Disclaimer! For those, who are wondering... No! The Collector won't be featured in this story. He might be mentioned, but that would be it. My apologies to those, who were hoping for his inclusion!

chapter 5: Bad girl historian meets Bad boy historian

Lilith was helping Toffee with the cleaning after the performance, or whathever that fiasco was, with a lot of concerns on her mind. Should she ask him about it? Would it be okay? He did promise to answer all of her questions, after all.

- So- she began.- I suppose it didn't go according to plan.

- Pity- Toffee responded indifferently.- but it's nothing new here. It may not be synergy, but it's peace. And the worst peace is always better than the best war!

- Sounds like this dimension has been going through a lot. It's even worse than what's happening on the Boiling isles. I have never seen such xenophobia there.

Toffee sighed. He knew that cleaning the mess from that fiasco required more attention, than just reminding himself about the chaos, his people lived in.

- Ms. Clawthorne! Can we talk about it later?

- Yes. Of course!

Then Toffee remembered about what she'd told him earlier...about her occupation in a museum. That woman behind him was a fellow historian. No wonder she was so curious! Perhaps, they both just needed to find somewhere else to be answer each other's questions and discuss the plan to defeat Belos.

- Actually, Miss!- Toffee broke the silence.- How about we discuss it over dinner?

Lilith got flustered and blushed heavily, to the point of resembling a big red tomato. Was he asking her out? What she should do now? She did not want to insult him in any way.

When she tried to reply, it felt as if her vocal chords just broke, and she could only speak gibberish.

- Oh...uhm...I...uhm...- she cleared her throat and tried it again, this time sounding more confident.- My sincerest apologies, sir! I am flattered, but I want our relationship to remain entirely professional.

- This is not a date!- the septarian clarified, a little insulted.- It's a roundtable discussion. We need to concoct a solid plan to deal with the problem.

- Oh...- Lilith's eyes widened. So much so, that she looked like a pale-skinned tarsier.- I-I'm sorry! Looks like I have misinterpreted the question.- she bowed in respect.- My apologies! I don't know where that even came from.

Eda cackled out loud, her voice echoing in the room. Ever since her sister told her about her recent little...incident, she just could not help but laugh out loud like the Wicked witch from the West.

Eda wiped out her single tear of joy and finally calmed down enough to speak.

- You...you actually believed that he was asking you out?

- Are you finished, Edalyn?- Lilith frowned and placed her hands on her hips.

- Yeah, but...Why did you even think that?- Eda slouched on the couch.

- To be honest, I'm not sure. Maybe it's due to all those suitors I've rejected for the past few weeks. Like an automatic response, you know.

- It still doesn't explain why you're so scared of dates, as a whole. You seem to like that guy.

- Yes, but not in that way. Besides, I alread told you I am not interested in those activities.- Lilith wagged her finger sternly.- We are here to find Belos. Remember, dear sister?

- I haven't forgotten, Lily!- Eda raised her voice annoyed.

- Good! Then you and the others can search for clues, while Toffee and I are coming up with ideas.

- Hey, who died and made you a queen?

- Edalyn!

- Fine! Fine!

The teenagers were all in Star's spacious room. They were sitting on the floor, cross-legged and exchanging more questions.

- So- Luz began.- there is a way to travel between dimensions via the so-called "dimensional scissors".

Marco nodded and showed her his own pair to demonstrate.

- And once you've finished your job here- the human boy said.- I can just open you a portal to the Boiling isles and one to Earth for Luz. In that way, you don't need to worry about your return.

- Now we have one problem less!- Gus commented.

What was supposed to be joyful moment, however, was a reason for Luz to frown. She stood up and left the room, looking upset.

- What happened?- Marco said.- Was it something I've said?

- I'll go talk to her.- Amity volunteered and proudly put a hand on her chest.- I'm her awesome girlfriend, after all.

Amity found her girlfriend sulking in the corridor. Concerned, she asked in a calm and relaxing tone.

- Hey, babe! Is something wrong? Are you not excited about coming back home?

- Of course, I am!- Luz forced a smile.- It's just that...it seems so soon.

- But on the other hand, you're gonna see your mom again. That's what you've wanted for such a long time, right?

- Yeah, but...how am I gonna tell her about...everything? Look at me! I don't even know where to begin from.

- Luz.- Amity gently took her hands.- It'll be alright! If your mom is anything like you, then she'll understand. I can feel it!- then she kissed her girlfriend on the nose.- Come on! Let's not keep the others waiting!

The evening had a very tough beginning for Belos. It was getting dark, and he had nowhere to sleep for the night. Not only that, but he hasn't eaten anything all day.

Eventually, after tormentingly long hours of wandering, he found the ruins of a castle, which if they were abandoned, as he hoped so, they would make a good hiding place.

Once he was inside, he was met by what seemed to be only the reminder of the castle's previous glory. Broken pillars, remains of statues and sculptures, total darkness.

The most interesting element, however, were the tapestries on the walls, each depicting a different woman (except for one, depicting a young man). The one that caught Belos' eye was the tapestry with the same monster he saw last night. The beast was clad in a dark sleevless top, long dark pants and boots. He was wearing human skulls on his shoulders as decorations, which Belos found really disgusting to see. In this same scene, the monster was fighting a teenage girl with long blue hair, diamond-shaped marks on her cheeks and big blue eyes, riding a strange creature, which seemed like a hybrid between a pig and a goat.

Nothing suspicious, nor unusual. Just two adults, having a dinner at a small restaurant, talking about work. Nothing that have never happened before.

They were both looking at the menu, each of them figuring out what they would like to order. It was Toffee's treat.

- If you want to- Toffee broke the silence.- you can all eat at the canteen, while you are in Septarsis. It's much cheaper than eating at a public restaurant and I can sign you a declaration, in case someone tries to give you a hard time.

- That would be very kind of you, sir!- Lilith gave a small smile, which vanished quickly, when she remembered what happened earlier.- Look, I want to apologize again for my behaviour earlier today! It was nothing personal, it's just a force of habit. I have been asked out a lot of times this month.

- It's okay! Let's order and go back to business, shall we?

- We shall!

Toffee opened his notebook to write down everything discussed tonight.

- Before the plans, let's start with the ideas!- he suggested.- I've been thinking, that since Belos is a human, then we should be looking for more information about his past on Earth. Luz and Marco can assist us with that. You said his former name was Philip Wittebane, right?

- That is correct!- Lilith nodded.- Also, we will need every method in existence to find him.

- I can send a search party, but there is the potential risk of unintentionally causing mass panic or even alerting the target.

- Perhaps, I can make a scrying potion, so the search can be more discreet. Though, it will take some time, since I will need to go back to the Boiling isles to collect the ingredients.

- Or we can just use Star's All-seeing eye spell. It's much faster.- Toffee cursed himself for the offer of including magic, but times of crisis acquired all sorts of resources. He still wrote down her offer, though.

The reminder that Star could use her own magic, was the cause for Lilith's sudden shame. If only she had magic, she could do so much more to help. She couldn't use glyphs either, because they only worked on the Boiling isles.

Lilith began massaging her temples in desperation, which Toffee did not skip to comment on.

- Is everything alright?

- It's nothing.- the witch answered.- Like you said, let's go back to business!

The two were eating their soups, but Toffee kept thinking about his poor choice of words, which led to the woman's confusion earlier.

- You know!- he spoke.- I think it might be on me. I should have presented my offer differently to avoid that whole...- he waved his hand, looking for fitting nouns.- "date" thing.

- It's okay!- Lilith assured him.- It's all forgotten.

- If it helps, I want to add, that I am not interested in dating, either. I don't find the inclusion of a mother in my children's lives to be vital.

The fact that Toffee was spending the evening in a restaurant with a strange woman, did not remain unnoticed by the other customers. They were glancing at the pair and whispering to each other.

This made Lilith feel uncomfortable. She did not mean to get so much attention from strangers.

- Uhm, sir?- she quietly whispered to Toffee.- I feel like we are the ones, everybody is staring at.

- And I think you have a good eye, Miss.- Toffee replied.- Because they are.

- That doesn't bother you?- she asked confused.

- Whether I am on a date or not is none of my subjects' concerns.- he took a sip of his drink and continued.- What the king does in his spare time is my own business.

The KING?! He was the king this whole time?! Lilith's eyes widened in the shock and her jaw dropped.

- Y-You are the king here?

Toffee nodded.

- I thought it was obvious.- he added.

- I got the impression you are the majordomo.- she said rapidly.- Or the vizier.- she slapped her forehead, feeling like a fool for not seeing that one coming.

- Ms. Clawthorne!- Toffee said sternly.- Calm down!- he signaled her with his eyes.

When Lilith followed the direction of his eyes, she saw the whole restaurant staring at her as if she was some sort of a crazy woman. One of them gestured, as if to say "What the Hell is wrong with you?". Embarrassed, she blushed heavily and apologized for her reaction.

- My sincerest apologies, sire!

- Let's go somewhere more private!- Toffee said and gestured to the waiter to bring them the bill.

6 PM. Once they were out, Toffee decided it would be for the better if they just headed back to the castle.

Lilith was engulfed with guilt over the scene she made.

- My apologies again, Your Majesty!- she bowed.- I'm such a dullard!

- Water under the bridge.- Toffee replied indifferently.- It happens.

- Let me make it up to you! Please!

- No need.

Lilith had no idea why he was being so patient with her. She looked at his face for clues about his emotional state, but he remained completely expressionless. Even if he was upset, he wasn't showing it.

While walking, it was getting rather chilly, especially with Lilith's short sleeves. The witch rubbed her arms for warmth, and regretted not taking any jackets or coats with her. Now she knew what would be the first thing to do tomorrow. Toffee witnessed her discomfort, he took his black blazer off and placed it on her shoulders.

- Thank you!- she said.- But don't you need it more?

- It's a short walk. Don't worry!

At last, they were in the library, where they could finish the job.

- So far, we only have ideas how to find Belos.- Lilith summarized.- We need to think of how to capture him.

- Does he have any other special abilities, which I am yet to witness?- Toffee asked her.

- He has the shapeshifting from consuming palisman essence. He is skilled at glyph magic, but this one is useful only on the Boiling isles. His staff can produce artificial magic, but its mostly basic offensive spells.

- Aren't you a witch yourself? Don't you know any spells, which could be of use?

Lilith frowned.

- I was pretty powerful back when I was in his coven, but after the curse my magic got heavily weakened.- her hands were shaking.- I can't use glyphs either, only Rajan and my potions.- her palisman Rajan landed on her shoulder and tried to comfort her by rubbing his face against hers.

Suddenly, odd black feathers protruded from her cheeks.

- Ms. Clawthorne?- the septarian pointed at her face.

Lilith touched her cheeks and got shocked after feeling the feathers on her face. She quickly opened her bag to look for elixir, but she could not find any. Good thing, Rajan was there to fetch one bottle for her.

Lilith opened it and drank the entire liquid up. Upon doing so, the feathers disappeared. The now relaxed Lilith sat on the couch, taking a deep breath. That was so close!

- Thank you, Rajan!

- What's going on?- Toffee asked.

- It's the curse, I told you about. It's not infectious, if that's what you're worried about, but it can become really hazardous without elixir.

Toffee sighed. Maybe it would be for the better if they call it a night. The whole day was pretty stressful, anyway.

- Let's just stop here!- the septarian said.

- But- Lilith protested.- we didn't get any work done.

- We've done enough. Take some rest now!

Toffee opened a bottle of swamp water and poured two glasses for him and the guest respectively.

- I hope you like swamp water.- he said, as he gave her the glass.

The blue-haired woman took a brief sip to taste it first, and found the beverage rather enjoyable.

The septarian relaxed on the couch and looked at the baby monitor to check on his son- the boy was innocently playing in the crib, as he was supposed to. Somebody knocked on the door.

- Dad?- Razzles called from the other side.

- I'm here.- Toffee responded.

Razzles opened the door, holding a notebook in her arms.

- Will you help me with my homework? It's history.

- Of course.

- We have to choose a queen of Mewni and write an essay about her, but I can't decide which one.

- Which ones do you remember?- Toffee tested her.- Tell me. Remember to exclude Star, Moon and Eclipsa.

Lilith raised an eyebrow. Star used to be a queen? At that age?

- Okay.- Razzles began.- There was Comet the Chef, Solaria the Monster carver, Celena the Shy, Estrella the Drafted, Jushtin the Uncalculated, Festivia the Fun...

- Good!- her father commented.- And what do you know about each one?

- That the true Butterfly dynasty ends with Eclipsa and Meteora, and that the second one begins with Festivia the Fun, who, according to what Star'd told me, is theorized to descend from Pie island.

- Really?- Toffee asked rhetorically.- That explains the hundreds of year old scam.

Razzles chuckled at her father's joke.

- This remains between you and me.- he booped her snout.- Considering you know so much about Festivia, why don't you write your essay about her? You can include that theory you just told me about.

- Yeah!- the girl smiled.- Sounds great! Thanks, dad!

- You've had dinner, right?- Toffee was quick to ask her, before she left the room. Razzles nodded.- Go do your homework then!

Lilith smiled in delight. This scene gave her a nostalgia of her own days at school.

- Your daughter is a pretty smart girl.

- She is quite mature for her age. As a father, I can only be proud of her.- Toffee smiled.

- This means you've raised her well.- the witch continued.- You must be a remarkable father, sir!

Despite the compliment, Toffee did not feel flattered, even in the slightest. To him, her tone sounded more like sycophancy.

- Those were some intriguing historical facts there.- Lilith changed the subject.- Tell me more.

- Tomorrow. I promise, this will be the first thing I will tell you.

- Of course!- Lilith bowed.- Whatever you say, Your Mighty and Royal...

- Could you please stop that?- Toffee interrupted her.

- With what?

- Ingratiating me. This cannot impress me. You've been acting like that, ever since you found out what I do for living.

Lilith blushed and grabbed her arm in shame.

Toffee came to the conclusion that this woman was probably in need of some proper guidance. She'd experienced more than enough for day- having to witness the less than favourable situation on Mewni, planning a way to stop Belos, the curse. What was necessary right now was some verbal encouragement.

- You don't need to do much.- Toffee continued.- I appreciate your help in the planning, as well as your interest in our history as a fellow historian myself.

- Really?- Lilith got excited at the delivered news.

Another disclaimer! I do not mind aromantic characters, nor the fact that Lilith herself might be one. This story is just answering a "What if..?" type of question.