[color=lightgray][H3][center][b][color=AFDCE0]Count Landon Monet[/color], [color=ab274f]Prince Wulfric Danrose[/color], [color=hotpink]Lord Leo Smithwood[/color], [color=9354FF]Count Fritz “Ryn” Hendrix[/color], [color=greenyellow]Lord Drake Edwards[/color][/b][/center][/H3]

[center][b][color=AFDCE0]P[/color][color=B4B6D1]a[/color][color=A9BAC2]r[/color][color=9FBDB4]t[/color] [color=95C1A5]3[/color][/b][/center]


After those exchanges, there was a prolonged moment of silence brought upon by the heavier topic. The atmosphere did lighten a tad once Count Hendrix’s order arrived, since the group was momentarily occupied by sharing the snacks and hot beverages. Though the Varian count had ordered nothing pastry related, two snickerdoodles arrived with the order nonetheless. Wulfric felt his lips twitch into an amused smirk as he met Fritz’s gaze. The man returned the smirk, shrugged, and took a bite out of one without comment. [color=ab274f]“I still owe you all a strange experience, do I not?”[/color] he questioned rhetorically. He had tried a sip of spiced apple cider. It was a sweeter drink than he’d usually prefer, but he had picked it for variety’s sake.

[color=ab274f]“My anecdote is from ten years ago, and it takes place one night in Kimoon. It was a week or two before the Festival of Lights. I was on the way to Qishu for the festival, but the preparations for it were already in full swing across the whole region.”[/color] His eyes briefly closed as he recalled that festive atmosphere. [color=ab274f]“From the tiniest of villages, to the remotest of shrines, and even to the densest of forests, they all saw unusual activity. Lanterns were being painted and set up, candles were carved into most intricate designs, children and adults of all ages worked together to create wondrous ornaments.”[/color] He took another sip, pausing long enough to allow the men to imagine the scene he was describing.

[color=ab274f]“So, one evening, I was taking a walk, as I was wont to do. It was in the middle of a lively night market which had stalls set along the road stretching well past the city proper, drawing in far more guests than usual. Merchants were hollering at each turn to advertise their wares, buyers were haggling, youths were being rowdy, drunkards were singing or getting into fights. The usual,”[/color] a faint fond half-smile formed. [color=ab274f]“Then…”[/color] his voice lowered, building anticipation. [color=ab274f]“I took a turn into an alleyway, and it was just like any other alleyway. And [i]yet[/i],”[/color] he suddenly snapped his fingers, a loud and startling sound contrasting to the quiet, suspenseful cadence his words had taken. [color=ab274f]“Between one step and the next, in between one moment and the following one, on the way from one path to another. Just like that, all of that sound - gone. All of the people, [i]gone.[/i]”[/color]

Wulfric’s smile appeared more sinister as he leaned in to continue the thrilling tale. 

Drake’s eyes narrowed as his lips curled upward. [color=greenyellow]“Preposterous! You mean to say everyone just vanished?”[/color] The young man spoke in honest surprise - albeit perhaps a touch exaggerated by the nature of the tale and his level of intoxication.

Leo’s attention remained on Wulfric. Finally, the sort of story he’d hoped for albeit not one of Caesonian strangeness but an odd tale nonetheless. His eyes widened slightly at the snap of the prince’s fingers. [color=hotpink]“And where was it this alleyway had taken you?”[/color] he asked. 

[color=ab274f]“Oh, yes,”[/color] the prince chuckled deeply. [color=ab274f]“[i]Everyone[/i] had disappeared. Each and every living soul vanished, except for myself. The oddest thing was that I was still in that very same town - or so it appeared. Naturally, my first reaction was to stop and look around. The way I’d come from looked the same as far as I could tell, except uninhabited. There were the same stalls I’d passed by, the same inns and taverns, the same homes and street signs. Even the wares on sale were at least convincingly similar. I had retraced my steps of the past few minutes, but…”[/color] he shrugged. [color=ab274f]“Somewhere along the way, it was as if the paths conspired against me, turned me around, and I ended up where I’d begun at the ‘vanishing’ point.”[/color]

[color=ab274f]“Therefore, I proceeded onwards. I walked along unfamiliar streets, turning around ever new corners. Initially, there was an eerie silence, the only sounds my echoing footfalls, my overly loud breathing and racing heartbeat. I heard no animals, no people, not even the creaking of buildings or the crackling of fire…”[/color] Idly, he leaned back into his seat, momentarily canting his head up as if recalling the details. Then, with a secretive smile, he looked from man to man. [color=ab274f]“It was as if the world’s own voice had been kidnapped, and I feared I might lose mine as well.”[/color] He took another sip of his drink. 

[color=ab274f]“While its disappearance had been abrupt and total, sound returned in strange, startling increments. First, the howling of winds. Then, the jingling of dozens of wind chimes. The rustling of leaves, the call of an owl, the rattling of window shutters. The farther I went, the more I heard, though there was nary a sight of anyone. Coins clinked as if trade were still taking place, the whispers of inaudible conversations flickered into and out of existence. High pitched laughter here and there, a knock on a nearby door, the spine-chilling brush of a breeze as if a presence had passed me by. It was like someone or something was playing tricks on me, though I did not feel as if it was all only a product of my mind.”[/color]

Wulfric poured himself a glass of water, abandoning the sweet apple cider for something cooler and more refreshing. [color=ab274f]“I exited the city, but the carts, the wagons, the stalls and the tents appeared to extend far, far beyond… I caught sight of a great forest to the left, a lake I knew to be unending to the right.”[/color] Closing his eyes, he savored another mouthful of water. [color=ab274f]“A myriad of blue fireflies swirled by, cavorting carelessly. The eternal firmament pressed down, at once freeing and oppressive. I stared up at all those stars, glimpsing utterly alien constellations, and realized ‘Ah, this is another world’. As soon as I had that thought, I was…returned, for a lack of a better world. Imagine my complete and utter befuddlement when I found myself at the next village over, and it was the dawn of the following morning,”[/color] he laughed a tad dryly as he shook his head.

[color=hotpink]“And this really happened?”[/color] Leo asked. It was almost unbelievable except for the convincing sincerity in Wulfric’s voice and demeanor. [color=hotpink]“Were you drugged?”[/color] He immediately followed up his question with the only logical explanation he could think of. Unless this strange occurrence was related to magic, not a topic he was willing to bring up at the table. 

[color=ab274f]“As far as I could tell, it did,”[/color] his shoulder twitched in a tiny shrug. [color=ab274f]“I was not drugged according to the local physicians, but that certainly was one of the explanations I considered.”[/color]

[color=AFDCE0]“Pfft.[/color] Count Monet made a noise under his breath as he glared down at the table for no apparent reason. It was not hard to deduce he did not believe the prince’s story but it was also questionable if he had even heard the whole thing as he kept occasionally glaring at a man across the room, who was scowling back at him.

[color=9354FF]“Is that someone you know, Count Monet?”[/color] Ryn asked.

Drake was still enamored with the story that he hardly noticed Monet’s demeanor until Fritz had brought it up. Perhaps the Lord had a few too many drinks at this point to be missing such obvious social cues but he had been through quite a night. So he gestured for his glass to be topped with some fine whiskey and leaned forward to speak in a hushed tone.
[color=greenyellow]“Your story borders, nay, is paramount to the supernatural. What an experience! I am tempted to visit such a place myself one day.”[/color] His eyes wandered over to Count Monet. [color=greenyellow]“Something troubling you, good sir?”[/color]

[color=AFDCE0]“No...[/color] The count said and finished off his whiskey, throwing his head back as he had done so. 

[color=hotpink]“Did you ever figure out,”[/color] Leo glanced over at the man Count Monet kept looking at. [color=hotpink]“What happened, how…”[/color] The other man mirrored Monet’s soured face. [color=hotpink]“You’ve been weird all night, Landon, what’s going on?”[/color] Leo asked as he signaled for his and Monet’s glasses to be filled too. 

[color=AFDCE0]“[i]Weird?[/i] I have not been weird.”[/color] Landon retorted rather defensively. [color=AFDCE0]“You’re the one that looks like a flamingo.”[/color]
[color=ab274f]“Not quite,”[/color] Wulfric answered Lord Leo. Then, he regarded their drunk surly companion. [color=ab274f]“Count Monet, you and that stranger are raring to go at each other.”[/color] Idly, the prince wondered if it was to fuck or to fight…maybe both. 

[color=ab274f]“So why not do it? Challenge the fellow to a duel,”[/color] he voiced the socially acceptable option. [color=ab274f]“I would not recommend fighting drunk, but at the very least you have sober company to prevent the worst.”[/color] Who knew, maybe they would get a little something extra to spice up their evening.

Ryn, however, felt a pang of sympathy for the hapless stranger—an innocent victim of an ill-timed glance or cunning provocateur. Regardless, a duel with a drunken count surely had not been penciled into anyone’s evening plans. Inwardly, he braced himself for whatever chaos might ensue.

[color=greenyellow]”A duel without context is a dangerous endeavor, Wulfric. Even if I am admittedly interested in the mysterious nature of our supposed watcher. Landon - be this enemy, rival, or stranger?”[/color] Drake posed his question, drink in hand already half emptied.

Leo smacked an open palm to the table. [color=hotpink]“Excellent idea! This summer is overdue for a proper duel. Landon, if you need a second, I’m in.”[/color] The young lord wore a broad smile at the idea, it was exactly what the night needed. [color=hotpink]“Maybe a victory is exactly what you need to resolve your strange mood.”[/color] He added, raising his glass to Monet before drinking. 

Count Landon Monet’s face flushed a deeper shade of red with each passing second as he listened, barely containing his anger. Suddenly, with a loud scrape of chair against the wood floor, he surged to his feet, nearly knocking over his drink in the process. Eyes blazing and nostrils flaring, he stormed over to the well-dressed man who had earlier dared to compare him to his despised father.

Loudly, Landon began his drunken, aggressive rant. [color=AFDCE0]“Ow dare you! Ow dare you compare me to zat man?"[/color] he shouted, jabbing a finger towards the man’s chest. [color=AFDCE0]“I am nozzing like 'im! Nozzing!"[/color] His voice escalated with each word.
Landon loomed over the man, his face inches away, his breath heavy with the scent of whiskey. [color=AFDCE0]“You zink you know me? You zink you know what I am or 'oo I am because of 'im?"[/color] His words slurred together as he ranted.

The man tried to back away, but Landon grabbed his collar, pulling him close.
[color=AFDCE0]“Lizzen well, monsieur, because I will not say zis again. I am Count Landon Monet!"[/color] His grip tightened, the fabric of the man's shirt twisting in his clenched fist.

[color=ab274f]“My…”[/color] Wulfric raised an eyebrow at the sudden outburst. He had judged the count drunk enough that he might entertain the notion of a duel, but hadn’t expected such a vitriolic attack. If the other gentleman reacted similarly, the two idiots were bound to cause far too much trouble indoors. With a sigh, the prince smoothly stood up, and strode up to the two. [color=ab274f]“Now, now,”[/color] he laid a calming hand on Monet’s offending arm, urging him to let go. [color=ab274f]“If you intend to fight, then issue a proper challenge and step outside,”[/color] he stated firmly, and took a moment to observe the stranger’s reaction. [color=ab274f]“If you care at all for your image and reputation, you ought to observe the proper protocols for a duel. Without that, your actions would be but a lowly assault. However, you are a better man than that, are you not?”[/color] he smiled at the count, sharp and cool.
Drake furrowed his brows and sighed. Even with the creeping buzz of the alcohol he felt himself more rational than what he was witnessing. The man finished his drink and stood up - a slight terse tone to his voice. [color=greenyellow]“If you are so drawn to fisticuffs then I would heed the Prince’s warning, Count Monet.”[/color] He decided to ignore that he was more or less brushed off and focus more on trying to contain whatever brawl may erupt in a place like this.
Leo stood and followed behind Drake, drink in hand. [color=hotpink]“Well, now we know what’s got Landon all wound up.”[/color] He lifted his glass to Drake before drinking. It seemed that Landon would lay down an official challenge or the Count would end up in an embarrassing bar fight. Either way, it would make the night more fun and add pressure on Landon. Served the Count right; Leo hadn’t missed the man coughing ‘[i]cheater[/i]’ when he’d won the hand. 

[color=hotpink]“The nerve, to crash Count Monet’s event just to insult the man.“[/color] He added, looking at Drake but speaking loud enough for Landon to overhear. 

Landon pushed the man back abruptly, releasing his grip as he straightened up, chest heaving. [color=AFDCE0]"A duel, zen! Let us settle zis wiz honor, if you dare!"[/color] He declared loudly after receiving the suggestion.

[color=gray]“Oh, absolutely, Count Monet. Dueling in the noble district? What a splendid way to get acquainted with the local guard!”[/color] the man retorted. 

[color=AFDCE0]“Argh!”[/color] Landon exhaled sharply, shooting a glance at the Prince and the others before flopping back into his chair with a dramatic sigh. He then snapped his fingers at the waiter, [color=AFDCE0]“Bring me a cigar.”[/color]

Wulfric hmmed as he eyed the unknown man. [color=ab274f]“It would be fine if you both agreed to it, if you did not disrupt anyone else, and if it did not result in death or maiming. It is a shame there are no arenas within convenient distance.”[/color] His gaze swept the room, considering. [color=ab274f]“If you were truly intent on doing it, the stage could be cleared. But you two would become quite the spectacle in that case,”[/color] he chuckled. 

Throughout the exchange, Ryn’s focus remained fixed upon the man who had drawn Count Monet’s ire, observing his every gesture and expression. He stepped forward, one hand raised in polite interjection. [color=9354FF]“If I might interpose,”[/color] he began, [color=9354FF]“if the aim is to resolve this contention through a decisive contest, must it assume the form of a duel? Given the veritable cornucopia of options at our disposal”[/color]—he gestured expansively at the establishment’s offerings—[color=9354FF]“surely, there are alternatives. But if you gentlemen are intent on a contest of physical mettle…”[/color] He adopted a pensive stance, one hand cupping his chin. [color=9354FF]“Perhaps something like a speed eating contest or arm wrestling?”[/color]

The young lord nodded in agreement. [color=greenyellow]“Something that is less likely to….esssscalate into further deadly combat is alwaysssss an alternative in my book.[/color] He furrowed his brows as he realized he was hanging onto some of his ‘S’ sounds far longer than he should. [color=greenyellow]“Forgive me. My drink has been heavy tonight. What say you gentleman? Be it arm wrestle, a drinking contest, or an all out brawl. Since this duel of sorts seems inevitable...”[/color] Drake clunked his glass onto the table and forced his sobriety to rise for just a moment as he met the two with a straight-faced stare. 

[color=greenyellow]“Then you both best stake your honor on it as gentlemen.”[/color]

[color=AFDCE0]“Eet’s not inevitable! I’m ovair 'im! I am waiting for my cigar.”[/color] 
Landon snapped. Luckily for Count Monet, the waitress brought over a platter of cigars for all to reach for at that moment. He snatched one up and swiftly bit off the end. After lighting it, he took a long huff, the smoke curling around his face as he exhaled.


Leo took his time looking over the remaining cigars. [color=hotpink]“You’re a more merciful man than I, Landon. I could never let a man continue to slander my name like that.”[/color] He said with a shrug as he finally selected the right cigar, carefully trimmed the end of it, and lit it savoring the taste. He tried to exhale his annoyance with Hendrix and Drake for talking the Count out of the duel. 


[color=ab274f]“Oh, well, I suppose it is for the best,”[/color] Wulfric commented, slightly disappointed there would be no duel after all. [color=ab274f]“To a peaceful night,”[/color] he toasted with a non-alcoholic drink.


After that near debacle, the party dispersed as each gentleman was drawn to their own activities, whether it was smoking like Landon and Leo, conversing with the guests like the prince, or otherwise finding a way to engage themselves until they chose to depart.[/color]