[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ONd4lpK.png[/img][/center] [color=00F8FE]Time: 11am Location: Edin Theater Interactions: Wulfric [@SilverPaw], Edin, & Alibeth [@princess][/color] [hr] [color=9FA1A4] [center][color=a187be]“Where on earth did you obtain a [i]monkey[/i]?”[/color][/center] Callum found himself tickled by how annoyed Alibeth sounded. [color=00F8FE][i]If only she knew.[/i][/color] He grinned to himself, popped a piece of fruit into his mouth, and refrained from even glancing in Alibeth’s direction. He focused in on Farim's performance, as the ancient spirit disguised as a monkey rifled through his thoughts. [center][color=ab274f]“I did not take you one for pets,”[/color][/center] He casually glanced at Wulfric and offered a smile. [color=00F8FE]“Thought I’d try something new.”[/color] His reply was uncharacteristically chipper. [color=00F8FE]“Reinvent myself.”[/color] [center][color=DDB775]“A monkey… How is it that [i]he[/i] has a monkey and I do not? I’m the king! If anyone deserves a monkey…[i][b]It’s me[/b][/i].”... "He bows! Did you see that?!"[/color][/center] Edin’s jealousy was palpable, an unexpected twist from a king who normally despised animals but Clarence's charm was undeniable. The spirit delighted in the spotlight and its presence made Cal feel more at ease than he'd ever been while surrounded by the people who made him the most uncomfortable. [color=black][i][/i][/color] It was not the kind of guidance Cal expected, or even thought he'd heed, but it certainly was something he hadn’t tried before. Clarence turned its head towards the king and smiled at him, an enchanting twinkle in the animal's bright eyes. Callum offered the warmest smile he could muster as he glanced at Edin. [center][color=DDB775]“...Clarence is a [i]ridiculous[/i] name… And he [b]smells[/b].”[/color][/center] [color=black][i][/i][/color] Not even ancient spirits were immune to pettiness but the monkey merely cocked its head as if it could not understand the words. [center][color=a187be]“This is not a petting zoo, Callum-”[/color][/center] He quietly ate his fruit and acted as if her words could not reach him. A sarcastic reply was swallowed down with a bite of strawberry. He kept his eyes on Thara, his mind stayed distracted by Clarence, and his mother's words dissolved away. [color=00F8FE]“I like birds.”[/color] What had been a slip of the tongue, a reply that should’ve stayed a thought rather than an utterance - became an opportunity. [center][color=ab274f]"[i]Do[/i] you? You could always take up falconry. Or perhaps pigeon racing would be more to your taste?"[/color][/center] Callum, sluggishly, turned his head towards Wulfric and nodded. [color=00F8FE]“Always liked birds...way they fly...looks so free. Like nothing can weigh them down.”[/color] He whispered in a wistful and dreamlike tone. [color=black][i][/i][/color] Clarence dug deeper into his mind. It was almost unbearable; the sensation of something digging and clawing its way around in his deepest thoughts and memories. Callum's sunglasses hid the watering of his eyes. [color=00F8FE]“You like falconry, right Wulfy?”[/color] He asked, forcing himself to focus, to engage even through the haze and pain clouding his thoughts. [color=00F8FE]“Maybe you could give me a lesson. If you ever have the time.”[/color] He asked in a hushed voice as a hint of something bitter crept in. Suddenly, Callum felt as small and frail as he had once been. A lonely child who longed for his eldest brother to include him, in anything, but always been too afraid and too proud to even ask. So Cal had taught himself to despise the very presence of someone who felt too far away, unreachable. Those long-buried moments were violently pulled to the front of his mind. He turned his attention back to Farim and the falcon, applauding at the end of their performance. Drake took the stage next and Cal tried to focus on the music. He let the melody wash over him and willed it to drown out the sound of Edin's ego as the man rambled about some forgotten festival. Clarence seemed to enjoy this performance more than the last; the monkey no longer dug about in Callum's thoughts but bobbed his head to the tune. [center][color=a187be]“Has anyone uncovered why the guests at Lord Edwards’ previous party were so… inebriated?”[/color][/center] [center][color=ab274f]“There was a strong alcoholic drink the guests enjoyed. They became inebriated because they were careless, that is all.”[/color][/center] With his fruit cup now empty, Cal chewed on the inside of his cheek to refrain from speaking up. [color=black][i][/i][/color] Clarence encouraged. [color=black][i][/i][/color] Callum feigned a gasp. [color=00F8FE]“The cause of drunkenness...was alcohol consumption!”[/color] Cal chuckled as he turned towards Alibeth. [color=00F8FE]“And I obtained my new pet...From. A. Pet. Store.”[/color] His words dripped with condescension as he finally acknowledged her earlier question. [color=00F8FE]“Women ask the silliest questions, don’t they?”[/color] Callum asked, smiling, and turning to Edin. A joke tailored to the king’s taste before he turned his attention back to Drake. Soon Edin was dancing to the music, the king's spirit soaring higher than Thara had moments ago. [center][color=DDB775]“Hurrah to Sorian indeed!” “Only can get that kind of talent from a Caesonia-born!”[/color][/center] [color=black][i][/i][/color] As Edin shot up with applause, his approval for Drake's performance thundering through the theater, Callum mirrored the king's enthusiasm. Clarence dropped from Cal's shoulder down to the prince's unoccupied seat, and little hands smacked together as the monkey squealed with delight. Once the crowd was done cheering, Cal again turned to face his father. [color=00F8FE]“Father,”[/color] Callum began, somehow managing not to choke on the word. [color=00F8FE]“I got Clarence here because I’ve heard caring for a pet can help teach responsibility. A skill I’m lacking. And I’m already beginning to understand your great burden; caring for every life here in Caesonia. I plan to teach him many amusing tricks and, as you can see, he is already well-mannered. May I please keep him?”[/color] He kept his voice soft and respectful as he asked Edin, for the first time in years, for his permission. [/color]