MG roulette (Anubis)

`That didn't go as planned` was the understatement of the year.

The network higher-ups wanted our show to cover the story of the happenings of strange women around London. Nobody was really interested until the twin greens incident, after that everyone wanted a piece of that hot topic pie. And my network was the same, we were scheduled to be the first news team with info, giving a unnecessary but welcome boost to views.

While we got the views, but not fully about the subject at hand, Penny had chosen that day to go ape-shit about the whole thing, and that's putting aside the fact that she also deemed the whole thing rubbish before she stormed out.

That was two days ago, Penny still has stuck to her word and refused to show up and host the show. On the plus side that has given my other co-host Amy room to breathe, with her popularity apparently rising.

So today, I was tacking a casual stroll thought the park in the afternoon on my way back from the train station. Checking the email on my phone as I was waiting for a message when a saw it.

`3M presents: the MG roulette.`

Well this was surprising! The rumoured email, actually on my inbox! I laughed to myself as I paid half attention to the video. Penny will have a hard time disproving this now that her own co-host Is in on it.

I tapped the button so hard I thought I broke my phone.

*ANUBIS*

Okay...what?

Isn't Anubis the Egyptian god of embalming and judge of the dead? I could be wrong. Even so, I do remember that he was a Jackal or something like that, so if the hell-hounds from the twin greens incident was anything to go by I was going to meet a woman who was part canine. It really didn't matter to me though, I just hoped she was nice.

Checking the clock, I guessed it was time to head home. I wonder exactly how would I meet her?

~x~

Complete chaos.

That was Norah's impression as she explored the house of the man she was meant to meet. Work desk flooded with scraps of paper and some wired black machine with a screen and notes and crushed cups with a weird green brand containing a foul smelling brown liquid and heaps of dried sugar.

And then there was the the cold metal box in what she assumed was the cooking area. It held numerous bottles, some of which was kept separate with a note below it that read. `Backup supply, all nighters only!`. The only thing that seemed to be here for food was a half eaten piece of meat.

Then there was that insult to Time keeping, that white board on the bedroom wall that was covered in scribbles and attached notes, in one big garbled mess. How does anyone know how to read this thing correctly!

All this showed the signs of someone who led a unrefined lifestyle. How foolish! It was below her to live in such disarray, it should be the same for him!

No matter, that shall change. This here was a man who (judging by the house) needed a decent shape up, and Norah believed herself never wrong in these things! `Perfection Is all` was a motto she stuck by and when she was done with him and this place there would be no flaws.

She sat down on the living room sofa and used a spell to make a scroll and quill set appear. She knew just what she could do while she waited for the man of this house to return.

~x~

walking home took a little longer then I had planed, but seeing as I didn't think I had anything to do so it wasn't so bad, plus who doesn't enjoy the afternoon sun when it isn't attempting to murder you with its heat?

Planning to sleep the afternoon away I opened the front door and entered the house. Having to go though the living room to get to the kitchen I entered the space to find a woman sitting on my sofa.

She had tanned skin and was wearing a getup one would see in a dessert movie, but what was more important was the black furred wolf ears resting on her long jet black hair, the paws she had for hands and feet along with a tail, and the stern expression she had on her beautiful face.

“Mister Steven Kyle, I presume?” she was the one to speak first.

“That would be me.” I replied. Brown, curious eyes looked into calculating red as we stared at each other. Then she stood up, her tail swishing form side to side.

“Excellent, my name is Norah, please take a look at this” she handed me a scroll.

“What is this? I asked as I unravelled it and look at what seems to be a list of things that ranged from `messy house` to `unreadable timetable`

“What you have there are the faults I have seen in this lifestyle of yours so far.”

“Faults?” I parroted, I didn't know what what was wrong with the way I lived. “and what do you mean so far?”

“I say `so far` for I intend to observe you as your go about your day for several days, after which I shall alter and change your timeline and actions appropriately. Also, seeing as I have learned that humans of this words tend to spend their weekends free, I shall use such time to know you personally.” her whole tone was of serious business.

“Whoa, hold on there! Don't I have a say in this?” I said, this sounded a little to imposing at this time. “and what If I refuse?”

Norah summoned a gold staff with scales on one end. Holding it in her hand she pointed it at me and said “bind” as the staff flashed white. My hands locked behind my back and I was pulled to my knees by a unknown force. I was stuck looking like I was trying to mime a bound prisoner.

“It would be unwise to go against me, Steven. No matter if we are not destined to be together, I will make the changes I deem necessary and make this place a house of stability and perfect order, not the chaotic shamble I see now. Fail to adhere to my changes and there will be... trouble. Unbind” I was released from the phantom hold.

“Fine” I grumbled, I enthusiasm for the roulette was honestly getting strained at this point.

“Well then, with that out the way lets get to know each other.” She sat back down in the sofa and gestured for me to join her. “the more I know, the sooner I can get started.”

We then talked long into the night about ourselves, I say we but it was more me answering questions on my current life style and her tacking notes. She may seem a bit strict, but our I think I could get to know her. how bad could it be?

(2 weeks later)

I kept the fact that Norah was living with me a secret. I felt it was too soon to plan anything regarding interviewing her. Plus as much as I wanted to stick it to Penny, to do so without Nora's consent would be rude. No, it was best to see how things with the Anubis turned out.

It didn't take long for her to start her `adjustments`.

The first thing to change was my diet. As a person who spends most of the morning hours at the TV station I often eat on the move. With no real time for true shopping I simply filled my fridge with energy drinks and the occasional sandwich. She put a stop to that by filling it with various things from fruit to meat. I was also no longer allowed to drink coffee (Or in her words the `Vile tar people mistake for drink`) much to my displeasure.

Then there was my work room, after finding out what every thing does she locked me out of it for days and when I was finally able to re-enter the papers where all in orders that she deemed appropriate and I was to keep it this way from now on.

And then there was the schedule, my god the schedule. That scroll she took everywhere with her. When to sleep, when to eat, when to bath and even my `work hours` where placed into this mad scheme of hers. Any attempt to get out of this was meet with her personal favourite spell; the `mummy's curse`. I wont go into how exactly that one works, just know I had a embarrassing train ride thanks to that.

All this and more was starting to grate me to no end as all of this is just suffocating. The worse part about it all was that I was starting to genuinely like her, but things needed to change before my adoration was strangled by her controlling nature.

I was at breaking point when we were seated at the living room on Wednesday morning. Norah was staring at me with Increasing worry.

“Steven, what are you doing? You're going to be late for work.” She asked in confusion.

“Not today, I called in sick.” I replied.

“What!?” the Anubis shot out her chair in shock. “Why did you do that? do you know how much it messes with my schedule?” she was clearly shaken more then what I thought the would be.

“Because we need to talk about your actions Norah.” I said with a strait face.

“My... actions?” confusion had made a come back to her face as she sat back down.

“When you first came round with your idea's I thought to myself `sure, I could use a change of pace, but after the last two weeks I can honestly say I've had enough of the way you are treating me. This has to stop or at least change. The forced diet, the ordering about, the blasted schedule...” I counted off the things that were bugging me.

“The schedule?”

“I'm not against having more order in my life, but that thing so struck its not even funny. I think the way you've be going about things is wrong.”

Her eye's widened “Wrong?” she parroted. “Are you saying I'm... wrong?” she was almost stammering.

“I think if you would just listen to me we could come to some sort of-” I tried to continue but apparently Norah was still fixated on what I said earlier as she was shaking with rage.

“How could I be wrong? Everything was to my design after careful examination, refined and improved as I learned more about you! I am not wrong! I'm not!” she let out In stuttering anger. “There can't be a mistake! I, Norah do not make mistakes!” she then ranted on for a few minutes at such a speed I almost didn't understand her.

“I don't understand why are you so angry about this.” I said in attempt to calm her down. I didn't think she was so high strung about this. Apparently that was the wrong thing as her eyes started to water.

“Don't you see? There can't be any failure, Perfection is all! How can there be perfection if the man I love is the one to tell me I'm wrong?” she slumped back into her chair and stared to cry into her paws.

I on the other hand was stuck in shock at what she just said. Did I hear her right? “I'm sorry, what did you say?” I asked slowly.

Nora removed her hands from her face and locked eyes with me, eye pair a deeper red caused by her crying, and the tears had stopped flowing. “I said `How can there be perfection if the man I love is one telling me that I'm wrong?`” she repeated sincerely.

Hearing it for the second time there was no doubt, this woman loved me. Granted it wasn't not the way I expected a confession but now was not the time to think about such things. Right now I needed her to calm down.

I let her dry her tears so I could think on what I was going to say next.

“So your serious about what you just said” I said carefully.

“There is no reason to lie, over the weeks I feel like we should be... closer.” her cheeks seemed to warm with the comment.

“I admit that I also think something is there.” Her ears perked up at that. “But I don't think it will work out I have no say in things, control is not bad but this is overkill.

“So... what do you suggest?” she asked.

“I think that its best that we talk about this, like I was trying to say, I think that I should have more involvement in things like this, that way it will be better for the both of us. I also think you should not be so bothered about perfection or planning.”

Her eye's widened in shock. “But its what I live for!” she stuttered out. “How can someone want less then that?”

“Hasn't any one told you that there is no such thing as perfection? That if it stays the same forever the best it could to is stagnate?”

“I... never thought about it like that.” Norah mused.

“I'm not saying that striving for the best or making set objectives is a bad thing. But no one can achieve complete perfection as something or someone out for your control will cause change. Just loosen up a little Norah, I can promise you It'll be better then you think.”

Norah sat in silence for a while before giving me a light smile “I suppose I could try things your way. Perhaps I will find this enlightening.”

I sighed in relief. Progress!

“But I still refuse to see you consume any more of that black tar called coffee.” She said sternly.

“Really?”

“I see no benefit to it, the supposed `boost` you can get from it can be just as sufficiently supplied by other means. I am willing to try...compromising.” she shuddered with that word. “but that is one thing I refuse to allow.” the look in her eyes told me there was no hope arguing there.

“Fine then, with that out the way and nothing better to do seeing as I'm not going to work, what to you say we spend the day getting to know each other seriously this time? You've told me little about yourself since your time here and you need to know more about who I am and not just what I do on a day to day thing.” I say with a smile as I held my hand out. “Steven kyle, nice to meet you.”

She took a second to realise what I meant by this and accepted the handshake. “Norah of the red sands, a pleasure.” She gave me a sweet smile I didn't think she had.

Once more, we launched into conversation about ourselves, only this time it was more personal and we learn much more then before.

During a break n our talking mind focused on two things.

The first was that eventually Norah's existence like the others will be public, I just need to bend it to my liking. One has to plan carefully for the Storm that is Penny Davis. The second was when me and the Anubis get to talking about compromising, I'm making sure I get to set that blasted schedule scroll on fire.