Foxtails and Fairytales: Facades and Fables of the Phantom Prince

[Arc 3] Ch. 1 Phantom Strings

Minerva

When I exited the library, the strange boy was there waiting for me. At least I assumed that he was waiting for me since he was leaning against the stone railing.

"What do you-" I tried to ask him what he wanted.

"Hide." He said as he stood up straight and closed the infernal book.

"Pardon me?" I cocked an eyebrow at his threat.

"Edward Hyde, that's my name. If you see me around again..." He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "... well I guess it doesn't matter. Just watch where you are going next time." He walked away.

What is his problem? Seriously.

*

I walked into my dorm mansion and sighed. It was called a mansion, and some time long in the past it may have been one, but it wasn't mansion-sized in the slightest. It had four bedrooms and was considered one of the bigger more luxurious mansions. It had a common area my roommates called the 'front room' or 'family room' interchangeably. I don't know why they would call it either. A family didn't live here, and it wasn't in front of the door. It was the first room on right and contained a few couches and wall decorations. We also had a dining room and a kitchen they were through the first door on the left after entering. They were separated by counter to give easy access between both.

Once entering the house there was a hallway and stairs that went up to the second-floor landing where the bedrooms were. Today the hallway in front of the door was occupied by my roommate Satiri and four of her friends. Pirates. It's not that I hate pirates, I just don't understand them.

They were criminals, common bandits with a boat theme. Now they aren't. I understand that they formed a nation and signed a non-aggression treaty with Galavan, but they were still criminals everywhere else. But I can't be too disrespectful since Satiri is my senior and has been here longer than me. That, and my roommates including her were the only ones that were remotely sociable with me.

"Oh hi, Mini!" Satiri waved at me. "Welcome home."

I guess she's not all bad... I've never had a nickname before. Well, not one that wasn't an insult of some kind.

"I didn't know Princess Minerva was your roommate... should we be batten down the hatches?" One of her friends asked.

Here we go again.

"Only if you want to fight her. Mini, is breezy. She's a lady bard, I heard her singing yesterday. I'd call her a siren before a codfish or a cannon." She said in the pirate slang that I didn't really understand.

"That's wavey, does she play the demon's whistle or terry's tuner?" one of her friends asked.

"Neither, she's a master of the Phantom strings." Satiri said like she was revealing some great secret.

Several of the girls squealed.

... I have no idea what happened. They are still speaking common, aren't they?

"Can we hear you play?" Another one of the girls asked. I at least followed enough that I understood that they were talking about my guitar.

"Well I guess, I was going to play some anyway. It's been a day..." I rubbed my arm.

"Well it's a good day to show off. Nerys brought her brother's today. They're twins~ and dashin' to boot." Satiri cooed.

"Cute boys have kind of been the problem." I sighed. Thinking about Arsene, Hyde, and Henry. Henry had a boyish charm if only slightly plain. Hyde was handsome if only he'd scowl less. And Professor Arsene the librarian was a gentleman of charm, tact, and a smile. I wonder what Sebas looks like... I shook my head trying to clear it.