invited! Really, this was absurd. If she wasn't going mental at the moment she would have given the man a piece of her mind. But, as it were, she was growing more desperate. She expounded into the Central Hall.

Others were there as well, "Pip darlings. Emergency. Need to find the kitchen post haste. Don't mind me!" Blush made her way through the hall towards the end leading into the Starry Salon. She could feel herself sweating, her hands shaking briefly. If she did not get relief soon, she felt she would not be in a good place. And it was best if they did not see her weak.

Weakness killed.

Swamp got his own rush of apprehension as the Chanteuse removed the chair back from underneath the doorknob and cracked the door. Whether it was on principle of the music as she had said, or genuine concern about her well-being, it was apparent that the good Doctor had made a rather hasty assumption about the door, which displeased her. Giving an expression of humility was difficult enough through the mask, so he merely bowed his head enough to be readily noticeable and agreed with Amaranthine. "Indeed, madame. Please forgive, I was being selfish." He made no move to come closer to either the musician nor the door. Presumption might be the end of him one day.

Instead, he resolved to maintain his position and merely enjoy the musical styling of this woman's craft. It was a rare thing to find someone that he believed was as talented in their own field as he was in his own; but if his expression could be glimpsed as Amaranthine pulled her bow across her violin, it was bliss. His hands, normally agile with movement as he spoke, lay still in his lap, one atop the other, lest they pull any attention away from the tiny concert in front of him. Every so often, he glanced at the door to see if any curious party was trying to get a glimpse of the talented violinist, but otherwise Dr. Swamp allowed the dulcet tones of the talented performer to wash over him, unencumbered by the other events of the evening so far.

Captain Moss gave Madame Envy a nod and smile, good that she agreed to go and explore the mansion, as he looked over towards Debutante Blush as she excused herself to go and tend to whatever she needed to do. He wasn't sure what it was exactly that she wanted to tend to, but it really wasn't his concern at all. He watched as Prima Rave left the room as well to explore, it was now just him, Envy and Crème as well, he started to make his way over towards the door and stopped for a moment looking at Envy. "After we see who it is at the door then we can go about seeing the rest of this place. The areas that we are allowed to anyway." Captain Moss said as he made his way back towards the Grand Vestibule.

Captain Moss stopped once he entered the Grand Vestibule as his eyes wondered around the room he noticed the four unmasked men that were there. He wasn't sure if they were the actual party guests or someone else, but Captain Moss gave them all a slight nod, he wasn't sure what to actually say or do or whether to introduce himself or not. Captain Moss looked around the rest of the room, he was still amazed the sight of the Grand Vestibule.

And the prisoners are practicing politics
As the ladies slowly let the boys in,
Yes, we're sharing a drink from the styx,
But it's better than drinking poison.

A few notes perhaps, played by trifling fingers, daring to touch the instrument's keys. Music was no great feat in itself, all one had to do was kidnap and assault unsuspecting notes, plucked from the air and shoved into a prison of bars. Gather enough of them, and perhaps you will have a great cacophony of noise. Order them to march, adjusting their arrangements, silencing one and the other as arbitrarily as you desire, and then perhaps you will have a tune. A Theme with tempo, but is it music or just the work of perfected chaos? His fingers played a simple line, key by key tested, random steps up or down, not really quite a song as he strained to remember where the notes went. Nevertheless Plum tested his skills, trying to play himself a memory, though not really sure how it goes.

An interruption. Abrupt and discordant. His raven shook itself as the visitant walked into the music room. Turning his head right to have his eye meet the other's gaze within the room. His body followed after, pivoting around the bench to face one mask to another. The black feathers were a questionable fashion, did they seek more from his friend? But those horns made the Casanova earlier not the only devil it seems. Recalling nothing about any interaction between them thus far, first impressions are everything, Plum returned the greeting with a short bow bending at the seated waist as his raven crows.


"And hello fellow stranger,
A pleasure we share tonight?
For in this place of danger,
A friend is a welcome sight.
And I may gain your name,
If give you one the same?"

Penance was still not too sure what to make of Master Tack, but she nodded her head as she followed him into the Grand Vestibule to see who was at the door. Hearing his words, to her at least, the man seemed to want her trust, but she wasn't too sure if that would be the best thing for her. His words about the danger were a bit blunt, so she felt inclined to trust him, for the moment anyway, not really caring too much whether or not he actually fully trusted her either.

"...I do not see why we couldn't, for the moment anyway. No one else seems to be thrilled to converse with me, and I do enjoy the company. I will work with you, and that saying is all too true, especially considering what happened to the woman on the ride here," she said as she looked over at the men who were at the door. They didn't look to be too interesting of people in her opinion, she'd prefer to see about getting something to drink at the moment.

Master Tack nodded solemnly in response to Sister Penance, nothing more. The fate of the poor girl had not been a happy one. Tack had not responded well to it at the time, and it was continuing to be a stressful subject to think about. More so because of the reactions of the people who lived and worked at the manor; from entirely stoic at best, to genuinely pleased by the result at worst, it seemed almost inhuman. Resultingly, Master Tack was not feeling very conversational. So he replied to Sister Penance, merely "Thank you."

Master Tack then overheard Jasper talking ahead of him, and couldn't help noticing that Jasper was talking about him. Or, well, the uninvited guests, a group of which he was a member. Normally, Tack would have paid no attention, but there was something about the tone of Jasper's voice as he called them 'degenerates' that made Tack feel distinctly unhappy with the butler. Despite his attire, he had good reason to resent being treated as an inferior being. What's more, Jasper talked about the guests as though it were their fault that they had all been invited here, and not the work of some manipulator in the shadows who really they all ought to be working together to defeat. And to top it all off, Jasper had no right, no right at all, to complain about them when it was they who were in danger. Had they complained about him when they were told that they might be killed here? No. And yet he acted as though he was the victim here.

Master Tack walked up behind Jasper before he began to speak. "You know what Jasper? You're right. We degenerates have imposed ourselves upon you, with our own free will and without any outside interference. It's unfortunate, really, so I suppose I'll go. Except that I can't, because I'll be shot if I try. So clearly we're to blame, not only for being here but also for staying here. And furthermore, you are in incredible danger here. We're all safe, whereas you have been the recipient of a number of vague and not-so-vague death threats from the gracious lord. What's more, you have actually witnessed a member of your troupe die, in literal cold blood, only a few minutes beforehand. So really, it's entirely correct for you to be complaining about us, and not the other way around."

Master Tack's resentment had grown into anger as he'd spoken, and his tone of voice reflected that. However, he had presented all of his main points, and so had nothing more of value to say. He stood with his arms folded and eyebrows raised, waiting for a response from Jasper.

Mauve let the Captain's words sink in for a moment. Those ringing noises that had echoed throughout the room had in fact been the doorbell ringing, which could only mean that new guests had arrived. Her blue eyes drifted over to the door that lead to the Grand Vestibule. It wasn't surprising really. After all, it had been stated that other, more properly, invited guests were set to arrive for tonight's festivities. With that in mind, she figured it was them. Any slackers of their "group" would have been sooner shot dead than let onto the grounds, let alone up to the front door. That much had been made perfectly clear. Though Mauve was curious about the latest arrivals, who were no doubt of higher profile than the rest of this lot, she decided to withhold from mingling with them just yet. She had all night for that. Well, one could only hope.

She arched a bit of a brow at seeing Debutante Blush rush off in such a hurry, leaving behind her companion Miss Crème all alone. Her head tilted and swayed down and to the side to look at Miss Crème. The poor thing seemed to be quite jittery, having noticed out of the corner of her eye the way she had jumped at the sound of the bells going off. "It would seem your friend has run off," she murmured. She glanced over at Madam Envy and then at the door leading to the Music Room. She let out a soft sigh, before her gaze returned to Miss Crème. "I believe we should do as Madam Envy suggested and stick together. I do think it pertinent to continue exploring the manor in order to get a better lay of the land, and of course, to enjoy the finery in the meantime. I would be happy for you to accompany me, that way you won't be alone until your friend returns," she stated. She gestured in the direction of the door leading to the next room, before making her way over and through there. She glanced around, taking in the layout of the Music Room as she entered in behind Prima Rave. Her gaze finally landed on the man in the beaked mask with a raven on his shoulder as he spoke some rather cryptic words.