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[i][color=LightSteelBlue]Time: The Evening of Sola 23rd[/color] 
[color=LightSteelBlue]Location: Damien Estate Ballroom[/color] 
[color=LightSteelBlue]Mentions/Interactions:[/color][@princess] Calbert & Charlotte, [@Helo] Leo[/i][/center]



After his enlightening tête-à-tête with father dearest, Cassius was reminded that despite the Count’s attempts to make him feel like part of the family, like a [i]true Damien[/i]…he was still, and perhaps always would be, an outsider. The proof was in the way that Calbert shrugged him off with the arrival of Liliane and whatever news she brought to his ear. Instead of enlightening his dear son, Calbert decided to brush him aside as though he was merely a distraction from the real, important matters at hand. An enigmatic…almost mischievous grin curled across his lips as he took a swig of wine.     

He found himself surveying the room with a subtle air of curiosity, his attention momentarily diverted from the [i]weight of paternal advice[/i] he had just been given. His eyes roved across the masquerade, dissecting the colorful tapestry of masks and gowns that adorned the revelers. Part of him admired the spectacle and beauty of it all, but something else stirred in him beneath the surface…contempt. 

Not even the pageantry of a masquerade like this could bury the fact that most of the nobles around him were snakes. The majority of the people in this room were wearing masks and costumes to disguise themselves, but Cassius understood the sad truth about nobility…Too many of them were so caught up in their little performances and forgeries of their own lives that they were even phonier than the very gods themselves. The real truth was that most of these people were more authentic under the masks they donned tonight than they were under the facades they clung to in their everyday lives. Even Cassius could admit to wearing a mask from time to time…but to be so lost in the delusions of self-importance and desperation to fit in, that these people found themselves chained to, was a disgrace.

With a subtle, redirecting breath, Cassius let the contempt roll off his shoulders. He didn’t hate these people, nor did he even dislike them. Mostly…he just pitied them the slaves of society that they had come to be. The contempt that had brewed beneath the surface was once again overtaken by a mischievous craving. His stormy blue eyes once again scanning the crowd curiously.

Amidst all the grandeur, Cas’s gaze settled on a particular figure. The woman was gorgeously adorned in a gown with a butterfly motif. At first, Cassius thought it was simply the beauty of her form and splendor of her dress that drew his gaze, but as he admired the woman for a moment, he eventually took in the sight of her eyes and a spark of recognition hit him. He had seen those eyes before…

[i]Charlotte.[/i]

The very woman that his father had warned him to steer clear of. Cassius turned back to see Calbert and Liliane still on route to make their exits. His eyes widened with a look of wonderfully smug insubordination. [i]If the Count can have his secrets…so can I.”[/i] He thought, a sly smirk crossing his face. 

Moving through the crowd with purpose, Cassius skirted the periphery of the group, hoping to pick up on their conversation. Thankfully, a man in a dashing ensemble with a lion theme made it very…very easy for him to overhear. 

[color=B8FC03]“There is a thief wandering the ballroom, they have stolen my watch and left that in my pocket. We must solve this crime immediately.”[/color] the man exclaimed, urgency evident in his voice. The declaration hung in the air, igniting a sense of adventure within Cassius as he prepared to delve deeper into the mysteries of the masquerade.

This was his moment to intervene. Stepping out from the periphery and approaching the group directly, Cassius addressed them with nothing but delight in his voice.

[color=LightSteelBlue]"Excuse my interruption... but if I heard correctly, you mentioned a thief in our midst? Surely not! Not here within the hallowed sanctuary of the esteemed Count's domain."[/color] He remarked with a touch of sarcasm. [color=LightSteelBlue]"This is quite unexpected. Luckily for you, I possess a discerning eye for these kinds of…[i]shenanigans[/i], and I just so happen to find myself sufficiently intrigued to entertain such a diversion. How could I not offer my assistance?…This is [i]my father’s[/i] little gathering, after all.”[/color] As he spoke, Cas’s eyes moved between each and every member of the little group, lingering on Charlotte the longest, his gaze accompanied by a rather curious smile.