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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jun 9, 2009 19:20:02 GMT -5
((...But is now going to!))
Adrien was vaguely dazed and moony after that, slipping back into the crowd and continuing with the same chitchat, although with an expression of great preoccupation (which, although he couldn't know it, made him seem more distant and professional to those who did speak with him, and therefore marked him less as an outsider or eccentric. And the fact that he had just had a perfectly civil conversation with Adrian Veidt himself probably helped). That his customary smile had more or less vanished was itself enough to show how affected he was by the arrangement. Perhaps to someone who did not know him it would imply he was dropping a facade, but there was nothing false or insincere in his near-constant smiling. It took getting to know him to know that, though, and since really no one ever did or had reason to, Adrien wouldn't have begrudged them their opinion.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jun 9, 2009 19:35:57 GMT -5
At that moment, Veidt was beginning to thank various guests for having come, and apologizing for having to retire for the evening. "Business beckons" was the usual explanation.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jun 9, 2009 19:40:11 GMT -5
And of course, whispering, naturally, the guests had begun to speak of that amongst themselves, which made Adrien rather slightly confused, as it was bound to. He did not find duplicity impossible to imagine, but he still had a rather spotless idea of Veidt which did not include telling guests he was leaving to work when he was really leaving to become further acquainted to an uninvited guest.
Then again, a Veidt who was attracted to boys - who was attracted to him - was still rather hard to swallow. Not that he didn't want to swallow. It seemed too good to be true. And for some reason it was easier to suspect Veidt of lying to him - luring him out to, he didn't know, get rid of him more easily? - than to suspect him of lying to this crowd, even though he himself didn't like them.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jun 9, 2009 19:47:40 GMT -5
He gave Baillon a significant look as he passed, while the sound system promptly started playing an entirely different sort of music.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jun 9, 2009 19:52:53 GMT -5
Adrien didn't know what was with the music at this place. Bad to worse, really.
He caught the look and was internally surprised before rather extremely excited. Was that the...? That seemed to be the plan, but really, it was too brilliant. Or fun. What were the chances of...? Subterfuge made the idea of seeing him after the party even better. And took out the waiting.
He finished his champagne and headed after him - in, of course, a room full of moving people - in a way that he thought was beautifully surreptitious.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jun 9, 2009 20:01:41 GMT -5
The truth was, most of the staff knew. It was hard to miss it if you knew how to look for it, and they were by and large satisfied enough with their treatment and paychecks to not hold it against their employer, and were more than happy to offer their own subtle gestures as they passed Baillon in the hall to indicate which direction he should go.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jun 9, 2009 20:16:45 GMT -5
This was extremely helpful, and Adrien knew enough, thankfully, to know not to nod back at them or something beyond looking back. He had an intuitive, instinctive appreciation of the situation and enjoyed it, all elements.
And it was likely only to improve. Without any expectations whatsoever as to what the final door held, he entered without guile, and without knocking - nothing that would suggest he'd thought ahead, as he really hadn't.
The room was different, large beyond anything else he'd ever been in before, and he looked around it in quiet appreciation before his eyes fell upon a very large... some kind of cat or other on an also very large bed. He smiled again, rather noticeably, not just because he'd heard of the cat. Adrien did rather like cats in general. Better than dogs. Stray cats were one thing, but stray dogs could be another entirely. He did not suppose touching it would be wise, but he did enter further into the room quite naturally, letting the door shut behind him.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jun 9, 2009 20:22:18 GMT -5
The lynx lifted her great purple head and sniffed the air before turning and looking at the newcomer. Long ears twitched curiously as she padded toward him.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jun 9, 2009 20:24:21 GMT -5
If it was coming towards him, it was safe, wasn't it? Well. Adrien was cautious but not twitchy - his smile not even the first - as he extended a hand experimentally.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jun 9, 2009 20:33:13 GMT -5
Bubastis's ears flattened cautiously as she sniffed his hand.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jun 9, 2009 20:36:56 GMT -5
He let her, the smile widening even further, his whole posture somehow giving away the complete attention he was giving. After a moment, he - very slowly and gently, rather tentatively - brushed his hand over the top of her head. How purple soft she was. That struck him first, that an animal could get as soft as that. He put it down to her being an exotic animal; it never occurred to him that a cat could feel that way, too, if it were healthy.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jun 9, 2009 20:39:06 GMT -5
There was a low rumbling that only became obvious as purring when combined with her ecstatic expression.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jun 9, 2009 20:40:54 GMT -5
The faintest bit of laughter - dazed, incredulous, really delighted laughter - escaped his lips. He pet further, all the places he knew alley cats to like, at least that he could reach on such a huge creature - top of the head, behind the ears, beneath the chin, back of the neck.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jun 10, 2009 20:28:24 GMT -5
Veidt entered from a side door.
"She seems to like you."
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jun 10, 2009 21:15:53 GMT -5
He looked in the direction of Veidt's voice, faintly surprised. He hadn't noticed any other doors, but then he'd been distracted by the large purple cat.
"She's not always like this?"
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