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Post by Lillith on May 27, 2009 1:15:28 GMT -5
::Lillith suddenly becomes very serious and Oliver can almost feel her aura darken like he could back when he knew she was getting a mood swing. He the years and bearing a child has done little to temper them. His mind flashes back to the time when he had insisted on going to the docks to avenge his mother and she had towered over him like an angry vulture::
I had you come here because you dropped off the face of the earth. I missed you and I was worried about you. Don't give me that bull about sensitive information. It's not like I was asking for top secret locations. I just wanted to know you were safe and still breathing. And now here it is, five years since I last saw you in person, and you're turning it into a war meeting. How many of my letters did you get? I counted eighty three times Melanie came back from Lindblum with nothing in her talons and feathers that smelled of sulfur and blood. I just wanted to see you alive. You're the one who came here with an ulterior motive, so don't go turning this around on me.
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Post by Oliver on May 27, 2009 1:28:35 GMT -5
Lillith hears Oliver growl under his breath, his eyes unwavering. He is not a kid anymore and has seen more then his fair share of what mankind has to offer, her darkening aura doesn't threaten him any longer. It all becomes clearer and clearer.
"I cam' here under t'e impression t'at you had informa'ion for t'e Party, usefu' informa'ion. Ye told my captain t'is, now I hav'to go back an te'l him t'is, mak'in him look 'ike an idiot. T'at makes me look 'ike an idiot."
Oliver stands, fixing himself and with the all to clear appearance that he is ready to leave.
"And by t'e way, I got a'l ye letters. I did'in respond because no matter w'at I said, ye never wou'd take me serious'y. I'm sti'l a kid to ye, t'ats all I'll ever be. I grew up fast..."
He takes up the remaining bits of the meat pie and, crudely, pockets them.
"Ye saw me a'ive, ye got ye wish. T'ank ye for t'e food an' drink, but I t'ink it's time I report back to my unit."
He starts to make for the door, whistling for Emily, who darts across the room to land on his shoulder as he walks to the door.
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Post by Lillith on May 27, 2009 1:34:29 GMT -5
Wait.
::Lillith is on her feet, her eyes at his back::
Oliver don't leave like this. If something... happened to you... and this ended up being the last time we saw each other, I wouldn't want to remember it like this.
::A solitary tear slides down her face::
You're right. You're not a kid anymore. I missed all of that. Somewhere between the school, and my husband, and my own son I missed the change. I guess I didn't want to admit that I'd failed you. It was easier than thinking about all that lost time.
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Post by Oliver on May 27, 2009 1:43:57 GMT -5
Oliver stays with his back to her, waiting at the door as she speaks, staying still, but with his hand on the door knob.
"T'en remember t'e happier times we had toge'her. T'ough few an' far between t'ey were. Least someone wi'l be able to."
He opens the door, slow, debating with himself if he should walkout or not and what to say. This wasn't any easier for him then it must be for Lillith.
"An ye didn't fail me, is because of ye t'at I am w'o I am today."
He leaves, closing the door behind him. An audible, muffled yell is called from the other side as he calls for Iole and walks away from the door.
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Post by Lillith on May 27, 2009 1:46:32 GMT -5
::Lillith darts for the door, flinging it open::
I've been inside the palace.
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Post by Oliver on May 27, 2009 1:51:10 GMT -5
Oliver stops, breathing in deepily. Then turns around, leaning cockeyed on his left leg, putting all the weight on it while his arms are crossed.
"T'en te'l me w'at ye can about t'e layout of t'e upper floors or w'at ever ye can remember."
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Post by Lillith on May 27, 2009 1:57:45 GMT -5
::She beckons him back inside, closing the door behind him. Now he can tell she's serious. Serious, and very tired like the weight of this meeting was draining on her::
But before I tell you anything, I need to know. What is it that you hope to accomplish with this information? The only reason I know it is because the Regent once funded this school as a favor to me for our work on the Harvester case until I terminated our contract. His methods disgusted me. But that doesn't change the fact that we were in a sort of partnership. And if the information gets linked back to me and I were implicated, my entire school could be subject to function termination or worse. So remember that you're involving my kids here as well.
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Post by Oliver on May 27, 2009 2:04:39 GMT -5
Oliver sighs, now here, bound to the Party in secrecy yet conflicted with the woman who has given so much to him in the past.
"I can't te'l ye, if I did, t'en ye wi'l be imp'icated. P'ausible deniabi'ity. A'l I can say, is t'at w'atever ye can te'l me does he'p the cause, ye won't have to wor'y about t'at regime ever bother'in ye or ye kids, ever."
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Post by Lillith on May 27, 2009 2:08:22 GMT -5
::She grabs him roughly by both arms and shakes him once::
Oliver, it's me. If I'm going to have a clear concience about telling you this, I need to know what you're going to do. Please.
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Post by Oliver on May 27, 2009 2:10:44 GMT -5
"I- I can't!" Oliver yelps. "It's c'assified, my presence here is a'ready enough to get ye in troub'e if I get captured or t'ey find out. Ye just gonna have to trust me, ours is t'e righ'eous cause."
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Post by Lillith on May 27, 2009 2:16:27 GMT -5
::Lillith can feel that there's more that he's not telling her. It's not just the regime he's trying to protect her from::
Then tell me this. What are the odds that you're coming back from this assignment alive?
::Her voice remains remarkably steady despite the fact that the question feels like someone just drove a spike through her chest::
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Post by Oliver on May 27, 2009 2:22:44 GMT -5
Oliver's quiet for a moment, choosing his next words wisely. "A'ot rides on w'at ye can te'l me about t'e Palace. P'ease don't ask me any more t'en t'at."
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Post by Lillith on May 27, 2009 2:25:50 GMT -5
::That's answer enough for her. Whatever this was, it was even more dangerous than what he had already been through::
Does... does Iole know about it?
::Meanwhile upstairs, Iole is busy keeping Simon entertained with a pair of toy swords he pulled from his trunk::
Simon: And daddy said that when I'm older I'll get a real one like his. I want to be a phoenix warrior just like him.
::Iole grins. It's just unreal to be talking to this miniature Kenny everytime she comes to visit, and she just can't believe that in what seems like a short time, she's become the Auntie::
Iole: Well I'll admit you're not bad. But you've left a soft spot open.
Simon: Where?
Iole: Here. ::She pokes his stomach with the tip of her toy, making him drop his own. She moves in for the assault until the five year old is writhing and giggling uncontrollably on the floor while his Auntie attacks his ribcage with her fingers. When she stops he sits up and scowls::
Simon: That was cheating.
Iole: No it's not. It's creative strategy.
::He picks up his sword and starts waving idly, not looking at her while he talks to her in that way children do::
Simon: Auntie, are you and that Oliver guy going to get married?
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Post by Oliver on May 27, 2009 2:31:05 GMT -5
Oliver shakes his head. "No, an' it's better she doesn't. Not ti'l later. I don't wan'ta worry her, much less 'ake her a target for t'e Guard. She's a'ready a huge risk for me an t'is operation."
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Post by Lillith on May 27, 2009 2:36:38 GMT -5
::Lillith shakes her head sternly::
That's not okay Oliver. You can't have it both ways. When you share something with someone, like what you share with her, you're making a promise. You're promising her that you're going to be around. You can't make that promise if you're not sure.
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Post by Oliver on May 27, 2009 2:41:10 GMT -5
Oliver, looks away for a moment, biting his lip. He knows she's right but it's not his choice to keep it from her, it's his commanders. It's need to know information, Iole doesn't need to know, for her own safety.
"Ye right, but its not my choice to te'l her. On'y t'e Commitsar an' his advisers. My own commander doesn'even know more t'en a name. If I te'l her, t'en it'll all come undone. Month's of plan'in, an it'll be my neck and hers on t'e line."
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Post by Lillith on May 27, 2009 2:42:57 GMT -5
That's not what I meant. I understand the need for secrecy, but you know the risks. So if you can't be sure you're not going to be around for her, then don't jerk her around.
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Post by Oliver on May 27, 2009 2:47:01 GMT -5
"Ye know her, better t'en anyone. She'll try an stop me, or she'll ask too many questions or do somet'in foolish to stop me. I jus'can't afford t'at risk t'is early, w'en t'ere's no turnin'back, ye have my word, she'll know everyt'ing. Not 'ike I p'an to die anyway, lived t'is long."
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Post by Lillith on May 27, 2009 2:49:59 GMT -5
After its over. Who's to say you'll be the one to tell her? How will she feel after that? I do know her, and I know that if you get in too deep and you end up not being around, she'll break. It would be hard enough for her to lose a friend. It would be worse than death to lose the one she loved. Believe me, I'd know.
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Post by Iole on May 27, 2009 2:54:00 GMT -5
::Iole's eyes widen and her face turns red::
Why would you ask that?
Simon: I don't know. It looked like you liked him. And he called you a flower.
::She considers her words carefully. She's the fun aunt, she's not trained for these kinds of talks::
Look Simon... it's a little complicated right now.
Simon: Compluh what?
I mean it's hard.
Simon: What's hard? You like him, he likes you, why don't you do it?
::Iole shakes her head::
You'll understand when you're older.
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