A Ball Rolls Uphill (Fringe)

[Kassandra Distorith]

The bartender dropped off a cut crystal glass with the pure amber perfection of Whyren’s Reserve held within it. The blonde paused a moment, half closing her sea-green eyes as she held the glass beneath her nose and inhaled the heavenly aroma. Whyren’s itself was a marvelous whiskey, the best in her father’s biased Corellian opinion. But the Reserve, which they only made a handful of barrels during each production run…that was a little piece of heaven in a pretty piece of crystal.

Phedre sipped and sighed with pleasure, casting her gaze across those at the bar briefly, recognizing Kitt and Alen. She inclined her head by way of greeting for Alen when he happened to look her way, and she made a mental note to saunter down and say hello at some point during the evening. Gavin for a moment before making his way across the floor, and she favored him with a smile as well.

Another sip elicited another sigh and she set the glass down for a brief moment. Fingers smoothed out the vine-silk over her legs as she crossed them carefully, ensuring that the gown did not trail on the floor to be stepped on. Sea-green eyes watched as Gavin approached the band leader and was handed a microphone after a brief discussion. She lofted a slender brow as the man looked directly at her, and launched into the song as the orchestra began.

She couldn’t help but smile at the song choice, with a distant part of her wondering how he knew it was one of her favorites, or if it was simply coincidence. But the more important issue that had her smiling and cheeks slightly warm, was the knowledge that Gavin could sing. And he could to do so quite well indeed.

Her gaze followed him as he worked the crowd, beginning with the guest of honor, and winding his way around the room to her.

To. Her.

Phedre couldn’t help herself – she dipped her head as she smiled a bit more brightly, and her cheeks warmed just a little bit more as she took the hand he offered her. He kept up with the song, winding his way through the last few repeated verses, and she had to resist the urge to sing along softly to the words and melody she already knew.

The crowd applauded politely and Phe rewarded Gavin with an equally polite kiss to the corner of his mouth that really wasn't as chaste as it should have been given the environment and the audience. “Very nicely done, Gavin…I’m impressed.”


[member="Gavin Ovmar"]

 

[Amz]

Alida ... I'm here with someone you should meet. Come say hi when you have a moment.

He was here with someone? That seemed a little… cryptic, but there was an undercurrent of affection in his words. Someone important.

Her eyes drifted towards where his presence lead her, and smiled warmly at the man across the way. The two near his side were gauged thoroughly, and she noted that they too were gauging her. Dark green eyes danced with mild curiosity, and without thought of hesitation she headed toward the bar to make introductions.

“Father,” She addressed with reverence, tipping her head towards him with a gentle nod and sweeping her eyes toward the two others. "Introduce me?" Alida asked after clearing her throat, trying to ease the awkward moment, but feeling like it was growing worse instead. Who were these people?

[member="Alen Na'Varro"] [member="Kitt Solo"] Mikhail Shorn

 

[Aran Finn]

Alen caught the eye of [member="Phedre Parenthis"] and returned her nod. Dependable, honest soldier ... he liked the cut of her gib. Strong enough to handle her own business, and without a shard of weakness to her. If he ever needed a medic who could put a slug through an enemy from two hundred yards, he'd seek her out.

"Alen, who is that?" Kitt's voice, and her all too obvious use of his first name, snapped the bearded Sith Lord to the matter at hand. Oh yes, this would be tricky. He'd told her about Alida ... and the other two little ones that he'd lost, Aran and Aiko ... but being told and seeing for yourself were two different things entirely. Alen's eyes flicked to Shorn. He'd love this ...

"You remember how I told you about my kid?" Na'Varro knew that complete confidence was the go here. Solo was an empath, she'd pick up on any change in his emotions. Confidence would breed confidence. That's what he hoped. There were other emotions for Kitt to pick up ... pride, happiness, love, and the sheer knowledge that this wouldn't be weird. Sure, Alida was only a couple of years younger than Kitt, but really, there were stranger things in the galaxy. Like L'otek'k, or Terentateks, wormholes, the Force ... So yeah, totally confident, totally calm. He smiled genuinely. "Ta-da ... behold the kiddo."

“Father, introduce me?"

"Hey sport." Alen would have given her a hug, but her body language suggested that it wasn't a good idea. He almost rolled his eyes. She was a grown up now, and acting like it. His eyes flicked to Shorn, and made a silent promise to himself to pull his eyes out of his head at some point later in the evening. "This is Mikhail Shorn, an nerf herder with an ego expanding at the rate of the universe itself. However, he's funny and has a knack for killing dangerous people, so I like him."

Na'Varro indicated the handsome, snarky scumbag with an index finger and wry grin. Then his hand rested, comfortingly, on Kitt's back. There'd be hell to pay later, but there was no way around this. Poodoo happened, and Alen was making sure that there was minimal fallout. He winked reassuringly at Solo.

"This is High Councilor Kitt Solo," he said, unable to keep the wry grin off his face. "She's ... my girlfriend."

This was a terrible, terrible time to realise the humour in a situation, and so Na'Varro fought his amusement, crushing it down for now. He struggled to avoid looking at Shorn, who was probably having a field day right now.

"Shorn, Solo, meet Alida Ember. My daughter, apple of my eye, and my heir." Alen smiled from Kitt, to Mikhail, to Alida and then turned his attention back to his beer and drank deeply. He really, really wanted to say something else, but he couldn't think of anything. Until he noticed the glass in Alida's hand, and frowned ... he briefly considered saying something, then shut up. Sometimes discretion was the better part of valour.

[member="Kitt Solo"] [member="Mikhail Shorn"] [member="Alida Ember"]

 

[Amz]

Alida caught the very subtle look of disappointment on her fathers face, and could hear it in his tone. She fought the urge to smile, but still felt a little guilty for keeping him at an arms length. Alen loving dotted and cared for her as a little girl, but the years of childhood were over and she taken the baton of adulthood and ran with it. Eventually, she expected he’d come up to speed in his own timing, and in his own way.

"This is Mikhail Shorn, an nerf herder with an ego expanding at the rate of the universe itself. However, he's funny and has a knack for killing dangerous people, so I like him."

Almost on que, her head turned to regard 'Mikhail'. He had intense eyes, and was undoubtedly attractive, carrying a darkness in his presence that did not elude her. "Sounds like a man of many talents." Alida replied, hiding her amusement behind a demure smile. Though, in honesty, she wagered it didn’t do her much good. Her words dripped with sarcasm. All in good form, though, hm?

"This is High Councilor Kitt Solo,"

Her attention easily snapped to the brunette nearest Na’varro, experiencing a curious change in atmosphere, and noticing the way he affectionately held her with a supportive hand.

"She's ... my girlfriend.”

Her proverbial jaw ‘hit the floor’. Her inner conscious gnawed and chewed on this new, meaty, piece of information. ‘Kitt’ couldn’t be much older than herself.

Rosy lips tightened into a fine line, the corners arching up ever so slightly, and both dark brows knit together in quiet contemplation. She tried to reason it, remembering that he was still considerably ‘young’. After all, Na'varro was a teenager when she had been born. But…even still. The news came as a shock, and for what seemed like a long beat of awkward silence, she was at a loss to do anything else but just stare at them.

Girlfriend? When were you going to tell me? When Mustafar froze over?

That was, of course, what she really wanted to say, but her response was directed to Kitt, and assimilated a much more polite and friendly approach. “I’m delighted to meet you Miss Solo.” See? She could be civil about this… new arrangement.


( This post from 4 am needed heavy editing.)
[Member="Kitt Solo"] [member="Mikhail Shorn"] [member="Alen Na'Varro"]

 

[Kitt Solo]

[member="Alida Ember"] [member="Alen Na'Varro"] [member="Mikhail Shorn"]

The silence roared in her ears and to Alen's credit, she felt no awkwardness from him. But that didn't stop the surprise and awkwardness that hit her like waves from his daughter, mingling in with her own pool of dread and anticipation. Back stiffened against Alen's hand. It took her a moment to realize her jaw was unhinged, mouth open. With an act of effort that took more than punching out a writhing-horror she managed to close what she imagined to be her gaping-mouth.

No really, she'd take the writhing horror right about now. Or a sarcastic quip from Shorn that was sure to be on its way.

There was more silence after Alida spoke until she finally found her voice. She had to give the woman props. Alida seemed to be handling...the situation infinitely better than the bounty hunter was. "Alida, please call me Kitt. And it's nice to meet you too," her palms were already breaking out in a nervous, clammy sweat. She pressed them against the fabric of the dress that hugged her upper-thighs.

"Alen didn't tell me you were so...," Close to my age? Grown-up? Mature? "Oh feth, I'm sorry." Hand came up to rub the back of her neck awkwardly, gaze darting around the room before coming back to rest on Alida's dark green eyes. Her flight instinct was kicking in pretty hardcore right now. She gulped it down.

"You are handling this way better than I am. And for that, you must be someone that I would've liked to get to know even without knowing this guy," hand finally came down from the back of her neck, thumb hooking to Alen, "first."

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Phedre Parenthis"]

Gavin smiled for the crowd and graciously accepted the kiss as he slid up beside the woman at the bar. He had seen her before but he had not made the greatest of first impressions if he remembered correctly. He flagged down the bar tender who was still chuckling at the performance.

"Scotch" Gavin said as he returned his attention to the pretty woman. "So I saw you from over there and thought I'd come say hi."

His easy manner was a constant but he managed to not be cocky this time. He enjoyed singing and music. When he first met Anders it was while he was playing at bar on Bakura. He looked at the woman with the gorgeous green eyes and smiled again.

"So do you think I could steal you away for a dance or two?" He asked before he sipped his drink.

 

[Lord Ghoul]

The introduction hardly seemed to faze Mikhail. In fact, he looked far more smug than usual, likely due to watching Kitt's emotional landscape go through hyperspeed climate change. He smirked at Alida's retort, but contented himself with watching the priceless interaction between Alen's daughter and Kitt. Their tension hung palpably in the Force, both trying to maintain dignity in the face of Alen's double-edged introduction.

Mischief coruscated in Mikhail's eyes as he watched the scene play out before him. Oho. Alen's daughter and girlfriend, both looking about the same age? Aaawkward. An eyebrow rose in a roguish arch and he made no attempt to hide the hedonist's gaze which he directed appreciatively at Alida. Of course, that would like set Alen off, which was part of the reason for doing it in the first place.

Suavely, Shorn offered his hand to Alida, breaking the unspoken communique between the two women. Rather than shaking her hand, though, he held it gently and placed a gallantly beguiling kiss on the back of her hand, ice blue eyes locked with hers the whole time.

"Depends on what talents you're looking for," he drawled, then his voice dropped low and just confidential enough that Alen could barely overhear, "You'd be surprised." The scoundrel winked.

[member="Alida Ember"] [member="Kitt Solo"] [member="Alen Na'Varro"]

 

[Kassandra Distorith]

[member="Gavin Ovmar"]


"I do like the way you decided to come over and say hello."

Fingers lifted her glass from the bar, taking a lingering sip of the Whyren's within. She smiled and offered a quiet thank you as the bartender had anticipated her request and leaned over to add a bit more to her glass. Sea-green eyes rested on Gavin as he slid up beside her, and her free hand rose to smooth out the lapel of his jacket.

"How's a girl supposed to refuse?" Phe smiled warmly, and took another sip. "I would love to dance, Gavin."

 

[Ilias Nytrau]

Some five minutes after [member="Alida Ember"] arrived, a woman of twenty-six, of several nicknames that some had tried to apply to her over the years, arrived at the ball in a mute-coloured one-shoulder dress. She felt a freedom that was almost unwelcome in her psyche in electing to attend, for she had not attended any such event (aside from getting herself easily into the graces of an owner of a mark) since she was around the age of the aforementioned daughter of [member="Alen Na'Varro"], who along with [member="Jared Ovmar"] (wasn't he dead? I should really try to pay closer attention to the goings-on... she thought), [member="Lucien Cordel"] and [member="Kitt Solo"] she had met on her first and as yet most dangerous mission with the Fringe. Not that she had been aware of the fact that Na'Varro had propagated at all, given that she had barely become acquainted with any of them. Except, well... she had met [member="Mikhail Shorn"] in a bar on Rattatak after having watched his fight with Ovmar. That was a somewhat interesting evening. She watched the group of Na'Varro, Ember, Shorn, and Solo as she approached the bar just as [member="Phedre Parenthis"] agreed to a dance with [member="Gavin Ovmar"].

She smiled, with slight disinterest (her opinion of the Ovmar boys once again in a state of limbo) and turned to the bartender, placing the fingers of one hand on the edge of the long bar counter, while the other held a soft, black clutch. She elected not to seat herself on one of the stools.

"I'll have..." her eyes flicked to the other blonde, her face following the glance slightly, "...the same, please."

While she waited the few moments, Sel (or Miri, more commonly) half-turned her body and fully turned her head back to watching the same group she had paid some mind to on the way to the bar. After those few moments passed, she turned back to the bartender, a decent-looking older man, who was waiting with her requested liquor. She accepted the glass from the bartop, and gave the man a slightly warm smile.

"Thank you," she said, with full honesty in the words, as if she had been looking forward to the drink all day, and turned away, leaving the bar for a slow wander around the ballroom. She had found a very, very small measure of acceptance of these people in herself, but the large part of her still did not entirely trust them. That was a feeling that was going to be hard to shake.

At least they knew how to relax - or celebrate - in ways she could appreciate.

 

[Aran Finn]

[member="Alida Ember"] [member="Mikhail Shorn"] [member="Kitt Solo"]

There was really nothing Alen could say to make this better, or less awkward. Instead he smiled, sending beaucoups of support to Kitt with a wave of emotion. Alida was handling the shock better, but when they got to know each other it would be totally fine. Totally. Alen was not worried. Not at all. The bearded man frowned briefly, before catching his facial expression and smiling again. He knew it was a kind of abrupt introduction under the circumstances, but then again, if he had given Kitt too much time with this she would have been overwhelmed by the situation. Shock was better, maybe.

In fact, Shorn hitting on his baby girl was actually a life saver in this instance. Alida might not have his name, but she had his blood, and the Na'Varro were strong, hardy folk. He was actually more worried about Shorn than Alida. Rolling his eyes as the other Sith Lord went all creepy, he winked at Kitt again.

"Dance with me, princess." Ever the gallant gentleman, Na'Varro offered Solo an arm. "Have fun, you two kids. Shorn, keep your hands to yourself or I'll feed them to you."

Favouring his daughter with a warm smile and Shorn with a warning smile, Alen and Kitt made their way out onto the floor. Na'Varro noted [member="Gavin Ovmar"] and [member="Phedre Parenthis"] and decided to 'bump into them' while they danced. He was giving the other Ovmar a planet, and noting Phedre's body language, this was probably the best time he could do it.

Putting a familiar hand on Kitt's waist and taking one of hers with his other, Alen began the slow movements of the universal dance that everyone knows. His eyes met Solo's, and he smiled again. Happily, for once.

"You took that better than expected," he said, entirely serious. "Thank you."

 

[Viera Kisep]

This was different, she thought not beliving herself in a dress and attending a ball in anything shot of a formal imperial moff uniform. But alas she was no longer Viera Kisep. She was now Mara Linth and she needed to remember that. This was hard, not only was the new her younger but well she had no respect. That was hard to come to terms. She was no longer Viera Kisep the woman who had even made a place among sith masters working her way up the ranks. No, now she didn't even know if her request for command would be approved, she had put it in and well nothing had ever come of it. She wore a elegant gown and walked inside, noting the others. She didn't know a soul. It seemed it was time to start over, she would get her self up there again. She would so them just what she was capable of.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Anders Sivas"]

I turned my head ever so slightly to stare at my date for this evening. One of my eyebrows raised itself up, if the laws of physics did not dictate logic in this thread it would probably have tried to rocketeer itself into the galaxy. Alas, this was not the case, instead it was just a pointer that Jared was not very amused.

“That.. is awful. If I didn’t know you as well as I did, I’d probably be crashing through the window trying to run, about now.”

Not waiting for a reply, I decided this was just the moment to dance. As my cousin started to sing, I took Andra in my arms and whirled her around. The Force was everywhere, in a song, a dance and the loving embrace of a beautiful woman.

I closed my eyes, and let myself be led by the Power of Creation itself. The melody of Gavin’s raunchy call, and the support band in the background snapped me into gear. A soft smile played on my lips, I wasn’t sure how it had gotten there. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I knew I was having fun.

Andra was better at this than even she knew. Looking back at it now, I think that if I knew what she was accomplishing.. I probably wouldn’t have allowed her. There was only pain in this direction, but the sweet tunes of my cousin in my head and a girl who loves me unconditionally in my arms..

I could allow myself this, if only for a single night.

 

[Not Ordo]

[member="Alen Na'Varro"] [member="Mara Linth"] [member="Selinica Miriya Cailis"] [member="Phedre Parenthis"]

Gavin took a step back and offered a hand before he would lead her to the dance floor. The tux was not his style but it could be worse. His smile was warm and a good deal more genuine than he normally allowed to surface. Generally he avoided showing his real feelings but the last drink must have lowered the guard a bit more than he planned.

"You're dress looks nice." He said as they qalked, "but then I imagine you could make anything look lovely."

He walked out onto the dance floor as a waltz began and offered his hand and a proper frame to go with his lazy smile.

"I'll have to do another song for you after. So I can steal another kiss and. A dance."

 

[Yasha Cadera]

"Good thing I'm not serious then. How would I hide a bump like that in my daily clothes?" For a fleeting second it seems the joke went too far, I feel the surge of a marathoner's feet fall under the height of his eyebrow and it hits me that if the fake-out were true, [member="Jared Ovmar"] would not be a joyful father. Should it bother me? I have no plans of procreation, the drifting way we deal with our mutual space suits me alright as it is. Still, the niggling voice of [member="Mikhail Shorn"] in my head: 'He doesn't love you, Andra. He's not capable of it anymore. He chose survival over loving you, and if that were me? I'd have died loving you.' The way Jared swings me into his arms while [member="Gavin Ovmar"] sings has me laughing in tandem to the lyrics, a light and cascading joy tumbling from my lips to my shoulders and down the muscles, sinew and skin and out to the dance floor at large. The joy spreads across the throng of folk in an effortless volley of belonging. My people. My Fringe. My man. Home is the slow spin as he leads me on the dance floor.

Swinging and swaying back and forth, tucked kindly and protectively in Jared's embrace expands the unbearable pleasure and joy of the evening I created to remind all of us in the Fringe of the reasons we fight, the reasons we live and the reasons we die. One of our members came back from the valley of death a little bit broken. Not all right. At least now he can see the faces of the people he left behind and those he came back to see afresh. My feet don't hit the ballroom floor as much as they fly round and round, I feel a gasping lightness to my skin, as if the ballroom was a gloomy place before I set upon it with my beau.

Exposed and ecstatic, I dance as the remnants of Jared's shredded heart sings and thrills with the creative force of the universe itself. I glance back at Shorn briefly, hoping he can see and feel the shift that even for a moment I can claim my prize. If it's only one dance for the rest of my life where I have my true and pristine Jared back, this night was worth the effort. He is yet redeemable. He is yet alive in the calm. The detachment and emptiness I sense is not the end page of a chapter marked 'Goodbye', but a stage of grief. He can yet metamorphose into a greater, fuller man.

Leaning up I kiss the smile on his lips and bask. My arms hold a bit tighter to his shoulders, fingers brushing a touch more hungry to his tuxedo jacket. Oh but if I could salvage and resurrect the safety of devotion, if I could build a bastion to security and affection without some mean and cringing evil denouncing them all for naught… My mind flickers, the corner of my smile twitches.

'Jared, [member="Kitt Solo"] is suspicious. She's catching on about Anders…' Jared will know what to do.

 

[Kassandra Distorith]

[member="Gavin Ovmar"]


That, she mused, gazing at his expression, was a warm and genuine smile...the first she'd ever seen from Gavin, given their short acquaintance. Lashes lowered, she gazed up through them, sea-green finding rich brown with a warm glance. They would have lingered there for several moments had [member="Alen Na'Varro"], with a lovely [member="Kitt Solo"] on his arm, orbited by them. She shot Alen a wicked grin and shook her head before turning her attention back to her dance partner.

"You are quite the silver-tongued devil, Gavin...but I thank you for the compliment." Phe replied with a smile that was once again warm, taking his hand and letting his other rest on her bare lower back. They transitioned effortlessly into the waltz, and she had to count herself impressed that he not only knew how to perform the dance, but did an equally good job leading it and ensuring they did not bump into any of the other couples.

"Dances...you can have any time. Sing for me again, however, and I'll kiss you properly." she added, lofting a delicate brow at him.

 

[Amz]

"You are handling this way better than I am. And for that, you must be someone that I would've liked to get to know even without knowing this guy first.”

Alida’s small, tight smile from earlier remained, trying to keep her expression as bland as possible. What was she supposed to say? Alida inhaled a deep breath that filled her lungs and released it again. “He’s happy with you,” she managed, “And it’s good to see that again.”

In truth, she was uncomfortable with the idea of hanging out with ‘Mamma Kitt’ outside of interactions that didn’t have Alen present. All of this was all a lot to take in, and she liked her space.

“We can take baby steps.” she said, referencing them getting to know each other. Her inner self was patting Alida on the back. She had good feelings with that answer…. until the conversation died. She teetered back on her heels, waiting.

More moments passed, and a hand was proffered from Mikhail.
She'd forgotten he was there, because, frankly, she’d been stunned by the revelation of Alen and Kitt and...then... the awkward. The breaking of passing silent monologue was a welcome distraction, to say the least.


On instinct, she lifted a hand to shake his, but felt the heat of his lips press against the back of her hand. Her face changed in multiple shades of pink, and Alida had enough couth about herself to look shy from the gesture, insides contorting. She was fascinated by his smoldering stare, squirming just a little.

"Depends on what talents you're looking for, You'd be surprised."

“Excuse me?” She snapped. Fascination gone.

The outside world faded quickly back into the light. All of her instincts and senses started flashing at her, bringing her spiraling down to reality. Her pale fingers retracted themselves from his grasp immediately. What kind of woman did he take her for?

"Dance with me, princess. Have fun, you two kids. Shorn, keep your hands to yourself or I'll feed them to you."

She rolled her eyes at her Father’s words. Even now, he still thought of her as some innocent girl that was untouchable without his consent. It was oddly comforting. The two lovebirds drifted away on the ballroom floor, and Alida did a little ‘tootles’ wave with her fingers at them.

[member="Alen Na'Varro"] [member="Mikhail Shorn"] [member="Kitt Solo"]

 

[Lord Ghoul]

The smirk which followed the abrupt dismissal seemed entirely too self-satisfied for someone who might as well have been slapped. The soul-piercing gaze never left her eyes, save when Alen made the fatherly comment about feeding Shorn his own hands. Ugh. Dads. He rolled his eyes almost in unison with Alida. At the same time, a pang of jealousy spiked in Shorn. Alen seemed a better father than Shorn's could ever dream to be, although leaving his daughter alone with the stereotypical bad boy hardly seemed wise.

The Sith-Killing, apathetic Sith Lord with a callous disregard for life shrugged a shoulder, instantly changing topics, likely due to the rather sundry and prodigious amounts of alcohol he had ingested in such a short time.

Despite this, he still appeared entirely in command of his faculties, if not his impulse-control, most significantly displayed in his currently casually-bored-with-a-slight-hint-of-mischief stance.

His gaze flicked up and down before meeting her eyes again.

"Beautiful dress."

[member="Alida Ember"]

 

[Kitt Solo]

Head spun to match the spinning on the dance floor at the possibility of getting to know [member="Alida Ember"] more. The whole situation was just way too awkward. Eyes snapped back to Alen's as he spoke. She scrutinized his face for a moment to see if he was doing the usual ribbing.

Nope, serious.

"Listen. That was a Nabooian-woven basketful of awkwardness. You don't know how close I was to bolting," eyes narrowed slightly, humor reflecting in them for a moment, "or maybe you did Mister King of the Dance. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with meeting your daughter or your daughter. I mean..." voice trailed off as she noted Gavin with some smokin' chick. She offered him a thumbs-up sign that only he would be privy to before she looked meekly back to Alen and spoke with a bit of mock-gruffness. "You know what I mean Na'Varro. A heads up on how grown-up your daughter was would've been nice."

She grinned. Then again, she might not have stuck with him for so long if she had known. Of course none of that mattered now.

[member="Phedre Parenthis"] [member="Gavin Ovmar"] [member="Alen Na'Varro"]

 

[Amz]

Alida lifted the glass of golden bubbly wine to her lips for a drink, passing a sideways glance to Mikhail and considered how to handle the dubious fellow. She cleared her throat softly, and lowered the glass again. “Thank you.” She said, relaxing a little, and looking down at herself. The dress was a deep, dark red with silk fabric that shimmered in the dim lighting when she moved, cinched at her waist for definition. It wasn’t as flashy as some others dresses might have been, but she liked it well enough, and could accept a compliment that was lacking innuendos.

“So, what talents do you have?” she asked, rather nonchalantly at first.

A smart woman would have stopped there, but she kept blathering on instead. “Besides trying to lure women to your bed.” Alida wasn't sure what kind of demon had come to posses her mouth.

[member="Mikhail Shorn"]

 

[Lord Ghoul]

Very forthright, blunt to the point of offensive. He rather liked these Na'varros, but he doubted very much that the feeling went two ways. Emotions toward Mikhail tended to be a one way street that lead toward a dead end. Pun intended.

An eyebrow quirked up, and Mikhail's lips twisted mischievously. "Wouldn't you like to know." He handed his empty glass to a passing waiter and turned back to the dark-haired woman. Shorn extended a hand toward her, palm up. "Care to dance?"

The innocuous offer seemed far more perilous if one could glimpse the flash of danger in his eyes, but the promise of the thrill remained. Dancing with the devil always had a certain thrill-junky appeal to it. As for Shorn, well, his motives seemed an amalgamation of desires. Piss of Alen, get to know the daughter, and well, he'd see how things went from there... Planning was not his strong suit.

[member="Alida Ember"]