|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 2:08 pm
|
|
|
|
"Mr. Wicked?" Barth asked in a miserable voice. Castles, while atmospheric, were drafty and cold and damp, and although the renovations courtesy of his Great Aunt and Uncle were going impressively, they still lived in a bit of carved out rock perched on the moors.
Their new staff member was usually there when you needed him. Or didn't need him. Nosily rifling through and rearranging things, although he calmly acted as though it was all in their best interests when asked.
Attentive was a good word for him. Maybe too attentive, in a way Barth knew that, had Christof been there with them, he would have hated.
Herr Wicked was not an igor. He was, as far as Barth could tell, some variety of shade.
It was unusual for him not to answer. Barth made a rare journey from his laboratory to the hallway door, and discovered why, exactly, this was the case.
Mr. Wicked had not answered, because Barth was no longer at home. When he turned around, hoping to rectify the mistake, the laboratory too was gone, and all around him were the guts of a rotted chapel. Gauze hung in ghostly bows between the benches, strangling long-dead flowers, and on the altar lay a discarded veil.
There were also some dark, suspicious stains in the flooring that looked like they had been scrubbed to no avail.
The whole situation, if Barth was honest, made him incredibly nervous.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 2:19 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 2:35 pm
|
|
|
|
"Oh! What, err, me? Just...having a bit of an- enforced wander," Barth allowed, for the time being not moving away from Lawrence, because this would betray the fact that he could only move away at a very, very slow pace.
"Yourself?" he asked, nervousness increasing. "Always admired the organisation, by the way. Very inventive use of...resources. Not for me, you understand, but in a generalised capacity I can appreciate the um, technological aspects. I'm not much for violence, myself. So, not much on the war effort. But I have known some Wrath demons who were all for it. A very respectable line of work. ...War, that is. Against, you know, the- oppositional sorts."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 2:44 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 2:53 pm
|
|
|
|
"The organization is literally called God," Barth said, a little flatly. "Well, I know we've had our disagreements...but, err, yes, alright," he relaxed a little. "I rather like humans, you know, and you only get the one go at the err, living thing...So, yes, good. On the same page. About not turning this room into a gymnasium. Which, on a very nearly religious level, I'm against. ...Gymnasiums, I mean. And busy work of all varieties."
Barth cleared his throat.
"Trying to find my butler, actually. ...He certainly wouldn't be here. He seems err, rather terminally single."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 2:59 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 3:10 pm
|
|
|
|
"Wasn't an igor, was he?" Barth asked, a little mournful, but dismissed it quickly, "No, never mind, but I know the sentiment. I'm err, intended. It's...been a rather long engagement. Which suites me alright, I just feel it all could have gone more smoothly if err, the two of them were- yes, more agreeable. Towards each other."
He took a grateful seat, more comfortable with being a guest than continuing to stand at the altar.
"You only proposed to one? How did you choose? ...Why did you choose?" Barth asked, slightly horrified at even the thought of dealing with that much dramatic fallout.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 3:34 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 3:52 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 3:58 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 4:56 pm
|
|
|
|
Barth made a sympathetic sound, "That's all a bit cold though, isn't it? Ousting your friend. It's not as if friends are easy to come by. And loyalty is...even more difficult. My predicament is entirely my own fault, I'm afraid. It was...a sort of highschool eatheart situation. And I, um, oh- this is embarrassing. Calder's a very active sort, and I'm...less, and I thought, if there was someone else for him to err- wear out his energy on, it'd sort of...work itself out all around. He was less appreciative of the methods. And I ended up with certain difficulties, erm, doubled. Still," Barth's tone softened, "I wouldn't want to lose either of them. Or...disappoint them. But I feel like I've done my share of that."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 11:50 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 2:01 am
|
|
|
|
"So you...chose between them, did you, because the err, one you...must have liked best, I suppose, wouldn't have it another way? Married the one in spite of your erm, philosophical incompatibilities, and then, the other, you...discarded," Barth laughed nervously. "They might...each prefer that I did."
Zar and Calder were each jealous, and occasionally violent. They fought often.
"But I wouldn't."
Barth sighed.
"I also had- not romantically, of course, but- another close friend. For him, I suppose it was the opposite. He wanted a strong master- mistress...in any case, I didn't fit the bill. You...can only have one master, really, and I- wasn't it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 3:16 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 7:27 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|