Lying on a fluffy towel, surrounded by soft green sand, with the sound of waves just a few feet away, I had to admit life wasn't so bad.
Sure I was wearing a very revealing emerald green bikini. But it was a private beach, so there weren't many people wandering around. I had a really nice, tropical fruit drink courtesy of Ella's servants. And best of all nothing was currently trying to kill or hurt me. I didn't know how long that would last, so I was going to enjoy the moment for as long as I could.
Shrieks and screams came from the water. I just sipped my drink and stayed where I was. The girls and their boyfriends had been playing in the water for a while. I was happy for them. If I was a boy and had a girlfriend, I'd be right their with them. Since I wasn't, and I didn't, I was content to stay right where I was.
Ivy had dug herself a hole and was napping in the damp, cool mud, snoring away. I wondered if she had some cat in her background, she could sleep anywhere and anytime. Actually on second thought, it wasn't really important. The more she slept, the less likely she was to kill someone, like me.
My eyes discretely turned to Ella, who was sitting on a beach chair. She looked really cute in her baby pink bikini. She was smiling to herself, enjoying the cool sea breeze. I wondered what it was like being a princess.
Sure her family was crazy, but she almost always seemed to know what to say and do. And fifty feet behind me was a huge beach house with servants, all for her. My parents home would fit on the bottom floor with room to spare. The last vacation I'd had, was a dragon watching camping trip that my dad really wanted to go on.
Ms. Stuard came out holding an envelope. “Princess Ella,” the head maid said, “you have an invitation for dinner with the neighbours, Mr. And Mrs. Stirling.”
“Oh, mom told me about them. I didn't think they lived here,” Ella said.
“They just arrived this morning. They're here for the celebration as well. When they saw you and your friends on the beach they thought it would be nice to have you over for supper. Shall I let them know you've accepted?”
“Of course. They'll be a nice contact for later.”
“Very good. You should come in and get ready then.”
“Right. Can you get the baths ready?”
“Already done,” the head maid said, heading back to the beach house.
Ella got up, and grinned at me. “Come on, this is going to be fun. And we'll be able to start letting people know we're just here to have some fun.”
“Who are the Stirling's?” I asked.
“They're a family of trouble shooters. Daddy has used them a few times to deal with minor problems, and my Mom was saved by them. I only met her once when I was three, but I've heard a few stories about her.”
“OK, what should I wear?”
“Don't wear your best dress, we want that for the banquet and ball. Go with the nice navy blue one. Now get inside and get ready, while I get the others.”
We were all cleaned up, dressed in our second best outfits, and very hungry, three hours later. Ella was giving us a very careful look over, making sure everything was perfect. I felt self conscious in my dress, which showed a lot of cleavage and leg. Looking in the mirror I had a perfect hourglass figure, and the light makeup I'd put on, with some coaching from my friends, really made my eyes and dark red lips pop.
The three boys looked nervous in their black suits. The girls were trying to put on a brave face at their first really formal dinner, and held their boyfriends arms for support. Ivy looked presentable. We'd managed to brush her black hair flat and get rid of the sand. She hadn't mauled anyone when we helped her put on a pretty violet dress, so we considered it a win. Ella of course looked like a princess in a short black dress streaked with glittering gold.
“OK, we're ready to go. Remember this is just a friendly get together, so don't worry about anything. Consider it practice for the banquet, if you have any questions, ask. And try to have fun,” Ella said, leading us out the door.
The street wasn't too crowded. This was a very exclusive part of town, where most regular tourists would never go. The pedestrians mostly seemed to be servants, delivery people, and a few families that had an air of class and wealth to them. With our fancy clothes, we stuck out a little, but no one looked at us too closely. They were either discrete or were used to seeing expensive outfits. Whatever it was, we didn't have to worry about it for too long. The Stirling's beach house was just down the road.
Knocking on the ornately carved door, a wooden face looked at us with big, thoughtful eyes. It must have liked what it saw, because it smiled and the door opened by itself. Inside was a row of wooden angel statues, each one armed with some kind of weapon. The angelic figures silently bowed to us.
“Ella!” a short haired woman in a flowing silver robe, exclaimed. From the way she looked at us, I would swear she was studying us for weapons. “It's been ages since I've seen you. How are you?”
“I'm really good, Mrs. Stirling. I hadn't expected to see you here,” my friend said.
“It was a last minute thing, but my husband and I are guests of honour for the celebration. When your mother told me you were coming as well, I knew we just had to meet up. My husband can't be here tonight, he had some business to deal with, but my son is getting ready and will be down in just a minute.”
She smiled at all of us, and something about her just seemed really nice. Like as long as she was around nothing bad would happen. But there was something about her that seemed familiar. And I couldn't help thinking that it might be something important. I pushed my fear away. I was just paranoid from being at Doom Valley for too long. Until we did the heist this was just a fun vacation. No one was hunting us, we hadn't done anything wrong. I could actually enjoy myself for a bit.
“So, Ella, who are your friends?” Mrs. Stirling asked.
“These are my friends and classmates, Naomi and Antoine, Clarice and Gold, Calci and Honey Suckle, Ivy, she's a werewolf, and my roommate Petra.”
When Ella said my name, Mrs. Stirling looked at me, her eyes wide with surprise. “Petra, from Doom Valley Prep School?” she asked.
“Uh yes, ma'am,” I said, my stomach dropping to my feet. Something was about to go wrong, I felt it in my toes.
“YOU VILE HARLOT!” a familiar voice shouted.
My body reacted before my brain could even comprehend what was going on. I jumped back, hitting the expensive wooden wall, narrowly avoiding a sword thrust to my chest.
Ivy ran up, covered in fur, teeth and claws out, biting down on a silver gauntlet. It was a good thing that she had, because it stopped the sword an inch from my throat.
“REGINALD EDMUND STIRLING! PUT THE SWORD DOWN THIS INSTANT!” Mrs. Stirling shouted, storming over to us.
I couldn't say or do anything. All my attention was on the sword and the furious face of my old friend Reginald.
Welp. I was wondering how they would end up meeting...
Violence was the only option.
“YOU VILE HARLOT!” Bahhahahaha!
Reggie, Reggie, Reggie, do calm down.
Where would be the fun in that?
Reggie being an overexcited idiot is much more fun.
@Domoviye I know... I my minds eye I could see his mother saying that. haha.
Petra did win that round and to be fair she was truly a damsel in distress.
@Kaetii You're right on both counts. I wonder what Reginald's mother thinks about that.
@Domoviye It really hits the spot
@Domoviye She may see that Petra is an empowered woman and just the sort that should marry her son haha.
@Kaetii
@Kaetii Especially, since she had shown having good instincts and reflexes
I can feel Reg's mom falling for Petra that exact moment
Gods, I can imagine how Reg's mom will convince him to go for it later on
I mean, creative use of words or telling the ones the other party wants to hear is not exclusive to villains
She might see it as just helping her socially awkward son to get her a valuable daughter-in-law
And that even without hooks for the future court stuff
@Quesa Dude. Domestic abuse is not a good subject for humor. And it's not a good place to come from if the response of Reginald's mother seeing her son come at an unarmed invited guest with a sword in a straight up murder attempt is "let's hook her up with my son." At best, she'd have to be so mind-boggingly stupid that she makes Homer Simpson look like a Mensa-level genius by comparison to think that's a good idea. And she's not been shown to be that dumb.
@Paranoiac Where I come from domestic abuse is something defined as happening between members of the household. Which would happen if Petra was already anyhow considered a member of such. Which is not the case.
Besides, their current official relationship is that of enemies, you know?
Which is why, I think you are vastly over reacting. You warped like, the whole event?
The scene we had is an unexpected confrontation with nemesis on neutral grounds. Far from anybody's actual home.
With the Hero-villain thing these confrontations are a given. What are legit nemesis supposed to do, kiss each other down? Not that I mind, it could be a fun twist
Reg's mom simply may see a benefit in pushing her overzealous son to change this relationship, since Petra does not drive the conflict.
Not that Reg's mom will depend entirely on Reg to achieve that, I suppose. She might do some enticement and appeasement on her own
She may even order Reg to escort Petra and behave, which may create a rift between his manners and how he stubbornly adresses Petra
With how crazy Petra's life is, that is just another strand of crazy in a great sheet of madness
And for all your skepticism, there are relationships that started on similar footing and worked out. Without the DV taking place.
Besides there are worse things than self-declared enemy spitefully trying to date you
Especially, when scheming to take over the world!
Finally there was a work titled Dramatic Couple, I think. It had some fun interactions between married Hero and villain. Loved the lines they exchanged over who was supposed to throw off the trashes.
@Quesa, @Paranoiac
I don't really see where domestic abuse came up in this.
I can't say much because, spoilers, but Reginald's Mom is a sane parent (for this world). She's not going to put any child intentionally into a dangerous situation that she doesn't think they can handle. And if she found out Reginald was abusing someone weaker than him and in a close relationship to him, well let's just say Reginald would be lucky if he stayed out of the hospital.
And if someone was abusing her son, the abuser would be lucky if they stayed out of the morgue.
Her husband feels the same way.
@Domoviye Good to know that Reginald's the only unreasonably violent doofus in the family, at least so far. It's just really, really jarring to see some guy come at a girl with a weapon, call her a slur, and everyone's going "ooh! bet the parents want them to hook up!" It doesn't get any less jarring if the genders are reversed either. I've seen, and read about, far too many real-life incidents where a woman (or it's even worse when a man's the victim) of an abusive, toxic relationship try to flee or get help dealing with their abusive partner, even if they're at the boyfriend/girlfriend stage, and everyone tries to excuse the abuser by going "oh, it's just a stage" or "oh (s)he's just clumsy around (gender), just give it time" and it ends badly, everyone shocked that either abuser seriously harmed, or killed the victim, or the cornered victim fought back and did permanent damage, traumatizing both.
Sure, in the 50's shows like The Honeymooners poked fun at abuse by playing up the double-standard that women can come at men with dangerous implements, but men coming at women is a crime, and Alice DOES tempt Ralph to come at her quite a few times after she came at him.
But one would think in the 2020's after seeing what the reality is, people would know better.
Sigh, live and learn.
@Paranoiac I think you should not forcibly assign people preferences in favor of domestic abuse, the topic you already forcibly inserted.
Especially, since they kindly explained why that's not the case.
Also, I can tell a low-key shitting on people.
That's low, dude.
And I'm the party you're supposedly trying to protect with that condescending posing (an underdog, namely)
#stopmensplaining
I'm sick and tired of this, understood? Especially, with double boundary being in effect.
Sorry for mine lack of P. , Mr White Knight. I don't need yours to keep my life in order.
By the way, the two passionate lesbians I know call themselves in a slur despite being in non-abusive and loving relationship.
Live and learn.
@Paranoiac Out of office I think it would be fine to elaborate what I have a problem with your reply.
You have obviously no idea of 50's reality and common sense. It was time after two big wars, with lots of traumatised men overexposed to violence.
That's what is reflected in Donald the Duck's hair-trigger temper, for example. There is an old chapter elaborating on his war experiences, retconned may it be due to the current sensitivities.
At these times an average man was still supposed to carry 50 kg potato sack like nothing and city folk was still at least walking with 20 kg ones. They used life explosives in movies, instead of CGI's and all books were printed. The TV was monochrom. No Wi-Fi of course, the internet was still to be created.
During these times it was still considered normal for teachers to throw chalk or use implements on students they judged to mis behave. School fights were also a norm.
With the popular back then corporal punishments, kids were familiarized with violence. It made them more prone to use it, especially when confident in their physical strength.
It was glossed over, because men solidarized with themselves and they were still the breadwinners. That should explain why wives were also into it.
Turning a blind eye and deluding one self to preserve hope is what people do thorough the whole history.
The series like you said with women abusing men was found funny, because of overturn of expectations. It was a man who was considered the only possible violent abuser, which is a perception still slowly shifting from what I observe.
Besides, men were still actually considered be the "tough" ones. If they decided it was enough, they were expected to be more than capable to put an end to it. "Roughhousing" term came out a bit popular during these times, maybe you can understand why.
Basically, it was considered that no actual physical harm could be done to a man by woman. Since men supposedly had to permit their partners to act against them first.
Such was the perception during these times. These were essentially times of cultural transition, after women finally received recognition as anyhow capable workforce.
Series like the one you are looking down at were a part of said shift. You find it jarring because the times have changed and I can assure you that in fifty years people will look at series and movies you enjoy today with disdain either for being too "soft", "barbaric" or anything conflicting with their new sensitivities.
So, you do not try to explain 50's culture to me. Or pretty much anything social, because ignorants flaunting theirs do not impress me.
I do not question that you may have seen abusive or toxic relationships, since these are plentiful with people even remaining unaware they are in one at the time. Yet, you clearly were only a passive observer or actually realized too late you see it, maybe even justified it. These are the most vocal crowd and watching the real life drama does not charge you like Netflix.
It's also easy to be smart afterwards.
Have you ever forced such relationship to end? Have you sheltered a terrified victim? Have you gathered the evidence or checked on things (and, for example, excluded possibility of bdsm relationship leaving marks) ? Does that tip you on the extend of my experience?
Your mislabelling, twisting meanings and shallow knowledge of topics you disdain in search for public approval rises red flags for me.
These are all easily overlooked qualities of an abuser.
Moreover, you forced out of nowhere a sensitive topic of DV to establish yourself in socially supported position and antagonise, furthermore belittle me. And push the views I do not share, like you thought I will buy it.
Your stir forced the caring author to appease you for nothing.
You are an abuser, sir.
Which is further confirmed by your post in the following chapter.
You have put a false front on a made up premise, in order to make your mask harder to see thorough and all at my expense.
I'm not that easy to trick.
Simply put, you are the worst type of abuser, after the one untouchable by law. The one that keeps up the facade of being against the abuse.
Which was obvious to me, you mask your intent delivered by two last sections of the post supposedly ranting on abuse.
"Explaining" me the topic, exposing your ignorance and inaction does not hide your agenda, kid.
In fact, I'm tired of dealing with people explaining things they have no substantial idea of or plain wrong about things they are trying to explain and acting smug, as if their foolishness set them above me. At least at work I can consider being paid for bearing with that.
Also, I had relationships like the one with Reg and Petra turn out decent, one of them crushing on me later on.
With them being the way more malicious and far less upright variation of Reg here.
Which meant they still had some issues that I'd not accept.
So, I find no issues with laughing at Reg's antics or even jokingly shipping him. Moreover, I have the perspective to consider him plenty cute in circumstances of the scene.
Life means changes, sometimes crazy ones.
Which makes obvious to me how much lacking in life experience you are.
Grow up, kiddo.