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Jada shook Serah's hand firmly, pleased by the smile that the pink-haired young woman offered. "I'm Jada." it did feel sort of silly to be introducing herself as she was, but it was polite. "Don't really worry about the formalities, I'm not really one for them if I can avoid it." She was friendly, beaming at the other girl. "Thank you so much. You have no idea how I was fretting about my looks." she patted her gloves on her skirt.

"I actually wasn't heading that way." she glanced at the clock, frowning at the time. "I do need to get at least one more dance out of the way before midnight, I've been neglecting my guests." white teeth bit into a ruby-hued lip. "I'm very sorry, Serah."

Purple eyes took some notes of the layout of the room. Elzo had found Audrey, and Marlo was talking to... hmm, the teal-haired young man with him looked familiar. And Eve? With Seth. Oh, the perfect excuse. She brightened up, visibly, and smiled lightly at Serah. "I would like to talk to you some more, it is always nice to meet a fellow student."

And she made her excuse, sweeping across the ballroom toward her goals.

Across the room, one of the waiters scowled, looking at the clock, and slipped out of the ballroom.

"Eve." Jada's voice was rich, warm and friendly. "And Seth." her eyes glittered at the taller male, and she gave him a light curtsy. "Marlo." her lips curved into a smile. "And if I recall, Mr. Howl Wickham, is it not?" They had only met once.

"Hello Howl." Eve greeted, but was swiftly interrupted by the belle of the ball, turning to beam at her dark-haired friend. "Managed to slip away from dancing already?" It probably hadn't been an easy feat, what with so many (older) men who all seemed to clamor for Jada's hand. Sighhh, it was highly inappropriate! It wasn't something that she could voice out now though.

"You do know each other!" She said in delight, looking from Jada to Seth. "I told him he wouldn't be out of place; he wouldn't come at first, you know!" She confided in Jada with a pout. Eve hadn't heard what Marlo had told Howl about his affection for Jada. She didn't even know if he had a crush on anyone, which was something she would probably have to attempt to drag out of him sooner or later.

The explanation received a nod, but it was about all he could do to acknowledge the subject at the moment. A young lady with curly blonde hair accompanied by a young man with dark hair approached. She seemed to make herself comfortable amidst the group. After the simple introduction, the lad turned to the young blonde first.

"Oh, Miss Eve, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He extended his hand, and if the young lady took it, he'd give her a polite kiss to the hand.

The dark haired man received a formal greeting as well, though in the form of a businessman styled handshake. "Also a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Eintetta."

By the time he took his right hand back to his side, yet another young lady decided to join them. In all honesty, the teal-haired lad was feeling rather silly now with his plate balanced in his left hand. Especially now in the presence of the young lady this whole party was for. His lips, however, remained in that gentle, polite curl of a smile.

With a small chuckle, he nodded his head to confirm that the dark haired girl got his name correct. "Indeed, Miss Chamberlyn. Your memory serves you well. It is lovely to see you again." Once more, his right hand reached out, this time to Jada, and again, if his offer was taken, his lips would touch her hand for about a single second.

At least now it seemed that all introductions had been taken care of.

Marlo was stuck. Words caught in his throat. "..." So he stared blankly at Jada.He started to blush. Facing Howl, he gave a half hearted smile. "Another time?" Jada was near him. Looks flicked back and forth, silently letting Howl know why Marlo was ready to ditch.
"Jada, I was...wondering." Hands were stiff, held tight at his sides. "Would you do me the honor of a dance?"


Elzo saw his brother from across the hall, along with Eve.

He gave them a thumbs up.

The blonde smiled and took Howl's hand, eyes flickering back to her friend as she received a hug. "Tsktsk." Eve said lightly in return, shaking a finger jokingly at Jada. "What would your mother say, dear Miss Chamberlyn?" Of course, she was rather glad to hear that her friend had escaped from the attentions of those old men. Her gaze too, swept back to her escort and she leaned in closer to the other woman. "I am very persuasive." She confided to the other in a whisper as if it was a secret. "I don't give up very easily, you know!" Least of all when she was determined that thins would go her way!

"Don't be silly." She told Seth with a laugh. "If you hadn't been here, I would have been forced to dance with that man, remember?" And it was hardly polite to say no to someone at such a grand affair when asked to dance!

"Well, the first 'not old' dance partner of the night, then?" Eve queried, raising an eyebrow at Marlo. Was he taking a leaf from his brother's book or what? The Xanis brothers could be very hard to guess sometimes.

Jada gave Eve an impish wink. "My mother would and will have a hissy fit unless I make it up to her somehow." How was the question. She glanced at the recalcitrant young man at her schoolmate's side, trying not to cluck her tongue. "She's been encouraging me all week to dance with all the polished young- and old- gentlemen, like our darling Seth here." She heard the first ding of the clock, ringing midnight. Jada gave all of them a smile, starting to bow her way out of the conversation. "It's midnight. Like Cinderella, I'll turn into a pumpkin if I stay for too much longer." She regretted it. She'd been hoping to get in a few more dances before the end of the night. Her stomach was in knots every time she glanced at the blue-eyed boy looking at her, remembering the events of the night before.

The clock finished chiming. The band was starting to wind down. Szelem would be looking for Jada to do her last dance of the evening and depart. That was when Marlo stepped forward, asked her to dance. Jada froze, looking a little like a deer in the headlights. Oh god, oh god. It had to be then, when she was expecting to leave the dance. She managed to smile, hiding the shaking of her insides. Her entire body was trembling at the thought of being so close to him again. He didn't look much better off, stiff and formal, cheeks red. Was it because he was just being polite? He was just being polite because she was Fallon's friend. The other girl was so lucky to have such a nice young man interested in her; Jada could almost be jealous of her friend. It was a little saddening to think that poor Marlo was interested in Fallon, who wasn't interested in a man at all. Judging by the looks that her cinnamon-haired friend had been giving Adira Perses all night, she'd found her drug of choice for the evening.

Szelem's green eyes were like a hawk, seeking out the girl in the white gown. Well, one of them. Really, that was no less than her daughter deserved, for stooping to invite the middle class to one of the most important little social events in Jada's young life. Szelem swooped down on the group like a hawk, coming out of the crowd from nowhere to stare down her aristocratic nose at Marlo Xanis. "It is midnight, darling." she told her dark-haired daughter. "A pleasure to see you, Mr. Wickham, Seth, Miss Summers." The greeting for Marlo Xanis was notably absent. Most especially as she really didn't want the penniless younger son anywhere near her daughter. Really, he'd had the lack of class to bring a pizza to Jada's hospital room, and then whisper in her ear as though he was saying something that Szelem shouldn't hear? Green ice met warm blue eyes, imperiously. "It is time to go."

"One last dance, Mother." Jada said, impulsively. The older woman was trying very hard not to show her a**. Jada might be able to get a dance that she wanted after all. In truth, aside from old people, Marlo was the first to ask her to dance. No one of her own age, at all.

"Oh, Seth asked you to dance?" Szelem was failing at hiding it. She glanced over at the gray-eyed young man, obviously seeming to think she might be able to find some kind of a silent ally in the older of the two boys near her daughter- regardless of the fact that Seth had expressed no interest in her daughter since Jada was 11, and had hit him in the face. Well, there had been that disastrous little dance at 13. Szelem liked to avoid that particular memory. Jada looked as aggravated as she dared to. Should Seth step in right now, Jada would take his hand, yes; she would rather her mother just shut up and leave her to dance with the younger Xanis. Hah! Fat chance. She would have a dance with Marlo, she decided. Even if she had to dance with him outside, on her bedroom balcony. That did happen to be a distinct possibility if her mother drove him off with her vicious tongue.

She really hoped the older woman wouldn't. Someone grabbed Szelem at that moment, babbling something that distracted the older woman for a moment, Jada stepped close to Marlo, her words in his ear low and meant for him alone. “If we don't happen to get our dance, meet me in my room after the ball.” she murmured to him. Marlo would find a way, she had complete faith in that. Her lips had barely moved, brushing the shell of his ear, so neither Eve nor Seth would know the daring words she had said to him, her cheeks flaring. By the time that her mother turned back, almost a moment later, Jada was standing innocently at Marlo's side, giving her mother a notably blank look.

Szelem glared.

Jada smiled.

Liliana waited while Fallon talked and she was about to turn away when the girl seemed to notice her and call her name. She walked up and gave a curtsy to both girl. "Hello, Fallon, glad to see you are better," she said addressing her friends before looking to Adira, "Very pleased to meet you Miss Adira."

As the clock struck midnight, Lily frowned slightly, "I did not know it was so late either. I've only gotten to dance once all night."

Lily watched the other's dancing on the floor looking a little far away and decided she would have at least one more dance before the night ended, even if it was with her brother.

"Oh really," she said softly, "I did not bid in the auction, but I shooed my brother over there to do so. He has been watching me like a hawk. It's is rather annoying." Lily gave a small giggle, "I actually came over to drag Fallon onto the dance floor for a dance and a chat, but I'd really rather not interrupt."

Liliana frowned seeing her brother making his way over from the auction, she wondered what he'd gotten there mother, but glared at him none the less. Her look say Xander if you come over here I swear I'll slap you, but he still made his way forward smiling happily at her. She glared harder and finally her brother stopped, noticing she was with two girls and did not really need his supervision.