High Society: The tales from Victory

High Society (Ch.14)

 The buildings in the distance slice through clouds, that slither through the azure above, leaving them as a fraction of their former selves. Even then, the gales continue to push the fragments into more skyscrapers. They are broken apart and, overtime, reform with the pieces if the winds so please. All due to the soft wind that the clouds are whole again.

Ponder's fingers gripped the bars that held him back from falling. His eyes stared down from the balcony, stories up above all. A thought in his mind, how long would it take to fall? Will I plummet like stone? Or flutter like a leaf. Or will the wind guide me elsewhere to land.

An ivory limousine with ebony tinted windows pulled up to the gate. He took a breath, with its arrival his heart eased. "About time."

He turned to see a phantom. Ponder grabbed his handkerchief to blot off the crimson that leaked out of his nose. The figure laughed as Ponder reached for water to down his medicine.

The figure held up one card in his hand; Rules card. "Ready to face the world and get in your big boy pants?"

"Shut it."

"Oh no! How frightening!" He turned the Rules card around and exposed the hidden Joker, a fedora sharpied onto it.

"Here to bother?"

"Not at all. Just here to remind you." He began shuffling his deck in fantastic ways. At first it was standard, then he began shuffling it between his separated hands, and doing tricks as he continued. He laughed and Ponder envy tugged on Ponder. For as much as they share a body the best ponder could do to shuffle was spread the deck across the table and awkwardly recollect the cards.

"If it's destiny you want, pick a card, Ponder. Your destiny lies within, dear."

Ponder grabbed at the air before him, had somebody been watching him, they'd have dubbed him 'mad'. Revealing the card, he recoiled upon sight of the Ace of diamonds.

"Not what I was expecting." Ponder replied.

"I know, he took the other card, dear." The card wielder pointed to the side to see another phantom with a rapier, on its edge was another joker.

"Is this your card, Adrien?" The rapier wielded mused. He lowered the blade and stole a look at Ponder and the other before him, the aforementioned Adrien.

He turned back to the card to see it missing. He looked around to see another phantom with shaggy hair draped over his eyes. This one stared at the card. "Funny stuff!"

"Prestige! Give that back at once!" The rapier wielded shouted.

"No, Ponchius, it's mine!" The figure ducked around the wall, heading into the building and was suddenly standing next to Ponder. "It's for you!"

"Err- thanks."

Suddenly Ponchius began shouting distasteful names towards Prestige. He, in turn, his behind Ponder and began screaming. Ponder raised his hands up to calm Ponchius. Adrien also began to spout lines about how he was trying to do something important. Suddenly a howl stopped them all in their tracks.

Another phantom of Ponder stood against the northern wall. He wore a black t-shirt and wore a pauldron on his right side with a matching gauntlet down his arm. He had a face that had never seen battle, but lusted for it. His hair was parted down the middle, away from his sight. "You ignorant peons to fate, you let such a card trick sway your moods. Especially you Adrien? What sort of inspector are you?"

"I'm not a damn inspector, Prometheus." He rubbed his temples.

"And that style of clothing is pathetic, what even is that headwear?"