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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Sept 15, 2013 9:33:40 GMT -8
tagged: name. time: date & time. notes: notes. He didn't know what to do in the end. The hand finally let him go, and he drew back slightly, letting himself support his own weight once more. He wasn't sure if he should stay, should linger until dismissed, or if he should retreat to his room. He knew what Jun Shi would want, and in the end he went with that. They were different, yes, but it was the option less likely to upset him, less likely to cause him to lash out again.
His eyes stayed down, his head stayed down, and the tears didn't stop. They were silent at the very least, not yet at the point of wracking sobs. For him, it felt like everything was just over. Kun Shui wouldn't ever forgive him for almost dialing. Why even bother? |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Sept 15, 2013 9:43:27 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux time: May 13th. 7AM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - Lucien looked so pathetic, and Kun Shui softened just a little. His anger had simmered down, and now he just stood there in the silent house; not even the chef made any sort of noise, the maids knew to keep out of sight and any housekeep of any other nature kept the hell out of the way.
”…you may go.” That was probably all that was needed for Lucien to go scampering. He’d let him calm down in his room a little while, and maybe try to speak to him again during dinner, when the both of them were just slightly calmer. |
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Sept 15, 2013 10:06:39 GMT -8
tagged: kun shui. time: may 13th, 7pm. notes: notes. It was more then enough to send him scampering. He gave a little bob of his head that might have been taken as an acknowledgement and then backed away. He made it five steps shuffling backwards before he turned, walking to his room. It took all he had to keep an even pace, to not simply sprint there.
He did not emerge for lunch, and as the hours ticked on it became obvious that he wasn't going to be emerging for dinner, either. He was half dedicated to starving himself--to simply lying there until he died and everything was over with. He knew he wouldn't be able to manage it though. There was no way he'd be able to endure that long. Maybe the next morning he'd emerge to try and eat, not mentioning that anything had ever happened.
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Sept 15, 2013 10:39:50 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux time: May 13th. 7PM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - Kun Shui went about his day in a very regular fashion. He finished off his (now cold) tea, finished reading the paper and called for the chef to clear away the plates. All things considered, everything had returned to a cozy sort of normal and nobody bothered with it much more than that. Still, Kun Shui was well aware that he’d have to spoil Lucien rotten sooner or later for that; of course he was justified in being angry at him, but he thought he could’ve handled it better. Hair pulling and yelling was childish. On the other hand, Lucien could’ve potentially caused a straight up gang war if he’d pressed the call button.
The redhead didn’t come down for lunch, and he let it be as he ate alone. It wasn’t much different than the first few days or, hell, most of his life back in Hong Kong. Eating alone was regular and normal, aside from eating with family or associates or clients. He thought of sending a plate up to Lucien, and then decided against it. If he was hungry, then he’d come down.
Work preoccupied him, as it usually did. He barely remembered the fight at all as he was drowned in calls talking about stocks of Company A compared to the stocks of Company B, and what he should invest in. Even when he got a call from his dad’s secretary, informing him about an email that he’d really need to look over, he barely faltered. His dad would likely want to know about what Lucien had done…
By the time dinner rolled around, the maid finally told him that the chef had it prepared and he should come down. He still wasn’t hungry; starving himself was a regular habit, but he decided to head down anyways… Well, not before telling the maid to go fetch Lucien. |
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Sept 15, 2013 11:04:37 GMT -8
tagged: name. time: date & time. notes: notes. He stirred at the knock at the door, hearing a feminine voice calling in Mandarin for him to come. He responded after a moment, forcing himself out of bed with his good hand. There would be no time for moping then. He was expected to go to dinner. He drew himself from the bed, changing his robe for a fresher one. He did his best to make himself presentable, taking a brush to his hair and scrubbing at his face with a cloth before he finally emerged, closing the door behind him with a light snap as he headed towards the kitchen.
His face was blank, impassive. He'd already told himself he wouldn't cry again. He'd just be normal, distinctly neutral. Even more neutral then had been at previous meals, and he practically glided into the dining room. He didn't look directly at Kun Shui, eyes dancing around the edges of him before dropping, and he moved to his usual seat, taking it without a word. |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Sept 15, 2013 13:52:45 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux time: May 13th. 7PM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - He waited for Lucien to come down before calling for the food. After all, it was only polite to have everything out and start eating when everyone was present. Well, everyone was only two people for the night, and he sat in silence as the maid went off to call or Lucien to come down for dinner. He wondered briefly whether or not Lucien would comply. Would he just refuse, insisting on starving himself? Probably not.
And, as predicted, he didn’t. Kun Shui watched as he made his way down the stairs, his robes making him look like he was gliding rather than walking. He looked like he’d cleaned himself up, washed his face, changed, brushed out his hair… made himself look presentable, of all things. Well, wasn’t like he was protesting.
He waited until Lucien took his seat before calling for the food, and in a few minutes time, everything was put in front of them. Lucien looked passive nonetheless, but at least he wasn’t crying anymore. He did look rather dreary, though.
Kun Shui sensed that this dinner would be a quiet one.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Sept 15, 2013 14:04:48 GMT -8
tagged: name. time: date & time. notes: notes. It was going to be a quiet one. There was no way around that. He knew the routine, new the little steps. There was no police conversation as there had been before. He ate, his manners perfect, and his eyes never once raised. There was no point in looking up at Kun Shui. He knew what he was thinking. He was almost certainly wondering why he bothered, why he even made an attempt to eat with him. No matter what Lucien was doing, he was almost certainly doing it wrong. At the moment he was probably 'sulking', and for a moment he actually felt a surge of anger just thinking it.
He couldn't do anything right. Not one single thing. He'd chosen not to call, made what he thought was the right decision, and in the end he'd been punished for even considering it. What had he expected? Had he thought that Lucien was the same heartless monster he'd once been, who hadn't cared one bit for his family, who wouldn't want to call them, to warn them? His lips pressed in a tight line as he fought to control himself, but even so it was hard. He was pathetic, and it was hard to cling to the things that were still good when they were so few and far between, if they existed at all.
The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, and when he finished he laid his cutlery down beside a clean plate. He considered asking to be excused, but it was too familiar. He'd already asked once that day, and his scalp still stung from the pain he'd gone through because of it. Better to just wait to be told to leave. |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Sept 15, 2013 14:22:34 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux time: May 13th. 7PM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - Lucien was downright sulky, wasn’t he? Had he been honestly so traumatized by a bit of hair pulling that he decided shutting up and starving would be a better route? Well, at least he was actually accepting food… Better than to completely refuse it and go hungry for who knew how long. Jun Shi would’ve just told him to let him go hungry for a couple days and see him turn right back around, but Kun Shui figured it wasn’t the best way to get him to come out again.
Kun Shui ate, though he was far from clearing his plate when he decided that he was done. Lucien had cleared off his plate, but because of all the stressors of the day, Kun Shui definitely left a couple of things. He hadn’t scratched at himself yet, at least. Well, perhaps that’d happen later, when he was alone in the night and he had time to think of things.
He eyed Lucien for a second. He was sulky as ever; if Kun Shui had ever been like that to his parents, he’d quickly be accused of being spoiled and given a good smack for it. They were both right back to square one, weren’t they? Both wary of each other, with so little trust that it could so easily be broken. Perhaps it had never been there in the first place.
He made a faint sound, perhaps a sigh. ”You may go.”
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Sept 15, 2013 14:31:05 GMT -8
tagged: name. time: date & time. notes: notes. He was dismissed. He nodded once, standing upright and turning immediately to go to his room. There was no lingering, no small talk. He simply returned to his room, sat on the bed, and cradled his injured hand in his lap.
Three days ago, Kun Shui had squeezed his hand and helped him through the pain. Now they were little more then strangers, not speaking to each other and incapable of even discussing things. It had all started because of his concern. He'd been worried that Kun Shui wasn't eating (and he still wasn't--his plate had been half full when they finished), and he'd tried to ask him about it. It had been a stupid, pointless sentiment, founded on the stupid idea that they were friends. They weren't. They were barely even acquaintances.
After ten minutes of sitting in his own misery, Lucien decided there was nothing he could do. He reached over, grabbing one of the few books he hadn't read yet, and nuzzled under the sheets to get back to it.
At least it would be a nice distraction. |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Sept 15, 2013 17:08:45 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux time: May 13th. 7PM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - He watched Lucien’s back as he disappeared up the stairs, down the hall and likely to his room. Kun Shui called for the food to be taken away, bare plated or not. The chef brought out another tea for after dinner, and he moved over to the main room, where one wall was made completely of glass. A couch invited him, and he sat down, sipping away as he seemed to consider the skyline that was laid out before him.
It was pretty; gradually darkening shapes with little twinkles in them that were silhouetted against a navy sky. He could’ve sat there for another while, perhaps contemplating things and thinking everything over. He didn’t need time to think though; he needed distractions, or else he’d start clawing at himself until nothing was left of him. Still, this late in the night, the only distraction offered was answering to various emails, and he definitely didn’t want to do that.
He gave in eventually; another half hour, then he got up and left the mug of tea on the table as he went upstairs to get dressed for bed, settle down for the night perhaps, check his emails one more time and then read. However, as he headed up the stairs, he couldn’t help but pause by Lucien’s door.
Kun Shui just stood there and stared at it, probably for far too long. Why did he feel that need to care, anyways? Well, he was mildly worried for Lucien’s well-being because if he died or something, he’d be the one that had to clean up the body.
He knocked on the door once, stepping back and waiting.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Sept 15, 2013 17:13:38 GMT -8
tagged: name. time: date & time. notes: notes. There was a knock at the door, and Lucien instinctively closed his book, saving his page with a bookmark and setting it on the table. It was only once the book was set down that he realized something was wrong. The maids and staff simply knocked and called through the door, and he'd simply assumed it was one of them. Perhaps coming to fetch the laundry or something. Only there was no call--just the knock and then silence, waiting for an answer.
Which meant it was Kun Shui. He hadn't expected him to respect the sanctity of his room, but he was. He had let Lucien answer on his own terms, and while he doubted that Kun Shui would go away if he told him too, he had still made a small effort. He hesitated, then pushed himself off the bed, stepping over to the door rather then calling out. He opened it carefully, trying to blank his face and probably coming off as more confused then anything.
"Kun Shui?" At least he was looking at him, having largely forgotten he'd been trying not to do so in his hurry.
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Sept 15, 2013 17:19:13 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux time: May 13th. 7PM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - Kun Shui waited, and waited, and then waited some more. He was actually considering knocking again, or forgoing that entirely and just stepping in as he usually did. He didn’t knock on a regular basis in the first place, so why the hell was he doing it now? Because Lucien was probably still sulking, that was why. If he wanted some private time, he’d let him have it. At least, just for today.
There was no need. Lucien answered the door soon enough, peeking out from around it as if he were a mouse. Was he still frightened? Had they reverted back to step one all over again, and he’d need to coax and spoil him once more to get him out from his room?
”I wanted to make sure you were alright.” And not just curling up and crying on his bed, or worse, though he didn’t quite have the conventional tools in his room to off himself. Still, there were plenty of options if he was desperate enough.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Sept 15, 2013 17:22:27 GMT -8
tagged: name. time: date & time. notes: notes. He was... checking in on him? He hesitated, unsure. What did that even mean? He didn't know how to answer it, or even how to respond. Was he checking if he was physically alright? Emotionally? Why did he even care? He was a bother, a waste of space. He hesitated for several long moments, then stepped back, giving Kun Shui room to come in if he wanted to. Technically Lucien's room was Kun Shui's, and if he wanted to come in, he could.
"I'm... alright." As good as he would ever be, as far as everything seemed to be concerned. Quiet and withdrawn, newly aware of his position. He'd forgotten, and he'd paid for it. He knew better, and it would be a few days before he even asked if he could go outside once again. Maybe he'd be able to earn the privilege again with good behaviour.
Technically Kun Shui had never taken it away, but he was sure that he'd meant to, that it went without saying. |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Sept 15, 2013 17:33:15 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux time: May 13th. 7PM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - He stepped in as Lucien stepped back from the door, taking a glance around. As always, he was wary when entering a room, even if he knew that there was absolutely nothing going on in there. Lucien didn’t have a posse he could call to hide out in the closet to shoot him when he came in, after all. He had nothing if Kun Shui wished him to have nothing, and technically, all the things in the room were his.
His eyes lingered on the box sitting on the desk; the white box with the Wei family crest burned into the front. That thing had caused too much trouble, hadn’t it?
Lucien was quiet, but he supposed that was to be expected. Kun Shui sighed, sounding quite tired all the sudden, but not sowing anything else. ”I just wanted to make sure.” Another little pause, just staring at him. ”You were very quiet during dinner, and you didn’t come down for lunch.”
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Sept 15, 2013 17:39:56 GMT -8
tagged: name. time: date & time. notes: notes. Aside from the fan and his books, Lucien really did have nothing. People liked to say that they had nothing, or that they packed light, but with Lucien it was entirely true. He had no computer, no wallet, no money, no ID. He'd had a phone, but that was now gone. He had a bed (which wasn't his), a desk with his books, a small nightstand, and then a closet full of clothes that seemed to change constantly, whether he wore them or not. He had nothing to carry with him but books, and even those remained on his desk the vast majority of the time. The collection was small but growing, and it was safe to say that aside from the fan that had caused him so much anguish, they were his only posessions.
He wanted to sit on the bed, but he resisted the urge. Instead he stayed standing, trying to be respectful. Despite everything, he still felt a faint pang of sadness and worry when Kun Shui finally spoke. He sounded so tired.
"I... I'm alright. I was just... upset." Wallowing in his own sadness might have been a more accurate way of putting it, but there was no point in emphasizing it. He was fine now. He'd accepted it and moved on. |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Sept 15, 2013 17:50:45 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux time: May 13th. 7PM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - Just upset, huh? Well in that case, they’ve both always been upset. Kun Shui had a tendency to be quietly upset, and his brother to explode… But that wasn’t so much of his issue, now was it? Lucien needed to be worried over at the moment, so he tried to focus on that instead. His headache at least began to subside since he stopped fuming, so one good thing came out of their little spat.
Kun Shui sighed, letting his shoulders droop a bit. Yeah, he did look exhausted. The day had been long, he’d barely eaten anything, and he’d distracted himself entirely with work to the point where he’d yet to shower. He still looked tidy, though. Exhausted, but clean. It was a trademark of anybody that was worth anything; always look clean cut, even in your sleepwear, or at home.
”Well… I apologize, then.” He hesitated for a second, wondering if he should elaborate. He doubted he needed to; Lucien had been plenty traumatized by that, hadn’t he? ”For yelling at you. I shouldn’t have.”
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Sept 15, 2013 17:58:10 GMT -8
tagged: name. time: date & time. notes: notes. Kun Shui looked like he'd been run into the ground. He still technically looked business presentable, his clothes clean and tidy, but his body itself looked like he was about to collapse. He should have slept rather then spending his time checking on him, and Lucien found his lips pressing into a tight line, worry on his face even if it wasn't on his lips.
What came next was entirely unexpected. He paused, vaguely wondering if he'd just hallucinated that. Had he... had he apologized? Apologized for it? He hesitated, trying to come up with an answer even if he didn't want to drag it out unnecessarily.
"You shouldn't... have to apologize." He was being careful, trying to word things in the least insulting way possible. "I shouldn't have dialed. It was... it was wrong of me to do it." It felt strange to say it that way. He didn't really feel bad for what he'd done, but he felt bad for Kun Shui's reaction--that he'd been so stressed and worried about it. He hadn't eaten right, and Lucien was fairly sure he hadn't slept right the night before either.
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Sept 15, 2013 18:17:48 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux time: May 13th. 7PM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - Well, he had pushed Lucien to tears, so he felt that it was enough to warrant an apology. Hell, he’d grabbed his hair and started shaking him around, and if he’d gotten any angrier, he’d have started smacking him around. Thankfully that hadn’t happened, but it was a fair chance that it would sometime in the future. He just needed to let Lucien know that it was only partially his fault this time around; a combination of stress, lack of food, lack of sleep and an agitator did that.
”Well, you seemed very upset.” Very, very. He’d been crying. A lot. ”You shouldn’t have tried to call, but I suppose I could’ve handled that better.” A lot better. Hell, he could’ve just taken a couple of deep breaths, rubbed his temples some, popped an advil and walked away. But no, he had to flip out at him, didn’t he?
”But if you’re alright… I’ll leave you alone to rest now, if you want.” He wasn’t even sure what else to say to him. He’d apologized, and he felt a bit bad about what he’d done.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Sept 15, 2013 18:28:25 GMT -8
tagged: name. time: date & time. notes: notes. It was scary, in a way. He couldn't decide what to do. He wanted to say things, to pour his heart out. He wanted to tell him the truth--that he'd been worried, that he still was. Kun Shui wasn't eating well, wasn't sleeping well. It was obvious he was going to make himself sick, and Lucien could see it coming from a mile off.
It didn't matter, because there was no way to say those things. He couldn't risk saying it all, couldn't pour his heart out when the last time he'd done so he'd ended up with a hand in his hair and tears in his eyes. He knew better, and he hesitated, unsure of what to say.
He glanced down, opting to say as much, eyes reaching the floor. "I just... don't know what to say." Which was as accurate as anything he'd said.
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Sept 15, 2013 18:51:23 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien Margaux time: May 13th. 7PM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - It was obvious that Lucien was thinking about something. He just had an air to him, either that, or he’d been around him too much. It was just the way he looked that made it obvious that he was deep in thought, or debating something with himself. He just always shifted around when he got nervous in thought; foot to foot, more or less, standing in one place and staring down at the ground.
Still, Kun Shui tried to grin a little and managed halfway when Lucien admitted that he had no idea what to say. At least he was being honest. It’d be a while yet before he managed to boil over so badly, so he was safe for now, at least. Better than with Jun Shi, who likely got much angrier much more often.
”Well, I think you should rest. You’ve been through a lot.” He almost wanted to reach out and brush his hair back, just to let him know what he wouldn’t be pulling it again. Still, that didn’t feel right, and Lucien would likely cower, thinking he was going to give it another yank.
”I’m glad you’re alright, though.”
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