Havin' a Ball

[Doug Ramsey]

Hrmmm... that wasn't exactly the truth... Doug noted, as she cast her eyes away for a second, his eyebrows furrowing up in slight irritation, the song now finishing up. When she looked up again, Doug's face had relaxed and returned to his prior look of concern, but whatever it was that had been distracting her and bothering her... enough to lie about it... was gone, its telltale fingerprints no longer discernable on her beautiful features.

"I may have been distracted, but you seemed to be as well. Thinking only happy thoughts I hope."

Now it was Doug's turn to be surprised. He hadn't thought he had been so obvious in his reminiscing about...

"Well, funny you should mention that." Doug cracked a wry grin, as the song ended, and he dipped Tatiana backwards, supporting her lithe supple frame by one arm, her body pressed close to his. "These formal affairs always remind me of the dance classes that King Magnus forced us higher officials to take."

He pulled her up after a momentary pause, feeling her breathing against his own chest, heartbeats staccato within each of them, before releasing the hold he had upon her waist, and, still retaining the other hand, bowed in respect to his dance partner.

"Oh, yes. Its true." Doug nodded, rising to look her in the eyes again. "King Magnus is adamant that his higher echelons be culturally proficient. My understanding is that he saw the toll that all these years of warfare were taking upon his people, and he refused to have us fall into barbarism. Hence, the push for the Arts."

He escorted Tatiana from the dance floor, his arm entwined in hers, and continued his thoughts. "To be honest, at first I was mortified, but then once we started, I found it to be a guilty pleasure. Now, its one of the perks of the job. My first dance partner from that class is actually here, right now. The ever awkward Princess Katherine... who is absolute poetry in motion on a dance floor, if you dare to believe it." Doug chuckled.

[madrox]

"So...you ever been in a mosh pit, Jamie?"

Jamie laughed. Bobby had a way of making uncomfortable situations concerning rockstars he had inadvertently tried to pick up very humorous.

"That would be a disaster. I'd be all over the place. Literally, I'd spread myself out all over from all the hits."

It wasn't a very funny joke, but if he kept this going he might make his situation less obvious to those who wished to expel him.

[Tatiana]

Tatiana felt a slight bit of disappointment when the dance was over. She didn't often get the opportunity to dance, and it was fun to actually have a partner. She was very surprised when he said about dance lessons. "They were required? That is very different. I only know how to dance passably from watching all those dancing shows on tv." Tati nodded. She loved reality shows. A guilty pleasure of hers.

"You got to dance with the Princess? Wow, that must have been fun. Was there security watching you guys the whole time?" Tatiana could only imagine what it was all like. "I think lessons would be fun, but once again, I use the time exscuse." She sighed and looked around. "I hate to ever say this, but I think things may actually be winding down."

[Doug Ramsey]

"Perhaps, my lovely lady, I could find time in my busy schedule to arrange for a few dance lessons, if you were interested." Doug smiled, as he returned to the side of the dance floor. "Less guards this time, though." He chuckled. He looked around, and noticed the room growing quiet.

"It'd be a pity for the Ball to wind down without the meal being served." Doug remarked, "I would like it if we could share one more dance before your duties stole you from me for the rest of the evening."