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Time: Night
Location: 420 Wicker St; Rave Warehouse  
Interactions: None

[color=9FA1A4]Callum was convinced that they were all going to suffocate in the cramped carriage. They were packed so full of people that every breath of air felt like it had already been breathed in by half the occupants of the carriage and surely they would run out of breathable air before they even made it to the warehouse. He decided not to say anything because any conversation would only make the air problem worse and his sister seemed keen on picking up more people off the streets. [color=00F8FE][i]Why hadn’t he walked?[/i][/color] That certainly sounded like a much better idea now but he was trapped in the carriage. 

The discomfort was only amplified by the presence of several of the Alidasht royals, none of whom Callum knew, and he spent most of the carriage ride trying not to stare and study them as if they were some sort of museum exhibit. Even without really looking at them his mind was filled with questions that all felt too rude to ask of those who hailed from the strange and mysterious desert lands. 

[color=00F8FE][i]Did they really drink the blood of camels? Was it true that women danced on the streets of Genasea barely clothed and uninhibited? Was it really a land of vice and debauchery and barbarism?[/i][/color] Of course he knew that with all Caesonian rumors one had to take them with a grain of salt but there had to be some reason Edin was so clearly on edge about them. 

[color=00F8FE][i]Was it only Alidasht wealth and military might that made them so intimidating? There had to be something more to it, Edin wasn’t easily intimidated. Was this group of royals truly so cold that they would slaughter each other to be the next to wear a crown?[/i][/color] That the last question troubled him the most. It was often said the custom in Alidasht was for the royal siblings to kill one another off in order to prove their worth for the title of Sultan. It was hard to imagine; for all the flaws he could see in his own family, he couldn’t imagine any of his siblings would kill any of the others in cold blood like that. That seemed a level of callous only Edin was capable of sinking to and, as far as Cal knew, even Edin hadn’t killed his own kin. 

Callum was immediately thankful the second the carriage finally came to a stop near the docks and even more thankful when he finally got out of the carriage and was able to breathe fresh air and move freely again. Somehow his feet remembered exactly where the right warehouse was without much looking around. Although he’d been to these parties before he couldn’t for the life of him remember much about them, a sure sign of a good time, certainly worth risking his life being packed in a carriage just like cargo. Walking through a dark and dusty warehouse didn’t feel the least bit out of place, nor did the masked man who led them down the stairs. Everything felt familiar even though he remembered none of it.

Callum slipped on one of the masks that were being handed out without thinking much about it. Strange music thumped and beat loud enough that he felt the vibrations in his chest, sounds so unlike anything he was used to and he didn’t question it. Lights and haze danced around the room and the unmistakable presence of magic could be felt in the room. Cal didn’t acknowledge the magic out of a fear that to mention it would make it all disappear. He only spent a long moment taking it all in, noting how much better and brighter a bit of magic made everything. How because of a bit of magic and a dingy warehouse now felt like an amazing dream.[/color]

[color=CBCBCB]Leo wasn’t entirely sure what he’d expected this after-party to be like but the sights and sounds that greeted him upon his descent down the staircase were so far from what he could’ve ever anticipated. He looked around the warehouse with a sense of awe and confusion. Strange music that thumped like the beating of a heart but in a way that sounded unnatural, unlike any instrument he’d ever heard before, and seemed to be coming from the back of the room but still, he held no understanding of what made the sound. Upon the ceiling, mystifying lights of all colors danced around the hazy room, and an unnerving whisper of unnatural forces filled the room. He accepted the mask offered by a man at the bottom of the stairs and continued forward. His first thought was of how much Thea would’ve enjoyed all this, and he hoped this would not be a one-time occurrence. 

[color=9AF781]“Amazing indeed.”[/color] Was all he said in reply to Anastasia as he continued to glance around the room. A boxing match in one corner and pole-dancing in the other, a large bar serving odd-looking drinks, and a smattering of triangle-shaped tables. Leo wasted no time in continuing to take in the sights, like a child at a fair he wandered off towards the first thing that caught his interest, tonight it was the boxing match at the far side of the room. 

This side of the room held the faint scent of sweat and blood and the sounds of cheers, jeers, and the impact of fists could be heard just over the music. Leo melded into the crowd around the match, noting quite a few people holding the colorful cocktails where things moved inside the glasses. Some glasses contained rainbows or hearts, some glimmered and shone, while others had strange creatures swimming about in the drinks. One man must have noticed his interest in the cocktail as Leo found it impossible not to stare at the drinks. 

“You simply must try one. Careful though, they pack a punch.” The man said with a laugh. 

Despite his interest in the boxing match, the beat of the music made it impossible to hold still. Like a siren’s song it had a compulsion to it, told his body to move, and while every good noble knew several dances suited for a proper ball he had learned nothing for music such as this. Still, he moved through the warehouse, his eyes now drawn to the other side of the room where people danced. This was clearly not a place where one’s movements had to be precise and practiced, this, so unlike the ball they were just at, was a place of freedom. 

Soon Leo found himself at the bar, eyes glancing over a drink menu that listed the names of the odd-looking cocktails. He had originally planned to keep his wits about him at this strange after party, but Thea staying at the palace altered his plans a bit, he didn’t have to keep an eye on her, tonight he could be as witless as he wanted and that was welcomed break he’d admit to only himself. One name jumped out at him, Conquer the Mountian, and liking the sound of the name he ordered one for himself. He watched as the bartender mixed it up, his head bobbing independent of his control to the music that filled the room. Once the drink was set in front of him he watched it, entranced, as clouds floated about encapsulated in the blue liquid. He carefully picked it up, moved away from the bar, and briefly brought the drink to his nose, noting its smell before drinking a sip. The sharp taste of alcohol was cut through by the sweet taste of berries and a gentle swirl of the glass only made the clouds float faster rather than mix them into the liquid. [color=9AF781][i]How strange.[/i][/color] He thought as he wondered if the drink really was as strong as people around here said it would be. Leo then shrugged and downed the rest of the drink that looked like a pleasantly cloudy sky.[/color]