Veldime, near Snow Melody village ruins…

Rozalin didn't normally watch TV, but today happened to be an exception.

Yukimaru and Fubuki were gone, off to get supplies or something, and she'd been left at the base, bored out of her skull. So, having nothing else to do, she flicked on the TV.

"Ha!" she remarked. "Overlord Laharl, in love? How ridiculous. Such lies these television people make up."

But after a while, she began to think. If Overlord Laharl, of all people, could fall in love, then what was stopping her from admitting her feelings to a certain red-haired battle-lover?

Absolutely nothing, that's what. Except, of course, that it was such an undignified and uncommon way of doing things.

So I'll just have to come up with a dignified way of doing this, she decided. After all, it was about time he get a clue. She'd been dropping hints for weeks.

But what to do? Who in the Underworld knew about things like this?

Fuka Kazumitsuri, of course!

And so, all village-building thoughts forgotten, Rozalin ran off to find Fuka.

xXx

Evil Academy…

"Mao? Hey, Maaaooo?!"

Raspberyl frowned, looking around the white-haired genius's office. "Where'd he go?"

"He's probably off doing some awful honor student kind of stunt." Kyouko said. "Why are you so worried about him in the first place, my lady?"

Raspberyl's cheeks reddened slightly. "I'm not worried about him, I'm just… Um…"

"Isn't it your birthday in three days, my lady?" Asuka asked. "Oh, I see! You want to spend it with Mao!"

"Not true! I'm just… Just looking for him because he stole my birthday cake recipe, that's all!"

Kyouko raised an eyebrow. "The one you lent to Almaz last week because he was going crazy trying to bake a cake for the princess?"

"O-Oh! So that's where it was!" Raspberyl smiled nervously. "I'd…better go get it back! Don't bother following me! Seeya!"

As she ran off, Kyouko and Asuka both sighed.

"She's definitely in love, isn't she?" Asuka asked.

Kyouko nodded. "Oh, definitely. It's just so sad. He's the honor student, he doesn't know how to love!"

"Well, I don't know… There was that news report about Overlord Laharl, after all…"

Raspberyl's two (servants? vassals?) helpers watched as she ran off, without a doubt heading to see Mao, sighed, then headed off to class.

xXx

"What do you want, Beryl?" Mao grunted as he lifted some kind of huge box onto the table.

"Oh, nothing. I was just passing by!" Raspberyl smiled. "So, whatcha making?"

"None of your business." Mao snapped. "If you've got nothing to do here, then go away!"

"Aw, Mao, quit being such a jerk. I'm your childhood friend, after all."

"More like childhood rival." he muttered, but let her watch as he tinkered with something that looked like a cross between an airplane and a foghorn.

"What's that?" Raspberyl persisted. "It looks like a diseased plane!"

"Planes don't get diseases, Beryl. It stands to reason that an idiot like you wouldn't appreciate my genius. This is a listening device the likes of which have never been seen before. Watch!"

He pressed a button. Absolutely nothing happened.

And then it exploded.

Coughing, Mao hurriedly pressed the ON button of his smoke-sucking machine, built mainly because accidents like this were quite common in his lab.

"Yeah, definitely your best one yet!" Raspberyl snickered once the smoke was gone.

"You laugh now, but when I finally create an invisible listening device, we'll see who's laughing." Mao muttered darkly.

"Whatever. I'm bored, guess I'll go see Almaz and Sapphire. Maybe give 'em a little shove or something. Seeya!"

The second she left, Mao whipped out his actual invention, an uncharacteristic genuine smile spreading across his face.

"Stupid Beryl." he whispered. "Like I'd actually let you see your birthday present before your birthday. It was worth being embarrassed a little, seeing how important that day is."

And Mao snickered as he worked happily on his present, Beryl still absolutely oblivious to his actual intentions.

Almaz and Sapphire next. I apologize if I messed up Fuka's last name or the names of Beryl's two slaves (Okay, fine, helpers). I haven't finished Disgaea 3 yet, and have yet to start on Disgaea 4, so I also apologize for any inconsistencies. Sorry! And on that note, I'm officially finished talking, so bye!

Water, out