Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN SLAYERS. "Miao-kitty-kitty...!"
- JUST ANOTHER AU FIC -
Chapter 22: I Used To Be A Runaway Trapeze Artist
The sky outside her bedroom window was a cloudy, subdued shade of gray.
Filia sat up, fully awake. She was on her bed, and it was cold, and -- by Ceipheed, why was she naked--?
Shock gave way to quiet acceptance as the memories of the night before recollected themselves in her mind, even as she looked from herself to the other person quietly sleeping beside her. Cute and adorable as a kitten in slumber, if kittens could have purple hair, all bundled up in the thick quilt a friend had given her for Christmas. He'd thrown the quilt over themselves, cradling her in his arms, just before he passed out from sheer exhaustion, she remembered, picking it up from where it had fallen to the floor. She had murmured something along the lines of "Very thoughtful of you," before falling asleep.
Yet, sometime during what was left of the night, he'd stolen the blankets.
Filia raised an eyebrow, more bemused than bothered, and then proceeded to yank at the edges of the quilt not pinned down by the Mazoku, resolving to go back to sleep. After all, it was just a little too early to get up and out of bed.
It wouldn't give way. Xellos snuggled deeper into his side of the bed, twisting the thick blanket tighter around his body.
Filia sighed, and pulled harder.
Still wouldn't give. Xellos snored under the sheets, warm and comfy.
Getting more irritated by the second, the blonde gave another, final, tremendous yank. Never mind that she was unused to waking up naked -- and freezing -- as the day she was born, this was ridiculous...
Still asleep, Xellos shifted on the bed, bundling the covers even tighter around him. Filia considered giving up. Make breakfast for herself or something. Get rid of the urge to strangle the purple-haired guy with the quilt he so covetously clung to. Not like she could if she really wanted to, but still. Primarily, get off the bed.
She was about to do just that when she heard the slumbering Mazoku sleepily mumble something from behind her. That was all the warning she got before a pale hand shot out from the nest of blankets, grabbing her arm, pulling her back to the bed. She tumbled easily into his waiting arms.
"Cold, are you?" Xellos murmured in her ear. She couldn't see his face in this position, but she could feel that particularly patronizing smile in his voice just as well. She shivered, but not entirely from the cold. Strange that she could be annoyed and aroused at the same time.
Filia fumed, turning her head slightly so she could glare at him. "Well, of COURSE! It's freez--" she stopped, realizing something. "You were awake the whole time, weren't you?!?!!!" she accused, sitting up and jabbing a finger at his chest.
Xellos, both eyes closed but fully awake and aware by all standards, smiled winningly up at her. "Now, now Filia, you're the one who woke me up with all that yanking," he said, sitting up as well. He proceeded to extricate himself from the blankets, exposing quite a bit of skin Filia wasn't prepared to see so soon.
"Stop that!" the blonde yelled, covering her eyes.
The Mazoku eyed her innocently. Too innocently. "Stop what?"
"That! Stay under the quilt!"
"But Filia--" he mock whined. "I thought you wanted the quilt..."
"Yes! I mean-- no! Just stop what you're doing!"
Xellos shrugged, and bundled up again. "Fine. But only if you'd quit peering at me from between your fingers," he got out, settling lazily back down on the bed and trying to ignore the nice view his position gave him of Filia's ample chest.
The blonde blushed, and lowered her hands. "I was not peeking!" she argued, indignant. Well, perhaps she was, but this was one of those times when her dignity took precedence over honesty.
"Yes you were," he returned breezily. "But don't worry, I rather enjoy the view from here as well." He opened one eye to register a mischievious wink; then pouted as she raised both of her arms to cover herself. "Ne, I don't see why you bother, Filia-chan. We've seen all there is to see of each other after all. No need to play the prude now, do you?" And then, as an afterthought, he added, "Although I admit... it does have a certain... alluring... aspect to it." He shifted again, suddenly getting uncomfortable under the covers.
Filia tried to think of a come back for that, found none. "Namagomi," she sighed defeatedly, shaking her head.
For a long moment they just stayed that way, not talking, Filia sitting up on the bed, Xellos lying down, nestled under the coverlet.
It was Xellos who broke the silence. "Well," he piped up, "What do we do now?" The tone of his voice was as light as any he'd used before, but she could feel a touch of urgency in them as well. Like he was nervous. But when did he ever get nervous?
Filia debated whether the question meant now or about something else. Something bigger. She hesitated. "I don't really know," she replied just as casually. She turned away then, and looked out the window. It was still dark outside, though she could make out the clouds, thick billowing ash-colored dollops gliding over the velvety sky. "But it is still a bit too early to get out of bed," she finally added, inadvertently blushing as soon as the words were out of her mouth. But she forced herself to meet his eyes.
Purple eyebrows raised quizically at the statement. Another almost passable mockery of naivete, but his suddenly impish smirk betrayed all intent. "Well, I would say I agree to that, Filia..." He paused. "Definitely agree."
She crept back down, and his arms met her halfway. He shifted the covers so that they were both underneath. "Still cold?" he asked, hands tracing her sides.
Filia smiled. "A little."
"Then we'll just have to remedy that, won't we?" He playfully replied. But his smile was wistful. "By the way, good morning."
*~*
"... And that's what happened," Amelia finished, setting down her cup of coffee and regarding Zelgadis with imploring eyes.
The Chimera merely nodded understandingly. He would have said more, in fact, he wanted to say more, but, well... they weren't exactly alone. He turned half-warily, half courteously, to the large bemustached man whom Amelia had introduced as her long-lost father. After getting the story at least twice (the first time yesterday when Amelia phoned him to say she wouldn't be able to have lunch with him, after all), he was still too astounded to completely believe it.
Not that he doubted Amelia's word, of course. Indeed, looking at the two of them -- same hair color, same penchant for public speaking, not to mention the same sparkling eyes -- well, the phrase 'father and daughter' came to mind.
It was nine in the morning, and Zel, Ame and Senator Philionel El Di ("Just call me Phil," Amelia's father jovially countered as he gave a firm handshake) were at the teashop downstairs, sharing a pot of steaming coffee and sugar-frosted doughnuts. Jiras, having learned about Amelia and her reunion with her dad, had offered to take over as secretary for an hour or two, leaving two of the junior employees to mind waitressing downstairs. "Oneesan would understand," the fox assured them.
'Oneesan' still wasn't here.
In fact, they were counting on Filia's imminent arrival an hour and a half ago. Amelia, rest assured, had even had a speech prepared to introduce her dad. And Zelgadis, by the gleam in the senator's eyes, had suspected the man also had one as well. It wasn't just that you don't meet your friend's (and near girlfriend's) long-lost fathers everyday, it was also because Senator Philionel -- all right, Phil -- happened to be with the least likely of all people, Heigel Kaiser.
Zelgadis took a silent sip off his coffee mug. "So let me get this straight," he began, hesitantly looking from Amelia to Phil back to Amelia again (easier on the eyes), "eight years ago you ran away from your home, because..." he paused, still not really believing it. "Because..."
"Because I wanted to be a trapeze artist," Amelia finished for him, then blinked, suddenly reddening.
The Chimera blinked with her. "A trapeze artist..."
The dark-haired woman smiled weakly. "I know it sounds childish, Mr. Zelgadis," she responded, fingering the rim of her cup, "but hey, I was only fourteen at that time. And, well, I wasn't thinking straight back then, I guess. Mother had just--" she stopped then, and looked at her father guiltily.
"It's alright, Amelia," Phil stated, holding out an open palm. The senator turned to Zel. "My wife -- Amelia's mother -- had been dead around nine months then. She had been murdered. We suspected it had to do something with campaign rivals, but the case has never been resolved. And Gracia -- that is Amelia's elder sister, you understand -- well, she'd left exactly three months before that. Not that I could blame them," he added, frowning self-consciously. "I was quite a mess back then."
Zelgadis, noticing the saddened expressions on their faces, decided not to pry too much on that. "And you hadn't been able to locate her all these years, until now?"
The senator nodded. "Well, the detectives I hired -- by then I already had them looking for Gracia -- got as far as tipping me off that my daughter had left the continent with a bunch of performers. To what country, they weren't able to find out. Then when the circus returned I managed to interrogate them, but they'd already told me Amelia had left. Strange," Phil continued, "that after years and years of searching, when I'd just about given up ever seeing either of my daughters again..." he looked fondly at Amelia, ".... well, I believe I don't know what to say..."
Amelia shook her head. "Let's just say that I didn't want to be found," she put in. "I ran off with the circus -- Cragney & Roberts, when they were showing at one of the neighboring cities. I didn't exactly know we'd be going to the New World, but the circus went there. I spent four years performing with a troupe, then, when we finally made it back here, I decided to split. I spent a couple of years keeping a part-time job and dabbling at college. That's when I met up with Filia-san, and landed my secretarial here. Spur of the moment decision." She finished with a v-sign. "By that time, I considered returning home, but, well... time just passed too quickly. And I didn't know if dad would still take me in," She glanced at Phil with teary eyes. "I am sorry, daddy. Gracia and I -- we were never there for you. I haven't been a true daughter, have I?"
Phil held her hand in assurance. "Amelia, you will always be my daughter."
Zelgadis watched the tender exchange, and coughed politely, feeling rather out of place at the moment and not exactly attuned to what to do in situations such as this.
Luckily, Jiras saved him the trouble.
"Oneesan hasn't arrived yet?" the red fox asked as he hurried down the stairway.
The three of them looked up. "No, Mr. Jiras," Amelia offered, wiping her eyes as discreetly as possible.
Jiras frowned. "Very strange," he commented. "Anyways, Miss Inverse is on the line. She says she wants to talk to sis, but she ain't here, so she told me to get you and Mr. Greywers." He pointed upstairs, then turned to Phil. "Hiya, Senator El Di, sir."
*~*
Xellos walked into his office grinning like an idiot. It was, as far as he was concerned, a beautiful, beautiful morning. Nevermind that the damned cab he'd called had arrived late supposedly because of a terrorific traffic jam (some car crash) two streets away. He didn't even bother to make the man receive some sort of retribution for such incompetence, no; in fact he gave the lucky driver a nice 100-dollar tip. Or that the weather reporters expected still more possible strong drizzles to continue on throughout the weekend. To him, the world was the same calm as the break of dawn, birds were singing, a fine golden breeze was blowing his way, and the sky outside was as blue as a robin's egg, blue as cornflowers, blue as any other poetic thing.
In other words, he was happy.
It wasn't just the fact that he had gotten laid, no sir. Nor was it that it had been one of the best he's had in a long while, no. The rest of his reasons were... of course, a secret. And of course, he would have to fix his little problem of telling Filia the truth. Or not. Or maybe. But now, well, right now wasn't the time for contemplation. Now was the time to grin with the grin of someone who had gotten more than a good night's (and morning's) lay.
He grinned.
And grinned some more.
That is, until he saw the woman who sat behind the desk.
His desk.
He tried not to have a heart attack and succeeded, barely. But his face did go a shade paler than could possibly account for normal, and a look of disbelief crossed his face a half-second before his expression regained its cheery facade.
"... Zelas-sama?"
"What's th'matter Xel? You look like you've seen a ghost," Zelas drawled in a thick, Southern twang, taking a drag off her cigarette and adjusting the mighty fine cowboy hat she sported atop her 'yeller'-haired head. The loose bangles gracing her arm clinked at the movement.
"Eh, nothing, Zelas-sama," the Mazoku grinned sheepishly, patting the back of his head in what he hoped was an endearing manner, and trying not to sweatdrop at the sudden accent his mistress had acquired. It was... rather weird. "I just didn't expect you so... You didn't tell me you were coming, and..." he shrugged helplessly.
Zelas eyed him dubiously. "I did try to phone you at your apartment last night. Heck, even your satphone. But," she continued, gaze becoming -- to our purple-haired friend, at least -- uncomfortably predatory, "apparently, you weren't home." She smirked, noting her son's rather haphazard attempt to preserve composure. He tried to say something in response, but she waved it away impatiently.
"No (it came out more like 'naaw'), I'm not goin' on to ask wherever you've been, Xellos dear," she went on, smirking at him playfully. "'Cause I do know where you've been."
Xellos considered being one with the floor. "You do?"
Zelas laughed. "O'course!" Gently, she set down her cigarette on the crystal ashtray sitting off the side of the marble-topped desk. "Considerin' how far you've gone with that maiden, I reckon you're doin' a mighty fine job, eh?"
He nodded carefully. "Well, yes, mistress. Of course, there has been--"
"Yes, yes, I know all about these sudden... complications," Zelas cut in, dropping her accent for the moment. She picked up a copy of the Saillune Express (more like a name for a train than a daily, if you ask her) with the Dragon Crest issue on the front page. "But you are on the way to a resolution, are you not?"
"Yes, I am," Xellos affirmed.
She nodded, a satisfied gesture, and dropped her gaze back to the news story. "... Very interesting," she quietly remarked. "Yes... very interesting." Taking another cigarette drag, she lifted her head and smiled. "As much as I hate having to mind these things -- that's what you're here for, after all -- I believe we have to talk on this, Xel-kun. This is quite a twist, after all." She shrugged, then held up a carefully manicured finger. "For now however, I wish to discuss other things. Or, to put my phrase more accurately, the other thing. Which is, of course, your relationship with Filia."
Xellos met her with a level, rather bewildered gaze. "What about it?"
She smiled, unrepentantly amused by her subordinate's reaction, however subtle. "Well, my servant, are you still playing?"
*~*
Author's Ramblings: Ahh, forgive me for the insanely long delay. I haven't had a chance to write anything except for academic stuff for, hm, five months? Nearly half a year. I don't really deserve reviews now, after what I have, or in this case, haven't done. I merely wish whoever reads this enjoys doing so, one way or another. Happy New Year. ^_^
CLIFFHANGERS... WELL, YOU COULD ALL SEE SPARE HASN'T CHANGED ONE BIT...
- JUST ANOTHER AU FIC -
Chapter 22: I Used To Be A Runaway Trapeze Artist
The sky outside her bedroom window was a cloudy, subdued shade of gray.
Filia sat up, fully awake. She was on her bed, and it was cold, and -- by Ceipheed, why was she naked--?
Shock gave way to quiet acceptance as the memories of the night before recollected themselves in her mind, even as she looked from herself to the other person quietly sleeping beside her. Cute and adorable as a kitten in slumber, if kittens could have purple hair, all bundled up in the thick quilt a friend had given her for Christmas. He'd thrown the quilt over themselves, cradling her in his arms, just before he passed out from sheer exhaustion, she remembered, picking it up from where it had fallen to the floor. She had murmured something along the lines of "Very thoughtful of you," before falling asleep.
Yet, sometime during what was left of the night, he'd stolen the blankets.
Filia raised an eyebrow, more bemused than bothered, and then proceeded to yank at the edges of the quilt not pinned down by the Mazoku, resolving to go back to sleep. After all, it was just a little too early to get up and out of bed.
It wouldn't give way. Xellos snuggled deeper into his side of the bed, twisting the thick blanket tighter around his body.
Filia sighed, and pulled harder.
Still wouldn't give. Xellos snored under the sheets, warm and comfy.
Getting more irritated by the second, the blonde gave another, final, tremendous yank. Never mind that she was unused to waking up naked -- and freezing -- as the day she was born, this was ridiculous...
Still asleep, Xellos shifted on the bed, bundling the covers even tighter around him. Filia considered giving up. Make breakfast for herself or something. Get rid of the urge to strangle the purple-haired guy with the quilt he so covetously clung to. Not like she could if she really wanted to, but still. Primarily, get off the bed.
She was about to do just that when she heard the slumbering Mazoku sleepily mumble something from behind her. That was all the warning she got before a pale hand shot out from the nest of blankets, grabbing her arm, pulling her back to the bed. She tumbled easily into his waiting arms.
"Cold, are you?" Xellos murmured in her ear. She couldn't see his face in this position, but she could feel that particularly patronizing smile in his voice just as well. She shivered, but not entirely from the cold. Strange that she could be annoyed and aroused at the same time.
Filia fumed, turning her head slightly so she could glare at him. "Well, of COURSE! It's freez--" she stopped, realizing something. "You were awake the whole time, weren't you?!?!!!" she accused, sitting up and jabbing a finger at his chest.
Xellos, both eyes closed but fully awake and aware by all standards, smiled winningly up at her. "Now, now Filia, you're the one who woke me up with all that yanking," he said, sitting up as well. He proceeded to extricate himself from the blankets, exposing quite a bit of skin Filia wasn't prepared to see so soon.
"Stop that!" the blonde yelled, covering her eyes.
The Mazoku eyed her innocently. Too innocently. "Stop what?"
"That! Stay under the quilt!"
"But Filia--" he mock whined. "I thought you wanted the quilt..."
"Yes! I mean-- no! Just stop what you're doing!"
Xellos shrugged, and bundled up again. "Fine. But only if you'd quit peering at me from between your fingers," he got out, settling lazily back down on the bed and trying to ignore the nice view his position gave him of Filia's ample chest.
The blonde blushed, and lowered her hands. "I was not peeking!" she argued, indignant. Well, perhaps she was, but this was one of those times when her dignity took precedence over honesty.
"Yes you were," he returned breezily. "But don't worry, I rather enjoy the view from here as well." He opened one eye to register a mischievious wink; then pouted as she raised both of her arms to cover herself. "Ne, I don't see why you bother, Filia-chan. We've seen all there is to see of each other after all. No need to play the prude now, do you?" And then, as an afterthought, he added, "Although I admit... it does have a certain... alluring... aspect to it." He shifted again, suddenly getting uncomfortable under the covers.
Filia tried to think of a come back for that, found none. "Namagomi," she sighed defeatedly, shaking her head.
For a long moment they just stayed that way, not talking, Filia sitting up on the bed, Xellos lying down, nestled under the coverlet.
It was Xellos who broke the silence. "Well," he piped up, "What do we do now?" The tone of his voice was as light as any he'd used before, but she could feel a touch of urgency in them as well. Like he was nervous. But when did he ever get nervous?
Filia debated whether the question meant now or about something else. Something bigger. She hesitated. "I don't really know," she replied just as casually. She turned away then, and looked out the window. It was still dark outside, though she could make out the clouds, thick billowing ash-colored dollops gliding over the velvety sky. "But it is still a bit too early to get out of bed," she finally added, inadvertently blushing as soon as the words were out of her mouth. But she forced herself to meet his eyes.
Purple eyebrows raised quizically at the statement. Another almost passable mockery of naivete, but his suddenly impish smirk betrayed all intent. "Well, I would say I agree to that, Filia..." He paused. "Definitely agree."
She crept back down, and his arms met her halfway. He shifted the covers so that they were both underneath. "Still cold?" he asked, hands tracing her sides.
Filia smiled. "A little."
"Then we'll just have to remedy that, won't we?" He playfully replied. But his smile was wistful. "By the way, good morning."
*~*
"... And that's what happened," Amelia finished, setting down her cup of coffee and regarding Zelgadis with imploring eyes.
The Chimera merely nodded understandingly. He would have said more, in fact, he wanted to say more, but, well... they weren't exactly alone. He turned half-warily, half courteously, to the large bemustached man whom Amelia had introduced as her long-lost father. After getting the story at least twice (the first time yesterday when Amelia phoned him to say she wouldn't be able to have lunch with him, after all), he was still too astounded to completely believe it.
Not that he doubted Amelia's word, of course. Indeed, looking at the two of them -- same hair color, same penchant for public speaking, not to mention the same sparkling eyes -- well, the phrase 'father and daughter' came to mind.
It was nine in the morning, and Zel, Ame and Senator Philionel El Di ("Just call me Phil," Amelia's father jovially countered as he gave a firm handshake) were at the teashop downstairs, sharing a pot of steaming coffee and sugar-frosted doughnuts. Jiras, having learned about Amelia and her reunion with her dad, had offered to take over as secretary for an hour or two, leaving two of the junior employees to mind waitressing downstairs. "Oneesan would understand," the fox assured them.
'Oneesan' still wasn't here.
In fact, they were counting on Filia's imminent arrival an hour and a half ago. Amelia, rest assured, had even had a speech prepared to introduce her dad. And Zelgadis, by the gleam in the senator's eyes, had suspected the man also had one as well. It wasn't just that you don't meet your friend's (and near girlfriend's) long-lost fathers everyday, it was also because Senator Philionel -- all right, Phil -- happened to be with the least likely of all people, Heigel Kaiser.
Zelgadis took a silent sip off his coffee mug. "So let me get this straight," he began, hesitantly looking from Amelia to Phil back to Amelia again (easier on the eyes), "eight years ago you ran away from your home, because..." he paused, still not really believing it. "Because..."
"Because I wanted to be a trapeze artist," Amelia finished for him, then blinked, suddenly reddening.
The Chimera blinked with her. "A trapeze artist..."
The dark-haired woman smiled weakly. "I know it sounds childish, Mr. Zelgadis," she responded, fingering the rim of her cup, "but hey, I was only fourteen at that time. And, well, I wasn't thinking straight back then, I guess. Mother had just--" she stopped then, and looked at her father guiltily.
"It's alright, Amelia," Phil stated, holding out an open palm. The senator turned to Zel. "My wife -- Amelia's mother -- had been dead around nine months then. She had been murdered. We suspected it had to do something with campaign rivals, but the case has never been resolved. And Gracia -- that is Amelia's elder sister, you understand -- well, she'd left exactly three months before that. Not that I could blame them," he added, frowning self-consciously. "I was quite a mess back then."
Zelgadis, noticing the saddened expressions on their faces, decided not to pry too much on that. "And you hadn't been able to locate her all these years, until now?"
The senator nodded. "Well, the detectives I hired -- by then I already had them looking for Gracia -- got as far as tipping me off that my daughter had left the continent with a bunch of performers. To what country, they weren't able to find out. Then when the circus returned I managed to interrogate them, but they'd already told me Amelia had left. Strange," Phil continued, "that after years and years of searching, when I'd just about given up ever seeing either of my daughters again..." he looked fondly at Amelia, ".... well, I believe I don't know what to say..."
Amelia shook her head. "Let's just say that I didn't want to be found," she put in. "I ran off with the circus -- Cragney & Roberts, when they were showing at one of the neighboring cities. I didn't exactly know we'd be going to the New World, but the circus went there. I spent four years performing with a troupe, then, when we finally made it back here, I decided to split. I spent a couple of years keeping a part-time job and dabbling at college. That's when I met up with Filia-san, and landed my secretarial here. Spur of the moment decision." She finished with a v-sign. "By that time, I considered returning home, but, well... time just passed too quickly. And I didn't know if dad would still take me in," She glanced at Phil with teary eyes. "I am sorry, daddy. Gracia and I -- we were never there for you. I haven't been a true daughter, have I?"
Phil held her hand in assurance. "Amelia, you will always be my daughter."
Zelgadis watched the tender exchange, and coughed politely, feeling rather out of place at the moment and not exactly attuned to what to do in situations such as this.
Luckily, Jiras saved him the trouble.
"Oneesan hasn't arrived yet?" the red fox asked as he hurried down the stairway.
The three of them looked up. "No, Mr. Jiras," Amelia offered, wiping her eyes as discreetly as possible.
Jiras frowned. "Very strange," he commented. "Anyways, Miss Inverse is on the line. She says she wants to talk to sis, but she ain't here, so she told me to get you and Mr. Greywers." He pointed upstairs, then turned to Phil. "Hiya, Senator El Di, sir."
*~*
Xellos walked into his office grinning like an idiot. It was, as far as he was concerned, a beautiful, beautiful morning. Nevermind that the damned cab he'd called had arrived late supposedly because of a terrorific traffic jam (some car crash) two streets away. He didn't even bother to make the man receive some sort of retribution for such incompetence, no; in fact he gave the lucky driver a nice 100-dollar tip. Or that the weather reporters expected still more possible strong drizzles to continue on throughout the weekend. To him, the world was the same calm as the break of dawn, birds were singing, a fine golden breeze was blowing his way, and the sky outside was as blue as a robin's egg, blue as cornflowers, blue as any other poetic thing.
In other words, he was happy.
It wasn't just the fact that he had gotten laid, no sir. Nor was it that it had been one of the best he's had in a long while, no. The rest of his reasons were... of course, a secret. And of course, he would have to fix his little problem of telling Filia the truth. Or not. Or maybe. But now, well, right now wasn't the time for contemplation. Now was the time to grin with the grin of someone who had gotten more than a good night's (and morning's) lay.
He grinned.
And grinned some more.
That is, until he saw the woman who sat behind the desk.
His desk.
He tried not to have a heart attack and succeeded, barely. But his face did go a shade paler than could possibly account for normal, and a look of disbelief crossed his face a half-second before his expression regained its cheery facade.
"... Zelas-sama?"
"What's th'matter Xel? You look like you've seen a ghost," Zelas drawled in a thick, Southern twang, taking a drag off her cigarette and adjusting the mighty fine cowboy hat she sported atop her 'yeller'-haired head. The loose bangles gracing her arm clinked at the movement.
"Eh, nothing, Zelas-sama," the Mazoku grinned sheepishly, patting the back of his head in what he hoped was an endearing manner, and trying not to sweatdrop at the sudden accent his mistress had acquired. It was... rather weird. "I just didn't expect you so... You didn't tell me you were coming, and..." he shrugged helplessly.
Zelas eyed him dubiously. "I did try to phone you at your apartment last night. Heck, even your satphone. But," she continued, gaze becoming -- to our purple-haired friend, at least -- uncomfortably predatory, "apparently, you weren't home." She smirked, noting her son's rather haphazard attempt to preserve composure. He tried to say something in response, but she waved it away impatiently.
"No (it came out more like 'naaw'), I'm not goin' on to ask wherever you've been, Xellos dear," she went on, smirking at him playfully. "'Cause I do know where you've been."
Xellos considered being one with the floor. "You do?"
Zelas laughed. "O'course!" Gently, she set down her cigarette on the crystal ashtray sitting off the side of the marble-topped desk. "Considerin' how far you've gone with that maiden, I reckon you're doin' a mighty fine job, eh?"
He nodded carefully. "Well, yes, mistress. Of course, there has been--"
"Yes, yes, I know all about these sudden... complications," Zelas cut in, dropping her accent for the moment. She picked up a copy of the Saillune Express (more like a name for a train than a daily, if you ask her) with the Dragon Crest issue on the front page. "But you are on the way to a resolution, are you not?"
"Yes, I am," Xellos affirmed.
She nodded, a satisfied gesture, and dropped her gaze back to the news story. "... Very interesting," she quietly remarked. "Yes... very interesting." Taking another cigarette drag, she lifted her head and smiled. "As much as I hate having to mind these things -- that's what you're here for, after all -- I believe we have to talk on this, Xel-kun. This is quite a twist, after all." She shrugged, then held up a carefully manicured finger. "For now however, I wish to discuss other things. Or, to put my phrase more accurately, the other thing. Which is, of course, your relationship with Filia."
Xellos met her with a level, rather bewildered gaze. "What about it?"
She smiled, unrepentantly amused by her subordinate's reaction, however subtle. "Well, my servant, are you still playing?"
*~*
Author's Ramblings: Ahh, forgive me for the insanely long delay. I haven't had a chance to write anything except for academic stuff for, hm, five months? Nearly half a year. I don't really deserve reviews now, after what I have, or in this case, haven't done. I merely wish whoever reads this enjoys doing so, one way or another. Happy New Year. ^_^
CLIFFHANGERS... WELL, YOU COULD ALL SEE SPARE HASN'T CHANGED ONE BIT...