After his victory over Cassius, Skyler lingered by the Wards long after the Arena emptied out. Imperator had left several grave wounds, and they were taking a good deal of time to heal. Grinning a bloody grin, he sat silently for a long while, taking pleasure in the bizarre tingle of his flesh knitting back together. He was exhausted when he finally rose to leave, but there was also newfound vigor in his steps as he reflected on the fruits of his labors. Tonight, he wasn?t going home to the same old place. Tonight, he would be the Lord of the Manor.
Before going to see his new home, he stopped by the closest brothel, dumped a bag of silver on the front desk and shouted up the stairs, ?I?m hiring every girl in here for the rest of the night!?
Footsteps reverberated and doors flew open as a dozen half-dressed hookers looked down in excitement at the long-haired youth. Skyler tossed another bag of silver up and down in his hand. ?Who wants to party in the Baronial Manor of New Haven tonight??
The girls giggled excitedly and crowded down the steps, cooing and fussing over Skyler as he led them away.
When they got there, Skyler was feeling pretty smug and cool and sexy. So, to impress the ladies, he kicked open the front door. They all cheered and complimented him. Skyler looked back over his shoulder and gave them a suave smile.
The boy stepped inside, and the butler and the maid moved to greet him. The butler was a frail old man who had no place in Skyler?s home. ?Good evening,? the geezer said. ?You must be our new Baron, Lord Chamberland. Allow me to introduce my--!?
Immediately Skyler kicked him in the balls. The old man doubled over. Then Skyler grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him out the front door! He went sprawling across the lawn, clutching himself while the hookers pointed and laughed at him. ?Don?t worry, old man!? Skyler shouted. ?I doubt you were using them for anything.? The girls laughed even louder at that and followed the young Baron inside.
The maid was watching Skyler with wide-eyed fear. She was a short, thin girl, and Skyler noticed she had some hotness about her. But she was inconsiderate enough to conceal her figure under a baggy, traditional maid?s uniform. ?A maid in my house wears a thong and nothing else,? he scolded her. ?You will pay for your discretion.? He knotted a fist in her hair and dragged her whimpering over to a sofa, where Skyler bent her over his knee and administered a righteous spanking to her plush, round buttocks. The hookers laughed raucously as the boy spanked the girl?s bottom over and over.
Finally he let her up, and she stumbled to her feet revealing tear-stained cheeks. ?Now go bring us all back some drinks, and be quick about it, or you?ll get worse next time.?
The hookers crowded around Skyler, rubbing his chest, playing with his hair, kissing his neck and such. He let them fawn over him for a few minutes, but soon shoved them off. ?I didn?t bring you whores here to service me,? he warned them. The prostitutes gave him confused, playfully suspicious looks. ?No . . . tonight, I plan to watch.?
With that, Skyler flopped down into an armchair, wiggled around until he was comfortable, then gazed expectantly at them. ?You girls know what ?sapphic? means, don?t you? Of course you do.?
The hookers obediently conglomerated into a single mass of bodies. The maid soon returned to Skyler with a bottle of vodka and a cigar on a silver platter. He lit the cigar and puffed contentedly, flicking the ashes on the carpet and filling the room in a haze of smoke. He drank the liquor straight from the bottle, one of his legs dangling unceremoniously over the arm of the chair. Late into the night he watched the orgy.
By three a.m., they were all asleep in each others? arms, including the maid, who had joined them in spite of herself. All slumbered except for Skyler. The Baron still lounged in his chair, blackly drunk, staring loathsomely between the sea of bodies on the living room carpet, and the starry sky outside the window, hating himself.
Oh, what wild chaos was raging beneath the numbness caused by the alcohol. Skyler?s emotions were a train wreck. If he had had parents who loved him, or anyone for that matter, he might not have been so pathetic. If he could keep a girlfriend for more than a week, one who would love him despite his numerous faults, perhaps he wouldn?t be such a sad, lonely, lost boy. Perhaps he wouldn?t do vile things because they gave him a false sense of self-worth and significance. But, perhaps he needed to love himself before anyone else would. And, perhaps . . . he was just too young to keep good love from going bad.
Lazing there in the darkness, he recalled the lyrics of some song he?d heard long ago. The words, so true and relative to him, had permanently nested in his mind. Sometimes, late at night, he would let down his guard, gaze at the sky with sad eyes, and whisper them. He did so now.
?And when your fears subside
And shadows still remain . . .
I know that you can love me,
When there's no one left to blame.
So never mind the darkness,
We still can find a way.
'Cause nothing lasts forever
Even cold November Rain.?
To be continued . . .
Lyrics courtesy of Guns N' Roses
Before going to see his new home, he stopped by the closest brothel, dumped a bag of silver on the front desk and shouted up the stairs, ?I?m hiring every girl in here for the rest of the night!?
Footsteps reverberated and doors flew open as a dozen half-dressed hookers looked down in excitement at the long-haired youth. Skyler tossed another bag of silver up and down in his hand. ?Who wants to party in the Baronial Manor of New Haven tonight??
The girls giggled excitedly and crowded down the steps, cooing and fussing over Skyler as he led them away.
When they got there, Skyler was feeling pretty smug and cool and sexy. So, to impress the ladies, he kicked open the front door. They all cheered and complimented him. Skyler looked back over his shoulder and gave them a suave smile.
The boy stepped inside, and the butler and the maid moved to greet him. The butler was a frail old man who had no place in Skyler?s home. ?Good evening,? the geezer said. ?You must be our new Baron, Lord Chamberland. Allow me to introduce my--!?
Immediately Skyler kicked him in the balls. The old man doubled over. Then Skyler grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him out the front door! He went sprawling across the lawn, clutching himself while the hookers pointed and laughed at him. ?Don?t worry, old man!? Skyler shouted. ?I doubt you were using them for anything.? The girls laughed even louder at that and followed the young Baron inside.
The maid was watching Skyler with wide-eyed fear. She was a short, thin girl, and Skyler noticed she had some hotness about her. But she was inconsiderate enough to conceal her figure under a baggy, traditional maid?s uniform. ?A maid in my house wears a thong and nothing else,? he scolded her. ?You will pay for your discretion.? He knotted a fist in her hair and dragged her whimpering over to a sofa, where Skyler bent her over his knee and administered a righteous spanking to her plush, round buttocks. The hookers laughed raucously as the boy spanked the girl?s bottom over and over.
Finally he let her up, and she stumbled to her feet revealing tear-stained cheeks. ?Now go bring us all back some drinks, and be quick about it, or you?ll get worse next time.?
The hookers crowded around Skyler, rubbing his chest, playing with his hair, kissing his neck and such. He let them fawn over him for a few minutes, but soon shoved them off. ?I didn?t bring you whores here to service me,? he warned them. The prostitutes gave him confused, playfully suspicious looks. ?No . . . tonight, I plan to watch.?
With that, Skyler flopped down into an armchair, wiggled around until he was comfortable, then gazed expectantly at them. ?You girls know what ?sapphic? means, don?t you? Of course you do.?
The hookers obediently conglomerated into a single mass of bodies. The maid soon returned to Skyler with a bottle of vodka and a cigar on a silver platter. He lit the cigar and puffed contentedly, flicking the ashes on the carpet and filling the room in a haze of smoke. He drank the liquor straight from the bottle, one of his legs dangling unceremoniously over the arm of the chair. Late into the night he watched the orgy.
By three a.m., they were all asleep in each others? arms, including the maid, who had joined them in spite of herself. All slumbered except for Skyler. The Baron still lounged in his chair, blackly drunk, staring loathsomely between the sea of bodies on the living room carpet, and the starry sky outside the window, hating himself.
Oh, what wild chaos was raging beneath the numbness caused by the alcohol. Skyler?s emotions were a train wreck. If he had had parents who loved him, or anyone for that matter, he might not have been so pathetic. If he could keep a girlfriend for more than a week, one who would love him despite his numerous faults, perhaps he wouldn?t be such a sad, lonely, lost boy. Perhaps he wouldn?t do vile things because they gave him a false sense of self-worth and significance. But, perhaps he needed to love himself before anyone else would. And, perhaps . . . he was just too young to keep good love from going bad.
Lazing there in the darkness, he recalled the lyrics of some song he?d heard long ago. The words, so true and relative to him, had permanently nested in his mind. Sometimes, late at night, he would let down his guard, gaze at the sky with sad eyes, and whisper them. He did so now.
?And when your fears subside
And shadows still remain . . .
I know that you can love me,
When there's no one left to blame.
So never mind the darkness,
We still can find a way.
'Cause nothing lasts forever
Even cold November Rain.?
To be continued . . .
Lyrics courtesy of Guns N' Roses