Kingdom Come Ch. 04

"I'm surprised you can paint something so accurately, considering it's not even here." Ian leans down, peering over Blair's shoulder with an impressed expression. Blair bristles at having someone so close to her while working, but tries to keep her cool. It's unlike back at her apartment, where she could shut the lights off and work alone with nothing but energy drinks to keep her company and stimulated. If she wants to work on art, she either has to fork over a pretty penny for the supplies and keep them in her room, or use the school's provided supplies. And though she might be royalty with a shoddy tie to some wealth, her old habits die hard, and she wants to utilize the school's free supplies whenever possible. Her friends also make for good subjects and company in the art room.

She's painting the landscape outside, capped with snow instead of the lush greenery it features now. She wonders about what the hills will look like frosted over, and so she uses her imagination to fill in the blanks.

Ian waves a hand in front of Blair's face, his handsome features becoming worried momentarily. "Are you in there?" She snaps her head up, eyes widening as she notices he's been speaking.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" She brushes bright red hair out of her eyes, the rest is tied behind her in a tight ponytail, but it falls out at times, too thick and wavy to be restrained by the bind.

"I've been complimenting you, though I'm afraid it's fallen on deaf ears." He smirks, sitting down next to her as she places a brush in a cup and turns to face him, now fully alert to his presence.

"I thought you were busying yourself being their new toy." Blair giggles at seeing Ian stiffen up. He's been through the ringer the past few days, being passed to the eccentric medieval art geeks. He's undoubtedly handsome, and everyone is eager to use the newcomer as a subject. Everyone, that is, except for Blair. Who has been finishing a landscape piece for lack of anything better to do when the plot isn't progressing.

"I can only be manhandled by so many eager artists." He phrases the words carefully, grimacing as they come out of his mouth.

Blair wasn't sure if her plan would work, getting to know Ian quicker than the story would usually pace things. But luckily, he's been amenable to joining her after class for some time in the club room. She figured that this would be a neutral space, due to Ian's reclusiveness and aversion to honesty, and also because inviting him back to her room immediately would give off the wrong signals, no matter her intentions, modern day or otherwise. There are just some things you've got to wait to do.

"You don't have to hang around here if it's too much of a bother. I'm sure they'll find someone else to annoy." Blair says politely, busying herself with her paints as Ian stiffens. It's a minuscule action that Blair catches for some reason. She's been enjoying his company so much the past few days that she has completely forgotten the objective to some extent. He still hasn't admitted to being part of the guard in any capacity, nor has he bothered to explain why he's humoring her by being here for any length of time. Perhaps the first day could be written off as good-natured curiosity. But every day after class? That's pushing it.

In the original route, Ian was much more forthcoming about his place on campus and his duty to protect the students while apprehending the culprit of the campus disappearances. But now he seems listless, fidgeting more and more as the days go by. Blair has a sneaking suspicion that her meddling has caused the plot to change, but she's unsure how. Perhaps her forwardness is off-putting? Less attractive than her somewhat ditzy counterpart? Despite his laid-back and carefree demeanor, Ian was always a bit more reserved. But to this extent...?

The more Blair pushes and teases, the more Ian deflects, always with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. But it's not immensely helping her predicament, and to some extent, is not speeding up the process.

So what exactly is the deal?

Grace waltzes up to the duo, effectively breaking the awkward silence and providing some palpable relief.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" She asks, a bit cheekily. Her sleeves are pushed up to her arms, and her long brown hair is wrapped in a messy bun. She's sweating a bit, and Blair wonders what exactly she was sewing to be so out of sorts.

"No-" Blair and Ian answer at the same time. They flush and then turn away from each other. Blair chews on her lip, a bit amused by the interaction and how easily flustered Ian becomes.

"I wouldn't want to steal her away from you, Ian," Grace says, ever cordial, if not a bit teasing in her interactions with the guy.

"Pretend I'm not here." Ian waves off her concern, but stays firmly planted on the chair, looking a bit like a guard dog of sorts. Grace tilts her head to the side, presumably sensing the odd way Ian is acting. She's clever and quick to pick up on social cues, unlike some of Blair's other friends...

"Very well," Grace says, as agreeable as ever, even when the request is a bit odd. "I was just wondering how the sketches are coming along?"

"You sketch?" Ian immediately jumps in, then shrinks back, throwing his hands up when he realizes he's not really supposed to be talking. "Sorry." He murmurs, and the girls both giggle.

"It's quite alright, has she shown you the work I've commissioned for the ball?"

Ian shakes his head, cheeks still tinged pink from the outburst, as Blair hunches over, retrieving some of the paper she's had stashed away until now, not needing it before.

Grace rounds the easel as Blair sets it up, leaning between Blair and Ian, and causing the man to bristle. Grace's lip quivers as she tries not to laugh, and Blair takes a deep breath to avoid doing the same thing herself.

"I altered the bodice like you asked yesterday, so it's a bit looser than before. I also added some ribbons here." Blair draws her finger down, and the two beside her eagerly watch, taking in the huge sketch of a big, ornate dress.

"What is this? I thought you only did scenic paintings?"

"I used to do portraiture..." Blair says carefully, not wanting to admit to drawing anime characters in her free time, so she finds a suitable replacement word for her explanation, "but now I paint whatever interests me, and Grace's request interested me."

"I work for the committee that oversees school events, such as the upcoming ball. Blair is being dear and helping me with some concept art. It saves time and gives me a better picture to work with."

The air changes as a cheeky grin crosses Grace's face. "Speaking of, are you two going to the ball together? If so, can I help you design matching outfits?" She bats her lashes innocently, but her words are anything but.

Blair blushes, and Ian coughs awkwardly. Seeing as he's going to be investigating until the ball, and then some, it would make sense that he'd take someone, if only to avoid his cover being blown. Wandering the school alone all the time is a surefire way for people to think you're suspicious. And to catch the culprit, it's in his best interest to blend in and look like a student. So far, he's been doing a good job after school, thanks to Blair's help. Even if he only stays around for about an hour max, she can't be sure about anything beyond that.

"I didn't-"

"It hasn't come up-"

They both say at the same time, interrupting each other yet again.

Grace hums knowingly as she steals Blair's unfinished piece of art, promising to return it by nightfall. She winks at the non-couple, saying something about not wasting too much time, or they'll both get snapped up by another.

"Your friend seems overly indulgent in aesthetics," Ian notes, returning to his charmingly cheeky demeanor in no time. He sure does know how to bounce back.

"She seems to think that we'd make a cute couple."

"She's mentioned this to you before?" Ian asks, mystified by the suggestion, as if it had only just crossed his mind that the girl he's been spending time with might be a viable candidate.

"Only in passing," Blair says, and they drop it there, though Ian remains thoughtful looking about it.

A few more days pass, and Ian's semi-flirtatious personality refuses to waver. He's like that with everyone but seems even more eager around Blair, much to her dismay. He'll play coy, but won't be honest. She doesn't quite see the point in all the theatrics.

He'll hold the classroom door open for her, bowing obnoxiously as she gives him a wry smile. And he'll often somehow locate her during lunch, pushing extra food onto her plate, saying something about how her portions look too small. It's just like a man in any reality to think he knows best about what a woman should or shouldn't be eating, but Blair will be damned if she says no to the extra stuff on account of principle. She doesn't even think she can gain weight here, all the food is far too bland to be eaten in vast quantities.

Though he remains at her side during the school day, he typically vanishes once the sun begins to set. He's not keen on sticking around the art classroom for too long, and Blair thinks it's just as well. She's sure he's got other important duties to attend to.

Life is somewhat peaceful despite the palpable tension in the air. The students were frightened to death a few days after the news was made public that they couldn't leave, seeing as there was likely a kidnapper/killer amongst them, but the sentiment could only hold strong for so long before everyday life resumed. Though normalcy in a magic kingdom differs from what Blair is used to, it's not wholly unwelcome either.

The empty halls are somewhat eerie at night, but Blair takes the opportunity to avail the library and its resources when it's quieter. There are always a few students milling about, night owls wanting to get a jump on their studies, so she doesn't feel particularly prone to any nefarious schemes. But sometimes, when she's walking the halls alone, the same time every night, ready to study before bed, the back of her neck pricks, and she gets an eerie feeling of being watched. Of course, nobody is there whenever she turns around, and nobody ever follows her to the library, or from it, but the feeling remains.

After a few days of the continued odd sensation, she chalks it up to nerves. Perhaps deep down, she's more psychologically disturbed by the events of the game than she wants to admit, even though she knows how every scene plays out. The relative safety of foresight is rendered nonexistent in the face of the unknown, and the darkened halls play with her sanity a bit. She sometimes wonders if there's an entity breaking the rules of the narrative like her. She's been feeling so secure in how she's been pushing through the game that she's neglected to give other characters' autonomy much thought. If she pushes things too far, will someone else push back? Could she be beelining for a bad end and not even know it?

She shakes her head as she hurries down a dimly lit corridor, returning from the library again. These thoughts only crop up at night, when things are a bit spooky and unnerving. Even without a killer walking the halls, the ancient state of the campus gives off eerie vibes.

There's absolutely nothing wrong here. Nothing even remotely problematic is slated to happen until later, and if she plays her cards right, she'll be on Ian's main route by then, and he'll protect her. The daily life filler is mostly wholesome, so worrying herself ragged about what lurks in the shadow is useless. As long as she keeps her head down, she'll-

Her thoughts are broken off as something reaches out for her, grabbing her waist and pulling her into an offshoot hallway. The hilarious timing of the situation isn't lost on her, but she has no time to think about irony as a hand is clapped over her mouth. She struggles against her captor's strong arms, but her thin frame is just too weak. In times like these, she hates being stuffed into a self-insert's wet dream of a body.

"Don't make a sound, or I'll call the guard." The low voice warns, and her heart stutters as her mind reels.

Her blood runs cold as her mind becomes more muddled. Of all the things that the assailant could threaten, why the guard? Won't that do him more harm than her?

As she kicks and tries to get away, she instinctively fights against the thought of a bad end. No bad ends at this point in the story revolve around the police of all things, so what gives?

Blair bites the hand over her mouth, and the rough voice behind her mutters something that sounds like an expletive. She isn't able to wiggle out of the man's hold, but manages at least to gasp out a deep breath and begin berating the person.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" She tries to wriggle around and get a good look at her captor's face, seeing as she's more infuriated than scared by now. "I should be calling the guard on you! Do you enjoy creeping on college girls? This is fucking ridiculous-" The angry tirade dies in Blairs mouth as she notices big brown eyes staring down at her in disbelief. Eyes that she's all too familiar with, seeing as she's been trying to pry secrets from their owner for the past week.

Shit.