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[h1][color=f49ac2]Amaris Marivaldi[/color][/h1]
[sub]Interacting with: [color=c0c0c0]Benjamin[/color] [@Bert Macklin], [color=f7976a]Varis[/color] [@Achronum], and [color=ccff99]Eris[/color] [@Hero]
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Amaris had to damn near bite her tongue to keep from having a real go at the count. She had seen first and second hand the results of such dismissive attitudes, the broken bodies and spirits of mages that failed to fit the molds cut for them by their masters. Could she confidently argue that she knew Lilie inside and out? Absolutely not. But she did understand the feeling of having one’s life flipped completely upside down by events outside of one’s control. At the very least, Amaris knew she had the privilege of time and independence to fall back on in order to process and cope. Lilie, on the other hand, was expected to put the personal aside, potentially at her own detriment, simply because it was not a ‘good look’ for the poor count. There were many things that she could admit to not knowing but this wasn’t it, yet she knew there was little use in fighting a man who had chosen pride over his duty of care.

Reigning in her icy stare, Amaris regained control of her expressive eyes and cast them away from the count. It was difficult for her to even imagine how she ended up in a situation where she preferred the company of an Astorio to that of an Eve. All she wanted was to go home. Unfortunately, the wish was not one that could be granted just yet though Aaron’s arrival was able to provide a small respite. Amaris accepted the new glass gratefully and found her nerves calmed somewhat by the familiar scent and taste. She noticed, however, that her taste for the fruity combination was not quite shared by some of the others. To Eris’ credit, he did try for a second sip, an action he appeared to regret with how quick he was to abandon his glass. The countess had to admit that her first taste of Maddie’s blood had taken her by surprise. It was the initial tartness that threw off her guard, a sensation she wasn’t typically fond of, yet it was quickly mellowed out by its crisper companion. In the end, Amaris found herself more than satisfied by the flavors Maddie’s blood produced.

After taking a moment to calm herself, she dared a glance in Benjamin’s direction before speaking.

“[color=f49ac2]My sincerest apologies, Count. I’ll take care not to burden you with any further concerns, but it is a bit of a shame. I don’t think anyone’s [i]place[/i] should ever be so stiflingly small. It’s a disservice to potential.[/color]” If she had to guess, Amaris assumed the feeling she was experiencing was something akin to pity. Did he truly believe that was all there was to life? From birth til death, knowing nothing but one’s place? How could he ever expect to grow, to achieve anything in his life if all he ever chose to do was remain standing still. Benjamin was a count not a decoration, but apparently she expected more from him than he did himself.

There wasn’t an abundance of time to dwell on the matter though. LIkely bored with a grievance he had heard a thousand times over, Varis stepped in to lead the conversation in a very different direction. This time he was having some sort of go at her, although, what that go was she couldn’t make heads or tails of. Knowing the Count Sinnenodel, it was possible the target wasn’t actually her at all… or at least not in its entirety. Even from her new home at the academy, Amaris did her best to keep up on certain family events. One of the more recent conferences had seen the attendance of a guest she had not been expecting to hear about. Through the information vine, the countess had come to learn that a personal secretary of a certain flamboyant actor had made an appearance. Details were fairly vague, but she had been able to gather that the woman had been looking into something pretty strange. She wasn’t one to judge the academic passions of others but the topic seemed a little out of place for both her and the man she reported to.

If Eris was concerned about the topic he didn’t make it particularly obvious. There was no tension in his response to Varis’ initial probe and no attempts to deny that someone connected to him had been at the affair. It wasn’t as if there was anything inherently wrong with what was going on, but she couldn’t fathom why it mattered at all to Varis. Her passion for the conferences hosted by her family were about as secret as her views on mage handling, so playing it cool wasn’t exactly the best option especially when she was so in the dark on the motives from both sides. With this in mind, she chose to lean into her usual excitement and smiled in Eris’ general direction.

“[color=f49ac2]Well, I do hope she was able to enjoy herself regardless. The Morgan le Fey panels never fail to bring a certain energy to the discussion, after all, it is quite the intriguing topic. But you two sound so surprised. I’d like to think there are those that show up because of a genuine interest in a figure who had a part to play in the Treaty that shapes our modern society; even if the scope of information is rather limited. That being said, I suppose the reality falls more in line with networking opportunities. Certain academics and scholars can be a bit, how should I put this… exclusive with their time. It’s easier to catch them while they’re already out and about than it is to track them down and risk the ire of interrupted research. Whatever their reasons, if they have a good time and bring good press we have little right to complain do we?[/color]”