Snippet #2698392

Schhiinng! The soldiers shuffled backwards as the knight drew out the sword from their companion's newly dead body, mask hiding any expression he might have made. The knight was dressed in chainmail and long flowing robes as pitch black as the night sky, with a horned helm that covered his entire face and protected his head. Standing on top a mountain of bodies, the knight straightened and turned to face the troop of soldiers in front of him. With a simple flourish, he pointed the slender sword at them, blade gleaming silver in the light, dulled only by the fresh blood dripping from it to the ground.

His intentions were clear. Come. Take one more step, and I shall strike you all down.

For a moment, nobody moved, as if they were afraid to step up to the challenge. Then, as if to motivate the rest of them, a soldier shuffled to the front. His eyes were narrowed in determination, as if ready to take on the monstrosity in front of him despite the countless bodies of their dead comrades.

Hands steady, he raised his sword.

The knight jumped off the pile of bodies to the ground. Dashing forwards, he raised the sword with both hands and -

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING."

"AAAGGHH!" Luca screeched as his blanket got pulled away, dislodging his game console from his hands and leaving him exposed against blinding, blinding sunlight. Wincing and squeezing his eyes shut, he groped around blindly for the console, desperately opening his eyes just a smidge to squint at the screen.

It said in bright, colorful letters, 'GAME OVER'.

"NOOOOO! MY GAME!" Luca wailed mournfully, his heart dropping at the sight. Cradling it gently in his hands as if the console were a dead child, he stared down at it in distress before he glared up at the intruder, fake tears gathering at the edges of his eyes. "YOU WRECKED MY HIGHSCORE! YOU'RE MY BODYGUARD, YOU'RE SUPPOSE TO STAND GUARD INSTEAD OF HITTING ME YOURSELF!"

"LIKE I CARE!" Felix yelled back from where he was pinning the curtains up. Crossing his arms, he squared his shoulders and looked down at his boss with an angry glare, obviously not affected by the pitiful figure huddled on the bed in crumpled clothes. “When I went to sleep you promised that'd you'd head to bed too. You even pushed me to my room claiming that you'd be heading to yours after - “go to sleep, I swear I'll complete this tomorrow, go to bed first I'll go to mine later,” you said,” Felix said sarcastically, pitch altered in an identical echo of Luca’s voice. “Then I come to get you for breakfast and I see you still up playing games like an author trying to make the deadline. What the fuck.”

“Wrong!” As if he were finally getting his butt in gear, Luca stood up on the bed, towering over Felix with intimidating height. The effect was ruined by a crumpled purple shirt and the bags on his eyes that was all the signs he showed of late night gaming, although the haughty look he shot Felix nearly overshadowed that. “This was important, my dear Assistant,” Lucas said condescendingly, ignoring how the snooty tone only made Felix’s eyebrows twitch more in annoyance and his hands tightening on the clothes he was holding, as if restraining the urge to throw them at Luca’s face. Swiftly pressing a few buttons on the game console he was holding in his hands, Luca crept off the bed gracefully before shoving it not so gracefully close to Felix’s face. The teen leant back away from the device with a scowl of distaste. He shot a glare at Luca before looking properly at the screen.

He tilted his head, frown turning from Pissed Off (with capital letters) to confused. Then his eyes widened with realisation. Luca grinned at the look of utter disbelief on his face. “I should have known,” Felix groaned, fist tightening on the clothing he was holding. “I should've known that -”

“No matter, my dear guard!” Luca yelled victoriously, pleased that Felix finally, finally got it. Lifting the console into the air as if he were wielding a trophy, Luca grinned unrepentantly at Felix, who was giving him a look that said Really? Really?? What the hell is wrong with you? “Gasp in awe, for I have accomplished the quest! Although it has taken me much toil and trouble, although it has given me much grief - although not as much work as you would have taken, thanks to my genius intellect - I have saved the Princess Andromedia from the clutches of despair!” True to word, the image of a chibi blonde princess was on the screen, clutching a wand. “Look at the glorious award, shining like a gem which has been uncovered from the depths of the earth! Stare in wonder at its glorious shine, the unlocked character!” He gestured dramatically at the cartoonish figures that made up his game party on the console, looking entirely serious. “See how they smile, celebrating my perfect score! And well they should, for even these small pieces of pixelated data are sentient enough to understand that I, as their hero, am their glorious savior whom they can never hope to catch up to, and so they pay their respects to my perfect self and bask in my PERFECTION!”

There was a beat of silence. Luca grinning proudly as if he were waiting for applause. Felix on the other hand looked as if he were considering several answers, most of which involved violence and insults. Then:

“You -”

“FURTHERMORE!” Luca interrupted dramatically, raising a fist in triumph, “I have yet to break my promise, for look!” He gestured theatrically at himself and the bed he was standing on. “I said I went to bed, and I am on the bed! nd I did complete this quest tomorrow - which is today! All for the sake of the beautiful princess in this pitiful ga-”

“Oh God shut up.” A bundle of freshly pressed clothing landed against Luca’s face with a soft interrupting his rant. Quickly bringing up his hands to cup them under his chin, he caught them gracefully before the items could fell to the floor. Looking up, he was just in time to see Felix draw the curtains and adding extra shine to the room, a small furrow to his brows as always. “Get dressed already - we’re late to breakfast, you idiotic gaming geek.”

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Dress scene later
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Luca burst through the doors to the living room with a flourish, taking a moment to see who was inside before heading for the table. The young man was dressed impeccably in a V-neck shirt and long dark trousers, with a snazzy black jacket thrown on top. He no longer looked like he had pulled an all nighter - his hair was artfully mussed and styled in its usual casual mess, and the small dark bags underneath his eyes had been covered over with concealer. Following behind him at a more casual pace was Felix, who was dressed casually yet neatly in a white dress shirt and jeans, with a red sweater tied loosely around his waist. They made their way towards the table, Felix staying just a few steps behind his boss and giving everyone a nod of greeting.

They were just in time to hear the tailing end of the conversation. “Oh, the fifth one?” Felix asked in surprise as he grabbed his own seat, plate piled high with food. ”I thought it was the sixth - the one who had to leave drenched in water and ragged pants." he frowned thoughtfully, recalling his bet.

Felix clicked his tongue in irritation as he remembered, shovelling a spoonful of food into his mouth. “I guessed three minutes twenty-three seconds for this one. Damn.” He looked at Aiden curiously, swallowing around the mouthful of food. “Who won this time?” he asked in a louder tone this time, blatantly ignoring that the person they were betting on was in the room and in hearing shot.

Meanwhile, Luca was loading up on food. Plate piled high, he waltzed towards his siblings with a dazzling smile. “Good morning, siblings! Is the food to your liking? It smells delicious!”

Placing his plate on a spare spot, Luca came to a halt beside Katherine, throwing an arm loosely around her shoulders. “So you have found out about the bet, I see!” He said casually, as if he had known about it all along. It wouldn’t be surprising if he had been the one who started the gambling in the first place. Beaming at her, there was an extra sparkle in his eye that would have alerted anyone who knew him to the storm that was coming.

“Do not fret, dearest sister!” He said, tightening the one-armed hug for a moment. He waved his hand expansively at the guards. “These guards are not to be blamed, for they are congratulating you on your efficiency in dispatching the men that Uncle has sent in his efforts for you to find true love! As he does with me, but with women! The last girl fled in 5 minutes and 46 seconds, by the way,” He directed at Aiden abruptly. “She was remarkably resilient, but true love did not happen, much to Uncle’s distress.” From the way Luca was grinning, pleased and somewhat predatory, it was clear that he had intentionally driven her away. Then he turned back to Katherine, who he had let go sometime in that rant. ”He bemoans about the call of duty to the family, but it is he who does not understand! They might be beautiful flowers, with voluptuous bodies and sweet voices, but they are just too pitiful for me to marry.” He sighed with an air of clearly fake affront, although there was a hint of genuine annoyance as well. “Their beauty pales in the face of my perfection. Looks, brains, physical ability - until I meet someone who can best me in all three, I will not accept them - and it is unlikely that any shall appear, for there is nobody who can overcome my excellence in all these areas!”

Did he mean what he said? Nope. Mere exaggeration to make it as pompous as possible, for people to laugh at. Luca was good, but it required a lot of hard work to be that good, and he had no doubt that he was not perfect in everything, try as he can. But did he look like he was utterly confident and believed in what he was saying? A bit too much for anyone who worried about the inflated state of Luca’s ego.

“Ah, but it is not about me this time, Katherine. It is about you.” Luca stood up to his full height, gesturing as he spoke with apparent seriousness.

“He has clearly misjudged your tastes, for the suitors he guides to your waiting hand leave in sadness, honor besmirched, neatened hair aflamed, body ragged and drenched with tears of pain and sorrow!” It was impossible to tell whether he meant it as a compliment or as an insult. “Ah, they even leave in pieces sometimes. But that merely proves your beauty, dearest sister, for look! No matter how much you yell at them, humiliate them, destroy their bodies by breaking their bones and threats of more, men still flock to you, determined to win your hand! You are the light that shines, attracting these poor moths for incineration, and we enjoy seeing them burn by your hand. Why else would they hold such an entertaining wager?”