Post by Christian Moynahan on Jan 3, 2014 17:06:46 GMT -5
Maurelle's phone rings.
Maurelle answers her phone: Hello Mister Moynahan
Christian: Good evening, Mademoiselle Lacroix.
To what do I owe this call?
It's simply a greeting.
And how are you?
I'm well enough. And you?
I’m fair.
Only fair?
Only fair.
What troubles you?
Quite a many things, most of which I can attribute to you.
I apologize.
Apologies do not reclaim lives lost or buildings razed.
I am aware of that and I'm doing the best I can. I've already secured Los Angeles.
If you would have listened and not let your bruised ego do your thinking, nothing would have to be secured. You were short sighted.
Did you see the complacency around you, Mademoiselle? Did you see the incompetence of our government? Something needed to change. I promised a war, and wars can be violent. What we are doing now is staunching the blood flow.
And what do you gain when you win? A new power built on corpses and empowered to take down the seat of authority whenever they feel like it.
When I win? It's the people who stand to win from this. When the government recovers from this, they will know that there will be zero tolerance for anything less than transparency for their citizens. This has never been about me. I was the catalyst, and not the beneficiary.
So the people win when they slaughter one another? I can see just how well this is going to go.
-sighs softly- Consider this a civil war.
I hardly consider going into peoples homes and slaughtering them while they cower a civil war. What you have unleashed is chaos, not some righteous cause. The people and the nation will burn and you will be the hero among the ashes.
Then you have never seen a war. -pauses; he is pinching the bridge of his nose- I never intended to be a hero. If I must be, then so be it. But that was not my plan.
Very funny how plans change the way you do not desire them to.
Then you really think I'm going to be a hero? Some kind of visionary?
No, I don't. I see nothing but despair and defeat, no one emerges from this as a winner.
-long silence- Then it's been a waste.
Yes, yes it has. A waste of life and effort, some of it years in the making.
-there is a soft *poof*; he has fallen backwards onto his bed- All I wanted was a change.
Change does not come easy, nor does it come quick.
Is this why you ignored me New Year's night?
Yes.
You don't care, do you?
You will be have to be more specific than that if you want a truthful answer.
I nearly died that night. I probably did die.
I did not even read your messages most of the time that night. I was angry, I was livid, I still am. I did not even know that you were ill and when you asked for me later, it seemed like nothing but an attempt to manipulate me into doing what you wanted. I am sorry that you were injured and concerned about your well being.
If you were and are still livid, you should have talked to me about it. It shouldn't have taken a phone call from me to make that happen. But it's those damn walls you put up around yourself to keep anything from slipping out.
I told you how I felt about going public at the meeting, we all told you how we felt, and you did it anyhow.
That is not the same. The others disapprove. They haven't ignored me completely.
The others do not have the gall to tell it how it is. They do not risk disfavor or being looked down upon
I did not see Lucius there the night before the trial, I did not see Gabriel or Dakari either. It was me who made sure you were fit to stand trial, that you did not sink inside yourself. Is that the action of someone who does not care, of someone who is not invested in your well being? Especially when I knew that in the next few days you would be damning me and all the work I've done over the past three years? And what of Christmas? Is that something you expect from just a business visit? Short sighted once more.
-in a dry tone- All right, then we've established that you do care to an extent. Excellent.
So it seems.
Is that all? Is that really all?
You tell me, you're the the expert on reading people.
In this case, my reading is biased. As I mentioned before, your interest in me began not when I explained my ideas for how to manage your problem, but slightly after that, when you realized you had found an equal. That was the first visit and I am only able to pick up that much from it at the moment. We can dispense with the Angelis meeting, because we hardly addressed each other and you could hardly have known that I would be present. Christmas Eve, you brought me two gifts that reflected conversations we'd had on the IntelliTouch chatroom, which reflects that you remember more of what I say than you might have me believe. You also brought me two excellent wines with which to begin my collection, harkening back to a comment I made at our first meeting regarding my wine collection. Your reaction to my gift reflected that you saw my effort and perhaps my craftsmanship in it. In sum, you not only think more highly of me than of others, you hold me above most others in your circle. I would dare to say that you admire me. But again, my reading is biased.
(All of that was spoken very quickly, as well.)
Admire is a very strong word. I could, if I so choose, rip apart your readings of me, but that would lead us right back to where we began. I think highly of you, when you actually think about your plans and appreciate when effort has been made to accomplish a goal. How much more, well that remains to be seen.
-spoken softly, in barely a murmur- I open mine and you shut yours.
You mistake me at every corner. You see a door shut when it is left open. What makes you so blind when it comes to women?
Who says it's all women? You confound me, Maurelle. I don't know what to think of you.
Then perhaps you're asking the wrong questions.
Then what should I be asking?
The questions you want answers to perhaps. That's usually a good place to start.
-chuckles softly- I'm not going to ask that one yet. I already know what the answer will be. If I make it through this, I'll ask you then.
If you're where I think you are, you're in good hands. She may be a lunatic but that doesn't detract from being a good doctor.
Yes. I'll probably be home by this evening.
Mind the ceilings.
The ceilings? Even I'm not that tall.
*soft chuckling*
I don't trust that chuckle.
I wouldn't either in your position.
*chuckles softly*
If I'm going to concuss again, I appreciate the warning.
Good night Christian.
There's one more thing.
Yes?
We spoke of how my actions spurred these events. It's my mess to clean, and I'm going to fix it. I hope it will work, at least partly.
There is going to be a concentrated attack on Capitol Hill. I'm going to stop it.
Gabriel Constant has a sealed letter for you, and is under strict orders not to open it. He will deliver it to you if I don't make it.
That's all.
I see. *slight pause* Good luck.
Thank you. Good night, Maurelle.
Good night Christian.
Maurelle answers her phone: Hello Mister Moynahan
Christian: Good evening, Mademoiselle Lacroix.
To what do I owe this call?
It's simply a greeting.
And how are you?
I'm well enough. And you?
I’m fair.
Only fair?
Only fair.
What troubles you?
Quite a many things, most of which I can attribute to you.
I apologize.
Apologies do not reclaim lives lost or buildings razed.
I am aware of that and I'm doing the best I can. I've already secured Los Angeles.
If you would have listened and not let your bruised ego do your thinking, nothing would have to be secured. You were short sighted.
Did you see the complacency around you, Mademoiselle? Did you see the incompetence of our government? Something needed to change. I promised a war, and wars can be violent. What we are doing now is staunching the blood flow.
And what do you gain when you win? A new power built on corpses and empowered to take down the seat of authority whenever they feel like it.
When I win? It's the people who stand to win from this. When the government recovers from this, they will know that there will be zero tolerance for anything less than transparency for their citizens. This has never been about me. I was the catalyst, and not the beneficiary.
So the people win when they slaughter one another? I can see just how well this is going to go.
-sighs softly- Consider this a civil war.
I hardly consider going into peoples homes and slaughtering them while they cower a civil war. What you have unleashed is chaos, not some righteous cause. The people and the nation will burn and you will be the hero among the ashes.
Then you have never seen a war. -pauses; he is pinching the bridge of his nose- I never intended to be a hero. If I must be, then so be it. But that was not my plan.
Very funny how plans change the way you do not desire them to.
Then you really think I'm going to be a hero? Some kind of visionary?
No, I don't. I see nothing but despair and defeat, no one emerges from this as a winner.
-long silence- Then it's been a waste.
Yes, yes it has. A waste of life and effort, some of it years in the making.
-there is a soft *poof*; he has fallen backwards onto his bed- All I wanted was a change.
Change does not come easy, nor does it come quick.
Is this why you ignored me New Year's night?
Yes.
You don't care, do you?
You will be have to be more specific than that if you want a truthful answer.
I nearly died that night. I probably did die.
I did not even read your messages most of the time that night. I was angry, I was livid, I still am. I did not even know that you were ill and when you asked for me later, it seemed like nothing but an attempt to manipulate me into doing what you wanted. I am sorry that you were injured and concerned about your well being.
If you were and are still livid, you should have talked to me about it. It shouldn't have taken a phone call from me to make that happen. But it's those damn walls you put up around yourself to keep anything from slipping out.
I told you how I felt about going public at the meeting, we all told you how we felt, and you did it anyhow.
That is not the same. The others disapprove. They haven't ignored me completely.
The others do not have the gall to tell it how it is. They do not risk disfavor or being looked down upon
I did not see Lucius there the night before the trial, I did not see Gabriel or Dakari either. It was me who made sure you were fit to stand trial, that you did not sink inside yourself. Is that the action of someone who does not care, of someone who is not invested in your well being? Especially when I knew that in the next few days you would be damning me and all the work I've done over the past three years? And what of Christmas? Is that something you expect from just a business visit? Short sighted once more.
-in a dry tone- All right, then we've established that you do care to an extent. Excellent.
So it seems.
Is that all? Is that really all?
You tell me, you're the the expert on reading people.
In this case, my reading is biased. As I mentioned before, your interest in me began not when I explained my ideas for how to manage your problem, but slightly after that, when you realized you had found an equal. That was the first visit and I am only able to pick up that much from it at the moment. We can dispense with the Angelis meeting, because we hardly addressed each other and you could hardly have known that I would be present. Christmas Eve, you brought me two gifts that reflected conversations we'd had on the IntelliTouch chatroom, which reflects that you remember more of what I say than you might have me believe. You also brought me two excellent wines with which to begin my collection, harkening back to a comment I made at our first meeting regarding my wine collection. Your reaction to my gift reflected that you saw my effort and perhaps my craftsmanship in it. In sum, you not only think more highly of me than of others, you hold me above most others in your circle. I would dare to say that you admire me. But again, my reading is biased.
(All of that was spoken very quickly, as well.)
Admire is a very strong word. I could, if I so choose, rip apart your readings of me, but that would lead us right back to where we began. I think highly of you, when you actually think about your plans and appreciate when effort has been made to accomplish a goal. How much more, well that remains to be seen.
-spoken softly, in barely a murmur- I open mine and you shut yours.
You mistake me at every corner. You see a door shut when it is left open. What makes you so blind when it comes to women?
Who says it's all women? You confound me, Maurelle. I don't know what to think of you.
Then perhaps you're asking the wrong questions.
Then what should I be asking?
The questions you want answers to perhaps. That's usually a good place to start.
-chuckles softly- I'm not going to ask that one yet. I already know what the answer will be. If I make it through this, I'll ask you then.
If you're where I think you are, you're in good hands. She may be a lunatic but that doesn't detract from being a good doctor.
Yes. I'll probably be home by this evening.
Mind the ceilings.
The ceilings? Even I'm not that tall.
*soft chuckling*
I don't trust that chuckle.
I wouldn't either in your position.
*chuckles softly*
If I'm going to concuss again, I appreciate the warning.
Good night Christian.
There's one more thing.
Yes?
We spoke of how my actions spurred these events. It's my mess to clean, and I'm going to fix it. I hope it will work, at least partly.
There is going to be a concentrated attack on Capitol Hill. I'm going to stop it.
Gabriel Constant has a sealed letter for you, and is under strict orders not to open it. He will deliver it to you if I don't make it.
That's all.
I see. *slight pause* Good luck.
Thank you. Good night, Maurelle.
Good night Christian.
