[There's a brief break, but then another message will come through. Monty knows he shouldn't show this kind of weakness, but he doesn't know who else to turn to. Cecil? No. Not for this.]
I tried to bring Phoebe with me. She wasn't real. Again.
[Oh, fun. Renart doesn't care for what little she's seen of his wife, but the fact that he's bringing her up with her means she shouldn't be dismissive or cruel. He's looking for comfort.]
Beowulf was there, too.
But it wasn't actually him, just a very good lookalike. I've found it's much easier to handle this kind of nonsense when you've come to the conclusion that the person is dead.
[His heart skips a beat at the suggestion at the horror that brings.]
She just hasn't arrived, yet. The real her. Not some puppet being used against me. Puppets being used against us.
What even was that? The Hedonists? And what about those threads? Those didn't seem like them, and this? It was a mess, but would they have done this? They've been trying to put the world back as it was, but I can't imagine they'd try something like that without trying to get us to help them.
Think whatever makes you feel better That's what I'm doing
[Mostly. The pain of hoping and waiting endlessly seems more awful than trying to move on.]
I don't know Certainly not Aletheia It may have been them, thinking they were trying to be helpful somehow Maybe thinking it was all for the best I can't be certain, though
[He can't really argue with that. Telling her to believe Beowulf isn't dead if it will hurt her won't do much to help.]
I'm going to ask them. We'll get a group together again to demand answers. Politely, of course. You're welcome to attend. Mr. Clay won't be there this time.
Our tragic 'love triangle' must come to an end. Do you know Eudaimonia's been telling other Hedonists about that? That dreadful woman Cyrene started needling me about it when they were discussing competition.
I'll consider it I doubt you really need me around for that, though I could come by later for more tea and you can tell me how it went Just, please be nice to Eudaimonia
Nothing that you need concern yourself with. And I mean that honestly, not in a bullheaded way. It's to do with Mr. Palmer.
[Which, he hopes, will effectively shut down that line of inquiry. Renart knows he lives with the other man. There are other troubles he has, but Carlos turning up is rather chief among his personal ones at the moment.]
[Renart. It takes a great deal of effort not to slap his hand to his face. They've been living in the same small area, going out of the same cottage on a regular basis, for five or six month and the vixen still doesn't know Cecil?]
... Oh, she doesn't know Monty's specific relationship with that guy, but she isn't sure she wants to touch this with a ten foot pole.]
He isn't going to hurt you, is he And please tell me you aren't going to end up as you did after that trip to the catacombs I'd prefer you to stay of sound mind and body
[Because frankly, physical injuries are very easy to deal with.]
I just Like you that way
[No, that's a stupid answer.]
I mean that's usually what trouble is, isn't it? So if I can keep you out of it then I want to do whatever I can I'd rather not have to go to Eudaimonia and ask for her help
[That's sweet of her, really, but he's still completely confused as to why she might immediately jump to Cecil trying to hurt him... or drive him mad.]
It's not that type of trouble. As I said, it's the sort that you needn't concern yourself with because you will not be able to assist with it.
Alright Well If you're absolutely sure, I suppose If you need a distraction from all of that And not just sex, I mean More like mental respite Feel free to come over anytime
[She's going to assume this is merely totally benign roommate problems that she shouldn't be getting paranoid over or jumping to conclusions about.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[text]
I'm back. Are you all right?
As all right as you might be?
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I'm sorry I wasn't able to find you when everything was collapsing.
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[There's a brief break, but then another message will come through. Monty knows he shouldn't show this kind of weakness, but he doesn't know who else to turn to. Cecil? No. Not for this.]
I tried to bring Phoebe with me. She wasn't real. Again.
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Beowulf was there, too.
But it wasn't actually him, just a very good lookalike. I've found it's much easier to handle this kind of nonsense when you've come to the conclusion that the person is dead.
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[His heart skips a beat at the suggestion at the horror that brings.]
She just hasn't arrived, yet. The real her. Not some puppet being used against me. Puppets being used against us.
What even was that? The Hedonists? And what about those threads? Those didn't seem like them, and this? It was a mess, but would they have done this? They've been trying to put the world back as it was, but I can't imagine they'd try something like that without trying to get us to help them.
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That's what I'm doing
[Mostly. The pain of hoping and waiting endlessly seems more awful than trying to move on.]
I don't know
Certainly not Aletheia
It may have been them, thinking they were trying to be helpful somehow
Maybe thinking it was all for the best
I can't be certain, though
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I'm going to ask them. We'll get a group together again to demand answers. Politely, of course. You're welcome to attend. Mr. Clay won't be there this time.
Our tragic 'love triangle' must come to an end. Do you know Eudaimonia's been telling other Hedonists about that? That dreadful woman Cyrene started needling me about it when they were discussing competition.
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I doubt you really need me around for that, though
I could come by later for more tea and you can tell me how it went
Just, please be nice to Eudaimonia
Oh my
We'll need to find a new third person
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[Take that as you will.]
We most certainly do not. I have more than enough trouble without people sticking their noses into my private affairs.
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Oh?
What kinds of trouble?
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[Which, he hopes, will effectively shut down that line of inquiry. Renart knows he lives with the other man. There are other troubles he has, but Carlos turning up is rather chief among his personal ones at the moment.]
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Who is that?
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He's the gentleman I'm living with at present.
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... Oh, she doesn't know Monty's specific relationship with that guy, but she isn't sure she wants to touch this with a ten foot pole.]
He isn't going to hurt you, is he
And please tell me you aren't going to end up as you did after that trip to the catacombs
I'd prefer you to stay of sound mind and body
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Why would you even think that?
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I just
Like you that way
[No, that's a stupid answer.]
I mean that's usually what trouble is, isn't it?
So if I can keep you out of it then I want to do whatever I can
I'd rather not have to go to Eudaimonia and ask for her help
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It's not that type of trouble. As I said, it's the sort that you needn't concern yourself with because you will not be able to assist with it.
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Well
If you're absolutely sure, I suppose
If you need a distraction from all of that
And not just sex, I mean
More like mental respite
Feel free to come over anytime
[She's going to assume this is merely totally benign roommate problems that she shouldn't be getting paranoid over or jumping to conclusions about.]
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I'll have to see how a particular discussion goes, that's all.
[Just a house meeting. Totally things that roommates do.]
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[There's a pause, then she decides to add:]
This is why I don't live with anyone
No problems, no need for compromises
It's much simpler
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