"The Gift": Edward's Storyline, Chapter 9, Part 2
Story by comidacomida on SoFurry
Although it has been a long time coming, I finally get to present Chapter 9.2 for Edward's storyline of "The Gift".
In this post Edward and the Spirit of War haggle over exactly what the proposed Pact should include. He makes some good points, as do his Spirits, but, then again, so does she. In the end, the outline of a Pact takes shape and Edward now faces down the prospect of agreeing to the offered arrangement or choosing otherwise. As always, we shall rely on Readers to help determine his course of action. Here is what readers chose:
-- realized that there were just too many variables. "You know... it's just not worth it."
The Gift
Edward's Storyline, Chapter 9.2
copyright comidacomida 2019
I was stunned. Was she really saying that she would have some people killed if I didn't go to dinner with her? What kind of fucking fatal attraction shit was she pulling? My brain continued to churn over and over in my head as I tried to figure out her angle. Tre, however, didn't want any of it. "You can't blackmail him to give you Spirit Energy, Morganna... remember what happened when you tried with Artgur?"
The Spirit of War tittered again. "Oh... I have learned so much since then, silly puppy... besides, I am certain dear Edward Clark would be incredibly motivated to accept my invitation, especially since I have already selected what poor old couple will suffer a deadly home invasion if he declines. 1121 West Clover St."
By the time she was through the numbers of the street address I already knew what she meant; it was my grandparents' address. How had she found them? How did she know so much? I didn't have the answers... at least not for the questions I had. Turning to the Spirit of War, I gave her my answer. Taking a deep breath, I nodded slowly and spoke up. "Dinner? Alright... but we're making a pact that you have to leave my friends and family alone."
Her smile was a little concerning but she seemed to take it in stride. "Is that it? I would have honestly figured you would have asked for something more."
I held my hand out for a shake. "I go to dinner with you and in return you don't hurt my family or friends ever."
Tre was quick to add "Or hurt you."
I agreed, adding "Or me... or my Spirits."
Her smile was pure humor. "Is that all? You haven't bothered to set limits or conditions... are you sure that's good enough to be honored?"
The question put me on guard and I hesitated for just a minute. "Good enough? What do you mean 'limits or conditions'? I said EVER... as in, you can't hurt my family, friends, spirits, or me... EVER."
Red took over as the dominant personality among The Ancient One. "You have provided no input on the length of the dinner or what it is to include. You have detailed your position well but have failed to explain hers."
I kinda got what he meant. Looking to the War Spirit I asked "What do you want out of dinner exactly?"
Her eyes gleamed faintly and her smile widened; I heard Tre and Medved groan inwardly but she spoke up before I could give it a second thought. "I want a proper dinner. Somewhere nice... but not TOO fancy since I know you don't exactly make as much money as you're worth."
It sounded like she was throwing a barbed comment my way and I wasn't about to rise to the bait. Keeping my comment simple and to-the-point I said "Okay... so you want me to take you to a restaurant..."
She pulled her hands in close, folding them across her abdomen as she slowly rotated her body back and forth in mock-shyness like a the young girl she pretended to be being asked out. "Oh... well that'd be lovely!"
Again, I avoided her ploys and kept to the task at hand. "And? Anything else?"
She dropped the act, returning to her casual stance and tone. "Like I said, I want to get a chance to talk... Dinner and some pleasant dialogue to go with it. I want to ask you questions and I want you to ask me questions. It's like it's a date."
I wasn't buying it. "A date? Why would a Spirit of War have anything to do with a date exactly?"
Her hair looked like it gained twice the volume and her subdued 'teen-trying-to-look-adult' make up went way overboard like some kind of 80's pop star as she crooned "Haven't you heard, Edward Clark? Love is a battlefield."
Red countered "Dating rarely has much to do with love. Your connection is tenuous at best. You are using him to gain Spirit Energy from this interaction."
The Spirit of War glared at The Ancient One and stated icily "If he gets what he wants what difference does it make?"
Forestalling any other argument I extended my hand again. "Exactly. We go out to dinner at a nice restaurant of your choosing. We spend an hour there so you can ask me questions that I can answer and I ask questions so you can answer and I will have held up my end of the Pact. In return, as part of the Pact you will not harm, hurt, kill, or otherwise adversely affect me, my family, any of my friends or any of my Spirits."
Her chiding tone matched her smirk. "Ooh... 'adversely affect'... you have such an eloquent grasp of language for almost failing to graduate high school."
I frowned, and then inwardly winced when I saw her eyes glow again; she was scoring more and more Spirit Energy off of me without even really trying and it was definitely time to cut that short. "So is that a 'no' then? It didn't sound like a 'yes'."
Her smile turned much easier and relaxed, almost as if she respected the fact that I was putting my foot down. "Fine... that is a perfectly acceptable Pact, Edward Clark... but I have two more conditions."
Medved grumbled. "I do not like this, Synochik."
She waved the objection away and rolled her eyes. "Such a stickler... your Spirits are welcome to raise their objections AFTER I state my conditions... hearing me out is the least you can do considering how generous I have been with my time."
It was my turn to roll MY eyes, but she had a point. "Fine. Let me hear what your two conditions are then."
She held up a finger. "First, Edward Clark... dinner is for us alone. Your Spirits are not welcome."
All three of them spoke up, talking over one another to object but I held up a hand to silence them... and was halfway surprised when they obeyed and fell silent. I looked back to the girl. "And second?"
The Spirit of War smiled. "You have to walk me home afterwards, and before we part ways you have to give me a kiss goodnight."
Medved had said before that Spirits don't know jealousy in the way Humans do but the deep-chested, throaty growl from Tre challenged that thought. Red, however, was a lot more casual about it, commenting "If she asks for the kiss then she is not empowered the same as if you gave it of your own volition. This would appear to be a reasonable request considering her interest in a date-like environment."
Medved wasn't quite so pragmatic. "She would never trade an opportunity for gain for no reason... this concerns me."
Laughing, she just shook her head at the discussion. "So untrusting... I am not a Trickster Spirit... I do not deal in ulterior motives. What you see of me is what you get... is war not the truest reflection of Human nature? Why should I be anything but forthright, Edward Clark? You will provide me dinner at a restaurant of my choosing, we will be there for at least one hour in which we question one another and provide one another answers to those questions."
I was about to speak up but she continued. "Upon completion of our time together you will walk me home and kiss me goodnight. In return for this service your portion of the Pact will be complete. In return I vow to cause no harm to your family living and yet-to-live. I will also not harm your friends or their families, nor any of the three Spirits who attend you. Now... do we have a pact?"
This time she held HER hand out. Looking down at it, I--