don't worry nothing lewd really happens I just wanted to shitpost
forgot to tell their canon ages, so:
Red: 17-18 (basically, around that tier but unverified)
Nathan: 19
Rian: 16
Layton: 10
They're subjective to change though :3
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We left Enchantment Woods first thing in the morning. Layton wasn't exactly fully awake yet though, so I let him doze off a little on my shoulder while we all walked the path.
"Where's the next destination, Rian?" I asked. Rian thought for a moment before answering me.
"Gardenia City. We have to get past there if we're able to get to the Giants."
"Tch, that place? Nothing but full of good-for-nothing snobs." Nathan scowled. Seriously, doesn't he get tired of glaring so much?
"I take it you're been there before?"
"Once. People there will just trample on you cuz your not nobility or some shit. Just goes to show how much trash the population is."
Wow, bitter much? "Well we don't have much of a choice, do we? There's witches after our heads and right now Gardenia seems like a better place to go to than witches."
I heard Layton yawn and stretch his arms. "Morning..."
"Morning. We'll be heading off to Gardenia soon. Can you walk like a big boy?" I said, half-jokingly.
The red cat nodded and hopped off my shoulder, transforming back into his human form. "I could use the exercise! Lead the way!"
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"Okay, so Gardenia doesn't really take lightly to anyone of a lower status of living, right? We gotta blend in with the people if we're gonna make it through." Rian brought us to the front of the city's gates.
"Are you suggesting disguises?" I asked, and he nodded.
"Where do we get disguises?" Layton asked too.
"I'll handle that. You three wait over here." Nathan then unrolled the sleeves of his hoodie, showing off some muscle in his arms.
Weird flex, but alright. No pun intended.
He began to scale at the walls with his claws, and like some kung-fu master he climbed the stone wall with speedy timing, getting to the top and disappearing afterwards.
Moments later he returned with a sack over his shoulder and he dropped it down to us before jumping off himself. "Took me a while, but here."
I opened the sack and took out the first thing my hands could get into. "Uh... I don't think this would suit me." I gestured to the weird yellow dress in my hand. It looked too fancy for my taste.
"I'm sure it'll look great on you, Lady Red." Rian assured me with a smile. He grabbed his own disguise into his hands. "Well, we have to go and change. Let's meet up here after we're done."
I groaned and walked over to a nearby bush to change. I had to send Layton over to join the boys first before trying out the thing.
It better be worth the trouble of getting in the place...
But... would I really suit this? What will Nathan think? Would he think I'm pretty?
I suddenly choked. Why the hell was I thinking like that? What in seven blazes?!
Oh well. Too lazy to dwell on that, so I finished dressing myself up and walked over to our rendezvous spot. Nathan and the others had also finished with their disguises.
"Whoa! You look so pretty, Miss Red!!" Layton exclaimed. I had to choke back a laugh at the poor kid. He was wearing a little girl's dress, and a weird bowlcut ass wig over his head. Other than that, he didn't really look all that different from an actual girl.
Rian had a fancy ass white suit on, surprisingly not patched with dirt from the sack it was put on. Nathan, on the other hand, looked more like a feral knight with that dark blue trench coat. He had to put on a wig of his own, hiding his ears and making him look strangely... human.
"We'll be sure to convince now. Layton's gonna pretend to be Lady Red's daughter." Rian explained the plan. "Nathan's gonna be the bodyguard, while I'm the fath—" Nathan's fist collided with his head before he could finish talking.
"Hold up, who said I'm the bodyguard? Don't even make me laugh, kid." He growled, and Rian just glared at him.
"You look too young to look like that kid's dad. I'll do it. I'll be more convincing."
Inside, I was screaming like hell. I know it's pretend, but sweet mother of Alabama, why me?! At least Layton didn't mind at all.
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Eventually we agreed that Rian would be our eldest son, Layton the youngest, and me and Nathan would have to pretend to be husband and wife. And we had to pretend to be the prestigious family of the Ravenwalkers, fake name courtesy of Rian.
I shook myself hard. I was slightly concerned for myself today. My usual aloof attitude was beginning to falter. Was it because of what Nathan said last night? Why did it affect me so much?
We managed to enter the city, and luckily no one suspected us of not being upperclass yet. The city was really something, fancy pavement roads and buildings that looked like they came straight out of a Victorian romance novel.
Ew.
And true to the world's namesake, there were also talking animals and all the weirdness I've been trying to get used to. Like that scrurrying white rabbit with a pocket watch. Looks kinda familiar...
"Oh, excuse me." A voice interrupted, and I had to turn around to see who it was. A young man, looking somehow like in between how old Rian and Nathan were, stood right in front of me.
"May I... uh... help you?" I asked. He smiled and bowed a little.
"I'm Raymond Amadeus. I see you're a little alone in this crowded place." I had to look around, only to find Nathan and the others had completely disappeared. Rats.
"I suppose I'm a lost. Oh, I'm, uh..." Fake name, fake name, hurry, think of a fake name...!!
"Maria. Maria Ravenwalker." I held back a sigh of relief. Nice going, me! I'm such a genius!
"Well, Lady Ravenwalker, perhaps you would like me to accompany you to a less crowded place?" Raymond offered.
I couldn't really say no to that charming face now, would I? Heck. I could probably find the boys along the way.
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I was led to a dainty cafe, and it was gracious of Raymond to treat me to a free pastry and stuff. Who could turn down free food? Not me, definitely.
"So, my lady, what brings you to Gardenia?" He began to ask.
"Uh... I'm just... visiting... with my uh, family..." I lied. I'm not that good with the lying, I can tell already.
"I see. You got separated from them? Don't worry, chances are they're going to find you right here. It's not really crowded, so it's a perfect place to properly look for someone."
That's... a little too specific...
But man, Raymond is such a gentleman. He's literally like Rian, but much older. God, now I'm being weird again.
A sudden crash from the front door startled me and four men dressed in all black ransacked the cafe. The people around panicked and went to a corner of the room, huddling with fear.
"You high brow snobs! We're tired of being treated like dirt, so we're gonna make you pay!!" The bigger guy shouted. My eye twitched at this. Sure, all the people here are complete humanitarian trash but violence wouldn't really solve anything about it.
Raymond dragged me to the corner. "It's not safe here, Lady Ravenwalker. We need to leave, urgently."
"Nah man." I started to talk a little more loosely than I was trying to before, which kinda surprised him. Maybe I could just drop my cover for a little bit.
"You four..." I stepped ahead and the four men flinched a little when I stared directly at them with my blank eyes.
"I'm not gonna let you get away with ruining my free food day that easily." Somehow I managed to hide my trusty axe under my dress, and I took it out, holding it rather eerily.
I wouldn't kill humans, but I have this weird knack of scaring them.
"W... we're not afraid of you! You're just some weak girl!" One of the men squeaked out, and I had to resist a laugh. Man, can anyone be so pathetic?
Before I could try and pretend to swing my axe at them, the window beside me broke. Like, shards were flying everywhere. I felt arms pull me towards a body, shielding me from the glass.
"Where the hell have you been, midget?" I heard Nathan's voice and I sighed, setting my axe down.
"I could have handled this. Where's Layton and Rian?"
"Lost them. But I can smell them close by." He turned to the immobilized men and they shivered under his sharp gaze. "Who the hell are these weirdos?"
"Dunno, don't care. They were tryna cause trouble though."
"Huh." And with that, Nathan bared his fangs at the four. "Guess I'll be having an extra meal today."
This terrified the stooges and they immediately bolted out of the cafe in a millisecond. I chuckled.
"You didn't have to go so far with that."
"Whatever." He ruffled my hair and I hit him by his arm. I heard whispering from behind us. Oh right. I forgot about those people.
"Sorry for the interruption..." I started lamely, but Raymond cut my words out.
"No, don't be! You saved our lives after all! We owe you our gratitude."
"You know this guy, midget? You two seem awfully close." Nathan put on his interrogation voice. I rolled my eyes at him. Jealous, are we?
"I just met him. He was the one who took me here cuz I couldn't really find you in the whole crowd. Be thankful."
"Tch."
Raymond took a bow and grasped my hand. "I am forever in you debt. Please, as a token of appreciation, and in behalf of the people here, I would like you to be... my wife."
Wut bruh? You fucking kidding me, right?
"Uh... come again?" I pretended not to hear him properly, just tryna make sure he was thinking his words right.
"Please marry me. It would be an honor to be the husband of the bravest woman ever."
"I'm right here you know. I did all the work." Nathan scowled under his breath. I imagine he didn't really like this either.
But real talk. Do I marry him? He's a nice guy, and gave me free food. Although... kinda a pansy if you ask me.
I was about to answer when Nathan suddenly grabbed my hand Raymond was holding and pulled me close to his chest. He was glaring, even more so than he usually would.
"Wait a minute—" I tried to get him to calm down. But being him, he didn't really listen to me. Why is he being so stupid right now?
"Listen here, you dipshit. I don't care who you are but I'm not gonna stand here and watch you try to take away what belongs to me. She's mine, and mine only. So put those delusions of yours in the trash, because she's not marrying your weak ass."
Say what man. Is he for real? What the fuck? What the fuck? What the fuck? What the fu—
Before I knew it, I was being dragged out of the cafe, and left a stunned Raymond and a crowd of witnesses behind.
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what