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Post by Amadeus Van Delft on Mar 27, 2008 7:23:06 GMT -5
His gaze turned more somber as he watched her eyes water with tears. What was her story? It sure must be a tragic one. Amadeus had never had much social skills, and thus he was a little unsure of how to act in a situation like this, especially around women. His mother often rolled her eyes at that.
“Oh no, Miss”, he said reassuringly, and meant it. “You are not babbling at all.”
She seemed taken aback by his question about visiting the cathedral. Something like a small scornful laugh escaped his lips as she mentioned “the social ladder”. If Amadeus should be exactly the way people considered proper according to social status, then he simply would not be able to exist at all. He had definitely done things that (if discovered) would have a far bigger impact on his reputation than being seen with Serena might have.
“I can assure you that I do not fear anything like that, nor would I care if it happened. As long as I am me in my own eyes, then I am happy with that and what others think does not matter.” He smiled a little. “So if you wish to join me for a little walk I am ready to go when you are, Miss Harper.”
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Post by Serena Harper on Mar 28, 2008 0:14:18 GMT -5
Serena listened to Amadeus speak his words very closely. She was no longer afraid to make eye contact with this man, he made her feel like more than a piece of dirt, even by just being within her presence. She approached him slowly as he spoke, so that they were only about a meter apart. She was no longer threatened by his strange kindness.
"Well then you are very brave." Serena began with a genuine smile. "I don't believe that I would have the courage to step out of line anymore. I did once, but it was not courage that caused me to act like that, it was more along the lines of fear...or vengeance." Serena said as the same sad smile returned. "But enough about me. I'd love to join you for a walk." Serena said quickly as she began to make her way for the cemetery gates.
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Post by Amadeus Van Delft on Mar 28, 2008 11:53:51 GMT -5
Absent-mindedly he pushed some hair out of his face, but it was no use since it immediately fell back. He had not left his spot as she approached, but met her gaze without blinking. He watched her as she spoke. Another watcher might have paid more attention to the fullness of her lips or the length of her eyelashes, or other general facial features. Amadeus noticed other things. If you would approach him a few hours after his meeting with Serena and ask him what colour her eyes were he would most likely not remember it. But he would be able to describe the bone structure and musculature of her face in detail.
Little hints of her past were revealed each time she spoke, but still the whole picture had to be uncovered. Amadeus was curious by nature but he had never taken much interest in prying. If Serena wanted to tell him something, then he would listen attentively but he would not rush it. If people wanted to tell the stories of their lives, then they did so whenever they felt like it. Thus he gave a slight nod as she started for the gates and walked up on her left side. Small talk. Amadeus was worthless at small talk. However, he decided to give it a try.
“Have you ever noticed, Miss, that tombstones tend to be placed so that they face east and west?”
This was said in the same tone of voice as one might say: Have you noticed that the weather has changed lately?
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Post by Serena Harper on Apr 2, 2008 8:26:58 GMT -5
As they walked side by side Serena turned her head to look at Amadeus curiously as he spoke. Her eyes then drifted naturally to the tombstones on both sides of them. She examined them and then turned back to Amadeus to speak.
"No I haven't I'm afraid..." Serena paused for a moment, smiling. "You know there is no need to call me Miss. Serena will do just fine." She commented as they continued to walk. "But tell me...is there some sort of significance as to why the tombstones are placed like that?" She added seriously, glancing at the tombstones as a natural effect.
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Post by Amadeus Van Delft on Apr 2, 2008 15:43:50 GMT -5
Amadeus looked a little surprised when she asked him to refer to her by her first name. The only women he did not refer to as 'Miss' or 'Mrs.' were his own family. However, he nodded obediently in response to her request. "Right, I will try to remember that... Serena." He smiled a little and added: "It is a beautiful name. But if I am to call you by your first name, then it is only right for me to ask you to call me Amadeus in return."
His gaze wandered back to the tombstones again and he continued explaining as they approached the cemetery gate.
“It is a custom derived from the early days of Christianity. The dead are buried with their feet towards the east and their heads facing the west so that they may be ready to rise up on the day of final judgment and face the sun and the “new day”."
He still spoke as matter-of-factly as if talking about the weather. But then again, it was not the religious aspects as much as his morbid fascination for every aspect of death that had awoken Amadeus’s interest on the matter in the first place.
“Of course, not all tombstones are placed like that”, he added, the wrought iron creaking as he pulled the gate open and stood aside for Serena to walk out first.
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Post by Serena Harper on Apr 10, 2008 6:29:14 GMT -5
"Thank you...Amadeus." Serena replied with a nod as an amused smile spread across her face, feeling more relaxed and comfortable with herself in a long time. Serena listened in curiously as Amadeus explained about the tomb stones, glancing at him occasionally to take in his expressions.
Serena nodded, acknowledging that she indeed did listen to him. "You're very observant aren't you?" She began with a smile. "You know things...see things differently than everyone else...it intrigues me."
"Thank you." Serena murmured as she walked past Amadeus. Her cheeks slightly flushed a shade of pink, she was not yet used to his gentlemanly kindness.
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Post by Amadeus Van Delft on Apr 10, 2008 16:01:07 GMT -5
Serena’s flushed cheeks went unnoticed past Amadeus’ eyes. She had been right to say that he was observant, but some emotional things that might be easily foreseen and interpreted by others made no sense to him, if he even noticed them. He had never been a social butterfly constantly surrounded by people. He was silent as he shut the gate behind them, thinking over what she had just said. After all, he never pondered his own way of thinking or seeing things, just like a crow does not ponder the existence of air under its wings.
“I am not certain that I quite understand what you mean… we all have an eye for different things, I guess.” He started walking the closest route to St Mary’s Cathedral, his gloved hands behind his back. “But then one does not have many different ways of seeing to compare with than one’s own...” Amadeus made a mental note to himself that he still had to work on that technique of reviving the complex nerves of the eye, and then continued. “Which makes it all the more interesting to exchange points of view with others.”
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