Chronicles of The Omniverse Archived Lutetia City: Saint Lemeux

as written by Script

"You make a good argument, Celeste," Arien noted with a thoughtful nod, "There are worse fates than stability and a good education. Badassery is always welcome too. I guess I could just never give up the freedom that you guys lose. The freedom to make all my own choices, even if they occasionally lead to total fuck-ups."

He grinned, "Of course, the two things aren't mutually exclusive. Rules were made to be broken, after all." There was an edge of mischief to the youth's voice, an edge that made itself ... intriguing. Even to those normally disinclined to such things, the way Arien said it made it seem very appealing.

It was incredibly subtle, almost undetectable unless you were specifically looking for it, but it was there. An easiness of trust, a prompting of interest...

And of course, it went almost entirely over Inarin's head. He was too busy trying to keep his composure after Jimmy winked at him, despite not being entirely sure why it had him reacting like a deer in headlights. It meant that Jimmy had caught him staring, yes, but he could explain that - and it wasn't like there was anything inherently wrong with watching someone. The implication of trouble was certainly concerning, but he had no real idea what that could mean. Clearly, the stranger had him on edge. Though he found it difficult to blame Arien. He seemed very nice.

In the meantime, Arien leaned back in his chair. "If you guys are interested, there's a party going on in Merveilleux tonight. Starts at eleven. I could get you in, if you're up for it. You seem like decent guys that need an excuse to have a bit of fun."

A party? Inarin had never been to a party before. Parties certainly weren't something the Brothers and Sisters would approve of. But Aaro and Jimmy kept talking about living life and having fun ... maybe he shouldn't be doing everything that was expected of him. There was a philosophy about that, he recalled, mentioned in a duelling manual. If one did everything that one was supposed to, then one's enemies would know what one was going to do next at any given moment. To be entirely predictable was to expose a weakness.

According to at least that text, there was merit to going against expectations and rules at least in some circumstances. Perhaps he should give it a field test?

He practically blushed at the very thought of being so rebellious. Where had that come from? Surely he could never consider such a thing.

But, if the others did ... he didn't want to lose his potential new friends by being too ... boring. What would they say? He looked up, eyes flicking between Aaro and Jimmy in such a way that made it very obvious he was waiting to see how they reacted.
 
as written by Ronin

"You want proselytes at your party?" Aaro quirked a curious brow, "what, you're not worried we'll spill out your liquor and castrate anyone trying to have sex?" He laughed. Though he maintained his usual light-hearted aura, Aaro was considering Arien's offer. Many might have thought that the laid-back proselyte would have jumped at the opportunity to attend a party like this ... but the young man weighed the matter carefully, considering the various ways this little ordeal could backfire. Though a seasoned scoundrel and committed fool, Aaro wasn't foolish. Even with the charming resonance in Arien's voice that made the offer more tempting than usual, Aaro wasn't about to just jump into something like this. Having a drink of contraband liquor that someone snuck into the academy was one thing. Flat-out sneaking out for an entire night was something altogether.

"What part of Merveilleux? It's a big place," he asked, "and what kind of crowd?"
 
as written by Krysis

Celeste had actually been leaning towards Arien a little, hungry for exactly that sort of trouble. Not that she would ever admit it out loud. She had spent most of her life trying to be ideal, trying to be the sort of person that could put a stop to the slaughter of innocent people and protect the city from riotous behavior of all kinds. Now, the thought of throwing all of that away on a single night of-- "Freedom." She whispered, longing in her tone as she gripped the edge of the table.

Then Aaro spoke up and Celeste jerked upright again, blinking and rubbing her face as if she had been almost asleep, listening to Arien. "Oh. I'm sure we can be reasonable, Aaro. However, I do have work to do."

She gives a sheepish smile, admitting, "I'd rather go dancing, but I have a sword to work on and it isn't like it is going to beat itself into shape."
 
as written by Faithy

Jimmy’s attention was solely on Arien even though he appeared to be looking elsewhere. The stranger was speaking to the very core of the Proselyte, though he would never admit that while Celeste was around. He had already ticked her off by admitting he’d like to speak to a werewolf or two. It was hard, but he managed to keep from jumping at the idea of going to an actual party because he knew it would be a difficult task getting out of the place and into the city without being caught. He knew the risks, knew that if he was busted, he’d be knocked back a year or two, but was it worth it? Was living… truly living worth being busted back? He knew without a doubt it absolutely was most definitely worth it.

Even as Aaro questioned the idea of the male wanting proselytes at his party, Jimmy already knew what his answer was going to be even if it meant he would go alone. He glanced at Celeste who was hemming and hawing around the subject, complaining that she had to work on her sword, something he probably should be working on too, but he was tired of doing work, was tired of using his brain. It was time to let loose and truly have fun, something that although booze and sex was brought in, they never quite went beyond that line. The line was directly in front of him by the name of Arien.

“I’m in. Just tell me where and I’ll find a way to get there with the others or by myself.” Jimmy spoke up, his voice firm and absolutely serious.
 
as written by Script

"You can spare one night, I'm sure," Arien flashed another grin at Celeste, "I don't expect the sword will be too jealous. Quite the contrary. I can't begin to guess at how many admirers you'll put in the unfortunate position of being jealous of a sword by the time the night is done."

Looking back to Aaro and Jimmy, the teen smiled. "It's..." he paused, "Well, I'm not really supposed to say until later on, since the more people know, the more chance there is the location gets leaked. Most people will get a text closer to the time. But since I imagine you guys will need to make plans, I'll make an exception."

He flicked out a pen from his pocket and scrawled an address onto a napkin. "It's an old warehouse on the south side of the area that a contractor was going to convert into apartments, but the company went bust. Right now the building's in red tape purgatory, so nobody's using it. Two ninety-one Coterie Avenue. I wouldn't call it the most pristine neighbourhood in the area, but it's not a shithole, either."

Glancing across to Aaro specifically as he slid the napkin across, he went on, "And the crowd? Well, it's a bunch of teenagers who want to party. That's ... pretty much the extent of it. No werewolves, if that's what you're wondering. They have a tendency to, well, ruin everything."

Inarin looked from one proselyte to the other. He was frankly astonished that Celeste was even considering it. Perhaps there was a side to her he hadn't seen - after all, wasn't he considering it? He was probably more astonished at that than anything. Jimmy's zeal in announcing his intentions was surprising as well. With or without them? They couldn't let Jimmy go on his own, could they? What if something bad did happen?

"Uhm..." Inarin began to speak up to suggest that Jimmy shouldn't go on his own, but lost his voice when Arien turned to look at him and their eyes met. For a moment that felt like it dragged on forever, he was lost in their seemingly endless depths, sentence hanging unspoken.

"What's up? Inarin, wasn't it?" Arien's voice snapped him out of his hesitation, and he blushed, nodding to confirm his name.

"I ... I think we could probably get away with it," he found himself saying, "It's not too uncommon for students to spend the night in the library or the forges, and the library's so big that they can't possibly keep track of who's in every single corner of it. If we're seen going into the library, but not coming out of it..."

He trailed off as it dawned on him what he was planning. It had, for a moment, simply been a puzzle to solve - a problem of logic and theory. But this wasn't just theory. They would actually be sneaking out.

For some reason that didn't seem to be as horrifying a prospect to him as it would have been yesterday.
 
as written by Ronin

"It could work..." Aaro mused, "the Miroir de Feu is one of the biggest buildings in the city, though fooling the custodian clerics would be tricky." He ran a hand through his hair before looking at Celeste. "And come on ... it would be fun. We'll have the rest of our careers to sharpen swords and abstain from debauchery. This could be the only chance we have to get at least a glimpse of what it's like to be a normal teenager in this city." He looked at Inarin and grinned. "And look at you, In! That's quite the idea. Who knew you were such a party animal."

Finally, he turned back to Arien. "I asked about the crowd more for our sakes then theirs." He tugged at his uniform. "Around Lemeux and Luskionos, paladins and proselytes are friends. But Merveilleux has a high necromancer population. Not everyone takes kindly to people wearing the garb of the church."
 
as written by Krysis

Celeste gave Aaro a patient look, "That's why you take your mundane clothes with you. It wouldn't be unusual for proselytes to be carrying book bags into the library. No one says they have to have books in them, so no one checks. Then you stow the bags someplace, after you change, so you don't have to be carrying them into the-- What?" She seems confused at the looks she was undoubtedly getting. Why would ms. straitlaced know all this? She blushed and mumbled something about not wanting to upset someone.

Then she sighed and shook her head, "But we really need to have someone run interference. So that if someone does comes looking for us, we won't be missed. And since I thought of that, I guess that makes me the one staying behind."

Which was a bit of a relief, really. That last bit from Arien had her uncomfortable and thinking he was making fun of her. She was too long in the face and short in the curves to make his flirting believable, at least to her.
 
as written by Faithy

"Hmm..." Jimmy was lost in his thoughts all over again, but this time they centered on the party and whether or not they could somehow get in and out without being caught. His heart was beating at the notion of being so dangerous and he couldn't help but grin wide. Shaking his head and focusing on what was being said, he was incredibly surprised that the other three were actually considering it and even coming up with plans. He shifted his head towards Celeste and wondered if they could get someone else to run interference or if that was even necessary. Tapping his chin, his thoughts shifted again towards the fact that there wouldn't be any wolves there. While he knew they were dangerous, he was serious in that he really wanted to speak with one, to probe their minds. Sighing, he sipped on his water for a few more minutes.

"Changing into something else would probably be best. We'd be less noticed as what we truly are, which would aid us in staying under the radar. I don't think interference is necessary because it's not like we all don't have a lot to study. If we go to separate corners before sneaking out, then we probably won't even be missed. How're we going to sneak out though?" He mused, tapping his chin. He wasn't a great planner and tended to do things more on the fly, but had a feeling that Inarin would be the perfect person to plan this little mission.

"What do you think, Inarin?" He shifted his attention towards him, smiling softly.
 
as written by Script

Inarin blushed at Aaro's words. A party animal, he definitely wasn't. He was just good with plans.

"Well... who says we have to go out past the cleris?" Inarin hesitated, glancing between Jimmy and Aaro, "The windows are normally locked, but if someone could get hold of the key... it's not a particularly difficult climb. I don't think, anyway. The architectural style means that there's a lot of handholds and ledges - I read an account of a particularly paranoid monarch in another land who had his palace completely remodelled and built to be all curves and sheer surfaces, because of how easy traditional engravings and decorative embellishments were to climb. I'm not sure how much of the story is actually true - it read a bit like a cautionary tale, but..."

He stopped himself, realising he was going on again. "Well, the principle applies, I'm sure."

Frowning, the young proselyte looked down into his tea thoughtfully. "Then we'd just have to get off the grounds without running into any of the faculty. That shouldn't be too difficult, as the matrons mostly just patrol the corridors to try and catch people..." he blushed again, "going to each other's rooms, during the night. The grounds are normally deserted aside from the occasional police patrol, and once we're on the ground and changed, they'll have no reason to think we're suspicious even if they do spot us."

Arien raised an eyebrow, "You've put a lot of thought into this, huh?" he remarked.

"Oh- n-no, certainly not!" Inarin shook his head, "I mean, I've not had any reason to before, I- it's not a very complicated plan. There are probably lots of problems with it, but off of the top of my head-"

Grinning, Arien held up a hand, "I gotcha. Pretty good for a plan you made up on the fly, still. And no interference necessary!" He grinned once more at Celeste, before turning his attention back to the others then. "I'd agree that wearing different clothes would be a good idea. Not that the uniforms aren't snazzy, but they sorta scream 'I'm not supposed to be out here right now'. The party shouldn't be a problem, even if there are some necros there. I can't promise you won't get a few funny looks and the occasional jeer if people realise you're with the church, but c'mon." He waved a dismissive hand, "It's a rave, people aren't really gonna give a shit unless you start going around making sure people leave space for Eleu between them when they're dancing."
 
as written by Ronin

"I'll give you a 'maybe', Arien," Aaro smiled, taking up the address and examining it. "It sounds like fun, and I'd certainly like to - but we obviously have some planning to do if we end up going, and I'm not quite sure if it'll be worth the trouble."

He looked through a window at a clock mounted on the interior of the cafe. "And by Selene ... it's almost ninth hour. We need to get back to the Monastery." He sat up and put a few bill down on the table.
 
as written by Krysis

Celeste opened her mouth to tell her friends an interesting detail, but then she gave Arien a strange look. Something was just not right about how much she liked him. She wanted to sit next to him for hours and tell him everything she could think of to impress him, but that was just not like her. She was more likely to not even talk to people she knew, much less tell a stranger about her occasional escapades.

"Goodness, time flies when you're not working." She answered lamely as she rose from her chair and went to collect the bill. She'd just pay it without bothering to consult the others about what arrangements they had made as she assumed that what Aaro put on the table was the tip for the waitress.

However, when they were on their way back to the dormitory and well away from where they left Arien, Celeste would mention, "I want someone to know where we go, if we go to that party. Just in case it is more than a few necromancers."
 
as written by Faithy

Jimmy mused a little bit, wondering if the others would end up chickening out. He was going regardless, so if they did back out, well, that was their choice. This might be the last time he was able to have a huge hurrah and the twenty-year-old planned on doing just that before his life was squeezed into becoming a Paladin truly. Sliding up to his feet, he also tossed down some cash and made a mental note to stash some in Celeste's stuff when she wasn't looking. Crossing his arms behind his head, he walked back towards the Monastery like that, already making plans. How could they get a hold of a key? Hell, why not just climb out of their own rooms after staging it so that it looked like they were asleep? Glancing up at the sky, he hummed, wondering just how plausible that would be. Realizing he was fairly apt to walk into a tree or something, he dropped back down his head and glanced towards the others.

"I meant it, I'm going with or without you three. If you want to tell someone that you're going there, be my guest Celeste. I'm not mentioning this to anyone." He shrugged and returned his attention in front of him.
 
as written by Script

"That sounds like a good idea," Inarin said, nodding. Now that they were away, he was beginning to contemplate just what he'd gotten himself into. Why had this happened on the one day he didn't stay in his room reading? Was this always what life with other people involved in it was like?

"I ... could tell my brother?" he volunteered. Aurelion was in the city, though not staying at the monastery. Inarin wasn't entirely sure where he was, but had his number.

He looked back to Jimmy then, quickening his pace so that he was level with the older boy. "You shouldn't go on your own..." he said more quietly, hesitant in case Jimmy was annoyed. "T-together we at least know we can watch each other's backs, in case something bad happens. But all sorts of things could go wrong on your own... like, what if y-your drink got spiked? Or if you got lost? Or- or if the werewolves attacked? Or the warehouse caught fire, or that vampire from Luskonios showed up, or ..."

He trailed off, calming himself with a deep breath. "Um. Sorry."
 
as written by Ronin

"Ah hell Jim," Aaro sighed, rolling his eyes, "if you're going, I guess I'm going too." He kicked at a pebble on the road and kept walking, surprising himself with how disappointed he sounded. "I mean, don't get me wrong - this is the sort of thing I'd normally jump at ... it's just last minute. Sneaking out of the Monastery isn't the easiest thing the world, even with In's planning. And if we get caught, we're done for. Like, not just a couple demerits. We could get expelled for this."

The proselyte shook his head, a sly grin splaying across his jaw. "Ah hell, what was I saying earlier about taking risks? Maybe we need to have a little fun after all. This will definitely be one of the crazier things I've done, but I think it'll be worth it in the end."

He looked to Celeste and Inarin. "Letting someone know would probably be a good idea, though. You think your older brother wouldn't rat us out if we let him know, In?"
 
as written by Krysis

Celeste shook her head at Jimmy as she answered Aaro, "It's not as hard to get out as you'd think. At least, in theory. However, let's save this conversation for a place without so many ways for someone to eavesdrop. If we can get out the way I am thinking of, you can be sure something else could get in."

She'd smile at Inarin then and nod, "He seems like a reasonable fellow, and you know, getting out at ten is easier than getting in at three in the morning so having an ally still here would be nice."

She jogged ahead a few steps then, grinning over her shoulder at the boys, "I want to look nice! Meet you at the library!" It didn't occur to her to remind the others to go armed, just as it wouldn't occur to her to leave her weapons behind. Maybe the things the Proselytes had access to were not as impressive as what the Paladins carried, but if her growing suspicions were correct, she wanted to be able to defend herself as well as possible.
 
as written by Faithy

"Eh, you don't have to go Aaro. I just want to have something to look back at and be proud that I did something fun and against the rules. If you're all that worried about being expelled, then it's fine, but I'm still going." Jimmy shrugged a little at Aaro, knowing the risks. He wasn't sure why this was so important, but deep down knew he would hate himself if he didn't sneak out and go to the party. If things got rough, he would just leave or fight back if necessary, but hopefully it wouldn't come to that. He did agree though that telling someone where they were going was a good idea as long as it was no one in the Monastery. Sighing, he slid his fingers through his hair and glanced at Celeste, grinning at the notion that she had figured out a way to get out. He nodded as she ran off and just glanced over at Inarin and Aaro.

"Seriously, if you two are having second thoughts, don't come. I'll be fine and dandy." Smiling, he jogged off towards his room, knowing that he needed to prepare for tonight. He supposed he would just find out when he got to the hospital whether or not he would be going alone or if he would end up going with the other three. He hoped that they would come, but on the other hand, was worried about them getting in trouble or hurt. Sighing, he just grunted and kept moving, not wanting to voice his worry out loud.
 
as written by Script

Inarin sighed as Jimmy and Celeste went their separate ways, glancing over at Aaro with a frown. "I'll give Aurelion a call. He won't tell anyone," his frown was pushed away by a smile, "He's always telling me about his time as a proselyte. If I'm to believe half the stories he's told me, this will barely make him raise an eyebrow."

Talking about his brother seemed to take the edge off of Inarin's characteristic hesitation when speaking. "I suppose I'll see you tonight?" he ventured with a hesitant smile.

Goodness. Whoever knew that having friends was so ... exciting.
 
as written by Ronin

Aaro nodded. "Tonight. The Miroir de Feu. Bring whatever you guys think you'll need and meet in the west study hall, chamber nine." The opened gates of Monastery were before them. The proselyte swung on his heels, grinning.

"No guns," he warned them, before heading off into the courtyard.
 
as written by SerinaBloom, glmstr, and Ronin

Crista carried Luka into the hospital after entering the city. She made sure that he was properly taken car of.

____

Aurelie tapped Jonas' shoulder upon entering the gates of the city, holding her mask to her face to keep the wind out of it.
"Are there any hospitals nearby that aren't run by the Order? I don't really trust the church doctors very much."

____

"Church clerics are some of the most capable doctors and surgeons in Lutetia," Jonas responded, "but if you'd rather go to a normal hospital, I can take you there." It was a tad suspicious, but the woman was wearing a plague mask for shits and giggles. As far as Jonas was concerned, asking to go to a different hospital was the least strange thing about her.

He followed Crista to the local hospital, using his radio to call ahead of time. By the time they arrive, two nurses were outside with a gurney. They helped Luka off the bike.

"Thank you," Luka looked back to Crista once more. He was still pale and exhausted, his words quiet and his expressions small and forced. The boy was likely still in some degree of shock. There was no telling what his reaction would be after snapping out of his daze and realizing that his family and friends had been murdered.

"The church thanks you for your assistance," Jonas helped Aurelie off his bike. "We'll find Crawley and bring him to justice."

____

"If I find you again, we can speak more about it later," Aurelie hobbled into the hospital and followed one of the nurses into an exam room.
"M'am, the doctor will be here in just a few minutes, so make yourself comfortable," She hurried out of the room and closed the door behind her. Obscured behind the door was a figure cloaked head-to-toe in long black robes, he stepped out into the room and closed the shutters to block out any sunlight from entering the room.
"You've returned alive, but you've been injured. Care to explain?" The cloaked man lifted Aurelie's cape and her shirt above her side, examining the wound and beginning to apply ointment, disinfectant and gauze.
"We examined a missing caravan, as you might know, and it was an absolute massacre. We met a young garoux boy there but he was terribly wounded and not the attacker in question. We found a rather powerful necromancer that went by the name of Crawley and almost killed him, he escaped but I convinced one of the church paladins to throw some paintballs at him. The church will likely dispatch some agents to chase him down, but we may send some of our own if we li-"
"Aurelie, do not forget why we let you into the human realm at all,"The figure's voice was stern but showed little emotion, "You are to find out how much the Order knows about our kind, and to make sure they do not realize we still exist, are we clear?"
"Yes, sir," Aurelie lowered her head slightly.
"Good girl. Now, is there any other news you might have?"
"Well, I've collected some blood samples of the corpses found at the scene, if anybody had a particular taste for any of these 'vintages', they've obviously dried up now," the huntress reached into one of her larger pockets and began handing him the vials of blood, each labeled simply to distinguish from the other samples she had. The man removed the corks and tested each one as if a fine wine: swirling the dark liquid inside the vials, smelling the aroma of them, and having a small sip himself. He frowned slightly, and began writing on a small notepad.
"Some of these were quite popular with the more affluent members of the family, I'll have to let them know. These varieties will be worth thousands for a glass in no time. Now, let us retreat somewhere that is more suitable for our kind," the man put a hand on Aurelie's shoulder, and a thin cloud of smoke briefly covered their bodies.

The doctor opened the door, but to his surprise there was nobody in the room, the two previous occupants had disappeared without a trace.

____

"You're welcome, Luka. You'll be okay, I promise."

Though Crista wanted to make sure that the boy would really be alright when she left him she knew she had to return to the Order and report what had occurred. She revved up her bike and drove back.
 
as written by Krysis

~On a residential street nearby~

Giselle LeBeau was exhausted from a day of hard work. She sat at the kitchen table in her grandfather's house staring at the bills, late one evening. The term 'soul crushing debt' came to mind, but was discarded after brief consideration. Soul crushing wouldn't come until next month, she hoped.

The pile of scraps from the sewing work of the day had made a respectable heap in the corner. She was trying to get up the energy to do something with them when a key slid into the front door lock. She stood up, and a fragile smile bloomed on her angular features as she rushed to greet the man she hoped would marry her.

Remy Hogan had stood outside of Giselle's house for several long minutes before deciding to get it over with. Maybe the house had been nice once, a perfect place to raise a family but time had been unkind to both it and the sick owner. Not Giselle, of course. The girl was lovely, had a perfect hourglass figure, and was very sweet. The true owner was Phillipe LaChapelle, who was about 80 years old and suffering from some mental disorder or another.

It wasn't any of Remy's concern, except that the closer he got to LeBeau, the more he worried about being stuck with tending the old man. While Remy couldn't find work in the city, Giselle had the education and degrees and crap that made her a prime job market applicant. How he hated her for that, just as much as he liked the idea of having a life of ease with a girlfriend that would take care of all those unpleasant details.

His resolve weakened when he saw her, as usual. There she was, rushing into the hall with that smile. Who could resist being looked at like he was a god among men instead of an unemployed construction worker, divorced, pack-a-day smoker with a kid that hated him? Not Remy, that was for sure.

They didn't bother to say much in the moment, each seeking the other for comfort without regard to the cost.

~Several hours later~

Giselle blushed as only a redhead can do, like she had received a sudden sunburn from her hairline to the collar of her night gown. She had been wanton and... well, all sorts of things that were just not normal for her. Then she had to refuse when Remy asked her for some money for cigarettes. That hadn't bothered her until he got up and started to get dressed. He had looked at her like she was trash and that made her blush.

"Damn it. You are the most boring girl in the country, Giselle." Remy finally said as he pulled his boots back on. He couldn't look at her while he ripped up her fragile ego. He knew he was breaking her heart for his own selfish reasons, but if he saw her break, he'd give in and they'd have to do it again. There was no way he was going to move in and have to wash and cook for old Mr. LaChapelle.

"Boring? I didn't know--", Giselle couldn't look at Remy either, gasping a little and tilting her head back so the tears that automatically gathered in her eyes wouldn't fall. Was this because she was selfish? She hadn't given him what he wanted, but that was because she didn't have anything to spare. Especially not for a nasty habit like smoking.

"Boring. I can go to any bar in town and find a girl that will do everything I ask." Remy continued ruthlessly and stomped to settle his feet in the boots before he headed for the door. When he found Phillipe in the hallway, it gave Remy pause. Something about the big old man always made him feel like a dirty little kid. He covered by pushing past and saying over his shoulder to Giselle, "And give me smokes too."

Even as Phillipe LaChapelle's mind went, he had his impeccable manners and perfect posture. The former butler could sneer without a single twitch of his mouth, and Remy always made him do so. The old man painfully shuffled back into his room as Giselle flew down the stairs after Remy. Perhaps in his mind, the young redhead was a maid of the house, but it didn't occur to Phillipe to reprimand her for having taken up with a trashy male like Remy. He'd forget the incident long before morning anyway.

"You said you were trying to quit." Giselle protested, chasing after the man she thought she loved. Her long-sleeved white nightgown covered everything from her neck to her ankles, but she still hesitated about going outside without a robe.

"I decided there was no need to quit. Until you, I always had enough. Because of you, I've been putting on airs and trying to be what I am not. And for what? A boring, stay-at-home workaholic." Remy figured he would hurt her until she stopped chasing him, so he readied the last of his verbal weapons. Cursing himself for a monster, he finally turned at the gate and glared at her. "And you are getting fat. I don't want to be seen with you anyway."

Giselle froze at that, stunned, as her hands leaped to her middle instinctively, as if she could feel if she had gained a pound with her fingers. "I-- I'm not--" She protested weakly.

"Fat."

Giselle wobbled, stunned, and would lean against the gate post for a while after Remy was out of sight. It was the wee hours of the morning, and her front door was standing open, but she couldn't bring herself to move. It was as if she thought if she stayed still enough, it would turn out to be a nightmare.
 
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