A Master's Ring (V.3)

[Veroe]

IC: Elizabeth Sommerset

She returned the foosball and came back with two paddles and an air hockey puck. She smiled to him pushing her glasses back up her nose as they stepped over to the air hockey table. "Ready for round two, buster."

Eddie smiled as he took his spot at the table. "I wouldn't doubt that. As athletic as you are with the hand-eye coordination I just saw, I think this game will be close too."

"Damn straight," She said cockily, "You're going to regret playing against me tonight."

She then watched him taking his sweet time checking out the paddles, the puck, and the table. "Any day now, buster. You can check all you want it's not gonna help you one little bit."

"Feel free to make any checks you want." He said, gently sliding the disk across the table to her.

"I'll trust you," She replied and then bent down to take her paddle and then nodded to him, "I'll let you start the game off."

Despite her impatient posturing Elizabeth was impressed with how he had approached it. He had left nothing to chance. He was measured, methodical, and analytical. This would be reflective in how Eddie would act as a master.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

"I'll trust you. I'll let you start the game off."

Eddie was glad that Elizabeth was growing so comfortable around him. That was his biggest worry when he accepted the ring, to be honest. He wanted so much for things between them to stay casual and friendly when they were together like this. He wanted to spend time with Elizabeth, not his First. He knew that they were one in the same, but the personality implications had given him pause initially. He was glad to see that his worries were unfounded after today.

He placed the puck down on the table, watching it float on the cushion of air before sending it bouncing off the side wall, the end wall, the other side wall and back to himself. At least, that was the path he intended unless Elizabeth intercepted it. It wasn't anything close to a shot on goal. Rather, Eddie wanted to watch her to see what sort of game she would play. Would she keep her paddle home, covering the goal defensively? Or would she try to redirect anything she could reach? Or would she try to control it and set up her own shot? He'd played enough to have an adjustment of his own, but for now, he was playing casually and trying to gauge Elizabeth.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Elizabeth Sommerset

Despite her impatient posturing Elizabeth was impressed with how he had approached it. He had left nothing to chance. He was measured, methodical, and analytical. This would be reflective in how Eddie would act as a master.

He immediately set a more probing tone to their match. Not making any aggressive attempts to score, but just batting the puck between the two of them. It was a probing tactic. Eddie wanted to see how she intended to play.

She smiled to him mirroring the tactic move for move. Eddie was the type that wanted information, so she gave him nothing useful. She was neither playing defensively or aggressively. He probed to find out how to win the game. She probed to find out how he'd respond if he didn't get the answer he was looking for.

This too would reflect in how Eddie would act as a master. Elizabeth waited to find that out.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Eddie narrowed his eyes. He could see what Elizabeth was doing. She didn't want to control the action as she did in foosball since that was her better game. No, she was learning how Eddie played and mirroring it. It was frustrating as it wasn't giving him what he wanted to see. He knew he needed to shake her out of this style of play. He needed to get a bit more aggressive.

After his next backhanded pass around the table, he reversed his grip and used a forehand shot. Gripping it this way allowed him to get his bicep into it which gave the shot a little more snap. With the extra speed on the puck, Eddie was counting on her to act reflexively this time and block the shot as it was dangerously close to her goal. It wouldn't have gone in, however. Eddie had played this game enough times to be surprisingly accurate. This wasn't the scoring shot; Eddie just wanted her to move her hand so he could drill his follow-up into the goal with her hand out of position.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Elizabeth Sommerset

She smiled to him mirroring the tactic move for move. Eddie was the type that wanted information, so she gave him nothing useful. She was neither playing defensively or aggressively. He probed to find out how to win the game. She probed to find out how he'd respond if he didn't get the answer he was looking for.

This too would reflect in how Eddie would act as a master. Elizabeth waited to find that out.

She could tell he was getting frustrated with her choice of tactics. That was good she was curious to see how he behaved when incensed. She wanted to know for herself, but moreso for Masters Alexei and Akiko would require her to inform them of anything and everything about Eddie's actions and behaviors and demeanor in the time they spent together for their interview session tomorrow. Part of her felt guilty over betraying Eddie's confidence like that. However she could not, would not disobey a master's direct order, not until Eddie became her master in truth that was. Still she did feel some pang of bruised loyalty considering the matter over it.

Then suddenly Eddie made an aggressive sweep of his paddle sending the puck shooting fast and hard. She reacted out of reflex her arm swung wide but she was too late and the puck slid by unmolested and hit the edge of the table bouncing off.

She looked down as it ricocheted right back to him and her hand and paddle was woefully out of position to intercept any attack he made.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

It played out like he'd wanted. The puck slid back across the table to him. Even if she had gotten her paddle on the puck on the first shot, her hand was too far away from the goal now for what was about to happen. After the previous forehand shot, his hand was in the perfect spot to send a backhand shot right back down the table into her goal.

The snap of his arm was quick. The puck was quicker. Before anyone could really see what happened, the sound of the puck rattling in the catch on Elizabeth's side was all the indication of a score before the display incremented by a point.

Eddie smiled down the table to her as he switched to defense now. He put his paddle right in front of the goal, finding the exact middle. He knew the goals were built to have just a fractional clearance on either side of the paddle to allow the puck in. All that meant was that he didn't have to move much to save. "Your serve..." He said simply as he waited and watched to see how she would play without having his techniques to mirror.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Elizabeth Sommerset

Then suddenly Eddie made an aggressive sweep of his paddle sending the puck shooting fast and hard. She reacted out of reflex her arm swung wide but she was too late and the puck slid by unmolested and hit the edge of the table bouncing off.

She looked down as it ricocheted right back to him and her hand and paddle was woefully out of position to intercept any attack he made.

Time seemed to slow down as she frantically tried to bring around the paddle as Eddie hit the puck straight on causing it to streak by split seconds before she could intercept it and dive into her goal.

She looked up to Eddie and he just smiled at her saying smugly, "Your serve..."

She bit her lip before replying, "Don't get too cocky, mister, the game's just starting."

Well she wanted to see him react when antagonized...she hadn't expected him to turn the tables on her like this. She pulled the puck from the goal's slot and set it back onto the table. "My serve." She repeated and hit it as hard as she could straight for his goal.

They played for a few more hours into the evening. After visiting the deli in the food court of the university center for some supper they ate under the stars on the lawn in front of the university center.

"Tomorrow night will be your first interview session with Master Alexei and Akiko, Eddie," She said leaning to press herself against his side. She rested her head on his shoulder, "It can be tough...intense...your entire life, every decision, every mistake you ever made is fair game to them...they may try to get you riled up." She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug. "...Just react as honestly as you normally would. Putting on a charade for them will be completely pointless."

--------------X

IC: Jackson Frederick Miller the third

Jacks was a member of the Epsilon Beta fraternity on campus just like his dad and his granddad and his great granddad before him. His father was a wealthy man, and contributed pretty well to the finances of the school-hell the library had his father's name on it. So it was a certainty that Jacks was going to get in when he went to college here-which was good since with his grades it was the only thing letting him in. Hell studying was for other people with less money. He paid nerds to do his work for him, and anyone that didn't understand the reality of how that worked his father's army of lawyers got them fired or just sued them into oblivion until they signed an NDA and beyond that made them suffer for opposing him.

His father's money had carried him throughout his life and provided everything he had ever wanted, beer, drugs, the veneer of respect, the hottest chicks around. One in particular had caught his eye in his english lit class. A blonde slut goddess named Elizabeth Sommerset. After class last Thursday he'd waited the twenty long minutes she'd been in Professor Bryant's class and gave her the oppurtunity to be his girl.

She had turned him down...politely...as if she hadn't understood just who he was or what kind of fire she was playing with by refusing him. He had wanted her because she was gorgeous to the eyes and all the other guys would envy him if they saw her hanging on his arm. The talk that she was some sort of man-hating dyke, or icy bitchqueen among the other guys on campus only made her more valuable in that regard to any one of them that caught her. But she had just politely told him no and walked off like...like..like he was nothing! Like all his father's money meant nothing to her! Like she wasn't attracted or even repulsed by him! Like he, Jackson Frederick Miller the fucking third, was never even in the same universe as her!

That bitch! Didn't she understand how the world worked? No one said no to Jacks, if they dared, if they even fucking hesitated to say yes, he made them regret it epicly.

He was still fuming about it, and working on ways to get her back for that slight. When to his shock crossing the campus Sunday night he spotted some stupid dork sitting in the grass with none other than the icy bitch queen, Elizabeth Sommerset herself, draped all over him.

That little rat bastard! Elizabeth Sommerset was Jacks's. How dare he steal her from him!

He walked behind a tree near them and tried to listen in to what they were saying. His mind scheming ways to make the thieving cocksucking bastard pay-scheming ways to make them both pay.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Eddie blocked the initial shot and continued the game from there. It had been the best day he'd had in a long time. Spending the day with Elizabeth, learning about her, see what she was like away from everyone. It was heavenly. Relaxing and sharing a meal at the end of the day made it feel less of an obligation on her part. He felt they had moved past being a Master and a First Sibling. It felt like they were just Eddie and Elizabeth.

Sitting out in front of the university center, it afforded them an amazing view of the valley around them. That was always the part about going here that a city kid like Eddie always appreciated. He could breathe here. He didn't have to be constantly on guard or weaving through crowds here.

"Tomorrow night will be your first interview session with Master Alexei and Akiko, Eddie. It can be tough...intense...your entire life, every decision, every mistake you ever made is fair game to them...they may try to get you riled up... Just react as honestly as you normally would. Putting on a charade for them will be completely pointless."

Eddie listened carefully to her counsel. It was hard when she so lovingly took him in her arms and held him. Eddie leaned back against her and tilted his head against hers. His hand reached up to rest on her arms around him, enjoying the feeling of being held by her. They might not be able to kiss, but this was just as nice.

"I'll remember all you told me. And you're right, honesty is the best approach. They probably know more about me than I do at this point. I can only imagine what the Professor told them to add to it. I just have to go in with a clear head and I should be fine... I hope." He said swallowing as he had no idea how intense it was going to be or how antagonistic they might be. He'd find out tomorrow.

"I look forward to meeting the rest of you once this is done." He said smiling, wrapping his free arm around her waist. "I look forward to proving Professor Bryant correct."

 

[Veroe]

IC: Elizabeth Sommerset

"Tomorrow night will be your first interview session with Master Alexei and Akiko, Eddie," She said leaning to press herself against his side. She rested her head on his shoulder, "It can be tough...intense...your entire life, every decision, every mistake you ever made is fair game to them...they may try to get you riled up." She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug. "...Just react as honestly as you normally would. Putting on a charade for them will be completely pointless."

"I'll remember all you told me. And you're right, honesty is the best approach." He replied with an almost imperceptible nervous swallow, "They probably know more about me than I do at this point. I can only imagine what the Professor told them to add to it. I just have to go in with a clear head and I should be fine... I hope."

"Just answer truthfully and honestly," She soothed him, "You'll do fine." She patted his thigh, "There's so many of the others I'm really eager for you to meet."

"I look forward to meeting the rest of you once this is done." He said smiling, wrapping his free arm around her waist. "I look forward to proving Professor Bryant correct."

"You will," She said snuggling her head into Eddie's shoulder a little familiarly, "For the rest of the night let's just sit and enjoy our time together."

"So that first night...when I become your first sibling," She asked looking up into Eddie's eyes, "...tell me again how you want it to go?"

----------------X

IC: Jackson Frederick Miller the Third

Jacks Looked around the trunk of the tree seeing how close that dumb bastard was sitting next to Elizabeth and venom boiled in heart.

He was hearing what they were saying, but he couldn't make much in the way of sense in any of it. All he knew was there was something going on between them and that snooty-assed judgmental queer Professor Bryant.

It seemed Elizabeth had really warmed up to this punk-assed bitch, Eddie. A part of Jacks recognized something between them he'd never seen in any of the number of conquests he'd racked up over the years. Something he'd seen between many other people. Something he'd never really understood or ever have. And seeing them share it made him hate them both all the more for it.

What the hell was he doing here? Other people had always been objects or tools to use and help him get what he wanted. That was all that mattered, that was all that they were good for.

Enough of this skulking around bullshit. He'd pay some of his frat brothers to beat the shit out of the thieving sack of ratshit, Eddie, tomorrow. Yeah, that will put him in his fucking place-far beneath Jacks' boot heel. Show him not to make a move on what was Jacks's turf. He made to leave the tree and the little park area.

"So that first night...when I become your first sibling...tell me again how you want it to go?"

What did she say?!?

He stopped twisting his head back around to look at them, and a twig under his expensive sneakers snapped under his foot....loudly.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

"So that first night...when I become your first sibling, tell me again how you want it to go?"

Eddie smiled and thought back to the first time they talked about this in the Student Union behind them. Nothing had really changed for him since then. He wanted to go over it one more time, to imagine Elizabeth in that green gown just for him. He took a deep breath, ready to say it out loud again.

Then, he heard a twig snap quite close to them.

Turning and looking over his shoulder rather reflexively, he narrowed his eyes as he saw someone ducking back around one of the trees growing out front of the building. Eddie leaned to the side to try and peer around the trunk when he caught a glimpse of the young man's face.

"Jackson?" Eddie said, remembering one of his freshman level courses. It was one of the classes all the first year students had to take so it wasn't that memorable. What he did remember was Jackson trying to pay him to help him pass the class. Eddie turned him down flat and the guy got way more upset about it than he figured was appropriate. Standing up, he turned and looked at him, wondering what he was doing spying on him and Elizabeth.

"Something I can do for you, Jackson?" Eddie called out.