Danny had gotten into the habit of keeping his nose in his book whenever he ventured to or from anywhere in public. It tended to eliminate a lot of bothersome questions and sympathetic looks. Most everyone in the Castle knew he'd been quite close to the "traitors" Thoth and Tristan - more Thoth than Tris, though he'd run into, and treated, the prince on occasion - and that his cherished elder sister, Renn, and that "troublemaker" twin of hers were no longer at the castle. If the looks and whispers were anything to go off of, everyone thought he should be a pile of angst. Which he was, he supposed, since that was a teenager's natural state (everyone said so), but not for the reasons they all assumed. After all, Renn wasn't that far away, and he'd seen Thoth plenty recently - not that he could say so. Today his mask was a thick tome on cold-based injuries and illnesses; he'd always feared frostbite - as a doctor, one's hands were quite literally their livelihood - and he was sure this winter would be a nasty one.

He heaved a sigh as he heard someone shout his name, watching from the corner of his eye as they gestured towards him. He could just make out blonde hair and pale skin, which could be any number of people, none of which he felt particularly inclined to talk to. So he tried his hardest to ignore them, until suddenly they weren't far from him, and he had no choice but to look up. As soon as he did he felt the blood drain from his face, his cheeks pale with surprise and terror. Lorraine! He'd been ignoring LORRAINE of all people! He gulped, his cheeks now flushed with dismay.

"I-I-I'm so sorry, seret!" he said anxiously. "I didn't realize it was you!" He glanced down at his book, slapping it shut with a snap and guiltily hiding it behind his back. Somehow it seemed a bit rude to be studying how to treat cold-based injuries in front of the winter goddess herself. It took him a long, terrified moment to realize the woman wasn't... quite herself.

Danny blinked at her, swallowing again. "It's Lorraine but everyone thinks I'm Lorraine"? What the heck did she mean by that? He started to shake his head, another apology on his tongue, when Lorraine asked about Buddy. Buddy? What did she need with him?

"I-I'm not sure, seba’iqer," he said, his anxiety rather palpable now. "May I inquire as to w-what you need him for? I-I'm sure his fairy can assist you. H-have you spoken with Cal... I mean, excuse me, Caldera? I'll go find her for you."

Danny started to scramble away, his heart thundering in his ears. Lorraine was scary, but when she didn't make sense she was even more terrifying!


Danny
_{I like doing doctory things, yo}