Laughter in the Face of Judgement

Joshua and Blanchette finally stepped into the heart of the Human District. It was bustling with life, street vendors hollering about discounts, couples laughing hand-in-hand, and children playing games down narrow cobblestone alleys. But as the two walked in arm's length, the warmth of the district seemed to dull, turning cold as whispers began to spread like wildfire among the townspeople.

Stares fixated on Joshua. Curious at first, then quickly souring with suspicion and disdain. The murmurs carried sharp edges.

"Is that a werewolf?"

"He's walking with the princess."

"What is she thinking?"

Joshua's ears caught the words, even if whispered. His shoulders slumped, and his eyes drifted to the ground. He walked with a nervous, hesitant step as if each one might spark outrage.

Blanchette, bright as the sun in contrast, twirled a bit in her step. "So what should we do first? I thought of trying on different outfits at a few clothing stores!" she said with childlike glee.

"Yeah… that sounds cool," Joshua replied, eyes still glued to the cobblestone, his voice not quite matching hers.

Blanchette noticed. She puffed out her cheeks. "Hey, it's not that bad of an idea. We can do something else if you don't want to..."

"It's not that…" he muttered, his discomfort deepening.

Blanchette followed his gaze and finally noticed the sea of glaring eyes around them, all focused squarely on Joshua. Judgmental. Hostile.

"Blanchette, I don't think I should be here," Joshua whispered, shame rising in his throat. "Especially because you're a princess. You can't be seen alone with… with tras..."

Blanchette stopped walking and without hesitation hooked her arm around his, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Joshua blinked in surprise.

"You're not trash," she said firmly. "And I don't care what they think. Let's have fun. It's our date, remember?"

As they continued arm in arm, the hateful glares intensified but Joshua's heart lifted. He looked down at Blanchette and smiled, his nerves melting away.

Later, inside a lavish clothing store, Joshua sat on a plush sofa, waiting for Blanchette to emerge from the dressing room. As he waited, a small child wandered up to him.

"Hey, mister! Why do your ears look like that?"

Joshua chuckled, "I'm a werewolf."

The child's eyes widened. "My mom says werewolves eat humans. Is that true?"

Before Joshua could think of a delicate answer, the child's mother came rushing over in panic. She snatched her child's arm and pulled him close.

"I'm sorry! Please don't eat my child!" she blurted out, backing away rapidly.

Joshua, still scratching his head, tried to respond. "You don't have to be..."

But the woman had already fled the store.

Joshua sighed internally. (That's weird... but I won't let it ruin our date.)

Moments later, Blanchette emerged from the dressing room in a flowing gold dress.

Joshua lit up. "Wow, you look like royalty."

Blanchette struck a playful pose. "Of course. Because I am royalty."

They tried on more outfits, each one sillier than the last and soon found themselves in a couple's boutique. Sparkling ballroom attire caught Blanchette's eye.

"Let's try these!" she said.

They dressed, Blanchette in a shimmering silver gown, Joshua in a matching suit. Looking in the mirror, they both nodded instinctively… and then began to ballroom dance right in the middle of the store.

Customers turned their heads, whispering.

Their second round of outfits was royal fencing gear. Blanchette grabbed a hanger and took a fencing stance.

"So we meet again, Sir Joshua," she declared dramatically.

"But it is a sad fate for thou, Lady Blanchette," Joshua returned with equal flair.

They mock-fenced with exaggerated flair until a stern store worker approached.

"Could you please stop? You're disturbing the customers."

They froze, looking like guilty children.

"Sorry," they said in unison.

But they weren't finished yet.

Next up, costume time. Blanchette in fake full-body armor, Joshua as a white horse on all fours.

"I am Lancelot Kaizer, Royal Knight!" Blanchette boomed in a comically deep voice. "And this is my noble steed, Concorde!"

She climbed on Joshua's back with a hanger like a lance.

"Away, Concorde!"

Joshua galloped through the store on hands and knees. Gasps and stares followed.

And then he ran headfirst into what he thought was a wall.

Only it wasn't.

A hulking, muscle-bound man, the store owner, stood towering before them with crossed arms and a thunderous glare.

Moments later, they were both outside, tossed out by the collars of their shirts.

"Don't ever come back," the owner growled before slamming the door shut behind them.

They sat on the ground, blinking.

Joshua scratched his head. "Well... that was fun."

Blanchette laughed. "Yeah. Not the ending, though. But I'm hungry. Wanna grab something to eat?"

"Definitely. I'm starving."

Back at the Kaizer estate, the afternoon sun bathed the garden in gold. Jack and Jessica lay on a blanket, feeding each other grapes and watching clouds drift by.

"So this is what happiness feels like," Jack murmured, eyes fixed on the sky.

"I've never been this happy before," Jessica whispered, resting closer against him.

Sam, passing a hallway window, spotted them in the garden. She frowned but continued walking to her room.

When she opened the door, she was greeted with an unexpected sight, Raphael getting off Julia's bed, buttoning his shirt. Julia was still sitting on the edge, pulling hers on.

"Gross!" Sam shouted. "Were you guys making babies?!"

Raphael scratched his head, embarrassed. "Hey, Sam. I'll just... go. Julia will explain."

He slipped past her quickly.

Sam sat on her bed, glaring.

"So, what were you guys doing?" she asked.

Julia grinned. "Just wrestling. A little."

"Liar," Sam muttered as she flopped onto her bed.

Julia giggled. "Now I know why they call him the Honey Badger, the guy's stamina is insane."

"Gross! I don't want to know that!" Sam said, covering her ears.

Julia laughed even harder.

But Sam's smile quickly faded as she looked up at the ceiling.

(Why is everyone happy except me? I hope you're okay, my prince…)

Julia saw her expression, and her own softened. The laughter faded into silence, and the room sat still as the afternoon light faded into golden dusk.