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Post by Lee Chaolan on Mar 28, 2009 3:37:52 GMT -5
((Branching from Yellow House II)) Coming up the street outside the house, Lee had finally gotten home from... well, it was too many years for him to remember. The seasonal changes in the Spirit World home of the Monkey King seemed to happen at a whim, not with any thought or pattern to what day it was. Either that, or his growing displeasure for looking outside had kept him from keeping track. While he had managed to work up a few levels in the 100-story palace, he was no where near the top, and watching the outside grow smaller and more distant became heartbreaking. At least the down-time between visits with his master had given him time to think. Not for very long, once Lee's hand servants were allowed back in the room, but his mind stayed active. Of course he had missed Jason, but the time apart from him forced him to analyze his life in the human world. His jewelry shop had been sinking, last he could remember, and most of the memories tied to it were painful - yes, he'd made friends with Jirahasuke through it, and met Jason... because of unfortunate circumstances. It was because of those same circumstances that he had ended up as a guest in Jason's home, though they had been intimate... just once... and he was still a guest. It was probably his own fault - he had put pressure on Jason to be close, and mostly because of the assaults he'd been through. Everything had turned bleak and he'd turned Jason into a crutch. It was his own guilt from this that left him standing outside the house at about half-past seven, hands resting on the gated fence. He was studying the house thoughtfully, still dressed in flowing robes from the Spirit World. In such garb, he certainly looked out of place. ((Tag Lambert!))
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Post by Charles Lambert on Mar 28, 2009 15:51:42 GMT -5
With such a sight before him--and one which had crept up so stealthily, seeming to appear out of nowhere--Lambert's instincts took over. There was no reason to reveal he'd been standing outside, too, no reason for the man to suspect he was anything but on patrol.
It wasn't as if a foreigner standing outside the house of honest folk wasn't suspicious in its own right.
"May I ask what you're doing here, sir?" Lambert said sternly, placing himself in front of the strange man.
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Post by Lee Chaolan on Mar 28, 2009 17:49:33 GMT -5
Turning suddenly, Lee gasped as his train of thought was interrupted by a young man stepping into his line of sight.
"Don't do that! You startled me!" he said, putting a hand over his heart. He had the mind to swat at the boy, but restrained himself for now. There was no sense in making a scene out of nothing.
"Up until you startled me, I was thinking. I'm a guest at this house. What are you doing here?" he questioned right back, an elegant bamboo fan being produced from his kimono sleeve regard the young man with. He had learned his lesson about physically poking at people.
"I've never seen you before."
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Post by Charles Lambert on Mar 28, 2009 21:12:38 GMT -5
But Inspector Cluont lived here! With... perhaps this was his valet, or housekeeper. Though "guest" was a strange word to use.
"If you're a guest, it certainly seems odd to be lingering outside," he pointed out, in his best businesslike manner. "I'm asking the questions here; it is my job to investigate suspicious behavior."
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Post by Lee Chaolan on Mar 28, 2009 21:21:25 GMT -5
"Suspicious? Look, I've a lot on my mind, young man. Now who are you and what are you doing outside of Inspector Cluont's home?" he asked, sounding rather tired.
He gave the young man a looking-over; the boy seemed to be a member of the police, but wet behind the ears. Certainly not a hardened man like Jason; Lee doubted the man had even seen the harsh side of his job yet.
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Post by Charles Lambert on Mar 30, 2009 10:35:50 GMT -5
Lambert blinked disingenuously.
"Inspector Cluont lives here?" he asked, as if he didn't know. It wasn't as if he could linger out here for long, he knew that much. It wasn't as if he didn't know what suspicious behavior looked like, even if he felt justified. "Oh, well, then, I suppose it's all right."
It wasn't at all, of course, for Cluont hated Javert and Lambert was worried for the older man, and it didn't answer what this fellow was doing here.
"But I'm waiting for Inspector Javert."
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Post by Lee Chaolan on Mar 30, 2009 18:57:56 GMT -5
Inspector Javert? he thought, voice mimicking the confusion in his mind. "The Inspector Javert?" The one he very well thought Jason couldn't stand, whom he had heard of, but never had the chance of crossing paths with? That Javert?
"What the devil is he doing here?" said Lee, turning his attention away from the young man toward the house. Turning back sharply, Lee took the young man by the hand, looking a bit frightened. "Nothing's happened to Inspector Cluont, right?"
With all that had happened to him, Lee was beginning to think he was bad luck, and that he'd now somehow passed it onto Jason; the younger man falling victim to some mishap just for taking Lee in seemed unfortunately appropriate.
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Post by Charles Lambert on Mar 31, 2009 11:08:06 GMT -5
The intensity of the man's response took Lambert by surprise, and he blinked puppyishly at Lee for a second before replying. At which time he unconsciously decided that it must be admiration of the great detective that had elicited such a response.
"Yes," he said. "The Inspector Javert. Inspector Cluont is taking some time off; I'm certain Javert is merely making sure a few things related to work." That was how devoted Javert was; Lambert's own devotion shown in his eyes.
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Post by Lee Chaolan on Mar 31, 2009 21:49:55 GMT -5
Lee retracted his hand quickly, realizing he'd had the young man by his wrist, which would not look at all well. While Lee, himself, looked confused, the young man seemed like a puppy waiting for his master to return home. The news of Jason taking time off was surprising, but Lee was certain Jason had a good reason for it.
"How long have you been waiting? I suppose I could send the Inspector out for you..." Lee was not so sure Jason would have invited the young man in as well, but neither did he know just why Javert would be spending any time with Jason, outside of work.
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Post by Charles Lambert on Apr 1, 2009 11:40:38 GMT -5
Lambert had not noticed the hand on his wrist until the other man had released it, and now it struck him as a very strange thing to do. But then again, foreigners had all sorts of strange ideas about personal space.
"Er, not long," he said. "And that won't be necessary! I have to continue my patrol, after all."
He had enough sense of self-preservation to know that lurking outside the house of one inspector, while waiting for another, went slightly beyond bringing muffins to work. He knew he was justified, but it wouldn't look right at all.
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Post by Lee Chaolan on Apr 2, 2009 21:48:09 GMT -5
Lee raised his eyebrow questioningly at the young man, catching the bit of hitch in his voice after the suggestion. Now he was suspicious of the young policer, and came right out with it.
"Does Inspector Javert even know you're waiting for him, Monsieur?" Instincts told Lee that the answer would unequivocally be "no," but he wanted to see how else the younger man would reveal himself.
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Post by Charles Lambert on Apr 6, 2009 11:34:54 GMT -5
"Of course he does!" Lambert insisted, though there was an edge to his voice that verged on hysteria. After all, he thought, he wasn't lying.
He wasn't unaware that he followed Javert around, or that Javert must therefore, expect him anywhere.
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Post by Lee Chaolan on Apr 8, 2009 19:29:39 GMT -5
Lee leaned back away from the young man, sensing something he wasn't quite sure he wanted to be a part of coming from the youthful inspector.
"Er, right... yes, well, if you don't mind... I should be inside...?"
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Post by Charles Lambert on Apr 13, 2009 13:54:16 GMT -5
Lambert blinked.
"Oh," he said. "Er, right." His brow furrowed, and he strove to swing the authoritative cloak of almost-inspector around his shoulders. "That is, if you truly belong there, as you say you do. We can't have any trouble, around here."
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Post by Lee Chaolan on Apr 14, 2009 0:27:53 GMT -5
"Oh, I haven't been any trouble," he said, a bit playfully, and he forced on a smile, eyes disappearing for a moment behind a pleasant facade. "At least, I hope not."
He still seemed hesitant on going in, however, as he was quite certain he did not want to cross paths with Javert, nor did he wish to place Jason in a bad light if the other Inspector thought anything was up. Ugly rumors started over the tiniest things.
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