Part Forty-Eight: Gaston and Nitika's conversation

[matrixrefugee.livejournal.com]

Miss Meglomania: I liked your Hal POV, too-- of course, i like most anything Hal, so I'm a little biased! But I thought it followed his thought processes very well
Matrixrefugee197: Yep.... he tends to think in elliptical sentences: that was incredibly hard to write, but I'm pleased with it...
Miss Meglomania: Nicky was a killer to write-- I never can find the voice for him, really. But I do know one thing: no swearing!
Matrixrefugee197: Yep. That can be hard: Frank doesn't swear much either, except if he's scared or really mad.
Miss Meglomania: Cal, of course, knows every curse known to man-- the worst thing Nicky says is 'crap'. HOW these two have lived together so long without killing each other is beyond me...
Matrixrefugee197: Opposites attract?
Miss Meglomania: I suppose...
Matrixrefugee197: Marilyn: "That is an understatement, depending on whom you're referring to..."
Miss Meglomania: Yulia: "You seem to have a happy union, my dear Queen..."
Matrixrefugee197: M: "I manage to keep it stable."
Matrixrefugee197: ((You have no idea how hard Marilyn is to play, but I'm hoping Laurie lets her have a cameo in the Main Game...))
Miss Meglomania: Yulia: "Ah, my poor dear, is that a note of dissatisfaction?")
Matrixrefugee197: M: "Alas...it is..." (sadly>
Miss Meglomania: Yulia puts a hand on Marilyn's arm gently. "Oh, my poor darling...is it anything you feel free to speak of? I am the soul of discretion."
Matrixrefugee197: M: "No... nothing more than the usual sorrows... Mine is the unique burden of being married to a man who 'swings both ways' as it is often put... But how I wish, when he swings back toward the fair sex if I would be the sole receiver then... He can flirt with as many men as he likes, I don't mind: I've come to accept that."
Miss Meglomania: Yulia: "My darling...as much as we may love men, they are essentially animals rooting in the shrubs for the next catch. I do not mean that derogatorily...your husband is wired in his brain, he cannot help that. And, if
he were to be unwired, would that not change who he is, and thus not be the man you love?" she smiles. "Do forgive me for therapy-ing you..."
Matrixrefugee197: M: "It's all right. I've felt that way myself, that I wish he would change... but if he did, would he still be the same attractively dangerous little man that he always was to me?"
Miss Meglomania: Yulia: "I fear I do not know you that well to answer that. It must come from your own mind, your own heart."
Miss Meglomania: (Meanwhile, Nitika is dressing herself in her bedroom for tea...she's aged herself, as well...in 'real', chronological time she's 19 years old, but as she has changable derma and height to a certain degree, she varies
that age. Today, however, she just wants to be herself...)
Matrixrefugee197: Ah...))
Gaston is trying to decide which vest looks better on him, the marroon watered silk or the forest green matte silk...
Miss Meglomania: Nitika's chosen a white flowly Greek-revival gown with Indian gold and jeweled orniments...smiles at herself in the mirror, lookin' good...
Matrixrefugee197: G: Hopes he looks mature enough: He looks more like his mother than like his father, and sometimes this works against him, making him look younger than he is... Decides on the maroon, it brings out the slight red lights in his otherwise dark hair...
Miss Meglomania: Nitika places a small red bindi between her eyes, puts on a little makeup, nothing too dramatic, no Paris-Hilton look today, just respectable-- bleh!-- and like someone aware of her position in society...
Matrixrefugee197: G: (looking at his reflection in the mirror, pleased with what he sees, steps out, heading for the common room...>
Miss Meglomania: Nitika finally finishes, checks herself over from all angles, and heads out as well, making sure nobody sees her...they probably wouldn't approve of this, but oh well...heading towards the common room as well
Matrixrefugee197: G: (suddenly nervous.... no, no reason to be; she's a good person.>
Miss Meglomania: Nitika looks up and sees him, smiling. "Good afternoon, Your Majesty."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "Good afternoon, your Ladyship!" (genuinely pleased: my, she looks nice!>
Miss Meglomania: Nitika smiles a little at the 'yelp' at the end of his sentence. "You look very nice-- I like the vest. Brings out your hair."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "You think so? Thank you... I'm not a clothes-horse by most standards, but I do try to look my best." (blushing just a little> "You look exquisite yourself... like a goddess, though I'm not sure which one." (realizing
he's babbling>
Miss Meglomania: Nitika can't help but laugh a little at that last remark. "Why, thank you. Shall we depart? I believe they've set up a table in the courtyard."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "Oh, why yes." (offering her his arm>
Miss Meglomania: Nitika gently puts her hand in the crook of his elbow and lets him lead...she walks like her mother, a smooth regal glide, very practiced but seeming natural
Matrixrefugee197: He leads her outside, catching himself glancing at her out of the corner of his eye... Goodness, she's beautiful...
Miss Meglomania: A tea-table has been set up under the shade of a flowering tree, the pot already out and a tray of small sandwiches in the middle...Nitika slips her hand out of his arm and heads towards one of the chairs
Matrixrefugee197: He draws the chair back gracefully, allowing her enough room to sit down with ease...
Miss Meglomania: She looks at him with a small warm smile. "Thank you," she says before sitting down, smoothing her skirts over her lap
Matrixrefugee197: G: "You're welcome..." (trying not to blush as he sits down opposite her>
Miss Meglomania: Nitika puts her napkin in her lap and reaches for the pot. "Would you like me to pour you a cup?"
Matrixrefugee197: G: "Oh, yes please." (he was about to offer to pour the tea, but she beat him to it>
Miss Meglomania: She does so and glances up at him. "Forgive my haste-- in my culture, women are the tea-bearers." She pours a cup for herself then and examines it carefully for a moment...
Matrixrefugee197: G: "Oh, that's quite all right: I'd rather respect your culture's tradtions than try imposing anything." (curious why she's studying the cup, but lets it pass>
Miss Meglomania: Nitika: "How noble." She takes a sip of tea and keeps it in her mouth a bit longer than necessary before swallowing. She seems to think about it a moment, then smiles. "Not too strong-- good."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "Rather like grading a fine wine."
Miss Meglomania: Nitika: "Rather like seeing if it is digestable or will cause damage to my internal apperatus." She smiles. "Forgive me for sounding like an anatomical model-- such is life for me."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "You can't be too careful sometimes."
Miss Meglomania: Nitika: "One must always be careful." She shakes her head. "I really do wish to apologise, in person, for my outburst in your father's laborotory. It was out of place and it did not make me feel better, anyway. Your intentions were good and I took them the wrong way. I'm sorry."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "It's all right: You were worried about your mother's well-being; anyone in a similar circumstance, even the most easy-going person would be just as distraught and liable to forget themself."
Miss Meglomania: Nitika: "I will confess this...hasn't been a very easy time for us. As I'm sure it hasn't been for you."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "You're right on that count... The past few months have been so tense, but I think it's a good learning experience for me, training me on the hard lines how to be a good ruler."
Miss Meglomania: Nitika: "That must have been awful, to so suddenly be put in full authority. All the responsibility-- how do you handle it?"
Matrixrefugee197: G: "My father had been trying to ease me into the position, letting me take on more and more responisibilites, but despite his good intentions, circumstances dropped the whole load into my lap... It's been hard
adjusting to it, but it's easier for me than it was for him. I was raised for this role, he had to adjust to it later in life."

Matrixrefugee197: Cecie (future version>: "I'm doing a water-birth when the little fellow's time comes... but I think I'll skip the candles and incense... Unless Father Hideki Nguyen is there to baptise Joseph Neo right then and there."
Miss Meglomania: Yulia: "Ugh...I would prefer a clean, sanitary hospital with doctors who know what they are doing, myself..."
Matrixrefugee197: C: "Well... this will be at the Clinique de Lille: rather an unusual place -- cutting edge medical technology meets traditional medicinal practises."
Miss Meglomania: Yulia: (clearly not sounding impressed or assured> "Hm. As long as the health of the chld is taken into account..."
Matrixrefugee197: Marilyn: "Astarte was born at de Lille: she's turning out well in health..." (internal: If only I could say the same about her moral health.>
Miss Meglomania: Kitty smiles. "I am sure it will be fine, Yulia is always too concerned about these things. Why, Lolita was born at Sobor Volkov without any sort of medical equiptment, as was I, as well as generations of Romanovs! Babies are remarkably strong."
Matrixrefugee197: M: "I gave birth to Gaston at home, when we were living in Barcelona, though I had a doctor in attendance."
Le Meroveque: "I wasn't there since I was still recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder, but I'm told she barely let him get close to her."
Miss Meglomania: Yulia: "How brave of you, Your Majesty. By the way, where is Gaston? I have not seen him of late-- I do hope he's feeling well?"
Matrixrefugee197: M: "He's been quite busy helping prepare the materials for the Contessa's defense... and he's been trying to keep that bruise out of the sunlight, though it's starting to heal up quite speedily."
Miss Meglomania: Kitty: "I'm sure it's nothing serious, nothing that will take a long time to heal-- just superficial."
Yulia: "As opposed to...other types that can be inflicted." (a significant look at Le Mero, lol>
Matrixrefugee197: LM: (pretending not to have noticed, but his cheek winces visibly...>
Miss Meglomania: Back in the courtyard, Nitika smiles at Gaston. "I will admit that I thought your ploy with my mother rather clever-- after, of course, everything was explained to me and I no longer wished to tear you limb from
limb."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "I knew something had to be done to help her... and like they say, desperate times call for desperate measures... maybe it was the well-deserved slap she gave my father five years ago at the coronation that
inspired it."
Miss Meglomania: Nitika raises an eyebrow. "I did not know of this...was it serious?"
Matrixrefugee197: G: "Let's say that my father tried putting his hand where it didn't belong, and your mother took the neccessary measures to defend her virtue." (blushing!>
Miss Meglomania: Nitika laughs at the story and at his blush. "Oh, I see! Oh, dear, that must be why Daddy was in such a sour mood when they arrived home-- three days early as I recall. She WOULD do something like that..."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "I'm afraid it caused relations between the Eastern Alliance and the Empire to become strained from the first... but perhaps that rift can be mended. All in due time of course."
Miss Meglomania: N: "One hopes...I know very little about politics, myself. My parents did not want me to follow in their footsteps, which I suppose is proper. As advanced as the countries in our Alliance have become, there are still many pockets that believe the only way a woman should enter the political world is by marriage...which, in a way, is what my mother did as well. So I'm not too surprised if that's what everyone expects of me." Smiles. "It bites being
offspring of the influencial, doesn't it?"
Matrixrefugee197: G: "It does... There's times when, I have to admit, I envy the common folk: No need to have an entourage of security guards about you; you're free to marry whomever you've chosen to love; freedom to come and go as you like...."
Miss Meglomania: Nitika: "But you've chosen already, haven't you? Nadia, I mean."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "Yes... But I'm afraid my mother doesn't particularly care for Nadia... She was involved... romantically with my father."
Miss Meglomania: Nitika: "Who wasn't?" Smiles a little. "Sorry, bad joke. But if you love her, does it really matter what your mother thinks?"
Matrixrefugee197: G: "It shouldn't... But the hard part is trying to smooth things over between my mother and her; Nadia's willing to make the effort, but my mother isn't."
Miss Meglomania: Nitika: "That's too bad...how did you propose?" She says suddenly, lacing her fingers under her chin. "I'm awful, I love romantic things. Over dinner? Moonlit walk? You can tel me."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "We were walking in the Medici Gardens at sundown, past a fountain... we sat down to watch the sun setting... I said something silly... I think I asked her if all I had to give her was a lifetime of sunsets, would she
love me? ...And she said she would... And I asked her if that were all I had to give, would she be my wife..." His eyes seem to reflect those sunset colors...
Miss Meglomania: Nitika listens intently, propping her head on her palm, her eyes softening a little
Matrixrefugee197: G: "She didn't reply with a word... but she leaned over and kissed me... I know it sounds sappy... but it was all the answer I needed."
Miss Meglomania: Nitika: "It doesn't sound sappy at all...it's really beautiful. I used to wish that mine would be like that, that some guy would ask me like that or close, but..." she shakes her head. "My birth parents marriage was arranged, Mom's first engagement was arranged, and Daddy's first was arranged too. So that's undoubtedly how it'll be for me-- if, of course, I ever can et married, which isn't likely, being in the state I am. Sorry if I sound self-pitying."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "What can I say? I'm French: I'm supposed to be a sucker for everything romantic." (self-deprecating humor>
Matrixrefugee197: G: "There's someone out there for you: the two of you just have to find each other."
Miss Meglomania: Nitika: "Thanks for being nice, but..." she shakes her head. "I'm a brain inside of a robot. Even if I do find a guy who doesn't mind that, I'll still be alive and looking th way I do when he's 70, 80, 90, dead. I can't
produce any children. That last bit might not seem like much, but where I come from, the heir is all-important."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "That's the way it is where I come from: I was almost glad when my sister came along, even though the family line of descent is supposed to go through the male line. But... my father has been tinkering with a line of code that might, under very special circumstances, allow non- or semi-biological humans to reproduce. It would have to be a pair of them, but he thinks it will work."
Miss Meglomania: Nitika: "How...scientific. I dont think it could work out, a Mecha and I, I mean. They don't like us very much."
Miss Meglomania: Nitika: "Anyway...I don't see them as attractive or anything. This," she touches her arm. "Is like them, but this," she touches her forhead. "Has never changed from being what I was back then. I'm human, there's no reason I shouldn't still like them."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "I see... I've been around non-biological humans so long, I'm afraid there's a part of me that still gets a little confused. But I'm young: I can learn. The nice thing about ignorance is that it's easily cured with a little knowledge."
Miss Meglomania: Nitika smiles. "You sound like Ghandi. But it's okay-- I get confused all the time."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "I just hope that I can come close to his ideals..." (really blushing that time!>
Miss Meglomania: Nitika laughs and reaches over the tablem, patting his cheek. "God, you're red as a beet! You're gonna have to work on that if you're really going to be a head honcho..."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "I've heard some people say that it's refreshing to have a ruler who blushes easily, compared to having had one who blushed at nothing, but that's probably journalistic chatter."
Miss Meglomania: Nitika: "I suppose it is, although you'd better not do anything scandelous or Nadia'll find out immediately." (teasing>
Matrixrefugee197: G: "I doubt I'd do anything to cause that, but I am only human."
Miss Meglomania: Nitika: "Aren't we all." She glances up at the windows. "I probably shouldn't stay long...fraternising with the enemy, and all that."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "I have some work to finish up before supper: a ruler's work is never finished..."
Miss Meglomania: Nitika rises and offers her hand. "I enjoyed this very much. Thank you for joining me."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "Thank you for letting me join you" (taking her hand and kissing it gently>
Miss Meglomania: Nitika smiles at him, then seems to consider her next words carefully. "Sometime...would you like to leave here and go to the city with me? I know some places where they won't know who we are, and we could just goof off for awhile. Only if you want to, of course."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "I think... just to get away from all this for once in a while... I think I would like that."
Miss Meglomania: Nitika smiles a little wider. "Just tell me when. Until later, Gaston." She tips her head a little and heads back into the building.
Matrixrefugee197: G: (bows to her slightly, then goes in, heading back to his office... somehow his heart is lighter...>
Miss Meglomania: Kosmos Valentin is waiting for him when he returns..."Ah, Your Majesty! I was hoping to catch you. I'm here to go over the terms of the Contessa's defense? I am, after all, the family solicitor and I do think it's
fair to...forgive me, I am babbling."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "Yes, yes of course: I was about to arrange a meeting with you. That needs to be finalized of we're ever to have any clout in the case."
Miss Meglomania: Kosmos: "Perfectly understandable. Now, what would be your first item to counteract these charges? I understand you have several."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "First, we have a MetaFlesh microcellular disrupter which apparantly was planted on the Count's body for no reason whatsoever. Second, we have a copy of a work order for that disrupter, which Premier Zhao himself signed, and thirdly, we have a videodisc containing a laparoscopic autopsy conducted on the Count's body."
Miss Meglomania: Valentin jots all this down on his hand-held and nods. "I see. One final question..." he looks up over his glasses. "How, percisely, did you know to look for something amiss in the first place/"
Matrixrefugee197: G: "You'd have to ask my father. He conducted most of the investigation... he has ways of finding these things out that few people possess."
Miss Meglomania: Valentin: "I shall do so, thank you." Jots 'ask Mero' in his hand-held. "One must get all their facts straight, especially in dealing with something of this heavy a nature. There must be no room for mistakes."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "Indeed: we're walking a tightrope over a volcano right now."
Miss Meglomania: Valentin: "May I ask-- what does our side really see as a benifit for helping with this case? Besides the official 'humanitarian' and 'justice' reasons...what do you hope to gain?"
Matrixrefugee197: G: "I only hope to burn the tomahawk, to use an American phrase my father uses: it means to make peace between factious parties."
Miss Meglomania: Valentin: "I see. Well, perhaps the tomahawk may be burned...you do realise, of course, that should we come out the victors, the Contessa will automatically be inagurated as Premier? This is a very touchy situation we have all found ourselves in...there is no room to mess about."
Matrixrefugee197: G: "I'm fully aware of that; I think that may be why my father has turned most of the task into my charge. He always said I was more sensible. I just hope I can live up to that."
Miss Meglomania: Valentin smiles thinly. "I'm sure you will. Now, about those documents, I'll need hard copies as well as duplicates..."
Outside the door, the silent Mecha that arrived with the Contessa's doctor passe though the hall, cocking an ear at the conversation but not paying it much mind as she winds her way to the technician's room...one-track mind and then some, sole purpose to help her creator...
Matrixrefugee197: G: "I have them in a locked box in my office..."
Miss Meglomania: The Mecha finally enters the laborotory, where Dr. Rodchenko has set up temporary shop...changes into a lab coat and checks on a row of small buzzing wires...yes, everything is perfect...
The doctor looks up. "Eve, when you have a moment please check Batch 49, I'm afraid they've about had it's course...has the Contessa regained full power?"