In his astonishment, his paperwork went flying again as he let out a maidenly screech. Clutching his thundering chest, the newcomer laughed piggishly and chastised him, waving a perfectly manicured finger in reprimand. “... Goodness me, Jevon! How on earth did you manage to work your way up the corporate ladder like this when you still flinch at the sight of your own shadow?” 

… Of course, Jevon would recognize that obnoxiously flamboyant timbre from a mile away. “Glamorous” was a complete understatement when it came to their appearance— a proud fashionista or a jewelry store with legs, there was more sparkle and glam ornamenting their person than he had seen in the last twenty-two years of his life.

 A predominance of black with gold accenting— it consisted of a ruffled corset inter-lapped with large bold bows and spotlit rather flagrant chest window, alongside loose sheer sleeves complemented by a train of ruffles that fanned out around their skintight trousers— which doubtless served their purpose in highlighting their sleek curves. They were paired with boots augmented by freakishly tall heels that cut off around the plush of their thighs and were tied together via intricate laces and bows. In terms of accessories— there were plenty— such as lace fingerless black gloves with intricate floral patterning and gold dagger-like earrings embedded with red jewels. 

Their signature dreadlocks came in a deep shade of charcoal black and were arranged partly into a thick bun nestled atop while the rest poured untamed over lithe shoulders. Their sole eye pierced through in a mesmerizing, vermillion-esque hue— narrowed and somewhat catlike in appearance. Its missing counterpart was sealed over by a black eyepatch with an aureate, detailed roselike trim accompanied by a chained, dangling red crystal. 

“Jevon, you little fuddy-duddy— look at the mess you’ve made! Goodness gracious, you are absolutely helpless without me, aren’t you?” Despite their complaints, they bowed onto their knees and aided Jevon with the regathering process. 

“You know,” they dropped one of the articles onto the steadily developing pile, their head lolling and bottom lip protruding in a childish pout. “Somebody promised that he’d tell me whenever he returned from his trip... you had your dear old friend going gray with fear! I thought that your ship had sunken to the bottom of the ocean— or worse, you found some dashing stud muffin overseas and completely forgot about me!”  

“Of course not, Xolani— I know for a fact that you would hunt me down and drag me back against my will if I ever considered leaving for good. Besides, there are few in this world that compare to your irradiant beauty,” when he identified the instance of a blush developing on his friend’s features, Jevon smiled to himself triumphantly— knowing he had won this battle of tongues. “I... I am sorry, though... I haven’t had a chance to sit down and catch my breath since I’ve returned… the moment I walked through the door, I was immediately saddled with… well, as you can see here I’ve got plenty I still need to go through… and let alone finding a moment to catch my breath and reach out to you.” 

“Oh, I could never actually be mad at you, my love. You’re our sweet little Jevy baby, after all,” Xolani proceeded to squeeze his cheek in the same sense that a doting grandmother would, and Jevon couldn’t help but flush with embarrassment. He ought to be accustomed to their antics by now, but Xolani was a bundle of unbridled energy and panache that someone as reserved as himself found it a bit struggling to keep up with... Still— he appreciated their dazzling presence like one would sunlight after the rainy season— they never failed to tickle his soul, regardless of how troubled it was.  

The Kingdom of Igerene was split into four distinct territories. While the venerable House Montague possessed absolute rule over the entirety of the state, overall governance was divided between a quartet of dukedoms. Of the four, House Tybalt was the largest and arguably the most influential next to the royal bloodline for they were charged with trade development and general agriculture, which was in turn monitored by Lady Titania and her wife, Oberon.

 House Hermia, as he mentioned earlier, was entrusted with domestic affairs— it has recently suffered the loss of its erstwhile head and was thereby succeeded by his youthful and fumbling heir apparent, Lord Julius. In other words, these were his superiors; albeit he has yet to officially introduce himself to their newfound successor, given how jam-packed his schedule has been.

House Aldemar, on the other hand, is a bit of a story: they previously handled military affairs and housed the Ministry of Defense, but around twenty years prior, they staged a coup and plotted the assassination of King Raphael after rallying keen adherents of the former king— a notoriously tyrannical warlord who plundered and killed for no other reason than to sate his own bloodlust it seemed. 

… However, they were ultimately subdued and promptly stripped of their status, in which House Alexis thereafter assumed their former duties. Though they were the smallest in terms of scope, House Alexis possessed a time-honored bloodline of honorable knights who have diligently served House Montague since its very inauguration. Sir Mercutio, retired captain of the Royal Guard and certified right hand to the current monarch— was the current leader of House Alexis… and his sole successor happened to be none other than Xolani. But due to certain… circumstances, Xolani has long since rescinded their ties with their family. 

Nevertheless, they were a close confidant of the royal family, particularly the Crown Prince— and while he himself was an outsider, they have all known each other for a little over a decade now. To say that Xolani was merely a simple friend was an understatement: they were the eldest of their trio and have always acted as somewhat of a mentor to him, helping him with acclimating to his new life.

Not to mention, they were a source of unending excitement in his otherwise humdrum routine. He was extremely grateful that, in spite of everything that occurred, their friendship has remained intact— in fact, he would even say that they have gotten even closer in the last few years. 

Additionally, he had them to thank for his wardrobe: he has always been awful at selecting clothes for himself, but Xolani— as a self-proclaimed fashion connoisseur— set him up with more than he could possibly wear for the rest of his workable lifespan... along with, again, a baffling amount of flashy accessories.  

“... I saw that you were getting all friendly with the head of the Bureau, eh?” When Jevon failed to respond in the nanosecond of time that he was permitted, presumptions sparked and Xolani clapped his back fiercely, snickering playfully. “Atta boy, atta boy! You’ve gotta strike the iron while it’s hot, as they say! I mean, you aren’t getting any younger, after all. Get yourself a pricey silver fox like that and you’ll be set for life, right? I suppose he could pay for your costly sweet tooth, anyway...” 

“Xolani, we both know it wasn’t like that,” he deadpanned, unamused.  

“Well, don’t go resting on your laurels yet, Mr. Bigshot,” Xolani continued as if they hadn’t heard him, waggling their forefinger back and forth. “I will find myself a good husband yet! But honestly, trying to find a capable man in this day and age is a fool’s errand,” their hands outstretched in a shrug as they sighed deeply and despondently. “They’ve got the looks for sure, but once you take a peek at what’s lying underneath the surface... Eek,” a bodily shiver ran through them. “One too many bad experiences have severely cramped my expectations... but I know for a fact that my soulmate is waiting for me... somewhere!”  

“Maybe you ought to take a gamble with Lord Enlai, then,” Jevon joked as he straightened out the papers and at last returned to his feet. 

“Oh, somebody’s getting sassy on me, huh? Well, rhetorical or not, I’ll go right ahead and say this so you know for future reference: heavy coffers or not, he is definitely not my type,” Xolani chronicled as they followed his example and meticulously dusted off their pants. 

“... Too much of a people-pleaser, and too immersed in his work. Commendable, but I’ve got needs, and if he puts his job before everything else... well, it’s almost certain that we wouldn’t get along. I’d prefer someone who’s intelligent, but not boastful... someone who is kind, but not a complete and utter pushover. Oh, oh! Someone who’ll cook you breakfast in bed and give you massages when you’re having a bad day,” they sighed like they were in a particularly fruitful daydream— a hand clapped to a cheek each.  “... Just... someone you can look at and see the entire universe in their eyes... and handsome— but that’s more so a bonus as opposed to a necessity. True beauty comes from the inside, after all!” 

Xolani’s lips curled into a mischievous smile when they caught that faraway look in Jevon’s eyes— ensnared by their domestic delusions and joyful what-ifs. “Oh... I know exactly who you’re thinking about... Does his name happen to rhyme with moxie—?”  

“Xolani, please...”  

“All right, all right... I’ll stop bullying you, dear. However... to make up for the fact that you so rudely skipped out on our promised lunch date, I will be dragging you away from that stuffy little office for a while—” 

“Huh? Wait, I still have to—”  

Xolani grabbed Jevon by his collar and, in an impressive display of unexpected strength, began to drag him as if he weighed no more than a feather.  

“Come on, come on! You’ve been away from our darling little city for far too long!”