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Sakuya's first instinct is to stop the world and appear behind him.
But the world is already stopped. Rain hangs mid-fall and the trees are stopped mid-rustle.
So she simply confronts the boy directly.
"You shouldn't be here," Sakuya says, knives splayed. Technically he wasn't trespassing on the Mistress's domain. But he shouldn't be here.
She assesses his person. An orange scarf and a dirty green coat, beige buttoned shirt, baggy black pants, and worn boots. Most notable are a coiled whip at his side and strange dark markings on his left hand.
"Who are you?" she interrogates, "how can you move within my world of stopped time?"
The stranger brushes some droplets out of the way.
"Natsuki Subaru, at your service," he bows curtly, "homeless, clueless, and assistant to your local yakitori stand. Please try it out."
He rights himself then thrusts a finger her way, "And I was hoping you'd know! Do you realize how disorienting it is when the world just stops for hours when you're in the middle of talking to someone?! I've been running around with time switching on and off for weeks. Apologize, dammit! I almost went insane!"
He looks tired, is the only thing Sakuya thinks in response.
But Sakuya is also tired and would rather not have to deal with extra work.
She tucks her knives away. The boy slumps, clearly more relieved than he's trying to let on.
"Do not take my actions for laxness," she warns, "I will not hesitate to defend the mansion if necessary."
The intruder huffs.
"Still a potential threat, huh? I suppose that makes sense. Your duty is admirable! Ten outa ten! Full marks!"
"I highly doubt you are capable enough to pose a threat," Sakuya says, gauging a reaction.
"Agh!" He dramatically clutches his heart, "I already have a nee-san! Your barbed words are a pillow in comparison!"
Sakuya frowns. The boy has a frankly pathetic lack of malice. He reminds her of a lost puppy more than anything.
But that does not change the fact that he is capable of being within her world to begin with.
Hm.
Sakuya falls flat into a puddle because this is her world of stopped time and she won't let some intruder force her into propriety- and sighs.
Glass beads hover above, refracting light. She pulls out her stopwatch, thumbing the button.
"I am the head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, under Mistress Remilia Scarlet," she says to the sky, "and am responsible for the majority of the housekeeping." And house-repairing, and house-defending, and house-whatever-else, but she doesn't waste her breath.
She checks the time. The small hand ticks past one. Thirteen hours of stopped time so far.
"Izayoi Sakuya, at your service."
She primly stuffs it back in her breast pocket from where she lay. A cloud of condensation hovers frozen over her lips as she stifles a yawn.
There is a ruffling and splish of water to her side.
Sakuya cranes her neck to the source, cool wet ticking her ear. The boy lies down where he once stood. The puddle under him is paused mid-splash.
"I was a butler at one point," he admits. At one point, he says?
"I can see why you are not a butler anymore," she turns back to the sky. It's a bright light-gray that almost hurts to look at.
"Oi, it was a promotion. I'm a knight now."
Sakuya lets herself crack a smile. "Knights make poor house servants, yes."
"That's what they said! And I was a fantastic house servant!"
They continue like that for some time.
"You're hired."
The regal vampire that Subaru's half-sure is just some kid putting up an act daintily sips her tea.
She sets her cup down. The soft clack is much louder than it has any right to be.
Subaru blinks.
"Eh?"