"Listen to me..."
"What?"
"Just accept her for who she is...". Oz takes some papers from his desk. He pats them on the table, holding them together with both hands... it is prior today...
"Oz... you always see the good in people... but this... this is just too different!", exclaims Gilbert, looking at him. Oz smiles.
"How so?"
"Perhaps she doesn't have anything but hatred inside...". Oz laughs.
"You underestimate hatred, Gil, like it is an overbearing emotion that one chooses to have only! If that was the case... would I be smiling?". Gilbert looks at Oz. He frowns. Oz walks up to him... he pats his shoulder. "Gil... always remember that she is a human being with human feelings... she'll sense the support and always be on our side..."

"No matter what..."

Gilbert walks into the apartment... I am sitting on the couch, a nervous wreck... why did I act so irrationally? My hands are on my knees, looking forward... I look down when I hear the door close... I close my eyes and frown... there is a very awkward pause... that is it! I have got to say something! I look up at him quickly.
"Gilbert... I'm sorry! I didn't know what I was doing!"
"I know."
"Huh?"
"The same thing happens to me sometimes...", he says, putting his hand on my shoulder. He does not look at me, but ahead of himself. "Here... I'll make some coffee...". He slides his hand off my shoulder and walks towards a coffee pot on the stove. I look at him... why is he being so generous all of a sudden?
"Gilbert?"
"Hm?". What should... NO! What could I say? There is a pause... I look down... steam is in my face. I look up. Gilbert is holding a cup of coffee out to me. I take it with both hands. He stands there, kind of awkwardly and crooked. I look at the coffee. I close my eyes and take a sip...
"You know, I thought you said drinks weren't provided...". I look up... he is not there. I hear the door to his bedroom close. I look at the coffee at take another sip.

"Must be his way of saying there's an exception to everything..."

I wake up the next morning... I try thinking about what Oz told Gilbert and I last night...

Well, it's perfectly ok that you didn't get the Proclam Letters for me, but you must understand I need them as soon as possible!". Oz did not seem too upset, but Gilbert crossed his arms and gave me the look that says get... them... NOW! And so I, in the scheme of things, asked when the best situation would be for me to acquire the Letters. Oz knew exactly when...
"Members of Pandora have been invited to attend a ball in honor of the Duke of Nightray's birthday... I, of course, cannot attend because of, erm, personal reasons, and neither can Gilbert... so in place of me, I'm sending my distant cousin who just happens to be in town...". Oz looks at me with a smile. Gilbert frowns. I suppose I must fulfill my mission... I owe Oz that, at least...
"The ball is tomorrow night at the manor... you will wear exactly the opposite of what you wore last time..."
"So, I'm impersonating... a girl this time?"
"Yes...", says Oz with a wink. Luckily, only two people saw me as a girl...
"Is Eliot and Leo going to be there?", says Gilbert inquiringly. I look at him with a smirk, crossing my arms.
"As a matter of fact...". Gilbert and I look at Oz, anticipating his answer...
"No... I think both of them are going to be at Luthewidge... Eliot has finals, and Leo, well... he's his servant, so of course he's going to be with his master..."
"Eliot's graduating this year, isn't he?", asks Gilbert. Oz nods.
"He's twenty, so yes...". I am getting annoyed with all this talk of a Nightray...
"Is there anything you want me to do in the meantime, Oz?"
"Well... I suppose there is one little thing..."
And that little thing is what Gilbert and I are doing today...