After arriving at the Sinnenodel dorm, Maddie spent the time until her performance mentally running over the routine a few times. It was short but a lot of room for error. She wasn’t particularly skilled in it but with a little practice, she’d built a decent foundation from the few tricks she’d picked up from her overentusastic sister. It wasn’t incredibly embellished for that reason; flinging fire around when she wasn’t totally in control of it in a room of vampires was stressful enough. Lilie’s singing was beautiful and helped her relax a little at least. When she heard the polite applause, she stood, squared her shoulders, and did her best not to let it show how fast her heart was beating.
Thankfully the performance went well. After she’d gotten some help filling up the basin of water she’d had placed at the edge of the room just in case, she’d lit the wick in the curve of the hook at the end of the blade and it caught fire instantly. She ignored the room and focused on the movements, spinning it quickly and efficiently, steps calm and composed. The longest she could go without setting off the fire alarm was one minute and at the end of it, she almost messed up with her haste in putting out the fire. She nearly missed the handle of her focus, managing to grab it at the last second, and she felt the relief rush with the magic flowing into her palm and pulsing green in her veins. She ran her hand and the handle of the focus down the burning blade, pushing the fire away and away until she pinched the flame away and let the last of it rise from her outstretched palm, revealing not a single bit of singed skin. She stored away the weapon and her knife, bowed, and took her exit faster than she probably should have.
Stepping away from the group of nobles was a breath of relief. Expect for Ari, they all looked like they would snap a mage in two for looking at them the wrong way. It was more pressure than she was interested in bearing and she was pleased they got to relax with each other afterwards. She’d spent some time with Aaron and Lilie already but the other two were mostly new to her. She’d made note of Salem Spellman back at the practical and the other she only knew as Eris Samael’s mage because someone pointed him out in passing. The second one surprised her. She’d expected only nobles and while Eris was certainly a prominent figure in entertainment, she hadn’t realized he was connected enough to be invited to an Sinnenodel event organized by the hair of the family himself. No one else had been surprised so she guessed she was just out of the loop. Hopefully, tonight would fix that a little bit.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to meet half of you actually. My name’s Madalyn Vazquez. I only came in after the Revel.” Maddie introduced herself. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to see each other more often.”
Max spent the time before his performance rudely focused on his phone. He made sure to stay behind the vampires, lest Eris see it and give him shit for being inattentive. Quite frankly, he didn't care about Pale Girl's shrill little noises or Whoever-The-Fuck's poor attempt at pyromancy. Besides, this was technically related to his performance. A picture of the piece he was going to replicate was open on the screen - some pretentious tree-looking thing carved from sculpted bronze that Eris assured him was so obscure that no one would notice if he messed up, yet famous enough that none would dare question what it was, lest they look like some kind of uncultured artistic rube. Of course, Max was supposed to do it in silver rather than bronze, in deferrence to the great House Sinnenodel. What a load of crap.
Max dragged a stool over and dropped the briefcase he'd brought on the floor beside it. The case unlatched itself as Max circled his makeshift podium, and various lengths of metal floated upward on their own accord to spiral around themselves in a stylized likeness of a tree trunk. Max left a few more pieces levitating in the air as he paused in thought with his back turned to the audience, as though he was deliberating on his next move. In reality, his focus was on snaking tendrils of his magic into everyone's electronics and, after a short delay, made everyone's phone start vibrating in unison regardless of whether it was turned on or not.
"No, no, it's fine. Go on and answer it, I'll wait," He chimed while the 'branches' began assembling themselves before him, sparing only a glance backward to see if he managed to get a hint of embarrassment from anyone in attendance. When the construct was complete, he turned and bowed to the audience wth an elaborate flourish timed in tune with foil 'leaves' unfurling from the tree. The statue quickly broke apart as Max walked away, as though the tree were rotting in a time-lapse. He kicked the briefcase under the stool to catch the falling pieces, guiding them only minimally with his magic.
Max took up a spot beside the gathered mages out of necessity only. He didn't see the appeal of all being together, but if Lilie wanted to pretend they were all friends and not in varying degrees of political cold war against each other, he wasn't going to contradict her. If he left to go sit alone, some jackass would surely walk over and start pestering him, and he certainly wasn't going to go hang out with the vampires. At least, not yet. He'd have time for games later in the night once conversation started winding down and everyone else's guard had relaxed a tad. Besides, Eris had told him to shut up and watch, far be it from him to disobey.
Madison or whatever her name was had already started getting eager to meet everyone, which meant he was probably seconds away from the usual introductory questions people ask when they first meet someone. The Revel just kept getting worse and worse - first he gets roped into a shitty murder case, and now some dead kid's replacement gets to bother him.
"I'm Max," He responded coolly, not eager to engage beyond that. Hopefully she'd gloss over him and find one of the other ones more interesting. Women who couldn't tell the difference between someone playing hard to get and him actually wanting nothing to do with them were annoying, doubly so now that his association to Eris made him a catch or something.
Salem was unsure about this whole thing. His nerves were on ends as he entered the Dorm, handing Aaron the bottle of blood as he was escorted into their separate rooms. It was bad enough to play the guest to another party again, but even more so now that he had to preform and all eyes were on him. Aaron was surely to be classically trained, Lilie surely had some hidden talent or at the very least a masterful display of her control on magic, Max was an enemy onto himself, and this new girl Salem knew nothing about. Unfortunately for him, he didn't believe he had any skills to call on for the presentation, save for his ability to draw that he used to help record his horticulture books.
Lilies song had melted the knots of worry off of him. Her longing song enraptured him that when she ended he had almost forgotten where he was or that he was attending a party. A mistake he wouldn't make again he hoped. The following performances were spectacles to behold making Salem even more anxious for his 'routine. There was no real way to make this exciting so when his time came he simply brought up his supplies, the small canvas, and began his work. His hand never stopped moving, taking in as much of the time alloted as he could. His eyes glancing up towards the crowd in bursts before going back down onto his canvas before him.
The image began to take shape, obscured to those in the crowd so that the final result would be a fun surprise to them all. By the time it was over Salem had stood up and turned the painting to face the crowd as he stood behind it. It was an oil pastel portrait of Eris in his current outfit. A memory of tonight as vines and flowers surrounded the image to form a border. To any who spoke the language of flowers it was as close to love as friendship could get. Salem lifted the canvas and handed it off to Aaron, clearly meant for Varis, as he made his way back to his seat and sat down.
Whether what he had done was a smart move or not was yet to be seen. But he had done it regardless, and if questioned about it he would simply feign ignorance and state that he found those flowers to reflect Eris's beauty the most. That was now one obstacle hurdled and a rest of night for torture to resume. "Its been too long too honest Lilie. Since we were all together that is. I wanted to thank you by thr way, your song really helped me get into the appropriate mindspace to perform tonight. I didn't think I had it in me." Salem sat back into his chair letting the waves of unease wash over him as he hoped for a pleasent distraction in conversation.
When Maddie spoke up he was a bit surprised. She seemed kind, something that couldn't be said for half the mages here. So he ofcourse offered her a warm smile in return. "Salem Spellman. I believe I saw you at the exam for a moment. Between the revel, that exam, and this, I'm sure it must be a hard adjustment for you here at school. What with everything happening so fast around you." His eyes kept moving towards Aarons room. Wondering why he'd left his door open during a social event. Was it to show off? Couldn't be, there wasn't much excitement to be seen from his decorative skills. Then why? He shot a glance towards the light mage, nodding slowly in the direction of his room in hopes that he would catch it and close his door unless he wanted someone to snoop in like Max.
While he didn't exactly make a habit of slinking around campus cowering in fear, it was clear to anyone who knew him that tonight Aaron carried himself with an air of self-assuredness that didn't see the light of the moon very often. Flitting from room to room answering doors, escorting guests and fulfilling whatever other requests they might have had, he never once faltered; not when Count Victor stared at him with that weird silent glare he liked to use, not when Eris got a little too close for comfort, not even when Lilie smiled at him, threatening to melt his heart in an outfit that rivaled her beauty at Revel. After so long out of his comfort zone, Aaron was finally in his element, making every task look effortless - if anyone noticed him working at all.
Aside from the mechanical workings of the evening, his job was to be charming - something some of his friends might have been surprised to see him perform rather deftly. It wasn't the first time he'd been asked to appeal to guests in his life, but it was the first time he got to do it with the luxury of knowing most of them first. Count Benjamin was easy enough, given that the Count had already taken a liking to him, but he had a game plan for the rest: Eris was another easy one, flash a smile and act flattered when he made suggestive comments and Eris could write the rest himself; Count Victor was a wild card, but he seemed content to keep to himself for once; and though he realized he'd never really spoken to Countess Amaris, she could probably be won with a little less deference and a little more friendly conversation.
Aaron had everyone organized when the time came for the mages’ performances, perching himself appropriately at the back of the room to keep an eye on everything while his friends and Salem did their tricks. Aside from wishing he could glare a hole into the side of Max’s head for being such an inattentive jackass during the performances, it all seemed to go off without a hitch; Lilie’s performance in particular captivated him, a sense of pride swelling in his chest as he realized how far she'd come since that enchanting evening on the property wall. Maddie’s skill was entirely unexpected, and Max’s little display was about as spiteful as Aaron would have expected; he was probably trying to get back at Eris for somehow managing to get a comb through his hair. Salem, for all the experience he claimed in hosting, didn't seem to realize it was bad taste to flatter an attendee rather than the host, and Aaron made a mental note to keep a close eye on him in case his next weird take on etiquette threatened the smooth progression of events he was so carefully keeping on track.
When it was his turn to perform, Aaron brought out a chair from the corner of the parlor, along with what looked like a bundle of black metal bars. Holding it out in front of him, Aaron gave a flick of his wrist and the bars unfolded, arranging themselves into a wire music stand as Aaron fetched his cello and bow.
The instrument itself was a work of art, clean and clearly well-used with dark mahogany varnish and a satin finish, and it was clear from how carefully Aaron handled it that it was precious to him. Seating himself and settling the cello between his legs, he produced some sheet music for the stand, giving it a quick once-over and taking a breath before he began.
The piece had a dramatic beginning with large swings in pitch and tempo, but wasn’t too complicated; Aaron made his cello sing seemingly effortlessly, swaying with his bowing like a tree in the wind. A delicate, quiet section brought him into the middle of the piece, a technically challenging section designed to show off the player’s command of complex fingerings and rhythm. To the untrained ear, it was performed flawlessly, and there was no trace of doubt or uncertainty on Aaron’s face as his eyes flicked between his instrument and music. However, anyone who knew the piece well (thankfully unlikely since it was fairly obscure) would know that he had changed that section: he’d omitted some grace notes and replaced some complicated riffs with compatible, but simpler ones.
The ending section was quick, but demure, a largely delicate melody in quiet dynamics until the music faded into nothing. At that time, Aaron finally allowed himself to breathe; he’d had to simplify things a bit, sure, but he’d managed to get through the performance scot-free, and with only a few hours to prepare. Hell, his performance was practically glorified sight reading: if Lucan were still around to compete with, he’d say it was a new personal record.
When he was finished, Aaron gave a short bow and quickly got his supplies out of the way before winding the phonograph. When the machine was wound and the needle placed delicately on the record, it was time to usher the mages back to the living room and get himself to the kitchen to prepare the first bottle of blood. There wasn't time to partake in the living room conversation, but he did catch Salem’s questioning look, following the other mage’s eyes to his bedroom door.
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, he shot back a dismissive look before getting on with his business, checking over the crystal in the kitchen. What, had Salem not seen the bare hinges on the door frame on his way in? Aaron scoffed; he was almost insulted that Salem would think he was so slow as to simply forget to close his door for company. There was a reason he kept his room so spartan; if he had a door to close he might decorate it with something more than a humiliating collection of apology letters framed on the wall.
But that didn’t matter; Salem would figure it out soon enough, or else interrogate him about it on Monday. Aaron’s focus was the blood tasting: they were tasting in the same order as the mages’ performances, which meant Lilie’s bottle was up first. The crystal was all spotless and ready on trays from earlier that night, and Aaron fastened his handwritten label around the neck, a stiff black card reading “Eve” in elegant gold script. He prepared the palate cleanser as well, appropriately labeled and situated on the tray with the coloured crystal glasses, and carefully placed a tray on each arm, silently praying the balancing skills of his teenage years hadn’t left him as he headed into the parlor.
Varis waited as Aaron moved the mages out of the way and the soft music from the phonograph filled the room in his wake. The performances had been overwhelmingly uninspiring. The mistake made some form of an attempt which, despite that even he had to begrudgingly admit she had potential, still ended in the melodious cooning of a dying whale. The display of fire spinning or whatever it was―Who trusted a novice mage without a fire affinity with fire in a room full of nobles?―nearly had him demanding Marivaldi and her mage take their leave. Eris’ mage had him considering the medium of magic as art again, something he would make time for later, even though he wanted to bleach whatever metal monstrosity the boy created out of his memory. The Spellman boy’s sketching was as exciting as his magic, which was to say not at all, and the poor attempt at a slight only made Varis want to roll his eyes. He could see why his father despised him. At least put some effort into it.
And last of all was the boy. The piece he’d selected was challenging on purpose. It served to let him test the skills the boy’s paperwork claimed he possessed and to see how he worked in a tight spot. The boy’s performance, for the most part, pleased Varis greatly and it sounded like the boy may have earned a reward. Maybe a picture for one of those letters or a free day. Though, that all came to a screeching halt when he heard it. The change. If he hadn’t been listening for mistakes he may not have caught it and while he certainly approved of the boy’s ability to seamlessly adjust for his lack of familiarity with the piece, Varis expected the piece to be played perfectly. No mistakes, no changes, nothing that could suggest the boy couldn’t handle the piece with the time he was given. How harshly Varis came down on him for it depended on the rest of the evening and his explanation for it after the rabble left.
“What unique performances we had tonight. Your mages certainly performed to the best of their abilities. A testament to how much they respect you. But I think it time we move onto a more interesting subject, the guest of honor, Count Benjamin Eve.” Varis introduced the newest vampire to the little group. As he did, Aaron made his way back into the room with the Eve bottle. He displayed it to each of the vampires before uncorking it and serving, each vampire with a half glass of Lilie’s blood and another with a neutral flavor. “Count Benjamin, this is Eris Samael, a star in the world of actors and movies. He’s quite the political influence to when he decides to put his weight behind something. Here we have Count Victor Astorio. He is a mage hunter for the Council when he isn’t busy playing school. He takes his job quite seriously; the dedication is admirable. And finally, our last guest is Amaris Marivaldi, the previous heir to the Marivaldi family before Salazar graciously accepted the head of household from his predecessor. We’ve all been eager to make your acquaintance in the proper manner.”
After his introduction and opening the floor to conversation, Varis picked up the blood and swirled it as he took in the aroma. He’d been surprised at the hunger that bubbled up in him when Aaron first opened the bottle―a sweetness he’d only smelled in pastries and baked goods all but assaulted him. He thanked his foresight for drinking glass earlier tonight; he wasn’t certain he’d have been able to keep himself in check otherwise. Varis took an apprehensive sip. The same armora burst across his tongue, no hints or notes to distract from the overwhelming sweetness. His grip on the glass was just a hair too light to break it but he forced himself to take it back, consider it, and sip calmly at it again. He couldn’t control the red in his eyes at the second sip but he kept himself calm and collected. Varis wasn’t about to lose himself over a white haired screeching street rat, delicious blood or not.
Even if the sentiment wasn't shared, Lilie really was glad to have them all together. Then again, she was a little friendship-starved since most of her free time had been occupied by lessons, so she blamed it on that. Salem's comment earned him a warm smile on her end as she laughed a little. Honestly, it was so much better to perform in front of friends than having Ben stare at her intensely and immediately give her pointers. He meant well, but he really needed to let up sometimes.
"That's so nice of you to say, thank you," Lilie replied cheerfully, looking around for a moment. To her disappointment, Aaron wasn't with them just yet. She thought today would've been a night for him to relax, but it didn't look like Count Sinnenodel was going to let him. Maybe she could convince Aaron to sit with them for just a minute?
As the conversation carried on, she felt like it would be redundant to reintroduce herself to Maddie, instead just giving the girl a wave as she introduced herself to the rest of the group. Hm, she felt like she should talk about something that would get the conversation going, but it was hard to tell what everyone had in common. Max wasn't much of a talker period, she didn't know Maddie well, and Salem...actually, she had an easier time talking to him so no worries there.
Well, she could at least think of something that would hopefully get Maddie's interest and Max talking. "So Max, that was an interesting sculpture," She mentioned. "Are you an aspiring artist?"
With the parlor served and Varis… looking almost a little too happy, the busiest part of the evening was over, and Aaron had a little more room to breathe. Disengaging seamlessly from any attention he might have drawn from any of the guests, he disappeared quietly from the parlor, leaving the vampires to do their drinking (and probably, catfighting) in peace while he slipped back into the kitchen. Maddie’s blood was next, so with a few minutes to spare he took care to label and prepare her bottle in advance, ensuring everything was perfect before he finally rejoined the mages in the living room.
It wouldn’t be appropriate for him to sit, so he took up a spot behind the couch; a deliberate choice, given it gave him a line of sight to the balcony as well as the hallway. His eyes flicked over to the windows before he settled, a habit he’d adopted after Malek’s jarring visit, peering out cautiously into the darkness. But, as always, there was nothing there; the hallway was clear too, bearing nothing but the distant thrum of vampiric conversation. Good; for the moment, Aaron could relax.
Flicking out his wrist to check his watch one more time, he looked around at the gathered mages. “Well done everyone, the vampires seemed pleased,” he congratulated them, mostly sincerely, and in a tone just loud enough for the room to hear him without alerting the vampires down the hall. “That’s the hard part out of the way now, so you’re free to sit back and enjoy yourselves.”
Lilie was talking to Max and he wasn't quite prepared for a conversation with Salem, so he turned his attention to Maddie. “I must admit, when you said your skill was ‘niche’ I wasn’t expecting that,” he joked good-naturedly. “Was that also a remnant of your aspiring TCL days?”
Max blinked in exaggerated slowness at Lilie's question, then let out a monotone, bitter laugh a moment later after flatly staring at her failed to sufficiently convey his displeasure. Was she serious? Either she thought he was some 'starving artist' loser or she was mocking him; he didn’t know which was the greater insult.
"Funny," he muttered in a particularly sour tone. If she wanted to talk about art, she should've gone to the fucking hippie. On the contrary, Aaron, the hard part started right now - he didn't give a fuck if the vampires liked Eris' stupid tree, but like hell was he going to sit here and have a pretentious discussion about the pile of crap he flung together like some jackass at an art gallery.
"What the fuck do mages do at these parties? I'm apparently not allowed to fall asleep," Actually, Eris only said 'try not to', so maybe he'd get away with it, "but I don't really see why that matters if we're stuck just sitting on the couch." Honestly, he wasn't even surprised that some mages were eager to play waiter during these events, menial servitude was at least engaging. Idle gossip was a chore because everyone in the conversation was a potential enemy, and the insistence that mages be seen made it hard to go do something more entertaining whle the vampires played at high society. Shadowing Eris was an easy way of keeping other mages too intimidated to interact with him, but with the groups separated his only protection was his attitude. Unfortunately, familiarity breeds contempt and Max doubted any of the nobles' pets would fuck off no matter how long he glared at them. Even then, he'd just be staring at the wall in silence without an objective.
Damn it, Eris was somehow a secret genius turning him into a workaholic and that stupid fuck probably didn't even realize it.
That...was not a good question to ask. Lilie couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh, knowing that no matter how she replied, Max would definitely know she messed up. Shoot, she was so sure she'd move past the phase of embarrassing herself. Maybe engaging him was a mistake? No, maybe she should have been more direct with her questioning? She was still curious about the sculpture but she was pretty sure if she asked again he was definitely going to get mad.
Fortunately, his response did bring up a really good point: what were they supposed to do? Just talk? "Actually, that's a good question. Are we supposed to just sit here and wait for the vampires to finish? Seems like a waste," Lilie said, frowning. At least the Revel had music loud enough to dance, the melody playing over by the vampires was definitely meant to be background noise. Speaking of that, she hadn't seen a genuine phonograph in years, not since her grandmother had passed. Well, Ben could barely operate his phone so maybe it wasn't that surprising.
Her eyes trailed from the hall to Aaron, who was standing behind the couch. Why was he standing? He said it himself, the performances were over. Making sure she caught his eye, she patted the seat next to her with what she hoped was an inviting smile. He had complimented them all, but she really wanted to know what he thought personally.
The array of talents displayed by the mages was a delightful and pleasant surprise. There were some whose talents shined more than others but overall Ben enjoyed everything from start to finish. He remained his polite applause throughout with a relatively neutral expression, only wishing the show continued for just a moment longer. Anything would have sufficed to quell the belated dread forming in his chest. For one, his dream of a relaxed evening had all but fluttered through the wind the moment he laid eyes on that pompous asshole. Why Eris Samael was here was beyond him; if their conversation held as much merit as he had initially assumed, the two lovers were quarreling. Perhaps they made up by now. Perhaps Count Sinnenodel had caught wind on how much of a bane to his existence Eris was. Just the sight of that hint of a smirk on said vampire's face was almost enough to give Ben vicious thoughts and fantasies where he could wipe the look off his face with a simple, yet effective punch.
But the overblown peacock was not his current concern, his presence as unwelcoming as it was. Dancing in the tall grass with a snake coming around was a risk he was willing to take, however, he was not as eager to dance with so many people around. Until now, he had interacted at a base, neutral tone with Count Sinnenodel. Now that the rest of the nobles were around he would have to ensure he remained perfectly neutral for all intents and purposes. Except neutrality could be misinterpreted as weakness to a Sinnenodel, so it was best he replied in kind. Except disrespect without the might to back it up wouldn't impress an Astorio. There was also the countess to consider, and the growing thorn in his side that was that blonde idiot. Needless to say while he was up for the challenge of juggling every relationship, Ben was just a touch stressed.
The introduction did little to surprise him. Eris Samael must have been over the moon to be introduced first. Was it possible that it was a statement of sorts? It was bold and a waste in his opinion. To be fair, Count Sinnenodel could have introduced a sack of flour first and Ben would have found that much more suitable. He was, however, surprised at the comment that followed. He wasn't aware Eris had dipped into the political field farther than gaining access to the Sinnenodel Dorm on the weekly. Or is that what they were calling it these days? He would have to think about it. He was glad to see Count Astorio and Countess Marivaldi at least, his polite smile nearly betraying him at his comment on the Astorio. Playing school was what they were all doing considering each of them were only here due to Her Highness' summons. The lack of comment on Countess Marivaldi did at least tell him they were equally clueless to her intentions. How oddly comforting.
"I am honored to make your acquaintance. Truly," Ben said. His response was punctuated by a swig of his own glass, the sweetness familiar to him. "Watching the budding mages display their skills and knowing which way to direct them is a valuable if not necessary ability among the nobility."
He paid the comment and didn't care much how it would be taken. It was one way to start a conversation while he could see what the other nobles would respond with.
Salem returned her smile, giving his attention to Max as Lilie posed her question. It was an honest thought, did Max have any ambitions? And did they lay in the fields of art? Salem didn't think so but who knows? Stranger things have happened. There was a slight ease as Aaron returned into the room, knowing he was the one handing out all the drinks and food made Salem a bit less suspicious that he may be poisoned tonight. If anything he didn't believe Aaron had th gal to do it. He sat back as Aaron instructed but not enough to seem lax. Following the conversation with his eyes and simply listening in more so than anything, full glad to watch others interact and offer up themselves rather than have himself speak and place the spotlight on him. "That really was a bold performance Maddie, bringing fire into the house of a Noble without the means to control it. And to use it in such a wonderful display." Salem had leaned forward, resting his elbow against his knee to prop up his head when suddenly Max asked a question Salem hadn't expected to hear.
His smile fell flat and he immediately sat back once more, eyes gliding over towards the main room full of Vampire Nobles and Eris. Salems gaze moved back to Lilie and Max, wondering how best to answer this question. As calmly and matter of fact as anyone could be he finally spoke up. "We aren't meant to do anything really. This is a vampire hosted party and we are not guests, they are. We are to be seen but not heard. So long as we stay in sight and do nothing to disrupt their fun then we can do as we please. Other than that we would typically help attend them, the way Aaron is doing so tonight. His mind being halfway here and halfway there, thinking of what to do next, when, and how. Now, had a mage thrown this party things would be done differently. We'd be free to do more of what we please or at the very least adhere to our host." He hated to say it but this wasnt meant to be a night of fun for them.
Amaris’ face lit up as she heard Maddie exit her room and make her way closer, the mage stepping into view in her beautiful, black dress. She took a moment to admire the ensemble, excited at how well the details had come together. The design was a simple one that had been selected to complement her own ensemble, yet it held an elegance all its own. Singular in color, the black served as a lovely canvas to showcase the lace that drew the eyes up from the waist and along the arm; or rather it would have had something else not caught the Countess’ attention instead.
“Oh, Maddie.” Her smile softened as a considerable amount of tension left her body. Placing the bottle carefully with the other objects on the table, Amaris approached the girl and reached slowly for the pendant hanging from her neck. Even from a small distance, Amaris could tell it was high in quality, but a closer look revealed all the finer details of the craftsmanship. The beauty of the piece was captivating but it was more than that to the Countess. An emotion she couldn’t quite describe swelled within her chest, a feeling she fought hard to keep from overwhelming her.
“It’s almost as beautiful as you are.” She moved her thumb as if to brush the crest but hovered just above the object so as not to risk dulling the shine.
“House crests can prove to be inconvenient to come by, I can’t imagine it was all that easy for you to acquire this. You must have gone well out of your way.” Amaris mused as she continued to admire her partner’s selection. When it had come to Cassandra, Amaris knew how trapped her partner was likely to feel with a crest displayed by more conventional means. It was the driving reason behind designing a card customized to her affinity so as to find the middle ground of their individual desires. With Maddie, however, Amaris was once again at a loss at what to do. This time around she was faced with a girl who was more than aware of where she stood in society’s eyes and always seemed one step ahead of her noble’s expectations.
As gingerly as she had lifted the pendant, Amaris returned the crest to its natural resting place around her partner’s neck. Her smile had taken on a tone of amusement as she turned from Maddie and plucked the small gift box from where she had left it on the table.
“I’m not sure I quite have the words to express how much I appreciate this gesture. It would be dishonest, however, if I did not admit my relief. I wasn’t sure at first how you might react but I think I might have been worried over nothing.” She chuckled a bit as she revealed the contents of the box resting on her left palm. Stored within was a relatively simple silver chained bracelet of familiar design; a singular charm facing outward toward the mage. As she displayed the gift with her one hand, the Countess lifted her other arm to show off the bracelet dangling from her right wrist. It didn’t take much sleuthing to see the two bracelets were identical to one another, right down to the Marivaldi crest charm.
“It might be a tad overkill to add to tonight’s ensemble, especially with such a show stopping piece such as that, but I wanted to give it to you regardless. I thought these might be a fitting representation of our relationship and the agreements we’ve made together, the balance between duty and friendship. For now it is but a name that ties us together, but it is my hope that someday these chains are filled with charms that tell a story far more meaningful to us both.” Amaris spotted the time as she finished speaking, her eyes widening slightly at the reading it was showing her. Had it really gotten that late already? Whatever thoughts Maddie had on the matter would have to wait lest they should prefer the consequences of a late arrival to a Varis event.
“Well, we should be on our way. I wouldn’t want to miss this performance of yours.” The Countess smiled as she neatly slipped the lid of the box back into place and set it down on the table. Grabbing her belongings, Amaris conducted one last check before ushering them both out the door.
Upon the pair’s arrival, Maddie was directed away from Amaris to an area where the rest of the mages would gather while she herself was stuck in the parlor with the rest of the nobles plus Eris. She left the majority of the conversing to the boys, giving her input only when necessary. The Countess was sure there was a trap somewhere to be had, hidden expertly between honey dripped words and within empty compliments. What exactly Varis had planned, though, she could not say. It was for that very reason that she was relieved once the performances began, beginning with Lilie and the song she had prepared for them.
It was a beautiful song that she thought suited the girl’s voice well, but she couldn’t sense her heart in the notes much at all. If Amaris was to venture a guess, the choice in song was likely made by someone else. The piece didn’t seem particularly difficult, and more or less suited to her current experience, which pretty much ruled Varis out as a candidate. It was most likely offered to her by the Count, who could be rather thoughtful in his selections but also a little too practical in her opinion. All in all, Amaris enjoyed the presented talent and was sure to offer a kind smile with her soft applause as the girl took her leave from the spotlight.
Up next was her own partner, whose performance had very much been kept secret from her. As usual, Amaris had given the mage free range over her decision over what she wanted to do for her presentation. Had she known the girl intended to break out fire for her talent she might have tried to dissuade her, however she found great amusement in the situation after getting over her initial shock. If even she was a bit nervous, Varis must have been losing his absolute mind. Fire was not something he could just insult into submission, a chaotic element that took orders from no one; only suggestions. This much she had learned during her time with Cassandra, but she also trusted Maddie enough that such a decision hadn’t been made lightly… and proper preparations had been put in place just in case.
She watched the flames with a vague sense of nostalgia as well as a keen sense of curiosity. As engrossed as the Countess was, she couldn’t help but wonder where Maddie had picked the routine up. Fire was far from her own affinity, and it certainly wasn’t Lilie’s. While not Aaron’s either, he likely had the talent to teach but his connection to Varis would likely deter her from reaching out or him from accepting. As for the other two boys, she wasn’t even sure if Maddie knew their names. Wherever she had learned it, Amaris was impressed at how much the girl had picked up in what was a relatively short amount of time.
Just as she had before, a kind smile and soft applause followed her partner as she made a hasty escape from the center of the room. She couldn’t blame the girl, especially when she herself wished to make the same escape. Such thoughts were put on hold, however, as the next performer made his appearance. If she remembered correctly, this was the boy tied to Eris. He seemed less than thrilled to be in attendance but set to work all the same. Amaris hated to admit it, but she found herself captivated by what she saw. An affinity to metal was one she was least familiar with as most of the magics she had read about were more… well natural. Yet, here he stood manipulating the pieces of metal as if they were nothing more than soft clay in his hands.
Amaris did end up startling some, resisting the urge to jump as the phone in her bag buzzed unexpectedly. There were very few people who had her number and even fewer who were likely to use it; most of which were under the same roof as her. It only took her a moment to realize what had happened as the boy performing spoke up, her confusion turning to amusement as she returned the now still device back to its rightful place. Then, just like that, the sculpture was complete and the performance was over… or rather it was almost over. Whether it was part of a planned routine or simply a personal flair, the mage collected his materials more dramatically than necessary and took his leave without so much as a glance back.
What followed was much less energetic than any of the performances to come before it. Salem, whom she recognized as the trouble maker Victor had made mention of in addition to her distanced observation of his training regiment, quickly set to work on some sort of drawing or painting. As a fellow artist, she knew the work wasn’t easy to make entertaining to others. Yet, as much as she wanted to remain appreciative of the talents being displayed, Amaris found herself bored. Watching someone paint was simply just not as interesting to her as creating the image herself. While she did try to remain attentive, she almost didn’t notice when Salem had concluded his piece. She was able to catch a quick glance before Aaron took the result away, the image of Eris flashing by her on its way to its new home.
Last, but certainly not least, was the host’s very own mage: Aaron Starag the light mage. Part of her had hoped to see some sort of display of his affinity. After all, light mages weren’t exactly a dime a dozen. However, Varis had other plans it seemed, as the boy set to work setting up a beautiful cello. While not what she had been excited for, his talent could not be ignored. The notes that filled the room were even more entrancing than the instrument that produced them. It wasn’t a piece she was familiar with, but she had little doubts that it was one of the more challenging ones. Varis wouldn’t have it any other way. Still, the boy seemed confident in his movements, moving from note to note smoothly and without hesitation. It seemed the more she witnessed of this mage, the more impressed she was at his ability to step up to the never ending challenges of having Varis for a noble assignment.
Once his performance was through, Aaron returned to his duties of supporting the host in whatever tasks deemed necessary. The music playing from the phonograph helped to ease her nerves somewhat, but it was not enough to completely break through her distaste for such events as the official introductions were made and the first of the bottles were opened. Varis was as inflammatory as usual as he named each of the attendees in order. She was careful to maintain a calm and polite exterior as the Count spoke the name of her Lord. Once he was through, she turned her attention to Benjamin and smiled warmly.
“Likewise. It’s nice to finally have the formal introductions out of the way, don’t you think?” She allowed her eyes to coast over to the direction of the mages before returning to the guest of honor.
“I thought Lilie’s performance was rather lovely. If you don’t mind my asking, I’m curious as to what made you choose that song in particular?” Amaris sipped slowly at the first glass, somehow not at all surprised by how sweet the blood turned out to be. It was far sweeter than what she had gotten used to with Maddie but was well within her preferred profile. There was an immediate sense of guilt the Countess felt for enjoying the flavor so much, but she refused to show even the slightest hint of her displeasure by instead nodding at it approvingly.
Maybe Eris should've stayed home and caught his show after all.
Even he wasn't going to be so cold hearted and say none of them had talent, but great stars above was he bored out of his mind. Once you heard Widow Nailo's singing it wasn't like anything in the world could match, and it didn't help that Count Benson's choice was from an opera she once sang. He remembered little of the plot but the songs themselves were gorgeous--he actually did sit up a touch once he heard Chérie sing those familiar notes. It was alright, like finding an uncovered gem, but said gem needed a lot more polish to make itself really shine. Maybe if she were in more capable hands she could have really knocked it out of the park.
The fire thing was a bold choice for...wait, who was this? Unfortunately he spent most of the performance trying to figure out who the hell he was watching. A new Marivaldi mage, sure, but a complete nobody. The princess sure loved to assign nobodies to nobility, didn't she? First the little white haired songbird and now the pyromaniac knife wielder. Maybe she was hoping the Marivaldi dorm would get burned down or something. The thought did make Eris' smile a little wider than it probably should have been, timed well with his applause.
Said smile had to be muted since Wells was up, and his performance was...actually Eris didn't know whether the kid was an idiot or a genius. There was some actual merit to his creation, even his comedic timing (Eris personally would've left it out, but whatever), and the finished result was striking, but anyone could attribute it to dumb luck. Oh well, it was semi-interesting and Eris hadn't fallen asleep yet, so it was fine. Everything about the kid was a farce tonight anyway, might as well add 'potential starving artist' to the list.
Now, Plant Boy's whole shtick was something he didn't think he'd end up enjoying, but he was biased. And to be fair, it wasn't until he realized that the boy had chosen such a magnificent model that he had any investment in anything he did. Honestly Eris didn't even care, seeing any artist attempt to capture his beauty was always fun in his book. He was going to have to come back to the dorm to admire it privately. Wait, was he playing into something? No, Count Astorio wasn't that smart. Or was he? Eris ended up deciding he didn't care for now.
And finally, Sunny. Unfortunately a trained ear could spot every little adjustment and the change was blasphemous. Hm, maybe Eris was being too critical? But eh, the mage had a cute expression on his face as he played, so just with that alone he'd rate it as the second best performance tonight. It was a little weird to see something resembling passion from such a rigid individual. To be honest he was admittedly more caught up in the additional attention the mage gave anyway, so it wasn't like he was missing out.
Still, even with the positives Eris' mind kept going back to his soap opera. He could've been comfy on the couch watching Duchess Annabel's marriage getting interrupted. Actually he could've been buttering up his grandparents, he was pretty sure their anniversary was tonight. There were much better things to do with his time then watch inexperienced mages and Sunny, even with the little enjoyment he did get out of them.
But as always, they weren't the point--the show Eris was really here for was finally about to start, and judging by the not-so-subtle-split-second look they had exchanged earlier, old Benard hadn't expected him. If Eris could get away with it he would've made an entire photo album on the count's reaction: the surprise, the confusion, the irritation, the bitter acceptance. He hid it well, as nobles did, but there was nothing more gratifying than getting on someone's last nerve without even having to say anything.
And now they were being all nice and blood tasting, so he was sure conversation would spark up at any moment. Fortunately it was delivered with a very sweet tasting drink, with Eris reveling in his introduction. Ah, someday that would extend to everyone he knew, but for now he'd just settle. The countess gave him the perfect chance to insert himself in the conversation, pausing his sip in time to talk. "I'd like to know as well, I haven't heard that song in some time," He remained relatively polite as he asked, but then changed his mind. Why the hell should he stay polite for this dick? "Widow Nailo's performance of that tune won several awards back in her heyday, if I remember right. Marvelous performances, but they say she was born to sing. How do you think your little one compares?"
The glass met the table with the ease of a vampire long used to denying himself his pleasures. More than half the blood remained in the glass despite the hunger than still sung in his veins much like the abhorrent fleshbag it came from. He’d never found blood that gave taste to the aroma of the mage’s sweets and treats until now, never had something quite so tantalizing that he couldn’t at least steal away and enjoy in secret. Something neatly wrapped under an Eve’s thumb whose weak, pathetic palate probably barely understood, let alone enjoyed, the experience he’d been unexpectedly blessed with. The problem was, of course, the glaring and whimsical hair choice but that was easily fixed. A little dye until it’s natural color grew out and she could be schooled into a proper mage. He could believe that with a little training she may even be fit for a show mage. The hair though. Varis couldn’t wrap his head around why Count Eve hadn’t fixed it yet. Though, he was an Eve. Perhaps she’d put up a fuss and he;d folded just like the rest of his house. A smile prickled at the corner of his lip at the thought of it before the passing amusement gave way to another thought.
If he believed show mage potential lurked beneath that garish surface, then what could the Princess have seen in her? What an interesting move. She gave the weakest house someone that could shine as brilliantly as a whimsical worm could. That could be cultivated as a favor later and she’d have her fingers in Count Eve’s business. A little pressure on the mage, a reminder to the vampire, and suddenly her hand was around someone’s neck. Varis would need to dedicate some time to considering how the other two mages played into this. The Marivaldi mage was someone the boy was already playing with so he’d develop a few things for him to look into but her choice of display was far more bold than her meek demeanor suggested. And of course, there was the ever persistent gnat the Astorio commanded but he was half a mind to dismiss him as the obvious power move on another vampire’s private assets. Still, he couldn’t disqualify more at the moment but he just didn’t have the time to really put his efforts behind pulling apart her scheme.
His attention focused back on the conversation at hand. The line was cast and the Countess took the bait nearly as soon as it landed. Though Varis was surprised at how rusty she was. The formal introductions just started and wouldn’t end until they’d each returned to the privacy of their own dorms. Perhaps he’d just chalk it up to the Marivaldi blood curse―friendliess―but it still left an impression that she was little more than a naive little girl not yet ready to face the real world. And of course, Eris never failed him when he needed it. The subtle shift from polite to pointed was perfect. Varis would let Eris fly before he reigned him in and slid the knives in their slots.
“Her grasp on the fundamentals is certainly thorough. I don’t doubt she spent an impressive amount of time on them. Though I am curious.” Varis comment thoughtfully. “You’ve allowed your mage to maintain her whimsical fashion choice. Why is that?”
Maddie nodded along with Salem’s assessment of their evening. She wasn’t surprised at it but she did wish she’d been able to bring a book or her knitting supplies. She stayed out of Lilie and Max’s conversation when it was clear Max wasn’t interested in playing nice. Her time in Sinnenodel influence institutions made her wary of people too blunt or forward and it was exhausting being as combative as Max seemed to be. So she focused on Aaron, who stood rather than sat, and she understood that much at least. Sitting made getting back up much harder than it needed to be when you knew you were needed soon.
“You aren’t wrong.” Maddie laughed at Aaron’s joking tone. “My sister would spin swords as part of performances sometimes and I made her teach me as part of that obsession. The fire I added after a little research. I didn’t think spinning a little metal would make a large enough impression. I wanted to make more of a focus on my magic like Max had but even that little bit was exhausting.” Maddie admitted with a sigh. “Your music was beautiful though. I can’t say I’m surprised because it suits you but you definitely have talent. I hope you have time to play still.”
Were it not for the fact that he was guest of honor, Ben would have dreaded the incoming questioning. He had long since accepted him and anticipated the next series of replies ranging from shock to those of mockery; he was certain the Sinnenodel himself would revel in the little secret Ben had admittedly worked to keep under wraps. Fortunately this was only temporary as his own mages' lineage back home had been pristine and he was still fielding offers for Noah even this very night. Unfortunately that did not give him any comfort as he was once again reminded of his place. Perhaps the Sinneodel was fully aware and simply wanted to watch him squirm.
Ah. You'd very much like to revel in hearing the Eve house getting shafted, Ben thought. If so, he would disappoint in that aspect. His pride was intact regardless of what the princess believed and he simply saw Lilie as another challenge to overcome. Tonight was a show of that as well. Even without Eris' silly comparison Lilie did splendidly and made an impression. He did not change his expression as he placed his own cup down, satisfied with the sweetness of her blood as he decided to knock out Countess Marivaldi and Sir Pompous' questions in one go.
"The Tender Land was my mother's favorite opera towards the end of her life. Laurie's Song was complex enough to set a proper goal while testing to see the mage's capabilities. She adapted surprisingly well, I believe this will surely be her defining talent going forward," Ben said. "There is improvement to be made as it is with every mortal, but I enjoy cultivating. She may not attain Widow Nailo's level of prestige, but she will give an acceptable performance sooner than later, I'm confident of that. I'm certain my next goal will be to have her perform at one of Duchess Perez' parties. It will be good experience for her future."
Overconfident, yes, but Ben needed to raise Lilie up somewhat before speaking ill of her next. There was no way around it nor would delaying it do him any favors. At the very least he could gauge their reactions easily and would give him an idea on how to navigate the rest of the (bound to be) unpleasantness that would surely follow. Oh, the joy of conversing with the nobility. A small part of him did have to admit he did miss this. At minimum it would keep him sharp. Before he would speak next, however, he did make sure to look directly at the host who asked.
"Whimsical is a kind way to put it, Count Sinnenodel," Ben said. "Unfortunately it is not a choice. Lilie suffers from a rare, genetic defect called albinism that came from her human lineage. Due to her lack of training in etiquette, I have chosen to ease her into the mage lifestyle and prioritized behaviors over appearance due to the short time she has been in my possession. Sooner than later I will arrange for a professional hairdresser to best advise on how to take care of that issue."
And there it was out in the world. Now they could gawk and laugh as much as their hearts desired. Ben reminded himself that he needed to ask Noah to look into her family tree sooner than later. For now he decided to take another sip of his drink, enjoying the sweetness and putting on a polite smile as he eagerly awaited the commentary that was sure to come. He already knew he would be critiqued for not taking care of her appearance first, but that was his decision to make. Truthfully it was something he was slowly building Lilie's trust for; he was certain once she was less wary of him the conversation would go well. He personally thought she would make a very nice blonde.
Aaron shared Maddie’s laugh, shaking his head at her nigh-unbelievable story. “Your old professors didn’t find out, did they?” he joked, giving her a sly look. It would be a miracle for a practice like juggling flaming knives to get a pass if anyone working for a Sinnenodel-run institution caught wind of it.
He just caught the end of something Lilie said when he looked up, catching her look. He followed her gesture to the couch, eyes trailing back up her arm to the elegant drape of the sleeve of her dress and her maddeningly tempting smile. But while he’d have loved nothing more than to take the seat next to her and spend his next few free moments extolling the virtues of her performance, he couldn’t; it was bad form for attendants to sit down during an event, and even more so when he was the only one around to press the buttons and pull the strings.
Before he had the chance to voice as much, he was subjected to Salem, launching into a soliloquy consisting of some lame attempt at a psych evaluation and a poor understanding of the role of noble mages at gatherings. His owning family’s rationale was certainly showing; Count Julian must not have gotten to parties with him yet. Of course, that much was clear from the fact he was sitting down—if Count Julian saw him sitting while his master was just feet away in the other room, he’d make sure he couldn’t sit again for a week.
Giving Lilie an apologetic smile, he looked between her and Salem, shrugging. “You’re close,” he offered, though it was hard to tell if he was addressing the room as a whole or Salem in particular. “I can’t speak for wealthy civilian gatherings, but the role of mages at noble events is a little more involved. Usually, the host’s servants would run everything behind the scenes and the attendees would bring a show mage or two. Their job would be to socialize, charm, and generally steer every possible situation in their master’s favour whether they’re at their side or not. It’s a fair sight more demanding than being ‘seen and not heard,’ but believe me, some mages live for it.”
He placed a reassuring hand on Lilie’s shoulder, hoping to ease her discomfort. “Take it as a blessing. Instead of playing politics tonight, you guys get to leave the dancing to the vampires and relax. It’s not often mages in our position get the chance to do nothing.”
Oh, huh, this girl wasn't a pyromancer after all. Explained why the fire was so... mundane. Spinning flaming swords was a nice talent and all, but it seemed pretty pointless to Max. He guessed it was a nice parlor trick to put vampires on edge, so if that was her intent, it was good enough for him. Though, that did beg the question of what her affinity actually was. Not that he'd lower himself to asking.
The mage rolled his eyes at Salem's explanation, then outright sighed at Aaron's. 'Seen and not heard' was a dumb principle; he'd been seen, he even put on a little show for those bloodsucking jackasses. Sticking around for the after party just seemed like a waste of time. Leeches don't want mages around anyway, having them be in the next room over twiddling their thumbs was pointless. And Max definitely didn't socialize or charm. If some overeager pet who wanted to play courtier thought he was abrasive, that's their fucking problem.
"Speak for yourself, I do nothing all the time," Max chimed in as he pulled out his phone, "In the comfort of my own dorm, not laced up in an uncomfortable suit surrounded by you boobs while Eric's insults for Benny over there get less and less subtle. I'm fucking bored, Aaron." Quite frankly, playing politics almost sounded preferrable to biding his time until the party ended. He wasn't given a mission tonight, so he didn't have to avoid stepping on anybody's toes. If the conversation sucked, he could just say so instead of putting on a fake smile and talking in riddles.
"But alright, I'll bite, is anybody gonna start the gossip mill or should I start streaming a movie?"
Lilie actually couldn't believe she and Max had so much in common. Aside from wanting to hide every time Ben announced she had another lesson to learn, she really didn't do much of anything, either. It did sound boring to just sit around doing nothing, but the alternative didn't really get her excited or anything. She was social, sure, but charming and steering conversations sounded really manipulative. Is that what Aaron was doing? She did notice his smile was brighter than usual. An unfamiliar weight in her stomach came at the thought--no, she shouldn't jump to those sorts of conclusions. He was always nice to her, and tonight was no different.
Still, she felt a small smile on her face as he placed an assuring hand on her shoulder, looking up at him timidly but catching herself. Ack! No, no, none of that right now, not with so many people looking! Still, she felt like she should say something. Not responding would definitely be rude, right? Lightly patting his hand, she gave him an appreciative smile. "I'll enjoy it while it lasts, then," It sounded super lame, but what else could she tell him?
Max mentioning a rumor mill did make Lilie let out a tiny laugh--ever since she embarrassed herself in front of Aaron, she actually took a step back from that kind of stuff. Shaking her head, she tucked a stray hair behind her ear as she looked at Max curiously. He was probably gonna chew her out for asking, but she was pretty sure she'd have to get used to that--especially since they were apparently running in the same circles.
"Hearing rumors about people you know is...awkward," Lilie admitted that much, eyes briefly flickering to Aaron before going to the rest of the room. "But I don't think I've heard anything. Not that I went looking, but, you know...everything seems kinda quiet right now."
The Countess fought the urge to roll her eyes as Eris opened his mouth followed shortly by Varis. At the very least, the expectations she had set concerning the attendees remained intact but it was no less disappointing to have them validated so quickly. Naturally, nothing could ever please the idol who spent his time riding the thin line between adoration and all out worship. As for Varis, well, he was the sort to throw tantrums if there was even one detail of anything at all that he could not control; that much he had proven publicly with his outburst at the exams.
For every second she spent surrounded by the other nobles, and the token celebrity, the more difficult she found hiding her displeasure at the gathering. Despite the internal struggle with her annoyance, outwardly she still held tight to her polite demeanor. She calmly set her own glass down before returning her attention to Count Eve with the same smile she’d forced onto her face since her arrival.
“A diamond painted blue does not a sapphire make. Seems such a shame to lose out on such a rare opportunity by cutting away all the aspects that make her unique and replacing them with average. Regardless, it was a lovely debut performance. I’m sure with your attentive care, she’ll live up to your exact expectations.” To say Amaris felt disappointed would have been a severe understatement. She had tried not to put any stock in their earlier encounter but Amaris still had found herself hoping that Benjamin might have provided more of a shake up to the dynamic. However, so far all she had gathered from the group coming together was that he was just another noble playing the same ridiculous game as the rest of them. There was no thought put into the personal wellbeing of his mage, no care given to the actual cultivation of her talents. There was only what he expected her to be capable of and the forced growth of that which he approved of. But that was only to be expected of a man who viewed the girl as nothing more than a possession, right?
Okay, fine, Benji had decent taste. He was ambitious, too--he knew more than one person dying to get an invitation to one of Duchess Perez' parties, so the fact that he would be bold enough to present the little one in one of them was saying something. Eris would have to keep an ear out for that, if only to once again ruin the night with his presence. He absentmindedly swirled the blood in his cup, mind at work as the count kept talking about things Eris did not care about. Hm, he was going to have to try a little harder in participating in the conversation before he ended up falling asleep, Benson seemed prepared for every question asked.
Deciding he had played around with it enough and trying to hide his expression of boredom, Eris lifted the cup to his lips before the Eve count decided to reveal a very interesting tidbit: his mage was an albino! The revelation and shock actually managed to get through to Eris before anything, his eyebrows shooting up as he put his cup back down with his mouth actually open.
The princess had decided that the defining mage for the Eve house was an albino. That couldn't be true, could it? Of course it was, why hadn't he noticed sooner? Well, no, he knew why, he couldn't care enough to possibly look at her for more than a few seconds. But now that he thought about it, he did find it weird that her eyebrows had been white, too. Her eyelashes were darker, too--she must use mascara. If her hair really was naturally white, then it meant she had oculocutaneous albinism. As far as he was aware, it was practically unheard of and very rare, except in probably the worst way possible.
All his analytical thinking then gave way to one of the greatest ironies: the Sinnenodel heir was gifted a Starag, the top-of-the-line mage lineage, while the Eve representatives were tossed the literal bottom of the barrel. And Max wondered why Eris bothered coming! This was amazing! This was some of the best news he had received since he had been here! It was even better than hearing that Benson was stuck with some peasant from the middle of nowhere, no, this had to have been deliberate!
The corners of Eris' mouth turned into an open grin of disbelief, lips quickly closing as he remembered where he was. Honestly, if he was anywhere else he would have burst out laughing, but he controlled himself, even if he couldn't quite stop smiling. But any sense of recovering any more than that went flying out the window when the countess decided to turn quite icy towards the count. Eris had to stop himself from rolling his eyes--she was so full of shit, there was no way she compared a defective mage to a diamond. He supposed the Marivaldi way had to be upheld by someone, but apparently that was in exchange for vampiric pride.
"A cracked bottle is considered unique compared to the rest in the case, that doesn't mean it's of any use," Eris said with a half scoff, half laugh. Ugh, he couldn't believe he actually had to defend Benson, but being hidden away from society must have done a number on her head. "You can't be serious. You bring something looking like that to any place in high society and you'd be a laughingstock! Even an heiress like you couldn't get away with something like that without losing your dignity. Aside from the fact that the look is completely garish and much too eye-catching, ridding her of that awful hair would be doing the little one a favor. I argue that Count Eve is right in his decision to strip that white away. Anything less would be a disservice..."
But tearing down the Marivaldi countess wasn't what he was here for; he needed to focus on the task at hand. Shaking his head, he looked at Ben for a moment, trying to come up with the right words in false concern. "...Unless these are simply short term plans. Even so, however, all that work for something that'll never get you anywhere or anything...you'll have to explain your line of thinking, I don't understand," He finally got the words out slowly without a hint of laughter. "I'll admit there is talent, but even if you managed to get anyone's interest, the moment her genetics are revealed, you've essentially doomed both you and her to a failed transaction and word would definitely get out faster than you could control it. I suppose you'd have to wait until graduation if you wanted to sell her to someone who collects baroque pearls, but I doubt she'd fetch a high price...unless that's why you're cultivating her talents?" No, the Eve count was too soft for that sort of thing. But watching him squirm for a response would do nicely, especially since Miss High Horse over there was apparently the authority on deeming mages worthy.
