Day 16, 3:00pm

[conrad_the_evil]

Wolfram has run off to feed the little fur ball they picked up and Conrad finds himself alone for the moment. Wolfram isn’t loud by any means, but he talks a little and his being around at least gives Conrad something to distract himself with. And his thoughts are all too noisy.

[What are you doing right now, Conrad? I have to speak to von

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[cheri_blossom]

It is a relief to have Greta home safe and sound, Cheri decides as she walks aimlessly through the empty corridors of the castle. Yuuri was so happy, and Wolfram constantly wore an expression of subtle but unadulterated joy that had warmed his mother's heart to see it. Having a child in danger was a secret pain that Cheri had never wanted either of them to know...

Her footsteps echo off the walls and she sighs despite herself. Even though Greta was safe, more of Cheri's precious people were not, and they are never far from her thoughts.

Earlier she had busied herself with checking on the castle's newest arrivals, but everything seemed taken care of now. She then went for a walk in the gardens, but nothing needed to be done, so she returned inside to find something to distract herself with.

As she walks, she passes by the open door of the drawing room and is surprised to see a tall, thin figure standing at the window, a figure who looks far too much like...

"...Conrad..?"

[conrad_the_evil]

Hyper-alert as always, he is not taken by surprise when Cheri appears and turns to greet her when his name is called. "Mother," he says, forcing the tiredness from his voice and posture as he straightens.

He doesn't leave the ... safety, of the window, but inclines his head polietely. "Is there something I can do for you?"

He has not spoken with this women much, but enough to know that she is quite a bit different than the woman who gave birth to him. In some ways she seems stronger. Or maybe its just that she hasn't lost everything she holds dear to her yet. She has, anyway, the potential for crippling weakness and helplessness. Its just the luck of the draw.

[cheri_blossom]

Cheri blinks. Right. Of course. Not her Conrad. Not hers, not hers.

Sometimes she has to remind herself that all this double business is not some strange fantasy she has dreamed up. As much as she might wish it, this young man is not her son. He may have Conrad's voice, his appearance, and call her his mother, but he is not her child, and she needs to remember that.

"Um," she says, forgetting herself just for a moment. She really has hardly spoken to this young man with Dan Hiri's eyes and has no idea what he's been doing...so that seems like a safe place to start.

She smiles. "Oh, nothing, nothing at all. I was just wondering how you've been faring here at the castle, that's all." ♥

[conrad_the_evil]

She is... uncomfortable around him. Well, that is nothing new and he shifts into a more subdued, submissive mind-set without the conscience thought of doing so. He finds people are less attack less agressively when they find a pathetic creature not a danger to their person.

"I've been fine, thank you," he replies, keeping his eyes lowered. "I've no complaints. It is fine company to keep, if one must keep company. Don't you agree?"

[conrad_the_evil]

..... >_> "Wrong Conrad," he mumbles. Why did he even bring this up!?

Oh right, so that she would stop that weeping thing.

[cheri_blossom]

Cheri blinks. "Wrong Conrad? Oooh, I see. So you were the one..."

The idea of Conrad as a woman is just so insane, so ludicrous that Cheri's first response is to laugh out loud -- despite the fact she'd just finished crying. Conrad's expression, however, is giving her the impression that such a thing would not be polite, so she swallows her laughter the best she can and pretends to clear her throat instead.

"Hmmm," she says, a moment later. "I would've liked to see that, I think. Although I don't think you would have enjoyed seeing the male version of your mother..."

[conrad_the_evil]

He blushes slightly, not quite able to meet Cheri’s eyes, especially since he knows that she just wants to laugh. It doesn’t help anything in the slightest that he made an attractive young woman. “You,” he coughs delicately. “You apparently would have had very short daughters.”

Shuddering, he glances back at his double’s mother. “You got hit by that thing too then?” He can’t even IMAGINE her male.

[cheri_blossom]

"Short," Cheri adds, "but very beautiful. It's a shame none of you are actually girls. Did you see Wolf? Maa, he would've been the reigning Miss Shin Makoku for sure. I'm sure you were just as lovely. Good genes on both sides." ♥

Cheri's smile broadens at the look Conrad gives her, but her voice remains slightly subdued. "Oh, yes, I changed too. It was fun, but it didn't last very long at all. One minute I was running around, looking for Raven, and the next minute I was waking up in the infirmary -- back to my old self. Very strange."