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Post by Valmont on Apr 16, 2009 12:08:49 GMT -5
**NEW DAY**
Valmont sat in his favorite chair in the parlor. His favorite chair for private lounging purposes, of course; not the one he'd have chosen to arrange himself in for every guest. He was at east, but as ever (whether at rest or in motion), there was little sense of inertia about him. His state might change at any time, fluidly and without transition.
He was thinking about Valerie Lambert. Blakeney. Whatever. She was in hospital. She remembered nothing. She likely could not walk.
And soon, she'd be here, within his easy reach. Oh, he would not lay a finger on her. Not until she asked him. And she would.
((tag Desire))
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Desire
- Masterful Virgin -
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Posts: 43
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Post by Desire on Apr 16, 2009 12:19:20 GMT -5
((I made Miranda's last name Lambert. *giggle*))
"Oh, I think she will indeed," said, with fond amusement, the figure in one of the other chairs of the parlor, although when it had appeared, one couldn't be certain. It might have been there the entire time, unnoticed, for it did not seem to have come about quite suddenly; or perhaps it had slipped into visibility in the moment in which Valmont had been looking away. Doubtless he would not look away again. Most people found themselves staring at Desire, for whatever else one might have called it, it was rather extremely beautiful, in a way that almost brought about a very sharp pain.
Just how much pain depended upon the feelings one had towards Desire. It knew Valmont rather intimately well, although they had in some ways come to take each other for granted. Desire intended to renew the unpredictability that had once been such a part of their relationship.
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Post by Valmont on Apr 16, 2009 12:49:23 GMT -5
((Dude, police inspector Charles is named Lambert, too. They should have a reunion.))
Valmont, indeed, could not look away. The figure was both unknown to him and incredibly familiar, in a similar way (had he recalled it) to his feeling upon first seeing Notre Dame, but far more intense. For his relationship with Desire was ever so much deeper and prolonged than with even Paris itself.
The smile he offered it was his most Valmontish one, which meant that it was neither wholly sincere nor actually insincere at all, but languid and wry and knowing and inviting all at once. He had grown complacent with Desire, it was true; desire was his own currency, both his and other peoples', but it had been years since his own had surprised him either by direction or intensity. Valmont, in other words, felt jaded, without feeling any disappointment at this fact at all. It was just how things were, a mark of his expertise and skill, and therefore while he was currently very comfortable with the figure in the other chair, considering it something of an old friend he had no need to maintain, he was also perfectly vulnerable to its whims.
You see, he thought he had Desire covered, cataloged, and leaned by rote. But Valmont was merely an apprentice, and could never be otherwise, though he did not know this. This was not to say that he did not feel intense desire for the figure, but it was obvious in the way he never minded being obvious, and not so overpowering as to pain him in a way he found unpleasant.
"How kind of you to agree," he said, nodding slightly by way of acknowledgment and wondering with only part of his mind when it had gotten here and deciding it was bad form (not to mention irrelevant) to ask.
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Desire
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Posts: 43
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Post by Desire on Apr 16, 2009 13:00:43 GMT -5
Desire smiled, both pleased as punch and with a lovely sense of irony. Valmont knew it, what it was, which was not entirely surprising considering that he had recently felt the slightest hint of itself towards yet another personification, that of Paris (who had for a long time been under the thumb of Desire's silliest sister, and seemed rather tedious to Desire, though of course it did not begrudge anyone his peculiar tastes). It made this meeting that much sweet.
Desire, who had a cigarette resting between its slim white fingers, blew a smoke ring heart. The smoke did not smell or feel like cigarette smoke. There seemed, indeed, to the be faintest scent of peaches in the air.
"Kindness has nothing to do with it," said Desire, recrossing its legs. "Does it, Sebastien?"
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Post by Valmont on Apr 16, 2009 13:19:54 GMT -5
In truth, Valmont did not know it so far as to give it a name; it was merely a feeling of familiarity, of naturalness that it should be sitting here in his best parlor, smelling of peaches and blowing smoke rings. He rather hoped that it would be equally natural to soon find both of them in a different position, either horizontal or vertical or some combination of the two, so long as it was in concert.
How it knew about Valerie, and what he was planning, he did not know. But it seemed a safe enough conversation to have with it. Valmont, as I have said, was somewhat complacent these days with it came to Desire.
"No, it doesn't," he said, his lips curling minutely in public/private delight. He didn't have the personage's name, and that troubled him a little. But also seemed not to matter. He was growing used to such odd meetings, he supposed. "But forgive me; I seem to be remiss in my duties as host. May I get you anything?"
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Desire
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Post by Desire on Apr 20, 2009 15:48:16 GMT -5
"Oh, thanks," said Desire, but no, was the unspoken implication in the dismissive and elegant wave of one white hand, the smile on its face showing that it knew full well what Valmont was thinking of, and liked it. Desire did briefly toy with the thought, but in the end, Desire went beyond simple physical desire, or love, and was indeed many of those things and others, and greater than all of them, and Valmont was not overly familiar with every part. Indeed, did Valmont suppose he would master Desire under such circumstances?
Although perhaps to continue to visit him as his relations with the librarian were prolonged, and see how his attitude changed... Desire did love to play its games...
"Forgive me that I am the uninvited guest and not, myself, the host," said Desire, shifting comfortably in the chair. "I think that can wait until we are more intimately acquainted, as I hope we shall be, Sebastien, and as I believe you hope, too." Although of course those hopes could hardly have been more at odds in some ways, they blended nicely in others. Valmont was the perfect mix of the aloof and the intense, after all. But Desire was pure passion, and wanted it all.
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Post by Valmont on Apr 20, 2009 16:10:21 GMT -5
Valmont was not aware of the elemental nature of Desire, of the figure before him, but he was affected by it without knowing precisely how. He knew he wanted it, without caring who or what it was, but he was master enough of himself to only let that show as far as he was comfortable. Which, given that he was Valmont, was pretty far. And it was true that he likely held himself up to a higher standard than he realized Desire held persons to, for he only believed himself a master of desire, not entirely having given himself up to any higher power in that regard.
There were elements of it he was all too unfamiliar with, which left him quite vulnerable to a plan of attack from quarters he had not admitted existed.
"I can think of no happier notion," he murmured. "For you believe aright. But what brings you here this afternoon, may I ask?"
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Desire
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Posts: 43
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Post by Desire on Apr 20, 2009 16:19:38 GMT -5
Desire laughed, as easily as a cat might yawn.
"Dear viscount. You do, of course. And a certain arrangement you've made with the charming Blakeney, nee Lambert girl. It will work, of course, even better than you know. The outcome, I believe, is of even greater interest to me than it is to you."
Desire spread its hands like a diplomat and steepled them pleasantly.
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Post by Valmont on Apr 20, 2009 16:27:37 GMT -5
This, of course, flattered him, which Valmont had no problem with. However, it was not without its troublesome aspects, and his eyes narrowed every so slightly.
"While interest in her is not, naturally, outside the realm of my comprehension," he said easily, "I am not entirely certain of your connection with the girl. You do not mean to deter me."
It was not a question, but the fact that he mentioned it at all indicated he was not immediately aware of what other interest Desire might have with her. And was likewise unable to grasp just how one could have more interest than himself.
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Post by Nadir on Apr 20, 2009 17:37:40 GMT -5
((...I'm not certain, either.))
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Post by Lavinia on Apr 20, 2009 20:42:47 GMT -5
((Ohai!
Desire is the personification of desire, all forms of it, including love and tenderness and such. More often than not, it is not nice. Valmont desires but also thinks himself above certain kinds of desire, like love, and Desire is not, to its mind, subservient to any man's will. Basically, Desire looks forward to Valmont having, shall we say, uncomfortable feelings for Valerie. It intends to teach him a lesson.))
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Post by Nadir on Apr 20, 2009 23:33:13 GMT -5
((Oooooh that'll be interesting. *steeples fingers*))
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Desire
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Posts: 43
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Post by Desire on Apr 21, 2009 15:19:24 GMT -5
"The girl isn't the issue," said Desire, leaning back in the chair and smiling very charmingly, if disconcertingly, bringing the cigarette again to its lips. "Indeed, is she ever?"
The irony in this sentence, which Desire imagined Valmont would not pick up on, as it would ring true for him, Desire imagined, and as Desire had delivered it with that intimacy between them in mind, built on a shared philosophy which was, secretly, not really shared, was too enjoyable. No, she wasn't, not for Valmont - that he liked to admit to.
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Post by Valmont on Apr 21, 2009 16:38:44 GMT -5
Valmont's expression mirrored Desire's, not only because most people did model themselves after the stronger personality in the room--and while he wouldn't admit it, or even necessarily know it himself, Valmont was not it--but because Desire was of course playing into his own cherished beliefs about himself.
"No," he said, intimately smug, "she isn't."
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Desire
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Posts: 43
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Post by Desire on Apr 22, 2009 9:08:15 GMT -5
Desire's smile widened.
"Then I am sure you realize it is a short step from that fact to another: that I am, indeed, as I say, purely here for interest in you." Of course, Valerie herself was an interesting case, but a much more commonplace one, from that point of view. Ultimately it was not she who would be Desire's triumph here, although an interesting enough diversion. "Not Valerie. It is interesting you would assume so."
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