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Post by Belle Starr on Apr 17, 2015 5:35:39 GMT
As Atticus turned back towards the vehicles and jogged away from Belle, hoping she and Volodja listen, he mumbled under my breath, "Dak it all! I am the unstable one here! What the dak is this world coming to, when the one considered mentally unstable, by EVERYBODY, must be the stable leader?!?!?!"
"Wow!" Said Belle as she raised her blond eyebrows high over her big blue eyes while she watched the giant head back to the vehicles, then smiled, shrugged her shoulders, and raced after him, her enhanced hearing allowing her to hear his mutterings, then replied, "Shoot Atticus, all y'all had to do was ask! Besides, if you're mentally unstable, then I'm absolutely, certifiably crazy as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs!"
As Belle got into the Raptor with Atticus, she stared in front of her, afraid to make eye contact with the big man for fear of what he might see there, then drawled, "You know Hunter S. Thompson, a Pre-Pale Wars writer slash philosopher once said, 'The edge, there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over!' I've gone over the edge so many times I feel I know the way by heart and you may be the only one who understands because you live there on the edge! I usually cross back to the so called sane side after short visit, but I'm not sure I can this time! Vo was my anchor to the sane side, and without him, I'm just not sure I want to be there anymore!"
She finally turned her big blue eyes to him as he drove and smiled, "You know why I like the blur power our EGO gives us? I like to run and run and run and only then do I feel free - free of my monster, free of responsibility, free of life! I wish I could just blur forever, not thinking about anything but the next step in front of me! I wish..."
Belle let the sentence trail off as she turned her eyes back toward the road in front of the Raptor, not wanting him to see the tears welling up in her eyes. She had lost so many friends and loved ones in the last year - Nolan, Irisa, Mr. Lewis, her friends in New York City, her sister, even Uncle Greenstreet who turned out to be a villain, but she still loved him as family - and now the one she loved the most, Vo.
"That may be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back," Thought Belle to herself as she said out loud in a sad tone, "I don't want to be in command! I don't want to be an officer! When I'm in command, people die! I just want to run!"
Belle remained quiet as she watched the road, remembering the feel of the wind in her hair as she blurred, the feel of freedom and lack of care, and wanting to desperately recapture that feeling.
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on Apr 17, 2015 5:52:07 GMT
Volodja kept jogging on the beach. His armour wasn't exactly a traditional work out clothing, but it had it's advantages. Firstly he didn't got shot so easily and secondly - it added some weight, so he could work with improving his stamina. His footprints on wet sand lasted only a seconds until next wave wiped them off and he felt wind on his face. Air was salty and his eyes finally caught his destination. It was half sunken ship away from the shore - castle and retreat of a really brilliant mind, although Wolfram did everything he could, to fade it.
Volodja saw a line, connecting ship with a shore still intact. That gave him hope, that Wolfram was still there and hasn't cut off his connection with outer world. If the line was there, then he should look for the raft, Wolfram kept there that his few guests he ever spoke with, can visit his home. Volodja had that honour and privilege. After all - they knew each other back in Europe and although they had a big difference in age, they became close, because even loneliest souls needed a human contact and back then they both were alone most of times, except Volodja still preferred company and Wolfram avoided people. Volodja met him in a Ratskeller in a small town, where Wolfram was busy filling himself with alcohol after his shopping day. Only reason why he left his former hermitage was to get some groceries and booze. Somehow Volodja found himself sitting in Wolfram's table and they started a conversation and talked until morning. After that night they bumped into each other from time to time and he always had something to teach to him until Volodja left the Old Continent.
And then they met incidentally in States, because Wolfram decided to try new places to avoid meeting old and familiar faces from his past. But Volodja ruined his plan, when he saw Wolfram standing by his broken truck in former San Francisco area. Truck contained Wolfram's so called "medical equipment" and he was busy moving it to his new place when he had some technical difficulties. Volodja helped him with fixing the truck and offered his help on moving and settling Wolfram in to that abandoned ship. Since Volodja was really convincing, he bored Wolfram to death, and he finally accepted his helping hand. Now it was time to bother good old Wolf once more. Volodja found the raft pretty quickly, because he knew where to look. After few minutes he was comfortably on the raft and pulled himself closer to Wolfram's ship along the line.
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Post by Erika Widowmaker on Apr 17, 2015 5:58:45 GMT
Erika Widowmaker insisted on driving, following the Raptor in the red Challenger convertible, as Lady Christianna sat in the passenger seat pouting over the fact that it was her new car and that she should be driving.
"Sure," She thought, "My first drive with it landed it on the second floor of a ruined building - but it's not like I ruined the building, it was already ruined!"
Erika knew that Lady was displeased with the situation, so sought to change the subject and if not the mood, "You know, with Taffer gone and Vo dead, we have to stay closer to each other than ever before. We have too many enemies to just run off. We need each other, and Atticus and that unborn baby especially need you. I hate to think of what may happen to Atticus if he were to lose you. it would destroy him. Lady, please promise me you won't just run off like that again without telling someone on the team."
Lady thought about it for several long moments, then turned to Erika with wide pink eyes and smiled enigmatically, replying, "Promise."
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Post by Atticus Batman on Apr 17, 2015 7:42:55 GMT
As I drive, I listen to Belle. I think for a few seconds then speak. "Starr Eyes, plenty consider me certifiably nuts. Ask Erika or Ara Shondu to show you my file from the Votanis Collective, Captain Grant to show you the file E-rep has on me, or Cooper to show you the file the Bay Area Lawkeepers have on me. There are plenty of other Organizations around the world with similiar files on Atticus Batman. They all have a list a mile long of mental disorders they are all certain that I have. Can't say I disagree with most, though. As for the edge, I am very familiar with it. I cross back and forth and am most comfortable on that other side, but I live on that edge."
"I am only walking the line these days for one reason...well now two. Lady's love for me makes me want to fight my rage and be a person instead of the beast that I am. So for her, instead of permantly crossing to that dark side I belong in, I will always walk the line."
"As for Command, do not worry. Everyone seems to have quickly accepted me as "The Man in Charge". If all of you want me in charge and honestly feel I am the right creature for the job, then I will not argue. However you have to stay on the sane side since we all want and need you. Besides you have a niece or nephew to hold in about nine months. I am sure you have already heard but Lady is pregnant. You honestly think we don't want our child's Aunt Belle to be there for everything?!"
I stop my Raptor a decent distance from the shoreline where Volodja's signal is at and send him an EGO message. "You may not like it, but the women insisted we make sure you are safe. So we will be waiting right here for you, when you are ready to leave."
Over our EGo connections I give the team the order to just relax and hang out near our vehicles. I then get out and walk over to Belle as she gets out. I hug her and whisper, "Look without you I would have never met Lady and she definitely wouldn't be a part of a team, this team. This team is the only family most of us have. Like hell if I am going to stand by and let another member just disapear! You wanted me to care about something and hopefully people. I care about OUR "family" and will do everything I can to keep the rest of the family together! WE ARE FAMILY!!!"
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on Apr 17, 2015 7:52:26 GMT
Volodja kept pulling himself closer, still thinking about Wolfram and wondering, how the hell he didn't thought about asking his help before. Wolfram was a great psychiatrist once and graduate one of top universities of the time - King's College in London. His aristocratic family could afford it back then. But Pale Wars changed everything. He left his practice to join the army, because he wanted to help and became a leading specialist in treating battle stress, but you can call it as you like - shell shock, war neurosis and so on. Unfortunately his achievements weren't unnoticed, so he was transferred into a division which was assigned to turn soldiers into "fearless war machines" by inserting subconscious commands into their brains. Suddenly Wolfram found himself in situation, where one of his hands was destroying other hands work. Instead of curing consequences, he was supposed to make cannon fodder more effective, subjugating them to battle traumas, so he started to feel like a schizophrenic, except he was conscious about his deeds. Finally he snapped because of huge pressure he was experienced, when he had to fight against his own beliefs. He deserted the army, leaving all behind and tried to find his way out from that madness by drinking. All the time he feared that he will be forced into similar position again and he chose solitude, leaving his hiding place only to have some food and alcohol. Ever since he kept running away until he landed in that abandoned ship and started his "experiments", and Volodja was there with him as his assistant and main test subject and left after that, when results satisfied both of them, but he was visited him from time to time to have a talk and "enjoy" fruits of their work. And now one of these times became, so he grabbed his boot flask and had a gulp of the brandy. He already knew how things are going to be, as soon he enters Wolfram's property. Sophie knew that too and she wished him best of luck.
Atticus's message cut his thoughts and he replied: "Ill be fine. At least when I enter his nest. Not sure how my visit ends, but usually Ill be fine soon after that. Have to trust my previous experiences with him." And he continued his cruise until his raft bumped into a side of tilted ship. He finally arrived.
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Post by Belle Starr on Apr 17, 2015 9:48:55 GMT
As Belle and Atticus hugged, she smiled warmly showing her pearly whites and remarked, "I've seen Ara's file on you! Cooper's too! And you're right! You're as crazy as a gator in a bath tub but... you're my - scratch that - OUR gator in a bath tub!" Belle continued to hug Atticus as tightly as she would a cliff side where the only option to letting go was oblivion, and Belle wasn't ready for that quite yet. So she hung on to Atticus, focusing on what he had said about her, about family, until Lady got out of the car and ran up to them, putting her small alabaster arms around them both and hugging them tight. Erika got out from behind the driver's wheel of the red Challenger, moving to the front and leaning on the hood crossing her muscular clay red arms as she watched them, then slowly shook her head at the absurdity of the scene of a huge Irathiant, a small Casti, and the very human Belle Starr hugging in the middle of the San Francisco wasteland. Without opening her closed eyes, Lady crooked a forefinger at Erika, gesturing to her to join the group hug and after a few seconds, Erika grinned as she threw up her arms before reluctantly doing so. They all remained embracing for several moments more, before Belle cleared her throat, saying with a smile, "Okay, suffocating here!" whereupon they all laughed as they broke the embrace, as well as the preceding tension.  |
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on Apr 17, 2015 10:41:42 GMT
Wolfram von Eschen was really busy in his cabin. His distiller worked on full steam and full stream of crystal clear liquid was filling another bottle, while he handled his apparatus with such a tender care, like he was about to discover secret of Philosopher's Stone. Actually that moonshine he produced was corner stone of his existence, because first and foremost customer of his merchandise was one and only Wolfram von Eschen. But he had to sell some of his booze to certain circle of people, because he needed raw materials to produce more of it. And he always kept few bottles for unexpected friends, who may come to visit.
He filled his glass, snapped fingers and saying: "Prosit!" to his fade image in a dirty mirror, poured glassful into his throat, when he heard knock on his door.
"Nicht klopfen! Herein!" shouted Wolfram and seeing that it was Volodja who stepped in, he continued with more quiet voice: "Ah, servus Volodja, mein junge freund, was gibt's neues?"
Volodja looked his thin tall figure in dirty lab coat. He still looked impressive like seventy year old Gaius Julius, except Caesar didn't had thin stripe of grey moustache on his upper lip and eyes reminding pair of grey glass beads. Wolfram was in his usual condition - on his way on getting fully loaded. And seeing him standing in middle of his tilted cabin Volodja had to ask himself again - was he really von Eschen? Escher seemed to be more suitable surname for him.
"Alles ist in Ordnung. Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen," replied Volodja with a quote and continued: "Can we speak in English, please? I'd like to practice mein Deutsch with you, but I have friends near by and probably they are worried about me, so I'd like them to understand, what we are saying to each other. Besides - as long as I remember, you speak fluent English."
"I do, Volodja, and you still seem to be Ein idealistischer Trottel," Wolfram said with recognisable accent. "Deciding from that look in your eyes, you haven't changed a bit."
"Wolfram. Once you were an idealist Fool yourself, but you gave that up, while I still kept getting my beaten body up from the floor. That's the difference between us. But now it's about to change, Wolfram. I need your help. Hier und Jetzt."
"First you will have to taste my Schnapps and then we will talk."
Volodja shrugged. Once again he had to taste his hellish distilling result, like he did in old days, when Wolfram still worked on his recipe. But it was unavoidable, because that showed that Volodja was still in good terms with Wolfram. He either drank his moonshine himself or sold with really high price. No freebies from him, except when he really liked you. That's why Volodja took a glass into his hand, held his breath and put the bottom up. Schnapps went don like a stream of fiery magma and exploded in his stomach like a ground hitting meteorite. "Scheisse!" was all he could say, because he knew that this was only a beginning of conversation. There will be lot of convincing to do and having more drinks will be involved. He sighed and continued with his talk, trying to avoid having another drink too soon:
"I am actually here, to drag you out from your retirement..."
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Post by Belle Starr on Apr 17, 2015 13:09:15 GMT
Lady Christianna sat on top of the Raptor, taking occasional potshots at a lone scrap-bot that got too close to her beloved red Challenger convertible with a Ranger rifle she found in the trunk. Erika Widowmaker was sitting behind the driver's seat of the Challenger, her baseball cap with "LAW" written on it pulled down over her eyes, her muscular clay red arms behind her head. The occasional nearby shots did not seemed to bother her as she appeared to be asleep, although all her senses were aware while she rested; senses honed by years of trench warfare in the Pale Wars. Atticus Batman stood leaning against his car with his arms folded as he watched out towards the ocean, presumably in the direction where Volodja was visiting his friend, as Belle Starr rummaged through the Raptor's trunk.
"Boring." Announced Lady as aimed more carefully with her large pink eyes before triggering another shot, but still merely getting close enough to scare the scrap-bot away but not destroy it.
Belle found Atticus' small stash of Irathiant rum and holding up one bottle asked with a ingratiating smile, "Are y'all sure we can't just open one of these Atticus?"
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on Apr 17, 2015 13:29:11 GMT
"...I have less and less time to convince you to leave your hermitage, before your bloody liquid fire incapacitates me. I need your help. You are the man for the job with all your experience taking care of mental traumas. And sorry to say, but you have been a brainwasher yourself, so now it's your chance to do something good with your skills. I need skilled and independent consultant, because I can't do everything myself and there are bunch of holes in my knowledge. Verstehen? I have couple of brainwashed Irathients here - children of one of my friends, so I came to you in hope that you will help them. You can return after that unless we can change your mind about staying with us, because we need you - to cure, to teach, to be useful again. Can't you see that I am trying to help YOU up from the floor?" Volodja had another drink, but seemed that his talking finally gave some results, because he heard Wolfram muttering: Verdammt! Ich komme, Volodja. I will come...and see what I can do, but don't expect any miracles, but YOU will have to carry my doctor's case." And he put his huge black case down to the floor and started to fill it with moonshine bottles. A lot of them.  |
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Post by Lady Christianna on Apr 17, 2015 13:51:44 GMT
As Lady took another shot and missed, Sandy, Lady's EGO Psyche enthusiastically proposed, "Here's a damn good idea! I go in and check to make sure Volodja is okay! It's not that far, and I'm sure it won't take that much energy to project my hologram that far!"
Lady wrinkled her nose as she pouted slightly, weighing her boredom versus the chance Atticus might get angry with her, then dismissing the latter because he always liked when she took initiative - almost always anyway, so she slightly smiled as she commanded, "Just do it!"
Sandy appeared suddenly next to Volo as a ghostly white hologram, dressed in her crisp EMC fatigues and baseball cap, waving at the hip, and saying cheerfully to Wolfram, "Hi, I'm Sandy!" Then more testily to Volodja, "You the hell okay there Volodja? We were getting fucking worried about you, and the cheap blonde has found Atticus' rum stash!"
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on Apr 17, 2015 14:03:15 GMT
"I am really fine, Sandy dear," said Volodja: "I just managed to find a specialist who is capable of helping. Erika and her children. And believe me - it was not an easy task to convince this old goat to come with us. Not an easy task at all. And if somebody just found a stash of Irathient rum, then sorry to say, that rum it's just a soda compared with that damned Schnapps I had to drink with my old friend here." He loaded some bottles into another bag. "You can have a taste too. Wolfram isn't mind." And slightly staggering Wolfram and a bit more staggering Volodja stepped out from the cabin, Volodja holding heavy bags both his hand.
After few minutes Volodja and Wolfram left his ship, but this time they used Wolfram's boat, dragging raft behind them and reciting Johann Wolfgang Goethe's "Mignon" from his "Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship": "Kennst du das Land, wo die Zitronen blühn, Im dunkeln Laub die Goldorangen glühn..."
On the shore they stepped out and Volodja introduced his old friend to his new ones: "This is Wolfram von Eschen, talented psychiatrist, a specialist about war traumas, brainwashing and moon shining as well. He agreed to help us... on solving at least two issues."
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Post by Belle Starr on Apr 17, 2015 14:41:45 GMT
After finding Volodja no worse for wear, Sandy popped back into Lady's head apprising her of the situation as the two men used the raft to get to shore.
Belle Starr stepped up first to firmly shake Wolfram's hand, a warm smile on her pretty freckled face s she said in all sincerity, "Pleased to meet you Dr. Von Eschen. I'm Belle Starr, but y'all can called me Belle! Welcome to the team!"
Erika came up next, shaking his hand, but almost crushing it not conscious of her own great strength because her mind was whirling with possibilities due to his arrival, stating calmly but with a hint of hope in her voice, "I'm Erika Widowmaker, and I believe my two children's mental... difficulties... may be one of the reasons you are here. Please accept my thanks for coming, as we - as I - really need you. Whatever you need during our stay with us, I will be sure to procure for you."
Lady Christianna didn't move forward, staying slightly behind Atticus Batman with her thin white arms folded tightly against her small bosom, pouting as she muttered, "Another rent."
"Okay, lets get back to the team base," Commanded Atticus, so they all got in the two vehicles and began the convoy back to the teams' base, getting there in record time.
Somewhere along the line, Belle mentioned to those riding in the Raptor with her, "We really need to think of a better name than team base! How about... Kshaa Base or even Base Vo?"
Belle grew silent for the rest of the trip, as a sad look crossed her pale face, her smile disappearing as her blue diamond eyes welled with tears that she would not allow to fall.
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on Apr 17, 2015 15:59:48 GMT
"Volodja, mein junge freund," said Wolfram, when Volodja showed him his new cabin. "You mentioned before, that you need a consultation. I must know what you have observed, when you dealt with your team member's problems. If I understood correctly, then you are closest thing to counsellor here and I am afraid, that you will do most of the job in future too. You lack some knowledge, that's all, but not skills and practice. I am too old and too drunk most of the time and let me remind you, that your was the one, who dragged me out from my retreat. I will deal with most urgent problem - our brainwashed patients first and I might need your help there too. Ich enschuldige mich." And he raised his glass again and both of them had their share of Wolfram's booze. "Also..."
Volodja shared everything he noticed during his time at the team and worried look at Wolfram's face didn't filled his heart with exactly joy.
"Let's begin with Atticus - he has anger issues, but he is able to deal with them most of the time, because he is in love and you have influenced him too. That's a minor problem at moment.
Lady Christianna is next one - a teenager, what can we say? And suppressed and insecure one, as you mentioned. But her pregnancy and hunger for new knowledge will be a great help to her development. And you mentioned something about teaching her responsibility, bin ich richtig informiert? Sehr gut. Let's try that.
Erika -her main problem is her family. Once we deal with her children, she will be well. Und her alienation problems. A cultural shock, you suspect. She must learn to adjust herself. Halt's maul, Volodja! She is not like me! Always acting by the book, like Germans do, you say? Let me remind you, that my roots are in Lichtenstein, Himmelherrgott!"
They had another drink and Wolfram continued: "Und now Belle and...you. Jawohl. You too are much alike, ich muss sagen. You both feel bad about yourselves, although there is no reason to do it. Your main difference at moment is, that you have gotten yourself together, but if you both don't learn to care about yourselves, you too will be down again. You both are fighter types, but at moment she has lost lot of loved ones and she feels insecure about herself. She lacks inner strength too. You are more confident at moment, although I did not like, what I heard about your depression back in Freedom.
But you managed to find yourself something to do, to ease your mind. So you should reach her helping hand and introduce her with your work. She needs something to do with her mind also and she needs to see some positive results for her efforts. So she should start with something easy and then move into harder tasks, gaining self confidence back, after succeeding. Ja, just like you, Volodja. She must regain her optimistisch weltanschauung (optimistic world perception) and you should learn about that more. Besides - you are her so called Ji..mi..ny Cricket? And you accepted her even knowing that she has Volge problem. And she can't accept that herself. Poor girl. Her problems are most human and she does not even realize that. Go and do your job and make her sure that she is wanted and needed! Und keep in mind that you both set too high standards for yourselves and after that you both feel unhappy when you are not achieve them. Stop doing that!
But now you can get out and find something to do. But before you go, just let me say one thing common for all of you - you all need acceptance and feeling that you fit in somewhere the way you all are. You all need a Familie. Ach. I knew that you would say that you knew it. And thank you for sharing your knowledge. You are mostly correct. Even about yourself. Heraus, Volodja!"
They had another drink and then Volodja left Wolfram alone, because poor guy needed to adjust himself with more people, than he was used with and he could sweat that he heard how Wolfram was busy barricading doorway with lose furniture.
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Post by Belle Starr on Apr 17, 2015 17:25:43 GMT
Belle Starr went into her old base quarters that she had shared with her true love, Vo Kssah. She took a long hot shower crying as she did so, thinking of the many times Vo and her had shared one. Belle changed into one of her oversized t-shirts that always doubled as a night shirt for her, forlornly noting his clothes still hanging in the closet there. She went to the liquor cabinet in their room, seeing all the champagne bottles within, but opting for a bottle of Kentucky Bourbon in the back, then grabbed a shot glass and moved to her vanity table in a corner of the room. Belle sat down in the chair facing the large mirror and looked at herself. The whites around her blue diamond eyes were red from crying so much, and she had huge circles around her eyes as well from the lack of restful sleep. She thought her freckled face was paler and her blond hair more bedraggled than normal. She poured a shot glass of Bourbon, downing it in a single burning gulp. Then she had another. By the time she had an even half dozen, she abandoned the glass in favor of the bottle, taking a swig as she got up and staggered slightly to the bedside. Belle was pulling up the red satin bed sheets and matching comforter, when her bare foot hit something cloth under the bed. A little unsteady, she leaned down, grabbing a soiled shirt from under the bed. It was Vo's shirt, covered in grease, oil, and sweat stains from whatever his last motor-head project was at the Bug an Chug. She sat down on the edge of the bed, putting the bottle on the bedside table, staring at the shirt in his hand, particularly the name embroidered on it, Vo Kshaa. She brought the shirt up to her small freckled nose, closing her eyes as she took in its smells with her enhanced senses, which were so strong that it was if he was on the bed next to her again. The sensations were so real that her big blue eyes flew open with a start, searching for him even thought the logic portion of her brain knew he wouldn't be found, although the emotional part hoped he would be. The room proved empty except for her and the now half empty bottle of Bourbon, so Belle grabbed it from the night table, taking another long swig before putting it back. She then laid down on the bed, her body quickly curling into a fetal position as she held Vo's shirt to her nose as she wept, finally falling into a fitful sleep.  |
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on Apr 17, 2015 17:52:44 GMT
Volodja thought that he heard crying somewhere, but impossible. Rooms are soundproof after all. But Belle's quarters door seemed to be not fully closed and weeping came from there. Although Volodja failed Belle as her Jiminy Cricket, he still decided to look and offer any help if possible. Belle needed a shoulder to cry on and his shoulder was available at moment. so he asked politely: "May I come in?" but entered anyway, covering his eyes just in case, Belle was....let's say really lightly dressed. Like a blind guy Volodja moved towards the sound and feeling warmth of Belle, sat beside her. "Hello Tinkerbelle", he whispered, seeing that Belle was obviously fallen asleep while he searched his way."Better put you decently into bed and even if you can't hear me, I have to say that tears are doing good, but you can't cry forever. Nobody don't want to see you cry. You deserve to smile and maybe I have enough time and strength to help you, like good old Wolfram suggested. You need a company of us all, not to be alone. And you need something to do, which gives back your will to live."
He settled Belle gently to her bed, and still avoiding watching her, pulled blanket over her. After that he just kissed her pale forehead and started to sneak out again.
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