Forehead still pressed against the edge of the table, garbled words echo up from Ingilstadt's vomit bucket.
"Celebrated.....Bootlicking.....Chimps"
The zombie sits back down after his rant, panting.
"A coincidence, Lord Taraz, and not one I am happy about at the moment, I assure you."
Cassie holds out her hand awaiting a dance partner, no-one joins her forlorn figure as all eyes turn to the clock striking.
At the sound of the bongs she physically sags, slow nervous tears rolling down her face. Moving into the group of nobles she looks to their host upon the balcony. Her frustation turns to rage as they are taunted in response to Baron Von Zombi's call.
Cassie looks away from him in disgust, wrining her hands slowly; "Petty, small-minded. merde."
With a swish of her skirts she moves to where most are congregated, at the mah-jong table.
"Come everyone! Let us dance in celebration that we few attend the greatest party ever devised!" With that Taraz quite assuredly sweeps the delicate lady in black from her chair, and before she even realizes what has happened, Alessandra finds she is dancing a lively foxtrot with the notorious wastrel Taraz.
While Taraz had many failings in life, dancing could apparently be counted amongst his few accomplishments. As the unlikely couple work their way around the dance floor Dame Devries seems to be enjoying herself and can be heard to murmur (perhaps a bit louder than she intended), "...next hour...party...progress...damn Baron...the devil..."
Rashida looks at Lady DuSollier in concern. "Lady DuSollier, do you need some wine? Then I will join you in a dance, since no one else is gentleman enough. The ice has done wonders for my foot. Come, the situation is grim, but it is time to celebrate another hour of life." With a whispered apology to the Dutchess, she rises and sets the noble feline gently on her chair, takes a glass of wine to Cassie for a refreshing sip or two, then leads her to the dance floor.
"Mind the broken glass. I must learn to control my temper."
Rashida flashes a smile at the Duke from under her golden mask and laughs. "Too late, my good Duke, for now the delicious Lady DuSollier is mine. Of course, you may cut in after an appropriate wait. Your misfortune, noble sir."
She whirls Cassie off into the foxtrot.
"Oh thank you, dear lady." Cassie says breathlessly as she rubs her mascara stained eyes. "If only I could damce with all of you before the ball ends."
"Lady, your mascara... Perhaps we should get you fixed up a bit first." Rashida's head tilts queryingly towards the universal refuge of womanhood, the ladies room.
"A pattern emerges," Gigus jokes, watching Massri and DuSollier.
The zombie nods towards Atredies with respect.
"You, good sir, have been the only other partygoer to consistently match DuSollier for time on the dance floor. Quite an achievement, I'd say!"
"Thank you for your kind offer, Miss Massri." Cassie says her nervous emotions getting the better of her. "And you too Baron Von Zombi. We must dance again, maybe you cancatch up in count with the Duke." she smiles wanely.
As Miss Devries finishes her dance with Taraz, Kimefe stands up and addresses her.
"Alessandra, perhaps now you can give us some information on how we should act? Although I am not eager for this bloody business, it would be best to get it over with quickly.
"And could you also inform us on whether our baners were able to stop an assassination or if the assassins found one another--both for this hour and last. Despite what you said earlier, the assassins will already know what happened, and giving the rest of us that information will only aid our cause."
"Yes, Dame Devries, tell us everything!" Rashida retires from her dance with Cassie to hear the news, looking at Dame Devries expectantly.
Cassie nods, "I thank you, sir." she leans into his firm body. Looking up into his eyes, she smiles.
After dancing a set with Taraz, those with keen eyes will have noted several notes passed to her by waiters, serv-bots, and even fellow dancers. When the music stops she catches her breath and reads over the large volume of notes that have managed to make their way into her handbag.
"Alessandra, perhaps now you can give us some information on how we should act? Although I am not eager for this bloody business, it would be best to get it over with quickly."
"There is much to report- but at the moment I find myself quite overcome. Dancing with Taraz is... quite an experience. If you'll excuse me a moment, I need to freshen up. I'll rejoin the party momentarily, then we can speak about what must be done."
Before the dance concluded, many take note that as the unlikely couple work their way around the dance floor Dame Devries seems to be enjoying herself, and Taraz can be heard to murmur (probably every bit as loud as he intended), "...in a position...confidant... in bed together...could change everything..."
Taraz smoothly bows to Alessandra at the end of their dance and turns to look for another partner. The Diva makes her exit after declining to comment about the situation("As usual," Taraz mutters with a smile.) Cassie ends up in the arms of the Duke, and hearing a slow song begin, Taraz approaches Rashida.
"As you can see by the Dame's lack of slap, I am a changed man this hour. Would you care for a turn?" Taraz has a mysterious smile on his lips, or maybe the wine is finally getting to him?
"If you would rather pass than I will pretend to understand, I believe I owe the oft forgot Kimefe a chance to better learn the talents of such an accomplished wastrel as myself, so I will ask her if you would rather not."
Rashida again looks the Wastrel up and down scornfully, tapping a long nail against her mask, then uses that same nail to point out the welts now slowly fading from his face. "I trusted you once, and see what happened?"
She shakes her head and sighs. "Dame Devries has taken the high road. Perhaps I should, as well. In full view of this entire company, mind you. And I trust that the gentlemen here will rise to my defense should I call."
She extends a long hand to Taraz. "Perhaps imminent doom improves manners? I hope so."
After breaking off from the Duke; Cassie smiles. "I have danced with so many people tonight, but not all. Not yet? One thing we have not done yet is a communal dance. A Ho-down, Taraz you should like that." she signals to the band who change the style.
She starts spinning around, hooking arms with the participants.
The big zombie sits alone at a table, watching the chaotic dances, his hands steepled in front of a slight smile. One heavy-booted foot taps in time to the music.
Taraz laughs and winks at the Duke while arm-in-arm with the lovely Rashida.
After Rashida had put Duchess Meowselsworth down on the chair, the feline fell asleep for a few moments. Her eyes flick open and she is immediately upright, "How long was I asleep?!" At looking up at the clock and noticing that it's only been a couple of minutes, she licks her paw casually to try and save face. "I should like to know what all we have found out this hour... though more who is a traitor among us, and just some general information. I find it discouraging to think that any of you delightful, interesting people are cold-blooded murderers, but there we are."
She hops down from the seat and walks out onto the dance floor to join this communal dance, though she has a hard time with hooking arms.
"Aye, Duchess," Gigus muses almost to himself, watching the cat move to the dance floor, "This next hour promises to be...interesting."
The blue eyes flick between the dancers on the floor and the hallway the Professor disappeared in as the stitched hands pour another drink.
Taraz seems to be enjoying himself during the lively line dance. Dancing with Cassie, Alessandra, the Duke, and Rashida, he is having a grand time. Much banter back and forth between the dancers. Until, Alessandra seems to miss a step and falls down.
Taraz displays a gentleman's concern and attempts to help her up, when she says something.
Taraz bellows, and stops dead on the dance floor.
Quite suddenly, Taraz, Cassie, Rashida, and Alessandra all quit the dance floor and go to a familiar alcove.
And quite quickly, Taraz is kicked out of the alcove!
"I thought this was meant to make up for the slaps!" Taraz calls with an smarmier than usual leer. Chuckling, he makes his way to the dance floor.
"Kimefe, we have not yet danced. Would you care to examine my one redeeming quality?"
Taraz, Rashida and Cassie assist Alessandra to the divan where she can rest.
"Chance... one walks In The Alley, but sees nothing, there Is stalking, There Is Nothing waiting. Smoke...vapor...smell... Evanescent Glory awaits one at the we can see smoke, we can smell smoke is it perfume Is It Glory..."
The zombie's mutterings issuing from behind his steepled hands, the blue eyes seeming to see nothing, suddenly cease as Taraz shouts. He looks up and around, startled, but relaxes again as Taraz moves back on the dance floor and the ladies retire to the divan.
"Odd to find myself lost in such reverie," he remarks to himself.
"Of course Taraz, thank you for asking."
Kimefe curtsies slightly before allowing herself to be led to the center of the floor, her hand on the Wastrel's waist and smiling to herself as the music starts.
Cassie stands up in the alcove, looks to the Dame and Rashida as they follow suit. Moving back to the buffet she look exhausted, obviously the exertions of the dance and the stress of the clock have done a number on her lip-stick and mascara.
Grabbing a hankie she cleans herself up and rejoins the others. So what did I miss?
The big zombie smiles over at DuSollier and spreads his hands wide.
"I think you were a front-row to the more eventful goings-on, Madame DuSollier!"
Rashida helps Alessandra Devries into a chair. "Are you still feeling better? Would you like some wine?" she asks somberly.
Cassie looks up at him; "You could say that." She stretches trying to get some feeling back into her muscles. "So Mah-jong or another dance some body. Sorry, about the emotions, it's just..." she leaves it hanging.
"I will partner a dance again with you, Madame DuSollier, and gladly. Perhaps something more lively than our previous waltz?"
Von Zombi stands up and bows.
"As to the other, I cannot assist you there; I must wait for Lord Jin's instruction as to the game of mah-jong."
"Fair enough we await his return and instruction." Cassie stands and moves onto the dance floor gently holding the large mans' hand.
"I am sorry you are under this strain, Madame," the zombie says as he begins the dance with the Frenchwoman. "I hope this poor effort is of some assistance."
"No, you are a wonderful dancer." Cassie smiles at the reassurance, a hint of the woman you saw at the start of the evening shining through. "Something quicker, more dramatic. A Paso Doble, yes something dramatic."
As the music starts she pulls a dramatic pose and starts a rendition with the larger man.
The zombie slides easily into the steps of the dance, adapting an uncommon style meant to suggest a bull. As DuSollier twirls around him, he whips his tattered shoulder-cape off and drapes it over Cassie's arm to represent the matador's cape.
Cassie rushes at him like the bull. A beautiful beast, against the powerful matador in control of all he commands.
Slowly she turns into 'the cape', twirling and spinning around him like an extension of his arm. Floating in the breeze as he 'whips' her back and forth against the invisible bull.
Dancing with the pretty Kimefe, Taraz loses himself in the music.
"You dance very well, my dear," Taraz notes. "I admit surprise that you also are familiar with the Paso Doble. It is not a dance everyone chooses to learn."
As the Paso Doble winds to its conclusion, the zombie finishes his steps with a flourish, reclaiming his shoulder cape and bowing low, only to have his recalcitrant finger betray him again, dropping to the floor.
"Of all the confounded times, you dreaded stitches!" Gigus grumbles, sweeping up his errant digit and stumping back to his recently vacated table, where he produces the loaned sewing kit and begins another surgery session.
Kimefe breathes heavily as the dance finishes, then responds to Taraz. "Well, although most of those back home do not know it, I have always loved dancing. I used to sneak out at night to go watch shows and performances; to this day my father does not know." She giggles as though she were a little girl again and looks up at her partner, "You won't tell, will you?"
Vorian half-frowns as he looks to the group that had retired from the others, bemused by the developments taking place.
"My, my, I feel as though there's an entirely different party going on here, one which I am not invited to. And it has its own game, no less! How meta, I must say!"
Wringing his hands throughout the moment, Vorian suddenly realizes that something is missing. Leaning towards a nearby servant, he whispers something into his ear, sending him scurrying off to gods-know-where.
"Lose your cane, Lord Ritter? You seem to dance quite well without it," Rashida remarks from her lonely table nearby, where she has been constructing a pyramid from the dinnerware. "It does look dashing, though. A man with a sword-cane is always ready for anything."
"Not to worry, Lord Ritter. I am sure this hour's entertainment is soon to start," Von Zombi observes without looking up from his stitching.
"Most Holy, does our good Mason Do Well?"
"About to start? I'm certain the entertainment is well under way. Dame Devries seems stable enough now. Her academic life must not have prepared her for the exertion of a lively ballroom. How fortunate the Baron - the other Baron - had the foresight to have a fainting couch nearby."
She rises and stretches, sauntering to join Von Zombi at his table.
"Good Baron, do you need any assistance? It is difficult to stitch your own, er, self at times."
"An extra hand would not be remiss, Most Holy. I thank you."
He stands, pulling a chair out for Rashida Massri with his good hand and ensuring she is comfortably seated before resuming his chair.