Several years ago . . .
Tick . . . tock.
Tick . . . tock.
Tick . . . tock.
Serenity swept across the office, the quiescence begging to be perfect. But the grandfather clock had other ideas, its ticks seemingly thunderous.
Word after word.
Line after line.
Enough ink to color in a civilization.
Inevitably, the young woman had to stop, before her hand fell clean from the wrist.
A heavy breath slipped past her lips as she rubbed her tired florid eyes.
"Who's the clown that decided to make this place so damn complicated?" she hissed. "All we do is bring in the souls Paradisio doesn't want. Why is there so much goddamn paperwork?"
Her desk sat at an elevation, with metal steps which curled down to the ground floor. There, soft trimmed carpet stretched from corner to corner, providing adequate cushioning for the small array of elegant statues and potted plants. Cozy furniture idled near the entrance, where a younger fox of fortune rested, novel in hand.
"I didn't have an answer for you the other three times you asked," she said. "I don't have one for you now." Her eyes never strayed from the pages.
"Could you at least sound like you care about my wellbeing?" the young woman groaned. "I'm dying up here."
"Oh, believe me, I care. If I didn't, I'd be at home, spending some quality time with my daughter."
"Touché."
The young woman turned her gaze towards the narrow window behind her. Beyond it, the splendor of her city glistened like a sea of wondrous black diamonds.
"I think now's the perfect time for a walk," she said. "What say you, lovely assistant of mine?"
"I say you dig your booty in and get to work," the fox insisted.
"Well, that's when I just pull out the 'Top Dog' card."
The assistant sighed. "Then why did you even ask me to begin with? Besides, nothing good ever happens when you do that."
The Queen grinned. "Yet, you're still here, ain't ya?"
* * *
No boisterous chatter.
No crowds buzzing with laughter and glee.
But no misery either,
as if the orchestra of souls understood perfectly their role in the in-between.
The two women strolled through the boundless metropolis, surrounded by towering structures gleaming with polished charcoal bricks. Darkened stone stretched beneath their heels, made tasteful by way of intricate chiseling. Up above, an endless sky of crimson watched over them, adorned with a grand moon-like entity shaped like a star.
The young woman breathed a sigh of relief. "See? This is exactly what I needed. I can already feel my jellies coming back to life."
"I don't know what 'jellies' are," the fox admitted, "and at this point, I'm too afraid to ask."
Everywhere they looked, the hands of labor bent and twisted. Men and women dug their focus into their tasks, most of which involving the construction and beautification of the kingdom. Nothing too harsh on the bones, but just enough to maintain the elbow grease.
YOU ARE READING
Melody of the Holoverse
Fanfiction"I stood before the great serpent, my heart quivering with platinum as she whispered my destiny." In the outskirts of Eridios, Violet Newcastle lives her peaceful life, helping her grandfather with the farm as she simply wonders what she'll be havi...
