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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Apr 9, 2013 5:53:30 GMT -8
So… this was it, huh? This was his little corner of the world, cooped up at the top of a glass tower? He held a box in his hands; perfectly rectangular, made of white fabric and not a single blemish on it. He barely remembered if he’d packed it, or when, and no matter how much he tried he could find no recollection of it. However, he was painfully aware of what was inside. The box seemed to weigh pounds, though it barely strained any muscles in his arms at all; it was light as a feather, the fabric soft on his fingers, and he couldn’t do anything but stare down at it. Kun Shui stood there in front of the wall that doubled as a window to the world; made entirely of glass, it made up one of the four walls of his room and offered a panoramic view of the city. He traced every silhouette with his eyes, easier now that everything was starting to get dark. The sun was going down, staining the city in dark, dusky colours and the waters of the ocean in bright reds and yellows and oranges. Los Angeles was nice, sure, but he always found that his mind ended the sentence with ‘but not nicer than Hong Kong’. His attention refocused on the small box, and wit a fair amount of trepidation, he lifted the cover off. Inside, nestled in a bed of red velvet, was a hand held folding fan. The fabric stretched between the bamboo slats was fine red silk, and waved into it in gold thread was the family crest; a crane with it’s wings encircling a lotus blossom. A symbol of luck for the family, he was told by the person who gave it to him. It had been a gift and a quiet congratulations when he was announced heir. Of course, for the longest time, everybody had known… though it was never said out loud until a couple of years ago. Jun Shi had actually smiled when he handed him the white box one night, saying it was a gift, and he wished him the best. It had been a very brief encounter, and he found that he barely remembered anything but the fact that his twin had given him the fan, and that he was smiling. Kun Shui had thanked him, then put it away on his desk, only to be glanced at during important occasions when something as ceremonial looking as the fan was necessary. Perhaps he wished he’d brought it out more often, just because. He’d never quite remembered his brother smiling like that ever again afterwards. So he’d packed it away with him when he was sent halfway across the world, living in a glass tower that had a wonderful view of the ocean and the rest of the city… not as nice as Hong Kong, though. The airplane ride, and then the trip from the airport had been spent in utter silence and sleep. He’d dozed just a little, but otherwise kept a quiet vigilant. He’d kept Lucien mostly at his side the entire time, but any attempt the redhead had made at small talk with him had ended in stony silence. Kun Shui had no time for chit chat, because even in the middle of moving, his world seemed to blur in a mess of black ink and fancy papers and signatures. The loft apartment was already furnished and tastefully decorated by the time he arrived. There were a couple of boxes that needed to be unpacked, but he’d dismissed the hired hands and told them to come back tomorrow; he didn’t feel like getting everything set up today. He had two days, maybe three to get everything settled, then he’d be right back to work. Where had Lucien gone? He closed the box, placing it gingerly at his bedside, then glanced out the door to his bedroom. There were honestly times when he wondered if the red haired man existed at all… then again, Lucien probably wondered the same thing about him.
May 1st, 9:30PM |
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Apr 9, 2013 18:30:20 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 1st, 9:30pm. notes: notes. It seemed to be a fairly common habit to claim that you had no control over your life, even when you did. Teenagers would complain their parents were too controlling. Young adults would complain their job was terrible. Lucien had never complained about that specific plight, but he'd certainly heard people say it during his time in France. He had never put much thought into it, and yet now, thinking back on it, it was a struggle not to wince at the thought. They'd really had no idea what having no control over their life was.
Not like he did. After all, he'd just flown thirteen hours straight from Hong Kong to LA on a private plane. That wasn't that bad--the fact that he'd done so on less than twelve hours notice was. He had no say in it, no choice of input in the matter. The only 'input' he'd had in the matter was whether he'd tried to pull Jun Shi's hands away from his neck, or if he'd simply have accepted the violence for what it was.
Just over twenty-four hours later, he was still feeling rather amazed that he'd mustered up the self preservation instinct to stop himself from dying. He really hadn't expected he still had it in him. He had no control--it seemed like the only control he had was his the fact that he'd apparently chosen to live.
Even if it didn't seem like the best choice at that moment. He'd had some vague hopes early on (right after he woke up, actually) that things would be different. Maybe Kun Shui was taking an interest in him. Maybe, just maybe, things would change. The car ride had largely snuffed out that little bit of hope. He'd made a few quick attempts at small talk, asking questions or making little comments, but none of them was answered.
So he'd arrived at the apartment in near absolute silence. There had been some light conversation between Kun Shui and the guards, mostly orders, and while Lucien understood them now, he didn't speak up. His tiny bag was moved into a room of his own, and it was there he'd stayed.
The room was nice--tastefully decorated if a bit more subdued than the rest of the penthouse. There was a little dresser and a little closet where he'd unpacked his clothes, and a little wooden desk to one side where he'd put his books. He'd put his toiletries in the bathroom, and after that, there'd been nothing else to unpack. He'd simply settled into the bed and selected a book.
It was hard to focus on it, considering that he essentially knew it by heart, and he was half hoping he might get a new book sometime soon. Other than that, he had few hopes or aspirations. |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Apr 9, 2013 19:16:34 GMT -8
Silence presided heavily over the small house on top of the glass tower. Everything was utterly dead; Kun Shui could actually hear the slight wind on the outside of the building, and his own breathing was the only other sound there seemed to be. He tried to listen and get a feel of the house, however; it was important for him to know exactly what was going on at all times. If he couldn’t see it, he’d need to hear it. Every single little creak of the floorboard or groan of a door, he needed to know where it was in the house, who else was in the house and their positions. The silence was stifling for a little while, Kun Shui straining to hear anything that was going on, before he thought he heard the sound of a page being flipped. Lucien, in his room, with a book or a newspaper or something. What else could’ve made that distinct paper-on-paper sound? He was wondering if he should even go and check up on him, just to make sure he hadn’t been traumatized too badly by the move. Thinking of Lucien, he was reminded of something else. He supposed that over the past few days he’d been rather kind to him, and actually spoke to him a little before they flew across the ocean and to a different country. He’d saved him from being choked to death, given him a higher collared shirt to cover up the bruises, gave him water… It was definitely more interaction he’d had with him for the past two years. He opened up a box he had sitting off to the side, digging through it briefly before coming out with a book with a hard cover, but only a title on the front. It was one of those sophisticated classics that one was supposed to display more than read, but he had it lying around. Perhaps it’d help him calm down a little more; he was aware that Lucien was very fond of reading, though he wasn’t entirely sure how deeply he was immersed in the worlds written on pages. Making his way down the hall, he found that his eyes flicked up and down, along the walls and into every nook and cranny. He was weary and jumpy, being in such a new place and not knowing all the ins and outs. Lucien’s room was a decent amount smaller than his own, and a little less decorated, but still very livable by all standards. He leaned in, eyes falling on the redhead. ”Good evening, Lucien.” His voice was soft, of course; there was no reason to be angry, even if he was anxious.
May 1st, 9:30PM |
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Apr 9, 2013 20:10:03 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 1st, 9:30pm. notes: notes. Lucien had no reason to be particularly wary in the new setting. Sure, he was however many thousands of miles from where he'd been the night before, but nothing had really changed. The setup was different, the room was a bit larger, and he had a glass wall, but nothing had really changed. He was still a hostage with diminishing value. He still was confined largely to the room. There was nothing else different, nothing really important. If anything, the most significant change was that getting English books would be far easier in LA than it had been in Hong Kong.
Right up until Kun Shui spoke to him, and Lucien very nearly shit his pants. It wasn't a thing. Kun Shui never visited his room. He didn't check up on him. At most, he might have glanced over at him once or twice, but even that was rare. And now he was just... well, just what? Coming into his room and greeting him and making Lucien practically fall out of bed. He jerked upright, trying to not panic too much as he ran a mental checklist, quickly adjusting the long robe he wore. No, he was fine--nothing embarrassing or out of place. Nor could he think of any reason that Kun Shui might have come in to check on him. To check on him? But why? He had never checked in on him in Hong Kong after all.
He sat up fully, and then changed his mind and opted to fully stand, giving a short little bow. He was desperate to be polite, already fearing retribution. His neck was still sore--was it the nail marks he'd almost certainly left on Jun Shi's hand? He shouldn't have scratched him at all. It had been a mistake, and his stomach twisted, suddenly convinced he'd pay for it.
"Good evening." Polite and formal, but never too forward. Obviously Kun Shui had a line of conversation in mind, and Lucien's own input would be secondary. |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Apr 10, 2013 5:13:56 GMT -8
He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, or if it was just so quiet in the house that he can actually hear Lucen’s heartbeat pick up wildly. It might’ve been just projected in his imagination, with the way the redhead jerked up so violently. He’d been expecting a bit of a startle, maybe a look of surprise, but not reacting like he was about to fall out of bed. Next came a string of jumbled actions, from fixing the robes he wore to hesitating between remaining seated and standing, until standing and a little bow finally won out. It could’ve been amusing, if he hadn’t been so anxious himself at the moment. He was blaming jet lag, really. It would’ve been nine in the morning back in Hong Kong. Kun Shui nodded in acknowledgment, but otherwise went silent for a few minutes. He was looking at Lucien, but he wasn’t quite seeing him; it was more of a pause in thought, gathering what he had in mind to say. Lucien was still wearing a high collar, so it wasn’t like he could check on the damage to his neck right away. Well, technically he could, but he was fairly sure Lucien was traumatized enough as it was, and having someone that looked identical to his assailant touch his neck again wouldn’t go over too well. But on another line of thought, who cared? If he wanted to touch Lucien’s neck, he had every right to do so. ”Here.” He stepped into the room and held out the plain looking book to him, bound in fabric with a patterned spine. It was in English; Shakespeare or something of the like, and he remembered having read the first bit of it vaguely before work swept him up and he let it collect dust. ”You may have it. It’s just decoration for my shelf, otherwise.” Kun Shui really had half a mind to ask him if he was alright, or if he needed anything, but he wasn’t a servant. The former was probably as far as he would get, but if Lucien wanted something, he’d likely call a servant for that… though they wouldn’t get here until tomorrow, at the least. There was food in the fridge and whatever else he would need was sitting around somewhere.
May 1st, 9:30PM |
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Apr 10, 2013 5:25:45 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 1st, 9:30pm. notes: notes. Did Kun Shui know how alarming it was to have someone inspect you for several minutes without a word? It was eerie. And while most people in his situation would have been constantly drawing similarities between Kun Shui and Jun Shi, Lucien wasn't. For him, the differences were more obvious. He'd seen every detail of Jun Shi's face a thousand times, and even with them so far apart, it was easy for him to spot the differences. The subtle little signs that differentiated the two. The clothing differences, the hair, the way they held themselves. There was certainly some amount of familiarity, but only a moments worth at a glance. After that first glance, the differences became obvious, and there was no more panic.
He really wasn't sure if he was relieved or not when Kun Shui finally spoke. At least the silence had finally been broken. At least he wasn't up for inspection quite as much anymore. Whatever he'd come in here to do he'd apparently already done, and when the book was offered, Lucien stared at it for several moments before reaching up and taking it. A book? He really couldn't remember having gotten anything from Kun Shui, but he was trying not to read too much into it. He was just getting rid of an old book. Perhaps trying to keep him complacent while things settled in. Did he think that Lucien was going to make a run for it during the transition? Because if so, he was far stupider than Lucien had thought. There was nowhere for him to go. He had no resources or allies. If he returned to France by some miracle, he'd be promptly shot and buried to avoid any more embarrassment to the Margaux. Those who had once allied with him had almost certainly moved on, and he doubted their allegiances if he were to return.
Thin fingers traced down the patterned spine, other hand holding the book still. He didn't know it--but then he'd never been one for literature before, and he had plenty of gaps in his knowledge. He might have been an avid reader then, but he hadn't been when he had access to all the books he might have wanted.
After another moment, he finally responded, feeling strange and awkward just for doing so. "Thank you." He said, simple and easy and so nervous it felt like he was going to be sick. There had to be something else, didn't there? Some ulterior motive. Why give him a book? Why bring him to LA when he'd never so much as looked at him before? There had to be something all behind it, and he suspected he wouldn't like what it was when he found out. |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Apr 10, 2013 5:37:19 GMT -8
Things weren’t settled, and they wouldn’t settle down for a while, even with him going back to work. He had two to three days before calls would start coming in and paperwork would start piling up and he’d have no choice but to get at it before it was too late. And in the meantime, he didn’t have a choice but to look after Lucien as well. Perhaps it would’ve been better to just hand him off to his twin and left him in Hong Kong. Maybe it was selfish to have brought him along, though he wasn’t thinking so much for Lucien’s well being as he was for his twin’s. Then again, he had a bit more freedom to spread his wings now, stretch his arms out, do work when he wanted to and not while his father was breathing down his neck. If he wanted to leave a report until later in the day, he could damn well do so. Maybe he’d actually have time to take a walk once in a while, instead of his legs going numb and his eyes dry from sitting and reading black ink on white paper for hours on end. Lucien took the book from him, and Kun Shui just stood there as he looked it over. His eyes were drawn to his hair; bright red and almost down to his waist, by this point. He was rather thin; perhaps he should put more food in the fridge. Maybe some time outside would help. Realistically, he didn’t have time to be caring for another person, but it wasn’t like he had a choice now. ”Are you feeling alright?” Lucien looked pale, but that could’ve been how he always was. To be quite frank, he had no idea what was ‘normal’ for the man and what wasn’t. He’d spoken a grand total of perhaps fifty words to him before today, and before that he’d only paid true attention to him maybe once, saying twice would be pushing it.
May 1st, 9:30PM |
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Apr 10, 2013 5:48:50 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 1st, 9:30pm. notes: notes. Nineteen words. Or was it twenty? Lucien hadn't even realized he was counting until now. Hands down it was more than Kun Shui had ever spoken to him in a single day. Words spoken around him, but not to him directly didn't count either. Hell, even when Kun Shui had announced they were moving, it had been to Jun Shi, not Lucien himself. He'd even counted the number of words yesterday--ten, give or take one or two. Which meant they'd probably doubled the number of words spoken to each other already.
Even so, the question was a hard one. Was he alright? He didn't know how to answer it. Was he alright? He supposed that physically he was fine--a bit bruised and a bit thin, but there was nothing wrong with him other than that. He wasn't sick. There wasn't anything directly wrong that Kun Shui didn't know about already.
Or did he mean mentally? That was an even trickier question to answer. He was a shadow of his former self and he knew it. His glory days were long since past. He'd actively considered letting Jun Shi just choke him out and put an end to it, but he'd fought back (what little he could manage) and he supposed that meant he wasn't actually depressed.
So while he wasn't good, he supposed that he was alright, and he gave a little nod to the affirmative before deciding that when Kun Shui asked him a question, he should probably answer verbally.
"I'm doing fine." He was tempted to add that he had 'nothing to report', but worried about coming off as too snarky. The only issue was his neck, and Kun Shui already knew about that. It would go away in a few days anyway. |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Apr 10, 2013 7:50:22 GMT -8
His eyes went back down to Lucien’s neck, a tall an stiff collar covering it up entirely. The bruises formed a ring around his throat, centered around the dip where Jun Shi had pressed his thumbs in. The bruises were ugly, and it would definitely raise questions at airport security, which was sure to cause more trouble. Covering it up had been the best course of action, but now he was slightly curious as to what it all looked like. He was fairly sure it was healing, and that if Lucien wasn’t dying already, there was nothing permanently wrong. Kun Shui nodded in turn, going quiet again as he considered it, then took a step closer, and then another, until he was standing about a foot away from the redhead. Slowly, as to not startle him, he reached out and brushed Lucien’s collar aside, pulling it down ever so slightly to reveal his neck. The bruises formed a spotty, purple ring all the way around, the darkest one being a spot right above his collar and at the dip of his throat. He regarded them quietly once again, taking down a mental summary before letting the collar fall back into place. ”It’ll heal soon enough. You’ll be fine.” He was sure of it, and if not, he’d have a doctor here in a moment. Losing Lucien wouldn’t have been too much of a loss, all things considered. His father wasn’t taking him back, he was fairly sure. Keeping him as insurance was obsolete, it felt like, and as far as France and the gangs there were concerned, he was already dead. It was the first time Kun Shui was showing any real concern for Lucien and his wellbeing, but he had no choice this time around. If he didn’t care for him, nobody else would, and it wasn’t like he had people he could readily hand him off to. Having a body on his hands so soon was counterproductive, anyways, and he was fairly sure he brought Lucien with him for a reason.
May 1st, 9:30PM |
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Apr 10, 2013 8:56:19 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 1st, 9:30pm. notes: notes. Lucien caught himself wishing that Kun Shui would leave. If he did, then everything could return to normal. He could sit back on his bed and thumb through the new book, and he might even feel a little bit happy about it. Jun Shi was an ocean away, he had a new book, and things weren't as dismal as usual. He supposed that meant that things might even be good--but only if Kun Shui would leave.
Only he didn't. If anything, he made things worse, moving closer to Lucien. Every step made Lucien stiffen, petrified. What was he doing? Finishing what his twin had started? His brain was screaming at him to run, that Kun Shui was a predator, but the more intellectual half told him that running wasn't going to help. Running would only get him hurt. If he just stayed still, everything would be fine. That little mental mantra seemed to wear thing when Kun Shui's hands went to his throat, but to his relief he seemed only interested in checking the bruising.
Even if he wasn't physically hurting him, Lucien didn't like him looking at them. The bruises felt private--like he was naked--and Kun Shui was being a voyeur. At least it didn't last too long, and it took every bit of effort he had not to step away when he finally let the collar go back into place, neck once again hidden.
He'd be fine. Had he been worried? For Lucien, there was only one appropriate answer--probably the one that Kun Shui was looking for, as far as he was concerned. Lucien was a hostage. Jun Shi was his brother, his twin. He had more value, and it was Jun Shi they were supposed to be concerned for.
"Are Jun Shi's hands okay?" He didn't particularly care, in truth, but he had to check anyway. It was almost certainly what Kun Shui would want to hear--that he was concerned for a Wei, not himself. |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Apr 10, 2013 19:07:24 GMT -8
Even when he drew his hands away, his eyes would occasionally flick down to his raised collar again. He may have not spoken to Lucien too much, but the redhead was still technically his, and now he was his to care for. He found himself thinking of him more along the lines of a dog or a bird or something. Lucien seemed lonely, so perhaps he’d get him a cat or something to amuse himself with. Then again, that might have been just how Lucien always was. On some level, it was a faint hint of worry. Once again, it went back to the fact that he was now the sole caretaker, and he needed Lucien alive and well, not dead or half starved or anything that would get him noticed… not like his red hair did that already. At the very least, Jun Shi kept it well cared for, and he’d probably made Lucien brush it on a fair basis. Speaking of which, Lucien brought his twin brother up. ”His… hands?” He raised an eyebrow at that, curious as to why he even asked. Perhaps Jun Shi had been closer to him than he thought? No wonder he hadn’t wanted Kun Shui to take him; maybe he’d actually pried them apart. What if they actually had a relationship? Kun Shui felt a very small, very faint, barely-there pang of guilt deep in his chest. So what if he forcibly separated them, then? Realistically, it wasn’t even his problem, but just because he was a triad heir and a businessman, didn’t mean he had some sort of morality deep down there… somewhere… ”I suppose they’re okay. I’ll ask him sometime tomorrow.” Early, likely; somehow they had to synch up their times or something to actually get time to speak to each other. He was eager to at least see his twin again; he had a webcam lying around somewhere. There were still plenty of things to organize, and he wasn’t too eager for it.
May 1st, 9:30PM |
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Apr 10, 2013 19:31:59 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 1st, 9:30pm. notes: notes. He supposed they were okay? Had they not spoken before leaving? He had assumed they would speak to each other, communicate in some way. Apparently not. Apparently Kun Shui had been madder than Lucien had first thought. He had assumed it was more of a 'don't kill it' without any real anger behind it. Apparently there was at least some anger, and his stomach twisted uncomfortably, suddenly uncertain. After a moment, he gave a tiny little nod.
"That's good." He had a feeling that if he'd done any serious damage to Jun Shi, he'd be paying for it in blood. A hand for a hand and all that.
"Thank you for the book again." It felt strange to be speaking to him so much--he kept expecting him to just walk away, tired of the conversation. The fact that he was still there was somewhat shocking. |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Apr 10, 2013 20:05:51 GMT -8
He gave him yet another little nod at the thanks, and then let the whole thing fall into silence. He was mostly okay with silence; it gave him more time to think, and more time to evaluate any situation he had. However, silence also leant to tense pressure, and he didn’t function too well when there was too much of that. He’d bite his nails and scratch his sides until he bled. Those were bad times, and no matter how much his psychologist was paid, he couldn’t do anything about it. He wasn’t even sure if there was anything he wanted, though. If Lucien wanted something, he’d have to tell him. He wasn’t used to his mannerisms or anything; he had no idea how he acted when he was hungry, or thirsty, or sleepy… If he wanted food, he’d have to tell him, unless he wanted to wait until his stomach was growling loud enough to hear. ”If you want anything, you’ll need to tell me.” He couldn’t read Lucien’s mind, and especially when he was so quiet on top of all that. He had work to do, too, so he’d likely be too busy to notice if he was in any sort of subtle distress until it was too late.
May 1st, 9:30PM |
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Apr 10, 2013 20:16:55 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 1st, 9:30pm. notes: notes. The question was enough to make his stomach flip. Or he supposed it wasn't a question--it was a statement. He had to tell him if he wanted things. Was he supposed to ask something? Was there something Kun Shui thought he needed, that he was just waiting for him to ask for? That had to be it. He'd never showed any interest in him before. Why now? What had changed?
The only thing, as far as he knew, that had changed was the choking. He'd seen it happen. Was that it? Was this a new thing? Had he just realized? That, at least, finally sunk into place. Kun Shui hadn't known. He had no idea that Jun Shi had taken an interest in Lucien. That explained much of his behavior--that of a man who hadn't previously realized something was attacking his pet.
It took every bit of willpower that he had to mention it, to speak it out loud, hands wringing together in front of him. "You didn't know about him, did you?" He doubted he'd answer him. It wasn't the sort of thing you admitted to. |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Apr 10, 2013 21:03:03 GMT -8
For the first few seconds, he was rather confused about what he was talking about. Did he know about him? What didn’t he know about his own twin brother? They practically read each other’s minds, for goodness sake. They often finished each other’s sentences when in the same conversation, which got irritating at times, but now he found that he missed it when he was an ocean away from home. Homesickness was never a thing because he’d never been sent away from home for so long; travelling for a couple of days to a meeting or two was different than having his address moved. ”I…” It clicked a second later, and he suddenly went quiet again. Oh. Well. So they were lovers, or at least had some sort of relationship, then? Kun Shui probably did tear them apart, then. He tilted his head a little to the side, frowning. Well, he supposed that was one thing he never knew about Jun Shi… Now would he have to send him back to him? That wasn’t exactly preferred, but… ”I can’t say that I did.” Another little pause, and then adding to it. ”If I took you two apart, then I apologize. I may try to get you back, when I have time.” No promises, and even if he had time, he might just not feel like doing it. Realistically, he made no promises to anybody but family… blood family, that was. Lucien wouldn’t quite be considered that, after all. However, Jun Shi was, and if having Lucien far away from him was making him unhappy, then he might’ve made a bit more of an effort to send him back to Hong Kong.
May 1st, 9:30PM |
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Apr 11, 2013 9:19:12 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 1st, 9:30pm. notes: notes. Lucien had expected the frown. It was a lot to frown about. Jun Shi's interest in him wasn't exactly positive. It was demeaning and cruel, and he hadn't expected Kun Shui to just accept it. In fact, he was still waiting for the other man to call him a liar and leave, confining him to his room more. The fact that he hadn't protested came off a bit odd to Lucien. He kept expecting yelling or anger--well, on second thought, Kun Shui didn't seem like the yelling type. He seemed like the quietly simmering while plotting your murder type. But he hadn't even seen signs of that.
The 'I can't say that I did' was slightly comforting. He hadn't expected Kun Shui to admit to ignorance after all. He sure as hell wouldn't if a similar situation had come up years ago. He seemed almost humble by comparison, which was making Lucien feel even more wary.
Right up until Kun Shui said, of all things, he'd try and reunite them. Lucien wasn't making even an attempt to work out what Kun Shui had thought. Whatever he thought, it was wrong. Terribly wrong. Absolutely wrong. The absolute last thing Lucien wanted to do was go back to Jun Shi. He'd kill him--if he was lucky. If not, it would just mean more years of torment.
The relationship between the two of them was confusing and complex. It was incorrect to say something as simple as 'Lucien didn't like Jun Shi'. Lucien was well aware that if Jun Shi hadn't been around, he probably wouldn't still be either. He'd have gone mad years ago. Humans weren't meant to be cooped up for so long without any interaction, and without anything to do. If Jun Shi hadn't been visiting, he'd have lost his mind, locked in a small room with absolutely nothing to intellectually stimulate him. Even if Jun Shi had been cruel when he'd visited, and even if Jun Shi had picked apart all the confidence he'd had, Jun Shi had given him books. Jun Shi had kept him sane.
Even with all that, there was absolutely no way that he was going back. He wouldn't. He refused. He'd rather die than go back to him, especially with Kun Shui staying behind. Kun Shui was likely the reason he was still alive--Jun Shi couldn't risk killing someone that didn't actually belong to him.
The old Lucien was all plans and plots, and had been full of confidence. He'd have impressed upon Kun Shui how important it was that he stayed there--that he was to be Kun Shui's companion first and foremost, and to be sent back to Hong Kong would only bring embarrassment.
Lucien was not that person anymore. While some behaviors held over, he had long ago lost the confidence that let him be so smooth and self assured. Instead, he panicked, face shifting into panic and then out as he tried to cover it up, struggling to bury the sudden horror he felt. He simply wasn't good enough to hide it perfectly--not after being so startled, the whole thing effectively jumped on him.
"No!" He blurted out before thinking about it, before rapidly trying to cover it up that sounded less horrifyingly insulting. "I mean, I like it here--the view is nice." Which had to be the view from his window, because the only other view he'd gotten of LA was from the back of a car driving through traffic on their way there. His stomach twisted uncomfortably, suddenly worried he'd insulted him. Or worse--what if he sent him back anyway? |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Apr 11, 2013 11:56:10 GMT -8
To be fair, Kun Shui never actually knew how Lucien was all those years ago. The few times he’d had to interact with him before he was held a hostage was fleeting at best, and then it was a requirement to be polite and generous. None of it had been real, it turned out. Though the Wei family had been accommodating and extremely friendly, it soon turned out that the Margaux had less diplomatic things in mind when they sent their oldest son. Thankfully, his father had been smart enough to understand that a full-fledged war would be underway if he didn’t act quickly. Still, even after just a day, he was beginning to get a feel of how Lucien acted… and he was very reactive, to say the least. The Lucien he’d met before was fairly calm, but that had gone out the window over the past two years, apparently. The way his face seemed to immediately brake into a horrified grimace was rather telling. So perhaps they weren’t lovers, like he’d thought. He doubted they had any two-sided, functioning relationship from his reaction. So what was it, then, and why was he asking about Jun Shi’s hands if he was so horrified of the prospect of going back? The sudden protest made him blink, but otherwise he remained utterly still. He could’ve been an excellent model for some art student, the way he always stood dead still with the only evidence of him being alive was his faint breathing and occasional blinking. His facial expressions could really be summed up with neutral, mildly amused and mildly irritated, much to the chagrin of the majority of the people he met, though it was good for business. Of course, if his outburst hadn’t been telling enough, the very blatant lie he told him would’ve cemented it. ”…the view?” And he sounded incredulous as he asked, not believing the only reason he wanted to stay was a nice view of the skyline through a glass window that covered a wall. He was fairly aware that he hadn’t actually been outside in the past year or so, but claiming he wanted to stay just for the view was a bit much.
May 1st, 9:30PM |
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Apr 11, 2013 12:29:59 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 1st, 9:30pm. notes: notes. By the time Lucien had finished saying it, he was almost entirely convinced that Kun Shui knew he was lying. Once upon a time he could have convinced someone the sky was green with only the faintest of effort, but now he was struggling to tell even the most basic of lies. He didn't even have to lie. He just had to exaggerate the truth to convince him not to send him back. Only he had lied, because he really couldn't have given less of a damn about the view, and now he was going to have to carry on with it, or else trip over himself as a result.
Kun Shui was just so impassive--it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. Was he angry? Was he annoyed? Did he honestly not give a damn? Lucien took a few moments to try and compose himself, struggling to come up with something better to say then 'he liked the view'.
"Well, it's quieter here." Which was true. It wasn't packed with servants and guards. It might be busier later, but right then it was fairly quiet. So technically it was true.
"And the view is... new. The change is nice." Well, at least that was true. He liked the change. Change had the chance to be positive, and he was fairly sure it was positive. After all, Jun Shi wasn't there anymore. That was better to begin with, and the room was bigger, and he had a new book. Why not? Everything seemed to be going better already. |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Apr 11, 2013 12:57:17 GMT -8
Kun Shui operated very much on the basis of ‘fool me once’; he didn’t like being lied to, and once he caught on, actually trusting a person was harder to procure. Hell, his trust was very much like an eraser; the more mistakes a person made, the more it disappeared. Maybe Lucien was just new, or he was having a hard time figuring out why Kun Shui was even interacting with him after two years of barely remembering he existed. He gave him a bit of the benefit of the doubt at this point; he was just nervous, that was all. For some reason, he didn’t want to go back. Was that really his business? Yes, yes it was. Even as Lucien spoke, his frown deepened ever so slightly; the corners of his lips bent down maybe a fraction and little more. It was enough to make a very subtle difference that Lucien may or may not notice, but it was there. The rest of what he was saying was just filler, really; other reasons here and there that didn’t quite matter. A view was nice, sure, and quiet was also nice… but not quite enough to make a person want to stay a sea away when somebody they were supposedly worried about was on the other side. ”I expect that it is.” A lot nicer than the walls of his old room, though he still looked no more amused than he had before. ”Though… I do expect you to be honest with me.” Completely honest, really. If there was something wrong, no matter how private or intimate it was, he’d have to tell him. They were the only two in the house, and though he did plan on letting Lucien out once in a while to do whatever he wanted, he was still dependent on him. It was very much like raising a pet that had a mind to run away.
May 1st, 9:30PM |
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Apr 11, 2013 13:26:07 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 1st, 9:30pm. notes: notes. Lucien had spent his life reading people--spotting when they lied and when they told the truth. While he'd certainly gotten worse at it over time, it was still easy enough to tell that Kun Shui was suddenly upset. He resisted the urge to shiver and draw back--that was his instinct now. Once he'd have stood tall and kept with it, and at the moment he just wanted to run away as fast as possible. Maybe he could hide in his closet? He could certainly fit, but he had a feeling that if he abruptly bolted and hid in the closet, Kun Shui would only get ore upset with him.
Lucien actually shivered slightly when Kun Shui dropped that little honesty bomb. He knew that he was lying--and was expecting full disclosure. The problem was that full disclosure wasn't just going to work. Kun Shui likely wouldn't believe him if he did tell the truth, and even if he did believe him, he'd just be offended. Jun Shi was his brother--his word was going to carry infinitely more value than Lucien's was.
Which meant he was going to have to walk the fine line, and he did his best to do so while his stomach twisted even tighter into a little knot.
"Jun Shi liked to.." He paused, struggling to find a way to phrase it that didn't come off as insulting. Torment? Humiliate? After a few moments he simply gave up and said what came to mind. "Remind me of my position." Or lack of position, which technically was what he'd been doing. |
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