InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Toot!"

lotte karsten {christine daaé} (still_lotte) wrote in bellumlogs,
@ 2010-05-05 18:31:00

Entry tags:

christine daaé, phantom of the opera

Who: Lotte and Bran
What: Neighborhood Watch
Where: Around the building
When: 2:40 A.M. Tonight-ish-tomorrow-morning
Warnings: TBD (There’ll be something, surely.)
Notes: Luther's schedule was posted time-line wise, before this.

Lotte had been somewhat surprised that she’d been assigned to the watch so early. When she volunteered she thought she had a while to get used to the idea – a week maybe, until it was her turn. Instead she had the third one assigned with someone she’d never met. The idea of that was almost enough to make her rethink the decision.

Not that she really knew what the man in 1106 was like. She had the suspicion he was nice in fact – after all, he’d taken her tapes when she’d gotten rid of them a month ago. There hadn’t been any complaints about the noise in her apartment either which was good, considering. She knew she there were the stray occasions when she’d begged the voice to stop and her voice had gotten absurdly loud.

She headed to the couch early, setting the alarm on her phone as to not bother James in case she came back early. (In the same move, she put Micah and Cole’s number on speed-dial. She didn’t want to waste time trying to dial it, in case something happened.) Even so, two thirty had her tired and regretting her decision. She didn’t even bother to change out of her pajamas, simply throwing a gray sweatshirt over her top. It was zipped up to her chin and she pulled her hair into a ponytail at her neck. Sockless feet were shoved into sneakers, before she headed out.

A note was left for James, explaining the watch and she’d be back around six, and Lotte grabbed her flash light. The cell phone was safe in her sweatshirt pocket and she went down to the lobby. She had to restrain herself from turning lights on as she walked down, keeping her flashlight up (absurdly high) until she got to the bottom of the stairs. Anxiously, she edged into the room, far away from the door to the basement and catacombs, calling out if anyone was there.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-06 05:05 am UTC (link)

Bran had regretted volunteering for that stupid Neighborhood Watch about five minutes after he'd done it, and it had been a primarily impulsive decision based on annoyance and frustration. He really didn't give a damn about anyone in the building except Lotte, and he knew one of the people they were watching for was the man who'd tortured Ella - him.

Luckily enough, no one knew enough to associate Ella's torture with the man in 1106 named Trevor. They might have suspected Erik now, particularly because of the effect his voice had upon the vines, but no one knew he was Erik yet either. If he played his cards right, no one would have to know for quite a while. Now was the time to become Trevor, who was not Erik or Bran, but instead was a regular friendly guy just trying to help out in a situation he didn't fully understand.

Once he saw that he would be on watch with Lotte, however, he stopped regretting his decision. This was his chance to get to know her as a normal person, when she wouldn't be afraid of him or trying to placate him with reassurances and lies. By the time he left his apartment, clad in a plain blue shirt and jeans, the scars on the left side of his face were practically invisible. The only way she would have known that there was something not quite right compared to the right side of his face was if she stood very close and stared. Since he doubted she would be doing that, there was no reason at all for her to think he had any kind of disfigurement. His shirt hid the ones on his arm and chest perfectly, so he didn't even need to worry about that.

He grabbed a small flashlight, a cell phone, and at the last moment shoved a small retractable knife into his pocket. The likelihood of anything happening was slim, but he wanted to be prepared just in case. As he made his way down to the lobby, he prepared himself for the act he was about to put on. Bran wasn't sociable or friendly by any means, but he was skilled in the art of imitation. All he had to do was take what he'd observed and imitate it, resulting in Trevor Collins, a nice guy. He was halfway down the last set of stairs when he heard Lotte's voice cautiously call out, and he was careful to move into the lobby slowly so he didn't surprise her. "Hi. 1206, right?" His voice was a safe medium between the gruff one he'd used in the catacombs and his usual one, which Ella had the privilege to hear. It was normal, bland, and unassuming; a rather forgettable voice overall. "I'm Trevor - we've talked over the forums a few times." He smiled a very un-Bran like smile, extending a polite hand.

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still_lotte
2010-05-06 05:19 am UTC (link)

She’d been a few steps into the room when she heard him behind her. Instinctively she compared his voice to the ones she’d heard in the catacombs – Erik and the man who had been his. It didn’t match her memory, something she trusted even while a bit sleepy, and she gave a little sigh of relief as she turned towards him. The light from her flashlight went on him, though after a brief moment it moved from his face to his floor. She didn’t want to blind her watch partner after all.

“Lotte in 1206,” she said, a shaky smile on her face. She took his hand, intending to give him a firm, professional handshake like she’d been taught at the ballet. (It was always a standard procedure before giving tours.) “I think you took those tapes off of my hands, awhile back, right?”

Of course it hadn’t done anything – she still heard things afterwards. Lotte frowned for a moment before shaking her head. “It’s good to meet you though – it’s silly how we everyone talks on the forums and hardly meet face to face…” With a nervous laugh, she pulled her hand from his.

“So…do we just wait down here or do we keep moving for the three hours?” Apologetically she added, “I really haven’t done anything like this before, but Micah said all I had to do was call if I saw something…”

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lemortvivant
2010-05-06 06:11 am UTC (link)

He waited with his breath held to see whether Lotte would express any sort of recognition, but as the seconds ticked by and there was nothing but a barely audible sigh, he knew that he'd been convincing enough to avoid detection. His exhale of breath was silent, but he was quite pleased with himself. "That's right - I did. Thanks again for those. I never ended up getting rid of my tape player, but I knew it wouldn't turn out to be completely useless." His handshake was measured, even though he couldn't help but recall the way he - Erik - had gripped her hand the last time they'd encountered one another.

"It's good to meet you too. I know that's what everyone says over the forums, but it doesn't really count until it's in person, does it?" He let their hands slip apart easily, pulling his own flashlight from where it was stuck in his back pocket and absently shining it around the lobby.

That, Bran decided, was a very good question. He hadn't really thought about what this stupid watch would entail. It didn't make sense to just stay in the lobby the whole time, since things could happen on any one of the other fourteen floors in the next few hours. He found himself thinking that he didn't care, but he had to pretend he did, at least. "I think we should probably keep moving. We might miss something if we just stay down here." He tried to smile reassuringly, even though it wasn't very visible in the lack of light. "You don't mind that, do you?"

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still_lotte
2010-05-06 12:52 pm UTC (link)

Lotte shook her head, folding her arms across her chest. It wasn’t precisely cold down there, but compared to James’ couch while being rolled in extra blankets she was in danger of shivering. (And she didn’t want him to think she was too scared after all.) “No, thank you. I’m glad someone could take them – especially that they’re in good hands.” A very small part of her regretted it – some of those tapes had been gifts from her father and she still heard things. But there wasn’t a way to say that politely, was there?

Her eyes followed the flashlight’s beam and she nodded. “I think half of the building’s problems could be solved if we weren’t always on those forums…” She looked back, smiling slightly. “It would at least be less confusing.”

“Because it’s not just about what comes in, right?” Lotte asked, not really expecting an answer. She let her arms unfold and she shined her flashlight about the room, pausing perhaps a little too long over the stairs to the catacombs and the bulletin board. “And if we keep moving, we’ll keep awake.” Being caught asleep on her watch would only lead to embarrassment. She caught his smile and tried to not look too sheepishly back. “Not that I’m saying you’ll have trouble – I’m just used to being asleep during these hours.” She bit her lip, before moving towards the stairs. Up was a very good direction.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-06 08:15 pm UTC (link)

Some of the tapes had been listened to more than others - the ones with children's songs had been left in a closet or under the bed or somewhere like that - but their main appeal came from the fact that they had once been Lotte's rather than the songs on them. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of them." Bran wondered why she'd given them away in the first place, since she could have just thrown them away if she didn't care about them anymore.

He found the forums extremely useful, but he wasn't about to say that or elaborate on why. "At least it seems like those anonymous posts are gone. We haven't had one in a while, have we?" He didn't exactly keep track, but it had seemed like longer than usual. It was a pity, really - those were particularly helpful to someone like him.

Bran shook his head but didn't reply, since he was fairly certain the whole point of this watch was to keep an eye on the dangers within the building rather than ones on the outside. "I'm not exactly used to being awake this late, or early, either." A lie, since his sleep schedule was far from typical, but she didn't need to know that. "Hopefully the three or so cups of coffee I downed before leaving will help with that." The last place he wanted to go right now was down, and he was more than willing to start on the first floor and work their way up. Up worked just fine for him. It was silent as they ascended the stairs, since near everyone was probably asleep right now. He doubted anything would happen - it was risky, trying anything when there were potential witnesses around.

"I noticed quite a few people signed up for this," he commented after a brief pause. "It's nice to know that some people care, and that not everyone here is... well, completely indifferent."

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still_lotte
2010-05-06 08:36 pm UTC (link)

She gave him a small smile of thanks, keeping up the stairs See? He must have been enjoying them – asking for them back would just be awkward. It wasn’t as if she listened that often either; they’d been more of a security blanket. As much of a security blanket could be stuffed under her bed. She gave a little sigh, not saying anything else on that subject.

“No, we haven’t,” Lotte agreed, mind going to the fact that one couldn’t even be anonymous on the forums anymore. A major problem, when it came to this fable business. “Which is good, because they really were awful. Everyone was just out of control and attacking each other.” She’d barely looked at the last one, but there’d been threats and…Lotte shook her head, aiming her flashlight down the second floor hallway. “People need to realize we should be helping each other, not making this worse.” She tentatively stepped into the hallway, unsure if walking the whole thing was necessary. “I guess this watch is like that though.”

She had to cover her mouth, to prevent her giggle from escaping. Waking the residents on the second floor would be a bad idea, she decided. “You’re better prepared than me then. I just got up and came over. Next time, I’ll have tea-” If it was just wandering like this, she could do this, she thought. Not every night, because she’d probably be exhausted during dance tomorrow… “I might ask whoever made the schedule for an earlier shift,” she said thoughtfully. “Unless they really can’t get people for this time.”

Turning back towards him, she nodded “It’s a good way to know who’s safe. If there were people to worry about, I guess they’d be quiet.” With a firm nod of her head, Lotte added, “And we can all feel safer for later. They’re going to keep doing this on the Full Moon, right?” She wasn’t sure how well that would work with people’s fables but…she had to be hopeful. There had to be some people who were less incapacitated during the moon.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-07 05:10 am UTC (link)

He nodded in understanding, finding it almost amusing that he didn't even have to lie about being more of a spectator than an active participant. None of the anonymous threats had come from him, and yet now everyone believed he was either The anonymous poster or acting on their orders. Well, not him specifically, but in a manner of speaking. "In all honesty, I can't say I've never read them, but they're so out of control it's hard to follow. There's a lot of mention of people I don't know, though, so I usually don't pay too much attention to what's said. Maybe without them, things will calm down a little. This watch is a good start, I guess." It was slightly disappointing that his main source of information was gone, but he would make do in other ways. The e-mails he'd been getting from 1002 and that other person were amusing at best and tiresome at worst, but it was a way to learn about the people who might be searching for him.

Suppressing a yawn, he shone his flashlight down the hallway, satisfied that there was no one sulking in the corners or using the darkness as a cover. He hadn't expected any less, but he had to make an effort. "You seem to be fairly awake to me." It was easier than he thought it would be, considering he hadn't had a proper conversation in at least a year. This was like practice in a sense, a sort of test to see how well both his observation skills and imitation skills were. So far, he thought he was doing quite well. "There's an 8pm shift, isn't there? That one isn't too bad, and it's done before 11:30."

Bran couldn't help but smile, wishing he could laugh without it seeming too out of place. "Exactly." He'd had the same thought, which was why he was here. Who in their right mind would volunteer for such a thing if they had something to hide, right? Sometimes he was glad for the ignorance of humanity. "I think they're going to try. It would still work, wouldn't it?" He decided to feign ignorance for now, instead of trying to lie about his fable. "It's kind of embarrassing, but I slept through the last one." He made himself sound faintly sheepish, adding a shrug. "My dreams were kind of strange, though. I think there was a castle or something, but... I'm not too sure. Is it true, what they say on the forums? Do people really change?"

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still_lotte
2010-05-07 05:23 am UTC (link)

She didn’t go more than a few steps down the hall, before turning back to head up to the next level. Keeping moving helped, as well as chatting with him. There really weren’t words for how relieved she was that Trevor was nice – telling him that though, might come off as strange though. (It wasn’t like she needed another near-stranger to think she was crazy.) “I think so,” Lotte said. “I bet we’re prepared more and this way there won’t be anything strange…” Her mind went to what Evie said about Nick and the hints she’d gotten from Ella, before she shook her head. There probably wasn’t a reason to worry about that.

“I do?” She asked, a bit surprised. She shrugged, moving to climb up the stairs, asking, “If I fall asleep or start to sleepwalk, feel free to poke me.” The smile she sent was only partially teasing. “It is three hours after all…” At the mention of the shift, she nodded. “I think so? I didn’t pick this one though – Micah or somebody else must have made the schedule…I just put my name down.”

Lotte frowned, at his question. “I hope it does. I think we need it even more then, than now…” Looking at him for a moment she couldn’t help but think there was an awful amount of castles in fairy tales, which probably didn’t help at all. Still, she said gently, as if warning any other new resident to the building, “It is real though. Not everyone seems to keep their body – there’s a wolf and a lion…a vampire…” She didn’t pay too much attention to know if there was more, only piecing together what she did. “I think some people just think differently, gaining the new memories.”

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lemortvivant
2010-05-07 06:40 am UTC (link)

Oh, he had a very strong feeling that there would always be something strange in this building, aside from the fact that people could become characters who weren't supposed to ever have actual bodies on the mere rising of the moon. Still, he knew that Lotte wasn't the sort of person who could face the prospect of murderers and people being horribly tortured with any sense of calm. He really didn't understand why that Ella woman was still staying with R1 - he knew she wasn't in her own apartment because he'd gone by a couple weeks ago, so where else would she be? - since he hadn't killed her. All he'd done was give her a warning she wouldn't soon forget - and she was still alive, after all.

"I've never actually seen someone fall asleep standing up or sleepwalk, but if you start to do either, I'll remember that you gave me permission to poke you." He faltered for only the briefest of moments, the concept of teasing almost completely foreign to him, but he smoothly covered any uncertainty with a smile that matched hers. "Well, I'm sure Micah or whoever made up the schedule wouldn't mind giving you the earlier shifts." Oh Micah and his ideas - they were going to get him into trouble one day, Bran knew; with someone else if not himself.

He was careful to retain that innocent oblivion of someone who hadn't experienced the transformation, raising his eyebrows at the mention of the vampire. "Wolves, lions, and vampires... really? No wonder people were so worried about it." He didn't ask her what her fable was, although she would probably assume it was out of politeness instead of anything else. She hadn't come right out and asked him what his was, after all. "I'll have to make a mental note to stay awake during the next full moon. At least knowing who I'm supposed to be might help me prepare," he said thoughtfully, beginning to climb the stairs to the next floor.

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still_lotte
2010-05-07 03:09 pm UTC (link)

Lotte had to fight the urge to ask that he hadn’t. In the few houses she’d been shuffled through before being sent to Valerie, there’d been kids with problems – sleep-walking had been one of the easier things to deal with from the other kids. It wasn’t that rare either, in her mind – she’d used it as an excuse when chasing the voices out of bed once. She smiled back at him though, simply nodding. “He seems nice enough.” And he had a reliable fable too – she’d never read or about Watson hurting anyone.

“You know yours?” Lotte asked, confused “I thought you just said there was a castle…” She trailed off, suddenly embarrassed. Shaking her head, she looked away and shone her light down the next hall-way. “Sorry, I get nervous about these things-” Not seeing anything, she awkwardly inspected her flashlight. “I mean, if you just meant knowing about the change – I’m writing a note to myself next time. It was too confusing to not understand why I was suddenly here versus somewhere else…”

She realized she was babbling and looked up with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I can shut up if you need me to.” Making assumption really wasn’t a good thing, nor was rambling.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-07 06:06 pm UTC (link)

Nice was such a general term, one that people threw around almost as if it were nothing. So many people were nice, but did it really mean anything? After all, when someone was arrested for murder or something society found abhorrent, the first thing the neighbors said was 'Oh, he always seemed like such a nice man!' As if it really counted for anything. Still, he nodded his silent agreement, because Micah was nice enough.

Bran tilted his head to the side, feigning confusion. "No... oh, I'm sorry. I just meant that if I stayed awake during the next full moon, then I would change or get new memories or whatever it is that happens, which means I would know what fable I am. I guess that wouldn't help me prepare for that particular night, but it would for the ones that come after." He'd finally finished the book, but even so he didn't quite understand why Erik made Lotte so nervous. Yes, he killed people, but they did have a fair chance to save themselves - in his opinion, at least. Erik hadn't hurt Christine, after all; and he never would have gotten so angry if she hadn't betrayed him with Raoul. The ending of the book was still something he couldn't quite figure out, and it frustrated him a great deal.

"Leaving a note is a good idea too, actually. Thanks." He smiled and shook his head to show that he didn't mind her rambling in the least - which, in all honesty, he really didn't. "Don't apologize. I don't mind at all."

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still_lotte
2010-05-07 06:23 pm UTC (link)

“I got it wrong then,” Lotte said, still sheepish. Satisfied with her flashlight’s working properly, she moved to head up the stairs again. It was starting to set into a pattern, climbing, looking, and beginning again. She kept looking to him, rather than where she was going simply to have something to keep an eye on and keep track of.

“You should be careful if you do stay awake, though,” she advised. “There really are dangerous people out there. Do you know anyone in the building well enough that you can stay with them?” It was her plan and a good one, in her opinion. Not only to keep herself safe but James and Meg too. “And with a safe fable, obviously.” She looked to him, guessing roughly that with a castle he had to be a fairytale. There were at least people who were princes – so maybe he was another one? He definitely was being nice enough to be one.

There was a grateful smile, though she was silent for a few minutes afterwards. The knowledge that he didn’t mind her talking seemed to cause the opposite effect and she felt uneasy. It didn’t help when the light in her flashlight went out, leaving her with his light. She stopped in her climbing, biting her lip as she shook the flashlight. The batteries clanked inside but otherwise there was nothing.

“I knew I should have changed those batteries.”

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lemortvivant
2010-05-07 08:06 pm UTC (link)

He wasn't really looking, not as much as he should have been, but the point was that it appeared as though he was. Nothing was going to happen now that people knew about this watch, and his flashlight illuminated nothing but empty hallways and staircases. They were the only two people out of their apartments, he guessed.

Bran tilted his head to the side as though he were running through a mental list of people he could stay with, when in truth there was absolutely no one he could think of even if he had wanted to. "There are a few people who might be willing to let me stay with them, but really, I wouldn't want to intrude. Locking my doors and staying inside should be enough, as long as no one tries to break down the door or anything." Didn't the Big Bad Wolf do that in one fairytale or another?

Usually he was far more comfortable with silence than he was with conversation, but for some reason it was different tonight. He knew he was probably being far too paranoid, but he didn't want to give her enough time to start thinking about the man in the catacombs and trying to put things together. Unfortunately he was better at contributing to a conversation when someone else started it, so he couldn't think of anything to say. Her flashlight dying gave him an opportunity, not to mention less light - even better.

"Here." Bran held out his own flashlight after a moment's pause, keeping the lighted end facing him. "If you'd feel more comfortable controlling the light, you can use mine."

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still_lotte
2010-05-07 08:27 pm UTC (link)

“No one should unless you’re connected to their story,” Lotte mused out loud. For a brief moment she considered extending the invitation but it was immediately shoved aside. The whole point of staying with Meg was that Erik shouldn’t get jealous of it, unlike when she was around Raoul. “Or if you leave your apartment. I did that the first time-” She shook her head, feeling more than bit foolish. “Maybe remind yourself to stay in your apartment in the note.”

She shook the flashlight one more time, before looking to him and his flashlight. She followed the beam to him for a moment, before stepping forward to take it. There wasn’t a smile – she was too embarrassed to attempt that now. As she took it the beam trained upwards for a moment on his face, before sliding downwards and away. “Thanks – it was stupid to not be prepared.” She bit her lip for a moment, still holding her flashlight in one hand. She lifted it once, doubting it would fit in her pocket.

“Would it be okay if we stopped at my apartment? I’ll just toss this dead one inside and we can continue the watch…Or I could look for my batteries so you could take yours back.” Lotte bit her lip, not moving up the stairs until he did. She wasn’t going to leave him alone on the stairs, even in terms of a few steps, after all.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-08 04:29 am UTC (link)

Bran nodded thoughtfully, even though her advice didn't quite apply to him. In the grand scheme of things, he was the one other people had to worry about, rather than the other way around. "Maybe staying in my apartment would be best... I don't think I'd hold up very well against a vampire or a wolf, no matter what my fable is."

He offered a small smile once she took the flashlight, blinking when the beam momentarily trained on his face. He didn't flinch or draw away, even though the urge was there and he had to physically stop himself from reacting. "At least we both know to bring some extra batteries for next time," he said, shrugging.

Well he couldn't very well say no, could he? "That's fine. It seems pretty quiet at the moment anyway." Since Lotte had the light, he let her lead the way, not quite behind her but not directly beside her either.

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still_lotte
2010-05-08 04:43 am UTC (link)

She shrugged, agreeing with his point. "I doubt anyone would." Even James, who knew Shane hadn't been safe while he was a wolf. Though if they weren't so bad, you'd think that they'd try to prevent their fables from attacking everyone...Lotte shook her head, trying to get the thought of her mind. She really didn't need another reason to start her paranoia.

"At least," she repeated, attempting to smile back. "Still, I'm sorry." She moved to head up the stairs, moving a bit more slowly as she looked over her shoulder at him. There was less time spent in the individual hallways, even though they now had less light - they were just going to check them again on the way down.

Once they reached the twelfth floor, Lotte led the way down the hall to her door. Her key and James' had been kept together, which allowed her to get inside. There was a key above her door though, in case of emergencies though. After putting the flashlights under her arm, she managed to get the door open. She turned back to him, asking, "I'm pretty sure, I've got some batteries somewhere. Do you want to wait with the door open or come in the light while I get them?" She leaned through the door to get the light-switch inside, the light then flooding the hallway.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-08 05:26 am UTC (link)

Bran wondered what Erik would do if faced with a vampire or a wolf, actually; he thought that he might be able to handle himself around the animal without too much trouble, especially if his voice could do what it had done with Ella. The vampire, however, was a different story. Perhaps it was fortunate that he was very good at escaping tight places and undesirable situations. If he was with Lotte - Christine - then all the better, since he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

He bit his tongue to keep from telling her that she didn't have to apologize all the time. He should have brought extra batteries himself, really, but the thought hadn't even entered his mind.

Even though she led the way, he was all too familiar with where Lotte's apartment was. Still, she didn't know that, and for all extensive purposes they were barely acquaintances. He couldn't seem overly familiar, or she would become suspicious. Would going in the apartment be the normal thing to do, or was waiting with the door open the better choice? Damn it, he didn't know, but he had to answer soon or she would wonder why he was stalling.

It was too much light for his liking, but Bran swallowed his discomfort and moved forward. "I'll wait by the door, so I can keep an eye out while you get the batteries - just in case." The excuse was a last-minute idea, really, and it slipped out more believably than he'd expected. Still, maybe he needed a little more practice with this kind of thing.

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still_lotte
2010-05-08 05:38 am UTC (link)

Lotte winced at his answer. “That would be the smart idea, wouldn’t it? Sorry – I’ll be fast, I promise.” She handed him his flashlight, beam towards her as he had done and moved to get the door. “You want to hold it open though? That way if for some reason you do need to duck in…” she trailed off, shrugging. Shutting the door on his face just seemed rude.

Before getting an answer though she slipped inside – if he got the door, then good. If not, she tried. Her apartment as a whole was untouched from how she left it a few days prior, simply decorated with a few piles of stray laundry on her couch. When her eyes fell on those, as she rushed to the bedroom, she was suddenly glad he didn’t come in – it was just a bit embarrassing.

She found a packet of batteries in her nightstand drawer in less than five minutes. Dumping the old ones into the trash, she ran back to the door, the cover still held in one hand. “Sorry,” she said once again.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-08 05:59 am UTC (link)

He blinked, honestly not understanding how or why she saw the need to apologize. It was just a stupid reason to make her less suspicious, and even if it hadn't been, it was just a statement. "I just figured it couldn't hurt to be careful." Did Christine apologize this much? He couldn't remember - he'd have to read the book again. The ending kind of eclipsed everything else about it.

Bran caught the door once she was inside, leaning against it to keep it half-open. He did glance inside briefly, since there was almost nothing more foreign to him than a woman's apartment. Still, his gaze was quick, and he spent the rest of the time staring into the darkness of the hallway. He turned his head slightly once she returned, pushing the door open wider to give her room. "It's no problem, really. I can take mine back so you can replace the batteries in yours." It looked like she might have trouble juggling everything, he thought, holding out a hand for the flashlight.

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still_lotte
2010-05-08 06:12 am UTC (link)

Lotte sent him a grateful grin, passing him his flashlight. The lights were turned off and the door locked before she finished getting the batteries in. With a triumphant aha the flashlight turned on, aimed up at her face. For a moment she thought of sleepovers and the traditional scary story set up, before she shook her head, letting the beam fall. "No ghosts here," she said, a little more to herself than to him.

Aiming it down the rest of the hallway, Lotte looked up to Trevor. "Should we go up again? I think we can skip the stairs past the penthouses - only Daniel's up there ." And Ella, but Lotte had the feeling that was a secret. She moved her flashlight from her left hand to the right, waiting for the signal to go ahead.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-08 07:38 am UTC (link)

He was relieved when the lights were off and her door was closed, feeling much more at ease with the darkness being the dominant one compared to their flashlights. He shone his along the floor, lighting a sort of path to the stairwell before glancing back at Lotte. For some reason he wanted to laugh when the beam illuminated her face, but he settled for a smile. The mention of ghosts made him think of the Opera Ghost, and it seemed almost ironic that she was wrong - in a manner of speaking, there was a ghost here.

Bran considered what to do for a moment before nodding. "We can quickly check the deluxe and penthouse floors, I think, then head back down." He headed for the stairs, shining the flashlight ahead to lead the way.

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still_lotte
2010-05-08 12:56 pm UTC (link)

"Sounds good," Lotte said, following him. Even with her own light again, Lotte kept close behind him, drifting slightly towards his left. Even though the vampire was supposed to be on the Penthouse floor and the person who hurt Nick had been in on the Deluxe, she wasn't as worried about the upper levels. Dangerous things happened deeper down after all, underground or simply lower.

She didn't like the silence though, no matter what floor they were on. And if he didn't mind her rambling...Lotte glanced to him before asking, "So, why are you in Bellum? I don't think I asked that when you moved in."

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lemortvivant
2010-05-08 05:35 pm UTC (link)

He knew that Finn had lived on the deluxe floor, but apparently she'd taken off after her torture session with that kid. It was smart move, a way to leave a lasting impression without the repercussions, but it wouldn't have worked out for him - maybe she didn't have anything keeping her here, but he did. Not even the penthouse floor worried him, since he doubted the vampire was actually one now, nor would he stupid enough to try anything so publicly.

Bran flashed the light on the deluxe floor, waiting a moment to see if any strange sounds pierced the silence before heading up towards the penthouses. He was, apparently, far more comfortable with the silence than Lotte was.

"Work, actually." He sighed, studying the flashlight in his hands before glancing at her. "I was laid off about six months ago - I used to work for an insurance company in Philadelphia. Since then I've been trying to find work wherever I could get it, but at the best all I could find was temporary stuff. Then... well, I ended up in New York, and the realtor made Bellum sound pretty appealing." He gave a small laugh. "I'm still waiting on a few things, but at least I have a city like this to keep me busy in the meantime, which is a nice consolation."

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still_lotte
2010-05-08 06:17 pm UTC (link)

As he explained, she winced sympathetically. "I lost my job awhile ago, so I know how that is." Of course it wasn't the nice-sounding-possibly-a-economic-issue that laid off meant, but she'd been there. "Do you have friends or family here or do you mean just the attractions?"

Her flashlight remained trained on the steps above, even when they reached the penthouse landing. There was a moment of thought, before she took a few steps into the penthouse hallway, finding nothing. She shrugged, turning to head back downwards.

Even if nothing had happened, Lotte was beginning to feel useless. Being out here was supposed to do something - not that she'd expected the not-Erik to appear, but she thought that she'd feel a bit better about doing this. Like she was helping and getting over her fears. Instead she felt more dazed then anything - she couldn't even be as proud of the fact that she wasn't scared. Maybe it was because she had her flashlight working once more.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-08 06:50 pm UTC (link)

"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you've at least had better luck finding work than I have." He didn't come right out and ask if she'd found another job, but he did leave it open so that she could offer an answer if she wanted to. He wondered where she worked before and what happened there, although it was probably for the best that he didn't know the specifics.

Bran shook his head, watching Lotte inspect the penthouse hallway before heading back down the stairs to do it all over again. "I mean the attractions. It's not exactly boring here." He thought of what might constitute as his family: the mother who'd never wanted him, the grandparents who'd tortured him, and the father he had never known. "I don't have any family left."

It seemed pointless to keep doing this for hours more, walking up and down the stairs waiting for something to happen when it was very likely that nothing would anyway. Suggesting that they stop wasn't an option, since she'd probably wonder why. All they could do was just keep going, he supposed.