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Post by ocean on Aug 16, 2008 15:51:17 GMT -5
The shop door tinkled half-heartedly as he slipped inside, pausing to shut the creaking panel of wood with an audible snap. Removing his low-riding fedora from his brow, Groves glanced around before inhaling deeply. As always, the smell of dust and wood soothed him; he had an affinity for old things. That was the only reason he’d bothered to keep this dump running. It was a black hole for his inheritance, but there was no shortage of money on his side of the bargain and he wasn’t keen on spending it anyway. Except for today.
He’d seen the necklace in the jewelry store window and had, on a whim, decided to buy it. The four-digit price was of no concern for him. The trinket slept soundly in a velvet box that was tucked into his trench coat pocket. Adeline might go off and sell it for a profit, but no matter. As soon as he handed it to her, it was hers to decide what to do with it. He didn’t really care. He wasn’t sure why he’d picked it up anyway; it wasn’t like the misanthropic Groves to go off on a gift-purchasing streak. It wasn’t that he was selfish, no. He just never thought to do anything like that in the first place.
“Adeline?” His quiet voice stirred the dust from a nearby shelf; the tawny fragments of age were cast into the air to float in a beam of sunshine that managed to weasel its way through the closed shutters of the window beside him. Stepping forwards, he pauses again as a floorboard beneath his feet creaks. Taking another step forwards, his eyes focus on the door that led to the back of the shop as he waited for her to reap the benefits of his unusual spirit of giving.
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Post by Adeline on Aug 17, 2008 16:23:49 GMT -5
The white tiger in question appeared from around a corner; Adeline had been readjusting prices in a nearby aisle. "Groves?" she called out, seeing him looking for her in the shop. This was rare: Groves barely ever came into his own shop, leaving Adeline to run it, but she never minded. Like Groves, she too preferred the old over the new, easily noticed by her choice of clothing: an old pirate frock coat and a genuine 17th century tripoint hat.
She smiled as she walked near him, more of a grimace than a smile, as she put her hand to her head. She had gotten drunk again last night. Groves hated her commitment to get drunk every time something bad with the rebel organization had occured, or bad period, so she tried not to let him know, but the hangover was just too horrible today for her to hide. What had happened at Kenn Park had been an absolute disaster and Adeline had gone a little over the top than usual in her drinking. She had a letter with a bunch of numbers on it that she couldn't make sense of, Angels coming to find her soon, and a very angry wolf hungry for revenge after she knocked him out and scarred his face. Adeline believed that was plenty an excuse for getting overtly drunk. The hangover, however, was not fun.
"What's up?" she asked, coming to a stop a mere few inches from Groves, staring intently into the face she found so handsome. She really was curious as to why he would just drop in the shop unannounced. He was always so secretive, but Adeline normally knew how to read him. Not this time.
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Post by ocean on Aug 17, 2008 16:43:42 GMT -5
Something of a smile creases his otherwise passive features as the tigress appears seemingly out of nowhere, her charming tricorner hat perched haphazardly atop her head. His brow creased in concern as she paused to cradle her forehead, though his worry is short-lived. A scowl replaces his shadowed grin as common sense kicks in; she’d been dipping into the pint again, of course. What had happened now to send her toppling into the evils of alcohol? Then again, he probably didn’t want to know.
As she paused not far from his own position, that same crooked smile manages to weasel its way back across his lips. “You’re covered in dust,” he notes, his finger reaching to gently brush a dirty streak from her ivory cheek. “Really, Adeline, have you no sense of personal hygiene?” He was obviously attempting to scold her, though his usually stern eyes had softened a bit.
“Now then,” he says promptly, his hand dropping from her fur as his face suddenly turned businesslike, “I’ve something…er…for you.” No expression manages to cradle his features, though the rather obvious stutter suggests that he was feeling uncomfortable. Digging into his trench coat pocket, he retrieves the velvet box, one hand extending to hand it to her. Without a word, he whipped around, gazing intently at a china lamp that was missing a shade on the shelf behind them. He really didn’t want to look at her just then.
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Post by Adeline on Aug 17, 2008 17:04:35 GMT -5
Adeline smiled sheepishly, trying to duck her face humbly from Grove's finger, but not succeeding. She bit her lip before replying smartly. "A little dust never hurt anyone," she teased. "If you think this is dirty, you should have seen me yesterday..." she said, trailing off. That probably wasn't the most intelligent thing to say, as she hadn't really wanted to bring up the Kenn Park fiasco up so quickly. She had wanted to wait until she and Groves had passed into more "official business" type things, but she hoped her comment went unnoticed.
Her eyes sparkled with curiousity as Groves spoke again, seeming uneasy. "Something for me?" she asked softly, wishing he would turn back around. It was always uncomfortable when he turned around: it revealed a soft, sensitive spot in him that he always wished to hide.
Tentatively, she reached for the box that Groves was handing to her. Stroking the soft velvet with her fingers, she opened the box and gasped. A breathtaking necklace of gold, diamond, and garnet lay cushioned in the box. It looked old, like a heirloom from some old family, and looked like it had cost a fortune. "Holy shit, Callahan!" Adeline said after a long silence in which she couldn't find words to speak. She barely ever called him Callahan, not feeling the need to say his name when talking to him, and referring to him as Groves when talking to other people. It took something big, something huge, for her to refer to him by his christian name. Still too shocked to move, all she could do was stare at the beautiful piece before her, the piece that was now hers.
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Post by ocean on Aug 17, 2008 17:11:07 GMT -5
He shifted awkwardly from one foot to another, awaiting the reaction that he would absorb only through his ears. It wasn’t hard to catch her sharp intake of breath; he kept his gaze firmly focused on the shelf in front of him, giving up on the boring lamp and allowing his eyes to bore into the rickety old wooden thing that held it up instead. His eyes bulged slightly at her exclamation; Callahan. It wasn’t really a familiar name, even though it was his. No one ever called him Callahan.
As the echoes of her outburst fade into the drab background of their scene, Groves begins to notice the lack of audible presence on Adeline’s part. Worrying that she might’ve silently passed out or something of the sort, he attentively pivots on one foot, keeping his fists stoically jammed into his pants pockets. His hand reaches out again to prod the brim of her hat upwards so that he can properly read her expression.
The shocked elation on her features awaited his searching gaze. Something of a sigh is released from his lips, not quite relieved, just a sigh. “Do you like it?” He asked tonelessly, his dark eyes still focused on her features. He wasn’t really good at this emotion thing.
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Post by Adeline on Aug 17, 2008 17:19:40 GMT -5
Adeline looked up at Groves, shock still on her face. "L-like it?" she stuttered, "Callahan...I...I..."
Her feet finally let her move as she did the only thing she could think to do at the moment. Almost jumping, she pulled him into one of the tightest hugs ever, her own hat falling off in the process, the necklace precariously in the box as it was swung and tipped as Adeling wrapped her arms around Groves, her head barely reaching his chin. She rested her head on his shoulder as she hugged him tightly.
He never did anything...special...like this, and just for it to come right out of the blue had shocked her immensely. She loved gifts and trinkets from people and would keep the smallest pieces of junk from Groves whenever he did give her something, even if he wasn't meaning it to be romantic or anything. Physical objects helped her cement her mind into assuring herself that people really did care. Adeline had a bit of a romantic side to her, but she hid it most of the time behind her tough features and personality. Things like gifts were always so awkward.
However, it only took something like this, an expensive-as-shit necklace and strong gesture of love, to bring Adeline over emotionally. She hugged Groves tighter, tighter than she had thought possible.
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Post by ocean on Aug 17, 2008 17:29:57 GMT -5
He winced slightly as she dropped the unfamiliar name again. It wasn’t that it bothered him, exactly, it was just so painfully obvious. When someone said your name, it was like white noise, only it was white noise that caught your attention. That word, Callahan…ergh. It was like…like…he didn’t know what it was like. Like a stranger that fell asleep with their head on your shoulder on the morning train. A fat, smelly stranger that drooled and snored.
A small “oof” gasps from between his clenched jaws as she seemingly attacked him; it took Groves a moment to comprehend that the vice grip was intended to be a hug. Something akin to a strangled chuckle follows the exhale as he returns the embrace, removing her hat to set it on a nearby shelf so that his hand was free to stroke her hair. “I’m glad,” he whispered, for once enjoying the warmth of her proximity.
Taking a step back from Adeline, he keeps his arms looped loosely around her waist. “Can I put it on you?” he asked uncertainly, tilting his head slightly to the right as the question was released.
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Post by Adeline on Aug 17, 2008 17:37:11 GMT -5
Adeline enjoyed the hug for as long as it lasted, loving the feeling of his hand stroking her long hair. When he pulled away, she lifted her head and looked at him lovingly. Unfortunately, the physical excersion twinged in her head and she couldn't suppress a grimace of pain as she put a hand to her head, still looking at Groves with an almost sheepish smile.
She took her other hand away from Groves, the one holding the velvet box, and looked to make sure the necklace was still there, taking her hand from her head to almost stroke the jewelry.
Looking back up at him, she moved her hand to hold his arm gently, one of the arms embracing her waist and nodded. "Of course," she said breathlessly, still in awe at the sight of the gift. She held out the box so he could take the necklace, then turned around on the spot and held her hair up with a hand so he could clasp the necklace easily. With her hair up, her tattoo, the sign of the rebellion, was easily visible.
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Post by ocean on Aug 17, 2008 19:07:01 GMT -5
He rolled his eyes as she recognized the pain once more; it was her own damn fault that she had a headache. Adeline was the only living being that Groves enjoyed being around, but there were two things about her that bothered him: her indulgence in alcohol and her ignorance in the field of literature. He’d offered time and time again to teach her how to read, but she’d stubbornly declined. It was strange to imagine a world in which books did not exist. Reading was so much apart of him, so much of what made him whole, trying to picture his life without it just wasn’t even an option.
Taking the necklace from her hands, he released his grip around her waist and strung the delicate golden chain around her neck, balancing it so that the pendant hung directly in the hollow of her neck. He clasped the necklace and released it, though not before allowing one finger to trace over the tattoo on the back of her neck. The permanent image brought a question to his tongue.
Gently spinning her around to face him, Groves opened his mouth to speak. “How’s the name hunt been, love? Any new clues?” His tone is somewhat patronizing; he knew all too well about her obsession. He tolerated it, yes, but he did find it a bit amusing that she was so intent on finding the island’s true name. What was so important about a name, anyway? But if he were to ask that question, yet again, she’d just launch off on the familiar speech about righteousness and purpose and…well, he just really didn’t need that right now.
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Post by Adeline on Aug 18, 2008 17:15:29 GMT -5
Adeline fingered the necklace delicately, murmuring a thank you to Groves. The unexpected kindness really had thrown her for a loop and had muddled her senses. She felt like she was in a little dream world for the time being, forgetting about the harsh reality of the world outside. Groves's comment broke that dream and the dazed, happy look on her face hardened.
"Damn names. Why does a fucking island need a NAME to survive? Why are people corrupt? Fuck it all. My head hurts so fucking bad, because I got way too wasted last night. And don't EVEN try to scold me for that. I had a good reason. I had more than one good reason. I don't know what you've been up to, but have you heard about anything that happened yesterday in East Lucent? If you do, then know that I was there in the middle of all that shit, and if you don't, then I'll just spend an hour explaining and ranting about it all," Adeline rambled, a slight growl emanating from her throat. She had gotten what she wanted from Kenn Park, sure, but she couldn't make any sense of all the numbers written neatly and tucked in an envelope, and neither could she stand having to wait to see what happened to the wolf she had bonked on the head. He was going to try and find her, that much Adeline knew, but she didn't know when, and she didn't have any idea what kind of friends he had. For the time being, however, Adeline needed to concentrate on the numbers and what they meant. They had to mean something! One angel and six assassins were killed over it, one angel and two civilians severely wounded because of it, and poor Adeline had gotten more wasted than she had ever dared to go before while thinking about it. She actually couldn't remember what she did last night, or how she got back to the shop, where she had slept on the floor after, probably, passing out. She was a calm, brooding drunk, so she knew she probably hadn't done much. There was probably no violence, most likely no sex...she wasn't THAT bad of a drunk. Oh, and no insane laughter and silliness either. But, Adeline did need to admit, she had a problem, one that could be solved by just one thing: the finding of St. Lucent's true name, or the discovery of what happened to Dwight Lucent himself. All these thoughts were making her head swirl once again, and she looked down so Groves wouldn't have to see the horrible expression on her face.
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Post by ocean on Aug 29, 2008 10:57:53 GMT -5
A soft sigh was his immediate reply to her rant, his head once more tilting slightly at an angle. He would never quite understand her outbursts, let alone be able to predict when they were brewing. He was well aware that there was a whole other part of Adeline's life that he had no part of, one that she had yet to tell him about. Then again, he wasn't so innocent himself; he had just as much of a counterpart as she did. And it wasn't as if he could include her in his dealings; no, that was impossible. He loved her dearly, but she'd most likely wind up doing something...well, he didn't like to think about what might happen if he decided to engage Adeline in his businesses.
Placing his hand on the small of her back, Groves gently steered Adeline to a rickety chair near the rear of the store, remembering to grab her hat from the shelf as he did so. Gesturing for her to sit down, he placed the hat on her head, straightening it with a flick of his wrist. "Now," he said quietly, "tell me what happened." Squatting before her, he adjusted his head so that it was at her height and looked her straight in the eye, almost daring her to refuse him.
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Post by Adeline on Sept 3, 2008 19:41:33 GMT -5
She sat, helpless to fight against Groves's gentle touch.
Sighing, Adeline wondered how she would start. Silent for a minute or two, she finally spoke. "Well, I was walking down East Lucent, minding my own damn business, finally happy that nothing had happened to make me want to get drunk, when I hear a gunshot...so of course, addicted to trouble as I am, I went to it to find out what the bloody hell was happening. I get there, and who do I see? I see one of the guys I just HIRED hiding out in the bushes trying to find out what happened, and two Angels battling assassins probably sent by the Council, may they rot in hell. Then, as we're trying to figure out what to do, i see this fucking wolf in civilian clothes lean over a dead rabbit body and take a paper from it. So, I go over there, argue with the bastard, and finally take the letter. However, I did have to scar up his face and knock him out...and he had a gun to my head at one point, and a severed arm almost hit me in the damn face. If that's not bad enough! ROOK THE FUCKING ANGEL had to SAVE my ass before his companion got shot. My ass didn't need no saving! And all in all, I got the fucking letter, which I don't have on me, already put it in the safe...the secret secret one? Unfortunately, it's just a bunch of fucking numbers that I have no clue how to decipher!"
Done with her rant, Adeline collapsed her head into her hands, shaking from the violence of her speech, and close to tears. If she only knew that showing the numbers to Groves would solve everything, as he would have known they were book numbers done by the Dewey Decimal System. However, showing him was almost impossible now, not once they were in the safe, and she just wasn't in the mood to try and figure it out. She just wanted to curl up in Groves's lap, clutching her new necklace, and sleep.
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Post by ocean on Sept 7, 2008 7:27:18 GMT -5
A lesser furre might have lost consciousness at her rather indelicate language, but Groves was more than used to it. His dark eyes seemed to shadow further and further as she ranted on and on, his face drawing tight as her story fell to a close. With something of a sigh, he drew a hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes closed tight.
“Let me get this straight,” he said, voice flat and emotionless. “You heard a struggle and, in some kind of suicidal research mission, decided to get involved. You steal something from a ruffian that obviously has no issues with killing, and for good merit, give him something to remember you by.” Groves’s tone seemed to be rising in pitch as he continued, his eyes flashing incredulously as the story was retold in his own words.
“You were threatened at gunpoint and bludgeoned with misplaced body parts before you scurried off clutching a letter of unknown origin that you can’t even read?!” He seemed to have reached the peak of his hysteria, both the pitch and volume of his voice hitting a miraculous high. Leaning forwards to clutch her face in his cupped hands, Groves adjusted his level so that their noses were a millimeter from touching.
“Do. You. Have. A. Death wish?!” The first four words are weighed heavily, the tone once more apathetic, though the last sentence seemed to be vaulted upwards somewhere towards the range of hysteria again.
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Post by Adeline on Sept 7, 2008 12:26:39 GMT -5
Adie didn't answer his question because she was pretty sure it was rhetorical and didn't want Groves to know the answer. In fact, if it hadn't been for Groves's existence, she probably would have had no problem with dying. After seeing her parent's and lifelong friends dead on that ship when it crashed into St. Lucent, she had no fear of death. Hence why she took so many risks. But Groves might already know that, and she wasn't going to give the man the satisfaction of seeing Adie put her head down shamefully and admit her stupidity.
Instead, she decided to take advantage of the fact that he was only a few centimeters away from her face. Leaning forward slightly, she pecked a kiss on his lips and sat back, smiling happily as a five year old would do when they hear they're going to Disneyland. She giggled inwardly, bubbly for unknown reasons. She thought it might be because she was proud of herself. She hadn't seen Groves get this emotional in a very long time, and it made her happy to hear him say words in something other than his soft, calm tone. Biting her lower lip and grinning all over her face, she said three words, "I love you!" This was true, and now she could only wait for the reaction from the very angry man before her. Would he soften, or would he blow up even more?
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Post by ocean on Sept 7, 2008 13:03:15 GMT -5
Again he fingered the bridge of his nose as she attempted to break the stressed atmosphere by cradling his own lips with hers. He was unable, though, to repress a small smile that lighted across his face as she spoke. “I love you, too, Adie,” he mumbled, glancing up at catching her eye with a worn look in his eye. “That’s why I’m trying to keep you from being blown up.”
He stood in one swift, fluid motion, his body towering over hers. He extended a hand to Adeline, offering to assist her up from her chair. The other hand rubbed thoughtlessly at the back of his neck, his mind wandering to the tattoo that marked the same spot on Adie’s. She really feels strongly about this. Strongly enough to get herself killed. Ah well, any bastard who screwed with someone close to Groves was as good as dead anyway. He had businesspeople for that.
“Now,” he said again in the same calm tone, his eager eyes once more holding hers as he gently cupped one hand beneath and the other on top of her own paw, “can I see this piece of paper, please? Maybe we can figure this out.” Before you get yourself shot, he silently added.
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