View source for The 300th Annual Hearts Tiding Ball - RPLOG

=Participants=
* [[Aleera]]
* [[Cassidy]]
* [[Flora]]
* [[Leighton]]
* [[Lyas]]
* [[Natska]]
* [[Peter]]
* [[Zalthar]]
=Date=
16/2/482
=Log=
<div></div><br> <br>It&#39;s a warm, pleasant evening. The sun has set, but the air is still pleasantly warm, and the castle is decorated with a multitude of heart-shaped decoarations, along with warmly glowing torches and magical lights. An almost cozy look. Guards are busy at work, helping beings find their way to the grand hall, and making sure no-one goes and wanders off too far into places they shouldn&#39;t...

Inside, there&#39;s already a bustle of beings, crowding on the floor, and gathering near various tables with drinks and hors d&#39;oeuvres... When the royals throw a party, they throw a /party/.<br> <br>Leighton was amongst the crow being guided in, her head turning every which way, though usually craned upwards, her mouth slightly agape, both from the angle and the sights. The squirrel was almost bumping into people, only paying marginal attention to where she was going. She was lifting her skirt ever so slightly, careful not to tread on it, or drag it on the floor.<br> <br>Peter is clearly aiming to look far above his station and failing miserably. He&#39;s been tailored into a suit much too small, as tufts of his fluffy fur pour out at the ends of the sleeves and around his collar, the poor lad looking like he may burst out of his jacket with one false move. Despite that, it&#39;s at least more flattering than his usual mustard-stained fare. He waddles forth with confidence despite the silly look. The sight of Leighton&#39;s head amid a group of beaks catches his attentions and leads him to double his efforts of tampling on - a guard stifling a laugh at the sight. &quot;Hey!&quot; he hisses to her, like he&#39;s got a secret to tell. <br> <br>A red and white bustled dress doesn&#39;t fit every occasion, but it fits this one, and more importantly it still fits the fennec wearing it. Cassidy runs her fingers along her ears, scratching and lightly jingling the hanging jewelry in the process as she eyes the food table. The worst part about being a noble at functions is that she had to restrain herself. A small snack is claimed, a bit less than she&#39;d have liked, but she had to be dainty.<br> <br>Formal events.  They really aren&#39;t Aleera&#39;s specialty.  This party might have dancing and drinking, sure, but it&#39;s not the kind that she&#39;s used to and certainly not the kind that she&#39;d prefer....  No, it&#39;s all far too fancy for her... but there&#39;s still fun to be had.  And besides, she has someone that she needs to meet here....  The siamese has actually bothered to dress up for once.  She&#39;s wearing a dark purple waistcoat over her usual puffy tunic, allowing the frills of the collar to poke out over the collar of the coat, and it&#39;s accompanied by a similarly colored pair of dress pants.  She&#39;s wearing her usual boots and belt too, but for once she doesn&#39;t even have any ordnance on her!  She&#39;s gone all out, indeed. 

She&#39;s currently simply lingering around where her and Lyas&#39;s meeting point was supposed to be -- likely someone near the edge of the crowd -- and idly nibbling on... some sort of snack she snagged from one of the tables along the way.  Noble food is weird....<br> <br>Lyas enters the castle after the main throng has passed. He looks contemplatively up the blocked-off staircases.. but takes no more than a couple, joking steps towards those areas the guards are standing prohibitively in front of. It&#39;s worth it to see their scowls, before he turns on his heel and follows the intended path to the grand hall. 

The Cat would have gravitated straight towards all that free food - if he wasn&#39;t waiting for someone. He lingers by the doorway, inspecting the newcomers. He spots Leighton in the crowd, waving as he lounges back against one wide leaf of the door. 

There she is! Lyas gets a glint in his eye as he catches sight of Aleera&#39;s back, her long cream hair a dead giveaway. The tabby slips through the crowd, clamping his hands down on Aleera&#39;s shoulders. &quot;Evenin&#39;,&quot; he murmurs to her, then spins her around to look at him. Now, she can see that the Cat has also made some efforts towards dressing up - he wears a clean white shirt, with a laced v-neck, and faun-coloured trousers. He&#39;s ditched his normal leather armlets, though of course he still has the cords for his necklaces - and what&#39;s more, he&#39;s wearing a brand-new Adaptable clan badge, prominently displayed on the front of his shirt.<br> <br>Crowds, noise, and festivities: Three things that one wouldn&#39;t expect to find a certain small cat around. But Zalthar is one to suprise occasionally, and can be found having slipped in early, sitting on one of the chairs designed for the shorter folk.

She&#39;s not especially dressed up compared to the others in the party, but even she put some thought into how she looks today. A fitted black jacket with brass buttons down its front and on its cuffs, embroidered with gold thread along the hems and shoulders, while her trousers seem to have been re-tailored shorts, a bit baggier than most beings&#39;, but still quite respectable.<br> <br>While Cassidy may be dainty, the fennec&#39;s wife is... well, at least she is graceful. The athletic jaguar, Natska Solacious, is wearing one of her favorite dresses tonight - an elegant silken one in deep blues and purples, accompanied by silver ribbons and accessories. She is also right at Cassidy&#39;s side as her wife visits the snack table, but she declines to get any for herself as she takes in the crowded ballroom.<br> <br>Next to Leighton is another, an older Jaguar. Ambrose, smiling faintly as the squirrel looks out over the crowd, peering out over the group of crows that has managed to surround the two. There&#39;s a momentary glance towards Peter, a little gesture of his muzzle suggesting to the lad to come closer, though he makes sure they don&#39;t hold up the crowd too much... No use holding the queue up.

The crowd does steadily move forward, and soon enough, most beings are inside the large ballroom. 

And then, mione steps out, holding an air-magic enchanted rod of metal. &quot;Beings All. On behalf of Good King Good, I am delighted to declare the three-hundredth annual Hearts Tidings ball offically opened,&quot; his voices calls out, audible properly everywhere in the ballroom, and a little more exuberant than his usual, restrained self...

As his voice dies down, and the music starts to play, two -very- prominent beings make their way onto the dancefloor... The King and Queen themselves, traditionally opening by taking the first dance, as the music starts to play... A slow, rhythmic waltz...<br> <br>Leighton is almost startled by the whisper from Peter, but smiles as she notices who it comes from. &quot;Peter!&quot; The squirrel giggles a little at the sight of the chipmunk. &quot;Hi!&quot; As she is offered food she politely nods at the staff...and tries taking the entire plate, perhaps having misunderstood something. Even then, she smiles at Peter. &quot;How have you been?&quot; She glances to Ambrose every now and then, clearly not wanting to get seperated in the crowd.<br> <br>The usually dark furred Cassidy is, today, her original more natural colouration. She almost feels like a different person, but no, she&#39;s still the same short statured vixen as  ever. &quot;It feels like ages since we&#39;ve been to a ball,&quot; She comments to Natska with a flick of her tail and a nibble. &quot;The croissants are good. Highly recommended.&quot;<br> <br>Aleera perks up when she feels those hands on her shoulders, and... really she already had a hunch about who it was.  Not many people would dare to approach her in such a way, after all... but she does also look a bit less intimidating than usual, seeing as how she isn&#39;t a walking fire hazard right now.  &quot;Evenin&#39; to you, too,&quot; she says right back, a grin on her muzzle, though she doesn&#39;t actually turn to look at him until he spins her around.  She looks him over, her smile widening a bit -- especially after she spots that proudly displayed badge.  &quot;Y&#39;know, you clean up pretty nicely,&quot; she teases, reaching out to take one of his hands.  When the music starts up, she even adds, &quot;I&#39;d ask if you wanna dance, but I&#39;ve got no idea how we&#39;re s&#39;posed to dance at somethin&#39; like this.&quot;<br> <br>Peter jerks his head up and straightens his back into an upright posture at the sight of Ambrose - though he quickly slumps again, as the fabric of his outfit strains against the slight movement. A few crows are bumped aside as he makes his way up to the jaguar and the squirrel. &quot;I been okay, I went and got some good clothes from my brother,&quot; he says, as an explanation of both his absence and his apparel. &quot;Look- look! three hundred,&quot; he says, eyes lighting up at the sight of the King and Queen taking the first dance. He watches intently, bouncing excitedly on the toes of his scuffed leather shoes.<br> <br>Natska puts a gentle hand on Cassidy&#39;s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. &quot;I know,&quot; she replies, tone soft. &quot;It&#39;s been... oof. Far too long. I&#39;m almost not sure what to do with so many Beings around. And thank you, love, I will keep that in mind.&quot; She gives the shorter woman a warm, fond smile, then gives her attention to the dance floor as the royals move in.<br> <br>Zalthar sits on her perch, watching the first dance of the night take place as she sips on a glass of wine. Distracted, she jumps down and starts to wander among the crowd, humming along to the music.<br> <br>The tabby Cat smiles widely, tail brushing Aleera&#39;s leg affectionately. &quot;&#39;Clean up nice&#39;? That&#39;s it? And I went and snuck out at five this morning to get this daft badge and surprise you.&quot; He lets Aleera take his hand, lifting hers for a kiss. &quot;Had it booked a week ago. Thought I&#39;d best not mention just when it was. Always I chance I&#39;d have ended up leaving with their silverware instead of a badge.&quot; With that, he steps one foot past Aleera&#39;s, using his other to hook her legs out from under her. One arm around her waist, the other supporting her shoulders, he bends her back for an enthusiastic kiss. It&#39;s very public and some of the more refined citizens will doubtless harrumph about the display, but what does he care? &quot;Don&#39;t think this&#39;ll stop us having fun though,&quot; he whispers to the other Cat, jerking his head down towards the clan badge. &quot;Just need to get a bit creative about it. An&#39; no more overnights in a goal cell!&quot; He ruins the moment by dropping Aleera. She&#39;s only inches off the floor when he does, but still, how undignified!<br> <br>Leighton giggles slightly. &quot;I think...maybe the jacket looks better unbuttoned.&quot; She suggests to the chipmunk, perhaps trying to relieve the stress on his clothes a little. &quot;Still! Glad to see you here.&quot; The squirrel&#39;s attention is caught by the king and queen, dancing. &quot;Is that...&quot; She mutters in a tone of disbelief. &quot;Never figured I&#39;d see them in person...&quot; Her hand drifts to hold onto Ambrose&#39;s sleeve.<br> <br>Lyas&#39;s apparent disappointment over her reaction simply makes Aleera laugh and grin that amused, toothy smile of hers, &quot;What else do ya want me to say?  That it&#39;s shiny &#39;n nice?  It does look real good on you.&quot;  Her tone is still teasing, of course, but once he finishes explaining the circumstances of getting that badge, she goes to speak... then pauses and glances around the... rather public place that they&#39;re currently in....  Whatever she was going t say, she leans in to whisper it to him instead.  She moves in for a kiss after, but he beats her to the punch there, a surprised, &quot;Ack!&quot; coming from her as she&#39;s tipped back... only for her to lean into that kiss a moment later... and then be dropped on her bottom a moment after that.  She pouts up at him, but then chuckles and hops up to her feet to pull the tabby into an... uncomfortably tight hug.  &quot;Aye, aye, no more a&#39; the hardcore stuff.  I&#39;m sure we can find some new ways ta have some fun....&quot;<br> <br>Peter unbuttons his jacket in silence. The shirt beneath clings to him like a second skin, fur even poking out from between the buttons - but hey, at least it&#39;s perfectly white and kept clean, a feat for the young lad. &quot;It&#39;s really them!&quot; he mutters. His jacket bunches up a bit now that it&#39;s open. <br> <br>Cassidy nods in agreement, before looking up at Natska. &quot;Not sure what to do? Well, what else would we do at a party? We dance. After the royal pair, anyway. Dance, mingle. And eat, if you&#39;re me. Just a little though,&quot; she winks. &quot;I have not danced in front of people in a long time. Hopefully I haven&#39;t lost my touch.&quot;<br> <br>Slow and steady, the music moves, waxing and waning. One two three, one two three. And the king and queen move to the beat, in that same slow and steady rhythm. And slowly but surely, other beings start joining them. First, those of the high nobility who&#39;ve found the time to come, together with their partners. By the looks of it, High Lady Solacious, a short fennec-fox herself, and High Lord Blackback, a bit more portly.

The food, all of it, really, is delicious. Most of it is locally sourced, to boot, the height of Sweetwater quisine, although there are a few dishes from Shralesta and beyond, as well.

Ambrose, for his part, makes sure to remind Leighton she&#39;s only supposed to take one item from the plate, before taking something himself, and gesturing towards a congregation of nobles. &quot;If you need me, lass, y&#39;can find me over there. There&#39;s some people I ought t&#39;talk to.&quot;<br> <br>Natska glances down at Cassidy to catch her look; she grins, then sticks her tongue out for just a brief moment. &quot;That is what I meant. I know the routine by now - dance, snack a little, maybe mingle. There are just so many people here; I haven&#39;t dealt with a crowd like this in years.&quot; She looks back up at the dancing and caaaarefully sneaks a crossoint herself before rejoining Cassidy, standing at her shoulder and waiting for their turn to join the dancing. &quot;... it is... what is the word though. Beautiful, to see all these Beings here together, even as... different as some are.&quot; She grins, glancing at the couple making a small scene off to the side. &quot;I wonder if Sven was around to get invited. It seems like his thing.&quot;<br> <br>Leighton seems a little discomforted by being left to her own devices by Ambrose. &quot;You can&#39;t, I don&#39;t...&quot; She sighs once he leaves, whispering to herself. &quot;I don&#39;t know what to do...&quot; Breathing in deeply, she smiles at Peter. &quot;So...how&#39;s the career going? Doing well with the...guards? Militia?&quot; She seems a little unsure. Glancing about, she seems to be looking for something to drink, her throat feeling dry.<br> <br>Lyas returns Aleera&#39;s hug with just as much enthusiasm, then pulls away - grinning maniacally. &quot;So, shall we put your steel-caps to the test on the dance floor, go an&#39; bother some folk we know, or just grab ten plates a&#39; food and sit underneath the table?&quot; The last suggestion may be a joke, but if it&#39;s what Aleera wants, he&#39;ll do it! 

The Cat scans the crowd, his finger roving to pinpoint those he sees. &quot;There&#39;s Peter... he&#39;s a Freesword. Hah, an&#39; he&#39;s making nice to Leighton at last.&quot; His eyes move to the squirrel&#39;s master. &quot;I know that guy, too... Ambrose.&quot; He doesn&#39;t elaborate on how he knows the jeweller, just watches as he leaves behind a very awkward squirrel and chipmunk. Oh, there&#39;s chaos to be made there, and fortunately for Leighton, Aleera doesn&#39;t have her gun...<br> <br>Peter snorts, shaking his head at Leighton. &quot;I&#39;m not a guard. Stuff with the militia&#39;s good. I got some money, too, from when I left town,&quot; he explains, planting his hands on his hips - it doesn&#39;t look quite as proud, though, with his odd posture. He looks like he&#39;s really straining to resist posing. &quot;How&#39;s it going with mister Ambrose? He looks really important,&quot; the chipmunk notes, glancing over in the direction the jaguar went. &quot;I think I might quit out of the militia though, soon, since I already done my years of service and I figure it&#39;ll be more money just to do mercenary stuff. I&#39;m gonna miss my friends though.&quot; He lets out a sigh. He takes a moment to tiptoe along toward a plate of food, grabbing a few little snacks in a handful. He offers his handful of food to Leighton before he plucks one out for himself to eat. Some more polite company turn their nose up at the sight.<br> <br>&quot;Maybe,&quot; Cassidy says, leaning against the jaguar was she watches the other Solacious fennec. &quot;Beautiful indeed. It&#39;s always nice to see so many come together in the name of love. One of the purest of feelings!&quot; She&#39;ll wait, and pass the time til Natska has finished before she reaches out to take her by the hand, starting to try and tug her towards the floor. She would not be the first noble couple out, but she would not be denied a dance!<br> <br>Aleera returns that smile with a toothy, enthusiastic one of her own.  Seeing a look like that on her lover makes her confident that they&#39;ll yet find something fun to do at such a fancy, noble event, one way or another....  &quot;I can dance, luv, but I&#39;m used to dancin&#39; on bar tables.  I&#39;d probably get us thrown outta &#39;ere,&quot; a short pause, &quot;Er at least politely asked to leave, anyway.  Whatever they do to get rid of people they don&#39;t want at things like this.&quot;  She places a hand on her hip, surveying the crowd around them, &quot;Might as well go bother some people &#39;en, eh?&quot; 

As the tabby goes over the various people in the crowd that he knows, the siamese follows along, although when he points out Leighton... one of the feline woman&#39;s hands ball into a fist.  She quickly relaxes it again, though.  &quot;Oh.  /Her/,&quot; is all she has to say about the squirrel, her tone unamused despite her smile.  She does point out the fennec and jaguar pair taking to the dancefloor too, her tone perking right back up again as she adds, &quot;Them two were in the tournament thing too, weren&#39;t they?  I remember how sharp of a shot &#39;at fox was.&quot;<br> <br>Leighton chuckles at the offered food, but does partake in it. &quot;Ambrose is nice...still can&#39;t quite believe he took me in.&quot; The squirrel shakes her head, trying to not think too much about it. &quot;Well...I hope you find safe work that pays decently. You&#39;re a good friend.&quot; Her eyes idly scan the crowd, and the squirrel blinks a little as she spots Lyas and Aleera. Gulping, she tries to bring a few people between her and then, trying to stay out of sight, before turning to Peter again. &quot;Anyway...I&#39;ve ogt housing, food and a job...all I ask for from life, really.&quot;<br> <br>Natska gives Cassidy&#39;s hand a squeeze, finishes her crossoiant in a couple of quick bites, then brushes her fingers together to dislodge any crumbs as she follows Cassidy out to the dance floor. After a quick wipe at her muzzle with the back of her hand, Natska giggles and gives Cassidy a smile. &quot;And you are the most beautiful of all, love.&quot; She slips an arm around Cassidy&#39;s waist and takes her hand as the two begin dancing, years spent together more than enough to compensate for the difference in height and stride.<br> <br>Peter nods his head in agreement with Leighton, plucking a snack from his other hand to politely munch while serving as a plate as well. &quot;Aw! I&#39;m not much keen on safe work, I must admit,&quot; he laments, with a cheeky smirk. &quot;I always wanted to be a knight, and I mean, you gotta be a pretty good knight if you want to retire in the nice way.&quot; He lowers his voice at that, glancing around to make sure there are no knights in earshot. The chipmunk follows the squirrel&#39;s gaze to Lyas and Aleera, doing a little shuffle-around to put himself between her and them as he notices her moving. &quot;Oh, speakin&#39; of asking stuff, I was wondering if you wanted to go out in the woods and blow up some stumps sometime. I have some extra gunpowder.&quot; He flutters his lashes after he delivers the very tempting proposal. <br> <br>&quot;From your secret admirer... -s,&quot; comes a voice, almost out of nowhere, as a polar bear presses no less than three roses into Lyas&#39;s paws... And then, quickly, vanishes into the crowd again, ready to deliver a rose to the next being. What an odd fellow.

Still, the music continues to play, and more and more beings start moving on the dance-floor, swaying to the music, and going in small circles around one-another... A group Cassidy and Natska would soon find themselves in the midst of. By now, the first waltz has ended, replaced by another, just a little faster.

One two three, one two three...

Peter, meanwhile, finds that there are no knights around him, and things are still relatively calm for the time being... Even if some beings do scowl at how much food he grabbed, earlier. It&#39;s not going anywhere, after all.<br> <br>&quot;We&#39;ll save the tabletop dancing for when we&#39;re ready to leave, then,&quot; Lyas assures Aleera. The Cat looks across at Natska and Cassidy, following Aleera&#39;s pointing finger. &quot;Oh, you&#39;re right.&quot; He&#39;s not too interested in them, though. He&#39;s begun to edge towards Peter and Leighton. He wants to hear just what their exchange entails. And the sight of Leighton apparently trying to hide from him and Aleera just makes him grin wider. &quot;Look at that, they don&#39;t want us around.&quot; 

Before he can make a move towards the pair, however, he finds his hands full of roses. &quot;Wait, what?&quot; he mutters, appalled eyes following the polar bear. &quot;That&#39;s not... what?&quot; The Cat&#39;s expression is somewhere between amused and bemused. He turns his eyes to Aleera, crooking an eyebrow as he watches her response.<br> <br>Leighton blinks a little at the offer &quot;Blow up...some stumps?&quot; She tilts her head a little, &quot;I mean...sure, always happy to spend some time with a friend.&quot; She still seems a little confused, but is happy to agree at least. The squirrel seems to think a little. &quot;W-well, if you want to be a knight, you&#39;ll need to rub elbows with the right people...right? Need to stay away from...rabble.&quot; She rubs her nape, seeming a little uncomfortable. &quot;I&#39;m sure you&#39;ll do great though! Knight in shining armor.&quot;<br> <br>&quot;Aww. Thank you,&quot; Cassidy replies, a colour creeping into her inner ears as she steps in sync with Natska. Indeed, though they were of different heights, this is far from the first time they&#39;ve danced such, and the practice and time do much to dispel what might otherwise be an awkward pairing. She was doing her Graceful clan roots proud, certainly. Whatever the beat and tempo of the song, she would match it appropriately with a swaying of her festive skirts.<br> <br>&quot;Sounds like a plan.  Want to go ahead and pick out a table?  Maybe when closer to the center a&#39; the room...,&quot; Aleera jokes, although... knowing her, she&#39;d almost definitely be up for ending their night by making some ruckus that&#39;s going to bother people more important than her.  She does, of course, realize that Lyas is slowly but steadily edging towards Leighton and Peter, and she goes right along with him... and thankfully the sound of a crowd moving is enough to mask the sound of her stomping feet.  For once.  &quot;I&#39;m guessin&#39; you wanna show &#39;em just how much fun we are anyway, though?&quot; she says, that wide grin of her own still on her muzzle. 

But then someone comes up and hands the tabby those roses, and Aleera is... well... a mixture of emotions goes through her, really.  Her smile fades to a look that&#39;s... almost a little annoyed, and her expression scrunches up in confusion.  &quot;I- who...?&quot;  She crosses her arms over her chest, her expression shifting to a pout as she surveys the ballroom.  She can take people flirting with and making raunchy passes at her lover, sure, but something outright romantic?  /That&#39;s/ when she starts to get a bit jealous....  &quot;If I knew I coulda gotten a rose fer you, then I woulda done it too,&quot; she grumbles, her gaze coming to rest on her companion once more.<br> <br>Natska is happy to lose herself to the dancing; the taller feline is light on her feet, and the couple&#39;s motions smoothly match to the time of the music and the sway of people around them. Any lingering anxiety about being in front of the crowd is washed away by the joy of the moment.<br> <br>Of course, by now, the polar-bear is already long-gone into the crowd, although the occasional &#39;From your secret admirer&#39; can be heard, as more roses are dispensed... Sometimes to single beings, other times to beings who -clearly- already have a partner... Partners that aren&#39;t always oo pleased with the result...

... And then, he winds up in front of peter, offering two roses to the chipmunk. &quot;Two secret admirers on Hearts&#39; Tidings&#39;. A lucky man!&quot; come the words, before the polar-bear wanders off again, ready to find the next being to hand a rose to. A lonesome snake-lady, by the looks of things.<br> <br>Well, that pout is something worth seeing. The Cat laughs for a good long while at Aleera&#39;s expression - hopefully he&#39;s able to stop before he gets smacked for it! &quot;Sweetheart, no Being in their right mind&#39;d give me roses,&quot; Lyas chuckles, stepping in to press another kiss on Aleera&#39;s lips. He doesn&#39;t need to say that, clearly, Aleera is not in her right mind. While he&#39;s pressed up against the other feline, he threads one of the roses into her hair. &quot;That bear&#39;s either thicker than my tail fur, or he just out-tricked me...&quot; He gazes into the crowd, tracking the polar bear&#39;s movements. &quot;I&#39;ve got him giving roses to folk.&quot; The Cat takes Aleera by the shoulders again, spinning her around to watch the polar bear&#39;s progress. From behind, he leans his chin over her shoulder, giving a slight purr. &quot;It&#39;s a game, Firework. Roses roulette!&quot; He waves a hand expansively, then begins to explain the rules. &quot;Watch who he gives &#39;em to. You can bet on whether they&#39;ll just be confused, or if their partner&#39;ll try to claim it was from them, or if sommun&#39;s going to throw a jealous fit...&quot; He drops a kiss into Aleera&#39;s hair. &quot;Told you we&#39;d still have fun. Stir up a bit of chaos...&quot; Seems like having a clan badge can&#39;t change Lyas entirely. That wicked grin is there to stay!<br> <br>Peter begs to differ regarding the food - it is going somewhere! In fact, it is going rapidly, right into his greedy gob. &quot;I am rabble!&quot; he says, around his mouthful of food. It seems like that suit won&#39;t stay perfectly clean for long. He leans in, as well, and turns to the side slightly to rub his elbow in a little circle around Leighton&#39;s, at her comment. &quot;I comes from a long line of rabble that stretches back generations. Only thing I&#39;m missing to be a knight is just a tabard and an armor-washing. And some money,&quot; he admits. He&#39;s unaware of the mischief that Lyas and Aleera may be planning behind him. He opens his mouth to speak to Leighton again, but finds himself interrupted by the press of two roses into his hand - the one that isn&#39;t full of food anyway. He beams brightly at it. &quot;Wow! Two admirers? I&#39;m some bachelor, huh? And one for you,&quot; he says, offering one of the roses toward the squirrel. &quot;From your secret admirer.&quot; He winks.<br> <br>Cassidy instinctively keeps her tail close as she spins and waltz around the floor with her jaguar partner, a habit developed to keep it from straying under any wayward steps from others on the floor. &quot;Yes, we&#39;ve still got it,&quot; she decides with a wink. &quot;Just like all those many nights ago, when we danced under the stars in the yard.&quot;<br> <br>Leighton blushes under that red fur of hers as she is handed the rose. &quot;I...thank you.&quot; She rubs her nape a little. &quot;W-well...I meant unsavory rabble. Not the common rabble like you...or I.&quot; She hastily adds the last part. &quot;Heh...I&#39;m sure your mother wouldn&#39;t be pleased to be thought of as rabble though...so neither are you.&quot; The squirrel shifts a little from foot to foot. &quot;A-anyway...two admirers. Maybe some noble lady fancies you.&quot; She giggles at the prospect.<br> <br>At first, Lyas laughing like that makes Aleera&#39;s pout deepen, but... after a moment starts to grin.  Slowly, at first, but before long it&#39;s returned to its usual, toothy look... but she does still lean over to flick the tabby on the back of the head.  She doesn&#39;t uncross her arms at all until he kisses her, though.  Then her arms end up wrapped around his shoulders instead, and while his prior comment had definitely made her realize that he&#39;s up to something... she still can&#39;t help but hold him a bit more possessively throughout that smooch.  &quot;You&#39;ve got him doin&#39; that?&quot; she murmurs, a curious expression still on her muzzle... right up until the point that he really explains things, anyways.  Realization crosses her muzzle... followed by that familiar, toothy grin.  &quot;Now /that&#39;s/ devious, luv,&quot; she leans back against his chest a bit, idly resting her cheek against his, &quot;Do you plan on doing anythin&#39; other &#39;en just watching the chaos, &#39;en?&quot;<br> <br>Grinning, Natska gives Cassidy a small squeeze with her supporting arm. &quot;Still have it,&quot; she agrees, bringing Cassidy&#39;s hand in for a quick kiss before they sweep into their next set. &quot;I was hoping with such a large crowd, we&#39;d see more familiar faces... although there are a couple over there, from that tournament. It has been a while since I&#39;ve ran into any of our friends in the Freeswords, though.&quot;<br> <br>&quot;Not much,&quot; the Cat admits, tail flicking in lazy contentment. Aleera makes for a very convenient, solid leaning-post. &quot;Mayhap dance, later on. But for now I&#39;ll bet against you. Let&#39;s say... you call more of them, I&#39;ll get on a ship with you. Take a cruise down to Aurumrock, or wherever you like.&quot; He smiles, eyes roving back to Peter and Leighton. &quot;If I win... you&#39;ll ask Leighton there to dance.&quot; Oh, dear. He really is angling for Aleera&#39;s fist in his guts tonight.<br> <br>Peter nods in agreement with Leighton. &quot;I&#39;d be getting the wooden spoon hard enough to dent my bones if she heard that,&quot; he admits, snickering at her blushing and of her declaration of being rabble. &quot;Maybe so! I figure one&#39;s from this friend of mine,&quot; he says. &quot;And the other oen, yes.. probably some noble lady!&quot; He gestures his rose at Leighton like a wand with the words &#39;noble lady&#39;. Stuffing th elast of his snacks into his mouth, he wipes some extra off on the front of his pants before proposing something ot Leighton again. &quot;D&#39;you wanna danc with me?&quot; he offers.<br> <br>Leighton shakes her head. &quot;I d-don&#39;t know how to dance.&quot; She admits sheepishly. &quot;I never learned.&quot; She tries changing the subject. &quot;W-well, you should listen to your mother, then. You&#39;re not rabble, she knows what she is talking about.&quot; She gives his upper arm a mock punch, a very unnoble like gesture. &quot;You&#39;re as much rabble as I am a noble.&quot; She says, sticking her tongue out at him. She still hasn&#39;t noticed Lyas and Aleera inching closer it seems.<br> <br>Aleera is, in fact, a pretty sturdy feline, especially in those boots of hers.  She&#39;s more than capable of standing tall even with the tabby resting against her back like that.  As he proposes that little game of his, the cat&#39;s ears perk up, and... rather than get annoyed about it, she simply grins a wide, devious smile.  Really even if she lost this bet and had to ask the poor squirrel to dance, she&#39;d likely still be able to find some way to turn it to her advantage....  &quot;Alright, yer on,&quot; she glances over to Peter and Leighton, &quot;But I think that she&#39;s gonna try to run from me if I so much as take a step towards her, luv.&quot;<br> <br>&quot;They are probably off having adventures somewhere,&quot; Cassidy says with a shrug. &quot;So who knows when or if we might see them again! We can always make more friends though, if we wanted.&quot; The downside to the height difference is that she can&#39;t very well give Natska a twirl, but most everything else still works!<br> <br>&quot;Probably,&quot; Natska replies, feet moving through the steps of their dance. &quot;And that is always true. I haven&#39;t been out and about as much as I should be. Maybe we should take some time and mingle tonight, too?&quot;<br> <br>&quot;I&#39;ll hold her by the tail while you ask,&quot; Lyas proposes, then lets Leighton out of his sight - for now. Leaning heavily against his partner, he settles back to watch the polar bear. &quot;That couple he&#39;s going to now - with the fox and the beagle? I&#39;m callin&#39; a flipout on the beagle&#39;s side. He&#39;s got that look, like he thinks she&#39;s too good for him an&#39; he reckons she&#39;ll be snatched away anytime.&quot;<br> <br>&quot;That&#39;d work, aye.  Assuming that she ain&#39;t keen on the idea of losin&#39; her tail to get away from me, anyway,&quot; Aleera jokes with a shrug of her shoulders.  She rests her head on top of the tabby&#39;s, likewise settling in to watch the polar bear at work....  &quot;He might freak out, aye.  But I think that she&#39;s the one to watch &#39;ere....  She looks snobby.  She&#39;s prolly gonnna scoff at the roses &#39;n then get annoyed if he starts freakin&#39; out over &#39;em.&quot;<br> <br>Another rose is passed along, to... The beagle, rather than the vixen, who doesn&#39;t take it all too well. Seems -she- is the jealous type, perhaps precisely because of her station in life... Soon, she&#39;s stomping off in a fit, and leaving the young beagle somewhat bewildered and upset over the whole thing, yet too confused and nervous to try and catch up to her.

At about the same time, the music shifts from the more traditional waltz to a Creator Hymn, a song about how love overcomes all, despite the hardships along the way... About how a lasting relationship is something that builds slowly, but ultimately, allows one to soar far above what one can achieve on their own...<br> <br>&quot;Then I&#39;m very much rabble, and you&#39;re very much noble,&quot; Peter says, grinning at Leighton as she tries to avoid his offer. &quot;And I&#39;d be mighty honored if you&#39;d dance with me since I don&#39;t know how to either, rightly..&quot; He offers a hand to Leighton, even picking the rose up in his mouth to add to the romance of the whole thing.<br> <br>&quot;Perhaps we should,&quot; Cassidy agrees, looking out over the pair that had just split over the delivery a rose. &quot;Now I wonder who would be so crass as to go around handing flowers to pre-existing couples. Tch. No class,&quot; she murmurs with disapproval, shaking her head as she turns and sways with Natska.<br> <br>The mastermind of said crassness is enjoying it thoroughly - and hasn&#39;t a hint of guilt about him. After all, a relationship that can be broken up over a rose isn&#39;t one worth preserving. Watching the fox storm off, Lyas whistles lowly. &quot;well, that didn&#39;t work out how either of us thought. Call it even?&quot; He watches the polar bear for some time, lounging against Aleera. A subtle sway creeps into his posture, as he wraps his arms around the feisty feline&#39;s waist. They haven&#39;t joined the dancefloor, not properly, but he&#39;s moving to the music - and hopefully pulling Aleera along for the ride, steel-capped boots and all.<br> <br>Leighton rubs her nape again, clearly unused to all of it, &quot;I&#39;d rather not...I&#39;d embarrass you...and Ambrose.&quot; The squirrel fiddles with the rose, looking downwards. &quot;I...I think I&#39;ll go catch something to drink.&quot; She hesitates a little, but leans in to peck his cheek. &quot;Thank you for the rose, though.&quot; She then steps back, before turning to make her way around the hall, making her way through the crowd as she does so.<br> <br>Just like her companion, Aleera doesn&#39;t seem particularly phased by the fact that they&#39;re currently messing up people&#39;s nights.  In her eyes, people petty enough to storm off ater a simple gift deserve to be laughed at, and when the vixen goes stomping off, the siamese does just that, chuckling.  She might&#39;ve gotten jealous when her lover was given gifts, sure, but she certainly wouldn&#39;t have left him....  No, she just would&#39;ve had some strong words for whoever gave them to him.  &quot;I think &#39;at I was pretty close to winnin&#39; that one... but I /guess/ we can call it a draw, aye,&quot; she murmurs teasingly.  She does notice that sway, and she starts to slowly move her hips right along with his, even bringhing her hands down to idly rest them on top of his.<br> <br>Peter lets the rose fall out of his mouth as Leighton refuses his offer, catching it back in his hand. &quot;Oh, that&#39;s okay..&quot; he says softly, glancing down at his shoes. His gaze lifts again at the peck on the cheek, his disappointment gone again in a flash of excitement &quot;Aw, you&#39;re welcome, ma&#39;am,&quot; he says, wiping the kiss off his cheek as she turns away. &quot;We can still blow up the stumps!&quot; he offers, after he remembers. <br> <br>&quot;A rose for both ladies, then? From a shared admirer,&quot; offers the polar-bear, as both Cassidy and Natska are offered a rose... And then, he&#39;s gone again, back into the crowd, this time passing a rose on to a single being for a change, whose mood actually seems to improve upon receiving the flower... Seems it&#39;s not -all- bad.<br> <br>Lyas grins as the roses are given to Natska and Cassidy. They&#39;ll take it well, that pair. It&#39;s easy to see they&#39;re a steady couple. The lone Being is a pleasant surprise, one he didn&#39;t see in time to make any bets on. Then next... Lyas nudges Aleera&#39;s head with his, briefly taking his arm from around her waist to point to the polar bear&#39;s next target.  &quot;The two iguanas over there. I reckon they&#39;ll laugh it off - hang on...&quot; Is that Leighton&#39;s bushy tail sneaking past? Damn - where is she going? If she wanders off he might have to revise his bet with Aleera. &quot;Leighton&#39;s just left Peter in the lurch. What say we brighten his day with our smilin&#39; faces?&quot;<br> <br>&quot;Well would you look at that,&quot; Cassidy says with a smile. She takes her rose and... Well, she doesn&#39;t really have tip-toes to stand on, with paws and all, but she stretches up to tuck the flower behind one of Natska&#39;s ears.<br> <br>Leighton smiles back at Peter as she makes her way out. &quot;Definetly.&quot; She offers the chipmunk before disappearing in the masses. She had a lot to think about it seems, running a hand through her own hair as she makes her way out for now.<br> <br>Natska lets out a cheerful laugh and gives Cassidy a bow, bending over to make it easier. &quot;Aww,&quot; she replies, grinning after the bear before looking back at Cassidy. &quot;And thank you, love.&quot; She takes a moment to look around the hall, then nods her head towards the side of the dance floor. &quot;Want to take a little break? Maybe say hi to a few people?&quot;<br> <br>Aleera doesn&#39;t know either of the two ladies well enough to realize that a single rose wouldn&#39;t ruin their relationship, of course, but just like Lyas, she doesn&#39;t move to make any bets on them.  Either she realizes that his silence means it isn&#39;t a bet worth making, or she thinks that neither of them simply reacted quickly enough.  His nudging gets her to perk up a bit, and she tilts her head a little, examining the iguanas for a moment.  &quot;Hmm....  Nah.  I reckon he&#39;s gonna be a bit annoyed &#39;bout it.  He&#39;ll prolly think that someone&#39;s tryin&#39; ta make trouble between him and his girl.&quot;  She does notice Leighton leaving when Lyas points it out, of course, but she can&#39;t say that she&#39;s particularly bothered by that.  &quot;Peter is... him, yeah?&quot; she nods her head towards the chimpunk in the too small suit, &quot;We can pay him a visit, aye.  I&#39;m sure that seein&#39; us will cheer him right up.&quot;  She&#39;s joking about that, of course.  the sight of the &#39;munk in that suit of his alone is enough to leave an amused grin on the feline woman&#39;s muzzle.<br> <br>&quot;Yes, I think we should. My feet need a rest anyway,&quot; Cassidy says, hooking her arm with Natska&#39;s as she starts to head off the dance floor. &quot;Maybe a drink, too, if we&#39;re going to be talking. My throat is getting a touch dry to carry on a long conversation.&quot;<br> <br>The iguanas are surprisingly casual about the whole thing, although the male does quirk a brow... Before quickly claiming to be the one who sent the flower, once the polar bear is out of earshot again.

Cassidy and Natska are soon enough greeted by both a congregation of nobles, and an expansive table full of food and drink, right beside them...<br> <br>Lyas nods at the outcome of the iguana bet - neither of them got that one, either - then points to a tiger and a lion, quizzing Aleera with his eyes. &quot;I&#39;ll say one a&#39; them&#39;ll take credit for the other getting a rose.&quot; He steps backwards as he speaks, drawing Aleera with him while keeping an eye on the couple. He treads on a few toes on his way over to Peter - well, there was a reason he didn&#39;t apply to the Graceful clan... and finally, he bumps right into the saddened chipmunk, too busy straining to see the other felines over the heads of the crowd. &quot;What&#39;s happenin&#39;?&quot; He murmurs to Aleera, trusting in her superior height. Then he turns to Peter, a sardonic smile twitching at his lips. &quot;Struck out, did you?&quot; he asks, one brow cocked. &quot;No matter. Want to join us in roses roulette?&quot;<br> <br>Peter lets out a little &#39;oof&#39; as he&#39;s bumped by the cat, turning around to face him. He smiles as he recognizes the fellow, looking over to Aleera before his attention settles on the smaller tabby. &quot;Roses roulette?&quot; he wonders. &quot;I got two, so I&#39;m figuring out who sent &#39;em to me.. did you give me one?&quot; he wonders of the cat.<br> <br>At this rate, whoever gets the first one right is going to be the winner of the pair&#39;s little game....  Aleera examines the next two targets of their little trick, looking both of them over from head to toe before giving her shoulders a little shrug.  &quot;They&#39;re hard to read... but I reckon he&#39;s gonna get embarrassed about it &#39;n she&#39;ll get jealous because a&#39; that.&quot;  The chances of something quite that specific happening are slim, of course... but she doesn&#39;t seem to mind.  The siamese moves right along with the tabby, and... well... if he stepped on a few toes, then there&#39;s a pretty good chance that she did that too.  They&#39;re trying to move through a crowd, after all....  In any case, once they&#39;ve reached Peter, she does just as expected, continuing to peer at the targets of their little game over the crowd.  &quot;Nothin&#39; yet,&quot; she reports to Lyas, then glances to the &#39;munk and adds, &quot;Nah, we&#39;re just guessin&#39; how people are gonna react when they get one.  It&#39;s harder &#39;en you&#39;d think....&quot;<br> <br>&quot;Nah, no idea who sent it,&quot; Lyas responds, poker faced, as his tail flicks in amusement. He stills it by twining it around Aleera&#39;s. &quot;But we&#39;ve been watchin&#39; and taking bets on how folk&#39;ll take it when they&#39;re given one. Have a go, it&#39;ll do you good.&quot; He throws out a hand languidly, pointing to the polar bear - easily trackable, as he stands above most of the crowd. That&#39;s one of the reasons he hired the fellow... &quot;Hope you two can see, since I sure as heck can&#39;t.&quot;<br> <br>Cassidy inclines her head towards the nobles and offers a warm smile as she gets herself a drink- And one for Natska if she wishes it. &quot;If ever there was a good reason to get together, it&#39;s a festival.&quot;<br> <br>Natska gladly accepts her drink from Cassidy and gives the nobles a polite bow of the head; she smiles at them as well, and offers a small greeting of her own before she looks around and gives a small wave towards Lyas and Aleera, sure she&#39;s seen them before too. She is happy to let Cassidy handle chatting with the nobility, although of course she is there to support her wife whenever needed.<br> <br>Peter furrows his brow at the explanation of their game, standing up on his tiptoes to catch sight of the polar bear as he travels. &quot;How&#39;d you bet on me?&quot; he wonders of the pair, glancing back over to them. He looks up toward Aleera and pauses to bow stiffly, avoiding any damage ot his clothing. &quot;Pleasure to meet you as well.&quot;<br> <br>Meanwhile, the music changes again, the first creator hymn replaced by another. A song about love, and how the sensation of it is both incredibly alien, and wonderful, all at the same time...

Aleera does seem to be remarkably close... And so does Lyas. She gets embarrased, he gets visibly jealous, and then, quickly, tries to take credit for the rose...

Natska and Cassidy have found themselves amidst a small group of Solacious, Strongheart, and even a stray Blackback, currently talking about something happening in the countryside, close to Sweetwater&#39;s borders...<br> <br>&quot;I can carry you on my shoulders if ya want, luv?&quot; Aleera offers to Lyas, and although it /sounds/ like she&#39;s joking, knowing her she&#39;d... almost defiitely do it if he wanted her to.  To Peter, she simply offers, &quot;We didn&#39;t bet on ya, but that was just because we hadn&#39;t started playin&#39; when you get yers.&quot;  It&#39;s about this time that she notices that tigress waving at her, and she offers Natska a wave and a toothy smile in return before the chipmunk bows and once more draws her attention to him.  She quirks her brow, an amused smile creeping onto her muzzle.  &quot;Most people would say the opposite, I think.  But I&#39;m Aleera, &#39;n yer Peter, aye?&quot; 

Soon enough, however, she gets to see the couple&#39;s reaction, and that just... leaves her looking confused, really.  &quot;It was the... other way around from what I thought, but it looks like we were both kinda right...,&quot; that grin of hers returns to her muzzle and she glances down to the tabby, &quot;If we keep gettin&#39; draws like this, I don&#39;t think our little game is gonna end before the dance does, luv.&quot;<br> <br>Cassidy had originally intended to go chat with the other group, but... The conversation amongst nobles catches her attention and curiosity, such that she can&#39;t help but indulge. Stepping closer, ears flicking, she smiles. &quot;Good evening. Lovely party isn&#39;t it? I couldn&#39;t help but overhear. What seems to be the interest?&quot;<br> <br>Lyas catches the movement from Natska and Cassidy&#39;s way, returning the wave. Then his eyes lock back onto Peter. &quot;I swore blind that you&#39;d leap on the table with the rose in your mouth, pull a lyre from your backside and serenade your lady love,&quot; Lyas responds, a faint grin on his muzzle as he crosses his arms and leans against Aleera. He winks at her as her words contradict his own. &quot;Spoilsport.&quot; He rubs his cheek against the siamese&#39;s shoulder affectionately. Against her face would be better, buit he can&#39;t match her height at the best of times, and especially not when he&#39;s leaning sideways, one foot tucked behind the other. &quot;This is my girl. You know, the one I told you&#39;d be makin&#39; love to the gun display in the shop, were she there.&quot; As much as he&#39;s making fun, there&#39;s a very proud note in the tabby&#39;s voice as he calls Aleera his girl. He&#39;s planning to make her a lot more than just that very soon. Just a few more things to set into place first...<br> <br>Peter looks down at the rose in his hand. &quot;I figured that maybe one was from Leighton and one was from Eiric,&quot; he says, turning the flower over in his hand. &quot;Well, I gave one to Leighton. Maybe I&#39;ll go and give the other one to him. I don&#39;t imagine his secret admirers are giving him too many.&quot; The chipmunk snickers, stowing the rose safely in a suit pocket. &quot;Yes ma&#39;am, that&#39;s me. Peter!&quot; He shows off his buck-teeth. At Lyas&#39; comment, he folds his arms, letting out a huff. &quot;I had the rose in my mouth a minute, but she couldn&#39;t dance. I don&#39;t figure I&#39;m her type, like I&#39;d said before, since she&#39;s fancy.&quot; He nods sagely at this appraisal. &quot;Well, she&#39;s very beautiful! I hope you&#39;re havin&#39; a good ball. Didja dance yet?&quot;<br> <br>Natska perks an ear at the talk of things around Stillwater; even if she had nothing to do with local politics, trouble meant paying work for a Freesword. The jaguar&#39;s tail slowly flicks back and forth as she listens in.<br> <br>&quot;Some trouble in the west, near Cliffside. Don&#39;t suppose you recall the whole ordeal that Ironstead went through?&quot; the holstein-Lady offers. &quot;Lost my Uncle in that whole thing, I did...&quot;

&quot;Apparently, there&#39;s some fishy stuff going on at the border, and it reeks of those Corrupt spirits,&quot; the Solacious offers. &quot;Troubling, to say the least, but they haven&#39;t done anything, neither, so it&#39;s not like we can just go and intervene.&quot;<br> <br>&quot;She&#39;s beautiful, alright,&quot; Lyas agrees wholeheartedly - no hint of his normal grin, for once. He stops using Aleera as a leaning-post, taking her by the hand and spinning her. The movement is a little tricky - she&#39;s taller than him, so she has to duck to spin under his arm - but good enough. &quot;There, we&#39;ve danced! Or at least, you&#39;ve stomped your way in a circle, love.&quot; He pulls Aleera to a halt, holding her hip-to-hip against him, one hand clasped, as if poised for a tango. The look he gives Peter is taunting. &quot;Now, what&#39;s this? You told me about Leighton, didn&#39;t tell me you&#39;d a guy on the go as well.&quot; Oops - he lost track of the polar bear for a second there. He quickly breaks his gaze from Peter&#39;s and stretches up as far as he can go, searching the crowd once more. Ah! There&#39;s the bear, closing on a pair of parakeets. &quot;Quick bets! I&#39;m calling meltdown,&quot; he announces, gesturing for the other two to look.<br> <br>&quot;Is that so?&quot; Cassidy sighs softly. &quot;That is troubling news, certainly. We will have to get it looked into. If we can find any evidence of foul play on behalf of the Corrupt court or its callers... Then maybe we can intervene at that point. Before it gets out of hand, preferably.&quot;<br> <br>The fact that the tabby&#39;s words are directly contradictory of her own simply makes Aleera laugh, the siamese letting out an amused chuckle that leaves behind a wide, toothy grin.  She doesn&#39;t add anything though, simply opting to lean down and smooch the top of Lyas&#39;s head after he winks at her.  &quot;Elric?  Is he a lover a&#39; yers, er just someone who wants ta be one?&quot; she teasingly asks, the question... probably far too invasive considering she&#39;s only just met the poor chipmunk.  Peter playing along with Lyas&#39;s joke makes her smile widen a little, but what really takes the cake is the way that her lover introduces her....  That not only makes her chuckle, but it leaves a warm, proud smile behind.  She wraps her arms around him, holding him against her chest a bit more snugly now, &quot;Aye aye, that&#39;s me.  His girl who just /loves/ guns.&quot; 

There&#39;s more that she wants to add to that thought, but she&#39;s distracted by Lyas pulling her into a... rather short dance!  She lets out a surprised squeak, but once she figures out what he&#39;s doing, she&#39;s all too happy to go right along with it.  Ducking down so that she can twirl around and end up by his side once more.  &quot;I think that&#39;s about as close as I&#39;ll get to the kinda dancin&#39; the folk at these balls do, aye,&quot; she agrees with a grin.  She&#39;d already likewise inquired about the guy, so her attention instead goes to the next bet.  &quot;Nah.  Look at &#39;em, they ain&#39;t gonna care.&quot;<br> <br>Peter wrinkles up his nose at Lyas, letting out an indignant huff. &quot;I haven&#39;t got anyone on the go! Eiric&#39;s only my friend who&#39;s teaching me to read,&quot; he says, as if admitting illiteracy saves him any face in an upper class gathering. He does glance over as Lyas points out a new pair of keets. &quot;I reckon they&#39;ll know who it&#39;s from,&quot; he says. &quot;Or think so, at least.&quot;<br> <br>There&#39;s a moment, and then, the male -loudly- calls out some other, supposed suitor. Seems Peter had -something- right... Of course, the end-result is a breakdown between the two, with both birds stomping off in opposite directions, their relationship essentially ended... Seems that went well. And it leaves Lyas the victor between him and Aleera... Technically, peter also earned a point, but given that the breakdown was rather more obvious...

The nobles seem to not mind the whole ordeal -quite- as much, other than a quirked brow, before returning to their conversation. &quot;It&#39;s rather unfortunate, yes... But if we had concrete evidence, the situation would be different in the first place,&quot; the solacious offers.

&quot;Yeah, but we can&#39;t do nothin&#39;, either,&quot; the Strongheart female counters...<br> <br>Lyas leans around Aleera, luckily getting a pretty clear view of the glorious shambles that happens as soon as the parakeets are handed their rose. He&#39;s smiling wickedly at the outcome - more from knowing he&#39;s won than any outright malice, though. That sure took a while, but he&#39;s emerged with the victory! &quot;Well, reckon we can call the game there,&quot; he says nonchalantly. Aleera could argue that they were meant to keep going through the night, but it&#39;s taken a while just to get one single point in this game - and he might as well quit while he&#39;s ahead. &quot;Where&#39;s Leighton? You&#39;ve a waltz to ask for, my Firework.&quot; He looks around, even reaching up to shade his eyes as he exaggerates his search, grinning like a lunatic. &quot;Hmm. If she&#39;s left...&quot; His tail gives a twitch. &quot;...You&#39;ll have to catch up with her at work or sommat. Better yet, I was talkin&#39; with Peter here about taking you and her on a trip out to the woods to play with gunpowder. How about tangoing to the music of explodin&#39; trees?&quot;<br> <br>&quot;Not officially,&quot; Cassidy agrees. &quot;Now, if we, say, send Freeswords out that way- For entirely unrelated reasons if we must- and they happen to find some evidence that could be acted upon, then we have something to work with, no?&quot;<br> <br>&quot;Of course,&quot; Natska murmurs as she joins the conversation. &quot;With clear evidence the army would have a reason to get involved. Perhaps even the Lightbringers. But,&quot; she pauses, and gives Cassidy a nod in agreement. &quot;Right. If someone just happens to be near by and just happens to see something untoward, while in the midst of other duties. We just need to find reasons to encourage people to be in the area.&quot;<br> <br>&quot;Why would someone who&#39;s just a friend teachin&#39; ya to read send you a rose?&quot; Aleera asks Peter, her tone and expression alike making it clear that she&#39;s exceedingly unconvinced by the explanation he&#39;s given.  However, her attention quickly returns to the show that&#39;s about to occur, and while the meltdown makes her grin and shake her head a bit... she does also fully realize that this means she&#39;s lost.  &quot;Aye.  If we don&#39;t, it&#39;d prolly never end,&quot; she says, seemingly accepting her defeat this time around.  The siamese doesn&#39;t help with peering around the room this time around, though.  No, she might&#39;ve lost, but that doesn&#39;t mean she has to be a good loser....  &quot;I think she&#39;s wandered on outta &#39;ere by now, luv.  I haven&#39;t seen her since she walked away from Peter.&quot;  Seeing him search like that makes her smile, and she simply reaches down to cover his eyes with her hand now.  &quot;Playing with gunpowder?&quot; she pauses, glancing up to Peter before continuing, &quot;That sounds like fun, but let me handle the powder, eh?  I ain&#39;t really sure if I trust him with it.&quot;<br> <br>&quot;If she needs a dance partner..&quot; Peter offers, fluttering his lashes cutely toward Aleera. &quot;And hey, I half won that. There was another fella!&quot; He shrugs and tries to squirm into a more comfy position in his suit, struggling with it as he answers to Aleera. &quot;He probably thought he&#39;d be the only person to ever give me a valentines gift. That or one of the girls did it for him,&quot; he says. &quot;And you can come blow stumps up if you like. And don&#39;t worry, I&#39;m an expert.&quot;<br> <br>Lyas gets a glint in his eye as both Peter and Aleera come onboard with the plans for their gunpowder expedition. They&#39;ll have to make it happen now, for sure. The rationalisation for the rose, though - now, this munk must be thicker than a brick. If this &#39;friend&#39; would send him a rose, something surely happening between the two of them... &quot;Sommat suspicious about your story,&quot; Lyas agrees with Aleera, looking Peter up and down. He doesn&#39;t seem to want to pursue it further just now, though. Particularly not when Peter&#39;s making doe-eyes at his lady! &quot;Hey, now. Punching above your weight, aren&#39;t you?&quot; he jibes, pulling Aleera a little closer. He&#39;s smiling all the same - he quite likes Aleera getting attention. Everyone should acknowledge what a wonder she is. &quot;And besides, I think I deserve a proper dance first. Pray for my toes.&quot; He gently catches Aleera about the arms, stepping towards the dance floor with a mocking bow - that covers a very genuine smile.<br> <br>&quot;There&#39;s a thought... Although it&#39;s a risky proposition, too,&quot; the Solacious offers to his cousin, shaking his head lightly. &quot;&#39;tis something to consider. But best we neither make a decision that&#39;s too rash, nor too indecisive... Troubling times may be ahead.&quot;<br> <br>As charming as Peter may have tried to look, Aleera again glances over to him, examining him from head to toe before simply grinning and stating, &quot;Kid, I don&#39;t think yer really my type.  Quit actin&#39; like a gentleman and then come try again, eh?&quot;  She&#39;s fallen for someone like Lyas, after all, so that alone... likely says quite a bit about her taste in partners.  The fact that the tabby joins in in turning down the poor &#39;munk&#39;s offer makes the siamese&#39;s smile widen a bit, and she simply responds by leaning down to rest his on top of hers for a moment.  She doesn&#39;t mind the attention either, of course.  As much as she&#39;s fallen head-over-heels for Lyas, it&#39;s still nice to know that she can break a heart or two.  &quot;Y&#39;know, I can take my boots off if you want,&quot; she offers, not that that&#39;d... really do much to save his toes....  She gives Peter one last look at that toothy smile of hers before she lets Lyas tug her out to the dance floor, and that grin of hers warms up a bit.  She isn&#39;t... really sure how to hold him at a dance like this, of course, so she kind of just... tentatively takes both of his hand sfor the moment.<br> <br>Peter lets out a scoff at the comment about punching above his weight. &quot;No more than you!&quot; he argues, tugging on his undersized jacket. &quot;I&#39;m not acting like a gentleman, this is just.. how I am,&quot; he grumbles, reaching back to rub the nape of his neck. As he stretches, the shoulder of his jacket rips a bit - leaving the poor boy to quietly take the garment off and fold it under his arm, left his just his nice shirt. She does smile at the sight of Lyas and Aleera dancing.. but they&#39;re not quite as good a show as the king and queen, so he forgets about it and returns to munching on snacks in the interim.<br> <br>Despite what he&#39;d said about needing a proper dance first - implying, really, that Peter could have one after - Lyas monopolizes Aleera for the rest of their night. The siamese might not be a dancer, but Lyas is competent enough, positioning her hands and guiding their steps. He manages to get through with an intact smile and mostly intact toes, even. After a few rounds on the floor, he murmurs in the other Cat&#39;s ears, tugging her towards the door. The night&#39;s young and there are more exciting parties to get to during this celebration...<br> <br>Aleera is, of course, more than happy to have Lyas use up her time for the rest of the night, and while this style is dancing is unfamiliar to her, she does start to get the hang of it... eventually....  Not before stepping on his toes as well as those of a few of the other dancers around them, but thankfully she manages to avoid breaking anything.  Her foosteps might be heavy and she might be wearing boots, but she&#39;s not /that/ clumsy about it....  Once the time finally comes for them leave, however, she grins wide, whispers something to her lover in return, and then the pair disappear to get up to... likely nothing that most of the people at this ball would consider &#39;good&#39;.<br> <br>&quot;Hmmmmm... We will come up with something,&quot; Cassidy muses, stroking her chin. &quot;I will put thought into it and see if I come up with something. But, I think I am going to go enjoy another dance before the night ends, if Natska would indulge me?&quot;[[Category:RPLogs]]