Marguerite Blakeney is clearly beyond scruples (blazeinhereyes) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2018-09-24 20:32:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, marguerite blakeney, percy blakeney |
Who: Marguerite and Percy, plus NPC!Ex-boyfriend
What: Filling Percy in on things
When: 24 September, late afternoon
Where: Beach
Warnings: References to violence, stalking
Status: Log | Complete
Summer had come and gone, but the heat remained. Which was fine by Marguerite. Okay, she did like cooler weather but there were plenty of sundresses and skirt and top combos she could wear to combat the heat as well. Really, this was definitely an improvement over the 18th century that she could wear what she did and not die from layers upon layers and corsets and petticoats and all that nonsense.
Plus, sunset strolls along the beach. Those were really nice as well. There was so much horror in the world, things that needed to be fought that it was important to take a step back and look at the beauty as well, to look at what they were fighting for. Things to hold on to when everything was so dark and stressful or the things in the back of her mind about what had happened, what it meant for the future. And luckily her husband was easy enough to convince to go on such a stroll on the beach.
Fingers interlaced, Marguerite simply rested her head against Percy’s arm as they walked. He really did make her feel calmer and more grounded. While they could talk about anything and everything, they could also just walk in comfortable silence and be happy as well.
Sometimes Percy hated the heat, especially when he wore suits and such for work. Of course, the instant he was done with his meetings, his tie and jacket tended to come off so he could keep cool as much as possible. He also tended to like being a little more casually dressed at times. Sometimes he had a little flare like his dream self, making a big deal about some piece of fashion that had caught his eye and how it would make for an excellent undercover suit. After all, he liked going completely different than his normal manner of dress and mannerisms when undercover.
Though there were bonuses to the summer heat, such as strolls along the beach. He had his dress shirt on, but it was fully open, letting his sleeveless undershirt show. Hey, they were on the beach and he could be casual right then.
He gave Marguerite’s hand a little squeeze, a content smile on his face as they walked along. He liked these quiet moments with his wife, just enjoying each other’s company and taking in the beauty of the world. The world could be a very dark and ominous place, but there was also beauty to be found. Not everything was terrible, and sometimes it was necessary to remind himself of that.
Marguerite did appreciate Percy in a good suit. But she did also like the look when he lost the tie and jacket and went more casual. Okay so Marguerite just appreciated her husband and whatever he chose to wore. Mostly. Sometimes she had to question his fashion choices but she was used to it and went along with it.
There was something to be said for the quiet moments. They were both vivacious in their own ways but it said a lot that they could also just have these moments where nothing needed to be said and they could be calm in the quiet.
Or so the plan was. As they walked, someone accidentally ran into them and Marguerite blinked.
“Sorry, I--”
The voice was one she recognized and Marguerite looked to who it was, who seemed to realize who it was he had run into given he stopped mid-sentence and had a look of apprehension on his face which caused her to wince some. Right, breeze over it, show everything was fine.
“Matthew, it’s good to--”
“Look, it was an accident. You don’t need to tell your guard dog I saw you.”
“I told you, that wasn’t me.”
“Just tell him that or don’t even mention this. That would be better.”
Sometimes the quiet moments were nice. Given the state of the world and the general nature of Orange County, things weren’t always quiet. There was always something going on, or they both busy being their vivacious selves. But sometimes they needed a chance to simply be quiet and just enjoy each other’s company and their surroundings.
Or someone could run into them. Which at first Percy didn’t think much of. He was about to apologize when the man and Marguerite clearly knew each other. Well, this was certainly interesting. He was curious, but perhaps this wasn’t the best time to pry. Or at the very least not the best time to be how he could be, which was put on the facade.
“Is there a problem here?” Percy asked, uncertain if this would turn into an altercation, verbal or otherwise, or not. So he’d simply maintain politeness until given reason not to.
Just breathe, she needed to breathe and not let her temper get the best of her. Matthew had every right to be upset. Even if it had been four years and she hadn’t been the one to send anyone to attack him. Of course before she got to once again point out it wasn’t her, Percy spoke up. Which….hopefully he could diffuse the situation but she knew how Matthew could be. He may have been fine a few years before, less likely to lash out but who knew what would happen now.
As for the man? He looked to Percy and noticed the way he and Marguerite were standing.
“Be careful, she’s dangerous to associate with.”
Okay, so much for staying quiet. Eyes widening, Marguerite just looked to her ex.
“Excuse me?”
And she had his attention again.
“You heard me. You’re dangerous. You don’t know what you make men do.”
There was the slightest tensing of her body, her head angled just so as she let go of her husband’s arm. It was a posture anyone who knew her would recognize. She was going to lash out.
“I don’t control what men do or do not. If they think they can act out in rash ways in order to possess me, that’s on them. Not me.”
Matthew had no place to talk. He had tried to force her into a car for a drive along a windy road when she’d broken up with him and he was in no condition to drive.
“Whatever helps you sleep at night. Like I said, I don’t want any trouble so don’t tell your attack dog about me.”
With that, Matthew left. He’d warned the man he’d seen Marguerite with and didn’t want to risk that detective realizing he’d seen her.
As for Marguerite? She remained rooted, trembling only slightly from anger, and even a bit of fear that Paul was nearby and could lash out at Percy as well. But mostly she was livid. St. Cyr had blamed her for his son’s stalking and suicide. Now this.
Dangerous to associate with? Percy was initially slightly flabbergasted by that. Marguerite was not dangerous to associate with unless you got on her bad side. But she certainly didn’t make men do anything. Clearly there was quite some intense history here, and Percy couldn’t help but be reminded of Chauvelin.
And then he saw that posture, and knew Marguerite was ready to lash out. He wasn’t precisely going to stop her unless things started going too far, or if the other man was going to get physical. That was when he’d physically get involved. But as it was, the man walked away before anything escalated to physical violence. Percy was inwardly relieved about that. But as he turned his attention back to his wife, she was clearly still extremely upset.
“I am uncertain what all that was about, but I am relieved things didn’t escalate.” Oh Percy had some guesses what the man was referring to. Based both on knowledge from the dreams and knowledge of things that had happened in this life. But he wasn’t going to assume anything. He’d let Marguerite talk if she wanted to.
Letting out a slow breath, Marguerite counted silently to ten in her head before turning her attention to Percy who...was rightly confused. While he knew about some things about what had happened, it wasn’t like she went into detail about her ex boyfriends, so everything with Matthew was….. Well it was a mess.
“Which they could have.”
Sighing, the actress shook her head.
“I never told you about Armand’s misguided attempt of protecting me a few years ago, did I?”
Because love her brother as she did, if he hadn’t gone to Paul about his concerns, Matthew never would have ended up in the hospital. Oh she didn’t know what would have happened and it was good to know for certain what sort of man the vice detective was, but that whole thing? That wouldn’t have happened at least.
He was patient, waiting as she calmed down before she said anything. Percy didn’t know details about her ex-boyfriends, it wasn’t any of his business, after all. If she wanted, or needed, to tell him things from past relationships, she would. He would never pry. Clearly this was a case of a blast from the past, and his wife needed some moments to collect herself.
“No, I do not believe you did. Though it doesn’t precisely surprise me that Armand would do something like that.” He knew her brother enough to know that he’d do anything to protect his sister. And vice versa.
So Percy let Marguerite talk at her own pace. Though from what she’d just said, clearly things could have gotten a lot worse had Matthew not left when he did. At least he’d seemed to exercise the better part of valor in that respect.
Marguerite was thankful that Percy was being patient with her. It wasn’t all that surprising, he knew her so well that it could be scary if she thought about it. To be able to see through her defenses, to read her moods in the slightest tilt of her head. True she could do the same for him but it still could be strange even as she was used to it.
“Armand should have left well enough alone and trusted me when I said that there was nothing to be worried about.”
Okay so perhaps she was still a bit upset with her brother about what had happened. No, not really. She understood his concern, and they had long since made up despite weeks of not talking after what had happened because things had been said that couldn’t be unsaid such as when she’d been kicked out of his apartment. But it still bothered her that Armand didn’t think she would have said something if things got to be too much. So she hadn’t told him about the dying thing, that had been resolved and there was no need to worry him about something that had happened but been resolved.
Shaking her head some, Marguerite focused on the past and not on her frustration and anger at her brother going behind her back when she told him things were fine. At least for the time being.
“Matthew, the man we just ran into…. He and I used to date in high school. It was very...intense. I ended things when I saw it getting to a point of being dangerous and he didn’t exactly take it well. But we graduated, went on to college and fell out of touch. After I returned to Orange County to look after our foster mother and then settle her estate, I started to casually see a vice detective, Paul Michals. I also started to dream and started to notice certain...similarities between him and Chauvelin that made me uneasy so I had started to pull away. I wasn’t positive if it was him, but I wasn’t positive that it wasn’t him either.”
Sighing, the actress moved to run her fingers through her hair only to remember she had it up in a bun because of the heat.
“Well, one night I ran into Matthew, we got to talking, things were fine. Drinks were had, a one night stand… Probably not one of my better choices,” The perils of live your life as if each day is your last, “Anyway, we would talk. I guess Armand ran into him one day and felt uncomfortable. I honestly don’t know. He asked me about it, I told him that it was fine, that we were friends and I hadn’t noticed anything. Armand then goes to Paul and asked him if there was anything he could do. Well. Paul put Matthew in the hospital and told him to stay away from me. When I went to confront him, he had just...vanished. I don’t know if he went undercover for work or what.”
Shoulders slumping, Marguerite shook her head. She knew that Armand had just wanted to protect her, and knew that he was right that things could have escalated but he hadn’t trusted her. And then Paul just went and put a man in the hospital. And she still didn’t know where he was. She had just stopped looking over her shoulder and worrying about her choices leading him to attacking her brother. Now though… Now she had no idea what to think.
They both could certainly read each other well, and Percy was more than willing to be patient and wait for her to talk. It clearly wasn’t easy for her to talk about, and it brought up a bunch of emotions that she was trying to deal with at the same time.
As she spoke, he listened without interrupting, letting her give him a fuller picture. Well, at least Armand hadn’t beaten the man up himself. That might’ve gone over even worse as far as Marguerite was concerned. Though even with that, it was still bad that Armand had done that. Yet Percy knew it was within Armand’s capability to do something like that to protect his sister. Even if Marguerite had said everything was fine, Armand tended to be impetuous where his sister was concerned. And the same could be said of Marguerite regarding Armand at times.
“To make an understatement, it was clearly a mess. Did you go to see Matthew in the hospital?” For the moment, he wouldn’t ask about Armand. That was probably a little more of a hot button than asking about Matthew.
Marguerite well knew that there were things she would do for her brother if it came down to it. When it came to Armand (and Percy), she was beyond scruples. That didn’t give her brother the right to completely ignore her wishes and decide she wasn’t telling him something and taking matters into his own hands. For all his claims that she kept things from him (which okay some things she didn’t mention because she saw no point in it) Armand was just as guilty of that with her.
“Clearly. And I did, when I got the call. That’s how I know what happened. And then after that, I hadn’t seen him until just now.”
And he clearly hadn’t forgotten the warning to stay away from her. She refused to take the blame for Paul’s actions, those were on him alone, but it did sting. Yet another man’s actions she was blamed for because of her evil feminine wiles or some other nonsense.
Sometimes things were kept from others for good reasons. Other times, not so much. But Percy could understand where Armand was coming from in how he took matters into his own hands. Percy well knew he might do the same if he’d been in Armand’s position and thought Marguerite was being hurt. But generally, he tried to be level-headed about things and be objective. It was just extremely difficult to do sometimes where his wife was concerned.
“I am sorry that things turned out that way. You all deserved a less violent resolution.” Percy wasn’t going to comment on Armand acting on impulse to protect his sister. It was a double-edged sword that he didn’t feel like walking the edge of right then.
Besides, what had happened was between Armand, Marguerite and Matthew. He wasn’t one to sit and judge their actions.
It really was a double edged sword to walk and not one that would be handled well in that particular instance. Usually Marguerite could handle the fact that Armand would act on impulse to protect her given her own impulsive behavior when it came to protecting those she loved. But right now with everything brought up to the surface in the way it had been? In what it had dredged up from the courthouse and St.Cyr….. this was definitely not the time.
“And yet, here we are. I still don’t know if Paul was actually Chauvelin or not. I suppose it doesn’t matter so long as he remains away. But even that I was never certain of.”
But there hadn’t been any threats against Percy so she had to believe that Paul had gone into hiding or left and wouldn’t be a problem. Or she had but now the worry would return.
There were times when Percy needed to say something regardless of how Marguerite would take it. But this was not one of those situations. He’d simply let that part of it be. Besides, there were other things he could comment on that wouldn’t cause his wife to bristle.
“I suppose one could consider that a blessing in disguise.” If he was actually Chauvelin, he would have some sort of presence on the Valarnet. Being on Valarnet and dreaming of another life went hand-in-hand, it seemed.
“At least for the time being, no one outside of Orange County crazy is targeting us. So there is that, for what it may be worth.” It didn’t mean that Paul wouldn’t try something, or that he wasn’t Chauvelin. It just meant that right now? Things were okay.
A blessing in disguise? Marguerite quirked a brow at her husband but said nothing. Which wasn’t always an easy thing for her as she often had opinions on basically everything. But right now, she was just trying to decompress from what had happened.
Still, Percy did have a point. Besides Orange County and the fact it was Orange County, things were quiet for them. There was work and the starting up of Moulin Rouge rehearsals, but nothing overtly stressful. So she just laced her arm through Percy’s and nodded.
“Yes, this is very true. I’ll take Orange County strangeness over all of...that… any day. Especially since I have you.”