The Automated King

Invitation

Come on, a package? In this very morning?

Oh, so it’s a letter. Wow, they even got this one attached with the vintage postage stamp. National postal office? This is terrific, indeed.

‘To: Reginald,

From: Repugnare.

Please imbue the letter by the resonance of your power (s) to read the content.’

Your inquisitiveness of my capability are identical to myself. I do wondering of what’s the gamble for today, as well.

Speed boost.... cross out. It wouldn’t be happened twice. Let’s do a trial to support this by running in place.

“Haaahh.....Haahh.... nope.”

How about the invisibility? Marion is sweeping the sidewalk out there, I guess a small talk wouldn’t hurt.

“Hey, Marion!! Can you see me?”

“Hmm? Nah, you are too ugly to see, dumpster. Roll out to your garbage box and die.”

Pretty clear she could perceive me with that sort of reply. Hmm, I have to rule out this one, either way. What is it, then? I have not a single clue to this. Whatever, is not the best time to slouch, anyway. Shut the door, mantle’s on, to the store we go.

---

“Good morning, Marion. Have you found your lawnmower?”

Well, she’s there, intact with her casual clothes of the morning and seemingly different with herself from an hour ago. Hey, what is she doing with that awkward stance? I've never see those one before.

“...”

She is on meditation, huh. So convenient, at a glance, but still a challenge to ask for.

“Bye, then, Marion.”

“Bye.”

She does listen to my call, huh.

It’s the final days of summer, and the fall season revealed themselves earlier than expected. A light jog to the store would be a trembling session, indeed. My nose is slowly back to the prime condition, even if its itchy sometimes. I still can smell just fine, although it’s somehow more sensitive than usual.

---

My workplace, my sanctuary. The best quarter for me to test out my prowess. It’s a hit-and-miss scenario, and this area would be the laboratory for me to analyze my ability. It’s still fasten, so I need to unlock it with the special keys made for me, the manager of this facility.....

Ah, this is bad. Where is my bag? Did I lose it somewhere? Ah, dang it, It must be laying off beside my bed. If I got my head to flail over multiple errands, I’m  usually overlooked any trivial matters like this one. Do I have to pick it up and going home now? Nah, it’s too much work. The only stuff inside the bag is my lovely perfume, D’harum. Is it important enough to load me into the double-set time of walking outside, by the holy embrace of the cold weather?

Luckily, for the keys, there’s a spare somewhere. Better snatch it for today’s work, then.

(sniff....sniff)

All of the products are thriving. No rancid odors in the radius, or is it? What is this peculiar scent? It’s coming from my desk, I guess. I never have this fragrance over my collection. Is it a new arrival? No, this is not a perfume. Too sour, and I could sense slight tendency of mossy notes blending to the scent.

(sniff...sniff)

Hmm, it’s from the locker, huh. Someone’s having a hidden stuff inside their stash... It doesn’t ring a bell, though, does this box have a secret compartment that I don’t know about? Ah, I need to retrieve my master key to unlock these guys. However, does it permissible for me to unveil someone’s mystery? It won’t be if somebody caught me red-handed, hehe.

Let’s open up Rufus’ locker for the start... Ah, so hollow!! He doesn’t put away a single thing in his storage. Since he is not a person with a lot of demands or wants, He would not put something down inside. No, I don’t relish myself being stereotypical, but I was suspecting Lauren from the get-go. She might be a brute and prodigal person, not to count over her reckless characteristics, but she does have several issues to take care of in her own locker. Conversely, she is a woman, right?

Pipe down, Regi. No one could be resembled to their assigned gender, Lauren included. That’s really outdated, primitive, and pretty much conservative.

Hm hm, how about looking under the table right away to ease off the prejudice?

(Boom...crack)

Yup, she is frantically a mess in overall. A beast in the making, the troll in hiding, an ogre of Minamart, what else might be great to picture this she-evil right now?

“Owww, it's hurt.”

“HEY!!!!! Who’s given such permission to open my locker, Mr. Regi? Damn it!!”

Oops, I got caught in action. I don’t know how to back it up, either. It feels like the time to raise my hands.

“Hello? Is this the police department? I wanna report a burglary.... yes, I am the victim ... This is not a prank, please hear me up for a second....They hung up...”

She tried another phone call. I have to bring a feasible excuse for this, or else I might be jailed with this lame ideas of mine as the bad ideas to have.

“Okay, okay, halt the accusation, Lauren. I am not intended to crack your stuff. It’s incidental.”

“And the master key flying to the hole by itself, Mr. Regi? Please tell me the truth, or I have to tell the cops something you would regret.”

“To speak with adamant sincerity, I have no desire to pluck items within. Yet my nose lead me to your locker, Lauren. Can you smell the aroma? It’s so strong and made my nose twitched numerous times.”

In actuality, it’s magnified without an ample cost. I only have to scratch it a little due to the tickling sensation, though. Wait a second... could this be new? Let me practice it on my other senses.

(Lick....Lick)

“Why are you licking your hand? It’s so gross.”

No, it’s practically salty.

(Glare)

“What is it, Mr. Regi? Are you mad at me?”

Not this one, either.

“Stop staring at me, Mr. Regi! You’re creeping me out.”

My hearing sense is totally the same. I couldn’t receive more than the sound inside of the locker room at this time.

(Poke)

Is this how you test your perception of touch? Or have I need to do it the other way?

“And now you’re just closing your eyes. What is wrong with you, Mr. Regi? Are you insane? Hey, stop molesting my underwear!!”

Is this her clothes?

(eyes opened)

And it’s not improved or extended in any course. So, as a conclusion, The only magnified sense to date is my smelling faculty, indeed.

“Mr. Regi! Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine, can you calm down, already?! Do I have to bend on my knees to say sorry?”

“It should be necessary for you to down your tone and apologizing like a normal person, Mr. Regi, instead of being so high up in the sky like this.”

“I’m sorry, Lauren. I won’t do this again. Unless if you asked for help, since I am on hold of the key.”

“Don’t do that anytime soon, in the near future, or in a short time after this, okay? And do not forget to clean all of your faults right here, Mr. Regi.”

Sigh, I can’t evade this one. Housekeeping hours, come to papa.... Hurray....

---

Humph, I couldn’t believe of how much humiliation I’ve gotten for this horrendous power. There’s no utility over the enhanced senses, principally this one. It only provides me with insurmountable sum of the combination from nasty, filth, and the entirety of the product that could be the genesis of aroma within one single thrust of conspiring attack to my gut.

I am staying inside my office all day long, even now, but the compilation of putrid odor aroused me to regurgitate every second. Lauren got me more embarrassed after knowing the cause of my sensitivity. She said it all like this: “You were blessed with useless powers, boss.” With an elongated speech of,“hahaha” mixed in symphony with,“hehehe” and the,“ can’t breathe” type of laugh.

Oh, right, I was absent of my letter by this morning. How could I apply my powers to the paper? Sniffing it, maybe? Hmm, it’s not working. How about that one? No way, it’s too obscene. Or could I do this by sniffing through the paper itself? I am missing my favorite fragrance, and I lost my bag, too, why not?

Hummmm, focus on my mind..... Those perfume....... I need a sample for it. Ah, I found a hint of the smell from the day before. Now I can trace the position of my bag. Humm.....

(Sniff-sniff)

It’s nowhere near. I have to expand the radius of my searching.  Ten kilometers, perhaps? How far is 10 kilo, though? I don’t get it... Ah, no matter, It would be better to project the distance of the mart to my apartment, nonetheless. Hummm.....Gotcha!!! Well, It’s a bit blurry. I have to follow the radiance to keep on track.

And....Wow, a moving picture inside my head! This is like playing an adventure game, huh. Fantastic! Hey, is that Marion? Why is my bag in her possession? Who is she, exactly? Do I know her? How could I tell that it was, in fact, Marion? I can not recognize the house at all. My power is way too weak to produce the complete picture of it. To add the peril, I lost my bag... This is the worst day ever.

And.... the message of the letter is completely shown up.

“To Mr. Reginald... I can’t remember your surname, sorry.

You are invited to the general meeting of our group, Repugnare. Please bring your costume (if any), this letter, and yourself as the offering. Sorry, I mean, just come right here and greet the other members if you wish for it. Thank you for the consideration.

Best regards,

Maria the slink”

This is it, right? Do i need to input any other words inside? Ha? What is it, Merry? You are still recording, and you can’t knock it off? Hey, Simon, how to turn this down? Just close the lid? Roger that. Hey, How to erase the words typed inside? You can’t? Screw it, at least he could get the message.... blip”

Why are they not doing this manually, than having the artistry of letter writing being mocked by their rash doodling? They even forgot to put down the address. How can I turned up to their ‘party’ and have ‘fun’ with them?

Passing the time on my bed would be the better choice for tonight.