Journal Entry ██████ ███ ███ ██ ██ █ █ █ █ █ #001

Don't Leave Princes at Home
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The youth was currently sitting cross-legged, eyes affixed to the television set in front of him...three fingers and a thumb wrapped about the plastic ebon casing of the PS3 controller, amber eyes narrowed in intense concentration. In his mind, this was a well-deserved holiday, as for a few precious days, his guardian would not be able to order him about, giving him wondrous free reign of the apartment that usually housed four individuals...a far less-crowded space since Katsutoshi and his two closet's worth of clothing had moved to their own space (albeit one that was shared with Kisuke). But Seph was gone for a couple of days, some nonsense about her mother's birthday...or something or other. Aubrey, mind, had dutifully comprised an elegantly written tidbit of well-wishes for the coming year, as he certainly didn't want anything to go awry for the rather eccentric woman who acted as his grandmother. That, and she had allowed him a few days of what felt like a weekend, with no one reminding him that it was his turn to do the dishes, or ensuring that he didn't eat too much junk food...as regardless of the Mistletoad lad's oft-responsible demeanor, he was still a teenager, and rather tended to act like one when no one he was trying to rise in the esteem of was looking.

"Aubrey! Laundry!"

...and then there was Amadeo.

Sighing, the amphibian youth tried to ignore the nagging for a few moments more, as the CPU was doing a rather splendid job at kicking his proverbial tail...but the Clyte called again...and again...and finally, Aubrey mashed the pause button and arose, succumbing to his impending defeat at the hands of rather voracious undead in favor of avoiding the torment that his babysitter was lobbing against his attempted selective hearing. "Cooomiiiiiing!" He hollered back, rising to his feet and running fingers through his hair. Really, the ebon-haired mule didn't have to raise his voice to such heights, that sort of thing would get on anyone's nerves (mind, the teen had been ignoring the other for a good fifteen minutes).

It truly seemed ridiculous to Aubrey, that they'd put Amadeo in charge of him. Yes, supposedly the Clyte was older by a goodly bit, but he certainly didn't seem it. Aubrey already had height on him, as well as a certain mature 'look' that apparently outmatched even that which Katsutoshi had possessed at this age - this a fact that the princeling was secretly proud of. But to have someone who looked but thirteen or so years of age leading him around by the nose just seemed intensely unnecessary and in truth, most humiliating. Which was why Aubrey hadn't taken the opportunity to have anyone over. I mean, dealing with Dare and his continuous ability to make molehills out of mountains instead of vice versa was certainly troubling enough...but to be babysat by a tyke? God.

Paddering dutifully to the laundry room, his feet making soft thwapping noises against the linoleum, he chuckled softly when he saw Amadeo waiting for him, the smaller male with arms crossed over his chest, dark eyes narrowed as his ears were flattened back against his head in an expression of utmost annoyance. "You know I've been trying to get you in here for almost a quarter of an hour, right?" He had to rub it in, after all, let the Mistletoad know that he wasn't to be trifled with. Seph had put him in charge, after all, and this was the first time that he'd been left as 'guardian' of the household. It wasn't often that he was given a chance to prove himself, and Amadeo...just didn't want to screw it up. Aubrey, however, was not helping with this endeavor. Honestly, he seemed to think the other's attempts at control more adorable than anything else, in that slightly obnoxious kind of way...and it rendered most of the diminutive Clyte's efforts ineffective. It didn't matter what the other's thought, all they were allowed to see was the charmer, the frog prince flashing that bright smile...but oh no, that wasn't the whole of things. Amadeo saw the brat, saw him daily....and when Aubrey did or didn't want something...well...things could get a bit hellish, as the mule wasn't going to be swayed by the sweet talk.

"No?" Aubrey offered helpfully, appearing as innocent as he could be on the matter. "So uhm....you need me to retrieve my clothing from the dryer, correct?" Brushing loose curls back from his eyes, he moved to slip past the Clyte, but unfortunately for him, Amadeo was having none of it.

"Uh-huh...I know you aren't deaf, though you certainly play like you are." He grumbled, stepping in the Mistletoad's way, obstructing productivity for but a minute more. "Aubrey..." He sighed softly, shaking his head, tousled strands of dark hair swaying in his frustration. "I need your help, not your hindrance! I just...if our mum comes home and nothing's done, she won't...give me this responsibility again." The mule's voice trailed off, and he rubbed at his arm, not sure what more he could say. Damn, he really was an abominable failure...no use trying to become a knight if he couldn't even keep a house in order. Then again, he couldn't be very commanding if he only came up as high as the toad's heart. Not...that there was much he could do about that, huh.

Ah crap. Now he felt guilty. The toad prince shifted from one foot to the other, wincing at the utterly cast-down look on the tiny male's features. "Hey...now...dun look like that..." He murmured softly, leaning down, refraining from ruffling the other's hair. He knew it made the Clyte feel like a child, though in truth, he was anything but. The oldest of the lot, the most weathered....he'd practically raised both Katsu and Aubrey, no matter how Katsu prattled on about taking care of the toad...and he had taught Aubrey a thing or two, it had really been Amadeo who had stood by Seph's side, and picked up all the slack when she was at work, busy...and Amadeo had looked out for them, combed hair, washed clothes, made meals...and somewhere in between it all had still crammed the little seconds needed to practice his training...working towards a knighthood that seemed so far away.

Aubrey truly did feel guilty...though he knew that that truly hadn't been the other's intent. Ah ye gods... "I'm sorry...I'll go fold these clothes and then..." He glanced over his shoulder, "Maybe a two-player round with me? I'll help make dinner later too?" It was soft, apologetic. He hadn't really tried to assist Amadeo, or include him in anything...just treated him as a complete annoyance on most days. Perhaps...he should have afforded him even more grace and care than all those strangers that he'd swayed with pretty words.

...and Amadeo was taken slightly aback. Cocking head to the side, ears pricked, he wondered if this was some sort of trick. Wrinkling his nose, he shrugged. "All right, fine...but I'm going to spank you if we play, I'm warning you." Just because Aubrey thought he was a schmuck didn't mean that the mule hadn't logged his hours on the gaming console, thank you very much!

And the toad smirked, an expression that quickly turned into his roguish grin. "Suuuure you will..." And ducking past the mule, he went to get the warm, fluffy clothes out of their place in the dryer. The both of them had their own goals...perhaps...just perhaps the two could assist one another towards their seperate destinations. If naught else, Aubrey felt Amadeo had earned it....even if he did work to drive them all bonkers at times.