[h1][center][color=ab274f]Wulfric[/color] & [color=LightSteelBlue]Cassius[/color][/center][/h1][hr][hr]

A bark of laughter escaped the prince, laced with humour and a good dose of irony. Oh, to be judged by someone so opinionated - or rather, it [i]was[/i] an excellent way to turn his own words against him, Wulfric had to admit. [color=ab274f]“Is that so?”[/color] he drawled, amused.

Cassius leaned into his personal space, and disgruntled at the invasiveness, Wulfric shifted his body in the opposite direction to a nearly imperceptible degree. The bastard’s words were insulting, yes, and the mock toast was presumptuous, but it was the overly familiar, self-indulgent closeness of a stranger which set the prince’s teeth dangerously on edge. Having had enough, he placed a gloved hand on the other man’s chest, and firmly shoved him away. It was a move which took in account Cassius’ height, weight, position, and even his combat training. Wulfric had indeed garnered that the man must have been a warrior from physique alone. Before Damien Jr. could have any ideas, he returned the hand to his side. That preemptive movement, and his prior swift, precise, and calculated push spoke of a certain level of training on the royal’s part as well.

[color=ab274f]“How fortuitous that I have disabused you of your foolish notions,”[/color] he replied coolly. [color=ab274f]“I am [i]just a boring prince[/i], and you [i]yet another seducer[/i],”[/color] he paraphrased the accusations they’d levied against another. What exactly did the man expect when he adorned a superficial facade; to provoke a genuine reaction? [color=ab274f]“Do you take the arrogant approach to make a point? Or do you take on the guise you claim to find dull in others because your own existence bores you?”[/color] he questioned rhetorically with a shake of his head.

[color=ab274f]“No matter,”[/color] he stated, as if answering himself. [color=ab274f]“We seem to be in agreement that this interaction will only bring dreadful disappointment, so please, do us both a favour, and take your leave.”[/color] He waved a clearly dismissive hand, fully expecting Cassius to do just that.

A smile that was steeped in mischief formed across his lips as the prince pushed him.  

[i]Glad to know it’s so easy to get under your skin.[/i] Cassius thought to himself amusedly. 

The shove was measured and competent. If Cassius hadn’t already clocked the man as adept, the display of skill in that push would have revealed all he needed to know. The urge to test the depths of Prince Wulfric’s expertise grew in him, but Cas knew that now was certainly not the time. Perhaps under different circumstances, this interaction could lead to some recreational sparring, but for now, it was best to keep things from growing too tense. Though a little good old-fashioned antagonism couldn’t hurt, right? 

[color=LightSteelBlue]“Do I revel in the game of seduction? Of course, love. Why would I not? Life is far too fleeting not to explore its beauty when the opportunity arises. However, I find it amusing that you assume my gesture was anything less than genuine. It humors me because I was almost certain that you would be more perceptive than that. The way you carry yourself, the majesty of your wonderfully intricate ensemble, the aura of competence surrounding you…these things gave me hope that you would be more than, well, [i]this[/i].”[/color] He declared audaciously. [color=LightSteelBlue]“As rare as it may be, even I have been known to be wrong once or twice in my life…and certainly I was imprecise about you.”[/color] Cassius could not contain the small eruption of laughter that had been building as the prince spoke. It came out even snarkier than intended, but oh well…they were already in this space of quarrel, and Cassius loved every second of it. 

[color=LightSteelBlue]“It’s not simply your obtuse presumptions that make me laugh…it’s how inaccurate you truly are.”[/color] He continued with an air of candor to his tone. [color=LightSteelBlue]“To be forthright, your highness, despite my tendency to come on strong from time to time, my words held nothing but truth. There was no ploy nor was I trying to manipulate. It was simply one beautiful man admiring another bit of allure in the room. It’s a shame that your doctrinaire keeps such a hefty stick up your backside, Wulf…oh sorry, [i]Prince[/i] Wulfric. I know your type tend to get a bit huffy if you aren’t addressed properly. You know, that need to be reminded constantly how special you are.”[/color]

Cassius held his positioning and took another sip from his wine, taking a moment to savor it frivolously. [color=LightSteelBlue]“But...since you so wish to be rid of me, I will grant you that favor, my Prince…but only because you asked like such a good boy.”[/color] His full arrogance was on display in his smirk as he relished this little entanglement. [color=LightSteelBlue]“But allow me to give you one final bit of advice before I go. Call it an act of good faith from one disappointment to another…do not ever push me again.”[/color]

[color=ab274f]“True or false, I am not interested,”[/color] Wulfric denounced flatly. He had told the man as much at the start. Yet, Cassius persisted with his explanations. Though, he was now mixing in venomous insults along with honeyed if back-handed compliments, shifting towards a verbal spar.

The prince had nothing but disdain for the man and his words. ‘I expect you to do as [i]I[/i] desire; if you do, you are great, if not, you are lacking’ was the essence of his message. He was putting on airs as if he were the king himself. The comparison to [i]Edin[/i] certainly did no favours to the self-proclaimed lover boy. [color=ab274f]“I couldn’t care less what you think of me. Believing I might was one of your [i]numerous[/i] mistakes.”[/color] He scoffed, lightly amused. [color=ab274f]“And you say you have met royalty?”[/color] Cassius acted as if he knew all, but he knew [i]nothing[/i], nor was he willing to look beyond the most obvious surface level of observation. Wulfric acknowledged that neither did he, not for the bastard, as he had no wish to. However, he was at the very least aware of this, whereas Cassius did not seem to realize.

[color=ab274f][i]A shame because you cannot fulfill your ardent desire to replace that stick with something else?[/i][/color] Of course, the prince absolutely [i]did not[/i] make any vulgar allusions; it would be akin to trying to douse a fire with oil. But how droll the man thought he was, how dearly he cherished his crassness. Though, he was as articulate as he was crude. Was it a waste, or strangely fitting? A born and bred bastard, yet a noble, employing bawdy remarks befitting of a backstreet whore hand in hand with loftier phrases beseeming his status. Either way, Wulfric felt the faintest temptation to take a blade to his tongue.

[color=ab274f]“Life is fleeting,”[/color] he agreed curtly. His voice had the striking quality of a frigid morning in the deepest, most haunting of winters. Cassius might not make much of his own life, but what if his games endangered that which he most cherished? But no, even wondering such a thing about an incorrigible gambler who thought solely of gains and never of losses was pointless.

[color=ab274f]“Too fleeting for trivialities.”[/color] [i]Like you are[/i] was the blatant implication. He was denigrating the man more so than he was his hobbies. Everyone had their forms of entertainment. It was merely that the ones he favoured and the one which Cassius proclaimed as supreme did not align. Nothing more, nothing less.

Finally, the man was taking his leave, not without more unwanted comments, of course. [color=ab274f]“The first sign of judiciousness on your part,”[/color] he commented on the decision to get lost. When the bastard dared threaten him, the prince stared him down. A feat he managed effortlessly despite being shorter. He wasn’t afraid, nor did he bother with a threat of his own. [color=ab274f]“If you do not push me, I will have no need to retaliate,”[/color] was all he said.

Cassius had been more than glad to take his leave then and there; having satiated his craving for a bit of strife for the moment. He chuckled to himself as he turned to walk away. The assumptions Prince Wulfric made about him were fair…[i]very fair[/i], and yet they were wrong in so many ways. It mattered not, however, because the end result had been delectable to him all the same. Just as he took his first step away from the prince, the man could not seem to help himself from trying to get the last word. 

[i]Good[/i]. Cassius thought to himself, keeping his body slightly skewed and not turning to face Wulfric directly as he let him continue his denigration. 

The disdain in the man’s voice was ever so clear as Cassius took in each remark, his arrogant smirk growing larger and bolder by the second. If a bit of flirtatious repartee was enough to bring out such contempt from the royal brat, Cassius couldn’t help but mull over all of the ways he could get under Wulfric’s skin if he so pleased. There was one way he could think of that was very tempting indeed…perhaps too tempting. Even he knew that it would probably be a bad idea, but Cas’s eyes lit up from the bit of chaos settling on the tip of his tongue. Finally turning to face Wulfric as the man finished his remarks, Cassius smugly looked him in the eyes. 

[color=LightSteelBlue]“No retaliation necessary, your highness. We are all here to have a fun evening, after all. It was lovely to meet you, Prince Wulfric. I look forward to our next little talk.”[/color] He said, a bit of insolence dripping from his voice. [color=LightSteelBlue]“Oh…and speaking of lovely…tell my Annie I said hello. It was such a pleasure [i]getting to know her[/i] the other night.”[/color] Cassius raised a hand to his lips, blowing a kiss to his new [i]friend[/i] and finally began walking away without giving the prince a chance to respond.    

[hider=TL;DR]Cassius & Wulfric become the "best of friends" in a clash of wits and egos, a dance between two formidable personalities navigating the delicate line between tension and amusement. :airquotes[/hider]