HOME | DD

Description
Trial 6m: Opaque Administration

Shapely legs slink and flimsy skirts flap as Maximillian’s servants close the door.  Besides Acheron’s twin courtesans, only the Hellspawn triumvirate meets in this chamber. Any luxury in this realm, the elite has crafted itself.    Maximillian gestures for Null to take her black velvet seat.  Void paces toward his own position at the marble roundtable.  The chairman bars Void with his cane.  “You’re the man of this meeting, sir,” Maximillian says.  “Deplorable. Downright odious. . .”

Void glares stiffly.  He says, “Spare me the lecture, bones.  Just do something abo-“

Acheron interrupts. “Lecture?  Not at all. We’re merely keeping a clear perspective.”  The suited skeleton rises and indulges a steady drag from his pipe. “Hell’s Hammer. . . In the eyes of all fighting to reclaim our planet, you are their champion.  But suppose our armies saw their champion defeated.  How do you suppose that would affect morale?”

“How would I know and why would I care?”

“As we all know, your defeat virginity was taken before this.  But this last spill leaves. . .”  Acheron removes the pipe from his jawbone. “A stain on your record.  It’s one thing when the chap who went on to fight Nefas lopped your arm off. But it’s quite another when you barely held your own against his little brother.”

“It would.  But you’ve got it all wrong.”

Null puts her silky thighs on the table.  She arches her back, stretching out a yawn.  “That’s not how I saw it,” she says. “You should have been able to kill him, easily. But it didn’t work.  You’re not getting slow, are you, brother?”

“Shut it, woman.  He was good as gone before you came.  And why don’t you try next time, before calling me slow.”

“Aw, but I don’t want him dead.  I just want him somewhere that rhymes with it.  I’d love a new puppy. . .”

“You have enough creatures down there already.”

“Hah!  Shows what you know.  You don’t get the luck I do without keeping clean.”

Maximillian slowly finishes his cup of tea as the siblings quarrel.  He sets the saucer down then taps the opal tiles thrice with his cane. Each knock sounds with twice the strength as the one preceding. Order resumes.  He says, “The point being, this news would dishearten our brethren, particularly if it repeats. The consequences could be quite crippling.”  The executive places a gloved hand on Void’s shoulder, still missing an arm.  “Your might exceeds all those before you.  You pull more weight than any of us, because you can bear every ton of it.”

Acheron removes his hand and strides gradually around the table. He continues, “That is the aggregate opinion, at least.  But opinion is a tempestuous companion.  If this climate changed, adversities would occur; affecting even you, sir!”

“If I’m the workhorse, then don’t break my back, you old bastard,” Void barks.

Maximillian wags a slim, leather-covered finger.  “If you’re suggesting a lighter load, we can find a substitute. It’s no calcium off my skull. But, I can assume you wouldn’t be without objection.  So hasten your pace, mate.  No more slovenly operations, yes?”

“The hell are you talking about,” Void says.  He stomps a foot on the table. “I could’ve crushed that whole continent until you two interfered.”  He storms across the table to Maximillian. “If I’m the muscle of this group, then don’t say you know about force.”  Void jumps off, landing with a punch at the skull.

“You daft punk,” Maximillian responds.  His skull detaches from the body and floats aside as Void emptily attacks the air.  “The brain controls the muscle!”  The head slips back into position. Acheron pokes the subordinate’s chest with his cane, halting him.   “You somehow failed to oust a potential threat.”  Acheron nudges Void back with a push of the cane.

Null interjects, “Threat?  He could be useful.”  She sits up and takes her legs off the table. “I could get him to our side.  I just have to rub him the right way.”  Null strokes a hand through her hair and waves for the boss to continue.

Maximillian continues.  “You almost wasted a potential resource.”  His cane pokes Void again.  “You watered a seed of disadvantage.”  He prods his subordinate again. “And if you had your way, you would have ruined our own fine property.”   He removes the cane and releases steam through his pipe.  “At any rate, this performance disappoints.  Do not repeat it.”

Disappointed, Null puts her feet back up, leaning nonchalantly.  She hoped Maxi might show a crack of anger at some point.  After 500 years of watching she hasn’t noticed one.

The enigmatic master turns to his servants. “Arianna, Brianna.  Escort him to the proper facility, if you please.”   One of his short-gowned attendants grabs onto Void’s arm.   The other waves them forward.  The two lead him out the door with a strut to their tail feathers.

Description
Trial 6m: Opaque Administration

Shapely legs slink and flimsy skirts flap as Maximillian’s servants close the door.  Besides Acheron’s twin courtesans, only the Hellspawn triumvirate meets in this chamber. Any luxury in this realm, the elite has crafted itself.    Maximillian gestures for Null to take her black velvet seat.  Void paces toward his own position at the marble roundtable.  The chairman bars Void with his cane.  “You’re the man of this meeting, sir,” Maximillian says.  “Deplorable. Downright odious. . .”

Void glares stiffly.  He says, “Spare me the lecture, bones.  Just do something abo-“

Acheron interrupts. “Lecture?  Not at all. We’re merely keeping a clear perspective.”  The suited skeleton rises and indulges a steady drag from his pipe. “Hell’s Hammer. . . In the eyes of all fighting to reclaim our planet, you are their champion.  But suppose our armies saw their champion defeated.  How do you suppose that would affect morale?”

“How would I know and why would I care?”

“As we all know, your defeat virginity was taken before this.  But this last spill leaves. . .”  Acheron removes the pipe from his jawbone. “A stain on your record.  It’s one thing when the chap who went on to fight Nefas lopped your arm off. But it’s quite another when you barely held your own against his little brother.”

“It would.  But you’ve got it all wrong.”

Null puts her silky thighs on the table.  She arches her back, stretching out a yawn.  “That’s not how I saw it,” she says. “You should have been able to kill him, easily. But it didn’t work.  You’re not getting slow, are you, brother?”

“Shut it, woman.  He was good as gone before you came.  And why don’t you try next time, before calling me slow.”

“Aw, but I don’t want him dead.  I just want him somewhere that rhymes with it.  I’d love a new puppy. . .”

“You have enough creatures down there already.”

“Hah!  Shows what you know.  You don’t get the luck I do without keeping clean.”

Maximillian slowly finishes his cup of tea as the siblings quarrel.  He sets the saucer down then taps the opal tiles thrice with his cane. Each knock sounds with twice the strength as the one preceding. Order resumes.  He says, “The point being, this news would dishearten our brethren, particularly if it repeats. The consequences could be quite crippling.”  The executive places a gloved hand on Void’s shoulder, still missing an arm.  “Your might exceeds all those before you.  You pull more weight than any of us, because you can bear every ton of it.”

Acheron removes his hand and strides gradually around the table. He continues, “That is the aggregate opinion, at least.  But opinion is a tempestuous companion.  If this climate changed, adversities would occur; affecting even you, sir!”

“If I’m the workhorse, then don’t break my back, you old bastard,” Void barks.

Maximillian wags a slim, leather-covered finger.  “If you’re suggesting a lighter load, we can find a substitute. It’s no calcium off my skull. But, I can assume you wouldn’t be without objection.  So hasten your pace, mate.  No more slovenly operations, yes?”

“The hell are you talking about,” Void says.  He stomps a foot on the table. “I could’ve crushed that whole continent until you two interfered.”  He storms across the table to Maximillian. “If I’m the muscle of this group, then don’t say you know about force.”  Void jumps off, landing with a punch at the skull.

“You daft punk,” Maximillian responds.  His skull detaches from the body and floats aside as Void emptily attacks the air.  “The brain controls the muscle!”  The head slips back into position. Acheron pokes the subordinate’s chest with his cane, halting him.   “You somehow failed to oust a potential threat.”  Acheron nudges Void back with a push of the cane.

Null interjects, “Threat?  He could be useful.”  She sits up and takes her legs off the table. “I could get him to our side.  I just have to rub him the right way.”  Null strokes a hand through her hair and waves for the boss to continue.

Maximillian continues.  “You almost wasted a potential resource.”  His cane pokes Void again.  “You watered a seed of disadvantage.”  He prods his subordinate again. “And if you had your way, you would have ruined our own fine property.”   He removes the cane and releases steam through his pipe.  “At any rate, this performance disappoints.  Do not repeat it.”

Disappointed, Null puts her feet back up, leaning nonchalantly.  She hoped Maxi might show a crack of anger at some point.  After 500 years of watching she hasn’t noticed one.

The enigmatic master turns to his servants. “Arianna, Brianna.  Escort him to the proper facility, if you please.”   One of his short-gowned attendants grabs onto Void’s arm.   The other waves them forward.  The two lead him out the door with a strut to their tail feathers.