Blackburn's Crossing Chapter 3: A Ball to Die for

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Peri chews on her lips grinning at Shih trying not to laugh at the very cat like thing he had just done. “I had noticed you are a story teller. What prompted your following of such a path?”

Peri quickly questioned Shih before Tara introduced herself. Lookingnto the woman with a bright smile. “It is good to see you again Tara.” Peri gave a small wave then looked to Yelcan who appeared to be being chided.

Despite all the fun Peri wondered where her other friends might have wandered. Luckily most were sitting down to eat as she searched over the room. Catching Arissa upon the steps with a beak masked man easily enough due to her vibrant red. It took her a few moments more to find her brother hunched over a table speaking with, laughing as she recognized the horn, Jonothan. Satisfied she turns back to the others with a bounce.
 
Bernard looked at Jonathan, mouth agape. It took him some time to process what Jonathan had said as memories suddenly opened to him that had previously been lost. Arissa was so confused by my insistence that Jonathan was mundane... No wonder.

Bernard rubbed his head. "Sorry. I checked, no ghosts here. Whatever you're seeing must be different. Are they around now?" Bernard shook his head, "Nevermind, we should focus on your task. When you know what you need, please tell me. Even if you cannot name it, just knowing that you are going for it should be enough for us to help. It is unlikely that James has not employed magic and machine to guard his possessions."

Bernard stood, placing a hand on Jonathan's shoulder. "Thank you, for what you did for her... and I'm sorry I haven't brought you justice." Bernard looked at Jonathan, his face caught between a smile and a frown. Then he stepped away, looking around for anyone familiar.
 
Arissa laughs, although she could not help but feel curious as well. “I am certainly no true fortune teller... although fate has brought me into possession of a set of ‘Tarokka’ cards as they call them. I have my doubts that they would work for me... but perhaps it is worth a try, ja?” Maybe I am meant to hold these cards for a reason... perhaps that is why fate drew the Vistani away?

Arissa takes Ludwig by the hand and walks him over to the hallway and into an empty room, although Arissa was sure to check behind the doorway before doing so. She sat down at a table in the center of the room and gestured him to sit across before withdrawing the case from her flute bag and setting it down apprehensively. She looks up at Ludwig, a bit nervous. “Are you certain you wish to know what lies ahead? Fate seems to be a burden more often than a boon.”
 
Ludwig gives her an understanding nod and laughs. "True fortune teller or not, you have the cards and some of the knowledge. I'd write that off as passable, mind you that this is just a friendly read. If things were dire and serious, I might've been a bit scared.."

He gives her a small pat on the shoulder as they make their way over into the empty room. "Just kidding. Play this deck to your hearts content, we'll see what comes out of your reading. Who knows, maybe you'll have a knack for this." Ludwig sits down at the table positioning himself to face Arissa on the opposite side. "I am certain, if fate can't be changed.. then what is the big deal about knowing what lies ahead? Let's find out, shall we?"
 
Arissa thinks back to her own fortune telling, and shudders a bit remembering the intensity of the experience. “Perhaps we should start with only a single card, see if I do have a true ‘knack’ for it, ja? Do you have a question that you wish to be answered?” Arissa was unsure of if this was even how fortune telling worked, but it sounded safer than determining Ludwig’s entire future. She tentatively opened the star studded box, and the room was flooded with a strong arcane presence that seemed to tingle in her very being. Arissa glances once more back at Ludwig before removing the deck and setting it down on the table.
 
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Kallisto listened to Brian's answer as she thought, "Interesting ... unfortunately I doubt I'll count among their number." She scratched her head for a moment, "My own ... cases seem to be paused for the moment until I figure more things out..."

As Tara approached Kallisto gave another smile, bowing her head towards her. "Hello again Tara -- I feel even with a mask I'd be difficult to ignore. I think I'm still doing well ... I had hoped to have a gift ready for you in thanks, but sadly I've not had a chance to work on much of anything. It was only this morning I managed to finish a request from another..."

Idly spinning the wooden bracelet on her wrist Kallisto gave an anxious smile, "Somehow I seem to have found myself in the middle of many people ..." She nodded towards the others, "This one is ... Brian Wescote -- he's from further north, by the 'Forest of Ancients', then Shih Suren -- a traveler from the ... Rokushima Taiyoo islands." Noting Marcus and Yelcan seemed to have stepped aside slighty, "The one not in a mask is Marcus -- when ... before you had asked if I had family, he's basically all I've got."

Kallisto glanced around towards some of the various nobles nearby, trying to spot the person she'd seen Tara with earlier, "I -- I saw you a little earlier, but you looked like you had a guest with you. Their outfit looked a little familiar to me, I half wondered if I'd met them before, but," she gestured towards her face, "they wore a mask, it was difficult to tell."
 
Bernard crossed the ball room to the food. "Thanks for giving us a moment, I hope he shows you a wonderful night," he commented coming up behind Heather and pointing her back to Jonathan. Bernard then turned to take another glance at the ballroom.

Bernard spotted Peri with her staff and bright orange fox mask surrounded by Yelcan who he'd seen when they walked to the ball together, Kallisto who wasn't wearing a mask, a caliban he didn't recognize, Marcus again without a mask, Tara in her emerald dress and a man in a wolf mask. Bernard watched them for a moment, turning Arissa's ring over and over in his hand. Today has been too much. I don't need to deal with them for now, I'm sure Peri will seek me out later and I'm not really interested in the crowd at the moment. Bernard deflated a bit as he went through the day: Accused Arissa of keeping secrets, failed to find Maria Einhorn's killer, failed to identify the Adaptive Weapon's current form or any information about it, treated Arissa as a magical maid, tripped and ruined a dance, introduced her to an aasimar who turned her world on end for but a moment, but I couldn't help her hold onto that happiness, failed to help her resolve her Vistani troubles, couldn't help Jonathan with his Legba deal... Admitted my shame to the woman I love in front of a dear friend who I then asked to help me complete a deal woth Legba for the purposes of clearing my own guilty conscience for stealing love from someone who sacrificed everything for it...

With each thought Bernard struggled more and more to stand straight and act the proper noble. He shook his head, trying to get the poisonous thoughts out. When he looked up again he noticed Gennifer, also wearing a fox mask sitting at a table, several men gathered around. Perhaps I can do one kindness tonight that will not fall apart. He approached Gennifer offering a hand and ignoring the courtier around her, "I believe I owe a dance. Shall we?" He forced a smile, but his heart was not in it. It was heavy with the weight of his concern for Arissa and her fragile emotional state.

As he waited for Gennifer to accept or decline the dance, he did not make eye contact with her but instead watched the soft red glow of the signet ring he'd placed on his small finger; its light the only reason he could find it in himself to smile.
 
Yelcan chuckles in response to Marcus’ joke, but as he grows very serious and accuses him of trying to make fun of his daughter, Yelcans smile curls into a confused frown. Without hesitating at all he replies “Why yes, that’s exactly what I intend to do. Have you never teased any of your friends before? It’s all in good fun man, I just got done with telling you how impressed I was with how she turned out.”

As Tara comes over to the group, greeting them all, he greets her as well. “Hello again Tara, it’s very good to see you.” Listening in on the conversation, he noticed Peri looking around the room while wandering away, before she finally came back to rejoin them. Worried she might be getting anxious or claustrophobic, he moved along the outside of the group to be by her side, whispering in her ear, “Everything alright? You doing okay? Feeling antsy and wanna get dance-y?”
 
Peri chuckles at Yelcan as he whispers the puffs of air tickling. “I’m doing okay Yelcan, I was just checking to see where Bear and Arissa had gone off to,” capturing his hand she smiles. “I would love another dance though.” Ther were a lot less people out but that meant more room.

Turning back to the others she smiled, “We will be right back, I’ve been asked to dance.” Looking to her staff she blushes. “Kallisto would you watch this for me.” Handing over her staff she thanks Kallisto his a hug. Before looking to Brian. “You still owe me a dance too, and I would like to introduce you to Bear too.” Crinkling her nose she turned back to Yelcan and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor.
 
Arissa focuses on Ludwig’s simple request of “What will happen tomorrow?” and slowly reaches for a card. She tugs it from the deck slowly, feeling the magical energy pulsing in the card. The moment she removed it from the deck, she reeled backwards as sudden visions filled her mind. Changing seasons... Sunrises and sunsets... happiness... sadness... all gone in an instant. Arissa fell backwards out of her chair as the card tumbled out of her hands, landing directly in front of Ludwig on the table.

Ghost

Arissa rubbed her aching head, both from the fall and from the visions, unsure of what had just happened, and slowly got to her hands and knees. “I... I suppose I do not have that ‘knack’ that you had spoken of... ja? I believe that is enough tempting of the fates for one night...”
 
Ballroom:

James follows Leone to the dance floor smiling as he places a hand on her hip and takes her hand in his to begin the dance. "I will try not to disappoint," says James as they start to move through noticing others join the dance. He notes Bernard dancing with Gennifer Weathermay-Foxgrove and raises an eyebrow for a moment before his attention is pulled back to Leone at her question about Jonathan. "He has spoken to me, like something was on his mind but he decided against it. Knowing Jonathan it was probably he needed a wingman or really wanted me try and set me up with someone. Little does he know." He smirks at this and twirls Leone. "Have you enjoyed the party thus far?"
 
Ballroom:

"People often have their eyes on me because I am different," says Shih as he looked once more at Peri. "That is perfect for a story teller who requires an audiences attention. My appearance gets their immediate attention and my stories fill in the rest, and for a time they are no in their normal lives but instead on the plains of Nova Vassa, or the rocky crags of the Mountains of Misery."

Marcus shakes his head. "Ain't no one going to make fun of my little girl you hear?" says Marcus lowly to Yelcan. There is a moment of silence before he grins widely clapping Yelcan's back. "Should have seen your face! Haha, but seriously words can hurt people even if you meant them to be a joke. So don't do it. Got it?"
 
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"A Wescote?" asks Tara looking over to Brian. "It is very nice to meet you. One of these days I may pass through, going to Chateaufaux and then up to Port-A-Lucine. I want to visit most of the church of Ezra and get a good idea of how all the church's are doing and how are the ways they have come up with to serve our people."

"We always are welcoming of those from the church, Anchorite Kolyana," says Brian giving her a slight bow before she turns back to Kallisto at her earlier question. "I was with a nobleman who goes by the name of Atanase, he is an interesting man of few and selective words. Apparently he knew the Mr. Blackburn's parents."
 
As Gennifer took his hand he led her to the dance floor. He seemed a bit distracted and pulled her away swiftly to lose the line of suitors she'd attracted. "Enjoying the ball Lady Weathermay?" He asked somewhat absentmindedly as he danced with her a straight forward simple waltz lacking flair or charisma.

He noticed Leone and James on the dance floor, acknowledging Leone with a nod and a small smile. "Thanks for joining us for dinner at Marsh House. I wish I had been a better host toward the end of the evening. Did you at least enjoy the roast?" Bernard's eyebrows emote concern but it's hidden by his mask as he continues to hold a small smile.
 
Yelcan tensed as the man threatened him, unsure of where this conversation was going anymore before Marcus burst out laughing. Yelcan let a relieved and a little confused smile cross his face as he said “Alright I’ll keep that in mind, it was nice meeting you.” With that Yelcan walks back to the group. Ok, that was a weird conversation, and I learned absolutely nothing.

As he led Peri out to the dance floor, he made his way through the much emptier edges of the dance floor and towards the center, although not directly in the middle. Without any warning he pulls the hand that is currently on Peri’s as he whips her in front of her, spinning her once and catching her by her waist. Yelcan smiled confidently at her as they started to dance before busting out in a stifled chuckle. “Oh I am just as surprised as you that that worked, I almost just threw you across the dance floor. Whoooo-eey, that was fun.” He led Peri in the dance, noticing Bernard with a girl — that was not Arissa, and Yelcan made a mental note to tease him about that later. He also saw James and Leone waltzing by, and he gave both of them a wink and a smile. “Are you having a good time tonight Miss Perian? You seem to be handling everything a lot better than you led me to believe you would.”
 
Ballroom:

"It was enjoyable, though I think I should be the one to apologize. I don't think I was quiet myself after Arissa's music and may have made a little bit of a fool of myself. I'm glad Van Richten was there so that I did not get out of hand," she says blushing slightly at the memory. "I do not mean that she was bad at playing of course, simply that it invoked feelings of when I was much younger."

Gennifer smirks to one side of her mouth. "I did enjoy the food, and it was a pleasant night over all. I hear that your sister had asked Van Richten about some sort of snake, and I've been curious myself about the subject. Is it something that has been bothering this town?" Gennifer asked inquisitively.
 
Giving a squeak as she is rigged into a spin she laughs amusedly as she is dipped and then straightened, Yelcan smoothly sliding into a simple waltz. Her arm resting on his as their other hands are cupped together. Being so close Peri didn’t know what to do but smile and follow his lead.

“I have surprised myself just as much Yelcan, I think it’s because I know you are here to help keep me together.” Smiling again a slight flush on her cheeks as she looks down and then back to him making the turn. “That and life is far to short not to have fun. I was scared for a little bit though with the Vistani, who appear to have gone.”

Letting out a breath she had been holding she chuckles, “Guess we shouldn’t have gotten out of line for that fortune teller.” Looking about once more she eyes her brother and as they turned again saw James and Léone. “I was hoping to ask if there was a way of finding home again for you. You and Hyde would be safe again from this darkness.”
 
Kallisto nodded as Perian handed off the staff, which looked a bit smaller next to Kallisto and in her hands than it did when held by Perian. She watched Perian and Yelcan run off to the dance floor as Marcus rejoined the conversation, a wry smile on his face.

When Tara mentions Atanase, Kallisto's eyes widen slightly in surprise. "Atanase is back? I didn't know he knew James Blackburn's parents ... I met him briefly when he was at the docks, asking for a ship. The way he spoke, I wasn't sure I'd see him again, at the least, not this soon."
 
Léone smiles widely at James, taking her position and allowing him to lead the dance. Stepping to and fro, she struggles a bit in her heels and dress but is helped along by James's support. "Hah... if you're tired, it definitely doesn't show in your dancing." As they swept their way across the dance floor, she nods in return at the other faces she recognized - Gennifer and Bernard, then Yelcan and Peri. "Seems you've inspired the rest of the lot, huh? Not bad, not bad."

She looks at him curiously at his answer regarding Jonathan. "He didn't want to tell James? Strange. There's probably more to this, there always is..." Trying not to let it show, she lets out a small chuckle as they complete the turn. "Little does anyone know, it seems. I think Balfour had a hunch, though he could've just been teasing me. By the way, you ought to know he insulted your tastes - jokingly, of course." She laughs with a relaxed sigh, finding her rhythm and stepping in tandem with him. "I'm more curious at how you're finding the party, as star of the show. Any lovely ladies catch your eye, hmm?" As she says that, she looks straight into his eyes and flashes an exaggerated wink under her mask.
 
Ballroom:

"They say it helps to lead by example," says James when Leone sees the others making sure to keep the pace to where Leone could handle it. Apparently all the dancing he had already done today had started to lock it into muscle memory. When Leone asks if any have caught his eye. "Well the pretty young Weathermay does look catching but I'm afraid she's not really looking for a relationship it seems, even with my hidden trove of knowledge she could study."

He gives a shrug like 'oh well' before smiling. "Though now that I think about it, I may have to call the whole thing off, it seems some thief may have already stolen my ring and I've been searching all night but have yet to find the culprit. Do you happen to know by chance?" asks James chuckling as he pulled his mask off as the dance ended. "Perhaps I'll have to call her out on it soon."

He grabs her hand squizing it for a moment before walking off towards the grand staircase.
 
"You did no such thing, Gennifer. You danced beautifully, and I'm sure Peri learned a lot." Bernard nodded to Peri and Yelcan who were dancing. "Feelings of when you were younger, hmm? Good ones I hope. I'm sure Arissa would love to hear that you enjoyed it." It was nice to hear some discussion of something that might lift Arissa's spirits after the Vistani thing. Bernard glanced at the ring, again. Still glowing, good. I wonder where she could be. Bernard used the movement of the dance to make a sweeping glance over the room, looking for Arissa.

As Gennifer brought up the snake, Bernard stifled a huff. "No. It's not a problem for the town yet. It's a problem for the people who live in the swamp. A problem I am honor bound to help solve, and one that is more important for another guest at the ball." He releases her hand for a moment to point to Kallisto. "She is, unknowingly, a member of their tribe and prophesied to slay the great snake, but I've seen the thing and she'll need help. Ever onward, to my dying breath." The end of his statement was flat and lifeless as he followed it with a hollow chuckle.
 
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"I see, that sounds like it could be very stressful to have a whole tribe out there depending on you, but it can't be all that Grim," says Gennifer her face growing more concerned at Bernard's last statement. "You have all these people at your home that were amazing, and from what I've seen of some of the towns folk here they are good people willing to help. My Uncle even has a few friends here that I know could probably assist you."

She glances past Bernard for a second seeing someone in the distance before her attention returns to Bernard. "Have you figured out what it is yet? Uncle is always lecturing me, 'You have to know what you hunt before you can start hunting it.' and 'Knowledge is your strongest weapon.'" she says mimicking her best Van Richten impression before laughing at how bad it was. "If he has offered to help you, I would take his advice to heart. He has more experience than most when it comes to creatures of darkness."
 
Somehow managing to shrug while dancing, Yelcan gives Peri another quick spin before answering “I can’t take any credit for that, I think it’s all you, and I’m really glad you’re having such a great time. But what about the vistani scared you? And where did they run off to, they still need to tell me my future!”

As Peri speaks about his going home, he falls silent, keeping up with his footwork but now looking off in the distance over Peri’s head. He is silent for a few moments, remembering Bernard’s warning to not fill Peri’s head with dreams of other worlds, but also not wanting to lie to her. He finally looked back into Peri’s eyes, seeing the innocence that Bernard had warned him of, but also...something else. She had been underestimated, both by herself and by her brother, and she was a much stronger individual than most people gave her credit for, and he decided he couldn’t lie to her. “Getting back home is...complicated for me. You know, of course, that I am not from around here, but it is more than that. I come from an entirely different world than here. These mists that I’m sure you’ve heard so much of, I encountered them as well and they whisked me off here, to Blackburn’s crossing. I have absolutely no idea how to recreate these mists, nor how they even managed to bring me here, but part of me wonders if there was a reason. Sure there is quite a bit of darkness and chaos happening here, but there is also a lot of good as well. I’ve made friends, we’ve saved people, — we have raspberry pastries! I know it sounds crazy, but I really feel like I have a place here, you know? It’s starting to feel like a home.” As Yelcan spoke, the words seemed to flow out of him of their own volition, he was speaking from the heart and it just felt right.

Yelcan had been asking himself this very question for days on end, but he had never been able to rationalize it like he just did. That moment happened and things just clicked for him, the music and the dancing, the close proximity as he looked into Peri’s eyes...he was happy.
 
Léone couldn't stop herself from grinning ear to ear, appreciating the change in pace so she could keep up. "Oh, what a shame about that ring of yours. I'm afraid I haven't seen it at all since I entered the ballroom this evening." As the dance ended and James let go, she chuckles and grabs onto her wristlet, bringing it up to her chest and clutching it tight. "Who knows? Maybe it's right under our noses and we never even noticed. I recommend you call her out, I bet she'd appreciate the challenge." Feeling his grip on her hand she smiles sweetly once more, nodding at him as he walks up the staircase.

"What a tease. Though I guess I'm at fault too." Sighing happily she weaves back through the crowd, nodding at the faces she recognized as she exited the dance floor. Grabbing another cupcake from the desert table, she makes her way to one side of the room and munches happily as she waits for James to reveal his next spectacle.
 
"I'm sure we would welcome all the help we can get, I just don't want to put people in danger who don't have any place there." Bernard slows the dance and takes a chance to lead her off the dance floor. "I'm sorry, it's been a long day, I could use a break." He is clearly weary as he continues, "It is the Great Snake, the Undying One. A serpent with the head of a man and the body of a snake. If your uncle knows anything of the beast, I'm sure he'll tell Peri after the ball." Bernard thought back to the eyes in the abyss and his time lost, trapped in the mist, then his travels after his short stay in Mordentshire. "I'm not unfamiliar with some creatures of darkness, even the darkness itself." A small shiver runs down his spine. "These are not discussions two upstanding nobles should have during such a happy occasion. Perhaps we can finish this another time." He gave her a polite smile and a small bow before taking her hand for light kiss.

Noticing Leone had finished her dance, Bernard approached, "Looks like your discussion went better than mine. Jonathan didn't know what he's meant to steal and someone-fiendish wouldn't let him tell James. Have you seen Arissa?" There's concern in his voice as he and and Bernard rubbed his head anxiously, not really sure what to do, then added, "Oh, and I apparently had lost some memories, but they came back."
 
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