09-12-2019, 06:55 PM
School of Biological Sciences, Hazelton University, Hazelton, Kerlile
12th September 2019 – 11:07am Kerlian time
Councillor Rosemary Arnott ran along the corridor, her two armed guards matching her pace, though they didn’t look very happy about it. A couple of students and professors turned to stare at the three of them, one almost dropping a petri dish in shock as she was forced to press herself against a wall to let them past.
“Sorry I’m late!” Rosemary called as she pushed into a lecture theatre, panting for breath as she slowed down. The professor fell silent, freezing and dropping a pen which clattered on the floor in front of her. The class turned to see who had entered the room as the armed guards stepped inside and took their position by the door.
“C… Councillor Arnott! I’m so sorry!” the professor said, horrified. “If I had known you were coming I wouldn’t have started without you! Please forgive me!”
“Oh, no it was my fault, the train didn’t arrive in Hazelton until about 3am last night and I just overslept. And after missing the first three days of classes as well! I’ll just sit in the back, sorry to have disturbed the lesson.”
“Here, Councillor, you can have my seat!” an eager young woman in the front row called.
“Or mine, please!” another woman added, standing up and gathering her things.
“It’s fine,” Rosemary said, her cheeks glowing slightly red as she hurriedly walked to the back and sat down. One of the guards made to follow her. “No, it’s okay.”
“Ma’am, this area hasn’t been secured, I must stay near you.”
“I said it’s fine,” Rosemary hissed. The class were still staring at her and she was beginning to get horrendously embarrassed.
“Ma’am, your mother gave me strict orders.”
Rosemary groaned and put her head down on the desk as the guard took up her position behind her. She’d known it might be like this at first, but she was utterly determined to bring some normality back to her life. Her summer spent in the Council Chamber had made her long for a dorm room, some alcohol of dubious quality, and sneaking out after curfew to visit the swimming pool and run like hell if someone called the police.
“I will begin again,” the professor said, bowing deferentially towards Rosemary.
“No, it’s my fault, please, just continue from where you were,” she said, sitting up straight and opening her notebook.
“As you wish,” the professor said, bowing once more. “As I was saying, we see this behaviour in the majority of mammals, however there are some interesting exceptions…”
Canteen, Hazelton University
1pm Kerlian time
“If someone was going to poison me, do you really think they’d do it here and risk all the collateral damage?” Rosemary gritted her teeth as she glared at one of her guards.
“Terrorists rarely care for collateral damage, ma’am,” the guard said.
“Well, I’m going to eat it, unless you’re going to tackle me to the ground in front of all these witnesses? Me, a Councillor? Didn’t think so,” Rosemary spun around and picked up the tray. She carried it over to a table where five students sat, laughing and eating. “Surprise! Bet you didn’t expect to see me back!”
The five students jumped and turned, recognition in their eyes as they all scrambled to their feet. Rosemary put the tray down and grinned, arms out as if expecting a group hug. The five women instead looked at the ground, eyes every so often moving to glance at the Councillor then turning away.
“What, no greeting?” Rosemary laughed, her voice teasing even as the smile drained from her eyes.
“Councillor, it’s wonderful to see you,” one of the women said eventually.
“Mari, it’s me, you can call me by my name,”
“Of course, Cou… Rosemary,” the woman, Mari, replied.
“Oh come on, you know me! We were friends. We did everything together. Why are you still standing? Sit down! Eat! Laugh! Come on, nothing’s changed!”
The five women immediately took their seats, remaining silent. Rosemary sat down next to them, taking a sip of water. The two guards took positions on either side of the table.
“Can you two please leave me be?” Rosemary asked them. They just looked at her. She groaned. “Look, I know the situation is… different, but can we still be friends?”
The five women exchanged a look.
“Of course, Councillor,” one said.
“Rosemary,” Rosemary insisted. “You still watching that Lauchenoirian show about the space monkeys, Rach?”
“What show? I would never violate the law by watching foreign media!” a woman, Rachel, looked horrified, glancing frantically at the guards.
“No, of course you wouldn’t,” Rosemary said sullenly. “Know what? I’m not hungry. I’ll see you later,” she said, pushing her tray away then standing up and storming off down the corridor. She exited the building and walked across some grass, letting a nearby fountain spray her with a little water. The guards followed. She walked up to a parked car, where a chauffeur stood waiting. She gestured and he opened the door. She climbed inside, and folded her arms.
“Where to, ma’am?”
“My apartment, please.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The car drove off, across town, heading to the upmarket district to the west of the city. The journey took around ten minutes, passing rows of fancy glass buildings and corporate headquarters. The city was one of Kerlile’s wealthiest, and contained the headquarters of the vast majority of Kerlile’s technological and scientific companies. They passed through the corporate district and into the wealthiest residential area. They pulled up to a large apartment building, passing through a security gate.
“Leave me alone,” Rosemary ordered the guards as she got out of the vehicle, ignoring the bowing doorman and entering the elevator. She jabbed the button for the penthouse as the guards hurried to catch up. “I mean it!”
As the doors closed she breathed a sigh of relief. The guards had been annoying her all day, and by this point she would rather have been assassinated than spend another moment in their company. The elevator reached her floor and she exited into her apartment. She threw her bag of books on a fancy sofa, and then stalked into her bedroom, pulling the blinds closed, slipping off her shoes and throwing herself onto the bed.
She pulled the covers over her head, grabbed a pillow which she clutched close to her chest, and then began to sob.
12th September 2019 – 11:07am Kerlian time
Councillor Rosemary Arnott ran along the corridor, her two armed guards matching her pace, though they didn’t look very happy about it. A couple of students and professors turned to stare at the three of them, one almost dropping a petri dish in shock as she was forced to press herself against a wall to let them past.
“Sorry I’m late!” Rosemary called as she pushed into a lecture theatre, panting for breath as she slowed down. The professor fell silent, freezing and dropping a pen which clattered on the floor in front of her. The class turned to see who had entered the room as the armed guards stepped inside and took their position by the door.
“C… Councillor Arnott! I’m so sorry!” the professor said, horrified. “If I had known you were coming I wouldn’t have started without you! Please forgive me!”
“Oh, no it was my fault, the train didn’t arrive in Hazelton until about 3am last night and I just overslept. And after missing the first three days of classes as well! I’ll just sit in the back, sorry to have disturbed the lesson.”
“Here, Councillor, you can have my seat!” an eager young woman in the front row called.
“Or mine, please!” another woman added, standing up and gathering her things.
“It’s fine,” Rosemary said, her cheeks glowing slightly red as she hurriedly walked to the back and sat down. One of the guards made to follow her. “No, it’s okay.”
“Ma’am, this area hasn’t been secured, I must stay near you.”
“I said it’s fine,” Rosemary hissed. The class were still staring at her and she was beginning to get horrendously embarrassed.
“Ma’am, your mother gave me strict orders.”
Rosemary groaned and put her head down on the desk as the guard took up her position behind her. She’d known it might be like this at first, but she was utterly determined to bring some normality back to her life. Her summer spent in the Council Chamber had made her long for a dorm room, some alcohol of dubious quality, and sneaking out after curfew to visit the swimming pool and run like hell if someone called the police.
“I will begin again,” the professor said, bowing deferentially towards Rosemary.
“No, it’s my fault, please, just continue from where you were,” she said, sitting up straight and opening her notebook.
“As you wish,” the professor said, bowing once more. “As I was saying, we see this behaviour in the majority of mammals, however there are some interesting exceptions…”
Canteen, Hazelton University
1pm Kerlian time
“If someone was going to poison me, do you really think they’d do it here and risk all the collateral damage?” Rosemary gritted her teeth as she glared at one of her guards.
“Terrorists rarely care for collateral damage, ma’am,” the guard said.
“Well, I’m going to eat it, unless you’re going to tackle me to the ground in front of all these witnesses? Me, a Councillor? Didn’t think so,” Rosemary spun around and picked up the tray. She carried it over to a table where five students sat, laughing and eating. “Surprise! Bet you didn’t expect to see me back!”
The five students jumped and turned, recognition in their eyes as they all scrambled to their feet. Rosemary put the tray down and grinned, arms out as if expecting a group hug. The five women instead looked at the ground, eyes every so often moving to glance at the Councillor then turning away.
“What, no greeting?” Rosemary laughed, her voice teasing even as the smile drained from her eyes.
“Councillor, it’s wonderful to see you,” one of the women said eventually.
“Mari, it’s me, you can call me by my name,”
“Of course, Cou… Rosemary,” the woman, Mari, replied.
“Oh come on, you know me! We were friends. We did everything together. Why are you still standing? Sit down! Eat! Laugh! Come on, nothing’s changed!”
The five women immediately took their seats, remaining silent. Rosemary sat down next to them, taking a sip of water. The two guards took positions on either side of the table.
“Can you two please leave me be?” Rosemary asked them. They just looked at her. She groaned. “Look, I know the situation is… different, but can we still be friends?”
The five women exchanged a look.
“Of course, Councillor,” one said.
“Rosemary,” Rosemary insisted. “You still watching that Lauchenoirian show about the space monkeys, Rach?”
“What show? I would never violate the law by watching foreign media!” a woman, Rachel, looked horrified, glancing frantically at the guards.
“No, of course you wouldn’t,” Rosemary said sullenly. “Know what? I’m not hungry. I’ll see you later,” she said, pushing her tray away then standing up and storming off down the corridor. She exited the building and walked across some grass, letting a nearby fountain spray her with a little water. The guards followed. She walked up to a parked car, where a chauffeur stood waiting. She gestured and he opened the door. She climbed inside, and folded her arms.
“Where to, ma’am?”
“My apartment, please.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The car drove off, across town, heading to the upmarket district to the west of the city. The journey took around ten minutes, passing rows of fancy glass buildings and corporate headquarters. The city was one of Kerlile’s wealthiest, and contained the headquarters of the vast majority of Kerlile’s technological and scientific companies. They passed through the corporate district and into the wealthiest residential area. They pulled up to a large apartment building, passing through a security gate.
“Leave me alone,” Rosemary ordered the guards as she got out of the vehicle, ignoring the bowing doorman and entering the elevator. She jabbed the button for the penthouse as the guards hurried to catch up. “I mean it!”
As the doors closed she breathed a sigh of relief. The guards had been annoying her all day, and by this point she would rather have been assassinated than spend another moment in their company. The elevator reached her floor and she exited into her apartment. She threw her bag of books on a fancy sofa, and then stalked into her bedroom, pulling the blinds closed, slipping off her shoes and throwing herself onto the bed.
She pulled the covers over her head, grabbed a pillow which she clutched close to her chest, and then began to sob.
LIDUN President 2024 | she/her | Puppets: Kerlile, Glanainn, Yesteria, Zongongia, Zargothrax