Masquerade of Madness: Adjustments

Crystal yawned, bored with all the history talk. One thing she remembered, though, was the word Nard and she wanted to know more. "What is a Nard?"

Creed frowned. This was not his favorite subject and he in no way wanted to reveal his heritage. He knew he had to choose his words wisely. "The Nards originally were a clever but violent race of subHumans. They lived underground in a city they built from rock crystal and metal. But now they are a sub form of a grotesque monster."

Crystal giggled with delight. Now the conversation was getting interesting to her. "What are they like?"

Creed glared at her, but continued, "They are fearsome. They devour the weak, eat whatever they want, and kill the strong. They have no morals or values."

Sue thought for a moment, wanting to know lots more.

"You said they were subHuman. What happened to change them to the monsters you say they are now?"

"The story is as old as time. No one knows. We only know that the Nards were punished severely. Their punishment was to look as foul on the outside as they were on the inside."

"Who punished them?" asked Sue.

"I did!" A feminine voice suddenly called out from Sue's weird, silver-looking glove that did not cover her palm. Everyone, including Sue, was shocked. No one knew what to think.

Crystal giggled with delight, "Make it do that again!"

As if obeying, the voice spoke again, and mist began to pour out from the glove. "I am the Crimson Gauntlet. Haven't you ever wondered why you could never take me off? Once I am attached to a Human, I cannot be removed until death. I once had a flesh form, but the Nards took that away. They took my family and my love away, so I made them pay." The mist disappeared, back into the glove.

Sue gazed stupidly at her hand while replying, "But it's a glove, that's all."

A beam of red light shot out from the glove and from it came a sword of white light. Then the glove transformed into a gauntlet. The moment this happened, Sue fell off the couch, letting out a loud yelp.

"Like I said," the voice continued, "I am the Crimson Gauntlet, and I will only help you, the one I am attached to."

Gin's voice caught in his throat. With the deepest concern for his daughter, he managed to ask, "How did you get that glove?"

"Well, Crystal saw this glove in an abandoned antique store in the demolished section. She told me that it reminded her of me and to try it on. And ever since then, I've been stuck with it. But I don't hate it, and its got style."

Gin looked straight at her. "I always wondered why you never took that stupid thing off. I thought it must be some sort of phase you were going through and did not pry."

Stunned but anxious to end the Nard subject, Creed said, "So that explains that, I guess."

Crystal whimpered, "Why doesn't anything like that happen to me?" She began to pout.

"Isn't this enough, that we met someone as strange as Creed?" Sue sat back on the couch.

Crystal frowned, then contemplated. "Well, he is hot, so I guess fair is fair, and I call dibs on him."

He guessed they were talking about him. Creed blushed in embarrassment. At that instant, his stomach growled, and he realized he did not smell so great either.

"I'm late. My mom's going to kill me!" Crystal jumped up to leave.

Gin chuckled, "Goodbye, Crystal, see you on Monday."

"Yeah, bye. Hey, Sue, don't think you're keeping Handsome to yourself." She winked jokingly.

Why would I do that?" Sue questioned somewhat confused.

Crystal left laughing.

Spike, still leaning on her master, had remained quiet through most of it, but now felt tired and hungry, too.

Gin looked at Creed and spoke out, "Young man, you need a shower. I have smelled you long enough!"

With that, Sue jumped up. "I guess I'll start dinner. After Creed gets cleaned up, dinner will be ready. We are just having leftovers."

"Where is your cleaning room?"

Cleaning room, does he mean bathroom? Sue questioned herself. "Down the hall, passed the kitchen and make a left. It's the first door," Sue called out.

Creed turned to leave, but before he had a chance, Spike disappeared and just as quickly, reappeared with his suitcase. He smiled and patted her head. "Good, Spike." She smiled, knowing she had pleased her master.

Creed again went to leave, and Spike started to follow him. He turned around and gently grabbed her by the arm. It looked like an intimate moment, only meant for them. Again Creed tried to leave, and again Spike started to follow him.

"No, Spike. Stay here. Go back to the living quarters. As Sue said, I need a bath, and then we will get something to eat."

"But," Spike countered, "I want to come."

"No, you can't." Creed blushed in embarrassment again.

"But why can't I go with you? Vaan let me stay by his side."

"Just go." He felt annoyed but tried not to show it.

"Okay" she replied solemnly.

Gin chuckled lightly, thoroughly enjoying the show before him.

Spike floated over to the couch and sat down. With tilted head, she gave Creed a kicked puppy look.

Creed could only shake his head. Did Vincent have to go through all this with Jade, he wondered.

Gin chuckled to Spike, "You really love your master, don't you?"

"Creed . . . he told me to call him Creed, you know," she replied fondly. "I have only just received him, and I already feel grateful for him."

Gin smiled, displaying his growing affection for both of them. "He seems like a good kid, and evidently one who has been through a lot. Oh yeah, where did you go for that instant?" Gin asked curiously.

"To retrieve my Creed's things," Spike said plainly, not really wanting to talk anymore. Right now, she could only think of food going down her esophagus.

"He dropped his suitcase when he was fighting and did not remember to pick it up."

"Dad!" Sue called out from the kitchen.

"Yes, Sue!"

"Is Spike eating with us?"

What are leftovers, Creed thought silently to himself, as he made his way down the hall to the bathroom. He opened the door only to be amazed at how small their cleaning room was. "How am I supposed to stretch out my wings?" he spoke out loud, caught off guard by the size of their tub. "How am I supposed to clean my wings like that?" He frowned.

"Where do they keep their towels?" Then he remembered he had packed some. He placed his suitcase down on the toilet, having no idea what that was either. He figured it to be something of weird Humanoid invention for holding stuff. He quickly opened the suitcase and sifted through it. The items seemed never to end. Finally, he found a towel. He threw it on the sink and started to strip.

Sue just remembered that Creed did not have a towel.