[color=gray] [center][b][color=limegreen][h1]Kazumin Nagasa[/h1][/color][/b] [img]https://i.ibb.co/YX1sZZL/download.png[/img] [/center] [color=limegreen]Time: [/color] Evening [color=limegreen]Location: [/color] Castle Dining Room [color=limegreen]Interactions:[/color] [@potter] Lady Olivia/Percy, Charlotte, [@oso] Cassius [color=limegreen]Mentions:[/color] [@princess] Calbert/Anastasia, Edin, Victoria [@Lava Alckon] Drake, [@jj doe] Fritz, [@Reusablesword] Roman, [@Tpartywithzombi] Violet, Ariella. [hr] The cowlicked candy-dressed man sought to resume enjoying the feast, pleased to have his idea of fireflies approved, and could hardly wait to tell Charlotte about the firefly catching plans.* [b][color=limegreen]Try staying sad and down with fireflies tickling ya all over.[/color][/b]* Kazu beamed at the thought, picturing the group jumping and running about, laughing without a care; a night where the world's problems and strifes were forgotten and ignored. Where they could all let their childlike joy be free without fear and judgment, and simply have fun. He inhaled sharply with a soft chuckle, swearing he could hear their smiling laughter and see them, his friends, surrounded by countless flameless stars, the countless dazzling glow promising comfort and a night of peaceful dreaming. A fantasy savored only briefly before being shattered by the heavy tension that had built up in rapid crescendo; a moment ago, the banquet hall had simply been noisy and bustling with chatter, but after looking away for a second and in a blink, conflicts were erupting one after another throughout the hall. Kazu found himself taken aback, his body freezing mid-way into biting into his whole block of honeyed ham. A look of stunned disbelief etched his face as he witnessed the madness unfolding around him, which left the air feeling uncomfortable and heavy, heated and thick like a pungent perfume that clung to the air and any unlucky enough to be pulled into its wicked clutches. Unable to do little else but keep his mouth busy with idly eating at the ham that had been momentarily forgotten. The succulent honeyed meat practically melting in his mouth like creamy butter, causing him to gush with surprise, its honeyed sweet flavor comforting amid this dramatic tension-filled storm. He began eating with slow and hesitant bites at first, the nauseating discomfort in his stomach refusing to relent, and would only worsen as his gaze roamed the hall, taking in the unpleasant spectacles playing out like the table across that had been boisterously loud due to the foul-mouthed duchess’s spouting cruel remarks. Now had quieted with an ‘accidental’ wine spillage, hardly surprising with how much she was asking for it. Though the way Drake tried to plead or comfort the woman, even after such detestable behavior, while the lady beside her, who did the spilling, held no hint of guilt towards the act, left his mind scrambling on what to think as his mind couldn’t help but wonder and try to piece out the story behind their relationship and Drake, the poor guy who seemed simply trying to enjoy the feast with them caught in the middle and Lady Ariella who had been on the receiving end of such uncalled bullying, could hardly blame her for doing so, praised it in fact. Then he saw the duchess burst to her feet and did everything she could to practically display her humiliatingly stained dress departure, unknowingly shaming herself all the more with a thunderous exit broadcasted to the whole damn bloody kingdom.* [b][color=limegreen]Sheesh…bet the folks back home heard that exit.[/color][/b]* All the while, he continued his ham chewing, with a gradually increasing fervor, finding himself both overwhelmed and swept up by the intense going-ons, like the heated argument happening further down the table which prompted Kazu to lean forward over the table to peer along its length with a slight craned neck, the ham never leaving his lips. There, he would spot Calbert’s smug prick face first, his eyes zeroed in without intending to; a strange thing for him to feel such magnetic hatred as kazu was hardly one to hold grudges or bother with hating..not even King Edin drew such ire from him, and that pig king was easily one of the most unpleasant to cross paths with, fucking killed his appetite of milk too. And yet, Calby made his blood boil in ways very few managed to do. A bite, a gush of honeyed meat pulled Kazu from the rage threatening to engulf him and gave a quick, small head jerk with an agitated huff directed at himself.* [b][color=limegreen]Urgh..shit! No…like hell I’ll let that bastard get to me and ruin this night, much as I want to punch that prick face till it needs a face transplant but…[/color][/b]* Knew that would serve nothing but give the man the excuse to end him and with the king feasting only a short way; swift and never able to swing his fist even were he to try. Shaking the bitter thoughts away while gripping the ham using his nibbling to rid him of the unwanted urge, refusing to let his emotions get the best of him in any way save for enjoying his food as he ate on with a more vicious vigor now to match the rising tense energy, refusing to relent. Having collected himself once more, the ham-eating blonde turned his attention back to Calbert’s group as their section felt particularly heated and serious. As he caught snippets, he would be woefully shocked to learn that the bear-sized blacksmith, Roman, appeared to be the source with an imbribed admittance of slapping Lady Violet? A mixture of confusion and sadness in his buzzing eyes, shooting between Roman and Violet multiple times in quick concession, at a loss.*[b] [color=limegreen]Hang on..last I heard, weren’t they sweet on each other or something?[/color][/b]* Grasping at the few things he knew of the two, at least that's what it appeared, but hearing Roman openly mock and humiliate the woman he loved? In front of her insane father and the king’s audience? Even if he was a lightweight, to be so loose-lipped and..did he truly strike Violet? His eyes whirled wildly in the sockets, trying to rationalize it; that gentle giant of a man? At least from their brief exchange and word of mouth was to be believed and yet… Hands tightly gripped the hand in utter befuddlement and anger, unable to believe a man could let alone hit, but jest it to an audience as well? How could Kazu not be infuriated, the jeers and insults; he knew them all too well. The dismissive glances, their ever-ceasing judging eyes, and disgusted smiles hiding unearned superiority. Who was better at casually dismissing the life of others merely cause of their birth or achievements than the nobles, the royals; a special breed of their own best not dwelled on for sake of the mind as Kazu cursed and thanked that his people were left in ignorance of just how far their selfish entitlement and controlling greed proved to be. From strangers and those who hated you, those were easily ignored, albeit still came with a twinge of a sting, but to be mocked and scorned by a person you believed loved and trusted you? A sickeningly ill filled his stomach as his appetite was replaced with a disgusted urge to denounce this farce of a feast to the whole court with a toss of the ham, but his squeezing grip of the ham held him firmly in defiance; gloved fingers trembled within the mostly devoured soft meat and let out a small gasp with a shamed lowered turn of the head, nearly losing the one thing that kept his smile alive and eased his grip on the ham, hating how it reminded him of that day..again. Forcing his head to turn from his hands, fearing what he might see, and sought a distraction. A grimaced gritting of teeth as his mind went back to Violet, how he had become an unintentional disruptive problem to her family, an invitation for a chance to make amends, only for it to be another deceptive trap. She and Crystal… how he wanted nothing more than to apologize for destroying their home; threatened or not, he was a guest, and he had wronged Crystal. Even now, the image of her crying face weighed heavily on his heart. A sad sigh, wishing she gave the story a chance, a chance at a new friend to bring a caged girl a helping hand. Blinking the image away with a slow, airy exhale and the bitter thoughts with it. Were it not for Calbert paranoid overprotectiveness, this whole ordeal could have been settled without issue, but instead, he got a gun to the face…a glint of understanding in his eyes as he recalled his drugged state at the time and how he must have appeared at the time though, a part of him felt the man had no intention of letting him leave that day. An icy chill crept up his spine, the gentle press of the barrel against his oblivious forehead, he struggled to breathe for a moment; suddenly feeling himself pulled back into that room, Calbert leering before him seconds from pulling the trigger… A pained wince as if he felt a burn at the center of his forehead, fearing it was the bullet, then he blinked, and what was thought to be a burn turned to a warm tingle, a gentle kiss, a reminder of who saved him that day, hell he only made it long as he had thanks to Percy always jumping in without knowing he needed her..it was like magic the way she seemed to find him when needed most… But when she needed him most, he could do nothing. Always too late, he was. A small head-shaking sigh as his gaze turned to peer at Violet’s face, taking his first proper look at her face since her…gruesome attack, and yet, there she sat as living proof (or undead proof in this sense). It was hard to believe, but magic didn’t care what humans believed. Percy had shown plenty of examples, and now Violet. As his gaze lifted to her forehead, where the killing blow was said to be delivered, and he shook his head in pity, not of her, but at the fact that no one came to save her. Now, somehow brought and made to endure such horrible humiliation in front of everyone? It was unfathomably cruel. Then he gulped as he hesitated at looking at her eyes, uncertain of what he might see from those bright crimson eyes. He half expected to be scared, but only felt sadness seeing the coldness in them, but within them, a dwindling, tiny warmth like a dying ember fizzling out. His eyes misted up before he knew it; a quick glimpse of the heartbreaking sight had been too much as it was, and he pulled away, not wishing to probe such a painfully personal moment or risk dredging up some of his own. One way or another, he was gonna make amends with the Damiens about the estate and with Crystal, the count, however, could get kicked into a pig pen for all he cared. Though as he thought this to distract himself, seeing such a sad affair brought up some residual pains. Already he could hear of crackling fire in his ears, feel the roaring heat licking his face; an ever-increasing suffocating squeeze gripping his chest- [color=#e77298]“CASSIUS!”[/color] she yelled with all the authority of a sister unhinged. [color=#e77298]“If you bully my sweet little brother again—THEN I WILL NOT BE YOUR FRIEND ANYMORE!”[/color] The princess's shouting words reverberated through the hall with an unexpected challenging wave of her mighty turkey scepter, and with it, silenced the room with a held abated breath. An amused snicker huffed against the ham still gently held aloft between his hands as Kazu graciously took this brief respite Ani mercilessly gave this overboiling pot of a banquet. Just as he could breathe, the cowlicked farmboy would bury his mouth against the ham, appear as if eating while inside was snickering at the princess’s unexpected decree towards Cassius, Calby’s bastard son of all people. He had no way to know if the guy deserved it or not, or what Ani was even talking about, but how could one not find that outburst hilarious? As he tried to get a hold of himself with the ham as his muffler, his lowered head caught sight of a roasted potato shifting and…rolled off the plate.*[b][color=limegreen] *gasp* The potato bowed?! Is she the queen of foods the cooks have prophesied?[/color][/b]* The stupid thought popped up into his head, sending him into a barely contained giggling fit at the sheer ridiculousness of this whole thing. But for now, the farmhand fought against his laughing fit, wrestling to get under control before he let it slip out loud. Lord knows the trouble surely to ensue were he to laugh out loud around this tense crowd of overly sensitive and paranoid folks. After thirty seconds give or take of intense muffled giggling, did the fit finally subsist, allowing Kazu to slowly sit up, still gulping and gasping a bit with muffled snickers when he noticed the greasy mess of his fingers, his face likely sharing a similar mess.*[b][color=limegreen] Uggh…damn it! Hahaha..gonna stink of ham all night, got to wash up![/color][/b]* A snickered sniff as he grabbed the nearest glass of water and dipped a napkin in till adequately dampened; a quick squeeze of the excess water, then softly hummed a tune while wiping his mouth and fingers. He had just finished and was inspecting his clean handiwork when he heard approaching footsteps and a rustling sound nearby, and turned to see that Charlotte had come over during the time he was distracted and was continuing her unexpected hugging of Fritz. That saved a trip, and with that, Kazu hoped Fritzy would join the feast and relax, the man seemed like he was always working. “[color=limegreen] Ah, Char! There ya are! We were just tal-[/color]” [color=#d0b4ec]"I'm always so happy to see you, Kazumin." [/color] Cut off from the sudden embrace that left him paused with flustered surprise, though only for a moment, as he soon returned the hug in full appreciative force. He may have to hold in his laugh, but like hell he’d deny a hug from Char, where he felt the protective warmth like a wrapped blanket shielding against the overwhelming stress that had nearly drowned the building. Within the comforting embrace, though there was a hint that something was off could which spurred him to pour as much of his thanks with a gentle comforting squeeze. “[color=limegreen] Thank you, Char…always a delight to see you too.[/color]” Flashing her the brightest smile he could muster, even if some of it was forced, all the dreariness and stress was exhausting. Then the hug ended, wondrously brief as it was. He could only hope she felt how much she meant to him; who else from these parts would bother to hug this nobody farmboy? A hug he would forever cherish. The girl was hardly done with surprises as he settled back in his seat to see her hug Cassius, who apparently had been seated next to him. A raised brow, seeing the way she rested her head on the guy’s chest.* Oh? What’s that about then?* He pondered with a curious grin, with a few light taps of his finger against the table. Hardly a second that Cassius sat down, that the sound of chair scraping could be heard from Kazu shifting closer, where he then turned to face him to prop his head up against his left palm, casually propped by the elbow.”[color=limegreen] Howdy do there..Cassius is it?[/color]” His right gloved hand shot up in an offering a handshake.” [color=limegreen]Name’s Kazumin. And that was quite the hug ya shared there. Charlotte gives the best hugs, doesn’t she?[/color]” Said with a teasing grin, watching for his reaction with a curious smirk. “ [color=limegreen]You’re that cu- *quickly catching himself* count Calbert’s son, aye? I-[/color]” [color=lightpink]”Kaz.”[/color] Her words came out quietly and were barely audible. [color=lightpink]”Outside. Now. Please.”[/color] Whatever train of thought he had evaporated upon hearing her whisper his name with a hidden urgency in her hushed words warned of something dire if it was able to unsettle Olivia enough to need to talk privately. As he watched her depart without another word or confirmation, he could see her body trembling. He found himself wincing for letting himself get so wrapped up in the room's activities to miss Percy stressing out, she had never been good around crowds, and with having to see the king… With an understanding small nod, Kazu turned back to Cassius, reaching and grabbing his hand in a vigorous handshake.”[color=limegreen]Apologies, my good man, let us put a pause on this conversation, aye? Need to handle some business right quick.[/color]” Releasing the firm grip, his squeeze a tad tighter than needed to test the guy, then stood up with an apologetic lift of the hat.” [color=limegreen]If you lovely folks shall excuse me, I shant be long.[/color]” bA swiping grab of the cane in the left hand as he started to spin on his heel, only to pause the brakes.”[color=limegreen] Ah, while I’m gone, feel free to take as you like from the cart. No point letting the food go to waste.[/color]” A clattering soft thump of the cane landing on the cart landing next to the single bowl of pudding sitting snugly center.” [color=limegreen]Everything except this. If I return to find no chocolate treat waiting for me, then we are all going to have a very..very bad day.[/color]” Eyes expressing bloodshot warning with the ominous words. “ [color=limegreen]Welp, enjoy the feast, carry on, folks![/color]” Lifting the cane up with a peppy tap of the hat back on his head, and spun around to start trotting off whistling, playing merrily as he went, but beneath he felt a pit of dread in his stomach as he worried and fretted over what might be bothering Percy. [/color]