I wrote this ages ago and, after a little editing, have decided to post it. c:

For thos of you who don't know, Dilan and Arlene are Xaldin and Larxene's Somebodies. They're one of my favorite pairings and when I started writing this as a one-shot I couldn't resist making a full story out of it.

The Six Apprentices of Ansem belong to Disney/Square-Enix. Arlene is mine (sort of) and Myde belongs to my dear friend Kitty (sort of).

Enjoy and don't forget to review!

I hate parties. Dilan thought with a sour expression. Watching as Ansem the Wise's guests flittered about, drinking and gossiping to one another only served to ruffle his feathers further. The third apprentice had never really enjoyed large social events like this. Give him a glass of wine and a good book at home and he was content.

Standing beside him Even sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Braig is doing his pirate impression again…honestly, ever since that Heartless took his eye, he's acted like more of a buffoon." Behind them Ansem chuckled, laying a hand on Dilan's right shoulder and Even's left.

"Don't be unkind, Even. It's simply his way of coping with his loss and you must admit it's better than having him sulk around the laboratory all day, now isn't it?"

"At least if he'd sulk we wouldn't have to deal with 'Aargh, matey, where be the Bunsen burners?' all day." Even argued, his tone and expression indignant.

Their mentor laughed again, hearty and loud. "Well, as much as you don't find it funny, I believe your little roommate Myde has taken a shine to him." A young, impish laugh rang out from halfway across the room. The young sitar player Even had taken in was standing with Braig, laughing so hard tears were falling down his cheeks at the apprentice's terrible pirate jokes.

Even frowned and straightened his back, adjusting his rectangular glasses on his nose. "Excuse me." With a swish of his toffee-colored ponytail, he stormed off in Braig and Myde's direction.

"Now, Dilan," Ansem turned to his dark-haired apprentice, a warm smile on his friendly face. "Why don't you go and mingle? I hate to see you standing against the wall all by yourself. Go and have a drink or perhaps find a nice girl to dance with." He winked and gave the meteorologist a gentle shove into the crowd. Grumbling inwardly, Dilan did what he was told.

"It's high school all over again." He grumbled as he made his way into the crowd to "mingle".

"I can't believe you brought me to this stupid party. I didn't even want to come!" Arlene grumbled to her brother and sister as they made their way into the large castle that was housing the annual spring party of the renowned scientist and ruler of Radiant Garden, Ansem the Wise. It was the most social, and exclusive, event of the year in Radiant Garden. However, when summer came around, all of area was invited to a large garden party Ansem held annually.

"What are you taking about? You were begging to come last year." Her half-sister Genevieve scolded. As much as Arlene was short, blond and took after their mother, Genevieve was tall and exotic looking like her father, their mother's first husband. Her skin was naturally tan and her hair the color of dark chocolate. To the party she'd worn a dress she'd designed herself, dark emerald green velvet cut to mid-thigh with straps tying around to the back of her neck. She'd bought new shoes especially for the occasion (as she did for every occasion), black sling back heels that secretly Arlene would've loved to wear if her small feet could fit into them. With her full lips painted a deep red and perfectly done up, Genevieve could've easily passed for a model straight out of a fashion magazine.

"That was last year." Arlene shot back, folding her arms stubbornly across her diminutive chest. It was true that last year she'd bee insanely jealous when her siblings had gotten to go to the party and she hadn't, but that had been a long year ago. Now, she'd practically been shoved into a dress and heels then dragged out the door.

Genevieve's twin brother, Gabriel, rested a willowy hand on top of her head, mussing her dirty blond hair lightly. He was dressed impeccably in a tidy white suit with a pink silk tie. His dark bangs brushed his eyes when he smiled.

"Ohh, 'Lene, stop being such a brat. You're going to have a great time tonight and you know it." Gabriel was the spitting image of his sister with the same dark hair, tan skin and model form. He and Genevieve co-owned and operated a successful fashion boutique downtown.

Unlike her siblings, Arlene was short for her age of twenty years and more delicate looking than strong and lithe. Her hair was dirty blond, shoulder length with two long sections that framed her heart-shaped face and jutted out slightly from her pin straight hair. Unlike the twins, she had little interest in fashion. She was a tomboy despite their mother's frivolous attempts to get her into a dress. She preferred archery and other sports to sketching clothes or going to parties like this one.

Genevieve gave her a light shove in the back. "Stop acting like a five year old and move it."

Arlene huffed and dragged her feet to the large glass doors that led inside. The large central room was filled with fresh spring flower arrangements, filling the air with an almost sickeningly sweet aroma. Arlene nearly gagged as soon as she was inside, covering her nose and mouth with the back of her hand in disdain. "It smells like a funeral home in here!"

"Excuse me." A haughty voice huffed from above. The blond looked up, meeting a pair of piercing brown eyes glaring down at her.

"What?"

"I handmade almost all of these arrangements, thank you very much, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't compare my work to that of a funeral home!" A tall man dressed in a stylish tan sweater and black slacks was scolding her as if she were a ten year old. His feathery light brown hair, tinged lightly with pink, was pulled back into a low ponytail. Arlene recognized him at the flower shop guy, Lumaria something or other.

"I wasn't complaining about your precious arrangements." Arlene shot back, her green/blue eyes flashing angrily. "I said the room only smelled like a funeral home because of all the flowers are choking me." Lumaria seemed to take extreme offense to this and huffed loudly.

"Why you little-!"

"Lumaria!" A feminine voice cut in and the flower girl Aerith appeared at his side. She was clad in a simple red dress with her long auburn hair pulled back into its usual braid and tied back with a red ribbon. She smiled apologetically at the three siblings, her hand resting on Lumaria's arm. "How about you go get us some treats? I think I see ice cream over near the hydrangeas." She shooed him away, though Arlene could swear she felt his eyes burning into her.

Arlene wandered away as her siblings began contentedly chatting with Aerith. This is just like high school all over again. She thought miserably as she paused to take off her heels and kick them under the table.

Against the wall again, Dilan looked on in mild disdain at the party. People were pairing up now, more than likely tipsy, and had begun to sweep across the floor as they laughing and talked. Even had managed to rescue his little boyfriend from Braig's idiocy and it looked like the young musician had worn the senior apprentice down enough for a waltz. Myde had his head resting on Even's chest, dressed in a light brown suit that looked suspiciously like one Dilan had seen a few years ago on Even, though it was clearly cut down to fit the slimly built sitar player. Even, meanwhile, was looking exceedingly uncomfortable at the public display of affection. He kept lifting his head and looking around nervously while Myde seemed completely blissful.

Sharp blue eyes caught sight of the familiar tiny form of Ienzo being swept along by a tall dark-haired woman in a green dress. She was laughing and cooing down at him, most likely telling him how adorable he was. Poor Ienzo, being at least a head shorter than the dark-haired woman, had his face stuck in her ample chest. That seemed to happen a lot when the female population spotted Ansem's errand boy. Dilan couldn't help but smirk at the fact that largely built Aeleus, who was ironically Ienzo's closest friend among the apprentices, was following close behind the pair, more than likely worried for Ienzo's toes based on the height of his partner's heels.

"Genevieve is such a pedophile." The meteorologist grimaced at the voice suddenly beside him. He looked down to see a small blonde woman, half a dozen or so years younger than him, standing beside him with a sour expression of her face. She was dressed in a turquoise summer dress and, oddly enough, barefoot. Dilan arched an eyebrow at her, frowning slightly.

"Friend of yours?" He asked. She looked up and startled him with the most striking pair of eyes he'd ever seen. They were large and somehow cat-like in nature with bright green irises hued blue around the pupil. The effect was really quite shocking at first glance. Quite an attractive young woman, Dilan decided.

"My half sister." But that voice. It could've raise the dead screaming from their graves and make them run in front of a bus in order to die again just to get away from the noise. "I can't believe Gene and Gabe dragged me to this damn party. I hate things like this. Stuck up snobs flickering about, getting hammered and chitchatting about who's dating who and who got knocked up." She looked up at him again. "I'm Arlene, by the way. Arlene Todd."

Dilan slowly smiled. "Dilan Rosenburg." He held out his hand to her, which she ignored. "I have to say I agree with you, Miss Todd. I'm not one much for social events myself. Crowds have never quite been my specialty."

Arlene glanced up at him and smirked. "Really? Well then, I think we might have a thing or two to talk about." She motioned to the back doors that led to the patio outside. As the two walked away, a new scene had begun elsewhere.

"Well, well, looks like you really have fallen for the little sitar player, Dr. Marrs! Hahaha!"

"Oh, hey Lumaria! You kinda walked in at a bad time. Even's not one for PDA, so I thought we could sneak over here to the closet-"

"Why don't you go find a dead fern to nurse back to health?!"

"Ooooh, touché without lovey time, aren't we, Even?"

"GET OUT!"