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 Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:13 pm
Mei suppressed an urge to rebuttal with a I'm not poor, don't look down on me comment but he had already turned around and began walking. Afraid she'd lose sight of him, she ran. And MAN was it hard to keep up. No surprise, he did have longer legs than hers. She didn't pay attention to the people she moved past but she memorized all the buildings around in case she lost her way or need to escape. It was a path she'd never taken before afterall.
By the time he thought to slow down and keep pace with her, she was out of breath. Mei was the captain of the volleyball team but she was build for sprints rather than long distances. "I'm..." gasp "fine, I..." gasp "don't have much to do...besides" gasp "this."
When he stopped, Mei had caught her breaths completely and seem normal again. "There?" she asked even more suspcious than before. Do Dukes normally rode vans like these? Maybe it was a trap...but she still decided to go along with it. Her drive for adventure kicked aside the mind's protests of caution. "Depends on what kind of equipment you got." She teased back.
The cologne aroma was overwhelming her to tears as her nose is a bit more sensitive than most peoples'. She waved an arm to bat the dust away leaving her with a few coughs then proceeded to make herself comfortable on one of the chairs and looked around. Nothing seemed special. "So what's this offer that you can't tell in public?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:30 pm
"This is still public." he almost chuckled. "But it'll do." he closed the doors and locked them, so they wouldn't swing open, looked at his watch and poked at it, and a mment later, the vehicle started moving.
"The guys want their gear back, I'm not taking you very far. My excuses for the... rich scent, mister Tubbs has only recently discovered the wonders of perfume. A vacuum cleaner he has yet to learn about, though." he coughed against the back of his hand lightly and stifled a followup. He eventually settled down on another chair, and observed her, leaving silence for a short while.
"Tell me, miss Lecter, what you know about the Essentials of Life. The Source releasers. Essentics." he spoke to her next, carefully voicing this odd question. "And the Essence."
He hardly expected an answer, he knew she'd investigated the matter by herself, and the extent of her knowledge wouldn't matter much.
"What I have to offer you, is knowledge, and the unique opportunity to put it to the test. In practice. In exchange for your expertise and cooperation, as my partner in business" - it sounded more like crime already- "I will provide for your every need royally and supply you with everything your project may ever demand. Of course insurance, tax-free benefits and your own work station are included, as well as a variety of assistants should you desire them." he coughed softly into his hand again, as if to deliberately downplay that last part to something extremely trivial. To him, it was.
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:55 pm
Of course it's not his and she knew she should have at least predicted that much. Was her brain melting slowly in her skull? But Mei didn't have time to continue pondering that thought. The vehicle rocked slightly on its four wheels making sure its passengers felt every bump it experienced.
"Perfume? That's the most manly perfume I've ever smelled." Banning's cough confirmed that she wasn't the only uncomfortable sitting practically in a pile of dust.
The silence was a bit unpleasant, almost as though they were back to putting knives at each others throats. But when Banning did continue to speak, Mei wished he never opened his mouth."I don't know what you're talking about. Aren't they a tale to scare the children? Like ooooh, if you don't behave, the Essentics will steal your soul and appearance." She acted the confused and innocent girl to the best of her ability. He couldn't possibly have know about her research, no one did. She was certain she covered her tracks well, as well as if her life depended on it.
What was he saying? Does he know what he's asking of her, asking of both of them? If the government found out, they're sure to be killed. It was difficult to hide her fear. Her right hand shook slightly but she stopped it with her left. "I hurt it a bit earlier," she smiled again in the I know nothing way.
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 6:11 pm
"Dear mister Tubbs cannot smell the difference between a lady's fragrance and a musky oxen's body odor. Anything that masks his own scent he refers to as 'perfume'." Har har, how mundane.
He heard her response, and appeared to ignore it completely. His gaze and posture were red warning lamps though. Don't play coy with me my dear, it's not working. He was almost amused. Indeed, her coverups were handled with exquisite care.
"Ah, I will have your hand seen to soon enough." Only a sly wink was needed to complete the entire obvious 'I'm playing along' ploy, but he recognised the sign of aggravation. He wouldn't mock it more than she tried to downplay her nervosity.
"You appear to understand more than I have revealed already... A good deduction skill you have there. I will not let that talent within you go to waste." he eyed her carefully again. "Neither by neglect nor recklessness." I will protect you. Hear me, see me for what I am. I WILL protect you from the law. Again that drilling gaze, right into her pale eyes. Even in the shuddering vehicle, his eyes were calm, statically focused on her.
"I offer you security, stability and a future. No longer will you be second to anyone. The way you are going now can only end in pain. It was not too hard to find out about your... side-research. The only reason you're not brought down yet is because nobody cares to look for 'heretics'. Until now."
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 6:40 pm
Mei stared at him, completely dumbfounded. It can't be, he knows. HOW can he know? This is ridiculous. Her "hurt" hand went immediately to her head, rubbing it vigorously. Did he know what he's getting into? No, he couldn't, the information was never released to the public but she had "Seen" it with her own eyes when she was young. This is serious business, she couldn't continue the roundabout conversation they had earlier. The hand formed a fist and pounded hard on the edge of the chair.
A hard frown decorated her face making her look vicious. "I don't know how you found out what I was up to. How much do you know? No, don't tell me. Keep it to yourself and don't you ever tell another soul or else I'll find a way to kill you with my own hands."
She looked away as her memory relapse and the whole room was red, red with blood. Where Banning should be sitting was the dead body of her brother sprawled out on the floor. Her strong mind helped her suppress an urge to scream. It was a reoccurring nightmare and she had slowly learned to cope with it. She had to be strong. She had to continue his research, in secret. Steadying herself in her chair, Mei looked up. The girl's lavender eyes stared into Banning's without a flinch.
"You don't know what you're getting yourself into, do you? What makes you think you can protect me let alone yourself from the government?" she asked calmly "Your response will decide my answer."
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 7:27 pm
Yes, he'd broken through now. Banning gladly shifted this conversation into a more open-hearted style. For a moment, he felt a bitter wave well up in himself when he observed her, saw her distress, her fury, her grief. He did not cower, didn't flinch at her feral glare an met it head-on. Death threats already?
He'd won. He knew it. In the palm of his hand, he held her safety now, her peace of mind, her future. And he hated the idea. When exactly had he turned into someone capable of doing this? Manipulation, extortion, pressuring, alluring... Carefully honed skills, polished talents, and for what?
Innerly, he berated himself harshly. Don't waver now, you fool of a man. There's no time to grow a heart now... grow it back. He'd made his choice a long, long time ago, worked towards this with all his energy. This was what he wanted, and he wouldn't crawl back now. If he did, he might as well have vanished from Drente forty years ago.
Now to claim his victory.
There, in that shabby van, Banning I DeLonghy, revealed to her how he'd acquired his knowledge about her. A vast network of intelligence, carefully grown and crafted, but none he trusted.
He brushed the topic of her brother and his legacy, showing his respect and condolences. If she felt the need to punish him for this bluntness, he'd gladly take on her anger. But he didn't stop there.
To miss Mei Lecter, his chosen partner, he partially entrusted his own secret. Just hints, enough to let her know, let her feel that now, he was equally entitled to taking her life should she ever pass on this knowledge. Digging into the matter, he had to quell his own surge of emotions, and controlled them with a harsh iron fist. Only his eyes gleamed with an almost feverish intensity when he told her. The rest of him was rigid, icy.
Once he was done with that, he gave them both a short reprieve, and went into less charged waters. How would he protect her? He explained to her his measures in significant detail, informed her about the remote off-radar laboratory, his double-life to appease his far relatives.
By now, all this were empty words. Hollow, compared to the one reassurance that mattered. And he'd given her that one just now. She should know now that this project was his life, just like her secrets were hers. He'd lay his success or failure into her hands if she accepted. By now, she would have to. Should she decline, Banning would know he would never be able to depend on her. Nor trust her with the information she'd been given.
"I hope I have spoken clear language with you now, miss Lecter." His gaze hadn't lost much of its intensity. If anything, it had become sharper, plaguedly, frantically drilling.
"I have in my possession, the detailed description of the procedure. A significant amount of data, observations, almost everything ever left behind." he let her know, sounding worn-out now, numbly attempting to finish this.
"Now that you know this... It is up to you. Mei Lecter, will you become my partner, or a danger to me?"
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 7:31 am
It was almost too hard to force her emotions down as he spoke, both tears and anger. There were many times where Mei wished to stop the man and ask questions but she pushed those aside too. She had done her research on the Hunting and knew of it in detail, including that fact that this man apparently isn't as young as he appeared. He certainly has age and experience in the whole deal which gives him quite an impressive resume.
Mei fiddled with her thumbs looking absent-mindedly at something past the floor of the van. She sighed heavily contemplating to herself. If she didn't accept, she'd be doing illegal research without support and have a dangerous man on her tail. If she did accept, not only would she be able to continue her work with limitless funds, she'd also have the much needed protection she sought. The decision wasn't hard but she'd have to drag it out a little to make sure her possible "contract" was good and solid.
Mei put on her air of professionalism. "Maybe we do have common ground." She twiddled her thumbs a bit pondering her best approach. In the end, she decided to be blunt. "So what are these benefits you speak of?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:44 am
Burned out from the revelations he'd made to the woman earlier, Banning was in no mood to be even mildly irked by her question.
In fact, it was the single most liberating thing someone had ever asked him. Cut right to the chase, to the business, yes. At least he knew she now seriously considered taking his offer.
"I believe I already mentioned most of those, if you want to I can give you a complete contract for you to go over. You will get your own workstation in your own laboratory, all the supplies, for yourself and your research, you may need or want... There's not much I cannot give you. Legally you'll be properly employed, your paperwork will be taken care of, anything. I will hold no secrets about my ways of dealing with this to you, so you can convince yourself of the measures of security I take."
He said all that rather flatly, tired, but at least he sounded like he was speaking the truth and nothing but the truth. As he talked, he'd reached down into a drawer beside him, under a computer desk welded into the van, and retrieved a file with a reaonable amount of documents, and handed it over to her.
"In here you should be able to find everything you need to know."
Just as he had finished speaking, the vehicle rocked to a halt on a gravelly path. Bane pretty much dropped the file into Lecter's lap, lunged for the back doors and threw them open. He nearly fell out of the van, so eager to be freed, but caught himself and took in a deep breath of fresh air. Slightly clammy, he straightened up again with a shuddering sigh. He hated rides like these, and he hated delving into his past even more.
Once he'd gotten a grip again, he turned around again, and offered miss Lecter a hand politely, with a faint rouch of red in his cheeks. That had been an embarrassing outburst... but no matter now, be free.
"Welcome to the DeLonghy manor."
Or rather, the entryway surrounded by lush, well-kempt gardens and springs.
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:11 am
Mei was in her own world of thoughts but she nodded here and there to indicate that she was indeed listening. The man dished out pretty much a blank check, useful but not necessary. It'll also be nice that he'll keep her as a legal worker instead of dumping her on the side of the road when trouble came along.
Not sure what to answer, Mei continued nodding like a broken doll. She's never expressed so many expressions so quickly and the afternoon's rush of events was finally catching up to her leaving her drained. It took her a few moments for her body to realize that something dropped on her lap, and another few to react appropriately with a startled jump. The floor seemed to stop moving while her mind readjusted.
Hands clutching the files to her chest, Mei made her way to the door of the dusty vehicle. Banning was two steps ahead of her and already breathing in the fresh air of dusk. The sun barely grazing the horizon bidding its last farewells. She took the hand offered to her and got out. "Thanks and you've got something red on your cheek," she made a rubbing motion and grinned knowing full well that it was just his slight blush of embarrassment escaping in such a juvenile way.
When she turned, she saw a small pathway surrounded by flowers, more or less a giant flower garden with built in springs and all. Geez, the rich and always trying to show off. "Hmmm...for some reason, I didn't think you were the type to live in trees. Nice flowers though."
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:50 am
At her rather flippant comment, he reddened a shade deeper with embarrassment, then that intensified even more when his abashment faded and turned into hurt-confused indignant anger. Don't damage the man's pride please, he's so vulnerable at the moment.
Aaah, those golden hawk-eyes of his, subduedly glaring at her like a plagued predator. Had that really been necessary? He already felt clumsy and dirty and... common, even without her teasing. At least he wasn't being hostile, just showed his discontent openly while he kept himself in check. Pouty noble, it was almost cute. Coupled with that completely ordinary schoolboy skater getup, he did have an odd sort of teasable quality to him. Lecter might be surprised when she sees him once he changed back into a more comfortable -to him- classy suit. It would add several years to his apparent age.
"You may want to take a look at the other side. You're not wrong about us not living in shrubberies and trees. ... I'll relay your compliment about the flora to my gardener." gah, look, there. With a held-back aggravated gesture he motioned for her to look behind the van that was blocking their view.
If you've ever seen older European mansions, this is one of those. A grand entrance, left and right wing expanding quite far to each side. A warm pale clay tint in the stone, roses and climbing vines neatly kept to curls over the fronts in quite tasteful airy patterns, wide clear windows and ornate windowsills, all in all, it was a breathy, open and clean place to live in, if not so... grossly... huge.
"It would be entirely my pleasure to formally invite you to have a dinner with me, and even spend the night here if you wish to." he spoke up again, getting his emotions back in check. He sounded quite suave now.
"It would be the perfect opportunity for you to ask more about my proposition and the details in the files you are holding. Also, you will have the time and facilities to freshen up before we get to that, milady."
And it'll be a godsend to get myself out of this preposterous outfit and take a shower, gah. The manor had plenty of bathrooms and shower halls available, and he had a few assistants and servants to spare who would gladly help her out of she needed anything from a comb to a dress.
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 10:35 am
A grin managed to make its way on her dainty face as Mei tried to supress a laugh. It's nice to know exactly how to pull his string if she had to work with him in the future. She'll just have to stop herself from going too far this time. Not only was he to be her boss, he was also her "elder" and she's been taught to respect them. The grin simmered down to a small smirk. She hoped he hadn't caught wind of her amusement. Definitely note worthy material for future reference.
Mei was prepared for anything that might surprise her about the mansion. Afterall, she's seen plenty of them in magazines and Mark wasn't about to let her off the hook without showing her a few pictures of his own riches. But when she turned around, she couldn't help gaping at the beautiful landscape. A picture and real life are two completely different things afterall. She clamped her mouth shut with a free hand nearly biting her tongue in the process.
She did a little curtsy, the only training she had when greeted with nobility. There were some issues she had to deal with, like packing, but that could wait till the next day. If her parents found out she had nailed a job afterall, maybe they'll overlook the fact that she placed second. "I'd be honored to," she tried to sound more sincere and less like a scowl. "But I'd like those details on that lab you might possibly provide me with." She nearly forgot about the files she was holding until she nearly dropped them. With a quick sweep of her hand, they were stuffed into her bag for later examination.
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 12:03 pm
Banning nodded politely, even managed to attain a neutral expression again, and chivalrously took her hand in all silence and lead her over the pale-gravelled driveway to the entrance. Wide marble steps, an entryway supported by stylistic pristine columns, thick glass walls to let in light and subtly decorated light-but-large wooden doors made up the way in. The door was opened by a slight, excessively neatly dressed man in uniform. He'd known they -or at least, the duke- had been on the way.
He bowed politely when they entered, and Banning gave him a placid nod. Everything's gone just fine, things proceed as planned. The fair lady accompanying him was proof of that.
"Here, we must part ways for a while, miss Lecter. This is Jonathan, he will show you everywhere you need to be and provide you with everything you may need. I assure you you can wholly trust him with your well-being." he introduced his main butler to her, with a slight smile.
Unable to trust anyone with his clandestine plans, not even Jonathan had been entrusted with them, but he was competent and friendly in his ways, was good at what he did. No questions, all service. Only a true Servicer would be able to exceed the man in professional expertise, but that was of course not an option. However, Banning knew he could rely on him. Jonathan had been a part of this household for years and years, had been just a young boy, too young to know much about Essentics and the family secrets, when Banning had already been in his thirties.
The elder man bowed again as he was introduced, looking all the forty-seven years he was old. "If you would be so kind to follow me, milady?"
Assured that she was in good hands now, Banning made his leave. "I shall see you in a few hours, after nightfall. Spend the time as you wish. ... I'll be taking a shower and getting out of this most ridiculous attire, if you don't mind."
A small, reserved smirk later, he was gone, stalked off into the left wing of the house, up a set of velvet-covered stairs in the sistance, to his own quarters. Jonathan guided Mei in the opposite direction placidly, towards the women's quarters and bathrooms. Despite knowing this was nothing more than business, he still had to stifle a chuckle.
Oh, ho, would this man finally learn about courting females? Somehow he doubted it, but he could still indulge in the idle wish that maybe this most intriguing-looking young lady would beat some sense into him. So urban she looked and carried herself, yet she appeared to harbour a touch of somthing quite refined.
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 3:47 pm
Did he just ignore my request? Mei fumed a little on the inside as Banning walked away leaving her with the old man. Maybe he'll talk about it later in the evening, she thought. She was a lot more interested in getting to the point of business now that they were done with the sidestepping dance. Maybe because she had thought she held the upper hand that the whole deal of him struting off to change erked her. She was about to chuck a shoe at him but thought better of herself to behave properly in front of her future employer. The job's not in solid written form as of yet, better not push her luck, not after a random ounce of miracle finally landed in her lap.
Mei stared at Jonathan, the man was fully dressed for the sterotypical butler job. "I'm Mei, Mei Lecter," a more gentle smile appeared on her face, he's of similar rank as her afterall. "Please don't give me that milady junk, I'd prefer my real name. And I'm warning you, if you don't, I'll consider it an insult."
She followed the old man quietly, memorizing her surroundings. It'll be useful to draw a layout of the place for reference later on. Because of all the fancy rich stuff around her, one room looked exactly like the next in terms of utility. When they finally stopped, Mei had no clue what they were standing in front of.
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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 11:34 am
Oh, Banning hadn't ignored her at all, he merely assumed she would realise that 'having dinner together' would undeniably end up in a business-related heart-to-heart. His mistake of being a little tactless there, it was so easy to get used to people knowing 'how things went'. If he ever found out, he'd surely berate himself for such a misstep.
Unaware of her irritation, he'd quickly moved to his own quarters, and finally tossed off that ridiculous shirt, gotten out of those pants, to hop into his shower without further ado. Nice and steamy, woohoo. I shan't go into details here, apart from mentioning he smells like roses and male tonic. Hehe.
In the meantime, Jonathan was quite amused. "No worries, miss Mei. I have no intention of insulting you." he grinned amiably as he guided her onward. "I have no doubt mister DeLonghy has great respect for you as well. "
On the way, they passed what appeared to be a huge indoor pool complex... sheesh.
"Ah, here we are. These quarters are now entirely at your disposal. You will find a bedroom here, clothes, a shower hall and a bathroom, a bath, and if I may give you a tip, the second room to the left is a small ICT locale. Don't be afraid, we hold no secrets here."
No, all of those were safely hidden in an entirely different place. DeLonghy manor was cleaner than a fresh slate of paper on the desk of someone afraid of germs. If she asked Banning about it in private, he'd surely answer her truthfully.
But now, time to take a break and freshen up! After that horrible ride in the van -which was currently being reclaimed by its owners and driven back- it sure wasn't a superfluous luxury.
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 12:13 pm
Bedroom? Bathroom? The was three times as big as her parent's home! Mei quickly pushed aside the comparison of her lonely dorm room to this masterpiece. It was hard to get used to such luxury, no, even though her room is quite closet sized, she still felt more comfort there with her crampped in inventions. "Thank you Jon...I hope you don't mind me calling you that. I'll be sure to take care of myself from here," she shook the man's hand and gave him a nod of thanks. "And you can bet I'll be exploring this place from the inside out. But I'll be sure to check that second room first."
She walked into the room and waved before closing the door. "Achoo." A heavy sigh escaped her, guess those tiny dust particles have decided to make her their home. Pat pat. The dust dispersed into a cloud around her making her cough a bit. Guess she'll need that shower after all.
The surroundings deserved another look but not one she could give at the moment. Coughing and sneezing, she made her way to the bathroom. Gasp. More dust and microparticles filled her nostrils causing more coughs. The "bathroom" was huge! The "bath" looked more like a giant hottub! Mei swipt her hand through the hand and made her way over. It seems Banning had anticipated her agreement and made preparations for the tub to be filled before her arrival. That sneaky little...
There was no need to be hostile, she'll just have to treat it like a vacation. Who knows, maybe she did make a mistake and this was her doom. Even if it is a very nice doom. She relaxed in the calming steam for a total of ten minutes and got up abruptly. No need to bake herself, exploration awaits. As she walked out to examined the outfits, she couldn't help but glare. They were all super girly with sparkly glamor. She angrily stomped towards the closet where more "pretty" clothing hung. What in the world was this man thinking? It would have been better if he laid out tuxedos than these.
She sat on the bed silently staring at the only outfit she brought with her...the one she wore. Still sitting on the ground near the bathroom's entrance, dusty. She didn't want to call poor Jonathan to help her, he seemed to have been working here a while and giving him a break seemed like the best option. "Arg" she picked up the nearest dress, grabbed a pair of scissors and made her own adjustments.
Despite the changes, Mei still felt utterly ridiculous in the outfit. After making her clothes into a neat little bundle with her messenger on top, the girl strolled out into the hallway towards the second room to the left. Wonder what genius technology this man's got.
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