Welcome to the Masquerade

"Steam-Powered Charleston" by Steampunk

AN: Thanks to all of you who are hanging in there with this snail paced story.  I really appreciate all the encouragement of the votes and comment. Standard disclaimer! I only own Lory. Everything else is the property of C.L.Stone. Constructive criticism is welcome and even requested, but flames will be used to make s'mores. I love votes and views. Please let me know your favorite lines and moments. Happy Reading.  

*~*~*~*~*

Six am on a Monday is hell. Lory was fully convinced that 0600 only existed to make her miserable. Sunday had been...hm. Loud. Sunday had been loud. Everyone had yelled at her.

Charleston was a different world for her. There were limits here. And she found herself actually glad of it in a way. The people here cared enough about her and her well being to limit her. To yell at her when she did something dangerous.

Still not used to back up, she thought.

The first yeller had been Uncle Henry.

"Damn," Lory had whispered as she stubbed her toe on yet another piece of furniture. "Too much furniture. Never be able to sneak in quietly."

"THAT IS THE POINT!" Henry had boomed as he loomed over her with crossed arms and a scowl. "What do you think you're doing coming in after one in the damn morning when I know for a fact you were on the other side of Charleston well after midnight? What the hell were those boys thinking allowing you to gallivant all over the city at this time of night!? I'm half tempted to call Phil and pull you from that god forsaken school. Blackbourne team or no. You should have stayed with them when you were there after midnight! What is wrong with you!? Don't you give any thought to your own safety!"

He was ranting but the vein in his forehead was throbbing from him forcing himself to not actually yell and wake everyone else up.

"But I'm FINE!" Lory was truly shocked at this reaction.

"You could have been in an accident and NO ONE WOULD HAVE KNOWN WHERE YOU WERE! Did you even tell those boys you were leaving?! It's DANGEROUS to not let someone know where you are or where you're going!"

Lory flung herself at Henry with tears in her eyes.

He oof'd in surprise and all the righteous indignation leached out of him. She was safe. For the moment. He knew birds had difficult and dangerous jobs in the academy and from what Phil had explained to their team that night it had been that way for Lory for far longer than he'd realized. Phil had also explained what her Academy Status was. In other words she wasn't. But here she was well trained and on a job. He was not happy. Zora had very calmly explained everything that was being done to fix Lucy's fuck ups. But back to his niece hugging him as though he'd disappear if she let go.

"What did I do to deserve this?"

"You yelled at me," came her muffled answer.

"Yelling at you made you attack me with a hug?"

"Yes."

"Ok, I still don't get it, but I'll take it," he said giving her a final squeeze and leading her to the kitchen with an arm over her shoulder. "So why did you leave the boys at this time of night?"

"All my stuff for my real homework is here. I needed some more of my clothes and I wanted to sleep in my own bed. The couch at Nate's was fine but..."

Henry chuckled darkly as he puttered around making Lory a cup of tea. "Those boys are probably frantic by now."

"I doubt they'd notice I'm gone," She shrugged without malice in either her words or her eyes. She was as, far as she knew a totally forgettable and extraneous, person. Henry stiffened as she dismissed her worth to those around her. "They're more focused on Sang and that's how it should be."