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h Scc o Kssg The Science of Kissing People have the strangest and most unique tastes, Brand had concluded. But how had he concluded this? Simple really, if one followed through the steps of deduction and science. First The Spark of Curiosity After the ceremony had ended, everyone had burst into celebration and festivities. The streets of Elzier were filled with the many races that resided under the umbrella that was the light. It wasn??t that much of a surprise though, as they were celebrating the end of the Kapathian Wars. Despite that, Brand couldn??t find it within him self to uplift his fear of having to leave the boarders of Elzier. People were celebrating the gain of a new guardian, of gaining one of the Queen??s knights as their own symbolic pillars. But for Brand, it was like being given away and left Elizier barren of its own protectors. He would not go against Kali??s words though, and her logic of sending them to the four corners of her kingdom was just. The blonde was so lost in his thoughts, that when there was a nudge to his shoulders, he tipped over sideways. ??Whoa there!? Grandrian??s voice came through his mind, an arm wrapping around his shoulders to steady him. ??Head in the clouds, Z? What??s wrong?? The blonde shrugged once he was steady on his feet, half wondering if it was all right to confide with Grandrian. But then again, if not Annie, then who else, right? ??Well, I was just thinking? we??re not going to be able to see each other for quite some time, won??t we? I mean, all of us??since we??re being sent to the corners of Marosia?? his tone wasn??t whining like a child??s, but it was bordering close to it, as his displeasure of being shipped off like some commodity shone through. The blue haired knight tilted his head and seemed to ponder on that for a few moments, trying to formulate something that didn??t sound as tacky as he knew the blunt truth would have sounded. ??Brand-.? ??Annie, are you busy?? a gentle voice called out, the Queen of Light stepping around the corner to find two of her knights conversing. It wasn??t as if they were hiding, as the two were still deep in the throng of partiers and a few crazy drunks. Gandrian gave a glance over towards the Queen, before back to his companion. Before he could speak though, Brand shooed the older male towards Kali, uttering something along the lines that it was all right and that they weren??t too busy. The blue haired male just told him that they??d speak afterwards and then left to follow Kali. After a few moments though, Brand found that standing alone in the midst so many tall people was daunting. So instead of torturing himself, he decided to go find Kali and Gandrian. On the way, he waved towards the other knights, wherein Valen and Altima were in a challenge to see who could eat the most crackers at once. Sure hope they don??t choke on them? he thought wearily, as he slipped through the main bulk of the crowd and towards the further end of the Royal Garden. Guards surrounded the area, but upon seeing Brand, they gave no alarm and only tipped their helmeted heads at him. Just beyond the large willow tree, the two that the youngest knight was looking for stood. The pink haired queen appeared to be circling Gandrian, observing him as the Cardinal Knight watched her with curious eyes. ??What was it that you wished to talk about, Kali?? There was a moment??s pause before there was a response. ??I just wanted to personally congratulate you. And?? of course there was something else, because why else would she drag him out here for something as simple as that? ??And??? he prompted, not exactly pushing, but other things were at hand. Such as Brand??s unusual behavior??he had to reassure the youngest that journeying to the North was going to be a good experience for the blonde, after all. While in the middle of thinking what exactly to say to the youngest, he suddenly had a handful of cherries shoved right under his nose and the Queen nearly invading his personal bubble. Shocked, he took an unconscious step back. ??Ah??cherries, your Highness?? ??A gift. For your hard work.? she explained, her tone slightly nervous for unknown reasons. And for the briefest of moments, Gandrian had the horrible thought that Kali tired of her knights and he was going to be the first of these presents. These poisonous cherries. No doubt she had injected them with the strongest of poisons that even his aquatic magic couldn??t expel. Next? next would be Altima??logical, since going after Valen first would draw the Female Knight??s suspicions. Not that Valen wasn??t as cautious, but despite his leadership skills, the man lost track of the knights more often than Brand lost his marbles. But then, the brief moment passed, and he reassured himself that the Queen wasn??t of malicious intent. She radiated abundant of goodness and light and innocence that there was just no way she??d tire of them and decide to off them. Plus, logic reasoned with him, she had assigned them to the four corners of Marosia??what would be the benefit of poisoning them off if they were going to be sent away for some chunk of time already? Smiling at her, he plucked one of the cherries out of the bundle that she held to him and plopped it into his mouth. One bite into it reminded him that there was a seed in the center, of which he had to eat around. The flavor was sweet though, as the cherries were ripped to near perfection. In a show of slight unrefined action, he turned his head and tried to spit out the seed to a random direction into the grass without offending the Queen. However, though thinking it was over, he was proven wrong when the bundle of cherries were pressed back under his vision. Confused, he wondered if his ??gift?? was meant to be finished here and now, with the Queen somewhat hand feeding him the sweet fruits. Parting his lips to ask her what she was doing, he was surprised and confused yet again when she relaxed her hands and dropped the cherries to the ground one just gently pinched between her fingers. ??Your Highne-.? ??Call me Kali, Annie.? she attested, blocking his speech by plugging his mouth with the said cherry she had. Another step back couldn??t have saved the blue haired knight from what was happening though, as she leaned in closer and seal their lips together. Soft sparks seemed to dance along nerve systems, their lips widened not by their tongues trying to meet one another, but because of the fruit between them. Kali wasn??t the kind of woman to just wait around for what she wanted though, and she knew to take what she wanted, when she wanted. The kiss was dominated by her. Pearl teeth bit into the fruit and sweet nectar that was both unique and familiar gushed into their mouths. Red, deep as blood, lined both of their lips, staining it deeper than wine on silk. Her hands were pressed against his shoulders, palms smoothed over the muscles just underneath that were forming with the vigorous training he had been doing with Valen. Golden eyes were closed to soak in the moment, the warmth and underlining coolness that was lingering underneath the flesh that she held. Meanwhile, Gandrian was half in a state of shock. His hands had fallen to Cecelia??s hips, holding them in position least they moved again for some reason. They felt delicate under his touch as if he could harm her if he squeezed too tight or shoved too hard. So instead of doing anything, he stood there, frozen with eyes blown wide and a few seconds from pissing himself silly with the emotions that ran through him. It wasn??t until the kiss was over, when the polished off seed fell to the grass, did he take another step back. ??Annie, I-.? But before she could finish, the Cardinal Knight took yet another, and another and even another step back, before he found that he had his back to the willow tree??s trunk. ??Brand??s calling me, I have to go.? he hurried out, turning tails and running like he had never experienced before. Why he was running was beyond him, but the awkward moment, the confusion, and even more, the fright, was enough to keep him from looking back. So of course he never saw the miffed features of his Queen as she watched him scurry away like some frightened puppy. Second Formulating a Question, Hypothesis and Experiment Wide, caramel eyes were just beyond the scene of the incident, watching with a different kind of confusion that the Cardinal Knight had experienced. The blonde teen had unconsciously hid behind a further tree and watched their interaction, only half way realizing that he should have probably waited until Kali and Gandrian were done with their conversation. Only, by the time he realized it, he was already too close to just turn and walk away without being noticed. Thus the reason he had ducked behind the nearby tree to give them privacy. It wasn??t his fault he got curious and took a peek around the trunk. The Queen was now left standing alone, toeing at the fallen cherries with a slight sigh. ??Z, you may come out now. I believe he??s quite some distant away by now.? her seemingly all-knowing tone called out to him. Unable to hide now that she knew??of course she most likely saw him heading towards them and ducking to the side??he stepped out from behind the tree and sullenly walked up towards her. The blonde knew he hadn??t done anything wrong other than invade a bit of privacy, but he felt like he had done something worse and was going to get scolded. But even still, it confused him as to what had happened. Which ended up leading to the one thing most parents hated about raising a teenager at the ripe age of exploration and learning the questioning stage. ??What were you and Annie doing?? Kali paused for a moment and blinked at him in surprise, before smiling gently. ??We were talking, Brand.? ??After that. You? you fed him cherries and touched your lips with his? Why?? The Queen gave a skyward look for a second, as if asking for some higher power to give her strength. Or the more likely, to shot a bolt of thunder down to obliterate her right then and there to save her from answering questions that she wasn??t sure Brand was ready to learn. Then again, the boy was persistent when he wanted to learn something, and it would only cause the entire palace pain if left to his own devices to find out. ??It??s called kissing, Z.? she spoke as she knelt down to pick up the small beads of fruit. ??You do it with a person you care for and to say you want to be with them.? Brand pondered on that bit of information, wondering just exactly why one would do such a thing. ??You mean like? like a pinkie-swear?? It was Cecelia??s turn to pause, as she tried to think of things in the most simplistic and innocent way to put it. ???Yes, like that. A promise for? for more.? she stood up and petted his head a bit, feeling the silken strands, before dismissing him claiming that she had other duties to attend to. As the Queen walked back into the palace walls, he found himself wandering back towards the general direction of where all the festivities were. His mind was off a mile-a-minute though, trying to reason it out even further. Of course, if it was like a promise, then it was something he didn??t see a problem in doing. A promise of love, no doubt! For she had mentioned doing it with those one cared for. Brand frowned at that though, as he wanted to experience it himself. But the problem was that who would he experience it with? He couldn??t very well pinpoint who he would like to share the kisses with the most, and with how Kali had mentioned it, it seemed like continuous sharing of this act was only meant for one other person. That??s easy. I??ll just find that one person! he reasoned, knowing that the ??one person?? had to have been someone in Elzier??after all, there were so many people here, there had to be someone to share kisses with him! Fourth Refining and Specifying the Question Dubbed ??The Base Kiss? It was only by chance that Brand ran into the Naturalist. He had been wandering out of the garden and joining the crowd again, when he bumped into his friend, who had been on his way to escape the chaos. Tsu??Ro wasn??t the kind to enjoy these kinds of gatherings without a reason, and while the reason was a good one, he still felt uncomfortable with such a large number of people. So when the two ran into one another, both appeared to be relieved, for one reason or another. The blonde held onto Tsu??Ro??s hand and dragged him away to one of the small allies between the castle walls, stone surrounding them like a tiny room built for a post. ??Brand? What are you doing?? the brunette asked with shock, if not a bit pleased that he had ran into his little friend. The Lightening Knight smiled up at his friend and peeked out his head to look around quickly, before ducking back in once he was sure that no one was around to witness what he was going to ask. ??Nothing, just??nothing. Tsu??Ro, we??re best of friends, aren??t we? We can share anything and we won??t tell anyone else, right? Right?? Not sure where he was going with this, Tsu??Ro just slowly nodded. Of course he would do whatever Brand asked of him, as the younger knight rarely did anything outside of justice and a few oddities. ??If it is within my power to help, I am at your service, Brand.? ??Call me Z??how many times do I have to remind you?? the blonde asked, standing on tiptoe as if to compensate for their difference in height. Brand frowned then, his lips pressed in a firm line as he realized that the height was too great. ??C??mere.? small fingers reached up and grasped a bundle of Tsu??Ro??s tunic without waiting, and began to drag the taller male down towards his height. Which was quite a bend, but it didn??t seem to stop Brand from pulling until they were almost face to face. ??Bra??Z. Is there something you wish to tell me?? Tsu??Ro was beyond confused now, bent uncomfortably and heart pounding at being so close to his young friend. Perhaps they were to share a secret, with the way that they were huddled together and being hidden away from the world. It was then that soft lips smashed into the Naturalist??s own, stealing his breath and nearly his pulse-line. While caramel eyes were sealed shut, hazel eyes were wide with astonishment. Tsu??Ro seemed to have frozen with more than shock, as he even stopped breathing for the entirety of this kiss. The taller male didn??t jerk back out of disgust or anything though, body nearly trained in not reacting without his permission, and somewhere in the back of his mind, it was like he knew that if he pulled back, he??d offend Brand in some way. Brand was lost in the moment of exploration though, soaking in the feeling of having another pair of lips against his own. It was warm as expected, smooth and soft as Tsu??Ro??s lips appeared to be, and the only thing he thought strange was the lack of gentle air tickling his upper lip??something that should have made him worry for his friend??s ability to breath, but didn??t register with him at the time. Instead of pulling back right away, he continued to press forward, pulling with unforgiving strength at the collar of the taller male to get them closer. How did a kiss feel? Soft, moist, warm, a bit gentle and harsh at the same time, depending on how the participants worked it. How did a kiss taste? Tsu??Ro tasted sweet and bitter and bland. The taste of flowers, he decided, as he had once attempted to eat a rose or two in curious experimentation. With that categorized in his mind, he finally released his hold and stepped back. That, and the fact that he realized he was quickly running out of oxygen himself, as it was hard to breathe while kissing. Perhaps that was a skill to learn? ??Thanks, Tsu??Ro! Cya!? he expressed graciously, patting his tall friend on the shoulder and bounced out of the little ditch without another word. Left standing there in shock and vibrant red in the cheek, Tsu??Ro watched his bubbly blonde friend weave through the crowd to do who knows what. Fifth Conduct the Experiment ??Kiss 1? Now armed with the knowledge of how to kiss and the base of how it felt like??he needed to get a present to give to Tsu??Ro as a thanks later??Brand was sure that he was ready to go out and find that someone special to share his kisses with. He only hoped that the special someone was willing to forgive that he was going to kiss a few others before them, as he wanted to make sure he found the right person. The short knight continued his way through the crowd, searching out people that he knew mostly. Brand didn??t want to bypass those he knew, since he figured that that special someone could possibly be one of the people he already knew. So when he saw a flash of vibrantly blonde hair tied in braids, he brightened up and began to give chase. ??Allie! Allie, wait for me!? he called out excitedly. If it was Altima, he wouldn??t mind all that much. She was a wonderful woman and lovely person to be with. Sure she had her moments, but they all did, and no one had the fiery excitement that she had at times. The said Female Knight paused in her movements and looked back to see Brand giving chase. She laughed and waved to a group of females she was with, each one of them asking Altima to teach them a thing or two to defend themselves. Later, she had told them, as she had to attend to the youngest. Turning to face him, she was shocked to find herself being pulled to the side of the crowd. No one gave mind to it though, as they were all busy celebrating in their own little bubbles and cliques. ??Brand, what is it-.? before she could finish, the cherub face got close. Very close. So close, that the instant their lips touched, she unconsciously felt her muscles jerked in surprise. Two shocked cries came out just then, one of disbelief really, as Altima stared at her hand and then at Brand??s quickly reddening cheek. The second had been from Brand himself, eyes wide and mind whirling. Neither had expected for the blonde female to hit the youngest so hard, with the Lightning Knight a few inches to the left after the hit had landed. ??Oh, Brand, I didn??t mean to!? But before she could explain herself or ask for an explanation, the youngest knight jerked back and made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a hiccup. Brand was definitely sure that Altima was not the one he wanted to share his kisses with, because he would prefer not to get smacked so hard every time they shared one. Her kiss was brief and painful, burning a mark on his cheek. Instead of being offended to the point that their friendship was in danger, he only pinpointed the moment to be all inclusive towards the kiss. Altima??s kisses were for someone else, but they helped Brand refine his search even further. Once the shock was over, he nodded his head, before smiling brightly at her. ??Thanks! I hope you find someone who likes that, but you??ve helped me plenty!? he happily replied to her words, giving her a grateful hug and bounced away without another word like he had done to Tsu??Ro. That left Altima staring stupidly at the disappearing blonde, confused and pondering if she had knocked out a few vital cards in his deck. Worried, she began to give chase and find him, but found that he was fast for a little guy??already mingled and lost within the crowd. ??Kiss 2? So far, Brand narrowed down that he didn??t want bruised cheeks in his kisses. But that wasn??t too much of a comparison, as there were only two kisses he had to compare towards one another. More data was much needed, so it was only logical to get it from others he knew. Variety between anything was needed to draw conclusions, so he decided that it applied to kisses as well. That??s when he decided that finding Valen would be the best choice in the matter. The Eldest Knight was strangely hard to find, as the male was already rather tall. Then again, everyone was tall compared to Brand, so he was looking for a sea of giants really. Little clusters of people prevented him from just scanning the area and finding Valen, but one of the larger clusters, consisting of mainly other sub-knights and warriors, led him to believe that Valen was in there somewhere. Squeezing through, he nearly landed on Valen??s foot as he plopped in between two large warriors. ??Valen, can I have a minute of your time?? he bluntly asked, holding out his hand as an offering. The Eldest Knight tilted his head and smiled unconsciously. ??If you??ll all excuse me, I shall be right back.? Valen explained to the others, before taking Brand??s hand and following the youngest to a further edge unaware of what was happening. ??Is something the matter, Z? I haven??t seen you the entire time of the festival after the beginning ceremony.? ??Nothing is the matter, you worry too much.? he calmly replied, finding that they were near the storage areas. Dragging them towards a few crates, he stood upon one and pulled Valen closer to him. Their heights were nearly evened out with the box aiding him, of which the Elder Knight found amusing. Brand had height issues at times, though he tried to hide it from the others. But the slight shift in his feet and toes arching to push him upwards just a fraction, or the straightening of his back and shoulders, was enough to indicate to them how much he wished he was taller. Valen just smiled at him and shook his head, reaching out to hold onto Brand??s waist as the younger teetered a bit on his balance on the crate. ??Then what have you pulled me aside for?? his answer was in the form of something so simple and unexpected that Valen wasn??t sure how he was to react to it. The younger blonde pulled back from the light peck and huffed with a bit of frustration to it. This was not how he wanted his experiment to go, but then again, no experiment went exactly to plan. ??Well, I know I don??t want this either? how can you have a second one if so?? he spoke aloud, tilting his head and peering down at the crumpled form on the ground. Valen??s kisses weren??t productive, because the man was rendered catatonic afterwards. Of what he did learn from Valen was important though, as he walked away from the fainted form without a worry. Valen was a trooper, he??d get up and get on his way??after all, Brand couldn??t have been Valen??s first kiss, with the whole Valen-Altima fiasco that was widely known. Fainting from a kiss was just not a key feature Brand wanted, so he had to refine his kisses down yet again. ??Kiss 3? Mentally tallying what he wanted and what he didn??t, he tried hard to engrain each experience to heart. Smacking hurts too much, and I definitely don??t want my special someone fainting every time I kiss them. he sighed. Other side notes he had to remind himself that he didn??t care for were the way that Altima??s lips were very warm. That wasn??t too bad though. There was the way that Valen tasted like tobacco as well, and he didn??t want that either. The scent was deplorable, so the lingering taste on Valen??s lips was a bit bitter. A too hotpain kiss compared to a too briefbitter kiss. He needed more data than that. Luckily, as he turned the corner, he spotted Gandrian sitting in one of the ditches hole really, left by one of the failed experiments of the nearby ??bomb specialists??. Perhaps he was playing hide and seek with the Queen, because that was the last person he saw the blue haired knight interact with. ??Annie, what are you doing?? he asked, kneeling down and peering into the somewhat deep hole the other male was curled up in. . . . ??Well, I guess it??s obvious??Silly me.? . . . ??Annie, can I kiss you?? . . . ??Okay.? happy that his companion wasn??t against it he leaned his head as far as he could and pressed their lips together. Gandrian??s breathing seemed to stop as the others had as well. Strange, but he figured that perhaps that??s how kisses went. So he held his breath during the kiss to make sure he was doing it right. Kissing Gandrian wasn??t anything like kissing the others. First off, Brand knew it was because of who he was kissing. Gandraian was? different to him. But the act itself was similar to the others, so he didn??t think it was too bad. Soft lips, much cooler than Altima??s and Valen??s, but a bit more responsive. He thought that it was odd to have trembling lips in a kiss, but then again, he was learning that everyone had a slightly different style on how to go about getting a kiss. After a moment, he leaned back and sat with his bottom on the ground and his legs crossed. ??Hm? I don??t know, Annie? I don??t think our kisses match.? he concluded with as much formality as he could without hurting the blue knight??s feelings. He liked how he didn??t get hurt and how Gandrian wasn??t passed out afterwards, and the slight responsiveness was nice too. But he supposed he was looking for a different kind of responsiveness other than the trembling of lips. ??Well, thanks for the help anyways. You??re the best? the blonde stood up and didn??t even wait for the other male to speak up, before walking away in search for another person to conduct his experiment went. It didn??t even cross his mind that throughout the entire time, Gandrian didn??t speak a word. ??Kiss 4? Well, what now? It??s not any of them? but who else can it be? he wondered with much worry. Brand was a romantic at heart, and some day, he was going to be rendered stupid with the feeling of it. But if he couldn??t find his special someone, then how was he going to find the fairytale love that he??s read in books? The Queen had said that they were like promises, and promises were given only to those one cared about, and caring was shown through kisses? but there was no one to kiss! Anxious now, he continued to wander aimlessly through the crowd, unaware of many things that he walked by. Tsu??Ro seemed to be in the same spot though, so he waved to the Naturalist and smiled at him. However, the brunette didn??t seem to move an inch in returning his gestures??he didn??t seem to be moving at all really, but perhaps Tsu??Ro was playing charades or something. If anyone could imitate standing still like a tree, it??d be Tsu??Ro. Giving another wave to his friend and a thumbs-up, he continued on his way to find another solution. If not someone he was close to, then it had to be someone outside of his usual friends. There were many people in Marosia here today, so he had to keep his spirits up and belief that he??d find someone to share kisses with. In the corner of his eyes, he spotted yet someone else he knew, and wondered if this was something he should even give a shot at. Ah, what the heck. It can??t be that bad? he encouraged himself, quickly making way towards the said person he spotted. ??Queen Ranis! Might I have a moment with you?? Brand called out, stumbling over imaginary steps as he came towards her. ??I??ll be in the ballroom once you??re done here, Ranis. Brand, keep out of trouble, do you hear.? Cecelia informed, giving Ranis an affectionate peck on the cheek and a pet to the back of her head, before giving them privacy. The Queen hoped the two got along splendidly, as they were going to be living together for the years that Brand would be in Long. The Dragon Queen blinked and smiled at the retreating Queen??s back, before turning her attention to the youngest knight. She was in her humanoid form, with beautiful silver hair and those unique eyes that just screamed expensive. Ranis was still a bit intimidating, as she was taller than him even in this form, but she was a petite woman that had gained the trust of their Queen. There shouldn??t be any fear for him to fear if Kali trusted her, so Brand just smiled brightly and stood on tiptoes??easier since she wasn??t that much taller. ??Is there??BRAND DE ZEUS!? she cried out sharply, shoving him back just as their lips touched. The Dragon Queen??s breath was faster, but he doubted it was due to the shockingly good kiss they shared sarcasm sign rose if there was one. Ranis was even less impressed than she was before, when she had learned that Brand would be the knight she??d be housing for the coming years. She was about to speak up about something else, perhaps lecture him, perhaps tell him to drop dead, or perhaps to pull out her Dragon form to stomp on him like a fire. Or, perhaps to scold herself for letting such a thing happen. Either way, she did not look happy. Instead of words though, Ranis huffed a long and suffering sigh to calm herself, before turning around and leaving towards the direction that Kali had went. ??I hope things went well between you two?? the Queen of Light asked once she was united with her friend. Ranis blinked a few times, withholding the urge to just go back there and throw the youngest knight down some spiked ditch. ??Amazingly well. I look forward to the coming years, Kali.? she plastered on a smile. It was worth it though, as the pink haired Queen returned a blossomed smile and asked for a friendly dance. Soon, the two women were mingled in the crowd to swirl in small circles and wide arches. Ranis was always such a good dance partner that Kali appreciated. ??Kiss 5? Left on the ground, Brand decided that he didn??t like the Dragon Queen??s kisses either. Instead of the partner falling to the ground, this time, he was the one shoved there. The blonde??s bottom ached from the fall, reminding him that this was another thing he didn??t want. Standing up and brushing the dust from his breeches, he began to wonder if it should be someone he didn??t know instead. ??This is getting too complicated!? he declared, frustrated that he wasn??t finding someone to share kisses with. Reaching out with a hand into the crowd, he decided to just take a plunge. Why the heck not, right? Any stranger would do. So when his hand wrapped around the soft feeling of a cloth, he yanked the person hard towards him. A female, with beautiful teal hair and ocean-blue eyes came into view. Just briefly though, before he swallowed her surprise cry with a firm kiss. She seemed to not move for a moment, allowing the kiss to progress??more likely, frozen with confusion and shock. Their lips mashed together harder than he had done with the others, flesh sliding against flesh, tongue darting out to taste the stranger??s taste. She was? delicious. Cake-like to him, and she?? Kicked him hard in the stomach and shoved him away from her. ??Lord? whoever you are, do not think that you? why, you??re just a kid!? she exclaimed, before shivering with disgust. ??Oh, my lords, what have I done? What have you done? UGH!? without another word, she stormed off as if she had committed treason and was angered that she had done so without knowing. Brand wasn??t left without a lesson though. Deviations from the experiment needed to be well planned out before executing them. ??Kiss 6? Slightly whimpering from the pain that the well placed kick had inflicted on him, Brand found himself crawling towards a random direction. A small seating area, messed in the throng of things. The people there were of many varieties, none of which he cared to try and name. Curling up on one of the crates that acted as a seat??at least, that??s how the others were using the other crates??Brand leaned his head against the larger table before him and tried to recover and regroup. ??That didn??t work? maybe I should try saying ??hello?? first?? he decided, looking around for some sign. His eyes landed on a redheaded woman, cloaked really, but he saw a few strands of hair. She wasn??t small though, as she was taller than him, even while seated. Tilting his head, he decided one last go. ??Hello, I??m Brand.? the blonde offered, holding out a hand to shake. She didn??t take it right away, but stared at his hand for the longest time like inspecting it. ??Whaddya want, runt?? her voice slurred out. Not too off though, just a bit rough, but rather refined for someone in the more drunken area of the festivities. ??I??m finding my special someone to share kisses with. I hope you don??t mind?? whether or not she minded didn??t seem to matter in the end, as he leaned in and pressed his lips against her. This time, he was able to register a bit more than he was able to with the last two. Soft, warm? drugged. Brand pulled back and heaved a long winded sigh. Another failure, as he didn??t like the alcoholic taste he could taste upon her lips. The stranger paused for a moment, staring at him with the look as if she wished he was a mug of beer. ??I ain?? sure what the hell??is goin?? on here, but I??m sure another drink or two wouldn??t hurt nothing?? she muttered, turning back to face the center of the table, where many more mugs awaited the drinkers. ??s??matter, runt?? the woman finally asked after a moment??s pause, like she had forgotten the awkward moment just a minute before. Brand leaned his head down against the table once more and sighed. ??I can??t find my special someone?? he bemoaned. The redheaded woman briefly wondered why she thought it was a good idea to come to this thing??uninvited really??but then again, where there was booze, there was a way. Speaking of which, it seemed like the perfect solution for this poor fellowkid that was sad for some reason. Sliding a mug to him, she explained that the contents in the mug was going to make all his problems right again. It was almost magical even. Astoundingly amazing! Something no one in their right mind would believe even from a sober person. Brand drank it anyways. Sixth Repeat said Experiment multiple times. More data gives better conclusions. By the fourth mug, Brand had made so many new friends he had never thought possible. Kisses were done all around, and by then, the taste of alcohol didn??t bother him as much as it had before. Heck, not a lot bothered him about the kisses he got, be it smacks to taste to a few groping him. They were all well loved to the point that he couldn??t tell which he had deemed that special one or not. That was how the others had found their youngest knight. Altima and Valen had stumbled upon one another, both having strange stories to tell about what had occurred. The moon was high in the sky by the time they had found Gandrian, and together, the three set out to find where they figured Brand would be. Of course, it took quite some time to actually find their youngest, as the blonde was in the ??adultdrunk?? area. The boy was flapping around, singing off-tune songs and had missing pieces of clothes??something that would have caused them alarm if they weren??t witnessing something much more horrifying that the thought of strangers groping and tugging hard enough to take a piece of his tunic or not. No, the reason that young Brand was slowly missing pieces of his outfit was due to the fact that the group of people around him were singing some seductive tune, while the blonde stood upon the center table and was well on his way on giving a strip tease to all those willing to glance over his direction. For a drunken person, it was amusing, and if it was anyone else, they would have joined in the fun and laughs. However, Brand was barely sixteen years-old, not given permission to drink quite yet by any of his elders, and this was surely an immoral affair to allow those pedophiles watch the half-elf strip himself bare with such wanton delight. ??Holy??Z, NO!? Valen cried out rushing and pushing through the crowd of people to get to the table. Gandrian was still rather out of it, so his efforts were half as steadfast as his companions were. Altima got hit in the face with a flying tunic, while Tsu??Ro??finally decided to stop playing tree, saw what was happening and decided to help??got hit in the face with Brand??s breeches. Left in only undergarments, Brand did a happy little drunken twirl and was just about to bare all to witness his bits, before he was roughly grabbed by the waist and dragged ??off stage.?? ??Whee! Oh, Valen, what are you doing her-.? But before he finished, his body decided that it didn??t like alcohol as much as its kisses the first time. Vomiting it all up onto Valen??s tunic, the smaller blonde sobbed as he felt like he was in hell. This was definitely not part of the plan in finding his special someone, but he was sure that somewhere between then and now, he had found plenty of someone. Special? Well, it seemed special at the time. Upon seeing the scene, Gandrian, Altima, and even Tsu??Ro paused dead in their track and took a slight step back. No worries, because Valen??s got this situation under control, so they saw no need to? get their hands dirty, so to speak. Seventh Conclude one??s findings. But remember, there is always much to learn. By the morning??s dawn, the streets of Elzier had been cleared out of the festivities. Everyone was to clean the streets that stretched in front of their establishment or homes, most recovering from such a night of partying. The guards were all in tiptop shape though, but sadly, the knights faired out a bit worse than they had gone into the celebration. Altima had received the blunt end of Kali??s speech about how they needed to watch over their youngest more??how could they have allowed him to get drunk? Gandrian found himself just lazing in his bath that night, trying to drown his confused mind away, but unfortunately, his elemental abilities in water prevented a drowning. Meanwhile, Valen and a worried Tsu??Ro had stayed up most of the night to tend to Brand, who had raved a few times, stripped and ran around the palace drunkenly, and decided to vomit even more this time on poor, unsuspecting guards. Valen had mentioned something about how he wished he wasn??t the Eldest for the night, and by coming morning after Tsu??Ro had been electrified unconscious, he was ready to smoke the entire field of tobacco as soon as he could get his hands on it. Surely, they all planned not to have kids if they were going to end up like Brand??once is plenty, after all. For the youngest though, after he had regained conscious, he found himself curled up on Valen??s lap. The Eldest Knight was dead asleep, having lost the most sleep out of all of them. Yawning slightly, he stretched his limbs and tilted his head side to side to stretch his neck. Ugh, my head hurts? the blonde mentally grumbled, trying to remember why it hurt so much. Peering around, Brand noted that he had only a sheet of what appeared to be a tablecloth around him, with nothing on underneath. ??What happened to my clothes?? he asked rhetorically, and if his body could, it would have formed a large question mark. Stranger and stranger really, as he didn??t remember much of the night just that he had been trying to find someone to share his kisses with. Standing up, he wiggled his limbs a bit and held onto the tablecloth to cover himself, as he shrugged off the mystery. There was no need to linger on things if he didn??t need to. Besides, he had to start packing his things to head towards Long with Queen Ranis. ??Valen, you shouldn??t sleep in the closet, it??s bad for your back.? he expressed his concern for the passed out knight. There was a small dog trapped in the closet with them, dead asleep as well, which confused him further. But it didn??t matter, as he gently pressed the dogs into Valen??s arms. It would provide heat for the Eldest Knight and the dog, so it was a win-win situation. Upon leaving, he closed the door quietly, not wanting for others to disturb Valen as well, and began to trail his way back to his room. They were quite a way from it at that, but he didn??t mind the exercising walk across the palace. On his way, he even saw Tsu??Ro slumbering along the stairs?? I wonder what he??s trying to accomplish with that... ??but didn??t bother to disturb him either. Making the least amount of noise possible, he made his way into his room and moved to take a nice warming bath to wait up to, and dressed in fine clothing as taught when he was knighted. All through which he decided that figuring out the science of kissing and finding that special someone was much too tedious. Plus, he was rather young, so he had plenty of time to put it off to??some time later on when his lips weren??t as sore from all six kisses he initiated, which was strange. Lips were probably that sensitive and he just hadn??t realized it until now. Perhaps he??ll wait until he??s older to do these tests once more. Until then, he??d best prepare himself to head towards the Northern Kingdom.