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Post by Rochester on Feb 17, 2009 15:24:23 GMT -5
*Well, Rochester wasn't about to thank Valmont for anything at the moment, but his confusion lessened his rage. His gaze shifted to Shadi, eyes imploring.*
"Who told you I was dead?" *It didn't make any sense. Obviously. Who would have thought him dead? And more importantly, why would they tell such a lie to Shadi?*
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Post by Shadi on Feb 17, 2009 15:48:49 GMT -5
"Father," Shadi growled. She was having trouble seeing. There was a mist before her eyes, and her brain felt like it had shut down. "But you aren't... you aren't dead?" She turned plaintive eyes on him, drinking the blurry image of him in. Her eyes darted to Valmont, suddenly clear. "And you knew he wasn't."
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Post by Rochester on Feb 17, 2009 16:11:53 GMT -5
*All right, so the anger was returning quickly as more details unfolded. He took a step closer, eyes burning on Valmont.*
"You let her think I was dead?" *The thought disgusted him and every muscle tensed.*
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Post by Valmont on Feb 17, 2009 17:00:48 GMT -5
Valmont raised an eyebrow. This was succeeding just as he'd hoped. He hadn't even known the half of it, and it was glorious.
"How should I have known, old man? She never mentioned it at all. Or perhaps she did; I'm sorry, she was a bit incoherent, it's hard to say." He flipped his hand to the side negligently, as if it was no matter at all, and weren't they all happy together now anyway? "Now that I think of it, she did react most passionately to any mention of you at all. You weren't wrong about that one, Rochester." He peered over the man's shoulder to the glowering figure currently reaching for some sort of clothing. Valmont trained his eyes back on Rochester's face, a smile turning up one corner of his mouth. "Such energy."
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Post by Rochester on Feb 17, 2009 17:10:56 GMT -5
"So you just..." *Rochester was practically vibrating in rage.*
"...took her?" *His voice was low and uncharacteristically dangerous. He took several more steps towards Valmont, not that he had the first idea what he'd do when he got there.*
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Post by Valmont on Feb 17, 2009 17:15:47 GMT -5
Valmont shrugged his shoulders eloquently.
"She didn't exactly put up a fight," he said. "I didn't even force her. And it wasn't as if you were using her. Come off it man, we're both men of the world; as is she, I have no doubt. She enjoys a good tumble as well as the next. Didn't you, my dear?" he called to Shadi.
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Post by Shadi on Feb 17, 2009 17:18:21 GMT -5
"Bastard," she shouted, finding her tongue again, and her feet. She came at him then, wearing only a shirt and a knife, and looked really quite fetching. "You knew I loved him, even if you didn't know I thought he was dead--I never would have... if I hadn't... I could kill you now..."
But her gaze drifted wonderingly to Rochester, as if she still could not believe her eyes, and nothing else could hold her attention for long.
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Post by Rochester on Feb 17, 2009 17:23:20 GMT -5
*Rochester soon found himself face to face with Valmont, flustered but undeterred. The punch was palpable and to be honest, a bit manly for Rochester but he was just so very cross.*
"Don't you ever touch her again." *He hissed lowly.* "Or you'll never enjoy another woman. Or man." *With that he turned sharply and caught Shadi roughly by the wrist and started to pull her towards the door.*
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Post by Valmont on Feb 17, 2009 17:42:28 GMT -5
Valmont did not react to the blow, but took himself out of harm's way just a step.
"Have a care, Rochester," he said, his own tone lightly threatening. "Well, it seems you're both going. Do write and tell me how it all works out."
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Post by Rochester on Feb 17, 2009 17:46:46 GMT -5
((Sorry, I just couldn't come up with a response that wasn't hitting him. But I feel kinda bad about it.))
*Rochester didn't respond, just eager to get Shadi out of this house and...somewhere else. Somewhere safe. He didn't even note her state of undress in his desperation.*
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Post by Shadi on Feb 17, 2009 17:52:21 GMT -5
Despite everything, she did not take entirely kindly to be pulled peremptorily from the room. For one thing, she hadn't any trousers on. For another, she felt a little drunk still, and stupid, and could hardly fathom what was going on.
"Trousers, Rochester," she mumbled, grabbing at them and missing. Valmont stepped neatly to the crumpled garment and tossed them to her, in return for which she merely glowered, but took them. The bastard winked at her, pursing his lips, and then she was leading Rochester out, breaking free of him to tug her trousers on while still moving forward as best she could.
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Post by Rochester on Feb 17, 2009 17:56:21 GMT -5
*His grip removed, he turned back to her, realizing what he'd done.*
"I...I'm sorry." *He whispered, taking her by the elbow as soon as she had them on enough to walk.*
"But I just...I can't." *His voice trembled, more so as they left Valmont's presence. His hand started to shake against her, but he tried to steady it.*
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Post by Shadi on Feb 17, 2009 18:02:35 GMT -5
Trousers fastened, Valmont not appearing prone to following, she found she could not take her eyes off him. She put her hand on his, almost feeling unworthy to touch him, her breath coming quicker as she spun through the possibilities and the heartache and tried to figure out what the hell was going on.
"No," she said quietly. "I'm sorry. This is all... You should feel justified in anything you want to say to me, Rochester."
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Post by Rochester on Feb 17, 2009 18:11:26 GMT -5
*Rochester shut his eyes briefly, forcing himself to remain quiet until they were outside. The fresh air meeting his face saw him slow and turn to her. There were so many things that he wanted to say. That he shouldn't say. He couldn't control his emotions and it read in his face as his lashes fluttered. His hands shook worse as well.*
"I..." *He swallowed before trying again.*
"You...you really thought...I was dead?" *He clung to that fact. That she'd done this in despair. That she'd never willingly hurt him. Not like this. Not with that letch.*
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Post by Shadi on Feb 17, 2009 18:20:33 GMT -5
Her guts roiled. Relief, that he was indeed alive; horror and wrenching pain that she'd hurt him, over and over. She wanted to cover her face, but he would still be able to see her. She wanted to run and hide, to die, only he was alive so there no longer seemed any reason to.
She nodded, her eyes swimming with tears, her expression miserable.
"I thought... You can't imagine how glad I am you aren't. You don't have to believe me, after everything I've done. I don't expect you to. But I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't, ever. I don't know why he told me that... I'm going KILL him!"
Only she was starting to realize why Nadir had done it--though it did not make her hate him any less.
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