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Post by Louvel nó L'Roche (D) on May 9, 2006 10:14:01 GMT -5
“Ah, yes,” I said, dryly, smiling at her antics, “such a tender blossom. We are in imminent danger of being over-run by geese, such is your pronounced inability to say boo to them.”
I remained impassive beneath her attention and then spluttered. “Dahlia?” I repeated, aghast. “And to think you have,” I went on, mustering a fair quantity of righteous indignation, although I knew I didn’t mean a word of it, “on a previous occasion, gone so far as to profess friendship for me only to stab me in the back when my defences were down. Dahlia indeed. Just what we need. Whores with pretensions. Urgh. Besides, I hear the poker they insert up the fundament on the first day has to remain a permanent feature.”
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Post by Dominique nó Mandrake (D) on May 9, 2006 11:36:01 GMT -5
I laughed out loud before pulling the gravest face I could muster, “Well, then I suppose you should be very grateful that so many get their jollies being ripped to shreds. Because pretensions and ramrods aside, you and I would not have found ourselves in the same House, and that I think would have be most unfortunate.” I smiled and contemplated that little tidbit for a moment without giving him too much time to become uncomfortable over such an emotional display, “It must get terribly boring being around people just like oneself all day long. Even if it makes dalliances easier to not have to slip off to a wholly other House in search of a partner. Not to mention the total lack of any really stimulating vendettas.”
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Post by Louvel nó L'Roche (D) on May 9, 2006 14:36:29 GMT -5
“I give thanks for it daily,” I said, somewhere between sardonic and sincere and not entirely sure myself precisely where on the spectrum I lay. All the same, I stored up that little verbal token appreciation to spare a smile over when I was alone. Mandrake tends not to attract sentimental types (oddly enough) and I’ve never been demonstrative. For that matter I’ve never had much to demonstrate over. My thoughts flicked briefly to Douleur. Talk about wearing your heart on your sleeve …
“We seem to get by,” I continued. “It’s not as if Kushiel graces all Mandrake equally. It just makes our dalliances more, ah, vigorous than average. Put a wolfhound next to a wolf and it’ll roll over just the same as any other dog.” I paused. I had no idea how to introduce this casually so I blundered on: “Have you …ever … ah … done that … slipped off … I mean. Ah dammit.” I gave up mincing words. It doesn’t suit me. “Paid the visit to Valerian,” I finished.
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Post by Dominique nó Mandrake (D) on May 10, 2006 11:47:24 GMT -5
If you knew what to look for you could see the moments of genuine reaction before he scrambled to cover it, and I was finding those glimpses with more and more ease. The little masks he wore didn’t bother me, they weren’t malicious after all, and everyone wears masks to a certain extent. Myself not least of all. Although this mask seemed to be failing fast as he engaged in some wholly uncharacteristic verbal awkwardness.
“I have, a time or two.” I admitted, though it was a conservative estimate at best. It was no secret and no shame. I could hardly name an Adept who hadn’t made that little jaunt, or had a visitor themselves. I couldn’t fathom what had him in such a tizzy over the prospect. But he did seem truly flustered.
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Post by Louvel nó L'Roche (D) on May 11, 2006 5:29:25 GMT -5
Having started, I now wished I hadn’t. She’d given me a rather searching look, and I realised I probably seemed overly confused over what I’m sure, for many, is no great occasion. Mandrakes and Valerians are always day-tripping in each other’s houses. Also I’d placed myself in a position in which it might become necessary to reveal something I barely believed in myself.
I shrugged, striving for nonchalance as if, instead, I’d just made a reasonably undisputed observation on the weather or the political climate. “It’s never been one of my habits,” I said. “It’s never interested in me. But, uh … it’s … it’s, well, different isn’t it?”
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Post by Dominique nó Mandrake (D) on May 12, 2006 10:32:44 GMT -5
Never interested him and yet he’d gone. For the life of me I couldn’t see where he was taking this. “The skills of Valerian are certainly something to experience. I’d wish it on my worst enemy. Well, no I wouldn’t but only because I’m vindictive and cruel.” I said with a grin and a laugh, trying to put him back at ease. Though I was beginning to get a feeling that technical skill had nothing to do with what he was trying very hard not to broach. But I shouldn’t ask questions. I mustn’t ask questions.
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Post by Louvel nó L'Roche (D) on May 15, 2006 8:23:14 GMT -5
Lost in my own thoughts, I began idly to sort through a pile of mess on the floor in an ordering kind of fashion, my forehead creased in a frown. Then I realised what I was doing and stopped. Who knows what could have been lurking under those mounds of female frippery. “I must sound like a fool,” I said finally. “It doesn’t matter. It’s just one of those strange situations, I suppose. It’s easier to … I mean … it’s harder to …” I stopped, clenching my fists in irritation to find myself so mortifyingly lost for the right words.
“You know how it is when you’re with a patron: you’re mainly thinking about things. If that beam is going to give way. If you’re about to break the skin. If they’re going to decide they didn’t like this after all and have you exiled to Argonia two seconds after they come. Whether or not your contempt and/or dislike is going to manifest itself in your unexpectedly withering like a wilted flower…” I stopped. “I don’t suppose you get that one. And, for the record, it has never happened to me.”
I realised I had got distracted. I can bitch about patrons all day and all night. “I think it just took me by surprise … the lack of thinking, I mean. If you’re not thinking a lot, other things can creep in.”
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Post by Dominique nó Mandrake (D) on May 22, 2006 23:37:57 GMT -5
I watched him absently order a few of my belongings with a faint smile on my face, wondering if what silks and trinkets came to his hands were even registering. I thought not, he seemed distinctively introverted at that moment and I couldn’t help but wonder who was in his head. For I was certain now that someone had found a way under his skin, an impressive feat by any standard.
So someone had finally managed to shut off his brain, hmm. I was beginning to think I’d dearly like to meet this Adept who’d so entranced the reticent Louvel. “Maybe you just think too much, Louvel.” I said simply, with a shrug that served as much as a gesture as it did to more wholly wrap my throat in the soft dressing gown. “I mean, the creeping things were nice, right? Well maybe not ‘nice’ per say, but a change to the good?”
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Post by Louvel nó L'Roche (D) on May 23, 2006 7:24:23 GMT -5
I was still staring down at the newly neat pile I had created but I caught a flash of moment in the corner of my eye. It seemed like just another casual gesture but I couldn’t help but note the somewhat self-conscious way she had wrapped her dressing gown tightly around her throat. I gave her A Look. “And you could do with thinking a bit more,” I said.
I climbed carefully to my feet. “It seems like lots of things are creeping at the moment,” I said, stretching the kinks out of my back. “It’s disorientating. But perhaps not the worst thing that has ever happened to me,” I added grudgingly. “I should probably leave you to … lick your wounds. I have some snakes to catch.”
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Post by Dominique nó Mandrake (D) on May 30, 2006 14:42:46 GMT -5
I smiled and rolled my eyes in jest, “Well at least you won’t attract undue suspicion crouched in the garden.” I said, primly ignoring his disapproval of the state I’d gotten myself into.
I experienced a moment where I had to bite my tongue to keep from spilling the whole story to him. I wanted to brag and jump around and display each and every cut and bruise left by royal fingers.
But I clamped down firmly on those impulses and merely said, “Don’t be a stranger.” With a smile that was equal parts charming and infuriating, with a silent promise to myself that Louvel would be the first to know. Even if I had to kill an enterprising rumour monger or two to arrange it.
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Post by Louvel nó L'Roche (D) on May 30, 2006 15:16:54 GMT -5
“Keep that up and I’ll save an adder or two for you,” I snapped, but there was no force behind it. There are enough people in the world I want to wreathe in poisonous snakes without wasting them on people I don’t find actively contemptible.
I hovered in the doorway, wanting to push her for information but not quite sure of my motivation for doing so. I told myself it was mere vulgar curiosity and, consequently, not to be indulged but I feared there was more to it that – more disorientating stuff, no doubt.
With a vague gesture of farewell, I turned and disappeared into the dark corridor.
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