<div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/hiW13Hj.jpg)<div align="center"><strong>Alizeh Cloudborn</strong> (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=299823.msg14660956#msg14660956)</div></div>Alizeh was wide eyed and overwhelmed as she walked with the others into the grand room. She didn't recognize anyone well enough to know that she was smiling at their arch-rival. In fact it wasn't until half-way through she was stalking out that she picked up on the fact that the opera star hated them. Why would amateurs be an insult? They were amateurs after all and - uh oh.<br/><br/>She was more uncertain and perplexed than anything else until the blonde's ire fell squarely on her. "Teeters?" She mouthed then glanced around as the woman left, obviously incredibly insecure now. "Teeters?" She said aloud. "I<strong>teeter</strong>? Have I been<strong>teetering</strong>? Was I<strong>teetering </strong>on stage?" Any sympathy anyone felt for her was no doubt undercut by how strangely hilarious it was to see the white-haired half-elf look like she was about to start hyperventilating over the insinuation that she<em>teetered</em>. Goddess of Magic forbid.<br/><br/>She was, of course, teetering now even though she stood still as her nervousness had spread down to her legs and they were indeed wobbling in the shoes that she was suddenly aware probably were in fact too high for her. "Oh no I've been teetering everywhere." She despaired, throwing her hands over her mouth to cover the fact that her lips were quivering.<br/><br/>"<em>There the star-touched fool stood, thinking she wore a crown, but naught but bells and fops adorned her tangled head</em>." Alizeh quoted old tomes even in her worst moments, and she recounted the reveal of the story of a queen of old too proud to realize that everyone viewed her as a joke.<br/><br/>It was of course the case than that poor Alizeh stood stark still, half of her body telling her to run from the room in shame, the other half screaming no, no, no, we cannot move until everyone leaves they will see us<em>teeter</em>and nothing is worse! A small part of her brain wondered if Mystara listened to prayers to turn heels to flats, and she swore if there was a cantrip for this she would learn it at once. Well, if she could cram any more magic into her head that was.<br/><br/>Naturally, her more beautiful companions were quickly snatched up. She saw Erica taken up by Valena herself, well, naturally, the girl might be a bit of a mess but her natural talent and charisma just flowed from her so easily. And then just as naturally there were not one but two fine noblefolks competing to flirt with Brigitte, and both greeting Sharell as well, and of course that made sense there were two who would never teeter in their lives, and of course Mara had attracted the attention of a man who looked wise and handsome and well to do and all the things that Alizeh could never be. Just as well, to think she had ever thought of inflicting the teetering embarrassment of her companionship on poor sweet Mara. And Henry, tugged aside by one who looked as in tune with the oddly mystic as he was. There was a match for everyone here, except the poor foolish girl who teetered!<br/><br/>Alizeh had resolved herself to stand there statue still and hope everyone thought she was one of the paintings but her plan was quickly foiled, as wearing a form fitting red dress and being built like the curvy half-elf tended to do, and she soon had not one but two gorgeous elves about her. As they approached she could not feel the familiar pang of how very<em>human</em>a lot of her body was, and how she would never have that easy grace the elves did. Her eyes were locked the the mostly bare leg of Ianora, there was a leg that had never teetered. Never come close to teetering. She could still recall her mother's dismissive reaction to the rumors that the lord of their mansion in the clouds took lecherous intentions to young girls, 'oh no, darling, he won't be interested in<em>you</em>.' Well of course. Who would be. Who would want a woman that teetered?<br/><br/>Oh. Their words though! Alizeh couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as they did not instantly begin pointing out her flaws, as she just tended to assume everyone would the moment a conversation began.<br/><br/>"Oh, I, I'm so glad you liked it! Perhaps one day I can do it in Elvish." She replied in that language, speaking it with the easy confidence of one who had grown up speaking several tongues. "Or in Celestial perhaps. Have you heard the tale of the Sky Flower's Journey in Celestial? It translates so beautifully." She repeated a few lines in the flowing, sonorous tongue of the heavens with glee on her face. "Or maybe in Dwarvish but I assume that would be an audience entirely in their cups and not there for the poetry." She made a nerdy joke and laughed at it, not quickly enough realized what she'd just done and clamped her mouth shut with a nervous look. She glanced timidly between them, so beautiful in such different ways and here she was feeling like a cumbersomely-shaped block of nerves between them.<br/><br/>She panicked, analyzing all the faux pas she'd just committed and realized she hadn't returned the greeting. "And ah, may the sun shine forever on our friendship." She said. There should be a curtsy here. She was paralyzed for a moment for fear of teetering, then her compulsion to do everything correctly took over and she dipped into something that vaguely resembled the proper form due to her nervousness. "I am Alizeh, of the clouds." She introduced herself, extending a hand to the women.