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Post by Valmont on Jan 12, 2009 13:05:49 GMT -5
((I am assuming this is after Shadi has "found out" about Rochester, and that she permits Josephine and Pina to take her to see Gwynplaine to console her. For now... tag Rochester and Hwoarang!))
Valmont did not carry his purse on the outside. But he did present a tempting form; slender, extravagantly dressed, and with the careless air of a dilettante. He was, perhaps, more finely honed than his appearance led one to believe, but that was his own secret. In tow, of course, was Rochester, another of his sort.
"Good lord, the humanity," Valmont lamented under his breath. "Have you ever seen such a teeming hive?"
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Post by Rochester on Jan 12, 2009 14:19:33 GMT -5
*Rochester swaggered with a familiar sort of odd grace, smiling like a fool, every bit the ideal dandy.*
"They do seem all aflutter, my good chap." *His head tilted to glance his compatriot askew.*
"However did you stumble upon them?" *A valid enough question. In his day, he'd made it his business to be the center of everything, even cock fights, but his understanding was that Valmont ran in more elite circles.*
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Post by Valmont on Jan 12, 2009 14:29:18 GMT -5
"As well you might ask," Valmont agreed, knowing full well the implication behind Rochester's statement. He was rather genteel, after all; his brand of slumming it had a particular flavor and did not often require being seen at such places. "Wouldn't have thought of it, only like you, someone came to me and said I simply must see this Gwynplaine fellow. Damned if he wasn't right, too. Strangest thing I've ever seen. Well... in public."
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Post by Rochester on Jan 12, 2009 14:40:07 GMT -5
*The last comment pulled a chuckle from Rochester's throat.*
"Well, in that case...I won't stand to miss him." *He started to look about for some sign in the chaos for where this fellow might be set up.*
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Post by Hwoarang on Jan 13, 2009 1:38:25 GMT -5
He watched them from just under the rim of his soft cap, barely suppressing his grin. He must have pleased some god of rogues, as he could not have hoped for better targets. They stuck out even more than a redheaded Korean in France - which was saying something to Hwoarang.
Slipping by a few other patrons, Hwoarang pretended to be enamored with a particular sideshow advertisement, a finger raised thoughtfully to his lips as he turned to walk - shoulder first - into the pair, setting himself up to give both of them a thorough once-over.
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Post by Valmont on Jan 13, 2009 11:13:04 GMT -5
Valmont frowned at the jostling, turning idly toward the source. "Have a care!" he barked with all the unearned authority of his class, though his attention was idle.
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Post by Rochester on Jan 13, 2009 13:43:27 GMT -5
*Rochester on the other hand seemed far more intrigued by the clumsy fellow. Well, he was rather exotic, now wasn't he?*
"Now, darling..." *He called back to him, lush grin on his face.* "Sweet thing like you should take his time. Let us appreciate you."
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Post by Valmont on Jan 13, 2009 13:59:06 GMT -5
Now that, Valmont thought, was more like Rochester. A start, anyway, if he could forget that baggage long enough to make eyes at... well, another dusky urchin, and goodness would the boy never show any taste?
Not that the present figure was unappealing, certainly. Valmont could appreciate that, as he could have appreciated Shadi (though he did not remember her name). But it seemed to be a pattern with Rochester, and Valmont abhorred patterns.
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Post by Hwoarang on Jan 13, 2009 18:55:31 GMT -5
The young man felt himself freeze up a little, and though his hands had felt a few layers of padding here and there, he was slightly dumbfounded as to where their wallets were.
And should he respond to them, or play stupid foreigner? He looked at them blankly, playing up the "outsider" appearance before he made a hasty bow to them.
"Oh, so sorry! Was not watching feet! Not see you!" he spouted, putting his hands on the arm of the smaller-appearing man, still trying to determine just where the money was... "Get you hurt? Get you dirty?" he asked, trying to play dumb, all the while growing increasingly frustrated himself. Too much longer and he'd have to give up.
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Post by Valmont on Jan 13, 2009 19:06:07 GMT -5
Valmont--now alerted, and somewhat more with it than Rochester at this point--had the opportunity to watch the man's pawing of Rochester and rolled his eyes.
"Come off it, man," he said. "You know exactly what you're doing. Unhand my friend, and I won't call the authorities." He smiled slightly suggestively. "And that would be such a shame. Wouldn't it, Rochester?"
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Post by Rochester on Jan 13, 2009 20:21:31 GMT -5
*It took a moment for Rochester to follow the implication, but he purred genially at the foreigner.*
"Indeed. Come now, there's plenty safer and more enjoyable ways to get money spent on you." *He grinned.* "Sweet thing like yourself..."
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Post by Hwoarang on Jan 13, 2009 21:18:34 GMT -5
Hwoarang pulled his hands back sharply, catching their expressions to one another with quite a mix of confused interest. He was curious as to what they could mean... In his world, high-standard practices weren't enough to survive on. It was all or nothing.
"So... what do you want then?"
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Post by Rochester on Jan 13, 2009 21:23:26 GMT -5
*Rochester just smiled and gave a superfluous sway.*
"Oh, darling...it's hardly anything so complicated. What's wrong with a little company." *His gaze shifted behind the man for a moment.*
"Unless of course you had somewhere to run off to."
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Post by Hwoarang on Jan 13, 2009 21:54:24 GMT -5
Of course he hadn't - that was why he stole from people in the first place. Not that he had dreams and goals or any of that other stuff that some street rats got in their heads, but that wasn't the point, nor the question.
"No where special," he said casually, the played accent from earlier pushed down to his normal, out-of-place-but-learned dialect.
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Post by Valmont on Jan 14, 2009 11:12:13 GMT -5
He had been right about the boy's put-on silly foreigner act. And while he wasn't Gwynplaine--and was a thief, to boot--Rochester seemed interested. And that was the point, after all. Distraction. And, for Valmont's entertainment, plumbing the depths of Rochester's particular issues.
"A drink, then," he suggested. "You must be thirsty," he said to the boy, as if he thought of him slaving away in the hot sun.
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