THIS CHAPTER.

THIS.

CHAPTER.
kerjtlwkee;lkewr;
COCKS COCKS COCKS COCKS COCKS COCKS

It has taken me forever and then some to get out there! Enjoy it, or there will be headbusting, because holy fucking fuckity fuck I finished this at like 3 A.M. last night and I am a very tired, cranky Katana. 8(

oh also also also some of you may notice that —HOLY SHIT— Caro got a surname change! His old one was boring me. If you liked it for some reason, crai moar. I am extremely indecisive fuck off duckies ilu. Oh, and —OMG TRIVIA TEIM— who here knew that "Caro" is actually a girl's name? woooooo someone got beat up in the sixth grade holy shit

wait.

i don't think he has that kind of education. :/
trivia is so much funnnnn let's have MOAR. maybe it'll keep people reading my bullshit. :D GIVE ME TRIVIA IDEAS GUYS OR IT'LL ALL BE ABOUT OSCAR WILDE AND APPARENTLY PEOPLE DON'T ENJOY ME RAMBLING ABOUT OSCAR CONSTANTLY. ;_;

SO. I think what I originally wanted to say was just "Happy Valentine's Day/SAD, enjoy the chapter!" but I got a little carried away with Caro's name and subpar intelligence. :D

FFFFFFFFFFFFF LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE IS LONG LIKE LONGCAT

—//—

Geldoblame sighed, stroking gingerly at his cheek and hissing at the friction against his seared skin. Beauty was a gift, he mused, a gift that he had squandered. He had been beautiful once, and only once. It was pointless to try again.

He thought briefly of his mother. He had always been told how he looked like her, how beautiful she was, how handsome he would come to be. He laughed bitterly, coughing and choking on his own misplaced mirth. They were wrong.

He thought now of his father. How he remembered hating the man! And now, he knew that they would have looked all too alike, were the man alive. Dark half-moons under swollen, puffy eyes, shaking hands, lank tendrils of hair hanging into his face. He couldn't bear to look at his own reflection any longer. He was worse than daddy dearest. He was scalded and burnt, charred and blackened.

Beauty was never forever, he supposed, and it had to be accepted. He could not go on hating himself until his time came, so it was best to live while he was granted the extra time.

Still, he wanted so desperately to be pretty again, he wanted to—

"...Emperor?"

His mouth worked wordlessly for a moment before he managed to mumble a greeting. Ba'nee invited herself in and appeared to consider her options for a moment before sitting next to him and sighing. She reached over and picked up a rag from the counter, wringing it out. Geldoblame tipped his head back, almost obediently as she stood up. He hated the feel of blood crusting to his skin, hated that constricting, cracking, chipping slime. Ba'nee swiped the rag across his cheek and under his nose and he breathed deeply. He almost didn't want to admit it, but he was growing ever more grateful for the woman.

"Listen, Geldo." She tossed the rag back, where it landed with a faint splat in the counter's basin.

He nodded, folding his hands on his chest and casting his eyes up to her with polite feigned interest. He no longer bothered to correct her informal use of his name, however distracting it was.

"You're, ah, not that bad to look at," she started sheepishly, shrugging, "better than before, at least. You...you were beautiful once...I remember running into you on the street one day in Greater Mintaka, the year before the bombing..." She laughed tentatively, nervously, almost. "I fell, and you helped me up. You were wearing that ring," her lips quirked up in a small, reminiscent smile, "and it caught in my hair. You kept apologizing, even though I really hadn't even noticed." She sighed, pausing for a moment to brush a lock of hair from her face as she gestured faintly to the ring on the table by his bed, "All I'm saying is that you have a kind heart, however... corrupted it may have become."

Geldoblame elevated his non-existent eyebrows. Ba'nee rolled her eyes playfully, wiggling her own simply to tease him. He did nothing.

...there was something wrong with Geldoblame today. Ba'nee knew that Melodia had startled him, maybe even frightened him, but she hadn't insulted him or any of the like. Had she? He was, Ba'nee had dutifully observed, only this mopey and obedient when he had been insulted or was simply still too stupidly dignified to tell someone that he was in pain.

That spoiled little girl! Ba'nee had never liked Melodia. She had even less of a reason to now, now that she was looking after Geldoblame like a child every hour of every day. And now she had to look after Little Miss Malpercio? Give the girl a comb and she would occupy herself for hours with all that pretty hair. Ba'nee scowled, shoving her glasses up on the bridge of her nose as Geldoblame began to nod off beside her. There was still no doubt that he was just as spoiled as she was, of course, but Ba'nee had never been very keen on children in the first place. Geldoblame isn't even a child. He's a big baby more than half the damn time.

No, she told herself. Don't be so bitter, she told herself. He can turn this around, she told herself, because he knows that he deserves a second chance.

But Ba'nee's faith was beginning to waver. It had started failing her ever since she had first heard him talking in his sleep. He had been sobbing, he had been begging, he had been crying, and her heart, nearly broken, had gone out to him. He had been so weak and helpless, and she knew that it had been a terrible lapse of judgement to indulge him, to hold him and to talk to him. It had been horrible, and it had been just so horrible because, she realized, she had done something, said something, that quite simply had made Geldoblame stop bitching. If he wasn't bitching about something, he wasn't himself. Ba'nee had even gone the extra mile to call him Geldo. Surely, but surelyhe would have had a bitchfit over that!

But no. There was no bitching, there was no moaning, there was no whining, there was no scowling.

Obviously, Geldoblame was either sick, dying, depressed, or all three.

"Geldoblame?" Ba'nee started after another moment of silence.

His eyes snapped open and looked over at her expectantly, if a bit irritatedly.

"Someone...someone hurt you didn't they?"

Tears welled up in Geldoblame's eyes. He shook his head furiously.

"Don't lie to me," she snorted, adding quietly, "You've done enough lying already, you know."

Geldoblame bowed his head. His shoulders began to shake and shudder. He was shivering, holding back tears.

"Geldoblame." Ba'nee repeated sternly, "Just tell me. Who? Why? When? I need—"

"No," he growled, choking back a cry. "Stop."

It was an order, a demand...one she simply couldn't comprehend; one she couldn't follow. Not now.

"Someone... dear to you hurt you very much. Didn't they?"

"Stop!" He shouted, wringing his bandaged hands.

Ba'nee leaned forward in her seat, her eyes wide and her mouth running. "Where?" She was getting carried away now, she knew it, horridly carried away, but there were the faintest echos in her mind that urged her to probe further—Is he still in there? Where is he? Tell him I love him—"Oh, you loved them, didn't you? And you lost them, didn't you? Was it because of Baelheit; was it in Taraz--"

"Stop!" Geldoblame shrieked, tears spilling in rivers from his wide, hysterical eyes as he stared up at her, completely mortified. He was shaking, wiping his eyes hurriedly, harshly.

Ba'nee let out a shaky rush of air and touched a hand to her lips, mouthing something silently behind her hand. "Fuck. I'm...sorry," she gasped, "I got...c-carried away..."

There was a painfully long silence.

"...how did you...how did you know?" Geldoblame whispered finally.

"You..." She began, not completely sure of how to tell him, "You talk in your sleep sometimes."

His eyes widened.

"But you..." Ba'nee started again, "you remember things, don't you? They don't think REM sleep is good for you, but you're flooded with memories nonetheless. The drugs don't matter, even in high doses. I've convinced them to stop in the time being so you can rest fully." She concluded, shrugging.

She stared down at her feet, waiting for his reply. Clicked her heels against the tiled floor. Even with her sharp her click-clacking and the small sniffles and harsh breathing from Geldoblame, the room was still too silent.

He didn't speak for a moment, still wiping weakly under his eyes. He was bleeding again. "Yes." He looked up at her, now, looking stern, firm, detirmined. He wanted answers now.

"And you speak to me, don't you? I know people talk to me while I sleep. I am not deaf simply because I cannot see you." He spat. Ba'nee heaved another sigh, running her hands through her loose, frizzy hair.

"We all do, Geldoblame."

His eyes widened and he cocked his head, glaring weakly. "Why?"

"You're easier to talk to when you're asleep," she admitted, then snorted, "You aren't inclined to bitch about everything, for one thing."

He rolled his eyes and a smile began to persistently crack his lips; he fought it and lost. "That may be," he muttered, "But it's none of your business how I feel."

"Yes, it is. Mine being physically, anyhow. You have your first psych check-up with Eizich is in two days."

Geldoblame furrowed his brow. "Psych check-up?" He repeated broodily. "Is it quite as useless as it sounds?"

"Oh," she smirked, "quite. Eizich—Doctor Paine; you've met him—he wants to talk to you. He just wants to make sure you're happy; to make sure you're content and comfortable overall with your caregivers, and make sure you're generally doing good and spiffy." She snorted. "He's also going to break out some tests, if I'm not mistaken."

She stood, brushing herself off in that only-Alfardian, self-important way she had always watched other people do (and recalled once even going so far as to practice—what a girl I was!), and strode to the counter, picking up the rag and rinsing it under warm water. "Don't be so rough with yourself, Geldoblame." She said, jerking her head in his direction. There was a thin, watery line of blood running down his cheek from under his eye. He scoffed. One eye was firmly clenched shut.

"Really." She insisted, wringing the cloth out again. She crossed the room and dabbed gently at his cheek, one hand on the back of his head to steady him. He breathed a small sigh. Ba'nee smiled weakly, for that was actually somewhat of a "thank you," in Emperor Land.

"Geldo."

"Tch."

"Shut up. I want to tell you a secret, alright?" Since I've heard quite enough from you today...

He sneered, folding his arms over his chest. Ba'nee scowled and dangled the dripping, gory scrap of cloth inches from his face—and more importantly, his hair.

"If you don't stop looking so smug, emperor, I will drop this on you."

One hand shielding his head—for dear life, might I add—Geldoblame gave an indignant yelp and slapped her hand away viciously. Ba'nee snickered, winging the rag back across the room. This time, it splattered against the wall.

"Alright!" She started again, wiping her hands cheerily on Geldoblame's bedspread and resuming her comfy seat next to the bed, "Secret time."

Geldoblame, extremely unimpressed at her enthusiasm, tched again.

"Shut up," Ba'nee sang, grinning not-quite nastily. "Are you ready, then?"

"No. You could not prepare me for the shock about to hit me in ultimate, Ocean-rivaling waves. I am unprepared in the face of your explosive secret-telling."

"Oh pffft, Geldo."

He scowled. Ba'nee smiled.

"Well," she began briskly, "I actually kind of like this, I'll have you know. Taking care of you." She paused. "Sometimes," she added quickly, "because you really can be a child, otherwise."

Geldoblame chuckled. "You're the child here. How old are you?"

"Well I never!" Ba'nee cried in mock-outrage before laughing herself and answering, "Twenty seven."

Geldoblame gave a small shrug of the shoulders. "Young, then. I remember when I was your age," he started, faltering for a moment. "I'm..." he started again, "not going senile already. Ha."

Ba'nee could have cursed the man, right here, right now. Bipolar bastard! Instead, she offered a sympathetic, if completely fake, nod. "I couldn't be the leader of an entire skyland at this age. If that's...worth anything." She shrugged.

"Of course it's not." Geldoblame spat back, "I know you couldn't. They wouldn't allow you."

Ba'nee had sworn to stop grinding her teeth a long time ago, and this man was not going to get her bad habits up and running again. She grinned nastily, her eyes glinting behind her spectacles, "Would you allow me?"

Geldoblame pfffted and tched for a moment, stuttering and mouthing a few choice nasty words of his own before hissing, "But I'm the emperor. I couldn't possibly."

Ba'nee sneered at him.

"Alright, fine. I'll let you win this game."

"We were playing a game? That was no fun."

"Shut up." Ba'nee said dryly, adding, "Again," for good measure. He rolled his eyes, tucking a bit of hair behind one ear.

"Now, Emperor Geldoblame," she crooned, in her best, sickly sweet I'm-a-Pretty-Nurse~ voice, "don't forget about your arrangement with Doctor Paine!"

Geldoblame groaned. "I don't much care for that man," he hissed. "Or that voice."

"Join the club," Ba'nee said, grinning, "But there's precisely why you can't let on you're still...mmm, dreaming, in a sense. He'll drug you into a coma if he thinks emotions and such can get in the way. I've seen it happen. He's one of those crazies that hates Heartwings and human emotion and sanity in its natural habitat. Not like yours is quite gripping, itself, but I digress. The man's really rather like Bael—"

"Please don't?" Geldoblame interjected suddenly, holding up a hand and touching it to his chest. "I beg of you."

Ba'nee faltered awkwardly for a moment. "How about...like ah, You-Know-Who did, then?"

Geldoblame shrugged.

Ba'nee nodded and continued. "Oh, but he's worse by so much, and he's utterly old-school. I've heard some guy that used to worship that old spiriter war-hero guy has been pissing around lately and bothering him with 'improper use of machina' or some such."

Geldoblame smiled (quickly catching himself and flipping it into a scowl). "'That old spiriter war-hero guy?'" He repeated, scoffing.

"Yes, well... the name escapes me, honestly." Ba'nee laughed sheepishly.

Geldoblame gave yet another practiced roll of the eyes. "Don't be daft, girl. You should know. I..." His throat grew unexpectedly dry for a moment. He cleared his throat, blinking, "I worked for the man."

"...don't tell me. I know it started with a K. I'm positive!" Ba'nee shot up out of her chair, her hair whipping out behind her. "K!" She repeated insistantly at Geldoblame's rather appalled expression.

Geldoblame, recovering from his momentary shock, shook his head and chuckled. "I think you're the one being drugged."

Ba'nee plopped back down into the chair by the bed and propped her chin up in her hand. "Fine, fine. Give me a clue."

Geldoblame smiled weakly and turned to her, finally embracing his chance to play the Persistently Patient Teacher for once. "It started with a V, dear."

"Virus."

"...really?" Geldoblame snorted. "Come now; Quaestor—"

"Verses?"

"No. Not even close. Ver—"

"—Verus!" Ba'nee shouted. She started to laugh and sank down in her chair, running her fingers through her hair restlessly as she nearly slid out of her seat. "How did I forget him? Oh, Skies..."

I didn't know the cookycrazy types were forgotten so easily.

The name brought a wide smile to Geldoblame's lips. "I didn't think you'd catch on this quick," he chided.

Ba'nee smirked, regaining her composition with a dramatic, defeated sigh. "You play a good game, my dear Emperor Geldoblame, but you are no match for myself!" she sang.

"Oh, we'll see."

"We'll see, yes. Maybe when you come back from dinner with Melodia?" She snickered, standing and brushing herself off.

Geldoblame's eyes widened. "What?"

"Melodia wants to dine with you." Ba'nee explained, facetiously flicking a hand in his direction. "I assumed you'd be fine with it, but you'll need assistance walking. I invited myself and a... a soldier along. Think of him as... a bodyguard of sorts."

Geldoblame sighed. "...as long as you don't ruin the evening, then I suppose you'll be acceptable. In other words, behave or I'll have this bodyguard of sorts remove you."

"I could say the same to you."

"Oh, we'll see."

As she left the emperor's private room, Ba'nee grinned triumphantly to herself.

It seems the bitch has returned to wine. And dine!

—//—

"Geldoblame."

His eyes snapped open as he felt his feet slip out from under him and he writhed in the grip securing him from behind; he felt himself growing queasier by the second.

"What's happening?" He croaked.

"I told you we should have talked her out of this;" Ba'nee's familiar lilt hissed urgently from behind him, "it'll kill him!"

"D-duh-don't blame me!" A new voice moaned as the arm around Geldoblame's waist tightened its grip, causing him to actaully emit a small squeak. "It wasn't my idea to cart him out here, 'nee."

"Yes, well—bugger, Caro, you're going to choke him if you squeeze that tight! Don't put so much pressure on the—"

"D-don't yell at me!"

"Oh, let me have him."

"Y-you cuh-can't hold him up!"

"Fuck you, I can't, sweetie!"

Geldoblame's hands twitched and his fingers curled into fists. "Shut UP, both of you!" He cried, struggling in Caro's grip, "I told you to behave!" He howled at Ba'nee, his eyes wild and panicked, his lips atremble. He ran both narrow, bandaged hands through his hair in a dizzy sort of panic, letting out a loud hacking cough that made Caro flinch and desperately want to wash his hands.

"Geldoblame," Ba'nee whispered, stepping closer—her shoes click-clacking maddeningly—and bending down to look into his dark, frantic eyes. Caro coughed and stared at the ceiling awkwardly, as per his usual, as she started again.

"Geldoblame."

He blinked.

"Come now," she scoffed, "you're usually eager to see her, aren't you?"

Blink.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Geldoblame, answer me with words."

Blink, blink.

"Caro!" Ba'nee bawled, her glasses falling askew and her hands flying to her hair, "Take him! Take him before I kill him!"

Geldoblame blinked enthusiastically once more, sneering suggestively at Caro. The soldier's hands were promptly plastered to his face in horror. "Duh-do I—do I really h-have to?" He whimpered.

"Yes."Ba'nee sighed, "He—"

"I've...been waiting."

The party jumped; Geldoblame let out a sharp hiss, fingers twitching.

"It's wonderful to see you..." Melodia surveyed them, a sneer playing about her shining red lips, "up and about yet again, Your Magnificence."

Geldoblame battled with his body, trying not to flinch.

"I almost fail to recognize you." She confessed with a breathy little sigh, twirling a lock of hair about her index finger, "You look so...different now."

Geldoblame stared at the floor, refusing to meet her eyes. "Yes, my dear."

Melodia glanced over at Caro and Ba'nee; Caro lifted Geldoblame up again, shrugging as Ba'nee smoothed her hair down.

"Let's go, then."

—//—

"You aren't eating."

"I know, Melodia."

Melodia made a sour little face. He fingernails scraped along the tabletop, screeching softly. She didn't take any notice. Geldoblame's remaining skin crawled.

"Why not?"

He closed his eyes and his fingers gave another little twitch. "I am not hungry," he replied simply.

"That's awfully unlike you." Melodia giggled, and Geldoblame looked at her for the first time all night. She drew in a sharp gasp, and her nails raked down the side of the table, paint flakes and wooden splinters flying in their wake.

His eyes were different.

His big, dark eyes had changed somehow. They no longer held their enticing, sneering, sultry gaze, they no longer had that little glint in them that could tell the entire Sky that the emperor was up to something, and they no longer seemed to recognize her. They were weary, dull, frightened eyes. Dark bags drooped beneath them, and, all make-up forsaken, their lids were red and raw. Geldoblame had no eyelashes, no eyebrows. To Melodia, he might as well have had no eyes. She averted her gaze, and Geldoblame followed suit.

—//—

"H-hey, um...wh-where'd y' get that wine?"

"From Youcanthaveany. Very foreign."

"Imported?"

"Mmm."

Ba'nee popped the cork from a bottle of red wine and, after inspecting it to her taste, took a long swig. Caro blinked.

"Y'need a glass?" He asked incredulously, eyebrows shooting up behind his bangs. Ba'nee swallowed and grinned roguishly at him.

"Proper Azhani never do, hon."

—//—

Geldoblame bit his lip, searching his (superior) imperial mind for conversation topics. "And how is the Duke?" He asked, casually after a moment.

Melodia shrugged. "Grandfather is...he is well."

"Well?"

"Well," Melodia started, "he is overprotective, overbearing, and as much as he insists that he is so supportive of my decisions, he's still trying to pull me this way and that to his own will—I think he's...suspicious. Of you!"

"Of me?" Geldoblame asked incredulously, laying a hand across his chest.

"Of you!" Melodia insisted.

"Ah," he began with a small sigh, "but do you suppose he thinks he has a right? A reason?"

"He supposes he does," Melodia hissed, "but he's wrong!" She slammed her pale, flower-like—if surprisingly srtong—little hands down on the table, "And that's what is so infuriating! He thinks—"

Geldoblame flinched back in his chair rather violently, his hair falling into his face in messy, heavy curls and thin strands. "Please," he gasped, "d-don't do that."

He hadn't meant to stutter. Geldoblame glanced away quickly, staring down at the tabletop. Melodia followed suit, glaring sullenly, unblinkingly at her silverware—more specifically, the knife and fork.

She could see them, one in each of His Magnificence's eye sockets, very, very clearly.

Melodia blinked, and promptly resumed her earlier sort of unconsciously shredding the tabletop.

—//—

"Uh, I—I, ummm, I—"

"—uhhh, you, ummmm what?"

"Umm—"

"—words. Say any words."

"Uh! W-w—wh—umm—"

"—any words will do."

Caro cleared his throat, determined.

"...um?" He sheepishly whimpered after a long moment of silence.

Ba'nee's face met her palm with a loud smack that made Geldoblame jump and swivel around irritably somewhere in the middle of the room. Caro stifled a giggle.

"Words," Ba'nee insisted again, her voice slightly muffled against her palm. Caro shrugged.

Finally: "D-d'you th-think we really should've let this, uh, h-happen?" He nodded to the flailing Geldoblame (and slightly unnerved Melodia) in the center of the room, gesturing vaguely.

"...had to. 'sides, no one's even leaving the hospital." Ba'nee shrugged, "We had to."

"Wh-why?" Caro asked quietly, flicking his bangs out of his eyes and blinking.

Ba'nee took another swig of wine, drumming her fingers on the floor and sliding down the wall slightly, back curving uncomfortably against the paneling. "B'cause," she started with a hiccup, "Geldobl-b-bluh— Geldo —gets what Geldo wants. 's'not like we could stop him seein' 'er."

Caro nodded and shrugged again; his bangs dropped back over his eyes like shaggy, frayed green curtains and he snorted irritably at them, brushing them away once more. He watched Ba'nee struggle to sit upright for a moment before setting for laying back on the tiled floor, her frizzy hair in her face as she continued to attempt to see straight enough to drink. She shook her head and swore loudly as it bashed into the wall, tilting her glasses violently askew.

"...you are s-so smashed," Caro snickered, poking at her shoulder playfully. She swore again, rubbing at her head, and there was a faint giggle from Melodia, accompanied by a "Bite your tongue!" from a particularly irate emperor (to which she replied with "Bugger you!" and a bout of throaty, racious laughter).

"S-seriously," Caro insisted, "y' sh-should gettup. C-can't—"

"—floors're cleaner than a virgin's bedsheets, honey," Ba'nee challenged with another tiny hiccup.

Caro blushed. Ba'nee giggled.

"D-doesn't matter. Y-you'll h-hurt yer back or somethin'."

"Don't s'pose I should try to stand up by m'self." She clicked her heels impatiently against the floor and tucked her messy hair behind her ears, adding, "I fucking hate standing," for good measure.

—//—

"This is unbelievable." Geldoblame hissed, twisting around in his chair, "I specifically told them to behave, and—"

Melodia sighed moodily, jabbing sullenly at a speck on her mostly-empty plate with a perfectly manicured, sharp nail.

"Yes?" Geldoblame groaned, running a hand through his hair, "What are you—what are they doing—?"

"What are you doing?" Melodia snapped.

"I—"

"—don't answer; it was solely rhetorical." She snorted, rolling her eyes. "And why are you so concerned? You, of all people in the world should be concerned with—" me me ME "—other things! Your Magnificence," she growled, "there is something I simply cannot understand about you now."

Geldoblame looked up, warily. Melodia wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Yes, my dear?"

"Why, pray tell, do you flinch only from my touch?"

There was an uneasy silence, only broken by quiet curses and laughter from the corner (where a certain two people were supposed to be dutifully watching over the events of the evening, and needless to say, they had found something more entertaining).

"You are like a kicked bunnykitten." Melodia continued matter-of-factly, "It's disgusting."

Geldoblame heaved a sigh, propping his chin up in his fist. "More than kicked," he corrected, "burnt to a crisp and supremely mangled, as well."

"And I suppose this is my fault?" Melodia barked suddenly, her hand gripping the fork deathly tight.

"Dear, I would never—"

"—of course you would, you loathsome thing; from the bottom of your black, sinful heart: you're certainly insane enough!"

"My dear girl, you're killing me! What in the world brought this—"

Melodia let out a shriek of laughter and bent down low, low over the table, grinning widely, "I'm killing you? Haven't I already?"

"Melodia, please—"

"—but oh no! You're a blasted miracle, Geldoblame! It makes me sick—everyone, everyone—even you!—is defying the divinity of the will of Mal—"

Geldoblame scrambled to his feet as if he were a marionette being jerked violently, suddenly upward. Leaning heavily on the table, his arms nearly giving under his own weight, he hissed venomously, "Don't you dare speak that name, Melodia."

She blinked.

There was another long, uneasy silence as Geldoblame swayed on his feet and collapsed back into his chair, quite nearly exhausted. Back in the corner, Caro and Ba'nee determined that someone was going to have to go over and deal with them. Ba'nee argued that she was too drunk. Caro argued that he didn't want to.

Melodia shoved her empty plate to the side, laid her head down on the table, and began to weep.

"Geldoblame," she gasped between small sobs, "my dear Emperor Geldoblame...I am...so sorry. P-please, you—you have my deepest—"

"—it's...it's perfectly alright my dear girl." Geldoblame interrupted, reaching slowly across the table to clasp Melodia's hand affectionately. "I—"

"—wh-what's g-goin' on over here?"

Geldoblame sighed. "Nothing, my dear boy."

Caro sputtered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "Y-yeah, b-b-but--"

"—butnothing, my darling Sargent Caro D. C. LaDuf," the older man insisted with a small, challenging sneer. Caro blinked. Oh fuckity fuck. He remembers my name?

"...y' make yer girlfriend cry and yer sayin it's nothin'?" Caro asked sheepishly. (This earned a weak, muffled giggle from Melodia, rather to the emperor's dismay).

"She," Geldoblame began haughtily, "is so not my girlfriend."

—//—

"She is his girlfriend, right?"

"Naw."

"...ruh-really?"

"Yup," Ba'nee confirmed, "'cuz Geldoblame is the biggest—excuse my language—the biggest fuckin' poufter I have ever met. And y'gotta love 'im when he isn't being a sunburned old cunt."

Caro snorted. "I dunno. I was k-kinda hoping he'd...g-got off it? Y'know?"

"He's "got off," arright," she teased, watching semi-interestedly as Caro began blushing furiously, "an' he seems to like you...dear boy."

"I—I always, uh, blew 'im off when he, um, acks'd fer me."

"Oh?"

"...I, uhm, h-heard some stuff."

Ba'nee snickered drunkenly. "Hasn't everyone?"

"..Iguesso."

"Sure y'do."

Caro smiled faintly, feeling adventurous. Ba'nee was beaming.

"Y'know what else I—I, uh, g-guess?"

"Hmm?"

"I. Um....uhh..."

Ba'nee giggled. "Seriously, honey. Words."

Caro flushed. "Uh, I really-really-really, um, like you, an'—"

"—really-really-really?"

"Really-really-really!"

Ba'nee hiccupped. "...wow."

"Is'sat... bad?"

"Nope!"

"So..." Caro started, brushing his bangs from his yes for what seemed the thousandth time that night, "can I...kiss ya?"

Ba'nee seemed to ponder this. Caro crossed his fingers behind his back and bit his lip. He was feeling brave, but not brave enough for this. Oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh, he was terrible with silences, and he—

"Read my lips, sweetie."

—he had thought he was going to be the one kissing her, but... okay.