"Yahtzee!" Sasami thrilled.  "That's five fives!  Lucky me!" She scribbled the fortunate score onto the sheet.  "Your turn, Heero."

            "Huh?" Heero took the cup of dice dumbly.  "I must have dozed off a bit."

            "Yahtzee isn't that exciting to you, is it?" Ryoko rested her head on her hand.  "Me neither… why do we always play these stupid games, anyway."

            Ayeka shut her eyes and improved her kneeling posture.  "I find it amusing enough.  You're just not any fun, Ryoko.  See Tenchi, I'm a lot more fun!"

            "Just… don't." Duo held up his hands.  "For once, stop fighting for two minutes!"

            "Don't talk like that to her!" Heero and Trowa accused him immediately.

            "Meow!" Ryo-ohki lamented.

            "Maybe we should do something else?" Washu faked a casual tone… unsuccessfully.  "I've got an interesting new experiment in the lab you could come take a look at!"

            "No thanks." Tenchi yawned.  "I don't feel like seeing any mutated amoebas tonight, thanks."

            "We'll pass, thanks." Mihoshi nodded, a look of insecurity on her face.  "Last time I saw one of your experiments I couldn't eat for a week!"

            "But it's not like that!" Washu gestured hopelessly.  "This is something… great!  It will astound you!  You will be amazed!  Breathless!  Infinitely impressed!"

            "Well, what is it?" Kiyone asked, wide-eyed.

            "I don't mean to boast," Duo smirked.  "But that description reminds me of… well let's see… it sounds like me!"

            Washu pursed her lips impatiently.  "You mean mutated amoeba?  I agree.  But seriously folks, if you don't start marching right this minute, I'm simply going to have to release last weeks experiment in your beds.  Move it!"

            "No arguing with that!" Ayeka chuckled and allowed Heero to help her off the floor.  "But you're usually so conservative with your inventions, you hardly ever ask us to see!"

            "It's… that good!" The scientist nodded emphatically.  "This way please, this way!"

            The crew lined up and proceeded through the suggested door.  Each person found himself or herself walking through Tenchi's modest residence into a remarkably elegant room.  The ceiling of this new room was at least forty feet high, strewn with globe lights and tasteful streamers.  The floor reflected back at the guests dynamically, inviting them all further into it's large confines.

            "Well, this is something." Ryoko admitted.  "But what's the point?"

            "Oh, it's wonderful is what it is!" Washu clasped her hands lovingly, admiring her own handiwork.  "I welcome you to the first annual Washu's ball!  Maestro!?"

            Music spontaneously filled the grand ballroom.  A few mechanical helpers wheeled some refreshment tables against the walls.

            "A ball!?" Ayeka placed a hand on her cheek in horror.  "But I'm not prepared!  This just won't-" She withdrew her hand tentatively and found a deep red glove on it.  "I wasn't wearing gloves… or this dress!  What is this?"

            "A very flattering costume." Washu pinched at Ayeka's form fitting outfit playfully.  "I thought I'd take the pleasure of picking out your duds for you, on this very special occasion.  Don't say you don't approve."

            "Red is just so…" Ayeka searched for the right word as she sized up her appearance in the glossy reflection of the floor.  "And a princess really shouldn't be wearing something so…"

            "Passionate… revealing… fun?" Washu offered her own word choices.  "Even a princess must get in the mood to… flaunt… occasionally?"

            Ayeka blushed and frantically searched for an exit.  She wasn't terribly surprised when she couldn't find one.  "To think I look like this in front of the guests!" She shook her head.

            "Chill out, Ayeka." Ryoko admired her own reflection discriminately.  "I could have used a lower cut on this number, myself.  Why'd I get the prudish dress, Washu?"

            "It's white." Trowa observed, slightly amused.

            "Uh… duh!" Ryoko turned to him, fabric flowing around her ankles in the rotation.  "And it's not quite my style!  I mean, there's Miss Chubby over there, getting to show off what little she's got, and I've got this Sunday School dress covering up all my appealing features!" She fiddled with the collar anxiously.

            "Don't complain." He smiled self consciously, and retrieved her hand.  "I think I might have something to do with this," He kissed her hand chivalrously.  "Perfectly attractive dress."

            Ryoko considered this action.  "Well… I suppose you're right.  I make any clothes look good." She slipped her hand away from him.  "And for the record, I make no clothes look good, too."

            "Uh…" He tried not to think about that.  "Well… that said, should we dance?  It's a ball after all."

            She smirked, and gave back her hand.  "And for another record, you make that suit look good."

            Trowa noticed that the pilots and Tenchi had also made a costume change.  The entire gathering was wearing formal attire.  "Thanks, I guess.  Uh… don't look at me like that… please?"

            "Oh, oh, oh!" Mihoshi bounced across the gorgeous room, grabbing a cookie from the refreshments table.  "I'm so excited, this is my very first ball ever!  And I'm here with all my friends, even you, Kiyone!"

            Kiyone also took a cookie, and bit her lip in an attempt to conceal her pleasure.  "Don't you think it's a little over the top?  I've never been to anything like this before, and it feels a little…" She moved her shoulders to the music.

            "A little exciting?" Mihoshi finished for her.  "Oh, oh, oh!  You should go ask Duo to dance with you!  Wouldn't that be exciting?!"

            Kiyone swallowed a bite of the cookie.  "Okay, I admit it's exciting… but Mihoshi, don't you remember?"

            "What?" The blonde smiled warmly, bubbling over with (what else) excitement.

            "I never learned to dance."

            Mihoshi gasped as though the room had just blown up.

            "Keep it down!" Kiyone furrowed her eyebrows.  "I don't want everybody to know!  I'm just going to stay here and… act cool.  Yeah.  I'm cool." She continued her strange toe tapping.

            "But it's a ball!" Mihoshi jumped up and down.  "It's like a fairytale ball, and I don't want to see you miss out!  Oh!  Think of something!"

            "Uhm… Mihoshi?" Quatre interrupted shyly.  "You like… want to dance, or something?"

            She swirled to meet him, brushing a crumb off the brilliant blue dress she wore.  Her face exploded into an open mouthed smile.  "Oh!  How exciting!  You look so cute!  Oh!  I'll be back, Kiyone… I'm going to dance!" She draped herself over his arm adoringly, blinking against her exhilaration.

            Washu was observing the scene with satisfaction.  She leaned towards a grumpy Wufei conspiratorially.  "I just didn't have the heart to dress any of these poor girls in your 'favorite color.'  I hope you're not too disappointed."

            "Hmph." Wufei folded his arms across his suit.  "Stop mocking me."

            "I only want to see you improve yourself." Washu said with a surprising tone of sincerity.  "If you tried, I bet you'd have at least a little fun.  Come on?"

            Wufei's eyes raged, reflecting a violent war that broke out in his mind.  "Dance with me, woman.  And if you step on my feet even once, or patronize me, or call me some ridiculous nick-name-"

            "I get the picture." She accepted.  "Now dance with me, man!"

            Tenchi had begun waltzing Sasami across the dance floor, much to the young princess' delight.  "This is more fun than Yahtzee!"

            "Be careful, Sasami!" Ayeka called longingly, watching Tenchi's exaggerated dancing.  "Dance with me next, Tenchi!"

            "Care to warm up?" Heero offered hopefully.  "Until Tenchi's ready?"

            Ayeka tugged at her bright red dress in an attempt at modesty, but failed.  "Oh, I'll just wait, thanks."

            The perfect soldier sized her up silently, devising a new attack plan.  "I've heard that royalty are always excellent dancers."

            She blushed.  "I'm afraid nobody could dance too well in this constricting dress.  Forgive me, I just don't feel like-"

            "Showing everybody else up?"

            "Drawing attention to myself for one thing.  What was Washu thinking?"

            Heero let his attention wander to the extremely daring dress that concerned his 'target' so much.  "I think it's fine."

            She sighed, gritted her teeth and made eye contact.  "Why are you being so nice to me?  I've been trying not to be rude, but I just don't like you."

            "I'm sorry.  About the bowling alley, I'm really sorry.  Now would you please just dance with me?"

            'Sorry and please?' Ayeka thought to herself.  "Just tell me why you're trying so hard to be my friend lately."

            "Uh… well…" He tried to remember every mushy movie he had ever seen for inspiration, but realized he had always fallen into 'sleep mode' during those situations.  Wait a minute… wasn't Duo saying something about modes?  What'd he call it… nostalgic mode?  "I just wanted to learn more about you.  Like, you could tell me stuff about your past."

            Her face contorted.  "What do you mean?  You want to find out all my deep, dark secrets, or something?  Get away!"

            "No, no!  I just… want to get to know you… yeah, that's it!  We hardly know each other."

            "Let's keep it that way."

            Heero opened his mouth to speak, but retreated instead.  He discovered Washu dancing with Wufei and tapped her on the shoulder viciously.  "I'm cutting in."

            Wufei allowed the intrusion, leaving to inspect the refreshments.

            "What's the problem, fancy feet?" Washu mocked, noticing the amazing proficiency of her new partner.

            "She won't dance!  She's being stubborn, and she hates me." Heero twirled the girl around with one hand, catching her at the end.

            "Well," Washu caught her breath.  "Why do you think she hates you?"

            "I don't know…"

            "Did you ever do anything to… say… upset her?" She shook her head as though it were an impossibility.

            "No." He continued with perfect steps.  "Well… maybe."

            "You know, the more information you give me, the more I can help you."

            "Who said I needed help?"

            Washu just stared witheringly.

            "Fine.  I yelled at her and I recited some stupid poem to make her angry.  It worked."

            "Aw, why are you trying to make her mad?  You're supposed to be wooing her."

            It was Heero's turn for a withering glare.

            "Okay, just listen to me." She leaned close and started whispering.