Time: Night Location: Edge of Lover’s Lake-Roman Ceremony Interactions: Ari@Tpartywithzombi
Ari’s question caught him off guard, would he be free?. Too many answers flooded his mind, an overwhelming barrage of thoughts that needed time to sift through. So Callum shrugged, “Maybe, won’t know until I try I guess.” But even that answer was heavy with doubt. Thinking about it filled him with unease and he was thankful Ari kept talking, now about her mother forbidding her from seeing him.
“I am very unpopular with parents.” Cal admitted with pride in that statement. He took the bottle from Ari as she asked him to hold it and his eyes lingered on its contents as she walked away. Roman and Mina sang a lovely song, their voices stretched upwards, lifted others upwards, as they sang. He looked toward them, watched the ending of a joyous dance, and felt the comfort in their song even as it faded for a new song to begin.
The rhythm slowed, a somber song rose, and Roman spoke of reflection and remembrance. Cal had no ancestors he wished to remember, none he knew who deserved to be honored.
“You and I are the culmination of all our ancestors’ hopes and dreams. What they worked lived and died for.”
Callum shut his eyes and wished for the antithesis; to be the culmination of his ancestor's worst fears, the thing that would undo all they worked, lived, and died for. He wished to be like fire, destruction in its purest form save for Claedo himself.
Callum watched the fire, transfixed as flowing warm colors took on shapes only he could see. For a brief and beautiful moment, he saw a twisted face within the flames, it’s smug expression slowly transformed to one of agony, flickers of yellow evoking a crown. He didn’t want to blink, knowing that when he did, it would be gone.
And gone it was, the fire still danced and flickered, shapes and imagery as easily picked out as a child watching the clouds. But to see Edin’s face burning, that was gone. Only the hope that it was a sign of things to come, remained.
What about you, will you be free? Cal relented to the bottle he held, a long gulp as if it were only water. Did he even want freedom when shackles brought comfort like a weighted blanket and a cage was just a safe place to hide?
Was that all he wanted; things to hold him back, something to blame his failures on, excuses for why everything he did resulted in nothing.
Dread bubbled up from the foul pit in his core, leaking out of him. Deep frightened breaths, but without an audible sound. He didn’t realize he was crying. Cal only stared into the fire, unaware of time or his surroundings, unaware of anything but the thoughts in his head.
Until the jarring sound of Ana shouting startled him enough to make him wonder if jumping out of his skin was possible. He looked around for his sister but saw Ari returning instead. From beneath her hooded cloak waves of ginger hair escaped, framing her face in familiar warm hues.
Time: Evening Location: Masquerade Ball: Damien Estate Interactions: Charlotte @Princess, Fritz @JJ Doe, Mr.V : Slipper Appreciator @samreaper, Cassius @PapaOso Daily Misfortune: An annoyingly high-pitched voice and random fits of laughter. Predictable Costume: Leo the Lion
“The same hallowed sanctuary that was recently infiltrated and ransacked by riff-raff? I can only assume security is not a high priority for your father.” Leo snapped at Cassius. The bastard’s sarcastic tone was entirely inappropriate for the severity of the situation, it only added to a festering annoyance with the conduct of the Damien family.
Then there was Fritz, not only smiling like a dolt at Cassius’s interruption but exchanging pleasantries with the bastard while a treasured family heirloom was either missing or in the, likely filthy, hands of a thief. There was no time for nonsense here, when did he last see it - in his pocket - was that not obvious! “Gold, with Varian Pines and a stag adorning its case. A sidewinder, well kept and unscratched. It was last in this pocket,” Leo placed his right hand over his left pocket, as his left hand gestured to a button on his vest, “Chain now, gone as well.’
At least Charlotte understood the gravity of the situation. And why was Cassius leering at her? Had Calbert Damien stooped to using his bastard to harass Charlotte in his stead? And oh what the lessers wouldn’t do to claw their way up.
“Personal? Ill-will?” Leo repeated the claim with evident shock. “I am well liked and would not associate with thieves.” Leo replied genuinely, but it was an unfortunate stroke of luck that following those words he erupted into another giggle fit. The timing could not have been worse, it was ridiculously unhinged, and his sides stung. The lion's mane shook but the mask, thankfully, hid how well his face now matched his vest. Leo cleared his throat and ignored the strange interruption he had caused.
“Security is far too lax, they have allowed the unsavory sort in.” The only person he could think of, with any ill will, was Count Damien himself. An enemy of Charlotte’s was his as well, but the Count certainly did not go around pilfering pockets, he was far more nefarious than that.
What mattered more here, that Cassius left this interaction knowing full well that he held contempt for the Damien family, or that his watch was found and the thief dealt with? The answer was blatantly obvious for Leo.
“Apologies, Cassius, the watch belongs to my father, his before his, for many years, irreplaceable.” He paused, thankful that the mask hid the annoyed look in his eyes before adding, “An excellent showing at the archery contest the other day, by the way.” A small compliment, only marginally better than forcing out an apology to a bastard. The lion mask dipped slightly, a respectful nod, but not a bow.
“I have observed several people seemly searching for missing items as well. Might be wise to not allow anyone to leave until my wat- all missing items, are returned and accounted for and the thief apprehended. I’m sure your family would prefer this not to become an embarrassing scandal if handled poorly. Somewhere here is a scourge in need of a few years in a dungeon.” He suggested and hoped the dungeons of Soren lived up to their terrible reputation.
Leo’s head swiveled to search the crowd for flashes of orange. At least it was an easy color to spot. “I believe we saw Shehzadi Nahir with a woman in orange. One of you should speak with her.” He suggested to Charlotte. Not even for his most valued treasure would he risk a laughter fit directly into the face of royalty.
Time: Evening Location: Gaurav Village Interactions: 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.
For a moment the possibility dangled in front of him; Viola, Phia, and he all returning to the same frozen dessert stand they’d frequented as children. New memories built in nostalgic places. Except that stand had been burnt to the ground and it’s owner taken away in chains. Such destruction had befallen every know member of Millinia’s Militia, not just his eldest brother Florian. As that possibility burned away, he thought of all the reasons why he could never go home again and how it would never be his home the way it once was.
Then all anger and hatred that he tried to rid himself of sprouted forth, it grew beneath a glow of a white hot rage. Sprouting first in the gut as that twisted feeling grew and constriced around his heart, slowly stealing the light from his spirit. A wave of nausea at having let it take root so easily cut it back down. A stump that festered but never died away. This was not the place for it, this was a family table.
He then noticed the squished piece of fruit he’d grasped too tightly in that moment. He smeared it’s remnants across a piece of bread as if he meant to do such a thing all along.
“The place I went to, it is gone now, but they sell Riverfruit Shushs just about anywhere you can find Riverfruits, and the world has many rivers. We could travel someplace to find one.” Cyrus paused, he pulled a small knife from his pocket and used it to carefully carve a piece of Riverfruit away until he found a seed. He placed the seed on the table between him and Phia and smiled.
“Or, we can find a nice river nearby, grow a Riverfruit Tree, and then I can teach you how to make Riverfruit Slushs. You could have them anytime you’d like, even enough to share with the whole village here.” He offered. This was the better option; any major city or port would hold the dangers of dark elf presence, the potential to be recognized, and it was better that officially, Cypress Millinia stayed dead and Cyrus remained unnoted and unimportant.
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.
“And I you, not sure I could say the same for Raze but that critter’s more suited for sneakary and thievin’ anyways.” Bowyn replied and patted the pegasus as she flew, a signal that Starfire too would be protected.
Bowyn looked a Rue as he thought about what she’d said about Zeva. If she has a family, I then feel bad. She should be back with them and not with us. It was like they were on the same page but reading from two different books. Rue held earnest concern for Zeva and those she held dear, but Bowyn could only see a young elf with family ties as a liability. Even if Zeva didn’t want to betray them, and he had doubts about that, he couldn’t see her holding up if the dark elves went after her family.
“Bardulf is not Avalian, our problems don’t have to be his, but he chooses to carry the burden. He is a good man, worth trusting anyway.” He commented on Bardulf, whose lack of family or any close ties that weren’t fellow rebels certainly eased trusting him.
“You think Luum and Bridget are a thing? They have an odd dynamic.” He asked the mostly rhetorical question aloud but hearing it spoken made it sound even more farfetched than it did in his head. “Do all secrets come to light when you’re power includes manipulating the light?”
Time: Night Location: Edge of Lover’s Lake-Roman Ceremony Interactions: Ari@Tpartywithzombi Mentions: Ana & Farim
“We won’t let your mother take freedom from you.” Callum made a bold declaration as he stood up, because right now, all of his impossible goals seemed within reach. Maybe it was the tea, it probably was the tea, but he could see it. He was Callum, ruinier of things, a force of distruction, and he was seeing how to use exactly what he was to get what he wanted.
“Know what Edin really hates? Being slighted. How mad you think he’ll get when I tell him, Dutchess Edwards doesn’t think one of his sons isn’t good enough for one of her daughters? Edin might take that personally.” There was a glint of malice in his smirk, after all wasn’t this more or less exactly what Edin told him to do? Ari was a proper noblewoman, it was courting season, he could paint this whole scenario as something that would turn Edin’s ire towards Victoria.
“I got plans, Ari, real plans and when I’m done, you’ll be free to pick whatever life you want, not stuck with what they pick. Step one, burning bridges. Bridges between houses. House Danrose, House Edwards, we can make that bridge burn.” Cal kept his voice low as he headed towards where the shaman was, a noticeable stumble to his steps. He couldn’t tell Ari all of it, not yet, but he was confident he had found another ally.
“You can see it right? How beautiful the fire is.” He asked stopping suddenly as the fire caught his attention. The way it danced and flickered as it consumed everything beneath into ash. He looked around again, spotting both the shaman with the tea and Ana and Farim as well. Cal immediately turned his back to them but kept a view of the fire and the ritual Roman and Mina preformed.
“The shaman, just over there, has tea, but I’ll wait here.”
Time: Evening Location: Gaurav Village Interactions: Phia@princess, 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.
“It is an unfortunate necessity that such extreme means of protection is needed, but nontheless, it is needed.” Cyrus replied to Phia’s comment but looked only at Menzai with a somber nod. At Menzai’s departure Cyrus and Viola followed Phia to the dinning area. There was a small pang of disappointment as Viola chose to withdrawal alone for her meal, but he simply smiled throught it. He plied his own plate with a variety of fruits and bread, avoiding the meat upon the table.
He said nothing as Phia immediately dug into her food, stabbing at her food with the handle of a spoon. He bowed his head, closed his eyes, and paused to give thanks for a meal and for the forces that had brought Viola and he to Phia. As Cyrus ate his food with his hands and Phia held her spoon in a strange manner, it was all too easy to picture their mother tutting over poor table manners while wearing an exacerbated smile.
“Riverfruits,” Cyrus spoke as he picked up one of the large purple fruits from his plate, “are my favorite fruit. When I was little, if I ever had a bad day, my older brother would take me to get Riverfruit Slushes, and somehow, somehow a frozen treat used to be all it took to make things better.” He placed the fruit back on the plate. “I also like to save my favorite bite for last. How about you, Phia, a favorite fruit? A favorite food?” He asked before taking a bit from a piece of fresh bread.
Time: Evening Location: Masquerade Ball: Damien Estate Interactions: Charlotte @Princess, Fritz @JJ Doe, Mr.V (aka some rando Leo didn't really notice was there) @samreaper Daily Misfortune: An annoyingly high-pitched voice and random fits of laughter. Predictable Costume: Leo the Lion
Leo checked the time on his pocket watch, he’d wait a bit, long enough for Charlotte to talk to Hendrix about whatever it was, and then join them. He too had things to discuss and now was the perfect opportunity. In the meantime he meandered about the ballroom, occasionally lifting the lion mask to sip from the flute of champagne. He made a game of studying the costumes and trying to guess who was behind each mask. A man in a weasel mask slipped by him, dangerously close to bumping into him. What sort of man would want to be associated with an elongated rat? Certainly not a man of high caliber that was for sure.
His hand reached for the watch only to find it gone. He checked again. Had he dropped it? He looked around, retraced his path through the ballroom eyes scanning the floor. Nothing. Had he lost it? He frantically checked his pockets.
How had he lost track of something that important? His dad’s watch. His grandfather’s watch. A watch that had changed hands for multiple generations only to be lost by him.
Leo made his way to a table covered in food. He left the empty champagne flute there, emptied every pocket, and still no watch. He noticed a handful of other guests had seemingly lost something too, a thief loose in the ballroom. Of course, that made more sense. A brief wave of relief at having not been entirely responsible for the loss was canceled out by the fact that his watch was still missing.
As Leo watched the crowd momentarily, he spotted Charlotte waving him over. Perfect, who better to help him solve this crime than their freshly formed detective club! Calbert and his staff couldn’t be trusted; not only had they already proven themselves incapable of guarding the count’s home but they’d also allowed the thief inside. He grabbed the rest of his things off the table, placing them back into the correct pocket until he was left with a bracelet that wasn’t his. Leo grabbed the bracelet and headed over to where Charlotte and Fritz where and placed the item between the two.
“There is a thief wandering the ballroom, they have stolen my watch and left that in my pocket. We must solve this crime immediatly.” He didn’t bother sitting down nor did he waste time with formal greetings or an exchange of pleasantries. His thoughts now were only of his missing watch.
Time: Evening Location: Sailing aboard 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.
“Luum is strange, even for an elf,” Bowyn mulled over his thoughts for a moment. “And I trust his loyalties but I wouldn’t count on him to risk his life for any of ours, not even Bardulf. I think Luum values himself over anyone else.” Bowyn’s thoughts lingered on Luum for another moment, the elf had gifted him a levitation ring. An action he couldn’t quite make sense of still. Was it just a gift, a veiled insult, or an attempt to buy loyalty? Maybe Luum just wanted him vexed trying to figure out the reason behind it. He shook his head, he’d have to figure that out later.
“But Zeva? She barely knows what she’s getting into. She might sell us all out the second things get dicey. Probably got a nice family, bright future up ahead, you think someone like that’s going to put that all at risk?” Bowyn asked, he took in deep breath of cold, briny air. Bringing Zeva into the group was yet another of Luum’s decisions he didn’t understand. “She knows what Bardulf can do, knows too much about us. We have to keep a close eye on her, can’t give her any chance to betray us.”
He felt the carefree breaths of Starfire as she followed the path of the ship. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d breathed that easy.
“The real question is, what do you make of Bridget?”
Time: Evening Location: Gaurav Village Interactions: Viola, Phia@princess, 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.
Nothing appeared to be happening besides the brief, intense, stare between Viola and Menzai, but tension clung to the air. His sister shouted out a single word, "ENOUGH!", and the vines of the Blood Rose reacted as if they were in the midst of battle.
Absentmindedly, Cyrus’ hand reached out towards a tendril of deadly vine, it had narrowly avoided impaling him, close enough his arm need not stretch to reach it. Even now it twisted to keep its thorns away from him. Of course, the Blood Rose was so intertwined with Viola that her wishes and the plant’s wishes were the same. He was no threat to them, his sister and her plant, and so the plant was careful not to harm.
If Viola held any true desire to harm Menzai the plant would’ve done so. Instead, the vines had reacted like the quills of a porcupine, an attempt to defend against and deter a threatening presence. Somehow Menzai had provoked Viola in a way Cyrus couldn’t see. Menzai was a man of many secrets and a wolf in more than just appearance.
As the wolf began to speak again Cyrus could only wonder how truthful his words were. If Menzai was at least honest about knowing who had answers for them, then he’d just have to work with the wolf until he got a clearer picture of what was going on.
“You make heavy requests and choose to refrain from explaining your reasoning for them. We are only trying to ensure your motives are not incompatible with ours. If the situation were reversed, would you not ask similar questions? Seek to understand the situation as much as you can?” Cyrus asked Menzai. He didn’t expect an answer, even before Phia showed up holding paints.
“Harm Menzai? Of course not, Phia. Viola was merely demonstrating how adapt her plant is at protecting her. Even the smallest threat and the Blood Rose reacts swiftly. Impressive isn’t it? Now a meal followed by painting, count me in.”
Time: Evening Location: River Port; Local Pokémon Center Interactions: Malachi@princess, Jun@JJ Doe, Kenia@Tae Equipment: A halberd, (lost in the forest?) hunting knife (with Jun or also lost in the forest?), and half-plate armor (left in the room).
Everything was dark.
Everything hurt.
Zion faded in and out of sleep, his dreams restless and his waking moments, brief snapshots of panic and confusion. Unfamiliar sounds and scents surrounded him, as he lay, barely able to move in a place he did not recognize.
This place smelled wrong, something sharp and bitter clung to the air. An uneasy feeling pulsed through his chest. I don’t want to here. I don’t want to be here.
He fell back asleep. He woke back up. Zion wasn’t sure how many times this happened.
Then, something familiar. A soothing voice he recognized.
Kenia?
But he wasn’t in the forest. Heavy eyelids struggled to open and once they did the light was blinding and disorienting. He couldn’t remember how he got here or where here was.
The last thing he remembered was fighting a pair of giant spiders, the burning sensation, trying to protect an elf cub. What happened after that? His arm still hurt.
He was lying somewhere soft.
Zion tried to get up, movement hurt and his arm hurt but he couldn’t get it to move.
His vision started to focus, blurry shapes in too bright room. If he was at the healing center why hadn’t they fixed his arm?
“Kenia? What happened to the elf cub?” His voice came strained, and the lion didn’t have the energy for a dozen other questions that floated around in his head.
He moved his other arm, the good one, as he tried to figure out how bad the damage was, but there was no arm. Gone. It was gone. His arm, a solid piece of him, was just gone.
His next breath was a haggard and frightened whimper. Zion held his eyes closed as a wave of nausea caused him to shiver.
“My arm is gone.” The mighty lion sounded like a confused child who’d gone outside to find his hoverboard gone. Beneath the shock was the hope that she would tell him it was just getting repaired and was soon to be returned.
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