Plan D | Valentina & Edmund
"Roisin, dear, won't you run up to my room and fetch me my stylus?"
"But--"
The girl cast a quick glance towards Sonya and Edmund, nestled cozily in a dark corner, laughing and whispering together rather chummily, and Valentina felt her grin deepen. She'd been at some lengths keeping her youngest stepdaughter busy, tonight: this was a tete-a-tete she was not eager to see broken up, particularly as -- was it just her imagination, or did the two young people lean just a little closer, smile just a little longer, as the minutes ticked by?
"Oh, you silly girl!" Valentina interrupted Roisin. "Not that stylus! The other one!"
"You said that--"
"I wouldn't need to keep repeating myself, Roisin, if you'd only bring me the right stylus. Now, up you pop! And don't you come back down here until you've found the right one!"
Roisin set the stylus down much harder upon the little table at Valentina's side than was entirely necessary -- or ladylike -- and rushed back up the stairs for the umpteenth time. How her legs must be burning by now! Valentina smirked.
Yet, no sooner had she arranged for them to continue chatting together, than Cillian appeared in the room.
"Arthur's here," he said in a dull, irritated voice.
"Cillian! What have I told you about properly announcing guests!"
He smirked. "That it should be according to their just deserts which, incidentally, is precisely what you just heard." With that, he left the room again.
"The cheek!" cried Valentina, springing up, now suddenly quite alarmed by how close Sonya and Edmund were sitting, and desperately wishing Roisin were here again to distract him, and thus keep Arthur from suspecting Sonya might prefer his brother. "Sonya! You must go and greet our guest! At once! And do make amends for that disgraceful servant, won't you? I insist that you not re-enter this room until that is accomplished!"
Good. That would keep the two of them quite alone for some time...which just left Valentina and Edmund. No matter, Valentina thought, approaching Edmund and quickly assuming the spot her daughter had just vacated. It was better for everyone if she entertain the younger prince, than if that little nitwit, Roisin, did it.
Turning her most sacchrine smile upon the prince, Valentina flushed slightly. "Oh, Your Highness, you really must excuse our..." she tittered, a touch nervously. "Country manners. I know compared to the high refinement you are accustomed to at court we must seem so perfectly...quaint. I do recall, myself, you know, what it was like to first come here as one of...royal blood," she added, significantly, arching a brow. "Quite the culture shock, I confess, but...a woman, you know, particularly a royal woman, Your Highness, would do anything for love. And I do pride myself, you know, that my Sonya does boast many of those natural delicacies of manner inherent to those of our...rank. In truth, I didn't even have to teach her! She knew all her manners instictively."
For what it was worth, Valentina did believe this. However, she was mistaken. Sonya had, indeed, been taught her manners, just not by Valentina: her nurse and her governess had done the job, which was lucky as Valentina ought never to be relied upon to tach anything to anyone.
"But," she said, feigning fondness as she looked upon her Plan D. "I'm sure your royal mother found much the same with you, no doubt. It is a thing one finds in royal blood which can never be driven out. Don't you agree, Highness?"
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Black Coffee & Donuts ☕ 🍩
~A Trigun fan comic~
(Image description under cut)
[ID: PAGE 1
Panel 1: Wolfwood and Vash sit at a bar counter just as they’re finishing breakfast. Wolfwood annoyed, is hunched over grasping his coffee mug as he pushes Vash’s face away, who is playfully waving a chocolate sprinkle around. Dialogue: Vash: ���Try a donut? Come on, they have sprinkles on the today!” Wolfwood: “Forget it, Spikey!”
Panel 2: Close-up of Vash’s hands breaking the donut into a smaller piece, crumbs flying in the air.
PAGE 2:
Panel 1: Vash, drawn in chibi style, reaches over and gently places the donut piece on Wolfwood’s empty plate, utensils resting on the side. Wolfwood, holding his hot black coffee, looks over his glasses annoyed. Dialogue: Vash: “Just a piece?”
Panel 2: Close-up of Vash with pleading eyes and an innocent smile asking “Do it for me?”
Panel 3: Dialogue: Wolfwood: “Okay, but only if you try black coffee.” Vash: “You got yourself a deal!” Wolfwood and Vash toast their coffee mugs in agreement.
PAGE 3
Panel 1: Wolfwood, eyes closed, begrudgingly puts the donut piece in his mouth and eats it. Dialogue: I don’t get what’s so great about this.
Panel 2: Wolfwood looks over to Vash, who is cartoonishly dumping the entire cup of hot coffee in his mouth. He snaps at him “What are you doing?!”
Panel 3: Vash yells, “HOT HOT HOT!!!” Steam rises out of his mouth, and tears stream down his face as he waves his mouth with both hands in an attempt to cool it down. Wolfwood shouts, “You idiot! You’re not supposed to drink it all at once.”
Panel 4: Wolfwood calms down, now concerned if Vash burned himself, and asks “Are you okay?” Vash leans over and chugs a pitcher of water and answers “Mm-mm.” (Which is uh-huh mumbled.)
PAGE 4:
Panel 1: Close-up of Wolfwood’s lower face, as he takes off his glasses, no longer concealing part of himself. “Sorry, I should have warned you.”
Panel 2: Wolfwood looks down remorsefully and cradles his coffee mug with both hands. “You need to respect it. Nurse it slowly, let it cool down. Savor the bitter taste.”
Panel 3: Close-up of Wolfwood’s eye in surprise. “It sounds just like you,” Vash observes.
PAGE 5:
Panel 1: Wolfwood lights up and laughs, “Ha it sure is!”
Panel 2: Vash lightly blushes and smiles softly looking at Wolfwood’s contagious grin. He got him to smile, a win.
PAGE 6:
Panel 1: A view from behind, we see Vash and Wolfwood from the back as they continue their banter. Vash sits like a gay, legs everywhere, and Wolfwood straight like a proper Catholic boy. Vash asks “How’s the donut?” Wolfwood responds, “It’s sickeningly sweet…actually it reminds me of you.” Vash blushes, “Aw, Wolfwood! You called me sweet~” Wolfwood denies it, “N-no I didn’t…!” Kuroneko, a black cat, sleeps at the foot of Wolfwood’s bar stool. End ID.]
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