Foxtails and Fairytales: Facades and Fables of the Phantom Prince

[Arc 12] Ch. 2 Lovely Encounter

Florence put the hood up and sat down across from me. "I'm Florence, and I really appreciate you sticking your neck out for me."

"Um Benny..." I said awkwardly unable to get a handle on what was happening. Part of the reason I chose this face was because I was sure that everyone would give me a wide berth like they used to.

"Benny? That's a cute name." She smiled. "I'm kind of a clumsy person so it's nice when I can actually talk to someone as clumsy as myself. I'm always surrounded by such amazing people it can be stifling." She let out a long sigh and rested her head on the table. "I next to a break."

I chuckled a little. This wasn't just anyone, this was Lilith. My Lily. Someone who didn't have a sinister bone in her body and had grown strong through her own rotten luck. "I was thinking the same thing. You should try the chocolate chip cookies they import the sugar from the Demonkin up north."

"Cookies!" Lilith perked right up. So easy. "I love cookies." She shouted so loud that she got the attention of everyone. She cowered from embarrassment. "Sorry." She apologized to the room.

"Don't apologize, it was cute." I said. I can't say I'm not completely charmed and at ease around her.

"Thanks, but I'm just going to..." she unfolded the menu and hid behind it with an embarrassed whimper.

Moments later, a woman who looked a lot like she worked here, came by and dropped off a couple plates of chocolate chip cookies and my shake with two straws. "I heard you liked cookies." She winked as set the plates down with a clack that made Florence whimper again. "Don't worry love, my husband is a retired adventurer and his old party opened the nearby stores. If anything happens, we'll take care of it. Tell me, did one of men in question have a necklace with a double crescent moon?"

"I think so. It was on a silver chain." Lilith responded.

The woman clicked her tongue. "Thought so. That's the Winterhall boy. With everything that's happened this week, he's been causing a lot of problems all day. It's not that I don't feel for the kid since he lost his dad, but that doesn't excuse him from crossing the line as often as he has. Do me a favor and be careful around him, desperate men do stupid things."

"What happened to him?" Lilith asked.

"Well, I guess his girlfriend left him for another woman right after they raided his house for her belongings. Worse yet, the new girl is the Banshee of Baskerville, so all manner of bad luck hit him at once. His old man was caught in a scandal and perished, then his fiancée left him. He's a bad egg and now that he had his fragile shell cracked, he's stinking up the place. Just goes to show you what it's like to be on the Banshee's bad side." She sighed. "If your friends don't show up, let my husband walk you home tonight."

"Thanks, I'm a fair adventurer on my own, and I'm more confident with my equipment. But you can't walk around a festival with that many weapons." Lilith chuckled.

"The downsides of civilian life," the woman simply stated.

"I may look like this, but I could still walk her home." I raised my hand shyly.

"How chivalrous." The woman looked at me with a prideful smile. "Well I'll leave you two to your meal. It's on the house, just so long as you both get home safe. Let us handle the noble brat."

*

"After all this time, the kindness of people still surprises me." I muse as I pick up one of the cookies.

"My boss used to say that all the time." Lilith said as she set the menu down.

"Well, your kindness has always been the one I treasured most. Lily." I took a bite of the cookie. "Playing spy has gotten so tiring, just being near you again is so refreshing."

Lilith's eyes bulged and she stopped reaching for a cookie. She leaned across the table. "But all the rumors say the Prince abandoned his throne." She whispered the code phrase.

"And I hear the Phantom lost his mind in Teagon." I say the response phrase that states I'm Sebas and not Actor.

"Why are you here? Did you plan this?" Lilith whispered she looked around us and out the window.

"I'd like to take credit, but like I said before. I need a break so this was a happy coincidence. Nothing has gone according to plan. I've confessed to Red and got caught by Stella. I even swore that I'd tell Scarf before the week is up." I confessed.

"So much has happened." Lilith exclaimed.

"I need to go deeper under cover since Hyde got caught. So, I may be out of contact for a while." I confess.

Lilith seemed to deflate at that. "I see." Was all she said.

"Ya I know. I don't really want to go that long without seeing you either. I'm kind of going crazy without you around." I confess with a sip of the milkshake. This very delicious milkshake. "Mmm, that's good. Want some?" I slid it over in her direction.

Lilith didn't move and I noticed that she was blushing from ear to ear. This is part of the reason I hold back with Lilith. She's much too likely to blow a fuse. But Liz was right, I do need to show her some more affection and be a little more honest with her.

"Do... you really mean that?" Lilith didn't take a second look at the shake and just stared at me.

"Of course." I turned the shake so that the straw I was drinking from was pointed to her. "I order you to enjoy this delicious milkshake." I smile wickedly knowing I was both avoiding a clear answer and proving that I wasn't a fake.

She was compelled to take a drink and blushed even more.

She took a sip and went stiff as a board with her eyes closed. A puff of steam came out of her head as her circuits began to overheat, as she tried to comprehend the indirect kiss.

"Calm down, Florence." I chuckled. "I'm not pretty enough for you to be having this much of a reaction."

"I don't care what you look like. I still miss you." Lilith began sniffling.

"Let me see your hand." I said. She reached out her hand and I took it in both of mine. "Maybe you met a wonderful stranger the day you got lost? Maybe he isn't a student, but he visits you often? Could you kiss this face?" I smiled weakly waiting for rejection. I was suggesting that maybe I stick around as Benny so we can continue to see each other but I'm not sure how it will go when I look like this.

"Don't play with me," She opened her eyes as they began to shimmer at the edges. "I fell in love with you before I ever saw your face." She pulled me closer and reached over the table.

Um what's she doing?

Wait, we are in the middle of a restaurant! We technically just met. But... this is Lily.

She caressed my face as she kissed me. The real me. This face, this awkwardness, she kissed me. Even more than that she knew me better than anyone, so she was showing her affection for me despite my appearance.

When she let go, I realized that I had been holding my breath.

"So, Florence, does this mean you'll be my girlfriend?" I smiled awkwardly.

She giggled. "Only if you promise to visit often so I don't get too lonely."

"I'll come by as often as I can then." I smiled with my own blush.

Our moment was interrupted.

By applause.

Both of us looked at the restaurant and the whole place was applauding us.