DREAM GUY: The Diner Dansant: part two....Dancing!

[Guest]

Guy twirled around Brionna, as she dared to ask the question that burned on everybody's lips. He smilled and leaned in close, his breath touching her ear as he whispered "JUST a bet? Nay milady.. with or without my cooperation a lady will be found, for a heir must be secured... I decided to have some fun with it.. is that so wrong? I would love to tweak my cousins nose too."

He laughed deeply and withdrew slightly adding "What kind of stories would you want to hear, milady. Not all of them are pretty. Before I was a count I was many other things."

[Jolanda]

Jolanda gave Fialessa a smile of agreement, though further reply was forestalled as Delandra arrived, "mmm?" Jolanda rose a quizzical brow to the half elf, who didn't seem to merge into the conversation at all, instead pointing out that Jolanda hadn't drawn an invitation to dance from the count yet. Like that is it!? Jolanda decided she did't like the girl, and promptly ignored her. Likewise, Delandra seemed to ignore Jolanda's suggested game.

"A sparrow!" she smiled with Haylins contribution, secretly thinking she did seem overly common. But Haylin's further comment was rather pointed, she obviously thought 'someone' was particularly unimaginative, and not for a moment did she think it was herself. "But who do you think is a Parrot then?" she asked Haylin.

Fialessa's choice of bird was rather exotic, Jolanda had never heard of such a bird, indeed wondered if it actually existed. "Controversial?" she quizzed, hoping to draw the woman out in explanation a little more.

But the greatest surprise was Neit’s. The large, threatening woman posed a bird so swift and quick - Jolanda blinked in her starry-eyed fashion as she tried focus upon her better. Was the half giantess actually jealous of the smaller ladies, was that why she had been such a bitch? "But that is quite another game," Jolanda replied, "what one craves to be, and what one is, are oft poles apart."

Her eyes slipped across the room to look at the count dancing, noticing at the same time that some of the ladies seemed to be intent upon leaving the room. "And some ladies are poultry."

[Brionna Galenn]

A shiver went through Brionna as the Count leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Wrong?" she asked with a chuckle. "Oh, no, my Lord! Wanting to have fun is never wrong, and I'll admit this is a novel way to find a partner. Not to mention that a successful outcome would get you a great deal of respect and admiration from... your cousin." It felt strange to refer to the king in such a manner, but if Guy was going to insist on keeping things informal, she'd get over the habits of her upbringing. She gave a rippling laugh and added, "I think anyone who can survive being the object of this many women's undivided attention deserves all the respect and admiration they can get!"

As he pulled back slightly and asked what stories she would want to hear, she bit back the flippant answer she had been about to make and took a few flickers to consider the question seriously. At last she replied, "I think that is what and why I want to hear, really. Stories about the other things you were before you were a count. As I understand it, you haven't been a count for very long but your previous experiences are what has shaped the man you are." The look she gave him was more serious now. "I've liked what I've seen of you so far," she admitted. "Your much more approachable than most of the nobles I've met, and I suspect that has a lot to do with all of those other things you were. So naturally, I'd like to know more about them." Her smile was warm, and her small hand squeezed his larger one gently as they danced.

[Delanedra]

Delanedra smiled weakly. She frowned when she heard to talk of birds she tried to figure out what exactly was going wrong.Did I do that again? I've not been paying attention and I've blundered my way into a bad way. She adjusted her flower crown again and smiled. "I'm sorry," she said trying to make up for her moment of ineptitude. "But why are you dicussing birds?"

[Becca Acerbi]

"They're playing." Becca's voice came from nowhere - or at least as nowhere as the nearest sofa could be. The girl sighed and closed her book, then her hands appeared over the arms of the sofa as she stretched. She'd curled up there because it faced the dance floor, and the vast majority of people were behind her - which, she'd reasoned, would buy her a few moments of peace, even if they were all nearby and gabbing.

"I wasn't paying much attention, but it's something to do with what bird you think you're most like." Becca sat up, her hair giving a feeble static-crackle, and peered over the back of the sofa. "What brought that on? I really wasn't listening at all. And before anyone gets it into their head to ask, try crow. Loud, squawky, and messy."

[Guest]

Neit smiled at Jolanda. She so badly wanted to bury the six inch dagger eight inches into the woman's head, but resisted the temptation. She made a mental note though that Jolanda would be the first that she attacked...maybe even murdered. It would be fun to break her. Neit quietly wondered if Jolanda would scream as her life blood began to drain from her broken body or if she would freeze in panic.

Instead of a look of malice though, she simply gave Jolanda a smile. "I didn't know our answers were for you to judge. While physically I may not be like the bird I chose, mentally it is appropriate." She then turned away from Jolanda and looked at Becca. The woman's statement about a crow was funny. She gave her a smile and then returned to watching the other women.

[Guest]

The Count took quite some time considering Brionna's question, as if searching for a way to formulate his answer ambigously, then decided on the straightforward approach "I was a trader mostly, with my own company. Captain on my own ship no less. Ah.. the freedom of the wind in your hair, just an endless sea around you... in charge of our own destiny." It sounded slightly regretful, which was mirrored in his eyes "When my older brother died leaving me the unexpeced heir, I've had to... adapt."

He grinned suddenly, dipping Brionna low, and admiring her form as he did so, though not too obviously "I can tell you some very, very roguish stories. My past is hardly lily white."

Their dance was coming to an end and already he regretted it "Milady, you seem to have a good head on your shoulders. I shall enjoy continuing our conversation at some later date."

It was at that time that Guy, with a determined step, walked towards Neit "Milady, can I have this dance?" He dipped low in a flamboyant western bow with a magnificent show of leg, while kissing her hand and letting his lips linger just a tad to long. When he looked up his eyes were not seductive but challenging as if daring Neit.

[Guest]

Haylin carefully avoided answering Jolanda's question about Parrots. She didn't think it would be wise to say budgie's were closely related to parrots after having been in a little fight already. She had no doubt the woman would not miss whatever traits of parrots Haylin could be aiming for. Instead she decided to respond to Neit's choice of feather. Again she found herself completely on the same level with the woman.

"I sometimes wish I was a little bit more like a swan. Normal, pretty and accepted by everyone. No matter how ugly they start out, they'll always end up just like the rest of their kind." 'You just got even more personal about yourself. What is the matter with you...'

It was Becca's sudden interruption that made the girl stop for a moment. She wondered why she wasn't more like what Becca had just described. Out on the street Haylin would never be as quiet as she was starting to get now. And when the count asked the Neit, who only a mere burn ago seemed like she was about to murder someone, to dance she literally felt herself shrink to practically nothing. She hoped Neit wouldn't blame her for not coming along to the kitchen. She had no intention of getting herself back on Neit's black list. Now she was suddenly getting scared? This situation was getting more and more absurd rapidly.

[Fialessa Valenstri]

“Controversial? Really?” Fia laughed gently, “Well I suppose it is a bit exotic for a city perhaps and I've not spied any along the streets of the Citadel as yet. They are perhaps more common upon the island I come from... “ With a smile she explained a little further, “They are rather interesting, a vibrant red colour and fairly graceful. They are rather social amongst their kind and they do tend to pair off for their lifetime.”

When Neit bristled at Jolanda's remarks Fia found that the half-giantess really did seem to take offense rather easily. All she could do was shake her head a little, causing a ripple through her hair. She listened along with the others at the tiff and then heard as well the remark made by Becca – the self proclaimed crow. But it was Haylin's next spoken thoughts that got to her, about wishing to be pretty and normal, she wondered what sort of life the girl must have had for the adhiel could not fathom the sorts of things that would make one feel such. However the part about being accepted by everyone, well that was nearly impossible. It was quite obvious to her as her own homeland was being invaded by narrow minded fanatics because they could not accept anyone that was unlike themselves. Her heart went out to the other girl nonetheless, and she could not help but offer her a smile anyway, though it would likely not be seen in the way it was intended.

Lucky it seemed that the Count arrived to sweep Neit away, for she was beginning to wonder if the half-giantess actually wished to get along with any of them.

[Jolanda]

Hearing Fialessa explanation, “Oh? That sounds divine.” Pairing for life? Then she must have romantic notions about true love. Jolanda knew for certain that she was not like a Scarlet Ibis, a lifetime tied to a single partner could only be a form of torture to her. Love. What was that?

However much Jolanda projected a brainless personality, she was not naive in the least, and saw through Niet's smile to the malice within. Her own smile was victorious in reply, Ha, I knew she was feigning pathetic sincerity! "Is that what I did?" her eyes glittered that Niet had taken her comment so personally, knowing that she'd found the weakness in this beast sized woman, a weakness that made her as vulnerable as the smallest of the women present. Mental weaknesses are so much more crippling.

Her eyes slid to Becca as she conveniently spoke up to answer Delandra's confusion - Jolanda wasn't about to do that herself. Her estimation of Becca rose a peg, and here I'd thought she was actually reading the book.

Haylin's comment was interesting, it seeming that the girl felt like a social oddity. "What we make of ourselves is certainly more gratifying than what we begin our lives being." Jolanda replied, "Discontent is the mother of advancement, without it, how static the world would be."

[Guest]

Neit smiled as the Count approached her. "I would be honored with a dance, m'lord." She walked with him to the middle of the floor. As she realized that the dance was about to begin, Neit became a bit nervous. "M'lord, I must confess, I have never actually danced before." She gave him a smile to show she was neither afraid to try something new nor ashamed to let him know a skill in which she was not trained.

[Brionna Galenn]

OOC: Technically this post comes before Neit's last one, but she got here first.

IC:

Brionna studied the Count from under long lashes as he considered her question, wondering how evasive he was going to be. She was taken aback - not to mention extremely pleased - when he gave a matter-of-fact response. It brought a sweet smile to her lips to hear his wistful tone as he remembered his life at sea, liking the fact that he both felt strongly about it and was willing to reveal as much to her.

As he suddenly dipped her, she was startled into a breathless laugh. For someone unaccustomed to dancing, it was a position that seemed frighteningly vulnerable. Somehow though, perhaps because she was still feeling a warm closeness to him after his revelations, she found it easy to surrender to him and trust his strength and skill to keep her from tumbling unceremoniously to the floor.

Right way up again a few flickers later, she returned his grin even as her cheeks coloured slightly at his compliment. "I look forward to it, my Lord of the not-so-lily-white-past," she replied, her pleasure and admiration evident in her voice and eyes. "And thank you for the dance." She dropped him a respectful curtsey (which would have given him a very interesting view down her dress if not for the difference in their heights which meant he could probably have gotten that view all along) and retreated back to the security of Jolanda's company.

From the corner of her eye, she watched as the Count approached Neit and drew her onto the dancefloor. A small sigh of relief escaped her, since she was regretting her earlier words that had brought her to the giantess' attention. The less time they had to spend together, the better.

Rejoining her friend, she smiled and ran her fingers back through her hair to pull it out of her eyes. Having it loose might be attractive, but it was decidedly annoying. "You all seem deep in discussion," she remarked, not entirely sure how to include herself in their conversation.

[Kithara]

Kithara laughed kindly when she heard Ilaria's reply to her statement about setting something on fire.

"I was only saying that out of boredom. I'm sure the Count wouldn't appreciate me setting things on fire on my first day here. And yes, I'm sure. Thank you for the invitation though." She eyed the Count as he bent over Neit's hand with a wry grin.

'She goes back and forth in her mannerisms faster than a pendulm.' She thought. For a moment she debated in her mind, before she excused herself from Ilaria and Falina.

"You all don't mind if I join you, do you?" She asked with a smile as she touched Brionna's arm lightly, "It seems that people are either leaving or congregating here."

[Fialessa Valenstri]

Smiling as Brionna rejoined them, and somewhat glad that it was Neit that left them. Fia took it upon herself to clue Brionna in to the conversation. “Jolanda came up with this lovely game to attribute a bird to yourself – one you feel is most like yourself." Gesturing to each woman in turn, "She has chosen the Budgie, Haylin the Sparrow, Becca? I believe, yes? A Crow, I chose the Scarlet Ibis, and Neit the Swift... ” At the last she nodded after the half-giantess.

“Perhaps you might care to choose one...” She invited.

[Delanedra]

Hanging back away from the others, Delanedra had removed her flower headpeice and was turing it in her hands nervously. I guess I can't mingle with them. I don't quite... fit. she told herself glaring down at the flower crown she'd made. She ran her fingers of the flower petals-as a blind person might do, taking in each petal's shape,size and texture into account.

She looked up after a moment, and glanced around the room. She needed a group that was small enough and not so intimidating. She began to meander through the groups, unsure of how people would respond to others joining in.

[Faliña]

Faliña nodded at Ilaria. "You're right, one of these doors must lead to the kitchen. Why don't we try this way?" The halfling gestured broadly in the direction of the doors. She'd caught snippets of the other group's conversation and it was becoming clear that two groups, at least, were being formed. The group nattering about birds, and everyone else. It seemed rather unfortunate to her, but Faliña supposed that ladies would continue being alienated and re-accepted, excommunicated and befriended until this "contest" was over. Perhaps it was a contest of who could avoid throwing a fit or getting into a fight longest. Or perhaps, the object was to win the fights. She didn't know, and was becoming more curious by the moment. In any case, she was on a mission, and hopefully through it she could procure a bottle or two of liquor, and, by extension, some interesting, if totally useless, information. However, in any group where alliances were formed, a secret or two up your sleeve could only be good.

[Guest]

The girls managed to keep themselves amused by exchanging catty remarks hidden as a little game on birds. It had a remarkable life like quality, as if many of the woman present would easily slide into such courtly games ment to discredit favorite courtiers by snide remarks, whether or not they did so in real life or not. Neit however, was fairly blunt, and had managed to intimidate the lot of them, to the point of nearly sweating in her presence in an effort to please her. Guy was blissfully unaware of these tensions in the room, or at least did not let on if he was.

Neit was towering over the Count with an impressive two feet. He gave her a mischevious grin, not in the least intimidated, before taking her in a spinning dance with twirl after twirl. No dipping for this big girl, but the Counts view was excellent, his face nearly buried between her two large orbs that threatened to overspill from the tight dress. His arms felt well muscled and Neit could change a look down his shirt where the lace had become slightly undone and find his chest nicely rippled as well.

His muffled baritone voice rose to Neit over the music "It has been some time since I was in Amun Rah. Aren't all ladies of the tribe considered property? I do hope I will not be chased by your male relatives."

[Brionna Galenn]

Brionna's eyes lit with interest at the novel game. "A bird..." she mused. "You've all picked quite interesting ones..." Her lips pursed in thought for a few flickers, then she smiled. "I think I'd have to compare myself to a bowerbird," she said. "I like being surrounded by pretty things, and making them, too." She gave a light laugh.

Feeling a touch to her arm, she looked around to see Kithara standing beside her. She smiled at the woman, and replied, "Of course! We do seem to have formed quite a large group, don't we?" She grinned and added, "We've been playing a game where we choose a bird that we think most represents us. I just chose the bowerbird, because of my love for surrounding myself with pretty decorations. I wasn't here for most of the others, so perhaps someone else could fill you in?" She cast her eyes around the rest of the group. She could remember a few of the choices the Fia had listed, but not all of them, and she prefered to not make that too obvious.

[Ilaria da'Margeir.]

"Well then let's go. The sooner we find the kitchen, the sooner we can liven things up around here." Ilaria was never fond of attending parties thrown by nobility. It all seemed to be one big game of "who could make the most hurtful comments in the nicest way". Ilaria wasn't even sure why she was here. She never fit in at parties like this. She shook her head and started to make her way over to the closest door. "So, Faliña, what brought you to this....grand competition," Ilaria asked, nodding her head towards the other girls and the Count.

[Jolanda]

Jolanda smiled to Fialessa when she explained her impromptu game to Brionna calling it 'lovely', though she became distracted from hearing the next contribution as she watched Dalanedra move away. She's feeling lost I suppose, she doesn't realize that we all feel like that...

Her attention turning back to their group as Brionna asked for someone to repeat all the choices again, this time for Kithara. "But it is time for a new game!" Jolanda interjected, the thought of repeating everyone’s choices every time a new lady appeared with them seeming a very tedious task.

"Let's do Niet's game, oh but perhaps with a few changes. Let's say what we wish we were. But to lend metaphor, lets liken it to… a fish!" she suggested.

[Faliña]

The halfling shrugged, "Well, it seemed like a good opportunity to meet some new friends, without actually having to travel to all these diferent lands... I'm afraid I suffer from seasickness if I set foot on a boat. Besides, it seemed interesting, and I've nothing else to do, so I may as well be here. Hopefully it will continue to be interesting." Faliña grinned. "And you, what made you answer the count's invitation?" She followed Ilaria towards the door.

[Guest]

The girl merely nodded at most reactions. She was merely thinking out loud and didn't think it was really necessary to respond. Fialessa's smile didn't miss its mark however, given that the young achadhiel felt mostly neutral about the others and simply refused to make anything else out of it, so Haylin gave a weak smile in return.

"A fish?..." Haylin muttered when Jolanda came with a new idea. She didn't particularly like fish at all save the ones that were dead and swimming in her stomach and she was definitely not going to compare herself to one or wish to be like one. Instead she stepped back a little and away from the conversation.

She looked around the room a bit and wondered if it would be a good idea to search for the kitchen after all when her eyes fell upon Faliña and Ilaria who seemed to be going for the door.

[Becca Acerbi]

Becca smiled and nodded at Neit, then curled back up on the sofa, tucking her (bare) feet beneath her. Where were her shoes? Um... Under the sofa? She'd been wearing them when she sat down... After a few moments, she found the place she'd been up to, and was just getting back into her reading when Jolanda spoke.

The girl sat up straight, frowning slightly, trying to work out if she'd just heard what she thought she'd heard.

Couldn't have.

No, on the third check it still sounded like that.

A few flickers of wriggling, and Becca was kneeling on the sofa with her arms folded on the back, staring at Jolanda for a few flickers. "You know, I could've sworn you just said something about fish." Becca's expression softened into a bemused 'I'm being ridiculous again aren't I?' smile. "I'm hearing things, aren't I?"

Because, really, fish?

[Jolanda]

Haylin was obviously not impressed, repeating the word fish then leaving the group. Was it a good thing or bad that the same utterance pulled the bookworm from her reading with disbelieving tones. Jolanda pressed her lips together, trying not to grin, "You heard correctly enough, as for being ridiculous again, I can't comment on that sorry."

This was more fun than talking about birds already!

"But why is it so dreadful to liken oneself to a fish, though entertaining to do so with birds? It seems to me, fish are far less romanticized than they ought to be... now had I suggested to choose amongst the flowers, I bet a host of choices would have issued forth. M’ladies are slaves to poetical preconceptions. I challenge you all then, dare speak of yourselves as fishes in such wonderful terms that we forever more find ourselves sighing at the sight of a carp!"

There, she had dared them, who would be game and step up to the mark?

[Brionna Galenn]

Brionna was a little surprised at her friend's suggestion of comparing themselves to fish, but she couldn't help grinning at the reply she gave Becca. From the look on Jolanda's face, she was amused by the woman's puzzled comments as well.

The saucily delivered challenge made her laugh, and she didn't hesitate to step up to it. "If I could wish to be a fish..." she began, her green eyes dancing with mirth at her bad poetry. "I think it's a toss-up between two. The first is a salmon. I've heard that they go to the most amazing efforts to achieve their goals, and I wish I had such tenacity - although in my case the goal would be unlikely to be having as many babies as possible, as it is for the salmon!" She grinned and shrugged. "The second is a fish I saw once in the marketplace. It was in a small bowl full of water, and it was just so lovely and elegant as it swam around with it's long fins and tail looking like gauze veils. Everyone was stopping to watch it and sigh over it, and I suppose some noble lady would have bought it so she could watch it herself. But it was lovely..." She thought about this for a few moments, then shook her head. "No, on second thought perhaps not. The bowl was empty of everything except water, so as well as being lovely I'd imagine that fish was also bored out of its tiny little mind! Perhaps I'll stay with the salmon after all."

There was a touch of self-consciousness in her smile as she looked around the rest of the group, aware of how she had babbled on. She hoped someone else would step into the conversation, because she couldn't think of anything else to say that wouldn't sound awkward.