#esotericconundrums

     “Cap’n, ye have outdone yerself again. Everyone in the crew will be fightin’ fer the chance tae dance with ye tonight.” Leland escorted Harriet through the ballroom, having just enjoyed the feast prepared for the night, moments before. Aside from spending time with Harriet and the crew, it was safe to say that the food was his favorite part of the evening so far.

Matthew was nearly shaking with fury when he arrived home. All his siblings knew to stay away because he was the oldest and therefore the most controlled, he rarely lost his temper. Despite having the nature of a wolf, he never liked attracting attention and he certainly wasn’t looking to pick a fight. He spent an hour sitting on his bed, staring at the ground in silence before he heard a knock at his door. “Come in.” His voice was rough, loud enough that only someone with wolf hearing would have heard him.

    “Don’t pull on my curls!” He scolded his twin with a slight pout as he walked them through the crowd. “They’re delicate.” They were not conjoined twins but at moments they seemed to act like it. One was not real without the other. That was how they functioned and for Armani, it was the one point of truth he could return to when Wonderland became overwhelming.

      “ i’m not sure if i should be surprised to see you here or not. ” here in auradon or here at aurachella. he made no distinction although he knew very well that harriet would not miss the opportunity auradon presented. what they had was a game. it would be undignified to claim it was more but it was still their game. she had admitted more to him about her goals than she cared to admit and he had done the same in return. he had to show some fairness if he expected a woman like harriet to tolerate his wayward antics.

Leland stared at the back of his captain, noting every ripple of her clothing as she walked. The picture of deadly poise and fierce power. He knows that he could never follow anyone else through a storm, physical or otherwise, because no else could do a better job leading him or the crew. No one he would rather get stuck in a storm with.

    Armani hung up side down from a sturdy tree branch, tight grip on his notebooks as he brought pencil to paper. He hummed to himself as he wrote, filling page after page, some he discarded on the ground since there was no wind blowing to carry them away. No littering, they would remain seated in the grass until it was time for them to be collected. He ignored anyone that passed by, oblivious to the stares and whispers he was getting for his efforts.

      Coming to Harriet’s ship was rarely a fun time. The entirety of the crew loathed him to no end and he had never cared for the unsightly bunch. That was one of the deciding factors in Anthony’s decision. Staring up at the ship, he knew he would have to swallow his pride in front of the entire crew if he wanted this to mean something. “Harriet! I’m here to apologize!” He called out, gaining the attention of crew members that must have been on deck.