In the first second, a invisible crow crackles to break the silence of the upstairs loft where all Lost secrecy happens. In the second, there are leaves in orange, brown and gold spreading around bringing along the scent of burned wood. And, finally, in the third second, a man appears. It's an ogre set into a expensive looking suit underneath a long graffiti trench coat. The man, in his late 40's glances around, looking for someone, apparently."C.B.? Are you there?" He asks as he comes further into the room.
C.B. is up here, fiddling at the record player with his glasses on -- but he whirls around as someone flat out appears in here. "We don't use Contracts to travel in Cat-22," he snaps. "It's against Hospitality here. Who are you?"
A papery cat of a Hedgebeast is here as well, seated on a leather armchair, and he watches Ben with steady interest.
Ben looks puzzled as he approaches the other man."I'm fully aware of your rules, C.B.." He says as he puts both hands into his coat's pockets."If you're talking about this..." He glances at the ground."...it's just my Court's mantle's manifestation. A bit cliche, I know." He then pauses to look at the papery cat with curiosity."Hello to you too." And finally, he turns to look at CB."Ben Utridge. A magus of the Gilded Thorn." The ogre offers."And I'm here to talk to you about an incident back in the Hedge. If you have the time."
C.B. squints and mumbles something under his breath, but lets it go. Perhaps he was mistaken. The papery cat looks up at the other Lost and says, in a deep, rich voice, "Hello."
C.B., meanwhile, takes a sip from the beer can he's already holding. "Alright, Ben Utridge. What do you want?" It's not uncommon for him to be blunt and to the point.
"I used magic to take a look at Kip and he's really not insane as some people may be thinking. So I started talking to him and he told me a story about he being in the Hedge with a few others, you included, and inhalling some spores from a Hob creature. He thinks that's what's making him sick. And I do too. I want to help, but I need a useful description from this Hob and Kip couldn't give me one. Can you?" He ask plainly."If it happened to Kip, I think these spores can affect everyone else if we get in contact with them. As a Magus, it's part of my job to study this Hob and the spores."
"I knew that already," C.B. says crossly. "I already checked. You think you're the only one with 'magic'?" But then he listens to the rest of it, jaw moving as he takes it in. "Are you talking about getting sneezed on by the troll we encountered out there?" He has to laugh, just a little, though there's not much mirth in it. "So, what, Kip contracted some kind of Hedge supervirus that scrambled his brains? Is that what you're telling me?"
Ben remains unphased when CB laughs and waits his time to talk."I'm telling you I want to track down this Troll and check on him. I can't say anything about Kip's condition without further analyzes. But whatever it is it's messing with the boy's head, apparently."
C.B. sighs, shakes his head and rolls his eyes. There's a brief lift and drop of his shoulders. "Okay. Fine. So what do you want from me? I don't know where the hell the troll is now."
"All I want is a description of the creature. With as many details as you can recall." The magus says as he retrieves from his pocket a small notepad and a pen to start taking notes. Or maybe drawing."With a useful description I can try to track him down with my knowledge about the local Hedge and my contacts in the Market."
C.B. sighs again, running a hand through his hair, further messing it up. "Fuck, I don't know. I barely remember what I was doing two hours ago." His blue-silver eyes stare off at a distant point as he tries to recall. "I mean...he was big. Troll-like. Fuck. I can't much remember."
The papery Hedgebeast in the leather armchair says calmly, "He had green-brown skin and leaked orange-colored tears from his eyes." Ah. So C.B. wasn't the only one present. Good thing his extra brain was around.
Ben's eyes lie on CB, but don't focus on the man. The pair of wicked yellow eyes goes further, as trying to picture the creature into his head, but then, there is the Hedgebeast talking and the Autumn courtier blinks and turns to look at him."Green-brown skin and leaked orange-colored tears." He repeats as he takes notes in his notepad. When he's done, a coupe seconds later, he nods once to the papery cat."Thank you very much." Then a pause."What's your name again?" He asks to the cat as he ignores CB for a moment.
C.B. continues to mutter under his breath and drink his beer as the cat answers, "Yossarian." And that's it. He offers nothing more -- just stares back at Ben with his own yellow eyes.
"Yossarian. Nice to meet you." He offers to the cat and then, turns to look at CB."I think that's a start. We don't have many creatures with orange-colored tears coming from their eyes in these parts of the Hedge I hope." He comments as he puts his notepad back into its proper place."So. I have one more question. Not related to Kip's sickness, though. If you don't mind."
"For me or for Yossy?" C.B. seems annoyed, but he hasn't stomped out of the room yet, so one assumes he's staying. He stares expectantly at Ben, drinking his beer, ankles crossed but not at all relaxed in his standing posture.
"For you, actually." He says. CB's behavior doesn't seen to affect the ogre."How does an Alexander end up being a famous writer? I'm really curious." He asks as he lets his shoulders to drop just a tidbit as the 'official' conversation ends.
C.B. snorts again, probably offended. "What a stupid question. It's not like all Alexanders are completely condemned to be exactly like the rest of their family members." But for whatever reason, he acquiesces. After all, no one has asked him this question; not even the other Alexanders. "I'm an Alexander on my mother's side. And I'm not from Fort Brunsett."
"I googled your bio and it still doesn't answer my question, C.B.." Ben says still with that serious face on him. The man is still standing still in the middle of the loft like a statue with his hands into his pockets. But deep into his wicked eyes there is curiosity.
"Then what /exactly/ is your question? If you don't think I'm answering it, try being more direct." C.B. drains his beer and chucks the can on the coffee table, staring the other Lost down.
Ben takes a time to ponder on his next question. In the meantime, that curiosity changes and becomes something else. Something between curiosity and empathy."Our families carry a lot of bad reputation. I want to know how you live with it and how you keep away from the family's business. The real business." He says. This time the ogre talks with a more human voice. It carries some weight and feelings.
"Like I said, I'm not from here. That alone makes a big difference." C.B.'s eyebrows raise and his denim-blue eyes, shot through with silver as they are, grow a touch wider. "There's no expectations for me to be doing something else. I expected to be confronted when I found out what the Alexanders are like, but nothing happened. I can't really explain it." He starts to cross to the fridge, presumably for another beer. "Family names only carry as much shit as you want them to. That's what I think."
The Witchtooth takes a deep breath and, in the next moment, he's back into his dark ogre mood."You know our families are allies here, right? We did lots of 'works' together in the past and still do. If you need help, I'll not say no to you, C.B.." He offers as he watches the other man heading to the fridge.
C.B. shrugs a shoulder, sliding out a can of Naragansett Lager and hastily cracking it open to take a big drink. "Yeah, I know. It doesn't mean much to me. But sure." Another shrug. "Help. Great. Why don't you help Kip like everyone else is doing? You're already ahead of the game ont hat one, right?"
"All I did was listening to the boy. Now I have a lead. But if there are others trying to help him, you can tell them I'm avaliable to joing them if they want a non-Freeholder among them. I know being and outsider is a thing to them." Ben says."I live at the Red Clover Hotel, in case someone asks for me." He then glances at the cat once more, just to check on the Hedgebeast and back to CB."Thanks for the answers. I'll be in touch." And with that, he turns around and starts making his way out carrying along with him the leaves, the scent of burning wood and the invisible crow that crackles one more time.
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