“Alright Percival, the time has come to host an event,” my grandmother told me one afternoon. She was making an awful habit of interrupting my personal words on an almost daily basis.

  “You're hosting something?” I asked.

  “No, you are.”

  I was stunned, flabbergasted, and honestly a bit taken aback. “Grandmother, I live alone, and I know absolutely nothing about hosting any such thing. Normally isn't that something whole families do?”

  “It is, normally your wife would handle parts of the arrangements, but since you're still unmarried...”

  “I'm not even of age yet...”

  “Don't interrupt, since you're unmarried you'll need to take care of the arrangements yourself. I'll be about so you're welcome to come and ask me any questions you may have, but I'm expecting you to do most of it without any input on my part.”

  I had hoped, longed for the season, for the break from the unending schoolwork and people trying to shove more things into my brain only for my dreams to be dashed upon my grandmother's desires. I wasn't about to give up that easily though, and if she insisted, well, I could certainly make something everyone would remember.

  “Honestly grandmother I've no desire to do this at all,” I complained.

  “Of that fact I am acutely aware, but you still must. It's only one evening Percival, you should manage without problems. You've a competent staff, a good cook, and I know for a fact that you've been to enough dinners and parties that you should have no questions at all about what to do.”

  “Really shouldn't I be allowed a break from the work?” I plead.

  “One never gets a proper rest Percival, not ever. Though if you truly desire one, make one, make an event that you think is 'fun' so long as it works with what others will expect I'll have no complaints.” At my raised eyebrows she continued. “Just make sure not to do anything inappropriate or extreme.”

  Well that was something. Grandmother was insisting I preform some event, but allowing me almost free reign here, something that I could consider enjoyable. Most people in either this world or Earth wouldn't have been terribly excited by my personal favorite of machining or playing with machines, but perhaps we could so something related. For I needed something others would find enjoyable too, since friends having fun around you almost always meant you'd have some fun too.

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  “I need to think on this.”

  “Very well.”

  So that afternoon think on it I did. I made my way down to my workshop and as I considered brought out the project I'd been playing with for some time. Most of the internals were done, but it needed ammunition, so as I began to shape those shells I thought.

  As my hands worked my mind wandered, the rote exercise allowing me to drift on daydreams to an extent, only surfacing briefly to take a measurement or check diameters. Many years ago, before the current kingdom I knew there had been decadent parties, but that seemed wrong. I didn't have the facilities or the funds to throw something completely boggling, which would take a lot of magic anyway. More recently helping those weaker than you, or at least not showing off how strong you were was considered more gentlemanly, could I do something with that?

  So what, a bake sale? The very thought of that made me snicker and I ruined one of the casings I was making. No, that wouldn't work, but something charity-wise certainly would. If people thought they were doing something for the poor, but didn't have to interact with them then that would be best. Even in this world the rich liked to pretend the poor didn't exist, at least not somewhere they could interact.

  Then it hit me, something quite obvious. I'd need to acquire a few things here and there, a proper venue, some interesting items... Pretty sure I could manage at least some of the latter easily enough. We'd also need drinks and snacks, though not necessarily the full-blown meal that others would likely expect, oh and instructions for everyone. Yes, that could indeed be fun, and do something for others at the same time, the best kind of fun.

  I could ask Simon to aid me with this, pay for him to make some items, or make them with him. The fact that they didn't come from stores would only add to the perfection of this idea. One or two others I could make myself, no problems there. In fact it might be best if I leaned on the contacts I had at school or others my age for most of this, would look good too.

  By the time I emerged from my workshop to tell my grandmother about what I'd come up with she'd left. After all she had her own life to live and things to do. Mrs. Rider our housekeeper however did find me looking about and stopped.

  “Something wrong sir?” she asked.

  “No, not at all, just lost track of time.”

  “A surprisingly common thing to happen,” she agreed with a smile.

  “She left me with a task, I'd like to run some ideas by you and Sinea first. After dinner perhaps if that's alright. Never done something quite like this and I find myself in need of advice.”

  “Of course my lord, I'll be happy to help in any way I can.” She looked on knowingly, and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if grandmother had told her about my assignment.

  “I need to write some letters...” I muttered, and she bid me farewell.

  First I wrote one to my grandmother, explaining everything in detail, all of my ideas. We were going to need to explain them to others too, so trying first with her would be best. None of it would be too expensive, a rented ballroom or some such, some basic provisions, a handful of hired staff, all very manageable within cost for something like this. To this I added a list of questions, how and where to send things, her thoughts on if it would work at all.

  Afterwards I began writing a few drafts to friends I'd need to participate. Simon was first, since his skills would be excellent, if not strictly needed. Then my dear betrothed and her brother got a pair. On a lark I began to form the guest list, the duke, seeing as I was on good terms, and Mr. Ignus, seeing as he would probably interrogate me about anything I sold even if it wasn't dangerous or illegal. A few of my teachers as well might be interested, and though I feared to even try I made a draft to Headmaster Logan, scared of the idea he might actually take me up on it.

  With plans in motion I sat back. Sure there'd be a good bit of work to do, but most of it was easily manageable, at least I hoped. That's what we had help for though, be they friends or family or just those working for us, to set us on the right path when we began to do something stupid.