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I'm Feeling Lucky

Searching for: Posts from Ralsei.
Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Wed, 03/03/2021 16:56 (3 Years ago)
Amane awkwardly straightened out a few wrinkles in his black coat. He wasn't entirely sure why he was even here. He'd had no connection to this woman. At all. Even so...it felt wrong to not show respect and pay homage to a death that happened mere feet from him. As he walked quietly between the headstones, scanning the last names, the teen wondered about the supposed revolution brewing in the colonies. In a few years time, how full would this place be? He shivered. How crowded would the graveyards be overseas...? It was nearly impossible, he knew, for the colonies to really drive off the global superpower that was the British Empire.

He turned left, following the names that went by. Glancing up, he saw another person kneeling quietly by English's grave, one of the people who had been at the interrogation earlier. Silently, Amane walked up beside the man, placing a single white rose on the grave himself. Unsure whether he ought to say anything, the teen simply gave the stranger a small nod before turning his attention back to the headstone. It was odd, standing at the grave of someone who'd been alive days ago. Who he'd known for only a moment or two. And yet, he was different from just another witness, because he'd been able to interact with her before her sudden death. It was a very odd feeling, this mix of guilt and acceptance and sorrow and neutrality.

He looked up once more. There was an older woman, who looked distraught, and a young lady next to...wait. Wasn't that Ophelia? The girl looked...as though she didn't quite know what to make of everything, which made sense, in hindsight of what she'd talked about before. It must be even weirder for her, as Madame English had been her relative, too. Amane shuffled his feet indecisively. He wanted to go over to her and talk, make her feel more at ease, but was that improper for a funeral...? It wasn't like he'd been to very many before.

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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Sun, 28/02/2021 04:21 (3 Years ago)
As tempting as it was, even he had to admit that this might be a little much for a first meeting. "Oh alright, alright," he replied, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly. Smoothly pulling her back up to a standing position, Amane let go and plopped himself down in a chair once more. "I'm remembering what you said for later, though. About you maybe letting me test my "so-called theory"." Taking a mental break from the situation after that last teasing comment, he wondered how the interviews were going. Had they made any progress? He clearly hadn't been paying a lot of attention to who was going in and out - he'd been...a little preoccupied - but there were a few new faces in the room, and both detectives appeared to be absent.

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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Sun, 28/02/2021 04:09 (3 Years ago)
Amane blinked. Well, that's not quite what he was expecting her to respond with. She was paying a bit more attention than he'd thought. Not that it was all that profound. "Certainly. I like to be familiar with a place before I interact with it, such as reading a map before walking through a forest, or," he explained, glancing up for a moment at the quieter ballroom around them, "observing people's personalities before introducing myself. So if I seemed confident to you, that's because I was." He shrugged slightly, giving her a genuine smile. "I decided you were a person worth talking to. My hiding earlier was to give me a good read on the situation. I probably wouldn't have been so carefree if the detectives were going to be rough with us." A bit of a sad look flickered across his face for a moment, gone as soon as it came. "Just a little survival tactic. Is that a satisfying answer?"

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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Sun, 28/02/2021 03:47 (3 Years ago)
She wanted to play games? Well, alright then. This was turning out to be more and more fun by the second. "Well, for starters, we met each other about half an hour ago," he said, bringing his hand back to lightly grasp hers. "And you're already dancing with me. Not to mention we're in this position...and you seem pretty comfortable with it. There's the blush, which I mentioned, and the fact that you're opening up to me pretty easily, considering how standoffish you were when we first greeted each other." Amane smiled. "For someone who isn't fond of conversation or dancing, you seem pretty fine with it right now. So if it isn't for the love of those things..." He trailed off, leaving the answer unspoken. "You know, I could always test my theory, if that's what you want."

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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Sun, 28/02/2021 03:28 (3 Years ago)
Amane let out a thoughtful hum, not budging from his position. "I guess that's true. But it's a little difficult to fake that," he said, motioning with a hand to her blush. "It could be out of annoyance, I suppose. But I wonder...I mean, it's not like I was able to annoy you before. And you don't sound very annoyed. So, what could it be?" Amane raised an eyebrow. "Any thoughts? Personally, I've got a strong theory."

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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Sun, 28/02/2021 03:16 (3 Years ago)
The nerve. This time, he simply grinned and leaned even closer. "You seem to have a certain "sensitivity" towards me, considering you're reacting so strongly to any sort of teasing I happen to be doing. Whether I'm joking or not is up in the air though," Amane swiftly countered, mimicking her jibe for effect. Despite the fact that she was correct - hey, it wasn't easy being shorter than most guys, let alone girls - he wasn't about to let her use the same tactic twice. And admittedly, making her flustered was pretty fun. At least she was learning to relax a bit, right?

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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Sun, 28/02/2021 03:01 (3 Years ago)
"Huh?!" A faint blush spread across his face, and Amane tilted his chin up with a frown. "I'm doing perfectly fine, thanks," he muttered, beginning to speed up his rhythm. In all fairness, he was only a couple of inches shorter than Ophelia, so it wasn't much of a difference. Still. He'd have to get her back for that one. Quickly switching his stance, he dipped Ophelia back, making sure to lean in close to her. "In fact, I think you're the one who needs to keep up," Amane said, deliberately lowering his voice.

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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Sun, 28/02/2021 02:37 (3 Years ago)
Amane could feel the way Ophelia was tensed and stiff; understandable, considering she was new to dancing, but he knew she was also nervous, judging by the way she moved and avoided eye contact, despite the carefully neutral expression on her face. "Ohhh?" Playfully, he leaned towards her, narrowing his eyes. "Do I make you nervous?" Lingering for a moment, he laughed, returning to his previous stance. "Relax." Amane gave her hand a squeeze, beginning to slowly repeat the steps again. "It's not about being perfect, it's just about having fun. And yes, I think you've gotten it."

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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Sun, 28/02/2021 02:25 (3 Years ago)
"Oh, it's not so hard," Amane said, taking another couple of steps backward to give them more space. "I'll teach you a basic waltz. You," he said, tapping her right foot with his own, "will always start by moving your right foot. Basically, you mirror my movements." He slowly stepped forward, leading with his left. "I step forward, you step back. Then to the side," he continued explaining, walking her through each step. "And then with the other foot." Amane smiled back up at Ophelia. "Easy enough, yeah?"

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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Sun, 28/02/2021 02:08 (3 Years ago)
Gently pulling her out of her seat, Amane led her a few steps away from the chairs. "Asking you to dance, of course." He was surprised he hadn't thought of it sooner, given their previous conversation. "Remember that I said dancing helps me understand people better?" He tilted his head to the side, resting his free hand lightly on her waist. "So...may I?"

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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Sun, 28/02/2021 01:11 (3 Years ago)
"You're a science person, too?!" Amane grinned, shaking her shoulders lightly. "You can't let your grandmother tell you what to do!" Abruptly, the teen stood, wheeling to face Ophelia. "C'mon, let yourself get excited! You seem like you have plenty of your own ideas." His smile softened a little, the intensity dimming slightly. "Don't go saying things are decided before it's over. What good is it if you just sit around and wait? I think the world would be at a loss if you never studied science." Amane sighed. He wasn't quite sure how to properly get his point across; it wasn't like he knew her that well, so it was tough to communicate-

Amane snapped his fingers. "Oh!" With a wide smile, he bowed and offered a hand to Ophelia, raising an eyebrow as if asking a question.

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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Sun, 28/02/2021 00:10 (3 Years ago)
Amane turned his head slightly, glancing back at Ophelia. "You think so?" Finally breaking his stare, the boy gave his full attention to the lady at his side once more. "But what about you? Why not go to the colonies yourself?" He lightly tapped the book that was now half-closed in Ophelia's lap. "I hear there's a bit of a revolution brewing over there," Amane said, his voice lowering slightly, eyes shining with excitement. "There's talk of new possibilities and opportunities - for men and women. I know how hard it is for women," he added, glaring at the ground in a bout of frustration. "It shouldn't be, but I know it is. But I know that there are ideas in the colonies, and in fact, I think Washington College was thinking of taking on female professors!" He shook his head sadly. "That's something you'd never see under imperial rule, here. Is there something you'd like to study?"

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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Wed, 24/02/2021 18:43 (4 Years ago)
Following Ophelia's gaze, Amane looked over the shattered chandelier on the ground. He had to admit that it didn't shake him up all that much, but nevertheless - someone had died here. A small shiver shook him as he faced Ophelia once more, not bothering to break the contact, instead leaning slightly more towards her as she spoke. "Well, I'm not sure how I'll do it," Amane began, frowning slightly, "but I'd really like to go to the colonies. There's a school there - King's College, in New York - that's famous for its scientific programs." His eyes were drawn to one of the windows in the large room, where the sky was covered by a thin veil of clouds, leftover from perhaps the final winter storm of the season. "I want to go there to study astronomy, if I can. I've always been fascinated by stars and planets and things." Amane laughed quietly, his gaze fixed on the sky. "You know, I know it's impossible, but it's my dream to one day go to the moon."


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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Wed, 24/02/2021 16:42 (4 Years ago)
Drawing his head back up a bit sheepishly, he hoped that whether she understood him or not, at least she didn't think he was crazy. Amane blinked. Was..she teasing him back? "Oh, well," the young man said, leaning close enough to Ophelia that their shoulders brushed lightly, "I guess that just makes you special." Despite the gently playful glint in Amane's eyes, he couldn't help realizing that there was a genuine truth in that statement. He was mischievous, no doubt, but he was also ridiculously shy sometimes, especially one-on-one, so it really was rare for him to comfortably converse with someone his age.


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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Wed, 24/02/2021 05:19 (4 Years ago)
Rolling his eyes slightly, Amane thought about the question. In truth, he actually preferred not to talk about himself, if possible; it just seemed a bit rude of him to pester her with questions and not let her get a word in edgewise. "Well, I suppose for a couple of reasons. One," Amane said, grinning slyly at Ophelia, "It lets me actually interact with girls for once." Taking a more serious tone, he continued. "Other than that, it's just fun overall, and is a way to forget about everything for a bit. And..." He shuffled his feet, avoiding Ophelia's gaze for once. "Well, it sounds dumb, but if it's with a good partner, it's kind of like...a way to understand them better? I dunno."

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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Tue, 23/02/2021 21:44 (4 Years ago)
Because she "abandoned us"? Amane turned her words over in his head. It seemed that this girl was very detached not only from her parents, but from her whole family; she didn't sound fond of the grandmother, even. "Not fond of parties, hm? I never would have guessed," he said a bit dryly, recalling that she'd been holed up in her own little corner with her nose in a book rather than socializing. Not that hiding behind a curtain for a couple of hours was particularly outgoing, either, he supposed. "Sounds pretty silly, thinking that just going to a ball will solve any big problems like that. I can relate to being a pretty poor suspect. I mean," he said, eyebrows furrowing slightly, "I don't have any connection to Madame English, either. I was just curious about her talent, and honestly, I just like dancing." Amane shrugged. "I guess we can at least provide some common sense in the case, if nothing else." Turning to face her, the teen propped his chin on his hand. "Well, don't you have any questions for me? You can't have been impatiently waiting for me to return just to go through a second interrogation."


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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Tue, 23/02/2021 21:17 (4 Years ago)
Amane's smile, though slightly sheepish now, only grew as Ophelia delivered a sassy reply. "Excuses, excuses," he hummed, pleased that she wasn't quite as straight-laced as she first appeared. "As I was saying, I might be short, but I'm actually eighteen. And since you asked," the teen continued, "I am a bit curious as to why you're here. I'm a suspect, of course, but I don't recall seeing you at the party." Amane gave Ophelia a slight smirk of his own. "I mean, I'm quite certain I'd have introduced myself sooner, if given the chance," he said smoothly, wondering what she'd derive from that comment.



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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Tue, 23/02/2021 20:59 (4 Years ago)
Amane watched her go, books in hand. Either this girl was lying about owning the books, or, more likely, the owner of this place was pretty morbid. He stared for another moment, and then shrugged. Well, it was the detective's job to figure that out, not his. Instead, he trotted back over to the person he'd left abruptly a few minutes prior. "My apologies for having to duck out so rudely, Ophelia," Amane said, once again sitting next to the girl, although noticeably closer and more at ease than before. A click-clack, click-clack caught his attention, and the teen noticed that his acquaintance was tapping the floor, her shoes beating out a rhythm independent of her conscious control. He smiled, amused. "What, were you that anxious to see me again? How sweet," he added, trying in vain to keep the mischief out of his tone. How easy would it be to mess with Ophelia - and consequently, how fun?



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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Tue, 23/02/2021 20:45 (4 Years ago)
With a short bow, Amane turned on his heel and exited. He felt a bit bad about not being much help, but then again, he really was a stranger to everyone present. It wasn't his fault that he didn't really have any ideas; then again, it could be pretty advantageous to have a completely unbiased person in the group. Picking a target, the young man approached a girl who looked a bit younger than him, a lady with strikingly white hair and a bored expression. As he approached, he noticed that she was flipping through several novels. Was everyone here a bookworm? "Excuse me, miss. It's your turn to be interrogated," Amane said, tapping the girl on the shoulder. Waiting in case she responded, he scanned the room quickly and smiled to see Ophelia still in her little corner, face as blank as ever. "The detective is waiting in that room over there," he added, gesturing to the door he had just walked through. Turning his gaze back to the white-haired girl, he narrowed his eyes as he spotted the title of the book she was currently holding. "Is...that your book? A bit graphic, no?"



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Ralsei
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Forum Posts: 735 		Posted: Tue, 23/02/2021 19:29 (4 Years ago)
With a slight nod in response to the detective's thanks, Amane again listened to Westling's questions. "I don't personally know anyone. Like I said, I'm kind of a stranger in these circles." He thought for a moment, quietly fiddling with the collars of his sleeves. "I suppose anyone who knew the building well enough would have been able to cut the chandelier. Or anyone smart enough to find a way up there on their own. They'd have to be taller than me, though," Amane added with a wry grin. "Can you imagine a shrimp like me being able to get all the way up there, what with the lack of climbing routes?" The teen tossed his head lightly, letting out a small laugh. "All jokes aside, I think it would have to be someone who was wearing something compact. Whether they changed in the middle of the ball or not, clothing would be an important factor - it would be borderline dangerous to risk long coattails or skirts getting caught on something."

Amane gave the scrap of fabric on the desk a last glance before standing. "If that's all you have to ask, then that's really all the information I have." He nodded towards the cloth. "I think that could be a lead, if you can figure out who it belonged to or what piece of clothing it belonged to, but that's my only idea."


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