| Details for Elements of Attraction |
| Summary: | Cassius and Brei find one another drinking at the Natrix, and discover a mutual appreciation for candor. |
| Date: | September 13, 1938 |
| Location: | Natrix VIP Lounge |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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The Natrix VIP Lounge is a place where wizards can relax without worry of revealing themselves to Muggles. It's a quiet night in the lounge, as most of the evening's "action" is down in the main dance hall. At the bar sits a man usually surrounded by assistants, hangers-on, and sycophants. But tonight, Cassius Malfoy drinks alone.
The door opens and the dark haired figure of Brei slips inside. She glances around with a critical glance as she heads for the bar. She settles not to far from Cassius but is more focused on the bartender who has just set a glass of firewhiskey in front of her. She looks at the man with a scowl and takes a drink from the glass. "I have become predictable in my drink choices it seems…" She looks slightly put out by this and glances around. "And my darling cousin Wolfgang must be in hiding tonight…oh well." She takes another drink and glances down the bar.
Cassius had been lost in some distant thought, his finger idly circling the rim of his martini glass. But the new voice draws him out of his meditation. "He went downstairs earlier," Cassius mentions lazily. "But I cannot say where he has flitted off to now."
"I will find him later then…provided he doesn't find me first. Hopefully it will end better than last time…though that is unlikely considering I'm drinking again tonight." Brei smirks a bit and looks towards the dance floor thoughtfully as if considering if she wants to dance herself. She goes back to drinking for now though sneaking another glance at Cassius.
Cassius chuckles softly. "My, my. Are we volatile when we've been tippling?" He waves a hand. "No, please don't answer that. Forgive me. The perils of my own imbibement, I'm afraid." He brushes back a lock of platinum hair that has defiantly drifted into his vision.
Brei smirks at Cassius. "Volatile? No, thats me on a normal day without the firewhiskey. It becomes much worse when I drink and I will not elaborate further…for the sake of my sanity and yours." She takes a sip of her drink and glances at him as he brushes back his hair. Her eyes study him intently for a long moment as she sips her firewhiskey.
Cassius arches an eyebrow inquisitively. "Well, you are skilled at piquing interest. I'll give you that." He taps the bar for the tender's attention. "On my tab," he says, gesturing to Brei before turning his gaze back to her. "Cassius Malfoy. Your cousin and I go way back."
Brei laughes softly. "Am I? I will consider that a good thing…though a bit of mystery does tend to make even the most boring topic more interesting." She inclines her head to him. "Brei Montague, a pleasure to meet you. I have heard many things about you its nice to finally meet the man behind the name." She smiles faintly and lifts her glass once more.
Cassius offers up a bright smile, though it fades quickly. "All terrible things, I hope. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Montague." He casts his gaze about the room. "Here alone? Unless…you are expecting someone?"
"I'm alone yes." She admits lowering her glass her smile fading away in favor of a slight scowl. She glances towards the dance floor once more before she asks him in a slightly curious tone. "I don't suppose you would like to dance? I never can resist the urge to dance when I come here. Its one of the few things I actually enjoy."
The surprise on his face is obvious. Cassius isn't accustomed to being the one being asked to dance. "I should warn you, I've probably imbibed a touch beyond my limit tonight." Nevertheless, he rises from his barstool, revealing his full six foot height and narrow build, tucked neatly into a crisp, deep forest green suit. He offers his hand to help Brei to the floor.
Brei actually smiles at this and rises to her full five feet of height. "That is fine. I promise I will not judge….I have often done the same with rather…dramatic results." She looks up at him and takes the offered hand allowing him to lead her to the floor. "Though in exchange for my lack of judgment you may not make any comments about my short stature. Do we have a deal?"
Cassius grins, bowing his head. "A deal is struck." Despite his expressed concern about the amount of drink he's had, he leads her to the dance floor without making a buffoon of himself. He's actually rather graceful as he draws her near, placing a hand chastely above her hip, and gliding into a few simple steps. "So why is it you enjoy so few things? That sounds terribly tragic. Not that dance isn't greatly fulfilling, but surely there are other joys in your life."
Brei is a graceful dancer and easily follows his lead. She tilts her head to the side at his question. "I find it hard to find enjoyment in most things…mainly because though they are positive they are also notoroiusly temporary. I prefer to be prepared for the inevitable crash from joy by limiting my time experincing it. Still dancing is one of those things that I do enjoy. It isn't to hard to do either provided I can find a good partner and it seems I have lucked out tonight."
Cassius shrugs modestly. "I know enough not to trip over myself. Apparently in spite of one too many martinis." He regards her in silent curiosity for a few moments. "You seem to have an entire philosophy about enjoyment. I sense a touch of fatalism. I suspect you are cursed with higher intellect."
"Cursed indeed. I have a great deal of philosophies and opinions on a great many things. Still without someone to do the thinking the ignorant masses would be lost…a tradgy indeed." There is a touch of sarcasm in her tone at that last bit and she smirks up at him. "I also tend to speak my mind when it comes to my opinions. It makes a great many people uncomfortable and can also be considered something of an enjoyment of mine."
Cassius cannot help but give a light laugh at her words. "I know all too well the burden of controversial opinions. So do not hesitate to share yours with me. Not that it sounds as if you would anyhow."
"I might be willing to share my opinions on certian subjects in exchange for yours. After I shouldn't be the only one revealing things." Brei replies with a sly smile.
"I am hardly ever one to restrain my opinions. But I must implore you, tonight I should very much like to avoid matters of politics. Anything else is fair game." Cassius lifts an eyebrow, waiting to see if his terms are accepted.
Brei nods in agreement to the terms looking slightly amused. "Very well then, I can accept that. I will even allow you to pick the first topic of discussion if you like?"
The less he thinks about dancing, the more Cassius' reflexes take over, and the more graceful he becomes. He lifts his eyes thoughtfully. "Topic, topic. Hm. Alright, as we have both decided we do not shy away from otherwise uncomfortable subjects, let us cut right to the chase. Men and women. Can they be merely friends?"
Brei thinks for a moment tilting her head to the side and looking up at him. "Men and women often have trouble understanding each other but its possible that certain types within each group could be compatable for simply being friends. Now if one is attracted to the other its likely to end in disaster but if they are not attracted romantically to each other I see no reason why men and women can't be only friends."
"Ahhh, but let us be realistic. Romantic attraction is not the only form of attraction. There are more basic…less complex forces that draw men and women together." Cassius nods indicatively. "In my observations, any man and woman that spend enough time together eventually feel the tug of those urges."
"Such basic attraction does happen yes but not always….there are some cases where there is nothing but a purely platonic feeling. Now on the other hand basic attraction can ruin a friendship completely as well if there isn't a sort of understanding in place. Even sometimes with the understanding that the pair will never be more than friends the friendship can shatter as well. Its a delicate thing that is dependant on many different factors." Brei replies easily continuing the graceful movements of her dancing even as they banter.
Cassius nods as she speaks, absorbing what she has to say and considering it for a moment before replying. "Fair points. But proximity breeds familiarity. Even platonic relationships are vulnerable to developing attraction. Even in cases when a man and woman successfully maintain a relationship while avoiding crossing that line, I contend that the attraction will always develop with sufficient time. It requires an equally powerful force to counteract its allure. Professional standards, for instance."
Brei thinks for a moment and shakes her head softly. "While professional standards might help prevent attraction to some degree I disagree on the point that attraction will develop given time. Some people simply don't find certain others attractive in any sense. Time could strength a reltionship or tear it apart but it doesn't always result in growing attraction. There is also the fact that humans tend to want what they cannot have. Professional standards might prevent attraction or it might worsen the situation further. One person might have no interest in the other while the other finds that person attractive partly due to the fact that they are not interested. That would lead to disaster in the end. Still it is also possible to have a man and a woman who have absolutely no attraction to each other and are still good friends. It is likely a rare case but still possible."
Cassius chuckles, nodding. "We may have to agree to disagree about whether attraction will eventually develop. At the very least, I believe it will always become a consideration at some point. But let me clarify my meaning about professionalism. I do not mean to say it will prevent attraction, so much that it can serve as an opposing force to permit a healthy relationship to continue in spite of attraction."
Brei smirks and nods at the mention of agreeing to disagree. His clarification has her thinking for a moment before she nods. "So your belief is that there needs to be a factor in the relationship to create a balance so that attraction isn't the only focus yes? Something else to focus on in spite of any feelings the pair might have for each other? That does make sense…one of the greatest problems with relationships based on pure attraction is that they burn out quickly. I would think that any sucessful relationship must have something else besides attraction to keep it relativly stable."
Cassius lifts his brow in consideration, slowly finding his nod. "An excellent analysis. Yes, that has been my experience and observation. Like everything in the universe, interpersonal relationships are simply a matter of various influences and forces complementing and conflicting with one another. Forgive me if I sound a bit clinical. I find the human mind to be infinitely fascinating."
Brei smiles faintly. "The human mind is a fanscinating thing yes. So many different factors can affect ones thoughts and in turn ones actions. I think many are ignorant of just how much affect the words of others can have on your thought process. If you are told something often enough you will gradually come to believe it in my opinion. If what you hear is positive then you will tend to have a positive self image and outlook the same is true if you are constantly exposed to negative influcence. Still free will does play a part and each individual will react differently in different situations." She tilts her head to the side. "I hope I have not bored you too much? It is not often I find someone who can stand my presence for an extended time. Frankly I'm surprised I have not scared you off yet."
Cassius laughs aloud, sighing contentedly. "Scared me off? Nonsense. My mood is much improved already. There is little I enjoy more than matching my intellect to an equal. Especially one so willing to speak the truth as she sees it. It can be such a trial prying genuine opinions from most people."
Brei lowers her head a bit to hide the slight blush spreding across her pale cheeks. "Well I have never been very good at keeping my opinions to myself. If you ever wish for another discussion of this sort I would be happy to oblige. It has been most enjoyable for me as well." She looks up at him with a soft smile as the song ends. "I believe I should be heading home now. Thank you for the company and the stimulating conversation." Slowly she takes a step back from him glancing around to see that the majority of the people here have already left.
Cassius parts his arms as she steps back, deliberately showing a bit of reluctance. Before releasing her hand, he bows at the waist, lifting her hand to place a feather-light kiss upon her knuckles. "Miss Montague, it has been enchanting, and quite stimulating. I look forward to our next encounter most eagerly."
Brei actually smiles at this, its not faint either but a bright and very geniune smile that is quite out of place for her. It quickly fades into a calm expression and she inclines her head to him. "It has indeed. Thank you once again Mr. Malfoy, I too look forward to our next meeting." Once her hand is released she will smile faintly at him once again before heading for the exit.
Cassius stays on the dance floor to watch her go, gazing unabashedly with a confident smile at her when she looks back. When she finally disappears, he turns on his heel, heading back to the bar to pay his tab before slipping out himself.