TRASH

POV -> Caleb

Night hung over the city, with bustling crowds packed to the sides of the streets in hand-made ghoulish and devilish costumes. Caleb had booked a closed carriage to avoid being spotted, which would have worked better if Eliza hadn't immediately pulled her side of the curtains wide to stare out at the hand made lanterns lining the streets.

Eliza had bought the first pair of horns she could see and slapped them on Caleb's head, with a touch of dark powder around his eyes to make it seem like there was some effort involved. It seemed to be enough for a curious child the carriage passed, who took one look through the window at Caleb and burst into tears.

The ride had been void of conversation while Eliza fixed little details on her ragged gown, but once she decided she looked enough like a wraith, she settled back to the window.

"Seen any accurate ones?"

Caleb eyed her curiously.

She motioned to the crowds they passed. "Demons."

Caleb looked out the window at a crowd of horns and dark makeup, a few creatures of the night in the mix, and maybe one or two impressions of fairies. "I don't know what they look like. Before they make a contract they shift forms to trick people."

"Wonder if anyone's got it right." Eliza mused, "would be pretty suspicious."

Caleb nodded, the smugness hitting his face. "Inprobus has seen one, you should ask him."

Eliza grimaced, spurring a laugh from the White Knight as she turned back to the window to grumble at it. "He'd better have the best costume then."

POV -> Eliza

They had somehow managed to squeeze through the mass of carriages that had clogged at the front of the castle. Eliza had wondered if the sudden path that had freed up was by chance, or by one of the attendees taming the crowd of nobles noticing Caleb in the carriage. They were late, and Tiram had an awful habit of holding up the entire party if he didn't see every Archon nestled into their seats.

They were ushered up the steps by a castle servant wearing a tiny set of red horns. The crowd of costumed guests parted from Caleb's path as he lead the charge, so consumed with reaching the door that Eliza was jogging to keep up.

She finally caught his sleeve at the top of the steps, looping her arm around his as a last ditch effort to just be dragged if he decided to go off and his abnormal speed again. Caleb gave her an apologetic glance, trying to correct the side eyes and quiet whispers around them with a friendly smile.

As soon as they came through the pulled doors, a horn blasted Caleb's entrance tune. Eliza dropped a swear nearly as loud as the instrument at the surprise. She didn't speak again until they were a few steps into the hall, glaring back at the small grouping of musicians. "Right at the door now? You've got to be kidding me."

"It's an entrance song." Caleb muttered,

"Congratulations sir White Knight, you've successfully made it through a door." Eliza teased, moving around Caleb to hug the wall as they passed a line of partygoers.

Once they left the small pocket of fresh air lingering from the drawn gates, the room became stuffy with a concoction of floral perfumes and sweat, the few open windows in the central hall only high enough for birds to reach. The decorative ballroom floor was occupied by a sea of simple chairs, a few partygoers claiming the best spots to escape if the speeches ran long.

Caleb climbed the stairwell that wound up to a second balcony, now keeping Eliza in the corner of his eye as he rigidly matched her pace. A quick count of the private floor confirmed that he was the last arrival of the Archons, his coworkers scattered about the landing in their usual groups. He found his target alone by the rail, looking down at the noisy cluster of costumed nobles with a chute of bubbly champagne and a scowl that could substitute for the spooky costume he'd refrained from wearing.

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Caleb felt Eliza's arm loose from his as soon as he took a step in Inprobus' direction. After the incident with Rikka, he could count the times she had greeted Inprobus with a warm hello on one hand, and he suspected this would not change any time soon.

Caleb silently joined his side, looking over at the sea of guests to find some inspiration for small talk. Inprobus beat him to the punch, raising an eyebrow when he saw the horns Caleb was wearing. "Look at us, celebrating the eve of a new calamity. Who do you think put that in Tiram's ear?"

Caleb skimmed the crowd of Archons and their plus ones, his guess easy to spot. They had a habit of out-colouring everyone in the room with their upstaged and almost gimmicky attire. Tonight was no exception. Caleb couldn't tell what the fairy was dressing up as. He had kept his vibrant green wings tucked close to his back, but they still left a magical shimmer to the air wherever he walked. The child of the Fairy Queen Monarch had stepped in as the mediator to the fairy courts after Athansi's imprisonment, which, aside from the Archon blessing he snatched from Ra'zerun a few weeks later, was enough to narrow some eyes.

He finished up a conversation with Perry, glaring smiles on both their faces. Caleb dodged his gaze, leaving Inprobus in the line of fire as he barely returned the man's wave.

The two Archons paid a sigh to the flamboyant partygoer that was now approaching them, grumbling in unison. "Colius."

Inprobus eyed the shimmery air around him, the thin glass flute in his hand a poor defense. He didn't care to adjust his volume for the guest that was now well within conversation distance. "Wifey might think you're unfaithful if you get any of that on you."

"He could put it on his tongue and she wouldn't." Colius cooed, paying Inprobus' stone scowl a fluttery wink as he placed an unwelcomed hand on the Archon's shoulder, "Oh my gods above. Inprobus! I feel like I never see you!" He bent a little to meet the man's eyes, looking his formal attire up and down. "Honey, did you read the invite? You're supposed to dress up as a monster!" He said, pointing at the sharp fangs he was wearing.

Inprobus removed the hand, grimacing at the glittering handprint that remained. "I find this celebration rather offensive to our cause."

Colius didn't bother to hide an obvious eye roll at the response. "Even Caleb's playing along."

"I am still in mourning."

"Mourning? What's got you of all people sad?" Colius fixed his emerald eyes on the Archon, searching his body in odd places before settling on his forehead. "Bad haircut? Or… is it receding? I have the most wonderful new oil you could try... But it might give it a curl..." he dropped his voice to a hush. "and I know how straight you are about things."

"How is your mother?" Caleb cut in, trying to ease the tension in the air and earning a dead smile from Colius.

"Monarch is as wonderful as a shimmering lake of ice," he chimed. His attention wandered to Caleb's woven bracelet, where there was only one glowing thread the fairy really cared about. "Oh darling, how's Katryna? I heard about her new project over in Bervolt. Such a shame." Colius remarked, keeping some mystery as to what exactly the 'shame' was.

Inprobus eyed Colius, the flatness of his tone somehow making him sound angrier. "Well, at least she didn't throw a party to celebrate the gates of hell opening."

Colius clicked his tongue. "No no. The thirty year anniversary of the gates of hell opening. I was feeling peckish and thought an old fashioned party would be a tasty bit of entertainment." He did a skim of the crown below, giddy at the spooky cluster of costumes he had orchestrated. "I'm bringing this back every year! I nearly screamed when I saw a little human dressed as Athansi. She was barely up to my hip. It was so adorable."

"All this facial coverage is just begging for an incident." Inprobus sighed, striking another dampening blow on Colius' frown.

The fairy moved closer to Caleb, keeping an eye on Inprobus like he was a snake hungry for some ankles. "Seriously though, what's he mourning? I'm very self conscious and I need to know if I'm being a dick."

"Corian has fallen to the Witch's curse and now stalks the land as an undead. He killed half his squadron before escaping."

Colius sucked in a breath between his teeth, patting Inprobus's other shoulder with just as much glimmer. "Well... I'm sorry. My condolences, you can expect some flowers. And if you ever need someone to talk to-"

"He also ate one of my soldiers." Inprobus cut in, giving him a dead stare.

Colius stopped, his face aghast as he slowly pulled his hand away.

"I could go into detail-

"Ew. No. Conversation killer." Colius waved his hand dismissively at the man, giving him one last frown as he turned to give Caleb's dark makeup a double take. He eyed him up and down with a strange excitement. "And where's the wifey?"

Caleb motioned to Eliza as she remained in a corner chattering with Max. Without so much as a farewell, the fairy briskly departed, matching Eliza's shriek of excitement as they made eye contact and rushed towards one another.