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"Oh!" Anna squeaked, turning beet-red, but after a moment she slowly raised her own arms, tentatively reaching up to put her gloved hands on his shoulders, the way she'd seen the other ghouls do. "U-um, l-like this? I m-mean... oh, like this?" she repeated, vaguely frustrated with her own anxious stammer. She was not going to get all scared all over False, darn it!

Moving her feet took concentration, though, shuffling them and trying not to step on False's own feet. She had to fight the urge to look down and stare at her own toes.

Lizzy had never really gotten a boil any kind of a present before, except Jericho and that dragon plushie, and she was initially going to give Mac a plushie - except she remembered that plushies didn't have the same effect on him as they did on her. After asking around, she decided on a watch that would hopefully be of some use to Mac... Seeing how he got on - and in - water so often.

"It's waterproof too," She added helpfully, even if that much should be obvious. When he leaned towards her again, she smiled, putting her arms up and around his shoulders, hands stroking the nape of his neck, "I love you too." The kiss was eagerly returned, and unlike last year's kiss, this time, it was with someone she could actually say is her boilfriend.

"OHO!" Freya's eyes glittered in delight at the reminder of the challenge, and she gripped his shoulders hard. "Yeh reminds me of it now, yeh little scamps! Almost gots away from me too! No, we must definitely goes to a buffet." She eyed the refreshment table warily, and then turned back to him, shaking her head. "Unless yeh means we does it right here, right now, in which case I has teh decline. No matter of pride is goings teh makes me stuff myself while wearing this dress."

Her head tilted back in raucous laughter, hair swishing behind her as they twirled.

"Okays. When yeh wants teh goes eat some shop out of house and homes?"

"I'll definitely have to check those out if I have the chance. I.. don't have much in my room to do nowadays anyway. I'm afraid to replace my electronics just yet.." Jericho murmured. He was still too volatile in his opinion to keep too many fragile things in his room. Granted, the fact that Riley was back and alive was probably going to make things better. There was still hope.

"Heh, I see. But have you been enjoying the night so far Sammy?"

A Sage? Oh, well then, Alex felt somewhat embarrassed, though all he had really remembered was that the horseman had mentioned being able to concoct a potion to be able to remove blood stains from clothing, so the zomboil had just incorrectly assumed. "Well then, my Sage friend." That actually had a bit of a nice ring to it, and Alex's grin only broadened.

"Fledgling?" He raised eyebrows behind his mask, clearly amused as he shook hands with the ghoul. "Ahhh, well it is very nice to meet you too, Taima." He may have seemed just a little bit distracted as he glanced past the duo, scanning the room, both for his shoes and for his wayward boilfriend whom he seemed to have temporarily lost.

"Well, I wouldn't say you owe me a great deal...." He let the last part of that sentence trail off before he continued "But I suppose there was something that is left coming my way..." He was just the slightest bit taken aback at being called a scareling. He was totally not a scareling! But he didn't really feel like correcting the Sage at this time, and he supposed it was better then being called a colt as he had been before.

"Hey, I don't suppose either of you have seen a pair of black dress shoes around here somewhere? Or a boil with green antennae in a brown suit?" He took his hand back from Taima, shoving it back in it's rightful place in his pocket.

Amarus eyed Mot up and down, having ignored his confidence in the statement that he would be ready should she ever challenge him. Amarus definitely knew he was a lot better than she was, right now... but her determination was unparalelled. Well, not always. But honestly, if she intended to be victorious, she would work at it day and night and keep herself awake with either pain or constant bells. Perhaps she could tie a string of them to Ashbel and make Jin chase him around her room. Essentially, may she never be underestimated. She might be shameful now... but one day. One day. And on that day, SHE WOULD REIGN VICTORIOUS--

Thankfully this was her internal monologue, and it only translated as a vague pause before she finished seizing him up. The corner of her mouth tilted up in a smile. "I wouldn't notice if you were missing a shoulder," she finally asserted. Her head tilted again as he reached up. Was something wrong? At first, she didn't mention it.

"I am fading?" she asked, then checked: nope, still tangible above the ankles. "No more than usual," she determined, matter-of-factly. On the bright side, patting the bells made her wake up again. She could find a seat, perhaps. But she would rather just loiter around Mot until he found something better to do.

Suddenly, on a whim, she looked at him. "Mot... are you alright?" She did not know how to do this caring thing. And she suddenly seemed as though she wished she hadn't asked it, since she didn't really mean to pry. Talking about how she felt was not a skill she possessed, so she wouldn't usually ask that of someone else, either. It was just that he seemed heavy, right now.

As the dance continued, Anna slowly found herself feeling a little more at ease, a little more confident. Her hold on False's shoulders got less shaky and more firm. "D-do you do this often? I mean, um, have you done this before, much?" she asked, after a moment.

"And step," she echoed, following the word with a movement, and blessedly she didn't step on his toes.

Lark's smile faded abruptly when Kettil excused himself to dance with Freya. It was a friendly thing, but the music abruptly changed and Lark wasn't so sure how she felt about Freya slow dancing with her boilfriend. A quick sweep of the room brought Herryk into view.

Lark paled beneath the fancy mask she wore, quickly moving to the nearest refreshment table.

I said I loved you but I lied~

She glanced over her shoulder, first peering at Kettil, then Freya. Then Herryk. He'd caught sight of her, and she cleared her throat loudly before stuffing her cheeks full of food like a little chipmunk.

Cuz love could never ever feel so strong~

Another glance over her shoulder. Freya laughing, Kettil looking troubled. Herryk nowhere to be seen. She hefted in a little sigh of relief, turning back to the punch as she visibly relaxed.

"This is Kettil's ghoulfriend, hmm?"

Lark let out a loud shriek as Herryk drew up close, hovering over her other shoulder. How could a boil so huge move so fast?!

She shoveled a few more handfuls of food into her mouth, eyes wide behind her mask. Lark nodded.

Herryk rocked back on his heels, arms crossed over the breadth of his massive chest. Lark hadn't even known that they made clothes so large.

The song continued on, a lilting ballad of hot, fiery love - invoking visions of eagles, running horses, fire... perhaps tall long-haired denim-clad men standing upon precarious precipices belting out a passionate song of love and lying. Lark chewed slowly, unwilling to speak just yet. As long as she kept stuffing her face, she wouldn't have to.

"This ghoul, this Lark?"

Lark nodded.

Herryk grunted loudly, his eyes locked on Freya's dancing form.

Lark followed his gaze.

Cuz this is more than love I feeeeeeeeel inside~

"Herryk." He placed his hand on his chest, still thoughtfully watching his ghoulfriend on the dance floor.

She shoved more food into her mouth, acknowledging his introduction with a nod of her head. Crumbs littered the front of her dress. A vivid memory of socking Freya in the eye flashed to mind, and Lark briefly choked. The noise earned her a sideways glance from Herryk before the draugr turned his attention back to the dancing pair.

Lark took a messy sip of punch, washing down the amalgamation of food she'd stuffed in her mouth. Lark cleared her throat again.

"She right deserved th'punch I gave her, mate."

Herryk didn't glance down at her, far more interested in what was going on between Kettil and Freya. He did give her a half-smile, though, the corners of his mouth wrenching up as he watched them dance.

Well. Lark crossed her arms over her chest, assuming much the same stance that the giant boil next to her had. Quite the pair they made, each watching their respective partner on the dance floor as they waited for the song to end.