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[h1][color=f49ac2]Amaris Marivaldi[/color][/h1]
[sub]Interacting with: [color=c0c0c0]Benjamin[/color] [@Bert Macklin], [color=ccff99]Eris[/color] [@Hero], [color=92278f]Victor[/color] [@ReusableSword], and [color=f7976a]Varis[/color] [@Achronum]
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Having found herself swept up in her own moment, Amaris hardly noticed that a fresh glass of blood had been placed before her. She’d been counting them down like minutes to her escape, longing for the opportunity to run back to the safety of her own room. By her count, this glass would belong to Astorio’s ‘troublemaker’, assuming Varis continued his pattern. While she wasn’t sure it would quite be her taste, she would at least try it to be polite. After all, she was relying on Victor to help toughen her up, she couldn’t very well muck that up when they had barely gotten started.

As she gently lifted the drink, a thought occurred to her that Aaron had been present for most, if not all, of her outburst concerning Cassandra. This realization caused her to groan internally, mentally kicking herself for her slip up. Amaris had been trying to keep her interactions with the nobles, and Varis’ plus one, to an absolute minimum while the boy had been present in the hopes that the Sinnenodel would find less opportunity to harm the mage for show. Still, it seemed that she alone was not the excuse he needed for such a vile outcome. Eve had gone for a barely veiled insult which was likely more than enough fuel to the fire, yet she couldn’t be sure Victor’s thoughts on the matter didn’t make it worse. What did catch her by surprise was the look the Count shot Eris, a sentiment extended to the fact the actor had said anything resembling defense of the mage at all. Perhaps the pair were not quite on the same wavelength as she had previously assumed, either that or they were putting on a show.

Of all the opportunities presented, however, it would seem the nail in the mage’s coffin would be some sort of mix up in the blood schedule. One sip from the glass in her hand was enough to verify Victor’s observation. While she might not have been able to predict what the Astorio mage’s blood might have tasted like, there was no denying the quality of what had just been served. The Starags had been raised under the careful hand of the Noila’s for generations, so it was all but a guarantee that Varis’ royal gift would meet such lofty expectations; well, at least in that particular department. Yet, she couldn’t help but wonder how much of the original taste had been muted by Varis inability to properly care for a mage’s mental health.

Thankfully, it wasn’t long before the group was given their cue to leave. The Countess rose along with the rest of the group, leaving an empty glass behind as she waited for her mage to be summoned from their gathering. She would need to have a chat with Maddie concerning the arrangements for extended contact with Aaron, but more than that, she needed someone she didn’t outright distrust to calm her nerves with. It would be an understatement to say she was less than thrilled at the realization that this was going to become a more regular thing but she wasn’t exactly in a position to refuse.

“[color=f49ac2]Well, I’m certainly looking forward to the season. Hopefully attendance won’t impede Chaend activities.[/color]” There was a part of her that was hoping she might be able to use the holiday to help her in her petition for access to the restricted archives, but that was a thought for another time. For now, she just had to focus on collecting her Maddie and putting as much physical distance as she could manage between her and Varis’ horrid idea of entertainment.