“Another apartment?” T’mari asked as they walked out the front of the Old Shirt Factory Mall and across the street.
“Technically it is a townhouse,” he said opening the door for her. “So are you full, or do we need to swing by and get food of the way back to Columbia?” he asked taking off his helmet.
“Yes,” she said removing her own helmet. “so is this place yours or the Family Trusts?”
“It’s yours if you want it.,” he said with a quiet shrug.
“You gave me a $100 Million and now you offer me a townhouse in one of the most exclusive spots in Marshall. What are you trying to bribe me into doing?”
“Money, property, power all meaningless if I don’t have someone to share it with who will remind why I need to exercise it carefully,” he said leaning into a kiss. “So fried things on the way back,” he said pulling out two large duffle bags for their armor, then rifled through a dresser in the bedroom and came back a pair of shorts and a purple and gold sweatshirt.
“Marshall High School?” T’mari said holding it out with a questioning look.
“It was Annette’s.”
“This was her place,” she realized, pulling him into her.
“She would have liked you,” he said stepping away several minutes later. “Need help getting out of your armor?”
“I don’t think so. If you help me we will just end up having sex on the couch and being late getting back to Columbia.”
Twenty minutes later they were sliding into a non-descript black SUV that had been left in the driveway while he quietly slipped into into the business casual armor of a man not haunted by his past.
“Technically it is a townhouse,” he said opening the door for her. “So are you full, or do we need to swing by and get food of the way back to Columbia?” he asked taking off his helmet.
“Yes,” she said removing her own helmet. “so is this place yours or the Family Trusts?”
“It’s yours if you want it,” he said with a quiet shrug.
“You gave me a $100 Million and now you offer me a townhouse in one of the most exclusive spots in Marshall. What are you trying to bribe me into doing?”
“Money, property, power all meaningless if I don’t have someone to share it with who will remind why I need to exercise it carefully,” he said leaning into a kiss. “So fried things on the way back,” he said pulling out two large duffle bags for their armor, then rifled through a dresser in the bedroom and came back a pair of shorts and a purple and gold sweatshirt.
“Marshall High School?” T’mari said holding it out with a questioning look.
“It was Annette’s.”
“This was her place,” she realized, pulling him into her.
“She would have liked you,” he said stepping away several minutes later. “Need help getting out of your armor?”
“I don’t think so. If you help me we will just end up having sex on the couch and being late getting back to Columbia.”
Twenty minutes later they were sliding into a non-descript black SUV that had been left in the driveway while he quietly slipped into into the business casual armor of a man not haunted by his past.
“Read me the first one,” Matt said, biting into his burger.
@HarborTeacherUK: World tour sounds impressive, youth panel sounds nice, but I still do not understand what this changes for an ordinary classroom without better pay, safer housing, and cheaper food. Waiting to see actual policy, not just optics.“That is an easy one.”
@MattMarmaduke: Great Britannia and the Freehold have been diplomatic allies for centuries. Nothing changes. I am proud to announce that one of our youth delegates is from London and she will be excited to be visiting home.
“Next.”
@CDMXUnionista: You say Mexico City was “already on your schedule” and this tour just wraps around it. So are we a box you ticked, or a partner? Hard to tell if we’re central to your plans or just convenient optics.
“Another easy one.”
@MattMarmaduke: I have been to the last 12 Latin American AgriBusiness conferences. I have been scheduled to speal at this one since February. We will be spending some time in Mexico enjoying the food and culture. Our youth team is looking forward to Lucha Libre.
“Tell me the next one you think deserves our attention.”
“This one she said reading it and moving back to her malt, which she agreed was much better that just a shake.
@BostonCivicsDad: Not against the idea of a tour, just don’t see how a Freeholder from Missouri and alien nobles fix coastal infrastructure that’s been ignored for a century.
@MattMarmaduke: We don't fix it. Boston has not asked for help. We are attending the All Star Game and visiting a few universities.“How about this one?” scrolling through the list of responses that the team mostly did a poor job of flagging. She didn’t think they were as bad as his commentary about people with their heads of their asses suggested.
@ManchesterTeacher: He’s bringing teenagers to “ask questions.” Will any of those questions be about teacher pay, or is that too mundane for a world tour?
@MattMarmaduke: I am addressing Agribusiness conferences I have been scheduled to address for months and a few other bodies that have invited us to speak. We were asked multiple times to let our young people speak. I hope the conversations are positive.
“Fuck it!” Matt snarled, and pulled over. “Tablet, please.”
“What’s wrong?” T’mari asked, handing the teblet over and watched as he laid his hand on the screen.
“Jem,” Matt said addressing the the Marmaduke Media AI. “Give Working group AC223F a 12% bonus payable by the end of the day. Give the same working group a 5% increase in salary. Send to all team members: I appreciate all that you have done for me in the past, but you were selected as a Press PR Team and you have been great at it. I no longer need that team. I need a geopolitical team now and that is not where any of you excel. I want to reward you for all that you have done and show you that my respect isn’t enough. Check your HR paperwork. You are all getting raises, bonuses, and 2 extra weeks of vacation. Jem, dissolve this working group. Jem place me in autonomous filtering mode. Scour all networks for news, responses, interactions. Inform Angelina.”
Matt handed the tablet back and picked up his phone.
“Live Stream” he said and moved the phone into position.
“For those that don’t know, I am Matthew Marmaduke, Freeholder of Missouri and High Lord of the V’ren. We are taking a little trip and I want to invite you to come along with me and mine as we visit the world over the next several weeks. I make no promises and am likely to tell you every day your local problems are not mine to fix. Next time a Freehold HR team shows up maybe you won’t be so dismissive now that you have actually seen how good things tend to be here. Peace out!”
Matt hadn’t had time to even put the SUV back in gear before she was on the phone.
“Took you long enough to fire them. I hired you the perfect Director of Strategic Communications several days ago and have been waiting for you to see it. Some people just have to fail to learn anything. Go get cleaned up and dazzle them tonight. You can drive now, I will talk to T’mari now.”
“Angelina, he looks a little blindsided, by that.”
“Not surprised. I assume she is coming?”
“Yes, Maja is on board. By the way, he is very casual with cash.”
“I know.”
“You talk about me like I am not even here.” Matt said, contemplating more fries from someplace he could just go in and let them have a moment since his fate was already decided.
“You aren’t, you are driving,” Angelina said with a chuckle.
“You never did explain why I am in this position when there were so many others to choose from who know human social media better than I do,” T’mari asked in all earnest. Angelina had told her this would happen, but not why.
“Ange knew I would need a wartime consigliere.”
“Technically it is a townhouse,” he said opening the door for her. “So are you full, or do we need to swing by and get food of the way back to Columbia?” he asked taking off his helmet.
“Yes,” she said removing her own helmet. “so is this place yours or the Family Trusts?”
“It’s yours if you want it,” he said with a quiet shrug.
“You gave me a $100 Million and now you offer me a townhouse in one of the most exclusive spots in Marshall. What are you trying to bribe me into doing?”
“Money, property, power all meaningless if I don’t have someone to share it with who will remind why I need to exercise it carefully,” he said leaning into a kiss. “So fried things on the way back,” he said pulling out two large duffle bags for their armor, then rifled through a dresser in the bedroom and came back a pair of shorts and a purple and gold sweatshirt.
“Marshall High School?” T’mari said holding it out with a questioning look.
“It was Annette’s.”
“This was her place,” she realized, pulling him into her.
“She would have liked you,” he said stepping away several minutes later. “Need help getting out of your armor?”
“I don’t think so. If you help me we will just end up having sex on the couch and being late getting back to Columbia.”
Twenty minutes later they were sliding into a non-descript black SUV that had been left in the driveway while he quietly slipped into into the business casual armor of a man not haunted by his past.
“Read me the first one,” Matt said, biting into his burger.
@HarborTeacherUK: World tour sounds impressive, youth panel sounds nice, but I still do not understand what this changes for an ordinary classroom without better pay, safer housing, and cheaper food. Waiting to see actual policy, not just optics.“That is an easy one.”
@MattMarmaduke: Great Britannia and the Freehold have been diplomatic allies for centuries. Nothing changes. I am proud to announce that one of our youth delegates is from London and she will be excited to be visiting home.
“Next.”
@CDMXUnionista: You say Mexico City was “already on your schedule” and this tour just wraps around it. So are we a box you ticked, or a partner? Hard to tell if we’re central to your plans or just convenient optics.
“Another easy one.”
@MattMarmaduke: I have been to the last 12 Latin American AgriBusiness conferences. I have been scheduled to speal at this one since February. We will be spending some time in Mexico enjoying the food and culture. Our youth team is looking forward to Lucha Libre.
“Tell me the next one you think deserves our attention.”
“This one she said reading it and moving back to her malt, which she agreed was much better that just a shake.
@BostonCivicsDad: Not against the idea of a tour, just don’t see how a Freeholder from Missouri and alien nobles fix coastal infrastructure that’s been ignored for a century.
@MattMarmaduke: We don't fix it. Boston has not asked for help. We are attending the All Star Game and visiting a few universities.“How about this one?” scrolling through the list of responses that the team mostly did a poor job of flagging. She didn’t think they were as bad as his commentary about people with their heads of their asses suggested.
@ManchesterTeacher: He’s bringing teenagers to “ask questions.” Will any of those questions be about teacher pay, or is that too mundane for a world tour?
@MattMarmaduke: I am addressing Agribusiness conferences I have been scheduled to address for months and a few other bodies that have invited us to speak. We were asked multiple times to let our young people speak. I hope the conversations are positive.
“Fuck it!” Matt snarled, and pulled over. “Tablet, please.”
“What’s wrong?” T’mari asked, handing the teblet over and watched as he laid his hand on the screen.
“Jem,” Matt said addressing the the Marmaduke Media AI. “Give Working group AC223F a 12% bonus payable by the end of the day. Give the same working group a 5% increase in salary. Send to all team members: I appreciate all that you have done for me in the past, but you were selected as a Press PR Team and you have been great at it. I no longer need that team. I need a geopolitical team now and that is not where any of you excel. I want to reward you for all that you have done and show you that my respect isn’t enough. Check your HR paperwork. You are all getting raises, bonuses, and 2 extra weeks of vacation. Jem, dissolve this working group. Jem place me in autonomous filtering mode. Scour all networks for news, responses, interactions. Inform Angelina.”
Matt handed the tablet back and picked up his phone.
“Live Stream” he said and moved the phone into position.
“For those that don’t know, I am Matthew Marmaduke, Freeholder of Missouri and High Lord of the V’ren. We are taking a little trip and I want to invite you to come along with me and mine as we visit the world over the next several weeks. I make no promises and am likely to tell you every day your local problems are not mine to fix. Next time a Freehold HR team shows up maybe you won’t be so dismissive now that you have actually seen how good things tend to be here. Peace out!”
Matt hadn’t had time to even put the SUV back in gear before she was on the phone.
“Took you long enough to fire them. I hired you the perfect Director of Strategic Communications several days ago and have been waiting for you to see it. Some people just have to fail to learn anything. Go get cleaned up and dazzle them tonight. You can drive now, I will talk to T’mari now.”
“Angelina, he looks a little blindsided, by that.”
“Not surprised. I assume she is coming?”
“Yes, Maja is on board. By the way, he is very casual with cash.”
“I know.”
“You talk about me like I am not even here.” Matt said, contemplating more fries from someplace he could just go in and let them have a moment since his fate was already decided.
“You aren’t, you are driving,” Angelina said with a chuckle.
“You never did explain why I am in this position when there were so many others to choose from who know human social media better than I do,” T’mari asked in all earnest. Angelina had told her this would happen, but not why.
“Ange knew I would need a wartime consigliere.”
