The day--actually night, but whatever--had finally arrived to unzip the garment bag. Lilie had definitely thrown some longing glances at it ever since it had arrived in one piece, resisting the temptation to put it on. Now that she thought about it, she really had to resist a lot of things about it. It took a lot of control not to mess with the material or try to spin around to watch it flow around her. But now it was there, now it was time, and now she could wear it and dance and jump around and do whatever she wanted! Well, not really, it wasn't really her dress and she still had to be careful with it, but she promised herself that she'd do one twirl to feel pretty and would behave the rest of the night.

She opted to put her blow dried hair into a bun sitting on her head first, planning to style it later. As she pulled down the zipper, she watched the dress reveal itself to her: a floor length, green and blue tulle dress with beading. Originally her elbows were exposed and Ben found that too 'inappropriate'--seriously, elbows were inappropriate?!--and had requested the tailor add a short, tulle frill to cover them up. Fortunately it remained beautiful, and she was probably way too excited. It sounded conceited but she was fairly confident for her performance tonight. She was getting dressed to the nines to show off her hard work and she'd get to hang out with her friends after? She had absolutely no reason to worry. Ever since she learned that they weren't going to hang out with the vampires any nervousness had practically flown out the window.

And of course she was very much looking forward to freely mingling with a certain light mage that she had found herself missing.

But that was just the cherry on top, and right now she needed to focus on getting dressed. She tried to be as careful as possible as she stepped into it, shimmying her way into it. She swore the tailor had made it too loose on purpose--he kept making dumb comments about her figure while he poked and prodded and measured. It wasn't her fault she was tiny! Fortunately it all came together once she zipped up, though she couldn't resist a single twirl, carefully picking up the dress with her hands and taking a seat at her vanity.

"Hmm...daring, or subtle...?" She asked herself as she considered her makeup choices.

"Former Duchess Fernidad Alma has been staked."

Eris had never sat up so fast, practically flinging the sheets off him as he kept his phone at his ear. "Are you sure? Can you verify this?"

"Word has spread around quickly enough but I will double check," Ismene replied. "I've also emailed you my findings and Antigone has also forwarded his. I think you'll find it his results interesting...although I do have some concerns. Unlike Duke Horvath, Derek Horvath has a preference to games of chance as opposed to the opulence that his father likes. If you choose to investigate, it has its risks in more ways than one."

The fact that they took his bait at all was both assuring and alarming. He had to be careful, for all her knew they'd start keeping tabs on him. The one good thing about being an active celebrity was that people would know if he went missing, but if they were so extreme that they'd stake the duchess, Eris figured they could come up with a ruse to get to him, too. He had to admit the thought didn't deter him in the slightest, the validation fueling something in him.

"Hang on while I skim your email, I'll instruct Antigone separately on what to do next," He said, checking his phone. While he was only skimming, he tried to see what would stand out. Morgan Le Fey was Landar's opposite and was grateful to vampires? Now that was surprising--why wouldn't vampirekind hold her in esteem the way they did Landar? Everyone knew Landar hated vampires, but Morgan was essentially erased with exception to her establishing summoning magic. That was just...weird. He slowed down to read everything carefully, and his first question came to mind immediately: "She was afraid to pass on her magic, but you didn't detail what that magic was."

"No one asked. It was not a topic anyone dared approach," Ismene told him. "My colleague had already drawn attention asking about the possibility of any descendants and barely got away with dismissing it as curiosity--if we weren't in Marivaldi territory, I couldn't tell you what would have happened. My assumption is that she could have been one of the first blood or bone mages in recorded history, but finding details on that while trying not to get caught has proven unsuccessful."

Eris ran a hand through his hair as he tried to think. It was coming together, but he felt like he was missing something. He was onto something for sure, but without details, he had no idea where to go next. Obviously he needed to find out who the supposed progeny was, but getting to Nelson was impossible now. "...See if you can set up a meeting with Derrek Horvath. If there's anything to find, it will be in either Triblet's museum or home."

"That could draw unneeded attention to you," She warned him.

"If Horvath was as eager to get me to stay, then people will already know that I've been lounging around him, it's too late for that," He pointed out as he tried to think. "In the meantime, I need to find something to gamble away that would catch Derek's attention...if our old manor hadn't burned down that could've been something, but..."

There was a short moment of silence before Ismene let out an uncharacteristic sigh. "I still think it's too risky."

"Have Antigone or Angelique or someone take a tour of the museum, it'll set up my interest in it," He ignored her. "I enjoy history as it is, so it's not that weird that I'd send someone there. Then....then they'll tell me all about it, spark my interest, I'll take a tour, learn about Derek Horvath...okay, yeah. That'll work. And as for gambling..." He had to admit he wasn't entirely happy with leaving things to chance, but as he watched Maxie scuttle away to Max's room, an idea came to mind. "I'm going to have to see what I can do to get more luck on my side."

"...yes, sir," Ismene agreed reluctantly, although she cleared her throat. "You've also received an invitation from Mrs. Nikolette Samael. She would like to see you during your upcoming break."

Eris lit up, nearly jumping for joy at the news. That is exactly what he needed. He'd have to make some arrangements and see how he could schmooze his grandparents, but now all the pieces were falling into place. "I can't very well say no to my grandmother. Make sure you have the night off, we'll spend a day or two over there until I can get what I want," He said, checking the time. "Allons-y, I'll review everything in detail and let you know of any changes, I have a soiree to attend. Keep the intern around for a little longer in case I need more blood."

"Yes, sir. Enjoy your evening."

"Au revoir!" Eris hung up and pressed his phone against his chin. My oh my, he was feeling luckier lately, wasn't he? Still, Ismene's worry definitely had a point. He'd push forward, carefully of course, and make sure to watch his back going forward. He had to admit he understood Derek Horvath's love of gambling--something about going up against the odds was thrilling. But Eris was a winner, and he'd be damned if he lost after getting this far. For now, however, it was time to get ready. At least this evening would hopefully be entertaining.

---

Perfection was such a difficult thing to achieve for most people. Fortunately, he was Eris fucking Samael--perfection was just his usual self. It was a narcissistic thought, but honestly, there were so few vampires that could compare in looks alone that really he couldn't help but admire himself in the full length mirror for a good five minutes. The suit was just a little on the understated side, but he figured the tailcoat would add a little movement to it, the vimeo blue tie adding the perfect touch of color. Sunny was right on his tie choice, it really brought out his eyes.

Tearing himself away from his beautiful reflection, he figured it was high time to tackle his main issue of the evening. Feliks' suits would only take Wells so far, and Eris had already been on something of a losing streak comparing him to the other mages--his blood was as appetizing as licking a wall. Fortunately the second he read the invitation he had already ordered Ismene to snatch a bottle of blood from one of the interns to use as a substitution. Nothing too fancy, he didn't want anyone asking for more, but decent enough to nod at. Aside from Varis, no one would know.

After passing the comb through his own hair, he had to admit he was getting fond of the 'neater' look, but now he needed to concur the mess that was Wells' hair. Why someone with silky locks like his preferred to just leave his hair as it was when he rolled out of bed was beyond him. With comb in hand, he waited outside of the kid's bedroom and honed in on his hearing. Once he heard a pair of footsteps head away, he knew he had his chance.

Bursting into the room and rushing in, Eris made sure to trap the kid in the bathroom. "Hold still," was the only thing he said before assaulting his hair. He was pretty sure he could feel everything metal around him shaking, but for once he was able to completely ignore it as he focused on smoothing out every lock of hair, slicking most of it off to the side.

"And...there!" He stepped back to admire his work, turning Max's face a few times as he passed the comb through the side of his head to get some stray hairs. "Perfect. Not as perfect as me, but y'know, for a little one."

Eris chuckled as he fixed up Max's tie, creasing it just right before taking a second to think about how he wanted to respond to his question. Annoying an already agitated Max was fun, but he wanted the kid to at least pretend to be just a notch above 'hating all life' like he usually did, especially since he still needed to fix a few details on the kid: he made sure his dress shirt sleeves weren't seen poking out of his suit's sleeves, he fixed the collar, lightly tugged down on his pants so they hung right, and smoothed out his shoulders.

Inspecting the kid's wardrobe carefully, he had to admit Feliks worked wonders. The kid had a decent body type as it was, but now he looked impeccable--he could almost pass off as a real mage if it wasn't for that scowl. Ugh. But that was as good as it was gonna get for now, and he knew the kid was gonna struggle if he tried to put makeup on him. Maybe he could get away with some eyeliner.

Placing the comb and gel he had brought with him, he pulled out the eyeliner he had, looking the kid in the eye. He'd have to do the same thing he did with Maxie when he had to clip her nails: distract while doing the task and deal with any squirming. Fortunately Eris was definitely stronger than him, but just as Maxie got wild when she just looked at the clippers, he could already feel Max's hostility at the sight of the eyeliner pen.

"This'll be a short affair. All you have to do is pretend to be impressed by your fellow mage's talents, do that thing we talked about in front of everyone, and then you actually won't have to deal with other vampires. You'll just have to suffer through the other mages' boring talk," Eris managed to snatch Max's chin before he could slip past him, forced to pin him against the wall to prevent his escape and apply it without stabbing him in the eye. Focused entirely on being as quick and precise as possible, he muttered, "It's about...two hours long? Do I want to give you a cateye--no, you'll just rub it off out of spite--okay, there."

He backed off, smoothing out any stray hairs that had stubbornly decided to poke back up, and continued. "You could honestly just sit there and see how the others mingle. I don't have any details on the Marivaldi mage, so learning about her could be something," He suggested, though he rolled his eyes. "If there's alcohol, I don't want to catch you making out with the Astorio mage since he'll be there, too. Oh!" His eyes lit up as he pocketed the eyeliner. "Speaking of your boyfriend, you might wanna ask why he's trying to start that illegal fighting ring. Word around the street is he and some white haired girl are trying to start up an illegal fighting ring on campus. Ballsy, but considering he did talk back to the Queen and Lady Sinnenodel of all people, I wouldn't put it past him. I mean, he's been bulking up these past few months so it has to be for something. That'll be a fun topic to bring up."

Eris didn't doubt Plant Boy would be pinned to the ceiling with every sharp object in the room if he made a move, but he figured he'd throw out the warning anyway. Ah, Varis must have been getting obvious is even At his question, he gave him a shrug. "The princess' prime rule has always been to interfere once blood is spilled. Some people want to push themselves past what the academy allows...sometimes they want to practice beyond just disabling their opponents. You know, just mortals-trying-to-take-their-anger-at-their-lives sort of thing," He said, shrugging. "I don't really know much about the supposed partner, but who knows. If she's hanging around someone like that, maybe she got roped into it. Those types never really have a backbone, so if she was bullied into it or got a particularly mean look thrown her way, I could see it happening."

Actually, hearing that the Eve mage got roped into the rumor was probably the highlight of his night. He loved gossip. "You'd be surprised how often people throw information and rumors my way for free. Anything to get my attention, I suppose...it comes in handy," He admitted that much.

As for the first comment, he debated on whether or not to respond. Eh, he may as well. "He's definitely plotting something, but you're mistaken if you think it's against me. He's going to show the little Eve his place," He corrected him. "You see, he's taking advantage of the fact that he's gathering the other nobles to flaunt his position as both heir and the holder of the sole male heir of the Starag line. To vampires, it's a double whammy of sorts. The mage-loving Marivaldi is still probably drooling at the fact that a Sinnenodel got a royal mage, the not-so-secret mage sympathizer gets reminded who's on top, and the Astorio...I don't know, he's a nobody as it is, but it's collateral damage, I guess."

Lilie straightened up considerably once Ben entered, though she appreciated him hooking her up. She was a little wary when he said he'd be taking care of her hair--she had a style in mind and she wasn't really sure what he was gonna be doing. TO her surprise, however, not only did he make short work of the length, but he did it beautifully. Since when did nobles know how to style hair?! Even the little pins were stunning, her jaw dropping as she looked at her reflection.

"How did...when did...do you, like, have a salon at your house as a side job or something?" She couldn't help but ask, her hair gently touching a braid. "This is better than anything I was gonna do!"

As she finished looking at herself, she mulled over his words. Well, he had a point, she probably shouldn't completely let her guard down. She wasn't really worried about the mages if she was being honest, but if any of the vampires tried any funny business, she could get in trouble. Nodding, she scooted forward in her seat as she took his advice and went for a more daring look. She combined blue and green to keep up the color scheme she already had going on, though she opted for a pink lipstick that she hoped would pop.

Once done, she frowned as she looked up at Ben. "I'll do my best not to let you down, but...what should I do if I'm in a tight spot?" She asked. "Should I come find you? Or...stay quiet? I don't think we covered what to do in that sort of situation."

So she was on her own? Well, it wasn't like Lilie was expecting anything to really happen. She had to admit as corny as his words sounded, they did squash down any pre-party jitters she had. All she really had to worry about was the one song and then she'd get to watch everyone else. Invigorated by the thought, Lilie nodded in understanding, pausing as the earrings hit her neck. She thought her every day pendant was fancy, but everything Ben was giving her was putting even that to shame.

"I'll do my best, then! I mean, I'm actually feeling really good tonight," She replied. "I thought I'd be nervous but I'm really looking forward to hanging out with my friends." And if her performance wasn't good enough, it wasn't like she'd be offended. It was just a new found hobby, not anything she actually wanted to do for the rest of her life.

All her thoughts went flying out the window as Ben looped what looked like a solid chunk of diamond around her neck. Where in the world did he get all this jewelry? If she was going to be nervous about anything, it was potentially getting mugged in the walk from dorm to dorm. She'd have to take special care of everything, it all looked so expensive! Honestly she was more worried about scratching or losing any of it.

But there wasn't time to dwell on the way-too-pricey things she wore as Ben complimented her and said it was time to go. She only looked nice because of everything he gave her, but she still felt a little giddy. Maybe Aaron would think she looked nice, too? Hopefully it wasn't too flashy for him. She followed Ben out of the room, making sure to grab the bag holding her blood--which still kinda freaked her out and made her queasy if she looked at it for too long--and met him at the entrance. Carefully putting on the white heels, she slipped into her cloak and gave him a thumbs up with her free hand.

"I feel like it's gonna be a good night," Lilie told Ben.

Eris thought Max didn't learn as he had already opened his mouth to respond to his first question, shutting it as he moved on. He couldn't really stop himself from rolling his eyes as he went on and on about how he didn't understand the intricacies of court politics and had little idea why Varis did the things he did and had set up the get together as such. Well, those weren't his exact words or what he had said, but he may as well have. Ignorance was such a dreadful thing to suffer from.

"Yeah, the guy whose face is plastered on about a hundred thousand products is really 'nobody'. Sometimes you worry me, Wells," Eris sighed.

He did, however, let out a tiny gasp of offense at one thing. "Do you think I do nothing but lie to you?" He asked. "That's so hurtful, must you think so little of me, Wells? You're practically my right hand man right now, if I do nothing but 'lie through my teeth every time I open my mouth', it would really bite me in the ass when I need you to listen." He shook his head in disappointment, though he paused as he really thought about it. "...not that I don't see why you'd think that, but I'm serious, I avoid lying to you as much as I possibly can."

"Either way, we're going because despite my nouveau riche ways, I run through plenty of noble circles so it's good practice for your future. as...whatever Ismene puts you in, we haven't ironed out those details just yet, but if you're ever attending me at one of those things this'll be your first taste at it," Eris said as he double checked his own reflection. "Also helps that I love watching Varis at work. I hate that stupid Count Benniton and watching him go against all his mage-loving ideals as he tries to gain the favor of a Sinnenodel is better than anything else that's on TV tonight." He had no trouble admitting that much, his disdain for the count way too obvious. "He apparently doesn't understand his place. It isn't enough that the princess threw some scraps from the bottom of the barrel in the form of that horrid-looking mage at him because he still thinks he's somebody, so Cuunt Sinnenodel will be reminding him where he belongs on the bottom of the totem pole."

And tonight he had just the little tidbit to prove it. Taking a glance at his watch, Eris grimaced as he figured they should get going. "Not that you care about anything I've said, I don't know why I bother explaining myself sometimes," He shook his head, taking Max by the shoulders and guiding him out. "Grab the bottle and let's go, we're already running ten minutes early which means we're late in Sinnenodel time."

Ugh, this kid was really hung up on lying for some reason. And he didn't even believe him! That hurt Eris' pride just a touch, and was precisely why he said what he did. Although he did make a mental note to tone back the lying, he didn't want it getting back to Ismene after he had promised her he'd try to get on Max's good side. If he even had a good side, that is, at this point Eris was convinced that the kid was just a humanized mass of spite that ran off of hatred and was fueled only by anger and sarcasm. Which normally he was fine with, stars knew it was basically dealing with a less important vampire, but really, the kid was going to die of a stroke if he kept it up.

Eris let out something resembling a hollow laugh before following Max, triple checking his appearance. The kid cleaned up very nicely, especially with his hair done in some sort of way instead of rocking the 'I don't care' look. They'd have to work on giving him some tone, though, he was still a little too slim for his liking. Time would fix that, fortunately, so he wouldn't worry too much about that. Instead, he ran over a few conversation points in his head as he made sure to remember everything he needed to.

Snapping out of his thoughts at Max's question, Eris openly rolled his eyes again, although this time he had the perfect little mishap. Walking up to Max from behind, he gave him a little squeeze as he got up on the tips of his toes, placing his chin on the taller kid's shoulder. "Aww, do you really care? I'm so touched," He stepped away as he grabbed his phone off the entrance table, stuffing it in his pocket. "Being fashionably late doesn't apply when it comes to entertainment. By the time we get over there we'll be the last to arrive since the rest live just a few steps from one another."

He paused for a moment, remembering something. "Just remember: eyes down, stay quiet until someone talks to you directly, and try not to fall asleep. Mage manners and all that...Sunny's an expert so when in doubt watch him or just don't say anything," He said, waving the thought away.

Lilie was all too glad to be away from the vampires, probably being the first to zip away as fast as she could. It was fun to see everyone's talents and make note of people's abilities--although she was pretty sure she nearly swooned off her seat hearing Aaron play the cello. Not that she'd ever say that out loud, it was too embarrassing, but it brought back a pleasant memory that made her heart race.

For now, she was content to take a seat, ankles crossed properly as her hands smoothed out the fabric of her dress. She was used to accidentally smacking herself with her own earrings every time she turned to look at someone, but she had to resist the temptation to twirl around like a little girl. She'd do that plenty when she got back to her dorm.

"Well, that was fun," Lilie ended up admitting out loud, deciding to strike up a conversation. Ben did mention something about keeping her wits or something, right? Oh well, she didn't really care right now. "I mean, at least we're all together, right? It's been a while since that's happened."