Orion glanced up and spotted a familiar face or two and some intriguing new faces. He set a handful of trinkets on the table next to the young woman he had been conversing with and smiled at her. "Thank you for your time. I hope you'd be up for a dance a little later." With that, he stood and headed away, silk whispering as he walked.

He locked onto Sorn's human pet, Garrin, in particular. It was rather rude of him earlier to sweep in and take the drow away. Regardless, he was a handsome man and Orion did like his rugged masculinity. Upon approaching he noticed the state of the man's mouth. Oho. He fancied himself to be decent at magic. So Orion walked over to Garrin and gently laid a hand on his chest before leaning over and pressing his mouth to Garrin's. He used a touch of magic to remove the effects of the drink, and he got a kiss out of it too.

Goldy grinned a little at the drunk woman's attention span, although she worried about her interest in food, if she'd be able to keep it down. "I suppose it's a free country." she agreed, settling back into her chair. "I don't know if we've introduced ourselves yet. I'm Goldy." she offered.

Quercus smiled when Jean joined them and the young woman's reaction. "Looks like you've a few friends here." She said with a laugh. Inwardly she was starting to wonder if this was why she had been told to attend the dance. The problem with living in a forest based society is you tended to turn inwards. Why look beyond when all you needed was within the trees? But there were others to meet out here and new stories to hear. (I need to get out more often.) She reflected. She turned at Goldy's introduction. "Glad to meet you." Carefully, so she didn't startle the little kitsune, she reached out and gently stroked its head a few times before giving her a scratch. It helped her relax. She turned at the sound of more people approaching. She stood as Ven and his companion arrived. "Hello! Good to see you again." She greeted Venom, not bothering to hide her pleasure of seeing him again. She turned to the stranger with him. "I don't think I've met you before but it's a pleasure. I'm known as Quercus." She turned to gather some more chairs for the new arrivals. "Help yourselves to some food. I'll get some more and some drinks if you like."

As Sorn danced with Jean he was amused at Garrin's predicament and Cody messing with the man. It was a shame the Orion fixed the problem. "It would have amusing to put a collar and leash on Garrin and chain him to the bed. Well... the night is young, perhaps I can do it later?" he mused to Jean. Then he spotted Ven. "Oh look, our fine Ven is here." At the end of the song, Sorn tugged Jean towards Ven, grabbed the man and tugged the pair over to Garrin and Orion. "Ven, a pleasure to see you. This is my human, Genie, and this fine specimen is Orion. We just met but he is almost as pretty as I am."

(( and various others...honestly just subscribe to the thread. @.@))

"...I'm sorry to hear that, Sorn." Jean thought it was terribly unkind to have just left someone hanging. She gave his shoulder a squeeze as they left the dance floor. There was little else she could do for him -- and her thought that perhaps it was best to find out that Kara was that type sooner rather than later would not be a welcome one. "But the Masquerade is a good way to take your mind off it."

They rejoined Garrin, who seemed to be having a spot of difficulty with one of the drinks. Jean was trying to figure out what could have gone wrong when the monochrome fellow she'd spotted with Sorn earlier returned, and just kissed Garrin right there.

I really doubt that part was necessary, she thought to herself, but he /had/ helped Garrin -- and she supected her friend was more than capable of fending for himself, if he thought it too forward. Then Sorn made a truly unfortunate comment, and she couldn't help but facepalm. "What you get up to in private is your business," she said. Jean was saved further awkwardness as Sorn spotted Venom, and went about merging the two groups. Quercus had already located the Fellowship warrior, and was currently devoting her attention to a foxlike creature.

"Hello again Quercus. And Venom! Glad to see you, even if it looks like you're on guard duty again." She threw her arm around his shoulders just long enough for a quick and casual hug. Ven wasn't all that fond of hugs, but Jean had learned what he was okay with -- and what she could get away with. "Did you see the bikes they have in the lounge this year? I'm so excited. We should go for a ride after the dance is over. I hear the Wastes have a track of sorts."

Shy introduced herself to the various new arrivals, but her attention was focused on Liana. She returned the hug, wings flaring to keep her balance as the other woman leaned on her. "Liana, you drunk!" she exclaimed, sounding distressed. She knew people liked getting a little tipsy, but this was uncharacteristic for her friend -- and something seemed to be bothering her, too, though Shy couldn't tell what. She wanted to ask, but knew that with so many people Liana would be reluctant to say.

(( and various others))

Ven hardly batted an eye at Liana’s lackluster greeting. She had paid him to attend with her anyway, so in his mind she could behave however she liked. It made no difference to him. However, when he realized one of the other attendants standing beside her was in fact Quercus, his mouth twitched into the semblance of a small smile. “Strange meeting you here.” Suddenly he felt sort of awkward, being stuffed into this dress clothes and not being able to feel the ground beneath his feet. Surely Quercus had similar sentiments. It was amusing to see her dressed up as well. But before he had a chance to say more, someone had grabbed his arm and tugged him in another direction. It only took one glance to realize who it was.

“Sorn, I…” His protests were lost in the music and he followed against his better judgement. Better to go along with it, than refuse and provoke the dark elf into some sort of rage. Ven nodded a greeting toward the two other men gathered where Sorn stopped, and gave a sort of confused glance in Jean’s direction before he realized who she was. Jean in a dress, let alone the elegant one she was in sort of threw his brain through a loop. So many acquaintances in one place was both weird and sort of fun at the same time. “Sorry, think I’m having flashbacks…” He teased thinking back to all the weird outfits they had been made to wear on their last adventure as the Fellowship. “Good to meet you both.” He bowed slightly at Garrin, named Genie, and Orion.

“Hover bikes?” His eyes widened slightly at Jean’s comment. He had certainly missed seeing them, but most of his attention had been consumed by other things. Even now he gave a sideways glance back toward the Lounge where his drunk patron hopefully still remained. “Would be nice to feel the wind on my face again.” Classic dog mentality, even if he didn’t realize it.

~

“I’m Liana.” Her attention fluttering back to Goldy. “Lovely to meet you, both.” She looked between Gold and Quercus and back up to where Ven had been moment’s before only finding El. “That’s weird…” Maybe she had hallucinated it. Whatever, if he didn’t show back up soon she would hunt him down and punish him by making him dance with her. But if she was going to dance, first she needed to be able to stand. Waving over one of the attendants dutifully delivering glasses of water she scooped one up. Wasting no time she drank the entire cup and set it back down on the table perhaps a little harder than intended before belching rather loudly. Not being able to help it, she giggled at the looks shot toward her from an elderly couple passing, and winked at the old lady. “Being drunk is way better than dealing with anxiety. Why didn’t I figure this out sooner?” It really was good to see Shy again, something about the other woman’s presence was lightening her mood.

Remembering there was food on the table she eyed the plate and chose a pretzel to munch on. “Thanks for getting this, by the way.” In a moment of clarity she reached into her small pocket and set a few trinkets on the table. “Next round’s on me.”

(( OK I hope I covered everything!! XD ))

Quercus was hoping to ask Venom about some of his more recent adventures but the stranger she'd noticed before grabbed him and dragged him off to the dance floor before she could. She turned to Jean. "Is that one a friend of yours? I thought at first he might be one of the forest folk like me. I know he's not, he just doesn't strike me as someone who would be interested in an event like this one." They returned when the music stopped. Unwilling to be thought of as rude, Quercus stepped forward to introduce herself. Up close she could see the stranger was a dark elf. She'd encountered them before and had learned to be wary. But this one was known to the other members of the Fellowship and she trusted their judgement. "Greeting. I am Quercus. Might I know your name?" She asked.

Orion gave Garrin a light pat on the chest with a chuckle. "That was rather forward of me, but I hope you'll forgive it." Even better if the man thought it was an open invitation but time would tell. He stepped back once the effects of the drink were nullified and smiled at the others. He turned to the rest of the group and offered an elegant bow, sweeping back the train of white silk behind him as though it were a cloak. "Ah, lovely Sorn. Your friends are certainly beautiful as well. I'm glad to meet your acquaintances," he said smoothly. Interesting people. Several of which clearly had very strong ties to nature; Orion felt a kinship with them, and yet it made him the slightest bit angry for it. They reminded him what he had been - and could have been - a long time ago.

((Okay we've got Jean both with Quercus AND with Ven, but them not with each other (which I sorta tried to finagle)? I...am no longer sure what to do here. Oh wait Ven and Sorn ...returned after a dance, alright. @.@))

Jean was quick to reassure her friend. "Sorn is good people most of the time, Quercus. He acts worse than he is. The other one's someone new. I don't know him, beyond his name."

"The bikes themselves are outside for the most part, but there's one in the corner -- and vouchers for others." Jean grinned. "And please, this is far more my style than that Nancy getup. So long as I don't have to show that much leg I don't mind dressing up now and then. It's fun. Like I told Quercus, the makeup's the real killer -- won't catch me wearing that kind of coverage ever again. It does /not/ come off.

"Is not. ...You really like being...this?" Poor Shy had no idea what to do about Liana. "Why anxious? Usually you are not so bad, here. This not like you, Liana." Her grammar was slipping.

((it's short but my head hurts))

Sorn nodded. He was sorry too. Abandoned. He supposed that was is lot in life, given his nature. The surface dwellers tell him to trust people and for the first time he did and look where it got him. “Yes, I suppose.” His comment seemed to prickle Jean. “Who said I have ever done that. Still him waking up as a pet would be amusing.” Jean turned the conversation to the others, which made Sorn rather sorry he brought them all together. When Ven further entered the conversation that he was not privy to the drow felt a prickle of anger run down his spine. ‘Sure,’ he thought, ‘ignore me. I am nothing to you people. Likely the only reason you wish to be with me is so I do not kill you.’

When Quercus introduced herself, Sorn gave her a glance up and down—summing up what he could. “What are you?” he asked bluntly. “I am called Sorn.”

Friends? He never called them friends. The drow gave a puzzled look at Orion’s direction. He grunted but chose not to comment on it. He wished he never came. How could he possibly fit in? Why should he want too? Everyone kept telling him he had to change—had to adapt to the life on the surface. ‘Easy for them to say,’ he thought bitterly. They weren’t a four hundred year old drow outcast.

It didn’t take an empath to be able to tell Sorn was becoming agitated. Ven himself was also feeling sort of harried. He hadn’t been in a room full of so many familiar people in a long time, and he still had a job to perform. At least it was sort of a job… Almost more of a moral obligation at this point, even if he was getting paid. Usually when on the clock he preferred to remain inconspicuous. It was almost comical how here of all places he had been identified.

Ultimately however Ven’s attention was captivated by the sheathed sword Sorn carried on his person. ((If he still has it? I’m just guessing)) Was it the same weapon Sorn had last year, or was it different? Ven’s grip tightened around the cane he carried, as his own concealed weapon began to humm softly in his grasp. Anyone who knew him, knew he wouldn’t leave his namesake blade behind. “If they have a track, maybe they have an arena.” He was almost speaking to the weapon itself, but caught Sorn’s eye at the risk of being rude. It had been what felt like ages since his last satisfying match. “Quercus is to the forest as we are to the darkness.” Sure it was a little vague, but Ven was a man of few words.

Liana looked over a Shy, and her worried expression. Her own head tilted to the side as her smile faded. “Do I, like it?” Her head was swimming again and she had to hold the table to focus. “Not, really…” But it was better than the alternative, being an adult and dealing with her problems reasonably. In this state of mind she sort of understood why Devin was constantly trying to drink himself to death. Suddenly she felt very angry. How would Shylarah know if it was like her or not? Sure everyone had their own obligations and lives to live, but Liana was inwardly furious that all her closest friends were still so very far away.

And then it hit her. She recalled with fading clarity the faces of her oldest friends, and the unfortunate circumstances that ended her up here in a foreign world with stupid rules about magic and no foreseeable way to rip the universe opened to return her to them. It had been almost five years, and as hard as she had tried to return, she couldn’t help the nagging thought that maybe they didn’t want her back. Why else was she still trapped here? “I’m going to go throw up.” She slipped off the stool and took a second to find her footing. Forgetting her manners entirely she didn’t even excuse herself before wandering off toward the nearest restroom. (( & all ))

"Perhaps. Sorn, do you know how to drive? If you do, I think you might like hovercycles. They're very..." Jean trailed off, trying to find the right word. "Intense," she finished at last, shrugging to indicate it fell short.

"No? Ah! Liana...." With a helpless glance at the others Shy quickly excused herself and hurried after Liana. Whatever the reason for her mood, the woman was one of her oldest Subetan friends, and she wasn't going to leave the woman alone, not like this.

Orion felt a ripple in the atmosphere and found his gaze drawn towards the drow. Something was off, and it wasn't just him. There was anger here, not just his own. Was it...? He watched the man for a long moment before he slipped around the rest of the people here and gently touched the back of Sorn's elbow. "May I have a dance?" he asked. It seemed they both needed to get away for a few moments. Perhaps he had more in common with the drow than he thought before.

“An arena for battle or sex?” Sorn asked without actually flirting. “So she is made of wood?” He gave Jean a lost look. “What is drive? I do not know this word. What is a hovercycle?”

Sorn wanted to hit something and was trying his best to be calm but it wasn’t working well. Orion’s touch pulled him back into focusing. He saw Orion and nodded. “Yes,” he simply said.

Orion smiled at the drow before drawing him away from the crowd. As he lead Sorn to the dance floor, he wrapped an arm around his waist so his hand lay on his hip. "There." He murmured, "Now we can both breathe. I'm sure a beauty as yourself is often surrounded by fawning admirers... but perhaps that was a bit much." It was startling how much he understood about Sorn despite having just met him. Little did he know how much they really had in common. Outcasts, made strangers by their own kind. Sorn didn't seem to be the type to lay bare his emotions so Orion didn't press.

So many people!

Tanwen leaned into the affection before Quercus turned her attention to the others around the table. Goldy picked up the scratches so that her companion wouldn't beg for more from the other woman. She felt like she faded into the background as the others talked and caught up with each other. It wasn't too terrible, she listened to bits and pieces of their talks, although seeing Sorn made her nervous. She wasn't sure why other than the run in earlier.

When Liana abruptly left she felt even more lost, even though they were not friends. She was torn between making sure she was okay along with Shy or to trust that they could work things out. Instead she continued to flick her eyes around, hoping to catch a glimpse of them to make sure they were both okay. "I'm going to get more food if anybody wants something specific." she managed to get out, unsure if anybody would here her.

(( Sorn was dragged off momentarily.))

Sorn allowed himself to be steered off. The compliment made the grumpy drow have an edge of a smile even though the didn't seem interested in him as much as Orion indicated. They were only mortal, such was to be expected. Right? All the doubts he now had. So little made sense to him. He sighed. "Might I inquire as to why you wished to be away from them? If you would rather not say, I shall not pester you."

((Hey kids! I'll... attempt to catch up probably tomorrow. Good to see everyone's having fun!! :) ))

Orion wanted to be delicate about this if he could manage, at least until he could get to know Sorn better. "It felt a little stifling to me, and I would have liked to steal you away anyhow," he said. It wasn't a lie. But something was wrong, and he wasn't sure what but he knew what it was like to be different. Hence why Orion tried to be in the middle of things, to try and feel like he belonged. "And so I decided to steal you away," he finished with a smile as he gently pulled Sorn closer and started a simple, slow step sequence to match the music.

(I think I am missing people here -- and yes I know it is a bit of catch-up but feel free to not respond to those parts. <3 )

He could vaguely hear Sorn introducing him as his pet Genie. Garrin took in the group and nodded to Jean and their friend, mumbling about it being a pleasure to make the acquaintance.

Sorn had grown tense and Garrin could feel it around him and he looked around the group to see if anyone else had noticed. Garrin knew Sorn a bit better than some of the newcomers, he thought, so he knew that Sorn was also struggling with being accepted by the humans. He wanted to show Sorn that he had friends but it was nearly impossible to do so.

As soon as the next song began playing across the dance floor the group dispersed and suddenly everyone was off dancing again. Just when the coast was clear Garrin sat down on the chair nearest where everyone had been lingering.

Coda suddenly purred loudly and sent Garrin a mental image of her chasing a tiny mouse that looked an awful lot like Garrin. 'Didn't you notice how that drink lingered and vanished and lingered and vanished, over and over again?' She taunted him with another mental image, this time of her hiding behind a chair casting jinxes upon her beloved Garrin.

"That was you!" Garrin spurted, nearly dropping the raspberry panna cotta he'd been about to consume.

"No! That is not -- you shouldn --" His anger was boiling up. "Grrrmhmp!! Never mind." Garrin growled and sat deeper in his chair looking all the more angry and depressed than before. He glared over at Coda whose tail was twitching happily behind her. Ignoring her profusion of joy, he dug the fork into his panna cotta with a force to be reckoned with. After only a few bites of focused thoughtful eating he was loosed from the anger that had welled up inside -- mostly. He was not one to hold a grudge or hold onto anything that caused stress or tension in his body or mind.