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The Runaway is a Politician's Daughter V.II Cultural Musings
Returning to their shared table, Eremes didn't find it surprising that Athena was still asleep, snoring lightly under his yellow work jacket. Trying his best to not wake her up, he quietly tried to set the food on the table, careful not to let any of the plates clink with each other. If she wasn't going to sleep in her bed, might as well let her get some sleep here, no matter how bad the place could be. The spread he ordered was exactly what the sleeping woman told her to get. For himself, he got a beautifully grilled t-bone steak; complete with a side of mashed potatoes, roast beef, and a small heap of mixed veggies, while for her he got a roast pork rice bowl; a large evenly roasted pork belly cut up into strips on top of a heaping portion of steaming hot white rice, topped with thinly sliced cabbage, carrots, dried seaweed, and a raw egg that was just now getting cooked by the hot rice. An unassuming cup of hot coffee also sat beside it; its aroma potent enough that the famished re
The Runaway is a Politician's Daughter VI.I Sleepless Beauty
Time moves forward...⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛"Finally~" Athena sang in a raspy tone as she stretched her aching back. "It's over.."Was it worth not sleeping though?~The novelist paid no mind to her current lack of sleep, for staring in front of her was four whole chapters of her novel, finished and ready for shipping to her editor. Saving her work before closing the laptop, she let her bleary eyes turn away from the screen, instantly feeling sweet relief as she drank in the familiar darkness of her room, her thick curtains preventing any light from the outside from ever seeping in. She got up from her desk and made her way to her bed, checking the time on her phone before plopping face-first into the comfort of her blankets."Nine AM..." She grumbled, rubbing her eyes as the tired author curled into her bedsheets. "Time flies when you're having fun."Having a flash of inspiration was a godsend for people that made a living through artistic means. Letting it pass by would be a monumental mistake o
The Runaway is a Politician's Daughter VI.II Sleepless Beauty
Eremes was not having a good day.*Thud!*Having installed the last part of the carpets, they were finally ready to start retrofitting in the platforms that would later become the main stage of the auction. *Thud!*Even now boards upon boards of thick plywood and steel beams were being unloaded onto the floor, each piece echoing a resounding thud as they hit the ground near the back end of the hall.The miffed boss found himself pinching his nose every time one of his workers dropped more of their required building materials onto the floor. Whoever was the tenant underneath that spot, he just wished that he or she was either not in their room, or would forgive them for the amount of noise they were making.*Thud!*"Is this really necessary boss?" Ryan asked beside him, cringing along with the beat as each crash of dropped material sent a ringing tone through his ears. "Shouldn't we be, y'know, quiet?""This is my fault." The head admitted as he too shuddered with the amount of noise t
The Runaway is a Politician's Daughter VI.III Sleepless Beauty
*BANG!*The intimidated repairman sighed as the door slammed shut in the irate woman's wake, wincing as the loud bang echoed throughout the hall. "Well, that just happened."Eremes thought he had steeled himself from the worst of the complaints, but in the end, he didn't expect such a vitriolic display of cold rage to wash over him today. Especially since it came from the one person that he actually thought would understand. Bitchy as she may seem a few seconds ago, Athena wasn't one for needless tongue lashings. Unless if it was for her own enjoyment. Not that he could fault her for it. Besides, if it was him that was sleep deprived, he would launch on a tirade of his own."Who was that boss?" One of his men asked as the head approached the work area. "An angry tenant complaining about the noise," Eremes muttered in disdain. These guys really need to control themselves every once in a while. "Everybody listen up!" The head of maintenance called as he gathered up his unruly crew. "
The Runaway is a Politician's Daughter VI.IV Sleepless Beauty
Stepping inside what was now looking like his final resting place, Eremes found himself dangerously close with what seemed to be his meditated murder by the hands of a sleep-deprived tenant. He positioned himself by the farthest corner of the elevator, trying his best to put as much distance between himself and his would-be executioner. ......"Where to Eremes?" The terrified repairman flinched at her sudden query, her sweet tone off-putting compared to the current tension he was feeling. "G-ground floor."Wordlessly, the serene novelist made the input on the elevator panel, closing the elevator doors and sending both of its occupants towards their desired destination, before then settling back to her previous state of staring back at her apparent hostage, an uncanny smile still adorning her face. "Uhhh...."Eremes was at a loss for words, his gaze darting back and forth between the very interesting view of the setting sun from the glass windows, and the looming visage of a woman s
The Runaway is a Politician's Daughter VI.V Sleepless Beauty
Located just over a kilometer to the east of the hotel, Unity Park was one of the three parks built within the city along with the Riverside Park at its namesake district and the Cadmus Memorial Square situated at the center of the Relocation district. Of the three, Unity Park was the last to be built, only finishing construction in 2009. Built incrementally along the steep inward road and carved deep onto the steep riverbank of the Midas River under its namesake bridge, Unity Park boasted a colorful and vibrant array of flowers scattered growing throughout the sides of the road carved hill and within the walls of the under-bridge enclosure, along with a number of small huts that served as a resting area for the weary. It also sported numerous giant artificial waterfalls along with a sizable dancing fountain situated by the open entrance of the riverbank portion of the park. Eremes sometimes found himself marveling at the sight of what he considered a miraculous feat of engineering by
The Runaway is a Politician's Daughter VI.VI Sleepless Beauty
This was a horrible idea.Once brimming with cocky bravado, Athena instantly regretted ever underestimating the weaponized wings of hell that they called food on her plate. While admittedly quite delicious, each savory bite was like subjecting her mouth to the blazing inferno of Helios himself, assaulting her taste buds with both flavor and pure unadulterated heat. And pain. Copious... Amounts... Of pain."AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!" Her eyes were already hurting before but now she could barely even see through the tears. How can anyone eat something so monumentally hot!? Sure, she can handle a bit more spice compared to the average girl, but this was too much! Told you so~It didn't help that they weren't even allowed so much as a single sip of cold water for the full duration of the challenge. Was it too hard for them to at least throw a bone to their costumers? Not to mention the ten-minute afterburn? Whatever that was...I'm sure that'll be fun~Fun her ass."N-Not so t-tough now,
The Runaway is a Politician's Daughter VI.VII Sleepless Beauty
"I'm first!""I won!"Did they finish at the same time!? No way. She's sure she had it in the bag!"I finished fir-" *Hic* "-first Eremes!" The confident author proclaimed. "I saw you still chewing before-" *Hic* "-you shouted!" *Hic* It was so painful even to speak, her lungs set on fire as the hiccups continued to come in full force."You lie!" *Hic* "You can barely see any-" *Hic* "-thing!" Her opponent retorted. "I refuse to-" *Hic* "-pay for your drinks!" Come now.. Just accept defeat already."Uhmm.. If I may?" The waitress on-demand meekly interjected, catching both competitors' attention. "Judging from both of your performances, you both finished at the same time, in my opinion." Really? "But enough about that! Kudos for beating the first half of the challenge!" Wait...First half!? It's not over?!Here it comes~"It's not-" *Hic* "Over?!" The flabbergasted author can only fan at her mouth as Eremes barked at the waitress in disbelief. "Haven't you-" *Hic* "Tortured us enough?!
Latest Chapter
- The Runaway is a Politician's Daughter
Extra: A Collection of Poems
Extra I: No MotiveWracked with fear, I stood still,Gazing endlessly into the void.Eyes dull and uninterested,Contemplating what I will.I fear my own mind, question my sanity.Am I insane or merely delusional?You may know, but I never will.I'll never escape my vanity.Staring down the precipice of darkness,Swarmed by thoughts of ending it all.I fought valiantly for what seemed like an eternity,Clinging to whatever shred of reason for happiness.Dangling on the edge of my limit,My conviction
- The Runaway is a Politician's Daughter
The Flow of Time
A vision from the distant past, an intrepid detective and her unlikely partner...A tale of crime and wits, Project Name: Noire⬛⬛⬛A beige coated woman walked the dimly lit concrete ports of the city, a flashlight in hand as brown eyes scanned her surroundings. The damp docks of Riverside surely stank with seawater, but it was where she was based, and thus she had to live with it."Heeeyy~ Found anything, Liz?~" A young woman in a white coat waved at her from the other side of the pier, her childish tone hiding what was undoubtedly the most intelligent mind she had ever come across. "I want to have some fun already~"Sadistic brat.With the same annoyed expression she sported ever since her reluctant return to active duty, the detective waved back at the black-haired woman. With her flashlight, Liz motioned the youngest coroner to ever work in this city to her location, her lips parting as if she still had the ability to speak."Okaaayyy~ Be right there in a sec!~"Sighing to herself,
- The Runaway is a Politician's Daughter
XIII Epilogue
Time moves forward. And while this tale slowly comes to an end, their story continues to unfold behind the scenes...⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛It's been a month and a half since that fateful day. A month and a half since that unassuming maintenance guy saved her from her own demise. Ever since then, Aletheia has begun to acclimatize once more to a rather, lavish lifestyle than the year and a half that she spent on the run.Not only have you acclimatized, you've already excelled~Oh shut up. She can still live off of instant ramen and chump change just fine should the need arise.Says the girl that now spends over a thousand drachma a day on food alone~The novelist chuckled to herself at the thought as she saved another word document on her laptop. Well, she was quite a hefty spender back then no? You blew a whole talent for every arcade session. You're more than a hefty spender~Come now.. Well, she did do that back in the day huh.You're clearly cut out for a lavish lifestyle~She stifled a yawn as
- The Runaway is a Politician's Daughter
XII.II Ending Ceremony
"Lady Mendel, I propose one more bid."Hoho~ What does he have up his sleeve to be this bold?~Aletheia's eyes widened as Eremes began his opening gambit, his left hand holding his smartphone as he stared at Mother dead in the eye. What was he planning?"An interesting proposal Mr. Patillo." Mother humored, her tone clearly not taking his offer seriously. "While we both know that you have nothing in terms of bargaining power, I'll humor you, just this once." A dangerous game, he's playing, no?Far too dangerous for her liking. Sweat trickled down her lightly make-upped cheek as Mother leaned closer to the repairman, both hands clasped under her chin as a sickly sweet smile masked the malice hidden underneath. The novelist's hands trembled in her lap as she hoped to god that Eremes knew what he was doing."Okay.." The man in front of them began as he fiddled with the phone in his hand. "I have here, a recording of everything that happened here on this rooftop that Wednesday night." Wh
- The Runaway is a Politician's Daughter
XII.I Ending Ceremony
Time moves forward...⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛"Where do you think you're going, Patillo?!" A deep booming voice shouted at him as he buttoned up his brown rented suit. "I've already told you-""I need to go to the rooftop now, Boss." Eremes ground out, his one hand already on the elevator panel as his boss refused to let him go. "After that, I'll be out of your hair forever.""You no longer have the authority to even board this elevator, Patillo!" Basco shouted as his one hand stopped the elevator door from closing. "I want you out of my hotel, right now!"Unemployment was the least of his worries as he took another glance at his wristwatch. Damn it, he needed to be on that rooftop by eight or he'll miss his last chance to get Athena back! "C'mon, boss!" Eremes pleaded, trying to avoid things getting a tad too physical. "Just this once-""One last chance, Patillo." The burly man spat, his patience clearly wearing thin. "Leave the premises, before I throw you out myself."Taking another glance at hi
- The Runaway is a Politician's Daughter
XI.V Midnight Auction
"Athena?"Peeking behind her disheveled hair, the hunched-up daughter struggled to hide her surprise as a familiar voice called out to her old name. Hopeless eyes feasted as the comforting familiarity of the repairman's visage eased the threatening abyss inside her. Eremes? What was he still doing here?Don't get your hopes up."Take us to the ground floor, Mr. Patillo." Mother stated still in front of her, anger audibly bubbling beneath the faux politeness. "I do expect that you won't fail even that.""Yes ma'am."The elevator lurched, before slowly beginning its descent back down towards the cold unforgiving ground. Aletheia merely kept to herself, hoping that if she made herself small enough, Mother wouldn't notice her presence. Useless."H-Hey-""Don't you dare talk to me, Mr. Patillo." The frightened child recoiled at her mother's tone, learned instincts taking over rationality as the older woman berated his once companion. "You had but a single order, and yet you chose to disob
- The Runaway is a Politician's Daughter
XI.IV Midnight Auction
"I bid a lifetime of servitude!" Eremes bravely announced as he intrepidly stood up from his seat. His back already in a cold sweat as he felt the cold stares from around the offended crowd, not to mention the murderous intent coming directly from his chaperone. Boy did he really shit the bed now. But seeing her in such a sad state.."Athena!"If it wasn't for her tilting her head upward, he might not have recognized her behind her hair. What was she doing on stage? With a different name no less? "I don't know what's going on-" Did Athena lie to him? Why hide her identity? Was this what she meant about not going back? Why then? Why lie?"But I'll get you out of there!"Steeling his resolve, the intrepid repairman shouted out his bold declaration. Explanations can come later. Right now, he needed to find a way to get to her. She clearly needed help, like during the time he first saw the novelist that fateful night. What was this feeling, a sense of protectiveness? Maybe it's because
- The Runaway is a Politician's Daughter
XI.III Midnight Auction
"I shall now begin the first trade.""Ugghhh..."The novelist woke up to the amplified sounds of a monotone announcement, groaning at the dull pain of a rising headache. Emerald eyes slowly blinked open, showing its owner a starless night sky. Where was she? How did she get here?Took your sweet time girly."Coming from my own sources, a complete detailed report on the 2015 projected 4th Quarter earnings of the Honn Maritime Company."Droning out the loud sounds behind her, the discombobulated author tried to get into a seated position, at least to get her bearings before assessing the situation she found herself in. Shaking off the last bits of sleep-induced grogginess, she willed her hands and-"Khhh!" A brief flash of pain shot up from her wrists and ankles. Huh? That was odd. "Ten billion from Alexandria. Do I hear-."Do try to remember girly~A voice echoed in her mind to try and remember. But what? And why couldn't she move her arms and feet? A dull throb beat rhythmically in h
- The Runaway is a Politician's Daughter
XI.II Midnight Auction
"I'm quite surprised, you clean up nicely, Mr. Patillo." "I'm surprised myself, Miss Mendel." Eremes hooked the tight of his collar as his contractee companion for the night admired his current appearance. "And thank you for the suit.""It's the least I could do for someone that's caught my eye~." A teasing tone escaped from the older woman's lips, a tone that sent foreboding shivers through the unwilling companion's spine. "It wouldn't do for a companion of mine to not be at their best."*Ding*The elevator chimed as it opened its doors to an unlikely pairing of humble repairman and honorable vice-mayor."Shall we?"Nodding to her pseudo command, the red-suited Eremes let his equally red hanfu clad benefactor onto the waiting elevator first, the older lady's gait as regal and commanding as it could be before boarding the elevator himself. The steel metal doors closed as their vertical carriage awaited input."Whe-""Rooftop, please." Lady Mendel chirped, but from his perspective, it
