--- Simple and Clean -- 315 (not counting the epigraph) -- Vagrant Story ---
"You came to me and said, Wish I could prove I love you, But does that mean I have to walk on water? When we are older you'll understand It's enough when I say so And maybe some things are that simple."
-- SIMPLE AND CLEAN, Utada Hikaru
Ashley Riot stared at the reflection in the mirror as he mused about the circles under his eyes, and what to do about them.
This had been the third week in a row he'd shown up for guard duty late, rumpled, unshaven and tired. The shift captain was giving him strange looks and acting as though young 'Cal' had a secret, and asking funny questions that seemed to suggest 'when are you going to propose?'
Damn Merlose, he thought. Damn wench is going to make me destroy my pretext. I'm attracting too much notice as it is.
"Something wrong?" Merlose's voice called from the bedroom.
He sighed, shaking his head, and began to scrape the razor against his skin. A bit too much of a beard for a 'youngun'...
Just another damn thing that could threaten his lie, bringing the total up to twenty-six.
When did my life get so damn complicated? He snarled. Sydney, why couldn't you have just KEPT your City?
But, of course, Sydney gave no answer. The sudden presence in his mind had shocked him, but Sydney had soon buried himself with all the oldest souls, content to rest with silence.
A rather grim portent for his future. If Sydney, creature of boundless curiosity, who couldn't keep his damned knife-hands out of anything was content to rest in the back of his head instead of make him organize things, or just poke and annoy him, then what sort of busy eternal life would he lead?
Ah, Batistum, he thought. The immortality you seek has more consequences and complications than you could possibly imagine. If you had to live my life for a day, surely you would run whimpering from such power, wouldn't you?
Outside, the clocktower tolled five bells.
And for once, there was no reason to swear as he realized he was late.
This time, he was eight minutes early.