Baron Howell, The Talk of a Nation - Kalon Tryout/DNP

[Cape.Corvid]

𝔹𝕝𝕖𝕕𝕕𝕪𝕟 ℍ𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕝𝕝

username ➳ Cape.Corvid
kalons ➳ nonowner
name ➳ Bleddyn Howell
pronunciation ➳ sounds like "blethin"
rank ➳ baron
gender ➳ male
orientation ➳ homoromantic pansexual
age ➳ early 20's
country ➳ Cornshire
era ➳ late 1980's

[Cape.Corvid]

♚ ♛ ℍ𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕝𝕝'𝕤 𝔼𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕖 ♚ ♛

Baron Bleddyn Howell is the owner of a quite unique castle-turned-hotel in the small country of Cornshire. To get into the hotel, an application is required. The application includes sensitive material, such as legal name, any aliases, the nature of any organization or company the applicant belongs to, any crimes previously committed, additional affiliations, medical history, and a declaration of items the applicant intends on bringing into the hotel. But why such an extensive process? Bleddyn's hotel isn't simply a cozy place to stay, but a state-of-the-art highly secured safe haven. He harbors all types, from endangered princesses to hardened criminals on the lamb to paranoid diplomats. The castle, simply called "Howell's Estate", houses a security team fifty men strong. These men are usually retired military or intelligence agents who protect all of the hotel's guests. Though Howell's team works hard to avoid admitting rival groups into the hotel at the same time, conflicts between guests are just as possible as an attack from the outside. Guests can only stay at Howell's Estate for up to a year, ensuring staff don't form too close of bonds with anyone and that guests don't become dependent on the hotel's offered luxury. While at the hotel, guests enjoy free necessities as is standard, but also get the privilege of free dinners every night, access to a discount grocery store, a free massage at the local spa, etc. The castle's ballroom hosts extravagant parties every Friday night, though guests are not permitted to attend. Instead, Baron Howell writes up a guest list of friends, family, and business interests, who are very much obliged to attend. Despite the insane amount of money that goes into the hotel's maintenance, staff wages, free amenities, and parties, the hotel still makes a profit. Howell's Estate is sponsored by the government of Cornshire and protected by wealthy former guests.

[Cape.Corvid]

𝔸 𝔹𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕗 𝕀𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨

The well-dressed kalon looks down at you. Like, literally, looks down, though he's just two inches taller than you are. "Yeah, I get that vibe from him sometimes," an employee later explains, "he's really just as sweet as can be but there's still a touch of superiority underneath that tilted chin."

"So what do you want to know about me?" Baron Howell asks. His breath is deep and strong, and his pudgy stomach sways up and down with each breath. "Of course, as per policy, I cannot answer any specific questions about the nature of our guests or operations. Personal questions only." His voice is deep yet silky, smooth like his light skin.

You feel the need for some reason to duck your head into a sort of bow as you reply. "Sure. Can I ask you - do you ever talk to your guests personally? Like, do they ever get to meet you, or are you some sort of mysterious figure or something?"

Bleddyn laughs. "Well I wouldn't consider myself a recluse by any means, but no. My guests never meet 'me'. I'm always working around the hotel under different jobs with different uniforms, and like the other staff I never wear a name tag. It's a great way to get to know my guests without them worrying too much about reputation and manners. That's why it's such a special treat that I'm meeting you for this interview, and why you may not publish any photograph, drawing, or description of my physicality. Keep in mind that my legal team can play off murders or make a minor offense look like a felony, depending on what we please. I do like to keep things secret, I guess. Does that answer your question?"

"It's true that I've never met Sir Howell," says a guest thoughtfully, wearing a mask to protect her identity. She wore a taffeta dress and pearls on her wrist and in her ears."And I don't think I've seen him yet, either. I've heard that he's quite attractive, but - and forgive the rude nature of my comment - none of the hotel staff have caught my eye like that just yet."

"Would you consider yourself a flirt, Mister Howell?" you ask.

Bleddyn grunts as he stifles a grin. "You could call it that, sure. I think it's just my natural charm, don't you? Let me buy you dinner tonight and maybe you'll see what all the rumors are about." He winks at you with his caramel, shining eyes, and you hope he's at least half joking. Nevertheless you blush with embarrassment.

"Why were you sent to me?" the boy with the broom is cherry red and sweating a river. "Of course I wouldn't know anything about Mister Bleddyn's dating life. It's not like I'm... into him or anything? It's against hotel policy to date - well - you know what, never mind. Go away please."

"Are you close to anyone, Baron Howell?"

"My grandfather. My parents died when I was young. My mother of polio and my father of melancholy. I have some good friends though I consider the option that any one of them might be using me in some manner for personal gain. I have a cat and a pet snake, though unfortunately I did not read up on how to take care of either pet before the adoption process went through."

"Your grandfather willed you the estate when he got older, is that correct?"

"Not exactly, no. He does not have proper rights to the building, as he married into the noble bloodline. After an incident left my grandmother incapable of consenting to my succession, however, my grandfather agreed to gift this grand palace to me."

"And you are the one who started up the hotel operations in Howell's Estate?"

"I don't know where you people get all of these strange assumptions! It's my grandfather's brainchild, though I polished up his ideas and essentially started the whole thing off. I'm quite proud of how far we've come, though there's much work still to do."

[Cape.Corvid]

"𝕆𝕙, I just love working! Clearly I don't do it for the money, but I'd be so bored otherwise and it's entertaining enough. I would totally recommend it. Sometimes I'm room service and sometimes I'm at the front desk, but mostly I like to work security. It's great, unless you're planning on having a leisurely dinner for one in your room and get summoned for a security threat. It's happened to me more than once. My tutor trained me to fight in between English lessons. I actually get quite a kick out of beating up the bad guys, y'know. Keeps me in shape, as well. That extra weight I lug around isn't a consequence of lack of exercise, but rather an excess of food. Just being honest here, I really love crème brûlée. Anyway, once a threat has been captured- and they always are- they're lucky if they can get away with prison. For some we make an exception, however. I like in particular to make captured spies a part of my team. They are easy to convert and I find their accents delightful- the bulk of them are foreign."

[Cape.Corvid]

ℙ𝕖𝕥𝕤 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕒 ℕ𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕪



"It's plain and simple, I don't run a zoo. I've got a cat named Venus and a snake named Mars. No, I do not know what kind of snake, and no, I do not know what kind of cat. I once got it in my head that I would visit my local pet store for a browse and, well, accidentally fell in love with Venus. I took her home with me but I'd never cared for a cat before so I had my staff look after her while I did my research. Once I found out what work goes into keeping a cat, I tended to like the arrangement I already had of the staff keeping her well instead of myself. She's a perfect - er, purrfect - companion for relaxing in my study or bedroom, though, and I'd say she tolerates me all right. The snake I thought would look cool, i.e he was an impulse purchase as well. I once fed him a mouse that Venus caught and I've never been able to watch him eat again."

[Cape.Corvid]

ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪 𝕋𝕚𝕞𝕖!

Baron Bleddyn Howell is well known for his extravagant and sometimes demeaning parties. The parties are always themed, and the theme is always quite bizarre. Past parties have included a small furniture party, an exchange get-well-soon card party, and a party whose sole purpose was to celebrate a mail delivery that took two days longer than expected. Parties run from 6pm to 3 am, at which time all of the guests will be escorted out and the clean up crew comes in. Guests are encouraged to eat and drink as much as they please and required to dance and mingle; guests that do not participate with enthusiasm may be kicked out. Needless to say, the cheapest rooms in the hotel are the ones with adjoining walls to the ballroom where the parties are held. The purpose of such ridiculous parties is unknown, but it does allow Bleddyn to show off and demonstrate his intelligent, somewhat manipulative social skills.