[center]
[h1][color=f49ac2]Amaris Marivaldi[/color][/h1]
[sub]Interacting with: [color=fc8686]Madalyn[/color] [@Achronum][/sub]
[/center]

Amaris watched with keen eyes as the cards were flipped, their final bets resting on Aaron and the boy known as Salem. She was less concerned about a win or loss than she figured she would be, instead enjoying the thrill that accompanied the gamble. Until this game, she had always found reasons to not act, to shy away from taking sides on most subjects. For her, unless a win was a guarantee the game wasn’t to be played, but ever since her first nights at the academy this outlook had been challenged. It was becoming increasingly obvious that without a little risk, there would be no growth on her part… and if she, herself, could not grow what hope did she have of supporting her partner.

Despite the dealer’s confidence in their loss, Maddie’s smile graced the table as her image was revealed as the kill card. It came with a small sense of relief to the Countess who hadn’t realized that she had lingering thoughts on the matter. She didn’t doubt her partner’s honesty, but it would have been more of a hassle than she preferred to look into Maddie’s family. The last thing Amaris wished to do was betray her partner’s trust, or worse yet, force her partner into an uncomfortable position with her own family.

Having avoided the loss, Amaris turned her gaze to the drawing of the next card. If they were correct in selecting a mage, the odds of winning were much higher than that of a draw. The answer would be interesting regardless of who was shown, but Amaris couldn’t help but hold out hope for the Starag child’s reveal. It seemed the fates had other plans for her, however, as Salem’s card was revealed instead. An Astorio mage with a secret was an interesting subject indeed, yet Amaris couldn’t shake the disappointment she felt. Perhaps someday she would find a worthy conspiracy to fill her time.

“[color=f49ac2]Way to go Maddie. Be it luck or instinct, you certainly have a decent amount of it.[/color]” She chuckled cheerfully to cover up her disappointment in the results. There was no need to ruin what was still a win for them.

A bell sounded from somewhere behind the dealer, assumedly some kind of signal meant for him; an assumption he quickly confirmed. A shift change. She thought the ideal rather humorous seeing as, as far as she was concerned, they weren’t based in reality. Why would a mannequin brought to life with magic inside a bubble reality need something so mundane as a change in shift? Be it an attempt at authenticity or some sort of mind game, the tone was set as the dealer held up two cards. She stared back at herself as the challenge was set before shifting her glance sideways at Maddie. Amaris could tell that her partner was beginning to tire, and was likely already more exhausted than she was letting on.

As much fun as the Countess was having, she couldn’t very well ignore her partner’s needs. A double or nothing final round… If she was correct, a win would grant them full marks so long as they could find their way out of the forest before time was up. While she wouldn’t feel the fatigue that prolonged use of magic brought, her blindness for the trek home would be just another obstacle for her partner to work through. Winning the round and thus successfully passing the challenge might very well be the only truly useful thing she could do to support her mage for the time being.

“[color=f49ac2]I certainly hope this final round proves to be just as interesting as the rest. Let’s play.[/color]”