“A man can be destroyed but not defeated”
* Ernest Hemingway
Let my rotten flesh spoil, let my body crumble, and let these chains confine me here. The cold cells of this jail may have imprisoned me, but one thing he taught me is that no matter what faces you… a cop, a citizen, a king, a fellow phantom ally, or even yourself… never no matter the circumstance do NOT lose your manners. If manners are lost, status is lost, if status is lost hope is lost, if hope is lost morals are lost, and if morals are lost so are desires… does that mean I lost my manners then? Heh… I still cling on to those memories of the past. I still recall his rigorous teaching of him converting me… trying to make me understand what it truly means to be a phantom thief.
It was a cold winter morning which caused me to have no intention of waking from bed; alas, the piercing rays of the sun shined through the window bathing the room in a soft golden glow making my eyes open losing any hints of sleep. A knock echoed in the chamber followed by an energetic voice
“Edward, have you awoken? May I come in?”
“Come in”
“Good morning to you, it is not another wonderful day today, no?”
“Yeah, a-and good morning to you as well! But eh, what are you carrying that suit for? You going somewhere this early in the morning?”
“Well, you are half right in a sense. For actually “WE” shall be heading out and I figured for the time being that you should wear one of my suits. We also need to discuss some things… But do not fret it won’t be too serious, oh and of course will be having breakfast”
Here it is again, him dragging me into his plans, it's not necessarily a bad thing because in a sense it is… fun.
“Alright, I will start getting dressed”
“Wonderful! I will wait in the carriage outside”
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It took me 10 minutes to put on the suit, not because I never owned one, but because I fear I will make an error and end up ripping it. I walk to my bedroom mirror and stare at myself, letting a long sigh I pick up my top hat from the shelf and head out.
I find Waldo sitting in his sleek black carriage. It was a really nice carriage with lots of room for shopping or just carrying people and enjoying the view of the street due to its transparent glass. Even the driver, Waldo, had a luxurious seat. A long ceiling covered him from the sun with soft cowhide seats. Waldo takes the whips of the horses, but instead of lashing the horses he just… snaps his fingers and the horses begin to move what an interesting fellow he was.
“You mentioned things to discuss, what were you talking about?”
“Oh how impatient of you! Oh I am kidding, but fine I will let you on a little… chase”
He leans in and whispers,
“Tell me what you think is the most important quality of a phantom thief that makes him so much different than a regular thief.”
“I don’t need an answer now”
The quality of a phantom thief, a question that got me thinking for so long that it made my head so fuzzy I found myself already seated at the restaurant, Loup De Flandre. We placed our order of Buckwheat Crepes and two coffee cups, and that's when a sudden realization hit me, another man was sitting at our table and Waldo is conversing with him eagerly.
“Edward, this is an old friend of mine”
“Paul Heethen” the old man gets up and offers his hand, I do the same
“Edward Williaman, nice to meet you Mr. Heethen”
“Edward, are you ready for your first job?” says Waldo
“F-first job? Waldo w-w-what! Have you lost your mind!?” whispered Paul
A giant smirk, no, a smile formed across Waldo’s face. His smile turned into snickering then to chuckling, before he gets out of control he covers his mouth with his hand,
“Excuse me, but I just couldn’t help but be filled with joy. Paul, Edward is not just an acquaintance, or even a mere friend, no… he is my partner in crime, and more importantly he is my student. If my legacy comes to an end, he WILL be Arshan Yuured II”
“Waldo… are you insane!?”
“Lower your voice, please. Watch, Edward have you figured out the answer to my question?”
“What is the greatest quality of a phantom thief?” I muttered. Waldo nods his head waiting for my answer.
I fold my arms together and lean back into my chair and cross my legs closing my eyes I begin to ponder. Well, what makes a thief? What is the difference between a phantom thief and a regular one? Then… I imagined Wal- Arshan Yuured from yesterday night…
“The greatest quality of a phantom thief…. Is that he is a gentleman”