DISCLAIMER: Magic Kaito is the respective creation and property of Gosho Aoyama.
AUTHOR: Melpomene-the-Tragic-Parody
MAIN CHARACTERS: Kaito Kuroba, Aoko Nakamori
CHAPTER: #8
TITLE: On a Night Like This, Come Fly with Me
INSPIRED BY: ~ A Night Like This, by Caro Emerald & Come Fly With Me, by Frank Sinatra ~
~M.K~
February 14: Valentine's Day…
From the second her alarm blared through the drowsy morning air, Aoko had set herself on a mission and refused to let anything prevent her from carrying it through. She had it all planned out from start to finish. This wasn't going to be like the last two years where she had either been caught up at school or down with the flu. This day was going to be perfect even if it killed her.
Okay, perhaps not 'killed' per se but she wanted it to be the best Valentine's Day ever!
Kaito hadn't been there when she'd woken. She remembered his offhand comment of going out with Jii, putting the finishing touches on his upcoming heist for the Cupid's Arrow, a glittering ruby and diamond necklace that had left her in awe the last she had seen it. Aoko wondered if it was even possible to identity Pandora in such a jewel, but Kaito's refused to left any stone go unturned, especially if they were priceless and sparkly.
Learning the truth about Kaito's night job had been a roller-coaster of emotion, screaming, and anxiety. It had taken both Jii and even Chikage, Kaito's mother, to intervene and assist Kaito in thoroughly explaining how his father Toichi became the Magician Under the Moonlight to protect the Phantom Lady ("Your mother's a thief, too?!" she had exclaimed in horror, realizing it was all in his genes) and why he had deliberately chosen to take on such a dangerous criminal career.
Whether confessing the truth, in the end, had been the right choice had been up in the air for some time. The tension his lies had caused had not been resolved instantaneously alongside the trouble she had faced once she had encountered her father. It had taken even longer for them to settle the largest issue between them.
The tension of supposedly unrequited love revealed to be more than reciprocated, but intense and wondrous.
Kid's routine heists had resumed with extreme vigor. Week upon week went by. Aoko studied hard at university, determined to join the police force. And every weekend, her boyfriend always found a way to make her smile the brightest, even when he was in pain.
Now that they had made it to Aoko's final year, there had certainly been a change of living arrangements. Chikage had finally moved back to Japan to stay, but Kaito had moved out to his own apartment which was located a reasonable distance between his childhood home and Jii's bar, the Blue Parrot. The best part had been the fact that it wasn't just his; it was theirs. Not only did it make traveling a little more convenient, but it brought the two lovers closer together.
That hadn't meant that Kaito had forgotten her this day. The sweetest part of the morning was waking up surrounded by rose petals and a tray of fruit, her favorite coffee, and slightly-too-sweet blueberry waffles (literally the only breakfast food he didn't burn… much).
It was an uplifting start to the day. So, when it all completely spiraled out of control, Aoko seriously wondered if she had somehow managed to offend the gods in some horrendous way.
Since it had been clearly established that Kaito's absence would last throughout the day, she had planned a romantic little dinner on their balcony for the night. It had its own charm with her rustic little garden, a cozy glass table, sleek chairs, and the quaint porch swing for the nights she and Kaito curled up after a long, hard day's work. She had rearranged the flower pots, brought out candles, and tried not to turn the balcony into a pink and red balloon nightmare. Kaito would have a laugh of it, but she would be utterly embarrassed.
Also, Aoko credited herself on being a decent cook, in spite of Kaito's teasing ("Like you're any better," was her usual comeback). She admitted that meat was her problem point, always cooking it until it was too soft, burnt, or dry, but everything else was simple to handle.
A bit of slightly overcooked food, she could handle. The world suddenly shifting under her feet, she could not.
When Kid's heist finally started that night, Aoko debated just eating out for dinner. That was, of course, if anywhere would still be open for business. There was probably enough time for her to clean up before he arrived, and she had a few decent tricks to cover the repugnant scent of burnt meat. In her heart, she knew she wasn't to blame for the accident. Everything had been going swimmingly until the entire room began to shake, toppling the pots, cutlery, wall decor, and delicate vases of flowers all over the floor.
The internet had exploded with news of the earthquake and Aoko had been so distracted that she forgot to turn off the slow cooker containing the meat when the shaking stopped and the building evacuated its occupants, and thus it had burnt to a dark brown crisp when the liquid evaporated when she was finally allowed to return. She had been too busy trying to clean up the mess that her other pots had spewed across the floor.
Irrationally, she thought that the gods must have been angry to do that. The only food left nearly unharmed was the chocolate cake she'd set safely aside. And it was lopsided.
So here she was, tossing away ruined food, shattered glass, and broken ceramics with a heavy heart. Perhaps Valentine's Day just wasn't for her and Kaito, or anyone else, really. Thankfully, the news showed few injuries and no reported deaths, which appeased her worry for the people of Beika. Any damage hadn't occurred on her side of town, and thus they were deemed a safer zone. Perhaps the gods weren't that angry. Groaning, she wrung out the mop and inspected the gleaming, slippery floorboards, just as a sound of flapping fabric sounded from the balcony.
Aoko froze on the spot. There was only one way she'd hear something like that here. Utterly embarrassed, she spun around to witness Kaito discard his Kid attire with a light flourish, reappearing in simple black jeans and a blue t-shirt. Without hesitation, he was at her side, his expression marred by both annoyance and relief.
"Oi, don't you know how to pick up your phone?" he demanded. "I've been trying to call you for the past half hour!"
A tinge of rosy pink flooded across her cheeks as she reached around to the counter and held up her phone for him to see; Kaito stared at the shattered, still somewhat wet device.
"Kinda difficult if it's broken!" she retorted. When it slipped off the counter, it had immediately been greeted by wok containing the noodles. She wasn't even sure why the landline didn't work; too busy perhaps? Or maybe the lines had gone out in this part of town. "You know about the earthquake?"
"Know about it? I almost dropped the damn jewel over the side of the building when it happened," he said. "All of Beika felt that!" He sighed softly. "And your dad's okay. He's worried about you, too; kept trying to call you, last I checked."
Aoko blinked until Kaito held up his own phone. "I think you should let him know you're unhurt."
Pushing aside her tumbling emotions about the messed up dinner, Aoko nodded quietly, touched that her father actually put her as a top priority. But as she dialed her father's number, she caught sight of Kaito's curious gaze sweeping over the entire apartment, falling on the dirty dishes in the sink, the lopsided cake, and the large, partially filled garbage bag on the floor. Her embarrassment returned in a mighty wave.
"I see you've had an eventful evening without me," he said smoothly. "Aftershock passed already, right?"
"Yeah, well, not all of us can get our thrills jumping off of buildings, can we?" Aoko replied rhetorically, earning her a soft laugh from Kaito. It was enough to restore a smile to her face as she leaned upwards and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "Welcome home."
"Great to be back," he said, smirking softly. "You go on ahead, I'll finish up here."
Aoko raised an eyebrow. "What? Oh, no, you don't have to do anything! You've had a long day-"
"I insist." With a gentle but firm grip, he urged her in the direction of their bedroom. "Besides, it looks like a restaurant threw up on you."
If she didn't love this man so much, she would have done him in with the mop. But admittedly, she was tired and filthy and in need of a hot bath and clean clothes. Guilty at the relief settling in her chest and for giving him more work than necessary for his day, she hurried to the bedroom and called her father once the door was shut behind her.
He was still at work, but he promised to stop by the next day to see her. Once she explained why he couldn't reach her earlier, his disapproval waned, and sparing a moment of concern for her boyfriend ("Yes, he's still here. It's a mess, so he's helping clean up... Yes, Tou-san, Kaito's cleaning!") he ended the call to rally his subordinates. Aoko took the time to check on Keiko, Hakuba, and Akako, ensuring that they were all safe and well before abandoning the phone on the bed and hastening to the bathroom. At least the water was unaffected.
~M.K~
She wasn't sure how long she had been in the shower, but she was well-refreshed once she exited the bathroom. She had been so busy tucking her hair into a towel that she balked at the sight of a long black thing lying on the bed; it was a garment bag.
"What in the world…?" She wobbled over to the bag and picked up the card left for her to read:
Hey, Aoko,
On such a beautiful night like this, the only thing that could make it better it is having you by my side. Care to join me?
Kaito.
He even added a cute, hand-drawn smiley face, the kind he knew she could never resist smiling at; as predicted, Aoko giggled at his antics to cheer her up. She rested the card on the pillow and reached out to unzip the bag and gasped at the outfit Kaito had laid out for her.
It was a simple two-piece assemble consisting of a sleeveless, white, velvet-and-lace blouse and a cute flowing black tulle skirt. He had included her favorite diamond earrings, an inheritance from her mother, and her most comfortable pair of black flats. Aoko couldn't help but be touched by his gesture, and the intrigue over-weighed the guilt trying to resurface. Had Kaito had his own plans for the evening or was he trying to make up for the disaster the earthquake had left her with?
Whatever it was, Kaito was up to his tricks again. Curiosity won out and Aoko hurried to get dressed. In the mirror, she couldn't help but blush at how well the outfit looked on her. Dashing on a bit of makeup and clipping her hair back from her face, Aoko left their bedroom to meet another surprise.
It was dark outside. Kaito had turned off all the lights except for the ones out on the balcony; their low was visible beyond the kitchen area.
"Kaito?" she called out, momentarily berating herself for almost feeling like she had entered a horror film.
"Out here!" Kaito called back. He was definitely on the balcony.
Shaking her head, Aoko followed the sound of his voice, taking a deep breath to steady herself. Interestingly enough, she caught a whiff of a delicious scent that had her stomach rumbling. Before she could even place what it was, she was at the open door, entirely breathless by the sight that had overtaken the cozy space.
Kaito had cleaned up the fallen flower pots and rearranged the plants all around the little balcony and had thought to get the clear Christmas lights from storage to add to his brand of roses sweetening the air, transforming the space into something out of a magical book. He had covered the table with a shimmering pale fabric topped with candles, their best cutlery, a bottle of wine from the case that Hakuba had given them for Christmas, and the most surprising of all: two pizza boxes and her lopsided chocolate cake.
It was simpler than what she had tried for earlier but far lovelier.
"Oh," she murmured, wide-eyed and gaping at what Kaito had done. It was better than she could have imagined. "How-?"
"If it can be thought, it can be done," Kaito declared proudly, wrapping an arm around her waist. "We're lucky Pizza Bar's only two blocks away and Akihiko-san's still working tonight."
Kaito's eyes danced roguishly.
"I can't believe you did all this! It's beautiful!" Aoko was practically glowing, her diminished mood from earlier fading to a distant hum.
"Happens when you're inspired." Aoko's responding comment was lost on his sudden claim of her lips, and she was hardly in the mood to deny him something so sweet for something so incredibly lovely.
It wasn't unusual for Kaito to pull out spontaneous spectacles for her to enjoy. He considered it both practice for his performances and entertainment to lift her spirits when life got stressful. Between her education and worrying about her father and boyfriend during their nighttime showdowns, that happened more than Aoko would like to admit.
"That looks great on you, by the way," he said against her gasping mouth. He leaned back with a cheeky grin, his eyes roaming below her neck.
Aoko raised her brows, flushing to match Kaito's red roses as she patted her clothes. "Thank you. But you knew that anyway," she added, raising a shaky her hand to her neck, only to pause at the sudden feel of an unusual piece hanging around her neck. She looked down and almost had a heart attack.
She was wearing the Cupid's Arrow, Kid's most recent heist haul. The diamonds and rubies glittered innocently around her neck.
"Are you crazy?" she squeaked, frozen in the attempt of ripping the priceless necklace off and the realization that that was a terrible idea. She was NOT going to be liable for any damages!
Kaito waved his hand dismissively. "No one's going to know," he assured her. "Once I've cleaned it, it'll be like the owner never touched it. Let it have a night out with a lovely lady; it's spent years in a glass case."
Aoko was uncertain which one would grab hold of her: shrieking, crying or laughing. Somehow, they were becoming frequent acquaintances.
"I take it this isn't Pandora, then?" Aoko guessed, steadying her heart for both their sakes. "You wouldn't be so blatant with it unless it was just another gem."
'Just another gem' was putting it mildly. The largest ruby was crafted in the form of an arrowhead-or was it was heart?-as the sheer splendor of it was breathtaking. Diamonds and smaller rubies littered the golden curves of the necklace, arched out like a bow. Aoko had literally never worn anything so expensive in her life.
"No, it's not," Kaito confirmed. "I'm tempted not to give it back. It really suits you…"
Aoko refrained from glaring at him. "As sweet as that is, I don't think I should be wearing this. It could pay for my tuition three times over!"
"Four," Kaito corrected. "I'll send it back first thing in the morning. I promise. But will you keep it on for now? Please?"
It wasn't fair, being assaulted by a wave of cuteness. Though she secretly thought it was the sweetest thing, Aoko fought hard to resist the pleading of those wide blue eyes, yearning and soulful as a puppy, in spite of his expression remaining serenely still. Kaito only ever dropped that part of his Poker face when he knew it could get under her skin.
And considering all he went through to give her a magical Valentine's Day date, she realized he was winning.
"Okay, fine, I'll wear it," Aoko relented. "But only for an hour! Whoa, Kaito!"
A piercing squeal escaped her lips as he grasped her around the waist and swung her around, so wildly that it was a miracle they didn't bump into anything. Aoko felt like she was flying. Her heart thrumming happily, Aoko realized that Kaito was in a good mood. Not because of a successful heist, or maybe even Valentine's Day.
Whatever it was, she liked it. A lot.
"What's gotten into you?" she giggled.
Kaito smirked. "Cake."
Sure enough, an examination of the dinner table revealed that a huge chunk of her mishap of a V-Day cake had gone missing. It slowly dawned on her that his lips were sweeter than usual. It was the first wave of success Aoko could muster from her long evening; her desserts always appealed to Kaito's sweet tooth, no matter what they looked like.
"It's always sugar, isn't it?" Aoko asked, her lips quivering and utterly demolishing her reprimanding visage.
Kaito's grip around her loosened and he lightly returned her feet to the floor. Aoko blinked, wondering if she had said something to offend him, but was pleasantly surprised by the blue rose bouquet that sprung up in his hand between them. Their favorite flowers.
"Maybe, maybe not." Kaito led her over to the table and sat opposite her, his chiseled face illuminated by the candlelight. "Just glad the apartment's in one piece."
Aoko could have sworn that was a mild barb at her cooking, only to recognize that a glint of concern had returned to his eyes. The only time he gave her such a look was when he was under the impression that her life was in danger.
The earthquake.
"It was worst on the west side of town," Aoko reminded him, grasping on his hand; she felt a slight tremor under her fingers. "I'm fine, Kaito. Really."
"I know that. I just…" His eyes flickered off across to the lights of the city. Even in the distance, they could hear car alarms. His fingers tightened around hers as if the touch alone would grant her understanding of his unspoken words. Aoko knew him well enough that it did, his poker face be damned.
Don't scare me like that, Ahoko. I don't want anything happening to you. Had me worrying like that, I thought maybe…
"I love you, too," she said softly, jarring him from his thoughts.
Kaito blinked, scratching the side of his blushing face.
"And this smells so good," she added, opening the nearest pizza box and saving him from the awkwardness of giving a sentimental reply when his love was already in his eyes. "With extra onions, too!"
"Well, it's your favorite, isn't it?" Kaito grinned at her as she loaded their plates with slices. The other was his favorite, the cheesy meat-eater's special.
"It never occurred to me to order pizza," Aoko continued, relishing the crunch of meat and onion beneath her teeth.
"Really?" Kaito asked innocently. His eyes were gleaming. "Pizza's Italian. Italian food's romantic."
Aoko almost choked on her pizza slice, trying hard not to roll her eyes or laugh. Kaito could be so ironically goofy, but it was one of the reasons she loved him so much. Silliness and all.
~M.K~
March 14: White Day…
Aoko had established her presence at the Blue Parrot, awaiting his and Jii's return. Considering how the heist ended, Kaito was looking forward to spending the evening with her, especially since he had confirmed that there was no damage to his backup equipment. From the moment Kaito materialized from the secret backroom to their underground base, she was on her feet and at his side, her soft fingers grazing along his jaw, inspecting the scruffy red mark with worried curiosity.
"Are you okay? What did you do to Kudo-kun to make him do this?" she asked, brows raised.
Kaito went pink. His grand departure of the night had partially been interrupted by a shockingly speedy soccer ball kicked at his head by Kudo from the roof of the building where the Sparrow's Star had been displayed. It was a reminiscent gesture of his frustration at the Teleportation Heist those years ago, back when the Kid Killer had literally been a kid himself. Kaito had barely swerved out of the way to avoid a crushing impact that might have sent him tumbling into a building and had to settle for the burn mark instead.
He recalled the thundering sound of footsteps on his tail; it had been a comforting familiarity to Kaito, ironically enough, as he had followed his routed exit strategy in perfect timing. There had been no sign of Snake and his men and he'd managed to trap Kudo in the broom cupboard while disguised as his fiancee, Ran Mouri; the said girl in question had been lured out with a fake message from Kudo (on behalf of Kid), and the ensued chaos was not something he wanted to stick around for.
What happened in the broom cupboard would stay in the broom cupboard, as far as anyone was concerned, especially Kudo. Kaito wasn't sure whether he should laugh it off or move to a different country.
He wasn't sure Aoko would be up for that life-changing choice. He checked for the time; he had ten minutes left to enact his escape route. If he missed the mark, he would be late for his date with Aoko and he had no intention of disappointing her.
"Hold it, Kid!" the inspector had screamed from down the hall. In a heartbeat, Kaito had disappeared up the stairs, determined to check and see whether the Sparrow's Star in his pocket was Pandora. If not, he would probably leave it for Inspector Nakamori or Kudo to find and save on postage stamps.
A few turns, tricks, and taunt-trades later, Kaito had stationed himself on the roof, examining the glistening circular jewel safely encased in a golden sparrow… which had not Pandora. Rather than wallow, he'd simply tucked the gem back in his pocket and listened for the thundering footsteps of Inspector Nakamori and his Task Force officers growing louder and closer by the second.
Kaito shrugged and sat on the nearest stool in the bar, thinking about when he had peered at his audience gathered for his latest performance, cheering his name with gusto. Endeared to their encouragement, his eyes had sought out the one person in the crowd, always hovering near the outskirts with her bright banner in hand, cheering on her father as she usually would when she could attend a heist.
The same person standing in front of him, fussing over his bruise and cleaning it with the first aid kit Jii had brought in.
Most would have thought it to be a bizarre situation, supporting one's father in arresting their beloved, but appearances had to be kept. Aoko, as far as anyone knew, still hated Kid, and she did; Kid's continued existence meant that Pandora was still out there and two of the most important people in her life had to live in a lie. Nowadays, her protesting his heists came from the desire to see all the danger end, rather than at Kaito himself.
And it was a good opportunity for her to vent when he couldn't hear her. Funnily enough, it gave her a sense of catharsis.
But other routines had to be met, and they were. Such as his escape from her father and disappearing into the night. He had been sure to get close enough to tuck the priceless gem in the inspector's pocket before departing, leaving him with the success of rescuing the glimmering stone. There were compromises, too.
"So," Aoko prompted. "What did you do to Kudo-kun this time?"
"Eh, he'll get over it," Kaito said with a dismissive wave of his hand. 'When hell freezes over… heh….'
Aoko didn't look convinced, but she put the band-aid across his cheekbone with a gentle touch. Satisfied that he was taken care of, she sat on the stool beside him, looking slightly green. He had initially chalked it up to her anxiety for him getting injured, but they had cleared passed that. The heist was a success, he and Inspector Nakamori were safe, the jewel was returned. Now the two of them would be free to spend the rest of the evening together as they had planned. It was White Day, after all, and Kaito had promised to give her anything she wanted, besides the box of white chocolates he had delivered that morning.
The thought clicked together something he hadn't expected. She was dressed warmly in a simple blue blouse with her favorite faded jeans and black jacket. She was still shivering.
"You're looking for an excuse not to do this, aren't you?" he guessed, grinning around at her blushing figure.
"That's not it!" Aoko protested, but her expression said otherwise.
From over the counter, Jii's interest piked at the vague discussion brewing between the young couple while he prepared the bar for their late night patrons. Wherever it was going, he suspected that it was related to Kaito asking for the night off from work.
"You're the one who asked to go, remember?" Kaito continued teasingly. "Kekeke! Is Nakamori Aoko backing down from a challenge? I didn't bother changing out of this for nothing, you know!"
He gestured to his Kid outfit. That seemed to hit a nerve. "Of course not, Bakaito!" she said in annoyance. "I just…."
Kaito slid off the stool and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing. Besides, we've done it before. Heck, I did it tonight!"
"I wasn't conscious then! And you almost fell!"
Now Jii's interest had peaked. "Should I be worried?" he inquired.
Kaito laughed nervously under his mildly suspicious gaze. This weekend had been an adventure of Aoko's own request. They chose to do it during the night; there was a lesser chance of them being observed, though Beika was used to the odd Kid sighting every once in a while.
"Oh, never mind!" Aoko said quickly before Kaito could respond, grabbing his hand and dragging him to the exit with a surprising amount of strength. "See you tomorrow!"
Kaito almost felt sorry for the older man, staring at their retreating figures, completely nonplussed.
"Young people these days," he heard him chuckle. "Or should I say, 'those two…'?"
~M.K~
"Bad idea! Very bad idea!"
"Aoko, it was your idea!"
Kaito sighed silently as her grip around his neck tightened. He hoped she wouldn't choose now of all times to strangle him, considering how high they were from the ground in the middle of the night. He had an inkling that she would rather brave another earthquake than gaze down at the earth from such a high vantage point. Personally, he preferred her up here in his arms rather some broken rubble on the ground. The thought made him shiver more than the chilly night.
"Ahoko, relax!" Kaito said loudly. "I'm not going to drop you! I know what I'm doing!"
That hardly changed a damn thing.
It had been against his better judgment to even bring her with him on the hang glider, but after weeks of pestering on Aoko's part, he finally relented to take her on her first experience. At least, her first conscious experience; the first time at Touto Tower didn't count as far as she was concerned. He would have expected a vacation in Osaka ("Not to pester Hattori, I swear!" he had protested sometime earlier that week when he suggested it) or an all-day tour of her favorite sweet shops. Aoko generally wanted little to do with activities he donned as Kid, but genuine curiosity had won out when she had spent an entire day with his mother, who had told her of the real story as to how she had met his father.
Naturally, his mother had gone all wistful at the memory and it sounded so romantic to Aoko that it led them right into this situation. There was no turning back now.
The moment her grip tightened around him, he started to regret it.
But there were only so many requests he could resist when she gave him those ridiculous eyes. Who did she think she was, a kitten?
"Aoko, I promise, I won't drop you," he assured her as they soared over the nightlife of Beika City. Whoever saw them would barely glimpse Kid, and in her dark clothes, Aoko blended into the night sky. "Don't you trust me?"
Shivering, she nodded and loosened her grip enough to let him breathe. It was a start. Breathing nervously, she peered tentatively at the world below her; her mouth fell open in awe.
The lights outlined every crevice of a town she had only known from the ground, only witness from building at a distance during the night. But Kaito knew she had never seen a view like this, as though the world below her was racing past, alight with bright lights and minuscule people. It was nothing like an airplane, the feeling of the wind against their skin; her flushed face glowed with absolute wonder. He could almost imagine what it would have been like to be in Paris to have a nighttime view like this. No wonder his mother always gushed about it. It became something magical when you were with someone you loved.
"It's beautiful," she muttered, too frozen to move, but too amazed to turn away.
Kaito grinned cheekily at her. "Yeah, the view's the best part."
It took a moment for her to realize, to Kaito's amusement, that he wasn't looking at the town, but at her. Blushing, she reverted her eyes to a particular building in the distance as the sound of chiming bells rang over Beika.
"The Clock Tower," she said fondly. The place they had first met, their special place. It was brightly lit, visible and glowing from their sky-high view. To see it from the sky like this was a dream. "Thank you, Kaito."
Kaito smirked at her. "You're welcome, my lady." Her blush brightened as he leaned in and kissed her cold lips, both lost in a world that was entirely their own.
~M.K~
FURTHER NOTES:
I think I got diabetes writing this.
I apologize for posting a whole week late but it's been a really weird week. Life outside writing is a pain. I didn't finish the original Valentine's Day story on time, which was why I added it to this one. That's why it seems more like two stories in one rather than one overall plot. It's sort of a bonus for an extremely late chapter, so in a weird way, it's for this week and last week. I don't think White Day is celebrated anywhere else but Japan, and it would be weird to say it. I tried to go for a more cheerful atmosphere this time around rather than my usual angst.
And no, before you ask, I'm not going to tell you what happened in the broom cupboard. What happened in the broom cupboard stays in the broom cupboard.
Reviews and criticisms are welcome.
—MELPOMENE-THE-TRAGIC-PARODY, signing out.