Varten couldn't blush any deeper, so now he was just stammering, "A-and what w-would we do?" It was no use. He was so desperate and totally out of practice with being smooth, that he sounded like a little school girl in those romantic school life animes he enjoyed watching. He reached up with one hand and started to fidget with a bit of hair and twirl it around his finger. He knew it made him look dorky but it helped calm him down.

The grandfather clock chimed out that it was now half past nine. He had been standing in the hallway with Kasimir for half a hour. He was sure that the human was getting bored with his nervousness. In a timid voice he asked, "Are you su-sure you don't want to dance?" He wanted to gain the courage to be alone with him.