7:00 AM sharp: Catheris covered his mouth, yawning into his palm as he sluggishly scooted to the edge of his bed. His eyelids were stuck together with small tears at the corners, pensive. He slowly leaned forward – tiredly adjusting to being awake. He turned his bedside lamp on, and a dim amber hue filled the room. Beginning to stretch, he slowly cracked his knuckles above his head and let out a fragile "mn…" as his pajama shirt lifted and revealed a peek of his midriff.
After a few seconds, Catheris finally stood up and wiped away the tears before heard three firm knocks on the door.
7:20 AM: The bathroom was dim — only lit by a few scattered candles. Catheris was soaking in the milky bubble bath, his nose barely above the water. After he got out and slipped on his fluffy bathrobe, he neatly powdered his skin and washed up his face with an assortment of luxury products,.
8:00 AM: He rung for a maid to do his hair. He sat before his vanity, reading his suit magazine. She quickly did a low bun and small braid, and pinned a silver crane hair ornament through his bun, alongside adding a few delicate white lotus accessories. She made sure his curls would stay.
8:15 AM: He'd finally gotten back his hanfu – mandatory last touch up, or whatever — and put it on.
8:50 AM: Another maid did his makeup this time. She did a porcelain face as a base, and gave him purple and shimmery silver eyeshadow; Catheris chose to go with his signature orangish-red lipstick. His eyeliner was sharper than his usual look, but he still came off as some sort of fragile widow.
9:00 AM: Normally, he wouldn't join the others for breakfast; that'd be the case if he didn't have a Mr. Beo or Ari to find. He sat alone by a window, surveying the room as he indulged in his morning tea. The guests and the other widows were mingling together, chatting about all sorts of things about the mansion and the late host.
9:08 AM: Where are they?
9:09 AM: Where.
9:10 AM: Are.
9:11 AM: They.
9:12 AM: Where are they.
9:13 AM: After he finally finished his breakfast, he neatly tidied up his table for the servants to clean up. Where else could they be…
9:13-12:00 AM: Yes, Catheris ran across the entire mansion. The ink seal must've been almost completely worn down by now, but — oh saintess, his wrist was awfully sore sensing around for the two bureau agents. It must've been some awful timing on both their parts, unless… perhaps… they were in the artistry wing?
He knew Ari was a servant of sorts around here. It was relatively early for such a 'special' day like this, so maybe he was out running errands for the ceremony. He could tell there was no one at the venue. If he was here, then he should've been stationed somewhere Catheris had already gone, so…
Mr. Beo – sigh, if you're really there, then why? How bothersome.
Every step felt heavier than the last as he trudged to the artistry wing. He was so close to scowling, if not for the makeup on his face. Speaking of the artistry wing, he hadn't seen Lain ever since that day. Was she… supposed to attend the ceremony? Probably not. But first, he had to see what Mr. Beo was up, to of course.
The layout was so familiar to him at this point. Catheris thought he was done with the place, but guess not. All the weird stuff happened there. He sighed. Where did it go wrong? It was too early to start reflecting on things. Pumping his palm for just a drop of ink, impending doom stirred in his veins.
He went through the painting hall, through the kitchen, through the garden – through the flower den – until finally he arrived at the mermaid hallway. His forearm was numb by the time he got there. His black-dotted veins were practically being choked as they wrung out the last of his ink. Catheris already knew who was there.
Those heavy-hung dusty curtains were finally opened during the day, and prisms of light filled the room as they bounced off the mirrors. With a camera strap around his neck, a cloaked Mr. Beo was taking pictures of the scene.
"...I've finally found you." Catheris huffed, a cathartic sense of relief washing over him, "You… bastard dog."
"My… my… my. How'd you know I was the one taking your cheese in the fridge?" His voice was different. No slight transatlantic accent, but it was deep and frankly — a bit goofy sounding.
Wait, what.
"That's not what I'm talking about, I already know who you are–"
"Alright, fine. I was also the photographer stalking you for the wedding photos. We need good photos for the website, wouldn't you agree?"
???
"Don't play stupid."
"Fine… I was also the one on the roof sprinkling salt granules so it'd look like cinematic stars for you and the young master Almazer on the balcony…"
??????????
"Mr. B–"
"Oh saintess, you even know I'm the botanist around here??? And here I thought I was being slick…"
…
Palming his head, Catheris took in a deep breath.
"I heard you drank a ton of tea from the servants. It was quite the topic. I made those too, actually. Lavender honey's my favorite. Actually, how do you find the floral arrangements I designed? Shame, I wasn't here to see them being put up."
Is… Is he lying???
"Listen. It's dangerous — It's more severe than you think, so I'm warning you that–"
"Are you… threatening me right now? That's illegal."
Oh My Saintess.
"I don't know where you're getting the impression that–"
"That you were an easy stalking target… sucks to suck, I guess."
"Will you shut up for a second?" Catheris' calm front was cracking.
"Sowwy… Nah — I can speak for a reason."
So that's how you want to play it… huh.
"Then have fun talking for yourself in court when I take you to jail for stalking me."
"Where's your proof?"
"The wedding site photos..?" Stupid.
"Oh shit. But damn, where's your proof that you didn't consent?"
"You think you're the only one who can get away with bullshit? I'll claim I have anorexia, and that I'm self-conscious of my body…"
…
"Are you really going to waste your money on a lawyer for this..?" He was appalled.
"Don't tell me your daddy's a lawyer or something, that'd be real cliche of you."
"No. My mom is."
…
"Ok, well you never got my name, so bye–"
The cloaked figure sprinted out at full speed, clamoring to get outside. It wasn't a clean getaway, though. He bumped into and broke several mirrors on the way out…
Now, Catheris wasn't the superstitious type, and honestly, he felt something bad was gonna happen either way, but… wasn't the man setting himself up.
Sigh. Catheris wasn't even going to attempt chasing after him. He was probably climbing over the garden wall right now.
Catheris: ( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡)
1:00 PM: Catheris was pretty done with everything. He stalked the entrance and preparation areas for Ari, but there was no sign of the man. He'd check later. It seemed like he wouldn't be coming for 1-2 more hours. The other cultists were just beginning to arrive. Catheris could only speculate that he was bringing something important.
2:30 PM: The beautiful luxury was sickening at this point. What good was this pretty mansion and fancy food, if he had simply gotten tired of this stale ordeal. The luxurious, slightly musky perfume that filled the whole mansion was nauseating. The only thing that kept him company was the suit magazines, and hell, their contents seemed less interesting these days.
So yes, he was back to eating; it was lunchtime after all. For what might've been his last meal, a plain home-cooked meal would be more exciting than this. It was cold meat and cold cheese and cold bread and room temperature wine; though he didn't really drink nowadays, he really needed the day drinking — but gosh, even the wine was infuriatingly fancy.
Ugh… those rich fancy motherfuckers, why'd you prefer lighter lunches… he asked for soup, and man, it was just some cold carrot soup with a little bit of oil drizzled on top to make it look fancy.
3:00 PM: He was definitely a little drunk.
3:45 PM: Ok, he was mildly drunk. His tolerance definitely took a harsh fall.
4:00 PM: Who even gave him alcohol? This was hours before his wedding–
4:30 PM: As his ink replenished, he sobered up as it began purifying the alcohol from his blood stream. At least everyone was leaving him alone. How… how much crostini did he eat??? The large dining room was empty at this point, and had been for a long time. All he did in those precious two hours in his little corner was drink wine, snack, and blankly stare out the window.
The sky's color was turning warm; he could even spot the faint image of the moon. Out in the countryside, the sky was pretty clear, so he could even see the stars.
…
A caprese salad sounded good right now… he would've asked for some of his cheese, but last time he checked, they were suddenly gone. He was pretty hungry after sobering up a little, but he should be good enough for the ceremony.
—So was Mr. Beo lying about the cheese or not…
5:00 PM:
Dozens of people were shuffling in for a little meal to stave off their hunger before the ceremony. They'd been told a banquet of food would be served during the 'wedding', so all the food was quite light.
An older, handsome man gestured for Catheris to place his hand in his, a cultist – also a silver fox.
"My… aren't you quite the beauty?"
Still though, what a charming smile. Catheris obliged.
"And who would you be?" He asked, watching him kiss the back of his hand.
"Adam Kelcer, may I have the pleasure of knowing yours?"
"Orpheus." Catheris offered.
"Pardon me – but are you Maylis' child?"
"Who?"
"Maylis Magnolia."
"No…?"
"You bear a striking resemblance… Now that I think about it, you seem colder. I like that."
Mr. Kelcer paused, "Orpheus… What a gorgeous name. I am enchanted to meet you then, Orpheus."
Yes… it was starting to click now, all those familiar names from the fake body donation center he couldn't recognize — they were his mother's clients…
'Oh saintesses, if you're hearing me, I plead – please twist the strings of fate to have Sian's dad kill himself. I don't want to live with this knowledge while he's alive…' Catheris awkwardly thought to himself.
"Mr. Kelcer," Catheris looked at him with starry eyes, "Would you like to join me on the balcony?"
"What kind of man would I be if I denied you?" His voice was nice and deep with a hint of dry amusement.
Catheris tilted his head to the side, all dumbstruck.
"Is that a yes?"
"Well, of course, lead the way."
It… felt so weird having a man be so easy. It was a tad bit boring, actually.
Catheris brought the man to the balcony, and peeked behind to see if he was there. Mr. Kelcer was practically leaning over his shoulder.
Peering at the lush green fields in the distance, Catheris chuckled, amused.
"So, impress me."
"Well… how are you liking the party?"
"I don't do parties… or dresses, actually. I just prefer sitting at home reading, you know?"
"How peculiar. How'd you end up here then, widow?"
"Well, for starters, they let me stay in. The other girls – they're too noisy, talking about gossip and all that… I'm not like that. Girl stuff… it doesn't suit me."
"You're from the city, aren't you. Tell me, how do you like it out here?"
"It's so peaceful, I feel like I can finally hear my own thoughts. In the city, I was mindlessly working day to day. But here… I can actually see the stars."
"Are you one of those… astrology people?"
"Don't lump me in with those… phony nerds. It's just, when I look at the stars, see them through the telescope — or now on the balcony, I feel a profound sense of being. I think… we're all made of a little bit of stardust, you know?"
"Fascinating…"
"Yes… actually there was a movie I really liked called "Etoile." It really captured the feeling of being a speck of dust in the grand scheme of the universe. I heard the director, Alexei Gardenia, was actually part of the estate. It was truly unfortunate when I learned he suddenly died young… did you… know him?
Truth be told — he didn't know the guy at all and was half-assing this conversation by the speckled background information Ari had given him.
"Gardenia… I haven't heard that name in a long time. He was an old friend of mine. They said he died of heartbreak. They say when the doctors heard his heart, they heard wet squeaking – bubbling with sorrow, and he couldn't bear it anymore."
"I never heard he had a lover?"
"It was… unfortunately the wrong person. She was rich and young with the whole world to explore, whereas he was a common boy – you could find anyone just like him right off the street. But she loved him for his unparalleled creativity. She wrote so lovingly of his ideas in the journal she gave when she broke up with him. Love wasn't enough. They were young and stupid, and she was snatched away by her father to marry some heir."
"Oh my…"
"He yearned for her for all those years… trying to build himself as a big film director to someday see her again. He was so close and then… that woman's husband pushed her off a building, and she fell flat on her back onto a car. It was a national sensation; she looked gorgeous laying there on the crushed car roof. The media hawked at the situation and her untimely demise, they called her a tragic beauty – beautiful even in death."
"Oh… Emile Jeane?"
"Yes. Before he died, he wanted to come to Virosiad for movie inspiration. He talked about his last film "Selene" so lovingly, I never thought he would die of heartbreak after its release. Back then, we thought he was getting better — he was suddenly so happy; we thought he'd gotten over her… 'thought he was desensitized from seeing her all over the media. The funny thing is, a few years after his death, I overheard a rumor that his affections for her were not requited. How could that even be, when she even gave him her journal?"
"Yes, that is quite the funny rumor. Are you… also an artsy person?"
"My family's owned a museum for decades, actually. We're a very beautiful but small place – so we often have to donate some of our collection… it's a shame we cannot house everything, but it'd be more of a shame not to let the people of Virosiad see. Last year, we had to make the heartbreaking decision of donating our beloved 'Nadine' But we gave it up to the Laurent Museum of Virosiad History, so its influence could reach more people.
It was a hard choice, but we decided it was best – you see, it was one of the artist's pride and joy, so the terms when we purchased it stated we must display it at all times. What a life that painting gets to live now, instead of being holed up in some extravagant museum only for the finest of art enjoyers, even students will be able to see it now."
"How lovely indeed. I fondly remember going on field trips as a student to the various museums across the island. I think it is a great honor for that painting, Mr. Kelcer. Virosian history is important to preserve in this day and age. With so many outsiders coming in and through, we must uphold our identity. The myth of Naeda is a fine example of that — it's something every Virosian kid hears growing up from their elders."
"I… see. I never understood why Alexei was so infatuated with Virosian culture so much. Don't get me wrong, I definitely admire it, but I never needed it so deep in my bones like he did. He was, well, an interesting friend to say the least. We were all betting on whether he'd commit suicide or live to be a tortured artist. But I guess Virosian culture is just something you need to experience firsthand to get the true magic of it. When he came back with the idea of Selene, it was like the spark in his eyes came back. Those watercolor blue eyes were glittering like the shimmering sea. He told us finally found the inspiration for his next masterpiece with the help of a granny he knew."
??? what the fuck did she say for it to lead to necromancy.
"Well, it's getting cold out." It wasn't. "We will meet again later, when the stars align just right."
Catheris forced a light smile and an airy chuckle, then proceeded to ~mysteriously disappear out of Mr. Kelcer's sight.