Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interaction: @princess Malachi @Potter Corvina @Eviledd1984 O’Ner

---

The dances were beginning and Kenia felt a sudden nervousness come over her, not for herself and her dances, but for the fact that the three of them were most likely going to be split up for a short while. While there was sure to be more rebels in this crowd, there were also going to be enemies. She only hoped the three of them had the ability to discern between ally and foe. She watched as Corvina left and managed a quick ”Be careful.” Kenia would do her best to keep her eye on the young woman, but she knew that she also needed to focus on her own task at hand. She did take a moment to note who Cora had been paired with, a winter fairy. Now that was an interesting sight for sure, tho also a little alarming to her. Aklenroth had greatly oppressed the winter fairies and so there was a high chance that he was a rebel, but the fact he was at something as grand as this could also indicate that he was an ally to the lich king. Cora was a smart girl, tho, and Kenia had faith in her.

There was a demi-human who’d approached her now, asking for a dance and claiming that the request may come off strange. She took notice, however, that her own paper was urging her towards him anyways. Before she responded, however, she turned to look to Malachi as he was leaving. ”Have fun, don’t swoon too many women. I really would hate to have to fight them off.” She teased with a smirk, though deep down she knew there was a slight worry that someone else would catch his eye and he’d forget about her. She didn’t let this fear show, however, and turned back to her dance partner.

”I do apologize about that, now where were we? Oh yes, well is it a strange request when we are apparently being magically inclined to dance with complete strangers right now?” She asked O’Ner with a playful grin as she gestured to the paper butterflies indicating them as partners. ”I would love to have this dance with you, though I didn’t quite catch your name?” Her smile was now very friendly as she awaited his reply. If he were to offer his hand in dance she would gladly take it and the first dance of the evening would be on it’s way.

O'Ner Faister

TIME: Late Afternoon
LOCATION: The Grand Ball, Roshmi City
INTERACTIONS:@Tae Kenia, @FunnyGuy Umber

O'Ner thought for a moment of what fake name he could give to her, he thought of using the name he came up with speaking to his daughter. But he knew that it could cause trouble in the future. "My name is Mathias Sunderland, may i know the name of the woman i will be dancing with?" He asked with his own smile. Outstretching his hand waiting for her to take it, once she did he would lead her to the dance floor.

In the back of his mind he felt a bit guilty for dancing with another woman, but then again his wife had been dead for a long time. But it felt strange to put his arm around another woman's waist, Hearing he voice of Umber notifying the group of a human. "Keep us informed of other information you learn" O'Ner looked around for the woman Umber described. He could not spot her, but hope he would while he was dancing with the female elf. Dancing slowly with the woman, his dancing was not the best. He liked to blame being dead for 80 or so years, but in reality he was not very good dance even when he was alive. "I am sorry for my terrible dancing" He whispered softly, feeling embarrassed.

Zelginn

The small figure tilted his head to Sakura, before he snatched the napkin from her, wiped off his face and hands with it, before blowing his nose in it. He soon after made a childlike effort to hide it under a nearby plate, before handing Sakura her drink. He felt å warm feeling inside of himself, it was joy. The same kind of joys cats would get from catching a mouse. He hoped the woman would snooze somewhere later, but for now there were dances going about. The short figure had nicked one of said papers from the food table, left behind there by what looked like an overly fancy elf. Suddenly the paper became a butterfly, which made Zelginn instinctively try to grab it, he followed it along its path, even sliding his way under some womans dress to keep a decently straight line. Then it stopped to hover over some woman, the small figure realized this must be his dance partner. Dancing. He generally did that by himself, sround people, on tables or in mocking ways. This was something different. Maybe some fun hossip could come his way, and the more he thought about it, if he danced he would grow more hungry soon and be able to eat even more. "Heya, I guess we are goibg to dance, tall lady!"

((Typing from phone, will add Baraian later))

Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interations: @baraquiel


Kyran was not given much time to think when a piece of paper was placed in his hand. He watched a faun go up to Risa and Elsea ended up with another demi-human, noting to keep an eye on them in his head. His paper went up into the air on its own accord, turning into a paper butterfly and fluttering in one direction. Following the paper, he found himself in front of a girl in a floral-printed, elaborate robe. He could tell by her scent that something was off. He had smelled demons before and she reeked of one. He did not like the idea of dancing with her but he would put up with it. “Hello, you must be my partner.” He greeted her, reaching his hand for her to take.

Baraian Paladice

The paper which the dark elf had earlier took had turned into a magical butterfly and was now travelling across the room, the dark elf followed it with Heavy steps, avoiding to bumping into others along the way until it stopped by another butterfly of the same magic kind.

The dark elf looked below the butterfly, trying to figure out who the other piece of magical paper had come from. In the direction of from where the other butterfly had come from stood a... something? The dark elf stopped in his tracks, as if there had been a calculated error someplace and he had to back up and think it through again. 'What is this?' He pondered as he took a slight step forwards, then another one, glancing at Myra. The dark elf hated dancing, but he had to pull through on this one. For without this part, it would prove harder to find other rebels. But this… thing.. whatever it was… was his dance partner.

"Looks like we are the ones supposed to dance miss..." He said in a monotone manner of voice, no hint of joy in his voice one bit. He just thought on how he could best endure the dance, maybe if he started to talk with her time would go faster...

Terneus Andros

The elven governor had located himself upon a fancy looking chair with pillowgs at the side of the large hall, these chairs were reserved for the higher-up's of the city and nobles allied with Aklenroth. From his seat he could see the fairy queen.. or was it a princess, dancing with what in the ever graceful Lord Andros could be regarded as an even lower form of life. A faun.

"Ugh. Their ilk brings back terrible recent memories..." He said and swallowed his entire glass of wine in one sweep, putting it down on some servant's tray as they were going past with refreshments.

"What ilk milord?" Commander Feldrin asked, having not payed too much attention to what his lord was saying but looking for security risks.

"Nevermind, you keep watch and make certain to inform me if there is any breach in the security. You are dismissed." The light elf said in a low tone to Feldrin's ear, but far away from it so he wouldn't have to smell it, before he got to his feet and set his eyes on the fairy princess again. To him it looked like there was no arrests going on, and he figured that if he was to dance with her not only would he become the envy and gossip for a long time to come, but also he could personally apprehend her if the guards would approach. It was just perfect. It filled his mind with more fodder, as if silky smooth hands were caressing his brain.

On his way down to the dancing area, there were countless of women approaching him and asking for a dance.

"No, I have enough horses in my stable." He said as he saw a centaur woman who asked him for a dance, soon to follow were a feline looking demi-human girl.

"I'm terribly allergic to cats. Especially filthy ones. Away with you." He motioned her to the side so that he could continue along his way just to encounter an elven woman. "Pardon? No, I would never wish to dance with someone dressed like a pauper." Then came something that caused the elf to stop in his tracks. An orc woman as wide as she was tall. The elven governor decided to slip behind another elven man long enough so that the monstrocity could pass by without any risk of his attire being stained by it's presence.

Finally the light elf found a gap in the middle of the crowd of people where he could see the dancers up close, now he just had to get in there. The ever so cunning, Lord Andros decided to resort to crafty trickery to fool the less mentally gifted. It was one of the things he truly found enjoyment in, it further established the superiority of the elven race. Terneus strode out unto the dancefloor into vicinity of the dancing faun and fairy princess. Then he did his most humble, and most peasant-like impression he could.

"Sir, your friend has fallen ill near the food table. Your aid is required." Terneus said as he got even closer, trying to put a hand on Ilan's shoulder while lowering his voice. "I'll take over from here." His blue eyes shining through the mask on his face, Ilan would certainly recognize who this was. "Begone or I will make you wish you were dead." The elf said, realizing he had momentarily tainted his glove by having it so close to a faun! The light elf felt however almost like blushing at his own performance, how he had managed to sound exactly like Commander Feldrin or any other less important person. And surely deceived the onlookers and now he only needed this inferior and filthy sub-beast to get out of his radiance.

---

---

"Dancing isn't that complex. No matter what form, you should just have to follow your- No, it's not for blowing your nose. Wait, don't put the nap- And there he goes." Sakura was talking to Ayita and Cade about dancing before she was interrupted by Zelginn doing his childish antics again. She didn't know why but there was something about him that intrigued her. He was an innocent little prankster or he was a creature doing a perfectly good imitation at that. He acted like he was just an immature child but Sakura could see the smartness behind Zelginn's eyes like he knew more than what he showed. Maybe it was just her nerves messing with her mind. Either way, she just rolled her eyes as Zelginn followed his own paper crane towards his dance partner.

She also watched as their group was approached by a lady, or rather she approached Cade. Judging from her mannerisms, she acted like a kid who was forced to attend a party by her parents. Sakura also felt the same way about this at first but her whole outlook changed when she remembered she liked attending parties. Pride hosted the most extravagant of parties back at Daka Island and he always had parties right and left, making sure that no one will forget how proud he was of his very luxurious lifestyle.

She just left the pair be and look at her own crane. It seemed like it was trying to fly away to guide her but it couldn't because she didn't want to move yet as she was still enjoying the food. "Oh come on. Can't the dance wait-". Sakura stopped mid-sentence when she was approached by a man, obviously her dance partner. She raised her eyebrow at him, looked back at her unfinished food and shrugged before looking back at him and giving him a kind smirk. "It seems that I am. Ayita, Cade, see you guys later." She said as she took Kyran's hand and stood up, wrapping her arm around his.

"Ayita dear, don't let your nerves get the best of you. Enjoy the night! Cade, take your lazy arse off the chair. Don't you dare make a lady wait!". Sakura called out to her friends as she walked with her partner towards the dance floor.

Mood:

---

The dances were beginning and Elsea felt a wave of nerves rush over her. While she wasn’t the worst dancer in the world and she had confidence that as long as she got a fairly competent partner she wouldn’t step on any toes, it definitely wasn’t something she was used to doing. Then again the entire time she’d been in Avalia her life had been full of things she wasn’t accustomed to, all beginning with the killing of the man who’d intended to burn her at the stake. This shouldn’t be as challenging as that at least, or so she hoped.

She watched as Risa found her partner, an adorable little faun, and then Kyran’s brief attention on herself which Elsea offered him a reassuring smile. Him and Risa were her family now and she understood his concern, but it was merely dancing. What could possibly go wrong with that? She felt one of her papers begin to move out of her hand and quickly turned to watch it. In front of her she notice someone approaching, another fox demi-human who was quite handsome. He also seemed to look ever so slightly familiar, but she couldn’t quite place where she’d maybe seen him. She couldn’t say much, however, as anyone could say the same about her as a few days ago her face was broadcast in the sky as a wanted criminal. She only hoped that this man either didn’t notice or didn’t care enough.

As he bowed she blinked in surprise, not expecting such a gentlemanly display as so far her experience with the men of this world proved not many were very gentlemanly. Kyran was a bit more once you got to know him, but he still had greeted her with a weapon in her face. The display caused her to smile happily at Kuroi as she herself gave him a courtesy. ”Aye it appears so and what a pleasure it will be to dance with you. My name is Elsea, may I have your name as well? Also I do apologize in advance, I am not the most skilled with dancing.” She kept a friendly smile on her face as she took his hand to begin the dance. She hoped her strange accent wouldn’t be alarming to him as she wasn’t entirely sure if anyone in the world spoke with a similar one to her yet. So far she hadn’t come across anyone who’d spoken with such an accent at least.

Time:Late Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Hall
Interactions:@Dreamingflowers@Dezuel


Risa smiled sadly at the faun's initial words as they came together for their dance, intertwining her hands with his. The young boy had been brave to tell her these words and to seek involvement. Their goal had been to find allies here but she found this was only tugging at her heartstrings. She squeezed his hand gently as he spoke, whispering in her ear.

She did not respond right away. This was more internally conflicting than she had planned for. She supposed she would weigh out the possibility that he was tricking her since he had been so forward so quickly but she had a nagging feeling deep in her heart that she could trust him. There were lives on the line and she knew they had to take what they could get. If this boy was set on his involvement and she could tell by the determined look in his jade eyes that this was true, then she knew there was no changing his mind regardless. The feeling was all too familiar.

"My darling if is this cause your heart is set on, then I will stand by you as long as I live."
Though perhaps he might have felt that he was supposed to be the one that should stand allegiance to her side, Risa's mind did not flow in that direction. It was his words that had moved her to want to stand by him as the cause was his cause as much as it was hers. Her voice was hushed as she spoke gently in his ear, "If you follow the coast up northwest from Roshmi, you will find a small port town. We will be meeting there on the coastal outskirts. Spread this message to any allies you know of. "

Risa wanted to know so much about him such as who he was and why his heart had brought him in this direction. She could not help but feel drawn to him for reasons that were difficult to put into words. Their time was unfortunately short and made shorter by the well-dressed elf who approached them from behind the faun. He whispered something in his ear that Risa could not quite catch. It left a bad taste in her mouth and she decided to read her new friend's expression to try to figure out the nature of it. The attire the elf wore was that of a high-status individual. Usually, light elves were not too keen on Aklenroth and more likely to be trusted to be on the rebelling side, so she hoped that was the case with this one and maybe he had approached to speak to her in order to help somehow. If this was the case, it was important they spoke, but not until she finished her dance with the faun.

Hello there!" Risa greeted the elf warmly, "Whatever matter you have to share with either of us, I'd very much like if you were to hold it until we finish our dance please."

Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interactions: @FunnyGuy Umber

---

Unfortunately Torvi hadn’t heard Belle’s plea for her to wait, though it was unlikely that even if she had it wouldn’t have mattered as she was being magically compelled to move towards the man she was now beginning to dance with. She knew she needed to be smart, however, in order to find allies and this man could be a potential danger. The only way to find out would be to start talking. She only hoped she possessed the right amount of charisma in order to do so. ”A pleasure to meet you Caius, my friends and family call me Torvi.” She’d considered giving a false name, but she decided against it as why would it matter. She wasn’t a native to this land and so she had no reputation to ruin.

They moved around slowly in their dance and Torvi was rather relieved as the steps weren’t too difficult. She did, however, feel like she was a stomping bull next to this man who was surprisingly light on his feet. It was almost as if he floated around the dance floor. Grace was definitely not her strong suit. ”You greeted us at the door when we came in, did you not? That must mean you must know our host to some degree. Tell me, what is he like? In all my time living here I’ve never heard of him.” She was doing her best to sound well cultured, but this was again something she wasn’t used to. If Caius were to pick up on it she’d play it off as if she’d been a sheltered elven child or something and was just learning the ways of the world.

---

Time: Evening
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interactions: @FunnyGuy Darius

---

Azriel let out a laugh at Darius' answer to her question, deciding that yes she did like this human more than Jack. ”I can accept that as you definitely are the more handsome one.” She gave him a small smirk. She noticed him miss a beat, but it was easy enough to brush off that it didn’t bother her one bit. ”Besides, Jack can be quite dull. He definitely doesn’t understand how to have some fun.” She sighed.

Umber’s voice echoed through her mind as he informed them that he’d located another human. She felt a bit of pride in her friend as he seemed to make finding humans easy. Then again he had the advantage of being able to get into their minds. Still, these rebel fools had no idea who they were truly messing with.

She was pulled back out of her thoughts as Darius asked about where Jack was along with informing her that she was much better company. ”Oh I do hope I am better company than Jack.” She giggled playfully. ”But we had to leave him behind, he is too volatile and a loose cannon. I fear he would have compromised us all.” The man loved killing too much, which is saying a lot considering who Azriel is. She enjoyed killing and torture, but she also knew there was a time and a place for that. Jack didn’t seem to entirely understand that in her opinion. He was too much of a danger because of this.

”As for whether or not you’re the only human left I can assure you that isn’t the case. Umber has already identified several tonight and I’m sure there are many more for us to find.” While this was a bit of a boast on her friend’s behalf, this was also Azriel wanting to see Darius’ reaction to the information. How truly loyal was this human to Aklenroth? Would he be able to kill one of his own kind if they opposed the king?

“Disappoint? Not in the least, I have had many opportunities to dance and feast but I have never met you before. Meeting new people is one of life’s finest joys.” Cade said with friendly but toothy smile. He wasn’t entirely sure what sort of creature Artemins was, perhaps a demon, as she didn’t seem to hide her rounded ears the way a human certainly would and her scent was entirely unfamiliar to him. He didn’t see any obvious demi characteristics either and he was confident that he would recognize the animal scents that other demihumans possessed. Cade’s current and limited experience with demons had been rather positive so he was neither bothered nor concerned by the fearsome reputation of the species. Artemis didn’t give off any malevolent energy either, though for someone attending an event focused mainly on dancing she seemed to have little interest in it.

“I am guessing refusal to participate would make us stand out, and I think that would be a dangerous choice here. How about we keep the dancing simple so that I do not make a fool of myself, my mother always said I had all the grace of bull.” Cade suggested, not wanting to be overly noticed by the lich king loyalists that he assumed were watching them all quite closely. Cade offered his hand to Artemis for their mandatory dance. Even if he wasn’t worried about standing out in a room full of potential enemies to the cause, he wasn’t sure he could resist the magic that was compelling him. Just as it had compelled Artemis to seek him out, he felt the magic’s pull to submit to the dancing. He did his best to hide his annoyance at having his will influenced by magic and decided instead to focus on getting to know Artemis.

”Since the point of the dancing is to get to know each other better how about some random ice breaker questions? What is your most favorite thing in the world?” Cade asked, hoping that such a subject would cheer up his dance partner from whatever it was that troubled her.

---

Bowyn flinched slightly, momentarily startled as the stranger placed her hands on his shoulders, but suppressed the instinct to fully recoil from the elf and forced himself to relax. He took a second to focus on the dance rather than his partner, hoping to mask his momentary awkwardness. He led effortlessly, fairies were nothing if not graceful and he did still remember how to dance. He found it easy to fall back into the patterns of movements he had taken such care in learning in what could’ve been another lifetime. His attention turned back to his partner when she asked if he was enjoying the ball and Bowyn managed to stifle the immediate sarcastic response that popped into his head.

“This is, by far, the most extravagant ball I’ve attended. The enchanted paper is an interesting touch don’t you think? Any thoughts on why the fates might pair us together?” Bowyn kept his response masked in a half truth, as they always sounded more convincing than a lie, and ended it with another smile. While his intent was to gain information on the stranger, he kept his tone flirtatious in the hopes to avoid her suspicion. He wasn’t sure how to discreetly uncover something as dangerous as being involved in treason and any human with even half a brain wasn’t going to tell a stranger what they were. Bowyn had little faith in his ability to charm such information out of another with his woefully rusty social skills but he could at least keep himself from being discovered should this elf be a loyalist.

“I could bite her ears and see if they’re fake.” Boreas suggested and Bowyn tried to discreetly shake his head to the bird while shooting him a look out of the corner of his eyes to tell him no. He did not need to stand out anymore than a winter fairy this far south already did and Boreas, sensing Bowyn’s tension, was trying to get them out of the situation quickly. The merlin ruffled slightly in annoyance as the fairy’s plan was much slower than the bird’s more direct tactic. Bowyn tried to relax more, to not think so much about the direness of the situation in order to calm his bird some. He focused on the dancing, trying to convince himself that he was enjoying it and that everything was going to be fine. He really hoped the bird was buying it, the last thing he needed was a stressed out bird going around biting elves on the ears.

Ayita couldn't help but laugh at Cade's words. Even though she already expected Cade would know as much about formal dances as she did, she never expected that he would have the same worries as she had. Both Cade and Sakura's words certainly helped her to feel a bit more relaxed regarding the dance. If anything went wrong though, it was highly unlikely that someone would recognize her without her disguise or even wearing a different one.

Turning her attention again to the boy whom she was talking to before, she was pleasantly surprised to notice that one of the small papers she had to indicate her pairs for the dance had suddenly transformed into a butterfly and flew away in a beautiful display of magic. The person the paper butterfly flew towards was no one other than the fox boy in front of her, which made her visibly more relaxed regarding her first dance partner.

"Who would have thought that Sakura's little brother is my pair!" Ayita said, teasing him with an amused chuckle as the fox boy greeted her.

"See you guys after the dance. Good luck!" Ayita said with a smile as both Cade and Sakura found their own partners before she turned to the boy again.

"Hey there! I'm Ayita! Happy to know my partner is someone happy and energetic instead of some stuck up noble that might get offended if I say anything wrong." she said, leaning forward as she said the last part with a mischievous tone and a giggle.

"I don't know much about balls and most dances I know are far from 'formal', so I apologize in advance if I end up stepping on your feet." she said with a playful smile to the boy.

"So... Ready to take the lead?" she asked as she extended her hands towards him just as a voice echoed through the ballroom, announcing that the dances were about to start.




Myra looked confused at the dark elf as she gave a few steps towards her until Darius' voice called her. When Darius mentioned the weird dance Airdan had taught, or at least tried to teach Myra as best as he could, she looked to the dark elf and then to Darius again, understanding what she had to do and then nodding to him and smiling, showing her sharp teeth when he said that it was okay for her to bite and scratch him if anything went wrong. Dancing was something new for Myra but she hoped that the dark elf wouldn't be mean with her. She would try her best to imitate the dance Airdan showed her but she didn't know how well could she do it, especially due to her long tail. Darius quickly made those thoughts disappear of her mind as he poked her, saying that they would eat more when they finished dancing, making her eyes almost shine as she licked her lips, looking forward to it.

When Darius' paper suddenly flew away, Myra raised her hand, waving to him as he walked away. She did try to find Artemis as well, but she wasn't near them anymore. Maybe she had already found her partner but since Myra was too distracted by the paper flying away, she didn't pay enough attention to know where she went. Turning to the tall dark elf, Myra looked at him with a curious expression before giving him a sweet, innocent smile.

Myra heard curiously as the dark elf greeted her, which made her wave towards him in return. Myra opened her mouth for a moment almost if she was about to say anything, hesitating before she raised her hand and drew her name in the air.

'Myra'

She still had to practice on how to speak her name, since it seemed like it was one of the important words she had to learn. Just like 'food'. But since she wasn't confident that she could say it in a way that satisfied her, she ended up simply writing her name in the air with the tip of her finger.

A few seconds were spent in silence as she looked at the dark elf curiously before Myra remembered that she had something to do... Dance. Looking to her hands and then to the dark elf man, she extended one of them towards him, standing in the tip of her toes to try and match his height while trying to imitate the posture Adrian did when dancing, waiting for him to grab her hands and do the same.

Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interaction with: @Tae Torvi

---

Umber kept up his friendly smile as he guided Torvi across the dance floor.

"Torvi… It's always wonderful to be introduced to someone with a name I've never encountered. It shows that life still has new things to offer me." He commented before continuing to move to the music with grace. This form that Aklenroth had given him was so easy to use. Fewer arms, fewer eyes, no tail, and he could comfortably fit through entryways. The most difficult addition was the mouth. The only thing he had learned was to smile. He had been told that it was all he would need when emoting, but he disagreed. The faces of many of his victims contorted in many unique ways and he doubted a smile could replace all of them. Then again, he had heard that joy could be found anywhere.

When Torvi asked about the ball's host, he looked up towards "Vaeril," seated at the upper level of the ballroom with a blank expression. When his gaze returned to Torvi, his smile returned. He had already identified her as a human, but perhaps she could lead him to more. He would engage her in conversation and present himself as trustworthy.

"You sound as if you fancy him. Vaeril… I didn't become acquainted with him until about half a century ago, but I can only speak positively of him. He's an elf that is very out of his time. You know, the type that wishes to shape the world for the better the best they can, but they are just much too late… This ball means a lot to him. A chance to find those who might have a likeness of mind… I want to help him find people who believe in what he does and I believe there are some in attendance… Those who believe that it's only natural that all things fear death."

Umber had rambled... or did he. If he wanted to find rebels and make them trust him, he had to act like one himself. He couldn't be blatant or wait for his prey. He needed to bait them like a hunter using a call or urine to lure them into a false sense of familiarity and comfort. Umber did not have the ability to use his illusions, but a silver tongue worked just as well.

---

Darius had been having fun speaking to Azriel, but that hadn't stopped him from feeling a little down about not having run into another human since arriving in Avalia. Her answer about Jack, was honestly one he didn't quite understand. Everyone had something off to say about this Jack guy. There were never positive things said about him, which led Darius to believe that the guy might not be mentally fit. Darius was aware the DROMs weren't selective when choosing what to pull into Avalia. Anything and anyone was fair game.

His idea of Jack's inability was quickly pushed aside by Azriel's next statement. Her mention of several humans being identified at the ball caused him to stop in his tracks. He stared into her eyes in his silent shock. He had been told previously not to expect any humans to be here, and according to Azriel Umber had found several.

"What… Several?" Darius said in a hushed voice that was on the verge of coming out at a normal volume that would carry his words to other ears. He noticed they were still among dancing couples and started up dancing again, his face appearing pensive beneath his mask. He wanted to pull her off to the side and ask her a thousand questions before finding Umber and asking a thousand more. Maybe if I make some kind of announcement. They'll listen and then we can all catch the next Amora back to the castle. Then we'll all be on our way home.

Calm yourself… And you were doing so well in this tense environment, Darius. Answer me. If there are humans… Malgormuun's voice interrupted his scattered thoughts. If there are humans…

Then there are rebels… And that means I can't expose myself. I have to keep a cool head and try to locate more if they're here.

Good… The angel's words have reminded you that this is no time for leisure. You have an objective! Focus, Darius… The demon's voice faded with those final words.

He had kept his eyes on Azriel's while briefly mentally conversing with the demon, Malgormuun.

"And we'll find them all. Every single one, along with those that are hiding them." His voice was both confident and serious. "Any tips on what to look for?"

Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Hall
Interactions:@Potter


Malachi watched her curtsy thoughtfully. The girl inquired his name and took his hand, to which he gently held and moved upward while taking her by her waist with his other hand. "Hagmer." If anyone thought that Malachi wouldn't come prepared with at least eleven random names, they thought wrong. He carefully followed her gaze to see who she looked at. Another female elf and a fairy were her choices. His gaze locked on her ear for only a split second before he met her eyes. This was all he needed to look at for the moment. Without care to be nearly as charming with the question, he stated questioningly, "Name? And what brings you here?"

He wasn't interested in formalities. She was either friend or foe. Until he knew she was an ally, he wouldn't waste unnecessary breath. Dancing made him feel uncomfortable and he wanted this all over with already. This whole ball was just for them to pass information around then get out. Besides, he found the less information he gave out, the more the other person spoke in hopes of uncovering the mystery.

Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interaction: @Eviledd1984 O’Ner

---

”Oh but giving you my name would take all the mystery and fun out of things, wouldn’t you say Mathias?” Kenia said as she gave him a playful smirk as they began their dance. She then giggled before adding, ”I’m merely playing, my name is Elora.” False names were something she had plenty of and they flowed out of her mouth as confidently as ever. She was also trying to be playful and friendly to help put her partner at ease, people always seemed more willing to talk if you kept a smile on your face and made yourself appear as non-threatening as possible.

She took notice of the man glancing around for a minute and found it curious. What or who was he looking for? ”Making sure someone doesn’t see you dancing with me? I do hope I won’t make anyone jealous. They can rest assured that I have no intention of stealing you away from them, though you are quite handsome.” Their dance was slow and she could tell he was a little apprehensive about it. It was confirmed when he whispered an apology about it. Her face softened and her smile turned into a very kind one. ”You don’t need to apologize, your dancing is just fine. If we keep it slow there’s not much room for error and I’m just fine with that then you won’t see how terrible I am at dancing to.” She reassured him, though the last bit was a lie. She’d been trained in dancing since she was a young child and so she was quite good at it, but he didn’t need to know that.

”So what brought you to this ball? It seems like there’s a lot of people here for different reasons and it makes me curious as to what each reason is.” She asked after a few more moments.

O'Ner Faister

TIME: Late Afternoon
LOCATION: The Grand Ball, Roshmi City
INTERACTIONS:@Tae Kenia.

"I pleasure to meet you miss Elora" He spoke feeling a bit awkward dancing with the woman, His eyes looking around before going back to looking Elora in the eye. He hoped that he was not acting conspicuous, the last thing he would want is having his cover blown. Now using just his eyes to scan the room, seeing if their was any rebels or people he could report. "Well thank you for the compliment, you are quite stunning yourself" He smiled showing his straight white teeth.

Being reassured of his terrible dancing made him feel a bit better, although he wished he had practiced a little before going to the ball. But his only partner would have been David, which would have been very embarrassing. Listening to her question, he had to think of a good lie. "I was invited by a friend, and what would your reason being here?" Was what came out of his mouth, in the back of his mind he wondered who would be a suitable candidate to be his "Friend". It would have to be someone he knows, and who could confirm his claim.

---

"Kuroi Usagi, at your service." responded the young vulpine. As he rose from his bow, he gingerly placed a hand on Elsea's waist and grabbed her hand with the other. "Do not worry, I'm not that skilled of a dancer either. I'm sure we'll both have to learn by doing!" He exclaimed, letting out a small laugh.

Although the situation was dire for Kuroi, he finally found himself enjoying himself. Perhaps it was the cheery (if not possibly political) atmosphere as well as the good food and drink being served. Getting to dance with a beauty like the one before him also contributed to his good mood. He began to move slowly with Elsea, staying mostly quiet as to concentrate on his steps and made sure he didn't step on her feet. Kuroi may have been quite dexterous but that applied to combat, not dance. Sure, he may have performed a more flowery, dance-like steps at a few points in his life to show the beauty of his martial prowess but that was different. Eventually, once he knew he wasn't going to make any mistake, he spoke up, "May I have the honor of knowing more about you, Elsea?" he asks, keeping a small smile on his face.

---

---

Kyran mentioned that he'd have to leave due to something he needed to be done first which Sakura understood. After he took his leave, she went back to her table and was unsurprised though sad that her companions weren't there. Of course, they would be on the dance floor, enjoying the symphony and magical ambiance of the Grand Ball by dancing the night away with their partners. It didn't bother the demoness that much. She was always used to being alone whenever she was sent on an expedition by her father to complete a mission. She was always used to being alone in the shadows.

Right now, however, it was the first time Sakura felt alone in a very long time and she gradually hated that feeling. As she pondered and looked at her half-eaten meal, at first she was angry with Cade and Ayita. She believed they made her soft, warmed her cold heart. She would never feel this way if it weren't for all the times they spent together. However, the other part of her believed otherwise. They opened a pathway towards other emotions and memories, experiences that she will never have if she continued to stay under the wing of Aklenroth. In a way, she even felt grateful to those two.

She looked towards their direction. Even with their masks on, Sakura could tell they were smiling and enjoying the night. Just seeing them happy made Sakura happy as well. Just then, she felt something in her heart. She wasn't sure what it was before but now she knew the best word to describe it: doubt.

Why? Where did she feel doubtful for? She was very sure that she enjoyed spending time with Ayita and Cade. No, she felt doubtful towards something else... Or was it someone? Aklenroth? He raised her, treated her on how a father treats his daughter, and taught her everything there was to know about the world. Sakura owed her life to Aklenroth and any doubt towards his will was treacherous and absurd. A being as powerful as he chose to waste his precious time and energy to save a demon baby, the only survivor in a massacre of her own kin.

"But why would he put up a spell that prevents me from going there? Why, Father, why?". Sakura angrily whispered to herself.

A burst of random laughter from the crowd snapped her back to reality. She looked around and saw that everyone was having a great time. She sighed, she should really stop overthinking things. She should just focus on enjoying the night instead despite the circumstances. She decided to cross the bridge when she got there.

Just then, Sakura noticed a peculiar-looking man interrupting Ilan and the fairy princess' dance. She swore she had seen that man before and she couldn't put her finger on when and how she knew her exactly, but what she knew now was that he was rudely interjecting himself in the pair's dancing. Ilan was the sweetest faun Sakura has ever met and he amused her so much that she decided to include him on her 'To Not Kill' List. Anyone who bothered the adorable male faun was an automatic enemy of the wicked demon witch. Besides, this was a good chance to get on her good side too.

She approached the trio and laughed amusingly. "Well well, you look quite dashing, my dear." Sakura said to Ilan with a wink and bowed respectfully to Risa. "It is an honor to meet you, fairy princess. I've heard a lot of good things about you although I can't help but notice this man was rudely interrupting your dance, yes?". She gleefully said, giggling as she put her hand over Terneus'. "I advise you to find someone else to bother, good sir. You don't want to spoil everyone's fun now, do you?". Sakura sweetly said while looking up at Terneus with malice in her eyes.

Time: Late Afternoon
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interactions: @FunnyGuy Umber

---

”What can I say? My parents like unique names, that's for sure.” Torvi giggled, keeping her smile in place. She’d considered the fact that perhaps her name would sound too human, but there’d been humans in this world before so who was to say that some names hadn’t carried over since then. She figured it would be an easy thing to play off if questioned about it. Besides, if she came across another human maybe it would be a clue to them as well and make identifying allies easier.

She listened to him explain who the elven man was and while he seemed rather trustworthy, in the back of her mind she could hear Bowyn cautioning her to not be trusting at pretty words. Still, perhaps this man was someone they should get to know a bit more about. ”You may have caught me my friend, he is quite handsome and I can only imagine someone as wealthy as him would be quite powerful.” She said as she managed to force a blush to cross over her features. He’d managed to give her the perfect excuse as to why she was asking about Vaeril and she’d latched on to it, ready to ride it out.

His statement about those feeling it’s natural to fear death was quite intriguing to her. ”Natural to fear death? But why should one fear death? I think death is something that shouldn’t be feared, but instead should be celebrated. It can be quite honorable so there’s no reason to fear it, wouldn’t you say?” Perhaps this wasn’t a normal thinking in this world, but she’d been raised not to fear death. One should embrace it and if you could die honorably it was even better. You’d be granted the chance to dine with the gods and heroes of old. That was something she strived for.

---

Time: Evening
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interactions: @FunnyGuy Darius

---

Darius had stopped dancing as Azriel had obviously surprised him with her statement. Internally she was smirking giddy, but she kept her face neutral. Had he been hoping that they wouldn’t find any humans tonight? Or perhaps he was apprehensive about what finding humans would mean. She remained silent as they resumed dancing, but he seemed to be working through something in his head. She found it quite interesting as Jack had seemed eager to kill humans, but Darius was different. Did he want to save them? It was a noble goal if that was the case, but it also made her question if he’d be prepared to do what was necessary if it came to it.

When he finally spoke again there was a smile that crossed her face once more. So he truly was on their side for the time being then. That was a good thing. ”Yes, that we will. I just hope you are prepared for what you need to do if they wish to stay on the same course they are on.” It was one last little push at him, but she felt it was necessary as he needed to know what he’d signed up for. This was not something for the faint of heart. ”As for tips I feel like you may be the best equipped to find them, however if there’s anything I can advise it would be to look for Light Elves. They will most likely be disguised as them as I would think it’d be easiest.” She kept her voice low to keep anyone from overhearing them.

Zelginn

The short figure tilted his head on being refered to as 'Sakura's little brother'. He blew up his cheeks on hearing that, who was Sakura anyhow? The furry little thing blinked quickly a few times.

'Sakura... I feel like I've heard that name somewhere else...' The short fox looking boy scratched behind one of his ears, and then noticed that the woman was introducing herself as "I-eat-ya". It caused the small fox to don a grin on his lips when he heard it. Maybe there was still room for some dessert later, but odd... the air suddenly felt strange. Maybe it was one of them nobles passing by with too much perfume.

"Hey! I'm Zel! Good to eat'ya... meet ya I mean. Oh them nasty stuck up nobles, I met one recently. Though she had a pretty neat food storage." Zelginn said in a satisfied manner, and then proceeded to listen to Ayita. He snickered as she began to speak about balls but it came to a halt upon hearing that there was a possibility of his feet being stepped on.

"Don't step on me, I might bite you if you do. I promose! Oh and take the lead?" He stared at the hand offered and took it, maybe there was something exciting to see. Maybe lift the skirt of someone and caused a random brawl. It was always fun when people completely innocent of a scheme ended up in it. He concealed a snicker.

Baraian Paladice

"Myra?" Baraian said aloud, looking at whatever it was that stood before him. Was it the creature's name? Or a greeting to him? He had never laid eyes on such a thing, was it actually one of the noble's exotic pet? Or some experiment run loose? The dark elf gathered his thought and stepped forth. "I'm... Tan Goodman." The dark elf lied through his teeth, he couldn't allow others to hear his name in case there had been anyone tracking and watching him. The odd creature... Myra was now seemingly doing some pose, the dark elf recognized it. 'The creature knows about dancing? I guess it must be some trained pet then. Well it could have been worse. Could have been an elven noble.' The dark elf pondered, before walking up and taking hold of the hand... paw... appendage which he assumed was Myra's hand.

"Let us commence with the dance then." He felt a slight sweatdrop fall down the side of his head. "Miss Myra." The elf said in the most monotone voice yet, before he began to lead Myra into something similar to a waltz. But the dark elf ocassionally bumped into some people while doing it, spilling out a drink for one man who was dancing with a lady in one hand and drinking with the other out of a glass. Then Baraian twirled abit, stretching out and trying to spin Myra like a twister. Right in the direction of some tall elf in fine garments and- Oh no.

Terneus Andros

The fairy princess assumed that the ever so graceful and patient governor had buisness with them both. The mere idea of doing buisness with a faun was making the elf frown in sudden disgust.

"Oh trust me, your dance is quite-" The elf was brought out of his own thought process, and this was not only a crime in his book, but also hideously rude too. But the words uttered were pleasing to his ears, it was flattery. Honest and true flattery directed at him- what? Terneus eyes narrowed, the approaching voice belonged to some beast and it was flattering the sad excuse of a goat-man in front of him, and not acknowledging the grandest of the elven nobles. This was not only disasteful and inconsiderate, it was also wrong! Then the beastwoman addressed the fairy princess and calling him rude. The ever so mindful, Lord Terneus felt how the threads at his wound was beginning to stretch the more angry he became.

'Find someone else to bother?! How dare this creature defy me and ruin my plan of securing more fame?!' The elf gritted his teeth together, at this moment he realized that causing an outburst would draw negative attention to him and make HIM the bad-guy. And this he couldn't allow. This beastwoman was going to pay dearly later, now he just needed to find Commander Feldrin so he could 'misplace' her later. But for now he had to bite together. He turned to... himself. For whom better to give him advice on his next action than himself? The elf mused in his head and came up with a new plan. He was going to excuse himself.

"Oh look at the time, I have something far more important to attend to. Perhaps we shall speak later, fairy princess." Terneus said, lifting his mask momentarily to show his bandaged face but his cold blue eyes set on the fairy. Then to Sakura he gave a look of outright murderous intent before swiftly turning around. That was when the elf remembered his injuries and how it stung doing that. But looking flashy and good had it's price. He began to walk back and that's when he saw some creature being hurled in his direction, just to his right. He wouldn't make it out of the way. This disgusting thing was coming right for him!

Flashes came before the elf's mind. Of himself. His attire. His so far graceful and awe inspiring regal steps. Would it be ended by whatever that thing was?