With my recent chapter of HDYK being a success, I've decided on continuing it at a faster pace. I appreciate the recent reviews as they only serve to inspire me more. Thank you, everyone and again, here is the next chapter of the How Did You Know? holiday special, covering Ashley's 'special' birthday, a confrontation with the First of Leo's, and one hell of a big reveal.
And to Twenty12? You were right. Pretty fast deduction there. Kinda sure you went to TVtropes to find that one. If not, good job on piecing it together, regardless. A Winner is You.
As of right now, I've obtained the Japanese version of Kirby Triple Deluxe. I'm shocked beyond all compare when it comes to the bosses. It's again hilarious to make poor Whispy Woods a joke again, and even more so with Dedede. That is, until he goes BADASS on Kirby during the next to the last boss battle. And the antagonist has one of the most badass Final Boss tracks in the entire Kirby Series. As a longstanding fan of Kirby, I suggest you hear for yourself.
How Did You Know Holiday Special Part 2
Done by yayleo
Adopted and Continued by LuxUmbra2012
Chapter 8: Things Begin to Change...
To say Leo wanted to leave from dancing with her was the understatement of the century, if not the millennium. Why? Two reasons. One, that everyone present was watching his graceful movements in the center of the ballroom and being surprised that someone like him, who many knew to be a bit of a troublemaker, was in the center of the floor and being quite the awe-inspirer. Second, because of who he was dancing with in particular. I mean, wouldn't it be embarrassing if YOU wound up dancing with your best friend, FEMALE I might add, while everyone around you, including your father and grandfather (wait, GRANDFATHER!? GODDAMMIT!) are thinking something like 'Aww, what a cute couple'? Not to mention how she tried, very hard I might add, to avoid looking at him out of embarrassment. Since that happened, Leo had to do everything in his power not to show embarrassment, but a sense of pride in this, even though it didn't turn out the way he had originally hoped for.
Aeris was a little surprised out of this scenario, especially considering the fact on just WHO she was dancing with in particular. (Against her will of course. She would NEVER admit that she had somewhat accepted the fact that she was dancing with Leo.). But considering the recent actions the sultan of stupidity had recently taken, the surprise was lessened, somewhat. The calculated revenge plot, the recent acts of kindness and the pep talk nonetheless, intentionally losing in Smash Bros. Brawl to her (Something she knew he would never admit due to his pride), the escort inside, etc. "Color me impressed... just a little though." She thought.
Leo the 2nd's POV
"Hello, father..." I spoke. I haven't seen this man's face in nearly three years ever since I last ran into him. Oh, the memory, and the impulse to slam my fist in his face for his egregious words against my wife and children, still burns...
In front of me stood my father, Leo Ozymandias Leonardo the 1st, a rather imposing figure just about my height, wearing silky regal clothing of the finest order, so he claimed. A duke's uniform, actually... I easily recognized it in my youth that he wore this when he was out to impress society with his... nobility... It makes me sick even today, looking at his somewhat beefy face with that even beefier bleach white moustache that put that Italian plumber my sons like to shame
"Hello, son... How has it been?" He asked, no clear tone of emotion in his voice.
"Fine. Thank you for asking." Bugger... Fortunately, I am good at hiding my emotions... Mostly due to him.
"I see that my oldest grandson is capable of some elegance... Despite his sub par performance the last time I saw him." He spoke, matter-of-factly.
SUB PAR!? DAMN YOU, FATHER! NOT EVEN 5 MINUTES AND YOU START THINGS ALREADY! I yelled in my head. This was a man whose praise I never got. Every moment of being home, back at the estate was lavish as it was hellish. I don't know if God himself drilled that being wealthy was an empty life before I was born, but looking back at it all reminded me of just how lucky I was in escaping... But I'm not here to start fights, no matter how tempting it is to finally pull that stick up his ass out of him by force...
"Why are you here? I assume this isn't for pleasantries..."
"To see if my grandsons had any potential to join the family, granted considering what Thomas did earlier to leave the party, along with that friend of his... I can clearly mark him off..."
"You renounced all four of us after I came back home, and brought my family with me. To say you want one of my grandsons as part of that hierarchical nightmare now simply proves your Hippocratic views." I remarked in response. His face remained unchanging. I swear sometimes he could be part granite.
"Watch your mouth, son."
"No, you watch your mouth, father. My family is MY family, and since you separated us from them, with your own words, signature, and seal of approval, I am, as you soundly put, 'on my own'."
"And yet, I may rescind that. Despite the status, I can make mistakes."
Funny you mention that. I thought. And I thought I was angry at my father before... He made it sound like he couldn't make mistakes. No father is perfect under any circumstances and I know this with the years of experience at BEING a father have proven. The Blues have a chauvinistic pervert for a son, I have ditzy game geeks for sons, the Coles have... I can't really describe Aeris, actually... but even still, the fact that they appreciate each of their fathers before and cherishes the family bonds they have with them is testament to our good parenting. Something my father never did with me.
"My son will NEVER join that part of his lineage."
"And despite your efforts, look at that? I'm positive you didn't teach him a thing about dancing and yet even I'm impressed. Somewhat... It's there within him and you know it."
Now I was frustrated. It would be a cold day in HELL before my father EVER got to my son, my carbon copy, my flesh and blood, MY PRIDE AND JOY! I would see to that, personally if I had to. The stress was already building, so I pulled my pipe out and took a light... I am ashamed to admit that I do smoke, a sin that's followed me since the days of my youth more thanks to the man in front of me. Once, purely from the anger of being denounced by my father, I... filled the house with the thick and black smoke that came from this pipe... Everyone ran out of the house once it was too much for them to bear. I swore I wouldn't be so ardent about this habit and toned it down to rare occasions. Sighing now, I realized I didn't need to. Not this time, and simply extinguished the flames at the end of the pipe.
"No smoking?"
"I don't need to. Not for this." I replied. Discarding the burnt tobacco, I bid him a good day and simply left. I would wait for Leo outside in the parking lot when he was done dancing with his friend... Hopefully, my father would leave him be, but at the same time I knew he would try to speak with him. It was unavoidable, but hopefully, my son will drive the point home with him...
... They look very nice dancing like that... Brings back memories...
Normal POV
After so long, it finally ended, and the crowd gave some applause for the show... Bowing courteously, Leo hastily left the scene, still gripping Aeris's hand as he did. As they finally got to a safe distance, outside in the gardens, he sighed in relief.
"Phew! Glad that's over!"
"Where... did you learn how to do that?" Aeris asked, curious of the answer. Truth be told, she thought it would be something silly like, "I learned it from watching dad'" or "I watched too much British telly" or something. But that answer never came.
"He learned it from his stay in Britain." Someone else answered before Leo could get a word out. When the sentence came out, Leo went wide eyed, before his eyes narrowed, with slits for pupils, and letting a sharp growl leave his throat.
"Hello, grandfather."
"GRANDFATHER!?" Aeris responded. To say she was shocked was an understatement as she saw the intruder approaching the pair. How was the guy next to her related to someone whose very presence commanded respect?!
"Hello, grandson. It's nice to see you again."
"The feeling's mutual. Aeris. This is my grandfather: Leo Ozymandias Leonardo the 1st." Despite the bad blood, politeness was required in some situations. and here was one of those instances. Something she quickly picked up on as she responded politely to him.
"Something you wanted to talk about?" He asked. He honestly did NOT want to see this man now...
"Yes..." The elder responded before breaking into a violent coughing tirade in front of the both of them. When he recovered from it, he continued, "I want you to give my son, your father, this letter... Please encourage him to read it for I fear that he'll destroy it before bothering to read it. I also have one for you as well, and your younger brother." The elder feline spoke as he pulled three envelopes from the insides of his duke wardrobe and handed them to his grandson. "Can you do your grandfather this favor?" He asked his grandson, who still kept his leering stare at him. "No promises, but I'll give it to them..."
"Thank you."
It was then that Leo took a better look at his grandfather. He was a tall imposing figure to countless people, but after the coughing fit he had, he actually saw him looking as if though his age had finally caught up with him as the moon shone fully on the three. He look wizened, tired, and... filled with remorse and regret...
"Grandpa...? What's wrong?"
"Tell... my son... I was always proud of what he became... How I still am..." And for once, Leo saw the man smile as he walked away, still coughing...
Aeris had questions... Lots of them. But the look on Leo's face said he would answer it another time... Right now, he decided to end things there and head home. Fortunately, his father was waiting outside, looking upwards into the scant few clouds that remained this late at night... He relayed the info to his dad, who seemed shocked to hear those words come from his mouth and with that, we were on our way back to our respective homes... Them, fuming over something I haven't been told, and me, confused and curious beyond hell.
Later that month...
Today is December 23rd.
December 23 could NOT have come any faster and for Ashley Moore, she was beyond glad that the day finally came. Why? Today is her birthday! She finally turns 18 today! And Ronny went beyond the scope of friends when he revealed that he snagged reservations at a nice hotel for the lot of them. All for her! Lucky her! And now she was being driven to her destination via limo with Shawn Roy accompanying her to their destination. She couldn't wait to see what her friends had planned for her...
At the hotel...
Aeris's POV
This was it... Everything we've fought through... All the enemies torn apart... All the people who sided with us who've died... All the countless lives lost because of these abominations in front of us... The Locust Horde... And this batch was the last remnant of them all... A small squadron of them that somehow survived the Imulsion Countermeasure Weapon... Now that we've found them, it was time to erase the Locust Horde for good...
From the ruins of what used to be a second story home in the rubble of Jacinto, I took a spot, hiding carefully in the bathroom, watching from the broken window on what reports called, "The Final Locust Bastion". From my position, I could see them. The small squadron consisted of four of them... 2 Theron Guards, a Kantus, and... To my absolute shock and horror, Queen Myrrah herself. I couldn't believe my eyes as I gazed at her. Myrrah was killed! I saw her stabbed through! But... It would explain how her body vanished when the time came for an autopsy. Everyone was too busy celebrating the supposed end of both Locust and Lambent. What fools we were. When we returned to where Myrrah was slain, only a pool of blood remained. We thought that, because of her death, the Imulsion Eradication Pulse caused her body to degenerate on a cellular level, leaving nothing but her blood on the cold stone pavement. Even then, there was something wrong with that hypothesis. If it was true, then why didn't the Queen Bitch degenerate after the machine started? It killed every Locust and Lambent on the surface of the planet. Except her. She had enough time to spite the man who built this great device, calling out the man's son as being responsible for the deaths of her people... Her children. She stated, "Hubris." and "His arrogance FINALLY KILLED HIM!" while mocking the scientist who sacrificed his life to prove that all Imulsion and Imulsion infected cell would die, by injecting HIMSELF with the organism and dying instantly when the machine hit 100% strength... Until her words, and the painful memories of losing loved ones became too much for the man's son to bear and he promptly impaled her through with a commando knife... One given to him by his brother before his untimely demise. We thought that Myrrah died... We were wrong. Within a few months, several COG soldiers were killed in similar manners that the Locust would torment and kill their victims. This merited suspicion that some Locust may be alive... Hence the search and destroy team here in the ruins of Jacinto...
She was definitely bearing the stab wound that ended her life, supposedly, on her abdomen, and her face was still scarred and burned after the last battle against her at Azura... Oh the impulse to snipe her...
"Aeris! Do you copy? Do you have a visual on the targets? Over." I heard Josh speak over the com-line. He was just as eager to end this as the rest of my squad-mates...
"Yeah. I see 'em... Guess who' back from the dead?"
"Aww, not her!"
"Yeah... Myrrah's back, and she's out for blood... And she's got some serious guard on her..." I responded, while watching them walk throughout the rubble of Jacinto... And hated them for doing this. Because of those damn locust, all life on Sera was nearly destroyed... and the bullshit reason they came up in the first place, was to escape those abominations called the Lambent... Who would've thought that our very fuel source was a living organism seeking shape and form through both the Locust and Serans... and that the Locust simply got the short end of the stick since they were hit first and Serans only got whacked at the end of the Lambent Pandemic...
I shuddered somewhat. The thought of Lambent Serans going berserk, crowding a single victim, and tearing them to tiny chunks of flesh was still engraved in my psyche... And I thought the Locust were monsters... The Lambent was WAY worse. I wouldn't allow them to escape and see to it that Myrrah had several bullets embedded in her skull.
"Serrrrrrraaaaaaaann!"
I heard one of them say, before a bullet grazed my cheek, cutting the thin flesh on it. They saw me.
"Kill the girl! Don't let her alert the others!" I heard Myrrah say. That proved she was alive. Not for long, though. I would see to that, personally. Almost after that, they hailed my site with massive amounts of gunfire. Judging from the footsteps I could discern, Myrrah and a Guard of hers was breaking away while the other two stayed behind to deal with me. And man, I was pinned down, badly.
"I need backup! They saw me and I'm pinned down! Need reinforcements ASAP!"
"Roger that! Just hold out! We see them from here!" Dante yelled over the com, before I heard more gunfire sing out from beyond. Reinforcements arrived. Thank God... As I looked over, I saw my comrades easily repel the two, now identified as a Theron Guard and a Kantus, two elites... They retreated however, before they could be slain. Getting out of the ruins, my heavy armor made clanking sounds as I approached the team.
"You ok?"
"Yeah. Thanks for saving my ass."
"Be careful next time, alright?"
"Right..."
All in all, we looked out to the ruins. The four were hiding out in there... Somewhere. And as the only COGs on post here, we had to hunt them down and destroy them before they could either escape or kill us. We nodded in agreement and headed out to find the opposition...
Leo: I'm going ahead... Watch my back, alright?
Josh: Right-
THWANG!
My heart dropped as I saw some blood leak from a small hole in Josh's back. The distinct sound was all too familiar... Josh had been struck by a Torque Bow Arrow... A Torque Bow was a Locust-made weapon that fired an Imulsion-fueled, explosive tipped, armor (and flesh) piercing crossbow bolt. Once it hits an object or target, the tip explodes half a second later, leading to critical injury if not... instantaneous death. Josh could only look in horror before his face looked annoyed at his luck.
"Aww shi-!" Was all he could say before the bolt exploded, taking Josh's upper half with it as the three of us were showered instantly in the carnage left behind after the explosion happened.
"Get out of sight, now! MOVE IT!" Dante yelled after realizing the horrible truth... and the three of us dispersed as Josh's lower half slumped to the floor, blood oozing at a disgusting and stomach retching pace from the stump...
"Holy shit! Josh! No way, man! NO WAY!" I heard Leo yelling in the communicator, more out of rage than sorrow... As well as hear a crashing sound coming from were he ran off to. My guess was that he was smashing something out of frustration that Josh was killed so easily... How am I gonna tell Claire this...? She...-
"LEO, WATCH OUT! THERON GUARD ABOUT TO AMBUSH YOU! IT HAS A DAMN LANCER! RUNNNNNN!" I heard Dante yell over the intercom as I looked overheard where he ran inside. Inside the trailer, I saw Leo holding his Lancer out, straining against a Theron Guard that was trying to turn him into bloody chunks all over the ruins of that trailer with his own, the blades of their guns grinding against one another as sparks flew from the clash... My heart sank. Pulling out a Longshot Sniper Rifle, I took aim at the trailer, and prayed I didn't miss... The weapon kept jiggling in my grip, more likely because of my apprehension and fear of missing the target... or more so what would happen to Leo if I missed. I'd be out another close friend.
I got the creature's cranium in my scope and pulled the trigger.
...
...
...
SPLAT!
"Phew! Thanks, Aeris! I owe ya big time! Granted, I'm gonna need a bath after this... Locust blood smells like shit..."
"You always say that, you idiot!"
At least he was ok... Before his face paled and he was screaming and pointing to something behind me... and from behind me, I could hear the revving of a chainsaw blade behind me...
I looked behind me as it only got closer and for the second time in my life, my heart sank... The other Theron Guard was only a few feet away, charging at me with his Lancer ready to tear me to pieces with it... There was no way I would be able to rev up my Lancer in time to counteract the Theron Guard ready to bring the blade down on my head.
"DIEEEEE!"
"AEEERRRRRIIISSSSSSS!"
"NOT YET!"
My eyes shot open as I heard someone yell that out, before the blade pierced through flesh... But it wasn't mine... It was Dante...
He spat blood out of his mouth as the blade went all the way through him, sending specks of his blood onto my face. For the moment, the Guard's Lancer had jammed, but I knew it would start soon, and when it did, Dante would die horribly...
"Tag... me..." He weakly requested...
I pulled out my second to last Bolo Grenade and undid the pin on it... before handing it to him.
"Good luck, buddy." I sadly responded, knowing Dante had just given his life for mine...
"Kill that bitch..." He said... as the timer's countdown cycle completed itself... and the man known as Dante Riley was gone in a quick, loud, and fiery explosion, dragging his would-be-killer to Hell with him.
Two teammates dead... two Locust dead.
I yelled out in anger. Two of them were so easily killed... and to an extent, I killed one of them/was responsible for his death. The guilt that fell on me was crushing... I killed him... How am I ever gonna tell his girlfriend what I did to him?
"Let's just find and kill them both." I heard Leo speak over the comm system. He sounded... Broken. Wouldn't blame him. Two of his closest friends , and so quickly as well. All of this because of that bitch Myrrah. "They're headed north. Stay close. No doubt they'll want to settle this and kill us both now since Dante and Josh..." He stopped there before continuing, "I'm going to kill her for this."
"Not if I get her first, dolt." I shot back to him, trying to keep some form of semblance between us. It didn't work as he simply walked off, shouldering his Retro Lancer and looking away with cold eyes. Eyes that screamed retribution and revenge against Myrrah.
And we would get it, since true to his word, the Kantus and Myrrah herself were only a small distance up ahead, both aiming their weapons at us.
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...
A brick that once held the structure of a now ruined house fell down to the floor... Then the bullets were sent flying from both sides, me aiming more for the Kantus, since Myrrah wouldn't have anyone to save her ass once he was out of the picture. Pulling out a stolen Boltok Pistol, i shot at the Kantus, hitting my mark as it collasped to it's knees. Myrrah did the same and pulled out a Boltok as well. Why wasn't I surprised? After all, it's a standard Locust weapon. Leo ran towards the Kantus, my thoughts was that he was going to finish it off before Myrrah could revive it. That is, until Myrrah shot him in the shoulder with her pistol... Pulling the Longshot back out, I tried to snipe Myrrah, but she grimaced a little when she saw me before she ducked for cover as I pulled the trigger just a second too late and she got out of my sight, but Leo still in hers. Speaking of, he clutched his stomach in pain considering what he was shot with. He was able to reach the Kantus, and did something that surprised me. He grabbed it, and was using it as a meat shield from Myrrah, now firing a Lancer at Leo, who was using a Snub Pistol as a means of defense against Myrrah.
"BASTARD SERAN!" I heard her scream from my location as Leo held that steely glare as he fired at Myrrah from around the corner.
"Aeris! Grenade! 20 feet to the right! Now!" Leo yelled as he used the meat puppet to absorb Myrrah's gunfire while shooting at her with the Snub Pistol. Pulling out my last one, I tossed as as he asked, curious on what plan he had up his sleeve. The second I tossed it, I heard a sickening bone crunching snap as Leo killed the Kantus Locust he was using as a meat puppet by snapping it's neck and charged forward, revving his Lancer. Myrrah jumped over the rubble that she was using as cover when the grenade landed next to her to escape the blast... only for her to see one angry feline running at her with a chainsaw gun ready to slice her to bits... with no way to escape.
And slice the queen of the Locust to bits he did... and honestly? I'd rather not describe. It's too horrible to say what happened, but seriously, use your damn imagination on how a chainsaw would rip through flesh.
"It's over." he quietly stated as the blade stopped, and he stood, completely soaked in blood and giblets of flesh...
Ronny: "Whew. Not bad. That team was pretty damn hard to beat, ya know."
Dante: "I'll say. Can't believe Josh and I got killed off so fast."
Josh: "You're telling me. Out of all the ways to get killed. Tagged by a damn Torque Bow! What a joke!"
Leo: "Sucked for you, man. At least we won the round."
The gang decided to do online team battles on Gears of War 3. We had just won a ranking match against a good team, considering how fast that Dante and Josh, two skilled Gears players were quickly killed off. And I thanked them all for their help in it, and gave my congrats to Leo for dealing the decisive kill.
My thoughts on him changed considerably after the dance... It turned out he actually had a supreme dislike of his grandfather, who happened to be a wealthy aristocrat. (He made a joke calling him an Aristocat. I promptly slapped him.) And even more so when his dad, who was to follow in his footsteps, was disowned from the family outright. All because his dad fell for his mom and had a family that spawned the guy next to me. It was sad to see their anger change considerably, especially after Leo's dad read his message from his father. Turned out that Leo (the 3rd)'s grandfather WANTED them split since the old archaic family was too haughty, outside of Leo's grandparents, and prideful to acknowledge that they've done wrong and wanted his son to live his own life free from their traditions. He disowned them to free them from the grips of the older, more conniving members. And needless to say, it worked. He stated that he thoroughly regretted his actions and only played the antagonistic role to fool the elders. After all, to fool your enemies, you must fool your friends and family. And if there was anything that Leo Ozymandias Leonardo the 1st proved, it was that he effectively saved the younger generation of his lineage and was taking the old traditions to the grave with him, and even that was going to be very soon... Turned out the violent coughing was a severe case of pneumonia. He would have less than a month if not treated, but he was adamant on ending their archaic ways and take them to the grave with them. And with no legitimate heir, it WOULD end with the first. Granted... He secretly transferred the wealth into a Swiss Bank account for Leo the 2nd, for his own personal use. Let's just say that if Ronny ever found out how much money was in there, he'd be crying tears of shame and Spencer Graves would be pissed beyond hell.
Turns out Leo can be VERY mature, despite his track record and keep a cool and understanding head of the situation, when he told me he understood his grandfather's intentions after reading his note and forgave him for everything. To be honest, I'm shocked.
Fortunately, they decided to use it ONLY sparingly. And even more fortunately, Tommy wasn't told about it. The last thing anyone wants is for that kid to quickly find out what the term 'Imma make it rain!' meant.
Shannon: "Hey! The birthday girl is here!"
Shannon recovered from her sickness, which turned out to be a bad case of the flu and made it back, demanding details of the party. And of course, the Vanessa and Leo segment was a shocker to her, same as everyone else.
Ronny: Everyone, duck for cover!
And that's exactly what we did, hiding in various spots in the living area of the floor that Ronny reserved for all of us, the gigantic cake he ordered placed in the center of the room waiting for her to walk in. And judging from the giddy laughter that is closing in fast, she would walk inside very soon.
"Hey! Get the lights!"
"We have a gigantic cake in the middle of the room with the candles lit! She'll see it regardless!"
"Keep them on!"
"Fine!"
"Guys! Shut the hell up! She's at the door!"
"Oh! Get ready!"
...
...
...
The door opened... and in walked Ashley and Shawn...
SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASHLEY!
Hours later...
To say the gang was stuffed was a direct understatement of the year. Pizza, soda, big ass birthday cake, hot wings, mozzarella sticks, truly Ronny spared no expenses and wanted everyone to have a great time in the hotel floor, which they would stay in for at least a week. A week away from everyone and their troubles, with good friends, good food, and living large and in sty-
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!
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Aeris: (Meekly) Ex-Excuse me.
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Dante: Dayum, girl. Good one.
Nighttime...
Out of boredom, someone decided that it would be wise to play Truth or Dare. No one knew, but a certain raccoon girl (Shannon, to those who don't know them) would look away with a devilish smirk as everyone slowly agreed to the idea...
"Alright, where's that darn... Here!" Ternaldo said as he pulled from behind him an empty glass Coke bottle. "Ok, the rules are simple. The first one the bottle lands on, that person asks the one the bottle hits next 'Truth or Dare'. Deal?"
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement to the terms. And then unleashed hell...
The bottle had stopped on Dante first when they took the first spin and when it stopped... it landed on Shannon.
"Bring it, Dark as Night!"
"Dare then... Alright. I dare you, Shannon... To tell everyone here one of your M rated moments..."
Turned out that was one thing he shouldn't have asked, because when she did finish telling everyone, most of the girls gawked at her while Ronny fainted with a nosebleed and the other guys looked shocked beyond hell. The short version? Samantha would have to destroy her old flute when she came back home. Thank god she stopped using it that day at band camp...
"What? It sounded like a good idea. And it was!"
"Remind me to NEVER ask you that question EVER AGAIN!"
"Your fault, Dante. Purely, your fault."
The bottle was spun again. This time, it landed on Ronny first, and the second landed on Ternaldo.
"Aww, man..."
"See this card, Ternaldo?" Ronny asked, holding up a Yu-Gi-Oh! Card that he pulled from his pocket... But not just any card... No, this was something he could easily play to the lion's vices...
"NO WAY! IS THAT THE CHAOS EMPEROR DRAGON - THE ENVOY OF THE END!?" Ternaldo cried out in shock. The Chaos Emperor Dragon card was a Level 8 Ultra Rare Dragon Effect Monster that was part of the Lost Millennium Special Edition set of Yu-Gi-Oh! card packs. To say this card was strong was an understatement. And to say it was rare was also an understatement, only on a much more severe level.
"Yup. And it can be all yours... through this one single dare."
"ANYTHING!" Ternaldo yelled. He had to have this card...
5 minutes later, everyone couldn't control their laughing as Ternaldo was dressed up in an overly tight-fitting French Maid's outfit has he held his prize, dignity be DAMNED! He had it, his game winner. No one would ever beat him ever again!
"Alright then, let's see who's next?"
One landed on Leo. And the other on Dante.
"Dare."
"Drink this bottle of Bacardi-151."
"AW HELL NO! I AIN'T GETTING MY ASS DRUNK, YOU INSANE NUTCASE!"
"You don't have a choice."
"Aww, damn."
Before long, Dante was drunk out of his mind, swaying back and forth, muttering unintelligible gibberish in his stupor while everyone laughed, clutching their sides.
A/N: (Think Demoman from Team Fortress 2, burp included.)
Leo walked into his room, blushing madly. Earlier as he came this way to his own room, he saw something surprising... Shawn talking about a birthday present for Ashley in the hallway, Ashley curious about what it is, before he suddenly KISSED her! And not only did she NOT fight back, she sank into it, and it turned into a full blown make out fest between them. And it didn't help his imagination much when Ashley opened the door behind the two and shut it the moment they stepped in, a sound click signifying... Do Not Disturb. Oh boy would it be a busy night for those two felines...
Needless to say, he was the only witness to it, and now had to shake the ideas in his head. He knew the two liked each other, but THAT was bold... Real bold.
KNOCK
KNOCK
Who could that be this late? Everyone else retired already... As he opened the door, he got his answer.
"Hey."
"Aeris? What's up? Thought you went to bed already?" he asked, lifting an imaginary eyebrow
"Nah... All the soda. Drunk too much." She countered.
Leo shrugged. Soda does a lot in keeping people awake, that much he was sure of. For some strange reason, it doesn't affect Dante in that manner, more him passing out when he drinks too much... Nevertheless, her words held merit. But why visit him of all people?
As if she read his mind, she answered that she simply wanted to talk, and that no one else was awake to strike up a conversation with. She thought about trying for Shawn and Ashley, but once he heard those names in particular, he dissuaded her from the notion.
"Why?"
"Snu-Snu."
"You pervert!" she cried out, with a look of revulsion on her face.
"I'm serious! I saw them just a few doors down, making out and stuff!"
"Oh... Well... It's not like it wasn't gonna happen..."
"That's true..."
Silence was an unwelcome thing between the two. It meant tension, and tension usually led to a severe ass-whooping, whether it be video games or life. Depends on the situation at the time of complete silence.
"So. Why did you come here? Really?"
"More or less, to talk."
"... Alright, come on in."
"No funny ideas."
"And risk the rest of my life as a man? No thanks."
"Smart move for a dolt."
With that, she walked in and had a seat on the bed, with Leo taking the opposite end.
"So... What's up?"
"Like I said... just talk."
"K... About what?"
"... Well, it's more a Truth or Dare challenge."
"Uh. Ok? Considering the scope of damages I've seen from the dares earlier... I pick Truth."
His chest hurt from earlier, when it was discovered that Dante somehow knew the destructive fighting art of the Drunken Fist... and almost thrashed Leo to oblivion with it. And that alone was one of many reasons to avoid choosing Dare... Who knew that Shawn somehow looked convincing as a girl? (Thanks to a cross-dressing dare he was suckered into by Samantha Hunter, the tigress having a laughing fit the whole time.)
"Kinda figured you would say Truth... And there's something I've meant to ask out of it."
"Shoot."
"... It pertains to something that happened a few days ago..."
"Let me guess, my grandpa?"
"You accepted him?"
"Aeris. I'll be frank. I hated him, severely for disowning us since we were different from those old bags... But... When I got that letter explaining all of his actions and how sorry he was for keeping us all in the dark... I could tell he meant every word he said, and he has some merit behind his words..."
"What makes you say that?"
"Dad hated that life growing up. I hate it too. Those old bags were going to drag us into something all of us despised with a passion because of how controlling and boring that lifestyle was... And it was clear grandpa Leo hated it too but couldn't get away... So he went for the next best thing."
"Make sure you all got away from it in his stead."
"Exactly..."
"And here I thought you were a moron who couldn't work his way out of a wet paper bag... That was a pretty mature and accurate summary of things... I'm impressed. For once."
"And here I thought meteors would be hailing from the heavens and Satan walked the Earth should you genuinely compliment me without adding an insult at the end."
"Don't push it. But that wasn't my question, though."
"What? I thought I did a Truth!"
"No, you didn't. I did have a question, but it WASN'T about your grandfather. You did that one on your own."
"Oh."
"The question is... Ever since the semester started and Spencer, damn him, pulled that stunt on me, you and the others have done nothing but good things for me, you more than the others. I'm surprised and wonder something that's been bothering me since in moments where I could easily see you take advantage of my weaker moments, maybe throw a jab in there somewhere, you've left me remotely alone and even more, you've supported me..."
"Yeah? So what? Friends do that for friends. Spencer hurt you for nothing but to satisfy his own perverted ego, and he's gonna pay for you AND Dante."
"And that's the question. Is all of this a joke or a one time thing?"
"Aeris... You're one of my best friends, hands down. Not to mention the first I've EVER made. I'm not as bright as the others, or talented, or smart like you, but me being friends with you is something sacred, a bond I don't ever wanna break. If anyone does this to ya, It'll be hell for them regardless of who they are!"
"... Really?"
"Of course!"
The response made her breathe a little better... but there was still something she had to say herself...
"I'm sorry..."
"Huh?"
"I'm sorry for... all the things I've done to you..."
"Que pasa?"
"I'm sorry for being mean. For punching and slapping you. For insulting you. For being an outright... (whispers) bitch..."
"Oh, don't worry about it... It's no trouble. People just change with the times. Well, most people do. So why be mad at you? Time came and while I stayed stagnant, you adapted. It happens to a lot of people..."
"You seemed to have changed in your own way, you know. You're absolutely silly in many ways... but there seems to be a depth of maturity that surprises me... and that's saying something since I'm not surprised so easily... I mean, you've been pulling these outrageous stunts, a few of them have nearly destroyed his reputation, especially the bomb, you haven't insulted or made fun of me when countless opportunities present themselves... "
"Like I said. It's what friends do. REAL friends. BEST friends."
"... Thanks... It means a lot to hear that... to hear that you value our friendship like this..."
Truth be told, she wanted to know how much he valued their friendship. That was her reason for asking in the first place. And now she could sleep a little better... Speaking of, that bed felt pretty comfy...
"Mind if I stay here? I'm tired..."
"Knock yourself out... I'll stay on the other end... Ya know. Avoid compromising incidents and all that cinematic bullcrap."
"Thanks..."
The two laid down, backs to each other as they settled in for the night...
Humm... So that's what he thinks about our friendship... That's... sweet of , this is something I can't put off any further... Lately, he's done a myriad of great things for me... Each and every last one of them have been more than helpful... And each and every time, I don't shoot down his attempts at trying to be nice... Why? Is it because of the fact that he tries so hard to be nice? Does he care? Is it simply a ruse for some greater scheme to make fun of me later on? ... Dare I say he ACTUALLY cares more than his words mean? His actions have spoken way louder than his words could ever do so far, and all of it just to be nice... Dare I say... I think I actually feel something... Some warm feeling every time he does these remotely kind acts, and really sticking it to Spencer... Is it appreciation? Nah... Something deeper. Can't be love. Certainly not. He's my best friend and seriously, it's waaaayy too clichéd. Plus, we're different on every shape and form, save 'that cat thing' as he calls it. And I don't love Leo... I don't... He's like that one annoying as hell brother you WANT to be rid of, but you'd miss him and regret thinking those thoughts... and can appreciate when he does some things right, for once... Oh, who am I kidding... There's something in here that cares more than I'd like to personally admit to him. It's not much... But it's something. And besides, I don't think that EVEN if it ever came that far, he'd bash my guts in if I suddenly told him as payback for all the hell I've given him beforehand... I feel stupid for even thinking that... But what if I apologized for all the crap I've done? AND actually mean it. Do something special for him to show it? Something to show that I can still be nice... Maybe talk to him about- Whoa. One step at a time... One step at a time...
STUPID, STUPID! WHY DID YOU ANSWER THAT!? I wasn't supposed to tell her a word! Screw that it was truth or dare! I would've cocked out! Ran for it! DAMMIT! Instead, I stayed and listened to those sweet words coming from her soft lips and- DAMMIT! STOP IT! Why am I thinking these stupid thoughts!? For God's sake, what is wrong with me!? Everytime I'm around these girls, I get these stupid butterflies in my stomach, and it's only worse when I'm around Aeris! I hate it! It makes me make little sickly noises every time in my head! I hate it soooooooo MUCH! Man... Ether I'm a closet pervert or... I'm... no. No way... NO... NOOOOO! I AM NOT IN LOVE! OH, HELL NO! I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH AERIS! NOOOOOOOO!
... You can't deny your feelings... There's something there... Something reserved for her... That won't change...
... But I can't be in love... I don't love her... she's my best friend...
Search your feelings, then... In time, you'll see the answer... But then again... you already know... don't you...?
... (I don't love her... I can't...)
While one slept with a clearer conscience on the matter, the other was troubled... Troubled over his feelings and emotions... Wondering what was lying in wait for him in the future about his feelings... Wondering what was beyond the veil...
?'s POV
Sigh... He went to a party... Gone until next week... and no doubt he's with all of his friends... and HER... Blech, just thinking about it makes me sick, that pink hussy treating that sweet, wonderful boy so cruelly... She doesn't deserve him. None of his friends do... Not a single one of them deserve the pleasure and joy of his company, NO, his very presence... Especially AERIS! Oh well... My chance will come... I just have to find my best chance... to talk to him... to spirit him away from his friends... from her... and give him my heart, body, and soul... He'll never want anyone else. He'll never want to leave me... He'll be mine... Mine... MINE... ALL MIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
The unknown softly kissed a portrait she had of the object of her affections...
"Sigh... Leo... One day..."
Holy Crapola! I'm so sorry over the delay! I'm working with the next chapter, so be prepared for it! This is LuxUmbra2012 saying, "Ja'ne!"
Oh... and the unknown stalker? You'll find out who it is soon enough... And to yayleo, the minor subpart involving Leo's grandfather will be resolved next chapter.