Remus watched in delight as the sticky shining tar trickled down the stars. It spread the further down the steps it went, eventually covering the bottom step in glistening blackness. Whoever Vee was, he definitely wouldn't be able to miss the tar.

"Ro's so going to kill me." He thought, grinning. "He'll thank me one day, though."

Remus looked up sharply as the edge of a yellow cape disappeared round a corner. He knew someone who wore a yellow cape. At least, he thought he did. He'd been so drunk the first night he couldn't remember anything, really.

Remus bounced up from kneeling down and grabbed the bucket by the rim, discarding it in a near-by bush.

"Hello?" He asked. Remus picked his crown off a wall and positioned it on his head, then tilted it sideways. Couldn't be too perfect. "Who's there?"

"No one, fuck off." Whoever they were said. Remus laughed.

"So the magic stranger with scales has returned." He said.

"Let's just get one thing clear here." The person said, stepping into the light. The soft gold candle light threw shadows across their face. "I'm not interested in you or any of your advances. I gave up on mortal things like attraction a long time ago." They crossed their arms decidedly.

"Yet you haven't run away from me yet." Remus said, grinning. This person might've given up on attraction but Remus most certainly hadn't.

"Well, you're not entirely shit-faced yet." They said. "So you're... barely tolerable for the time being."

"High praise, I'm sure." Remus said. He bowed low. "Prince Remus. Though, of course, you already knew that. You got a name?"

They shrugged. "Maybe." They said cryptically. "But you haven't earned it yet."

"But you're gonna stick around?" Remus asked. They shrugged.

"Depends how suggestive you get." They said. They reached up and fixed Remus' crown, setting it straight. "You're a prince, at least carry yourself with a little dignity."

Remus shrugged and laughed. "I'm barely a prince, even. Don't have any dignity, either."

"Yeah, you've just been allowed to do whatever, haven't you?" They asked. Remus shrugged again.

"Pretty much." He said. They raised an eyebrow.

"Give me your hand." They said.

"What? Why?" Remus asked.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, just want to see something." They said. Remus raised an eyebrow but held his hand out, palm up. They took his hand in their own and ran a gloved finger over his palm.

"No callouses." They said. Remus snatched his hand back, praying the light was too low to see the blush on his face. "You are a prince."

"No, I'm-"

"You've been allowed to go anywhere you want but you haven't had your station taken from you. You haven't been forced to work when you want to play and you haven't been made to do things you'd rather not." Their face seemed to harden into a mask, as if to hide anger bubbling just below the surface. "You're a prince, despite what you might think."

Remus tilted his crown to the side and crossed his arms. "Have I offended you in some way?" He asked. "Because if I have, I'm sorry."

They shrugged. "It doesn't matter." And just like that, they were gone. The only proof of them being there was the whisper of a cloak.

I promise I'll get to the Prinxiety soon!! I just... magic Demus, okay?!
Bye,
Blaize