Valentines Day Ball! -Read Second Post-

[Triltsch]

Faaiz gave another girlish little laugh. "Well, see, milady, I'm but a Nosferatu among Elders. I never knew of the Minion system until recently - glorious little thing, that. Besides, I wasn't really sure how I would be accepted…" He glanced over to Dulcineo. "You know this, dear brother." His gaze returned to Kore's. "That's why. But now I'm sure I won't regret joining, with such lovely company." He looked down at his hand and smiled slightly.  

[Daughter of Hades]

"The company.." she looked at both Dulcineo and Faaiz "Have been extremely good and getting better since i've come here..." she chuckled, looking at Faaiz in the eyes then at Dulcineo. Cerberus smacked his head with his hand and groaned slightly as he got up to get more cookies. Kore sipped her blood from her glass and put some of her hair behind her ears. "So my boys, how are the both of you this fine night?"  

[Triltsch]

"Better every minute. Excuse me for a moment, if you will…" Faaiz spoke briefly with a waiter, requesting some sweetened iced tea. "Speaking of the previous company, did anyone know that brash fellow a little while ago? He seemed a bit… unfamiliar to the place and its happenings…"  

[Dulcineo]

"I am very well, thank you. And I'm glad that you think well of my brother, I must say." Dulcineo chuckled a little at Cerberus's exasperation. "I've been a bit busy today, I confess. As somebody once said--though Julius would have my head for quoting it--Valentimes is serious times. Silly, yes, but true."

Fortunately for Dulcineo, Julius was not there to "have his head"--he was, in fact, following Cerberus on his way to the cookies and talking to him.
"I realize that I have said very little to you while I've been here; I hope you don't think less of me for it, but the atmosphere in general of this time of year gets me feeling significantly more awkward than usual..."  

[Daughter of Hades]

"Oh that was Alucard... He is a bit brash, isn't he?" Kore searched through the candy dish that was on the table and found a red lollipop. She took off the wrapper and started to suck on it. "Mmmm watermelon flavor." she continued to suck on it. Cerberus came back and saw Kore and the lollipop and sighed. "Not again..." he said to himself.  

[Triltsch]

"I've always liked watermelon candies. Grape too, usually, but you really can't go wrong with artificial watermelon flavoring." He chuckled.  

[Daughter of Hades]

Cerberus looked over to Julius and sighed. "Mistress is doing it again..." as he looked back at her. "And no I don't think less of you, this holiday has always been awkward for me too." Cerberus smiled slightly at him. Kore at the table agreed with Faaiz "Aye, grape is good as well as artificially flavored watermelon."As Faaiz kissed her hand, she blushed. She continued to lick on it while looking at Dulcineo and winked at him.  

[Triltsch]

"Ah… forgive me, my dear, but I'm afraid I must retire for the night. I'll look forward to seeing you again tomorrow evening." Faaiz lifted Kore's hand and kissed it softly, and slipped out the door into the chilly night.  

[Dulcineo]

Dulcineo blinked at Kore's winking, but thought nothing more of it and waved farewell to his brother.

"Ah, all right. That's good to know. Dulcy is always bothering me about finding 'someone'--or rather, the fact that I never do find anyone--but I think he's realized how pointless it is." He looked at Dulcineo, who was clearly enjoying himself far more than Julius ever had at an affair like this, and he sighed. "Usually I don't think much about it, though it does bother me a little sometimes."  

[Daughter of Hades]

Cerberus sighed and then looked over at Julius "Hey, how long do you think it'll take for my mistress to woo Sir Dulcineo, or vice versa?" he leaned over and whispered to Julius.

Kore beckoned Dulcineo to come sit next to her. She smiled at him and traced his hand with her finger. "So my Dulcy, what do you think is going to become of the Ball?"  

[Dulcineo]

Julius smiled a little, whispering back. "That is an interesting question, and I'm afraid there's no easy answer to it. I have known Dulcy for a very long time--I know him perhaps better than anyone who ever has known him--and, in all honesty, I don't know if the man can be wooed. He always tells me that love is an awful hassle, though even I don't know how he knows that... And though he enjoys the company of lords and ladies alike, it is no simple matter to win affection from him." Realizing how one might interpret what he had just said, Julius hastily amended, "Which isn't to say, of course, that your mistress hasn't made a favorable impression on him."

"Oh, I don't know..." He looked off at some upper corner of the room, pondering. "It certainly doesn't seem as busy as, say, the New Years ball, though perhaps people had more time then. And I really don't know how the votes are going to go, but, as I believe I have implied before, I'm looking forward to the results."  

[Daughter of Hades]

Cerberus nodded. "My mistress has lived a long time and found that love can be something to help pass the time, at least that's what she says.." He sighed and then looked confused at Julius. "A favorable impression? How so?" he asked.

Kore chuckled at the remembrance of the New Year's Eve Ball. "Oh yes, I remember... twas interesting, none the less. And I'm just so anxious to see who wins this year!" she said, looking at Dulcineo in his eyes. Wishing she could see what lied inside...  

[Dulcineo]

"Well..." Julius watched Dulcineo as he thought and spoke. "For one thing, as soon as he comes to any organized event such as this, he heads straight for you and your mistress. I've given up on scolding him for not greeting the host... But I can tell--again, knowing him as well as I do--when he's really enjoying his company and when he's just leading them on, and he really does look forward to your mistress's conversation."

Dulcineo watched Kore for a moment before speaking again. "So, milady Kore. What do you think of Valentine's day in general? I have known those who love it because it's a day set aside specifically to be romantic, and I have known those--my dear Julius included--who condemn it for exactly the same reason."  

[Daughter of Hades]

Cerberus smiled. "Yeah, he does come to me and my mistress a lot. And mistress loves his company almost as she loves... well..." he started to think to see what she loved most but couldn't. "Hmm, well, for the moment she really loves to be with Sir Dulcineo." Cerberus leaned on the wall and bit the head off of another cookie and looked over to Julius and offered one. "You want one?" he smiled at him.

Kore thought for a moment. "Well, my cousin Aphrodite is one of the main reasons for the holiday and she kinda goes insane during this time because of all of the people falling in love. I like this season because lonely people seem to find valentines.." she sighed and then looked slightly sad.  

[Dulcineo]

"Ah, yes, please." He took the offered cookie and took a small bite out of it. "It's been a while since I've eaten anything... I try to subsist entirely on blood, knowing that I depend on it as a vampire, but I must remember to eat something like this now and then."

"Ah, that makes sense. I do wish, though, that I could find a valentine for poor Julius... He never even makes an effort, and I'd like to see him enjoying himself for once. Ah, it matters little; he seems to have found a friend in your guardian." Dulcineo smiled at the two where they stood. "It makes me happy, seeing people confess their love to each other at the same time, seeing people putting so much effort into their gifts for their 'significant others,' whatever in the world that means."