Paralyzed (Tboah!AlbeCale)

2) Meet Vinny, a professional gambler

Cale arrived at Eric Wheelsman's mansion by 1 in the afternoon. He did get a quick cat nap in, which was lucky, but most of the trip was spent zoning out, his thoughts drifting between the night horrors and other, more mediocre things.

He was soon snapped out of his daydreams by Ron, who opened his door, encouraging him to exit the carriage if he did not want to be late.

Not that being late mattered much to Cale, but the tea would get cold if he procrastinated any longer.

The entrance to the mansion was extraordinary, as was everything else. However, Cale had been here countless times for both business and pleasure, so an average noble's residence, albeit his friend's, was nothing eye-catching.

Additionally, the Henituse mansion was much more extravagant, thanks to the piles of gold his father kept specifically for renovation and construction.

If there was one thing Deruth was good at, it was all things money.

"Ah! Cale, it's good that you could find time to visit!"

"Hello, Eric."

"Would you like to follow me? My mother and sister are just up ahead, and everyone has been awaiting your arrival for some time now."

"..."

Cale looked around the room as Eric welcomed him with a bit too much energy. For some reason his vision fuzzed for a second, and he momentarily forgot what his friend had just said. As he was trying to remember it, he realized he was still zoned out, staring through a large window.

"—ale? Are you feeling alright?"

"Hm?"

"You became silent, is anything wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just like windows."

"Oh! Yes, we commission ours from the very best craftsm..."

Eric's useless chatter was easily muted by Cale once again. Using the window bit as a sarcastic excuse to not answer the 'are you okay' question really flew over Eric's head.

Cale didn't particularly like windows, nor did he hate them. They were just windows.

In fact, what caught his attention better than a pane of glass, was what sat on the other side of it— forests, wild animals, clouds, flowers, and more. To sum it all up into one word: Nature.

Numerous fond memories of his featured two main things. His mother, and anything outside. Most of his favorite memories were those two themes combined into one.

If only he still had his mother, then the outdoors wouldn't make him feel melancholy at every glance.

He looked over to Eric as they walked to the designated tea room. How could someone with approximately the same life as him be so much happier? Of course, Eric still had his mother, and a father who didn't avoid him like a plague, but was that really the only difference? Cale even had more money and less school work.

Shouldn't he be the gleeful one between them? Were parents really the only thing holding Cale back from feeling such lighthearted emotions?

His thoughts were cut off by the door opening.

"Cale! Mother, I told you he would be over 10 minutes late, you have to let me eat three tea cakes now! Hehe!"

"Hey, Vinny shouldn't eat so many sweets! What kind of parent are you mother, letting her eat her way into a sugar coma? Vinny, come here. You should properly greet our guest instead of announcing your bets about how late he may be! You really shoul..."