Description
A Greater Society - Chapter 23: A Funny Feeling
by Ratte
Story
Friday finally came. I got up bright and early, eager to get my work done for the day. Sliding out of bed I quickly covered myself up in my usual work clothes, attacking my unruly hair with a comb. These recent days I'd felt much better about everything, minus the weird looks from Morissey's staff. Even then I refused to waver, enjoying this new feeling of security.
I managed to get all of Ulimi's inventory paperwork done and filled out the previous night during some downtime. I guess I'm just so used to working that I don't know what else to do with spare time. Now that the house had staff for incoming residents, should I get any soon, I had overall less manual work to worry about. Daniel's hiring and general personality jived well with some of the more mundane things I might need done and he was all too happy to help around with those things.
With Ulimi's work in my folder I quietly left my room. It was still fairly early and Riv was not up quite yet. As I continued my way to the bathroom I noticed that his door was ajar. Lately I'd been making a habit of ensuring his door is pulled shut in a passive-aggressive means to deter the bolder night staff. Maybe Riv used the bathroom overnight.
I stopped in the bathroom to quickly wash my face and hands before starting the morning, the cold water helping to wake me up. Drying myself off with the towel a shadow to my left caught my attention. Turning, I saw the edge of a staffmember's face peering at me from behind the doorway. Once I took notice they scurried away to some other part of the house.
"...Okay."
I swept my fingers through my bangs and continued to the stairwell, looking once back down the hall to Riv's door. With a sigh I turned back, grabbing the doorknob and quietly pulling the door closed again before heading downstairs. He'd be up very soon, but his door left like that would bother me.
Veering left from the stair room I paced to the lounge, picking through the contents of the icebox. I grabbed an apple and cut it into segments, placing the pieces in a small bowl along with a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter mixed with honey. With this set aside I cracked open two eggs into another small bowl, added a little milk, and beat them until mixed. Dumping the mixture into my hot skillet I fried the basis for what I would make into a sandwich. I moved the fried egg over to a plate to make room for the bread to toast and by now the little boy was carefully watching my activity from behind.
"Ah, good morning, Riv," I said, flipping over the toast. "I didn't want to get you up too early if you were still tired. I should have everything done for you in just a minute or two."
The groggy child leaned against my side, slowly blinking his eyes. I reached up to run my fingers through his hair and softly scratch his cheek, he lazily closing his eyes as I continued. I hoped that the noise from the door earlier hadn't woken him up, being a rather light sleeper.
"Are you hungry?" I asked quietly, removing the toast from the skillet and assembling the sandwich.
He tiredly nodded against my side. I had to be careful and hold extra still, the nudging of his snout tickling a bit.
"Hm, well, how do you feel about eating out in the lobby while I get some work done?" I asked, putting the bowl of apple slices on the plate. "I'm not very hungry this morning, but I'll eat lunch with you for sure, okay?"
"Okay," he yawned.
I grabbed the milk and poured the boy a glass. With both that and the plate of food in my hands I walked to the lobby, my tail wrapped around the tired child. I set everything in front of his seat and he climbed atop to begin his own morning.
Just then Morissey arrived, silently turning to me as Riv picked up the sandwich and took a bite. I leaned down just a bit to plant my snout atop Riv's crown as he ate, hoping that could compensate for not eating breakfast with him this morning.
As I turned to face Morissey he looked to me with unease, trying to look away once I noticed him.
"Is something wrong?" I asked.
"...I have come to deliver your week's compensation," he digressed, reaching into one of his coat pockets. "Do remember the figure agreed upon goes toward your nurse."
"Of course," I said, receiving the payment.
I flipped through the bills to count Daniel's credits, setting the sum aside on my desk. With his counted I then counted through mine. Sure enough, my expected sum was here in my hands-- even considering the pay cut from housing Riv. It really wasn't much, but I breathed a sigh of relief having finally gotten a payment with an amount I expected.
"I did mention I would be paying you less for your...charge, here," Morissey said, a bit confused by my reaction.
"It...It has been a long time since I last received a full payment, even if it isn't much," I said, putting the bills in my wallet. "My recent jobs were shorting me. Some turned me away completely. It's nice to...finally receive what I've agreed to work for, is all."
"Mm, I understand," he nodded. "What I have paid you is nothing lofty, though."
"It doesn't have to be," I said. "I just want to be able to make enough to support my little boy."
Morissey slowly looked back over to Riv as he dipped an apple slice in the honey and peanut butter, the sharp crunch of his bite making the man's ears twitch. Riv didn't seem to take much notice of our conversation, instead carefully flipping through some of yesterday's writing assignments. Morissey's eyes elicited a feeling of worry, perhaps even slight pain. I couldn't quite describe it.
"You...care about this...new type, yes?" he haltingly, quietly asked as he turned back toward me.
"Of course I do," I said, head tilted. "He's like a son to me."
"...You love him?" he asked further, voice slightly shaken.
"I do," I replied. "I love him more than anything."
He turned down and away to the floor, unable to keep eye contact with me further. I was confused and concerned, but didn't want to push the matter and possibly upset him.
"...Very well," he said, turning away and walking back to the door. "The construction for the infirmary will begin on Monday, around this time of morning. I apologize in advance for the noise. It should be finished in three weeks or less."
"That is alright," I said. "Have you heard back about the, um, possible residents you mentioned yesterday?"
"Indeed I have," he began, gradually moving his hands behind his back. "They, too, shall arrive Monday. From what I understand they are a fair amount older than your...current charge-- a pair of siblings from a place not far from here. I expect they will be cared for well here."
"Well...your staff does seem to be doing a good job so far," I scratched my head. "I'm not sure what more you could mean."
"Do make sure everything is in order and accounted for, Reverend," he said, grabbing the doorknob. "I trust you'll be able to play your role here."
"...I'm sorry?"
"With more residents comes more work, and I require very concise...if redundant record-keeping for the sake of distribution and documentation. Should any person need to be moved, copies of their information will have to move with them. The pay increase for housing these residents will be nothing to write home about, especially should you continue to...keep him here."
"He has a name," I said, trying to keep my ears from flattening, "and that is fine-- so long as I can support Riv."
"...As you say."
He opened the door and turned to leave, stopping just before the full motion to look back over to Riv, then to me, before closing the door. From this distance he seemed quietly agitated, if a bit sad. I hoped I hadn't offended him in some way, lest I put us back in the same position we just escaped.
I went back over to Riv who was finishing up his breakfast.
"Did you get enough to eat?" I asked.
"Mhm!" he said with a little smile, seemingly much more awake now.
"Alright, I'll take these back to the lounge and get them washed up real fast," I said, grabbing the dishes. "I won't be long. Just wait right here."
He nodded and I retreated to the lounge. Past me walked two staffmembers, their steps noticeably slower as they passed me. Behind me I could hear them whispering but it was too quiet and too distant to interpret. Figuring it was nothing kind I just rolled my eyes and continued onward.
With the small bit of dishes washed up I dried my hands and walked back out front. As I returned I noticed Riv seemed a little tense, his ears folded back while staring out to nowhere in particular.
"Riv?" I quietly asked as I drew near. "Is something wrong?"
"...Some people walked by and kept looking at me," he said, barely audible. "Did I make someone mad?"
"No, you didn't," I reassured, hugging the small boy and rubbing his back. "You've done nothing wrong. Please pay them no mind; they'll get used to you and you'll get used to them."
"Are you sure?" he asked, pale eyes pleading.
...Honestly, I wasn't sure, but I still hoped. At least with Kuri and now Daniel here, should anything happen there would be some support aside from just me and what pitiful little I could do. I felt bad having to depend on others for things like this, but my pride was not as important as his comfort or safety.
"I will let you know if you do something wrong, Riv," I said, tugging one of his ears. "That has yet to happen, though, so please don't worry about it too much. Some things just take time."
"...Okay."
I walked back around my desk to start the day's assignments. Not a few minutes later Daniel arrived, cracking his neck a few steps past the door.
"Geez, finally," he smiled. "Thought I'd never get that out."
"That...sounded painful," I said.
"Nah, quite the opposite," he laughed. "My bed ain't really big enough for me and I've a hard time finding bigger ones, so I sorta curl up when I sleep and it does a number on my back and neck."
"Oh, uh, I'm sorry to hear that," I said, handing him his payment. "If it helps, here's your first payment. I'm sorry if it's less than--"
"Reverend, please, this is plenty," he said, putting it away in his wallet. "I'm glad ya care, but I'm a big boy and can take care of myself. Don't worry 'bout me."
"I-I didn't mean to seem patronizing," I stuttered, nervously diverting my gaze. "I'm very sorry--"
Before I could react I felt a large hand under my chin, gently but forcibly turning my head back toward him. His usual jovial expression was now much more firm and pensive as he bent down to better meet me at my level. He stared at me rather intently, as though looking for something. While not a gaze of judgment it still stung in a profound way to be stared at this way, and for this long.
"You've been a corrupted, haven't you?" he asked.
I gasped and looked away, my ears folding back as far as they could go. I compulsively reached my small hands up to try to dig my nails into my cheeks and shield my eyes from view, but Daniel caught both before I could.
"I kinda had a feeling," he said, his tone severe.
"I-I'm sorry, I d-didn't mean...I...I ca...can't--"
"Shh, s'alright, Reverend," he hushed, slowly letting go of my wrists. "There's no redness in your eyes anymore. It's not the color, but your behaviors and habits that...kinda give it away."
I tugged at my hair, eyes wide and anxious as they scanned the space in front of me, trying my hardest not to claw at my face...especially in front of Riv.
"Father, what's wrong?" Riv asked from behind his table.
"He's okay, Riv," Daniel responded. "He just needs a moment here, alright? Just hang tight."
"...Okay," he boy said, uncertain and worried.
That big hand returned to my chin, forcing my gaze back toward Daniel.
"Hey," he said. "Look at me."
With hesitation I did all I could to maintain eye contact. Even with his expression of earnest and concern all I could think to do was run away.
"As I told your financier: I'm not one for bias, for better or for worse. It helps me to know people's histories so know how best to treat them...both for work and as people. I'm sorry I scared ya, that wasn't my intention."
I couldn't put together a cohesive thought enough to respond.
"You'll be alright, Reverend," he quietly said, running his thumb along my cheekbone to wipe away a tear I didn't know I shed. "I'm not going anywhere."
Those four words hadn't meant so much to me since you still walked this earth.
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Tarov
MemberI suppose I should have guessed, based on the stuff I've learned about the corrupted and Reverend's behavior, but this is still quite the shock! Especially considering how Daniel switched tones like that, this chapter really threw me for a loop, so to speak.
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