Story Notes:
I've got a general idea of where I'm going with this one, but I may very well delete it at any point if I confuse myself with the storyline too much. Expect twists.Unlike my other stories, I plan on updating this one as often as I write new chapters. On that note, I may be taking a short hiatus from Out Past Curfew. I'm still working out a few kinks with the mental drafts on both of them.---Disclaimer---Troublemakers' Game is a work of fiction. All of the characters and events in this story, even those based on actual characters and events, are entirely fictitious. Any publicly recognizable characters belong to their respectable owners.
Chapter 2 - Rose on the Cobblestone
Trenkov wrote something down again and cleared his throat.
"Alright," he stated. "I'm sorry to interrupt again, but you'll have to finish that story later."
"Is there something more important?" Desmond asked, growing impatient.
"Yes," Trenkov replied. "I'd like to know how you met Victoria, if you would tell me."
"That is pretty important," Desmond agreed. "It really was the turning point in my life."
"Did your life change for better or for worse?"
"I met Victoria that day," Desmond replied coldly. "That should be obvious."
----------
I was walking home from the Ministry one day toward the start of Autumn. I remember because leaves were on the ground. I always wondered why we didn't use all of those damned leaves for something useful, like tinder for the streetlights. The cops always had a hard time lighting those damned things.
Anyway, I was walking home, and I was pretty down because I never liked the Ministry. I could compare myself to the cobblestone, because people always walked all over me. The only thing I had to be happy about was that the week was over. Not that it mattered. People always had the opportunity to walk on me, even at home.
So I was walking, and I noticed something at the end of the road to my right. Something terrible. As I approached, I realized it was... a girl, you could say. It was her. She was injured, laying asleep or unconscious in the street, with bits of leaves all over that pretty white gown of hers.
"Is anybody here?" I shouted, to no response. I looked at her again. "Christ..."
My heart started racing, because I wasn't sure what I would do. I felt really bad. I ended up picking her up and carrying her to my house. I kept her hidden from my parents, because I was pretty sure they wouldn't have appreciated it.
I took her home and treated her wounds. She had all kinds of unexplainable stuff. She was burned, cut, bruised... It took over two hours. I wasn't exactly trained in first-aid. I just had a book.
So after about two and a half hours, she's all wrapped up in gauze, still sleeping comfortably. She looked cold, so I put a blanket on her. I figured that she needed more rest, so I went to bed. I was pretty tired.
The next day, I woke up and she was sitting in the only chair in my room. I sat up, and she started talking to me.
"Did you heal me?" she said. Her voice was beautiful. It still is.
I was a little startled, but I responded nonetheless. "I guess so," I said, stretching. "How do you feel?"
She stood up, completely straight. She was strong, and proud. "I owe you my life. I will be your servant until you release me."
At first I sort of laughed, but after a moment or two I realized that she was completely serious in the matter.
----------
"So that's why she calls you master?" Trenkov asked.
"I guess so," Desmond replied. "I mean, you've got to imagine how thrilled I was once I'd caught on. I was sixteen back then, and I found out she was sixteen too. So I had a beautiful sixteen year-old servant. I know now that she would've made all of my fantasies come true, but I was too much of a gentleman to ask for anything adult."
"I see," Trenkov said, trying to imagine Desmond as a gentleman. "Can you tell me about the streetlights?"
"What about them?"
Trenkov started showing his nervous demeanor again. "Well, you see, we use these things called light bulbs..."
Desmond glared at Trenkov. "And can you tell me the true difference between lighting a wick with fire and lighting it with electricity?"
Trenkov slumped a little. It would seem that the subject was in denial, but completely aware of it. Things were going to be complicated. He sighed and played along.
"You're right, Desmond," he said. "I apologize."
"Alright," Desmond replied. "Can I finish the first one, now?"
"Go right ahead."
Desmond leaned back a little, allowing Victoria to rest her head on his chest.
"So my elder-"
"Your mother, Desmond."
Desmond scowled at Trenkov, but realized that he was right. "My mother... had just gotten back from working that day. She had to work. My father was a freeloader."
----------
She didn't say anything to me upon arrival. She just brought Max, the youngest, in and sort of left the room.
So I left the house with Max, with Victoria right behind me. Strangely enough, Max was the only one I was comfortable having Victoria around. It was strange. He never really asked about her. I think he might have once or twice, but aside from that he ignored her. Maybe he really believed that she was mine.
Anyway, we were walking along. It was cold out. I was a gentleman, and I gave Victoria my jacket to wear. She was quite thankful, and I wasn't that cold, really. Until I noticed the smoke from the chimneys was moving horizontally. After that, the wind didn't cease. It was a small step.
We finally reached the house we were meant to go to, and it started raining. Max went up to the door, knocked on it, and then walked right in. I stood in the rain for five minutes before I lost my temper and knocked on the door myself.
"Victoria," I said before anybody answered. "Stay there, and stay quiet."
"Yes, master."
I knocked again, and Max answered.
"Max," I calmly stated. "You need to hurry up. We're going home."
"I'm staying inside until the rain stops."
I turned around and left, after telling Victoria to follow me. Needless to say, I was pretty pissed, for two reasons. Not only did I get left in the rain, but I'd been planning to go outside with Victoria that night.
----------
"I had a cold, too, that little bastard..."
"I get it," Trenkov said. "So you feel like nobody cares about you? Like you've been abandoned?"
Desmond looked at Victoria with sorrow in his eyes. "No. There are plenty who have real abandonment issues. There are definitely quite a few people who care about me, and I know it."
"Name a few."
"Well, of course-"
"Victoria?"
"Right. And..." Desmond trailed off while rubbing his chin. "My mom and dad. Whether or not they ever show it. That's all I can think of. I don't really have and friends," he said, staring at the top of Victoria's head. "But I don't really need any, either."
----------Chapter End Notes:Adding another chapter hopefully by the end of the day
"Alright," he stated. "I'm sorry to interrupt again, but you'll have to finish that story later."
"Is there something more important?" Desmond asked, growing impatient.
"Yes," Trenkov replied. "I'd like to know how you met Victoria, if you would tell me."
"That is pretty important," Desmond agreed. "It really was the turning point in my life."
"Did your life change for better or for worse?"
"I met Victoria that day," Desmond replied coldly. "That should be obvious."
----------
I was walking home from the Ministry one day toward the start of Autumn. I remember because leaves were on the ground. I always wondered why we didn't use all of those damned leaves for something useful, like tinder for the streetlights. The cops always had a hard time lighting those damned things.
Anyway, I was walking home, and I was pretty down because I never liked the Ministry. I could compare myself to the cobblestone, because people always walked all over me. The only thing I had to be happy about was that the week was over. Not that it mattered. People always had the opportunity to walk on me, even at home.
So I was walking, and I noticed something at the end of the road to my right. Something terrible. As I approached, I realized it was... a girl, you could say. It was her. She was injured, laying asleep or unconscious in the street, with bits of leaves all over that pretty white gown of hers.
"Is anybody here?" I shouted, to no response. I looked at her again. "Christ..."
My heart started racing, because I wasn't sure what I would do. I felt really bad. I ended up picking her up and carrying her to my house. I kept her hidden from my parents, because I was pretty sure they wouldn't have appreciated it.
I took her home and treated her wounds. She had all kinds of unexplainable stuff. She was burned, cut, bruised... It took over two hours. I wasn't exactly trained in first-aid. I just had a book.
So after about two and a half hours, she's all wrapped up in gauze, still sleeping comfortably. She looked cold, so I put a blanket on her. I figured that she needed more rest, so I went to bed. I was pretty tired.
The next day, I woke up and she was sitting in the only chair in my room. I sat up, and she started talking to me.
"Did you heal me?" she said. Her voice was beautiful. It still is.
I was a little startled, but I responded nonetheless. "I guess so," I said, stretching. "How do you feel?"
She stood up, completely straight. She was strong, and proud. "I owe you my life. I will be your servant until you release me."
At first I sort of laughed, but after a moment or two I realized that she was completely serious in the matter.
----------
"So that's why she calls you master?" Trenkov asked.
"I guess so," Desmond replied. "I mean, you've got to imagine how thrilled I was once I'd caught on. I was sixteen back then, and I found out she was sixteen too. So I had a beautiful sixteen year-old servant. I know now that she would've made all of my fantasies come true, but I was too much of a gentleman to ask for anything adult."
"I see," Trenkov said, trying to imagine Desmond as a gentleman. "Can you tell me about the streetlights?"
"What about them?"
Trenkov started showing his nervous demeanor again. "Well, you see, we use these things called light bulbs..."
Desmond glared at Trenkov. "And can you tell me the true difference between lighting a wick with fire and lighting it with electricity?"
Trenkov slumped a little. It would seem that the subject was in denial, but completely aware of it. Things were going to be complicated. He sighed and played along.
"You're right, Desmond," he said. "I apologize."
"Alright," Desmond replied. "Can I finish the first one, now?"
"Go right ahead."
Desmond leaned back a little, allowing Victoria to rest her head on his chest.
"So my elder-"
"Your mother, Desmond."
Desmond scowled at Trenkov, but realized that he was right. "My mother... had just gotten back from working that day. She had to work. My father was a freeloader."
----------
She didn't say anything to me upon arrival. She just brought Max, the youngest, in and sort of left the room.
So I left the house with Max, with Victoria right behind me. Strangely enough, Max was the only one I was comfortable having Victoria around. It was strange. He never really asked about her. I think he might have once or twice, but aside from that he ignored her. Maybe he really believed that she was mine.
Anyway, we were walking along. It was cold out. I was a gentleman, and I gave Victoria my jacket to wear. She was quite thankful, and I wasn't that cold, really. Until I noticed the smoke from the chimneys was moving horizontally. After that, the wind didn't cease. It was a small step.
We finally reached the house we were meant to go to, and it started raining. Max went up to the door, knocked on it, and then walked right in. I stood in the rain for five minutes before I lost my temper and knocked on the door myself.
"Victoria," I said before anybody answered. "Stay there, and stay quiet."
"Yes, master."
I knocked again, and Max answered.
"Max," I calmly stated. "You need to hurry up. We're going home."
"I'm staying inside until the rain stops."
I turned around and left, after telling Victoria to follow me. Needless to say, I was pretty pissed, for two reasons. Not only did I get left in the rain, but I'd been planning to go outside with Victoria that night.
----------
"I had a cold, too, that little bastard..."
"I get it," Trenkov said. "So you feel like nobody cares about you? Like you've been abandoned?"
Desmond looked at Victoria with sorrow in his eyes. "No. There are plenty who have real abandonment issues. There are definitely quite a few people who care about me, and I know it."
"Name a few."
"Well, of course-"
"Victoria?"
"Right. And..." Desmond trailed off while rubbing his chin. "My mom and dad. Whether or not they ever show it. That's all I can think of. I don't really have and friends," he said, staring at the top of Victoria's head. "But I don't really need any, either."
----------Chapter End Notes:Adding another chapter hopefully by the end of the day