Forum > Tuber's secrets > thread

Tiana turned to look up at the huge skyscraper. It was taller than any of the others, as far as she could see. Typical for Flyers.
She lowered her eyes again, thinking. What was she going to do? She didn't have a single mushroom. She really did need a shower, and more importantly, some food. When was the last time she had eaten?
She sighed. There is no such thing as a free lunch, or so the saying goes, so she'd have to earn one. Nobody would even look at her, much less hire her, until she was somewhat presentable. She might have to go back into the forest and see what she could find; she was good at finding edible plants, and maybe she could find a few delectable ones. Gourmet chefs would pay ridiculous prices for some rarer varieties. Then she could find a cheap room, shower, and then find work to do.
This was assuming that she could find those plants. To do so, she'd have to go back outside the dome and scour the forest.
She smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. Why hadn't she thought this out? She shouldn't have accepted the ride back. Now she was right in the center of the city, homeless, jobless, and pathetic, only to leave and return again. She continued hitting herself for a minute and was just about to leave when a voice caught her attention.
“You're early.”
She didn't bother to look at Jason. “I guess bad news does travel fast. Where have you been?”
“Amazing how fast it became my fault.”



She didn't answer him. Jason thought she looked strained. Pale and wan, as though she were withering. She also seemed stressed out, for once. Nathan said that she had run off; Jason wondered why. He also wondered why she'd been hitting herself, but chose not to ask. “Are you okay?” he inquired instead.
“Why has everyone been asking me that?” she muttered, half to herself.
“Because you look like you're about to fall over.” he replied. “Vivian, y--”
“It's Tiana, now.” she corrected.
Jason sighed. “Tiana, then. What have you been doing to yourself?”
She blinked and looked at him in surprise. “I-- what?”
Jason stared at her. “Do you just pretend to be oblivious to everything that happens to be inconvenient to you?”
The bewildered look on her face was replaced by her traditional scowl. “Maybe, maybe not. It's none of your business anyway, y--”
“Yeah, yeah,” Jason interrupted. “Insert witty comment about my mother, et cetera. Your mental walls are up, and I'm not going to even bother trying to break through. You never talk to anyone about anything that might possibly mean you're weak or imply that you have feelings. I can't read your mind, so just tell me this one thing: do you need a shower, or are you going to continue to act like a stubborn child?”
She glared at him and did not answer. Her stomach was more practical and gurgled loudly. Jason shook his head. “We should get something to eat first. After all, I helped lose your purse, so I owe you anyway.”
Her mouth tightened, as though she were resisting an impulse. “There wasn't much in it. I'm pretty sure I only had a couple of blue mushrooms left. It's hardly anything, so you don't owe me.”
Why was she fighting him? “There was an mp3 player, first aid, a flute, and whatever else I didn't notice. If you want to make a big deal over it, how much were they worth? And was the purse of sentimental value? I'm surprised you still haven't jumped down my throat because of it. Were you just going to ignore the fact that I had a hand in the loss of your purse? It's not like you to just let something go like that without guilt-tripping the culprit, aka, me.”

He waited for her snappy comeback, but it wasn't coming. Her face was totally blank. She closed her eyes and opened them slowly. “I hate owing people stuff. And I can't annoy you about it if you pay me back. The score would be even, and I'd have to find something else to bother you about.”

Was that a joke? Jason waited for her to continue, but for a moment she really did look like she was going to faint.
He decided that she wouldn't appreciate sympathy or charity of any kind, so he rolled his eyes. “Come on, don't stand there like a dummy. I've got a room at a hotel. It's nothing fancy, but there's a foldout couch as well as a bedroom, and a shower. You have to admit you need a shower, if nothing else.”
He turned and walked away at an easygoing pace, that of one who was just on a walk to admire the architecture of the buildings, and didn't look back once. After a moment, her reluctant footsteps began to echo his. It sounded like she nearly tripped once and faltered several times, but she kept up easily. It was obvious to Jason that she was pushing herself to appear strong and confidant, but it was equally obvious that anyone else would've asked to stop and rest by now.
He had the impulse to reach out and steady her every time she missed a step, but she'd just smack his hand away, glare, say something like “I don't need your help,” and walk away obstinately. Even though he felt guilty about letting her walk on her own, he pretended to ignore her.

After a fifteen-minute walk, they finally approached a small hotel. Jason checked in and they took the elevator to the second floor. Tiana didn't protest that it would've been faster to take the stairs, proving how tired she really was.
Jason opened the door for her, and she made no comment. She glanced around. The main room was small, with only a kitchenette, couch, nightstand, lamp and tv, but it was clean and relatively nice. A small bedroom and even smaller bathroom were behind the two doors at the side. “Not bad.” she said tonelessly.
Was that a compliment? Jason thought. “Yeah. It's pretty good for only 15 red mushrooms a night.” he agreed. “I'll be right back. I forgot something.”




Jason left the room, closing the door behind him. Tiana let out a sigh of relief, removed her filthy shoes, and sat on the linoleum floor in the kitchenette; thus, keeping the carpet and sofa clean.
Keeping up the pretense of indifference was exhausting. When he'd offered to help her out, she'd almost cried, she'd wanted it so badly. So close, but her pride had almost withheld it from her. Even after she'd accepted his “Take it or leave it” offer, she'd barely made it to the hotel. Any other day she'd have taken the stairs, but her energy level was suffering from both the escape through the forest, the adrenaline from the sticky situation involving the twins, and a lack of food.
She found that she really couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten. She didn't usually eat much anyway, so the last meal she'd eaten was probably light to begin with.
Her stomach growled at her again, demanding to know why it wasn't being satisfied. She tried to glare at it, but she really was hungry, and she couldn't blame her body for demanding to know why she'd been mistreating it. She sighed, laid her arms on her knees, and rested her head on top of them.




Jason came back with a couple of towels and a bathrobe. He'd gotten them upon request at the desk, but he hadn't wanted to drag Tiana any farther than he had to. She had looked as though she were at the end of her rope.
He opened the door and saw Tiana, curled up on the cold linoleum floor. She looked like a lost little girl. Jason shook his head. All his protecting instincts were being triggered, but it seemed like she didn't want to be protected or comforted.
Then it occurred to him; she didn't want pity. That was why she wouldn't accept charity, and she said herself that she hated being in the debt of another. That's why she acts ungrateful all the time, he realized. Why didn't I see it before?
He dropped the towels and robe in the bathroom and tapped her shoulder. “I'm back.”
She tried to retreat further until he tapped her again. “Tiana?”
At that her head came up. “Oh. It's you again.”
“Yep. I was only gone for about five minutes. Anyway, I'm heading out again. There's a robe and some towels in the bathroom. You can toss your clothes in a trash bag outside the door and a maid will take it to be laundered. Okay?”
She nodded. Jason offered a hand to help her up. She looked at it for a moment, as if debating whether or not it was a poisonous snake...
then she accepted it.

Skylar rolled the alien's wheelchair inside, leaving the pilot to finish shutting down. “Sebastian.” he called.
There was no answer.
“Sebastian.” he repeated, a bit more sternly.
Silence.
Skylar frowned. “That's strange. He never goes without answering. Sebastian?”
“Sir, please be quiet. Your mother has been demanding to know where you went. I told her you went on a business trip, and that I did not know when you would return.”
“Wait, you said has been? The present tense? She's still here?!”
“I'm afraid so. She refuses to leave, and my programming does not allow me to throw members of your immediate family out of the house without an explicit command, unless they break the law.”
“Try trespassing,” Skylar muttered as he rolled the wheelchair faster. “I had hoped she would leave as soon as she learned that I was absent. Where is she?”
“She is presently encamped in the sitting room, and I am currently supervising her guest in the kitchen.”
“Her what?” Skylar asked incredulously.
“She brought someone with her.”
“Of all the nerve!” Skylar exclaimed quietly, rolling the chair into a huge ballroom. “Please excuse me for this,” he pleaded, “but we haven't any time to lose.” So saying, he planted one foot one the back of the wheelchair and used the other to launch forward, sending the chair and both riders flying across the floor at top speed.
The alien hadn't had time to react until they were already in motion. It didn't know what to do but be swept along. Its hood was blown back by the air rushing past; the feeling was... exhilarating. Terrifying, but somehow exciting as well. It glanced at Skylar. He was clearly enjoying it; his dark eyes sparkled, and his fair, normally neatly combed hair danced around his face as the breeze lifted it.
He glanced at the alien, and his smile broke into a grin. His eyes shined, but they were distant. Was he subconsciously reliving a childhood memory? Dodging his mother, riding on the back of his father's wheelchair, drinking pink lemonade out of a wineglass... the ease and expertise with which Skylar steered the speeding wheelchair proved that he had done it many times before. It was no surprise to hear him quietly laughing in the background as they took a corner at full speed.
Not that it wasn't a touching sentiment, but the alien was more concerned about not colliding with the very real wall in the here and now. It was sure Skylar was about to miss a turn and crash due to fuzzy childhood memories.
Despite the alien's fears, they made it onto carpet again without incident. Skylar had to go back to pushing it along until he found what he was looking for. “Ah, here we are.”
They stopped in front of a large, dark wooden wardrobe. Skylar opened it and took a few cloaks, trenchcoats and greatcoats out. “If you'd please step out of the chair...” The alien did so, and Skylar dropped the coats onto it. He then braced the back of the chair onto his knee and leaned back, lifting it. He somehow managed to maneuver it into the wardrobe and closed the doors. He wiped the beads of perspiration from his face with a handkerchief from his pocket and smiled. “It feels good to be actually doing something for once. Come, Quinn; you can hide out in the library. My mother never goes in there.”

So this is the birth of "Quinn"

The alien-- Quinn, that is –gathered a few books and seated itself in a chair with its back to the entrance. If anyone came in unexpectedly, they might not see the alien at all; at least, that was what it hoped.
It was totally absorbed in a copy of Arabian Nights when the door opened. Quinn froze, afraid to move. Judging from the tone of the voices, Skylar was engaged in a shouting match with his mother not far off.

“Mother, there is no way I can take care of a child! I don't even like children, and you could not have chosen a worse time to ask!”
His mother was dismissive. “Oh, she won't be any trouble. It's only temporary.”
“You always say 'it's temporary'!” he protested. “I still have that incredibly ugly vase from the white elephant auction that was held a total of six years ago.”
His mother's tone turned injured. “It is not ugly!”
Skylar was merciless in his desperation. “It's hideous! And it was absurdly expensive, to boot. I hate the thing.”
“Fine, I'll take it with me.”
“No, you don't understand. I don't care about the vase, I stored it in the attic where I never have to see it again; however, I can't put that little girl in the attic and forget about her. I absolutely cannot keep her!”
“You won't be. I'm looking for a home for her--”
“So why can't you take care of her until then?”
“Watch your tone with me. I am your mother, I raised you, and I am asking you to do something for me. Is that so hard?”
“I have never in all my life shouted at you before, but this is unacceptable! You have to take her back.”
“I did not come all the way here just to take her back with me.”
“That is a low trick. Why didn't you call so that I could prepare? Oh, that's right. I wouldn't have let Sebastian open the door for you if I'd known, and you knew it!” he accused.
“How dare you?!” his mother's voice trembled with rage.
“How dare I?” Skylar laughed. “You have no right to drop a child in my lap as though she were a mere dog! This is my home, and I'll thank you to--”
His mother tried to counter, to little effect. “This was your father's home, not--”
“Yes it was,” Skylar cut her off, employing the tone of one who was beginning to lose his temper. “and according to his will, it is mine now. I would have shared it with you, had you not left Father on his deathbed for that despicable weasel of a man--”

Quinn winced as a the sound of a sharp slap echoed through the halls. Quinn heard footsteps heading for the entrance. “Take that girl with you, or so help me, I will leave her on the streets in the ghetto!” Skylar shouted. The door slammed.
Sebastian’s voice was far softer than usual. Perhaps it only seemed that way in contrast to the loud, harsh tones Skylar and his mother had been using. “Sir, I am afraid it is too late. She is gone, and miss Molly is still here.”
Skylar sighed. “Where is Molly?”
“At present, she is in the library.”
“She's WHERE?” Skylar did not receive an answer because he was not expecting one. “Molly!” he shouted as his footsteps came running. “You can't go in there!”
Unknown to him, he was far too late. Her dusky brown eyes widened as they gazed into the huge, black ovals that served as Quinn's.



Jason returned to the room several hours later with some hot fast food in hand. He knocked on the door, just in case. “Tiana?”
There was no response. He tried a few more times, then opened the door. “Tiana?”
She wasn't there. He looked around, but the bedroom was empty. The shower curtain, a towel, and the bathrobe were damp. She did shower, and she must've gotten her clothes back-- but where did she go? The room looked like it had been... searched. He suddenly reached for his wallet. He usually divided his money, stashing half of his mushrooms somewhere in the room. That way if someone robbed him, he'd have something to fall back on, and if a maid found and took his stash, he wouldn't have lost it all. This time he had hidden his mushrooms behind a silverware drawer. He pulled the silverware drawer out, and there was nothing. He slammed it shut in frustration. She'd stolen them! He'd helped her out, and this was what he got for his trouble? “Unbelievable!” he fumed.



Tiana stared at the building with icy fury. She'd sworn up and down to never, ever show her face in this building, or any other belonging to that boy. But, she needed the cash, and she didn't have any more than a couple of Jason's mushrooms left. Hardly enough to get back to the hotel, much less rent the sound equipment she needed. She glared at it until she saw someone coming out, and seized the chance to get inside. She acted as though she were just coming in off the street when the man came out. As she expected, he held the door for her, and she was in.

“WAZZZUP?!” the sixteen-year-old yelled.
Tiana winced. “Shawn, get a hold of yourself.”
He probably thought he looked cool. Maybe he was. The fashions of teenagers were getting stranger all the time, and she'd never been into fashion. He looked pretty ridiculous to Tiana as he draped an arm around her shoulders. “Tell me, you gorgeous gal, how'd you get lost in a dump like this?”
She rolled her eyes. “I'm not lost, Shawn.”
Shawn blinked, then grinned. “Oh, you know my name! Tell me, sweetheart, how'd you dodge the guards? You know they have a whole security team just to keep my fans from pulling me apart.”
Tiana smacked her palm into his forehead so hard that it turned red.
“Ow!”
Tiana shoved him back a few steps and dusted her hands. “First of all, I am NOT your 'sweetheart', got it? Second, I am NOT a fangirl. Third, I am only here for a sound recording. What do you have for me?”
Shawn just stared at her blankly. Tiana rolled her eyes again and used their avatar names. “It's me, electriczax. Indigo.”

Shawn completely lost it. “You? Seriously?! Sing something!”
“Not unless I'm in the sound booth.”
“Pleeeease? C'mon, I need to know if it's really you. Sing something!”
Tiana sighed. “I sing the Nightcore genera. My voice won't sound right until it's been electronically enhanced. You know that. Now, where's the booth?”
“Sound booth? What's a sound booth? Sweetheart, this is a high-quality recording studio!”



Tiana tinkered with the controls until it looked right, the way she usually had them when she recorded, then went into the soundproof room. Outside, Shawn gave her the thumbs-up. She nodded. As soon as she began to sing, the computer would process it before pumping the synthetic sound through the speakers to Shawn.
She sighed, and the music began. She'd written the lyrics herself. It was about a girl and how her boyfriend always pretended to be someone else in order to fit in with the crowd, even though she liked him the way he was when they were alone. The act he put on complicated things, and it frustrated her.
In truth, Tiana written it about Cyrus and herself. He used to chastise her for acting antisocial around other people, even though he knew who she really was inside. He never liked seeing her act out around others when he knew she wasn't really like that.
Over time, it was what she became. You are what you act like. Cyrus had know that deep down, she was frustrating herself along with everyone else.

She'd given the lyrics to the young success by email. He wrote the music (and edited her nice, grammatical lyrics-- typical Shawn) and sent it back. She recorded her voice and sent it to him again, and he marketed it, sending her fifteen percent of the mushroom credits it earned.
She'd only written the one song; he usually wrote his own and asked her to do the vocals for the same price. She disliked most of his music, but she was only in it for the mushrooms, and he liked her voice. That was how she supported herself.

His micromanaging agent hated him for not demanding to know who she was; if she were attractive, he'd try to make them a couple as a selling gimmick, or he could try to trick her into signing an ironclad contract. If he knew who she was, he could even try to find something to blackmail her with to force her to dance to his tune. He'd think of something to bring her under his control, thus keeping her 'promising career' (which she didn't care about) under lock and key along with Shawn's, (which was already flourishing) and keeping his salary (and luxurious way of life) secure as well.
She'd never met either Shawn or his sneaky agent, nor had she intended to until today.


Shawn gestured to her like a conductor, as if to say, “Start singing right... now.”


[lien=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZCPYtjGwdE] Complicated - Avril Lavigne - nightcore [/lien]


Uh huh, life's like this
Uh huh, uh huh, that's the way it is
'Cause life's like this
Uh huh, uh huh that's the way it is

Chill out , what'cha yellin' for?
Lay back, it's all been done before
And if you could only let it be, you will see
I like you the way you are
When we're drivin' in your car
and you're talking to me one on one but you've become

Somebody else 'round everyone else
You're watching your back like you can't relax
You're tryin' to be cool you look like a fool to me
Tell me

Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you're acting like you're somebody else gets me frustrated
Life's like this you
And you fall and you crawl and you break
and you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
and promise me I'm never gonna find you fake it
no, no, no

You come over unannounced
dressed up like you're somethin' else
where you are and where it's at you see
you're making me
laugh out when you strike your pose
take off all your preppy clothes
you know you're not fooling anyone
when you've become

Somebody else round everyone else
Watching your back, like you can't relax
Trying to be cool you look like a fool to me
Tell me

Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you're acting like you're somebody else gets me frustrated
Life's like this you
and you fall and you crawl and you break
and you take what you get and you turn it into
honesty
promise me I'm never gonna find you fake it
no no no

Chill out, what'cha yellin' for?

Lay back, it's all been done before
And if you could only let it be
You will see

Somebody else round everyone else
You're watching your back, like you can't relax
You're trying to be cool, you look like a fool to me
Tell me

Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you're acting like you're somebody else gets me frustrated
Life's like this you
and you fall and you crawl and you break
and you take what you get and you turn it into
honesty
promise me I'm never gonna find you fake it
no no

Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you're acting like your somebody else gets me frustrated
Life's like this you
You fall and you crawl and you break
and you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
promise me I'm never gonna find you fake it
no no no


Shawn came bursting through the door and bear-hugged Tiana against her will. “Hey!”
“You were awesome! It's great to meet you! Y'know, I was kind of afraid that you were one of those ugly people with great voices, but you're not too bad.”
Tiana managed to push him away and gave him a dirty look. “Gee, thanks.”
Shawn laughed. “No, I mean with a little work, you could be gorgeous, a star! Everyone would love y--”
“Forget it. I'm just the vocal.”
Shawn tried to insist, but Tiana didn't let him. “I have no intention of becoming the star of your next music video. I've told you time and time again: I don't preform, and I don't model. Your fans will have to keep wondering who this 'Indigo' is, which is nothing but the name of a mysterious voice. We've been over this!”
“Aw, come on!”

The door opened again, and both turned to look. Shawn's agent was a formidable man; tall, lean, sharp facial features, a piercing gaze, steely gray eyes, and was dressed in an impeccable two-piece suit. Of course, the bodyguards flanking him helped add to the effect. After all, a man who could command either of those men had to be a powerful figure. “Shawn, how many times have I told you to notify me before you bring your girlfriends to the studio?”
“I am not his girlfriend.” Tiana snapped.
He adjusted his rimless glasses and turned his attention to her. “And you are?”
She disliked him instantly. “None of your business, vulture. Get out.” she ordered.
He raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
Shawn tried to smooth things over. “Chill out, man. I'm just trying her voice out to see if it's any good. She's not good with an audience.”
The agent looked at her again critically. Tiana glared right back as he took in her tangled hair, her cheap clothes, and and flip-flops. Her old clothes had been stained and needed repairs, and her boots would never recover from the abuse she'd put them through. She'd needed some cheap, decent clothes in a hurry, and hadn't had a brush on hand. She knew she didn't exactly look attractive or professional at the moment, which was what the agent expected at an auditioning.
“And is she any good?” he inquired, with a note of disdain in his tone.
“She might be...”
“He'll never know while you're standing there, because I don't sing in front of other people.” Tiana interrupted. “Go away.”
The agent looked down at her, like an eagle at a shrew. “You're hardly in a position to be ordering me around. I trust you have a visitor's badge?”
Tiana really didn't want to do it, but at this point she had no choice. “Fine. Indigo will mysteriously disappear from the recording business. I was only doing it for kicks, anyway.”


Tiana was regretting ever thinking of entering the building. She glared herself in the full-length dressing room mirror. It wasn't that she looked bad. She'd never looked better, actually. It was the fact that she looked like a stranger to herself that bothered her.

That rotten agent wanted her to do a music video. She had to do it, or he'd use the security cameras' footage to rip an image of herself, photoshop it, and then leak it. Fans from all over would flip out over a 'sneak peek' of the never-before-seen face of Indigo. Tiana would have to hide behind a disguise anyway, but if she agreed to do a video, at least she'd get paid for it. Hopefully, the costume, makeup, body language and electronically enhanced voice would be enough to convince people without a disguise that no, she wasn't Indigo-- she just looked similar.
She sighed. She just wanted to strangle that agent with her bare hands, but there was nothing she could do. She hated feeling so helpless!
But at least she managed to leave herself some wriggle room this way. If Indigo's appearance was set, then he couldn't threaten her because Tiana didn't normally look anything like a pop star. 'Indigo' would be a complete alter-ego, so every-ordinary-day 'Tiana' would be safe, unable to be linked to Shawn or his slimy agent unless she chose to unveil herself. The agent thought that she was doing the video because he convinced her, not because she wanted to render herself immune to his threats-- if he didn't, he'd insist that the makeup/costume artists let her have a 'natural' look, one that did look like everyday Tiana. Better to let him think that he had the upper hand, then vanish and never return. She'd still do the vocals long-distance for Shawn, but not at his agent's beck and call.
Shawn was listening to her natural voice (which was recorded along with the nightcore version earlier in the studio), tweaking it to suit his taste. After all, she'd only ever given him her 'nightcore' voice until today. He must be having a field day with it now, she thought sullenly. My voice is no longer my own.


Jason returned to the room again at 9:00 PM, tired, irritable, and with only six or seven blue mushrooms to show for it. He slammed the door and stalked to the bedroom, kicking it open only to stand there, stunned. Tiana glanced at him from the bed, from which she watching tv. She was wearing headphones and had a half-solved sudoku puzzle in front of her. There was an iced glass of soda on the nightstand, and a bowl of steaming macaroni and cheese sat next to it. Tiana was wearing... silk pajamas? What the hell was going on here?!
“Hi, Jason.” she said, reaching under her pillow and taking a plastic bag out. “Sorry about swiping your mushrooms. Here's what I took, multiplied by ten for taking it without asking.” She tossed it across the room to him. Jason almost missed it in his surprise. Sure enough, the mushrooms were there. “How did you get this?”
She gave him a secret smile. “Sorry, can't tell you. It was completely legal and will not leave any negative effects on society, I can tell you that much.”
The statement only caused Jason to be even more suspicious. Tiana could see it and laughed. “It's fine, really. I got a job working for a recording studio. I know what all those little buttons and knobs do, you know.”


The first things Tiana had purchased after escaping Shawn's agent were a new mp3 player and a pair of headphones. She had demanded a down payment in the form of a check, (trusting that the music video would turn a profit). She'd gotten new clothes (at Shawn's insistence) and had eaten at the studio, then had gone to the bank and withdrawn several dozen mushrooms, stashing them in the bag with her stupid 'fashionable' clothes. She planned to drop them at a thrift shop later. Seriously, what kind of person wears silk pajamas? She'd worn them once, just to see how they felt. She'd slid around in them for half the night and they were a wrinkled mess in the morning; she'd never worn them since. Flannel was much more to her liking. She'd have to go find some decent clothes to wear later.
She'd grabbed some groceries from the store on the way back and was let into Jason's room by a maid she had befriended earlier, after explaining that Jason was supposed to be there but was obviously late. The sudoku puzzle had been forgotten and left in a drawer, so she was solving it while listening to music during commercial breaks, while waiting for her M&C to cool and her warm soda to chill. And who should walk in during her multitasking but the young thundercloud himself. “Hi, Jason.”


Whew, that was way longer than it should've been.

I think the link button is broken, because it doesn't look right... but it does work.

Quinn braced himself for the worst as the little girl's mouth slowly opened, but all she did was breathe, “Wow.”
Skylar threw the door open with a wide-eyed desperation. “Molly!”
The little Asian girl immediately clung to the alien's leg in terror. Skylar winced as she did so. “Molly, please be careful with that. It's very important to me. Just be very gentle, and let go...”
Molly's response was to clutch Quinn's leg harder. Skylar took a step forward, and she squeezed even harder. Skylar froze. “Molly, please.”
Quinn was accustomed to quiet tones, as there was very little noise in space; but even it could hardly hear her. “No.”
Skylar frowned slightly. “What did you say?”
Her voice was softer than a whisper. “No. You're scary.”
Skylar glanced at the ceiling. “Sebastian, can you make that out?”
“I'm afraid not. My sensors are not picking up any discernible vibrations from her voice.”
Skylar was at a loss. “Molly, can you say that louder? I can't understand you.”
Eventually, he had to ask her to yell. Her voice was still barely above a whisper. “You're mean. Go away.”
She hid her face in the Quinn's robe while Skylar stared, dumbfounded. Sebastian had the good sense not to intervene.
After a few minutes, the grandfather clock announced the hour of seven and brought him to his senses. he took his cellphone from his pocket and called his secretary. While he was distracted, Molly climbed into the Quinn's lap, placing the book on her own. She had learned to read only recently, so she turned the pages slowly. Quinn was no quick reader himself, due to English being so confusing, while simultaneously trying to listen to Skylar's phone call; so the two of them read at about the same speed.

“Lisa, I need a favor. Could you get off work early and come to my place?”
“What's wrong? Is it serious?”
“Yes, it's quite urgent. My mother, ah...”
“Is she okay?!”
“Physically, she's fine.”
“In that case, I don't care who you are; I am not getting caught in any family crossfire not my own.”
“Don't worry, I'm not involving you in a family spat of any sort. She has temporarily left a little girl, Molly, in my keeping, despite my protests. I don't know what to do.”
“What's wrong?”
“To begin with, Molly is terrified of me. I suppose it was inevitable after she heard me and my mother having our disagreement. It got a little loud.”
“Sorry, something must be wrong with the connection. I thought you said you yelled at your mother.”
“Why does that surprise you?”
“I've been working here for almost seven years now, and I have never, ever heard you raise your voice. You certainly never yelled.”
“You've never heard me shout before because, except for today, I have not raised my voice since before you were employed.”
“Are you sure you can't handle a little girl by yourself?”
“No, Lisa, I cannot handle it; why do you think I raised my voice in the first place? My mother refused to take no for an answer, but I cannot take care of a little girl! I need your help.”
“Why me?”
“For five good reasons; one, because you are a woman; two, because you are in my employ and I know you are trustworthy; three, because you have good relationships with your nephew and niece; four, because you're the sweetest girl on the face of the earth, and five; because I'm desperate.”
On the other side of the line, Lisa sighed. “Okay. I'll wrap up. But I would like you to explain the mess later.”
Skylar was confused. “Mess?”
“Mm-hm. All these canceled appointments have to be rescheduled, and all of the others are backed up. You're always booked solid, so these cancellations threw everything into a state of chaos. Can I get an explanation?”
“Ah... later.”
“Right. You need time to think of a plausible excuse because what you were really doing is confidential. I've been working for you long enough to know that much. I'll accept it, as usual.”
Skylar smiled. “You're an angel.”
“I'm still amazed that you terrified a little girl. You're usually quite the charmer, and everyone loves you.”
Skylar chuckled. “That might explain why I have no idea what I'm supposed to do in this situation. How soon can you get here?”

Wow.. you have passion. Maybe you should make this into a book

Thanks, but this is just for entertainment purposes. I have a long way to go before I'm ready for serious writing.
I'm glad you guys like it. It's good practice for me, and kinda fun as well.

With nothing else to do, Skylar obviously didn't want to leave Quinn alone with Molly. He was quiet for a while, then gently asked, “What are you reading?”
Molly lifted the book to show him the cover of Arabian Nights.
“Oh. That's a pretty interesting one. It's the collection of stories that Scheherazade told the king in One Thousand and One Nights, isn't it?”
Molly nodded and went back to reading. Skylar sighed and reached for a book himself. “Sebastian, when Lisa gets here, please give her directions to the library.”


The young woman entered the room to see all three readers totally engrossed in their books. Sebastian interrupted them. “May I announce Miss Lisa Brook.”
Skylar looked up and smiled. “Lisa! I can't than you enough for coming over so soon.”
Lisa smiled as he rose and came over to kiss the back of her hand. “You are desperate. Where is this Molly?”
Skylar gestured to the chair which she and Quinn occupied. Lisa's eyebrows raised. “What is that thing she's sitting on?”
Skylar sighed. “A friend's idea of a joke. It's quite fragile and holds a great deal of sentimental value. She immediately attached herself to it, of course.”
Lisa cleared her throat, controlling the urge to laugh. “Molly?”
Quinn felt Molly tense up, pushing herself deeper into Quinn's chest and using the book as a shield. “Yes?” she breathed.
Lisa came over and smiled sweetly. “Did Skylar scare you?”
Molly nodded slightly. Lisa tossed Skylar an “I-can't-believe-you” look. “Huh. How did he do that?”
“He was yelling and being mean,” she whispered. “And he said he'd throw me into the ghetto.”
Lisa's mouth dropped open. “He what?”
“It was an empty threat!” Skylar insisted, “And a last resort to stop my mother from leaving her. She knew I would never do such a thing, otherwise Molly wouldn't be here now. It was a bald-faced lie that she wasn't supposed to hear, I swear!”
“You poor thing,” Lisa said consolingly as she held her arms out to Molly, who reached for her. “Skylar, you should be ashamed of yourself!” she scolded. “Come on, beautiful. Did you have any dinner? You didn't?” she shot Skylar a dark look as she left with Molly on her hip.
Quinn just looked at him as he shrugged helplessly.
“Shall I unlock your sister's room for miss Molly?” Sebastian asked. Skylar nodded. “Excellent idea. It's more friendly than the guest room, anyway.”
“Would you like me to order some food for you via delivery?” was the A.I.'s next question.
“No, not tonight. I need to get some real food today. As for Quinn...” he looked at the alien questioningly. “Can I assume you are either an herbivore or an omnivore?”
Quinn nodded.
Skylar smiled. “Then I'll see what I can get for you. I'll be back before half-past eight.”





The commercial break ended and Tiana went back watching How It's Made, a documentary series showing how things are made, obviously. This one was about wheat.
Jason's stomach growled. “Are there any of those mac&cheese packets left?”
Tiana silently pointed to the kitchenette without taking her eyes from the screen.

Jason came back with a steaming bowl of cheesy food, sighed and sat on the floor, leaning against the foot of the bed. “I'm glad you found a job that pays. I ended up being a bellboy. Now I know why this hotel was so cheap; do you have any idea what a pain it is to be dragging luggage around? Most hotels have an A.I. that manages a system of dumbwaiters and trollies on overhead tracks so that nobody has to break their backs hauling luggage. I swear, some of those people had enough stuff to break a centaur's back. And apparently most hotels also have 3D screens and holographic platforms, while this one still uses phones and flatscreens. I guess it's not so bad, all things considered.” he waited for a moment. "Are you even listening?”
“What exactly did I say that sounded like, 'tell me about your day'?” she asked, in rather standoffish manner.
Jason shook his head. “I was trying to talk to you. The least you could do is pretend to be interested.”
“I don't pretend unless I need to.” she said flatly. Jason was surprised. “You need to pretend to be obnoxious to everyone you meet?” he said in wonder.
She threw a pillow at his head. Her aim was perfect and he didn't see it coming until it whacked the back of his head.
“What was that for?!”
“I was pretending to be socially open and accepting when you came in because you were mad at me, but now that I've paid you back there's nothing for you to be mad about, so I don't have to act nice. As far as I'm concerned, I could get my own room, but that would be a waste of mushrooms and would have been taken as a metaphorical slap in the face because you'd offered to help me out when I would've had to start from scratch. I didn't need your help, but it was convenient and would've been stupid of me not to use it to get a jump start. I was minding my own business, but then you came back and tried to strike up a pointless conversation while I was already switching between listening to the tv and to music while solving a numeric puzzle as I waited for my food to cool so that it wouldn't burn my mouth. Which one did you want me to drop in order to listen to you bellyache about what a lousy day you had?”
Jason opened his mouth, but she didn't let him speak.
“I was trying to freeze you out, but you kept pushing for an answer, so I tried to sound as disinterested as I felt, but you just wouldn't let it go; instead, you insulted me for no apparent reason because you were annoyed that I wasn't paying enough attention to you. And now it's at a commercial break again and I missed learning something worthwhile because I'm busy wasting time talking to you. This all could have been avoided if you had just taken the hint and shut up. Why nobody ever pays any attention to me when I say to just stop trying, I have no idea. I'm not stupid, and I don't talk to people unless I have to, so why don't they listen to me when I do talk to them? It... it boggles the mind!” she exclaimed. Then she looked at Jason. “Tell me, since you're one of them: how does it feel to be one of the idiot horde?”

Jason gave her a weird look. “You always overreact like this. You needed a break from all the crappy stuff that's been happening to you, and I wanted to help because you looked like you needed it, and I could give it. I'd have done the same for any of the others, and I don't care if you'd have done the same for me or not.
Nobody ever said you had to stay here any longer than you needed to, and I don't care about the mushrooms. I would've been happy with ten-percent interest, but you multiplied them by ten for some reason, which is more than enough for a new room if you really couldn't stand me. Since you did decide to stay, I assumed that you might have been, gee, I don't know, warming up to me?
You swiping my mushrooms got that idea out of my head real quick, but I wasn't sure about anything about you anymore because insufficient data. So I tried to talk to you just to see where we stood on that, but apparently I've managed to tick you off with a single, I'll admit it, somewhat obnoxious comment. For someone who claims not to dish out what they can't take, you sure get huffy if someone takes your word for it.”

Tiana glared at him. “Are you finished?”
Jason looked her straight in the eyes. “Yeah, pretty much.” He wasn't sure where all that came from, but he was feeling pretty good about it-- but not for long.

Tiana calmly removed her headphones and muted the tv before fixing all of her attention on him. To be honest, it was a bit intimidating when she did so.
“Interrupting me when I'd finally gotten a chance to start recharging, after going to work immediately following the first meal and shower I'd had in at least three days, would generally be considered rude by most people.
Interrupting anyone while they are fully engaged in other things is also highly inconsiderate.
Interrupting just to start complaining about what a bad day they had is annoying and frowned upon by all people, and here's the kicker, Jason; today has been one of the worst days out of the worst six months I've had for the past five years, bar none. The very last thing I want to do after having a bad day is to talk about it. I just want to move on and forget about it after stewing in a foul mood, by myself, for the rest of the day before leaving it behind so as to wake up with a reasonably clean slate.
Then you walked in like a thundercloud and it took every ounce of what was left of my patience to be nice; but after that you came back and wouldn't shut up.

Now I've missed my show; my food has cooled into a mushy block of semisolid food instead of the warm, deliciously melty cheese-covered al dente macaroni I was looking forward to; the ice has melted and diluted my soda so that it's going to taste weak and watery; and to top it off, I'm pretty sure I just messed up this puzzle, so I'm going to have to check every single number before I can continue. Happy now, Jason?”



Dammit, how does she do that? Jason thought. She justified every little thing I called her on and shot me down with some serious complaints of her own.
“You know what, fine. Fine. We've both had a crappy day, we've driven each other up the walls, and now we're both angry again. I admit I should've quit while I was ahead, but it's too late for that. I'll give you your space now. Goodnight.”

“Skylar Blackwell!”

Quinn nearly jumped out of his chair, despite the fact that Lisa was outside the library and addressing Skylar, who had just come in.
“What were you thinking, saying that around a little girl?”
“I panicked, and I'm very sorry. I'll apologize to her after I drop these in the kitchen.”
“I already put her to bed. And I don't care if you panicked, that's no excuse to say such things within her hearing range!”
“Lisa, I didn't know she could hear me. If I had realized that she could hear me despite the fact that I could not see her, I wouldn't have dreamed of making such threats! Really, Lisa. You've been working with me for how many years now? Seven, next month? You know I'm never like that.”
“Honestly, Skylar. Why are you panicking so badly? She's only six years old.”
“It's... I just.. Lisa, please believe me when I say that I'm too wrapped up in something right now.”
“You found the time to buy food just now. Why couldn't you hire a nanny for her for the rest of the time?”
“Lisa, I can't.”
“Why not? The Skylar I know wouldn't have a problem with this.”
“Circumstances make it impossible.”
“I'm tired of being in the dark. What are you hiding?”
“I'm not hiding anything that affects you, I promise.”
“You said you trusted me. Why can't you tell me what's going on?”
“Because, Lisa, you don't need any more stress. I can handle it myself.”
“Whatever 'it' is, 'it' has been my main source of stress. Tell you what, Skylar, I'll make you a deal; tell me what it is that kept you from your appointments, and I'll take care of Molly, starting tomorrow.”
“I'll hold you to it.”
“It's a deal, then?”
“Agreed.”
“Shake on it,” she ordered.
Skylar sounded amused. “Yes, ma’am.”
“All right, so what happened?”
“As you know, I headed the presentation of the new Taki product for the ESI board last evening. It was a raging success, and some champagne was had to celebrate. The result was, for me, a monstrous hangover, then as soon as I recovered an emergency meeting-- out of city, by the way --with a man named Brice came up; that meeting was prevented by some freak weather, so I returned. Upon my entry, I was greeted my mother, and she had a child in tow. The rest you know, the end.”
“Who is Brice?”
“A man with whom I am doing business. He will soon be a rich man, as he has recently stumbled upon a Dwarf Chest.”
“I thought that Dwarf Chests didn't exist.”
“They do, but they're extremely rare. What is known as a Dwarf Chest is actually a vein of earth in which sliver, gold and jewels gather, slowly moving through the earth, gravitating towards that vein. He is currently trying to find out why they are so powerfully attracted to that area, but it is an absolutely secret operation. I exchange some of his jewels for mushrooms and equipment, so as to fund his work. He requested my presence immediately, but did not say why. Do you see now?”
“I still don't see what that has to do with you not being able to house Molly Osaki.”
Quinn could imagine Skylar wagging a finger at her. “Ah, ah, ah. No, you don't. You asked me to tell you what kept me from my appointments. That was the deal, Lisa, and I always keep my contracts.”
“That's not fair, Skylar!”
“I'm sorry, Lisa, but that was the deal. We shook on it. As I recall, telling you about Brice was not part of the deal, either, but I told you about him as a gesture of trust. As for me, when have I ever broken an agreement or caused harm to anyone? I cannot take care of Molly due to what I'm doing, but I can handle it. Please, Lisa. Trust me.”
“Skylar, you're actually starting to scare me. What the hell are you doing?”
“Lisa. I can take care of it.”
“The more you say that, the more I think you're trying to convince yourself more than you're trying to convince me.”
“Lisa, it's fine. I can handle it.”
“It sounds like you're negotiating the fate of the world with an alien race or something!”
Skylar laughed. “Don't be silly.”
Lisa was practically panicking. “The calmer you get, the worse the situation is! Skylar, you tell me right now what it is you're doing!!”
“Lisa--”
“AND DON'T you DARE tell me to calm down!”
“Lisa. You are overreacting.”
“Stop that! You always tell me to be calm when something goes horribly wrong!”
“LISA. Stop. Panicking. The world is in no mortal danger, as far as I know. Honestly, why must you freak out at the slightest--”
“I am not freaking out!”

A moment of silence, then Lisa sighed, “All right, maybe a little bit. You scared me. I was just.. I don't.. You're not acting like yourself, Skylar. You don't usually keep secrets from me like this.”
“Not that you know of.”
“What?”
“Some of my deals are not made public for privacy reasons. It's perfectly normal.”
“Skylar, I swear to--”
“Lisa, stop it. You know full well that I manage a separate, private account; what did you think I was doing with it? Now relax. This is nothing you need to be concerned about, it's just a little more... time-consuming and hands-on than my other projects.”
“And you couldn't warn me?”
“I was trying to avoid this conversation, and I was unaware of the complications until they blindsided me. That's the truth, Lisa. I'm sorry.”
“Why do I have the feeling that you're manipulating your words again, skillfully editing the truth so that none of your words are strictly untrue, but you still hide the core of the issue? Don't lie to me, Skylar. I've seen you do it.”

Skylar made no reply.