storyskip-blog

[storyskip-blog]

     The memory of the two’s meeting jolted in his mind. He had forgotten about Ephraim’s family situation for a time. “Oh, that is true! To be without an ace for a while... You were a very capable king, even then~!” He was very grateful for gaining the trust of the newly dubbed king so quickly. June didn’t know of any other person in existence who believed in him as as wholly as his dear king. In such a short amount of time, too.

    Mulling it over, he stuck his hand in the bag again and pulled out a little bunch of veggie chips, picking at them one-by-one. “Well...” He finished chewing and smiled, “That’s fine, of course! As long as you're still protected. And at my side is the safest you can be in these situations!” It wasn’t like he underestimated Ephraim’s fighting abilities, anyways. He could probably do a lot of good work on his own... but it was June’s duty to bring him back safe just as much as it was to beat the jokers. “Don’t worry about the other guys coming with us, they’re plenty experienced with this sort of thing. They’ve never fought alongside you, though, so they might be surprised...” As would June, since it was always a sight to see when Ephi got serious about his duties. 

    “I’m gonna go check if everyone’s prepared, Ephi-phi! Meet us outside the castle once you’re done too and we’ll go, okay? We won’t leave without you~”

♛-; Once he’s done speaking, he gains a look of surprise from everyone (besides June), but he’s not surprised; after all, he had thrown off his ‘foolish king’ disguise in order to blueprint this plan of action. They were so used him and his idiotic whims that to hear something logical come out of his mouth must’ve been a shock.

♛-; He’s quick to return to that facade though, and his Ace, with his own childish side, helped in doing that immensely. Laughing a bit behind his hand, he pats June’s shoulder. “Of course not silly-billy! I had to do at least some strategy things when my brother died; it’s not like I could make you Ace immediately!” Although, all things considered, he had made June the Ace relatively quickly–in less than a year since finding him, and without even knowing his background as well, since the other was an amnesiac.

♛-; “I don’t think they’ll make any big moves too suddenly, but it’s always good to get the first strike in!” Taking a veggie chip from June, he puts it in his mouth, speaking while he chews. “I’m gonna come too this time though, ‘kay? I wanna see my little Junebug in action!” He had assigned himself and June to the elite squad, but he would leave the rest to June. If they wanted to go undetected though, a group of no more than say, five would have to do. He knew himself and June to be capable, but who would be the other three? The Ace was more knowledgeable about his soldiers abilities though, and so he would leave the rest to him.

[storyskip-blog]

     It was bad for the king to surround himself in that tiny space for too long, June knew. Of course he wouldn’t die, but he would prefer it if he would come out. He really would. Seeing the other man’s face would be a great comfort to him, even if it made him sad and very worried to see him like this. 

    June approached the corner of the room, stopping in front of the void that was surely Ephraim trying to hide from him. He reached out with one arm like he was going to try and touch the shadows, but slowly retracted it again. He didn’t know what would happen if he did that. It did just... kill a person, after all. He didn’t want to upset Ephraim, either, but he couldn’t just leave him be. 

    “No, I don’t think so...” Surely the other would notice how close he had gotten with the proximity of his voice, though June’s was only a quiet murmur. “You... you must think you’re a real monster, Ephi, but you’re not. Not as much as you seem to believe... You’re not the only one that get’s afraid of himself sometimes! E... Everyone does.” In other words, the ace could relate to a certain extent. 

    “Ephi-- I’m more concerned than scared, now. Can’t you hear it? I’m more scared for you than anything... Come on, come out of there while I’m talking to you! I could lecture you too, you know!” 

♛-; His breathing ran heavy and ragged, and he wasn’t surprised that June found him so quickly–anyone could’ve, with how loud his whimpers and sobs were.

♛-; When he hears the all too familiar voice of his Ace though, Ephraim quickly wraps himself in shadows. It’s constricting and makes it even harder to breathe, causing him to hyperventilate, but he didn’t want to be seen like this in front of June–in front of anyone. He needed time; time to recompose himself, to forget everything and have a moment to himself, but June was giving him an especially hard time doing so.

♛-; He could never kill himself with his powers, for his stamina would deplete before his life would, and corpse cradle would cease to be. Perhaps he would be unconscious for a few days, yes, but never dead. And sometimes, he wonders if that’s a good thing or not.

♛-; What was he afraid of… he doesn’t know if he should speak from the cocoon he’s put himself in–the cocoon June saw him murder someone in, but he lets out a self-deprecating laugh, tears still streaming down his face before he answers. “Would it be cliche to say I’m afraid of myself?”

[storyskip-blog]

     June’s gaze followed the queen’s. She pointed to a specific fish in the pond as it carried itself calmly through the water in front of them, shimmering in the daylight. “Ephi’s eyes?” He squinted at the creature for a second of two, before blinking back at her. “Ooh, you’re right! Huhu~ You really like Ephi, don’t you? For a little fish to remind you of him!” 

    The ace nodded, now very invested in watching the fish swim, himself. They were used to being watched and welcomed visitors all the time, so they didn’t seem afraid of the two figures looming overhead. Not even when the sun stretched their shadows directly over the water and swallowed them up. “It would be nice to watch them swim around all day! If only you could actually touch them, though. I think that’s the only thing I don’t like about fish. All you can do is look at how pretty they are, but they don’t quite appreciate any contact. Not like bunnies or something, which you can pet or maybe cuddle. Hm...” 

    He leans away from the pond again and shrugs, smiling at Calypso. “Well, I guess it can’t be helped~ They’re mostly just seen as decoration, anyways. Kind of depressing, don’t you think? But they’re happy anyways~” 

[ ♣ ];;     they seem to have taken a detour, filling the time as calypso finds herself peeking quietly at the open rooms. she’s always wondered what lies in the castle of pique – what the king ephraim hides, and what he doesn’t. if she can know more about him through the color and the decor and the way things are arranged. the sun filters through the open windows of the castle, drifting through the floors and swimming a puddle at their feet. it follows her footsteps, latching on to the small of her back. 

[ ♣ ];;     once in a while, june pauses to introduce her to the servants working in the kingdom. they bow to her in greeting, and calypso silently does the same. she offers all of them a smile, the tips of her lips curling with genuine thought when they stare a little too long at her face. most of them don’t recognise her unless june mentions that she’s the queen. but she doesn’t mind the absence of her title; if anything, it’s quite refreshing to find that she’s warmer without it. [ ♣ ];;     soon, june finally brings her to the courtyard. the sun is blasting gold from the sky, using its hands to cover the garden with streaks of light. calypso breathes in the air through her nostrils, closing her eyes as she takes another step forward to follow the ace of pique. june pulls her towards the direction of the pond, bending both of their knees to take a closer look.

[ ♣ ];;     calypso’s face alights, her mouth pursing in curiosity. "they look so beautiful,” she whispers. her fingers point to a fish drifting slowly towards the center. the color is a fracture of the sea, seeing a timid shade of green. "that looks like king ephraim’s eyes, i think,” she murmurs. “i can watch the fish all day if i could. they’re quite mesmerising, don’t you think so?”

[storyskip-blog]

still have quite a few drafts to queue, but if you want a starter with june or iring then like this post~! just reply if you want iring specifically. it’s ok if we already have a thread going too... huhu

[storyskip-blog]

     The slightly sassy attitude of the other didn't concern June in the slightest. He wasn't just an Ace, but one of the best people in the kingdom to deal with public affairs. A real people-person. He giggled to himself. "Hello hello~ Sorry if my way of speaking offends you~" He patted the ears at the top of his head and smiled. "Thank you! You have some interesting parts, yourself... Nice tentacles! Huhu..."

    He could see why the citizens had been so fearful this person. He didn't think that their appearance called for such a harsh reaction, but he could see why it happened. He understood what had gone on here immediately after meeting them.

    "Oh! If I may?" He carefully took the scroll from their tentacle and looked it over, nodding after a few seconds. "Yes, this does look right...! Did you come from the sea? Welcome!" The rabbit man gave a short bow and grinned at the new noble. "My sincere apologies for our citizens, they weren't prepared for your arrival! I'm June Haizebeltza, Pique's Ace! I think I've been called here for the wrong reason, hm? At least I got to greet a newcomer! What's your name, new 10?"

          {♠} —; There were screams here and there. Roze had barely surfaced away from the shore, and yet all they could see were flailing arms and screaming people. Oh dear, seems even in Wonderland Roze was the scariest freak around. How absolutely amazing. The cacaelian soon swam towards a damp and moist cave. Perhaps here he could transform back before heading in land again  That was until they heard a voice however. And then a poke. Did someone really just touch his tentacle?

          {♠} —; “ … . really? You’re going with that ridiculous pronunciation of hello?” the witch stands on their tentacles, sliding over into the light barely, staring at the other. “ … nice ears doc.” they reply. “I am doing nothing more than minding my own business and yet everyone is so afraid of all … this.” their tentacles sway about, slapping over the surface of the cave walls.

          {♠} —; “Apparently none of them know who I am, then again I did kind of just drop in. This should explain my purpose here.” one of the tentacles unfurl before the other, a scroll in it. “It’s a contract, signed by the last … uh card in my position. I’m this country’s new ten. Does that satisfy your question?”

[storyskip-blog]

     "Well, well! I think all creatures of the Leporidae variety are cute. And the Velveteen Rabbit is a very heartwarming story down at its roots, is it not?" June sighed, taking off his set of ears and dangling them in front of the boy.

    "See? They come off, but they’re pretty sturdy. They still move even when separated, though, so I guess it's up to you to decide if they're real or not?" He chuckled, and the ears twitched as if responding to his words. He quickly replaced them, not wanting to be caught ear-less while on the job. "I can talk to bunnies and they seem to understand what I want from them, but um, I guess that doesn't mean I'm a part of their race, huh?" The ace actually had no idea if he was really part rabbit, he just assumed there would be no other reason for his connection to the creatures. He didn't want to say it outright, though. It would be like admitting he had no idea who he was to a stranger.

    "Right, right. It's business time~" He tilted his head to the side and awaited the interview questions. "I showed you my ears-- my kingdom, however! Pique is wonderful! The people here are very kind and fun to talk to, you know! And the people I work with, ah, work for, are my best friends. The king, queen, and the cute little jack are all a part of my family!" He smiled fondly at the thought of them all. He seemed to want to go on and on about them; well, it wasn't surprising at all that he would want to say nothing but good things about his friends to an outsider. They were his entire world.

    "Hmm... I'm not sure what you would consider 'hot gossip,' though?" June tapped one finger on his chin, attempting to come up with something interesting. "Everything here is pretty normal... The kingdom is doing well... um... Ephi broke another window yesterday... Sunny's out helping an orphanage today... Noxy is still in his room... Queen Cali has been visiting a lot lately, too."

          {☼} —; “Bunnies are very cute. Rabbits on the other hand, not so much! Ever heard of the Velveteen Rabbit? Oh jeeze how scary that one is!” he chuckles, humminh. “Your character though huh … does that mean that those things aren’t real? I was really hoping that you were really half-bunny and half-man … . imagine how exciting that’d be.” he huffs.

          {☼} —; “Of course not! I don’t produce slander unless there’s slander to be produced! I don’t want myself to be some kind of a bad reporter. I want to do justice for the people! Not spread lies and gossip that’ll tear apart a kingdom!” unless the truth caused that. Otherwise he’d keep it to a down low. Just things that’d concern the citizens like finances of a kingdom.

          {☼} —; “Oh I’m not trying to win answers out of you. Though dates would be great! But maybe that’s another thing for another time.” he laughs, clearing out a new page on his notepad for questions. “Hm … Linlin huh? Cute … anyways—! First question would be, are those real? Also, do you love your kingdom? Any interesting people in it? What’s the hottest gossip?”

[storyskip-blog]

     "Well!" June huffed, "It's kind of my character, after all! I'm not ashamed of being related to those of the rabbit variety, as they're very cute and sweet! Proper role-models, I think!" Watching the other write down everything he said was very confusing. He’d never been interviewed before, in the few years he had been at Pique.. If he didn’t know how they worked, then should he be saying anything at all? June knew that if he asked Nox about this that the jack would say no, but a part of him wanted to play along. He was glad that the boy stood on the ground in front of him instead of flying around, at least.

    His bunny ears twitched. "A Coeur newspaper? And you came all the way here looking for a story? How diligent of you... Umm hmmm... I can help you I suppose~ As long as there's no slander against my kingdom... You're not that kind of reporter, right?"

    "Are you trying to win me over with flattery~? Ahuhu! Is that professional?" June giggled behind one hand, spinning around on his feet to face the man of Coeur. "Okay, Linlin~ What questions do you have? I'll do my very best."  

          {☼} —; “Ohohohoho, you admit it then! You are a bunny man!” he grins, taking note of the name, jotting it down quickly on paper. “J-u-n-e, H … Haize… . H-A-I-Z-B-E-L-T-Z-A.” he nods his head, satisfied. He releases himself from the wind, and lands on the ground close to the other, still circling him.

          {☼} —; “Very well, very well!” he says, putting away his camera and muting himself as he talked to himself. Man what a weirdo! How exciting, I don’t get to meet a lot of strange and exciting people! “The Ace of Pique? Amazing! I wonder if the people know …” he hums before answering.

          {☼} —; “I am Linh Izayoi, the Eight of Hearts from the Kingdom of Coeur! However, I’m here for personal business! I run a paper called the Plaisir Times, and I’m just looking for things to write!” he circles around until he’s behind the other, creeping up and gently touching their shoulder.

          {☼} —; “You good sir, are very interesting because you’re a bunny man. Very uncommon in all worlds … even Wonderland. You’re also a cute bunny man at that … “ he grins.

[storyskip-blog]

@octomanibus

     A “desperate cry for help” was what called June out to the shores of Pique today. Quite near Dinah’s station, he stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking the tidepools while listening to the citizen’s complaints. “Hm, hm,” He nodded at them, holding his chin in one hand, “A ‘sea monster,’ you say? Do we really have those around here? And it was going to eat you?” It sounded a bit silly, but who was he to judge? He found it amusing how the bunny man seemed to be the only one willing to investigate the dark waters. The ace wasn’t afraid of the ocean of all things, of course! Sea monsters, though... he had never encountered one before. 

    “Don’t worry! I’ll take care of it, okay?” He smiled at the small crowd that had gathered around the water, brushing them away with one hand since he didn’t want them to be too close just in case there really was some dangerous creature swimming around in there. 

    He decided to go to the small cave-like areas first-- those that were hidden from view. It was damp and slippery, but June didn’t really mind. He rarely ever fell. The rabbit hopped around until he came across something very big and sinister-looking hiding in the shadows. It slithered and crawled, but remained silent even with his sudden appearance. With a small splash, he walked over and poked it, making the animal recoil. A tentacle? He couldn’t quite make out the face of the other in the darkness, but he could tell that it must be someone, and not something. 

    “Hewo? What are you doing here?” 

[storyskip-blog]

     “Eh? Eh? What’s all this about, I wonder...?” 

    The stranger had approached him so suddenly, and he hadn’t expected to become such a spectacle. What was he, an animal at the zoo?! Surely they had enough respect not to treat him like a real rabbit! It seemed quite rare for the ace to be overwhelmed by someone more energized than himself, but it actually happened quite often. He didn’t know where to start, with how quickly the boy zoomed in and out of his vision. 

    “You can try to beat me down, but I really wouldn’t recommend that! Huhu...” He would prefer to avoid fighting a happy little kid from a different country anyways. “You can call me June Haizebeltza, young sir~! I’m not only the bunny man of the country, but the Ace of Pique! So settle down a little and maybe I’ll tell you more, hm?” His warning tone made it clear that he didn’t appreciate all the extra attention. June was this close to crushing his camera, but his kind and docile nature while on the job forbid him from doing so. 

    He smiled on command, though that was unintentional. “So? What’s your name, and why am I so interesting to you?”

@storyskip

          {☼} —; “Ah — ! A bunny! A man! A bunny man!? No, even more! It’s a bunny man in Pique ! A half-blind bunny man?! Just what sort of experiments are they having in this country? How exciting!” Linh grins, flourishing his Hauchiwa fan in order to create gusts beneath him. He uses this gust to circle the other, flying around them fantastically while etching down notes and taking pictures.

          {☼} —; “You! What’s your name?! Will you answer my questions, or do I have to beat you down like I have to everyone else usually?! I hate doing that!” he zips from side to side, staring down the bunny man.

          {☼} —; “Well?! What’s the answer, c’mon! Oh, give me a smile too!” he takes another picture.

[storyskip-blog]

relationship page updated..! 

anyone else is still welcome to join~

[storyskip-blog]

     It was a bit of a shock to see Ephraim become interested in the ace's war councils all of a sudden-- at first glance, strategizing didn't seem like his 'thing.' June knew that he wanted to come because of his own reasons, though, and not because he didn't trust him to do his job.

    He sat in the front row of the room and listened keenly to the king describe their possible plan of action, nodding at him encouragingly every time the other paused his words. He was surprised, still-- pleasantly surprised to see how well Ephi had taken the news of the Joker base with minimal panicking and even went on to organize his squadrons. His mannerisms were vastly different from June's, but the king sounded just as experienced. He grinned up at Ephraim; a sign of approval.

    "Why, Ephi! You took the words right out of my mouth. This couldn't have been your first time commanding the army...?" He giggled behind one hand. If it really was, then that was impressive. His dear king was very smart after all! (Not that he ever doubted him, but he was reminded!) Bunny ears flopped as he sprang up from his seat and stood in front of the Wonderland map to address his comrades.

    "Alrighty-tighty! You heard Ephi! Party A does the distracting, Party B looks out from above, and Party C does the sneaky-sneak from behind! Be good and safe, okay~?" The soldiers nodded in response. After years of having to listen to the current ace, they had learned to decipher his childish way of speaking, and respected it. It was only the new-comers that underestimated him. Maybe what they were surprised to hear was not the king speaking to them, exactly, but someone talking in normal military general language instead of June's cutesy code-words.

“Normally I would have liked a little more preparation, but this is urgent, don’t you think?” He summoned the Sleepy Magician only to reach into the ghost’s hat and pull out a bag of veggie chips rather comically. “I think we’ll go as soon as everyone’s ready. ASAP?” He offered a veggie chip to the other.

[storyskip-blog]

     The defeated king could not stay quiet forever. Not in his state of mind... June could hear movement nearby, very close, as the other rocked back and forth and wept to himself. At the turn of the ace's head he then heard a muffled sob, as if Ephraim could tell that he was found and gave up on trying to be completely silent. At least he isn't running, was all June could think of in a positive light. He was staying in one place, even if it was still to hide from him.

    And there would be no more of that...!

    If Ephraim was in this house, then he would investigate it before he had a chance to flee again. He used the Sleepy Magician to warp himself from the outside walls in; a desperate magic trick. It took him a moment to adjust his eyes to the absolute darkness once he stepped onto the wooden floors. Creaaaak. Well, he wasn’t trying to be subtle anyways. The abandoned home was worn and dirty. The sounds the floorboards and doors made when he opened them were very unpleasant to hear. The king would surely notice his presence.

    "Ephi...?" June tip-toed around each room cautiously until he entered the one in the back, the one where Ephraim had secluded himself in. Ears drooping, he inched towards the other man, unable to hide his nervousness. "Hey, Ephi... what are you afraid of...?"

    The ace repeated the question, still moving closer to Ephraim with every word until he was completely cornered. "In this situation... One wouldn't be surprised to see a wimpy little bunny like me be jumpy... but what are you afraid of...?"

♛-; Rocking back and forth, he feels as if his mind will collapse on him. Fall apart because gods, why did one of the people he loved most in the castle have to see him like so? Like the monster he was? Disgusting, filthy, vile–these words ran through his head over and over, but perhaps they weren’t all lies. Abomination, beast, demon… He had been called these things by some Jokers, but they were mad men, and so he simply brushed them off. June hadn’t called him any of these things, but his mind recalled his voice so vividly that he could imagine the ace spewing these insults at him, and it felt as if his chest were caving in on itself.

♛-; He starts to pull his hair, because how is he supposed to show his face in the castle again? To show his face to June again? As he hears footsteps approach though, he stops his breathing. June’s voice, something that he found solace in, now scared him to death. ‘Don’t find me, don’t look at me, run–run away, June, I’m a monster, please go, I don’t want to hurt you, don’t look at me’ like a mantra, he rocks back and forth in the corner of the house, tears pricking at his eyes.

♛-; And then, it falls. Like a pin dropping in a room, the sound of a tear drop hitting the ground breaks the silence, and now he knows June is aware of his presence. He’s scared though–in such a state of mind, would he be able to control his powers? What disgusting powers he had, though… To manipulate shadows and snuff the life out of people… Perhaps he was a monster.

♛-; Despite having the knowledge that the ace now knew of his whereabouts, he does and says nothing, save for rocking back and forth and sniffling. Monster… monster… monster… That’s what he was. He wasn’t a king, he was a monster.

[storyskip-blog]

     After a very amusing yet scarring event, Pique’s ace found himself being teleported to a new location by the Sleepy Magician, pulled out of its hat by his ponytail (as he had lost his ears) and dropped onto the ground beneath a stranger’s feet. “Uwauwauwah…!” June was tied up with rope from his shoulders down to his ankles. He wiggled around for a while, struggling to use his core muscles to kick up into the air and hop to his feet so he could look at the stranger head-on. 

    “I finally escaped…!” He gasped, sounding exhausted, “Little monsters, they were! And they stole my ears! Horrible!” Him and the one he had been transported to (randomly, might he add, as he would have been glad to be anywhere else but that place) stared silently at each other for a long time before June started jumping in place in annoyance. 

    “Please don’t just stare! Free me!! Help!!” His bouncy nature was somehow more strange and childish when he had no rabbit ears on his head. He sighed, looking around the area. “And where did I warp to, exactly…?”

[storyskip-blog]

about to write drafts, but feel free to like this if you want to be on junes relationship page! (ill add those hes interacted with by default probably fdkjgfdg but its ok to like if they havent officially met too ill just put his impression of them)

[storyskip-blog]

     June was quite used to being so casually affectionate with the other, but he still squealed in response to the smooching and squeezed the other in his arms. "Your 'most precious Ace?' Huhu, I'm your only Ace, you know! That's not saying a whole lot at all~" He was teasing, of course, as he knew what the king meant, and what he meant to the king. "I love you too Ephi! You're toooo nice to me... What would I do with all those gifts if the best gift was already here!" He paps his hands against Ephraim's cheeks with a grin.

    He nodded at the other in sympathy. "Ooh, yeah that sounds like him. He threatens to burn down the castle like every day! I'm not sure if he's serious, though..." He frowned. "That would be dangerous. But since he's been around for so long, you must have some faith in him, right...? When it comes to his job, like me!" The two men being hired years ago happened to be under very different circumstances, but June couldn't help but believe that there was some reason he stayed in the castle. He was welcome to leave at any time if he was unhappy, after all.

    "Waah! You're not feeling okay after all? Does it hurt to walk?" He huffed, rolling up the sleeves of his uniform to prepare himself. "Then I can't argue, can I?" He smiled, turning around and crouching a bit for the other to climb onto his back. Two gloved hands urged the king to come along. "Upsie-daisie, Ephi!"

♛-; “Noxy already doesn’t listen to half of the rules–it’s already a rule that it’s forbidden to attack the king and queen, yet he does it every day! Our Noxy is just in his rebellious phase I guess…” Putting a hand on his cheek, he lets out a sigh, like a parent wondering what to do with their unruly teenage child. Only this ‘unruly teenage child’ scared the king to death and could throw fire.

♛-; Giggling, Ephraim gives June a kiss on the cheek before hugging him. “Ooh, you’re so cute Juney! My most precious Ace… Eee, I just love you so much, my well-being isn’t enough at all! I need to spoil you with all the gifts I can afford!” Still holding onto June, he releases the other after a few moments, but he still won’t let him off with ‘your well-being is all the reward I need’, Ephraim had to do something for him!

♛-; “Not at all, he just yells and throws fires at me! Those aren’t trials of courage!” Stomping his foot on the ground, his face shifts and he looks like he’s about to cry–but he doesn’t, luckily.

♛-; “Yes! And you can’t break a promise to a king!” Giggling like a small child, Ephraim feels blessed to have June by his side during such times; he was the light at the end of the tunnel for him. “Mm… Sunny’s room; we can surprise him! Ooh, since I’m injured, will you give me a piggyback ride though?” The injuries were nothing more than a few scrapes and cuts, but Ephraim would do anything to ride on June’s back–not that the other had ever really refused him before.

[storyskip-blog]

     June couldn't resist giving a little excited hop. He could use a nickname! Yay! Not that he actually waited for one's approval before making up silly shortened names for people, but it felt better to talk to them if they liked what they were called.

    "Only once? Somewhere else?" The ace tilts his head curiously at Calypso, as it seemed like her memory of koi had a special meaning to it.  "Well, our pond is very pretty, too! It's close by, one moment~"

    It was a fun experience to be led around Pique's castle by the rabbit-eared man, to say the least. Though he said it was "close by," he was sure to take an interesting, less-than-short path to the courtyard, passing by dozens of open rooms and scenery for the queen to gander at as they went. He stopped a few times to say hello to some of the servants and attendants and introduce "Cali" as his new visitor friend. (Sometimes forgetting to include the fact that she was not only a visitor, but a queen.)

    The courtyard was one of June's favorite places to be. It was open, but still protected by the castle walls. The fresh air was welcome to his lungs, and the botanical decor was a rich green, neat and bouncy looking. The koi pond was located off to the side, half in the shade of the trees and half illuminated by sunlight. As they approached, June gently brought Calypso down by the hand so that they were both crouching above the water's surface, watching the brightly colored fish swim around in circles. "See, there they are! They've gotten bigger since I saw them last, I think..."

[ ♣ ];;     the ace of pique seems to be hesitant when beginning to hold her hand, debating whether he’s allowed to touch her skin, before he decides to shake it. she laughs quietly to herself, peppering his hand with a pat of her palm. he feels like the song of a forest, silent before resonating, as if he’s trying to look for something in his chest.

[ ♣ ];;     his face turns crimson when she mentions her name, and she can almost taste the relief on her tongue. he visibly relaxes against her, a grin appearing on the curve of his mouth as he offers her a lighthearted joke. “cali would be just fine, i think,” she replies, giving him a laugh of her own. holding her hand, he guides her towards the halls of the castle. 

[ ♣ ];;     for a brief moment, she wonders if she’ll be able to meet with the king soon, but she lets june distract her from her thoughts. june is thoughtful as he surveys the halls, deciding where they should venture first. calypso knows nothing of the castle, but she’s always found it beautiful. in trefle, the sun is a phoenix above them, burning against her neck and underneath her skin. here, the sun rises with outstretched arms, and hides in between the solace of mountains and temples. 

[ ♣ ];;     “a koi pond, you say?” she taps her lip with a finger, pursing them in feign thought. “that sounds marvellous! i have only seen them once, and they are quite beautiful.” she remembers that it had been a trip with apollo, but it seems so long ago now. “shall we go there, then?”

[storyskip-blog]

                                                               Your heart beats a sad rhythm