MwN - Glimpses 1 + 2

Ambrosia - #1

Even without mountains of work to avoid, Ambrosia wouldn’t be anywhere other than in the stands as Harmony opened the Ascendant Games. Too bad the company left much to be desired. 

“Does she have to wear that outfit? It's indecent. I have a hard enough time convincing reporters she's a respectable lady.”  Kelly White complained.

“It’s her armor. One she is bonded to. She can no more change that than she could her…“ Harmony could change her hair, nails, skin, and face. “...height. I caution you to be careful of what you criticize.” Ambrosia finished. 

“I've heard how you parade my daughter about in your shows as she shakes her body while it is projected for all to see.”  Kelly continued a little too loudly.

“Shhhh… it's starting!” complained a person three rows away.

The parade of contestants entered the colosseum. What would these Ascendant Games be? This would be worse than climbing Nae’s Garden. At least then she got to help Harm decompress every evening.

“To think I had to cancel my performance of Queen and the Cursed for this,” Kelly whined.

Ambrosia had to call off one of her pets from depositing a load on the actress. Her darlings would do many things to appease her irritated feelings.  Yes, it would have made her smile. No, it was not appropriate at this moment. 

Harmony disappearing in a flash left Ambrosia with a tightness in her chest and tears at the corner of her eyes. Harmony would doubtless do well and have it be months before she returned. 

“Is that it?” Kelly asked. 

The colosseum floor was now empty, but it had only been moments.  It would not be it, and Ambrosia knew it was rude to ask it. She’d been there with her parents in Naewauld when the dueling competition was active as a child.   

With a crack of energy that set the hairs of everyone’s arms rising. A giant cube rippled into existence. All six sides flickered on showing scenes.  Harmony, in an even more unclothed state, stared in the distance.  Eric punched small spiders in the woods. Len, with activated tattoos, blasting purple lizards with a stream of fire.  It the the beginning of a show that would have people keeping the colosseum full as they moved in and out to watch it. 

“Well, now...” Kelly White started until she found her mouth forcibly shut. “Urk.” She grunted. 

[Admonish] wasn’t a true silence skill. Ambrosia had never used it on any of her precious pets, but it was one she had as part of her beast-tamer skill set.  It took flexibility and an understanding gained through Harmony’s notes to be able to shift it onto a person. Kelly White had only been invited to be at hand for this moment. For when Harmony, due to being indisposed, would no longer be the controller of the work contracts. 

“What… are… you… doing… Harmony,... would… never…?”  Kelly pressed through clenched teeth.

“You are right. Lady White would never treat anyone under her employ in this manner. That was one reason why I was disappointed in her decision to hire you. I would have rather helped her dig a hole. But she isn’t here now and per the clauses in your contract, I am now in charge.  You will come with me and adhere to the standards I expect! Needless to say, you should have read the fine print, Bitch!”

Ambrosia gave Kelly a cold smile. As sad as it was to see Harmony go. This would be a good day.

Bea - #2

    Bea braced herself. It was hard to come to terms with just how incomplete the memories she had were, and mealtime was the worst. 

    “Bea, it's not healthy to skip meals to keep your figure.” Constance, one of the new hires, said with worry as she sat down with a bowl of stew with the other houseboys and maids.

    “I ate earlier,” Bea answered, working on her inflection to try to not sound so flat and monotone. 

    Not only was the stew unappealing, unnatural instincts told her it would do nothing but cause problems for her body. She had no memories of ever eating before coming to Lady White’s house. When her mind had been collapsing, such useless things were the first to be discarded to maintain stability. Most everyone was slowly getting used to her avoidance of communal meals. 

    “That’s just how she is. I managed to get a word in with Sir Bates, and he explained she’s a bit shy in groups.” Mirabelle lectured. 

    Talk slipped into gossip about the Ascendant Games projections being held at the colosseum, though most of it was old news filtered through the various newsheets. That was the real reason why Bea stayed. To hear about her savior, Lady White. They’d won the first competition but not without some loss, as one of her tribe mates might die. Bea knew that even if he did, they were in good hands. The conversation drifted to more useless issues, like who was dating whom. “May I be excused? I’d like to get a handle on the gnome issue.”

    Mirabelle was in charge of this cohort. “I told you, you don’t need to ask. Just go.“

    Excused, Bea stood up and dashed out to the still mostly untamed manor grounds. Gnomes were great at detecting living threats. The rodents were invasive, made to look like little men or babies, they burrowed everywhere with their big red horns that many depicted as hats in drawings. Getting rid of them was both useful and practical.

    Before she got here, there was no need to eat. Then the savior changed her. Lady White made her body stronger, senses sharper, and skills more accessible; maintaining that required nourishment. The stew wouldn’t do. Only the living could provide what she needed.  Beneath her, she could feel the gnomes borrowing. Punching two feet into the hard earth, Bea grasped a gnome with enough force to stun but not kill the creature, before pulling it out. In Bea's hand, the gnome squirmed and screamed as it awakened.  Opening wide, the undead woman's jaw unhinged to accommodate the meal she actually needed.