A Hard Offer to Refuse
Silver wakes up in her bed on the farm, confused at first, but realizing quickly that it had all been some sort of strange dream. There is a quick pang of regret that Okaanen was just a figment, but it is laughed away as she arises and goes about her morning routine. Removing dough, made the night before, from the cool box in the kitchen, she upends the bowl over a floured cutting board and spends several minutes making croissants as her coffee brews. Plenty of them; enough for her and her two fartm hands, the brothers Chadley and Chadson.
They were good lads, and worked like bulls, but good gods could they eat!
When all is ready, she turns, to find a well dressed man sitting at her table, helping himself to her coffee. He has a goattee, and dark eyes framed by thick eyebrows and even more accentuated with lashes long enough to brush his cheeks, if he opened them wide. He pours a second cup, for Silver, and motions to the seat opposite him with a friendly and magnanimous wave.
You do not know why, but you feel nonplussed around this person. He has made no threat, nor threatening move. He isn't particularly large; in fact, he is probably no taller than Chadley, and built like a scholar. He sits back, crossinig his legs, making him look even more like a reader. His jet black hair is perfectly oiled and coiffed, and his dark red, satin suit is tailored perfectly. He is wearking bespoke shoes that match his suit, and has a black pocket square sticking out, in a perfect fold, of his left breast pocket. He smiles, gesturing to the fresh fruit now adorning the table top. "Please! Have a seat! We have much we could discuss, you and I, should you wish."
"Ah! Where are my manners! They have been calling me Modi, lately." He stands and bows. The croissants, somehow, are finished and on the table. Without Silver lifting a finger. "Silver, dear," he simply oozes charm and sophistication, "what I have is a business proposition!" He takes a delicate bite from the end of one of the croissants. "It is incredibly lucrative, of course, and best of all it's easy as pie!" He takes a forkful from a cherry pie that appears on the table, but has the good manners to chew and swallow before laughing a deep, bellowing laugh. "All you would need to do, is keep an eye on my miscreant of an adopted daughter, and report back to me once in a while. I just want to make sure she is safe, and she seems to be rebelling in some, frankly, dangerous and precarious ways." He reaches out for a slice of peach, and smiles with his perfect teeth before biting and eating it. "What say you?"
He smiles, and offers you a plate of dates stuffed with walnuts and cinnamon cream cheese. "So decisive! That is a very attractive trait in a person, Silver! But, you never even heard what I have to offer you." He holds up a hand as Silver begins to protest, "Now, now, we both know that I know that you know what I mean. Your skills run counter to disengenuousness, my dear. Here is what I will offer you. Safety. Prosperity, for your farm and workers. Freedom from worry of attack. I can guarantee rainfall, and I can bless the land with sunshine. I can teach you the lost secrets of the Dellic Farmers; show you how to speak with the soil, and how to listen to the breeze. I can give you what you wish for, Silver. Total independence. The dignity of risk, without the risk of outside interference. No orcs will ever bother you; your beasts will be safe from the creatures of the night, and of the forest."
Modi stands, adjusting his suit, and buttoning one fastening with a practiced manuever. His smile is so fetching your breath catches in your throat. "I am afraid I am called away. Think on it, my dear. The life of my champion means much to me, and were you to help me keep it safe and happy, your greatest wish could be all yours. Think on it, yes?" And silver awakes in camp with the rest of the crew, tighhtly snuggled into Okaanen's velvety chest. It's very muscular, and somehow smells of sandalwood...
You do not know why, but you feel nonplussed around this person. He has made no threat, nor threatening move. He isn't particularly large; in fact, he is probably no taller than Chadley, and built like a scholar. He sits back, crossinig his legs, making him look even more like a reader. His jet black hair is perfectly oiled and coiffed, and his dark red, satin suit is tailored perfectly. He is wearking bespoke shoes that match his suit, and has a black pocket square sticking out, in a perfect fold, of his left breast pocket. He smiles, gesturing to the fresh fruit now adorning the table top. "Please! Have a seat! We have much we could discuss, you and I, should you wish."
Silver hesitates before sitting at her own table, feeling like an awkward guest instead of feeling at ease in her home. She is not sure to remember hosting this man and how he got here, but she did have some vivid dreams that occupied her mind. Could you please remind me your name, sir… I’m so sorry I don’t remember it.
"Ah! Where are my manners! They have been calling me Modi, lately." He stands and bows. The croissants, somehow, are finished and on the table. Without Silver lifting a finger. "Silver, dear," he simply oozes charm and sophistication, "what I have is a business proposition!" He takes a delicate bite from the end of one of the croissants. "It is incredibly lucrative, of course, and best of all it's easy as pie!" He takes a forkful from a cherry pie that appears on the table, but has the good manners to chew and swallow before laughing a deep, bellowing laugh. "All you would need to do, is keep an eye on my miscreant of an adopted daughter, and report back to me once in a while. I just want to make sure she is safe, and she seems to be rebelling in some, frankly, dangerous and precarious ways." He reaches out for a slice of peach, and smiles with his perfect teeth before biting and eating it. "What say you?"
Silver frowns. She shifts on her seat, uncomfortable as the charming stranger eloquently delivers his pitch. She slowly recovers her cool and shakes her head. I’m so sorry, sir Modi. But you must be mistaken me for someone else. I do not know any other woman. I live alone with my helpers. And quite frankly, there nothing that I don’t own that I wish for. If you don’t mind, I have things to do now, sir Modi.
He smiles, and offers you a plate of dates stuffed with walnuts and cinnamon cream cheese. "So decisive! That is a very attractive trait in a person, Silver! But, you never even heard what I have to offer you." He holds up a hand as Silver begins to protest, "Now, now, we both know that I know that you know what I mean. Your skills run counter to disengenuousness, my dear. Here is what I will offer you. Safety. Prosperity, for your farm and workers. Freedom from worry of attack. I can guarantee rainfall, and I can bless the land with sunshine. I can teach you the lost secrets of the Dellic Farmers; show you how to speak with the soil, and how to listen to the breeze. I can give you what you wish for, Silver. Total independence. The dignity of risk, without the risk of outside interference. No orcs will ever bother you; your beasts will be safe from the creatures of the night, and of the forest."
Modi stands, adjusting his suit, and buttoning one fastening with a practiced manuever. His smile is so fetching your breath catches in your throat. "I am afraid I am called away. Think on it, my dear. The life of my champion means much to me, and were you to help me keep it safe and happy, your greatest wish could be all yours. Think on it, yes?" And silver awakes in camp with the rest of the crew, tighhtly snuggled into Okaanen's velvety chest. It's very muscular, and somehow smells of sandalwood...
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