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 Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 11:31 am
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Revisiting a routine felt no different than breathing life into a corpse. The chest cavity heaved, the muscles stretched in slow memory, the bones drew apart with their slowly shriveling cartilage. You pause, he thinks, you break lips from lips, you wait, and out whistles the slow rattle that confirms nothing will ever be as it was.
He sipped his tea slowly, and the steam chased away the new chill of autumn.
The tea shop wasn’t his favorite venue - in fact, he never visited it before now. He knew, intrinsically, that one must interpose new experiences while trying to reconnect with old. Wasn’t he supposed to enjoy this? Wasn’t he supposed to find this grounding? Wasn’t he supposed to behave as if this was the only life he knew?
Thoughts lost themselves amongst the slow swirl of milk foam. He wondered. When Alois looked from his cup, it was only to notice another flock of crows settling on an awning across the street. Some of them fought with each other for proper seating, and others simply stared at him - no one else. He asked himself if this was Other Ashdown’s way of calling him back.
His answers disappeared with the steam. His gaze slid like ice over the sparse surrounding populace, over figures familiar and strange, over those he might've known at the party.
Was it taboo to speak of what had happened?
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Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 11:46 am
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It was about time for Shun to restock on some tea, and maybe even try something a bit different. The teashop had plenty of quality teas. He still had his preferences, but it wouldn't hurt to get a small amount of something new. Maybe he'd discover a new favorite. Unlikely, but the possibility was there.
As he entered, the familiar aromatic scent of the shop hit him. He nodded curtly in greeting to whoever was behind the counter today, then went to browse. There was some extra time for him right now as well, so he could take a moment or so to attempt to relax with a cup of tea. Actually, that sounded like a pretty damn good idea right about now. He was so worn down. Some sort of energizing brew would be nice.
After ordering a cup, he turned, taking note of one of the other customers here. He almost hadn't recognized the guy. But now that he had a better look, he was fairly certain it was the dude who ended up with his hand broken at the ball.
Tilting his head, Shun went on and approached the figure.
"How is the hand?"
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Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 12:59 pm
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The sound of a voice too close for his abstraction from the scene roused him. He looked up blearily. Wasn’t he…
Yes. He was there when Melany showed her colors. Didn’t he fight her?
Instinctively Alois glanced to the hand in question. The fingers curled and flexed without inhibition. „I’m annoyed,“ he answered slowly. „After all of zat… Standing up for myself, showing people zey’re playing ze role of ze Idiot, I don’t get a goddamned sing to show for it. Autumn just healed it up like it never happened somehow.“ To demonstrate, he raised his hand. Outward, even, as if to invite inspecting touch.
„It’s like it never broke. Maybe I wanted somesing to whine about later, or somesing I could waf’e around at ozzer people like a caution about Ozzer Ashdown, but no, it had to heal right up ******** perfectly.“ Alois huffed.
„And my dog is still dead.“ Slouching further into his wrought-iron seat, he sipped his tea. „Zat whole party was a crapshoot.
What about you? Did she break anysing of yours?“
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Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 1:10 pm
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The guy seemed annoyed, to say in the least. But he couldn't exactly blame him. Not after everything he had gone through. He didn't know the full extent of it, but from what little he knew, it seemed like all of the taken had gone through a sort of living hell.
At the outstretched hand, Shun inspected it, but without touching. He could see there weren't any odd crooked parts of the fingers just from looking.
"Hm... better for you to have a fully functional hand, I think. Even if it were still damaged, I doubt it would be much of a deterrent. I have learned that people tend to give into stupidity and ignore any warnings there may be."
He let out a sigh and took a sip of his own tea, raising his brow once at the mention of a dead dog. That was a detail he hadn't heard of until now. But apparently that had something to do with the ball. Perhaps his double had neglected it or something... That was an unfortunate thing to think about.
"No. Nothing physical anyway, and not directly."
The shattering of his self-confidence in his competency was the result of other things, but failing to kill Melany had played its part.
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Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2016 5:31 pm
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“Zat’s no matter,“ Alois answered calmly. He removed the top from his cup and stared down into the whorling whiteness. it almost looked like milk, he decided, for the frothing they used. Still, it felt warm against his face while the steam rose. It chased away the coming winter. „Zose kinds of people are very useful. We start to rely on zem when we become monsters ourselfs. Who else will deliver us to hospitals zen?“ He sighed.
„If you know what hospital, it would make sings easier.“ Slowly he swirled the tea bag in the drink before he took another sip. A tuft of milk foam clung to his upper lip and he licked it away without a second thought. „You know what will happen if she continues to lif’. At least, if she’s at a hospital, you know zat ze ones who saved her sink she’s safe.
„So what would it harm to just rip out ze life support plugs? Unless she heals at a superhuman rate, zen…“ He closed his eyes a moment, rested his chin on the heels of his hands. „I’d say you should hurry about it.“
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Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2016 6:39 pm
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“You say zat like you haf’ so much to offer.“ His voice remained quiet despite their lack of eavesdroppers. Since their conversation started, the porch area lowly emptied of inhabitants. The hour drew on, and those in business left for their respective workplaces. A strong gust chased others inside where it bit away their slowly burgeoning warmth. „In prison, you would be doing about as much good as you are now. So I challenge you - what is ze difference? What haf’ you done over your time in Ashdown zat earns you such a lofty place among us, eh? Should I call you General? Kernel? Commander? At ze sound of prison, suddenly zose future lives zat are at stake don’t matter so much as what will happen wis’ your time. She’ll keep churning out irreparably damaged people, and zen what? What if zey learn of you? What will zey sink?
„I’ll tell you. Zey’ll sink, he had ze opportunity and he never even took ze chance. He was too scared to mof’e for fear of what would happen wis’ his precious career, his free time, his dignity.
„Oh, his dignity.“ Alois laughed.
„But you keep backpedaling. You keep justifying to me how you’re so important in zis game zey play wis’ us all, and how maybe Melany isn’t zat bad if we just leaf’ her alif’e, and how anyone she gets her hands on, well…“ He leaned forward, dropped his voice. „Let’s be real, shall we? Zey probably deserved it anyway. Especially if zey’re anysing like you.“
He sat up, folded bone against bone in a lattice that fell against the table. „But, go ahead, turn it all back around on me. You’re right, I’m not lifting a finger to stop her. I haf’ different constraints zan you. If my punishment would only amount to jail time or prison? Sure, fine, I’ll be out eventually or I’ll meet my end wis’ a shif’.“ He shrugged. „But I know what waits for me if I mof’e against her. A noble of ze Court cannot kill anozzer noble. If zat happens, zen ze offending party is killed in kind. If I went after her, it would be ze last sing I could do. Now, if ozzers sought it was a pretty grand idea to do away wis’ her and zat ze numbers trade added up well, why not? But zat decision would trade away a piece of power, would it not? A noble on ze side of Ashdown is a little more useful zan most.
„Can you say zat for yourself, Officer?“
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Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2016 7:14 pm
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"Do not speak as if you know me," Shun hissed sharply, "I have already attempted to kill her, and that plan went to s**t. This is not about ******** backpedaling, it is about playing my goddamn cards right. I do not even know if I will be able to find her in the first place. Does Melany deserve to die? Yes. There is a time and place for everything, though. Because quite frankly, we will probably need every able person to deal with the Enemy."
He shook his head slowly.
"Just send your fetch after her then. Yes, I know you have one of those shitheads now too since the others do. Your double certainly made its moves against her. He was immediately executed for his crimes and failed to kill her anyway, but I doubt he had not done that without specific orders, since they all seem to be about absolute obedience. There are always loopholes. If I find one, I will act upon it, but there is little point in being stupid about this."
With a huff, he turned and started to walk off. He saw little point in contesting this any further. All he had here was yet another Lord of the Court, so high and mighty.
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Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2016 7:56 am
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Yes, it’s about playing your cards right - because we’re definitely not going to have a chance to do this over again if anyone ******** it up. Well, most will. Evidently a few of us have been removed from the cycle.
„I considered it,“ he added as Shun started to part, „ze fetch, I mean. I was told it still counts as assaulting anozzer noble, and ends in life termination. I sink I’d prefer feeling her blood myself. Personal taste and all zat.“ He smiled then, as he watched the detective retreat further into the crowd, and away from him. „He’s never read Ze Prince. Ach, so. We are all but a means to an end.“
Deciding that he felt a little better now, Alois enjoyed his tea with more vigor. The days grew short now, and warmth was hard to come by.
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