Lesly's Tales (6)
ANS, presidential chamber.
“…Yes, sir. The investigating special agents confirmed it, and it's been many days since the attack. It's most likely they've been felled during the…” Gant Comfor listened to the old-fashioned telephone wired to the floor. He nodded a few more times before directly hanging up after saying, “I see.”
Gant’s eyes were darkened, his chin low, and his mood deteriorating. Beside him, a young man with creamy bronzed skin, and black-brown, short afro hair stood in front of his desk. Despite the easiest aesthetical differences to spot on him from Gant Comfor, he is Earl Comfor, the president’s son. Quite a son he is.
Born in a rich family in both politics and wealth, and so, influence; ambition irradiates from even his eyes at any time and mood of the day.
He was known for many things, Earl Comfor. Being like his father in certain aspects that brought him to a presidency at such an age, and with the voting already putting him in a better position, was not any of them.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. GC will take care of their own. So, what will we do now, father? I think we just have the right chance to see so that the hood starts shaking some letters of domestic abuse in the air.” Earl Comfor spoke, smiling towards the end of his words.
Gant looked up with upturned eyes, but then lifted his chin and straightened his back, ideas twinkling in that brain of his. He nodded after a little while before staring at his son, “Earl, the other telephone.”
Earl Comfor looked a little annoyed. He darted his eyes upwards before remembering what to do. He turned and went to another shelf, putting his hand and a password on a glass box with a red telephone inside. Bringing it to the presidential desk for his father, Gant then used it and marked with some tapping of both his hands’ fingertips before grabbing the phone.
“Principal? I figured there should be some reminders of what this supercontinent is…”
***
Lýmoca, the day after Luis’s subtle declaration reached Lesly’s heart, wantonly encouraging her.
In the senate chamber, after a long and arduous session of the opposition, LV, NSH, and smaller political parties, denying the smooth process of the last initiative from the president. Just as most have left, and only the senate’s presidency remained in their seats before the rest of the senate.
“Have you heard of the new coalition?” - “The heavens~. Could it be because of Lesly’s previous doings?” - “Well, she did ‘move around’, you know what I’m saying?” - “It’s not because of that, can’t be… Are they scared of National Front?” - “That’s even less likely~!”
Tap, tap, step, tap, tap, tap. Passing by the gossiping people, Lesly walked to the senate’s presidency stage, wearing sunglasses and a slightly wild hairstyle. She didn’t hurry, using every step to let her presence be known, especially with the constant tapping of her heels on the floor and the occasional semi loud step.
“Miss Rivera, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Omar Preon, the senate president, rolled his eyes with a rueful smile before facing the demoness. Lesly smiled at the senate president’s acceptance of her arrival.
Omar Preon, a brown, bald, tall middle-aged man still in the prime of his lifetime. He had been senate president twice in his life, with the first time when he was in his last years as a young man. Now, after a couple of decades, he was once again the senate president, also as a neutral party within the parliament.
“Would the senate president like to accompany me for a meal? There are things worth discussing.” Lesly smiled a little, showing her puppy eyes. She didn’t even need to look charming with Omar, who rubbed his left temple while supporting his head with his elbow on the desk.
“You know what… My wife is mad at me as of late, and I don’t know why. We can have that meal, no politics involved. Just help me get into the mind of you females.” Omar said before piling some documents and binders. He put them in a briefcase and left it for an attendant before looking at Lesly. “Shall we?”
“Mn!” Lesly nodded with a strong vigor, turning around to slowly walk whence she came from. Omar followed half a minute later, with his senate president robes off, and wearing a simple shirt over a casual jacket.
… 15 minutes later, they sat in a known restaurant not too luxurious nor away from the senate. They ate some delicious soup, and there was a beefsteak with steam still coming out of it. It had some warm lettuce with spices on and hot potatoes on top, small but smelling to go crazy for.
“Mmmn! Didn’t know they were adding sweet onion now, and with such long strips, yum yum…” Lesly’s slightly crunching noise echoed from her mouth. She clearly enjoyed the new addition to her soup. Omar couldn’t stop nodding, seeing there was no limit to such wonderful food. Although he asked for different additions to his.
A few spoons later, and drinking her bottle of fruit juice, Lesly rapidly patted her chest in a quick motion and shut her eyes before burping a little. Omar scoffed a little, fluttering his lips like a horse with an involuntary chuckle. His attention was grabbed. Lesly’s black eyes shone craftily.
“Omar, are you having problems with your wife, did you have a little fight, or are you not paying attention to what she has been telling you?” Her words were cautious yet obvious. Omar stopped a spoonful of yummy soup from falling into his salivating cheeks. He took it anyways and gulped.
“What do you mean?” He asked. Lesly curled the left corner of her mouth a lot, but the right corner of the same a little, and arched her right eyebrow. “Uh~, I don’t know. I think there have been many women who see the TV, social media, and even porn when bored, just wanting to find something that is interesting.”
Omar nearly choked in the last spoonful of his soup. He looked at Lesly, clutching his neck for a while before grabbing a disposable napkin at the side on the table. Lesly continued, ruthless. “Lately, there’s been many talks about something. Will the army go ballistic mad, ANS entertainment mode on us? Will the prices finally go up, conveniently forgetting the CMDC? Or… is there anything going on in the current government like… a movement?”
“Okay, I see where this is going,” Omar finished cleaning his face and neck before staring at Lesly with a slightly bothered, knowing glint. Lesly shook her head before drinking the full bowl to finish her soup. “Not really sure you do. After all, you’ve failed to understand even your wife. What more a little girl like me.”
“Mhm,” Omar supported his chin on his left palm. Lesly sat up and leaned forwards, “It’s not my fault your wife likes to watch what can be important, and discerns what is well enough. No wonder you are neutral. If you dared join any political party, she would’ve left you.”
“That ‘list’ also includes your NF in it,” Omar lazily said, drooping his eyelids without a care. Lesly smiled, showing her canines and lifting her index finger, swinging it left and right all around, “Yes! But from before. I don’t know what she has told you, or screamed, but even if my intentions were obvious, I’m glad I reached the right people.”
Omar narrowed his eyes, letting Lesly continue yet again, “National Front has always been good, even if Defending Our Honor wasn’t remotely adequate. Here and now, Mr. Preon, we got the best people working, not working for themselves. And I know you understand that. Anyway, ‘no politics’ you said. So, before leaving, is there anything you’d like to remind me about?”
“… Your father would be so proud of you,” Omar remained silent with his eyes still narrowed for a bit before finally relaxing. Lesly smiled in response, asking with a slightly high-pitched tone. “Really? How so? Oh heavens, men are really intent on praising me lately.”
“Hahaha,” Omar cracked up, especially how a father would do, or at least an uncle with an exemplary skill as a fatherly figure. “And your mother mad. What is it about that man that makes you follow him? Handsome? Sweet-talking? Or is he changing into a real man at last?”
“Hey! Careful with what you say!” Lesly lifted her chin and drooped her eyelids, making Omar lift his eyebrows with the risen volume of her voice. Omar silently conveyed with ‘so that’s how it is, huh?’, with his expression before Lesly’s face went crimson, hurrying to explain. “That man has qualities everyone else can have, but he acts on them. His dreams and longings are beyond his family and a nice, good life. He also understood his wife well.”
“Tsk,” Omar expressed his discontent, but Lesly heartlessly continued. “He is incredibly handsome, but so are many others. Do you see me chasing their tails? And oh… he’s a dork. What sweet-talking? He’s barely talking like that to me… jealous? Hm~. As for changing into a real man, he just stopped being… decisive, I believe. That’s all.”
“So you’re saying he’s back at what… being a good lover?” Omar asked with narrowed eyes. Lesly widened hers, “No! It’s… not like that. Ahem, the thing is… If you’re curious about the President, you will know and see, but only if you really want to.”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Lesly smiled teasingly after hinting at something someone like Omar would easily and blatantly catch upon, annoying him to death. Then, she narrowed her eyes as much as Omar, as if she’s had time to know the extent to which his eyes can narrow for half her lifetime. “Or else? Don’t tell me you’re really okay going back to the previous administrations after being with a severely limited, different and caring president?”
“Is that so?” Omar sat with a straight back and inclined his head with his chin pointing at his left shoulder. Lesly hid her lips into her mouth, sucking on them as a silly stance of defiance. Both have said and accorded to no politics anymore, the conversation topic it was drawn to it yet again, this time without thinking.
“Let your mind rest, senate president. Pillow it.” Lesly smiled and slowly stood up. Omar looked up at her before also standing up. He extended his hand to Lesly as cordially as one would, but Lesly slapped his palm away so delicately she couldn’t have even hurt a fly. Then, she hugged him below the armpits and leaned the left side of her forehead on his chest.
Omar might be a buffy and stern middle-aged man, but he was kind, too. His hands rested on her shoulder blades, making her remember the young, young days of her life. Then, before he could say any fatherly part of his, as he had to learn early on in his life, Lesly looked up and showed him a paper between her right thumb and index finger.
“Huh, what’s this?” Omar calmly asked, not noticing Lesly was already fleeing, smoothly leaving his embrace. “Meet you tomorrow at this hour in this place and wearing the indicated suit.”
“…” Omar watched the little girl leave with a trusted adult, unnecessarily screeching the tires before driving with a proper pace and control. Reading the info on the paper, and the little, crooked heart which reminded him, a soft smile melted into his stern, natural expression.
… The next day was recess for the senate, which had been discussing the initiatives still, not even talking about one reform in specific. With this, Omar Preon took a break to go to the place Lesly wanted him to.
Arriving at the place, still at noon, Omar saw Lesly sitting with a beautiful, long A-line dress, black with red edges. She bent her back a little, supporting her chin on her backhand, looking a bit bored with her elegant picked up hair and earrings. She spotted Omar just as he checked in and talked to a nice young man in the reception.
Lesly went for Omar and brought him to her small table before ordering their jars. This was a tea restaurant. The previous restaurant was easily accessible and known to anyone in Lýmoca, especially because it was close to the center, and it was impossible to miss. It was bustling and a little noisy back then, nothing compared to this tea house-style restaurant.
It was elegant, sophisticated, and quite luxurious. One could only enter with a reservation, of course, but the cost of it was greater than a jar or a few appetizers.
Sitting at her small table, Lesly was all smiles and contented. They chatted about the numerous things going on in Lýmoca’s actual growing up situation and other modernisms, comparing them to when Lesly was a little brat.
“Ehehe, I really can only be like my old self with you as well,” Lesly sat with one leg above the other, nibbling her teeth on her inner cheeks. Omar laughed, picking his sleeves before noticing her wording, “Someone else does?”
“Mmm, maybe, sometimes?” Lesly teased with a smile, drinking from her small cup of tea a bit more. Omar shook his head, but he also felt a little gladdened. The little girl might just be close to knowing where to set her sights, even if it was a little…
“What are you thinking?” Lesly’s perception startled Omar, who saved himself rather smoothly, “Just that my wife would like to see you, soon. You already compromised your pact by coming to me, now, don’t you dare not go and visit her, eh?”
“Gnaaaah~,” Lesly opened her mouth wide and voiced strangely. They didn’t bother about the other clients, and the personnel didn’t dare say something to them or express it for an issue as small as this. Lesly looked down with her lips sucked in before looking at Omar with upturned, breathtaking black eyes, “So, you made peace with your wife?”
“Sigh, yes…” Omar acquiesced, unwillingly. Lesly narrowed her eyes, mimicking him. She asked again, “Was I right?”
“Maybe,” Omar directly replied, surprising her a little. Lesly smiled in silence before showing him her phone. Omar blinked and frowned a bit as Lesly spoke a little over the video footage playing on her phone.
“I am postulating for this role… because I believe in justice and the power of sincerity! I will give my everything and all to support this country!” - “Although I long for the position everyone here longs for, I will not deny my rival has such strong qualities. If he surpasses me, I have nothing to say.”
“My desire to become the senate president will benefit everyone, for my rule over this chamber and my respect for it are enormous! Priceless! Boundless!” - “On this term, I will become the best president, never losing myself from corruption and the destruction from the poor-minded!”
“Aren’t they something?” Lesly voiced after showing the footage of 2 videos with the same theme but different dates. She looked at Omar, “The first is before you became senate president for the first time, and it wasn’t much different the term after that, was it? They also barely ‘proposed’ the idea after thinking for decades to let neutral parties work in the parliament, did they not say that?”
“But those proposals were all from the Honorable One, Linda Zebel, who was ignored in her younger days, too. You benefitted from her, even with these rat methods. I remember you bought me 10 cakes of all my favorite flavors in variations that day, and forced me to understand patience back then. I always had a devourer’s teeth…”
“Lesly-” Omar spoke, feeling a bit restless and even guilty. Linda Zebel’s attempts to reform the senate from within were indeed always ignored, even after he became the senate president. But Lesly didn’t let him speak in his defense, outright interrupting him cleverly.
“The second one is from the 1,008-1,014 term, where these people, 2 women, ‘fought’ for the senate presidency. Had it not been for the still alive Linda Zebel then, their braindead scheme to have 2 senate presidents for the first time in Lýmoca would have succeeded, becoming, oh, the global laughingstock.” Lesly criticized, harshly.
“Is there something in common from these people? Among a few others from the beginning of this term, where you became the senate president again when more than the majority in that term finally remembered neutral positions’ importance?” Lesly sharply questioned.
“…Those four are in prison for undeniable corruption.” Omar softly facepalmed, rubbing his eyebrows with the yolks of his fingers. Lesly lowered her phone, keeping it in her bag. “Yes, imprisoned.”
She cocked her head, sounding a little vicious with their plates of steaming steaks and chicken all eaten away. “Well, at least they’re leaving better than the average ‘poor-minded’ with a salary of 7,000 credits per month in a cell. Where is Linda Zebel now? Right, at least they are alive.”
“You know what happened, and you dare stay like that after becoming the senate president again?” Lesly’s eyes became watery, simulating a larger appearance as she teared when articulating the following words, “Well, I have a dare for you. Now that you saw the differences from governments then and now, and seen NF’s works and the President’s alignment to the people. Postulate for the senate presidency again, see what happens. I dare you take a side, old man.”
Lesly spent no more time in her seat, standing up and turning to leave in a jiffy. She didn’t look back and left with a straight back, cruelly forgetting his existence. Or at least it felt just that way. She looked the same but even more… decisive and hurt than when she was still a teenager.
Omar didn’t stand up to stop her, or even rose his voice. All he did was lower his head and think, falling into a pondering silence that didn’t cease even when the sound of her car drifted away, far away again.
***
2 days later. Proteros governmental building. Lower chamber.
Luis continued his tour around Lýmoca. While he didn’t ‘stay’ with the governors, of which most, so as to not say more than 90% of the country, were from LV or NSH, he did request the information of each state.
While recompiling that information in silence to read and further bring it back to Proteros, he met with other localities, and even community spokespeople. Not community leaders, like Lesly did, or at least he did not look for them specifically as he did with the former.
Meanwhile, Lesly planned her next move, while the massacre at Jaewim was coming to an end, but more issues surfaced, with the remaining organized crime groups’ bandits rising in different parts of the country. This was quite new and unexpected, but it was just a matter of time. After all, the army and national guard were already patrolling the cities and towns, with SAs around villages. Whenever an incursion seemed imminent, another massacre would unfold. The Ly forces always victorious, of course.
Even then, these brand new resurging OC small groups were no more than a few hundred, with those up to several hundred hunted down by the District and army special forces. Fox was busy, but so was he having fun. Other sightings of TFS were seen, but they were gone long before any District White Blood’s scouting reached the place of… not even a massacre, just butchering.
… Now, Lesly walked into the governmental building, one of many for the lower and upper chamber in Proteros, to find a certain couple. Clara and Sebastián.
Lesly didn’t stop at anyone to know any directions or ask where her targets were. More than anything, even if she needed the information, as casual as it could be, she wouldn’t just announce out loud whom she was interested on.
Walking by with her formal skirt and white coat. Her thighs were slightly revealed, and they were so nice, as usual. Even when being conservative about her image, those thick sticks still forced the poor fabric just enough to show glimpses of creamy white skin above her knee, enchanting half the surrounding turning heads and gulping throats. The elegant white coat was a rare commodity on her, though.
Lesly walked into one of the dinning halls. She immediately saw a few dozen inside, mostly civil servants working in the beautiful and honorable paperwork field. Senator Sebastián Lara and his deputy, Clara Metelti, were sitting in a medium lunch table, alone, with others taking other tables.
Lesly made a bit of noise opening those doors, revealing an open smile while gazing only in the lovable ‘uncle-niece’ duo’s direction. The duo looked at her while still having a bite with their heads down, with the others also looking at Lesly with knowing glints in their eyes.
Not caring one bit of how desperate she looked, smiling even more as a result, Lesly walked to them. Sebastián was as usual, a handsome middle-aged man. White, with natural gray hair, unusually tall, and natural gray eyes. Be it his physical appearance or his politics skills, he was a hidden gem in Lýmoca, and an old wine.
Clara Metelti hasn’t only not changed and has matured her previously-a-young beauty, she had also become more popular in the chamber of deputies, and not because her daddy ‘worked’ there, too. She is a white blondie, tall and owning a pair of sparkling green eyes. Her hair always tied in a ponytail with a fringe at either sides of her forehead.
She was a pure, young maiden, crafty, and showing signs of her mother’s ‘you can’t stop me’ nature. Clara Metelti is also the youngest member in the chamber of deputies in the entire history of Lýmoca. She has been chosen twice by the people in a row as a neutral deputy, from Luis’s first term to this one, and most likely the next.
A genius of great caliber. She was slender and looked so delicate she could break by holding her arms or shoulders. However, according to the rumors, together with the president’s daughter, the took classes to become self-defense practitioners since 1,020. Still, she was older than Fox by a few years.
…