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Returns
Jul 3, 2012 22:35:30 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jul 3, 2012 22:35:30 GMT -5
"Well I..." Barras paused here, flattered by Sciurus's praise (but then again, there was little that didn't flatter him. He knew his reputation by now and was digging into it for all it was worth). "I saw the opportunity to swing things into my favor I suppose, and I chose to support the reactionaries. In one swift stroke, Dragonis went from being the most powerful beast in Rosferia to the most dead one!" he broke out into laughter here, guffawing at it all. "And my own fortunes had improved vastly, if I do say so myself. You'd be surprised how many owe me favors now, eh?" he gave the squirrel a smirk and a wink, not modest in the slightest about himself.
Theresa smiled as the squirrel proceeded to kiss her paw, and then allowed Bourrienne, Marmont, and Junot to do the same. They were all admiring her, but none particularly held her interest. She was really only into males that she could use and who were powerful enough to be seen with at these parties. It wouldn't do to attach oneself to a nobody, after all, though unlike a certain Rose de Beauharnais, she was at least sympathetic to those of lower stature, as she herself had been forced into such circumstances on more than one occasion. "Merci beaucoup, Monsieur Whirlpaw." Theresa responded, nodding. "My husband has excellent tastes... he'll be back a bit later tonight. He's frequently working late, being President of the Convention, after all." she informed him.
While Barras could see the dire straits that Boneparte was in, already his mind was working. He had been looking for a youthful general such as Boneparte Lantzer that he could sink his claws into. Barras was painfully aware that he was growing fat and lazy, and at 40 years of age, his prime was drawing past him. But Boneparte was what? Mid-20s? He was just around the age Barras was looking for. But was he ambitious? He certainly had been at Toulon. He need ambition. He needed someone he could put forth as his "sword." Win laurels on the battlefield and advance his own agenda.
"Ahem... you must tell me, General Lantzer! What are you doing with yourself these days? Surely retirement at your age isn't the only thing you've been getting up to, hmm?" Barras inquired now, raising a brow.
"Well... to be honest Monsieur Barras, I've put in a transfer to Constantinople... but they've been really late in getting back to me about that." he said, furrowing his brow. "I'm not sure what the reason for the delay is, but they just keep saying that it'll come eventually and that it's being processed... been hearing that for weeks now. Makes me wonder if ANYONE at the War Ministry actually knows what's going on." He shook his head here in disbelief.
Constantinople... as in Turkey. Damn... that meant Boneparte might not be around much longer then. So much for that notion. But on the off chance he DID stick around... then he might in fact prove useful.
"You understand my frustration of course. I really can't do anything at the moment as my paws are tied." Boneparte continued. The meerkat was starting to sound more like a worthless nobody to Barras, but there was a chance that could still change. Best be polite for now though.
"Ahem, yes, well... it's rather a terrible pity." Barras said sympathetically, nodding. "Well! Why don't you all start mingling among the guests? I certainly hope you enjoy it here. There are plenty of influential males AND females to make the acquaintance of." he said, winking again. "Though don't hold out for some of the attractive ladies here. They're usually not interested in well... gentlemammals of your caliber, with no offense intended." he said, holding up his paws apologetically. "Let's see... aha! THERE'S Stanislas Fréron! Him you know already." Barras pointed to a tall, dignified looking meerkat toward the center of the room, dressed all in black. He had been the other representative at Toulon along with Barras. While he and Boneparte had shared a rocky relationship, Boneparte supposed they were OK now, and he doubted that Fréron wielded much power anymore these days. Fréron had been intensely interested in courting Boneparte's sister, Pauline, but had never had the chance after Toulon was retaken. He'd been a skeptic of Boneparte's plans at first, threatening to guillotine him at several junctures, but had eventually been won over, and became a strong supporter, and was certainly stronger than Saliceti had been. It was a good thing Barras chose not to associate at all with Signore Saliceti.
"Ahem... let's see... that black furred beauty over there is Fortunée Hamelin, wife of some... somebody I guess. Still... very influential and a close friend of Theresa's here. She's hahaha!" he laughed here as he thought of it. "Well you may have heard of her. She's not modest in the slightest, but she's still young. She once paraded down the Champs Elysées bare-chested because someone had dared her to do it. Hah!" he was referring to the rather attractive (and fully clothed) black furred panther sitting on a settee chatting energetically with some guests.
"Hmmm... that female otter over there near her is Juliette Récamier, a real young beauty. She refuses to indulge herself like the rest of us, however. She's very practical and grounded and quite frankly, a bit boring in my opinion." Barras commented. "Bordering on intellectual almost, and well... make of her what you will."
Damn! ANOTHER drop-dead gorgeous female! Boneparte immediately took note of her as well, but found it puzzling that she refused to use her obvious charms to her advantage. Females clearly held such power in these salons, and for a female as attractive as her to NOT use her good looks was just... almost shameful, in his eyes. That was like being gifted with a great power and willingly choosing not to make use of it. It was a waste in that case if one wasn't going to use something like that to get what they wanted in life. Still though... she was certainly the best looking otter he'd ever seen in his entire life. Everything about her was just about perfect.
"Madame Hamelin doesn't care for her much... sees her as a bit of a prude, hahah!" another laugh from the binturong now. "The bigger one by the banquet table underneath the chandelier is the very by now well renowned Germaine de Stael, daughter of Jacques Necker, our previously very famous Finance Minister. Runs her own salon here in Cosnair, and is perhaps the most powerful female in all of Rosferia, next to of course Theresa." Barras was now motioning to a good looking lemming under the central chandelier as he leaned in to kiss Theresa on the cheek. "Her husband is uh... the current Slattlandish ambassador to Rosferia, so her influence is by no means insignificant, both here and in Slattland. She's probably TOO much of a free thinker for my tastes but eh... whatever." the binturong explained with a shrug.
"OK let's move on to some males." he laughed again here. "That tall, dark, dapper looking badger over there is Mr. James Monroe, the Mossflower ambassador to Rosferia. He's so into Rosferian life and culture that I often wonder if he forgets his place sometimes, but... a friendly Mossflower...ite are they called?" Barras mused aloud. "Anyway, he's useful to have around, for certain. Then we have Monsieur Gabriel Ouvrard, a real genius with numbers, that one."
They were on to a porcupine now who had an intense look about him. "Merchant, banker, and trader, and brilliant at it too. An excellent mathematician and real number cruncher. He does government work as well, and is partly responsible for supplying our armed forces. Interesting fellow, but he'll talk circles around you if you let him." Barras chuckled here.
"Hmm... ah yes... that gray squirrel over there is Joseph Chénier, the poet and playwright. Very big these days though... not sure I fully trust him either. They say he connived to have his brother guillotined but... who can really say?" Another shrug from Barras on this.
"I think... that's all I can think of in terms of big, huge names. Oh yes! How could I forget... one of my... ahem, acquaintances." he said, smirking here. "Rose de Beauharnais. I could never forget her. A real... and I mean REAL beauty. From the islands... a Creole like Madame Hamelin is. She's about here somewhere as well. General Alexandre de Beauharnais's widow. Poor chap was sent to the guillotine two years ago for failing to properly defend Mainz from Gradvarian attack. Terrible shame but... maybe it ultimately wasn't." Barras was still smirking as he said this. "If you run into her though, don't be surprised if she brushes you off. NOT interested in anything less than rich males. Bit of a spendthrift, that one. Anyway, she's somewhere about, as said." Barras stated, looking around, but not immediately catching sight of her.
"Wow... quite the gallery of... impressive names!" Boneparte said, eyes widening as he looked all around him, unsure of where to start. Fréron he knew already, and was sure he'd get along well enough with him. He may even still be interested in Pauline, after all. "Well... so many names, I'm not exactly certain where to start." Barras's smile widened at this.
"I know how you feel. It can be a bit overwhelming at times." he chuckled again.
"Anyone in particular you want to chat up, Sciurus?" Boneparte asked the squirrel, as he was still standing next to him. "Do you want to divide up and float around, or stick together?" Boneparte himself wasn't exactly sure who he'd like to speak to first, though his eyes did linger briefly on Juliette Récamier. Such an attractive otter... yet one who would not put herself out there. Perhaps Fortunée Hamelin might make better company. There was of course Fréron. It would be good to get back into contact with him... and all these others he had yet to meet!
"Yes, please do mingle!" Theresa spoke up now. "My house is yours for the night. Eat and drink as much as you want, there's no limit on supplies, after all." she said warmly, giving them all smiles, and already, Boneparte could see Marmont and Bourrienne nodding amongst themselves, as it was clear they planned to take full advantage of this.
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Returns
Jul 5, 2012 16:22:01 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Jul 5, 2012 16:22:01 GMT -5
This remark made Sciurus smile slightly, though the binturong's attempt at humour seemed a little off-colour for the squirrel's tastes. In his mind, Dragonis had been the lowest of the low, and had he been even slightly less affected by that creature's presence in his life, he might have laughed, but it was hard to laugh at the expense of one who had been responsible, directly or otherwise, for the deaths of everybeast you had once cared about and made you deeply question everything you had ever believed in. Those scars that had been left would take years to fade; the rodent knew that for sure, and he had to try his best to hide his true emotions.
He was learning to keep a lid on things, in any case. Tonight would be a good opportunity for him to loosen up and unwind, as he was certain he was in need of such things. "Well, I should consider myself lucky to meet him, if I happen to still be around when he returns," he told the mongoose, now smiling in earnest. "Like him, I know how it feels to often have to work late, and every now and then it catches up with me. As regards tonight, though, I would say I'm in for the long haul. An atmosphere such as this one does a lot to alleviate tiredness and lift one's spirits, after all," he commented, chuckling a little.
"I imagine he's quite a fascinating creature, though, and I shall make the effort to have a word with him later on, if it is within my ability to do so," he told Theresa gently. "Speaking of fascinating creatures," he said with a wink, "perhaps you and I could talk later on, if of course you'd be willing to put some time aside for me," he suggested. He would probably be moving about for most of the night to come, but the red squirrel could think of no better way to spend it than in good company. He was lucky enough to have friends who provided it, and was looking for more. He needed to establish some more connections.
He fell silent as Barras began to speak again, and he felt his heart sink in his chest as the binturong informed them that the jills at the party tonight usually wouldn't be interested in 'gentlemammals of their calibre'. "None taken," he responded softly, trying his best not to look or sound disappointed. He might have been annoyed by such a remark if things had been slightly different - last time he'd checked, neither he nor any of his companions could really help their present circumstances - but this came as a blow to his confidence because he was now definitely back on the market.
He needed to move on after Sara, but he knew he'd gotten lucky with her. How long would it be before he even attracted interest from another female squirrel again? He tried to steer clear of those thoughts. though, and listened attentively as Barras gave them a guide to the most notable creatures present at the party, and as he listened, Sciurus tried not to feel like he stuck out like a sore thumb. That was starting to seem like it was the case, but he remembered the old saying: 'It's nice to be important, but it's important to be nice.' Barras didn't seem like he was making an effort with that. Whether or not he had intended offence, his earlier remark had still stung.
The rodent's eyes followed Barras's pointing claw at different intervals as he was introduced to various creatures, and his meerkat companion wasn't the only one who was viewing the scene before him with wide eyes. The Mossflowerite badger, the so-called intellectual otter jill, the panthress and, of course, the much-talked-about Stanislas Fréron seemed to stick out to him the most, but he was unsure where the night would take him yet, so decided he would just play it by ear.
The squirrel shook his head in response to Boneparte's query. "I think it'd be better for me if I stuck with you for the moment," he said, feeling slightly anxious but once again trying not to show it. "I reckon it'd be better if you found creatures to introduce to me first, as you're probably more aware of who they are and what they do than I am. I haven't exactly been living the most social of lives, after all... at least, not up until now," he said, his voice softening as he spoke.
An approach like that would help his confidence, and that's what he needed the most right now. "You can lead the way, sure," he said with a smile. "Somehow I imagine I'll meet a few creatures that way whom I otherwise wouldn't have," he commented, chuckling slightly. It was good to be putting himself out there like this again, that was for sure. "Thank you for your hospitality, Madame," he told Theresa, smiling warmly at her. Sciurus knew he could certainly do with some food, as it had been quite a while since he'd eaten.
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Jul 6, 2012 11:55:02 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jul 6, 2012 11:55:02 GMT -5
"Oh, of course!" Theresa responded, smiling widely at Sciurus. "I always make it a point to talk to my guests. I'd like to get to know all of you a little bit better, in fact." the female mongoose stated. Boneparte was still looking at her dress. Such a... unique choice. He tried not to stare too long though, and instead gave her a smile and a nod as well. "It's really no problem." Theresa told them. "My house is always open. I shall see you a bit later, then." she told them, eyes twinkling as she snuggled up to Barras a bit, the binturong giving them a nod as they started to split up. As for hurting Sciurus's pride, Barras cared not, even if he had known. He was one of the most amoral characters one would ever meet, and only really lived for himself. He was out to increase his own prestige using whatever means necessary, though in this instance, he had met his match in Boneparte Lantzer, but he just didn't realize it yet.
"I'm going to be hitting that buffet table!" Bourrienne told Boneparte eagerly. "No sense in letting good food go to waste!" he grinned, clapping the meerkat on the back.
"Right... I think I'll be wandering over there myself." Boneparte agreed, nodding. "Let's go speak to Monsieur Freron first then, since you're giving me freedom of choice." the meerkat suggested to Sciurus. He nodded at Marmont and Junot, who were going off to mingle on their own, and made his way slowly over to the tall meerkat, the former representative raising his brows now as Boneparte approached.
"Boneparte Lantzer! Why, look who it is!"
"Hello, Monsieur Freron." Boneparte responded, nodding. "Didn't think I'd see you again."
"My goodness it's been awhile, hasn't it?" Freron asked, a smile creasing his lips. Freron was one year older than Barras, being 41 years of age. Interestingly enough, Sciurus had never met this fellow, but he'd served as an editor to Camille's paper, and Camille had done the same for him as well. There was that connection the squirrel could explore, once he found out.
"Yes... it really has."
"I have to hope you'll forgive me for threatening to kill you back then... I was just doing my job, after all." Freron said, smiling in a nervous manner.
"Think nothing of it." Boneparte waved his paw dismissively, picking up a glass of wine from a passing waiter. "You uh... had to do it, I suppose. Fortunately enough, I impressed you rather quickly."
"That you did." Freron smiled here. "Is uh... is Pauline still available?" he asked slowly, inquiring about Boneparte's younger sister.
"Heheh, yes, she is. She's not engaged." Boneparte replied. "I don't even think she's seeing anyone."
"Aha! Good! Good!" Freron said happily. "She's... not here though... I take it. What exactly are you doing here?"
"She's not here, you're correct." Boneparte answered. He proceeded to tell Freron the circumstances surrounding his arrival in Cosnair, and the other meerkat would nod every so often, frowning here and there.
"My, my. Not a good time you've had of it." Freron said, shaking his head sadly.
"No... what are you doing with yourself these days?"
"Nothing, at present, though they may send me back to Marseilles before the year is out. I've made enough as a representative to live comfortably for a few more years, but I'm hoping to get elected to the new government, whenever it's finally called into existence. I hear there's going to be an upper and lower legislative house... bicameral legislature. I'll be shooting for the lower, I'm sure, as I don't think I quite have the contacts to get into the upper... but that's fine." He shrugged here, giving him a "you never know" look. Freron was acutely aware of how powerful his counterpart Barras had become. He KNEW that Barras would be aiming to become an executive in the new government, and as there were too many beasts who owed Barras for arresting Dragonis, few could refuse him.
"And uh... who is your friend?" Freron asked now, looking Sciurus over. "You remind me of someone I used to know... someone who incited the storming of the Bastille years ago." Freron said, smile spreading across his lips as he noted the similarities.
Boneparte figured he'd let Sciurus introduce himself (without realizing these two in fact shared a connection). As Freron was right in front of the food table, Boneparte looked around him and wandered over, picking up a plate and beginning to surreptiously load it up, trying to conceal just how much he was getting. He was hungry though, and wasn't going to hold back. He'd let Freron and Sciurus talk for a bit, and looked around him at all the gathered guests.
His eyes lingered a moment or two on Juliette, still unable to get over how beautiful she was, but still not impressed with the fact that she wouldn't put herself out there. It was as he was looking beyond her that he nearly choked. Making a guttural noise, the meerkat gagged as he forcefully swallowed whatever had been in his throat. His eyes bulged as he gazed beyond Juliette... beyond her to what could only be described as a ship of black fur that glided effortlessly throughout the room.
His heart pounded in his chest, and his clothes suddenly felt very tight indeed around him, asphyxiating him as he gazed upon a certain female moving through the crowd. High cheekbones, hazel eyes, rich, lustrous black fur, a shapely, well formed body, and the most elegant black and white tail he'd ever seen. The fur was well kept, groomed to perfection as the skunk seemed to float within the midst of beasts around her. "Oh... oh my god..." Boneparte whispered, a piece of bread falling out of his paw onto his plate as he was absolutely thunderstruck.
Who.. who WAS that? She was garbed in a rich purple dress, the thing a nice flowing affair... but it didn't leave much to the imagination either, as it was relatively tight and form-fitting. She held her head high, as if she knew she were superior, and regarded everyone she passed with more of a glance than a look. And then, she was moving right toward him, making either for the food table or beyond, but either way... he felt faint.
His pulse pounded in his head, and he swayed a little on his paws, reaching out and steadying himself on the edge of the table. He tried his best not to drop his plate from pure shock, but it almost did slip from his grasp, the meerkat thankfully recovering just in the nick of time.
Feeling like he could fall forward into her, he struggled to come up with words. Speak... SPEAK dammit! But they failed him, and he could only shake his head slightly. "En... enchante, ma..." madame or mademoiselle? Which was it? His eyes shot down to her paws... not that a ring here would make much of a difference... but either way, no ring. "Mademoiselle!" he said softly, his voice deep but faint.
He had spoken just a tad too late though, and she was already beside him by the time his words had left his mouth. She turned her head in his direction, took immediate note of his dirty, worn appearance, and frowned, her brow furrowing a tad as she moved on, not giving him anything beyond that one look. Turning to watch her, he was absolutely mesmerized by the way she moved, and that luscious, fluffy tail sticking up and out behind her captivated his vision.
Freron took notice of Boneparte's pallid look, glanced over in the skunk's direction, and smiled. He had been talking with Sciurus, but interrupted their conversation to speak briefly with Boneparte. "Ah! You've noticed Rose de Beauharnais, have you? Quite the siren, that one, wouldn't you say?"
Boneparte could only nod, swallowing hard. "Rose... de Beauharnais." he repeated softly, watching as she continued on, unable to take his eyes from her. THAT was General Beauharnais's widow? Barras had managed to land her? He glanced over at Barras now, then back to Rose. Barras was so... so... unattractive though! But what had he said? Probably that she was into rich males. It wouldn't surprise him. She'd most likely want nothing to do with Boneparte... but alas... such was the way of things. He continued to admire her from a distance, letting Freron and Sciurus continue their talk as he slowly worked on his plate.
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Jul 7, 2012 13:00:03 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Jul 7, 2012 13:00:03 GMT -5
"That's good," Sciurus responded to Theresa with a smile. "I'm very much looking forward to talking to you at greater length later on. I don't yet know when that will be, of course, as I don't have any idea where tonight's going to take me, but I'll make an effort to meet up with you later on," he assured the mongoose. He'd be looking out for her, as he would for certain other types of creature. So far he'd had no luck on that front, but then again, the night was young.
As for the creature she had chosen to attach herself to, the squirrel made a mental note that the binturong seemed to have a very lofty opinion of himself and seemed to look upon certain others with disdain, for no reason other than they were not as wealthy as he. The red squirrel had almost been set off by Barras's remark earlier, and he hoped that the binturong wouldn't appear too haughty if their paths crossed again. His amiable veneer masked a bewildering sense of self-importance, and that was already rubbing the rodent up the wrong way.
He seemed as eager to eat as Bourrienne did, and nodded enthusiastically when the buffet table was mentioned. "Yes, I must say I'm quite peckish, but I don't think I'll need to eat just yet. I'll see what plans you have first, Boneparte," he told his meerkat companion. He just felt like going along with whatever his friend had planned, because it was rather hard to make solid plans when one had little idea about the creatures he was surrounded by and was slightly intimidated by them, even though he knew he had no real reason to be.
He gave his companion's suggestion another enthusiastic nod. "Oh, yes please! I would very much like that; I reckon it'd be best to start with somebeast like him, especially as I've heard his name mentioned rather a lot tonight already, and we've only been here a short while!" He also nodded at Marmont and Junot, wondering whom they would run into over the course of the night. He followed Boneparte over to where the other meerkat was situated, giving him a small smile and a wave that came off as slightly more timid than he would have liked.
He was still settling, but found himself relaxing gradually as he listened to the two meerkats converse. He wasn't in the least bit surprised that Fréron had been won over by Boneparte eventually, even if they had started out on opposite sides. The latter definitely had something about him; maybe Sciurus had felt himself subconsciously drawn to him all those years ago in the parlour? The squirrel couldn't say for sure, but he was immensely glad that their paths had crossed.
The rodent's ears perked up when Fréron moved on to talk about the possible format that the new government was going to take. Sciurus was unsure whether he'd actually be around to see it, depending on where he found himself in a few months, but even though he was distancing himself from saying whether he'd be able to cope with a return to politics just yet, the meerkat's words intrigued him greatly. He caught the look that Boneparte was given, and smiled.
Then, completely out of the blue, Fréron told Sciurus that he reminded him of a creature he'd used to know, but it wasn't before the meerkat mentioned that creature inciting the storming of the Bastille and kicking off the Rosferian Revolution that the penny dropped. Unable to help himself, the squirrel gasped. "You... you knew Camille Desmoulins?!," he asked incredulously, his blue eyes widening as he extended a trembling paw towards the meerkat.
"My..." He cleared his throat. "My name's Sciurus Whirlpaw. I'm quite pleased to meet you, Monsieur Fréron, though I can't say I had the slightest idea that you knew one of my best friends," he said with a small smile, though there was a trace of sadness in his eyes as they met Fréron's for a moment. "I noticed you mentioned that you're hoping to get elected to the new government. I served on the old National Convention for a while, but was forced to take a sabbatical when... certain... events... occurred in my life," he finished hesitantly, still not quite sure how to approach those things.
"In any case, I'm not sure if I'll return to the political arena, and if I'm to be perfectly honest with you, then I must admit that I never really felt myself to be completely cut out for political life," he told the meerkat, noting out the corner of his eye that Boneparte's attention had been caught by a skunk jill elsewhere in the room. He wasn't surprised, either; as he turned his head to briefly glance in her direction, he was unable to deny that she was very attractive. He wondered if she'd even want to speak to somebeast like him, though. He returned his attention to the meerkat, smiling a little. "I'm glad to hear you're intent on giving things another go, though!"
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Jul 8, 2012 11:15:28 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jul 8, 2012 11:15:28 GMT -5
"Well of course I knew him!" Fréron declared, nodding with a smile. "He and I edited each others' papers back then. We were both into the printing business... spreading the revolutionary word to all parts of Cosnair. While we both went into politics and joined the Convention, I got sent off to Toulon as a representative-en-mission, and he stayed where he was and eventually fell under the guillotine." The meerkat ended with his features falling a little, shaking his head. "The Revolution literally did eat its children, unfortunately. The best of the founders are now gone, killed off amidst a bloodbath." he stated.
He nodded here, as Sciurus mentioned he was hoping to get elected. "Why yes... I am." he listened further to the squirrel, mentally noting down several things. "Well many of us are no longer sitting in the Convention, either through death or because our tenure has ended. You, however, probably still have your seat, and there's no time like the present to get back into things, especially now that a real constitution is being drawn up." Fréron pointed out.
"You see, I plan to get back into things because it's how one stays on top in this society. You either submit and accept the yoke of another or you get actively involved in the government and help shape things. That's the interesting thing about a republic, after all. I plan to stay on top and keep riding this as far as I can go." he said, nodding firmly. "I have no penchant for anything else at this point, so I may as well stick with what I know. Whatever you want to do is perfectly fine with me, but it's something to consider at least as it will be going into effect by autumn of this year I'd say."
Boneparte meanwhile was keeping his eyes on Rose. She was setting herself out on a settee now, and appearing to make light conversation with those around her. He glanced over in Barras's direction again, then back at her. How could he exploit this? It was evident that Barras couldn't fully be trusted, as a beast that amoral certainly wasn't above turning on you in an instant if it suited him... but how to win his favor here?
"She's beautiful, isn't she?" the voice was smooth and warm that suddenly came from next to him, and the meerkat turned to look at Fortunée Hamelin, the black furred panther who had wandered over in his direction. "I can assure you though... unless you've got money or clout, you'd be barking up the wrong tree."
Boneparte pursed his lips, and turned to face her now. "I would assume as such. Monsieur Barras informed me of just what she's like... but yes... she IS beautiful." he agreed.
"Fortunée Hamelin. And what are you doing all alone over here? You know Monsieur Barras?" she asked him smirking.
"Well... admittedly meeting other guests. I was hoping to approach Rose but... perhaps in a little while. Boneparte Lantzer... former general with the artillery, and yes, I do know Monsieur Barras. We were both at Toulon together." he said, kissing her paw.
"Ah, I see. Your appearance leads me to suspect you haven't been employed for some time."
"About two months now... you are correct." he confirmed with a nod.
"Aw... well that's such a poor thing for one as handsome as yourself." she said, smiling at him, though he got the sense that she wasn't going to take this any deeper... which for the moment suited him fine. "If you want to meet Rose, I can easily introduce you. She'll know who you are, soon enough, anyway. Word gets around fast, at these parties."
"I'm sure it does... it certainly seems to at least."
"Mind if we talk some? I always enjoy meeting new faces after all, and any friend of Thérésa's is a friend of mine." she said, smile growing. Boneparte smiled as well, and nodded.
"Yes... I think I'd like that. I'm looking for friendly faces here, after all." The conversation naturally shifted to Juliette, as Fortunée was not a particular fan of the otter. Boneparte had remarkably similar views of her, and this led into a few laughs as they hovered by Sciurus and Fréron, hitting it off almost at once as they discussed things such as Barras, Thésésa, and Juliette.
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Jul 12, 2012 8:16:38 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Jul 12, 2012 8:16:38 GMT -5
"Ah, so you were a Revolutionary journalist too," Sciurus said thoughtfully, nodding. "I can't say I ever read your paper at the time, but I did read Camille's as regularly as I could manage. At the time, I believe I was more concerned with keeping my head above water in the Convention than anything else, but I did have the time to devote to such literary pursuits, as well as help to run a business with a creature who, just like Camille, isn't... with us anymore," he told the meerkat in a soft voice.
"I can't tell if I ever remember seeing your name in Camille's newspaper; I probably did come across it frequently enough, what with you being the editor and all, but so much has happened in the three years that followed that memories of that time are... very difficult to reach. All I really remember clearly from back then is coming here, trying to get settled and running into problems in the Convention. Everything else, I have to dig a little deeper for," he explained.
What he didn't say was that there were some memories so traumatic and painful, or ones that were almost completely lost, that he couldn't reach them even when he used his own hypnosis techniques on himself. He knew it would be a long time before such things were ever brought to the surface again. He sighed sadly when it was mentioned that Camille was guillotined. "Yes... maybe in hindisght it would have been better for him to get out once he saw the way things were going, but I recall him saying that he was too involved to back out, and then... that happened..."
Sciurus trailed off, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes as he touched on another, more painful subject. "He was guillotined along with another close friend of mine. I'm guessing you know him as well, as he associated quite often with Camille. He was Otto Kurtz, my business partner and one of my only friends back then. I was lucky to meet him, just as I was lucky to meet Camille, but they were taken from me in the end...," he told Fréron with another heavy sigh.
"I'm aware I probably still have my seat in the Convention, but I'm not sure if I want to go back. You see, I don't feel like I was ever particularly well-liked during my time there. I myself know I was quite ineffective; I may have been decisive in my opinions, but I tried to get a seat in the Convention first and foremost because I wanted to try and make a difference, but I didn't feel like I was needed or even wanted there. I made more enemies there than I did changes," the rodent said bitterly.
"I never felt like I was cut out for it, and I know there were times when I was viewed as little more than an upstart Mossflowerite who didn't know what he was talking about. I'll freely admit that, yes, sometimes I didn't - I joined up too soon and probably jumped the gun in that endeavour. They said I didn't seem to have enough fervour, but it was definitely some sort of desire that compelled me to join. I ended up making some stupid mistakes, though... it was entirely my own fault that I was viewed in that way, now I have about three years' worth of hindsight. Besides, there are other painful memories I would have to face if I ever showed my face there again," he said in a much softer voice.
"I'm not sure if I'm ready for that... maybe it's just better to let sleeping dogs lie," he said contemplatively. "I know things won't ever change for me unless I try to change them myself, but... I tried that once. It didn't work out, and maybe, after all this time away from such things, it's time for me to accept that they're not for me. I had to leave due to some... traumatic occurrences in my life. They're part of what's keeping me away, too. Maybe because of this combination, it's better for me to look elsewhere. I won't lie and say I'm not at least considering it, but... maybe its time has passed," the squirrel finished.
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Returns
Jul 12, 2012 17:47:19 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jul 12, 2012 17:47:19 GMT -5
"I was at the time, yes. Quite into journalism. Camille had a more natural talent than I did for it, though." the meerkat commented, sniffing a little to clear his nose. "Of course I knew Otto Kurtz!" Fréron exclaimed. "Who didn't after all? And even if one had never met him, one has certainly heard of what became of him, and who he was before that. He was certainly one of the fathers of the Revolution... though as said, it tended to devour its children by the end of it." he commented ruefully.
"Ah yes... we all lost someone then. Camille was a good friend... and most of it was so senseless too... you launch a few rebellions, sprinkle a few uprisings... and paranoia begins to grip the land. Or maybe it was some mad power play, I don't know. I don't think Dragonis was truly after power. Just deranged in the end. Thought his ideal republic was the only way. You're lucky to have made it through yourself." Fréron commented. "I suppose I'm fortunate that I enjoyed Dragonis's backing enough to be made a representative."
He paused here now, thinking on how Sciurus described the Convention. "Well... certainly not the most forceful of creatures, are you? Even the moderates were forceful. Brissot had one of the loudest and most intense voices of them all, you might say. Well even outsiders sat on the Convention... or perhaps that was the Legislative Assembly, I never can remember. I seem to recall a Thomas Paine from Mossflower being there. Ah yes it WAS the Convention he was a part of! Now I recall!" he said, nodding.
"Well we all came to lose friends... but at least the moderates are back in power now... and it is the Jacobins that are being hunted... a sort of White Terror you might say. Not good either way. If you didn't feel you fit in, you probably just didn't make enough effort, or assert yourself enough. I don't think I've ever seen a more disparate bunch after all!" he exclaimed. "Which one of us WAS the norm?" he asked now. "We got things done though... and are still getting things done. You can make yourself a part of that solution... or simply give up the reins and remain powerless your whole life... it's really up to you." he said, sniffing again.
"But I think if you were friends with Otto Kurtz, he wouldn't want to see you throwing yourself under the wagon like this... unless of course you really DO feel that politics is not for you. If you don't put yourself up for reelection, I'm sure they'd pass you over anyway in the fall... when the legislature is reorganized. Not because you aren't memorable... but because they probably would need to know up front who's going and and who's staying. As said though... completely up to you." Fréron stated.
Well, there was one thing that Fréron could say here. The squirrel certainly seemed indecisive, and lacked the drive and fire that he could perceive deep within his companion. Yes... Boneparte had been insatiable at Toulon. He'd pushed and pushed until he'd gotten the job done... and while circumstances were not currently shining favorably on him now, Fréron could still detect that drive somewhere within him. This wasn't a meerkat who was going to lie down easily and let fate sweep him along. Sciurus seemed to have something of the sort within him too... but it was buried quite a bit, if it was there.
Speaking of which, Boneparte was being led toward Rose by Fortunée. "I can assure you it won't take very long." the panther was saying to him. "Don't worry dear... you'll just exchange words and that will be all. Simple, right?" she asked him softly, Boneparte trembling and taking uneasy steps all the while.
"I..." He gulped here. "I suppose so. But you don't think that... well I couldn't possibly..." he was saying, but Fortunée briskly cut him off.
"Rose, dear! Rose!" The enchanting older skunk shifted on the settee, turning to regard them now. "Rose! This is General Boneparte Lantzer, of the Siege of Toulon! You've heard of that, right?"
Rose looked the meerkat over slightly disdainfully. "Hmph... charmed, I'm sure." she said. "Toulon? Wasn't that where Paul was?" she asked.
"Why yes!" Boneparte suddenly found his voice, speaking before Fortunée could. "Yes it was. He and I go way back." he told her, smiling.
"Well I must admit, I don't think I've heard of you before now." the skunk replied, looking him over. She could inwardly admit to herself that he was attractive... but Rose de Beauharnais followed her head first in romances, then her heart. She could tell right away from his muddy boots, tattered jacket, and lack of gloves that he wasn't nobility. Also that ACCENT. Where was he from? The deep south of Rosferia? Calgary even? No... this meerkat was no noble. Nor was he rich. He was not one who could help her out. His speech and mannerisms betrayed an underlying awkwardness, and she knew he had not had a proper upbringing. It wasn't that she looked down on him... she simply had no use for him. But... she supposed she could be polite to one of Paul's friends.
She held her paw out to him now, the delicate gesture almost perfect. Boneparte took special note of her voice. It was... silvery he'd describe it as. Silvery and perfectly modulated, not loud like Fortunée's. She knew how to speak in public, and carried herself with a graceful poise. He bent at the waist, kissing her paw as gingerly as he could, and trying not to slaver over it. "Are you staying with us long, General Lantzer?" he heard her ask.
"I... I'm not sure, milady." he said honestly. "It really depends on what will happen. I'm not..." he felt his face burning as he confessed this. "I'm not really actively employed at the moment."
"What a pity." she responded, her tail moving suddenly behind her, shifting from left to right. "Well, General Lantzer... it was nice to meet you... but if you'll excuse me... I have some others to catch up with." she said, giving him a small smile.
"O-of course." Boneparte stammered, nodding. "It was very nice to meet you, madame." He gave a small wave, and started heading back to Sciurus and Fréron now, and doing his best not to look behind him and steal a glance in her direction. He could feel her eyes upon his back... but just why he couldn't yet say. Disgust? Revulsion? Or something else entirely?
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Returns
Jul 16, 2012 5:05:00 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Jul 16, 2012 5:05:00 GMT -5
Sciurus nodded. "Yes, Camille did have a talent for it. I wonder sometimes what it would have been like if I had decided to become involved with that publication, but as said, at the time I had to focus on other things. I'll never get the chance now, at least not in that context," he murmured. Fréron then moved on to talk about the kind of creatue Dragonis had been, and Sciurus felt the fur rise on the back of his neck as he responded to the meerkat's comments.
"Whatever he was after, he was indeed deranged. I never saw him as anything else, to tell you the truth. I spent most of his reign terrified that something might happen to myself or my friends," he admitted suddenly; this part he had kept to himself for some time. "I was just trying to keep my head down and scrape together enough to make something that even passed for a decent life; there were times I wanted to properly get involved, but I was unsure what to do, and in hindsight I'm glad I stayed out of it because I probably would have ended up just as dead as my friends. We would all have been guillotined in that case, of that I am certain. The only time my indecisiveness actually did me any good... though I suffered just as much hurt in the end," he said bitterly.
The squirrel sighed sadly as Fréron put forth his views on what kind of creature he was perceived to be. The rodent was torn between standing up, saying his goodbyes and leaving, going home and shutting himself away until he'd even started to figure himself out, and staying to find out what else the meerkat had to say. There was something inside him, yes, but - and he had no way of knowing that Fréron was thinking the same thing - it had been all but completely suffocated by his annus horribilis.
There was a contemplative look on his features as Fréron once again brought up Otto, and there was something about the meerkat's way with words that struck a chord with Sciurus. "I've... never thought about it that way before...," he said softly after a moment's thought. "Now you mention it, though, I don't think he'd be at all happy with seeing me like this. Maybe I will never be the same kind of creature he was, but... you're right, I could have made much more of an effort."
He sniffed as well, but this was only because he was trying extra hard to keep himself in check. "I wonder what he and Camille would think of me if they were alive today. You know, I'm starting to feel as though I rather let them down back when I knew them, and that I'm continuing to do so. Not because of what I did, but because of what I didn't do. I've spent most of the last three years in a completely passive state. I've been so unsure of myself and afraid of getting hurt that I've never been able to make decisions one way or the other.
"I know how they saw me in the Convention, and I hate to say it, but they were mostly right. They knew me better than I knew myself, now I think about it. I was so scared of action that I just let things pass me by. If that makes me a coward, well, fine, I'm a coward, but it's only now that I'm wishing that that way of thinking had died along with my old life last year. I'm sure why I didn't act before now, but I'm starting to realise that this..." He gestured to all of himself. "Isn't working anymore. I need a change. Whether or not it's a change for the better, I don't know.
"Here's what I do know, though: I can't make a decision on what sort of change that will be, just yet. Boneparte's waiting on his request for a transfer to Constantinople to come through. I promised that I would go with him if he got the opportunity, so if that ends up happening, I'm gone. If it doesn't, and I remain here, I will start considering the possibility of reclaiming my seat in government. I don't know what the next move will be for me yet, but that could work.
"Mostly, I want to let that part of my life go, but there's a small part of me that keeps wondering what it could be like to give it another try, and that part will torment me and drive me to distraction if I don't at least think about doing that. If I ever reached the stage where I'd be able to do such a thing, I wouldn't have to worry about letting my friends - either Boneparte, Camille or Otto - down. I know I'd have that meerkat's support if I ever got the chance to run again, and that means a lot to me. So yes: long story short, I'm tired of feeling like this, and I need to try and be brave, for a change. I'm not sure if I have the drive that Boneparte has, or any of my old friends had, but there has to be SOMETHING there, right?," he asked, the slightest trace of hopefulness audible in his voice as he saw the other meerkat making his return.
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Jul 16, 2012 9:54:18 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Jul 16, 2012 9:54:18 GMT -5
"I would think so, yes." Freron responded, nodded solemnly. "I only wish I had gotten to know you before I was sent off to Toulon. That very passiveness about which you speak..." he looked over in Theresa's direction now, then back at Sciurus. "It was passiveness that allowed Dragonis to dominate the Convention in the first place. No one stood up to him... either through being afraid or not caring enough to do so. Well... the Reign of Terror is what resulted from that passiveness." he said.
"As it turned out, there was plenty of reason to resist Milton Dragons at the time... but nobody did so. Only Theresa Carrabus... now Theresa Tallien... was able to convince her husband to make his stand... and when he did so, others followed suit, until they enlisted the key ingredient to that mixture." He nodded now in the binturong's direction. "Paul Barras. My old comrade and fellow representative. He was key here, as making him head of the police force led to the arrest and downfall of Monsieur Dragonis. Though I think Monsieur Dragonis sealed his fate when he executed popular members like Camille Desmoulins and Otto Kurtz. A slight like that was not easily forgotten by anyone. No one was safe, and the radicals were afraid they'd be next. Ironically enough, it was a call by Dragonis to start investigating his more extreme radical friends and their over the top conduct that led to their turning against him. We of course were not stupid... we knew who they were, and what they had done... they've all been deported to Guiana now, for hard penal labor. We let them help us... then brought them to justice for their crimes, as Dragonis was originally intending to do." He snorted, referring to the likes of such butchers as Billaud-Varenne, Collot d'Herbois, and Jean Baptiste Carrier (the last of which was executed and not shipped off to Guiana). They had panicked when Milton had called them to Cosnair to answer for their crimes, and had joined in the uprising against him in order to preserve their own hides.
Freron's referral to Barras indicated the real power that the binturong now wielded. By making himself instrumental in Dragonis's downfall, Barras had ensured that many influential members of the Convention now owed him favors. His power and influence was only growing.
"I would say they'd want you to continue their mission. PUSH this country into a true republic! Let the new government come into existence! We can't just delay it forever, after all. We clearly NEED a constitution that's going to work! We need a bicameral legislature, and a clearly defined executive body, with no one beast holding too much power. Mossflower has a president now... but they also have a lot of checks and balances. So too must it be here... and if anything, we should have an uneven or odd number of executives, to prevent a tie or deadlock of opinion. Such a thing is being discussed now, I think." Freron pointed out. "There's still a lot of work to do in the months ahead, and devoting yourself to that would be a worthy cause indeed. Let's not make the deaths of Monsieurs Kurtz and Desmoulins meaningless. Let's actually strive for what THEY were striving for! What this revolution is striving for!" he emphatically stated.
Boneparte hovered outside the conversation, still talking with Fortunee about various things. They ranged from his life to her own exotic existence, and to how he was hoping to transfer to Constantinople soon, but that somehow, it was taking MUCH longer than it should be. "Oh you poor thing..." Fortunee was saying. "Washed out with nothing left. Must be a terrible feeling, you know. I suppose I should count myself lucky, having what I have in life. I never wanted for money or friends. I think it's what makes you fascinating, though. You aren't really like any of us here... although arguably you COULD say you have some things in common with Rose. She's ALWAYS broke... but that's because she's such a spendthrift." The panther chuckled here, smirking.
"The rest of us... we were all either born into wealth or married someone who had it. Your own father bought your title, though it doesn't seem to do much good. Personzan nobility is always the bottom of the barrel." she continued.
Boneparte nodded sadly here. "Oh I know full well what it's like. And don't worry... I'm not offended. Some people just have everything... that's the way the world works. If one is not remembered by the time of their death... I think their life was meaningless. I think THAT my dear, is the meaning of life: How others remember you. Money and power definitely seem to play into that as well. I look at all of you and I think... if only I could be like that. But you're right. Ultimately, I'm just some country bumpkin who's kind of a hanger-on here because I know Paul Barras."
"Well I didn't mean it quite like that! I saw it as more of a good thing, really... or at least an intensely interesting thing." she quickly pointed out.
"Oh I know." he replied, equally as quickly. "I'm just saying... what I am is not going to change, unless of course I can get SOMETHING meaningful going here. I hate being stuck like this... but it seems I'm literally in the paws of fate, now. I just have to hope things start turning around for me." he said softly, nodding.
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Jul 17, 2012 12:55:37 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Jul 17, 2012 12:55:37 GMT -5
"Well, somehow I don't think it would have made a difference whether or not it had been Dragonis who had needed to be stood up to. I know it must sound disappointing to you, but I've never been all that assertive a creature, Back then, I was different: I didn't step forward because I was always uncertain and far too cautious. Since my friends and fiancée were killed -" the rodent almost choked on his words - "I've been trying to piece my life back together. I've been too occupied with that to do anything else for much of the last year.
"At least now that I seem to be back on a relatively even keel, I can start looking to the future. Obviously those wounds that were inflicted upon me will take a while to heal, but I can't let who I was continue to define me. I've struggled to break free of things like that. I rather wish I had known you back then; maybe things would be different now... ah, but there I go again, wondering about what might have been," he said, shaking his head and smiling.
"The important thing is that I've met you now, I suppose. I've finally been introduced to Monsieur Barras as well," he informed the meerkat, chuckling a little, not wanting to let on that he didn't think he and the binturong saw eye to eye all that much. He and his friends were being looked down upon because of things they couldn't help, or currently couldn't change, and the red squirrel just wasn't happy with such treatment. He hadn't come here for such things - and the one thing he had actually come for was eluding him at present.
"Personally, I think those creatures who were sent away deserved a harsher fate. For bringing such pain and misery to the streets of Cosnair, I'm not sure that punishment is sufficient. That's just my opinion, of course," he said after he had heard what had become of the rest of Dragonis's cohorts. No doubt he would have heard before now if he hadn't fallen into despair. "Well, at least if they're suffering now, they deserve it. I may be more of a pacifist than most others in Cosnair, but even I have my limits," he said, neglecting to mention that if his grief hadn't been so overwhelming, he would have tried to get to Dragonis and destroy him before he was guillotined.
His rage had been smothered by a fathomless sadness, and there was a little twinge of regret as he was filled in on the events that had transpired in the wake of Dragonis's execution. He'd missed all that, and hearing about it took him right back to those traumatic times, but he had to fight such things. After all, he knew that creatures only fell so they could learn how to get back up; Sciurus was back on his paws and he was determined to stay standing this time around.
He nodded enthusiastically as he listened to Fréron tell him what he thought his friends would have wanted him to do. "That sounds like them, all right. They fought for what they believed in until their literal last breath, and I'm sure they'd want me to commit myself to the cause in whatever way I could. I'm lucky enough to have a second chance in life; neither of them were given anything like that, so I'm lucky I'm still alive. Whether I've actually lived is another matter entirely, but that ends tonight.
"If I didn't at least give this idea some serious thought, I'd be doing both my former best friends, as well as myself, a major disservice. My paws are tied for the moment, but if I get the opportunity, I'm going to give things a second chance. I owe it to myself as much as anybest else, after all. If it turns out I can't get involved like that, then I'll turn my thoughts to other things, but I'm going to make damn sure I see it through this time," he said resolutely, patting the meerkat's paw. "Thanks for pointing it out to me," he told him, smiling and suddenly looking happier than he had in years.
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