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 Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 6:39 pm
Atticus was silent for another long moment. Possible lies, yes. He didn't trust raven, not at all. If she deemed to put herself in a position of responsibility for the 'nestlings' than she'd better have a damn good excuse for things. She didn't. At least, she hadn't seen fit to explain what Balin just had. And if what Balin said was truth, that this Sakurazukamori was keeping the sadists in reign, why didn't they tell the others that? It was far better than simply saying "Don't make presumptions" or "You're stupid and don't understand anything". Far less irritating for that matter.
Because he expected better from Balin and suspected that raven wasn't unclever, he just didn't buy it. "All right," he said easily, shrugging his wings with a flutter. "How does this make their punishments any better?"
Though he didn't catch the precise words, he did catch the sound of the kitten's voice. Because he hadn't been called out to, he could assume Hisoka wasn't in the mood for drawn out conversations. Because he hadn't been shouted at, he could assume 'soka didn't actually want to go away, that assumption being strengethened by the fact that 'soka had made any noise at all.
He turned in the direction of the voice and, quite predictably, nearly knocked over a bookshelf in the process. "Anou... 'soka? If you really want to talk, can we do it somewhere less cluttered? I'm afraid I'll accidentally play dominos with the place."
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 6:51 pm
Balin sighed. "They were hired for the only job the Circle actually went through with. They're akin to a team of assassins-- except they attack, they don't kill. At least, that's one way to put it. Perhaps you don't understand, Atticus, but the Circle is actually..." he paused, considering his words. "...not up to what most think they are. In fact, they would've kept to themselves if they hadn't been contracted out in the first place. Perhaps you should be taking a closer look at their contractor."
Hisoka snarled quietly, glaring in the direction of Tsuzuki's voice.
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 7:01 pm
"Their contractor..." Atticus murmured, only half to himself. "Now that's not something I've heard of at all. Strange that no one mentions it. Enlighten me, sweetheart?"
He looked at the bookshelfs, the nice, quiet floor, the direction of Hisoka's voice... Well, it wasn't like the kitten was fond of physical contact anyway. Maybe distance was better. Situating himself on the carpet, he called once more in the direction of the snarl. "I'm just going to sit over here, okay? Just... um... say something... if you want me to come closer--or if you want me to go away, because I'd understand if you--actually, no, that's a lie, I haven't the slightest why you're mad at me," Damn teenagers and their mood swings! "But if you want me to go away, just... give a signal of some sort, okay? I'm just going to sit... right here... and hope I don't break anything..."
This really was starting to get like coaxing a cat out of one of those ridiculously small, hard to get to places because you couldn't fit in yourself and drag them out for their own safety. Why yes, Tsuzuki had intimate familiarity with this exact sort of problem.
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 7:11 pm
Balin sighed softly. "Someone-- don't ask me who, I haven't found out yet-- hired them to attack Severus Snape. That's the only attack they've actually done as the Circle-- the attack on the cat, Kairos, was not done under the name of the Circle, although many people think it was. Apparently someone decided to use the Circle's muscle to make an impression."
Hisoka snarled. "You don't get it! You never get it!" the cat called out at Tsuzuki unhappily.
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 7:17 pm
"No known contractor? 'Unauthorized attacks'? S'pose that's the next step then..." Atticus rolled his eyes skyward. "You're not asking me to like or authorize them, are you, Balin dear?"
Now that the Circle stopped flashing red lights in his mind, a very different train of thought was taking hold. ...He was getting too close to the Nest.
No. Don't ask the obvious. Come on, Tsuzuki--you were a teenager only... only ninety years ago! You're old! He really felt like whimpering about now. No again. Signs of weakness=bad. Maybe. All right, maybe one tiny little whine.
"I'll get it if you tell me?" he proffered lamely, half convinced he should just walk over there anyway.
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 7:22 pm
"Of course not, Atticus. I'm merely telling you not to start to incite the general public against those living at my home," Balin shrugged.
"And I was wondering if you'd seen him yet."
Hisoka snarled. "You.. he... you... he..." he couldn't even speak coherently about it-- the more he thought about Cino, the more incensed against the unicorn he became
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 7:32 pm
Atticus through a blank, vaguely irritated look at Balin. Of all the people in the world, it was only he who always seemed to hit right on the money. "I have," he admitted easily. "He hasn't changed a great deal," that was an assumption, of course. He'd barely spoken with the demon.
Any longer would have been tempting fate, of course. Atticus liked to delve into the occasional risk, but not when the odds were stacked so highly against.
Incoherence wasn't a good sign.
Slowly, quietly as he could manage (easier than it sounds without the trench coat), Tsuzuki crept in the direction of Hisoka's snarls of rage. When he knew coming any closer would guarantee sight, he spoke the kitten's name cautiously, hoping for a moment to step in with further words.
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 8:15 pm
"Planning on speaking to him again?" Balin asked, smiling ever so faintly.
Hisoka snarled in Tsuzuki's direction, glaring when he heard Tsuzuki so close. "WHAT?!" he snapped at the wolf."
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 11:04 pm
Atticus shrugged noncomittally, as was his way. "If we happen to cross paths. I shan't avoid nor pursue him," a surprising truth. He still wasn't... entirely sure what he wanted to do anyway. Things had changed. He had changed. "What's the point?" he concluded finally.
The wolf winced and drew back slightly. He had a lot of stored up patience, saved especially for Hisoka. But when his partner started snarling at him for reasons he wouldn't clarify, it just made him feel downright bad.
"You're being difficult," he said finally, not coming closer. He wasn't upset... just... tired... not even mostly that. Mostly... no, not even worried. Afraid he'd missed something.
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Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 11:40 pm
"Just curious," Balin shrugged non-commitally as he considered. "I've been keeping an eye on him is all."
Hisoka snarled more-- but was that a tinge of hurt? Muttering something under his breath, the cat curled up into a ball again.
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Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 12:35 am
"Keeping an eye on... Whatever for?" Atticus found himself demanding, even before he'd thought about it--a rare occurrence for the analytically inclined beta.
Tsuzuki stayed right where he was. Eventually the cat was just going to have to realize he wasn't the only one who could get upset.
But we all know exactly how much willpower Tsuzuki has in relation to angry Hisoka. The silence would not last very long...
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Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 3:03 am
Balin shrugged eloquently, the barest hint of a smile gracing his delicate features. "He's an interesting character-- and quite possibly one of the only subjects we have regarding his unique... experiences... don't you agree?"
In Hisoka's mind, however, the only thing that really ran through the cat's brain was the picture of Cino hugging Tsuzuki-- and Tsuzuki not only letting him, but encouraging the little brat!
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Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 11:42 am
Asteil tossed and turned in his sleep, whimpering slightly. Why? Why is this... I don't want... no... Images flashed through the demon's mind, words, phrases, pictures... brightly colored ribbons and soaring through thunderstorms... crimson hair and pale, pale skin...
And then nothing.
The absence of everything, so acute it caused the demon to cry out in his sleep-- for just as the newly blind bemoan the lack of light, just as the fallen angel screams from lack of grace, this brush with memory and then the utter lack caused such a disturbance in the demon that he cried, calling out words he did not know to a face he could not see...
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Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 11:47 am
Atticus discovered an almost irresistable temptation to strangle his alpha. "Subject?" he echoed, keeping his voice at a younger version of incredulous. "You know there's something wrong with you, don't you, dearest?"
By contrast, several things ran through Tsuzuki's mind, including the fact that no matter how many times he tried so very hard to understand what had made Hisoka so upset, the vast majority of cases led to something he himself considered inconsequential.
...Which probably meant that somewhere between the bedroom and the library, anything could have happened. Lovely.
He remained in silence, drawing his knees to his chest, crossing arms, resting head upon them. He could speak, repeat that he didn't know why Hisoka was upset--but that wouldn't help any. And in all honesty? He didn't know what else to do. It hurt when Hisoka was simply angry, when he refused to say anything from his point of view. And while he wasn't going to just up and abandon his partner... sometimes he got tired of trying.
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Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 3:38 pm
"You disagree?" Balin smiled slightly. "He's the only Anthropomorph that I know of who's been so affected. I think that means we should keep a close eye on him-- especially since you're here now."
Part of Hisoka's brain insisted he was being mean and spiteful over something Tsuzuki probably didn't even realize. However, Hisoka was still trying to deal with the fact that Cino was a little brat, and thus didn't quite listen to his more rational side.
Part of the kitten knew Tsuzuki was just like that-- he hugged people, and that was that. That was just the way the wolf lived-- affectionately. But... at the same time...
Damnit. Thinking wasn't going to get him anywhere, was it?
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