Virgil enters the main room, practically sparkling as he hands everyone a sheaf of papers. Dante sighs begrudgingly and starts flipping through his.
Virgil plops down next to me, and I lean over to check the script in his hand. As I thought, he's given them the roles that I also felt fit them best.
"Dante, you'll be happy with yours," I pipe up. "So don't worry."
"Is that so?" he muses. "The 'arrogant prince'?"
"He's very demanding and very strict."
Adrian interrupts me. "'Foolish prince'? That can't be right. Virgil, did you give me the wrong one?"
I can't help but giggle at his pout.
"Yes, I think you'd prefer this one," says Lucien. "The 'flippant prince'. He seems to spend his time doing whatever he likes."
"Trade me, then."
"No." Lucien grins.
"No one's trading anything. These are the parts you'll be playing," says Virgil, sitting up straighter. "It's not a very long play, so you shouldn't have any problems memorizing the lines. Besides, it doesn't really matter what you three do. It's about how well Adelaide can perform."
Adrian giggles. "I'd like to know how she performs myself."
I throw a pillow at his head. "Just read your part."
But he pouts and sinks back against the sofa. "This is a lot more work than I was expecting. Do I get a kiss at the end? That might make it worth it."
I chuckle. "Is that enough to make you join? One kiss?"
He leans towards me with a smile of his own. "Well, I'm pretty sure I can make you want more than that once you do~"
"Why are you so sure of that?"
"Care to find out?"
Suddenly Virgil pulls me towards him. "Just read, Adrian. We can't read through until everyone's looked over it once."
"Fine, fine," he giggles, settling back into his seat.
But there's only another few moments of silence before Lucien sighs, sets the pages aside, and leaves the room. Everyone watches in silence as he leaves; even Virgil is too stunned to speak.
"Awwww," says Adrian. "I was really looking forward to this. Oh well."
"Wait-" begins Virgil, but Adrian leaves as well.
We both look over to see Dante with his script in his lap, looking bored. "I'll find another way to pay you back, Virgil. It wasn't our wager, but I do owe you." And with that, he leaves as well.
I can't help but feel sorry for Virgil when I look back over at him. He looks absolutely crushed. And I can't pretend I wasn't looking forward to it either.
"I'll find a way to convince them." I tell him.
But Virgil's expression is doubtful. "You think you can?"
I shrug. "Sure I can. We're all bored, after all. We just have to make them realize that this can be fun." I stand. "But first I need to eat lunch."
Virgil follows me into the kitchen, and perches on the counter to watch, like a bird. I can't help but giggle a little at the sight.
"Well, I can't have you wandering off," he pouts.
"Why would I wander off?" I ask.
"Without the play, you might try to sneak off again."
"I needed some alone time," I answer curtly. I find myself struggling to keep the swinging kimono sleeves out of my way.
Virgil sighs and comes up behind me. "Stay still." He ties a sash in a criss cross behind my back, holding my sleeves back like backpack straps.
"Thank you." With my sleeves out of the way, I can properly gather my lunch and carry it out to the main room again. But once I sit down, I notice that Virgil's holding his kimono closed with his hand.
"Virgil?"
"Yes?"
"Did you tie my sleeves back with your obi?"
He turns a little pink. "There was nothing else to use."
"Well, I can give it back now…" I say, struggle to reach the knot behind my back."
"No, it's fine." he replies calmly. "You're a messy eater, it's best to keep it on for now."
"Oh, how would you know?" I pout. "It's been centuries at least since you've eaten anything solid."
He sits up and crosses his arms. "No, it's true. You're quite inelegant. But I would expect as much from a foreigner."
I feel a smile crack across my face. "Oh, so it's not about being a thrall, but about being a foreigner? That's a relief, then."
"That too," he adds after a moment of thought.
"Oh, leave me alone," I say playfully, shoving at him.
"I won't." His eyes are much more serious than I was prepared for, intently staring into mine.
I feel my cheeks heat a little. "Virgil, you're too serious…"
But instead of responding, he leans in closer. This time, I hold my ground, and stare defiantly back.
At last, he speaks up. "I've decided. I'm going to train you."
"T-train me?!"
He nods, ignoring my flustered reaction. "I want to see if you can become the perfect woman."
At that, my face crinkles up in scorn. "Hah. Even if I could, I'd refuse," I say decidedly.
"So I need some kind of reward….hmmmm…." He sits back against the sofa, musing.
I sigh and ignore him as I finish my food. Once I return after putting everything away, Virgil lights up with an idea.
"Aha! That's it! What if I cooked for you? You were happy when Adrian did it."
I quirk my eyebrow up wryly. "Vampire cooking is awful. I was happy because he tried anyway. If you want to convince me, you'd have to actually make good food." I sit down beside him. "Are you confident in your abilities?" I tease.
He doesn't respond, just looking at me with that same intense gaze. Suddenly, he gets up and moves on top of me. "I could just force you," he murmurs, slipping his hands over my wrists. "It's not the best way to train, but it does get results. And maybe that would be the best course of action for a thrall."
I glare back stubbornly. "If you forced me, you would not get the results you wanted."
His eyes flick back and forth between mine as he considers me.
But he's interrupted by Adrian's voice, sweetly humming behind my head. "Well, well, little lover, I know I should be happy you're resisting, but I'll allow it if I can watch~"
Virgil looks down at himself, apparently only now realizing how his kimono is hanging open, and scoots back across the couch, pulling his clothes tight. "It wasn't! Like that!" he cries, turning bright red.
My own heart is thumping as well, but I try to cover it by sitting up calmly. "It's true. I won't say he doesn't have something nefarious in mind, but it's not what you were hoping for."
"Oh? Is that so?" Adrian's eyes flick back to Virgil, clutching his clothes tight. "In such a state of undress?"
"He didn't want me making a mess of his kimono," I reply, reaching again to the obi crossed around my back. Virgil reaches forward and unties it in a flash, hurriedly putting it back around his waist with a huff.
"Fine, I'll accept that. But Virgil," he adds, leaning over me to corner the pale vampire, "She did say you were planning something nefarious."
His cheeks surge in color again. "That's just her opinion," he says defensively. "I just wanted to train her into an elegant woman. To, to see if she could…"
Adrian chuckles. "Of course, that's the only reason. You don't dream of an obedient little thrall, as elegant and quiet as the ideal Japanese wife?"
"Wife?" I ask dubiously. "I think you just added that yourself, Adrian."
But Virgil's crimson face says otherwise. "You won't listen to me explain anyway," he huffs, and whisks me up into his arms. "We're going to our room."
"'Our' room?" calls Adrian gleefully from the main room, but Virgil just walks faster, squeezing me tightly.