Cora remained mesmerized as Akane walked over and gently fanned herself. It was not just the dance that was so alluring, the kitsune herself maintained the pull that the dancing had placed over the mermaid's mind. She had been so engaged by it that she'd forgotten to clap along with everyone else. She followed Akane with her entire head, turning it with the girl as she made her way over and sat down. [color=00a99d]"Warm..."[/color] Cora said, as if her mind was far away. After a moment of staring in awe, her full lips slightly parted, she seemed to catch herself. A smile appeared once more on her face and she took note of the flush in pale Akane's cheeks. [color=00a99d]"It was indescribable...just...gorgeous,"[/color] she said, meaning every word. As the last word left her mouth, she looked down at her hands which grasped the drink in her lap, almost as if she were embarrassed. Without her notice, her smile slowly started to fade as well as the realization struck her that she could only ever watch Akane dance...that she would never be able to join her. Slowly, she lifted the glass to her lips and downed the remainder of her beverage, making a face as the acidic and herbal taste of gin enveloped her tongue.

Illyana also joined in the applause as Akane finished her performance, offering a smile to Ivory as she did so. [color=598527]"Oh, stop it. Even I know it takes more than that,"[/color] she answered, playfully. She watched as Akane made her way back to Cora and took a seat next to her, and caught some of Cora's expression as well. The girl looked like she had seen a ghost, then in a flash, she was smiling again. That was just like Cora, to brush things off so easily. Illyana envied her that ability. That was until she saw Cora's face fall as she looked down at her hands. As the girl downed her drink, Illy frowned slightly and thought about going over to her. Maybe the alcohol had not been a good idea after all...

Geralt had kept his eyes on Cora the entire time after Akane had returned. He offered the kitsune a bit of light applause, but was almost completely uninterested as soon as she finished. He found what was going on with Cora to be much more intriguing. He watched the girl's face intently and saw the awe, the love in her eyes, the confusion, and the sadness. She had realized something, something horrible, something that could make her cry. His eyes followed the glass as she tilted and emptied it, this action confirming his suspicions. Normally, the Magician would simply watch this from afar to see how it would develop, with little, if any, true concern for the participants. Something must have tugged at his heartstrings, though, for he could not sit by and watch idly this time. Maybe it was his proximity to Lucien, maybe it was sentimentality, but he decided to go with his impulse, regardless of the outcome.

He too downed his drink with barely a twitch of the eyelid, set his glass down and said, [color=crimson]"Excuse me a moment,"[/color] to Lucien before stepping away and striding toward Cora.

He smiled down at the mermaid, and she looked up at him with big, confused eyes. He extended a hand to her, leaning down slightly, with the other behind his back. [color=crimson]"May I have this dance?"[/color]

Cora had almost been startled to see Geralt approaching her, but once he was in her field of vision his presence appeared to block everyone else out. She blinked once, confused by his question. Silence hung between them for a second, but he remained smiling, with his hand extended. [color=00a99d]"Me? But I...I can't."[/color] She smiled up at him apologetically, as if the reason hadn't been obvious.

Geralt never let his smile fade and simply tilted his head. [color=crimson]"Oh, come now, honey,"[/color] he said, taking the glass from her lap and placing it on the table. He leaned down towards her once more and lowered his voice, [color=crimson]"You can do anything...with a little help."[/color] He winked, then extended his hand once more.

Cora felt the urge to look around to see the faces of the others that surrounded them, but Geralt was filling her vision entirely. It was like the two of them were alone in a dark room, with a spotlight in the center of the dance floor, beckoning them. Before she really knew what she was doing, she placed her hand into Geralt's.

Geralt's smile widened as his long fingers folded around her delicate and cool hand. He backed into the center of the space that had been cleared for dancing, pulling the mermaid with him. As he got closer to the center, he snapped his fingers, and the song that had been playing was replaced by something a little slower, less lively, but still deep and rich.