InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "CHOCOLATE!!!"

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
2010-05-08 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.

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still_lotte
2010-05-08 07:15 pm UTC (link)

She shook her head, while walking down. This time she kept more by his side, to at least keep herself more awake. “My friend, Evelyn, helped me join this dance troupe-” She shrugged, the usual lines to explain things coming easily. “It’s fine and stable – after the ballet, I’m more qualified than most there.” Embarrassing, if it weren’t for the ‘firing’ part that tailed her resume. Lotte sighed and looked to him, shrugging once more, “I’m sure you’ll find something. People like insurance in this economy, right?”

It seemed funny to be talking about something as mundane as the economy – she’d rather deal with that than any of the insanity of her life. Bellum Letale seemed so cut off from the rest of the world that she was surprised when she walked out and found people did still have normal lives, which didn’t involve fearing for your life from a story.

“It isn’t,” Lotte agreed, shining her light down the deluxe floor without actually looking. Once more she winced, shaking her head, “I’m sorry. Really horrible things to have in common- ” She didn’t want to think of her father and she immediately tried to make the topic lighter. “You don’t dance, do you?” The smile that accompanied it was shaky, attempting to cover her own awkwardness.

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

The similarities between Lotte and Christine were almost incredible, and he wondered if she'd been one of the first to know which story she belonged to. "That was nice of her. Having friends to help is always an asset." He could see her as a dancer, although he did wonder why she didn't explore the potential her voice held. Did she just not have the confidence, or was there something else holding her back? In that sense she needed him, even if she didn't know it yet. "Oh, people like insurance... but insurance companies, not so much. I probably shouldn't be saying it, but they're mostly concerned with profit." He shrugged. "Well, the majority of them. But sometimes you can't afford to be too picky job-wise."

Bran made sure to keep himself up-to-date on current events, not that he really cared much about the economy. After all, he wasn't sure if 'thief' qualified as an actual profession. At some point he figured he would get an actual job, but not yet. Not until he needed to.

Technically speaking he'd never had any family to begin with, but that was too complicated to explain and it was much easier to let her believe that his parents had simply died or something like that. "It's alright. I've come to terms with it by this point." Her question surprised him and he laughed, shaking his head. "No, I don't. I can honestly say that I have no idea how to dance." It was true - his life had been consumed by music, and although dance was something he could appreciate, it was never something that particularly interested him.

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still_lotte
2010-05-08 08:26 pm UTC (link)

Her mind went back to what Diego said the other day about being wealthy because of having friends. Lotte shook her head, her smile kept almost to herself as she said, “It always is – no matter what it is.” She snapped out of her musing a moment later, almost wishing she knew more about insurance other than the obvious. It would make her reassurances that he’d get a job, that much easier to believe. “Ever think of doing anything else?” she prompted. “I had to switch genres when I moved to the troupe, but maybe you could do something else?”

Though she gave him a questioning look when he said he’d come to terms with it, Lotte let the subject drop. It was never a good topic to bring up, after all and she made a note to never ask about family again – because really, the return question could be sent. Even if she did have James, who after all these years could be considered a sister.

“Maybe you should learn,” Lotte suggested, going on with the teasing. “It’s not that hard, at least the basics. Even if you can just waltz, people tend to be impressed.” By then they’d gone down a few floors, Lotte barely shining her flashlight down them.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-09 08:21 am UTC (link)

Bran tilted his head to the side, considering her question as they walked. He knew she was referring to his job choice, but it held a broader meaning that she was unaware of. He thought he knew enough to try living as a normal person, but not like this - not as Bran masquerading as someone else, but as himself. It was something he'd considered and rejected, because his life belonged to his music. There were a rare few who had already been exposed to it, but he hadn't yet finished what would make him infamous; in that way, among others, he was very much like Erik. He refused to conform, to be like the people who told him he was different from the very beginning. "I have," he answered after a pause. "I've considered it, but I'm not sure what else I would do. Not yet, at least."

He couldn't figure out if she was serious or not, and it was hard to do both that and keep himself from looking too skeptical-slash-horrified at the thought of learning how to waltz. Being out in public was something he was getting the hang of, but dance lessons would involve a massive invasion of personal space, and he didn't like people touching him. "Maybe. I suppose the end result of impressing people with my ability to waltz would outweigh possibly making a fool of myself at first."

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still_lotte
2010-05-09 02:19 pm UTC (link)

“Well, best of luck,” Lotte said with a firm nod. “With finding a new job or thinking of something else.” And hopefully he’d done a better job of saving money and being prepared for this sort of crisis then she’d been. She smiled up at him, trusting that he would – he seemed to have his head in the right place after all.

She watched his expression, finding it difficult to keep back a grin. Still, she looked away, shaking her head to glance down whatever floor they were on – it was getting harder to keep track, as they looked the same in the dark, saying, “Everyone looks foolish in dance classes. It can’t be helped, but you’d at least be in good company.” Finding nothing, though she hadn’t expected to, she turned back shrugging. “It’s only three steps you need to know after all and one-two-three, one-two-three repeated onwards.” It was said a bit more matter-of-factly than her earlier statements. And if she hummed slightly to express her point, she was hardly aware of it – it was instinctual and uncorrected because she was becoming more tired.

A minute later, she cut herself off without realizing it. “How much time do you think we have left?” Lotte asked. She’d never been one to wear a watch, even though she had her phone. She let her beam fall downwards, pausing to dig out her phone. A beat and then she stopped, looking up in a bit of horror. “Not that I’m not enjoying talking to you – far from it, really – I’m just curious-” She ducked her head, embarrassment overcoming her.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-09 06:21 pm UTC (link)

"Thanks." He would need the luck, considering the fact that he didn't really have any experience. Trevor did, and Bran was sure he could learn whatever skills might be necessary, but it still wasn't the same. He liked the freedom he had now, and although stealing might be considered 'wrong' by most of society, but at least he targeted those who had money to spare. They'd just end up wasting it on foolish materialistic things anyway.

He kept forgetting that they were still supposed to be checking the floors, hastily sweeping his flashlight over the current landing they were on just to make it seem like he hadn't forgotten. "Well, I guess you have a point. I doubt I would be partnered with a world-class dancer, right?" Lotte probably knew how to waltz, he realized, especially if she was with the ballet. She was probably a very good dancer. The tune she hummed was familiar, and even though it was quiet and brief, he still smiled at the sound of it. Didn't she know that her voice had the potential to be something wonderful?

"Oh-- I'm not sure." Bran never used his cell phone, but he dug it out of his pocket regardless. "A couple hours at the most? Or maybe less." He didn't think it had anything to do with her wanting to get away from him, and he shook his head gently when she pointed it out. "I didn't think that, don't worry."

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still_lotte
2010-05-09 06:40 pm UTC (link)

Lotte shrugged, still smiling slightly. "Unless there's no other partners and then they'd be there to help." Or at least, that was what the logic said. "And if they made a big deal about it, they shouldn't teach. You really shouldn't teach unless you want others to learn, right?" Her mind went to James' mother for a moment and how James much James had disliked the dance classes. She winced. "And if the student wants to be there. If you're forced, it's never good."

Technically, Valerie had made her go into dance but Lotte had never protested - not like James. She'd even kept at it, until she lost the job. She bit her lip, hand on her phone half-way out of her pocket. She really should call Valerie and attempt to talk to her again.

Lotte shook her head, more to clear her thoughts than anything else. "We're done at six, I think?" She opened the phone, smiling slightly at the background image of her and James. "Two hours." She glanced to Trevor, putting it back in her pocket. "I'm really glad though it was you I was assigned with."

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lemortvivant
2010-05-09 09:34 pm UTC (link)

He really wanted to get off the subject of dancing, because there was absolutely nothing in the world that was capable of convincing him to take lessons, but if he kept acting as though he was interested she was going to start asking in a week or two whether he'd signed up or not. "Teaching is all about helping others learn, isn't it? It's not exactly about personal gain." A lie. Everything was about personal gain, even if people tried to sugar-coat it. "Being forced to do things never works out well." Music had never been forced for him, but rather discovered, and he doubted anyone forced to play an instrument would ever love it the way he did.

"Two hours and we'll have officially completed our first watch." Bran smiled, although he wondered how many more of these he could do with other people. Some might ask more questions than Lotte, and they would probably be more suspicious - he was going to have to start practicing his backstory a little more. Even though she was glad that it was Trevor she was assigned with, and not technically who he really was, it didn't seem to matter at the moment. This was good; this was progress. "I'm glad I was assigned with you too, Lotte."

He stopped at the next landing, shining his flashlight on one of the doors and noting that they were on the fifth floor. "Should we keep doing what we're doing - going up and down until our shift is done?"

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still_lotte
2010-05-09 09:45 pm UTC (link)

"It should be," Lotte said, leaving at that. People were always telling her that her definition of what should be and shouldn't and wrong and right were a bit ridiculous. Besides, she had meant to tease Trevor after all - beginning a rant wouldn't be a good idea. She let it drop, returning the smile.

Even if it was a bit early to say so, Lotte figured that it could be called a success. Aside from her flashlight, there hadn't been any slip-ups and no one had tried anything. "We're doing pretty good, I think."

She paused when he did, biting her lip for a moment. "It's going to get lighter out...will they complain if we mix it up more? We could sit down for a break if we wait in the lobby." She purposefully didn't mention going deeper - there wasn't any chance of her doing that. "And if anyone did do something, they'd either try to get out before light...or someone would notice when they wake up. Maybe."

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lemortvivant
2010-05-10 03:55 am UTC (link)

Oh, of course it should be, but Lotte sounded as if she knew that just because something should be a certain way didn't always mean it was. The road to hell, after all, is paved with good intentions. It was how people justified themselves and what they really were, with their protestations of 'I meant well' and 'It wasn't supposed to happen like that.' If she wasn't going to pursue the topic, however, neither was he.

Part of the reason their watch had been going so well probably had something to do with the fact that he was part of it rather than lurking about in the shadows, but it seemed that was going to have to come to an end. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to mentor Lotte now, and his only hope was that he could either slip into 1207 or 1205 unnoticed... or that he could somehow throw his voice enough for her to hear it from a floor above. "I don't think anyone would complain... there wasn't a strict set of rules that we had to follow or anything." Oh, he would have liked to see anyone try to complain, especially about Lotte. "The lobby is a good place to stay, since you're right - anyone who was looking to get away would have to go out the front doors, and it's probably better to have all the floors above us."

Bran almost wanted to wince at how logical he sounded, and it seemed that even though he didn't agree with this watch in the first place, he had no choice but to become a part of it. "To the lobby, then?" He started towards the stairs, half-turned towards her for confirmation.

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still_lotte
2010-05-10 04:08 am UTC (link)

Nodding, she suggested, "And we can ask for next time. If it's a problem - not now, they're probably all sleeping. Next time I see them on the forums." There was a firm nod added to that - she liked having a plan. Even if the plan had to be changed along the way.

His reasoning made sense to her and Lotte couldn't do more than agree. The fact that he only mentioned floors above was good - hopefully he wouldn't be intrigued by those below, while they were in the lobby. Explaining why she simply couldn't go down there would be impossible.

She was already at his heels when he turned, causing her to jump back slightly. "To the lobby," she repeated, with a slightly shaky smile. A hand went without a thought to his elbow, the teasing from earlier (even if she had started it) making her feel like it was alright. She looked to him though, asking silently if it was on his end.

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

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead nodding as though he agreed with her idea. They weren't children who needed to run to the adults for approval for every little thing they did, but if Lotte wanted to ask then she could ask. "At least then we'll know for next time." Yes, there would likely be a next time, because only participating in one shift and then stopping would look suspicious, not to mention the fact that Lotte's opinion of him would fall.

Bran wasn't expecting her to be so close when he turned, and he barely managed to catch himself in time to keep himself from flinching too obviously. Luckily she was just as surprised, so he could shrug it off as a simple reflex. He began to apologize but stopped, never having liked the way 'I'm sorry' sounded on his lips. A sheepish smile was offered instead, acknowledging the fact that they'd both been startled.

He bit down on his tongue hard enough to draw blood when he felt her hand on his elbow, the brief shock enough to smother his instinct to yank his arm away. He told himself he could do this, that it was just Lotte and he was going to have to accustom himself to physical contact or his pretense wouldn't last long. In order to release the tension he focused on the tune Lotte had been humming when they were discussing dance, playing it over and over within his mind until he was able to return her look with a reassuring smile; letting her know that it was alright as they headed down to the lobby.

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still_lotte
2010-05-10 02:03 pm UTC (link)

“And anyone else who wonders will know,” Lotte said. Because everyone else must wonder on what to do as well, right? Being the one to ask would simply make things easier in the long run for everyone.

She returned his smile, shaking her head. In her mind it had been her fault – she’d been too close after all. Her eyes remained on him until he let her know it was alright. For a moment she was skeptic, simply because it was just a hand on his elbow and a simple shake of his head would have had her move to the side, apologizing. But if he said it was alright…well she wasn’t going to complain.

She was silent, barely shining her flashlight down the halls until they got to the lobby. Once there she slipped away from him, moving to the doors to look out. The streets were relatively empty at this hour and at least, it didn’t look like someone had done something nefarious while they were upstairs. All in all a good thing. She turned back, shining her flashlight on the light that had been shot. It had been repaired to her relief and she moved to backtrack towards where the light-switch was. Light was a very good thing and this way they wouldn’t use up their batteries.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-10 08:58 pm UTC (link)

Bran was actually grateful for the silence, partly because it gave him a chance to compose himself and partly because it was much easier to hear any out-of-the-ordinary noises. He didn't feel like shining his flashlight down every hallway they passed, settling for a sort of turning motion with his wrist that allowed some light to illuminate the hall before they continued on to the next one. People were still asleep, and anyone who might have had to get up early for work wouldn't be doing so for another two hours or so, so they really had nothing to worry about.

The lobby was just as quiet, but when she left his side to inspect the streets outside there was a distinct sense of disappointment that clashed with his relief. One quick sweep of the area showed that it was just the same as always, and he was about to sit in one of the chairs when he noticed Lotte moving towards the light switch. Damn, that was something he hadn't considered, but what sort of reason could he give for convincing her to keep the lights off?

Cursing silently, he just watched as she tried to find the light switch. Maybe distracting her might work. "We covered all the floors more than once, which is good," he said thoughtfully, more to himself than to her, although he did ensure his voice was audible enough so she could hear. "We can take a break here for a bit, then do another sweep before the shift ends..." He paused, as though he'd just remembered something. "Hey, do you know anything about a basement? I thought I saw something on the forums about it."

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still_lotte
2010-05-10 09:15 pm UTC (link)

Though she realized he was talking to himself, Lotte couldn’t help nodding along with what he said. It was a good idea, maybe in an hour or so…and then he mentioned the basement. She froze, the light switch a few steps ahead of her forgotten as she tried to not look towards the door downstairs.

“Not much,” Lotte said, voice shaking slightly. It crossed her mind that Christine was a better actress than her and she wished she could lie as well as she did. “I’ve been down once or twice- There’s a pool which doesn’t give the right reflection – they had a party down there and some people died.” She turned back, crossing her arms under her chest. “I don’t remember much-” Ella had all but said her ‘accident’ had happened down there and Evie said her brother had been found there…and of course there had been Erik.

Attempting to look calm, instead of terrified, she met his eyes. “Why?”

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lemortvivant
2010-05-11 03:24 am UTC (link)

He knew that any mention of the basement would remind her of what lay below, and that was clearly a sufficient enough distraction to keep her from turning on the lights. It was only a temporary aversion, but at least he'd bought himself a little more time. His expression was appropriately curious, with a tinge of interest thrown in. Trevor, after all, wasn't supposed to know anything about the basement, and even less about the catacombs.

"A pool? That's strange... I don't remember the realtor ever mentioning that." Bran frowned when she mentioned people died, and he made a mental note to do a little more investigating once he had a chance. "I was just wondering if that would count as a 'floor' we should check out." He paused, taking in the look in her eyes. "But it doesn't sound like a place anyone would have reason to be."

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