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"She's just looking out for you~" she replied, grabbing a bit of her skirt to hold it up while they danced. No good if she tripped on it at all, honestly.

It was nice to be able to dance with him, she couldn't help but think with a soft flush. Though being so close didn't seem to stop the pounding of her heart, something she hoped he couldn't feel or hear. Crushes and feelings of more then friendship were completely new to her, honestly... She didn't know how to deal with these feelings.

At the question he asked of her, she turned to look at the mentioned red head. Short hair, though it looked good on her, a bright red... She did in fact look familiar but she wasn't sure if that was because the girl might be attending Crystal Academy or not. "A bit... Why?"

"Ah, but that's a grandparents job!" she replied with a giggle. "They live to embarrass and dote on the grandchildren." At least that had been what her Gran had told her whenever Monroe complained about her teasing him.

"Fallon?" the name sounded familiar, but honestly she was bad with names. More so after the Barren Pines disaster. When he nodded to the girl he was referring to as Fallon something sparked momentarily and then vanished. "I think I remember her at Barren Pines..." Keyword there was think.

"Maybe the redhead attended there too?" A slight tilt of her head that sent her hair falling just a bit into her face. "Though I think I've seen her at Crystal..." She was still learning faces and names in the orchestra class...

The music soon enough hushed before starting up with another lovely song. Howl knew the rules to ballroom etiquette. One song was polite, but any more dancing with the same partner came across as exclusive. One single motion moved Anastasia, his mother, from a dancing position into an arm-locked escorting position.

The lady did not say a word, simply smiling at her son as he then guided her away from the dance floor.

"Mother, I am personally feeling a bit peckish. Would you care to join me in getting some h'orderves?" At the moment, he had not been given the okay, so he was politely guiding the woman back to the table she had been seated at before.

The woman smiled at his manners. She acknowledged somewhere in the back of her mind that Nigel would have been proud of his son's manners. Despite her obvious appreciation of her son's offer, she moved her head from side to side. "I suspect I will pass for now, Howl. Thank you for dancing with me."

The two were back at her seat from before, which Howl obediently loosened his hold of the lady in order to pull her chair out so she could rest again. The woman eased herself gracefully into the chair before the teal-haired lad edged the chair towards the table. He drew his mother's hand up to his lips and placed a gentle kiss there. "I will return soon then, Mother." He released her hand, then turned towards a table with h'orderves all lined up. His mother would be safe for just a few more minutes without his company.

Marlo was still lost to the crowd. He'd seen Jada...somewhere. Then he noticed someone he did recognize. "Howl." Walking to the man, he smiled. Someone. Finally. "To be honest, you never struck me as the type to go to dinner parties, though you certainly have the air for them." Looking at the food the Xanis lad shrugged. "I'd avoid the ham. It's good but, lacks a bit of salt."
Not much to talk about. "Anyway, how did you get to come here? Not for Jada I hope." Blue eyes flickered to the crowd searching. "I don't look distressed do I? I've been trying to dance with her all night but she just-" A sigh. "I'm running my mouth again."

***

Elzo had found her with a young boy. A small smile went on his face. he remembered when he was young, trying to get the older ladies attention. Moving behind her, Elzo winked at the young boy before his arms snaked around Audrey's waste. "I think you owe me a dance Miss Collins."

The bluenette had been expecting the voice of Junior in her ear, so to suddenly hear an incredibly familiar deep baritone was confusing until she felt arms snake around her waist and someone pressed firmly up against her backside. There was a short list of people that were allowed to be even remotely that familiar with her and walk away with manhood intact, so her heart thumped once, erratically. The teen held up one finger, politely stalling the young man before standing and whirling on her heel with that wide and winsome smile.

"Why Mister Xanis, you of all people should know that not only am I the worst dancer in this entire room, but my leg simply won't allow it. In fact, it's amazing that I am still standing. But with the company I have here," a smile was flashed back at the boy, "I can't seem to pull myself back across the table." Using him conveniently while the young man kept his arms around her, Audrey supported some of her weight on said arms and almost gave a blissful sigh of relief as the tension in her leg eased. Social occasions were bad enough for her, not adding in the braced leg and bruises that kept getting jarred by passing bodies. Exhaustion was going to start taking it's toll soon, but a lot of it vanished as she sparkled up at her crush.

"I was afraid you'd gone crazy, what with me sitting here all night and you running off with Kayley Chamberlyn. She doesn't seem to have developed the right ah...personality for your type yet." Gold eyes were mischievous as she recalled the conversation held about a woman's assets in Drew Collins' Hillworth office. "But they grow into them eventually, I suppose."

The effeminate lad had managed to find a small plate and was beginning to investigate the food when he heard mention of his name. Rather than spin on his heels to face the speaker, he slowly lifted his head from the h'orderves, turning his body and taking a single step towards the speaker. His teal eyes soon enough found the younger of the Xanis siblings before him.

Which hinted that there was the chance the elder of the Xanis siblings was also present. Perhaps he would need to keep a closer eye upon his mother.

Fortunately, the plate at hand was at his left, leaving his right hand free for a handshake. He extended his hand while nodding his head slightly. "I do indeed enjoy dinner parties, Mr. Xanis. I was raised off such things while growing up."

One firm, professional handshake later, he smiled before glancing towards the table where his lovely mother was sitting. For a moment, Howl did not speak, as if his simple glance should have been explanation enough. Yet when it seemed such was not doing the job, he turned back to his schoolmate with a few words. "Mother and Father received the invitation back home. Father is in England right now, so Mother needed an escort."

He turned back to the table for a moment and plucked up a couple different h'orderves which were obviously not the ham (as Marlo has suggested). With the food upon his plate, the teal haired lad then uttered to the other Hillworth student "If you do not mind, I would love to introduce you to Mother."

He paused, before considering what the boy was saying. "It sounds as if you are quite fond of Miss Chamberlyn." Simple observation. "I would love to hear more, if you do not mind." Obviously, Howl did not consider Marlo to be running at the mouth.

Azzo chuckled, "Ah but they don't have to do them so well." He said with a wistful sigh, "She's more like a mother anyways. Though I have a feeling I've mentioned that." He was good at hiding his opinions about his actual parents at parties and formal occasions in which one shouldn't be speaking ill of people.

He nodded softly when she echo'd the name. "Yes, Barren Pines..." He said with a slight distaste for it. Organ Ring, school cover up, whatever it was, it wasn't a happy place. "From what I'd gathered with her at our first meeting, she'd certainly implied that she cooked for us. Or perhaps for others."

He was looking back at Hero, not staring enough to be rude, just glancing before moving on to other people, "I would think... I haven't attended Crystal so it'd be hard to for me to remember her from there." He gave a soft grin, eyes roving, "There's so many people here."

He paused, wait wouldn't Melody's mother and father be here? His grin broaden slightly, "Where's your family?" He asked curiously, not as if he'd expected to meet them, just a small pointing out would suffice. "I'd love to see what your mother and father looked like, so I'd know who I had to run from." In his joking he'd lowered it to keep it between them.

Elzo smirked. "I find my tastes changing lately." The wolfish grin was back full force. Fingers laced with each other, keeping her pinned to him. "Now finish up your talk with the small fry. I have a dance card that needs to be filled up for the rest of the night." He let the meaning behind his statement hang. He was going to 'dance' with her.
Somehow.
***

Marlo Nodded. "Overly fond. Elzo keeps telling me to go after her but I find my own abilities in showing my intentions...lacking." A shrug. "Never have been good at expressing myself. At least not with those I'm attracted to." Another shrug. "As for meeting your mother, I don't see a problem with it. Thankfully though, mine is still in Europe." He was ready to go when-
"Eve?" The girl was smiling at him. "Oh um. Hi." He sounded shocked. "I keep running into people. Uh, your date?" he motioned to the older mna. "Marlo Xanis. Pleasure. Oh and Eve, this is Howl, a friend from school." He backed off, letting Howl have the chance to introduce himself.