Frozen fire

The young Nepali girl was chatting detachedly with a few of the older dancers participating in tomorrow's performance with her. Many were giving their congratulations, some jealously through their teeth, on her awarded front row position. All through it her face remained perfectly composed and pasted with a courteous smile. The observing demon could hardly understand. Was she not excited?

The demon's mouth pulled down at the edges momentarily as he watched. He was standing on the far wall overseeing the dress rehearsal with Du Desert and Michele as a supportive figure for Aiko. Not that he knew if she even realized he had not left. Aiko was just acting too unreadable for some reason. It was really beginning to worry him.

Baptiste strode into the room with dark rings under his eyes and snapped at the loitering dancers to get in position. The instrumentals immediately straightened up under his foul mood and readied themselves. Jean slammed his heel into the ground, one hand clutching his precious violin as the other rose impatiently to claim all attention. Everyone held their positions in anticipation of his Que. Finally, the İtalian brought his hand down in a sharp motion that started the song.

Once again his attention was brought back to Aiko. She swayed forth on her toes well, swishing her skirts in time with the others around her. The young girl did well maintaining the relative balance of spaces they were taught to keep at all times. It seemed her fourth step was never remembered though, she was half a second late every time. But she did wonderful alongside the humans. It made her caretaker/angel proud. The only problem was her demeanor.

Her expression was empty, her limbs were too stiff, and she had no emotion whatsoever. The raven could not understand. Aiko's dancing used to be free. She used to visibly enjoy going out and doing things with everyone. Aiko had not even visited the kitchens here nor did she ever do more than keep practice dates! It was almost as if Versailles had completely changed her... Ever since she recovered from the fire... The demon had noticed things. He did not know if Undertaker noticed it but one never knew with the shinigami.

The Violinist grimaced. His eyes were shrewdly assessing the dancers and his ears trained on the band players. Every little musical mistake was pointed out immediately and berated without mercy. The brunette man was fixated on perfection as his mind wandered. You would see him twitch when he snapped himself back into reality. The demon found the behaviour quite interesting to watch. He had not really seen the man like this before so he had no inkling what may have put him into this mood. Something very close to home, certainly, since it possessed his mind so strongly. A man perhaps?

A long nailed hand brushed against his coat sleeve lightly, drawing the demon's attention to the funeral director next to him. The man pretended to look behind him at the twirling dancers as if he were not there. That was when he caught it. A pink silk ribbon was coming loose from a second row girl's bun. The undertaker sniggered quietly as it drifted down to disaster. They turned quickly to side step with a straight locked point on the foot that was not touching down. The plain faced girl next to her slid on it, her ankle twisting as the momentum kept her going. In a flash of black she was falling into the strange man's arms instead of connecting to the floor. Her eyes met with beautiful mahogany ones and she nearly gasped. All the dancers around them jumped back in confusion before realizing what just happed.

Lully cut off the music with temporarily wide eyes. The dancers took the injured girl from the raven to a seat by the wall. It was amazing how fast they had forgotten that the girl's savior had not been humanly capable of moving to her aide so quickly. They were far too concerned with the girl herself.

The Italian cursed to himself looking over at the blonde woman. He was even more frustrated now. "Can you still dance?" he asked brusquely. The dancer shook her head no, looking down at her swelling ankle with tears pricking at her chocolate eyes. Baptiste's eyes darkened as he stomped to the side of the room and engaged Du Desert in worn out questioning. "Do you have any understudies for this?"

The French born man shook his head. "This is the whole group, including our one understudy. I have no one else who knows this." Gallant answered him honestly, with a touch of personal irritation towards Lully.

"No one at all?" he asked again in agitation.

This time Michele spoke up. "Other than ourselves. But i am too thin for Francisca's dress; her chest is broader than mine. I would not fit." she explained in detail pointing to where it would fall everywhere.

Just as Lully looked ready to punch a hole through a wall, a cackle sent shivers up their spines. The entire room, including the demon, turned to see the silver haired shinigami smiling hugely. None of them, with the exception of Aiko and the raven, had ever heard him make a sound much less so loud. The man was known for being evanescent at best. "Fête knows." he laughed in passable French.

The demon blanched on the inside while outwardly just making a questioning face. Lully cast a skeptic-and hopeful- look towards him. "Is that true, Mon ami?" the room waited for his affirmative nod. Before he could open his mouth to quickly voice his rejection of the implied request, Michele interrupted with her approval.

"Aha! That is true! And your chest is broader than mine, perhaps just enough to make up for her bosom!" Michele exclaimed happily looking back over him to size his body up.

Gallant lit up in excitement. "Oui, and you offered if we were in need. What do you say?" he added to his reasons to feel obligated to comply.

The raven really wanted to decline and tear out the Undertaker's heart for suggesting this in the first place. What was he up to? Trying to make fun of him certainly. The man that had sucked him off not too long ago gave him an imploring look at the hesitation. "Please, monsieur, if we do not have someone to fill the position it will upset the balance and we have not the time to adjust the dancers to a new routine." Jean Baptiste Lully nudged. Insinuating he would condemn their performance if he did not agree. Very low... But Aiko had been working hard for this. The demon glanced at her lingeringly. Her face was blank but for a broken look in her eyes. It was too important to her.

The raven haired man shook his head in submission. "Alright, i will do it." he agreed finally to the relief of the three artists.

Lully grinned as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "Then we will go through it a few times again for you and afterwards we will try on the dress. Mademoiselle, will you fetch it?" he bid Michele who went immediately to the uniform room. "Do step right- well, stay where you are actually, since you have not moved." the curly haired man joked.

His hand rose in time with the strike of his heel and started the music once again. The demon blended his timing with the group, minding tweak his movements to mirror theirs more. Aiko was right in front of him to where he noticed her downward slouch that appeared out of nowhere, making her dancing look depressed. Was she okay? He did not dwell long on it when his gaze caught the attentive brown of Lully's stare. The demon could feel the undercurrent of lust the scrutiny revealed within Baptiste. The demon shot him a sultry smirk that unsettled him little... Above the pant line. It was obvious he was hot under the collar to the demon.

After the regular dancers were dismissed, Lully took the bundle of clothes from Michele and turned a bit disappointed to see Aiko and Undertaker still in the room. "Aiko, it is not proper for a young woman to watch a man change who is her guardian. Naughty girl." he joked lightly, urging her to leave.

When neither she nor Undertaker moved to leave, the demon sighed. His day was long enough already. "Eclair, please take Aiko back to our room." he ordered. The shinigami gave him a hard look but smiled sickly sweet before taking her with him. "I will be back soon." the raven promised.

A huge suggestive smile stretched across Lully's features the moment the doors shut. The demon reluctantly returned it by nature. "Alone at last." he laughed softly. "Now strip so we can get this on you." he said setting the pieces out on a chair.

Unable to refuse since it would be questionable how he could lace a corset on himself, he began removing everything. The human looked at him hungrily as he gradually worked down to nothing. "Like what you see, Baptiste?" the demon teased.

The man grinned lustily. "Call me Jean... Now into this." he held up the 'caleons de precaution' which the demon snagged and stepped into. Next was the corset and petticoats, which the Italian used as an opportunity to breathe down his neck and rub against him lightly. The man was skilled enough certainly.

The skirts and overdress were shrugged on and belted as they finished. The other man stepped back a few feet to get a good look at him. "It fits you perfectly..." he appraised. Then his hands dropped seriously. "I hate it on you."

The demon raised his dark brow and asked indulgently. "Why so?"

Lully smiled softly and moved to kiss him hard on the mouth, catching his shoulders in a strong grip. The demon leaned his head down to make up the few centimeter height difference as the Italian violinist impatiently began removing his clothes. In the end, the corset stayed on and the demon pushed the man up against a wall, wanting to hurry back before anyone missed him. He pulled the man's legs up to wrap around his waist after tugging down his breeches.

The brunette clutched the white wig the demon wore tightly and threw it to the ground, much to the owner's dismay. He would have to fix that later. Fingers pulled roughly on his midnight locks as the demon entered smoothly and began thrusting. Lully moaned, moving to ravish the pale neck before him to keep quiet. The demon immediately pounded into his prostate and sped up. One hand went down to tug gently on the other's member between them causing Lully to moan even louder. Both of their bodies were sweating and the raven was surprised he was not destroying the corset by thrusting despite its whalebone backbone.

The musician found climax and fell limp in the demon's arms who finished up a minute later. The human slid down the wall and slipped his lids shut contently. While the man had his eyes closed, basking in the afterglow of sex, the raven quickly removed the corset and arranged the dress components neatly so that he was getting dressed in his normal wear when Jean opened his eyes. "Leaving so soon?" he questioned simply. He moved to get back on his feet and right his trousers.

The raven nodded. "I have to get back and join them for dinner." he answered.

The curly brunette pursed his lips in thought, accepting his impending departure as he watched him straighten his coat. "Can i ask you a question?" he asked finally. The raven flipped his hand to go on. "... Aiko and you two are not related, are you? And you are not really French either. Who are you?" he went on to ask slowly, looking the demon square in the eye.

Oh so smart, human. The demon chuckled inwardly; it was a stupid blatant lie anyways. They banked on no one daring to question it. "Very well. A demain, Jean" he smiled walking to the door.

"Wait! You did not answer me." Lully called after him indignantly.

The perfect man smiled sweetly, turning to cast him a look of amusement. "I said you could ask, i never said i would answer." the demon replied coldly, strolling out of the room leisurely. Time to catch up and change Aiko out of her practice dress and into one less sweaty and fit for supper. He sped up when he was sure no one could see and arrived at their door.

Inside he found the Undertaker waiting for him with crossed arms and an accusory scowl etched on his visible lower face. "You have a little problem with your hair." the silverette stated simply, packing all his jealous anger into that plain sentence.

The raven smoothed his sex tousled hair down as he berated himself for forgetting. Not that he cared if Undertaker knew he was having sex. He could bed anyone he felt like and it would be no business of the shinigami's! Seriously. He gave him a haughty look to convey his feelings on the matter. "Dress fits wonderfully. Is Aiko ready to change?" the demon asked with a smirk, letting his fingers find his mouth to lick them mockingly. The Undertaker's lips twitched in silent anger.

Another loopy smile pasted itself on the shinigami's face as he gave an exaggerated sweeping bow. "Right this way, kitty~" Undertaker gestured to the double doors leading to her separate room.

"Thank you, you are being so helpful today." he thanked acidicly.

The silver haired man just smiled and shook his head as if he was modest about his endeavors and the demon fought back a sneer as he made his way to Aiko's room. He threw open the doors to find Aiko in her under drawers, staring intently at the mirror set in her wardrobe door. She had a disgusted frown on her face as she turned about in front of it. The raven smiled when she lashed around to lock gazes with her angel. "Are you ready to change for supper?" he asked coolly.

She nodded with a blank face, trying to remain emotionless. "Yes, i am." Aiko replied.

The older male obliged and moved behind her to tighten her corset and slip her into a newly sewn red dress. This one was made just last night, with swooping sashes across her shoulders and waist, drawing out to her backside to fall in cascades over her small caboose. He combed her hair up into a curly bun on top of her head with a silver barrette and a red bow. Aiko remained quiet the whole time as he made comments on how beautiful she looked in red. How clear her skin was. That she was so fair and wonderful in the things she did.

Upon finishing the routine, the demon caught her lingering gaze of disappointment at the mirror as he prodded her to depart. They joined with Undertaker at the set of doors leading to the hall and made their way out to supper like a wave of coalesced perfection. A flawless trio.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

The next day around midday the girls and musicians were getting ready for the performance in an hour. In a separate room Jean-Baptiste was frowning at the silver haired man possessively hovering behind the naked raven. The demon rolled his eyes as he let the two fight over dressing him. The Undertaker eventually weirded out the Francophile Italian and claimed the task of lacing the corsets and skirts tightly, perhaps too tightly. It must have been a joke in his stupid silver head to crack a rib with his strength. The stupid shinigami even snickered at the glaring musician standing off to the side.

The Undertaker gave his behind a firm slap when he finished, looking directly at the Italian man. Lully fumed, storming from the room to the sound of the silverette's laughter. The demon shot the unabashed shinigami an annoyed look before pulling on a female wig that Lully had brought. "Please behave, Undertaker, do not be a child." he chastised, smoothing the curls into place.

The elder smiled innocently. "I am not a child, especially compared to him." Undertaker rebuked easily.

"Then act your age."

"Stop being a whore."

The demon turned to look icily at him. A whore? Coming from a sodomite rapist? Made complete sense! "Hold your presumptuous tongue. You have no room to speak! At least i perform my duties." the raven shot back. Honestly, he had been acting like a child all morning.

Did he think he would get something out of acting this way in public? The demon slipped on his shoes quickly. "I most assuredly have done more work in my time than a lazy dancer girl like you ever will, unless you count fucking everyone's sword in your sheath." the shinigami said evenly.

"We are not talking about this, shinigami." the demon looked away and headed out the door without a second glance. He joined the female dancers waiting around the adjacent room to the small throne room, waiting for Gallant to let them in. He was tired of the other male acting this way; could he not just get over it?

Many of the girls began blushing the moment he arrived in cross-dress. Others looked around to giggle with their neighbours as he floated over to place a kiss on Aiko's soft hand. "Good luck, though you do not need It." he smiled down on her impassive face. Aiko curtsied to him elegantly before casting her attention to Michele, who was smiling lewdly at her partner while gesturing to the demon. Her face darkened as she scanned all the gazes on her guardian.

"Aha!" Gallant suddenly cried out. He clapped to catch the room's attention, setting it into a frenzy of performers shuffling to their places. "Ready? And..." he held up his hand in patiently wait for a signal from inside. 3... 2... 1... "now!" he whispered, urging them through the door as the music started up.

Past the doors was a small audience watching with varied expressions as the women glided into the room to the music. First was the Roi Soleil sitting upon his gilded chair with a bored look on his face, merely following the sway of the dresses with his eyes. Then a few courtiers watching with politician's smiles, the current Queen smiling regally like she was supposed to, and two Demon Princes. They seemed to be the only two to recognize him, though who could tell about the strange humans, and it was a sight to see.

Asmodeus looks ready to Split his face in two from smiling hysterically at his child dancing in a woman's troupe. Then poor Lucifer was dumbfounded, caught between an embarrassed flush and a questioning look, his eyebrows raised in bewilderment. The second generation demon wanted to laugh at their reactions if not for many serious reasons not to.

As they twirled and danced their routine, Aiko before him seeming to be forcing it a bit while the girl two over kept landing a little too hard, he became aware of two stares besides his masters'. One was a sneaking Jean, but the other was more interesting. King Louis was scrutinizing him intently from his throne as if trying to pry him open in hopes of a mystical discovery. His eyes were as dull as before but the study he made of the raven was irrefutable. Just for fun, the demon locked gazes with him and let a small smirk play across his lips.

The King shifted in his seat with a pleased smile that immediately dropped when he glanced over at the observing Italian director. Then it came back almost haughtily, a tinge of spite colouring the edges. Oh how interesting this was turning out! The demon smiled inwardly at this display. This was something he had to ask about later.

Finally, the music ended and they all curtsied before exiting the room. To his disappointment, three immortals were already waiting for Aiko and him in the separate changing room. "My, my child! We did not know we were getting two in one. Your child and ours~!" the Blonde greeted bursting with amusement.

The raven smiled. "Aiko was the only one that mattered." he replied, taking her around behind the ornate changing screen to get her changed back into a less sweaty dress.

"Well, i do hope you give us more of a warning next time." Lucifer spoke in a serious tone. "And little Aiko did a fine job." he added in.

Under his hands that were busy securing her overdress, Aiko twitched ever so slightly. This confused the raven. Why did she react that way to a compliment? Lucifer did not even give out positive feedback most of the time... Not that she would know that. Regardless, she should be happier, should she not? He finished up and sent her out to thank the wavy haired brunette.

Instantly, Undertaker was behind him with his clothes to change into. "I would thank you if you had not broken a rib earlier, which is very bad service." the demon sneered quietly. He took the clothes and did not bother to flinch when fingers began speedily working on his dress strings. Within moments they were done and the raven came out from behind the screen a man again. "I do prefer this gender." he commented lightly.

"I beg to differ, i rather like-" Asmodeus stopped when Lucifer tapped his hand impatiently. "This one." he amended with a grin.

The doors flew open to an Italian man preparing to say something when he was overtaken by a page. "L'Roi wishes to speak privately with Monsieur Fête immediately in his office." the nameless page announced with a glare from the Violinist.

The Blonde Prince snickered quietly as the raven bowed his head to the request. "If my Roi asks. Please, excuse me for this." he kissed Aiko's cheek quickly and made his way to brush past Lully with a wink. The human just looked let down and let the raven be led away by the page.

Dmitri: OK GUYS, THIS IS ALL YOU GET FOR NOW. I WONT BE UPDATING BECAUSE IM GOING AWAY TO WORK HARD LABOUR NEXT WEEK, WISH ME LUCK! OH AND YES I KNOW THAT WOMEN DIDNT PUBLICLY PERFORM UNTIL SIXTYNINE BUT THIS WAS SMALL AND I DONT REALLY COUNT IT AS PUBLIC ANYWAYS. BESIDES, YOU KNOW SEBBY IN A DRESS IS SEXY!
ALSO, PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK IS GOING ON ;) I ALREADY HAVE IT PLANNED BUT I WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU GUYS THINK! I HAVE A POLL UP ON MY PROFILE FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO VOTE ON THEIR NEXT DESTINATION (YEAH THEYRE LEAVING EVENTUALLY AGAIN... CAN'T STAY IN ONE SPOT, CAN THEY?)
AND A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MY PANDA. SHE IS POSTING THIS UPDATE FOR ME AND I LOVVEZ HER SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS!