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Post by Jules on Mar 9, 2009 21:21:03 GMT -5
Marie, ignoring his little outburst for the moment, led him into the kitchen, where the maid pulled out a seat for them both and then returned with an apple, some crackers and a glass of water.
"I 'aven't been hungry for food when I can barely get any fear." She said by way of apology. "And I did not mean to get angry. It's just zat people are dying, and I'm probably zee only one who knows why, and no one's going to listen to me."
She didn't even have any influential friendships anymore. The famine had made false friends close their doors and she hadn't heard a peep from Genn or Alexander.
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Post by demitri on Mar 9, 2009 21:54:38 GMT -5
"Dying..." He paused for a moment, Nightmares could die... Well, he supposed it made sense, a god could die if no one worshiped or believed in it anymore "What do you mean...how? Just because there isn't any fear?"
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Post by Jules on Mar 9, 2009 22:00:50 GMT -5
"Yes, just because there isn't any Fear. We eat normal food, but it's only for fun, really. What sustains us is Fear, or in a Dream's case, Joy. And only the really strong ones can get that nowadays. And I'm not one of them."
And no one had seemingly remembered her in her dusty house with nothing to eat. Alexander had promised he wouldn't stop being her friend, but she hadn't seen head or tail of him since. She'd hoped that he might stop by, just to make sure she wasn't wasting away, but apparently she wasn't even that important. Sighing, Marie shrugged. "No one's very afraid of Marie Antoinette and her removable 'ead anymore."
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Post by demitri on Mar 9, 2009 22:12:08 GMT -5
He felt bad Really bad For all of things under the bed, for sugar plums and Santaclaus, the boogie man and the rest All of those terrifyingly immortal things were now dying, and then, "You're Maire Antoinette?" He choked on his apple a bit, "No fear? But people still go on ghost tours in London to see you? I mean, half of London's chocolate cabinets are haunted by you...or is that..something different than fear..." He paused a bit...fantasy, it all seemed like fantasy, these problems weren't even real, but like most, it was caused by humans.
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Post by Jules on Mar 9, 2009 22:16:21 GMT -5
"I'm not the real Marie Antoinette. Not the one who grew old and was married to ze King and all zat. I am simply the recurring Nightmare a close friend 'ad of her, aftair she was beheaded." Marie touched her choker, "keeps my head on straight." Literally.
She wasn't exactly sure what he was talking about with the ghost tours in London or what not, but she was pretty sure she could guess. "You mean being afraid while awake? Concious fear is no good to us. Not nutritious."
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Post by demitri on Mar 9, 2009 22:23:38 GMT -5
"Oh..." He paused, "I suppose these days more kids have nightmares about nuclear holocaust and terminators than they do English queens." A sigh as he crunched an apple, "So how is it that Nightmares are around, how are you getting foo..er fear and joy and emotions if the human subconscience is now, well, an impenetrable force...." And how the hell am I here or still here and when am I going to wake up.
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Post by Jules on Mar 9, 2009 22:27:51 GMT -5
"I was Queen of France." She corrected him frostily, chin rising slightly.
But it lowered when she moved to answer him. "Some very strong Nightmares and Dreams can make it through, and bend ze forced dream to serve zere needs. Zey're trying to feed everyone, wizzout zat much success."
Marie felt drained. These days she slept as much as possible to ward off the hunger pains and muscle weakness. "I 'ave a spare room for you, if you'd like."
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Post by demitri on Mar 9, 2009 22:41:52 GMT -5
"I would like that..." He was still nervous, unsure...but what was happening here, in any ethical sense, seemed to be an unbalancing of the human psyche', everything that allowed the subconcious to cope with reality through repressed creativity was now being stolen away. He wondered, if perhaps the mandatory pills were a forceful break of the human mind Over time perhaps---- He stopped thinking about it "Is there anything I can do---to repay you...for saving me?" He asked.
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Post by Jules on Mar 9, 2009 22:49:43 GMT -5
"Yes, actually. You can, aftair you 'ave rested a day or so, can come wizz me to see King Jack. He'll want to meet you so you can explain what is going on and we can decide what we'll do about eet."
And maybe she could ask for a meal or two in return. Selfish perhaps, but Marie was skinnier than was healthy and she really didn't like her appearance suffering. "But don't worry too much. Ze King is a pretty good man."
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Post by demitri on Mar 9, 2009 22:59:46 GMT -5
He noded, though he knew he wouldn't sleep that night He felt the need to help, or at least, the curiosity to do so...
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Post by Jules on Mar 9, 2009 23:11:49 GMT -5
The next morning, even after a sound sleep, Marie barely had the energy to get up and put an outfit together. She kept it relatively conservative, since she was planning on taking Mark to see the King today and she didn't have the willpower for one of her more creative concoctions.
Walking down the hall of her second floor, she stopped outside the guest room and knocked on the door, not really caring if she was waking Mark up or not.
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Post by demitri on Mar 9, 2009 23:18:15 GMT -5
"Yes?" He sat in a chair facing the window, the covers untouched, just staring at the hazed sun over the nightmare scape, as if still trying to wake up. He looked towards Marie, a little bit of desperation in his face and a lack of anything to say.
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Post by Jules on Mar 9, 2009 23:29:57 GMT -5
He obviously hadn't slept at all, and Marie felt a pang of sympathy. Sleep was her escape and she didn't quite know what she'd do without out. She was only glad that going to the Castle didn't mean she'd run into Alex. He was probably holed up in his little crypt with a lifetime supply for them both.
She slipped into the room and smiled at him. "In ze mood to meet our King today? I'm sure he could also 'elp you get back."
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Post by demitri on Mar 9, 2009 23:40:51 GMT -5
"Really?" He was a little grouchy after the night, after every night... What was this king going to do, give him a new frock and some pretty red shoes and ask him to click them thirce? He sighed slightly, he wanted to know what was happening Strange world or not Something was going on
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Post by Jules on Mar 9, 2009 23:50:59 GMT -5
Marie shrugged. "He's pretty good at zose kinds of zings. And even if he can't, you need to tell 'im whats going on." She offered him the bundle of men's clothing she'd had the maid fetch last night. "Zis is for you. Can't see ze king is zose rags. 'Ow is your 'and, by ze way?"
He seemed a little spaced out so she placed the clothing on his lap and turned around to let him get changed in relatively privacy. "I don't zink we 'ave anyzing for breakfast, but my maid has gone to do some shopping for you."
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