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Lord of Entertainment C48 Decision
🕑 Added 2024-08-31 00:00:06 +0000 UTCI couldn't help but look at Anus with a mix of admiration and wariness. "Though I've got to say... That's quite a detailed story."
Anus shrugged, looking almost sheepish. "To be honest, I didn't think a folder like this would ever be useful." He gestured vaguely at the shelves. "I just record details about the characters I meet. Force of habit, I guess. Makes me pretty good at keeping tabs on folks."
I nodded, impressed despite myself. "Gotta say, you're quite the expert at this."
A thought struck me. "What about his family? They worried about him?"
Anus snorted. "Nah. Guy was a real piece of work. Drunk, in debt. His wife and kids? They're probably throwing a party now that he's gone."
I absorbed this, seeing how it could work in my favor. A fresh start, no strings attached. Perfect.
"Alright, I'm in. When can I get the ID and documents?"
Anus scratched his chin. "I can have it all ready by tomorrow. That work for you?"
I mulled it over. Every hour counted, but rushing might raise suspicions. "Alright," I agreed. "Tomorrow it is."
As I stood to leave, I couldn't help but marvel at the twisted path that had led me here. From demon prince to rock star to... Arnold Palmer, deadbeat dad and failed gambler. Talk about a character arc.
"One more thing," I said, pausing at the door. "This drunk that offed Palmer... he still around?"
Anus raised an eyebrow. "Why? Planning on some revenge?"
I shook my head. "Nah. Just want to make sure I won't bump into him at the local bar. Might be awkward, you know?"
Anus chuckled. "Don't worry. Guy skipped town right after. You're in the clear."
I nodded, relief mixing with a strange sense of anticipation. Tomorrow, I'd be Arnold Palmer. A new name, a new face, a new chance to secure my inventions and maybe even expand my influence beyond the Whitlock name.
As I left Anus's place, the weight of my decision settled on my shoulders. There was no going back to the Whitlock mansion. Not tonight, not ever. The risk was just too damn high.
Part of me ached at the thought. I'd gotten used to the fancy digs, the family dinners, Mariana's doting. But Ark... that old fox was too sharp, too powerful to underestimate. If he cottoned on to my true identity, well, I didn't fancy my chances.
I found a dingy room in Hood Street. No questions asked, no ID needed. Just cold, hard cash and a promise not to burn the place down. It wasn't the Ritz, but it'd do.
Sleep didn't come easy that night. My mind raced with plans, contingencies, and a nagging sense of... was it guilt? Nah, couldn't be. Just indigestion from that questionable street meat I'd grabbed earlier.
Dawn broke, and I was back at Anus's, bleary-eyed but wired. He handed over the documents, a shit-eating grin on his face.
"Pleasure doing business with you, Dick," he said as I passed him the envelope of cash.
I grunted in response and hit the street. It was barely 5:10 AM. The Whitlocks would still be dead to the world, dreaming their gilded dreams. Perfect.
I ducked into an alley, checking for prying eyes before shifting back into Arthur Whitlock. One last time, I told myself. One last con as the prodigal son.
The lawyer's office was just opening up when I arrived, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. "Mr. Whitlock!" the receptionist chirped. "What brings you in so early?"
I flashed my most charming smile. "Oh, you know how it is. Early bird gets the worm and all that jazz."
As I sat in the plush office, spinning my tale of wanting to secure my inventions under a new name - "for tax purposes, you understand" - I couldn't help but marvel at the absurdity of it all. Here I was, transferring the rights of my Earth-inspired inventions to a dead gambler's identity.
Just another Tuesday in Saint Angeles, right?
By the time I walked out, Arnold Palmer was the proud owner of the electric guitar and piano patents. The lawyer looked a bit confused but hey, money talks and bullshit walks.
As I stepped into the morning sun, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. Arnold Palmer was born, Arthur Whitlock was on his way out, and somewhere in between... well, that was where the real me resided.
As I walked away from the lawyer's office, my mind drifted to the numbers game I was playing. The Orlando company was making a killing off my inventions - thousands of guitars and pianos flying off the shelves, each one ringing up a nice profit.
And me? Well, Arthur Whitlock was due a hefty chunk of change from those patent rights. A neat few hundred bucks. Not bad for a bit of tinkering. But now, that cash would be lining Arnold Palmer's pockets instead.
I couldn't help but smirk at the thought of George's face when he got the memo about the change in ownership.
But hey, George was a businessman through and through. As long as the money kept rolling in, he probably couldn't care less if it was Arthur Whitlock or the ghost of Lucas Hades signing the checks.
For a moment, I worried about Ark connecting the dots between Arthur's inventions and this new Palmer guy. But then I remembered - Ark never really bought that his son was some mechanical genius. Magic? Sure. But tinkering with gears and strings? Nah, not his precious heir.
The old man probably thought those inventions were a fluke, or worse, someone else's work that Arthur had slapped his name on.
And let's be real - to the Whitlocks, a few hundred bucks was probably couch cushion money. They wouldn't give two shakes about some small-time patent royalties. Their loss, Arnold Palmer's gain.
Sitting on the creaky bed in my Hood Street room, I couldn't help but wonder if I'd overreacted. Ditching the whole Arthur Whitlock gig just because of Lucy's warning? Maybe I'd jumped the gun. But hey, better safe than sorry, right? I'd rather be a living nobody than a dead rock star.
Besides, Arthur Whitlock was just one of many masks I could wear. Losing him was inevitable - I just sped up the process a bit. Still, a pang of something - regret? nostalgia? - hit me as I thought about Rocky, the elves, and the unfinished system task at Rocky n' Roll.
Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Who says I can't still be part of that world?
A grin spread across my face as the plan formed. I could join Rocky's band as a new guy, slide right into the Demon King's shoes. Different voice, different style, but same old grunge. It was perfect.
I'd need a new character, of course. Some young, above-average joe with stars in his eyes and grunge in his soul. I'd train with the band, play the humble newcomer, all while steering them towards completing that task I'd left hanging.
Sure, it'd sting a bit. All those folks I'd gotten to know, looking at me like a stranger. But that's showbiz, baby. Besides, wasn't that the thrill of it all? Being anyone, everyone, and no one all at once?
In this world, I wasn't just a demon prince anymore. I could be a writer, a director, an actor, a singer, hell, even a politician if the mood struck. Whatever kept life interesting, whatever pushed me closer to outshining my demon brothers.
As I lay back on the lumpy mattress, staring at the water-stained ceiling, I couldn't help but laugh. Here I was, mourning the loss of one fake identity while plotting to create another. Talk about identity crisis.
But that's what made this game so damn exciting. Every new mask, every new role, was a chance to reinvent myself. To push the boundaries of what I could be, what I could achieve.
