Hauntingly Beautiful Girls

"Never Time Enough For The Joys"

The former archivist is escorted down to the noble area by his wife. They could not be happier and the wife plans to try to make a pledge to the noble house.

Lauren hears the arrival before her husband and wakes him. They are standing as the quests arrive.

The two husbands slip slightly aside. They had been good enough friends through life. Both look up and smile. Both had marriages that had been made 'official' by the time of that early morning. Their expressions told each other the secret news.

Lauren Cooper talks in a friendly manner and uses a phrase that sounds fine to her, but is not at all common here. "Please treat this place like it was yours."

The noble husband has coils of obligation strike his core hard. He walks up to Lauren and swings her arm around. Then striking her jaw with the other hand and then using the first arm to hit the other side of her head.

The archivist throws his body in-between and his wife shoots a ball with elastic.

The ball is deflected by projection.

The archivist pleads "Wait. Wait. I know it forces you to do it. We stopped you. It commanded you to strike. You were not commanded to continue to do it? Were you? Please stop!"

The noble husband falls to his knees dropping tears and thinking that this is how it ends. They put a noble man who strikes the wife to death. At least Lauren will live.

The news that this is a death sentence shocks Lauren. She discusses the rules and interpretation. The attack must be credible, not a simple bump by accident.

Lauren makes the case. Her husband can lift the roof of this place and straighten the columns. Those blows were such a small thing in comparison.

The archivist's wife agrees to stand behind the proclamation if it came to an official inquiry.

The two women talk privately about breaking the obligation bonds. Especially the complexity of what the mother-in-Law did. Lauren would have authority to simply 'break' them, but it would be a danger.

The archivist and his wife leave.

Lauren finds her husband still sitting collapsed on the floor. His gaze on the floor.

She uses the top of her head to press into his chest and gently lay his head and body flat.

She uses her hair to rub his neck and face. Sometime using her hands to wipe the tears away.

She avoids letting him see her face. She can tell there is swelling and she will not let him see it yet.

Telling him that she knows the truth, knows it clearly and dearly.

Lauren will seek help. Her husband must be free of this terrible curse.