Time: Night Location: Edge of Lover’s Lake-Roman Ceremony Interactions: Ari@Tpartywithzombi Mentions: Definitely not Wulfric…
“Ha! Your brother sounds like my brother, Wulfy not Auguste.” Callum couldn’t not throw that out there as Ari took another drink. He kept watching the shadow men, wondering if they could turn into giant owls.
So when Ari asked him to explain about the shoes, what he said was, “I think if I had to be a giant bird, an owl would be alright.”
… … … Wait, no, that’s not what she asked about!
“Oh and I took off my shoes and asked your mother to watch them for me. She did not like that. Went right over to Edin to complain about me and my shoes. Oh and then I told her friends she was scheming to prevent us from having nature walks. Callum explained it as well as he could, but his attention shifted from men in jackets turning into owls to his own, bare, feet.
Speaking of shoes, where had his gone? He didn’t remember taking them off. Cal gave a confused look at his bare feet. He checked to see if maybe his shoes were under his feet. They were not. “Look, right now, no shoes. Don’t even know where they went.”
Did I have shoes on before the tea? I should check there. Right! Ari wanted to get tea. Oh! I can have more tea! Should I drink more tea? The feeling of having forgotten something he should be remembering rose to the surface. He’d forgotten something, an important something, but what was it?
“Time for tea. Special tea. Hey. High tea.” Callum snickered as he stood up too quickly and found himself dizzy. He was on some sort of tea-high, it wasn’t a high he was used to but Callum had sampled enough to know that he was high on something right now. Something fantastic. This was his kind of tea.
Then he remembered he had plans for tonight that involved being sneaky and sober, both of which were states he was incapable of right now.
“I can’t have more tea.” He announced to Ari. “But we can get your tea and then, we have to look at the fire.”
Time: Evening Location: Gaurav Village Interactions: Viola@13org, Menzai@samreaper Mentions: Phia@princess Equipment: A pack with some supplies, seeds (in his pockets), a small knife, a mask that hangs from his belt, a weapon with a shifting charm that is either a sickle or a glaive, and a shield/drum with an unbreakable charm.
“…One thing to understand about demi-wolves and us Gaurav, especially so is that we always approach things honestly."
Cyrus did not interrupt but a lone green eyebrow raised at the irony; to claim honesty while asking for the truth to be hidden.
One single question, one that may or may not be answered based on Menzai’s discretion. Hardly a sufficient trade for what Menzai asked in return. Omitting the truth felt no different from lying, and it was a big lie. One that if uncovered had the potential to drive Phia away from him, Viola, and Menzai alike.
Viola asked her question, its words all sharp edges meant to jab at Menzai. But it was honest. Without Ophelia’s memories, Phia would never know that she had parents who died protecting their children. Their other siblings, grandparents, cousins, all the family they had lost; lived on in memories kept hidden from Phia.
“This agreement ends if you try to prevent Phia from speaking with us. That will be her choice as well.” It was a detached statement, not a cold threat or firey warning, but a simple line. The family that was kept from Phia would not include Viola and him.
They would at least have Phia as a friend, the chance to know who she was now. It was a better place to be than wondering if she still lived. He had asked to find his siblings, and Avalia had provided him twofold.
Menzai offered no reason for his choice, but difficulty was present in his voice. It did not feel like a rash or selfish choice. He had to trust Menzai’s decision over his own disappointment. If this was best for Phia, he had to accept that, had to be grateful for what he had and not merely focused on what was lost.
“Should Phia’s memories begin to return on their own, would you interfere?”
Time: Night Location: Edge of Lover’s Lake-Roman Ceremony Interactions: Ari@Tpartywithzombi Mentions: Doctor “Not an owl” John@Conscripts “Found in an alley?” Callum repeated the allegation as if it were absurd. That was old news, it wasn’t like he’d done that more than once.
“Is your brother spreading rumors about me? That’s not nice.” He asked, his went from Ari, to the bottle she mentioned, then to the two men appearing at the tree line. “Whoa, creepy.” Cal whispered as he watched two shadowy figures. “Those aren’t owls.” He shook his head, they were probably here to watch the fire too. He accepted the bottle of whiskey from Ari, took a long drink, and returned it with a thank you.
“Does Drake not like me?” He let out a long, exasperated sigh. “Guess I gotta add everybody with a duck name to the list of folks who don’t like Callum.” He rambled as he tried to think of what he might’ve done to get on Drake’s bad side. “Ohhh, did he hear about the shoe thing? I made your mom very mad today.” Cal laughed again as he remembered the look on Lady Edwards’s face at the tea party. “Maybe tea makes her too jittery, but I bet you’d handle it just fine, but it is not normal tea.”
Time: Evening Location: Masquerade Ball: Damien Estate Mentions: Charlotte @princess, Ryn @JJ Doe, and Nahir @Rodiak Daily Misfortune: An annoyingly high-pitched voice and random fits of laughter. Predictable Costume: Leo the Lion
"I h-have, well, uh, a quick question for Count Fritz about his findings…”
Alone? Leo wondered. Hadn’t they all agreed to work on this together? And Leo had plenty worth discussing with Hendrix around as well.
But it was clear Lottie didn’t want him to tag along as she attempted to distract him.
I think the girl you like is just over yonder by the way if you wanna say hello, otherwise, I'll be back in a moment."
Leo’s head momentarily turned over yonder. Nahir was unmistakable, few made perfection appear so effortless, like the lion that had accompanied Mayet, Nahir brought beauty and danger in equal measure. But he had to wonder if Lorenzo’s influence had affected Charlotte. What if the laughing came back? There was no way he would risk laughing in any royal’s face, much less one from Alidasht.
So Leo stood there, slightly annoyed, as Charlotte headed off without him. Hendrix was far too secretive to be trusted, Leo hadn’t heard a thing about what the Varian count had uncovered since their meeting at Charlotte’s house. Not that Leo had sought Hendrix out either but there was now a whole trove of information to be shared following the morning tea party. A few laps around the room should be an adequate amount of time for Lottie and Hendrix to discuss what they needed, and then Leo would interrupt. That seemed reasonably polite and no reason to completely waste an opportunity to have a chat about strange goings-on.
Time: Evening Location: Gaurav Village: Phia’s Room Interactions: Viola@13org, Menzai@samreaper Equipment: A pack with some supplies, seeds (in his pockets), a small knife, a mask that hangs from his belt, a weapon with a shifting charm that is either a sickle or a glaive, and a shield/drum with an unbreakable charm.
Frustrating; it was a good word for the bittersweet reunion. Of course, it was wonderful to know Ophelia lived, had found a place that welcomed and loved her, and was kept safe from so much of the pain that existed outside the secluded village. But it hurt to be forgotten, a pain that must be so sharp for Viola who was left forgotten by all that knew her during her imprisonment. Even if Phia’s life was not as idyllic as it appeared, she was not alone. In his suffering, Cyrus had not been alone. But Viola had suffered alone. Although Cyrus glanced in Menzai’s direction when Viola mentioned an intruder, he did not yet acknowledge the wolf, Viola got his undivided attention.
“I do not believe she chose to forget, but that does not make it hurt any less, does it?” Cyrus spoke once Viola had finished, a question that needed no answer, as his eyes fixed upon the twin moons above them. There was a great deal of suffering, but no true culprit for it here. Phia and her fractured mind were not the true cause of it, only symptoms of horrors inflicted by the Dark Elves. Something deeply buried flared and burned as he thought of the children of Halastra and what they had done to his family. His hand rested upon the mask that dangled from his belt until the feeling was again buried. Then he again looked only at his sister.
“Few have suffered as you have suffered, and fewer still could carry it with your strength and grace. I would have wilted had I been in your place. I faltered and stumbled along my path, a fate far kinder than yours. Though you never left my mind, I did not take action for you either, and that is worse. For my part in your fate, I have only shame to carry and a humbled offering of sorrow. And I am sorry Viola, for how deep your pain runs and my part in that. You deserved better.” He spoke as if Menzai did not lurk in the shadows, words Cyrus knew he should’ve said before now. Few things were harder to give voice to than guilt and shame, and what was more shameful than how little effort he had put forth to locate his siblings before now?
“If your thoughts are hard to ignore, then explore them. They ask for your attention, they will not settle without it. I will always listen, you will never be judged by me.”
Cyrus then turned to greet Menzai with a respectful bow. Where Viola might understandably see this wolf as a stranger, an intruder on a family discussion, Cyrus saw Menzai in a different light. This wolf threw himself to the mercy of the indifferent hands of fate simply to protect Phia. The wolf lost an arm but very well could’ve lost his life. Menzai protected Phia like family, and so now the wolf was as dear, and as trusted, as family.
“Noble wolf, you have my deepest gratitude for all you have done for our sister, Ophelia. You know who she is, the crest she wears even if she has forgotten where it came from. Our secrecy is an unfortunate necessity, our family name is dangerous to speak of; many wish us dead. Many have tried. I do not wish to continue hiding the truth from Phia but I believe you now know her better than we do, so I request your guidance. Do we tell Phia who we are, who she is, and possibly bring her pain? Or leave her in ignorance and spare her the pain of knowing what happened to her family?” If anyone could best predict how Phia would react, it was the wolf before then, and Cyrus knew he could trust that Menzai held Phia’s best interests above all else.
Time: Evening Location: Flying above The Righteous Tern Interactions: Rue@Potter Equipment:Sword, hunting knife, a backpack with supplies, and a stoat named Raze who naps in the pocket of his vest.
For the first time since his wings were severed Bowyn flew. Not of his own accord, but upon the back of the pegasus Starfire. He kept a carefree grip on the horse; a fear of falling was such an unnatural instinct for his kind when flying was learned alongside walking. The Fae were creatures of both the earth and sky. The earth provided for them, it offered stability, but it was the skies that offered freedom and the clarity of fresh perspective. The ability to soar high above the earth’s problems, to look down from such heights and see how small everything was by comparison, always able to see the bigger picture.
That was what had been stolen from Bowyn, more than just wings, but limitless freedom, a loftier perspective, and to never fear falling for fairies were gifted with wings they could always trust. It was a loss that could never be fully explained to creatures born only for the earth, what it was to lose access to the skies. Even to soar with the aid of a pegasus was a cold reminder that this was not a part of Bowyn’s world any longer.
Still, he was grateful for a small taste of what he once had; to see the vastness of the sea stretch out and the ship shrink away below them. To share the skies for a moment with Rue and the mighty pegasus away from strange faces. Although the ship Luum had picked out was about as nice as a boat could be, it was still far from the ideal place for either winter fairy or the horse. Bowyn got the sense that Starfire greatly appreciated the chance to fly free, the winged creature needed to fly as much as she needed to run, and above the sea at least drew less attention than a crowded city.
“Thanks, Rue, this is much better than trapped aboard that ship. Bardulf did well for his first encounter with an owlbear. Although Luum’s training method, if you can call it training, hold back and hope the human figures things out, it’s concerning.” Bowyn focused his attention on Rue, there was no need to guide the pegasus who followed Rue naturally with no need for correction.
Time: Night Location: Edge of Lover’s Lake-Roman Ceremony Interactions: Ari@Tpartywithzombi
As the ritual continued the strange brew Callum had drunk began to take hold. The fire danced in ways he’d never seen before. Not just the fire, slowly everything started to move in subtle ways, nothing was stagnant, and things that were moving maintained ghostly trails behind them. A wide smile spread over his face, everything felt lighter, and there were no burdens, only awe.
He walked around, a clumsiness to his gait, half listening to what was going on while becoming more and more unfocused. He did not want to stand still, so he walked in widening circles around the fire, each lap bringing him further away from the ritual. He did not want to be a disturbance and no longer knew what was happening in the ritual.
If the tea he drank was intended to make him see, then wandering around looking at things seemed fitting. He saw the night’s sky contain more splendor than it ever had before, he saw the branches of the trees sway as if they wished to dance around the fire, and he saw a cloaked figure fall to the ground.
“Hoo?” A voice from above asked.
“Good question.” Callum also wondered who it was. He headed in the direction of the cloaked figure as he heard the odd voice again. "Hoo?"
Cal up and all around until the looking began to make his head spin but his eyes landed on the source of the voice. His eyes met inky black ones, darker and deeper than the night sky, contrasted by plumage of warm browns and brilliant white spots.
Is that owl watching me? He stopped walking and stared intently at an owl perched upon a tree, its swirling feathers holding his attention for a long while. The owl cried out its constant question, "Hoo?".
“Callum.” He answered pointing to himself. The owl did not give its name, it only flew off, as if unappeased by Cal’s answer. “Oh, well, goodbye.”
What was I doing? He looked around, confused but content with his confusion.
He saw the cloaked figure lying down several feet away. Oh yeah. He meant to walk over there and then looked down at the grass. Wow! Did grass always look like that? It's so green. Callum paused and knelt in the grass and it was so much softer than he remembered it being. He giggled, like a crazy person, touching the grass as if he were petting a strange new creature. Soon he too lay in the grass and looked up at the trees and the stars, not moving for a while as he heard the songs and chanting from Roman’s ritual in the distance.
Then he remembered he was supposed to be watching the ritual but couldn’t quite find the will to get back up and go over there. There was more tree watching, the bark patterns flowed like water, moving, breathing, alive. They did not always look like that, he was almost certain.
The Bonfire! He did not want to stare at trees all night, he wanted to watch the pretty fire again.
Callum got back up and for the third time remembered the cloaked figure and his desire to see what they were doing. Finally, he made his way over there.
“Ari?” His surprise made her name sound like a question. “You’re here!” He went to show her his red cup but it wasn’t in his hand, he hadn't had it for a while now, and he couldn’t remember what happened to it. “I drank the weirdest tea and now everything is so pretty. You gotta try it!”
He decided he wanted to sit on the ground, as standing over someone felt awkward, but less than gracefully chose to just drop into a sitting position with a thump. He laughed at this for a bit too long. “Oh! And I just saw an owl, but it flew away.” Cal incorrectly pointed in the direction he'd seen the owl, and crossed his thumbs as he used his hands to mimic a flying bird.
Time: Evening Location: Gaurav Village: Phia’s Room Interactions: Viola@13org Mentions: Phia@princess Equipment: A pack with some supplies, seeds (in his pockets), a small knife, a mask that hangs from his belt, a weapon with a shifting charm that is either a sickle or a glaive, and a shield/drum with an unbreakable charm.
The swing of a door set off a symphony of wind chimes as light danced through suspended crystals and fireflies flew about as if this were a nightclub built just for them. Or perhaps it was a museum; even more small critters scurried about in jarred habitats carefully dangling from above and every surface was filled with bones, rocks, gems, and geodes. Flowers and foliage grew in through every crack in wooden walls and floorboards, further filling the room with the scents and sounds of the earth.
A room of carefully organized chaos, everything placed in a manner that showed off each item’s beauty. To look around in here was to find one’s eye drawn all about the room with every piece of her collection offering insights into who Phia was now. Someone who welcomed the natural world into her space, who cared for small creatures, who found beauty in simple things; someone not so different from the Ophelia he remembered. A room filled with life just as Ophelia had always been. A room that collected the bones of the dead, someone who does not need the world's darkness kept hidden from them, an embrace of all aspects of nature.
Phia’s room was an eclectic array of wonders, and so Cyrus took his time studying each small wonder after Phia left. He too wished to speak with Menzai but now was not the time for difficult conversations with the injured wolf. Nor was it the time to converse with Viola about the day’s difficulties, not only because insects could never quite be trusted to keep secrets but Viola too seemed in need of the quiet. Sunny became the proud recipient of many head pats and ear scratches as Cyrus attempted to calm his nervous energy.
Soon the sunlight that danced through the window was replaced by moonlight, and even as the swinging chair gently rocked him beneath the glow of fireflies, sleep was not granted. The weight of holding a secret bore down and left a hollow nagging feeling in him. His thoughts drifted to childhood nights spent in a treehouse surrounded by his siblings, a time when there was little distance at all between any of them. Viola’s request for a walk was a welcomed reprieve from the wallowing.
“I don’t like keeping this secret. It feels like lying.” Cyrus quietly admitted to Viola once they were outside.
Time: Evening Location: Masquerade Ball: Damien Estate Interactions: Charlotte @princess Daily Misfortune: An annoyingly high-pitched voice and random fits of laughter. Predictable Costume: Leo the Lion
“My voice? Sometime this morning, hardly worth worrying about, like any cold I’m sure it’s due to pass soon enough.” The sooner the better. Leo wasn’t entirely sure if he was attempting to convince Charlotte or himself that his symptoms would clear up soon. And what if it doesn’t? The worry slithered about. What if it’s permanent? These were useless thoughts, it wouldn’t matter, if it didn’t resolve on its own he would just find some way to fix it, he was not without means.
He watched as Count Damien strutted about, making an entirely ridiculous display meant to intimidate. It did not work on Leo who found himself wishing the man could pause the dramatics and instead walk a little faster. But Calbert did not, in fact he only slowed his pace and flashed a sneer their way. Leo rolled his eyes,
“See, the Count is a coward, show him no fear and he turns the other way, off to attempt to intimidate some lesser noble no doubt. But we are not lesser nobles are we?” Leo whispered, grinning, as he watched Calbert disappear into the crowd. The Count drew further away from earshot and Leo felt the only thing left to do was alleviate the tension Calbert had tried so hard to build.
“I’m surprised he even has the guts to parade himself about; Mr. Family man, can’t keep his home safe, he’s got some bastard running around town, and have you seen Lady Violet recently? Absolutely ghoulish and -” He glanced at Charlotte who was no longer seemed present, her eyes held an odd distant look as her hand reached for something unseen.
“Charlotte?” She couldn’t really be this bothered by Calbert, could she? “Now I am concerned, are you alright?”
Time: Night Location: Edge of Lover’s Lake-Roman Ceremony Interactions:
Callum arrived dressed as a shadow, having combed through his closet for dark clothing devoid of royal ornament. Intentional, because as much as he wanted to spend the night only sharing in and celebrating Roman’s customs, he needed to use tonight to search for the secrets hidden in the shadows of his home. The forest, covered in darkness, would provide cover and the majority of attention would now lay on the Damien estate. No better night to search for dark and twisted secrets to drag into the light and watch them writhe from the exposure.
In the moments before the ceremony began, he walked, followed closely by guards who hung about like preying hawks, and tried to see all the things Ari saw when she looked at the forests. He even removed his shoes and left them somewhere that would quickly be forgotten, as it seemed many here had foregone footwear for the celebration.
The attempt only morphed, as shadows cast by trees swayed and danced beneath moonlight, he only looked for the best routes of escape. A plan slowly etched its way into his mind as any attempt to find enjoyment vanished.
Soon Roman, clad in a kilt and adorned with the bones of a bear, stood high above the rest as the rules for the night were relayed. He listened and he scanned the crowd that surrounded Roman. Ana was here, and Cal took care to avoid her, not out of lingering animosity but why repair a bridge he would one day need to burn? He kept his head turned away from her; better to not have to talk, to not have to feel the burden of an unvoiced apology, and to let that connection die off naturally.
As Roman and Mina prepared for the ceremony, Callum inevitably found himself holding a red cup offered by the Varian Shaman. Of course, he wanted to see, he wanted to experience as much of this as he could and there wasn’t a drink Cal wouldn’t try at least once.
Laughter rang out in bursts, clear and sharp. He kept to himself, stayed inside his head; a better option than to risk ruining the good time of others with everything that lived inside his head with him.
A fire ragged, its warmth full and bright. Callum drank of an earthy brew that unsettled his stomach even more than what he was used to. He watched people, from all walks of life, come together as equals and wished he could feel hope in seeing it happen even if for a night.
Roman and the Shaman began a chant, conveying something beautiful that lingered just beyond his understanding but close enough to appreciate, with the simplest of words.
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