As neither of them knew the nature of the ‘contract’ that summoned him to the mortal realm, Shugarl wasn’t one to take unnecessary risks. An assassin had made their way into the castle and there lay in wait a Shinigami that they couldn’t see. Only those contracted to him or those he allows to see him were able to bare witness to his visage.

Without knowing what had killed them, the assassin dropped to the ground with very little sound. With a beating heart clasped firmly in hand, Shugarl wraps a handkerchief around it and tosses it aside before he wipes the blood off his hand.

The heart was tossed unceremoniously onto Nunnally’s bed. This felt more fitting for a Demon, wouldn’t you agree? Bored, Shugarl leaves through the window to admire the moon from a higher vantage point.

Something wrapped in the handkerchief on her bed? The princess is interested. Excited even. Has Shugarl finally decided to give her something…? A present in return? For the White Day? Though the gift looks suspicious… Is that blood on the handkerchief…? But that doesn't stop Nunnally. Although perhaps it should. She opens the present (yes, she still thinks it is what the packages is), and sees…

…Nunnally screams…

…one time…and then again and again…

“Is that a…heart…!?” – she feels a knot forming in her stomach; whatever that is now is tossed on the floor. Nunnally's hands are red...

Nunnally starts to shiver. Frantically. Her breaths are quick and shallow. Perhaps she should have guessed this is a present from a certain demon, but this possibility doesn't come to her mind. Not now anyway.

She wouldn’t expect him to simply leave something…like that on her bed.

Her chambers are soon filled with guards, and soldiers, and she is being temporarily placed in another part of the palace. Guarded. She is frightened. The princess wonders ‘who’ and ‘why’ is trying to send her a message. Tears roll down her cheeks; what has she done? Yes, she is aware that might have happened anytime in her life. In theory she has been prepared, but in reality…?

…in reality she is curled behind the big bed in her new bedroom; the curtains drawn. It’s dark. No lights. She doesn’t want it. Her slender body is shaking in the silent sobs. Why does she feel like a hunted animal?

And where is Shugarl? She’s not sure why she thinks about him? He’s a demon that doesn’t really want to have anything to do with her. But, somehow, she’d feel safer if he were here with her. Probably he could protect her. But would he? Wouldn’t her death end their weird bond and he’d be free to go back to…to wherever he belongs…?

She is so lonely. Protected. But always lonely. She should probably call her maids. Take a bath. Clean her face. Show the brave princess to the world. She’ll do it. Surely, but just in a few moments. She just needs a few more moments to gather her courage back. Nunnally knows that. She is not ready. But she will soon be.

She has to. SHE HAS TO.

Easy does it…

Sapphire orbs squinted behind their multiple glass shields as they carefully observed the fine granules being added to the beaker on the scale. It was sometimes tedious weighing fine powders in the lab but Komui knew it was a necessary evil. One granule could mean the difference between success and an explosion after all and that fact alone made all the extra care worth it.

0,071g… perfect…

Carefully the beaker was removed from the scale so that the next steps could be undertaken, the micro pipettes already waiting beside their respective bottles. Giving a gentle tug on his protective gloves to ensure they fit properly, the scientist then proceeded to open the first bottle in his line up and dipped the pipette inside. He would only be adding a drop, maybe two but no more. It was a delicate experiment that he was attempting and for the first time at that. As much as he enjoyed explosions, he hoped that it would not be the fate of this experiment.

Komui set his beaker aside for a moment to work on the next part, less complicated but nevertheless still requiring caution: the mixing of concentrated hydrochloric and sulphuric acid. Once the two strong acids had been combined in the desired quantity, he popped in a magnetic stirrer bar and set it on a hot plate. Before the scientist could step away, an ominous crack sounded and the next thing he knew the container had shattered and he was covered in acid.

Just great…

There was no time to be concerned about modesty and he wasted no time in shedding his acid covered clothing, the material already being eaten away as he disrobed. Komui allowed the strips of material to drop onto the floor to be taken care of later, the number one priority being to get into the shower and wash away any lingering traces of acid. Despite his haste in removing his clothes, he still felt the tell-tale sting on his forearm and legs moments before he dived under the lab showerhead and turned the tap on full blast.

Phew… made it…

Sighing in relief as the cool water cascaded over his skin, Komui tentatively lifted his arm and glanced down towards his legs to examine the extent of the damage. It wasn’t too serious thanks to the limited exposure, his clothing having taken the brunt of the damage, the skin was just really red and irritated, but he’d be able to treat it himself once he had finished the 15 to 20 decontamination time in the shower. At least he was alone in the lab and he hoped it stayed that way, that no one would suddenly come looking for him in that amount of time.

Just then, he heard the ominous sound of the lab door opening, as if his heartfelt desire to be left alone had summoned the unwanted visitor in typical Murphy’s law fashion.

@mathlovershugarl || were!au

With laundry done and cleaning done for the day, and as he was mentally looking over what was left on his to-do list, Izumi decided it was the perfect time for his kitten to get a bath.

So he walked up the stairs and into the bedroom where the kitten should be...

Should, because the bed were all empty. She wasn’t tangled in the sheets, and she wasn’t hiding behind the cushions - he made sure to give a thorough look around the room. So... where is she?

He left most of the rooms locked so she wouldn’t be wandering into dangerous places, so there weren’t many places where she could be. A bit of nervousness making him a bit jumpy, he eventually landed in Shugarl’s office.

The door was half-open so it was a possibility.

He knocked on the door twice before peaking inside, the calm silence of the office the same as always.

At last the day had come to put his plan into action. The plan he had been carefully working on since White Day last year, that moment when his friend had managed to overwhelm him with his thoughtfulness. He was determined to turn the tables this time.

There had been a potential flaw in this plan, since there had been no way of knowing what Shugarl’s schedule for Valentine’s Day would be like until the Faculty arranged it in January. Luckily for him, the other professor’s classes only started around 10AM which would be more than enough time to accomplish the Valentine’s Day Hunt he had compiled. 

Now before Shugarl arrived, it was time to get to work setting things up.

First on the agenda was Shugarl’s office, the place he would be entering first upon his arrival on campus. As soon as he entered, Komui made his way over to the desk and spread out a cloth to protect the wooden surface before proceeding to arrange an assortment of chocolate-coated cinnamon cookies that he had baked himself. He had made several batches to ensure that the final version would come out just right as it wouldn’t do to gift mediocre cookies to someone who was skilled at baking. 

The key point was that these were no ordinary cookies. They had been baked in a mold to form letters of the Greek alphabet and with some of them arranged on the protective sheet like so:

Lambda Alpha Beta Omicron Rho Alpha Tau Omicron Rho Ypsilon Omicron Nu Epsilon

It spelt out the location of the next gift and clue which was Laboratory One. The lab in question was one of his primary ones and since no practicals were being conducted in it that day, made it the most convenient to use especially since the next gift was on the bulky side.

With a cheerful grin, the scientist strode off to his next destination with the second part of his hunt in hand. Upon arrival, he carefully set the container down and admired it with some appreciation. He had put a lot of thought into this container, which his friend would need to put some effort into opening.

The container itself was simple enough but it had a locking mechanism which would only open upon inserting the ‘key’ into the space provided. The key in this instance were four segments hidden throughout the room which when joined together would form a ‘pie’. He had conveniently left a note underneath the key hole which read:

Inside the container, three gifts had been concealed which Komui was admittedly fairly proud of considering he had made them with one of his talents that he seldom got to use - sewing. The first was a pair of oven gloves, a deep red in colour with the pi joke embroidered on with white thread. The second was an elaborate table cloth. 

The third gift wasn’t actually for Shugarl or at least not directly. It was for Jupiter. This was perhaps the trickiest of all the gifts as he wasn’t as familiar with the younger girl’s tastes. He thought of the soft yellow dress with it’s flowing chiffon skirt patterned with embroidered pink and purple flowers, the delicate bow and puffy sleeves and hoped she was pleased with it.

The last clue was tucked into one of the gloves and simply read: ‘You’ve got mail.’

Komui’s final destination was of course to the staff pigeon-hole cabinet to slip a sealed envelope into Shugarl’s compartment. Hidden inside the envelope was a card which read:

You’re a friend who I can turn to When my spirit needs a lift. A friend who I can treasure, For your friendship is a gift. You’re a friend who fills my life With beauty, joy and grace. Who makes the world I live in  A happier, better place. For me your precious friendship Is truly a delight. It would be my greatest pleasure If you would dine with me tonight~

With his preparation of the grand hunt completed, it was time for the scientist to head off to finalise preparing for his first lesson of the day. It was a pity that he wouldn’t get to see any of his friend’s reactions to the surprises that lay in store for him and since he planned on heading home as soon as his last class was over in order to prepare for dinner, he would have to wait even longer to find out.

Oh well...

The scientist allowed his mind to dwell on the plans he had for their dinner that evening which included marinated meat skewers, creamy spinach, roast potatoes and oven vegetables. He wasn’t at all fond of drinking alcohol but figured the situation warranted a diversion from their standard tea and coffee so he had sought and purchased a 100% natural and alcohol free sparkling grape juice. For dessert he planned on a standard chocolate mousse which was easy to make and he wouldn’t have to worry about messing up.

Komui had momentarily considered getting candles but quickly tossed the idea as it seemed too romantic a notion for a friendly dinner to thank his friend for his continuing friendship. Flowers though... there shouldn’t be anything wrong with a nice, fresh bouquet of flowers as a centrepiece to brighten up the table...

Hmmm... I’ll think I’ll buy some on the way home...

_______________________________________________________________

Sometime later found the scientist humming in the kitchen as he prepared the meal for that evening, feeling a mix of anticipation and nervousness for when his guest of honour finally arrived. He wondered if Shugarl had enjoyed the gifts he had prepared and the process of obtaining them but he suppose he would find out in good time.

Now then...

Turning down the heat to keep the food warm until it was ready to be served, Komui was just about to remove his cooking apron when he heard the doorbell chime. His heart stopped momentarily from the unexpected surprise before it continued at it’s regular pace and then he carelessly tossed his apron to the side before he exuberantly went to welcome his friend.

mathlovershugarl:

||Tan(60)=√3|| Although very abrupt, Shugarl could make some exceptions for certain events, and people. A birthday celebration and his favorite person on campus were two equally important exceptions, that when weighed together gave him no chance to refute—not that he would. Komui has been there for him when he was having a hard time, and he was that friend who he could pass some time leisurely with. It was the least he could do, spending the special day with him.

    He’d only have wished that Komui would have given him more of a heads up so he could have at least attempted to prepare something for the day, but alas, Shugarl had no idea. Then again, now that he thought about it—Komui likely didn’t know the anniversary of his own birth. When he thought about it that way, he couldn’t help but relent and let Komui off the hook for that one. Otherwise it would be one of those ‘calling the kettle black’ situations.

    Given the fact that he hadn’t tried to fight against it, Shugarl was going to guess that Komui was fine with the idea of Shugarl buying him a birthday dinner. The big question was there to go? There were so many restaurants that one could go to around Akounri, but how many were worthy of being used to celebrate one’s Birthday with? That is the big question.

         “Yes, Joe.                   It’s a name I arbitrarily bestowed upon him.”

    Shugarl wasn’t the best at reading facial expressions and the like, but he couldn’t help but think that maybe Komui was laughing at him. Perhaps the older man found it childish of him? Well, that was fine. Mentally shrugging his shoulders, Shugarl was looking forward to see his favorite aquatic animal in the entire aquarium.

    Locking the door to the office, the two were ready to go.

          “Joe might be playing with a rubix cube.                  It’s fascinating to watch him go.”

Komui watched his friend complete his ‘end of the day’ ritual in silence while he continued to mull over who Joe could be. There were so many possibilities or at least he imagined there would be since he had only heard good things about the variety of creatures housed at the aquarium. The real question was which of them would have snared his friend’s interest enough to warrant being granted not only a name but the position of favourite.

At least he had been provided a clue of sorts... that the creature in question was intelligent so that automatically ruled out ordinary fish, jelly fish and anything crustacean.

Hmmm... 

Could it possibly be a dolphin? They were extremely intelligent creatures and Shugarl had mentioned the dolphin show just prior to mentioning Joe. It would be hard to distinguish an individual dolphin from it’s companions though, unless of course it had a unique characteristic that made it easily identifiable.

At the comment, Komui inwardly shook his head and scratched dolphins from the list of candidates. Dolphins that were part of a show mostly had their own names given by the trainers and he couldn’t imagine his friend renaming one arbitrarily or not.

The scientist momentarily ceased his musings to give his friend a fond smile. Somehow he hadn’t ever thought the man likely to give a nickname to anything but it was rather touching to know that he did. He felt almost privileged to get to know a side of his friend that he hadn’t before.

“I think Joe is a pretty nice name. There’s nothing wrong with giving a name to something you consider special to you.”

After all, he randomly named inanimate objects all the time just for the fun of it so he was probably the more questionable between the two of them if one came down to it.

Noticing that Shugarl was almost done, he gradually started drifting towards the door even as his mind returned back to it’s previous contemplations.

I guess that rules out orca and possibly whales as well...

Could Joe be a shark? Some of them were quite intelligent from what he’d heard although perhaps more along the lines of being cunning so maybe not. A seahorse? Unlikely. An eel? Probably not. 

What about...

By now Komui was standing outside the office and not too long after his companion followed and locked the door. His mind still concentrating on resolving the mystery at hand, he almost missed what was said but as soon as the words registered his demeanour brightened considerably.

To be able to ‘play’ with a rubix cube in any other fashion besides batting it around with a nose or fin would require flexible appendages of some kind and the only such creature that the scientist was aware of was an octopus. Feeling pleased with his deductive reasoning, Komui nodded in appreciation of his friend’s choice. The octopus truly was a remarkable and fascinating creature.

“I’m sure it must be an impressive feat to witness firsthand.”

Now that they were finally on their way, he could feel his excitement escalating but he tried to contain it for the time being. He didn’t want to cause his friend any reason to regret accompanying him, especially when they hadn’t even arrived yet.

The beauty of the public transport system was that it often included stops at popular venues to visit and the aquarium, conveniently for them, was one such location. Once he’d hopped off the bus, Komui stared in awe at the welcoming banner displayed above the entrance while he waited for his companion to join him.

Hell realm

@mathlovershugarl​

Shugarl is Izumi’s ‘servant’ from the Sky verse. A most powerful demon from the Hell realm caught by Izumi by contract magic, in the shape of a blessed collar. Despite Izumi acting like his owner, Shugarl doesn’t take him all that seriously, and more often than not finds ways of annoying or teasing him. Still, because of the contract he has to stay close to his ‘master’-and can sometimes be convinced to take action.