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[h1][color=f49ac2]Amaris Marivaldi[/color][/h1]
[sub]Interacting with: [color=c0c0c0]Benjamin[/color] [@Bert Macklin]
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[hider=A Gift In Sync]
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[sub]Interacting with: [color=fc8686]Madalyn[/color] [@Achronum]
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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.

“[color=f49ac2]Oh, Maddie.[/color]” 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.

“[color=f49ac2]It’s almost as beautiful as you are.[/color]” She moved her thumb as if to brush the crest but hovered just above the object so as not to risk dulling the shine. 

“[color=f49ac2]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.[/color]” 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.

“[color=f49ac2]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.[/color]” 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.

“[color=f49ac2]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.[/color]” 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.

“[color=f49ac2]Well, we should be on our way. I wouldn’t want to miss this performance of yours.[/color]” 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.

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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.

“[color=f49ac2]Likewise. It’s nice to finally have the formal introductions out of the way, don’t you think?[/color]” She allowed her eyes to coast over to the direction of the mages before returning to the guest of honor.

“[color=f49ac2]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?[/color]” 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.