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In Avalia 2 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay
Ariella, Anastasia, Farim & Callum


Part 4


Location: Prince Callum’s Tavern
Time: 3pm






Farim felt the cool breeze coming from the fan as the Princess fanned him. He couldn’t help but giggle and flush slightly (more than the alcohol was making him) as he felt the slight bit of pampering from his friend. “Oh why thank you, dear. You are too kind! Would you like me to fan you?” He coyly asked as he held his hand out to request the fan.

“Yes!” Anastasia handed the fan to him and waited eagerly.

His hand grasped the fan, letting it spread out with a flick of his fingers. With a single hand he began flicking the fan up and down to send small bursts of refreshing air toward her. He couldn’t help but keep a smile as he thought about the image of this. They were the fanciest-looking group in the entire building and were definitely the goofiest, but Farim did not mind one bit. He simply lived in the moment with his two friends, and that was more than enough for him. “Does this help you, Princess? Although I doubt no amount of fanning could stop you from being hot.” He chuckled, perhaps too loudly as he kept fanning her.

Ariella looked behind her shoulder to the loud chuckle coming from her friend’s table. Farim and Ana giggling and being silly. She sighed lightly but a smile spread on her face. She was happy for her friend, she wasn’t sad that clearly the emotions were strong between them but more so that it was so hard to find company that she could enjoy. She turned back around giving them more time to giggle amongst themselves. Thankfully she still had her book.

Callum cradled the glass of amber liquid in his palm. Its scent tickled his nose as he drank from it, the cheap spirit burned its way down into his unsettled stomach. But it was warm, it let him barrow warmth, and when he wasn’t drinking from the glass he was staring into it like it was the only thing left in the world worth loving. As he stared into the glass he felt the guards staring back at him, their disapproval obvious, so once the glass was half gone he felt ready enough to go speak with his sister. He caught a flash of red hair as he turned to look for Ana. Couldn’t be. “Ari?” He asked not loud enough for her to hear. He took a few paces down the bar, close enough to see that it was Arielle. He turned his head to see what she was staring at and caught sight of Ana and one of the Alidasht princes. Cal only rolled his eyes.

”Ari, welcome to my tavern, far more comfortable than the palace don’t you think? Callum liked the atmosphere at the tavern, it just felt like a place he belonged. Then he saw that Ari had a book with her and smiled. “Any good? He asked gesturing towards the book.

Ari was so deep into her book she hadn’t noticed Prince Callum walk in. Trying to drown out the giggles behind her and the general chatter she focused perhaps a little too hard on the words that crossed the page. Mindlessly, she slowly reached for her drink but a familiar voice spoke her name, pulling her out from her book.

“Oh!” she said rather surprised to see Prince Callums smiling,“Thank you, It..it really is, though maybe the palace would be better.” She paused with a smile on her face as she lowered her voice slightly. “Because then I wouldn’t have to listen to those two giggling like school girls behind me.” She closed her book and set it down on the bar top in front of her. “ Jokes aside, I really do love this place. I was just looking for some place to relax and my driver brought me here. It was a bit a surprise to say the least, seeing your name on a tavern but it is a very nice establishment. I may end up making it a go to place for a drink. “

She looked down at her book then back up at Callum with a sheepish expression. “ Oh, um.. Yeah” she laughed lightly “If you like tragic stories about two lovers who were destined to be together but fate was cruel to them.”

She paused for a moment to see if he was still interested in her story, seeing as he was she continued. “ The women was a servant in a rich home, who ventured out in the woods running into a prince who was escaping his duties for the day. They met and clicked, her bold nature and his curiosity seemed to just work. They continued to secretly meet until her jealous step mother found out and sold her to a slaver. Now the prince spends his days trying to find her but she fell ill from her poor working conditions. Not sure how its going to end just yet but I am not sure it will be the happiest of endings.” She smiled “ Sorry that is likely not what you expected to hear, I hope that doesn’t ruin your mood.” She took a sip of her drink “ What brings you to the tavern this afternoon?” she asked curiously.

Callum glanced back at Ana and the man she was with. They seemed like they were having a good time and he felt guilty for wanting to go over there and basically ruin the mood. He took another drink and thought about how much trouble Marek could be in just because Ana had decided to sell him out. For what? After that whole speech she’d done this morning what could Alibeth or Wulfric have possibly offered to get her to break? He thought about how he’d really believed her this morning and he didn’t feel guilty about it anymore.

He turned his attention back to Ari as she went into detail about the book she was reading. A tragedy, a genre he had a fondness for, but her summary ended without an ending. “I think tragedy has a lot to teach us because when the fates, or the gods, or the world, is cruel it is often so it can teach us to strive for something better. So now you’ll just have to tell me how it ends another time or I will be forever deprived of some great lesson.” Cal spoke, took another drink, and let the whiskey loosen his words. “For the second time today you have only improved my mood, and I didn’t even have to eat an onion this time.” He added with a smile.

”If the giggling is bothering you then you’re in luck. I’m here to talk to Ana and I’ve got nothing amusing to say to her.” He added.

Ari nodded at his understanding of a tragedy, a smile spreading on her face “ That is exactly why I enjoy reading them so much, so many layers to peel back. Life is complicated and messy, it's what makes it worth living. The ups and downs in our stories is what makes us in the end.” She smiled, taking another sip of her drink. “ I will be sure to share the lesson, perhaps over another drink sometime?” she suggested. He seemed much more comfortable here then he did at the event, and she couldn’t blame him. “ I promise, no onions then either. I am happy that I improved it, but it sounds like I may need to improve your mood after your conversation with Ana” A smile still on her face as she let out a small nervous laugh.

“Couldn’t agree more. And what one makes out of tragedy defines them so much more than what they make out of good fortune.” Callum added. “And if you’d like to continue this discussion over a drink, or trekking around barefoot in a ravine, I’m in.” Cal offered with more enthusiasm at the second option this time than when she’d first suggested it.

Ari turned in her seat and gestured to the bartender “ Whiskey please, make it a double.” she said. The bartender nodded and began to prepare another drink, sliding it across the bar. Ari pushed it over towards Callum. “ You may need this, she’s pretty deep in.” she smiled. “ I'm not sure anything you say could ruin her mood right now. I am happy she is happy, the giggling wasn’t that bothersome truthfully. I just quickly became the third wheel in the evening and decided I was best suited over here with my book.” She took another sip of her drink. “ May I ask what you plan to speak to her about?”

Callum thought for a long moment as he stared at the second drink. He didn’t know what he should tell Ari, because he did want Ana to know that he saw what she did as a betrayal. Not just to him, to Marek, to a friend. But he didn’t want to cause drama between Ana and the rest of her friends. He finished the rest of his first drink in a quick gulp before pulling the second one closer. Even though he knew he shouldn’t, but it was there and it would be rude to decline. There ya go Wulfy, best effort, I thought about not drinking this one. “Thank you, for the drink and the advice, I can’t let someone out drink me in my own tavern.”

“She let a friend of ours down. I want her to make it right. Beyond that, I think it’s up to her if she’d like to tell you about it.” Callum kept his answer vague.

“Well, no more third wheel, now we’re a whole carriage. I’d like to get this talk with Ana over with and maybe finally meet one of our guests from far off Alidasht.” Cal pushed the first finished glass closer to the bartender and picked up the second one.

Ari frowned, “That doesn’t sound like Ana, but I understand. Sounds like a situation indeed…Ah, Yes. The future Sultan. “ Ariella smiled lightly before finishing her drink. “ Common, let’s rip off that bandage of yours so you can actually enjoy that drink.” She slid off the chair, her feet finally touching the ground after dangling from the chair for so long. Reaching down to grab the hem of her gown again knowing full well her mother would kill her if she got anything on it. Ari began walking towards the table hoping Callum followed. She wobbled slightly as her legs steadied, the drinks were very much kicking in now.

Reaching the table she held onto the sturdy object for balance, swaying slightly as she steadied herself. Ariella smiled at Farim and Ana, “ Hopefully I am not interrupting anything too serious. Ana, look who I ran into.” She said, looking over her shoulder to Callum.

“Ariella!” Anastasia’s eyes snapped to the red-haired girl as soon as she heard her voice. She smiled wide and reached for her friend with wiggling fingers. As her words sunk in, she had then noticed Callum approaching as well. Somehow, her smile grew bigger. The princess then clumsily got to her feet to throw herself forward to capture her brother in a hug. “My favorite little brother! “ She let go after a moment, realizing she was probably embarrassing him. “Are you doing okay? I hope you don’t feel ill today after last night.”

Farim kept the fanning motions going for a moment, feeling his hand begin to sloppily waft the blades to and fro after a few swings. Then he saw the Princess get up and practically jump towards someone after a short few words from Lady Edwards. He got up from his chair and turned to the duo who had returned to the table and placed the fan onto the table. With both hands on his hips, chest slightly puffed up he greeted the both of them with an enthusiastic and joyful grin. “There you are, Lady Edwards! I was honestly worried I had scared you off suddenly. But I see you went to the bar for a drink and found a man instead!” He chuckled for a moment before realizing what the Princess’ words meant. Little brother? Oh so this….Ohhhhhhh~!

If his grin could grow bigger, it would. “This must be who you were telling us about! Well it’s certainly nice to see you, Sir Danrose.” He stopped for a moment realizing that Callum could hardly react to him given that his sister was in the process of nearly toppling him over with her enthusiastic sibling hug.

Callum, having been basically tackled by Ana, nearly fell over. Why is she always so nice? It was always so much easier to be mad at Wulfric. Cal kept a tight hold of his own drink, it had nearly spilled everywhere, and while he didn’t push Ana away, he didn’t return the hug either. Ari wasn’t kidding when he mentioned how drunk his sister was. He glanced over at the ‘future sultan’ and gave his best attempt at a friendly smile. “Just Callum is fine. It’s nice to meet the future sultan.” He offered, very clearly cringing at being called Sir Danrose.

He ignored Ana’s questions and instead offered up his own. “Got anything you want to tell me? Like how Wulfric got that name he was looking for this morning.” There was nothing but disappointment in his tone as he asked.

As Anastasia released her grip on Callum, she quickly picked up her drink and took a sip. However, his words caught her off guard, causing her to spit out a little, fortunately not hitting anyone nearby. She stared at him incredulously, her eyes widening. " “Wait. What?” The words took a moment to sink in, and she frowned. Wulfric knows? This is like, sooo bad.” She ran her hands through her hair in distress, lamenting, “We need to warn… him… but he’s so hard to find in the day. I was going to find him tonight but what if they find him first? …Fuck.”

The realization then dawned on her that if Wulfric knew, and they were the only two who had been aware, then…

“Holy shit… Callum. Did you snitch?


Time: 3:00 pm
Location: Sorian Library to Prince Callum’s Tavern
Interactions:



When his turn came, Cal stood and approached the stage. Another new thing; not being in a library or even at a poetry reading, but participating. Participating was definitely a new thing for him. He stepped up onto the stage but he didn’t touch the microphone, the room really wasn’t that big and he wasn’t going to mumble and whimper out a poem. If he couldn’t speak up in a crowd full of strangers then he couldn’t believe he’d have the guts to speak up when it mattered.

“I’d like to dedicate this to anyone who ever wondered ‘Callum why are you the way you are?’ And, I’m Callum, but you probably already knew that.” He cleared his throat once and took a deep breath as he pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper from his pocket. Unfolded the paper and began to read from it. He stumbled over the words at first but it wasn’t long before he didn’t need to look at the paper to speak. He looked at the eyes that watched him and let all things that cluttered up his head leak out through his mouth. It no longer mattered that his words didn’t feel like they belonged in a sunfilled room, surrounded by brightly-hued cushions and tablecloths, where people drank sober beverages and ate sweetened pastries.



The poetry event didn’t last long. Callum wasn’t entirely surprised, Caesonia valued events and contests built around violence over anything else. So he headed back outside, and the library was fairly close to the tavern. But he wasn’t going to get completely drunk, he had things to do today, he was just going to walk by the tavern and see if anything interesting was going on. So that’s what he did, was just walk by the tavern, and then he noticed a pair of guards inside as well. Which meant Ana was there and talking to Ana was on his to-do list right now. So Callum and his guards headed inside the tavern. He decided it would be rude to be in there and not buy anything. Before he headed over to his sister he ordered a drink. He asked for a double because he was only planning to have one drink, maybe two.

Time: 3:00 pm
Location: Sorian Library
Interactions:



Callum’s first thought when he entered Sorian’s public library was that it was too bright. Too much sunlight filled the space, and it was going to harm the books. It also smelled more like cleaner than it did books and now the library felt less like a library and just like another place he didn’t quite belong. He didn’t get it, dark, dusty, and smelling like old books seemed like the already perfect atmosphere for a poetry reading but apparently, that was not a universal opinion.

Cal added his list to the names of those willing to stand up on a stage and speak. He wondered if this was the wrong move, and tried to imagine a scenario where his reading some terrible poetry could possibly wind up going wrong. All he could come up with was that he should do this, show whoever was here, as much of Sorian as he could, that he was not some grand descendant of a line chosen by the gods for the perfection of their souls. No Danrose belonged up on a pedestal, least of all him.

So he felt good about the idea of him getting up on a stage and embarrassing himself, almost like he had with the onion, but at least this would be more fun. Cal took a seat, with a cup of coffee in hand, on one of the floor cushions. The coffee was fine, or as good as it could be without a couple of pours of whiskey added to it, but the library seemed to think that only cream and sugar were appropriate for coffee and tea. The lack of alcohol didn’t stifle any of his enthusiasm for Vincent’s reading and Cal snapped in appreciation of the man’s words and sentiment along with the rest of the crowd.

Time: 3:00 pm? Almost 3 pm?
Location: Super dank plants shop
Interactions: Riona@JJ Doe



“Your Highness, I must beg your pardon…”

Callum, who was very much standing where people were walking, lost in his head, became an obstacle in the way of an unfortunate shopper causing a collision. Except the shopper was not some random noblewoman, despite being dressed like one, but a familiar face. Callum smiled with recognition, but the use of ‘your highness’ gave him pause. Why?

Oh, right, the guards. Nothing like constant surveillance to fully shatter the illusion that he could be a normal person for a little while. Nope, still the problem child of a royal family whose every move and conversation had to be monitored and probably reported back to his brother.

“No harm done.” Callum returned the curtsy with a proper bow, and at least for once it was for someone he had real respect for and not someone he was just supposed to show respect to. “How about we try looking like we actually like our citizens.” He glanced back at the guards and demonstrated by frowning back at them and using his fingers to push the corners of his mouth into a smile. Their expressions did not change and it was clear these were certainly Wulfric’s sort of people.

“It appears that you possess a discerning palate. If it may not be too impertinent of me, might I recommend the spices over there?”

“I had excellent tudors.” That was entirely true; anything Cal knew about plants had come either from worn and well loved handwritten books or from Riona herself. And Riona knew plants the same way that some people just knew horses or how to hammer metal until it became something beautiful. Some people were just gifted like that. “Thank you for the recommendation. Enjoy your day as well.” If he had to put on an act in front of guards at least it did not have to be entirely fake.

Callum returned to his shopping and headed over to where Riona had indicated, looking over the variety of jarred specimens until he stumbled upon the same thing that had caught Riona’s eye.

The elusive geshrow root. A rare find, something he’d only read the name of, or seen a couple crude drawings of, in books. He wasn’t even sure it grew around here. One of those things you just don’t expect to find, at least not without really looking. But he hadn’t really found it had he?

So why hadn’t Riona snagged it? He wondered, and studied the jar, opened it to sniff for freshness, and tried to figure out if something was wrong with it. It seemed fine. More questions filled his mind. Was it dangerous? An obvious sign of illegal activity? Was he being assigned a dangerous task? Was he helping if he bought it? He tried to solve the minor mystery, never once even glancing at its price tag. Cal decided it had to be dangerous in some way and was nearly buzzing with excitement at the thought of doing something that was possibly helpful.

He glanced back in Riona’s direction, holding the jar, to indicate he’d gotten the message and he was definitely going to buy it. He was met with a look that made the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

Shit. Am I being annoying? Ruining her cover? That wouldn’t be helpful. He put the jar in with the rest of his stuff, and tried to mind his own business. But it was hard not to notice that Riona basically ran out the door, entirely empty handed, right after that.

Right. He was being very annoying and obviously just because someone talked to him while they were forced to be in his general vicinity didn’t mean they wanted to spend their free time helping him shop. And that was fair. He tried not to bother anyone else in the botanics shop before eventually paying for his stuff and leaving.

If he was going to be an annoyance today he certainly had someone in mind for that energy. Looks like it was about time to go find his sister.

Time: 1:00 pm
Location: Out and about in Sorian
Interactions: none



Callum left the palace with a pair of guards following a step behind him just as Wulfric had demanded. Despite how irritating and ridiculous he found the demand, Cal hadn’t even tried to argue with it. Today, being watched and followed suited his plans just fine. Let the guards report every single boring thing he did today back to his brother. Their report would start with his innocuous trip into town to get a haircut.

Cal had spent some more time in his room after the meeting with his brothers. Time he’d spent pacing, and thinking, and staring at the words he’d carved into his wall. He felt as if he should carve something damning about his brother into the wall but he couldn’t bring himself to hate his brother the way he hated his parents. So he refocused his attention on those he could hate. If he couldn’t obviously ruin Edin’s summer plans, he could push Edin until the king started unraveling in front of so many watchful eyes.

At the local barbershop, Callum made an entirely innocent request for a more regal haircut. He described, as best he could, the haircut of his grandfather in the most famous portrait of King George. While Callum knew very little about King George there was one fact about his long-dead grandfather he was sure of, Edin absolutely hated the previous dark-haired king and any reminders of his mere existence. And really who could fault a young prince for wanting to upgrade from a sloppy boyish haircut to something more proper?

Once the barber was done, Callum admired himself in the mirror, making a solid attempt at the same stern look portraits of his grandfather wore. He could see the subtle resemblance; he may not look like Edin’s son but he certainly looked like George’s grandson now. It was one thing to realize this was an option, it was far stranger to see it after having spent most of his life trying to be and look as different from the rest of his entire family as he possibly could. He could continue to lean into this, find out more about how the last king, his quirks and habits, and start sprinkling those in as well.

Callum still had an entire day to kill, a day he needed to spend out of trouble, doing exactly what he should be doing. So he left the barbershop and headed to the tavern with his own name above the door. Where else would anyone expect him to be? He was there long enough to down a few beers and catch up on the local gossip. He heard details of the execution of a ranting lunatic and of a near fight in the park over pancakes instigated by Duke Lorenzo. A few people asked him if he had actually eaten an entire raw onion to which Callum responded by feigning ignorance because he was already tired of hearing about it. But what caught his attention most was the rumored assault against Count Calbert's home. Callum hadn’t even bothered to hide a wicked grin as he’d pressed for more details about the count’s misfortune.

The local gossip began circling back around to the near pancake fight and Callum left the tavern not having drunk enough to hinder him. He had to keep it together all day, nothing to add attention to himself to make his plans for the night more difficult. Because he had a plan for retaliation against Alibeth too, but he’d have to wait for the night for that. He couldn’t allow himself to get blind drunk and miss another chance to make some kind of statement. He’d done that plenty of times already, that would not be trying something new.

Callum needed something productive to hold his focus. His next stop was the marketplace. An entirely benign shopping trip for the list of supplies he’d carefully memorized. Medical plants were certainly not a strange purchase for a prince who spent a childhood plagued by fevers and exhaustion. Nor was it strange to see a prince collecting a variety of supplies to brew interesting new teas or scent the water for a luxurious bath. Sticks of incense were bought to help his sensitive nose and candles because the softer light was better for reading.

Nothing suspicious to the pair of guards who carried purchases and watched with great disinterest as he inspected, sniffed, and occasionally tasted the variety of materials he purchased. Cal spent his shopping trip almost entirely relaxed. This was finally something he was doing entirely because he wanted to. Everything he bought was easily overlooked by those without magical knowledge, and even for those who did know, nothing outright called for suspicion. This was one of the most beautiful things about magic; so much of it could come from the most common ingredients.
Lord Leo Smithwood

Time: Morning, 1 pm
Location: Horse Track
Interactions: none




It was a short and pleasant walk from the arena to the horse track. Excitement filled the air here, a large crowd had gathered, and several people were dwarfed by the large and colorful hats worn by many drawn in more for the hat contest than the race itself. Leo headed to the betting station, glancing briefly at the horse's names and odds before placing a bet. It was less about winning, and more about having a reason to care about the outcome. He was distracted for a moment, as Duke Vikena arrived and his voice was heard clearly throughout the track. The Duke wasted no time in announcing the start of the race, and today, Lorenzo seemed far more in his element than last night. The crowd echoed back the Duke’s enthusiasm and Leo admired the flash of the Duke’s attire. Kier too was in attendance but Charlotte appeared to be noticeably absent. Strange, to not see her here in support of her father but there was a lot going on in Sorian today. So once his bet was placed Leo found a seat and waited for the race.

Time: 12:00 pm
Location: Ballroom to Wulfric’s Office
Interactions: @SilverPaw Wulfric



While Prince’s Court had begun with promise, it soon devolved into tedium. No one else brought him wine, or produce to antagonize a king with, or even a simple glimpse at a real person. An hour was spent writhing under a spotlight while a crowd of unfamiliar faces looked on. There was nothing to do but wait around for someone to approach and then engage in what felt like the same conversations played on repeat. It was hard to just sit there and be still and look regal, so he drummed his fingers against the table and fidgeted with the stuff on the table. Callum tried to be still when someone else sat across from him but he held no doubts that every onlooker could see just how much he did not want to be there. Don’t be rude. Don’t be rude. Don’t be rude. He had to keep reminding himself because he kept forgetting.

He could handle the attention when he was biting into onions or making announcements from atop a table, but doing nothing like he was now, felt so wasteful. Right now he was practically on a stage with enough eyes and ears near him that he could do something that mattered if only he were made of something other than bad ideas and impotent rebellions. So he only tried his best to do what he was supposed to do on this stage and blend in with the scenery, but even as nothing more than a prop, Cal performed poorly.

Then there was Wulfric, placing a grounding hand on his shoulder, offering him a path to escape. He didn’t have to be here anymore. As much as he wanted to flee his chair in the same way Ruby had earlier, he held back. Callum didn’t bother to look his brother’s way, only nodded his agreement and waited. He wasn’t going to let Wulfric know he’d done him a favor, that would feel like a loss in the imaginary war he was in with his brother.

Wulfric made his exit from the ballroom and Callum sat through another conversation that left his mind as soon as it ended. He didn’t announce his departure or wait for any official dismissal; Cal only nodded at Edin and left the ballroom taking the handkerchief and worm pot with him.

But he didn’t go directly to Wulfric’s office, but meandered through the hallways, taking the scenic route, to go see his brother. He studied the railing as he climbed his way up the stairs. He took detours through various rooms looking like a lost tourist as he studied objects he’d seen hundreds of times. He again stopped at his own bedroom and placed the handkerchief and tiny worm pot on his desk. He drank more whiskey. Enough to wash away any lingering taste of onion. He locked his bedroom door as he left. He staggered around the second floor some more, taking the longest path possible to Wulfric’s office. Just to be a nuisance.

Callum knocked once against the door to Wulfric’s office before opening the door and walking in without waiting for a response. “You wanted to see me? Again?” He walked into the room, left the door open, and made his way to one of the couches. He flopped onto the couch and swung his legs up and laid back, letting his feet rest atop one armrest and his head on the other. “Surely a Crown Prince has better things to do than keep tabs on his brother all day.” Callum grinned and on instinct, he poked the bear to see how angry it was.


Time: Morning, 12 pm
Location: Athletic Arena
Interactions: Mina @Tae, Dr. John @Conscripts


As they made their way through the exiting crowd of people and just far enough away from the arena to be greeted with fresh air, John approached. “Exceptional timing doctor,” Leo offered both a quick bow and nod of approval. Leo gave John the details of what happened with Mina during the execution as precisely and accurately as he could remember. Doctor’s appreciated that sort of thing and John was worth staying on the best possible terms with.

He then hesitated for a moment before adding, “With the possibility of recent druggings I hope I did not overact in sending for you. Sorry if I troubled you.” Leo gave a polite smile. True or not it was an interesting notion to float about. A conspiracy in Sorian to drug and make fools of foreign nobles, one that could even be linked to the two youngest Danrose royals, that had some potential to make the summer a little more interesting.

“Anytime, Lady Mina, and if you need anything do not hesitate to ask. May your day only get better.” Leo smiled, bowed, and turned to the ever-reliable doctor. “And a good day to you John. I believe the bull riding is beginning shortly, maybe I’ll be seeing you later.” Leo offered with a sincere grin before heading off in the direction of the arena.


Time: Morning, 12pm
Location: Athletic Arena
Interactions: Mina @Tae
Mentions: Dr. John @Conscripts


“Fetch Dr. Williamson. Immediately.” Leo snapped an order at those closest to him as Mina began convulsing. Fainting was one thing, fits were entirely another. Many around them panicked, but Leo did not, he put that effort into action. He kept her head cradled so she couldn’t knock it against the wooden seating and tilted towards the side, to keep her from choking. It ended a few frightful seconds later. Whoever had asked if she was dead was lucky that his attention was entirely focused on Mina.

Her chest's subtle rise and fall had stopped for several moments too long before a sudden gasp brought her back to consciousness. He echoed with a small sigh of relief and returned her hug. One he was not forced to tolerate, nor did he worry about whether it was appropriate, because comforting a shaken friend mattered much more than how such things were seen in Caesonia. “Nothing to be sorry about. I’m glad you’re okay.” Leo spoke just as she let him go. As Mina returned to her feet, Leo followed and stayed close by her side in case she was still unsteady.

Despite Mina’s attempts to convince herself that she was fine, peaked and panicked would be a more accurate description of how she looked as her eyes darted around the crowd. “It is rather hot here, and the air is entirely unpleasant, would you care to escort me out of the arena? Somewhere with a bit of shade.” He offered his arm to her, a polite and transparent attempt to remove her from the situation that had caused her distress.

“I sent someone to try and locate John.” Leo hoped whoever it was would not just simply return with any doctor, potentially one of the many crackpots in Caesonia, instead of the rational Varian. “We should wait for him as well, ensure no one has slipped you anything.” He whispered the last part. He was not convinced Mina was fine; watching a man burn could cause a fainting spell but not some sort of seizure. These events involved far too much mingling around the common people and it would be too easy for one of them to slip poison into food or drink.
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