Diary of an Ooze Witch (Joseph de Steel) 1.5 - 1.6

1.5

William has finally returned from his ventures into the Ventigiore Province. With him, he brings tales of his exploits and pockets far lighter than he started with. He insists that his coin has been invested in various businesses and the like, hoping to grow capital in the region and cement relationships with established ironmongers. I personally believe he frittered away his funds on wine, women, and whimsy until his coffers emptied and he returned home looking for another hand out. William has always been something of a lout and has never taken anything seriously in his life. This latest venture into Ventigiore has been no different. It regularly astounds me that Father puts up with his frivolities and continues to assign him greater latitudes of freedom and responsibility.

Still, we greet him as family and bite our tongues of the truth. The firstborn son of House Steel, he is heir apparent to the Steelbane Merchants’ Guild. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth and a tongue of similar nature, he is a friend to all in need, and a needle to all his friends. While I loathe his nature in secret, I cannot dispute his familial ties. At the very least, Arissa and Mother are in higher spirits with him around, so it at least amounts to something.

Dinner is spent with him opining his fantastic adventures abroad, regaling us with the sights he’s seen and the people he’s met. He is all bravado and no substance in those dealings, and nothing to say of how successful he’s been in expanding the family’s influence. Every word is like a nail drawn across the linoleum, a dagger to my sanity. I finish early and excuse myself to my quarters. I will not show my disdain as I am the responsible son. His fickle nature will not break me of the image I have painstakingly crafted.

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1.6

It is curious to say the least that despite our vast differences, William still seeks me out to confide in me stories he cannot bring up in front of Father. While I normally find his tales to be repugnant in nature, I do not dissuade him from sharing confidential information with me. So sparing a free ear, I give him an outlet to his latest debaucheries. At the very least, it offered me a chance at gaining some form of leverage over him.

He starts off his tale regaling about the city of Placedo and how it was an enabling factor on many of his escapades. It was during one of his many nights out that he saw a vision of divine beauty. In copious detail, he described a woman of truly scandalous proportions, pantomiming her large chest with his hands. He recalled her golden spun hair tied into twin tails on the sides of her head while her bangs helped frame her angelic face. He went into telling me about how her milky thighs were constrained by her cutoff shorts, giving her thighs the appearance of more girth as they bulged against the fabric.

William told me he had found her whilst leaving a tavern with his friends. She was just passing by, humming a tune to herself as she sauntered past with that amazing figure of hers. He was instantly bewitched by her. So entranced by her beauty was he, William parted company with his friends and trailed after her, like a moth drawn to a flame. Eventually, she led him to a nearby alley where she turned around and greeted him warmly. William swore he tried to have a normal conversation with the woman, but he was so stupefied by her beauty that he could scarcely form a sentence to say to her. But even in his blundering state, he told me the woman was unperterbed and even offered to alleviate him of his troubling idiocy. William said he could only nod in agreement as she lowered herself before him and undid his pants.

At this point, I stopped him from continuing further, calling him out for his obviously drunken wet dream. To think I entertained him simply for some demented rambling. William insisted that he did meet her and that she was a divine angel sent by the Goddess Neoria herself to reward him for his efforts. I called it for what it was, blatant idiocy. We bickered through the night, him trying his best to convince me of what he saw, and I threw doubt on the veracity of his tale. In the end, we would part company without either side giving an inch.

I do not know what manner of spirit bewitched him so. At best, I could imagine a winsome young woman catching his fancy, that would have been believable. However, to state some hypersexual beauty would not just cross his path, but descend upon his nether regions is is the height of fantasy he could conceive of!

While I do not know why I care so deeply to be so incensed by this lie amongst other lies, I do know that my brother cannot continue on in such ways. As the eldest born, it is his obligation to carry forth the family business and not sully out name by such irresponsible actions. I’m sure that father recognizes his indiscretions and will address them in due time.

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