[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/200120/b4ae420fdbc4b355cd2ceec79df659d5.png[/img]
[img]https://images2.imgbox.com/6d/d1/EmzH1DeY_o.jpg[/img]
[sub][b][color=6373D8]TIME:[/color][/b] Evening
[b][color=6373D8]INTERACTION:[/color][/b] [@Emma]; Open[/sub][/center]

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[center][sub]The ball grew nearer and Caslan made his way to Sindia's room. He wasn't sure why he was being made to wear a mask. While his title would easily afford him an invitation to attend, he wasn't going as a guest. As a member of the palace guard, he would spend the night assuring the event and all those who arrived were safe and secure. In all honesty, he preferred it that way. Caslan Fang may have been a Count, but he was very poor at small talk and relaxing. Even so, the princess required everyone in attendance to dress for the occassion. As she was his princess and it was her birthday, he could hardly refuse her. It was quite difficult to find a mask that fit his face. Everything just seemed so small on his larger than life frame. That's why he was going to see his sister.[/sub][/center]
[center][sub]After giving a few short but firm knocks, Caslan entered the room, ducking his head slightly as he walked through the door. He offered his younger sister the most genuine smile. She was truly the only person that made him happy these days. Well... perhaps not the only one. [color=6373D8][b]"Shouldn't you be getting ready by now?"[/b][/color] Caslan asked playfully. Sindia suited this lifestyle much better than he ever could. She was undoubtedly a lady and he was only happy that his appointment meant that she could live in the palace as well. He'd never seen her shine quite so much at home as she did here. It made him feel much better than leaving her so far away from him. At least here he could watch over her.[/sub][/center]
[center][sub]Looking at the table, he noticed the [url=https://images2.imgbox.com/36/aa/ZvL0YIBO_o.jpg]leather raven mask[/url] staring back at him. [color=6373D8][b]"Is this it?"[/b][/color] Stepping forward, he picked up the mask and examined it. The detail on the feathers was exquisite, though he expected nothing less. He turned it around in his hands and then walked over to the mirror and held it up to his face. It fit him like a glove, like anything his sister made for him. She knew how difficult it was for him to find things that fit his frame. She'd always been so good about accommodating him. He couldn't help but smile at how perfectly it sat against his skin, even hiding the scar that lay along his cheek. After a moment, he slowly lowered the mask and turned again to look at Sindia, his smile more sheepish this time.[/sub][/center]
[center][sub][color=6373D8][b]"Thank you for this. I'll feel much more at ease knowing I don't look like a total idiot out there."[/b][/color] He pushed his fingers back through his white hair, something else on the tip of his tongue. She probably knew what he was going to say by now, but he felt the need to say it anyway. [color=6373D8][b]"Listen, I want you to be careful tonight. There are going to be a lot of people... a lot of strangers. If you need me for any reason..."[/b][/color] He tapped the mask gently with his fingertips. [color=6373D8][b]"Well, you know how to find me."[/b][/color] She wasn't a child anymore, but he still felt it was his duty to protect her. She was the most important thing to him. He could never forgive himself if anything were to happen to her. Not again.[/sub][/center]
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[center][sub]Even with the mask that fit him so well, Caslan felt out of place in his outfit. The [url=https://images2.imgbox.com/8a/d2/CTml2VtP_o.jpg]blue tunic suit[/url] fit his 6'7" frame perfectly, having been custom-tailored just for the occasion, and yet it felt restrictive. Caslan didn't normally wear sleeves to make it easier to move, and the lack of any form of armor just made him feel naked. At least he was allowed his retractable bo staff in case anything were to get out of hand. The fabric of his suit hugged his muscles like a second skin, accentuating how big he really was. He'd come to terms with his size by now. He no longer felt like some kind of circus act being paraded about, even if he was used primarily for show at these types of events. What trouble could a bunch of lords and ladies and royals really cause? Caslan didn't see any reason they should need him or his bo staff.[/sub][/center]
[center][sub]As was usual, Caslan was placed in full view at the main entrance of the ballroom. He was one of the first things the guests saw as they entered, more than likely as a way to dissuade them from trying anything that would require him to intervene. He stood straight and tall, a drink in one hand. He was meant to be blending in and not looking so much like a guard, but he was doing very poorly. He was lingering on his own, not talking to anyone, like a well-dressed statue. Caslan made it a point, at least, to greet guests as they entered the ball room. He would offer a short and simple [color=6373D8][b]"Welcome."[/b][/color] as they passed. His dark eyes wandered, unable to help himself. He'd never met a good number of them and there was a lot to see. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful the ladies looked in their gowns and how the well-tailored suits of the men fit so well. He kept himself preoccupied by imagining what they might look like strewn on floors. It was a welcome distraction from how awkward he felt.[/sub][/center]
[center][sub]Truthfully, he was waiting on someone in particular to arrive. They weren't supposed to know who anyone was, that was the point of the masks. But Caslan would know him anywhere just by the way he moved. He'd known him too intimately not to recognize his lover in any disguise. And who wouldn't know Caslan upon sight? He wasn't exactly [i]normal[/i]. [/sub][/center]