Don't own Bionicle, yada yada yada...

This is SOOOOOOOOO late. I'm Sorry!

He is surprised that she's here. Balls aren't usually her type of thing after all. He takes a slow sip of his drink and the rich flavor fills his mouth, laced with the soft burn of alcohol. He watches her over the rim of his glass with an intentness about him that was unusual.

The object of his scrutiny was at the moment talking quietly to several other girls, all of them giggled excitedly, except for her. Her lips held a soft smile, but her energy was more refined-and forced maybe. He regrets how hidden her emotions have become, but then reflects maybe it was best for her. She was always impulsive and that did not go with being the daughter of the Lord Makuta.

But the years must have changed her, he reflected. Good. Hopefully she could reign in that temper of hers, and stop acting like such a Daddy's girl. If nothing else, the years had helped her mature physically, something that did not escape his notice. Gold hair hung down her back, braided in a style that was fairly popular in the court. Her dress was a soft blue, and revealed a little too much back to be considered modest. Idly he wondered how the Lord Makuta had taken that, as he smirked at the view of her backside. She laughed lightly at something the other woman had said, tilting her head back, and stumbling slightly-tripping over her own dress. He snorted-partly amused and partly exasperated.

So much for age curing her lack of grace.

The other woman stepped forward slightly-concerned, and Icarax realized with scorn that Sirial had been talking to one of the Counsel of Mata-Nui's Champions-a Toa.

He wouldn't discredit the woman by saying that she was unattractive, she was far from that. She had soft blue hair, and gold colored eyes, and the dress she wore was flattering for her…if you ignored the axes that hung at her waist, and swung around her ankles like another part of her dress. It was hardly fair, he thought dryly as he took another sip of wine, that the Toa were allowed to carry weapons, when the Makuta were not.

It hardly made for appearances of a 'peaceful' negotiation.

But they were ordered to play fair by Sirial's father, and what he wanted, he got. The tensions between Metru Nui, on of the several large cities under the reign of the King Mata Nui, and the Dark Lands, where the Lord Makuta, brother to the King Mata Nui, reigned, was almost to the breaking point. He and a few others had been sent to the ball to…even up the odds, so to speak, during the peace talks between Lord Makuta, and some members of the Counsel of Mata Nui. It was only by chance that he had seen Sirial, Lord Makuta's daughter here. He hadn't seen her since she was sixteen or so, a young woman who had still held herself very much like a child. Now, however, she held herself like a woman-her shoulders back, head tilted up. If she just stayed still, she might pass as an actual lady, he chuckled to himself. (Dances with her, has to go to work "Kiss for the road.")

Still, he can't help but wonder if she's still as easy to rile up as she used to be. The thought pursues him throughout the night, as his continues to sip his drink in the corner, growing more and more bored of the entire affair. It might be some fun to see if she's changed at all, he figures, and finally sets down his glass, natural mischief mixing with a decent amount of alcohol as he strides towards her though the crowd, slipping through them with a grace that was somewhat surprising for his build.

He's next to her in another moment, and coughed slightly to catch her attention. It wasn't necessary, since the young women she was with had already caught sight of him coming, but he wanted to see her reaction to seeing him.

She turned, her expression half irritated, "Yes?" Her voice was coated in sugar, but there was that undercurrent of annoyance that she was never able to hide well.

But as soon as her mind processed who she was looking at, her expression when through several amusing transitions. First, was her eyes widened to a size he swore was not physically possible, her mouth dropped in a rather unattractive way, and she recoiled as if she was burned, and stumbled, ending up in a heap of bows and expensive cloth on the ground.

He smirked down at her, "I know I'm a sight to behold, but that was completely unnessary." He drawled, as she scrambled up, her face flaming red, as she tried to straighten her dress. "S-shut up you!" she snapped at him, as she finally fixed herself. She drew herself up to her full height-a complete head and a half shorter than himself-and retorted primly. "I was just startled. You were in completely too close a proximity."

A lazy smirk drifted across his lips. "Is that why you're blushing then?" He asked her, all too innocently.

Her cheeks promptly turned another shade darker. "I'm not blushing!" She replied vehemently, stomping one foot. "Sure, sure." He told her condescendingly. "You really haven't grown up all that much have you?" He asked her tauntingly, and blue eyes narrowed onto him dangerously. Her mouth opened in a retort, but them promptly snapped closed, and turned her back to him.

"So that's no to a dance then?" He asked her, trying to elicit another retort from her. Hell this was the most entertained he had been in hours. He might as well string it along for a bit before he inevitably went back to waiting.

Sure enough, she whirled around, her face surprised, and then annoyed. "Why would you?" She said tartly, although the color still hadn't left her face. He merely grinned at her, offering his hand mockingly.

She hesitated, before frowning at him and taking his hand gingerly, as they made their way to the dance floor, her lips pressed into a firm line. Her hand laid gently on his shoulder, and her tiny hand was cupped in his as they began to dance.

"What are you doing here anyways?" She asked him-apparently giving up on the silence. He smirked. "You're daddy really doesn't tell you anything does he?" He drawled. "You can't answer a question with a question." She told him petulantly, her lips drawing into a frown.

"But I just did," came the smooth reply, as he twirled her-hiding his smirked as she stumbled over her own feet. She hadn't changed a bit. "Clutz." He commented to her, as he corrected her stumbled, pulling her a bit too close to him to be considered proper. Her face was dusted pink but from the comment or stumbling he couldn't tell.

She didn't reply, her eyes averting his as they continued dancing-her stumbling awkwardly and some points, and him smirking at her mistakes. The silence was starting to bore him, and he began to wonder when the dance was over until Sirial broke the silence. "Where have you been?" She asked him finally, her voice slightly hesitant. "Around." He said vaguely, with a slight shrug.

Her reply was a small frown on rose colored lips. "Why did you miss me?" He asked her slyly, and her frown grew to scowl as she glared up at him. "Not at all." She replied loftily. "I was just wondering if father had finally gotten rid of a nuisance like you."

"That one nearly hurt." He said mockingly, faking a wounded look. "You father had business he wanted me to attend to." He told her knowingly. "It took you five years?" She asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

Well damn. Turns out some things did change. That look she gave him, paired with that tone of voice she almost reminded him of Lord Makuta.

A less threatening, smaller, feminine Makuta, but him all the same.

He shrugged again, giving her that grin that he knew always had irritated her, and she rolled her eyes. "That's not very lady like." He chided her mockingly, and she stuck her tongue out at him. "You're a brute. You wouldn't know what a lady acted like anyways." She told him.

He snorted, but didn't reply. The dance continued, sinking into a somewhat relaxed silence as they stepped and spun around, until Icarax finally spots Telerahk approaching him through the crowd-time to go.

He spun Sirial one last time, before leaning in, alcohol only encouraging this bad idea-and kisses her firmly on the lips.

She gives a squeak of surprise, as he feels her stiffen against him, before he pulls away, a smirk spread across his face. "I'll see ya next time Daddy's Girl." He drawls, before slipping away, leaving a befuddled and red face Sirial standing on the dance floor. Telerahk gives him an equally befuddled look as the girl he left behind, but dismisses it.

They have a task to complete, and now that the Toa present were distracted (with each other, he noted as they slipped by the woman he'd seen with Sirial earlier dancing with a man in flame red clothes, the two of them lost in their own world) this was their chance.

Several bruises, bad run-in's, and an unfruitful mission later, he was still smirking as he left the ball in the wake of shadows after he caught a glimpse of long blonde hair and a black and blue dress.

He always did like the taste of chocolate.

First off, Saya I am SOOOOOO SORRY. This should had been done AGES ago. Unfortuantely, there were somewhat more pressing matters that I've been attempting to attend, and only recently got around to finishing this. I hope you can understand :P

Gawd, I'm not really sure if I like it. It feels too rushed, and I'm pretty shaking on how both characters act..But if I hadn't finished it now, I really doubt it would have ever been done :P

So here you go, I hope you enjoyed it!