Geralt was certainly impressed by the initiative Akane was showing by this gesture, and her determination was nothing to sneeze at. Maybe seeing Cora in the arms of someone else had truly sparked something in the girl. Geralt could turn his nose up at many things, but he would not deny true love's cry. He looked down at Cora, pleased to see a positive reaction in her as well.

Brighter than they had ever been before, Cora's cheeks flushed with much more fervor as Akane asked her question with a flourish. It was as if she had been waiting to hear her ask for a very long time, without even knowing that it was what she wanted to hear. Coquettishly, the mermaid reached out her hand and laid it against the kitsune's warm fingers, then nodded, casting her eyes down as a sudden shyness gripped her.

As neither of the girls were speaking, Geralt decided to cut himself in. [color=crimson]"A lovely idea, after all of those buckets earlier I'm a dead man walking,"[/color] he paused a moment, then shifted his stance while making sure not to pull them any farther apart. [color=crimson]"Here, let me help."[/color] Gently, he placed Cora into Akane's arms, showed them how to hold each other, and positioned the mermaid's feet on top of Akane's as he had done for his turn on the floor. He even lent a little of his power to the mix, twitching his fingers to keep Cora light as he let go and left the two of them alone to dance. 

As Cora let herself fall into Akane's arms, she was hyper aware of how hot her skin felt, how hard her heart was pounding against her ribs, and the proximity of her body to the kistune's. For whatever reason she was having a hard time meeting the girl's gaze. In looking at her feet, however, she noticed something rather crucial. She glanced [i]up[/i] at Akane, and said [color=00a99d]"Are you...taller..?"[/color]

Illyana fought hard not to roll her eyes at Geralt's chosen finish for the dance. Of course, she was glad to see Cora enjoying herself, and although even the diviner could see the youthful and genuine smile that touched Geralt's eyes, her protective instincts rallied against the urge to believe him. When he handed her off to Akane, she finally felt relief wash over her.

Immediately she was distracted by Lucien, who had approached and asked for Ivory's hand. Her mouth dropped open slightly and she looked at the dhampir upon hearing her answer, the betrayal clear on her face. She was glad when Lucien steered the conversation away from her, but equally taken aback when he suggested that Aurel be her partner. Aside from being not the biggest eater, Illyana never exercised. Even when Faolan was around, it was the one activity she had always managed to avoid. Of course, she was sure she could dance...but she knew that it would be to the detriment of her partner's feet if she tried.

Still, Aurel asked. She was about to turn him down, politely of course, when she heard Akane's voice call from across the space, [color=rosybrown]"Are you guys coming?"[/color]

Illyana's face fell as she glanced at the kistune and then back at Aurel. She sighed, shrugged, and was unable to come up with an excuse to refuse. At least Geralt wasn't asking her. [color=598527]"I suppose. But don't blame me if I trample you..."[/color] she said before taking the young man's hand and standing, now fighting the smile that threatened to show itself on her lips. She really was uncoordinated, being that her job required her to sit in a chair for hours at a time.