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Post by Kelathi on May 21, 2014 0:42:44 GMT
By the time she heard his voice, it was too late, he was already upon her. She stood up quickly, and he grabbed her arm. Irritated, she pulled away angrily. "I'm not stupid!" She growled childishly. At his words however, her angry gaze changed abruptly, appearing suddenly very calm and regal. "No matter. I am finished now. I wish to go home." She announced, with a flourish, snapping her fan open and proceeding to fan herself rapidly. Typical Lucille, she couldn't very well wander about now she had been told she was allowed to! A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, and she turned abruptly, walking away with long strides back towards the direction of the carriage, showing that she did indeed have a good sense of direction, if nothing else. "Come along now." She called over her shoulder.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on May 29, 2014 16:04:30 GMT
She was… what?
“You’re… finished?” he echoed a little dumbly as she turned and walked away, clearly becoming exasperated by having had to hunt her down only to not have the “pleasure” of having to drag her back? Just like that?
“You’re finished,” Kiet half growled as he followed her finally, about ready to snap her fan in half after her airy way of dismissing the last several hours of torture she’d put him through. Maybe he’d just confess, show the letter to Nelly, and be done chasing after this-this-this-! He didn’t even have a name for her, he was so irritated. This irritation stayed as he followed her to the carriage, just barely managing to get the interest up in opening the door for her and offering what assistance she needed in getting inside. The tempting thought of staying there and being free from Lucille for a while crossed his mind, but begrudgingly he crawled into the carriage after her.
What was he, a glutton for punishment or something?
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Post by Kelathi on Jul 7, 2014 1:43:16 GMT
The ride back home was relatively uneventful. They travelled in much the same way they had arrived in the city, with Lucille pointedly ignoring him, and directing her gaze out the window instead. However, this time, there was a faint trace of a mischievous, even victorious smile on her face. She was well aware of Kiet's annoyance. She could tell from the way he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, to the loaded silence in the carriage, to the glower in his eyes. As the coach drew to a stop, the door was already open, and she flounced down the steps and towards the house with her usual air of importance. Evidently, bringing the bags in was down to Kiet and the driver.
"Nelly!" She called, sweeping the doors open with an air of grandeur before the butler managed to reach the front door. "M'lady, Nelly is..." He began, but Lucille was already past him, walking towards the parlour. He followed her hurriedly. "Nelly?" She called again, clicking her fan shut. Where was she? Lucille's cheeks were still flushed red from the excitement of the day, and she was eager to show the housemaid the beautiful dresses and and lavish hats she had bought. "M'la..." the butler started again, but she had already turned to him swiftly, spinning on her heel.
"Yes? Where is she?" She asked impatiently. The butler paused, but before he could utter the words from his mouth, Lucille must have seen something in his eyes, because she dropped the fan. The sound it made was shockingly loud, echoing off the walls. She took a step back, her eyes wide, but before the butler could say anything, she was pounding down the hallway.
"Lucille, wait!" He called, chasing after her, Kiet all but forgotten for the moment, and left to discover what all the fuss was himself.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jul 7, 2014 2:21:21 GMT
If the ride had been any longer, Lucille may have been "assisted" out of the carriage. As it was, he bolted out almost as fast as Lucille had, having to be reminded about the bags. Ugh. How many did she have again...? He and the driver came up to the house laden with the new treasures, but from the echoes in the house it was clear it didn't have the usual hustle and bustle of activity it was known for. Kiet felt himself tense, managing to dump the responsibility of taking the bags up to Lucille's room on one of the maids before exiting the house. This wasn't something to do with... the horses, did it? Beastly, everyone knew he was Lucille's beloved even if he acted a terror.
Finding his pace quicken as he circled around the house towards the stables, Kiet had to skid a little to not crash into the door as he entered, looking about to check on everyone within. The idea of asking someone what was going on had only just occurred to him, his panicked first thought leading him up towards a specific stall.
(Okay brought him to stable!!!)
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Post by Kelathi on Oct 1, 2014 23:33:26 GMT
As Kiet approached, the first thing that reached his ears was the hushed whisper of the servants. They stood together, two maids and the stable-boy, talking in lowered tones.
"It was a bear trap, I heard. No idea where it came from." "...heard the poor creature took a turn for the worst..." "...such a poor soul..."
The veterinarian was crouched besides Lucille, trying to soother her as she soothed her beloved friend, and Nelly was on her other side, a tentative hand on her shoulder.
And amidst it all, Beastly. He lay on the hay, exhausted, his figure illuminated by the light of the lanterns. His eyes darted aimlessly, his pupils dilated, but there was a noticeable lack of the wildness they usually possessed. His breathing was shallow, his ribcage rising and falling quickly, and every breath sent the hay beneath his head scattering away. His silken black pelt was shined with sweat. Lucille was knelt before him, her back to Kiet and their company. She was gently stroking Beastly's face, sharing hushed whispers for his ears only. In the dull light of the flickering lantern, with her pale dress and marble skin, she appeared to almost glow slightly, a stark contrast to Beastly's shadowy form. Her words seemed to soothe the creature somewhat, but his ears still swivelled back and forth in distress.
At Kiet's entrance, the vet stood slowly, and at his expression, approached him with a grim look on his face. Reaching him, he was quick to explain the situation. "I'm afraid Beastly's in a bad state. The infection has spread, there's... nothing else for it." His lips pursed unhappily. Before Kiet could question him, Lucille leant forward, cradling Beastly's head with her hands. She closed her eyes, leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss between Beastly's eyes. A calmness seemed to flow through Beastly's body, almost as if he knew what was about to happen. He lay suddenly very still, and it broke her heart. She rose slowly.
People began to leave. Nelly turned, her face looked pale in the half-light. She caught eyes with Kiet, her eyes shining wih tears. "Oh... Kiet..." She muttered sadly, awash with sadness. She walked towards him, touching his arm. "Come, lets leave her to it."
[But whyyyy is it so bad? All will be explained ]
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Oct 27, 2014 3:13:22 GMT
Kiet moved forward slowly, his eyes taking in but not quite comprehending the scene before him. Beastly on the ground, Lucille beside him, the quiet about them all… His eyes moved to the veterinarian as he came up, a pained flashback to the original Niven. He’d had to put down a favorite horse because of a broken leg. This was a similar look.
Rather than being able to speak, his eyes simply moved back down to Lucille as she moved, feeling the sense of hopelessness he’d felt so many times before. As a lord, he’d been sheltered from having to take responsibility in such a situation. And as Nelly came up to him, she inadvertently did the same by pulling him away, he following her wordlessly out of the barn, not able to look back at the lady who was standing beside the once-proud horse. The sense of helplessness… what good was a title when he didn’t even know how to help properly?
Later on, Kiet could still not be found. He’d taken it upon himself to hide, evidently, making himself lost in the gardens, letter in hand. A letter that seemed to weigh more and more now that he’d proven to be just as useless outside his role as his father warned him of being. All he could see ahead of him was the scene as he had entered the barn, still trying to understand what could have happened. What could he have done differently…
(Saaaaad! But I'm eager to find out your explanation is! )
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 21, 2015 19:47:58 GMT
She lay, looking up at the canopy of leaves. The sun trickled around the edges as if it were trapped; trying to prise it’s way to freedom. It was done. Beastly was gone. She closed her eyes for a moment, sighed, and turned to her side, letting her arm drop. She felt the vast expanse beneath her, and somewhere, she thought she could hear Nelly calling for her. She quickly pulled her arm back up, the last thing she wanted was Nelly to spot her up this high.
After it had been done, Lucille had walked out of the stable as one in a trance. Nelly had let her go, thinking it best that she didn’t see them take Beastly away. It was bad enough that she had to witness any of this. She soon regretted her decision though, for Lucille could not be found for the rest of the afternoon, and now, the sun was setting, and still the girl was nowhere to be seen, and to make it worse Kiet was also missing. As a result, a strange hush fell over the household. There were no angry, raised voices, but with the absence of Kiet, also no laughter.
As the glow of light turned orange, Lucille finally tore her gaze away. Her eyes had finally stopped weeping, seemingly of no encouragement of her own. It was as if she had just run out of tears. Feeling numb she stiffly pulled herself up, and turned so that her back was now pressed up against the trunk of the tree. Gently, she swung her legs down, and began to climb down slowly. Reaching the ground, she looked towards the manor. The sun was setting behind it, the shadows of the extensive lawn growing larger with each passing second.
She began to walk, slowly, mournfully, when she caught glance of something. Or someone. She paused. She would recognize the dark skin anywhere, even from this distance. She began to walk more carefully, not wanting to alert him to her presence just yet. He looked... sorrowful. Why? She waited for the pang of indignant resent to come. But it didn’t. Strange.
She began to walk again, no longer concealing her presence. Walking... towards him. Why? She didn’t know. It just seemed the right thing to do. Before she could think twice, she had sat down next to him. Not a word passed from her lips, she just stared at the ground. Gently, slowly, hesitantly, she began to lean back, to relax in his presence. She didn’t know why. It just felt like what needed to be done.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Jan 21, 2015 20:06:01 GMT
Kiet didn't even notice Lucille until she was nearly upon him, nearly dropping the letter in surprise. He managed to crumple it in his attempt to hide it, a small gesture of paranoia. To his surprise, however, instead of being hissed at for some perceived slight, she sat down beside him. Settled herself. Beside him. Had it not been for his own feelings on the proud horse's end, Kiet would have been exceptionally suspicious.
As it was, his own actions quieted again, looking back towards the part of his jacket used to hide the letter. His eyes drifted over to the side, and in a manner that betrayed his playful facade, tried to show condolence. His fingers moved a little to rest gently on top of hers, a presence, something easy to throw off if desired. It said more than what his tight throat could.
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Post by Kelathi on Jan 21, 2015 20:27:57 GMT
She almost flinched when she felt the warmth, the soft press of his hand upon hers. She managed not to, but she did stiffen slightly. After a moment she pulled her hand away, but gently, almost as if she did not wish to offend him, as she might if she had simply whipped it away. She crossed her arms. It was not clear if she wished not to stay put because she disliked the contact... or because she rarely received it? Perhaps it was because her stomach had flipped with butterflies at his touch... The thought was stifled quickly before a blush could form. Now was the time to be mournful, not to be fawning like a child. She didn't even let herself question where the feeling had stemmed from, but let her thoughts sink back into their sorrowful state.
She breathed in deeply, and exhaled. “I don’t want to be here.” She muttered, looking up at the sky. It was changing slowly, and was now a dusky yellow instead of the fiery red. She turned her head slightly, looking up at Kiet, her blue eyes fixed on him. “Do you?”
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Feb 28, 2015 22:31:55 GMT
The moment she stiffened when he touched her hand had Kiet convinced he made a mistake, confirmed if somewhat subverted in how she gently withdrew. He pulled his gaze away from her as she crossed her arms, uncertainly biting at the tip of his tongue as he waited for... well, the usual explosion, really. But she was acting oddly - which, given the situation, was understandable, really - so he wasn't sure what she would actually do.
Asking him a question wasn't exactly at the bottom of the list, but it was pretty low. Kiet's wide eyes betrayed his surprise as he looked over to see her intent gaze on him. After a few moments, the surprise faded, softened. "I know of... of a place, that might be better than... than here, right now," he said slowly, seeing the lake and meadow clearly in his mind from his trip in finding the manor. A quiet place, mystical in its own way, which might be the needed distraction at the moment.
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Post by Kelathi on Mar 1, 2015 0:13:36 GMT
Her eyes lit up, enthralled by his words. Where was this place? She had to know. There was nowhere in the world she wanted to be less than the manor at this moment.
"Will you take me there?" she asked, her voice soft, but her eyes alive at the prospect of this mystery. Slowly, she sat up, anxious to leave, but ready for him to say something along the lines of, 'we can't go right this second'... or 'another time'... or something as such, like Nelly does, and then never speak about it again...
((Sorry so short!))
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Mar 1, 2015 0:25:47 GMT
(No worries! ^_^)
Rather than immediately suspecting some ulterior motive, Lucille seemed to jump at the opportunity. Literally. Her push to action got him to sit up a little more, twisting to balance on his knees as he watched her with a strange sort of intensity. "I can," he replied, slowly, then with an unexpected quirk of a smile added, "It's not far on foot." It was a strange sort of challenge, the same as his gaze, playful but purposeful. He was as eager to get away now as she was, as if he could run away from the pain, the weight of the letter he had been hiding since he arrived.
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Post by Kelathi on Mar 1, 2015 1:38:11 GMT
A glint in his eyes. A quirk in his smile. Playful mannerisms.
The rest of the household knew him for this, and Lucille had been too busy avoiding him and being jealous of his attention to see it properly directed at her... It was... nice. Suddenly, a grin broke onto her face. Just for a moment, she forgot her troubles. She hopped up. "Lets go now! Let's runaway!" she announced, giddy with excitement, like a child. She knew it would only be for a while, probably an hour or two at most, but she didn't care. She just wanted to do it. She needed to do it. An escape from reality... A respite! Before she started thinking about things again.
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Post by Red Irish Dragon on Mar 1, 2015 2:52:24 GMT
(momentary controllage... and short to give you a chance to respond heh)
The returned smile was all Kiet really needed even though he received more, jumping up just a moment after Lucille. "Before they can catch us!" he replied in kind with a mischievous laugh, grasping Lucille's hand before beginning to run. It truly felt like an escape, Kiet able to vividly remember outracing his father's servants while the dogs would be barking playfully alongside. This time there was nothing, no one to give him away... give them away. His path took them towards the forest, as the meadow itself was secluded, invisible from man-made paths. It would be perfect.
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Post by Kelathi on Mar 2, 2015 21:21:25 GMT
He had responded in kind, leaping up as she had. Then he had took her hand, and they were running back through the trees. Her heart was in her mouth, a grin on her face when suddenly... "Wait!" her feet screeched to a stop, causing Kiet to halt too. There was a pause.
"Don't we need to go towards the gate?" she asked, perplexed. Why were they running further into the forest? Sure, it was pretty, and there was a lot of it, she'd been in it enough times. But to leave, wouldn't they need to go the other way? Unless... did Kiet know of another way? Surely not... But her curiosity peaked.
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