View source for Snowmark Swansong - RPLOG

=Participants=
* [[Angus]]
* [[Cassidy]]
* [[Jera]]
* [[Natska]]
* [[Rainer]]
* [[Rokarion]]
* [[Sven]]
=Date=
30/12/477
=Log=
<div></div><br> <br>The deck of the Aurora is ablaze with lanterns and strewn with streamers and ribbons and banners showing the Snowmark Snowflake on a field of blue. A great canopy has been raised over the masts, keeping the guests walking the ship&#39;s decks dry and comfortable. It seems that there has been considerable confusion over what &#39;Fancy Dress&#39; meant on the invitation. Some guests have arrived in elaborate costumes, some in harlequin patches, and some in court finery. It seems that there is a servant at the gangplank with a rather large assortment of trunks and boxes offering choices of clothing to anyone who feels they are not fancy enough! Sven Snowmark himself is parading around the deck in a crimson long coat covered in gold and black trim and a hat nearly as large and flamboyant as his personality!<br> <br>Angus blinks as he walks up to the gangplank, surprised at all the confusion on what finery to wear when he himself was not dressed that spectacular, in his court finery and nothimg much more. &quot;Guess Sven didn&#39;t want everyone to clash?&quot; He mutters to no one in particular as he looks around before heading up onto the ship.<br> <br>&quot;Hahaha, this is the -greatest-.&quot; Rainer has clearly partaken of the provided outfits, because he&#39;s skittering about the deck wearing a tuxedo top that looks like it must have been tailored for a Heavy Clanner, with sleeves that hang down over his hands and coattails dragging on the planks behind him. He stops to lean up and openly gawk at someone in masquarade, who recoils from him like the embodiment of incivility that he is and can only force a grimmacing smile and dart glances side to side in search of escape when he says &quot;I like your plague mask! But how does it work when it barely covers half your face? Is it Creator tech?&quot;<br> <br>Cassidy was always dressed in her fancy outfits. Tonight was no different. In her regal black, red, and white-frilled dress, the fennec makes her way up to the boat&#39;s deck, arm-in-arm with Natska and bangle-decorated tail sway behind her. &quot;Snowmark parties are always such fun.&quot;<br> <br>&quot;Yes they are!&quot; Natska agrees, walking alongside Cassidy; tonight the jaguar was in a dark blue dress with white trim, of a similar cut to Cassidy&#39;s. &quot;I like the Snowmarks.&quot; She looks around and takes stock of the other visitors, smiling at a few of the people she notices.<br> <br>Sven is walking the deck arm in arm with a lovely swan in a full, white dress. &quot;Puny fox friend!&quot; he roars upon seeing Angus, &quot;It is being too long!&quot; He swaggers over with his lovely escort, smiling and waving at other guests. &quot;You have met the lovely Zora Yegorova?&quot; he asks, &quot;Beautiful Zora is finest Soprano in Hilrock&#39;s Grand Opera and Ballet!&quot; The hefty puma&#39;s grin grows wider when he sees Cassidy and Natska, and he seems to thoroughly approve of Rainer.<br> <br>Jera makes his way in with a unique outfit. A flowing, furred robe made from blue velvet with what looks like white fur lining the trim. It looks like some high society fashion for females. Sitting in his hand is a curious staff that looks like it has floating ice at the tip. He curtseys politely to Sven in his entrance, smiling at the handsome noble.<br> <br>Rokarion was never a fan of such things, but it was a party that gathered many of Sweetwater&#39;s elite and he was &#39;obliged&#39; by some members of his house to go and visit such an event for more knowledge at the very least. Rokarion was surprisingly not dressed in his modest clothing today. The quite young plant was clad in some of the finest fabrics right from Cliffside. The dress was compromised of a white, frilly shirt with a white cravat around his neck, hiding his double gemstone, a light grey waistcoat over it, and a dark green frock coat. The coat clearly displayed his Clever clan badge, and another strange badge that did not seem to belong to any of the noble houses here in Sweetwater or even any of the major well-known noble houses of most nations.  Adding to his glamour was the fact that during this time his inner flower was also blooming, surrounding the fancily dressed plant with quite a strong jasmine aroma. All in all, it was quite clear that Rokarion was a Cliffsider from his garb or at least obviously not from Sweetwater, no other reason for such a fancy and foreign dress or badge.<br> <br>Angus perks up as he hears Sven, nodding in greeting. &quot;Hello there Sven, how are you?&quot; He comments before turning towards the Puma in greeting. &quot;I have not met Zora, it is a pleasure to meet you.&quot; He states as he gives a polite bow.<br> <br>Rainer has the attention span of a goldfish, fortunate for the put-upon noble, and before she can stammer her way to something approaching a response he turns his gaze to another outfit. &quot;Oop, &#39;scuze me, I have -got- to get a closer look at that one.&quot; And the poor unfortunate who finds themselves bombarded by the energetic pup is ... *dice roll* Jera! &quot;Hey that&#39;s a fancy walkin&#39; stick y&#39;got there! I like this dingly bit at the top!&quot; Then his hands are grasping to pull the head of the staff down closer to eye level, though with those exorbitantly long sleeves it looks more like two extremely limp anacondas are trying to coil around the staff. &quot;Does it do anything?&quot; Boy probably hasn&#39;t even noticed who he&#39;s speaking to.<br> <br>Cassidy offers a cheery wave over towards Sven, glancing among the other guests as she gives Natska&#39;s arm a squeeze. &quot;Hello, Angus! I&#39;ve seen you two days in a row, now! Maybe this means you&#39;re here for good?&quot; She asks with a teasing tone. &quot;And several other familiar faces, too! How lovely.&quot;<br> <br>Jera smiles as he wraps his arms around Rainer tightly in a hug. &quot;It helps me to keep focus when I combine water and air magic. I am dressed as a winter witch!&quot; The kit fox adds.<br> <br>Natska gives Sven a deep curtsey, grinning at the puma. &quot;Thank you for inviting us, Sven! We always enjoy your parties.&quot; She slips her arm back through Cassidy&#39;s and gives her arm a small squeeze, then smiles at her other friends as well. &quot;Hello, Angus. Jera. It is great to see you. How are you doing?&quot;<br> <br>Zora bows her head and gives a graceful curtsey as she is introduced. &quot;A pleasure to meet you,&quot; she says, her accent very faint next to Sven&#39;s. She pats Sven&#39;s arm and steps away. &quot;Forgive me, old friend,&quot; she says, &quot;I must go prepare for my performance.&quot; The puma nods his assent and watches the swan sway gracefully away before turning back to his guests. He suddenly jumps forward and wraps both Natska and Cassidy in a bear hug! &quot;Sven congratulates you both!&quot; he crows, planting a smooch on the cheek of each woman befor setting them down, &quot;and hello, pretty Jera!&quot; The nobleman&#39;s exuberant greetings slow momentarily when he sees Rokarion, but then he brightens. &quot;You are Aeneanas boy, da?&quot; he asks.<br> <br>Cassidy smiles at Sven and returns the hug with one arm, the other still staying with Natska. &quot;Thank you, Sven! We are pleased to finally be bonded, yes.  And you&#39;re looking nice over there, Jera! Looks good on you,&quot; she says with a nod before waiting to hear the answer to Natska&#39;s question.<br> <br>Rainer oofs, quite a bit of the wind squeezed out of him in that unexpected hug. &quot;Eeeh, Jera! ...I missed you too! I also miss breathing.&quot; He can offer the rest little more than a sheepish grin as a crowd forms to give their greetings and introductions. &quot;What&#39;s up?&quot; And then he raises his hand and waves -- except that his sleeve is wrapped several times around Jera&#39;s staff, and pulls it along with, bopping him on the head. &quot;Ow. Hang on, got a--oof--bit of a tangle-ouch--just gotta-ow-figure this-ow-ow...&quot;<br> <br>Rokarion raises his head upwards to look at Sven, the plant being&#39;s usual serene expression was still there but his face still seemed to be more serious, a hint of a stiff upper lip even. &quot;Thank you for the invitation to this party Mister Sven Snowmark. I am indeed a member of the Aeneanas house.&quot; Rokarion said as politely as ever but his voice showed a strong and clear Cliffsider accent, clearly one of the city accents for those who bother with such details. Rokarion would then take out a small box from under his coat and offer it to Sven, &quot;A small gift for you and your house, some of the finest chocolates in all of Cliffside.&quot; Rokarion would add.<br> <br>Natska returns Sven&#39;s hug with a big, tight hug of her own, her ears perked. &quot;Thank you!&quot; she echoes, enthusiastically. Then Sven moves on to someone prettier, and she turns her attention to her friends, ears perked as she listens to the conversation.<br> <br>Jera watched Rainer with a look of chagrin. Not quite able to disassemble the staff, he just tried to hold it for the poor wolf while he paid attention to Rokarion&#39;s speech at the same time. He made a mental note at the flower&#39;s affluence, giving a half hearted tug to the staff.<br> <br>Angus clasps his hands behind his back as he grins at Cassidy and Natska. &quot;Hopefully yes.&quot; He answers as his ears flick back and forth as he watches the rest of the party goers curiously.<br> <br>Sven takes the little box with a formal bow to Rokarion, he IS an ambassador after all. Then with no ceremony at all, he lifts the lid and tosses back one of the chocolates. &quot;Ha!&quot; he crows, &quot;Is excellent!&quot; With that, the hefty puma sweeps the smaller plant being into a crushing hug. &quot;Sven thanks you!&quot; he exclaims. He IS a Snowmark, after all. 

&quot;Come!&quot; the burly feline calls, turning on his heel and wrapping an arm around Rokarion and the other around Jera he starts to lead them away toward what seems to be a stage set up near the helm, &quot;Zora will sing for us!&quot;<br> <br>Cassidy leans over against Natska, tail swaying behind her. I love this time of year. So many parties and fun to be had. It&#39;s always fantastic.&quot; At mention of the singing, though, she starts trying to shuffle in that direction with Natska, eager to listen! &quot;And now we have another reason to consider it a good time, too.&quot;<br> <br>Jera follows along without complaint! Finding a seat and keeping quiet to listen.<br> <br>&quot;Ow--nodon&#39;t, almost got it.&quot; Rainer fumbles, having only another sleeve-covered mass the helplessly paw at the tightly-wrapped fabric of the opposing sleeve, unable to grasp. Suddenly Jera is being lead away! And so the pup stumbles along behind, biting his bottom lip and widening eyes as his struggle becomes all the more urgent. &quot;A-HA!&quot; comes his declaration of triumph as he finally gets the last wind of the sleeve unwound -- short moments before the thud of him toppling backwards from the sudden loss of tension. &quot;...I meant to do that.&quot;<br> <br>Rokarion raises an eyebrow as he is engulfed in a crushing hug, making the plant emit a soft gasp for air, and from this angle also giving Sven a face full of jasmine fragrance, almost dizzying with its strength. The poor flower does not even have time to recover before he feels Sven&#39;s heavy arms on his shoulders, making Rokarion follow without complaint as he tries to maintain his calm demeanor, &quot;Your welcome, Ser.&quot; Rokarion said as he was led one. Rainer was offered a glance from the flower, who have met him before, and a raised petal of an eyebrow before it was directed elsewhere<br> <br>Angus snickers as he watches the chaos, watching Rainer try and survive in the clothing he was in as the fox just shakes his head and follows along with. &quot;This should be intresting.&quot; He murmurs to himself, curious as to how the scene will play out.<br> <br>Zora is standing between the helm and the railing as a string quartet finishes their preparation. The swan gives a graceful nod and they begin to play a lilting tune. She looks serenely out at the audience as they play, then takes a deep breath to begin singing. Her mouth opens, but instead of the lovely soprano that should have come out, there is a lound HONK!!! The diva looks startled and shaken and the quartet stops in confusion.<br> <br>Natska frowns slightly as everyone she had been chatting with is swept up in the spectacle, but it doesn&#39;t last - soon the happy jaguar is grinning again, as she follows Cassidy and the others, and gives her wife a quick kiss on the cheek, then settles in to listen.<br> <br>Jera peers at the performer, eyes opened wide. He has been dragged along the floor, but the loud sound is enough to distract him from the discomfort as he picks himself up and dusts off.<br> <br>Cassidy startles a little at the sound that comes from the singer, looking uncertainly up to Natska for a moment, then at the rest of the audience, then back at the singer. She bites her lip, but tries not to react in an... Unladylike fashion. She keeps a straight face.<br> <br>Rainer sits up with a start at the honk and begins clapping at a fever pace, though with the tuxedo sleeves completely covering his hands, and then some, there&#39;s less of a clap and more of a... well, the sound of two peices of fabric being swatted together. A lot. &quot;Woo! Good show! Play it again! Play it again!&quot;<br> <br>Rokarion kept his neutral expression as he looked on the stage, however the plant could not help but raise an eyebrow at Zora. Noticing Sven still had his arm around his shoulders; Rokarion would let out a small cough, &quot;I bet she needs your help, Ser.&quot; The plant said politely, can&#39;t risk offending an ambassador now can you.<br> <br>Zora coughs daintily and gestures to the quartet to start again, giving a slightly annoyed look to Rainer, though he is not the only one to react to the strange occurence, a quiet murmur arising amongst the crowd. The diva looks around a little as her intro plays again, then opens her mouth to sing. This time a loud braying, like that of a donkey issues forth from her mouth! Her white plumage visibly reddens as she claps graceful hands over her mouth. 
A murmur goes through the crowd and a couple of faint snickers can be heard scattered around the deck. Sven&#39;s normally jovial face is darkened with a frown as he looks around the deck.<br> <br>Angus blinks a little at the honking, tilting his head in confusion just a little as he clasps his hands behind his back. &quot;My word, it sounds like she may have a frog in her throat.&quot; <br> <br>&quot;That wasn&#39;t a frog, Angus,&quot; Natska replies. Then she glances down at Cassidy and smiles. &quot;Kitsune?&quot; she asks, quietly. &quot;Seems like one of their sorts of tricks.&quot;<br> <br>Cassidy nods at Natska. &quot;That is what I am thinking. Someone&#39;s getting their jollies at the expense of our poor singer here.&quot; She narrows her eyes and glances around the audience, ears flicking as she looks for anyone that looks a little too... Concentrated and focused at the moment.<br> <br>Rainer seems to think this is all part of the act, laughing so hard his eyes are welling up with tears. &quot;Oh boy... oh boy... this is... this is the best. Thing. Ever! You don&#39;t know what&#39;s going to come out of her mouth next!&quot; Struggling to breathe, he wraps arms around his belly and hunches forward... but soon he&#39;s pounding his heels frantically on the planks beneath them as he goes into hysterics again.<br> <br>Rokarion got a more or less unamused expression on his face, before he gently slips from under Sven&#39;s grasp and give the whole deck a studious glance. Rokarion then shifted his gaze back at Sven, &quot;You invited some troublemakers with bad taste in humour here?&quot; the plant would ask, not bothering to keep his voice down, &quot;That strange noises coming out from Missus Yegorova are obviously due to some immature trickster.&quot; He added before giving the place another glance.<br> <br>Angus shrugs his shoulders a bit as he listens to Rokarion. &quot;Could be, but the question is how are they doing it?&quot; He asks curiously as he starts to look around from where he is.<br> <br>Sven&#39;s stormy expression turns on Rokarion. &quot;You are accusing Sven of something, little Aeneanas?&quot; he growls, though his own gaze goes out over the murmuring crowd. Zora, in her place before the helm looks ready to bolt! Or weep. Or both, especially as the laughter and muttering grow. It seems that she may not try again.<br> <br>Cassidy tilts her head to the side and gives Natska a little nudge, gesturing over towards the fox off the side. Without a word, she starts over in that direction, waiting til she is standing behind the other fox to clear her throat. &quot;Hello there! Lovely party, isn&#39;t it?&quot;<br> <br>Rainer cups both of his sleeves around his mouth and calls to poor, tormented Zora, &quot;Do a hunting jarl!&quot; Be glad he doesn&#39;t have proper use of his fingers at the moment, or he might whip out his own rendition.<br> <br>Rokarion gives Sven an almost offended face before shaking his head, &quot;Not at all, I am merely asking if you would know who of your guests would be known for such behavior.&quot; Rokarion answers politely before noticing the young fox. Rokarion would then lean closer towards Sven before whispering something in his ear and moving closer towards the young fox.<br> <br>Natska nods her head, although she starts to move towards Sven, not the fox; when Cassidy heads towards the young fox, though, she changes course and approaches him as well.<br> <br>Jera heads up on stage, drawing a simple water spell to draw a glass of clean water to offer Zora, along with a look of worry. &quot;Perhaps a simple cold? It happens to the best of us.&quot; He offers, more a show to distract rather than to help.<br> <br>The young fox does not so much as jump when Cassidy announces her presence. &quot;It was!&quot; he says, &quot;Until the bird up there choked!&quot; 
Zora, meanwhile has turned angrily to Rainer and opens her mouth to berate the young wolf, but instead of an angry tirade, she gives the ululating howl of a hunting yarl! The singer snaps her mouth shut, lifts up her skirts and scurries down the stairs, pushes her way through the crowd and disappears into the captain&#39;s stateroom. 

Sven listens to Rokarion&#39;s words and his stormy expression turns to fury as the red garbed captain storms his way across the deck toward the indicated fox. It is probably safe to assume that there will be no negotiation at this point.<br> <br>Cassidy settles her hands on her hips and fixes the other fox with a stern look. &quot;And I don&#39;t suppose you&#39;d happen to be behind this, would you? My, I certainly hope it wasn&#39;t. Such things have... Stern consequences, you know. Like dealing with an angry Snowmark. Or an angry Solacious. I think,&quot; she says loudly enough that even if the fox wasn&#39;t the culprit, whoever was might hear, &quot;That if someone -were- behind such a thing, they should be leaving quite quickly, lest they be caught.&quot;<br> <br>Rainer should be thrilled to have his request answered! ...but instead he screws up his face. &quot;No no, I said -hunting jarl-.&quot; And then the performer makes her hasty exit, and he knits his brows in concern, calling towards the door through which she&#39;s disappeared, &quot;I didn&#39;t say it was a bad impression! ...whatever it was supposed to be.&quot;<br> <br>Rokarion was wise enough to take a step to the side as the much larger and quite furious puma marched towards the fox. Not having anything else to do, the young plant would follow Sven, hands behind his back and face serene as usual, a stark contrast to the raging puma, &quot;Of course he might not be the culprit, and he simply looked suspicious.&quot; Rokarion adds idly, not thinking that Sven would be listening to him anymore, but the plant was having doubts of his own of the culprit&#39;s identity, it seems like the kit might not be him.<br> <br>Sven storms up to the relaxed fox, towering over him like a particularly angry thunderhead. &quot;Good evening, Lord Snowmark!&quot; the fox says amiably, &quot;I was just telling these ladies what a shame it was that Diva Zor-IPE!&quot; 
The fox yelps as he suddenly finds himself hauled from his feet! Sven has heaved the vulpine heckler into the air by his collar and belt! The hefty puma carries him to the railing and unceremoniuosly tosses him into the bay! 

By the time Sven has turned around, he is all smiles again. &quot;Sven is most sorry for interruption!&quot; he says, &quot;Please continue! Sven will talk to Pretty Zora!&quot; The puma then swaggers over to his stateroom door, throwing it wide before ducking in and slamming it behind him.<br> <br>Cassidy smiles at Sven and gives a little clap of her gloved hands. &quot;That is one way to deal with it! Thank you, Sven. I would have hated to have to do it myself tonight! But I am hoping we are not mistaken as to who it was, or that they will at least get the hint by now.&quot;<br> <br>Natska gives Sven a small, polite applause, then takes Cassidy&#39;s arm again. She stands close to her fennec and leans her shoulder against her love&#39;s, her ears perking as she looks over the party crowd again.<br> <br>Rokarion stops near Sven, the fox, and the newly married couple. The plant staring at the events unfolding in front of him, not even bothering to add on or ask Sven about the identity of the culprit, after all the puma was definitely not in a mood for questions. Rokarion would take a couple of steps towards the railings and peer to see where the fox has landed before shrugging and looking back at the guests.<br> <br>Jera frowns softly as Zora leaves the stage. He knows how terrible it feels like to have a bad performance...especially in front of an established audience. Not to mention when it wasn&#39;t even his fault. From the stage he scans the area to see if he can notice anyone else hiding, using the elevation to help.<br> <br>It seems that many in the crowd approve of Sven&#39;s actions, though it is almost certain that no one understands them. It is hardly a Snowmark party until someone has been thrown overboard. The guests go back to their chatter and perusing the sumptuous buffet and sizeable wet bar. 

The fox seems to be alright, though his suit is almost certainly ruined. He can be seen stroking steadily toward the docks and his angry muttering can just be heard over the lapping of the waves. 

After a few minutes of waiting, Diva Zora Yegorova emerges from the direction of the hold! She has changed her dress and is all smiles and waves as she breezes lightly across the deck, calm and relaxed, as if nothing had happened at all. She does not stop to talk, but climbs up by the helm and takes her place immediately. She waves her delicate hand to the quartet and they start to play once more, looking as worried as the diva ought to feel, but she only smiles demurely at the crowd. When her cue arrives, she spreads her hands in an artful pose and launches into a beautiful aria! Something about how wonderful champaigne is. Such a shame that Sven hasn&#39;t returned!<br> <br>Rainer watches with raised eyebrows the todd whom gets hoisted and cast overboard... to which he promptly begins applauding and whooping again. &quot;I&#39;ve -got- to crash more of these Snowbark parties. They&#39;re the -best-.&quot; At last he picks himself up off the deck, taking a moment to brush off the general vicinity of the seat of his pants, peering back over his shoulder as he does to visually inspect how much grime his oversized apparel picked up during his time on the floor. Just in time for Zora&#39;s return, to, for which he promptly parks his tush back down on the exact same spot to gawk at her while she croons. &quot;...I liked her other act better.&quot;<br> <br>Natska applauds for the singing, smiling as she listens. She takes the time to enjoy herself and the company, finding some drinks and sticking with Cassidy throughout the night.<br> <br>Cassidy claps again, this time for the singing, as Natska was. She fetches a glass of cold wine for herself before she setltes back to enjoy the evening, ears perked at the singing. &quot;I love parties like this,&quot; she muses quietly to herself, pleased that the evening could be saved!<br> <br>Rokarion returns back to his original place and listens to the swan&#39;s melodious voice as she sings. The young being&#39;s face remains neutral but he certainly does approve of the singing. As she sings, Rokarion would take out a small notebook and a pen, as per his habit, and begins to scribble things down, as he spends most of the night talking to many of the foreign dignitaries and nobles.<br> <br>Zora curtseys gracefully at the applause she recieves and lightly descends the stairs, accepting congratulations magnanimously. She sways lightly across the deck and embraces Sven&#39;s aging advisor Anton for a moment before engaging him and the ermine head of staff in conversation. 

The party is still nice with all the good food and drink and pleasantries and music, but it is considerably quieter with the host missing.<br> <br>Natska finishes her drink, then stifles a yawn. She leans against Cassidy, and quietly contemplates the gathering. &quot;Hm. People have left while everyone was distracted,&quot; she points out. Then the jaguar waves at Rokarion and approaches the plant-being. &quot;Hello, Rokarion! That was a lovely sketch you did, and I wanted to thank you personally. I appreciated it, and I&#39;m going to frame it for our room.&quot;<br> <br>Rainer pulls himself up off the deck and again gives his backside a brushing off, promptly followed by arching his back and rocking up on his toetips as he lets out a long, fitful grunt. &quot;Oh well, that was ... um. I guess that&#39;s Noble People music, huh?&quot; He seems to be feeling the loss of that unplacable buzz in the air, as he starts scanning the crowd as if in search of something particular... which is when he sets eyes on a rather nondescript folk heading for the gangway. &quot;Huh, someone didn&#39;t get the memo &#39;bout the fancy dress, eh?&quot; commented to no one imparticular.<br> <br>Rokarion stopped himself from yawning after a particular boring chat with one of the Sweetwater nobles. He would then focus his gaze on Natska and offers a polite nod from his head, his inner blossom closing as he does so, &quot;No need to thank me Missus Illyushkin. It was merely an idle sketch.&quot; Rokarion said politely before he looked at Rainer then at the gangway, then returning his gaze towards the lady in front of him, &quot;And you are very welcome to do so. I could probably paint me if you wish?&quot;<br> <br>Cassidy turns to follow after Natska, nodding at Rokarion and offering a smile. &quot;Yes, I suppose people are starting to go,&quot; she says with a frown, ears flicking towards Rainer though her eyes remain on Rainer. &quot;Oh, we&#39;ve got plenty of paintings, I think, but perhaps sometime, huh? Maybe we ought to build an art gallery in there...&quot;<br> <br>The party continues on into the evening, pleasant and surprisingly sedate, with Zora making two more encore performances. Eventually, the swan Diva makes her way to where Natska, Cassidy and the others are relaxing. &quot;You must be the newlyweds,&quot; she says with a light accent, &quot;I had hoped that Lord Snowmark would be here to introduce me to everyone, but it seems he could not make it at all tonight!&quot;<br> <br>Natska raises an eyebrow at Zora, and her head tilts ever so slightly to the side. &quot;He could not make it at all?&quot; she asks, tone curious. &quot;... and my thanks, miss Zora. You sing at the Hilcrest Opera?&quot;<br> <br>Rokarion nods at Cassidy before looking back at Zora. Rokarion would give the lady a polite bow, &quot;Your performance was breath-taking Miss Yegorova, a pity about the earlier commotion.&quot; Rokarion says graciously before pushing one of his outer blossom petals to the side while thinking for a moment before adding, &quot;By the way Miss Yegorova. Do you know of any rivals to yourself that happens to be crows? I do believe that I heard the troublemaking fox say something about a crow, and his words implied that he was doing this for someone&#39;s sake rather than his own amusement.<br> <br>Cassidy offers a smile to Zora, giving a little curtsy. &quot;I saw him earlier! He... Well, yes, he was here, certainly. I am not sure where he went, though.&quot; She brushes her hair out of her face and shrugs. &quot;But yes, we are the newly  bonded couple! You have a lovely singing voice, miss.&quot; She perks her ears at the mention of a crow, though.<br> <br>Zora looks at Rokarion in confusion. &quot;What commotion?&quot; she asks, people keep saying things like that, but no one will say what they mean!&quot; The swan frowns a bit. &quot;And it is not like Lord Sven to miss his own party!&quot; she continues before shaking her head, &quot;I do not know any singing crows.&quot; She looks over at the doors to the stateroom. &quot;Has anyone been in the captain&#39;s rooms?&quot; she asks, &quot;Perhaps he is in there?&quot;<br> <br>Rokarion furrowed his the petals that made his eyebrows and glanced the three ladies in front of him before focusing back on Zora, &quot;You have no idea Miss Yegorova?&quot; the plant does not dwell long, &quot;I will explain later. Please do excuse me, and it was lovely meeting you Miss.&quot; The young plant being says as he hastily departs and moves towards the captain&#39;s room, knocing on the door, &quot;Lord Snowmark are you in here? I need to talk to you about something.&quot; The plant being would say before opening the door and entering in case of a positive or no response.<br> <br>Natska frowns faintly as she watches Rokarion, her ear flicking, then she looks at Cassidy and shrugs. &quot;So... think the first Zora was the kitsune then?&quot; she asks, as she starts to follow Rokarion. &quot;They did an excellent job of acting if it was.&quot;<br> <br>Cassidy furrows her brow at that. &quot;Well... That&#39;s interesting,&quot; she says, glancing after Rokarion for a moment before flexing her fingers. &quot;So... Tell me about yourself, miss Zora?&quot; She asks, putting on a smile again. She&#39;s getting a grasp of what&#39;s happening now, but isn&#39;t sure which is supposed to be genuine! If the one in front of her was the imposter, she certainly didn&#39;t want to let her get away.<br> <br>Upon entering the stateroom and captain&#39;s quarters, it becomes quite evident what has happened to Lord Snowmark. The hefty puma has been stripped naked and is securely tied to the ceiling, forced to hang in a rather. . . exposed position while his mouth is firmly gagged. The puma is concious and gives the best wave he can in the circumstances, along with a muffled greeting. Along with his, unfortunate predicament, it seems that someone has made off with a number of small, expensive items, conspicuous in their abscence. 

&quot;I have been the lead soprano at the Hilrock Opera company since Sven was dancing in the ballet!&quot; Zora says, following after the others curiously, &quot;Though I confess that has not been so long as- Oh, Sven!&quot; The swan cries out and hurries into the state room when she sees the tied up puma and pulls the gag from his mouth. 

&quot;Ah!&quot; he gasps, &quot;Hello, pretty Zuzu!&quot; he says with a grin, &quot;Sven seems to have made little mistake!&quot; He grins at the others. &quot;Pretty Zora has perfect voice, da?&quot; he asks, as if unaware of his position, &quot;Sven hears her down here too!&quot;<br> <br>Natska can&#39;t help but laugh for a moment, and then she nods her head. &quot;Yes, she is a great singer.&quot; She pauses. &quot;Sven, would you like help getting down? Or will you be staying there tonight?&quot; she asks, her tail flicking.<br> <br>Rokarion opened the door and entered the room. Rokarion would stare up at the immodest puma, a faint blush coming over his cheeks before he would glance around, &quot;So the imposter has escaped? How could they manage tofuzzyubdue you this way Mister Sven?&quot; Rokarion would ask as he attempts to untie Sven and if the need be offer his coat to cover Sven&#39;s modesty, &quot;I do still remember how the fox looked like. Maybe I could draw a little sketch and we can tell the city watch about the theft? Maybe even the spyguards since the kitsunes where involved.&quot;<br> <br>Cassidy follows after Zora once she starts moving. &quot;Ah, I see! And Sven dances in ballet, huh?&quot; She says with a snicker, blinking in surprise once she sees Sven himself, though. &quot;Oh. My,&quot; she quickly averts her eyes and coughs into a fist. &quot;Well. I am sure we&#39;ll find the culprit. One way or another.&quot; She takes her place at Natska&#39;s side again, tail twitching.<br> <br>Sven does not seem to be the least bit embarrassed. &quot;Fake Zuzu says to Sven that he should practice flexibility and this will make her happy!&quot; he explains, &quot;So Sven does stretches!&quot; The nude puma illustrates by contorting himself in some rather remarkable ways, still hanging from the ropes. &quot;Then she is putting gag in Sven&#39;s mouth and taking ugly statue and little lockbox and other things,&quot; he frowns, &quot;Was most sneaky!&quot; He allows Rokarion and Zora to carefully untie him and stands unabashed in the altogether. The hefty puma wraps an arm around Rokarion&#39;s shoulders and leads him back to the door. &quot;You are all leaving drinks for Sven, da?&quot; he asks as he opens the doir and walks back out in the altogether. Zora just rolls her eyes and shrugs at the other women before following. &quot;Snowmarks,&quot; she says in explanation. Another successful party for Sven Snowmark![[Category:RPLogs]]