Chapter 13: Pray For Me

[Calithin Crest]

"Ohhh yeah. The holidays are coming up, I guess... Maybe I'll ask for some. It really comes down to people, though. I wish they'd stop sippin' that hater-aid. It's a major problem in society these days."

I grab an hors d'oeuvre from one of the passing waiters and pop it in my mouth. I wonder what the entertainment will be for the rest of the evening.

"But I don't need to tell you. I'm sure you have your own haters."

[Tuesday DeCastro]

Tuesday thinks of the Invisible Hand, she supposed they could be called haters, as could most of the people in this very room. She smiled a little. "Well, yeah, I've got a few. But they're not as numerous as yours seem to be."

"I mean, I've never had a crazy come to me out of nowhere and yell things at me."

[Calithin Crest]

"Oh my god. It's like every day for me. I need a tv show... Where I'd just get followed around all day and filmed while I dealt with people that might be considered, medically speaking... B-A-N-A-N-A-S."

I roll my eyes and glance across the room at Tristan.

"But oh! I almost forgot! I got you something."

I get a little cardboard box out of my back pocket and hand it to Tuesday. In the box are 30 tiny puzzle pieces, which when put together make up a picture of the solar system.

"It's a jigsaw puzzle. Once I got into an argument with someone as to whether a 30 piece puzzle can in fact be considered a jigsaw puzzle, but I think it can."

[Tuesday DeCastro]

Tuesday grinned. "A puzzle! Woah, thanks!" She exclaimed, and hugged him. "We should find a place to put this together!"

She looks at the picture of the solar system on the front, and shakes the box around a little hearing the pieces bump into each other and the edge of the box. She isn't entirely sure on the matter of a 30 piece puzzle be considered a jigsaw puzzle, so she doesn't say anything about that.

"I feel silly though, I didn't think to get you anything. I'm sorry."

[Calithin Crest]

I smile. I knew a puzzle was a good idea. Everyone who likes anything likes puzzles.

"Don't worry about it. Banquets aren't typically gift giving occasions. I just thought a puzzle would be a good idea. Think of it more as... Sharing. It's our puzzle, you can just keep it for now."

I have one of the waiters bring me a cola and as he goes to get that think about where a good place would be to put a puzzle together.

"Well, let me see here... I kind of know my way around this house. I know there are alot of sketchy rooms we probably don't want to go into. That's for sure. Hmm... Oh! I know. We can go to the library. There's a table there that's perfect for puzzle construction."

When I get my cola I lead Tuesday away from the main room where everyone is gathered down a hallway to the library.

[Tuesday DeCastro]

"That sounds like a good idea. Our puzzle is gonna be just great! Like the most amazing solar system ever, it'll be epic." Tuesday says, and feels excited. Really, its just a puzzle, but puzzle's are just great!

She follows after him in the direction of the library. "Sketchy rooms? Like bathrooms with bad odor sketchy? Or the place where the bodies are kept sketchy?" She asks, curiously.

[Calithin Crest]

This question actually makes me laugh. And not like a little polite laugh, but like, it's actually legitimately funny and I get into it. I almost spill my drink as we cross the threshold into the library.

"Ha ha. Oh geez. Definitely place-where-the-bodies-are-kept sketchy. I'm not even kidding. Never the other kind of sketchy... Actually, I think my father's maids do a pretty good job. The place isn't too messy. But then maybe it's just been spruced up for the banquet."

I go to table in the corner of the room which has a few books and knick-knacks on it and clear them off before placing two chairs side by side at the table and holding out one of the seats for Tuesday.

"We are totally about to beast this puzzle. It's going to be great."

[Toolah "Tuvi" Renee]

"Oh Dinari..." Tuvi says. She is more embarassed than scared for him. She dust off his back and checks his head for bleeding.

"What made you think it was a smart idea to jump on the mammoth's back?"

[Tuesday DeCastro]

"Thanks," Tuesday says, sitting down. She opened a the box, and spills the 30 pieces on the on the table before tossing the box to the side.

"It is." She agrees. She doesn't feel a chill anymore, so she slips his jacket off and draps it on the back of her chair. Then she reaches forward and starts putting together one of the corners of the puzzle.

"I really love puzzles. I haven't done one in a while though."

[Calithin Crest]

I take me own seat and look over the scattered pieces carefully.

"We're basically putting together the universe here, you know. It's a big deal. It was between this and an elephant puzzle, of which, I have to say this is much much better. I feel pretty important right now. Universes don't get put together every day. Big responsibility."

I start grouping together a few red pieces and trying out different ways of combining them for what I figure must be Mars.

"So this is our world now, since we put it together. We get to decide how it works. And I say... The ground is made of mattresses, so that whenever you want to sleep you can just lie down anywhere and go to sleep. That sounds good. Also-- there is an abundance of cookies."

[Tuesday DeCastro]

"Alright, but the mattresses have to be the super spring-y kind that are really great for bouncing. We'll have to have pillows all over the place to, since with so much bedding, pillow fights are bound to break out all over the place." Tuesday declares as she works on her corner.

She thinks for a while longer on what else their universe should contain. "And we'll need water slides! Water slides and rollar coasters without lines."

"The cookie thing sounds good too. Cookies are just great."

[Kaschei Bessmertny]

"Let's find a more private place to talk and sit down." Kaschei suggests. He leads Machiavelli upstairs and they enter an empty room which looks like it could be a small study of some sort. Kaschei remains standing and peers out the large window at the end of the room. There is a desk and a red sofa in the room, but he prefers to stand so he can better collect his thoughts. He takes a deep breath and is pleased to be away from the party for a moment.

[Max Alexander]

Max finally reached his home in France and sat down in his favorite office chair, flipping threw his mail.

He found an envelope addressed to him that stated he was invited to a party. It gave him an address and a date. He marked it into his hand held then went into his kitchen to make an afternoon snack.

[Dinari Dollar]

"I think I hurt myself. Maybe you should give me a good body rub..." Dinari wines to Tuvi. Really, he feels pretty fine, except his stomach hurts a little. "And...I did it because...I've never rode on a wooley mammoth before and it seemed like the thing to do." He states. He crosses his arms and taps his foot.

"So...should we find some place private for that rub down?"

[Calithin Crest]

"Yeah, they pretty much are. Can you make cookies? Because... And I'm not throwing any hints here... I really like cookies. And one might say that cookies would be a good epilogue to a puzzle present."

I try to find the last piece of Mars, which is being elusive at the moment.

"I think our universe is much better than this universe. I love pillows, and fights. A combination of the two is just fantastic. Which is a good theory, but... Doesn't work for everything. Like I love tomatoes, and white chocolate. But tomatoes covered with white chocolate would not be good."

I smile and look up for a minute.

"So remember when we went sailing and I said I needed people around who could, like... Go with things. You're doing a good job. You have added awesome suggestions to our hypothetical universe. I am very contented."