Eiden woke up and saw a letter from Aster telling him not to go to the library. Eiden didn't like to just, not listen. Curiosity tried to catch up to him. Aster wouldn't have an orgy and not invite him. It could be boring finance stuff. Aster wouldn't have to tell Eiden not to come in; Eiden would leave. He didn't know what it was but that was fine. Everyone was allowed to have their secrets. Even if they made him feel a little lonely.
“I think he's still sleeping,” Morvay says.
“Some spy you are,” Aster argues.
Morvay rolled his eyes. “I could have kept Master company.”
“Uh huh,” Aster says. “As if you wouldn't have taken Master and-”
Dante clears his throat, The point of all of this is for all to be here so we can discuss this.”
All the clan members were in the library. Looking with various stages of interest, boredom, excitement, and nervousness.
Quincy looked on the verge of sleep. Topper kept trying to urge him to stay awake. This was important business. Kuya and Rei stuck around because it could turn interesting. Dante and Edmond had business to attend to outside of the manor, as they usually did, and were eager to get back to it. Deep down they weren't going to miss this meeting. Olivine, with a huge stack of books at his side, was openly eager about it. As were Garu and Blade. Karu claimed he didn't care and was sleeping, Garu knew he was awake and interested in their planned-out task force meeting
Despite worries, Yakumo didn't feel so concerned talking in front of them,
“Mr. Dante is right. We need to get everything as planned out as we possibly can.”
After a short and concise debrief about baking a cake (Yakumo had a recipe prepared that Edmond insisted he wanted to help with), Garu, Karu, and Blade decorating (that everyone was also afraid about but they insisted on wanting to help) with Olivine, Quincy speaking of old forest rituals with Rei and Kuya not looking completely disinterested in ‘helping’ and Dante declaring something about exported food, they had all the party planning tasks settled amongst themselves. Specifics about games, other food, alcohol, and anything else needed were already being written down by Olivine.
Kuya yawned. “This is similar to the other years, is it not?”
“If it's so tedious to you you don't have to participate,” Rei replied.
“Oh?” Kuya perked up. Apparently, a fight was more interesting than party planning. Master Rei, how would you even know how tedious it was? You weren't here last time. Unless you were watching sadly in secret.``
Garu, who had been excited to help plan Eiden’s party's ears drooped. “We don't know when Master was born.”
“Little pup, it does not matter what we do to him he would be happy with anything. If we celebrate this occasion as we did before, I'm sure the young Master will be just as thrilled.”
“That's true,” Garu smiled. Just as thrilled now as he would be celebrating Eiden’s birthday. His tail wagged and Kuya's tail gave a small twitch in return.
“You know what would be nice?” Olivine asked. “We could all get him something together.”
The gears of plans for individual gifts were already turning.
“Everyone giving him something together?” Morvay wondered out loud.
“There is one thing that Master likes from all of us.”
Olivine's serine, angelic smile morphed into something more perverse. “There is one thing and if all together we were to give him that together then…“
“W-we could not do that,” Edmond admonished, less angrily because it was Olivine speaking but flustered still.
“That sort of thing h-he can get at any time.”
“Oh?” Kuya said. “He can get that sort of thing from you any time, little knight?”
“No! He just! Of course not as if I would engage in such sordid affairs. We know each other well enough but a group activity like that would hardly be appropriate.”
Kuya hummed. “I wonder.” He taps his finger to his chin. “Such denials usually mean an attempt at hiding something~“
“I think we should have a military drill where we all try to chase Slave #1 down,” Karu suggested excitedly.
“The young master does like being chased,” Kuya encouraged. “We could have a manhunt. It wouldn't be very challenging but it would be entertaining.”
“I would like to capture Mr. Eiden.” Yakumo declares.
“If it is a game like this I would win,” Dante says.
“Respectfully. I would come out the victor,” Edmond says.
“No,” Quincy said simply.
“Are you afraid you won't be able to keep up?” Kuya smirks.
“No. Someone could get hurt.”
“If we tie Darling up and drop him off somewhere he could also have fun trying to get back to us while we search for him,” Blade says.
“There isn't a large enough unpopulated area for all that,” Rei replies.
“Since we like the idea of searching, Olivine interjected, sensing the horny vibes in the air yet again that he didn't dislike but wanted to stay on track. “We could have a scavenger hunt. We could all give Eiden clues about certain things and perhaps even look ourselves.”
“We could all get him gifts and create a gift basket,” Yakumo says
They're back to thinking of things Eiden likes.
“All the things that that fraudulent sorcerer enjoys are sexual,” Edmond chastises.
“Yeah,” Morvay says dreamily. .
“That may be true,” Olivine adds wistfully. Then clears his throat. “Eiden is interested in other things and he's always helping all of us. Besides, birthdays are something to be enjoyed.”
Kuya laughs “He certainly tries.”
Eiden might not be martially skilled or strong or able to use any magic, they think. They might end up helping him a lot. He tries to regulate the alters. Does whatever he can to help out. Whatever problem, no matter how minimal, no matter what worry or situation someone has gotten them into, no matter the odds, Eiden is reliable. It seems strange, all these different people with their different circ*mstances, ways of showing affection, measures of time, and different needs, but no one can truthfully say they're mad Eiden came into their lives.
“We all like him so, we should try to do something special for him since he's so special to us.”
Olivine's kind and thoughtful words resonate across the room.
No one has the heart to disagree with that either.
“I know what he'd enjoy,” Dante huffs. Whatever it is, it sounds dangerous.
“That, ‘having to follow the person's every order’ is known as ‘King's game’.
“That sounds fun,” Garu says cheerfully.
“He would like that,” Edmond admits begrudgingly. He and Dante both scowl
“30 days,” Quincy mutters “It sounds troublesome.”
Topper squeaks and Quincy pats his head. “It's fine. The little devil wouldn't ask for anything terrible.”
“And,” Yakumo fidgets. “I would wish to listen to Mr Eiden’s commands but I still want to give him something.”
Yakumo has been practicing knitting again and the results are sure to keep Eiden warm through a walk in the middle of a blizzard with all he's made.
“We can rotate between people,” Olivine says. There are 12 of us after all. That way we'd each have a turn and chances to be together. I think it would be nice to give him other gifts as well. It makes sense to not all jump on him at once, however.”
Yakumo and Garu look especially dejected. They perk up at knowing they stay in the manor more than almost anyone else and they'd get to see Eiden first.
Those who wouldn't normally be in the manor this time of day snuck out to resume some level of secrecy in their surprise planning and Aster and Morvay hung back so it wouldn't be so suspicious; Karu, Yakumo, and Blade came bursting into the dining hall.
“Oh, hi guys what were you up to?” Eiden asks
“We're sorry for leaving you, Mr. Eiden.” Yakumo sobs.
“Oh that's okay, “ Eiden tries to reassure.
Karu sighs. “Garu was upset that he didn't get to eat breakfast with Master but I didn't care.” Karu declares.
“Right,” Eiden decides to go along with that. “Well, you can eat now.”
“We already ate, in secret, in the morning. Er um, not in secret at all. Just earlier for no reason.”
Before Eiden can tease or question Karu, Blade speaks.
“Darling! Every day until a certain date that is coming up at the end of the next month is going to listen to you and whatever your orders are. We are going to take care of you.”
Met with Yakumos on the verge of tears not quite looking at his gaze, Karu's little pout, and Blade's manic smile, Eiden chuckled nervously then grinned.
“Me, king for a whole month, huh? If you guys are up for it, that'd be a lot of fun!
And ‘up for it’ they were. Blade led the operation with gusto, telling Eiden he wouldn’t have to lift a finger. His first task was to get in touch with Edmond, which was easy enough, since he stopped by the house quite often. It was a bit more difficult to get him alone, but Blade managed to back him into a corner at the end of a hallway before he could get to Eiden.
“Little Ed, your heart’s beating kinda fast,” Blade observed, “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” Edmond assured, even if his vitals said otherwise. “Did you need something from me?”
“Oh! Yes.” He’d almost forgotten. But Blade proceeded to tell Edmond their plan for Eiden’s birthday, how they’d need his help to get in touch with the king for approval. Edmond looked awfully confused through the whole thing, which was odd, because Blade was sure his explanation was very clear.
“I don’t think the king would be willing to give up the throne as a… birthday present,” Edmond replied. “Or at all, for that matter. Furthermore, I’m not sure that fraud has what it takes to rule over Klein.”
Blade hummed in thought. He thought Eiden would be a great king, but Edmond was partially right— the current king might not be so willing to go along with their plan. “Do you think he’d let darling sit on the throne, at least?” he asked.
Knowing that they were in for a downright scandalized reaction, Eiden couldn’t help but grin at Blade’s question. His question and the fact that their cute whirlwind had gotten up all close into Edmond’s face with it, innocently blinking at him through his bangs with that adorable curiosity in his eyes.
He’d been in that situation himself countless times before and knew firsthand just how irresistible Blade’s charm could be. So for once, he’d do Edmond the favor of not teasing him for the way he visibly tensed for a moment or for that soft blush he saw creeping on his face.
…All of that aside though, there was still nothing in this world that would stop Eiden from fanning the flames a little.
“Hehe, yeah, how about it? Don’t you think I’d look–“
“No!” Edmond immediately interrupted him before he could ever finish his sentence, the vice-captain’s outrage multiplied a thousandfold and thrown directly at him now. “Under no circ*mstances! Sitting on His Majesty’s throne is a serious offense! Even with your status and connections…“
As if severely wounded by Edmond’s implication, Eiden let out an overexaggerated gasp.
“You would throw me into prison again?”
“That was your idea!” Edmond rose to the bait as easily as always, even taking a step closer to Eiden which, once again, earned him a wide grin. He couldn't be sure for what reason exactly, but as he held his glare for a second or three, something in his azure eyes shifted and he seemed to get even more flustered than before. “...R-Regardless, you would be wise to stay far away from His Majesty’s throne room. Especially after…“
After shooting Eiden another sharp glare that truthfully didn’t look half as scary as it probably should have, Edmond turned his head away again with an indignant Hmpf, an angry flush sitting high on his perfect cheekbones.
Internally scolding himself to not get distracted, Eiden repeated the knight’s words in his head again, and… Ah, he had a pretty good idea what he was referring to.
Fine, perhaps daring to advertise his newest invention to the king of all people hadn’t been his best idea, but in his defense, they’d gotten along great that day! And to be honest, he really hadn’t seemed all that appalled. In fact, Eiden could have sworn to have seen a look of intrigue in the king’s eyes.
If only Edmond hadn’t rushed him out of the room… Oh, who knew where it could have led?
“But then how can we let everyone see how great darling is?” Blade brought Eiden back to the present, once again leaning down to Edmond’s height to pout up at him, probably unaware of the puppy eyes he gave him.
Distantly, Eiden had to wonder if it was something he had picked up from Garu after they'd been living together for over two years now already.
“Blade, as much as I appreciate the thought, you really don’t have to– or maybe shouldn’t make this something so grand, haha. I’m fine just celebrating my birthday with you guys, really.”
“Hmm… But last time I heard you talking about a party, you said ‘the more the merrier’. And I want darling’s birthday to be as merry as possible!”
“Well–“
…No, he definitely caught him there. He had said that. He wasn’t sure where Blade had been to have heard it, but that was hardly the issue right now.
His intentions were incredibly sweet, no doubt about it. And looking at his face, Eiden almost wished he could grant the E-Droid his wish. But he never meant for the number of guests to his birthday party to go up into the hundreds!
“I really don’t see the issue,” a smooth voice suddenly spoke up through the chaos, as it always did, and Eiden knew from the very first second that it only meant trouble. “Some disrespect to the crown here, a little public revolt there - it could turn out quite amusing, don’t you think young master?”
“It could get him beheaded!” Edmond didn’t hesitate to chide Kuya, and with that, the fox yokai’s smile made the room feel oddly silent.
Talking back to someone like Kuya came with huge risks, it’s something Eiden had to learn the hard way more than once already. He couldn’t help but always be a little impressed when certain members of his clan did it so matter of factly like they had nothing to fear.
“And wouldn't that be an interesting way to celebrate?” Kuya hummed, that unsettling smile still ever-present on his face, strangely enchanting and beautifully malicious.
…No, wait, why did he have to be the one losing his head for this all of a sudden?
“I think I’ll pass, thank you very much!”
While Kuya’s amused giggle did serve to lift the tension, it once again meant no good, for him specifically. Thankfully, another man willing to talk to the kitsune however he pleased came to his rescue.
“There are other ways to celebrate a birthday,” Quincy surprisingly chimed in, his deep voice a rarity amidst a discussion like this, but Eiden couldn’t be happier to hear it.
“Ah! How did you celebrate them in the tribe back then?”
He could immediately tell from the look on the blonde’s face that he didn’t feel like explaining at all right now and his exhausted sigh pretty much confirmed it.
Yet against all expectations, Quincy actually offered up a little glimpse into his past to them.
“In my time we didn’t. But the birth of life and coming of age were always celebrated with song and dance. A few rituals to bestow blessings. And a feast.”
“And all for such a short lifespan,” Kuya added, almost as if ending Quincy’s description for him. “A pointless practice if you ask me…“
“I didn’t hear anyone asking,” their usually gentle giant responded in a heartbeat, re-igniting the very spark that he initially put out.
Seriously, these two…
“A-ny-way,” Eiden quickly walked the three steps that it took to step between them and, in hopes of preventing a disaster, hugged around Quincy’s big strong arm to divert his attention from Kuya. They better stay on topic before this ended in the mansion burning to the ground or something. Just to be extra sure, he put on one of his signature bright smiles that he knew his big bear to be a bit weak for. “I think a feast sounds great! A lot better than getting beheaded anyway. Maybe we could clear the dining hall later on and you teach us a few of those dances?”
Quincy diverts his eyes and lays them down on Eiden enough to be completely captured by that gorgeous smile of his, the blond's face softening immediately before accepting that it was better to keep the peace of the place. “Hm“, a short response came from Quincy, not feeling the need to elaborate further, raising his hand to ruffle the Grand Sorcerer's head which released the tension that was previously tainting the atmosphere. “That is a yes then! Come on, there is so much to prepare now“, not only it was Eiden's birthday, but it seemed like it was just as other days, he needed to keep the order for the animosities to be at a low level. Despite that, he enjoyed the time with his boys and a feast indeed sounded beyond amazing for a shared experience.
Kuya was looking at them, opening his handy fan and hiding his grin behind it. He truly was enjoying riling up the bear but also knew when to cut it short, especially on an occasion such as a birthday celebration, Eiden's birthday celebration. “Do you need any sort of extra help? I can accommodate since it is an… outstanding day“, Kuya's sly smile could be felt through the fan, his eyes being all too expressive on purpose. “Will we have to give you something in return?”, Eiden pouts while asking that question, still clinging onto Quincy who just sighs pressing the shorter one against his chest. “I do not advise trusting him, we better start preparations soon“, Quincy's words were firm yet gentle, he just wanted for the day to continue, being in dire need of resting as soon as he could, but, for Eiden, he would push through and give a hand in making his day a special one.
“How dull… I suppose I can help without the need of retribution, just for this day.” Kuya's words made Eiden smile in a complicit way, being ready to poke him about the fact he gave up but ultimately deciding to just help guide the two men to the food storage so they would be able to finally select what would become a feast fit for the occasion. Aster was more than happy to provide, an opportunity like that to throw a lavish party was as good as any other, or rather, even better. All of this being despite Morvay’s already early protests knowing fairly well that he was not going to go unscathed and would have to employ his free time for it but, like all of the other men, anything for his dear Master.
Instead of immediately “helping“ the young master and serpent in the food storage that he suggested he would do, Kuya decided to lounge on a crate that sit amongst the supply of foodstuffs, while Eiden attempted to lift a heavy barrel, and Yakumo broke out in a sweat while watching his efforts. Kuya didn’t lift a finger, barely looking up in time from his fingernails to see Eiden fall backwards, and the barrel remain in place. Without a word, a snap of Kuya’s fingers sat Eiden upright, and the young master looked over at him with a surly expression.
“You could help move the supplies. Instead of me.” Eiden dusted off his pants, realizing it wasn’t going be easy as he thought to get Kuya to help.
Kuya let out a laugh and responded, “Ah, but it is more fun to watch you struggle over and over again. With my help in all aspects of the celebration, it would be much too easy to prepare, and young master wouldn’t learn anything about hosting, which you already have proved you are dreadful in doing.” Aster was truly the one hosting the birthday party, but the fox yokai could never pass up the chance to demean the young master, and for another year of aging. “I did help you off the ground, is that not satisfactory?”
Eiden still wore the same sour expression, but it suddenly shifted into one of curiosity, and then excitement, as if he had some idea of what Kuya could actually help with. Kuya raised an eyebrow, and Eiden suggested, “If you’re not going to help us bring stuff to the kitchen, you could help us all cook!” He grinned.
“You think if I didn’t assist with this that I would help you prepare a meal?” Quincy primarily supplied Kuya with his breakfast… and lunch, and maybe dinner on most days, to the frustration of the man, so Kuya immediately refused.
But Eiden wasn’t easily dissuaded…and that was something the fox yokai did admire. “It wouldn’t kill you to actually contribute to at least that.” And then Eiden wore a mischievous smirk, as if he knew some secret about the man, when he stepped closer. “You’ve helped before, even if you pretend you don’t care about hanging out with me, or any of us, or doing any of this…I know you do.”
Kuya stood from the crate and relented, “I suppose I could indulge you in the request…this once.” Once. Even if the fox yokai had yielded before to a request from the young master, more times than he admitted to himself. Kuya certainly wasn’t going to acknowledge out loud that the point had some truth to it, as he reluctantly agreed to join in cooking. Unfortunately, he had already confirmed he would help in some way on Eiden’s birthday, and it was about to be with some collective cooking activity.
“Master Kuya!” Garu yelped while scampering forward, “You don't need to worry, I can do your portion of the work for you! You can take all the credit for it, too!”
Kuya looked down to Garu's wide innocent eyes and light blush dusting his cheeks- how a predator could look and act so much like a prey was always beyond him. He’ll be sure to properly punish the pup later for looking at him with those bedroom eyes at such an inconvenient moment.
Kuya continued forward towards the others, not forgetting to spread his fingers and give Garu a light tap on his deliciously tight ass along the way, “Go worry about finishing your own tasks first, little runt“. Kuya rolled and tied his sleeves, taking great care to put them up elegantly before eyeing Yakumo, “So, what’s first?”
“Look, sh*tty vampire, even the fox is going to help!” Morvay groaned, elbows deep in some sort of berry mixture and glaring at Aster sitting on the counter with leisure.
Aster laughed and shot a sweet smile to Eiden, “Master knows that supervising is one of my strengths~ No one else is complaining but you, dumbass incubus~“.
Yakumo anxiously pulled his fingers at the knuckles, with so many people in his kitchen things have been devolving into chaos with more and more certainty. Between stopping Edmond from sneaking in more sugar, swiping the finished pastries from Garu before he eats all of the work he’s done, and treading the deadly social waters of Rei, Dante, and now Kuya in the same room, Yakumo’s started to believe he’s bitten off quite a bit more than he can chew…
Stewing on that, it took him a while before he realized Kuya had raised his eyebrow at him, still waiting on Yakumo to answer his question. “Ah! Um… Mr. Kuya, would you, maybe, be willing to c-cut the game Quincy brings back from his hunt? He really should be back any minute now…“
Kuya smiled a not-smile, “You’re asking me to wait on that nasty old bear? Am I his maid now? His chef? His poor, doting little wife?”
Yakumo cringed, that was not the line of thinking he was following, but he really couldn't justify or explain himself either… Who was willing to tell the vicious fox yokai that they chose that task for him because when considering what they would be helpful at, they could only think of Kuya’s proficiency with slicing things (people, monsters) up?
Dante, hard at work trying his hand at making a meringue, rebutted without taking his eyes off the mixer, “Maybe if you had arrived earlier you would've been trusted with a more difficult task, fox“.
Before Yakumo could even send a thankful gaze Dante’s way, Kuya metaphorically sliced butter with a butchers knife, “My apologies, I wasn’t the one getting pegged into submission last night by the petite master of the house, so I wasn't able to make it here early in the morning. I’ll make sure to warm the right bed sheets next time“.
A genuine smile creased Kuya’s eyes as he settled down against a table, obviously pleased with himself.
While most of the room fought against their desire to blatantly stare between Dante and Aster, Blade gracelessly butted in, “Lord Jackass and Little Aster were fixing something last night? I have tons of tools for any occasion!! Lord Jackass, why didn't you invite me?”
Eiden patted Blade’s shoulder, amusem*nt hidden within his smile, “I’m sure Dante will invite you next time, Blade. Let's keep focused on the sign we're painting, yeah?”
Blade hummed in agreement and went back to making focused strokes of red along the banner that formed something somewhat resembling the characters in Eiden’s name.
As if on cue, Olivine and Quincy walked into the kitchen, a large bag hefted over Quincy’s shoulder, the muscles in his arm flexed to carry the heavy load. Olivine smiled gracefully at the crowd of clan members, familiars, and Eiden, waltzing straight to Yakumo and handing him the ingredients he had forgotten to get at the market when he was shopping for the event.
Quincy took in the room, noting the awkward atmosphere and the addition of Kuya, and nodded in Kuya’s direction, “Old Fox“.
Rising from the table, Kuya sneered, “Dearest husband, I have been waiting on hands and knees for your arrival. Come, show me the presents you've brought for me“.
The smile that lingered after Kuya’s prompt was poisonous, reminding Eiden a little too much of that childhood story from his world about the witch who wanted to eat Hansel and Gretel…
Quincy’s lip curled downward with disgust but he moved forward to Kuya regardless, setting down the bag of game with a loud thunk.
Rei huffed out a chuckle and resumed icing cookies with Garu. Dante seemed to have finished his meringue satisfactorily and ignored Aster’s teasing smile as he waited on Morvay to bring his crushed berry mixtures over for the next step. Edmond and Karu washed, peeled, and sliced various gathered treats for the vine fruit salad.
Eiden got up from his spot next to Blade and gave his seat to Olivine. He placed a quick kiss to both of their cheeks along the way, and closed the distance between himself and Yakumo. Pulling him into a hug, Eiden patted his back, “You're doing a great job Yakumo. Thanks again for helping organize all of this for my birthday,” one of Eiden’s hands lowered suspiciously close to somewhere quite inappropriate for this setting, “I really wouldn't want it any other way, and I’ll definitely reward you handsomely for it later“.
With pants tighter than they were moments before, Yakumo blushed, taking Eiden’s naughty hand within his own and together looking out at all of their friends working together to make a feast befit for Eiden’s birthday.
The soft expression on Yakumo’s face quickly transformed into a look of horror as he noticed Edmond at the dessert station pouring far too much sugar into one of the cake batters. “Mr. Edmond, no!” he shouted, before rushing off and leaving Eiden to his own devices.
With a drawn out sigh, Eiden exited the kitchen to head to the lounge. Yakumo and Edmond would likely be arguing for quite some time over sugar content, so he thought maybe he could make himself helpful elsewhere. It was his birthday, sure, but he didn’t want everyone to do all the work for him. He wasn’t raised that way. When he entered the lounge, he was surprised by who he found inside, hanging up streamers of all things.
“No peeking!” Blade’s voice sang just a bit too loud in his ear.
Eiden jumped a mile, and a pair of hands clamped down over his eyes to obscure his vision just a moment too soon to conceal the mess of streamers in the room. It seemed that Eiden’s wish to help had been granted.
“Uh, Blade?” He reached for the hands covering his eyes and gave them a tug. They didn’t budge. “Can I see?”
“Nopers!” Blade started to walk him backwards the direction he came.
“Ahem,” another voice in the room, Dante’s, stopped them in their tracks. “We agreed on letting him see.”
“Whoops!” Blade removed his hands and skipped over to the opposite side of the lounge. Eiden can truly take in what had been done to the place.
Someone (it had to have been Dante) had run a length of the crepe paper streamer across the floor, dividing the room in two. Each side had an entirely different method and arrangement of the streamers. From the looks of it, Blade worked on one side, and Dante the other. Their artistic visions for the room were both… different. Both were equally bad. No, bad is a strong word. They were… non-traditional takes on how streamers are meant to hang.
Blade’s side was decorated in excess. Columns of streamers dangled down from the ceiling in clumps just long enough to hit the bottom of Blade’s chest. The amount hanging was dense enough to have only the chest downwards fully unobscured. Dante’s side, on the other hand, was very bare bones, streamers taped down in nearly straight lines across the walls, one in blue and one in white on each side.
“Oh wow,” was the only thing Eiden could afford to say in earnest.
“Speechless?” Dante said.
Eiden looked at Blade, helpless. Blade offered nothing but a big, bright smile.
“I—sure! yeah. I’m definitely speechless. Why is this, uh, like this?”
Dante’s mouth opened but Blade beats him to the punch.
“It’s a competition! Lord Jackass and I had totally different ideas for the room, so he decided to do our own thing and then let you vote!” Blade beamed like there’s a way Eiden could possibly discern a winner between the two. Dante smiled too, though significantly co*ckier than Blade.
“Well?” Dante said.
Eiden would have loved to dunk on Dante’s efforts. It’s rare for him to flop to this degree, and that made him feel a smug sort of pride in besting him at something. But he would’ve been choosing to have Blade’s ceiling vines/hair/baby mobile streamers as the final choice in doing so. Alas, he had to swallow his insults in the name of party experience…
“I think that… Well, uh, I think there’s a way you can both do what you want in the same space with a few modifications, right? Let me--here, if we all work together then we’ll have something that we all can be happy with! We’ll start by taking everything down and—” Both Blade and Dante cut him off.
“Surely something must be worth keeping, no? My side isn’t wholly impractical.”
“Darling isn’t allowed to help! It’s his special day!”
Stubborn. They’re both so stubborn. Eiden ran his hand through his hair.
“Look, I really, really want to help. Shouldn’t the birthday boy get to do what he wants? I worked part time at a party decorating business, so this is totally my jam. Please?”
Thank god neither were stubborn enough to resist a birthday wish. The streamers were cleared from the room with some effort and a surprise element of danger (kitchen knives and nails aren’t for temporary ceiling décor!) while Eiden drew out his idea on a piece of paper.
“Okay, we’re going to use the center chandelier and tie the streamers there to have some parts above us like Blade’s idea, yeah? Then we’ll have them fan out to border the walls like how Dante wanted. I have a few fancy tricks up my sleeve to snazz it up, too!”
Blade agreed immediately, while Dante grumbled something about having better things to decorate with in Solaria. Other than that, his mouth stayed shut. Thankfully.
They worked quickly. Blade tossed the streamers over the chandeliers and Eiden used his top-secret technique to elevate the streamers by holding two colors together and treating them as one, then twisting them to form a two-color corkscrew design before passing them off to Dante to be secured to the walls.
The end result with the streamers was much, much better than how Dante and Blade managed alone. Satisfied, Eiden headed out of the lounge. Maybe the library was spared from all the birthday excitement.
Eiden cracked the door open to take a peek inside. Reassured to see that the library seemed quiet for now, he slumped on the nearest chair and sighed in relief. It’s not that he disliked the others’ company, to the contrary! His clan members were the ones who made his daily life in this other world so exciting, after all. Eiden simply needed a moment to recharge his batteries before he set off again, going around the mansion and helping out wherever he could. Wishing to confirm he was indeed alone, he called out:
“Hello? Is someone here?”
“…Oh!”
Eiden smirked. Oh, he would recognize that soft gasp anywhere. And perhaps this was exactly what he needed? The Grand Sorcerer paced towards the voice and, sure enough, he soon came upon a dazzling scene: Father Olivine, sitting at a table decorated with a large vase of fresh-cut flowers, bathed in the sunlight pouring through the tall nearby window. The priest was blushing, but still greeted Eiden with that gentle, warm smile that always made his chest flutter.
Eiden felt reinvigorated just looking at him.
(Oh, thank you God of Klein for answering my silent prayer by sending this angel my way, and on my birthday, too! I feel so moved right now, I could cry…)
“Olivine! I didn’t expect to find you here! Taking a break too?”
When he came closer, he noticed that, next to the other books on the table, Olivine had brought a few things with him: rainbow wrapping paper, spools of colourful ribbons, pencils and a pair of scissors. Gift wrapping paraphernalia, no doubt. However, glancing over the table, there was no gift to be found, not even partially wrapped, which was odd. But Eiden had a feeling he would find out more about that very soon.
“Ah, hello, Eiden. Were you busy helping the others set everything up, even on your own birthday? Your selflessness is truly commendable.”
While he spoke with a smile, the green-haired man shimmied nervously on his chair, prompting Eiden to look below. He noticed the other man’s arms were tense, crisped, almost like he held on to something on his lap for dear life, something Olivine didn’t want him to see. Or… maybe his lap was what he was trying to hide? The sorcerer’s essence stirs at the thought.
The temptation was simply too good to resist. Light on his feet, Eiden shifted behind the bigger man’s chair, then leaned closer.
“Father Olivine, you look so nervous. If I didn’t know you so well, I’d say you’re hiding something from me,” he teased, right next to his ear.
While Olivine steamed from the inside out, Eiden slipped a hand down the bigger man’s body, then up his strong thigh to grab…
“Eiden! T-This is…!”
“…Eh? This is…“
A book? Why would Olivine be trying to hide a book in a library?
Having been caught, the priest sighed, letting out some much-needed steam in the process. Book in hand, he stood up to face Eiden, who stepped back to give him some space.
“You caught me. I should’ve known I wouldn’t be able to hide anything from you of all people, Eiden. Oh well… while this isn’t how I wanted to give this to you… I hope you enjoy my gift nonetheless.”
The clan member held out both hands to present his gift to the Grand Sorcerer with a loving smile.
“Happy birthday, Eiden.”
Faced with such a sincere expression, Eiden’s face flushed as he took the book.
“For me? Thank you…“
Eiden let his fingers glide on the heavy hard-bound volume. Deep red with black leather corners, nothing about the cover hinted at the contents within, which piqued his curiosity even more. He was about to open it, when he heard Olivine’s voice:
“I wanted to wrap it properly before giving it to you tonight, but this is quite the special book. I knew I shouldn’t have, but before wrapping it… I couldn’t resist taking a peek inside. I became so entranced with it, I didn’t hear you come in at all. If you hadn’t said anything, you might very well have caught me red-handed. How embarrassing.”
He looked down at the book and nodded.
“Please, take a look.”
And so Eiden did. Right away, a glance at the first pages got his heart pumping. His face turned hot and red instantly.
“This is…! Oooh! This is… this is!!” Pages flipped through his fingers in a blur as he kept going through the book, stopping for an occasional look and gasp before resuming. Forgetting to breathe for a moment, he took in the deep breath he needed before he could speak again.
“No way… Olivine, you got me… a huge illustrated encyclopedia of sex positions?!”
He looked up at the priest, eyes beaming with excitement.
“Indeed. This is the biggest, most exhaustive edition I could find. I just thought… Since we don’t have regular classes together anymore, I figured this is something we could do together on a more regular basis. I hope you like it.”
Eiden’s jaw dropped at the suggestion. What had he done to deserve such a blessing?
“Olivine!! Of course, I love it! How could I not? It’s perfect, thank you. I…“
His words came to stop when his eyes landed on an especially alluring page.
“...”
He smirked.
“Heh. In fact, I love it so much… How about we take a quick peek right here, right now? Together…“
As he stepped forward, Olivine had to step back. The back of the priest’s long legs hit the table, forcing him to recline on it as the sorcerer leaned over him. Despite being pinned down, the priest smiled at him.
“Eiden…“
*GROOOOOOOOAN*
“…“
“…“
Eiden’s stomach had just growled so hard, both men were stunned into silence.
“…Pfft! Haha! Hahaha!”
Olivine had broken the awkward silence with a burst of laughter. Standing straight again, Eiden watched him as his pride crumbled into more pieces by the second.
(Ah, that completely killed the mood, huh? Damn…)
He looks at Olivine. Knowing what the young priest had gone through—and was still struggling with—seeing him laugh so innocently felt like a balm on Eiden’s own heart.
(Well, while I am bummed about that, when I look at Olivine laughing so freely… my heart and soul feel so refreshed, I can’t even be mad.)
Once they settled down, the pair exchanged a brief kiss. Eiden agreed to leave his new book with Olivine until they set up a time for their first “lesson“ together. Starving, he left the library to look for a bite to eat. All of those birthday shenanigans, like helping Dante and Blade decorate the lounge and his exciting visit to Olivine in the library, must’ve depleted his reserves. He had a feeling the mansion’s kitchens had to be in a frenzy preparing a feast large enough to feed the entire clan for dinner, and a birthday dinner no less. But all he needed was a little snack. He’d be in and out of the kitchens before anyone could notice him there… probably.
When he finally reached the entrance to the mansion's large kitchen, he could see the great chaos that the place was: the main chef bossing around all his assistants left and right, dazzling ready-made dishes scattered on the countertops along with several dishes. about to finish, but what dazzled the most was the large cake in the center of the table, Eiden estimated it to be about 7 or eight tiers, decorated with a white cream around it and each tier of the cake had a distinctive color and decoration. After contemplating that masterpiece, his attention was diverted to a certain young man with brown hair with red eyes, who was very concentrated on his task, cutting several vegetables on one side, then stirring the contents of some pots, the way he looked The opposite was so concentrated, it made the young sorcerer's heart a little upset. Eiden gently shook his head, trying not to lose focus on his goal: searching for food. He quickly looked around the room and with surprising agility, he avoided each cook without disturbing them in their tasks. He knew that they were under a lot of pressure so he tried not to be an obstacle for them. He continued on his way until he sat down on the table. kitchen floor, in front of a small drawer, I knew that in that cabinet the other day Yakumo had kept some cookies, maybe he could eat a few while the whole banquet was being prepared. He eagerly opened the drawer, only to realize that there was nothing.
“GOOD MORNING MASTER, HOW ARE YOU?”
That enthusiastic voice that had stunned him from his right ear was from none other than the little yokai wolf, who was with the happy box of cookies that the brown-haired man was looking for.
“Oh...my God Garu, you scared me... What are you doing here?”
“Ah, I just came to help Yakumo with his dishes, while he prepared, I tasted to see if they were good.” The young wolf smiled from ear to ear as he lay down on top of the young sorcerer “And what are you doing here Master? It's supposed to be your big day, you should be celebrating“
“Hehe, yes, but I just wanted to see if everything was okay here...and by the way I was looking for something to eat, I was a bit busy all day that I couldn't eat“ Eiden gently caressed Garu's unruly hair, which He responded happily, rubbing his head against the older man's chest. “But hey, I see that everything is fine here, oh well, more or less... Why don't we go outside and let the professionals work?”
“I think it's an excellent Master!” With enormous strength, the young yokai stands up from where he is while he grabs the older man's arm- “YAKUMO! ME AND MASTER ARE GOING OUT~!” -And without waiting for a response, Garu almost drags Eiden away, who saw out of the corner of his eye how the ojicarmin's face turned the same color as his eyes.
And so, Eiden and Garu began their way to the backyard, they had already attended the main room with Dante and Blade, he had stayed for a while in the library with Olivine and he had already passed through the kitchen, supervising what was happening inside, and admiring Yakumo. What unusual thing could be found now in the mansion's large garden?
There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary as the two entered the garden– at least, not until Eiden spotted Quincy resting beneath one of the trees overlooking the main patio. The fancy tables normally used for tea parties had been replaced with much larger ones, draped with decorative tablecloths. What they were meant for was a mystery, but taking a look at how his clan member slumbered made it easy to guess that someone had him move everything outside.
“Master, look!” exclaimed Garu, having also noticed the blonde's presence. “Quincy's over there with Topper!”
Topper, as energetic as always, perked up from Quincy's lap at the sound of his name. With a series of cheerful squeaks, the ferret ran excitedly towards them, hopping up Garu's arm to make his way onto Eiden's shoulders. It didn't take long after that for Topper to start rubbing against Eiden's cheek, making the Grand Sorcerer laugh. “Hahaha, hey! Are you that excited to see me, little guy?”
Another storm of excited chittering followed, Garu being kind enough to translate. “He says that he was waiting with Quincy for you to show up. There's been a whole bunch of things going on today, but Topper wanted to make sure...”
Suddenly Topper made a gesture with his paws, shaking his head back and forth and cutting Garu off with a panicked look. “Eh, I can't say this part out loud? ..Oh, it's part of that! Okay, okay, I won't tell Master.”
“What? What can't you tell me?” asked Eiden, giving the two a look before grinning deviously. “Is there some kind of sexy surprise that everyone's been planning in the background just for me? You shouldn't have!”
At that, both Garu and Topper exchanged flustered looks. “No, it’s nothing like that! I think!”
Eiden knew it reasonably wasn't anything of the sort, but he couldn't help wanting to keep the joke going a little longer. Moving in Quincy's direction, he puffed out his chest and raised his voice, hoping it would wake the other up. “Really? Maybe I should ask Quincy myself about what I should be expecting tonight~“
“Wha- Master! “ Garu had no choice but to follow Eiden, unable to confirm or deny anything without possibly spoiling any plans for what today would hold. It was proving to get harder and harder to do with each location visited around the mansion, but so far, he thought he was doing a good job...
The Grand Sorcerer snickered, feeling only slightly guilty for messing with the wolf yokai as he crouched down next to the slumbering guardian and cupped his hands around his mouth. “Quincy~ Is it true that you guys are gonna spoil me in the bedroom soon?”
Tired eyes fluttered open, but before their owner could open his mouth to speak, a different voice responded.
“Oh my. Just where did young master get this idea from, I wonder?”
Startled, Eiden whipped his head around until he spotted a pair of heels dangling from the branches above. “Wah–! Ku, Kuya, when did you get here?!”
Quincy let out something that sounded like a groan and a sigh, his eyes narrowing as Kuya hopped down from his perch to join the small group below. Both Eiden and Garu seemed to straighten themselves a little more in the fox yokai's presence, but Quincy merely sat up to allow Topper to return to curling around his neck. “Don't you have anything better to do, old fox?”
At that, Kuya sneered. “As if there's anything better than watching everyone work themselves up into a frenzy over such a silly occasion... Ah, but our dear young master is still unaware of what's truly going on, no?”
All eyes turned to Eiden.
Eiden looked back at them with wide eyes and a startled smile.
“Me?” he asked, pointing to himself. He instinctually looked over at Olivine for clarification, catching what seemed to be the end of Olivine delivering a chastising look to Kuya.
Olivine says, helpfully, “I think Mr Kuya means to say that we’re not making ourselves or today’s schedule any clearer by switching topics and activities so excitedly, which might be troubling for you considering that today is-”
“Darling’s birthday!” Blade proudly finished, sitting forward with his toothy smile. “Oh, and the super secret-”
Blade was cut off by one of Quincy’s big hands over his mouth, the other holding the top of his head. Eiden heard Olivine quietly sigh in relief to himself.
“Wait, the secret sleepover party is today?” Garu asked when Blade didn’t finish, eyes sparkling and tail thumping the floor with excitement.
Kuya snorted at him in amusem*nt and Quincy let go of Blade defeatedly.
“Well, not so much of a secret anymore,” Olivine said with a demure laugh.
“That’s awesome!” Eiden said excitedly, looking back at Garu and Blade with just as big of a grin. “If we’re having a sleepover, are we playing any party games?”
He looked around the group, realizing as he went that most of his beloved friends likely didn’t have a normal childhood with sleepovers and games.
“In the village we used to write down secrets and hide them in the woods. Then we would race to find them and guess who wrote each one,” Quincy said, being one of the only clan members who had a somewhat normal childhood, be it long ago.
“That actually sounds incredible!” Eiden said. “But we don’t exactly have woods to play in. Although, that did give me an idea. Can we gather everyone up?”
A few minutes later the entire group was together in a circle of blankets and pillows from all over the mansion piled onto the floor.
“So you just pick anyone you want?” Rei asked.
“Yep, that’s how we used to do it! And then that person gets to ask next if they succeed,” Eiden said.
“And if it’s something we refuse to do?” Edmond asked, ever cautious.
“Then we get to decide on a penalty,” Eiden said with his signature mischievous grin, enough to make Edmond blush, even without elaboration.
“Who goes first?” Yakumo asked, looking both nervous and excited.
“Birthday boy,” Quincy answered easily. Exactly the answer Eiden was hoping for; he needed to quickly set the tone and provide a good example in order for the game to go how he wanted.
“Edmond, truth or dare?” Eiden asked, trying to catch Edmond before he inevitably meticulously decided on the safest choice and never deviated from it.
Edmond paused for a second, caught off guard in the middle of making his battle plan to survive the game with his dignity, before he said, “Truth.”
“The knights have a communal bath, right?” Eiden asked.
“Yes,” Edmond responded, a little confused.
“Be for real, do you ever take a peek? When you’re bathing,” Eiden asked.
Edmond furrowed his eyebrows but slowly turned bright red despite his composure. The fact that Edmond even knew what Eiden had implied he might be guilty of already confirmed the answer for Eiden, but he still wanted him to admit it.
“What’s the penalty?” Edmond asked, clearing his throat.
Eiden hummed while he thought, then said, “You take your pants off for the rest of the night.”
That made Edmond’s back straighten like he was prodded, before he curled into himself again and looked away.
“Fine,” he huffed, “Of course I do. It’s hard not to.”
“I’ve heard the knights can be a little handsy in the bath; is that why it’s hard?” Rei asked, wanting to agitate him more.
“My turn is over,” Edmond countered, still blushing madly.
“Right, now you ask someone else,” Eiden said.
Edmond looked around the little circle, clearly unsure of how to break through his etiquette training to play the game earnestly. Olivine put a hand on his knee and leaned over to whisper in his ear. Edmond’s eyes darted between faces and he raised his eyebrows as Olivine shared his ideas.
“Blade,” Edmond cleared his throat, “Truth or dare?”
Olivine stayed leaning on Edmond, ready to help him again.
“Dare!” Blade said excitedly.
Olivine whispered again, and Edmond looked back at him with some confusion before saying, “We dare you… to sit in Quincy’s lap for the rest of the game.”
“Sure, I’ll sit with Quin-Quin,” Blade happily agreed. It was clear he was enjoying being included in the game so quickly.
Quincy practically lifted Blade into his lap before seatbelting him in with his arms and going back to his half-reclined posture. Blade didn’t necessarily settle in with him; he had a habit of sitting in whatever strange way he found comfortable in a given moment, but even he looked somewhat small on top of Quincy.
Eiden bumped happily against Dante, who was sitting next to him, watching their friends laugh at each other and get into the game. Then he leaned across to Aster, sitting on Dante’s other side.
“You know what would make this even better?” Eiden said, giving Aster a conspiratorial smile. “Drinks.”
Eiden heard the unimpressed huff Dante let out at the suggestion, and though he didn’t look up, he could imagine the matching expression on the Sun Lord’s face.
…That wasn’t an objection, though.
He did see the fanged smile Aster gave him, eyes squinted as an idea formed in his head. Eiden just barely leaned back, huffing out a laugh when Dante tensed and then relaxed after a couple of beats, allowing the older man to fully lean on him.
“You’re so smart, Master!” Affirmed Aster, chin propped up in a hand as he batted his eyes at both men. “And for such a special occasion… Yes, I’ve got just the thing.” Then he straightened back up, seemingly ready to fetch the drinks himself rather than ordering a butler to do so.
Eiden opened his mouth, hands braced on his knees and already beginning to stand up when a rather loud exclamation had him turning his head.
“Wh- Those drinks?!” Exclaimed Morvay, effectively drawing everyone’s attention away from the game, if only momentarily. “No way, you little… No! We need the best of the best, that crap alcohol you stole from the nobles won’t do at all; we need the big guns!” He grinned and up he went, partly thankful for a chance to leave the game and come back stronger in the next round.
Aster gawked at him before pouting, angrily standing up and chasing after the incubus. “What are you saying!? You’ve clearly got no idea what you’re talking about, you…!” The rest of the sentence died out as the door closed behind Aster, and Eiden was left staring at the now-closed door. He didn’t even try to fight the smile off his face and was filled with fondness when he turned around to find the room in similar high spirits, the rest of the table torn about whether to finish the round early, given that two players had left, or push ahead.
Blade was clearly on the latter side, happily sticking to the rules. Maybe a bit too much, thought Eiden as the e-droid continued on like there hadn’t been a pause whatsoever. He’d opened his mouth to try and convince Blade to slow down, but - he was beaten to it.
Yakumo tugged on Blade’s sleeve hesitantly, then with more determination once the other simply smiled at the serpent and then went back to playing, even if basically by himself. Eiden, again, went to chime in but was cut short by Olivine shuffling closer to the pair, priest and yokai effectively slowing down the e-droid with careful explanations.
Eiden was left staring at the trio, relieved, almost glad even, that they not only got along so well but found it so easy to jump to each other’s aid, to help each other. Then he felt Dante move, the other man leaning forward as he joined in on the conversation the remaining players were having. To Eiden, it felt like he was a spectator. An outsider, for just a moment.
But it didn’t feel like he was being excluded. And given he didn’t feel like that, the Acting Grand Sorcerer simply looked at his companions. Garu’s eyes flashed before Karu swooped in, loudly proclaiming the unfairness in Edmond’s attempts to start a new round. Eiden’s eyes shifted from man to man, feeling so unbelievably content he had to raise a hand to his chest to hold the feeling there.
He felt so happy. Proud of how far everyone had come, he’d dare say, even if several of his clan members were far older and more experienced and mature than him. Another glance revealed Quincy had been caught in the crossfire of the debate, but his maybe half-hearted attempts to defuse the situation had worked and soon there was quiet on that half of the table. Then Rei smiled and leaned in, unassuming smile not betraying his intentions as he muttered something and then, once done, leaned back as the debate-maybe-beginning of an argument started back up again.
His gaze was so fond he thought it’d probably be too gooey to see if he was looking at himself. So when met Kuya’s gaze, with his almost teasing smile and knowing eyes, he looked away. He felt Dante turn away from the conversation to look at him, probably about to question him, and Eiden didn’t want to explain he was fine, more than fine, just… inexplicably happy, maybe. Then, as part of a birthday miracle, the door slammed open.
“Master!” Exclaimed Aster, eyes practically shining as he entered the room, Morvay following close behind him and grumbling about having to do all the heavy work. Which, as Eiden looked up and down the four boxes of unopened drinks the incubus was balancing, seemed like a fair complaint.
The vampire went and sat down in his original seat, leaning sideways to get to Eiden and maybe slightly forcing Dante to lean backwards so as to avoid having a lapful of vampire.
“You can go all out with these, Master! This is some quality stuff,” He declared proudly. “You could have 10 of them and have a manageable handover tomorrow!” Smiled Aster, seeking praise from Eiden. And praise he delivered, meeting him halfway as the vampire looped his arms around his neck.
“You’re the best, Aster,” He grinned. “But… that many and no hangover? I was hoping they’d be a bit more, y’know… strong.” He said, looking over at the bottles Morvay was putting on the table.
“Oh, trust me, they are definitely strong,” Mumbled the incubus without taking his eyes off the bottles. It seemed like both familiars had come to an agreement over what alcohol was best for the occasion, at least. “Deceivingly easy to drink, is all. They’ll give you the drunk of your life, but since they’re…“ He started, glancing over at Aster before swallowing. “Uh, ‘exquisite’, the hangover won’t be as bad. Usually.” Concluded Morvay as he finished unloading the bottles in the first box, co*cking his hip with a sigh.
Their arrival had gained the attention of the rest of the table, the game and the debates about it (not arguments, reasoned Eiden) forgotten in favor of the pretty bottles sitting in front of them. Eiden was more than a little pleased when he spotted several interested glances directed their way. His chest still felt heavy with a fondness desperate to escape and loudly so, but a little drinking fun was perfect for getting everyone to enjoy themselves even more.
And what better way to do that then to get a classic drinking game going.
“Alright, I’ve worked with Aster and some of the staff on these–everyone will pour a drink from a different bottle which has a fun effect! They’re all different AND no cheating to see which is which, got it??”
The clan members nodded, some looked a bit more wary than others (Edmond and Dante for sure!)
Eiden and the staff distributed the drinks to each other guests. Kuya swirled his goblet in his hand, his eyes analyzing the contents for anything familiar. While Rei quickly brought the glass to his nose to see if he recognized any of the scents, having nudged it over to Garu to do the same, hoping for better results.
“Master said no guessing!”
“Tch,”
“Everybody got their drinks? Great!” Aster had stood up to gain everyone’s attention, “Then let’s toast to Master! The Greatest and Sexiest Grand Sorcerer ever!!!! Happy Birthday!!!”
A cheerful chorus of birthday wishes rang as everyone raised their glasses. As expected, some of the clan members went straight for it while others hesitated or simply took their time.
Rei, Garu, Blade, and Quincy downed their drinks quickly, while the others took their time imbibing their respective drinks.
Some light conversation among the clan members went on for a few minutes before the drinks began to take their effects:
Rei began speaking in owl to Father, seemingly unable to switch into Common Klein when any of the others or staff addressed him. He was rapt in conversation with Father, slinking further into his seat at the dinner table, his expression relaxed and content.
Quincy also seemed to be in deep conversation with Topper, though he was speaking as normal. All that could be gleaned were murmurs of,
“Yeah. yeah. Of course. I know you’re free to do what you want. You always stay with me. Thank you, Topper. I mean it. You don’t have to cry—”
Garu suddenly burst into tears, wailing about how he wished Karu could be with him as they are now but also be at the party with everyone. Karu suddenly switched in to call him an idiot and—
What the f*ck? Did this make everyone suddenly have a heart to heart with their closest animal friends?
Eiden was about to reach over to console Garu (and Karu?) when Dante approached him. He stood right next to Eiden’s seat, his hands balled into fists and shaking somewhat.
Eiden opened his mouth to address Dante but one of Dante’s hands raised to silence him.
“Wait. Before you say anything, I thought you should know that. You’re…very important to me, and—”
Eiden yelled and flailed his hands, attempting to stop Dante from continuing with what appeared to be a very heartfelt confession.
Or at least that was the attempt.
Eiden’s hands flew to his mouth as he realized he couldn’t make a single sound.
What the f*ck?!
“Oya, it seems the Young Master has become speechless,” Kuya chimed in from his seat nearby, looking normal beside a light flush dusting his cheeks. “Which is quite the difficult task. He must truly be moved~“
Eiden hurled curses at Kuya with his mind, still unsure if Kuya could read his mind or not but if he could he was getting it now!
Eiden felt his hands being taken into Dante’s as Dante proceeded to bend to one knee in front of him, nervously licking over his lips in preparation to continue his earnestly emotional words.
“I have given it some thought, and while I understand that your home is here within the Light Kingdom, it would be well within the custom of Solaria to—”
Eiden’s hands flew to Dante’s face, pressed into his cheeks and turning him to face Eiden as he does his best attempt at charades to convince Dante that he is currently inebriated and now is not the time for this conversation!
“Eiden, what is the meaning of–quit that…!” Dante sputtered, his face tinged a hot red and eyebrows turned down as he attempted to wrestle Eiden into submission (of his proposal?!)
Eiden glanced around for anyone who could help, but all he could see is the rest of his clan members in various states of disarray, enthralled with their own deep emotions to each other.
Just then, he felt himself tugged under the table. He’s sure he would have yelped if he could have, however, the surprise of it yielded him unprepared and his body easily relented into being dragged into the tight embrace of a weeping Yakumo.
“M-Mister Eiden…! Thank goodness you haven’t d-disappeared…!”
Eiden barely wriggled only to feel Yakumo’s grip tighten and his sobs increase in frequency. He looked around the surroundings of under the table to find Blade, Garu (still switching between him and Karu?) and Quincy also there, an apparent cuddle pile having been started with Quincy as a sleeping base.
“You! You will hear me!” Dante called after him, also apparently crawling after Eiden under the table.
“Oya?”
“Come now, Sir Edmond, it seems the party has taken a turn. We don’t wish to be left behind, do we?” Olivine’s sweet voice rang through, having taken on a slight slur.
“Quite…“
“Coo,”
Slowly but surely, the entirety of the clan sunk below to the floor beneath the table. Eiden felt various hands on him as if they were all trying to physically connect with him while he heard murmurs and professions to himself and the others. All while not being able to say a peep himself!
“No fair! Everyone is getting a piece of Master but me!”
“Yeah! Move aside!!”
Eiden’s vision suddenly went dark as two furry winged familiars perched themselves on top of his head.
“Mister Eiden!”
“Eiden~“
“Young Master,”
“You fool!”
“Coo,”
Eiden mimed a big sigh as his clan members pleaded and pawed at him. He may die like this.
Well, if being literally smothered by his clan members while they, albeit quite dramatically, spilled and expressed their honest feelings for him while he had no means of responding back, left only to listen and receive, then perhaps there were worse ways to go. Hell, it wasn’t even necessarily a bad way to spend a birthday.
Not that he had had any since coming to Klein.
If Eiden could make it through the tears and kisses and caresses and warmth tonight, then he’d be sure to make it through to see what the next one brings.
