Roseate

"It just rings with elegance and beauty, don't you think?" Roseate said with a smile. She began to wonder if she knew anybody that had a good ear. Her smile broadened at the game. Either that or it was her second glass of bubbly kicking in. "What do you have a great ear for, if you don't mind my asking?"

As Roseate continued to mingle with Echo, she had kept an eye on the people around her. She spotted a couple of women eating cupcakes, which made her hungry for one as well. From the looks of them, the cupcakes almost looked too beautiful to eat in Roseate's opinion, but who was she to turn down a cupcake?

"And do you care for a cupcake?" She asked Echo.

You can be anyone, anyone at all, she had told herself. And yet here she stood, to the side of the main party, feeling nervous and shy. Even with the allure of mystery, it was still so difficult to simply walk up to someone and strike up a conversation.

Perhaps she was a little out of her depth here.

No. No, she could do this. She was a princess tonight, after all. Right?

Resolute, Crystal sought out someone to talk to, someone who didn't look too caught up in anything at the moment.

She spotted a woman in a black dress decorated with a lacy top, and a mask with thin and intricate designs (La Reine Intemporelle) and nodded to herself. Think as a princess would, she reminded herself. Princesses must present a confident exterior at all times.

She walked over purposefully to and said, "Hello." She ignored the blooming blush heating her cheeks.

It was not perhaps the most charming of greetings, but at least it was a start.

Echo


Elegance and beauty... Echo felt like that and the name Roseate should be ringing bells in her head, but she couldn't quite grasp it. She could feel she was close though. Very close...

"A very fitting name then," she said, though she wished she could see more beyond her dress and mask. Ugh, she was so bad with flattery, but maybe under the guise of this magic, she could have the self confidence to pull it off. Or at least not stumble over herself while trying to be smooth.

"I'm great with music," Echo admitted. "Perfect pitch and everything. And sure, I'll try a cupcake." There seemed to be a small group of people already sampling them, so clearly they were good.

Tethys did her best to blend in, but apparently she didn't do a very good job, because someone approached her not even five minutes into her time in the ballroom. Jumping slightly, but making sure to cover up her surprise, Tethys turned and smiled, adjusting her mask slightly.

She was beat to answering the question by another girl she hadn't even noticed was there. Her use of French words made Tehtys narrow her eyes a bit, wondering if she was French or if it was just a ploy to seem elegant. Regardless, both the woman identifying herself as 'Echo' and Miss 'Roseate' seemed to hit it off quite well, and Tethys decided it would be best for her to make her exit from the conversation that she never really tried to become a part of.

'Lovely way to be social, Tethys. You get an A+,' she thought to herself, ashamed in her own behavior. It was easy for her to feel outcast, even if it wasn't the intention of those who outcast her. Holding a glass of water in her hand, Tethys left the now-overcrowded refreshment table and went towards a large, open glass doorway. The fresh air flooded her senses, and suddenly Tethys felt like she would stay out on this balcony all night. The stars were looking beautiful tonight, twinkling like fireflies in the dark night sky. Tethys leaned her elbows against the railing and sighed, wishing she could be with her friends.

Harmony watched as her new friend eagerly devoured another cupcake and started on the punch. The woman had introduced herself as Lady Starlight...but who really was she? And had they met before? Harmony, lost in thought, absentmindedly adjusted her mask, then suddenly noticed the other woman who had joined them (Madame Lune), who was eating a cupcake while silently observing her and Lady Starlight. Harmony admired the woman's glittery purple dress and feathery mask before realizing she should probably fill the emptiness in the conversation.

"Call me Harmony," she said, addressing both women. "It's very nice to meet you both...unless we've already met, of course," she added with a wry grin.

She almost felt guilty when the girl she was talking to appear so embarrassed upon being caught. She laughed lightly and shook her head. “I was just teasing you. I understand a lot of people are probably trying to get an advantage in this game the queen has cleverly devised. It’s nice to meet you, regardless of whether or not we’ve met before. You may call me Firelight.”

She took a sip of the champagne—sweet and delicious—before she answered Huntress’ question. “I do indeed. I’ve been to balls before, but nothing as mysterious as this. Do they do this often here?” she asked, tilting her head curiously.

La Reine Intemporelle

An empty glass in hand, La Reine Intemporelle stood amongst the crowd of party goers, wondering if she would at least get to socialize this night. Yes, it was quite stuck up of her to have to wait for someone to discuss with her. But she'd figured she wouldn't have to care about the public's opinion.

People passed by, mingling with whomever caught their eye or heading toward the refreshment table. Some were in pairs, smiling and making small talk as they danced to the music. 
  
She sighed...maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"Hello", came a voice. She turned around to see a young woman, looking rather eager at the chance to converse with someone. She stood for a moment, slightly surprised. Was this her chance?

"Greetings", she said with a curtsy, "If I may ask miss, what is it your 'name' for this evening?"

Princess of Wisdom

   The Princess was equally surprised and pleased when the man had not only taken her bait but had effortlessly taken her head to lead her in a dance. She had to admit it was refreshing. She liked. Smiling at his compliment, she tilted her head a bit as she pondered over her potential answer to his question. "I guess one could say I have traveled far. It depends on your perspective." She admitted with a nonchalant shrug as they moved in time with one another. While the dance, she couldn't help but glance up at the glass ceiling above that exposed the starry, midnight sky. The full moon shone brightly as it hung above them and the sight was a beautiful one yet a subtle reminder to them all of small and insignificant they were in the grander scheme of life. The Princess couldn't help but feel as if she could almost reach out to grasp the moon and place it in the palm of her hands similar to how a young child might imagine they could. Being in under the stars in such of way made her heart grow tight with a sense of deja vu... Snap out of it! The princess mentally scolded herself, trying to keep her thoughts from wondering too far before glancing up at her dance partner to focus herself.

    "Does all this small chit-chat really matter?" She asked aloud suddenly, an action she would may or may not might regret, while staring straight into his eyes with each word. "Who we are, where we come from, what we do; none of it matters honestly. Instead of asking these questions we should just...be. We should capture this moment because we can be gone just like that." Her voice was barely a whisper as she lifted her hand to snap her fingers to emphasize her point. Her trademark smile had faded as she spoke while her heart beat louder with each syllable. "Being here right now with you...it reminds me of someone. He was a real jerk but just as cute... Thinking of him always reminds how I have to live in the now y'know? Not the past or the future, just the present." She admitted with a faint sigh, her eyes distant as she remembered the image of him fondly. She laughed then, sudden and a little too loud. "I'm sorry! I-I'm rambling. You probably think I'm so weirdo don't you?" She asked as a nervous blush spread across her cheeks, somewhat unusual for a girl of her type.

Tricky answer, he thought as she leaned back to look at the ceiling; he resisted spinning her around and making her dizzy; certain people didn't like that, and he didn't know enough about her to risk her walking away. He glanced up to see what she was looking at, and saw past the chandelier to the beautiful moon and stars above, and looked back at her - he didn't really know of anyone who was so fascinated with space; maybe she would end up a blank on his card for the night after all. 

As she pinned him with her dark(?) eyes, he found he couldn't move beyond the steps of the dance. As she spoke, his mind followed hers, falling deeper than he had ever intended to go on this night; she was right - she was so right; he had always been living in the past or the future, and now? Now that the future was finally here and he should be able to relax and enjoy it, he was still living in what might come, rather than what was. The moments where he actually felt in the moment were few and far between, and that was practically criminal, considering everything they had gone to to get this far. Her quiet words were like a spell she weaved expertly, and he fell down with them - coming up for just a moment to blush at being called cute -  As she reminded him of the importance of letting everything else go, he loosened up, letting himself fall into the music rather than anticipate the next beat. He smiled down at her, "I don't think you're weird; I think you're right. A lot of people get so caught up in planning their lives, they don't enjoy actually living them." 

Was asking her about the 'jerk' she mentioned too forward? ... He'd find out. "This someone of yours, the 'jerk', did he make it here tonight?"

He didn't realize anyone would come to talk, but as the woman approached, a charming smile curled his lips slowly.

"Observation of the mass often produces better results than meddling with the mass."

He pointed out with a hint of gentle teasing, as if being in this sort of venue was the most natural of things for him.

"What might I call you for tonight, milady?"

Madame Lune

Madame Lune smiled kindly at the two, listening to their names. She loved the codenames they all had. Lady Starlight did act like a certain someone she knew and it made her giggle a bit. The other woman, Harmony, introduced herself as well and Madame Lune felt it was time to join in. After she neatly wiped her mouth of the cupcake, some habits will never die, she spoke up, "You may call me Madame Lune, or just Lune for short if you'd like."

She grinned back at Harmony, "It is quite likely that we've all met before, especially considering my job. I have to do a lot of travel but I'm always around the Palace as well."

As she was speaking, she felt like she wanted to suddenly complain about her work, despite not having wanted to bring up her work at all she just started rambling.

"I've just been so stressed out lately. Royalty can be relentless! Though I admit, sometimes I let my partner deal with the tougher diplomatic relations... Oh! What am I saying... I'm sorry."

Madame Lune blushed at her brashness. She hoped she wasn't being rude to the kind young ladies she was with.

Chameleon

She smiled at his teasing tone. "There's a lot of things you can do," she said slyly, dragging her eyes over his body. "You may call me Chameleon. And what may I call you?" As she regarded her companion, she couldn't help but find him attractive, no where in comparison to her partner mind you, but he seemed nice and was attractive. Doesn't always mean trust worth though she thought. A little flirting never hurt though.

"I hate the man my best friend is with, I don't think he's good enough for her," the words spilled from her mouth suddenly. Chameleon panicked as she tried to stop herself from saying them. She covered her mouth in embarrassment, eyes wide. She had more control than this! How could she have ever said anything so personal? It was a closely guarded secret of hers, one she would have never said out loud.

Goddess, what had she said?

"I would rather kill off-planet than be stranded in such an event." He blurted out, his tone still poised though it was soon followed by a subtle movement at his lips that could resemble a grimace. "Now that this is out of the bag..." He chuckled softly. "You have to forgive the dramatics of this truth, I simply am not exactly happy to be here."

He extended his gloved hand to take hers.

"Nice to meet you Chameleon. It is truly an interesting name you have there. Should I fear any change while you stand in my company?" His smile was genuine this time as he leaned down to kiss her hand. "I am The Reaper. Or Rea, if you find the name too dark for such a night."

He let go of her hand, straightening the white jacket he wore.

"And this man? Is he a threat to this friend of yours?"

Azure Sage

When the Azure Sage first heard of this Masquerade Ball, she wasn’t really interested. There are just too many other interesting things to do, rather than smalltalking and dancing - ough don’t even get her started on the dancing. But the main event sounded interesting. Uncovering the identities of the other players? This should be easy for her.

Arriving a little bit too late, she entered the ballroom in her beautiful dress  and felt the influences of magic on her mask. Everyone looked like a total stranger to her. Not that she was too familiar with everyone to begin with, but she should at least be able to make some features out. Yet the only thing she could make out was their gender. She understood that this was used as part of the main event, but the thought of being influenced by some sort of magic still made her feel discomfort.
She looked around the already full ballroom, her eyes trying to pinpoint her first victim. Who will be the first whose identity I can uncover? She thought to herself, full of confidence in her abilities. But she just couldn’t find any easy looking targets - Well she couldn’t find ANY targets at all. Everybody already seemed to be in a conversation with another ball guest.

Feeling like it was no use to try and look for targets herself, she made her way to the refreshment table, trying to look innocent and lost.  I’m sure someone will come and talk to me, thinking I’m an easy target and then I’ll be the one to uncover THEM! She almost bursted into laughter over her own thoughts, but mangaged to suppress it. Her innocent and lost apperance was safe for now.

As she reached the table, she looked around as if she were helplessly looking for someone to talk to, but was too shy to actually talk to someone. With this apperance she was sure that someone would come and talk to her soon, but even if not, she was in a good position to eavesdrop.

Chameleon


"We seem to have that in common, I would much rather be on a mission, deep undercover than to these frivolous things," she admitted as she took his gloved hand. Anything would be better than here, but she promised to go and she had made that promise to the one person to whom she couldn't break a promise to...okay well use to be the only person, now there were two, but still. 

Well, isn't he a charming one, she thought as he leaned down to kiss her hand. 

"No, if he was I would have an excuse to dispose of him. I just do not believe that such a man as he is, is good enough for my friend." 

"Your name is delightfully morbid, any indication of your capabilities?" she asked curiously.

Huntress

It was impossible for her to keep the pride from her voice as she spoke.

"Oh yes, the balls of Crystal Tokyo are renowned!" the girl replied. She held herself tall as she stated it, thinking of all the times she'd been honored to call this magical place her home. Her position may sometimes be exhausting, but she certainly didn't regret it.

And then something very peculiar happened. Huntress had just taken another sip of her champagne when she suddenly felt compelled to speak again.

"Of course, sometimes the king and queen don't seem to understand the depth of their important roles! Would you believe that they stay home sick during some events?"

Instantly she fumbled to cover her mouth, even though she knew it was too late.

"Oh goodness! I don't know what's come over me!" she apologized, nearly in tears. "I didn't mean it!"

His mouth was the sole indication of any kind of reaction to her words as every other features that could be read was hidden behind the rather large mask he had brought on this evening. His lips were curled, however, into a small but seemingly amused smile.

"Undercover? This does fit the name. What are you, a dignitary of some sort?"

He liked the way she talked. Dispose of him. What a charming wording. If she wasn't too much of a goodie two shoes, maybe there would be ways to spice up this party without Chameleon pointing the finger at him.

"Something like that. Or maybe do I simply like some good dark humor in such a lovely venue."

He looked around quickly.

"Can I offer you something to drink? I find it easier to observe when we can blend in without having to make conversation with everyone else."

He offered her his arms, inviting her on a tour around the room and to the refreshments if she wished, which would allow them to eavesdrop if they wanted while being absolutely innocent.

Deeming she had gotten enough fresh air for one evening, Tethys made her way back inside, searching the room for some sign of a familiar face or someone who had a personality that wouldn't make her feel too uncomfortable.

As if Fate had organized it herself, a beautiful woman in a striking blue dress entered the ball, albeit a bit late, but she was here, nonetheless. She seemed shy, someone who Tethys would be able to talk to. Smiling, Tethys approached the woman (Azure).

"Hello, and welcome! I love the color of your dress - I wish I could pull that off, but I typically go with more darker shades," she said, trying her best not to nervously ramble. It was true - she preferred darker colors - but perhaps she was being too aggressive? She didn't want to make this woman uncomfortable. "May I ask your name? I'm Tethys."

Azure Sage

As she was just about to take a drink, she was approached by a shy looking girl in a black and pink dress. Her face was covered by a beautiful silver mask. Although she would never wear such a dress herself, she had to admit that the girl looked amazing in this dress.

This was fast, she thought to herself, And such a promising looking target too. I’m lucky!
“Oh, you think so?”, she answered her with a fake smile on her face, “I usually wear darker colors myself, but since nobody knows who I am, I thought that I would try something different. Maybe a charming prince will come and pick me up.” Two sentences in, and she was already lying. While she spoke she kept an eye on her body language, trying to lie as realistic as possible. Although Azure Sage was confident in her abilities, she still didn’t want to slip.

“Tethys you said? That is such a beautiful name! What does it mean?”, she replied, trying to get information out of her. “My name is Azure Sage, but my friends call me Azure. You can call me that too if you like!” My friends call me that too? How could they? This is a codename used for this party…, she thought while looking at Tethys, hoping that she wouldn’t notice the mistake she just made.

Harmony listened to Madame Lune's sudden outburst about her stressful job with great interest. Referring so casually to royalty and diplomatic relations...who really was this woman? But before she could consider it any further, Harmony suddenly felt the strange need to blurt out something of her own.

"Oh, I understand...my career causes me to travel a lot as well, and my partner is often in the same situation. I'm doing something I enjoy, but, honestly, I always look forward to whenever I have time to relax and unwind, especially at a party such as this one--"

Harmony stopped short and had to strongly resist the urge to clap her hand over her mouth. Why on earth was she revealing such personal feelings to this woman? Normally she would never reveal anything so personal to a complete stranger! Or was Madame Lune really a stranger? Harmony's mind was whirling.

"Oh my--I'm sorry--forgive me, I know you don't want to listen to my ramblings..." Harmony took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. She quickly reached for a champagne flute, her long, thin fingers wrapping tightly around its delicate stem, and carefully took a sip.

Madame Lune

Lune had already reached for a flute of champagne as Harmony began to ramble about her job as well. With the both of them being embarrassed at the sudden outburst, Lune began to laugh.

"I'm so glad I've found someone who understands!" She continued giggling, "I hope the two of us can find time to unwind tonight."

Lune had downed her champagne and reached for another. Normally she would never drink this much but...in her mind, it was the perfect night to shake things up a little bit from her normal strict routine.

Princess of Wisdom

   "No." She answered quickly. Too quickly. Immediately cursing herself, she tried to casually play off her slight fumble, "If he was here he would totally be fighting you over me." Or he would be glaring at us from the refreshment table pretending not to care. She was possibly a tad bit biased but the first scenario sounded a lot more appealing. "Luckily you have the pleasure of having me all to yourself...for now." The girl teased playfully when a sly grin began to form along her mouth as she waved her pinkie finger in front of him. "Although you should be careful not to get too close. I might have you wrapped around my little finger before the night is over." That wasn't likely to happen at all but she always found it nice to pretend.

   The princess was good at not letting her self-assured, carefree exterior fall while they glided across the ballroom floor gracefully, despite the fact that her head was brimming with thousands questions that demanded to be answered. As easy as it would be to blame her sudden blabbermouth on alcohol she hadn't even managed take a single sip that night, let alone enough to make her lose the ability to control what she said. Or had she truly been able to connect with a stranger on such a level that she felt she could reveal her feelings so easily? Yeah right! The princess was skeptical of the idea but she had to admit to herself that it wasn't completely out of the realm of possibility either. This was an enchanted ball after all; where the night was alive with magic, romance, and best of all, mystery. Maybe this had been the true purpose of the Queen's ball all along? To bring her guests together to form bonds regardless of what they knew about one another. If it had then she certainly had gained a newfound respect for the enigmatic Queen.

"You know I've been thinking," She began with a raised eyebrow, "that I've been going on about myself and you haven't said one single word about yourself? So speak up, what's your deal Mr. Mysterious?"

Chameleon

She declined to comment on her being a dignitary, preferring to keep some secrets. He intrigued her, the way he spoke, what he spoke about, his mannerisms. 

Was he like her? 

It would definitely be interesting to find out. She took his arm graciously, a small, sly grin slowly stretching across her face. "Lead on, good sir."

Barrigona

Well, she was rather late. Not that Barrigona cared much for formal events such as this. Normally, she would much rather hang out with her friends than go to something this formal.

But, she had to admit, it was rather intriguing to know that there would be magic preventing the guests from being recognized. Barrigona cracked her knuckles; she loved challenges, and she never backed down from one. She was going to find out who everyone was, as well as see how long it took for someone to find her. Well, she wasn't too concerned with hiding her own identity. But she thought it would be fun.

The decorations were quite fancy, Barrigona noted as she stepped inside. Earlier, she had wondered if she'd overdressed, with her ornate gold mask and equally embellished brown dress. But it seemed like she'd blend in quite perfectly. Unsure of who to approach, (since obviously she wouldn't be able to find her friends even if she tried), Barrigona made her way to the two nearest people (Madame Lune and Harmony). She figured she would just introduce herself, with a quick and casual "Hi, hello, how's the party for you guys?"

Or, at least, that was what she'd planned. Instead, she walked right up to the two ladies, waved, and said, "Hi, I'm Barrigona and I talk in my sleep a lot."

Okay, what. Barrigona did not intend to reveal that bit of information. Drops of sweat appeared on her forehead as she gave the other two ladies a very nervous grin. "Um, pardon me, I seem to have...lost...a bet. Yeah, I lost a bet, that's why I said that. I'm going to go now, uh, nice talking to you!" And with that, she quickly edged away.

Barrigona really hated formal gatherings.

SPLIT PEA

The Crystal Palace was known throughout space-time for its lavish parties held in the comfort of its ornate ballroom, yet Split Pea did not seem all that impressed as she passed through the crystalline entryway wearing a black strapless ball gown with a sweetheart neckline and a tiered, ruffled skirt; her face hidden behind an extravagant black Venetian mask.

Now a royal masquerade ball at the Crystal Palace was definitely not an ideal location for somebody like Split Pea, but it sure beat the darkness and isolation that she was accustomed to. Still, she couldn't help but feel a bit strange traveling to this place alone. As Split Pea wandered toward the dance floor, she made an effort to thoroughly scan over her surroundings for any immediate threats prompted by her very presence in the room. However, nobody at the party seemed to be jumping in her direction with a weapon swinging threateningly over their heads, so her ballroom disguise must have worked. But what truly struck her as odd was that she couldn't seem to recognize any of the other party-goers beyond their genders. Not long before Split Pea had entered the palace grounds, she could have sworn that she saw an enemy or two meandering toward the event, but now that she was halfway across the extravagant ballroom, not even one face or voice seemed the slightest bit familiar. How was she supposed to fulfill her mission now?  

“Oh my...” she yawned, stretching her arms upward as she realized the magnitude of her predicament. “...This is going to be interesting...” Interesting indeed. Split Pea's neutral expression suddenly widened into a mischievous smile. If her adversaries could not recognize her, then maybe her allies could not either?—And well, with nobody else around able to tell her how to think or act, perhaps it would be fun to actually try to enjoy the party instead of causing a complete ruckus! Heck, maybe she could still cause the ruckus, just not until the party grew tiresome! Without a second thought, Split Pea eagerly made her way deeper into the crowd gathering around the area with all of the tables until she found herself near Tethys and the Azure Sage, her eyes focused in the direction of the refreshments.

Getting greeted by a curtsy was new, and Crystal couldn't help but to smile even as the whole thing felt a little strange. But tonight she was a princess, she reminded herself. And what better way to greet royalty than by a polite gesture? Crystal attempted a curtsy of her own, but she was pretty certain that it looked awkward and not at all appropriate.

But she wouldn't let that get to her confidence! She was going to hang on to every ounce of it. Feeling out of her element wasn't going to stop her - not on such a magical night.

"Please, call me Crystal," she said. She tried to look past the beautiful mask and see the identity behind it, but it was impossible. The other woman was a complete mystery to her. "What can I call you?"

Firelight blinked when Huntress suddenly revealed an information about the king and queen and their events. “Stay in sick?” she wanted to ask more—as in pretending to be sick or actually sick?—but the girl seemed so panicked at what she had just revealed that she didn’t have the heart to pry further.

“It’s alright, I won’t tell anyone,” she promised with a giggle. “I can understand royals needing a break sometimes… I have people who expect me to do certain things too, but sometimes I wish they would view me more as a friend…”

She trailed off as the words tumbled out of her mouth seemingly without her conscious decision. “Ah, I didn’t mean to unburden my troubles on you, I do apologize as well.”

Was it just her, or was there more magic at play here than just the one masking their identities?

Havoc
Havoc had enough time watching various individuals interact around the verdure table. Making sure there was no frosting on her face, she approached the woman that had stared at her downing the cupcake. The others had been addressing her as Roseate.

"I'm surprised you haven't touched one yet. They're fantastic! The cooks of the castle really outdid themselves, didn't they?"

Havoc continued to talk as she grabbed for another, making sure she took a plate this time. She didn't want to appear unladylike.

"I know two people that would be all over this. They both adore sweets, a bit too much, I think."

...huh?

Havoc blinked. Why did she say that? She gazed at the cupcake on her plate. Perhaps it was too much sugar?

Hearing Madame Lune's laughter immediately put Harmony at ease. She took another sip of her champagne and let a relaxed smile spread across her face. 

"Yes, time to unwind is always a luxury. But I think that it's something both of us can afford tonight," Harmony said with a slight laugh. When Madame Lune finished taking a sip of her champagne, Harmony leaned forward and gently clinked her champagne flute against Madame Lune's, producing a satisfying musical tone. "Cheers!"

Now in a much better mood, Harmony leaned against the table contentedly and absentmindedly twirled her champagne flute in her hand, taking the time to fully take in the shining ballroom in all its glory. Countless sparkling lights twinkled overhead, illuminating everyone on the ballroom floor, while soothing music helped set a tranquil mood. This really was the loveliest party Harmony had ever attended.

Just then, Harmony watched as a woman wearing a beautifully detailed gold mask entered the ballroom and made her way over to her and Madame Lune. When the newcomer gave a small wave and introduced herself by saying: "Hi, I'm Barrigona and I talk in my sleep a lot," Harmony couldn't help burst out laughing, but quickly brought her hand up to her mouth, hoping that she hadn't just embarrassed the new arrival by laughing at her. As Barrigona apologized and began to back away, Harmony called out, "Wait!" and quickly caught up with Barrigona with a few long strides.

"Please, don't be embarrassed! I do apologize for my sudden laughter; that was certainty a very...interesting introduction," she said with a small grin. "But I understand, I've even said things of my own tonight that I didn't mean to, because they just...slipped out, I suppose. I'm Harmony, at least for tonight, and that's Madame Lune over there," she added, gesturing in the direction of where Madame Lune was standing near the refreshment table. "You introduced yourself as Barrigona, correct? Please, come join us! An extravagant party like this one is no fun on your own."