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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jun 11, 2009 19:14:16 GMT -5
"She is inclined to be somewhat proprietary," Veidt told him as he came closer. "Strangers often upset her."
He bent down next to Baillon so that his own face was level with that of the giant cat's.
"Do you like M. Baillon, hmm?" he asked gently as he rubbed under her chin, exactly as if she were an ordinary housecat and not a beautiful monster capable of breaking a man's femur with her jaws. Looking up at his young guest, Veidt added, "This is Bubastis."
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jun 11, 2009 19:20:37 GMT -5
Adrien smiled, sort of pleased with himself. He liked being liked in general. By people, yes, but by animals especially. There had been a few times in his life where no one paid him any mind except the strays. An animal that normally didn't like strangers liking him was particularly touching.
He wondered how much Veidt was like his cat, if he took to people more or less frequently than she did. It was strange to see him interact with a pet, as though he were looking in on something intimate, and he liked that too.
"I like her."
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jun 11, 2009 19:36:02 GMT -5
"She eats me out of house and home- oh, yes, you do, don't you try to deny it-"
Veidt was borderline babytalking to his cat. To anyone who knew him mostly from observing him on the cover of economic journals, it was a sight that probably would have bordered on the surreal.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jun 11, 2009 19:45:55 GMT -5
Had he been paying attention - really paying attention - to the words Veidt was actually saying, he'd have very much doubted it, considering how much money the man had, but of course he wasn't doing that. Veidt wasn't looking at him, he was gazing at the very large violet feline and indeed, it was beyond surreal. In an extremely endearing fashion, although Adrien partially thought he might have been putting it on for Adrien's benefit. (Not that he could imagine why. Wouldn't he want to, like, come off as even more smooth and slick and brilliant?)
He didn't realize he was gazing at Veidt with such partial incredulity, or with anything bordering on fondness. "Yeah. Strays'll do that, too." Although it wasn't said to be blunt. He liked the strays, after all.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jun 11, 2009 19:50:04 GMT -5
"I have been able to formulate special meals for her, but she's inclined to be choosier than she has any right to be."
He said this with extreme fondness, while Bubastis looked at him as if she wanted to object, made a low "choof!" noise instead, and gave Veidt's left cheek a quick lick.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jun 11, 2009 19:52:27 GMT -5
Half bent over to gaze at the large creature, hands propped up on his knees, Adrien replied faintly, "Cats're more like people'n people are."
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jun 11, 2009 20:10:37 GMT -5
"Cats are people, Baillon."
He had switched, barely perceptibly, into what could have been termed his private voice, though most people would think he was putting on an accent.
He was actually dropping one.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jun 11, 2009 20:12:47 GMT -5
Adrien didn't quite pick up on the accent change, but looked suitably confused for a brief moment, although perhaps it was thoughtfulness.
"Mm," he said, noncommittally, after a moment. "What does that make people, then?"
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jun 11, 2009 20:19:51 GMT -5
"People are... I suppose people are just that. People. The greatest and the lowest of beings in creation," Veidt said, after a pause.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jun 11, 2009 20:25:20 GMT -5
Adrien tilted his head and looked at him. Kind of a philosophical outlook, which suited him, but ultimately a sad, distant one, wasn't it? By this point the accent was clearly German, which made Adrien faint dead away with pleasure somewhere in the core of his being, although at this point it was underneath several layers of thoughtfulness. Although he wasn't really someone who tried to comfort, and certainly didn't think to consciously, he reached out and brushed Veidt's hair behind his ear.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jun 11, 2009 20:32:46 GMT -5
"I imagine I am boring you dreadfully with all this philosophy," he said, standing. His tone, in spite of his words, was rather noncommittal; the accent remained but the intonation had returned to the light, affable state it had been at at the party.
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jun 11, 2009 20:36:59 GMT -5
Adrien smiled, teeth showing, almost self-consciously. He hadn't really minded, but now that Veidt was back to usual he let himself get swept along with the change too. He did not stand, but turned his head to look up at him. "If I didn't want to listen to people talk philosophy, I'd move out of Montmartre. It's cool."
He stood and nonchalantly brushed back his own hair, although with some measure of gravity to the action.
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jun 12, 2009 14:20:20 GMT -5
((His location STILL amuses me more than it should.))
Veidt laughed a bit at that. The boy's artless command of slang was as fascinating as it was charming.
"A starving artist from Montmartre. I thought you all had gone the way of the dodo."
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Post by Adrien Baillon on Jun 12, 2009 18:58:03 GMT -5
((I wrote it that way especially for you. <33))
Adrien smiled, maybe because he was off guard due to Veidt's laughter. But he was generally that guileless. It could have been anything.
"Oh, I'm not an artist. Maybe in the dirtiest sense of the word. Sorry to disappoint you."
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Post by Adrian Veidt on Jun 12, 2009 19:14:52 GMT -5
"Oh."
His comprehension of the euphemism was clear, but if he was shocked, it didn't show.
"I see."
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