FACE Mertalia

*Insert Awesome and Funny Title*

Matthew and Ivan sat in one of the ornate parlors in Ivan's house playing Pretty Pretty Princess. Matthew flicked the spinner between the two of them and picked out a pair of yellow earrings from the pile, putting them on his ears. The two had become close friends in the time they spent together, and Matthew was no longer afraid of the Russian. Ivan waved his bejeweled fingers in a little wave at Matthew. "I am the most beautiful Princess, da?"

Matthew giggled and smiled, "But I'm the second most beautiful, right?"

Ivan smiled back, "Of course." He suddenly froze and tilted his head, smile still plastered on his face. "Someone is here." He said to himself, stood, and swept out of the room with a, "Stay here." to Matthew. Matthew sat silently for a moment before he shook his head and cleaned up the game. It took a couple minutes to gather all the jewelry pieces spread about, and was taking off his earrings and putting them back when Ivan hurried in. "Come with me." he demanded, offering no explanation as to why he left, but offered Matthew his hand. Matthew took it, and Ivan lead them to Matthew's bedroom. Ivan dropped Matthew's hand when they entered his room and left again, calling over his shoulder, "Someone trespassed on territory and I need to be checking it out. Stay quiet, and don't open the door to anyone."

Ivan shut the door and Matthew swam over to and collapsed on the bed. Since coming, the room had slowly filled up with gifts Ivan had give him. The dresser held new clothes and on top of the dresser model toys of different animals, horses, bears, birds, deer. One of bare walls was now painted red and on the opposite was a maple tree in fall, its leaves different shades of yellow and red. Matthew loved trees, though he had never seen one, the idea that a plant could die and come back life a few months later intrigued him. Matthew grabbed his stuffed seal, exactly like Kunijou, and flopped lengthwise across his sheets, his tail hanging over the edge of the mattress. He cuddled the seal and hummed to himself. Ivan leaving him in a hurry wasn't really alarming, the Russian did it a couple of times a day, but this time seemed different. Ivan never took him to his room and told him to stay put, so it must be something really serious this time.

"I wonder ... maybe it was ninjas, like in Al's stories. Or some scary creature came to take over the world. Nah, that wouldn't happen. I say ninjas ...." Matthew talked to his plush, weaving crazier and crazier tales as he went. "What do you think?"

"Ninjas." The plush replied and Matthew stared at the toy in his hands in shock.

"Um, did you - ... did you just, talk?" Matthew asked, eyes wide.

"Um, yes?" The seal looked up at him and blinked its eyes slowly.

"But, but, how? I mean you could talk this whole time, and why would you not say anything before now, and how did you -"

"I just got here, I've talked the whole time. What's wrong with you?" The seal reached its flipper and laid it across Matthew's forehead. "Hmm, not sick."

"Wait, what do you mean you 'just got here'?" Matthew asked, really confused at this point.

The seal sighed and waved his flippers, "I. just. got. here. I came in through the door and hid your plush so the scary dude wouldn't know I was here. ... There can only be one seal."

"Wait a sec, Kurimirou?"

"Yep." Kumijirou replied. "Now how do we get out of here?"

"Get out of here?" Matthew laughed, "What do you mean?"

"Well, we're getting you out of here."

Matthew let go of the seal and rolled off his bed to the floor. "What makes you think he won't just let me go? He told me I can leave whenever I want."