Doe Ray: The "Take Me Out To The Ball" game

Haran shrugged and wiggled his antlers a bit. "If they took the scenic route they should be here by now," he remarked. "Which I assume they did, as they would already be here if they had taken the direct route."

Cire nodded. "But if she stood you up or got kidnapped she won't be here at all," he suggested jokingly.

Haran just frowned, and Cire chuckled slightly. Such a remark was out of character for the scenario, and they both knew it. He just loved to tease his friends a bit once in a while.

"That seems to be Erri's team now," Cire added, nodding in the general direction of a carriage that had just entered the lower end of the castle driveway. He was only slightly surprised when his friend, rather than look in the indicated direction, circled him until he had his back to the driveway and the approaching vehicle.

"Signal me when they're in earshot," Haran muttered.

Cire nodded. "You're not doing the count the seconds till we meet again routine again, are you?" he asked.

Haran just grunted and looked slightly embarrassed, which was verification good enough for someone who had been his game companion for years. Cire just smiled, shook his head and went back to watching the team that was halfway up the drive by now. That was Erri in the lead alright, and from the way he was gesticulating and pointing out details it looked like his passenger had not grown tired of his guiding yet.

Cire waited until he could hear Erri's voice, then he looked at Haran and flicked his ear.

"Twenty thousand four hundred and sixty-eight," Haran said quickly as he started turning around at the sound of clattering hooves. "Twenty thousand four hundred and sixty-nine, twenty thousand four hundred and seventy, twenty thou..."

He did not have to pretend, his voice trailed of all by itself as the nameless doe stepped out of the halted carriage and into view. She had been good-looking when he met her in the lab. (She had also been stark naked, but neither of them had seemed particularly embarrassed at that.) Now, after she had spent the afternoon enhancing her looks, she was exquisite. He feared for a moment that she might overshadow the hostess...

"You... you look wonderful, deer," he stammered, trying not to stare. Then he realized she was neither listening nor looking at him. She was staring at the castle behind him. Oh yes, he had not really been very exact about the location or their hostess, had he? Well, that explanation would have to wait. There was something else to resolve first.

Haran had waited in front of the castle for about twenty minutes, more than long enough to notice (when other couples arrived and entered) that whoever set up the ballroom had installed the usual announcing subroutines. Noone could walk through that door without having their name and clan announced. And as far as he (or rather his player) knew his date was a new test character...

Fortunately Cire was there to save him from having to go out of character. The young stag walked up to the beutiful doe, bowed slightly and said "Good evening, Miss. I an Cire, one of Haran's drinking brothers." Haran groaned slightly and made a face at his friend as he continued: "May I be so bold as to inquire about your name? We would have liked to give you the initiative, but..." He paused briefly, made the sign for going out of character and ended with a whisper:" The system needs to know!"

1. "Jim!" he blurted.
2. "Uh, Sharon?" he tried.
3. He tried coming up with some other common human name.
4. He tried coming up with a name to match the ones he knew in this world. Kind of tricky, considering he had only heard the names of a couple of stags so far...
5. It was no use, all he could think of was "Do re mi" puns!

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