"I hope you are better at small talk than telling time," Jocasta said snippily. The redhead didn't respond. Not only didn't she respond, she made no movement at all. In fact, now that Jocasta's attention was drawn to it, nobody was moving. Not that they were standing still, they weren't moving at all. Beren stood with a pastry half way to his lips. A servant was pouring wine which hung between bottle and goblet, a dark haired woman whose partner had whirled her fast enough that her hair had flown out was crowned by her now gravity defying locks. The entire feast was frozen in place, right down to the flames refusing to flicker. It was a moment of deep cosmological terror.

"Holy fuck," Jocasta observed curiously, "have I broken the fucking world?"

"You have done nothing," a sinister voice declared. Jocasta spun around to find herself face to face with the human form of the demon she had last seen in the wizards lair below the earth.

"If I'm being honest, not quite as much of a relief as I was hoping," Jocasta admitted backing away from the demonic being. It followed her unhurriedly, plucking a goblet of wine from the hand of an unmoving party guest and sipping at it.

"Quit squirming mortal, if I wanted to harm you..." the demon made a gesture with one hand. Pain exploded across Jocasta's  midsection. She could feel taloned hands clawing their way through her insides. She feel to her knees, clutching at her midriff and squealing in agony. The demon examined its manicure for a moment and then snapped its fingers.

"I wouldn't have to chase you down to do it," the thing concluded. Jocasta lay in the fetal position for a few moments longer and then managed to pull herself up. Despite having collapsed on the mossy flooring her dress was unmarred. 

"Then what do you want?" she demanded in what she had hoped to be a belligerent tone, but came out much squeakier than seemed reasonable.

"All I want is for you to live up to the agreement we made," the demon said in a calm tone. "If you'd like to reneg I can return your friend their to the state he was in back at Ikathan's dreary little study.

"What do you want," Jocasta demanded sullenly.

"Why only that our red headed friend show your stiff necked monk there a wonderful evening," the demon replied.

"Why?" Jocasta asked, moving over to the frozen redhead and flicking her in the nose. The woman didn't so much as flinch.

"It is enough for you to know that I wish it, do it for me and your friend's intestines stay on the inside, I might even see fit to reward you," the demon went on.

"Aren't they going to see me teleport out of position when you ... start time again?" Jocasta asked. The demon gave a superior chuckle.

"I haven't actually stopped time mortal, rather we are holding this conversation between moments, but your point is taken." He snapped his fingers again. Jocasta' body was wrenched back across the floor as she was ripped back into the exact position she had been in before she tried to speak, her hair smoothed itself out and her tears slid back up into her tear ducts. The red head suddenly arched an eyebrow and flinced as though to touch her nose. There was a confused gasp from behind her as one of the guests found that he was missing his drink.

"Go... go right ahead," Jocasta managed and then turned and headed for the liquor.