Such a bittersweet read!!

Ok first off, can I just say how much I loved the "chess game conversation" you had going in the first part? Because that was beautiful. Nice way to show how these two interact.
Even more interesting when Murina plain upturns the table and LaTour...reacts in not nearly as sleazy a way as one would expect. Love it love it love it!

I do think Muri's underselling how empathetic she can be for her clients and it's still so freaking sad seeing her let go of Alfie but...interesting nonetheless.

Still, I got uneasy shivers running down my spine reading the very last paragraph. Muri is telling Sedrick EVERYTHING he needs to know. She's telling him the secret and very private life of Alphonse Norwich IV, a life he's done his damnest to make sure no one else knew. That Murina herself got to know so much was already an achievement, and earned through many a sleepless night and glass of wine.
And now she's telling it all to a person like Sedrick, to whom these things, this rapport and familiarity with their clients, isn't seen as an accomplishment to be proud of. But a tool to be made use of.

Amazing piece guys, made my morning!

<i>
Still, I got uneasy shivers running down my spine reading the very last paragraph. Muri is telling Sedrick EVERYTHING he needs to know. She's telling him the secret and very private life of Alphonse Norwich IV, a life he's done his damnest to make sure no one else knew. That Murina herself got to know so much was already an achievement, and earned through many a sleepless night and glass of wine.
And now she's telling it all to a person like Sedrick, to whom these things, this rapport and familiarity with their clients, isn't seen as an accomplishment to be proud of. But a tool to be made use of.</i>

Holy shit,this. Guy is secretive enough that as far as world outside Alley knew, he disappeared, and now Muri is just laying down all his secrets Alfie told showed her in full trust.

i don't really think "Alfie’s mother, his brothers and sisters, the Alley back home" is necessarily big secrets, nor what exactly she's saying ABOUT those things. remember, this all started with an article written by rozich, who already told the world a lot about the alley and alfie's home life.

... it does make you think though |:|c=

This might be just how I saw it, but the article was really broad strokes. It was a general view of the family. Muri -knows- the Norwiches very well, she knows the family dynamics and the names of each member. The stuff she says is what the family is like, as far as I understand it.

I'm quite surprised by LaTour. His personality is a bit different from what I expected, but although he doesn't share the same level of attachment to his clients Muri has shown towards Alfie in these months, we can't doubt that he knows how to do his job. What remains to be seen is if his interests match with Alfie's - and if they don't, how can he react to Alfie's predictable outburst. I'm already on the edge of my seat! :)

I think it's safe to say that, if nothing else, LaTour will not react to a bullheaded Alfie quite like Muri...

Well, isn't LaTour quite the sweet talker, hm? I actually quite like the way he sort of words things. Characters like this always fascinate me, and I can't wait to see how this guy gets down with Alfie.

Keep up the good work, you two!

Everything we knew up to this point about Sedrick has come from what Muri's said about him, and, coloured by her perspective, he sounded almost like a cartoon character.

Now that we actually meet him, he seems like a relatively normal person, after the chessboard is dropped. Seeing him speechless for a moment, then having a straightforward conversation definitely helps ease the transition a bit.

that was important to us when we decided to involve latour more. he can no more be this cartoonishly devious snake anymore than alife can be a mindless thug.

Not all snakes are devious. (:|-<

But all snakes ARE still snakes (Apologies to Kinny and Aurora).

This is certainly very interesting development. Muri took a load off her shoulder. For now at least.

Great read!

Can't bullshit a bullshitter, Muri! But she knew that going into this meeting. Signing with LaTour.....I'm envisioning "The Damnation of Faust", music by Charles Gounod. I have no doubt LaWhore can get Alfie what he wants in a contract but.....how much is the big lug willing to put up to get it? Muri would think of what's best for Alfie not just as a player, but as a person (fur?). LaTour, I'm wondering if he just throwing people away once they can no longer get him what he wants. Plus, non-rat, so there's that factor too. We'll see. And excellently written, Shane!

Hah, LaWhore. i like that. Might have to use it later.

'Scuse me while I pick my jaw off this floor.....

love the use of Chess in this story, very well done.