This classy night club draws a very elite crowd, mostly the courtiers of the relatively low-tech region and their admirers. Still, the most snobbish of them tend to snub the place, so the atmosphere stays reasonably relaxed. Alcohol helps, too, as the evenings draw on. It's garden-themed, and well-cultivated flowering vines wind up the pillars through the room. An intricate, stylized flower mosaic is the centerpiece of the dance floor, and a small plant grows in the center of every table. The chamber music completes the atmosphere.

---

Dewei and Ai appear in front of the place, and he looks up at the entrance. "I...kind of always think of you when I come here, Miss Ai." Even before he'd had a large crush on her. "I think you'd like it."

She'd been just shy of serious, really. "This is... where are we?" She looks over the place, considering its every avenue. "Dewei, this is just a fantastic place! Though... I doubt that I am dressed for the occasion. Do you think?"

He smiles a bit at her reaction. He just wants to get her mind off of the trouble of the last two minutes. It's nice to see that it's already almost worked. "I think you look fine. You can certainly alter your clothes if you would feel more comfortable, though...there are some people coming now, her clothes are quite characteristic of the region and this club's social environment." He looks to an approaching trio...a couple, and a male friend.

Ai looks at the woman, makes a face. "Oh, but look..." she notes the business-like suit that the third person is wearing, and decides that a pantsuit is the way to go. She likes them, anyway. Skirts are bad for gardening. In a moment, less than a blink really, Ai's outfit changes into a conservative blue pantsuit that, while flattering to her figure, is still functional over anything else. It even has a pen in the pocket. "Like this?"

Dewei smiles, eyes warm and amused. "You'll be the only woman in pants in the club," he cautions. It's just meant to inform her, nothing else. "But, I'll be the only fellow in foreign garb, too." He grins at her. "Shall we go stick out together, then?"

She grins back, her irritation at Ting forgotten. "Oh, yes. By all means!" Ai is genuinely excited by this. "Believe it or not, I have never been to a night club."

"Hee. My aunt and twin would be bored to death here...it's a bit quiet, nothing like the borderline raves they like to attend," Dewei observes as they head inside. Without trouble, since they both look neat and groomed now. He's wearing a usual outfit, but had cleaned it off while Ai was changing. "I haven't told either of them about it, either. It's just...a place to come and relax away from my family, as much as I love them all."

The music finishes a few moments after they step in. There's some light applause and then a whistle, to some scattered laughter. A strings player of some sort grins, bows exagerratedly, and the next song begins.

Ai holds her head up proudly as they enter, lets the aura of the place soak into her mind. "This is very nice," she nods, "very mellow and subdued. You know me so well, Dewei, for our short acquaintance... like you had studied, or something." Her eyebrow arches a bit. "Or perhaps we are more alike than with Ting or Mara?"

"It could be." Dewei laughs softly. "They do have a way of changing how things work around them. So, um...would you like a drink, Miss Ai?" He inquires.

"Water would be nice," Ai answers quietly. She is startlingly into the mood of this place, enough that her attention is floating just a little.

Dewei smiles. "Okay. I'll go get some, then. Here we go..." by pure, dumb luck, the table he likes sitting at is open. It's pretty far from the dance floor and band, but in a fantastic position to watch everything and everyone around. He pulls a chair for Ai.

She has no problem with the location. All the better to watch people without involving herself with close proximity. "Thank you!" She also has no problem with being treated nicely. She sits and scootches close to the table, beaming, and looking around. In some corner of her mind she wonders if anyone has noticed her, what they think of her suit, and if anyone minds a person whose eye whites are black.

Dewei smiles, and nods. "I'll be back in just a minute, Miss Ai." He heads off to the bar. Has to wait a bit, there are a couple of other people around.

After a minute or so, a well-dressed young gentleman--despite a slightly lousy sense of colour-coordination--approaches Ai, and smiles. He's pretty obviously well-bred. "Good evening, Milady. I can't recall having seen you grace this club before."

Ai recoils just a little bit, barely enough to be noticed, when someone to whom she isn't accustomed speaks to her. She recovers quickly enough, though, thinking that being here is a fantastic way to learn that confounded 'social interaction' thing.

"I," she smiles a bit, "have not yet begun to grace this place. But good evening."

The man grins. "I shall take your word on that, milady. I am Shi Verindi Casu...how may I address you, if I may be so bold?" He holds out his hand.

Ai looks at his hand. "Bold? I suppose it takes courage to ask my name." She wonders at the hand. What to do? She is here with Dewei. Smack? No, he has not made any advances. Take? No, she is here with Dewei. Refuse? That would be impolite. Or is he just asking for a napkin? She hesitates. "My name is Ai."

After a few moments of not being accepted, Verindi lowers his hand, still smiling, into a polite bow. Something in his manner isn't entirely unlike something in Makyon's, actually. "The pleasure is all mine, Milady Ai. Ehm..may I sit?"

"Um... sure, I suppose so." Ai looks around for Dewei... doesn't see him. "Just get a chair from that empty table, I think."

He smiles, and nods. Inwardly it's damn, I hope whoever she's here with is female. On a couple of levels. "So tell me, Milady Ai..." he inquires as he fetches that extra chair... "I don't know that I've seen you around before, and I've yet to forget so lovely a face. May I inquire as to where you hail from?"

"Elsewhere," she nods, still looking arond for Dewei. Hm. "I hope that your memory is not good enough to remember that many faces as lovely as mine, else I might start to think myself plain." Like hell.

Dewei is finally getting those waters from the bartender after becoming sidetracked when approached by an acquaintence.

Verindi grins. "The only way that you could judge yourself plain, Milady Ai, is if you were far less intellingent than I had originally judged you."

Ai smiles a closed-eyes smile. He's trying to flatter her, she thinks, though depending on how she decided to take what he's telling her, she might think he had accused her of being plain and dim. Even so, Ai is relatively certain that he is there in a hitting-on capacity. "Well then. Here's to intelligence... oh." She grins. "Nothing to toast with. So did you want something, Shi Verindi Casu?" It's a dead honest question, too.

"Well. I would love the honor of buying you a drink, Milady Ai, if you would be so kind."

"Oh, that is alright. Dewei is bringing water." Ai nods.

"Dewei..." the man blinks. Takes a minute for it to click. Then... damn when teh light goes on. "Ohh...the foreign boy who comes in here some nights, yes?"

Ai just shrugs. "I am not familiar with his schedule, really. We only met a few weeks ago. Do you know him?" She brightens up a little bit. Common ground is more than welcome at this point.

"Mmm...I have yet to meet him personally, Milady, though we've seen one another, anyway. It is just that we receive few non-human guests here--certainly not that they are not welcome, or, in some cases, beautiful--and so those we are graced by regularly are certainly noted. Historically, Master Dewei comes in here...oh, I don't know. Twice a moon or so. Although, he has not been by for some weeks now." He grins a little, having made the connection after having said this. "Perhaps spending it in the company of a ladyfriend instead?"

"It was a surprise," Ai nods. "I had a tiff with his sister, and Dewei brought me here to smooth it over. Although," she looks around, "the dress code is odd. I had to change at the front door."

Verindi grins. Bless his heart, he says nothing. "Oh? You're usually clad differently, then, Milady Ai? Well, I suppose that should stand to reason...since your garb is not nearly so foreign as that of your companion."

"Well... I try to dress differently when I can. There are far too many outfits that have not felt me, and far to little time." She nods, but looks again for Dewei. She misses him, even though this fellow is fun enough. "Is it an appealing outfit, at least?"

"Yea, very. I can honestly maintain that I have never found a pantsuit more attractive."

"Well, I guess knowing that should make me feel more comfortable, in a very real way," Dewei notes as he walks up behind Ai. He grins. "Here you are, Miss Ai. I apologize for taking so long. I ran into a friend, and couldn't politely avoid conversation."

"Dewei, there you are!" Ai beams at him in a likewise real way. "Sit, sit! We have company. This is Verindi. Verindi, Dewei Tiono."

Of course, Dewei is the reason he probably won't be getting any from the pretty lady with the black eyes tonight. Probably. But...Verindi is a high-society gentleman, a courtier in every respect, and stands to greet the big-eared fellow, smiling an absolutely welcoming smile. "Master Ono. I don't know that we've ever been properly introduced."

Dewei smiles in return, and bows his head in a respectful greeting. "No, though I think we're mutually aware of one another, Shi Verindi Casu. It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintence."

"So... right!" Ai smiles a very pleased smile. This is much better than sitting alone in her garden. Perhaps she can convince them to fight over her, that might be interesting as well.  "Dewei has been fantastic to me, bringing me here. I feel like treating everyone, somehow. Any thoughts?" She looks to Dewei, then to Casu, and back to Dewei.

"A few?" Verindi snickers. "Forgive me, Milady Ai, I could not resist."

Dewei's ears color a little. He smiles, but tries not to grin, worried that the other man's joking may have Ai uncomfortable. That, and he's a hair defensive at Ai being hit on, though he wouldn't admit to it since there's nothing officially between them.

Ai looks directly into Verindi's eyes. "Well, I am not fond of dangling carrots. Explain?" She's not sure what he meant, anyway, but keeps her tone light so as to not scare him much. 

"Dances," Dewei puts in quickly, while a slightly aback Casu is fishing for an answer. He grins. "This is a night club, after all, Miss Ai, and you do happen to be the prettiest woman in it."

"That, sir, is a matter of conjecture." Doesn't stop her from blushing. "But Dewei, you know I can't dance." Smiles at Verindi. "In such a small space." This is tickling her pink, and it always makes her laugh inside when she can get someone flustered.

"I find that remarkably hard to believe, Milady Ai," Verindi observes, "when even your step is so smooth."

Yeah. They're in full "compete for Ai's attention" mode.

She's eating it up, too. It is sort of a first... her previous efforts at male company had been fairly simple. Walk into a gentleman's club, point at one, take him home until he disappoints her, and send him back without memory of the event.

"A graceful walk is hardly a graceful dance. Dewei's mother is a dear woman, truly, and practically feline in her grace, but I doubt that she could dance that well either." Ai tilts her head. "Unless it involved saving a planet, or something."

"She can't," Dewei assures her. Snickers quietly. "I've seen her dance a few time. It's. Um. Interesting. Unless she's following steps, like at a formal occasion. Then it's boring."

She chuckles dryly at that. Glances between the two of them again, somewhat awkwardly. "So..." she hesitates. "Who wants to dance first?" Kerosene, check. Fire, check.

No explosion. Yet.

"Master Dewei should most certainly take the first dance, if that suits you well, Milady Ai. After all, he was kind enough to escort you here." Verindi smiles a gentlmanly smile.

Dewei stares at him a moment. Oh, lord, that statement was so loaded. On at least four different points he'd noticed. He quickly looks to Ai, though, and smiles at her. Stands, and offers her a hand. "Well. If you would honor me so, Miss Ai, it would be more than a pleasure." That...is not a lie. His heart's fluttering a little. Some part of him worries that she'll say "no".

Daddy would be proud of his daughter's apparent sadistic streak, here. Ai, though, is almost afraid that continuing to play with them will alienate Dewei and, though she would not turn him down anyway, she feels especially motivated to take him up on it.

"Alright," she nods, glancing to the dance floor. Her hand slips into Dewei's, and she beams at both of them. "Be back," she assures Casu.

Verindi smiles, nods, and gives them a little wave. Dewei is smiling too, but differently. He's positively beaming. Though, on their way to the dance floor... "It occurs to me, Miss Ai," he notes, grinning a little, "that I still can't dance."

Ai is about to respond with something cute. About to, but the words do not quite leave her tongue.

All Onos and Orrs please report to Fel's house. This is a code salmon emergency. That's pink.

Ai tilts her head. "Dewei, did you hear Mara's voice just now?"

Dewei groans inwardly, but nods. "Yep. Good thing we didn't have drinks, huh?" He grins at her sheepishly. "We should probably head outside before leaving...vanishing from here would cause a ruckus, I'm quite sure."

"Quite." Ai sighs lightly, and trots back to their table. "I apologize Verindi, but something has come up. I have to get home." She lays her hand on the table, pauses, and lifts it back up. A red rose lies where her hand had been. "Don't forget me, eh?"

He's more than taken aback at the suddenly-materialized rose, but then stands politely. "Forget you? Some things are beyond my meager ability. It is my loss, Milady Ai...can I expect to see you here again?" He holds out a hand.

"I think so. This is a nice place." She looks over her shoulder, smiles at Dewei, and looks back. "And nothing is ever concrete, except for concrete. Bye!"

He lowers the hand. Darn. It's no fun when they're so loyal to their escorts. Verindi smiles, and bows. "Then I shall pray to whatever god or goddess that you look to, Milady Ai, that you do return. Farewell!"

Ai can't help but laugh a little bit at that. "Hey," she calls as she's heading for the door, "pray to me. I fit the bill. Dewei! Hurry up, Mara is calling!"

"On my way." And he is...just a few steps behind. Once they're outside... "So, shall I transport us, then?" It's the usual order of things, just because he happens to know the place like the back of his hand, family home and all.

"Sure." Ai nods. "Thanks for the jaunt, Dewei. Next time, we dance."

Dewei grins. "I shall hold you to it, Milady Ai." And then they're both bound for Helantri Deru.