In a sea of gray and uniformity, she was a vision filled with the promise of the fresh green of spring. Her delicate features were more perfect than the most expensive porcelain doll and her grace could put even an elegant swan to shame. She moved through the elite private academy as if perpetually in a spot light. She was the flame that drew the desire and appreciation of every male moth in the school, and Takarada Lory was no exception. The poor fool was in love and not the soft, innocent puppy kind or the quick, passionate love at first sight kind either. Instead, he leaped full throttle into the dark abyss without thought of consequence. He truly believed that he was lost for life.

For over a year, Lory watched his classmates orbit around their sun goddess, Saito Chiyo. With his innate affinity for understanding the subtle nuances of human nature, Lory quickly determined that Chiyo represented more than a beautiful face and body. She possessed a gentleness of spirit that soothed restless emotions yet her eyes often sparked with a glint of mischievousness that she properly curtailed because it was expected of the well bred daughter of a Diet member. Takarada often wondered how Saito-san succeeded in suppressing the flaring energy of enthusiasm that often bubbled just below her perfectly poised carriage. It was that strength of character more than her beauty, her social status, or her family's financial assets that intrigued the young man.

"So when are you going to do more than gaze from a distance?" his buddy Duras Eltra inquired as he slipped into the seat beside his best friend.

Lory quirked his eyebrow as if asking what his friend could possibly mean. Eltra snorted and shook his head. Lory couldn't fool him; he knew him too well.

"Only a fool would think he could survive so close to the blazing sun," Lory replied without a hint of the sadness or frustration that he felt at the inevitable hopelessness of his feelings.

"Battles un-fought are never won," succinctly stated his shorter, more compact friend.

Lory canted his head slightly as he considered his friend's words. A mischievous light entered his eyes which was not unlike the spark that he so admired in Chiyo's occasional expressions. As hope began to take root in his heart, his mind began to build a battle strategy. A slow grin began to grow on the young man's lips as he embraced his newly formed idea.

That evening, Lory reclined on his homemade bedspread in his humble home. Unconsciously, the youth picked at a frayed edge of the quilted blanket as his thoughts wandered once more over his plans. As the only child of a police officer and an executive secretary, the young man could not compete financially or socially with his peers at the private academy where he received his education. The bright, hard-working student was one of only a few scholarship students who attended the expensive school. Although the stipend did not cover all his tuition, his parents eagerly contributed the remaining cost because they realized that the education and contacts Lory would make at the school would help their visionary son reach his full potential.

Where Takarada Lory could compete with his fellow students was with his mind and he utilized this asset to its fullest. With almost a year of observations available, the youth developed a strategy that he felt would surely allow him the chance to catch his beautiful target's eye. Lory knew that Saito-san loved historical romances. Although the young woman never spoke of her interest, the youth had seen her sneaking enjoyment from the novels when she thought no one was looking. The determined older student embraced his seemingly fool-proof plan. For the next couple weeks, Lory spent all his free time reading romance novels. Not only did he read novels, he also sneaked a number of romance manga and watched as many romantic movies that he could find playing in theaters.

As fall shifted to winter, Lory started his first formal campaign in his war to capture the heart of Chiyo. The next day, a single gardenia was taped to the front of the beauty's locker at school. Attached to the flower was a simple note that read "with love".

Periodically over the next couple weeks, a number of gardenia made their way mysteriously into the young woman's possession. It was not just the flowers either. Similar gifts were found also but they all had something to do with the flower that symbolized a secret love. The first couple flowers did not have much affect on Chiyo. After all, as a beautiful and popular young woman, she had already received a number of flowers in her dating life.

It was the other gifts that turned the tide and made her heart flutter. Each one seemed so perfectly matched with her personality. A few days after the first flower, a delicate gardenia-scented perfume was sitting in her slippers when she arrived for school. Another time, a set of stationary with the delicate white flower was discovered in her school bag after physical education. A newly released romance novel with the same flower decorating it's carefully tucked bookmark was found in her bag about a week later. There was even a delicate ink stamp with the flower on it as well as later a tiny hairpin with the same sculpted image.

With each new gift, Chiyo became more enthralled with the thought of her secret lover who obviously loved and cherished her with all his romantic laden heart.

As the whispers and speculations about the true identity of her secret lover increased and the object of his affection fell more under his spell, Lory decided it was time to implement his second phase of the three pronged attack.

"So, your sister attends one of those artsy schools. Right, Eltra?" Takarada demanded of his best friend one afternoon.

"Yeah," replied. "Why?"

Lory grinned evilly.

"Think she would help me out with something?"

Duris shrugged and admitted that he could ask. Lory then requested that he set up a time when he could meet with his sister so he could explain his hopes to the younger teen. Reluctantly, his best friend agreed.

The next Sunday, Lory found himself shuttled through the back door of what the young man considered a rather extravagant performing arts building for a high school. His best friend led him down a number of dark halls until he reached a hallway where soft music filtered into the gloom. Eltra knocked softly on the door frame.

"Shizuka," he greeted his sister who was only eighteen months younger than himself.

His short, slightly pudgy sister immediately dropped the mass of dark and heavy material on which she was carefully hand stitching glittery accents. She practically flew across the room and wrapped her arms enthusiastically around her older sibling. Eltra laughed and staggered a bit under the assault. Finishing his hug, the older brother introduced his best friend who had not seen the younger Duris sibling since she started living in the dormitory for her art school.

"Hello, Takarada-kun," the friendly younger girl greeted with almost equal enthusiasm as she showed for her sibling. She did refrain from embracing the tall, handsome friend of her brother but it was a close call.

"Duris-chan," the thoughtful youth replied in way of a greeting.

Before either Lory or Eltra can say anything else, Shizuka wondered back to the pile of material. With a contented smile, the girl resumed her sewing. Her guests exchanged looks. Lory raised his eyebrow questioningly at the seemingly strange behavior but Eltra just grinned and shrugged in a manner reminiscent of his American mother who was married to a former ambassador from Japan. His sister always had been a bit flaky. On a good day, Eltra called it focused but when he teased her, he always called her a flake.

"So, sis, Lory needs your help with something," Eltra explained.

"Um hum," she acknowledged without removing her attention from her sewing task.

"I need a costume," Lory expressed.

Shizuka's hand stilled with her needle pressed partially through the heavy material. She remained frozen for a moment before lifting her face and peering intently at her brother's best friend.

"What kind of costume?"

"Something extravagant. Something that will inflame the heart of a young woman who loves romantic history," divulged Takarada.

"Tch, wrap a sheet around yourself, find a bow and arrows and pretend to be cupid," the seamstress replied with slight disdain in her voice as she once more returned to her chore.

"No!" exclaimed Lory vehemently. "It can't just be a half-hearted and juvenile rendition."

The passion arose is the young man's voice as it became commanding and captivating in his desire to express his true wishes. In an attempt to sway his audience, Lory outlined his elaborate plans for catching the heart, mind and finally the eye of his fair lady. The excited young man ended his explanation with a final, passionate plea for Shizuka's aid.

"You have a flair for the dramatic," the teen complimented with a sparkle in her dark eyes.

The younger student sighed as she glanced around her room filled with props that she was required to finish in preparation for an upcoming performance.

"I can help you but I can't finish it as soon as you hope. All my current free time is tied up in my duties for our next performance," she explained as she waved her hand around the very cluttered room.

Lory scowled because his plans needed to follow a rather strict time-line in order to maximize its chance of success.

"Is there anything that I could do to help free up some of your time so you could help me?" Lory countered speculatively.

Shizuka leveled the negotiator a skeptical glance.

"You obviously don't sew or you would be making your own costume. How do you propose to help me?"

Lory grinned.

"I'm strong, intelligent, and not afraid of hard work. Put me to task and see what I can do."

Reluctantly, Shizuka agreed.

For the next three weeks, Lory spent every free moment he had available at the art academy. The young man was more than up to every challenge that the wardrobe mistress threw his way. He didn't care. Lory hung curtains in the black box theater, he carried boxes of material from the store, he ran errands like picking up meals for the hardworking production crew, and after Shizuka showed him a very simple stitch, he even sewed sequins and baubles onto costumes.

Every once in a while, Lory would find himself pausing in his tasks to watch Shizuka as she rapidly performed final fittings for costumes or repaired the finished ones that became damaged during practices or needed adjusted to better fit the stage actions. The bright young man was perpetually amazed that the slightly flaky younger sister of his best friend was so very good at her tasks. She seemed to glow when she was talking about materials, designs and even props. In fact, Lory enjoyed her enthusiasm so much that he began to ask her questions about her artistic passion just to see the sparkle flash in her dark eyes and the cute blush that would rise on her cheeks when she got excited.

Every evening, the younger Duris sibling would set aside time to work on Lory's costume. As the grand piece slowly took shape, the young man marveled at the detail. Shizuka expertly combined a number of elements from the lordly dress of European nobles during the Renaissance period with a darkly provocative fantasy element.

On the Tuesday night just two days before the premiere of the art school's performance, Shizuka sneaked a few moments away from her duties to drag Lory into a deserted storage room in an unoccupied hallway of the theater. She locked the door and pulled the larger teen towards the back of the room.

"Try it on?" she whispered hopefully as she held out the voluminous material of the completed costume.

Unable to contain his excitement, Lory immediately began to strip his outer clothes. In his giddy excitement, the young man failed to notice his younger companion's blush and quickly averted face as he uncovered his broad chest and reached for the button on his pants. Takarada thought nothing of changing in front of the young wardrobe mistress since he had repeatedly witnessed her working casually around both the actors and the actresses for the upcoming performance in all levels and states of dress. He naturally assumed she would be comfortable with him in the same way.

As he slipped into the form-fitting breeches, a thrill of excitement that he had never experienced before shivered down his spine. His arms and legs seemed to tingle and he could not help but laugh with joy. He quickly donned the entire ensemble.

"So how do I look?" the enthused young man demanded of his private audience.

Shizuka lifted her eyes to behold the demonic prince in all his glory. From his horned demi-mask to his heeled boots, Lory was awe inspiring.

"You look... gorgeous," Shizuka breathlessly stammered as her cheeks once more flamed red.

Laughing, Lory reached forward and lifted his best friend's sister in his arms and swung her around in a circle.

"You are amazing, Duris-chan!" he gushed before returning the girl to her feet.

"Thank you so much!" Lory exclaimed right before he placed a quick kiss on Shizuka's forehead.

Immediately stepping back from the spontaneous show of affection, Lory spun again in order to fully admire the flowing yet eerily tattered cape that fell gracefully from his broad shoulders.

"I need to get back to work," Shizuka whispered in a tight voice as she brushed past the devastatingly handsome young man in his equally handsome outfit.

A small frown puckered Lory's brow as he watched the seamstress' unexpected retreat.

That night, Lory laid in his bed for a long time as he thought about all the fun he had working in the theater over the past weeks. He toyed with the thought of finding employment in a theater but discarded the idea quickly. Although enjoyable, Lory had grander dreams for himself. As he lay in the dark, a kernel of an idea for his future began to take root.

"So are you ready for the last step in your scheme?" Eltra asked as he broke into Lory's brooding on Thursday afternoon when they were assigned free time for self study at school.

"Huh?" Lory replied distractedly so his best friend repeated his question.

"Oh, uh, yeah, I guess," Takarada answered.

His friend frowned at him. For months his grand scheme was all Lory could consider but now that it was finally reaching fruition, his friend seemed distracted. It was unnerving for Duris because Takarada was never unfocused. A shiver of dread slithered down his spine. Hoping to avert the feeling, Eltra asked if Lory was planning to attend the performance this evening at the art school. A light appeared in his best friend's eyes as he nodded. The return of the spark in his friend's eyes momentarily startled Eltra as he wondered why the thought of the play would shift his friend's mood so quickly.

"Weird," he muttered as he watched his friend's back disappear down the hallway.

That evening, Lory slipped into the back entrance of the theater and met with the rest of the crew. He helped with some minor, last minute adjustments on the set then found himself shuffled up the steps and into the dark walkways above the black box theater stage. Settling onto an upside down bucket which was acting as a makeshift stool, Takarada joked quietly with the lighting crew. They all fell silent as the lights flickered.

From his view from above, Lory could not only see the stage but also the curtained off area of the backstage. The play began. Although the acting was quite well done, the teen found his eyes wandering from the stage to watch the movements of his best friend's little sister as she performed her duties as head of wardrobe. He smiled as Shizuka roughly grabbed a sloppily garbed actor and fixed his hat before he entered the stage.

When the play ended, Lory sheepishly realized that he hadn't paid much attention to it. Scrambling from his beyond balcony seat, the student approached the cluster of back stage crew. He offered his congratulations. Everyone appreciated his sentiment and was thrilled with the opening night success. A little later and with some careful maneuvering on his part, Lory succeeding in getting himself alone with the younger Duris. He offered her another sincere sentiment about her job. Shizuka smiled tightly and nodded. For the first time in their acquaintance, a slightly uncomfortable silence fell between the two.

"Are you going to wear your costume tomorrow?" Shizuka finally asked as she nervously fiddled with the sewing kit that she wore on her belt.

For some reason, Lory's chest felt tight at the question so he simply responded with a yes.

"Well, then good luck," the young woman wished before quickly excusing herself. Lory watched her retreat as the pain in his chest only seemed to increase. Shaking away the unease, the determined young man slipped from the theater and hurried home.

In the morning, Lory packed his elaborate costume in his gym bag and left early to go to school. On the way, he stopped at the florist who had been supplying all the flowers for his campaign to win Chiyo's heart. As Takarada stood at the counter, the tight feeling in his chest returned.

"Gardenias?" the florist inquired with a smile when he recognized his recently regular customer.

"Um, I need a bouquet," the teen replied as he rubbed his chest in hopes of relieving the pain. It felt to the youth like something heavy was slowly constricting around his chest. It made it hard to breath properly and made his stomach feel a bit queasy.

The florist smiled as he reached into the cooler to retrieve the flowers. Lory watched for a few heartbeats as the flower salesman extracted a number of beautifully elegant gardenias.

"No, wait. Not gardenias this time," Takarada quickly stated as the pain in his chest became almost panic inducing.

The florist quirked his eyebrow as the youth told him what flowers he wanted instead. A few minutes later, the young man swiftly left the shop with his bouquet in hand.

Once at school, Lory slipped into the boy's restroom and changed into his elaborate costume. A sense of peace and contentment filled his thoughts as he brushed his fingertips over the painstakingly perfect fall of fabrics. Lifting the large bouquet of soft pink flowers into his arms, the determined young man exited the private room and into the hallway. Whispers followed his progress through the halls until the youth reached his destination. Dressed primly in her uniform, Saito Chiyo stood surrounded by a couple of her closest friends and a few of her recently ignored admirers. Lory stepped forward and cleared his throat loudly. The whispers in the hallway fell silent as the group of friends turned to behold the devilishly handsome young man in the unforgettable costume. Chiyo's eyes widened slightly but her poise allowed her to cover the minuscule slip quite smoothly.

"Saito-san," the determined young man began. "You are a vision of spring for one trapped in the harsh grip of unforgiving winter."

With a flourish, Lory offered the young woman the large collection of cyclamen in his arms.

"Oh, Takarada-san," Chiyo replied breathlessly as she took the offering. Just a hint of a sad expression tightened around her eyes but the rest of her face remained unchanged. "No more gardenias?"

"Sorry, no," Lory responded evenly but with a slight quirk of his lip.

Holding the flowers that carried the promise of good bye against her chest, the sun goddess smiled demurely. "I understand."

With a nod, Lory turned and strode purposefully down the hallway.

"I need a new costume," Lory stated as he closed the door of the costume room once he determined that no one was present in the room besides the wardrobe mistress. He silently flipped the lock on the doorknob.

Shizuka did not even look up from the repair she was performing on the lead actor's shirt.

"I don't have time to make another costume."

Lory took a couple steps towards the young woman who continued to rapidly puncture the material around the small tear as she repaired the damaged costume.

"But I desperately need it," Lory pleaded in his most pitiful voice.

Shizuka's hand stilled with the needle still in the material. Her head remained lower even as the back of her hand raised and rubbed across her eyes once.

"Please, Shizuka-chan," he wheedled.

The seamstress' shoulder stiffened and her head snapped up.

"What do you need now?" she practically snapped.

Her eyes flashed despite the tears rimming their edges.

"Whatever you want to make me," Lory replied tenderly.

"Whatever I..."

Lory smiled and pulled the small bouquet of forget-me-nots and delicate orange blossoms from behind his back. Silently, he held out the ribbon wrapped offering.

"Dress me however you want. Share your passion with me, Shizuka-chan. Share with me and let me share mine with you."

Shizuka gently took the small flower offering in her hands. She took a moment to enjoy the sweet, soft fragrance from the nosegay that proclaimed true and eternal love. Lifting her eyes to meet Lory's tender gaze, she nodded.

Lory whooped and gathered the younger girl into a crushing hug. The teen loosened his arms just enough to allow him to bend down so that their lips met for the first time. For the two newcomers to true love, it was a moment they would treasure for the rest of their lives.

Feeling overwhelmed yet indescribably joyful, Lory finally pulled away from the kiss and rested his jaw against Shizuka's temple. He took a deep, contented breath.

"Oh!" the girl in his arms squealed so loudly that Lory lost his grip on her for a moment. He frowned slightly as she pulled back from his chest.

"I know just what I will make," Shizuka announced with a bright fire building in her eyes. "You will look breath-taking as an Arabian Prince."

Unsurprisingly, she was correct.

A/N: Okay, I could not help this one. I am surprised folks have not speculated on the reason why Lory is, well, Lory in all his grandiose extravagance. I humbly hope that you enjoyed this silly little distraction that insisted needed written despite all the other things that folks want me to update. Long Live Lory and his lovely costumes *happy sigh* - Me