Setup #1: God Goes on Vacation [first thread]

[RisuChan]

To try to make this game easier to navigate:
This post right here is the one that started the game. Read through this thread until you hit one of the points that links to one of the other threads; then follow the link if you want, or keep reading here.

I'll try to use Leet Admin Powerz to go through and tuck back-and-forth links at the right places in the timeline, if it's still possible to do so. ^^;;

[character POV: Riff]

Some people wouldn't believe how unglamourous this job really is, I think to myself, perhaps for the dozenth time in as many days. Putting up with the personalities, the politics, the angst, the arrogance, the interpersonal conflicts, day in and day out...

I pick up the newspaper that's been carelessly flung onto Yuki-sensei's doorstep and brush off a couple of stray leaves, then notice a small pink note attached to it.

The paperboy's grasp on kanji is somewhat lacking, so I resolve to puzzle the rest of it out over a cup of tea.

...Yes, I said kanji. We're just actors, you know; Yuki-sensei pays us to put up with all of this, to act out the scenes for her to illustrate. If she didn't pay us, I'd never have bothered. Master Cain is an exception, of course; I follow him anywhere. But the other inhabitants of this place... there are far too many arrogant demigods wandering around with attitudes the size of Australia in this house.

It's an enormous house -- it has to be to keep all of us here; and Yuki-sensei learned rather early on that keeping all of us here was far better for her police record than letting us live anywhere else. (Alexis is still sulking about the revocation of his pass to leave the premises. But honestly, leaving bombs planted all over Tokyo Tower and large chunks of the underground subway system is not only terrible publicity but also unbelievably derivative of our more twisted neighbors over at the Clampverse complex...)

I set the paper down beside a pot of hot tea and take a better look at the paperboy's kanji.

...hold on here...

...halt delivery notice? For how long?

My heart pounding in my throat, I look over at the rows of mailboxes which correspond to each cast's floor and set of rooms.

There are little black and red envelopes sticking out of them. (Sometimes I wish Yuki-sensei's sense of style was just a little less Gothic-Lolita. I really don't want to see the little baroque twisted-sadist-Cupid-and-torn-out-living-heart stickers again this Valentine's Day... I have nightmares even now...)

I pluck my envelope out of its slot and try not to let my eyes focus on this round of decorations for fear I might add another to my collection of nightmares.

Unfortunately for my mental health, the contents of the envelope are even less reassuring than the outside.


Riff,

Now that the insane deadlines for Cain are over with, I'm going on a world tour of anime and manga conventions this year. Hopefully if I stop at all of them once, the irritating little organizers will stop pestering me about attending and leave me alone ever after to brood in melancholy sorrow, or something like that. So this is the year I'm sacrificing to the crass marketing demands of my art.

Keep Alexis and Lucifer from destroying the place while I'm gone, won't you? The insurance company is threatening to revoke our policy every other quarter as it is...

Yuki Kaori
(but you lot can call me Mom or God depending on how particularly heretical you're feeling at any given moment)


The paper falls from my shaking hands as I stare up at the list of names.

Every character. Every series. And the one person twisted enough to keep them all in line has gone on vacation for an entire year and left me in charge of keeping the place standing?!

"Why ME?" I shout at the unresponsive envelope. "Unlike some people around here, I can't warp the nature of reality around people's heads or threaten miscreants with an eternity of unending agony!"

...Damn her twice; there's more writing on the back of the note.

And stop complaining. You've temporarily been left with the unkillable switch on and I've left you the combination codes for everyone's personal reset buttons if (should I say when?) they get themselves killed off. You CAN keep things running, you know. I designed you to be the perfect house-manager. Just manage my house. And don't use the resets too often or the space-time continuum might start getting even more frayed. See you next fall...

I stare up at the steps to the upper floors with a sense of slowly growing horror, wondering whether I should burn all the rest of the envelopes before Alexis learns that the master of all our masters has left us hanging for an entire year with no reinforcements...

...because the 'unkillable' switch does nothing whatsoever to block out pain... and quite a few of them have realized this...

[Carole]

[Character POV: Cain]

I'm glaring up at this ceiling for the tenth time this morning... Why can't anyone in this building ever stay quiet for once? I really need to have a talk with Yuki-san about having sound proof walls put in...on my floor at least.

After all...how can I ever concentrate on my precious poisons with some of the racket that goes on...and it certainly wouldn't be good to be in the middle of some....creation...and a loud disturbance to cause...an accident...no something like that would not be good.

Unfortunaly (or is it?), I haven't had the pleasure of coming face to face with all the residents of the complex...but I've seen enough to know that not everyone in this building is sane. And to make matters worse that no good Alexis is here...

Another bang...I send a glare in it's general direction and toss my book back on the desk. What in the hell is going on up there?

I reach for my teacup and see that it's empty...frowning slightly I look around but seeing neither a pitcher nor Riff, for that matter, I resolve to go in search of my own tea. Not to mention it will get me away from this comotion.

Standing up I manage to make my way out of the study, before I realize....I don't know where Riff keeps the tea....

Giving up on my Great Tea Quest for the moment I go in search of Riff...a quick search on my floor and it's obvious he isn't up here...and it would make no sense for him to be on the upper floors...so the only way to go is down.

I head down the stairs, teacup in hand, and end up in the mail room...and now at least one search has come to an end, because Riff is standing in front of his mailbox.

"Riff, where's the...-" I start to say but I stop when I see the peculiar expression on his face. I arch an eyebrow slightly and look at the mail boxes.

Each one contains a black and red envelope. That can only mean one thing...

I look back at Riff and ask, "Mail from Yuki-san?"

It's more of a statement thatn a question really...who else would use such envelopes?

[RisuChan]

[character POV: Riff]

Master Cain's question likely doesn't need an answer, since it's clear enough, but I nod weakly anyway, still racking my brain for what to do about the situation.

Master Cain's teacup is empty, I realize, and seize upon that as one small bastion of sanity and purpose in a world otherwise gone dangerously mad and rudderless. I wonder if he notices that my pouring is nowhere near as steady as usual.

"You might wish to read your mail, Master Cain," I tell him, somewhat unsteadily. "But then again, you might wish not to, if you see what I mean."

I watch with some trepidation as Master Cain takes his envelope, grimaces at the decoration on the front, and opens it.

He keeps his expression remarkably calm throughout the contents -- too calm; I wonder what it is that Yuki-sensei has written to him, and how precisely it must have been calculated to produce that moment's freeze on the border between too-precise self-control, outrage, and, perhaps, terror. She loves torturing my poor master.

I take that back. From what I've witnessed around here, she seems to love torturing all of us.

"Master Cain?" I ask, rather cautiously. "It had occurred to me that it might be advisable for me to have a bit of a filing accident with some people's mailboxes. I could, for example, gather these up to deliver to people's doors, and if certain ones happened not to arrive... well... it's quite a big place, and I'm only human..."

I hold my breath and wait to see whether Master Cain considers this a good idea or a terrible one.

[Carole]

[Character POV: Cain]

Riff refills my teacup before answering and I note his unusual demeanor. He certainly seems perturbed about something...and where the heck did that tea pot come from?

"You might wish to read your mail, Master Cain," I tell him, somewhat unsteadily. "But then again, you might wish not to, if you see what I mean."

"Hm," is my only reply and I pull the letter out of the box. With a distasteful look at it, Why do women insist on dressing letters so hideously?, I open it and read the writing inside.

To my beloved Cain,

I'm leaving you, and everyone else for that matter, for a nice relaxing world tour. Riff, being the most sensible and least murderous of you lot, should be able to keep everything under wraps. Be a dear, and don't "overwork" him too much. ^_~

Yuki Kaori

P.S. Oh, and I've taken the liberty of locking your poisons up, and tucking them safely away until my return. Wouldn't want you loosing your temper and causing any "problems," would we? I shall see you again in the fall!

Reading this...this...letter, I'm trying very hard not to tear it to shreds, go chasing after that woman, and dragging her back here to demand 'What the hell are you thinking?!'

And this "overworked" sillyness....just what exactly is she implying?

But here it comes...the real kicker...She has taken my collection!? And locked it away? Briefly I wonder how she managed to get to them, but that thought is pushed aside and has been replaced by Riff's voice.

"Master Cain?" I ask, rather cautiously. "It had occurred to me that it might be advisable for me to have a bit of a filing accident with some people's mailboxes. I could, for example, gather these up to deliver to people's doors, and if certain ones happened not to arrive... well... it's quite a big place, and I'm only human..."

The zookeeper has abandoned the zoo...I glance in the direction if the stairs quickly...and then back at all the letters. It would be best if certain people didn't know this.... Images of that insane Dr. and Alexis pass through my mind and I shudder inwardly. They would probably find out about Yuki-san's absence eventually, but the later the better.

I fold the letter up and place it back into the envelope, tucking it away inside my coat pocket.

I look at Riff, still reeling a bit over the letter's contents, "That would be best for now. I don't trust certain people to behave while Yuki-san's away."

[Alter]

[character POV: Jezebel]


To say I dislike this building is a terrible understatements.

I totally despise it...

Why? Well, let's see....First, I didn't like to be around with the ever so sinful creature
called as 'human'. You see, I heard them cursing and sobbing over murder news and
then chatting about some dinner recipe afterwards...'oh no, you must crush the bones altogether and boilt it for a little longer!'

uhhuh...and you think women is just a meek and loving creature. And don't let me remind you of
the so-called 'farm'. Fancy how they described it as a beautiful meadow, where all the animals playing
together and live happily. It's the most sickening concept I ever encountered. I mean, this is
the place where you raised little and poor defenseless living beings, breeding them, taking their
children (or eggs, for some living beings) in front of their eyes, and eventually killed them as well when they're past their 'productive' times.

I could go on and on about the (so-called) human and their cruelty but I think you already know why I hate humans in general.
.....and I have to live with so many of the said creature in one building?

Too bad Miss Yuki gave us the first and the most important warning as "Thou must not kill each other".
If only she wasn't so scary (Miss Yuki would be a perfect example why human is said to be most frightening
being on this world), I would already have make a good decrement on human population (of course, Cain would always
have the honor to become the first one). But, because she clearly stated that we can't kill each other (even though 'accident'
happens all the times), I usually spent my days trying not to be engaged with others.

Which is why I always get up really early on the morning, taking my mails and breakfast, and head back to my own room--spending the rest of my time in solitude of my study room.

Usually, I did that. But this day, something's different...Watching the mailboxes, I think she just snaps
out of it. She sent a letter to everyone! Last time she did that was on Valentine day (I like the cute sticker), but her last letter to me stated that my permit to leave the
building is revoked! (okay, so I might be maimed a civil resident, but he's drunk and try to hit on me! it's a
pure self defense!). Gazing warily to my mailbox, I tuck the mail from Miss Yuki and staring at it.

"Is this a good news or a bad news?", I murmured to noone in particular. But before I had the chance to open it, I heard someone's coming.

not having the mood to meet someone else, I quickly hide behind the mailboxes shelves. If it Cain who eventually came to get his mail (and not his servants) I would 'accidentally' trips on something and hits the mailboxes side (which of course would 'accidentally' hit him--fufufu...) ...if it's not, I could always sneak up to the stairs without being spotted, Or I could just 'accidentally' trips on something and just leave it on that...it's depends on generousity feeling I have today.

"Why ME?"

Ahh, it's Riff. Excellent. I wonder what'll Cain do if his butler got a (or several) broken bone. I started to push the mailboxes...

"Unlike some people around here, I can't warp the nature of reality around people's heads or threaten miscreants with an eternity of unending agony!"

that makes me halt. Just what exactly he meant? I frowned at the letter in my hand. Deciding it would be a very important message (message that could make Riff screams is a very important message indeed), I feel quite generous enough to let Riff go unscathed. I head back to the stairs and stared for the third time at Miss Yuki's letter.

"I wondered where'd she buy this envelope", maybe I could asks her later.



(alter note: beware everyone, one lunatic is set on loose!!! *evil laughter*)

[RisuChan]

[character POV: Riff]

I begin my somewhat grim process of gathering up the envelopes, noting with some dismay that some of my top candidates for non-delivery had already been discovered by their owners.

Lucifer's was already gone.

Rociel's wasn't, and there was little enough love lost between the two that I felt it unlikely Rociel would hear it from Lucifer.

Katan, on the other hand, was a different story; his note joined Rociel's in the collection of envelopes being carefully nudged into a little crack beside the mailroom desk where nobody ever cleaned.

Setsuna would need the forewarning if by some chance Rociel did learn of the authorial absence. (Some people could hold grudges for millennia.) I added Setsuna's to the collection to be delivered properly.

The sorting went fairly quickly. I know more than I might care to about the more eccentric inhabitants of most of our building. It is part of my duty as Master Cain's assistant to learn to quickly narrow down the list of motivated suspects whenever another rash of murders, mayhem, overconvenient accidents, or generalized nastiness breaks out around here.

Master Cain is the one with the genius for unravelling the particular details of who and when and why; Yuki-sensei finds him quite a convenient solver of problems that I could, if I were ungracious, observe that she ought to have solved herself.

I am not a genius, not the way my young lord is; I am merely very observant, and I have observed quite a number of things during our stay here. Many of those observations are memories I would prefer to rip wholesale from the fabric of my mind, of course -- but knowledge is knowledge.

Nobody on Neji's floor gets their envelope. Neji himself never returns there for fear of getting into another battle that might cause permanent structural damage to the building this time, his two friends stay with him as he wanders among our assorted worlds, and the rest of them...

I note with some dismay that several more once-regularly-checked mailboxes are filling up with junk mail in addition to Yuki-sensei's envelopes. Not surprisingly, they all belong to busty and attractive young women. Prince Ludwig must have been collecting again. I sigh to myself and clean the entire contents out into the "to be sorted by any locatable heirs" bin.

It is with even greater dismay that I note the absence of Dr. Jezebel's envelope. I'd been hoping not to deliver Alexis' envelope either -- but with Jezebel's gone, there's no point; if he doesn't tell his stepfather now out of spite, at some point during the year he will tell him for further spite, and then the hell that would be paid over the thought that anyone would have the audacity to interfere with his mail might well be greater than our preparing in advance for the thought that Alexis will know the author is missing. At least if we know that he knows, we can be prepared. If he doesn't know at first and finds out later, then we have to spend months living in dual dread...

...and besides, there is some slim chance that Yuki-sensei might have thought of some threat to hang over his head which would keep even Alexis somewhat in check. He never has attempted to leave the building since receiving her last ultimatum...

I reconsider the advisability of delivering Rociel's under that same line of thought, then remember that Alexis at least maintains enough sanity to value his own life and a reasonable lack of agony in said life. No one and nobody can discipline a creature so insanely self-absorbed that he considers himself the obvious and unquestionable center of the universe... Rociel's envelope stays in the nook of mail-vanishing.

Finally, with the collection of deliverables in my hands, I begin my ominous path up through the different levels.

[Carole]

[Character POV: Cain]

Riff gathers the letters, and starts off on his delivery mission and I'm left here with a horrible note and a cup of tea that's already starting to grow cold.

What to do, what to do....

What was that woman thinking? She's the only person capable of keeping the more enthusiastic residents from creating total chaos. I sigh, and make my way up towards my floor.

Maybe I can barricade the doors and not come out till she returns...and let the cretins fight amongst themselves. But there's no way I could possibly keep Merryweather tucked away....and if she is out and about I have to make sure no one touches her....and Riff for that matter.

So it seems I'm going to be playing protector (not that I wasn't already). It would be so much easier if Yuki-san had left me my poisons...a few slips into several drinks and this place would be very quiet. No hope of that now is there?? Perhaps I might be able to locate them...but I haven't the faintest idea where she would have stored them.

I stop on the stairs suddenly.

No one must know I don't have my poisons. If they were to find this out....

I stop myself from completing that train of thought and continue my trek up the stairs.

[note: Welcome to the board Alter!]

[RisuChan]

More deliveries... I think I may make a separate post for each POV I bop in and out of because the color alternating makes it easier to spot different posts... speaking of which....

[character POV: Merry]

Riff's up to something again. I know it. He doesn't hunch his shoulders like he's expecting to be beaten with a club from behind at any moment unless he's up to something.

He's also more cautious than usual when he's expecting to be beaten with a club from behind at any moment. I only manage to slink along behind him for a couple of corridors before he stops and sighs.

"Miss Merry," he says, "it would be more prudent to wear a garment which doesn't rustle like a haystack full of barn-kittens when attempting delinquent skullduggery."

I stick out my tongue at him. "But I like velvet! And so does that singer up on Eight..."

Riff has obviously been taking lessons from Big Brother in the arts of mute sarcasm. He quirks one brow slightly skyward, a silent skepticism that always makes me fume.

So I know perfectly well his name is Kaine and I learned how to operate a CD player specifically to listen to his music and I keep a drawer full of all the posters and CDs and plushies that anyone's ever made of him. That doesn't mean I have to admit it out loud in front of Riff. That would be almost as embarrassing as admitting it to Big Brother.

Riff is definitely scheming something.

"Miss Merry, might I ask you to do me a great favor?"

"What?"

He sorts out a group of black envelopes and hands them to me. They all belong to the members of Kaine's band. My heart flips over and starts pounding so hard I can barely hear Riff over the racket it's making.

"If you could deliver these to Mr. Kaine's band members for me, please? I'm sure they'll need to know about this quickly, and so..."

"Sure!" I tell him, and try to have enough self-control not to hug the top one to my heart -- at least, not in front of Riff. But I dash into the elevator and hit the close button before Riff can get on beside me; the instant the doors close behind me, I hug all of the envelopes.

Kaine is actually going to touch something I held...

I might actually get to meet him...

I might actually get to TALK TO him...

This is the best day I've had for years.

[RisuChan]

[Character POV: Riff]

Success. Sending Miss Merry on a quest to indulge her puppy crush on Mr. Kaine keeps her safely out from underfoot while I head to the floors I hope she never wanders into alone. And believe it or not, I'm far less concerned about her wandering into the men of the host club on the top floor than I am about the teachers of their school district...

[Next stop: Angel Sanctuary floor to meet Raziel-kun: sakuracrisis.proboards22.com/index.cgi?board=yukiverse&thread=1064964629&action=display&start=23]

[RisuChan]

[Character POV: Die]

There's an insanely overdressed midget at the door of the band's suite, clutching a batch of black envelopes like they're holy relics.

...No, not a midget, just faaaarrrr too young for me to let her anywhere in eyeshot of Kaine. Especially dressed like she just came off the top of someone's froufrou birthday cake, complete with velvet and sugary frills.

She stares up at me with an expression that seems to be approximately three quarters mindless worship and one quarter calculation.

I stare back, waiting for her to either hand over the envelopes or go away.

She's still clutching the envelopes. Tenacious little kid. Maybe she's too flat-chested for Kaine to notice. One can always hope.

He's coming out of the shower, half-dressed and toweling his hair dry.

"Somebody here?" he asks me.

With a sigh, I take a step sideways and gesture toward our Gothic-Lolita-refugee kid.

Kaine is such a bastard. He knows exactly what his looks do to people. Not that her face is hiding anything at all, but for God's sake, deliberately inciting mindless hero-worshipping puppy-crushes in a kid too young to drive is just rude.

He thinks of it as fan service, which he as a performing artist is honor-bound to provide to his devoted fans. I think he just enjoys screwing with people's brains.

Kaine puts on his most charming smile and digs both hands through his wet hair to toss it back before sweeping an elegant bow to the girl.

"Gifts borne by a maiden in an exquisite velvet gown; what a special delivery indeed. I'm flattered, my dear. What's your name?"

Her voice isn't working. Her mouth tries, two or three times, silently, but breathing isn't working too well either -- apparently that is a real nineteenth-century corset -- and then she crumples to the floor in a swirl of red velvet like falling rose petals.

I sigh to myself and scoop her and the scattered envelopes together and carry her inside to put her on the sofa and start loosening the corset enough for her to regain consciousness. Better me than Kaine.

He's just grinning his damnfool head off, proud of the effect of his performance, that cocky, arrogant, and unforgivably lovable bastard...

[RisuChan]

[character POV: Kaine]

Die is taking care of the little girl; he's got her gown adjusted somehow, enough so she can breathe, and it's absolutely hilarious how he keeps shooting me sidelong looks while he cautiously backs toward the kitchen, pours the world's fastest cup of water, and sprints back out into the living room as though I could have molested her in under fifteen seconds.

If she were ten years older, maybe. But I'm not about to admit that to Die. It's more fun watching him glower and sulk. He's so cute when he glares like that.

...That calculating little witchlet. Her eyelids flutter, and I'm sure she saw enough to recognize that it's Die bending over her with the glass of water -- because she immediately goes limp again.

"Let me try," I offer.

"Not a chance."

I affect a pout. He glares at me again. He's so much fun to play with.

"Do you have any idea who this girl has got to be?" he tells me.

"You're the brains of the organization," I shrug, and stretch out on the floor to give a luxuriantly feline wriggle against the soft warmth of carpet. "I just sing, remember?"

Die's jaw is hanging open slightly. He closes it with a snap and shakes his head a little. "Victorian dress," he tells me. "The real thing. First floor. Does the name Hargreaves ring a bell?"

"Should it?"

"Count Cain Hargreaves. Earl of Poison. Younger sister of whom he's insanely protective. People die around him."

I don't let my expression flicker in the slightest.

"Kaine, people die around him A LOT."

"Well, fortunately she hasn't. What a tragedy that would have been, too. Fair as an angel..."

Die is actually shaking now; I'm not sure whether it's rage or fear, and wonder whether easing up might be an intelligent move.

The little actress has decided the conversation has gone too far in the direction of talking me away from her, and lifts a hand to her forehead with a delicate sigh, fluttering her eyelashes much more artfully this time. I should give her lessons when she gets about eight years older. Maybe six. She's a precocious little thing.

"Are you feeling better now?" Die asks her. He's so tooth-grindingly nice sometimes.

"I... I think so..." She looks up at him, then down at the picture I'm making sprawled on the floor barefoot toying with the fluff of the carpet, and her eyes widen. On cue, I sit up with another toss of the hair and try another smile.

"So, our little rose-petal-and-porcelain doll awakens again. Has she a name, I wonder?"

She goes pink and stammers a little, then gulps hard and says, "Merryweather Hargreaves."

Die gives me what he clearly intends to be a Significant Look (TM). I take great pleasure in ignoring it entirely as I take the little girl's hand and bow over it to kiss the back lightly.

"The count's beautiful young sister? To what do we owe this unexpected honor?"

Die buries his face in both hands. I grin to myself as she struggles over whether or not she wants to relinquish the envelopes. From past experience, I'm not all that eager to open mine, so if she wants to stay and try to flirt a little longer, my ego is certainly happy to accept the stroking...

[Carole]

[Character POV: Cain]

I blissfully make it back to my floor without running into anyone, which is just as well since there's a throbbing at my left temple and I'm not in a good mood to carry on any polite conversations.

As I enter my study, I take off my coat and toss is haphazardly over a chair. Sitting down in the nicely overstuffed chair behind my desk I set my elbows on the desktop and prop my chin on my intertwined fingers.

This day isn't even half over and I'm ready to murder something...or someone. Yuki-san comes to mind.

I close my eyes and will this headache to go away.

I have to get my priorities in order. First, my poisons are gone. Well, not gone, just out of my reach. That is easily solved. This place should have some sort of chemicals in it. And if that should fail...I could always go to a...store...

I grimace at the thought of venturing to out to one of those. The one time I had went was to buy that CD player Merryweather simply insisted she had to have.

Which I still have not found out what it was for. Hmm..I'll put that near the bottom of my list

Riff had offered to go in my place, but I insisted that I was capable of doing such a simple task myself....I haven't set a foot in another one since.

Speaking of Merryweather, it was obvious she wasn't around at the moment...it was far too quiet. That has been happening quite often lately

Another priority...find out where Merryweather has been running off to.

It would also be good to find out from Riff just who knows (and who doesn't know) about Yuki-san's absence. That way there won't be any slip-of-the-tongue moments.

Hmph. As if I've ever done that. I suppose it's better to be safe than sorry though.

I open my eyes and take a sheet of paper and a pen out of my desk drawer. Across the top I write:

"Those Who Would Benefit Most From A Little Help From The Earl Of Poisons"

"Help," of course, meaning something extra added to their morning coffee.

I smile slightly as I gleefully add Jezebel and Alexis' names to the top of the list.

[RisuChan]

[character POV: Riff]

It had been a grueling trek to the top floor of the building. Some of these people's areas looked more like war zones than habitable dwelling places. I felt a great deal of sympathy for the insurance assessors.

The male prostitutes who had set up shop on the top floor of the building were actually some of the most civilized people around. I often wished our own level had been located closer to theirs, rather than directly below the technological horror of Neji's world. At the very least, the music and late-night sounds would generally have been preferable to the bursts of gunfire and explosions at all hours. There are some things no amount of soundproofing in the world will handle, even if the rebuilders have been instructed to line the floors and walls with enough Kevlar to stop anything short of a tank's guns.

Mr. Sakura was the one who answered the door of their suite. I delivered the last of my envelopes with a sigh.

Mr. Sakura is a very taciturn individual, and quite protective of the more dignified and elegant ways of life which some of the futuristic worlds have neglected to the verge of extinction. It is an attitude for which I feel a great deal of sympathy, and I wish that more of the sane members of this place shared it.

Mr. Sakura is more fond of wine than of tea; but on a cold autumn morning, he agrees that tea has its merits. And after a journey like the one I've just endured, I can see the appeal of very nearly any form of mind-fogging drug; the fact that wine happens to taste good is just a fringe benefit on some occasions.

I try not to drink on occasions like that, because Mr. Sakura's wine is always something worthy of being savored for itself, not gulped down as a bitter medicine with which to numb oneself against the world.

He takes one look at my face and says, "Tea today, eh?"

I nod a little, and accept the vague offer of a gesture toward an empty chair.

I believe that despite his name, Mr. Sakura is in truth neither British nor Japanese by origin. I find myself at a loss to explain the combination of his utterly Japanese name (or perhaps alias) and his extraordinary coloring, his height and the long blonde hair and the ash-pale skin. In any case, he makes quite a respectable cup of tea, and knows by now that while I have learned an appreciation of sencha and matcha and hojicha and the like, nothing is quite as comforting to me personally as a hot cup of Earl Grey.

Mr. Sakura often dourly reminds me that Earl Grey contains oil of bergamot, which acts as an antidepressant in many people. This is often followed by musings on how high a percentage of the inhabitants of this place ought to be put on a strictly monitored dose of some form of psychotherapeutic drugs and that their tea is an innocuous and near-unnoticeable way to start.

I simply nod and sip my tea and appreciate its antidepressant properties on my own state of mind. I have enough to do with maintaining my own mental health and Master Cain's; I value my own sanity, and would never be so mad or so rash as to try to take responsibility for the state of mind of the rest of the eccentrics, visionaries, and lunatics on the premises.

Mr. Sakura goes back to arranging some deeply colored roses in a vase -- a deep red-brown, the color of drying blood.

"Like the color?" he asks me.

I realize I have been staring in something resembling numb horror, and look away quickly. "I'm sorry. Too many associations..."

Sakura nods a little. "I keep telling Suou it's a grim and grisly little conceit. Some people have no taste."

I nod a little, and finish my cup of tea with a sigh, and set it down in its perfectly-matched Staffordshire saucer. Being a man of refined tastes, Mr. Sakura would never serve British tea in a Japanese-style handleless teacup, just as he would never serve a fine champagne in a wineglass, no matter how exquisite the crystal might be.

"See you Friday?" he asks, although we both know it's more habit than anything else. The servants' Friday-evening get-togethers in the basement bar and lounge are a long-standing tradition, though none of the rest of us who had previously taken a turn at bartending were anywhere near Mr. Sakura's skill. We're all quite grateful for his presence; he's turned the place from a random collection of crates and barrels to something quite refined.

"I'm looking forward to it," I reply with unusual fervor. "You may wish to be seated when you read that note."

Mr. Sakura nods quietly, filing that information for future reference.

Back to what will become my new regularly-scheduled nightmare. I stand to let myself out; Mr. Sakura accompanies me to the door, a practiced host's instinctive gesture.

One more thought nudges at my mind, and I take a photograph of Miss Merry from my pocket. "I hate to be an imposition," I say, "but given the new alignment of our existence for some time, I feel I must ask a favor of you and your friends, Mr. Sakura."

"What is it?"

"Master Cain's young sister Miss Merryweather is a headstrong girl, and I am led to understand you gentlemen have some experience in dealing with headstrong girls. If she finds her way here, please, keep a close eye on her; it would destroy Master Cain if she were to be injured or used against him in some way, and his wrath is a thing very much to be feared. I only pray that the less-sane and more-arrogant would-be demigods do not take it into their minds to meddle."

I give him Miss Merryweather's picture; he looks at it, and reacts so sharply that he nearly drops the picture. It's the first moment of less than complete elegance I've ever seen from him.

"Mr. Sakura...?"

"...Nothing. It's... nothing. --She... resembles someone I once knew; that's all." But he avoids my eyes as he says it, and he takes extraordinary care not to crease the photograph as he tucks it into the pocket of his vest.

Everyone in this place has their mysteries. I feel I can trust that Mr. Sakura's are less dangerous than many others I might name. But I still am compelled to ask, as Master Cain's servant.

"Do you feel you might for some reason be unable to assist me as I seek to protect Miss Merryweather?"

"Don't worry," Mr. Sakura said. "She would be as precious to us as one of our own. Perhaps even more so."

Again, the odd turn of phrase catches at my mind; but in the grand scheme of things, I have so many greater concerns to face over the next few days and weeks that I simply thank him and close the door.

I walk over to the elevator and lean my forehead against the cool steel of the doors, eyes closed as I wait.

Perhaps five minutes later, I finally realize that I've been so busy planning and counterplanning and making contingencies that I never remembered to press the 'down' button.

I correct my oversight with a long tired sigh.

Friday cannot come soon enough for me... I try not to think of the greater potential for mayhem over an unsupervised weekend. For right now, focusing on Friday will keep me sane.

[Alter]

[character POV: Jezebel]

Soon as the door locked, I hit my head in frustation. Yes, amidst the hasteness to read the letter, I had forget to get my own breakfast. Great, just Great.
Grimly, I glance at the clock. The chef has stated that she won't made a vegetarian meal after 7.30. Sharp protest and heated arguments about morals
only resulted in ignoration and occasional nonchalant shrugs. She won't budged even when I waved my scalpel right in front of her nose.

This better be a good news...

Sulking, I open the envelope and start reading.

Dear Jezebel,

I'm going to be out for a while. Stop grinning my dear, because the rule #1 still applied. To
make sure you behave like a good boy (as you should) I assigned Riff to take care in my absence
(and I'm not going to hear from him how you 'accidentally' trips from the stairs and
'accidentally' drop your scalpel. I also noted that when I'm leaving, everyone have
their "sight organ" very much intact, so I wouldn't expect otherwise when I finally came home, ne?)

Be a good boy =)

Yuki Kaori

A small grin crept up to my lips. Of course their 'sight organ' would be still very much intact when she'd eventually got home. It just a matter of their completeness, and it's another matter entirely. I didn't that greedy, beside one green-gold eyeball is better than none at all. Gingerly, I reach for my trusted scalpel inside my pocket.

......well, at least I think it is inside my breast pocket, supposedly so. Where did it go? I'm sure I put inside my pocket this morning. After couple minutes tried to remember where did I put my favourite scalpel, I finally give up and search for another scalpel (I keep several for handy purposes). After 10 minutes frantically searching, I'm started to panicking. My scalpels are all GONE!!! What....WHAT IS HAPPENING? I feel my knees are weakens and my sight are getting blur. A black and red blur. Oh...

I pick up the letter from the floor and started to read it again, this time I noticed she'd scribbled something behind the note.

Oh, and for further ensurement, I had confiscated all of your sharp and pointy objects/blunt objects/poisonous objects/other objects that could prove lethal to one's health. And that means your scalpel as well.
Cheer up! I think you're getting obsessed with your scalpel anyway.

She WHAT?? I Can't Believe This! H...How Could She? and it's in such a [Golden Opportunity!!![/u] I felt the blood rise into my head in rage. She had planned this. I know she'd planned this, that's why she revoked my leaving permit a week ago. The only way to get scalpel is buying them directly with my doctor ID (that means I couldn't asks Cashian to buy it for me)

So...so this means, I would miss this golden rare opportunity just like that? Furiously I checked back the letter. How long did she go? for exactly how long will this opportunity lasts? darn it! I need my permit now!

wait, she said something about Riff become the house manager, maybe I could asks Riff for a permit. Of course he didn't need to know exactly why I need to go out. It wouldn't hurt to try.

I check the clock, it's almost time for regular breakfast. Maybe I'll drop at the dining room, pick some salads and asks others about their 'sharp and pointy objects' as well. I know I'm not the only one who had tendencies to keep that kind of stuff...


[alter note: I think Yuki-sensei didn't exactly want the psychos knows that they have 1 year full time to create havoc, ne?)

[Alter]

[character POV: Jezebel]

Well, well, well, isn't it just splendid. I just reach down the end of stairs, and just about to passing the elevator, when it's opened and Riff came out.

He seems surprised to me as well. But what makes me interested is the envelopes that he'd been holding.

"Is delivering the mails one of your new job description, Riff?" I asked him nonchalantly--more mocking than curious, but.....

Miss Yuki sent letter to everyone, and that means other Delilah members and Father would have one letter addressed to them.

I know that Riff would choose to be anywhere than near any of our chambers and handed the envelopes directly to any of them.

Maybe if I gave him a favor, he would returned mine

"You know, I could help you delivers mails for Delilah member. Especially, my father". Then, I see him flinched , and suddenly it hits me.

If Riff is the one who left in charge and were entrusted to take care for several homicidal personal (whom behaviour could only taken care within Miss Yuki's hand), it would be best to pretend that She is still available to 'take care of them'.

........which is why he would go as far as to ensure they wouldn't get the aforementioned news

So, if that's what he's been thinking...

I found myself smiling as a brilliant idea formed within my head.

"Or perhaps you found the news isn't that important, and didn't worth to be passed upon?" he seems hesitated. I leaned in close and whispered

"I think we can make a deal, Riff"


[alter note: fufufu, Jezebel really desperate to get his permit, yes, he would shut up about the letter if he gets his scalpel, I mean permit...RisuChan, it's up to you XD tough choices, Cain's safety is depends on both...Well, actually it's the same ends...but I just love torturing Riff XD)