VOICEMAIL

[enjoymyatelier]

"...well, I suppose it's about time I make one of these things...

Hello, you have reached the voicemail of Lord Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi. I am unable to answer at this time due to some other business I have to attend to, but state your purpose and I'll get back to you whenever I find the time."

[I'm cool with any sort of one-on-one stuff going on here so long as it starts with a voicemail! Obviously we'll need to plan if our characters are in the same area or not if we want to switch to action, but you know!]

Comments

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[doitrockapella]

That day, take ten minutes out of whatever else you're doing and enjoy a dessert of your choice.

It's my birthday.

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[enjoymyatelier]

[...

?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!]

Ah... certainly. Ten minutes is barely any time at all, and of course, there'd be no conflict if it went longer than that...

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[doitrockapella]

I'd appreciate it.

Really, I probably owe you at least an explanation, if not an outright apology; I know this is abrupt. But I'm trying something new this year — telling people about it, rather than keeping it to myself.

[...]

I...once lectured someone for doing that, and I'd like to at least make an effort toward not being a hypocrite myself. Unfortunately, I think it's come at the expense of some bewilderment on your part, hasn't it.

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[enjoymyatelier]

Ah, no, that's perfectly fine. Actually, I really can't say I blame you for keeping it to yourself.

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[doitrockapella]

I won't make you try to guess my age, if you're worried about that.

Are you not one for birthdays?

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[enjoymyatelier]

Well, I wouldn't have dreamed of it, anyway. That wouldn't be gentlemanly of me.

Not exactly. They're tedious at best and thoroughly unpleasant at worst, in my experience.

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[doitrockapella]

Well, that's no fun.

When is yours? Maybe I'll see if I can't liven it up for you.

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[enjoymyatelier]

April 11th; coincidentally, it's also the date I arrived here.

So, honestly, I couldn't object to that at all. It's rather dreary to have to spend it alone.

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[doitrockapella]

It's more of a coincidence than you realize. My anniversary is three days off from my birthday — March 4th.

That makes you the third April birthday I know of.

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[enjoymyatelier]

I think it would bother me less if it was simply close --- mostly due to the fact that I'm quite certain the woman in the house we arrive in wouldn't have declared it my tenth birthday upon arrival.

Well, if they're people you're fond of, that might be a busy month for you.

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[doitrockapella]

Some people would find it flattering that you apparently look so much younger than your true age.

And at least one of those April birthdays I know of is gone, so it'll be a day of memorial celebration, if anything.

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[enjoymyatelier]

Perhaps I'd be flattered if she'd said it was my eighteenth birthday, or something along those lines.

Ah... I suppose so. I had to wonder about that, given how many people I've seen come and go.

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[doitrockapella]

Which makes you how old, then? I need to know how many candles to buy, come April.

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[enjoymyatelier]

Thirty-six.

That would be a few too many candles to fit on a reasonable cake, though, I'd say.

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[doitrockapella]

My favorite age.

These coincidences are adding up; are you sure you haven't been spying on me?

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[enjoymyatelier]

I assure you I haven't. That wouldn't be at all gentlemanly.

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[doitrockapella]

I'm turning thirty.

If I offer it up myself, it saves you the discourtesy of having to ask.

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[enjoymyatelier]

Ah.

Really? That's not what I was expecting at all, though I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting.

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[doitrockapella]

Well, I always did like the thought of being charmingly unpredictable.

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[enjoymyatelier]

I must say, you do an excellent job of it.