To starlight16, my ONE reviewer: yeah, I have a Henry plushie too. I
squeeze him an awful lot. And as for Mina dying/Jekyll in love, let's just
wait and see, shall we?
By the way, this is a FANTASY story, so if I do kill Mina off, don't come off flaming, okay? Because, in the world of the LXG, any events considered fantasy don't actually happen. Thanks, and enjoy chapter two!
*
"Skinner, put this hat on!"
Sawyer tossed Rodney Skinner a black top hat. The two were in Skinner's room dressing for dinner. Nemo had insisted they have a formal dinner that evening to welcome McCane and Batsie aboard the Nautilus. For Skinner and Sawyer, formal dress proved to be a challenging, yet fun, experience.
Skinner caught the hat from Sawyer and put it on his head. He made a face and took it off. "I don't think so, old chap. Just toss me my regular hat. That'll have to do."
"Good evening, gentlemen," said Nemo, poking his head into the room. He was wearing his regular uniform, but it had been cleaned and polished. "I trust that you will be ready in a few minutes."
"Yep," Sawyer grinned. He looked very odd in a tuxedo, but he figured if Skinner was going to wear one, he'd try it out as well. Skinner looked even more unusual in a tuxedo, but he wanted to impress McCane's ex-wife.
"Poor Mina," Skinner remarked as he tied his bowtie. "I hope she feels better soon."
"I don't think she will," Sawyer said sadly. "Jekyll said she's going to be sick for a week."
"A WEEK?" Nemo and Skinner both stared at him.
Sawyer shrugged. "That's what Jekyll said."
* * *
Even though Andre McCane was one of the most interesting people he'd ever met, Jekyll made up his mind not to go to dinner. For several reasons. One, Mina couldn't be left alone in her room. With the League's luck, she'd probably vomit up a lung before the day was out.
Two, he wanted to make the best impression, and he couldn't make a good impression on anybody with Hyde haunting the back of his mind. He didn't want McCane's wife to catch him talking to Hyde, and he didn't want Hyde to cause any mischief.
Three, Jekyll himself was uncomfortable around strangers. All he needed in life was a few close friends anyway.
So, these were the reasons he told Nemo for not going to dinner.
"I understand, Jekyll," Nemo said, putting a strong hand on Jekyll's weak shoulder. "I understand that you are shy when it comes to meeting others. However, this was something I wanted the whole League to do together. We barely ever get visitors on the Nautilus."
"With Mina sick, Captain, there's already no way that the League is going to do this together."
"True, Jekyll. We don't want our precious Mina to die from lack of care. All right, then, you watch over Mina during dinner. I'll inform the rest of the League about your whereabouts."
Jekyll nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. Even though Mina wasn't exactly good company when she was sick, Jekyll wasn't pushing himself any more than he needed to for the day.
* * *
Beautiful as she looked in her traveling clothes, Batsie Linoge looked even more radiant in the white cocktail dress she wore to dinner. Around her neck was a gorgeous diamond necklace, and her curls were styled so that they encircled her head like a halo. The men of the League just couldn't get over her beauty.
When she entered the Nautilus' dining room, Skinner just stared at her, at a loss for words. For once in his life, he was speechless in front of a woman.
Sawyer wanted desperately to go up and kiss her hand, but he restrained himself from doing so. Like Jekyll, he didn't want to make a fool out of himself on his first meeting with her.
Nemo attempted to bow, but even he couldn't get over Batsie's beauty. As he pushed the top half of his body forward in a bow, he couldn't take his eyes off her.
The only man in the room not transfixed on Batsie was Andre McCane himself. He was acting as if Batsie was just another woman in the room; he wasn't surprised by her brilliance at all. Maybe he was used to it. After all, they had been married for thirteen years.
"Why the heck did they divorce?" Sawyer whispered hoarsely to his comrade Skinner. "She's gorgeous. He's a handsome gentleman. They're a perfect match."
"Why are you asking why?" Skinner hissed back. "She's single. Amen!"
"She's not single. She got remarried to some guy named Simon Linoge."
"You're kidding," said Skinner flatly.
"Skinner, with a woman as beautiful as her, you think she would stay single for long?" Sawyer whispered back to him. "I just hope her outside appearance reflects what she's like inside."
"Mrs. Linoge, I welcome you to the dining room aboard my ship," Nemo smiled at Batsie, bowing again. "And now, we eat."
Batsie just nodded at him and gripped the arm of her ex-husband. "Andre, are seats usually assigned at the Captain's table?"
"Not usually."
Batsie smiled. And the smile put the finishing touch on her beautiful face. "Good. Then please sit beside me."
Skinner, Sawyer, and Nemo pouted simultaneously. Nemo sat at the head of the table, with Skinner and Sawyer to his right and the formerly married couple to his left. Sawyer then discovered something.
"Skinner," he whispered to Skinner. "McCane's sitting BESIDE her. We're sitting ACROSS from her. We get to see right into her face. He doesn't." Skinner smiled out of pure glee.
"We are about to feast on the finest seafood of the world's four oceans," Nemo announced proudly. "But first, we toast. To a happy journey to New Zealand, and to new friends who inspire us with their presence." The four other diners raised their glasses, toasted, and drank.
"And now we feast," Nemo announced. Skinner and Sawyer immediately dug in.
"Wait!" Batsie cried. Everybody turned to look at her. "Captain, excuse me for interrupting dinner, but aren't we going to pray before we eat?"
Astounded at her request, Skinner turned to Sawyer. "Remember what you were saying about her outward appearance reflecting what's inside, Sawyer? Well, considering what she just asked us to do, I believe your hopes will be fulfilled."
Sawyer just smiled and folded his hands in prayer.
*
If anyone has any ideas about what they want to see later on in the story, don't hesitate to leave a comment. I thoroughly consider all ideas sent in, even though I might not use them all. (By the way, this goes for Happy New Year, too. Darn that writer's block.)
~ Alisonia
By the way, this is a FANTASY story, so if I do kill Mina off, don't come off flaming, okay? Because, in the world of the LXG, any events considered fantasy don't actually happen. Thanks, and enjoy chapter two!
*
"Skinner, put this hat on!"
Sawyer tossed Rodney Skinner a black top hat. The two were in Skinner's room dressing for dinner. Nemo had insisted they have a formal dinner that evening to welcome McCane and Batsie aboard the Nautilus. For Skinner and Sawyer, formal dress proved to be a challenging, yet fun, experience.
Skinner caught the hat from Sawyer and put it on his head. He made a face and took it off. "I don't think so, old chap. Just toss me my regular hat. That'll have to do."
"Good evening, gentlemen," said Nemo, poking his head into the room. He was wearing his regular uniform, but it had been cleaned and polished. "I trust that you will be ready in a few minutes."
"Yep," Sawyer grinned. He looked very odd in a tuxedo, but he figured if Skinner was going to wear one, he'd try it out as well. Skinner looked even more unusual in a tuxedo, but he wanted to impress McCane's ex-wife.
"Poor Mina," Skinner remarked as he tied his bowtie. "I hope she feels better soon."
"I don't think she will," Sawyer said sadly. "Jekyll said she's going to be sick for a week."
"A WEEK?" Nemo and Skinner both stared at him.
Sawyer shrugged. "That's what Jekyll said."
* * *
Even though Andre McCane was one of the most interesting people he'd ever met, Jekyll made up his mind not to go to dinner. For several reasons. One, Mina couldn't be left alone in her room. With the League's luck, she'd probably vomit up a lung before the day was out.
Two, he wanted to make the best impression, and he couldn't make a good impression on anybody with Hyde haunting the back of his mind. He didn't want McCane's wife to catch him talking to Hyde, and he didn't want Hyde to cause any mischief.
Three, Jekyll himself was uncomfortable around strangers. All he needed in life was a few close friends anyway.
So, these were the reasons he told Nemo for not going to dinner.
"I understand, Jekyll," Nemo said, putting a strong hand on Jekyll's weak shoulder. "I understand that you are shy when it comes to meeting others. However, this was something I wanted the whole League to do together. We barely ever get visitors on the Nautilus."
"With Mina sick, Captain, there's already no way that the League is going to do this together."
"True, Jekyll. We don't want our precious Mina to die from lack of care. All right, then, you watch over Mina during dinner. I'll inform the rest of the League about your whereabouts."
Jekyll nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. Even though Mina wasn't exactly good company when she was sick, Jekyll wasn't pushing himself any more than he needed to for the day.
* * *
Beautiful as she looked in her traveling clothes, Batsie Linoge looked even more radiant in the white cocktail dress she wore to dinner. Around her neck was a gorgeous diamond necklace, and her curls were styled so that they encircled her head like a halo. The men of the League just couldn't get over her beauty.
When she entered the Nautilus' dining room, Skinner just stared at her, at a loss for words. For once in his life, he was speechless in front of a woman.
Sawyer wanted desperately to go up and kiss her hand, but he restrained himself from doing so. Like Jekyll, he didn't want to make a fool out of himself on his first meeting with her.
Nemo attempted to bow, but even he couldn't get over Batsie's beauty. As he pushed the top half of his body forward in a bow, he couldn't take his eyes off her.
The only man in the room not transfixed on Batsie was Andre McCane himself. He was acting as if Batsie was just another woman in the room; he wasn't surprised by her brilliance at all. Maybe he was used to it. After all, they had been married for thirteen years.
"Why the heck did they divorce?" Sawyer whispered hoarsely to his comrade Skinner. "She's gorgeous. He's a handsome gentleman. They're a perfect match."
"Why are you asking why?" Skinner hissed back. "She's single. Amen!"
"She's not single. She got remarried to some guy named Simon Linoge."
"You're kidding," said Skinner flatly.
"Skinner, with a woman as beautiful as her, you think she would stay single for long?" Sawyer whispered back to him. "I just hope her outside appearance reflects what she's like inside."
"Mrs. Linoge, I welcome you to the dining room aboard my ship," Nemo smiled at Batsie, bowing again. "And now, we eat."
Batsie just nodded at him and gripped the arm of her ex-husband. "Andre, are seats usually assigned at the Captain's table?"
"Not usually."
Batsie smiled. And the smile put the finishing touch on her beautiful face. "Good. Then please sit beside me."
Skinner, Sawyer, and Nemo pouted simultaneously. Nemo sat at the head of the table, with Skinner and Sawyer to his right and the formerly married couple to his left. Sawyer then discovered something.
"Skinner," he whispered to Skinner. "McCane's sitting BESIDE her. We're sitting ACROSS from her. We get to see right into her face. He doesn't." Skinner smiled out of pure glee.
"We are about to feast on the finest seafood of the world's four oceans," Nemo announced proudly. "But first, we toast. To a happy journey to New Zealand, and to new friends who inspire us with their presence." The four other diners raised their glasses, toasted, and drank.
"And now we feast," Nemo announced. Skinner and Sawyer immediately dug in.
"Wait!" Batsie cried. Everybody turned to look at her. "Captain, excuse me for interrupting dinner, but aren't we going to pray before we eat?"
Astounded at her request, Skinner turned to Sawyer. "Remember what you were saying about her outward appearance reflecting what's inside, Sawyer? Well, considering what she just asked us to do, I believe your hopes will be fulfilled."
Sawyer just smiled and folded his hands in prayer.
*
If anyone has any ideas about what they want to see later on in the story, don't hesitate to leave a comment. I thoroughly consider all ideas sent in, even though I might not use them all. (By the way, this goes for Happy New Year, too. Darn that writer's block.)
~ Alisonia
