Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Knights. As I have said:insertnumberheretoolazytoolookupthissimplefactbadauthor: times before.

Warnings: Oddness as always. Minor swearing. Flipping images.

Note: And, as before... A little reminder. Last chapter was RxC, this one is Thatchel, next is RuxTint, then the finale. n-n Wrapping It Up: Stage II. Oh. And this song isn't insanely longer than most stupidly long slow-dance songs. This chapter cuts back to the middle of 12, and 13 takes place at around the same time.

:n:

The dance floor was eerily crowded.

Normally close to empty during such sap-laden songs, it was near packed. Hardly any bodies remained seated upon the painstakingly cold bleachers, and it appeared as though those outside had made a rare immigration into the gymnasium as well.

The notes of the gentle music rose a step higher, and two pairs of green eyes raised wry brows as they scanned the room's contents.

"Hey. Is that Rune?"

"And Tintlett."

Kitchel grinned, smug. "I told her he'd ask before the night was up."

Thats shook his head, slightly amazed beside himself.

"I could've sworn he'd chicken out."

"Hah," the girl still awkwardly clutching his hand laughed, "He probably did. Bets that she had to ask?"

"Hell yeah."

And so they talked, words forming casually on their lips, both attempting to improvise a scriptless act. Minimize was the word of the hour, and the two of them knew how to do just that.

"I couldn't see too well, but I think she was the one who approached him."

Her bronze rimmed eyes lit up, glistening a third-set green.

"So what, idiot? I was the one who came up to you."

Thats paused, startled at the truth to her words. An almost nonexistent flush traced over his cheeks.

Their voices sounded painfully dulled upon the backdrop of sweetened music and romance.

A glimpse out of place, a beat out of time, a world beyond that which they were trailing their steps in.

"This is as good a spot as any."

"Right," Kitchel nodded.

It was a desperate tearing of reality into facade.

And she bit her lip, trying to force the imitation back into the norm; nothing had changed.

"You know how to do this?"

"Not a damn clue."

"Good," he smirked slightly, "Same here."

And yet, he thought, That was what was wrong in the first place.

Somehow they had pulled back into normalcy. They were suddenly too like all the other actors on the stage, when to stand out in auditions one needs to be extraordinary.

She dropped his hand, standing before him.

"Ah..."

Her grasp shifted onto his upper arms, his to hers. And they stood, two feet apart in the semidarkness.

He coughed nervously.

"So, uh..."

Her gaze was stuck on the wooden floor, her thoughts on piecing together the faulted boards.

Improvisation required spontaneity, while what they were mimicking was nothing but a dry reading. She wasn't sure when the script had been placed into their hands, but...

...His bet was that it didn't belong to either of them. Thats felt a wry grin tugging at his lips. To be a gambler, one needed to be able to make decisions at the roll of a die, at the spin of a wheel.

This new being, they both agreed, was a sudden addition of too much hesitation. It was a shoddy bluff, far from invisible, and nothing to the carefree ease of before.

Lines tossed to the metaphor-stained ground, he took a step closer.

And a red curtain fell to a whispering brush of lips.

:n:

Hououza: ...It's FULL:impressed: Wow. I must remember to check out your bio next time I'm searching for a fic to read... Computing... Eh. I don't think that would work out so well for me, either... :blinks: 14. 14? That's... A lot. o-o Who, like random telemarketers?

Peridot-chan:big eyes: The pretty, pretty name... Forgetful equals Ally. :shifty eyes: And research reports equal evil.

Kat: I really do like your stuff. Honestly. And:waves hands frantically: you don't have to apologize! Really! I swear I honesttoKharl'sstolenlavenderlacypanties don't mind! Stuff from people I don't actually know is more... Uh... What's the word I'm looking for? Amusing? No. Um. Weird? Shocking? Trippy? I have no clue. I hope you get the point, though. God knows I wouldn't. :sweatdrop:

Capella: n-n I liked that bit myself. I'm not too sure why. The feather reminded me of this one time the popular girls took feather boas to the school dance and got up on the speakers and offered to freak with any boy, so about half the guys started lining up to dance with them... :coughs: Yeah. But that has nothing to do with anything...

Sarehptar: Hmm. Now that I think about it, your name sounds like a type of bird. Some type of pheasant, I think. :sweatdrop: As before, it's okay... :waves off:gives birdie cotton candy as present for chirping: