Banner Men
MOTHER, MADAM SEVERITY
The people of House Prudence had their lives marked by Severity. Though this was true, Madam wasn't unkind - not to the right people. But everyone else? They could go hang. She had her favourites, however, and they received her Gratuity, which was never not pleasing.
She was beautiful, by anyone's standards. Her body was perfectly sculpted - her hips child bearing, her breasts firm and proportional, her eyes large and child-like, demanding genetically programmed care from those around her. Sure, she was stern, sharp, harsh when needed, rigid, precise and exact, but she was a Ruler. And a Ruler of mostly men.
Not many women were as strong as she, because women were usually the first to be lost in battle. Now sex, she decided long ago, was her weapon, and it was a valuable weapon - one to be tended to, nurtured and prepared. They called her Madam Severity, when they dared. Mostly they just called her Mother.
"Mother, they advance." informed Child, her most trusted. To Child she gave no Gratuity, because he was loyal. And manipulation, she decided, would be counter-productive to his attentiveness. Child, was a giant of a man. He was cut all over his body, almost all lesions from defending his Mother. She reached out to the sitting giant and stroked his bald head, her fingers running over the stitched lines criss-crossing his scalp.
"I know, Child. I knew they would be coming long ago. I knew they would be coming back when we engaged their services."
"Should I alert the Banner Man?" enquired Child.
"No. Leave him. He has much of his own problems. Poor, insane man. No. Just lead me to my quarters, Child. I must prepare for our visitors." She let Child lead her to her lair; up the hill, to the left. It was in the body of a machine that used to roam the skies, now heavily covered in hessian and chord. It listed on its side, exposing a large hole in its body.
Madam Severity prepared herself for battle. First she removed her clothes, skimpy as they were, barely covering her as they had. Following the act of undressing, she turned to her silk covered, leather chaise longue, spreading herself deftly across it, naked as the day she was born. The red leather of the seat was burred in places and completely missing in others. Child watched her from his position in the deep comforting shadows, dispassionately. Nothing rose in Child, because he lacked genitals. She awaited the delegation calmly.
Soon Breck and his cronies wandered into her chamber, unheeded - like they owned the place. He took a seat opposite Madam Severity, informing his men to take up the remaining ones. Psychologically speaking, Mother had positioned herself at the head of the tiny table they now sat around. She was slightly elevated also.
"Breck. Why are you here?" she asked, meekly. She flashed her impossible eyelashes at him as she spoke.
"You know why. For payment." he said, gruffly, trying to ignore the pure beauty that lounged before him and his men. The cronies, however, salivated in her presence.
"What for?" she countered, innocently. She made the smallest of movements, and the cronies followed her with their eyes, captivated.
Breck stood suddenly, rattling the table before him, "Don't play the innocent little girl shit with me! I was immune to your charms years ago! Now I want payment. That's all I care about." Seeing himself the only one stood, Breck sheepishly returned to his seat.
"Breck, payment comes at the end of a mission. Not before - not during. After. Is that so hard to grasp?"
"Don't insult me bitch -"
"Bitch, is it? I should have your tongue removed for that alone."
"Look, we did our best." explained Breck, "There were so many. We couldn't take them all."
"And yet, you did promise me you could?" Mother shifted again that little bit, remaining amused as Breck's cronies' eyes followed. Who has the power, Breck? It's me, isn't it?
"Shove your promises up your arse -"
"Now, now. Naughty Breck. Suggesting objects to be inserted in dirty places? Tut tut."
"Don't play around with me. I - we tried our best."
Madam Severity rose a slender, perfectly shaped eyebrow, eliciting an involuntary moan of delight from one of the cronies sat about the table. She turned to each man in turn, flashing a seductive smile as she did so, "Well, did you, boys?" No one spoke. They were simple men, with simple pleasures and simple minds, so she picked out one in particular.
She gestured for him to sit next to her. He could feel the heat from her body - smell her. He wanted to taste her. Oh, Gods! She even smelled beautiful! She stroked his thigh effectively, "Tell me -"
"F - Frag. Frag, Miss." he choked.
"Well, Frag - Mmm, what a wonderful name. Ahh, sweet Frag, won't you tell Mother? Did you try your best?"
Frag's attention was somewhere else. He stared into her eyes, captive in her beautiful web. Eventually the words bled from his mouth, "N - no, Miss. Captain Breck lied. He ran when the Inquisitors appeared. Said he wanted nothing more to do with it all. Sorry, Miss? I wanted to please you? I really did. But orders is orders."
She stroked his cheek and chin, running her forefinger over his lips, biting her own lip coquettishly, "That's alright, sweet Frag. I forgive you. You may retake your seat." Frag was bent over as he did so. Breck looked uncomfortable, but his resolve remained.
A look of practiced anguish fell upon Mother's perfect face, "Breck? What would you have me do?"
"You have no idea how difficult it is to complete a task such as that." Breck managed.
"Oh, I do. I do. Trust me, Breck, I know. That is why I pay people like you to do it for me. And when I pay someone, I expect the job to have been completed. That's not too much to ask, now is it, Breck? It, however, was not completed. They remain. They stand. That, Breck, is a failure."
Breck stamped his foot like a petulant child, but garnered no reaction from Madam Severity, "I'm telling you, Madam Severity, or whatever you call yourself - with your sick ways and your innocent girl routine - it makes me sick. You know what? I've had enough of this shit. I think I'll take payment in full. Right here, right now, or -"
"Or what, Breck? What else is it you would do?" The enquiry stumped Breck.
"Enough of this tough bullshit. We take full payment now. We will take your cunt for payment owed." Breck seemed almost proud of his little outburst. The cronies merely looked to each other, unsure if they agreed with this turn of events, but the words were spoken, and that was that.
The reply returned coldly, ”I give parts of my body as a compliment for a job well done, or the promise of one to come, Breck. Not only didn't you complete the job, you also failed on even the simplest of tasks. Tell me, Breck - do you wish to separate that part of my body from the whole? Child?" she said, without turning, "Do you want them to hurt Mother?"
Child unfolded like a praying mantis from the shadows, advancing into the light, for all to see his magnificence. It was astounding how such a large man could have blended into the background so well. It was why Mother loved him so utterly.
Suddenly the doors of the chamber clicked shut and Child advanced to Breck and his cronies. Puddles of urine appeared on the floor below the cronies, thickly matting the beautiful cloth beneath. They whimpered and they cried.
Child started with Frag, haphazardly deconstructing him. He moved onto the next, then the next - he left Breck until last. Breck had to witness the consequences of his failure, cry and plead like the coward he was, before he too was broken by Child.
And when it was all over, Madam Severity carefully rose from her reclined position, took a cloth from the table and wiped blood and bits from her body and face. She was exhausted and she showed it, "Dear Child. Mother needs her rest now."
"Yes Mother." spoke the giant, leading her away.
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