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Post by Mortimer on Nov 24, 2008 15:44:30 GMT -5
"Yes." He nodded. "Make-love." his face fell a bit and he started fidgeting with a third button, speaking more to it than to Erik. "Henry was broken." And that was all he every really knew about the mechanics of such things, and back then, he wasn't so curious about people and their...peopleishness.
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Post by Erik on Nov 24, 2008 15:48:26 GMT -5
"Precisely," Erik said with considerable relief. "Make love. Which people generally do without clothes on, and so... taking one's clothes off might make people assume something like that." What they'd assume when they saw Mortimer was anyone's guess. "And it might embarrass people who aren't used to it."
Broken. Erik rarely thought about Professor Jamison, or the gruff brand of kindness the old man had shown him. And he had certainly not understood his and Wanizame's relationship. But it made rather more sense, now.
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Post by Mortimer on Nov 24, 2008 15:55:07 GMT -5
"Oh--because...hm...hanging things? But then is okay Mortimer not wear clothes, no hanging things. Yes?" Now he was just confused. If everyone looked the same nude, why wouldn't they all just go around like that on nice days, it would be so much more comfortable!
"How to know f' want make-love?" Once again, he could not say that he loved Valentine, but the man had undressed around him with (what the creature thought) was perfect ease for swimming. Of course, he knew it was to keep his only set of clothing dry, but he had not seemed embarrassed.
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Post by Erik on Nov 24, 2008 16:40:15 GMT -5
"Hmm, hanging things and otherwise," he said, realized that Mortimer had likely not seen a woman nude. "But it's more complicated than that, Mortimer. It's not just the.. the hanging things. Er, phallus. It's the idea behind it."
So they were going to have this conversation after all.
"What do you mean?" he asked. "How do you know whether you want to make love, or whether someone else wishes to with you?"
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Post by Mortimer on Nov 24, 2008 22:57:29 GMT -5
"Yes."
He shifted a bit on Erik's bony lap and resettled, now perched back on the rounds of the man's knees so he could sit and look up at him in rapt attention.
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Valentine
- In the Duggins -
I'll have you know, I'm a very important man!%\0\%
Posts: 99
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Post by Valentine on Nov 25, 2008 2:29:45 GMT -5
Valentine eventually realized that he was no longer snuggling with the little body beside him, and after giving the strange bed a light patting down, the juggler sat up, slightly dazed from waking so suddenly, trying to get his bearings.
After a few moments, Valentine realized he could hear voices in the other room, and felt that he would probably be asked (or demanded) to leave the place. Quietly sitting on the edge of the bed, he leaned over and pulled his boots back on, lacing them quickly to make his exit.
However, as he could hear them talking, it did perk his curiosity once again, as there was no yelling at the little man (it seemed) that would lead to his being kicked out. Valentine tiptoed to the door, not wanting his hosts to know that he was awake yet. Turning his head, he carefully pressed his ear to the door, listening in.
...were he able to blush, his masked face would be quite red. They really couldn't be.... could they? Yes, Valentine was very certain he heard "make love" come out of Mortimer's mouth. As well as the other voice, which he presumed male by the tone and firmness of his speech, explaining exactly what "hanging things" were called.
It was then that Valentine looked down at his pants, specifically recalling how he'd stripped down nude in front of Mortimer. "Oh no..." he murmured softly, afraid he'd given Mortimer the wrong impression... especially when he'd "reacted" to the shark's movements in bringing him through the water.
I didn' mean ta do that in fronna Moortimer like that... he thought, waiting, dreading and bracing for Mortimer to very openly and cheerfully announce that Valentine (whom, at this point was hoping he'd been painted like a bleeding saint to the other man) had stripped down and shown Mortimer his own "Hanging thing."
Swallowing, Valentine placed his hands on the door, hoping to fortify it by touch should it be burst open and him thrown across the room by a very angry homeowner. The promise of death lingered in his mind and was rapidly becoming a possibility by every second he listened... mortified.
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Post by Erik on Nov 25, 2008 10:19:48 GMT -5
Erik paused, looking down at Mortimer with an expression whose unreadableness was due not only to his tragic face but the mix of horror and affection he was feeling. Mortimer, he was fairly certain, could not "make love." At least, not in the traditional sense. So what was the use of explaining it?
Then again, he had wanted to know, even knowing it was not to be in his own future.
But in the brief silence, his senses--a mix of acute hearing and sheer instinct--picked up on their eavesdropper and his entire body tensed. "We'll talk about this later," he said. "You ought to introduce me to your... friend."
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Post by Mortimer on Nov 25, 2008 11:04:46 GMT -5
Mortimer frowned a bit, not appreciative of being put off.
"Valentine is sleeping."
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Post by Erik on Nov 25, 2008 11:33:48 GMT -5
"Indeed not," Erik said. "He is listening behind the door. And I would rather our conversations remained private."
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Post by Mortimer on Nov 25, 2008 11:36:58 GMT -5
"Oh." He wormed off of Erik's lap and padded back over to Julian's room, pressing his malformed hands against the door.
"Come out, okay? F' meet Erik!"
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Valentine
- In the Duggins -
I'll have you know, I'm a very important man!%\0\%
Posts: 99
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Post by Valentine on Nov 25, 2008 16:47:32 GMT -5
Valentine heard the conversation turn toward him and he felt his appetite, for the first time in his life, wither up and his stomach twist with anxiety. Forgetting (or hoping that he'd lost) the doorknob's location, Valentine felt around the door clumsily until he got the portal open, slipping through the smallest possible opening he could allow himself, having the top of his pants seized by the latch. After an awkward fight to get himself free, Valentine finally came fully into the front room.
There he was, as promised, masked and inked as Mortimer described. His posture, though rather good, had a shrunken back look to it, and for what it was worth, Valentine did not appear to have the confidence to look Mortimer's "friend" in the eyes. His hands would ball up and loosen, then repeat several times rapidly before he shook them out and wiped the sweat onto his loose trousers, then repeat the whole process.
On his feet, he shifted his weight back and forth, ready to bolt out the door and never to return if it meant keeping his neck. However, for Mortimer's sake, he did not flee right away; he lacked patience and courage but would at least wait for his judgment before taking flight.
If he lived that long.
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Post by Erik on Nov 25, 2008 17:02:06 GMT -5
He certainly looked like a shady character, shifting about like that. Erik remained seated for a moment, knowing almost instinctively that his silent stillness--and the mask he'd replaced before Valentine had opened the door--were more intimidating than any temper he could show.
His eyes, which in the lit parlor would not show at all, narrowed, and after a measured silence he rose fluidly to his full height, the individual motions making it up imperceptible. His skeletal frame was hung with immaculate dress clothes--but for the missing buttons.
"So," he said at last, his voice beautiful and terrible without his even meaning it. Much. "This is the stray our Mortimer has drug in. Valentine, is it? I am Erik."
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Valentine
- In the Duggins -
I'll have you know, I'm a very important man!%\0\%
Posts: 99
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Post by Valentine on Nov 25, 2008 17:13:09 GMT -5
Nearly swallowing his tongue, Valentine looked up a little bit, trying to keep his legs from collapsing underneath him. Now he prided himself as a coward cautious man, but if he were given to think, he'd be proud of himself for already keeping his body upright. Moreover, the timbre of the other masked man's voice had a profound affect, giving him a small nudge to look his real host in the eyes... eyeholes.
Extending a shaking hand (with ice cold fingers from his poor nerves on edge), Valentine bowed his head as respectfully as he could manage, afraid of going to far and tipping himself over.
"Ah-aye. Valentine. Moortimer 'as been r-rilly koind t'me..." he said, deciding it best to make the little man seem out of fault. His own voice, though soft and trembling, had it's own rich timbre, only marred by his thick brogue. "Tis a pleashure ta meet you, sir."
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Post by Erik on Nov 25, 2008 17:30:27 GMT -5
Erik blinked at the torrent of near-unintelligibility.
"Really," he said dryly, and it was obvious he knew the man was lying. To get something. "Mortimer seemed to think you deserved his kindness. Would you say that's true?"
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Valentine
- In the Duggins -
I'll have you know, I'm a very important man!%\0\%
Posts: 99
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Post by Valentine on Nov 25, 2008 17:50:14 GMT -5
Nononono, don' panic, don' panic, y'can coome up with a roight answer...
The juggler seemed to strain himself, and looked down at his new little friend, swallowing again (gracious, he felt nauseous now, so frightened was he) and then looked at Erik once more. Realistically, there was only one truly right answer, and that was almost as hard as apologizing.
"No, nawt rilly. I'm jus' a driffer, but Ah do apprishiyat what his shoon ta me."
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