The swinging of a wrecking ball

Through these lath and plaster walls

Is letting all the shadows free.

The ones I wish still followed me.

- Death Cab for Cutie, Gold Rush (2018)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The transverse hallway on Milton's estate led to a great hall filled with artifacts from around the world, yet still the room was big enough to host a party of fifty people. Its far wall had windows made of decorative glass, similar in shape and size to those in the open-air lunchroom.

Although darkness had begun to fall, Hank could tell these windows didn't look upon the out-of-doors, but instead upon another room—an all-seasons porch, itself lined with larger windows that showcased the arboretum. They also showcased the fact that, at this late hour of the day, Milton's estate had little in the way of exterior lighting.

The entourage walked up one of two matching staircases that accessed opposite ends of an enclosed parapet. With hallways on both sides leading further into the estate, Milton led Hank down the hallway on the left. After passing several doorways—all conspicuously having jambs with no doors set in them—he presented his guest with a luxurious three-room suite.

The living area alone was almost as big as Hank's entire flat. He whistled softly in surprise. The kitchenette had a sink and a tiny refrigerator, and an equally small microwave. Since Rio had stopped walking, so did Hank, yet Milton continued on, entering an alcove deftly hidden behind two opposing walls.

Bumbles scampered after him. "In here you'll find your bath," Milton called, "with a sink and mirror, and a European shower."

Hank scarcely heard a word, as Rio had again locked her eyes upon him. Only here, tucked away and safe from the horrors of the world, her dark eyes shining bright behind their big red glasses seemed protective, rather than murderous. He felt certain she would have soon smiled, but Bumbles came bounding back, to slobber over a tray of treats and other delectables set upon a coffee table.

"No!" Rio commanded, stepping towards the dog in case further safeguarding was required. Bumbles heeded her and, as Milton reappeared from the hidden alcove, he gestured towards two closets and some dressers.

"You'll find clothing of all sorts in here, as well as other items. Everything is brand-new, so please help yourself. Let us know if something you like is not your size or color, and we'll get another."

Hank looked for a phone or an intercom. "Ah… okay," he said and nothing more. How do I do that?

Milton tapped his temple, with a paternal smile. "Just let us know. We'll understand." He turned to leave. "Come on, Bumbles!" he said. "Time to go!"

The dog made one quick lap around Hank and Rio before bolting from the room. Hank was suddenly alone with very scary Rio.

"Ah…" he said again, more quietly this time, and then nothing more.

Rio almost smiled, and bowed. "Oyasuminasai," she said. "Sleep well."

"No wait," Hank heard himself say, without so much as thinking. He looked around the room, "Uh… would you like something to eat?"

Rio gazed upon the treats. Her eyes widened at the choices, as she seemed ready to dive in.

Hank glanced at the refrigerator. "Perhaps something to drink?" he offered, assuming such items were held within.

"Ah…" Rio took her turn at saying, almost as abstractly as Hank.

She inhaled to give breath to her reply, but Bumbles had returned. It made a beeline for the treats, except Rio responded with speed, and caught it in full stride. Hank stifled a nervous laugh as the dog's legs kept moving, in blurry cartoon fashion, with Rio firmly holding the creature in the crook of her right arm.

She fumbled with her clipboard as she reigned in the squirmy dog, before turning to leave. "Good night, Hank-sama," she said with her back to him. "Sleep well."

After sampling some of everything on the tray, Hank explored the bathroom. The opposing walls made up for the fact that, like the suite itself, it had no door to close. Even the shower itself, made fine with inlaid tile and sporting a telescoping shower head, had no door. It was designed so that all the water fell into its basin and, after a relaxing shave and shower, Hank tucked himself into bed and fell fast asleep.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hank awoke in the morning to a world unfamiliar. It took a minute for him to realize he wasn't in his flat. After the harrows of the day before, having begun with ignoring Anna at Asok's and then the nightmare at the PEP Center, it was of little surprise that, with impeccable timing, Rio entered his suite. Although she still was not ready to smile, she carried with her another tray, this one filled with food for breakfast.

"Ohayo," she said with a slight head bow. "I hope you slept well."

She looked for a place to set the tray, but the coffee table still held the tray of food from the night before, and the table in the kitchenette had Hank's clothes upon it. The small desk in the living area also offered no space, as Hank had tossed his hoodie there.

"Ah…" Rio said with concern, the tray still in her hands.

Hank realized her dilemma. "Oh," he said. "Let me pick up a bit." He remained in bed, however, still tucked under the sheets.

"Hai. Okay. Please do," she said, waiting for him to move.

"Um… I have no clothes."

She seemed confused. "What?"

Hank sat up straight in bed, with the sheets around his lap. "I sleep in the nude. I'm not wearing clothes."

"Oh!" Rio said in surprise. She would have blushed, but her honey-colored skin was dark enough to hide it. She nervously turned both to and fro, not knowing what to do.

Hank would have blushed as well, but his skin was too fine-pored, and alabaster white. "If you could wait outside," he said, "I'll find something to wear."

"Hai! Okay!" she said again, before quickly leaving.

Hank fumbled through the dressers in the bedroom, until he found a pair of boxer briefs that fit. He then opened a closet in the living area, only to find it stuffed, floor to ceiling, with a massive amount of clothes. He banged around quite noisily, trying to find some pants.

"Is everything all right?" Rio called, from just outside the suite.

"Well… yeah," Hank said, still fumbling. "No," he said a moment later. "I can't find anything."

Rio re-entered the room, still holding the tray. In nervous embarrassment, Hank grabbed his grubby work clothes from the kitchenette table, and ran into the bedroom.

Rio set the tray down upon the now empty table. "Please tell me your size," she called out to him.

"Thirty-four, thirty-six," he said. "Jeans, please. If you have them."

"Color?"

"Ah… black, please, if you can."

Rio entered the bedroom with a pair of brand-new, brushed black denim jeans in the correct size. She laid them on the clothing Hank held balled up on his lap, while he sat on the bed. She then turned to face away, and approached the dressers.

"Shirts are in here," she said. "Unless you want one with buttons." She glanced over her shoulder. "Large, I assume?"

"Yeah," he said, not moving. "Something with long sleeves. No buttons."

"Those are over here," she said to the dressers, opening a drawer of the one on the left.

As Rio dug for a shirt, Hank slipped on the jeans. She presented him with a thick cotton pullover colored a rich forest green. Still seated on the bed, he quickly put it on, to her widened eyes.

He held his arms out to both sides. "The sleeves are too short," he said, almost apologizing.

Rio didn't speak, her mouth hanging slightly open. Hank got up and walked past, to search through the dresser himself. She followed him with her eyes and, with his back now to her, he reached over his head and grabbed the neckline of the shirt he had just put on. Using a single motion, he pulled it straight up and off. He then folded it lightly and placed it in the drawer, before digging through the dresser until he found a thinner shirt of a similar color, and put that one on.

He turned to face Rio, and again held out his arms. "Ah," he said, satisfied. "This fits better."

Rio still didn't speak. She also didn't move, staring at Hank with her eyes wide as pies.

Hank put down his arms. "I like the color, too," he said, examining his new attire.

Rio shook her head a bit, and blinked several times. She then hurriedly left the room. Hank peeked at her through the doorway as she dug through some drawers in the living area. When she turned to face him, she held a black leather belt, studded end-to-end with silver squares.

She slowly approached, as Hank stood in the bedroom doorway. Lovingly, yet with firmness, she worked the belt in her hands.

"I think you would like this," she said to his almond butter eyes.

Hank looked at the belt, and the way in which Rio presented it. She placed it in his hands, and again turned away.

"Thanks," he said to her backside, as she entered a closet. "It's nice."

"Hai," Rio said, breathless. "There are jackets here like yours, if you want a new one."

"Sure," Hank said as he put on the belt. Rio then presented him with a gray hoodie sporting decorative black piping.

"Thank you," he said with a bow. "Arigatō. You're very helpful."

"Tondemonai," she replied, also with a bow. "You are welcome." She picked up the tray of food from the night before and began to leave.

"Wait," Hank said. "I want to talk."

Rio spun and, with slight irritation, asked, "What do you want?"

"Well," Hank said blankly, "I want to talk with you."

"Why?"

Because you're pretty, Hank's hormones told him to say. "It would be nice to have some company," he chose to say instead.

He looked down at the floor and shuffled his bare feet. He very much wanted to talk about how crazy yesterday had been. So he shot a timid smile into her death-ray eyes and tried to sound cool.

"Come on. Sit. You're not too busy, are you?"

Rio closed her eyes and sighed inwardly. When she opened them back up, she too also smiled, perhaps timid as well. She placed the dinner tray back on the coffee table and sat, prim and proper, on the edge of the sofa. With her hands folded in her lap, she looked up at her still-standing guest.

Hank went to the desk and spun around the swivel chair beneath it. Finding his old hoodie sprawled out on the desk, he wadded it up carefully and stuck it a corner.

Rio closed her eyes, this time to roll them without allowing Hank to be able to see it. He exhaled a calming breath as he stole a glance at her sweetly annoyed face. He decided to take a direct approach, as he again looked at his feet.

"It seems like all the world came down on me after I had taken my second PEP test." He stole another glance at Rio before returning to his feet. "And then I wound up here."

Rio opened her eyes. She didn't say anything.

"I'm hoping maybe you can tell me—why am I here, exactly?"

"You're here because Bumbles brought you here," Rio said with no smile.

Hank sat on his hands to keep them from flailing. He was sure Rio would get pissed if he wasted her time.

"I dreamt of this place while getting tested. It's like I could see through the walls, yet I've never been to your home in my entire life."

"This isn't my home. It's Milton's."

"Oh. Well," Hank said to his feet. "I'm sorry."

He nervously wiggled his toes, to Rio's amusement. "I know how you feel," she said.

Hank beamed, and looked at her. "Really?"

She closed her eyes and nodded. "Really."

"Oh, um…" Hank stumbled on his words, desperately wanting to pry. "I guess then, that's good."

"Yes. It is."

The space between them filled with silence. Instead of locking eyes with Rio as she intently stared, Hank looked at parts of the room that were behind her head.

"Milton has a really nice place."

Rio only nodded. Hank blinked repeatedly, trying hard to match her glare.

"Was, um… was I the only one who was here last night?" he asked.

"No. Milton and I spent the night." When Hank didn't respond, she added, "And Bumbles slept here, too."

Hank thought about whether or not he felt any better. An unnatural chain of events had led to a rich man's scary, yet attractive, attaché helping him get dressed. Perhaps talking to the man some more wouldn't be so bad.

He looked at the tray of food Rio had just brought. Everything smelled delicious.

"Your breakfast is getting cold," she said as she stood up.

"Would you like a cup of coffee?" Hank asked as he remained seated.

"No, but thanks."

"Some tea?"

She shot him with her laser beam eyes, causing him to suck in his chin.

"Thank you, but no." When he did nothing but stare, she spoke with exasperation. "Look, have something to eat, and then do what you want. Check out the place. There's a recreation area in the basement. It has a gym with a sauna and a whirlpool, and on this floor there's a Japanese bath. The grounds are yours to explore, as is the library, the kitchen, and the lunch room."

As Rio bent to retrieve last night's dinner tray, Hank got to his feet. She stopped moving and inhaled deeply, watching him rise to his full height of one foot taller than she, before standing up straight herself.

"Is there really only the three of us?" Hank politely asked. "It seems like an awfully big place."

"Yes, ana…" Rio paused as she marveled over the whiteness of Hank's face, set against the darkness of his eyebrows and his sandy, unkempt hair. "The rooms are very big. And Milton owns a lot of stuff."

Hank cleared his throat. "Well, I feel better knowing you were here." After Rio gave a killer look, he added, "And Milton, too."

"And Bumbles," Rio furthered, as she glared more softly up at him.

"And Bumbles," Hank repeated, locking eyes with her, unafraid.

Rio blinked to break their gaze before turning to leave, "Meet Milton outside along the paths after breakfast."

"Um, like… where, exactly?"

"Anywhere. He'll find you. Or don't," Rio added while leaving. "Go home, if you like. There's no reason to stay. Do what you want."

"Thank you!" Hank called after her. "I will!"

Ttaku, does he smell good, Rio admitted to herself, shaking her head to get the stars out of her eyes.

The Book of LIBERALITY - Chapter SIX

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