Maybe they should stop antagonizing the upset rich girl. "How do you know William?" she asks Chu Chu politely, making a subtle attempt to move away from Annie.

"We met at a party," Chu Chu says.

She is going to leave out unnecessary information like "she was standing with her back against the wall, terrified, and then William nonconsensually decided they were friends."

"This kind of party? Or something more selective?"

"One for the new scholarship people."

"Sounds fun. Certainly quieter."

"And then I decided to talk to the most brilliant and beautiful woman there."

"He flatters you quite a lot. You must be very impressive."

"Not really," Chu Chu says, blushing, at the same time that--

William Way says, "she's the most impressive woman I've ever met."

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the balcony--

Ichiro Sano has Simone on his arm. Instead of a costume, he is dressed in the court wear of his home country, Japan; it is enough of a costume for anyone here.

Simone's dressed as a dragonfly, all in glittering green.

Honestly, for her, the ball isn't that different from every other night of the year. Sano's arm is a perfectly nice place to spend it, though.

"Michael's over there. --He's an old family friend." Sano waves him over.

She looks over at where Michael is being waved over, smiles in his direction, and -- oh god it's Nigel's brother.

Who hopefully doesn't recognize her as his brother's girlfriend.

Michael is the eldest son of the Smith family. A gentleman; he’s a war hero, a cricket star, and an Oxford graduate. You'd think there's a hidden truth here, but he’s actually just kind of like that. No hidden dark secrets. He loves his younger brother but is also very frustrated by him.

"Good evening, Ichiro, ma'am."

"This is Mr. Smith, an old family friend. This is Miss Burr, whom I have the honor of escorting tonight."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Smith."

Please let Nigel not have told his brother the name of his beard. Please let Nigel not have told his brother the name of his beard--

"I believe I've already made your acquaintance. My brother speaks highly of you."

Goddammit.

"Right, Nigel's brother! Yes, we have. He speaks highly of you as well."

Michael looks at her very suspiciously. "You must be very disappointed that he couldn't escort you."

Simone is going to DIE.

She shrugs, effortless and elegant. "I always enjoy spending time with him, but conflicts happen, it isn't such a tragedy to miss one night."

"He was so disappointed to miss it but his poor stomach-- It seems to happen every year."

"I've already promised to tell him all about it." This isn't even untrue. Not that Simone objects to outright lying but in this case at least that is not what she's doing.

"I like his new art. I'm glad he's pursuing something traditional, not like all of this--" His gesture is broad and indicates all the degenerates on the ground floor.

"Traditional art is valuable," Sano says smoothly. "I've always thought so in my collection."

Caught in the sweep of Michael's gesturing is Elsie Waters, the skull Simone painted on her face before the party slightly smudged, as she does something which is certainly not flirting with a girl dressed up as a Greek goddess. "Indeed," she agrees.