AN: So, since some people have asked over the course of the months- we are going to try out posting twice a week (at slightly reduced chapter length). Feedback on this new update schedule is welcome and whether to post once or twice a week! :)
Third Elder IV – Rio de Janeiro, 5th February, 08:00
"Rise and shine, gorgeous!" First clapped his hands together as he entered the house in the rich suburb of Rio de Janeiro. He'd landed from Stockholm, and Haydn had taken care of the drive. He arrived with pretty much the entire kingsguard at the house that served as base of operation for his dear friend... and lover. "Surprise. I wanted to be nearby when you... go. Here. I got you coffee from a little... gas stop on the way from the airport."
"I hate you." Morning. He hated that First had woken him up for this. "It's only 7 am how are you already here?" He took the coffee and sipped it, all the while contemplating throwing it in his boyfriend's face.
"Eight , my dear." He pressed a kiss against his temple. "It's eight in the morning. Not seven."
"Ugh." He slammed his head onto the kitchen table they'd gathered around.
First sat down, briefly thinking about kicking his feet up on the table. He decided not to, for now. Instead, he sipped his coffee. "So. Your big talk is tomorrow..."
"Yeah." He hoped the nobles weren't morning people too.
"Have you thought about things already?"
"Mmhm." Why was he asking now instead of when he was a functioning person?
"Come on." He shuffled closer, running a hand over his thigh. "D'you need some love to get you started into the day?"
"Yeah." The exercise was always good for waking him up.
First laughed. "Drink your coffee and take a shower with me, then. I've flown here all the way from Stockholm."
"Kay." He steadily made his way through the cup of coffee before heading for the bathroom. "I don't know how you get any sleep on those flights."
"Oh... one learns." He laughed and followed his boyfriend. "Hey! One of you see about making us all some breakfast!" And the Royal Guard followed the order, working on making toast and fried eggs for all of them, along with whatever else they could salvage from Third's fridge. The two Elders took their time in the bathroom, and First wore some of Third's clothes when he returned to the dining room. "Ah, smells delicious !"
"Yeah." Good. "Hey, Gio, sit here." He gestured to a chair beside him.
He sat down while Geo loaded food on their plates. Geo and Gio. Heh. But still better than Vanni , which really bothered him from time to time.
Third thanked Geo when she handed him his plate and ate his food in silence. The Royal Guard. Their most loyal friends. It was wonderful to have them here, eating with them.
First waited until they all were almost done with eating before he resumed talking about business. "I want you to take some people with you. You should not go alone."
"You can come. It's not like anyone knows you're First." Really, only Hayden would need to stay away.
".. Hmmh... that is an interesting prospect." He laughed. "No. I will only end up butting in."
"Geo, Benjamin, and Phinehas then." That would put an equal split of the Royal Guards between them.
"Okay. Do you have any people of your own you can take as well?"
"Since when do I keep people here?"
"Anywhere? Come on! You can't stay exposed like that!"
"I'm not exposed. I live in a house. By myself. That I hack into all the Union computers from."
"Yeah. Still.. I would prefer if you kept yourself better protected."
"You know I don't like strangers around all the time."
"Well. You can get to know them. I'm worried. Okay?" he set down his coffee mug. "There. I said it."
"Maybe you should be around more. Then I'm safe because you're there."
He smiled. "You know... once this shitshow is over, and I am king, we are gonna have an awesome castle and live in it. And it will be so much better than the castles the nobles or werewolves got."
"I'm sure. I look forward to it."
"... But first... did you think about anything? I think they need to offer something in return. Those bastards killed most of our elders! Even the human ones!"
"I could try asking for the culprits. They said they were foreign allies to them though. Not Lukedonians." So there were no guarantees.
"... well. That makes for a start." First rubbed his chin. "... You know... something could go wrong on that meeting."
"Like what? Lukedonia isn't foolish enough to attack now."
"Lukedonia, No. But... Crombel? You know. All of his secret activities... Is he really on our side?"
"I don't know. But he was right. He's our best scientist now."
"Yeah. But if he is not on our side, he should not want this alliance. Because the weaker everyone is, the easier he can come out on top."
"You're not wrong." If that was the case, then they definitely needed to take care.
"If the nobles come alone, it's triple important you come prepared."
"Because I'll need to defend our potential allies."
"Exactly." First nodded. "Shit. If I was any better at dropping in line I'd come too."
"I'll be fine. Promise."
"You better. I still owe you that date in Paris."
Third smiled. "You do." And he was looking forward to it.
"You see. A king keeps his promises, so you will get that date and it'll be awesome." Every once in a while, he wanted to pretend life was normal. Like their cozy little retreat in Berlin. And as good as castles were - he didn't care where they hung out, really. "Come. I want to spend some time together before you have to leave."
M-21 VII – Mexico, 7th February, 03:00
The lake turned out to actually be massive - and they decided to wait on the small island in the northern part of the lake. It should be alright there. M-21 glanced over Seira and Regis, who sat together, and turned to Tao and Takeo who played a card game. And Karias... unlike his usual cheerful self, he seemed to avoid them. With a sigh, he sat on a rock near him. "You're quiet."
"I... found out something rather upsetting before we left."
"..." M-21 nodded, waiting for Karias to continue.
"How familiar are you with our Central Knight hierarchy?" Anything to get out of having to explain why it affected him so badly.
"Uh, no," he admitted. He remembered Gejutel mentioning a wave of suicides, though.
"... Right. Well, I... went to go tell the Scouting Major- that's the Rank just below the Clan Leader who leads the scouting branch- that we'd gotten word from the Lord and-" He took several deep breaths. He had a job, he had to focus.
M-21 didn't like the way this was headed. Still, he waited. Sometimes you had to say things out loud to break the silence in your head, after all.
"I found her body." That was all he could say. If he elaborated, he would break here.
Oh. ".. my condolences."
"We were... rather close, so I..." am not okay. He hoped he didn't need to voice that.
"... My condolences," he repeated, awkwardly. People died. All the time. Like M-24. Like Frankenstein. Like that scout Karias was close with.
"We have other problems, so I'm trying to focus on those instead." He wasn't trying to whine about it, or diminish M-21's own losses. He knew they'd all lost Frankenstein. And they had a job they needed to do right now. He couldn't afford to mourn.
"Yeah. It just keeps coming and coming, and you never get to... sit down and let it sink in."
"I'm not sure I want it to."
"... Yeah. It's easier to just keep going."
He nodded. Yeah. It would be a lot easier to just look forward. He could deal with this when he had time to breathe again. "Sorry I can't be as cheerful as usual."
"No. It's okay. No one asks you to be cheerful even when you really are not."
"It wouldn't be the first time. My melodramatics are for show anyway." They didn't think he was actually like that, did they?
"Huh? What do you mean?"
He chuckled. "I was actually rather quiet as a child. I had to be taught to act like this."
"Really? I can't imagine you quiet."
"My father took all of the previous Lord's commands pretty seriously."
"... he ordered him to turn you into a bit of a clown?"
"Ordered him to raise me in such a way that I wouldn't be as stiff as him. It included stretching exercises, which I admit was a bit weird."
M-21 laughed awkwardly. "For real?"
"... I did say that my father took all of his commands very seriously."
"... So... what's the real you like?"
"... Quiet. I won't say this isn't me. I do enjoy pranks, and romance, and fun in general, but I am playing up a reaction to it. Ah... I guess like a stage actor does." He was actually kind of surprised that M-21 was interested in that. Only Claudia had been before. That was why they were friends.
"... You a bunch of times over."
"I suppose so, yes." Karias laughed lightly at that. It was good to get his mind off of things.
"I kinda feel like Tao sometimes does that. It can get really annoying."'
"Mnn. But it does get your mind off of things, doesn't it?" If it did, then... "He accomplished his goal if so."
".. huh? What is his goal?"
"To lighten up a situation. It's the same thing I do for the rest of the Clan Leaders." Thankfully, not something he had to do now. And it would probably be better for him to stay subdued here anyway.
"... true. It's better to be annoyed than upset.
"... Yeah."
"... well. Goal achieved, then. For the both of you." He sighed and looked over to Seira. "Do you think things will go alright?"
"I don't know. My fight with the Third Elder leads me to believe that this should go smoothly. If he's on our side, then any threats that might come up we can both dispatch pretty easily. If he's not, then I already know how he fights."
"What is he like?"
"Laser eyes."
"I meant as a person, but good to know. No eye contact."
Karias hummed. "He seemed rather distracted during our fight. Seemed eager to figure something out. Pretty reticent, I'd say, given his fighting style. There are a lot of ways to use his power, and he prefers to use it as supporting fire for a comrade rather than as a weapon for himself."
"I see." That was... good to know, he supposed. Hopefully they would not be fighting, though. Seira approached them with slow steps. "Karias. Do you sense anything in the vicinity?" Blersters had a much higher range after all.
He hummed, closing his eyes and reaching to the furthest of his range. "Yes. It'll take several more minutes, but they are coming. Third did not come alone."
"Good." She nodded. After a few minutes, she could feel them too. "... It's... good you came too," she admitted.
"Like I'd let you lot go on your own." He laughed, and it was probably obvious to M-21 now that it was fake. "I can't let anything happen to my cute younger siblings, now can I?" His own words were a thorn in his heart. His actual sibling was...
Seira wrought her hands. "They are at the lake shore." And they surely must have sensed them. A deep breath. She must look well composed and dignified, worthy of a noble Clan Leader. M-21 briefly touched her shoulder. "Everything will be alright."