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[color=seagreen][h1]Drake[/h1][/color]

[color=greenyellow][b]Time:[/b] Evening of Ignis 10[/color] 
[color=greenyellow][b]Location:[/b] Danrose Castle[/color]
[color=greenyellow][b]Mentions:[/b] Thea [@Tae] and Ariella [@SilverSpring][/color]

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[color=greenyellow]”Until tonight then, my love.[/color]

The words still stuck with him, even as the dance had long since ended. Drake found his way to the bar, well after a few others had made their trips, and ordered himself a classic – bourbon on the rocks. This wasn’t a drink to simply drown out the night until his planned “meeting” with his love, but he needed something to calm his nerves down after the firestorm that just took place.

He never wanted the moment to end.

Not just for the sake of holding her just a little longer, but so he wouldn’t be pained with the thoughts of his own anxieties clawing their way up to ruin the moment. It could be called performance anxiety in its own twisted form of the word. But he simply felt himself grow…nervous. He wanted that night to be special – to the both of them. And a little liquid courage never did him any harm before. So long as it wasn’t spiked or drugged or poisoned or…[color=greenyellow][i]Okay Drake, enough.[/i][/color] He took a sobering breath before taking a sip of his drink.

[color=greenyellow][i]She loves you. And she won’t look at you any other way than the way she just did now. Your scars won’t scare her. Your lack of … experience won’t set her off. You are the one she chose to be with. Out of anyone else in the entire country. YOU. So calm yourself and enjoy the night, so you can [b]enjoy[/b] the night.[/i][/color]

A full mental feud raged on within him. As he furrowed his brows, took another sip, and thought for a moment, he felt his beating heart settle, if only to rattle once more at the vision that filled his mind’s eye. 

Her. In all her majesty. In all of her beauty. In all of her elegance, charm, seduction, banter, comfort, and so much more that Drake could go on. But for now, he looked up and found himself snapping into the now. He could tell her as much later. In the present, there was a brother and sister to keep tabs on. 

And just as luck would have it, the slight commotion of two ladies bumping into one another led him right to her. Following the huff of the woman who hiked her skirt up and dashed off, Drake began walking towards the now disoriented Ariella. He could see the signs already, eyes glazing over as they glanced around the room. Sadly she would not find Nikolai, but a concerned older brother leaning down to look at her with furrowed brows that usually came with soft chastising. Strangely enough, however, Drake only smiled and offered a gentle question.

[color=greenyellow]”Had a few too many, sister?”[/color]

His tone was surprisingly gentle. [color=greenyellow]”Come. Let us take you somewhere you can rest a little. Then we can get you back to whomever or whatever made you look like you just walked out of a dream.”[/color] He offered Ariella his arm and began walking the two towards a nearby seating area.

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