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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Oct 20, 2013 16:35:09 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 14, 8AM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - Lucien almost immediately looked different. It was as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders, and he was perky almost immediately. He did look like he’d been crying because he definitely had, but there was a small smile there that didn’t need to try and convince him that he was alright. Kun Shui was relieved, that bit of guilt in his chest melting away when Lucien picked up the utensils.
His appetite had returned, and he ate quickly, much to Kun Shui’s relief. If he started to starve himself, Kun Shui had a huge array of things he could do to get him to eat, none of which were particularly pleasant. How did he know? The same techniques had been used on him when he was younger by family who got concerned when he stopped eating at around exam time because of all the stress.
”Good. You have your appetite back, then.” If only his would return soon, and his once-or-twice-daily headaches would begin to melt away as his concern did. There was too much going on all at once, and the stress was draining.
”Here, let me take a look at your hands.” The pinky was still in bad condition no doubt, but the new smaller cuts were concerning as well.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Oct 21, 2013 13:15:53 GMT -8
tagged: name. time: date & time. notes: notes. He was no longer worried for himself, and that gave him enough time to worry about Kun Shui. Was he alright? It was obvious he'd been stressed before, and Lucien was suddenly worried about how he was taking it. He seemed alright, but he'd just learned a horrible secret. It remained to be seen if he'd be able to manage it or not. There was no telling what he'd do--if he'd confront Jun Shi with it, or simply let it rest and make a point of keeping Lucien safe without letting Jun Shi knew.
For that matter, Lucien couldn't begin to imagine how Jun Shi would react when he found out that Kun Shui knew. Anger, probably, but the question remained as to who he'd be angry at. Lucien for revealing it? Kun Shui for not handing Lucien over? Maybe both. Actually, now that he thought about it, both was pretty much guaranteed. Jun Shi always looked for excuses to enact revenge on people, and what a better reason then this?
When Kun Shui asked, he held out his hands, palms up as he let his fingers unfold. The crescent wounds were small and would heal in time, and the amount of blood was minimal. At most, it needed a bandage and some antiseptic spray, but there was no real cause for concern. Especially not when Kun Shui would know why he'd done it.
"They'll be fine. I just squeezed a bit too hard." He did his best to sound reassuring as he said it, not wanting Kun Shui to worry over something that was so minor. |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Oct 23, 2013 15:02:16 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 14, 8AM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - His hands were delicate, probably having not seen a day of work in their lives, and he made sure to handle them with care as he looked them over. Yes there was nothing much; just a scratch or two that seeped a few drops of blood then stopped. His nails had cut in, but little more. ”Yeah, they look like they’ll be okay.” He held Lucien’s hands lightly; heck, he didn’t even have his fingers wrapped around. He just let Lucien’s hands sit on top of his open palms, surveying before letting him go, standing up himself.
”I do expect you to eat lunch. Perhaps not with me, if you don’t want to, but I want you to eat.” Would he even get the chance to? Kun Shui was busy as hell, and he might not even have the time to have a meal with him. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be taken the wrong way if he said he couldn’t later.
”I have to go back to work.” He said simply, knowing there was little more that needed to be said on the matter. ”Is there anything else you need before I go?”
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Oct 23, 2013 19:11:29 GMT -8
tagged: name. time: date & time. notes: notes. Lucien shook his head. Why wouldn't he eat lunch with him? His fears had been calmed. Even if he was technically worse off then an hour before physically, he felt a thousand times better. He gave him another timid little smile. "If you aren't busy with work, then I'll eat with you. I'll eat in the dining room." Just as he always had before the fight, ever since Kun Shui had lured him out of solitude with the promise of food. There was no reason to hide in his room, and he'd make an effort to be at the table on time, even if Kun Shui might be too busy with work.
He shook his head once. "No. Thank you for... for everything."
---
Lucien did make it down for lunch, but Kun Shui didn't. He made it down for dinner as well, but one of the staff informed him in polite cantonese that Kun Shui was too busy--he'd eat dinner in his office while working. It had been a bit of a sad coincidence, but he had understood. Work came first--and Kun Shui had already spent plenty of time with him that day. For the rest of the day he'd sat on the balcony reading, and when it had grown too dark to read, he'd set the book in his lap and looked out over the city with his thoughts.
There was a lot to think about. What he thought of Kun Shui, what he expected would become of his life. Kun Shui was a busy person, but he'd still come out of his way to find Lucien, to make sure that he was alright. He was a thousand times kinder then Lucien had ever been, and Lucien felt an instinctual need to find a way to thank him for it. A gift then--it was what he was familiar with. When someone did something nice to you, you found them a gift. The question remained though: What gift?
Anything that Lucien could buy, Kun Shui could easily buy as well. It would have to be something that the sentiment mattered for, and no matter how much he thought, he came up with nothing. Perhaps he'd ask to go out tomorrow--perhaps he'd search around, and maybe find something that would suit him. For the moment, he could only think, as it was too late to go out that night. |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Oct 25, 2013 13:54:51 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 14, 8AM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - The day was long, and after he left Lucien’s room, it was back to the same old. Emails piled up if he didn’t tend to them, and letters needed to be opened, signed, stamped and sent back. It seemed a bit archaic now, but that was the job description. He was very well aware that it would only get worse when his father decided to retire from the business; then everything would rest on him. No wonder he’d gotten more and more bitter as time went on, and Kun Shui dreaded the day that it’d happen to him. It still did need to happen, though; it was a matter of sooner or later.
There was little time for lunch or dinner, unfortunately. He had his food sent up, though he told the butler to make sure that Lucien ate at least a bit on both occasions. The redhead going hungry was not an option even if Kun Shui was being a bit of a hypocrite and doing it rather often himself. When he became stressed, his throat felt like it tightened and his jaw locked up and there wasn’t a morsel of food that could get past without choking. He took in most of his calories through liquids those days, but it hardly counted if all he was drinking was coffee and tea.
Finally, when the flow of emails seemed to stem by people going to sleep at least half the world over, he put down his phone and let himself have a seat. His chair was comfortable, at least. He grew quiet in the late hours, and he turned to stare out the one-wall window of the office. The sky was clear, deep navy, without any stars and the twinkle of the city in the distance. The harbour was sort of visible from where he was as well. How pretty.
He left his phone on the desk and got up to get out to the balcony. Even if it was only for a half hour or so, he wanted to get some air. He didn’t realize Lucien had made his way there first. It was a bit chill, but it was the middle of the month and warm enough not to be worried about getting sick.
”Good evening.” He said in a quieted tone, walking over to lean on the railing and stare down at the city just below. People had begun to thin out, and it was a nice time of night. ”I take that you’ve had a nice dinner.” The plate that was brought up to him had been nice, at least.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Oct 25, 2013 17:44:49 GMT -8
tagged: name. time: date & time. notes: notes. When Kun Shui joined him on the balcony, Lucien jumped. He hadn't been expecting him to come out at all, and when he did, he hadn't seemed to make a noise. He'd simply spoken, soft in tone, but it had been so sudden and unexpected it had alarmed Lucien despite the fact that there had been no danger.
Sneaking up on him was a very Jun Shi thing to do, even if he probably hadn't meant to do it. Lucien paused, letting himself accept the simple truth--that it was Kun Shui--and then settled back into his seat, retrieving the book that had fallen to the balcony when he'd jumped.
"Good evening. It was nice." He commented offhand, trying to get comfortable again. "I was hoping to see you at dinner I guess." No such luck though. Kun Shui had been a no show, but he supposed that was pretty much an expected thing. He was a busy man.
"I was thinking of going out tomorrow morning." He paused a moment, glancing over at him quickly. "If that's alright." Technically speaking, twenty four hours before he'd been on house arrest. Now... well, he was fairly sure he wasn't. It was hard to tell though. |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Oct 26, 2013 13:49:57 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 14, 9PM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - The look of a city at night from so high up never ceased to amaze him. It was so pretty, and at least it was something familiar that he could remember form Hong Kong. He used to spend a lot of his nights out on the balcony there, staring either up at the stars or down at the ant-like people that scuttled below. Sometimes, when there was something interesting going on, the ground lit up with lights. High up was such a nice view, and he really hoped he’d be able to live this far off the ground his whole life. He didn’t know how people lived on the ground, never being able to see what things looked like from the sky.
”Well, I had a lot of work to tend to. I ate in my office.” He’d try to eat with him next time. Of course, things like that were up in the air until he figured out exactly what was happening that way. ”I’ll try and join you tomorrow.” At the very least for dinner, if not any other meal. Realistically, he couldn’t be expected to be able to sit down for every single one. His time constraints simply didn’t allow him.
But going out the next morning? He paused to think about it for a second, the nodded. ”That’s alright. I’ll send a guard with you.” As he always did. Though he felt a little bit better about Lucien, he wasn’t going to let him putter around without someone watching him.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Oct 26, 2013 17:29:27 GMT -8
tagged: name. time: date & time. notes: notes. Despite his initial alarm, Lucien calmed down quickly, settling. His eyes wandered a bit, but inevitably they always returned to Kun Shui. It was a bit hard to tell at times, but as best Lucien could tell, Kun Shui looked better. He looked more relaxed, less stressed. He hadn't thought it would, but getting everything off his chest had been the right move. It had calmed things between them, as well as calming both of them in general. He felt better, Kun Shui seemed to feel better, and...
Well, it was hard for Lucien to admit it to himself, but their relationship had definitely improved. Sitting there on the balcony, he felt a strange sort of contentment. He could relax. There was no need to worry, and for the first time in his life, he felt like he could genuinely trust someone. He didn't have to fret over the possibility of Kun Shui stabbing him in the back, and he let his eyes drift closed, simply basking in it.
Was this what normal people felt like when they had a friend? Was this what they were talking about? He supposed he could understand it--understand why people sought out companionship. If it always felt like this, maybe he'd have to try and get more.
"I'd like that. Dinner with you would be... nice." |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Oct 26, 2013 18:38:16 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 14, 9PM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - He thought about it for another second, pondering the prospects before he spoke. He didn’t like throwing offers around without being able and willing to back them up, after all. Then again, he always added a ‘within reason’. Lawyer’s speak that had saved his ass more than once.
”I’ll take you out somewhere nice to make it up to you one day.” A very nice place, with dim lights and a quiet violin in the background. Perhaps a place with nice wine and velvet drapery. Somewhere like that. Somewhere that was fancy even on his standard. Lucien surely hadn’t been back to those sorts of places in a very long while.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Oct 26, 2013 19:19:25 GMT -8
tagged: name. time: date & time. notes: notes. The offer sounded, if anything, suspiciously like more then just an offer. It sounded to Lucien's ears almost like a date. It wouldn't be the first date he'd gone on, but he was honestly forced to wonder if Kun Shui even knew what he was offering--or what it sounded like he was offering. He was probably just imagining things though, inferring things that needn't be inferred.
He gave a little nod. "There was an art show on the sixteenth." He couldn't have told him the day of the week if he'd tried--days of the week had no relevance to him anymore. "In the city. I was thinking that maybe I should go, but..." He trailed off, hesitating for a moment. "I think it would be nice to go together."
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Oct 27, 2013 14:46:50 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 14, 9PM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - Art shows were usually not at all his cup of tea. Art was nice, and he’d been conditioned to hem and haw over various small details that didn’t at all matter to him. Jun Shi was the one who loved art in the family. If things were slightly better in terms, he would’ve suggested Lucien invite his brother instead. He was the one that could’ve really enjoyed an art show. However, that was not at all an option. Now, what was that gallery called again? Wayward? Something of that sort.
”I’ll see if that can be done. I’ll take you to dinner afterwards.” Well, if they were going to be downtown, might as well make it a nice evening. He had already begun to sift mentally through the list of places he could take him. Of course, Kun Shui being himself, was blissfully unaware of what he was implying.
”You seem a lot happier, though.” It had barely been a day and already it seemed that Lucien was right back to normal, sitting out on the balcony and reading his books and wanting to go outside.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Oct 27, 2013 19:29:49 GMT -8
Art shows technically weren't Lucien's cup of tea either, but it was a nice, neutral place. It gave him things to look at and think about, and he was open to the idea of expanding his horizons in general. After all, he hadn't liked reading either, and now he certainly did. He hadn't liked anything really, and now he'd learned to appreciating things properly. Maybe art would be the same--or maybe he'd hate it as well.
Dinner afterwords sounded even better, and Lucien gave him a small smile. That sounded... well, even more like a date. A trip out could be innocent, but a trip out and dinner together, just the two of them? That practically screamed date, and he had a hard time believing that Kun Shui could be ignorant of that fact. Jun Shi certainly wasn't, and he had difficulty believing that Kun Shui was so far behind his brother in that way.
The observation that he was a lot happier elicited a small nod. "It was... bit worrying. I couldn't tell if you knew, or if you didn't care about it, or if you were going to react badly if you found out. You... you took it well." He hadn't blamed Lucien for it. He'd comforted him and reacted as well as anyone could hope.
It was then that Lucien realized he'd made a mistake, and his face fell slightly. Kun Shui didn't know everything. He knew almost everything. His knees pressed a bit closer together, an abrupt change in body language as his lips pursed. It took him a moment to recover, to decide that it would be better to tell Kun Shui then to hide it from him, and then he spoke, his voice quiet, enthusiasm gone. "I realized that - that you probably don't know everything he did. I always thought you knew, but..." He let himself trail off, the implication clear--Kun Shui wouldn't have allowed it. "He cut the Wei character into me. So it would scar, and I'd be able to remember." Remember who controlled his life, his fate--everything.
Mostly, Lucien was hoping for a reaction that wasn't terrible, but it was yet another bomb going off in Kun Shui's face to remind him how horrid his brother had been.
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Oct 28, 2013 18:00:38 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 14, 9PM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - Lucien? Smiling? That was like spotting a unicorn munching on four leaf clovers. Still, it was a pretty smile, no matter how small it was. Somehow, he felt a little lighter when Lucien grinned at him. Poor thing had been straining and worried for so long that he didn’t quite remember when the last genuine smile he got from him was. Not like he was obligated to care, anyways. What was Lucien but a pawn? Well, a pawn that got to live in a very pretty palace and have all his needs catered to without worrying.
”Well, you’re aware you can speak to me from now on.” Or at least, he hoped Lucien felt comfortable enough about that. Still, Kun Shui hoped that was the last of it. He didn’t know how he’d handle anything else; Jun Shi was his brother, and now he’d have to talk to him. Of course, Jun Shi would then bring up why he even cared; Lucien was a prisoner, and nothing more. He should’ve been off the map and he shouldn’t have mattered, much less mattered enough that he had to speak to him about his behaviour.
It would go right around in a loop soon enough.
Then, of course, came the abrupt change of body language and the fading smile that brought his hopeful thoughts to a screeching stop. Oh no. What else was there? What other horrible things could he have come across during those two years?
As soon as he told him, his eyes swept up and down his arms and any bare skin, checking for marks and seeing none. Where had it been? Somewhere hidden, for sure. ”Where?” That was the very first thing, and then he paused. ”Show me.”
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Oct 28, 2013 18:28:03 GMT -8
Lucien's legs pressed closer together, eyes falling. It wasn't simply embarrassment--it was the intense feeling that he was making Kun Shui worry. He quickly tried to calm him, even if he knew he was probably only making it worse. "It's long healed. It's not - it's just a scar now." There was nothing really to worry about it, and yet Kun Shui asked anyway--where.
He didn't want to show him, and his eyes stayed down, hands wresting on his knees. "It... it's in a private place." Which probably sound worse then it was, in retrospect, and he moved to quickly clarify. "It - it's on my inner thigh. It's out of sight." And as far as Lucien was concerned, no one would ever see it again. It would be his dirty little secret, and no one but him and the twins would know. None of the staff would, none of the people he met would... he could go to his grave without anyone knowing about it.
Except Kun Shui. He was already regretting telling him. He likely never would have found out, but Lucien had feared, if just for a moment, that Jun Shi would tell him just to cause trouble. It was a real possibility, and it was better that Kun Shui got it from him, not Jun Shi. He didn't want to keep any more secrets.
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Oct 29, 2013 19:48:09 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 14, 9PM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - Kun Shui tensed as soon as he heard ‘private place’. There was no reason for him not to, and his lips pressed into a tight line as his brow furrowed. Clarifying that it was his inner thigh did not help a thing, and he tilted his head just a bit at him. Well, this definitely warranted a talk with his brother. He was not to go around and randomly mark ‘property’ like that.
The next thing he wanted to ask immediately was to show him. It might’ve long scarred over and it might have been in a private place, but he still wanted to see how extensive it is. Still, outright asking him seemed a bit… invasive. Invasive? Was that the right word for it? Should he have even cared? Well, he did, but he knew he shouldn’t have.
”…are you sure you’re alright?” His voice was soft, but it was stiff and a little worried.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Oct 30, 2013 7:48:46 GMT -8
He didn't ask again. That in itself was a relief, and Lucien felt a bit of the tension melting away. He was concerned, but he didn't insist. He didn't make him show it, and Lucien hoped it would never come up in conversation again. At the very least his conscience was clear. He had nothing more to hide from Kun Shui, no more secrets to keep or worry about. He was free of that, free of the concern, and a little smile found its way back to him, even if it looked a lot smaller then the first one.
"I'm alright. It was a long time ago. I just... didn't want to hide things." Not even a small thing. He wanted to be free of that entirely, so he could truly say he wasn't hiding anything. "I'm sorry. I've probably dumped a lot on your mind." A lot for Kun Shui to worry about, when he really didn't need to. Lucien couldn't really say that he cared what happened to Jun Shi--just as long as Jun Shi never came face to face with him again.
KUN SHUI WEI | MAY 14TH, 9PM |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Nov 4, 2013 19:12:12 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 14, 9PM. speech: kun shui. notes: - - - Well, it was good that he didn’t want to hide things, then. If he somehow found out about the mark any other way, Kun Shui would’ve thrown a fit to some degree. He was a calm sort of man, but he had that silent sort of seething that made people cringe just by walking past him. Still, Lucien didn’t want it pushed, so he wouldn’t push it again for a while, at least. He would still have liked to see it, just to see the extent of the ‘damage’, so to speak… Just not that night.
”It’s alright… at the very least, you told me.” He supposed the trust wasn’t completely dead between them, after all. After the incident, he’d sincerely thought that he’d be right back to coaxing Lucien out into the open again.
Kun Shui stared out over the city again, and for once, that pounding headache seemed to subside just a bit. Maybe it was the cool night air, and perhaps he should work on the balcony from now on. He took a deep breath, just taking his time and taking it all in before turning to look at Lucien again. ”I guess I see why you like it so much out here.”
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Nov 6, 2013 17:13:08 GMT -8
It was beautiful out on the balcony. The city looked amazing, and Lucien had largely memorized the skyline. Others might not find it so. They might find it busy and cluttered, the skyline packed with buildings of no significance. Even so, Lucien loved it. It was a constant reminder that he wasn't alone--that he was surrounded by people, and even if he didn't know them, it still helped him not feel terribly isolated.
He paused, then slowly stood up, picking up his book with him. "I think its... time for me to go to sleep." There was another pause while he collected his book, trying to compose his thoughts into a neat and easily relatable format. "Thank you for... everything." He'd have to find a better way to thank him.
KUN SHUI WEI | MAY 14TH, 9PM |
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REITGERTE
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Post by REITGERTE on Nov 8, 2013 7:04:09 GMT -8
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You have been rewarded with one residue as this thread is now complete. It has been placed in the archives under the 'finished' sub-board. You are more than welcome to PM fate if this thread is not finished or if you are unhappy/unsatisfied with the amount of residue that has been rewarded. Keep up the great work and keep posting with other members.
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