"Whew, this is a bit fancy," Akori breathed, looking about the vast Celestial Hall. Her eyes gleamed as she took in the floating sconces, the polished stone, and the myriad colourful outfits. She hadn't been on this world that long, all told, but one world was much the same as another to a kitsune. Sure, she wasn't expecting to be dumped from one place to the next quite so unawares, but hey, this place was interesting, there was new stuff to look at, and - oh! Free food! Practically dancing across the floor towards the laden tables, Akori placed a finger to pursed, red lips as she looked over the delectable offerings. There were names by each of the foods, and Akori was assuming that they were not, in fact, the names of the dishes, but rather those that had provided them. It wasn't that she knew anyone to whom the names applied, but rather that she knew that wasn't how you spelled mashed-potatoes.

Catching the sound of music, Akori was distracted from the allure of free grub by another of her passions. Tails flicking - because she decided the best accessory to her rather swishy dress was four, vulpine tails poking out the back - Akori wandered towards the dance-floor like one following a siren-song. She watched the dancers, swaying for a moment or two in time to the music. Most were dancing in pairs, and she hadn't a partner. Not that the absence of one would stop her, but it was so much nicer to dance with someone. She cast a look about for anyone she could drag onto the floor. It wasn't everyday she scraped together all of her money, as well as accepting some odd jobs, to pay for a rather spectacular dress so she could attend a Ball. No, normally she would have simply sneaked in, and had some fun that way, but sometimes, she just wanted to looked pretty, be admired, and have a nice, dashing gentleman (or woman) come and sweep her into a dance.

Hey, who could blame a girl for dreaming, right?

Dress

Aspect walked up the stone steps of the palace with her hands buried in her jacket pockets and her collar flipped up. After getting word about an open invitation to the Celestial Ball she decided that expensive elegant dresses were far too restrictive and overrated. Everyone wore them, even the poorer folks found some nice clothes to wear to an event like this. As she stopped at the top of the stairs and looked over the impressive palace, people in their fancy dresses and suits walked by, some even going so far as to turn an look at her. She concluded that they were probably wondering why she was here. In her simple leather jacket, dark pants and worn boots, she did look relatively out of place. 

No matter, what she couldn't match in fabric, she could match in her pelts. She closed her eyes and shifted into the form of a King Cheetah. The large cat was a beautiful cream color, instead of the standard tan, with large black blotches instead of small spots. Several streaks of black went down the length of her spine and melted into the spots on her tail. She stood on her long thin legs and perked her ears forward. She held her head high, her large eyes accented by the black teardrop pattern. She had no need for makeup. She walked slowly into the palace, seeing more people turn and stare at her. She glanced at them casually as she went by, flicking an ear in their direction. She wouldn't worry about them.

She took long strides and reached the ballroom in no time. Her tail flicked behind her as she made her way inside. People continued to stop and stare at her. She didn't need a dress or fancy clothes to bring attention. This form suited the purpose just fine. She was dressed for the occasion now, and it didn't cost her a penny. She gave a toothy smile as she made her way through the crowd. It was a nice party, though there were more inside than out in the city at this point. It seemed like everyone had come. She walked over towards the tables and seating, before leaping gracefully into an empty chair. She sat herself down and watched the proceedings from her perch, casually twisting and untwisting her long tail around the legs of the chair. 

She saw men and women and hybrids of all sorts walking around, socializing, dancing, some were even eating. She saw a few other beasts in the facility with her, dogs, domestic cats, and some birds. Likely familiars or other shapeshifters like herself. Even a centaur made an appearance, which she was rather surprised to see. Usually, they were party crashers, but this one seemed to be fine. A few giants were socializing off to the side as well. A strong odor caught her attention and she turned her head up to catch the scent better. It was coming from the food tables. From her vantage point, she could see all sorts of delicacies and treats. There were meats of all sorts, dishes of vegetables, a massive stack of all kinds of fruits, casseroles, plates of pasta, and many rolls and types of bread. A whole table was dedicated entirely to desserts and pies. She'd have to visit that table sooner rather than later, she didn't want all the good stuff to be gone. 

The dancers moved with such grace, it seemed they were floating. Dipping and swaying in time to the gentle music, arms sweeping out in wide arcs to best display draping sleeves and shapely arms, elegant fingers splayed and shimmering with gems. Beautiful women and handsome, dashing men, moving across the polished floor. It was certainly much more extravagant than anything else the kitsune had ever seen on her home-world. It was almost like a fairy-tale, or something out of a bard's tale. All the nobility gathered together, for one night of food, song, and dance - only it wasn't just the nobility present. The Ball had been an open invite event, meaning anyone could attend - which was why Akori hadn't sneaked her way in, and had bothered with a dress. Akori wasn't of high-birth, or even notable parentage. She was a simple, run of the mill, thunder-kitsune. Not for her were the great gatherings of the blue-bloods, the political mingling, and the cloak-and-dagger scheming behind pretty, polite smiles. Akori was more of a knees up in the bar kind of girl - sure, it wasn't the classiest of parties, but it had its benefits. It was much more energetic for one, even if there wasn't so many pretty people about. Besides, it seemed like so much effort to act like you were better than others because of your birth, or to plot and scheme behind their backs. It was easier to just say what you thought, be friends with everyone, and just enjoy life. It was too short to waste on silly things, after all.

On the tail of that thought, Akori decided to stop waiting for someone to come and dance with her. There was only so much pointed waiting and glancing at single, stationary people she could do. While usually she would have thought nothing of going up to someone and dragging them to the dance-floor, her mind was especially distracted by all the shiny things, rich smells, and interesting sounds. She couldn't focus on any one thing for too long, and found she wanted to experience it all. Flicking her tails, Akori spun on a heel, and decided to start with the food. Akori disregarded the dance-floor for now, and moved back towards the tables - particularly the one holding desserts. She'd load up on some good, sweet food, and be ready for some proper dancing later! Besides, there was plenty of food, and it would be a shame to see it go to waste. It really was only polite to partake of it, really. 'Always be gracious to your host' her mother had said, and part of that was eating if there was food offered. Also, no burping at the table, don't lean on your elbows, and no flicking peas at your siblings. The latter especially - the Renu family had long since stopped serving peas at clan gatherings since the Great Food Fight at Akori's one-hundredth birthday. There were still pea-green stains on the rug in the dining cavern to this day.

Arriving at the table, Akori smiled sweetly at the others present.
"Some spread, right?" she commented, swiftly claiming a plate for herself even as she looked over the assorted delicacies. To the amused looks of those nearby, the kitsune started to delicately select an item here and there, placing it on her plate. Those looks became somewhat incredulous as, even as her plate became more than half full, she continued pick out one of everything, cramming it onto the plate balanced on her hand. Finally, with a small pyramid of desserts piled on her platter, Akori grinned and nodded. That would be more than enough to start off with! Disregarding the stares and puzzled looks of the people about the buffet table, Akori simply hummed happily, and gazed adoringly at her pile of food, much like a dragon adoring its hoard.

Pleased with her haul, Akori turned, and made her way to a table with empty seats. Plopping down into one, Akori popped one of the sweet pastries into her mouth before she even looked around at who else was at the table. Upon seeing a cheetah, of all things, the kitsune waggled the fingers of one hand in greeting, licking the fingers of her other clean as she did so.
"You've got to try the…well, whatever that was. Delicious. Think it was chocolate something or other," picking up a doughy thing, Akori saw it was studded in chunks of ginger, and she wrinkled her nose. She wasn't a huge fan of it, unless it was gingerbread, and, holding it between forefinger and thumb, she placed it on the table.
"You can have that one, if you like ginger," the kitsune offered, scooting it towards the cheetah with a finger. She didn't find it all odd that a cheetah was sat at a table, watching people - she herself often did much the same, just as a fox.

Aspect watched the party from her perch in the tall chair by an empty table. Her keen feline eyes took in everything, and her sharp pointed ears absorbed everything that couldn't be taken in by her eyes. They flicked back in forth in order to take in as much sound as she could. She sat still and quiet, almost a statue. She didn't want to dance, she didn't really even want to participate. She just the thought the formal dance would be more interesting than anything she would be doing otherwise, like hunting mice, or stealing scraps and getting in trouble, or, lords forbid, reading a book or doing something else equally painful and mundane. 

She was amused, however, and frankly rather entertained over the course of the evening. More than a few women stumbled in their too tall shoes, causing them to flail about like a tree in a hurricane until their partner or another individual steadied them out. A couple even flat out fell down on the floor. For these, she couldn't help but give a toothy grin and turn away for a moment so it wasn't so evident she had been staring at them. She saw one lady even step through her dress, resulting in a nice hole in the fabric a few inches above the bottom seam. Yes, this was definitely better than running around outside alone, doing who knew what. 

She saw a young lady walking around in a brilliant blue dress with an impressive train off the back. At least she thought it was a train. After further observation, it was evident that the train consisted of four foxtails. Aspect was slightly surprised by this but she had seen stranger things before. The fox girl was easy enough to keep track of and she amused herself by watching her seemingly desperate attempts to get a partner to dance with her. She wanted to dance with someone, that much was evident. However, she didn't seem to be the needy type, so after a short while of waiting, she went off towards the refreshments table. She lost track of her for a time and contented herself with observing the other patrons. She gave a smug grin as she saw a young man walk by with what appeared to be either blood, wine, vomit, or all three splattered on his white dress shirt. That's never coming out, she thought to herself.

She curled her long tail absentmindedly around the leg of the chair, tightened it as much as it would go, before uncurling it and curling it back around the other way. She let out a soft purr and let her eyes fall half closed, rather content with the evening's events. A flash of blue out of the corner of her eye drew her attention back to the fox lady. This time the young lady was seen carrying a large platter of food, piled high with all sorts of the different delicacies. She watched her carry the plate over to the table without missing a beat or spilling any of the items. She wouldn't say so, but she found the accomplishment impressive.

She sat down next to her and waved her hand in her direction. She inclined her head pleasantly and gave her a smile. The fox lady mentioned one of the desserts she had just eaten, commenting on how good it was. Impulsively, she leaned forward and looked at the different items that were collected on the plate. There was a very vast selection of desserts, pastries, mousses, miniature pies and cakes, and other unidentifiable things. "I don't see anything of real substance here besides sweets," she commented coolly. "No matter. Life's too short to save them for last anyway. A girl after my own heart, that's something I can appreciate." She gave her a toothy grin and her eyes sparkled.

Upon being offered the chocolate and ginger she bent over to sniff it carefully, before delicately picking it off the table. It was a strange dessert, unlike anything she'd had before with a rather exotic taste. After swallowing, she sat back up, leaning against the back of the chair while splitting her gaze between the fox and the plate of desserts. "Now, forgive me if I'm wrong, but you don't strike me as the noble sort. This isn't a bad thing, just merely an observation. Your manner gives you away, you aren't as snobbish or uppity as them." She nodded her head to the side, gesturing to the actual wealth in the room that showed up just to show off to the rest. "Though you play the part well in appearance."

Her blue eyes sparkled as she hunched her back a little, her hackles rising slightly. She smiled mischievously at the fox. She knew how they worked, and together they could be a mighty team in order to mix up the formal air of the party a little. The formality of it was draining and frankly getting to be rather dull. "Finish what you have there," she gestured to the plate. "Afterwards, would you like to have a little fun with the rich ones?" She raised an eyebrow and cocked an ear. "This party is getting a little stuffy for me. I think it would do these folks well to have a little excitement in their day, don't you think?"

. 

Some may have held the belief that, after a couple of the sweet treats, Akori would grow bored and seek out something else. Maybe some would have thought that, being somewhat fox-like, she would have preferred savoury foods, or some of the finely roasted meats. The thing was, unlike the mundane foxes, Akori supplemented her diet with something a bit more…esoteric. Namely, life energy. Now, don't get her mixed with those blood-thirsty vampires. She was nothing of the sort - wasn't all that fond of the smell of blood, let alone the taste. No, Akori more or less 'sipped' from the energy of others, using their energy to fuel her own magic. Strong emotions were best, like joy, anger, sorrow, excitement, lust, those sort of moods. Of those, Akori found she preferred the 'happier' ones, those both easier and safer to promote in others, and 'tasting' better. Light, fluffy, and sweet, like this cake, or rich, luxurious, and indulgent, like this treacle tart. The kitsune was happiest when others around her were happy, and not just because she could easily feed. It was just nice to be around joyful people, and if she could cheer others up in some way, well, all the better, right? No-one should have to go through life upset or sad. It was also partially why she had actually put some effort in and learned how to sing and play instruments. What better way to get a party started than by brining the music?

If anyone were to ask, Akori wouldn't have been able to tell if she liked sweet foods because she liked happy energy, or the other way around. She had been this way for as long as she could remember, it was something that was just bound to her very essence. So she didn't take offence or become self conscious when the cheetah commented on her chosen foods, simply giving a small, pleased smile in acknowledgement.
"I'll more than likely never be invited back to patron the kitchens - might as well make the most of it!" Akori replied, her smile turning a touch mischievous as she popped a small, coconut dusted dough-ball into her mouth. She chewed, relishing the flavours and textures of the food. Delicious! A shame she wouldn't likely be invited back, well, at least not officially. There were not many places that could keep a determined kitsune out for very long.
Swallowing, Akori chuckled, giving a small, seated bow at the compliment. Of course she looked good, she worked very hard at it - okay, no, she couldn't even think that with a straight face. She was an unapologetic cheat. What good were shape-shifting powers if you weren't going to use them?
"There's not a noble bone in my body. I'm as common as rain in the north," she didn't know if that saying would really apply on this world, but hopefully her companion would get the jist. Akori glanced aside, looking the same way as the cheetah, watching all the wanton wealth and power so blatantly on display. The glimmering, shimmering things were pretty, the dresses gorgeous and sweeping, but if the soul wasn't there, then it all felt a little empty. If the people wearing them weren't having fun, or enjoying themselves, it seemed to dull the air around them.
"I think you look better than those nobles, anyway. Nothing quite matches a cheetah for looks," Akori complimented back as she turned her attention back to the conversation at hand.

Akori's eyes gleamed, and her face split into a wide grin at the mention of 'excitement'. The look was one well known by her family and a rather a few victims of pranks as one that heralded trouble. The glint in her eye had precluded many a mishap, misadventure, and brush with danger, all of which she greeted with great enthusiasm, and shrieking laughter. Her tails writhed, as if possessed of a life all their own and wanting to go and play now, while Akori herself simply nodded.
"They do look rather bored, don't they?" she agreed, "Why, I think some of them are at risk of nodding off!"
Chewing on a fruit-filled pie, Akori looked thoughtful. Swallowing the mouthful, she put a finger to her chin, casting a look around at the people nearby.
"Yes, I think it would be our duty to ensure people have a night to remember, don't you agree?"
Rubbing her hands together, clearing them of any crumbs or smears, Akori nodded to the cheetah.
"I'm sure there's a lot you and I can do to make sure of that. Name's Akori - looking forward to livening up this party with you."
Inclining her head, the kitsune gestured to the plate before her.
"And feel free to help yourself. Sooner it's gone, the sooner we can get the games started!"

Aspect nodded, she understood where the fox was coming from. They likely wouldn't be invited to a venue like this again, at least for a while. She wasn't worried about it. She didn't really have much to lose or gain either way, but she would indulge in the food that was available. It was of good quality and it was the sort of food she liked, so why not. She shook herself, once again taking her human form in her dark shirt, pants, and boots. She brushed her red hair out of her face as she also picked at the plates of treats. She chuckled at the comment on her cheetah form.

"I appreciate that," she said smiling between pieces of chocolate. "Frankly, I'm just too poor and lazy to afford a nice dress, mostly lazy. I just don't see the point in only wearing something nice for an evening, and then never wearing it again. It seems a bit like a waste, at least to me anyway. It's hard to change forms in nice clothing, too great a chance of damage." She leaned back against the chair. She nodded in agreement when the fox mentioned that the nobility was rather bored out on the dance floor. The fox gave them a thoughtful look as she turned her attention to them. 

She laughed quietly as she proposed that they make the evening a night to remember. "I wouldn't be against the idea," she said leaning towards her. "It's times like this where I wish I was capable of magic. Like making some of their accessories have a little more life in them." She casually pointed out the women as they went by. "The emerald snake necklace on her neck. The jewel beetle on her broach. The small pin shaped like a bat. The metal dragonfly hair clip. All of them would be so much fun to animate. Not to cause serious harm or anything, but just to liven up the party a little."
 
She nodded her head. "My name's Aspect. It's a pleasure to meet you Akori," she helped herself to the plate of chocolates. She brainstormed with the fox what they could do. She didn't know if the fox could do magic or not. "We could put some food in the musical instruments. I could fly up and drop some in, these toffees would be big enough to clog a pipe in a horn or something. I don't really know what to do? Do you have any ideas?" She picked at the plate as listened to the fox.

Akori watched as the cheetah became a woman, and rather than appear surprised, she simply seemed pleased. It was always interesting to meet other shapeshifters, though this was her first time with a cheetah-shifter. Folk such as the kitsune were not exactly common on her homeworld, though neither were they unheard of. Simply somewhat of a curiosity amongst a populace generally trying to get through life. Still, from a quick glance just about this room, Akori could see that, finally, she had found a place where that was different. As for who was what, though, well. That would take some conversations and such to establish, a task she would undertake after some fun and games.

"When you can change form that smoothly, you don't need a fancy dress," Akori said, waving a hand dismissively. While she had, indeed, chosen to wear a fancy dress, Akori fully understood where the other woman was coming from. It was a shame to wear something just the once, especially if it was difficult to change forms in. Luckily, Akori's brand of shape-changing meant she could keep the clothes she was wearing whilst switching back and forth, a fact she had used and abused more than once in her life. As for the gown, well, it just encouraged Akori to wear this dress again in the future. You know, assuming she could find a way to store it safely in her travel-pack. And found an occasion that called for it.
"They flaunt wealth and time, you showcase talent and power," the kitsune remarked, the comment oddly thoughtful for her, "Though, if some of those people made their own clothes, that would be interesting."

Oh, this Aspect was a woman after her own heart! Akori's grin turned crafty, and she leaned back in her chair so that she could keep an eye on those the other woman pointed out.
"Like this?" she asked, coyly, jerking her head towards a woman with a ludicrous amount of hair piled atop her head. Amongst the coiffed locks, coiled and braided into what looked to Akori like a fuzzy, head-based mountain, there were myriad chains bearing jewels, bells, and even some flowering vines. As well as some rather realistic looking modelled birds.
With a whisper of power, Akori sent her magic into those birds, imbuing them with enough energy to send them all chirping and cheeping. One even flapped its wings as it trilled, beady eyes bright with enchanted life.
With a yelp, the noble, composed woman stumbled, arms flailing upwards to scale Hair Mountain, and attempt to figure out what was making all that noise, and how. The people around her stopped and stared, some even starting forwards as if to assist.

Akori was well pleased with the prank, chuckling behind a raised hand least anyone connect the dots. So, her magic worked perfectly on this world! She hadn't been sure what she could do, past shapeshifting, but here was proof her repertoire of tricks was intact. Excellent. The possibibilites! Aspect and she could pull all sorts of pranks!
"We could combine tricks - you fly up with some food, I animate that trumpet like it's an elephant's trunk, reaching for the food," Akori plotted, leaning across the table in her enthusiasm, "Have a little game of chase, ending with you clogging the pipe."

It would definitely liven this party up!

Aspect enjoyed talking with Akori. She was pleasant and a good conversationalist. It was nice having such a company for a change, no one chasing after her or trying to catch her or any such thing. She seemed to understand the struggles of being a shapeshifter and she wondered privately if she was a werefox as well as a beautiful woman. She was content to wait and see for herself after their game had been played. She would enjoy talking with her afterward. She laughed lightly at the thought of the nobility trying to make their own dresses and attire. Such excellent craftsmanship that they wore took years to perfect. They would merely scrape the surface of the art, and likely their end result would look rather poor and unfinished, even if they did pour their heart and soul into it.

She puffed up a little at the compliment of talent and power. It wasn't often that her forms caused such admiration. After mentioning the desire to animate the accessories of some of the women walking by, Akori motioned towards a woman with a mountain of hair piled neatly on her head. She had to give the fox credit to be able to see such small dainty bird figurines nestled amongst the chaotic nest. There were more knick-knacks and accouterments in her hair than she had seen in most trash cans or back alleys. It was such a mess she couldn't see how it was supposed to be beautiful. With a quiet word only she could hear, she watched the fox animate the birds in the nest. The results were brilliant.

She watched as the birds started to chirp and flutter about the poor woman's head. A large grin formed on her face, her sharp white teeth shining as bright as her eyes. At that moment, she loved that fox dearly, even though they had just met. What else could they do! Her mind was all a flurry with anticipation for the various pranks the two could accomplish. When Akori mentioned flying a piece of food up to the orchestra, her face lit up. She flashed her a smile and grabbed her loosely by the lower arm. She felt her heart begin to race in eagerness. "Consider it done!"

Within a moment, a sharp little swallow had taken her place in her chair. A bright white belly with a turquoise cape of feathers over her head and back, ending in a few black feathers along her primaries. She shifted through the stack of desserts on the plate, picking out first a small chocolate truffle, then deciding she'd rather have it to herself, exchanged it for a caramel nut thing. Gripping it in a claw, she determined that a caramel was a small loss, who liked it anyway? Between the color and the taste, it was a nasty little candy. In a flip of feathers, she flew quickly through the room, above the dancers and the other occupants. She hovered over the brass section of the orchestra.

As promised, a trumpet started acting up, growing longer as the end of the horn started moving independently of the musician. The poor man was startled so badly he dropped his instrument on the floor. She dipped her feathers and dived by the instrument, letting it catch the scent of the candy. She glanced behind her and saw it start chasing after her, using its buttons as three awkward little legs. It looked like a broken dog as it scampered across the floor ducking under chairs, following the scent of the candy. By this point the rest of the orchestra had stopped playing as they watched the rogue trumpet trot after her, running blindly into legs, chairs, stands, and other things. As she went, she saw a long brass instrument start moving on its own accord, probably a trombone.

She smiled as she saw it uncurl itself from its own person and started slithering across the floor, like a large metal snake. She looked at Akori still sitting at the table, watching with a big smile on her face, even though she was trying to hide her amusement. The trombone and the trumpet both chased after her as she ducked through the orchestra section, dipping swiftly around the obstacles, eventually reaching the end of the orchestra block and then weaving around people on the dance floor. She heard a couple shrieks as the instruments made their way noisily through the room. A flute sprung free from its musician and started inching after her like a worm. The woman that originally played it appeared to faint onto the person next to her. Aspect let out a laugh. The fox was really outdoing herself. 

The small parade of instruments followed her as she swept over the refreshment tables. A group of unattended knives jumped up and followed her a short distance before diving into the large punch bowl and swimming around like a group of silverfish. The instruments clunked and clanged behind her, knocking a few items off the table. She heard a dish or two break on the hard floor. A man rushed towards her with what appeared to be a colander of all things in an attempt to try and catch her. She dodged his attempt easily, surprised more people weren't trying to catch her as well. She flew back towards the orchestra section, hovering over the largest tuba she could find. The instruments followed her and leaped up to get the candy from her. At the last second, she dropped it into the horn of the large instrument and ducked out of sight. She changed silently into the form of a wasp as she hid behind a few pages on a music stand. 

The three other animated instruments appeared to be attacking the tuba in an attempt to get the candy hidden deep inside its pipes. Satisfied, she flew back over to Akori, shifting back into her sparrow form and perching proudly on the fox lady's shoulder. They could see the uproar from their seats as people attempted to break up the fight. She was rather amused and smiled smugly to herself. "I do say," she said quietly. "That was quite a show. Very impressive." She flew back to her seat, changing back into her human form, while still watching the goingson. She turned and looked at the fox. "That was a great idea."

When Aspect gripped her lower arm, Akori returned the other woman's grin with one of her own. Oh, this world had no idea what lay in store now she had found a willing and able compatriot. Never before had she had someone so willing and skilled assist her in pranks. Sure, there had been the odd one or two, but never someone with the talents Aspect possessed. The kitsune watched as the other shifter became a swallow, with a small amount of envy. Sure, she could become a fox at any time, and possessed no small amount of other magics, but Aspect could fly. Imagine all the places and things she could see if she could do that! The swallow rummaged through the sweets, putting a truffle aside for what Akori assumed was later consumption, and selecting a caramel to become the sacrifice. Swiftly, Aspect took wing, caramel clutched in her claws. Watching the sleek, dark shape wing its way over the orchestra, Akori smirked, and began to focus.

First, the trumpet. It was no small task to get the instrument to move and act alive from this distance, and in such a crowded place, but Akori managed it. There was no motivation for the kitsune like the promise of mischief and mayhem, and she applied herself to bending the metal to her will with gusto. The an playing the trumpet dropped it out of shock, but that was fine - it just gave her more to work with! Drumming her fingers on the table, she moved the buttons like legs, sending it careening after the airborne swallow. It was an ungainly thing, sliding, slipping, and bumping across the floor, but watching the formerly composed performers leap from its path was nearly enough to break her focus, it was so funny!
Next, a trombone - that would act as a snake, slithering and coiling about the floor - oh, but the flute, too! That had to join in. Let's see…that could be a worm, inching after the others, the straggling underdog in the quest for caramel.

Aspect swept towards the buffet tables, and the animated menagerie followed. As they moved, stray items along the table swelled their ranks. Knives swam like fish within the punch bowl, forks walked upon their tines, marching in unison after the swallow, and a butter-knife used its rounded blade to flip itself after the procession. Spying a half empty plate, Akori had it flip over, and begin inching forwards like a great, porcelain tortoise. Oh, she was going to be ravenous later she was using so much energy, but it was so much fun! Besides, there were so many emotions running riot in the ball-room, she could replenish herself simply by sitting here, and 'sipping' at it. It wasn't satisfying by any means, but it would stop her running empty, and keep the game going.
A man wielding a colander started after Aspect, and Akori grinned.
Oh no, we can't have that now, she thought to herself, and, with a flick, had his improvised tool become akin to a fish out of water, wriggling and squirming to be out of his grasp.
Really, she was surprised more people hadn't tried to go after Aspect - or noticed the grinning, giggling woman with the gleefully writhing fox-tails, pleased amongst a storm of confusion and befuddlement.

The assorted living items all jumped and squirmed and hopped after the hovering Aspect who, with a flourish, dropped the caramel into the horn of a tuba. Akori lost sight of Aspect as she presumably changed forms once more, but she kept the Holy Trinity of Animal Instruments after the caramel, while allowing the rest of her minions to fall still. Maybe she would pick them up again later, but for now, she was happy to let the Trinity attempt to wrest the caramel from their inert fellow for the time being.
When a bird landed on her shoulder, she grinned, watching the chaos they had caused.
"Well, I have had some practise", she remarked, with false modesty. Honestly, she was pleased as anything to have her magic complimented, rather than bemoaned, cursed, or seen as something evil, in some rather rare cases.
Akori was smiling as she watched the bird flapped from her shoulder, across the table, and became a woman again. Such fluid transitions from one form to the next - if she had seen Aspect become a fox and back, she would have thought the other woman a fellow kitsune.
"You were fantastic - the way you led them all on a merry chase!" she enthused, leaning across the table to push the chocolate truffle to Aspect, "I think you've earned this." Leaning back, Akori claimed a sweet for herself, gradually withdrawing her magic from the instruments one by one, until they all fell inert once more.

"Now…what should we do for our next trick?" she murmured, red-brown eyes scanning the room.

Aspect laughed lightly with the Akori as they sat at the table, sharing sweets and banter. She watched the trio of instruments the continue to harras the poor tuba for the candy. After a while, they fell down and still, simple instruments once again. She brushed her ear casually behind her ears, blushing slightly at the compliment. "Not my first time," she said giving her a grin. "Like you, I've also had some practice." She winked at her impulsively, rather surprised by her behavior. She was surprisingly comfortable in the company of the fox, it was unnerving but also exciting at the same time.

She lightly took the chocolate truffle that she pushed over towards her. She rolled it around in her fingers before throwing it up in the air and catching it in her mouth. She was quite glad she didn't decide to give this to the tuba, it was too good to waste on a piece of brass. She leaned back rather content in her chair, kicking a boot up on the edge of the table. "I don't know," she said as she put her hand on her chin. "I'm rather curious to see how much we can get away with before everyone else wises up and we get kicked out of this place. I wonder how much they will put up with."

She sat quietly in thought for a moment. She scanned around the room, casting a long glance at the ceiling before returning her gaze to the fox. "We could turn off the lights," she kept looking around the room. "Or we could spike the punch. I might be able to convince some street critters into coming into the building and causing trouble, but that would be difficult, especially with the guards outside. I don't know. I'd rather not cause serious damage or anything dangerous that could possibly result in someone getting to banged up. I understand that collateral happens, but I'd rather avoid it if we can."

She picked another sweet off the plate as she sat in thought. "Do you have anything in mind?" She asked, gesturing to her with her candy. She was curious to see what ideas the fox came up with this time. Her last idea was simply brilliant and it turned out flawlessly. They caused enough commotion to stall the proceedings and cause some trouble, but not enough that there was risk of serious damage or injury. Granted, she didn't really go out of her way to not cause damage or injury, but she would feel relatively bad if someone actually died as a result of their games. Talk about killing a party, but then again you can't have a funeral without some fun.