_18_ (Jace Scott's Point of View)
"Where are you going?" I asked Lavalee when I saw her going out
"You noticed me?" She asked in surprise
"Yeah, where are you going?" I asked her and she sighed
"We're going to the park." She said and I looked at her confused
"We?" I asked her and she showed me her pet tiger that was inside her bag
"Let's go," I said and went to her car
"Huh?" she asked confused
"I'll drive you there," I said and she tossed her keys to me.
She rode the car and placed her tiger pet on her lap.
"Where to?" I asked her
"Here," She said and showed me the google map on her phone
While I was driving, she kept on caressing her pet.
"Where did that come from?" I asked her and she looked at me
"She's my baby sister's experiment." She said and brought it near me
"An experiment?" I asked her and she nodded
"A science experiment, she said she's bored so she created Mnemosyne." She answered
"Mne – What again?" she chuckled when I was almost baffled while saying her pet's name
"Mi – Ne – Mo – sin. Mnemosyne." She said and hugged the tiger again
"Where did you get that? Mnemosyne?" I asked not removing my gaze from the road
"From Titan Goddess of Memories, Mnemosyne, she gave birth to the nine muses in Greek mythology." She replied and I heard her tiger roar softly.
When we arrived in the park, she sat down and allowed Mnemosyne to run freely.
"You're not afraid she'll hurt someone?" I asked her and she shook her head
"Nope, Mnemosyne's domesticated and calm." She said and looked ahead
She whistled and Mnemosyne came running toward here
"Good girl," She tapped Mnemosyne's head
I was just watching her play with Mnemosyne on the grass and I can't help but think about what my Mom told me when I called Lavalee a spoiled heiress before I even knew her.
The way she talks and walks, and in everything she does, there's no denying she came from a prominent family so seeing her play with her pet, and sitting on the grass without any mat or anything is quite amusing.
I expected her to stop carrying Mnemosyne now that she ran on the ground but she didn't.
"Hey, Jace, come play with us." She invited and Mnemosyne ran to me,
It licked my face and I saw her chuckling while walking toward us.
"See? Even Mnemosyne wants you to play with her." She said and carried Mnemosyne
"Fine, fine," I surrendered and I was surprised when she tapped my shoulder
"You're it," she said and released Mnemosyne to the ground again
"What?" I asked confusedly when she step back a little far from me
"You're it." She said and smiled widely while Mnemosyne is running in circles around us.
It?
Her smile faded when she noticed I wasn't moving so she walked toward me and sat beside me.
Mnemosyne jumped on my lap and licked my hand, I looked at her confused while she caressed Mnemosyne's head.
"You didn't get it, do you?" she asked laughed which made me confused
"I wanted to play tag and you're it. Mnemosyne's going to chase us both if you get to catch her." She explained and I nodded my head I placed Mnemosyne down and stood up.
I offered my hand to help her stand up and she stood up.
"Got you," I said and Mnemosyne ran away and I did too
"Unfair!" she said but chased us too
Oh, wait, she's chasing me.
We played and played and I can't believe she's playing like a kid.
"Got you," I told her and wrapped my hands around her waist
"What the?! I didn't see you, I thought you were chasing Mnemosyne." She said and Mnemosyne jumped into her arms
"You think?" I asked her not letting her go
"Yeah, but that was fun." She said and I let her go.
We decided to sit under a tree and rest.
I stood up to buy water and snacks at the near convenient store but while I was paying I saw Lavalee enter the convenience store with Mnemosyne on her trail.
"You are aware that pets aren't allowed here, right?" I asked her when she went inside
"Oh? You're here," She said and carried Mnemosyne
I was confused when she took a gum and placed it on the counter
"What's that for?" I asked her
"I'll pay later." She said and smiled at me
"It's okay," I said and the cashier punched the gum.
"That's 99 pesos, sir." The cashier said and I took out 100 pesos then we went out.
I handed her the water bottle and she drank it and then took the bubble gum.
We went to a line of street vendors and I was a little taken aback when she pulled me to one of the vendors.
"What?" she asked me
Everything that Lavalee's doing every day is surprising me.
It's not like how I see her before.
"Don't tell me this is your first time?" she asked while we were waiting for the ones ahead of us
"No, I just didn't expect you to eat street foods." She smiled at my answer
"I don't really eat these at first but Ravien kept on insisting I try to, he even brought one from here to Japatrein just to give me then I learned to like eating it whenever we're here." She said and smiled
"Sir, three cups with five calamares," I looked at her confused when she spoke the Seryphilian language while buying
"What? You think I can't speak using the Seryphilian language?" she raised her brow at me
"You always speak English." I pointed out
"Duh! You're speaking in English as well, and you're the one who grew up here." She said and paid the vendor after getting the cups of calamares.
She gave me the two cups and then carried Mnemosyne while holding one cup we went back to the tree shade
"Why three?" I asked her when she sat under the shade.
"One for you, one for me, and one for Mnemosyne." She replied and held one calamari with her fingers and fed Mnemosyne.
I placed the cups on the grass and took the stick and ate one.
I noticed that she's just playing with Mnemosyne and she's not eating so I took the stick from her cup and took one calamares and placed it in front of her mouth.
She looked at me confused so I held it in front of her again.
"Eat it," I said and she smiled before holding the stick and eating
"What? You're jealous, Mne?" she asked and caressed Mnemosyne
Mnemosyne growled at her before turning her back, which made me confused.
"Mnemosyne's jealous." She said and whistled so Mnemosyne immediately came back
"Jealous?" I asked and she nodded
"She's jealous of me." She said and I realized why
I took a calamares with my hand and positioned it in front of Mnemosyne, she ate it and I heard Lavalee laughing.
"You're quite a possessive girl, huh." She said and caressed Mnemosyne
We continued eating and she continued teasing Mnemosyne, and Mnemosyne's acting like a little kid who's hiding behind me.
I find it cute, actually.
"Stop teasing her, Lav," I told her and caressed Mnemosyne's fur.
Weird. The tiger didn't even get mad the first time I touched her.
"My baby Mne is sulking ." she teased Mnemosyne again
"Lav, stop it," I told her and placed Mnemosyne on my lap
"I'm just kidding, Jace. Mnemosyne can't ignore me for long." She said and whistled
Mnemosyne walked towards her with her head down low.
"Aww, I'm just kidding, Mne." She said and caressed Mnemosyne
I leaned on the tree and she did too but she ended up leaning on my chest instead because the tree trunk isn't that big for us both.
"You know, I haven't done this for a while now." She said and I looked at her confused
"The last time I set foot here in the Seryphil was five years ago and the last time I played tag was when I was 12, with Freia and Icey." I remained silent as I listen to her
One of the things I learned about her is that she's not the spoiled heiress I thought she is, I remember what happened on our first encounter where she thought I was gay because I insisted on getting the dress.
"It was the last time we were able to play because we had to mature. Even my youngest twin sibling had to mature because we have no one to guide us throughout. We have imo and uncle but of course, at some point, they have to leave us to handle things on our own." She hugged Mnemosyne while speaking
"I won't leave." I hugged her to show her that everything is going to be fine
"You surely won't, but I will." She whispered the last part inaudibly
Suddenly we heard several squeals and shrieks coming from a direction
I released Lavalee from the hug and she stood up so I also stood up.
"What's that?" I shrugged my shoulder but we went there.
"Police officer," I said and showed them my badge
Lavalee was just following me from behind.
I saw what the commotion was about. A girl is lying on the grass cold so I immediately checked her pulse.
"She's dead." I looked at Lavalee who's just looking at the girl
"How did you know that?" I asked and stood up because I didn't feel any pulse and she isn't breathing anymore
"She's pale and her nails are already discolored." She said and touched the girl's hand with a stick
"She isn't undergoing rigor mortis yet meaning she's been dead for less than 6 hours." She said and suddenly we heard the police siren
The spectators were told to leave and police lines were placed in the area, some spectators didn't leave but some did.
"Scott!" one of my colleagues, Francis, said when he saw me
"You're here? How about the one you're guarding?" he asked me
"She's murdered." His attention shifted to Lavalee when she said that
"Don't worry about my fingerprint being inked here, I applied glue as you can see." She said and showed me her hand which has white things that seem like dried-off skin
"Glue? What for?" I asked her and she looked confused
"So, that my fingerprints won't stick? You didn't know that, Jace?" she asked a little confused while currently holding a small white container
"Who's that, Detective? Your girlfriend?" Inspector Sariin asked me
"No," I answered
"What's your basis?" I asked her
"I'm not that sure but I'm pretty sure that the autopsy will say something about the cause of death being cardiac arrest." She said and placed the container on the ground again
"Mnemosyne," I called her when Mnemosyne was about to touch the white container
"Don't worry about Mne, Jace, it's just a mint case." She said and Mnemosyne jumped into my arms
"What happened?" Inspector Del Mundo asked and they became startled when Mnemosyne growled
"Mnemosyne," I tapped her head and she stopped
"Mne's sleepy," Lavalee said and took her pet
"Wait for me in the car," I told her but she raised her brow at me
"Nah, I want to explain." She smiled when she said that
"Detective Scott, what is happening?" Inspector Del Mundo asked me
"We ran here when we heard squeals," I answered shortly
"I have a hunch that she's poisoned because obviously there's no blood, but there's also a possibility that she got a cardiac arrest." Lavalee butted in
"Lav," I chastised her
"What? It might help," she said like it's nothing before shrugging her shoulders
"Send the corpse to be autopsied," Inspector del Mundo said, and the Forensic Division arrive"Where are you going?" I asked Lavalee when I saw her going out
"You noticed me?" She asked in surprise
"Yeah, where are you going?" I asked her and she sighed
"We're going to the park." She said and I looked at her confused
"We?" I asked her and she showed me her pet tiger that was inside her bag
"Let's go," I said and went to her car
"Huh?" she asked confused
"I'll drive you there," I said and she tossed her keys to me.
She rode the car and placed her tiger pet on her lap.
"Where to?" I asked her
"Here," She said and showed me the google map on her phone
While I was driving, she kept on caressing her pet.
"Where did that come from?" I asked her and she looked at me
"She's my baby sister's experiment." She said and brought it near me
"An experiment?" I asked her and she nodded
"A science experiment, she said she's bored so she created Mnemosyne." She answered
"Mne – What again?" she chuckled when I was almost baffled while saying her pet's name
"Mi – Ne – Mo – sin. Mnemosyne." She said and hugged the tiger again
"Where did you get that? Mnemosyne?" I asked not removing my gaze from the road
"From Titan Goddess of Memories, Mnemosyne, she gave birth to the nine muses in Greek mythology." She replied and I heard her tiger roar softly.
When we arrived in the park, she sat down and allowed Mnemosyne to run freely.
"You're not afraid she'll hurt someone?" I asked her and she shook her head
"Nope, Mnemosyne's domesticated and calm." She said and looked ahead
She whistled and Mnemosyne came running toward here
"Good girl," She tapped Mnemosyne's head
I was just watching her play with Mnemosyne on the grass and I can't help but think about what my Mom told me when I called Lavalee a spoiled heiress before I even knew her.
The way she talks and walks, and in everything she does, there's no denying she came from a prominent family so seeing her play with her pet, and sitting on the grass without any mat or anything is quite amusing.
I expected her to stop carrying Mnemosyne now that she ran on the ground but she didn't.
"Hey, Jace, come play with us." She invited and Mnemosyne ran to me,
It licked my face and I saw her chuckling while walking toward us.
"See? Even Mnemosyne wants you to play with her." She said and carried Mnemosyne
"Fine, fine," I surrendered and I was surprised when she tapped my shoulder
"You're it," she said and released Mnemosyne to the ground again
"What?" I asked confusedly when she step back a little far from me
"You're it." She said and smiled widely while Mnemosyne is running in circles around us.
It?
Her smile faded when she noticed I wasn't moving so she walked toward me and sat beside me.
Mnemosyne jumped on my lap and licked my hand, I looked at her confused while she caressed Mnemosyne's head.
"You didn't get it, do you?" she asked laughed which made me confused
"I wanted to play tag and you're it. Mnemosyne's going to chase us both if you get to catch her." She explained and I nodded my head I placed Mnemosyne down and stood up.
I offered my hand to help her stand up and she stood up.
"Got you," I said and Mnemosyne ran away and I did too
"Unfair!" she said but chased us too
Oh, wait, she's chasing me.
We played and played and I can't believe she's playing like a kid.
"Got you," I told her and wrapped my hands around her waist
"What the?! I didn't see you, I thought you were chasing Mnemosyne." She said and Mnemosyne jumped into her arms
"You think?" I asked her not letting her go
"Yeah, but that was fun." She said and I let her go.
We decided to sit under a tree and rest.
I stood up to buy water and snacks at the near convenient store but while I was paying I saw Lavalee enter the convenience store with Mnemosyne on her trail.
"You are aware that pets aren't allowed here, right?" I asked her when she went inside
"Oh? You're here," She said and carried Mnemosyne
I was confused when she took a gum and placed it on the counter
"What's that for?" I asked her
"I'll pay later." She said and smiled at me
"It's okay," I said and the cashier punched the gum.
"That's 99 pesos, sir." The cashier said and I took out 100 pesos then we went out.
I handed her the water bottle and she drank it and then took the bubble gum.
We went to a line of street vendors and I was a little taken aback when she pulled me to one of the vendors.
"What?" she asked me
Everything that Lavalee's doing every day is surprising me.
It's not like how I see her before.
"Don't tell me this is your first time?" she asked while we were waiting for the ones ahead of us
"No, I just didn't expect you to eat street foods." She smiled at my answer
"I don't really eat these at first but Ravien kept on insisting I try to, he even brought one from here to Japatrein just to give me then I learned to like eating it whenever we're here." She said and smiled
"Sir, three cups with five calamares," I looked at her confused when she spoke the Seryphilian language while buying
"What? You think I can't speak using the Seryphilian language?" she raised her brow at me
"You always speak English." I pointed out
"Duh! You're speaking in English as well, and you're the one who grew up here." She said and paid the vendor after getting the cups of calamares.
She gave me the two cups and then carried Mnemosyne while holding one cup we went back to the tree shade
"Why three?" I asked her when she sat under the shade.
"One for you, one for me, and one for Mnemosyne." She replied and held one calamari with her fingers and fed Mnemosyne.
I placed the cups on the grass and took the stick and ate one.
I noticed that she's just playing with Mnemosyne and she's not eating so I took the stick from her cup and took one calamares and placed it in front of her mouth.
She looked at me confused so I held it in front of her again.
"Eat it," I said and she smiled before holding the stick and eating
"What? You're jealous, Mne?" she asked and caressed Mnemosyne
Mnemosyne growled at her before turning her back, which made me confused.
"Mnemosyne's jealous." She said and whistled so Mnemosyne immediately came back
"Jealous?" I asked and she nodded
"She's jealous of me." She said and I realized why
I took a calamares with my hand and positioned it in front of Mnemosyne, she ate it and I heard Lavalee laughing.
"You're quite a possessive girl, huh." She said and caressed Mnemosyne
We continued eating and she continued teasing Mnemosyne, and Mnemosyne's acting like a little kid who's hiding behind me.
I find it cute, actually.
"Stop teasing her, Lav," I told her and caressed Mnemosyne's fur.
Weird. The tiger didn't even get mad the first time I touched her.
"My baby Mne is sulking ." she teased Mnemosyne again
"Lav, stop it," I told her and placed Mnemosyne on my lap
"I'm just kidding, Jace. Mnemosyne can't ignore me for long." She said and whistled
Mnemosyne walked towards her with her head down low.
"Aww, I'm just kidding, Mne." She said and caressed Mnemosyne
I leaned on the tree and she did too but she ended up leaning on my chest instead because the tree trunk isn't that big for us both.
"You know, I haven't done this for a while now." She said and I looked at her confused
"The last time I set foot here in the Seryphil was five years ago and the last time I played tag was when I was 12, with Freia and Icey." I remained silent as I listen to her
One of the things I learned about her is that she's not the spoiled heiress I thought she is, I remember what happened on our first encounter where she thought I was gay because I insisted on getting the dress.
"It was the last time we were able to play because we had to mature. Even my youngest twin sibling had to mature because we have no one to guide us throughout. We have imo and uncle but of course, at some point, they have to leave us to handle things on our own." She hugged Mnemosyne while speaking
"I won't leave." I hugged her to show her that everything is going to be fine
"You surely won't, but I will." She whispered the last part inaudibly
Suddenly we heard several squeals and shrieks coming from a direction
I released Lavalee from the hug and she stood up so I also stood up.
"What's that?" I shrugged my shoulder but we went there.
"Police officer," I said and showed them my badge
Lavalee was just following me from behind.
I saw what the commotion was about. A girl is lying on the grass cold so I immediately checked her pulse.
"She's dead." I looked at Lavalee who's just looking at the girl
"How did you know that?" I asked and stood up because I didn't feel any pulse and she isn't breathing anymore
"She's pale and her nails are already discolored." She said and touched the girl's hand with a stick
"She isn't undergoing rigor mortis yet meaning she's been dead for less than 6 hours." She said and suddenly we heard the police siren
The spectators were told to leave and police lines were placed in the area, some spectators didn't leave but some did.
"Scott!" one of my colleagues, Francis, said when he saw me
"You're here? How about the one you're guarding?" he asked me
"She's murdered." His attention shifted to Lavalee when she said that
"Don't worry about my fingerprint being inked here, I applied glue as you can see." She said and showed me her hand which has white things that seem like dried-off skin
"Glue? What for?" I asked her and she looked confused
"So, that my fingerprints won't stick? You didn't know that, Jace?" she asked a little confused while currently holding a small white container
"Who's that, Detective? Your girlfriend?" Inspector Sariin asked me
"No," I answered
"What's your basis?" I asked her
"I'm not that sure but I'm pretty sure that the autopsy will say something about the cause of death being cardiac arrest." She said and placed the container on the ground again
"Mnemosyne," I called her when Mnemosyne was about to touch the white container
"Don't worry about Mne, Jace, it's just a mint case." She said and Mnemosyne jumped into my arms
"What happened?" Inspector Del Mundo asked and they became startled when Mnemosyne growled
"Mnemosyne," I tapped her head and she stopped
"Mne's sleepy," Lavalee said and took her pet
"Wait for me in the car," I told her but she raised her brow at me
"Nah, I want to explain." She smiled when she said that
"Detective Scott, what is happening?" Inspector Del Mundo asked me
"We ran here when we heard squeals," I answered shortly
"I have a hunch that she's poisoned because obviously there's no blood, but there's also a possibility that she got a cardiac arrest." Lavalee butted in
"Lav," I chastised her
"What? It might help," she said like it's nothing before shrugging her shoulders
"Send the corpse to be autopsied," Inspector del Mundo said, and the Forensic Division arrive"Where are you going?" I asked Lavalee when I saw her going out
"You noticed me?" She asked in surprise
"Yeah, where are you going?" I asked her and she sighed
"We're going to the park." She said and I looked at her confused
"We?" I asked her and she showed me her pet tiger that was inside her bag
"Let's go," I said and went to her car
"Huh?" she asked confused
"I'll drive you there," I said and she tossed her keys to me.
She rode the car and placed her tiger pet on her lap.
"Where to?" I asked her
"Here," She said and showed me the google map on her phone
While I was driving, she kept on caressing her pet.
"Where did that come from?" I asked her and she looked at me
"She's my baby sister's experiment." She said and brought it near me
"An experiment?" I asked her and she nodded
"A science experiment, she said she's bored so she created Mnemosyne." She answered
"Mne – What again?" she chuckled when I was almost baffled while saying her pet's name
"Mi – Ne – Mo – sin. Mnemosyne." She said and hugged the tiger again
"Where did you get that? Mnemosyne?" I asked not removing my gaze from the road
"From Titan Goddess of Memories, Mnemosyne, she gave birth to the nine muses in Greek mythology." She replied and I heard her tiger roar softly.
When we arrived in the park, she sat down and allowed Mnemosyne to run freely.
"You're not afraid she'll hurt someone?" I asked her and she shook her head
"Nope, Mnemosyne's domesticated and calm." She said and looked ahead
She whistled and Mnemosyne came running toward here
"Good girl," She tapped Mnemosyne's head
I was just watching her play with Mnemosyne on the grass and I can't help but think about what my Mom told me when I called Lavalee a spoiled heiress before I even knew her.
The way she talks and walks, and in everything she does, there's no denying she came from a prominent family so seeing her play with her pet, and sitting on the grass without any mat or anything is quite amusing.
I expected her to stop carrying Mnemosyne now that she ran on the ground but she didn't.
"Hey, Jace, come play with us." She invited and Mnemosyne ran to me,
It licked my face and I saw her chuckling while walking toward us.
"See? Even Mnemosyne wants you to play with her." She said and carried Mnemosyne
"Fine, fine," I surrendered and I was surprised when she tapped my shoulder
"You're it," she said and released Mnemosyne to the ground again
"What?" I asked confusedly when she step back a little far from me
"You're it." She said and smiled widely while Mnemosyne is running in circles around us.
It?
Her smile faded when she noticed I wasn't moving so she walked toward me and sat beside me.
Mnemosyne jumped on my lap and licked my hand, I looked at her confused while she caressed Mnemosyne's head.
"You didn't get it, do you?" she asked laughed which made me confused
"I wanted to play tag and you're it. Mnemosyne's going to chase us both if you get to catch her." She explained and I nodded my head I placed Mnemosyne down and stood up.
I offered my hand to help her stand up and she stood up.
"Got you," I said and Mnemosyne ran away and I did too
"Unfair!" she said but chased us too
Oh, wait, she's chasing me.
We played and played and I can't believe she's playing like a kid.
"Got you," I told her and wrapped my hands around her waist
"What the?! I didn't see you, I thought you were chasing Mnemosyne." She said and Mnemosyne jumped into her arms
"You think?" I asked her not letting her go
"Yeah, but that was fun." She said and I let her go.
We decided to sit under a tree and rest.
I stood up to buy water and snacks at the near convenient store but while I was paying I saw Lavalee enter the convenience store with Mnemosyne on her trail.
"You are aware that pets aren't allowed here, right?" I asked her when she went inside
"Oh? You're here," She said and carried Mnemosyne
I was confused when she took a gum and placed it on the counter
"What's that for?" I asked her
"I'll pay later." She said and smiled at me
"It's okay," I said and the cashier punched the gum.
"That's 99 pesos, sir." The cashier said and I took out 100 pesos then we went out.
I handed her the water bottle and she drank it and then took the bubble gum.
We went to a line of street vendors and I was a little taken aback when she pulled me to one of the vendors.
"What?" she asked me
Everything that Lavalee's doing every day is surprising me.
It's not like how I see her before.
"Don't tell me this is your first time?" she asked while we were waiting for the ones ahead of us
"No, I just didn't expect you to eat street foods." She smiled at my answer
"I don't really eat these at first but Ravien kept on insisting I try to, he even brought one from here to Japatrein just to give me then I learned to like eating it whenever we're here." She said and smiled
"Sir, three cups with five calamares," I looked at her confused when she spoke the Seryphilian language while buying
"What? You think I can't speak using the Seryphilian language?" she raised her brow at me
"You always speak English." I pointed out
"Duh! You're speaking in English as well, and you're the one who grew up here." She said and paid the vendor after getting the cups of calamares.
She gave me the two cups and then carried Mnemosyne while holding one cup we went back to the tree shade
"Why three?" I asked her when she sat under the shade.
"One for you, one for me, and one for Mnemosyne." She replied and held one calamari with her fingers and fed Mnemosyne.
I placed the cups on the grass and took the stick and ate one.
I noticed that she's just playing with Mnemosyne and she's not eating so I took the stick from her cup and took one calamares and placed it in front of her mouth.
She looked at me confused so I held it in front of her again.
"Eat it," I said and she smiled before holding the stick and eating
"What? You're jealous, Mne?" she asked and caressed Mnemosyne
Mnemosyne growled at her before turning her back, which made me confused.
"Mnemosyne's jealous." She said and whistled so Mnemosyne immediately came back
"Jealous?" I asked and she nodded
"She's jealous of me." She said and I realized why
I took a calamares with my hand and positioned it in front of Mnemosyne, she ate it and I heard Lavalee laughing.
"You're quite a possessive girl, huh." She said and caressed Mnemosyne
We continued eating and she continued teasing Mnemosyne, and Mnemosyne's acting like a little kid who's hiding behind me.
I find it cute, actually.
"Stop teasing her, Lav," I told her and caressed Mnemosyne's fur.
Weird. The tiger didn't even get mad the first time I touched her.
"My baby Mne is sulking ." she teased Mnemosyne again
"Lav, stop it," I told her and placed Mnemosyne on my lap
"I'm just kidding, Jace. Mnemosyne can't ignore me for long." She said and whistled
Mnemosyne walked towards her with her head down low.
"Aww, I'm just kidding, Mne." She said and caressed Mnemosyne
I leaned on the tree and she did too but she ended up leaning on my chest instead because the tree trunk isn't that big for us both.
"You know, I haven't done this for a while now." She said and I looked at her confused
"The last time I set foot here in the Seryphil was five years ago and the last time I played tag was when I was 12, with Freia and Icey." I remained silent as I listen to her
One of the things I learned about her is that she's not the spoiled heiress I thought she is, I remember what happened on our first encounter where she thought I was gay because I insisted on getting the dress.
"It was the last time we were able to play because we had to mature. Even my youngest twin sibling had to mature because we have no one to guide us throughout. We have imo and uncle but of course, at some point, they have to leave us to handle things on our own." She hugged Mnemosyne while speaking
"I won't leave." I hugged her to show her that everything is going to be fine
"You surely won't, but I will." She whispered the last part inaudibly
Suddenly we heard several squeals and shrieks coming from a direction
I released Lavalee from the hug and she stood up so I also stood up.
"What's that?" I shrugged my shoulder but we went there.
"Police officer," I said and showed them my badge
Lavalee was just following me from behind.
I saw what the commotion was about. A girl is lying on the grass cold so I immediately checked her pulse.
"She's dead." I looked at Lavalee who's just looking at the girl
"How did you know that?" I asked and stood up because I didn't feel any pulse and she isn't breathing anymore
"She's pale and her nails are already discolored." She said and touched the girl's hand with a stick
"She isn't undergoing rigor mortis yet meaning she's been dead for less than 6 hours." She said and suddenly we heard the police siren
The spectators were told to leave and police lines were placed in the area, some spectators didn't leave but some did.
"Scott!" one of my colleagues, Francis, said when he saw me
"You're here? How about the one you're guarding?" he asked me
"She's murdered." His attention shifted to Lavalee when she said that
"Don't worry about my fingerprint being inked here, I applied glue as you can see." She said and showed me her hand which has white things that seem like dried-off skin
"Glue? What for?" I asked her and she looked confused
"So, that my fingerprints won't stick? You didn't know that, Jace?" she asked a little confused while currently holding a small white container
"Who's that, Detective? Your girlfriend?" Inspector Sariin asked me
"No," I answered
"What's your basis?" I asked her
"I'm not that sure but I'm pretty sure that the autopsy will say something about the cause of death being cardiac arrest." She said and placed the container on the ground again
"Mnemosyne," I called her when Mnemosyne was about to touch the white container
"Don't worry about Mne, Jace, it's just a mint case." She said and Mnemosyne jumped into my arms
"What happened?" Inspector Del Mundo asked and they became startled when Mnemosyne growled
"Mnemosyne," I tapped her head and she stopped
"Mne's sleepy," Lavalee said and took her pet
"Wait for me in the car," I told her but she raised her brow at me
"Nah, I want to explain." She smiled when she said that
"Detective Scott, what is happening?" Inspector Del Mundo asked me
"We ran here when we heard squeals," I answered shortly
"I have a hunch that she's poisoned because obviously there's no blood, but there's also a possibility that she got a cardiac arrest." Lavalee butted in
"Lav," I chastised her
"What? It might help," she said like it's nothing before shrugging her shoulders
"Send the corpse to be autopsied," Inspector del Mundo said, and the Forensic Division arrive"Where are you going?" I asked Lavalee when I saw her going out
"You noticed me?" She asked in surprise
"Yeah, where are you going?" I asked her and she sighed
"We're going to the park." She said and I looked at her confused
"We?" I asked her and she showed me her pet tiger that was inside her bag
"Let's go," I said and went to her car
"Huh?" she asked confused
"I'll drive you there," I said and she tossed her keys to me.
She rode the car and placed her tiger pet on her lap.
"Where to?" I asked her
"Here," She said and showed me the google map on her phone
While I was driving, she kept on caressing her pet.
"Where did that come from?" I asked her and she looked at me
"She's my baby sister's experiment." She said and brought it near me
"An experiment?" I asked her and she nodded
"A science experiment, she said she's bored so she created Mnemosyne." She answered
"Mne – What again?" she chuckled when I was almost baffled while saying her pet's name
"Mi – Ne – Mo – sin. Mnemosyne." She said and hugged the tiger again
"Where did you get that? Mnemosyne?" I asked not removing my gaze from the road
"From Titan Goddess of Memories, Mnemosyne, she gave birth to the nine muses in Greek mythology." She replied and I heard her tiger roar softly.
When we arrived in the park, she sat down and allowed Mnemosyne to run freely.
"You're not afraid she'll hurt someone?" I asked her and she shook her head
"Nope, Mnemosyne's domesticated and calm." She said and looked ahead
She whistled and Mnemosyne came running toward here
"Good girl," She tapped Mnemosyne's head
I was just watching her play with Mnemosyne on the grass and I can't help but think about what my Mom told me when I called Lavalee a spoiled heiress before I even knew her.
The way she talks and walks, and in everything she does, there's no denying she came from a prominent family so seeing her play with her pet, and sitting on the grass without any mat or anything is quite amusing.
I expected her to stop carrying Mnemosyne now that she ran on the ground but she didn't.
"Hey, Jace, come play with us." She invited and Mnemosyne ran to me,
It licked my face and I saw her chuckling while walking toward us.
"See? Even Mnemosyne wants you to play with her." She said and carried Mnemosyne
"Fine, fine," I surrendered and I was surprised when she tapped my shoulder
"You're it," she said and released Mnemosyne to the ground again
"What?" I asked confusedly when she step back a little far from me
"You're it." She said and smiled widely while Mnemosyne is running in circles around us.
It?
Her smile faded when she noticed I wasn't moving so she walked toward me and sat beside me.
Mnemosyne jumped on my lap and licked my hand, I looked at her confused while she caressed Mnemosyne's head.
"You didn't get it, do you?" she asked laughed which made me confused
"I wanted to play tag and you're it. Mnemosyne's going to chase us both if you get to catch her." She explained and I nodded my head I placed Mnemosyne down and stood up.
I offered my hand to help her stand up and she stood up.
"Got you," I said and Mnemosyne ran away and I did too
"Unfair!" she said but chased us too
Oh, wait, she's chasing me.
We played and played and I can't believe she's playing like a kid.
"Got you," I told her and wrapped my hands around her waist
"What the?! I didn't see you, I thought you were chasing Mnemosyne." She said and Mnemosyne jumped into her arms
"You think?" I asked her not letting her go
"Yeah, but that was fun." She said and I let her go.
We decided to sit under a tree and rest.
I stood up to buy water and snacks at the near convenient store but while I was paying I saw Lavalee enter the convenience store with Mnemosyne on her trail.
"You are aware that pets aren't allowed here, right?" I asked her when she went inside
"Oh? You're here," She said and carried Mnemosyne
I was confused when she took a gum and placed it on the counter
"What's that for?" I asked her
"I'll pay later." She said and smiled at me
"It's okay," I said and the cashier punched the gum.
"That's 99 pesos, sir." The cashier said and I took out 100 pesos then we went out.
I handed her the water bottle and she drank it and then took the bubble gum.
We went to a line of street vendors and I was a little taken aback when she pulled me to one of the vendors.
"What?" she asked me
Everything that Lavalee's doing every day is surprising me.
It's not like how I see her before.
"Don't tell me this is your first time?" she asked while we were waiting for the ones ahead of us
"No, I just didn't expect you to eat street foods." She smiled at my answer
"I don't really eat these at first but Ravien kept on insisting I try to, he even brought one from here to Japatrein just to give me then I learned to like eating it whenever we're here." She said and smiled
"Sir, three cups with five calamares," I looked at her confused when she spoke the Seryphilian language while buying
"What? You think I can't speak using the Seryphilian language?" she raised her brow at me
"You always speak English." I pointed out
"Duh! You're speaking in English as well, and you're the one who grew up here." She said and paid the vendor after getting the cups of calamares.
She gave me the two cups and then carried Mnemosyne while holding one cup we went back to the tree shade
"Why three?" I asked her when she sat under the shade.
"One for you, one for me, and one for Mnemosyne." She replied and held one calamari with her fingers and fed Mnemosyne.
I placed the cups on the grass and took the stick and ate one.
I noticed that she's just playing with Mnemosyne and she's not eating so I took the stick from her cup and took one calamares and placed it in front of her mouth.
She looked at me confused so I held it in front of her again.
"Eat it," I said and she smiled before holding the stick and eating
"What? You're jealous, Mne?" she asked and caressed Mnemosyne
Mnemosyne growled at her before turning her back, which made me confused.
"Mnemosyne's jealous." She said and whistled so Mnemosyne immediately came back
"Jealous?" I asked and she nodded
"She's jealous of me." She said and I realized why
I took a calamares with my hand and positioned it in front of Mnemosyne, she ate it and I heard Lavalee laughing.
"You're quite a possessive girl, huh." She said and caressed Mnemosyne
We continued eating and she continued teasing Mnemosyne, and Mnemosyne's acting like a little kid who's hiding behind me.
I find it cute, actually.
"Stop teasing her, Lav," I told her and caressed Mnemosyne's fur.
Weird. The tiger didn't even get mad the first time I touched her.
"My baby Mne is sulking ." she teased Mnemosyne again
"Lav, stop it," I told her and placed Mnemosyne on my lap
"I'm just kidding, Jace. Mnemosyne can't ignore me for long." She said and whistled
Mnemosyne walked towards her with her head down low.
"Aww, I'm just kidding, Mne." She said and caressed Mnemosyne
I leaned on the tree and she did too but she ended up leaning on my chest instead because the tree trunk isn't that big for us both.
"You know, I haven't done this for a while now." She said and I looked at her confused
"The last time I set foot here in the Seryphil was five years ago and the last time I played tag was when I was 12, with Freia and Icey." I remained silent as I listen to her
One of the things I learned about her is that she's not the spoiled heiress I thought she is, I remember what happened on our first encounter where she thought I was gay because I insisted on getting the dress.
"It was the last time we were able to play because we had to mature. Even my youngest twin sibling had to mature because we have no one to guide us throughout. We have imo and uncle but of course, at some point, they have to leave us to handle things on our own." She hugged Mnemosyne while speaking
"I won't leave." I hugged her to show her that everything is going to be fine
"You surely won't, but I will." She whispered the last part inaudibly
Suddenly we heard several squeals and shrieks coming from a direction
I released Lavalee from the hug and she stood up so I also stood up.
"What's that?" I shrugged my shoulder but we went there.
"Police officer," I said and showed them my badge
Lavalee was just following me from behind.
I saw what the commotion was about. A girl is lying on the grass cold so I immediately checked her pulse.
"She's dead." I looked at Lavalee who's just looking at the girl
"How did you know that?" I asked and stood up because I didn't feel any pulse and she isn't breathing anymore
"She's pale and her nails are already discolored." She said and touched the girl's hand with a stick
"She isn't undergoing rigor mortis yet meaning she's been dead for less than 6 hours." She said and suddenly we heard the police siren
The spectators were told to leave and police lines were placed in the area, some spectators didn't leave but some did.
"Scott!" one of my colleagues, Francis, said when he saw me
"You're here? How about the one you're guarding?" he asked me
"She's murdered." His attention shifted to Lavalee when she said that
"Don't worry about my fingerprint being inked here, I applied glue as you can see." She said and showed me her hand which has white things that seem like dried-off skin
"Glue? What for?" I asked her and she looked confused
"So, that my fingerprints won't stick? You didn't know that, Jace?" she asked a little confused while currently holding a small white container
"Who's that, Detective? Your girlfriend?" Inspector Sariin asked me
"No," I answered
"What's your basis?" I asked her
"I'm not that sure but I'm pretty sure that the autopsy will say something about the cause of death being cardiac arrest." She said and placed the container on the ground again
"Mnemosyne," I called her when Mnemosyne was about to touch the white container
"Don't worry about Mne, Jace, it's just a mint case." She said and Mnemosyne jumped into my arms
"What happened?" Inspector Del Mundo asked and they became startled when Mnemosyne growled
"Mnemosyne," I tapped her head and she stopped
"Mne's sleepy," Lavalee said and took her pet
"Wait for me in the car," I told her but she raised her brow at me
"Nah, I want to explain." She smiled when she said that
"Detective Scott, what is happening?" Inspector Del Mundo asked me
"We ran here when we heard squeals," I answered shortly
"I have a hunch that she's poisoned because obviously there's no blood, but there's also a possibility that she got a cardiac arrest." Lavalee butted in
"Lav," I chastised her
"What? It might help," she said like it's nothing before shrugging her shoulders
"Send the corpse to be autopsied," Inspector del Mundo said, and the Forensic Division arrive"Where are you going?" I asked Lavalee when I saw her going out
"You noticed me?" She asked in surprise
"Yeah, where are you going?" I asked her and she sighed
"We're going to the park." She said and I looked at her confused
"We?" I asked her and she showed me her pet tiger that was inside her bag
"Let's go," I said and went to her car
"Huh?" she asked confused
"I'll drive you there," I said and she tossed her keys to me.
She rode the car and placed her tiger pet on her lap.
"Where to?" I asked her
"Here," She said and showed me the google map on her phone
While I was driving, she kept on caressing her pet.
"Where did that come from?" I asked her and she looked at me
"She's my baby sister's experiment." She said and brought it near me
"An experiment?" I asked her and she nodded
"A science experiment, she said she's bored so she created Mnemosyne." She answered
"Mne – What again?" she chuckled when I was almost baffled while saying her pet's name
"Mi – Ne – Mo – sin. Mnemosyne." She said and hugged the tiger again
"Where did you get that? Mnemosyne?" I asked not removing my gaze from the road
"From Titan Goddess of Memories, Mnemosyne, she gave birth to the nine muses in Greek mythology." She replied and I heard her tiger roar softly.
When we arrived in the park, she sat down and allowed Mnemosyne to run freely.
"You're not afraid she'll hurt someone?" I asked her and she shook her head
"Nope, Mnemosyne's domesticated and calm." She said and looked ahead
She whistled and Mnemosyne came running toward here
"Good girl," She tapped Mnemosyne's head
I was just watching her play with Mnemosyne on the grass and I can't help but think about what my Mom told me when I called Lavalee a spoiled heiress before I even knew her.
The way she talks and walks, and in everything she does, there's no denying she came from a prominent family so seeing her play with her pet, and sitting on the grass without any mat or anything is quite amusing.
I expected her to stop carrying Mnemosyne now that she ran on the ground but she didn't.
"Hey, Jace, come play with us." She invited and Mnemosyne ran to me,
It licked my face and I saw her chuckling while walking toward us.
"See? Even Mnemosyne wants you to play with her." She said and carried Mnemosyne
"Fine, fine," I surrendered and I was surprised when she tapped my shoulder
"You're it," she said and released Mnemosyne to the ground again
"What?" I asked confusedly when she step back a little far from me
"You're it." She said and smiled widely while Mnemosyne is running in circles around us.
It?
Her smile faded when she noticed I wasn't moving so she walked toward me and sat beside me.
Mnemosyne jumped on my lap and licked my hand, I looked at her confused while she caressed Mnemosyne's head.
"You didn't get it, do you?" she asked laughed which made me confused
"I wanted to play tag and you're it. Mnemosyne's going to chase us both if you get to catch her." She explained and I nodded my head I placed Mnemosyne down and stood up.
I offered my hand to help her stand up and she stood up.
"Got you," I said and Mnemosyne ran away and I did too
"Unfair!" she said but chased us too
Oh, wait, she's chasing me.
We played and played and I can't believe she's playing like a kid.
"Got you," I told her and wrapped my hands around her waist
"What the?! I didn't see you, I thought you were chasing Mnemosyne." She said and Mnemosyne jumped into her arms
"You think?" I asked her not letting her go
"Yeah, but that was fun." She said and I let her go.
We decided to sit under a tree and rest.
I stood up to buy water and snacks at the near convenient store but while I was paying I saw Lavalee enter the convenience store with Mnemosyne on her trail.
"You are aware that pets aren't allowed here, right?" I asked her when she went inside
"Oh? You're here," She said and carried Mnemosyne
I was confused when she took a gum and placed it on the counter
"What's that for?" I asked her
"I'll pay later." She said and smiled at me
"It's okay," I said and the cashier punched the gum.
"That's 99 pesos, sir." The cashier said and I took out 100 pesos then we went out.
I handed her the water bottle and she drank it and then took the bubble gum.
We went to a line of street vendors and I was a little taken aback when she pulled me to one of the vendors.
"What?" she asked me
Everything that Lavalee's doing every day is surprising me.
It's not like how I see her before.
"Don't tell me this is your first time?" she asked while we were waiting for the ones ahead of us
"No, I just didn't expect you to eat street foods." She smiled at my answer
"I don't really eat these at first but Ravien kept on insisting I try to, he even brought one from here to Japatrein just to give me then I learned to like eating it whenever we're here." She said and smiled
"Sir, three cups with five calamares," I looked at her confused when she spoke the Seryphilian language while buying
"What? You think I can't speak using the Seryphilian language?" she raised her brow at me
"You always speak English." I pointed out
"Duh! You're speaking in English as well, and you're the one who grew up here." She said and paid the vendor after getting the cups of calamares.
She gave me the two cups and then carried Mnemosyne while holding one cup we went back to the tree shade
"Why three?" I asked her when she sat under the shade.
"One for you, one for me, and one for Mnemosyne." She replied and held one calamari with her fingers and fed Mnemosyne.
I placed the cups on the grass and took the stick and ate one.
I noticed that she's just playing with Mnemosyne and she's not eating so I took the stick from her cup and took one calamares and placed it in front of her mouth.
She looked at me confused so I held it in front of her again.
"Eat it," I said and she smiled before holding the stick and eating
"What? You're jealous, Mne?" she asked and caressed Mnemosyne
Mnemosyne growled at her before turning her back, which made me confused.
"Mnemosyne's jealous." She said and whistled so Mnemosyne immediately came back
"Jealous?" I asked and she nodded
"She's jealous of me." She said and I realized why
I took a calamares with my hand and positioned it in front of Mnemosyne, she ate it and I heard Lavalee laughing.
"You're quite a possessive girl, huh." She said and caressed Mnemosyne
We continued eating and she continued teasing Mnemosyne, and Mnemosyne's acting like a little kid who's hiding behind me.
I find it cute, actually.
"Stop teasing her, Lav," I told her and caressed Mnemosyne's fur.
Weird. The tiger didn't even get mad the first time I touched her.
"My baby Mne is sulking ." she teased Mnemosyne again
"Lav, stop it," I told her and placed Mnemosyne on my lap
"I'm just kidding, Jace. Mnemosyne can't ignore me for long." She said and whistled
Mnemosyne walked towards her with her head down low.
"Aww, I'm just kidding, Mne." She said and caressed Mnemosyne
I leaned on the tree and she did too but she ended up leaning on my chest instead because the tree trunk isn't that big for us both.
"You know, I haven't done this for a while now." She said and I looked at her confused
"The last time I set foot here in the Seryphil was five years ago and the last time I played tag was when I was 12, with Freia and Icey." I remained silent as I listen to her
One of the things I learned about her is that she's not the spoiled heiress I thought she is, I remember what happened on our first encounter where she thought I was gay because I insisted on getting the dress.
"It was the last time we were able to play because we had to mature. Even my youngest twin sibling had to mature because we have no one to guide us throughout. We have imo and uncle but of course, at some point, they have to leave us to handle things on our own." She hugged Mnemosyne while speaking
"I won't leave." I hugged her to show her that everything is going to be fine
"You surely won't, but I will." She whispered the last part inaudibly
Suddenly we heard several squeals and shrieks coming from a direction
I released Lavalee from the hug and she stood up so I also stood up.
"What's that?" I shrugged my shoulder but we went there.
"Police officer," I said and showed them my badge
Lavalee was just following me from behind.
I saw what the commotion was about. A girl is lying on the grass cold so I immediately checked her pulse.
"She's dead." I looked at Lavalee who's just looking at the girl
"How did you know that?" I asked and stood up because I didn't feel any pulse and she isn't breathing anymore
"She's pale and her nails are already discolored." She said and touched the girl's hand with a stick
"She isn't undergoing rigor mortis yet meaning she's been dead for less than 6 hours." She said and suddenly we heard the police siren
The spectators were told to leave and police lines were placed in the area, some spectators didn't leave but some did.
"Scott!" one of my colleagues, Francis, said when he saw me
"You're here? How about the one you're guarding?" he asked me
"She's murdered." His attention shifted to Lavalee when she said that
"Don't worry about my fingerprint being inked here, I applied glue as you can see." She said and showed me her hand which has white things that seem like dried-off skin
"Glue? What for?" I asked her and she looked confused
"So, that my fingerprints won't stick? You didn't know that, Jace?" she asked a little confused while currently holding a small white container
"Who's that, Detective? Your girlfriend?" Inspector Sariin asked me
"No," I answered
"What's your basis?" I asked her
"I'm not that sure but I'm pretty sure that the autopsy will say something about the cause of death being cardiac arrest." She said and placed the container on the ground again
"Mnemosyne," I called her when Mnemosyne was about to touch the white container
"Don't worry about Mne, Jace, it's just a mint case." She said and Mnemosyne jumped into my arms
"What happened?" Inspector Del Mundo asked and they became startled when Mnemosyne growled
"Mnemosyne," I tapped her head and she stopped
"Mne's sleepy," Lavalee said and took her pet
"Wait for me in the car," I told her but she raised her brow at me
"Nah, I want to explain." She smiled when she said that
"Detective Scott, what is happening?" Inspector Del Mundo asked me
"We ran here when we heard squeals," I answered shortly
"I have a hunch that she's poisoned because obviously there's no blood, but there's also a possibility that she got a cardiac arrest." Lavalee butted in
"Lav," I chastised her
"What? It might help," she said like it's nothing before shrugging her shoulders
"Send the corpse to be autopsied," Inspector del Mundo said, and the Forensic Division arrive