Author Note: Can you believe we're almost to Chapter 20 already? Wow time just flew by! Is the pace of the story okay for you guys? If you ever have any complaints, suggestions, wants or needs please don't hesitate to let me know♥ Please enjoy this double update of Playhouse m(_ _)m Do you want to play?
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There was chattering, whispers and giggles and it was all instantly silenced as a Demonic warning growl erupted from Mark's throat. His face scrunched up in aggravation, not wanting to be woken up yet and he cuddled closer to the soft warmth he was clinging onto.

"Master.....Master I can't breathe......"

The whispery words caressed his ears and made his body feel even more at peace. He frowned, his eyes opening slowly and after blinking away the brightness he closed them once again and settled back in place while loosening his hold.

"What are you doing in my bed Pretty?"
"I'm not Master. You're in mine."
"Mark......"

Sunmi's voice had Mark's eyes fly open and he sat up alertly. Noticing his girls giggling and blushing he realized he was still completely and pulled the covers up to hide his lower half.

Talia and Mari took a step away from Sunmi as she crossed her arms and she radiated a silent fury. Keeping her smile to herself Mona activated the five Dolls and brought them down stairs so Mark and Sunmi were left alone.

Mark combed his fingers through his mangled dark hair without looking at the y Demon realm woman. He climbed out of bed and stood in front of the wardrobe. With a snap of his fingers the interior changed into his own closet and he quickly dressed in a black button down and light denim jeans with matching Vans.

Closing the door he flinched as Sunmi was now right beside him with her lips pursed and her gaze hard.

"What?"
"Don't what me Mark"

Checking her out in his clothing and remembering she had arrived at the manor Mark snapped his fingers once more and opened the wardrobe and grabbed her a pale red silk blouse and black trousers with matching pumps and held it to her with a smile.

Agitated she snatched the clothing from him and threw them on the bed.

"What the hell Mark?!"
"Why are you so grumpy this morning? With all that frowning you'll wrinkle that pretty face of yours."

He playfully held her chin and she slapped his hand away making his eyes flash and he scowled.

"You've never left me alone in bed before! It felt disgusting waking up and not having someone by my side!"
"In my defense, I didn't know I was in her bed. I don't know what happened."
"And last night was....not what I was expecting. You weren't....you."

Mark raised an eyebrow as she stripped of his shirt and proceeded to get dressed but she continued to glare at him.

"You haven't been you since that Doll of yours arrived."
"She has a name"
"I don't give a damn about her name!"

He was shocked that Sunmi was talking to him like this but shock was soon replaced with annoyance that she had the nerve to disrespect his Dolls to his face.

"I've tried to be quiet but I am sick and tired of you playing with your Dolls! I'm tired of you always putting them before me! I'm tired of you treating them like they are more than what they really are: useless play things!"

She gasped as he latched onto her shirt with his hand, his lips curled over his teeth as he snarled.

"At first I thought okay fine, you want to have something to entertain yourself with so you became a Puppeteer. You dressed up the humans, played around with them and threw them away carelessly but then you actually started having feelings for them and they became more important than me!

All your attention and affection has gone to them, you love them and make love to them and I think it's ing disgusting Mark! I'm done competing with them! It's time for you to decide! If you want me then you get rid of the ing Dolls but if you don't then I'm leaving!"

"Then leave."

He said bluntly and released his grip on her shirt. dropped open in disbelief.

"The door is right there Sunmi and you're very welcome to use it"
"Do I mean so little to you?"
"Do I?"

Her face reddened in irritation. How could he say that to her and try to make this her fault?!

"I'm sorry if I led you to believe that I wanted a more serious romantic relationship with you Sunmi. I've learned recently that the way I treated you wasn't fair to you and I apologize but I will never have those feelings for you. Though in turn if you loved me so much you would've learned to accept my interests, learned to actually adore those that I adore such as my Dolls."

"BUT I LOVE YOU MARK!"

"Thank you and you are a beautiful woman who deserves a Demon who could truly return those feelings but it's not me. You've made your thoughts and opinions very clear and now if you'll take your leave......"

He blurred to the door and held it open with a bow and after standing frozen for a moment Sunmi composed herself and exited with her head held high. 

She kept her gaze straight ahead as she passed the living room where Mona sat still with her hands in her lap looking like the Marionette she was and the girls too were sitting motionlessly with their eyes soul-less pits.

She thanked the maid for opening the door and the sound of it closing behind her echoed in her empty heart. She looked down at the crate a messenger had just delivered and her gaze hardened.

Lillith scolded the girls to lower their voices as they ate at the Island counter. The head maid had prepared breakfast tarts and the girls were all smiles as they decorated each pastry the way they wanted with the fresh fruits that had just arrived.

"CHRYS STOP HOGGING THE STRAWBERRIES!"
"Am not!"
"TALIA SHUT YOUR FACE YOU'RE SO LOUD!"
"Mari you're yelling too...."
"Don't waste your breath Karin Darlin. Herbert you can't fit all those blueberries in your mouth hahaha"
"Cherr err pa♥"

Mark leaned against the kitchen entrance way with his steaming cup of coffee as he gazed happily at his Dolls.

"When were you going to tell me that Sunmi hated them THAT much?"

He chuckled and Mona's lips curled into a small smile.

"What kind of a mother figure would I be if I didn't let you learn these things on your own Master."
"A helpful one hahaha"

He sipped the hot liquid and held the cup to her and she shook her head.

"In the completely impossible scenario that I did choose Sunmi over you all, what would you do?"
"I'd take the girls with me and we'd leave the manor"

Mona said in complete seriousness and Mark's chest ached painfully and his voice dropped.

"You...you'd leave me?"

She nodded her head curtly without even giving it a second thought.

"Karin? Karin what's wrong?"

The two turned their heads towards the table where the girls' voices rose frantically. Karin was clutching her chest and breathing heavily and Herbert dropped all his blueberries and patted her arm concernedly.

Faun hacked and dropped the fruit in her hands as she latched onto her stomach. Talia itched at her neck till it started to bleed and Mari's skin began to flare with red painful, burning, rashes.

Chrysalis' face was starting to turn blue, her body shivering and her pupils dilated as her air passages closed. Mark dropped his cup, shattering it all over the floor and he caught each girl as they fell from their stools.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

Mona blurred over and picked up one of the peach slices that Faun dropped and examined it closely. It was glistening with some unknown substance and as Mona grazed her tongue over it her eyes widened in alarm.

"Master they've been poisoned!"
"LILLITH GET THE CAR IMMEDIATELY!"

Mark watched helplessly as the nurses of Jaebeom's castle worked quickly to pump his Dolls' stomachs. Activating them managed to slow the poison in their blood stream so they could arrive at The Grand Master's castle just in time.

The girls were drenched in a cold sweat, their hair sticking to their foreheads and their skin was ghastly pale. They shivered endlessly under the white covers and the room filled with the sounds of vomiting and dry heaving.

Mona watched terrified as the girls cried in pain and agony and Mark grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Please excuse me Master Mark I must get this to the head Nurse"

Victoria bowed hastily and ran to the head nurse with a vile from the castle's botany Demon. The substance should help speed up the blood cleansing process and help the girls relax. 

Quickly the nurses injected the vibrant liquid into the IV bags and soon enough the girls had hushed and fell asleep.

Jaebeom came up and placed his hands on Mona and Mark's shoulders giving them a gentle squeeze. Reluctantly they left the girls alone to be tended to by the Grand Master's trusted staff.

"How did this happen?"
"Gosh Mark have you strayed so far from the path of a noble?"

Jinyoung ducked his head with a glass in his hand as Mark threw a chair at him with eyes blazing. 

The girls had been poisoned with a mixture of deadly nightshade, azalea and other toxic substances but Mark knew all too well exactly what it was: Sunmi's perfume. These normally fatal substances to humans were nothing to Demons and were often also used as recreational drugs.

"Jinyoung this is no time to jest"

Youngjae scolded and with his power he multiplied himself and rearranged Jaebeom's study and cleaned up the shattered furniture, all at the same time.

Jinyoung deeply apologized and handed Mark a glass of amber liquid.

"I am sorry, you're right this could have ended badly. It just reminds me of a novel. There is no wrath like that of a woman scorned."
"If I ever see her again I'm going to kill her!"

Mona laid a hand on her Master's arm to appease him though she too would like to dispose of Lady Sunmi. After hearing that Karin was in the hospital wing Jaebeom had to reassure Yugyeom that she would be alright.

The worried maknae Demon sat restlessly in the cushioned chair with his legs crossed and his face hard. His twin vessels in his pockets dipped their giant heads sadly and tried to comfort their Master with their little stitched arms.

The group looked up at the door as it slowly opened and were surprised when an unfamiliar girl walked in. Tall and slim with dark hair that was in a half-do and dressed in a pink and lavender Asian style dress she bowed and smiled with her eyes flashing a deep pink.

BamBam peeked out from behind her carrying a bouquet of flowers.

"Neema is that you?"
"See Masta I told you they'd recognize me!"

The older Demons smiled welcomingly and she took her place with the rest of the Marionettes. BamBam gave Mona the flowers and bowed and she curtsied gratefully.

Jaebeom ruffled BamBam's jet black hair and congratulated him for his Doll evolving into a Marionette. Physical training with Jackson really helped BamBam grow stronger and with that his powers grew as well.

"How are they?"
"The nurses said they'll be just fine, I passed one on the way up. Give them an hour then Mark can activate them and heal them and they'll be good as new, so to speak."

Jackson answered as he walked in through the door and he closed it behind him.

"Where's Xander?"
"He chose to stand guard at the hospital wing. I'm telling you Man your Dolls are something else hahaha"
"He just knows how to treat a lady unlike his Master~"
"Did you say something BamBam?"
"Neema said it!"
"MASTA!"

The room hushed as Jaebeom slammed a leather bound book on his desk with his face serious.

"Now that I have your attention. We have some serious matters to discuss."
"Have we made any progress with the assailant's blood?"

Jinyoung sat in a chair and nodded his head gravely and the temperature in the room fell.

"We have. We have yet to locate them but we did discover something rather...disturbing."

Mark clenched his fists tightly and his jaw was so tense you could see the veins in his neck. Just the thought of the assailant made him see red and his inner Demon wanted blood as it roared and pounded it's fists to the ground.

"Well spit it out"
"It's a human........"
"We know that! It's a Doll we already confirmed that so what!?"
"You didn't let me finish. It's a human....and Demon."

Everyone's mouths dropped open in shock.

"That's impossible."

BamBam gasped and Youngjae nodded in agreement and Mark's voice was low and rough.

"A Rouge Doll?"
"I'm afraid so"

Yugyeom raised his hand politely.

"What's a Rouge Doll?"

"A Rouge Doll is a human Doll that was not disposed of properly. What makes a Doll a Doll is the soul shard of the Demon Master that resides in it. When the human is destroyed the soul is freed and will travel back to it's rightful place. A Rouge Doll is left with the soul still inside them and without the Master to keep it in check the Demon's soul will consume the human soul completely."

Yugyeom's eyes widened at Mark's words and Jackson added on.

"A Demon soul is not meant to inhabit a human vessel completely so soon the body becomes Demonic as well, monster like, harnessing all the powers and traits of the original Demon. Rouge Dolls are powerful and have no conscious, they're just, hallow. They wander around aimlessly looking for the love and care they once had from their Master and they kill senselessly, especially other Dolls."

"So Rea Noona was almost killed because a Puppeteer broke the most important rule!? THAT BASTARD!"

In BamBam's enraged state his tail whipped out and slammed the floor, crushing the tiles under it's power. There was an urgent knock on the door and as another of Jaebeom's Dolls opened it the room gasped.

Mark immediately blurred to hold Rea's fragile body and she collapsed in his arms and she shook her head reassuring him she was fine.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?"
"I'm.....I'm sorry Master....but....I had to....inform you....."

At the end of her tale the room was deadly silent. Exhausted Rea fell asleep in Mark's arms as he held her tightly with his eyes a blaze.

"I don't believe this. A Rouge Doll with a will? She must be mistaken."

Mark glared at Jaebeom and the Grand Master sighed heavily.

"If this is true, then we're all in grave danger."

Jackson slammed his fist against the table causing it to shatter and his eyes blazed red.

"IT'S ONE ING ROGUE DOLL! LET'S JUST FIND IT AND KILL IT!"

Jinyoung sighed heavily and his eyes glowed a dim gold.

"It's not just ONE ing Rogue Doll."
"WHAT!?"
"I've been working with the Demon realm police. There have been a few break-ins recently and when I went to aid the investigation I saw the same silver aura."
"SO?!"
"Get it through your head Jackson and stop yelling it's not helping anyone! Some invasions happened at the same time, with the same aura, there's more than one Doll!"

Youngjae covered his face with his hands in disbelief.

"A Puppeteer is controlling a Rouge Doll? That's not possible....this isn't happening...."
"Did they take anything? Do anything?"
"They attacked Dolls in their sleep bringing them to the brink of death but didn't kill them. I found this strange though only one house had blood writing on the wall that said:

I WILL FIND YOU"

Mark tightened his embrace on Rea with his lips set in a firm line.

"So what do we do?"
"For now I'll inform all Puppeteer society to keep a look out and to lock up their homes securely."
"And then?"

Jaebeom sat at his chair and shook his head.

"I don't know. I just don't know."

With all this new information coming to light the seven Demons had their Dolls leave the room and they sat silently in Jaebeom's office. Jinyoung ran his fingers through his hair exasperated.

"I can't think anymore. There's just too many questions left unanswered and I can't find logical explanations for anything."
"I never thought something like this could happen."

BamBam sipped the amber liquid in the crystal glass and made a face of disgust and through their dark mood the boys managed to chuckle.

"Life just keeps getting more and more interesting huh Mark?"

Jackson scoffed then rolled his eyes till they landed on Mark and the Demon's dim blue eyes narrowed.

"What?"
"All this AND you have lady problems"
"I only had one lady problem and she better hope she never runs into me again."
"That's not the lady I'm talking about. I was referring to a little purple eyed girl......"

Mark turned his head as a little book rammed into his shoulder and it plopped onto his lap, the cover reading: ~A Demon's Deity~

He brought his gaze to Jaebeom who's eyes were glowing and he had his hands under his chin with a chesire smile.

"Are you kidding me with this Jaebeom?"
"Are you kidding me that you're still trying to deny it? We all see it and that night on the street corner you realized it too."

Jackson made a face of disgust and scrunched up his nose. Youngjae and Jinyoung chuckled and the youngest were still trying to decipher their Hyungs' cryptic speech.

"I pegged Jinyoung to be the first one you know? You guys are disgusting. Couples are disgusting."
"Shut up Jackson you heartless bastard, unlike Mark I know better~"
"I'm not heartless. I'm a Demon and god damn proud of it"
"I hate you all."

Mark said bluntly and the room filled with light chuckles as the mood finally lifted a bit. He flipped through the book that every Demon in their lifetime has read more than once and his inner Demon growled upsetly.
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Author Note: Alot happened this chapter and I enjoyed every little bit of it♥ See you all next week for another Playhouse m(_ _)m Do you still want to play?