Hey, I'm back for a Halloween story that is also a sequel story. I would recommend reading 'My Fine Furred Friend' first to make things less confusing, but with that said let's get into the story~
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The rustling of clothes could be heard throughout the dimly lit room as Palette adjusted his favorite beige scarf around his neck for the day. Attaching the pin laying on his dresser to the paint-smudged fabric, he ran his thumb over the embossed gold outline of a butterfly backed by a scythe that made up Goth's mark; admiring the way it shined in the mirror.
He took great pride in the pin, along with the leather cuff on his right wrist holding a matching emblem since they both designated him as the small vampire's blood servant.
While the cuff had taken some getting used to, the skeleton had been wearing both pieces for roughly a year now and barely even registered the additional weight on his wrist anymore. They were as much a part of him as his scarf or his hat; something he would notice if either were missing.
Knowing he had a busy day ahead of him, he made his way over to the chair at his desk that held his messenger bag slung across the back. Checking his watch for the time and making sure he had his notebook, first aid kit, and his water canteen among other items, Palette pulled the cover flap closed and settled the strap across his shoulder; making sure to extinguish the oil lamp on the desk before heading out the door.
A quick stride across the hall put him in front of the door leading the Goth's room. Turning the handle, he stepped into the dark room as light from the hallway crept toward a solitary figure lying curled up under deep red sheets. Approaching the bed, Palette watched his master's sleeping figure for a moment much like he did every morning.
It felt almost criminal to disturb him, he looked so peaceful.
Still, they both had things to do today; so with some reluctance, Palette reached for his master's shoulder to rouse him. "Goth, it's time to get up," the servant called out softly, getting a muffled groan in response, "I know it's early, but you have lessons today. Plus you said we're making final preparations for some guests, right?"
At the reminder, Goth rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself into a sitting position, letting his covers slip down his back as his single red eye light flickered to life. Leaving him to wake up fully, Palette lit up the room using the lamp on the desk and began getting his master's clothing for the day together.
As the skeleton pulled a white cloak from its hanger, Goth's voice drew closer with a sigh, "You know you don't have to dress me, I can manage that much on my own."
"Oh, I know," Palette hummed, turning to hand the garments over to the vampire, " but I can at least get everything together while you're waking up. Everything can go just a bit smoother that way; that's part of my job as a blood servant, after all."
In a practiced manner, Palette took a seat at the desk and pulled out his notebook; leaving the smaller to have some semblance of privacy while he changed. Even though they had been working together for a year, Goth still had a significant amount of body shyness and refused to undress if someone else was watching. And so, it had become routine for the servant to run through the tasks for the day as his master got ready.
"While you're at lessons, I can restock our supply and run errands," Palette noted, tapping his pencil on each task, "I know we're expecting our guests tomorrow and Lord Reaper's been handling preparations more or less, but is there anything specific we still need to do?"
Goth's response was muffled by his clothing, "We should probably check to make sure the meeting hall is properly set up; the house too. There's going to be six of them, so we need to make sure to have enough rooms prepared. We should also pick up a few bottles of blood wine to store in the house and make sure two are being chilled for the meeting tomorrow."
Palette paused in his writing, "Blood wine? What's that?"
"It's some fancy delicacy older vampires tend to favor," the vampire explained, "I guess it makes them feel sophisticated or something. I tried it once and I think it tastes weird, but father said I'll have to drink some during the meeting tomorrow so I don't come across as rude."
The distaste in the last sentence elicited a snort from the skeleton as he jotted down the last bit of information, turning as the sound of cloth shifting settled, "Well, at least it's only one time, right?"
Goth threw the tail of his scarf over his shoulder as he grumbled, "I suppose so. It's still gross, though."
The servant chuckled, tucking his notebook back into his bag and stood from the desk and put the lamp out as Goth opened the door. The pair made their way down the stairs, detouring toward the kitchen so Palette could grab a canteen marked with a red paint splotch on the cap from the cooler and some fruit to eat on the way.
As the pair made their way down the steps, Palette handed the insulated canteen over to the smaller. Goth unscrewed the cap and took a sip as the taller bit into one of his apples.
"Who are you supposed to be meeting first?" Palette asked, taking in the sights as they passed by the various shops.
"I'm supposed to have Webster for history and Lance for economics. I think Crom's in charge of sparring today," Goth's face scrunched up as he handed back the canteen, "Which means I'll probably run late."
The servant laughed as he stowed away the partially eaten apple and placed the container back in his bag, "If I finish everything before you're done, I can always sit on the wall and doodle. Learning how to defend yourself is important, so I don't mind waiting."
"I suppose...," Goth muttered as they approached the academy grounds. He didn't sound all that convinced.
Giving his best smile, Palette tried to reassure him, "I really don't mind if it's something that helps you. I'll see you later, okay?"
"Alright, see you later," Goth offered a smile in return as he entered the building. Watching the door swing shut, Palette spun toward the direction of the shops while pulling out his apple and the notebook once more.
As he entered the shopping district once more, the servant heard a gray furred monster-like vampire mention a lord visiting soon. Idly wondering if that was one of the guests arriving tomorrow, Palette set his mind on his errands and the blood wine he needed to pick up as excitement bubbled up at the thought of new friends.
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Word Count: 1,143