<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Cassia</span></span><br/><br/>Cassia stood next to one of her vampire friends, Lee, at the side of the large - and now crowded - ballroom. She was cloaked mostly in the darkness of the shadows as she slipped the elegant lace mask on over her face. It did little to disguise her appearance, but it also mattered little. The masquerade theme had only been established as a way to help the humans feel a little more secure. It amused her that they could be more confident when part of them was concealed and although the masks did not often succeed in hiding a person's identity, they were always more bold with it than they would have been without. She found that she quite enjoyed that. It meant that the humans would be easier to approach and easier to lure off to a quiet part of the estate.<br/><br/>Cassia had been quietly surveying the humans from the moment they had started to file into the ballroom; hesitantly at first and then with more confidence as they got used to their surroundings. Some found friends in the crowds but everyone came alone. It made them easier targets to start a conversation with and it meant that they wouldn't have others searching the estate for them if they happened to go missing. She had learned from Mr. Harrison, the proprietor of the estate and the self proclaimed King of her species, that the first few attempts of an event like this hadn't gone as hoped. Initially, groups had been invited together but the humans had run about in a panic in search for friends. There had been the odd slip up; where a vampire would lose control and reveal their true nature to a room full of people and pandemonium would ensue. Things were far more closely monitored now and there hadn't been an accidental bloodbath in quite a number of years.<br/><br/>Tonight, however, that might all change. Cassia had heard quiet murmurings of a specific human that had been invited tonight. One that the Vampiric council did not want leaving. An investigator, she had been told, of all things supernatural and paranormal. It was only a matter of time, the young woman believed, before everyone grew wise to the 'monsters' that were living in their midst. The council did not want that to happen, of course. It posed a risk to all of their safety and they couldn't have word spreading about what truly went on at these balls. Not when the man had connections with those in power.<br/><br/>In any case, it wasn't anything Cassia needed to worry about. No, all she needed to focus on was finding a human to sate her bloodlust for the foreseeable future.<br/><br/>The ballroom was very large and the scent of roses hung in the air. Cassia was glad of the mask it had over the overwhelming scent of blood that surrounded her, so she didn't lose what little control she had. The room was lit by thousands of candles and very dim lighting from the stunning chandeliers above her head and it made the room look incredibly romantic. A classical band played at the very top of the hall and there were people dancing together in front of them. To her right was a table of food that people could pick at as they moved around the room. Cassia's eyes moved from one face to the next, trying to find the human that would cause her to stop and take a second look. She was bouncing up and down a little with impatience, glancing at Lee's still and calm form, every few seconds. He didn't seem to feel the overwhelming desire to sink his teeth into the nearest person like she did but then, he was quite a bit older than she was. He was used to attending events like this; used to the heavy scent of blood in the air and the pounding of so many heartbeats echoing around them. Cass was sure she would go mad with waiting to choose but Lee seemed at ease. She'd come to learn that he was often teased for how much time it took him to find a human; how he was incredibly fussy. Of course, he didn't let the teasing go lightly. Cassia was glad that he'd taken a liking to her because he was not the kind of person she would like to anger. Besides, she supposed it made sense; his taking so long to choose. If they had to spend the next few decades with this person then they needed to ensure that they truly liked them.<br/><br/>"How can you stand it?" she asked grumpily, crossing her arms over her chest and clenching her fists as a group of girls moved past them and the scent of their blood wafted towards her. Her throat was already burning with desire and she felt irritable and impatient. All she wanted was to<span style="font-style: italic"> feed</span>. To drink in that rich, crimson liquid and let it put out the fire in her throat.<br/><br/>"You'll get used to it. You're doing very well for your first ball," Lee assured her, moving his gaze away from the dancers to look down at her. "But you'll never get a human to speak to you if you frown like that," he scolded, pulling her hands free from where they rested across her chest and looked pointedly at her until she smiled sweetly at him, baring her teeth a little more than necessary.<br/><br/>"Good," he commented, returning her half-grimace with a smirk, before turning to face the room once more. "Why don't you circle the room and see if you can find someone you like," he suggested and Cassia nodded, stepping away from him and taking a glass of red wine from one of the waiters as she passed them.