Gabriel shrugs and shakes his head. “I was never in on anything. They kept me caged up most of the time. I know they talked Kissa through some things, but…”
I shouldn’t voice my doubts. I don’t want to worry anyone.
“Sh- she knows what she’s talking about.”
Cage grins. “Okay maybe lets not exclude her completely, but we can be quiet while playing.” He turns the TV on and picks up a remote to check if everything is working okay.
Silver nodded and flopped onto a couch against the back wall, unwrapping a piece of candy and popping it into her mouth.
Miki dropped on the floor in front of the TV. "What do we play first?"
–
Ben's phone pinged with a message from Dio that read, "I'll be there in 30 minutes. Should I bring anything?"
Cage puts in Mario kart and sits back. “This one. We can even make characters that look like ourselves! I already have one that looks like Ben if anyone wants to play as him.”
Kissa comes to sit beside them and picks up a remote. “Imma make one that looks like rat trash here and play as it.”
Cage raises his eyes brows with a grin. “She called you rat trash, Mik. Rat trash.”
-
Ben opens the text and sighs. He hands the phone to Vi. “Will you answer? I don’t know how to speak to this man. If I tell him to bring something he’ll bring like… tofu or something equally gross.”
Violet shakes her head with a smile and takes the phone.
”You don’t have to bring anything, but if you’d like to bring something specific you can. See you then.”
Miki nodded solemnly. "I mean… it's true." she shrugged. "I embrace who I am without regret."
Silver overheard Kissa's comment and frowned at her back, refraining from pulling her hair.
–
Dio nodded to himself, reading Ben's reply, then finished packing up his sushi. Wrapping himself in a thick cloak, he carried the container out to his awaiting carriage and folded himself in, giving the driver the address.
Cage giggles, nudging Miki. "I mean, sure. Be what you wanna be."
Gabriel leans against the wall behind them, subconsciously glaring and focusing specifically on Kissa, trying his best to analyze her body language, words and emotions.
It's gotta be a trap.
Would she do that to us?
He shivers and sighs quietly.
Don't jump to conclusions, just be ready.
-
Ben heads back down stairs, his hair damp, and wearing nicer clothes. "You think he may have been one of the originals?"
Violet picks up a few things, taking them into the dining room as he follows. "Darling, stop stressing. I don't think Diablo is anything to worry about. If he is what Kissa said then we have a powerful ally."
"Or another enemy." He adds in a low mumble.
She sets her things on the table and turns around with a sigh. "Benjamin. Loosen up for once in your life. He's has enough chances to kidnap you easily and without a trace. Why would he still be around if he was bad? Moreover, why would I not have a bad feeling about him? Hmm?" She takes his hands. "Trust me on this one, Love. Trust me and Kiss."
Silver watched Gabriel, seeing and feeling his unease. After a moment she turned her attention to Vi and Ben upstairs, and felt Ben's usual turbulence, with Violet's calm undercurrent. Realizing she was still invisible, thanks to Gabriel, she slid off the couch and silently climbed the stairs, curling on the floor by the door and peeking through the crack underneath it.
–
Dio's carriage rolled to a stop outside Ben's house exactly 28 minutes later and he extracted himself from it, carefully balancing his container of sushi so it didn't tip. He instructed his driver to park several miles up the road, closer to town, and waiting until the carriage was out of sight before approaching the front door and ringing the bell.
The bell rings and Cage goes silent, looking up at the door.
"That guy is here." He whispers. "How long do you think he'll stay?"
Gabriel doesn't turn to watch the door, but instead keeps his eyes fixated on Kiss'a reaction, hoping that if she was lying she'd let something slip. She turns to watch the door, but only blinks, looking and feeling just like the others. Slightly worried and anxious but not showing it.
He glares.
C'mon, Kiss. Give me something to go off of.
Ben glances to the door, his anxiety finally having calmed down. "Will you get that, Vi?"
Violet gives his arm a reassuring rub and smiles.
We'll all be fine.
She heads to the door and gently opens it, giving Dio a welcoming, soft smile. ""Good evening, Diablo." She takes a step to the side for him to enter.
Silver held her breath, closing her eyes and feeling what was happening in the house. She heard Violet and Ben speaking, and tuned her ears to hear the newcomer.
Miki paused the video game and looked up toward the stairs. "Supper? Idk. I imagine the longer he stays the better it is? It means they're getting along and no one is being roasted?" She glanced around. "Where's Silver?"
–
"Mrs. Stan!" Dio greeted her, planted a quick kiss on her cheek. "Please, call me Dio. I insi–no, I beg of you." He unwrapped himself from his cloak and hung it on the row of hooks. "Thank you so much for inviting me to your lovely home this evening."
–
Silver's eyes widened as she heard him. He either sounded too nice to be bad, or too nice to be nice.
Cage shrugs. "I guess." He looks around a little after his question and tilts his head. "You know… I don't recall seeing her or Gabriel come down stairs. Which means their either both upstairs or invisible. "Kiss, care to check?"
Kissa rolls her eyes and turns herself invisible for half a second. "They're making out on the floor." She says, turning her attention back to her phone with a glare.
Gabriel's face turns beet red. "Am nOt."
A grin crosses her face.
Violet gives a small chuckle. "Dio is fine. You can call me Violet or Vi. Either is fine."
Ben gives him a nod before leaving through the doorway to the dining room to set a bottle of wine on the table.
"Anytime!" Violet smiles. She extends a hand towards the doorway. "The dining room is right through here."
Miki snort-laughed, covering her mouth. "Well, now we know one foolproof way to find Gabriel."
–
Dio followed them and held up his container. "I brought sushi. I totally understand if you don't like it or don't want to try it, but I had a lot extra so I thought I would offer you the chance to try the best sushi in Spain."
–
Silver vaguely heard the others downstairs talking and squabbling, but she tuned them out, trying to see under the door. When that didn't work, she closed her eyes again, sensing what was happening. Silver frowned. Why would Ben let a sushi guy in the house???
Gabriel yanks a strand of Kissa's and she shrieks in return. "hEY, sToP!" She turns around, grabbing his arm and trying to bite him as he shoves her face away.
"YOU STOP!"
Cage giggles for a second before gasping. "No yelling!"
Thankfully by the time the kids had started to scream downstairs, Dio, Ben and Vi were already in the dining, the noises seeming very far off and faint. Violet pulls her phone out anyways and texts Miki.
A little quieter please.
Ben gives the sushi a nod and takes it to set on the table. "Thank you."
Violet pulls a seat out for Dio and sits down two seat away, her phone back in her pocket.
Silver crawled down to the bottom of the stairs. "GUYS. If he hears us we're dead, okay???"
Miki checked her phone and held it up, open to Violet's text. "Confirmed. Vi will kill us. See? She said 'please'. In Violet-ese, that means she'll kill us if we're too loud."
–
Dio settled himself in the chair Violet offered him. "This meal looks absolutely fabulous, darling. Benjamin certainly found a prize in you, didn't he?"
Gabriel and Kissa are silent and paused, both visible. She slowly takes her mouth off of his hand and turns around with a huff. "Freakin butt-face can't even take a joke." She mumbles.
He wipes his hand on his shirt and swallows, looking at Miki. "Sorry." He whispers.
Violet gives a small chuckle. "Well, I do cook but not this well. He made most of this. Did you make the sushi?"
Ben starts to fill Dio and Violet both plates, a little of everything, including the sushi.
Silver climbed back up the stairs and pressed her ear against the door.
–
Dio laughed. "Well, then darling," he said, blinking at Ben. "This meal looks fabulous. And I'm sure you wife is a prize, even if she couldn't cook a thing." To Violet he said, "Yes, I did. I do pride myself on my sushi-making skills. One of my favorite past-times. I probably make it a little too often."
–
Miki nodded at them, satisfied, and put her phone back in her pocket. "Also, Gabriel; I expect the world will end before you and Silver make out on the floor so… no one would have believed Kissa anyway." she winked at him and turned back to her and Cage's video game.
Ben's face flushes red and he sits after handing them their plates and making his own.
What is wrong with this man??
Violet takes a bite of his sushi and gives an approving nod.
Gabriel turns himself invisible again before retreating to the corner, his face red.
Great. Now I'm distracted. THANKS A LOT KISS.
Silver stared at the wall in front of her. Was this Diablo man flirting with Ben?
Oh my word, he's gonna die.
–
Dio ate in silence for a minute and then set his fork down, picking up his wine glass and surveying both of them. "So. Before Ben gets sick of me and buries me in your backyard, we should get our business taken care of."
Ben tries his best to stay relaxed but ends up tensing a little anyways.
Violet bites her lip, stopping a smile. "Yes, let's." She pours herself another glass of wine.
This outta be good.
-
Cage climbs up beside Silver (who is no longer invisible btw) "What do you hear?" He whispers.
Silver let out a shrill yelp, whirling around and smacking her hand over Cage's mouth. "Don't DO THAT." she hissed. "I didn't… I was… I couldn't… oh my word." she sagged her head against the door. "Cage, now we're gonna die."
–
Dio opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted but a sudden, sharp shriek, that died as soon as he heard it. He frowned, glancing toward the door and then back at them. "Was that…? Did you hear that or was that just me?"
Without missing a beat, Violet sighs. “Don’t mind it. The neighbor has three young children who tend to make those noises while outside a lot.”
Ben takes a bite of his food.
Silver, you’re dead.
-
Cage bites his lip to contain a giggle but fails and quietly giggles. “I even, whispered, Sil. That’s not my fault.”
Silver glared at him. "I didn't hear you sneaking up behind me. I was focusing on them out there and…" she sighed. "Just don't do that again." she paused and felt for the adults in the dining room again. "Cage, I can FEEL Ben planning to kill me." she whispered.
–
"Ahh," Dio said, with a sip of his wine. "I thought it sounded like a small human sound. Anyway, where were we." he stared at his wine, swirling it a little, and trying to set his thoughts in order. Finally he set his wine glass down and looked across the table at Ben, meeting his gaze evenly. "What do you want to know about me?"
Ben sets his own glass down and leans on the table. “I want to know who is after me and how on earth they’re so close. It doesn’t really involve you.”
Violet closes her eyes for a moment.
Benjamin, please stop talking.
“Do you know who it is, Dio?” Violet adds in a sweeter tone.
-
Cage giggles again. “Will you dye my hair though?”
Dio closed his eyes. Of course Ben would cut right to the heart of it. "Actually… it does concern me." he finally said. "I'm… As important as you are to him, Benjamin, I'm more important, if you can believe it." he glanced back and forth between them. "His name is Etienne. And he's my brother."
–
Silver popped her eyes open, glancing at Cage without moving from her position, fairly plastered to the door. "What? No, Cage, I can hear them! He's telling Ben who's behind all of this—augh, Cage, I missed it! Be quiet!"
Miki popped her head around the corner of the stairs. "Yo. What're you two doing up here?"
Cage shushes Miki. “I’m trying to get her to do my hair but she’s busy evesdropping.”
-
Already on the tipping point from anxiety knowing the kids are downstairs and this in danger, Dio’s words push Ben right over the edge. “Ah, well that’s just perfect. We’ve associated ourselves with the worst person possible.” He goes to stand but Violet puts her hand out and he sits back down.
“Wait, Ben! Hold on, Love, this is fine.” She turns back to Dio. “Etienne is who is after us? Because he’s your brother you know a good bit about him then?”
Ben rolls his eyes.
I hate him more.
Dio took Ben's outburst in silence and waited until they were both calm again. "Yes. I do know him, quite well. Which is why he hasn't captured me or those I chose to protect." he stared at Ben pointedly. "I know you meant well by moving here from the States, but somehow you managed to move closer to him, Benjamin. Spain and France have always been his epicenter. For the last seven months he's known, without a doubt, that you're here."
–
"SSSHHHHHHHH!!!" Silver hissed. "Yes, I'm eavesdropping! I want to know what's happening! They're talking about the bad guy and you're making me miss it!"
Miki rolled her eyes. "Hey. Cage. I'll dye your hair, kid. I have about as much experience as Silver, which is to say; none. So you're no better or worse off with either of us."
This time Ben pushes his chair out from the table, his heart rising to his through and anxiety pulsing through his veins, and starts to pace, running a hand through his hair. “ Я полный идиот. Он здесь, и я привел ВСЕХ детей сюда.” he mumbles.
Violet sighs, letting Ben pace off his anxiety. “Something tells me moving again won’t really do anything besides make us more vulnerable.” She leans forward to rub her forehead. “We’re not ready to face him head on though.”
-
Cage bounds down the stairs. “Alright! Just don’t turn my hair yellow. It has to be white blonde.”
Gabriel sits on the corner, silently feeling Ben’s anxiety rise and Violet begin to stress.