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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Dec 15, 2013 20:58:17 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 17, 8PM speech: kun shui. notes: - - - Kun Shui had remained mostly in his office all day, trying to get work done but failing miserably thanks to the pain in his wrist. It hurt like no tomorrow when he tried to move it so around five or six he’d given up and taken to letting Xue sit on his chest and cuddle him to make him feel better. The dove, though awfully pretty, was also very tame and he found himself surprised by that.
Xue had cuddled up on his chest, occasionally moving to his shoulder or under his hand to demand petting. He’d tried to keep thoughts of Lucien to a minimal throughout the day, no matter how invasive they may have been. What did he mean by feelings, anyways? It was sunset, and for the moment, Kun Shui was admiring the view through his glass wall when his laptop flickered out rather suddenly. He actually didn’t notice at first until he glanced over at it and found the screen dark.
”Hm…” He hummed vaguely, reaching over to try the table lamp and finding it defunct as well. The power was out and by the looks of it, the sun was going to be down within a couple of minutes and the whole place would be dark. Damn it. Kun Shui sighed, paused, then reached over and grabbed his handgun from the cupboard under his desk. Just in case sort of thing, after all.
He headed out into the hall, his dove still on his shoulder as he went downstairs to check security, all still in position and mildly confused. Instructions would need to be run to various parts of the building and security needed to be manually placed, but it could be done. They had walkie talkies that could be communicated through, which he made sure they all had before sending them all out. Hopefully, it would only a very short amount of time before things came back up.
Which left one last thing. He began to head back upstairs, going to Lucien’s room. He should’ve checked there first, but he had to tend to safety precautions before he could see if Lucien was alright.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Dec 17, 2013 9:40:41 GMT -8
Lucien had spent most of the day playing with the ink glider and trying frantically not to think of anything at all. No matter what he thought of, it inevitably wound back to what had happened with Kun Shui, and he didn't want to think about that at all. Anything was better then that. So he played with the little creature. It certainly wasn't tame, but it was docile, and it got the jist of the few commands that Lucien had tried to teach it. Within a few hours it knew 'come', if nothing else, and was working on 'stay', although it kept staying at first and then taking off after a moment, as if stay required him to only stay for five seconds and then ceased to be an order. Despite several hours of working with the creature, he still hadn't caught on to Lucien's annoyance at his inability to understand.
As shadows started to fall, Lucien forced himself halfway up to turn on the light--a painful and excruciating experience that he probably shouldn't have put himself through. Just the same, it was only just past seven, and he was desperate for something to keep his mind occupied. The ink glider nestled down on his chest as Lucien settled in with his book, burying his nose in it as he let the throbbing pain in his leg die away.
He was midway through a chapter when the light suddenly went out. His first thought was that the bulb had died, but a quick glance out the window told him otherwise. It looked like almost all of LA was dark, with only the occasional spots of light from buildings with blackout generators. Even knowing that the whole city was out didn't calm the flicker of fear in his belly. Security had to be down, or at least disabled. It would be the perfect time for Jun Shi to make his move, and to act on the vengeance he'd no doubt sworn. The tiny ink glider seemed to sense Lucien's fear, and crawled up his chest to nuzzle against his neck. If Jun Shi did come, there was nothing he could do about it. He had no weapon, and he couldn't so much as get out of bed to run away.
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Dec 17, 2013 18:52:05 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 17, 8PM speech: kun shui. notes: - - - He’d have to get those back up electricity generators his father had considered at the beginning. They’d been left out because the cost would have been too great, but now perhaps they were needed. The whole of LA looked to be out from what he could see from the glass wall; a couple of lights dotted the landscape, mostly far off and away from Chinatown. Augh, if he actually got those generators, the Crystal Palace would suddenly become a literal beacon of light. Would that be too tacky? He didn’t have time to think about that right now.
He made his way upstairs and Jun Shi passed through his thoughts briefly, but not in the same way. Could his brother take care of himself in the dark? Of course he could. Why did he even need to think of that? Guards were stationed on his floor and were told to knock and tell him what had happened, though he already undoubtable knew unless he was out. He didn’t make that connection between Lucien and Jun Shi and the dark, so he didn’t give his guards any special instruction on it either. Even if he did, Jun Shi was a goddamn snake; he could’ve snuck past them with ease.
Kun Shui pushed open the door to Lucien’s room without much hesitation, peering in. ”Lucien?” He was expecting him to be in there. His injured legs wouldn’t get him far, anyways.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Dec 26, 2013 20:16:32 GMT -8
Lucien's heart was pounding, entire body rigid with fear. He knew it was stupid. The security would be lowered but not totally inept. There were still guards at the entrance, and they wouldn't let Jun Shi anywhere near the top floor. Kun Shui had made that much clear--Jun Shi was not allowed near him. That rule had been laid down as law, cemented firmly into the minds of every guard. Anyone who slipped up--anyone who let the wrong twin into the upstairs--would be lucky if they were sacked.
That didn't mean he was calm though. He was tense, sitting upright as one hand snaked up, lightly grabbing the ink glider as he drew it down to lap level, rather then having it at shoulder level. He pet at it carefully, trying to distract himself with it. Every little sound made him jump, and it was't terribly long before he heard footsteps in the hall drawing closer, and he went stiff in the bed, afraid to move.
When the door opened, Lucien froze--but just for a moment, then he relaxed, sighing as he settled back into his pillows. Just Kun Shui. Just Kun Shui come to check in. "What's happening?" Was there any word on what was going on? For the moment, Lucien's confession was out of his mind. His focus was on the blackout, not Kun Shui.
KUN SHUI WEI | MAY 17TH, 8PM |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Dec 27, 2013 10:13:28 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 17, 8PM speech: kun shui. notes: - - - He was still there. Good. Kun Shui wasted no time in starting to set things up to keep Lucien at least partially out of the dark here. Candles were in the washroom and he’d kept a lighter with him, so he grabbed those and a few holders and began to scatter them about and light them, including one at the bedside table. They were like dim little spots of light, but they’d do for the time being.
”I don’t really know, but it’s not only the building.” He nodded out the window over to the city, silent and black with only a few faint specks here and there. ”The rest of the city’s out. I think they’ll get to fixing it soon.” Here was hoping, at least. The rolling darkness might last for a while in some spots, but it wouldn’t just keep over a city for days and days. At least in his experience, it had never been like that.
But with all that said and done, there was still very little he could do. His wrist, splinted and sore, couldn’t move much and he still wasn’t getting any paperwork done at that point. The city was dark, people would stay in and his guards would be at all entry and exit points. Nothing was moving in and out until things could be settled.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Dec 28, 2013 11:02:19 GMT -8
The darkness seemed to press down on him, and he watched as Kun Shui moved around the room, lighting cadles in the darkness. The little bit of light helped, and he found himself relaxing slowly as he glanced out the window.
The whole city was out--or almost all of it. There were random bits of light still on in the city, no doubt important buildings with backup generators. He thought he could see what he thought was the hospital from his window, but he didn't know enough about the layout of LA to take a guess at what each building was. Maybe he'd have to try and find out later, and he made a brief mental note of which buildings still have light.
"Hopefully it'll come back on soon." It was rubbing his nerves to know that the power was out, and it was bad enough that he almost asked, just to reassure himself that security would be fine. Kun Shui was with him anyway--Jun Shi might be planning to kill him, but he wouldn't do anything with Kun Shui there.
KUN SHUI WEI | MAY 17TH, 8PM |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Dec 28, 2013 13:35:03 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 17, 8PM speech: kun shui. notes: - - - Here was hoping it would come back soon. Kun Shui wasn’t going to lie to himself and say he wouldn’t need it, or he’d survive without. He’d been a city boy all his life and electricity was what kept operations running and communications clear. If he didn’t have it, losing contact with who he needed, then he’d be helpless. Zombie apocalypse? Yeah, he was a dead man before anybody else would be. Which reminded him, he’d have to call home at some point and transfer time sensitive business there because he couldn’t take care of it here.
For the time being, Kun Shui sat down at the end of Lucien’s bed with a sigh. The dim candles cast a somewhat eerie glow around the room, throwing shadows where he didn’t remember them being under normal lighting. ”There’s very little I can do until the lights come back on.” So might as well keep Lucien company for now.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Dec 29, 2013 11:56:03 GMT -8
Lucien was happy when Kun Shui sat down. He'd feared that Kun Shui would simply bustle off to find something to do, even if he was injured, and he'd simply leave him alone to avoid the inevitable awkward conversation they were due to have. He was afraid of being alone though--afraid that Jun Shi would somehow know he was alone and seek him out in his moment of vulnerability. Even if it was a stupid fear, ascribing supernatural powers where none existed, he found himself unable to ignore the possibility of Jun Shi finding him. If he did, he was as good as dead--there was no question about it. If he was lucky, he'd die quick, but he doubted Jun Shi would be that merciful.
It seemed they could do nothing but sit there, and Lucien took the quiet time to break the silence with an apology. He felt he owed one to Kun Shui, simply because he'd told him what he did earlier. There was no point to admitting he had feelings--Kun Shui would never return them, and he'd only made things terribly awkward. He would apologize, Kun Shui would (hopefully) accept, and then they could simply move on with their lives as if he'd never confessed at all.
"I'm sorry." He finally announced, voice quiet and stiff. He was determined to show no real emotion, and he was doing a damn good job of it. "I shouldn't have said anything. It only made things awkward for you."
KUN SHUI WEI | MAY 17TH, 8PM |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Dec 29, 2013 18:07:19 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 17, 8PM speech: kun shui. notes: - - - Kun Shui didn’t exactly have the same worry as Lucien; for the time being, Jun Shi wasn’t a worry at all. He had a different set of priorities, after all, and Jun Shi can take care of himself. If he couldn’t, then he had a lot of other things to laugh at him about other than that one time in childhood where he scared Kai with the horse in the cake. That was a different time, though. He wasn’t even thinking of how he could creep up here and strangle Lucien if he wanted, even if he was well aware that he should always think, while he was out of sight, he was doing his worst.
When the apology came, it was both out of left field and completely expected. Well, the things had certainly been awkward and he’d sat in a half suspended state all day, signing papers with his good hand and stiffly cuddling Xue with the other, who seemed more than happy to keep him company. In fact, she sat with him right on his shoulder, oil-drop eyes reflecting the dim light of the candle. She seemed unperturbed at worst.
”Ah, well…” His voice was quiet, almost contemplative as he sat there in the dark and stared out the large window into the darkened city. ”It wasn’t unexpected…” His voice trailed, unsure of what to say.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Dec 31, 2013 17:02:21 GMT -8
It wasn't unexpected? Lucien found his fingers lightly trailing down Mo's back, petting the little ink glider because his hands had nothing else to do. Unlike Kun Shui, who was mobile but had issues using his hand, Lucien was absolutely not mobile, but could use both hands just fine. He splayed his hands carefully on the soft sheets, letting them bare his weight as he straightened up, sitting up on the bed with his legs stiff and straight out. The less they moved the better, but the little bit of movement it had taken to get upright wasn't so bad, and it gave him a much better view of Kun Shui--enough to spot the pigeon still perched on his shoulder.
At least that gift had gone over well. He found himself still dwelling on Kun Shui's response--it wasn't unexpected? To Lucien it had been very unexpected, up until the moment where he'd thought that he should kiss Kun Shui. He'd never stopped to think about it or consider his feelings, and to him it felt as if it had come entirely out of left field.
"It... wasn't?" He felt genuinely mystified by what Kun Shui had said, and opted to wait for clarification rather than attempting to explain himself further.
KUN SHUI WEI | MAY 17TH, 8PM |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Jan 1, 2014 20:20:46 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 17, 8PM speech: kun shui. notes: - - - Maybe he should have worded it differently. In a sense, logically speaking, it was definitely not unexpected. All the hints, clues, every direction seemed to point to it in retrospect. For him, however, it had come as a surprise, which was why he left so quickly. He just didn’t know that Lucien felt that way about him and he wasn’t a fool enough to think it was just on friendly terms. Friendly terms are unspoken, but this was something different.
Kun Shui gave him a tiny smile, a little nervous looking and a little cautious. He didn’t like to admit that he didn’t know, so he worked his way around it. ”No, it was… well, in retrospect, it was predictable.” He wasn’t trying to make it a science but in the end, he was afraid that explaining it would turn it into one.
Lucien sounded utterly mystified, and he supposed it was for good reason. ”It’s just that you’re rather lonely. There’s nobody else here, really, and I can’t say the maids or servants are to your taste…” Lucien, despite his years here, still had a degree of vanity to him as far as he noticed.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Jan 4, 2014 8:54:01 GMT -8
It sounded so clinical and detached. There was no one else, so it was obvious he'd fall for him? It seemed so automatic, and Lucien felt a vague pang of unhappiness. Was he that predictable? Was he doomed to fall for Kun Shui the moment he'd stepped into his life? No--he pushed those thoughts away. He knew it wasn't like that. Jun Shi had also given him attention, but he had never fallen for him. At times he had been desperate for his presence, desperate for him to come back just so that he wouldn't be alone, but it had never been like this. Similar, yes, but never like this. The feeling was different, distinct and impossible to describe, and he hesitated for a few miutes before responding.
"No, it's not like that. Jun Shi - your brother was with me all the time as well. I never felt anything for him. It's because - it's not just because you're here. It's because of how you act." He was kind. He cared. He worried about Lucien, and Lucien worried about him in turn. It was more than just physical proximity, although Lucien would have been lying if he said that hadn't played a part. Kun Shui simply showed him kindness that he'd never known, and since Lucien no longer had anything to lose, his ability to be guarded had dissolved.
KUN SHUI WEI | MAY 17TH, 8PM |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Jan 6, 2014 16:51:51 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 17, 8PM speech: kun shui. notes: - - - In a way, it sounded so textbook and clinical because in Kun Shui’s head, it was. Everything happened to follow one formula or another and this was just another one of those things. Needless to say, it was Jun Shi who was the creative one in the family, being as erratic as he’d like and following nothing as he worked his art. As for Kun Shui, stock markets and contracts all followed patterns and he was glad to step in line.
Kun Shui seemed to shrug again, as if this was all very predictable. He kept a calm demeanor no matter what he happened to be doing. One of the few times it cracked was back at the art gallery, but being attacked by ink monsters wasn’t exactly something he ever envisioned for himself.
”Well… I guess that would make sense, would it?” Having someone strangle you wasn’t exactly endearing, after all. Breaking a finger slowly and painfully wasn’t charming last he checked, either. Xue, as if sensing his thoughts, gave a little coo as if in agreement.
”I wouldn’t worry myself over it, though.” He grinned faintly, though it was rather genuine in nature. He didn’t want Lucien worrying himself over the whole ordeal; he was still injured, after all.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Jan 8, 2014 9:44:39 GMT -8
To Lucien, Kun Shui was both easy to understand and completely incomprehensible. They had a similar shared background, the sort that let Lucien understand the strain of the job, and how it weighed on you whether you were 'working' or not. He understood in a way that most people never would what it was to spend your entire life expecting the worst of people, fearing every person you met was plotting your downfall and painful murder. To go to a dinner meeting with friends, fully expecting that every bit of food could be poisoned.
At the same time, who Kun Shui was as a person--the person underneath all the paranoia and shared experiences--was alien to him. The fact that he was so dedicated to his family. The fact that he thought the best of Jun Shi until it was absolutely proven that he was foolish for doing so... those were things that Lucien could never understand.
Or he'd thought that he would never understand it, but he was starting to. Kun Shui was becoming like that, where he thought the best of him even in the worst of situations. Where he cared. Where he lashed out and punched a giant monster to almost no affect, just to try and save him. He cared what Kun Shui thought, he cared what Kun Shui did, and the whole thing was mildly alarming to him. He didn't know what to do with himself, faced with feelings he could barely understand, and he let his eyes sink down to his lap. The ink glider had crawled into it, curling up against his hand, and he patted it absentmindedly.
Being told not to worry just made him sigh. He didn't know how to stop worrying. "Have you ever... fallen for someone?" He doubted it. Feelings like his had no place in the world they lived in.
KUN SHUI WEI | MAY 17TH, 8PM |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Jan 10, 2014 7:33:26 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 17, 8PM speech: kun shui. notes: - - - Kun Shui watched as the little black mouse crawled into Lucien’s hand. Strange thing, but having done no harm so far, he didn’t see why he shouldn’t allow him to keep it. Xue, on the other hand, seemed to coo down at the rat in a somewhat irritated manner. The sounds she made, thankfully, weren’t at all like those of most tropical parrots. They were actually quite soothing, and he thought to move Xue’s cage into his room so he could listen to her at night. She was a very nice gift.
Despite going on about how predictable Lucien’s feelings were, he felt just as lost as had the other day when Lucien asked him if he’d ever felt for anybody. He felt his cheeks begin to go red once more and tried to stifle it, thankful that it was very dark in the room no less. Lucien had such a way of asking weird questions, now didn’t he?
But Kun Shui had to think for a second. Hadn’t he? Well, there was that one pretty secretary, but he supposed it was more of a crush than anything and she had been married already. When he was a teenager, there had been another girl at a private school he attended, but that might have been too long ago to count. Kun Shui, though he might have been in a rather lofty position, wasn’t immune to the usual teenage behaviours, after all.
He didn’t think that was what Lucien was asking for, though.
”I don’t think I have.” His voice was quiet, not quite sure of himself but with that hint in his tone that was trying to be convincing.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Jan 10, 2014 17:04:31 GMT -8
Lucien couldn't see the blush on Kun Shui's cheeks. He had no way of knowing for sure how awkward the question was, although he could take a rough guess. It was always going to be an awkward question, and rare were the people who wouldn't be at least a bit embarassed by it. Unless they were blatantly in love, it was a terribly personal question, but it was a good indication of how Lucien thought of Kun Shui that he even dared ask it at all. Kun Shui could easily have snapped or punished him for it, but instead Lucien was expecting a reaction that was a lot more mellow. Perhaps a 'I'd prefer not to speak of it' if he was really against the question.
He hadn't then. He should have expected that, and Lucien found himself nodding, having expected either that answer or something similar to it. "It's to be expected. It's hard to be on top and still feel anything for anyone. There's just too much that could go wrong." They could have the wrong motivations or allegiances. If they weren't involved in the underground trades, they would have to be told about them and tested for a reaction. If they were, that was a whole other ball of worms that was only going to create more mess. Any love that existed in the world of triads and organized crime existed only momentarily, like weeds growing through the cracked concrete of a parking lot. It existed, but it was fragile, finding a way despite the nearly impossible odds only to be torn out before it could grow.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked at all." He was happy he had asked though, and he was apologizing more as a formality--for the sake of politeness, not because he felt terribly bad. It was instinct, even if he didn't think that Kun Shui had been particularly offended by the question. He had answered after all, even though he could have easily declined to.
KUN SHUI WEI | MAY 17TH, 8PM |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Jan 17, 2014 6:52:49 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 17, 8PM speech: kun shui. notes: - - - In a certain way, though Kun Shui would be hard pressed to even start thinking about it, Lucien had once been in a very similar position. Had Lucien ever loved anyone? Had anyone ever loved him back? Thinking back on it, he wasn’t even sure if he’d been capable; Lucien used to be so damn egoistic that Kun Shui found it hard to stay in the same room as him. Being polite at dinner was an intense trial of his willpower, though most of the heat was taken off him when Jun Shi did his usual joke-and-flirt routine. His father had not approved.
In a lot of ways, things were already complicated. More than once had his parents offered to find him a nice girl if he didn’t have time himself. Arranged marriage was a very frequently talked about subject, but one he always tried to turn down as politely as possible. Once his father stepped down and he was pushed onto the main stage, then he was well aware that he only had so much time before he woke up one morning and found out it was his wedding day.
”It’s alright.” His voice was still quiet in response to the apology. He didn’t quite feel like he needed one from him. Kun Shui couldn’t help but think, at least vaguely so, if Lucien had anybody before he was taken away to Hong Kong.
”How about you, then?” Well, of course he didn’t have anyone currently. He’d been trapped in this place for about two years now, unless the newfound freedom came with other ramifications and he’d actually come across a pretty girl during his wandering.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Jan 18, 2014 18:20:37 GMT -8
Lucien had not been expecting that question. To be accurate, he hadn't been expecting any question. He had expecting Kun Shui to hum and haw, and perhaps politely leave for a bit because he didn't want to linger when things were still awkward between them. Instead he'd been asked a deeply personal question, and he took his time to consider before answering.
Had he? No. Not until now, if you could count Kun Shui as being 'fallen for'. His feelings were still unclear, and that didn't really seem to be what Kun Shui had asked. It didn't take him that long to decide, shaking his head carefully. "No. I cared about myself, first and foremost, and everyone else was... well, a distant last." That had changed so much in just two years, but it wasn't hard to see why. It wasn't as if he'd just changed completely overnight--no, his very existence had been torn apart before he'd changed at all. He no longer had anything to be proud of about himself. "I don't think I was really capable of feeling like that towards anyone before." Now... well, now was a much different case.
KUN SHUI WEI | MAY 17TH, 8PM |
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Post by KUN SHUI WEI on Jan 22, 2014 19:07:39 GMT -8
tagged: Lucien time: May 17, 8PM speech: kun shui. notes: - - - In all honesty, Kun Shui wasn’t expecting an answer that was much different than his. Why would he? Lucien had been in a similar predicament that he was now currently in. He used to be a big part of the big picture; he had been somebody in the past, and that somebody couldn’t misstep. His brother, he supposed, didn’t quite understand it on the same level as Lucien did. Sure he grew up in the same environment, but Jun Shi’s achievements had been ignored at best and he was almost expecting to fuck up. Therefore, to his brother, making mistakes wasn’t such a big deal. Love wasn’t a big deal, if it existed at all.
There was a long pause after Lucien gave his rather honest answer. Few people gained that sort of insight on themselves, after all. ”How long has it been? Two years?” Since his… ‘guest’ status within the house. A royal guest, constantly on death row but growing more and more useless as an asset the Wei family could use by the day. Even by the end of year one, his father was starting to have second thoughts about keeping him when Kun Shui showed zero interest in befriending him.
”Do you… remember much of your family at all?” Another one of those charged, deeply personal questions. He knew that Lucien’s father had just about given him up and handed him over, using him as a scapegoat for their plans.
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Post by LUCIEN MARGAUX on Jan 23, 2014 12:40:37 GMT -8
Lucien had all the time in the world to gain insight into himself. Most people never would get that chance, but for Lucien it had become so easily to look back on who he'd been, to pick himself apart the way he'd picked others apart. He was no longer that person--he had his own flaws and issues, but they were distinct from the flaws and issues he'd had when he'd been an arrogant, self-absorbed asshole, who cared nothing for others and didn't appreciate what he had. It felt so easy to look back on himself because he didn't feel attached to who he was anymore.
Two years. In ways it seemed longer, and in others it seemed far shorter. It felt like a million years since he'd last been in France, but at the same time it seemed like only yesterday Jun Shi was looming over him, and Kun Shui wasn't even part of his life. The question about his family caught him off guard, and he seemed to almost flinch, eyes flicking up to Kun Shui quickly before going back down.
Yes, he remembered his family, if you could call them that. It didn't feel very hard to talk about them--certainly easier then talking about his feelings. "If you could call them a family, but yes. I always assumed all crime families were like that, but yours isn't. You're a family first, and a triad second. We were a business first, and a family last, if at all. My siblings weren't terrible, by any means, but there was no real love between any of us." And it had caught up to him when his father sold him out. At least in part that had been his fault though--Lucien had planned to betray him.
KUN SHUI WEI | MAY 17TH, 8PM |
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