This is for the peeps at mind palace (the discord group I'm in) . I tried my best guys 😂
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(A relaxing soak on the hotspring under the starry sky with the person you love sounds romantic, but how did it turned out like this?)
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Vyn: Rosa, are you OK.
Rosa had her eyes closed when she heard his velvet voice near her right ear. She was immersing herself from his sweet voice when she heard the familiar voice again but this time on her left.
Vyn? : are you feeling light headed, perhaps my love?
Vyn?? : perhaps the heat is too much for her.
Vyn??? : maybe we should get her out for now.
Now she is hearing his voice simultaneously in front and at her back. Rosa is confused, is it really because of the heat?
Before she could ponder on this bewildering situation, she felt him caressing her softly, soothingly on her right shoulder, her left, her back? and touching her cheek?
Rosa:??..??..?!!!
Rosa abruptly opened her eyes, and what she saw confused her further. It was supposed to be just the two of them, that was the plan, but can someone explain to her how something like this could happen!
Here she is surrounded by the familiar scent, a familiar face. Something that belongs to the one she loves. But the only problem was instead of 1 there are 4 of him.
Vyn1: Love, do you want to get out of the pool for now?
He was holding her right hand, caressing it softly, trying to reassure her that everything was fine.
Vyn2: please don't hold yourself back. Tell us if you're feeling unwell.
Vyn3: We worry about you.
Both of them kissed her hand and forehead. It was just a brief kiss, barely there but it made her shiver a little.
Vyn4: Rosa, are you perhaps--
A finger touched her neck, tracing from there down to her shoulders ever so slowly.
Vyn4: not feeling light headed because of the heat--
His other hand is roaming her left shoulder, tracing little circles
Vyn4: but thinking of something else?
He whispered directly to her ear.
Rosa: "hhhmm" she moaned a little.
(Silence)
Rosa: No it's not what you all think!!
Damn, she realised what she have done and tried to remedy the situation, but it's already too late. She heard light chuckles.
Vyn3: it looks like we we're just excessively worrying
Vyn2: You're right (closes his distance) but I think we should still pamper our dear Rose.
Damn what did she get her self into.
Vyn1: come Rosa, you should still atleast get up. Sit at the edge of the pool.
She turned her head and saw this vyn with worry on his eyes. Even though she was a little hesitant, she still complied. They are still vyn.
Not the wisest decision she had made, for this made it possible for their little scheme to succeed.
Vyn: how are you feeling my love?
Vyn: are you comfortable?
Vyn: should we do more?
Vyn: tell us, we won't know unless you voice it out.
Rosa: Vyn, please ~
She was overwhelmed by all the sensation they are giving her. They are caressing, touching her. Softly and slowly, just like the way he had molded their cherished cups.
She can hear them saying something, but she is to far gone to understand. She's feeling dizzy, oh my gosh is she overheating. Is it the hotspring or this atmosphere they are in. Who knows, the only thing that matters is the present. The them right now.
Rosa: I love you. Vyn, please~
Vyn: Rosa, are you alright?
She opened her eyes. She's in their hotel room. Only the two of them.
Rosa: Vyn where are the others?
She inquiries. He tilted his head in confusion.
Vyn: my love we are the only ones in this trip. Are you perhaps still feeling a little disoriented? You did faint in the hotspring.
Rosa: so it was all a dream?
She whispered, flushing red at the realisation that all of that were her dream.
Vyn: a dream? Perhaps you could share the details with me. You did have an interesting reactions while you were sleeping.
Her eyes widen, he was smirking. Damn, how much of it did he heard.
Vyn: should we perhaps recreate some of them?
Nonetheless, the night is long. And the two them explored the wonders this moment, in each others company.
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I'll admit half way through writing this I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. What a mess 😂
Written for @thenovelartist as part of Themis Typewriter Secret Santa Event
I hope you like it! I've agonized about how to go about this prompt until I got Vyn's new SR "Snowy Fairy Tale". The idea of falling asleep to Vyn's storytelling is just...aaah *melts into a puddle of uguu*
Happy Holidays :3
A warm fleece blanket, a mug of hot cocoa, a comfortable sofa and a Vyn to cuddle with.
Rosa deeply breathed in the scent of cocoa intermingling with the fresh pine that came from the tree, which she and Vyn had hauled into the winter cottage rented for the holidays.
"Vyn," Rosa said, content, as she snuggled even closer against Vyn's warmth underneath the blanket. "Don't stop talking. I really like the sound of your voice."
Vyn let out a soft laugh as he adjusted himself on the sofa to let Rosa rest her head on his shoulder. "Shall I practice my presentation for next week's convention then?" He nuzzled her hair. "I rather liked the companionable silence we share from time to time, but I can talk more if you like."
Her nose crinkled. "Not that!"
"Haha, I jest, I jest," Vyn said as Rosa playfully swatted his thigh. "Well then, how about I read you a story?"
Rosa smiled behind her steaming mug, clearly excited about the prospect. "Dr. Vyn Richter telling me a story? I'm in!"
"I am glad you find the idea appealing," Vyn hummed as he fished out his phone from his pocket. "Let us see..." He started browsing for children's fairytales to read to his beloved. "Ah, there we go," he straightened himself in his seat, taking care not to jostle his lover with his movements. "I shall start reading now."
Vyn cleared his throat, and with his soft, honeyed, dulcet voice he began,
"Once upon a time, there was a kingdom in peril. An evil sorcerer prince held the kingdom hostage, as he sought out the hand of the kingdom's princess most fair.
He summoned a most fearsome dragon, to prevent the heroes from other kingdoms from interfering with his nefarious plans of taking the princess for himself."
Vyn flipped to the next page. He noticed Rosa sighing contentedly, perhaps starting to fall asleep, prompting him to switch to his softer, gentler voice as he continued to read the story.
"The princess, before she was whisked away into the evil sorcerer prince's tower, called out to the heroes of other kingdoms and told them that in order to break the curse befalling her kingdom, one must slay the curse-bearing dragon.
The one who would do this heroic deed will marry the princess and along with it rule her kingdom by her side."
Rosa felt herself nodding off to sleep, lulled by Vyn's soft, warm voice, and when her eyelids fluttered and closed, all she could think about was ah, but Vyn, Vyn could never be an evil sorcerer prince...
===
The Rose Knight, in her full armor--sans helmet--and rose-colored cape, trudged her way along the gilded pathways that led to the Castle of the Kingdom of Themia.
On her shoulder perched her pet lizard named Peanut.
Peanut was being skittish on her shoulder, somehow uncomfortable with the recent turn of events.
Rising to the challenge of the Evil Sorcerer Prince, the Kingdom of Themia had called upon their champion, the fair, beautiful Rose Knight, she of the auburn hair and brilliant olive eyes.
Her skill with the blade unmatched, the Queen of Themia had chosen her to represent their Kingdom and win the Princess Ingrid for the Crown Prince, in exchange for riches and fame.
It was, of course, such a daunting task that even her pet lizard could not help but be perturbed.
"There, there, Peanut," cooed the Rose Knight, "I know. But the Queen showed faith in my skill, and that by itself is a great honor, don't you think so?"
Peanut only bunted his snout against her cheek, which the Rose Knight understood as somewhat of a response in negative.
"It'll mean you get eggs for lunch every day if I win~"
A tongue flicked on her cheek.
Peanut now liked the idea.
The Rose Knight laughed. "Hah, I knew you'd approve once I mention eggs."
Upon nearing the castle gates, the two guards flanking the drawbridge halted her advance.
"Halt," said the guard on the left.
"State your business," said the guard on the right.
"I am the Rose Knight, summoned by the Queen Celestine," said the Rose Knight, her hands on her hips as she announced herself. "I bear the sword Veritas, and I am here to accept the Queen's call to summons to be Themia's Champion against the Evil Sorcerer Prince Vilhelm."
The guard on the left examines the list of orders--a parchment--held in his hands. "Mmyeap, she checks out."
The guard on the right called out, "Open the drawbridge!"
The drawbridge finally set down, the Rose Knight continued her way into the castle and towards the throne room, where the Queen and the Prince awaited her arrival.
===
"Announcing the arrival of the Rose Knight!"
The huge, ornate doors that led to the throne room opened widely to receive the much-awaited champion summoned to honor the Kingdom of Themia.
The Rose Knight swallowed the nervous lump in her throat and, after taking a deep breath stepped through the threshold of the throne room.
The Queen Celestine and her only son, Crown Prince Artem awaited her by the dais, looking intently at her as she slowly approached them.
Yet the Queen, eager to meet the famed warrior, had risen from her seat to meet her halfway, warmly regarding the Rose Knight with a smile. "My, they did say that the Rose Knight was a woman, but I did not expect you to be this charming," she giggled as she affectionately tapped the tip of her folding fan on the Rose Knight's cheek.
"Thank you for your kind words, your Highness." The Rose Knight blushed, her complexion now matching her name.
"No need to be so stiff, darling," the Queen smiled. Then, leaning close to whisper in the Rose Knight's ear, her fan covering her mouth, she said "I do not mind if you lose the Evil Sorcerer's challenge. I rather like you for my son instead." She winked playfully.
"Your Highness, whatever do you mean...?" The Rose Knight did hear the Queen, but she refused to accept if she heard her correctly. Her face reddened a few more shades deeper. "Please. Um. Haha."
She threw a glance at the Crown Prince, who seemed to already know what his mother was telling her--his own face turned a few shades lighter than a tomato, and was nervously glancing at every direction except towards her.
"I am half-joking," the Queen said with a grin. "Take my words as you will."
How am I going to respond to that? The Rose Knight started to sweat uncomfortably, clearly not used to dealing with courtly exchanges.
Then, as if sensing the Rose Knight's agitation, Peanut climbed on top of the Rose Knight's head.
And in one fateful, excruciating moment he jumped onto the Queen's tiara and proceeded to bite at the jewel-encrusted gold headpiece.
The entire Court gasped.
"PEANUT!" the Rose Knight called out, too shocked to keep in mind how to act with propriety befitting royal company. "Come back here!! Stop! Bad lizard!"
Obediently, Peanut skittered across the tiara and jumped back onto the Rose Knight's head; sulking, he slunk back into her breastplate.
"Heavens," the Queen exclaimed, mouth behind folded fan. "What a lively creature you have."
Mortified that her pet lizard tried to cause damage to the Queen's tiara, the Rose Knight fell on bended knees to beg forgiveness. "I'm sorry, Your Highness!" she cried, panicking and utterly humiliated. "I do not know what came over my little page--please, forgive me!"
"Oh you," Queen Celestine shook her head, smiling. "Stand up."
The Rose Knight did as she was told.
With another playful tap with the tip of her fan, this time on the Rose Knight's forehead, the Queen said "Never you mind, my dear knight. Our crowns are proof of our birthright and lineage--nothing can ever tarnish, destroy our crowns, nor can anyone transform them via alchemy or glamour. Your little one did no harm at all."
The Rose Knight heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Of course, full pardon can only be received once you successfully secure Princess Ingrid's hand in marriage to my little Artem."
"And...should I fail the challenge...?
Queen Celestine winked. "Then I shall demand your hand in marriage for my rather bashful son over there."
The Rose Knight's face blanched.
===
And so the Rose Knight rode on horseback to the Kingdom of Svart, the kingdom currently besieged by the Evil Sorcerer Vilhelm and his cursed dragon.
On the fifth day of travel the Kingdom was already visible on the horizon. The Rose Knight squinted at its general direction, trying to catch a glimpse of the dragon that was the cause of the Kingdom's great distress.
"Not yet visible here," the Rose Knight muttered. "Either the dragon isn't so great, or it has been felled."
Or, maybe something is off, she thought, but shelved the idea at the back of her head. Ride now, take action accordingly.
After a couple of hours of riding she spied a figure approaching her from the opposite direction.
Another rider.
As she neared them, she could clearly see that they were a warrior who most probably turned back from the challenge--it was obvious they were not successful, or else they would have stayed in the Kingdom of Svart to enjoy their spoils: Princess Ingrid and the Kingdom itself.
"Hail, fellow warrior," the Rose Knight called out as they entered within earshot. "How goes the hunt?"
"Ehh, Missy, don't badger me about it," the warrior groaned. "Obviously I lost, okay?". He turned his horse around to ride along with her to hold a conversation.
Looking closely at him the Rose Knight could tell that he was more than a tad worse for wear: his cape was almost completely in tatters and burnt around the edges; his gold armor dotted with bitemarks as if he were made to be a chew toy for a much, much larger dog.
And, perched on his messy head was a coronet.
The Rose Knight took note of this. "Are you...royalty, by any chance?"
"Noticed my little crown, huh," the warrior raised his eyebrow. "Well yes." He did a small bow, or what could pass off as a small bow on horseback. "I am Prince Marius, Second Prince of the Kingdom of Pax."
"Honored to meet you, Your Highness," the Rose Knight returned his bow with a polite nod. "If I may ask, how did your attempt go?"
"Welp, you can see how wrecked I am," Prince Marius gestured towards himself. "The dragon isn't that large, but I'd be damned if it isn't impossible to kill. That thing seems to be made of steel."
"Hmm. Intriguing."
"It is rather weird though," said Prince Marius, "The dragon seems lazy and would rather sleep the entire day, so most of the time the challengers have to poke at it first and then...yeah. We get...roasted."
"A sleepy dragon?"
"Yes, a sleepy dragon," said Prince Marius. "Oh and Missy?"
"Yes, Prince Marius?"
"Since you're really cute and all, just a tip for when you take on the challenge: the dragon should be easily defeated if its gold earring is taken away."
"Really?" the Rose Knight murmured, unsure whether to take the information as reliable--Prince Marius failed in his task, after all. "At least, that was what the Princess Ingrid told me on one of the rare times I manage to climb up her tower."
"Hmm..." if that really did come fron the Princess herself, then I suppose it is worth exploring...
"Anyway, I'm bushed. Princess Ingrid is a looker but not enough for me to endure all that hardship over, you know?" Prince Marius muttered, then grinned roguishly at the Rose Knight. "But you though...fancy becoming my Princess?"
"Sorry," the Rose Knight's curt reply came instantly. "I'll pass."
To reiterate her words Peanut emerged from the Rose Knight's breastplate and hissed loudly at Prince Marius--quite a feat, since lizards of his kind usually did not make any sound at all.
"Whoa, whoa there li'l fellow," Prince Marius said, hands raised. "I was just kidding!"
===
On the sixth day of riding the Rose Knight finally arrived at her destination, the Kingdom of Svart.
By this time the sun was already about to set; and from the unmanned fortress gates the Rose Knight could see the dragon, as tall as five storeys in height, sitting on its haunches.
It was growling deeply and loudly, as if irritated with all the guests that it had to deal with for the day.
The Rose Knight, however, instead of going at the dragon with her blade at the ready, approached it with eyes filled with wonder, her hands covering her mouth.
Oh my god. That is such a beautiful dragon.
And indeed the dragon was a remarkably unique specimen; it was a rare silverback dragon, with eyes of an even rarer vivid shade of champagne gold. Its iridescent scales glittered with a rainbow sheen in the brilliant sunset light; the skin of its folded wings reminiscent of fine-spun silver silk.
Do I really have to slay this magnificent beast? Really?
The dragon warily tracked her movements with its golden eyes.
Ah, there it is, its earring, the one Prince Marius mentioned...
Pierced onto one of its veined winglets set on both sides of the dragon's head was a golden, bejeweled earring, which was too small for the dragon, but...
That looks like just the right size for a crown, isn't it? thought the Rose Knight, but thought no more of it as she drew even more closer to the beast.
She cleared her throat, and with voice loud enough to carry over the wind she said,
"I'm not going to do anything to you, for now at least," the Rose Knight hoped that her words would reach the dragon and somehow understand her. "I was hoping if we could parley, reach a truce, and have you fly off somewhere? Spare this kingdom by any chance?"
The dragon snorted billows of steam out of its snout.
Did...did the dragon just laugh at me? Am I being insulted?
"Okay, I'm going to take that as a no," reluctantly Rosa drew her blade. "You leave me no choice but to--"
Before she could fully unsheathe her blade the dragon stood up, revealing its full height of at least seven to eight storeys high, unfurling its spectacular silver wings.
"W-wait, where are you going?!" The Rose Knight cried out as the dragon took off into the sunset, leaving her literally in the dust as his flight kicked up the dirt and blew all over her.
Was that it? Did the dragon really accept the offer to parlay?
The Rose Knight stood there, coughing in the dust, as she watched the dragon's silhouette shrink into the horizon.
And then she suddenly heard clapping from behind her.
"Bravo. You, my dear lady, are the first warrior to successfully close the distance with the dragon without any incident, close enough that you could actually hit it with your blade if you so wished," a honeyed, dulcet voice spoke.
The Rose Knight quickly turned around to face the Evil Sorcerer Prince, Vilhelm.
He was clad in black robes, his silver hair adorned with a gold circlet--his sign of royalty--on his forehead.
"You." She pointed her blade at him, threateningly. "Release the Princess, if you don't... "
The Evil Sorcerer Prince Vilhelm only gave her a tight-lipped smile, his golden eyes regarding her with sheer condescension. "Ah, but do you not remember the rules?" His lips curled into a derisive smile. "You are supposed to kill the dragon, bearer of the curse, and not me.
"If you kill me, then there will be no means to undo the curse I have cast. The dragon will still be there, but even if you kill it, yet another dragon may spawn, Princess Ingrid will still be trapped in the tower, and this rigmarole will be never-ending."
With a sigh, the Rose Knight dropped her blade. "Fair enough. I know how much trouble you Sorcerers are, with your glamour."
The Evil Sorcerer Prince tsk-ed. "The power I bear is no mere glamour, pet."
"Alright, magic then," the Rose Knight muttered. "So, what now? Why do you have to personally come see me? Are you afraid of me actually defeating your dragon?"
"No, but I am compelled to give you a boon for exceeding expectations." The Evil Sorcerer Prince crossed his arms. "In order to defeat the dragon--"
"--one must remove the earring from the beast. Yes, I already heard of it," finished the Rose Knight for him.
"Oh? And where did you hear that from?"
"One of the other challengers," said the Rose Knight offhandedly. "I imagine it is not easy. But things not easily done are what I do best," she said, holding the Sorcerer Prince's gaze with steely, determined eyes.
"Mhm. I rather like your pluck," said the Sorcerer Prince. "Well, then, since you show so much promise. Yet another boon you shall receive."
"Let's hear it," the Rose Knight said, her lips set.
"You can only kill the dragon at daytime. For the beast retreats at sunset, without fail."
Ugh. That wasn't so helpful, was it? Still, that explained why the dragon just up and left...
As it turned out, the dragon will be back. Rosa took a deep breath.
"Very well then, I shall return tomorrow by sunrise."
The Evil Sorcerer Prince flashed a cryptic smile. "Very well then, my dear lady knight. Good luck."
===
The next day, at sunrise.
True enough, the dragon was back, and as Prince Marius had said, the dragon turned out to be a rather sleepy beast. It laid on its belly right by the base of the tower where Princess Ingrid was said to be imprisoned; its tail curled around its majestic, slumbering form.
And again, The Rose Knight approached the dragon with her blade still sheathed, her gaze still admiring the magnificent creature.
"Um. Hello. Sir Dragon?"
Marius said that the dragon usually slept until they attacked it. Does this mean that...
With a tentative touch of her hand, she laid her palm on one of the dragon's iridescent scutes.
The dragon's eyes suddenly opened, the huge champagne gold irises trained on her.
"What about it?" she said, her voice projecting over the still morning air. "Fancy striking up a parley?"
Once again, the dragon snorted out steam, a loud growling sound coming from the deeper recesses of its belly. I really can't help but think the dragon actually understands me, and that it is laughing at me. The absolute cheek.
The Rose Knight did not think it entirely possible, but she imagined the dragon's gaze somehow grow softer upon her.
How can I bring myself to kill this dragon?
She looked upon the champagne gold eyes still staring at her, in what the Rose Knight fancied as an inquisitive, curious stare.
She sighed. I can't. Damn it.
She rubbed her temples, deep in desperate thought. But if I return empty handed, I fear the Queen's graces towards me may go sour, especially when she finds out that I lost by forfeiting the challenge.
Or was she really serious about...about...the Crown Prince Artem?
The Rose Knight groaned.
Suddenly she felt something nudge at ths scabbard that held her blade, Veritas, rattling it.
"Hm?"
The dragon's forked tongue was deliberately prodding her blade.
"Wait. Sir Dragon, what do you mean?" She looked at its eyes, trying to comprehend what it was trying to tell her.
Is it telling me to...go ahead and do the deed? What? "Sir Dragon, are you telling me to...to attack you?"
The beast snorted once again.
Her hands slightly shaking, the Rose Knight unsheathed Veritas, its silver blade glittering brightly in the sunlight.
Then the dragon roared, as if calling out for everyone's attention.
But there was no one to answer the dragon's call, maybe except for the occupant of the tower that held Princess Ingrid...
"No! That sword! Not that sword!" came a female's desperate shrieking voice from atop the tower.
The Rose Knight looked up, and she saw the curtains of the lone room at the top on the tower part open, revealing the beautiful visage of the imprisoned Princess Ingrid.
She was as beautiful as the tales have claimed: long hair as dark as night, skin the color of snow, and lips as red as blood...
And the circlet around her forehead.
Yet somehow, Princess Ingrid was very, very angry.
And a touch desperate.
Wait, that circlet, isn't that...
Before the Rose Knight could complete her thoughts, everything went white.
===
"Mmnnh..." the Rose Knight groaned, her eyes still closed shut.
What happened? Where am I?
"Easy does it now," whispered a very familiar gentle, honeyed voice. "You are hurt."
Wait. That voice.
The Rose Knight's eyes snapped open to a very unfamiliar sight compared to what she last remembered before she lost consciousness: it was already dark, with the moon high up in the sky.
She seemed to be in a wooded grove of some sort, surrounded by tall trees whose branches loomed all over, creating an eerie, quiet, yet oddly comforting canopy; she was lying on what felt to be a pile of leaves or tall grass...
The place appeared to be located quite the distance away from the walls of the castle proper, where the battle with the dragon took place. Only that it did not really take place; so what actually happened...?
And, kneeling beside where she lay, was the Evil Sorcerer Prince Vilhelm, peering at her with a clear look of concern on his face.
Or rather, someone who looked like him. The man beside her was his spitting image: silver hair, golden eyes, and a fair complexion; the difference being that he was clothed in a dark forest green robe lined with silver.
The man's countenance was also softer, bearing none of the sarcastic, cruel glint that the Evil Sorcerer Prince held in his eyes.
And the coronet on his head...
The coronet on his head...is the same as the dragon's earring!
The Rose Knight blinked, and slowly put two and two together.
She remembered Queen Celestine's words.
"Our crowns are proof of our birthright and lineage--nothing can ever tarnish, destroy our crowns, nor can anyone transform them via alchemy or glamour."
"You," the Rose Knight said, "You are the dragon."
Not-Evil Sorcerer Prince Vilhelm smiled amiably. "Yes. You have guessed it right in one attempt. I am pleased."
She tried to sit up, but a jolt of pain shot all over her upper body, making her wince. "Ah...it hurts...!"
"Hold still," said the dragon. "You bore the full brunt of the Princess's lightning strike."
"Lightning strike?" she asked, a tad confused. Then, "Oh no! PEANUT!"
Frantically she tapped all over her armor, powering through the sharp pain, trying to see if Peanut still responded--the small lizard may not have survived such a strong elemental attack...
"If you are looking for your friend, he is here with me," said the dragon, his arm outstretched; Peanut was lying quite contentedly on his forearm. "He was indeed hurt, but I managed to patch him up with some poultice that I could prepare with the meagre selection of herbs available here."
Then his face turned a bit grim. "I...was also forced to use a bit of magic just to save him. I do owe you a boon for what you did, so consider all debt paid."
"Thank you," she whispered, almost close to tears. "He's very important to me, my little page."
"Never you mind," the dragon said, "I am also thankful that you finally came."
The Rose Knight, still wincing in pain, carefully took Peanut off his arm, setting him down on a comfortable pile of leaves to rest and recover.
"You are still not healed," the dragon noted as he gently laid his palm on her forehead. "I loathe to use magic, but the turn of events require me to overcome my distaste of sorcery.
"I am required to lay my hands directly on your burns to heal, but your armor is in the way. There is another method, fortunately." The dragon's lips curled into a cryptic smile. "Mayhap you would let me use this other method?"
Grimacing, the Rose Knight nodded. "Yes," she said, voice raspy. "As long as it doesn't require any funny exchanges like my life, or something."
"You already offered your life," the dragon said blithely, "When you raised your Sword of Truth to challenge the true villain of this story."
She did not understand him, but she felt like she got manipulated into something.
But the pain took precedence.
"Well then," the dragon whispered as he leaned over to her, "if you would excuse me..."
He laid his lips on her forehead, his breath caressing the top of her head.
Soft warmth infused the Rose Knight's veins, flowing from where his lips touched her skin, reaching, spreading to the ends of her limbs, fingers; her entire being eventually saturated with a comfortable feeling of tenderness.
When the dragon pulled away, the Rose Knight still felt her face grow hot, yet the pain had long left her.
"Well? How do you feel now?"
Still blushing, the Rose Knight said, "I'm good. Thank you."
"I am glad. I do not like to use magic, but my preferred alchemy requires everything to be in their proper place. I have no such luxury nor time at the moment."
"I...I am still confused as to what is happening." The Rose Knight shook her head. "Why do you look like the Sorcerer Prince? Why is the Princess furious at me, and didn't you say she hit me with lightning?"
"That I did."
"Why...?"
"A lightning strike. For you have displeased someone, for not playing by their rules," said the dragon.
The Rose Knight tried to sit up, this time with the dragon's help; he carried her in his arms and sat her against a nearby tree trunk, its roots lined with soft moss.
"Thank you. First things first," The Rose Knight took a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts. "I think introductions are in order?" She looked at the man who knelt beside her, his moonlight silver hair--accented by the gold of his coronet--softly glowing in the night.
"Ah, I forget my manners. Forgive me," murmured the dragon. "I am Vilhelm, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Svart."
Thw Rose Knight grew even more confused. "Wait. If you are Vilhelm..." her voice trailed off.
"Then it only means the other is false," Vilhelm finished the obvious. "Do you remember what it is that you did, before you were struck by the Princess's lightning?"
"I remember that I unsheathed Veritas," the Rose Knight murmured, the memory still fresh. Unconsciously her hand crept to feel for her blade's handle--and there it was. Veritas was still with her.
"The Sword of Truth," Vilhelm said. "Which, if the tales about it are true, not only can it pierce, slash, and cut like any other sword, but can also tear through falsehoods created by glamour--is this correct?"
"That it is," concurred the Rose Knight. "It is a blade that was handed to me by my parents, before they departed this world."
"Imagine if...it tore through the falsehood of my dragon form, the glamour forced upon me," Vilhelm said, his champagne-gold eyes holding her gaze. "What do you suppose would happen?"
"The form forced upon you by glamour--your dragon form--will dissipate and you will be left in your true appearance."
The Rose Knight's eyes narrowed. "That is, if your current form is indeed your true appearance."
Vilhelm chuckled. "I would be voluntarily submitting myself to the Sword of Truth to prove the veracity of my words. But." He pursed his lips. "Alas, I will still need to turn into a dragon for the...abilities that come with it, for one last time. So no. I prefer my curse to be lifted the correct way."
The Rose Knight cocked an eyebrow. "The correct way? You mean like the rules that the Evil Sorcerer Prince have set?"
Vilhelm laughed. "Not quite. Close, however."
"Then what would you have me do?"
Vilhelm told her.
The Rose Knight's hands flew to her lips. "Ah."
"It is quite simple, is it not?" Vilhelm chuckled. "Ah, I would have willingly relinquished my right to the kingdom, but they did not even see it fit to talk with me about it. All I knew was that this curse was placed upon me--that I turn into a dragon every sunrise, and turn back into my real form every sunset--when I woke up one morning."
"I'm sorry," said the Rose Knight.
"Do not be, milady Knight" said Vilhelm. "I hear some royalty from other kingdoms have it far worse." Then he smiled, ruefully. "This is why clear, concise communication is important. If communication was done properly, they would have made off with the kingdom with nary any effort, and I would have been free to pursue my dreams as an alchemist."
"So you're not the Evil Sorcerer Prince Vilhelm," said the Rose Knight. "You are...Alchemist Prince Vilhelm?"
"I would rather drop the 'Prince', but yes, I suppose that is correct." One of Vilhelm's hands found a wildflower, and with precise fingers picked the lilac-colored bloom by its stem. "Alchemy is a more sophisticated art, I find, than sorcery. Alchemy is a dance between respecting the laws of nature and the elements, and trying to transcend them. A most nuanced endeavor."
His slender fingers then tucked the flower behind the Rose Knight's ear, the lilac petals now adorning her auburn tresses.
"But enough about me. I wish to know about you. The only warrior who even bothered asking questions, before swinging a sword to take a life, even that of a beast." Vilhelm smiled, his champagne-gold eyes glimmering with delight.
"I am only glad that I do not have to kill such a beautiful reptilian creature," the Rose Knight bit her lower lip. "I love reptiles great and small! You've seen Peanut," she gestured to her little lizard friend, now sleeping on its bed of leaves and moss. "Frogs are cute too, and I'd kiss them a lot but I really don't want any one of them to turn into a prince."
Amused, Vilhelm asked, "And why not? Surely a prince could give you all the frogs you would ever want."
The Rose Knight made a moue. "That's the thing. There's no prince who would do such a thing. They would all be stuffed up with things like decorum, or propriety. I will kiss whoever can prove me wrong!"
Vilhelm laughed. "Oh, I so happen to know one such prince who would be happy to give you pet frogs, snakes, maybe even one benign dragon, if you so wished. In fact, observing them is part and parcel of his studies."
The Rose Knight's lips curled into a twisted smile, unimpressed. "Really now. Who?"
Vilhelm casually points to himself. "Me." And, without missing a beat, said, "Can I claim my kiss, milady Knight?"
Ah, I just had to walk myself right into it.
"Remember, you cannot renege on whatever you have promised, no matter how small..." Vilhelm's head tipped to one side, a small smile dancing on his lips. "Especially when it comes to royalty."
"Yes. Um." The Rose Knight gulped, nervous, yet her eyes did recognize how much of a beautiful man Vilhelm was: hair as fair as moonlight; eyes as gold as the sweetest champagne.
It was this very knowledge that made her shy away; she never thought of herself as deserving of such kind of affection, most especially from those highly esteemed as royalty.
Vilhelm must have sensed her hesitation, for he inched closer to her and said, "To make it easier for you to deliver on your promise, maybe I should take this kiss from you?"
Reaching over to her, he planted his palms on the tree trunk behind her, trapping her in his arms. "May I have your kiss, my dearest Knight?" His gentle voice was tinged with need. "Please, do say yes."
The Rose Knight found her gaze transfixed at the deep pools of gold that were his eyes, now half-hidden behind his long silver lashes.
Vilhelm's face still slowly inched ever closer to her, now close enough for her to feel his warm breath on her lips when he said, once again, "Please. Say yes."
"Am I...deserving of something like this?" The Rose Knight asked, her lips almost touching his.
Vilhelm smiled at her tenderly. "But of course. Milady Knight of the pure, valiant, kind, and inquisitive soul. I admit I was already taken by you when you dared ask a dragon, sword sheathed, for a parley." A finger lovingly caressed her cheek.
"Then yes," the Rose Knight said, after mustering enough courage to acknowledge and get what she wanted. "Please, take my kiss."
And Vilhelm finally kissed her, his lips gently pressing against hers, a chaste kiss that was nonetheless filled with utter longing and passion; filled with such warmth that the Rose Knight could not even dare dream of, not even during her idle daydreams after reading of books that told of sweet, wonderful, romantic love.
When their lips parted, the Rose Knight was no longer the same; her heart was splintered and part of it became the Prince's possession, whether either of them liked it or not.
"When this all ends, I will come for you," Vilhelm whispered. "I shall court you, woo you, romance you, like you so deserve."
The sky started to fill with milky light.
"It is almost sunrise," noted Vilhelm as he reluctantly removed himself from the Rose Knight's side.
With nary any warning he removed his robe, letting it fall off his arms and quickly folded it before handing the clothing to Rosa, whose face instantly went beet red.
"Y-you're naked, Your Highness," the Rose Knight stammered. "Please, this is too much."
"I do apologize. Unfortunately this is a necessary measure; if I do not disrobe before I turn I will be left with no clothes to wear upon turning back into my original form." Vilhelm smiled knowingly. "Do you not like what you see?"
He opened his arms, wholly welcoming her scrutiny of his naked physique: a complexion most fair, his figure exceptionally toned for someone who spent most of his time poring over his books and research.
"Please, do not tease me so," the Rose Knight--still a tender, chaste, woman at heart--started to panic.
"I jest," Vilhelm said, seemingly delighted at the flustered reactions his teasing had caused. "Please do take care of my robe; I am giving it to you, because I intend to return to you after this is all over."
"Alright."
Vilhelm walked a few paces away from the Rose Knight, towards the part of the grove that had less canopy.
As soon as the first ray of sunlight touched his head the man who had kissed the Rose Knight a few moments earlier had turned into the familiar silverback dragon.
Before the dragon--Vilhelm--flew away, he clambered around to face the Rose Knight, who was still clutching his robe as she stared at him with wonder.
Then licked her from her greaves to the top of her head with his forked tongue.
Peanut, seeing this display of wanton affection, only yawned widely and went back to sleep.
===
Once again the Rose Knight made her way to the tower where the Princess Ingrid was said to be kept.
"I call upon the Evil Sorcerer Prince Vilhelm," the Rose Knight said, projecting her clear, assured voice over the dry wind. "I will undo this curse!"
So saying, she unsheathed her blade, Veritas, pointing its tip at the Evil Sorcerer Prince.
"Ah. What a wonderful turn of events," the Sorcerer Prince said from atop the precipice of the tower on which he watched all battles in comfort. "Tell me, Knight," he lifted his hand. "How adept you are at avoiding lightning strikes?"
The sky above them crackled, but before the lightning could strike the Rose Knight the dragon kicked off in flight, urgently picking up the Rose Knight with its talons before the tendrils of deadly summoned light crashed into the ground.
It then flew towards the top of the tower, the Rose Knight in its gentle yet secure grip.
Seeing this the Sorcerer Prince panicked. "Vilhelm!" He growled. "You dare you defy me, you will regret--"
The dragon, upon reaching the precipice of the tower, unceremoniously tossed the Rose Knight towards the Sorcerer Prince.
The Rose Knight, who already anticipated how the dragon planned to dispatch her, flew towards the Sorcerer Prince with Veritas already in a thrusting posture, her sword-bearing arm cocked behind her, the blade's tip aimed at its target...
And upon reaching him, the Rose Knight pierced the Sorcerer Prince's heart, her aim true.
Killing the illusion, the glamour.
Eventually revealing the true form of the Sorcerer Prince: Princess Ingrid, her beautiful form now sprawled upon the floor.
True enough, her circlet was the exact same one as the Evil Sorcerer Prince's. The royal circlet was the one thing that could not be concealed by her glamour.
Curse now finally broken, the flying dragon had also disappeared, turning into Prince Vilhelm--naked--mid-air a few feet just above the tower's precipice.
"Prince Vilhelm!" The Rose Knight cried out, her arms outstretched to catch him in her arms, just before he hit the floor.
"You did not have to, but thank you all the same," whispered Vilhelm with a small smile on his face, amused that the Rose Knight carried his nude self in her arms princess-style.
"Can I have my robe back?"
The Rose Knight, her face once again furiously blushing, silently put Vilhelm down and fished out the robe from underneath her breastplate, averting her gaze away from him all the while.
Finally having made himself decent, Prince Vilhelm walked over to where Princess Ingrid lay. "Are you awake, dear half-sister?"
"Damn you, Vilhelm," Ingrid seethed. "I was so close, my plan was--"
"Ill-thought out," Vilhelm cut in. "If you only talked with me about this, I would have willingly relinquished my birthright to you." He crossed his arms.
"You think I believe your blathering, Vilhelm?" Ingrid hissed.
Vilhelm sighed. "See, this is why I think you are not ready to rule a kingdom. You think it easier to call upon the mightiest warriors from other Kingdoms, even farflung ones, than calling upon me, your half-brother residing in the very same castle, to have a chat. Unbelievable.
"Though, I do believe in giving credit where it is due. It is rather a brilliant stroke of genius to offer yourself to the warrior or the prince who manages to slay me, to ally our Kingdom to a powerful one." Vilhelm flashed Ingrid a grin that did not quite reach his eyes.
"I'm only doing it for our Kingdom," said Ingrid, still furious. "I can't stomach to lose the right to rule to a slacker such as you!"
"So you say, so you say," said Vilhelm, placatingly. "I do understand your intention, which is why I played along while waiting for a much better solution to fall onto my lap," he said as he gestured towards the Rose Knight.
"You--" Ingrid seethed, her eyes burning holes at the Rose Knight. "Curse upon--"
"Enough, Ingrid," said Vilhelm, voice now taking an imperious tone. "If you threaten my bride-to-be any further I shall have you sentenced to death instead of simply being banished."
The Rose Knight looked up at Vilhelm, shocked.
What?
===
And with enough courting and wooing with a little bit of chasing and dueling a nervous bride-to-be, Prince Vilhelm finally managed to marry the Rose Knight and made her his Queen, as soon as he accepted the responsibility to ascend the throne.
However many stories abound, about a couple who resembled Svart's King and Queen roaming lands unknown under the assumed names of Vyn and Rosa, offering their services of alchemy and mercenary work to the farflung places that needed them.
As to how they managed to pull it off, nobody ever found out.
===
"Rosa, darling," Vyn nuzzled her hair, waking her up gently. "You fell asleep while I was reading to you." He planted a kiss onto the top of her head. "Did I bore you?"
Rosa's eyes fluttered open. "Vyn? Oh, uh...no," she mumbled. "I guess...I got too comfortable?" She stretched underneath the blanket, relishing the feel of heart-melting warmth radiating from her lover. "Sharing a blanket with you in wintertime is just the best way to relax, is all--oh, hang on, what time is it?"
Vyn threw a glance at the screen of his smartphone. "It is almost midnight," he noted. "Well, do you want to exchange our gifts now?" He smiled at her, his gold eyes sparkling with delight, and what appeared to be traces of excitement barely hidden.
"Yeah, let's!"
After handing each other their gifts, Vyn and Rosa counted down from three to one before opening their presents.
Vyn had received from Rosa a silver letter opener, its blade embellished with a rose motif. His eyes admired the workmanship of the silver, his fingers gently tracing its outline and the rose design etched onto the blade.
"This is beautiful," he whispered reverently. "I will make sure to use this whenever I receive traditional missives."
He leaned over to Rosa, giving her a lingering kiss on the lips.
"Thank you."
Blushing, Rosa focused on opening her present, then gasped.
It was a plush toy of a silver-colored dragon, holding a rose with its snout.
Rosa blinked, marvelling at the sheer coincidence.
"Do you like it?" Vyn asked, rather bashfully. "I thought you would appreciate something that represented this town's coat of arms, a dragon holding a rose."
Rosa turned to him, a smile blooming beautifully on her face. "My Prince. You really did give me a dragon."
"Rosa can you hand me the -" is he an idiot? how can he forgot that she isn't here anymore. Moron!
Knock, knock
"Artem is it a good time?" The sound of Celestine's voice, drag him out from further berating himself.
"Yes, it all good, you can come in". He says while tyding up his documents.
"I seem to have heard you mentions Rosa's name a while ago" she inquired. He knows she didn't mean any ill will, but this made him a little bit irritated.
"Yes, I seem to keep forgetting that she's not in the firm right now." a minute pass by, but he didn't hear any reply from her. He looked up, but regretted doing so. There was Celestine, looking at him while frowning, her eyes held pity and sadness.
"Artem are you still-"
Bang she flinched hearing the sound of his fist hitting the table with such force.
"Celestine" his voice had a hint of threat.
But all Celestine can see was a wounded beast. She sigh, but still proceed with her sentence, she knows he needed this.
"Artem, you need to let it go and move on. It's already been half a year. Please stop torturing yourself over-"
"STOP! STOP!" He is raising his voice at her right now. His words and behaviour indicating that he doesn't want this conversation to continue.
She sigh again "Atleast go home and take a proper rest. You've been holed up in your office for 3 days now and burying your self at work ever since-" she stopped herself, agitating him further isn't good right now.
"what I'm saying is, I'm ordering you to take a vacation. And no, there is no room for discussion. I'm expecting your travel itinerary 2days from now at the latest."
And with that she turned her back and exited his office.
He rubbed his face with his hand. He was frustrated, but he still packed his things, there is no arguing with Celestine once she put her mind on things. Better to listen to her for now.
____________________________________
"Why are you doing this!" He can hear a womans scream.
He knows this voice. Of course he did. It was the voice of the only person that mattered to him more than anything or anyone before.
"Why, why do you keep on getting in between us Mr. Wing!" tear drops are cascading her face.
She's crying, and all because of him. He tried to reach out, to wipe the tears but his body made a different move. He grabbed her shoulders and shakes her.
"Wake up Rosa! He's not the person you think he is. How can you trust someone with such an obscure background! I tried investing his origin but no information can be gathered from before he arrived at Stellis. This only further proves that he's hiding something, that he is not a trustworthy man. He's not worthy of you. "
(Stop you idiot! Stop it! Can't you see you're only pushing her away from you) He tried to slap this version of himself awake, to make it see the signs of her drifting away. But unfortunately, what he was thinking and what he was speaking was totally different.
"His only manipulating you. This," he waves his hand at her. "This feelings you speak of are only ideas that he planted on you. You're only blinded by his act. You should snapped out of it Rosa! "
(the one who needs snapping out of is you dumbass!! Stop this!) he screams and screams inside. Begging this version of himself to not agrevate the situation further, but to no avail.
He watched as her face shifted from grief to that of anger. She slapped the hands that was holding her shoulder. Her eyes burning with fury.
"The one who should wake up and snapped out of this is you Mr. Wing." there was bile in her words. "I've already chosen, and I choose Vyn, not you." she shakes her head.
"Clearly, the one who is blinded is you. Blinded by jealousy, disguised as worry for my safety. I tried to ignore the signs, the whispers from people that you were doing all this to spite Vyn."
Fresh tears are falling from her eyes again, but she wiped it instantly before he can do so.
"I have enough of this Mr. Wing. You have no right to keep on demonizing my Fiancé in front of others and especially to me. As you've said, you have no information regarding his life, but that is not the case with me. I know him better than you, or anyone for that matter. So all this slander is only letting people see this unsightly jealousy that you have."
Her words were so sharp that it cut his heart into a million pieces.
"This is the last time that let you off Mr. Wing, there is no next time." her tone was firm "Goodbye, Mr. Wing."
She turned her back to him. He tried to stop her, but his body won't move. All he could do was scream her name, but she never glance back at him.
_____________________________
Ring Ring
He woke up at the sound of his phone ringing. Damn, it was that dream again. This dream has been haunting him ever since the day she had quit Themis and decided to marry and relocate to Svat. To be with Vyn. He rubbed his face.
He always feels anger, disappointment, helplessness, powerlessness and remorse every time he woke up from this. Anger at the man who took her away from him. Disappointed that she couldn't see that he only wants what's best for her. Helplessness and powerlessness to stop her from going away. Then remorse when he finally reflected that the blame was not on them but to himself.
He should have been rational and not mixed-up his bias toward the man. Or maybe he should have man up and told her that he have loved her for so long before she got taken away. He was a coward and an idiot for thinking that even if he didn't move now, she would always be there, waiting for him to finally gather his courage.
Ring Ring
He heard his phone ring again. He picked it up to see who was calling.
"Celestine" he murmurs. "Why are-"
"Artem, I told you to give me the itinerary for your vacation, it has already been 3days. Don't tell me you've been doing nothing but hole up on your home depressed." he can hear the worry on her voice.
"I'm still undecided as to where to go. But I might give it to you at the end of the day or maybe tomorrow." he scratch his neck. Truthfully he would rather just bury himself on work, but of course he could not say that.
"I see, I'll trust you on this. Just-" she was hesitating "just please take care of yourself more. "
"I know, thank you for always looking after me."
She let out a small laugh "Of course your like a little brother to me. I'll get off the phone now. Eat, rest and unwind. Bye!"
"Goodbye, Celestine" after that he ended the call.
________________________
Truthfully, he was driving without any destination in mind. But he still ended up at the western part of long beach. The place where the former NXX headquarters were located. He just stayed in his car, looking at the victorian styled house for hours. Hoping to catch a glimpse of her silhouette. But obviously there was nothing there. She's already in a land far away from his reach.
He continues his drive and ended up at cloudbreak mountain. They've traverse this mountain road. Memory of her comforting him about his teacher came flooding his mind. He speed up. He need to chase away this memories.
He was so preoccupied by his thoughts that he was late to notice that he had missed his chance to turn on the corner. He tried to salvage the situation but he still ended up crashing on the railings.
Crash, thump
"aw" he groaned from the impact of his head hitting the wheels. Blood, too much blood. His dizzy and vision is getting hazy.
Is this the end for him? Artem wonders. Shockingly he wasn't afraid of his looming death. The only thing he is feeling was sadness.
"Rosa, I love you and I'm sorry"
He said this as his vision is becoming dark. He can hear sirens, but he doesn't really care much. Slowly he closes his eyes, a single tear drop rolls from his eye.
*******************************
Finally, finished. (flops on bed)
Dammit, this really didn't let me sleep until I finished writing him. (screams at the void)
they still have weeks before the official investigations, but one of the most crucial people involved is hosting her birthday party—and it's the only shot the nxx has before said person leaves the country in a few days.
happy 72nd birthday to grandma ellen! this one's for you, lola. you asked me last time if i'd bring home vyn and marius from hoyofest, but... i didn't wanna end up in jail for stealing them!
PART 1: The Airport
PART 2: PH Public Transport aka where Vyn Richter's Elegance is Put to Test
nose flaring and eyes in a deep glare, artem wing only clicks his tongue in dismay as he glanced at his wristwatch for the nth time now. “we're late. we're going to be late.”
“very late,” says vyn, arms crossed. “did you not hear what the driver said last night, artem? from here to our destination, it will take us two hours. two hours.”
artem casts marius a sideward glance. “it's not marius's fault that our service is late,” he tells vyn, “it's on them and not us. we can look for alternative ways, like public transport—”
“no.”
“what?”
“i said no.”
“why not?” asks artem, his face inquisitive. “the service will be here in an hour. by then, the event will be over. we have to get moving.”
vyn nonchalantly fixes his collar and finds an empty couch to rest on. “ah, but did you not know of how... arduous public transport is in this country?” he tilts his head to meet the lawyer's already-tired eyes. “it is not the best of public transports, artem. i do not wish to find myself sweating and inhaling smoke inside a cramped public jeepney—i think i would go mad.”
one hour later.
“well,” whispers artem, “are you mad yet?”
vyn cranes his neck to the side, his immaculate handkerchief pressed against his nose and mouth, almost suffocating him as he tries to not ‘inhale smoke from vehicles’. and with an almost inaudible voice, he shoots artem a deadly glare. “fuck you, artem.”
they all end up in a public jeepney, after all.
the space inside the jeepney was indeed too cramped for him—for anyone, actually—because the vehicle only has a 12-person capacity and yet it has twenty passengers aboard. the work of magic, really.
the absolutely pissed-off psychiatrist only has half of his butt seated; his other hand is gripping tightly onto the metal bar above his head like his life depends on it. still, these did not stop him from sitting cross-legged.
“vyn, will you be okay?” asks rosa, who is sitting beside him. “do you need water?”
vyn gently shakes his head. “you need not worry, rosa. i am doing just fine.” no, i am not. goddammit.
rosa peeks at the lawyer on vyn's other side. “how about you, artem?”
“i'm fine, don't worry about me,” he smiles, his eyes lingering over hers for a little while before he spares the other nxx members a pitying glance. “vyn, rosa,” he says, “i... i think we should treat luke and marius after we get this mission done.”
“that is unfortunately true.” vyn peers to where artem is staring at. “i never thought i would be so grateful i was seated here.”
and why is vyn so grateful? it's because he's inside, sitting peacefully; and even if he's sweating and hot and irritated, it's all fine—as long as it's not him outside the jeepney, standing and miserable under the heat of the sun.
aka luke and marius.
in the philippines, this is called “sabit sa jeep.”
aka this picture right here:
yeah, this one. happens all the time, especially when it's rush hour on a weekday and all public transportations are packed. some passengers will have no other options but to cling onto the jeepney like this. remember to hold on for dear life, yeah?
luke and marius are definitely like that.
“oh apat pa, apat pa, aalis na,” the jeepney conductor had announced back in the transport station. four more, four more (passengers); the jeepney will be leaving soon.
vyn had his brows in a stormy frown. “let us just wait for another one,” he'd told the team, “i simply do not wish to force myself into this cramped—”
“just fucking get inside, vyn,” said marius. “this is the last jeepney right here. there are more passengers in line behind us, so—”
when vyn richter had caught sight of a massive wave of desperate passengers literally racing towards the jeepney, he had no choice but to grab onto the steel bars and pull himself in. goddammit (2).
artem had let rosa hop in first, and he'd followed suit. indeed, the space was confined, with little to no seats left. wait, actually, there were no seats left. but with a few magic words from the jeepney conductor such as “oy, usog usog na lang para makaupo yung iba, aalis na” which meant “oi, everyone, move so that the new passengers can sit. the jeepney's about to leave”, artem and the others were able to sit with half of their butts on the jam-packed seats.
rosa had covered her mouth in both worry and amusement when she'd seen marius and luke clinging on the edge of the vehicle's roof because there were no space left inside.
“l-luke?! marius?!”
marius had only winked at them, his signature smirk plastered across his lips. “eh? don't worry about us, missy! we'll be okay! besides, i think i'll only bump my head when i hop inside this thing...”
“yeah, watson! you stay put, we'll be fine!”
of course those two kids were fine. they were having the fucking time of their lives.
“luke, take a video of me!” says marius, grinning like a kid who had snagged his favorite toy. his locks of midnight blue appeared more dazzling underneath the blazing sun, constantly blown by the wind. the von hagen boy feels only oozing happiness; probably the happiest he's been aside from [redacted—let's not spoil ourselves yet]. “oh, pax would be so jealous, they'd wish they're part of the nxx.”
“hand me your phone!” luke laughs, his coral eyes sparkling with thrill. “come on! let's record a vlog!”
luke and marius take a bunch of photos and videos along the way, at the same time marveling at the thrill of it all—of the slight danger that comes with standing outside the jeepney with only its roof and metal bars as their support system, of the balmy winds touching their face, of the cacophony of vehicle sounds and busy streets alike ringing in their ears.
minus the pollution.
and the impossibly stressful ph traffic.
the jeepney's about to turn left, but a van is blocking the way. the traffic light's flickering green. “what's this van doing here? we're stuck,” marius asks luke.
“this is an intersection. we're on the left side, and we should be heading left as of now, since it's greenlight,” says luke, “i think this van's heading to the right, but for some reason it's in the wrong lane. that's why it's not moving. right side's on red light.”
marius grimaces. “oh, goddammit.”
“oh, goddammit,” curses vyn, fingers stressfully rubbing his temples. “i did not know that van's driver stooped this low in terms of stupidity.”
“should we get the plate number?” artem asks, reaching for his mobile phone so he could type it down. “we should report it.”
“i think we should just let this go, guys...” rosa interferes, her features a bit worried. “it's fine. we're not that late yet. let's not stress ourselves, please?”
vyn does his best to calm his overwhelming irritation. “ahem,” he clears his throat, fixing his glasses as he flits his gaze to rosa, “... all right, dear rose. just this once, we will let this through. is that right, artem?”
artem coughs and looks away, trying to calm his bundle of (stressed-out) nerves. “fine,” he responds quietly before he glanced at his watch. “vyn, i think we'd make it to the party on time.”
“really?!” rosa blurts out excitedly. “oh, thank god. all our efforts wouldn't go to waste!”
(except for artem's efforts to not wear a suit or turtleneck and instead dress himself with something light, like a cotton shirt—because even if he's naked he's still sweating as fuck. that's how scorching hot it is in this country)
outside, marius and luke find their own little entertainment, like the kids they are. “luke! here's mine. DNBI.”
luke removes one hand from the jeepney's roof to rub his chin. “DNBI? hmm... you're not cheating, aren't you?”
“what? of course not! i play fair and square, luke pearce!”
luke's coral eyes light up in victory. “aha! i see it! ‘do not block intersection’,” he claims, pointing at the yellow sign. “that's five points for me, marius. now it's my turn. this is a tie breaker.”
marius huffs and rolls his eyes. “it took you ten seconds before you found the sign. that shouldn't be credited.”
“saying something, von hagen?”
“pfft,” says marius. “cheater.”
“whatever you say,” luke chuckles, eyes scanning the area. “marius! LRFP!”
marius instantly scrutinizes the surroundings, desperately searching for whatever it is luke decided to throw at him. the moment marius recognizes the tarpaulin, he knew victory is to be his. “luke, you dolt. this is too easy, even for you,” he smirks, “i see it right here. leni robredo for president! I WIN!”
luke only frowns and mumbles, “... i knew i should've gone with the BBM one. dammit.”
the jeepney comes to a halt. four passengers hop off the vehicle. artem calls for luke and marius to take the extra seats inside. finally!
the moment luke and marius take their seats, three street children pull themselves inside the vehicle. and they have... instruments with them—little makeshift drums and tambourines made from metal bottle caps, and a pair of maracas. a thin girl, around six, walks inside the jeepney to hand out small envelopes where passengers could slip some coins and bills.
people call them the badjaos, also known as sea gypsies.
when vyn catches sight of marius staring at the kids’ makeshift instruments, the psychiatrist shakes his head and whispers, “marius von hagen, don't you dare—”
“hey you, kid. hey, hey,” he calls, “pssssst.”
“goddammit, marius!”
the little boy looks at marius, his features plain and unbothered; he doesn't respond, only looking back at the young von hagen.
marius gestures to the drum the kid's holding. “can i borrow your instrument?”
“as if he could understand you,” chimes vyn. “did i not teach you about the barriers of effective communication, marius?”
“drum. drum drum.” marius points a finger to the little boy's makeshift drum. “can i borrow?”
the kid stares at him for a long while—then shakes his head.
“no?” asks marius, his lips now curling into a devilish smirk. scheming smirk. “how about...” his voice drops lower, his hand reaching to his pockets to get sum bills.
blue fucking bills.
blue bills aka the largest amount of money in the ph
“how about...” he trails, then snaps his fingers, revealing not just one but two blue bills sitting between his thumb and index finger. “this?”
marius gets the makeshift drum, everyone.
*insert romantic rail (me) getaway*
marius only winks at vyn, his smile a reflection of his victory. the psychiatrist shakes his head in dismay and shame.
yk what, luke gets jealous and tries to borrow the other kid's drum, too. but seeing how marius gave the little boy two blue bills, luke has to step up his game, yeah?
so the great detective pearce gives the other kid three blue bills instead, and gets the second makeshift drum for himself.
the first boy shoots marius an empty glance, and the young von hagen immediately knew what the kid meant. one more bill. “all right, all right,” he says, “here's the extra bill for you, kid.” damn you, luke. you spotlight stealer.
luke and marius hit the drums. they sing their hearts out and rosa joins the fun, and later on artem finds himself suppressing a smile, his heart pounding in amusement, relishing this genuine moment they all share. vyn, on the other hand, already has two research studies in mind.
he doesn't show, but vyn is enjoying himself, too. seeing the team like this, having the time of their lives... everything is worth it, after all.
maybe because luke and marius are too handsome and too energetic to watch that the passengers begin slipping a few bills inside the envelopes, while the others (mostly girls) secretly take videos, secretly squealing and getting all the butterflies. they need to get these men's social media accounts asap.
the little girl holding the maracas sits on the jeepney floor in front of rosa. “ate,” she calls, handing over the maracas.
“ate,” vyn repeats. “it means big sister, or if another girl is older than you. a sign of respect, rosa.”
“oh? they have that too?” marius butts in, his face elated. “jiejie, noona, oneeee-saaan,” he teases, “now i'll call you ate, too! ate rosa, ate rosa...”
“marius, shut the fuck up.”
“vyn, what did i ever do to you?”
“i have a long list of the things you did and the things you still do to me, von hagen.”
the heated exchange comes to a halt when they see rosa—cheeks flushed—accepting the maracas from the little girl. “thank you so much,” she smiles, “what is your name?”
the girl only looks at them dumbfounded.
“ro-sa,” says rosa, pointing a finger to herself. “i am rosa. ro-sa. and you are?”
the girl's face lights up. she also points a finger to herself and smiles, “nina. nina.”
“nina?”
she nods excitedly. “nina.”
“nina, this right here—” rosa gestures to the older lawyer, “is artem. ar-tem.” then she nudges vyn on her side. “this is vyn. vyn.”
the girl nods. “artem,” she says, pointing at the male lawyer, then turning her attention to the psychiatrist. “vyn. vyn.”
“that's right. very good,” artem praises her, the grin on his face too conspicuous. his cheeks are faint red as he hands the little girl a bag of biscuits and bread (supposedly his snacks; the breads he made himself). “here, take this. you must be hungry?” he asks, his hand making a circling motion on his stomach.
nina frowns, nodding. it's true she hasn't eaten anything at all. when nina takes a bite from the sandwich, artem feels another smile tug on his lips. good. eat up, little girl.
the other two kids signal nina to hop off the jeepney. marius and luke has collected all the envelopes already and hands them over to the kids. “thanks for the drums, kiddos,” says marius, and the little boys, even if they don't understand, smile and salute the young von hagen before they left the vehicle.
nina follows suit after she mumbles her thanks to rosa, vyn, and artem, who gave her five blue bills before she left the jeep.
“if only we weren't in the middle of a mission, i would've...” whispers marius, “done what i could do to provide for them.”
as someone who hasn't seen yet the trenches of the slums, of poverty and its deep, it was all too heartbreaking for marius to see those kids leave while he does nothing.
“we're here,” artem informs the team. then there's silence. “ahem,” he clears his throat, “w-who's gonna do it?”
luke raises a brow. “do what?”
“stop the jeepney.”
“stop the jeepney?”
“yes...”
rosa turns to luke. “yes. i was told they say ‘para’ to tell the driver to stop—”
“STOOOOOP!”
vyn sees to it that he's the first to hop off the jeepney, saving himself from further shame. “i swear to god,” he mutters to himself, “i will kill you, marius von hagen.”
the nxx team reaches the party on time. in fact, they are five minutes early. but it seems like—
“it's five minutes before the party starts,” says luke, confused. “where are the guests? this place's fully decorated already.”
artem looks around. “don't you think we're in the wrong place?”
“no, the address says it's here. and look, it's “happy birthday, grandma ellen” on the stage. it's elena alegria we need to interrogate.”
“so where are the guests?” asks artem.
“are you the nxx team from stellis?” a voice comes from behind—standing behind them is a girl, perhaps around nineteen years old, wearing a floral dress. she snaps her fingers and laughs, “hello? you guys all right? still in a daze, huh?”
luke blushes. “y-yeah! we're the nxx,” he smiles, “we're only wondering where the guests are, since the party's almost starting.”
“oh, no, you're too early for the party!”
“the party is... at five o'clock. it's four fifty-nine.”
“don't you know about filipino time?” the girl asks casually. “if the invitation says five, it starts at seven.”
the nxx receives a new case, but the incident's elements are to be found only in manila. two weeks before the investigations begin, the nxx team make certain to relish their long-awaited vacation.
PART 1: THE AIRPORT (Stellis, Ninoy Aquino International Airport)
PART 2: Coming soon!
as the mother of the group, artem picks them up one by one—luke, rosa, marius, and vyn, and drives straight to the airport.
no, no, that did not happen. there were a lot of stop-overs aka mcdonald's for the kids at the back. french fries, sundae, nuggets, iced coffee, you name them. artem gets a hot brew, of course. and as for vyn, well, he's one picky bastard and only wants his tea.
luke and artem double-check everyone's necessities: passports, tickets, valid ids, you name them. most importantly, health declaration forms, negative swab tests, and face masks.
they check-in their baggages and roam around the luxurious stellis airport since they're, you know, five hours early. only artem wing is to blame. but the kids enjoyed window shopping!
wait, fuck, no. it was no window shopping because the von hagen brat buys everything he sees. only vyn was able to stop his impulsive purchases with a single glare. they haven't even left the airport yet they have more baggage to carry.
as usual, only rosa, luke, and marius are giddy with their first flight together as a team! artem's preoccupied with the newspaper while vyn is reading a psychology book. you know, his usual thing.
flight is business class, courtesy by yours truly, marius von hagen. everyone has their own glass of sparkling wine except for vyn who chooses merlot.
seating arrangement: artem is alone, vyn is alone, both minding their own businesses; or maybe vyn only makes sure he's not bothered by marius. luke, rosa, and marius are seated across one another, eating pax's baked goods and some iced tea.
lots and lots of snoring. rosa is the loudest.
luke takes pictures of everyone when they are nearing their destination!
the moment they enter the philippines' airport, a guard approaches them. “ma'am, sir, you are required to wear your face masks and face shields at all times.”
“... face what?” says rosa. “they still wear face shields here?”
“yeah. but rules are rules, watson.” luke eyes the area, hoping to find a store so they can purchase face shields, but to no avail. “ah, i'm really sorry. i didn't know face shields are still needed here.”
“that's all right. i'll go look around, you stay here.” artem pushes his luggages to luke with a nod. “i'll be back immediately.”
as promised, artem returns with five pieces of brand-new face shields. everything's about to click into place now that everyone's wearing it already, but kids are kids...
“hey, that's unfair!” luke points to a little boy wearing a doraemon-designed face shield. “why is his face shield doraemon? i want that too,” he pouts, “this one's too plain.”
marius scowls, resting his hands on his hips. “well if you checked the rules and regulations thoroughly, i could've asked pax to customize our own face shields, luke,” he says, “and i would've designed my own!”
“hey, i'm not—” luke is interrupted by rosa, who's excitedly eyeing a particular store right ahead. “luke, marius! they sell decorated face shields there!”
so yeah. luke has a doraemon face shield, marius's has puppy decorations, while rosa bought (it was marius, actually) the floral one. the kids are so happy.
“... vyn?” artem asks, surprised to find vyn walking towards them. artem didn't even notice him leave. “where have you been? and you're... wearing a new face shield too...”
“yes, i am.” he adjusts his glasses, irritated. “all though i admit, this... face shield thing is quite uncomfortable to use. i cannot wear it properly with glasses.”
“you could—”
“wait, vyn, that's unfair! where did you get yours?” luke asks him. “yours look so... sophisticated. plain but sophisticated.”
rosa gasps in amusement. “woah! it does look expensive! and elegant! you look so luxurious, dr. richter.”
marius snorts at the back. “pfft, his face shield looks like a fish bowl to me.”
“and you look ridiculous wearing yours.”
vyn's stare was icy, enough to zip marius's mouth, letting out a huff of disagreement instead. on the other hand, artem sighs, rubbing his temples. “i shouldn't have bought face shields if you're all going to buy new ones...”
“don't worry, artem! i will take care of this face shield you bought for me!” rosa, as usual, comes to the rescue. she wiggles the face shield in front of artem's face, making him smile. “that's a promise, okay?”
“eh? missy, no one really asked artem to buy those.”
“marius! von! hagen!”
“i was just kidding!” marius raises both arms in surrender. “thanks, man. appreciated.”
artem clears his throat. “you're welcome,” he says, before holding onto his luggage. “come on, everyone. our service will be here in a minute.”
the team walks side by side, but before they could even reach the exit, vyn calls for their attention. “you all go on. i wish to see something.”
artem glances at his wristwatch. “where are you going?”
“there.” vyn gestures to a nearby souvenir shop with a gloomy orange ambience filled with various kinds of merchandise ranging from clothes, jewelry, and even wooden sculptures. “do you perhaps, wish to join me?”
ha. of course they all do. vyn manages to talk to a saleslady, and upon the mention of pasalubong, vyn asks: “pasalubong? what does that mean?”
“it's a culture here in the philippines wherein travellers bring gifts from their destination to people back home,” she says, “it can be any kind of gift or souvenir, even food—all brought for your loved ones after being away for a long period of time.”
amused, vyn plasters a smile. “and i suppose this tradition brings families and friends more closer,” he tells her, “one way to strengthen their bonds. correct?”
the saleslady flashes a cheery grin, thumbs up as she excitedly nod her head. “yes! you got it right, sir!” a blush creeps across her cheeks. “oh, and, uh... you look so foreign. are you, perhaps, european?”
“ahem.” marius clears his throat behind vyn, pretending to look at the keychain products. “someone assist me?”
“the saleswoman is currently occupied, marius.”
“you're not even buying anything, vyn.”
“missy, don't mind him, will you?” marius smirks, dipping his hands in his pockets. “i'll buy all your keychains right here.”
“really, now?”
“mhm. you got it.” the young von hagen shoots vyn a slight glare. “what? did i interrupt your flirting?”
“are you daft?” vyn rolls his eyes, scoffing. “i was not flirting. i was merely asking. did that look like flirting to you, you brat?”
vyn grabs a handful of locally-made pastries, paying for them before marius could even swipe his card. honestly, vyn only bought it to piss marius off, but he never expected the pastries to taste so heavenly.
the pastries, namely: pastillas and polvoron. the nxx team has to get their sweet tooth ready when they return to stellis, because vyn aka the pastry chef will definitely try making these goods, even though they don't require ovens. just condensed milk and sugar.
“just condensed milk and sugar?” vyn's eyes are wide, full of surprise. “are you certain there is nothing more to it than those?”
pretty easy. too easy to make. therefore he'll do it and perhaps, add his own twists to said delicacies. he's a perfectionist, is he not?
oh, and by the way—artem is a few ticks close to scolding marius for purchasing almost the entire souvenir shop. marius says he bought the souvenirs as “pasalubong” to pax employees, and that's sweet, but goddammit, marius—the team hasn't even spent 24 hours in the state and yet they already got their hands (and bank statements) full.
their hotel reservation is at six in the evening, the suite only a few kilometers away from the airport. in stellis it would've been a twenty-minute ride, and clearly no one expected it, but...
“is artem... gonna hyperventilate anytime soon, luke?” asks rosa with a worried look on her face. “he looks...”
“don't look ahead, artem,” advised luke. “or else your mood will worsen.”
“marius,” calls vyn. “i think this is the perfect time to send your private helicopter.”
Do people actually know the difference between lean and thin?
Vyn is NOT THIN. He is LEAN.
A lean person has noticeable muscle definition and low amount of body fats. A thin person does not have muscles nor reasonable amount of body fats.
Note that Vyn has defined abs (not as protruding as Luke's but he has them), reasonably broad muscular shoulders, and also does sports (fencing, polo and polo is A STRENUOUS ACTIVITY, archery, outdoor survival and hunting events back in his home country). So, these sports/activities requires large amounts of stamina and strength, requires strong core muscles as well, obviously he will need to have a balanced diet to maintain the strength for these activities. I honestly do not know how do people come into conclusion that Vyn is thin because he does not exercise and does not eat regular/balanced meals.
This man simply has a smaller waist frame than the other three, probably is more like his mother. Just because of this, it doesn't mean that he is thin.
Add on: Comparing Vyn to Luke is like comparing an athlete to a military soldier.
Sincerely,
Someone who does work out frequently and has similar type of physique as him.
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