|  Author | Topic: Past and Present (Read 600 times) |
Rodney Skinner
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Invisible Man
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Shut up or I'll come to my senses.
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Joined: Jan 2004
Gender: Male 
Posts: 669
|  | Past and Present
« Thread Started on Dec 22, 2005, 7:11pm » | |
![[image]](http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b135/nightstalker013/Wallpapers/e382a30e.jpg)
This whole thing was originally Lyn's idea *point* She made the poster too. But hey, why not give it a shot? XD Almost all the lines here are quoted verbatim from a short play we did, involving kiddie!Skinner and kiddie!Dorian.
Mind, this thing isn't supposed to make much sense, so don't look for logic. XD It's more of a thought experiement than anything else, but it's supposed to be fun, so yes. 
|
Rodney Skinner
Gentleman Thief
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen |
|
Rodney Skinner
League Member
Invisible Man
member is offline
Shut up or I'll come to my senses.
Joined: Jan 2004
Gender: Male
Posts: 669
| | Re: Past and Present
« Reply #1 on Dec 22, 2005, 7:12pm » | |
Past and Present: Part I
The night was windy. Elizabeth was with Noriko and Kitten, and they were in the library, waiting for the League to return. Kitten was busy pursuing some simple picture-books, with the older girl helping her out with difficult words.
“C...Col...” Kitten struggled. She looked up at Noriko, who smiled.
“Color,” she said.
“Color,” Kitten repeated slowly. “Color.”
Elizabeth smiled. It was good that they weren’t worrying about where the League was, like her. She was terrified. Skinner was with the rest of the League, and she knew this mission would be nothing short of dangerous. They only had a vague idea of who the villain was this time, but from his crimes and his name, he was very dangerous. Monster, as he called himself, had many crimes on his list and they had been sent to stop him.
It was believed that he had magic on his side, and that didn’t do anything to ease her mind.
As she was lost in her thoughts, a rap came on the library door and one of Nemo’s men appeared. “They have returned, Missee Sahib Quatermain. They are approaching the Nautilus now.”
She stood up quickly. “Thank you, Pavel.” With Kitten and Noriko in tow, she headed straight for the loading bay, where she could meet the rest of the League.
As the carriages pulled up, she sighed with relief. At first glance everyone seemed to be there. Her favorite disembodied coat wasn’t visible, but she assumed that he had his coat off.
Kitten ran to her brothers and hugged them, chattering happily. She was excited to see them again, even though they looked a little scuffed around the edges.
“Hey, Elizabeth,” Tom greeted as Sid picked Kitten up. She threw her arms around his neck in glee.
“I’m so glad you’re back,” she smiled. And then she looked closely and frowned. “Where’s Skinner and Dorian?”
The Sawyers looked at each other. “Uh...”
Right about that moment, there was a commotion from the back of the group, nearest to the car. It got louder as someone pushed forward two young boys, probably no older than eleven, stumbled to the front.
One of them looked a lot like the man he would be in twenty or so years: dark eyes and hair, which was already kept long and slightly wavy. Dr. Jekyll had pulled his coat over him, but otherwise he seemed to be wearing nothing. If she didn’t know better she would say this would be Dorian Gray as a child.
Elizabeth didn’t recognize the other boy. He was almost a head taller, but skinnier and lankier. He had sparkling blue eyes, and a mop of bright red hair. He had a smattering of freckles across his face and a nose that showed just the barest of hooks. He was pale and dirty, but he was wrapped up in a familiar leather coat.
“Wotchoo lookin’ at?!” the redhead demanded, rather rudely. She was startled at the insanely thick Cockney accent.
“Probably your weird face,” the black-haired boy muttered. The redhead turned to him, eyes ablaze. He looked a lot like the dirty dockworkers back in London, just shorter.
“Ye lookin’ for a fight, are ye?” he demanded, “I’ll show you what a weird face looks like aft’r I’m done with ya!”
Tom stepped between them just in time. He dragged one of them away, making sure that the two boys stood on either side of him. “Easy there. No fighting.”
“Who...?” she asked, in shock. More children? Was this ‘Monster’ anything like the Moran they had encountered earlier?
“There was an, uh, unfortunate complication,” Dr. Jekyll supplied, looking nervously at the two children. “You see, the reports about this ‘Monster’ having magic were...woefully inaccurate.”
The boys started arguing again, but Tom shut them up with a glare. He winced as he explained, “There was a garden maze. It was huge, and we got lost, and...”
“We founded a corner,” Mina said stiffly. “And we thought we saw a door. Skinner and Dorian went straight inside, despite our warnings, and they came out as children.”
Elizabeth gaped at the boys, who had started to push and shove. “I...oh dear.” Then, more hesitantly, “Rodney?”
The redhead stopped his pushing and looked at her. Seeing her gape at him like a fish was stupid, and he was of a mind that they were all crazies. All they did was stare, after all.
“Who’s you?” he asked.
The child Dorian grinned, straightening the lapels of his borrowed jacket. “Hey, Rodney, who’s your girlfriend?”
Skinner glared at him. “Shut ye mouth, ye little slimy lace-curtain, or I'll break ye teeth so that you won't be grinning no more.”
Dorian seemed to ignore that, and he adopted a sing-song voice. “Rodney’s got a giiiiirlfriend, Rodney’s got a giiiiirlfriend...”
“Shut up!” Skinner yelled. Dorian ignored him again.
“Oh, Rodney’s got a giiiiirlfriend, Rodney’s got a giiiiirlfriend...” he continued, grinning madly. He even did a little jig as the rest of the League watched in a morbid mix of awe and fascination. The whole concept of two of their number as children was...disturbing, almost.
“That is it!” Skinner declared. He rolled up his sleeves and tackled Dorian to the ground, attempting to break his nose. Dorian tried to return the favor, and each of them got in a few good punches before Julian and Gabe were able to pull them off each other.
They struggled violently and loudly. Dorian, despite being the smaller one, had managed to give Skinner a black eye. “Let me at him! Let me at him!”
“Leggo!” Skinner demanded, trying to twist his way out of Gabe’s iron grip. “Lemmego, you!”
Mina took them firmly by the ear each and they yelped in pain. Satisfied, the two men let go of their charges. She dragged them off in the direction of the ship. “I believe you two need some quiet time. Alone.” To emphasize her point, she tightened her grip. It earned her more protests as she dragged them through the ship towards the living quarters.
“I don’t need no quiet time!” Skinner declared, still trying to get away. “I need is to get a swing at that sissy wit’ the long ‘air!”
“Just try it!” he shot back behind her. “Just you try!”
Mina glared. “You’ll do no such thing.”
They ignored her, as fighting young boys were wont to do. “Just you wait, Gray! I'll get my hands on ye yet and then you'll be worryin' about gettin' disfigured.”
Dorian rolled his eyes. “Oh, shut up.”
The vampiress nodded as she tightened her grip on Skinner’s ear. “For once, do as he says.”
The redhead yelped in pain. “Lemmego! You aren’t my mam!”
“No, but I am in charge for the moment.” She turned a corner, nearing their cabins.
He still struggled. “Well, no-one said so.”
Meanwhile, his adversary was going along quite docilely on her other side. Mina tightened her grip again, letting her long fingernails dig into his ear. “Perhaps not out loud, but it is understood.”
“Alright, alright.” Skinner seemed to run out of steam; that, or he was resigned to his fate. “You win, lady. For now.”
She seemed satisfied with that and loosened her grip a little. She came to their door, and she let go of Skinner. Before he could run off, she had the door open and he was inside. “Now, Mr. Skinner, you will be staying here until you’ve learnt to keep your temper in check.”
“My temper’s in check a‘right, ‘tis that Gray’s who’s breakin’ that damn check.”
Mina gave him a sharp look. “Then you’ll stay here until I’m convinced you won’t be attacking anyone. Someone will come by with suitable clothes later.”
“What, you mean this bloke don’t got no clothes?” he sounded disbelieving, looking around the room. “What does ‘e do, go around stark naked?”
She had to suppress a smile as she led Dorian out of the room. He was looking quite smug now. If only he knew what his adult self did, he’d never believe what she told him.
“'ey! You can't leave me 'ere!” Skinner protested.
“Oh, can’t I?” she asked, as she locked the door behind her.
“’ey! Lemme out!” he pounded at the door. “Lemme out!” He pressed his ear to the door and he could barely hear them walking away, but only if he concentrated very hard. He gave up and went to explore the room. Failing that, he would sulk in the corner.
An hour later...
He had, strangely enough, found absolutely no clothes. Someone had come by with a suitable pair, which still smelt like the store. He had just finished dressing when he heard the door unlock and open.
“Freedom!” he yelled, making a mad dash for the door.
Mina caught him by the shoulder before he could get all the way through. He nearly fell, but “Ah, ah. I’m not entirely convinced you won’t be attacking Dorian again.”
“Aw, c’mon,” he groaned. “I promise, cross me ‘eart.”
She looked at him straight in eye, and he looked almost defiant. She imagined he hadn’t had much of a lawful force around him, or anyone who set down rules. She would have to do it. She let her eyes turn a deep, blood red for a long moment. As he stumbled backward in fear and surprise, she said, “You do it again, you will pay. The same goes for him. Are we clear?”
He nodded vigorously, frightened. “Y-yes ma’am, like a clean glass, oh yes, perfectly clear. Like the sky, perfectly clear...”
“Good,” she smiled thinly, stepping aside to let him out. He ran like mad, with the full intent of getting as far away from her as possible.
|
Rodney Skinner
Gentleman Thief
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen |
|
Rodney Skinner
League Member
Invisible Man
member is offline
Shut up or I'll come to my senses.
Joined: Jan 2004
Gender: Male
Posts: 669
| | Re: Past and Present
« Reply #2 on Dec 23, 2005, 7:24pm » | |
Past and Present: Part III
Skinner was bored out of his mind. He slumped in his chair, slouching at an odd, if comfortable, angle. There was a book propped open in his lap, but he had no interest in it. He couldn’t read, after all, and even though the book was a very simple children’s book, even the lithograph drawings lost their novelty after the third flip-through.
Dorian was quite content with his own book, really. Occasionally his brow would furrow, or he’d tilt his head and mutter “How do they do that?”
He peered over his copy of the Communist Manifesto at Skinner. It was one of those oversized books and rested easily on his lap. He wasn’t reading it; Skinner knew for a fact that he had another, smaller book behind it. K-A-M-A S-U-T-something, if he wasn’t wrong. He’d only gotten a quick glance at the cover.
“Bored, are you?” he asked.
He nodded, his chin resting on his chest. He tapped the page of his book, which pages he turned whenever Elizabeth peered around the bookshelves. They could hear her helping Kitten with her reading. “I don’t got no idea what the bloody ‘ell this book’s about. ‘tis got rabbits with pocketwatches an’ a queen o’ sorts, but aft’r that...” He shrugged.
Dorian kept silent. He didn’t know Skinner was illiterate. Elizabeth had chosen the books for Skinner, but Dorian had been allowed to pick out his own. He’d pretended to browse, but as soon as she turned her back he slipped the small book into his pocket and, at the same time, pulled out the larger book.
Skinner had seen it all. He had a good eye for such things. He would’ve laughed, if he knew what that small pink book was about. He sighed impatiently, bored to tears.
“Hey,” Dorian said softly, putting his books down so that they rested page-down on his lap. He gestured to the redhead, who leaned forward slightly. “Listen.” He leaned in further and whispered into his ear. Skinner’s eyes lit up as he spoke, and by the end of it all he was nodding enthusiastically. He was also grinning, but they had to separate quickly as Elizabeth poked her head into their little corner.
“What’re you smiling about?” she asked Skinner pleasantly. He didn’t have the time to get the smile off his face, but he thought quickly.
“This!” He pointed at the open page and held it up for her to see. “Lookit! A rabbit’s ‘aving tea wit’ the man in the big top-‘at an’ the girl!” He grinned. “’tis so funny.”
Dorian nodded, hoping desperately that she wouldn’t come over to look at his book. He had a good idea that she wouldn’t approve of the smaller one.
“I see,” Elizabeth said, smiling. She was glad young Rodney was enjoying his book. She had considered giving him Oliver Twist, but she had a feeling the younger version of the thief wouldn’t appreciate it. “What about you, Dorian?”
His heart started racing. “It is...interesting.”
That seemed to satisfy her and she nodded. “Alright then. Do feel free to choose another book once you’re done.”
“Yes, Miss Quatermain.”
“Please, call me Elizabeth.”
“Miss Beth,” Skinner piped up, just before she turned to go. “I gotta use the loo, can I go?”
“Oh! Of course. Do you know the way there?” she asked.
He recognized the opportunity and didn’t fail to notice the discreet glance that Skinner gave him. Quickly, he said, “I know the way, Miss Quatermain. I can show Rodney where it is.”
“Of course, of course.” They jumped out of their seats and headed out the door. “Come back soon!” She called after them.
Once they were safely out of earshot, Skinner started chuckling. Dorian joined in, and they headed towards the cabins. They had been given the perfect excuse; if they were caught, they could easily say that they’d gotten lost as to which cabin was theirs.
Dorian kept a lookout as Skinner removed a small set of key-like metal sticks from his pocket. He’d found it in ‘his’ room (he couldn’t believe that he walked around stark naked most of the time) and he knew it was a lock-picking set. He slipped one of the rods into the lock and jiggled around a bit, listening for the soft click. It came and he slipped inside, his partner in crime following behind.
“Make it quick,” he whispered. “Bet you the lady-wit’-red-eyes’ll know we’re in here.”
He nodded and moved quickly, gathering what he needed. Skinner peered out the door to make sure no-one stumbled across them. So far so good. His arms loaded with the things, Dorian turned to him. “Right, quick, to your room.”
They slipped out the door, Skinner closing it with another soft click. They went quickly to Dorian’s cabin and locked the door.
“Right, what is this stuff?” he asked.
Dorian grinned. “Have you ever heard of snap powder?”
“Wot?”
“Snap powder. I guess they’re not very popular with...the lower-income.” He’d meant to say ‘poor’, but he was afraid of insulting him, so he didn’t.
He showed him dark silvery crystals he had taken from the room. He had laid them out on a soap dish he found in the bathroom. “These are iodine crystals, and this liquid is ammonium hydroxide.”
Skinner gaped. He wouldn’t even try to pronounce those words. He watched carefully as Dorian mixed the two together. “Ye sure it won’t go boom in our faces?”
“Of course. I’ve done this before.” Dorian poured out a brown sludge. He disappeared into the bathroom to drain the liquid. “Now we need to let this dry.”
“What is it?” Skinner approached carefully, curious.
“Snap powder,” he beamed. “It’s a pressure-sensitive explosive powder.”
“In English, please.”
He simplified the explanation. “Once that sludge dries, it’ll become a powder.” Skinner nodded. “And that powder will make a loud bang once pressure is put on it.” He saw that he was losing his friend’s comprehension. “In other words, if someone steps on it, there’ll be a loud bang, but it won’t hurt anyone.”
“Aha! Genius!” Skinner grinned.
Later...
Dorian looked up from his book as he heard the door opening and more footsteps. Elizabeth and Kitten had gone out for a bit, leaving the two boys in the library. Their sludge had dried nicely in the time since their return and now. Skinner was hiding it behind his book, which was propped up on his lap.
Jekyll turned the corner to the boys’ enclosure of sorts. “It’s dinner time.”
They put their books back and jumped out of their seats. There were a few books stacked up around them from a previous occupant. Jekyll looked at the nearest one, while they filed out of the library. He didn’t notice the brown powder sprinkled on the two pages that were open to the world.
Shrugging lightly, he shut it.
Skinner and Dorian were almost out the door when they heard the very loud bang and surprised yell from the doctor. They ran down the hallway, laughing like madmen.
Tom strolled along the corridors of the Nautilus. He’d taken a long, refreshing shower after Mina had grounded the two boys for the brown powder trick they’d pulled on just about everyone.
She’d flipped out after word of the incidents reached her. Of course the League all knew who were behind it all. They had been hauled to her, and she had promptly given those two suitable punishments. They were stuck in their rooms without anything to distract them, and he’d gone back to his own cabin after that.
They were going to have a meeting of the remaining adult League members. He went into the statesroom to speak to the others. They needed to know what to do to get Skinner and Dorian back to adulthood.
There had been talking among the League members there. When he walked in, all that stopped. It became deadly silent.
He looked at them. They looked at him.
It went on like that for a while, before finally, “What’re you looking at?”
“Nothing,” Dru said a little too hastily. She tried to laugh it off. “Nothing at all.”
There were strained nods around the room and they got down to business.
Sid couldn’t believe it. Granted, Tom had always been the wilder one when they were kids, but this....this was unexpected, to say the least. If Aunt Polly had seen this, she probably would have dropped there and then of a massive heart attack. (If, that is, she was still alive.)
As they discussed their plans to follow Monster, everyone kept sneaking glances at Tom when they thought he wasn’t looking. Only Mina and Nemo were able to restrain themselves.
Their meeting adjourned. Tom was more confused than ever. He couldn’t understand why everyone was looking at him so strangely.
It was only afterwards, when his brother joined him for shooting practice out on the deck, that he could ask.
“Hey, Sid,” he said. Sid looked at him, and he continued, “Back in the conference room...what’s up with the weird looks?”
Sid furrowed his brow. “You should know.”
“I don’t.”
“Tom...your hair’s blue. What did you expect?”
“WHAT?”
He was taken aback. How did you dye your hair without knowing? He was going to ask him that, but Tom was almost leaping through the stairway and down to his cabin.
Skinner stretched his legs. He had snuck out of his room to join Dorian in solitary confinement, at least while the Big Adult Meeting was on.
He heard running steps outside and their conversation stopped. There was the sound of a door being pulled open quickly. Skinner got up from where he had been sitting on the bed and stood by the door, listening carefully.
“Rodney...?” Dorian asked, uncertain.
He was grinning. “Ye remember that li’l stop I took before we got that powder to the library?”
“In the American’s room? Yeah.”
“Well, ye see, when I was in ‘my’ room, the stark naked bloke’s, I found a little something in the corn’r. Seemed to be paints o’ some kind, God knows what ‘e was doin’ wit’ ‘em. Anyways, I popped into the ol’ bathroom and snuck some into a shower. I do think the old chap’s discovered what happened.”
“What did happen?” he frowned.
“Gray, I put paint chips into that big thing the water comes out o’.”
“Ohh.” As understanding dawned, he grinned. “Ohhhhhhh.” Skinner nodded, grinning at the same time.
He had his ear pressed to the door. “Wait for it...just wait for it...”
It came alright. “RODNEY SKINNER!”
He grinned as he slipped out the door. “Remember, Gray...”
“I never saw you, and you never saw me.”
Skinner gave him a thumbs-up, chuckling. Dorian went to the still-open door and peered out. He was slipping into his own room, and as Tom stormed out of his room, Dorian had to repress a laugh.
“Hey, Sawyer!” he couldn’t help but call. This was too good a chance to miss. “What’s with the teal-green hair? Do you want to become a vegetable?”
And then he had to shut the door really quickly to avoid being glared to death. He collapsed against the door, laughing madly.
|
Rodney Skinner
Gentleman Thief
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen |
|
Rodney Skinner
League Member
Invisible Man
member is offline
Shut up or I'll come to my senses.
Joined: Jan 2004
Gender: Male
Posts: 669
| | Re: Past and Present
« Reply #3 on Dec 30, 2005, 6:34pm » | |
Past and Present: Part III
Skinner was bored out of his mind. He slumped in his chair, slouching at an odd, if comfortable, angle. There was a book propped open in his lap, but he had no interest in it. He couldn’t read, after all, and even though the book was a very simple children’s book, even the lithograph drawings lost their novelty after the third flip-through.
Dorian was quite content with his own book, really. Occasionally his brow would furrow, or he’d tilt his head and mutter “How do they do that?”
He peered over his copy of the Communist Manifesto at Skinner. It was one of those oversized books and rested easily on his lap. He wasn’t reading it; Skinner knew for a fact that he had another, smaller book behind it. K-A-M-A S-U-T-something, if he wasn’t wrong. He’d only gotten a quick glance at the cover.
“Bored, are you?” he asked.
He nodded, his chin resting on his chest. He tapped the page of his book, which pages he turned whenever Elizabeth peered around the bookshelves. They could hear her helping Kitten with her reading. “I don’t got no idea what the bloody ‘ell this book’s about. ‘tis got rabbits with pocketwatches an’ a queen o’ sorts, but aft’r that...” He shrugged.
Dorian kept silent. He didn’t know Skinner was illiterate. Elizabeth had chosen the books for Skinner, but Dorian had been allowed to pick out his own. He’d pretended to browse, but as soon as she turned her back he slipped the small book into his pocket and, at the same time, pulled out the larger book.
Skinner had seen it all. He had a good eye for such things. He would’ve laughed, if he knew what that small pink book was about. He sighed impatiently, bored to tears.
“Hey,” Dorian said softly, putting his books down so that they rested page-down on his lap. He gestured to the redhead, who leaned forward slightly. “Listen.” He leaned in further and whispered into his ear. Skinner’s eyes lit up as he spoke, and by the end of it all he was nodding enthusiastically. He was also grinning, but they had to separate quickly as Elizabeth poked her head into their little corner.
“What’re you smiling about?” she asked Skinner pleasantly. He didn’t have the time to get the smile off his face, but he thought quickly.
“This!” He pointed at the open page and held it up for her to see. “Lookit! A rabbit’s ‘aving tea wit’ the man in the big top-‘at an’ the girl!” He grinned. “’tis so funny.”
Dorian nodded, hoping desperately that she wouldn’t come over to look at his book. He had a good idea that she wouldn’t approve of the smaller one.
“I see,” Elizabeth said, smiling. She was glad young Rodney was enjoying his book. She had considered giving him Oliver Twist, but she had a feeling the younger version of the thief wouldn’t appreciate it. “What about you, Dorian?”
His heart started racing. “It is...interesting.”
That seemed to satisfy her and she nodded. “Alright then. Do feel free to choose another book once you’re done.”
“Yes, Miss Quatermain.”
“Please, call me Elizabeth.”
“Miss Beth,” Skinner piped up, just before she turned to go. “I gotta use the loo, can I go?”
“Oh! Of course. Do you know the way there?” she asked.
He recognized the opportunity and didn’t fail to notice the discreet glance that Skinner gave him. Quickly, he said, “I know the way, Miss Quatermain. I can show Rodney where it is.”
“Of course, of course.” They jumped out of their seats and headed out the door. “Come back soon!” She called after them.
Once they were safely out of earshot, Skinner started chuckling. Dorian joined in, and they headed towards the cabins. They had been given the perfect excuse; if they were caught, they could easily say that they’d gotten lost as to which cabin was theirs.
Dorian kept a lookout as Skinner removed a small set of key-like metal sticks from his pocket. He’d found it in ‘his’ room (he couldn’t believe that he walked around stark naked most of the time) and he knew it was a lock-picking set. He slipped one of the rods into the lock and jiggled around a bit, listening for the soft click. It came and he slipped inside, his partner in crime following behind.
“Make it quick,” he whispered. “Bet you the lady-wit’-red-eyes’ll know we’re in here.”
He nodded and moved quickly, gathering what he needed. Skinner peered out the door to make sure no-one stumbled across them. So far so good. His arms loaded with the things, Dorian turned to him. “Right, quick, to your room.”
They slipped out the door, Skinner closing it with another soft click. They went quickly to Dorian’s cabin and locked the door.
“Right, what is this stuff?” he asked.
Dorian grinned. “Have you ever heard of snap powder?”
“Wot?”
“Snap powder. I guess they’re not very popular with...the lower-income.” He’d meant to say ‘poor’, but he was afraid of insulting him, so he didn’t.
He showed him dark silvery crystals he had taken from the room. He had laid them out on a soap dish he found in the bathroom. “These are iodine crystals, and this liquid is ammonium hydroxide.”
Skinner gaped. He wouldn’t even try to pronounce those words. He watched carefully as Dorian mixed the two together. “Ye sure it won’t go boom in our faces?”
“Of course. I’ve done this before.” Dorian poured out a brown sludge. He disappeared into the bathroom to drain the liquid. “Now we need to let this dry.”
“What is it?” Skinner approached carefully, curious.
“Snap powder,” he beamed. “It’s a pressure-sensitive explosive powder.”
“In English, please.”
He simplified the explanation. “Once that sludge dries, it’ll become a powder.” Skinner nodded. “And that powder will make a loud bang once pressure is put on it.” He saw that he was losing his friend’s comprehension. “In other words, if someone steps on it, there’ll be a loud bang, but it won’t hurt anyone.”
“Aha! Genius!” Skinner grinned.
Later...
Dorian looked up from his book as he heard the door opening and more footsteps. Elizabeth and Kitten had gone out for a bit, leaving the two boys in the library. Their sludge had dried nicely in the time since their return and now. Skinner was hiding it behind his book, which was propped up on his lap.
Jekyll turned the corner to the boys’ enclosure of sorts. “It’s dinner time.”
They put their books back and jumped out of their seats. There were a few books stacked up around them from a previous occupant. Jekyll looked at the nearest one, while they filed out of the library. He didn’t notice the brown powder sprinkled on the two pages that were open to the world.
Shrugging lightly, he shut it.
Skinner and Dorian were almost out the door when they heard the very loud bang and surprised yell from the doctor. They ran down the hallway, laughing like madmen.
Tom strolled along the corridors of the Nautilus. He’d taken a long, refreshing shower after Mina had grounded the two boys for the brown powder trick they’d pulled on just about everyone.
She’d flipped out after word of the incidents reached her. Of course the League all knew who were behind it all. They had been hauled to her, and she had promptly given those two suitable punishments. They were stuck in their rooms without anything to distract them, and he’d gone back to his own cabin after that.
They were going to have a meeting of the remaining adult League members. He went into the statesroom to speak to the others. They needed to know what to do to get Skinner and Dorian back to adulthood.
There had been talking among the League members there. When he walked in, all that stopped. It became deadly silent.
He looked at them. They looked at him.
It went on like that for a while, before finally, “What’re you looking at?”
“Nothing,” Dru said a little too hastily. She tried to laugh it off. “Nothing at all.”
There were strained nods around the room and they got down to business.
Sid couldn’t believe it. Granted, Tom had always been the wilder one when they were kids, but this....this was unexpected, to say the least. If Aunt Polly had seen this, she probably would have dropped there and then of a massive heart attack. (If, that is, she was still alive.)
As they discussed their plans to follow Monster, everyone kept sneaking glances at Tom when they thought he wasn’t looking. Only Mina and Nemo were able to restrain themselves.
Their meeting adjourned. Tom was more confused than ever. He couldn’t understand why everyone was looking at him so strangely.
It was only afterwards, when his brother joined him for shooting practice out on the deck, that he could ask.
“Hey, Sid,” he said. Sid looked at him, and he continued, “Back in the conference room...what’s up with the weird looks?”
Sid furrowed his brow. “You should know.”
“I don’t.”
“Tom...your hair’s blue. What did you expect?”
“WHAT?”
He was taken aback. How did you dye your hair without knowing? He was going to ask him that, but Tom was almost leaping through the stairway and down to his cabin.
Skinner stretched his legs. He had snuck out of his room to join Dorian in solitary confinement, at least while the Big Adult Meeting was on.
He heard running steps outside and their conversation stopped. There was the sound of a door being pulled open quickly. Skinner got up from where he had been sitting on the bed and stood by the door, listening carefully.
“Rodney...?” Dorian asked, uncertain.
He was grinning. “Ye remember that li’l stop I took before we got that powder to the library?”
“In the American’s room? Yeah.”
“Well, ye see, when I was in ‘my’ room, the stark naked bloke’s, I found a little something in the corn’r. Seemed to be paints o’ some kind, God knows what ‘e was doin’ wit’ ‘em. Anyways, I popped into the ol’ bathroom and snuck some into a shower. I do think the old chap’s discovered what happened.”
“What did happen?” he frowned.
“Gray, I put paint chips into that big thing the water comes out o’.”
“Ohh.” As understanding dawned, he grinned. “Ohhhhhhh.” Skinner nodded, grinning at the same time.
He had his ear pressed to the door. “Wait for it...just wait for it...”
It came alright. “RODNEY SKINNER!”
He grinned as he slipped out the door. “Remember, Gray...”
“I never saw you, and you never saw me.”
Skinner gave him a thumbs-up, chuckling. Dorian went to the still-open door and peered out. He was slipping into his own room, and as Tom stormed out of his room, Dorian had to repress a laugh.
“Hey, Sawyer!” he couldn’t help but call. This was too good a chance to miss. “What’s with the teal-green hair? Do you want to become a vegetable?”
And then he had to shut the door really quickly to avoid being glared to death. He collapsed against the door, laughing madly.
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Rodney Skinner
Gentleman Thief
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen |
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