[color=lightgray][center][h3][color=BBC7E1]Charlotte[/color] & [color=9AF781]Leo[/color] [/h3] [color=BBC7E1]Part[/color] [color=9AF781]2[/color] [hider=The Dining Room][img]https://i.imgur.com/2q6jkOM.png[/img][/hider] [/center] [right][sub][color=9AF781][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5438904] Part 1[/url][/color][/sub][/right] [hr] Charlotte set down the book, her smile faltering as her expression grew serious. [color=BBC7E1] “...I heard about that party today from Count Fritz… Who I do believe is still here and might be trying to wrangle a rooster upstairs… Don’t ask about the [i]rooster[/i]... But I can explain Count Fritz at least... “[/color]She said lowly with a sigh. There was a pause before she spoke again as she helped herself to some garlic bread to try to buy time to properly word it all in her head first. [color=BBC7E1] “Lorenzo disappeared after the ball last night, carriage and all… After getting essentially threatened by Count Calbert, which is a whole other story, I ran into Count Fritz and he walked me home. Then, we searched everywhere for Lorenzo, including both my house and nearby establishments... We ended up spending half the night looking for him only for him to show up in the garden this morning. I was certain that I looked for him there, but I suppose I could be wrong… Still. ”[/color] She cut a piece of her garlic bread neatly with a fork and knife, assuming he probably needed a moment to digest all that nonsense. Leo raised an eyebrow at the mention of Count Fritz being somewhere upstairs trying to catch a rooster, weird, instead of eating, extra weird, but he didn’t interrupt. [color=9AF781]“Count Damien threatened you?”[/color] Leo repeated the statement a bit in shock, almost needing to hear it said out loud again to believe it was true. [color=9AF781]“I would’ve never expected such a dishonorable act from the Count. Why is the obvious question.”[/color] He shook his head and made a note to keep an eye on the Count. [color=BBC7E1] “Apparently, he wants me to keep Lorenzo away from everyone…”[/color] She had replied a bit bitterly, [color=BBC7E1] “He’s always been a massive asshole. He’s all an act. ”[/color] He thought about the rumors of Lorenzo being known drunkard, and if maybe the Duke had simply gone out on a bender. But he didn’t say that. It wasn’t his place and his next thought was to wonder if Lorenzo’s disappearance was related to the party. Weird occurrences happening at about the same time, it didn’t seem a stretch to think they could be. [color=9AF781]“Did Lorenzo remember, umm, [i]falling asleep[/i], in the garden?”[/color] He half asked, half just wondered out loud. [color=9AF781]“I don’t think you’d have forgotten to check the garden when searching for a man so fond of plants. So maybe he was dropped off while you were elsewhere.”[/color] [color=BBC7E1]”Maybe so… I don’t know what to think of that.”[/color] She proceeded to take a book that had been on a nearby seat as she was chewing. Charlotte opened it to an empty page. [color=BBC7E1] “Would you mind telling me what you do remember leading up to the party? …I’d also like to make a list of all who went…”[/color] She clicked her pen. [color=BBC7E1] “ My thought here is that perhaps each of you remember bits and pieces that could be put together to solve the puzzle. “[/color] Leo began with what he could remember from last night. The invitations personally handed out by masked individuals, Princess Anastasia rounding everyone up, and the carriage ride to a shoddy old warehouse. He named everyone in the carriage, including Kazu who they’d picked up, already inebriated, along the way. He also went over the lecture from this morning, that Kazu was not there, and mentioned Farim being there even though he had not been in the carriage. He presented all the strange occurrences as objectively as he could. He was unconcerned when mentioning the near execution of the stable hand, but he was clearly concerned when he got to how both Ana and Callum knew who hosted that party and refused to speak. Occasionally he paused to eat and allow Lottie to ask any further questions about the details. [color=9AF781]“What I can say for sure was this was not some drunken blackout. We were all, almost certainly, drugged. Several people, including both Danrose children, suffered terrible aftereffects, and Zarai appeared to have been beaten. Ana and Callum protected whoever did this over guests in their country, and over people they claim are friends. They are reckless at best, and should not be trusted.”[/color] He laid out his main concern, his voice dropping to a hushed tone when he mentioned any Danrose. Charlotte had silently written everything down. She also made a note to start a list of attendees. [color=BBC7E1] “Not surprised. Those two have been getting into trouble since the dawn of time…I have to suppose best case scenario as you said they’re reckless and feel they must feel that the host isn’t to blame.”[/color] She pursed her lips thoughtfully. Her eyes narrowed and she then tapped her pen on Ana and Callum’s names. [color=BBC7E1] “If we go off that possible route and given what we know, the younger Danroses must know something… And if they don’t know something, they are going to. They’ll certainly go to check on their friend if they’re that concerned for him.”[/color] Leo nodded, it sounded like they were on the same page there and that eased much of his concerns. Speaking ill of any member of the royal family was a dangerous activity in Caesonia. [color=9AF781]“We’ll have to be careful. I’m certain the rest of the royal family has the same suspicion. Best to keep our investigations under their radar. Kazu is another suspicious character. There’s quite a bit just off about him, and he’s consistently involved or around trouble.”[/color] [color=BBC7E1] “Right, Kazumin…”[/color] Charlotte was thoughtful for a moment, [color=BBC7E1]” …From what I gathered, he’s an open book at the least so he’ll be someone we should talk to.”[/color] She then decided to return to the initial subject to finish her thought, [color=BBC7E1]” Well, maybe we can follow the younger two Danroses and see if either of them lead us to the host… Though that could be dangerous. I don’t know the extent of what’s happening. ”[/color] Charlotte ended her words with a sigh. She began to draw a line through the list of names as she listened to Leo speak again. [color=9AF781]“I agree following the Danrose’s could be very valuable. So long as we are extremely cautious. Whatever is going on, does feel very dangerous. Earlier today, Mina fainted at the execution, and had it been just about anyone else I could believe it was heat or stress but Mina has a far stronger constitution than that. I could be wrong but it felt off, another strange occurrence to keep in mind. There’s too much happening for it to all be one big coincidence.”[/color] Leo paused long enough to help himself to the garlic bread, which was absolute perfection, before continuing. [color=9AF781]“And while this is upsetting rather than strange, Prince Felix has broken his engagement with Thea. I’m not sure what’s going on with our royals these days but it seems conducting oneself with honor has fallen by the wayside.”[/color] Leo remarked with a head shake. [color=BBC7E1] “ Is Mina okay?”[/color] Charlotte asked with genuine concern etching her voice. She frowned. She quite liked Mina and especially owed her one after she had come to her aid at the ball. As she considered the subject of Thea, she let out a deep breath.[color=BBC7E1] “ Yes, that was another subject I wanted to talk to you about. She came to me distraught today and showed me the letter he wrote her. It was utterly vile of him to talk to her that way and I can’t wait to give him my opinion…”[/color] A rare bit of anger slipped into her tone. [color=BBC7E1]“Though I think I was able to bring her into better spirits, but…”[/color] She rose her head from the book to meet his eyes, [color=BBC7E1]“I’m still worried about her.“[/color] [color=9AF781]“Felix ended things with my sister in a letter?”[/color] Leo asked, jaw clenching and his ears turning red at hearing that. He took a breath and shook his head again. [color=9AF781]“Thea is convinced he did so because her emotions frightened him off. But it is as you said, Felix is simply vile. I think the only thing that will lessen this wound is time. She’s already dealing with more than she should, and I hope a summer around friends like you will lift her spirits. I’m not sure what else to do besides give her the space to grieve and be there when needed.”[/color] Leo added, and he was thankful that Lottie was here for Thea as well. [color=9AF781]“And Mina seemed alright, afterward she went with John, just to be sure, and there is no finer doctor.”[/color] Though he’d never admit it to John, Leo was thankful that the doctor helped look out for Thea as well. Charlotte nodded, taking his words in. She then asked after a hesitation, [color=BBC7E1] “And how are you doing? … Are you okay after last night and … I guess everything in general. I hope you didn’t get hurt. ”[/color] [color=9AF781]“Last night was not so bad for me, though whenever I try to remember anything about that party I get a terrible headache. Nothing serious. Beyond that, less okay, I guess. Living in a void with no answers for why he’s not here.”[/color] Leo didn’t feel a need to say outright who he meant, most of the time it was too painful to say it all aloud. To have to hear it from his own voice. [color=9AF781]“And I think knowing would help but it would make it all so permanent. So maybe I don’t entirely want that either.”[/color] Leo offered only what he could about his father’s absence with shrug, there wasn’t much to say and there was even less that he knew. Charlotte's frown deepened at his words. She wanted to choose her words carefully, knowing the weight they carried.[color=BBC7E1] "It's strange," [/color] she began, her voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and frustration.[color=BBC7E1] "How we both ended up in similar predicaments around the same time." [/color] She spoke softly, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the table, mirroring the emotions bubbling up inside her. [color=BBC7E1] "I understand how you feel," [/color] she continued, her voice gaining strength. [color=BBC7E1] "Sometimes, I just want to move on, forget about her, like everyone keeps telling me to... Apparently, ‘my mother would want me to continue on.’" [/color] She shook her head, her fists clenched tightly. Finally, she leaned in, meeting Leo's eyes as she spoke. [color=BBC7E1] "I don't want to pressure you to hold on to this just because I am. It's not my place,"[/color] Charlotte said earnestly, [color=BBC7E1] "But I need to say this just once." [/color] She paused again, [color=BBC7E1] "...Your father could still be out there somewhere. Alive or dead, someone could have hurt him, and they might still be hurting him."[/color] [color=BBC7E1]"...And it's not just about our parents…If someone hurt your father or my mother, they could hurt someone else too. And if you've noticed, nobody else is doing anything about it."[/color] She waved her hand dismissively, frustration evident on her face. [color=BBC7E1]"I'm sure this party crap will just get swept under the rug too… I'm tired of it, honestly."[/color] Charlotte then slid the paper toward Leo across the table. The names had been split into two groups. [color=BBC7E1] “...Are you with me?”[/color] [color=9AF781]“I don’t think moving on means you have to forget your mother. I think forgetting is the worst thing we can do, because then all of them is gone. But the searching, the obsessing, I can’t help but wonder if it’s selfish to put so much into something without results.”[/color] But it wasn’t just something he wondered about, it was something he knew. He couldn’t spend the rest of his life obsessing over this. It would drive him mad. [color=9AF781]“I think most of my effort has to go into what is still here. To Thea, my mother, and Stravy. My father placed duty and honor above all else, and the best way to honor him is in that.”[/color] This Leo had full confidence in, but there was an uncrossable cavern between knowing this and accepting it. [color=9AF781]“But I have this summer for what I want, and that is to still look for answers. Because you are right, if I can find whoever is responsible for stealing my father from me, I want to make them pay. I didn’t have help before, but I do now. So even if we never solve this one, we can work on what’s happening now, and protect who we still have left.”[/color] Leo offered and there was the faint sting of tears held back by stubborn eyes. [color=9AF781]“It means a lot that I have your help now.”[/color] Leo held back that he had no real help because his mother was too busy planning a wedding and parading around a wretched replacement. That just about everyone else he knew thought it a waste of time and Thea, she didn’t need additional burdens. Instead he moved to the other side of the table and hugged Charlotte for being able to understand what it was to feel things that there were no words for, that couldn’t be properly explained to people who had not felt them. [color=9AF781]“Of course I’m with you.”[/color] [/color]