A Proposal PV Kazuo Fin

The table was covered in books, papers, and multicoloured brush tip pens. Notes scrawled here and there, half drawn sketches, codes, and what appeared to be a half-written letter with a supply list. All the markers of a student working on a project. Not just any project, Kazuo was in the midst of planning for the infamous Blossom Ball. Well… last year's Ball had been infamous… This year he was hoping to host something properly fun. No hags or mosps or explosions.

It would have been common knowledge amongst the students who knew him that the library was his haunt but the number of students who knew him that well was small. If he had known that Dee had chosen to interrogate his classmates and dorm mates in order to find him, he might have a twinge of sympathy for them. However, he was blissfully unaware of the harassment they were being subjected to by the lovely Ravenclaw.

With his nose buried deep in a book on Greek mythology, he was oblivious to the other students in the shared space, blocking out their presence as much as possible. So he did not see Dealla furiously stalking through the stacks, trying to find him. Though some part of him was aware of her approach, his focus was on the words he was reading and so it wasn't until she planted her hands on the desk that he truly realized she was there.

He gazed up into that ominous smile and arched a brow, putting the book down as she spoke.

Proposal. Date. Ball.

His expression went through a transformation of multiple emotions; surprise, concern, confusion, and finally amusement. He shifted his gaze down to the chaos that was his planning then back up at Dee again.

"I don't know if you heard, Ouji-sama, but I'm planning the Blossom Ball. I hardly have time to be shopping around for a date who I probably won't even have time for as one of the hosts of the event." Kazuo replied with an amused smirk. "Besides which, I'm not really interested in play-dating girls I don't know. Which, to be honest, is most of the girls here. I'm not D'spacito."

He leaned back in his chair, casually stretching his arms out behind him as he watched her. "The look on your face absolutely screams trouble." He brought his arms in and crossed them over his chest. "I am intrigued yet also concerned. What are you plotting and why?"

@Dealla Prince

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Under different circumstances the clutter of paper and notes on the table would have drawn Dee's eye and attention. The general theme of the ball had been announced, but the details of it, those were only for the organisers to know. Dee had been on the other side of this last autumn, and usually, her curiosity would have drawn her to poke and prod, to sneak a peek at what was laid out here. Her overpowering curiosity was one of her many flaws, likely a big part of the reason the Hat had decided she was more fit to join the eagles in their aerie than the snakes in their nest.

But not now. In this moment, her focus was sharp, clear, and directed at the boy beyond the notes. Her smile brightened at his reminder that he was in charge of organising the ball, and she waved a dismissive hand. Yes, she was aware. In fact, it was part of the reason she was here. The fact that Ileen was willing to go to an event this large that was organised by Kazuo of all people - despite her proclamation once she'd found out about this that it could not end in anything but disaster - just because Percival had asked her was telling a lot more about the situation than Ileen had put into words. So what better choice to repay her than imply her full support of both ball and Kazuo by asking him to be her date?

The mention of Rafael D'Spacito received a slightly scrunched up nose. "Good thing, too, I wouldn't be here if you were. And I'll translate that to 'No, I don't'. Which is perfect." Mischief, perfect wicked mischief was dancing in her eyes. What was she plotting, indeed? How much did she want to tell him? "So, my proposal: How about going with me? You don't have to go shopping around for a date because I'm right here, and I know what it's like, so you don't have to worry about keeping me entertained while you're busy. Plus, it won't be a play-date, more of a... spite-date." Of course he wasn't really getting anything out of it, and she'd spent more time angrily storming than actually thinking about why he would participate in this. Still, from what she'd seen at the hockey game, he'd likely find annoying Ileen entertaining.

Dee straightened up slightly, a look of innocence on her face that certainly wasn't fooling anybody. It wasn't intended to, honestly. Dee rarely pretended for her intentions to be anything other than they were. "I'll just say that I'm not very pleased with Ileen right now, and I'm pretty sure you're aware of how she feels about you." Loathing probably described it pretty well. She blinked at him. "Would you mind helping me a little in getting even?"

@Kazuo Shimada
Mentions @Ileen Knight

Dee was certainly worked up about something but Kazuo knew better than to pry when it was obvious the Raven would reveal whatever devious scheme she was hatching in her own time. So he resisted the impulse to press for information, simply watching her with curiosity as she spoke.

”Oho! Miss Prince is not a fan of the handsomest of Lions?” Kazuo teased with a mournful shake of his head. “You must be the only girl in the entire school who wouldn’t want to go with him.” As she went on to ask him to be her date to the Ball his eyebrows arched upward in surprise. “Going with you…? I didn’t realize I had caught your eye, Prince. Should I be grateful for this offer?” His voice was full of teasing amusement. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, fingers steepled together. “Spite-date, you say…”

Kazuo studied Dee silently, taking in the innocent expression as she admitted that Ileen was the reason for this suspicious plan. Eyes narrowed and lips curved up into a smirk. So there was trouble in BFF paradise. Intriguing. What had Ileen done to provoke Dee into a vengeance plan? And what did it have to do with his Ball? “Oh yes, Knight has made it very clear just how much she despises my mere existence. And while I am always in the mood to find new and entertaining ways to annoy her, I have to ask… What did she do?”

He considered her offer. If he accepted, he would get to annoy Ileen and Dee’s understanding that he wouldn’t be able to be with her every minute was a nice benefit. He didn’t really want a date but, as proper etiquette went, he probably should have a date. That date being someone who wasn’t interested in his affections added to the steady list of positives. He snickered as he imagined the look on Ileen’s face when she saw Dee on his arm. So tempting. “If I accept this proposal, I have two questions. What are you expecting me to do and what am I getting out of it, besides annoying Ileen?” If he was being honest, annoying Ileen was more than enough reason but he didn’t want to appear to be that cheap a date. He also wanted to see what this little spite date was worth to Prince. How badly did she want her vengeance?

@Dealla Prince

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The only girl? She sure hoped not, or she would be rather disappointed in her fellow witches. Truthfully, Rafael hadn't done anything to her, but his first impression had been rather bland, and during their second encounter he'd entered their tent and started throwing things at another girl without warning. While it had been rather entertaining, it wasn't the best impression he could have made. Plus, Quidditch was stupid.

But that really wasn't the point here, so Dee just made a face and waved it off impatiently. "You should be flattered, at least," she retorted, sticking out her tongue at him for just a second. "I've never asked anyone to a ball before. Does that make you feel special?" But it seemed that, at the very least, she'd managed to catch his interest. Which didn't mean that he'd accept, but it was a good first step.

The conversation was finally giving her some time to calm down and sort out her thoughts, which was probably a good thing. Necessary, too, if she wanted to talk him into this even after he'd stated he wasn't looking for a date. Honestly, she was still kind of counting on the fact that he'd just get enough entertainment out of bothering Ileen - his confirmation of that very fact at least brought a small grin back onto her face - but apparently she'd still have to play this right. Straightening up from where she'd been leaning over the table, Dee moved to sit down in the chair next to Kazuo, not bothered by the way he seemed to be scrutinising her.

Her smile slipped and faded a little at the question what Ileen had done, however. She couldn't blame him for asking - she would have asked too, no doubt - but it brought the betrayal and resentment bubbling closer to the surface. "Her ball date tried to kill me once, I think that explains enough," Dealla replied loftily. An exaggeration, of course, meant to distract from the truth of how serious this was to her, that beyond her flippant words there was real hurt in her eyes. And it could certainly have gone that way if Dee hadn't danced back in time, if Ileen hadn't gotten in the way.

Then her eyes narrowed slightly, scrutinising Kazuo in turn. She didn't know if he and Percival knew each other. They both knew Hanako, and they'd both been in the audience at the Trial by Fear, but had they talked? Interacted? Known each other before, met again after? It seemed safer to just keep his name out of this unless he specifically asked for it.

At least the prospect of annoying Ileen seemed to work its magic on Kazuo if his expression was anything to go by, and Dee relaxed slightly, but his next questions seemed like she wasn't quite in the clear yet. "You won't have to do much," she replied, shrugging. "We show up together. Of course you'd have to spend some time with me, there's no point if it doesn't look like we're having fun together, but at least I'm not boring, right? Honestly, I think you're fun to talk to, so that shouldn't be a problem. Maybe a few dances, although I'll have to warn you that the opinions on my dancing skills vary a little." She assumed he was more likely to ask Ruka about it than Thomas Lestrange, not that the latter had any actual ground for judging. He certainly wasn't going to ask Ileen about it - at least not if he was looking for an answer.

The real issue, of course, was the second question, and Dee wondered what he wanted to hear. What did he want? She doubted the answer was money, not that she would have much to offer. Knowledge? Status? She was decently well-known and decently popular. Personally, she was rather easily bribed with chocolate and the promise of entertainment, but considering she'd heard that Hufflepuff had candy trains in their dorms, that too didn't seem like much of a temptation. She tilted her head to one side, curious. Perhaps best to just ask. "What would you want?"

@Kazuo Shimada

Kazuo chuckled at the face Dee made. He was glad to know she wasn’t one of the flighty girls who cooed about boys like Rafa who were more good looks than good sense. “Flattered?” He echoed with a smirk. “To be your very first, that makes me feel very special.” There was a lightness to the way he said it, not quite teasing her but clearly not taking her too seriously either. If he had any interest in girls or romance, he might actually be flattered by her invitation, regardless of her ulterior motives but his thoughts on romance were thoroughly coloured by his intellectual nature and the secondhand observations he had made watching the adults around his parents.

“Her ball date tried to kill you?” He repeated her explanation, eyebrows raising in surprise. “Who is her date and how did they try to kill you?” Curiosity piqued, he had to ask the questions. Was she exaggerating? Probably, though around Hogwarts one could never be sure. Yet there was a seriousness to her answer so something had happened to make Dee despise this person, something serious.

He tilted his head slightly as she explained what she would be expecting from the Ball. Nothing he wouldn’t have to do for any date but also nothing specific to her vengeance plan. “I think I can suitably manage all of those things. They are, after all, what any couple would do at a Ball. I was more interested in whether or not you wanted me to do more for the spite part of this date… He gave her a smirk then shrugged when she asked him what he would want. He hadn’t really had any particular idea in mind, more curious about what she might offer but with her turning the question around on him, he considered what to ask her for. “Good question. I want information. Something you know I wouldn’t know about the goings on of this school.” He grinned at her then, eyes shining with mischief. "Something worthwhile, if you know what I mean."

@Dealla Prince

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Kazuo responded to her less-than-serious statement that he should be flattered by teasing in kind, and it sparked an honest smile on Dee's face, her edges which had been sharpened by hurt softening slightly. "Good, as you should," she replied haughtily, honouring him with a regal nod, before she relaxed into a grin.

The tension returned to her shoulders, her face tightening, when Kazuo did not simply accept her vague explanation, instead digging deeper. Her hands were thankfully hidden under the table, but they, too, tensed, fingers digging into her thighs while she tried to appear unfazed. She didn't succeed very well, unease plain to the observant eye. "Raincoat tried to push me down the stairs, backwards," she offered marginally more information. "I managed to get out of the way in time, but it was close. Ileen saw it, too."

There was a lot to those two sentences, however. She'd used her mocking nickname for Rainwood, originally intended to annoy him or rather, I was very tired while writing a post one night and decided to go with it, although it had never quite stuck. Either way, it wouldn't be immediately obvious who she was talking about, without seeming like she was dodging the question on purpose. Second, after he had missed her, he'd accidentally pushed Ileen instead, and landed both of them in the Hospital Wing after they had hit their heads falling. Truthfully, most of her resentment was on Ileen's behalf much more than her own, which seemed to make it even worse that Ileen had forgiven the boy without question or reservation. Part of it was also guilt, a hollow pit in her stomach - some part of her knew she'd goaded him into it, that it was her fault that Ileen had ended up in the Hospital Wing almost as much as his, although she'd never admit it. Easier to blame him.

But there was too much honesty in all of that, more than she was ready to share right now, through the knot of feelings in her stomach. Some other time, with the wound not feeling like it had just ripped open the stitches, she might have.

Her words flowed a lot easier again with the change towards expectations - and reward. Lips twitching slightly, Dee shrugged. "I think you underestimate just how much it will bother Ileen just to see us together there. We won't have to do much, really." Dee was expecting quite an explosion. "But if you have more suggestions, I'm open." Truly, currently, there wasn't much she wouldn't agree to, and she was curious what Kazuo had envisioned.

And then, the question of what he wanted. Information, hm? Worthwhile or not, that was rather vague, and Dee's eyes narrowed, somewhere between thoughtful and suspicious. But yes, between last year's events, what she'd heard from other prefects, her encounter with SCAR last summer, and the attack on the Ravenclaw common room, there were likely things she knew that he didn't about the dark things going on in this school. If that was what he was referring to. "I'm sure we can figure something out," she replied, finally, a little amused. True, she probably had more access to information than the average student, but this also made her curious of what he knew. Perhaps they could turn it into an exchange of information instead. But not now.

@Kazuo Shimada

Kazuo watched Dee’s growing discomfort with his prying questions though she should have expected he would ask, considering what she was asking from him. He studied her as she spoke, arching a brow. “Raincoat…?” A nickname? An odd one, if it was. He didn’t know Ileen well enough to know who she hung out with, other than Dee so it wasn’t much of a clue to identifying the potential date. Her explanation was also far too curt to give him any significant details on what had happened but it was pretty obvious she didn’t want to talk about it so he let it be. As much as his curiosity urged him to push for a better answer, it could upset her and that would likely reduce his chance of hearing the full story. “Very well,” Kazuo replied with a shrug.

He considered Ileen for a moment and had to admit that Dee might be right. His very presence did seem to just send her right into a mood. He actually found it quite amusing how much she seemed bothered by his existence. He didn’t even need to do anything for her to find something to accuse him of. It was ridiculous. Irrational. Completely illogical. And above all else, it was annoying. If she was going to blame him for things the least she could do was find something he had actually done instead of just assuming he was evil incarnate. “Well…” Kazuo’s eyes shone with mischief as he responded. “As one of the organizers of the event, I’m sure I could hex her drink? Or there’s this Jinx I was reading about the other day that causes pimples… I bet her date would love to see her break out in pimples.” Honestly, it was a bit mean to suggest but the idea was highly entertaining. He might be well-mannered most of the time but he did have a bit of a mean streak. “What about this date? You don’t want to get back at him for this attempted murder?”

Dee seemed amused by his price which made him grin when she agreed to his terms. If she hadn’t been a Ravenclaw he might not have chosen that particular price but he gambled on her understanding the value of what he was asking and it seemed his gamble would pay off. “Sounds like we have a deal, then, Ouji-sama. I can’t wait to see Knight’s face when she sees us together.”

@Dealla Prince

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Dee sighed slightly when Kazuo just repeated the nickname but didn't prod any further. Should she have expected that he'd be interested in the story behind all this? Probably, but she really hadn't thought things through before coming here, the idea formed instantly and carried out rashly. She wasn't even sure how she was going to handle her best friend the next two weeks before the ball, considering that was how long this arrangement would take to bear any fruit. Was she just... going to stay mad at Ileen? That seemed exhausting. And pointless, considering she'd get her revenge either way.

Those were more things to think through, once she'd calmed down. She probably owed Kazuo an explanation, too. But not now.

Kazuo's ideas for further revenge really weren't what she'd had in mind, however. While Dee wouldn't be above playing that sort of prank on some people, Ileen was still her best friend. She wanted her to feel the same hurt and betrayal Dee did, yes, but she didn't want her publicly humiliated. The idea that, as organiser of the ball, Kazuo would be in the position to do that sort of thing honestly hadn't even crossed her mind. Having him as her date was symbolic more than anything, if she thought someone else would hurt Ileen more, that's where she would have gone.

She shook her head, then paused. Ileen really hadn't been treating him very nicely - for, in Dee's eyes, no real reason - so she couldn't exactly blame him for having that sort of thought. Plus, she still was rather mad at Ileen. "Not on my account," she replied, shrugging. "But if you want to, that's your business. I won't warn her."

Getting revenge on Percival was another thought that hadn't really occurred to her, and for a moment, she wondered why. It should have been the obvious reaction after the events of last Halloween, and yet she'd never even considered it. At the moment itself, everything else had been overshadowed by her worry for Ileen, but after? Instead, she'd just stayed away from him.

The real answer was likely that it had been for Ileen's sake. Ileen had asked that she stop antagonising Rainwood before that day, but it had never been that serious. There was a sensation of guilt Dee carried with her since Halloween, the feeling that Ileen's fall had really been her fault, for goading Rainwood on until he'd retaliated physically. It had caused an underlying fear that another fight with Percival would get Ileen hurt again. Not that Dee was really aware of this - she just tended to avoid thinking about it too much.

Either way, she didn't really have an answer to Kazuo's question, so after a few moments of staring blankly, she just shook her head. "No," she replied, her voice wavering just slightly. "He deserves something special."

And with that, the decisions were made, the plan set in motion. A slight smile on her face, Dee held out her hand for Kazuo to shake. "Deal."

@Kazuo Shimada