"Oh, Chu Chu is brilliant. Did you know she's the only woman in the entire country of China to get a scholarship to study medicine in England?"

It's too dark to see Chu Chu blush but it is nevertheless very obvious she is.

"It's obvious from the outfits already, they're delving into things man was not meant to meddle with--" oh no it's someone she knows. It's fine, she's passing, she's practiced her voice so many times, Oscar's in the safer crowd anyways.

"Oh, Chu Chu's a woman so it's fine! She meddles in all kinds of things man wasn't meant to know," William says, giving the strong impression that one of those things is his penis.

Oscar chuckles at that; he isn't above appreciating a bawdy joke. "How do you like England, Chu Chu?"

"It's great! I'm learning so much," she says earnestly.

"I think it's a terrible country," Oscar says cheerfully. "But studying medicine sounds like a lot of fun. What's your favorite part?"

"All these compliments do a poor job of hiding your relation to each other," Violet whispers to William, in a voice that might almost be mistaken for earnest. "It's obvious now that you've also come to the party dressed as your real self."

"Well, masks are a great way of showing the truth," William says. "Who would expect that I met Chu Chu when I died in a tragic gambling accident and then she brought me back to life?"

"And now you are in her eternal service as payment for bringing you back. Maybe you should consider reanimating the bird, it'd be an excellent party trick."

William Way pouts. "Nobody asked me how you could do a tragic gambling accident."

"How can you do a tragic gambling accident?"

William brightens up. "Well, the dice accidentally came up sevens when both I and some very large men with very impressive muscles were really counting on it coming up sixteen."

"They must have overcome with feeling when they saw you were up and about again."

"Right! But I'm immortal now because I already died. So no harm done. I don't think I got your name."

"Violet." She says it softly. She's been less focused on her voice (though not enough to embarrass herself) but it's now at the front of her mind again.

"I'm William Way," he says as if he expects everyone to know who he is.

"Of course." She says it like she doesn't much care.

William Way finds this kind of confusing but fails to process it.

"Do you wanna head back inside?"

"It is a bit cold. With or without the bird?"

"Without the bird, I think?"

Chu Chu has never been to a fancy party before and is pretty sure that William is wrong about attending them.

"Hey, we should go up to the balcony! Fancy people!"

She'll let him go first.

The balcony is where the wealthiest and best-bred people in London come to see and be seen. You see a glittering insect, an Arabian prince, a fairy, a lioness– all dripping with gems the people on the floor couldn’t begin to afford. Masks cover everyone’s faces: could you be speaking with a millionaire or a duke?

William Way climbs up the stairs like he belongs there.

Chu Chu... is pretty sure she is in fact not allowed to be here.