Sunny stood there, dumbfounded at Eunbin's announcement, before he could go after her. Aiko floated into the room.
"Boss! We have to start setting up!" Aiko floated in front of him with an impatient expression.
"Setting up for what?!" Sunny exclaimed.
"The Halloween party!" She looked at him as if it were the most apparent thing in two worlds.
"Isn't that supposed to be something that takes place near the winter solstice? It's the spring solstice, and nowhere near that time. Unless you and Eunbin hit your heads too hard somewhere along the way, then that would explain this." Sunny wondered out loud.
"Bah! It was Princess Beastmaster's idea, and she's the one paying for everything, so I just went along with it. Besides, we might get some money out of it! Anyways! Your Enchantress said, and I quote, 'That man, Sunless, he is amazing company and a wonderful friend, but he does not have enough fun in his life; all he does is work, work, work! And not to mention his intelligence, he is a genius most of the time, but he is also as dense as a mountain. Ugh, and that naming sense of his is absolutely terrible! I will talk to him about it sometime this week.' What? Don't look at me like that! That's what she said!" Aiko proclaimed when Sunny glared at her.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier this week? I could have had more time to prepare." Sunny rubbed his temples in annoyance.
"It slipped my mind," Aiko shrugged.
"I'm sure it did. What's this Halloween again? Some indoctrination to the song clan?" He moved away to put the memory on a shelf, then walked into the dining area with Aiko floating beside, looking at him like he had just grown two heads.
"Boss, have you been living under a rock?" His assistant held a look of shock and suspicion.
"Of course not, I've been living under a shadow of mine." Sunny scoffed, moving to take a rag along with a cleaning solution, and began wiping down the tables.
Ignoring his answer, she began to explain. "It's something that happens yearly, you pass out candy and dress up as anything you want to put up decorations and scare people!"
"Aren't Nightmare creatures scary enough? Only mundane humans would be scared of such decorations, even then, that's only if you catch them off guard." Sunny stopped wiping the tables momentarily and frowned.
"Not a chance! Taxes are much scarier; they take your money! We put those things up outside the Brilliant Emporium, and it'll even have Princess Silent Stalker running away in fright!" Aiko visibly shivered at her own statement.
"Aiko, get back on track," Sunny reminded his assistant.
I am, I am! Anyway, if we're lucky, then Princess Beastmaster and her sister will give us money as a replacement for candy for Halloween. Hurry up and court the damn woman boss! Secure our-I mean, your business!" Aiko snapped at him with a greedy smile on her face.
"How many people will be here?" Sunny asked with a sigh,
"Around ten or something," Aiko shrugged.
"This is getting ridiculous." He already felt a headache coming on.
"Who cares? I just know that I already have two outfits chosen for you!" Aiko smiled coyly at him.
Gods help him, Sunny shuddered at the thought of what she had picked out.
"I care, it's my-," Sunny began to speak, but the entrance bell rang out in a melodious tone signaling the arrival of a customer.
Putting down the rag on the counter, he fixed his mantle and apron, then put on a polite smile just in time for a young woman to walk in, looking around. Until her eyes landed on him and widened, she had bright amber eyes, dark hair, fair skin, and a soft, beautiful face, but one of the most notable things about her was that she seemed to be nodding her head to a non-existent tune that no one else could hear.
And the fact that she wore a light magenta tunic, along with a pair of headphones hanging around her neck, which was a strange sight considering there was no electricity in the dream realm as of yet. So, Sunny assumed that they were likely a memory.
"Are you Master Sunless?" She asked, closing the door behind her with a smile.
"Yes, I am called Master Sunless. How can I help you?" Sunny polity bowed.
"I am Ascended Rhaspody. I have heard a great deal about you from my older sister, Bin. Goodness gracious, I see why my sisters and so many other people come here now! Despite being a legacy, I feel the need to take a bow. But never mind that, I would like to see what is to offer in this emporium and possibly have a chat." Master Rhaspody fluttered her eyelashes at him and bowed, straightening back up. The young woman then sat down at a table.
"Of course, Lady Rhaspody, would you like something to eat? And what brings you here?" He bowed back and smiled politely.
"Waffles, bacon, and eggs, Bin told me the waffles are to die for! And I am here for your Halloween party, which you are hosting tomorrow night in this store. I wanted to get a good look at the place so I can get here in time and not a moment before." The young woman looked around the cafe with a smile.
As she looked around, Sunny's smile faltered, and his right eye twitched.
She…She just rhymed twice!
Who went around speaking to people in rhymes?!
Unless it was her flaw, it had to be. Sunny shook his head.
That flaw of hers has to be such a nuisance to have to speak in rhymes, no matter what you say.
Sunny could already tell that it was going to get old and quickly, too, by tomorrow night.
As she kept looking around, Sunny took this opportunity to glance at his feet, only to see his shadow shaking in fury and attempting to slam his head into the floor at Master Rhaspody's manner of speech.
Unsurprisingly, it had no effect, as he was an intangible being. He couldn't blame his eldest shadow for such a reaction. It was getting annoying and fast, so he could only imagine how the young woman felt in having to speak like that twenty-four-seven.
"Alright, give me a few minutes and I will have it ready." He said with a smile as he walked towards the kitchen about entering and closing the door behind him. Sunny stood there for a long minute, wondering what had just occurred.
His mind wandered at the mention of her being Eunbin's younger sister, and he found himself suddenly wanting the company of the enchantress he had called his friend again. It seemed like the last time Sunny and Eunbin really talked to each other was at the beach party and in her room after he revealed his identity to Kai and the Song sisters.
At any other time, they had attempted to meet at the café to talk, but their conflicting schedules had prevented them from interacting with each other as much as they had hoped.
Eunbin was always busy with her enchanters, making memories for everyone, along with her thralls that helped with transportation from the Queen's dream gate in Ravenheart to the waking world and back. At the same time, Sunny was busy running the cafe as the charming Master Sunless.
Strangely enough, he found himself disliking the thought of not being able to talk to his friend more than he should have.
Sunny briefly wondered if she held the same thoughts as he did before his mind shifted back to the beach, remembering how she looked in her swimsuit and how she caught him staring at her, along with her bright laughter and lips twisted into a smile.
Sunny stopped himself and rapidly shook his head. He didn't have time to think about such things, especially about a friend, no matter how beautiful she was!
"Teacher, what are you doing?" Sunny looked up to see Rain wearing her apron and standing by one of the kitchen counters, putting icing on a freshly made cake she had presumably taken out of the makeshift oven a few minutes ago, and staring at him with a funny expression on her face.
"About to make an order. Stop what you're doing and come help your teacher, brat!" He pointed at her.
"Only if I can help set up Halloween decorations for tomorrow night! And that you promise to start paying me!" Rain protested.
Oh yeah, he forgot that she was still an unpaid intern.
"You know about that, too?" Sunny asked incredulously.
"Yeah, Princess Eunbin talked to me about it right after telling Aiko," Rain moved towards him.
"Where and when did this happen?" Sunny asked.
"A week ago, when I was walking through Raven Heart with Aiko, you were in my shadow. How did you not know?!" Rain threw her arms up in frustration.
"I didn't think you all were serious!" Sunny exasperated.
"And whose fault is that?" Rain crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow.
"Mine, quit smiling and get over here!" Sunny snapped.
The door swung open, and Aiko floated in holding a box of decorations. "We'll start after we close today. Any later and it won't get done." Aiko told them firmly, to which they both nodded, as she was the most experienced in setting up and coordinating events; therefore, she was put in charge.
"Yeah, yeah, ask the princess if she wants anything to drink." Sunny shooed her away.
"Sure, boss." Aiko floated out of the kitchen.
"Oh yeah, here you go." Sunny shadow stepped into his room, grabbed a pouch of awakened soul shards, and came back into the kitchen, tossing it to Rain.
She smiled at the small pouch and grabbed it. Looking inside, she smiled wider but still held her hand out. Eventually, when Sunny made no move, the girl frowned deeply. "Where's the rest?"
"Rest of what?" Sunny raised an eyebrow.
"My payment! I've been working here for three and a half months now!" She held a look of outrage and disbelief.
"You said to start paying you, not to give the payment for the months you've been working until now." Sunny grabbed a mixing bowl and moved around the kitchen, grabbing hold of the necessary ingredients for the waffles, while Rain shook with silent fury.
"Y-you damn swindler! You tricked me!" She shouted and poked his chest hard.
"No, I didn't. You never specified." Sunny corrected her with a neutral look.
"Because I figured I shouldn't have had to!" She threw her arms up.
"And whose fault is that?" He asked, turning her words back on her and suppressing a smile, then grabbed a pan and put it on the stove, which already had a fire, and poured the mixed ingredients into the pan.
"Mine," Rain said through gritted teeth.
"Good to hear," Sunny smiled, handing her a few eggs and a pan.
"Fine," She snapped at him and grabbed the eggs and pan.
"Thank you very much, dear student." He smiled, giving a pat on her head.
"Whatever, you cheap bastard." She grumbled under her breath.
"Did you say you don't want the payment?" He reached for the pouch, causing her to clutch it tightly close to her chest.
"No! I meant you're the best teacher and cook in two worlds!" Rain exclaimed, quickly cracking the eggs and putting them into the pan.
"That's what I thought," Sunny said, nodding in satisfaction.
He watched Rain complete the order in a somewhat professional manner; his little sister's cooking had improved over the months. She put the waffles on one plate and the bacon and eggs on another, with a slight smile on her face as she looked at her work.
"All done, teacher. I want the rest of my payment by the end of this week." She frowned, stating it as a matter of fact.
"Sure, brat, don't worry about it." Sunny waved her away and opened the door, walking out with a plate in each hand, and almost jumped when he saw Eunbin standing in front of him.
What was she doing back here so soon?
He had to lift his head to meet the gaze of her dark, inviting eyes and realized that she was close enough that he could smell her strawberry perfume.
Eunbin still wore the memory she had commissioned when he first arrived in Raven Heart and had put to good use ever since. This time, she seemed to have changed her outfit from when they met a few minutes ago and now wore a dress he had only seen her wear when he encountered her a few times in the past, the first being in northern Antarctica and the second being in the desert of the dream realm, which held the tomb of Ariel. It was a simple red carmine fabric dress that looked regal and mesmerizing on her slender figure.
She also seemed to have put on lipstick, as her red lips were a deeper shade of red that gave them the appearance of blood, making her cold beauty even more chilling. Recovering quickly, Sunny smiled at her.
"Good things come to those who wait, and luckily, I didn't have to wait long. I was thinking about you, Eunbin, and here you are."
Leaning down to meet his eyes properly, Eunbin responded in her usual husky, soft-spoken voice that always tickled his ears. "Oh? It is good to know that I am on your mind, Sunless. But you have my apologies, I didn't mean to frighten you."
She slightly leaned forward, and her red, sensual lips twisted into a genuine, enchanting smile that would have made anyone fall to their knees and melt into a puddle. Still, having already been subjected to her million-dollar smiles, it didn't affect Sunny nearly as much as it did when he first met her in Antarctica.
He was silently proud that he was one of the few people who got to see her genuine smile, instead of the bright and beguiling one she put on for everyone. But even as he said it, he still felt his smile waver and his face begin to heat up. It was probably because it was hot inside his emporium, that's why.
Sunny cleared his throat and reluctantly stepped back while looking at the door with a frown as he sensed people approaching the emporium."What brings you back here so soon? You couldn't have missed me that much, right?" He smiled, hoping to catch her off guard, but to his surprise and dismay, she smiled wider at the questions.
"After I left your emporium, I just so happened to run into my sister. She wanted to see your Emporium and meet you, so I guided her here and wanted to check on my enchanters before coming in again. Though it seems you have made a good first impression, my sister has already taken a liking to you." Eunbin pursed her lips at his expression and smoothly stepped back to the table just in time for more customers to come in.
Sunny shot her a remorseful look, sending a silent promise that their conversation would continue, and moved to greet the customers. Meanwhile, Eunbin sat down next to Rhaspody and watched her friend move around the cafe gracefully, a frown on her beautiful face, frustrated that her conversation with Sunless had been interrupted.
However, she quickly wiped it off her face when people began staring at her in awe and put on her signature bright and beguiling smile. Her facial expression effortlessly shifted from frustration to a slightly aloof yet humorous one. Noticing this, Rhaspody spoke up.
"Sister, please show some joy after everyone else leaves; you will have plenty of time to talk to that boy." Rhaspody spoke in a low voice and slightly nudged Eunbin's shoulder.
"How did you know I wanted to talk to him?" Eunbin turned to fully face her younger sister, who was giving Eunbin an unamused stare.
"Bin, whenever he is mentioned in passing, you light up like a Christmas tree and begin talking about him. The other reason is that whenever you realize you cannot talk to Sunless, you begin to look dim." She whispered.
"Because he is my only friend other than you and our other sisters. Can you blame me?" Eunbin smiled and whispered back despite knowing that Sunless could hear them loud and clear, but Rhaspody didn't know that.
"No, I am not blaming you, sister. You are hearing me, but you are not listening. You like that, mister." She looked at Sunless and then back at her with a smile.
Eunbin's smile didn't waver, but she closed them as she took a deep breath and opened them again, giving her sister a lazy smile. "Of course I do, he is a likable man."
Yes, she was physically attracted to him; that much was obvious, and yes, she knew a lot more about him than she had when they first met. But Eunbin still felt that she had barely scratched the surface of the young man and wanted to know more about him.
Who wouldn't want to? Sunless was a charming, humorous, and brilliant man, someone she could be herself around and be Song Eunbin instead of Beastmaster, the demoness, and the most feared saint in existence next to Soul Reaper. Though that wasn't saying much, considering that the personality she put on in front of people as Beastmaster was just as real as any part of her, it was just exaggerated, much like Sunless and his persona, The Lord of Shadows. Speaking of him again, Eunbin very much did enjoy his company, and not to mention, he was very easy on the eyes.
Eunbin stopped herself. She was merely listing the things she had observed about the young man; that was all.
She was not growing attached to him.
Not at all,
Not in the slightest. Eunbin told herself coolly.
They were friends, and she did not want to force anything or evolve anything too quickly, which is why she was ashamed of herself for the way she acted towards him at the beach and in her chambers during their conversation.
She could've scared the man off. Thinking about her own behavior irked Eunbin. And not to mention that, despite being friends, their interactions still seemed a little forced, and she despised that. So Eunbin decided to dial it back a fair bit for the time being.
But as of right now, there was no chance that they could be anything more than friends in the future, especially since he seemed to hold feelings for another woman still. It was apparent when he mentioned dancing with the woman in question when Eunbin first met his little sister Rain, in the brilliant emporium, and that the night ended terribly. Though from his tone, the feelings he held were all but smothered out.
Eunbin would not force him to talk about it. Sunless would open up to her when he trusted her enough and felt ready to, and truthfully, she didn't mind that at all.
"There you go again." Eunbin realized she had drifted off and saw Rhaspody shaking her head at her from her peripheral vision. Eunbin, out of character for a woman like her, who was accustomed to making billions of people blush at the mere mention of her name, let alone her presence, felt a hint of embarrassment creeping in. Her face suddenly felt a bit warmer. To any outsider who happened to see her blush, Eunbin would have been thought to have hit her head.
Eunbin wouldn't blame them, as she had taken decades to build her image as Beastmaster, the Princess of Ki Song being a seductress, someone who is cool, calm, and able to woo anyone with a mere glance. But that was only one side of the coin; she was still a woman at the end of the day and felt embarrassed at times, even if it had been decades since she had been like this.
She quickly composed herself and looked around to see if anyone had noticed, namely Sunless. To her luck, no one did, nor did he.
"That's a first," Rhaspody pointed at Eunbin's face with a laugh.
"Be quiet," Eunbin quietly hissed.
"If you insist, Eunbin." A pleasant voice graced her ears from beside her, making Eunbin turn her head and see Sunless staring at her with an amused smile, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a plate of waffles in the other.
She hadn't even sensed his presence; it had something to do with that mantle he always wore. Eunbin had long figured out that it suppressed his presence, which was how he fooled people into thinking he was a master.
"You know I wasn't talking to you," She narrowed her eyes and tried to frown.
"Are you sure? Here's your usual." Sunless smiled, his beautiful onyx eyes shining with mirth as he set the plate in front of her.
"Yes, I'm positive, thank you, Master Sunless. This has just the right amount of honey." Eunbin smiled and picked up the mug to take a sip of her coffee, but stopped when she noticed that he stiffened at the word honey. He did the same thing when they first met all those months ago, and so she decided to test something.
"Do you need anything else?" He asked, noticing her cease in movement.
"Yes, actually, I do. I want more honey in this, please. Eunbin watched with amusement as his smile became forced.
"Alright, let me grab your mug and—" He began.
"No, no, you don't have to do that, you can just bring it out here and pour it in, and keep it at the table, you know, just in case I want more, and please take your time, there is no rush." She smiled, to which Sunless gave an eye roll in return.
"You have legs that work, and I trust you enough to go in the kitchen, so you can get up and go get it yourself. I don't mind at all." He waved her away.
"Enchanter Sunless, now you know there is no way I would invade your kitchen like that. It would be very rude of me to do such a thing." She put a hand to her heart in mock offence.
This woman!
Forcing a smile, Sunny moved away from the table and tended to the customers. After a while, all the customers coming in slowed to a stop, and Sunny reluctantly went into the kitchen. Walking to the cabinet, he opened it and grabbed the honey.
Trying not to recoil and drop it, Sunny made a cup of coffee for himself and held the honey with a steady hand, the coffee in the other. Then, he walked out of the kitchen and towards the woman who was awaiting him, smiling.
"Come, my dear friend, have a seat. It's been a while since we have truly had a proper conversation." Eunbin patted the seat between her and Rhaspody with a beaming smile.
"Here you are, honey for your coffee." Sunny sat down with a grumble, to which Eunbin poked his cheek with a smile, and Sunny shooed her finger away.
"There is no need to pout; it is a simple request. Now, I do recall saying that you would pour it, but since I am a kind Princess, I will do it myself." Eunbin smiled and lifted the top off the jar of honey, scooped up a spoonful with her spoon, and then poured it into her coffee. Grabbing another spoonful of honey, she suddenly stopped and looked at Sunny.
Noticing this, Sunny frowned and pointed at her. "What are you waiting for? For it to start singing? Pour it in."
"No, I just wanted to know if you wanted some for your coffee, it is excellent." She moved the spoon of honey towards him with a smile that was far too sweet to have good intentions.
Trying not to back away, Sunny put a hand up to stop her. "Ah, no, thank you, Eunbin. I'm okay."
"Really? I insist- oh, I understand now." She interrupted herself and smiled wider.
Oh no, Sunny had a terrible feeling.
"What do you understand?" He leaned away as she leaned towards him, still holding the spoon of honey.
"I think you are scared of honey." Eunbin teased him and picked up the jar of honey, moving it towards him.
"O-of course not, that is a ridiculous statement, I'm not scared of it, I hate it, there's a difference! Now stop being silly and get that thing — I mean, that jar of honey — away from me. Master Rhaspody, please stop your sister!" Sunny pointed a trembling finger at the enchantress.
"She cannot help you; there is no point in trying to make excuses." Eunbin wagged her finger at him.
"Oh? I was starting to fear that you two had forgotten I was here." Rhaspody shrugged helplessly and looked elsewhere with an ever-growing smile on her face.
Damnation! He was on his own.
"Come now, Sunless, don't be so in denial. There is nothing to be afraid of. Will it help if I feed it to you?" Eunbin tilted her head with her same teasing smile, making her hair fall slightly over her left shoulder.
"No, it won't! Don't get that stuff near me, woman!" He leaned away more.
"Alright, but only if you answer a question I have." She softly laughed.
"And what might that be?" Sunny asked, still leaning away.
"Earlier, you asked if I missed you," Eunbin touched the jewelry on her arms briefly.
Was Sunny imaging things, or did she seem nervous?
No way, I must be seeing things, Sunny reassured himself.
"Yes, I remember. What about it?" Sunny eyed her and took a sip of his coffee.
"Do you want me to miss you?" She asked in a soft, casual, almost disinterested tone, raising an eyebrow. Her teasing smile turned into a polite smile. She absentmindedly fixed her hair.
Sunny's eyes widened, and his mind raced a million kilometers a minute searching for an answer.
Was this a trick question?
Did he?
He knew they were friends, but for some reason, he felt that if he answered incorrectly, it would have an impact.
He wondered about it and decided to answer until Cassie spoke in his head.
[Say yes], she told him calmly.
[What?!] Sunny asked,
[Do it, you'll thank me soon.] Cassie sighed, but her tone made it seem like she was smiling.
"Yes," Sunny said, trying to cover the hesitation in his voice. He carefully watched her reaction. After a moment, he was rewarded with Eunbin's smile getting wide enough to show the dimples on her cheeks.
"Well, then, I did miss you, my friend. But moving on from that, I am going to run a few errands before the party tomorrow, and I would like for you to join me if you have the time, of course." Eunbin leaned back in her chair and put the jar of honey down with a bright smile.
"I don't," He cautiously answered, causing her to stop smiling and let out a quiet sigh.
"Alright, I will admit that it is disappointing, but I understand." She nodded, causing her hair to move slightly.
[Say you can make time for her.] Cassie advised him.
"But, I'm sure I can make time for you." He quickly added, causing her to smile again.
Eunbin touched her jewelry again, fixing it, and her smile somehow got wider so much that Sunny was concerned about her face hurting. But that thought was quickly swept away when he noticed a detail about her: every time she felt nervous, she always touched her jewelry or adjusted her hair. Sunny had thought of her as someone who was never nervous and adored being the center of attention, and was baffled to see otherwise.
"Excellent, I can come back when you close, and then we will go on from there, but if I am being honest, I would like to go now," Eunbin admitted with a nonchalant shrug.
"Really? Now? Don't you have better things to do, Eunbin? Besides, what if I bore you? I don't want our talks to feel forced and shallow."
"I highly doubt that, but if you really think so, then keep talking to me about anything; experience is the best teacher after all. Speaking of talking, I'd love to hear more of your stories, specifically the one you told me months ago where you said a chest bit you?" Eunbin took her spoon and lazily stirred her coffee while looking at him with an amused expression
"Yes, that's right, it did bite me." Sunny frowned at the memory.
"I'd love to hear that tale again, preferably from start to finish when we run our errands." Eunbin softly smiled at him.
Sunny noticed that she seemed a little more reserved than usual. Did he do something wrong? If he did, then he didn't know what.
"It's not for the faint of heart, you know? But, if you insist, don't say I didn't warn you." Sunny gave her an amused stare and got up.
"What about your shop?" Rhaspody asked,
"I have assistants who can run this place while I'm gone, don't worry about it." Sunny waved away her concerns with a polite smile and a gesture of his hand. He noticed that she usually spoke in short sentences, unless it was necessary, as a way to bypass her flaw slightly, just like Sunny told half-truths to avoid saying the whole truth.
The young woman silently nodded and got up from her seat, holding out her hand to him. "It was a pleasure to meet the friend my sister has always mentioned, and you are so well-mannered; I was afraid there might be tension."
"It was nice to meet you, too. Please feel free to visit at your convenience. My doors are always open." Sunny bowed to her.
"Thank you," Rhaspody bowed back and left for the door.
"Come, let's get going, we have a long day today." Eunbin got up as well and put down a few coins for her meal.
"Wait, how many places did you say we were going to?" Sunny handed the coins to Aiko, who had appeared out of nowhere.
"I didn't," Eunbin said with a coy smile.
"That's just wonderful. On second thought, yes, I am busy." Sunny grumbled.
"That's too bad, you should have told me earlier. Now I insist you quit pouting and take my hand." She held out her hand to him with a smile.
Sunny wordlessly took her hand and was transported to NQSC. Both of them stood there for a moment to allow their eyes to adjust to the harsh sunlight. They were outside a building owned by Clan Song in the waking world. Eunbin let go of his hand and began walking to what was presumably their first stop.
"What do you plan on wearing?" Eunbin looked at him curiously.
"I'm not sure yet, but Aiko said she had two costumes picked out for me, and I dread to see what they are."
"It can't be that bad, besides you already know someone who dresses up like it's Halloween every day." She gave him a knowing look.
"And he looks good in it," Sunny said somewhat defensively.
"I never said he didn't, I am curious about something though." Eunbin chuckled and looked at the buildings they slowly walked past.
"I'm all ears, not literally, that would be a horrible sight to behold if I were." Sunny slightly chuckled and looked around as well, pretending not to notice the hundreds of stares from mundane and awakened humans. He was a saint, so of course, he felt their gazes, though he didn't need to see them to know that they stared at Sunny with jealousy and anger. Still, it didn't take a genius to know that most of them were leering at Eunbin and staring at her with awe.
"You are a peculiar man, but I suppose that's a part of your charm, right?"
"I guess? I'm not really sure, but never mind that. What about you? What are you going to wear?"
"You'll see," She responded coyly.
"You haven't figured out what to wear, have you?"
"Of course I have, unlike you, I actually prepare for these things ahead of time, and I think my costume turned out to be very pretty." She said with a smile, purposefully not meeting his gaze and staring forward.
Sunny stared at her in silent outrage. "You always tell me these things at the last damn minute, so of course I don't have time to prepare! Oh, I get it, that's why you tell me these things at the last minute, because we don't talk much, and you want me to talk to you more. I guess that's your end goal, huh?"
"You have me all figured out," She shrugged, a smile still playing on her lips.
"Why didn't you just say something then?" Sunny asked,
"You are a busy man, and I don't want to interrupt your schedule." She said, momentarily meeting his gaze, gesturing to him.
"Then we'll have to plan more stuff like this more often," Sunny suggested.
"Yes, I agree. But I have to ask something that has been on my mind since you arrived here. What made you come to Raven Heart?" She asked, meeting the gazes with a beguiling smile that made some of the onlookers pass out, and looked back at Sunny with a genuine smile.
"I wanted a change in scenery," Sunny said, looking at her with a smile that Eunbin returned. However, her expression told him that she saw right through his excuse and knew it was something else entirely. Luckily, she didn't press him, and eventually, she nodded.
They kept walking in comfortable silence until Eunbin stopped in front of a cafe. "Here we are,"
"This is our first stop?" Sunny asked, looking baffled,
She fixed him with a stare, ignoring his question, and pointed to the sign. "Do you know why I chose this place in particular?"
"Because you love cafes, it's one of the things you told me you loved when you came to my emporium."
"Yes, but it's also because I'm hungry," Eunbin said casually as if she hadn't just eaten.
"You just ate, aren't you full?" He asked, staring at her incredulously.
"What about it?" She looked at him for a long time, daring him to say something else.
"Uh, it's just that I've never been here before. Is this place better than my brilliant emporium?" He quickly recovered, flashing a smile at her.
"Nice save. To answer your question in terms of variety, yes, it is better, it wins by a landslide, really." She admitted, causing Sunny to frown at her.
"But?" He ushered her with a look of hurt on his face.
"But, not in taste, you still win in that department. Now hurry up and go inside. We only have so much daylight before it becomes Sunless." She smiled at him, seemingly waiting for him to say something.
There was a long pause, and Sunny stared at her with an unreadable expression as Eunbin still waited with a smile, before he shook his head in disappointment. "That was awful, two out of ten. I know you can do better than that."
"I spent a good chunk of time thinking of that one. You can at least show some appreciation." The woman frowned and followed him inside, eliciting gasps from the customers sitting at the tables.
"Um- uh- w-welcome, Princess Eunbin, it's been a while." The cashier blushed.
"Hello again," She smiled at him, causing the young man to stumble in place.
"It can find appreciation in the trash bin, Eunbin." He said to her, taking a seat at a secluded table set up against a wall and deliberately ignoring the blatant stares of the onlookers.
"I'm going to pretend like that didn't hurt my feelings and ask you about the biting chest story, then we'll get something after that." She said, sitting down as well and leaning on her chin with her hand propped up underneath, her face wreathed in a lazy smile.
Sunny brought his gloomy shadow up to the table and commanded the shadows to make a scene of the place he was in, and admired Eunbin's look of silent interest for a moment before pointing at the table. Commanding gloomily to begin looking around in fascination, his shadow silently sighed and started lazily looking around the scene he had set up.
"Okay, this tale begins not long after I became awakened. I was in the dream realm, roaming along the chained isles, when I came across a reinforced door. I opened it and found three identical heavy chests in the center of a room. The first two chests were emptier than air, but the third chest was full to the brim with heavy coins, along with a few that spilled out onto the ground below. On one side of the coin, each of them had the face of a now long-dead sorcerer whose name was Noctis Lord of the East, and on the other side was the imprint of an ancient ship."
"And you just so happened to find these by chance and take them for yourself? That's pretty greedy of you, though I can't say surprised, considering what Rain has told me about you."
"Yes, I did. Do you want to hear the story or not?!" Sunny eyed her.
"Okay, okay. Please, continue." She said with a laugh, and suddenly, Sunny heard multiple thuds hit the floor.
"Thank you. Now, continuing my story, I should add that each coin provided a small amount of soul fragments, and no one else was around! So, naturally, like any sane person would do, I tried to take them, but hesitated because I felt that something wasn't right. It sensed my hesitation, and the thing bit my hand! It turned out to be a creature masquerading as a chest! I summoned my memory and put it over my arm to prevent its teeth from sinking into my forearm, and stabbed it. But that was nowhere near enough because the cretin tried to strangle me with its tongue! Luckily, I had a memory that could shift from a sword to a spear. I did that and drove into what I assumed was its throat, and it let go."
As he retold the event, his shadow reached towards his chest and flinched in mock pain when the shadow of the chest bit down on his hand. Pretending to summon his memory and placing it on his forearm, his shadow then changed into a spear, stabbing the creature, causing the wild shadow pretending to be the chest to look at Sunny for a bit as if hesitating and letting go.
"How devious of the creature, did you run away?" Eunbin asked, leaning forward, clearly already heavily invested in his reenactment of the event.
"And that wasn't even the worst part! The bastard started laughing at me! A damn chest started laughing at me, Eunbin! So no! I didn't run away, I couldn't just let that go! I refused to; my pride wouldn't allow me."
"It…it started laughing at you?" She asked, her voice slightly trembling as if she were trying to hold back a laugh.
"Yes! It let out a damn giggle! Why- Are…Are you laughing?" Sunny asked, with a look of betrayal.
"No, no! Of course not. I was laughing at a joke in my head." Eunbin said, her gaze drifting elsewhere around the cafe.
"What was the joke? Tell me, I might laugh." He stared at her until she met his gaze once more.
"I forgot it, it'll come back to me in a while." Eunbin sighed in mock disappointment.
"You forgot it, huh? Will it help if I knock on your head like a door? Maybe that'll jog your memory." Sunny said, rolling his eyes.
"Sunless, I didn't think you were the type of man to play roughly. That is noted."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sunny asked with a confused look.
"Nothing at all. Anyway, if it weren't for my sisters being around Nightingale whenever you told your tales and the poor man's humorous reactions, I would think you were lying to my face. But I have learned not to question your tales and assume you're telling the truth." She leaned back in her seat with a look of amusement.
"Damn right I'm telling the truth, I was there! Anyway, in the end, I killed it and received its echo, the end." He dismissed the shadows with a casual wave of his hand and attached gloomy back to his feet.
"Really? Because to me it seemed like you rushed the ending." She raised an eyebrow at him.
"That's because the rest was boring, no use in going over it." Sunny shrugged and looked at the menu that was across the cafe.
"I want to hear more of your tales tomorrow night as well, during the party. Now, tell me, what's your favorite donut and coffee? Also, what did my mother want when she asked you to stay?" She asked, standing up from her chair.
"I don't have a favorite because I've never had a donut before. Black coffee, and she was just curious about me." He answered absentmindedly while staring out the window and looked over to see Eunbin staring at him strangely.
"What do you mean you've never had a donut? You own a cafe, or you can go out and buy one." Eunbin immediately sat back down with a frown.
"So, what's the big deal?" Sunny asked in amusement.
Eunbin looked as if she had been punched in the stomach. "The big deal is that I refuse to believe you have gone through twenty-four years of your life without ever having a donut, especially when you can just make one in your kitchen.
"Don't we have more places to go? Unless running errands was just an excuse to hang out with me in the first place." Sunny smiled at her.
"It can wait until we resolve this issue, and yes, it was an excuse. I'm not surprised you saw right through me. I had no idea how to approach you on the matter. Aside from my sisters, my only other friend was Morgan of Valor, and that was when I was a child." She stood up again, putting her hands on her hips.
"Well, now you know to be straightforward with me, but moving on from that. It's just a damn donut!"
"That you've somehow never had, not even a plain cake donut. I can't be associated with someone who's never even had that." She said, dramatically shaking her head at him.
"I've had a bagel, they're basically the same thing, right? He asked, shrugging carelessly at Eunbin's expression of disbelief.
"They are not the same thing, and you call yourself a cafe owner. What kind of donut do you want? " Eunbin scoffed at him, though mirth was present in her eyes.
"A plain donut," Sunny answered nonchalantly.
"No," She said bluntly.
"What do you mean, no?" Sunny's eyes widened in disbelief again.
"It's too basic for a first donut; it's like a cake with no icing. Yes, it's decent, but that's all it is, just decent, and I'm sure a man like yourself can settle for something far better."
"Fine, jelly-filled or whatever it's called."
"No," She said again.
"I'm trying to work with you here, woman, why even ask me if you're going to keep shooting down my recommendations?!"
"I'll be back." She moved to the line where the cashier was and stood in line, causing everyone to turn around and clear the way for her. Sunny stared in disbelief at the sight. They immediately whipped their heads in his direction, glaring daggers at his skull.
What did I do?!
This was outrageous!
He was so lost in thought that he barely acknowledged that Eunbin had come back until he felt something sweet touch his lips. His vision focused on seeing Eunbin hovering a chocolate donut in a napkin to his lips with a casual expression.
"What are you doing?" Sunny pushed it away with narrowed eyes.
"You were lost in thought, and I didn't want to interrupt you, but I also got bored wondering how long it would take you to acknowledge that I came back, so I started doing that." Eunbin pointed at the donut with her other hand. Sunny opened his mouth to respond, and Eunbin took the chance to put the donut in his mouth.
"Eat it, it's good, trust me," Eunbin said with a smile and withdrew her hand.
"It better be," He said, pushing her hand away and beginning to chew.
"Well? What do you think?" She asked after he took a few bites.
"It's okay, why's it so damn sweet? Damnation! Are you trying to give me diabetes?" Sunny put the sweet item down on a napkin.
"You're being dramatic, of course, I'm not trying to give you diabetes," Eunbin said, handing him his coffee and waving him away.
"You could've fooled me." He took several gulps of the drink and grimaced.
Still so bitter!
"I couldn't even if I tried; nothing gets past you." Eunbin smiled at him.
"Of course, nothing does! These eyes aren't just for show, you know? They can even spot corruption!" Sunny pointed at his eyes with a smug grin, causing Eunbin to roll her eyes at him.
"What a humble man you are," She said dryly.
***
Nighttime had fallen by the time he arrived in Raven Heart and parted ways from Eunbin, walking through the door of his Emporium. Since it was closed, Sunny wasn't surprised to see one of his avatars, Rain and Aiko, who had her hair tied up in a ponytail, already setting up decorations that looked like cobwebs.
"How was your date, boss?" Aiko asked, floating over to him with a box full of Halloween bats.
"It was fun and it wasn't a date, Aiko." Sunny rolled his eyes.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, boss. Your costumes will be ready by tomorrow night." Aiko handed him the box.
"Thank you, but who's going to find this scary?" Sunny said, opening the box to find toy spiders inside.
"It's not supposed to be scary, it's supposed to be fun." Rain said, rolling her eyes at him.
"I'll trust your words, brat. You can stay here with Aiko and this guy to finish setting up. I'm going to sleep. I can make a spare bedroom if you're too tired to walk home. Goodnight." Sunny said, walking upstairs to his room.
"Goodnight, boss,"
"Okay, goodnight, teacher."
Many hours had passed before Sunny went to sleep, as he spent the entire night making cosmetic memories for his own costume that he had already made. He only managed to get six hours of rest before being woken up by Aiko banging on his door.
"Boss, it's past noon, wake up! I'm coming in, get decent quickly if you're not already." Aiko said,
"Hang on, I'm decent now." Sunny put on a shirt, and Aiko immediately opened his door and floated into his room, holding two outfits and placing them on his bed.
Sunny stared at his bed with a look of horror. To his left was the attire for a vampire with a white puff long-sleeve blouse, stylish black slacks, and an extravagant dark silk cape. Sunny couldn't help but be impressed with his short friend/assistant; Aiko's sense of fashion never ceased to amaze him. To his right, though, was… was…w-was a maid outfit! And to the far right was the mirror shard Mordret had given him, along with Aiko standing to his right side with an expectant look while impatiently tapping her foot.
"Boss! Hurry up, it's almost time! Choose one and get dressed!"
"It's only three in the afternoon, calm down, and I-Is this one for you?" He asked, in a pleading tone, pointing at the maid's outfit.
"Of course not! It's for you! Are you going to wear it?"
I'm going to kill this woman.
"No, not in any lifetime. I would rather fight seven unholy titans with a stick in my hand than wear this thing! Who in their right mind would want to see me wear this thing?!"
"Plenty of people, and those people would pay good money too! Or uh not, actually no I take it back." Aiko said nervously when Sunny blankly stared at her.
A pleasant voice spoke from the shard of the mirror. "Actually, I think you would look-"
"I'm going to find you and rip off your head if you finish that sentence." Sunny shot the broken mirror a murderous glance and then threw it across his room.
"I was only going to compliment you, friend." Mordret appeared from where he threw the mirror shard. Sunny looked at him, then did a double-take to take in his new attire. Instead of wearing his usual suit, he was now wearing a monocle, a blue and black robe, and a black pointed hat.
"What the hell are you doing here, and what are you wearing?" Sunny demanded.
"I heard that you were having a party and I'm dressing as a character from a novel I've just started reading, it is called Lord of the-"
"I don't care," Sunny interrupted, not caring that he contradicted himself.
"Suit yourself," Mordret shrugged, taking off his monocle and wiping it clean with his robe, then putting it back on.
Sunny picked up the vampire outfit and threw the maid outfit back at Aiko. "Get that thing out of my sight and take this mirror with you so I can change in peace!"
"Okay, okay, I'm going!" Aiko floated past Mordret, who smiled pleasantly at her and picked the mirror shard, then floated out.
"I love the decorations, it suits you." Mordret looked around Sunny's room with interest. Rain and Aiko put bats and cobwebs around his room.
"Get the hell out." Sunny tiredly pointed to the door, knowing that no matter what he did, Mordret would watch the party through someone else's eyes or take a body to join the party undetected.
Mordret wordlessly walked out with a smile and went downstairs to pester his avatar, with Sunny glaring at him the entire time. Once the bastard had entirely left the room, Sunny closed the door and started to take off his clothes, but stopped with a frown and closed his eyes just in case Mordret wanted to be a creep.
He was tempted to decapitate the cretin as he was leaving Sunny's room, but decided against it as he didn't want to get blood on his walls. Sunny summoned a cosmetic memory that changed his hair to a silver color and altered his eye color to vermillion. Then, he put on his costume and manifested his gloomy shadow to check over himself.
His shadow in question stared at him with an unimpressed look and gave a silent, half-hearted shrug. Once Sunny saw that there was nothing out of place, he took out the metal band of his hair, letting it fall as he thought it would complete his image, and looked at his shadow again.
"How do I look?"
"Like a fool," The idiot answered with a frown.
"We have the same face," Sunny scoffed.
"Unfortunately, go on ahead. I'm still getting ready. " The Idiot said, putting on a colorful red garment he made the night prior, and grabbed a paint brush, making a crescent moon on his forehead while changing his eyes to a grey color.
Sunny went downstairs and saw bowls of various candies on each table across the cafe; Rain took the liberty of decorating the tables with black cloths and plates with a skull imprinted on them and walked to the kitchen, where his second avatar and Aiko were making pitchers of a pineapple punch and putting cookies in the oven. He smiled at them.
"I think you overdid it, but it's fine," Sunny commented on his appearance. His second avatar had taken the form of a shadowspawn demon and was wearing Weaver's mask as well. Normally, Sunny wouldn't do this, but since this incarnation would be in the kitchen for the remainder of the night, he figured it wouldn't hurt to do something like this, mainly because Sunny didn't have another costume.
"Uh-huh, nobody is heading this way, it's not six people." He pointed to the kitchen door.
"Thank you for the heads up, and Aiko, go get those card games I bought a few weeks ago. We'll need them, and no, we are not going to be gambling."
"Then what's the point in playing?!" Aiko shouted from across the kitchen. She was dressed as a bag of cash for the party.
"It's for fun, quit complaining and go get them." Sunny frowned at her.
"Fine," Aiko huffed and floated out of the room.
Sunny nodded in satisfaction and reached into his pocket, pulled out a pair of fake fangs, attached them to his canines, then left the kitchen with a polite smile and stood behind the counter waiting for his guests to arrive.
A few minutes passed before the door opened, revealing six people in various outfits. From what Sunny could tell, they were clearly some of the blood sisters, which was very surprising. First was a knight made of golden white metal with dragon scales on its surface and a matching helmet.
At his waist was a mundane but beautifully crafted sword, with a golden handle and a golden blade that gleamed in the evening Sunlight, nearly blinding Sunny. It was also embedded with an unfamiliar dragon symbol that Sunny surprisingly didn't recognize. Hence, he knew that the wearer must've made the symbol. It was clear that the sword was an ancient relic of the medieval world, an era far before the dark times descended upon the earth.
Sunny immediately knew that it was Kai underneath the suit, as he was the only person Sunny knew who would wear such an eyesore. His friend took off his helmet, revealing his annoyingly handsome face, smiling at him.
"Master Sunless, you have an incredible costume! Being a vampire suits you very well!" Kai complimented him and walked inside.
"Thank you, you do as well. A dragonslayer knight is fitting for someone such as yourself, Saint Nightingale." Sunny smiled back.
"Was it that obvious? I wanted people to try to guess" Kai scratched his cheek and blushed in embarrassment.
"Yes, as obvious as a sore thumb. What are you ladies waiting for? Come on in!" Sunny smiled at them; for whatever reason, they were frozen at the doorstep.
The Blood Sisters looked Master Sunless up and down, then looked at each other. His hair, which was always tied up in a ponytail, was now falling past his shoulders like a dark waterfall. Coupled with his white button-up puff blouse that showed just a hint of his chiseled chest, his silver hair that was clearly inspired by Saint Changing Star, his dark mantle, which he always wore, was on top of a black silk cape that had a blood red color on the inside of it, and vermillion eyes that seemed to pierce through their souls. The entire sight of him made the blood sisters weak at the knees.
The handsome saint Nightingale was right. The Enchanter's vampire costume did suit him well, too well. Master Sunless was an alluring vampire who needed no hexes to charm them, as he had already done so by just being present. They were suddenly aware that their Lady Eunbin got to see this every time she came here.
This was outrageous! It was unfair!
"Damnation," one of the blood sisters whispered under her breath. As they were… analyzing his figur-uh costume. His pleasant voice broke them out of their trance.
"Despite my current appearance, I can promise you that I don't bite. Please don't be shy and come in. Some cookies will be ready soon." He smiled widely, showing his fake fangs, making them freeze all over again. A boisterous voice came from behind them, making them jump.
"Why are you all standing here? Get inside!" They turned to see Lonesome Howl staring at them impatiently.
"We were just uh admiring the decorations,"
"You're blocking the way, so admire them from the inside, will you? And don't lie to me again, you ladies forget that I can hear heartbeats." Lonesome Howl effortlessly shoved them all inside and closed the door behind her
Why is everyone so damn early? Sunny wondered to himself.
"Hello, Lady Howl, amazing costume," Sunny bowed to her.
"Thank you, and goddamn, you really went all out, are you trying to seduce people into commissioning a memory?" Howl bowed back then gave him a shameless wink while looking him up and down. Howl wore a werewolf costume with beastly features on her handsome face. Sunny guessed that it was makeup that had been done by Eunbin, more than likely to match Howl's costume.
"No, I am not trying to seduce anyone," Sunny forced a smile. It was as if Effie were right in front of him, given how similar their personalities were.
"That's a shame. What's this guy doing here already?" She pointed to Mordret, who was sitting at a table with a polite smile and his hands clasped together. He sent a friendly wave in her direction.
"Oh, him, he just showed up out of nowhere and came down here," Sunny said, his smile tightening.
"Why am I not surprised? Nice costume, Mordret."
"Thank you, Princess Lonesome Howl. I made it myself. Please, sit down with me while we wait for your sisters to arrive. " Mordret smiled pleasantly and gestured to the chair across from him.
"There's no point as they'll be here soon enough," Howl said, waving him away. At that exact moment, Rain burst out of the kitchen dressed as a crab.
"Teacher! Do you-oh, um, h-hello Mordret, hello Princess Lonesome Howl, hello Saint Nightingale," Rain said shyly.
"Hello Rain, I hope you have been keeping in good health." Mordret smiled at her.
"Hey there, Rain, cute costume, and just call me Howl!" Howl gave her a firm pat on the shoulder, making his little sister stumble in place and let out a nervous laugh.
"Hi Rain, it is very nice to see you again! I love your costume." Kai gave her a soft smile, which made the young woman sway in place. Sunny had to hold her shoulder to keep her from falling over and resist rolling his eyes.
As Rain stood there daydreaming, the door opened again, and four more of the Song sisters walked in, mostly with smiles. Each outfit was either related to their aspect or something else entirely. Silent Stalker surprisingly wore a fuzzy blue outfit with giant purple spots scattered across the costume. The costume had paws with plastic claws on the ends of each finger. The blue creature she wore also had round ears, along with a strange face just below them and a spiked tail at the back.
The huntress, who almost always had a frown on her face, was frowning more deeply than Sunny had ever seen before due to the fact that she likely had been forced into the costume by her sisters and brought here against her will. Sunny opened his mouth to say something, but was instantly met with a death glare from the woman.
"Not. A. Word." She quietly hissed at him with narrowed eyes as she saw his gaze on her; it took every ounce of Sunny's being not to laugh at the comical sight.
"Calm down, sister, this is supposed to be a fun event. The rest of our sisters are still getting ready. They'll be here in a couple of hours. Veil is on her way now, though. Master Sunless, you look delectable by the way!" Deathsinger casually admitted to Sunny while patting Silent Stalker's shoulder with a smile. The diviner wore an extravagant hat with horns poking out of the top of it and the skull of a nightmare creature on the front of it, along with a black gown.
"Thank you, I like your costume as well!" Sunny smiled politely.
"Hello again, Master Sunless, you have outdone yourself. I cannot help but feel like you took inspiration from me, considering my appearance and aspect. I am flattered. The same goes for you as well, Mordret, well done." Seishan slightly smiled at Mordret and bowed to Sunny.
"Oh, I can't take credit for this; it was the work of Aiko! But thank you all the same." Sunny bowed back.
"Well, I will be sure to give Aiko my praise then, you truly do look the part, Sunless." Eunbin walked up to him with a smile. The Enchantress wore a black pointed hat with a beautiful black gown that hugged her slender form, and a broom in her hand, giving her the resemblance of a witch.
"I didn't think you would be the type of person to wear such a color, Eunbin," Sunny admitted with slightly wide eyes, trying not to let his gaze wander past her neck.
"You rubbed off on me," Eunbin admitted with a shrug.
"Ah-um, everyone, please sit down! I have a game for us to play until everyone gets here!" Sunny went into the kitchen, where Aiko was, and grabbed the cards from her with the young woman in tow behind him. By the time he came back, everyone had grabbed chairs and moved the tables together so that they could all sit together.
"I trust I don't have to explain the rules?" He asked, looking around the table, and received multiple head shakes from everyone.
"Excellent! We will play seven rounds, and the winner of each round will get something as a reward." Sunny grabbed two Uno decks, as one was not going to be enough for the rounds they were going to be playing, and began shuffling the cards.
"Something? What will that something be?" Mordret asked with a pleasant smile.
"I'm honestly not sure yet, I'll figure something out though," Sunny admitted with a forced smile and passed out seven cards for each person.
"Oh yeah, don't think I forgot about asking where you were all day yesterday, Bin." Howl smiled at her sister mischievously while picking up the Uno cards, and Sunny heard Eunbin say something he didn't think he would hear in a million years from her.
"Damnation, not now." The Enchantress sighed.
Sunny smiled at her words. This was going to be a fun night.