Why do we find what we are looking for in the last place we look? (Dar)

Marleigh wanted a challenge. That was one of her criteria as she scoured the city for work and job opportunities. Of course the easiest way to get that was to simply return from whence she came. But getting away from there was precisely the point of her excursion to this city.

Being a part-time hero of justice had its fair share of interesting challenges. But somehow, she felt that there was a gap somewhere in her heart. Helping others was fine and good but she was missing that feeling of devotion and sense of loyalty that normally accompanied her usual line of work. A master worth her doting and attention was something she had not yet come across in the few days she that had passed since she first arrived in Jump. If she could meet one or two, then maybe she could finally say that she had found her rightful place in the city. With that thought in mind, she found herself in the residential district. Surely there was a rich or powerful family here that would welcome her services, and at the same time satiate her wish for a fulfilling occupation.

It was easier said than done. Even with all the right papers and credentials, no one would hire a maid who just showed up out of the blue looking for work. Either that, or Marleigh's own impressions of the potential client did not meet her expectations. Sometimes she was too convenient or too good to be true. Other times, she was too overqualified or she felt her presence there was not necessary. She had a sense for this sort of thing and could often tell a lot about the person who lives in the house she enters just from taking a few steps inside. She had a feeling that her instincts would tell her when she found the right place.

Fortune finally favored her as she finished her "appraisal" of one of the last mansions on a street full of mansions. The master of the house was a kind old lady who was willing to hire her, but Marleigh felt that she was too nice. Not to mention there were already several others working there, all of whom, she could sense were devoted and caring for their master. She was not needed in such a household. Though it gave her a warm feeling to see one doing so well. Her luck turned for the better when the old lady gave her a tip as to where she should try next.

It was of course another mansion, a little ways off from the other residences, but not too far that it felt isolated. It was on top of a small hill and thus could be easily seen from far away. Even without the old lady's tip, Marleigh was certain she would have eventually paid the place a visit herself. Apparently a man in his late 50s or early 60s lived there alone. He was not the friendliest person and about a decade ago he was known for driving out the servants of the house who got on his bad side. The old woman told her that she might just be the person who could meet the old man's high standards. In Marleigh's mind, if that was all there is to this mansion, then there was no doubt that they would be met. The question was, would he meet hers?

Marleigh took her time going up the stone steps leading to the mansion gate. It was an old-fashioned iron one and from outside she could easily see the state of the mansion grounds. They were a little overgrown, but not at the level it would be if left unattended for a decade. It seems the mansion's resident did do some gardening once in a while but not recently. The mansion itself was in a decent shape. The paint was fading a bit in some parts but there were no cracks or other major damage. A few vines were growing on one side, but rather than give the impression of age, it looked like the vines were trimmed to give a sort of aesthetic flare to the mansion's presentation. It was two floors tall and from the design of the roof, Marleigh guessed that there was an attic as well. The house was not small by any means, but being on a hill, the grounds were not so large and so the mansion looked cozy.

She rang the doorbell and waited patiently for someone to come out to meet her.

Mr. Hawthorne screamed and threw his hands in the air. Shivering Jemmy pulled a big spoon out of her mouth and gave him an annoyed look. "Quiet. That hurt my ears."

"I'm sorry," Mr. Hawthorne said. "I don't want to make you angry, but I thought you were going to shoot me. Where did you get that gun?"

"This?" Jemmy looked down at her other hand, which was holding a pistol. The elbow of the same arm was holding a carton of chocolate fudge ice cream against her blue dress. "I don't know. I guess I just found it somewhere." She took another big scoop of ice cream and brought it up to her chocolate-stained lips and dirty yellow teeth. She chewed it in the side of her mouth, looking at Mr. Hawthorne curiously.

"Miss Jemmy, do you think you'll be leaving soon?"

Jemmy spoke with a mouth still full of ice cream. "No, why?"

"Well, what do you want from me?"

"I just want a place to stay, and I want you to do everything I say. I already told you that." She took another scoop of ice cream. "If you had listened, you would know that." Mr. Hawthorne collapsed into a chair, considering his unfortunate fate. Jemmy smiled at him, unintentionally spitting out some chocolate as she asked her next question. "Hey, do you think my eyes are pretty?"

"Your eyes?" Mr. Hawthorne looked at her orange eyes. Personally, he found them disturbing. He hesitated before answering, and Jemmy leveled the gun with his face. "They're beautiful!" He said, fearing for his life. "They're delightful and bright."

Jemmy smiled. She liked getting compliments.

The doorbell rang. Jemmy ran down the stairs, dropping the gun on the entryway floor as she opened the door. She looked up at Marleigh and took another bite of ice cream. Was this girl supposed to meet with Hawthorne? "Come on in."

Marleigh was a bit surprised. From what she heard, the old man lived here all alone. So why was a little girl answering the door and inviting her inside? She wondered if the girl was a relative who was visiting.

"Oh, thank you" She replied as she stepped inside. Her first impression was that the place was furbished nicely, considering there were no servants taking care of the place.

"Is the master of the house present? I came here today looking to take a job. I heard that he is particularly fussy about taking servants and housekeepers. I am quite confident that I am exactly what he is looking for."

Marleigh tightened her apron and straightened her headpiece. First impressions often made or broke deals. She wanted to look her best. Still she couldn't help but feel sanguine. In her mind, there was nothing a mere man could order her to do that she could not perform excellently.

"Now that I think about it, it was probably rude of me to invite myself inside like this." She turned her attention to the little girl and spoke with a kind smile. "You really shouldn't let strangers inside your home so easily. The world is not always a kind place. A cute girl like you should be more careful."

The girl came in and asked if the master of the house was present. Jemmy thought about it. She had decided to live here, and Mr. Hawthorne was going to do everything she said. On the other hand, though, this was Mr. Hawthorne's house, technically speaking.

Jemmy ended up not having to answer. Marleigh said that she was looking for a job as a servant and housekeeper. Jemmy's orange eyes opened wide, and a big smile stretched across her face. Servants? She loved servants! Why hadn't she seen it before? This woman was obviously a maid by trade.

Marleigh looked self-conscience for a second and said that maybe she shouldn't have invited herself in. She then said that Jemmy shouldn't let strangers into her house. A cute girl like her should be more careful. She had called Jemmy cute. It wasn't the best compliment, but it was certainly a good first impression.

"You didn't invite yourself in. I did."

Mr. Hawthorne peeked his head around the corner from above the stairs. He was visibly disappointed that the doorbell hadn't been the police here to rescue him.

Jemmy continued. "I'll be more careful about letting strangers in from now on. But you seem really nice. You're hired. Congrats." Jemmy pointed the spoon back at Mr. Hawthorne. "He'll be the one paying you, but you can go ahead and ignore him. You'll be working for me."

Mr. Hawthorne worked up a bit of courage. He walked down the stairs and joined them in the entryway. "This is still my house. I'll decide who I hire or not."

Jemmy turned around and looked at him. "And I'll decide whether you live or not."

Mr. Hawthorne picked up the gun that Jemmy had dropped and pointed it at her. "Get out of my house, demon!"

Jemmy calmly looked back at Marleigh and frowned. "Hold on a second."

A red balloon quickly and silently floated down the stairs behind Mr. Hawthorne. It wrapped its ribbon around his neck and pulled it tight. Mr. Hawthorne's eyes bulged and his hands tried to free his neck from the cruel noose. He dropped his gun in the panic, clawing at his neck. Jemmy calmly walked over to the gun, picked it up, opened her mouth impossibly wide, and swallowed it whole. With that, she waved a dismissive hand at the balloon, and it released Mr. Hawthorne, who fell to his knees gasping for breath.

Jemmy turned around and smiled at Marleigh. "I will be your employer. It's only fair that you know something about me. I'm not human. I suppose you could call me a goddess, and I'll be calling the shots around here. I'm so happy to have met you. I've always wanted a maid. I already have a butler." Mr. Hawthorne looked up, realizing that he was the butler Jemmy had spoken of. His pride didn't like it, but he didn't dare say anything. His fear in Jemmy had been reinstated, and he had learned his place.

"I see..."

Marleigh's brows furrowed for a moment as she tried to make sense of the situation. The little girl just proclaimed that she was hired and then indicated that the older man who just entered the room would be the one paying her for her work. Marleigh presumed he was the master of the house but the little girl mentioned to ignore him and that she would be the one Marleigh would be working for. Any way she sliced it, Marleigh was definitely missing something in all of this, particularly the girl's relationship with the old man.

When the old man attempted to point a gun at the girl though, it was then that Marleigh realized that there was something very wrong with that picture. But before she could say or do anything, the little girl calmly advised her to stay put. Marleigh's instincts told her that the little miss had everything under control. She could tell that much. There was this certain aura about her that Marleigh couldn't quite explain.

After the girl dealt with the situation and gave a brief explanation of who she was, Marleigh finally pieced together the puzzle. She couldn't hold back her soft laughter. She quickly apologized after calming down a bit.

"My apologies. It is just that after coming all the way out here from the realm of the gods, I did not expect that I would somehow end up back in the service of another cosmic entity."

Now this was the tricky part. Had the girl been just one of those special humans, Marleigh would have told her off straight away for forcing a man to do her bidding and seizing his home. But she was a goddess. The feeling Marleigh had been getting from her began to make sense. The problem with beings like that, was things like ethics and morals did not really apply. Marleigh's concept of what was good, just and right were merely opinions. In such a situation, the best approach was to be as neutral as possible. She felt a little bad for the old man though, getting caught up in all this.

"Milady, it would be an honor to be of service to you. I shall be in your care but... may I offer an opinion? You see, I don't believe that old man is qualified to be your butler. He would only get in the way of my work. I would like to propose to hold a contest of who can perform their duties better. The loser leaves."

"Of course, if you prefer quantity over quality, then I shall not press this issue any further."

Another entity? This maid had worked for another cosmic being before? That might actually make things easier. Humans could be confused, surprised, or scared in the presence of people like Jemmy. Marleigh, however, was at least partially used to such things.

Marleigh suggested that Mr. Hawthorne wouldn't make a good butler, and offered to participate in a contest to prove it. Jemmy had no doubts that Marleigh was much better at the job, probably at any job, but a contest sounded fun.

"Okay, we'll make a game out of it. You will both have three challenges. Whoever wins at least two of the challenges wins. The other..." She looked at Mr. Hawthorne and smiled with evil intent. "Well, the other one won't be around much longer."

Mr. Hawthorne gasped and nearly fell over. Jemmy leaned in and whispered to the maid. "Don't worry. I won't actually kill him. I just like to make him worry. Hey, what's your name, by the way?"

After she learned the woman's name, Jemmy would lead her two servants to the kitchen. "The first challenge will be baking me a cake. Whichever cake tastes the best wins this round." Mr. Hawthorne owned an impressive kitchen that even had two ovens. It seemed a bit silly to Jemmy, since the man lived alone. He couldn't eat enough to require two ovens, but Jemmy could. "Begin!"

Taking the poor man out of the picture aside, the other reason Marleigh proposed a contest was to get a feel for what kind of being her new master was. Her first impression was that the girl was just a being who liked to have fun and no better fun could be had than taking the form of a child. Not to mention, the kind of attention it drew was... convenient.

Marleigh smiled as the girl whispered something to her ear. She had not said anything at all but it seems her new master is either really good at taking hints or she could read minds.

"My apologies for my rudeness. I keep forgetting to introduce myself first these days. It's Marleigh, Marleigh Garrett. Formerly a steward of the realm of the gods. I am here on the mortal plane on what I could only describe as an extended vacation. But sitting around doing nothing is just not my style, hence why I was looking for work."

There was a twinkle in Marleigh's eye as she heard what the first challenge would be. Baking was not only something she prided herself in but also something she genuinely enjoyed doing more than most other things. For one, she loved good food. And the other reason was that it was one of the few activities that her special powers played only a little role in. Things like cooking and baking took as much time as they needed. There was no meaning to having superhuman speed. That also meant she could enjoy doing the activity that much longer.

"Understood."

Marleigh quickly took over one half of the kitchen, laying out all of her baking tools in a neat order for when she would need them. Browsing the cupboards and the refrigerator, it looked like everything she needed was there. This truly was the mansion of a wealthy man.

The first part was to make preparations. She preheated the oven, coated the pan she would use, and then started mixing the ingredients. While doing so, she kept an eye on the old man, wondering if he was even capable of competing. Surely a man who kept ingredients like these could use them properly as well.

Marleigh? That was a good name, Jemmy decided.

The cake bake contest began, and Marleigh seemed to know exactly what to do. Mr. Hawthorne was worried.

To his credit, Mr. Hawthorne was quite a good cook. He hadn't had a servant with lasting employment in several decades, and he had insisted on eating the best food he could prepare. Over the years, he had become a good chef. Good, not great.

He mixed up the batter for his cake and glanced at Marleigh. He wished there was some way he could tell her just what she was getting involved with. Someone had to tell her to run while she still had the chance. Then again, Marleigh had seen Jemmy eat a gun right in front of her eyes. If that wasn't a clear message that trouble was brewing, then nothing was.

Mr. Hawthorne put his cake in the oven he had pre-heated. He had picked a recipe that required a short cook time, ensuring that his cake would get done first. Guilt started to eat away at him as he washed his dishes. If he won two of these contests, then the maid would be "gotten rid of." Hawthorne didn't want to be responsible for the Marleigh's death.

But he didn't want to die, either. He refused to pull his punches, metaphorically speaking.

After frosting the cake, Hawthorne presented Jemmy with a slice. It didn't look like any cake Jemmy had ever seen before. She took a bite and frowned. "What kind of cake is this?"

"Raisin cake. It's nutritious, and it has a sugar substitute." After looking at Jemmy's dirty yellow teeth, Hawthorne knew that he wanted to make her a cake that didn't add to her...decay.

"I see." Jemmy's eyes glowed a more brilliant orange. "I brush my teeth with sugar, old man. If you ever cook anything for me again, I want it to be as unhealthy as possible." She picked up the rest of the cake and threw it in the garbage. Hawthorne was visibly shaken. His masterpiece had been trashed.

Marleigh took her time. There was no rushing a great cake. And her client was practically a timeless being anyway. A few minutes or even hours did not make much of a difference. All that mattered in the end was the taste and presentation. It was around then that Marleigh displayed her multitasking skills as well. As her cake baked in the oven, she heated water in a kettle to make tea. Tea went well with cake after all.

The old man had finished first. Marleigh did not hear the conversation in its entirety but heard something about nutritiousness. The mistress however was visibly displeased with the final product. Marleigh paid it no mind. Another person's failure did not particularly interest her for as long as she produced her best results. That was the kind of focus and dedication she had lived by all this time.

It took time but Marleigh finally finished decorating her cake and applying a few finishing touches. The old man's kitchen was really quite impressive. For a man who liked to live healthy, it was surprising he had so many sweet things stored up. Perhaps they were for guests? Marleigh sliced a piece of her cake, topped it with a scoop of ice cream and some whipped cream.



She carried all of these on a tray and presented it to the mistress along with the tea she had prepared earlier. Pouring the tea on a cup, she asked, "Would you like sugar or honey with your tea?"

Jemmy was excited when she saw Marleigh's slice of cake. Topped with ice cream, adorned with whipped creme, and drizzled in chocolate syrup, it won this challenge in presentation alone. Jemmy couldn't wait to take a bite, but Marleigh asked if she wanted sugar or honey in her tea. Tea? That was perfect. Jemmy loved tea parties. The decision was difficult. It was hard to beat the effectiveness of good old sugar, but honey sounded...exotic.

"Honey, please."

Jemmy's fork carefully selected her first bite. Her mouth was watering and she couldn't wait anymore. She took a bite. Never before had Jemmy tasted something so good. It was the best cake ever made, she decided. So rich, so sweet, so...everything! For once, Jemmy didn't just gobble her food down. She took her time and enjoyed each bite of cake, sipping the sweet tea along with it. Jemmy forgot that they were having a contest until the slice was gone. It was clear who the winner was, anyways.

Jemmy looked at Marleigh. "I...I..." She couldn't express just how much she enjoyed this cake. "I love you."

Well, with one round down, it was time for Jemmy to decide the next challenge. "The next challenge will consist of house cleaning." She grabbed a bag of flour and walked out to the library, which was neat and clean. "Unfortunately, nothing's dirty right now, so we'll just have to make our own mess."

Jemmy ripped the bag of flour open with her teeth and ran around the room, covering everything in the fine white powder. Hawthorne was petrified. His library! His precious library! This monster was ruining his home!

Jemmy drew a line with her finger, separating the flour-covered floor into two halves. "Whoever gets done first wins. Go!"

Marleigh smiled in acknowledgement. She was pleased that her master was pleased. As far as the maid business goes, there was no greater honor and reward. That was the feeling she had been missing all this time even as she busied herself with all sorts of work. If only until the end of her "timeout" she would gladly continue serving... Now that she thought about it, she had never gotten her master's name. But that could be remedied late. The next task was at hand and it was another activity very much close to Marleigh's heart: cleaning.

Just like that, the previously spotless library was covered all over in fine white powder. In all honesty, Marleigh was impressed yet again that the old man managed to keep such a large house tidy all by himself. Presumably that meant his cleaning skills were pretty good as well. But while he had a decent chance in winning in baking, this contest on cleaning was over before it even began. Marleigh did a few stretches as she addressed her "opponent"

"I must apologize beforehand. I am aware you are not in the wrong here. But as a maid, I have duties to fulfill. And so I shall not be holding back."

Marleigh reached into her satchel and took out her trusty feather duster, one of the few "unique" items she possessed. While it was not really that clear yet who would be the current rightful owner of the house, both the master and the old man acknowledged that the library was dirty. That was sufficient to meet the requirements of its use.

She started as soon as the master gave the signal. She did not run nor sprint. For all intents and purposes, she was walking... and yet she was moving at such an inhuman speed that it could not really be called walking either. As she passed by, she was tapping her feather duster at everything within arm's length. Every trace of the white powder vanished as soon as the feather duster made contact with it. Books, vases, decorations, paintings, chairs, tables and the floor, nothing was missed. After just one round, everything was spotless save for the places out of arm's reach.

Marleigh then reached into her satchel and pulled out a very very long broom that reached all the way to the ceiling. She attached her duster to one end and began working on the hard to reach places. Same as earlier, her speed was very evident. She was finished in no time. Looking at the clock, she wondered if even five minutes had passed.

"Ready for inspection milady."

Hawthorne couldn't believe it. His jaw dropped as he watched Marleigh work. She was a metahuman! She had to be. Nobody normal could move so fast, not while looking so calm and poised, at least. He tried desperately to clean faster than her, but he was leaving a lot of flour behind. He began to sweat in fear. All of his efforts were in vain. The maid would win, and then Jemmy would kill him.

It wasn't long before the contest was over. Jemmy clapped her hands, applauding Marleigh's work. "It looks like you're the winner again, Marleigh. And that means..." An evil smile crept over her face. "...Hawthorne loses!"

Hawthorne fell to his knees, crying. Jemmy laughed for a few moments before punching Hawthorne on the shoulder. "Ah, be quiet. I was just kidding. I won't kill you."

Hawthorne looked up, daring to feel relieved. "Then...I can leave peacefully?"

"Not really. I need someone to pay the bills around here. You will keep living here, although I won't be bossing you around very much. Instead of being my servant, you'll just be my roommate." A look of terror crossed Hawthorne's face. Death was sounding like a better alternative. Jemmy pouted. "It's not like I snore or anything. Fine. You can go live somewhere else if you want, but you have to keep me supplied with money. I'm blackmailing you, if you didn't figure that out. If the money stops coming in, then I'll kill you. There isn't a corner of the world where I can't find you."

"Yes, of course, thank you." Hawthorne jumped to his feet and ran for the door. "I have plenty of money. I'll make sure to supply enough for both of you. Thank you again. Thank you."

"Shut up!"

Mr. Hawthorne walked out of the house, but he walked very quickly.

Jemmy turned back to Marleigh, a curious look on her face. She couldn't torment Mr. Hawthorne anymore, so she needed a new form of entertainment. "So what do we do now?"

The old man had it easy. From Marleigh's experience, most gods were whimsical beings who thoughtlessly toyed with mortals. Most of them would not admit it, usually citing some sort of justification for these deeds. But in Marleigh's opinion, they were merely excuses. Her master this time did not seem like the type who would bother with such details. That made her much more... volatile. Not that she had any complaints. She did not ask for an easy job.

"That is an interesting question milady. Oh by the way, I don't believe I've gotten your name. I have yet to confirm as well how you would like to be addressed. Should I just continue as I have been doing all this time?"

"Going back to your question, normally I would have a long list of ideas for things to do. But alas I am not that familiar with this city yet, nor do I have an ample grasp of your interests. I would certainly like to know these things. So why don't we step out of the house and you can show me all the fun things that can be done around here? I shall be sure to take notes."

"We could even make game out of it. You can be the leader and I will try my best to follow."

Marleigh asked what Jemmy's name was. Jemmy giggled. She had been having so much fun that she had forgotten to introduce herself. "My name is Shivering Jemmy of the Shallow Brigade. I am a Lord of Chaos, the emissary of Chaos to Earth, and the princess of the Shallows. You can call me Princess or Princess Jemmy. Oh, and you can call me Your Majesty."

Marleigh suggested that they go around the town and have Jemmy show her where all the fun things to do were. They could even make it into a follow-the-leader game. Jemmy licked around her chocolate covered lips, in order to clean herself up a bit. She then wiped her face with the back of her sleeve. "Okay, that sounds fun." She looked at her reflection in the window. Her hair was all messy. "Now, I know I'm beautiful beyond description, but I should probably get cleaned up. I want to look my best, you know."

Jemmy really didn't know how to look nice. In the past, she had always relied on just shape-shifting in order to look better. But she had recently lost that ability. Her hair had become messier, thin layers of dirt had caked her face, and her teeth had yellowed even more. On top of this, her dress was wrinkled and covered in chocolate stains. "Um...would you mind helping me with that? That's something that maids do, right?"

A lord of chaos who cared about personal appearance? There were some very contradictory things in that idea. But who was Marleigh to question the whims of a cosmic entity? It just surprised her a little as this was the first time she had ever encountered such. Grooming in general was one of her lesser practiced skills simply because gods often did not need it. At best she would take care of pets. That is not to say she was not good at it. But it was not something she was readily prepared for. Thankfully they were in the house of a wealthy man and so there was no doubt in her mind that she would find everything she needed. She took note of this of course for future reference.

"If it is your wish princess, then I shall be happy to oblige. If the layout of this mansion makes any sense, then the bathroom should be this way."

The bathroom was very large and clean. Marleigh turned on the water to fill up the tub that looked like it could easily fit three to four people inside. The water was warm and was at just the right temperature. She added a bath solution as well so that when the tub was finally full, there was a nice layer of bath foam on it.

"Do you need any assistance with undressing, princess? I saw a washing machine in the laundry room on the way here. If I put your clothes there now, they should be nice and clean by the time you are done with your bath."