As they stood on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, Justin passed up and down. Clenching his fist in his pockets and gritting his teath. Holding back on all the things he wanted to say. Milo slowly began to speak in hopes of calming the other down. "As far as I could tell, she has given you no reason not to trust her."
This was beyond Milo's comprehension. In general, he had an excellent understanding of how to read others. And as the one who changed Justin, he should have known him perfectly.
Justin spat, "I do trust her," In frustration, he pointed at the door. "I don't trust him."
Still, Milo couldn't fathom why the two of them couldn't communicate better. It almost seemed like something was trying to deliberately impede their understanding of one another. There should have been an unspoken bond between Justin and himself. At the very least for the first year. Even saying things outright didn't seem to work. "I've known Grendel for quite some time. He's not a threat to you in any way."
If he had wanted to, he could have explained to Justin why he shouldn't fret over Grendel. But even now he had an unnatural knowledge of him, it wasn't his place to speak of it. Even though he was a flirt, he rarely seriously pursued a sexual relationship with someone whose death wasn't imminent.
"You'll have to believe me then," Milo replied bluntly. "He wouldn't harm Amy in any way. He would be wise to remember how you feel so long as the syer bond is in place." At least, that's how things ought to have operated. Given the peculiar nature of the situation, he was unsure of what kind of psychic concision the two had.
Justin's passing and puffing slowed, and it appeared as though he was almost taking in what Milo was telling him. Then Grendel left the restaurant, arms linked with Amy. It appeared she had been weeping before leaving the restaurant. Milo signed in anticipation of what was to come next. No good deed goes unpunished, Milo told himself before Justin blew up.
"You see!" Justin shouted, his anger reaching a boiling point. "He's making her cry! I knew it! I knew he couldn't be trusted!"
Milo tried to calm him down, but it was clear that Justin was not going to listen. "Justin, please, calm down. I understand you're upset, but let's not make a scene here. Let's go talk to them and see what's going on."
Justin shook his head, still fuming. "No, I can't trust him. I can't let him near her anymore. I'll handle this myself." With that, he stormed towards Grendel and Amy, ready to confront them.
Milo sighed, knowing that this situation was not going to end well. He quickly followed behind Justin, hoping to prevent any further conflict. "Justin, please, let's just talk to them and see what's going on. Don't let your emotions get the best of you."
But it was too late. Justin had already reached Grendel and Amy, and the situation was quickly escalating. Milo tried to intervene, but it was clear that Justin was not going to listen to reason. The situation was rapidly spiraling out of control, and Milo knew that there was nothing he could do to stop it.
The rest of the night, Milo was able to spend in the comfort of the hotel, which was starting to seem like home. No matter how overwhelming the events of the night seemed at the time. The scenario was already complicated enough without Justin's screaming and Grendel's involvement. After Grendel saunter off, Amy and Justin parted, leaving for Justin's place.
Milo was home for over two hours before Grendel stumbled in, struggling to get through the entrance. His clothes were dishevelled, speaking louder about how the night went. Which was more than what could be said about Grendel. He mumbled a few words before falling face-first onto the sofa.
After that, Richard showed up shortly. He stared at the couch and suddenly looked pale and downcast. He had the expression of total fear of someone who had just been told they had hours remaining of work but were already completely drained. It lasted for a second at most before disappearing. So that explains who was watching Grendel while he was gone. Milo reflected, feeling sorry for Richard.
A moment later, he seemed to perk up. "Better your problem than mine." He quietly remarked as he sat down on a nearby stool. "I was curious as to the current status of things. Assuming all is good?"
Milo would have been flattered by the concern for his well-being if it had been the proper Richard. The Richard in front of him wanted answers and was untrustworthy. It wasn't as if there were several Richards. He had no spit personalities or anything of the sort. But it was more that he brought work-life balance to an unprecedented level.
Richard at Work was calculating, cold, and ruthless. This was the message he conveyed to the majority of humanity. Whatever you say will be used against you. The oddest thing, however, was. Whenever he felt at ease. Molly and Grendel coined the phrase "work/home Richard" to describe his dual persona at work and at home. One could confide in him about anything, and Milo thought he was the most loyal person he had ever encountered.
Richard's appearance at this time was not malicious in his opinion. The issue was that Milo wanted him to get directly to the point. "What particularly do you want, Richard?" Milo inquired, his gaze fixed on the other. He moved in front of Richard from the far end of the kitchen.
"I was only wondering, as I told you..." Richard paused as if they were anxious about what they were saying yet also seeming intentional and rehearsed As Richard leaned back, Milo questioned his motives. Even this conduct appeared to be entirely normal on the surface. Someone like Milo, who knew Richard and people well enough, could see straight through it. It was an attempt to give the impression to those around him that he wasn't paying full attention to the situation. In reality, he was the one in charge of the show.
Despite knowing it wouldn't work, Milo persisted. They were engaged in an unusual staring contest as if assessing one another. Milo was not about to take anything for granted when it came to his understanding of Richard. Given the passage of 150 years, he couldn't claim to know this individual on the same level. "What has brought you here tonight, Richard?"
"How well do you know Ma'at?" Richard asked. "You were abducted simultaneously. You claim to have only been completely cognizant for a few months. I know you said you were alone when you woke. But anything, any little thing may help in finding her."
Milo thought as Richard went on. The last thing he remembered was protecting Grendel when he nearly died. That had honestly been the thing he remembered before waking in that cold morgue. Up until recently, he hadn't even thought of Ma'at. But Richard was right. The knowledge of this woman no matter how inconsequential it felt may help in placing together what was going on now. "She had been awake long before I."
Richard was at a lost for words for a time. He asked, quickly gathering his thoughts. "How did you find out?" Investigating him is similar to interrogating someone. "I thought you stated you didn't realise she was awake."
"To be honest, I have no idea how I know this information," Milo said plainly. He simply possessed that knowledge. Furthermore, it's possible that he was utterly wrong in his first assumption. He knew the fundamentals, but nothing more.
On the other hand, if she had risen before him, that would have made perfect sense. This would finally shed light on why he had started thinking about his human life. She couldn't move forward because she was frozen in time. Her memories of the past would have been in the forefront of her mind and the bond they had would have easily bled into his subconscious. He remembered such times because of her impact now that she was awake.
She was still a mystery to him, as was the reason for their abduction. Richard's shoulders smoothed out, though, so maybe he was starting to believe him. They stared at each other for a whole minute until he finally looked away from Milo. He sighed sadly and said, "I see." He ran his hands over his face and scalp, looking conceivably more relaxed now.
Although Milo's expression never altered. There was much more he needed to learn. "What about these pills? I never got a clean answer about they were for?" the ones you mentioned the doctor subscribed me to, but he indicated the blood test wasn't even on the table at that point. I'm still at a loss of what their intended function is."
For a second there, Richard didn't seem to be thinking about anything in particular. The look on his face abruptly changed. "I didn't believe it was worth the effort to inquire. But judging from how you look, they seem to be doing you well."
Milo pretended he was unconcerned. That's something he'd be capable of doing without much trouble. There was silence between them for a while until he finally said out. "It's true, but you know me. Explain everything to me; I need to know why things are the way they are. I went to see the friendly doctor today." His tone of voice was soothing and unruffled. But Richard immediately sensed the menace in his words.
Milo pretended he was unconcerned. Simple enough for him to handle. There was silence between them for a while until he finally spoke." Yes, but you know me. I demand explanations for everything that occurs. And I paid the good doctor a visit." His statements were calculated and menacing.
As he backed away from the bar, Richard let out a heavy sigh, as if he were being sucked into the black hole of his lies. Looking as if he was hit by a wave of severance. A low "Right," was all he said. Thinking through what he would say next carefully.
Milo kept an eye on him. He refused to assume anything until he heard Richard out. "Then tell me. Tell me again why you gave these to me." There was no way, in Milo's mind, that Richard would have intentionally hurt him. Nonetheless, he had an odd air about him. Without a doubt, he was keeping something from them. Richard having secrets wasn't new. In spite of his many indiscretions, he had never hidden anything from his closest friends. He would allow him to keep his secrets if they weren't harmful to himself or Grendel.
"I gave these to you because I care about you, Milo. I wanted to help," Richard said, his voice sincere and earnest. "I know you've been through a lot recently, and I want to help in any way I can."
Milo frowned, still not entirely convinced. "I need to know what they are for. What do they do and how did you find out about them?"
Richard sighed, running a hand over his head. "Because they have special properties, Milo. It's something new the young-ins have come up with. Everyone has morals now." He said with an exasperated sigh. "I don't know how they will work long-term. But as of now, it seems to work for both Kaw-Sekhmu and the Netopuri.
Richard persisted in his endeavour to clarify. Milo, on the other hand, felt this to be a satisfactory reaction. He let him go as he proceeded to get them both some tea. When Milo set the cup in front of him, he became silent abruptly, understanding he was no longer being interrogated.
Milo poured him a cup and they had a hushed conversation that only Richard could hear. "When I was still a human, I met Ma'at." Before he opened his mouth, he paused and considered his options. When you take into account the reality that the globe has evolved. Misunderstandings were more likely given how much the world had changed, so he would use words that would make more sense for someone as young as Ricard, just a little over 300 years old. "During that time period, what would be considered the royal families were very popular, and she married into one. I won't go into the specifics of our history together, but I will say that after she was transformed, she went temporarily insane. Following her conversion, she slaughtered everyone in her way. Some people actively sought her demise. Others, for their own motivations, also attempted to halt the movement. So that they could figure out what to do with her, they committed to putting her into a permanent sleep state. There never appeared to be a convenient time to bring it up, and so she was finally forgotten."
Richard listened intently, his eyes wide with shock and concern. "That's a terrible story, Milo. I can't even imagine what you must have gone through. And how did you come to know all of this?"
Milo sighed and took a sip of his tea before continuing. "I was one of the few who survived her rampage. And over the years, I've done my own research and gathered information from others who were involved. It's not a story that is widely known, but it's one that needs to be told."
"I have never heard of anyone doing that after being turned," Richard said at once
"There is a reason the law is one can't change more than one person every year. And it's recommended not to do it less than ten." Milo said calmly. And as if understanding Richard nodded.
Milo had no concept how long it had been; it may have been three thousand years or 10. Time's passing no longer registered. The madness that had possessed her after the shift, he was now certain, would not last forever. This had been a bone of contention, and it was this factor that kept extending her solitary confinement within the tomb. However, there was little question that she would have overcome many other psychosomatic ailments. For as long as she could remember, she had been in that state of perpetual sleep. It's impossible for her to have a rational mind.
"Surely it couldn't have been that bad, right?" Richard asked. "To put it another way, I mean with how small she is. It's not likely that she could cause much harm.
Milo stared at him in a bemused manner. "How do you know what she looks like?"
Before responding, Richard paused. "I've been down there before. You don't suppose I'd be interested in a tum etched with the number one in the vast ocean of Kaw-Sekhmu in the catacombs."
Another lie, Milo thought but didn't say anything else.
"Besides, there was a photo among the data I obtained for her. It wasn't that complicated. I've learned more about her in the previous few minutes than I have in the last few years of research."
Another lie. Richard, what are you hiding? Milo took mental note of what it was saying and how it was expressing it. He could get to the bottom of this later if necessary.
"Oh, hold on a sec. Who had her corrupted?" Richard asked, focusing entirely on Milo at the moment.
A resounding thud interrupted Milo before he could respond. Grendel's head appeared from behind the couch quite rapidly. "I'm up,' he quickly said with a slur as he spun around, taking it all it. stopping when he met Milo's gaze.
"No, he didn't make tea, Grendel," Richard replied with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "We were in the middle of a conversation. And you need to focus, we're trying to figure out who corrupted Ma'at."
Grendel's eyes widened in realization as he stumbled over to the barstool next to Richard and collapsed into it. "Oh, right, Amy. I remember her now. She was the one with the green hair and the big... uh... personality." He trailed off.
"No, not her, Ma'at," Richard said, urging Grendel to continue. "Do you remember anything about her or who might have corrupted her?"
Grendel scratched his head, trying to piece together his hazy memories. "Well, I remember she was always hanging around with a group of people. I don't remember their names, but they seemed like a shady bunch. I think they called themselves the Greasers, or maybe the Socs. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them was the one who corrupted her." His head bobbed up and down as if recalling vital information as his eyes drifted to the cup in front of Richard. He spoke before Milo set a cup in front of him. "Lier."
Richard rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Grendel. That's helpful. We'll have to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity and try to figure out who it was." Not hiding the contempt in his voice.
Grendel nodded, still looking a bit lost. "Yeah, sure thing. Just let me know if you need any more help. I'll try to remember as much as I can." With that, he leaned forward, collapsed onto the counter and closed his eyes.
Richard and Milo exchanged a look, both knowing thay wouldn't get anything coherent out of Grendel. Richard thought it was simply because he was drunk, but Milo knew better.
Then Richard saw something that Milo had missed. "What is that?" Richard asked, raising Grendel to his feet with the volume of his voice.
"I didn't go!" While matching his tone and scanning the room, Grendel replied with increasingly bewildered expressions. A purple stuffed rabbit was held tightly in his hand.
"I told you what would happen if you went back there!" Richard's irritation grew as he spoke. "I spent several weeks organising everything. How hard is it to make people pretend they don't know you, let alone not say anything?"
"But I never went there. Are you listening to me?" He attempted to move but instead collided with Richard. Grendel wrapped his arm around Richard's shoulder for support. "Don't be concerned; even if I was inside, no one saw me."
Before they could finish speaking, Milo cut them off. "Why don't you just go to bed, Grendel? It would seem that you are completely spent." He turned to Richard next. "I think we can finish talking about this at a later time. And I think Molly and Olive would rather have you stay home with them."
As they made their way to the bedroom, Grendel clung to Milo's arm. However, as soon as the door closed, Grendel straightened up and walked up to the bed. As he leaned back on the bed, the dazed, puzzled look left his eyes. He still clung to the stuffed rabbit.
Before asking a question, Milo saw that the enormous mirror above the dresser was covered with a black blanket. This was something different. He had never seen Grendel act this way in all their years of friendship. When Milo turned to face Grendel, the monster appeared to be sleeping with his eyes closed.
I couldn't tell if he was actually sleeping or simply pretending. He made the decision not to bother and walked out without a word being exchanged.