((Sorry! Friend hogs computer!))

Colette stood still, but knew that Charade meant business so she got up and stood beside Evessence.

Evessence smiled. "What do you think we're going to do?" She muttered to Collette. She pulled out a hair tie and tied her hair into a high ponytail.

Darius blinked. "Oooh! The girlies are back!" He walked over and hugged both Colette and Evessence, beaming. "You two are so cute." He said, letting go of them both.

"Darius...I suggest you stop before you get charged for sexual harr*censored*ment..." Ryo warned. Darius snorted.

"Like I haven't been sued before." He said, smiling evily. Ryo sighed, his eyes rolling as he turned his head to look at the females.

"He's not joking, but the girls were just touchy." Ryo explained, his tail flicking. "Dramatic, know-it-all smarta.sses." He muttered, his ears flattening.

"Aww. You're defending me." Darius went over and hugged Ryo, making his ears perk up.

Pushing Darius away, Ryo growled. "Stop hugging everyone. Believe it or not, but maniac happiness gets annoying sometimes." Darius laughed.

"You're just saying that."

"No, I'm not."

Nathaniel blinked, then felt a hand on his shoulder. He squealed, making Darius pause. "Calm down, Nath. Its just me." said a soft voice.

"That could only be one person." Nathaniel muttered, turning around. He heard Darius chuckle. "Nathan."

"Nath."

"What is it?"

"I'm lonely." Nathaniel sighed, wrapping his arms around the smaller male.

"You just can't live without me, can ya?" Nath asked, laughing quietly.

"No." Nathan replied, closing his eyes and smiling. "I can't."

"Thats so sweet!" Darius exclaimed, clasping his hands together. "They're so cute, huh?" He asked, nudging Ryo. Ryo grunted. "Don't you two think so?" Darius looked over at Colette and Evessence.

"Aww, don't worry, dear. I won't make any...advances towards you." Darius said, a smile curling his lips. "Well, unless..." Ryo scratched him down the back. "Ow, kitty!" He cried, jumping.

"I'm sorry, uh, whatever-your-name-is. He's just...screwed up." Ryo explained, his eyes flickering towards Evessence. "Don't worry. He won't do anything. He's just trying to creep you out. Or scare you. It could go either way, or both ways."

Darius frowned, then stepped towards Evessence and Colette, leaning over to meet them at eye-level. "How old are you two?"

"Darius..."

Nathan chuckled. "Darius is so freaky." He muttered, pulling away from Nathaniel.

"Agreed." Nathaniel said simply, crossing his arms. Darius looked them over for a moment, then looked back at Colette and Evessence.

"C'mon. How old are you two?"

Darius almost fell over himself. "Eighteen! And next week! I was right to stop here!" He exclaimed, crossing his arms with a triumphant smile.

"Oh, please don't do it, Darius..." Ryo begged, smacking a hand to his face. "You'll-"

"Oh, c'mon, Ryo. You were only fourteen when I-"

"Shut up."

"kissed you." Darius finished, blinking down at Ryo. "What did you think I was going to say?" Ryo's ears flattened against his head. "You're so awkward, Ryo, you know that?"

"Yes." Ryo hissed, appearing more cat-like then usual. Whiskers appeared on his cheeks and his pupils slitted, his nails become more like claws than usual, and his canine teeth looked vampiric.

"Okay, okay. No need to get so worked up." Darius said, putting his hands up as a defense.

"I don't. Like. It. When you. Speak. Of my. Past!" Ryo hissed through gritted teeth, lunging at Darius afterwards. Darius held a hand up, and Ryo was caught in it by the neck. "Darius-"

"I know you don't like it when I say stuff like that." Darius said, his tone serious and actually normal-sounding. "But you'll have to get over it somehow." Darius released Ryo, and he dropped to the ground, gasping.

Nathan gasped, too. "Are you okay?" He asked, squatting next to Ryo. He set a hand on his back, and Ryo batted it away.

"Fine." He growled, standing up.

"Are you leaving?" Darius asked, his usual, maniac-like tone reappearing. "But I thought maybe you'd like to-"

"No."

Darius' serious voice returned. "Get back here, Ryo. Do it now, or I'll-"

"Fine." Ryo turned back, and Darius frowned and crossed his arms.

"We've got to stop cutting each other off." He said, placing an arm around Ryo when he returned to his side. Immediately, Ryo began to purr, and Darius smiled, scratching Ryo under the chin. "Good kitty."

"Nath did you see..." Nathan began.

"Yeah. What do you think he was going to say?" Nathaniel asked, watching as Darius caressed Ryo.

"Kill you." Nathan replied in an extremely quiet voice. Nathaniel held back a gasp.

"Thats what I was thinking." Nathan shook his head.

"No, no. He wouldn't kill them. He seems so fond of them..." Nathan said quietly, staring at Darius.

"True..."

"Hey, Darius." Nathaniel immediately regretted calling out to the older male.

"Hmm?" Darius lifted his head, blinking at Nathaniel.

"Err...Nevermind."

"Tell me!" Darius demanded, letting go of Ryo and stepping up to Nathaniel. Ryo mewed, falling to his knees and sitting on the floor, his tail waving.

"I was just going to ask, uh...Why do you...like, kiss everyone?" Nathaniel asked, clearing his throat.

"Ew, I don't kiss everyone." Darius said, making a disgusted face. "I only kiss my troupe members, teenagers I think are attractive, and a few people I've singled out among the entire world." He blinked. "Why? Do you want me to kiss you again?"

Nathaniel recoiled, he himself making a face as well. "Eww, no! It was just a question, you pervert!"

"I'm not a pervert..." Darius said, watching Nathaniel through his hair. "I haven't lost my virginity yet." He pointed out, shrugging his shoulders.

"Alright...Too much information..." Nathan took a step forward and pulled Nathaniel back. "Nath, never ask a question like that again." Nath nodded, stepping backwards.

"You doubt it?" Darius asked, turning to Evessence. "Well, thats rude. Just because I kiss you, doesn't mean I'm gonna take your-"

"Darius, seriously. You're gonna scare them all away." Ryo said, watching Darius with an irritated ex
pression.

"Well, he started it!" Darius pointed accusingly at Nathaniel, and he frowned.

"I just asked why you kissed everyone." He said, crossing his arms. "I didn't ask if you were still a virgin."

"Well, I am!" Darius crossed his own arms with a huff, then looked back at Ryo. "Take him for an example: If I had done anything to him, he wouldn't have his cat features." Ryo blushed, and hung his head.

"I said that was just in an anime!"

"You also said it was in a manga."

"They're the same thing!" Darius laughed, then walked over to stand in front of Evessence.

"Tell me, dear. Are you a little upset that I didn't kiss you? Your watching me like I hurt you or something." He asked, placing a hand on Evessence's chin and lifting it up slightly. "'Cause I didn't kiss you because I was interrupted."

Nathan wrinkled his nose. "I didn't get kissed, either." He muttered, crossing his arms.

"Nathan!" Nathaniel smacked his brother on the back of his head.

"Well, thats because you look almost exactly like your brother. Kissing him was like kissing two people at a time." Darius explained, taking a quick glance at Nathan before looking back at Evessence.

"Ew." Nathan said simply.

"Your fault, Nathan." Nathaniel muttered, flicking his head.

"Aww." Darius whined. "Well, if thats what you want." He released his hold on Evessence's chin, then turned to the crowd. "Why are the girls squealing?"

"'Cause you're hot." Nathan joked, laughing afterwards.

"You really think so?" Darius asked, turning to Nathan and beaming.

"Oh, uh..." Darius stepped into the crowd, his path clearing immediately. "Well, that was odd." Nathan said.

"Agreed. Usually all the girls-" Darius mouth was covered by another girl's lips, and he pulled away, laughing. "Okay, now its not unsual." Another girl pulled his little hat off.

"Aww. That was my last one." He whined, looking up at her. "Give it back." The girl shook her head. "Please?" He said, his eyes glittering as he held out his hand. The girl set it gently in his palm, and he smiled.

"Thanks. Normally I would let you keep it, but its my last and favourite hat." Darius tossed it to Ryo, who plucked it out of the air with ease. "I'll wear my tiara." He said, pulling a small, silver and glistening tiara. "Its for girls, but I like it, too." Darius set it on his head, only to have it ripped off. "Okay, ow." He snatched it back. "Mine."

Nathan laughed. "Thats so..." He stopped laughing. "scary." he shuddered, inching closer to Nathaniel.

"Naw, I bet you want one, too." Nathaniel chuckled.

"...I don't." Nathan said, crossing his arms.

"Liar." Darius stepped back out of the crowd, standing next to Evessence.

"Alright, thats the last time I'm walking into the stands with my tiara on. Do you know how many times it got ripped off?" He huffed. "Its like they've never seen silver and diamonds before."

"Real?" Nathaniel quiered.

"You bet your as.s." Darius grinned.

"Dude those are real!" Evessence squealed looking at Darius' tiara. She was so tempted to grab it.

Now she knew why the other girls were. "Can I see it PLease?" She asked. "I'll give it right back I swear!" She said. She looked Darius and tried putting on her cutest face.

"Yes, yes." Darius pulled the tiara off, messing up his hair in the process. He flicked his head, and his hair returned to normal. "Here you go." Darius chirped, extending his arm out towards Evessence.

Nathan blinked. "How much did it cost?" He asked, watching Darius closely.

"A lot." Darius laughed. "I dunno. Over six thousand dollars, I guess." He shrugged. "I can't remember. I think it might've been eleven thousand...No, maybe it was sixteen thousand..."

"That much silver and that many diamonds? Sixteen thousand?" Nathaniel, crossing his arms. 

"Of course not! At one point, I had a lot of money. I still do, but not as much as I used to. Used most of it on Gothica." Darius held his arms up. "Good investment, eh?" Nathaniel sighed.

"Yeah, I guess."

Evessence smiled her eyes glittereing with excitement.

She took the tiara out of Darius's hand. "Why its beautiful!" She exclaimed as she watched it glint and sparkle in the light. "I bet it cost more around sixteen thousand>' She smiled and handed it back to him.

"How he acts? Yes." Ryo replied, his tail flicking lightly. "Always, always."

"Careful, careful." Darius purred, taking the tiara back with caution. He replaced it on his head, smiling. "My mother used to scold me for taking my sister's stuff. I was always envious of her; she always got all the tiaras and whatnot. And when she turned sixteen, she got to wear a real tiara! When I turned sixteen..." He let the sentence stand unfinished.

"When you-" Nathan started. Ryo hissed at him, and he hid behind Colette, since Nathaniel was a bit closer to Ryo than Nathan favoured. "What was that for?" Nathan asked, shaking behind Colette.

Ryo didn't answer.