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 Dec 24, 2008 4:26:00 GMT -5
Continued from: The+lakeValentine had gone down to the cellars in search of Mortimer, after managing to make himself a cozy setting above in one of the many stagehands' dorms. It was where he ended up, halfway to Erik's domain, that he managed to hear a keening, mournful cry that could break one's heart, even if they had not known the source or the reason behind it. Just the sad echoes themselves were painful enough; They drew Valentine away from his intended path right to the lake itself, where the masked juggler peered at the dark water, searching the surface but still adverse to entering. "He-h'llo?" he said, hearing his own voice fade off in the distance. It was an awkward thing to say, but what else did one use when faced with... whatever this was?
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Post by Mortimer on Dec 24, 2008 4:32:15 GMT -5
The strange sounds ceased at once and there was a dim splash off in the distance, the sound of something gliding along the lake in the dark, coming closer, and then two saucer-sized spheres of dull glow just under the water grew visible.
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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 Dec 24, 2008 4:36:14 GMT -5
Valentine nearly swallowed his tongue at seeing the "lights" in the water, and started to back away. But, as is the case with many who are too frightened to watch where they are going, the juggler stumbled over something on the shore and fell backwards onto his rear end.
Licking his lips, the masked man stared into the water, trying to discern a shape or origin. Perhaps a creature that Mortimer had befriended there in the lake? He could only hope. Parked where he was, Valentine leaned forward, not so far from the water's edge as to be at a safe distance from being dragged in, if such was the case.
Venturing a bit closer, Valentine lifted himself on his palms and feet, crab-walking a couple inches closer. "'Lo?" he asked again, on guard for any signs of hostility.
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Post by Mortimer on Dec 24, 2008 4:39:51 GMT -5
The lights surfaced several feet from shore, too far to make out any shape, but the voice was familiar.
"Valentine, not f' swim."
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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 Dec 24, 2008 4:45:06 GMT -5
"Moortimer..." less than a question, Valentine seemed to let go of the breath he'd been holding and slumped a little where he was, now feeling silly for taking a start with him. He had no idea that the creature had multiple forms beyond the two he'd become accustomed to, but it was his fault for thinking his friend had limits on his shape.
"Ah woz lookin' fer y'annywhay," he explained, folding his legs underneath him, his back a bit straighter with his comfort in Mortimer's presence. Then, with why he'd come to the lake hitting up his reason again, Valentine leaned closer, his fingers poking little holes in the dirt shore, keeping him propped up.
"Ahre y'alroight? I heard a... a... singin'?"
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Post by Mortimer on Dec 24, 2008 4:47:34 GMT -5
"Not sing"
He moaned pitiably and came just a little closer. The glow of his eyes lit up the dark stretched skin over his face, which was still half-submerged.
"Cry. Erik made cry."
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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 Dec 24, 2008 4:50:02 GMT -5
"Cry?!" Now there was something to be shocked over. Considering the affection Mortimer and Erik had displayed between each other, and the way Erik had so meticulously scrutinized Valentine when they'd just met... something had to be terribly amiss.
"Whut'appened? C'mere, don' hoide..." he pleaded, scooting a little closer, then stopping to gesture for Mortimer to make the next move and come out.
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Post by Mortimer on Dec 24, 2008 4:52:39 GMT -5
"No...very ugly, Valentine can't see. Okay. Out of water, itchy...cold."
He did come just a little closer and his fishy visage was clearly visible, along with one long, webbed, clawed irregular...hand.
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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 Dec 24, 2008 4:58:46 GMT -5
Having seen the watery distortion of the eyes had somewhat braced Valentine for the impact of Mortimer's new shape, but this was completely different than he'd imagined. However, having the little sharkman speak to him like that... it set something off in Valentine's head. It actually hurt to have Mortimer stay withdrawn.
"Please?" he begged, shifting his position so that now, Valentine's weight rested on hands and knees, his face looming closer to Mortimer's, though he was still only just an arm's reach from the water now. "A'least tell m'whot happened..."
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Post by Mortimer on Dec 24, 2008 5:05:28 GMT -5
When the mouth gaped to speak, long--inches--uneven and needle-sharp teeth were revealed, though they were somewhat translucent and looked a bit fragile.
"Mortimer...visited M. Valmont. Erik was mad, yelled, said Mortimer is not a person. Mortimer said...Erik is ugly--didn't mean it, Erik is very pretty,handsome."
The creature gave another cry and backed off a bit, turning a circle in the dark before facing Valentine again.
"Mortimer made like ugly deepdark fishes...never come out f' light agian."
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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 Dec 24, 2008 5:16:09 GMT -5
"Moortimer... tha's not true..." intoned Valentine, very gentle when he spoke now. He wasn't even quite sure he knew how to use such a nice tone, but maybe it was just the creature's wounded feelings that caused Valentine's cowardly little heart to expand beyond itself.
Sighing in exasperation, Valentine changed positions again, sinking a bit into the softer, damp earth right at the lake edge, though that fact went unnoticed with the juggler's intent to speak.
"Moortimer, yer moore of a pehrson than a lorra people Ah've coome t'know," he started quietly, folding his arms across his knees. "A lot, includin' m'self. If y'made a mistake, it's naht s'poosed t'be the end 'a the whorld..." This profound insight was starting to scare Valentine, but he kept going, spurred on by Mortimer's pain. As he spoke, Valentine felt himself starting to realize a few things he should have done properly in the past.
"'Ell, mistakes ahre s'poosed t'be made. Thass how ya learn, yanno? I guess Ah'm learnin' that too... Ah almoost lost m'only friend I'ad... er, befoore I met you acourse... because Ah made a mistake. It coould've cost'er 'er loife, but... she forgave me. Makin' mistakes is wot makes a pehrson a pehrson..."
Now completely struck by his own flash of maturity, Valentine closed his mouth slowly, watching the soft glows in the dark before him, trying to avoid any sort of gestures or facial expressions that could coerce Mortimer to come out. He really wanted his little friend to understand that he wasn't merely saying all this, but that he meant it, and wanted Mortimer to know it. In whatever way he interpreted it to be truth, at least.
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Post by Mortimer on Dec 24, 2008 5:25:30 GMT -5
The glows and the horrendous face moved closer until they were raising up out of the water and Mortimer crawled up onto the bank on all fours, a couple feet away from his friend.
He looked emaciated and dark and leathery, his tattoos were invisible amoung the black and brown blotched skin. His hands were fully webbed and elongated with irregular finger-lengths and loose, short thumbs higher up on the palms. The fine, sleek dorsal fin he'd possessed as a sharkthing had been replaced with a ragged sort of sail tipped with deadly-looking spines than shuddered and folded and opened against the monster's back.
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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 Dec 24, 2008 5:30:08 GMT -5
Mortimer's leave of the water alone was amazing progress, and were he not in the midst of helping his new friend, he might have patted himself on the back for this.
"C'mere," said Valentine, opening his arms to the horrid-looking fish. Had he not known it to be Mortimer, Valentine admitted to himself that he would be making for the nearest exit, no questions asked. "Please don' hoide from me, okay?" he asked, hoping the creature would come to him for comfort. If all he could offer was a hug, so be it.
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Post by Mortimer on Dec 24, 2008 5:34:19 GMT -5
The spines on his back and along his arms and legs all folded tightly against his body as he crawled over to Valentine, carefully tucking his wet and somewhat slimy form against the man, curling tight to him with a whimper. Valentine was not-cold, and the warmth passing between them felt nice.
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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 Dec 24, 2008 5:39:52 GMT -5
Tensing for only a moment at the shock of cold-and-wetness that came from having the soggy manshark huddled against him, Valentine circled his arms around Mortimer very carefully. He 3was still very unaware of the depth of the problems between the little man and Erik, and whomever this "M. Valmont" was, but that was not the important thing right now.
"Moortimer, please don' stay in th'lake foreveh..." he asked quietly, coming to rest his warm cheek atop Mortimer's head... or neck. The pose probably could have been misconstrued as intimate, but Valentine had no intentions for Mortimer in the way that Valmont had, but the juggler had no way of knowing that yet.
"I cahn stay'ere until y'feel better," he added, cradling Mortimer lightly, willing to stay as he promised.
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