[+][L-N][P-UL] In The Alleyway

[Kashira Ka04]

Damian had been expecting Ken’s anger and so, quietly listened as he expressed it. When Ken switched to his natural tenor, Damian found that he preferred it over his feminine falsetto. It had a richer and purer sound that was filled with vibrancy. As Ken finally cut to the chase, Damian let his dark demeanor drop and replaced it with a smug smile. He would respond to the question that mattered, Ken only needed to know what was required of him.

“What do I want you to do?” Damian asked, amused by Ken’s heated words, “I want you to attend a ball with me this evening and do what you do best:” he stated, “dress like a girl, act like a girl, and talk like a girl. Not too hard to do, right?” Damian questioned lightly. Without waiting for a response, he continued, “We’ll need to leave immediately for my house if we are to be ready on time. You’ll need your hair and make-up fixed and Mina will need to coordinate our outfits,” Damian ended, “Let’s go.”

 

[milkymosaic]

"You're blackmailing me so that I'll go to a stupid dance with you?" Ken asked, barely believing that he'd understood what was just said. Shaking his head, he thought to himself, 'You didn't have to threaten me for that,' but kept his thoughts to himself.

Knowing that he had little choice either way, he said, "Fine," and allowed Alexis to lead the way. "So, is this what you're really like? Not sweet and understanding at all," he mentioned, disappointed that when he finally found a nice guy, he turned out just to be another poser. "Why did you have to deceive me? Were you planning something like this all along? Am I just your tool?" he continued to ask, not content to leave well enough alone. Even though he understood that Alexis was the one in charge there, Ken had no way of knowing whether he would really keep up his end of the bargain once everything was over. There was no way he could trust Alexis now.

"So what's so important about this ball, huh?" Ken asked, trying to figure out why Alexis would need a date so badly, and why he couldn't just find a proper one rather than involving him. "Do you need to keep up appearances so badly that you can't even ask a girl out properly? Or are you trying to put a show on for someone? Trying to make someone jealous or show someone up?" he asked, only assuming the very worst from the guy who was now essentially his captor.  

[Kashira Ka04]

“I suppose you could look at it that way,” Damian replied, appearing completely unruffled by Ken’s accusation, “but among the upper class, it’s considered one of the most important balls of the year,” he deferred, unwilling to either deny his tactics or claim them. Inside, he wished Ken had not pointed things out so bluntly. It reminded him that not everything this life asked of him, settled well with his morals. In truth, Damian didn’t liking blackmailing others, it just proved to be a necessity more often than not. When it had come to Ken, he had felt even more reluctant to blackmail him than usual. However, Ken had caused him to feel he had to with his statement that he hated being ‘tarted up’. Such a detail hadn’t escaped Damian. He’d made a habit of paying attention to the smallest thing, since the minutest detail could make or break an advantage.

As Ken pelted questions at Damian, his expression became grim. He realized he had probably lost any bit of trust that Ken had given him. ‘And rightfully so,’ Damian thought harshly, ‘I can’t blame him.’ Still he felt a great sense of loss over it and wished he hadn’t been so careless. Not getting enough sleep the past week had been the start of the problem, then forgetting he had been invited to the prestigious ball and not getting a date when girls where still available. He’d only remembered it because of how he might find a lead on Kier and he’d only blackmailed Ken because he was his last and only option. Even though Damian had been invited to the elite ball, he would not have been allowed in if he had come without a date. It was a requirement of attendance.

When Ken’s questions turned back to the ball again, Damian was relieved to see they were already entering the alleyways that ran behind the upper classes’ mansions. The two of them would be arriving at his manor shortly. Opening the gate to the garden that led into the back of his estate, he waited patiently for Ken to walk through before closing it. He was glad he wouldn’t have to suffer through Ken’s questions any longer. They’d soon be separated, each preparing for this ball that had essentially caused the whole rift. Damian hoped Ken would be more livable once they got to the social event.

 

[milkymosaic]

"If this thing is so important, why did you choose me?" Ken asked, still not completely understanding Alexis's motivations. Not only did he already know that Ken wasn't a girl, but he was so rich that he could have bought a finer lady. "How am I supposed to blend in?" he asked, thinking that the point of the ball probably wasn't to draw attention to himself. He didn't belong there in the first place, so how was he supposed to act as though he even knew what he was doing.

"Do I need to know any of those weird fancy rules like table manners or anything?" he asked, trying to figure out how much he would actually have to do. In the best case scenario, he would just have to sit or stand around and look pretty, which he was fairly good at. However, at the thought of wearing some big, stuffy dress, he couldn't help but shudder. He would probably have to put on jewelry and makeup too, which he didn't normally mind, but...having to play Alexis's Barbie seemed so whorish to him. He had no choice, though.

"I want you to know that I can't dance," Ken added, trying to be as discouraging as absolutely possible. Even if there was no chance of Alexis relieving him from his job, he wanted to be as annoying as absolutely possible, at least until they got to the dance itself. At that point he would do his best to be whatever Alexis needed him to be, in hopes of having him keep his promise not to spill Ken's secret.  

[Kashira Ka04]

((Working on a reply, it'll be up tonight or tomorrow~))

 

[Kashira Ka04]

((Sorry, my brain has died. I can't seem to come up with anything. I'll do my best to have something up by the end of the week. Gomen~))

 

[milkymosaic]

((いいえ。Just as soon as you can. I understand since it always takes me so long to post. ;^.^))  

[Kashira Ka04]

((Agh, I'll put one up tomorrow. This Christmas season has me so distracted. >_<))

 

[milkymosaic]

((lol. But tomorrow it'll be that much closer to Christmas, and therefore, won't you be even more distracted?))  

[Kashira Ka04]

((Ah, you are so right... Gah, what to do? 0.o))

 

[milkymosaic]

((lol, looks like you got distracted after all. ;^.^))  

[Kashira Ka04]

((Finally XD))

Damian came to an abrupt halt at Ken’s first question, astonished at the idea, “Choose you?” he found himself echoing, “No, I have no other choices,” he admitted, without thinking. ‘But if I could have chosen, would I still have asked you to come with me?’ the question came unbidden into Damian’s mind. Shaking his head to clear it from such foolishness, he proceeded to walk again. Damian could see his bedroom window that overlooked the garden from where they were.

When Ken asked his next two questions, Damian felt more willing to answer than previously. The questions were both less harassing and duly asked. “Yes, you’ll need to learn the proper manners,” Damian replied, his mood relaxing as he let his rigid guard down. Within such close proximity to his home, Damian didn’t feel nearly as concerned about his actions. Here he wasn’t surrounded by power hungry aristocrats and here he wasn’t considered a juicy target for others of his trade. “Mina will give you a crash course in the next couple of hours besides helping you with your appearance,” Damian continued, “As for dancing,” he smiled, “I will teach you the basics. Once you have those down, you’ll be able to dance with any of the young men whom your charms will most certainly capture,” Damian let a teasing tone sneak in.

As they reached the trellis below his bedroom window, Damian felt a mischievous grin spread across his face. “Ladies first,” he mock bowed to Ken, “Or would my lady like me to carry her up?” Damian asked eyes twinkling.  

[Kashira Ka04]

((Bump~))

 

[milkymosaic]

"Sure you do," Ken contended, wondering if there was actually the possibility of him escaping from this deal if Alexis realized there were better options. "You could just hire some woman! Someone pretty and delicate...I'm pretty low-class myself, so wouldn't it be better trying to make a low-class woman into a lady than a tranny like me?" Although Ken never knocked himself for the way he dressed, he was hoping to rile up Alexis and get him to change his mind. Even though the guy seemed pretty set in his decision, Ken was determined to do whatever smooth-talking he could to worm his way out of his situation.

"How am I supposed to learn all that so quickly?" he whined, feeling all of the energy drain out of him. "I don't know what spoon or fork to use or how to hold a teacup or anything like that. Come to think of it, I slurp my soup, too," he said, trying to remember the last time he'd actually been able to get his hands on a good bowl of soup. If he was ever hungry, he could usually just swindle someone into buying something for him, but he rarely ever chose soup. It was warm and satisfying for sure, but not very filling, which was usually what he worried about most. So long as he wasn't hungry, he didn't worry too much about nutrition.

"I don't want to have to dance with anyone. Unless they can get me away from you," Ken said with a thought, wondering if he might actually be able to work his way up if he played his cards right at this party. If he could get close to some young, rich guy and get him to fall for him, then he might be able to have a decent living for once. Either they could actually be together or he would blackmail the guy for having fallen for a dude. Even though he didn't want anyone to find out about his gender either, people were usually too afraid of their own reputations to even bother thinking about that.

Looking up at the trellis blankly, Ken looked back at Alexis and said, "You're kidding right? You just want a peek up my skirt, perv." Crossing his arms over his chest, Ken insisted, "You go first! I don't trust you, so I want to be sure you don't try anything weird." Even though he was rather certain that Alexis wouldn't try peeking or touching or anything, especially while they were trying to scale a wall, he was trying to be as indignant and belligerent as he could be, convinced that Alexis deserved whatever trouble he could throw his way.  

[Kashira Ka04]

Damian was shocked at Ken’s words, “Hire a woman?!” he demanded, unbelieving. Even though Damian had taken up a double life and had killed and thieved for cash, the idea of hiring a woman was appalling to him. “That is completely out of the question,” he emphasized, and then added hastily, “Plus, there are too many risks with a woman I don’t know. Tranny or not, I know enough about you.”

Feeling his irritation return with Ken’s whining, Damian answered the next question a little gruffly, “Mina is an exceptional teacher; I have confidence in her abilities, if not in yours. You’ll learn everything perfectly and nobody will realize you were a tramp to begin with, end of story,” he finished with a sense of finality.

At a loss as to what to say to Ken’s dancing comment, Damian ignored it, deciding to tease Ken some more, “Hmmm, too bad, now my curiosity will never be satisfied,” he said, sounding sad, “I’ll always have to wonder whether it’s boxers or briefs under that pretty skirt of yours,” he continued long faced, “I guess I’ll just have to go up first.” And with that, Damian was up the trellis, not waiting for whatever else Ken might feel like dishing out.