The Book of a Renaissance Man

[Levi Druthers]

Levi threw the leather bound book onto the desk, the object sliding across the polished wood a few inches before coming to a stop.  The hyur fell heavily into the chair behind the desk, engraved walnut back creaking with the change in pressure to it.  Turning his chair to face his desk, Levi placed his elbows on it and rubbed the bridge of his nose.  It had been a very long day, especially in regards to making deals and signing contracts.  It was something he was used to, but this time it took longer than normal.

 

Waving over his manservant, the elezen stepped forward and poured some wine into a goblet, placing it by Levi's left hand.  The red liquid shimmered and danced in the light coming from the nearby window, leaving Levi entranced for just a moment ... before he picked up the goblet and took a long gulp of it.  It went down smooth ... was that cherry he tasted? ... and it cleared his mind instantly.

 

"A good choice of vintage.  Make sure to buy three more cases of it tomorrow."

 

"Of course, President Druthers."  The elezen bowed deeply, then returned to his place by the wall.

 

Levi turned his attention now to the leather bound book on his desk.  It was one of many he had arranged on his desk, as well as on the shelves behind him.  He kept all his thoughts on the pages. but he was never afraid they would be looked at by anyone else.  He had good security and wasn't worried about such things.  Thumb hooking over the edge of the cover, Levi opened the book and breathed in the smell of leather and ink.  It took him back to his youth when he helped his father with the book keeping for the family business.

 

Keeping track of all your expenses, from gains to debt, is important, son.  Being one gil off can cause a problem.

 

He kept those words from his father in his heart every day, making sure that the ledgers for his many businesses were correct, and never in the red.  He has fired many an accountant for poor math, and even a few for poor penmanship.  If I cannot read what they wrote, they are of no use to me.

 

Reaching over to the pen in its inkwell, Levi tapped off the excess ink, then began to write.  His lines were smooth and pronounced, the penmanship of a well studied man.  He took his time, as any mistakes would cause confusion, and the extra strikeouts of the words would ruin the perfection of his information.  He had acquired contracts of three businesses in Gridania, and began the negotiations on another.  Of course, that was the one that irked him so much.

 

If you think I will negotiate with a boy, you are sorely mistaken!

 

The tip of his pen dug a bit too deep into the paper causing a rip.  Just the thought of what that elezen said boiled his blood.  He has seen twenty six seasons, by the Twelve!  Grinding his teeth together, Levi sat back in his chair, closing his eyes.  He wanted to expand outward from Ul'dah, and Gridania seemed like the best avenue to start at.

 

(TBC)

Edited March 3, 2018 by Levi Druthers

[Levi Druthers]

Levi tried to stay awake, but it was difficult.  It wasn't that he disliked being at business meetings with his father, but he had been up all night working on his latest tinkering creation.  The boy stifled a yawn, his hands moving to open his leather bound book to a fresh page to start taking notes.  He was good at taking notes - he was good at many things - and that made him chuckle to himself.

 

As a child, he was seen as a 'teacher's pet' in the school he went to.  Always ready with an answer, always ready to help the teacher pass out materials, Levi knew he needed to keep in his teachers' good graces to get good grades.  Sure, he could do that on his own, but the added work had those teachers visiting his father's house for dinners as well as receiving gifts.  There was no class that Levi didn't come out on top.

 

Stifling another yawn, he focused hard on what his father was saying.  It was a meeting in the family business' boardroom, and as the President of Foreign Contracts, Levi was expected to be present for all of them.  Today was all about expanding the stocks in wine and wood.  A strange combination, but both went together.

 

"We need to make sure we have the correct wood for the wine barrels, Mister Chairman.  Recently, the price of walnut logs has risen exponentially in the trade routes."

 

Levi turned his gaze to the man who spoke.  He was a lallafellian named Rostono Tono, and he was in charge of the wineries in his father's business.  Mister Tono had been with the Druthers' family for years, so if the man said there was a problem, there more than likely was one.

 

"That is to be expected.  My sources say that there is something happening over in Limsa Lominsa.  They have been buying up all available wood from all sources they can find."

 

Levi moved his gaze to the hyur who spoke.  Chyna Garris was another member of his father's business who had been around more years than Levi had been alive.  A soft spoken woman, Miss Garris kept her ears and eyes always open for any information about business, even those others deemed as rumors.

 

"I see.  Levi, what has your time in Gridania brought you?  Have you been able to make any headway in forming contracts there?"

 

The Chairman's voice broke through the silence after Miss Garris spoke, and Levi felt all the eyes in the room on him.  But he wasn't nervous.  He wasn't afraid.  Standing up from his seat, the boy picked up his leather bound book and turned to a page within.

 

"Progress has been slow, but I have made some headway in creating multiple contracts with lumberyards as well as the Botanist Guild in Gridania.  Let me show you them ...."

 

(TBC)

[Levi Druthers]

Levi crouched in the darkness of the alleyway he slipped into.  Holding the leather bound book tightly to his chest, the hyur panted and gasped for air.  They almost got you.  I need to be more careful.  Relaxing his arms, Levi looked down at the book there, the one thing that was his only friend and comfort in this world.

 

He thought back to his childhood, where speaking up or out was never allowed.  The only way he could express himself was through writing.  He wasn't careful the first time, and his father made sure to let him know through a thorough beating.  But Levi was clever, and he worked out a personal cipher he now uses when he writes.  So far he has filled multiple volumes with his thoughts, be they good or bad.

 

But today ... today he nearly lost more than his thoughts.  He could have lost everything!  Levi grumbled to himself.  He had read the contract he signed with Atlas Industries, and Atsuo Yadoya made it quite clear that the terms were not negotiable.  Of course, that ruffled Levi's feathers, but deep down he knew he needed to make a deal with that man and Atlas.

 

Leaning against the stone wall behind him, Levi felt the sun in the Shirogane sky move across his face, slowly lighting up the nooks in the alleyway.  He was not stupid to know there were some secrets to be used against others, secrets said in confidence or under duress.  And he wanted to know them.  Slipping the book back into the holster under his jacket, Levi rubbed the bridge of his nose.

 

I will need to be more careful around that man and that ... ugh ... woman.

 

(TBC)

[Levi Druthers]

Levi sat up in the medical bay, his torso and head propped up on a few pillows.  A blanket was pulled up over his chest and tucked under, wrapping him in comfort and warmth.  His leather bound book was seated open on his lap, a pen in hand.  The medical bay was quiet for the moment, so Levi took the time to put down his thoughts.

 

Setting the tip of the pen to the paper, his head began to throb.  So much had happened in the past 12 hours, and he was still trying to sort it all out.  But he needed to, even if it hurt him.

 

"So much has happened that even I cannot comprehend.  Much of my memories are hazy or blank, I fear I may have done something uncouth.  But I must write down what I remember."

 

"We were asked to deal with something in a place by the ocean.  I remember the salty smell as very revolting, but a man must do what he needs to do.  So I pushed through as we began searching for information about our objective."

 

"I remember something about darkness and light, and following a woman to her house.  Then, there was a creature of some sort there which I remember fighting, and it turning to ash.  Then screams ..."

 

Levi grimaced as the memory flooded back to him.  Tears stung at his eyes, blurring his vision behind his glasses.  He continued to write.

 

"Master Yadoya was lifeless on the ground.  Confusion ... I remember being angry at Miss Wright.  I felt no pulse.  I took it upon myself to pick up his body as he did not need to be left on such a disgusting ground.  But I ... "

 

A wail tore from his chest at what he remembered next, and the tears began to fall.  Levi sobbed, but he continued to push through and write.

 

"The creature took his body.  Defiled it by ripping out Atsuo's neck.  I tried to get his body back but ... just the head.  I held his head in my hands, body lost to the winds and water.  I was covered in Atsuo's blood, a testament to my sin of not bringing him home whole as I promised I would.  What will happen to me?  It's all my fault.  I was not fast enough ..."

 

Levi dropped the pen on his lap, his hands coming up to cover his face.  Sobs wracked the young man as images crashed over and over into his mind.  He felt himself break at that time, all sense of humanity gone.  He remembered how he mindlessly slaughtered what were probably innocent people afterwards.  He remembers the smell of fire and the sound of screams.  His stomach clenched, and Levi turned to his left, vomiting up his lunch into the pot by his bed.

 

Would he ever be the same after this?

 

(TBC)

[Levi Druthers]

Pen scratched against a clean sheet of paper in his leather bound journal, the memories of the last few moments fresh on his mind.  He knew if he didn't do this, it would haunt him for days to come.

 

"It has not been more than three days, and the news of a new Vice President of Atlas reached my ears.  A miqo'te whom I just came to meet before I write this.  I did not catch his name, but it did not matter."

 

"All I saw was Atsuo standing there, speaking the words the miqo'te said, but in his voice."

 

Levi stopped writing, feeling the tears sting at his eyes.  He took a shaky breath, forcing himself to continue.

 

"I have come to terms with my feelings for Atsuo, with the help of a lady au ra named Ai Rynn.  I greatly respected Mister Yadoya not only because of his looks and speech, but because of his way he commanded others with a firm hand in business and pleasure."

 

"I am saddened by the fact I did not get the chance to speak with him more."

 

Levi raised his head, looking at the door where the new VP and a new member headed down the stairs.

 

"The words that Ai left me with are ones I need to keep in mind.  We need to work together to make sure what happened to Mister Yadoya never happens again.  I will work harder to make sure of it.  Be it studying the healing arts, or spending days at the alchemical table to make potions and elixers.  I do not want to ..."

 

The words trail off, a line of blue ink sliding down the page.  The thought was left unknown, and Levi kept it that way, closing his leather bound book, replacing it in its holster.

 

(TBC)

[Levi Druthers]

Levi sat at his desk in his father's house, and looked at the stack of old ledgers before him.  Taking one from the top of the nearest pile, he opened it in front of him and sighed.  This was a past time he greatly enjoyed.  He was good with numbers, and the feeling one got when correcting and seeing what profits one made was exhilarating. 

 

Goblet of wine in hand, the hyur hummed to himself as he flipped through the pages, eyes skimming over numbers with quick but concentrated effort.

 

Until they stopped on a familiar last name.

 

"Hm.  Interesting."

 

Levi filed that in the back of his mind as he continued to look through the other ledgers, yet each one had that same last name in them.  The man frowned slightly, and called out to his manservant waiting just outside his office.

 

"You called, President Druthers?"

 

"I need you to find out more about this ... Oswald Bendixen.  Where he lives, his family, his occupation ... everything.  But be thorough.  I want no false leads or half truths."

 

"Of course, President Druthers."

 

Levi watched as his manservant bowed deeply to him, then exited his office, the door being shut behind him.  He frowned slightly, adjusting his spectacles.  Taking out parchment and quill, Levi began writing down each occurrence of the name, as well as the date and cost of loans he found.

 

Several days later

 

Levi sat in his home, a smile on his lips.  His thumb moved over the paper to rub over an oh so familiar name to him.

 

"Well, well, well .... it seems we have some business to attend to, Felix.  I hope you are ready for some... tough negotiations."

 

(TBC)

[Levi Druthers]

Levi sat in a chair, his eyes on the group of drunkards that mingled in the room below.  He wrinkled his nose at the collective smell of the men and women there, but he had a purpose.  Raising his handkerchief to his face, trying to block out some of the smell, Levi lifted a device that he held in his other hand.

 

Tracing a thumb over the smooth surface, Levi recalled the conversation he and Persi had the day before.

 

"One whole body, Levi.  High in aether."

 

Levi licked his lips in anticipation of the reward he would receive from his new mentor.  Raising the device to his face, Levi closed his eyes and breathed in.  He could smell the magitek parts and the working within, and him.  The man shuddered in his seat, breathing ragged.  ~Now is not the time, you fool.~  He chided himself for getting side tracked, then motioned for his man servant beside him.

 

"Start getting those ... filth some drinks.  If they complain about how long it is taking, throw more drinks and gil at them."

 

"Yes, President Druthers."

 

Placing his handkerchief on his lap, Levi did the necessary movements to turn on the aether tracking device he was given, and waited.  As gruff and impatient as Persi was, he did take a minute to show Levi how to turn on the device, as well as what readings he was to be looking for.

 

And that is how Levi spend a good portion of his day, staring at a metal device in his hand, watching numbers rise and fall.  He made notations in his leather bound journal of the drunkards names and the readings he got.  Levi wanted to pick the best one for his mentor, so he took his time and was patient.

 

More hours slipped by, and Levi had to stifle a yawn.  ~None of these are good enough!~ The man growled, his last bit of wine drained from the glass he held.  And that was when he noticed it.

 

Sitting up, Levi watched the highest reading he ever saw on the aether reader the entire time he sat in his chair.  Quickly, he picked up the device and pointed it at each of the riff raff still left in the building.  But none of them were it.

 

"Shall I bring in the next group of drunkards, President Druthers?"

 

Levi moved to speak to his man servant, and the aether device spiked high.  Looking up at the man who had served him for all of his life, Levi let a slow grin spread across his lips.

 

"No, I believe I have found what I am looking for.  Send those drunkards off with some gil, and meet me in my office in one hour."

 

The elezen nodded, bowing his way off the balcony.  Levi raised a hand to his ear, touching the link pearl there.

 

"Zoroaster.  I have found the perfect candidate for the needed fodder.  *pause*  Yes.  I will be there with him in one hour's bell. *pause*  Yes, I have all the Garlean parts you requested as well"

 

(TBC)

[Levi Druthers]

Levi sits at his desk, pen in hand.  He looks down at the empty parchment before him and begins to write.

 

"Dear, Mrs. Haicaufaux,

 

I regret to inform you of the disappearance of your husband, Aubeirts.  I have done all I can to search for him after I sent him on a task that he has done many times.  The Vizier tells me that he has done everything he could within the extent of Ul'dahn law to find Aubeirts to no avail.

 

I know this cannot bring back your husband, but I am sending a large payment with this letter in order to help fund schooling for your three sons.  I know young Raindar has a knack for numbers, and I know the best teachers in the city who can assist with his learning.

 

Your husband was a faithful man servant to me.  May he find peace with the Twelve, wherever he is.

 

Signed, 

 

Levi Druthers

President of Druthers Industries"

 

Folding and sealing the letter closed, Levi pulled a sack of gil from his desk drawer and began to count it out on his desk.  As he did so, his mind fluttered back to the scenes not so long ago.  What he had done and witnessed, and what he had tasted like from the kiss.  The image of the droplet of wine on his lip sprang to the front of his mind, and Levi groaned inwardly.

 

~ I must do good.  I must show him I am capable of being trustworthy.  Then, perhaps another reward will come my way. ~

 

Grinning to himself, Levi stood with sack and letter in hand.  Stepping out of his room, he turned back for a moment.

 

"I will need to look for another man servant."

 

(TBC)

[Levi Druthers]

Levi traced the top of the device with is fingertips.  He found it amazing how something put together by a Garlean could be so .... delicate, yet sensitive.  The thought made the young man chuckle as he brought to mind whom he got the device from.

 

~ Delicate and sensitive are not the words I would use to describe him .... ~

 

Levi sat at his desk, a number of books laying open upon it, as well as scraps of parchment haphazardly strewn about the desk and the floor.  The hyur looked tired, dark rings under his eyes, his spectacles slightly askew on his face, and his normally well kept hair tussled.  His finger tips continued to dance along the smooth surface on top of the device as he thought.

 

~ More blood.  He needs more blood.  But I cannot just whisk away another man servant.  It would be too strange.  And he did not ask for fodder ... ~

 

Levi sat back in his chair with a groan.  He had been puzzling out how to get his teacher more blood for the man's rituals, Levi had been studying the ways of a healer, yet drawing blood in any way was out of his knowledge.  In fact, even if he could draw it, he would need some way to store it for transporting to his teacher.

 

~ Argh!  Why must he be so ... so infuriatingly good with his words.  Now if I want what I want, I needs do this.  ~

 

Levi stood from his chair, feeling his back and neck crack from being in the same position for so long.  Walking over to the many books he kept nearby, the young man began scanning the spines as if looking for something particular.  He chose a few books, then put some back, before settling on a large, dark leather bound tome.  Returning to his desk, he wearily dropped the book on it with a thump and opened it.

 

The smell of must and use reached his nostrils, and Levi leaned back slightly from it.  He loved books for certain, but sometimes they didn't smell nice.  But it did show their age, and such aged books were a means of status to people like him.  Gloved fingers flipped through the slightly yellowed pages until he came upon what he was looking for.

 

~ Hm ... yes, yes.  That will do.  Now I need to find someone willing enough to teach me how to do it. ~

 

(TBC)

[Levi Druthers]

Levi looked up at the very unassuming house he stood in front of.  Squat in nature with a slightly crooked door, it didn't seem to fit in with the other fancy buildings along the street.  Even the windows were dusty and cracked.  But ... it was the only place he could find someone who would teach him what he wanted to know.

 

Stepping up to the door, he raised a balled fist to knock upon it.  But before he could, the crooked door swung open, revealing a balding lalafell male.

 

"Well, you're finally here.  Come on in then, I haven't got all day."

 

Levi paused, fist still in the air, a bit stunned.  It wasn't until the lallafell shouted for him to hurry up did Levi move.

 

"Ah, yes.  Uhm.  I am to assume you are Doctor Notelli?"

 

"Of course!  What other fool would live in such a run down place?  Now come on.  I have appointments in two bells.  This way."

 

Levi followed the lallafellian down a dusty hallway, dodging splintered floorboards and cobwebs on the walls.  Pulling out his handkerchief, the hyur brushed off his fine jacket sleeve with a look of disgust on his face.

 

That is, until he entered the room at the end of the hall.

 

It was pristine in every way, shelves lined with vials and books, all in a neat row and ordered by color and alphabet.  Clean tables and chairs sat along the far wall, and just enough lighting to make it bright enough to see.  Doctor Notelli laughed at the expression on Levi's face.

 

"I'm not foolish enough to flaunt what I do here, boy.  There are some who look down on the more ... down to earth medical practices like I do here."

 

The lallafell motioned Levi over to a desk behind a small divider.  The doctor sat down on one side of it, and Levi took a seat on the other side.

 

"So, you seemed quite insistent on finding someone to help you.  What are you in need of?"

 

Levi took a deep breath and let it out.  He had been turned away by quite a number of medical staff around Ul'Dah, and this was the last place he could find in the city before having to look elsewhere.

 

"I need to learn how to draw blood in a quick yet gentle manner."

 

(TBC)

[Levi Druthers]

((A/N:  Mothers are supposed to help nurture and raise their children so they can find their place in the world.  But not all mothers are like that.  Here is a short glimpse into the dysfunctional connection between Levi and his mother, and the cause for his aversion towards those of the fairer sex.))

 

"Levi!  Sit up straight!  Legs together!  Head held up!  Women do not slouch."

 

The young boy gave a fearful "yes, ma'am" to his mother as he sat in a chair.  Straightening his back, squaring his shoulders, Levi made sure to keep his legs together at the knees.  He folded his hands on the silk material of his dress, blinking away the tears that threatened to form.

 

"That is better.  Now, sit still like a good little girl.  I will be right back with the tea and our company for the evening."

 

Levi's mother stepped out of the dining room, her billowy dress swirling around her legs and around the corner into the hallway.  Levi dared not move an inch.  If he did, the beating his mother gave him was severe, and the humiliation doubly so.  His mother said this all was to help him grow, to make him a better man in the future.  So he listened.  Did as he was told.  He wore the dresses and cut his hair.  He wore the frilly hats and delicate shoes.  He let his mother tell him how to sit like a young lady and eat properly at a table.

 

His father was always away on business now, the last words he said to Levi were to 'listen to your mother'.  The young boy had no way of letting his father know what was going on the past few years, as his mother never told him where his father was.  So Levi endured the best he could.  By day, he was the proper, obedient girl his mother wanted him to be.

 

But at night, he was the terrified, spiteful, angry young boy he truly was.  And slowly, day by day, Levi's hatred and loathing towards women grew from a tiny speck ...

 

... to the ball it is today in his heart.

 

(TBC)

[Levi Druthers]

The lalafell looked at Levi with a raised, bushy brow.

 

"That's a very odd request."

 

Levi frowned, then placed a small bag of gil onto Doctor Notelli's desk, the weight of the coins making a clinking sound.  The lalafell dropped his gaze to the bag, but said nothing.

 

"I am paying you for your silence as well as your knowledge, Doctor Notelli.  Do not ask any questions, train me in what I ask for, and you will get another bag of coin like that."

 

The lalafellian doctor opened the bag of coin and made a grunt of pleasure seeing what was inside.  He looked up at Levi and pointed at him.

 

"Sit there, and don't move.  I'll be right back."

 

Getting up from his desk, Doctor Notelli headed over to a shelf of books and picked out one.  Carrying it over to his desk, he placed it in front of Levi.

 

"My terms are simple, then.  You come here before my appointments start every day.  You sit here and read the tomes and documents I give you.  At the end of the day, I test you on your knowledge.  If you pass, I give you another tome.  If you fail, you read it again."

 

"Those are acceptable terms, Doctor Notelli."

 

The lallafell snorted, pointing at the book on the desk.

 

"We will start with hyur anatomy.  Read about it, make notes, whatever you need to.  There is water and snacks in the next room if you are hungry, but don't eat in here.  I will test your knowledge at the end of my work day, in eight bells."

 

(TBC)

[Levi Druthers]

For days, Levi sat at the desk of Doctor Notelli, scouring over books and tomes, taking notes in his leather bound journal.  He drew diagrams, labeling each part he read about.  He wrote out equations and formulae on the margins.  He barely slept or ate, though the lalafellian doctor made sure to check up on Levi every once in a while.

 

On the last day of study and testing, Levi looked across the desk of Doctor Notelli and sighed.  "I have passed all your tests and read all your materials.  What say you, Doctor Notelli?"

 

The lalafell leaned his elbows on the desk, looking at the young hyur across from him with a smile.  "You have done exceptionally well, Mister Druthers.  Most of my past students took longer than you to get terms right.  Surprising."  Notelli waved a small hand towards the door.  "You passed.  Take the knowledge you have gotten from this place and do whatever you want with it.  Just don't come back here."

 

Levi nodded, standing up at the clear dismissal fro the doctor's office.  Picking up his journal, Levi slipped it into the holster under his jacket, and made for the door.  A smile came to his face, knowing he was one step closer to getting what he wanted.

 

Persi Lux Zartosht.

 

(TBC)

[Levi Druthers]

Levi sat in his bedroom, hands shaking and mind racing. Much had happened in the last few hours, and his mind was still reeling from the events. Overall, two things came to mind that terrified him.  He had almost lost his teacher during that ritual, and the flashbacks of Master Yadoya’s corpse nearly drowned his senses. He could feel his mind breaking as it did back then, but Persi snapped him out of it, and Levi was grateful.

 

But he had also seen the different sides of his teacher that thrilled yet terrified him to the bone. Just thinking about it had the young hyur stand from his chair and pace the room. He needed to find a way to get back into the man’s good graces and fast.

 

Levi always had gotten what he wanted in life, but he started to realize this time he might have grabbed the aldgoat’s horns too early and too fast. Though he had seen things that broke through the carefully placed mask on the garlean’s face, Levi wondered if he wasn’t supposed to. And that was the catalyst of what happened next and the consequences thereafter.

 

Levi sat on the side of his bed, his head in his hands. Those last words his teacher had said to him still haunted him, and his stomach twisted in knots.  Perhaps I should stay away from him for a time. Though ... he was injured. But he kept telling me he could take care of himself.  Such thoughts spun around in his mind, looping and twisting back on themselves until he could not stop the seed of doubt twisting in his gut.

 

Throwing himself face first onto the bed, Levi picked up a pillow and covered his head with it.

 

Tomorrow, I think I will stay in and get drunk.

 

(TBC)

Edited April 16, 2018 by Levi Druthers

[Levi Druthers]

Sunlight streamed through the window, its shutters thrown wide.  Motes danced in the strips of light, dancing over the image of a very messy room, and the tenant within.  That man was Levi Druthers, and he could not remember the past three days.

 

Levi sat at his desk, hunched over his open journal.  Shiny shoes were now dull and scuffed.  Pants with a clean seam were wrinkled, one leg pushed up to show a pale shin.  A suit jacket was thrown haphazardly over the back of the chair he sat in, gold vest undone and open.  Crisp, white shirt wrinkled and stained, buttons in wrong holes.  Slick black hair found itself now in a ratty mess, partly laying over one eye, the spectacles there partly pushed down his nose.  A shadow of scruff darkened his normally clean face, and Levi reached up to scratch at his chin.

 

"I do not remember what I have done over the past three days."  Levi began to scrawl in his journal, his hand slightly unsteady.  He had a killer headache, and it made thinking, let alone writing, difficult.  "Ten thousand gil is missing from my wallet, I have two bottles of cheap wine on the floor . . . empty."  Levi moved his gaze slowly to the mentioned bottles, his nose wrinkling at the thought of him even drinking such vile liquid.  "And I apparently have signed applications to a few of the schools in Ul'Dah; Pugilist, Thaumaturge, and even the damned Blades."

 

Levi sighed, moving a hand to pull the offending papers towards himself.  Squinting, he could make out his signature at the bottom, though the had no recollection of putting it there.  He did recall throwing a pair of cestus and a wooden wand onto his floor . . . vaguely.  A pitiful groan slipped from him, and Levi put his head into his hands.

 

What other stupid things did I do?  Twelve have mercy ....

 

Lost in misery, the door to Levi's private rooms rattled on its hinges, a heavy fist banging upon it.

 

"Git up, ye lazy boy.  I dun what ye asked fer and I wannae talk to ye!"

 

(TBC)

[Levi Druthers]

It had been too long, and Levi ran his fingers over his cherished journal.  The leather cover looked a bit frayed on the edges and binding, but he didn't have the heart to up and buy a new book.  No, he like it this way.  Flipping the cover open, he thumbed through the pages full of words and drawings, a light frown coming to his features when his eyes skimmed over some past entries.

Atlas Industries was no more, the ones who led it going their separate ways.  Well, that is what happens when there is not one head of everything.  It really didn't bother him, as he was just there for contractual things, and they can be made anywhere.  A few more flips of filled pages, and he came across a blank one.

Picking up his gold plated pen, he began to write.

 

"I am back on my own now, in a sense.  Another manservant gone, which is a shame.  He had such potential.  But I digress.

 

"After those in Atlas went their separate ways, I returned to Ul'dah.  Thankfully I did not lose much in the way of coin with the contract I made with Miss Serra, but it was enough to be a bit of a bother.  It will not take long to recoup the sum though.  And thank the Twelve I will not be bothered by those catte twins anymore.  I swear they were going to give me a complex of some kind.

 

"I do find myself in a wonderful situation.  I am uncertain if I should write this here for fear of it being found.  But I cannot help it.  I find myself fully in the employ of the Cyrus Circle, that which my Persi, no .. my Zoroaster made me his Noah.  We also came to an agreement, one which helped us both to advance.  A contract of marriage gave him the gil he needs, and I ...."

 

Levi paused a moment, gazing up from the large desk he sat behind.  His eyes took in the elaborate walls and ceiling, gilded in gold and silver.  Priceless art sat on shelves and tables, books from ages past sat on shelves.  And he ... well ...

 

" ... I am now the Chairman of Druthers' Industries."

 

Putting the pen down, Levi smiled, then let out a long laugh, kicking his booted feet up onto the desk he sat behind, picking up a glass of wine.  He gave a mock salute to the air, saying "Do not worry mother, father ... I will take good care of the business the family has built up.  I will make it grander and better than it was!"

 

(TBC)

[Levi Druthers]

The light of dawn broke through the curtains of the bedroom he shared with his husband, and the young hyur could be found sitting up in the previously mentioned bed, his leather bound journal resting open in his lap.  As Persi slept beside him, Levi tapped his gold-encrusted pen in his chin as he thought.  In the past few months he had gotten what he had wanted; Persi Zartosht as his husband, his family business under his own name .... but something was lacking.

 

His eyes gazed over the many columns of numbers that mostly filled his journal now; expenditures, profits, names and even dates .... he wasn't lacking for gil in any way.  But he was lacking something.   Something he just couldn't put his finger on.

 

As his husband once again stole the covers, Levi settled his notebook on his bare legs, flipped to a blank page in his journal, and set pen to paper.

 

"It has been a little less than two months since my marriage and taking over the family business, yet something still feels empty.  The contracts my father and I have made still bring in the necessary gil, and I am comfortable in my many luxuries.  Though my husband still has his strange .... wants, I love him, and I know he does in return. Yet ...."

 

Levi paused in his writing, trying to focus on what he was feeling at the moment.  Though he was amazing with words, trying to think of them to put onto paper was difficult.

 

"The previous Noah has found his way to our doorstep.  Hailing from my husband's last circle, this man named Vincentio ..... something about his chills me to my bone.  He is a full blooded garlean, unlike my husbnad who is only half, and it feels like he can see something about me that .... perhaps I am worrying overmuch.  But when Vincentio looks at Persi sometimes, I swear I see murder and hatred in his eyes."

 

Setting his pen down, Levi moved a hand to stroke his sleeping husband's arm gently, the other man mumbling in his sleep.  The young hyur did not want to wake his teacher and lover, but just touching the other man made him feel safe, real.  Even so, that feeling of dread and helplessness never left the pit of his stomach.

 

I will not let him hurt you.

 

(TBC)