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Episode
021 |
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Outsourced
Consult Morgan
Brandywyne Age
– 28 Current
Occupation – Freelance lyricist/composer, Adjunct professor (music theory,
music performance) Status
– Renounced the Oath of Chivalry five years ago (former Knight-Errant) Age
sworn to the Oath of Chivalry – 7 Weapon
of Choice – Grosse Messer The mall parking lot was sparsely
crowded. Minivans and SUVs littered
the pavement landscape. The closest
spaces were choked with cars while the dense packaging of vehicles tapered
off quickly towards the back of the lot. The black sedan pulled into a
distant space. Inside, Morgan turned
the car off. In a Ghost in the Shell
T-shirt, he sat still for a moment, a glum look on his face. He waited until “What are we doing here again?”
Edgar asked as he got out of the car. “I’m running some errands,” Morgan
answered, checking his pockets. “You
two are harassing me about knight business.” “How do you know that?” “For one, I haven’t smiled since
1998,” Morgan answered, coming around “Wow,” Edgar said, following
Morgan. “I was expecting to dance
around that topic for at least ten, fifteen minutes.” “I don’t dance anymore; let’s cut
to the chase,” Morgan said. He looked
back at “You don’t even know what we’re
asking,” “I don’t care.” “Stop trying to be a bigger jerk
than you already are,” The three stopped, waiting as two cars
approached from opposite sides of the street.
“The only time any of you guys come around is when you want me to
start wearing red and black again.
It’s not happening. I’ve
severed my ties with the knights; I’ve made my peace, such as I can; now I
want to leave that world behind me.” “Morgan, this is a pretty serious
situation,” Edgar warned as the cars passed, the three beginning across the
crosswalk. “The Crimson Rose is bad
news for all of us, even if we have nothing to do with him or what he’s
trying to do.” “Guys,” Morgan reminded them. “I’m not a knight anymore.” As he spoke, he held the door open for a
young woman coming out of the mall. He
let her passed, then looked across at Everett and Edgar. They both gave him the same look. “Shut up,” he grumbled, heading inside. The large, two-story mall opened up before
them. The echo of commerce and soft
music filled the manicured air. The
smell of cleaning agents and perfume wafted through the open spaces as
shoppers walked casually through the long corridor. Morgan sniffed disapprovingly at the mall,
then walked to the map. The lit-up
display showed a layout of the large mall, the tiny stores little more than
slivers along the expansive shape.
“This place gets bigger every frickin’ time.” “Maybe you’re just getting smaller,” Edgar
chided as Morgan searched. “What are you looking for?” “A store,” Morgan said before heading
off. Edgar and Everett looked at each
other, then followed. Morgan led the
way along the shops, staying near the entrances while just out of the way of
the slower shoppers. “I remember when
I was a kid, watching Dawn of the Dead,” he commented back to the two
knights. “I never understood how the
people were able to adequately fortify a whole mall.” “I think malls were different back in the day,”
Morgan came to a nexus of shops and
paused, looking at the major department stores at the ends. He got his bearings, then turned around. “Alright you two,” he said, pointing at
Edgar and Everett. “This does not get
back to Roland, Ledger, or Armand. Do
you understand?” “What, you think “Depends on how funny it is.” Morgan gave them both a look, then turned
to his right to the small alcove of shops in front of Sears. As they neared the edge of the store, the
sound of chirps and high-pitched calls echoed out into the mall’s space. “No,” |
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