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"I think the silly plant had enough fun," Azra remarked, putting her gloves back on. With a small pang of guilt, and very carefully, she bent more of the plant away from the packed soil around it, until it formed a sort of step that should make it easy to climb out of the trap.
Ebani kept back a bit, just in case the ground suddenly opened under the others. Apart from that Lamia's attitude somewhat overtaxed his ability to stay in character.
He had a pretty good idea of what he looked like when he climbed out of the plant and sat down on the ground. Oily, slimy, dirty. A bit muddy, with specks of green here and there. His clothes in general had a yellowish-green texture he wasn't too sure of.
The angel looked each of the three in turn. "Thank you. I was almost sure I wouldn't be remembered before the party's end."
"If I'd known you'd go exploring, I'd have - asked Kinta for advice what to look out for. Lord Sinafter has somewhat odd... sense of humour."
"You mean there's likely to be more dangerous traps?" Lamia asked.
A shrug. "I think Kinta was right when he said if there was something seriously dangerous in here, the door would not have been open, but spending the rest of the night in some trap would be bad enough, no?"
The angel considered that option for a moment. "Oh well, it takes a special brand of idiocy -- yes, speaking -- to get caught in a trap like that. I wouldn't be worried, were I you."
"Bad for someone," Lamia agreed.
She looked down. "Poor little thing, having your digestion messed with," she crooned to the pitcher plant. "Respite, respite and nepenthes."
Azra asked, "I'd rather get back to the hall; would anyone rather go exploring here?"
Ebani finally spoke up again. "I think company agrees better with me than the air in here."
Elsewhere, apparently an unseen musician had decided to draw some attention. From one of the two smaller rooms connected to the big hall came a melody, a little sad, but not slow, played on a violin.
"I'd rather get cleaned up if I can," said the angel weakly. "No more exploration for me."
"Do you want to take a bath here?" Ebani was only halfway through the question when Azra sighed. She asked, "Do you know if without all that decoration there's a door to the actual corridor or kitchen or so in that wall?" She pointed in the general direction of the front of the building, meaning the part that was in the "greenhouse".
"I have a shawl if you want," Lamia said inaccurately, raising a finger. "Had a shawl. Where'd... oh, scratch that, I left it at home because the dangly sequins were driving me to recondite and viperous insanity. I'll just ask one of the shambling dead." She set off back along the route the angel had taken.
"Igor! Water and a scrubbing brush for the dear, destitute, innocent morsel!" was audible a few seconds later, with a jangle as Lamia clapped her hands. The servant thus addressed inwardly rolled her eyes.
The dragon wagged once or twice confusedly, then went to investigate that godsawful caterwauling from the other room.
The two demons looked at the angel, curious about his reaction.
Of the two small rooms, the one nearer to the entrance held a number of comfortable chairs and a variety of musical instruments, including a grand piano right in the center of attention. Right now, a violin was floating over it and playing itself, a blue glow around it visible in the dim light some candle lanterns provided.
Nico trotted after the dragon, letting the end of her stick drag over the ground.
The gryphon, too, followed the dragon with two new glasses of wine in tow. He didn't exactly look appreciative when the instruments played themselves.
Consequently, he said: "Cheaters."
The angel on the other hand had met the looks with a luminous smile. "I'd find a tiger, I'm sure," was all he said in a tone that mixed innocence and playfulness.
"Igor" ignored Lamia while checking if the supply of drinks needed replenishing. Kinta, on the other hand, asked "What's the matter?"
Once she was finished, "Igor" paused a moment, then picked up a pitcher of water and handed it to Lamia, looking straight through her, and sleepwalked towards the kitchen to fetch another.
Nico smiled at the gryphon and for a change spoke without any pretensions to a giant voice, "Well, cheating is the very basis for this party, considering all the masks and such, isn't it?"
"A giant plant ate one of the guests. Then another. Then more of us dived in to rescue them. It was brutal," Lamia said, grinning like a maniac.
She thanked Igor, with a hearty pat on the back, and turned back to deliver the jug.
The gryphon considered this momentarily. "Different thing. Magical instruments aren't a part of the tradition," he said with finality.
Brutal or not, the angel seemed mainly thoughtful as he took the jug (and thanked) on the way to somewhere more private.
"As you see," Lamia continued to the black demon, "halos were tarnished, wings were clipped."
The dragon approached the violin and attempted to grip it softly in his teeth.
His teeth went right through it.
Kinta nodded gravely at Lamia. With the mask it was hard to tell if he wanted her to continue her story or not.
"Well, who cares where the music comes from." Nico leaned the stick against the wall and put her glass on the floor beside it, sat down at the piano and tried, rather less than more successful, to pick up the melody the violin supplied.
The demons hung back for a moment when the angel left, Azra to pick up the forgotten lyre.
Ebani looked at the plant and said, matter of factly "Now it's broken."
"But first it worked," Azra replied shrugging, before they also made for the hall.
"I do," the gryphon pouted.
"Your friend in blue is fine, by the way," Lamia concluded. "What's that? I didn't know there were going to be musicians, or I'd've offered my services."
She took a step so she could peer through the door; though it was mostly blocked by people, two of them were short and she was able to spot the ghostly fiddle.