The Shattered City: First Interlude

[Rock of the Fraternity]

When Remy goes to find Lia, he may be surprised that she engulfs him in a quick hug. It is a gesture devoid of romantic undertones, more like one soldier expressing gratitude to find a comrade alive and well. Certainly the way she thumps his shoulders is friendly.

"Good to see you alive, my friend," is all Lia says to explain the greeting. "And good to know the professor will live. We must go see him whe we can."

When she is guided to the parcel, Lia raises an eyebrow. "You shouldn't have, Remy," she says. "But thank you, anyway." Lia tugs on the string and opens the package.

[DocBeard]

Oh jeze. Tomas frowns at this-it explains why he wasn't near that safehouse, but man, doesn't he feel like an ass. "I, er..." 'I got shot more.' seems sort of boorish, so Eisenwald just sighs instead, stuffing some tobacco into his pipe and lighting a match.

He's just got a decent burn going when Remy's present sinks in; Tomas drops his pipe, eyes wide with shock, and manages to get out, "You're getting married?!"

[NeoTiamat]

Chateau Malchance, Quartier Marchand, Port-a-Lucine; March 12th, 770, 5:57 AM
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"You're getting married?!"

Remy smiled, looking very much like a long-shanked cat who had gotten into the cream. He returned Lia's hug, a little akwardly perhaps, but threw Tomas a wink over Lia's head. Considering the height differential, it wasn't hard. "Don't you think we'd make a lovely couple? We were thinking of announcing the engagement in April."

"...I tease. With all due respect, Lia, you aren't quite my type." Lessard chuckled, no longer able to keep a straight face. "It's a long story, but suffice to say that Bertram and Bertriz Renier are probably going to be gossiping about it. I'll tell you about it in the morning."

"Now open the present so I can go to bed." Remy said, the bags under his eyes seeming even more pronounced now. "I haven't pulled an all-nighter in entirely too long, I'm dead on my feet."

"You shouldn't have, Remy," she says. "But thank you, anyway." Lia tugs on the string and opens the package.

Inside was a doll. A little porcelain sheperd girl, dressed in enough lace and frilly pink things to strangle a small army. She was cute. She was more than cute, she was saccharine. She was the kind of cute that made most people want to bite down on a pickle to alleviate the taste. The frills were horribly impractical, and the sheperd's crook looked as though it would break if you blew at it. Only one thing redeemed this doll as a gift.

It was from Curator Marie Chastel's collection.

"Adorable, isn't she?" Remy said, still with that half-smirking smile of his. The feline comparisons came even easier now, as Lessard's expression could only be described as 'cat-like.'

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Remy, you are a wonder," Lia says as she slowly, carefully re-wraps the doll and picks it up. "Now we have something more to work with ... How did you ever get your hands on this?"

[DocBeard]

"Oh!" Tomas exclaims a bit too loudly, stumbling over his knees as he reaches down to grab his pipe. Giving it a careful look Tomas applies his careful variation of the five second rule(i.e. 'there is nothing living inside of it') and takes a careful puff. "Well, I knew that, of course. I was just...playing along." Puff puff.

This hilarity is taken out to the shed and shot, as Tomas recognizes the doll. (Its number one of a thirty-two piece series, and the less asked about how Eisenwald knew that, the better.) "Did anyone see you procure it?" Tomas asks, glancing at the door and over at Katja, trying to psychically compel his countrywoman to batten the proverbial hatches down. Someone went to a lot of trouble to take those dolls, and when they find out that the set is incomplete...

[NeoTiamat]

Chateau Malchance, Quartier Marchand, Port-a-Lucine; March 12th, 770, 6:01 AM
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"Remy, you are a wonder," Lia says as she slowly, carefully re-wraps the doll and picks it up. "Now we have something more to work with ... How did you ever get your hands on this?"

"Magic!" Remy said, his smile growing broader as he made sparkly gestures with his hands. He was enjoying this entirely too much.

"Did anyone see you procure it?" Tomas asks, glancing at the door and over at Katja, trying to psychically compel his countrywoman to batten the proverbial hatches down. Someone went to a lot of trouble to take those dolls, and when they find out that the set is incomplete...

"Well, if I get arrested, then yes, someone saw me." Prof. Lessard said blithely. He yawned, covering his mouth with a hand. "If the gendarmes come, they can wake me up, as I am going to bed. Good night everyone, or whatever period of the day it is now. Morning I imagine."

With that, Prof. Lessard departed upstairs, where pillows and slumber awaited.

• • • • • The End of the First Interlude