#ciel has an ''uh oh'' moment when he realizes that his feelings might actually be real

[msnihilist]

Thinking about Black Butler actor AU from season two 🥺💕

Ciel being a legacy child star actor. His parents were fantastically successful and he inherited their effortless talent.

Sebastian is an up-and-coming new face, and Kuroshitsuji is his first big break. His insistence on staying in-character even between takes starts as a way to get into the headspace better, but his endless devotion to Ciel quickly becomes far more real than either of them anticipated.

[ahogehope]

BlazBlue Alternative Dark War Nightmare Fiction Event English Translation (Part 8: At the Edge)

IT’S FINALLY OVER! -cue game over music-

PLEASE READ THIS FIRST:  I realize this isn’t getting as much (actually not much of any) traffic as opposed to the reddit posts, but I’d like to extend this request over here as well. I’d definitely like to continue working on translations for this game but am unsure whether I should jump right into the most current event (the Dark Mai one) or start on actual story content next. So my question is: what do you guys want to see more? Reply to this post or shoot me an ask or whatever it is tumblr does these days.

Crossposted from reddit just for a little more exposure.

This is part 8, or the ninth story quest in the event.

Previous parts can be found here: [Part 1-1, Part 1-2, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7]

Some notes:

- The default name of Rei is used for the player character and was selected as male at the beginning of the game.

- I’m still on the fence on if I should be using honorifics or not. Your opinion on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

Click here to be taken to a pastebin with the translated dialogue or look under the read more to read it here. 

Section 8 – “At the Edge” (TL: Read as “kazuaru hazama-nite”)

Kazuma This is...

Ciel It’s very similar to the room we found hidden beneath Ishana.

Raabe So... this is the “innermost part.”

Hazama Oh? What’s with you guys all of a sudden? You’ve all got this shocked look on your faces. Have you guys been here before?

>We’ve been somewhere like this before. Hazama Really? Normally I’d ask to hear more about what sort of place that was but... Hazama We’re not exactly in the best place to be taking our time, wouldn’t you agree?

>Never seen it before in my life. Hazama Hey now, don’t just leave me in the dark like that. Hazama You’ll just make me even more curious if you keep it a secret, y’know. Hazama But... now isn’t really the best time to get into that, is it?

Fuzzy Raabe’s right though. This is the innermost part you guys have been so keen on getting to.

Fuzzy You brought those six keys here so you could activate the elements... and finally escape.

Raabe What happens next then?

Fuzzy You’ll just have to find out for yourself, right? You will, won’t you? Really though, even I don’t have any idea what’s supposed to happen next. Ahahaha.

Raabe We don’t have much of a choice either way, it would seem.

Kazuma As soon as we activate the elements, all of the mana we’ve collected will activate with them and accumulate around us.

Kazuma Much more mana than we’re used to will gather together in one place.

Hazama Will that be problematic for us?

Kazuma There’s no reason why it should be. This is probably the perfect place for it actually...

Fuzzy If you’re gonna go ahead and start it up, I’d let Kazuma do it. Since he’s a magician he should be used to working with mana and the elements already.

Ciel Kazuma-san, would you be willing to activate the elements for us?

Kazuma I, uh, yeah, I can do that. That shouldn’t be too difficult.

Kazuma Let’s see here...

Hazama You’ve looked like you’ve had something on your mind for a while now.

Hazama I agree that Kazuma-san’s the best suited out of all of us to carry this out but... don’t push yourself if you don’t think you can handle it.

Hazama If we really have to we can always looks for another way to activate them...

Kazuma ......

Kazuma ...No.

Kazuma I can do it.

Raabe Hey, hold on...

Hazama Are you sure?

Kazuma Yes. Please, allow me.

[a green magic circle appears, surrounded by the six elements]

Hazama Oh my... I can already feel how the air around us has changed. Looks like you managed to pull it off without a hitch after all.

Ciel Is this... activated mana? But this feeling, where have I...

Raabe It can't be. This is...! Hey, Kazuma! Stop whatever it is that you’re doing!

Kazuma ......

Raabe Are you even listening!? Earth to Kazuma!!

Kazuma ...Ah... it’s just like I thought. I was wondering... if that’s what it was...

>What’s wrong, Kazuma-san? >Who are you talking to?

Kazuma Who...

[a dark green shadow with veins and one glowing eye starts to materialize]

Hazama Uuh, guh, ghh....

Ciel Hazama-san? Is something wrong?

Hazama Please be careful... Something’s... coming...!

[the shadow becomes fully visible]

Raabe Wh... What’s going on?

Fuzzy Hmm, I wonder what it could be～? What do you think?

Fuzzy What about you, Rei? What do your “eyes” see? You can see it, can’t you?

Raabe Don’t look. ...I guess that’s impossible, huh. Try not to focus as much as you can. This... isn’t a collection of mana.

Ciel Raabe-san, Rei-san! We’ve got a problem.

Ciel I’ve confirmed the appearance of the cauldron.

Ciel But... there’s nothing around here that looks like it could be the cauldron. And if there’s a cauldron here, then who is the Observer...?

Raabe They’re both right in front of us.

Ciel Eh? Wh-What do you mean?

Raabe The cauldron came into existence across this entire world the moment this guy appeared. In other words, that shadow... it’s the Observer.

Raabe It’s also the cauldron. There’s no other explanation for this sort of reaction. This much condensed seithr... this is the cauldron.

Hazama What’s that now? Seithr?

Hazama You mean what Kazuma-san’s magic is activating right now isn’t...

Raabe It’s not the elements or mana, no. It’s seithr!

??? Ahh～ god, you losers took fore～ver to show up.

Ciel !?

??? Shit though, you guys sure have been through a lot, huh? But thanks to you I can talk as much as I want again.

>The shadow spoke! ??? Kyahahahaha, just a shadow, eh... Well, I guess that’ll have to do for now.

>Who are you? ??? What, you wanna know my name? You really wanna know who I am? Sure, I’ll humor you...

Kazuma ...Yuuki Terumi...

Spirit Terumi Oops, looks like you beat me to it. But yeah, the kid’s right. Don’t go forgetting it, numbskulls.

Spirit Terumi Yuuki Terumi. That’s the name, folks.

Hazama You were lurking inside of me.

Hazama Earlier when we were fighting Saya-san, she said she had sensed something within me... I wasn’t entirely sure what she meant at the time.

Hazama I had no idea that it would turn out to be something like this.

Spirit Terumi Hyahahahaha! Damn, I didn’t realize you were so out of the loop, Hazama-chan.

Ciel So you’re familiar with Hazama-san as well.

Spirit Terumi Oh yeah, best of buddies, thickest of thieves, call it what you like but we’re rea～l intimate. In fact, I know all you guys.

Spirit Terumi You’re the morons who’ve been running all over the city doing my dirty work for me. Hyahahahahahaha!

Kazuma So you were... using us? Does that mean that Fuzzy-san was also...?

Fuzzy Can’t say I know about any of this. I’m only here to fulfill my role. Really I’m just a pawn here.

Fuzzy You guys are all just pawns too. But even the pawns are necessary in the end, right? It’s not really a game if all the pieces aren’t in order, after all.

Spirit Terumi The trap over here gets it. And now since you’ve been such good little slaves so far, how’s about you do me one last teensy-weensy favor...

Spirit Terumi And die for me, will you? Hyahahahahaha!

Raabe I see now. We’ve been playing right into his hands this entire time.

Raabe When Kazuma started the activation sequence, he wasn’t channeling the mana or the elements. He wound up summoning this guy instead.

Ciel No way... Then does that mean the whole story about escaping from the city was a lie?

Spirit Terumi Come on, even if I’m not that cruel. I’ll still let you guys out.

Spirit Terumi All aboard the Terumi express! Now serving a one-way trip straight into the Boundary! Just make sure to keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle, or you might lose them!

Hazama Are you always this egotistical?

Hazama Things may have gone your way up until now, but we’re not going to just stand here and let you do whatever you want.

Hazama ...It was wrong of me to bring you all this way when I sensed something was amiss, no matter how small it may have been.

Hazama Looks like I got you all mixed up in something undesirable after all... I’m really sorry, Rei-san.

Hazama But I don’t think I’ll be able to handle this one by myself. I’m afraid I must ask for your assistance one last time.

>Let’s all get out of here together. Hazama Thank you. I’m... truly glad to have met you.

>Let’s kick his ass and get the hell out of here! Spirit Terumi Ooh, someone’s a little touchy. That sort of enthusiasm is contagious, y’know.

Ciel Assuming combat position. All eyes on target. Ready when you are!

Raabe His form is still unstable. It’s hard to say if his existence has fully taken root yet or not.

Raabe The reaction he’s giving off is definitely strong but... he might not be able to use the full extent of his power the way he is now.

Raabe We need to strike before all of the seithr has finished gathering in one place. Let’s get this over with quickly.

Fuzzy Go, go! You can do it!

Hazama Are you ready for this, Kazuma-san?

Kazuma Ah, uh... Right.

Spirit Terumi Oh? You wouldn’t really team up against little ol’ me, would you? Heheheheh.

Hazama Well then. Let’s go, Terumi-san.

Spirit Terumi Guh, shit...! My power... no, none of this shit. None of it’s good enough!

Kazuma ......

Fuzzy Whoa. You guys really creamed him.

Hazama ...I think that shadow inside of me... Terumi-san detached himself completely from me during the course of that fight.

Hazama It’s the strangest feeling. It’s unsettling but also like a... weight’s been lifted, in a sense.

Spirit Terumi Ha, haha... Hyahahaha...! Damn, that really could’ve gone better.

Spirit Terumi I guess you win this one. I really lost to some lame spin-off side characters. Ain’t that right?

Kazuma Yes. I... think that’s what happened.

Spirit Terumi Heh, hahahaah! Yeah, them’s the breaks, huh. Tch, what a pain in the ass.

Spirit Terumi Man, this sucks... you’re really blue-balling me here. Taking on a bunch of pussies like you should’ve been a joke.

Spirit Terumi Sure screwed myself on that one.

Kazuma ...Please send us back.

Kazuma As long as you do that... I don’t think we’ll have to hurt you anymore.

Spirit Terumi Ha! Hurt me? You really think you can hurt me? Hyahaha, you don’t have a lot going on underneath that pretty face, do you, kid?

Spirit Terumi Don’t make me laugh.

Ciel Are you going to continue resisting?

Spirit Terumi Oooh, close but no cigar! This isn’t what you’d call resistance...

Spirit Terumi This is an escape!

[static]

Kazuma ...Ah. H-Huh?

Ciel This is...

>It’s Ishana! Kazuma Yes, this is Ishana. It’s the same place we were before we found ourselves in that strange city...

>Are we back? Ciel ...It would appear so. This is where we were standing before we were taken to that strange city.

Ciel But what does this mean? It’s safe to say that we took out the Observer but we weren’t able to destroy the Cauldron...

Ciel Regardless... we managed to escape the Phantom Field.

Raabe I still need to look into everything further so this is just a hypothesis for now, but...

Raabe I don’t think that city was an undiscovered Phantom Field.

Raabe It’s foundation was built on Ishana who had already lost its Observer.

Raabe Using the power of Observation, that shadow calling itself Terumi must have found its way in and overwrote things when it took over.

Kazuma So it was... re-Observed?

Raabe That’s exactly what it was.

Raabe In other words, we weren’t so much moved somewhere else as it was our surroundings themselves were changing before our eyes... That’s probably what happened.

Hazama Well, it was certainly an experience I could have lived without and I’m still not overly sure how any of it was possible but...

Hazama Everything worked out in the end, right?

Hazama We all made it out safe and sound. Let’s be thankful for that, shall we?

Hazama Ahh～, truly all’s well that ends well.

Ciel Hazama-san. And Fuzzy-san, too. The two of you came back to Ishana as well I see.

Fuzzy Bzzt, wrong answer. Really, did you hear a thing Raabe just said? None of us actually came back anywhere.

Fuzzy We were all just sort of displaced.

Ciel Ah, so we were. So then would Fuzzy-san and Hazama-san be considered foreign entities in this situation?

Raabe There’s no way to know for sure what the Phantom Field has classified them as but... that’s probably the case.

Raabe Neither of them are involved with Ishana.

Hazama Hmm～, while this place does look incredibly delightful, I’m afraid this isn’t where I belong.

Fuzzy Me either. I’m not getting any good vibes from the ambience around here. I don’t think I’d fit in very well.

Raabe ...Once a Phantom Field has been liberated of its Observer, any foreign materials left behind should gradually start to return to where they were originally from.

Raabe Here soon your existential information should be sent back to your own worlds.

Fuzzy I guess we’re stuck hanging around here until that happens, huh～.

Fuzzy Well, not like it matters. I’ve never been here before so there’s no harm in exploring a bit. Don’t you think?

[Fuzzy leaves]

Hazama And there he goes. I suppose it’s best to just let him have his fun while he can.

Hazama But more importantly... Rei-san, Ciel-san, Kazuma-san, Raabe-san.

Hazama Thank you all so much for your help.

Hazama When I was still wandering around all by myself, I was at a loss as to what I was supposed to do...

Hazama But as soon as I joined up with you guys, everything just sort of naturally clicked into place.

Hazama A lot happened back there, but I want you to know that from the bottom of my heart I’m grateful we were able to escape from that bizarre city.

Raabe ...Is that all you have to say? I can’t say I’m very convinced.

Raabe It still feels like you’ve been manipulating us this entire time.

Hazama Don’t be ridiculous! It must’ve been fate that I ran into you when I did. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.

Hazama I’d even go so far as to say that you saved me.

Hazama I’m honestly in your debt. If you ever need an extra hand for something, I’ll be sure to do everything in my power to help you out.

Hazama Then again... I can’t guarantee that the me you’ll encounter then will be the same as I am now.

Hazama Let’s do this the right way this time. My name is Hazama. It’s a pleasure to meet you.

Hazama Rei-san.

>Pleased to meet you.

Hazama Yes. I wish you all the best.

Ciel ......

Raabe ...We still need to head back and check the data to see if this was indeed the abnormality the System was detecting.

Raabe We’ve overstayed our welcome. Let’s return to base.

Kazuma ...I guess this is goodbye then.

Kazuma Hadn’t you said earlier that you couldn’t stay for long?

Ciel That’s correct. We’re still only outsiders in this world.

Kazuma ......

Kazuma ...I’m really glad I was able to see you again. Getting to spend more time together... it was really fun.

Kazuma I feel like I know myself a little better now.

Kazuma Thank you so much.

Ciel There’s no need to thank us. We were merely here for our mission.

Kazuma You’re as blunt as always, Ciel-san...

Kazuma ...I think I have my own perplexing “mission” in front of me... nevermind. Hang in there for me, will you?

Kazuma I’m rooting for you.

>Thank you. >Good luck, Kazuma-san.

[static]

Kagami Rei! Ciel! Thank god you guys made it back in one piece～!

Ciel Oh. You startled me. What’s the matter, Kagami-san? You seem out of sorts.

Kagami Well, what did you expect!? Almost as soon as you two got in you just fell off the grid!

Kagami I wasn’t able to pinpoint where either of were for a long time...

Kagami Your signals only reappeared inside Ishana’s Phantom Field a little while ago, y’know!

Kagami So what happened? Nevermind, it’ll be faster to get the answers from Raabe’s internal data.

Kagami Either way, I’ll get an investigation started. First you guys need to go get a medical check.

Kagami And watch yourselves this time, got it!?

Ciel Y-Yes, ma’am.

Kagami I  can’t let you out of my sight for even a second. Geez...

[Kagami leaves]

Ciel It would seem we’ve caused quite the stir in our absence.

Ciel Let’s head to the medical room. I’ll go with you, Rei-san.

Hazama So this is supposed to be the famous Ishana, huh? Now that I’ve finally gotten a good look at it, it truly is nothing more than a ghost town.

Hazama ...Well then. I wonder where I should be heading next? With the help of those suckers, I was able to remove the chain that was inside me.

Hazama I should be able to go just about anywhere now.

Hazama At any rate, Terumi-san is right back where he should be. Although I can’t say I’m overly thrilled that he left me to do all the grunt work by myself.

Hazama ...I would have been in quite the bind if it weren’t for that boy, though. Heheh.

Hazama But still, what a successful endeavor that turned out to be!

Hazama For me, for Terumi-san... Even for him.

Hazama “End Gazer”... The One Who Sees the End. I can’t wait to see how this will play out.

Kazuma ......

Kazuma Ishana... All these years here, and I still haven’t learned a thing.

Kazuma But... I feel like I finally know why I’m here... Just a little...

Kazuma I feel like I’m home.

https://imgur.com/a/VfNvhRF

[otome--fantasy]

Of Demons and Dragons

Ikemen Sengoku Imagine: Being able to turn into a dragon.

Ch.2

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of suspected rape, lord help Mitsuhide you just might kill him, I feel like this chapter falls a bit flat, but it isn't a very action packed chapter so what did I expect? 🤷🏽‍♀️ I hope you all still enjoy!

When you awoke, you opened your eyes to see the artistry of your rooms cieling. Everything was oddly bright and you gazed around your room to find your balcony doors wide open to allow the sunlight in. You growled, the sunlight made twice as harsh in your weakend state and brought on a small headache. Your attention shot to the doors that lead into the hallway when they opened, revealing Ieyasu with a bowl of steaming water and stack of towels with some odd container on top. He stood there silent and in shock - you shouldn't be awake yet, it had only been about 4 hours since Nobunaga and his army arrived back with your battered body. The medics at the camp had done what they chould to patch you up, but you had lost so much blood, you were so cold, and your breath had been so weak - he had predicted you would sleep two or three days at least and then be bed ridden for the next couple weeks. You attempted to sit up, but the pain along your side and back kept you from moving too quickly.

"Stupid woman!" Ieyasu moved as quickly as he could without spilling the bowl of hot water. He put it down carefully next to your sleeping mat, along with the towels, "You shouldn't even be awake yet, let alone trying to get up!"

"What's going on?" At that moment Hideyoshi poked his head in, his eyes widening just as Ieyasu's had, "I though you said she would be down for a couple days?!"

"Yeah well, looks like she's up," Ieyasu gently, but firmly tried to push you back down to the mat, which was easy to do in your weakened and drowsy state. "I'll go tell Lord Nobunaga," Hideyoshi nodded before rushing to his masters quarters.

"Hideyoshi," Masamune was exiting the kitchen as Hideyoshi stormed passed, causing him to fumble back behind the rooms threshold so's not to get trampled, before he poked his head out again, "what happened?!"

Hideyoshi didn't bother turning back to look at Masmune, he merely shouted and waved a hand in the air as he continued on his way, "The princess is awake!"

"Already?!" Masamune looked in the direction Hideyoshi had come from before deciding he would see for himself. The one eyed warrior walked with haste to your room, finding the door still open and upon glancing in he saw you - attempting to fight off Ieyasu while he tried to keep you from standing. "Lass, I know you don't like being told what to do, but Ieyasu is the best at what he does, and you should listen to him!" Masamune joined Ieyasu in the room to help him restrain you, but the more you felt bound the more you hurt, and the more your hurt the more you began to panic.

"Get off of me!" You roared, mustering up enough strength to push Ieyasu and Masamune across the room in opposite directions. Ieyasu crashed into the hallway wall and Masamune managed to catch the railing before he could topple over it from the force. The both of them had widely different emotions on their face - Ieyasu felt annoyance more than anything, and next was confusion as to how you managed to throw him across the room; Masamune looked...excited, shocked, and utterly giddy that you were strong enough to almost throw him over the railing, and all while you weren't feeling well.

Masamune straightened his clothes and sauntered back into the room like nothing happened, "The Princess seems to be much better already."

Ieyasu scoffed, "She's no where near better," he briskly made his way back to you and kneeled to meet you at eye level, "Look," he sounded stirn, much like a mother who had enough of a child who refused to behave, "I need to change your bandages and reapply the salve every few hours, or else your injuries could get infected."

"He's just trying to help you, Lass," you hadn't realized Masamune mirror Ieyasu and join you at your side opposite to the blond, till he spoke and placed a hand on your shoulder - to which you flinched and hissed at. He quickly removed his hand and backed away, "Sorry!"

"You idiot!" Ieyasu tried to slap the other man away before he carefully removed the bandaged on your shoulders and 'tsked'. The sutures he closed your wounds with hadn't been opened, thank goodness, but he would have to inform the others to be careful with you. Ieyasu turned to Masamune, who had been watching his work intently, "Can you leave?"

Masamune looked at Ieyasu questioningly, before remembering what the blond had come in for, "Oh, right!" He left the room quickly and closed the door behind him.

Ieyasu rolled his eyes, before turning back to tend to you. When he looked you were glaring at him, "Oh, don't give me that," he opened the case resting in the towles to reveal the sengoku period equivalent of a first aid kit- or a crash box, depends on how dire he thought your condition would be when he got back.

"I was the one who stitched you up, gave you medicine, and re-bandaged you when you got back." Well you couldn't argue with that, and though you still wanted to smack him, you did owe him one now. Ieyasu used a pair of scissors to cut off your old bandages, being careful to peel away the bits that rested over your actual wounds. You looked to see what he was doing when you felt a small tug over your injuries as he removed the gauze. You hadn't realized you had indeed needed a change of bandages till you saw the dark brown stains on the woven material.

Once he had removed the wrap completely, you heard the sound of water being disturbed. Ah, the water has been to clean the area around your wounds. You had though you must have had a fever earlier, or that you were too cold for them to be comfortable with.

"How long was I out?" You broke the silence.

"Hm?' He sounded confused by your wording at first.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Only a few hours, four or five at the most after Lord Nobunaga brought you back," he gently rubbed circles around each of your wounds, the warm water and soothing motions felt nice on your sore skin, "You know, you're handling this very well compared to even our most promising vassals."

You simply shrugged, doing your best to brush off his suspicions, "Guess I'm just resilient."

"Hardly," he scoffes, thinking you were more patting yourself on the back than trying to get the subject over with, "I honestly didn't think you were going to make it when you came back."

Thanks for the vote of confidence, jackass. His voice sounded more snooty than anything to you, like he was just trying to have the last word in this conversation.

You heard the water slosh around in the bowl when he dipped a new towel to clean the wounds on your side, an effort you helped him in by raising your arm slightly to move it out of his way, "Thanks, Ieyasu."

Ieyasu paused and you internally punched your pride in the face before rephrasing, "Thank you, for all this."

The blond continued what he was doing - finishing cleaning around your injuries before he put both the dirty towles back in the bowl and got a dry one to clean off the excess water, "Don't thank me, it's my job, my duty for Azuchi castle and the Oda forces."

You huffed at him being difficult, "Yes, but you didn't have to tend to me yourself, we haven't quite gotten along since I arrived, and I'm sure you have other healers in the castle who you could have passed me off to- but you chose to take care of me yourself. That's why I'm thanking you."

Ieyasu remained silent for a while, finishing drying you off so he could apply some fresh salve, "Your welcome."

Meanwhile, in the hall, Masamune had been standing just outside your door to wait, till he was joined by Nobunaga and Hideyoshi.

"She is awake already?" Masamune whipped around to see his raven haired master standing just behind him. "Yes," Masamune bowed slightly to him, "Ieyasu was very surprised."

Nobunaga attempted to step around Masamune, but he stopped him, "Ieyasu is changing her bandages right now, I'm sure he will let us in when he's done."

"What's this?" Hideyoshi was looking at the wall Ieyasu had made contact with when you threw him. He placed a hand on it and examined the indentation. "Oh," Masamune chuckled a bit, "Ah, you see..." Hideyoshi looked at the one eyed warrior with a raised brow, while Nobunaga held a deadpan expression.

"You see, the princess panicked a bit after she woke up when Ieyasu and I were trying to force her to lay back down," he cleared his throat, "And she short of, uh..." he wasn't sure how to phrase it without it sounding outrageous, so he just came out and said it, "She threw the both of us across the room." He shrugged, "I nearly fell over the edge of the balcony."

Both Hideyoshi and Nobunaga blinked in a dumbfounded manor before turning to look at eachother, "My Lord," Hideyoshi's expression quickly returned to being serious, "She's clearly hiding something."

Nobunaga frowned, "What do you mean?" It was at that moment that Ieyasu opened the doors to your room and took his leave, "You all can go in now, but be careful with her or her stitches will open!" The blond was mostly looking at Masamune as he did tend to be more gun-ho than all the others.

"What happened?!" Was the first thing that left Hideyoshi's mouth as he entered the room. You didn't answer, you simply remained laying down, staring at the ceiling with an irritated expression on your face. "Hideyoshi," Nobunaga reprimanded his right-hand. When the brunette had calmed you turned to look at the three men, watching as Nobunaga took a seat on the pillow Ieyasu had left, while Masamune and Hidayoshi joined him at either side.

"How did this happen," Nobunaga asked calmly.

"I was chased by soldiers who thought I was you," you stated simply. The three of them looked at you expectantly and you sighed deeply, "I fell off my horse and some enemy soldiers thought I was you, so they took the opportunity to try and shoot me. I ran for the woods and used the trees as cover, but they followed me, and kept shooting at me."

That explained how you had so many arrow wounds but, "How did you end up in the forest clearing without your clothes?" Nobunaga was wondering what else they did to you. You thought for a moment, trying to think of a way to explain that wouldn't expose you or make you sound crazy. Hideyoshi spoke up, "Did they do anything...else to you?"

Ah. They were wondering if the men had realized you weren't Nobunaga and had laid hands on you. You looked to the ground to think, before sparing a glance at the three men for a brief second. The three of them were both so stiff, and they didn't show it on their faces but you could feel their anger. The room was thick with tension, "No I-"

"Lass," you'd never seen Masamune look so serious, his tone and the look in his eye almost made your hair stand on end, "What did they do to you?"

"I don't remember," was all you could think of to say. Of course it was a lie, you remembered everything - being chased, getting shot at, hiding in the lake, nearly killing the men who chased you, seeing Nobunaga cut down the enemy commander, and finally waiting in the clearing for help to arrive- but you couldn't tell them that.

The three men looked at eachother with grim expressions, assuming the worst. "It's okay, princess," Hideyoshi placed a hand on your head and patted it, giving you a strained smile, before standing along with Masamune and Nobunaga, "You rest now, Mitsunari will be in to check on you later."

You quietly nodded and watched them leave your room and close the door behind them. You let out a deep breath. That had been intense... With a wince, you slowly propped yourself up on your elbows before carefully sitting up in your sleeping mat. You pat yourself down cautiously - it wouldn't take long for you to heal, especially with how well Ieyasu stitched you up. Thanks to what you were, you healed faster than any normal human. Ieyasu predicted you would wake up in two or three days minimum, you predict you would be back to top condition in two to three days, and it would certainly raise more questions.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of knocking on your cieling and you swiftly wrapped your blanket around you, "Sasuke?"

"Yes, it's me," Sasuke opened the cieling panel and silently slipped out from it, landing gracefully on his feet in a crouching position. "I heard you had been dragged off to war with Nobunaga, and I came to see if you were alright."

You moved your blanket slightly, showing that your upper half was completely wrapped in bandages, "I was chased and shot twenty one times by enemy forces..."

"How did you-"

"They chased me because they thought I was Nobunaga, but once I was under the cover of the forest, I turned, and took refuge in a lake. I was shot when I tried to scare them off."

Sasuke's face held regret, "I apologize. I should have tried to get you out of here the first night."

"Sasuke," he paused in his ramblings when you called his name.

"Nobunaga came looking for me when everything was over. He had a search party comb the fields and the woods- said they weren't going home till I was found." Sasuke said nothing to this, he merely averted his gaze to the ground.

"There is not a doubt in my mind that, if you would have taken me, he would have turned all of Azuchi upsidedown looking for me. And then you would have been caught- or worse. Dead." Sasuke nodded in agreement with your reasoning.

"Why would he take you to battle with him? Does he know what you are?" Sasuke glanced back up at you to look you in the eye.

"No," you chuckled, "He thinks the odds should have been against me the night I saved him at Honno-ji, and yet I dragged," with air quotations, "him out unscathed. He thinks I'm lucky."

"So he thought if he took you with him, he would surely be victorious," Sasuke concluded.

"Yes," you nodded, "Not that he needed me," you waved off the thought, "He was against men who couldn't tell the difference between him and a woman so," you shrugged slightly, the pull from your stitches preventing you from being more dramatic, "I doubt they would have been much of a challenge either way."

"What did you do to them? If you don't mind my asking?" Sasuke looked at you questioningly, though his expression held more concern than anything else.

"Nothing," you raised a brow at him and there was a brief moment of silence, "Like I said earlier, I changed and scared them off. My mother taught me better than to kill and maim humans who don't know any better."

Now both his brows were raised and you shook your head, waving the statement off, "Story for another time, besides, it's not me those men have to worry about right now."

Sasuke took a step closer, "What do you mean?"

"Nobunaga, Masamune, and Hideyoshi were just in here and they asked me about what happened. Sasuke, they found me in the woods injured, bloody, naked, I must have looked like I was near death to them." You breathed, giving him a chance to process what you just said, "And they're wondering if the men did anything else to me other than just shoot me with arrows."

It didn't take long for it to click with Sasuke what may have gone through their minds, "Oh."

"And with them trying to keep up the guise that I'm some kind of royalty?"

"Not to mention that Nobunaga truly believes you are his Lucky Charm-" The pieces were coming together for Sasuke, "Those soldiers just might pay for what they've done with their lives..."

"Yes, which is why I thought it best to just tell them that I couldn't remember anything," you nodded in agreement, "That and I can't just tell them I chased them off by turning into a dragon."

"Right well, do you remember what they looked like? Maybe I could warn them or take them somewhere safe?" Sasuke couldn't see any way this would end well.

"Don't bother," you assured him, "the fight is over, and if they run now it will just raise suspicion."

There was a knock on the door, and you turned to look, "Milady?"

Mitsunari.

"Are you decent?"

By the time you turned around to tell Sasuke to leave, he was already gone and the ceiling panel had been closed. You cleared your throat before replying, "As decent as I can be without moving all too much."

The silver haired man took that as an okay to come in. He was stunned to see you sitting up and wrapped in your blanket, "Milady, should you really be sitting up?" He rushed to your side with worry.

"I'm fine, Mitsunari," you smiled up at him, before looking down to his hand and noticing he brought a tray with two mugs, "Tea?"

"Oh, yes," he carefully placed the tray on the floor before sitting down on the pillow Ieyasu left after tending to you, "It's lavender and chamomile," he wrapped the hot mug in a small rag before handing it off to you, "I thought you may get a bit antsy staying all cooped up in this room, so I was hoping this would calm your nerves."

You smelled the tea, the subtle scent of both herbs wafting into your nose and making you hum. Tea also naturally held a more 'earthy' (for lack of a better word) scent to it that made you feel more relaxed, "Thank you, Mitsunari, your very thoughtful."

He smiled and nodded politely, "Thank you Princess," he wrapped his mug in another rag and brought it up to drink, "Anything to make this trying time easier to bare."

You took a sip, the tea, like any other, tastes predominantly like water with an unidentifiable flavor from the herbs that gave it its color and smell, "Oh this would be wonderful with some honey..."

"Pardon?" Mitsunari hadn't quite caught what you said and raised a brow. You briefly wondered if the people of the Sengoku period ate honey like the people of the future. Did they have the honey stored in jars and bottles? Or did they just eat it straight from the comb?

"Nothing," you dismissed your statement with another smile, "I'm feeling very relaxed already."

"Wonderful!" Mitsunari took another sip of his tea before slowly standing up, leaving the tray for you to place your cup on when you were done with it, "As nice as it would be to sit here with you, Milady, all day- I do have a lot of work to get done." He gave you a sympathetic look.

"It's fine, I'm sure there is much to do after a battle."

"Indeed," he bowed to you before heading to the door, "And If you are feeling up to it later, Lord Nobunaga will be holding a council to discuss and debrief what happened in last nights revolt. Ieyasu suggests against you leaving your room, but as the council will involve no strenuous activity, he admits that it would not be impossible for you to attend." He cleared his throat. That was a mouthful, "Again that is if you are feeling well enough."

You pursed your lips, "I'll think about it."

He nodded again, before opening the sliding doors to leave and closing them behind him. Should you go to the council? You're sure the only reason why they would invite you was because they wanted more information on what happened to you in the woods. Perhaps even descriptions of faces. They couldn't let it get out that rival soldiers managed to get their hands on and hurt a princess from the Oda bloodline. Of course you could just say no and avoid the whole thing, but then they might start a witchhunt for the men. With a sigh you took a sip of tea and placed your hand on your head. Perhaps it was just best you go and straighten things out...to an extent.

Once you finished your tea, you stood from your sleeping mat, making your way over to your closet where you kept all the kimonos you had been gifted. Picking the one with the most simple design and not made of such expensive material, you slid it on like a bathrobe and tied it around your waist before walking over to the open balcony doors to stand outside.

The sun immediately warmed your skin, and it felt good to walk around; had you not had stitches you would have loved to stretch. You leaned forward on to the railing and looked out to the castle grounds below as well as the city. The people walking around and going about their day below, only helped to remind you of your current situation- you had been restricted before, after this, would they even allow you to leave the building? Oh how you wished you could go out for a flight right now. The whether was nice, clear, sunny, and warm with a light breeze.

You hadn't realized you'd closed your eyes till they snapped open from suprise due to a loud resounding knock on your rooms doors. You whipped around, just as they slid open to reveal that snake of a man, Mitsuhide. You raised a brow at him.

"Ah, Princess!" He feigned a sickly sweet voice, "Since your up and about, I assume you're well enough to attend the council."

"Save your attempts at trapping and coaxing me, Mitsuhide," you walked back into your room, closing the balcony doors behind you before approaching the white haired fox, "I've already long decided I'm attending."

"Aren't you going to change into something more presentable?" He smiled mischievously, thinking you had forgotten what you were wearing.

"And risk getting blood on those nice kimonos?" You paused in the doorway to raise a brow mockingly at him, "Heavens no," before continuing on your way to the council room. A chuckle left Mitsuhide's lips as he followed after you, quickly catching up to you to join you at your side, "So what really happened in those woods, hm?"

"Why, Mitsuhide, I never took you as one for gossip," you giggled at his expense, "I thought you were more of the facts and damning evidence type."

You, for the first time since you arrived, saw a suprised look cross his face, "Oh?" And the smile was back, "Whatever gave you that impression?"

"I dunno," you shrugged as you approached the council room, "Perhaps it's the way you're always slithering," you stopped infront of the sliding doors and turned to look at your escort, before taking a step towards him, "slinking," another step towards him till you were but a breath away, "and stalking about."

Mitsuhide was another one that got on your nerves. While Ieyasu just always seemed to look down on you and was outwardly vocal about it, Mitsuhide was actively a threat to your secret, and you won't be found out until your good and ready. "Where I'm from," you tilt you head up to look at his smileless face, "They say- curiosity killed the cat," your eyes drift down to examine him before bringing your gaze back up, "or in this case the snake."

"Careful," you spoke lowly as you slowly brought your hand up to caress the side if his face, brushing your thumb gently along his bottom lip, "not to get skinned alive." You grinned, giving him him a light pat on the cheek, before drawing your hand away, swiftly turning to the sliding doors, opening them, and entering.

Mitsuhide let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding after you left him, and he felt the odd need to compose himself eventhough nothing was really out of place. Never, in his years of working for Nobunaga and gathering information had he ever felt so threatened.

"You came alone?" Hideyoshi seemed confused when you entered the council room by yourself, "Where is Mitsuhide?"

You brushed a lock of hair behind your ear and politely smiled, holding your hands together infront of you, "Oh he's just outside the door taking breather. It was a long trek- going to my room and back." With a small nod of your head you continued to take your seat next to Nobunaga, and as if on cue Mitsuhide entered the room and wordlessly took his assigned seat.

"Ah, Mitsuhide," Nobunaga chuckled, "glad you could join us, now we can start with the debriefing."

"Yes my Lord," Mitsunari opened the scroll he had been holding, which held a list of reporters and updates he'd been gathering since you and Nobunaga returned. "New's has traveled fast of your return, as well as the news of having personally handled and quashed last night's revolt with only a fourth of the men." Mitsunari took a breath before continuing, "Our enemies have been relieved of their weapons, armor, and have been banned from practicing any form of combat. They are, from here on out, to be strictly a community of farmers."

Nobunaga nodded along, everything had gone according to plan so far, "Whispers of revolt from other villages have almost completely disappeared."

"Almost?" Nobunaga didn't like that news.

"Ah, yes," Mitsunari cleared his throat, "It seems word has also gotten out that... The Oda clan princess was on the battlefield with you, and," he stuttered slightly, "Uh, that she did not emerge unscathed. That her condition was dire and while most are wishing her a well and swift recovery. And pardon my words, my Lord, I am merely reading the report- others are beginning to questioning our Lords capability to continue to protect them."

"My Lord," Hideyoshi spoke up, trying to utter his next words carefully, "With all due respect, I warned you it was unwise to bring her along."

Nobunaga opened his mouth to answer back before Mitsunari spoke up again, "There is, one other report, my Lord." All attention was brought back to the white and purple clad warlord, "There are reports from the village that participated in the revolt, that they have grown weary of the nearby woods."

Oh boy.

"Some of the ex-vassals are saying they witnessed a beast, in the forest during our battle." Brows rose all around the room, except for yours of course.

"A beast?" Nobunaga mocked, "Well I would think so, the woods are full of all sorts of wild animals. I wouldn't be suprised if a group of them had planned to flank us, only to come face to face with a bear, or a mountain lion-"

"Perhaps a tiger," Masamune chuckled.

"Yes, well," Mitsunari swallowed, "for the villagers sake, the scout asked for descriptions of this 'beast' incase it got too close to town and posed as a threat to their lives in the future."

"And?" Now Mitsuhide's interest had been peaked. He briefly glanced to you before looking back to Mitsunari.

"Only four men who were in the forest that night were able to give descriptions at all." Hidayoshi and Masamune both straightened at Mitsunari's words - the woods were where you had been found, and where you said you were chased.

"They described a serpent-like beast, long and scaled, that towered over the tree tops and walked on four legs. It had antlers like a deer and the face of a demon, could glide through the air. And it also... Breathed. Fire." At the end of Mitsunari's reading Masamune burst out laughing, an unpleased frown rested on Hideyoshi's face, Nobunaga held a smirk, Ieyasu shook his head in disbelief that people would spin such tails, you remained stoic, and Mitsuhide kept his sharp snake eyes on you.

"A dragon?" Masamune reiterated through struggled breathes from his laughing, "They think they saw a dragon?"

"If you don't mind my asking, Princess," you looked at Mitsuhide through the corner of your eye as he spoke, "How many men had chased you into the woods?" He must have heard what happened from Hideyoshi, Masamune, or Nobunaga.

"Four," you answer simply.

"Did you see anything, Milady?" He smiled like a cat who ate the canary.

"Other than the men who nearly killed me? No."

"Really?" He poked and prodded.

"Mitsuhide," Hideyoshi tried to reprimand the informant.

"Yes," you turned and looked at him, "I didn't see a damn thing- I was too busy getting shot, and bleeding out to see anything. Maybe a hallucination or two, but nothing of note. Besides are you really going to believe what these men think they saw when they couldn't even tell the difference between me and your Lord." You giggled at the expense of soldiers who couldn't be there to defend themselves, "Perhaps it was some old toppled tree they saw," you tried to reason with the snake.

"Yes they did leave you in a bad way," you rolled your eyes at him as he didn't seem to be stopping any time soon, "How are you feeling by the way? Ieyasu said your condition was critical when you arrived, yet here you are- up and about, walking, talking, awake."

"Yes, as Masamune said before in private, Ieyasu is the best at what he does," you weren't about to let him corner you, "I guess he's just a miracle worker."

"Mitsuhide what are you trying to prove?" Nobunaga was becoming a bit impatient.

"Even then, most soldiers that come back in the condition you did don't recover this fast if at all, even with Ieyasu as their healer," Mitsuhide glanced at the blond, "Just speaking from experience," before looking back to you.

"This is true," Ieyasu agreed.

"I guess I'm just a fast healer, perhaps my family is gifted," you shrugged, "And speaking of the other vassals," you decided it's best not to entertain Mitsuhide less you share too much information or let your emotions get the best of you. "I was wondering if Ieyasu would allow me to tend to my own wounds." You look to the blond in question with a polite smile on your face, "If I truly am healing at an exceptional rate, I feel it's only fair that you spend the time you are wasting on me, with those who actually need you."

His brows furrowed at your question, "What? Are you crazy?" Now he sounded frustrated with you, "You're sporting some serious injuries, what are you going to do about the wounds on your back?"

"I'll figure something out." To be honest, you thought 24 hours from now, the wounds would be superficial, then they would have another day to close and scar, and then finally all traces would be gone by the end of the day after that.

"Back to the matter at hand," Nobunaga was tired if this meeting getting terribly off track, "If we were able to line up the men of the village we defeated," he turned to look at you, "Would you be able to identify the four who attacked you?"

You turned your gaze away from Ieyasu to give Nobunaga your attention, "I mean, maybe, yeah-"

"Excellent."

"Wait no!" You waved your hands infront of him, "We should just leave them be!"

The others in the room turned to you, gobsmacked, "And let men who assaulted you get away?" Hideyoshi scoffed, "I pegged you as the type who would prefer to get payback for what they've done? You've come after us for far less."

"I know-" you needed to nip this in the bud as soon as you could. If they questioned these men they would say they never saw a woman in the woods, "but I have to live with you all, it's different. And besides, they've obviously been spooked," you looked to the others as if to reason with them, "So spooked that they're conjuring tales of beasts and demons- they aren't going around telling people they got the best if an Oda princess. Maybe we could use these stories to our advantage?" Maybe you should appeal to their more tactical side.

Silence.

"They already think Nobunaga is some type of Demon Diamyo, so why not play the part? Let the people think these rumors of a beast aren't just fiction." You stood before walking behind the Lord you were referring to and placed your hands on his shoulders, crouching behind him so your lips were leveled with his ear, "Imagine if you will."

"Your enemies thinking you actually have a dragon, of all things, at your command now," you swayed to his other ear, "They'd call you a king."

Nobunaga turned to look at you with a cocky smile, "And here I thought Mitsuhide was the only snake in the room."

You snickered shooting a sharp glance at the white-haired warlord, before standing up straight and heading for the council room doors to leave, "Besides, if you silence the men who have only expressed nothing but fear for their safety, what would your people say about you then?" You made sure to drive your point home, by slamming the doors shut behind you.

[livingthroughchoices-blog]

The Marshmallow Chronicles (Ch. 2.3: Return to Applewood)

Prev | Next

Author’s notes: So as I explained in this post, I’m very sorry for the long absence and understand if you’re not interested in this story anymore, so please let me know if you want me to untag you. Otherwise, I really hope you like this chapter despite the wait and thank you so so much, regardless of whether you still read this or not, for your support.

@starstruckzonkoperatorbat, @notoriouscs, @simplyaiden-blog, @snyggflicka, @asprankle, @speedyoperarascalparty, @mirivalencia, @mymandrake, @asobigokoro2018, @krisnicjack and @fabi-en-ciel 

Rating: T

Pairing: Drake x MC

Words: 8,057

As it turned out, Bastien, whose continued crankiness baffled Drake, had come close to leaving him behind, but had waited at Liam’s insistence. Drake mumbled his thanks to his friend, unable to look him in the eye, having just spent the evening pouring his heart out to Liam’s future fiancée.

This guilt is gonna kill me… if the image of Addams in her underwear and the sound of her moaning my name doesn’t do it first. His guilt was momentarily drowned by a powerful pang of desire.

He settled in for the long drive back to Applewood Manor, trying to suppress any thoughts of Addams being sexy; he could think of few things more awkward than getting a boner while sitting in a confined space with Bastien and Liam, of all people.

Unfortunately, he came to realize that not thinking about Addams was pretty much impossible, so he contented himself with directing his thoughts toward tamer grounds. He lost himself in the memory of dancing with her, of her wanting to stand around with him on his birthday, of her vulnerability when talking about her brother…

It was hard to pinpoint, but it was probably then that he started losing control of his thoughts and his brain decided to conjure images of things that had never happened, and would never happen. He and Riley were camping together, just the two of them; they were drinking at a bar, just the two of them; they were cooking together in a kitchen that seemed to be theirs. He bumped his head against the car window surreptitiously, as if trying to jolt the thoughts off his head.

The domesticity of the images perturbed him far more than any sexual fantasy would. Wanting Addams? Sure, he could deal with that. She was hot and he definitely wasn’t blind to that. But this craving of her company, not as a friend but as – he suppressed a shudder – a partner? That was way beyond the line.

“Drake?”

He was jerked away from his increasingly panicked reflections by Liam’s voice. He hoped his face wasn’t giving him away, although judging by the warmth spreading up from his neck to his face, he was hoping in vain. He rubbed his face roughly, trying to pass it off as sleepiness.

“Huh?”

“I asked if you would mind staying in the room next to Lady Riley’s again.”

“No!” Seeing Liam’s startled face, Drake made a second attempt at sounding more natural and less like a madman. “Er, I mean, I’d rather not because… uhh…”

“Ha, let me guess,” chimed in Bastien from the front seat, “you would rather stay next to Lady Kiara, eh?” He wiggled his eyebrows at Drake on the rearview mirror.

Drake opened his mouth to protest when he realized he was being given an out. He looked down at his hands, faking embarrassment. “Fine, yeah, that’s why.”

He thought he heard Bastien exhale sharply, but he couldn’t be sure as he was distracted by Liam elbowing him.

“So that is the reason! Well, you know me, I will not stand in the way of l’amour.”

Bastien snorted at this and despite his best efforts to keep a straight face, Liam cracked a smile at his own teasing. Then, sobering up, he added, “In all seriousness, though, I am happy for you Drake. I think you make a good couple.”

Excused from answering by his usual – and expected – grumpiness, Drake turned to the window, relieved and ashamed.

Once inside the Manor, he was pleased to verify that his room and Riley’s were on opposite sides of the spacious second floor. The pleasure, however, was short-lived as he almost immediately felt compelled to go look for her, to at least catch a glimpse of her before bed.

Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage for one day, you idiot?

Remembering Liam’s earnest good wishes for him stopped him in his tracks and sent him straight to bed.

He woke up unusually early the next morning, relishing a day spent outdoors, doing physical labor. Now this was his time to shine. All those pampered royals couldn’t hold a candle to him when it came to barn raising. Even Liam, who was in excellent shape, was used to different, more refined exercise.

The kitchen, which he had expected to be deserted as he went to grab a quick breakfast, was occupied by Bertrand and a tall, well-groomed man who looked vaguely familiar. Bertrand seemed as surprised as Drake was at bumping into each other.

“Oh, uh, hey, Bertrand,” he said, forgetting the man’s honorific in his distracted state.

Other than a slight flaring of his nostrils, the noble gave no sign of offended dignity, choosing rather to greet Drake in his stiff, formal manner. “Good day, Mr. Walker.”

Noticing Drake’s glance at the other man, he added, “Excuse me, where are my manners! This is Justin Barrington, Lady Riley’s new communications agent.”

“It’s so great to meet you Mr. Walker. I’ve heard a lot about you” Justin said, offering his hand.

“It’s Drake,” he replied, feeling a strong aversion at the man’s unctuous demeanor and his weak handshake.

He turned to Bertrand. “Well, I should get going.” He grabbed the first things within reach in the pantry, which turned out to be an apple and a granola bar and stepped out with a brisk walk.

He ate his meager breakfast on the way to the construction site, planning to go back for a real meal once everyone else showed up to help. His mind was blissfully empty while he walked, enjoying the early morning breeze and the first, barely-there rays of sun on his skin. He figured he’d have at least a half hour or more to himself, which suited him fine. In fact, he knew he’d likely get more done in that time than most people would during the whole day. And without Riley around to distract him, he half believed he could raise a barn all on his own in record time.

For the second time that day, though, he was startled to find someone already there, only this time he broke into a smile as soon as he spotted who it was. Drake joined her sitting down, the long grass tickling his arms and his back resting against a damp rock.

“Well, well, well, fancy seeing you here. Don’t tell me you won some sort of barn raising award back home!” He was only half joking, but Hana giggled and shook her head.

“I don’t think there is such a thing, and even if there was, I am sure I would be no good at it.”

“That’s a first. So what are you doing here so early?”

“Nothing, really.”

Drake cocked his head, waiting for her to say more.

“I believe I…” Hana paused, searching for the words, “well, I only meant to go for a walk, but then I realized I could do whatever I wanted and I decided to extend my walk so I wouldn’t have to be escorted here later… That must have sounded like nonsense.”

“No, actually, I understand. We rarely get these moments of freedom, don’t we? If I feel cooped up in the palace sometimes, I can’t imagine what you go through as one of the suitors!”

Hana was smiling now, relieved he sympathized. “Oh, no! I usually feel quite at ease here; I was so much more guarded at home. I am mostly left to my own devices, except during events such as today’s. But still, I needed a respite.”

“I know what you mean.”

They sat, as they often did, in comfortable silence, until Drake felt Hana’s eyes on him.

“What is it?”

“Oh!” She blushed at having been caught. “It’s nothing, that is, only if you wish– I don’t mean to intrude, I–”

“Hana!” He cut her off. “It’s okay, I think I know what this is about… You want to know if I talked to Addams, right?”

Hana blushed even harder and nodded, hurriedly adding, “But only if you want to tell me, of course.”

Drake sighed. “I actually do. For whatever reason, I feel better when I talk to you.” He ignored Hana’s knowing smile.

“So I told her.”

Hana gasped and clutched his arm, waiting with bated breath for him to continue. It took Drake some time, as he grappled with how much to say and what to keep to himself. On the one hand, he wanted to be honest with Hana, who had become one of his closest friends. This never ceased to surprise him. On the other, like a superstitious kid wishing on his birthday candles, he felt like saying anything about Addams’s feelings out loud might jinx his already precarious chances.

“Well, uh, she definitely cares for me, but I doubt it goes beyond friendship.”

Hana uttered a small “oh”; he suspected that, just like him when the situations were reversed, she was probably torn between sympathy for her friend and relief that Riley remained unattached, at least in theory.

Her grip on his arm became a soothing back and forth motion as she said, “There is hope then, especially if she did not specifically call you her best friend like…”

She trailed off, her voice thick. Drake jumped to his feet and pulled on her arms, practically forcing her to her feet.

“Right, enough moping. What do you say I teach you something for a change?”

Hana sniffled and smiled with a resolute nod.

They spent the next half hour speaking only of beams, pulleys and nails, simply enjoying each other’s company and the satisfaction of building something from scratch. The sun had come out in full and was beating down on them. Realizing his shirt might be soaked through by the time the press, and more importantly Addams, got there, Drake took it off. Hana moaned with envy, fanning herself and pulling her damp dress away from her sticky body.

Some nobles had begun to arrive and, like Drake, most of them took their shirts off right away, the difference being their goal was most likely to protect the expensive fabric, whereas Drake’s was to avoid dying from a heat stroke. His theory was proven when he noticed a handful of them using a nearby tree as a clothesline, hanging their shirts neatly off a branch.

He handed her one end of a rope to pull. She held it loosely, waiting for him to grab the other end, when they heard voices approaching. Their eyes met, their shared excitement so obvious that it made both of them laugh nervously. Still making eye contact, they seemed to come to the same conclusion simultaneously: it would look impressive if they pulled this beam into place just as Riley arrived.

Drake mouthed a countdown, then said, “Pull!”

They grunted with the effort, such a guttural noise sounding hilariously out of place coming from Hana’s prim lips.

A chant came around the corner: “Pull! Pull! Pull!”

Even if he hadn’t recognized the voice, Drake would have known it was Maxwell purely because of the man’s obsession with chanting.

“Hey, guys,” came Riley’s voice immediately after Maxwell’s.

Hana whirled around at the sound of her voice, which normally would have made Drake laugh, had her grip on the rope not slackened, leaving him pulling with all his might.

“Maxwell? Riley?”

In her eagerness to hug them hello, Hana dropped the rope entirely, bringing the beam crashing to the floor. Drake flinched and glared at her.

She had the grace to look chastised and grimaced apologetically. “Oops! Sorry, Drake! I was just excited to see our friends.”

Drake rolled his eyes but let her off the hook, “I don’t think we were going to get it all the way up there anyway.”

His eyes, as they so often were nowadays, were drawn to Riley. She was, for once, wearing comfortable, sensible clothes and she looked all the better for it, in Drake’s opinion. Sure, he liked how she looked in her elegant gowns, but there was something about the tight denim shorts and soft cotton shirt she was wearing that left his mouth dry.

Having almost involuntarily given her body a once-over – I probably look like such a creep – his eyes made their way back up to her face. His brows furrowed as he noticed her eyes looked glazed and her mouth was slightly open.

“Drake... You’re not wearing a shirt.”

Oh. Oooh.

Lifting beams had taken less of an effort than the one he exerted now to keep himself from smirking; he was only partially successful. He genuinely had forgotten about that. Because of Hana’s (understandable) non-reaction, he hadn’t even thought to use his muscular chest to his advantage. Nobody would ever accuse Drake of being vain. He wouldn’t even say he had healthy self-esteem.

But damn if I don’t look good without a shirt on.

He played it down with a quick, “Oh. Right.”

Hana narrowed her eyes, perhaps considering this might have been his plan all along. “He started off with a shirt...”

“Hey, it’s hot out! A guy’s got to cool off somehow.” Not used to this much attention, he cast about for a distraction. “Maxwell, you’re going to be sweating buckets in that black shirt.”

“There’s a spot over there where many of the nobles are hanging their dress shirts. Or, alternatively, I think Drake chose a spot on the ground for his.” Hana nodded toward Drake’s crumpled denim shirt.

“Nah, I’ll leave my shirt on. This button down’s made of moisture-wicking fabric. Very breathable,” Maxwell replied, even while beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

Drake frowned at him but Maxwell refused to meet his eye.

“Drake, you sure you’re not trying to show off for the press?” Riley teased.

As if.

“I’m happiest out of frame.”

Maxwell clapped his hands together. “Well, Riley should be giving the press something to shoot. Come on! Let’s lift things and build barns.”

Hana giggled. “I think that’s missing a few steps.”

“Details, details,” dismissed Maxwell, holding the nearest rope.

Drake pointed out which ropes to grab to Hana and Riley, then took his own.

“Everyone ready?”

Riley gave a small pull to her rope to punctuate her, “Ready.”

“We’re supposed to hold it like this, right?” Hana asked.

Drake gave her an encouraging smile. “Yeah, you got it. Now on three, pull together. One... Two... Three...”

“Heave!” Maxwell said, using his whole body to pull on his rope.

“Rah!” Riley grunted.

A bit unevenly, first rising on his side and Maxwell’s and more hesitantly on Riley’s and Hana’s, the beam was hoisted up to its place.

“Yes!” Riley fist pumped.

That’ll make for quite a photo op.

It was a small victory. Compared to everything that still needed doing, it was practically nothing. Yet seeing Riley’s joy at having done something she’d never done, and doing it together, was enough to make him hive five her as if they’d finished the barn.

“We did it!” Hana squealed.

Riley smacked her fist with her palm, and with her best action hero voice said, “We showed that beam!”

“That was mostly me, but the help was appreciated,” said Maxwell, who was now sweating profusely.

He leaned on Drake’s shoulder. It was only too tempting for him to step back and watch his friend stumble. “Yeah, sure it was.”

Laughing his near fall off, Maxwell looked at the press, who had moved on to photograph other suitors. “Riley, I’ll look for something that’ll put you on the front page!”

Hana looked over where the press was, spotting Penelope making planks with other nobles. “Making planks for the walls looks like fun. You could help me with that.” The last part was directed at Riley, and there was a hopeful glint in Hana’s eyes.

“You’re welcome to stay here.” Drake shrugged like it was all the same to him.

Riley, however, barely thought about it. “I’ll stay here with Drake.”

As much as Drake wished she had pretended to think a bit more about it to spare Hana’s feelings, there was no denying the rush it gave him to hear those words, even if just in the context of barn raising.

If only she would keep choosing me.

Ha! Don’t hold your breath. It’s just ‘cause Liam’s not around.

“Suit yourself.” Maxwell went off to schmooze members of the press.

“Have fun!” To Hana’s credit, it sounded almost sincere, but her back had a strange rigidity to it as she walked over to Penelope.

More to break the silence than anything else, Drake said, “Well, looks like you’ve chosen to stick with me, Addams.”

It was phrased like a regular sentence, with no particular inflection, but there was a question in it which Riley seemed to sense. “I stand by my decision.”

How does she always know the right thing to say?

She gave him a disarming smile that Drake couldn’t help but return, but all he could reply was, “Heh, alright.”

“So,” said Riley, moving closer with the smoothness of a predator stalking its prey, “what does big strong Drake need my help with?”

The way she said the words big and strong went straight to Drake’s crotch and he swallowed, trying to keep himself under control by thinking of Bertrand.

“Beam lifting, of course. But I’m bringing in some help.”

He was already retreating as he explained, desperate for other company to break the tension; even animal company would have to do.

Outside the partial barn, a couple of horses were tied to a post. He selected the one that looked stronger and walked back to Riley, somewhat soothed by the horse’s presence.

It snorted when it reached Riley, who let it smell her hand before patting its velvety muzzle.

“I figured some real horsepower would make everything go a lot quicker. But this’ll also make an even better picture for the press.”

Riley glanced at him from around the horse, grinning. “Aww, thanks, Drake. You do care.”

“I never said I didn’t.”

It was Riley’s turn to look uncomfortable at his candor. She cleared her throat and, without meeting his eyes, asked, “What do I need to do?”

“I want you to guide the horse forward, while I direct the beam.”

“Got it.”

Drake handed Riley the reins, allowing her small, always-warm hand to linger on his. After yesterday’s conversation he was finding it more and more difficult to keep his distance, to be careful, even.

Yeah, well, you better get used to it again. You can’t be holding hands in public events, what the fuck are you thinking?!

He abruptly took his hand from under hers and moved to hold the beam, trying his best to ignore Riley’s hurt eyes.

“Okay! Pull!”

With an encouraging, “Easy, girl. Right this way,” Riley skillfully directed the horse in the opposite direction, lifting the beam. As it reached the right height, Drake steered it to the correct angle so that it fell smoothly in place.

He walked back to Riley and the horse, sweat glistening on his chest. Riley glanced at him and swallowed thickly. He somehow ended up standing closer to her than he’d planned.

He wiped his brow and said, “Whew, that wasn’t so bad. Good work, Riley.”

She shrugged. “Thanks, but the horse did most of the work.”

“Well, thanks, horse.”

The animal whinnied gratefully at their petting. They looked up from the horse and their eyes met in a moment of mutual understanding. Without being outwardly romantic, it was probably one of the times that Drake felt closest to her, and he was once again struck by the unfairness of the whole situation, by the fact that, had they met under different circumstances, they would want similar things out of life and therefore make a good team.

Riley seemed to be thinking along the same lines, if her suddenly watery eyes were anything to go by. She opened her mouth to say something, which Drake dreaded and anticipated at the same time, when they heard uncertain, tottering steps coming towards them, accompanied by heavy panting.

Lady Kiara came into view, looking much less composed than usual, her shiny black hair escaping in sweaty tendrils from its half updo and her face red and shiny with exertion. She punctuated each excruciating step with strained words, “Just... a few more... steps... till I can drop this... stupid plank…”

Presumably thanks to her choice of footwear (platform shoes), she took a false step and stumbled. Trying to regain her balance, she overcompensated and twisted her ankle. She barely had time to scream, “Mon dieu!” before she was on the floor, the beam on top of her.

“Kiara!” Riley was the first to run towards her, yet she then hovered uncertainly, knowing she would not be able to lift the beam alone.

Drake muttered a quick, “Oh, jeez,” and ran to help.

He tossed the beam aside like it weighed no more than a pillow and reached a hand down to help Kiara up, concern etched on his face. She made no move to take his hand, but she did not look hurt; on the contrary, she seemed delighted, if a little shocked.

Blushing a bit, she said, “Oh, merci beaucoup.”

“You okay?” asked Riley, still worried.

Kiara seemed to have forgotten her presence altogether, ogling Drake. Her insolent scrutiny went all the way from his feet to his face, making some uncomfortably long stops along the way. “I am now.”

Huh, so this must be what girls feel like aaall the time. Can’t say I hate it, but I’m sure it gets annoying.

He thought of something normal to say, “You shouldn’t carry this all by yourself.”

Still blushing, Kiara fidgeted with her messy hair, replying, “I... uh, you know how it is. Penelope said she was taking a five minute break thirty minutes ago,” she nodded toward her friend, who was absorbed in a game of fetch with her poodles outside, “and I didn’t want to wait around.”

Drake shook his head, putting a hand lightly on her shoulder, “If you’re going to carry a beam, even a small one, at least find someone like me to help you.”

“Right, I’ll find someone... like you,” she said breathily.

He offered his hand again and this time she took it. Giving him one more lustful look, she said, “Thank you for looking out for me, Drake,” and left them to an awkward silence.

“Do you think you have an admirer?” Riley’s voice sounded much too cheerful, her smile forced.

“I hope not,” he replied honestly.

Kiara chose that exact moment to look back at him over her shoulder, a move that had to be purposefully seductive.

“I think she might be checking you out.”

Trying to get back to their easy teasing, Drake said, “That’s not funny.”

“I’m not laughing!”

It was true. When he glanced at her, he saw the same stiff smile on her face. She was very obviously making the same effort as he was at their usual banter, but somehow it came out forced and weird.

“I don’t want to think about this. Let’s just finish this barn. That’s simple. Just move and build.”

Her smile faded completely. “Right.”

They worked in silence, but it wasn’t the usual comfortable silence of their moments in between.

I hate this. We haven’t been this awkward together since we first met.

You know why that is, don’t you?

I’m not sure.

Don’t play dumb. She’s jealous. You can use this to your advantage.

No! You saw how hurt she was! I don’t want her to feel like she has to fight for my attention!

Why not? You have to fight for her attention all the time. It’s always Liam this, Liam that. Even that night at the Beaumont Bash, she couldn’t wait to go on her date with Liam. Face it, this is the only way she’ll appreciate you.

He rolled his shoulders and mentally shook himself. This was not the time to debate himself – he was way past the point of wondering whether it was right to debate yourself at all. He resolved to focus on the work instead and tried to keep his mind off the awkwardness.

At some point – it could have been 15 minutes or 3 hours – Maxwell came to get Riley, jabbering on about photo-ops and PR. Riley shot him an apologetic grimace that he only half believed; if she’d been feeling anywhere near as weird as he was then she probably felt the tiny bit of relief he did.

Left alone, Drake worked with machine-like efficiency, pausing only to wipe the sweat off his brow when it threatened to sting his eyes. A maid came around offering lemonade and sandwiches, which he gratefully accepted, having forgotten to go back to the manor for a proper breakfast earlier. As he ate his sandwiches – they couldn’t have expected him to take just one – he noted the other nobles gave him a wide berth as usual, and his friends were all busy, which suited him fine. He preferred to be alone with his thoughts for the moment.

Ugh, are Addams and I gonna have to talk about that?

Talk about what?

Jealousy, I guess. What it means for us–

Us? Listen to yourself, there is no us, you moron!

Fine, whatever. If I even want that to be a possibility, I gotta get to the bottom of this shitshow. Who would stand to gain something by ruining Addams’s chances?

The obvious answer was Madeleine, but he wouldn’t allow himself to be blind to other potential culprits. He interrupted his mental list – which ended up including pretty much everyone, rendering it useless – when he saw Bastien walk by.

“Hey, Bastien!” he called after him.

The man doubled back and nodded for a greeting.

“I was thinking about the pictures. The ones from Liam’s bachelor party.”

“What about them?”

“I don’t know, I can’t help feeling that finding out who took them would lead us to the person behind the other pictures.”

Bastien’s lips tightened the way they always did when he disapproved. “That seems like a leap, Drake.”

“How is it a leap?! Two sets of secret pictures taken in such a short period of time? Both of them involving Liam and Riley? How could they not be related?!”

The older man raised his hands, trying to pacify Drake. “I did not mean to say they cannot be related, merely that we shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”

“Fine. You’re still looking into it, though.”

Clicking his tongue irritably, Bastien answered, “Yes, you asked me this recently, of course I am.”

He turned abruptly and stalked off.

Drake could not help but note that Bastien had been acting more and more prickly lately, and while it wasn’t completely out of character for him to snap at Drake, the frequency was out of control. He carefully sifted through his woundedness to get at the heart of what was bothering him about his mentor’s attitude. Bastien seemed overly cautious in this investigation, and it rubbed Drake the wrong way.

Still puzzling over it, Drake kept carrying and placing beams until it hit him: surely Bastien was acting cautious because it was extremely likely that a noble was behind everything. You had to be careful in court not to step on anyone’s toes, or if you were going to do it, you had to at least be certain they were the right toes.

Bastien probably suspected one of the more powerful nobles, and so he couldn’t risk being brash. This left him with a somewhat smaller pool of suspects, which he decided to share with Riley when they had another chance of being alone.

Having finished his area, Drake went out to look at other groups’ progress. Although unpainted, the impressive wooden structure of the barn was finished; it was hard to believe it had been erected in just a few hours.

As he walked up to his friends, Riley voiced Drake’s thoughts, “We did it! And it looks great.”

He elbowed her playfully, “Not bad for a bunch of nobles...”

“That was exhausting,” said Hana, looking composed as usual, “but I’m glad we did it.”

Maxwell, on the other hand, collapsed where he stood, panting, “No more. Can’t... saw... another... plank of wood.”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Maxwell.” Drake seized his hand and tried to pull him to his feet. He wouldn’t budge. “If this was a dance set, you’d still be going.”

“Like a heart, I need a beat to keep going, but all I hear is the angel’s choir. Remember me fondly.” He managed to extricate his hand from Drake’s and let it fall to the ground, his head lolling to one side and his tongue out to indicate his death.

Riley giggled and even Drake allowed a grudging smile, but Hana’s brows knitted together.

“Should we...” she hesitated, leaning halfway down towards Maxwell.

“He’ll be fine,” said Drake.

Just then, Liam sauntered towards them, wiping his face with a towel, which he then handed to one of the surreptitious assistants that shadowed him almost constantly. As per usual, he sported a dazzling smile, which Drake noticed Riley was quick to return.

“Hello, my lords and ladies.”

Drake clapped him on the back. “You managed to escape after all.”

Liam gave an exaggerated sigh. “Until tomorrow at least. It’s been a long day.”

“No kidding. I could really use a bath.”

Drake made an automatic – and ultimately futile – effort to stop himself from picturing Riley in a bath. He could practically see her wet skin glistening, slippery with soap, and her breasts just poking up through the surface of the water. He swallowed, his mouth suddenly watering.

Maxwell chose that very opportune moment to stir and finally shot up to his feet. “Oh, I know of a spa nearby where we could unwind.”

Drake raised an eyebrow. “What happened to being on death’s doorstep?”

Maxwell grinned. “I caught my second wind.”

“I’d love a relaxing spa trip,” said Hana.

“That’d be a nice end to the day,” agreed Liam, offering Riley his arm. She took it with a gracious smile, but Drake caught her glancing at him.

“Let’s go!” Maxwell gestured for them to follow him as he half skipped to the limo.

They piled into it. As Maxwell informed their driver of their destination, Liam popped a bottle of champagne, pouring some for all of them. Once they all had a drink, Liam toasted, “To a job well done and to a rest well earned.”

“Hear, hear!” said Hana, clinking her glass with Liam’s.

Drake clinked his with Riley’s first, making pronounced eye contact which he hoped conveyed his thoughts. Let’s leave today’s weirdness behind. Let’s just be us.

It seemed to work better than he expected, because she gave him a sweet smile and he thought she may have even nodded discreetly, too.

They spent the rest of the ride talking and laughing easily, as close as they came to a normal group of friends. They left the limo as they came up to a squat building made mostly of marble, with wooden accents here and there. Warm yellow light flooded out from the enormous windows, the open wood shutters shadowed the concrete floor outside with long stripes that dissipated towards the end. A pool sparkled in the setting sun, strongly inviting in the lingering heat.

Maxwell whooped as he sprinted to the reception. Liam hurried to catch up with him, possibly worried the receptionist might suffocate under so much enthusiasm. Hana brought up the rear, smiling into the breeze and leaning down to touch the water, which left Riley and Drake alone in the middle of the group.

“So–”

“So–”

They laughed, insisting that the other go first, until they both fell silent. Drake was just agonizing over what to say, wondering if their relationship would ever stop being awkward now, when he felt Riley’s hand bump into his. She seemed to hesitate at first, then firmly intertwined her fingers with his. He looked down at their hands, more touched by this than he could’ve imagined. It was a leap of faith; he could practically see it on her face, We’ll be okay, right? He squeezed her hand, Of course we will.

He let her hand fall, but could still feel a glow between them as they walked the rest of the way. They were back to good silence.

They caught up to Liam and Maxwell, with Hana joining them a few seconds later. The deferential receptionist handed them all fluffy white robes and directed them to the men’s and women’s spa rooms. Drake and Liam immediately stripped down to their underwear, Drake seizing the opportunity to whip his towel at Liam’s back, hopping away before his friend could get him back.

“You’ll pay for that one, Drake!” Liam laughed.

Drake, however, had become distracted by Maxwell’s continued absence. He’d gone behind a bamboo screen to change, which was already weird in itself as he and Liam weren’t nearly that modest, but stranger still was how long he was taking.

Come to think of it, he’s been extra modest lately.

He didn’t remember Maxwell being that way before. In fact, once he thought about it, he came to the conclusion that he had first noticed it during Liam’s unconventional bachelor party at the beach cove.

He nodded his head towards the screen and Liam shrugged, seeming just as confused as he felt.

“Maxwell?” Liam took a few tentative steps forward. “Is everything okay?”

“Er… yes. I don’t suppose there’s any chance you two would close your eyes for this whole thing?”

Drake chuckled. “What? Dude, what are you talking about? Come out.”

They heard a heavy sigh on the other side, and whispers that sounded like Maxwell hyping himself up. “Okay, promise you won’t laugh.”

Liam said, “Of course,” at the same time as Drake replied, “Not a chance,” and Maxwell stepped out.

Whatever Drake had been expecting, it wasn’t this. Maxwell had a decent-sized tattoo of a baby hippo, of all things, on the right side of this chest. He felt his mouth drop open, too shocked to actually laugh.

To his surprise, it was Liam who let out an involuntary snort that turned into a genuine belly laugh before he could suppress it. He clapped a hand to his mouth, ashamed, and apologized profusely to Maxwell, but it was clear he was working hard to keep the laughter at bay.

Drake on the other hand, had managed to get ahold of himself enough to close his mouth, which was now spreading in a fascinated smile. He trying to choose from a variety of teasing comments to make when Maxwell ran back behind the screen.

Drake changed his tune, “Aw, come on, Maxwell, it’s not that bad!”

“Yeah, right, I could see it in your face you were about to say something.”

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely gonna tease you, but you’ll be fine.”

Liam gave him a look that made it clear he should stop speaking and let him coax Maxwell out, when the door burst open and Riley and Hana came in, giggling.

“Surprise!” squealed Hana.

“Hey, guys!”

“Oh!” Liam automatically grabbed his towel when he turned to look at them, as if fearful it would fall off. “Riley, Hana! Should we... er... cover up more?”

Riley rolled her eyes at the suggestion, which made Drake snicker. “I think the ladies will be fine.”

To everyone’s surprise, it was Hana who said, “Yes, I’ve seen a man in a towel before.”

Drake had been on the point of asking whom and why, when Riley looked around and asked, “Wait a second... where’s Maxwell?”

With a gloating smile, Drake gestured to the screen. “Hiding. And that was before you all burst in. Come on out, Maxwell.”

Liam’s voice was trembling with contained laughter. “Yes. You can’t hide forever.”

Maxwell shuffled out of the screen, his timid steps undercutting his defiant words. “Go ahead and laugh if you want.” In a smaller voice, he added, “Just don’t tell Bertrand you saw it.”

“Is that a baby hippo?” Hana asked, delighted.

Riley, like Drake, seemed to be speechless for a few seconds. Her hands were covering her mouth and she was wearing an expression much like a kid’s on Christmas morning. She slowly lowered her hands to say, in hushed tones, “Wow... Maxwell, that tattoo is the best thing I’ve ever seen.”

Maxwell’s face was split by a huge grin. “Really? You like it?”

“Love. I love it,” she said fervently.

Maxwell blushed. “Aw... heh, now I wish I’d shown it to you sooner!”

“Would I be correct in guessing that there’s a story of some sort behind this?” asked Hana.

“Kinda…” Maxwell shook his head as if to get rid of the flush creeping up to his cheeks, then cleared his throat and started, When I was a kid, my mom would call me her little hippo.”

Drake and Liam, who had been holding in their laughter this whole time finally broke. Riley smiled even wider than before and said, “I didn’t think it was possible for this moment to get better, but here we are.”

Hana glared at all of them in turn, which made them all moderate their amusement; it was clear this was important to Maxwell.

“I was kind of chubby when I was younger, before I got into dancing. My dad was really hard on me about it, but my mom never made me feel bad.” Maxwell’s smile turned dreamy and he suddenly seemed far away.

“She was really smart and funny. She said I was just like a hippo... fun-loving, but tough, and always able to make her smile. And she made them sound really cool and amazing.” Maxwell’s voice got quieter and slower, his previous enthusiasm fading. “Anyway, when she passed away, I wanted to do something to commemorate her. I told Bertrand I was going to get something done... I guess he thought I meant like, have some artwork commissioned... So he was pretty surprised when he saw this.”

A smile slipped out at the end and it was such a Maxwell smile, sheepish but unapologetic, that Drake felt a rush of affection for his impulsive friend.

“I can imagine...” muttered Riley.

“I suppose it doesn’t particularly fit with the image of House Beaumont that Bertrand’s striving to maintain...” agreed Hana.

“Yeah, this was more or less his second to worst nightmare. Or so he keeps telling me, anyway... So he said that if we’re ever around the nobility or servants, I had to keep it covered up. But... I can trust you, right?”

He asked this so earnestly that Drake put his arm around his shoulders, while Liam nodded solemnly.

“Of course! On my honor,” Hana said, crossing her heart.

Riley winked and said, “Maxwell, I’ll only tease you when Bertrand isn’t around.”

Maxwell chuckled. “That’s all I ask.”

Sensing that Maxwell could use a change in subject, Drake said, “As fun as discussing Maxwell’s hippo tattoo has been, I’m going to take a dip in the cold plunge... Anyone want to join?”

Liam shuddered. “No thanks. After today, I’m relaxing in the tub...”

They parted ways, leaving Hana and Maxwell talking in the same spot and Riley… Drake had deliberately avoided looking at her as he walked towards the pool, not wanting to get his hopes up or influence her decision in any way.

He discarded his towel and stood at the edge of the pool in his blue boxer briefs. He was taking air in through his mouth, trying to convince his body that cold was an illusion, when a voice coming from somewhere below his left shoulder said, “Trying to summon your courage?”

Without looking back at her, he replied, “This is supposed to be good for you.”

“Oh?” Riley stepped up next to him at this, looking curiously up at him.

“Yeah. Like most things in life, the best thing is sometimes the most painful.” He held her eyes, which revealed her agreement. “Want to do it with me?”

“The cold plunge? I’m in!”

She unwound her towel. She was wearing a simpler bra than she had last time he had seen her in her underwear. Not that that made anything easier. It was a basic black bra and matching panties and he was making a huge effort not to let his mind linger on the contrast between them and her soft, pale skin.

“Really?” He had half expected her to say no – the water really was freezing – but upon reflection he realized what a foolish thought that had been; when had she ever backed down from anything?

“Can’t let you do it alone.”

“That’s the spirit.”

This time he took her hand which judging by Riley’s smile, filled her with joy.

“Here goes...” She swung their hands together, giddy with the anticipation of the coldness.

Drake started a countdown, trusting she wouldn’t abandon him at the last moment. “One... two...”

“Three!”

They bent their knees and jumped at the same time, their joined hands awkward in midair due to the height difference. Drake’s entire body seemed to rebel against the cold, coming alive in a way that made its normal state seem dull and pitiful. He broke the surface with a huge gasp, his lungs feeling like they were struggling to fulfill their regular functions.

Riley came up next to him, just as shaken and out of breath as he was. “That was...”

He tried to get his breathing under control. “Intense?”

She breathed out a laugh, her chest still moving up and down. “That’s one word for it.”

He took a slow step closer to her and raised his hands to her waist, barely touching her. “Having trouble keeping up with me, Addams?”

She jutted her chin out. “Me? Never.” She came closer still, letting her hands rest just as lightly on his chest.

He laughed softly, his breathing erratic for reasons that had more to do with being able to count the drops hanging from Riley’s long lashes and less with the water’s temperature.

“You know,” he murmured before he could think better of it, “you owe me something.”

“Oh, do I?” She, too, was breathing unnaturally, he noticed.

“We had a bet to see who could get Maxwell to take off his shirt, remember?”

She opened her mouth in outrage. “That’s bullshit! You didn’t do anything!”

“You don’t know that.”

She narrowed her eyes and abruptly leaned the rest of the distance – tiny as it was – towards him. He had a moment of panicked excitement thinking she was going to kiss him, and so was disconcerted for a moment when he felt her lips near his ear.

“Fine. I owe you whatever you want.”

If the sultry whisper hadn’t been enough to make Drake want to take her somewhere – anywhere – they could be alone, the soft kiss she laid on his earlobe sure was. His hand involuntarily flew to her hair and she inhaled so sharply it was almost a gasp. This brought him somewhat back from the brink, reminding him of where and with whom they were.

He couldn’t resist the temptation of getting the last word in, though. Leaning in as close as she had, he whispered huskily, “I’ll hold you to that.”

He let go of her before she could recover – and he saw with some satisfaction that she did need a second to gather herself – and heaved himself out of the pool, offering his hand to her with a smirk.

She thanked him for pulling her out, still whispering, her eyes wider than usual. Then her face hardened with resolve. She quickly looked around and the next thing he knew, her lips were on his. She cut off the kiss, looking up at his reaction.

All he could say was, “Whoa!” and it was all he needed; I’m sure as hell not gonna waste my time talking right now.

He glanced back to make sure everyone was still engrossed in their activities, then pulled her back to him, responding with the kind of eagerness she had hoped for. She opened her mouth sooner than she had any other time, allowing his tongue to explore and then joining him with her own. Emboldened by their conversation in the pool and wanting to erase the first half of the day, he bit her lip gently, which made her moan in response. Ironically, it was knowing how turned on he was that made him stop.

They both panted the way they had in pool as they smiled goofily at each other.

“You’re full of surprises,” he said, not willing to let go of her hand just yet.

“Good ones, I hope?”

“You know, you can surprise me like that any day…”

I wish you could surprise me like that every day...

He grimaced and finally let her go. “But right now, we should probably...”

She scrunched up her nose and pouted. “Be sensible and discreet?”

“Unfortunately.” He caressed her cheek lightly with the back of his hand. “And believe me when I say that it’s very unfortunate.”

She sighed. “I guess we should check out the rest of the spa.”

They headed back to the hot tub, where Maxwell and Hana had joined Liam.

“I can’t believe you guys were in there this whole time! It’s freezing!” said Maxwell.

Liam had a troubled look on his face, but said nothing.

Could he have seen us?

Uh, duh. This place isn’t that big! That was a stupid fucking risk to take.

But I made sure he wasn’t looking…

He wasn’t sure what to make of it, but from Riley’s sudden stiffness next to him, he sensed she had noticed, too.

Before he could analyze Liam’s expression properly, Maxwell grew tired of the hot tub. He stepped out of it, steam rising from his shoulders and walked over to the pool.

“Hey, everyone! Watch this!”

He dragged a chair to the edge of the pool and got up on it, his back to the pool and his knees bent. Drake thought he knew where this was heading and felt a twinge of concern.

Thankfully, Hana voiced it before he had to, “Is that safe?”

“Almost certainly not,” Maxwell answered before doing a backflip into the pool. He had to admit it was pretty impressive.

“I’m next!” Riley piped up.

“Step right up, step right up...” Maxwell shouted from the pool, sounding like a carnival ringmaster.

Once again, Hana said exactly what Drake was thinking, “Be careful...”

Drake’s heart felt like it was in his throat, watching Riley get on that chair.

With her signature confidence, she said, “I’ve got this!”

Her backflip, while evidently less practiced than Maxwell’s, was still well-executed and more importantly, ended with her safely in the pool.

This time Drake didn’t hesitate to compliment the move. “Okay, that was impressive.”

Liam clapped for her. “Very well done, Lady Riley.”

“Looks like I’ve finally met my match,” said Maxwell, putting an arm around her.

A clock installed over the door went off and Liam said, “It looks like our time here is at an end...”

“This has been so fun...” said Hana while helping Riley out from the pool and enveloping her in a towel. She squeezed Riley a little and continued, “I’m so glad we did this!”

“Yeah. This wasn’t so bad, as far as our capers go.” Drake glanced at Riley as he said this and noticed the smile playing on the corners of her lips; it had been way better than “not so bad” for them.

Liam clapped his back. “Highest of praise from Drake.”

Riley let her smile come out in full and looked around at the other four. “I’m glad we got to do this, too.”

Drake spent the ride back in silence, more determined than ever to find whoever was responsible for this conspiracy against his best friend and the girl he was crazy about. He had a bet to cash in on, after all.

[cielizzydefencesquad]

this ship thing is beautiful omg. could i ask for sebastian/bard? it's somehow become a favorite of mine lmao

Sebastian x Bard? Why not lmao (also consulted the official Kuroshitsuji wiki page and apparently Bard’s full name is spelled Baldroy not Bardroy. Who knew) 

Who is more likely to catch a cold? Bard—but he’s prone to self medicating with “good Tennessee whiskey.” Sebastian’s response?

“You’re completely congested and burning up,” Sebastian chided firmly, leaving no room for argument. “I’ve prepared beef consommé so your throat won’t be irritated—at least until you’re well again.” He smirked.

Bard, all but tied to the bed, glared.

Who hogs the blankets? Neither—Bard likes to sleep in the nude and Sebastian does not mind. At all.

Who kills all the flowers? Bard. With a flamethrower.

The sharp canines of Sebastian’s teeth glinted under the pale January sun. “What,” he grit his teeth, vein in his head throbbing, “do you think you’re doing?”

“Fixing the garden.” Bard replied easily, tossing his goggles off his head.

“You’ve ruined the winter camellias.”

Bard’s answer is quite simple. Almost insultingly so—

“Have I?” He glanced down at the charred remains of the blush pink blossoms. “Guess I did.”

“Did you do this on purpose?” Sebastian tried to keep his voice even, tried to keep his hand from morphing into a claw sharp enough to slash through Baldroy’s ridiculous flame contraption—

He might care for the blue-eyed pyromanic but that didn’t mean Bard couldn’t frustrate Sebastian to the pits of hell and beyond.

He took a deep breath. If this was an accident, Sebastian reasoned (though he seriously doubted it), he could forgive Baldroy’s lapse of judgement.

His very severe lack of judgement.

“Well?” Sebastian prompted, blinking needlessly to keep his crimson irises at bay.

Bard grinned. “Nope.”

“…Then why in the name of all that is—“

“Er—call it an experiment gone awry?” He shrugged. “Am I going to get punished, boss?”

“More than you might think.” Sebastian’s smile turned feral. “And as I don’t trust you to clean this up yourself…”

In a blur of ivory and onyx, Sebastian’s white-gloved hand was cupping Baldroy’s jaw in a grip that threatened to shatter. “I’ll tidy this mess up. You can head to the edge of the maple woods. Strip. Tie yourself to the center pole and don’t move until I tell you to.”

Who eats all the candy before Halloween? Neither. Bard prefers cigarettes and Sebastian hates sweets. (Hence why he enjoys the smoky, slightly bitter taste of Bard’s kisses, stained with American cigarettes and amber whiskey.)

Who takes the longest showers? Neither. Bard was in the military before his Phantomhive gig and never got out of the habit of taking quick five minute showers. Of course that gives Sebastian ample time to watch Bard walking back and forth between his room and the bathroom cause Bard forgets to bring his clothes with him whenever he bathes.

Who goes to bed at 5am but wakes up at 8am? Bard. He uses the cover of night to test out new explosives and detonation devices.

Sebastian sometimes goes to watch the fireworks.

Who makes sure the other has a healthy breakfast? Sebastian. (“Even you can’t possibly survive on hard liquor and cigarettes.” Sebastian pushed the plate of roast ham and omelets towards him. “There’s something to be said about a man who does as he’s told.” The butler’s smile turned wicked. “Fortune and pleasure tend to favor them heavily.”)

What pets do they have? No pets. Sebastian’s worried Bard might start using his cats as detonation test pilots.

Wedding

Who proposes? Well…neither. They just kinda:

“Oi, Sebastian! Hey!” 

“I can hear you perfectly well, Baldroy.”

“Great.” The blonde haired chef emptied a dusty valise on the floor. “Found my old military suitcase and thought I’d sort it out with you.”

“My sincerest apologies but I find myself indisposed at the moment—“

“Everyone knows you can make tea with your eyes closed.” Bard situated himself on the floor, hands busy tossing old memorabilia left and right. “Take a break, why don’t ya.”

Sebastian sighed, setting down the porcelain teapot and coming to stand beside the blonde. 

“Oh, and this is for you.” The chef threw a small velvet box at Sebastian. “Been meaning to give it to you for a while.”

Sebastian opened it, somewhat annoyed but more amused than not before he realized what he was holding.

“Is this…an engagement ring?” The butler’s cool tone gave way to shock (smothered as it was) while Bard continued rummaging through the suitcase.

“Uh, yeah. Belonged to my grandmother—said it was given to her by one of those radicals. The uh, constitution people.”

“The founding fathers of America, you mean.”

“Uh-huh. Yeah—that was it.”

“And you’re…giving it to me?”

“Sure.”

“But…why?”

“Well I have to give you something in order for you to say yes.”

“Yes? You haven’t yet posed a question—“

“No point now—you’re marrying me Michaelis.”

Who actually enjoyed the planning? Sebastian—once he got over the complete and absolute shock of Bard’s “proposal.”

Would their wedding be small or grand? Small and intimate. Sebastian didn’t quite understand why people even needed to be invited but figured it was a great chance for him to show off the 20 layer wedding cake he baked because why not. 

Which guest was happiest to see them get married? Honestly? Ciel. He even brought in a sketch artist from Georgia to record the whole thing for posterity. (“The bastard may be getting my soul but I’m stealing his dignity.”)

Children

How many children would they have? Initially they agreed not to have any kids. Squealing, red-faced bothersome brats the whole lot of them. But, er, this changed after Bard’s niece was orphaned and suddenly he and Sebastian found themselves coparents to a precocious five year old named Zadie.

Would they adopt or have them naturally? Neither—they’re just handed a kid by social services. (Or in the Victorian era, by very exasperated lawyers.)

Who is the strictest parent? Sebastian. (“Absolutely no setting things on fire while indoors and if you feel the need to decimate some inanimate object then may I suggest releasing that energy on the oakwood branches near the west forest? I’m afraid they’re rather sturdy things and ought to tire you out quickly enough.”)

Are their children in homeschool or public school? Privately tutored until she’s old enough to attend public school because Bard figured “just because we’re emotionally traumatized 30-something year olds doesn’t mean our kid has to be.”

Who is the favorite parent? Bard—only because Zadie can con him into anything with enough contraband fireworks. How she got them? Nobody knows—and Sebastian is fiercely proud of that fact.

Who checks on the kids in the middle of the night? Sebastian. Dude never sleeps.

Who decorated the nursery? Sebastian. And Bard. And Zadie. Considering Zadie was five and old enough to know what she liked and disliked, Sebastian found himself catering to a notoriously hard to please little girl and just when he was about to rain hellfire from above, Zadie turned to him, blue eyes wide and cheerful and wearing the sweetest smile going—

“You did it Uncle Sebastian! You found the perfect shade of pink! Just like Uncle Bard said, you are the best!”

(Cue Sebastian’s somewhat smarmy bow and smirk while on the inside he’s weeping tears of joy because Zadie just called him the best and perfect and finally validated his excessive showboating existence.)

[queencamellia]

Kuro Gakuen AU (Ch.1)

Based on this post by @rheaaasss​. I think I’m going to be writing a lot for this AU LMAO.

Ao3 Link Here!

Chapter 1: Signing Up

I’ve learned so much about fencing from writing these two and nOW I’M LEARNING ABOUT KENDO. I’ll be a martial arts expert by the time Lizzy appears again in the manga.

(Yana, bring my angel back. I beg of you.)

 The bell rang, signalling the end of class. Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford, known as “Lizzy” to most, stood up from her seat, having already prepped her bag minutes before. Emerald eyes darting from the left to the right, she sent her seatmate a friendly smile. “Well, cheers to Spring vacation,” she said, offering a hand.

“Take care of yourself, Lizzy,” Sieglinde instructed, shaking her hand and rolling her eyes. “The boys from the upper division hardly look...innocuous.”

Lizzy snorted, knowing her friend was only saying so out of concern. “I’ll keep that in mind. Please... try to come outside every once in awhile?” she begged, clasping onto her friend’s hand. “We have twelve days of relaxation until the school year starts again.”

“I have books to read, new inventions to be made, and other matters to be addressed,” Sieglinde droned, counting off her tasks on a hand. “Not to mention preparation for the coming school year.”

“Sieglinde …”

“Just kidding,” the raven haired girl laughed, nudging Lizzy gently. “I’ll come to whatever barbecue party you’re arranging for the cherry blossom festival.”

Lizzy brightened, beaming at her friend. “Great! I’ll text you with the details, later.”

“Is that your brother?”

“Huh?” Lizzy turned around, blinking in surprise and recognizing the irate look of her brother surrounded by various gushing teenage girls. “Oh, I’d better go save him before he spontaneously combusts from embarrassment. See you later, Sieglinde!”

“Take care.”

“Nii-san!” Lizzy called, exuding innocence as she shoved past all of the squealing girls. “Ready to go home?”

Edward gave her a look of blatant relief for saving him. “Y-yeah. Let’s go, Lizzy.” Gently, he attempted to pry one of the fangirls off of him. The two Midfords took off as if they were being chased by vultures — which, in a way, was a fair comparison. Once they reached the lower-division’s shoe lockers, Lizzy literally shoved her bag at her brother to slip on her shoes as quickly as possible.

“Come on, let’s go,” Lizzy tugged at Edward’s sleeve desperately, grabbing her bag back with her other hand.

But by then, it was too late.

“Midford!”

“Damn it,” she muttered under her breath. Pivoting on her heel, she gave a tiny smile at the approaching figure. “Grey-senpai, nice to see you. Will you be coming to the barbecue party as well?”

“Of course, I never pass down free food,” Grey dismissed immediately, slowing down as he caught up to the two Midfords. “Anyways, that’s not what I came to speak to you of.”

“Has my mother cancelled kendo lessons?” Lizzy guessed.

In response, a flier was shoved in her face. Lizzy blinked, stupefied for a moment, then took the flier. “Sign ups for Kuro Academy’s kendo...club?” she read aloud, glancing at Grey in question. “I thought we didn’t have a kendo club?”

“Phipps and I got it running ourselves,” Grey proclaimed smugly. “We’ve already got a couple of fellows to sign up, including your brother.”

“Hm. That’s great.” Lizzy handed him back the flier, smiling at him. “Good for you.”

Grey stared at her, then his silver eyes narrowed. “Is that all?’

“Uh...I’m glad to see that kendo is becoming more popular around here? It’s about time a club was started up,” Lizzy tried.

His scowl deepened.

“...you’ll do well as a coach?” she tried again.

His glare darkened to the point that several bystanders took a step back.

“I’m rooting for you...and Phipps-senpai...and nii-san ?”

“God damn it, Midford,” he snapped. “I’m asking you to join the club.”

Realization dawned on Lizzy’s features. “Ohhhh, I see now.”

“About time,” Grey muttered to himself, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “Well?” he demanded.

Lizzy shifted awkwardly, glancing longingly at the doors. “Sorry, but I’ll have to decline.”

“Great, now just sign—what. ”

“I’m not joining.”

“Why.” It wasn’t a question, but a demand.

Lizzy shrugged.

Grey glared.

“...is this still about you trying to be one of those weak and dainty lolis that your cousin has a complex for?”

“Astre does not have a loli-complex,” Lizzy protested immediately, whipping around to face him. “But strong girls make him feel uncomfortable. I’m his cousin, for heaven’s sake, and he already can’t attend school because of his sickness. And Ciel’s recently gotten a job at a café, so he’s probably even more lonely than usual.”

“Grey-san,” Edward said suddenly, cutting in. Lizzy nearly startled: she had forgotten that her brother was standing next to her. “Don’t you have to find Phipps-san?”

Grey scowled, but glanced at his watch and winced. “I’ll be back, Midford,” he promised darkly. Then, with a dramatic flourish, he stalked past them to search for his fellow silver-haired classmate. Lizzy stared at the empty space he once occupied thoughtfully, then nodded at her brother and began walking outside.

They had just exited the school when Edward said hesitantly, “Lizzy…”

“Mm?”

“Are you sure about this?”

Lizzy angled her head slightly so she could meet her brother’s eyes. “About what?” she echoed, waving at Paula, their chauffeur. The brunette servant waved back, flustered, before entering their slick black car.

“You don’t need to sacrifice your happiness for him,” Edward explained softly. “Astre will understand. That new butler has been keeping him company, anyways, and I heard that Uncle Vincent is hiring a few new hands that are closer to his age, too.”

Lizzy was silent for a few moments, entering the car once it pulled up to the pair of siblings. “He’s still mycousin,” Lizzy said hoarsely. “I don’t want him to be...to be scared of me.”

“Exactly,” Edward insisted. “He’s your cousin, which is why he won’t think any less of you even if he learns of your kendo prowess. He’s your cousin, so he’ll still love you just the way you are.”

“But…”

“You care too much, Lizzy. You’re an amazing girl, and I’m proud to have you as my sister. Astre loves you, and the fact that you’re strong enough to take home several kendo trophies won’t make him love you any less,” Edward said affectionately, leaning over to ruffle her hair. “He...he’d want you to enjoy yourself. I want you to do what you want, too.”

Lizzy stared out of the window in contemplative silence.

 “Midford!”

“Oh my god , Grey-senpai, how the hell did you get inside my house?”

“Your mother invited me. Early kendo practice, remember?”

“Then... why are you in my room?”

“”Because you would be here? Anyways, I brought the kendo club sign ups right here, all you have to do is sign.”

“Lizzy, I heard screaming. Is something goin— how dare you defile my little sister like this, you ungentlemanly swine!”

“...why the fuck does he sound like he’s quoting Shakespeare?”

“God damn it, Grey-senpai — run!”

“I’LL KILL YOU!”

 “Midford!”

“Why are you in my kitchen?”

“Like I said: your mother let me in. These creampuffs are delicious, by the way.”

“T-those were supposed to be for Ciel and Astre, you dumbass.”

“I brought the kendo club sign up sheet—oi, Midford, where are you going?”

“Out.”

 “Midford! Oi, Midford, get out here!”

“Why is Charles Grey standing outside of our house calling for you?”

“Ignore him, Astre. Here, why don’t we head to the living room where there aren’t any windows?”

“It vaguely sounds like he’s talking about kendo—”

“Let’s go, Astre.”

 “Midfo—”

“Give. Me. The. Sheet.”

Grey blinked in surprise for a minute, then hastily fumbled in grabbing the paper and literally throwing it at her with all his might, as if afraid she would suddenly take back her statement if she considered it a moment longer. “Have my charms finally won you over?” he asked, giving her a cocky grin.

“I just realized that if I didn’t address the manner, you’d ruin the flower viewing party with your insistent demands,” Lizzy sniffed, setting down her shopping bags and whipping out a pen. She’d just finished shopping with Ciel for Astre’s birthday present. “Don’t give yourself so much credit.”

“Hah, you know, Midford...there’s a term for girls like you.”

“And that is?”

“Tsun…” And here, Grey leaned closer, leering at her and poking her forehead with his finger. “...dere.”

Lizzy adopted an affronted look, swatting away his hand and grabbing her bags. “I am not .”

“Are too.”

“Am not ,” Lizzy said with finality, rolling her eyes and resuming her walk back to the parking lot where Paula was waiting. “And we are not going to get into one of those kind of childish debates.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Grey easily fell in pace with her, maintaining a distance of about ten centimeters between them.

“I’ll see you at the party?” Lizzy presumed, raising an eyebrow and signing her name on the sheet with a particularly dramatic flourish. Then, she offered said sheet to her suddenly smug silver-haired companion.

He took the proffered paper with particular grace. “Of course.”

“Good. I’ll see you then.” Lizzy nodded at Paula in acknowledgment for opening the car door.

“The first practice starts on the first. Don’t be late,” Grey called after her.

“I’ll be there,” Lizzy returned coolly, shutting the door. It wasn’t until they had driven for several minutes before she finally allowed herself to slump back in her seat, sheer giddiness making her unable to stop smiling.

She’d done it! She actually signed up for the kendo club! It’d taken her several days to gather the courage to do so, but suddenly it felt as if a large weight was lifted off of her shoulders. Lizzy couldn’t help the laughter that escaped her lips, buoyed by the bubbling happiness in her chest.

She did it.

Signing up for this would either become the best or worst thing in her life.

next chapter will be out soon??? maybe???

[faustianexchange-blog]

What’s Up Demons, It’s Ya Boys

For: somniiari Author: Wife-of-Queen’s-Watchdog Pairings/Character: Sebastian, OC, RC, implied Sebastian/Agni Warnings: alcohol mention Prompt: Modern AU Phantomhive twins as fake paranormal investigators, claiming their caretaker Sebastian is a demon. Author’s Notes: My attempt to modernize these characters may have made them a bit OOC, and due to the fact that we still don’t know much about Real Ciel (including his name), I had to get a little creative. i hope this is still enjoyable! It was a lot of fun to write! 

“Hey guys – bro, come get in the video! Hey guys, It’s the Phantomhive twins again, back with another paranormal investigation video for you!” Two boys, nearly identical in appearance, appear on shaky video footage. The clip was obviously filmed on somebody’s phone, and the less enthusiastic of the two boys was half cut out of the shot. “This video’s gonna be a really good one, because we’ve finally gotten the opportunity to investigate someone we’ve been meaning to catch for a while. Now, Mom and Dad went out to, uh…” The boy who had been talking to the camera frowned slightly and turned to his brother, who smiled at him expectantly. “Where did they say they were going?”

 “They went with Aunt Francis and Uncle Alexis into London for the weekend. I’m pretty sure they told us that like three times…” Ciel shrugged and grinned cheekily at the camera again. “Well, the point is they left us with this guy Sebastian, and we’re confident that he’s a demon. Now, we-” “-You’re confident that he’s a demon, I’m not totally sold on that.” Ciel was cut off by his brother’s interjection, and turned to him again. “You said you agreed with me!” “I said that because you wouldn’t stop talking about it and I thought it would get you to be quiet.” The boy looked at the camera disdainfully. “It didn’t.” Ciel Phantomhive sighed and clamped his hand over the camera lens and the clip cut off.

                The next shot was similar to the last one, except this time Ciel’s brother was wearing a pained smile and was rubbing his shoulder where he had apparently been punched in an attempt to get him to play along. “Anyways, like I was saying. We’ve got good reason to believe that this Sebastian guy’s a demon. Bro, read off the evidence!” The other boy stopped rubbing his arm and whipped out his phone, turning it to show an outdated looking webpage entitled, “Signs of a Demon in Disguise.” “First, we’ve got ‘Aversion to Spirituality.’” Ciel nodded. “We’ve still got to test that one actually. Read the next one!” “Uh… ‘Alcoholism or Drug abuse.’” Ciel’s eyes lit up. “Oh, oh! One time, after our parents got back from some trip they were on where Sebastian was watching us, they invited him to have some drinks with them, and he did!” “That doesn’t mean anything. He was probably just being polite.  That doesn’t mean he’s an alcoholic.” “But it doesn’t mean he’s not! Next point, please.” There was a pause while the voice of reason sighed in exasperation, then the words, “Supernatural Knowledge.” “Okay, so there was that time when you were scared that there was a monster under the bed, and Sebastian didn’t even have to look under there and he knew that there wasn’t. And then he was like “monsters don’t hide under beds anymore. These days they tend to wait outside the window for someone to fall asleep and then they come inside.’” “Ciel, that was you, not me! You were the one who was scared of the monster! And he was just messing with you! He was joking- AAAAHHH!”

                Both boys screamed as the door behind them flew open and a tall, unsettlingly handsome man stood in the doorway. He looked surprised at their reaction, but then smiled wryly in amusement. “Telling ghost stories, are we?” the man asked. The video footage became extremely blurry as the camera was hurriedly pulled behind Ciel Phantomhive’s back. “N-No! We were just… playing a game!” “What do you want, Sebastian?” the boys responded, speaking over each other. Sebastian, perplexed, paused for a second before saying, “I came to tell you the frozen pizzas are done.” The boys were silent. One of them began to say “thank you” as the footage cut off.

                The footage picks up with a view of the underside of the dining table, shaking slightly as the camera was held in secret under the table. “What’s the matter with you two today? You’re usually more rambunctious than this. Especially you, Ciel.” Sebastian’s voice, polite yet amused. There’s a stuttering clunk as two plates are placed on the tabletop. “We’re just…tired. Are you not having any pizza, Sebastian?” One of the boys asked. “No, I don’t eat this type of thing. I don’t see how you people do, either.” A boy’s hushed voice can be heard whispering, “You people…?” and was cut off by the other boy’s hurried “Shhh!”

                The video blurs as the camera is retrieved from under the table, and is reoriented towards Sebastian, who has his back turned to the table as he washes his hands in the sink. There’s a zoom in on a strange tattoo on his hand. Ciel reached over to nudge his brother, then points at the older man’s hand. “What is that?” Ciel whispers louder than he meant to on accident. “What’s what? My tattoo?” Sebastian asked, turning back to the boys and frowning slightly when he notices the phone trained towards him. “It’s a pentagram, specifically the one we use as the logo of the band I’m in. You could have just asked, you know. No need to gossip.” Sebastian wipes his hands on a dishrag and sits down across from the boys. “Neither of you have touched your pizza.” He leans forward, placing his chin in his hands. “Why do I get the feeling you’re deathly afraid of me?” The footage shakes as the phone is hurriedly removed, but stops at the sound of Sebastian’s voice. “No, no, keep it out! We’ll pretend this is an interview. You two can ask me any questions you like, and I’ll try to convince you that I’m mostly nonthreatening.” The two boys look at each other, before hesitantly saying “…okay,” in unison.

                “What’s your opinion on alcohol?” Sebastian raises his eyebrows. “My opinion on…? Neutral, I suppose. That’s a strange question to ask. I was expecting something more along the lines of ‘what’s your favorite color?’” A pause. “Well, what is your favorite color?” Ciel asks. Sebastian gives a short laugh. “I don’t know how to describe it. It doesn’t have a name that you would understand.” The boys stare at Sebastian, who flashes brilliantly white teeth at them in a sort of half-smile. “Next question, if you please.” Ciel asks the next question. “What do you know about vampires?” The man thinks for a moment. “Can’t say I’ve ever met one personally. From what I’ve heard they’re delightful conversationalists, if a bit self-involved. Werewolves, on the other hand. Stupid, terribly smelly creatures. If you’ve met one you’ve met them all.” Both boys sit in shocked silence again. “You’re messing with us.” Sebastian only smiles.

                Ciel’s brother finally pipes up. “What do you identify as religiously?” “Not applicable.” “Huh?” “I said, ‘not applicable.’ I’ve never given religion much thought. Don’t see a reason to. That’s an odd question as well.” Suddenly, Ciel hands his phone to his brother, and then runs into the next room, returning with a large book. He holds it out to Sebastian, who peers down his nose at it. “Do you know what this is?” Ciel asks. Sebastian frowns. “That’s the Bible. Why?” Ciel thrusts the book towards the man. “Take it.” Sebastian moves away from it, throwing up his hands, which are covered in tomato sauce. “Oh, no, I still have some pizza on my hands. Don’t want to ruin your parent’s book.” The boy holding the camera audibly gasps. “But you just washed your hands!” Sebastian, once again at the sink, turns to the boy and smiles brightly. “Must have missed a spot.” Ciel looks at his brother in alarm, and sits back down, still clutching the Bible tightly.  “That’s really freaky.” The boy mouths silently. Sebastian chuckles, making both boys jump.

                “I seem to have you boys convinced I’m some sort of monster. A being from another world, perhaps? Well, I can’t imagine what I could have done to put that thought into your little heads, but I’ll tell you this: My name is Sebastian Michealis, I have five beautiful cats, I enjoy cooking and experimenting with recipes, I can play three different instruments, and I have great respect for and other inclinations towards a wonderful, and might I add, highly religious man named Agni. If any of those facts about me seem particularly monstrous, I’ll have to admit that you’ve gotten me figured out, and for that I applaud you. If not, well, it seems I’m just one hell of an ordinary man.” The two boys glance at each other. “Point taken.”

                The next shot is the same as the first, with the two boys standing in a bedroom. Ciel looks disappointed, the other boy looks smug, but they both appear a bit rattled. Ciel speaks first. “Hey guys. Uh, so we didn’t really prove anything like we wanted to. But, on the one hand, we did-“ “Bro, we didn’t accomplish anything. We’re not gonna post the video, so there’s no point in filming an outro.” Ciel sighs as he realizes his brother is right. The footage cuts off as the camera is suddenly powered down.

                The final shot starts off dark, and just as it starts to seem like nothing else will happen, a single flame flickers to life. Its glow reveals that it is dancing on the fingertip of none other than Sebastian Michealis, smiling slyly. He bursts into a grin, and as this happens his eyes begin to glow red, as if they too are on fire. His hair blows around his face in an invisible wind, and his steadily widening smile gradually becomes pointed with shark-like teeth. The only audio is a crackling, howling sound, like a mix between a windstorm and television static. It increases in intensity as the flame grows brighter and the man on screen morphs into a monster, so slowly it isn’t noticeable as it’s changing, like the hands of a clock. Just as it can’t seem to continue any longer, there is the sound of a doorbell, and instantly Sebastian has returned to his human form, and the flame is extinguished. His surprise is replaced with a smirk, and he looks into the camera. “Parents are home.” His voice says, though his mouth doesn’t move. Footage cuts out. End of video.      

[despairstation13]

Dancing with the 100 Billion Stars || Day Three

This was it, huh? The final day of the Talent Show. You supposed it was a nice little distraction from the motive, but what were you all going to do after this? You would still have to face your worst memory again. You weren’t sure how much you could take this. These kinds of thoughts weren’t right to have right now. The Lights were dimming, so you thought to yourself that you would allow this to be one last distraction.

Rich's entrance was surprisingly not very flashy. He just stepped on-stage and gave his small audience a little wave with one hand, holding some cards in the other. He didn't need to hype anything up, really. His presence made his performance already fairly flashy.

"Hey. I know we have a resident street magician on the station, but, listen. My only talent apart from persuading people to gamble away the last of their money is--"

He shuffled the deck. With a sudden brrrap, cards flicked from one hand to the other, halved, formed a bridge, shuffled again, and came together in a nice rectangular bundle once more.

"-- magic card tricks! Yes indeed, dear audience. I'm not gonna take long here, just one trick. I don't usually get to show this one off at casinos, but the people on cruises lose their minds over it if they've had enough Daiquiris. For this trick, I'll need a volunteer from the audience."

A brief pause, and Rich scanned his audience for anyone even remotely making eye contact. There was a lack of reaction, before, thankfully, a nervous hand was raised. It was Ciel. Rich broke into a smile. "Ciel, Ciel, perfect, perfect, come up on stage if you will, darling."

When Ciel had joined Rich on stage, he kept shuffling his cards as he spoke. "For this trick, Ciel is going to pick a card. Don't tell me what it is! Just take a look, maybe show it to the audience."

Ciel quietly did as instructed, as Rich splayed the deck face-down, and she picked a card. She held it up- ace of spades- and replaced it in the deck. Rich snappily began to shuffle cards again, taking a few steps away, and turned to face his audience.

Wordlessly, he stood there a few seconds, head bent low, deck of cards in one hand... when suddenly and without warning he flung them up high in the air. Cards flew and scattered, all over the stage and all over the audience, fluttering down and showering Rich. But amongst the blur, Rich's hand seemed to shoot out and nab something, and as all the cards fell to the floor, he held up one card for all to see with a sparkling grin on his face.

"Is THIS your card?!" He exclaimed, wheeling to show it to Ciel, who had luckily not borne the brunt of most of the raining cards. She scrunched up her nose slightly, placing a hand on her dizzy head. "Ah... no, Rich. That one's not my card." She seemed... slightly disappointed. Rich's face fell, looking at the card.

"Wh... What?" He frowned, and looked between Ciel, his card, and the audience. "That... no, are you sure? I'm sure I did that right. I thought..."

He trailed off, looking at Ciel with real embarrassment. His opportunity to show off, and he blew it. He walked back to Ciel quietly, looking at the floor, and there was a few seconds silence before he spoke again.

"... Ciel, dear, would you do me the favour of checking your pocket?"

Ciel hesitated a moment, and searched her pockets. She blinked. Trying not to bring the rest of the contents of her pockets with it, she removed and held up a folded card. "I- uh-" She unfolded it, looked at it, and held it to the audience. Ace of spades. "Y... Yeah. That one's the card. How did you, uh...?"

Rich gave a coy smile and dipped away, giving a sweeping bow to his audience and taking off his hat. "Magic! Thank you all very much! And thank you, Ciel. You can keep the card if you want to, it's for you. Thank you, thank you, thank you all very much."

Ciel stepped off stage, and Rich kicked some of the cards onto the audience as he went to leave too. "As much as people love it, the staff hate me doing that trick on cruises. Big mess. I hope someone else cleans this stuff up." He didn't leave the way he came, instead jumping off the front of the stage and landing like Tarzan with an "Oof". His performance ended as quickly as it began.

The Assistant was the one to pop on stage next. 

“Welcome Gamers to my lets play of Despairs Darkest Days by MINGHUA Games. I told miss pigtails to prepare something, buuuuut I guess my  request was fallen on deaf ears. Im not very happy, but that’s ok! I Managed to get this game off of the internet and we’re gonna play it now! Isn’t that cool!

After about 20 minutes of just watching the assistant brutally mash on an Xbox Controller, despite the fact that this was a PC Game, he finally threw it away.

“Damn thing is too hard for me! Ah well, that’s all the time I have for me! So, Seeya!”

Candela approaches the stage with a solid confidence previously unseen by the other contenders. While the others may have been determined in their talents, she exhibited a demeanor of general apathy, as if this was simply a trip to the grocery store.

She steps onstage and takes a seat in a chair, legs crossed, hands connected politely. And then she states.

"Audience, go ahead, please, I will answer any question in my power that you would like to know."

Candela notices only a few people raise their hands in excitement at the premise of having more knowledge. She's slightly glad some here are active in the legendary pursuit.

Mi asks: "HEY ONEE-CHAN DO BEES EVER TRY TO NEST IN YOUR HAIR"

"That's...an unfortunate yes. I was home to quite a few on a recent venture to an archaeological dig in South America.

"Ko asks: "Is it possible to do sleight of hand in zero gravity?"

Candela answers without hesitation. "On December 2009, Oleg Kotav, Timothy Creamer, and Soichi Noguchi took to the International Space Station to become a part of the official crew. Oleg took it upon himself to bring playing cards, and it has been claimed he used the function of his uniform in conjunction with the situation of the gravity to transfer cards through his sleeves while seemingly giving away no tells."

Lastly, Kuukai slightly raises his hand. He asks: "How can a large corporation even do something like this without anybody knowing?"

And Candela smirks slightly, answering. "Well, isn't the answer simple? Nanotransen is the perpetrator of this usurpation. This must have been the intention of them from the start. I had suspected such a thing, and further submit the evidence that none of us actually know how to operate a space station. In conclusion, this company is entirely responsible for this twisted game. Now, the reason why? That hasn't been asked."

And with that, she gets up...and walks off stage.

Toki hopped on stage, somewhat easily despite the fact she was holding....was that a sword?! The fuck?!

She stood on stage, footing on proper stance for a ballerina whilst hoisting up the weapon like it was a newly born Simba, proclaiming,

"Aight, be warned, don't try this at home!"

And oh dear jesus. She opened her mouth and, like the world's daintiest sword swallower, she slid the whole thing down her throat. Once enough to grab it was left poking out of her mouth, she waved her hands fluidly before taking it all back out again. Ending with a polite curtsy, Toki hopped off stage.

If you had been paying attention, you would notice that there was one final act left. The act of the SHSL Marksman Dexter Quinn. As you were waiting, you saw Kitao go up on stage and put a fresh apple on a small raised podium, before going to the back and starting to turn all the lights off. It seems like he had opted to use Kitao as his stage assistant instead of the one who made it his entire Namesake. After a couple seconds of anticipation in the pitch blackness, a single spotlight shined down onto the stage; with Dexter Quinn right in the center of it. He had his cape folded into himself, before extending his arm and throwing it all out in a rather cool and dramatic manner.

"Welcome all, to the final act of tonight! Any good theater knows to save the best performance for last, and certainly tonight, we are going to deliver!"

Dexter seemed like he threw his arm out too far, as he had to regain his balance after throwing it. Never the less, he managed to regain his composure.

"*Ahem. Notice! A common apple in vertical distance. Now, prepare to be amazed as I pierce it with... with... With this arrow! Without even aiming directly at it! Yes... I know its impossible, you might say... but we've all been given talents for a reason! So Let me Ahem* L-Let me showcase that notion now!"

Dexter didn't seem to be feeling all too well from the looks of it, but, none of you were from the motive. In fact, you were all getting rather scarred by it. You silently hoped that someone would kill someone soon to end this madness. Dexter proceeds to turn to the audience, before pointing towards the top of the door to the restaurant. He pulls back the blue compound bow that he has, eyes up the rest of the room for a couple seconds, and then fires!

You all started to shout as the arrow began to ricochet around the room. Especially after firing, one might notice that Dexter's face seemed to get especially pale, much more than it already was.

"W-Wait! That's not-!"

And before you realized what had happened, the spotlight above Dexter had went out, leaving you all in the pitch black darkness. Almost Immediately after it had went out, you all heard a sickening crash, before the sound of something hitting the floor. You all started to audibly panic, getting up from your seats and trying to find another way to get the lights back on. Eventually, from the back, Kitao had managed to turn on the rest of the lights, only to reveal...

...

...

...

...

...

Ding Dong Ding Dong! 

"Attention Crew! A Dead Body Has been discovered on the Stage of the Station Restaurant."

...The dead body of the SHSL Marksman, Dexter Quinn, slumped over the side of the stage.

It only took a couple seconds before the screams began. Some of you ran out of the room, while others ran up to the stage to try and help Dexter, a futile venture. You all heard the announcement, and that could only mean one thing.

"Wow! Congrats! One of you sure did a number on That weird Poser over there. Good riddance too. Now then, In a couple hours, we will hold a Crew Trial. Ill send the Case File to your PDA's right away, so you better get moving, before I get bored!"

So it was real. Someone had actually ended the life of Dexter Quinn. You didn't want to believe it, but there was no denying it now. Once again, you were going to have to uncover the murderer's heinous plot.