Author: Kieran, Posted: Tue Jan 1, 2019 6:32 PM, Post Subject: Poisonous Situations [P][R][Event]

Teu chastised him for moving. Of course she did. Kieran knew he was being an idiot, but it was difficult. Thoughts weaved in and out, each one muted by the screaming of the knife wound. Not to mention that those delicate fingers running through his hair was mighty distracting. The sound of gawking onlookers made Kieran groan. If his parents should find out… Nobles were nothing but a bunch of gossipers, their loose lips flabbing, unable to contain that juicy detail of so and so in that scandalous situation.

Kieran shuddered against the cold hand with a hiss. Soon, all the pain in the area was replaced by cold. He gazed at his future wife as she bent over him. She was so determined, yet she was gorgeous as she worked. Something about that confident, can do attitude that shone bright within her, almost made getting stabbed worth it. Almost. Ria was the comforting one, but it was no less an important job, as she was doing her job well.

As careful as he could, and with Teu’s assistance, Kieran sat up. ”Who can resist getting hurt if they have you to tend to them, Teu?” He asked with a smirk before pulling her in for a kiss. Teu went to thank the red headed savior, and Kieran used Ria’s assistance to stand up. Each step was taken almost gingerly, not wanting to jar the wounded flesh as the pins and needles of complaining nerves told him they were warming up. Even as Dae was walking up, it was another that caught his eye.

Standing toward the front, somehow missed by all, was his mother. Krizira stood there in an elegant royal blue gown that did accentuated all of her elvish beauty. She had the most serious of looks he had ever seen on her face. The woman took a step out towards them before turning toward the crowd. ”I believe we have seen enough. An attack was thwarted, a life saved. Let us return to our revalries, and allow the injured rest.” Kieran would never know how the woman did it, but the crowd dispersed, returning to the main chamber.

Krizira turned towards the group. ”I had anticipated this, Kieran. But never so soon.” Kieran shook his head. ”The assassin said his employer was closer than most.” The noblewoman waved her hand dismissively. ”No matter. What is done is done. Beautifully done, Teu. Once more, you’ve saved my son’s life, and I am deeper in the pleasure of your addition to the family.” She turned towards Tristana, regarding her for a moment. ”You, my dear, acted swiftly. To thank you for your service to my son, I will have your life guarded with a contingent of our best men. May you travel without fear.” Kieran groaned as he watched the elvish woman walk away as if she was not going to allow any to challenge her decision.

Author: TristanaDeformem, Posted: Tue Jan 1, 2019 5:29 PM, Post Subject: Poisonous Situations [P][R][Event]

As Teu worked on her fiance, Tristana organized the little kit a bit better, putting useful items in the front where it would be easier to grab. Items meant for allergies, common colds, or rashes she placed in the back but still made sure they were available just in case. Strangers began to gather around them. Fear pierced Tristana's heart. Too many people might result in Teu getting distracted. Standing up, she did her best to convince people to leave.

"Please. They need their space." She explained as she gently nudged them back.

Her soft voice was not enough to make the small crowd leave. However, the healer was able to get them to stay a certain distance away. Enough to allow Teu to work properly. A small sigh escaped her lips. She'd done all she could. As she watched the small family do their best to save the man, a hint of jealousy crawled up into her heart. A warm family. Who truly loved each other and would try to do anything in their power to save one another. As long as they had each other they would never be lost or alone.

She had to push those thoughts of jealousy away. The trail that she had been following for so long was becoming clearer. More and more clues for who her father might have been. Once she found him she would be able to find a family. Along with answers. Hope swelled in her heart. That could be her one day. Surrounded by family who genuinely cared for her. Surrounded by people who loved her. Even if it is just one person. Soon, she just had to be patient.

A sweet smile remained on her face. Tristana did her best to keep people at a distance. Suddenly Teu got on her feet and spoke to Tristana. Realizing that there were eyes on her, blush spread across her face in embarrassment. The family appeared to be filled with gratitude. Trying to find the right words to say would be difficult. This was not the first time she had to figure out a situation like this.

She'd helped people before and the gratitude they held was kind but she didn't know what to do about it. People assumed that healing others was a selfless act. But really, Tristana received happiness from seeing people saved. It gave her joy to see them pulled out of misery. She did it for them but also did it for herself. Saving others made her feel good. It was selfish. Half of her reasons were entirely selfish. How was she to be able to respond to such gratitude when she was truly selfish?

"Tristana. That's my name." Tristana said with a small smile, "And, I… Your welcome but I- I mean"

Luckily, Dae, a new stranger interrupted her. Relief flooded through her mind. There was a little more time for her to figure out how to respond or what to say. Despite everything, she still was terrible with speaking.

Author: Teu, Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2018 9:21 AM, Post Subject: Poisonous Situations [P][R][Event]

The young half elf shook her head with tears in her eyes while looking down at her stepfather. There was a managed half smile while feeling the usual tug at her hair in his own effort to keep her encouraged. -“ You should be more careful,”- Ria whispered to him. Her tears were brushed away as her healer side began to kick in. Hazel gaze lifted to watch as Teu worked diligently to find cause of the bleeding. Ria brushed a hand through her father’s hair in an effort to help soothe any pain. Few understood the concept of the pain gates that ran through the body. With contact somewhere else, the mind could not fully focus on pain that originated from another part of the body. It would have a minimal effect, but anything at the moment would be of aid. At the mention of a blue substance to drink, the two women looked at the other with a short nod. The red head had done well by Kieran and their appreciation rose.

Teu allowed herself a petite glance at the dead assassin nearby. It was good for that man’s sake that he had already met his fate. If not, then Teu would have prolonged it with an enormous amount of pain added. Kieran attempted to lift himself up to find the red haired woman, but his attempt was easily foiled. ”Don’t move, you dolt,” she snapped. The healer was not having him make matters worse. She could not chance the thought of losing him now that everything was finally coming together as they had always wished for it. Quickly she tied back her hair to leave traces of blood along the long locks. Her emerald orbs shifted quickly to the red head and a smile of gratitude came to her lips. ”Bless you from all the gods on high,” she replied.

In a flash, her hands grabbed what was needed and began to work. The herb combinations reminded her of the ones she had made back at her shop. It made things much easier and almost tolerable to work outside of an actual facility. Murmurs began to grow as there were onlookers that finally noticed the ordeal that was unfolding before them. There was no disguising the blood that had flowed from the man who was dead or her fiancé. Teu took a breath and worked to block out the noise of them as she concentrated on her future husband.

Needle and thread was found for stitching. A freezing hand was placed on his abdomen to help numb the pain of her stitching. It took some time, but Ria continued her best to soothe her father. Her hands wrapped around him as if her grasp would hold him to life itself. The last stitch was made. Teu leaned back on her heels lightly to reach for some gauze to cover the injury site. ”You are all set. You can move, but do not make any sudden movements that could undo my good work here.” She smiled at him while helping him sit up. Hands cradled each side of his face with a final look of relief.

Attention from the small family turned to Tristana, which there was nothing but gratitude on their faces. ”What is your name, Ms.? We are ever in your debt for taking care of him.” Teu managed to get to her feet to walk over to the other. She did not offer her hand due to the state of them, but she dearly wished to give her a hug. Emerald gaze lifted as a man made his way through the crowd and up to the small group. -“What in blazes happened while I was off as told?”- Dae shook his head and moved to kneel by his stepfather to touch his shoulder carefully to make sure he was all right.

Author: TristanaDeformem, Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2018 1:26 AM, Post Subject: Poisonous Situations [P][R][Event]

Tristana followed the two healers back to the strange man but kept her distance. They were clearly busy. She watched the two of them carefully. Their movements and behaviors were familiar to her. She was a healer as well. But the man seemed very insistent on having them help him. Now that they were there, Tristana did not want to burst in or accidentally cause them to slip up. As she watched, the realization hit her. They didn't have any supplies.

Snatching her backpack from the ground, she dug through the pack trying to find a certain box. Her hand hid the container and she pulled it out. It was made up of wood and metal. The size was about the same as a decently sized pillow. Tristana yanked the lid off of the box. Inside there were fresh bandages, cleaning clothes, surgical implements, dried herbs, and natural remedies. There was dried Chamomile flowers, Echinacea stalks, feverfew leaves, garlic roots, ginger roots, gingko leaves, basil, lavender, lemon balm, marigold, and many others.

Each herb was organized and labeled to prevent any mistakes with creating medicine. Several clear bottles were filled with herbal remedies made up of natural herbs and other ingredients. One bottle was labeled -for cuts- while another one was labeled -for stomach aches-. Many other of her bottles were labeled like this. On the bottom of the bottle was a list written down of all the liquid's ingredients.

"Here." Tristana said pushing her box towards the healers, "Use whatever you need. The bottles have lists on the bottom of them that will explain what was used to create them. In case he has any allergies."

Although she didn't know that magic healing wouldn't work on him, she could observe that the two healers had not bothered using any sort of magic on him. The reason why escaped her but if the man had insisted on these two to heal him, then they must know him well. Her healing kit did not hold any magical healing items. Tristana preferred keeping the kit and the rest of her magical items separate. If they got mixed up together too much, it could lead to disaster. So she kept them separate. She watched as the other two did their work while keeping an eye out for the opportunity to be useful 

Author: Kieran, Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2018 12:13 AM, Post Subject: Poisonous Situations [P][R][Event]

Time felt still as Kieran waited, trying to keep from being drowned in the pain of that knife wound. How could Elwin do this to his own brother? Was he truly that jealous? Did their hatred for each other run that deep? Kieran could never contemplate assassination or murder. There was once love for the aggressive twin, but that was quickly shadowed early on. It was allowed to be choked, starved to death by Elwin. Tears began to well and slip from the corner of his eyes. Why? What happened?

Footsteps rapidly approaching caused Kieran to crane his neck, heartbeat quickly accelerating at any possibility. Hopes rose when he saw the two women he trusted as much as his own mother, if not moreso. As Alairia picked his head up, Kieran reached up with his clean and hand and tugged at a strand of hair before moving his hand for Teu's inspection. To say that he was relieved to have them by his side was an understatement. He wanted to chuckle at her attempt of humor, the effort to diffuse the situation, but his brows furrowed instead. ”I guess. She had a goblet. Beautiful and blue, from which I drank something rather unpleasant.”

If she was to question his decision to partake of the offered liquid, Kieran would be more than happy to answer. Instead, she was trying to figure out how to patch him up with little to no supplies, with his body's aversion to magic. Just when he was going to suggest to freeze it, she asked a question he did not want to answer. But he pointed at the assassin. ”He attacked from behind. Don't know his true motives, but didn't expect me to react. He said his employer was closer to me than most.” The guy was an ameture at best. Did his brother truly think so little of him? Or was he testing something? ”Where is she? I want to thank her…” Kieran attempted to sit up, to which both women pushed him back down. He knew it was futile in the first place.

Author: Teu, Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2018 4:13 PM, Post Subject: Poisonous Situations [P][R][Event]

The ball was lovely and everyone appeared to be having a wonderful time. Teu and her daughter stood close together with arms linked. The mother glanced at her daughter whom recently had rejoined the small group. Dae had left diligently along with Kieran to do gods only knew what. She brushed the thought away as she squeezed her daughter’s forearm with a smile. The young woman turned her chin to look upon her mother’s face with a smile on her lips. This smile was a little weaker than normal, but Teu did not press. For now, she would allow whatever thoughts were pulling at her daughter’s mind attempt to settle for later conversation. The older woman kept a pleasant expression on her face while leaning in to place a kiss on her daughter’s cheek. ”I hope you are enjoying yourself, my dear.” Alairia’s features softened for a more genuine smile while leaning against her mother’s form. She rested her cheek on the shoulder of Teu while not saying a word. Another kiss was placed on her daughter’s head with no other words to be exchanged.

Muttering and soft gasps of astonishment made the two women turn to see what the fuss was about. The red haired woman from before came rushing across the floor with blood upon her. Immediately, the two healers unlinked their arms to cross the distance to her in an effort to help. Quickly it was realized that it was not her blood upon her garments. Teu’s face went pale in fear of what it meant for a stranger to run up to her in a panic. Between gasps the answer was given. ”Kieran.” Hands gathered the hem of her dress to lift it for an easier task of running. ”Let’s go, Ria,” she said over her shoulder at her daughter. The blonde had already gathered up her dress hem as well to run along with her mother.

They gave one glance at the woman and then Teu followed her senses to track back to Kieran. It was not difficult for her to locate her fiancé with the scent of his blood in the air. ”The moon high above,” she gasped while making her way to his side. Teu fell to her knees beside Kieran to place her hands upon the wound to put pressure upon it. Alairia kneeled on the ground to rest her stepfather’s head on her lap. Gently the daughter stroked his head to help sooth him while mother was to work.

”We were having a rather nice night out, darling. You go out and get yourself stabbed…again,” she accused in an attempt to keep fear from invading her voice. Practiced hands moved quickly to work on his injury. The wound was deep and from the flesh edges there was evidence of poison or even a type of venom. She leaned down to sniff, and pulled back with a curious expression. ”You have had a sort of antidote, that’s good. That girl earlier?” The healer expected no response, but went about checking if there was deeper internal bleeding.

”No arteries or organs were nicked, thank the gods. Whoever you were stabbed by…they weren’t very good at their job. I can stitch this up, but I don’t have my supplies here.” Teu glanced up from Kieran’s face to Alairia. Her daughter shook her head to indicate that she did not have any either. The woman bit her lower lip and looked around quickly in hopes that there was another with skill or supplies to help her intended. Forehead lowered to press against his brow. ”My love, what happened?”

Author: TristanaDeformem, Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2018 10:04 PM, Post Subject: Poisonous Situations [P][R][Event]

(OOC: Sorry it's a bit short!)

Relieved that the stranger had taken the medicine, she listened to what he had to say. It seemed that the medicine would at least keep him alive until she could find Teu. She didn’t really know who Teu was but she guessed that she could find this person.Tristana did not mind the blood that had gotten onto her thanks to his bloody hand. Her focus was entirely on saving this person.

Launching herself into a fast run, she entered into the the main hall with a sprint. Who would know who this Teu was? The man didn’t have time for her to figure this out. She didn’t have a proper description. Teu could be anybody. Her eyes spotted the family that he had been with earlier. If anybody would know who this Teu was, it would be them! Bolting over to them, she went up to the woman that he had danced with earlier.

“I need Teu! A man…in danger! Needs healing.” She said taking a few breaths from running so hard, “Please.”

At this point Tristana had become desperate. The man had mentioned that they would be able to smell him on her. Which was odd. But if any of the family here were healers, they would hopefully want to help him. Especially since she had some of his dried blood on her wrist. There wasn’t enough time. Would the man end up dying because she didn’t find the person that he was looking for?

“He also mentioned somebody named Ria.” Tristana said quickly. 

Author: Kieran, Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2018 11:55 AM, Post Subject: Poisonous Situations [P][R][Event]

Kieran closed his eyes against the burning of the poison rushing through his system with every pump of his heart. While he prayed someone would take notice of him in time, the noble prayed to Angela for Teu's well being, the children's future to be prosperous. He prayed to Dalanesca to take him in her warm, dark embrace with an inclination to relinquish him to Angela for rebirth. Yet, he selfishly thought that at least he got to hold her one more time, that her final memory would be of smiles, laughter, and sweet embraces.

As if Angela heard his prayers, and her guiding hand reached out to him, the door he fell into opened. With difficulty, Kieran fluttered his eyes, catching a quick glimpse of the girl he had been searching for, before his lids refused to answer his demand. ”Teu…” His voice came out barely above a whisper. The girl checked him over for a moment, her footsteps soon to retreat from him. Did she go fetch Teu? No, her steps stopped nearby, at the corpse of his assassin, if he were to judge.

He could feel his strength waning, his pressure against the angry would beginning to lessen. The taint on the weapon was designed to debilitate the target, wreak havoc on the body until death of blood loss if the weapon had failed. It was one of the reasons he wasn't writhing, which he would have resisted doing if he could. Salvation came in the form of an offered antidote from the masked girl. When had she returned? Yet, there was no question or hesitation. If he did not trust has he had with Teu those fateful moons ago, then he was dead. Regardless, there was little more harm she could do with the poison in his veins already.

Hope fueled his assistance to lift his head enough to drink of the foul looking liquid. No grimace was give. To the medicine, but only time would tell if it was too late or not. In a burst of desperation, Kieran shot out his bloody hand to grasp her wrist. If the poison did not kill him with the antidote, then blood loss was still a high possibility. ”Find… Teu. Ria. They'll… smell me… on you.” With Teu's wolf heritage, and Alairia being an elf with heightened senses, he had no doubt they could smell and identify whose blood would linger on this woman. Finally, he did grimace with a grunt, and pressed his skull into the cool marble floor. Pain flared in his side as Kieran returned his bloody hand to the wound, trying to staunch the flow.

Author: TristanaDeformem, Posted: Sun Dec 9, 2018 1:10 PM, Post Subject: Poisonous Situations [P][R][Event]

Her dreams were unsettling but short.

-Grassy plains open wide before the maiden. The bright sun shone down on the plains as a gentle wind blew about. A crack broke the beautiful silence. In front of her was a person, or what once was a person, covered in soot and darkness. Her hand reached out to the person. Wrapping the stranger up in her arms, the maiden noticed the darkness fade away from the person, revealing a frightened man. He was tall and had red hair but was frightened. Pain shot up and down her legs. Although she couldn’t understand why. Thousands more people appeared covered in the same soot and darkness that the first one carried. Her arms reaching out to all of them as they howled with pain. The sound was too sad and painful to bear. Still, the maiden took them all up. Trying to take away their suffering. Pain shot through her arms now. There were so many of them. But the maiden took the time to go to each of them. Offering the comfort and warm embraces. Some of them held weapons. She still offered them the comfort. Some of them attempted to attack her. The maiden took it. When she got to the last person, everything around her faded away into light. A golden mirror appeared in front of her. The woman with a scar and mask looking back at her was covered in soot and darkness.-

Tristana’s eyes awakened to the sound of a thud on the closet wall. A thousand pins stabbed her legs and arms as she stood up. That was what she got for staying in one position too long. Opening the door, she spotted a young man on the ground. Before Tristana knew what she was doing, she had dropped her backpack off onto the floor next to her and reached to inspect him. A dagger had stabbed him in the side. It was poisonous. Otherwise the young man would have been able to get back to the main hall for help. Her eyes scanned the small hall until she spotted the dagger and the assassin’s corpse.

She raced over to the corpse and searched the body for the poison that was used. Finding the vial, she inspected it. Consumed poisons typically had a certain look and texture. This was not a consumed poison. This was more like venom. In fact it should be venom since most poisons weren’t strong enough to get this kind of affect. This vial was filled with liquid that had the right smell, color, and movement to be venom.

Racing back to her backpack with the vial, she took out a beautiful light blue chalice. The chalice was made up of ancient crystal and seemed to glow with magic. Tristana poured the clear venom into the magical chalice. Bits of magic flowed around her hands and went directly into the cup. Suddenly a bright light shone from the chalice. Inside was no longer the clear venom, but a dark green liquid. She attempted to give it to him. 

“Drink this. I used magic to transform the venom into it’s cure. It won’t completely cure you but it will stabilize you long enough for me to get help.” Tristana pleaded to him, “I know you must doubt me, but I swear by Angela and every god and goddess that ever lived, this is a cure. I’ll swear to the Gaes promise if you need me to. Just please take it. I don’t want you to die.”

Fear lingered in her heart. The cure wasn’t magical but it would be enough to at least give him a chance. She would have used her sash, spells, or anything else she had but she suspected that he wouldn't trust her enough to use magic on him. Especially after the If he didn’t take it, he would die for certain. She didn’t want him to die. Tristana saw that he had a family. A family who would suffer if he had die. He probably had friends who would be thrown into misery if he perished. These thoughts of others suffering made her even more determined to make sure that he lived. 

Author: Kieran, Posted: Sat Dec 8, 2018 8:03 PM, Post Subject: Poisonous Situations [P][R][Event]

Kieran was enjoying his time with his family at his side. Laughter was plenty, dance in abundance, and food or drink endlessly flowing. Many people were met, both old acquaintances and new ones. Interesting folk stood out too. Including the young woman in the plain dress and a mask, who Kieran was pretty sure had been the mysterious gift giver, was becoming someone he was frequently looking for. Not for anything malicious, but to keep an eye on her well-being. She seemed sweet, and his protective nature blanketed itself over many.

It was a pleasant surprise to see her be singled out by someone for a dance. His gaze followed her onto the floor. There was something about her partner that rubbed his senses the wrong way. Kieran watched them intently as the man laughed away her clumsiness. From this distance, there was no way he could hear what was conversed between them. Just when he was about to look away, return his attention to his family, Kieran noted she was suddenly uncomfortable. The girl ducked away from her partner, and dashed off the floor.

A frown furrowed it's way on his face as the man pursued. Kieran put a hand on Dae's shoulder and pointed out the pursuant. ”Don't let him follow her.” Not letting the girls follow him, Dae went after the Noble, Kieran followed the girl. It didn't take him long to lose her, however. As he went down the hallway, past the door where the cloaks and excess clothing was stored, Kieran felt a hand on his shoulder and the familiar cold burning of a dagger in his side.

His hand grasped the hand attached to the dagger and flung him forward and against the wall in his momentum. The look on the assassin's face was clear he was not anticipating a reaction. With an ice dagger in his hand against the assassin's throat, Kieran glared the man down. Something was wrong, the cold burn was turning into a flame, it was becoming harder to move his limbs. ”Who sent you?” He didn't speak, so Kieran lifted his weight and pushed against him again. ”Who?!”

”Someone closer than most.” Answer obtained, Kieran dropped his dagger and shoved the heel of his palm harshly up against the man's nose, effectively breaking the nose and killing the man in one swift movement. But whatever he had done was working far too quickly. As the corpse slumped to the floor, Kieran leaned against the wall, a hand pressed on the wound. ”Teu…” She or Ria would be able to help him, the only ones he knew there. The only ones here who knew of his resistance to magic.

His vision blurred as his legs became stiff. ”Frell…” Kieran cursed lightly as he stumbled a couple of steps, grinding his teeth against the pain. It curled and burned his veins, and soon would reach his heart. He wasn't going to make it, of this he was sure, yet the nobleman refused to give up. Another step, and another, before he collapsed, hitting his shoulder on the closet door. Wasn't it ironic, that a similar wound that brought him to his fiance was what was going to take him away from her? Kieran coughed at the dark humor, desperately wishing so very many things, most of which revolved around Teu.

Author: TristanaDeformem, Posted: Fri Dec 7, 2018 10:54 PM, Post Subject: Poisonous Situations [P][R][Event]

A young woman with bright red hair, a simple brown cloak with a hood, and a gray backpack sat at one of the banquet tables. She had been playing with a little diamond statue of a unicorn. If she remembered correctly, speaking a certain word to it would cause the unicorn to come to life. The word was written down in one of her journals in her backpack but she had forgotten which one. Putting it away, she watched the dancers on the floor. A tap on her shoulder made her jump. Looking to the stranger, she noticed his blonde curly hair first.

"May I have this dance?" He asked politely.

"Ok." Tristana responded nervously.

She had no idea how to dance. If she had taken up Brwlyan's offer to teach her earlier she might have been prepared for this. Curse her poor memory! The noble looking man pulled her to her feet and led her to the dancefloor. Women dressed up in fancy gowns danced with their equally well-dressed partners. Harps, violins, and many other instruments played together in perfect symphony. They all seemed familiar the the melody. Somehow knowing all the steps that were meant to be taken and gestures supposed to be used.

Her dance partner faced her and took up her left hand then slide his arm around her waist. She shivered slightly at his touch but did her best to hide it. Most people did not get this close to her. Tristana never realized until now how much distance she normally kept between herself and other people. Was that a good or a bad thing? She would have to decide later. It was time for her to dance. Every movement she made was stiff and clumsily taken. Despite her best attempts not to, she ended up stepping on his feet several moments through the dance. Luckily her dance partner didn’t seem to mind. Laughing it off everytime it happened.

“Don’t worry my dear.” He said, “I have tough boots. Besides I didn’t expect somebody of your kind to be able to dance. No offense.”

Confusion cut across her face. What did he mean by her kind? Her confusion was clear enough that he simply had to explain himself.

“What I mean by that,” He corrected himself, “Is more of your status. Most poor people don’t bother learning how to dance.”

That wasn’t right. Technically Tristana was homeless since she did not have a home other than her tent. But if she wanted to, she would be able buy lessons for dancing.

“They might not be able to afford it.” She gently pointed out.

He let out a scoff. “The only reason why they are poor are because they are criminals, foolish or are just too lazy to get that money they want.” The nobleman claimed, “Now a good example of a poor person would be you. Judging by your mask, I can tell you are working your way up in society. The people who do that are worthwhile. Even if you don’t have noble blood.”

Each time he opened his mouth, Tristana could only hear a bunch of lies that had been ingrained into his mind. Excuses to not help the poor. Reasons why the nobility didn’t have to take care of the lower class. She hoped that she wouldn’t have to talk with him further. Her foot accidently stepped on his foot again.

“You know I’ve never met anybody with your facial features.” He commented.

Him saying that was like a gut punch to her stomach. It took her breath away but not in a good way.

“Your scar is beautiful. I bet you think yourself ugly for it. But I find it incredibly fascinating, my dear.”

She did not like where this conversation was going. Did the nobleman not have the sense to avoid conversation topics like that? A chill ran down her back as he leaned in closer. The nobleman's had reached up to touch her scar. Her eyes widened and she took a few steps back, accidently bumping into a couple behind her.

“I think I’m getting a bit tired.” Tristana said quickly, “Please excuse me.”

Quickly leaving the situation, she headed away from the dancer. When she glanced behind herself she could see that the strange nobleman was trying to catch up with her but was blocked by several dancers. Ducking behind several people, she tried to make herself vanish into the crowd. A door at the end of the hall to the left caught her attention. Entering the room, she closed the door behind herself. Hopefully this would be a good hiding place from the strange nobleman. Inside were thousands of coats and cloaks piled up inside the room. It had obviously been a small library living room mix that had been turned into a temporary storage room for everybody’s cloaks and coats. Coats covered the ground to a point where the actually floor was unseeable.

A chair and some chests were covered completely. Stress and anxiety rose up in her chest as she headed to the bookshelf. There were too many people. Too much noise. Not enough people to talk to. She was still shaken by the encounter earlier. What if he tried to talk to her again after she left? Even if she told him to go away? What if she would be considered rude by other people? And how long would she be able to stay in this room? Desperately she grabbed for the first book to calm down herself. Her breathing was getting faster as anxiety began to cloud her mind. Getting to the first page, she began to read. Droplets of water coming from her eyes landed on the book. Her hand wiped them away.

“Upon further research into Ammolite’s material content, fossil-like shape, and magical conduction properties, it is believed as an important economic resource.” She said in a shaky voice.

Dragging her fingernails across her leg, she tried her best to focus on the book. Sometimes reading out-loud helped. This entire night she had only focused on keeping others happy. Keeping them safe. And now look at her, being pathetic in a small room. Realizing that she was creating red marks on her leg, she stopped. Her hand reached over to the book and clutched to it.

“Education from some of the Itjivut natives and magical matter decomposition analysis revealed that the novel mineral is composed mainly of polymorphic aragonite.”

Did she skip a line? Tristana snapped the book shut. It wasn’t helping. Why couldn’t she just remove the stress?! It bounced around in her mind and caused her worrying nature to spiral out of control. Covering her mouth so that she wouldn’t make any noise, tears began to drip down her face. There were so many people out there. All of them knew what to do except for her. They knew what to say and how to avoid people they didn’t like. She didn’t want to leave the ball. It was her first one and she wanted to experience it fully. But she had no clue on what to do. Looking around the room, an idea popped into her mind. She began to list the colors that she saw.

“Blue. Yellow. Pink. Orange. Brown.” She began, “Red. Cyan. Green. Grey. Purple.”

The challenge was that once she named a color, she couldn’t use that color again. And the only colors she would be allowed to say would be the ones she saw.

“Black. White. Peach. Cream. Aquamarine.” Her mind had refocused on the game. She was able to control her breathing. “Violet. Jade. Rosewood. Copper.”

There were a lot of coats and cloaks with many different colors. Standing up, she walked over to the bookshelf and replaced the book with a new one. This time she actually checked to see which book she was getting. A dark green book labeled in gold attracted her attention. It was about magic. Plucking it off the shelf, she went over to the cloaked chest next to the small bookshelf. Tristana placed the book on the ground and began to push the chest away from the wall. Next, she pushed the covered chair over to the chest, making it a part of the little fort. Searching around the room, Tristana found a particularly large and long brown cloak. She tied it to the chair and put the other end underneath several heavy books on the shelf. It was like a small tent area.

With the chest at the front, chair on the left, and the bookshelf on the right. At the back of the fort was a wall and was covered by the cloak. Crawling into the small fort she made, she would be unseen by anybody who had decided to come into the the room. But she would have enough light to read. Her book discussed a spell called Sins of the Father: Sloth. Fascination lit up in her tired eyes as she read through the book. Anxiety, although still there, lessened to a manageable point. A soft smile appeared on her lips. The ground was comfy thanks to all the warm cloaks and coats. Eventually, her eyes began to close as her mind drifted off to sleep. She slept quietly, hidden in her little fort. To anybody entering the room, it would just look like a pile of cloaks tossed around.