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[Oh man he's lucky she was feeling lenient and didn't bother stalking him the whole way from leaving his house until getting there. She totally could have, then things would be less suspicious! And mysterious too but where's the fun in that.

At least this means the water's boiled and everything was set when he actually gets there. She could have also resorted to old habits: watch from tall places, and she was honestly tempted to go take a look outside because she didn't pin him for the type to be late. That applies even more when she knows he can move fast if he wanted to, but hm... The unpredictability factor is larger here, given that Charles must have been wallowing in an exceptionally shitty mood lately! So let's just wait and start asking questions once the clock hits past 30 minutes.

...Oh 20, good that was under. She's by the front behind the pulpit as usual, and will take a step forward with her usual smile when the shotapire finally poked his head in.

Sniff sniff... Does he smell suspicious... She has a hound's nose, okay. He may usually smell of angst, sophistry, blue roses, baked goods, and a tinge of iron, but if that balance has been thwarted... It's one way to get a better feel for the situation.]

It's no problem. Good evening, Charles. [...] Getting here hasn't been troublesome, has it?

[it's stalkerception part two...

he doesn't smell too far away from the usual, but the scent of iron is probably just a little more prominent (and possibly less fresh) than Ciel is used to. it's not like he's always totally obvious when he goes about his villainous, unsavory activities, okay.]

Good evening. [stepping inside fully and closing the door politely behind him, he begins to make his way to the front of the church.] Not at all, but thank you for the concern.

[being abnormally polite is usually considered a good thing, unless it's coming from Charles... then it's just a clear indication that his mood is just as poor as Ciel assumes.]

[you know it's going to end longer than DBZ right...

But you're not used to dealing with super nosy Churchies either!

...wait hold that thought I guess you must have been more and more exposed of late, huh. Well, stuff to get used to!]

That's nice to hear. [She'll start leading the way towards the back, then. And yeah she can feel the tension, you have the added hurdle here of dealing with a woman's intuition! But that said his bad mood isn't reflecting off of her, not even a bit.] How have you been of late? [Didn't ask on the phone. She prefers doing it in person.]

[at least they'll be able to skip the part where entire episodes are spent screaming at the camera

or will they

and yes he's had more than enough exposure to super nosy churchies to last him a lifetime, so he will just be taking this all in stride for the time being.]

I've been well, thank you. I've had a lot of time to think. [that could be good or bad....] And you? I'm glad to see the church hasn't been burnt down in my absence. [this is a legit worry okay.]

[

yes, yes they will.

even by your lifespan standard? my that's quite a bit...]

Really. [hint hint that wasn't a question] I've been okay of course, and I wouldn't let something like that happen on my watch. Is there anything specific that'd give you that idea? [starts leading the way towards the back, though her walking speed is slower than usual.]

[his tolerance was low to begin with...]

Indeed. [HE WILL GET TO AN EXPLANATION IN TIME he's got to build dramatic tension first!]

Ah, it's worrisome, isn't it? Some of the staff here can be prone to negligence and not paying attention to dangerous situations. [gee who could he possibly be talking about??

he maintains his usual brisk pace (thereby throwing out any possibility that he for some reason couldn't move as fast as usual), nearly walking alongside her rather than trailing after.]

[he's been astonishingly tolerant so far...]

Hmm... [hums in a not-very-convinced tone!

but she won't push it. for now.]

No, I definitely have it covered, unless you have someone particular in mind? [she's making subtle jabs at people behind their backs left right and center these days it would seem...] But I'm glad to have more help now, honestly. It used to be quite lonely around here. [She'll give a brighter smile there, this is true...

subtle nudge you still have heretical friends at the church, always!!] Don't you think so, too?

[You have shorter legs than her too... ANYWAY yes to the kitchen then, there's already two cups simmering. Help yourself with the sugar, she'll go fetch the cream saucer from the fridge.]

[maybe his tolerance has grown what with the double dose of obfuscating stupidity and concern he's had to deal with from heretical churchgoers lately!]

No, no, of course not. [WAVES A HAND the mere thought is preposterous, they are in a holy place after all, it would be terrible to gossip.

but he goes quiet for a moment at that since the subtle nudge didn't fly over his head this time. he's not entirely sure how he should feel about heretics n' friends since it's directly related to the revelation he had earlier...

eventually he just goes with option b: noncommittal shrug and scoots on over to where the cups are. WHAT KIND OF TEA IS IT if it's black he'll add a little more sugar than he probably should, but otherwise he'll leave the sugar dish be.]

[don't you feel lucky not every heretic gets smothered by that sort of attention...

She'll chuckle lightly anyway, CHARLES YOU'RE SO POLITE. what a tsundere.

And it's ye classic Earl Grey. She considered green tea, but come to think of it she doesn't recall ever asking him if he took those... I mean you don't really put stuff like milk and sugar in green tea. Maybe she'll do that some other time.]

Please help yourself. [a beat, she'll wait for them to have both settled before continuing on.] Is it okay? [you can only do so much with store-bought ones here, but since she had the time, she brewed it from the leaves instead of pre-made bags. Slightly better quantity/quality control... slightly.]

[yes they are just one big heretical happy family and he loves it so...

and again with tsundere it's a good thing that won't get around town at all right.

SIPPIN SOME TEA after adding the proper amount of cream. he inclines his head to one side thoughtfully.]

...It's passable. [how do you put up with such a spoiled brat]

[/pats head

maybe...

She'll just nod and hum happily, GOOD ENOUGH.]

So how has your week been? Valentine's Day got hectic after all, did you manage to escape unscathed?

I did comparatively, but I can't say the same for others. It was really quite a mess out there, you know. It seemed like almost everyone outside was under the influence of one flower or another. Holland was being unusually amiable, and Taiwan mistook me for her brother. [smiling like it's a hilarious moment and not the last time he saw her before she was permadroned...!]

But as amusing as it was, I believe I'll be taking your advice when Valentine's day comes around again.

Haha, you had it better than me. Nena insisted that I was related to her and wanted to change her appearance to look like me. Thank goodness I managed to convince her from cutting her hair or dyeing it blue, otherwise you would probably be on the unfortunate brunt of her laments for the next few weeks. [it was actually fairly traumatizing when it was going down, but she can recount it now with ease.]

I haven't really spoken to Holland, but given how affectionate miss Taiwan usually is, I can only imagine how smothering she must've been to you then. Are you sure you've recovered? [A joking jab to complement his smile!! Except no she knows this is kind of a subtle rubbing of salt into a hidden wound - hey, gotta start cracking down at SOME point...]

Is that so? Ah, it's a good thing you were able to keep that from happening, then. I've had more than enough of her antics as of late, I'd hate to add listening to complaints on top of that. [his first aid kit is still suffering from being mercilessly pillaged, and his poor kitchen was kind of grossified... but more important matters now!!

like how much that comment stung ouch but that's okay, he can still dust his shoulders off at this point!]

The smothering was rather over the top, I must admit. At least I've a better idea of how Hong Kong feels now. [ahaha...ha...] But yes, quite sure. After all, this holiday was a walk in the park in comparison to the recent problems with Johnson.

I thought as much. She can get rather vocal, so you would probably be able to hear her a house away if she's too upset to contain herself.

[keenly observes...]

She does share a special relationship with him, doesn't she? Hong Kong's your father here, too. Thinking back, your house was rather neat when I came by earlier this month. Was he the one who'd cook and clean? [yes past tense...] I don't think you have a drone mother, though we've never spoken? [/keeps pushing the envelope...]

Edited 2012-02-24 11:42 (UTC)

That's precisely the kind of situation I'd like to avoid. [it gets loud enough with Horace screeching at all hours...

giving her A Look™ at the use of past tense, but he doesn't seem to outwardly react to it much outside of that.]

Yes, it's well-kept because of his effort. The woman who was assigned to the house is quite vulgar and rude, I prefer not to speak with her. [a pause... it almost seems like he's desperately fishing for another topic!!]

-Ah, but speaking of recent events, have you heard about the revival machine? I've heard that it isn't working as it used to, even now.

[gracefully shrugs off Charles' Look™. he's certainly playing it cool...]

Is she a messy person? That sounds like it may get troublesome, if Hong Kong ever becomes indisposed. I'm the one who usually does everything in my household too, I wonder how the girls would hold up without me... My assigned "husband" isn't very friendly either. [Kind of giving him some leeway, but yes she just hinted/went there...]

That's right, I believe there is a hitch in the system now. Miss Sto Helit, a fellow teacher at the high school, came back with a partial resurrection. Her wounds were still present and she had difficulty accomplishing basic functions like as breathing. She eventually fully recovered, I don't believe it's taken her more than a week. I don't know of any more examples, but going by the "no news is good news" saying, it's probably safe to assume that there's been a delay to it ever since that machine was repaired. What have you heard?

[WELL that gets a visible reaction from him, even if it's just a flicker beneath his composure.]

I doubt it. She may be irritating and messy, but something like that is simple enough to handle. [a shrug!] It's always unfortunate to land yourself in a situation with people you dislike.

[but yes more focus on this topic, it's one he can handle better.] Ah, Susan? I believe she might have been the person I heard of, those symptoms sound familiar. But it's only a matter of time before we find out how extensive the repercussions are with the nature of some people here, so I suppose it isn't something that needs to be worried over.

[and then, abruptly:] Has anyone died at your hands recently? [.......

yep he sure did just steer things in a terrible direction]

I doubt it, but I've a theory I'd like to test.

Even with you? That sounds like it could be quite troublesome. Will things really be okay?

[ah, there's something, but yes, moving along...]

It probably depends on the method that they've died, too. I don't look forward to it, but I suppose we won't be able to get information until we get more samples to draw a clearer idea from.

[His sudden inquiry is met with a short pause. Otherwise, her expression doesn't change - not even a flinch or a blink.]

No, I haven't been caught in trouble and I'm not that distasteful. What do you have in mind? Though I'm not sure if I'd be able to help you, you can't kill me even if you try your hardest. [She states flatly and plainly, kind of like the way how he's asked whether she's killed recently or not.

Yep this sure took a dive to ??? alley from both sides just now...]

Of course. I may not look it, but I do have several decades of knowing how to take care of myself under my belt.

[a vague handwave] Mm, I don't believe it's going to take too long one way or another. [oh, he should have probably feigned more concern...

at least he manages to feign mild surprise pretty well at the statement as if it was completely out of the blue, even though the idea was... there....] What a conclusion to reach. I'm not interested in dirtying my hands. ['tonight'...] I've just thought it strange... Do you know that some people never recover after they're killed? Sometimes, when a person dies, they're droned right after and they don't come back. Isn't that curious?

But I had time to think this week, you know, and doesn't that seem like an all right outcome? [sips

his tea

yes let's carry on down ??? alley and straight into unstable logic lane]

...If you say so, but don't hesitate if you'd like some help - or company, from time to time. [Sips her cup without looking at him, this is a cool and normal conversation...]

Fair enough. The town will likely speed the process along in a month or so.

[Of course, feign... Shroomfield never happened, nope] You can't dirty your hands, so that shouldn't be a concern. [Either you don't know how her regen works or we could pretend she's that confident about her fighting abilities to subtly declare that you can't touch her, we could go with either...]

I do. It's happened before. I overlooked two acquaintances settling a fight they started back in their home worlds, but never got to finish. The result was a double KO, but one was permanently droned the second day while the other woke up as himself. The former man had an ally who begrudged us because she thought we induced the state willingly... [small sigh] It took us some time to clear that misconception up. Either way, I know of this because I've witnessed it personally.

[Done explaining, she looks up.] What do you mean? How's that different from becoming permanently droned without physically dying here first?

Of course. [except he actually means nope.png

and he doesn't seem bothered by her getting her bragging pants on already, but hey, he's never seen her regen in action extensively either...] It isn't a concern, worry not.

[nodding along to her recollection, he politely waits to speak up until after she poses her question.] That's the theory I want to test. What if there is a way to induce a permanently droned state through death? Was it a glitch in the system that's been fixed now that the machine was tinkered with, or is it something else? [he sure as hell doesn't know how it works but considering everyone he's killed so far has ended up permadroned shortly afterwards, he figures that it's worth a shot...]

Wouldn't it be better if we had the means of exiting, instead of waiting helplessly for the town to decide who stays and who goes? Even if it may not be an actual exit, that outcome should be all right.

[AND SO his... grand mess of a plan is probably coming into clearer view for her. he can't stand losing so many people when he'd been reluctant to trust in the first place, and even though he knows it isn't anyone but the town's fault, this seems like it might be one way to rectify the problem. he's always gone to drastic lengths to protect himself, after all, and there's no better way to make sure that someone can't harm you by leaving if you're the one to make them leave.

which probably also explains why he eventually agreed to come to the church. there are people he cares for here.

....welp.]

[implying he's got a choice in the matter, how many times has his house been invaded by churchies in the last 2~3 months...]

As long as you clearly understand.

[She coolly glances up, any trace of previous pleasantries more or less completely faded.] That seems unlikely. Death is a mundane matter here, it's disheartening to acknowledge it but it comes as often and is as unpredictable as bad weather. The town took us here. It was able to lock our powers and force non-humans to be humans by modifying their original genetic or otherworldly composition, making no difference between man, god, or more. In other words, it could manipulate abilities that surpasses the normal laws of life and death, even in other worlds where such natural order exist. After all, it's possible to come here while one is technically deceased back home. [Her own immortality falls under that category.] Why would it be more difficult to revive us, when it potentially already has the power to interfere with more? ...Additionally, you're not accounting for the possibility of returns. Some people become permanently droned for a while before mysteriously coming back with their memories of Mayfield intact, while other times they return with a completely blank slate. You've been here for longer than I, you should also be aware of these facts. Even if you're looking for temporary relief, how would that help in the long run? There's no guarantee that they won't once more regain consciousness in Mayfield.

[She briefly thinks about the ~soul jar~ from April Fool's last year, but after a beat, dismisses it. No, this is enough for now.

It is, but she can only pokerface back hard at the prospect.]

Looking for a way out is the long-term goal of almost everyone trapped here. It's improbable that any idea you have could potentially achieve what countless others before have attempted and failed - or presumably so, though it would be fallacious to think that one may have exited this plane for good upon becoming permanently droned.

[She'll be looking at him straight in the eyes now, her blue eyes scrutinizing and sharp.]

What do you want to try, Charles? ["Spill it", one may as well say.] Please state so clearly, it would be unfortunate if we reach a misunderstanding here. [The statement almost sounds like a warning, though it does mean exactly as she says.]

[it's true when he goes back home, he'll stick a sign up on the door saying he's moved and then they'll leave him alone....

he listens to her explanation with the quiet tension of someone who clearly disagrees with a topic and is just waiting for the prime opportunity to interject with a comeback. but uh... well, every point she's made has been a good one, and by the time she's finished he's left floundering to collect a decent argument.]

Even with the possibility of returns, it might be worth it to try. As you have seen it first-hand, I have as well; consecutively, even. That leads me to believe that there's a pattern of some sort. [he stares at the surface of the tea in his cup and tilts it to watch the leaves at the bottom settle to one side.]

The city is powerful, but as we've seen recently, it isn't omnipotent, nor is it unbreakable. [which, were he in his right mind, he'd recognise as an excellent opportunity to try and find rational ways out through weaknesses in the system. buuut that isn't exactly high on his list of priorities...]

So it may be worth the risk.

[looking up from the cup in hand, he meets her eyes with the stare of a person who isn't completely aware of their surroundings. but he smiles and it's very polite, because pretending to be civil is easier than facing fears head on.]

I would hate it if we were to reach a misunderstanding. That would be troublesome, you know? So I think it might be best to wait until a proper opportunity presents itself.

Edited 2012-02-24 23:22 (UTC)

[they'll sniff you out WHAT DO YOU TAKE INQUISITORS FOR...

Yeah well let her finish, not everyone knows how much of an ironclad infodumper she can be when she has to get down to serious business. She might not be as knowledgeable on the nature of the world, vampires in general, and other topics of the sort here as opposed to how she was back home, but with the constant piling up of experience, she can come close.

At least she won't comment, on his expression fluctuating between several shades of disagreement and "got told".]

Yet that may just be a product of chance. The man I spoke of eventually came back a few months later, but his memory has been reset. Knowing how resurrection normally works in Mayfield, or worked, the odds of these cases being coincidences are much higher: again, death is not uncommon here. I realize I can't say anything with certainty, but I do believe you're reading too deeply into a string of mere coincidences.

I do agree with that, but you too should have been here for long enough to realize that the venue you're suggesting is a poorly thought-out one. Strong emotion pushes people to choose and act irrationally. Are you sure you're not under the influence of something of that sort right now?

[She sees the vacant space in his eyes, and his smile isn't returned. If anything, her expression may have just gotten a little bit more grim.]