The stranger approaching is a pleasant-faced man, looking more anxious than anything, waving both hands in an attempt to get Jiang Yanli's attention, making gestures to indicate that both she and Lan Wangji should move along before he hurries up, putting himself between them and her.
"Director," he says, "I know you're having a bit of a time, but you don't need to take it out on our guests--"
As they pass, he mouths a thank you at Jiang Yanli, grimacing; as they leave, they can hear that he is at least doing his best to try and soothe her. It doesn't appear to be working, but he IS trying.
She hisses, trying to lunge at him like a furious cat; it's really only because the other man is holding her back. He has to actually bodily lift her a little as he says, in a strained sort of rush,
"That's very kind of you! But it's a bit more complicated than just that, I'm afraid!"
"...I don't know exactly," he says. He sounds sincerely apologetic. "I know that the rest of them have been locked out of the areas where they could look for her. There's a key of some sort... but I don't think the current, ah, situation was really expecting anyone other than a Servant would be trying."
"You shouldn't!" he says. "From what Leonardo could tell--ah, she's the only one who really has any connection out of here--the others can't do that much. It'll have to be a place where Ritsuka would think to hide something. Her room is your best bet, in that case, and then it's just a matter of looking."
He glances at Olgamarie, then at the other woman down the hall--it's Da Vinci, from Sphinx, if either of them would recognize her--and then rubs the back of his neck.
"I don't know. I guess it would be me? I'm the clue? I can tell you that the King of Men doesn't not want her to be found."
[clocks Da Vinci once again, to make sure she's still there; she definitely recognizes her, and knows it isn't the same as the one they were with...probably]
The King of Men is...
[gestures to her own antlers, for comparison]
The one who currently has her body, yes? He didn't seem like he was opposed to her taking it back...just that he had it while she was gone.
"Oh, he really is calling himself that?" For some reason, this appears to make the man oddly happy. "He's--well, I suppose a lot of his attitude is sort of my fault, yes. We didn't exactly have a falling out, but he was quite angry with me for a long time. But I don't think he'd hurt Ritsuka. Not like this, at least. In a fight, surely, but if he was in her body, I doubt that's what happened."
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Date: 2022-09-05 10:14 pm (UTC)"Director," he says, "I know you're having a bit of a time, but you don't need to take it out on our guests--"
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Date: 2022-09-05 10:17 pm (UTC)Lady Animusphere. If you have a favorite food, please allow me to bring it to you later.
[she won't press more than that, if this man is trying to usher them off down the hall]
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Date: 2022-09-05 10:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-05 10:22 pm (UTC)Director.
If this is the place you return, it is likely where your regrets are centered.
What are they?
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Date: 2022-09-05 10:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-05 10:27 pm (UTC)"That's very kind of you! But it's a bit more complicated than just that, I'm afraid!"
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Date: 2022-09-05 10:32 pm (UTC)Will you direct us to one who can?
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Date: 2022-09-05 10:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-05 10:37 pm (UTC)"Her situation is a bit... unique, among the three of us here," he says. "Though--it's not wrong to say that we're all trapped here, in a way."
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Date: 2022-09-05 10:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-05 10:42 pm (UTC)...If you have any idea where she might be, it would be a great help, obviously. She might be able to assist with your predicament here.
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Date: 2022-09-05 10:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-05 10:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-05 10:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-05 10:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-05 11:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-05 11:11 pm (UTC)If it isn't too impertinent to ask...are there perhaps any clues here that might help us locate her?
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Date: 2022-09-05 11:13 pm (UTC)He glances at Olgamarie, then at the other woman down the hall--it's Da Vinci, from Sphinx, if either of them would recognize her--and then rubs the back of his neck.
"I don't know. I guess it would be me? I'm the clue? I can tell you that the King of Men doesn't not want her to be found."
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Date: 2022-09-05 11:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-05 11:17 pm (UTC)The King of Men is...
[gestures to her own antlers, for comparison]
The one who currently has her body, yes? He didn't seem like he was opposed to her taking it back...just that he had it while she was gone.
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Date: 2022-09-05 11:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-05 11:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-05 11:24 pm (UTC)[looks between Olgamarie, and Da Vinci, and back to this man]
I suspect that the King of Men is a neutral party to all of this. If you're here now, then perhaps you didn't part ways amicably.
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Date: 2022-09-05 11:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-05 11:29 pm (UTC)[nods]
We were told she had faded.
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