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 Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 8:33 pm
For Ice Queen and rosemilk.
***
Ice's house looked much more desolate at sunset to Burgundia's eyes. She was sitting down on the picnic table where she'd first met her sister, red cloth wound around her hair, another long piece of it knotted around her neck in a scarf to give her some kind of dignity - she couldn't wear it around her shoulders any more, she just pulled it apart. Every so often she got white fuzzes around her eyes, but at least she still had some kind of night vision in the deepening gloom: it wasn't so bad yet.
Cascati was still home, asleep, which was a horrible thing to wake for. She hefted her little cloth-wrapped parcel in her hands, and utterly indecisive where to go and shivering - a cold feien twitching, it was crazy - she stared at the house, more than a little miserable.
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 8:36 pm
He couldn't stay inside. But if he went outside the demons would get him... But he couldn't stay inside. Aleric took a deep breath and headed out the window, shivering even more as the breeze hit him. Something was calling to him... an emotion...
He could still feel emotions. But he was starting to wonder if he was feeling REAL emotions or the demons that made him shiver were playing with his head. This emotion was so... depressed, he thought. He looked towards the table. "De--Dee?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 8:40 pm
"Hidee, Mr. Aleric." Her teeth were chattering; both of them made incredibly sorry pictures of Feien. Burgundia bobbed a curtsey, ever-polite, mainly out of habit than out of any want to move her aching muscles. Her slow voice was more than a little babblier than usual. "It's - it's s-surely a nice night out here tonight, ain't it? You look f-fairly poorly, though, I guess - I - I - Ruby? How's my Ruby? And Mr. Silva?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 8:42 pm
"They're..." He floated towards her, a jagged, slow trail that took all of his concentration to make. "They're alive." He said. He dropped down on the table next to her, taking a deep breath and leaning one elbow on his knee. "It used to be hard to make me feel this bad..." He whispered.
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 8:47 pm
She was suddenly fiddling with her parcel; a hand with a small piece of cupcake was thrust out to him, and her eyes were glazed over and wild. Beatific. Well, 'religious fervor' was probably a better descriptor.
"I'm no slave to the Shabby Man," she breathed. Her gaze was nowhere near the slightly crumbly piece of baked goods. "I surely am not slave to nobody. I - Dost thou not see that they wander in the valley, love-distraught? - Please take it, Mr. Aleric."
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 8:50 pm
He looked at it, lust flashing in his eyes, then looked away. "I shouldn't." He told her. "How--" He blinked as his hand grabbed the cupcake without his permission. He reached down, prying at his fingers, but they wouldn't let go.
"What is it you need?" He asked through gritted teeth, fighting the strange burst of anger that was trying to show up.
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 8:54 pm
The piece of cupcake was still steadily outstretched. "Nothin'," she said, very nearly defiantly, and still refusing to pronounce the ing. The accent always got worse when she was distressed. "I got - a letter, well - I came to apologise, I guess - the Shabby Man was f-fixin' to put some suffering on you - I won't, I won't take nothin'. I just came to see y'all to give me some inner strength and ask God in all Her m-mercy to strengthen me."
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 8:57 pm
He finally took the cupcake. "The addiction is... It's killing us..." He said, taking a bite, then shoving the piece into his mouth. "Tell me what you need, Dee... please." He said, feeling the cupcake kick in. Knowing it would make everything okay.
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 9:02 pm
The juvenile feien shook her head stubbornly, eyes flicking up from the pin in his hair back to his face. "I'm not gonna be beholden to him. Not after... He g-got my brother, Mr. Aleric, I'm about to pay the piper now. I'll lay myself down and She will see me through it. I'm not gonna filthy up my body." Never mind that only constant prayer and digging her teeth into her shoulder again had stopped her from burying her mouth in the parcel. "I... I'm gonna be clean. If I die... Look, I just wanted to b-bring Ruby some stuff too; I guess you're lucky Mr. Silva's lookin' after y'all."
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 9:05 pm
"He--" He stopped, his eye falling to her shoulder. "Here... I can help." He said as he reached up to heal her shoulder. "Dee... I don't know how we're going to make things right... but no one's going to die. We'll figure a way out of it. I promise. Now tell me, what do you need?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 9:09 pm
She shook her head again, even more wildly than before, passing over the rest of the cloth-wrapped bundle. "There's a bit in there for Ruby. I won't, I'll never. Just g-give her a kiss for me, Mr. Aleric, I do... I d-do miss her, I'm... I'm scared to see her, ain't that just the most wretched thing you ever heard?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 9:12 pm
"Dee..." He said, reaching forward and pulling her into a hug. "I can't take it. All that would do is make it worse." She needed something, he knew she did... "Mr. Shabby Man... he's trying to control you too, isn't he?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 9:15 pm
A shudder went through her, but then - entirely miserable - Burgundia nodded into his skin. "Yes," she said, and it was very small.
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 9:17 pm
"I want to try something..." He said, knowing it probably wouldn't work. He concentrated, trying to cure her, then he pulled back. "Did it..." He stopped, shaking his head. "It didn't work, did it?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 9:21 pm
She clenched her eyes shut, obviously hopefully waiting for something to happen: then, rather crestfallen, she shook her head. Her lips were pursed tightly together. "No, sir."
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