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Xavière Sevin ([info]bataille_) wrote in [info]toujoursliberer,
@ 2008-08-13 03:02:00

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Entry tags:jacques_belmont, leon_belmont, plot, xaviere_sevin

An identity to be uncovered.

Subject: Finding someone new to investigate
Where: Near the French Embassy
Who: Xavière Sevin, a French immigrant.
Warnings: None.
Open to: Jacques Belmont, and whoever would be around the French Embassy at late hours.

What an exhausting day of work. Xavière had just spent the past fourteen hours running from the market to the kitchen of an aristocrat here in England, and her refusal to converse was a prime opportunity for the servants in the kitchen to take advantage of a woman who they assumed to be dumb and deaf, putting her to much more work than she ever intended to do. Though, really, it made no difference, it wasn't as if she had family to visit or a large manor to return to expensively waste her day. Yes, it was better that she work, because though she was being overworked and openly mocked in words she could not understand- though the sneers and leering was enough signal- she was earning some sort of reward. 

This reward wasn't any sort of expense, however, hardly worth an hour's work. Xavière frowned as she looked down at the loaf of bread in her bag, the few coins jingling in her pocket. She had no idea what they were called, or what their value held in comparison to the livre, but she recognized the pieces as being able to trade her maybe another loaf of bread. 

Well, it was nothing to dote over now, at least she would manage for the next week. She would go back to the field, lie in the shabby shelter that was still somehow standing, all three walls. Though she really did destest walking at night, disliking the idea of being mingled in with the street "entertainers"- she held too much pride for such a lifestyle- she had already forgotten her way back to the field. She was hardly familiar with the English territory. And for the better. Stupid British folk.

It was two hours since she had left the manor in the centre of town was she still wandering the streets of England, walking past the French Embassy without giving a second glance. Her curses in French could be easily heard from a couple of feet away, she was tired and dragging her sword and bag behind her after fourteen hours on her feet made nothing easy.



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[info]ex_the_ambas216
2008-08-13 01:51 am UTC (link)
Léon only worked late when he had to, when there was a political emergency or some dire straits that France needed to be saved from. In those cases, however, the whole house was usually a hive of activity, with secretaries, aides, translators running all over the place in order to divert themselves from catastrophe, every candle in the house lit until it was almost as bright as a summer morning inside the Embassy, and Léon, the Ambassador and master of this house, who be in his office, surrounded by officials and paperwork, and he would solve France's crisis.

There was none of that now. There was no one else up, as far as he knew. He had planned to go to the Theatre that evening, but having been rejected the last few nights he had attempted to visit, he found himself favouring the Bridge Theatre less. Perhaps he would go tomorrow, and see then if he was missed. Or send a gift, that, after all, was normally enough to win back Nell's favour.

Instead, he was pouring over the accounts, a candle pulled close to the large book, and Léon was gently murmuring to himself as he copied down the figures into a smaller pocket book he held in his other hand. There was no noise aside from the scratching of his quill and the mumbled French, and that, at least, was a blessing.

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[info]jacques_belmont
2008-08-13 10:07 am UTC (link)
Jacques was walking out of the Embassy, tugging his tri-color sash so it fit better and trying to put on his gloves at the same time. He had managed to buy procure a ticket to the Royal Theatre in Drury Lane, to see a production of The Spanish Barber, an English translation and production of one of Jacques's favorite plays, Le Barbier de Séville.

He lifted a hand to call for a hackney cab when he heard someone swearing in French. Hunh. Jacques looked around. There was only that poor, wretched looking creature dragging her groceries. Jacques, moved by a stir of patriotic fervor for any sans-culotte, walked over. "Citoyenne? Do you need some assistance?"

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[info]bataille_
2008-08-13 10:13 am UTC (link)
Oh Dieu, she had been heard. Her eyes flickered to the man who was proudly wearing the tri-color, and she stared at it for a long moment before a shake of the head came from her. Though in most situations she would not talk, she had already been heard, and Xavière would only look foolish if she falsed the act of being mute.

"No, thank you." The woman bowed her head a little, the French soft from her lips, and it felt odd to be talking to a complete stranger when she refused to open her mouth to talk to some of the employers. "I'll manage."

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[info]jacques_belmont
2008-08-13 03:54 pm UTC (link)
"Are you sure?" Jacques asked, holding out a hand. "I was about to call a hackney coach to the theatre, but the show does not start for a half-hour hence. Might I offer you a ride home?"

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[info]bataille_
2008-08-14 05:52 am UTC (link)
Xavière paused for a long moment, looking from the hand to the man's face, his tri-color, and frowned. It was evident that he was a French ambassador, and to lock herself up in a coach was almost death, in her opinion. She had no real address, hardly a home, and she didn't even know what the place was even called.

"Non, merci." She refused him again, going on to explain, "I'm not sure as to where I live by name; I wouldn't be able to direct you much. But thank you."

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[info]jacques_belmont
2008-08-14 11:13 am UTC (link)
Jacques frowned. He had set out to do something gallant in the spirit of republican fraternité, and he was not inclined to take 'no' for an answer. It briefly crossed his mind that this sort of determination was not particularly gallant, but he shoved it to the back of his mind for when he wanted to brood in private.

"Citoyenne, London is extremely dangerous at this time of night," Jacques said, with surprising firmness. "As a member of the French Embassy, I cannot in good conscience let a French citizen unwittingly endanger themselves. You can direct me by sight."

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[info]bataille_
2008-08-14 01:32 pm UTC (link)
This man was annoyingly insistant. It was nice, Xavière supposed, that she was to get a ride home and her tired legs would be able to rest, but to hear him so stern almost bugged her. He was an ambassador; he was most likely an aristocrat in France, and if he had paid his damn taxes like him and the rest of them had been asked, she wouldn't be hiding out here in London.

Oh, and how he spoke so noble. It irritated her. She was tired, too.

"Thank you, then. I suppose I'll have to accept your offer." Xavière forced out, trying to bite back her words and simply gave a nod, eyes kept to the ground so that his ability to read her would be hindered. "I appreciate it."

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[info]jacques_belmont
2008-08-14 02:02 pm UTC (link)
"There now," said Jacques, basking a little in the glow of moral victory. It wasn't that hard to accept an offer of assistance. He hailed a cab and handed Xavière in.

"Watch your step, citoyenne. Do you know what direction you live in?"

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[info]bataille_
2008-08-17 07:22 pm UTC (link)
It felt weird, to be doted on like this like she was the fairest lady of France when she was in fact, struggling to make an earning here. It bothered her- she was a sans-culotte, he was some sort of noble, and he was acting as if she was his equal. It was what they had been fighting for, yes, but Xavière highly doubted that he was being this kind out of the goodness of his heart.

"My name is Xavière." The woman finally stated in a tone of annoyance. "And south."

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[info]jacques_belmont
2008-08-20 04:14 pm UTC (link)
"Please drive south," Jacques asked the hackney-coach driver before Jacques climbed into the carriage himself. He felt quite pleased with himself. Here he was, acting like he actually knew what he was doing, and actually, wonderfully doing something to directly benefit a citizen of France. He felt quite cheered.

"Have you been in England long?" Jacques asked, shutting the door behind him.

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[info]bataille_
2008-08-21 06:53 am UTC (link)
"Almost a month," was Xavière's response, taking a deep breath as her fingers finally let go of their tight release on the bag as it settled in her lap, feeling the blood rush to her fingertips.

She looked up at the stranger before her and leaned back, feeling much at ease. Not at all because of his presence, but due to the fact that she was in fact, sitting.

"You'll be late for your show, won't you?"

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