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 Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2025 6:16 pm
Deidameia 8 Was there a reason? The possibility was very high that, yes, whatever opinion of her Calix should have would lower once he knew who she was. Her father had made sure to make plenty of enemies amongst the other nobility, that Deidameia had already experienced a wide variety in reactions. Some refused to talk to her. Some were hostile. And some....She'd rather not think about. She knew her brother despised their father for what he had done for his children's future. How would Dion ever find a suitable wife from a good family if all those families wanted nothing to do with them? The best prospects for him were someone lower in rank than even themselves or a lonely widow. As a woman, hers were a bit better. But even so, she'd rather be poor than be a charity case for some desperate bachelor.
"Why should I give all my details when you are also hiding?" The girl tried to keep her voice neutral, but the obvious playfulness that was her usual nature always managed to slip into her tone. As much as she tried to pretend to be more focused on the sky or the distant buildings or the stray couple taking a stroll through the garden, it was difficult to hide her amusement. "Perhaps you will tell me if it does later. Or maybe I've just been lying to create some mystery and there really is nothing." She shrugged her shoulders slightly, the action only partially lost in the shadows as the lights from behind her illuminated her back.
"Why messy? Do you propose the participants dance with plates of food on their heads?" She laughed lightly, again, very easily picturing the scenario with a random man and woman attempting to glide about the floor with a full plate of food, plus a drink, perched on top of their carefully arranged hairstyles. "Mm, that would be quite messy. And challenging."
"I admit I have not. I bet it is truly wonderful for one with a scholar's heart." She turned, than, her whole body shifting ever so slightly in his direction as if she were still observing her surroundings and not talking to some shadow man. Bringing the side of her head more into focus, her dark skin still blending in perfectly with the night. Deidameia dared a quick glance at the party behind them, her pale eyes scanning for her aunt and finding her standing by the far wall, talking to some older gentleman she hadn't been introduced to, yet. "Mm. I'm sure we still have proper introductions to each other waiting for us in there at some point. Duty always calls."
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Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2025 6:46 pm
Calix opened his mouth and then closed it, the teen shaking his head at his own foolishness. She was correct in her question since it truly wouldn't be fair to demand information about her when he was the one insisting upon hiding in the darkness. How would he find her later though? The question itself startled him and gave Calix pause as his gaze tried to seek out the other figure in the dark. Would he want to find her again, after this event was over? Their conversation had been....enjoyable despite his initial misunderstanding about her presence here and he appreciated the intellect of the mysterious guest. It was enough to give him pause and for the young nobleman to truly think about what he was actually doing out here for so long when he had simply wanted a breath of fresh air away from those inside. But whatever this was it surely was just an illusion of the moment that he would lose upon returning to the lit ballroom where everyone was watching his every movement and hoping to make a match. It was rare for him to make any close friends, all things considered, and only the blessing of On'os could give him such luck tonight. Calix was simply still too wary of others for that. It made him take a step away as his mind whirled with too many possibilities for the moment. "Is that so? I suppose the mystery can just remain as a good memory for an otherwise miserable event." He found himself replying, Calix not daring to risk things despite the temptation.
"You have quite the imagination." Calix admitted, a soft laugh escaping his own lips even as he tried to remain firm in his resolve to keep distant. "Perhaps you should have been the one hosting this party with so many ideas floating about. I simply worried about someone tumbling into another and perhaps knocking into some nearby décor or another couple, but I suppose plates of food on their heads would be asking for a mess indeed." Gods forbid that someone like his twin attend such a lively event. Qaisan would probably knock the food over on purpose if such a ridiculous scenario ever did occur. Meanwhile Calix would be much more content with a book, far away from any such chaos despite the laugh that had escaped him a moment before.
"Mm. Duty always calls indeed." Agreed Calix even as he hated the truth of it. He hadn't even thought about them being introduced in the ballroom, but it would make sense if neither of them recognized one another. She hadn't been in the first wave of girls introduced to him then, that much was certain. Would they recognize each other when they were introduced? Did he want that to happen or not? If it was an inevitable then why was he dragging his feet right now instead of just getting it out of the way? That moment of not caring about rank and ignoring the façade of reserved heir would be over as soon as he crossed that doorway. Calix could only straighten his shoulders as he prepared the mask again and turned towards the entrance with a hand up in farewell. "It was a pleasure speaking with you, miss."
Of course he had not been prepared for a servant to be coming his way when he turned towards the doorway. "Ah, Lord Cyrillus! Milady was looking for you to see if everything was alright..." The servant's words trailed off as he tried to look over Calix's shoulder, but the teen immediately gestured so that the servant would look away and not towards the gardens. That would be the last thing he needed! It was already bad enough that his name had been called out so loudly and there were already several pairs of eyes on him now. His companion in the garden had possibly heard as well, it wasn't as if he was completely back into the ballroom either...blessing of On'os indeed. It seemed fortune was not in his favor at all tonight. Calix straightened his shoulders some more and forced a tight smile. "It appears that my desire to get some fresh air may have worried the hostess. You can let her know that I'm fine now and I'll make my way back over there once I regain my bearings." The urge to just bolt was so strong, but Calix only took a few more steps so that he was fully inside. It was only once the servant left that his gaze slowly turned back towards the gardens with what could have been a hint of guilt on his face before he looked away again. At least he hadn't looked too close - now that would have been a bit of a mess if he had been a moment earlier. It was probably best if he just kept going forward...at least that would be the plan if he wasn't already being focused by a group of nobles and their daughters who were surrounding him for even more introductions.
[Calix 9]
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Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2025 9:17 pm
Deidameia 9 Deidemeia nodded, the motion now more visible as the lights from inside played across her features. Features still too dark to see too well. "If, by some miracle of the Gods, we can go through the rest of the night without that mystery being shattered." At least none of her very well known family members were in attendance. Just her aunt, one of her mother's sisters. A woman who didn't think too far above her own station in life. It seemed unlikely that they would go too long without a personal introduction. Aikaterini was doing everything in her power to make sure her niece knew as many of the younger nobles as possible. That was the point of a first coming-out, wasn't it?
The young woman's pales eyes flicked towards her companion and she gave a little giggle, raising her hand towards her mouth. Now that she was more visible to the party within, she didn't want it to be too obvious that she wasn't alone. "Maybe I do. It does make life more interesting." Clearing her throat, she swiped at a stray lock of hair, tucking it back into place before lowering both hands to her sides. "If I ever were to host a party, I will be sure to thank you for the encouragement for any wild ideas I have." Not that she'd ever get the chance to do that. Her family could hardly afford too many new dresses for her, let alone an entire party's worth of entertainment and refreshment. Once more, she was very glad for her sewing skills. She could easily tailor and change any of her gowns into something else entirely new.
"Unfortunately," Deidameia sighed, not bothering to hide her own feelings. Out here in the darkness, even with part of her face visible, she felt more like herself. Less of that weight to be perfect and polite. In response to the wave, she raised her own hand out of instinct, trying to conceal it by holding it in front of her face, as if she were only inspecting her fingernails. "Likewise." With the conversation at an end, she prepared to follow him after a suitable amount of time, watching him move away. What an interesting conversation. If only the night had given her more of those.
That was when the servant came running in and shattered every single thought in her head. The young lady couldn't restrain the widening of her eyes at that reveal. The man she had been speaking to this entire time had been of the Cyrulius family? If he was the only son, that would make him the...She didn't know if she should laugh or feel mortified.
Taking a step forward, Deidemeia exposed herself to the light, hands clasped demurely over her long skirt, the mask back on her face. Don't react to it. At least not like that. She caught the look from him and merely inclined her head politely, but allowing a small smile to play across her lips.
Than it was her turn. Almost as soon as her face left the shadows, the face of a passing man who looked barely any older than herself, suddenly turned towards her, a smile of relief all over his face. He glanced up at the fancy headband sitting above her head, the silver and small jewels catching the light. One of the few expensive things left to her family. A gift from her mother, it had been passed down the generations. Clearly he had been looking for a young woman with an accessory like it. And hair color, judging by where his eyes flicked next. "Lady Damaris?" he asked, his tone unsure. He breathed a sigh of relief when she nodded, keeping her eyes focused on him and no one else. "I was sent to find you." He stood and waited, the nervousness clear on his face. His eyes darted between everyone. "Please...This way."
Deidameia continued to keep hers fixed forward, but for a brief moment she closed them as a pained expression came over her face. "If you'll excuse me, than," she politely addressed Calix, or Lord Cyrillus as it were. "Duty calls."
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Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2025 1:03 pm
At least he wasn’t alone in his feelings towards the event. Though that aspect was quickly thrown out in the rush of embarrassment that Calix felt whenever he was caught by the servant in front of the mysterious lady. His honest response to being caught would be to try to offer some form of explanation, perhaps not so much an apology but as close as Calix could be since he did not consider his actions in the gardens wrong, but the pressing crowd around him kept him from even looking over towards his shadowed companion after that initial glance back so any such effort was forfeit in the moment. Despite knowing that she would be stepping into the light soon enough, Calix tried his best to avoid looking back over his shoulder as he started giving polite nods to other guests as they approached him. Where was his aunt? His golden gaze swept over what he could in between greetings, Calix desperately hoping that Alinta would show up at any moment to take some of the pressure of socializing from him. The only positive the young nobleman could gain from this moment was the fact that he could use the guests as a distraction from his current temptation to see who his mysterious companion truly was.
Which potentially would have worked had On’os not been playing some sort of trickery on them tonight. The name unfortunately was one that he had only heard in whispers when he first entered the ballroom earlier and was far from the list of recommended acquaintances presented to him by his tutors. One of the many trying to marry a good catch, right? Someone had whispered roughly and even now Calix could feel the curious gazes as Lady Damaris addressed him. How dare she try to address the young Lord Cyrillus as if she knows him. Does she actually know him? Perhaps, after all, sometimes a pretty face is all it takes to tempt a young lord. Calix held back his own painful wince, his emotions twisted and tangled as he tried to navigate things. Even if she hadn’t known him in the gardens, she knew him now and so any lingering hope he had for whatever they held earlier disappeared with their revelations. He couldn’t falter, not when so many had their gazes trained on him and gossip could spread as easily as wildfire if he misstepped here within plain sight of society.
“Lord Cyrillus? Do you know her?” The first question reached his ears as he stood rigid, refusing to acknowledge the departure of Lady Damaris despite her addressing him. Immediately a few more gazes swept their way, several preparing to take notes on whatever occurred next to add gossip into society’s next gathering. The familiar lord who had addressed Calix nearly faltered as that golden gaze turned towards him, Calix forcing his lips to twist into something more akin to a haughty smirk. The crimson haired Oban had seen that expression right before Calix tore into another’s work, the young lord having taken a few private classes alongside Calix. It was something that made the Oban hold his own tongue as he allowed Calix to speak and stepped aside for his departure.
“I can assure you that I’m not aware of many yet in this room, Amin.” Calix coldly reinforced as he took a step forward and away from the direction of Lady Damaris. A name that he surely wouldn’t forget even if he didn’t say such a thing out loud, especially in the curious presence of others. “Surely it was towards someone else nearby or a simple mistake. As it is the host is waiting to speak with me, I must excuse myself and see to more important discussions than this. I’ll speak with you later.” And without another look behind him, Calix left and kept moving forward to keep as much distance as possible between them and any potential rumors.
[Calix 10]
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Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2025 6:32 pm
Deidemeia 10 Deidemeia blinked a few times, staring off into the crowd, her pale eyes moving around the different people as if on auto-pilot so nothing looked strange. A tactic she had been taught ahead of time by her aunts in place of her mother. Put a mask on your face. Pretend nothing around you was bothering you, even while your heart was thumping so loudly everyone else must be able to hear it and your core felt frozen. It was so difficult to keep her personality in check that it often found ways of slipping between the cracks. As it had done before she could stop it. The young woman breathed in deeply, slowly, before letting it out through her nose. She couldn't fully hear them. Maybe she was managing to block them out. Not that she needed to hear it to know what was going through their heads.
Gods. Her aunt wasn't going to be happy with her. As if there wasn't enough gossip and whispers about her family as it were. Her father in such deep debt and now the daughter was of an age to mingle. The son had a few more years before he would be ready. As if it wasn't common knowledge already what he already got up to in his spare time. What else could be expected of her but to play nice with all the bachelors until one decided she was good enough? Her brother was going to bring this family into even more ruin. He was already doing his best at it.
Still...Was that any reason to behave like that? Deidemeia's eyes flicked to Lord Cyrillus, her face impassive and expressionless even while her hands trembled where they hid behind her wide sleeves. She couldn't say anything. Not here with everyone watching. But if it'd been just them, she couldn't imagine her voice would have been able to hold back.
The own servant who was still near her, nervously watching the exchange, kept darting his gaze between all the other people of status around him. She felt a little bad for him.
A small smile formed on her lips, the edges not quite reaching her eyes. She looked at the servant who had addressed her, taking a further step into the room. "My apologies," she told him, loud enough she hoped the departing back would also hear her. "My eyes must have deceived me in thinking I saw a gentleman nearby. My aunt must be waiting for me, yes?"
Ah. Decorum. How she despised it so.
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