Books
"Bʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʏ, ʜᴏᴡ ᴅɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏ ɪᴛ?" Agnes asked me as we entered the mansion.
Celestia was walking in front of us, unbeknownst to her that I was currently holding a conversation with someone.
Her question made me tilt my head, "do what?"
She repeated herself, "ʜᴏᴡ ᴅɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪɴ, ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴅɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏ"
"Eh, can't you tell," I jumped around, my feet clattering on the rustic, wooden floor, "I thought it was very obvious."
"Yᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴀʀᴇ ɪʀʀɪᴛᴀᴛɪɴɢ," she floated away.
"Now, now, where's your patience," I pulled her back and reached into one of the many frills sewed on my dress, "here, take a look."
Agnes' curiosity got the better of her and she returned to see what I was showing her. She then exclaimed in shock, "ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀʀᴅs ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʟᴀʏᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ!!"
In my hand was the heaven, earth and hell card, one of each.
I told her, "more specifically, those are the cards Raya used to cheat."
She shot me a questioning gaze, "ʙᴜᴛ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜʀᴇᴡ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴀᴡᴀʏ, I ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴄʟᴇᴀʀʟʏ."
I shook my finger, "no, no, you have to be a bit more observant, though I don't blame you that you didn't realize. At that time, I only threw half of the cards away, the other half I kept," I chuckled lightheartedly, "the rest was easy. Each round, at the time me and Raya would reveal our hands, I changed the cards in my favor."
We kept on walking but she stared at me in wonder, "ᴛʜᴇɴ, ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴄᴋɪɴɢ, ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴇʟʟɪɴɢ Cᴇʟᴇsᴛɪᴀ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴄᴀʀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ," she asked agitated.
"Eh, those were just some random actions. I mean, surely your cousin would be suspicious if I won five times in a row. She'd definitely suspect me of cheating. So I bluffed by doing something nonsensical and let herself imagine the meaning behind them. Humans are good at discovering patterns in useless things after all. Thus I was able to hide the real trick underneath the fake one. A 'red Herring' if you will."
"Yᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴜɴʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴀʙʟᴇ," she gasped, "ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋᴇᴘᴛ sᴀʏɪɴɢ ʜᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʀᴜsᴛᴇᴅ Cᴇʟᴇsᴛɪᴀ. Sᴏ I ɢᴜᴇss ʜᴇʀ ɪᴍᴘᴏʀᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀs ᴀʟsᴏ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴀɴ ᴀᴄᴛ?"
"Huh, of course not, I do find her important, but remember, in this world- no, in any world I am the most important," I said seriously, "and also the second most, the third most, all the way down the list. So my definition of importance may be a bit different from others."
She sighed, "ʏᴏᴜ sᴇʟғɪsʜ ʙᴀsᴛᴀʀᴅ."
"Lawfully speaking, it's you that is the bastard," I joked, "but it's not like I did anything harmful. Not only did I win the game, we also earned Celestias trust. Two birds with one stone, at the cost of one white lie."
She stayed silent for a while. She wasn't surprised by what I did. If anything, she thought I would be a person capable of anything. An opinion, which I couldn't really rebut. Rather it was the way I chose to do it, that made her gulp. I understood why.
The years between childhood to adulthood were complicated years. It was the time of prematurity, a mysterious time where one transitioned from their innocence, --a kid wondering why the moon kept following them-- to a person with responsibilities .So what one might gain in intelligence they start to lack in creativity. A fatal error I believed.
"I ᴊᴜsᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴇᴅ" she said, "I ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ. Bᴜᴛ sᴇᴇɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ, I ᴀᴍ ᴀʟsᴏ ɴᴏᴛ sᴜʀᴇ ɪғ I ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ғɪɴᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ."
"There is not much about me," I told her with hearty sincerity, "quite honestly, the world I know is a lot different from the one we are in. Dare I say, even better- purely speaking from a majorities viewpoint at least, because I for one dislike the place I came from. It had that hypocritical peace that left a bitter feeling in my mouth. Like indulging in something you know is wrong and would regret after you were done with it."
"What was your role in such a world," she asked me a sharp question. She was quite the intuitive girl.
"I was a lot. I would like to say, I was revolutionary even, but most people simply called me a swindler."
"Sᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴀ ᴛʜɪᴇғ," she asked dissappointingly.
"No, no. Not just any thief. I was the worlds best, many people feared my name, you know?"
"Dᴏᴇsɴ'ᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀ ʙᴀᴅ ᴏɴᴇ?"
"That is exactly something a person who didn't know anything would say, a very amateurish thinking," I laughed, much to her annoyance, "the best swindler wasn't the one unknown by the law, but the one who the law couldn't do anything about. A person hiding their crimes was no different from a coward, a person with no dignity. Unless you wanted to stick to small time acts, the most important thing is having infamy to your name," following Celestia, I turned around a corner, "well, we can discuss that another time."
Agnes looked at me with disapproving eyes. She wasn't convinced by what I said.
I simply sighed because I knew I wouldn't be able to convince her that easily. We had different values after all.
I think every person had a morally uptight man living inside of them. Mine died when when I was born. It disappeared, or maybe it was never there, but there wasn't quite anything that came and filled the hole left.
We had returned to my room and I saw that someone had entered and cleaned the place again. It was uncanny how efficient they had been. The plates which were on the table vanished and the bed sheets were straightened. However, little drops of blood were still on the ground. It came from the time i bit Agnes' fingers off. They were the only indicator that I had resided in this place.
I also saw that Estellas skull disappeared, did Celestia take it away perhaps? That was probably for the best, even though I felt a bit sad.
Celestia, upon opening the door for me, left me at my own regards. She bowed once and went away with a smile. Unlike me, she was a busy person.
"Oʜ," Agnes exclaimed, "ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋs ᴛʜᴀᴛ I sᴇᴇ?"
I followed her eyes with my own, to search what she was referring to, and my sight fell on the collection I brought back from the library. And why was she only seeing them now? They had been her the whole time.
"I ᴡᴀs ʙᴜsʏ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ, ᴡɪᴛʜ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇʟsᴇ, "she gave me a snarky side glance.
She continued, "
She rummaged through every book and explained what they were with glistening eyes. I was very surprised to see her that way, acting like a normal girl, I mean.
"Do you know these books," I asked her.
She replied snappily, "ᴏғ ᴄᴏᴜʀsᴇ, I ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ sɪɴɢʟᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪɴ ᴏᴜʀ ʟɪʙʀᴀʀʏ."
"You must have a very boring life to do so."
"Cᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ sᴀɪᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ I ᴡᴀs ᴇᴅᴜᴄᴀᴛᴇᴅ? Tʜᴇʀᴇ's ᴏɴʟʏ ᴘᴏɪsᴏɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴍᴏᴜᴛʜ. Aɴᴅ I ʟɪᴋᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋs, ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ I ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴇʟᴘᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴇsᴄᴀᴘᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴅᴇᴛᴇsᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴛʏ I ᴡᴀs ɪɴ. I ғɪɴᴅ ɪᴛ ғᴜɴ ᴛᴏ sᴜʙᴍᴇʀɢᴇ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ ɪɴ ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ sᴛᴏʀɪᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇᴍ," she said with glistening eyes, immersing herself in the nostalgia.
"Oh, you can pretty cute when you are like that," I said.
"Aʜ," she snapped out of her small trance and hid away, "ғᴏʀɢᴇᴛ I ᴇᴠᴇʀ sᴀɪᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ," she commanded in a stern voice.
"Why, i find it quite refreshing to know you can be like a normal child," I moved closer and took one of the books, "that also explains why you speak in such a weird way. It's because of a ll the books you read."
"Eʜ," her eyes widened, "I sᴘᴇᴀᴋ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴡᴇɪʀᴅ ᴡᴀʏ?"
"Huh, you never realized? I thought you would do that on purpose. Truthfully speaking, it's your thoughts that are weird," I turned the pages, only to be hit by letters that I knew nothing about.
"Wʜᴀᴛ, ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs? Iᴛ's ʏᴏᴜʀs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ᴡᴇɪʀᴅ," she humphed, "ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛᴏᴏ sɪᴍᴘʟɪsᴛɪᴄ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɴᴏ sᴛʏʟᴇ ᴀᴛ ᴀʟʟ. I ɢᴇᴛ ʙᴏʀᴇᴅ ᴊᴜsᴛ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇᴍ."
I closed the book, "hey, that's still better than you. At least my thoughts are understandable. Your thoughts do not suit your age at all, stop using all that old language, it won't make you seem more mature."
"Tᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙᴀᴄᴋ," she pointed at me and her cheeks flushed, "ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜʏ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴅᴇsᴄʀɪʙɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ? 'sʜᴇ ᴛᴡɪʀʟᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴜᴍʙs';'sʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀʏᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴀɪʀ'; 'ʜᴇʀ ᴄʜᴇsᴛ ʀᴏsᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴀɴᴅ sʜᴇ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜᴇᴅ ᴜɴᴇᴠᴇɴʟʏ'; Tʜᴇʀᴇ's ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴊᴜsᴛ ʙᴏᴅʏ ʟᴀɴɢᴜᴀɢᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪs ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ?"
"I'm a trickster, of course I pat a lot of attention to face and body language," I said dumbfounded.
She tossed her head and scoffed, "ᴡʜᴀᴛᴇᴠᴇʀ, ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴍᴇ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ʟɪᴠᴇ ᴍʏ ʟɪғᴇ."
I watched her back as she glided into a corner. I was starting to understand her a bit better. She would stay like that, her head facing away from me, until I admit that I was wrong. Which of course, I wasn't.
"Hᴍᴘʜ."
Ah, she heard me again.
I gave my attention to the books I brought back. Now that she had mentioned them, I remembered that I had an objective before. A sudden thought came to my head.
"Hey, why don't you tell me what these books are about, since you already read them."
She stayed silent.
"Don't sulk, let's return to you hating me like always."
I approached her quietly, sneaking on tiptoes. But I could have walked while yodeling and it would have made no difference, as she was able to read my thoughts anyways. The idea of that made me uneasy for the first time, only because I knew that she was judging me.
She didn't turn around, but I knew that she was expecting something. Her unnatural stillness that came from trying to act natural is what gave it away.
"Since you like stories," I sad, no I whispered, right behind her, "why don't I tell you some from my world?"
She twitched, her ears wiggling up and down, similar to a dog wagging its tail whenever a treat was close. She moved her head slowly and when I saw her eyes and her slight smile, I knew I had bewitched her.
"Wʜᴀᴛ sᴛᴏʀɪᴇs ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ," she asked me with a slight slur, because at one point she was supposed to be mad, but at the other, she could not hide her interest. In the end She opted for both, giving her speech a weird mix between elation and anger.
I minded little, as I knew some people in their life had one state as their default setting. Just how the girl Seraph was always emotionless, and Estella always giddy, our Agnes had to be the vengeful spirit.
"I know some classics," I told her, for the first time regretting my decision to not read any books, "what genre do you like?"
She leaned towards me, her eyes alit, "ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀɴʏ ᴛʀᴀɢᴇᴅɪᴇs?"
"Eh, tragedy?"
She nodded while her hands were balled in two fists and she reminded me of my little sister whenever she wanted to have her way.
I moved my head around, seemingly to help my brain on the search and said, "Romeo and Juliet?"
They didn't have these kind of books, right? I didn't know, since there was a possibility.
Anyways, I thought that that story would be the most suitable for her. An old classic about love and tragedy, I'm sure she would like it.
"Iᴛ sᴏᴜɴᴅs ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ, ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴇ ɪᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ," she demanded.
And so I did, with my most suitable acting of a Shakespearean play. I learned for the first time how acting was a lot more different than lying, but I liked to believe that I did a good job.
She watched me, with her hands tugged between her thighs and was entranced by my rendition. In the end she asked me, "sᴏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ? Is ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɴᴏ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄɪᴀɴ ᴡʜᴏ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʀᴇsᴜʀʀᴇᴄᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴜᴘʟᴇ? Wɪʟʟ ᴛʜᴇʏ ɴᴏᴛ ʟɪᴠᴇ ʜᴀᴘᴘɪʟʏ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ?"
"Yes, sadly that is the case."
She clapped her hands and with a beaming smile said, "ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ, ᴊᴜsᴛ ʜᴏᴡ I ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪᴛ."
I knew she would have a different reaction than a normal person. What a weirdo.
It was her turn to tell me one, and she did. A story of the last surviving beast, as it found solace as living not for revenge but acceptance; It was a story of redemption.
We exchanged stories and moved between different genres and eras. I moved towards modernism, even science fiction, and sometimes told her some comedies, making her laugh without any worries. She told me about the magicians age, poems and well known myths, deepening my understanding of this world.
For the first time, we talked on even grounds and in such carefree way that made us forget about our surroundings.
At that time, I was wishfully thinking that living with her might not be too bad.
Provided by the fact that she wouldn't kill me.