The Animals Have Come to Play (Completed) (unedited)

The Slipht Plan

For those who have had my book in the archive, hello! For those who just found this, disregard this note. I know you probably weren't expecting an update again, but here we are. After this new update there are three more that will find their ways in over the next couple months. Major edits will likely come of this book this summer :)

This chapter is right after Ariadne had made ramen at Leander's house. If you forget what's going on, you really only need to read the last part of the last chapter to get a little bit of understanding of the way Leander acts in order to understand this chapter's idea.

Sorry that this note is so long... Away we go!!

(Chapter 6.5: The Slipht Plan)

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I tried to tune out the drone of my parents' lectures, staring out the window blankly. My hands stayed tucked into my pockets as I sighed, my eyes unconsciously rolling when my father's voice started to raise.

"Leander! Leander are you paying attention to me?" he demanded. I looked over my shoulder at him, seeing his hands positioned on his hips. My mother sat in a chair near him, her legs crossed as well as arms as she stared at me with an eyebrow raised.

"Oh, I'm sorry, were you discussing something important with me?" I answered back with mock innocence. My father sigh heavily in exasperation, running a hand through his hair.

"Leander, you very well know the importance of our discussion," Mother scolded, slowly standing to position herself next to my father. "You know very well that we need you to get close to their daughter. We need you to gain their trust. They think we agreed to marriage proposal." This gained my attention, fully turning towards them as I crossed my arms.

"And what exactly is it that we are doing?" I questioned them, watching as my parents perked up at my cooperation.

"Your mother and I do not appreciate the fourth family trying to make moves to increase their ranking. They believe we willingly allowed you to marry someone of a lower status. We are using this opportunity to teach them a lesson. Stay in your place or be exterminated." My eyes widened in shock, but I tried to quickly cover it up as I stared at my father.

"You want to exterminate the Roytan family just because they overstepped their boundaries?" I asked, making sure I really understood that that was what my parents were saying.

"You are making it out simpler than what it really is, but in a way, I suppose," my mother answered.

"You're joking me," I spat out incredulously, causing surprise to subtly reach both of my parents' faces.

"Excuse me?" my dad inquired, his voice rising in surprise. I ground my teeth together as I paced away from the window to another area of the room.

"I'm not going to do that. Even if the Roytan family irritates me, they haven't done enough to deserve to die," I spouted, my eyes flicking between the increasingly angered looks on my parents' faces.

"Leander, I-" My father was cut off when a sound, almost quiet enough that I didn't hear it, rose from inside somewhere in the estate. We all fell silent as I jerked at the noise, listening for it again. Was that a scream? Not sparing a glance towards my parents, I walked passed them to go check it out when I was stopped by my father.

"Not doing this is going to disgrace our family! We'll be taken over by the Roytan family. You won't be able to represent this family well," he spoke coldly, trying to guilt me into going along with their plan.

"You're the bad representation of the snake that symbolizes our family. Snakes symbolize rebirth and change, not deceit." I hissed at him, shoving passed him into the halls.

"Leander!" he called after me, but I ignored him, shoving my hands unconsciously back into my pockets as I strolled through the halls towards where I heard the noise.

My mind wandered as I absently walked through the halls, taking twists and turns I was familiar with. Are my parents actually serious about going through with their idea? I shook my head incredulously, just mulling over the thought of it. I've done some questionable things, but to kill someone with a high status over just an unassuming boundary cross? I won't have any of it.

I heard a continuous sound of banging going on in one of the rooms to the side, steering my direction down a different hallway than the one I was previously on. The best way to go against my parents is to do the exact opposite of what they tell me. They want me to get close? I'll get rude.

Light spilled out from a door way down the hall a ways. Someone's in the kitchen?

As I drew closer, I heard shuffling in the room, and decided to check it out. As I rounded the corner of the door, I noticed it was Ariadne pulling open and slamming draws closed as she searched vigorously for something. It dawned on me that she was the one that more than likely made the noise.

I could hear her swear lowly under her breath as she moved away from me to search another area. I leaned against the door frame, taking the time to admire her legs. Even though they were clad in pants, their shape was still easily distinguishable. I wouldn't mind have those beauties wrapped around me anytime. I mused to myself, as she yanked open another drawer.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked, finally letting myself known to her. I watched her freeze before looking up at me, her hand still gripping the handle of the drawer she had just closed.

"Making food?" she answered, a small, awkward smile spreading over her features. My eyes shifted to the items in front of her. She had a small pot filled with water sitting on the stove, along with a small orange and yellow wrapped square. What kind of peasant food is that, and why is it in my kitchen?

"Sounds more like you decided to start a man hunt! Why the fuck are you so loud?" My gaze drifted back to hers, watching her eyes widen in surprise. Good. Think that I'm hostile. Think that I'm rude and aggressive. Whatever will keep you alive and away from this family. I thought to myself, watching her as she seemed to go through some thought process.

She seemed to snap out of her shock, continuing to banter with me until we had a mutual agreement of some sort. I helped around the kitchen finding the utensils she needed. When she wasn't looking, I watched her intently. Why can't you just be deterred by my actions, Geheimnis?