20-04-2019, 09:50 PM
A Little Night Music Ch. 22
"Begone, all you shod and shady senators!
Give out the good, leave out the bad evil cries.
I challenge the mighty titan and his troubadours!
And with a smile...
I'll take you to the Seven Seas of Rhye!"
-Queen, "The Seven Seas of Rhye"
A few days later, Denise Cole had returned home from college, when her parents informed her that Julie Equals had stopped by and left a crate in the garage and a package at her bedroom door for her, with instructions to open the package first. She'd thought he'd just meant 'a second, really big package,' until she looked in the garage and saw a giant wooden crate. Her father had pried the boards loose with a crowbar and taken out the item meant for him and her mother, but per Julie's instructions, wouldn't ruin the surprise. Denise thought it looked big enough to carry one of those old-style giant-screen TVs, from before they knew how to make them thinner.
The box in front of her bedroom door was three-feet square and had her name and which end of the box was "up" written on the top in a handwriting that she didn't recognize. Denise opened the door and slid the package across the carpet and into her room. Her parents were much more respectful of her privacy since their talk with Julie, and didn't go into her room unless she asked or didn't respond for longer than a decent teenage sulk should last.
Once the door was closed behind her, Denise found a pair of scissors and carefully cut open the packing tape. Julie had given her no indication that something like this was coming, and she was worried about opening it too hastily and damaging whatever was inside. The first item, on top of a bed of fabric, was a hard leather cylinder with yellow sticky-note attached, which read "Open scroll case by unscrewing either end. (Go ahead and break the seal and read it. It's for you.)"
Denise had played D&D once in a while; although, when she visited the Equals house, Troy preferred to run "Call of Cthulhu" for her, Susan, occasionally Julie, and a couple of Denise and Susan's friends. She'd heard of scroll cases coming up in games, but this was the first one she'd ever seen. She followed the instructions and pulled from it a parchment scroll, wrapped in ribbon, and sealed with wax. The symbol impressed into the wax was one that she knew well: the crest of La Familia de San Finzione!
Denise practically squealed before approaching the scroll even more surgically with the scissors, seeking to break the wax seal, but preserve the symbol on it. Inside was a hand-calligraphed message:
Ms. Denise Cole Tacoma Washington
Dear Ms. Cole,
Greetings. I am Contessa Helena de San Finzione, Monarch of the Sovereign County and Nation-State of San Finzione. We briefly spoke on the telephone once, and I apologize that my dearly beloved friend's tendency to give out my personal phone number as a joke conflicted with an important Matter of State at that time.
As I write this, I am recovering from a serious injury, during which, the aid and company of my family and friends has been greatly thebangutic. Some very important people in my life, including Our Mutual Friends, came to my side in a time of crisis; putting on hold their own lives for the sake of mine.
Through our conversations, I became aware of yourself, and the deeds that you have performed so that I could be with my true family during my time of need. Although you may have thought them insignificant at the time, your actions have been of great and meritorious service to The People of San Finzione, and to La Contessa directly. Please find an official Royal Commendation, framed and ready for display. As this letter has taken on a more personal tone than intended; you may wish to show that to your friends, rather than this message, if any of them question that you know me or where you got all these things.
As a token of San Finzione's and my own personal gratitude, please accept the gifts enclosed with this scroll and commendation. Packed amongst the various t-shirts, please find Our National Flag, an iPad, several gift cards, some of our native arts and crafts, souvenirs, posters of Castle Finzione and my royal portrait; and the current generations of Xbox, PlayStation, and Wii. Should you need a new TV for them, the Best Buy card should more than cover it.
Also, in the large crate, in addition to the big item, you should find two crates of various wines from the San Finzione Vineyards. There is a regular crate for your parents, and a non-alcoholic crate for you and your friends. I've marked the ones that should be kept chilled with a "C" on the cork, so you can impress them with your knowledge of fine wines. Our Mutual Friend tells me you won't be able to use the biggest item for another year, but while I was getting hers, I thought "Why not?" I hope you like the color. Our Friend said that you're a Purple Girl too, so you should. The royal color of San Finzione is Emerald Green. So, you've probably seen in photos that I wear that color often, but only because I kind of have to. I'm a Purple Girl at heart, myself.
You're welcome to tell others how I heard of you and how you got all these things. However, as you're doubtlessly aware, Our Mutual Friends highly value their privacy, and would want us both to leave their names out of it. Tell people you wrote an essay or won a contest, or something. I'll back you up. We both know the truth, and I thank you again for the vital duties you have unselfishly performed in the service of my grateful nation, and hope that you and your family will visit San Finzione soon, so that I may meet you in person. I've recently re-learned how much better that is than talking online.
"Begone, all you shod and shady senators!
Give out the good, leave out the bad evil cries.
I challenge the mighty titan and his troubadours!
And with a smile...
I'll take you to the Seven Seas of Rhye!"
-Queen, "The Seven Seas of Rhye"
A few days later, Denise Cole had returned home from college, when her parents informed her that Julie Equals had stopped by and left a crate in the garage and a package at her bedroom door for her, with instructions to open the package first. She'd thought he'd just meant 'a second, really big package,' until she looked in the garage and saw a giant wooden crate. Her father had pried the boards loose with a crowbar and taken out the item meant for him and her mother, but per Julie's instructions, wouldn't ruin the surprise. Denise thought it looked big enough to carry one of those old-style giant-screen TVs, from before they knew how to make them thinner.
The box in front of her bedroom door was three-feet square and had her name and which end of the box was "up" written on the top in a handwriting that she didn't recognize. Denise opened the door and slid the package across the carpet and into her room. Her parents were much more respectful of her privacy since their talk with Julie, and didn't go into her room unless she asked or didn't respond for longer than a decent teenage sulk should last.
Once the door was closed behind her, Denise found a pair of scissors and carefully cut open the packing tape. Julie had given her no indication that something like this was coming, and she was worried about opening it too hastily and damaging whatever was inside. The first item, on top of a bed of fabric, was a hard leather cylinder with yellow sticky-note attached, which read "Open scroll case by unscrewing either end. (Go ahead and break the seal and read it. It's for you.)"
Denise had played D&D once in a while; although, when she visited the Equals house, Troy preferred to run "Call of Cthulhu" for her, Susan, occasionally Julie, and a couple of Denise and Susan's friends. She'd heard of scroll cases coming up in games, but this was the first one she'd ever seen. She followed the instructions and pulled from it a parchment scroll, wrapped in ribbon, and sealed with wax. The symbol impressed into the wax was one that she knew well: the crest of La Familia de San Finzione!
Denise practically squealed before approaching the scroll even more surgically with the scissors, seeking to break the wax seal, but preserve the symbol on it. Inside was a hand-calligraphed message:
Ms. Denise Cole Tacoma Washington
Dear Ms. Cole,
Greetings. I am Contessa Helena de San Finzione, Monarch of the Sovereign County and Nation-State of San Finzione. We briefly spoke on the telephone once, and I apologize that my dearly beloved friend's tendency to give out my personal phone number as a joke conflicted with an important Matter of State at that time.
As I write this, I am recovering from a serious injury, during which, the aid and company of my family and friends has been greatly thebangutic. Some very important people in my life, including Our Mutual Friends, came to my side in a time of crisis; putting on hold their own lives for the sake of mine.
Through our conversations, I became aware of yourself, and the deeds that you have performed so that I could be with my true family during my time of need. Although you may have thought them insignificant at the time, your actions have been of great and meritorious service to The People of San Finzione, and to La Contessa directly. Please find an official Royal Commendation, framed and ready for display. As this letter has taken on a more personal tone than intended; you may wish to show that to your friends, rather than this message, if any of them question that you know me or where you got all these things.
As a token of San Finzione's and my own personal gratitude, please accept the gifts enclosed with this scroll and commendation. Packed amongst the various t-shirts, please find Our National Flag, an iPad, several gift cards, some of our native arts and crafts, souvenirs, posters of Castle Finzione and my royal portrait; and the current generations of Xbox, PlayStation, and Wii. Should you need a new TV for them, the Best Buy card should more than cover it.
Also, in the large crate, in addition to the big item, you should find two crates of various wines from the San Finzione Vineyards. There is a regular crate for your parents, and a non-alcoholic crate for you and your friends. I've marked the ones that should be kept chilled with a "C" on the cork, so you can impress them with your knowledge of fine wines. Our Mutual Friend tells me you won't be able to use the biggest item for another year, but while I was getting hers, I thought "Why not?" I hope you like the color. Our Friend said that you're a Purple Girl too, so you should. The royal color of San Finzione is Emerald Green. So, you've probably seen in photos that I wear that color often, but only because I kind of have to. I'm a Purple Girl at heart, myself.
You're welcome to tell others how I heard of you and how you got all these things. However, as you're doubtlessly aware, Our Mutual Friends highly value their privacy, and would want us both to leave their names out of it. Tell people you wrote an essay or won a contest, or something. I'll back you up. We both know the truth, and I thank you again for the vital duties you have unselfishly performed in the service of my grateful nation, and hope that you and your family will visit San Finzione soon, so that I may meet you in person. I've recently re-learned how much better that is than talking online.
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