"Oh my! My greatest apologies! If you're expecting other guests, I'd be happy to continue on my way." Doctor Dun offered, not wanting to intrude on his kind host's plans.

"Nonsense. We expect guests every night, we just never quite know who." Sir Joseph smiled, one that left you feeling as if he knew a great deal more than you, but refused to let slip just what knowledge he had. "You just happen to be one of the first ones to arrive."

Although still feeling a tad guilty, Joshua felt much better knowing the invitation still withheld. The butler reappeared not moments later, offering to show Joshua to his room for the night. He graciously accepted, and as he was walking out the door, Sir Joseph called something out to him, one last time.

"Oh, and be warned, things change around here when the clock strikes three A.M."

——

Professor Dun's room was on the second floor, left-hand wall, closer to the staircase. When he entered the room, he saw that his things had been dumped rather unceremoniously on the bed, but at least his briefcase hadn't opened. With a short farewell from the butler, who told him to unpack his things and then join the rest of the guests downstairs for a drink, Dr. Dun was at last alone with just his thoughts for the first time since this whole crazy ordeal had started. And boy, was there a lot to unpack. Mentally, that is. The butler had left before he had the chance to politely argue that there was really no sense in him unpacking his things. One reason of this being he would only be staying the night, and it wasn't as if he had anything with him worthy of "unpacking." However, that didn't stop him placing his case at just the perfect angle on the dresser, before sitting on the bed for a good fifteen minutes, lost in his own little world.

Eventually, he decided he ought to go downstairs right about now and still pondering on his host's last words before he went up to his room, he descended upon the great hall. He entered the room he previously had met Sir Joseph in, to see the aforementioned man sitting on the couch. He was nervously checking his pocket watch every half minute, as if waiting anxiously for something that never seemed to arrive.

"Hello, Sir." Dr. Dun cautiously spoke up, his attempt at not startling the man not a complete success.

"Oh, hello again!" Sir Joseph looked up at him, watching as he took a seat on one of the antique, cream-colored armchairs, just next to the sofa he was positioned on. "I'm sorry, but if you would be so kind as to remind me of your name?" He asked politely, though it was obvious his train of thought was far from the conversation. Joshua guessed he was still caught up in waiting for something or someone to arrive.

Though before he even had the chance to reply, he got the answer to his own wonderings. He barely had time to take a seat in one of the chairs beside Sir Joseph's, before there was a ring of the doorbell. As soon as the door was opened, a call rang out throughout the house: "Oh, why thank you, Brenny. Oooooohhhh Tyyyylleerrrr!!"

And just like that, a person came flouncing into the room. They had a mess of bright red hair on their head that went down to just above their shoulders, not too long. They were wearing a dress that was incredibly colorful and covered in sequins, but looked as though it had been patched together from at least fifty different fabrics. It was in the flapper style, pretty slim and a tad shapeless, ending at the knees. They were a mess of gaudy jewelry, from rings to necklaces to anklets. They wore on their face so much colorful makeup, Joshua thought it was likely they did it in the dark. Beside them was a taller man, dressed in a much-too-big dark brown suit that was covered in dirt and mud. He had sandy blonde hair that stuck up every which way, and glasses askew on his face. Did he look to be... panting? Well, yes, Joshua supposed he would be too if he tried keeping up with the person beside him.

"Gerard! Darling!" Sir Joseph rose from where he was sitting, a huge smile adorning his face. He first hugged the one with all the colors, then the man in the suit. The three were obviously very close. Joshua, on the other hand, was using all his willpower to simply stand there, and prevent his jaw from hanging open.

Once the two new guests had finished greeting Sir Joseph, the colorful one turned to Joshua. "Why hello there, Sweetie!" They approached him, all big smiles and arms open, going in for a hug.

Dr. Dun swallowed, getting up to introduce himself to the newcomers. He not-so-gracefully declined the hug, instead offering a hand to shake, which they took. "Hello, nice to meet you, Gerard." He forced a smile.

"Oh please, Gee will do just fine." They waved a dismissive hand in the air as if shooing the name "Gerard" back from whence it came.

Joshua started to relax, realizing that while these people may be utterly strange, they at least seemed harmless. "Very well, I'm Professor Joshua Dun, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Oh, that long title is nonsense! I think I'll just call you Joshy!" They grinned, this time successfully throwing their arms around him before he had a chance to escape.

While trapped in the embrace, Joshua had a second to think about what exactly was going on, especially with Gee. These were his conclusions: he was male, although wearing a dress and makeup, he was severely lacking in bosoms, and no lady would have legs as hairy as those. And besides, his name was Gerard. Definitely a man. He was also, a man wearing a dress. While society would have him scoff at Gerard and treat him like the animal he was, was Joshua really any better than he? And so Joshua bit his tongue, and tried to relax. He still was yet to find out the other man's name.

"I'd much prefer if you would just refer to me as Joshua." He declined as kindly as possible. He still was not quite sure of this man's mental state, thus remaining wary.

"Oh, come now, Joshy. Let Gee have a little fun." Sir Joseph told him, from where he had once again taken a lazy seat on the sofa, arms around the back, legs crossed and propped up on the low coffee table.

Joshy's face turned a hue pinker. He felt extremely outnumbered and very uncomfortable in his current situation. This whole group clearly had history, he was truly the black sheep. "If you insist." He finally allowed.

He cleared his throat, turning to the man in the brown suit, directing attention away from himself. "Ahem. And what is your name, kind sir?" He asked, putting on the fake air of politeness, used when holding meaningless conversations that neither party taking place in it is particularly interested in. This is not to say Joshy was not interested in learning the about the man, rather that he had been conditioned by countless meetings and conventions to greet almost everyone this way.

"I'm Michael." The man responded, in an incredibly meek voice.

"This is Mikey, my darling baby brother. I'm afraid he's a tad shy, but I'm sure he'll warm right up to you. Until then, only pay him as much mind as he does you." Gee informed him, patting "Mikey" on the head, as you would a dog. It was a somewhat odd action, especially as Mikey was the taller brother.

Still being polite, Joshua held his hand out to Mikey, wearing a small reassuring smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Michael."

Mikey just looked at his hand anxiously, before mumbling a small, "You too." And looking back down at the ground. Joshua lowered his hand, already starting to diagnose the two brothers, as they both obviously had some psychological problems. It may not have been his place, and he would most definitely not act on any conclusion he came to, but it was almost habit by now. He usually justified it by calling it a, "mental exercise."

Sir Joseph cleared his throat, breaking the small uncomfortable silence. "Please, boys, take a seat. I know it's a long drive for you. I'm sure we have much to catch up on, yes?" Gerard nodded enthusiastically, pulling Mikey down as he sat. Joshua sat down again in the seat he had previously occupied.

"Oh Ty, you just won't believe what happened to me! On the way over, Mikey and I stopped into a local diner and, well, not only was the service horrendous, one of my precious beads fell off my dress! I'll never find another one like Aubrey!" He broke down into hysterics, though Mikey seemed unfazed. Sir Joseph, although patting Gerard comfortingly on the back, looked more annoyed than concerned.

After about half a minute of Gerard's dreadful screeches being endured by all three, Mikey thankfully cut in. "I swear, Gee, I've gone through this routine at least three times tonight! And I was there! For the love of God, move on already, would you? Nobody cares about any stupid bead!" He reprimanded the older, showing more emotion than Joshua thought possible. Not only that, it seemed to come as a grand burst at a rather random time. How peculiar.

In response to Mikey's outburst, Gerard abruptly stopped crying. He looked at his brother, dumbfounded that he could possibly say such a thing, wiped a tear from his eye and huffed out of the room, declaring, "I'll be in my room if you need me, you disrespectful urchins!" Over his shoulder as he stomped up the staircase.

Mikey sighed, settling down much more comfortably it seemed, into his chair. "Thank god that mess is over and done with." He remarked, a lazy smile on his face. "Now Brendon, dear, would you please get me a whiskey? I need something to help relax me after the day I've had."

"Of course, Sir." The butler left the room, returning moments later with the requested drink.

"Ahh, much better. Thank you, love."

Published March 12, 2019