Helo

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: 10am
Location: Drake’s Birthday Bash
Interactions: Charlotte @princess, Lorenzo @FunnyGuy, Cassius @PapaOso, Drake @Lava Alckon

---

Callum made a face of disgust as Cassius referred to him as, Your Highness. “Nonsense, I’m not high, right now.” He joked and noted the discomfort from Charlotte, and denial from Cassius, at his assumption that the two were a couple.

It wasn’t obvious, but Callum had a knack for finding darkness, and there was certainly some of it behind Charlotte’s eyes when he’d mentioned his dislike for both Calbert and Edin. But what was more telling was the long moment where it seemed like Charlotte was somewhere else; her expression changed as her eyes focused on empty spaces. Like she was seeing things that weren’t there too. ...And what spells have you been casting, Charlotte? He wondered, jumping on the explanation that made the most sense to him.

”Princess, huh?” Callum repeated the nickname Cassius had for Charlotte. ”Didn’t realize I had a secret sister out there.” He joked as he watched Charlotte down her drink.

Callum was not going to be outdone. He grabbed a cocktail and lifted it in Cassius' direction, as he was the one to officially make this a challenge, and drank the entire drink in one go. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there’s a reason there’s a tavern with my name, and face, on it.” He added, slamming the empty glass back on the table as Drake took the stage.

”What a lovely piece, you composed it?” Callum whispered, eyes flickering to Charlotte. ”It’s magical.” He commented as the song ended.

And then Drake fell off the stage.

Callum stood up, stumbling as the cocktail, and that loaf of alcoholic bread, struck him. He held on to the table for a moment then fumbled his way to Drake.

”You alright?” He asked, offering a hand. ”From the guy who's usually falling over at parties, best to just laugh it off.” He added quietly.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: Morning, 10am
Location: Edward’s home, for Drake’s party
Interactions: Nahir @Rodiak, Wulfric @Silverpaw

---

Calbert Damien, constant grumpus, hates the flashy fella in pink, Lord Vikena. He noted, and in so few words Nahir had clued him in that such drama ran rampant in Caesonia. Before he could answer her question, a man whose appearance could only be described as angelic approached. A pristine white suit? At a garden party? Ballsy. Classy. He admired the choice and how it made Wulfric stand out so easily in a garden full of vibrantly dressed nobility.

Rohit rose from his seat the moment Prince Wulfric introduced himself. He bowed respectfully, “Good morning, Your Highness. I’m Rohit, son of Vali Amar of Kimoon.” He sat down once the prince had taken his seat and grabbed a well-crafted cocktail. A future King and the likely future Sultana…picked the right seat to steal!” He thought, remaining relaxed in the impressive company until whoever’s seat he’d borrowed eventually showed up to claim it.

“Much to explore.” Rohit repeated in agreement sipping from his drink. He’d seen only a fraction of the city and already looked forward to seeing more. “As for my journey here,” He paused to think of the many ports he’d stopped at -why go on a grand journey and not make the most of it- and decided to speak of another Caesonian city.

“Felipina.” Rohit said, addressing Nahir. “Best stop of my journey, excluding the destination, of course.” He continued, nodding to Wulfric. “Great food, even better wine, beaches filled with beautiful people, and music and romance fill the air. Casa de las Estrellas, what a way to wind down - stargazing on a private balcony. And I’m told I must return for the Grand Treasure Hunt, how exciting! Shehzadi, I can’t recommend it enough. Never dull never dreary.” Rohit gave his mostly honest review of the city, was it better than Breoven? Maybe not, but he doubted the future King of Caesonia wanted to hear how wonderful Breoven was to visit.

“But despite the high bar set by Felipina, Sorian has already impressed. I arrived just in time to catch the carnival last night, what a wonderful surprise. Anyplace you‘d recommend?” He asked Wulfric just as Drake took the stage.

Drake’s performance was marvelous, a pair of well-played songs that showed the man’s skill off nicely. Until he went to take his bow, “Ooooh, embarrassing, he muttered as Lord Drake fell from the stage.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: Morning, 10am
Location: Edward’s home, for Drake’s party
Interactions: Nahir @Rodiak

---

"How did you know I liked green so much?"

“Lucky guess.” Rohit replied, smiling before bidding the lord adieu. It was an easy guess, written in the man’s stars, but Drake had other guests to speak with and it was not the time for long conversations about the Astral Arcana. He spun the ceramic bracelet around his wrist a few times as he walked and grabbed a couple of the hors d'oeuvres. He quickly grew bored of fiddling with the bracelet and spun his far more satisfying ring around a few times.

He collected a glass of mead from a servant, a bright and refreshing drink that went well with the atmosphere here before noticing Shehzadi Nahir at a table. Rohit headed in her direction and quietly took a seat in a nearby chair for a moment.

“People watching?” He remarked. “Ooof, that guy looks mad.” His head nodded in the direction of Calbert. There was a crash in the distance as a servant tripped and a platter of stuffed mushrooms littered the ground. “And I’m betting that guy’s wishing he was on present stacking duty right about now.” He added with a light chuckle. Rohit bowed his head respectfully to the Shehzadi.

“How’s Caesonia, and more importantly, how are you, Your Highness?” He added.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: 10am
Location: Drake’s Birthday Bash
Interactions: Charlotte @princess, Lorenzo @FunnyGuy, Cassius @PapaOso

---

“Did I hear shots? I know I’m at the right table!” Callum said, taking a seat shortly after Charlotte, as if merely mentioning shots had summoned him. He glanced around but once his eyes settled on Charlotte he stared for a few seconds longer than what was considered polite. He tried to imagine what Ana had described, but nothing about her gave Cal a sense of dread. She really threatened Ana and Edin??? That was even harder to picture, but then again he didn’t know her all that well.

He realized he was staring and shifted his attention to Cassius. “Sorry if the bastard comment was out of line, I didn’t mean it as an insult. I think the name Vael suits you better than Damien, but I’ve never cared much for your father. Or my own.” Cal said before finishing off his glass of wine. His attention shifted back to Charlotte, studying her reaction to how he spoke of the king. Searching for any sign that she might be an ally.

“Yours seems great.” He said to Charlotte before smiling at Lorenzo. “It’s an honor to sit with the best-dressed Duke in Caesonia.” He added nodding to Lorenzo. “Oh, look! Shots are here!” Callum’s attention was immediately drawn to a server carrying a tray of spirits.

“To the two of you,” Cal said standing up and gesturing to Cassius and Charlotte with the shot glass he’d picked up. “A stunning couple. And to Lord Drake, of course.” He added before downing the shot.

From out of the corner of his eye he saw the same ghastly image of Darryn he’d seen back in his room. Red eyes aglow with judgment, watching as Cal celebrated just hours after learning of Darryn’s death. It made that shot sit in his stomach like curdled milk as Cal tried not to focus in on the illusion.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Flashback: Night Sola 23, 1739

Callum & Riona Part 9

---

Riona floated, suspended somewhere between dreaming and awake. Worn cotton sheets felt soft against her skin. Sunlight spilled through the windows, turning the inside of her eyelids a reddish-gold. She breathed in crisp sheets and traces of woodsmoke from the hearth.

A gentle touch pulled her closer to consciousness. Fingers combed through her sleep-mussed hair, then skimmed down to cup her cheek with a tenderness that made her heart ache.

In that drowsy moment, she couldn’t tell who it belonged to. Not until he whispered her name against her temple. “Riona.” Her chest tightened.

As his warmth began to pull away, her hand shot out to catch him. Needing to make this last just a little longer. “D-dan…”

Her eyes fluttered open and the blurry shape in front of her swam into focus. Callum.

“How you feeling?” Cal asked, grabbing Riona’s outstretched hand, figuring she wanted help getting back up. “Just missed our friend’s dramatic exit. He claimed he was here looking for secrets, like us. Oh, and I’m supposed to tell you to ‘remember what the giant said in the alleyway.’ Have you been having clandestine meetings with giants in alleyways?”

His words washed over her, something about a dramatic exit and secrets. None of it made sense. Riona blinked, just laying there awkwardly holding hands with Cal, as she tried to unscramble, scrambled thoughts. Dan was here, wasn’t he? No, he’s gone. Has been for a long time. A flash of red hair, violence—

Clarity slammed into her like a fist. Her gaze snapped to Cal, zeroing in on the dark stain across his side. “Sh*t, you’re bleeding!”

She tried to scramble up, only for pain to shoot up her feet. Glancing down, Riona saw her shoes had been reduced to blackened husks. What in the hells? She shook it off. There were more pressing matters.

With Cal’s help, she stood up. “We need to get you to a physicker. Now.” Fingers fumbling, she yanked at her apron. It wasn't much, but it would have to do to stem the bleeding. “Hold still,” she ordered, her voice steadier than she felt as she pressed the makeshift bandage against his side.

“I was bleeding, got a healing potion. And so did you. From the window man.” Callum explained slowly. He gently pushed the apron away and lifted his shirt to show the healed-up stab wound. “See, all better. No royal physician, I don’t even know how I’d explain this one. What happened to your shoes?” He asked.

Riona’s jaw dropped as Cal lifted his shirt. Where she expected to see a gaping mess, there was smooth skin. She leaned in closer, her eyes squinted in disbelief. Hesitantly, she reached out to brush her fingers over the spot. Warm. Whole. Not even a hint of a scar. If it weren’t for the blood, she’d have sworn she’d dreamed up the whole attack.

It looked... completely healed. That was... amazing. Despite their best efforts, Riona and Cal never managed to create healing potions or salves this potent or fast-acting. A mixture of awe and skepticism swirled in her mind.

“Does it hurt anywhere?” she asked, just in case. Something stank about this. No way their would-be assassin gave them such a valuable potion without a catch.

When Cal mentioned her shoes, Riona’s eyes dropped to her feet. “Funny, I was hoping you could tell me,” she replied. She carefully removed what remained of her footwear, wincing slightly. Parts of the charred remnants crumbled in her hands, still radiating a peculiar, unsettling warmth.

As she examined the damage, Riona realized, with a grimace, the cause of her pain—tiny bits of the material had worked their way into her skin when she put weight on her feet. Lovely.

She turned her attention back to Cal, she asked, “You didn’t start a bonfire while I wasn’t looking, right?”

“Only the illusion kind, but that wouldn’t have included you? Weird.” He tried to remember if anything the intruder had done could’ve caused this. “Mr. Window Lurker did something, you saw the…thing with all faces right? The thing that kept screaming? Maybe it was when he summoned that?” He asked, he’d have to ask if he ever ran into the scroll thief again.

“Faces?” Riona echoed, brow furrowed. “Cal, it was just us and that creepy window guy…” She paused to think about it, “But if he had magical healing potions, maybe he used illusionary magic too?”

“Yeah, I figured, I guess…” He trailed off, wishing he hadn’t been the only one who’d seen the creature but not wanting to sound afraid of an illusion either. “He must’ve melted your shoes too.” Cal added.

“Anyway, it still feels like I’ve been in a fight, but nothing hurts as much as it did before the potion. Except my head but that could be my fault. How about you?” He asked, the shoe thing was weird, not the weirdest thing that had just happened, but still. “Did you catch what I said about the giant?” He added.

“Aside from this,” Riona held up her shoes and wiggled her foot, “same. We might want to use our stash of healing stuff before we go to bed, just to be sure.”

Her gaze swept the room, taking in the aftermath of the brawl. Nothing looked broken beyond repair, but it was pretty damn obvious there’d been a fight. They couldn’t just leave the room like this.

Cal’s question pulled her back. “Uh, giant? Um…” The words trickled back: ‘Remember what the giant said in the alleyway.’ And with them, another memory surfaced. Karleen. The hulking figure. ‘My master wants to meet you.’

“Right, the alley, got it.” Riona said. Was Mr. Window Lurker working with Karleen? Even though Karleen denied it, Riona thought Karleen was one of Sh*tlord’s servants. But… if he was his ‘master,’ why the need for a reminder? Didn’t she meet him on a daily basis now?

Mulling it over, Riona started straightening the room. “Did Window Lurker say anything else? Because honestly all I remember the giant saying is ‘meet my master’ and that master being Varian.” She asked, shoving a chair back into place. “Oh, and can you check for blood? You can use my apron to wipe it up.”

Callum grabbed the apron and worked on wiping away any traces of his blood. “He said; If you’re not full of shit, tell Riona; remember what the giant said in the alley, she does that and she gets your scroll back. Play nice and the sword might find its way home too.” Cal said, repeating the words and using an accent best described as ‘generic dumb henchman’ as he spoke.

“Of course, if you got a bad vibe from him or the giant, ignore the message. And I guess I should mention he did offer to trade the scroll for you, which, not a point for him being trustworthy.” He added, readjusting some of Wystan’s furniture until the room looked the way it should.

That was when Riona finally noticed that the sword was missing. The only key they had to that room. Taken. Fan-freaking-tastic. “Well,” She quirked a wry smile at Cal, “good to know I’m worth more than a priceless magical scroll.”

Turning to the secret entrance hidden behind the wall, she said. “If we want back in there, we’ll need to get the sword back or find another way in, somehow.” But maybe, a little voice whispered, staying out of that creepy cursed treasure trove was the smarter move.

Wait. Riona patted herself down, alarm spiking. Dagger, gloves, journal—where...? She paced the room, checking behind and beneath furniture. The gloves and journal turned up, but she couldn’t find her dagger. “My dagger’s gone,” she announced, and she had a pretty good idea who took it. “That guy didn’t take the compass from you did he?”

“Nope still safe.” Callum patted the pocket the compass rested in. “So how tall was the giant?” He added, gesturing to the door. Time to leave before they caught, they were already pressing their luck.

Riona swept her eyes over the room one final time before nodding to Cal, signaling that she was ready to go. “Lord Roman’s height give or take. Maybe a little more. Pretty beefy looking too… So yeah, intimidating, but… Didn’t give off that ‘I eat kittens for breakfast’ vibe, you know?”

Trust wasn’t on the menu for Karleen or the stranger, but the fact remained: either could’ve killed them and they chose not to (in the end). Which meant they—their master—really wanted something from her and/or Callum. The question was what, and if they could use that to their advantage. “I’ll try to get the scroll and sword back.” Riona eased the door open a crack, peering into the hallway. Empty. For now.

“Try not to get eaten by the tall but not-really-giant-tall-guy over it.” He reiterated, sounding disappointed that giant didn’t mean as tall as a house in this instance. Callum retraced his steps back through the hallway and back to the portrait, retrieving the burnt matchstick he’d left behind. “Need anything before you head back to the hut?” He asked Riona.

Glancing at her bare feet, she answered, “Shoes.”

“I’ve got plenty of shoes if you want a pair.” Cal offered.

Riona snorted as Lordling Smithwood came to mind. “Guess the shoe’s on the other foot now.”

TLDR

Riona briefly sees a ghost from her past before regaining consciousness. Callum and Riona discuss what happened, including the message from the intruder; to remember what the giant told Riona in the alleyway, while they clean up Wystan’s room and leave.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: 10am
Location: Drake’s Birthday Bash
Interactions: Cassius @PapaOso, Drake @Lava Alckon, Calbert & Gideon @princess
Mentions: Charlotte, Wulfric

---

Callum watched Lorenzo as he spoke; rather, he watched the warm pink glow that engulfed the Duke as he spoke about Charlotte. It was another illusion, but that didn’t make it fake; Lorenzo shone with a captivating confidence. Whether or not he was worthy of the title of Duke, was beyond Cal, but it was clear he was more than worthy of the title of father. So, as Lorenzo led his daughter to a table, Callum softly applauded the man.

A wide grin spread across Cal’s face as Cassius addressed him merely as stranger,, not your highness, not prince, no pompous title. For a second, and it wouldn’t last more than a few seconds, Callum was just some guy getting invited to sit at a table. “I’d love to join, but I’ve got a few more words left.” He said with a shrug, before turning to look at Calby. Callum cleared his throat, let go of the brief moment where he felt like just some stranger, and tried to look princely.

“Count Damien, I feel the need to remind you that a Duke likewise deserves your respect. If you take issue with the conduct of a Duke, then bring your concerns to one of your betters for consideration. It is rude to do so publicly.” Callum addressed Calbert with a hand raised, signifying that he did not wish to listen to the Count. And why shouldn’t he? He was a Prince, it had its benefits, and smugly chastising Calbert Damien was even more fun than ordering knights to leave their shoes behind.

“Drake, Duke Edwards, my sincere apologies for adding to any discomfort at your lovely party.” He gave a standard polite smile before lifting his wine glass. “To Lord Drake, the reason we’re all here to celebrate. Happy Birthday.” He said before taking a drink. Then Callum followed Cassius and the Vikena’s to a table. He glanced around for Wulfric as he walked. Shit, did Wulfric miss this? He needed his brother to see him making an effort.

That was the new plan, how he was going to help Riona, Quack, and the Thornbreakers. He’d be more useful if his family trusted him and a better relationship with Wulfric was his best chance at that. Earn some trust, keep getting invited to secret meetings, and know the things they knew; there was no reason Callum shouldn’t be doing that. Other than he didn’t want to, and if he was going to stop holding back it couldn’t just be when he felt like doing things.

It hadn’t gone well this morning, he’d have to fix that. Cal mentally added making an elixir with a relaxation charm to his to do list. He’d use every tool at his disposal to do better.

But right now was a good chance to get to know Charlotte Vikena, whose eyes once glowed red, who once brought a dark, dreadful, energy, as she threatened Edin and Ana.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: 10am
Location: Drake’s Birthday Bash
Interactions: Cassius @PapaOso
Mentions: Wulfric, Ana, Jimmy the cat, Drake, Ari, Farim, Stratya, Barry(Ryn), Zarai, Roman, Lorenzo, Charlotte, The Damiens, The Edwards.

---

As Callum walked the garden he watched his brother lead a horse to the stables. He ate a mouthful of bread. He watched his sister hold up a scruffy orange cat. He ate another mouthful of bread and wondered if that was real. Where did Ana even get a cat? He didn’t see Ari anywhere, Drake was busy talking to many people, so Cal continued eating and wandering. He almost went over to talk with Farim but didn’t want to crash what might be the man’s date with Ana, that was way too awkward.

He caught Stratya looking at him, so held up the half-eaten bread loaf and waved it at her, followed by a thumbs up. He saw Count Damien and his wife, but neither wanted to talk to or even acknowledge them. He felt the same way about Duke Edwards and the Vile Dutchess. He saw some of the other Alidasht royals and nobles but didn’t know any of them well enough to want to talk to them right now, so instead he filled his mouth with more bread.

Is that Barry!?!? Cal spotted a man who looked exactly like the man he’d talked to in an alleyway but he couldn’t remember if Barry was real or if he’d imagined him that night. Hadn’t Barry mentioned Marek might be aligned with Edin? He almost approached Barry, but he didn’t want to take the risk that he might also be an illusion and he wasn’t going to start talking to imaginary people with Wulfric around.

He saw Zarai seated, talking to someone else he didn’t know, so he avoided her too. Callum wasn’t in a meeting new people mood. He chewed obnoxiously on the bread, wondering why Ari wasn’t here and he looked around for Roman but didn’t see him around. He made his way over to the bar just as he finished the last mouthful of bread. He left moments later, a glass of red wine in hand. Well a second glass of wine in hand, the first one had been gulped down in front of the bar, untasted and just something to wash all the bread down with.

Duke Lorenzo’s voice cut through the music, heard over the rest of the softly spoken conversations, and louder than Callum’s thoughts. Count Damien’s bastard His mind echoed the words as he turned to look. Standing next to Sorian’s best-dressed noble was a man who had to be the Damien bastard and Charlotte as well. Oof, Calby looks pissed. He smiled a little, might as well draw some heat off Lorenzo and see if he could turn Calbert’s face a shade darker than the wine.

”CASSIUS VAEL, THE DAMIEN BASTARD?” Callum shouted matching the Duke’s volume as he headed in their direction. ”I can’t believe we haven’t met yet!” He added, his voice still inappropriately loud but not quite shouting. He was going to have to relax his stance on meeting new people today but he’d make it worth it.

Once he made his way over to them he smiled and offered a hand to Cassius. ”I’ve heard the most delightful rumors about you, sir. Nice to match a face to the man, the myth, the legend! And how fortunate for you that ya don’t look too much like your pops.” He spoke, grinning, and giving a wink to Calbert. Maybe this party wouldn’t be too bad after all.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: Morning, 10am
Location: Edward’s home, for Drake’s party
Interactions: The Birthday Boy! @Lava Alckon

---

Rohit took a moment to take in the sights of the meticulously decorated gardens of the Edwards estate. A lush landscape surrounded the tables, with green standing out as the theme of the party, and soft music filled the air. A small array of servants followed behind him, continuing forward to place a collection of gifts, wrapped in shining emerald paper and each topped with a golden bow, on the table with the others. Rohit approached the birthday boy, dressed to match his gifts in golden sandals and pants with a vibrant emerald sherwani decorated with golden constellations, a fit designed to please Tārā herself.

“You must be Lord Drake, happy birthday! They say those born in Sola are aglow with the compassion and wisdom of The Emerald Star Empress, Tārā, and it is always an honor to meet those with such traits. I am Rohit Amar, son of Vali Navi Amar of Kimoon, and bring you the finest offerings from Kisoma.” Rohit spoke with easy confidence but ran through a checklist in his mind. Said happy birthday, complimented, and gave a proper introduction. Yes! Nailed it! He glanced back at the gifts of tea, jewels, and jade paperweight carved into the shape of a dragon. Rohit was especially proud of the last one, a dragon for a man named Drake, it was too fitting.

“Thank you for having me.” Almost forgot that part. But still nailed it! Rohit smiled and offered his hand to Drake, who he understood was the son of a Duke, a title similar to his father’s. “Oh, hey, is that a cat?” He asked suddenly noticing the little orange fella being offered to Drake. His outstretched hand swiftly moved to scratch the cat behind the ears. He noted another well-dressed noble leading a fine horse away, Should have brought live animals? He wondered.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Lord Leo Smithwood

Time: Morning
Location: Spa to the Guesthouse
Interactions: none
Mentions: Count Hendrix, and summons for Riona @JJ Doe
Daily Misfortune: None! Leo’s feeling great! For now...

A well-rested, and no longer hot pink, Leo awoke in an extravagantly comfortable room at the spa. He bathed and dressed for his return to the guesthouse, checking himself before he left. Nothing strange with his voice, appearance, or anything else he could detect. Today he was problem-free so far, which only added to his suspicion that it was something, or someone, in the guesthouse causing his issues.

Despite Count Hendrix’s desire to use Leo as a step to fling himself further up the social ladder, Leo did find that the Count was growing on him. Like mold or fungus, growing where it wasn’t exactly wanted, but there nonetheless. At least Hendrix had amusing stories when they weren’t about extra cookies. Still, he avoided the man, if even he still lingered around, as he left the spa. Count Hendrix ranked low on Leo’s list of potential pranksters, but Hendrix wasn’t fully ruled out yet.

Instead, he returned to the guesthouse, more than willing to bet something strange would occur to try and ruin his good day. He was cautious to touch as little as possible as he made his way to his room.

Or what he thought was his room, and for a moment he thought he was in the wrong room until he saw his lion slippers. The furniture had not been moved more desirably, no, it was replaced with the most ridiculous collection of items he’d ever seen. A toddler bed shaped like a boat, a terrible ugly and bizarre armchair, tiny end tables with tiny lion-shaped lamps, and…was that a potty training chair in the corner??

It seemed he was plagued by two pranksters, one who acted with stealth and one who intentionally failed at any task assigned to her in the most aggravating ways possible. Riona, of course, was the latter. He picked up a few of the objects and waited for something to happen. When no strange alignment popped up he helped himself to the coffee and croissant that waited for him on a tiny pink table where his desk should be.

A few bites and sips later and still nothing strange had happened. In fact, he still felt great, almost giddy even! He found himself softly chuckling about the furniture, including a candle that looked exactly like one of the hideous shoes Riona had previously filled his closet with. At least her intentional incompetence was creative. Eventually, he poked his head out the door, requesting more breakfast and for Riona to be sent over immediately.

Leo ended up taking a seat in the only chair that came close to being ‘adult-sized,’ an ugly, cheap-looking, chair that flared out at the top. It was too narrow at the seat, uncomfortable so, but a determined Leo continued to wedge himself in the chair as he drank the rest of the coffee. He only realized he was stuck when he went to go sit the coffee cup down and the chair remained attached to his butt. A roar of almost drunken laughter filled the room.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: 9am to 10am
Location: Danrose Palace to Drake’s Birthday Bash
Interactions: none

---

Callum got ready for Drake’s birthday party, a quick shower to scrub the scent of the dungeon off him. He dressed entirely in black, it only felt right, after hearing about Darryn. Beaten, beheaded, the body turned into a puddle. Why? It didn’t even feel right to be going to a birthday party right now.

He stared at the words carved into his wall for a moment. He took the knife from his desk and underneath Alibeth’s name, in a small font he carved ’I did want him to die.’ Proof that his mother was the monster he thought she was. Once he’d finished he returned the knife to his desk and grabbed a bottle. He paced and drank and stared out the window, wondering where the sun got the nerve to be so bright on such a dark day. He opened the window and let a long pour of whiskey run down the side of the palace.

“Sorry I let you down, Darryn. You deserved better.” He said. “Gods, I wish I could stop say that to people.”

He left for Drake’s party shortly after. On his way out of his room, he saw Darryn watching from a corner. His skin a pale gray and covered in bruises, blood flowing from a wound around his neck, and his body melting into the floor. Callum met the gaze of red eyes, glowing and angry as they watched him leave. The price of the spell he’d used to show Ana, a day spent seeing things that weren’t real. “And here I thought I’d just be seeing imaginary butterflies all day.” He mumbled as he locked his door.

He was followed by guards, who stayed a handful of paces behind him before he even left the front door of the palace.

---

Callum made his way to the Edward’s backyard, everything entirely too bright and green for his liking, and a bracelet was placed on his wrist. Staff walked around with plates of food, and thousands of tiny spiders crawled out from an array of deviled eggs, swarming the plate. Callum hoped that wasn’t real either, but if it was he hoped that plate got dropped on the Dutchess. He took a risk and grabbed a spider-covered egg and stuffed it in his mouth. It didn’t taste like spiders at least but something else grabbed his attention. A table with loaves labled ‘alcoholic bread,’ grabbed his interest. He grabbed one, breaking off pieces and stuffing them into his mouth as he wandered around, avoiding taking to anyone he didn’t normally talk to, and wondering when he’d last eaten real food.