"So," Robin said, letting the word hang in the air for a moment. "Do you do this sort of thing a lot when you run off on your own?"
"No. I'm usually looking for interesting people," Cherry shook her head.
"And that's not what we're doing right now?" Robin asked, looking across a fairly nice garden at the Governor's Manor.
"No," Cherry said, then paused. "Well… maybe. Depends on how things go. The reason we're here specifically is because there's something gross in there and I'm looking for a chance to sneak in and investigate."
"Gross?" Robin furrowed her eyebrows.
"Have a peek with Life Sense," Cherry instructed her. "We should be close enough for you to feel it."
Robin focused. She wasn't as adept at using these extra sensory techniques as Cherry was, so she needed a moment to gather her concentration.
Then her face immediately soured and she physically recoiled. "Ugh! What is that?"
"That's what we're here to find out," Cherry snickered at her disgusted reaction. "Just be glad you weren't at Mary Geoise. Pangaea Castle was a million times worse."
Cherry handed Robin an apple, which she accepted gratefully. The taste of the fruit did a fair job of washing away the lingering rot of whatever lay in the manor.
A few more minutes of waiting saw some movement from the manor. An entourage left through the front door and boarded a carriage, driving down into the town.
"Okay, let's-" Cherry began to stand up to infiltrate the manor, only to pause. "Huh."
"What's wrong?" Robin asked.
"The gross thing left in that carriage," Cherry hummed in vague annoyance. "I don't know who has it, but… I wouldn't recommend that anyone touch it."
"So we'll follow them," Robin surmised, getting to her feet as well.
Cherry nodded, a thoughtful and concerned expression adorning her face.
…
"It's the girl who has it?" Robin grimaced.
"Yes," Cherry said. "I don't think it has harmed her, if it even can. The rot hasn't touched her."
"It may not stay that way, though," Robin eyed her as the young woman met with a man in uniform.
"We'll keep watching to identify it. When we're sure what it is, we'll take it from her," Cherry hunkered down. "By force, if necessary."
"I'm sure it won't come to that," Robin shook her head. "How certain are you that this thing is even dangerous?"
"Not at all," Cherry admitted. "However, my instincts tell me that there's something wrong with it, and ignoring your instincts is a good way to get yourself killed."
Robin understood that very well. Her instincts often saved her when she was on the run, and many of those times were by the skin of her teeth.
Cherry frowned as the man in uniform began to talk to the girl.
Robin raised an eyebrow at her.
"This guy's hitting on my boy William's girl!" Cherry sneered.
"She doesn't seem very interested…" Robin commented.
"Of course not!" Cherry shook her head. "If you had met William, you'd understand why too!"
"In fact, you should come meet him with me later!" Cherry cheered up a bit. "We should totally adopt him! Such a sweet boy, and talented too!"
"Isn't he a grown man?" Robin smiled incredulously.
"Petty details like that don't matter," Cherry waved the question off. "The point is, this douche bag is taking advantage of his social position to get into Elizabeth's bed! We can't let that happen! Peer pressure is a real problem, you know!"
"Do you want me to push him off the cliff?" Robin offered, raising her arms in an 'X'.
"No," Cherry denied. "He wouldn't know why it happened if you did. He needs to see the error of his ways."
"So we spoil this little date of his," Robin said. "Embarrass him so badly that he can never look Elizabeth in the eye again?"
"I must be rubbing off on you," Cherry laughed.
"Not as often as I'd like," Robin winked.
"Shush!" Cherry gave her a light shove. "We're on a mission! We can do naughty things later~"
Robin nodded affably, glad to have improved her lover's mood a bit. She looked around a bit, then spotted something in the air. Cherry tracked her gaze, then shared a devious look with Robin.
…
"Elizabeth, I-" Norrington worked up his nerve to finally propose to his beloved Elizabeth!
*SQUAWK!*
Norrington was startled by the particular loud call of a seagull and tilted his head up to look, mouth still open-
*Sploot*
A glob of white, runny bird poop shot right down his throat, slathering his tongue front to back along the way.
Norrington gagged once, twice, then spewed his breakfast and hopefully any feces he'd swallowed all over the stonework… and Elizabeth's shoes.
"Oh my god…" Elizabeth gasped.
"I'm so sorr-eugh so sorry!" Norrington tried desperately to recover without looking horrifically pathetic in the attempt.
"Are you alright?!" Elizabeth asked, concern written on her pale face. Was her face that pale earlier?
Must be the shock of seeing… that.
"I'll be fine in a mo-eugh a moment," Norrington insisted through his thankfully dry heaves. "I will buy you another pair of shoes…"
"These were my mother's shoes…" Elizabeth said sadly.
Oh, he really beefed it this time. Why in the hell did he look up?! It was just a seagull! If it had pooped on his hat, he could have laughed it off! Made it into a silly story he told their children years from now, to teach them a lesson about not taking life too seriously!
He chanced a look back at her. She was now desperately suppressing laughter. That was either very good or very bad. He could still recover from this!
Norrington withdrew his handkerchief. "Please allow me to help, er, clean your shoes off. I'll hire the best cobbler in town to restore them to perfect condition."
She didn't reject, so he bent down to do just that, when he felt a push on his bottom-
*Splat*
-and landed face first right into his piled of half digested eggs, sausage, toast, and definitely not white gravy.
"WHO DID THAT?!" Norrington whirled around to his feet and bellowed.
Nobody was there. Not even a hint of movement.
"Are you… alright?" Elizabeth asked, more trepidatious now.
He spun around and saw the strange, pitying look on her face. Perhaps even a hint of fear. "Sorry… I thought I felt something…"
The words rang hollow to even his ears, and he knew they were true.
"It was probably your, um, your pants splitting," Elizabeth fanned herself and looked away.
Norrington's hands went to his buttocks. There was indeed a sizable split in his pants. Oh god, she saw his teddy bear underwear…
"Um," Elizabeth began tentatively. "Your face…"
"My face?" Norrington frowned in confusion. He reached up instinctively to touch his face.
Vomit. Right.
"Eugh…" Norrington dry heaved again. He'd forgotten about that.
"Perhaps I should go…?" Elizabeth offered, but he stalled her with a raised hand. He failed to see that his predicament was not the only reason she'd like to leave.
"Will you marry me?" Norrington took a shot in the dark. He had a feeling that this was literally his last chance to ask before he lost her forever.
"I…" Elizabeth was breathless.
"I know that this hasn't quite gone according to my plan, but I love you Elizabeth," Norrington pressed onwards. It couldn't possibly get worse, so he'd better go all out! He turned away to wipe his face with his blessedly clean handkerchief, and also because it was damn near impossible for him to say this whilst looking her in the eye. "I wish to spend the remainder of my days on this earth with you. If you can forgive my… clumsiness, and my utter lack of charm."
*swish*
"Elizabeth…?" Norrington hazarded a look back at her. She was gone.
*sploosh*
Oh god, was she so horrified by his horrendous proposal that she jumped to her death to escape him?!