D . Gray-man is owned by Katsura Hoshino, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original D . Gray-man storyline (such as Gracia) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

"What is this… feeling…?" Gracia rasped, her chest tight and the air painful to breathe.

Beside her, Kanda gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the hilt of Mugen.

"Kanda, Marie, Gracia, hold your positions…" Tiedoll said calmly, "It's nighttime… People will be sleeping in the buildings around us."

"Don't worry about him unless he attacks…" Marie murmured from behind them, "We're surrounded by Akuma…"

Gracia swallowed harshly, forcing herself to turn away from the hulking figure in the alley and stand a bit closer to Kanda as he drew his sword.

All throughout their fight, the man in the shadows in the alley just stood there, watching, barely moving.

And then, when the fight was over, he disappeared.

Gracia stared at the now empty alley as Kanda and Marie went around making sure they hadn't missed any Akuma, Tiedoll behind her working on a sketch he'd been starting before they'd been attacked.

"…The Akuma didn't attack him." Gracia mumbled slowly, "He… left of his own accord…"

"Hmm…" Tiedoll hummed, his charcoal scraping gently across the canvas hanging from his neck, "I suspect he was a Noah. It would be unusual for an Akuma to stand by and scout the situation while its fellows fought… And I think we're a tad overdue for meeting up with a member of the Noah Family."

"But he left…" Gracia shifted slightly, grabbing Sleep's bracelet and fiddling with it, "When he should be hunting you… So… he'll be back…"

"Without a doubt. He's probably still here somewhere, lurking."

"…We should leave, then." Gracia mumbled, turning to her General and tugging at his sleeve. She didn't like the way the air around that person had felt. It had… hurt to breathe… she had almost felt something… sparking in her lungs.

"Yes…" Tiedoll murmured distractedly, charcoal scraping a bit more against canvas as Kanda and Marie walked back over.

The two males stared at their General silently, Gracia still holding onto Tiedoll's sleeve, and all three of the students moved to follow when the General turned his attention away from his art and started walking.

Outside of the town, the air got painful again and Gracia twitched, stopping and glancing back.

Kanda noticed she had before Marie and Tiedoll and glanced back, as well, tensing and narrowing his eyes when he saw what she had noticed; that same hulking figure with slouched shoulders standing on the main street, staring and watching them walk away.

Snarling, Kanda grabbed Gracia's wrist and jerked her back into walking, ignoring her when she nearly tripped over her own feet trying to keep up as he stormed up behind Tiedoll and gave the man a shove between his shoulder blades.

Used to Kanda's brusque nature, Tiedoll simply glanced back and took note of the figure before he complied and sped up, shaking his head and smiling slightly when Kanda stormed past him, the younger Exorcist still dragging Gracia.

Kanda seemed to have silently elected his decisions to be the ones the group would be following, because when they next passed a town, he marched right by it.

When Gracia, who he had long let go of and had drifted apart from, automatically started to veer towards the settlement, dazed, confused and almost asleep on her feet from walking all night, she jumped and actually shrieked when someone grabbed her by the back of her jacket, their nails actually digging into her skin and making dull lines of pain, she didn't have time to turn before she was being dragged away from the town.

"We're not stopping." Kanda growled harshly next to her head before he abruptly let her go, going back to leading the group at his angry pace.

And that was how Gracia all too soon found herself practically dead on her feet, Kanda setting a breakneck pace with General Tiedoll occasionally calling out to him to alter his course.

And unlike her teammates, Gracia couldn't keep up.

The first night without sleep found her nodding off as she walked.

The fourth night? Her eyes were open, and she was staring ahead, but the bags underneath her eyes were heavy, the gray of her irises were indistinguishable from whatever sickly color her sclera had turned, and Marie was a constant presence at her side, Tiedoll right behind her.

The General was hardly able to focus on his sketching…

Of course, this paled in comparison to Gracia; Gracia's ability to focus was completely shot. She'd been staring at Kanda's back for so long that even if her eyes drifted away, his silhouette was still burned in her retinas, as if she'd stared at the sun or a computer screen for too long.

And Kanda was the only thing she was able to focus on; her other senses had long since dulled, stubbornly refusing to stay awake with her. She didn't even respond anymore when Kanda threatened her life if she didn't speed up… so Kanda had just stopped trying.

They managed to avoid Akuma like this, but on the fifth night… Well… Such vicious cycles can't last forever.

Having been expecting it, Marie turned on Gracia the instant her body crumpled, catching her quickly and carefully easing her to the ground.

"Yu, we're taking a break." Tiedoll said with such finality Kanda twitched to a stop, then reluctantly set his suitcase down and unclipped Mugen from his side, taking a seat on a nearby rock as Marie carefully lifted Gracia and moved her off of the road to lie on the grass.

Tiedoll nodded at his 'children,' then walked over to the other side of the road and sat, staring off into the picturesque, star-strewn night sky in the distance as he blindly but skillfully started sketching.

Marie sighed softly, then turned his attention to Gracia with a frown, carefully nudging her onto her back and easing her duffel bag under her head. He pushed her hair aside and looked her over, pressing a hand to her forehead and frowning.

Her temperature was low and she was coated in a cold sweat…

Still, she had a low heart rate, so she certainly had poor circulation… Rest would likely see her back on her feet.

Marie sighed, then sat back and closed his eyes, focusing on the sounds of the world around them.

Unfortunately, even though they had been walking nonstop the past week, it wasn't long before Marie was tensing, muttering loudly, "Akuma machinery…"

Kanda was behind the older Exorcist in a flash, Mugen drawn as he ran his fingers across the flat of the blade to activate it.

Tiedoll sighed, pushing his canvas aside as he stood and reached into his worn jacket, grabbing the pieces of his Innocence and pulling them out calmly as he walked over to his 'children.' A thick band of light formed and danced around him.

"I don't suppose Gracia can be woken…?" The General asked as he, Marie and Kanda surrounded the still unconscious female.

"She can hardly be woken when she sleeps regularly…" Marie sighed as Akuma began to meld out of the night, "She may as well be comatose at the moment…"

Tiedoll sighed softly, then muttered "Art" as the Akuma surged.

"Your friends will be coming by this afternoon, so you should freshen up… Your new cosmetics arrived today; you'll find them in your bathroom."

A hint.

"Thank you…" She murmured, keeping her eyes locked on the blankets laid across her lap.

A rustle of clothes, then a hand cupped her jaw gently and tipped her head up, thin but soft lips pressing to hers.

She tensed slightly from her lower back down but kissed back, her eyes darting to the side and focusing on something else. Their room had such lovely carpeting…

He pulled back, pausing slightly, then kissed her forehead before walking over to his closet and disappearing inside.

Gracia glanced after him, then pushed the blankets aside and stood, brushing her nightgown until it hung straight and shuffling to the bathroom quickly. As he had said, new cosmetics lined either side of her sink, and she inspected them to make sure they would do the job.

Gracia then looked at her reflection to find what would need work.

Right cheek, left temple, chin, a small section on her neck…

She began mixing foundations to make a slightly darker palette. She then began to coat her skin to make sure everything was the same color.

It was difficult, but she managed to blend the shades without making her skin look much darker than usual.

Applying make-up was one of the few things she was genuinely good at; her mother had approved of her taking as much time as she needed to practice, and for propriety's sake she never had anyone hovering over her, so she'd gotten good at it to avoid being around people.

As she worked, the process calming, she felt her spirits lift.

She would have company today…

True, they were only 'friends' because they were the only women it was 'appropriate' for her to consort with, but she hadn't seen anyone other her husband and their servants since she had moved in; she was looking forward to the visit.

After she had finished disguising the newly obtained discolorations to her skin, she quickly shuffled back into her room where a maid was waiting to help her dress, **** already gone.

Corset drawn tight, greenish-gray satin covering her skin, shoes strapped into place, a bit of lip stain and it was already noon.

"Rhea… Lulu…"

"Gracia, darling!"

"Hello…"

Hugs, greetings, and Gracia retreated with the two females to the drawing room.

A giggle. "How are you enjoying married life?"

"Ah… it's very… enjoyable…"

"I can tell… Hehe, why are you wearing all of that make up? To cover the marks of passion?"

She felt her face heat. "R-Rhea!"

"Now, Rhea, don't tease Gracia. You'll only make her ill."

"Th-Thank you, Lulu, but you don't have to worry about me… I've… been doing much better."

"I'm sure, dear, but you still don't look well. You still have your medicine nearby, correct?"

She blushed and lowered her eyes as the woman, Lulu, reached out and cupped her jaw gently.

And then, Lulu's eyes flashed gold when Gracia flinched.

She blinked, then shook her head slightly. A trick of the light…

"Of course, Lulu. Please, don't worry about me… **** has been taking good care of me."

"He had best be…" Lulu murmured, drawing back.

"Ah, Lulu, Gracia, would you mind excusing me? I need to visit the powder room."

Gracia smiled slightly after Rhea, avoiding meeting Lulu's now searching eyes.

"How did you get hurt, Gracia?"

"I… slipped… while adjusting my harp the other day…"

A pause, then a sigh.

"Really, Gracia, you know you have no gift for the harp. You only hurt yourself when you try; stick to the piano."

"But… Mother—"

"You're a grown and married woman now. Your mother has no right to tell you what to do, especially not under your own roof and when it causes you harm."

She had always looked up to Lulu… The woman was so strong-willed.

"You have to stay healthy, Gracia… You're so frail."

A sudden banging.

Gracia jolted slightly, but Lulu didn't seem to notice it.

"Y-Yes… I know…"

Another banging.

She felt like her closed eyelids were flickering, but… they weren't closed, were they?

This time, even Lulu seemed to notice the noise. She glanced towards the stairs when Gracia did, both blinking when there was what sounded like a muffled and then quickly stifled giggle.

More banging, and shouts.

Who in the hell was shouting?

"Gracia… Will you show me around the gardens? Rhea will just have to find us when she's… done."

"Ah… Yes… Right this way, Lulu."

The jarring sound of something crashing, and Gracia found herself somehow irritated.

"Aah… Lulu… how are things at your home?"

"Well. The Ea—"

Gracia's eyes snapped open when something exploded right over her head, bits and pieces of debris raining down on her.

And now… she was pissed.

To hell with never having remembered actually ever being pissed; she knew she was, and she was damned well going to do something about it.

Her previously numb body suddenly awake, alive, flooding with sensation, Gracia pushed herself to her feet without stumbling, turning slowly and looking out across the moonlit, grassy field with narrowed and twitching eyes.

Tiedoll, Marie and Kanda were fighting Akuma.

"…Who in the hell fights at this ungodly hour?" She growled, slowly starting to become uncharacteristically furious.

Who in the hell fights when they should be sleeping? !

Rational? No.

But Gracia was exhausted and angry; she didn't much care for being rational.

Movement to her immediate right caught her attention, and she glanced over slowly, glaring harshly at the tall, grotesquely humanoid creature that was staring at her, its masked, black head tipped in curiosity.

"Finally awake? Good. Time to join in the FUN." The Akuma lunged at her.

"Gracia!"

In no mood, Gracia only narrowed her eyes and growled dangerously, "You. Woke. Me. Up."

A strong, hot pulse ran through the air and the Akuma in front of her, a Level 3, froze. In a fifty-foot radius around her, the rest of the Akuma froze right after it, their heads lolling forward and their eyes closing.

The rest of the Tiedoll unit paused when they noticed the Akuma they had been fighting fell asleep, Kanda being the first to glance over at Gracia and blink slowly. She was… angry? She could actually get angry?

Gracia walked over to the Level 3 slowly and pressed her right hand to its forehead, growling, "No one interrupts my nap."

An icy finger of intimidation crept down the spines of the rest of the Tiedoll unit in what would have, in any other setting, been an amusing situation. Gracia wasn't pulling off looking exhausted and furious well, and it would have been cause for humor during the day… but it was nighttime, and the shadows playing across her face and the deep, bruise-colored bags under her eyes made her look eerie.

Words came to Gracia's mind, and she immediately grabbed at them.

Around her wrist and finger, Sleep went from icy cold to hot in an instant, the silver flashing brightly.

"Drow Poison : Alucinari."

Beneath her Innocence-laced hand, the Level 3 twitched, its many small, beady eyes starting to flicker back and forth underneath thin lids.

In the next moment, it had flashed away from her and was burying its fist in the gut of another Akuma, this one a Level 2. The Level 3 was screaming in fear as its fist burst out the other side of the Level 2's abdomen, and even as the Level 2 started to break apart, the Level 3 was moving on and tearing the next Akuma it came across in half.

Kanda watched with a quirked brow, his grip on Mugen relaxing slightly as the Level 3 continued tearing through its fellow Akuma, Gracia lying back down as it did.

"Honestly, waking people up… So fucking rude." She curled up tightly, nuzzling her duffel bag and hugging her coat around herself tightly.

By the time the Level 3 was done shredding the other Akuma, Gracia was already asleep again, and Marie, Kanda and Tiedoll had their Anti-Akuma Weapons deactivated.

The three males watched silently as the Level 3 grabbed its head and threw itself back and forth, stumbling and screaming. It then turned silver from where Gracia had touched it on its head and down through its body, and once it was completely consumed it burst into a fine silver powder.

Silence settled over the area.

"…What the fuck was that?" Kanda asked calmly after a pause.

"…Alucinari. Present active infinitive of 'alucinor,' the origin of the word 'hallucinate'." Tiedoll answered slowly, thinking, "In its original Latin form, it's another word for 'dream'." The General paused, then smiled, "I believe she just killed the Akuma with a nightmare."

"…Yes, I think we'll be letting her have her nap, now." Marie sighed, "The prospects of her new ability aren't entirely… pleasant, and it seems Gracia does, indeed, have a finite number of straws that can be pulled before she gets angry."

Kanda twitched, not about to argue as he walked over with Tiedoll and Marie and sat.

She'd said once before that Sleep didn't control subconscious actions… and she'd been right then.

Now, however, she could control subconscious actions. And now she could get angry. And now she controlled subconscious actions while she was angry.

'…Son of a bitch.'

One. Two. Three. Four.

One. Two. Three. Four.

One… Two… Three… Four…

Which one did he pick? Which one, which one…

The one with the sword was under the impression he could fight, the one with the wires, frankly, seemed a tad boring, the one that could summon giant dolls was a general, so he would likely prove to be entertaining, and the one that… put things to sleep…

He couldn't decide.

Which one did he want to fight first?

Which one did he want to kill first?

Why did humans make decisions so difficult?

…He needed a goddamned lollypop.

(Quick Latin lesson part 2:

Alucinari: Verb

ālūcinārī

present active infinitive of ālūcinor

Alucinor: Verb

present active ālūcinor, present infinitive ālūcinārī, perfect active ālūcinātus sum. (deponent)

The stem alucin- can also be written allucin- or hallucin-. Hence the modern English hallucinate / hallucination.

1. wander in mind, talk idly, prate, dream.

XD Alright, so EmpressSaix's review yesterday was too funny to pass up… Here's just part of it:

"Poor Komui, his life is becoming so stressful. Hopefully Gracia can help with that (not in the sense your thinking of!)."

Do I come off as perverted? Well… I probably do, considering my mental process went something like this:

"Daw… Do people really think I'm perverted? Well… maybe EmpressSaix has read some of my more mature stories… Wait… How would Gracia relieve Komui's stress in 'the sense I'm thinking of' when he's in England and she's in Poland? I mean, the only way they've been communicating is by pho— …Oh dear lord… PHONE SMEX!"

XDD So, yes… It seems I am perverted.)