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| Words and Bushiness (Open to all!); You need to talk to Luca about something at his place. What is it? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 9 2012, 03:06 AM (965 Views) | |
| Oldest_Revolution | Mar 9 2012, 03:06 AM Post #1 |
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Six of Spades
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It isn't easy when it comes to getting the address of one Luca Ludwig. Obvious security and protection reasons aside, the Elite was a generally cautious man and didn't just hand out the directions of his home so willingly to anyone who would ask. The people who had an idea where he resided when not at work? Other Elites that had to know where he lived to contact him for emergencies and people who had too much time and too much wits and ideas to themselves who shouldn't know in the first place. Which makes the knock on his apartment door all the more worrying/curious to the German. It was late judging the time from his clock in the kitchen and he honestly couldn't recall any need to meet anyone for anything today. He had done all his work before going back home, paperwork and all, and alerted the people who needed to know that he was slipping for the day. One can't blame him for being suspicious as he checks to see if he still had his knives on him and went to the front door. He didn't have peephole installed on the door. Security measures but he was regretting it now. The person at the other side of the door was quiet, obviously expecting a reply before calling out. He rubbed his temples and stepped closer to the door. "Guten tag. Ludwig here." Though there was an urge to have his voice be sharper, colder he didn't risk it and stuck with the honey sweet politeness he was known for. He didn't know who was at the other side of the door and the last he wanted to do was tell another Elite or worse to go away in less than kind words. "What brings you to my humble little home, friend?" Edited by Oldest_Revolution, Mar 9 2012, 03:07 AM.
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| LimeyBlue | Mar 9 2012, 12:13 PM Post #2 |
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Senior Novelist
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There were times when Louisa truly hated her father. Sure, he had a deadline to meet on this project at the Geraldi Corperation (he and a partner were working on a newspaper article) but couldn't he have sent someone else to chat with an Elite? Didn't he know about her dislike and fear of them? But his persuasion had won over, and she didn't want to disappoint him again. With a questionnaire tucked under one arm, Louisa could feel cold sweat break out on her forehead as she tapped on the door. Her nervousness started to peak, and her guts were shouting at her to turn and flee there and then, hadn't Mr Ludwig questioned her from behind the door. The voice made her freeze in place. "Ah", Louisa started talking, then realised her throat was completely dry. She swallowed, then pulled out a business card her father had given her. Since there was no sign of a peephole, she clutched it in her free hand, occasionally glancing down at it as if to remind herself why she was there. "I-I'm with Geraldi Corp", Louisa stammered. "My dad is d-doing a news article, and he wanted the opinions of some of the Elite about the current goings on in Arcadia. W-Would it be okay if I asked you some questions?" |
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| Oldest_Revolution | Mar 10 2012, 02:22 AM Post #3 |
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Six of Spades
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Geraldi Corp? The name is familiar enough for him to open the door and peer at the… teenager that now stood in front of him. He didn’t know people hired so young these days. Huh. He inspected the girl critically but swiftly trying to see if she was a threat. You can never judge someone by their age but it might be the case with this one. She was quite young. Fifteen to sixteen years old at best. Her age, combined with how nervous she sounded earlier, made him attempt to smile more friendly at her. No need to scare anyone after all, he wasn’t on the clock. “Ahhh. Es tut mit leid,” he said, apologizing with much sincerity as he could muster while keeping his irritation of being disrupted for an interview down. It wasn’t her fault. If he could bet on his powers; he’ll have to say she didn’t want to be here at all. “Where have my manners gone? Of course I’m more than happy to answer your questions. Long as it’s general. Work confidentiality and all.” He opened the door wider, showing all of his tall and strong form and the inside of his well furnished home. Luca gestured for her to come inside. “Please. Make yourself comfortable. Would you like a drink or a meal or anything of that sort?” Edited by Oldest_Revolution, Mar 10 2012, 02:24 AM.
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| LimeyBlue | Mar 10 2012, 05:09 PM Post #4 |
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Senior Novelist
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Louisa could feel her hair bristling slightly when Mr Ludwig opened the door. He was tall! But he didn't look like many of the Elites she'd seen before, and his smile and apology was friendly enough, which allowed her nervousness to drop. But only a bit. "Thank you", Louisa said, forcing a quick smile as she entered the apartment. It was pretty large, very smart, and well organised. She glanced about the room, momentarily dazed as she took in the details and layout, then chose a small armchair to perch in. Her tail unrolled behind her, plucking a pen from a pocket and holding it at hand, ready for when it was needed. She didn't trust her hands to hold anything else yet, seeing as they were so sticky from the heart-racing wait. Not that the pounding was slowing down or anything. "Um, just some water please, thank you", she replied. Louisa may have been in the home of what she deemed as the enemy, but she had a task to do, and she may as well be polite. That and the air seemed hotter, or was that just her own agitation? |
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| Oldest_Revolution | Mar 13 2012, 03:59 AM Post #5 |
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Six of Spades
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Possibly her own agitation since Luca went out of his way to keep his apartments cool so he could relax after work thanks to his splitting headaches at the end of the day. Her discomfort was clear as day for him and it made him feel sympathetic towards her. She clearly did not want to be here but was still willing to do the job despite personal(?) feelings. "Of course, I'll be right back with the water." He told her as he vanished to his kitchens, his voice carrying through the air. He sounded friendly and affable. A bit too friendly and affable if someone noticed. It was like he was following steps of a how to guide on being a Nice Guy. Too perfect, a bit too rehearsed. "You can ask your questions now if you want, Miss... Oh dear. I forgot to ask your name. Where did my manners go? It seems today just isn't my day." He comes back with a glass of cold water in hand and a dazzling grin playing on his face. "Let me fix that, Miss. I'm Luca Roderick Ludwig. Been working as an Elite for the last twelve years so I have a lot of opinions on a lot of things." A pause as he considers something and adds, "But keep in mind I'll have to sometimes not answer your questions if I'm on the case or I've been specifically told not to." |
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| LimeyBlue | Mar 13 2012, 03:10 PM Post #6 |
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Senior Novelist
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Louisa quickly placed her dad's business card on the arm of her seat and took the glass of water with a murmured thanks and a grateful smile, not forced this time. Some part of her mind was sending off warning bells though. Mr Ludwig's friendliness seemed to be a little good to be true. Maybe a ruse, or maybe he could tell she wasn't comfortable around him. Wait. What if he was a psychic? The thought made Louisa hesitate before drinking. He could've have read her mind and known about her backing the Complex and might have done something to the drink! But he didn't know her name, so it was quite possible he wasn't psychic. And now, in her little cloud of tension, comfort jumped in front of paranoia. Louisa took a sip of the water, and hid a sigh of pleasure as the coolness soothed her throat and washed some of the nervousness away. "Well, i-it's a pleasure to meet you, M-Mr Ludwig", she said, holding onto her smile. "I'm Louisa Allen, m-my dad's done a few stories for the Geraldi Times." Putting the glass aside, Louisa set the questionnaire on her lap and took the pen from her tail. "First question, sir", she started. "What d-do you think of the current state of Arcadia?" |
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| Oldest_Revolution | Mar 17 2012, 06:39 AM Post #7 |
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Six of Spades
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Allen and Geraldi Times? Ludwig canted his head carefully, pretending to think of an answer while he focused on something he thought was more important. Allen? That name... It sent an alarm bell in his head ringing, as if a reminder of something. He had read a few of the man's stories... hadn't he? Or was that Margaret and she had told him about his stories? After the young girl left he'll probably have to pull out the papers and review them carefully. After all, writing was the best way to get into the mind of someone else. But first things first. That question. "Arcadia. You know the meaning of the name? It comes from Greek from another place also named Arcadia where the people were noted for being so content and happy. It means any region or scene of simple pleasure and untroubled quiet." He suddenly laughs, a warm and friendly sound, rubbing the back of his neck as he continued to talk. "I know what you're thinking-- Really? How can he think that? Let me explain a little bit." "I know for quite a while we've been having... interesting situations as of late." Interesting situations. Not troubling or worrying or dangerous. An Elite shouldn't upset a citizen after all. Interesting made the mess with the Messiah Complex sound almost charming. "And I know some people are discontent with some things but this is a city and we're filled with many different people with different needs. So of course some souls are going to have issues with this or that." A pause happened for a second, one that was meant to be thoughtful and let him gather his thoughts. "We all need to work together to make Arcadia a place to live. Do we have ups and downs? Yes but which city doesn't? I think Arcadia's state is fine but we can make it better if we just cooperate, follow the laws and keep ourselves in line. After all the laws we have here aren't that difficult to follow. What do you think? Are you happy with the state of our city?" |
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| LimeyBlue | Mar 19 2012, 04:17 PM Post #8 |
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Senior Novelist
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Louisa had been thinking exactly that. She'd mentally chuckled with irony at the thought of Arcadia being peaceful. And she'd bristled with alarm when Mr Ludwig had said his 'I know what you're thinking' sentence. Her theory of him being a psychic rolled right back in, along with a gutful of worry. Keeping a cool front, Louisa hid a sceptical look at the 'interesting situations' part ('you mean the complete mess of fighting the Complex') and jotted down phrases which sounded intriguing and others which related to the question. However, only as she finished off 'follow the laws' did she register Mr Ludwig's question. "Oh, me?" Louisa adopted a distant look, as if she were thinking deeply. In reality her mind was whirring with panic. She could hardly say the truth: This city is messed up and needs a lesson in equality. Oh, and leave Aidric and his friends alone, they've actually got a good idea of what to do. "Well, it's okay." Good start, good start, keep going. "School c-can be...strict, but I guess that's what needs t-to happen to..um, keep ourselves in line." Stole his words there. Either a nice touch, or you dropped yourself into a pit, Louisa thought grimly. "Q-Question two: Do you think more should be done to p-protect its citizens?" |
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| Oldest_Revolution | Mar 20 2012, 11:12 AM Post #9 |
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Six of Spades
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The raised eyebrow is brief but there it was when she used his own words before his grin became a touch sly. Even if she probably didn't mean to, she had a quickness to her and that was admirable enough. "You have to earn your things, including your education. It's an indicator for your future after all." "Should more work be done for the citizens...?" That is a good question though the response he has for her is something she might not like: Yes. We need to take more control of how they live so they don't end up harming themselves. There are times I feel like they're deliberately acting the way they do to see what can happen to them. No. No. He can't say that. That's very rude. "We're doing our best to protect the citizens and we can't direct them how they should live." Never mind the fact laws and rules here pretty much ensure that. "We want everyone in Arcadia happy but, well, it is hard if we don't have full cooperation from them. There are times methods are questionable but we only do it to ensure their safety." He snaps his fingers, thinking of something then. "Think of it as swallowing bitter medicine. It doesn't taste nice at first and leaves a bad aftertaste in your mouth but it helps you in the long run. But you have to be willing to swallow it." |
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| LimeyBlue | Mar 22 2012, 11:37 AM Post #10 |
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Senior Novelist
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Bitter medicine? Willing? Ever tried willing when someone has a gun pointed to your head? Even with these thoughts rolling through her head, Louisa nodded as if in understanding. "Kinda like taking cough syrup." The words blurted out in a small mutter, and Louisa felt a shot of panic. With all her uneasiness, the joke had spun out as a defensive manoeuvre. Thinking fast, she acted like she’d meant it, adding a quiet childish giggle. Clearing her throat, with a feeling of embarassment coiling up inside, Louisa scribbled down a couple of notes, at the same time asking, "So, um, w-what do you think of the state th-that Normals are kept in?" |
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| Oldest_Revolution | Mar 23 2012, 04:57 AM Post #11 |
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Six of Spades
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"I preferred warm tea for sore throat myself but you have to be sure," he said, acting like he didn't think it was something defensive of any sort. Whether not he believed it was remained to be seen. Then there was a cool look in Luca’s eye when The One Subject came up. The Normals. He personally didn’t care for them, at all, and just did the job but – But that question was always a bit of a bomb in his eyes, a line even a tightrope walker would find difficult to walk through. Show too little concern and you're in trouble with the general public. Show too much concern and the Wisemen and other Elite will start to question your loyalty. “I admit – Improvements and reconsiderations of certain aspects of things must be made but they’ll have to be gradual.” Being vague but detailed. Best way to deal these situations long as he was concerned. "While we love to just do this or that right away for the citizens' leisure, we can't for the time being. There are other parts of society here in Arcadia that must be dealt with first but we keep an eye on everyone, be rest assured. No one goes unnoticed here." A small throw of shade? A we're watching everyone and we will find the certain ones we want warning? Who knows. |
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| LimeyBlue | Mar 24 2012, 02:09 PM Post #12 |
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Senior Novelist
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Silent, Louisa noted the words down. 'No-one goes unnoticed here'. The phrase made her feel just a little uncomfortable, and she thought of hidden cameras being placed around the city. That probably didn't exist, but what with the way things were going these days, who knew...? Oh great, hanging around with this guy was starting to get Louisa's nerves strung tight with paranoia. She fixed her mind on the task at hand. Think positive. They were pretty much half-way through the questions now. Not that the questions were getting any easier. "Okay, sooo according to some citizens, who w-wish to remain unnamed, th-there have been reports of Normals leaving the Slums and entering the city. Should anything b-be done about that?" Whywhywhy did some people have to open their dang mouths and blab things that didn't need to be blabbed about? Whoever they were, Louisa disliked them. Because now she had to give this question to an Elite and there was a feeling inside her that felt like hot betrayal. |
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| Oldest_Revolution | Mar 27 2012, 03:37 AM Post #13 |
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Six of Spades
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Luca stills for a second and pretends he's looking at his watch when in reality his mind if scrambling to piece, identify and categorize the new tidbit he just got. Normals were in the city? He didn't care for them but he knew some people will throw fits. He'll have to call some other Elite members later to give them a heads up. First things first: More knowledge. "I wish I can give you an answer but something is worrying me. How do I know this is a real concern or not?" No. He isn't going to just demand names or scare her to reveal more things. Not very gentleman like after all and he can tell she doesn't want to be even asking this. "Unnamed sources? Not actually the most reliable sources of information. While I would like to say I would report it to other Elites so we may handle this--" He raises a hand, suddenly smiling again but it seems... forced. "You know the story of the Boy Who Cried Wolf? I do not wish to become that boy. Normals in the city is a serious issue due to concerns and situations which is why I need to know more before saying or doing anything else. Do you have any details besides those sources? Surely you came prepared in case I asked this question." |
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| LimeyBlue | Mar 27 2012, 11:26 AM Post #14 |
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Senior Novelist
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"I--I--I." No. Louisa hadn't been prepared at all for Mr Ludwig's question. Heck, she was just relaying the questions, as far as she was concerned. His reply caught her completely off-guard, especially that comment on the Boy Who Cried Wolf. And his smile...it was forced. She could tell. In her head that smile warped into something wolfish, angry.... Louisa concentrated, tried to force herself to think straight, to give a proper answer, but she just kept hitting walls of panic. As if imitating her mind-set, her tail gave a vicious flail, and promptly smacked into her glass of water. Alarm gave way to adrenaline as Louisa grabbed at the tumbling object. She barely managed to catch it, failing to keep the contents inside. Her insides dissolved into mush, similar to the puddle of water now spreading on the floor. "I-I'm so sorry", Louisa stammered, unable to look and see Mr Ludwig's reaction. "R-Really, r-really sorry. I don't know-d-don't know wh-what happened, I-I-" She retreated, seeming to curl in on herself as her tail wrapped itself round her, almost protectively. |
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| Oldest_Revolution | Mar 29 2012, 10:00 AM Post #15 |
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Six of Spades
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That reaction wasn't what he expected. The tail hitting the glass? Expected since she was becoming increasingly agitated every second and he wasn't helping her feel better. Protectively curling into herself wasn't something he thought possible. He kept a poker face on, his bright eyes observing her closely while his mind reeled for some sort of appropriate reaction. Good Lord. He felt bad for the girl. Yes, she said a question and, yes, he had to do his job at any costs but... Did it have to be like this? He closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose and hissing in anger. Louisa might think it was aimed at her when in reality it was disgust at himself for being soft at this moment. Why does he need to feel this sympathetic to someone who could be withholding information that could help him in his job? Better question: Why does she need to remind him so much of Margaret when she was little? That could be why he's now going to back off, ever so lightly, to make sure she didn't panic and try to flee. "It's fine, meine liebe." His voice was still brisk and professional but one couldn't deny the sympathy that was there. "It's just a rug. It can dry and everything. What I need from you, however, is to please calm down and relax. You're not going to get hurt. Versprechen. But I do need to know those sources. For the sake of Arcadia. Bitte." |
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