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 Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2013 10:48 pm
He wasn't sure what to think.
For the most part, he'd been wary of Aria. Gale could still remember the way she'd climbed into the helicopter after Ben's death, her expression angry, and then he remembered the way she had gently reprimanded those in her division after an incident. He couldn't say that he distrusted her, not really, but he hadn't been exceptionally close to her either, and generally her strong personality had made Gale keep his distance from her.
But Aria was Stormy's leader, and Candace's, and several others'; and Gale knew the way they looked up to her.
The other thing he knew had to do with Lance, but most of his views of Lance were a mixture of confusion, hesitation, embarrassment, and shyness when it came to the Mist Assistant - or, Gale thought wryly as he made his way down the hallway to the office at the end, the new leader of the Mist Division.
Everything was too confusing, messy. He felt as though there were too many gaping holes, too many puzzle pieces not fitting right.
A hand lifted, knocked on Lance's door.
"It's, ah...Gale."
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Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2013 10:56 pm
"It's open." Lance called through the door. When Gale entered, he would find the man slouching back in his seat with a worn expression on his face. Papers were scattered across his desk along with an opened bottle of whiskey. An untouched shotglass was near Lance's arm, nearly knocked over as he reached up to close his runic laptop. The former assistant shifted until he was sitting up higher. "What is it?" He asked, waving his nephew in name towards one of the two uncomfortable looking chairs in front of his desk. "I suggest leaning on them instead of sitting. They're not the best."
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Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2013 11:03 pm
Lance looked...well, not quite his usual chipper self, but at least he seemed not to be wallowing. Gale stepped across the threshold and closed the door behind him, fiddling with the scarf around his neck as he sat in one of the chairs anyway (Lance was right; they were pretty uncomfortable). His eyes strayed towards the laptop, and then to the shotglass,
"I, ah..." said Gale, "...heard about Aria."
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 5:11 am
"Who hasn't?" Lance asked bitterly. "She set off an explosion in her office, then she and I had a public talk out on the training fields. Someone who hasn't is either off island, deaf, or not checking their phone." A thought struck the man. "Does the basement down in the forms even get reception? I know there isn't any electricity piped down there which makes recharging their phones difficult but -- ah, hell. That's another thing to add to the list."
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 9:00 am
He flinched, ever so slightly, cheeks slightly flushed.
"I'll check on the basement thing, if you'd like," Gale offered, crossing one leg over the other. His fingers found a stray thread in the hem of his coat, absently tugging at it. He let his gaze stray towards Lance again.
"I'm sorry," he said, a little lamely, since apologies weren't exactly the greatest thing he could say right at the current moment. "Do you need..."
The rest of the question strayed off, Gale not quite knowing what he was saying. He had come to Lance out of curiosity, yes, but also because he had wanted to check on him, see how he was doing. He shifted again in the uncomfortable chair, regretting his choice of sitting down.
"Can I ask you something?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 11:22 am
"Thanks. I appreciate the offer," Lance replied tiredly. His gaze fell on the shot glass. Mutely he picked it up and placed it further on his desk, out of harm's way. The assistant-acting-as-leader could only shrug and shake his head at Gale. "Honestly? I could use help, but I don't want to steal you away from His Highness or put up with Mark sulking. Just..." Lance sighed, reaching up to rub his temples. "Ask away. But first... Are you in a relationship with anyone?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 12:09 pm
Gale gave a small snort. "His Highness can afford to spare me," he said. "Mark, well...he can just do what he does and...do nothing."
His face flushed a little further, the expression on Gale's face turning from one of exasperation to one of surprise mingled with bemusement. "...yes," he said, after a long (very long) moment. He shifted his feet again. "I have a girlfriend. Why do you ask?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 1:20 pm
Lance shook his head. "His Highness never really was a fan of the Mist division. It wouldn't surprise me if he smiles for once upon hearing that Aria's gone, but with me here..." Lance trailed off, waving his hand vaguely. "I'm expecting a visit from him any minute. I'm not yet officially lead yet, and if I need his support or have to contest it with him -" Lance shrugged. "This s**t would be easier if someone left a ******** guide on it. So far, winging it is just..." The man sighed again. The more he glanced at it, the more temping his shot glass of whiskey looked. Upon hearing that he was in a relationship, Lance gave him a wry grin as he lifted the shotglass, toasting him silently before drinking it in one gulp. "I don't know what it is. I hate Aria for doing what she did. If I see her, I want to be the first to strangle her. I want to see her dead. And yet. And yet all I want to do is know why.. I tought I knew her and yet-" Another sigh. Lance brought his elbows onto the desk, leaning forward to run both of his hands through his hair. "It's tucked up is what it is. I miss her and hate her at the same time."
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Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 10:36 pm
"I doubt Caelius is a fan of anyone but himself," Gale said, with a slight roll of his eyes. "If we're going by experience. He'll do what he does regardless of what anyone else says, so..."
He trailed off a little. "I think you'd be a good Division Leader," he said, and shifted again, wincing slightly at the uncomfortable chair. "Better than some, at the very least," he added, thinking of His Highness again. Gale's eyes flickered towards the glass that Lance had picked up, and something in his face softened.
"I, ah...heard some of what you said, out there," Gale said tentatively, "about how, erm...she was the one who put you in this chair. Is that true?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 4:59 am
The silence in the room was broken by the soft glug of liquid being poured into the shotglass. "I suspected," Lance answered after he had kicked back another glass full. "Given the evidence, it didn't seem like too far of a stretch. Not after Tiffany disappeared under such circumstances. The fact that she refused to answer me alone speaks of her guilt."
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Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 5:01 am
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Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 10:51 pm
"Tiffany?" Gale repeated, bemused. He gave Lance a slightly uncertain look; it was not a familiar name, and though his Death-oriented mind searched for possible associations, nothing appeared. "What, ah..." He flicked his gaze to the chair again.
"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"
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