Tae

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: Evening
Location: Banquet Hall
Interactions/Mentions: @Oso Cassius @princess Charlotte @Apex Sunburn Sjan-dehk
Aesthetic: Outfit

Kalliope sighed, long and low through her nose, letting her head tip back with a throaty groan.

“Yeah,” she muttered, voice curling with something darkly amused. “We’re both absolutely fucked.”

Her gaze drifted—not far, just far enough to catch movement from the corner of her eye. Sjan-dehk.

Walking toward Charlotte.

Something sank. Heavy and cold and low in her gut. It wasn’t rage. Not even hurt. Just a quiet tightening, like someone had wrapped an invisible hand around her ribs and given the gentlest squeeze.

It passed. Or she made it pass.

She turned back and caught Cassius looking at her.

That look.

The one that had pressed her to a wall once and made her forget her own name. The one that tasted like trouble and unfinished sentences and that edge of something dangerous disguised as pleasure.

She let her lips part around a slow inhale. Her pupils darkened.

Then a smile. Lethal and lazy, like a wolf pretending to be tame. She leaned in just enough that her words could belong to no one else but him.

“I suppose I can think of several hard things I could enjoy right now…” Her voice was velvet and smoke, threaded with something sinfully sweet. She ticked them off, slow and deliberate. “Hard liquor. Hard candy…” Her eyes dipped toward his mouth.

A pause.

Then, with a smirk that could ruin kingdoms, she added, barely above a whisper, ”Something that hits the back of my throat just right...”

Her teeth grazed her bottom lip, but her eyes didn’t waver. She knew exactly what she was doing. And she was daring him to do something about it.

Then she drew back with a wicked little giggle. Her expression? All faux innocence with just a kiss of sin.

“Or maybe I just need to eat something, who knows?”

But under it all, buried beneath the spice and smile, was something quieter. A flicker of protectiveness. A mirror of what she saw in Cassius. Pain hidden behind charm. Longing hidden behind jokes.

And maybe… just a little fear that her heart was already somewhere it could be hurt again.

So for now? She'd play. She’d use this man beside her and let him use her in return so they could both run from the one thing that scared them most.

She was fire and flirtation with Cassius, but with Sjan-dehk?

She was already ash.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Mina Blackwood

Time: Evening
Location: Banquet Hall
Attire: Dress & Hair
Interaction: @Helo Callum/Clarence, [@Reusable Sword] Roman, @FunnyGuy Alexander, @Tpartywithzombi Violet, @SilverPaw Wulfric, @princess King Edin, & Queen Alibeth
Mentions:

Mina's fingers trailed the stem of her wine glass like a bored cat with a string, her gaze drifting lazily toward the front of the room. Wulfric's voice cut through the ambient hum like a needle through silk, and she tilted her head just enough to catch the weight of his words. Her lips parted into a slow, syrupy smile.

“A touch freer?” she mused aloud, voice languid and warm with amusement. “That’s one way to describe it. I’d say I’ve just remembered how to breathe.” A beat passed. “Terribly scandalous, I know.”

Beside her, Sebastian remained perfectly poised, though she could feel the disapproval radiating off him in waves. His knuckles whitened subtly against his glass, and his silence said volumes. She didn’t need to look at him to know he was furious—and, for the moment, she didn’t care.

Then came Callum’s voice, and her name on his lips sent a cold ripple through her chest, despite the heat that still lingered in her limbs. The wrongness of it still hadn’t settled, even if his face now wore a different expression, a different life. She turned toward him slowly, lips parting, but not for a sharp retort. No, she wouldn’t show her discomfort. She’d already learned to smile through worse.

“Oh, Prince Callum,” she exhaled, placing a hand gently against her chest in mock remorse. “You wound me. Of course you deserve a good evening. In fact…” Her eyes traced him with a slow, deliberate flicker as she took in the crown, the tailored coat, the bearing that didn’t quite fit like it once did.

“When I first looked up and saw you—" she paused, lashes fluttering as if in confession, “I couldn’t recall ever seeing you in a crown before. You were striking. It made my heart flutter, I’ll admit. I forgot how to speak.”

A knowing smirk curled on her lips, lips that wrapped around a sip of wine like punctuation. “So you see, my silence was not insult, my Prince… only awe.”

The lie dripped like melted sugar, too sweet to be taken seriously, but dressed up just well enough to pass as sincere. She knew it, he’d know it…and still, it would do.

Mina's attention now turned back to Alexander as he chastised her for the improper introduction. She laughed lightly at his reply, the sound a delicate thing wrapped in mischief. “It was perfect,” she echoed under her breath, her gaze dipping toward her lap as if the memory had briefly warmed her from the inside out.

Sebastian, however, did not share in the amusement.

His jaw tensed at Mina’s casual mention of the carnival, and even more so at the familiarity in Deacon’s tone. He had remembered the emotions he felt from her through the blood bond that night and it had taken everything in him not to go after her, to check on her. He had promised to give her space, however, and so he had honored that. It hadn't kept him from asking about it later, though, and the reply he got from Mina that she had made a new friend was only more frustrating to him at the time.

“Alexander Deacon,” he repeated, as though trying the name on his tongue and not particularly liking the taste. “Yes, I recall hearing something about the festivities.”

“Count Sebastian Blackwood, as I'm sure you know thanks to our lovely Mina.” His voice remained civil, but not warm. “I’m pleased to finally meet the man who’s been… occupying my niece’s time.”

Mina didn’t even flinch, she took another sip of wine and leaned back in her chair, legs crossed and expression delightfully unreadable. “I do keep excellent company,” she said, flashing Alexander a slow smile. “It was only a matter of time before you two crossed paths.”

Sebastian, meanwhile, had already decided the conversation had taken a direction he had no desire to follow. Mina’s tone, Deacon’s comfort, the subtle thread of tension hanging in the air from others around, it all left a sour taste in his mouth. There was no sense in lingering in it.

Instead, he shifted slightly, angling his body away from the others as his eyes landed on the foreign woman beside him. A diplomatic and quite charming smile curled across his face, practiced and smooth.

“I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure,” he said to Iyen, extending a hand with far more interest than he’d shown Alexander. “Count Sebastian Blackwood. And you are…?”

Mina’s wine glass hovered midair, her fingers frozen in a delicate grip as Alexander’s words sliced cleanly through the table’s tension. Her head tilted slightly, expression unreadable for a beat too long, until a soft, almost amused huff left her lips.

“Careful?” she echoed, her voice low and silken, with the faintest edge of disbelief. “Darling, I may have the manners of a countess, but I wasn’t raised to tremble at shadows or men. So if you think I’ve ever needed a man to protect me from another man, you haven’t been paying attention.”

Still, as she turned her gaze toward Roman, something in her sharpness softened. No judgment. No anger. Just a quiet crease in her brow and a flicker of concern in her eyes. It was small, but unmistakable. She searched his expression for some unspoken truth, some hidden regret or denial. Then her eyes slid to Violet, just as measured. Just as curious.

“I’m not in the habit of taking court gossip as gospel,” she continued lightly, swirling the wine in her glass as she leaned back. “So I think I’ll wait to hear it from the ones who were actually there… assuming they care to share. Then I shall pass my own judgement on the situation.”

She took a sip, slow and unbothered, though her eyes remained watchful beneath lowered lashes. “After all,” she added with a faint smile, “you can tell a lot about a person by what they don’t say.”

Beside her, Sebastian's fingers drummed once against his wine glass before going still. He said nothing at first, letting Mina navigate the storm herself—she was no child, after all—but his gaze had flicked to Alexander with veiled distaste. The boy had a sharp tongue and no concept of timing. Dangerous traits in a man so quick to speak and so slow to think.

Roman, though…

His eyes found the young lord across the table, lingering a moment. There had always been something promising in him, something real. He’d hoped, in quieter, more private corners of his heart, that Mina might someday see it too. But that hope came with a silent expectation: that Roman prove worthy of it.

Sebastian’s voice was quiet, but firm. “Let us hear the truth, then. From both sides.” A pause, and then to Wulfric, a polite, diplomatic nod. “Before anyone decides who deserves what.”

Then came the King's words and Mina felt disgust and irritation boil beneath her skin. Her smile twitched, as if teetering between amusement and disbelief. She turned her gaze to Edin, eyes gleaming like a polished blade.

“Goodness, Your Majesty,” she said sweetly, lifting her goblet in a delicate toast. “I do hope that was a jest. I'd hate to think a man of your stature still believes a woman can be struck into sense.”

Then, with a graceful pivot, she turned toward Queen Alibeth, giving her the softest, most deliberately sympathetic smile. “Her Majesty the Queen must have the patience of a saint. Or the reflexes of a swordswoman.”

She gave a gentle laugh, light as champagne, and took a sip of her wine as if she’d simply complimented the table’s centerpiece rather than set it on fire.

Sebastian didn’t look at her, but his voice came low and clipped, just loud enough for her to hear over the table’s din.

“Mina.”

One word. Warning wrapped in steel.

Then, almost like nothing had been said at all, he raised his glass politely toward the King and Queen, his expression carefully blank—but the tension in his jaw made it clear: she was toeing a line, and he wasn’t going to let her dance across it.

Neo Genesis: Chronicles of Eberron

Race: Yuan-ti
Class: Rogue Arcane Assassin
Location: The enchanting bathroom
Interactions: @princess Phia @Oso Talis & Liana
Mentions:
Equipment:

Full Equipment List

🌸 A finely crafted katana
🌸 A concealed dagger laced with paralytic venom
🌸 Throwing needles coated with different poisons
🌸 Black silk combat outfit reinforced with hidden Mithril chainmail
🌸 Soft-soled boots that allow for near-silent movement
🌸 Smoke bombs and illusion charms for quick escapes
🌸 A set of forged documents under multiple aliases
🌸 A tea set and an assortment of teas
🌸 Incense

Attire:
Gold Balance: 71
Injuries: None currently, but has numerous faded scars on her body

The moment the black mist curled through the room, Meiyu’s expression flickered, not with fear, but recognition of a shift in the room’s balance. Danger didn’t come with trumpets. It came with silence, and cold air, and the scent of old fire.

She watched the woman form—elegant, theatrical, deliberate—and rage stirred low in her stomach.

How dare she.

Upstaged. Interrupted. Dismissed.

This wasn’t just intrusion, it was a theft of narrative. Meiyu had orchestrated this encounter with precision. And now here stood some hooded apparition hijacking her stage, commanding attention with smoke and blade and prophecy of bombs.

Her fury was ice-cold, the kind that sharpened clarity rather than dulled it.

She didn’t move. Not yet. She watched.

Analyze. Assess. Control.

First: The woman could be telling the truth. The signs were there—the confidence, the timing, the complete lack of urgency in her tone. A bluff wouldn’t need such detail. But if it was true, and she still stopped to monologue? Then it wasn’t quite imminent, was it?

Second: The redhead woman. Meiyu’s gaze slid briefly to the stall. A bomb-hunting phantom with a personal interest in the redhead? Curious. Very curious. Whatever Talis was hiding, Meiyu had been right, it was more than nerves. Something worth potentially killing for. She wanted to know what.

And third: Her own life. The intruder hadn’t attacked yet. Hadn’t turned on her. That meant she wasn’t the target. Not yet. Which meant she had time. A sliver of it.

She could still use this.

Phia stepped in front of the stall. And Meiyu, who seconds before had nearly brushed the girl off entirely, suddenly reconsidered her value.

Hm. Useful.

When Phia made her bean comment, Meiyu blinked once. And then she laughed. It was a sharp, incredulous sound, like she couldn’t quite believe the audacity of the moment.

But her expression never lost that simmering calculation.

She took a step—not toward the hooded woman, but at a curve, careful not to trigger aggression. One hand lifted lightly, palm out, as if calming a volatile beast.

“You must forgive her,” she said silkily, voice smoothing into something polished and unbothered. “She’s not in the habit of letting terrified young women get carved open by strangers with a flair for drama, I've gathered."

She let her gaze sweep the newcomer from head to toe now, unabashedly appraising.

“And you, darling...you’ve certainly made an entrance.” A small tilt of her head. “Theatrics aside, if you truly meant to kill her, you would have done it the moment you appeared. Instead, you decided to take the time to warn us. Which makes me wonder...”

Her smile curved, sharp as a blade dressed for a gala.

“…what’re you really after?”

Meiyu’s tone shifted then to something subtle, but unmistakable. A shade more serious. Less mocking.

“You came for her. That makes her interesting. That makes her mine—at least for now.”

She tapped her chin, watching the woman closely for any sign of reaction.

“And as much as I love a good bloodbath, I prefer to know why before the painting begins.”

But despite her words, Meiyu did not move to stop the woman. She made no overt threat. No suicidal challenge. Her stance was open, her posture relaxed, but behind her eyes burned ruthless calculation.

If the woman moved to strike, Meiyu would absolutely retreat. She wasn’t about to get herself killed over pride or theatrics.

But if she could stall her long enough to learn why, to figure out what made Talis a target, then the risk was worth the edge.

Just not too much of a risk.

And if Phia died buying her that information?

Well.

That wasn't her problem.

Neo Genesis: Chronicles of Eberron

Race: Yuan-ti
Class: Rogue Arcane Assassin
Location: The enchanting bathroom
Interactions: @princess Phia @Oso Talis
Mentions:
Equipment:

Full Equipment List

🌸 A finely crafted katana
🌸 A concealed dagger laced with paralytic venom
🌸 Throwing needles coated with different poisons
🌸 Black silk combat outfit reinforced with hidden Mithril chainmail
🌸 Soft-soled boots that allow for near-silent movement
🌸 Smoke bombs and illusion charms for quick escapes
🌸 A set of forged documents under multiple aliases
🌸 A tea set and an assortment of teas
🌸 Incense

Attire:
Gold Balance: 51
Injuries: None currently, but has numerous faded scars on her body

“THE BEANS!!!”

Really? That’s what she went with? Meiyu blinked once. Slowly.

The stall door quivered slightly in its frame, still vibrating from Talis’ dramatic retreat. For a long, poised moment, she simply stood there, lips slightly parted in the vague shape of a smirk, as though trying to decide whether the girl had just lied to her, suffered a complete psychological collapse, or both. Her attention then shifted towards the pink haired elf.

She watched Phia with interest now—closer, sharper. The smile hadn’t faltered, but the stillness behind her eyes had shifted.

Not a squirrel.

There was something in the stance. In the grip on that staff. In the way she’d placed herself between Meiyu and the woman.

No, not a squirrel at all.

A mongoose.

Meiyu had seen that look before. In jungle ruins and desert tombs. Wide eyes, soft hands, and teeth beneath the sweetness. The kind that played at fluttering just long enough to lull the serpent close.

So the serpent… adjusted.

The change was subtle. Her shoulders softened, the tilt of her head took on something gentler, more open. Her arms fell loosely to her sides, and when she spoke, her voice had changed too. Warmer. With a smile that touched the corners of her eyes. “I didn’t mean to frighten anyone. I saw her earlier, that woman, and I asked about her satchel. It looked… unusual.” A small laugh, soft and breezy. “I was just curious. But she ran off like I’d pulled a knife on her.”

Meiyu tilted her head slightly, gaze sliding toward the closed stall. Her voice, though still gentle, grew quieter, intimate. “Which, of course, made me wonder what was in the bag.” She kept her tone light, conversational, like a friend spinning gossip over tea.

“You see,” she continued, “on an airship, unusual things tucked into clutched satchels held by incredibly nervous and terrified people have a way of becoming everyone’s problem. And I’m rather attached to my continued survival.”

She didn’t move toward the stall, but the weight of her presence in the doorway made the tiny room feel tighter. “If you’re just nervous, I understand. But if there’s something in that bag that could hurt anyone aboard this vessel…” she gave a casual shrug, “well, you can see how that might interest me.”

Her smile returned. Kind. Patient.

But her eyes didn’t blink.

“You can come out. No tricks, no harm. Just a conversation. You don’t know me, and I don’t know you. But I do know when someone’s clutching a secret like it might explode.”

A pause. Then, brightly—

“Or would you prefer I call someone with more official interest in mysterious cargo?”

A beat passed before she added, with velvet sweetness, “I’d really rather not.”

She glanced again at Phia, playful and sincere all at once. “You see, I’m a big believer in second chances. Especially when someone’s first impression is… dramatic.”

She waited, still and smiling.

The mask was firmly in place. But the snake beneath it was watching.

Neo Genesis: Chronicles of Eberron

Race: Yuan-ti
Class: Rogue Arcane Assassin
Location: The enchanting bathroom
Interactions: @princess Phia [@PapaOso] Talis
Mentions:
Equipment:

Full Equipment List

🌸 A finely crafted katana
🌸 A concealed dagger laced with paralytic venom
🌸 Throwing needles coated with different poisons
🌸 Black silk combat outfit reinforced with hidden Mithril chainmail
🌸 Soft-soled boots that allow for near-silent movement
🌸 Smoke bombs and illusion charms for quick escapes
🌸 A set of forged documents under multiple aliases
🌸 A tea set and an assortment of teas
🌸 Incense

Attire:
Gold Balance: 51
Injuries: None currently, but has numerous faded scars on her body

She moved like a shadow through the narrow corridor of the airship, her steps synchronized with the creak and sway of the vessel as it cut through the clouds. The ambient hum of arcane engines filled the silence, a soft thrum beneath her feet that made every sharp sound all the more noticeable. Talis’ retreating steps echoed ahead—light, frantic, and almost guilty.

Meiyu’s lips curled into a smile, slow and serpentine. Run, little sparrow. I’ll be right behind you.

She followed at a measured pace, soundless as mist, the soft rustle of her silks lost in the groan of shifting metal and the occasional hiss of steam. She was close, close enough to taste the tension hanging off the girl like perfume.

And then…

thump thump thump thumpTHUMPTHUMP—

Meiyu froze. Her head cocked like a predator catching scent.

What in the nine hells…?

It sounded like a panicked creature barreling up the hallway behind her. Without hesitation, Meiyu slipped through the nearest open doorway which seemed to be a dimly lit storage room lined with items for the bathroom. She pressed her back against the wall, obscured by shadow, her breath held in practiced stillness.

It was the odd pink haired elf girl that was at the bar with the shifter man. Meiyu resisted the urge to sigh, her expression remaining composed, save for the faintest twitch of amusement at the corner of her mouth.

Of course.

She waited, listening as the strange pair continued on, Talis practically vibrating with anxiety, and Phia fluttering behind her like chaos in pink. Once the soft creak of the lavatory door reached her ears, Meiyu stepped out from the storage room without a sound, her expression smoothing into something blank and unreadable.

Curious, she thought. Two critters. One little mystery.

She approached the lavatory door with unhurried grace and, without knocking, slipped inside.

The door closed behind her with a whispering click, louder than it should’ve been in that cramped space. She stood there, just inside the entrance, her back now against it. Blocking it.

“...Oh, good,” she said softly, her voice smooth as silk and just as cold. “I was beginning to feel left out.”

Her gaze slid over Phia only briefly, like a cat acknowledging a fly, before her eyes—dark, gleaming, unblinking—locked on Talis.

Predator to prey.

She smiled, the expression gentle and empty all at once. “So. What did I miss?”

Come on, little sparrow. Show me what you're hiding.

And if the pink haired squirrel got in the way?

Well… accidents did happen aboard airships.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: Evening
Location: Banquet Hall
Interactions: @Helo Leo, @Lava Alckon Drake, @princess Charlotte, Duke Gideon, & Duchess Victoria, @TpartywithZombi Ariella
Mentions: @Apex Sunburn Sjan-dehk
Outfit: Dress, Hair, and Makeup

---

Thea gasped lightly at Leo’s response, her hand flying to her chest in playful offense. “Leo! That is absolutely a puppy,” she insisted with a soft pout. “A *very large* puppy. With better manners than half the people here.”

But her dramatic indignation melted into a pleased smile as she gently touched the side of her hair where Charlotte’s gift was pinned. “And I must say,” she began, glancing around the table, “Lottie’s gift might just be working magic. I feel like a walking constellation. Thank you all for the compliments.”

Her gaze drifted to Drake at his compliment, and she blinked once, her breath catching for a heartbeat. “Perfect?” she echoed quietly, the corner of her lips curling upward while a soft pink crept into her cheeks. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, laughing under her breath. “You’re far too kind, Lord Drake. You’ll turn my head with praise like that.”

As he leaned down to whisper, she tilted her head slightly to listen, and her cheeks warmed further at his words. “A menagerie?” she asked, her voice amused but quieter now, touched with genuine intrigue. “I accept your terms and will not request to pet the puppy, but only because it means I get to pet something else.” The words left her mouth before she could actually think about how they sounded and then she blushed deeply. “Animals! I mean animals! I…” She trailed off, a bit embarrassed as she tried to find something else to focus on.

Then there was the mention of her birthday party and she decided to focus on that. She turned her attention back to Drake with a glimmer of anticipation. “You must come to my party now. After all this teasing talk of animals and compliments, I’d be devastated if you missed it. What would I do without my brother-assigned protector?” she teased lightly, a smile playing on her lips—genuine, if a little shy. “And! It’s on a boat! It will surely be a ton of fun!” she said excitedly.

Thea caught Leo’s mouthed remark and gave the smallest nod in return, her lips twitching at the corners. Worse than Mother, indeed. A terrifying feat. But as Victoria’s biting words landed on Ariella, Thea’s amusement faded. Her gaze flicked to the young woman, and something tightened in her chest. That tone. That public humiliation. She knew it well. Her fingers curled slightly around her wine glass, irritation simmering just beneath her polished surface. She didn’t speak, not yet, but the look she gave Victoria was cool and unreadable, with a hint of fire behind her eyes.

As Drake took his seat beside her, Thea’s hand brushed lightly against his offered one. After a beat of hesitation, she slipped her fingers into his, giving a small, appreciative squeeze. “Scathing reviews, my favorite pastime,” she murmured, managing a faint smirk in return, though the edge of her mood still lingered.

Then she felt it, that unmistakable weight of someone watching her.

Her eyes shifted. Victoria. Whispering behind her wine glass to Gideon. His expression tightened ever so slightly, polite mask cracking just enough to confirm what Thea already knew.

The words were about her.

Thea’s jaw tensed, but she said nothing. Her grip on her wine glass remained light, but her thumb pressed harder against the stem as her simmering irritation flared.

A sudden movement caught her attention. Thea turned just in time to see a striking red-haired woman and a man tumble through the grand doors, landing in a tangled heap of limbs and fabric. A gasp rippled through the hall, but Thea winced.

Oof… that’s going to bruise.

Still… the way the man twisted to shield the woman, taking the brunt of the fall without hesitation? It wasn’t just clumsy. It was instinctive. Protective.

Romantic, she thought, before quickly taking another sip of wine to drown the traitorous softness in her chest.

She had only just resumed sipping her wine, the warmth of it curling like confidence in her chest, when she heard it—Duchess Victoria’s voice slicing through the ambient hum of the banquet, a viper's whisper dressed in silk.

"She looked like she’d climb the nearest chandelier if it meant someone else’s husband would look up her skirt."

The words struck with venom, intended for someone else, but soaked in the same familiar tone Thea had grown up enduring—and she couldn’t take it anymore. Slowly, she lowered her glass, her lips still parted with the ghost of a smirk. With a graceful turn of her head, Thea looked across the table and directly at the duchess.

“Duchess Victoria,” she began sweetly, her voice carrying just enough to turn a few noble heads, “I must say, it’s refreshing to hear your thoughts aloud. Most people wait until they’re alone to sound so terribly insecure.”

There was a pause, just long enough to let the words settle, before Thea continued, still smiling, still poised. “You speak of dancers and desperation, yet I imagine it takes a truly gifted performer to balance so many masks at once. Jealousy disguised as concern, bitterness as etiquette, and of course, judgment wrapped in lace.” She tilted her head just slightly.

“Though I do envy your confidence. It must take a certain kind of self-assurance to confuse a woman’s boldness with her worth, or a fall with a failure. But then, I suppose when one is so far removed from youth, passion begins to look like scandal.” That last sentence came with a sip of wine, her smile still fixed, her tone never once cracking.

She leaned toward Leo and murmured just loudly enough for nearby nobles to hear. “Perhaps the duchess should start with a mirror before auditioning for a spotlight.” And with that, Thea reclined slightly, lifting her glass once more.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: Evening
Location: Banquet Hall
Interactions/Mentions: @PapaOso Cassius @princess Charlotte @Apex Sunburn Sjan-dehk
Aesthetic: Outfit

Kalliope saw it again, the flicker in his eyes. A glance he didn’t mean to cast, aimed at a girl across the room who she’d briefly noted looked their way once.

Charlotte.

And in that single, unintended motion, she pieced it together. Not the whole story, no. But enough. There was history there. Something unfinished and bleeding at the edges. Kalliope didn’t need to know the details to recognize the shape of it because she wore similar shadows in her own smile. Still, her gaze didn’t linger on the girl. It stayed on Cassius.

“I get it,” she said softly, voice lowered just for him, like a shared secret between old friends. “That feeling, like your thoughts don’t belong to you anymore. Like your skin doesn’t fit right, like your own goddamn heartbeat’s mocking you.”

She followed his gaze toward the marble floor, then slowly let hers drift, not toward Charlotte… but toward another part of the room. Toward Sjan-dehk.

Her jaw tensed.

“I don’t think you’re broken, Cassius.” Her voice wasn’t teasing this time. No smirk. Just something real.

“I think maybe…” She hesitated, thumb tracing the edge of a ring on her finger absently. “You’re starting to care. In a way you didn’t expect. And that’s…terrifying. Especially when it sneaks up on you.” She didn’t press further. Didn’t say Charlotte’s name or try to pry anything loose. She knew better than most how fragile these things could feel when they were still taking shape.

“But I get it,” she went on. “When you’re used to sharp things—blades, orders, clean cuts—it’s hard to know what to do with… softness. With want.” Her lips tilted into a faint smile then, a little wry. “And when it doesn’t make sense? When it doesn’t fit who you think you are or how you usually move through the world? It feels like losing control. Like something’s wrong with you.”

Her eyes met his again, steady. “But it’s not. It just means you’re still human under all that armor.”

A pause.

“And if you ever need to get away from all this for a while—clear your head, yell into the void, drink until things make sense again…” Her smile deepened just slightly, playful now. “You know where to find me. I’ll even let you pick the place.” She bumped his arm lightly.

“I’ll even bring some candy and share it with you. And I don’t ever share my candy.”

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: Evening
Location: Banquet Hall
Interactions: @PapaOso Milo & Cassius
Aesthetic: Outfit

As Milo’s wink flicked her way, Kalliope didn’t flinch. She simply returned it with a long, unreadable stare…cool, level, unreadable, like the ocean just before a storm.

And then, just as she turned with Cassius, she gave Milo the faintest smirk over her shoulder. It wasn’t a threat.

It was a promise.

She didn’t speak as she walked beside Cassius, step in perfect sync with his. Her eyes flicked to him briefly, studying the tension still coiled in his shoulders, the rage barely caged in his eyes… and then, quietly, she followed his line of sight to Charlotte.

She said nothing.

Only watched.

When his voice finally cut through the silence between them, she kept her gaze forward, but the corners of her mouth twitched as he spoke.

“I’d be halfway to the dungeon by now if you hadn’t stepped in…”

“I know,” she said softly.

“I would’ve gutted that fucker, right there, in front of everyone.”

“I know.”

“So thank you, Kali… I owe you one.”

This time, she glanced at him, that smirk creeping back into place. “Buy me a drink and a bag of candy later. We’ll call it even.”

They walked in silence a moment longer before Kalliope broke it, her voice gentler now, edged with something more personal.

“I don’t know what that little shit said to set you off and honestly, I don’t care.” Her tone was firm, matter-of-fact. “I just want to know if you’re alright. And if you’re not, what do you need?”

A pause.

“Want me to make him disappear?” she added coolly, her voice light but entirely serious beneath the surface. “Just say the word, Cassius. He’ll be gone by the end of the week.”

Her eyes didn’t waver as she looked at him, just quietly waiting, ready to burn the world down for him if he asked…or Milo St. Clair, at least.

Neo Genesis: Chronicles of Eberron

Race: Yuan-ti
Class: Rogue Arcane Assassin
Location: Bar —-->Following Talis
Interactions: @Apex Sunburn Scratch & Val, @FunnyGuy Wendel, @PapaOso Bastion, Talis, & Gears
Mentions:
Equipment:

Full Equipment List

🌸 A finely crafted katana
🌸 A concealed dagger laced with paralytic venom
🌸 Throwing needles coated with different poisons
🌸 Black silk combat outfit reinforced with hidden Mithril chainmail
🌸 Soft-soled boots that allow for near-silent movement
🌸 Smoke bombs and illusion charms for quick escapes
🌸 A set of forged documents under multiple aliases
🌸 A tea set and an assortment of teas
🌸 Incense

Attire:
Gold Balance: 56
Injuries: None currently, but has numerous faded scars on her body

”If I'm wrong, Wendel, I'll give you three gold. If I'm right, well, then I merely request you grace me with your company again.” Meiyu smirked at the dwarf, briefly glancing at his journal he wrote in, before looking away.

She leaned back slightly in her seat, one leg crossed neatly over the other, her elbow resting on the edge of the bar as she held her empty tankard like a trophy. Her eyes had followed Talis’ dramatic exit with the kind of amused interest one might give a particularly jittery rabbit and for the briefest moment, her smile faltered. Just a flicker. Her gaze narrowed, sharp and glinting like the edge of a blade freshly drawn. But just as quickly, that razor's edge dulled to silk again as Scratch addressed her.

She turned her attention to him with a sly smile, the corners of her eyes crinkling with mischief. She briefly glanced past him to Vallena before meeting his gaze again. She hadn't missed the exchange between him and the girl that caused the switch in seats.

“Well, since your ‘idiot girl’ insists,” she said smoothly, mimicking his phrasing without a hint of offense. “You can tell her my name is Meiyu. Meiyu Sadai Xian, if she likes the sound of all three. Most don’t bother asking, and most who do tend to regret it later. But I like that she did.”

Meiyu turned slightly, catching Vallena’s wide-eyed, bread-stuffed stare, and raised her tankard in a mock-toast. “Eat up, little matchmaker. Life moves fast when you’re trying to orchestrate romance.”

She then set the tankard down, her fingers lingering on the cool rim, her gaze drifting back toward the hall Talis had fled into. Her expression turned thoughtful, though only someone truly observant might notice the way her eyes sharpened or how her body language subtly shifted from leisurely to ready.

“Well, ladies and gentlemen,” she said with a sudden softness, rising from her seat while quickly downing her original drink Gears gave her. “Seems something in that mead stirred more than conversation. I do believe I need to… relieve myself as well. Biologically. In a place. That is not here.”

There was a faint echo of Talis’ earlier words in her delivery—subtle, mocking, but not unkind. If anything, she seemed amused by the mimicry. Her eyes lingered for a heartbeat longer on Bastion, unreadable, then flicked to Wendel with a wink.

“Don’t miss me too much,” she purred to the dwarf, before turning to Scratch.

”If you find yourself in need of some potentially interesting conversation later, do feel free to seek me out.” She then turned on her heel and followed the same path Talis had taken, with steps far too quiet for someone simply heading to the restroom.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: Evening
Location: Banquet Hall
Interactions: @Rodiak Zarai
Attire: Look Leo! Green! Also hair…

---

Torvi’s lips curled into an amused smirk, her golden eyes gleaming with interest as she studied the woman across from her more closely. There was a wildness to Zarai’s energy—blunt, indulgent, and unapologetically present. Torvi could appreciate that. She leaned back slightly, resting one arm along the back of her chair, the picture of ease, though her eyes missed nothing.

“I willl be sure to keep that in mind, Zarai,” she said, her tone low and playful, the name lingering just a second too long on her tongue. “But I should give fair warning, sweet is not always my specialty.”

She let the words hang in the air, then softened them with a small, teasing grin. “Still… I find honeyed things tend to be worth the effort.”

Her gaze flicked down to Zarai’s plate and then back up, a brow raised ever so slightly in mock intrigue. “So, what else is worth getting lost in tonight, hmm? You seem like someone who knows how to spot the interesting parts of a room.”

It was an innocent enough question, spoken like idle banquet chatter, but there was a thread of something beneath it. An invitation. A test. Torvi had learned that when people felt clever, seen, or entertained, they tended to start talking. And talking often led to truths.

She took a casual sip from her glass, eyes never leaving Zarai’s. “Or are you only here for the food?”