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 Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 10:58 am
Amiel hated shopping for Valerian, but what he hated more was taking Valerian with him. The grocer, at least, seemed like a fairly pleasant man. He always seemed to have a smile for him, and Amiel was able to return one, even though nothing felt the same since he made the pact with Valerian. His chest felt light, not cold or empty like he thought it might. It felt rather weightless. Had all his sorrow been so heavy on him?
That didn’t mean he wasn’t still a little awkward, and a little unfriendly. The change wasn’t that instant. Valerian’s part of the deal was to bestow him with the ability to steal hearts. Amiel wondered how actively their deal would be realized. He shifted his weight to his other foot, took a cigarette out of the tin in his breast pocket and put it in his mouth. Valerian wriggled inside the leather bag against Amiel’s hip, smelling the smoke as Amiel lit his cigarette. His lips were chapped and torn; too much chewing out of habit late at night. The bag lay still again as Amiel replaced the tin, the lighter, and kept walking to the grocer.
The only time Valerian really did anything, it seemed, was when he wanted food. Any other motivation was just not enough—no, wait, that wasn’t entirely true. He would also act if he was able to irritate Amiel, sometimes. Amiel’s left hand was covered in tightly wound clean bandages; every time he reached over the table to his stack of books, ones he was referring to for his documents, Valerian would n** at him. Mostly if he was hungry or bored, but those seemed to be his only two states, so it was more common than Amiel would like.
Amiel brushed his dark hair away from his eyes. It was getting unruly, and it seemed to feather up from the strange way he’d been sleeping on the freshly washed hair that morning. He pushed the door of the grocer open and found a fresh carton of milk, bringing it to pay. “Good afternoon,” Amiel said, offering up the faintest of smiles for the grocer. What was his name, again…? As Amiel went to get money out of the leather bag, Valerian bit his hand, drawing blood through the bandages. Amiel grimaced and sucked in a breath of pain. He didn’t say anything, but Valerian pushed the flap aside, peering out, his long teeth exposed in the half-shadow of the bag. Amiel looked up at the grocer, waiting for his response.
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Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 7:50 pm
Yamato was doing what he always seemed to do: which was work. He really didn't mind it most of the time but this week had been particularly tiring for him. Between schoolwork, his club activities and work he was exhausted. Still, he did his best to keep up a cheery atmosphere that his customers had come to enjoy. He was sitting behind the cash register with a book when a regular came in.
He recognized the person as Amiel, a man, who had a credit system with the shop that had become recently popular with a particularly strange crowd of customers. None of them seemed to have anything in common except they felt inexplicably off to Yamato. And they all seemed to have large, very well made, stuffed animals with them. He put down his book and stood up with a smile.
"Good afternoon sir. Will this be all for you today?"
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Yamato Worchesthalshire Crew
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 12:17 pm
Amiel was used to the dead, and to Valerian's constant and irritating presence. He found that even a sentence from the grocer soothed his frayed nerves. It occurred to Amiel in passing that all he seemed to deal with were dead things. Looking down at the bag again, and preparing to make a second stab at getting his money out, he remembered that he had paid in advance and would likely still have credit left. The things that slipped his mind, when he was this frustrated. He sighed and rubbed his bleeding hand, pushing the flap of the bag over Valerian's face angrily. I'll deal with you, later, he thought to himself. At least he wasn't so inept to say it aloud.
"Yes, that is all; I believe I still have credit...?" Amiel tucked his bleeding hand into his pocket, leaving his right hand on the counter. His fingers were long and pale, very fine. They had no callous, seemingly. They were delicate. He didn't particularly like how feminine his hands were, but they were that way because of his profession. It made it simpler. He was an artist for the dead, really.
Normally, Amiel would not bother with small talk. He would not bother with any kind of talk. Valerian shifted against his side and he felt the demon trying to gnaw, lazily, at his leg through the bag. Amiel frowned, brushed his right hand through his hair and then asked, "So what book was it you were reading?"
A long pause, and then with a tilt of his head, "You look... tired. Despite the smile. What's wearing you out, ah-- what was your name, again?" No wonder he never made friends with anyone; he'd been coming here for such a long time, and never once asked the grocer what his name was.
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Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 1:55 pm
Yamato set to immediately checking out the man's groceries. Another odd thing about the man, he realized as he rang up the milk was that the man almost always bought one of the two same things. Today was milk it seemed. Other times it was cookies. He wasn't sure if the man shopped elsewhere, but that didn't seem very healthy in the slightest. It didn't make any sense for him to come to this store just for milk and cookies and nothing else, so why...? He stopped thinking about it for the time being.
"Yes sir," he replied cheerily, putting the milk into a bag. "You still do have credit, but it'll run out soon. Would you like to add more today?" He handed the bag to the man before realizing the man asked him another question.
"Ah, I'm Yamato sir," he held out his name out proudly. "It's a little hard to say, I know. My last name's worse." He paused a little, feeling a little winded for some reason. He looked at his book that he had with him on the counter.
"Just some science fiction. It's my favorite. I like to read in my spare time. I've had a busy week." Smiling all the while.
"What about yourself, sir?"
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Yamato Worchesthalshire Crew
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Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 4:24 pm
Amiel ran a hand through his hair, disturbing it until it stuck up at a strange angle. He thought about it, but it took him an especially long time, because he was so tired and frustrated that it took a little longer to process what was going on, what had been said to him. It was all Valerian's fault. And yet Amiel felt better than he had ever felt before. Not happier, by any means, but it was an absence of pain. A lightness that came from shedding his heavier memories, or rather the emotional connections to them he had once felt. A gift or a curse, he wouldn't turn that down.
"No, not today. Soon, though. Soon." Amiel wondered at the grocer's happy disposition. Everything was accompanied by a smile. Amiel's own face seemed flat, like he was unaccustomed to displaying emotion. It was a little true; why would he need to be emotive when he only interacted with corpses and a demon?
"Ya-ma-to," Amiel sounded out, thinking, resting his knuckles against his chin and crossing one arm, "It could be much harder to say. I am Amiel." He seemed to blink rather infrequently. Just an unnerving stare, with his flat grey eyes. "Science fiction... Mm." He had nothing substantial to say, just that. Amiel didn't read science fiction, he couldn't even begin to understand why anyone would choose that as their favourite. "Busy? I understand that," Amiel finally said, shifting the bag. The strap was digging into his shoulder. Valerian seemed to be getting heavier by the second.
Amiel had to pause again, to think. To remember what he had said in the first place. Was he asking my name? Amiel took a deep, even breath and let it out. He had been holding his breath again, without realizing it. "Sir is unnecessary. Amiel is fine."
Amiel rubbed his sore shoulder, and shifted his weight uncomfortably. His shoes were very good, because he had to be on his feet much of the time, but that didn't mean he was immune to pain. "You smile a lot. It is..." Amiel paused, looking a little helpless, "...nice. I think that is the word. Nice."
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Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:44 pm
At the man's words, Yamato felt an unexplained chill run through him that he couldn't explain. Something in his gut old him something was wrong. His smile probably faltered for not even a second but he was thrown off his guard as he watched the man take the grocery bad. The man seemed to rarely blink and it unnerved him. Still, the man did not feel unkind. Yamato relaxed a little and smiled again.
"Well Mr. Amiel, just know that you'll need to replenish your credit on your next visit." He handed the man his receipt as the man complimented him on his always smiling. Yamato laughed a little. He did always smile didn't he.
"Thank you Mr. Amiel. You'd probably look good with a smile too."
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Yamato Worchesthalshire Crew
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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 12:04 pm
It wasn't difficult to see that Amiel was unnerving Yamato. Internally, he regretted that. He looked down at his pocket, took his watch out, checked the time-- really, he couldn't help but think he should time his conversations so that his strange way of behaving didn't ruin his time with people. If he could just figure out how long it took them to realize something was not quite right with him, maybe he could escape gracefully before that moment.
This time, no such luck, he expected. Nonetheless, he shifted his weight again, and tapped his fingers along the bag's strap. It was lunchtime, and he was hungry. He pushed the food into the bag where Valerian waited, and immediate sounds of its consumption slurped and squished into existence. Amiel chewed on the inside of his cheek. He didn't respond to the statement he would need more credit; it was no trouble, really. He just had nothing to say. He was prompt with payments; without a significant other, a family, or any real friends, he didn't go out. No expenses apart from what he needed to survive. And to feed this imp.
"Would I?" Amiel asked, startled by that thought. He tried to smile, but it came out looking a little uncomfortable, like he was sad about something. "I guess I should practice that..." he shook his head, and tightened his hand around the bag strap while Valerian began to rock back and forth to smack into his leg.
Amiel's stomach grumbled. "I think it's time I went to eat." He paused, seemed to think hard about something, then: "I'm going to a place around the corner, would you like to come along? I could use the company."
He became a little flustered, blew the dark hair out of his eyes and added, "If you don't feel like it, or can't leave, I understand." Amiel took a step back, preparing for the rejection he thought inevitable.
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Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 10:24 pm
Yamato watch Amiel curiously. He seemed to be favoring his shoulder and the bag that he was carrying. It seemed to be really heavy and...did it actually move? Yamato blinked. Surely it was his imagination. Yamato turned his attention back to Amiel's face and smiled. This man seemed to be lonely and could surely use someone to at least talk to. Yamato put his book in a safe place and looked around the store. It was almost empty and it would surely empty in time for people to leave for lunch.
"I would like to come with you," Yamato replied. "I'll go on break in fifteen minutes. Where were you planning on going?"
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Yamato Worchesthalshire Crew
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 8:09 am
Yamato's smile, which Amiel had already noted earlier, comforted him. It was nothing similar to the hostility or unkind laughter he was bracing himself to endure. Amiel, typically tired even on the best of days, found this effort to reach out exhausting. However, because it was not a failure, he found himself encouraged. A small smile of his own, the edges of his mouth curling up timidly, he tried to express that encouragement.
"There is a small dining establishment just a block away. I eat there when I go out because of its layout. I find it easier and safer to eat there. They serve a little of almost anything you could want, though typically I only order tea and something light." Amiel didn't mention that he liked it there because by 'layout' he meant a lot of privacy; corners, booths, high walls; there were a lot of places to take Valerian, and sometimes the imp would even nap in the comfier chairs.
"If that is alright with you? If you have a different place you would like to eat, that is also okay; I'm not very familiar with the area."
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Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 9:53 pm
Yamato smiled pleasantly at Amiel and nodded. He didn't mind eating lunch with a new person in the slightest even if he could have sworn that bag kept moving. Yamato blinked and nodded at the man.
"Sure, I know that place," Yamato said, though he had never actually been inside it before. There was a first time for everything, he supposed. "If you just want to wait we can go together. Or you can go on ahead and I can meet you there."
Yamato smiled at Amiel again, wondering where exactly the man had come from originally if he wasn't familiar with the area. It was a little strange, considering he had been around for several months now...
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Yamato Worchesthalshire Crew
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Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 7:26 pm
It was true that Amiel didn't know the area well, but it wasn't due to lack of frequenting the grocery store. He kept his head down and paid little attention to the world outside of his safe home. Well, safe in a sense; it had been a trap ever since he had lost his wife. But that was how it went, didn't it? Memories could confine and define a person until there was nothing else left. Things you had done, or felt. Things you had seen. Things you had said wrong or failed to do.
Amiel didn't have to dwell on those things, now. He could breathe, because the heart that had weighed him down was not figuratively his any more. He touched his fingertips lightly to his chest, while thinking, and his expression became distant. At first, all he had wanted was revenge. He wasn't even sure that would carry out, though. Without the passion he had felt, it seemed pointless even to exact revenge. And who would he exact it on? Perhaps there was only one person he wanted to punish. The one who stole his wife from him in the first place.
Valerian found a hole in the side of the bag and was gnawing at it. One of his sharp incisors knifed through the torn fabric and planted itself firmly in Amiel's thigh. He sucked in a gasp of pain, and was again paying attention to the young grocer.
"Perhaps I could go get myself settled in first, and then you could meet me there, if you decide you still want to eat with me," he offered. The more he thought about it, the more he worried about it. Amiel really wasn't very good at figuring out what others were thinking.
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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:13 am
Yamato watched as the man's expression seemed to darken and go distant for a few moments, then jumped as the man seemed to straighten up as if in pain. He wondered if Amiel had some sort of medical problem that caused him to look as though he was in so much pain.
Yamato knew the pain of being alone. He loved his family, but his father had disappeared before he could really remember him. From what he had been able to gather, it was a very sudden occurrence: he just didn't come home one day leaving behind his wife and two small children. They had looked for him for weeks, but he was gone. Yamato had looked for him when he was little and still found himself sitting on the street corner seemingly waiting for him from time to time. It had been years. He wasn't coming back. He wondered if Amiel had some similar story in his life.
"Sure," Yamato said with a smile. "I'll be there in a bit, okay? Just gotta tell the boss."
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Yamato Worchesthalshire Crew
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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2011 12:21 pm
Yamato didn't seem to be afraid of him, nor did he seem to dislike him. Perhaps there was hope, then? That their lunch could be pleasant. It had been a very long time since he had eaten with someone who could converse with him. Valerian, content that Amiel was about to get going, retreated into the bag again and stopped gnawing on this thigh.
It didn't occur to Amiel that someone so seemingly happy as Yamato could even have a sad story. He smiled so often, it hardly seemed likely. Not to mention Amiel had never divulged the secret of his past to anyone, and didn't know why he would start now. But perhaps someone, someday would know what it was he had done, what had driven him to it. It would likely be his demise, though.
Amiel smiled at Yamato, then, and held out his hand to grasp Yamato's. "In a bit, then," he replied, "I look forward to seeing you again shortly." Amiel secured the bag at his side and pressed the back of his hand against his forehead. As soon as the goodbyes were finished, he headed outside, leaned against the wall and lit a cigarette. Maybe interacting with others wouldn't be so bad. He took a drag of the cigarette, exhaled the smoke towards the sky slowly, and went on his way. Towards the restaurant. A little early to celebrate, though. He'd do that once he knew if Yamato either would or would not arrive.
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Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2011 11:18 pm
Yamato waved after Amiel cheerily as the man left. He was looking forward to lunch with someone new. He still had a few more minutes before his break, so he killed some time reading his book. When the minutes were up, he quickly packed up his things and headed to the aforementioned restaurant. He noticed that there seemed to be a drew drops of blood on the ground where Amiel had been standing. That was certainly strange, he thought to himself, and promptly thought no more of it as he made his way out.
He walked through the town that he knew so well to the meeting place, taking in the good weather. It had been so bad lately. He entered the restaurant and looked around for Amiel eagerly.
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Yamato Worchesthalshire Crew
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Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:42 am
While he had been waiting for Yamato, Amiel had taken the oppportunity to retreat into a side room and examine his latest Valerian-bite. As per usual, a series of pinprick wounds dotted the flesh, and they were bleeding more than a little. He frowned, and took out his portable medical kit, which was on top of Valerian's head. He cleaned the wound and bandaged it efficiently, heading back into the restaurant proper. It didn't affect him very much any more, having to treat these bites, but it was still annoying. A waste of time.
Amiel selected a booth in a corner, lit by a dull lamp, lined with soft cushioned benches. He set Valerian down and stood at the side of the booth, so that he could see Yamato arriving. At first, he was afraid that the waiting was too ambitious, and he would only be disappointed. However, Yamato entered the restaurant and Amiel waved to him, calling his name possibly too softly. He didn't like to raise his voice.
"Yamato, over this way," he said. The waitress, at that time, came by to ask him if he would like anything. "I suppose it's too early to drink, isn't it? A lemonade, please; I'm not sure what my friend will be having, though," he gestured towards Yamato.
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