Back at home near the wooded outskirts of Barnways, Charles and his butler stepped onto the front porch where a hidden key was placed under a potted plant next to the door. Reaching down, the butler moved aside the pot before picking up a key that looked like a bird before slotting it in and turning it.
Once the door was opened, both stepped in slightly stiff. Edward took both wrapped up tuna fish from Charles before heading to cook in the kitchen. Cedric followed suit after.
"Can you believe that fishermen actually gave us a discount? I was expecting to get nowhere besides that threat he made to cave my skull in for trying to hustle him".
*cough*
"Wasn't expecting that either, Cedric. I'd actually inched a bit further because in my mind it looked like you were making a fool of yourself".
*cough*
"Edward, are you quite alright? You've been coughing a bit since we've gotten back".
"It's the air. Most of the sky is cursed with smoke from chimneys. You can't even get a fresh breath without coughing your lungs out. Most people from the countryside however don't have that problem".
After what Edward said, Charles began coughing hard himself. His adrenaline levels lowered back down to normal after dangers from the day's events had passed. Now he realized how much he was utilizing that extra boost without noticing.
"Ive just noticed".
Edward looked at him as if he was some kind of weirdo for now realizing something poisonous to one's health, such as thick smoke everywhere.
"Cedric, sir. Are you sure you're quite alright? This behavior you've been showing me only says you still need recovering. Not only that, you refused to move twice today when we were in danger. Do you have some kind of dance with death"?
Charles took a moment to pause. Rethinking different ways to respond. He wanted to avoid making his image worse than it already was.
"My mind is distracted. I keep going back to that fisherman from earlier. He seemed like a good man despite the rough shape of his skin. He was even kind enough to give us that tuna again".
This was his attempt to change the subject quickly so he doesn't have to explain himself.
"What your feeling is guilt, sir. Clearly you don't have the heart of a criminal. You feel shame when doing something wrong, though you seemed less guilty about the potatoes and peppers still in your pockets".
Edward seemed to drop those near death topics. Not pushing further about it. Most likely sensing it was making Cedric uncomfortable.
Charles reaches into his pockets to empty them onto the countertop. Each potato made a thud when making contact with the surface. Then his pants pockets were next to be emptied. Pepper sprinkled out in a mess. There was more than what Edward had initially thought.
"You didn't feel guilty for taking these ones did you. My guess is because there was no face to be pitied or feel sorrow about".
"A…ye…correct".
"Shameless".
"I'd say you're no better. It was you after all, who encouraged my further take of more".
" Touché, sir*.
…
"On a different matter, how would you prefer the tuna to be served"?
"Fron our current predicament, our best option is steaming".
Edward, nodded in approval. His hands go into preparing their meal for who knows how long tuna can last under variant conditions. Firstly he grabbed a nearby knife in one of the drawers and tested it for sharpness. Once he found an edge suitable, his hands began to work smoothly.
"Cedric, sir. It'd be for some time before your meal is cooked, feel free whenever to go".
"Edward, are you in need of my assistance"?
"It's quite alright, sir. I'm doing my job. Just go now".
Charles nodded slightly, feeling a tinge of uselessness. He had always despised that notion of uselessness. But not one to keep pushing things with someone close, Charles strutted out the kitchen.
For some peculiar reason, a tug at Charles' mind kept pulling him back to his personal office. It felt like an irresistible urge that screamed to be satisfied. Being irritated by that feeling, Charles gave into the urge and made his way towards there. In a stupor state, his body automatically went to the direction of his desk, more specifically the bottom right drawer. Reaching down to pull it open revealed small mechanical pieces to what looked like toys.
On queue, his body began moving independently with its own intentions. He watched how his body sat down onto the chair before carefully collecting each piece of gear to place into the table. Meticulously, small tools worked to fashion painfully minuscule gear into the frog toy. Every single action wasn't his own. Though the efficiency couldn't be questioned.
(How many times will I lose control over my own motor function? At some point will I even have control)?
Crank, crank, crank. The mechanical frog was wound up careful to not damage the delicate pieces of its being. Once its heart shaped lever reached maximum limit, it jumped to life in an annoying squeak of its gears. It jumped around in circles countless times until returning to its previous dormant form.
After the frog wound down after its successful reconstruction, Charles felt his returning motor controls. Every finger crunching under brittle conditions. Most feasible logic might've been his forced restrictions to small movements whilst mending that complex toy frog.
(This has me curious. What other particular skill might this body retain. It could have its uses for my answer or possible survival to this world).
*creak*
Suddenly a soft creaking sound drifted into his ears, followed by slow footsteps, then on queue the door slowly opened to Edward with a smile.
"Cedric, I'm elated to say supper is served".
"Already"?
Charles questioned in astonishment by the utter speed his butler had worked. In his mind, a meal such as super would've taken a greater amount of time to prepare.
"Ah, sir. May I inquire as to why you mean by already"?
…
"I'm flabbergasted. You worked quite quickly. Never in my life have I seen someone work so efficiently as to prepare food in a small margin of time".
Slowly, Edward's puzzled gaze lightened. What had perplexed Cedric's behavior was now piecing itself together in his head. Edward advanced forward close enough to query.
"Cedric, what hour in your mind is it"?
"Personally, it's only been a few minutes. My time spent here hasn't been that lengthy has it"?
"Cedric…sir, it's a quarter to nine. You've been in here for a minimum of two hours. To my assumption, you must've lost track of time".
"Surely you're jesting. It couldn't have been too lengthy. Though I'll check the time anyway.
Reaching in his pants, Charles extracted a silvery pocket watch etched with thine vine pattern in a swirl. Then with a click to the crown, a silver front cover swings down. On point, eight forty-five sharp.
"No, this has to be some kind of tomfoolery. How could I have…".
Rushing up forward toward the window in front of him. With a swift motion, the curtains were swung open quickly. Awaiting to gaze back at him was a scene of a darkening sky.
Silence drawn out a moment longer, then realization dawned upon Charles. Within the hypnotic haze, time ran passed seamlessly to what felt like a small margin of time. Charles closed the curtains, then fell back onto his chair. Looking at his toy creation only gave him embarrassment.
"Cedric, sir. We can ignore this. It's natural many people too have experienced loss of time. Besides, your supper won't retain warmth all night with you squandering. Come eat it while it's hot".
*sigh*…alright".
Making his way toward his dining room, a rich aroma wafted directly in his nose, triggering a stomach growl. Charles had been starved of a good meal for so long, even simple steamed fish was nothing less than appetizing. Quickening his pace with each step told the butler how hungry Cedric must've been.
Upon reaching the entranceway, a steaming pile of fish and potatoes rested neatly on a clay plate. Steam climbed up. From what Charles could make out, the fish meat suggests it'll be tender. He had to find out if the wait was worth it.
Charles approached his dining table, his hand reaching out to pull out a chair, however his butler pulled it out for him before he could reach out further. Not wanting to be rude, Charles accepted his help and set down.
"Cedric, if you please. Feel a need to tell me if my cooking needs adjusting or that it may not be adequate to your tastes. I don't wish to force you to consume a meal not to your palate".
Charles nodded tactfully, not of him to complain about a meal served to him. He picked up his fork and stabbed the fish. As suspected, the meat put up no resistance to his fork, it also fell apart a bit. His hand quaked and brought it to his mouth. He took his first bite and paused for a good length, to savor its taste.
*sob*
"It's…it..I…thank you".
"My pleasures, sir".
A good meal after a while made Charles forget any kind of table manners, he gorged myself happily. Every scoop to his mouth tasted better than the last. Edward, pleased he could satisfy his master's tastes, gave his feet a rest to eat beside Cedric. It was a moment of serenity, only disturbed with forks clinging against plates and soft chewing. Outside the orange tinted sky eased into blue, becoming darker by minutes.
"Mmm, your cooking was truly excellent. No wonder you asked me to leave, it was so you could work without my distraction".
"By my job and pleasures, sir. You honor me with such humble praise, though cooking a dish with limited ingredients proved to be more of an obstacle".
"Edward, remember what I asked. You can drop formalities when present at home. There is no need to keep calling me sir".
"Ahh, right. It slipped my mind. This brain must be more feeble at my age. Haha".
With that said, Edward stood to collect plates. Afterward left, leaving Charles to his own devices. He didn't do much, the food taking effect and felt drowsiness, now in a digesting state.
*tik, tik, tik*
Rhythmic clicks from his pocket watch struck him, lulling the already fatigued Charles to deep sleep. Thus his figure sat slumped on a chair, breathing up and down.
——————
A twirling realm vest of ever shifting shape and color. Now Charles found himself dragged back once more, to be tormented by those figures yet again. What differed from previous encounters was the figures themselves. Now dawning stars in place of heads, chanting unknown words repeatedly.
The elongated jester or clown made its appearance once again, like a shadow curving around the horizon. Charles held his hands up in defense not of a blow, but to block that clown from sight. Deep down he knew he didn't have the guts to experience continuous encounters with it.
(…WHY?! WHY! Must this creature torment. What have I done to earn this treatment? Why won't you leave me be…wait. Something's off. Why hasn't the clown approached yet?)
*deep breathing*
Charles felt his neck hair bristle from behind in a pattern. He stayed silent, knowing the clown had played him for a fool. Charles was expecting a direct approach, now it had twisted its way around behind him. Only mere inches apart. Fearful, Charles refused turning to look or dropping his hands from his face.
Within a swift moment, it had wrapped long nailed fingers across his body, haltingly being raised higher. Intrusive thoughts won over and he looked. What met back was a maw of thousands of teeth as long as spears, constantly shifting like a grinder. Charles saw its smug grin at the corners of its maw. It knew what it was doing. It wanted him scared. It relished his fear. In a sudden, he felt each finger loosen by one in a deliberate mannerism. A gesture of sick enjoyment.
"BASTARD!!".
With that shout, the clown undid its grip and Charles began to fall to a slow fate. Charles felt like he was back at that floating water like stated, now with something at the end worse than nothing.
[Clock strikes 4, could the sun cry?]