Drinks?

Pak couldn't quite decide how she was feeling tonight. For most people it wouldn't be a major set back or anything to worry about, it always sort of scared her. She decided part of it had to do with pretending to be a farmer again. It had been a long time, and it wasn't part of her past, with the exception of her children, she was loathed to part with. The world had held better things.

Deciding that Artemis was quite right and a drink was in order, she borrowed a glass of red from a passing waiter. Slowly sipping it, she finally took a good look at her companion, felt her emotional scales tip to normal and smiled slowly.

"It is positively unfair you look better than I do. I thought I was supposed to be the pretty one."Â?

Artemis took a glass from the waiter. After a drink, he looked into his glass while he swirled the liquid within. A small smile played at the corners of his mouth. All that was needed was a few balding old men arguing in the corner and it would feel like home.

PakPao had drawn him out of his musings. Artemis drank the remainder of his wine and placed the empty glass on a passing tray. He turned and gave her a devilish grin. With little effort, he removed the cloak and placed it around PakPao's shoulders. He had to stifle a chuckle. The cloak that had been made for his tall frame now engulfed her.

"There is that better?"

She blinked in surprise. Granted that was the one piece of his wardrobe tonight that she had been coveting, but she hadn't planed on swimming in it. But it was enough to stop any costume moping that she might still have been prone to and made her laugh.

"Superb. I think it looks much better on me... and about five other people."Â?

Following his example she finished her wine and looked suspiciously at the rest of the room. OK, so they were late. She didn't have a lot to say to most people, present company excepted.

"I can't decide if I want to socialize or if this is quite enough."Â?

Hell, did she know anyone else here?

Artemis chuckled. The sight was rather amusing. He reached around her and folded up the cloak a bit and readjusted it on her shoulders before pinning in a style a bit more manageable.

"There I think that will be a bit better."

Artemis followed PakPao's gave around the room. He was sure they would run into Alfarinn eventually, but they couldn't stand around waiting for him. Artemis let out an almost inaudible sigh, he wanted his comanion to have a good time. It was a feat that just might require him making a complete imbecile of himself.

" I am afraid this attire did not leave me many places to hide my usual toys. So we will have to cause meheim the old fashioned way, by dancing. Excuse me. Pardon me. Did I do that?"

Artemis began to make a mockery of all things that could be called dancing. In the choreography of a nutcase, he switched from one style to the next. A tall Roman with hair down to there doing 'The Butt' was truly a something to see.

OK, now she felt like Superman, but it wasn't an altogether bad thing and it was sure better than being Clark Kent.

She went from suspicious to disbelief when he started dancing, if you could call it that. A huge grin and a delicate laugh were hidden behind her small hand and she gave up, promising herself that she would have a good time. Grabbing his hand Pak tugged Artemis further out on to the floor so they could dance properly.

"They should have invented pockets much soon than they did would have saved everyone in the room that whole room that spectacle."Â?

Next time she would have to think this through dancing with much taller men was always a bit awkward and involved looking up a lot. Of course, she did look up at him with a lopsided sarcastic teasing grin in place.

"I forget, have I always known you were a bad dancer or is this new?"Â?

Artemis laughed and tried to think what he would have been like if he had had pockets sooner. the pranks probably would not have been as elaborate of effective, but they would have been numerous.

" I think the divine powers knew that some people should not have pockets too soon. Now if i could find a way to make black leather cargo pants stylish, I would be a happy man."

He let himself be led further onto the floor, pleased that his antics had lifted her spirits. As the passed the occasional couple he had to resist the urge to give a nudge and thus make good on his threat of causing trouble. Looking down at Pakpao he tried to look insulted at he comment, only to give up an settle into a grin of his own.

" Whatever do you mean? I have been the clan dance champion three years running. Of course The Butt and the Funky Chicken are not on the list of generally requested dances."

With a wink and a grin he scooped her up into a gentle bear hug and spun her in a circle before setting her down.

" O.K. You lead."

"Black leather is always fashionable, just not always appropriate; but in a cargo? No. Tight leather is better, and pockets don't always ... add to the design."Â?

Ha! She was pleased to have halfway extricated herself from that little slip.

She was waiting for him to lead them 'accidentally' into another couple, something she was fully aware he was capable of. Next time there would have to be more planning ahead, something to keep them both out of trouble as he had her contemplating how easy it would be to step on the train of one of these overly elaborate gown... he he train wreck.

Filing that idea away for later Pak instinctively tightened her grip on Artemis as her feet left the ground. She tried to look reproachful, she really did but failed miserably and just kept smiling.

"I must have missed those. Right, I'll lead if you promise not to go all John Travolta on me. I avoided the seventies with moderate success and would like to keep it that way."Â?

Artemis smiled. Don't add to the design? Does that mean she had been looking? he found himself rather glad that he had handed over his cloak, and maybe waving his ass around had advantages too. The mention of John Travolta brought him back from the thoughts that she might have actually been looking.

" Aww, but I can do Travolta without going into the seventies."

He ran his fingers, in the shape of a 'V', in front of his eyes for emphasis. He did however stop short of doing the Swim or the Mash Potatoe. The twist might have had promise but he figured he had pushed his luck with the previous montage. Artemis laughed litely.

" You might want to be carefull what you say about the seventies though. They are said to be retro, they could come back to haunt you."

“You are the only person I know who can use pop culture as a weapon.”

Pak’s face had taken on a very pained expression but she couldn’t help laughing again. He’d won that round but there would be retaliation. Awww hell why wait, they were already looking ridiculous so she did finish the ‘choreography’ doing an abbreviated version of the Swim before settling back down.

”Ugh! You take that back. I refuse to deal with avocado green anything, shag carpet, bellbottoms or machines that can’t compete with a graphing calculator. Oh and then we’ll get to do the eighties again, this just gets better doesn’t it?”

All right, she was glad she’d come, this was proving highly entertaining and they hadn’t even run anyone over yet.

“You’d think if people wanted to go retro they’d go way back try out the 1890s. It might give them an appreciation for the present.”

Artemis laughed. One of the hazards of being a genious was that useless information tended to get stored in his mind with all of the other clutter. Though occasionally the useless became useful. Great for dancing montages and Trivial Pursuit.

" You would think so. The problem with retro is that people tend to pick and choose. And not always wisely if fashion is what we have to go by. Legwarmers were not a terribly bright idea the first time around."

About that time, something large and green caught his attention. Turning Pak around, he placed an arm around her shoulders and leaned closer to her ear. With his other hand he pointed out the Godzilla by the bar.

" Think we could him to lead everyone in the Monster Mash?"

“Yeah the same idiots who that they were a good idea the first time will bring them back. Come on you can’t think that parachute pants are going to work out well for you.”

Turning she saw the green monster. Oh lord who’d let that in the door? Ten out of ten for style though.

Oh, that was a terrible thought, he did not just say that! Working hard on a straight face, she leaned closer conspiratorially and spoke very low.

“Gozira!”

She’d given the pronunciation a reasonable facsimile of a Japanese accent, not perfect but enough to get her point across.

“We can dance or you can pretend to be a small Japanese costal city and I’ll run away screaming. Which do you think would get more attention?”

Tempting fate, that is what she was doing and Pak was ready to do either, run away screaming or attempt to lead a dance she only maybe knew a quarter of.

Artemis laughed at the thought. His mind had skipped over the part about pretending to be a city and went to stomping and chasing her about in his own rendition of Godzilla. While an amusing thought, it was an idea best left for a time when they didn't have an audience. A wicked grin played across his features.

" The best times to cause trouble are when you have someone else to blame it on. Let's see what we can get into and later say he did."

Artemis took her into his arms and spun her around a few times pretending to be looking for someone to bump into. Finally he settled into something that resembled normal dancing.

Oh boy, from the look on his face Pak was certain he was thinking and equally certain it would be trouble. She almost pouted when he took the high road, the high road could be so very dull.

“Alright, you win but this brings us back to you not having any pockets and if you think I managed to carry anything you’d be wrong.”

Hmm there was running into people, which would be highly entertaining and better than throwing things. You could always pretend running into people was an accident. Watching the waiters move around with the drinks it hit her.

“We need dribble glasses.”

The thought had promise. He did a mental survey of the 'tools' he had available to him. There was his dagger and the brouch the currently fastened the cloak to her. Yes, it definately had promise. Artemis spotted a waiter on one edge of the dance floor. he moved them in that direction. Sometimes, as they were moving, he would pick her up and spin her around using the cloak as a weapon as it flared out from her shoulders. The devilish grin was unmistakable.

As they reached the waiter, he grabbed two glasses of wine. One he handed to Pak, and the other he drained. Artemis examined the glass. There was not much he could do with his present tool set that would not do perminant damage to the crystal.

" Well this may come as a surprise to you, but I think these glasses may be Artemis proof. If only I had a thin piece of glass or some chewing gum."

Looking down he spotted a smashed bit of strawberry or was it a rasberry. It was kind of hard to tell in its present state.

" Do you have your lighter with you?"

Ideas were dangerous, but fun and as they moved towards the waiter Pak knew, he had one. Brilliant.

Hardware was not her specialty and so all Pak could do was watch, toying with the wine glass he’d handed her, she was currently far to interested in his plan to think about drinking it, that would come in a second.

“I didn’t think any thing would be Artemis proof, did you tell people you were coming and make them put out the safety glass?”

Totally lost now she nodded and fidgeted around in her belt; the lighter and her cigarette case were the only two things she’d managed to carry with her tonight. Locating the lighter, she handed it to him.

“Of course. Since I’m now officially an accomplice do I get a hint?”

" Nope."

Artemis grinned but didn't look up. Instead, he removed his dagger from its place at his waist. Crouching down, Artemis scooped up some of the fruit on the blade. Standing, Artemis flashed her another grin.

" Now if anybody comes, you have to be flirty and distracting....Just not too flirty or I might get jealous."

He gave her a wink and then went back to his task. Holding the glass by the top rim, he scraped the gooey remains from the dagger onto the bottom of the glass. He then wiped the blade across the side of the glass. Carefull not to get the stickey mess on himself, he switched which hand held the glass. with the glass and the dagger in one hand, artemis used the lighter to heat the base of the glass. The heat alone would have created mild suction but would have likely cooled before it could adhere to anything. The addition of the fruit would allow it to stick to the passing tray that he stuck it on. The prank would not be enough to break the glass but it would serve to frustrate the waiter for a moment. The sticky fruit juice on the side was an added bonus. Artemis took a napkin from the tray before it got out of reach and wiped his dagger before replacing it.

" So how was that? Not dribbling glass, but it was the best I could do under the circumstances."

“Flirting with me while reeking havoc, you do know the way to a girl’s heart.”

She grinned back at him and did her best to keep watch without attracting attention and at the same time keeping an eye on what he was doing.

As she started to understand Pak let the waiter walk away before she raised here eyebrows at him, pleased with the idea.

“Next time we stick a full one back on the tray and stalk the waiter to see who tries to pull it off the tray.”

Alfarinn smiled at his companion and amended his statement.

"Well then, Lord Thaddeus Grey, you look stunning tonight."

He could see Emma saying exactly those words about such a title and at least partly for that very reason. It was probably a good thing Alfarinn didn't have a large official title to go along with his name some people found Alfarinn long enough on its own. He had been the Jarl's son and had been expected to take his place but that title did not go to him until he had done so.

[Do you honestly think I'd want you not to speak? I love listening to you and learning all these things. What else have you been reminded of tonight?]

Shaking his head at his companion's remarks or the thought that he would be opposed to hearing more of them, Alfarinn wrapped and arm around Thaddeus's waist and watched Artemis with amusement. At the mention of saying hello, he nodded.

[ I suppose we should if for no other reason than to keep him from finding a way to cause more trouble. ]

Or to help... Alfarinn smirked but refrained from adding that thought to his sending.

Coming up behind his fellow Evenhet, Alfarinn raised his eyebrows and spoke

" Not enough gadgets in here to keep you busy, I see."

He turned to PakPao and smiled.

"Good Evening PakPao. This is Thaddeus Grey of Anantya, Thaddeus, PakPao of Evenhet. She is one of the chief programmers that works with MARI. -Which- I've been meaning to speak to you about...."

His eyes narrowed looking at her suspiciously a moment before he smiled and turned towards Artemis.

"So how did you manage to get him out of the lab?

Oh look, more people. Pak straightened up and did her best to look like they hadn’t been up to anything sending Artemis a quick thought as she did so.

[“Gozira! Should we run now?”]

For Alfarinn she just smiled sweetly.

“Good evening Alfarinn, nice to meet you Thaddeus. But I haven’t noticed any problems with MARI, we can talk about that later though.”

Yes, much –much- later; the truth was Pak really hadn’t noticed any problems, the AI was working just perfectly as far as she was concerned. Perfectly was a matter of opinion tough, wasn’t it?

Looking back to Artemis she casually retrieved her lighter and stashed it back in her belt and shrugged as if getting Artemis out of his lab was an easy and every day occurrence.

“Him? I just promised he could dance, after that he practically drug me here.”

Artemis was comptemplating the damage he could cause with a full glass of wine when he heard the familiar voice behind him. At Pak's comment, images of Alfarinn stomping around in a Godzilla costume were replaced with images of a large green big toothed Alfarinn. It was an amusing thought he would definitely have to revisit.

Artemis draped an arm around Pak's shoulders as he handed her the lighter. The amount of focus on a single thought that was required for sending was not an easy task for Artemis. It was even more difficult when he was moderately sober. He found the physical contact made it easier for him. It would take at least three more glasses of wine before he could reply to her without it.

[ Probably should. But at least this way we have another Godzilla to blame.]

To Alfarinn and Thaddeus he grinned. He also extended his free hand to Thaddeus in greeting.

" Hello Thaddeus, all is well with you I hope. And no Alfarinn not enough gadgets, but I have learned to make the best of my environment. A bit of chewing gum would have been helpful though."

Artemis gently hugged Pak and gave her a conspiratorial wink.

" What is wrong with MARI? I haven't noticed any problems. I think it may just be you."

Artemis knew what Alfarinn's complaint was. He too suspected that Pak may have gotten a bit creative with the AI's personality functions. He also found it amusing and absolutely perfect.

A snort and then a cough escaped him as Pak mentioned dancing. It had just occurred to him that his display had given her ammunition for at least a month.

Thaddeus blinked in pleasant surprise when Alfarinn put one arm around his waist, wondering at the display of affection. Looking back through the evening, though, he realized that they had been exchanging such gestures all night.

He didn’t know exactly when he had become so comfortable, to the point where such interactions, in public no less, had become the most natural thing in the world. He only knew he was glad of it.

[Only good things. But come, I think perhaps we should make a few new good memories.]

Smiling at Alfarinn’s suggestion, he added: [Ah yes, the many duties of a good influence and mighty slayer of cabinets.]

He gave Pakpao a little bow, trying to place the exact origins of both the name and the costume and deciding he knew what he would do next time he was at the library. Unless, of course, he got the impression it would not be too intrusive to just ask.

“A pleasure to meet you as well, Pakpao.”

He took Artemis’s offered hand in his gloved one, giving a shake and considering how to reply honestly. Pushing back thoughts of his recent encounter and what was still to come, he nodded his head.

“It is tonight.”

It seemed the two Evenhet were all innocence regarding MARI, though he had seen enough of Artemis to know better than to take that at face value. PakPao was quick to dismiss the implied query and Thaddeus could hardly help but smile at the two of them; they seemed quite charming together.

“I had the pleasure of meeting MARI recently; she is most impressive.”

He decided to keep any commentary on Artemis’s dancing to himself, as he didn’t quite know what to make of it.

Chewing gum, really? Pak made a mental note to add a few sticks to cigarette case, it never hurt to be prepared.

Noticing Artemis didn’t defend his dancing Pak had to smile. Damned, she wished she had it on video, just a minute or two all she would have had to have done was stick a cell phone in her belt too. Well she’d get him next time.

Pak noticed the arm around the shoulder, which she had –no- objections too, but made her wonder if the sending was hard for him. Smiling up at him, as it seemed she would be looking up at everyone tonight, she batted her eyelashes and subtly, silently offered him her full class of wine. If he turned it down, she would have no problems finishing it off.

“Thank you, I wish I could take all the credit for her. She is rather unique.”

She boldly made eye contact with Alfarinn as she said that. She also couldn’t help but notice he and Thaddeus seemed to be on quite friendly terms. Of course not having many dealing outside of Evenhet, she really had no basis to judge, she’d simply as Artemis for his opinion later.

Alfarinn quirked an eyebrow at Pakpao at not noticing any problems; perhaps this one didn't need a bad influence and was perfectly capable of pranks on her own. He made a mental note to stay on the lookout while down in the computer complex.

"Really? I've promised to let him dance at events before and he's never been so eager."

He poked out his lip in a mock pout and looked at Artemis with a hurt expression.

"After all this time we've been together too.. Its because I'm taller than you isn't it? I might have let you lead if you had asked."

Looking thoughtful at the chewing gum, he shook his head negatively.

"I am afraid I don't have any. Dani might have some in the purse of wonders. I swear that thing holds everything. Did you invent it or what?"

Reaching down to the top of rim of his left boot, he pulled out...a pen.

"I do have this."

Straightening up, he handed the pen over to Artemis and put his arm back around Thaddeus.

[Damn, I was supposed to be a good influence. I forgot.]

"Nothing is wrong with MARI, what ever gave you that impression?"

Alfarinn smiled innocently and turned towards Pakpao.

"I was just wondering if we could possibly add a remote but I can speak with you about it later."

Artemis accepted the glass that was handed to him. Nodding and silently mouthing his thank you, he took a sip. He was fairly certain she had checked him out earlier, and now Pak was looking out for him. Artemis was now convinced she liked him. All he would need now was a high tech toy or two and he would be happy the rest the night.

Artemis couldn't help but laugh at Alfarinn wanting to dance. The comment was even funnier considering the dancing he had actually done. Alfarinn probably wouldn't be so eager if he had known. Artemis amended that thought, this was Alfarinn after all. Any reply he might have made was gone when Alfarinn produced the pen. Not just any pen, THE pen. Draining the glass he placed it on a passing tray. A wide grin played across his lips. By Zues, Olympus was smiling on him. A toy!!!

Artemis accepted the pen with glee and began pointing it in all directions. It had been tons of fun at Alfarinn's place when he had made it. He had been able to change the music selection and turn of the system a couple of times before Alfarinn figured out what happened and confiscated the pen. Now, the blaring sirens of several car alarms going off filled the air. Mission accomplished, he handed the pen back to his friend.

" It is a mighty pen, saving the world from bad music and ....um....well behaved cars."

Thaddeus raised one eyebrow at Pakpao’s perfectly schooled expression, smiling inwardly. Something about her composure made him think of Anantya, in fact, and he thought for a moment that she might have been well suited to his own order.

“She is indeed.”

[I rather like her.]

He looked askance at Alfarinn, catching the sight of that absolutely irresistible pout. He was tempted to mention just what he’d like to do with that full lower lip but remembered in time that he was supposed to be acting the good influence.

His amusement with the banter was somewhat quelled, however, by a rather startling realization. He’d never in his life danced with another man in public. And acting silly with his best friend growing up hardly counted toward anything, either. He wondered just what had made him he could pull it off, then just as quickly dismissed that line of thinking as ridiculous; he would be dancing with Alfarinn, after all.

His companion seemed to think he had just caused some sort of mischief by giving Artemis a pen, and, still reflecting on his earlier less than completely wholesome thoughts, he sent:

[Well I hardly see what harm a pen could…]

The sound of alarms screaming through the air interrupted that thought, and Thaddeus winced a little, peering up at Alfarinn with a half pained, half amused expression.

[…do].

Though he could admit it was somewhat amusing to see an orderly rush for the exit as several went to go investigate the state of their cars, he really did hope they didn’t get caught. And thrown out. And arrested. Of course, he wasn’t certain of what the authorities could charge them with, but if making such a racket were actually legal…well, it shouldn’t be!

He looked over discreetly as the pen changed hands, finding his curiosity outweighed his worry if only for a moment. Though his limited experience with Artemis’s inventions proved amusing, he noticed there tended to be a practical purpose behind them and he wondered what the original intent for the pen had been. Perhaps it was some sort of fascinating Evenhet secret. Solemnly, he looked up at Artemis, one eyebrow raised.

“Such things may well make all the difference.”

Pak grinned inwardly at Thaddeus praise of MARI. Maybe he wasn’t as formal as the cloths made him seem. She nodded and returned the thought.

[Then you have good taste.]

Oh, that had been a bit of a slip, best not to say anything and just let the whole subject drop. She was trying to be good tonight… wasn’t she? Pak simply nodded rather non committally at the whole remote idea and looked for a change of subject.

“He’s never offered to dance with you I’m shocked. Maybe I’m just better looking?”

Pak didn’t allow a flicker of smile to cross her face and some how managed to appear about twelve years old and perfectly innocent as she nodded a ‘you’re welcome’ to Artemis.

Pen? What pen? Apparently, it was a damned fascinating pen.

The car alarms verified it was a magnificent pen and Pak couldn’t help but laugh, although she tried to stifle it.

“I think I like the pen.”

He chuckled at Pakpao's statement and straight face as she suggested she was prettier than he was.

"That's it! I'm suing Pantene for their false advertising."

Alfarinn smiled as Artemis took the pen and proceeded to set off all the car alarms nearby. It was made even more amusing by Thaddeus's absolving him of blame with the question of how much harm could a pen do.

[Oh...about that much.]

Taking the pen back from Artemis, he tucked it back in his boot.

"Yes, it is a most noble cause. We are absolutely serious here in our efforts to save the world."

Placing his hand in Thaddeus's, Alfarinn smiled at the two fellow Evenhet.

"Well I'd say now is a good time to dance... also known as scatter and pretend to be innocent. You should see if Artemis has any more lying around, though in his place that could dangerous."

He turned to Thaddeus, and smiled.

"Shall we busy ourselves with a dance and try not to look like accomplices?"

'Accomplices?' Ellis whispered softly into Aflarinn and it followed with a sultry purr, 'I like the sound of that.'

With Simon following behind her, as always, she circled the Evenhet and leaned in close to give him a kiss on the cheek. 'Sweetums, how are you? I haven't seen you since Club E and that frightful human who was celebrating her birthday, was it?' She ignored the company around Alfarinn, waiting graciously to be introduced, but more than likely it was because she reveled in her snotty behaviour. It really did just crack her up.

Simon watched Ellis be her usual social butterfly self and inwardly he groaned. He wasn't exactly sure how he had put up with her airs for so long. He formally nodded to present company and stayed a step behind her, letting her go on with her trivial flirting.

He took a moment to mentally check out of the situation and the first thing that came to mind was Carol. He hadn't seen her return to the Ball, but part of him knew she wouldn't. His eyes grew unfocused as he tried to recall how soft her hair was.

Alfarinn raised his eyebrows at the breathy purr in his ear. It did not take the woman coming around in front of him to match that voice to its owner, Ellis's voice was instantly recognizable all its own.

"Good Evening Ellis. I would imagine you have no need of accomplices. What trouble have you caused tonight?"

That the Tacharan leader was here was not really a surprise; that the building was still standing and no blood had yet to be shed did give him cause to wonder what deviousness had kept her too occupied to be the author of obvious mayhem.

"Oh yes, I had forgotten. Some people can't handle attention I would guess. I believe I saw her here tonight actually... should you wish to renew your acquaintance."

Alfarinn was not sure what perverse streak in him chose to point out the poor human's presence at the ball or too whom the whom the wickedness was directed.

He looked around at the others and dutifully made introductions.

"Ellis and Simon, this is Thaddeus Grey, Artemis Bellezone and PakPao Metharom. I believe you have all heard of the infamous Ellis of Tacharan. This would be the one and only."

'Praise be to all the gods for that!' He thought to himself as he watched the two Tacharan who joined them. Simon seemed distant but knowing what he did of their last few meetings with the second in command, Alfarinn figured a little distant was the least they should expect.

"Enjoying the ball, Simon?"

"Good Evening Ellis. I would imagine you have no need of accomplices. What trouble have you caused tonight?"

Ellis remembered her oral fixation and brought her cigarette up to her mouth. She gave him a smile and a shrug. 'Nothing. Well, nothing that could be traced back at least.' She nudged him playfully.

"Ellis and Simon, this is Thaddeus Grey, Artemis Bellezone and PakPao Metharom. I believe you have all heard of the infamous Ellis of Tacharan. This would be the one and only."

Ellis gave a grand curtsy and giggled. 'Turns me on when you speak so graciously of me, Alfarinn.' Her eyes narrowed onto the trophy blonde. 'Well, so you're Thaddeus Grey. Emma chose well,' then she looked back at Alafrinn, 'as did you, Alfie.'

Interesting, Thaddeus Grey was Anantya yet here he was with an Evenhet. Inter-clan relationships. And they say I'm not traditional, Ellis thought. Alfarinn asked how Simon was she looked back at him. Her ever present shadow was just staring into space. This is how he had been lately. Not in his usual quiet self but distant. He used to always be close by but now...this is mostly how she saw him when they were together.

There, yet not.

Artemis was going to reply that he did not need to worry because Alfarinn was the one with the pen. That was until the shit hit the fan. Or was that walked by in a corset? What little he had heard about Ellis was not entirely favorable. Still it was enough for Artemis to guess this was probably not going to be pleasant. Lovely, way to ruin a date.

Part of being out in public he supposed was being sociable. He allowed himself a small grin before looking at Alfarinn and mouthing 'Sweetums?' with a raised eyebrow. The woman may be as crazy as he had heard, but he was going to get plenty of mileage out of that one. General amusement aside, he did not know the reason for the visit so he decided it was best to listen and wait for the moment. Believing etiquette to be important in this situation, Artemis nodded a greeting to both new comers.

" Pleasure to meet you both"

Simon's eyes snapped to Alafrinn. Without missing a beat he replied, 'Having a grand time, Alfarinn. ' He nodded his head towards the others. 'Artemis, PakPao,' he looked over at Thaddeus and his expression didn't falter once. 'Thaddeus, it is a pleasure.'

He didn't look at Ellis, who was staring at him now. Her smile seemed to slide off her face when she turned. He could feel her eyes narrow on him so there was no reason to be sure and check.

Thaddeus managed a small nod at Pakpao’s comment, though he was still unnerved by the racket. It seemed to have caused a bit of chaos in the ballroom and he was somewhat relieved when Alfarinn put the pen away.

“It certainly…adds interest.”

Mentally shaking his head at the two Evenhet discussing their respective appearances, the corner of his mouth twitched upward as he looked to Artemis.

“I am content to share the title of ‘luckiest man in the room’ if these two can concede to share the title of ‘prettiest’.”

Grinning full on now, he looked up at Alfarinn in time to nod his head in agreement with his suggestion, quite looking forward to having their dance. Preoccupied with such thoughts, he was somewhat startled when they were approached from behind by a dark haired woman, though he merely turned and raised one eyebrow, giving Alfarinn’s hand a little squeeze. He had only seen Ellis once, from a distance, but she was quite unmistakable, and he found himself casting about to see if Simon was with her. Seeing him just behind Ellis, Thaddeus returned the formal nod before turning back as introductions were made.

He might have been insulted in a stubborn sort of way by Ellis’s implication that he was in any need of her approval, but found her greeting was a bit unnerving, delivered as it was through narrowed eyes. He wondered just what she saw that would give cause to a compliment of that nature when she had only just met him. There had been some interest directed toward him, as Emma’s child, when he first came to Nachton, though he had managed to arrive after the worst of the controversy surrounding his creator’s death had gone down and when it became clear that he had no desire for the public eye interest seemed to wane. Of course, some made it their business to know the goings on of the clans and it didn’t surprise him that Ellis would be one of those people. He just found he wasn’t certain of the meaning of her assessment, and mentioning Emma as bluntly as she had further threw him a bit.

Or perhaps he was reading far too much into the matter and she was merely being civil.

Of course, he remained cordial, keeping such thoughts guarded as always. Alfarinn was keeping the conversation lively enough, a thought for which he was quite grateful if a touch uncertain of Ellis's familiarity, but he did add his own greetings.

“Good evening.”

He took a moment to glare at Artemis with a look of warning that said 'say it again and I'll find something equally bad' not that the inventor was likely to listen. There was a brief moment of reflection when he considered how likely it was that he could get PakPao to call Artemis something like "Pumpkin" publicly and within his hearing but it was stalled by further comment from the Tacharan.

Alfarinn forced a grin when Ellis commented in a suggestive manner and hoped his companion did not take her seriously. Wouldn't it just make her day to manage to cause strife between them? Thaddeus did not seem to be alarmed by it though he did sense a certain amount of disdain from the Anantya; well that was hardly a surprise all things concidered.

Her attention on Thaddeus was enough to make Alfarinn want to pull the blonde closer to him but such a reaction would only make her laugh and he no wish to amuse her by letting her know that her words got to him in anyway. Smiling down at his companion, he said

"Indeed, Thaddeus is a credit to his family and I am proud to be with him."

Turning to Simon, he grinned but could tell that something, and he figured he could guess what, was bothering the man.

"Ah well it was the indecent display of joy that tipped me off. You really should try to reign that in people are watching."

((OOC: Not so much sensing Simon as assuming he knows what's bothering him. He'd be wrong actually, but oh well.))

Ellis felt the uncomfortable feeling emitting from Alafrinn and his friends...and she loved every second of it. 'So, everyone having a hoot? I'd have to say who ever catered, I must steal.' She winked at Thaddeus. 'So tell me Thaddeus, what's it like to be in the same Clan as Sorin. I bet its terribly exciting and full of intrique.'

Speaking of Sorin, she wondered where the Wolf was. Not usually the social fellow, but she wondered if he would've made an appearance to just shop around for clanless to bite on.

Again, Simon groaned. He honestly did not know how she did it. She could find a bare nerve on a skeleton and make it twitch if she wanted to. Simon looked at Alafrinn and he hoped the expression, or lack thereof, was clear to his Evenhet friend.

The quicker she dies, the better...it what is said.

Well, there you have it. Ellis had gone and said the one thing that would convince him the rumors were true. Sorin. This was the one subject that could cause him to lose all sense of logic or reason. Artemis casually looked down as he took a moment to ensure his features remained neutral. She spoke of Sorin so easily, as if they might know each other or even be friends. Clearly this woman was not only a bit long on the vine, but was the spawn of evil.

In the midst of debating with himself whether Sorin was actually Ellis's sire, it occurred to him that she had posed the question to Thaddeus. He decided that was an answer that he also wanted to hear. Placing an arm protectively around Pak's shoulders, he waited for Thaddeus to respond.

Thaddeus gave Alfarinn a nearly imperceptible smile, finding he was genuinely pleased with the compliment offered. Coming from the man he loved the words meant a great deal to him.

Simon, it seemed, was not even a little cheered by Alfarinn’s dry comment; if anything he seemed to look even more distant than before. Not surprising under the circumstances but Thaddeus wondered if Ellis would be concerned. Deciding Simon came off as grave often enough that those who knew him well would hopefully dismiss it, he turned his attention to Ellis just as she addressed him.

He raised one eyebrow at the mention of Sorin, wondering if Ellis was aware of the bad blood between Alfarinn and the Elder of the Night and if so what on earth possessed her to bring him up. Deciding that no one on earth could possibly be that rude deliberately, he chose to give her the benefit of the doubt; she must not have known the discomfort mentioning Sorin would cause. Much like the flirtatious comments and the somewhat unusual compliment, Ellis was likely being social…perhaps to cloak some scheme or perhaps not.

He of course now had his own concerns regarding Sorin, but as far as the rest of the world knew he was a loyal member of Anantya and the remark should not cause any strife on his part. Even so, he held a neutral expression where only a short time ago he might have smiled at the mention of his Elder.

“Sorin does have a way of making things exciting. Odd that we haven’t seen him tonight, in fact.”

Hoping the slight stiffness in his shoulders could be written off as formality rather than tension, he gave his companion’s hand a little squeeze and resisted the temptation to bite his lip. Now that he thought about it, he wondered why Sorin was absent; Thaddeus would have thought the Elder would enjoy such a gathering, though perhaps he was caught up in some distraction of music or art.

Other types of distractions did not bear thinking about at the moment.

Alfarinn looked at Ellis and decided that it was probably a good thing that her sire had taken his little bunch and left Evenhet; he could not imagine a person with such a 'way' with words lasting long in a clan that required cooperation with not only their own kind but humans as well.

The mention of Sorin was unexpected but as he and Thaddeus had already had the worst possible discussion about the man in question the reference did little to alarm him. He smiled over at Simon before listening to Thaddeus's answer.

Keeping the addition of "and fortunate" out of his reply, Alfarinn shrugged slightly .

"I have not seen Morrigan here tonight either or Megan for that matter. Perhaps there was a big Elder's meeting and I wasn't invited. "

He squeezed his companion's hand gently and continued along that line.

"No doubt poor Mai is here to keep the rest of us out of trouble while something important is being discussed."

Alfarinn looked unconcerned and grabbed another glass of wine from a passing waiter, taking a sip before looking back at Ellis. It was easy for him to be uninterested in what the elders did as one himself but Ellis did not hold that position, in fact, she had been specifically denied it. That the other Elders might be meeting to discuss things without her knowledge was his own return for bringing up Sorin.

"If you'll excuse me, Ellis darling, it was good to see you again but I must have at least one dance with my charming man before the night is over."

He turned to the others and smiled, saving a wink for Artemis and nod towards Pakpao and the dance floor. The night was almost over and it looked to be their last chance to get in some quality time for just themselves.

"Good evening Simon, Artemis. Keep him out of trouble, PakPao... or well... try."

Alfarinn then turned to Thaddeus and gestured towards the dance floor.

"Shall we?"

((OOC: Both Blondes out ))

Ellis grinned at Alafrinn's remark about the other elders. She gave up caring what they wanted after their last rejection of her clan. She had so long wanted the status of Elder. The honor, recognition...she knew it would forever allude her. So...Ellis took steps and discovered being infamous was much more fun than famous.

She gave him a polite nod as the Evenhet and his pet walked off to the dance floor. She looked at the others and became disinterested. 'Well then, I'll be taking my pet and going since Alafrinn took his.' She winked at the other two and turned to Simon. He was looking directly at her with a rigid expression.

'Come dearest.' Ellis murmured as she took her leave, and as always, Simon followed closely behind.

((Simon and Ellis out))

Artemis watched the others leave with a raised eyebrow. Now that the shock of hearing the name Sorin was starting to lessen he tried to sort through his thoughts and organize them into something more coherent. Thaddeus's reply did not give Artemis any true empirical data on his relationship with Sorin. There was no obvious animosity toward Sorin that he could tell. However the statement was vague enough that Artemis could not tell the level of affection either. Was Thaddeus truly devoted to Sorin or was he simply playing the part in front of non-clan members. the absence of data always left more questions and doubts. Artemis knew that Alfarinn would not intentionally bring someone harmful to the clan or to himself into the lab. But how much does Alfarinn really know? How much could Thaddeus really be trusted.?

Artemis watched Thaddeus as he and Alfarinn walked away. When they had first met, he did not initially feel that Thaddeus was a threat. He had helped him because Alfarinn had asked him to. Trusting Alfarinn and their friendship, he had not asked questions about the project. Maybe he should have. Alfarinn would not knowingly help Sorin, and he certainly wouldn't ask Artemis to do it. At least Artemis hoped not. The question is whether or not Thaddeus was being open with his intentions. Even if Thaddeus were innocent, was he a dupe? It would not be the first time that Sorin had used someone. The lover of an Evenhet elder would be a useful spy to have. How trustworthy was Thaddeus really? Or how easily persuaded? Alfarinn may be empathic, but there were ways around that. Has Thaddeus been completely honest with Alfarinn about his own abilities? If Thaddeus had the ability of subterfuge he would be very dangerous to Evenhet and a valuable tool to Sorin. Even if Thaddeus intended no harm, he could still cause it if her were not strong enough to resist Sorin.

Not liking where his thoughts were leading, Artemis decided that for the moment it would be best if he remained careful around Thaddeus until he was more certain one way or the other. He turned and looked in the direction Ellis had gone. He wasn't entirely certain about her either. She probably was as crazy as he had heard, but then people often thought he was crazy too. The mention of Sorin and the way she made everyone uncomfortable was the only proof he had that she was evil. Not much, but Sorin was a convincing argument. Deciding not to worry about it until she proved to be more of a problem, Artemis turned and looked at Pak with a grin.

" The first words that come to mind are 'What the hell?!' That puzzle aside, what do you say we go talk with someone more fascinating? MARI is quite the conversationalist."

(ooc: out pending reply)

Pak managed a weak smile at Alfarinn and Thaddeus before physically shaking her head trying to clear it. She managed to shake some of her hair loose from its tight coil as she did so.

See this was why she liked computers better than she liked people, they were much easier to figure out. So much of that had gone right over Pak’s head it wasn’t funny. Rather made her wish she were 800 years older or so. Actually no that wouldn’t have worked she would have stayed in Siam for most of those years and still would have missed most of this.

At least it was over. Muttering something in Thai under her breath, part profanity and part chasing her voices off Pak looked up at Artemis one eyebrow raised, she was still a bit off kilter.

“That was –so- a three cigarette conversation. You know that right?”

Actually, a nice chat with MARI was probably in order and there would be cloves and drinks and the ability to stop being a damned farmer.

“Lead the way. I’m lost.”

Yes lost as to what had just happened, but she did rather want to know what had been missed.

((OOC... both out.))