Her mind jumped from thought to thought, never settling for very long on any one idea. She remembered the soft sound of Tristan's voice coming through the haze of drugs and pain while she was in the hospital, sometimes talking, sometimes quietly singing a deeply melodic hymn. Then her mind jumped forward to Tristan kissing Deanna only an hour prior. Nothing seemed real anymore.

The tequila had done a reasonably good job of helping her forget the tasteless pink of her dress, but hadn't yet gotten around to obliterating the other more painful parts of the evening. She spun around quickly and found herself suddenly staring up at the ceiling. The swirl of the strobe lights temporarily dazzled her eyes, adding to her disorientation. Seconds later she was back up on her feet and face to face with Mary, who had a completely manic grin on her face.

Mary: "I can't believe no one else is out here with us!"
Emily: "I know! This is excellent dancing music!"
Mary: "We really need to go dancing more often!"
Emily: "We would if we didn't have to keep fighting demons all the time!"

Emily was only aware that the music had stopped when the room suddenly grew quiet and all eyes were turned once again on her and Mary. Mary was nonplussed, taking the opportunity to bow dramatically and without falling. Emily wasn't sure she could have pulled it off quite as well and made a mental note to make sure her friend was getting enough of the tequila.

James: "I think we're going to take a little break here and turn things back full-digital for a while."
Mary: "What? What does that mean?"
James: "It means…"

James looked around confusedly for a moment before jumping down off the stage and walking over to Mary.

James: "It means we're just going to leave the laptop running as a DJ for us while we go have a little fun. It is a party, after all."
Mary: "Oh. What sort-"

The words hadn't even fully formed in her brain before music was once again blasting out of the speakers. This time, This Velvet Oblivion's dark romance was replaced by a pop song from the 80s best left forgotten. Emily tried not to notice when Tristan joined James without even a sideways glance in her direction, the two of them weaving their way to the bar where Markus and Deanna had met up with Serge.

Emily: "Mary, I think I need to sit down for a few minutes."
Mary: "Are you going to be sick? Should we attempt to run to the bathroom?"
Emily: "Nononono. I'm just way too tempted to get up on stage now and sing along to this song."
Mary: "You do realize that it's Journey, right? You hate Journey."

Emily was already halfway up on the stage before Mary's words even reached her. She fumbled toward the abandoned microphone, just catching herself on it before she had a chance to throw herself back off the stage. She took a deep breath, and then started singing along as best she could.

Emily: "Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard! Their shadows searching in the night…."

Mary was soon at her side, followed by much giggling and shuffling. Finally they settled down and waited briefly for the chorus to start.

Mary: "Streetlights, people lookin' just to find emulsion!"
Emily: "Hiding, somewhere in the night!"

Mary: "Don't stop… me leaaaaaaavin'…!"

Chris: "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride, eh Stone?"

Emily: "That's not how it goes! 'Hold on to that feelin'…"

Mary: "I don't know this song very well. Do you think they have Abba on that computer?"

Emily: "We can check! Maybe James will let us sing with him sometime."

Before they had a chance to even turn around to find the laptop, Anthony had joined them onstage. He seemed in relative good humor as he approached the girls.

Anthony: "I don't mean to interrupt this lovely impromptu karaoke session, but my new sister in law has informed me that it's time for the garter and bouquet festivities, and she'd like me to make the general announcement. If you'd be so kind as to allow me to use the microphone?"
Mary: "On one condition."
Anthony: "What's that?"
Mary: "We're allowed to abstain from participating."
Anthony: "I believe that can be arranged."