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Gracious Conversationalist
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 Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 8:59 am
Banning nodded calmly, smiling at her. After that he took a brief moment to express his gratitude to madame Madgala, and request her to please give them a moment of privacy.
The stout woman did so gracefully, allowing herself to cast both of them a warm look, and pat Banning's shoulder before leaving them to their business. That did made him pull a little vaguely surprised pout, but he didn't appear to mind the amiable gesture much. Once the head of staff had left her office, he turned back to Ellandra. While wiggling himself back into his jacket -not without difficulty, but one wants to be at least somewhat properly dressed- he got back to the conversation.
"The choice is open to you, milady. I did not only mean that I am offering you 'one of them', though. With your consent, we could be of service to you in other ways, and, however strange it may sound, you may also be a worthy ally for us to honour. You are aware of their existence, and you have been more then trustworthy, miss. I am not at all reluctant to let you meet... others, if you are interested."
All the while, the duke kept his eyes on her, his gaze nigh imperceptibly gaining in intensity again, but there was no malignance in it.
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 9:44 am
Ellandra gasped, one hand rising to her mouth as she thought about what this man was really offering to her. She'd already met three Essentics, and he was going to give her the opportunity to meet even more? But - but why?
"I -I . . . I'm very interested. . . but I'm afraid I don't understand why you would - would offer this to me. . . what would the purpose be?"
She really wanted to know, too - because this wasn't something offered lightly, just because she was someone who could keep a secret. There was likely more at work here, some way this could be useful to Banning and the others at Life Essentials.
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 9:54 am
Oh, there were plenty of reasons, and Banning wouldn't bother explaining them all to her.
"My most dire incentive is to find someone who is both trustworthy and mostly knowledgeable on the subject, in this case, the very Essentics themselves. You may or may not have noted I have only one official employee who actually knows what we are doing, and Misha is her aid. While times are busy, and there is no end to the work that comes with the task we set it in sight, we do try to... keep our clientèle somewhat close to us." he told her carefully.
"Whether or not you wish to join our circle of owners, you are a most exquisite person to the young ones and owners alike, if you can overcome your social issues, milady. If you were to take me up on my offer, we could easily arrange it for you to meet them. If I may be so free, I would suggest you see it as an opportunity... We are by no means binding you to any sort of agreement."
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 10:54 am
"It is an opportunity, there's no need to - to try and make m-me see it that way," Ellandra said quietly, unable to keep the growing smile from her features. "One I w-would be. . . most happy to accept." She paused for a moment, and then continued, saying, "Oddly enough, my. . . s-social issues are - are somewhat less. . . pronounced in. . . their presence, though I have no idea as to why."
Oh, yes, please! Illegal or not, here was something she could enjoy doing, that she could still write around when ideas struck her, and that would add more color to the previously-dull-but-changing canvas of her life.
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 11:57 am
Aah, there we go. Banning's calm assuring smile slowly twirled into a quite positive, pleased smirk when she made up her mind and let him know of her decision.
"They are young, and inexperienced, hold no expectations and assume the ones who lead them are correct in whatever they do. At least initially. It's a special sort of innocence hardly found in humans, as even children are impregenanted with values from before they can even talk or feed themselves." he pondered aloud, for a moment leaning back, then deciding against it.
"Maybe by interacting with them you will find out just what it is that unnerves you in people so." he said, with a definite determined nod. Then, he laid his head to the side just a notch and looked at her. "I wonder what made you settle down right now. Do you have gotten used to this... odd situation, perhaps? Talking about strange circumstances... I woudn't want to hold you hostage here. If you desire to leave or need to be elsewhere, I can have someone escort you home, naturally."
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 12:47 pm
Ellandra tilted her head a little in thought, and closed her eyes for a moment. "Perhaps it's. . . simply that I d-deal better with the - the unusual, rather th-than the ordinary. B-but I'm not sure. . ." She opened her eyes again and blinked at Banning. "I don't have anywhere in - in particular to be at the moment. . . though I'm sure my editor w-wishes I were home to yell at," For he wasn't taking her time off well, not all, the interfering, cruel man that he was.
Still. . .
"I - I probably s-should go, though. . . I wouldn't w-wish to impose any longer. . ."
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 1:00 pm
"You are hardly a bother, milady, I assure you. You helped me out a great deal, and I still consider myself indebted to you." and your editor can go stick his head up his own rear, dear. I'm sure you secretly agree.
"But it is certainly not my intention to make you uncomfortable... if you want to go, you are free." To give her more freedom to decide, he slid off the table and approached her languidly. "... on top of that, I have to admit I'm not in any shape to treat you like a proper guest deserves, I'm afraid." Might take a nap later, oh precious luxury of sneaking in a few hours of sleep.
"Not entirely by my own choice though, but I'd rather not have madame Magdala beat me one over with a frying pan to force me to take the day off. Hah." ... not really a joke, she'd threatened him before. What could he say, he's a busy man.
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 1:31 pm
Ellandra nodded. "I think. . . . I - I should take m-my leave. . . if nothing else, than so th-that you can rest properly. . . you did lose a good deal of blood, a-and those painkillers. . ." She trailed off, not sure what else to say, and not sure anything else needed to be said.
It was true, after all. The bloodloss alone would send non-stubborn people to their knees, and painkillers only made you sleepy. (she knew from having her wisdom teeth removed a few years ago; not a fun experience, that.) There. . . realyl wasn't much else she could do or say.
So it was time to go home.
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 6:58 am
"Hmm, leave me to myself, and take care of yourself, lass." Banning nodded, with a gentle smile. Yup, he was tired. A not-tired Bane didn't smile that much. There was no time to catch some z's yet though, he still had some things to take care of, but first of all, he'd see to it that Ellandra got home safely.
A knock on the door made him look up, and give a curt call for the perpetrator to please come in. A elder man, sporting a quite cheerful grin, opened the door.
"Oh, Jonathan." Banning greeted him dully, deflating a little from straightening up some surreptitiously before the man had come in.
"You called, master?" The grin faded somewhat, watered down to a fond look at the duke and the young lady who was with him. Banning glanced from him at Ellandra, and introduced the two of them to each other. Apparently this Jonathan was his other head of staff, had been employed here since he was a young man of a mere fifteen years old and had served the family for almost forty years now. He seemed to be a good-natured, mature man, with a heart for his job an colleagues.
"Would you mind if Jonathan accompanied you home, miss Sanders?" Banning asked her then, and the other man raised an eyebrow curiously.
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 8:52 am
Ellandra blinked. "N-no. . . I don't mind at all," she said quietly, feeling rather nervous again now that the topic had shifted from the few areas she felt moderately comfortable discussing. Perhaps it was best she get home, and not just so that Banning could rest - she could probably use the time alone to sort herself out again.
She thought she might very much need to.
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 11:55 am
Banning nodded at her answer, then took Jonathan aside, muttered a few instructions to him. When he turned back to look at Ellandra, the elder-looking man seemed to know what was expected of him.
"Would you be so kind to accompany me, miss? I shall see to it you get home safely." he smiled at her and held out his arm. Come now, don't be shy?
"I'm breaking several dozens of unwritten laws by not going with you, miss Sanders, but I have some things to clean up here. You can rely on him one hundred percent I assure you." Banning told her.
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 12:45 pm
Ellandra stepped forwarsd a little, but didn't dare take the arm offered to her. "I - I. . . of course," she said, but still feeling - and looking, truthfully - rather lost.
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Gracious Conversationalist
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 1:16 pm
And so dear Jonathan got the day off to bring the young lady hope safely, and all was well.
All in all not very eventful, as he didn't ask much along the way, and small talk is only interesting for to sentences. Banning finished whatever he needed to finish, and wasn't seen again until the next morning, whey.
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