"Does anyone know what this is all about?" Everyone was gathered in the living room of the large villa, but Reiji, who had called this family meeting, was the only one standing. He held an envelope in his hand. The rest of the brothers were lounging on the various armchairs and sofas, most of them presenting their interpretation of "bored but relaxed". This, in turn, angered the second-eldest son of the Sakamaki family even more. His brothers really had no manners. And no sense of alarming changes. He couldn't have said which annoyed him more - people like Laito, who grinned as usual and didn't take the whole thing one bit seriously, or people like his older brother Shu, who, also as usual, was half asleep and seemed perfectly fine with Reiji doing his job.
Now the latter also lowered himself onto one of the chairs and, as always when he was upset, adjusted his glasses, which were actually already perfectly in place. Then he directed the piercing gaze from his magenta eyes at each of his brothers in turn. "I hate to repeat myself -"
"Then don't!" growled Subaru, but Reiji did not address the youngest at all.
"- but don't you find this letter highly unusual?"
"I haven't read it - and neither has Teddy," Kanato began thoughtfully, before Laito finished the sentence for him: "but it seems unusual enough that you're keeping us all here: So, brother dear, what's got you up?" He sounded so ironic, so flippant, that Reiji couldn't help but let out an annoyed sound. And he could tell by the twitch around the corner of Shu's mouth that it amused the older brother when Reiji got annoyed. Since there was nothing worse than contributing to Shu's amusement, he took a deep breath and tried to look at the whole situation from the rational side: The letter had come this morning. Or at least it had only been lying in the living room since this morning. It didn't say much, but it could be deducted that it had been sent by their father. That alone was reason enough to have this conversation with a bit of respect!
"Wow, now he doesn't even take the time to communicate with us directly any more," Laito remarked, looking - quite contrary to his nature - thoughtful for once. Reiji would have liked to agree, but he was still displeased. Besides, what did direct mean. In the past, father had communicated mainly through the villa's current master, Shu. However, the oldest had regularly forgotten to pass on the messages to the others, which had already led to extremely confusing encounters with strange young women who had suddenly appeared on their property. It was only after minutes of discussion, in which the esteemed householder had not participated, that Shu had always remembered: "oh yes, he told me something about that."
Lord of hell, Reiji was becoming more and more certain - he'd take the nonchalant jokester Laito over his good-for-nothing brother Shu any day. Just the thought of the latter usually taking forever to sort things out made him angry, even if today, in this situation, Shu hadn't done anything yet (then again, that was kind of the problem, wasn't it? That he wasn't doing anything!)
"Shu!" he addressed him directly now. One had to check every time to see if he didn't have something to contribute after all.
„What?"
„Don't what me! Has father said a word to you or is this letter the only information we have received?"
„Hm." The voice of his brother was so tired, as if every word was too much of an effort. „No, I haven't heard from him in a while. But we also did not have a bride in a while." Aaaand he was back to closing his eyes. Reiji, who, no matter in which way Shu communicated, felt the need to rip his throat out, sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
„Well, this seems to be what this is about." He did not feel like reading the letter out loud, so he just reached it over to Kanato, who sat next to him. Laito got up in one fluent motion and stood behind the boy with the violet hair to look over his shoulder.
„It is time to teach you how to work for what you want" Laitos rendition of their fathers' writing did not sound anything like Karl-Heinz at all – but, to be fair, it also did not sound like the youngest of the triplets. Laitos voice was way to confused for that. „So far, the sacrificial brides have been delivered to the mansion, so that you had no work with it at all!?" The confusion in his voice rose, but then Kanato took over. And he sounded mad!
„NO WORK? NO WORK?! Is he SERIOUS? All of these WOMEN have been SO MUCH WORK! HOW DARE HE?! Right, Teddy?"
„Yeah, yeah, how dare he", Laitos voice was back to flippant, „but also, and maybe more important, why? Why now of all times?"
„Let my humble self have a look!" The oldest of the triplets got a word in now and reached out his hand for the letter, but right in that moment the youngest of all the brothers gave an amused huff:
„Humble, my ass", he muttered.
„Subaru!" Ayato turned around to the white haired boy, who had made himself on purpose not part of this circle by standing a little at the side. „Shut the fuck up, will you? Or come at me, if you dare!"
„Nah, not interested." Subaru did no more than sigh this which in turn made his older brother even more furious.
„Okay, well", Laito now interfered, „interesting fight as always, compliments, but to come back to the topic at hand - so that we can all go do something more fun -"
„Fun!", Ayato interrupted with a scoff. „As if you could have fun without a girl around."
„I could have fun with you", his brother raised his eyebrows in a challenge, taking a little step over to Ayatos chair. Kanato laughed.
„Nice one, Laito", he giggled, but the hat-wearer did not answer. Instead he went to ruffle Ayatos hair, a mocking smile playing around his lips. Ayato pushed him back: „Bah, gross, you pervert."
„So, what you're saying is", Laito began with mock innocence in his voice, "that doing things with you is gross? In that case, I'll pass." That was it. Ayato jumped off his chair, pushing his brother back at the shoulders.
„Stop this!" Reiji rose in one fluent motion, his voice like thunder. „I have no time for your childish arguments! Settle this after we have finished here!"
„No, yours truly -"
„Sit the fuck down!" Now Subaru shouted, too.
„Can you all not just be quiet?", came a long sigh from Shu and although he was actually pursuing the same goal as Reiji – silence – everything in the purple-haired man resisted taking his side. „You all are interrupting my music."
„My", second oldest said with a sneer, „how utterly expected."

After chaos had ensued for a few more seconds, Kanato got up as well and said: „Teddy is bored. So we either get to the bottom of this now or Teddy and I will leave." Laito sighed.
„Alright, alright. So, give that damn thing then – let's see." He studied the letter for a moment, before saying: „Well, apparently the whole jist of this is that our dear father thinks we need to get out more."
„I'm not sure that this is what I have read", said Reiji with a slight smile, that vanished so fast it nearly did not even count. „But yes. Father wants us to take part in a school exchange. To choose our next bride rather than having her send by the church."
„Choose? As if there is a huge difference among human girls." Kanato huffed. „They're all very tedious and they make Teddy angry."
„Hey, might be fun. We can choose the one who would like to fill the position the least." Laito winked. „The more resistance, the more fun is to be had."
„And the more work I have", Reiji mumbled. „Have you no hobbies?" Laito threw his head back and laughed at the nearly desperate facial expression of his older brother.
„This might very well become my new hobby."
„But if we have to choose", Kanato interrupted now, „can we take one who fits my collection downstairs? Just yesterday I was talking to Teddy about how we have an overwhelmingly big amount of brunettes. Some colorful spots here and there wouldn't hurt." He started laughing as if he just now heard what he said: „Well, it would at first, but not for a long time."
„You're all sick." Subaru pushed himself off the dresser he had been leaning against. „I'm leaving."
„Stay, Subaru." This was Reiji's voice of authority and the youngest stopped in his tracks, even though he really did not feel like it. „We are going to visit our partner school and we can only choose girls from either that school or the host family we are going to live with. These are the limitations."
„Makes me automatically want someone else." Laito shrugged.
„Same goes for yours truly." Ayato agreed. „Also, yours truly does not have limitations." Reiji rolled his eyes. This all took way longer than expected, but why was he surprised? His brothers were a huge group of idiots and things never went efficiantly, which is why Reiji tried to limit these meetings to a bare minimum.
„Great, it was insanely important that we all are aware of what you two want."
„Why else would you have asked us here?" Ayato snapped.
„Well, one could assume that I hoped we might come to a conclusion to a multitude of questions, but now that you're mentioning it – my main reason was for sure the fact how much I value the scintillating conversations we always tend to have when it's the six of us trying to have a talk."
„Pah, Reiji!" Ayato crossed his arms. „Don't be so ironic. It doesn't suit you."
„I think it is hilarious", said Laito.
„And I'm not interested in either of your opinions." Reiji sighed. "Now, can we for heaven's sake, please return to this letter? It is important to Father that -" Shu muttered something snide that sounded suspiciously like, "Daddy's boy ...".
"Aren't we done with that dumb letter?" Subaru crossed his arms, preventing the second eldest from responding to his big brother, probably unconsciously though. "You have informed us. I, for one, have not the slightest desire to go anywhere."
„And I cannot leave my collection", Kanato interjected.. „I need to brush their hair, daily. No exeptions."
„For hell's sake. This is harder than it looks." Laito grinned – half about still being here, half about how desperate Reiji by now seemed. „Well, I'm gonna go. Can't pass up the chance to play with some cute human girls."
„Not neccessarily the right motivation but I take it." Reiji shrugged. „So, it is me and Laito and Shu."
„Shu is coming?" Ayato asked with raised eyebrows. „Did he even hear that you have planned that?"
„He heard", mumbled Shu so quietly that it was hard to make out.
„And you're cool with this?"
„Whatever." The eyes of the blonde were still closed.
„But you have to … you know, move – physically." Laito said now.
„Whatever." If this, too, would not be too much effort, Shu might have shrugged. Reiji, who really did not feel like going on a trip with his good-for-nothing brother and the boy with the very misplaced fashion sense and the inability to take anything seriously, now he turned to the youngest of the group: „You're coming as well, Subaru."
„The hell I will."
„No discussions. You don't have a good reason not to obey father's wishes."
„My garden -"
„Kanato can care for the garden, when he stays here anyway."
„Kanato is only used to caring for dead things. And he has hit my roses more than once."
„My dolls AREN'T DEAD! DO YOU WANT TO DIE?"
„Oh, fuck off." Subaru crossed his arms again. By Subaru-standards this was the calmest he'd been in the last few months. „Why do you make me come but not Ayato?"
„Because yours truly -"
„Because", Reiji interruptet the red-head, „I can not stand having both of them around." He nodded in direction of the red haired portion of the triplets. The latter tilted his head, a little miffed.
„Yours truly -"
„Can you just fucking not for one fucking time for fucks sake?!" Okay, so much for Subaru being calm.
„Actually, Reiji, I think yours truly should go. After all, it is important that the new bride is to my liking."
„You never cared before."
„Because your's truly never got to choose. Now that we can, I want to." Reiji let out a deep, long sigh – he was just so incredibly done with this day.
„Well, do whatever."
„So Kanato's the only one staying behind?" Laito raised one eyebrow. „Lame."
„NO! Not only ME! TEDDY WILL BE THERE!" Now all five brothers sighed in unison. And with that it was decided. They'd go on a trip. To the human world of all places. How utterly peculiar.