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 Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 4:30 pm
He very, very much did not want to do this.
It was with an excruciating amount of reluctance that Merric lifted a hand and knocked on the door to Melvin's room, feeling a decided sense of apprehension. He disliked the idea that Melvin even had his pin, and disliked even less that Melvin had taunted him with it.
Unfortunately, there was only one way to have it returned to himself, which was...this.
He sighed.
Heavily.
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Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 5:38 pm
"On moment." Came the call from the other side. After a moment, the door clicked open and Melvin looked up to see -
"Oh, Hello Lysander's colleague." He said. "Wasn't sure you were even going to show up." He opened the door and stepped away.
"Give me a moment to find where I put the pin. Please, have a seat."
The room was spare, devoid of most furniture. A few boxes were set about the room, unopened. A laptop sat on a kitchen table and most of the walls looked recently painted while the furthest one around a new window still showed signs of being plastered. A bucket and a bundled wad of sandpaper sat on the floor atop a white piece of fabric. Windows were open to let in air and the smell of falling rain from outside. Along with that came the smell of fresh coffee.
"Would you like something to drink?" He asked as he paused on his way to the kitchen.
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Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 6:23 pm
The faintest hint of what could possibly have passed as a scowl flitted across Merric's face before it was replaced by a look of mild annoyance instead, Merric lifting a hand to automatically smooth down the black silk tie he was wearing.
"I do have a name, you know," he said, and then, "I said I would; I don't say things I'm not intending to do."
He stepped into the room after Melvin, shutting the door neatly behind himself as he did, Merric's gaze sweeping the room in idle curiosity. It seemed as though the man had just moved in, which made little sense, considering that Merric had been under the impression of Melvin having been here for quite some time.
"Just...water, if you have it, thank you."
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Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 6:34 pm
"I do have that." He said, and moved over to the kitchen to pop open the fridge. Reaching down, he grabbed a bottle of water, and closed it, coming back with it and handing it over.
"I know you have a name. We just never been formally introduced so a placeholder was in order." He said.
To which he offered his hand. "Melvin Wood."
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Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 7:45 pm
Merric hesitated only a moment before extending his own hand as well, taking Melvin's with a certain sense of reservation behind it. He kept his grasp loose, and slid it away after only a single shake.
"Merric Cassel," he said evenly, fingers moving around to the top of the bottle, though he didn't open it quite yet. "I believe you have something of mine, then?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 8:11 pm
"Pleasure." He opened his other hand and there, in it, was a panda pin.
"I have something else as well." He said, and let Merric take the pin without any trouble. It was, despite the threats, devoid of any alternations.
"I think it's everything but with all the exchanges going on, I can't entirely be sure." He said, moving to a cabinet and opening a drawer before pulling out a very neatly folded, laundered set of clothes and offering those as well. "I'm used to laundering expensive fabrics and various suits so it should be intact."
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 9:12 am
Merric stared at the pin suspiciously for a moment, as though half expecting it to be some sort of trick. When it was determined that it wasn't, he reached out and lifted it from Melvin's hand, wrapping fingers around the cool metal and pressing it to his palm.
Relief coursed through him, though he kept his gaze as neutral as possible, though Merric had never truly been good at that sort of thing. He eyed the clothing as well, reaching out after a hesitation to accept the small, neat bundle.
"My shirt ended up in a young lady's room, but I suppose this is the rest," he said, Merric's eyes moving over the charcoal fabric.
A pause.
"Thank you," said Merric, a little stiffly.
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 9:21 am
"No problem. It was just a game after all, and last thing I'd want is for clothes that I bought to be stolen or damaged in some way. That wouldn't be fun for any future games, and you were a good sport about it. It takes away from future social gatherings like last night if people are hesitant to participate just because of a bad experience." He said as he regarded Merric.
"If it isn't forward of me, can I ask you a question. I don't want to take too much time though if you are very busy."
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 9:27 am
He had been trying to beat it was just a game into his mind since the game, and had yet to have it actually take effect. Merric ran fingers lightly over the finely woven shirt and gave a small nod, trying to relax and mostly failing at that too.
"I would hope people didn't have a bad experience," he said, but he knew that wasn't true, either.
The question - and the prelude to it - made him stiffen again, but Merric said cautiously, "Perhaps. I might not answer it, though."
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 9:35 am
"That's fine. You have that freedom. It might actually be asking much since I do not know you, but I wanted to ask if you were Lysander's friend. You stated you aren't his assistant yet you seemed close to both Ros and Lysander." He asked, watching him, wondering if he should offer him a seat or, from how rigid the man was, let him stand to give him the option to leave anytime - which of course he could.
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 9:41 am
Merric opened his mouth and then shut it again, though the question was, in fact, not entirely surprising, given who was asking it. His arms folded a little more securely around the bundle of clothing and held them against his chest, mostly an instinctive gesture, the pin still pressing against his palm.
"I'm...his friend," said Merric, after a moment. "We're colleagues, along with Sam. Roswell is an excellent assistant, I don't think Lysander needs more than him. And I find their company very nice."
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 10:08 am
"Well yes. We are all colleagues considering we all work for Deus. Oh, did you work for him before the island like Roswell? And which Sam? There are a few on the island and I didn't see another person with you during dare night." He said, generally curious but not so dumb to have not noticed the pause in his own title. For friends, the trio had been making out rather hard.
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 10:14 am
"No, I didn't even know him before the island," said Merric, shifting from one foot to the other. "Sam Sokolov, we met when we were all...on that secondary island, what have you. She's very respectable and quite efficient as a colleague."
The bottle of water was still unopened in the hand that was not still clutching his pin. "We work together, and we're friends," Merric repeated.
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 10:36 am
Again, the word. Reinstating the idea. He had done it with Lawr many times through many stages of his relationship.
"Roswell is his friend too, isn't he. I also don't know much about business but anyone with power tends to have more than one assistant and considering how close all three of you appeared that night, I just naturally assumed thr same thing. I guess I'm sorry for saying you were his assistsnt then on Twitter then. Lysander seems to be hard up in titles unless you are planning for a promotion?" He asked, donning a face of just simple curiousity.
"You at least dress the part. I wouldn't know about what other qualifications he demands."
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2017 10:41 am
If he was being entirely honest, he would have said that he didn't actually know what Roswell was to Lysander and vice versa, especially not after dare night. Merric stared at Melvin, trying to figure out a proper response to this, and managed, "We're - I'm not his assistant. Roswell is very loyal, and Lysander is - "
A lot of things. Merric shifted again, the faintest tinge of red on his cheeks at the reminder of that night and closeness; two things he was still trying not to think of. "I'm not - planning for anything, promotion for otherwise, and I would say that Roswell is a good friend to him, yes."
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