When I'm with her, I don't get to see any of it. All I get are glares, growls… and a fucking bony hand to the throat? Plus what she did to Mrs. White… the fact that she couldn't even care to listen - how the hell am I supposed to look past that?

How the hell does she expect me to be okay after all that?

No, there's no wonder in those eyes… only hate, only disdain. I never saw what Ash has, but that goes both ways too… like are we even talking about the same person here still?

"So, shall I…" Ash spoke, paused, then spoke again. "What will you tell her, Master?"

I buzzed on my phone, the clock had only just recently ticked to half-past nine, still a ways away from our meeting time, hadn't had dinner yet still also… but… I don't really much care.

"Fine," I began to walk, past Ash, towards the front door. "I'm going…"

"Hmm?" Ash turned at once after me. "Is that a… is that a yes?"

"Not exactly, Ah -! Also, stop right there! Don't take another step."

Like a deer in headlights, her emerald eyes suddenly gleamed with surprise as she abruptly skidded to a halt. Before she could ask, I spoke.

"Have you looked at yourself in a mirror lately?" I nudged at her. "Notice the bags under your eyes?"

"Uhh…" With both hands, she placed her fingers under her eyes, blinking once, then twice. "I… I don't…"

"Sleep," I told her. "Like actually sleep. Don't half-assed it. You keep going back and forth between me and her… you don't have to do that this time. Like you said, better to enjoy the convention with all troubles gone - can you honestly have a good time while you're too busy keeping your eyes open?"

"But…"

"No buts," I said sharply. "Don't pull out the Knight card either - that's cheating. If you're obliged to care for me, then I'm obliged to care for you. Just rest, I'll be fine. I'll talk to Sera myself."

At that last sentence, alarm bells must have gone off, for she immediately lost all composure.

"Master - wait - no! One moment please!" She sputtered, squirming, maintaining the willpower to not move from the spot. "I… is that - surely that is unwise, is it not? Perhaps I should tell her in your stead?"

I frowned. "You're the one who said to tell her."

"I -! A regretful choice of words. I just - I worry…" She expelled an aggravated breath. "It's just… what will you say to her, exactly… if I may ask?"

"Say to her?" I shrugged my shoulders. "Nothing. If she wants that invite so bad, she's going to have to ask me for herself, isn't she?"

Ash made a dubious sort of sound. Like a confused puppy whining. Clearly, she's seeing my demise in countless millions of ways behind that worried stare… but I reckon I'd be just fine.

If Sera is who Ash says she is, that is. That girl wrapped in the arms of wonder and awe… fascinated by the strange new world around her. Eager to explore, eager to learn.

It's about high time I got introduced to that girl instead, don't you think? The one I got right now just isn't doing it for me.

Have to see this for myself if it is to be believed.

"I'll be just fine," I reassured her for the last time, bidding her off with a smile. "You'll see. I'll see you in the morning."

Only got as far as turning back towards the front door before I met my next blockade - a statue of the night, silent and deadly… staring unblinkingly with white vacant eyes, carrying a curled up Mr. Black in her arms.

"What are… you… going to tell… her?" Adalia asked. "Tell… honestly… please..."

The statue had a crack in it - and that crack was worry. It was honestly kinda flattering.

"Honestly speaking?" I smiled at her, stroking Black once on the forehead as I sidestepped my way to the exit. "I'm thinking maybe I can actually teach her for once on how to say 'please' to me."

With one last parting smile through the slit in the doorway, I was off into the night… tearing off a bus ticket for a one-way trip towards Sera… towards Ria.

Y'know with all these frequent bus trips, I'm starting to develop immunity to it. Didn't notice before, but I don't even feel motion sick anymore. Yay. That's good news.

The bad news was without Ash usually tagging along, the drive from A to B began to feel very long. Without her presence, all I had was the passing cityscape whizzing past me for company.

That and my phone too. Needless to say, I chose phone.

Sometime around the tick of ten, I got a message… Amanda's name popping up from the top of my display.

>

Already had my thumbs hovering above the keyboard, before another buzz slid another name down from the notification bar.

Another reminder, another meeting.

>

Two polar opposites. One so sugary sweet and nice, the other short and concise. Didn't even give me a heart. I'm hurt. Just wait until -

AH SHIT!

Speaking of forget - I forgot to tell Ash! Oh my - tomorrow, I'll tell her tomorrow, I swear… if I don't I'll find the nearest drill and lobotomize myself right there and then, because clearly I'm not even using my brain my whole life. Why would I need it, right?

I departed the bus in a foul enough mood to not even bother with a thank you to the bus driver for his continuous service to the public. Yeah, I was that upset… ya'll better watch out, I bite.

From the park entrance to deep into forest trenches, third time striding through the tall grass I've grown rather efficient in making my way over there, before I knew it… I was already standing at the small expanse where a lukewarm Ria still laid deep in slumber the earliest I've ever been so far.

As per the standard affair, the second time running, Sera herself was nowhere to be seen in the thick of trees that surrounded the expanse, so… I waited, as always, settling down right beside Ria's body.

Five minutes. Ten minutes.

A rustle among the bushes… was used to it this time, used to the patter of paws, used to soft questioning squeaks, so I didn't even bother to look to see who it was, I know who it was.

But then I heard something new. The chinking of a bell.

I looked up - already the late Mrs. White didn't waste any time greeting me with a sniff, staring up at me with those empty lifeless eyes… except now, hanging loosely on her neck… something was swinging, something was ringing.

Don't remember her wearing a collar there, especially one caked so deeply with dirt and grime, yet alas - there it was… ringing a rusted, clunky melody with her every slight move.

She seriously spared no expense with you, didn't she? Brought you to life, got you a tag… it seems like you belonged to her entirely, whether you wanted it or not.

Another rustle, a louder rustle.... now that one I know very well, too well honestly…

Haven't a clue how she evades her drapes from the wear and tear of time. As she glided silently through the grass, her cloak remained its deep dark hue of violet, through the mud, through the rain, through the days.

Sera loomed over me, beckoning Mrs. White back under her furls, her golden eyes the only light illuminating the darkness of her veil - a light malevolent, a light displeased. Felt like she was staring at a cockroach or something.

Well, this cockroach's got leverage this time.

"I see you decided to keep her," I said, starting our interaction off on an indifferent note. "You put a collar on her too. Did Ash tell you that's what we put on pets?"

It wasn't a surprise she maintained the silent treatment, couldn't even give me the decency of keeping eye contact with me.

"I'm sure it gets pretty lonely in this park, doesn't it?" I said, then feeling a bit audacious for my own good, spoke some more. "It'll get a little bit more lonelier tomorrow, won't it?"

There we go… there's the eye contact I was looking for, perhaps a little bit more incense than I would have liked… nevertheless, I had her attention now.

"Ash said you had something to say to me - sorry - something to ask of me," I looked on, braving her glare. "She told me you didn't appreciate me taking up all your Ash-time, so you had a better idea instead."

She started to growl again, curling her hands into aggravated fists, squirming and writhing in place.

"I mean, you're free to do as you wish, I can't stop you… but I suppose you'd rather stay on Ash's good side and settle things diplomatically with me, am I right?"

A glare again.

"Nod if I'm right."

I'm right.

"I don't know about you, but to me, it's like we don't exactly see eye-to-eye with each other, you know? Sometimes it feels like you just hate me for the sake of hating me."

As if to further prove my point, she lashed out another husky growl.

"You don't listen to me, you keep turning your nose at me, and - see that? There you go again," I pointed out as she drearily rolled her eyes. "So I ask you, right… after everything, what makes you think for even a second that I'm going to say yes to you?"

I had a little smirk on my face when I said that, a condescending punch-worthy curve of the lips… and I made sure she caught a good look of it too.

There was a split second between the flick in her brow and the sound of her snarling before the bony mangled hand lashed at me from the slit in her cloak. It clutched tighter than before, it burrowed deeper than before.

The life was oozing out of me like a leaky hose.

But I was still smiling, still staring for as long as I could at her, with a smug look that'd make Ria wipe a tear in her eye.

"I guess... I'll talk to… you... later then..." I said to her, feeling the drool dribble down my chin. "See you… in the… morning… Sera…"

I think It was the first time I smiled at the face of Death.

Think I should do this more often, actually.