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purrincess-chat · 3 years

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Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s Spite Playlist: Remix CH25

This chapter might look familiar to those of you who read the original ;) But there’s a twist!

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Chapter 25: Attack of Panic

“Remember, class, pick a painting that inspires you. Your reports are due tomorrow, so be sure to take good notes while on your tours today.” Mme. Pierre instructed. “We’ll meet for lunch in the courtyard. Try to learn something today.”

Marinette took a deep breath as Mme. Pierre dismissed them. Eliott and Lisette grouped up, walking arm-in-arm a few paces ahead. After overcoming their shyness from Saturday’s date, they were practically inseparable. Marinette was happy for them, but it made her miss Adrien. Having a boyfriend at a different school was lonely. How did anyone manage long-distance relationships?

Macy linked their arms together, snapping Marinette out of her trance.

“Let’s walk around in a group,” she said, tugging Martin on her other side.

“Sure.” Marinette smiled.

At least she still had friends to walk with, so she wasn’t completely alone. Though she’d have to think of a way to branch off to give Martin time alone with Macy, but then who would she walk with?

Long red curls bounced up the hall ahead of them, and a smirk curled on Marinette’s lips.

“Let’s go this way first.” She suggested, tugging Macy in the direction Gabrielle had gone.

“Shouldn’t we invite Eliott and Lisette?” Martin asked.

“No way. They’re spending quality time together as a couple. They’ll meet up with us at lunch,” Macy said. “Speaking of couples, did you see Thomas’s new girlfriend? I heard he ditched little miss bankrupt as soon as he found out.” Macy pointed to Gabrielle who was jotting down notes in front of a painting.

“Macy, that’s mean.” Martin chided.

“So was she.” Macy huffed. “She used to torment you, shouldn’t you be laughing too?”

“Yeah, but I don’t think she deserves to be miserable,” he said. “She’s been a lot different lately, and I’ve forgiven her. You should too.”

“Aww, Martin.” Macy hugged his shoulders, turning the tips of his ears red. “You’re an angel, you know that?”

Marinette bit back a smile as he faltered, tuning into the museum guide’s explanation. A boy with bright red hair stood in front of her, jotting down notes around a doodle in his notebook. His drawing was pretty good, though the style reminded her of someone.

Wait. Marinette knew that tomato top. She blinked a few times to ensure she wasn’t imagining it.

Nathaniel?

Marinette spun around, frantically searching the exhibit. Kim was mimicking the pose of a statue for Max and Alix across the room. Myléne and Ivan were reading a placard, hands twined while Juleka and Rose studied a map.

“Looks like we took the same field trip.” She jumped at Adrien’s voice in her ear, and he placed a hand on the small of her back to steady her. “You okay?”

“I-”

“Marinette?” Her spine stiffened as Kim called out to her. “Guys, it’s Marinette!”

“Marinette!”

“Yo, what up?”

“I love your new hair.”

“We missed you.”

Marinette’s heart sank at Rose’s declaration, and her old classmates surrounded her with eager smiles. Her old friends. Some of them, anyway. Nathaniel hung back, refusing to meet her gaze—a reminder of how far Lila’s influence still stretched. Marinette’s stomach twisted in knots.

“I-” She bit her lip to hold back tears. “I missed you guys too.”

“Aww.” Everyone crowded in for a hug, complimenting her hair and filling her in on exciting developments since she’d left.

“Well, well, look who it is. Long time no see, Marinette.”

Marinette’s blood ran cold.

The atmosphere changed in an instant, the crowd around her parting at Lila’s voice. She wore the same smirk she always did, silently goading Marinette. To add insult, Alya stared right through her like she were any other patron in the museum. A stranger.

Marinette swallowed hard.

Nathaniel and Myléne moved to stand beside Lila and Sabrina. Nino draped an arm over Alya’s shoulders, giving a curt nod to Adrien. Lila’s green eyes glinted as their classmates claimed their sides. She didn’t seem bothered at all by those still standing beside Marinette—quite the opposite. Lila lived for the challenge, but Marinette felt like she was going to throw up. What was she plotting?

“How is your new school? Why did you transfer anyway? And without telling any of us! We were so heartbroken,” Lila cooed.

Marinette’s jaw clenched, biting back a string of insults. Now wasn’t the time to start a fight—it would make Lila look more sympathetic. Marinette needed to keep a cool head, even if Lila was a snake.

Adrien bristled, fingers curling on Marinette’s back. “Lila-”

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” Marinette said. “I know I should have told all of you, but it was a sudden decision I made because I wanted to focus on my future. I hope you’re all not mad at me.”

“How could we be mad at you? You’re like, the best,” Kim said.

“Indeed. We were confused, but this development makes sense. We know how important your future as a designer is to you, and with your level of talent, moving to a new school will increase your chances of succeeding in your field by 68.9%.” Max nodded.

“I mean, you could have said goodbye,” Nathaniel said, and Alix elbowed him.

“We’re just glad to see you again. We haven’t heard from you, so we were afraid to come see you.” Rose buried her face in Marinette’s blazer. “We’re sorry for being bad friends!”

“Rose…” Marinette patted her back.

“But you’ve had some crazy cool adventures at your new school. Tell us about that Jagged Stone concert!” Alix requested, several classmates echoing their agreement.

“Hey, Marinette, we’re gonna move to the next exhibit,” Macy said, parting the crowd to reach her. “We need to take notes for our report.”

“You’re right. Sorry, I have to go.” Marinette winced, though her former classmates only smiled.

“No sweat, Marinette.”

“Hey, we’re all having lunch in the courtyard later, you should sit with us!” Rose offered.

“Uh, sure,” Marinette said. As her old classmates dispersed, she shot a glare at Lila who only smiled in return.

“Adrien, our teacher wanted us to stay together. You don’t want to get in trouble, do you?” Lila said, not bothering to mask the gloat in her tone, but she wasn’t going to get a rise out of Marinette today.

“I’ll see you later.” Adrien planted a quick kiss to Marinette’s cheek, side-eyeing Lila as he did.

Macy tugged Marinette away from them swiftly, not slowing down until they’d rounded the corner to another hall.

“Martin told me about your run-in with that girl last week, so I wanted to get you out of there,” Macy said once they were safely in another room. “You were being so brave.”

“Do you want us to be your buffer today?” Martin asked.

Marinette smiled. Her friends were always looking out for her. What would she do without them?

“Thank you, both of you, but I’m fine. Seeing everyone again has actually put my mind at ease. At least now I know they don’t hate me. Well, most of them anyway.” She hugged her arms to her chest. “My biggest challenge today will be avoiding confrontation with Lila.”

“Well, you know we’ve got your back.” Macy linked an arm through Marinette’s with a smile.

“I’m really good at avoiding people, so I can steer us away from them.” Martin added.

“You guys are the best.” Marinette pulled them in for a side-hug.

“You’ve protected us in the past, so now it’s our turn,” Martin said. “Let us be your shield today.”

Marinette tightened her grip, leaning her head against Macy’s shoulder. Her old friends might still be under Lila’s control, but Marinette was grateful for the people she’d found after leaving. They’d been there for her when her whole world was falling apart. She really was lucky to have them.

Martin’s stealth proved effective as the morning wore on. Marinette barely saw any of her old classmates. As much relief as it brought her to know they still thought of her as a friend, she wasn’t ready to dive all the way back in. After all, they were still enamored by Lila, so she needed to tread carefully.

While Macy and Martin were engrossed in a Regnault, Marinette slipped over to the painting Gabrielle was studying across the room. Her dark green eyes didn’t look up when Marinette flanked her on the left, but she’d expected as much.

“You know, most people don’t avoid popularity.” When Marinette turned, Gabrielle’s face fell into a scowl. “Don’t turn around! I don’t want people to know we’re talking.”

Marinette turned back to the painting and pretended to study it. She was used to this game by now. Just because they were friends didn’t mean Gabrielle wanted everyone to know. She said it was for Marinette’s own good since people still rubbed the whole bankrupt thing in her face, but Marinette was starting to think she was just shy.

“You said you ran away from your old friends because they ditched you, but they all seemed more than happy to see you,” she said.

“It’s complicated.” Marinette jotted down information from the placard. “They’re being manipulated.”

“By the girl from the café?”

“Yeah.” Marinette pressed her lips into a firm line.

“She is quite the show pony,” Gabrielle said. “I can see why you two butt heads.”

“Lila is very charismatic. She tells people what they want to hear, so they don’t question it. It’s how she keeps control over them,” Marinette replied.

“She’d make a great politician.” Gabrielle laughed, but when Marinette remained quiet, she added, “It would be easy to take her down, you know. Someone with your connections could prove she’s lying with two phone calls.”

Marinette paused her writing and lowered her notebook with a frown.

“I’m not getting involved. It’s not my job to save everyone,” she said with more bite than she intended.

“Oh, don’t give me that.” Gabrielle rolled her eyes. “You like playing the hero, not for any glory or self-elevation, but just because you like helping people. It’s your most annoying quality.”

“I do not…” Marinette said lamely.

“Is that why even though I was mean to you and your friends, you still come by my café every Tuesday, so I don’t have to walk home alone? Why you talk to me at all when everyone else abandoned me,” she shot back. “Martin was a spineless twig before he met you. Macy and Eliott were complacent cowards. Now the twig has grown a trunk, and Thing 1 and 2 won’t stop running their mouths. You can’t help yourself, Marinette. You’re a good person.”

“Do you really think exposing her is what I should do? She’ll end up hurt and alone.” Marinette lowered her gaze.

“So what? She did it to herself when she told all of those lies. Sometimes you need to lose everything in order to change. If you leave her like this, she’ll never stop.” Gabrielle let out a short laugh. “Take it from someone who knows.”

Marinette weighed those words, pressing her lips together. Did she want to help? Of course. But did she want to get involved again at the expense of her own well-being? She wasn’t sure.

Lila was slippery. Marinette wasn’t even sure she could take her down, and if she did, she’d only cement her as an enemy. She needed a different way, an indirect way to make everyone see without calling her out to her face. A way to make Lila’s lies crumble from underneath, so that she had no choice but to face the truth.

There is one person who would know what to do.

But did Marinette want to stoop that low? Chloe requested her help once before, but did she even still want it? Chloe and Adrien had tried and failed to out Lila multiple times. Not to mention, Marinette and Adrien promised each other to let it go. Things were finally working out between them, and Marinette didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that.

Marinette left her old life behind for a reason. Looking back was too painful. It had been a month since she left, and Marinette thought she was finally over everything until today. Seeing her old classmates rattled her more than she thought it would, a cool draft from the door she couldn’t quite close pricking her skin. But what did she expect when she ran away from her problems instead of facing them? A broken door couldn’t keep out the cold if it was never fixed. How much longer could Marinette run before the past caught up to her? How much longer until she had to turn around and face it? She didn’t want to think about it.

“Guess who?” She jumped as a playful lilt sounded in her ear, and a hand clamped over her eyes.

“Adrien?”

He lowered his hands with a cheery smile. Gabrielle was gone, and none of her old classmates were anywhere in sight. Her shoulders relaxed as Adrien pulled her close, touching his forehead to hers.

“You doing okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m…fine.” She pushed her frantic thoughts away.

Adrien turned her around gently, hugging her from behind. “I know you’re avoiding everyone, but let’s walk around together for a bit. Just me and you.” His lips brushed her cheek, warm breath teasing her skin.

Adrien was her boyfriend now. Adrien, the boy of her dreams, was her boyfriend. Marinette still hadn’t told him her feelings, nor had he, but Adrien referred to himself as her boyfriend on Saturday. Their date hadn’t exactly gone as planned, but they were still able to spend time together. She’d tell him the next time they were alone together. No more hiding and running away.

“Okay.”

They walked hand-in-hand through several exhibits. Adrien mimicked a few poses from the paintings they passed. Marinette smiled and laughed. She leaned on his shoulder and snuggled into the crook of his neck, pushing the worries from that morning out of her mind. Lila wasn’t her problem anymore. Her old classmates still liked her—most of them anyway. Adrien was her boyfriend. Her new friends were amazing. Everything was fine.

So why didn’t she feel fine?

“Are you sure you’re gonna be okay with everyone at lunch?” Adrien asked. “I know you’re putting on a brave face, but we don’t have to eat with them if you don’t want to.”

He’d gotten good at sensing her mood. Could he be any more perfect?

“I’ll be fine,” she insisted, though her grip tightened on his hand.

“I’ll be right there with you if you need me, okay? I’ve got your back.” He lifted her hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss to her knuckles.

Adrien continued to keep her mind off of everything, discussing various paintings and relaying stories from recent photoshoots and fencing tournaments. He told her jokes to make her laugh, kept her smiling when she started to look sad. But lunch eventually came, and he held her hand the whole walk to the courtyard.

“Marinette!” Macy waved them over to their group, and as soon as she sat down, her old classmates flocked to her.

“So, who are your new friends?” Rose asked, settling in with Juleka.

“Uh…”

“My name’s Macy, and this is Martin, Eliott, and Lisette.” Macy cast Marinette a reassuring smile as her old classmates introduced themselves one-by-one, but it did little to calm her nerves, especially when Lila approached with her group.

Marinette’s stomach flipped as they sat down, the tension in the group escalating rapidly. Her old classmates flicked their gazes between Lila and Marinette, waiting to see who would strike first.

“Hi, I’m Macy!” She stuck her hand out to Lila with a cheery smile that didn’t touch her eyes. “What’s your name?”

“This is Lila. She has an amazing life,” Sabrina said.

“Same.” Macy smiled sweetly as if that announcement were no big deal.

Marinette’s heartbeat accelerated.

“Last summer, she saved an African village leader from choking,” Nathaniel said, beaming up at her.

“It was the least I could do after he agreed to sign my petition to teach the children how to read.” Lila waved it away.

“Oh, Eliott and I love charity trips. Our parents have an organization that ships out clean water and recycled clothing to third-world countries. We visited a few in Africa last summer to help build huts and dig wells for them.” Macy shot back.

“Those kids played a mean game of football.” Eliott nodded with a reminiscent smile.

“She also spent Christmas in Achu with Prince Ali and his family. They’re close personal friends!” Rose gushed.

“Oh, Achu is lovely at Christmas, but we usually spend it in London at the royal family’s Christmas party. It’s a blast! My dad played water polo with Prince William in college, and they’re still good friends.” Eliott chimed in. “That reminds me, Marinette, you have got to come this year.”

“You know Prince William?” Rose gasped, cupping her cheeks.

“I have his number. Sometimes I babysit when we go to visit.” Eliott shrugged as if it were no big deal.

“Ugh, don’t get him started. He’ll brag all day.” Macy rolled her eyes, but Marinette’s old classmates turned their attention over immediately.

Marinette took a bite of her sandwich, but it turned to sand in her mouth as Alya glared at her. Her expression crossed between disappointment and anger as if she couldn’t believe Marinette would stoop so low. Alya used to give those looks to Chloe when she pulled her usual stunts, but Marinette wasn’t used to being on the receiving end.

As much as she should have been happy that Lila wasn’t getting the attention she wanted, Marinette didn’t have it in her. This was only giving Lila fuel to come up with better lies and new ways to use her friends. The divide between her old classmates was obvious—a deep chasm stretching wider by the minute.

Macy and Eliott might be upstaging her now, but it was only a matter of time before Lila got her revenge. Gabrielle was right. She’d never stop.

“You okay?” Adrien leaned into her ear.

Marinette blinked down at the sandwich she was crushing.

“I’m gonna go to the bathroom.” She set her lunch on top of her bag and scurried off as Eliott performed a scene from the Miraculous show he was in.

The faces she passed were all a blur. Her heart raced, blood roaring in her ears as she raced down the steps, past other patrons who paid no mind to the girl in a private school uniform wandering the halls. She didn’t know where she was going—away. Just away.

Her feet carried her deeper into the museum, lengthening the chasm between her and her old life. She wasn’t ready to turn and face it. The draft had grown stronger now, the cold wind beating against the door. It threatened to give out at any moment, biting Marinette’s toes with its frosty breath. She couldn’t run from it forever, but she could run today.

She collapsed on a bench, face falling into her hands. Her shoulders heaved with ragged breaths, tears wetting her palms. Gentle hands rubbed her back, weight sinking onto the bench beside her.

“Hey, I’m here, just breathe,” Adrien said.

She buried her face into his chest, shoulders shaking. Of course he’d come. Adrien was always by her side. It was one promise he kept, and Marinette needed him desperately.

Adrien held her close and whispered gentle reassurances in her ear until she calmed enough to sit up.

“Talk to me.” He tucked a loose strand of her hair back in place.

“Just… They’re all so taken with her, and she does nothing but use them and rub it in my face,” she whimpered. “And I know that I could expose her in an instant. I have Jagged Stone’s phone number. Clara Nightingale texts me! I could end her reign with a single phone call.”

“But that’s not you,” Adrien said.

She pressed the back of her hand to her quivering lip and shook her head.

“I want to stop it. I do, but I don’t want to play her game anymore. I want to get out, but I just can’t let go.” She found his gaze, hot tears clouding her vision. “I want to save everyone, but I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m tired of being everyone’s hero.”

“It’s okay.” He soothed with increasing alarm, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You’re gonna get through this. You’re the strongest person I know.”

She clenched her hands into fists. “I’m tired of always having to be strong. For once, I want to stop carrying everyone’s burdens because they’re too heavy for me.”

Adrien flicked his gaze over her shoulder briefly and met her gaze once more.

“Listen to me. Macy, Eliott, and Martin are all here for you.” He cupped her face. “I’m here for you. Don’t lose hope.”

“I can’t anymore. I can’t. I can’t-” She stopped short as dark energy washed over her, a cold feeling running through her core.

“Princess Verity, I am Hawkmoth-”

“Marinette, don’t listen to him, listen to me!” Adrien pleaded. “No one expects you to solve all of their problems.”

“Your friends are all trapped by that liar.”

“You’re stronger than him, Marinette.”

“Wouldn’t you like to set them free?”

“Fight it! Don’t give up!”

“I can give you the power to expose the truth.”

“Marinette, you’re not alone.” Marinette blinked, finding Adrien’s worried green eyes baring into hers.

The bracelet Macy gave her had gone dark, glowing with sinister energy. Marinette pressed her lips together. She was too tired to fight. Hadn’t she struggled enough? Maybe it was what Lila deserved—what they all deserved.

“Run, Adrien,” she said.

“No.” Her head snapped up, meeting his determined green eyes. “I’m not leaving you.”

“Adrien, please.”

“No.” He shook his head. “Don’t give up. You can beat him.”

“Adrien.” Fresh tears welled in her eyes, panic swelling. “Please, run. I love you, and I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t. Don’t you know why I call you mon ange?” He held her face in his hands, touching his nose to hers. “Because you’re my angel, and I love you with all of my heart. I’m never going to leave you. Not ever.”

“Adrien…”

She just wanted everything to go back to the way it was—the way things were before Lila. The broken door had been pried open by the storm, dragging Marinette out into its dark flood. Her head hurt, body numb and cold, and even on her tiptoes, she could barely stay above the surface. She was drowning in a sea of her own anguish and guilt, too exhausted to fight the waves.

“Make it stop,” she whispered, a single tear slicing down her cheek.

They didn’t hesitate this time. His lips found hers, warm and safe—a buoy among the waves. Marinette wrapped herself in his warm embrace, driving out the cold ache in her bones. He trailed his fingers up her jaw and into her hair, pulling her closer. Ever since she left, Adrien had always been her lifeline, no matter how rough the waves got. His arms provided stable footing when the current was spinning too fast. He hadn’t abandoned her back then, and he wasn’t abandoning her now. Even her friends were outside fighting for her.

Lila could take a lot of things from her, but not them. These were the people who would always pull her out of the water, no matter how far down she sank. Marinette just needed to hang on while they pulled her to shore.

Taking a deep breath, she undid the clasp on her bracelet with shaking hands and set it on the bench. Macy, Elliot, Martin, Lisette, Adrien, Gabrielle. She had so many people who loved her—people who had been looking out for her all day. People who were still looking out for her. She was not alone.

“Not this time, Hawkmoth. I won’t help you. This isn’t the answer to my problem,” she said calmly.

The butterfly reemerged and fluttered off, returning the bracelet to normal. Marinette watched it go, legs too heavy to give chase.

Adrien crushed her against his chest, kissing her hair. “You’re okay. I’ve got you. You’re safe.” He rubbed her back, clutching fistfuls of her shirt in shaking hands. “I’m here. It’s gonna be okay.”

“Adrien, the akuma. We have to stop it,” she said, but he didn’t budge.

“One minute, Marinette,” he murmured. “Can you think of yourself for just one minute and stay here with me?”

Marinette relented, finding his lips again. He kissed her hard, his fear and relief washing over her, the severity of the situation hitting her in the gut.

She’d almost been akumatized. Again.

If Adrien hadn’t been there, Paris would have been doomed. He was her guardian angel, and the best boyfriend in the world. The selfish part of her wanted to stay and kiss his pillowy lips forever. Maybe someone would paint a picture of them and hang it in the museum, then everyone could bask in their undying love. But Marinette couldn’t afford such luxurious daydreams. Not everyone had the support system Marinette did, and she needed to find the akuma before someone else fell victim to Hawkmoth.

“Thank you,” she said when they pulled away. “You’ve been looking out for me all day.”

“You’re not alone, mon ange. I will always be here for you.” He vowed, kissing her forehead.

She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “We should go after that akuma before it gets someone else.”

“We can cover more ground if we split up.” He fastened her bracelet around her wrist, giving her hand a squeeze. “Be careful, and stay safe.”

“You too.” They leaned in for one final kiss, swift and hard, before turning their backs and taking off.

“I’m very proud of you, Marinette,” Tikki said as she took cover in a closed exhibit. “And you and Adrien finally confessed your true feelings!”

“We can talk about it later. We have an akuma to catch. Transform me!”

#mdcspr #my writing

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spine-buster · 3 years

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The President Wears Prada (William Nylander) | Chapter 32

A/N: Another ‘friend’ of ours makes an appearance in this chapter (unfortunately for me lmao)

August 2nd, 2020

Aberdeen Bloom was as prepared as she could be for Game 1 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Scotiabank Arena was freezing – more freezing than normal – because of the three-games-a-day and all the hockey being played. She knew the players and team personnel would complain if the ice was crap (apparently they could tell, though it beat the shit out of her how they could tell), and of course Scotiabank Arena, and the Leafs in general, wanted to make an excellent impression. They were the centre of the hockey world, so Aberdeen knew they could pull it off. It just didn’t help that it was August and it felt like early November indoors.

She joined Brendan and Kyle in their usual box – luckily they didn’t have to give that up. The team was taking their pre-game skate below and Aberdeen watched as William shot pucks towards Freddie in the net, sneaking one past him before skating around their perimeter of the rink a few times. On the other side of the ice, the Columbus Blue Jackets were doing the exact same thing, though she barely knew or recognized a soul on the team. One of them could walk by her in the arena and she wouldn’t know better.

“How do you think it’s gonna go?” Brendan asked from six feet away from her, his black mask covering his face.

Aberdeen shrugged her shoulders. “You should stop asking me these questions, Brendan. I know nothing about hockey.”

“That may be,” he said, not letting up, “but you know the boys, on a level far superior than your knowledge of hockey. So what do you say?”

Aberdeen thought about it. She knew them on a personal level, but that didn’t matter at all – at least she didn’t think it mattered – when it came to a playoff game. She knew how much pressure the guys were under. She also knew that they were still adjusting to the bubble life and how weird everything was. Make no mistake – they were being taken care of exceptionally well by the staff at the Royal York Hotel, and Aberdeen made sure she said a loud thank you to every worker she came across and interacted with. She heard every single one of the guys do the exact same thing. But she didn’t know how that would translate into a hockey game. They were two different things. They were to different entities that she had no idea how to join together.

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, her voice soft. “When you ask me these questions, I feel like you want me to be Nostradamus or something. What if I said they were going to lose 2-0?”

“I’d believe you,” Brendan shrugged.

***

The Leafs lost 2-0.

“C’mon Nostradamus,” Brendan said as he packed up his clipboard and tucked it under his arm. “The social media posts can wait. You need to go mediate the post-game interviews and press calls.”

Aberdeen packed up her iPad after she rolled her eyes. She shouldn’t have said anything. She should have responded ‘They’re going to win 5-0!’ the first time he ever asked her that question and kept that answer throughout the entire season. She followed six feet behind Kyle, who was in turn six feet behind Brendan, as they made their way to the locker room. By the time they got there, Sheldon was nearing the end of his post-game speech. Most of the guys were half undressed – at least at the top – and a few of them were shoving off their elbow pads and chucking their tape from their socks into the bins. They all looked irritated.

She made her way into the media room and set up the Zoom call where a bunch of reporters joined. Morgan and Auston walked into the room, and she quickly typed in the chat which players were there so they could organize their questions accordingly. Morgan and Auston sat down in their chairs.

“Is Steve on the call?” Auston asked suddenly while Aberdeen was adjusting the camera.

“Uh, yeah. Why?” she asked.

Auston pursed his lips together and shrugged it off.

The interviews were going fine. She hated hearing the sound of her own voice on recordings but she knew she’d have to suck it up for the sake of the media call. She called on each reporter by name. The boys answered their questions. It was all very routine.

“Steve Simmons from the Toronto Sun,” Aberdeen called out. She waited, and while waiting, she saw Morgan’s and Auston’s demeanour completely change.

“Uhhh, Steve Simmons, Toronto Sun for Auston – it’s one thing to hear about how tight they play, and to even watch the films of how tight they play. What was it like to experience it?”

Auston took the lead. “Uh, well I mean first of all, it’s unfortunate that I’mn getting a question from you at this point, Steve, but I just wanted to say I didn’t really appreciate the article you wrote about me a couple months ago. I thought, uh, it was very unethical to be honest, but…uh, moving along…”

Aberdeen didn’t hear the rest of his answer. Truthfully, she didn’t care. All she could feel was a burning sensation shooting up her spine at Auston’s words. He did it. He called out Steve Simmons, the most annoying reporter known to mankind.

She smirked.

***

After the media interviews, Aberdeen found a quiet space and took out her iPad again to post the final score graphic to the team’s Instagram page. As she finished typing the caption – ‘Battled hard. Back at it on Tuesday.’ – she heard some fairly loud footsteps behind her before they stopped. “A girl?” a voice from behind her said.

She didn’t recognize it – and it wasn’t like anybody from the team would refer to her as “a girl” – so she furrowed her brows and turned around. She saw what had to be a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets staring at her. She couldn’t see it, but she automatically knew from the way he was standing and the energy he gave off that he was smirking smugly underneath his mask. “Yeah, we exist,” she shot him a look, not ready to take any bullshit from him or anybody else. The way these men thought she was a complete novelty astounded her. “Have you never seen one of us before?”

“So Barzy was right,” the man continued. “The Leafs have a girl in their bubble. Incredible.”

Aberdeen could tell by the way he said and emphasized girl that this conversation – if you could call it that – was gonna be a doozy. The guy was huge but didn’t look any older than she was, so she knew she would be able to put him in his place. “What are you even doing in this hallway? You’re not supposed to be on this side,” she said sternly. “I suggest you leave and go back to your area of the arena unless you want me to complain to the NHL that your breaching protocol.”

From the very end of the hallway, another figure walked by, stopping at the gap when he apparently found who he was looking for. Aberdeen could at least recognize him – John Tortorella, the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. “Pierre, what the fuck are you doing there? Come on, we gotta go.”

The man, named Pierre, gave Aberdeen a smoldering look. She rolled her eyes. “Must have taken a wrong turn,” he said, loud enough so John would hear.

Dead set on not taking any bullshit, and just really, really wanting to put this guy in his place, Aberdeen didn’t let up. “Perhaps you should remind Pierre of how to speak to the staff of another NHL team,” she said sternly. Both men were too far away to notice how red she was getting, but she could see Pierre whip his head to look at her and his eyes go wide in shock. “And perhaps he should read another copy of the social distancing and bubble protocols tonight in his bedroom so he doesn’t make this unfortunate decision again,” she said, deliberately using ‘decision’ instead of ‘mistake’, because she fucking knew this was no mistake. She wondered what other rumours were swirling in the Royal York about a girl being in the Leafs bubble.

Pierre scurried to the end of the hallway. From her spot, she could hear John chuckle. “You must be the Aberdeen Bloom I’ve only ever heard good things about,” he said. “Keep it up. I might ask you to take my place to keep the boys in line.”

She couldn’t help but smile. Pierre took one last look between his coach and ‘the girl’. “I could take ‘em,” Aberdeen commented, getting a nod from John before he and Pierre disappeared.

She let out a breath.

***

After the team got back to the hotel, picked up their pre-packaged dinner, and settled into their rooms, Aberdeen showered and changed. She sat at the desk where she put the meal and took out her phone. She sent some quick texts to her parents, Siena, and Camden before bringing up William’s name.

U up?

lmao minskatt isnt that what i should be saying to u *wink emoji*

Do you want to eat dinner together?

of course

I’m ready whenever you are babe

She waited for him to start the call. Not even two minutes later, her phone began to ring and “Head Empty” flashed across the screen. She accepted the FaceTime call almost immediately. When it connected and he appeared on her screen, walking in his hotel room with his bathrobe on and his hair wet and tied back, she smiled. “Hi.”

“Hi minskatt,” he said, his voice low. She watched as he put a pair of headphones on. “That’s better.”

Hers were already in. “I’m sorry about the game tonight,” she said, perching her phone on a high point on the desk. “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Not really. At least, not right now,” he said, putting his phone down too. “Maybe later. Like, after we have dinner.”

“Promise me we will.”

“I promise,” he said, looking into the phone. He knew she would want him to talk about it, and he made her a promise all those months ago. He would never break it. “Right now I just want to have dinner over FaceTime with my girlfriend even though we’re less than fifty feet away from each other.”

Aberdeen chuckled, if only because she agreed wholeheartedly that this whole thing was ridiculous. The tone of William’s voice made her know that he thought it completely ridiculous too. “It’s hard. I know. At least we get free food,” she held up a forkful of the marinated chicken breast. “And good food. It’s not like it’s airplane food.”

William smiled slightly. “First thing I do when we get out of here is bring you to Canoe or Ardo or Miku and splurge on every meal they have on the menu,” he said.

“Sounds good to me. Maybe by then I’ll have a new job to celebrate, anyway.”

“How’s the article coming along?” he asked.

“Fine,” she said. She’s started in the other day and already had about 1500 words worth of material. She figured the best way to go about it was keep a sort of diary every day and then edit it down when she could. “Might talk about how fucking awkward you hockey boys are these days with women.”

“I’m excluded from that, right?” he asked. “I mean, I totally swept you off your feet when we first met.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “You did.”

***

August 3rd, 2020

Aberdeen accompanied the team to one of the workout facilities just so she could catch a glimpse of sone sunshine on the day off. Instead of working out, she sat on the sidelines of where all the equipment was and the boys worked out, furiously typing away on her personal laptop. Every so often when she’d glance up, she’d see Morgan’s thighs almost ripping through his shorts as he did some lunges; she’d see Auston’s biceps almost bursting through his sleeves as he lifted weights above his head; she’d see William’s thick torso exposed as his shirt rode up from him throwing a heavy medicine ball above his head.

A million girls in this city would kill her to be in her position.

And here she was, writing 10,000 words about them instead of ogling them. Well, everyone except her secret boyfriend.

***

August 4th, 2020

Game 2.

Aberdeen was confident that the boys would respond to Columbus’s win in Game 1. She could tell in their energy throughout the day and in the arena they were ready and they were ready to win.

“Hey Nostradamus,” Brendan called out, winking. Aberdeen saw Kyle chuckle from behind his mask. “What’s the score gonna be?”

“Oh shut it,” she shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest and smirking to herself. Except she couldn’t hold her tongue. “3-0, but this time for us.”

“I believe her!” Kyle piped up.

Brendan snorted. “Who’s placing bets?!”

The bell rang and everybody settled down to stand for the anthem. As the game got underway, Aberdeen could feel rushes of electricity move up her spine every time the Leafs touched the puck. They were playing phenomenally. They looked focused, into it, and like a complete team. It was a night and day difference from Game 1. Though the first period didn’t have any goals, Aberdeen knew they’d be coming – for the Leafs only.

In the second period Auston scored and Aberdeen jumped out of her seat to celebrate. And when John scored late in the third period to get a two goal lead, she was even happier.

Then, with less than two minutes left, disaster hit.

It was a play behind the net. Pierre Luc Dubois – the guy from the other day, Aberdeen had learned – basically cross-checked Jake Muzzin, and Jake fell awkwardly, trying to break it, with his head hitting a Blue Jackets player’s leg. He fell to the ice.

He wasn’t getting up. And the referee hadn’t blown the whistle.

Those fuckers.

“BLOW THE FUCKING WHISTLE!!!” Aberdeen screamed at the top of her lungs, startling Brendan and Kyle. Her face was turning red. She was sure she’d been so loud the referee actually heard her, because he finally blew it. Jake was having a hard time getting up, and then he lay back down. One of the trainers immediately made his way onto the ice, rushing towards Jake.

The replays began to play from every angle, and Aberdeen watched on the TV screen in the box how his head and neck contorted once he hit the player’s thigh. She had tears in her eyes as she watched the worst angles. She looked back out onto the ice to see Jake still lying there. The trainer was still with him, though more were making their way onto the ice now. Then, she saw one of the trainers put his hands near Jake’s neck. They called for a stretcher.

She bolted out of her seat.

“Aberdeen!” she could hear Brendan call out after her, but she didn’t listen. She didn’t turn around. She hurried down to ice level, her mind running a mile a minute, and flashed her credentials to anyone and everyone she needed to, not bothering to stop so they could actually see them.

By the time she got to ice level, she could hear the distant sound of sticks tapping, letting her know he was being stretched off. She met all the trainers and the stretcher at the entrance. “Jake?!” she asked frantically.

“Aberdeen?” he asked.

“Are you okay? Did you break your neck?!”

“I didn’t break my neck. I can feel my arms and legs,” he said. Aberdeen let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding in. “Did it look scary?”

“Is that a joke?” she asked. “I ran down here the second they called for the stretcher.”

“We’re going to take him to the hospital. He’s going to have to leave the bubble,” the head trainer informed Aberdeen. “You need to tell Brendan and Kyle. Then update us on the protocol of what it will take to get him back into the hotel.”

Before she could acknowledge what was just said, Jake spoke up again. “Aberdeen?”

“Yeah Jake?”

“You need to call Courtney for me. Tell her I’m okay,” he said. “She’s probably worried sick.”

Aberdeen’s heart sunk into her stomach. Courtney. “Yeah yeah, of course—”

“—You have her number, right—”

“—We really need to get him to the hospital—”

“—Yeah, I have her number—”

“—Call Courtney, please,” were Jake’s last words before he was stretchered off.

Aberdeen watched until they were out of her line of sight. For a few moments, the images of what just happened flashed through her mind, and she momentarily forgot about everything. She felt sick to her stomach. Jake said he felt okay, but she knew hockey players always just said that. Morgan had been playing injured for the better part of the year until he actually got injured. High sticks to the face, lost teeth, blood drawn – these guys just put a bandaid on it and said they were fine. But this was different.

When Courtney’s face crossed her mind, she jolted back to life and grabbed her phone out of her pocket, scrolling until she found Courtney’s number. The phone didn’t even have to ring twice. “Aberdeen?!” she asked frantically. “How’s Jake?”

“Hey Court—he’s okay—”

“He’s okay?!”

“Well, they’re bringing him to the hospital right now,” she said. “But I was able to talk to him because I rushed down to ice level and he told me he was fine and to call you.”

“So you—you were able to talk to him,” Courtney said, her voice much calmer than just moments before. “You saw him?”

“Yes. He told me he could move his arms and legs,” Aberdeen informed her.

“Okay. Okay. Does that mean he has to leave the bubble though? I mean can I go visit him?”

Aberdeen cringed. “I don’t think so,” she said. As she did, she could hear Luna being fussy in the background and Courtney trying to calm her. “The NHL has an agreement with Toronto General about potential injuries. If everything is okay and he comes back into the bubble, all he has to do is pass three negative tests,” she explained, listening to Luna get even fussier.

“Okay. Alright. But they’ll call me, right?”

“Absolutely. I’m sure Jake will even be able to call you from the hospital. Our trainers all have their phones on them.”

“Thanks Aberdeen,” Courtney said, and Aberdeen could hear the relief in her voice. She knew all Courtney wanted was to hear from her husband. Luna let out a loud cry. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Bye Court,” Aberdeen ended the call.

Families. So many of them had families. So many of them had families that were suffering and making do with a prolonged absence and Aberdeen couldn’t take it. The players were sacrificing so much to be in the bubble. And their families were sacrificing so much letting them go into the bubble. She knew most of them had money – to cope, to do whatever, really – but that didn’t compensate for presence. That didn’t compensate for having daddy around to play and snuggle with.

She began to cry as she found herself walking towards the locker room, not even knowing whether or not the game had ended. She didn’t really care at this point. All she could think about was Courtney and Luna at home, worrying about Jake as he was being taken to the hospital. To Aberdeen, nothing else mattered right now.

She heard some commotion from the locker room and she knew the boys were back in. She didn’t know how long they’d been back for, and didn’t bother to peek in to see. She didn’t want to when her eyes were still red and welling up with tears. Instead, she hid herself around a corner, crouching down with her knees against her chest, wiping at her eyes every so often and trying to control her emotions before having to go in, or getting called by Brendan, or by Kyle, or—

“There you are.”

Well, so much for that.

She looked up from her crouched position and saw Jason looking down at her. He wasn’t completely undressed – he had all his UnderArmour on – but he was still sweaty from the game and his hair was matted against his head. She wiped her eyes one last time before getting up. “Hi.”

“Did you see Jake?”

She nodded. “He’s okay. He can feel and move his arms and legs or whatever.”

“Why are you crying?”

She knew he wasn’t asking to be insolent, but did she really have to have to spell it out for him? “Don’t tell me you’re immune to this shit,” she said. “I just had to call Courtney and explain to her that her husband didn’t break his neck and end his God damn career. Luna was crying in the background. It’s a lot, okay?”

Jason nodded his head. “I know it is. I’m not trying to…fuck, I know that came out wrong. He’s gonna be okay, Aberdeen.”

“Thanks.”

“Come on, Aberdeen,” he said soothingly. “It’s gonna be okay.”

She shook her head, wiping away the last of her tears. “I know. I’m just being a big baby.”

“No you’re not,” Jason said. “You’re not being a big baby. You’re being a human being. Someone you cared about got hurt. Do you want to talk about it when you get back to the hotel?” he asked.

She considered it for only half a second before she shook her head. “No. I know you call your girls every night. I can’t take time away from them.”

“Aberdeen—”

“I’ll be okay,” she asserted. “I promise. I’ll be okay.”

“Aberdeen!” Kyle’s voice suddenly called out. He rushed towards her with his phone in his hand. “They took him to the hospital, right?”

“Yeah,” she nodded her head, trying to steady her voice and make it seem as professional as possible. “He’s technically left the bubble, so we have to update the trainers on protocol to get him back into the hotel and how—”

“I’ll handle that with Brendan and Josh,” he interrupted. “But he was okay?”

“He could feel his arms and legs. That’s what he told me. Then he asked me to call Courtney and I did that.”

Kyle nodded his head, looking – really looking – at Aberdeen for the first time in their conversation. “Were you crying?”

“I’m going to be fine,” was all she said.

***

“I’m going to come to your room,” William said through the phone in a strained voice.

“Don’t you dare,” Aberdeen chastised him, a new batch of tears having fallen down her face as she lay in bed. “Don’t you even think about leaving your room, William.”

“Aberdeen, you need me and I need to be with you right now—”

“And you need to stay in your room so you don’t get kicked out of the bubble,” she said sternly. “I’m being serious, Will. Don’t come over.”

She watched as he bit his lip and shook his head. She could see all over his face how conflicted he was. It was one of the things she loved most about him – to the world, he seemed cool and unemotional and that he didn’t really care about anything or take anything too seriously, but to her, he was the entire range of emotions in one conversation. He had a heart full of gold and she knew it would always stay that way. “This is killing me, minskatt,” he whispered, his voice defeated. “I want to be there for you when you need me. Always. I mean…you need me, right?”

Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. She didn’t know where this was coming from, but like some things with William, she felt like it was something that had been on his mind for a while and was only letting out now. He was still learning to talk to her about his feelings. He was keeping his promise from February, so she could appreciate that. “Of course I need you,” she said softly. “I’ll always need you like you need me. We’re in this together. You know that. But you need to be on this team right now. You need to help them fight. This isn’t about me. It’s about the team.”

“It’s always about you,” William said. “You still don’t get it, do you? It’s always about you.”

“Don’t make it about me right now, Willy. It’s not about me. It’s about Jake, and the team,” she paused for dramatic effect. “Make it about me later,” she added, trying to be humourous.

It garnered a small smile from him, and she felt proud of herself. “I love you, minskatt.”

“I love you too Willy. Promise me you’ll get some sleep?”

He nodded slightly. “I promise.”

***

Aberdeen’s iPhone was still in her hands as she woke again from its vibrations. She jumped at the sensation of being awoken in the middle of the night. If it was Willy calling her at three in the morning, she was gonna kill him.

“Hello?” her voice was groggy.

The voice on the other end was not William’s. “I lived, bitch.”

***

August 6th, 2020

It wouldn’t be a Toronto Maple Leafs series without some drama, apparently. And the drama tonight was how the team blew a 3-0 lead, allowing the Columbus Blue Jackets to win 4-3 in overtime, with Pierre-Luc Dubois scoring a hattrick. That meant the Columbus Blue Jackets were now up 2-1 in the series.

It meant the Leafs could go home tomorrow.

Aberdeen tried not to think about it.

She didn’t bring it up with anybody as they went back to the hotel, and she knew, judging by the looks on their faces, that they didn’t want to hear about it either. Nobody would be turning on their TVs tonight, and she doubted they would check the news on their phones, either. Maybe they’d play video games to take their minds off of it. Or maybe they’d go right to bed and rest, since they had to do all of this again in less than 24 hours. Fuck.

Aberdeen took a shower. She washed her face. She did her skincare. She put on a sheetmask.

Her phone rang.

She knew it was William, so she tucked herself into bed and accepted the FaceTime call. When he realized that she had a sheetmask on, a smile broke out on his face from ear to ear. “Nice sheetmask,” he said, biting his bottom lip.

She smiled cheekily and shrugged her shoulders. “You’re used to it by now. Shouldn’t come as much of a surprise,” she said.

“I am used to it by now and—oh shit, hold on, I forgot something…” he said, trailing off as he set his phone down so Aberdeen could only see the ceiling in his room. Knowing William, he probably forgot to turn the light off in the bathroom or something. But the longer he took, the more Aberdeen became skeptical of his whereabouts. She barely heard anything on the other end. “There we are…” she heard his voice. And then she saw what he had on his face: a sheetmask. He was still smiling from ear to ear. “Now where were we?” he asked.

“William!” Aberdeen squealed, letting out giggles she couldn’t hold in at the sight of him. He looked ridiculous. It was clearly the first time he’d ever put one on himself. “What in God’s name are you doing?”

“You love these things!” he tried to justify himself. “I brought one because I knew I’d catch you at least once in here with one of these things on. And if we can’t do it together…well, physically, then we can do them together in separate rooms. Like everything else we need to do.”

Her cheeks flushed red – not that he could see. He bought sheetmasks and put them on with her. He gave her time to write. He encouraged her writing. He listened to her. He cared for her. He was even better than anything she could have imagined in a dream boyfriend. How did she get so lucky? How did she let guys treat her like shit before him? She felt tears well in her eyes. He was going all out to make the best of the bubble, and she couldn’t be more thankful. “I love you so much, Willy.”

“I love you too, minskatt.”

“No…I love you Willy. Like love you love you. Love you love you love you. I don’t even have the words…and I’m a writer! You make me speechless, Willy. There aren’t enough words in the English or Swedish languages that I can string together that will, like, tell you or show you how much I love you.”

“I get it, minskatt. Don’t worry. I feel the same way.”

“I don’t know how I got so lucky with you.”

“I annoyed you enough until I wore you down,” he quipped.

She giggled. “You seduced me is what I’d call it.”

“I don’t know about that. If I remember correctly it was you rubbing yourself against my thigh that morning.”

She made a face at him. He made the exact same face back but crinkled his sheetmask so he had to flatten it with his free hand. She watched him with complete adulation. “Willy?”

“Minskatt?”

“Can we listen to our song together?”

William smiled. He fiddled around with his phone and his ‘Minskatt’ playlist until the familiar chords started playing over the phone, filling the air with the nicest, best, most beautiful sound Aberdeen had ever heard – save for Willy’s laugh, maybe – because she knew this song was about her, about them, and it was still their little secret.

166 notes · View notes

dyde21 · 4 years

Note

Writer AU? For percabeth maybe like a secret linin long time best friend thing. I love the florist AU

Sorry this took AGES. Finally started writing a bit again. I hope this is okay though!

XxXxXxXxX

Blushing, Belle blushed as she felt the hand slid across her cheek, cupping it as she felt his thumb trace over her lips gently, her smile quirking up at the motion. Her heart was pounding, but she was more distracted by the burn of her cheeks. She was wondering if they felt as hot on his hand as they did to her.

“Pierre…” Her voice caught in her throat as she stared into his eyes. She had seen them so many ways over the years of their long friendship. Joyful, sorrow-filled, playful, and even angry. But this looked more… raw. Passionate. And their focus was solely on her.

A dangerous smirk crossed his face, one that threatened to wipe away her self control when he started to move forwa-

“Hey Annabe-”

Annabeth jumped a foot out of her chair, slamming the lid on her laptop with a slam that made both her and the lightly sun tanned raven haired dork standing across from her wince at. She was honestly scared to check it later to see if it had been cracked.

“You okay there?”

He asked, setting down a coffee and sliding it to her, hesitantly like a peace offering.

Annabeth took a deep breath, hand on her chest as she tried to calm her heart rate.

“You scared the living shit outta me Percy.” Annabeth lamented, glaring at him slightly.

“I noticed.” He said, his voice concerned but the hints of a smile creeping up at the corner of his mouth. It was a look so “Percy” she couldn’t decide if she wanted to punch or kiss him.

He sat down across from her, pulling out his own laptop as the cafe around them resumed their normal chaos as their momentary distraction had settled down.

Quickly Annabeth opened her laptop and saved and closed the offending document in a blur before Percy could even attempt to look at what she was doing.

He took a sip of his drink as he raised an eyebrow at her. “Hiding something?”

“No.” Annabeth said stubbornly, as if it wasn’t glaringly obvious that was a lie.

Another trouble-maker smile crept on his face and Annabeth instantly knew she was going to hate whatever came out of his mouth next.

“I know you’re bold, but sitting in a cafe watching por-”

He was cut off as her foot collided with his shin, making his hand jostle as he spilled a little over his wrist.

“Fuck! Shit! That’s hot.”

He quickly set down his drink as he looked around for a napkin, but Annabeth was already handing him one in apology. “Sorry.” She said, her own smirk cutting the words short.

“No you’re not.” He accused.

“I am! Just slightly. You deserved it.”

“True. Just trying to lighten the mood. You seemed tense.” He offered, picking up his drink. Pausing, he tucked up his legs dramatically into his chair as he took a sip, leaning back from her.

Despite herself, she laughed at his antics, which earned a victorious smile on her best friend. She hated how easily he could make her smile, as if it was the easiest thing in the world to him. But that was a lie, it was one of the many reasons she was so utterly, annoying, completely, and hopelessly in love with her best friend.

Setting down his drink again, she saw his mood shift. He stopped fidgeting as much as his attention focused solely on her. She knew what was coming next, he had that same look his mother often got whenever Annabeth would confide in her for motherly advice she couldn’t get from her own family. Sometimes she could forget how much he looked like his mother, but whenever his mother hen side came out, it was always startlingly obvious.

“Annabeth, is everything okay?” He asked, as she mouthed the words along with him, knowing him like the back of her hand.

“I’m fine, Percy. Seriously. It’s just a new story I’m working on. You know how I get with my work.”

Wincing, she tried to ignore the sick feeling brewing her stomach. She hated lying to Percy, after all he had done for her in her life, pushing him away was the one thing she refused to do. But she also couldn’t admit exactly what the story was. It also wasn’t a complete lie. She really did get nervous about her works before they were done, and unless she deliberately wanted feedback, no one was allowed to see them.

He stared at her a moment longer, seemingly analyzing every minute detail about her, deciding if he believed her or how to press the issue.

“I’m serious. I would tell you if something was wrong, you know that.” She offered, pressing her advantage. He seemed to relent after a moment.

“You better.” He warned, before he focused back on his laptop. “By the way, science has just confirmed that studying is actually cruel and unusual.” He complained. “Why can’t I just like… speak with animals. That would make it so much easier to figure out what's wrong with them.”

“I feel like if you could speak to animals you’d have much bigger problems to worry about.” Annabeth countered. “You went in marine biology, not expecting to study?”

Shaking his head, he put in one earbud, still listening to her. “I expected it. That doesn’t mean it’s not still cruel.”

Rolling her eyes, Annabeth could still see the smile on his face even as he complained. For as much as he enjoyed bitching to her, she could tell he really had a passion about marine biology that was unparalleled in his life. She found it admirable how hard he worked for his dream, even when she knew he hated the amount of studying that went along with it.

“Here. Send me the study guide. I’ll quiz you.”

His eyes widened as he looked at her. “You’re the best, you know that?”

A moment later her messenger beeped as a new file was sent to her. She glanced between the profile picture she had set for him of a baby seal, and his eager expression as he waited for her to help him study and decided there really wasn’t much of a difference between the two creatures. It really was a good thing that Percy was so selfless around her because she really had a problem saying no to him.

As they began studying, Annabeth tried to keep her mind focused on the cute creatures Percy would be saving, and not the way his proud smile made her heart flutter when he impressed her with the results of his personal studying, or her writing still failed to capture even half the allure she found in her best friend.

Eventually Percy had to start another essay which had given Annabeth a few minutes to add some notes to her story for later. Most of which had been endearing quirks or habits she had seen Percy do while they studied. Staring at the file, still named “Untitled document” she sighed. She really hated coming up with names, even if this was one story that couldn’t really see the light of day. Pausing, staring at the blinking cursor, she typed in the name.

“Fuck_This”

Grinning, she closed the document as Percy started to talk about how they should go get dinner soon as a reward for working so hard. Annabeth quickly sent a text to her roommate, letting her know she’d be out late.

XxXxXxXxX

Leaning back over the edge of the couch, letting her head hang, Annabeth watched Piper walk out of the bathroom, drying her hair.

“How was your date?” Her best friend asked.

Pulling her head back to sit up straight, Annabeth sighed. “It wasn’t a date. We just got food. Like best friends do.”

“That sucks.” Piper offered.

“... I know.” Annabeth relented. She had given up on trying to pretend she wasn’t interested in Percy around Piper a few years ago, not that Piper had ever really believed her lie since they had met. Piper was probably the one person she had met as stubborn as her.

“He almost saw the story today.” Annabeth muttered, tucking her knees up to her chest as she dropped her head onto them. She couldn’t even imagine what would have happened if he had seen the story and pieced it together. She was pretty sure she would have actually died. Her relationship with Percy was the one thing in life she couldn’t ruin. It had acted like a lifeline to her more times than she could count.

“You mean your fanfic about him?” Piper asked, taking a sip of her soda, narrowly ducking to dodge the pillow that hit the fridge right next to her head.

“It’s not a fanfic! It’s just… inspired.” She offered, before burying her head in a pillow, ignoring how weak her defense was.”

“Riiggghhttt. I think you should just send it to him. It’s a unique way of confessing.”

“I’d rather die.” Annabeth countered. “He’d never let me live it down, even if he said yes.”

“If?” Piper asked incredulously. “Like he would say no. You just say you were going on a date next friday and he’d be your boyfriend without questioning it. He’s head over heels for you.”

“Then why hasn’t he asked me out yet?”

“Because despite the fact you two are both stubborn asses and impulsive, neither of you have a spine when it comes to the other. It’s a tragedy to watch, truly.”

Annabeth just slowly fell over, laying on the couch. “It’s not that simple.”

Piper had her hands on her hips as she looked down at her best friend, before sighing. “Well hopefully when you finish this story it’ll give you some ideas. For now I’m hungry so let’s eat. We still have a pizza in the freezer, right?”

Sitting up, Annabeth nodded. “And a bottle of wine.”

Piper perked up at that. “Now we’re talking!”

An hour later and they were both sprawled across their seats, sharing a veggie pizza as they split a bottle of wine that Annabeth had bought to celebrate the end of their previous term.

Annabeth’s phone buzzed, and she saw Percy’s name. Almost a little too quickly, she snatched up the phone, reading the text.

“Percy?” Piper asked, her eyes still glued to the TV.

Typing out her response, Annabeth nodded before pulling her laptop onto her lap. “Apparently he finished this essay, he wants me to check it.”

“Eh? Aren’t you supposed to be taking it easy?” Piper asked, pointing at her with her foot from her lounging position.

Annabeth shrugged. “This essay is important for his grade.”

“And you can’t say no to him.”

Annabeth just grumbled in response as she opened up his email. Staring at the file name, she laughed, earning a look from Piper.

“Percy’s essay is lovingly called “Fuck_That’” Piper rolled her eyes. “Make sure you remind him to change that if it’s an online submission. Didn’t he already get yelled at for something like that before?”

Grinning, Annabeth settled into the couch a little more to get comfy as she started to read through the essay. “Yeah. Twice.”

Piper laughed as Annabeth was feeling proud of Percy. His writing really had gotten better the past few years. He really was taking college seriously, and she couldn’t be more proud of him.

Annabeth was also caught a little off guard on how much of the content of his essay that she understood. She must have helped him study too often.

Piper had tried asking her a few more things, but Annabeth had only grunted in response, deep in work mode as she did her best to ensure she gave the best feedback she could. At least with a glass or two of wine already in her.

An hour later and she saved the copy that had the highlights and edits to send it back to him. He should still have plenty of time to do another pass over it before submitting it.

Scrolling through her files, she clicked the save and attached it, before sending it back in another email along with some general notes.

Closing her laptop and setting it on the table, she glanced over at Piper who was staring at her.

“Can we get back to girls night?”

Annabeth grinned sheepishly. “Sorry.”

Piper waved her off. “Anyway we have like 4 more episodes.”

Annabeth’s phone buzzed as she glanced at the text. It was thanks from Percy. Tossing her phone on the table, she focused back on the TV for a bit to relax, letting the migrational habits of certain sea creatures leave her mind for now.

About half an hour later, Annabeth noticed her phone was blinking. She must have missed Percy’s response. As Piper stood up, stretching out her legs before heading to the kitchen, she nearly dropped her plate when Annabeth let out a shriek.

“‘Beth? Is everything okay?” She asked, rushing back over.

Piper paused, seeing her best friend's face as pale as a ghost. What had happened?

Annabeth just held out her phone, letting Piper take it as she dropped her face into her hands.

Hesitantly Piper read the messages.

Thanks so much!

Is this your new story? I assume you want feedback while you edit mine.

It’s cute so far!

Hey… Pierre sounds familiar…

Annabeth?

“How…”

Annabeth was already furiously typing on her laptop, sending another email with his essay attached to it. Checking what had happened, she groaned as she realized what had happened.

“The file names were similar. I clicked the wrong one…”

Raising an eyebrow, Piper leaned over her shoulder. “How?”

“Cause I named my file ‘Fuck_This’”

Piper dropped her head onto Annabeth’s shoulder, laughing. “You two really do only have like 1 braincell between the two fo you don’t you?”

Annabeth lightly headbutted her. “This isn’t funny! Everything is ruined.”

Piper winced, standing back up and rubbing her head. “Maybe he won’t notice…”

Shaking her head, Annabeth wasn’t convinced. “He’s smarter than you think…”

Knowing she was right, Piper frowned. “Well at least you don’t have to worry about wanting to confess anymore.”

Annabeth stared at her phone, waiting for a reply.

Got the essay, thanks. Need to submit it, I’ll text you tomorrow.

Annabeth stared at the message, before showing Piper. “What does this mean?”

Piper shrugged. “That he actually needs to turn in his homework, and probably has no idea how to react to your fanf- story you sent him and what it might mean. I think you just need to wait for tomorrow.”

Grabbing the glass, Annabeth down the rest of her wine as she just laid down on the couch and screamed into a pillow.

Kneeling down, piper gently rubbed her friend’s back. She already knew it was going to be a long night.

XxXxXxXxX

Annabeth paced back and forth as she waited for the oven to ding. Okay, so she might have been stress baking at the moment. She had somehow managed to fall asleep last night, but she still hadn’t heard from Percy. Maybe he really hadn’t realized things?

Piper had grabbed one of the muffins from her first batch as she munched on it happily. “Have mentioned I really love the fact you stress bake?”

All Annabeth could do was make a pitiful stressed sound. Piper pulled her into a tight hug. “It’ll be okay. Percy is probably just trying to figure out the right way to address this. He’s as stressed as you are about thi-”

A knock on the door made them both freeze.

“Please tell me you ordered Pizza.” Annabeth said, glancing at the window. Maybe she could escape…”

“We’re on the third floor.” Piper reminded her as she made her way to their door. Opening it, her suspicions were confirmed as she saw Percy standing there with a bag of chinese food and a liter of soda.

“Is she home?” Percy asked simply.

Piper looked him over once, before nodding. “One sec.”

Grabbing her shoes and keys, she walked past him. “Good luck.” She offered, before patting him on the back and leaving the apartment. She figured they needed time to work things out, and it was up to them. Plus she figured she should grab another bottle of wine for either celebration or comfort.

Annabeth wondered what was taking Piper so long. “Pipes?”

“Not quite.” Percy offered as he turned the corner, holding up the bag.

Annabeth stared at him, then the bag, then the window.

“Hey Percy.”

“Thanks for the help with the essay. I brought lunch.”

Annabeth nodded. “No problem.” Her throat felt dry but she moved to get plates.

Nervously she dished up some of the lunch, trying to calm her heart and act normal but the subtle glances Percy kept giving her wouldn’t let her heart calm down. She was waiting for the shoe to drop.

They were both sitting on the couch now, both quietly eating the food. Even Percy, who was usually pretty talkative around her, was quiet. She knew she should act normal, pretend like it didn’t happen and leave the ball in Percy’s court, but everytime she opened her mouth to speak she just couldn’t find the right words.

“Your… story is good.” Percy said eventually, almost as if the words pained him. Wincing, Annabeth tucked up her knees to her chest as she braced herself. She had already imagined a million ways this conversation could do, and she was pretty sure it at least wouldn’t be as bad as some of the worst ones.

“Thank you.” She offered politely, really wishing her vocabulary hadn’t left her.

“Some of the characters seemed… familiar.”

Brushing a few strands of hair behind her ear, she nodded. “You know what they say, write what you know.” She offered with a slight smile, just waiting for him to really say what was on his mind. Her fingers started to drum against her leg. Couldn’t he just get it over with?

“Annabeth.” His voice trailed off. His brows scrunched up in that adorable way they did whenever he was trying to say something difficult for him. “Is that about… us?”

“What? No!” Annabeth snapped, before she covered her face with her hands. That… wasn’t what she had planned on saying. The old habits in her head were still screaming at her to repeat past mistakes, deny it, avoid the conversation, start a fight to avoid talking about it with Percy until they made up later and the subject wasn’t brought up again.

“I… see.” His voice was soft, almost hurt. That broke something inside Annabeth. She hated hurting him.

“It is, okay!?” Annabeth shouted, standing up suddenly. Her fists were clenched at her side.

“Yes! The story is based on us. Because you’re my best friend Percy. And for who knows how long, I’ve been hopelessly, irrevocably in love with you. Whenever I try and write a romance story, all I see is your stupid smile and your gorgeous eyes and when I try to imagine what sweet thing a guy could do, it’s always just whate you did for me before. I know it’s weird! I know you probably don’t want your best friend daydreaming about you but I can’t help it. It’s your fault I’m in love with you seaweed brain!”

The words had exploded out of her, her tone a bit more frantic than she had hoped. She couldn’t look him in the eyes anymore, and she was vaguely aware she was shaking slightly. She just couldn’t handle it anymore, and she’d rather have the truth out than start another fight with her best friend because she was too scared to admit how she really felt.

She saw Percy slowly stand up, and she braced herself. She knew he was too sweet to yell at her when she was like this, she figured he’d probably just walk out and let her calm down. Instead she felt his strong arms wrap around her and pull her close, his warmth embracing her and her nose being filled with her favorite scent that lingered on his hoodies she stole from him when she was feeling particularly greedy.

She froze for a moment, before she hugged him close back, unable to stop some of the tears from escaping her eyes. She knew she shouldn’t be getting all emotional right now, but the situation was too much for her.

A few moments of eternity later and they pulled back a bit. Annabeth was staring at him, as he still watched her, his brows furrowed.

“Percy, I-” She was cut off as his lips quickly connected to hers. Her eyes widened, but a moment later the greedy part of her brain took over again, as it always did with Percy, and she quickly returned the kiss for a few moments. Eventually he pulled back, looking slightly frazzled.

“Sorry! I just… needed you to stop talking for a moment. I didn’t know how else to do it…”

His cheeks were bright red, and she laughed slightly. “I can think of worse ways.”

“Annabeth. I love you too. Always have. But you create beautiful worlds, both in your architecture and your writing, and I just didn’t want to distract you from them. You deserve everything, and more.”

“It kinda feels like I’m holding everything that matters to me right now.” She muttered, squeezing him closer slightly. Her brain had kind of short circuited during the kiss, so she was relieved she had plenty of practice coming up with cheesy dialogue to lean back onto.

Percy blushed in an unfairly adorable way again, causing her to kiss him this time.

When they separated again, he was giving her that same grin that made her stomach sink and her heart do flips. “Does this mean you’re going to start calling me ‘Pierre’?”

Rolling her eyes, she kissed his cheek. “Don’t ruin the moment.”

A little while later they were cuddled up on the couch, which wasn’t too different from how they usually ended up but there was a lot less posturing and pretense leading up to it when the door to the apartment opened.

“Is it safe to come in?” Piper asked hesitantly. “Is everyone okay? Is everyone dressed?” She asked.

“Yeah. We’re good. Great even. Things are great.” Annabeth offered, glancing over at Percy who was just grinning at her.

“Phew.” Piper said dramatically as she walked in, setting down some groceries. “I had no idea what I was going to walk in on. I prepared for a few situations.”

Rolling her eyes, Annabeth probably would have been a little more snarky if she wasn’t still riding a high from Percy’s confession.

“So I take you two finally stopped that stupid dance you’ve been doing?” Piper asked, popping open the salsa and dipping some chips into it.

“Yeah. We are.” Annabeth answered, before sharing another quick kiss.

“Thank God. Finally. I also won thirty bucks off this.” She offered, sending out a quickly celebratory text that caused Annabeth’s and Percy’s phone to start exploding a few minutes later with messages from their friends.

She wouldn’t definitely get on her case about that later. But for now she could let it slide.

“Oh, and both of you really need to work on naming your files better.” Piper said as she plopped down on the chair off to the side, snapping a photo for instagram to let the world know that her friends had finally gotten a clue.

#percabeth #Percy Jackson #Annabeth Chase #PJO #Writer!AU #I havent posted in agesssss #I'm kinda pulling out of the fandom and might just drop stories into it occasionally #I hope this story makes at least someone smile though!#I thought it was cute #Even if the ending was meh

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simptasia · 3 years

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ultimate ship meme ask <3 for science trio!

ah, thank you! i’m so sorry it took me this long to respond, i didn’t mean for 2 bloody weeks to pass. i kept procrastinating or being too tired

daniel + charlotte + miles

General:

How long will they last?

eternity and then some

How quickly did/will they fall in love?

daniel @ charlotte, i’m thinking like a week or so. kinda hit him like a bullet

charlotte @ daniel, two or three weeks

daniel @ miles, somewhere from a couple of months to a year

charlotte @ miles, in living timeline didn’t happen, in limboverse, i’ll give her 3 months. and she loved him as a friend already anyways. i imagine it’s her who brings miles into the fold, allowing the sci trio to be fully realised

miles @ daniel and charlotte, oh Fuck Knows. it happens, but [shrugs]. and i like the idea that miles didn’t realise he was in love with daniel and charlotte (and sawyer and juliet) until waaay after their time together. like he falls in love with richard and then The Power Of Hindsight kinda fucks him over

(and for anybody who gets snippy saying that “a couple of weeks is too quick to fall in love!” or some shit: my bf fell in love with me in 2 weeks, and for me it took a month. so nyeh. also hurley/libby, sayid/shannon and charlie/claire)

How was their first kiss?

all of these take place in limboverse

daniel/charlotte: so i imagine this happens like right after they Remember, so emotions are running high and char is like “i’m gonna do something i should have done when we were alive” and just sorta grabs dan’s face and <3

and dan is stunned for a second and then sinks into it. you know that lovely trope of somebody being kissed and their eyes are open and then they practically melt closed from the kissy feelings. and they’re soulmates and this has been a long time coming and i feel cliche but uh, fireworks

daniel/miles: so the three of them have started Their Thing and like, they’re in a sexual relationship now but because char started this, dan is unsure about like, do him and miles do... stuff... together too? is that a thing? they were all touching each other during The Event. plus dan isn’t exactly sure how he feels about miles, but he’s been slowly getting more attracted to him over time. and also dan’s never been with a guy before. so yeah dan is overthinking things and meanwhile, miles is like “if he’s up for it, i’m down” but keeping his distance because like, it’s dan and he doesn’t know if dan is into him

that was a long build up to say, eventually the dan/miles side of the triangle does get figured out and after a moment of awkwardness dan kisses miles, tentative at first and then That Spark happens and they both get into it. at one moment miles pulls back just a bit and dan deliriously like... chases his mouth. because it turns out kissing miles is awesome. and miles notes dan’s a good kisser too, and dan isn’t even offended at the surprised in miles’ tone.

so in short, dan and miles’ first kiss went on for longer than miles expected because dan got tingly soup brain

also in both of dan’s first kisses with these two he kept his hands to himself outta 1. not thinking clearly because Mouth Things and 2. awkwardness. both char and miles had to grab dan’s hands and place them upon themselves, to remind him, you have these, please use them (there’s a line i give char: “i think you’d find i have many lovely things below my shoulders, dan”). from then on, dan is Characteristically Handsy. annnnyways!

charlotte/miles: it was very shortly after they met actually. pierre introduced them at the museum and there was attraction yes, but also this spark which they both wordlessly acknowledge. when pierre has left (just to get coffee hjjdhasa), they talk for a bit and then casually agree to go somewhere private. a coat check room. they got hit with familiarity and both of them being the type of people who have casual sex that information translated into “i’m gonna fuck this person now”

so basically their first kiss was messy, frantic, impulsive, clothes quickly being taken off, etc etc. thats how their friends with benefits thing started, even before they were friends, really. this was years ago and they became besties

Wedding:

in this set-up, it’d be dan and char getting married

Who proposed?

dan, technically but it wasn’t a surprise. marriage was something both of them discussed for a while before and char was the one who brought it up

(and here is where she jokes “you know what my mum would say about me marrying an american” and daniel gets an Awful Feeling from that)

Who is the best man/men?

well, miles, of course. richard is also one of the groomsman <3

Who is the braid’s maid(s)?

Why Weren’t You Allowed To Have Lady Friends

and besides that, most of the available women in lost have Moved On

annnnd i just remembered char has two sisters. chelsea and chloe

Who did the most planning?

char. it’s not that dan doesn’t care, it’s just she just has more preferences. patterns and colours and things like that. but they all pitch in at least a little

tho miles is the least help. at one point char holds up two swatches for bridesmaids dresses and asks which one he likes more (she’ll decide herself, she just wants Interaction, for her nerves) and miles doesn’t look up from his magazine and says “the left one”. char is annoyed and he says “whichever one is closest to purple”. they’re each a shade of green and blue

Who stressed the most?

oh, char. she never thought she’d get married so she’s never really emotionally prepared herself for it. or for planning a event like this. she isn’t paitent with people she doesn’t already like so dealing with wedding business people has been a task. and just. marriage isn’t stressful, weddings are. which is why dan is gonna be a good boy and absolutely help. and miles is also helping...

char: and how exactly have you been helping??

miles: [serious tone] i’m the plucky comic relief

char: [death glare]

miles: ...i’ll go pick up the flowers

- later -

daniel: heeey miles, you know how you and charlotte like to playfully snipe at each other? ...you can’t do that right now, she’s kinda stressed

miles: [wheeling in dozens of lillies] yeah, i figured that

char, from the other room: WHY ARE CAKES SO FUCKING EXPENSIVE

How fancy was the ceremony?

Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.

i’ll give this a 7 outta 10 on the “ooh aah” scale. oh yeah they could absolutely afford a huge fuck off wedding but they didn’t want one. also another reason they didn’t have a Huge Wedding is that dan, char and miles legit don’t know enough people i always picture their wedding happens in like a park. a nice one. and there’s a real prevalant flower motif happening here. arch covered in flowers, petals on the ground, lotsa white lillies about. there’s a real English Garden / cottage aesthetic vibe to this. char’s got a flower in her hair and i just decided her wedding dress has like cloth white flowers on it, not all over it. so like, the whole thing is cute and elegant and flowery and more expensive than it looks. the main colours being used are white, light blue and lilac

oh oh, the cake is chocolate on the inside! and it’s white (duh) but with lilac flower trim around each layer. char never planned for a wedding before but once she adjusted to the idea she was like “this is gonna be really really pretty”

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding?

eloise. no explanation needed

Sex:

Who is on top?

well, everybody who can be, has been. char has defo given dan and miles the strap. the least toppage going on is dan topping miles. very rarely happens

Who is the one to instigate things?

well, char is the Most instigate-y and dan is the least instigate-y, with miles in the middle. and damn if that doesn’t sum up their dynamic

How healthy is their sex life?

Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now

gonna give them all, overall, a reasonable eight. it happens a Lot, but it’s not a crazy amount. (except when dan and char are trying for a baby, then dan is... dan is... lovingly tenderized)

there’s diff variables (heh) at play here, but for the most part theres quite a bit of sex going all around. so yeah, their neighbours don’t like them very much, because char is Really Really Loud and easily satisfied

How kinky are they?

Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head

that 8 is via the power of char and miles’ kinky tastes

dan is decidedly more vanilla but willing to try new things. and he’s got some latent kinks/fetishes hiding in him that these two bring out of him

i’ve gone into this many times but basically char is into being dominating, miles loves pain and as far as dan’s brain is concerned, Charlotte Is A Fetish

there’s more going on than that, but i’m being succint

How long do they normally last?

miles doesn’t last notably long, or notably short. but he seems like a real stayer in comparison to dan and charlotte. char comes quickly and repeatedly

dan, oh dan, he’s not. he’s not lasting long. this is not bad thing. he was worried about it at first but char is a-okay with this. she wuvs her boy. and besides, he has pretty good recovery. so second round if the first round was like a bit “oh”

dan is sensitive (and autistic!), sex is a Lot for him. anyways miles has defo joked about these two cumming at the drop of a hate. another reason the neighbours are annoyed, Please Go To Sleep Charlotte (nyet)

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms?

nobody here is unsatisified

How rough are they in bed? -

Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it

on this scale, i’m giving dan/char a 2 to 4, char/miles a 5 to 10 and dan/miles a 3 to 6. and all together oh... anything could happen

the general “rule” is Take It Easy On Dan, He’s Delicate

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do?

No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory

so much. so much cuddle snuggle uwuwuwuwu no no get back here miles you cannot escape, come back here and be loved

dan is a major cuddler, very tactile, char is pretty affectionate. miles used to be “meh” on affection but he’s warm to it these three cuddling in bed lives rent free in my head 24/7

Children:

How many children will they have naturally?

i’ve given dan and char 4 kids (three girls and a boy). penny, ada, marie and isaac. i’ve made charts about this

hypothetically, like in sims, i’ve given char and miles a daughter but i’m not commited to that idea, like i don’t have that in my Internal Canon

but he’s their papa too, emotionally <3

How many children will they adopt?

none, unless you count rats

Who gets stuck with the most diapers?

dan’s job requires the least Work, so he’s at home more often, so yeah

Who is the stricter parent?

char, but she’s not strict strict, this is just in comparison to daniel “but i can’t say mean things to my babies” faraday and miles “wanna learn how to shoplift?” straume. she’s not a Mean Nagging Mum stereotype tho, i won’t allow it

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school?

dan and char are Equally “you can’t be doing stuff like this, it’s not safe” whilst miles is lowkey encouraging it. but after a stern look he has to admit riding a scooter on the school roof is kinda fucked up. like miles is... miles but he doesn’t want his babies like actually hurt, he’s still a good dad

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)?

dan dan the photographic memory man

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings?

char, because i think that’d be really funny. and i want all of them to go to at least one meeting together, because they heard some bitch refer to their daughter marie as “that weird child” and that she warned her children to keep away from dan, char and miles kids. and also she refered to dan, char and miles as “deviants” cuz she feels kids shouldn’t have three parents

soooo char is going to publicly cut her down. verbally and viciously. dan and miles are also angery but they’re there to make sure char doesn’t actually physically beat this woman. and also this final caveat:

miles: [eating a sad looking muffin] and your muffins suck too

Who cried the most at graduation?

char but dan and miles are crying too

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law?

MILES IS A COP!!! and it’s never felt so good until the moment ada got busted for drinking at a party when she was only 17. oh miles isn’t that abusing your authority? “yeah but every cop does that, i may as well do it for my kid”

yeah, that crime is the worst thing i could think of for this, i don’t think these people’s kids would do like actual bad crimes

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking?

you know, i tend to picture miles cooking the most. my typical default for imagining char and miles chatting is that they’re in the kitchen, she’s holding tea and he’s making something on the stove. typically mac & cheese. or bacon

but really i think they all cook a decent amount

Who is the most picky in their food choice?

dan because he’s autistic and has some medical requirements, like my esoteric headcanon that he cannot digest meat at all

Who does the grocery shopping?

char and miles are more used to it, whilst i imagine dan has barely set foot in a grocery store in his life. but upon, like, being a grown up, he starts going more with char and miles and he likes it, for the most part. the lights are a bitch, tho

i think dan does it the least, miles the most, and char and miles go together more often than not. oh, and when char is out of pads and she forgot to stock up, miles is the designated Get Me Pads And Painkillers You Bastard man

tho that trope always confused me, as somebody who has at least 5 packages of pads in my pad drawer at all times. are there really period having people who don’t stock up ahead of time and have to ask their significant other?

but i digress

How often do they bake desserts?

not notably often, but i’ve defo imagined miles making Special Brownies

which daniel proceeded to eat all of in a fit of I’m Suddenly Very Hungry

what’s that puddle over there? oh it’s just dan

but anyways thinking on this, i can see these three making a cake together. and it goes a little wonky because their kitchen is small and Too Many Cooks. but a flat chocolate cake is a cake nonetheless. monch

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater?

dan: salad, the other option is No Good, so my boy is a vegetarian

char: i’ve made her more a meat lover than a veggie lover (tis her love of a proper English Breakfast) but not overally so

miles: defo likes meat (and savoury things in general) over salad. he’s not one of those guys whose a dickhead about it tho. veggies are just alright to him

tho i can see miles teasing dan about his “rabbit food diet” (which isn’t even apt because rabbits aren’t in the habit of mainlining noodles and pasta)

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner?

aaahh this feels like something dan would do, he wants to be ~womantic~

Who is more likely to suggest going out?

char, the extroverted outdoorsy one

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking?

dan because he got distracted by something. like he was cooking something in the oven and then some Musical Thoughts overtake him and he’s gotta write it down and wait 30 minutes have past OH GOD THE PIE BEEP BEEP BEEP

Chores:

Who cleans the room?

The Room. the Singular Room

anyways they all clean, it’s not very interesting to think about

Who is really against chores?

none of them. miles will half-heartedly complain sometimes but he grew up used to helping out around the house

Who cleans up after the pets?

dan and char clean up after their rats and cat because they are responsible pet owners. and char will clean miles’ wounds because jean-luc is a bastard cat

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug?

what kind of idiot... No!

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over?

i can’t see this, like any of them getting stressed about that

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning?

miles’ dollar now

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths?

dan takes longer showers, char takes longer baths

Who takes the dog out for a walk?

no dog, only kitty. kitties don’t go for walks

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays?

ohh i imagine char decks the place out for christmas. she loves christmas because good family memories. and also she has knitted christmas jumpers for her boys (and cat). christmas and halloween is the only major holiday that they got ham for. and by they, i mean char and miles

dan is just happy to be here

char: you know miles, it’s january and that little bat is still hanging above the fireplace

miles: if you wanna take him down, you can

char: ...no, i just wanted to adknowledge him

dan: he’s part of the family

What are their goals for the relationship?

uh, love, sex and babies. duh

Who is most likely to sleep till noon?

miles. coffee keeps him on his work schedule

Who plays the most pranks?

well, miles, obviously. i can’t think of any because i don’t really go for pranks but nothing elaborate, simple stuff. does that “orders a black coffee at macdonalds when your kids are in the backseat” count as a prank. miles would do that, pause for enough time for the kids to be like :O and then ask for their orders

there! done! wowee, bless any y’all who take the time to read All Of That

#this is like 50 miles long #had to restructure this because i like this meme but it doesn't look good #and defo ain't made for OT3s #agardenintheshire

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delightfulstarlightparadise · 4 years

Text

Stardew Valley Imagine Reader/(Probably Sebastian) Part 2

-Before we start, I would like to remind you that English is not my main language, but I am doing my best to write things correctly.

Previous part here:

“... and this is the tavern.” he says, pointing from the center of the square. “It is not a big town.”

“It is very charming.” you say. “I don’t remember much from when I was here.”

“You have been here before?” his voice changes from the monotonous tone he was using to describe the town to a slightly more interested one.

“When I was a kid... I used to come here during summer to visit my grandfather. Me and my eleven cousins.”

“You are one of the Paradise kids?!” he asked while gagging at the smoke of his cigarette. “I guess we used to play together... wow, it has been a long time. Sam had a crush on one of you, maybe it is you?”

“Who’s Sam? I barely remember my cousin’s names.” you say, shrugging.

“Oh, ok.” he says, replicating your gesture. “I guess it’s been a very long time.”

You suddenly feel something bump into your head and it makes you dizzy for a moment. Sebastian holds you by one of your arms so you don’t fall forward out of surprise and two kids come running towards you.

“We are so sorry! I told you not to kick the ball so hard, Vincent!” a little girl dressed up in lilac says.

“Sorry.” a little boy with messy hair replies.

“It... it is ok.” you say rubbing your head with a moan of pain.

“Hi Seb.” the little boy waves at Sebastian and he smirks at him.

You hear a call and a ginger lady comes running after the kids. She tries to greet you, but her breath is too heavy to proceed. You can’t help but notice how pretty she is.

“Hi... he... hello. I am really sorry about the kids.” she finally gets to say. “Oh, you are new here, aren’t you?” then she turns to Sebastian. “Hello, Sebastian.”

“Penny.” he replies without much excitement.

She actually is not paying attention to you. She is staring at Sebastian. She is staring at Sebastian’s hand, the one with the cigarette. She glances from it to the kids, then to the cigarette again.

He tries to pretend not to notice, but her stare is too firm, so he groans and puts it out in his shoes, then puts the bud in one of his pockets. She smiles and then turns to you.

“So, you must be the new farmer, right?” she says with a gentle smile, offering you her hand. “I am Penny.”

You are completely blushed and seem not to know how to react. She is REALLY pretty. Sebastian seems to notice your situation and pokes you with his elbow, making you wake up and shake her hand, but in an awkward way.

“I am the farm. I mean, I live in a farmer. I meant... I will live in the farm, but I am not a farmer.”

Sebastian chuckles at your disaster of an introduction.

“So... what is your name?” she says.

“Y/n!” you answer promptly, annoyed by Sebastian’s laugh.

“It is going to be very good to have you here in the city! If you need anything, I live in the trailer near the bridge to Joja Mart.” she says. “I will be glad to help. Let’s go kids.”

“Bye bye.” they both wave at you, and you wave back in a very dummy way.

After they are a little further you turn to Sebastian with a frown as he is still laughing. He takes a while to stop.

“So... now that you are done flirting, should I take you to the farm?” he asks.

“Oh, shut up.” you mumble under your breath. “You don’t need to bother about me, I need to buy some stuff to settle. Where is the Joja mart?”

“YOU ARE NOT GOING TO THE JOJA MART!!!” a man comes down the square screaming and running towards you.

“Hi mister Pierre.” Sebastian says as the man tries to catch his breath.

“Sebastian. I can’t believe you were going to let the new farmer go to Joja Mart! What kind of in-law are you?! You need to help me protect business for the future!”

Sebastian who is unusually pale blushes to the same tone of his mother’s hair and he puts both hands on his forehead as if he was about to have a stroke. You wonder why but are suddenly pulled by the man to a small market on the top of the square.

“So, what is your name again?” he asks while conducting you through the corridors.

“y/n” you say, confused.

“So, y/n, Pierre’s store is the local, community friendly, and best store around. We also have a cashback program that is very useful for newcomers. Even more farmers! I have seeds of all kinds, some saplings too, everything you will want to have to rebuild that old Paradise farm...”

You tried to explain that you were not a farmer but the man kept talking nonstop and you felt like you were being brainwashed. All of a sudden you had spring seeds in your hands and were paying in cash for an apple sapling.

“It is really good to have you come to our lovely community y/n, remember to come by when you need anything. This chicken totem is a small gift for you, as a new costumer and friend. I might also buy things you produce in your farm for a nice price, so come by when the crops are grown! Also to have a tea with my wife, she will love to meet you. Now I need to get back to work, and it seems that you have a lot of work to do too! Bye!”

You found yourself out of the store as suddenly as you got into it.

“I thought you were not a farmer.” Sebastian says as he sees you come out.

He seemed to be leaning against the wall waiting for you.

“Me too...” you say, very confused about everything that just happened. “I don’t even have farming tools. I don’t know what the... am I going to do with these.”

“You will figure it out. Can we go now? I have a code to finish by tomorrow.”

“I said you didn’t have to wait for me.”

“If my mother finds out I left you here I am going to be so busted. Let’s g...”

Sebastian stopped talking as the door from Pierre’s store opened up and a beautiful purple haired girl, like those very stylish girls from the city, came out. She looked at you confused, but then her face brightened up when she turned to Sebastian. He was blushed and you didn’t need to do much math to understand what was going on there.

“I thought I had heard your voice.” She says smiling.

“Hi, Abby.” he greets her with a low whisper.

“So... who is your friend?” She asks turning to you.

“This is the new farmer.” he says.

“Not a farmer.” you reply and turn to her. “I am y/n. I will be living in the Paradise farm now.”

“Ah, you are the new farmer!”

You put your head down with a sigh, why even bother anymore?

“Ah man, too bad. I liked exploring that abandoned farm sometimes, at night. There are so many bats there.”

“BATS?!” your voice fails after you shriek.

“Some frogs too.” Sebastian says.

“Frogs are fine, but BATS?!” you say turning to him. “I don’t remember granpa’s farm having bats.”

“They probably live in your roof.” Sebastian mocks, but as soon as he sees you getting pale, he gets back to being serious. “They are no hazard, bats around here feed on fruits and insects.”

“Why did I have this fucking idea, who do I think I am, moving to a farm, of course there are bats, and probably scorpions and spiders, oh shit, I didn’t think this through.” you murmur to yourself while walking towards where you think is the path to your farm.

“Hey wait!” Sebastian yells but you are not even paying attention, stuck in your anxious thoughts. “I gotta go, my mom had me take care of the farmer.”

“Ok, see you later.” Abigail answers in a mix of a affirmation and a question.

He nods and goes after you.

“Where the hell do you think you are going... hey?”

Sebastian notices that you are not fine. You have tears streaming down your cheeks and your skin has gone two tones paler, you are shaking so much you have dropped some of the items you purchased at Pierre’s. That is a panic attack, and you are very used to those.

“Hey, I was joking about the bats. And Abby just saw one once.” He says trying to calm you down.

You finally notice he is next to you and let go a gag of surprise. You hate letting people see you like that, and once you get these often, you don’t keep many people around.

“I... I am fine. You can go back to your house. I am going to mine.” by mine, you don’t seem to mean the farm.

“No way I will leave you here like this.”

“Like this what? I am fine.” you even try to smile but it comes out so fake you seem to be growling at him.

Sebastian sighs, he must be thinking you are such a weirdo right now. He takes your purchases away from you and grabs you softly by the forearm.

“Either you let me drive you to the farm or I am taking you to the hospital.” he says.

“What?” you reply, but you are already following him to the truck.

He drives you there, both of you in complete silence, you are still staring at the horizon filled with your thoughts of uncertainty. When you get there you see him lean towards the car’s lever to go out, but you burst out as quickly as you can, carrying your things and yelling “good bye and thank you!” and then rushes to the cabin, locking the door behind you.

“Oh my fucking yoba!” you say tossing these purchases on the small table near your bed and then lying down. “What do I think I am doing?”

It was not about the bats or the scorpions, neither the spiders. It was about that feeling of uncertainty of leaving that old life in the city behind you. It was about having interacted with more people in a day than you were used to in a whole month in the city.

You had no friends anymore, not since high school. You barely spoke to your father, your life used to be all about work and you didn’t have a job anymore. What to do now?

As you turn around you see a package closed. You hadn’t noticed it there before. There is a letter on top of it.

You knell beside it and read.

“My dearest and most precious grandchild. If you are reading this, you have gotten the courage to leave the city life behind and come to Stardew Valley, to my precious Paradise farm. I know many of you cousins would like to have the farm for themselves, but only you, y/n, would be the one not to sell it for profit or turn it into a modern mall, but the one to bring It back from the ruins they are left. I am sorry I could not make things easier to you, but I guess there is beauty in turning something rotten into something bright again. And I am not talking about the farm, only.

You see, my child, you were always the one to connect to the valley the most, the one that cared about the farm, the animals, the trees.

Remember that day, when you almost drowned in the mountain lake? I thought you would never want to come back, but you did and you swam on the lake so many more times, for you are the most fearless of my grandchildren.

In this package you will find my old tools and some seeds I asked Lewis to provide you.

I hope not only you bring the farm back to life but it also brings you back to that nice life.

Love, Grandpa.”

The tears came down your cheeks smudging grandpa’s pretty handwriting as you sobbed unstop. For quite a while you cried, but not out of despair. You were feeling hugged by grandpa and filled with good memories and hopes for a better life. You needed that.

You unpacked the tools, and then your laptop.

You opened google: basics of farming.

Research.

Next part here:

#stardew valley #stardew #stardew valley fanfic #stardew valley fanart #stardew valley seastian #stardew valley penny #stardew valley jas #stardew valley vincent #stardew valley abigail #stardew valley pierre

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spaceskam · 5 years

Text

hear me out

Summary: Alex has a list of things to say.

ao3

Two months into sleeping alone every night, Michael was woken up to persistent knocking on his door.

His phone said it wasn't even 8 AM, so he figured whoever it was must've had a serious reason to be there. He managed to drag himself up and to the door, rubbing his eye all the while only to be extremely confused by the person there.

"Alex?"

"I'm talking, you're listening," the Airman insisted, pushing into the airstream with a notebook in hand. He still had serious bedhead and was in his pjs, but his face was hardened and ready to combat whatever enemy he'd decided was there.

"Huh?" Michael asked, turning with confusion on his face.

"Shut up and listen," Alex dictated. Michael raised his hands in tired defeat, falling back to his bed. "I realized almost all of our fuck ups trail back to you not waiting for me to come up with an answer or you completely misunderstanding something I say because I try to make you understand, but I fail. So I'm going through all the points I could remember and we're going to fix this shit. You can talk when I'm done."

He was so determined and who was Michael to say no? Not that he even wanted to.

"Okay, I'm listening."

"Shush."

Michael stifled a laugh, smiling up towards Alex as he opened his little notebook. He took a deep breath in preparation.

"When we were 11 and you had been in Roswell for, like, two weeks, you asked if I wanted to be your partner for a social studies project and I hesitated to look at Kyle to see if he wanted to be my partner, but you took that as a complete rejection and you walked away before I could even answer. I had to be partners with Carla St. Pierre who had a big crush on me and didn't take no as an answer, so I ignored you for two years."

"Oh, we're going that far back?"

"Michael."

"Sorry."

Alex huffed an adorably annoyed breath, shaking off the distraction. He honestly looked adorable in general. If he wasn't so deadset, Michael might've asked him to cuddle until he was more awake.

"In 10th grade, I asked if you wanted me to wash your gym clothes for you and you thought I was insulting you, but I was just offering to clean them without further questions.

"Before my first tour, you asked if I wanted to go get Taco Bell late one night and I took too long to respond, so you thought I meant no, when really I just was unsure if we'd be able to go without someone seeing us and I was worried for your safety, but you took the offer back before I could say that.

"After my first tour when we did go to Taco Bell at midnight together, you ordered for me because I took too long to decide and while it was really good food, I would've liked to make my own decision which is why you didn't get laid that night."

And it went on and on and on and Michael was beginning to feel like they were horrible for each other. How did he manage to mess things up between them that often in the time they'd known each other? It was insane. Alex had shown up with a promise to work it out, but how could they work out a problem that started from their very first conversation?

This was clearly the end of all ending. A giant message of every goddamn time he'd hurt him before never getting to touch him or his soft pjs ever again.

"And, most importantly, when I came to you and said I wanted to be friends, I meant that I wanted to get to know you, to start over away from all the pain and to make sure all this love I have for you makes sense and it isn't just some nostalgic teenage dream. I wanted to be friends and then together because friends make the best relationships. You thought I meant just friends. Why in god's name would I ever want to be just friends with you? Do you know how hard it is to just be in your space without smothering you with my face? I need all of you or I can't have any of you at all, that's how it has to be," Alex said, taking a heavy breath as he finished his 30 minute, thought out list.

Michael’s eyes were trained on the floor before him, his eyebrows tugged together in something akin to anger. Alex literally just came and busted into his house before eight in the morning to throw every single mistake he’d ever made into his face? He couldn’t have waited until he was a little less sober? He didn’t realize how quickly he could go from being excited about their future to completely empty. It hurt more than he could even put into words.

“Okay,” Alex said softly, kicking Michael’s shin, “Talk.”

Michael sniffled and tried to school his face a bit before he looked up at Alex. The moment he took in how cute he looked all over again, his bottom lip started quivering. He shrugged.

“So, what, tearing me apart at the Pony two months ago wasn’t enough?” Michael asked, watching Alex’s face become overwhelmed with confusion, “You had to come here and give me a written list of all the reasons why we shouldn’t be together? And to say it like it was going to be something positive... Fuck, you must really hate me.”

Alex stood there for a moment, opening and closing his mouth over and over. Michael thought about saying something else, but he had just listened to thirty minutes of all the times he hadn’t given Alex enough time to find his words, so he wasn’t about to make that same mistake again. They sat in silence for a while.

“Guerin... Guerin, what the fuck?” Alex asked, shaking his head as he threw the notebook down, “What is wrong with you? I-I just, I literally just came in here and told you I wanted to work it out with you! I literally just said you misunderstand me and you immediately misunderstood that! I wrote it down specifically so you wouldn’t understand me! What do you want from me?! I’m trying here! Fucking meet me halfway!”

Michael rubbed his hands over his face as he tried to mesh together what he was hearing and what Alex had just spent 30 minutes saying. How could listing all the ways they were wrong mean that he thought they were right?

“Alex... Even if you meant that, you just pointed out that I have been making you miserable from the first time we spoke. I have been fucking you over for nearly two decades. How could you want to be with me when you know that?” Michael said. He couldn’t hide the defeat in his voice. All he wanted was Alex, but it was clear that they were bad for each other.

“Oh my god,” Alex said, looking up to the roof with glistening eyes that made Michael have even more regrets. He was still hurting him. “What don’t you get, Guerin? What can I say to make you get it? Yeah, maybe we struggle to communicate and we should work on that, but you don’t make me miserable. For the last ten or so years, you’ve made me happier than anything else. When I get over myself and ignore everyone except for you, I am happy. You make me feel free and loved and safe and everything I have been denied my entire life. You are my everything and I want so badly to love you and be with you every goddamn minute of the day, but you won’t let me! You won’t accept it! I’m putting myself on the line for you and you’re fucking rejecting me! I don’t understand how a man who is so unbelievably intelligent could be so fucking stupid! Why can’t you just let me love you?!”

“Alex...” Michael groaned, feeling even more pain than before. This was too much.

“No! I’m still fucking talking!” Alex snapped, moving in closer. He jabbed a finger into Michael’s chest, glaring with all the feelings that he’d been forcing himself to bury for however many years. “I don’t give a shit if we shouldn’t work, I love you and I want you and I know you love me and I know you want this to work. I know you do.”

“Of course I do,” Michael admitted easily. Because it was easy. While his relationship with Alex had never been so easy, admitting he wanted Alex was never difficult. “But-”

“No. No buts. All we need is for both of us to put in the effort, that’s it,” Alex whispered, moving forward to place his forehead on Michael’s. Michael pulled him in closer, urging him to sit on his lap no matter how awkward the position might’ve been in the small space. He wanted him closer. “I spent all night filling up half a notebook on just you. You can’t reject me after that, that’s just mean.”

“I’m not rejecting you,” Michael said, a soft smile finding his lips. Even if he was just being yelled at, having Alex this close was enough to make him relax. “I thought you were rejecting me.”

“You need therapy, Guerin,” Alex grumbled, slowly slumping to tuck his head into the crook of Michael’s neck. Michael snorted a laugh, wrapping his arms around him in a warm hug.

“You do too.”

“We can go together,” Alex suggested, “Couples therapy would be super helpful.”

Michael thought about it for a moment, letting his hands slide over the soft fabric that covered Alex’s thighs. The main thing keeping him from doing therapy (aside from the cost, of course) had been the alien ordeal. They would have to discuss how they could avoid talking about that. But... if Alex was that desperate to make them work, then Michael was too.

“Okay. Let’s do that. If it means getting you, then... Shit, I’ll do anything,” Michael admitted, his voice soft. Alex nodded and gave him a squeeze that had him smiling even wider.

Eventually, he let Alex go, but only long enough for him to take off the prosthetic so they could crawl into bed. Alex cuddled up close, not like he had much of a choice with the airstream’s bed, and was out like a light. Apparently staying up all night pouring out your feelings was very draining.

Michael was able to go back to sleep too, finally ending his two months streak of a cold bed.

#anyways i have wifi again #malex #malex fic #malex ficlet #michael guerin #michael guerin fic #alex manes #alex manes fic #roswell new mexico #roswell new mexico fic #rnm #rnm fic #1.7k word #literally no one asked for this

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amazingmsme · 4 years

Text

Music So Sweet

AN: Me writing an actual prompt instead of my own ideas no one asked for? It’s more likely than you think. Great Comet is way underappreciated, so I hope you enjoy!

Pierre sat at the bar nursing his glass of vodka. Across the club, he watched as Anatole wooed a couple of women by serenading them with his violin. As much as the young man got on his nerves, he had to hand it to him; the kid could play. And as much as he hated to admit it, they were family. Dolokhov leant against the wall rolling his eyes looking extremely bored. His eyes scanned over the room before casting his gaze downward to stare at his drink. He swirled it in his hand, glancing back up towards his friend. Anatole had promised him a night on the town in celebration of yet another duel he'd won, but instead shrugged him off for some random women.

He always did this to him, and quite frankly it was pissing Dolokhov off. He met eyes with Pierre and pointed at Anatole before making a choking motion. The man simply chuckled and shook his head.

He turned his head to the side watching the girls lean against the counter and look at the musician with dreamy eyes. It made him sick. Of course he would've been fine if he had a pretty girl himself, but Anatole had easily whisked both of them away and dazzled them with his skill. Anything he tried to do to impress them now would surely fall flat in comparison.

Dolokhov smirked as he formed an evil idea, and he reached forward, tweaking his friend's sides. Anatole jumped with a squeal, the bow striking a particularly sour note on the violin. He whipped around and fixed him with a hard glare.

"Excuse me, do you mind? I'm with company," he said, willing a blush off his face. Dolokhov snorted.

"Indeed you are. Might I remind you with whom you came?" he said, pointing at himself.

"Don't need reminding, I just found better company," he winked at him and slapped his shoulder. Dolokhov's mouth hung open as Anatole turned his back on him and back to the ladies.

"I'm sorry, where were we?" He went back to playing, pulling the bow across the strings in a beautiful song. Dolokhov looked at Pierre in bewilderment. The older man shrugged his shoulders, unable to suppress the chuckles escaping his mouth. Granted, it wouldn't be as funny without the alcohol in his system. He mouthed, "Try again." And so he did. Just as Anatole raised his bow again, he lurched out and shoved his elbow, forcing him to mess up once more. The girls seemed slightly amused, if not a little annoyed that the song had been interrupted.

"Pardon me ladies," the blonde excused himself and grabbed Dolokhov by the arm and ushered him away. "Just what is your problem?" he snapped. He bit his lip to conceal his grin, doing a poor job of it.

"Nothing. I'm just surprised you even acknowledged me at all," he snarked. Realization washed over Anatole's face and he laughed.

"Dolokhov you never cease to amuse me. I assure you that we'll have as much fun and as many drinks as we want as soon as I'm done with these fine ladies. I'm sure you can find one yourself to keep you busy," he brushed his friend off as easy as sand on dry skin.

Dolokhov sneered, "No I think I'm fine right here." With those words he planted himself, knowing he wouldn't move from this spot just to spite Anatole. Said man rolled his eyes at the dramatics and spun around to face the two women. He picked up his playing and smooth talking seamlessly, smiling as they soon became putty in his hands.

Pierre was intrigued in where this would go. To an outsider it was obvious just how thin Dolokhov's patience was growing, and even Anatole could only be so oblivious. He sipped from his glass and watched the scene.

Dolokhov waited for the right moment and reached out with his leg, delivering a decisive kick to the back of his knee. His legs buckled and he nearly dropped his instrument, but managed to catch it in a fumble. This seemed to be the last straw for the blonde as he faced the larger man who sported an amused grin.

"Seriously, what's your deal? You should be celebrating your win not ruining my chances in bed," Anatole scolded. His friend merely smirked, "Messing with you is as good as any celebration I could possibly have." To prove his point, he reached out and poked his side. He twitched away with a slight giggle.

"Alright you had your fun, now let me have mine," he tried to turn away, but a strong hand on his shoulder prevented him from doing so. He was twirled back around, suddenly feeling very much trapped.

"Trust me, this will be fun," Dolokhov promised with a wink before wrapping an arm around his slender frame and used his hand to dig into his waist. Anatole tried to hold back his laughter, but only lasted all of about three seconds before the damn burst. The ladies watched on in amusement, giggling at his reactions.

Anatole's cheeks couldn't possibly be any redder. He was unsure of whether to push his friend away or to use his hands to hide his blush. In the end he did neither and instead flailed his arms around uselessly. He came close to elbowing Dolokhov in the face.

"Stohohop! Please!" he pleaded. Anatole saw himself as too good for most things, but he was certainly not above begging. His friend tilted his head teasingly.

"Why? If I'm going to stop, I'll need a good reason."

"Ihihit's embarrassihihing! And it tihihickles!" he complained amidst his mirth. Dolokhov chuckled and shook his head fondly.

"Well I'd hope so! That was my point after all," he teased, working his fingers up his sides. By now the ladies had moved on, leaving the men at their play. With the loss of their company, they gained that of another as Pierre walked up. The older, often somber man had an unusual pep in his step as he wandered closer. What was really odd was the abnormally playful smirk he sported, a gleam of mischief lit up his eyes that hadn't been there for years. Upon seeing his brother in law, Anatole thought he was saved and cried out for his help.

"Pierre help me!"

The smile on his face only grew as he leant against the wall and Anatole realized he was not there on his behalf.

"Bold of you to assume I think you deserve my help," he said, taking a swig from his glass. Dolokhov barked out a triumphant laugh.

"See? Pierre agrees with me, you only brought this on yourself." He ignored his indignant cries through his squeals.

"Whahat did Ihihi do?" he asked, still oblivious to his flippant and borderline rude behavior. Dolokhov snorted, shocked that his friend could be so dumb. Wait no, he takes that back, this is to be expected.

"This is what you get for ignoring me all night while we were supposed to be celebrating!" He shifted his hand to skitter between Anatole's shoulder blades and a loud scream of laughter filled the air. He gestured for Pierre to help him out. "Mind giving me a hand here?"

The older man glanced around the club, shaking his head. "Nah, too many people staring. I'll let you have your fun."

"Oh come on, you know you want to wreck the little shit for everything he's done, live a little," Dolokhov encouraged. He did have a point, there were many times in which Pierre wished he could put the arrogant ass in his place.

Anatole looked up at him with mirthful teary eyes, struggling to fight off his friend's hands. "Plehehease dohohon't," he pleaded. Pierre had to bite his lip to keep from grinning so wide as he set his drink down. That was all it took for the blonde to know he was utterly screwed. His squirming increased and he weakly shoved at Dolokhov's hands. Pierre stood before the trapped and giggling man, making a show of cracking his knuckles. His laughter and squirming only increased once he saw this.

Pierre added his hands into the mix of the wonderful torment and it wasn't long until Anatole's knees buckled. He leaned back against his supposed best friend for support, mouth hanging open in loud laughter. Dolokhov smirked and bent down, sweeping his legs out from under him so that he was holding him bridal style. Anatole shrieked at the sudden movement and his face flushed at the position he was in. He smacked at his chest, "Put me down!"

"Sorry, no can do. You looked like you were about to faint, and I can't let that happen."

Anatole rolled his eyes, "You wouldn't have to worry about that if you hadn't tortured me."

Pierre spoke up, "Oh it wasn't so bad. And between us, it'll do you some good to get knocked off your high horse every once in a while."

"You're always mean to me, dear brother."

Pierre simply hummed, neither confirming nor denying the statement, but acknowledging it nonetheless. With that, he patted his shoulder, picking his drink back up and tilting it their way in a subtle goodbye. "Maybe next time you'll think twice before ignoring your friend."

"Yeah," Dolokhov interjected as he set him back on his feet. "Now, what do you say we continue my celebration with another round of drinks?"

"I'd say lead the way." And he did.

#anatole kuragin #fedya dolokhov #pierre bezukhov #npatgco1812 #great comet #great comet fic #great comet tickle fic #ticklish!anatole

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psycho-slytherin · 5 years

Text

Writers’ block (bonus chapter!)

Based on this request by @yoongi-sugaglider. Happy (late) birthday!!

Context: This scene takes place between chapters 22 and 23, while y/n is still living with the members.

Pairing: Yoongi x (female) Reader

Word count: 1.4k

|mlist|

Thud. Thud. Thud.

“Y/n, what are you doing?”

“I’m...” Thud. “Trying to,” Thud. “Motivate myself.” You have a huge creative writing assignment due next week and you can’t seem to come up with the will to even put words to paper.

“Hey, stop it, stop!” Yoongi catches your head before you can bash it against his coffee table again. “Please don’t get a concussion– I don’t want to have to bring you to the hospital at one in the morning.”

“I refuse to believe it’s one in the morning– that would imply I’ve been wallowing in my sorrows for half an hour.”

“But, but...” your friend sighs. “Can you not smash your face against the table? What if you get blood on it?”

“I can see where your priorities lie.”

Yoongi laughs. “I’m kidding. What do you usually do to motivate yourself?”

You gesture wordlessly at the coffee table.

“Okay– maybe don’t do that anymore. Trust me, you need those brain cells.”

You roll your eyes and flip him off. “It’s not like I use them anyways.” Yoongi takes the opportunity to grasp your outstretched hand and haul you to your feet. “Hey, what are you doing?” you complain as he pulls you to the door.

“Put on your jacket– we’re going for a walk.”

“Ew, exercise.”

“Humor me, will you?”

You sigh loudly for about ten seconds longer than you had to before following Yoongi out of the back door of the apartment, through the basement, and into the night.

“Brr...” you hug yourself as a gust of wind shocks you. “Why are we out here?”

“For one, to keep you from abusing our table. Secondly, we can’t talk loudly when the members are sleeping.” Yoongi shrugs. “I thought we could go to the lamppost.”

“You planning on walking halfway across Seoul?”

Yoongi grins, and at that moment the familiar sleek black car pulls up to the curb.

“Wait, how did you– when– what?” you sputter as Yoongi holds the door open for you. “Does this thing fucking teleport?”

“Don’t question it, y/n, just get in.”

You stick your tongue out at your friend and spend the several-minute car ride in comfortable silence. You need to write a twenty-page short story, and the length isn’t what’s intimidating; finding an idea that’ll last twenty pages is what’s killing you. More than that, you just can’t. You want to, but you’ve spent the whole afternoon staring at a blank screen that keeps getting blanker.

Writers’ block. You hate writers’ block. You’re so wrapped up in your thoughts that it takes Yoongi opening the door for you to realize the car has stopped in front of the solitary lamppost illuminating the lonely street.

“You okay? You seem really distracted,” Yoongi asks once the car has pulled away.

You laugh. “Distracted would be a blessing. Distracted means creative.”

“You said you needed motivation?”

“Yeah. I... I haven’t been able to write for, like, days. I don’t have ideas. And even when I don’t have ideas, usually I just start writing, you know? Just–”

You mime wild typing. “Doing that helps, but this time, I just can’t. And I hate it!” With a sudden burst of anger, you rear back and kick the lamppost. “Ow!”

“Y/n–”

But you can’t be stopped. “I don’t have any motivation even though I actually need to write for my grade! More than that, I really want to write, I love making up stories! So why the fuck–”

“Y/n.”

“I’m better than this! I shouldn’t have to deal with writers’ block, not if I’ve dealt with literally everything else. I dealt with my cheating ex, I dealt with my apartment flooding, the hospital, anxie–” you pause. “I don’t deserve this. Ugh!”

Yoongi’s leaning against the lamppost, arms crossed as he looks at you with careful fascination. “Are you done?”

“What?” you ask, annoyed. “Yes. Sorry to waste your time.”

“You’re not wasting my time, y/n. You’re wasting yours. Now c’mon, follow me,” Yoongi says, grabbing your hand and pulling you down the street, toward the heart of Seoul.

“What the- where are we going?” you yelp, stumbling as you follow him through twists and turns while the city lights get brighter.

“We’re letting those creative juices flow!” Yoongi pulls his mask up and his hat down, effectively erasing his identity once the quiet sidewalks become louder, and ring with bawdy laughter.

“Yoongs, it’s too risky! You’ll get caught!” you hiss as you pass two drunk giggling women clinging to each other.

Yoongi screeches to a stop, and you bump into him. “Where– oh my god, you’re kidding.”

“Nope!” You can hear the mischievous smile behind Yoongi’s mask. “We’re doing this.”

“Karaoke? Really?” you laugh as you follow him inside.

“One hour in a private karaoke room, please.” Yoongi hands the clerk some cash and soon enough you’re sitting in a big room, watching Yoongi fiddle with the mics.

“Alright,” Yoongi says, gesturing at the screen. “Pick your poison.”

“Dude, I can’t sing!” you protest.

Yoongi raises his eyebrows. “And you think I can?”

You think of all the Vlives, all the Bangtan Bombs, every song where his crooning voice, that whispered Suga has filled your ears. “Yes.”

“Well, you’d be wrong. C’mon, choose something.”

“Uh...” you select the first song you recognize and grip the mic clumsily. “Why are we doing this?”

“Just trust me, y/n. Let go.”

You take a deep breathe and start to sing along, cringing inwardly at your voice breaks and lack of tone.

“Woo! Go y/n!” Yoongi whoops at random intervals, causing you to laugh and forget the words. Soon you begin smiling as you sing, and belting out the words with new confidence. You’re having fun, real fun.

“Is this better than the coffee table?” Yoongi shouts over the instrumentals.

You do a spin, laughing as your hair flies in your face. “So much better. And,” you grin evilly as the song ends. “It’s your turn!”

“Ohhh no...” Yoongi covers his eyes as you advance toward him. “I’m definitely not doing that.”

You press your lips together and pout. “But Yoongs~”

Your friend relents easily in the face of your pout. “Alright, alright! What song should I pick?”

“Seesaw!” you squeal, pointing when you see it scroll across the scene. Yoongi rolls his eyes and smiles as he selects it, while you sit back in satisfaction. Your own personal concert with your own personal idol– what could be better?

Yoongi’s voice, raspy and thoughtful, floats throughout the room as he sings. Where you would usually sit in awe, you’re too giddy to stay still. You get up and–

“Y/n,” Yoongi bursts out laughing, interrupting the chorus. “What are you doing?”

“Your choreo!” you fire back, giggling as you roll your shoulders and hop around in a clumsy imitation of the dance you’ve seen him perform a thousand times, onscreen and in your dreams.

“You’re such a dingus.”

“Keep singing, nerd!”

Yoongi winks and joins you in dancing and singing along to his song– he keeps making funny faces that have you wheezing with laughter, until...

You freeze and gasp. “That’s it!” within yourself you feel a growing excitement, as though electricity were traveling down your arms and filling your fingers with energy. You need to write, need it more than you’ve ever needed anything, you’re desperate, itching to pour your soul onto the page. You fumble for your phone and type out nonsense stream-of-consciousness: Kidteenadult? Genre: murder, romance, drama? Not comedy ew wait murder isn’t a genre okay what if we wait main character strong female character what about swords antagonist?? Germaphobe maybe let’s name him Pierre nd he can have a pet ferret named Pierre Junior what if antag + protag = siblings? climax needs to–

“Y/n? Y/n. Earth to y/n!”

“Woah!” You look up and your eyes have to refocus like a camera lens as Yoongi waves a hand in front of your face. “Where did you come from?”

Yoongi smiles that perfect gummy smile of his. “I trust your motivation has returned?”

“Oh my god, has it ever! Thank you,” you cry, throwing your arms around your friend and hugging him tightly. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re the best, Yoongi, you really are!”

“Heh, I won’t argue,” Yoongi replies, booping your nose. “Now c’mon, let’s get home– I have a feeling you’ve got a lot to do.”

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mariss-lyn · 6 years

Text

Delicate

okay so this is just something i got an idea for and i went with it. this might be a one shot thing but it could also turn into more. don’t hold me to that though.

there’s no warnings on this, but there is swearing if that’s something you’re not into.

enjoy!

“It’s over.”

You couldn’t breathe. Everything you had with Pierre-Luc, or everything you thought you had, was gone. He was done. There was someone else, and he wanted to see how things might go. A childhood friend, someone he’d known for years.

But you couldn’t be mad. The agreement was always friends with benefits. It wasn’t dinner and a movie; it was sleeping together with no strings. It was late night texts and early morning shower sex. You were never dating him, and now that was extremely clear. Dating was never an option. It had started with a drunken one night stand and now, as you sat in the front seat of your car, in an all-too familiar parking lot, it was nothing.

You couldn’t go home tonight. Your roommate had her boyfriend over and you had promised you’d be gone for the night. You were under the impression you’d be staying with Pierre-Luc. So you drove over to your best friend’s, and you honestly couldn’t even remember the drive.

The lights inside the elevator were too bright for someone who had spent the last half hour crying. You shielded your eyes as it rose to the sixth floor, letting you off onto the hallway you knew too well. You walked slowly down the hall, staring at the carpet, until you made it to Ryan’s apartment. You lifted your fist, lightly knocking at the door. You weren’t even sure he’d hear it.

The door swung open and Ryan was smiling, until he noticed your demeanor. Neither of you spoke, you just collapsed into his arms, letting the tears fall again. They were heavy, and you knew you’d probably ruin his shirt with the makeup you were wearing. You felt Ryan step back, pulling you further into his apartment, the door closing behind you. Once the door was closed, he was pulling you to the couch, and you felt yourself fold into him.

After a few more minutes of silence, you felt yourself calm down, the most relaxed you had felt since you showed up at Pierre-Luc’s place, only for him to say “We need to talk” the minute you stepped inside.

“I’m sorry about your shirt,” you mumbled.

“Do you wanna tell me what happened?” was his reply.

You took a breath, as deep as you could without crying again, and nodded. “He ended things. Some girl from back home, she’s back in the picture. I guess he ruined chances with her once and didn’t want to ruin it again. So, we’re done. It’s over, in his words. This is fine, because we were only sleeping together. No feelings, just sex. Well, guess what, someone developed feelings but it wasn’t him.”

Ryan stayed quiet, and you knew he was processing. He always hated this arrangement you had with his teammate, but it wasn’t his life, and he respected that. Sort of. “Can I say something?” He whispered and you nodded. “I love Luc, but he’s an idiot. He’s a kid. You knew going into this it couldn’t last, but let’s face it, he’s a good guy. He made you feel good. And at the end of the day, that’s what you’re missing.”

You knew he was right. You were certain you had real feelings for Pierre-Luc, but maybe you just had feelings. Feelings of being wanted and loved. And sure he had made you feel that way, but maybe someone else could too.

“Do you want me to kick his ass tomorrow? I can trip him at practice or push him around in the parking lot.” You laughed and shook your head. “Look, I know this really sucks for you, but it’s gonna pass. It always does. Friends with benefits is a risky agreement. But you know what?” You looked up to meet his eyes. “You’re gonna find someone who loves you and cares about you. Someone who cherishes you and worships you. You’ll find someone who wants to take you out on dates before they take you home. Someone who wants to wake up next to you and spend all day in bed.”

You rolled your eyes and ducked your head back to his shoulder. “That romantic crap doesn’t exist. Boys are just idiots trolling around for sex.”

Ryan laughed under you. “You don’t believe that. You believe in love, and you always have.”

“You don’t have to be right all the time, you know.”

“Sure I do,” he quipped. “I’d lose my appeal if I wasn’t.”

You lifted your head. “Can I be annoying and ask for something to change into? This dress sucks. And it was his favorite.”

Ryan nodded and stood, leading you to his bedroom. He grabbed an old tee, the Everett Silvertips logo mostly faded, and some shorts from his closet. “Take as much time as you need. I’ll have hot chocolate waiting for you.”

He leaned in and pressed a soft, gentle kiss to your forehead before he left you alone in his bedroom. You moved slowly to the bathroom, leaving the door open. Staring in the mirror, you studied your appearance. Your eyes were bloodshot and swollen, with mascara everywhere but actually on your eyelashes. Your hair was a mess, and you just looked tired.

As you reached for a wash cloth to try and clean yourself up a bit, not that Ryan actually cared, you let your mind wander back to your conversation with Pierre-Luc.

“We need to talk.”

You cautiously set your purse down on his dining room table, not quite sure what to expect next. “Is everything okay?”

He was pulling at his hair, his nervous tick, and you felt your throat closing in. This was it. He was ending things. He was bored and tired of entertaining you. This arrangement wasn’t fun for him anymore like it was for you. He didn’t enjoy seeing you on a regular basis like you did with him.

“This, us, we have to end it. It’s over.”

“You don’t mean that.”

He nodded. “I do. I care about you, a lot, but-”

“Bullshit,” you cut him off. He didn’t care. This was all a game to him. He was too young to know any better.

His eyes softened. “Let me explain.”

You shook your head. “There’s another girl, isn’t there? Some girl you met on the road. Or after a game, when I was out of town. Tell me.”

“She’s not just some girl. I was in love with her. I am in love with her.”

You let out a harsh laugh. “Yeah, I know the feeling.”

Pierre-Luc looked confused. “What do you mean?”

You shook your head again. “It’s nothing. Honestly, Luc, if you want this over, it’s done. I’m gone. Good luck with your new girlfriend. I hope she’s everything I couldn’t be.”

He reached for your arm, your name tumbling from his lips. “Wait.”

You looked up at him, tears welling at the corners of your eyes. “I can’t keep waiting.”

Ryan’s voice saying your name pulled you from your thoughts. “You okay?”

You nodded, shaking the memories away. You turned to look at Ryan, a soft expression on his face. “I am, I promise. I’ll be out in a sec.”

He smiled and nodded. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

You expected him to leave, but he stood still in the doorway, studying your movements. He was clearly concerned, and it was sort of cute. Ryan had always been a good friend to you, ever since the day you had met. “Can I ask you something?” He nodded. “Do you believe in love?”

He laughed a little, his hand immediately going to the back of his head. He was nervous. “Uh, I mean, I used to. Love’s pretty hard to keep believing in when you constantly get your heart broken, yeah?” He let out a small laugh, almost a squeak. “Why do you ask?”

You shrugged. “No reason. Just making sure at least one guy on this planet has a heart.”

“Were you in love with him?”

You shook your head almost immediately. “Nah. I had feelings, sure. But it wasn’t love. It was just, the way it felt with him, it was nice. He’s a nice guy. And that’s why I know he didn’t do this to spite me. He broke things off before it could screw him over. I respect him for that. At least he didn’t try screwing two girls at one time.”

Ryan smiled. “Luc wouldn’t know how.”

You smiled with him. “I didn’t love him. I thought I did, but I loved the attention. And I loved getting laid.”

He rolled his eyes and stepped closer to you, pressing another kiss to your forehead. “Your hot chocolate is ready. And I think I still have some Oreos left from the last time you paid me a visit.”

You wrapped your arms around his waist, suddenly needing his touch. “You’ll find love again, Murr. I know you will.”

Ryan’s chin rested on your head. “I think you’re right.”

You stayed like that, your head against his chest, his head on yours, for what felt like hours. You always enjoyed your time with Ryan. You spent a lot of time at his place, watching movies, eating junk food, letting him teach you how to play the guitar. He was one of your best friends, one of your only friends.

When you felt him lift his head, you pulled back to look him in the eyes. His expression was soft, nervous, one you hadn’t seen before. His eyes shifted to your lips and you felt your stomach flip. This wasn’t happening.

“Can I kiss you?”

Okay, maybe this was happening. You nodded slowly, unsure of what to do. Get your shit together. You’ve kissed plenty of boys before. But none of them were this boy. The boy who knew that peanut butter and Oreos was your snack of choice after a long work day. He knew your favorite beer and your least favorite flower. He knew you preferred to watch games from the last row sometimes instead of off the glass. He knew things about you Pierre-Luc never would’ve bothered to learn.

Ryan’s lips on yours caused your train of thought to pull into the station and let off the gas. His lips were soft, like you always assumed they would be. He tasted like chocolate, no doubt from sneaking a taste of the hot chocolate that was cold by now in the kitchen. He had one hand on your cheek, the other at the small of your back, keeping you pressed close to him.

This feeling, it was weird, but good. You could admit to thinking about kissing Ryan in the past, usually when you were drunk and home alone. But you never imagined it could be this good. And it felt right. Like you had been kissing him all your life.

He pulled back and you whimpered, the noise echoing in the bathroom. “Ryan,” you breathed.

Ryan smiled. “Stay with me tonight?” You nodded, unsure of your surroundings at the moment. “Come on, we can watch a movie. I’ll make some new hot chocolate.”

You watched him turn to leave, and your fingers lingered on your lips, occupying the space he had left. “Ryan,” you said, louder than you had intended. “What was that for?”

He turned back to you. His face was soft, his smile so gentle. “Because I like you. And given the chance, I think I could be everything you wanted him to be. Just give me a chance.”

You nodded, slowly, a smile covering your face. “Okay. But only if you kiss me again. That was damn good.”

Ryan closed the space between you in no time, and his lips covered yours. His lips felt like they belonged on yours. His hands belonged on your hips, in your hair, on your back.

Maybe, after all this time, you belonged with Ryan.

#my writing #ryan murray #pierre-luc dubois #one shot #maybe #nhl imagine #columbus blue jackets #cbj

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chasholidays · 6 years

Note

Bellarke + "Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812" AU

There was a lot going on in this wikipedia summary, so I went pretty loose

The first time Bellamy meets Clarke, he’s in his favorite bar, getting live-texts from his sister about a situation she should not be in but refuses to listen to his feedback on. Which is, honestly, the worst of all possible worlds, because if she’s not going to listen to him, the least she can do is not tell him what bad choices she’s making.

Instead, he’s getting texts like, Dude at this party is really hot! and He’s buying me a drink, should I give him my number???

It’s not his business, if his sister flirts while she has a boyfriend. Octavia thinks of flirting as something akin to a sport, something she has to practice if she wants to keep being able to do it. And while he sort of understands that–Finn is just about his least favorite person his sister has ever dated–it still feels fairly cynical to him, to want to keep your flirting skills sharp when you’re in a relationship.

But as Octavia has told him a thousand times, he doesn’t have to get it. It’s her life, and her business. Which is true, so she could just leave him out of it. That would be great.

Clarke sits down next to him and orders a gin and tonic, not that he knows she’s Clarke yet. She’s just a cute blonde girl.

“Dating issues?” she asks, after she’s taken a few sips of her drink.

He frowns. “What?”

“Just a guess, sorry. You keep getting text notifications, wincing, checking the phone, and then not responding. I was guessing either boss or dating, but if my boss was texting me at ten on a Saturday night, I’d mute her.”

He feels the corners of his mouth tug up. She’s cute and making the first move with conversation, which means he doesn’t have to feel like a creep about it.

“Yeah, no, none of the above. It’s my sister, live-texting flirting with a guy who isn’t her boyfriend.”

“Ouch. That sounds pretty bad, yeah.”

“Nothing’s going to happen, which doesn’t actually make it better for me, but it means she doesn’t think it’s a problem.”

Her phone buzzes, and she goes through the same process he did, checking the message, frowning, and closing it.

“What about you? Getting stood up?”

“Not exactly. My friend’s supposed to be meeting me here, but he’s running late because his date is going well.”

“And that’s a problem?”

“Not like that.”

“Like what?” he teases. “I didn’t say what kind of problem it would be, so I don’t even know what you’re denying.”

“He’s one of those people who’s really good at first dates, I guess. I feel like every week he’s got a new date and he’s really excited about it, and then it just–never gets to a second date. It gets kind of hard to fake enthusiasm.”

He finishes his drink and Gina appears like magic in front of him. She has the best bartender senses of anyone he’s ever met.

“Refill?”

He frowns at his glass. “Vodka tonic,” he says.

“You got it. Pretzels?”

“Thanks.”

“I swear this isn’t a line,” says Clarke, “but do you come here often?”

He snorts. “Just because you don’t mean it as a line doesn’t mean it’s not a line. But yeah, this is my usual place. Not in an alcoholic way, just–”

“He works from home, so coming out to a bar counts as socializing, even when all he does is sit here and scowl at his phone,” Gina supplies.

“Thanks,” he says, dry. “You can leave this conversation any time, by the way.”

“Did you want anything else?” she asks Clarke, ignoring him.

“I’ll take a vodka tonic too, thank you. I think this is probably where I’m going to come when I’m waiting to find out if my friends actually want to hang out,” she adds, smiling at him a little. “So I’m looking for people to talk to so I can feel social.”

“And I seemed like your best bet?”

“Alone and annoyed, just my type,” she says, and he has to laugh. “I’m Clarke, by the way.”

“Bellamy.” He raises his glass. “To scowling at our phones?”

She smiles. “Cheers.”

As promised, she does become a regular, and Bellamy can’t help feeling a little, well, relieved about that.

The thing is, he moved to this city because his sister lived here, and a few months back, Octavia left, and he doesn’t really have many friends of his own. Not that he had many friends of hers either, but while she was here, he felt as if he had a reason to be here too, and without her, he feels unmoored. Gina is nice, and he likes her, but she mentioned the third week he was in that she had a girlfriend. Which obviously doesn’t mean they can’t be friends, but it’s actually a lot more awkward to try to make friends with a bartender than it is to hit on one.

So Clarke is nice. Once a week, he has a pretty girl to talk to, and it turns out she’s actually very good to talk to, largely because they always have the same thing to complain about.

Which mostly means that all of their friends are disasters, and they have a lot to worry over and complain about. Bellamy’s in a basically constant state of worrying about Octavia and Finn, and Clarke has not only her best friend Wells, who falls in love at every first date, but Lexa, her ex who doesn’t know how to flirt, Lincoln, the kindergarten teacher with too big a heart, and Monty, a newly out bisexual who’s trying and failing to use Grindr.

They’ve been hanging out every Saturday for four weeks when they discover that they’re actually getting live text updates of the same date.

“The guy’s name is Nate, he’s thirty, and he got arrested for stealing his dad’s police car when he was sixteen,” is how Bellamy figures it out.

“Wait, Monty’s on a date with Nathan Miller?” he asks, pulling out his own phone to check what Miller had to say about his own date. Cute, geeky, hope it goes well.

Clarke is frowning. “I didn’t get his last name. Nathan Miller like–Miller? Your best friend Miller?”

“I was there when he stole that police car.”

“That can’t be right,” she says, but her phone buzzes again, and she shows him the picture Monty sent, and there’s Miller, looking condescendingly amused as ever.

“Holy shit,” he says, as his own phone buzzes with a text from Miller: We want proof from you guys too.

Clarke leans in while Bellamy tries to take a picture, but he’s awful at selfies so she takes over, snapping a few so she has choices. They look really cute together, if he does say so himself. Like they’re really friends.

“So, you’re from DC?” Clarke asks, once they’ve established for certain that the world really is this small.

“Yeah. I left for college and never moved back, but Miller went to Georgetown.”

“It’s cool that you guys are still in touch.”

“Didn’t you and Wells grow up together too?”

“We did, but we haven’t actually–I don’t know. I still see you more than I see him. And we’re still learning how to be friends again, I guess. When we don’t live in the same place, we usually don’t stay in touch very well. This is the most we’ve talked in years.”

“I think I’m actually better at keeping in touch with people when they aren’t around. Not that I didn’t see my sister when she lived here, but I’m always really afraid we’ll never talk to each other if we don’t live in the same place, so I put in the effort.”

“I guess that makes sense.” She smiles, bumps her shoulder against his. “So, if I move, we’re still going to be friends. This is what I’m getting.”

“I’d need your number first,” he says, somehow managing to sound casual. “Texting is my mail way of keeping in touch.”

“I’m not planning to move again for a while, but better safe than sorry. Give me your phone.”

She leaves before he does, because Wells’ date actually goes poorly for once, so they’re going to hang out.

“You want to come?” she asks.

“Maybe next time. You two have fun.”

“You just don’t want to hear about how Wells thinks he’s never going to find love.”

“Definitely not.” He raises his glass to her. “See you next week.”

Gina comes back over once she’s gone, shakes her head as she refills his drink. “You know when girls give you their numbers and ask if you want to hang out, it’s usually a sign they’re flirting.”

“Oh, is that what’s happening?”

“I know you’ve got this whole grumpy old man thing going, but you don’t actually have to hate everyone and die alone.”

“I’m thirty-two,” he says. “I’m hoping I won’t be dying alone for a while yet.”

“Still. She likes you, you could be friendly.”

“I’m friendly. And I don’t want to be one of those assholes who assumes every girl who’s nice to me is flirting.”

“Yeah, that only happens when you assume it about every girl. This is one girl. Who totally likes you.”

“Thanks.” He swirls his drink, watching the ice and vodka. “Maybe next time,” he says again. “I’ve got to build to it, right?”

“Build to not being lonely, discontent, and misanthropic?”

“Yeah, that’s going to take a while.” His phone buzzes, and he sees Clarke has texted, Fuck it’s so cold. “But I’ve got her number,” he adds, with a smile. “So that’s a good start.”

Me: Have I mentioned lately how much I hate my sister’s boyfriend?It’s so muchHe’s the fucking worst

Clarke: You haveBut I never get tired of itHe and my ex-boyfriend should swap notes

Me: Or get together with each other so no one has to deal with them any moreI think O actually met a nice guy for once, too

Clarke: Really?

Me: YeahOne of her new coworkersHe knows she’s taken so he’s not like saying anythingBut everything she says about him is like“Oh Mr. Oakley is so helpful”“Really nice”“You should see his arms Bell”

Clarke: Where does your sister live again?

Me: AtlantaWhy?

Clarke: Okay this is getting creepyCome meet me for a drink

Me: It’s four pm

Clarke: The bar is open and you work from homeSee you in half an hour?

Clarke’s already there when he arrives, halfway into a vodka tonic, and he sits down next to her. Gina’s not in this early, and Roan is a lot judgier, but he makes very strong drinks to make up for it.

“What’s wrong?”

“Your sister is Ms. Blake,” she says. When he frowns, she finishes her drink. “My friend Lincoln is Mr. Oakley, and he does like her, and we should just compare a list of every single person we know to make sure there’s no more overlap. My ex-boyfriend is in Atlanta, and at the rate we’re going, I’m just going to assume your sister is dating Finn Collins.”

Bellamy feels his stomach drop, and he looks down at his drink. “Seriously, how does this guy keep getting good girlfriends?” he grumbles, and Clarke actually falls onto his shoulder, she’s laughing so hard.

“I can’t believe Lincoln has a crush on your sister,” she says, once she’s recovered.

“I can’t believe he never called her Octavia, you would have known then.”

“Ditto Lincoln.” She shakes her head, still tucked into his side, which is nice. “Fuck. Small world, huh?”

“Disconcertingly, yeah.”

“All of our stories are going to get more awkward now, but I bet I can get your sister to break up with Finn.”

“Yeah?”

“He had another girlfriend when he was dating me, so–”

“Fuck. I knew I hated that guy.”

She frowns, thinking hard. “It might have even been your sister, actually. How long have they been together?”

They establish that, yes, Clarke used to live in Atlanta, and she was in a relationship with Finn, who was dating Octavia, and she left town and somehow found him, of all people.

“Seriously, what are the odds?”

“I wouldn’t even know how to calculate it.” He shakes his head. “I’m glad you dumped him. I hope O does too.”

“I hope if she starts dating Lincoln, she stops flirting with other people.”

“That too.” He looks her up and down, bites his lip. “Half of me wants to go kick his ass, honestly. You think I could take him?”

“I think you can probably come up with something better to do than fight Finn tonight.”

“Really? Because that sounds awesome.”

“There’s a meteor shower tonight,” she says, to his surprise. “We could watch that instead. I was going to ask.”

“A meteor shower?”

“No offense, but you seem like the kind of guy who would be into watching a meteor shower on the first date.”

“Is that supposed to be offensive? Who doesn’t like meteor showers?” He wets his lips, swallows. “I feel like this isn’t our first date, honestly. We’ve been getting drinks every week for months.”

“So, our first official date. You in?”

On the one hand, it’s too cold outside, and he needs to call his sister, and he’s still stupidly nervous, heart in his throat at the thought of putting himself out there again. It’s been a while since he dated anyone, and part of him thinks he might have forgotten how to.

But that’s not a good reason to go home alone. Not when Clarke’s offering.

“We can get onto the roof of my building,” he offers, and they get a blanket and a bottle of vodka, and he watches the stars with a pretty girl by his side and thinks this could be going somewhere good.

He thinks he’s ready for it.

#fallen-sparrow

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makalations-blog · 7 years

Text

Translation: Ouhi no Yakata/Château de la Reine

Hello. Thank you for reading my translation for Ouhi no Yakata/ Château de la Reine.

As this is (somehow miraculously?) before Tokyo run, hopefully this can help people who want to see it in Tokyo understand a bit more. Or help those waiting for the DVD to prepare to watch it when it releases.

This work comes with a few necessary notes beforehand. Please read them.

1. This is a fan-created translation. Please be aware that my understanding of Japanese is not extremely high-level, and there may be some errors. I did my best. If you find something you believe is incorrect, please feel free to message me and I will make an effort to correct it. (The only reason it even got this far was thanks to my savior and editor Carol.)

2. That being said, as this is a play with conversation, etc. I attempted to make this translation flow with natural and colloquial English/conversation tendencies rather than a word-by-word exact representation- while still keeping as much of the intended meaning(s) as possible.

3. If you wish to use this translation to make subtitles for your private/personal use, please let me know via a message/ask. I ask that you do not share subtitle files created from my translations without my consent at all.

4. Please do not take, repost, or recreate this translation on Tumblr or other websites without contacting me first.

5. This is a really specific translation note. There is a character in this play (Crayon) whos self-identification is not made clear. (To my knowledge, it is not made clear in the original novels either.) The only thing really clear is that… Crayon is somewhere on the queer scale.

Crayon is referred to many times in Japanese with the word “okama”. Strictly speaking, “okama” is a slur for gay people (generally targeting gay men or crossdressers, but has [incorrectly] been used recently for trans-people as well). It is often used in Japanese humor because ?? (enter reasons I neither know nor truly understand). (However, it is also sometimes used as a “reclaimed” term. It all depends on situation and intention and interpretation.)

There are jokes in particular in this show that revolve around referring to this character as an ‘okama’. As a translator, it really isn’t my job to write a whole thing about what I think about this or why. I’m really only responsible for providing the material in a language that people can understand.

Therefore, because I didn’t want to end up editing the material to my personal ideas/tastes, and because I didn’t feel comfortable directly translating the word ‘okama’ into any English slang, I left those lines translated into English but still using the Japanese word ‘okama’ in them.

6. There is a lot of French in this show. I do not speak French. But a coworker who does speak French decided to inform me that the French they were seeing was incorrect. I have no comment on this, as I (again) do not speak French.

7. A specific note on the theme of ‘smile’ and ‘laugh’ in this show. The script simply uses the word “warau” which can be a bit interchangeable for those words. There were times where “smile” made more sense, and times where “laugh” made more sense. In the end, I decided to use both words, and at some points even used them together to get the meaning/point across.

Without further ado. Here is the actual translation:

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Château de la Reine

Main Cast:

Asaka Manato Kitashirakawa Ukyo A romance novelist writing a new novel starring Louis XIV

Misaki Rion Sakurai Reiko Female president of a small-time travel agency. Tour conductor responsible for the “Light” tour.

Makaze Suzuho Louis XIV King of France during the 17th Century. Former owner of the Château de la Reine.

Aizuki Hikaru Kanezawa Shichi Real estate king.

Itsuki Chihiro Iwanami Former teacher at an ‘evening’ high school. (TN: There are some special schools with classes in the evening for people who work during the day.)

Kotobuki Tsukasa Shimoda Koji Manager of an electrical parts factory.

Mikaze Maira Shimoda Fusako Shimoda’s wife.

Sumiki Sayato Kondo Makoto Policeman.

Sorahane Riku Crayon [Kuroiwa Gentaro] Scorned by a previous lover, on a ‘heartbreak trip’

Sakuragi Minato Togawa Mitsuo A tour conductor at a small time travel agency, subordinate of Sakurai. Responsible for the “Shadow” tour.

Reimi Urara Diana She once lived in the Château de la Reine. The woman Louis XIV loved.

Hoshikaze Madoka Michiru Former hostess, and Kanezawa’s lover.

ETC Cast:

Iwanami Masae Kanon Mai

Mr. Tanno Rinjou Kira

Mrs. Tanno Ayaka Mari

Munon Matsukaze

Hayami Ritsuko (Editor) Junya Chitose

Pierre Kazuki Sora

Monsieur Duran Mitsuki Haruka

Can-Can Singer Fuuma Kakeru

Accordion Singer Hoshibuki

Anne d’Autriche Seoto Risa

Marie Thérèse Aishiro Moa

Preface: Charles de Gaulle Airport (Arrival Lobby)

[Airport Background]

As announcements flow through the arrival lobby of the Charles de Gaulle Airport, the tour conductor Mr. Togawa, working for a down-on-its-luck travel agency known as “Pan World Tour Enterprise”, is eating at a bar with the irritated tour customers. Togawa is on the phone with his boss, Sakurai Reiko.

Togawa: (On the phone) Ms. Reiko, is this really going to work?? This plan…

Sakurai: (A voice over the speakers) Are you asking if it’s a ‘good’ thing? In this world, there is both ‘light’ and ‘shadow’… so isn’t it fair to say there’s a ‘front’ and ‘back’ side to business, too?

Togawa: You just keep saying that over and over!

Sakurai: (voice) Anyway, you have to keep the customers at the airport for another 30 minutes. You got it?

Mr. Tanno: Mr. Togawa, exactly when are we going to be able to leave the airport?

Togawa hides his cellphone.

Togawa: M… Mr. Tanno… I am terribly sorry, our car… seems to be stuck in a terrible traffic jam…

Mr. Iwanami: Even so, we’ve already been waiting here an hour.

Togawa: I am truly sorry Mr. Iwanami!!

Ms. Iwanami: Dear, can’t you see Mr. Togawa is very troubled by the situation?

As the Iwanamis talk, Togawa returns to his phone.

Togawa: (on the phone) Ms. Reiko, did you hear that? How am I supposed to make more excuses to the customers!?

Sakurai: (voice) Why don’t you think about that on your own? Well then, I’ll contact you again when I arrive at the hotel.

Ms. Sakurai hangs up the phone.

Togawa: Wait-! Ms. Reiko? Ms. Reiko?!

The tour customer Kondo Makoto approaches Togawa.

Kondo: Hey, you! What’s the meaning of this? Is this some sort of scam?!

Togawa: (shocked and panicking) Mr. Kondo! What ‘scam’ could you possibly be talking about?!

Kondo: I was told I was going to be in a men’s shared room. (Points at the flashily dressed Crayon.) So what the hell is this?

Togawa: Ah, that should be Mr. Kuroiwa Gentaro…

Crayon: Don’t use that name! I go by Crayon, like at my shop~!

Kondo: What’s a ‘crayon’? Whatever shop you work at, once I get home I’ll find it and shut it down!

Crayon: My shop isn’t some shabby establishment like what you’re thinking. What a hard-headed policeman~

Mr. Tanno: A police officer?

Togawa: Mr. Tanno, is something the matter?

Mr. Tanno: No, of course not…

The Tanno couple exchange a meaningful gaze. Meanwhile, Crayon is bothering Kondo.

Kondo: Stop it! Don’t blow in my ear!

Crayon: Omg~ so shy~! How cute! Tonight is going to be so~ much~ fun~! Teehee~

Crayon exits while giggling.

Kondo: Hey!... What do you mean ‘fun’?!

Kondo chases after Crayon.

Togawa: Wait… Where are you two going?!

Togawa chases the two offstage.

Mrs. Iwanami: Well well, we seem to be grouped with some interesting folk!

Mr. Iwanami: My goodness…

The Iwanamis also exit the stage, and the bridge leads to the next scene.

Scene 1A: The City of Paris

Visiting Paris on a research trip, the Japanese author Kitashirakawa appears, singing.

[C’est Paris! C’est la vie!]

Kitashirakawa: Oh Paris!

What illuminates this city?

I saw it in the night- the color of dreams.

Oh, Paris!

Only Paris can capture the hearts of writers

Like no other city!

I want you to show me

Like Ernest Hemmingway

Like Scott Fitzgerald

What they sought- the color of dreams!

C’est Paris!

Selfishly, in this city,

C’est Paris!

People can see unbelievable dreams.

I want you to show me

Like the philosophers of Montmartre

Like the lovers who speak of romance

Something I have never seen- the color of dreams!

C’est la vie!

In the city of nostalgic meetings

C’est la vie!

People can find the dreams they’ve lost!

The editor Hayami accompanying Kitashirakawa on his trip appears.

Hayami: Mr. Kitashirakawa! There you are. I thought you’d suddenly disappeared…

Kitashirakawa: Hayami! I told you I hate group activities, not to mention when I’m forced to be around such vulgar people my creative motivation is exponentially reduced!

Hayami: You’re the one who selfishly broke away from the tour. Ms. Reiko’s been looking for you, too!

Kitashirakawa: That nasty tour guide… it’s fine to leave her behind.

Hayami: Really? I found her quite likeable. She’s the president of the tour agency but still leads tours with such vitality… It’s like watching a younger version of myself.

Kitashirakawa: If that’s true, then she’s bound to become a spinster too.

Hayami: Oh ho ho, what a jokester! I’ve definitely not given up yet.

Following Kitashirakawa, the guide Sakurai and the members of the Light Tour appear breathing heavily.

Sakurai: Mr. Kitashirakawa!

Kitashirakawa: Here comes the shabby tour guide.

Sakurai: How many times do I have to explain to you that your selfish behavior is a problem for the other tour members?

Kanezawa: Bro, I was looking for you.

Kitashirakawa: Hayami, do something! If I’m around this loud, annoying riffraff much longer, my creative research will be ruined!

Hayami: I’m sorry, Ms. Reiko. He’s that kind of artist…

Sakurai: Listen, this is a tour trip, you know? Even if Mr. Kitashirakawa is a famous novelist, in order to properly take part in the tour, he needs to listen to my instructions.

Kitashirakawa: Hayami…

Mrs. Shimoda: Kitashirakawa? Do you mean the Kitashirakawa Ukyo?

Kanezawa: Huh? This guy really a famous novelist?

Hayami: Yes! Mr. Kitashirakawa’s “Beauty and Sadness of the Blue Danube” (Utsukushisa to Kanashimi no Aoki Donau) was his brilliant debut novel! It was followed by his work “The Country of Light Snow” (Sasameyuki Kuni) that won the Tanibata Award. He’s truly a rare genius!

(TN: These are jokes regarding real life famous novels “Utsukushisa to Kanashimi to” by Yasunari Kawabata and “Sasameyuki” by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. Therefore, the (not real) Tanibata Award would be a reference to Tani(zaki) (Kawa)bata. Hahaha, good job zuka.)

Kanezawa: Sounds like a bunch of rip-off titles.

Michiru: Papa!

(TN: Michiru is referring to Kanezawa as ‘Papa’ as a lover’s pet name, rather than a father-figure. Probably due to the fact that it’s implied he is older than her. It doesn’t really hold the same connotation in English, but it’s a bit too obvious of a word to try to change to something else.)

Mr. Shimoda: Well then, have you come to Paris to write a new novel?

Kitashirakawa: I suppose.

Hayami: Mr. Kitashirakawa is working on a romance set in the court of King Louis XIV!

Michiru: Wow! What’s the title?

Kitashirakawa: Are you ready to hear its brilliance? The title is… (emphatically) “The Lily of Versailles!” (Versailles no Yuri)

Kanezawa: As I thought, just another rip-off.

Kitashirakawa: What did you say!?

Kanezawa: Geez, so grumpy! But you know, I feel like we’d get along bro. We’ve both got good taste in clothes and nice hairstyles…

Kitashirakawa: Don’t lump me in with the likes of you! (Messes up Kanezawa’s hair) My hair’s the real deal!

Kanezawa: Aaah!

Michiru: Papa!

Holding onto his wig, Kanezawa looks around in panic at everyone staring at him.

Sakurai: (amazed) Let’s end our friendly chats there. If we don’t hurry, we’ll be late to arrive at the hotel.

Scene 1B: Places des Vosges

The stage changes to the Places des Vosges.

Kitashirakawa: Hayami! This is exactly why I said I hate group tours!

Hayami: Well, sensei, I don’t think you ever actually said that…

Sakurai: Now everyone, once we go through the corridor from the Places des Vosges, the Château de la Reine is waiting for us.

All members go onto the ginkyo.

[Château de la Reine]

Hayami: This is it, sensei! The place that Balzac (Honoré de Balzac) and Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle) loved! We’re almost at the Château de la Reine!

Kitashirakawa: Aah, the legendary hotel that turned away even the great Ernest Hemingway!

Michiru: (To Kanezawa) We get to stay at such a fancy hotel…. It’s like a dream!

Sakurai: But it’s not a dream! At first glance, you can see it looks like the kind of hotel normal customers wouldn’t be able to stay at… For us to stay here on a tour like this, rather than calling it a dream… it’s more like a miracle!

Château de la Reine

And the Plaza Athénée

And the Crillon and the Ritz, It’s not your imagination

A place that tourists from all over the world desire to stay!

Kanezawa: What’s that mumbo jumbo even mean? Chartoo …. (he can’t pronounce it)

Kitashirakawa interrupts Sakurai before she can explain.

Kitashirakawa: The “Château de la Reine”! In Japanese it means “The Queen’s Château”. It was owned by the ruler of 17th century France, Louis XIV, but the true meaning behind the Château’s name is still a mystery…

Château de la Reine! Others: Château

King Louis XIV himself de

Designed the interior decoration la

And still untouched- Reine

The Royal Suite! Château

That made VIPs worldwide de

Revere the Sun King’s la

Legendary Hotel! Reine!

All: The Queen’s Château… Château de la Reine!

Scene 1C: Château de la Reine (Courtyard Entrance)

The set changes during the interlude, the corridor hangings rise to reveal the courtyard entrance of the Château de la Reine. The hotel employees appear one after another.

Employees: Bienvenue!

Welcome to the Château de la Reine!

Employees: Château de la Reine!

Mrs. Shimoda: A once in a lifetime luxury

Mr. Shimoda: One last souvenir from the world

Employees: Château de la Reine

Michiru: How gorgeous!

Kanezawa: It’s perfect for us!

Employees: Château de la Reine

Hayami: Being able to stay here…

Kitashirakawa: … is the miracle of a lifetime!

Employees: Château de la Reine

All: Château de la Reine

The tour members all move to enter the Hotel. In the courtyard, the ghosts of Louis XIV and his servant Munon appear.

Louis: Munon, what is this? Who are those noisy people?!

Munon: I believe some Japanese tourists who have come to experience Paris?

Louis: And so, they also come to my Château de la Reine?

Munon: I fear that the hotel management has worsened, and they do not bother to take such care in screening visitors as they used to…

Louis: They just run in and out of the building like monkeys!

The place where my soul resides-

The Château de la Reine

For over three hundred years

Continuing to search for my lost love Munon: Continuing to search

Those that dare to interrupt for the king’s lost love…

My quest to find my beloved

Will not be forgiven!

The stage turns to reveal the hotel lobby.

Employees: Upon our list of past accommodations

Are the names of many great people!

Employees (women): Mozart!

Employees (men): Einstein!

Employees: Grace Kelly and Chaplain

Like everyone throughout the world

Who desires to see the color of dreams

The legendary hotel

The Queen’s Château- Château de la Reine

Mr. Shimoda: Our lives can finally end here

Mrs. Shimoda: It suits our final days

Employees: Château de la Reine

Kanezawa: I’ll tell her my secret and then propose?

Michiru: I want to know everything about Papa!

Employees: Château de la Reine

Château de la Reine

Hayami: To create a new masterpiece!

Sakurai: To get our company out of this pinch!

Kitashirakawa: I can already feel something great will happen!

Employees: Bienvenue! Welcome to

Château de la Reine!

Moving along with the number, the stage has changed to the lobby of the hotel.

Scene 2: Château de la Reine (Lobby)

Continuing from the front of the Château de la Reine lobby…

Kitashirakawa: Très bien!! Its sense of style is even better than what I’d heard!

The hotel manager, Monsieur Duran, appears.

Duran: Bonsoir mesdames et messieurs! (To Kanezawa) Ça va?

(*TN: The script has the French as ‘madames’ and ‘monsieurs’ which I have been told are not the plural spelling. Take it as you prefer.)

Kanezawa: Who you callin’ a saba, huh?! (TN: Saba = mackerel fish)

Michiru: Papa! How embarrassing…

Sakurai: Everyone, this is the general manager of the hotel, Monsieur Duran.

Duran: We welcome you to the Château de la Reine! For those of you just arriving from the airport, we will have your baggage delivered to your rooms right away!

Kitashirakawa: It’s here!

Hayami: Sensei?

Kitashirakawa: It’s here, it’s here, it’s here---- IT’S HERE!

Hayami: Aaah- the angels of inspiration have already appeared!?

Sakurai: What on earth…

Hayami: This happens whenever he gets an idea! It’s as if something possesses him! He’s known as the exorcist of literature!

Kitashirakawa: Hayami! Quickly- I need a pen and paper!!

Hayami: Yes, here! (To Duran) Uhm… Je voudrais la clé… We are Kitashirakawa and Hayami. Quick, our room key!

Duran: Oui! (Offers the keys.) Here you are.

Hayami: (Takes the keys) Merci! (To the boy) Now, guide us to our room!

Boy: Oh! Par ici, s’il vous plaît …

Following the boy, Kitashirakawa and Hayami exit through the hotel corridor.

Sakurai: Wait, both of you- I haven’t explained yet-

Kanezawa: Hey missy, hurry up and give us our room too.

Sakurai: I understand… (To Duran) Well then, please assign Mr. Kanezawa and Mr. Shimoda their room keys as well.

Duran: Oui, madame.

Sakurai: Everyone, we will be departing for our dinner cruise in exactly thirty minutes. I respectfully request your punctuality in meeting here in the lobby.

The steward boys lead the visitors to their rooms through the corridor.

Sakurai: Well then, please enjoy your stay.

The guests pass Sakurai and Duran on their way out, and once they are out of sight Sakurai and the manager begin speaking.

Sakurai: Monsieur Duran, being able to complete this special tour is all thanks to you…

Duran: Pas de problème. I should be the one saying that. In this recession, we in management can only do so much in the face of such abrupt cancellations. I wonder what will happen now…

Sakurai: We’ll have to keep working earnestly, but before that there’s another matter to discuss…

Duran: Oui, Madame. If it’s about the double-booking…

Sakurai: Shhhhhh!!! (looking around) Anyway, about the baggage replacements… you’ll have to pay meticulous attention.

Duran: Leave it to us, Madame Reiko.

Duran exits the stage. Now alone, Sakurai takes out her cellphone. In a different area of the stage is Togawa, still waiting at the airport.

Sakurai: Hello?

Togawa: Ms. Reiko! Aren’t you running a little late!? I don’t know how much longer I can fend off the customers’ complaints!

Sakurai: Well, that just can’t be helped. My “Light Tour” is a 7-night-8-day package at 1,500,000 yen… while your “Shadow Tour” can visit the Château de la Reine for only 198,000 yen. On a cheap course, you just have to endure some inconveniences along the way.

Togawa: Even if you say it like that…

Sakurai: Anyway, the “Light Tour” members have just checked into the hotel. We’ll be leaving the hotel soon, so go ahead and please leave the airport now.

Togawa: I’m saved!

Sakurai: Are you going to be ok? You have to do the room assignments exactly as I told you. First is room 201, where the Shimoda couple is staying. (In the corridor of the hotel, the figures of the Shimoda couple can be seen.) They seem to be in charge of management for a large electrical company, but the economy hasn’t been very good to that kind of business lately.

Then, room 202 has the real estate kingpin, Mr. Kanezawa. (Similarly, Kanezawa and Michiru can be seen in the background.) He says the reason he joined this tour is to make plans for a Paris-themed casino in Las Vegas- which is more the type of business the economy has been kind to lately. The girl with him, Miss Michiru, is a former hostess… I thought she was his fiancée, but I’m not actually sure…

Togawa: And for the “Shadow Tour”, room 201 is the Iwanamis. And room 202 is the Tannos, right?

Sakurai: Right. But then the trouble comes in room 203, with the writer Kitashirakawa and his editor Ms. Hayami.

As the stage turns, the set of room 203 appears and Kitashirakawa working at the desk comes into view, working on his novel.

Togawa: Trouble?

Sakurai: Mr. Kitashirakawa! If I take my eyes off of him for even a second I don’t know what he’ll do. He walks around with the air of a celebrity- he thinks he’s so special…

Kitashirakawa: ACHOO

Kitashirakawa sneezes.

(TN: In Japan, it’s a common superstition that when you sneeze, it means someone is talking behind your back.)

Togawa: So, after we arrive at the hotel, what should we do?...

Sakurai: After about two hours, take everyone sightseeing.

Togawa: Got it. But… after that…?

Sakurai: You’ve already got a plan, don’t you?

Togawa: The only thing the plan says is ‘don’t come back to the hotel until morning’?!

Sakurai: Oui, monsieur. Bon voyage. Have a good trip.

Sakurai hangs up the phone.

Togawa: Wait… Ms. Reiko? Ms. Reiko!?

On opposite sides of the bridge, Sakurai and Togawa exit the stage.

Scene 3: Château de la Reine (Room 203)

As the setting of Room 203 turns to the front, Kitashirakawa is sitting as his desk with his manuscript in front of him. His writing progress is not going as well as he thought…

Kitashirakawa: Aaah, it’s no good! I can’t write anything!... I was sure the Angel of Inspiration had visited me before… As I thought from the beginning, this is impossible… writing a romance novel about Louis XIV…

Kitashirakawa sighs, walking up to look at the portrait of Louis XIV in the room.

Kitashirakawa: (impatiently) Look at this ‘perfect’ guy. Politics… Love… Everything the perfect Sun King wanted, he got! When it comes to writing novels, that kind of life is just boring.

Suddenly the light disappears, and a man’s voice echoes through the room.

Louis: (Voice) Boring?! What would someone like you know about my life?!...

Kitashirakawa: What was that voice?...

Behind Kitashirakawa, the ghostly figure of King Louis XIV appears from the painting.

Louis: Barre-toi! Remove yourself from my presence immediately!

Kitashirakawa: (happily) It’s here! It’s here, it’s here, it’s here, it’s here!

Louis: This home is not a place for lowly monkeys like you to visit!

Kitashirakawa: And look! It’s even appeared in the form of Louis XIV himself… Amazing! It’s as if the archangel Michael himself has come before me!

Louis: What nonsense are you spouting? Were you not listening to what I said?

Kitashirakawa: With such kingly flourish! As if 300 years had not past, Louis XIV has been revived before me! Now, Angel of Stories, bestow upon me thine inspiration!

Louis: I am not an angel! I am the owner of the Château de la Reine, Louis XIV.

Kitashirakawa: Louis XIV? … You mean, the actual ghost of the Sun King?

Louis: Do you finally understand? So… are you properly terrified?

Kitashirakawa: Terrified? My pure talent is what’s terrifying! That my overflowing imagination could summon forth even this level of paranormal experience!...

Louis: What is wrong with this guy?

Kitashirakawa: Hey, tell me… If you really are Louis XIV like you say, then you’ve got to know something- right? Something you’ve never told anyone… For example, a tragic love story…

Louis: Why would I speak to you about such things?

Kitashirakawa: So that I can finish my romance novel- with you as the main character!

Louis: How rude! As if I would let you write my secrets into a novel!

Kitashirakawa: Meaning… there is something!

Louis: It has absolutely nothing to do with you.

Kitashirakawa: What kind of secret could it be! Some sort of affair with a noble woman? Or perhaps- a man….?

Louis: I do not have that kind of interest.

Kitashirakawa: Then perhaps you fell prey to the machinations of a woman who only wanted you for your status and power…?

Louis: How dare you! Diana is not that kind of woman!

Kitashirakawa: ~Diana~?

Louis: Ack!

Kitashirakawa: So, that is the name of the woman you loved?

Louis: Silence!

Kitashirakawa: Diana… Diana… The name Diana wasn’t listed in anything to do with Louis that I can remember. But Diana is the name of the Moon Goddess… A forbidden love story between the Sun King and the Moon Goddess… This could work! This could definitely work!

Shocked and appalled at the monkey Kitashirakawa, Louis returns to his place in the painting. The light returns to the room, and the sound of knocking can be heard at the door.

Sakurai: (voice) Mr. Kitashirakawa? Ms. Hayami?

Kitashirakawa: What? I’m finally at a good place…

Sakurai: (voice) Mr. Kitashirakawa? You’re there, aren’t you?

Kitashirakawa: It’s that woman again? Hayami! Hayami!

Hayami comes out of a nearby door to the next room.

Hayami: Yes, yes, Hayami is here!

Kitashirakawa: (Pointing at the door) Do something about her! A wonderful Angel of Inspiration has finally appeared to me! (Realizes that Louis has disappeared) Huh? Where’d he go?

Kitashirakawa goes to inspect the portrait, but the knocking sound returns.

Sakurai: Mr. Kitashirakawa! Ms. Hayami!

When Hayami opens the door, Sakurai jumps into the room.

Sakurai: What on earth are you doing? It’s time for us to depart for the dinner cruise!

Hayami: Oh, is that so?

Sakurai: All of the other customers are already gathered and waiting!

Kitashirakawa: Really? Well, on the contrary, I will not be attending.

Sakurai: That… I cannot allow that! Such selfish behavior will cause trouble for the other customers!

Kitashirakawa: What kind of trouble could it cause? This is my room, after all.

The local guide Pierre enters the room.

Pierre: Madame Reiko, if we do not hurry, we will be late for the dinner cruise!

Hayami: What… an attractive man…

Pierre: Enchanté! I am your local guide- Pierre!

Sakurai: Monsieur Pierre, please gather the other customers and leave the hotel first. I will bring Mr. Kitashirakawa to the cruise myself.

Pierre: J’ai compris.

Sakurai: Sensei… would you mind…?

Kitashirakawa: Yeah, go and enjoy it for me, too.

Pierre escorts Hayami from the room.

Sakurai: Mr. Kitashirakawa, please come with me!

Kitashirakawa: I’d rather write my novel!

Sakurai: You can write it later, can’t you? For example, after the dinner cruise…

Kitashirakawa: You are so persistent!

Sakurai’s mobile phone begins to ring.

Sakurai: (answering the phone) Hello?

Kitashirakawa: If you’re going to chat on the phone, leave the room!

Togawa: (voice) Ms. Reiko! We finally arrived at the Château de la Reine! I just delivered everyone their room keys.

Sakurai: No! No! You have to take the customers out sightseeing immediately!

Togawa: (voice) Ms. Reiko!?

Sakurai hurriedly hangs up the phone.

Sakurai: What should I do…

Sakurai begins to clean up Kitashirakawa’s things.

Kitashirakawa: HEY! What are you doing?!

Sakurai: What does it look like- cleaning!

Kitashirakawa: But WHY?

Sakurai: Because if I don’t clean, we’ll be in a lot of trouble!

Kitashirakawa: Hey!

Crayon: (voice) Here it is! Room 203! Mako-chan, hurry and open it~

Kitashirakawa: Whose voice is that?

Kondo: (voice) Who are you callin’ Mako-chan!!

Crayon: (voice) Since your name’s Kondo Makoto, you’re now Mako-chan!

As Crayon and Kondo approach from the hall, the sound of keys opening the door can be heard. Sakurai drags Kitashirakawa behind the sofa and pushes him down.

Kitashirakawa: GYA!

Sakurai: This is bad! This is bad!

Crayon and Kondo enter the room.

Crayon: Wow! What a wonderful room! It’s kind of like being on a honeymoon~ (Crayons skips over to Kondo)

Kondo: How is it a honeymoon with two men!?

Togawa appears in the doorway.

Togawa: Mr. Kondo, Ms. (?) Crayon. It’s a bit earlier than planned, but I’d like to take you on your first sightseeing tour now…

Kondo: You saved me! Well then, quickly- to sightseeing! Sightseeing, sightseeing…

Kondo quickly runs from the room as if to escape.

Crayon: Hey, Mako-chan! Wait for me!

Crayon leaves the room, following Kondo. Kitashirakawa and Sakurai appear from behind the sofa.

Kitashirakawa: I can’t!... I can’t breathe!

Togawa: Ms. Reiko!?

Sakurai: Togawa! What are you doing? Hurry up and follow the customers!

Togawa: What are YOU doing, Ms. Reiko!? Behind a sofa… alone with a man!

Sakurai: This isn’t the time for weird misunderstandings!

Togawa: But…

Sakurai: Just hurry up and go after the customers!!

Togawa: Y-Yes!

Togawa runs out of the room in a hurry.

Kitashirakawa: HEY! What the hell just happened!? And what was with that okama couple!?

Sakurai: Ah, it must be, a slight error with the hotel…

Kitashirakawa: SLIGHT error?!

Sakurai: Anyway, it seems like there isn’t anything to worry about with the room, so please continue writing your novel at your leisure. Well then, I’ll take my leave…

Sakurai rushes from the room.

Kitashirakawa: HEY! Wait a minute!

Kitashirakawa runs from the room chasing after Sakurai. Once they’re both gone, the ghost of Louis XIV returns, accompanied by strange music.

Louis: Munon. Do something about these monkeys!

Munon: Even if you ask milord, what could I do…

Louis: With people like that around, I’ll never be able to communicate with Diana’s soul.

Munon: I’ve been searching with your majesty for Diana for over 300 years now… Could Madame Diana possibly still be in this Château?

Louis: Are you doubting me?!

Munon: I held no such intent, sire…

Louis: I am certain that I heard Diana’s voice in this Château. She must still be wandering through that deep darkness…

Scene 4: Château de la Reine (Courtyard Entrance)

Lonely music plays. The stage changes to the Château in the 17th century, covered in moonlight. (This is a mental image by Louis.) While Louis sings on the ginkyo, Diana can be seen standing in the gardens, covered in moonlight.

[The Sun and the Moon]

Louis: Diana… even if you never forgive me, my soul will eternally search for you, my love…

No one knows

How the Sun King of France

Hid darkness within his heart

And how that darkness

Was illuminated by the light of the gentle moon.

In the interlude of the song, Petit Louis appears from inside the house.

Petit Louis: Maman!

Diana: Petit Louis…

As Petit Louis approaches Diana, one leg drags behind him as if hurt.

Petit Louis: Maman! Tell me about father! He was a soldier, right? A soldier who courageously fought against Spain and was a hero of France?

Diana: No. Your father was but a weakling. He gave into the Spanish blood running in his veins and abandoned us.

Petit Louis: Papa… abandoned…?

Diana: Forgive me, Petit Louis. If mama hadn’t believed in your father so much, then your leg wouldn’t…

Petit Louis: Don’t cry, Maman! I’m fine as long as I have Maman! I won’t ever ask about Papa again. So please… don’t cry, Maman.

Diana: Petit Louis…

Diana and Petit Louis share a strong embrace.

Louis: Forgive me! … Diana! Petit Louis!...

Diana

Goddess of the moon, who illuminated my heart

I search only for you

Diana

The only proof I ever lived Diana: The only proof I ever lived

I will keep searching for you I wish to forget it…

If only to be able to express to you The cruel Sun King’s

My sincere love… ‘Sincere’ love…

Diana!

As the light fades around them, the stage turns to the next scene.

Scene 5: The City of Paris

Sakurai appears on a dark street outside of the hotel, quickly followed by Kitashirakawa chasing after her.

Kitashirakawa: HEY! Wait a minute! Stop trying to escape!?

Sakurai: Escape?... No, I’m only trying to join everyone on the dinner cruise…

Kitashirakawa: You can’t hide this sham from me anymore! I figured it out the moment I saw those other guys that came in earlier. This double-booking situation was planned from the beginning!

Sakurai: … I’m truly truly sorry!

Having been found out, Sakurai begins apologizing and bowing vigorously in defeat.

Kitashirakawa: You can’t fool the keen eyes of a novelist!

Sakurai: I truly had no choice! Although we planned this expensive tour with the Château de la Reine, we couldn’t attract as many customers as we thought! So… we had to plan a second, cheaper tour attraction…

Kitashirakawa: As I thought! … Well, in planning this second fraudulent trip, were you able to satisfy your greed for money?

Sakurai: If we didn’t manage to collect enough for our settlement by this month’s deadline, my company would go bankrupt!...

Kitashirakawa: Your circumstances really don’t mean anything to me…

Sakurai: Yes, you are right… No matter what the circumstances are, I did something terrible to everyone here… At the very least, I plan to take full responsibility for my actions. I apologize, it is all my fault that this tour will end prematurely…

Kitashirakawa: End?...

Sakurai: Of course, we will offer full reimbursement of your money…

Kitashirakawa: Wait a minute, who said anything about stopping the tour?

Sakurai: I’m truly sorry, but there’s no way for me to reserve the necessary amount of rooms… So, there’s no other way.

Kitashirakawa: Then, you should just continue as is, right?

Sakurai: …What?

Kitashirakawa: The double-booking tour.

Sakurai: What are you saying?

Kitashirakawa: As of now, the only one who’s noticed your little plan is this brilliant author here. None of the other customers have noticed anything at all.

Sakurai: To continue the tour… Are you saying you’ll help me?

Kitashirakawa: Well, I guess something like that…

Sakurai: You would do that for me…

Kitashirakawa: Don’t misunderstand! It’s really not for you.

Sakurai: Then, instead… you don’t mean, for me to spend the night with you…!?

Kitashirakawa: It’s nothing like that!? If the tour were to stop now, it would be a huge problem for me!

Sakurai: What do you mean?

Kitashirakawa: While on this tour, I HAVE to write a new novel by any means necessary! A brilliant masterpiece to resurrect the name of Kitashirakawa Ukyo! Recently I’ve been squeaking by with small serializations here and there- my career as a novelist hangs on the success of this tour!

Sakurai: But, to continue tricking the other customers with the double booking for such a reason…

Kitashirakawa: Anyway, in order to keep up with your sham, I’ll go along with your plan starting tomorrow morning and follow your boring sightseeing or whatever…

Sakurai: Thank you so much! … Well, I don’t know if I should really be thanking you or…

Kitashirakawa: Well, then! I’m going back to my room to write my novel, so don’t interrupt me again! (He goes to leave, then stops.) And make sure none of the others catch on to your plan- do your job properly! Huh!

Turning his back on Sakurai, Kitashirakawa exits the stage. The music slowly changes to Sakurai’s song.

[Another étranger] (TN: étranger means ‘stranger’? This could potentially be very wrong.)

Sakurai: To suddenly chase after someone

I feel something pass through my heart

With kindness And with coldness- The feelings I avoided

Seem to be reaching out.

The bustle and laughter of the city

All belong to someone other than me.

Just another étranger

Like I see reflected in the shop windows

I desired a time long past.

A temperamental traveler

Just another étranger.

But I can see it reflected In someone’s eyes…

The destination I’ve been searching for

Another me

Like a lost child.

And staring at myself when I cannot move…

Is just another étranger.

Finishing the song, Sakurai exits the stage.

Scene 6: Parfum de la Lune

A cabaret in Montmartre, a can-can singer appears during a drum roll. He begins to introduce the start of the show.

[Parfum de la Lune]

Cancan singer: Bonsoir mesdames et messieurs. C’est parti CAN CAN! (TN: Again, was told the French was incorrect idk)

At the singer’s signal, the music picks up pace, and the back of the stage starts a brilliant and shocking Cancan dance. In the audience sit the members of Togawa’s tourist group. Half way through the show, the dancers move to dance among the audience, urging them to dance along. Crayon happily dances along, while Kondo seems embarrassed. The Tannos watch everyone suspiciously.

Cancan singer: Parfum de la Lune

The sweet scent invites you

Parfum de la Lune

Gaze up at the moon in the night sky

Like a fragrant aphrodisiac

Parfum de la Lune

Cancan girls: Even if you’re bored

Or been sightseeing all day

Anyone is welcome here!

Garçon: Do you want to forget that lonely feeling?

Well, let’s get started!

It’s time for our dazzling show!

Cancan singer: Parfum de la Lune

Those are magical words

Parfum de la Lune

The song here is always one of love

Until the moon finally sets!

With the customers: Parfum de la Lune

Parfum de la Lune

Parfum de la Lune Ah!

All: Let’s play through the night!

Ah Ah Ah Ah!

Once the song is over, everyone makes their way back to their seats.

Crayon: To be able to dance the cancan at a real cabaret! It’s like a dream! Right, Mako-chan~?

Kondo: I keep telling you, don’t involve me!

Mr. Tanno: Mr. Togawa, shouldn’t we be getting back to the hotel?

Togawa: That… Mr. Tanno, our sightseeing has only just begun?

Mr. Tanno: We didn’t come here just to play around!

Kondo: Oh, so did you come here for work?

Mrs. Tanno: (Scrutinizing) We… work in import sales. So, we’re looking to buy rare brand items.

Crayon: Amazing! When we get back, can I visit your shop sometime?

Mrs. Tanno: Yes, of course! (Trying to change the course of the conversation) So, Crayon, why did you come to Paris?

Crayon: I guess you could call it a ‘heartbreak trip’. I’m trying to heal my broken heart…

Kondo: I guess okama are miserable on their own.

Crayon: How rude! Aren’t you on your own, too, Mako-chan?

Kondo: I… The person I invited… rejected me…

Crayon: Your lover?

Kondo: No, just someone I liked…

Crayon: So, you invited someone you weren’t even dating to travel to Paris with you?

Kondo: So what if I did?!

Crayon: That… for a first date, that’s a bit too much~

Mr. Tanno: Mr. Togawa, can’t we just do as we like from here? We really want to go back to the hotel.

Togawa: Mr. Tanno!

Mrs. Iwanami: Well then, we will also go back with you…

Togawa: The Iwanamis too?... Please, I can’t allow you to go off on your own!

Mr. Tanno: Why?

Togawa: The streets of Paris at night can be dangerous! If anything happened to you…

Crayon: (Grabs onto Kondo’s arm) Well then, why don’t we all go back together?

Togawa: Ms. Crayon!?

Crayon: I sure would like to be alone with Mako-chan here~ (Shimmies up to Kondo)

Kondo: STOP IT!

Togawa: That, I can’t allow it! No matter what, I will make sure that you all enjoy sightseeing in Paris ALL NIGHT!

Everyone is amazed at Togawa’s raised voice.

Crayon: Well that was sudden… I’m kind of surprised.

Togawa: (returning to his senses) I… I am so terribly sorry!

Kondo: But what do you mean by “all night”?

Togawa: That is… to say… returning to the hotel right now… would be bad…

Mr. Tanno: “Bad”?

Togawa: Actually, about our situation at the Château de la Reine… there is something that I haven’t told you all…

Mr. Iwanami: Well, how ominous! Come now, tell us…

Togawa: Then, I will tell you truthfully… The truth is, all of your guestrooms… are limited to use only during the daytime…

Mrs. Tanno: What!?

Mr. Tanno: Then what are we supposed to do during the night?

Togawa: That is why… I want you to enjoy sightseeing through the evening…

Kondo: Are you saying we’re just supposed to stroll around the city all night?

Togawa: Please don’t worry about that, there are many shops open until the early morning hours!

Kondo: That’s not actually the problem here, is it!?

Mrs. Iwanami: Mr. Togawa, what is the reason behind all this?

Togawa: That is…

Kondo: You… if you don’t tell us the full truth right now, I’m gonna arrest you!

Togawa: A-arrest!? Please, have mercy…

Mrs. Iwanami: Now, now, Mr. Kondo… Stop acting all tough, won’t you? Let’s first listen to what Mr. Togawa has to say. After all, there has to be some sort of extenuating circumstance for all this?

Prepared to divulge all, Togawa vigorously bows to them. (dogeza)

Togawa: I am so truly sorry! I… have betrayed everyone’s trust with my outrageous actions!... (crying)

Kondo: Now what’s wrong?

Crayon: Seems like he’s just crying…

Mr. Iwanami: Mr. Togawa, raise your head now. At the least, we’ve all agreed to listen to what you have to say, ok?

The stage fades into darkness.

Scene 7: The City of Paris

On the ginkyo, the members of the “Light Tour” return from their dinner cruise with Pierre. Hayami and Pierre are especially drunk…

Pierre: Everybody~! Did you enjoy the dinner cruise~?

Hayami: Yes, amazing!

Pierre: Non, the amazing one… is you~!

Hayami: Oh, Pierre… In truth, I… am a ~terrible~ woman…

Michiru: Gross! Lady, you’ve really got it bad…

Hayami: What? Are you jealous?

Michiru: That’s impossible…

Kanezawa: Is that true?! Michiru…

Michiru: Papa?

Kanezawa: Really, compared to an old man like me… (he suddenly grabs Pierre’s shoulder) you prefer young guys like this!

Michiru: What are you saying!? The only one Michiru loves is Papa!

Kanezawa: Ya swear it?

Pierre: Well, anyway… there are many places that I wish to take you as your guide!

Mrs. Shimoda: Well then, Mr. Pierre, would it be alright if I asked you something then?

Pierre: Oui, madame.

Mrs. Shimoda: I’d like for you to tell me… What is the quietest and most beautiful place in all of Paris?

Pierre: The Basilique du Sacré-Cœur!

Mr. Shimoda: Where was that?

Pierre: The Sacred Heart temple in Montmartre! It was painted by Utrillo (Maurice Utrillo) as the white temple~!

Mrs. Shimoda: Really… The Sacred Heart temple? Thank you very much.

The Shimoda couple share a meaningful gaze.

Pierre: Well then, let us return! I shall guide you all back to the hotel~!

Hayami: Eh!? We’re going home already?

Michiru: You’ve already had enough to drink, haven’t you?

Kanezawa: (Seeing Hayami tripping over her own feet) Hey, hey, lady, are you ok?

Everyone begins to exit the stage. Mr. Shimoda does not move, and Mrs. Shimoda calls back to him.

Mrs. Shimoda: Dear?

Mr. Shimoda: We… are going to end up causing some trouble for those people, aren’t we?

Mrs. Shimoda: Isn’t ok to do as we like, at least at the end? Just at the end…

Mr. Shimoda smiles at his wife, who looks at him with a sweet smile.

Mr. Shimoda: You always show me such a loving smile, even at times like this. It makes me wish I could have spared you all this…

Mrs. Shimoda tries to keep smiling.

Mr. Shimoda: Fusako… you don’t have to keep smiling. Don’t force yourself to smile.

Mrs. Shimoda tries to hide her tears. As the ending falls, the two exit the stage.

Scene 8: Château de la Reine (Room 203, Mr. Kitashirakawa’s room)

Room 203 in the Château de la Reine. After returning to the room, Kitashirakawa approaches the portrait of Louis XIV.

Kitashirakawa: Now then! No more interruptions! Come, let me once again gaze upon your true form!

After Kitashirakawa’s voice fades, there is nothing but silence.

Kitashirakawa: Please, I need to know! The truth between you and Diana- Who exactly was Diana? What is the true identity of the Moon Goddess…!?

As the lights disappear, Louis’s voice echoes through the room.

Louis: I will not forgive you…. You dare to speak Diana’s name so lightly!?

Kitashirakawa: It’s here! It’s here, it’s here, it’s here, it’s here!

Louis appears from the portrait.

Louis: Remove yourself from my presence immediately! My soul will never speak to the likes of you…

Kitashirakawa: Even with that kind of threat, do you think I would miss an opportunity like this? Now, come… tell me the story of you and Diana…!

Louis: Silence! You dare to speak her name a second time?!

Kitashirakawa: Why are you trying to hide it? What on earth happened between the two of you?

Louis: There’s no reason I should speak to the likes of you.

Kitashirakawa: Please listen. All I want is to write about your one and only true love.

Louis: True love?

Kitashirakawa: Yes! In the memoirs written about you, you’re almost like a myth- a man with only brilliant achievements and no human faults to be found. But what I want to write is about you as a man and your one true love!

Louis: How foolish… You think the King of France could ever live as a simple person?

Kitashirakawa: Well then, what was Diana to you?

Louis: …

Kitashirakawa: I’ll bet that love was your only proof you ever lived! That is the story of the Sun King that should be passed down through history!

Louis: To live as a king… there is no such thing as true love!... In order to become the Sun King of France, I expelled Dianna from Versailles and sent her here to live in this Château. No matter how much you ask, there is no ‘love story’ for you to find. I still only ask for her forgiveness, and for that reason continue to search for her soul…

Kitashirakawa: Très bien! Beautiful! The anguish of the King who had to throw his own love away… And now continues his eternal search for Diana, as just a simple man. This is the theme I’ve been looking for in my next work!

Louis: After all this, you’re still talking about such things…

Kitashirakawa: Kitashirakawa Ukyo’s second name is the Genius Romance Novelist! Within my creation, the love between two people not bound by time… Well, in my story, you would definitely be able to meet Diana again!

Louis: Foolish! For your scenario to work, Diana would have to appear before us.

Kitashirakawa: You’ll see… What’s needed to bring your reunion about… is Versailles!

Louis: Versailles!? But, she’s still here, in this Château…

Kitashirakawa: Rather, we should summon her in the place of your beautiful, shared memories! To Versailles!

The rhythm begins to change with the Background music.

[To Versailles]

Kitashirakawa: Beyond the boundaries of time

Your two souls are tied together

Louis: A man like you appeared unexpectedly

Bringing hope with you

Kitashirakawa: A fantastic story!

Louis: An absurd idea…

Kitashirakawa: Let’s draw her out!

Louis: Let’s give it a chance.

Kitashirakawa: Like Louis: Like

A feeling of a déjà vu- The feeling of falling in love

A chance to meet again! A chance to create anew,

The story of the Sun King and Moon Goddess! My story with Diana.

Kitashirakawa: Well then, to Versailles!

Louis: To Versailles!

Kitashirakawa and Louis: Let’s go find the next part of the story!

During the interlude, Munon suddenly appears without warning and interrupts the two.

Munon: But the problem is, exactly how is his Majesty to get to Versailles?

Kitashirakawa: (Shocked) Who are you?!

Louis: Munon. What’s the problem?

Munon: In that kind of dress, you would stand out to people in this modern era…

Kitashirakawa: Aah, If that’s the case, you don’t need to worry. You can just accompany me as a local guide who dresses the part for the tour.

Reassuring Louis with his bright idea, Kitashirakawa begins to lead them in song again. The three of them begin to sing together.

Kitashirakawa: When past and present intersect

An unpredictable story!

Come, to Versailles!

Louis and Munon: Quickly, to Versailles!

All three: Let’s go find the next part of the story!

Kitashirakawa: To Versailles!

Louis and Munon: Quickly, to Versailles!

Kitashirakawa: Now-

All three: Let’s begin… the next part of the story!

As the music ends, the curtain falls.

Scene 9: The City of Paris

Togawa appears on the ginkyo, followed by the members of the “Shadow Tour”. Mr. Iwanami is singing the military song “Song of the Young Eagle” while supporting the crying Togawa by the shoulder.

Mr. Iwanami: (Singing) The seven buttons of the young-blooded trainee pilots are…

(TN: This was a song used when drafting potential aviators?)

Crayon: (To Togawa) How long are you going to keep crying? Didn’t we already agree to cooperate with you so the people in the “Light Tour” don’t figure out your plan?

Togawa: But, why are you all being so nice!? After I betrayed your trust like that… you should never forgive me! (cries again)

Kondo: Stop blaming yourself so much. It was something you had to do to save your company, right?

Crayon: Mako-chan, you’re so nice!~ And after you kept going on about arresting him earlier…

Kondo: I’m making an exception. If we don’t return to the hotel, then I don’t have to worry about being attacked by an okama in the middle of the night…

Crayon: What did you just say!??

Kondo: No-Nothing in particular…

Mr. Iwanami: Mr. Togawa.

Everyone freezes at the severe tone of Mr. Iwanami’s voice.

Togawa: Y-Yes!?

Mr. Iwanami: Just smile.

Togawa: What?

Mr. Iwanami: When I was young, I left junior high school and applied to military training, where I became a zero-fighter pilot (TN: Mitsubishi A6M planes in the war). The cockpits in those planes were very small, and whenever we intercepted a B29 (TN: American Boeing B29 super fortress) … there was no guarantee whether we would live to the next day or not.

Kondo: Are we about to have to listen to this old man’s war stories?

Crayon: Mako-chan!

Mr. Iwanami: However, even when we were prepared for death, we continued to smile and laugh.

Togawa: Mr. Iwanami!

Mr. Iwanami: After my time there, I became a teacher at a special night high school because I wanted to pass that message along to the children. Do you understand? Especially when things are difficult, you just smile and laugh. Smile for someone that you care about.

Togawa: Mr. Iwanami…! (crying again)

Crayon: Aaah… He’s crying again.

Mr. Tanno: Mr. Togawa… How about this? If you just leave the “Light Tour” customers’ baggage in the rooms, we’ll make sure not to touch or disturb them. Then you can save the time needed for having to move things around, right?

Mrs. Iwanami: Oh, I think that’s a very nice idea! With that plan, we can all work together to help Mr. Togawa!

Togawa: Everyone! I, Togawa Mitsuo, will never ever forget this blessing!

Crayon: Well then, why don’t we head to the next shop? (Takes Kondo’s arm) Somewhere we can have some fun~

Mr. Iwanami: Well then, Mr. Togawa. You must continue to guide us!

Togawa: Yes!!... Well then, please follow me!

With Togawa in the lead, everyone follows along. Only the Tanno couple remain on stage.

Mrs. Tanno: How stone cold. Pretending to be honorable- like you won’t touch a thing.

Mr. Tanno: Sharing a room with a bunch of rich people from the “Light Tour” when only we’ll be there during the day. We won’t get another chance like this.

Mrs. Tanno: You… really are a bad person.

Mr. Tanno: Do you dislike it?

Mrs. Tanno: It makes me love you even more.

The couple also leaves, the stage turning to the next scene.

Scene 10: The Palace of Versailles (The Hall of Mirrors)

The Palace of Versailles is bustling with plenty of sightseeing tourists. The guide Pierre appears, leading the members of the “Light Tour”.

Pierre: Here we are! Everyone, this is the famous Palace of Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors!

Michiru: How flashy!? This is so my style.

Kanezawa: Wow! This is something! I’ve gotta have a hall like this in my hotel in Vegas, bro.

Hayami: Excuse me, everyone… would you terribly mind not speaking in such loud voices? My head feels like it’s going to break…

Mr. Shimoda: Fusako. What in the world is this place? I can’t believe that one person could have such a place built in only one generation.

Mrs. Shimoda: Well, Louis the XIV was known for his excessive spending. It was the reason the country went into bankruptcy before the French Revolution, I think…

Kitashirakawa, Louis, and Munon appear.

Louis: The one who caused bankruptcy was not I, but Louis XVI! I’m utterly embarrassed to call that man my descendant.

Mr. Shimoda: Fusako, look. There are paintings that reach up to the ceiling.

Louis: Ah, so you noticed! After I was crowned, I had these impressive paintings completed in a mere eighteen years- each one painted by Le Blanc himself. This one here is the War of Flanders, while this one is the War with the Netherlands…

Michiru: (To Kanezawa) Don’t you think that guide is amazing?!

Sakurai: (To Kitashirakawa) So you’re saying he’s… really the ghost of Louis XIV?

Kitashirakawa: Yes! The savior of my novel!

Sakurai: But, to go so far as to make him a tour guide…

Kitashirakawa: It’s a great idea, right!? The idea to make him a tour guide of Versailles suddenly struck me!

Everyone begins praising Louis’ explanations.

Kitashirakawa: Thankfully, everyone really believes he’s just a really devoted guide impersonating Louis XIV.

Mrs. Shimoda: Even so, I wonder why… For such a beautiful palace, this place seems to have a feeling of sadness to it.

Mr. Shimoda: Yes, I thought so too.

Sakurai: Mr. Shimoda, are you feeling alright?

Mr. Shimoda: Oh, yes of course! I was just… thinking about something a former teacher used to tell me all the time.

Sakurai: What was it?

Mrs. Shimoda: When times are difficult or painful… or even sad. You must laugh and survive for someone you care about.

Sakurai: Even in difficult times, for someone you care about…

Mrs. Shimoda: For us, those words are irreplaceable.

Mr. Shimoda: I think our teacher definitely wanted to pass on that hope to live to those of us with no money and no hope.

Sakurai: It’s a lovely story.

Kanezawa: Could you not tell depressing stories when we managed to come all the way to Versailles?

Mr. Shimoda: I’m sorry!... What was I thinking, ruining the mood like that…

Kitashirakawa: I disagree! It is a very interesting life view. Even if you think like that in regards to the Sun King… A king carrying darkness deep within his heart. As he thirsts for the light that can eradicate the darkness, it leads him to build this masterpiece…

Hayami: That’s Kitashirakawa-sensei for you!... What a beautiful interpretation… (suddenly feels sick)

Kitashirakawa: Hayami?

Hayami: I… need to go… to the restroom…

Pierre: Oh, Madame! I will show you the way!

Pierre accompanies Hayami off stage.

Mr. Shimoda: Well then, please excuse us as well. Come, Fusako…

Mrs. Shimoda: Ms. Reiko, are you coming?

Sakurai: Yes!

The Shimodas also exit the stage. Suddenly looking at Kanezawa, Kitashirakawa notices an incident.

Kitashirakawa: Shouldn’t you go as well?

Kanezawa: Me? … Why?

Kitashirakawa: (in a whisper) You’re crooked… (indicating Kanezawa’s wig)

Kanezawa: Crooked!?... CROOKED!?

Michiru: Papa! Where are you going!?

Kanezawa runs off stage while holding down his wig with his hands. Michiru follows him off stage.

Sakurai: That isn’t the restroom, Mr. Kanezawa! Miss Michiru!

Ms. Sakurai chases after them.

Louis: And why did I have to pretend to be your silly guide?

Kitashirakawa: Contrary to your words, you seem to be enjoying yourself quite a bit.

Munon: Yes, it did seem as if you were coming to enjoy it.

Louis: Do not make fun! Forget all that, what about Diana? When will she reveal herself to me?

Kitashirakawa: Don’t panic. We’ve set up the perfect situation for a reunion scenario!

[Reminiscence]

The background music begins.

Kitashirakawa: Our story begins with the Sun King giving a monologue. While alone in this corridor, gather all your nostalgia for Diana, and speak of the beautiful memories you shared here together! Led by your voice, other ghosts may appear and disappear… And among them, you alone can locate her true form! Now, call out to the Moon Goddess, to Diana’s soul…!

As the lights change with the music, aristocratic looking men and women begin to fill the corridor with dancing. Among a group of a dancers, the nervous Diana appears. Kitashirakawa and Munon move to the front of the stage to ‘watch’.

Louis: The first time I met Diana… was at the ball to celebrate the victory of my first battle as king. Although she was only brought into the palace to serve as a maid to the queen, she was luminous… as bright and beautiful as the moon goddess herself…

Aristocrats: Dance! Dance!

Together with the unsetting sun

Dance! Dance!

Even as the night begins to fall

Louis dances his way through the people, arriving in front of Diana and offering her his hand.

Diana: Forgive me, I cannot dance.

Louis: Do I displease you?

Diana: No, but I must present myself to the king…

Louis: In that case, you need not worry. I can assure you the king will not be at his station this evening.

Offering his hand again, Diana slowly accepts. The two begin to dance.

Munon: When His Majesty was young, he narrowly escaped death due to the actions of some unreasonable nobility- causing His Majesty a lifetime of pain and mistrust in people. No one could truly understand the depths of suspicion and loneliness in his heart.

(TN: Possible reference to the Fronde Rebellion?)

Kitashirakawa: So, the one who lifted that loneliness was the Moon Goddess Diana…

Aristocrats: Dance! Dance!

Together with the unsetting sun

Dance! Dance!

Diana disappears in the crowd of noblemen, and Queen Maria Theresa and Louis’s mother Anne appear.

Maria Theresa: Your Majesty, answer me. Is it true that vile woman you’ve taken in is now with child?

Louis: Watch your tongue, Queen. If the child is born a boy, then Diana will be the mother to my heir.

Maria Theresa: So… you even intend to hand over the throne to that child!?

Anne: My Queen, His Majesty has been fooled by that woman. His sanity may be lost for now, but soon he will come to realize his own mistake!

Louis: No, mother. My only mistake was ever accepting a princess of the enemy Spain as my Queen! My child with Diana will be my true legacy!

Maria Theresa: What are you saying!?

Anne: Apparently, his Majesty seems to have forgotten. That the child born to him of that woman will also have the blood of Spain running in their veins.

Anne makes a face to indicate that she has a plan and urges Maria Theresa to follow her, and they disappear into the dancing. Louis, angry and with no place to go, dances among the middle.

Aristocrats: Praise! Praise!

The birth of a long desired son

Cutting through the darkness of night the child of the Sun of France!

A baby’s first cries echo through the halls, and Louis breaks away from the dancers.

Louis: Petit Louis!... The child of the Sun of France!

As Louis moves to try to go to Diana, Anne stands in his way.

Anne: Your Majesty, where do you think you are going?

Louis: To see Diana!

Anne: You cannot. Your Majesty must, for the sake of France, always continue to dance!

In an eerie formation, the noblemen gather around Louis and dance, tossing him about.

Aristocrats: Dance! Dance!

Even if the sun sets

Dance Dance

Within the great darkness, The King continues to dance.

In a cross formation, the nobles move around Louis and swallow him. The back of the hall of mirrors changes to a balcony in the palace. On the balcony, Diana is holding her newborn baby close. Maria Theresa approaches her.

Maria Theresa: Madame Diana… Allow me to hold the child.

Diana: My Queen, it would be too high of an honor…

Maria Theresa: Well, show him to me quickly!

Maria Theresa takes Petit Louis from Diana by force.

Diana: My Queen!

Maria Theresa: Well, how adorable… he looks just like His Majesty…

Diana: My Queen?

Standing over the handrail, Maria Theresa lifts Petit Louis high. A disturbing twilight begins to spread in the background.

Maria Theresa: Louis de Soleil de France… The child of the Sun of France!!

Louis: Stop!!...

As the music hits a shocking accent, Maria Theresa drops Petit Louis off the edge of the balcony. At the same time, Louis manages to shake off the smothering nobles. Along with the accented music, the scene changes. While the nobles continue their disturbing song, they slowly move off stage.

Aristocrats: Dance Dance

Together with the unsetting sun

Dance Dance

The glory of the King shines…

Kitashirakawa: But… Petit Louis… What happened to Petit Louis…!?

Munon: Fortunately, his life was spared. But one leg was severely injured, and never properly healed… And so that no more danger would ever befall those two, his Majesty sent Diana away to that Château under the pretext of exiling her…

Kitashirakawa: So, the reason Louis continued to live as the Sun King of France was to protect the ones he loved… but, that love became nothing but despair for Diana…

Finally released from the memories, Louis approaches Kitashirakawa.

Louis: Diana… Where is Diana? (To Kitashirakawa) Why hasn’t she revealed herself?

Kitashirakawa: …

Louis: Answer me! When will Diana be revealed to me?

Kitashirakawa: … I don’t know.

Louis: You don’t know? Didn’t you say if we followed your scenario, then I could find her?!

Kitashirakawa: I don’t know! If you say that the thing that drove Diana’s heart deeper into the darkness was your love, then what would be the light that summons her back to you… How would I write that?

Louis: You have deceived me! Because you just wanted to write your little novel, you tricked me into telling you about Diana!

Kitashirakawa: No, that’s not it!

Louis: You said you wanted to write about true love? For someone that plays with others’ hearts and only thinks about himself… you’ll never be able to write about something like love! No, not of love, and not of anything that could ever touch a person’s heart! Leave my Château immediately… That is my final warning to you.

Louis spares Kitashirakawa one last glare as he leaves.

Munon: Your Highness! Please wait… Your Highness!

Munon chases after Louis. As Kitashirakawa is left on stage by himself, the setting falls into darkness.

[The Story I Wanted to Write]

Kitashirakawa: An empty heart-

And writing to fill it

With the memories of someone other than myself.

And never allowing anyone to read…

The tightly closed and blank pages deep in my heart

What I wanted to write

Were the words of the magic I believed in as a child

Adults always spun Such kind stories of lies.

What I wanted to write was the continuation of an unseen dream

But I don’t even know the truth of a ‘story’.

And the resulting scratches of pain hidden in my heart…

I never noticed them.

Scene 11: Château de la Reine (Room 201 and Room 202)

In room 202 of the Château de la Reine, The Tanno couple is going through Kanezawa and Michiru’s baggage.

Mrs. Tanno: Darling, look!

Mr. Tanno: This is amazing! These are all top brand goods!

Mrs. Tanno: What’s this? (She pulls a hair bundle out of the suitcase.)

Mr. Tanno: Isn’t that a wig?

Mrs. Tanno: Gross!! (She tosses it away.)

On the other side of the stage, the Iwanamis are relaxing with some tea from room service.

Mr. Iwanami: No matter how you think about it, this is quite a strange tour. Even if it’s only during the day, being able to stay in such a nice hotel sure is fun. We should really be thankful, don’t you think?

Mrs. Iwanami: Yes, even though we’re sharing with the Light Tour.

Back to room 202.

Mr. Tanno: Even so, this is exactly the kind of thing that will build up our reputation! *

Mrs. Tanno: Right! With high-end goods to resell, it’s much more efficient than something like card fraud.

Mr. Tanno: Let’s go and sell some of these things in the Jewish shops, then we’ll quickly slip away with no one the wiser.

Mrs. Tanno: Right!

The Tannos begin packing up all the brand goods they’ve found in the room into one suitcase. Meanwhile, in room 201, Mr. Iwanami walks over to the side table and picks some stationary he finds.

Mr. Iwanami: Oh, what’s this? A letter?

Mrs. Iwanami: You know reading other people’s letters without their permission is bad taste.

Mr. Iwanami: You read it too!

Mrs. Iwanami runs her eyes over the stationary her husband hands to her.

Mrs. Iwanami: (as she’s reading) On our journey to Paris… we will also depart on another journey… Dear, is this… is this a suicide note?!

Mr. Iwanami: Yes, it looks like their factory went bankrupt, and they’ve written that they’re hundreds of millions of yen in debt.

Mrs. Iwanami: This is terrible… We have to tell Mr. Togawa right away!

As the stage turns, we see the corridor of the hotel. The Iwanamis exit the door of their room in a hurry.

Mr. Iwanami: Mr. Togawa! Mr. Togawa! It’s terrible!

At the same time, the Tannos are trying to leave their room, causing the two men to run into each other.

Mr. Tanno and Mr. Iwanami: Wah! Gya!

In the collision, the bag that Mr. Tanno was carrying suddenly opens and the goods fall onto the floor. Having heard Mr. Iwanami’s yells, Mr. Togawa approaches.

Togawa: Mr. Iwanami, Mr. Tanno, are you alright?

Mr. Iwanami: Don’t worry about us! Quickly, come here!

The Tannos quickly begin picking up their stolen goods.

Togawa: These brand goods… aren’t these Mr. Kanezawa’s things he left in the room!?

Mr. Iwanami: What!? Then that means?

Togawa: You don’t mean, you two are stealing!?

Mr. Tanno: Damn it!

Mr. Iwanami: (To Togawa) The police! Call the police now!

Togawa: If you need the police, then Mr. Kondo is in room 203…

Mr. Iwanami: Right! (He puts Mr. Tanno into an iron grip)

Mr. Tanno: Ouch! For an old man, how are you this stupidly strong!?

Mr. Iwanami: Whaddya think? Don’t mistake this former navy seal as a sweet old man!

Mrs. Iwanami: Dear! Worry about that later! Hurry, look at this…

Mrs. Iwanami hands the stationary to Togawa.

Togawa: (reading quickly) Is this… a suicide note!? Who wrote this!?

Mrs. Iwanami: It was left in our room. So it definitely belongs to whoever else is staying there!

Togawa: The guest staying in room 203 from the ‘Light Tour’… That’s the Shimodas! What should we do?! Right now, they might be…

Mrs. Iwanami: We have to tell the police now!

Togawa: Then we should go to room 203!

Everyone leaves the stage in a hurry as the ending music plays.

Scene 12: Palace of Versailles (Gardens)

At a garden in the palace, Kitashirakawa stands alone. Sakurai appears on stage, finding him.

Sakurai: Mr. Kitashirakawa! Just when I thought everyone else had come back, I realized you were gone again. Didn’t you say you were going to cooperate with me?

Kitashirakawa: Is it ok for you to not be watching over the others?

Sakurai: The others are all following Pierre and looking for you. Alright, let’s get back to the group and continue our sightseeing for the day.

Kitashirakawa: Sorry, but… I’m going to go home. Alone.

Sakurai: Are we back at this again? Right now, the ‘Shadow Tour’ members are at the hotel…

Kitashirakawa: I don’t mean go back to my room. If I could just have my baggage collected, I’d like to leave the hotel as soon as possible.

Sakurai: What do you mean?

Kitashirakawa: It’s earlier than planned, but I’m leaving Paris. I know it’s last minute, but could I ask you to help me book a flight?

Sakurai: What…?

Kitashirakawa: You don’t have to worry. I won’t tell anyone about the double booking arrangement. Ah, you can tell the other tour members that I had to leave for some sudden work or something…

Sakurai: But, what about your novel?

Kitashirakawa: My novels… they’re really not important, are they?

Sakurai: Not important!? You said that your career as a writer was hanging in the balance, didn’t you? You said you had to write a masterpiece, right?

Kitashirakawa: Yes, you’re right… But as I am now, I cannot hope to write the masterpiece I wished for…

Sakurai: But… I mean, if you work with that ghost of Louis XIV from earlier…

Kitashirakawa: No, Louis won’t appear to me again. And even if he were here, it doesn’t change the fact that my talent is what’s truly missing.

Sakurai: Saying such self-deprecating things is really not like you. You’re usually walking around with that celeb-aura and brimming with overconfidence?!

Kitashirakawa: Are you… trying to make me feel better?

Sakurai: I’m sorry, I just…

Kitashirakawa: No, it is as you say. I always had confidence in my own talent and believed that I could create any kind of story. But as I have always lived thinking only about myself, how can I even begin to write a story about someone else?

Sakurai: Then, what is your story? Shouldn’t you just write a story about yourself? Actually, I thought about it earlier while listening to the Shimodas’ story. Every person holds within them the words to give another person hope. So, you just have to find them! Those irreplaceable words… your story definitely has them, too.

Kitashirakawa: My story… Could it be that I, as the protagonist, lost sight of my own story?

[A Novel Without a Protagonist]

Kitashirakawa: I wonder when it began?

That I was writing

Such selfish scenarios.

Decorating my words

With only self-recognition-

Of a Celebrity Novelist! To distract from

And erase my anxiety…

Sakurai: At some point, I chose without realizing

A journey full of trouble.

On a road without a map

I continued with strength!

When all I really wanted

Was for someone to walk with me.

Kitashirakawa and Sakurai: What vanity-

To walk alone on this road

Like a novel without a protagonist.

Seeking for… And performing as…

An idealized version of myself.

And even, perhaps, without realizing

Hurting someone else

And continuing to search

Kitashirakawa: What I lost sight of…

Sakurai: What I forgot…

Together: The true protagonist

Of my life.

Kitashirakawa: Can I write it someday? My own story that gives someone else hope?

Sakurai: Yes! For someone like me, who’s lost their own way in life…

Suddenly, Sakurai’s phone begins to ring.

Sakurai: (Checking the phone) It’s Togawa. (answers) Hello?

Togawa: (voice) This is terrible! P-Please, calm down and listen!...

Sakurai: I think you should probably calm down first…

Following Pierre, the other members of the ‘Light Tour’ notice Kitashirakawa and Sakurai. Sakurai moves to a separate area to talk.

Kanezawa: Hey! We found ‘em!

Pierre: Oh! We finally found you! We searched everywhere!

Hayami: Sensei! (notices Sakurai) and… Ms. Reiko!? What are the two of you doing!?

Kitashirakawa: What? Nothing in particular?

Michiru: All alone, just the two of you? Suspicious~

Kitashirakawa: There’s nothing suspicious about it!

Sakurai: What did you say!? That can’t be true. They’re right here with everyone else in the ‘Light Tour’ now… (Notices that the Shimodas are missing) Where are the Shimodas?

Pierre: Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen them for a while…

Kitashirakawa: Is something wrong?

Sakurai: (in shock) It seems… a suicide note was found in their room…

All: A suicide note?!

Sakurai: What should I do?... (She begins to put together the signs so far.) Those two, from the beginning… they must have been planning this all along…

Michiru: They’ve gotta be somewhere in the palace?

Kitashirakawa: Why would anyone plan something like that here?

Kanezawa: If it were me, I’d wanna go in the most magnificent place possible!

Kitashirakawa: (amazed) The only one who thinks that way is you. Anyway, we have to find them as quickly as possible! (To Sakurai) The other group of tourists, can we ask them for their help too?

Sakurai: (preparing herself) Yes! Of course we can! I’ll relay the plan to Togawa by phone…

Hayami: What do you mean by the other group of tourists?

Kitashirakawa: Right now, finding the Shimodas comes first! We have to find them before it’s too late!

The intro to the next number begins.

Scene 13A: The City of Paris

The ‘Light Tour’ members line up in front of the curtain.

[An Extraordinary Search!]

Kitashirakawa: There is no time

For us to waste!

All: It’s an emergency!

Kitashirakawa: We’ll succeed with our

Imaginations!

All: Where could they be?

Kitashirakawa: Like opening a guide map

Believe in your intuition!

Kanezawa: The Arc du Triomphe or the Eiffel Tower?

Michiru: How about a gorgeous and luxurious opera house?

Kitashirakawa: Those weren’t on the sightseeing course!

Sakurai: If it’s a forest then the Boulogne or Vincennes

Hayami: How about the Montparnasse Cemetery?

Pierre: Notre Dame could be suspect, too!

Kitashirakawa: We’ll have to find them ourselves!

All: Let’s go through the city of Paris

On an Extraordinary search!

Let’s go through the city of Paris

On an Extraordinary search!

Kitashirakawa: Hurry!

The Light Tour members break off into pairs to search and exit the stage in different directions: Kitashirakawa and Sakurai, Kanezawa and Michiru, and Hayami and Pierre.

Scene 13B: Château de la Reine (Room 203)

The curtain rises to reveal room 203 of the Château de la Reine. The Tannos have been handcuffed. The music fades into BGM.

Kondo: It was lucky we were on the same tour. I’ll be taking these two back to Japan to face responsibility for their actions.

Mr. Tanno: Are you stupid?

Kondo: What’d you say!?

Mr. Tanno: Don’t you know that a Japanese policeman has no right to arrest people in another country?

Kondo: I dunno anything like that! All I know is when I see a criminal in front of me, I arrest ‘em!

Crayon: Kya~! Mako-chan, you’re so cool! … Even if what you’re saying is a bit unreasonable…

Togawa: Forget all that, we should hurry to help in the search for the Shimodas!

Mr. Iwanami: That’s right! What about the ‘Light Tour’?

Togawa: They’ve split up and are visiting famous places!

Mr. Iwanami: Then, we should also split up and search…

Mrs. Iwanami: But, I have no idea where in Paris someone might want to commit a lovers’ suicide!

Suddenly, the light in the room disappears as Louis’s voice sounds.

Louis: Lovers’ suicide?!

Crayon: (clinging to Kondo) What… what was that voice? Scary!!!

Kondo: Quite clinging to me so suddenly!

Stepping out from the painting, Louis and Munon appear.

Louis: First daring to deceive me, and then finding thieves amongst your allies… Does your shame know no end?! And now you dare to bring about death upon my territory!? I will not allow it!

Togawa: Um, excuse me but, what… are you?

Kondo: (To Crayon) Friend of yours?

Crayon: I dunno this guy!

Louis: Silence, now! Before it is too late, hurry and find those poor souls!

Togawa: But… where should we start looking?

Louis: Must I do everything!? Munon! You will be the leader.

Munon: Yes!

Louis: Come people, follow!

Everyone hurriedly follows Louis from the room. The hotel employees enter the stage from all sides.

Duran: The customer is in trouble!

Workers: The Hotel is in trouble, too!

Duran: What an unprecedented incident!

Workers: Brought to light by the double booking…

All: We need to find a solution!

To protect the Château de la Reine’s

Pride!

Louis and the Shadow Tour members appear on the bridge.

Louis: Now, continue to follow Shadow Tour: Being led by the Sun King

You selfish monkeys! On a search!

These Japanese tourists- Let’s go through the city of Paris

In my country! On an extraordinary search!

These kinds of actions An interesting collaboration

I will never Let’s go through the city of Paris

Allow them! On an Extraordinary search!

Scene 13C: The City of Paris (2)

As people come and go in the city, the Light Tour members run into them, causing a racket.

Kitashirakawa: Well, how’d it go?!

Hayami: We didn’t find them!

Kanezawa: We got nothin’ too. I give up.

Kitashirakawa: Aren’t there any clues? You were all with them all last night, weren’t you?

Michiru: Now that you mention it…

Sakurai: Do you have an idea?

Michiru: Hey, Pierre… Didn’t the wife ask you something? Like ‘what’s the most beautiful and quiet place’ or something?

Kitashirakawa: Why didn’t anyone say that earlier!? Hayami, you were there too, weren’t you!?

Hayami: I’m afraid I drank too must last night, my memory is…

Kitashirakawa: Miserable! Well then, what did you tell her?

Pierre: Oh! I remember! The Basilique du Sacré-Cœur!

Sakurai: The Sacred Heart Temple in Montmartre!

Kitashirakawa: Alright, let’s hurry!

All the members run off stage, forcing their way through the people, ending the scene.

Scene 14: Montmartre- The Sacred Heart Temple

Montmartre at nighttime. The stage changes to the gardens in front of the Sacred Heart Temple. A chanson singer carrying an accordion appears on stage, singing.

[Chanson]

Accordion player: As your silhouette continues to dance

My memories disappear into a dream

Those happy days are naught but nostalgia

In a phantom-like dream.

The Shimodas appear amongst other random couples, seeming confused.

Mrs. Shimoda: Darling, aren’t you cold?

Mr. Shimoda: I’m not cold, but… I’m scared. You?

Mrs. Shimoda: No, not at all.

Mr. Shimoda: But… we’re going to die?

Mrs. Shimoda: But I’m together with you.

Mr. Shimoda: Did you bring it? The hydrocyanic acid?

Mrs. Shimoda pulls a small bottle from her bag.

Mrs. Shimoda: Even the specialists don’t have this, do this?

Mr. Shimoda: It’s an old product from our factory… but it finally has some use.

Mrs. Shimoda: Look, darling, how beautiful this place is…

Mr. Shimoda: Being able to spend the last moments of our life in a place like this… is a blessing.

Mrs. Shimoda: Yes, dear.

The couple moves to sit down on the bench. Trying to hide her tears, Mrs. Shimoda turns away to hide her face.

Mr. Shimoda: Fusako?

Mrs. Shimoda forces herself to smile before turning back to him.

Mr. Shimoda: I told you, didn’t I? You don’t have to force yourself to smile. Whether you laugh or cry… these are our last moments together…

Suddenly, following Kitashirakawa, the members of the Light Tour appear.

Sakurai: You’re here! Mr. Shimoda!

Mr. Shimoda: You all…!

Kitashirakawa: Thank goodness, we made it! Now, let’s go back to the hotel…

Kitashirakawa begins to approach the couple.

Mr. Shimoda: Please don’t come any closer!

Kitashirakawa: Mr. Shimoda. I heard about the note you two left. That managing your factory took a turn for the worse, and you’ve been left in a great amount of debt…

Mr. Shimoda: Then, you understand! So please, allow us to die in peace, together…

Louis and the Shadow Tour members arrive on stage.

Louis: I will not allow any death here! Do you have no pride in your own lives? In this peaceful world, while being allowed to live freely- you would dare to not only throw away your own life, but the life of your beloved as well?

Mr. Iwanami looks at the Shimodas in surprise.

Mr. Iwanami: Y-You two…!

Mr. Shimoda: Mr. Iwanami!

Mrs. Shimoda: Sensei…

Sakurai: Do you know each other?

Mr. Iwanami: In a way… They were my students. You mean to say… you were the ones who left that note?

Mr. Iwanami begins to approach the Shimodas.

Mrs. Shimoda: Please stop! Please just… look away for a bit. Please…

Sakurai: Ms. Fusako… What was it you said before? In painful times, or in sad times, you have to smile and live for someone? Isn’t that what you told us? You said that those words gave you hope. Even so… are you saying you would choose to die like this?

Hearing Sakurai’s words, Mr. Iwanami’s facial expression looks shocked and pained.

Mr. Iwanami: Koji… Fusako… Forgive me!

Mr. Iwanami bows deeply to the couple.

Mrs. Shimoda: Sensei!

Mr. Shimoda: Please stop! Why are you apologizing…

Mr. Iwanami: I… just wanted to offer poor children a chance at equal education! I wanted you to survive- to live despite the circumstances of the environment you were born in… But in the end, it seems like I was unable to teach you anything at all…

Mrs. Shimoda: Sensei, please… raise your head. It was because your words encouraged us that we were even able to get this far!

Mr. Shimoda: Fusako…

Kitashirakawa: Mr. Shimoda. You are not the only ones dealing with misfortune. Surely everyone is doing their best to live while holding their difficulties in their heart…

Sakurai: I was also unable to properly manage my company. But… in order to protect myself, I did something much more terrible than you!

Kanezawa: For me, well money ain’t really a problem, but… I’ve got worries I can’t tell people about… (He touches a hand to his wig)

Kondo: For me, I haven’t had a girlfriend in thirty years!

Hayami: Forty-two years single!

Crayon: And I’m an okama!

Kitashirakawa: And I… hurt someone. I realized that I had lost something important as a person. But it’s something that the two of you have never forgotten! And that is how to care for someone. Even if you think that your lives have no value… to me, it’s something I can never capture in words alone… an irreplaceable story!

Mr. Iwanami: Koji Shimoda! Fusako!

The Shimodas: Yes!

Mr. Iwanami: Smile. No matter what, smile! This is the only life you get, so if you smile and laugh together… you can go on living!

The Shimodas: Ha… hahaha… (they begin to cry while laughing)

The other members of the group all begin laughing as well. As dusk falls in the sky, the Japanese tourists’ strange crying-laughter fills the air. Louis’s expression changes, as if he’s realized something, and he and Munon exit the stage. As the scene ends, the light fades.

Scene 15: The City of Paris - Places des Vosges

On the way back to the hotel, Kitashirakawa begins to sing.

[Kitashirakawa’s Song ~ Sakurai’s Song]

Kitashirakawa: I couldn’t even manage the easy things,

And every time I lost my way-

I hid my face and watched you from far away.

If I could laugh for someone

If I could laugh for myself

Then surely, I can follow my heart forward

To the person who’s smiling face I most wish to see.

During the musical interlude, the background setting changes.

1. Crayon and Kondo

Crayon runs on stage crying, followed by a confused/angry looking Kondo.

Crayon: U-Uwaaaa!!!...

Kondo: You were laughing a moment ago- why are you suddenly crying so much!?

Crayon: I just remembered when I was dumped… It feels like… I’ll never meet anyone who could possibly love me!... Uuuhuu…

Kondo: Don’t cry! Kuroiwa Gentarou.

Crayon: But… the more I try to laugh… the more miserable I feel…

Kondo: If that’s the case, then smile for me instead.

Crayon: …What?

Kondo: When you’re sad like this, I start feeling sad too…

Crayon: Mako-chan!!

Crayon runs over and tries to give Kondo an intense kiss. Kondo struggles and tries to push Crayon away, but then they face each other and Kondo kisses Crayon instead.

2. Kanezawa, Michiru, and the Tannos

Kanezawa: So ya’ll are the thieves who’ve run card scams around the world, huh?

The Tannos: …

Kanezawa: How ‘bout it? Ya’ll leave that rotten lifestyle behind and come work for me?

Mr. Tanno: What do you mean?

Kanezawa: Ya’ll’s language proficiencies and fearlessness are just a bonus! I’m saying come to Vegas and be the general managers of my casino!

Michiru: Papa!

Mrs. Tanno: In Las Vegas??

Mr. Tanno: General managers?

Kanezawa: A’ight, let’s go talk it over.

Kanezawa and Michiru get the Tannos to follow them offstage. The background music changes for Sakurai’s song.

Sakurai: The important things I forgot

When I became an adult…

Every time I lost sight of myself I kept running

With no place to go.

If I could laugh for someone

If I could laugh for myself

Then I should be able to live

Following the truth of my heart

To the person who I most want to show a smile to…

As the music fades to background, Sakurai exit the stage.

Scene 16: Château de la Reine (Courtyard Entrance)

Under the moonlight in the courtyard of the hotel, Kitashirakawa happens upon the still, thinking form of Louis.

Kitashirakawa: Louis…

Louis: It seems like you dared to return to this Château anyway.

Kitashirakawa: Once I gather my things, I’ll leave immediately. But- there’s something I want you to hear. I had no intention of deceiving you! I truly, honestly thought that I could bring you and Diana together again. But now I understand, because I didn’t take your sadness and pain seriously, there’s no way I could ever write about something like ‘true love’. But now… I feel like I understand the pain you’ve felt…

Kitashirakawa turns to enter the hotel.

Louis: Wait. Well, I can be patient for a few more days. Patience is a virtue after all… Really, when it comes to you… You really pile up trivial matters and create quite a big fuss of it all. There are many things you do that are foolish. But… what was even more foolish was that I did not truly understand what I had learned from you.

Kitashirakawa: Louis?

Louis: I realized I had forgotten how to laugh. For Diana and our son…

Petit Louis: (voice) Maman! Tell me about Papa!

Diana: (voice) Your father… is a true hero.

Petit Louis: (voice) But… why isn’t he here with us?

Diana: (voice) Your father is the Sun King who illuminates all of France. Even when he cannot be by our side, he still loves us very much.

Louis: I finally realized… that their voices were always full of laughter…

Diana and Petit Louis: (laughing)

Looking up at the moon, Louis smiles softly as the sound of Diana and Petit Louis’s laughter lift his spirits.

Louis: I finally feel as though I can truly meet Diana again. And… I’m looking forward to reading it- the novel about me.

Kitashirakawa: Is… it ok for me to write about you?

Louis: As long as you portray me as an exceptionally ‘good handsome man’, of course.

Kitashirakawa: Ha, I wonder how it’ll turn out?

Kitashirakawa, Sakurai, and Louis come together.

All three: If I could laugh for someone

If I could laugh for myself

Then surely I can meet the one I love from the bottom of my heart.

The person who’s smiling face I most wish to see…

The person who I most want to show a smile to…

Scene 17: Château de la Reine (Courtyard Entrance)

The next morning, in the opening of the hotel people begin to appear: Kanezawa and Michiru, Kondo and Crayon, and Duran. Some hotel staff follow, carrying everyone’s bags.

Duran: Oh! Monsieur Kanezawa! Is there nothing we can do to thank you for investing in the future management of the Château de la Reine?

Kanezawa: I don’t need no thank yous. Vegas may be my base, but it’s always been my dream to have hotels all over the world.

Crayon: A hotel in Vegas sounds amazing! (To Kondo) It’d be perfect for our wedding~

Kondo: W-Wedding!?

The Tanno and Shimoda couples appear.

Mr. Shimoda: Mr. Kanezawa, what is the meaning of this? I was just told that you’ve taken over our entire debt?!

Mr. Tanno: Seems like everyone here’s been hired by Kanezawa.

Mrs. Tanno: Mrs. Shimoda! Let’s go to Las Vegas together!

Kanezawa: If ya’ll were managin’ a factory all on your own, then you’re like- really good with mechanics, right? To build up my casino in Vegas, I need an advisor who understands all that state-of-the-art stuff.

Mrs. Shimoda: But…

Togawa and the Iwanamis appear.

Mr. Iwanami: Shouldn’t you just gratefully accept?

Mrs. Shimoda: Iwanami-sensei!

Mr. Iwanami: Mr. Kanezawa, I can personally vouch for these two’s personalities. (To the Shimodas) Now then, give him a proper reply.

Upon Iwanami’s words, the Shimodas gather their determination.

Mr. Shimoda: Although we are not worthy of your kindness, we humbly accept!

Kanezawa: Hey hey hey…

Mrs. Iwanami: Doesn’t it sound like you’re replying to a marriage proposal?

Togawa: Everyone! It’s about time to go! The car has arrived in the plaza!

While everyone exits the stage, Kanezawa is left with a relaxed looking Michiru.

Kanezawa: Hey, what’s wrong Michiru?

Michiru: Do you have no intention of saying anything to me?

Kanezawa: Say… something to you?

Michiru: Maybe a ‘proposal’ like what you said to those people just now…

Kanezawa: Michiru… I… I ain’t good enough to marry you. There’s something I been hiding from you…

Michiru: It really doesn’t matter to me. If you’re talking about the lie you’ve told about your looks…

Kanezawa: Michiru!? You… knew?

Michiru: For a while now.

Kanezawa: But is it really alright? Marryin’ someone like me?

Michiru: Did you really think I’d hate you for something like that?

Kanezawa: Michiru!!

Michiru: Papa!

Kanezawa holds Michiru close, kissing her passionately. As the door opens behind them, Kitashirakawa appears.

Kitashirakawa: Ugh! Why did have to see that first thing in the morning??

Kanezawa: Hey bro! Listen! Michiru and I are gonna get married!

Kanezawa: Well, congratulations on that. But, shouldn’t you look in the mirror before you do such a thing?

Kanezawa: Why?

Kitashirakawa: You’re crooked. (Indicating his wig)

Kanezawa: C-Crooked!?.... Crooked!?!

Kanezawa, looking horrified, runs off stage.

Michiru: Papa! Wait!

Michiru runs after Kanezawa off stage. Hayami appears.

Hayami: (Finishing reading the novel) Amazing… To write an entire novel of this caliber in less than a week… Sensei truly is a genius… No, a master…

Kitashirakawa: I changed the title as well. The new title is “The Queen’s Château”.

Hayami: Amazing! To create such a hypothesis that King Louis XIV’s true love lived here- and that she was the true Queen of his heart!

Kitashirakawa: Well, even so…

Hayami: Weaving the intricacies of the non-fiction tale of our real-life double booking and a fiction retelling of the ghost of Louis XIV… A story of love that transcends the boundaries of time! Make no mistake, this will become an instant best seller!

Kitashirakawa: Even though everything was actually non-fiction…

Hayami: Did you say something?

Kitashirakawa: No, just thinking out loud…

Hayami: You don’t need to worry. I’ll be editing this on the plane ride home!

As Hayami goes to leave, Pierre appears in front of her.

Hayami: Pierre!...

Pierre: Madame! Are you really… returning to Japon?

Hayami: Pierre, forgive me… I am truly… a terrible woman who can only live for her work!

Hayami runs away from Pierre.

Pierre: Ma chérie! At least let me embrace you one last time!...

Pierre chases after Hayami.

Kitashirakawa: (Speaking to himself) So even Hayami experienced such a miracle…?

Gradually, Sakurai also appears in front of Kitashirakawa, gazing up at the sky.

Sakurai: Ah, Mr. Kitashirakawa, you were still here?

Kitashirakawa: Yes, I just wanted to enjoy the scenery here one last time.

Kitashirakawa looks up to the sky, and Sakurai follows his line of sight.

Sakurai: You can see the sun and the moon together in the dawn sky…

Kitashirakawa: They were finally able to meet, the sun and the moon… I heard from Togawa. You’re closing your travel agency?

Sakurai: Yes. I need to start over from the beginning. The double booking was just too much.

Kitashirakawa: So you’re graduating from being a shabby tour guide, too?

Sakurai: Rude.

Kitashirakawa: I’m joking. So, what are you planning to do?

Sakurai: I haven’t decided yet. I think I need to take some time to really figure myself out first. You?

Kitashirakawa: Same as usual- I’ll be writing novels and chased by the pressure of deadlines.

Sakurai: I’ll be looking forward to it. The novel about your own story, like you said.

Kitashirakawa: Right.

Sakurai: Well then, I should be getting to the customers…

Sakurai begins to leave in the direction of the others.

Kitashirakawa: Actually! I have… a favor to ask of you…

Sakurai: (Stops, turning back)…

Kitashirakawa: When we get back to Japan… I’d like to interview you.

Sakurai: Me? … But, why?

Kitashirakawa: I can’t write a story with just the protagonist alone, right? So, I want to interview you… the one who reminded me of what’s important.

[Duet]

Kitashirakawa: Filled with undecorated words

Like monthly novels

Full of overflowing feelings

And interspersed with silence

Everything felt like an incomplete story.

Naturally, I was overwhelmed by this miracle.

Although I’m clumsy,

I want to move forward as myself

And grow with the passing of the seasons.

Sakurai: Even if I unexpectedly remember sadness

I don’t want to forget how to smile.

Towards an unknown world,

I will not hesitate when it’s time for that new journey.

Together: The story you write

I want to watch over it with kindness.

Using the words we believed in

Together, we can pass on

Our new story that starts now.

Scene 18: Versailles (Gardens)

After the song, the hotel area of the stage rises to reveal the fantasy-like gardens of Versailles. Meeting again at long last, Louis and Diana embrace each other. Nearby, Petit Louis and Munon watch them happily.

Kitashirakawa, embarrassed, offers his hand to Sakurai. The two leave hand in hand, with Louis, Diana, Petit Louis, and Munon watching after them. The curtain falls.

The end.

#Translation by Makalations #Takarazuka #Soragumi #Cosmos Troupe #Ouhi no Yakata #Asaka Manato #Misaki Rion #Makaze Suzuho #2017.04 #Takarazuka Revue

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miraculouspaon · 7 years

Text

Where Have All The Heroes Gone And Where Are All The Gods?

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Danielle

AO3

“Wow, this place has a serious echo,” Monique said appreciatively as she stepped inside the Agreste mansion. “How big is it? Do I get a tour?”

“The project’s due in nineteen hours,” Dani replied, shutting the giant door behind them. “I bet a tour of this place takes at least twenty. We should probably just head upstairs and get to work.”

It had taken some convincing on Dani’s part, getting her grandparents to agree to let Dani have a friend over. Dani could hardly blame them, considering everything that went on under their roof. But Dani and Monique, both chronic procrastinators, had partnered up for a chemistry presentation due tomorrow, and so far they’d used exactly none of the two weeks they’d been given to work on it. Monique’s house was out due to extremely noisy renovations, so Dani had impulsively suggested working on it at the mansion. After minimal whining, and repeated assurances that Monique would be nowhere near anything dangerous, and would be gone well before curfew, Adele and Gabriel had finally, begrudgingly, allowed it. So now Dani was leading Monique through the foyer, upstairs, and to the library.

“So the wall to the left is one giant bookshelf,” Dani told Monique as they entered, “there's a table and some chairs in the middle we’ll be working at once we kick Louis out, a few couches to the far right, and a couple of small writing desks against the back wall.”

“Got it.” Monique extended her cane and began to sweep it back and forth as she walked around the perimeter of the room, learning its layout.

“Why can't I work in here, too?” Louis asked, annoyed.

“Because we actually need to work,” Dani said, crossing to the table and dropping her backpack on its surface, “and if it's the three of us we won't get more than five minutes done.”

“I won't say anything, I'll just-” Louis abruptly stopped talking. Dani followed his line of sight and just managed to keep from gasping. On the other side of the room, Monique had paused in front of a painting and was now doing her best to examine it intently.

Specifically, she was examining the painting that hid the safe containing the dormant Miraculouses.

“Who’s this?” Monique asked, after Louis and Dani had been staring at her speechlessly for a few moments. Her nose was a centimeter away from it.

“Uh… Manet,” Dani finally said.

“Huh. Weird.”

“What is?” Louis asked cautiously.

“Nothing, I just…” Monique shrugged, not taking her face away from the painting. “Well, I'm not usually one for purely visual art, you know? There's really only a handful of artists who have enough contrast in their paintings that I can actually see anything to appreciate, and Manet definitely isn't one of them. His paintings are all just a uniform blur. This one, too. But… I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about this one that-”

“Oh, wow, Louis, I just remembered I gotta show you something back in our room,” Dani said, grabbing her brother and dragging him to the door. “Be right back, Monique.” Dani pulled her brother out of the room, down the hall a few doors, and forcefully shoved him inside their bedroom before closing the door behind her. From her bed, Emma looked up and put her book down.

“What are you two-”

“What the hell was that, Louis?” Dani demanded.

“Sorry, I probably should have seen that coming,” Louis said, embarrassed.

“Seen what coming?” Emma asked.

“Monique and I were in the library when suddenly Monique went right up to the picture hiding the Miraculouses! It was crazy, it was like they were pulling her in or something, she-” Dani noticed the look she was getting from her brother. “What?”

“That's how you're going to phrase it? Really? When the “made a beeline” pun is right there?”

“Oh my God, Louis, this is serious! What if that happens with an Order guard or something?”

“It won't,” Louis said confidently. “Miraculouses have incredible defenses, and they don't want to be found by people who aren't suited to them.”

“So…” Dani furrowed her brow, “so you're saying they do want to be found by Monique. Or at least, the Bee one does.”

“I mean, it's a little more complicated than that but yeah, basically.”

“So give it to her already!”

“It has to be the right time,” Louis said defensively. “You think we only became suited to ours on Occupation Day? We could've gotten these years ago if that was the only factor that mattered.”

“Gosh, what a nightmare that would have been,” Emma said dryly, “actually getting a few years of experience under our belt before fighting the evil wizard army.”

“We wouldn't be fighting anyone,” Louis snapped. “We’d be… wherever Mom and Dad are.”

“Oh. Right.” Emma picked her book up and went back to reading, and Louis turned back to Dani.

“Just let me worry about the Miraculouses, okay?” Louis said. Dani rolled her eyes.

“Fine, fine,” she said.

“And maybe get back there and start your stupid project before Monique figures out just what’s so interesting about that painting, you kind of left her alone with it.”

“Right. Sorry.”

~~~

“What time is it?” Monique asked as they were wrapping up.

“Um,” Dani looked at her phone, “five to seven.” Monique’s eyes widened. “Sorry, I guess I lost track of the time. Are you going to get in trouble? We can drive you home, if-”

“It’s not that,” Monique interrupted. Her emotional signature had shifted dramatically. She was feeling anxious, excited, but also daring, almost. “I just wanted to get back by seven, because, well…” Monique leaned in and dropped her voice to a near whisper. “I was eavesdropping on my parents the other day, and this woman my mom works with told her she’d heard from-well, it doesn’t matter, but she heard there was going to be a broadcast. You know, a resistance one. My parents are going to be listening to it.”

“Oh. Wow,” Dani said, trying to sound excited.

“Have you ever heard one?”

“No,” Dani told her, not adding that this was because she usually just got the information from Alya herself, in person, before mission assignments.

“I heard the last one. I know everybody finds out everything that’s in them within a day or two, but hearing them live, it’s,” Monique grinned, “trust me, it’s something else entirely.” She reached down to her side and grabbed her backpack off the floor, then opened it and pulled out a small radio. She placed it gently on the table, but then her face fell and Dani caught a sudden flash of guilt. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t assume-if you’re uncomfortable I’ll put it away, I promise, I won’t think less of you, I know listening to them is illegal, it’s fine, I’ll get the recap later, I know your grandparents are really like strict and paranoid and stuff-”

“Monique, it’s fine,” Dani interrupted. “I want to listen to it.”

“Are you sure? Your grandparents-”

“Won’t find out. It’s fine, I promise.” Nodding, Monique turned on the set and began to tune it, running her fingers over the Braille numbers along the edge as she did so. The two girls listened to static for another minute or so before a familiar voice came on.

“Bonjour, Paris!” Alya said cheerfully. “This is Alya Lahiffe coming to you live from the heart of the city with all the news that’s fit to censor. First up, as always, is corrections to what passes for journalism nowadays. Pierre Laurent, arrested last Wednesday, was charged with and found guilty of attempting to bomb a primary school in the eighth arrondissement. What this patriot was actually doing-”

“Isn’t she incredible?” Monique asked, as Alya’s report continued.

“Oh, yeah,” Dani agreed. She knew all the information already, but it really was something to hear Aunt Alya live. She sounded so happy, in a way she almost never did in person. She must have missed being a reporter far more than Dani had realized.

“She’s so brave,” Monique added. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, the trio’s great, too, but Alya Lahiffe doesn’t have a secret identity or anything to keep her safe and she’s still doing so much. I think the Order might hate her even more than they hate the ‘deranged vigilantes’.”

“-finally made contact with our brothers and sisters in Lisbon,” Alya was now saying, “and I am happy to report that they’ve got two new superheroes running circles around the Order, keeping citizens safe in these trying times-”

Monique squealed excitedly. “Two superheroes!” she exclaimed. “What’s that now, almost a dozen, right? And that’s only the places the Paris resistance has been able to make contact with, who knows what London looks like, or Rome, or maybe some of the smaller cities, you know, the ones with less of an Order presence. There could be over twenty, who knows.”

“-is all for now, but stay tuned, Paris, because we’re not going anywhere. Vive la France!” The broadcast ended, and static resumed. Monique grinned at Dani.

“Well? Pretty great, huh?”

“Mm hmm.”

“You knew her, right?” Monique asked, catching Dani off guard. “You, like, used to babysit for her kid or something?”

“Oh… oh, yeah, I did. She was friends with my mom.”

“What’s she like in person? Really awesome?” Monique’s sheer admiration was starting to overwhelm Dani, make her feel slightly lightheaded, and it was getting difficult to think of how to answer correctly.

“Yeah, you know, I just thought of her as my mom’s friend I guess. I don’t think I would have pegged her as, you know…”

“The badass leader of a resistance movement?” Monique suggested.

“Yeah.” Dani glanced across the room, at the painting on the other side. God, Monique would be so good, so excited to be a part of fighting the Order. Dani hadn’t realized just how much something like that would have meant to her friend before the broadcast, before feeling Monique’s raw enthusiasm. It took all Dani’s self-control to not cross the room, open the safe, and hand the Miraculous over to her friend herself.

“... but you can print it out, right?” Monique asked, snapping Dani out of her thoughts.

“Huh?”

“The presentation? We have to turn in a typed-up copy, you have a printer, right?”

“Oh, right, yeah.”

~~~

“Ready?” Emma held up her hands, her siblings each grabbed one, and they disappeared.

Clear across the city, the three heroes rematerialized on the roof across from the unmarked building their Aunt Alya had identified for them earlier. According to her informant, the Order had preemptively captured various family members of suspected rebels and was holding them in the basement across the street.

“Are they there?” Louis asked Dani.

“Yeah, there’s definitely something going on over there. Lots of fear.” She closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating. Then she opened them, horrified.

“What?” Louis asked. “What’s wrong?”

“They’re… they’re all just kids. Like, like little kids. No spouses, no teenagers, I think the oldest one can’t be older than seven.”

“Jesus,” Emma whispered. She took a moment to let this hit her fully, then she shook her head. “It’s awful,” she agreed, “but we can’t think about it right now, we have a mission to complete.”

“You don’t understand,” Dani said. “Even if I was willing to put a seven-year-old in danger by making them a Champion, which I'm very much not, I can’t. They're all just terrified, they're not feeling brave or heroic.”

“Oh.” Emma frowned. “Okay, so… so we don't use a Champion. We've done rescue missions without them before.”

“Not since the Order started using anti-teleportation fields, we haven't,” Dani said. “We need a Champion to take it down if we want to get in there and get those kids out.”

“What if we just, you know, went through the front door? Like normal people?” Louis suggested. “No offense,” he added, looking at Emma.

“That’ll take too long, we need the element of surprise. Even a few seconds could be too long, who knows what they’ll do to those kids if they see us coming.” Dani paced a little, then kicked the ledge in frustration. “Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

“It's okay, we’ll think it through, we’ll figure it out,” Emma said, trying to make her voice soothing, steady. “We can-”

“I figured it out,” Dani interrupted. “I just really didn't want to resort to this. I thought I could get through the occupation without it. Obviously that was stupid of me.” She closed her eyes, held her hand out, and a few moments later a small white butterfly landed in her open palm. Dani cupped her other hand over it and focused.

“Resort to what?” Emma asked.

“Shh.”

“But I thought you said-”

“Emma. Please, please shut up.” Louis shook his head at her and Emma fell silent, confused. She didn't realize what her sister was doing until Dani removed her top hand and sent the butterfly, now pitch black, gently fluttering away. A few minutes later, the butterfly had made its way inside the precinct and landed on an Order guard.

“Hello, Margaret,” Dani said. She made her voice low, inviting. Dani barely recognized it.

“Mariposa,” the guard hissed. “What do you want?”

“Oh, it's not really about what I want,” Dani said smoothly. She curled her fingers in on themselves, twisting Margaret’s emotions. Gone went any loyalty to the Order, along with any fear she might have of future retribution for her actions. Dani muted everything except the woman’s resentment, which she amplified as much as she was able. “It’s about what you want. What you were promised. What you’re owed. They told you you’d be running this city, didn’t they? The leaders of the Order. They said Paris would roll over and accept this new world, with you at the top. How much of your life did you dedicate to this cause?”

It was so easy, so painfully easy, that was the worst part. It was scaring Emma and Louis a little, Dani could feel them clear as day behind her, but she ignored them and continued focusing on the guard. If Dani was going to be damned, if she was going to do this, she’d better commit and do the best job she could.

Dani sighed sympathetically, dramatically. “And is it everything you dreamed it would be, Margaret? Is it everything they said it would be? They didn’t even get rid of all the superheroes like they promised they would. And now they’ve got you babysitting. You know you’re better than that. You know you deserve better than that.”

“I do,” Margaret whispered in agreement. The other three guards in the room still hadn’t noticed she was distracted, that she was talking to herself.

“Teach them a lesson,” Dani suggested, almost coyly. “Show them the price of offering Margaret Collings the world and giving her nothing.”

“How?”

“Accept the power I give you. Take the other guards out before they know what’s happening. Let Hera and Terrapin rescue the kids. That’ll show ‘em. That’ll teach them to respect you.”

“Yes,” Margaret agreed, “yes it will.”

~~~

The second they reappeared in the panic room, Louis started for his supply cabinet. Their uncle was at his desk working, despite the lateness of the hour. He looked up when they appeared, then immediately narrowed his eyes at Dani, concerned.

“Are you okay?” her uncle asked her, and Dani knew he was reading her emotions. “You seem-”

“You,” Dani interrupted venomously, her eyes flashing, “are the last person on the face of the planet I want to be talking to right now.” Before anyone could respond, she’d whirled around and stormed out of the room. For a moment, none of them spoke.

“Did the mission fail?” Jonathan finally asked.

“No,” Emma said, as Louis began winding string tightly around a bundle of herbs. “Easiest mission yet. We didn’t even need a shield.” She hesitated. “Dani akumatized a guard.”

“Ah.” Jonathan sighed. “Adele’s first one was pretty rough on her, too.”

“Grandma made akumas?”

“Very rarely.” Jonathan went back to work as Louis got up and left.

Back in their room, Dani slammed the door shut before leaning against it heavily and exhaling deeply. “I’m sorry, Nooroo,” she whispered, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t-I couldn’t think of anything else-I never wanted to-”

“You did the right thing, Dani,” her kwami assured her. “You should sit down.” Nodding, Dani crossed the room on shaky legs and sat down on her bed. A second later, her brother entered the room. “Go away, Louis,” Dani snapped, “I just want to be left alone.”

“Be alone all you like,” Louis said calmly, as he pulled out a lighter and held it up to his tightly-wound bundle of herbs, “just so long as you're being alone while holding this for at least thirty minutes.” He handed over the now gently smouldering bundle. Rolling her eyes impatiently, Dani took it from him.

“Hold it closer to your center,” Louis said. Dani groaned in annoyance, but obeyed. Louis turned to leave, but before he reached the door Emma appeared.

“Are you okay?” she asked Dani.

“She’ll be fine,” Louis answered for her. “I just need to clear the akuma damage from her energy. It’s standard stuff.”

“Oh.” Emma looked at Dani again. “Anything I can do to help?”

“No,” Dani said.

“Are you sure?”

Dani glared at Emma. “You know, I can tell there’s something you want to say, you don’t have to do that thing you always do, where you ask fifty million questions before you get to the real one.”

Emma bristled. “Fine,” she said. “You… look, I get why Uncle Jonathan wouldn’t be your favorite person right now, of all times, but that’s not the first time you’ve snapped at him.”

“So?”

“So what’s your problem with him? Because that seems like something that might be important for the rest of us to know. Do you sense something? Is he not really working as hard as he could to find Mom and Dad, does he have some kind of ulterior-”

“Of course not,” Dani said, annoyed. “Do you think I’d keep it to myself if he did?”

“Then I don’t get why you’re so antagonistic-”

“Well, of course you don’t get it!” Dani interrupted angrily. “He didn’t torture your kwami, did he?”

Emma opened her mouth, but for a long time no sound came out. “Oh,” she finally said, her voice faint. “Oh, I… God, I’m so sorry, I didn’t think of-”

“No, I,” Dani groaned, “that was too much, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-look. I know better than anyone that he’s sincere, that he’s really changed, that he’s doing his best to find Mom and Dad. And God, I really, desperately hope he succeeds, I do. But I can’t like him, okay? It’s fine if you do, really. I get it. It was a long time ago, he was desperate, he was trying to help Grandma, I know all that. But-”

“You don’t have to explain anything,” Louis interrupted. “We get it.”

“No, you don’t,” Dani said. “It’s not just Nooroo, it’s… I don’t know if either of you can understand it.”

“So explain it,” Emma said. She said it gently, but Dani had already caught a flash of annoyance from her. Emma hated being told she couldn’t understand something more than anything.

“You just don’t know what it's like to have the powers that he abused,” Dani told her. “It's… you know how you feel when you enter a church? Even if you're not religious, there's something about that space that makes you feel quiet inside. It's sacred. You know?” Emma and Louis both nodded. “Well, being inside another person's head is that times a thousand. I don't mean feeling their emotions, I mean specifically that moment right when the butterfly lands and you're in their head. And everything that's lead them to that moment is laid out in front of you like a book you've already read a thousand times. It's so private, so achingly personal. And you have to sort through it, and find the best of them in it, and empower that. And all the while you know you can manipulate any emotions you want, but even touching them feels wrong.” Dani impatiently brushed aside a few tears.

“Here,” Louis said, grabbing a tissue box and handing it over.

“Thanks. So… yeah, so I’m not saying I regret the akuma, I know I had to do it, and I’d do it again. And I know that woman deserved it. But it still makes me sick to think about it, about how I twisted her emotions, how I empowered the worst of her for my own ends. So the thought of someone doing that to somebody innocent, for no other reason than to intentionally cause fear and panic, it’s unspeakable. And he did it over and over and over again. It’s just… maybe I’ll get past it eventually, but not yet.”

Dani could read her siblings, and she knew they still didn’t entirely understand. But she also knew it didn’t matter. They understood she was hurting, and that was enough. Emma crossed the room and sat next to her, and a moment later Louis followed suit. They pressed against her, Emma’s head on her shoulder, Louis’ arm around her. As the smoke of the bundle she was still holding wafted around her, Dani inhaled and exhaled, inhaled and exhaled. Slowly, a piece of her was quieted, soothed.

#where have all the heroes gone and where are all the gods #ml fanfic #danielle agreste #louis agreste #emma agreste #monique i missed you so much

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