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| - Colonel Gentleman continued his on-again, off-again pacing just outside the room where Ting Wu had sequestered herself, occasionally stopping to knock on the door. "Miss Wu, you cannot lock yourself inside that room forever! We must discuss these most recent, er... events!" He leaned in close to the door, leaning against it with a cupped ear, listening for any sort of response. "Was it Mr. Potts that let you in?" she asked for the second time, "because if he can hear me!" her voice rose in volume, "He had better start considering what I'm going to do to him!!" "Of course not, but..."
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| abstract
| - Colonel Gentleman continued his on-again, off-again pacing just outside the room where Ting Wu had sequestered herself, occasionally stopping to knock on the door. "Miss Wu, you cannot lock yourself inside that room forever! We must discuss these most recent, er... events!" He leaned in close to the door, leaning against it with a cupped ear, listening for any sort of response. Ting Wu pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing as she slouched in the heavy padded leather chair stationed in the library of her home. A fire was build up in the grate casting flickering shadows across the room. The door creaked as slippered foot steps stopped once again outside the heavy oak door. "Was it Mr. Potts that let you in?" she asked for the second time, "because if he can hear me!" her voice rose in volume, "He had better start considering what I'm going to do to him!!" Her only response was the continuation of pacing just outside her door. Outside in the garden, even Verdie seemed to be walking on eggshells as the usual ruckus was being kept down to a minimum. Ting Wu groaned as a fresh round of knocking broke through the silence. "Oh for the love of all things holy in the world..." she pushed her self into the upright position, and moved cautiously to the door. Turning the key in the lock, she pulled the door open slowly and with a sigh of reservation motioned him to enter. Turning without a backward glance she made her way back in front of the flickering fire and to her over stuffed chair. Obviously made for people of a taller stature, she had no problems curling up in it, tucking her socked feet under her red silk gown. No other candles had been lit and the majority of the room was in darkness. On the table between the two chairs facing each other a decanter of whiskey sat and two glasses, one filled, waited. "To answer your question" began Colonel Gentleman as he sat down, presumptively taking the extra glass of whiskey, "I let myself in, much to the annoyance of your butler I might add." He took a small sip of the whiskey and finding it agreeable, drank it down in a single motion. "You seem agitated my good lady..." Ting Wu gave only an angered glance at him. The Colonel sighed a bit. "You need not be ashamed of who you are, my dear. As I believe we have discussed in the past, each of us hides our true selves in one way or another." He refilled his glass from the decanter. "We two are merely unique in that this statement applies quite literally." Ting Wu reached out and poured herself a measure of the amber liquid. "Can we say for certain that one or the other really is my 'true' nature?" she picked up the glass and stared hard into its contents. "I've been Ting Wu for many years." she set the glass down without drinking from it. "there is so much to consider." she said more to herself then him. "Metaphysical questions were never my strong suite, I'll admit. You may not realize it, but I went through the same thing when I was young. Having a dual nature is both a blessing and a curse. If you do nothing else, I strongly urge you to at least take the time to fully explore this other, er, side of your self." "Doing that around here could very well be the death of me Colonel. Just upon my arrival I managed to plant my hand firmly on some Cold Iron that was lying around the house. I confess I must have given poor Verdie a fright when I suddenly snapped at her to remove ever scrap that there was around here. It's a wonder I haven't already expired from some unforeseen change. I do admit that I very likely owe the poor girl an apology." Ting Wu looked suddenly very critically at Colonel Gentlemen which gave him a very uneasy feeling. With no small measure of calculations she spoke once more. "Surely you wouldn't want me to come to some unexpected end." "Of course not, but..." She took a breath cutting off much more then a mumble. "And you are a man of much compassion and posses the understanding of the nature of duality that I do not." She rushed each word heading to the dropping of the final boot as it were, with blinding speed. "Further more I do not suspect that you have cold iron bits cluttering up your house as I do mine, which in the name of exploration could very well kill me and surely you do not wish to see me dead do you?" She played eagerly on his sympathies with the skill of an artist. "I think it is a fine idea that I stay the month at your home while I conduct experiments on what exactly my other half is and is capable of!" She paused triumphant in her conclusions. She waited all the space of a heart beat before making her final declaration. "It is settled then. I will head out with you in the morning to your domicile. I will have Mr. Potts show you up to the spare bedroom and I will pack what I need in the morning." She picked up the glass of whiskey, saluted him and then tossed it back in one swift gulp. Only to sputter and wheeze the next moment in tears. Colonel Gentleman sat silently as Ting Wu choked on the harshness of the whiskey. Suddenly and dramatically he lifted up the decanter and fitted the stopcock back into it. "I think you've had just about enough of this, my dear lady. If you're not drunk already, I imagine you will be shortly enough. Or perhaps you've gone mad?!" Colonel Gentleman's voice rose slightly before he checked himself and calmed down. "My apologizes for raising my voice. What you ask is no small thing my dear. I absolutely cannot move out of my house and allow you to move in. It would be quite unseemly for someone of your social status to lower yourself to my level." "Oh Colonel, You worry far to much." she coughed out, before taking the moment to collect herself. "First off, I am far from drunk, secondly, I doubt anyone in THIS country could give one pence about my status." She smiled slyly at him. "Perhaps it is you who are concerned with your status? Some strange Oriental women skulking about your house? Hmmm?" In a move of sudden boldness, she stood up and crossed the distance between them. Before perching on the arm of his chair. "Afraid of the big bad Fox?" she whispered in his ear, her long hair draping around him. Colonel Gentleman's face blushes a deep red. "Miss Wu!" Colonel Gentleman nearly shouted. More quietly he added "You forget yourself madam. Now I will forgive you because you are most clearly drunk, and have recently experienced no small revelation, but you must control yourself." The Colonel grabs his coat, preparing the leave. "If you manage to find your wits, you may contact me then. I will be happy to offer you whatever assistance I can but in your present state I fear I am doing more harm that good." Ting Wu stood up slowly from the arm of the chair before turning to face him, the look of cool disdain once again in place where it had not been in ages while looking upon him. "Of course Colonel. How silly of me to forget my place." She reached down and just as dramatically, pulled the stopper off the decanter and poured herself a generous glass. "And with second drink of my entire life I toast to you and your good... common... sense." She raised the glass to him and started to bring it to her lips when Colonel Gentleman grabbed her arm firmly but gently. "I think you've had enough my good lady. Now I understand your anger and your frustration at these events. But this," he took the glass from her hand and placed it down on the table "is not the answer to your problems." Colonel Gentleman sighed and placed his coat over the back of the chair he had been sitting in and let go of Ting Wu's arm. "Forgive my actions, but I... I don't wish to see you harm yourself over this... matter." The Colonel looks Ting Wu in the eyes and says "I suppose we can work out some sort of arrangement whereby you can stay in my house, but I insist that we begin working on finding a way for you to control your transformative abilities. Agreed? She sighed and leaned against the side of the chair, crossing her arms. "It is agreed Colonel." She raised one hand to her brow and tried to rub away lines of weariness. Long moments passed while they sat in shadows. "Colonel... Dirk... I... I wish to express..." she took a deep breath." I wish to express my fond..." she paused shaking her head at the word she held back.".. my gratitude to you." she finished lamely. "Thank you for your help in this matter." she cleared her throat. "Yes well, as I've said the spare bedroom is still available for your use should you have need of it." She left the library in a hasty retreat. Ting Wu, for the first time in her life, was blushing.
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