Senseless

August 14, 1882 - Rosalie

8:20 am – The Ballantyne

I was summoned to Levi's office first thing this morning. He was not even there when I arrived—he had, however, asked that I be given cheese and biscuits to eat while I waited. This was quite the treat since my usual breakfast consists of bland porridge and, if I am incredibly lucky, some sugar. I felt like a little queen sitting at Levi's desk stuffing myself with warm rolls and sharp cheddar.

When he did arrive it was clear he was considerably distracted. He didn't speak to me right away; instead, he focused his attention on some paperwork that was clearly overdue for the theater. I munched on the food and watched as he signed form after form, barely even bothering to skim their contents before doing so.

"Careful or you may sign away your soul." I teased.

He glanced up at me. "Would be rather hard since I don't have one."

I tore off another bite of biscuit and leaned back in the winged armchair. "May I ask why it is you've brought me here."

He held up a finger and signed two more formed before he walked to his office door and handed them to a waiting Chester. "Tell Lucius that I'm sorry for the delay on the records. It won't happen again." He said to the neph before he walked back into his office and shut the door behind himself.

I sat up and set what was left of the roll onto the tray in front of me, "Records? Like our records?" I said through a mouthful of crums.

He nodded and circled his desk before taking the seat on the other side from myself. "I've been preoccupied and I forgot to sign them and send them to him. He'll be cross if they are too terribly late."

I nodded and popped another sliver of cheese into my mouth. I nearly moaned from the pleasure of it. Levi noticed and smiled to himself, "Happy with your breakfast?"

"So very happy, thank you."

This earned me another smile. "I thought you might like that. It's a change from your regular meal." He eyed the food but didn't move to eat any of it. 

I tapped the top of his desk with my fingernails, index to pinky finger and back in a quick rhythm. "So why am I here?"

He wrinkled his nose, annoyed. "How impatient of you."

"It is all very mysterious," I told him. "My being summoned here at such an odd hour, the breakfast, the fact that you haven't combed your hair..." I made a show of running my gaze across his appearance. "What have you been up to my friend?"

His lips once again curled into the shadow of a smile. "I have a gift for you, one that you will have to be patient to use."

"Oh?" I clapped my hands together, "What is it?"

"You see, in the stack of papers I just sent to Lucius is my signed will."

I sat back in my seat disappointed. "A will?" I'd hoped for a new dress or an invitation to some mysterious party. To my credit, I schooled my face into one of pleasant interest and said, "Do you plan on dying?"

He smirked at my expression but did not answer my question. "In my will I bequeath the Ballantyne and what remains of the rent for the building, to Chester Astaroth."

"Chester? Chester Astaroth? Of all the sorry—"

"It is my hope that Lucius will not find this document until after I am gone, at which point it will be legally too late for him to do anything. The theater will go to the son of Astaroth."

"And this is my gift?" I said incredulously. "You would hand my care over to the son of sloth? Chester will not protect me against Lucius. We will be lucky if he doesn't accidentally get himself killed, the poor fool—"