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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 [i]was[/i] 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. 

[hider=Cassadó Suite: Preludio Fantasia]
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. [/hider]
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. 
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