Reaver's Servants

Pledge Week

The sun hadn't yet risen over Bower Lake when the servants within Lakeview Manor were roused from their sleep by a loud siren-like sound. Each one jumped from their bed in fright and ran to the hallway. Each covering their ears, the disheveled servants rushed through the house and down to the foyer, finding the front door wide open. Running outside, they found their boss and his assistant (who was still somewhat asleep) waiting outside.

With a big goofy smile on his face, Reaver turned off the device and smiled jovially at his servants. "Well, good morning, my lovelies! Nice of you to join us this fine morning." Reaver looked at the group, still in their night clothes, and gave another devilish smile as he walked in front of them.

"Well, it certainly has been a long spring season, hasn't it? And summer is just about upon us! Which means your trial period is up as of the end of this week. However, to prove to me that you can work for me as full-fledged Reaver Industries employees, I have devised a week of fun activities in a sort of 'trust building' scenario." Reaver announced, not noticing his tired, shivering servants.

Looking among them, night clothes and bed head on all of them, he gave a little chuckle. "Now, now, my doves look more enthusiastic. Great rewards await you should you pass each exercise." He added, leaning against the device. Each servant glared at him.

"What kind of rewards, Mr. Reaver?" asked Willa, shivering in her short nightgown.

"Well, Little Bit; if I tell you, then it wouldn't be much of a surprise now would it?" Reaver said, jovially.

"Mr. Reaver, with all due respect, the sun isn't even up." Miss Sarah yawned, in her long sleeve knee length nightgown. She was probably the only one among the servants who was semi-comfortable at the moment.

"Well, that is the first part of today's exercise, my dear Miss Sarah. To show you can be ready for anything at a moment's notice, you have to be up and ready whenever I need you. And you all passed with flying colors!" Reaver clapped happily, with Barry joining along, though still somewhat tired himself. "But this is just the first part of the day! Go inside and get dressed, and be out here in ten minutes…" Reaver pulled out his pocket watch and opened it. "I will be timing you. GO!"

The servants ran inside as fast as they could. "Let the hazing ritual begin, Mr. Hatch!" said Reaver, jovially to his semi-awake attendant. Barry was snoring softly while leaning against the device. "The thought of them running around, trying their hardest to prove they need these jobs brings a warm feeling into my gut. Oooh! I am excited! Are you excited, Barry?" Reaver looked over to Barry, who slid off the device and fell to the ground, snoring. Not really noticing his passed out attendant, Reaver smiled at the rising sun.

Day One: Alertness

Each servant dressed in their uniforms and more awake now, Reaver smiled evilly as he held a whistle in his hand. "Now, this test isn't too hard. In fact, with all the activities I have planned this week, it might be the easiest. Today I will be testing your alertness. On any given day, I might need you at a moment's notice for anything, be it an emergency or…my own amusement." He chuckled.

He blew into the whistle loudly and each servant stood in attention. "Good. You know what a whistle is. Now, today you will go about your chores as usual. However, whenever I blow this whistle, you must come find me. I might be somewhere in the house or anywhere outside in the Bower Lake area. I will blow the whistle only three times. Should you not get to me within three whistles, you fail. And trust me…you don't want to know what happens when you fail a test…"

Looking worriedly at each other, the servants dispersed when Reaver dismissed them. Barry, who had been standing next to Reaver, looked up at his boss. "If I may, I still think you are underestimating them, Master Reaver. In the last season they've shown more initiative than anyone else you've ever hired; after me, of course."

Noting his attendant's concern, Reaver walked upstairs to his office, with Barry following behind, loyally. "Hatch; in the time I've been in this house, which is longer than you have been working for me, I've learned that even the best servants have their limits. To work for me, servants must go beyond their limits, even if it almost kills them; which you've proven many times."

Barry sighed and continued to follow his master. "I still think you're underestimating them…"

Reaver stopped dead in his tracks and tapped his walking stick on the floor. "Hatch, your concern for these circus rejects is very cute, but remember this very carefully; they are servants, they are humans. Though, sometimes I doubt Rosie is…"

The day went on without much interruption. The servants panicked whenever they thought they heard a whistle. Each time, it was either the guard at the guard booth up the hill or a tea kettle. Rosie set out Reaver's afternoon tea on a table near the dock. With Beryl helping her, Rosie finished faster than she usually did. "I still think these exercises are stupid." said Rosie, as she finished setting everything properly.

"I don't like it either, but we do need these jobs. And if it means having to jump through a few hoops, than we might as well ask how high." said Beryl, sounding a little defeated herself.

"You've been talking to Miss Sarah again, haven't you?" Rosie asked. Beryl nodded and walked toward the dock.

Both girls stopped talking when they heard a whistle. This time, they knew it was Reaver's whistle. "Where…where is it coming from?" asked Beryl. Rosie closed her eyes for a second and concentrated. Her eyes jerked open and she pointed towards the road to Bowerstone. Rosie ran, with Beryl following behind.

The other servants ran out of the house, searching eagerly for the whistle. "It's not coming from the study." shouted Willa, running up to Miss Sarah, who was already outside.

Gordon ran from the garden and toward them. "It has to be from outside, it sounds too loud to be from inside." said Gordon, catching his breath. As they looked around, they saw Rosie zoom by them, with Beryl hot on her tracks.

"Rosie's got it!" she yelled, as they all ran after Rosie.

Like a bloodhound, Rosie could sense where the sound came from, but had to stop every so often to reassess herself. It wasn't until they heard the second whistle that Rosie was back on the trail. "What in the Hell is that noise?" they heard some of the nobles shout, as they went about their daily walks. "It must be Reaver! I swear sometimes…" other nobles murmured, as the servants zoomed past.

They reached the monorail station just as the second whistle ended. With the servants at her heels, Rosie looked around sharply and tried to concentrate. Holding her breath and closing her eyes tight, Rosie concentrated and pointed to the top of the old mill building. "But that building is closed off! How did he get in there, and furthermore how do we get in there?" Willa shouted.

"He's not inside…he's on the roof." said Rosie, pointing upward. All of the servants pointed their gaze to the top of the building.

Cracking his knuckles, Gordon walked up to the side of the building. "Then leave it to Me." said Gordon, happily. Grabbing the side of the building, Gordon got his footing right and started climbing.

On top of the building, Reaver and Barry stood, waiting. "So, how did we get up here, again?" asked Barry, as Reaver looked at his pocket watch.

"No time for details, Hatch. They have one more whistle before…" he felt a hand grab his shoulder, which he didn't recognize as Barry's.

"Hello, Mr. Reaver. Rosie said it's time for tea." said Gordon, happily.

Day Two: Speed

Reaver, sitting in a chair with Barry standing next to him, watched as the servants stretched their limbs. "Yesterday proved you can be anywhere I need you, but today you will be tested on how fast you can get somewhere. In front of you are packages I need delivered to different parts of Bowerstone." said Reaver, pointing his cane at some small wrapped boxes in front of him. "Now, they are very important packages. No peeking!" said Reaver, taking out his pocket watch. "I will be timing all of you. Whoever gets back the fastest will receive a special prize. Please try not to take all day, as I do like to eat dinner on time." He pointed his gun into the air and fired once.

"GO!" he shouted, as the Dragonstomper sounded off.

Each servant picked up their packages and ran in the direction of Bowerstone. Willa was dead behind. "Aww, come on you guys! Wait up!" she whined, as she lagged behind.

At the entrance to Bowerstone, the servants split ways. Willa went directly toward Industrial, where her package was addressed to. "To the Orphanage!" she shouted, happily.

Rosie looked at her package. "To the…Queen?!" she said to herself, running toward the market. Miss Sarah and Gordon were apparently going to the same place and ran together. Beryl's curiosity got the better of her and she carefully opened her box. She didn't have a chance to scream.

"What is in those boxes, anyway, Master Reaver?" asked Barry, as he and Reaver waited.

Reaver took out his pocket watch again and stared at it. He closed it tightly and tucked it back in his pocket. "Trash, mostly. One has last night's dinner leftovers in it and another has shredded pieces of paper or pebbles, or both. I think one might have a pair of your old socks in it…oh, and one has beetles inside." he answered snidely.

Less than two hours later, each servant began returning, one by one. Willa came back first. She had what looked like leftovers on her head, and a dejected look. "Congratulations, Little Bit! You're the first back, despite being the last one out. Did the orphanage like my generous donation?" laughed Reaver, with Barry trying to keep his laughter down. "It seems they decided to share." Reaver kept laughing.

Willa grumbled and looked up at Reaver. "The orphanage director has a message for you." She motioned with her index finger for him to come closer. Reaver knelt down to Willa so she could whisper into Reaver's ear. "She said you can go…" What was whispered made him cringe. Willa took a step back when she was done whispering. "…twice over with a cactus."

"Well, she should come here and tell me that herself! We can act upon it accordingly." Reaver growled lustfully. Willa shook off the remaining leftovers and sat on one of the front steps as the other servants began returning.

Rosie was next, looking somewhat roughed up. She walked up to Reaver next and dropped an old pair of socks in front of him. "Well, the soldiers at the front gate of the castle don't like me very much right now." she said, stoically. "I told them the package was important, and they almost wrestled me to the ground as I tried to go in. They took the package from me and inside was an old smelly pair of men's socks." growled Rosie.

Trying not to laugh, Reaver picked up the socks and handed them to Barry. "Well, I guess I'm not invited to her next gala." He remarked, as Rosie went to go sit with Willa.

Next, Gordon and Miss Sarah came walking up together. "Our packages were addressed to the same house. The lady didn't look too happy about getting a box full of shredded paper and a box full of pebbles." said Miss Sarah, passing by Reaver and Barry with Gordon.

"So, what's my prize, Mr. Reaver?" asked Willa, happily skipping up to Reaver. Reaver cocked an eyebrow at Willa. "You said the person who comes back first gets a special reward. So, what's my prize?"

"It's in my bedroom. Come by at the end of the week to receive it." He said, deviously. He then stopped her. "You are of age, correct? Just out of curiosity…" he asked.

"I'm nineteen, Mr. Reaver. We've been over this. I'm not sure how that applies to me getting a prize." Willa answered, somewhat confused by his statement.

"Trust me…it applies." chuckled Reaver.

The sun was just moments from setting when Beryl finally arrived. Reaver looked at his pocket watch and then at Beryl. "You're lucky it's not dinner time yet, or you would have failed! Where in world have you been?" Reaver demanded.

Shaking nervously, Beryl looked up at Reaver, tears in her eyes, and a crack in one of the lenses of her glasses. "Il y avait beaucoup de coléoptères." She whispered softly, as she walked to the manor.

"'There were lots of beetles.'" Reaver translated to Barry, who just nodded.

Day Three: Trust

"I understand why I'm blindfolded, Mr. Reaver…" said Gordon, as he stood against a tree with an apple on his head. Miss Sarah had finished putting the blindfold on Gordon and stepped back a few feet, where Barry and the other servants sat. "…but why are you blindfolded?" he asked.

"This exercise is about trust. If you can't trust your Master, than you cannot do a good job." said Reaver, as he loaded his gun and pointed. "Trust is universal in every employee and employer relationship. Trust keeps us together as the demented little family on this cursed sphere we call Earth." He aimed at what he believed was the apple.

"If you trust me, than no harm shall come to you!" shouted Reaver as he began firing. Barry and the other servants ducked down. Gordon stood still, shaking madly as Reaver shot around haphazardly. "Now isn't this fun?!" he shouted, as shots rang out all over the place. His insane sounding laughter could barely be heard over the gun shots and the sounds of things breaking all around. He stopped only to reload his gun. "Gordon, my good man, are you still alive?" he asked.

"Yes, Mr. Reaver…I think so." answered Gordon, trying to stay still.

"Good. Did I hit the apple, by chance?" Reaver asked again.

Gordon felt the top of his head, and felt the apple. "Well, most of its gone, anyway." said Gordon, again, his voice shaking.

Taking off his blindfold, Reaver saw he hit everything else except Gordon. "Good! You trust me!" he said, jovially. "I wish I could say the same for the birds that used to live in that tree, though…" Reaver walked towards the other servants, who slowly stood up. "Alright! Who's next?"

Day Four: Retrieval

Miss Sarah, Rosie, Willa, and Beryl stood on the dock as Reaver paced in front of them, holding a ring. "This ring is a priceless heirloom, given to me by…well, one of my more recent romantic conquests." Reaver let each one get a close look at the ring. It was a stunning piece made from pure gold with tiny diamonds all around it, and a big ruby adorning the top. "Lovely little bobble, if I do say so myself. Why she gave it to me, I don't know. But I promised her I'd never lose it…" he said as he softly tossed the ring in the air and caught it a few times.

"I am a gentleman first and foremost, and a gentleman keeps his promises…of course, even a gentleman can…lose something by 'accident.'" he said as he chucked the ring into the lake. He laughed softly as the ring made a Ker-plunk sound in the middle of Bower Lake. The girls, shocked, almost shrieked at the sight. "Oopsie! Clumsy me!" Reaver laughed again.

"This test will show me you can and will retrieve anything for me, no matter how impossible or in some cases, idiotic, it may seem." Reaver smiled and looked upon the sparkling water of the lake.

"Hey, why isn't Gordon taking the test?" asked Beryl (glasses fixed), a little annoyed.

"Gordon is exempt from this test, because…well, it's not important. Have fun, ladies!" Reaver walked toward Barry and Gordon and sat in his chair by the table with the umbrella in it.

"So, why am I exempt from this test again?" asked Gordon, as Reaver sipped the wine Barry poured for him. The girls stripped down to their dress slips and dove in. "Ohhh, bless you, Mr. Reaver. You are truly a kind man." said Gordon, watching the girls dive in.

"A little 'guy-time' as they call it is never a bad thing…" said Reaver, as Gordon and Barry stared wide-eyed at the girls in the lake.

In the water, the girls dove down constantly and came back up for air. The day may have been hot, but the water was cold, and it shimmered off their bodies each time they came back up for air. Their dress slips clinging tightly to their forms, the girls struggled a bit with comfort but kept diving.

"I must say, Beryl has some nice legs…" Reaver semi-growled, leaning in for a closer look.

"A little too thin for my tastes…" muttered Barry, wiping the drool from his lips.

"Beryl has always been a bit of a bean-pole; comes with being a contortionist. Now Rosie's figure…" said Gordon, as Rosie came back up for air. "Granted, she's not much personality wise, but it wasn't her fortunes that kept the line to the fortune booth long and mostly men…" The men nodded in agreement as they watched Rosie struggle with the dress slip clinging close to her breasts.

"She can read my fortune any day…" said Reaver, lustfully.

Willa popped her head out of the water and then dove back down again. "Willa has a cute face, but…" Barry interrupted himself when Miss Sarah surfaced.

"Mr. Hatch?" Gordon waved his hand in front of Barry's face.

"I got it!" shouted Rosie, as she waved the ring in the air. The girls started swimming toward the dock and then walked up to Reaver. "Alright, I got it…"

The girls, still sopping wet, didn't get a response from the three men. "…got what…?" asked Reaver.

"The ring you 'accidently' threw into the lake and made us go get." shouted Rosie.

"Oh, yes, well…good work…you…did…" Reaver was too transfixed to say anything else. With an angry sigh, Rosie, Willa, and Beryl sloshed their way past the men, with Rosie tossing the ring on the table.

"Wobble, wobble…" snickered Barry as the men watched the girls walk away.

"Umm…may I please have a towel?" chirped Miss Sarah, as she walked up to them. Her dress slip was the tightest of all, her fair skin shimmering with the lake water…and she was cold. As Gordon and Reaver looked wide-eyed at Miss Sarah, Barry's nose erupted with blood as he fainted (with a smile on his face).

Day Five: Endurance

The only thing the nobles heard was the sound of five servants screaming and running for their lives as a horde of angry mercenaries chased them around Millfields. Reaver, watching from a hill, followed the chase with a sick kind of amusement. "I told them this test was to find out their endurance but truth be told, I just thought this would be funny." He told Barry, who was setting up a picnic lunch.

Day Six: Art Appreciation

"Any servant of mine must have an appreciation for the arts. Be it music, performance pieces, or my favorite, paintings." said Reaver, as he posed on a couch in front of the servants. "Now, let's see what you all come up with."

All the servants stared at him, some drew, and some wrote, while some blushed and tried not to stare. Barry, who probably should have been used to this by now, rubbed his eyes frustratingly in the corner. "Master Reaver, I'm not saying this isn't important, but is it necessary for you to be…au naturel?" asked Barry, not looking up.

Reaver, indeed laying in the buff, smiled devilishly. "Art is life, Barry…" The only thing Reaver was wearing was a red silk scarf around his neck and a big devious smile.

Day Seven: Ceremony

The servants didn't look too enthusiastic about today. The last week had been exhausting and no one looked forward to whatever demented activity Reaver had in store for his poor servants. Each servant looked like they hadn't slept at all. They probably hadn't. The exhausted servants slunk out of their rooms and made their way to the foyer. "I wonder what embarrassing thing he's going to make us do today." whispered Willa, as they waited for their boss.

"Maybe he'll make us mud wrestle in our underwear." snorted Rosie.

"Or maybe he'll send us on a snipe hunt." groaned Beryl.

Gordon chuckled softly. "Maybe he'll make us go out into the forest and train wild boars."

Everyone gave a soft giggle. "I bet he'll make us go to the castle to retrieve the queen's hairbrush." giggled Willa.

"Oh, you'll have to do that. Those guards have it out for me." laughed Rosie.

Miss Sarah smiled through her closed mouth giggle. "Now, now, you guys. I'm sure, once we're half-way up Mistpeak getting a rare egg from a bird thought long extinct, we'll look back and appreciate…" she couldn't stop herself from laughing, and neither could the others.

"All good suggestions, but not today, my doves." said Reaver, as he and Barry descended the stairs. Everyone stood in attention as Reaver stopped in front of them. "I'm happy to say you all passed with flying colors. You indeed have what it takes to work for me. These last few days have been fun, but now, it's time for a sort of graduation ceremony, if you will." Reaver looked at Barry, who was carrying some boxes.

Handing each one out, Barry went down the line of servants. "These feel heavy." said Willa, softly.

"Are these weapons? You're not going to make us fight to the death, are you?" asked Rosie, sternly.

"Again, another good suggestion, but no, my dear Rosie. These are your new uniforms." said Reaver, leaning against his cane. Each servant opened their box and found a new uniform folded inside.

"Well, I guess it explains why you asked for our measurements the other day." remarked Gordon.

"These uniforms are not like the ones you wear now. They are yours and yours alone. No more one size fits all uniforms for my esteemed servants." said Reaver, happily. Reaver stood in front of his servants, a proud smile on his face. "I'm sure you all know by now that most of those tests were for my amusement. But I do want you to know that it does take a certain something to work for me. You all have shown more spunk and patience than anyone else who has worked for me, besides Barry, of course, in the past years I have been here. These uniforms are not the only rewards you will be getting today, but they symbolize how far you've all come in the last season you've worked for me. I had my doubts at first, but I never would have guessed five circus performers could transform this house in ways a whole league of servants couldn't possibly try to."

Tapping his cane on the floor three times, Reaver instructed Barry to go fetch something from another room. Wiping a small tear from her eye, Miss Sarah smiled and bowed. "Thank you, Mr. Reaver." she said, with the other servants joining in.

A smug smile on his face, Reaver lifted her chin with the top of his cane. "Now, now, my lovely, no need to get emotional. There are more rewards that await you all. But first…"

Barry returned holding what looked like a branding iron. "You will all get your brands today!" Reaver said, jovially. Looking on in shock, the servants hoped he was joking. "Everyone into the kitchen! Miss Sarah, go turn the stoves on!" Reaver took the goggles off his hat and put them on his eyes.

"Mr. Reaver…you're going to brand us?" asked Miss Sarah, shocked.

"But of course! This will symbolize that not only do you work for me…you basically belong to me." He chuckled softly as he waved everyone into the kitchen.

"It's a simple task, really. You choose a spot, I burn the Reaver Industries insignia into your skin, and we find out who likes it extra kinky. It's win-win, if you ask me." Reaver made sure the branding iron was good and hot after Miss Sarah had started one of the stoves up. "All of my servants in the past have had it done. Even Hatch here!" said Reaver, pointing to Barry. "Show them yours, Barry."

"Please don't make me, Master Reaver…it's embarrassing." Barry pleaded.

"Do it, Hatch!" ordered Reaver, reaching to his hip for his gun. Barry sighed and turned around. He unbuckled his belt and slid his pants down to just under his rear. A chorus of laughter rang out from some of the servants (Miss Sarah just blushed and giggled while hiding her eyes). "The only reason it's on his behind is because he made the fatal mistake of getting drunk and passing out later that night." Reaver laughed. Barry pulled up his pants and buckled his belt. He turned around and faced everyone, blushing deep red. "Alright, everyone line up!" shouted Reaver, holding the branding iron high.

Later, in the evening after Reaver had gone to his office for his nightly routine, the happy (and somewhat sore) servants raised their glasses high in the kitchen. Reaver had given them a bottle of champagne, and though they knew it was a cheap brand, they appreciated the gesture. "To Reaver, who gave us these jobs, a slight pay increase and for some reason, has faith in us." toasted Gordon, holding his glass high. His brand was on his upper arm, like a tattoo.

Rosie, who chose to have hers done on her upper thigh (much to Reaver's delight), raised her glass high too. "Here, here!"

Willa's brand was on the small of her back, on the left. "It still itches." She whined a bit.

"Well, stop scratching It." scolded Beryl, putting her glass to her lips. Her brand was on her chest, near her right underarm. Miss Sarah, still blushing from getting hers, had her brand put on her left shoulder blade

Miss Sarah made her way back to her room before the celebration was over. She sighed softly and closed the door tightly behind her. She picked the box off the bed and opened it, smiling at her new uniform. It looked a lot like her old one, except it was somewhat longer and came with striped stockings. The apron still had the Reaver Industries logo in the right corner. She took it out of its box to try on, and as she did, a small package fell from the apron pocket.

Picking it up, the gift looked like something wrapped in a note. Opening it, she found a little trinket. "A miniature hobbe figurine! How cute!" she smiled, placing it on her bedside drawers. She sat on her bed and read the note to herself.

"Congratulations, Miss Sarah!

Willa said you used to collect these before your circus shut down, so I found one for you!

Enjoy your little celebration; you deserve it the most.

Don't tell Reaver, but I switched the champagnes and you got the good one.

By the way, I think you will look stunning in your new uniform

~Barry Hatch"

Blushing softly, Miss Sarah placed the note under the hobbe figurine and reclined on her bed. Staring up at the ceiling, she often wondered what she had gotten herself and her friends into. She remembered them leaving the circus, and promising to take care of each other. She remembered the feeling of desperation they all had when looking for jobs. Though they had only been there one season, Miss Sarah felt like this was indeed their home. She smiled softly to the ceiling and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Reaver, with the cat that had become accustomed to the manor on his lap, wrote in his journal by candlelight. He had become used to this and actually preferred it to the desk lamp. "You sneaky little thing, you…" he said, looking down at the purring kitten on his lap. "You're lucky you know how to stroke my ego. But who names a female cat Reaver, Jr.?" he asked, tapping his pen on his journal. "The servants have become accustomed to calling you 'Reavie'. Well, not as dignified as your proper name, and not as flattering, but it fits, doesn't it?"

Reaver filled his pen again and began writing.

"Well, summer is upon us, darling journal. You know what that means: it's time for my 'trip' to Bloodstone. I get more frustrated with this errand as each year passes, but you'll be happy to know I won't be sacrificing one of the circus rejects. No, no, they are more important than I had hoped they would be. They survived each ridiculous test and gave me a few good laughs. All in all, not a total waste of a week. It will be nice to be able to return to the office in Industrial with renewed confidence. I gave them their brands tonight as well. Seeing the girls blush was well worth it. Miss Sarah seemed to blush more than the other girls, which I have noticed a lot lately. She is older than the others, twenty-six or twenty-seven, I'm not sure, but she is so innocent seeming compared to the others…why, if I didn't know any better, I'd say she was still…"

Reaver's musing was interrupted by a knock on his office door. "Enter!" he shouted, shooing the cat off his lap.

Willa entered slowly. "Mr. Reaver, you said to come by your room for my reward. Well, do you want me to wait there for you or should I try and find it myself?" she asked.

Reaver, with a lewd smirk, stood up and straightened his vest. "Oh, of course, Willa. Just come with me…" Reaver closed his journal and put the pen away. He slowly walked around his desk just as Willa opened the office door a little wider.

"Just out of curiosity, Mr. Reaver, do you think I'll like it?" Willa asked, waiting by the door. Reaver blew out the candle and walked to Willa. He placed his thumb and index finger under her chin as she blushed.

"Oh, trust me, Little Bit…you'll be squealing with delight…"

N'cha again, my lovelies! Did you enjoy this week's installment? I hope so, because I enjoyed writing it! To be honest, a few parts made me blush a bit writing. Guess which ones and you win awesome points. You can probably tell by now, but I like having Reaver have the last words in my stories. He is entitled to them, trust me.

To those familiar with anime (which I hope everyone is, because anime is awesome) Barry's nosebleed is homage to one of my favorite anime themes: perverted thoughts making your nose erupt with gallons of blood. It's so hilarious and it's universal. It stems from a long-standing Japanese folk belief that a nosebleed may signify sexual thoughts or arousal (i.e. perverted thoughts). Apparently, it's more common in older men. I estimate Barry to be in his early 30s or at least his late 20s, but I dunno.

Well, things can only getting stupider from here. For my next installment, poker will be played! Which reminds me; does anyone know how to play poker?

As always, I appreciate your reviews and I hope to see how much you all enjoy my insanity haha.

Review and be merry, my friends!

Reaver and Barry Hatch belong to Lionhead.