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 Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 1:04 am
Quote: Looking for a marginally useful individual to complete rudimentary tasks around a taxidermy shop. Must have working hands, working legs, working ears, and enough experience to conduct specific tasks. Taxidermy experience requested, but not required. The selected applicant will be compensated based on their usefulness. The duration of this assignment is determined by the recovery cycle of the taxidermy hobbyist's wrist. Once useable, the applicant's assistance will no longer be required. Please address Alois Scholz with inquiries and applications. Contact information is disclosed below.
Idly Alois considered that he should've written 'PETA members need not apply'.
His selected applicant, one Daran Moreau, was set to arrive in due time - likely he would arrive somewhat early, as was American custom. Alois found such practices rubbed him the wrong way, yet simply delved into his work further in an attempt to banish such thoughts from present endeavors. Even now, knowing the limitations of taxidermy with one useable arm, Alois pushed himself to produce one iota of progress on Quenton's project. Thus far, he only marked the holes for drilling in the hardware that he recently commissioned. If his new hire expected to please, the man might find a lone UPS box sitting just outside the door.
Noon approached quickly enough. The sun's rays no longer beat through the glass and threatened to cook the set of fowl he mounted for a peculiar commission. Stuck on the third bird, Alois fought to use his brace as a means to pin the fowl down in an attempt to lace up the point of incision with dental floss. No luck - he desperately needed the use of both hands.
With a sigh, he leveled an exasperated glance at the feline in his company, and gold eyes stared back at him with feral excitement. "No," Alois responded firmly. "Catch your own damned birds, you overgrown rat."
Faust only grunted in response, and his overly interested gaze soon shifted to the door, where he sighted movement of an approaching individual.
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Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 12:43 pm
It wasn't like Daran Moreau to resort to something like this, but he was getting rather desperate himself and was too prideful to admit it. Not that he had anyone close to admit it too, but still, it took much effort for him to type in the link address and scour through the classifieds without feeling like he was committing to an act of perversion. In the recent months, he was overworked and tense, and he didn't have time to cater to his own needs as of late. He needed to relax. He needed to unwind, and he hoped that someone would be willing to help him with that...
And what luck did he have. He read over the ad and couldn't help but crack a grin at the wording used, and maybe he was just looking too deep into it but the smarm that set the tone for the ad was entertaining. Enough to catch and warrant his attention, anyway. Still, it was well within his realm of interests and while it might not have been smart to believe everything one read at face value on the internet, Daran was just really, really desperate. So, he shot him an email and left it in the 'good lord's' hands. What luck that not only did he get a reply (that wasn't a bot from what he could tell), but was requested to pay this Alois Scholz a visit. Did this mean he was hired, just an interview, or would he become a serial killers next victim?
He was desperate, and now curious. A deadly combination, for a member of the Moreau family as of late.
Daran double checked the address before he dared to knock, unaware of the black cat that had spotted him, nor the man's struggles behind the door. If he had, he'd know this to be 100% legit and not a meet-greet-stab that craigslists ads were sometimes known for, and he couldn't have held his briefcase at such an odd angle to his chest. It held not only all of his vital documents and possibly a concealed weapon (because one could never be too sure), but it'd make a great shield and weapon. Perhaps it was paranoia getting the better of him, but when it came to meeting people from online, one could never be too sure.
He gave the door a knock, not bothering looking for a doorbell nor would he ring it if it was there. If someone couldn't hear him knocking, then they weren't worth his time. Simple as that.
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Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2014 1:34 pm
The cat's sudden shift in attention tipped him off to company before the short rap on the glass reached his ears. So he showed. After retiring the fowl to a blue shop towel, Alois stood and pushed his chair toward the desk before approaching the door. Faust grunted unhappily; already had his human companion caught onto the cat's propensity to usurp warmer seating.
Upon answering the door, Alois did not immediately greet the stranger now facing him. Instead, gold eyes combed the man in lukewarm interest, mentally denoting everything from the blazing red roots beneath deep blue hair to the briefcase clutched tightly to his chest. After regarding it, Alois quirked an eyebrow before returning attention to the man's eyes. Candy apple red, they looked. A vague reminder of Richard. "Daran Moreau?" He ventured, before his gaze lighted atop the briefcase once more. "You needn't bring a briefcase for a simple CV." Leaning outward slightly, the misanthrope glanced toward the sky. "It's not even raining."
With no further comment, he stepped backward from the door to allow entry. "Sit," he commanded more than invited, gesturing toward the chair upon which he sat not moments ago.
"Ignore ze cat, if you can. I won't object if you decide to reduce him to a taxidermy project of your own, for ze amount of annoyance he provides in a day. In any case, you're here for zis little assignment, so I should elaborate on ze reasoning behind ze posting." Afterward, Alois rolled up his sleeve, exposing a splint across his forearm.
"My wrist is broken, and I'f accumulated enough projects zat I am unwilling to postpone zem until it heals. Zat is where you come in - I haf' a variety of projects underway, ranging from fowl to saltwater fish to a project entirely unrelated to animals. Zese are mostly traditional endeavors, saf'e for ze last. And wis' ze fowl I am working on currently, it's more an... ansropomorphic endeavor. Depending on your preference, we can work togezzer in completing ze projects zat suit your talents. While my wrist is healing, I don't expect to take on new work, unless we manage to complete all assignments before I'm able to use it to its full capacity." Afterward he approached the mini fridge fitted neatly into the cabinetry unit behind the desk.
Exposing the contents momentarily, Alois withdrew a bowl of ground chicken for the overgrown black feline. He placed it on the floor, far enough from the desk that the cat would not interfere with their clandestine interview process. "Zis is by no means a traditional working arrangement. You will be paid a cut of ze commission, determinable by your efforts on ze project. I will write up an invoice per each assignment wis' a projected amount allotted to you, and from zere we can discuss any adjustments toward a more appropriate value. If you haf' any questions, ask away."
"Now zat I'f presented my case, it's time for you to tell me about yourself, Mr. Moreau."ChibiGingi i'm not sorry for tagging you so quickly
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Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 3:24 pm
Daran wasn't the type to care what others thought of him, whether their opinion be favorable or not. That wasn't always true- what did matter to him wasn't what others might have thought of his appearance or if Alois thought him foolish to hold his briefcase so close, not unless that would negatively affect his position here as hired help. He gave a nod, not at all suspecting that Alois may have recognized him, or more accurately, his twin. "I bring my briefcase everywhere with me, to be honest. It's just an extension to my arm, weird as it may be."
He kept perfectly still, even when Alois got closer when he leaned over, and he followed him inside without question, taking a seat when prompted and doing his best to focus more on the man that he would be working with than the interior of his home, as well as the fuzzy black cat that Alois addressed. He never personally cared for the animals and he was certain that Alois had meant that last bit as a joke, though given his passion for taxidermy as well as his peculiar personality, maybe it wasn't too far of a stretch to think he'd do it. He wore a grimace in response to the brace but offered little in regards to apologies- he didn't seem like the type that made a posting on Craigslist for sympathy points. Thus far, everything seemed standard business, though he did arch a crimson brow when he mentioned there being one unrelated to animals.
Sometimes it was best not to ask, though if something vaguely human appeared on his word station, it was straight to the police. Until then, however, Daran was definitely interested, even before the mention of payment was brought to the table, though one couldn't tell just how eager he was just by looking at him. "Sorry about what happened with your arm, but at least it's no permanent. I don't really have much as far as questions go outside of the usual business- hours of availability, desired location, projected due dates. Will your client be picking them up or will we be required to transport them as well?"
He set his briefcase down at his side and finally dislodged the handle from his fingers, feeling naked for a brief second before cupping his hands together to keep them still. Not that he was nervous or anything, but something about this man seemed vaguely familiar and he hated not being able to put a name to a face. “As for myself, admittedly I’m not a professional taxidermist but I’ve stated that in my response. It’s more of a hobby of mine, one that I don’t get to do as often as I’d like thanks to family affairs. I prefer hunting the animal I’m going to mount, but still, I’m sure I can be of some use to you.”Aeeth Daran may have seen Alois at Padme's Bouquet while he was assisting in repairing Richard's shop...
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 2:44 pm
Alois crossed his arms as his gaze settled on the large black feline currently eating noisily. "Business hours are eight to four in which I will accept walk-ins; I don't outwardly advertise so it's typically like zis. I am also not always here. For you, your hours are more flexible wis'in zat time - come when it suits you, but I am looking for a minimum of two hours of your time per day. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I will be here, zough I haf' a collaboratif' project on Monday zat you may prefer to avoid. Zis workshop will be where ze projects are kept, and all clients pick up zeir projects when work is completed."
The misanthrope withdrew a sucker from his pocket and picked the wrapper off with his teeth. After pinning its candied surface between his molars and cheek, he continued with an explanation of projected due dates. "Since you don't practice professionally, I don't expect you to know zis, but typically taxidermists haf' enough backlogged projects zat due dates are extended far outward. While it might legitimately take me two weeks to finish a saltwater fish, projected due dates are protracted outward to four or more weeks to account for simultaneous projects. Ultimately we haf' plenty of time to complete any given project, despite zis... Unforeseen injury." With a slight frown, Alois usurped an empty chair from the nearby rounded table and placed it parallel to the desk's surface, just opposite Daran. Taking a seat sideways, he rested his arm atop the back of the chair and pressed a pair of knuckles to his temple.
"Depending on what you hunt, you will be of great use to me, Daran." Shifting the sucker in his mouth, Alois toyed with the jewelry wire threaded into the bird's wings for more proper position. He continued nonetheless. "If you hunted larger game, zat would be cause to push you toward a taxidermy license - provided we work togezzer in a... tolerable capacity. While it is less useful to my current projects, more experience wis' large game affords ze capacity for a partnership, should you will it. Ozzerwise, small game hunting lends better support to zese endeavors.
"Ultimately, you can't be useless," he finished with a flippant gesture.
As his gaze slid over Daran one last time, he furrowed his brow. "Why are you staring at me?" I might be strange, but I haven't mentioned a damned thing about Quenton's project. Surely nothing I've said is of particular note to you yet.
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Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 4:02 pm
It may not have looked like it, but Daran was taking mental notes throughout Alois’ orientation, keeping track of the hours of operation and mulling it over to himself. He definitely appreciated the flexibility and now that Sugar Shanty was within a week of reopening, barring any major catastrophes, he would have more time to devote to his own business and projects. Even if they were technically someone else’s, Daran didn’t mind playing second fiddle to another, especially considering this was only a hobby to him and for Alois a profession. So, he’d welcome any flexibility that Alois would offer him with this. “That schedule works fine with me…” He wasn’t quite sure he wanted to bring any attention to what special task was going to be done on Monday, but he knew better than to push it. He’s done enough business with shady people to know better than to ask… “Wednesdays and Fridays it is then. Construction’s set to end on Thursday, but I can come in between 2 and 4, if that’s alright with you?”
When Alois pulled a sucker out and placed it in his mouth, it did make Daran pause in thought. It seemed familiar, but there was little time to dwell on it. He didn’t want to dwell on it- he had been spending that better part of the last five months in and out of a candy store, seeing to its construction and constantly delayed re-openings, and maybe it was just seeing something sweet that triggered an agitated feeling within him. He wanted to escape that, and that was why he was here in the first place. Thankfully, Alois was willing to carry on with the run down and that was enough to pull him away from the stress he was trying to escape. What he said made sense, so he wouldn’t argue with him. “If it moves and it’s legal, I shoot it. Deer and birds, mostly, though. I do have a license, though, if you’d wish to see it… it’s for Texas. Not sure if that’s going to be a problem.”
It’d mean opening his briefcase and he did so as Alois took a seat across from him. By now, he had forgotten about his dislike of candy and all things related to it, or why this man seemed so familiar, popping open the case and looking for the appropriate paperwork. He didn’t care if Alois saw her beretta or not, and he addressed the dark-haired young man as he handed the paper for him to inspect. “Here it is. The largest I’ve killed and stuffed was roughly… uh, 230, 240 lb buck? But I have experience with both.”
He hardly noticed the flippant retort and if he had, he’d think little of it. What did get to him was his last question, and he saw no reason to lie, now that he was directly asked. “Sorry, just that you seem familiar. Like I’ve seen you before, and it’s getting under my skin that I can’t immediately think of where.”
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Posted: Fri May 02, 2014 1:55 pm
Alois sat back with his arms folded atop his chest as he leveled an enigmatic stare at the older man. His countenance offered little explanation toward his thoughts or reactions. "I wander ze city often. You could'f spotted me in many places: on ze street hunting for roadkill, at ze library, near ze campus, even at a florist's shop where I worked for a time." The simple thought of penning out another trite holiday card nauseated him, and his upper lip twitched in restrained disgust. Krishna... While the man no longer aggravates me to the same extent, all the tasks he put me through remain tainted with disdain. So it seems I might need my own behavioral conditioning.
Finally Alois procured the sucker from his mouth, scrutinizing it with bored curiosity as he spoke unhindered. "It's not necessary to display your license. It's quite cheap to obtain one here, you see... suspect zat as an assistant, such measures are superfluous." Gold eyes settled on a familiar shape amidst his papers, gaze softening temporarily in memory of the dead. He sighed briefly, and averted his attention to the paperwork offered toward him. After returning the sucker to his mouth, Alois clicked his tongue and inspected the documents provided.
"Since you'f obtained one in Texas, I suspect you'll haf' no trouble getting licensed here." Afterward he returned the paperwork, fighting to avert his gaze from the gun. "Your experience in larger game is useful, Daran. Should you consider embarking on a business venture in taxidermy, I suspect you'll find quite a bit of reception around zese parts. I'f had more zan a few clientele complain about my reluctance to mount large game, but wis' you here, it's possible to undertake such projects.
"Well, I sink it's decided. If you're willing to work wis' me, consider ze position yours. I'll redact my post and we can set to work zis Wednesday, as agreed upon. If zere's nossing else...?" He left his final question open-ended to invite response.
How fortunate that I managed someone with enough experience in taxidermy to suit my needs. But why would a man who once had a license in Texas opt to work for someone like me? Boredom? Strapped for cash? Perhaps I'll run a background check on him and see what I can come up with - assuming I can afford such measures now. If we don't complete something soon, I won't have the money to retain this rotten pit of a workspace.
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Posted: Tue May 06, 2014 3:16 pm
There was something about the fact that him listing 'looking for roadkill' as the first of many options that struck Daran as humorous and it threatened to shatter the professional persona he had put forward for this meeting. It was humorous because, well... it told him how normal of an occurrence that kind of behavior was. For normal people, it was barbaric, but for those interested in the craft, it was simply a common thing. However, he managed to keep the urge from breaking out, thanks to that last part. "Florist's shop, hm? Maybe that's it, then... been helpin' renovating my brother's store and its across the street from some florist shop. Pandabear or Padme or something."
Of all the time he was there, he focused solely on the renovations, never actually looking up and taking note. He knew the store's owner and held little love for the man, especially as of late, but that was neither here nor there. For now, it was business. He was relief that obtaining a license in DC wasn't expected to be difficult, though there'd still be a wait. As far as Daran was concerned, that was fine. "I'd like to explore that revenue... maybe I will, assumin' I'm ever out of that candy store. Though I wouldn't wanna risk puttin' you out of business."
Not that he thought it'd be a problem. He had a feeling that while he had experience with bigger game that Alois was simply more passionate about the craft than he could ever be. In a competition, he was certain that Alois could run circles around him... but this wouldn't be a competition. This would be an apprenticeship, and Daran was more than happy to assist. And happy he was to hear that the position was now his, as his smile deepened, almost to the point of being genuinely friendly as he retrieved the paperwork and extended a hand to shake. He was too excited to realize he had motioned for the hand in the cast but had managed to catch himself, certain that Alois saw it but couldn't be bothered to pick at it like his brother might have. "I appreciate the opportunity, Mr. Scholz. I look forward to workin' with you. Was there anythin' you need me to bring for Wednesday besides my license?"
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Posted: Sat May 10, 2014 8:49 am
"Padme's Bouquet," he recited almost automatically. Though his tone remained steady, his gaze sharpened considerably. Already he trawled through the man's features for similarities, striking similarities to a man he knew intimately. Yes, the same candied red eyes, red roots denoting heritage of similar lines, a jawline he might've kissed in mistaken identity in the morning hours. With such an uncanny resemblance laid bare before him, how could he possibly deny it? "You were renovating ze Sugar Shanty, zen?"
As he swallowed, the tightness in his chest rendered itself through pulling his ribcage in on itself. A remarkably similar feeling to having his ribs broken... Almost its twin[/i, he thought bitterly. So what's wrong with me now? Shock? Fear? Suspicion? Surely not love - not again. No, this is different somehow. Some... Unnamed atrocity committed toward my own body. How quaint.
Quenton would laugh at my puzzlement.
Afterward he smiled vaguely, an almost shy gesture. "So you must be Richard's... twin? You two look far too much alike for simple siblings. Strange, he never mentioned you." With his final comment deflecting possible conversation onto Daran, he relaxed a little. Breathing came easier.
That feeling... I remember it now. How far gone must I be to have spent so long without recognizing it? It was the rush of nearly getting caught. Caught in a lie... Barely skirting around the authorities. Or so I thought, back then. How wrong I was... It's almost funny now.
"As for what to bring come Wednesday... Primarily your hands. Everysing necessary for ze projects is already here, sans a pair of working hands. Perhaps a sense of wit, too - I find it passes ze hours spent in anozzer's company at a pace slightly faster zan a slos'." Time with Quenton passed regrettably fast, but Daran was not Quenton - was not Richard. The old familiarity of derision crept back into his bones, a warm friend in times desperate for some scrap of comfort. Yes, hate came easily enough. Daran possessed all the primary features of humanity.
Oh, how nice it was to face a rather typical exchange with another human.
Finally he seized the hand offered, after a quick glance to confirm it was the proper right rather than his broken left that the man beckoned for. The grasp was firm, cold, denoting of his irritation toward small talk. "So I will see you zen, Mister Moreau. Unless you want to suffer srough ze superfluous syllables present in politeness, we should stick wis' first names."
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Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 9:31 am
He said the words and Daran snapped his fingers for confirmation. Like a light bulb suddenly clicking on in his head, and he bobbed his head as he said, "That's it! It's some Indian name... I stared at the place for so long and never thought to learn the name of the place. I know its owner more than the shop."
Said owner was on his s**t list, but that wasn't for Alois to know. He respected the man, but knowing that he was hiding something about his brother from him... the nerve to say that he wasn't ready to know. It almost made him miss Alois' next question, and once again he found himself bobbing his head in agreement, stopping when he made a point to mention Richard. He shouldn't have been surprised that he had it figured out, which likely meant that this man had met Richard already... or maybe did more than just meet. Acquaintance, or acquaintance. "Yeah, twins. And probably because he figures I'm the borin' one and doesn't want to share whatever attention he's pinin' for."
There were other reasons, but Daran wasn't quite willing to get into that just yet. The topic switching back over to his new employment was a welcome change, though he wasn't completely keen on the 'wit' part. He fancied himself clever enough, but if they were expecting Richard-like antics, then he may have been disappointed. Once again, he wasn't going to bring it up. He retrieved his briefcase and accepted the handshake, making sure not to wince at its firmness as he did so. For a slender one, he had a grip! "First names are perfectly fine with me, Alois. I'll be seeing you Wednesday then."Aeeth We good to start wrapping this up?
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Posted: Tue May 13, 2014 5:09 pm
Alois conceded his agreement with a grunt. "I get ze impression you're not ze type to solicit zose same affections... At least not from ze same crowd." He offered little more on the subject; already he discovered that lives within the city were linked almost to a small town standard, and he tread a fine line by switching partners through ex-lovers. Any divulgence of his previous relationship with Richard may stymie the usefulness of his new pair of hands.
"Wednesday. Two o'clock. Don't be late." And don't be too early, either. I hate the over-eager. But, if you're wearing skin and you have a pulse, chances are I hate you just the same. Get out of here, Daran Moreau, for my tolerance for company wears thin already. Living with someone lowered it significantly. I wonder if two hours might be too much... Alois parted the handshake as quickly as feasible, an indication of his discomfort toward exchanging touch with others. Somehow he suppressed the urge to wipe his hand on the side of his pants, instead settling for bracing a pair of fingers against the desk.
Faust returned to his cohabitant's desk soon after licking his bowl clean. The remarkably large feline sat directly in front of Daran, neglecting to pay the man one iota of eye contact, and simply swept his bottlebrush tail across the desk, knocking a dispenser of floss to the ground. Faust looked unperturbed, possibly even smug.
Alois only huffed in mild irritation. "If somesing comes up, you haf' my phone number." You know the way out.
I expect we'll spend very little time working on the same project. Three hands coordinated by two brains may very well be a greater hindrance than one brain operating one hand. Efficiency is key. Once I close out these projects, I can focus on Quenton's conditioning without distraction. My wrist should heal by then.ChibiGingi good to wrap! alois says gtfo daran
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