Kenya
Gentle, yet sturdy sounds of glass heels clicked their way out into the patio of the Findara castle grounds. Caleesi had felt the pressuring effects of PTSD after her witnessing the arrival of a vampire- the thought alone rattling her core with flashbacks of that uneventful night where she suffered greatly and lost her own life to the hands of bloodsuckers. The grandmistress's chest rose and fell with staggered breaths as she tried to compose herself until she was out into the secluded clearing- finding a balcony fit perfectly attuned in front of the open, outstretched sea beyond the stone railings. Advancing towards the massive pillars, Caleesi walked straight into the stone railing- her abdomen hitting on impact as she braced herself against it. There was a heavy, stiff, and sickly feeling resonating within her chest and throat. The side effects of hysteria making her mouth grow sour and salivate as though she is going to get sick. Swallowing it all down though, Scarleth looked down at her glass still coiled in her pale fingers... That strong smell of wine did not help her nausea. So, with a simple fling of her wrist, the high elf tossed the contents from the cup over the ledge. Watching as the crimson liquid rained from the sky and down into the crashing waves below to be washed away. 

_ _

A heavy sigh blew from the woman's lips as she tried to steady her breathing. Knowing this night would be long if she didn't get a grip on herself. All those years learning to get her life back with the help of witches, Cali still had trouble containing herself from the trauma of monsters and vampires... *It was pathetic*, she thought. Nothing else seemed to faze her like this did. Perhaps, without such a chronic disorder, Caleesi would have been the strongest minded woman in the world. Yet here she was, fighting the urge to buckle at the knees. Fighting the memories of blood and guts. At times it was just too much to handle. Though, after pouring her wine out, the high elf opted to pour herself over the stone railing. Folding her thin arms over the balcony and resting her heavy head within them as a means to ground herself back to reality. A groggy-like groan could be heard stretching from the woman's throat, although quiet, still audible. 
_ _

Caleesi felt awful. Not only physically, but mentally too. She had stressed herself to the point of exhaustion before this ball, not wanting to ruin it for her prince or those around him. And the thought of causing such a scene would surely do a number on her. Although, now there was much more at stake... Her vampirism, while under control most of the time- was not prepared to be shaken or stirred to the point of making Cali ill. She had let her morals slip through the cracks enough to pain for the taste of blood. And with a room full of bodies roaming free? It only made things worse. The high lady never took pleasure in the partake of ichor. Hating its copper like taste as it slides down one's throat- the thought alone causing her to shudder. Caleesi's hands slowly gripped the railing, trying to cease the hunger that grew within her. If she had it her way, the sorceress would live a life without the need for blood to keep her alive. That is what she told herself time and time again. That this hunger would pass, she would survive. Another sigh drew from Scarleth before she stretched her back- hoping moving around her stiff bones would make her weakened state of mind refocus. Cali *Needed* To be one-hundred percent tonight. There was no room for failure.
||
Daniel
Alone stood the Master of Laws, his gaze spanning far out into the expanse of ocean before him. His hands remained empty, no glass of wine within them or around him, as he chose to avoid alcohol. Not that Lysanthir was someone who couldn't handle such a vice, he just preferred to stay away from it. For many men and women alike, alcohol turned them into people their loved ones might not recognize, though Lysanthir had none of those either. Hearing the *Click, click, click* Of heels above him, Lysanthir breathed in slightly, the smell of salted coconut with hints of vanilla breaching his nose like when you first light a candle. Glancing upward, Lysanthir watched with a frown as someone tossed their wine over the edge of the balcony above him. Ignoring it for a moment, the *Thump, thump, thump, thump* Of a heartbeat soon reached his ears, piquing his interest greatly.

Was someone in distress?

In something like a flash or blink of an eye, Lysanthir appeared though quite a few meters behind the individual on the balcony. Eyeing them curiously, the vampire soon realized the person in distress was none other than Alynthi's Mistress of Magic, Caleesi Scarleth. Of course Lysanthir knew each and ever member of every kingdom's council. While it was not his job, it was better to be prepared for situations that called for conversing with other councils and their members. Lysanthir's heavy and dark gaze seemed to scan up and down the back of the elven woman, her heart beat and ragged breathing scratching against his ear drums. At first, Lysanthir believed perhaps the woman was drunk and getting sick, or maybe the wine didn't set right within her stomach. Furrowing his brow in a low frown, the elf tilted his head before finally speaking and making his presence known to her.

_ _
"Are you alright, Lady Scarleth?"

Lysanthir's voice was deep and commanding, though the tone one was one that might not be understood immediately. It was cold, but that faint hint of worry was unmistakable. The elven man kept his distance however, not taking a single step toward Caleesi. Given that Caleesi herself was a vampire, although Lysanthir did not know this, she'd likely not hear his heart beat at all, nor his approach behind her. Being so old as a 2,000 year old man with the majority of those years spent as a vampire, Lysanthir had learned to control his heart, movements, breathing; he could be in and out of a room without hardly anyone knowing he was there to begin with. Though, if the Master of Laws knew Caleesi was a vampire as well perhaps he wouldn't have said anything at all. Lysanthir had a similar opinion on vampires to Caleesi, but he knew they could live as normal individuals. The man himself was somewhat proof enough of that sentiment.
Kenya
With nothing but darkness covering her eyes, Caleesi pushed her forehead and eyes deeper into her forearm, trying to ease the tension in between her eyes and head. For the most part, it was working. With the cool breeze from the outdoors purifying the sweat from her brows, mixed with the closing of her eyes- the high elf was steadily on her way to easy breathing... 

That was, *Until she wasn't.*

Perhaps it was foolish of someone as smart as the council-woman to think she would find the time to be alone. Better yet- to think that no one would notice her odd and solitary behavior out on a lone patio- but, Cali wasn't fully thinking when she was searching for an exit. So, when the reverberating sound of an unfamiliar voice shook her ears- Caleesi could be seen jumping ever so slightly. Her shoulders pinching up as she straightened herself out to stand tall. The first thought that raced through the woman's mind was that she had no idea who could possibly be speaking to her. She didn't hear the sounds of footfalls, nor the beating of a heart or- *Any* Indication of life around her. All she could sense was **Heavy** Smells of intoxicating musk–the commanding tone of a man- no doubt, sent a bite from her toes to her spine like the gentle jab of a knife. Although Caleesi kept her wits about her as she slowly turned her jaw over her shoulder... Those icy blue eyes hesitate to follow. "I..." Scarleth started to speak before she caught that striking sight of Lysanthir's unmistakable robes. 

*Fear, dread, panic, it all came crashing into her like the waves hitting the rocks below.* 
*How did he get up here?* Better yet, *How did he know she was up here?* 
_ _

"I'm fine." Caleesi spat back, her tone just as stern as his. However, if the lawmen had listened close enough, *Which Caleesi undoubtedly knew he would,* He would hear a quiver straining to maintain a strong essence within her voice. Like the snap of a twig, the high elf's head turned back to face the ocean. Her hands gripping onto the railing before her for dear life. As much as Cali tried to calm herself however, the anxiety eating away at her from the inside out was unshakable. Faster and louder than anything either of them may have heard, the high lady's heart began to race. Pounding so hard she could feel it in her toes and fingers. Heat rose expediently on the young woman's face as she pondered on what to do. Seemingly embarrassed that she was now stuck in a situation with no way out. However, as informal as it may have been- Caleesi figured if she remained blunt and snappy that maybe, just maybe, he would leave her.
||
Daniel
Lysanthir's eyes seemed to shimmer in the moonlight as Caleesi stiffened, his senses always on alert for each creak her bones made, the sound of her breathing, the drop of sweat onto the balcony floor- her scent lingered, though less so now that the wind was with Lysanthir's gaze. Blowing into her, his own smell would easily reach the vampiress's own senses, one of heavy cologne to mask the smell of blood on his lips and hands. Watching with nothing but innate curiosity as the woman straightened herself but refused to look at him, Lysanthir began to take slow steps forward. Caleesi would not hear them, only the faint *Clack... Clack... Clack...* Of the man's cane on the hard floor of the patio. It was a slow approach, like a viper slithering into a position ready to strike the final blow. 

The councilman was almost surprised when he saw Caleesi's head turn slightly, though a sense of irritation rose within him as she quickly snapped her head back to look out at the seas ahead of them. Squinting his eyes ever so slightly, Lysanthir tilted his head mere inches. Like a cat toying with its food before devouring it whole, the man could feel her fear. It crawled into his senses like the coldest air you've ever breathed, down his throat and into his chest. Slowly but surely, those crystal blue eyes of his began to darken and turn a blood red, like the wine Caleesi had so careless thrown over the edge into the rocky, crashing sea below. At the pace he was going, it would take Lysanthir only a handful of moments before he was at the woman's back, his hot breath invading the goosebumps that dotted along her neck and shoulders.

_ _
*If people wished to fear him, he'd give them what they so feared.*

Sensing the increase in her heart beat and catch in the woman's throat, Lysanthir's eyes became complete, now pupiless orbs of dark red. Inching closer, the man tilted his head forward and inhaled slightly, the smell of Caleesi's sweat and fear now in his nose. Furrowing his brow, finally he replied. "Then why is your heart beating so fast?" Once more, that deep and cold voice of his began to crawl up the elven woman's back, like a shadow refusing to let her go. It would grip her body, reeling her hearing in as if she could hear nothing else. It almost sounded as though he were mere centimeters away when he spoke to her, though in reality he was meters behind her.
Kenya
The sharp clacking of Lysanthir's cane impacting with the floor each time made Caleesi flench- her body now trembling with a foreboding panic that something truly awful was going to happen to her. That image of Luthais sending his demons to bound and shackle her soon appeared in her head along with every *Tick* That bounced off the stone floor, sending the high elf's mind into a state of shock as she now began to pant heavily from the lack of air reaching her lungs. It was cruel... What he was doing to her. Teasing her with the fear he saw outwardly projecting on her- Cali was sure he could smell it. By no means did Scarleth smell bad, no, of course not. She actually smelled sweet. Decadent, even. Like a piece of soft melted candy you couldn't keep your hands off of. The breeze that had shifted in the vampire's favor no doubt proved that fact, as the wind morphed its thin presence into something like fingers racking through the blonds hair. Carrying that sweet coconut scent into the air until it lingered its way into the nose of the councilman. Caleesi's nails had begun to chip away at the stone railing she was so desperately gripping onto, the sheer force of her strength making it difficult to contain in times of anxiousness. Nevertheless, in the sorcerer's frozen state, Cali kept her fluttering gaze straight ahead. Unwavering from side to side as she found herself squeezing her eyelids shut to yank her back to reality.

'*This can't be happening. This can't be happening... Wake up Caleesi.'*
_ _

Cali had her doubts that a vampire, let alone a nobleman of Lazaroth, would harm another within a setting such as this. He *Was* A master of laws after all, surely he knew the consequences of such actions... Yet, even in her firm beliefs, Caleesi couldn't shake the sweltering dread that coated her skin in goosebumps. *Begging* Her to run. She could not hear his heartbeat after all, which meant all she had to go off of was his scent and cane- both of which felt too close for comfort. It almost seemed as though Lysanthir was purposefully trying to back her into a corner for his own amusement... When his voice shook the ground once more however, rattling poor Caleesi's soul along with the vibrations from his defined tone- the high lady cowered at just how suffocating the males presence and words had made her feel. Those once strong, bare legs grew weaker as Cali pulled herself closer to the edge to get away from him. 

"*It's not.*" Scarleth said firmly, lying through her teeth. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be out with the other royals? *Or is cornering women your favorite pastime, Lord Olagwyen.*" 

Even through her trembling undertones, Caleesi stood her ground. Commanding her voice to flow like daggers to the man's heart just as she would do if he persisted. Although it was blatantly obvious the high elf was battling an episode, she would not let it define her in moments such as these. If Cali took a moment to feel the atmosphere around her, she could sense the burning sensation of the vampire's eyes devouring her whole. Which only made her nerves tingle in a fearmongering ache. Each time Lord Lysan opened his mouth to speak, she could feel the demanding presence of him wrapping around her ears and neck like a warm hand slipping its place onto each open space of her skin. The only thing that scared her the most is that... She couldn't tell if there was malice in that touch. Or on his tongue. It was all simply... 

An intimidating blur.
_ _

In between those moments where silence filled that void however, Caleesi would open her beaming blue eyes to focus on the ocean below. Listening to the way the waves rocked and cradled themselves back and forth, building momentum to climb further onto the rocks and sand each time. With every hush of elongated crashes, and the withdrawals of the ties, Cali found herself pondering on what it would be like to toss herself in... Because what if this wasn't real? What if he was simply a nightmare sent from hell. And she simply needed to wake up? 
||