Finally, I update something. It's so hard to fight off lazyness and ADD.

Stripes "It's about time"

EEEEEK! How did you get here?!

Stripes "The door's open"

.....

Brago "You! How dare you get me drunk!"

Stripes "Crud!"*runs away*

Brago "Get back here!" *Chases*

No, Brago! Don't kill her! I still need her for my story! *chases*

Tio "Enjoy the story!"

Everyone "What are you doing here?!!!"

Ch. 6

Unexpected Acquaintance

The next morning, everything was peaceful. The morning sun was just beginning to peak through the dark gold curtains of the living room, striking a certain demon directly in the face. Brago groaned in annoyance of the sudden brightness striking his face and attempted to roll over, but something kept him pinned on his back.

After another unsuccessful attempt to roll over, he slightly opened his eyes and lifted his head to see what was stopping him. Laying on top of him sound asleep was none other than Stripes. He blinked a couple of times in disbelief before lifting his hand to nudge her, noticing that he didn't have the strength to lift her up. She stirred, but quickly settled down again and nuzzled into his fur shirt. Brago glared at her for this, but left her alone as a horrible pain crept into his head.

He laid back down and closed his eyes, raising his hand to shield his face from the unwanted light "Ugh, what happened?"

He stayed like that for a couple of minutes, nearly dozing off again before Stripes constant shifting began to annoy him. He looked up at her with a stiff glare, though he had trouble keeping it with the throbbing pain in his head and the curiosity of the strange red cream on her face.

She blinked at him a few time, clearly still tired, before speaking. "Brago? Why am I...ugh!" she was interrupted when her head started pounding against itself as if ready to explode and laid back down.

Brago ignored her pain and nudged her again, having regained a little strength, but not enough to lift her "Get off of me"

Stripes looked at him while holding her throbbing head "Why am I on you…..and what's that stuff on your face?"

"What stuff?" Brago asked.

He then took the back of his hand and wiped it across his mouth. When he looked at it again, he saw a smear of red.

"….I'm bleeding?" he said more to himself, but Stripes could still hear him.

Suddenly the television across from the couch they were on turned on, playing a strange video.

Stripes immediately sat up and stared at the box "Brago, what's that?"

He ignored her as he watched the images.

On the screen, Sherry was applying lipstick and other kinds of make up to Brago's face while he just sat there calmly waiting for her to finish

"What the hell?" Brago said with a confused and embarrassed expression.

"You don't know how much fun that was" both demons turned to face Sherry, who was standing in the doorway holding the remote with a huge grin on her face.

"What is…" Stripes started but she was quickly silenced by Sherry.

"Shhh" she said, holding her finger up over her mouth "You'll miss the best part"

They both gave her an inquiring look, but their attention was drawn back to the TV upon hearing Stripes' squeak. She was standing up and shivering, her upper pants stained with water.

Brago smiled dumbly at her "Howz it feel?"

"I-Itz cold" Stripes said with chattering teeth. "Am I done?"

Sherry shook her head with a large grin on her face "No, you have to take one more"

She held out an ice tray. Stripes reluctantly took a piece and quickly slid it into her pants, making more squeaks as cold water slid down her legs.

"What is the point of this game?" Brago asked.

Sherry merely shushed him again and pointed at the TV with a bigger grin than before "Just watch"

"Okay, now its Brago's turn" Sherry said while picking up the dice to roll.

She moved his piece forward a few blocks before stopping and placing it down on a blue space. Despite this, she picked up a yellow card.

"Miss Sherry, that's…" Albert started, but Sherry quickly stopped him.

"These are more fun" she said to him with a big smile. She then turned back to the demons "Ok Brago you have to…" she quickly read over the card and frowned at his boring task. It quickly turned into a devious smile as she thought up a great alternative "…kiss Stripes"

"What!" Brago yelled with a slight blush on his face. He turned to Sherry, who was still smiling "Why would…"

She shushed him again "Just watch and see"

Albert peeked over Sherry shoulder and read the card "Miss Sherry, that's not…"

Sherry quickly covered his mouth to stop him from ruining her scheme "Well, what'll it be Brago? Kiss her or move back 4 spaces?"

Stripes raised her hand and shouted "Yeah, what cha gonna do?! Can you do it, Braggy?!"

Brago smiled dumbly at her "I'm not gonna let you win" he quickly grabbed her and pulled her into a kiss.

Stripes squeaked again before wrapping her arms around his shoulders deepening it, her tail wagging high behind her.

Sherry stared in amazement at what she was seeing "….wow….he actually did it"

Albert shook his head "Did it have to be the lips?"

After an unbelievably long minute, they pulled away, leaving Stripes lips stained with lipstick.

Brago nodded in satisfaction of his actions "There, all done"

Stripes nodded at him and then turned to Sherry with an eager smile "Okay, my turn! My turn!"

Sherry just sat there in a daze.

"Sherry?!" both demons said in a unison whine.

Sherry snapped out of her daze "oh uh, right" she reached for the dice.

Sherry paused the video and looked at the two sitting on the couch, both unbelievably red with embarrassment.

"Well, I think it was nice way to express your feelings" Sherry stated since neither of them looked like they would speak.

Brago shook his head and turned to look at his book keeper's smirk. Anger quickly took over at the sight of it and he turned and grabbed Stripes by her shirt collar, ignoring his fatigue and shaking her a few times to snap her out of her trance "What the hell did you think you were doing?!"

Stripes looked into his fiery eyes still in shock "Me? I didn't do anything"

Brago pointed towards the TV with a growl "Then what do you call that?!"

Stripes shook her head, her blush now a faint pink "I don't remember doing that; the box is lying!"

Sherry could barely hold back her laughter, and let it out once she heard Stripes' comment.

Brago quickly turned to look at her. Throwing Stripes onto the couch, he got up and walked over to her furious while fighting off his sudden dizziness "And what the hell is so funny?!"

Sherry up righted herself, with tears forming in the corner of her eyes and a hand draped over her abdomen "You are" this answer only earned her a glare. Sherry noted the glare and tried to calm down to no avail "You know, it's kinda hard for you to look menacing with lipstick on".

Brago turned even more red, if possible and was about to speak when a loud crash followed by the sound of glass hitting the floor interrupted his thought. They looked over at the enraged Stripes standing in front of the destroyed TV, still slightly blushing.

"That's what you get for making up lies box!" Stripes yelled at it.

Brago smirked at this and turned back to face his shocked book keeper.

Sherry flashed him a quick glare before turning back to Stripes "That wasn't necessary!"

Stripes looked at her and pointed at the remains of the television "Well, it asked for it. Making up lies like that…"

Sherry shook her head and sighed "That wasn't a lie. I recorded it last night after you two drank ever bottle of alcohol in the kitchen"

Stripes took a step back and her blush deepened "….So we…"

Brago jumped in "This is your fault!"

Stripes looked at him surprised "M-My fault!"

"If you hadn't given me that drink…" Brago started

Stripes interrupted him, now standing in his face "Hey, you didn't have to drink any! And you were the one that kissed me, so don't try …" she was interrupted by laughter.

They both turned and glared at Sherry "What the hell is so funny?!" they yelled in unison, give or take a few words.

She wiped a tear that had formed at the corner of her eye and looked up at their flushed red faces "You sure argue like a couple"

This remark seemed to have silenced both of them until Brago came up with a response.

"I'm not here for that and even if I was, it would not be with her" he said calmly while crossing his arms across his chest.

Stripes looked at him with a hurt expression and crossed her arms a little lower so that her hands rested on her hips in an insecure manner "…you could at least try to be nice…"

"We're not here to make friends or anything. We're in a battle for the throne…" he moved his face closer to hers for emphasis "and no one will stop me, especially not you"

Stripes bit her bottom lips and tightened her grip on her sides to keep from responding as she hurried passed him and out of sight.

Brago felt a pang of guilt, but didn't let it get any further than that. With a shrug, he moved to leave through a different doorway "We're leaving soon, be ready"

Sherry looked at him concerned "Brago, that was…"

"Be ready!" he said firmly before leaving her alone.

Sherry sighed aloud "Well, that's not how I wanted to start the day" she looked over at the destroyed electronic in thought "I wonder if the tape is okay?"

Meanwhile, Oliver and Taylor were sitting in a rather nice diner eating breakfast.

Taylor took another bite of her fluffy pancakes and smiled in bliss "Mmm, so good!"

Olivia ignored her sister as she speedily ate her meal. She finished and held her hand out "Give me your phone"

Taylor looked up from her plate puzzled "Huh, why?"

"I need to call and cancel our flight to Japan since Stripes is here in France, now gimme" she said rather impatiently while flexing her hands for emphasis.

"No" she responded before returning her attention to her food. "After all this is over, you could use a vacation and I here Japan is a great tourist spot" she took another bite of her pancake and smiled again in bliss.

Olivia looked at her sister in disbelief "How can you even think about that at a time like this?"

"Easy, you just need to stop over thinking everything" Taylor responded.

"You're too optimistic"

"You're too high strung"

Olivia sighed and leaned back in her seat, looking out the window and tapping her pointer finger against the table impatiently waiting for her sister to finish.

"You better be okay Stripes" she thought to herself.

A few minutes later, Sherry stood waiting by the front door as Brago approached her, his face now clean of last night's activities. The side pouch his book is normally in at her waste while Stripes' recently fixed bag hung from her shoulder.

"You have everything you need?" he asked without looking at her.

Sherry nodded "Yes, but how are we going to find your book"

Brago looked at her with a disbelieving glance "She'll lead of to it of course"

Sherry's face stiffened into a sort of pout "Really, after how you've been treating her…"

"Don't worry about that" he interrupted before walking passed her to the door.

"It's a little late for that" she said and dramatically rolled her eyes before following.

Just outside the door, Stripes sat on the top step staring blankly at her bare feet, her face also clean. Upon hearing the door open, she turned and looked at the grimmer demon expectantly.

Brago glanced down at her before descending the steps "We're leaving"

"Okay" she said with a slight grin before standing and following him.

Sherry watched in disbelief at her actions "…Is she serious?"

She descended the stairs and quickened her pace until she was walking beside Stripes. She glanced over to study the demon besides her. She had a happy atmosphere to her and a calm content smile on her face.

She leaned closer and whispered in her ear "How come you're going along with this?"

Stripes looked at her confused "What do you mean? You don't want your book back?"

Sherry shook her head "No, I do, but aren't you mad at Brago or worried about what'll happen when we get it?"

Stripes shook her head "No" she looked down at the ground with a sad smile "He's right. We're here to decide the next ruler and we'd have to fight eventually" She looked back up with a heartwarming smile "But we're also here to learn and even if I don't win, at least I gave it my all"

Sherry looked at her shocked for a moment before smiling back.

Brago grunted loudly "What are you doing? Hurry up and show me where my book is"

"Okay!" she said cheerfully and walked passed him.

Brago followed close behind her and though he tried to ignore it, he couldn't help but think about the conversation that they tried to keep him from hearing. Her response seemed odd to him.

"…would I be that content if I…" he shook his head to clear the thought. "What am I thinking?! I'm going to win this battle" he growled "Damn girl making me doubt myself"

Sherry walked behind and stared curiously at her partner's behavior but didn't question it, they've had enough conflict for one day.

Elsewhere, the man from before was walking through a thick patch of trees, being careful not to snag on anything.

"Wait" a voice called

The man stopped and stuck his free hand in his pocket "What's up?"

"They're moving"

The man sighed "These targets you've picked are proving to be quite a hassle"

"Even so, they will still fall before me. Hurry Drake"

"Yeah, yeah" he responded before turning and walking in a different direction.

Yes, Quelf is a scary game. I made up the kissing thing, but the ice cube and make up one are real^^

Now to go update my other stufOOOH, CHOCOALTE!

This had to be edited do to some really stupid mistake. The next ch should go up soon......maybe^^ Please R&R if you like