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Post by Marko Iliev on May 2, 2012 10:27:10 GMT -5
Ah, that was right. She was one of the Walsers. Marko remembered that family in particular, now that he thought about it... Though, not for a reason he might have liked. He was still a new recruit within the Ruthien ranks when the rebel organization had carried out the attack on the hospital that had killed several, and among those fatalities - if his memory served him right - were Lili’s parents. Marko himself had not been involved with the attacks at all. It had been five years ago, he’d only been nineteen and despite the money he’d been raking in from his first business and beginning to fund them with, he was still doing grunt work for them at the time. Even so, empathy wasn’t something he was incapable of as he could seem. And so, he had to put those recollections to the very back of his mind.
“I’ve been alright.” He replied, giving a slight shrug. “Can’t complain... I’ve been too busy to really come to these things often, though.” Marko didn’t actually work as hard as he made out. His day job really only consisted of him paying people to do things for him. So really, that was a lie... Somewhat. The rest of his time was spent doing Ruthien work, and any free time he had? Well, he had better things to do than turn up at these gatherings.
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Post by Lili Walser on May 7, 2012 16:59:25 GMT -5
"I-I'm glad to hear that you've been well." Lili smiled up at him. It was easy to see that she did, truly, mean it. "I-it's so nice to see you again... I... I h-hope your business is going well?" Even if such things weren't really for ladies to discuss, as Sarah would be certain to remind her later, Lili wanted to speak to Marko longer. He really was the only one that she knew on even a slight personal basis... everyone else was an acquaintance, or a friend of her family... or of Gilbert's family, or of Tante specifically... and Lili really didn't want to hear the inevitable 'Oh, you're looking more like your mother every time I see you,' and 'you're not still living with that dreadful Gilbert Beilschmidt, are you? You poor dear' that she'd get if she spoke to any of them for any length of time. They were always rather taken aback when she insisted that she was, and had no plans to go and live with her Tante any time soon, danke schön.
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Post by Marko Iliev on May 10, 2012 15:44:51 GMT -5
His eyes shifted away from the girl and over her head again, and he scanned very quickly through the crowd again... It seemed the Admiral indeed had moved on into the next room. Well then. That just meant that Marko needed to follow... Whilst being as discreet about it as possible. His gaze fell back onto the sniffing woman stood behind Lili for a moment... She must have been her accompaniment - er, chaperone - he figured. He didn't let the stare linger; instead moved his eyes about, so as to hide any suspicion... Not that two noblewomen were likely to get particularly suspicious, though, he couldn't be sure of that.
"Fine, fine. Yeah. Business has been good." He said, looking back at Lili. He got asked that a lot, he didn't tend to ask why people asked him any more, as surprising as the question might have been from someone of her calibre.
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Post by Lili Walser on May 16, 2012 22:44:11 GMT -5
Lili had noticed Marko glancing about, and smiled faintly up at him. "I-I'm glad to hear it. Oh... D-don't let me keep you, i-if you've other people to speak with. Though...i-if you're looking for someone... p-perhaps I can help? Sarah can usually remember the entire guest list of any party..."
The maid merely nodded. It was a trick she'd picked up to make certain that she'd remember who was there for Lili's sake... and who was there later if Herr Beilschmidt had asked, as he most certainly would if he was not there himself. She took her duty very seriously... it was enough to lose two members of the Walser household in one day. They didn't need to lose Lady Lili.
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Post by Marko Iliev on May 17, 2012 17:57:06 GMT -5
"Hnh? Oh, ne. Ne." He replied, making a dismissive gesture with his hand. "I er..." Well, to some extent, she was right. He was looking for the Admiral, of course but he didn't wish to talk to him face to face. Surely she would know something about him - something; anything of use - but he didn't know at first what kind of lie to come up with to cover up his actual intents... At first. It didn't take long for inspiration to hit him. "...Well, actually, that's only partly true. I'm actually watching out for, er... Frederick bom Isolde. He's an Admiral in the military." He shrugged slightly. "My father fell out with him not long back. I never found out why, but I came here to make sure he didn't end up rubbing elbows with him and causing a fuss. My father's like that." Veselin hadn't actually had anything to do with the Admiral - he very much doubted - but he did have a tendency to be brash and get angry easily, and so it was at least a plausible lie.
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Post by Lili Walser on May 21, 2012 11:18:11 GMT -5
"O-oh... Admiral Isolde... Oh dear... I suppose your father must have run into him after he'd had a bad evening at the... the... oh..." Lili glanced at Sarah. "What is the name of that parlor he goes to rather often?"
Sarah thought for a moment, then spoke. "The Blooming Dahlia, Lady Lili."
"Oh, ja... that's it." Lili smiled at her maid lightly, then returned her attention to Marko. "He goes there almost every Wednesday evening, from what I've heard... That way, your father doesn't happen to meet him there, i-if he goes, that is." She glanced around, and then leaned slightly closer to whisper. "It... it wouldn't be uncommon for people to avoid him there... o-or the day after... his wife doesn't much care for his... h-his habits."
Sarah shook her head. "If I may, Herrn Iliev... what Lady Lili is dancing around saying is that when he attends the parlor... he often consumes too much liquor, and loses too much of his earnings, for Dame Isolde's liking."
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Post by Marko Iliev on May 24, 2012 13:38:22 GMT -5
Marko's eyes moved back and forth between the two women as they spoke accordingly. He decided to go along with what they had told him, seeing as he knew no better and, hell, it seemed to fit well enough. He didn't actually know whether his father regulated this 'Blooming Dahlia' place or not, but as long as it wasn't unlikely, that didn't matter.
"I see." He near muttered, shaking his head, which to anyone else would have seemed like a disapproving motion, however, what he really intended was an affirmative gesture; his equivalent of nodding along. Then, suddenly, his blank expression changed briefly to a smirk, and he snorted. "Sounds about right." He paused for a second, then, wondering if he should press the matter further. That the Admiral regulated a gambling parlour every Wednesday and got positively shit-faced wasn't enough information to hand back over to the Ruthiens. It was too general. "Hmn... Let's hope they're not in any financial trouble right now, then." He continued, hoping Lili might have something further to say about that.
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Post by Lili Walser on Jun 4, 2012 11:47:18 GMT -5
"O-oh... I... I do hope not... though... Dame Isolde has been less and less at parties and galas... a-and I've not seen her shopping in quite some time..." The noblewoman fidgeted, twisting her fingers together. "I-If that's... i-if that's any indication... p-perhaps they are... Oh... I wonder if Cousin could speak to... to..." She paused, but Sarah knew what name she searched for. "Theodore, Lady Lili. He'd be the more approachable of the children." He was the second-born, after all.
"J-ja. Theodore... F-Frederick d-doesn't think that his father can do anything wrong..." He'd said as much in public more than once. "I... I just hope that..." She stopped again as a thought crossed her mind. "O-oh dear. Cousin c-can't... I... th-the military certainly wouldn't approve... p-perhaps that's why Frederick doesn't s-say anything as it is...?"
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Post by Marko Iliev on Jul 4, 2012 17:31:44 GMT -5
'Frederick doesn't think that his father can do anything wrong'. That sounded all-too familiar. He thought of Grigor immediately. Though, he also put that thought straight out of his mind again. Despite any appearances he had to keep up, this wasn't the time for nostalgia. But he found that focusing on the task at hand was more difficult with his source of information stammering in a soft-spoken tone in front of him... Would it kill Lili to complete her sentences? So the Dame had been at less parties and out shopping less frequently, and now she was wondering if her cousin could speak with Theodore, but she thought that the military wouldn't approve... At least, that was what Marko could decipher.
"I can't say I know." He replied, with a slight shrug. "Why wouldn't the military approve of your cousin asking, anyway?"
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Post by Lili Walser on Aug 1, 2012 19:49:27 GMT -5
"B-because... th-the military doesn't approve of gambling... O-or of becoming a public nuisance, when you've been drinking..." Lili's voice softened further, as though she was worried that someone might overhear and interrupt their conversation. She didn't wish to get anyone into trouble, after all... that wouldn't do. She'd feel so awful. But, surely, Marko was just curious. He couldn't know how the military operated... the only reason she knew as much as she did was because Vati, and now Cousin, were in it, and she sometimes heard them talking to others.
Sarah frowned faintly, looking around. Thankfully, so far no one had noticed this conversation, though really, no one could do anything other than change the subject. It wouldn't be wise to contradict Lady Lili... the Walser family name was still a powerful one, albeit one that was being taken care of by the Beilschmidts at the moment.
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