Rules Of Civility Novels & Stories

he said quietly, "you don't." Fair enough. The waiter appeared. Ethan ordered without looking at the menu. Cara ordered the second cheapest thing on it out of habit, then immediately wondered if that was a tell. When the waiter left, Ethan looked at her directly. "I have rules," he said. "So do I. You agreed to mine already." "These are operational," he said. "No unnecessary physical contact outside of required appearances. No personal questions beyond what we've agreed to share. No contact after midnight unless it's an emergency."

"You need to know which is used for what. No mistakes allowed." Serena stared at the diagram with a headache. "Why does it need to be so complicated?" "Because that's how wealthy people differentiate themselves from ordinary people," Ethan answered with a slightly cynical tone. "Etiquette, unwritten rules, status symbols—all important." Several hours passed. Lesson after lesson, correction after correction. How to drink wine—glass held by the stem, not the bowl. How to sit—back not touching the chair, legs not spread wide. How to smile—not too wide, not too stiff, just right.

Elias’s mouth quirked. “But,” I went on, “we also wrote those ‘new rules’ you’ve heard about for a reason. We broke the curse. We’re not about to start building a new one out of hunger and fear.” I let my gaze slide briefly to the boy, then back to Elias. “You come in here, you follow our laws,” I said. “No hunting in human zones. No attacking our people. No altars. No purges. No ‘fixing’ anyone’s blood with fire.”

His stance was strong and unmoving, calculating the strength of each being who was ready to bring him down. “Good morning, everyone. As the new Chairman of this foundation, I would like to set some ground rules. First, whenever you enter these rooms, kindly leave this erratic side of yours outside. This area was made to hold a meeting not hostilities. We are not in some Devonian era where you beat your chests like barbaric and scream your doubts like hungry dogs. Here we stay civil and discuss with peace, if you can’t hold that decorum then you are allowed to leave. The gate’s over there.

The crowd grew silent immediately, silently digesting Tess's words. Seeing her strategy worked, Tess continued. "The rules include, one, no indiscriminate killing. Two, no stealing. Three, disputes must be settled amicably or brought to the main office for Judgement. Four, no petty crimes. Those are the major rules, the rest will be criminal codes and rules ensuring the welfare of the people.

I mumble, pulling myself from Virginia's arms and run from the room. I run. I don't stop; I just run. RULES LEFT UNBROKEN; 1) no sex 4) one on one; no introducing friends 5) 1 year max 6) one date per week each 9) the unsuccessful mate loses bond but no falling out between family members 10) no boasting, bribing or blackmailing.

“Petty guy.” She skimmed the rules aloud: “Rule one — obey and respect, no matter what. Rule two — no dirty words. Rule three — don’t dare fall in love with me.” Avery burst into laughter. “Please, you should be more worried about yourself.” Kieran’s lips twitched into the faintest smirk. “We’ll see about that.” “Rule five — no interfering in each other’s personal lives. And the last one… every action comes with a reward or punishment, decided by you. Huh. Interesting.”

I don't stop; I just run. RULES LEFT UNBROKEN; 1) no sex 4) one on one; no introducing friends 5) 1 year max 6) one date per week each 9) the unsuccessful mate loses bond but no falling out between family members 10) no boasting, bribing or blackmailing.

“Words. Bambina (Baby). Words!” “R-Rule three” I stutter nervously. “Which is?” “To always be kind and respectful” “And what other rule did you break?” Pausing, I try to rack my brain for the second rule I supposedly broke. What other rule had I broken? I mean there were only four rules. Rule one was don’t escape. Rule two was don’t leave the compound. Rule three was to be respectful and kind. And Rule four was the fucking curfew, so what other rule did I break. Did I miss one when he went over the rules? was there a fifth one I didn't know about?

I wrote the next rule. “Rule six: if we are attending an event and someone insults me, I get the first word.” “Why?” “Because if you go first, things will become expensive.” He paused. “That sounds like a threat.” “It is a promise.” I wrote faster now, warmed up by my own audacity. “Rule seven: no one is allowed to enter my room without knocking twice.” “Why twice?” “Because once is a mistake. Twice is a warning.” He folded his arms. “Continue.”