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31_days2012-06-22 03:48 pm
insaneladybug.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2012-06-22 03:48 pm
[June 22nd] [Perry Mason] Lux Aeterna, 22
Title: Lux Aeterna, scene 22
Day/Theme: June 22nd - Timeless Halls
Series: Perry Mason
Character/Pairing: Hamilton Burger, Mignon Germaine
Rating: K/G
Takes place after #20.
By Lucky_Ladybug
It was starting to seem that, contrary to everyone’s hopes, all of the strange things Florence had brought into their world had not vanished upon the decimation of her empire. Everyone had been exploring the canyons, seeking confirmation or denial of that fact. And that was how Hamilton and Mignon had stumbled across a much different castle than the onyx structure that Florence had used for her own.
In complete contrast, this palace was made of white marble. As they wandered through the now-abandoned and somewhat bittersweet halls, Mignon ran her hand over the smooth stone surface.
“Do you wonder where relics such as this came from, Hamilton?” she said. The fascination and awe was obvious in her voice.
“Of course I do,” Hamilton said. He was amazed, but mainly bewildered and on edge. “Especially whether it’s really as abandoned as it seems to be.”
“It appears to be from a kingdom that came and went long ago.” At the end of the hall were stone steps leading into a circular room filled with windows. Mignon ascended and entered the room. The sun shone in with a welcoming air, touching across the floor and the walls.
“This looks too much like the counterpart to Florence’s tower throne room,” Hamilton remarked as he followed. “It’s just in white instead of black.”
“Perhaps the castles both came from the same location and time period. They may have been in neighboring kingdoms.”
Hamilton kept his hands in his pockets as he looked with unease at the space. “They’re in pretty good condition if they’re really so old,” he said. “That church Della and I found looks like it’s in worse shape.”
“It looked pillaged, certainly. This castle doesn’t.”
“Unless thieves already walked off with all of the furniture we can’t find.” Hamilton wandered to one of the windows and looked out at the greenery and the drop over the edge.
“If they did, it was most likely in the world this came from.”
“Don’t you think it’s strange that none of these things went back when the spell broke?” Hamilton frowned. “It looks like we’re stuck with them.”
Mignon sighed. “Perhaps sending them back requires a spell we don’t know.”
“And that’s another thing. That Box is still around. Florence was right, that we can’t seem to destroy it.”
“I tried everything I could think of,” Mignon admitted.
“I know.” Hamilton leaned against the wall. “But as long as it’s here, Florence or anyone else could take it and turn our world even more upsidedown than it is right now.”
“Perhaps locking it away is the only solution.” Mignon sighed. “There is no hope that it wouldn’t be uncovered eventually, but we might be able to conceal it for a long time if we found the right spot.”
“I’d say just bury it in the earth in several stone boxes and put them in a bigger stone box,” Hamilton said.
“In a cemetery?” Mignon supplied.
“Maybe so,” Hamilton consented. “At least it wouldn’t be as likely to be dug up then.” He fell silent, thinking. “And we should leave some kind of warning with it so whoever does eventually find it knows what they’re getting into.”
“It would have to be carved in stone, to be preserved as long as possible,” Mignon said. A slight smirk played on her lips. “And there’s always the chance that whoever finds it will be a natural skeptic like you, Hamilton, and won’t pay attention to the warning anyway.”
Hamilton sighed. “Well, it’s worth a try. Of course it’ll sound ridiculous and laughable. ‘This box contains dark magic that can drastically and tragically alter the world.’ Who would believe that at first glance?”
“Not many, particularly in this day and age. Long ago, it was quite common to believe in such things.”
“Yeah, in the Dark Ages.” Hamilton shook his head. “Everybody was tied down to their superstitions.”
“Perhaps someday, the world will be like that again.”
“Let’s hope not,” Hamilton groaned.
“I do,” Mignon said. “Some skepticism is healthy. It would be better, perhaps, if there was a happy medium.”
“Most people go to one extreme or the other.” Hamilton pushed himself away from the wall. “I still don’t want to believe that things like this are real. The problem is, by now I don’t have much choice.”
“No,” Mignon said in amusement. “You don’t.”
“But I still don’t intend to believe in every weird thing that comes along,” Hamilton hurried to add.
“I would honestly be afraid for you, if there ever came a time when you would.” Mignon did not sound entertained now, but serious and sad. “It would mean that you had suffered indescribable torment because of magical properties.”
“It seems like that’s happened already, to all of us,” Hamilton said.
“It could be far worse. What we’ve encountered so far scarcely scratches the surface.”
“Well, that’s promising,” Hamilton muttered.
Mignon came to stand at the window now. “As fascinating as this castle and the other buildings are, I will freely admit that I hope and pray nothing else came to our world with them.”
“Some crazy things showed up, according to Della and Andy,” Hamilton pointed out.
“But at least those things stay in their own places and don’t travel. Our world isn’t overrun by strange and unfriendly beings.”
“Actually, it is,” Hamilton remarked. “It’s just that these particular strange and unfriendly beings live here.”
Mignon glanced at him. “And you and the police deal with them every day.”
Hamilton nodded. “That’s scary enough for me. I don’t need any of these fairytales too.”
Mignon gave a quiet sigh. “I sometimes thought I’d like for you to believe in at least some elements of the supernatural. But after everything that’s happened over the past months, I regret ever wanting that.”
Hamilton came to stand with her at the window. “It’s only natural, Mignon. I hope you don’t think you jinxed all of this into happening.”
“I can’t deny that the thought has crossed my mind. But in the end, no, I don’t truly believe that.”
“Good.”
For a long moment they lingered in that room, at that window. For the second time, because of that Box, their world had gone mad. It was just barely starting to put itself back together now. And some things, it looked like, were not going to mend so easily.
Maybe someday this spot would be another source of chaos and mayhem.
But for now, at least, it was quiet. Melancholy, to a certain degree, but quiet.
And as they remained there, watching the sun’s beams retreat through the dense foliage, it was impossible not to wonder who actually had used this room, those halls, and the palace in the past. When not concentrating too hard, it almost sounded like age-old footsteps echoing over the marble.
Day/Theme: June 22nd - Timeless Halls
Series: Perry Mason
Character/Pairing: Hamilton Burger, Mignon Germaine
Rating: K/G
Takes place after #20.
It was starting to seem that, contrary to everyone’s hopes, all of the strange things Florence had brought into their world had not vanished upon the decimation of her empire. Everyone had been exploring the canyons, seeking confirmation or denial of that fact. And that was how Hamilton and Mignon had stumbled across a much different castle than the onyx structure that Florence had used for her own.
In complete contrast, this palace was made of white marble. As they wandered through the now-abandoned and somewhat bittersweet halls, Mignon ran her hand over the smooth stone surface.
“Do you wonder where relics such as this came from, Hamilton?” she said. The fascination and awe was obvious in her voice.
“Of course I do,” Hamilton said. He was amazed, but mainly bewildered and on edge. “Especially whether it’s really as abandoned as it seems to be.”
“It appears to be from a kingdom that came and went long ago.” At the end of the hall were stone steps leading into a circular room filled with windows. Mignon ascended and entered the room. The sun shone in with a welcoming air, touching across the floor and the walls.
“This looks too much like the counterpart to Florence’s tower throne room,” Hamilton remarked as he followed. “It’s just in white instead of black.”
“Perhaps the castles both came from the same location and time period. They may have been in neighboring kingdoms.”
Hamilton kept his hands in his pockets as he looked with unease at the space. “They’re in pretty good condition if they’re really so old,” he said. “That church Della and I found looks like it’s in worse shape.”
“It looked pillaged, certainly. This castle doesn’t.”
“Unless thieves already walked off with all of the furniture we can’t find.” Hamilton wandered to one of the windows and looked out at the greenery and the drop over the edge.
“If they did, it was most likely in the world this came from.”
“Don’t you think it’s strange that none of these things went back when the spell broke?” Hamilton frowned. “It looks like we’re stuck with them.”
Mignon sighed. “Perhaps sending them back requires a spell we don’t know.”
“And that’s another thing. That Box is still around. Florence was right, that we can’t seem to destroy it.”
“I tried everything I could think of,” Mignon admitted.
“I know.” Hamilton leaned against the wall. “But as long as it’s here, Florence or anyone else could take it and turn our world even more upsidedown than it is right now.”
“Perhaps locking it away is the only solution.” Mignon sighed. “There is no hope that it wouldn’t be uncovered eventually, but we might be able to conceal it for a long time if we found the right spot.”
“I’d say just bury it in the earth in several stone boxes and put them in a bigger stone box,” Hamilton said.
“In a cemetery?” Mignon supplied.
“Maybe so,” Hamilton consented. “At least it wouldn’t be as likely to be dug up then.” He fell silent, thinking. “And we should leave some kind of warning with it so whoever does eventually find it knows what they’re getting into.”
“It would have to be carved in stone, to be preserved as long as possible,” Mignon said. A slight smirk played on her lips. “And there’s always the chance that whoever finds it will be a natural skeptic like you, Hamilton, and won’t pay attention to the warning anyway.”
Hamilton sighed. “Well, it’s worth a try. Of course it’ll sound ridiculous and laughable. ‘This box contains dark magic that can drastically and tragically alter the world.’ Who would believe that at first glance?”
“Not many, particularly in this day and age. Long ago, it was quite common to believe in such things.”
“Yeah, in the Dark Ages.” Hamilton shook his head. “Everybody was tied down to their superstitions.”
“Perhaps someday, the world will be like that again.”
“Let’s hope not,” Hamilton groaned.
“I do,” Mignon said. “Some skepticism is healthy. It would be better, perhaps, if there was a happy medium.”
“Most people go to one extreme or the other.” Hamilton pushed himself away from the wall. “I still don’t want to believe that things like this are real. The problem is, by now I don’t have much choice.”
“No,” Mignon said in amusement. “You don’t.”
“But I still don’t intend to believe in every weird thing that comes along,” Hamilton hurried to add.
“I would honestly be afraid for you, if there ever came a time when you would.” Mignon did not sound entertained now, but serious and sad. “It would mean that you had suffered indescribable torment because of magical properties.”
“It seems like that’s happened already, to all of us,” Hamilton said.
“It could be far worse. What we’ve encountered so far scarcely scratches the surface.”
“Well, that’s promising,” Hamilton muttered.
Mignon came to stand at the window now. “As fascinating as this castle and the other buildings are, I will freely admit that I hope and pray nothing else came to our world with them.”
“Some crazy things showed up, according to Della and Andy,” Hamilton pointed out.
“But at least those things stay in their own places and don’t travel. Our world isn’t overrun by strange and unfriendly beings.”
“Actually, it is,” Hamilton remarked. “It’s just that these particular strange and unfriendly beings live here.”
Mignon glanced at him. “And you and the police deal with them every day.”
Hamilton nodded. “That’s scary enough for me. I don’t need any of these fairytales too.”
Mignon gave a quiet sigh. “I sometimes thought I’d like for you to believe in at least some elements of the supernatural. But after everything that’s happened over the past months, I regret ever wanting that.”
Hamilton came to stand with her at the window. “It’s only natural, Mignon. I hope you don’t think you jinxed all of this into happening.”
“I can’t deny that the thought has crossed my mind. But in the end, no, I don’t truly believe that.”
“Good.”
For a long moment they lingered in that room, at that window. For the second time, because of that Box, their world had gone mad. It was just barely starting to put itself back together now. And some things, it looked like, were not going to mend so easily.
Maybe someday this spot would be another source of chaos and mayhem.
But for now, at least, it was quiet. Melancholy, to a certain degree, but quiet.
And as they remained there, watching the sun’s beams retreat through the dense foliage, it was impossible not to wonder who actually had used this room, those halls, and the palace in the past. When not concentrating too hard, it almost sounded like age-old footsteps echoing over the marble.