As thunder crashed outside and the hailstones began to fall, Tanya she winced at the thought of dealing with this weather. Gascoigne saw the look on her face, and decided to speak up. "You know, I would not be a very good host if I let you leave in the middle of this storm," he said. "Why don't you stay the night?"828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPwHxeNLYX
At this point two things are going through Tanya's mind. First, It would be rude to impose like that. And of course, I don't want to go back to sleeping on the streets. Eventually Tanya decided to take him up on his offer. "Sure, I would love to!"828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGDiDKIILs
The next morning Tanya awoke to a most delicious smell. "Pancakes?" she identified. 828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxSb70H5T95
Tanya's mouth was drooling with anticipation as she got out of bed. Downstairs Gascoigne was setting the table for breakfast. Tanya, having not even changed out of her borrowed nightgown, walked sleepily down the stairs. 828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡccprV67SHu
Gascoigne smiled. "Good morning sleepyhead. You sleep well?"828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWtnigSaSG
Tanya looked from the stairs out the floor to ceiling windows. The windows offered a brilliant view of the city of Berun. Gascoigne noticed what Tanya was looking at. "Its a beautiful view, isn't it?" he commented. "You can see the Emperors Palace from here."828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEfYOL4Fi3
Tanya pondered for a second. "I hear that the Emperor is a good man," Tany started. "He could be a great man, but after all that, I still hate him. I hate him because I want to be him. I don't like being stomped on." It was not until after this statement that Tanya realized the irony in what she said. In a previous life, she had once been a man working in HR for a major company. Tanya had been ruthless and remorseless in her quest to get to the top of the corporate ladder. Everything was going well until one of the people that he was responsible for firing pushed him in front of a moving train. After that, "he" was reborn as "she" with powers. Unfortunately, Tanya had decided that it was a good idea to have a giant pissing match with God, and when it looked like God was not going to win fairly, God cheated and basically made her start over in that timeline, except without any powers. 828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioL5lAV68q
The ironic part wass that the Emperor was a good man, while Tanya was much worse. Tanya thought on this for some time and eventually came to the conclusion of, by hating the Emperor for what she was more guilty, the person she truly hated was actually herself. 828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4A9fbo4Eeg
"I don't deserve this kindness," Tanya said to herself, grabbing onto her nightgown. Her eyes began to water, her vision blurred, and her nose began to run. Never before in Tanya's existence has she actually felt the tiniest bit guilty for the suffering she caused. It was not until she got herself put in this position of utter powerlessness that she could genuinely appreciate the suffering that she had caused. Tanya was stuck in a week and tiny body. She was malnourished and impoverished. Tanya knew what it was like to be truly hungry, and now, after that, she started to feel the guilt of all three of her lives pile on her shoulder like a ten ton boulder. The guilt was unbearable, and for the first time ever Tanya actually questioned whether she really deserved to live.828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Y6jFMxyao
"Hello? Earth to Tanya. You still here?" Gascoigne asked. "If you don't come back down soon your pancakes will get cold."828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfvXCmfdWm
Tanya broke out of her depressing line of thought and sat down to eat. After all, Gascoigne had already gone through the trouble of making them.828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBInIcCq5K
After breakfast Tanya offered to wash the dishes. Gascoigne didn't want her to do it, but after she insisted he gave in. After all, Tanya thought, it's the least I can do after all the kindness he has done for me.828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKxXHoR8la
Once Tanya had finished up the dishes she started to walk out the door. She had only opened the door about halfway before Gascoigne stopped her. "Where are you going?"828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTeAjLqLZ82
Tanya felt a tiny bit guilty for not even thinking of saying goodbye before she left. After all of the kindness he showed her, that would have been the least she could have done. "Back to the gutter," Tanya said. "I do not deserve your hospitality."828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZI4neyCRvN
Tanya's statement seamed to amuse Gascoigne, because he was looking at her as if she had lobsters crawling out of her ears. "Whoever said you were the only one benefiting from this arrangement? I know you don't want to impose, but in all truthfulness I enjoy the company," he smiled. "I enjoy having someone intelligent to talk to, and you really do remind me of Annabelle."828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OI8yvfNNX
Tanya realized the point Gascoigne was making, but she still had not completely decided if she had any right being a drain on his resources. Tanya let out a deep breath. "If I am going to stay, then there must be something I can do to make myself more useful around here. I don't just want to be a drain on your resources." 828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0wFqtIR9B
At this Gascoigne smiled, as if he had an idea. "Then how about this. If you want to feel helpful, then just help out around the house," he suggested. "Help with the chores, and on occasion take out the trash." 828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8BBkc24Wc
Tanya was utterly speechless. Here she was, about to go from living on the street to having an actual home. She was about to live in a home with someone who cared for her. 828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCF7MqdfTkb
Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever, no matter how much we want it to. 828Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnDTNnthodP
