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Jun 14, 2012 17:50:46 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jun 14, 2012 17:50:46 GMT -5
"Glad to hear it!" Boneparte brightened upon hearing his comrade's remarks. "Well, as much as I hate to admit, I do love Cosnair in bits and pieces, but yes, it'll probably be time to move on again soon. Well... it usually takes them two weeks at the most to process these, three tops, so by the end of June I should be hearing back from them regarding my transfer. I think it also has to get sent over to the Commission of the Exterior, but as said, shouldn't take longer than two weeks." the meerkat told the squirrel, not realizing it would be much longer than that.
He thought a moment. "However... I think I'd definitely like my older brother Joseph to agree to be the Rosferian consul to Chios. I'd like him close by... he's always supported me, and well... he'll probably have to start sending me money soon." He said, thinking that writing to his brother about his plight might not be such a bad idea right now. It was certainly better than the alternative that he was considering, which had to do with the River Seine.
"Right... now as much as I hate to say it, Louis, I think we need to look into getting you enrolled at Chalons right away. It's not too far... probably a week at most by stage. I'll visit when I can, and it's the same school that Marmont himself went to." he motioned to his otter friend now.
"That's true." Marmont said. "It's not a bad school. You'll learn about the ways of the artillery arm over there, and be commissioned a lieutenant when you graduate in about two years or so. I wouldn't worry."
"And I can always get you out if things change for me. I promise."
"Hasn't done you much good, brother." Louis mumbled. "You went to school and well... you're now relieved of your post."
"Don't look at it that way. You never know what Rosferia will be like in two years... and as said, if I get this transfer, I may be able to hire you back as an aide-de-camp. Don't worry... at least you'll be getting free room and board. I'm not going to forget about you. Besides... you don't have much other choice." Boneparte pointed out, and Louis knew his older brother was right. At only 16, he wasn't considered an adult, and not many places would take him seriously if he applied for a job. For now, since his brother could no longer pay him, this was his only real option.
The younger meerkat sighed after thinking about it, and nodded. "You're right... as usual." he conceded. "Can't stay with you... so have to go to Chalons." he nodded again, shoving his paws in his pockets.
"Oh right!" Boneparte said, remembering something. "I have to turn in my uniform... now that I'm now longer employed." He muttered. "I still have my original one which they CAN'T take from me... but that one's certainly seen better days." he commented, knowing it was pretty threadbare now, and would probably be embarrassing to be seen in.
"Which of course... brings me to my next point." He said, looking over at Sciurus again. "I was wondering where you lived. Do you live in the city of Cosnair itself then?" the meerkat inquired. "And if so, just what sort of place is it? Don't worry!" he said, raising his paws now. "I'm not asking out of any real intent or anything... I'll move into a cheaper hotel soon enough... I was just wondering what your place is like." he said, giving a small smile and swishing his tail a little behind him.
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Jun 15, 2012 15:59:03 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Jun 15, 2012 15:59:03 GMT -5
"I do too," Sciurus responded. "Cosnair fascinated me when I was just starting out here, and even if that fascination has long since faded, I've definitely grown fond of certain aspects of it, just... not enough to make me want to stay here in my current situation. Two or three weeks, you say? Hmm, well, I guess I had better start taking on extra work! Not that that's any trouble, of course, as I'm lucky enough to love what I do, but it'll hopefully be much busier for me for the next while!," he said enthusiastically.
The rodent nodded. "Yes, that's a good idea. If I found myself in a situation similar to yours - which, in some aspects, I actually do, now I think about it - I'd be asking for assistance, because I'm quite sure you'd want to do the same if yourself and your brother found your roles reversed. One good turn deserves another, after all. I know this his knocked you out of your stride a little, but, knowing you, you'll be back on your paws properly soon," he encouraged his companion. From there, the conversation moved on to what Louis could do next. Sciurus listened intently, figuring he may as well offer advice if he could.
"Of course Boneparte's going to be looking out for you," the red squirrel backed his friend up in response to Louis. "As for the Chalons question, well, I can't say very much on that, as I've only heard a little about it, but what I HAVE heard tells me that it'd be a good place for a creature such as yourself to go, Louis," he advised the younger meerkat. "Going into something like that at your age sounds like a good idea, too. From the looks of you I'd say you're about, what, 16 or 17 years of age? Well, that's around the time I started taking a serious interest in hypnotherapy, and I found myself going places within a few years, both literally and figuratively speaking!" He gave Louis a wink. "I say you should go for it."
The squirrel merely smiled at his companion's preemptive actions. "Oh, I'm not worried at at all - in fact, I think it'd be rather nice if you came and lived with me for a bit; that is, if you felt up to it," he added. "It really wouldn't be any trouble for me to put you up, and it'd also be nice to have another creature there again, as I haven't had the pleasure of sharing a house with anybeast else in... oh, about a year or so," he informed the meerkat in a slightly softer tone of voice.
"It'd make things different and more interesting for me, and seeing as I'm wanting to make changes in my life now, it'd be nice to get things back to the way they used to be, in that respect. Obviously, during the day, I'd be busy with my sessions, but I'd be free during the evenings, and it'd be nice to have some company again. I'm not going to lie... I've felt depths of loneliness that no creature should ever have to experience, and I do better when I'm with others. Some of my clients offer to stay behind for a while, later in the day, to chat with me about whatever; usually it's because they have more questions about what it is that I do.
The rodent cleared his throat. He knew small details about what had occurred were being revealed here and there; that was about as much as he could pawdle. The irony was that he was a traumatised hypnotherapist with no idea how to tackle his own problems. Everything else he'd tried before had failed, so he was now trying new things. A slightly contemplative look crossed his features before he spoke again. "Anyway, this is all just a long-winded way of saying that if you wanted a place to stay, I would welcome you into my home with open arms for a few weeks. Like you said, if everything goes to plan, we'll be on our way relatively soon!"
His eyes met Boneparte's for a moment as he continued speaking, his voice soft yet clear; the squirrel didn't raise his voice unless he had to. "Now, about your questions! I do indeed live in the city of Cosnair. I used to live in hotels when I arrived here, but I made a very good friend soon after, and he let me move into his place. It's quite the sight; this creature, who was an otter, was well-off, and he let me stay with him for a while, and this developed into the two of us living and working more or less together." He sighed wistfully. Those had been good times.
"Now, though, he's not around anymore, so the house is mine alone. It's spacious enough, and is of course divided into two sections: one for the home itself, and one for my parlour. Just because I regularly mix business with pleasure doesn't mean I have to do the same with the house!" He chuckled slightly. "It makes it easier for me to take care of it that way, and makes it a lot more difficult for me to lose the run of myself. It's very nice, but in all honesty it's more than I need with just me living there," he admitted.
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Jun 16, 2012 11:18:30 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jun 16, 2012 11:18:30 GMT -5
"I suppose so." Louis said, not sounding fully convinced. "I'm just wary of rising rapidly through the ranks. It hasn't done my brother much good, after all. Things are so tumultuous these days that it seems better to just keep your head down and do what Monsieur Marmont has been doing. He's still a captain, after all." the young meerkat motioned to the otter. "And yes, I'm 16." he responded with a nod.
"Well it'll take you two to three years to complete your studies anyway... just apply yourself, and by that point, I'm sure I won't be in the same situation. Hell you probably won't even have a chance to finish your studies before I come back for you. This is just a temporary thing for you, Louis." What Boneparte was hoping for here was that they wouldn't in fact call him up for active service in the Army of the West a second time. If that occurred, and he refused them again, he'd be struck off the list of generals for good this time... and that would mean no pay whatsoever, as he'd be effectively fired.
"I mean I plan to pick you up within a year, if not sooner." Boneparte pointed out. "So don't worry too much. This is just so you'll be fed and have a place to stay until I can support you again. Don't worry... I don't intend to leave you there at all." He said, patting his brother's arm reassuringly.
Shifting his attention to Sciurus now, the meerkat's eyes widened a little, and he waved his paws in front of him with a shake of his head. "Oh no, no, no, I wasn't intending to impose like that. I was only asking because... just in case things get really bad... I'd consider it. I can stay in a cheaper hotel... don't worry about that." He said emphatically. "Plus I still have Junot and possibly Marmont to look out for, after all. I can't ask us ALL to stay there, even if you are fortunate enough to have a larger residence." the meerkat stated.
"I'll get to working that out after I turn my uniform in to them. I have a week, from what they said. Thank you very much though, for the offer." Boneparte quickly added. "I appreciate it... and yes... I do admit I had an ulterior motive in asking you but... I don't want to act like a useless freeloader either. I'd feel better... if it does come to that... if I could pay you some small form of rent." Boneparte suggested, not wanting to live off his friend's good graces alone after all. He still had to eat, and he was hoping Joseph could assist him with at least some pittance, no matter how small. Perhaps he could send him some rent money, and Boneparte could come to an arrangement to stay with Sciurus on his brother's allowance.
"I uh... think we should start looking for other hotels." Boneparte told them. "I was also thinking of getting my portrait painted for Eugénie before I have to put on my old uniform and wear THAT tattered thing." he said with some disgust. "I'll stop by your place if you want to come along." Boneparte offered to Sciurus. "Just give me your address, and I'll swing by to collect you and also look your place over." he said, offering a small smile.
"Well then... thanks again for coming, Sciurus." Boneparte offered the squirrel his paw now. "See you a bit later, then? We can work out arrangements for your house perhaps in a week or so... or... if I find I'm going to be heading to Constantinople..." he paused here, brightening up a little. "Then that might not even be necessary." he said, starting to feel at least a little bit less enervated at the prospect of heading to Turkey.
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Jun 17, 2012 9:30:48 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Jun 17, 2012 9:30:48 GMT -5
"It's very hard to predict what an atmosphere like this will throw at anybeast from one day to the next, but I think you should make as much effort with this new opportunity as you can. Carnot is pretty much the main reason for your brother being in the situation he's in now, after all; he just got a bad bounce of the ball, and while you're right to be cautious, as these times are tumultuous indeed, you should give it your best shot, because the fact is that, one way or another, you don't know how things may work out. If they do, all well and good; if they don't, well, you're 16 and you've got your best years ahead of you," Sciurus assured the younger meerkat.
Things had started to pick up for the squirrel when he was Louis's age, but this wasn't the only thing that the rodent was speaking from experience about. He knew that things could change from one day to the next, or even, as had been the case for him, in an instant. Losing Otto and Camille would have been made so much more bearable if he'd had Sara there by his side to help him through the bereavement process, but he'd gone from having a lifeline to having nothing in a trice, all because she had been unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and had ended up with three bullets in her chest.
The red squirrel listened as Boneparte outlined his plans for his brother, taking everything in. That was really all Louis could do for now: just apply himself and see how things went. Sciurus was almost certain Boneparte wouldn't be in the same situation by the time his brother completed his studies; life in Cosnair moved too fast for any other outcome, in his mind. It was in an almost constant state of flux, after all, but unfortunately the things that had changed hadn't been the ones he had hoped would change the most, and that was why he was planning on leaving.
Sciurus chuckled at Boneparte's response to his offer. "Be that as it may, my door is always open to you should you need a place to stay. You may think you would be imposing if you did something like that, but I wouldn't see it that way at all. I know you have Junot and Marmont to look out for as well, but, y'know, having the three of you over at my place for a little while would be interesting, and rather different to what I've become accustomed to!," he said with a smirk, clearly in a good humour over this.
"I'm glad you appreciate the offer, but it's like I said: it's not really a big deal for me to do this for my friends. I just like helping others out - oh, and I count you three amongst my friends now," he told Louis, Junot and Marmont, "so that applies to all of you as well. And hold on a second," he said, shaking his head slightly and smiling. "Regardless of whether you had ulterior motives in asking, I don't see you as a useless freeloader; I see you as a friend who's fallen on hard times and could use a helping paw. Should it ever come to you needing somewhere to stay, don't think twice about coming to see me," he assured his friend.
The squirrel's tail swayed in an appreciative manner as Boneparte mentioned having his portrait painted for Eugénie, and he nodded when it was suggested that he attend. "Oh, sure! I'd quite like that, actually," he said enthusiastically, nodding again as he was asked for his address. "All right! Are you sure you won't need to write this down?," he enquired. "Anyway, it's 126 Rue de la Frontière. It's about a 10-minute walk from where we met a few weeks ago. You'll know you're going in the right direction if you pass the Jardin des Tuileries and take the next right," he informed the meerkat, smiling. "I'd be glad to show you my place, and we can perhaps schedule another session as well, if you feel in need of one," Sciurus added.
"It's no problem!," Sciurus replied, heartily shaking Boneparte's paw, and then doing the same with the others. "I never really expected to see you again in the first place, so it's good that we're able to see each other again; the same goes for the rest of you," he told Louis and company. "I'll hopefully be there for you many other times, too, if I can help it. I want to be a comfort to my friends in tragedy; I want to celebrate with them in triumph; and for all the times in between I just want to be able to look them in the eye. I'll see you later, and as for working out arrangements for the house, that sort of schedule sounds fine to me! See you all soon," he said in a softer voice before turning and heading for home, glad that there were once again creatures in his life that he could both support and be supported by when required.
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Jun 18, 2012 11:23:23 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jun 18, 2012 11:23:23 GMT -5
Boneparte watched Sciurus depart, and he too did the same with his brother and friends. He turned his uniform in promptly after the weekend, and saw Louis off later that week after enrolling him at the artillery school in Chalons. He promised to come back for his brother at the earliest possible opportunity, and managed to move himself and his friends into a cheaper hotel.
By cheap, it was certainly one of the lower end establishments in Cosnair. Not along the Seine, it was nestled in one of Cosnair's seedier neighborhoods, and the meerkat began taking precautions whenever he dined out. He would wrap his money in a wad of paper each time he paid his bill, in order to avoid others from seeing how little he was actually spending, as he was highly self-conscious about these things.
That was the kind of place Cosnair had become. You either lived on the high horse and flaunted your wealth, or you scraped to get by. There wasn't much in between, as the middle class had become the new socialites of Cosnair. He was starting to cut a pretty shabby figure now, but all the same, he decided to get his portrait painted for Desiree, and picked Sciurus up from his house to head down to the studio.
Reduced to wearing muddy boots and a tattered army jacket (his original uniform), the meerkat no longer could afford gloves, and went bare pawed instead. He did his best to get the portrait painted in low light, so as to disguise his haggard appearance. He sat down for the artist, posing for the next several hours as he had himself painted.
He had been spending his spare time beginning to write a romance novel, though he doubted if he'd actually publish it. It was a story about a young army officer and his lover. In what perhaps betrayed Boneparte's inner feelings toward his fiancee, the lover carries out an affair with a male that the officer sent back to look after her. Upon discovering the infidelity, the officer, heart broken, dies in combat. It was a depressing read for sure, and the fact that the female's name in the story was "Eugenie" didn't lend itself to much imagination. Boneparte always feared that the love life of a soldier would be cursed to end in infidelity while he was away on the front lines, and it was showing through now in his writing.
Regardless, however, Boneparte had not given up on his fiancee yet, and thus he found himself here, having himself captured in portrait for her. While he held out little hope for their relationship as long as he was so far from her, he at least wanted to give her something to remember him by until he could actually pay is way back to the south (or get transferred, whichever came first).
"Well, you look pretty good, monsieur." the artist said, nodding thoughtfully as he motioned the meerkat over. Hopping off the stool, Boneparte strode over to look at himself.
"Yes... not bad at all." He agreed. "I'll take it." he dug around in his pocket, producing the payment for services rendered. He had managed to find a cheaper studio, and had dug into his last full pay in order to cover the expenses here. He was also going to be receiving a small allowance from his brother, Joseph, who had written back and had agreed to support Boneparte. Joseph was serving as the quartermaster for the Army of Calgary, and had married Desiree's sister, Julie, thus marrying into wealth.
"What do you think, Sciurus?" Boneparte asked his friend, waving him over now. "I think I'll send this to her right away." It was now the 24th of June, nine days after he'd confronted the War Ministry and lost. Summer was upon them, though it was thankfully not proving to be an unpleasantly hot one so far. They had warmer days most of the week, with an occasional rain shower one out of every seven days or so.
The meerkat stepped back in order to let his friend in to get a better view of the artwork.
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Jun 19, 2012 9:45:42 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Jun 19, 2012 9:45:42 GMT -5
Sciurus was another creature who was currently scraping to get by. While he charged decent fees for his sessions, not very much of what he earned went on anything other than the necessities, meaning that he saved everything he could. Over the previous five months, the rodent had accumulated a decent-sized nest egg, but he had realised, upon returning home that first afternoon and taking stock of what he had set aside, that it wouldn't be anywhere near enough to even prepare him financially for life in Constantinople.
To try and make up for lost ground, the red squirrel had started offering discounted prices for his sessions. Depending on what the client wanted, up to as much as a quarter of the usual price had been knocked off. This move had the desired effect, and, a few days after he had started with the discounts, the rodent found himself swamped in work. He had been hoping this would happen, and as his sessions usually lasted an hour, he sometimes found himself doing as many as 12 a day.
Sciurus worked to live, but in this case he knew the benefits of living to work; even though, after his busiest days, he went to bed exhausted, passing out almost instantly, it was quite rewarding, and the fact that there was now even more money in the bank meant that things were working out pretty like he'd planned. He lightened his load on weekends, but otherwise it was full steam ahead. By the time June 24th rolled around - with the squirrel noting that there remained little over two months until his birthday (August 26th) - he was doing well for himself.
He knew that he'd have to show Boneparte around his house soon, and he was looking forward to that, but he was also a little nervous, as his house held a lot of memories for him, ones both good and bad, and he knew that he'd have to try and hold himself together whilst giving his meerkat friend the tour. On the night he was meant to accompany Boneparte to get his portrait painted, the squirrel had finished up a little earlier than had become usual for him, and taken a little time to himself.
Boneparte's dishevelled appearance was of no surprise to the squirrel. A decent-looking uniform would have made a lot of difference, but the meerkat had unfortunately not been able to hold onto his old one until after he'd gotten his portrait done. Regardless, from what the squirrel could see, Boneparte was a creature who wore most things quite well. He also had to admit that his friend would appear rather handsome to any potential suitors.
As his friend got his portrait done, Sciurus was unable to keep from thinking of Sara. There had been some times when he had thought of attempting to contact some old friends in Mossflower and telling them what he'd been up to, and it would have been nice to have a portrait of her to send on, just in case. She had been a very pretty squirrel indeed, and this would have been a nice way to fill them in, back home - but he never got the chance.
It was certainly an interesting process that came with having one's portrait painted, and Sciurus found himself watching from afar, not wanting to be too close to his friend in case he ended up being a distraction. He knew of a few artists in Cosnair himself, but he wondered what this particular one would make of his meerkat companion. When it was finally finished, Sciurus stood up, anticipation showing in his blue eyes as he waited for Boneparte to give his verdict on it. The meerkat seemed to approve, and Sciurus jogged over to him when he was signalled over.
Asked what he thought, the squirrel stepped forward and found himself gazing at a rather striking portrait indeed. He had guessed right: regardless of the attire he was in, Boneparte suited being portrayed like this. He nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, I definitely approve! This is the first time I've seen anybeast get their portrait painted, but I figured that things would go well with you. I was right, and yes, you SHOULD get this sent to Eugénie as soon as you can!" He turned to the artist, who was a mongoose. "Very well done, sir!" He smiled at his meerkat friend then; he looked a little tired, but that was to be expected with the volume of work he had taken on recently. "You did well yourself; I've never posed for anything before," he said, chuckling.
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Jun 19, 2012 23:07:05 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jun 19, 2012 23:07:05 GMT -5
Boneparte nodded, noting the tired look on his friend's features. Well, it seemed these times were dragging all of them down. Boneparte himself looked far more yellow in complexion than he otherwise would have appeared. That was due to the recent sickly appearance that had befallen him. Stress could be a powerful thing, and it was working on the meerkat's body for sure.
"Well... let's get this down to the post office then, and get it sent... then... perhaps you can show me around your home. I'm sorry we had to skip on that when I came over earlier, but I had an appointment to keep with the artist, see, and I had arrived too late at your place to leave any time to spare unfortunately." Boneparte explained.
"But... after we get this painting dropped off, we should have some time." It was a dark place Boneparte now found himself in. Physically sick to his stomach some days, the meerkat was struggling to find the positives in life, but they were few and far between. When one was as poor as he currently was, nothing in life looked bright. Multiple times he'd already contemplated on just ending everything, and if not for the prospect of getting transferred to Constantinople, he probably would have.
Taking the streets south toward the Seine, Boneparte figured that a brisk walk might do him some good. The aching and pain he felt within wasn't getting better with time. He just wanted it to be over. But he had to hold out just a little longer... any day now, his transfer would be coming through, after all, or so he thought.
Dropping the picture off at the post office was not difficult, and getting it packaged and ready for shipment wasn't either. It was small enough that it wouldn't take up too much space in the wagon. After telling them to expressly treat it as fragile, Boneparte departed with Sciurus back for his home. Several thoughts passed through his mind, though he tried to suppress them and keep them at bay for now. No use bringing himself down too far if he could manage it. He still had a chance of making things work after all. It was looking grim and slamming into him like a load of bricks, but he was trying at least to keep his head above it all.
It was said of Boneparte Lantzer that he was only confident and assertive when luck was running his way; when it was not, he became timid and circumspect. That was certainly the case here. Arriving outside the squirrel's house now, the meerkat looked over at his friend. "Well... if there's anything you want to start with, feel free." He said. "I'll just go along for the ride and take in your establishment as we wander through." he informed Sciurus.
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Jun 21, 2012 10:03:39 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Jun 21, 2012 10:03:39 GMT -5
Sciurus may have been tired, but his unusual work schedule and the effect it was having on him didn't bother him in the slightest, as both of these things were offset by the pleasure he derived from his work. Whilst he knew he needed more sleep than usual after particularly draining days, the times when he went to bed and woke up were the ones he had been operating on for years - bed by 11pm and a 7am start . Eight hours of rest wasn't having the same effect that it used to, but he could live with that.
What he absolutely could not stand was seeing his friend like this. It made him quite upset to see the full effect that stress was having on Boneparte; he hadn't fully noticed the meerkat's changed complexion before, but now he found himself rather worried by his companion's appearance. He had been thinking about treating him to be the best session he could offer, but now it didn't seem as much of an option as it used to - more like a necessity. He wasn't sure what he could do to assist him, but he had to start somewhere.
"That's quite all right. I knew you had an appointment to keep, after all, and the way I see it, getting your portrait painted for Eugénie is quite important. You want to be able to make a good impression, of course, and I didn't want to distract you from that, so the fact that you're only just now coming to see my home is fine with me," the red squirrel assured his meerkat friend. "I'm sure you have priorities, so I appreciate you making time for me."
The rodent noted that the meerkat didn't speak very much as they walked. He was fine with that, but at the same time he was hoping that his friend didn't become too lost in his own thoughts. He knew that he was in a dark place right now, but he still had things going for him. Sciurus saw a lot of himself in Boneparte, though he wasn't ready to admit that yet. Around this time last year, his life had started to spiral out of control as he had become aware of the magnitude of what he had lost, but the important thing was that he hadn't given up too easily. He'd only really started to lose hope when he'd become convinced that he had absolutely nothing left. That time had thankfully been brief, albeit, now that he thought back on it, quite frightening.
He'd dragged himself out of the mire back then, and was confident that Boneparte could do the same, with or without the squirrel's assistance, through the rodent was of course prepared to help in any way he could. He appreciated the opportunity to walk as well, as he'd not really had that much time to relax today so far, and it was a nice night for a stroll. They soon arrived outside his house, and he smiled. "Hope you like what you see - it's a little different to how you may remember it," he said with a small chuckle.
Sciurus nodded as Boneparte gave him licence to start wherever he wished with the tour. He opened the door and beckoned the meerkat inside with his tail. "Very well. I think that we should start with an area you have been to before, but may not remember. Three years is a long time, after all. I'll show you my parlour first. It was refurbished recently enough, as in a few months ago, so I don't think you'll have seen it like this before!"
They went over to that part of the house first, and the squirrel gestured to the interior of his parlour once he led Boneparte inside. He could see that the walls were painted a soothing sky blue, a hue which matched Sciurus's eyes (this had of course been intentional on the rodent's part), and were dotted here and there with eye-catching patterns of various kinds. The clock that the squirrel used in this room was of course one with a pendulum. In the middle was situated a rather comfortable-looking recliner.
He looked over at the meerkat, smiling a little. "I don't want to show you too much at once, so I thought we may as well start with what is my favourite part of the house. We... er... sorry, I have guest rooms upstairs in the house itself, a kitchen, a study. a front room and an a reception area for the parlour, which is just outside here. This place looks bigger than it really is. I do have space, yes, but it's too much for just me, like I said when I told you a little about it last week."
He sighed a little. "Sorry about that, just there - if I use 'we' when talking about this house... it's only because I'm thinking about the last time I showed somebeast around. There was a 'we' back then, but there isn't anymore. I wasn't supposed to know that my housemate, who was also a hypnotist, was going to be taken from me so soon..." His lower lip trembled, and he took a deep breath as he tried to get himself under control. "We used to run this business ourselves, but now it's... it's just me," he finished.
Taking a moment to compose himself, he spoke again. "What do you think of this part, then?," he asked curiously. "I know it's changed a lot since you were here last, but I had to call in some help, as I was, shall we say, unable to keep it from falling into disuse last year. I think it looks much better now, though," he said with a small smile. "I did what I could to fix it up."
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Jun 21, 2012 14:11:39 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jun 21, 2012 14:11:39 GMT -5
Boneparte was shown inside, and began looking about him, taking note of the place and getting it down. He barely remembered the parlor as was... but to him, three years was a lifetime ago now. So much had happened in his life since then...
Boneparte immediately started perking up a little. He was almost bipolar these days, blowing from mania over money obsession and get-rich-quick schemes to deep depression over life having little meaning in his eyes. He could blow hot and cold depending on the situation and his mood, though generally he was down in the dumps these days.
Looking about him, the meerkat's sharp eyes took in every minute detail of the parlor, and he nodded as he folded his arms over his chest. Yes... yes. This was all starting to come back to him now. It looked different from how he remembered it but... that could be easily explained thanks to all the intervening events between then and now.
His ears flattened a little upon hearing about the death of the previous proprietor. Well... that was one way to inherit a house as nice as this. "Well we... never WANT to lose friends, after all." the meerkat responded sadly. "It's uh... I think it's always unexpected. I'm sorry to hear about the losses you suffered. I think we've all come away with something gone from this revolution... but that's just making me hope the gain will be worth it in the end." he said unsteadily. He had no doubt it COULD turn around... that's how things worked in Rosferia these days after all. One could suddenly find himself back in good graces with a regime change, and just as quickly find himself swept under the rug too.
He shifted his attention to answering the squirrel's question however, and found himself brightening further as he looked around. "Yes... I think I DO like this." he said, nodding. He studied the room with his intense eyes, the grey in them being deep and very penetrating, and they were excellent for picking up on the finest of details. He had a real eye for "terrain" as it were, and could accurately read the lay of the land on the fly. It was one skill that would make him such a successful field commander later on in his life.
"About how many sessions do you have a day... and what's the preferred method of induction?" Boneparte inquired now, still having an interest in Sciurus's trade, even though he'd never once indulged in it after leaving Cosnair three years ago. He could tell that the interior designer knew what they were doing... whether Sciurus had a paw in that or not, it was definitely pleasing and catching to the eyes.
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Returns
Jun 22, 2012 12:12:48 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Jun 22, 2012 12:12:48 GMT -5
Sciurus nodded as Boneparte responded to his revelation that the previous proprietor of the house had died. He wasn't going to open up about the circumstances in which this had occurred just yet; there was a time and a place for that, and right here, right now just wouldn't do. "Yes, I've been dealing with it the best I can since it happened, but you know... it still hurts." He placed a paw over his heart to indicate what he meant. What he and Otto had, he would never be able to get back. All he was now was a fond memory.
"Things seem to change rather quickly in Cosnair these days, so despite my outlook having become slightly more pessimistic since certain events transpired - the nature of which I shall refrain from mentioning for the moment, for various reasons - I'm quite sure that things can turn around for both of us. I wasn't before, but if I'm honest, I've taken the fact that you came back into my life as a sign that things can work like that. I've been to some dark places in the last year, but I have you to thank for at least helping my mood to turn around. That means a lot to me, so thank you..."
The squirrel trailed off, and even though he sounded for a moment like he was going to say more, he was also audibly choked up about things. He hadn't spoken to any creature in any such way since before the bottom had fallen out of his world, and he had to take another moment to compose himself again before he felt ready to speak, but he noted the curious look on Boneparte's face, and that the meerkat was looking around his parlour, so he held his silence and waited for the inquisitive creature to comment.
He grinned when his meerkat friend voiced his approval of the look of the establishment. "I'm quite glad to hear that, though I thought you might. You had a very relaxing experience the last time you were here, and even if you don't remember it, I can vouch for you in saying that I don't think I've seen many clients end up quite as relaxed as you did, that one time! Of course, my door is always open should you ever need to come back for another one," he said warmly.
If that happened, he would pull out all the stops for his meerkat companion, as if there was anybeast who deserved the full treatment, it was his best friend. Between them, they didn't have all that much, but at least they had each other, and that meant more to the red squirrel than he could reasonably put into words, especially in his current state. Bineparte was now asking him about the number of sessions he had... as well as the different induction methods he used.
The rodent didn't easily tire of talking about things like this, even if it was rather frequent. He got a fair amount of returning clients, but he was lucky enough to have to deal with new faces most of the time these days. "Hmm, well, since you ask, on a normal day, I have somewhere between 7 and 9 sessions. Before I had to close the parlour, we used a waiting list and appointment system, but I tend to leave my schedule open for all comers, and when I'm busy, I put a sign on the door outside saying so. It's not up right now, of course, but if you had been here any other night recently, at this time, you probably would have seen it. These days I can do as many as 12 sessions in a day, which, as I'm sure you can imagine, is fulfilling yet tiring work," he explained.
As regards the design choices for the parlour, Sciurus could only take so much of the credit; there were a few things he alone had specified (for instance, the colour scheme), but otherwise, he and the designer, a skunk, had collaborated, and Sciurus had rewarded him with a free session before reopening his doors. There had been very little friction between them, but the squirrel's emotional state, which had been hard for him to hide at times, had ensured that the skunk took it easy with him.
He smiled as he answered the other part of Boneparte's question. "Well, induction methods vary from one client to the next, but quite a few opt for the reliable fixed gaze induction, in which I use something like a swinging pocket watch or crystal to guide them into trance. Of course, there are those who seek something even more relaxing, so I throw some massaging or other physical stimuli into the mix - one thing that's been said of me in the past is that I'm a more tactile hypnotist than most, and the paws-on approach definitely works!," he said with a chuckle. "Anything else you'd like to know?"
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