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“Hello, Pure Vanilla! Come in!”
Pure Vanilla was quickly ushered through the door, greeted with the reception of the inn he was so familiar with. With a quick sniff, he was quickly informed that Black Sapphire must’ve changed the scent in his oil infusers. Looking around, he also spotted a few new pot plants that littered the desk and corners of the inn and new paintings that looked awfully familiar.
“Like the redecorating? Black Sapphire’s been busy ever since we got back from your place.”
“Ah, that makes sense. It certainly looks somewhat similar to how I have things set up.”
Aside from the darker colour palette the new furnishings were absolutely urbanised with pieces that looked as though they were straight from Pure Vanilla’s own home.
“Speaking of the devil, let’s get him so we can get going already!” Shadow Milk snickered to Pure Vanilla, walking through the reception.
He turned into the hall, cupping a hand over his mouth and taking a deep breath into his lungs.
“BLACK SAPPHIRE!”
Pure Vanilla nearly jumped out of his skin, before voice just as loud responded.
“I’M COMING! Keep it down!”
“Sorry!”
Shadow Milk took a few paces back and leaned against the desk, watching the hall’s doorway for Black Sapphire’s arrival.
“So, any idea what we’re doing today?”
Pure Vanilla looked over to him, quickly realising the other was trying to initiate conversation.
“Baking? That’s what I assume, based on the specific request in Black Sapphire’s letter.”
“Ooo, not a bad guess. I think I’ll let him break the surprise, though~.”
The man in question could be heard down the hall, large footsteps travelling down the floorboards when Pure Vanilla noticed the slight sound of another pair of footsteps joining him, feint but just audible.
Black Sapphire turned into the reception, leaning in through the doorway with one arm while his other hand loosely gripped the small hand of his sister.
“Candy Apple! How good it is to see you again!” Pure Vanilla exclaimed, putting his bags down and rushing over, dropping to his haunches as he extended his hand in greeting.
Candy Apple gave him a look of disgust, blowing a raspberry and turning away.
Pure Vanilla pinched his lips between his teeth and took a few steps back, feeling a small dip in the cavity of his heart.
“Candy Apple, don’t be rude.” Black Sapphire snapped, yet there was no anger in his tone- just annoyance.
Candy Apple only pulled her hand out of his grip, crossing her arms together and turning her head away, mumbling something beneath her breath.
“What was that?”
“…I said it was bad enough when you had one boyfriend.”
Boyfriend-
Pure Vanilla startled, snapping his head to Black Sapphire to just confirm what he had just heard.
“Oh, ignore her, Nilly. She just says things.” He turned to her, seething through his teeth while muttering “Without thinking, sometimes…!”
Candy Apple pouted, already turning to go back down the hall.
"Go enjoy your date by yourselves- I'm not fourd-wheeling."
“Wait, Candy Apple-“ Black Sapphire took her hand again, properly leading her into the reception and looking down at the bags Pure Vanilla had set down. “You brought the apples, right?”
“Yes, just like you asked.”
Black Sapphire smirked, turning to Candy Apple who returned his devious look with eye contact.
“So that means…?” Candy Apple’s devious smile grew, before completely bursting into a fit of giggles of excitement when Black Sapphire gave her a nod of approval.
“YIPPEE! Hell yeah! I’ve been waiting for so long-!”
“Language, Candy Apple.”
Candy Apple groaned, giving Black Sapphire a kick to his knees and blowing her second raspberry of the day.
“So, you gonna tell Nilly why he had to bring apples today?” Shadow Milk finally joined, reaching a hand into the bag and flipping an apple around in his palm.
Black Sapphire looked down at Candy Apple, gesturing for her to explain.
“I saw a comic where they put apples on peoples’ heads and shot them!”
“WHAT?!”
“Yeah! Cool, right?”
Pure Vanilla’s features hollowed, flicking his eyes between the expressions of the girls’ caretakers. Shadow Milk noticed, giving him a proud look and folding his arms.
“Oh, you’re gonna be so impressed! Candy Apple is an incredible shot.”
“Damn right I am! Just watch!”
“I- I don’t really think that putting apples on peoples heads and shooting at them is a good idea!” Pure Vanilla sputtered, trying to steer the conversation back to the crux of the issue.
“But it’s a fun one. Now, let us get going already.” Black Sapphire motioned to the door, returning the apple from Shadow Milk’s hand into the bag and taking the paper sack in his arms.
Pure Vanilla watched, words failing on his lips as the trio left, staring at the door where he was being motioned to exit from. He sighed, uncomfortably making his way through the door.
Shadow Milk and Candy Apple were already on the road, teasing each other with big sticks they had somehow procured while taking up the full pathway. Not that there was anyone on the streets at this time, but taking up too much space nonetheless.
“…We aren’t taking the horses to the plains?”
“No reason, we can stay out the front for convenience’s sake.”
Pure Vanilla raised a brow, pursing his lips yet again as he slowly trailed behind Black Sapphire. In the middle of the road, Shadow Milk was already drilling a stick onto the solid dirt to try to get it to stick upright.
“Ugh, this is so difficult…”
“Need a trowel?” Black Sapphire asked, already turning to retrieve the shovel pre-emptively.
“Maybe?”
“I’ll be back~.”
Black Sapphire disappeared to the mini stable, fishing around in their equipment box in search of the tool.
While he waited alone, Pure Vanilla dragged the heel of his boot around the dirt, absently scribbling shapes before snuffing them out.
“…Is shooting really necessary? We could just go inside, and eat the apples normally- or cook them, or something…” Pure Vanilla’s voice turned into a mumble, still faced away from a curious Shadow Milk still half-occupied with Candy Apple.
“But what’s the fun in that? I want to see fruit explode.”
‘I don’t.’ Pure Vanilla wanted to say, yet he felt the slight weight of expectant faces telling him to just be quiet and let it pass.
Guns were… not the most agreeable presence.
In Pure Vanilla’s mind.
In fact, they were quite frightening. He’d rather be doing anything else right now.
His thoughts were interrupted by Black Sapphire returning, sticking the trowel in the ground and digging up the trodden gravel of the road. A small hole was made, before the stick was placed inside and dirt was caked at its edges. Not particularly stable, but it held still.
“Alright! Apple time!” Candy Apple chanted, handing an apple to Shadow Milk, who speared the apple on the opposite end of the long stick.
Shadow Milk and Candy Apple shared a sly grin, before putting their hands out to rock-paper-scissors. Candy Apple threw rock, winning, pumping her fist and hissing ‘yes!’.
Without waiting for permission, she reached up to Shadow Milk’s belt and took the gun out of his holster, to which he noticed but decided not to get upset over.
Black Sapphire patted a hand to Candy Apples’ shoulder, turning her away from the stick. “Alright, how many paces?”
“Oh, easily ten.”
“Really, now?”
“Yup!”
Black Sapphire scoffed, watching his sister measure out ten big steps away from the stick. Once her feet were firmly planted, she kicked out a line in the ground to measure where she stood.
“Pure Vanilla, you might want to get back-“
Black Sapphire and Shadow Milk were interrupted by the sound of gunfire, followed by the splattering of fruit against the ground and against everyone nearby. Everyone, being only Pure Vanilla, who stood shivering in shock as he was only about two metres out from the apple that had just been fired at.
They called out to him again, but he didn’t respond, just blinking at them before hands grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him aside.
“Geez, Candy Apple, could’ve given him a bit of warning.” Shadow Milk muttered, giving Pure Vanilla another shake to which he finally responded.
“S-sorry, I was just a little frightened-“
“Hey, don’t worry about it. Candy Apple’s incredible with a gun. You were metres out from her target in any case, no risk of getting blown up.”
Shadow Milk patted his back, using his own sleeve to wipe the apple off the others face before walking up to where Candy Apple stood.
“Alright, funs over, hand it over.”
“Boo, only one turn? Boring~!”
“Six bullets, two shots each.” He mentioned, standing at the line which Candy Apple had marked. “And I intend for my first shot to double your distance~.”
“Cocky bastard…” She muttered, walking over to the bag of apples and procuring another one to be speared. Her frustration grew when she couldn’t reach the top of the branch, spitting another curse in frustration before turning to Pure Vanilla.
“Hey, I need help. Get the apple on the branch for me.”
Pure Vanilla came over, taking the apple out of her hand and turning to the branch.
“I’ll do it, but you really should ask nicely next time...” He murmured, reaching up to spear the apple.
“Ugh, you are just like Black Sapphire! Get off my back!”
Pure Vanilla shrank a little, stepping back to the edge of the road where Black Sapphire joined him.
His gaze shifted over to Shadow Milk, who was counting out paces until he had doubled the distance Candy Apple shot from. Black Sapphire watched too, eyes flicking between the man about to shoot and the nervous blond beside him.
“He’s so far away…” Pure Vanilla mumbled, sighing as he saw the gun being raised up and as the other closed his eye, lining his gaze up to the tiny target in front of him.
“It’s harder than it looks, you know.” Black Sapphire offered, hands behind his back as he watched the other take aim.
“Oh, I don’t doubt it-“
Pure Vanilla should’ve been ready for the sudden ‘BANG’ of a gunshot, yet he still yelped in surprise as the apple exploded with a loud noise sounding from the revolver. Shadow Milk smirked, lifting up the smoking nozzle to blow at it before giving it a flourish and holstering it.
“Not bad, huh Nilly?” Shadow Milk called out, arm at his hip and watching the others’ reaction.
“…No, not bad at all…” He managed out, still shaking from the shock of the gunfire.
Shadow Milk dug a line in the dirt, strolling over to Black Sapphire and handing him the gun.
“You’re turn! Show us what you’re made of!”
Black Sapphire snickered, twirling the revolver around his index and walking over to the line.
“Alright, but don’t expect me to double your distance.” He mused, stopping when he reached the same line Shadow Milk shot from. Shadow Milk pouted, disappointed from the lack of competitive spirit, walking over to stick another apple into the stick that was slowly shortening from each shot made at it. Seeing it had shifted out of place, he readjusted it slightly before skewering another fruit down.
Black Sapphire took a breath, extending his arm and blinking an eye shut as he lined the gun up to the apple. After a moment, he let the bullet loose, watching as the apple fell to the ground.
“Did I get it?” He asked, walking over to where the fruit fell.
Shadow Milk walked over too, leaning over to take a look.
“Nicked it. Looks like someone took a bite.”
“Rats.”
Shadow Milk pinched the apple, wiping it on his chaps before turning to Pure Vanilla. “Want it? It’ll go to waste, otherwise.”
‘…Aren’t they all going to waste?’ Pure Vanilla thought to himself, holding his hand out to accept the apple and take a bite. It tasted of dirt, and he threw it on the ground without much more thought.
Candy Apple bounced over, taking an apple from the bag and handing it to Shadow Milk.
“Alright! Let’s take it up a notch!” She exclaimed, taking the revolver out of Black Sapphire’s hands as she went over to the marked line and began to take aim. Shadow Milk grinned, standing still as he placed the apple on the top of his head, holding his breath as to not waver.
Pure Vanilla went pale as he realised what exactly was about to happen.
“Shadow Milk, stop it! Get out of the way!”
He ran out to the road, tackling Shadow Milk out of the way and knocking the apple off his head. He panted, holding onto Shadow Milk’s shoulders as Candy Apple just rolled her eyes.
“Just how stupid do you intend on being? Just standing still as an apple gets shot off your head?”
Shadow Milk looked down, gently prying the shaky hands off of him and pinching them beneath his fingers.
“Hey, take it easy! Nothing bad’s gonna happen!”
“B-but what if it did?!”
“Nilly, it’s fine! Candy Apple’s great with the gun.”
“But it isn’t fine! Why can’t you just shoot the apple from on top of something else?” He huffed, pulling his hands out of the fingers that had begun to absently fidget with them. “…Or not shoot them at all…” He tacked on abruptly.
Shadow Milk raised a brow, bringing a hand to scruff up his hair.
“Aw, Nilly- are you scared? If you were scared of guns you should’ve just said so!” He turned to Black Sapphire, putting a hand at the others back to guide him over. “Here, take him inside, he needs a bit of a break.”
Pure Vanilla was basically handed over to the other, who let his own hand rest at his back as he began to walk him back to the inn.
“Alright, will do. You two have fun out there.” He said to Shadow Milk, turning to Pure Vanilla and giving him a slight pat to his back. “Not a fan of guns?” He whispered, not too quiet but not loud enough for anyone other than them to hear.
“No, not really.”
“Doesn’t surprise me, especially given how you acted on our first meeting.”
“…Well, I don’t think that counts. I think anyone would be scared in that situation.”
Black Sapphire snorted, walking a little further forward and opening the front door. Pure Vanilla was ushered in, trying to take a peek over his shoulder to watch the two out at the road, before Black Sapphire purposefully stepped in his way to block the view.
“I think it’d sit better with you if you didn’t know what they were up to right now~.”
Pure Vanilla sighed, giving it up and just accepting that the others would not be stopped.
Black Sapphire clicked the door shut slowly, a little overly cautious given Pure Vanilla’s mood, taking a few steps through the room and approaching the kitchen.
“Say, want to do something? How about cooking?”
Pure Vanilla tilted his head to look at the other, a small smile resting on his face as he nodded in return.
“Yes, I think I’d like that.”
“Alright, let’s go stew some apples.”