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"I can..." Richard sighed absentmindedly as he stared off into the distance. after a moment, he cleared his throat and changed the subject. "We should probably meet the others soon, or at least head back to the hotel. We didn't tell them where we were going after all..." He offered, standing up a bit straighter.

Richard seemed to think for a moment. He really had no where in particular in mind. "Are you feeling hungry? You didn't eat much this morning..." He noted, realizing part of that was his fault.

((sorry I'm just now having time to post during class...><))

"We should grab something to eat then....but where?" He asked feeling stupid that he didn't really know of anyplace in particular. Most of the place she felt Lorey deserved to eat at were far too expensive for his budget which made him feel a tad inadequate.

Richard smiled. He found it pleasantly strange that she would like such a humble place. Then again,she was such a humble and meek girl. Most women he would offer to take out, would request soemthing over romantic like that new place downtown, but Richard not only didn't have the budget, he didn't think Lorey would be comfortable letting him indulge on her by taking her to such a place. "Wherever your heart desires..." He soothed as he led her towards the entrance, arms entangled around her.

---

It had been a few days since he had last seen Richard and Lorey.

Damian had felt deeply troubled by this whole affair for ages. After Richard had left his office, he felt disgusted with himself. Usually he was a man of callous behavior, yet this time... his heart actually began to bleed.

He loved her. Even he couldn't ignore that persistent fact, though it had taken days for him to come to terms with. He loved Lorey, but his effort to push her away had only served to do just that, and right into the arms of another man. A man he had nearly just given his blessing to.

That he had not foreseen, could not have foreseen. But what was even more surprising was who it was holding Lorey's delicate, rough little hand: Richard.

Damian knew this ex-policeman's wife, Rose, had been murdered suspiciously. He wasn't even quite sure himself of what had happened, even with all the best ears and eyes open, pouring their gossip into the massive information collector that was the Ballroom. It was this desire to know more and to see just who Lorey was entangling herself with that lead Damian to do his own research. After all, how likely was it that this would end badly? Very (and that was reassuring). But he would have to know just who this Richard was in his entirety, and also know how Lorey was, in order to truly be of any service to them in the future (be it for ill or not).

And so the son of one of the richest men in Veratia searched the underground, questioned police friends, followed his own leads. A few more days passed,and it wasn't long before there was a change in the Ballroom. Or more specifically, in his father.

His father became more of a recluse, more secretive and less eager to see Damian at all. There were fleeting conversations about business meetings concerning the family fortune and the Ballroom, and it seemed every word was laced with a sense of dread. Damian saw no reason to fear or the safety of his own comfort, or that of his father, and so he let it be. Perhaps his father was just getting old and was becoming paranoid with the funds. He had heard of it happening before with other families. So, his search for information went on.

But it cost him dearly when the facts he chased just started to become clear; even if he himself had no idea what a Super was, he remembered that one time, when he was a boy...
The man who lit the candle with his hand.

Facts began to surface, though strangely. Lorey's mother's death, for one. He had paid off police officials handsomely for allowing him a look at the file concerning the accident. It occurred in the spring, when Lorey was younger, sixteen perhaps. The report said it was an accidental death due to a collision with a drunk driver on a speeder, though there was no mention of the person driving the contraption or even what happened to them.

It seemed as though Lorey's mother was of little matter to them, and yet when he asked to see the photos of the body, it was another sum entirely that persuaded them to be seen at all. The photos were gruesome, to be sure, but what was more disturbing was that there was no way a speeder could have done the kind of damage Damian's eyes saw laid out before him in cold prints.

The woman in question was unrecognizable, and delivered to the coroner in parts and pieces. The report details illustrated some sort of explosion to the wounds, and that the body was found in an alley way, but... that couldn't be right. Hit by a speeder, found away from the road? And still no mention of the driver. None.

Damian gave everything a rest once it became clear, though, that Richard's information was not going to be divulged past the key facts that his wife was murdered, Richard worked on the team to discover it, and that somewhere along the line he was shunned from the world of justice to become it's victim.

It was maddeningly frustrating. But everything stopped once Damian returned to the Ballroom three days later, up to his office, and saw that his name had been removed from the door and his belongings removed from the office.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked anyone who was just a step below him on the social and corporate ladder. And the answer he received was chilling.

"It was in your father's will," a strange man in a black suit answered. Damian couldn't recall having ever met him before, yet there he was, standing just outside the office. "He died three days ago. You are no longer a part of this company, this establishment, or have any piece or part of it in your name. All of your assets given to you by him have been taken from you to compensate for debt. Security will escort you of of the premises."

And just like that, it was done. Albeit with a great deal of kicking and carrying on from Damian, but without anything more than a vague explanation, he was thrown out of the only place he found comfort within.


That was only the day before.

Now, Damian sat upon a bench in the park. He had spent the night there like a regular ragamuffin. Mind reeling and heart broken, Damian had spent the day before going to every banker, every documenter he could find to understand what had happened. His father had died, but there was no body and no funeral, because those were "his wishes." Damian had been given no inheritance, nothing at all, because those, too, were his father's "wishes." Names were withheld from him because of legal matters, so not even he knew where the money had gone and what the ballroom would be used for now. They said his father had signed off on everything, so there couldn't possibly be any sort of forgery going about.

However, there was definitely foul play.

But one thing was for sure: Damian had nothing but the money within his account and what was on his being. A great deal that was, sure, but it would not survive. He had to find Richard and Lorey. Perhaps they could band together... perhaps they could help one another.

With a heart full of mysteries and miseries, the man sought out those who he thought to be the nearest things to companions, even if one he had thrown out of doors and the other he had come to blows with.

Raquel had never seen such splendor. Her eyes grew impossibly large as she took in the glitz and glam, grasping Damian's arm a bit tighter. She suddenly felt small and dull compared to the shiny and lavish dresses and woman all around her. She felt like a small, out of place child who clinged to security.
She could practically feel the eyes falling on her, the whispers shooting into her like needles, the disapproving looks from the women, and cheap glances from the men. It wasn't something entirely new to her, but it was still unpleasant. She suddenly panicked. She sent a small glance begging for help to Damian. How would she know if she were doing something right or sociably unacceptable? She had planned on fending for herself tonight, so Damian could poke and prod his way around for information. She knew Chase would just swing her around on his arm like an accessory, just as he had for years. So He was always a back up plan.

Raquel's touch on Damian's arm surged with insecurity and self consciousness. Yet her face was steady a she gave Kiera a simple, but uninterested smile. "Well I suppose that calls for a thank you," She said with an innocent yet sweet tilt of her head. "Though, aren't you a bit lost? The kitchen is in the back, and I hate to be the one to say it, but you're apron just doesn't belong in the ball room..." She gave her what seemed to be a sarcastic look of concern as she tried to turn Damian away from the situation, wanting to pretend to be distracted with the decor on the other side of the room. "Though I'm sure you're doing a marvelous job, the food looks delicious!" She called sweetly behind her, shooting venom only with her eyes. Though her scared hold still remained on Damian's arm. In the back of her mind she wondered if he could sense her feelings, either b y instinct, or because she was somehow emitting them to him.

It was then a familiar voice boomed through the ball room, obviously form some sort of audio system. "Fair ladies and gentlemen, I must apologize for my tardiness, but now I shall make you wait no longer!" A few ladies swooned as a crowd gathered around a familiar white figure to one end of the ballroom.
"I was wondering where he got off to..." Raquel thought aloud.

"My first concerto is dedicated to a dear friend of mine, who has made his first appearance in the ball room since his fathers untimely death. Damian Centurion and his lovely date Raquel, don't they make a charming couple?" He announced as a spotlight form seemingly nowhere highlighted the two amongst the crowd. Raquel looked to Damian, confused and slightly scared, but her face was calm. There was what sounded like an orchestra background music playing as Chase lifted his violin and began playing a lovely waltz as all eyes fell onto Damian and Raquel.
Raquel felt only slightly nostalgic, since Chase used to play for her privately back in the day. But that was all behind her now. She was here with Damian. ...They weren't together, but she had said this was their last night to look the part. Maybe they could squeeze whatever romance and happiness out of this night as they could.