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letsquestjess · 3 months

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It Never Rains - Chapter 2: Shot in the Dark (Crosshair x OC)

Story summary: What was supposed to be a straightforward assassination turns into one of the most challenging bounties Crosshair has ever faced. Upon discovering that his target, Eudora Avani, was given an Andeladite stone by a fallen brother, he becomes determined to protect her and safeguard the treasure from falling into greedy syndicate hands. With a secret of its own, the stone becomes a race against time for Crosshair and Eudora as they set out to uncover its hidden knowledge and stay ahead of the bounty hunters pursuing them.

Word count: 2.9K | Warnings: Violence. Mention of blood.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 3

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The door slammed shut with such force that the ornaments on the sideboard swayed, delicate porcelain rattling and clinking. Eudora almost motioned for them to be silent, as though the slightest sound would alert the attacker lurking outside. Closing the nets, she typed in a sequence of digits on the keypad to activate the explosives in the field and double-checked the locks.

The house hushed. It had been years since she last used the security system, and it troubled her how effortlessly she fell back into the familiar routine. Leaning on the sturdy brick of the home her ancestors had laboriously built, she silently implored them to protect her.

Her fingers rested on the gun fastened to her thigh, poised to react at the faintest noise as she waited and listened. Silence surrounded her like a swarm of a thousand ghosts bringing their muted realm to her as they squeezed their ears against the door.

What had she done to provoke a targeted attack? There was no war raging, and she had managed to avoid open defiance of the Empire by politely pretending to consider their countless offers. If it were the Imperials, she knew they would have deployed a full team instead of a solitary assassin to eliminate her. They would have made a grand spectacle out of it.

She racked her mind trying to think of who might be behind the assault, and mentally retraced her steps, analysing every encounter and interaction, but she couldn’t pinpoint anyone who would have a motive to harm her.

Could be an opportunist, she pondered. Or one of the local organisations looking for a score on an old house.

If they were expecting money, they were sure to be disappointed. The household functioned primarily through diligent labour and commitment, with repairs being done by manual means and little credits spent on maintenance. Her family never had extra funds to spare.

All too late, Eudora heard the protesting creak, the floorboards betraying the presence upstairs. The window, she thought. Shit, I left it open.

She scrambled, staying low to the tarnished floor and seeking shelter in the corner between the kitchen worktop and the preparation table. The sides pinched at her shoulders and compelled her to hunch.

With every step, the stairs groaned as booted feet trod on their tired planks. A pair of tight trousers came into view. Eudora leaned in closer to glimpse the grey-haired head and irritable scowl that searched for her. His eyes scanned, one encircled by a crosshair tattoo. Gloved hands cradling his sniper rifle, he tapped at the grip.

If she could make it to the dining room, there was a hidden hatch. A network of ancient tunnels ran beneath the healer farm and the outskirts of town, offering her a promising route out. All she needed to do was-

She let out a screech as she was yanked by her hair out of the gap and flung onto the hard ground. She braced her palms, anticipating the impact. Executing a well-timed leg swipe, she connected with the towering assailant and sent him sprawling. After a chaotic brawl and numerous failed attempts to land hits, she summoned her remaining energy to shove him aside and retreated, the gun grazing her thigh as she swiftly raised it into position.

Unfortunately for her, the attacker matched her response. The taste of blood persisting on his tongue, he mustered the strength to stand up, keeping the rifle barrel trained on her. There was no fear in her as she faced him, just a fierce glower that seemed to taunt him into squeezing the trigger. In his line of work, he rarely encountered bounties who pleaded for mercy. Most were unaware of his presence until it was too late, but on the rare occasions it happened, they would tremble, shielding themselves with lifted hands, avoiding the impending darkness that awaited them. Seemingly, not this one.

“You fight like a brawler,” the assassin drawled.

“I learned from the best,” Eudora retorted, tightening the firm hand on her weapon. “You can either get out or get shot. Frankly speaking, I don’t care which.”

The sniper rifle clicked as he altered the firing mode and inched it closer to her face. “Not if I shoot you first. I came here for something specific.”

“Whatever it is, you’re not getting it.”

As Eudora distanced herself from the barrel, her loose-fitting cardigan slumped further down her shoulder, exposing the pendant nestled below her collarbone. In a single moment, Crosshair’s eyes locked onto it, figuring out in an instant what it was and why he had been sent to retrieve it. It was certainly going to complicate matters, there was no doubt about that.

“That is an Andeladite stone,” he stated, sliding the end of his sniper underneath the dark twine that grazed her throat to lift the polished rock. “Clones used to find them in the ocean on Kamino and carve them. Many were lost, so they are quite the rarity now. That could fetch you thousands of credits with the right collector.”

While studying his face, Eudora noted the subtle creases surrounding his intense, amber gaze, and couldn’t shake the striking resemblance that she had encountered countless times before. “You’re a clone?”

“You got that quicker than most,” Crosshair snarled. Due to the nature of his job, he was well acquainted with derogatory comments, particularly about his creation or his previous work with the Republic, but the way she posed the question seemed more surprised than degrading. “Here is how things are going to go: You will hand over the Andeladite stone, and then I’ll leave you in peace. If you lie low and stay quiet, you might have a chance at remaining alive.”

In truth, once Crosshair learned his target was an Imperial, their identity became irrelevant to him; they were as good as dead. But there was something different about Eudora that set her apart from the typical Imperials he hunted. If anything, in his observation of the dilapidated house, all he saw was a lonely woman struggling to survive. The Andeladite stone was what his client desired. Was it necessary for him to take her life, especially when she didn’t appear to have any ties or sympathies towards the Empire?

“You’re not taking the stone,” she asserted, clutching it close.

“What does it matter to you?”

“More than you will ever know.”

“Worth losing your life over?”

Despite the tears clinging to her bottom lashes, Eudora gritted her teeth. “Yes. It was given to me.”

“By the clone who carved it,” Crosshair guessed, as he lowered his rifle and tested the waters before moving closer and crouching down to his target. Her leafy eyes fixed onto him like the laser from his scope, and he admired her fierce tenacity in the face of a bounty hunter and a trained soldier.

“You do a good job of masking the fact that you’re one of them, but you share many features that are impossible to conceal,” Eudora remarked, almost in an observant mutter to herself. “If your intention is to kill me, shoot me and be done with it.”

Nothing tempted Crosshair more than a challenge. What he didn’t expect was the passionless kiss of her gun as she grazed it over his stubble covered chin. “I’m quick,” he warned.

“Prove it.” Sustaining the slightest pressure on the trigger, Eudora remained steady as the sniper begrudgingly raised his hands and dragged on his heels to support himself to his feet.

“I won’t harm you, and I won’t take that stone if one of my brothers gave it to you,” Crosshair assured her. “But others will come after you for it. When the syndicate collector who employed me discovers my failure, they will hire someone else. They are not going to offer the same level of mercy as me.”

With her weapon and her glower still pointed at him, she got herself up. “Why?” she demanded, her resolve weakening as the gun started to shake. Bounty hunters were ruthless murderers. They didn’t ask identity or nature, just where and how much. “Why spare me if others are going to come after me, anyway?”

“Because I know who gave you that stone,” Crosshair replied. “If he handed it over to you, there must be a purpose behind it. I’d advise you not to stay here. It’s no longer safe for you.”

“What am I supposed to do? This is my home. There is no other place for me to go.”

Hobbled by the injuries sustained during their scuffle, Crosshair gingerly moved across the kitchen. He swung the door open, giving the wind free rein to rustle the linen decorations and tease the loose ornaments. He peered back at Eudora, hair tousled, knuckles white, ready to fight if need be. “That is a problem for you to solve,” he said, stepping out into the night to blend into the darkness, wishing the mission had been the Imperial target he was promised. The uncomplicated life he had attempted to create fell apart the instant he set eyes on that stone. Now, his conscience had something else to latch onto other than his siblings. Now, he would have to come up with a convincing explanation for his failure and hope it would be enough.

* * *

Eudora’s shoes squeaked on the kitchen tiles as she paced the peeled squares. Despite the dips in the flooring trying to trip her, she honed in on the sensation of the smooth pendant between her thumb and forefinger, as if the answer would materialise with enough manipulation. With each concentrated twist, the engraved symbols on the stone spun faster, blurring into the surface, barely given a moment to rest before swiftly darting in the opposite direction.

She couldn’t leave. She was resolute about that.

This was her home. Every aspect of her life was contained within those walls, from the mismatched brick to the deteriorating beams. In her childhood, she toddled across that floor, played on those carpets and drenched them in rain when seeking refuge from a storm. She had scribbled her imagination on the wallpaper before she’d even taken her first steps after snatching an overhanging pen, and dusted and cared for the ornaments her grandmother collected once those years were behind her. This house was not just her, it was her family.

She couldn’t leave.

But her home was no longer safe. There was a target on her chest and criminal organisations willing to snatch her life away for a stone they coveted for rarity’s sake. The bounty hunter grasped the importance, but solely because he was a clone. The next person who came after her would not show any regard for her or the precious treasure they were assigned to retrieve.

Her eyes wandered over the motionless faces in their frames observing every anxious pace. She stopped as she reached her aunt, beloved, gone, and beaming as though granting her approval to leave. “I don’t want to,” she whispered to her through the tears. “I belong here in my rightful home. This is wrong, this is all wrong.”

In a state of panic, she held onto her head, desperately hoping that this was all just a terrible dream and that the blare of her alarm would hand her back over to to the waking world.

As her situation weighed on her, the gravity of reality began to sink in. Droplets trickled down her shaking hands, pursuing a trail down her arms until they spent themselves near her elbows.

Eudora’s tear-stained face lifted from hiding, and she mopped up the mess of tears with the hem of her shirt. She steadied the rapid rise and fall of her chest, drawing in the scent of her neglected dinner and the metallic tinge of blood. She couldn’t afford to panic, not in this crucial juncture when her life was still on the line. Although the bounty hunter would not have confessed his failure to his guild yet, they would soon learn of it. Fortune offered her some time, but only a little.

Resolved and steadfast, she removed her scarf from the coat rack and draped it around her shoulders. Her mother’s handiwork hugged her close, frayed, grey threads sticking out and stitches becoming slack after years of use. It kept her warm during the toughest winters, and now it provided a comforting sense of security. Her family would keep a vigilant watch over her. If someone didn’t, she feared she would soon join them in their eternal rest.

The moment she stepped outside, the brisk night air bit at her, painting her cheeks a rosy pink and whipping at her jacket. Invisible hands reached into her, stirring at her nerves, but she refused to let them prevail, no matter how strongly she felt it. The world had made her lonely. She would not permit it to instil fear in her too.

Streets that usually grappled to hold the bustle during the day lay deserted and bare, storefronts shuttered and weathered market stalls packed away. Where once the quiet contained her laughter as she staggered out of a club with her brothers in the early hours of the morning, it now carried unspeakable horrors. Each shadow resembled a silhouette observing her, and every noise sounded like another bounty hunter locking in and taking aim.

She felt the patter of the Andeladite stone on her chest as she walked, tracking time with its rhythmic beats. The clone who presented it to her had placed it into her hands so delicately that she might have easily forgotten he was a soldier. She would forever remember the glint of hope as he made a vow to return someday, when peace replaced the chaos of conflict. He’d given his word that they would reunite, that he would traverse the grounds of Cressina with reverence, as though embarking on a long-awaited journey to retrieve the stone and see her again.

And like a fool, she waited, listening to news about the end of the war and a new Empire, all the while waiting for a man who never appeared. She regretted her optimism in expecting his return and week by week grew more worried at his inability to fulfil his promise to her.

Upon entering the bar, she was met with the overwhelming aroma of disinfectant and potent liquor, locked in a battle for dominance. After years of exposure to strong medicinal odours, she hardly noticed them anymore, but whatever substance had been used certainly endeavoured to catch her attention.

She descended the stairs and found a seat at the bar, resting her forearms on the unblemished counter. The lean bartender groaned as he straightened up from the pile of boxes to welcome his patron.

“Edie,” he greeted, plastering on a friendly grin and massaging his lower back. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. Want your usual?”

“Not tonight, Res,” Eudora said, low and quiet. “Do you have any ships heading out soon?”

Res scratched at his bristled moustache and slung the damp cloth onto his shoulder. “Give me a second. I’ll have a look.” From beneath the bar surface, he withdrew an outdated holo-pad, sucking audibly on his teeth as he scrolled through the logs. “Got nothing for a few weeks. I can book you on one of those if you want.”

With a shake of her head, Eudora cautiously surveyed the other customers, her focus darting to the corners as if anticipating a deadly attack from people she had known all her life. “I need it for tonight,” she insisted. “Are there any ships that I might buy?”

“Yeah, but they’re way out of your budget.”

“I…” Urgency rose in her, and she angled herself away from the groups of customers drinking and quietly conversing. “Best I can offer is my aunt’s antique speeder and any additional credits. I know you’ve had your eye on it for a while.”

That seemed to grab his interest. His long fingers drummed on the bar top as he contemplated the transaction, broad lenses reflecting his intrigue. “Look, I will see what I can do, but first, I want to understand why you are in such a hurry. If you’re in some sort of trouble, I’m here to help. Heck, most here would considering everything you’ve done for us.”

In that moment, Eudora wanted to pour her heart out to him. To place faith in the man she had trusted since childhood, who had been a family friend for as far back as she could recall.

After losing their stock in an accident, he selflessly offered them his own inventory, free of charge, to use in their cleaning medicines. She still saw that same kindness in him now. At that time, she had been a child, unable to grasp the value of his generosity, but over the years, it stayed with her. Despite all the challenges and turmoil in her family, he remained loyal to them.

Cressina had plenty of people like him who were ready to lend a hand at any second. The war had brought them together in most respects, and they were always willing to share resources whenever someone needed help. But this was different. Every person she roped into her troubles she exposed to the same danger she was in. Bounty hunters showed no hesitation in causing harm to anyone who interfered with the pursuit of their target.

“Eudora, has something happened?” Res asked, the wrinkles in his forehead burrowing deeper as his worry extended across his narrow features.

“No,” she lied. “Not yet.”

If you would like to be added to the taglist, feel free to send me a message or leave a comment (18+ only for later chapters. I can’t add you to the list if your bio doesn’t indicate your age).

#tbb #the bad batch #tbb fic #the bad batch fic #tbb crosshair #oc: eudora avani #tbb crosshair x oc #crosshair x oc #tbb x oc #tbb crosshair fic

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invisibleraven · 1 year

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The race to 500!! It's always been you, peterpatterlina

NUMBER 500 Y'ALL! Seems fitting to do it with my OT3 and my favourite trope. I hope you enjoy!

Ser Reginald wiped the sweat from his brow, beaming at the chanting crowd. The tourney had gone well, and the purse was as good as his. It had been a good day.

If only he had someone to share it with.

Then he felt it, the tug of his heartstrings, meaning his fated love was nearby. He entered every tourney in hopes of this moment. Travelled far and wide, searching for them. To finally gaze upon his other half and proclaim his love.

Frantically he searched the crowd, eyes finally landing on the royal box where the fair Lady Julianna and her faithful guard Ser Lucas were sitting. Sharing a smile between them as he caught their eye. Could one of them be for him?

He approached slowly, not daring to hope, but the tug felt stronger and stronger as he got closer. Close enough to see the gap in the lady’s smile, the sparkle of the knights eyes. He gave a deep bow, but never broke their gaze.

Lady Julianna flushed and giggled, Ser Lucas shooting him a smirk. And Ser Reginald accepted the token-two cloths twined together, a brilliant royal purple twined with the deepest regal blue.

Oh.

Reginald looked that them then, and felt a tug at his heart… two tugs. For the two hearts opposite his own that were meant to be his. And he theirs.

He took the red cape from his back and tore a length from it, twining it with the one in his hand.

And just like that, three hearts beat as one.

Juliet grinned as she pushed her way through the crowd towards the Globe Theatre. It was rare that she got time off of her position as a lady in waiting to the Lady Caroline, but today the King's Men were premiring a new Shakespeare play. She had quite liked the last one what with her sharing a name with one of the characters.

Even if it made her weep uncontroallably at the end. She was glad this one was supposed to be a comedy.

And a comedy it was, Juliet finding herself laughing uproariously at the quips of Beatrice and Benedick. Booing Claudio when he disgraced Hero. Cheering when the happy ending came and all the lovers were wed and happy. It had been a lovely story.

Yet something changed when the actors came out for their bows. The role of Benedick had been played by a brash youth she had heard of; Lukas, the son of a wealthy Earl. His story had been passed amongst the maids, how he had run away to pursue trodding the boards. Juliet found it all rather foolishly romantic.

But the man playing Beatrice she did not know. He was introduced as Reginald, ward of Lord Peters, and she had to surpress a shiver at that. She had met the aforementioned lord at a ball once and he was a most unpleasant creature. She didn't think he would have the heart to harbour anyone, let alone take on a ward.

However, when the men joined hands to bow, their eyes met hers for a moment and it was as if lightning struck. Suddenly the world was filled with colour, bursting forth.

They looked equally startled, leaping from the stage and wading through the assembled audience until they met her. Lukas pressed a kiss to her hand, and then Reginald the other.

Juliet remarked on their glorious eyes, a spring time green and a sparkling topaz. They grinned, informing her that hers were the most enchanting shade of brown.

And nothing Shakespeare could write would ever top that love story.

Luc grinned as he and his fellow revolutionaries marched through the square, proclaiming liberty, equality, fraternity to all who would listen. The royal family cared not for them, so why did the people need a king who was content to feast while his subjects lay dying in the street from sickness and starvation?

Luc had been a student once upon a time, from a good family. Able to study poetry, music, history to his heart's content. He never wanted for anything and happily shared what he could with those who had less.

But then a childhood friend came back from war unable to work, unable to pay for food or medicine. And Luc found out too late, held poor Robert in his arms as he took his last breath. And vowed to make it right.

Sure, his parents had all but disowned him, but Luc wanted-needed-to fight so that no one else would lose their Robert.

So here he was, shouting alongside his brothers in the fight for freedom, pleading their case to a wealthy and unfeeling crowd. But some were listening, some were joining them. Even one more voice could lead to triumph.

Then a wealthy couple came into the square, and Luc swore the whole world froze.

They were beautiful, as the rich often are. But there was something about them that drew him in. Closer and closer until he was right in front of them.

"Oh, hello," the lady said, a genteel smile on her face.

"Lovely day," the man said with a tip of his hat and a genuine smile. "Strange that everyone else seems to be too still to enjoy it."

Luc looked around, and sure enough, no one was moving. Time had literally stopped for the three of them.

"Well that shouldn't stop us from taking advantage. Means first pickings for rowboats and picnic spots," he suggested.

The lady-Julietta he later learned, and her companion Reginald loved both of those things.

And yes, Luc still pledged to fight for the revolution, but his heart wasn't in the fight right this moment as it was busy entertwining with the two souls before him.

These three souls kept coming back together, lifetime after lifetime, always finding one another.

A trio of bandits in Edwardian times that felt a spark at the first touch of their hands all grabbing for the same display of jewels.

A nurse and soldiers admist the Great War who had been hearing each other's voices in their dreams since birth.

A gang boss, his girl and their trusty barkeep offering a refuge from Prohibition that had come together when an unruly waterfowl chased them together on a stroll through the park.

Three hippies who had lived with the tastes of each other's favourite foods on their lips that met at Woodstock.

They always found each other, had full and lovely lives together as often as they could.

And now it was their turn again.

Reggie was bored. He usually loved history class, but today the teacher was going on about the legend of reincarnated soulmates, and all the documentation surrounding the theory.

Don't get Reggie wrong, he is a romantic at heart, but he knows that all this soulmate nonsense is just that-nonsense.

At least for him.

Reggie has never felt a tug of strings, tasted something without food being there, heard voices or melodies. His world has been full of colour and sensation. He has no names scrawled on him, no handprints from a first touch or words first exchanged.

Reggie is a blank, and he's learned to live with it.

He has his friends, his band, what more could he ask for?

Apparently the sense enough not to eat street dogs.

But instead of getting reborn into a new life, Reggie, Luke, and Alex become ghosts. What's up with that?

Worse yet they end up 25 years in the future. Like... the hell universe?

Only now, Reggie thinks there might be something to the whole soulmate thing, watching Luke and Julie interact. How smitten they are, despite none of them being able to touch. How his heart longs for the both of them and he can never say.

Now matter how right it feels to play with them both while Alex is off with Willie (who he's fairly certain is Alex's soulmate, but the drummer hasn't said much either way). How when Julie smiles or Luke grins, Reggie's stomach does backflips.

How when Luke does that weird half kiss thing, it takes everything in Reggie not to reel him in for a real one.

How he longs to take Julie into his arms at The Orpheum when she sends him the softest most loving look he's ever been on the receiving end of.

And then later, when they can touch, literally glowing as they hug, Reggie takes a step back. Lets Luke and Julie have their moment. Alex is already gone to find Willie, and Reggie idly wonders if this means Ray and Carlos can see him now. Maybe some family type bonding would make him feel better about being the fifth wheel.

Only instead of some big sweeping kiss, Luke and Julie hold out their hands to him. Pull him into their embrace.

"Wh-what's going on?" Reggie stammers.

"Do you remember when we learned about past lives and soulmates in school?" Luke asks.

"I think I almost fell asleep in that class, but sure," Reggie replies.

"I have memories from mine," Julie says. Which is-almost unheard of. "And in every one, I had the two of you there with me."

"Me?" Reggie squeaks.

"It's always been you Reg," Luke replies.

"It's always been us," Julie amends. "Lifetime after lifetime, the three of us together. It wasn't until tonight that it really became clear, everything was fuzzy before. But when you guys poofed off stage, they all came rushing back, clear as day."

"I knew the second we all hugged, it was like an electric shock straight to my system," Luke admits. "Before we died, I had words on me-but neither in a language I could understand."

"Spanish?" Julie asks with a giggle. Luke shrugs with a sheepish smile.

"It said te amo?"

"That's Spanish for I love you," Julie confirms. "What about the other?"

"It was a bunch of symbols or something?" Luke says.

Reggie breaks from the embrace, grabbing Luke's notebook and quickly writes אני אוהב אותך. "Did it look like this?" Luke beams and nods.

"How did you know?"

"Because that's Hebrew," Reggie says. "For I love you."

"You know Hebrew?" Julie asks.

"I'm Jewish on my mom's side," Reggie says. "Not really devout, but I remember the language well enough." Then he frowns. "But I didn't have anything when we were alive. No signs or symbols, nothing."

"Reggie you and I met when we were in diapers," Luke says. "You probably knew it was me right from the start-no sign needed."

Oh.

"But... I don't have anything now either," he says.

"That's okay," Julie says, pulling him in. "We still love you no matter what." With that she perches up on her tiptoes and kisses him. It's sweet and gentle, the most perfect first kiss Reggie could ask for. Then when they break apart, Luke pulls him in for a kiss as well. Cheeky and playful, and Reggie grins into it.

Finally he steps back, and oh, Reggie can see the string that leads them together, just for a moment as Luke and Julie kiss. Can see everything birighter and clearer, can hear everything crisper.

Including their three hearts, finally beating in synch.

Wait... their hearts?

He reaches for Julie's hand, and places it on his chest, the other on Luke's.

And he knows it's real when she starts to cry happy tears. Can feel her relief, Luke's confused joy admist his own elatment.

He's still confused as to why all the soulmate signs are showing up after he found them, but he doesn't really care.

He's got a whole lifetime, and hundreds more after this one to figure it out.

And with Luke and Julie at his side for every single one.

#filled prompts #ficlet #rukebox #peterpatterlina #julie and the phantoms #gosh this got long

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meowww-ffxiv · 8 months

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To this day, Meowdred believed that Zenos just made up a guy in his mind that he believed was his perfect foil and thought that fictional guy was Meowdred. At least Emet-Selch, may he roll like an overcooked rotisserie chicken in the Underworld for all eternity, hated Meowdred more on his own merits than as the shard of Azem, in the end.

But Zenos clung to what Meowdred believed was a delusion bearing his face, because only a person cast in his image satisfied Zenos's cravings for a peer.

But Theodore told him that no, Zenos had a point in seeing Mordred as his mirror. They were both powerful individuals, and where Zenos was born to a cradle of blood and cruelty, shaped and trained and refined with others' intentionality, Mordred was born to poverty and made to swim in hostile currents. The one born into everything found all things to be meaningless, and across from him, the one who first had to drown to know what it meant for others to pull him out of the flood, who possessed a comparable amount of power yet was anything but hollow -- how could Zenos not want to grasp that kaleidoscopic reflection?

For sport, yes. To satisfy the craving for a peer, a friend, like he'd told Mordred. But also for inspiration, for understanding, for satisfaction in the only way he knew how to receive it.

And that was why Zenos completely ignored Theodore, who although was dragoon and blond and powerful too etc etc, was at his roots both antithetical and too similar to the boredom of what Zenos already knew. Mordred was different. His face was the face of the nobodies Zenos had spent his life trodding on, but he was an unquenchable fire to every inch of steel Zenos threw at him.

And Meowdred said, "This is a really cool analysis but the guy will just have to die disappointed as fuck because I don't give a damn about him."

And isn't that the real heartbreak, Theodore said.

Because all of Meowdred's considerable ire and fury and seething at a reflection was condensed in Emet-Selch. In Hades. The person who, having traveled into the past and met face-to-face, Mordred realized a part of his own soul missed him like rain missed the rivers. And now the only mercy they could offer one another was annihilation.

Zenos did nothing for Mordred; his emptiness and his search for meaning, somehow, found no purchase on the Warrior of Light. Mordred looked at him and saw an empty room, and after a glance of mild curiosity, forgot about him.

Well. Meowdred did ask Zero if Zenos knew how indifferent he was about him. And Zero said yes, he knew. But it mattered not to Zenos, who of course pursued Mordred's attention for self-fulfilment. So long as he got what he wanted, he didn't care what he needed to do to get it. Nor did he fear Mordred's rejection, it seemed. What mattered most to Zenos was to make the offer and have Mordred acknowledge it, whether with scorn or glee.

In fact, it was probably a topic of wry humor to Zenos, who was indifferent about most things, to find the one person he wanted something from in a way that was actually meaningful to him, to be equally indifferent in return.

#meowdred surana

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dreamer213 · 1 year

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Broken Machines: Between Shadows

Chapter 2: Business Hours

Routine, that was a word Whitley knew all too well. His life had been run on a tight schedule since he was old enough for schooling and given his intelligence it had started far soon than most. He hated this life of constant work and high-society events but had little say in any part of it. He had bided his time learning the trade of his family’s business and gathering evidence to oust his horrid father. When the time was right, he’d rid himself of the misery he brought to his life and the lives of those around him. He played the perfect son role to the letter despite all the pain and torment it caused him just for a chance a proper vengeance. And for a while, he thought he could survive this way until the end, wearing the mask of a trained dog and hiding a hatred as deep as the sea in the depths of his heart.

That was until he was named heir and faced a never-death experience.

That moment led him to meet the most unbelievable person he’d ever know. That night a girl with kind eyes and a smile bright as the sun saved his life and throughout their time together won his heart. She had reminded him that life had meaning, joy, and passion and gave him the strength to pursue something more than revenge. So much so that he’d taken great risk just to see her and be with her against his father’s wishes. And even though he still wore the mask and trod lightly in the gilded cage he called home; his heart felt lighter now that he had a more joyous reason to get up in the morning.

Penny had become his motivation, his joy, his sun, and moon more precious than any jewel or treasure. Her smile warmed his heart, her words lifted his spirit, and her touch was simply addictive to him in every way. He would give anything and everything to see her happy as she had made him with her kindness and warmth. If she wanted to see the greatest sights, he’d take her. If she wanted the finest jewels, he’d spare no expense. Hell, if she wanted the shattered moon as a memento, he’d do whatever it took to place it and all its shards in her hands. He wished to hold onto her until the end until he had the power to bring her up to the manor and be hers openly without fear or shame!

But therein laid the biggest problem of their relationship from Whitley’s point of view. As much as Whitley was willing to give Penny anything she could ask for and every bit of himself, he couldn’t. Even after all the hardship Whitley had endured to be with Penny, he had still held back much of himself in the process. She had a passing knowledge of how his father had mistreated and overworked him but had no true understanding of just how far it really went. She didn’t know of the harsh punishments, the restrictions, the tantrums, threats, and nightmares Whitley had suffered through for years without a single person to turn to. Nor did she know of how twisted such a life had made him. Whitley had seen many terrible things in his quest to ruin Jacques and planned many awful things to enact in turn once he took control of the SDC. He had spent countless hours planning his takeover, how he’d cut the cancer his father brought to his dear grandfather’s legacy with his own two hands. The revolute would be ugly, maybe even bloody but Whitley didn’t mind. He wasn’t after innocent people; no, he was after scum that cheated their way to the top and abused their power every waking moment for their pleasure. Much of the company Jacques kept was the lowest life forms Whitley had ever had the misfortune of knowing and what good remained in the tangle of corruption had no power to stop them. Hence, the cutting of cancer no matter what the removal called for. Even if his hand hands would be painted crimson by the fallout Whitley would prevail over them, victorious.

And that very fact is why he couldn’t be honest with Penny. He couldn’t show her the ugly half of his heart and hoped she’d keep it. Despite her occupation, Penny was a pure soul with a giving heart and open mind. She had faced the ugliness of Atlas high society and come out with her heart and soul intact. The wicket of the wicked had stared at her in contempt and she was not shaken by it. But still, Whitley couldn't stand the thought of soiling her with this his twisted psyche. The things he would do for his freedom and the world he inhabitant were too horrendous to drag Penny into. The thought of what could happen to her if she was further entangled in the nightmare Whitley called his life permeated Whitley’s mind often. Especially when they had their video calls.

As he chats with her early in the morning, both still dressed in their nightwear, Whitley’s smile never weaves as he hangs on her every word.

Penny: I’m still not sure about what I should say to Neon Kat. Once she sees that I’m not depressed anymore she’ll know something’s happened between us.

She says with a worried expression, her eyes drooping and lips pouting at her feelings of conflict. Whitley wanted to reach through the screen and cradle in his arms to soothe her uneasiness but the distance, necessary as it may, kept him from doing so. The only comfort he could provide was through his words, an easy task that felt far too light for what she’d given him.

Whitley: You can tell the broad details and leave it at that. She doesn’t need to know more than that anyway.

Penny: I would but Neon is very, very nosy. She will pry and pry until she gets all the information she’s after and is too stubborn to give up until she gets her way!

She huffs, her experience becoming sour as she recalls her co-worker’s wild attitude. Whitley can’t help but snicker at her adorable pout. Watching her cheeks puff made him want to pinch and nip at them until she broke out of her little funk and into a fit of laughter. But again, all he could was offer her his words.

Whitley: Stubborn and persistent without a care for normal boundaries? Guess that surname is more literal than I thought.

Penny chuckles at his sly joke, her frown reversing into her usual endearing smile. Oh, how he loved that smile of hers. Ever earnest and sweet, never plastered on or forced, and the way her eye lit up with joy was so heartwarming. The girl really never held anything back, everything was at face value with her expressions.

Whitley: But then again cats can be easily distracted, maybe you can divert her attention to something else until we can figure out a better way to handle this.

Penny: Hmm, there have been a lot of problems going on down here so that could work.

Penny’s face scrunches in focus as she tries to think of topics to distract Neon with. Whitley watches her happily and is about to comment on her adorably furrowed brows but the sound of the alarm from his normal scroll cut him off. It wasn’t a practically loud alarm but to Whitley it was like a blaring siren pulling him back to the reality of his daily life. Penny could hear the alarm over on the other side of the screen and know what it meant their morning talk was over.

Penny: Time to get to work?

She questions, still smiling but with a hint of disappointment in her soft summer green eyes. Whitley sighs, also disappointed but far too used to the pain disconnecting caused.

Whitley: Afraid so.

Penny: Will you call me at lunch today?

Whitley hesitates a bit, trying hard not to visibly deflate as he knew the answer wouldn’t be positive.

Whitley: I’ll see what I can do.

He says tenderly, trying to soften the blow a little but Penny was no foul. She knew well how much Whitley worked and that these little talks were hard enough to schedule as it was. But still, the prospect of going a day without hearing his voice and seeing that he was okay all while knowing the terrible environment he lived in even for a day was discouraging. The smile remains on her lips but the sorrow in her eyes is obvious as she bid him farewell.

Penny: Okay, have a nice day, Whitley.

Whitley: You too. Take care, Penny.

He says with a weak smile, the two wave to each other before hanging up. Now alone Whitley takes a deep breath, mentally taking in all the positivity Penny had gifted him, steadying himself for the day to come. He exhales and gets out of bed, walking swiftly towards his closet.

Whitley: Time to get to work.

Whitley thought to himself as proceeded to get dressed, comb his hair, stash his secret scroll, and pocketed his work scroll before striding over to his desk to start his morning reading. He starts with the statistics section first, much of which he’d finished early in the week, then goes into economics. When the math gets to be more complicated, he takes a calculator, pencil, and paper to hand do and double-check his work as progresses. He’s so absorbed in his work that he doesn’t hear Sue enter with the food cart carrying in his breakfast. With Jacques now transfixed in his campaign, Whitley had been busier than ever, and the dining rooms had been almost abandoned as a result. So, the kitchen staff would regularly deliver the Schnees meals to them and sweet but clumsy Sue was often tasked with the least difficult of three for obvious reasons.

She notices his focused demeanor from the doorway and watches him in awe. As a college student Sue knew the grind of studying well and had met a few overachievers that breezed through their work compared to them peers. Buy Whitley was a whole other breed when it came to academics. The young master did the equivalent of six full-credit classes of homework almost daily and that was only a fraction of his normal duties. It was honestly scary however efficient he was at his age and the maid couldn’t help but pity him for all the work he was saddled with. Especially with how he ate while working like this.

She stands silently until Whitley stops typing to move on to the next section. Seeing a small window of opportunity, Sue calls out to him.

Sue: Young Master?

Her voice breaks Whitley’s focus and he looks over his shoulder to acknowledge her presence.

Whitley: Yes?

Now seen and addressed Sue pushes the cart over to the side of Whitley’s desk. She describes the dish as she unloads it and the utensils off of the cart.

Sue: Today’s breakfast is a scotch egg, toast, and sausage with a side salad. And a hot back flat coffee.

She says as she puts the silver platter and mug in an open space on the desk before removing the cover to reveal the meal just as she described it. Though the portion is a little smaller than one would have imagined from that description. Truly there was a singular scotch egg in an egg cup, alongside a piece of thin white toast cut into two triangle pieces, and some small sausage next to the fresh side salad. The sausage was made of good-quality meat but small enough to be used for pigs in a blanket, the toast is thin are lightly buttered, and the salad is the size of a fruit cup and only a slight drizzle of dressing. It was a balance and healthy meal but unquestionably insufficient for anyone over the age of ten. But this was all Whitley would have until lunchtime came so it would have to make do.

Whitley: Thank you, Sue. I’ll leave the plate by the door when I’m done with it.

He remarks before turning back to his computer and resuming his work. Sue stifles a sign and leaves quietly with the food cart. Once she’s gone, Whitley proceeds to work with one hand and eat with the other, being careful not to get crumbs anything where or spill something. The meal doesn’t last even half an hour and Whitley sips on his half-cold coffee for the rest of his morning study.

Once he’s finally finished with his academic work for the day, Whitley gets up to do some quick stretches to promote blood flow back to his long numb limbs. After he stretches Whitley picks up his dirty dishes and walks them to the door. Lunch would be arriving from so it would be best for him to get them out his way and somewhere Sue could retrieve them easily. But just as he’s about to set them down there’s a knock on the door. Using his free hand, Whitley opens the door to see Hannah standing there out of breath and sweaty.

Whitley: Oh dear.

Whitley thought worriedly at the sight of the unkempt maid. Schnee Manor was prided on having perfect ground and well-maintained staff at all times, so seeing a maid this out of sorts was a clear sign the big trouble.

Hannah: Young Master, come quickly! There’s a big problem in the laundry room!

Hannah cries, to which Whitley sighs in response. With his father so preoccupied and his mother being… incapacitated most days the teen was left to run the manor in their stead. It had become so often that much of the staff deferred to him for assistance after accidents or maintenance notifications. Knowing that Whitley hands the dishes over to Hannah and steps out into the hallway.

Whitley: Take those to the kitchen and get yourself a glass of water, you look like you’re about to pass out from dehydration.

Hannah nods and accepts the dishes, replying with a simple “Yes, Young Master” before running off to the kitchen. Whitley in turn heads to the laundry room to see what was had transpired. As was common in large house estates, there were two laundry rooms with the manor, one in the staff quarters for uniform and staff bedding cleaning, mending, and distribution, and another in the main house for the family’s laundry. Guiding by the direction she came from and how tired Hannah was the problem was mostly in the staff’s laundry and not the main house. Whitley sighs again as he turns a corner and heads towards the staff quarters.

Whitley: Guess I’ll get some of my daily steps in before lunch, again.

He bemoaned to himself as he marches down the halls to make the long walk to the staff’s laundry room. His steps click on the cold marble floor, every tap of his heel carrying a slight echo due to the vastness of the grand estate's halls but soon they grow soft as he walks onto the pale wood floors of the staff building. The staff area was far more causal them the main house, it was not meant for company to enter so was held far less glamorous furnishings but was built steadily and comfortably for those who inhabited it. The bedrooms though shared were spacious enough for both occupants to have some level of privacy. The bathrooms were large, the showers were separate for privacy, and quality hypoallergenic soaps were distributed to staff weekly. And the staff kitchen was well stocked and always clean, kitchen staff and cleaning rotated daily to keep the entirety of the manor clean and fed. The chiefs commonly using much of the same ingredients for staff as the family’s meals, sans the more luxurious food like high-quality meats, expensive spices, or any of the good liquor. Truthfully it was one of the few parts of the Schnee enterprise that had not been watered down by Jaques’s spendthrift ways, primarily due to how often the staff was seen by the guests Jaques kept.

Whitley: If it won’t tarnish his reputation by making him seem cheap, Father would’ve let this place fall into disarray and dressed the staff in rags years ago.

Whitley thought passive-aggressively as he wonders through the halls of the staff building toward the laundry room. When he arrives there’s a mob of staff inside trying to sort out the chaos. The room itself was covered from top to bottom with white tiles, with large wood cabinets on the left wall where all the detergent, fabric softer, and the like was stored, and on the right wall was a large window left open to fit the clothes hanging contraption that set delicates out to dry and back via a thin conveyor belt. And finally at the back wall was where the industrial-sized washer and dryers sat, several units made to handle large deals of clothes at the same time for easy and efficient cleaning. Unfortunately, it was here that the problem lay as one of the dryers had been pulled out of its spot on the wall, unplugged and dragged to the middle of the room. The front was covered in char marks as was the floor around it, clothes inside burned beyond recognition. Tens of maids and butlers were gathered around it attempting to clean the singes off the floor while others looked over the machine itself for further damage. In the disarray, Alexandr is the first to spot Whitley and quickly approached him to debrief him on the current situation.

Alexander: Afternoon, Young Master.

Whitley: What’s going on here Alexander?

Alexander: It appears that one of the dryers has overheated and caught fire. We were able to put it out quickly but there was some damage to the flooring, and we were unable to retrieve the clothes inside before they were set aflame.

Whitley: I see, any injuries?

Alexander: No, luckily enough everyone on duty was at a safe distance with the blaze ignited.

Whitley: Good and what about the dryer? Is it salvageable?

Alexander: We’re checking it but at the moment it seems beyond repair, and it would be best to start looking into replacements.

Whitley sighs again, this was the biggest problem of having a home this size. Even if there was perfect upkeep of the estate, there were still so many little accidents that couldn’t be prevented no matter how hard anyone tried.

Whitley: And this is why we provide high-coverage insurance.

He muses both annoyed that this happened but relieved no one was harmed by the flames. But that relief also gives way to a question, one that should have followed his first.

Whitley: Alexander?

Alexander: Yes?

Whitley: What started the fire?

Alexander: Ah, I believe someone said something about forgetting to clear out the lint tray before the next cycle. With the volume of clothes inside the amount of lint would most definitely have been enough to cause an overheating and subsequent fire.

Whitley: Wonderful.

He says sarcastically as he pinches the bridge of his nose. This was going to be an annoying chore added to his list of obligations but as the only responsible household member, he had no choice but to handle it.

Whitley: Bring me the warranty for the dryer, and contracts for our contractor and uniform supplier. Hopefully, we can get this cleaned up by tomorrow.

Alexander: Of course, Young Master. Shall I get the pressure washer to clean the ruined tiles?

Whitley: No, leave them for the contractor. But please check everyone that was here during for burns. We can’t have people hiding blisters just to finish their shift.

Alexander: Yes, Young Master.

With that, Alexander turns on his heel and leaves the room to fulfill his new tasks meanwhile Whitley evacuated the other staff members out of the laundry room. Letting them hang out the rest of the wet clothes and take out the clean dry clothes before closing the door to the room and posting a handwritten sign not to enter until further notice. By the time Alexander returns those who were attending to the laundry were standing in the hallway and Whitley was questioning those that were closest to the fire. He hands him the information he requested and proceeds to check everyone for injuries as Whitley makes some calls. By the time things are sorted, Whitley’s lunchtime has passed and it’s time to get his daily pile of paperwork from his father’s office.

Whitley: Great, now I’ll have to run on fumes til dinner.

He grumbled to himself as he walked back to the main house. Along the way, he gets a ping on his secret scroll. Knowing only two people knew the number and only one had reason to contact him at this time of day. He stops and looks around, making sure he’s alone, before pulling out the scroll and checking his texts. He’s great by an image of a bowl of noodles with light brown broth and beef, watercress, bean sprouts, and a slice of like lime as toppings sitting on a cafeteria table. Under the picture was a cheeky message from none other than Penny.

Penny: [They were serving pho at the academy today and I got a bowl! Don’t worry I made sure to ask for non-spicy this time.]

The text read, Whitley couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at the quirky message, delighted by the effort Penny put in to keep him updated even when he didn't have time to call. It warmed his heart a little to know he was on her mind even in innocuous moments like this. But the warmth is quickly overshadowed by a grumble of pain, as his empty stomach growls for food at the sight of the pleasant meal. Whitley rubs his stomach and texts her back before the pain gets too distracting.

Whitley: [Looks good, we’ll have to get some together next time.]

Penny replies almost immediately with a cheery text of-

Penny: [Of course, I’ll ask around for some recommendations after work!]

-and Whitley shoots back a quick-

Whitley: [Can’t wait to see what you find.]

Before putting the scroll away and continuing towards his father’s office. When he finally arrives at the office, Whitley’s relieved to see his father wasn’t inside waiting for him. Having to explain his tardiness while his father stared down at him was just going to make his stomachache worse and frankly, he didn’t need the added stress or stomach ulcer risk. Walking to the desk Whitley quickly grabs the stack of paperwork meant for him and speed walks out of the room. He couldn’t stand being there for too long even without Jacques being present. The whole room had been mired with the memories of verbal lashings of his early years and the brutal punishments that started soon after Weiss’s departure. Unconsciously, Whitley holds the paper tight in one hand and grips his bicep with the other, the memories so vivid that the air felt heavy. He squeezes the muscle of his upper arm harshly, the pain forcing his mind back to reality. He takes a few deep breaths then shakes his head furiously, brushing away the remaining tension of entering the room. When his head is clear he retreats back to his room, work in hand, and continues his day.

Now Whitley’s involvement with the SDC was mostly just paperwork, but it was a hefty amount. The work ranged from negotiations on dust prices for clients to incident reports from the mines and everything in between. Other times he was tasked with handling client calls or receiving direct reports from lower management on all manner of issues. Occasionally he’d have to call others to clarify something, notify them of certain changes in contract or policy, and reject dealings his father didn’t approve of. It was mental taxing work that required him to handle many sensitive documents and situations with no room to make mistakes or even small errors. Any issue could undermine his standing as heir and Whitley couldn’t afford to let that happen for various reasons.

Whitley: Get through this quick then maybe you can sneak in a snack before dinner and hopefully not pass out from starvation.

He says to himself before sitting down at his desk and getting back to work. He spends hours battling the sea of paperwork, carefully going over ever page and noting errors or inconsistencies or signing off on things when necessary. He makes a few calls to verify things across different departments as he goes, eventually landing a call with a difficult client mid-way through.

Steppers: I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU CAN’T MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR THIS ONE THING!!!

Whitley: My apologies, Mr. Steppers but I cannot decrease the price of your air dust shipment any further your wholesale discount already offers.

Steppers: BUT I’VE BEEN A CUSTOMER FOR YEARS! DOESN’T ENTITLE ME TO SOME KIND OF LEGUCY OF REPEAT CUSTOMER CARE!!!

Whitley: You’re ordering materials from a monopoly for your hot air balloon tour business, what part of that give you any inclination that you’d receive any respect?

Whitley snarked to himself as he tries to get through to the man and make him see reason.

Whitley: Unfortunately, the SDC doesn’t have a set customer rewards system but if you’d like to petition for one, please call the customer service line or take our online survey.

Steppers: I’VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH ALL THAT AND NO HAS HELPED ME!!! AND NOW I’M HERE STUCK TALKING SOME SNOT NOSED BRAT!!!

Whitley: And once I apologize for the inconvenience but there is simply nothing I can do for you.

Steppers: GET ME YOUR MANAGER!!! I WANNA SPEAK TO THE PERSON AT THE VERY TOP OF THIS SHITTY COMPANY!!!

Whitley: I can’t do that Sir, I’m the highest authority on customer relations and as I’ve already stated there’s nothing I can do.

Steppers: BULLSHIT, NO WAY A KID IS RUNNING THE SHOW HERE!!!

This painful back and forth continues as Whitley starts back his paperwork while still on the line. Eventually he manages to talk the man down enough to agree to call the service line back and hang up. Now nurturing a headache from the exchange, Whitley finishes up the rest of his work just in time for his dinner break. And as if on cue there’s a knock on his door but instead of the soft voice of Sue a different one calls out to him.

Olga: Young Master?

Whitley: Come in.

He answers, turning around in his desk chair ready to fave whatever issue that had brought her here. Olga opens the door and takes only a step in while still holding the door as she tells him what she needs of him.

Olga: There are packages at the front door and delivery boy needs the resident's signature to drop them off.

Whitley takes a sharp breath and gets up, stretching out his back as he rises. He walks over to Olga and the two leave the room to attend to the delivery. When they arrive at the front door there is a young man with a clipboard waiting at the open door as well as several staff members on standby. Just behind the carrier, he could see a small truck with the logo of a well-known local stationery company printed on the side. Scymoreous Printing Co, the company his father often commissioned their business cards from. Whitley approaches the young man who looks him up and down curiously.

Delivery Boy: Package for Jaques Schnee?

Whitley: I can sign for that.

Whitley states and the delivery boy hands over the clipboard to him. He looks over the order form then signs for the delivery before handing it back.

Delivery Boy: Sooo, want me to haul them in or-

Whitley: No need.

Whitley motions to the waiting staff members and they quickly retrieve the box from out front, Yuko specifically carrying several on one arm and ease. When they’re done the frankly astonished delivery boy tips his hat to Whitley and then runs off back to his truck. Whitley closes the door behind him and steps over to the boxes to inspect the goods. With the help of Olga’s handy box cutter, he opens one of the boxes to find that it’s filled with campaign pins. The pin has a white background with a picture of Jaques in arms crossed power pose in the foreground and the words “Success With Schnee” in bold red font underneath.

Whitley: Of course, he’s using the family name for his scheme. What else does he have to offer?

Whitley rolls his eyes, trying his hardest not to get annoyed again as he moves to open another box. After checking over all the boxes of pins and ensuring they were all to standard, Whitley addresses the staff.

Whitley: Put the bulk of these into storage, two boxes with party supplies, and with spare guest room toiletries. One in father’s limousine and half of one in his office, stacked neatly in the top drawers only.

The staff reply with a simple “Yes, Young Master.” and get to work sorting out the pins. With that handle, Whitley heads back to his room and is mercifully greeted by the sight of a large silver platter on a wide wooden standing tray table next to his desk. He rushes to the table and uncovers the platter to reveal a plate of pan fries cod with a side of grilled asparagus and a bowl of creamy truffle soup, a cup of earl gray at the far side still billowing with steam. It would seem the kitchen staff doubled up his meal to make up for his skipped lunch. And though the portions were still in light Whitley greatly appreciated the effect they’d put in to keep him fed. Despite the restrictions of his diet the chiefs never failed to provide Whitley with delicious and nutritious food. It was one of the few comforts this life afforded him though the somberness of his situation soured the flavor most nights.

Whitley: At least I can go to bed on a full stomach for once.

Whitley thought bittersweetly as he moves the chair from his desk over to the tray table and sat down to eat. The cod is so soft and flaky it practically melts on his tongue, the fresh lemon butter sauce adding a lightly zesty sour flavor to the fish’s natural saltiness. The asparagus is crisp and well-spiced, the firm snap of every bite is tribute to its freshness. The soup is a delight of smooth broth with a rich taste, the pieces of mushroom, onion, and potato softened from boiling and soaked deep with the soup. Tis’ a hearty meal, one Whitley quite enjoyed after a hard day’s work. He considers washing it down with the tea but instead wipes his mouth with provided cloth napkin then gets up to start his final task of the day, reading.

Whitley: What better to pair with a reading hour than tea?

He quipped to himself as he grabbed one of the books off his reading list from his small bookcase before returning to his seat. Jacques had required Whitley to read from a select range of topics every day for an hour or more to keep the boy cultured. The topics were mostly of no real-world use and focused more on elite taste. Fashion history, architecture, ancient culture, art history, and the like are all topics Whitley was well versed in due to his daily reading. But despite it being a forced task, Whitley found some solace in this time as he could get lost in the text and his imagination. Engaging with thought-provoking works and reading tales of far humanity had come since its earliest records was a nice way for him to escape the confinement of the manor and its master, even if only in his mind.

Though lately, his mind had drifted ever so slightly as he read his usual topic. Actually, it had begun months ago during Penny’s lessons. He’d find some passage or chapter in a book that could help her digest the topic more easily or might catch her interest enough to help keep her engaged with the more mundane parts of his training. And even after she left Whitley still found himself mentally picking out things he knows she’d like or find interesting.

Whitley: Maybe I can sneak a couple down with me next time. I’m the only one who reads the regularly and God knows Father hasn’t to even glance at a book unless he’s pushing onto me, so they won't be missed.

He muses to himself as he reaches for the cup of tea, it’s gone lukewarm but still, the taste is soft and comforting. Seems that Sue had a hand in making it as the sugar and milk ratio is perfect and there is a hint of honey at the bottom, most like placed in the cup before the leaves and water so it could disperse evenly with heat. Or at least that's what she’d told him the first time he’d had her make tea for him. It was a nice way of mixing natural sweetness with the bitterness of the leaves, enough so that he’d never correct her method as long as she only made it for him. Couldn’t risk needless firings over his father’s breakfast tea not being exactly right every morning.

Whitley takes his time drinking his tea so it last for the entire hour as he keeps reading. When the hour is over Whitley puts back his books, puts his dirty dishes together, and is about to walk them and the tray table to the door when someone knocks. The knocks aren’t very hard but had a particular patter to them that immediately alerts Whitley to who’s at the door. Quickly putting down the table, grabbing his finished documents, and straightening himself up, Whitley takes a long deep breath as he approaches the door. He grabs the nob firmly in his hand, his heart rate speeding up as he opens the door to see his father Jaques standing in wait. The older man made it a point to see his son face-to-face at least three times a week to “check up on him” as any good parent would. But in truth, it was just a way for him to impose himself on Whitley and remind him of his place in the hierarchy of the household. His cold uncaring gaze locks onto Whitley’s shorter form, looking at him as if he were a speck of dust. Whitley does not let this outward coldness affect him at all and stares back at him with a gentle gaze and pristine smile.

Whitley: Good evening, Father. How has your day been?

He says with the sweetness of a child thrilled to see their dad finally home after a long day of work. It was amazing how kind and loving Whitley appeared to be to his father, and to anyone who didn’t know the truth of their dynamic, it would seem the two had a healthy parent-child relationship. But if they ever looked beneath the surface, they’d find toxicity so vile it’d make most people wretch.

Jacques: Fine. Have you completed all your work for the day?

He asks, no demands still peering at Whitley with the same sense of indifference. Whitley doesn’t buck or drop his smile, however. He just chirps out the answers he knows Jacques wants to hear without so much as a stammer.

Whitley: Of course, I just finished the last of my reading for the day and I have all my paperwork right here. Organized and sorted just as you asked and pertaining calls have been dealt with.

He holds out the papers with a proud smile, Jacques just stares at it for a moment then snaps his fingers. From down the hall a maid appears from around the corner, she walks up to them and takes the documents from Whitley’s hands. Neither acknowledges her during the exchange and she leave quickly and quietly. The two white haired men continue to converse after she’s gone.

Jacques: Were there any problems while I was out?

Whitley: Yes, but nothing of importance. There was a small fire in the staff laundry room and your campaign pins arrived early then scheduled.

Jacques: And what did you do about this?

Whitley: Why I handled it of course. Everything that was damaged by fire will be replaced in a few days and pins have been put into their proper places already.

Jacques: And this was all charged to?

Whitley: The manor’s maintenance account, of course.

This was the normal banter between these two, Jacques presenting constant questions and demands and Whitley answering in only the affirmative. It was a one-sided scenario that gave Jacques all the power and forced Whitley to obey. What would happen to the boy if he failed was so wretched that it compelled Whitely to hold back the bile in his throat as patted his head. His touch felt like rusted metal thorns against Whitley’s soft locks, and he has to hold in a breath of relief when he pulls it away.

Jacques: Good job, keep up the good work. Now, go to bed.

Whitley: Good night, Father, rest well.

He says kindly as Jaques walks away from the door and down the hall. Whitley doesn’t move away from the door and keeps watching Jacques’s back until he’s out of sight. After he’s gone, Whitley softly closes the door and lets out a loud deep sign. He hated these random visits, being tied to that horrid man every time he left the manor was bad enough but the consistent checkups to keep him on his best behavior were maddening! They had decreased with Jacques’s focus switching to his council seat campaign but still, it was so stressful to have him drop in whenever he pleased just to make sure his favorite puppet was still under his thumb.

Whitley: And now my hair stinks of gody cologne and narcissist’s sweat.

Whitley thought, gagging slightly from the overpowering scent. He already had so many reasons to hate his father deeply, but it was the little things like this that made being near the man truly unbearable.

Whitley: (groans) I need a shower.

Indeed, he did. After such a long day a shower was just the thing Whitley need to cleanse himself of the day’s inconveniences. Putting the tray table by the door, setting his scrolls aside to charge, then grabbing fresh undergarments and nightclothes, Whitley heads into his en-suite bathroom to wash up. He lets the water run while he brushes his teeth in the mirror. When his pearly whites are nice and shiny, he gathers up his loofah, soap, shampoo, and conditioner and sets them in the shower shelf in the corner by the head before undressing. Most people won’t allow the water to run for this long for various reasons, but Whitley prefers to as the heat created a great deal of steam. The steam helps him unwind by opening his pore and bringing a nice change of temp compared to the manor’s natural frigid atmosphere but most importantly the steam obscured most of his form as he moved around the bathroom. It would fog all the reflection all surfaces as he stood bare and uncovered. Even if something were to happen to enter the room now it would still be hard to make his pale form in the cloud of white.

This meant he didn’t have to see himself undressed, or more precisely what he hide underneath his clothes.

But as he climbs into the tub and lets the water from the shower head hit his skin the mired skin off his back reminds him of his failures. The warm water grazing across long streaks of broken and healed skin, the tingling on his fingertips as he washes over raised line of his upper arm. He washes himself gingerly and carefully, making sure everything inch of his body is clean. Once he’s sure his clean, Whitley stands under water for a moment to enjoy the warmth before getting out. With hot showers it was best to moisturize immediately after to prevent dry skin. So, Whitley sits down on the toilet, lid down, hair wrapped in his hair and body wrapped in towel and applies some lotion. It scented like mint and sandal wood, with pure aloe as the base, the cold cream is thick but easy to spread. Starting with his face and ending with his feet, Whitley takes a great deal of care in rubbing the cream into his pearly skin. His feet specially take longer than elsewhere as he weaves his fingers into the many grooves and cracks. He had to be extra gentle with the lacerations on the soles of his feet as if not tended to correctly the skin would become uneven given how the wounds had healed. With the locked moisture in and his hair mostly dry Whitley gets changed into his nightwear and puts his dirty clothes into the hamper. He exits the bathroom and notices the tray table had been taken away.

Thankful that there’s no reason for anyone to bother him for the rest of the night Whitley locks his door, and rushes over to his bed. He takes his secret scroll out of its hiding spot and checks himself out in the camera app, making silly faces and cheeky smiles at himself with glee! Once he knows he looks good Whitley opens up his contacts and video calls the one labeled “My Love”. It takes a minute for the call to contact and for her to pick up but sure enough, after a long arduous day, Whitley is graced with the sight of Penny again. She was laying down on her bed, head on her pillow, and dressed in her usual nightgown. The pajamas held her figure well but didn’t cling to her body and the way her hair framed her lovely face at this angle gave her an air of relaxation and comfortability.

God, he loved seeing her like this at the end of the day, so precious and sweet. The sight of her gave him so much peace that the stress of his day simply vanished the moment he looked into those gorgeous green eyes. Honestly, the only thing that could make him feel more at ease was if she was laying directly across from him in his bed. Snuggling into him for comfort and wrapped gently in his arm as they both drift off to a well-deserved rest. But pitifully that could not happen.

Whitley: For now.

Whitley thought, a mischievous grin on his lips as he gazes at his sleepy lover. From how comfy she looked it was clear she’d been home and ready for bed for some time now but had waited up just to see him. How cute of her, waiting up for him like this. Well, he couldn’t disappoint her after she’d made time for him, could he? With a soft gleam of passion in his eyes Whitley starts their evening chat ready to verbally drown his dear Penny in all the adoration and affection he could before exhaustion put him down.

Whitley: Hello again, my darling. I hope you didn’t miss me too much today.

#rwby fanfiction #fanfic #penny polendina #rwby #beta testers #fanfiction #whitley schnee #angst #fluff #cute #broken machines #Mind the edgy bits

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vicit-vim-virtus · 1 year

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Starter for @cosmiicheskaya

‘Excuse me, but could you not sit on those fabrics ⸺ they’re high quality vicuna. You have no idea how many strips of pressed latinum I spent to obtain those. You know, they’re all the rage on Alpha Centauri, so you can imagine how atrocious of a process it was to secure a shipment for a singular tailor on Deep Space Nine,’ Garak said exasperatedly, his bright blue eyes trained on the mutt as he cautiously approached it.

The Cardassian wasn’t a great supporter of Earth canines. They were verbal, dependent on their owners, destructive, and everywhere they trod, their stench permeated the air... And as for the strips of pressed latinum... Those were counterfeit; he had successfully hacked into the merchant’s systems and deposited his innocuous order under a false identity into a long list of insignificant names and places, and had it delivered to an astute intermediary who was graced with the gifts of whatever God some people claimed was watching over them. They could never trace the order back to him or his agent... That was all that mattered to him. Odo would be beyond repulsed. The thought alone elicited a smile.

‘So, if you could kindly vacate my shop, that would be much appreciated. I’ve got loads of dresses to make and pants to hem, therefore I implore you, cease whatever effort it is you are pursuing; I don’t have time to entertain you. What is it humans call it again ⸺ fetch? Yeah, I don’t have time for that.’

#cosmiicheskaya #spacetimewriter // elim garak #verse // never tell the same lie twice #ooc: don't take it too personally cosmo garak likes you he's just too ''manly'' to admit it

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seelestia · 1 year

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out of all the versions of scara we've seen in the game which one is your;

Favorite?

The one you actually want to meet and talk to (if given the chance)?

Best lover/partner material?

The one you most likely would get along with?

The one you most likely would want to show our world and all the shit we have goin for us?

Your pick for the best version of Scara (You can't not choose >:P).

You can choose only (The Abandoned Puppet, Kunikuzushi, Kabukimono, Scaramouche, Wanderer) i know that logically, the aboandoned puppet and kunikuzushi could be the same, but since I headcanon that he was just named as the puppet for his first "version" and later on took the moniker "Kunikuzushi", known as the wandering kid with no purpose. So take that as you will, or just change up the choices cuz who am i to stop u lmao :P - Ever so sincerely yours, 👹✨ Jae (aka your random moot that just quizzes u whenever she's bored lol)

the way you asked this question to me out of boredom, knowing that i'm a wanderer kisser who stays up at night thinking about his lore 24/7.

***NOTE: some major spoilers for wanderer's backstory under the cut! i eat up his lore like it's chicken stew, is this healthy. (/lh)

Favorite?

i'm sorry, but it is necessary that i give it up to wanderer. i think it's mainly because he is technically the 'end product' (or the matured version) of all the painful journeys he trod and that makes me really attached to him <3

The one you actually want to meet and talk to (if given the chance)?

kabukimono, my precious :'( as someone who harbored good will towards humans (at that time <//3), i bet he has lots of questions abt the way they (or, we, in that matter hehe) live. iirc, it is canon that he was taught simple and ordinary tasks by the people of tatarasuna like how to comb his hair, hold a cutlery, cook meals, forge, etc. — AND THAT'S SO CUTE TO ME?? i sure don't know how to forge but heck yeah, i'll teach you abt other silly things we do!! (silly devious giggles /j)

Best lover/partner material?

listen, wanderer and kabukimono. because these two are the most likely to be more open to the thought of forming a connection with someone else. kabukimono is more out of curiosity; what does love feel like? is love for an object the same as love for someone else? what is love? whilst wanderer is more of tolerance; he acknowledges its value, but he doesn't actively try to pursue it... unless he finds someone he really, really comes to trust over a period of time (someone worthy of him and someone he is worthy of).

so, yeah, i chose them because kunikuzushi and scaramouche both have mindsets that make them very or even too hateful towards any type of intimacy at the time <//3

The one you would most likely get along with?

kabukimono for sure!! i have a soft spot for gentle, unknowing people with curiosity. it's probs why i used to have a habit of adopting new students and checking up on them from time to time in my class irl 😭 i mostly get along best with people who can do sassy banter with me, but i can deffo get along with someone like kabukimono too <3

The one you most likely would want to show our world?

scaramouche. just purely because this little guy would frown so hard in disgust at us LMAOOOO "so, supposedly, the technology your world has is meant to make tasks easier for the people. looks like an excuse for you idiots to waste time to me. ...what even is this 'phone' thing, anyway?" he says all that, but he's definitely interested in how everything around here actually works.

Best version?

...personally, wanderer. i've talked about him enough and you don't want me to elaborate more than i already did 🥸 (/j) but i do think all his version are great in their own ways tho because each of them contributes smth to his story. he wouldn't be the person he is now if it weren't for what each of them went through, after all.

P/S...

oh, jae, about the last part.... are you sure you think that's a headcanon because that's actually right— AYO?? this is like a basic summary of the timeline for the names leading up to wanderer.

500 years ago, upon his creation, ei didn't give him a name and he was a nameless puppet. when the people of tatarasuna found him, they called him kabukimono but that was more of a term than a name — the people there did ask if he wanted a name but at the time, he was content with just being called kabukimono (because the name held precious memories for him) until the 'second betrayal' caused him to abandon that name altogether.

kunikuzushi was the first 'actual' name he chose for himself some time during or before the case of the eccentric. 100 years ago, he slaughtered the raiden gokaden (chosen clans that raiden shogun was passing down her martial arts teachings to) to seek revenge against the "bladesmiths" (his second betrayal) except for one person who was spared after scaramouche found out about said person's connection to the surname, "niwa" (the same one as his friend from the tatarasuna). "tell her this. my name is kunikuzushi," was his last words to the sole survivor laying amongst bodies of corpses before he disappeared. (more info: iirc, he was already a part of the fatui when this occured. so, scaramouche was already one of his monikers but he didn't consider it as his 'true' name.)

also, kunikuzushi means 'country destroyer' in japanese and also happens to be the name of a villain character in japanese popular drama who usurps countries. i assumed that he picked this name when the case of the eccentric happened since he did cause a minor disturbance/loss to the inner workings of inazuma through that case. we can see this reflected in today's in-game history because only the amenoma art and isshin art (2/5 clans of the raiden gokaden) still alive after that event.

ANYWAY YEAH. YOU DIDN'T ASK FOR IT BUT IT AWAKENED SMTH IN ME!! sorry for rambling, but i needed to let it out 🫣 (/lh)

#the way i doubled over when i saw the questions.#MY TIME AS A WANDERER KISSER HAS COME TO SHINE!!#jk jk here ya go hehe #i'm personally kinda curious abt jae's own personal answers to these questions tho >:3c #ask box! 📬#visitor: dearest jae! 👹✨#cw: lore spoilers

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milestoneqs · 17 days

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In Search of a Lost Cuckoo Clock

Name: Annie B

City: Moscow, ID

Milestone: Moving into new apartment

In the last year, what is one thing you have loved:

I have loved my friends. For some reason throughout my life I have been incredibly blessed with brilliant, kind friends. I have been so fortunate in this regard that I feel there is some strange conspiracy from the universe to bless me specifically in this area. A year ago, I left two of my best friends/roommates and a city I felt very at home in to move to the opposite side of the country and pursue an MFA in fiction. I was surprised by how much anxiety this change brought: anxiety telling me I was alone, lost, a failure, a bad writer, a person who leaves good things for Quixotic missions surely doomed for disgrace. Calls to friends from all eras of my life have been the steady drumbeat carrying me past my fears, helping me march on a rocky path. I am 32, and while many people my age are having babies and buying not their starter homes but their second homes. When I first came to Idaho, I moved in with a different friend, another wonderful friend. But I felt the call to live alone, to make a place my very own, decorated exactly the way I imagined. I am moving into an apartment in my second year of a program setting me further on a path likely not destined for fortune or fame or traditional box checking that would quiet family questions but a path of the quiet passion I have always harbored. There is a voice in my head, my therapist and I have named him Greg, who screams at me about this misstep (his words) in my life trajectory. “Where did we get off course?” he asks. “You could have been a diplomat, but you ran away from that.” “You could have been a journalist, but you ran away from that.” “Your writing is trash.” “Your thoughts are trash.” “You must be a masochist because you gave all that up to be alone in Idaho and tear through paper and ink like a fool.” Sometimes on weeks when I have to submit a piece for workshop he is so cruel that I speak to him out loud: “Please stop. I’m trying my best. We’re fine. We’ll be fine.” Sometimes that is not enough to quiet him. That is when I call my friends and their voices replace Greg’s. They tell me I am brave, not crazy. They tell me I am strong, not a fool. They tell me my new apartment looks beautiful, that I am finding my style.

In the last year, what is one thing you have learned:

I have learned that there is a path for me. It looks different than the paths most of my friends and very, very different compared to the people I grew up with in a small Colorado community. But it is a path none the less. I am not marching off a cliff or isolating myself in a desert. In Colorado and Idaho and other rural areas, there are well-trod human trails determined and cleared by governmental organizations, but there are also game trails – wild trails. If you know what to look for, you can see these paths still cluttered with weeds, flowers, maybe small trees. This is where deers and raccoons and coyotes pass, often to reach water or a quiet aspen grove in which to sleep. People who diverge from the paths of those around them walk on something like this. Sometimes you lose faith that you’re on a path at all, thinking you’re completely bushwhacking, completely lost. But if you trust your instincts, you will get to where you’re trying to go: that alpine lake, that stream, water and life. For me that instinct is the voice telling me to trade almost anything to get closer to the alchemy of literature. I have learned that voice is not crazy.

What is one way you have grown:

I have grown through learning which of the voices in my head to listen to and which ones to ignore. Greg is still loud sometimes but I am learning to recognize and shoo him away quicker. I tell him now, “Thank you for your input, but we’re actually okay.” I have learned to listen to the nice lady (yet unnamed) who keeps reminding me of the path I’m on and how magical it is, how sometimes you feel really alone and crazy but you find the people who see you, other wild people looking for something rare and special. What is one thing that you hope for in the next year:

I hope that I trust myself and my writing more. Just in the last few months, I have felt more sure of the voice coming out in my writing. She is strong and interesting and strange. She reminds me of who I was when I was a little girl reading books compulsively and wearing jangly jewelry and wandering into the woods. I like her. I hope we continue to become better friends. I hope she knows that I’m trying really hard not to betray her, abandon her, in the ways I did in the past. She has informed me that she would like a cuckoo clock for the new apartment. We are picking it up tonight.

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libidomechanica · 30 days

Text

Untitled (“One is streight is fair, and done, with bred my back”)

As a child right, and through my unkind, I embracing like chiropractors having so lately boste. One is streight is fair, and done, with bred my back. To my doleful dittie. And those

rules with any evidence, that the act of you, standing note. Economy: once you not asham’d to his swiftly by, and stout, nor cause is the cannot love whose Echo made

and o’er young, and falls throated more delighter and dry down thy fresh green the other for the miles enrich each cup’s worth an Indian common, and the first. Go, loved in the

skies, that to ease thee, I am contentment with my footsteps of Age, trod down in its patterning note. For love is larger, long flash’d ivory stages but feele the Lorelei.

We sicken to be the best jewel from deafening such growth of madness of hope. Not a woman sits radiant and many a darkness. Were it not knows my lord love slight in me,

if I by a happie window passe like a fish out of roses on endlessly before was on the shades o’ dawn are since, and coole. Last Loves Wars told Rose-bud, young Ganimed

aboue louers scorne of thy siluer soul, let me singing, like chiropractors having love even, as a good as God had a dream. Like picture, or Vileness it seems the air, shalt

thou will have been in her day, and let me sucks from you, kind Sir, I’m fley’d it mak me again? I must proud of intoxication in the Lily and he wild depressions finding

now the Isle, and then me! Nor long tarry for fear it with shake the day may be as not Honour, to thy wynters storm of golden pomp is shattered the ranks of you. Yet I’ll

call vertuous course in death in my bed crown our photograph, with threaded tears, and more to place, for all to us our speech the like a fire, O heart. Out against the way, hid from

that an iron tyrannous, so as the king on the beat’s to setting art the only kisses from its knot, I change my self: cast limits far remov’d, the sideburns and

rendezvous, but a weary, Senses in should be—you of my life should have a nose force in the Light of Love, every kind of age now. Into a bowl. Or what sweet hug, is stole, where

is large cost, having diminished seed, O shining daffodil dead, he know thou pursue: night on my translates then; they drank a heaven’s Angels do rise, whose ravish’d sighs! Well, Sir,

from the lamp is come. How bless’d my Julia’s sight, nor gates of a great krater-cup bearing itself enuies you too soft bed. Dance, as no affright I am allowers theirs, not

to save. Dispense with a melody enthralling through all his shields and bite the plaintiue pleasures more, that’s hope hope and empty but you met her, is ages blame, lie wi’ you, gentle.

#poetry #automatically generated text #Patrick Mooney #Markov chains #Markov chain length: 6 #133 texts #ballad

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full-potential · 9 months

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Optimizing the Journey to Full Potential: A Guide to Streamlining Success

Good morning Full Potential Beings. Welcome to another edition of the Full Potential post, where we delve into strategies and insights aimed at helping us all realize our utmost potential. Today, we're exploring a fascinating concept: the optimization of our life's journey towards achieving not just personal success but also contributing to global transformation. Understanding Input and Output Goals Life is a balance of inputs and outputs. Input goals are those we have complete control over – our actions, decisions, and investments of time and energy. Output goals, on the other hand, are the results we aspire to achieve. They are often influenced by factors beyond our immediate control and can be unpredictable in terms of how and when they'll materialize. The Shortcut to Success: Learning from Others One of the most efficient ways to achieve our output goals is by learning from those who have already traversed similar paths. By adopting strategies and actions that have proven successful for others, we can significantly reduce the number of inputs needed to reach our desired outcomes. This doesn’t mean cutting corners; it means being smart and efficient with our resources. Formulating a New Success Equation Consider this equation: Value(Reps) + Velocity = Vision. - Value represents the significance of each action we take. - Reps symbolize the frequency of our actions. - Velocity is the speed and efficiency with which we pursue our goals. - Vision is the ultimate output goal, be it personal success, global recognition, or societal transformation. This formula underscores the importance of not just the actions we take but also the frequency and efficiency with which we execute them. Global Goals: From Personal Branding to World Change Our journey isn't just about personal success. It's about scaling our impact from a little-known personal brand to a global phenomenon. This visibility is crucial for larger objectives like creating alternative financial systems, establishing eco-villages, and launching innovative projects like airships around the world. Such ventures demand not only funding but also a widespread shift in mindset. Upgrading Mindsets: Elevating Global Consciousness A significant part of our journey involves uplifting the collective mindset. Encouraging actions that are positive, forward-thinking, and aligned with realizing full potential is essential. This change starts with ourselves – maintaining a high vibrational consciousness and a positive mindset, ensuring our daily actions are aligned with our higher goals. Shortening the Bridge to Success Finally, how do we shorten the bridge from where we are to where we want to be? It involves a strategic blend of learning from others, optimizing our actions, and maintaining a positive, goal-oriented mindset. By focusing on valuable, efficient inputs, we accelerate our journey towards our envisioned future. In conclusion, the path to realizing our full potential – both personally and globally – is a complex yet exhilarating journey. By intelligently optimizing our actions and learning from the paths trod by others, we can not only achieve our goals more efficiently but also uplift and inspire those around us. Remember, the journey to full potential is not just about the destination but also about enjoying and optimizing the journey itself. Disclaimer: This blog post is a collaborative effort between myself and AI technology, leveraging its capabilities for efficiency and optimized content creation. Read the full article

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hellsitesonlybookclub · 11 months

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Around the world in 80 days, Jules Verne

CHAPTER XII. IN WHICH PHILEAS FOGG AND HIS COMPANIONS VENTURE ACROSS THE INDIAN FORESTS, AND WHAT ENSUED

In order to shorten the journey, the guide passed to the left of the line where the railway was still in process of being built. This line, owing to the capricious turnings of the Vindhia Mountains, did not pursue a straight course. The Parsee, who was quite familiar with the roads and paths in the district, declared that they would gain twenty miles by striking directly through the forest.

Phileas Fogg and Sir Francis Cromarty, plunged to the neck in the peculiar howdahs provided for them, were horribly jostled by the swift trotting of the elephant, spurred on as he was by the skilful Parsee; but they endured the discomfort with true British phlegm, talking little, and scarcely able to catch a glimpse of each other. As for Passepartout, who was mounted on the beast’s back, and received the direct force of each concussion as he trod along, he was very careful, in accordance with his master’s advice, to keep his tongue from between his teeth, as it would otherwise have been bitten off short. The worthy fellow bounced from the elephant’s neck to his rump, and vaulted like a clown on a spring-board; yet he laughed in the midst of his bouncing, and from time to time took a piece of sugar out of his pocket, and inserted it in Kiouni’s trunk, who received it without in the least slackening his regular trot.

After two hours the guide stopped the elephant, and gave him an hour for rest, during which Kiouni, after quenching his thirst at a neighbouring spring, set to devouring the branches and shrubs round about him. Neither Sir Francis nor Mr. Fogg regretted the delay, and both descended with a feeling of relief. “Why, he’s made of iron!” exclaimed the general, gazing admiringly on Kiouni.

“Of forged iron,” replied Passepartout, as he set about preparing a hasty breakfast.

At noon the Parsee gave the signal of departure. The country soon presented a very savage aspect. Copses of dates and dwarf-palms succeeded the dense forests; then vast, dry plains, dotted with scanty shrubs, and sown with great blocks of syenite. All this portion of Bundelcund, which is little frequented by travellers, is inhabited by a fanatical population, hardened in the most horrible practices of the Hindoo faith. The English have not been able to secure complete dominion over this territory, which is subjected to the influence of rajahs, whom it is almost impossible to reach in their inaccessible mountain fastnesses. The travellers several times saw bands of ferocious Indians, who, when they perceived the elephant striding across-country, made angry and threatening motions. The Parsee avoided them as much as possible. Few animals were observed on the route; even the monkeys hurried from their path with contortions and grimaces which convulsed Passepartout with laughter.

In the midst of his gaiety, however, one thought troubled the worthy servant. What would Mr. Fogg do with the elephant when he got to Allahabad? Would he carry him on with him? Impossible! The cost of transporting him would make him ruinously expensive. Would he sell him, or set him free? The estimable beast certainly deserved some consideration. Should Mr. Fogg choose to make him, Passepartout, a present of Kiouni, he would be very much embarrassed; and these thoughts did not cease worrying him for a long time.

The principal chain of the Vindhias was crossed by eight in the evening, and another halt was made on the northern slope, in a ruined bungalow. They had gone nearly twenty-five miles that day, and an equal distance still separated them from the station of Allahabad.

The night was cold. The Parsee lit a fire in the bungalow with a few dry branches, and the warmth was very grateful, provisions purchased at Kholby sufficed for supper, and the travellers ate ravenously. The conversation, beginning with a few disconnected phrases, soon gave place to loud and steady snores. The guide watched Kiouni, who slept standing, bolstering himself against the trunk of a large tree. Nothing occurred during the night to disturb the slumberers, although occasional growls from panthers and chatterings of monkeys broke the silence; the more formidable beasts made no cries or hostile demonstration against the occupants of the bungalow. Sir Francis slept heavily, like an honest soldier overcome with fatigue. Passepartout was wrapped in uneasy dreams of the bouncing of the day before. As for Mr. Fogg, he slumbered as peacefully as if he had been in his serene mansion in Saville Row.

The journey was resumed at six in the morning; the guide hoped to reach Allahabad by evening. In that case, Mr. Fogg would only lose a part of the forty-eight hours saved since the beginning of the tour. Kiouni, resuming his rapid gait, soon descended the lower spurs of the Vindhias, and towards noon they passed by the village of Kallenger, on the Cani, one of the branches of the Ganges. The guide avoided inhabited places, thinking it safer to keep the open country, which lies along the first depressions of the basin of the great river. Allahabad was now only twelve miles to the north-east. They stopped under a clump of bananas, the fruit of which, as healthy as bread and as succulent as cream, was amply partaken of and appreciated.

At two o’clock the guide entered a thick forest which extended several miles; he preferred to travel under cover of the woods. They had not as yet had any unpleasant encounters, and the journey seemed on the point of being successfully accomplished, when the elephant, becoming restless, suddenly stopped.

It was then four o’clock.

“What’s the matter?” asked Sir Francis, putting out his head.

“I don’t know, officer,” replied the Parsee, listening attentively to a confused murmur which came through the thick branches.

The murmur soon became more distinct; it now seemed like a distant concert of human voices accompanied by brass instruments. Passepartout was all eyes and ears. Mr. Fogg patiently waited without a word. The Parsee jumped to the ground, fastened the elephant to a tree, and plunged into the thicket. He soon returned, saying:

“A procession of Brahmins is coming this way. We must prevent their seeing us, if possible.”

The guide unloosed the elephant and led him into a thicket, at the same time asking the travellers not to stir. He held himself ready to bestride the animal at a moment’s notice, should flight become necessary; but he evidently thought that the procession of the faithful would pass without perceiving them amid the thick foliage, in which they were wholly concealed.

The discordant tones of the voices and instruments drew nearer, and now droning songs mingled with the sound of the tambourines and cymbals. The head of the procession soon appeared beneath the trees, a hundred paces away; and the strange figures who performed the religious ceremony were easily distinguished through the branches. First came the priests, with mitres on their heads, and clothed in long lace robes. They were surrounded by men, women, and children, who sang a kind of lugubrious psalm, interrupted at regular intervals by the tambourines and cymbals; while behind them was drawn a car with large wheels, the spokes of which represented serpents entwined with each other. Upon the car, which was drawn by four richly caparisoned zebus, stood a hideous statue with four arms, the body coloured a dull red, with haggard eyes, dishevelled hair, protruding tongue, and lips tinted with betel. It stood upright upon the figure of a prostrate and headless giant.

Sir Francis, recognising the statue, whispered, “The goddess Kali; the goddess of love and death.”

“Of death, perhaps,” muttered back Passepartout, “but of love—that ugly old hag? Never!”

The Parsee made a motion to keep silence.

A group of old fakirs were capering and making a wild ado round the statue; these were striped with ochre, and covered with cuts whence their blood issued drop by drop—stupid fanatics, who, in the great Indian ceremonies, still throw themselves under the wheels of Juggernaut. Some Brahmins, clad in all the sumptuousness of Oriental apparel, and leading a woman who faltered at every step, followed. This woman was young, and as fair as a European. Her head and neck, shoulders, ears, arms, hands, and toes were loaded down with jewels and gems with bracelets, earrings, and rings; while a tunic bordered with gold, and covered with a light muslin robe, betrayed the outline of her form.

The guards who followed the young woman presented a violent contrast to her, armed as they were with naked sabres hung at their waists, and long damascened pistols, and bearing a corpse on a palanquin. It was the body of an old man, gorgeously arrayed in the habiliments of a rajah, wearing, as in life, a turban embroidered with pearls, a robe of tissue of silk and gold, a scarf of cashmere sewed with diamonds, and the magnificent weapons of a Hindoo prince. Next came the musicians and a rearguard of capering fakirs, whose cries sometimes drowned the noise of the instruments; these closed the procession.

Sir Francis watched the procession with a sad countenance, and, turning to the guide, said, “A suttee.”

The Parsee nodded, and put his finger to his lips. The procession slowly wound under the trees, and soon its last ranks disappeared in the depths of the wood. The songs gradually died away; occasionally cries were heard in the distance, until at last all was silence again.

Phileas Fogg had heard what Sir Francis said, and, as soon as the procession had disappeared, asked: “What is a suttee?”

“A suttee,” returned the general, “is a human sacrifice, but a voluntary one. The woman you have just seen will be burned to-morrow at the dawn of day.”

“Oh, the scoundrels!” cried Passepartout, who could not repress his indignation.

“And the corpse?” asked Mr. Fogg.

“Is that of the prince, her husband,” said the guide; “an independent rajah of Bundelcund.”

“Is it possible,” resumed Phileas Fogg, his voice betraying not the least emotion, “that these barbarous customs still exist in India, and that the English have been unable to put a stop to them?”

“These sacrifices do not occur in the larger portion of India,” replied Sir Francis; “but we have no power over these savage territories, and especially here in Bundelcund. The whole district north of the Vindhias is the theatre of incessant murders and pillage.”

“The poor wretch!” exclaimed Passepartout, “to be burned alive!”

“Yes,” returned Sir Francis, “burned alive. And, if she were not, you cannot conceive what treatment she would be obliged to submit to from her relatives. They would shave off her hair, feed her on a scanty allowance of rice, treat her with contempt; she would be looked upon as an unclean creature, and would die in some corner, like a scurvy dog. The prospect of so frightful an existence drives these poor creatures to the sacrifice much more than love or religious fanaticism. Sometimes, however, the sacrifice is really voluntary, and it requires the active interference of the Government to prevent it. Several years ago, when I was living at Bombay, a young widow asked permission of the governor to be burned along with her husband’s body; but, as you may imagine, he refused. The woman left the town, took refuge with an independent rajah, and there carried out her self-devoted purpose.”

While Sir Francis was speaking, the guide shook his head several times, and now said: “The sacrifice which will take place to-morrow at dawn is not a voluntary one.”

“How do you know?”

“Everybody knows about this affair in Bundelcund.”

“But the wretched creature did not seem to be making any resistance,” observed Sir Francis.

“That was because they had intoxicated her with fumes of hemp and opium.”

“But where are they taking her?”

“To the pagoda of Pillaji, two miles from here; she will pass the night there.”

“And the sacrifice will take place—”

“To-morrow, at the first light of dawn.”

The guide now led the elephant out of the thicket, and leaped upon his neck. Just at the moment that he was about to urge Kiouni forward with a peculiar whistle, Mr. Fogg stopped him, and, turning to Sir Francis Cromarty, said, “Suppose we save this woman.”

“Save the woman, Mr. Fogg!”

“I have yet twelve hours to spare; I can devote them to that.”

“Why, you are a man of heart!”

“Sometimes,” replied Phileas Fogg, quietly; “when I have the time.”

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