Inertia

The Curse of Sonina

_{Location: Class -> Cafeteria
Time: Morning
Mentions: Felix Ivanov @Otterpop
Interactions: Felix Ivanov @Otterpop, Open}

---

Jason's early morning class had just ended and he felt a tad hungry. Today he was too lazy to make his own lunch and figured he'd grab something in the cafeteria. He had an a few hours before his next class anyway. That particular class was draining to sit through. The professor flew from concept to concept at blinding speeds, luckily he managed to keep pace with his teachings. As he ambled through the halls he let out a heavy sigh thinking of the class. The group ahead of him, who had been shooting him leery glances, stopped and parted to the sides.

The group of people refused to meet his confused gaze as Jason sauntered pass them. The confusion wouldn't last as his thoughts wandered back to the class, his mind was back on autopilot. A few minutes would pass before he suddenly felt a chill run up-and-down his spine. It felt creepily familiar somehow, nostalgic even. Ah, it clicked in his head. It was a fight-or-flight response, the kind he gets just before a brawl. As adrenaline coursed through him he pivoted his head around, looking for something- anything. The hallways were oddly empty and deathly silent. His gaze fell over his shoulder, and he could see long fingers wrapped around a corner.

"What the fuck." Jason spat out unconsciously, his heartbeats grew louder with every thump. His right shoulder began aching. He rubbed his eyes and like that, it was gone and sound of idle chatter slowly returned.

Jason would be lying if he said that that wasn't a frequent occurrence. He always tried to dismiss it as stress overloading his mind, but it felt less and less convincing the more it happened. The dull, throbbing pain of his shoulder was a sobering reality check; it reminded him that he wasn't just hallucinating. He rested his arm on a wall and let out a few panicked breaths. He felt like his heart run a mile a minute, he let it settle before he began moving again. In fight-or-flight scenarios he always chose fight, however in this scenario, his primeval instincts blared one continuous warning; RUN.

With a final drawing breath he collected himself. His hunger seeming to have faded. Despite this he arrived infront of the cafeteria and since he was there he may as well eat and settle his nerves. Entering the cafeteria, he found it slightly packed. Most tables were full. A student holding a tray bumped into the inattentive Jason, causing him to drop his food and splatter some of it on his jacket. The student looked incensed and turned towards the offender, likely with a few choice words. His figure shrank back as he recognized who it was.

"Sorry that was my fault. Mind was somewhere else. I'll pay for-" Jason stopped himself as he realized the boy had already ran away after hastily picking up his wrapped food and tray.

Left standing on the floor with mashed potatoes dripping off him, Jason shrugged and continued to the counter. With a handkerchief he cleaned his jacket. He had more troublesome thoughts to worry about. Finally arriving to the counter he ordered a simple wrapped garlic chicken bread with soda. He scoured the room for an empty table. Luckily he spotted a student sitting alone. He wasn't entirely sure of the etiquette, as he didn't use the cafeteria often, but he figured asking would be best.

"Hey. May I take a seat?" Jason asked the student- Felix, who had a panicked looked about him. "Actually, are you alright?"

The Curse of Sonina

Oh yeah if you guys wanna do a bit of collab for first post hit me up.

The Curse of Sonina

I am down for the discord, better for stuff like interactions so we can get real time responses.

Soul Eater: Apple of Discord

Keith Solomon

Keith Solomon

"Summer heat? God, please no."

Name / Nicknames:
Keith Drew Solomon

Age:
16

Gender:
Male

Role:
Meister

Special Trait:
Super Soul Perception - Due to his nature, he's easily able to maintain a clear, calm and focused mind. It makes it nigh-impossible to sneak up on Solomon in combat and he's able to see through soul protect and even detect madness. He's even able to pick up and identify different wavelengths with relative ease.

Strength:
• Tactician: In most circumstances he can keep a cool, rational mind. As such he can form battle-plans in his head. Said plan changes constantly in the heat of battle.
• Stamina: He follows a strict training regiment given by his family. As such his stamina is nothing to scoff at, with his exhaustion point being reached much later compared to his peers.
• Tenacious: Through sheer will and effort, he's able to achieve things he sets his mind to. He doesn't like giving up as he feels responsible for his family's name.
• Drawing: As a hobby, his drawing skill is impressive.

Weaknesses:
• Slightly inflexible mindset: Though not impossible, once he sets his mind to something, he'll likely push through it. He has a particular dislike for indecisiveness.
• Reactive/Defensive Fighting Style: The nature of how he fights is that he waits for enemies to attack him. Though he does attack, it's more to prod their weaknesses or bait them into an attack. Enemies similar to him in style may give him a hard time, so he tries to cover it up with faking killing intent and making them attack.
• Inherent laziness: Solomon tries to rid himself of this trait but it's a long fight ahead to do so. In his mind he would rather laze about either drawing or sleeping. He has to wrestle with this trait but it's been getting better.

Partner:

Soul Type and Appearance::
An amber soul with a bored look about it. It rarely moves, seeming content with just staying still and not doing anything.

Appearance
Keith stands at a decent height of 5'11", a touch taller than others his age- though his slack, lazed posture would lead you to believe otherwise. Despite himself, he is fairly fit and toned, likely due to genes and his family's strict training schedule. He has a rich, caramel complexion, contrasting with his droopy amber eyes that seem to pierce right through you.

Keith always sports an indolent look about him, his face usually relaxed into a slight, lazy frown. He argues that this is what his facial muscles morph into when he's not using it. His posture can be summarized as 'pretty bad', as he's usually slouched, laying back or laying down.

Keith usually just wears whatever he can get his hands on and is comfortable, this usually translates to a plain white tee, with his signature black and red jacket. Though his fashion can change up depending on the weather, wearing even less during the more hotter seasons.

During his first scholastic year, he was generally ignored/overlooked amongst his female peers. This changed, somewhat, due to a formal event that meisters had to attend, as such he was forced to clean up. A few friends helped him look sharp, forcing him into a suit, touching up his hair, and making him to stand upright. After said event a new club about him was formed by a handful of female students which of course he is absolutely oblivious to.

Personality
Keith isn't what you would call active, he (used to) lives just to laze around. His general attitude reflects this greatly, always just preferring the 'lazier' way out. He usually speaks in a clear and concise sentences to get his point across quicker. As an adage to this, his tongue can be quite sharp at times. Keith has gotten into trouble with his peers in more than a few occasions due to his rather honest, straight to the point, dialogue. With that said, it is difficult to really get a rise out of or anger Keith, as he usually lets most transgressions roll off his shoulders.

Due to this, the way Keith approaches a problem is unique, his motto being 'Solve it as quickly as possible'. He opts for the fastest approach to nailing down a problem so he can go back to 'lazing' around.

Now that Keith's pretty much become the 'pride' of his family, he is trying to rid himself of his 'lazier' ways, as he does not want to disappoint his family or besmirch their name- emphasis on trying. He really does want to make his family proud so he's trying to stay more active.

Other than that he's surprisingly diligent about his studies, getting A(s) in all subjects. Keith's family makes sure of this, making him deathly afraid of his mother's wrath (due to failing a subject) than not being able to laze around. He also does not mind helping others out (though feigning annoyance), as long as they are willing to help themselves out.

Backstory
Keith had his life planned out- Well, not really. Though what little, minuscule life plan he had went up in flames due to the discovery of his rather 'exceptional' wavelength compared to his siblings. His plan was simple; Get through college with whatever degree. Find a nice, comfy 9 - 5 desk job. Come home and laze about and not worry about his parents expectation.

To go back and explain, his family is or was one of the most prestigious families of meisters. Keith's great grandfather and his brother were famous meisters in their time. Many in his family were exceptional and a few even famous. Unluckily, his grand-parents AND parents didn't quite have what it took to become exceptional, noteworthy meisters. Despite this, their family still trained religiously, in hopes that one of their children would actually become a powerful meister. Keith's two brothers also didn't make the cut, being a tad below even average meisters.

To their complete and utter surprise. It was found that Keith had been the one they were hoping for. His parents simultaneously were pleased and dismayed that their third son, the one least suited, was the one to be bestowed with the 'talent'. Keith agreed with them heavily, he knew that both his brothers were better suited for this but that was the hand that fate dealt.

Despite this, his parents offered to not push him through DWMA. Though they tried to hide it, he couldn't bear seeing them disappointed and acquiesced to their wishes, much to their delight. Keith had entered the academy at the age of 11.

The Curse of Sonina

@Otterpop

Awesome.

So who wants to be friends with the 'delinquent'?

The Curse of Sonina

If the GM approves, I'd be down to do a character relations sheet (that's optional), might be good for initial impressions before the rp gets started and it'll help with interactions.

The Curse of Sonina

Jason Pierce

【 NAME 】
Jason Pierce

【 AGE 】
21

【 GENDER】
Male

【 SEXUAL ORIENTATION 】
Demisexual

【 OCCUPATION 】
Student at a nearby university - Engineering Major

【 PERSONALITY 】
♦ Kind ♦ Headstrong ♦ Perseverance ♦ Withdrawn ♦ Empathetic ♦ Unforgiving

Jason is not one to back down from confrontation. When he makes up his mind, it is very difficult to get him to change it; usually butting heads with others who do. Aside from that he keeps to himself, leaving others alone as long as they don't bother him. This has earned him the reputation of being aloof and 'hard to talk to' amongst his peers. Most of the time he's alone, not that he makes an effort to change it, finding solace in loneliness.

Though it's rare, there are embers of kindness that shine through. Despite usually being avoided, he helps others out if they ask for it, even if the 'ask' is a pain. Even sometimes going out of his way to do so. When asked about this he usually says something along the lines of helping out when you can.

In spite of this, he still was labeled a delinquent. Though he himself doesn't look for trouble it somehow, almost always, gravitates towards him. The rumour stem from the the time he came to class covered in gauze and bruises. Said rumour has spread and morphed into something drastically different from the truth. He really didn't care to correct them, partly due to indifference and partly due to no one bothering to ask him what actually happened.

Finally, Jason is very persistent. Despite not being the most studious around, landing a bit below average school rankings, he worked his way up. Many hours were spent on his desk at home, just pouring over the notes continuously until he understood. His ranking climbed steadily from one exam to the next, eventually landing him within the top 15 of the school rankings. Due to this many of his peers believe him to be somehow cheating or threatening his way to the top, when it couldn't be further from the truth.

【 SKILLS 】
. Tinkering
. Studying
. Brawling
. Cooking
. Free-Running

【 PARANORMAL EXPERIENCE 】
Jason was on his way to the library to do some late-night research for his project. The air felt inhospitably cold and foreboding that night. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him as he eyed the dark treeline. He chalked it up to his anxiety shooting through the roof due to the project deadline.

The sidewalk lamps began erratically flickering, with each flicker lasting longer than the last. Suddenly he felt something hard 'grab' at his shoulder, the force almost yanking him off his feet. He turned and found nothing there but he definitely felt something having a death grip on his shoulder. His face scrunched in pain as he tried to shake off whatever was pulling him but it didn't work. A black cat jumped out of the hedges, it was the the cat he saved- furball. She hissed, with a previously unseen ferocity, at the empty air behind him. The grip became lax and with a hard shake managed to break free from it. Without a second thought he scooped up the still angry cat and sprinted in the direction of his house.

The rest of the night was a blur but he eventually woke up in his bed. He thought it a silly, vivid nightmare until he found furball was asleep next to him. That and the fact that he had a purple, grip-like bruise on his right shoulder.

【 BIOGRAPHY 】
Since his teenage years he found it fruitless to make friends. His parents frequently moved from country to country, jumping from one job to another. The friends he made in one school were forgotten by the third school. He realized quick that he'd rather save himself the heart-ache and avoided forming close relationships. This caused him to stand out, especially during his teenage years, as the 'loner'. He always stood up for himself, even getting into a few fights here and there when neither side wouldn't back down. Almost every school he attended, had the same type of group who would try and pick on him. Almost every time they would be the ones on the floor. The punishments didn't matter much as he would usually already be moving away.

It wasn't until he had received a scholarship from a Russian university that he would be able to stay in one place. His parents were elated, they let him use a vacation home their grandparents owned in Russia. Despite the opportunity of once again being able to form stable relationships, he opted out of doing so. The years of being by himself were bittersweet and he didn't mind being by his lonesome. Of course he would make a few acquaintances or loose friends here and there in the university. Luckily in this university most of his peers opted to leave him alone or just ask him for the odd favour or two.

His infamous reputation began when walking home on a rainy day. A group of young adults were chuckling among themselves. On closer inspection they were punting a small kitten around. The soft, terrified mews of the kitten spurred him into action. Without hesitation he began yelling at them. They laughed and spat at him and before he knew it he had retracted his umbrella and was getting ready for another fight. The brawl didn't take long, before they knew it they were sprawled across the wet concrete floor. Though he suffered a few bruises and cuts, it wasn't much. He sat on one of the delinquents that spat on him as he checked the kitten for injuries.

He took the kitten home and nursed it back to health. After a few weeks he set the cat back outside. It now frequently visits him at his doorstep, begging for food or cuddles. Jason indulged the little furball as much as he could.

The Curse of Sonina

Here's my CS, do tell me if you find any issues that I can append/change.

Jason Pierce

【 NAME 】
Jason Pierce

【 AGE 】
21

【 GENDER】
Male

【 SEXUAL ORIENTATION 】
Demisexual

【 OCCUPATION 】
Student at a nearby university - Engineering Major

【 PERSONALITY 】
♦ Kind ♦ Headstrong ♦ Perseverance ♦ Withdrawn ♦ Empathetic ♦ Unforgiving

Jason is not one to back down from confrontation. When he makes up his mind, it is very difficult to get him to change it; usually butting heads with others who do. Aside from that he keeps to himself, leaving others alone as long as they don't bother him. This has earned him the reputation of being aloof and 'hard to talk to' amongst his peers. Most of the time he's alone, not that he makes an effort to change it, finding solace in loneliness.

Though it's rare, there are embers of kindness that shine through. Despite usually being avoided, he helps others out if they ask for it, even if the 'ask' is a pain. Even sometimes going out of his way to do so. When asked about this he usually says something along the lines of helping out when you can.

In spite of this, he still was labeled a delinquent. Though he himself doesn't look for trouble it somehow, almost always, gravitates towards him. The rumour stem from the the time he came to class covered in gauze and bruises. Said rumour has spread and morphed into something drastically different from the truth. He really didn't care to correct them, partly due to indifference and partly due to no one bothering to ask him what actually happened.

Finally, Jason is very persistent. Despite not being the most studious around, landing a bit below average school rankings, he worked his way up. Many hours were spent on his desk at home, just pouring over the notes continuously until he understood. His ranking climbed steadily from one exam to the next, eventually landing him within the top 15 of the school rankings. Due to this many of his peers believe him to be somehow cheating or threatening his way to the top, when it couldn't be further from the truth.

【 SKILLS 】
. Tinkering
. Studying
. Brawling
. Cooking
. Free-Running

【 PARANORMAL EXPERIENCE 】
Jason was on his way to the library to do some late-night research for his project. The air felt inhospitably cold and foreboding that night. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him as he eyed the dark treeline. He chalked it up to his anxiety shooting through the roof due to the project deadline.

The sidewalk lamps began erratically flickering, with each flicker lasting longer than the last. Suddenly he felt something hard 'grab' at his shoulder, the force almost yanking him off his feet. He turned and found nothing there but he definitely felt something having a death grip on his shoulder. His face scrunched in pain as he tried to shake off whatever was pulling him but it didn't work. A black cat jumped out of the hedges, it was the the cat he saved- furball. She hissed, with a previously unseen ferocity, at the empty air behind him. The grip became lax and with a hard shake managed to break free from it. Without a second thought he scooped up the still angry cat and sprinted in the direction of his house.

The rest of the night was a blur but he eventually woke up in his bed. He thought it a silly, vivid nightmare until he found furball was asleep next to him. That and the fact that he had a purple, grip-like bruise on his right shoulder.

【 BIOGRAPHY 】
Since his teenage years he found it fruitless to make friends. His parents frequently moved from country to country, jumping from one job to another. The friends he made in one school were forgotten by the third school. He realized quick that he'd rather save himself the heart-ache and avoided forming close relationships. This caused him to stand out, especially during his teenage years, as the 'loner'. He always stood up for himself, even getting into a few fights here and there when neither side wouldn't back down. Almost every school he attended, had the same type of group who would try and pick on him. Almost every time they would be the ones on the floor. The punishments didn't matter much as he would usually already be moving away.

It wasn't until he had received a scholarship from a Russian university that he would be able to stay in one place. His parents were elated, they let him use a vacation home their grandparents owned in Russia. Despite the opportunity of once again being able to form stable relationships, he opted out of doing so. The years of being by himself were bittersweet and he didn't mind being by his lonesome. Of course he would make a few acquaintances or loose friends here and there in the university. Luckily in this university most of his peers opted to leave him alone or just ask him for the odd favour or two.

His infamous reputation began when walking home on a rainy day. A group of young adults were chuckling among themselves. On closer inspection they were punting a small kitten around. The soft, terrified mews of the kitten spurred him into action. Without hesitation he began yelling at them. They laughed and spat at him and before he knew it he had retracted his umbrella and was getting ready for another fight. The brawl didn't take long, before they knew it they were sprawled across the wet concrete floor. Though he suffered a few bruises and cuts, it wasn't much. He sat on one of the delinquents that spat on him as he checked the kitten for injuries.

He took the kitten home and nursed it back to health. After a few weeks he set the cat back outside. It now frequently visits him at his doorstep, begging for food or cuddles. Jason indulged the little furball as much as he could.

The Curse of Sonina

Ooh, colour me interested.

[HIGH CASUAL] ► Her Majesty's Spirit

A few days prior...

Alovian Training Yard

---

^{August 25th, Dawn | Sparring partners, Jacques Wymark}

An ashen-haired man stood in a courtyard in the early morning, gripped with a wooden sword. The knight was besieged by men on all three sides. The three men bore down on Niavak, waiting for an opening or movement. A chirping bird broke the still silence causing one of the three men to momentarily lose focus. Noticing this lapse in concentration, Niavak let out a breath and dashed at blinding speeds towards him. The man managed to bring his sword up to defend but his posture and balance were off. His weapon flew off his hands with a quick upward diagonal slash. Without pause the disarmed man punched in a wide, horizontal arc. Niavak deftly dodged the swing with a leg sweep, the man's face thud into the sandy soil.

The other two blinked for a moment, stunned. This was, however, brief, as they both leaped on their feet and attacked him from opposite sides. Niavak commended the duo internally, they still had kept their composure and attacked as a team. The knight also knew that being surrounded was the worst case scenario for a fight and as such he retreated in a way that kept both of them in his sight. He noticed that both men had their eyes directly on his sword. He played an obvious feint, a heavily telegraphed, high downward slash. The arc of the slash was interrupted by him abruptly letting go of the weapon. The men infront of Niavak were stunned, their heads followed the arc of the falling weapon. He delivered a swift kick to the man on his right, causing him to fall over and tumble back. While the other one was stumbling, he slithered around the man and put him in an neck-lock. It took a few moments before the man tapped the dirt, signalling his surrender.

The last man standing had regained his stance. Niavak stood up and grabbed his wooden weapon and stared at the man. His stance, while good and leaving little openings, highlighted his inexperience in dueling. It was too rigid. He also noticed that the man's hands were shaking. Deciding to prod the young man, he slashed horizontally but stopped it mid-way. The man quickly held his sword up to defend but only found air. Niavak wasn't doing it to anger the man, it was to prod him, but it incensed the him. The man charged at him, striking with noteworthy speed and strength. However these strikes were easily blocked or parried to the side. He stayed on defense, he ignored the feints and pushed aside the strikes. The man would now gamble, he began a left, horizontal swing only to feint and transform it into a right, horizontal swing. Niavak pushed the swing upwards and kicked his foot that supported his weight. The man fell on his ass, Niavak's wooden sword trained on his neck. He held his arm up in mock surrender.

With a long sigh, Niavak's face loosened up and a smile crept on his face. His battle-demeanor beginning to dissipate. He wiped the sweat off his face and held his hand out to the fallen man.

"You are terrifying, Wymark." The man said, accepting the hand. He dusted the dirt off his clothes before he continued. "This is the first time I've trained with you, but I'm not sure if I'd do it again."

The other two men joined his sentiments. Niavak could only scratch his cheek in shyness. "You three were good! I really had to improvise when you had surrounded me, any mistake on my part would have been my end." He said, taking a sip of water from a leather bottle. "If I had to say much, you, Eliot, should've control your emotions. It's easier to strike down an angered man."

The three men could only listen to him and nod. Eliot looked away when he was mentioned but begrudgingly agreed. An older man's laugh could be heard, the man looked like Niavak but older and with a cane. The three men bowed towards him and Niavak could only grin. "Father, what brings you here?"

"I came to observe my favorite son." Jacques Wymark said, resting on his cane. His eyes swam between the three men "... and as I suspected, you didn't hold back against these trainees at all."

"I'd be surprised if I wasn't your favorite son. Since I'm your only son, right?" Niavak chuckled, helping his father down the steps. "You three, take a break."

The three men dispersed and went their own directions.

"I can only assume you're here to talk about the super-secret party I've been recruited to." He said, as he was set to travel to Thelan in a day.

"As expected o' the ever astute 'Pale Knight'." His father said, mockingly sheathing his cane into an imaginary hilt.

"Ugh that nickname. It's because of this white hair and complexion." He said, gesturing towards his hair. He simply followed his father's antics. "If you think about it, this is your fault father."

His father laughed boisterously for a moment. His face turned serious with his following words. "I have only one question that I'll ask. Are you nervous?"

"Of course I am!" He said, his face flabbergasted. "Anyone who says otherwise is a fool. However we have little choice now. The situation is taking a turn for the worse. Thelannian military have begun pulling out of key locations. This last-minute party may be the only chance at stopping a full-blown war."

Jacques leg ached at the mention of the war. "Good." He smiled warmly. "You are to take my clothing into the dinner. This time I won't allow you to wear whatever you find under your wardrobe. Try not to earn the ire of any Thelannian nobles, or I daresay, their King."

"Naturally, father." Niavak placed his hand on his chest and bowed deeply. "Blessings and glory upon the Alovian Empire."

His father followed suit, the grim silence that followed pierced by both the father and son's uproarious laughter.

----------------------------------------

The Ballroom

---

^{August 31st, Sunset | Servants, Alice Allaire @Lionhearted}

Niavak pulled at the scruff of his stuffy clothing. He had worn clothing such as this in more than a few occasions but he could never get used to it. It was too tight, impractical for chases or fighting. It's only merit was to look fancy and presentable. As soon as he stepped in, he could feel a waft of cool air hit him. The atmosphere, while appearing on the surface as jovial and lively, was heavy and foreboding. It reminded him of the political jungles back at home.

He stood before the king, placed his arms over his chest and took a knee. He paid his respects with a few words. "My greetings to the Thelan King." The king wrinkled his nose and waved him away. With another bow, he walked away and back into the festivities. That's the king huh.

Formality was drilled into him at a young age, so he was used to rather callous behavior. He knew the king's mind was preoccupied, however he still thought it rude to not even acknowledge him. Maybe that's how Thelannian's greet their visitors. He thought jokingly, shaking off the king's discourtesy. He had only visited Thelan in more than a few occasions, mostly for joint-military training and sparring, but he had always thought it to be a beautiful kingdom. He would try his best to prevent both kingdoms from going to war.

A few eyes now drifted on him after paying respects to the king. Most were Thelannians trying to place who exactly he was. The Alovians that recognized him gave him a wave and chuckled. Niavak smiled at the few that met his eyes.

His first objective were to greet those who were to be in the legion. He eyed the sea of people dining and talking amongst themselves. He'd already caught a few noteworthy people. One such individual was the 'Shield-Maiden of Moore' Ellinor Myren, her reputation even reaching Alovia. He would have like to acquaint himself with her but she seemed busy conversing with a few other people so he pushed the greetings later.

His head craned around the room, looking for the rumored commander of the party- Lady Alice Allaire. Though his father said he wasn't entirely sure of the validity of this information. Because of his distraction he bumped into a female servant, causing a tall glass of champagne to spill into him and break on the flawless marble floor.

The servant looked pale as a sheet. She stood silently, unable to process what had just happened. She let a moment pass before she prostrated before Niavak. "Ac-Accept my deepest apologies sir." The servant said, her voice shaking with each enunciation. She apologized a dozen more times. The hubbub had drawn the attention of a few attendees. With a shaking arm, she began to hastily pick up the broken glass.

"No no, that was entirely my fault Madam." He said, grabbing her wrist. "Best not to get your beautiful hands cut, I'll handle it." He bent down and pulled his sleeves up, revealing multiple scars and burn spots. The woman gasped at the sight his arms. He picked up the glass pieces and placed it on her tray.

"I've also ruined your garments, please let me pay." The woman said with a downtrodden look.

"As I've said, that was my fault. Send the cost of the glass to the Wymark family." He continued, flashing her a smile. "Don't worry, it's why I wore black, the champagne just blends right in." He winked at her, an attempt to settle her nerves. After another slew of apologies she eventually left.

Niavak stood, smelling of champagne. He ignored the whispering directed at him. Guess I'll be known as the champagne knight now.

He took off his jacket and black inner shirt. He called another servant and asked them to bring them to his carriage. He only had one layer left on his person; a white, long-sleeved linen shirt that were pulled taut due to his muscles. He cuffed his sleeves in an attempt at making his shirt 'formal', however his garments still looked out of place in the ballroom. A few noblewomen and, oddly enough, noblemen seemed to flush red before looking away. He silently regretted not heeding his mother's words at bringing an extra set or two of formal clothing.

Finally he spotted Lady Alice. After making her way to her, he placed his hand on his chest and bowed. "Lady Alice, my greetings." He said. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. Excuse the attire, my clumsy self had caused them to be drenched with champagne."