Russell Paget

The perfect secret-keeper
== Quick Facts ==
* Deaf; able to produce vocal sounds, but trained not to (only vocalizes when very surprised or badly hurt)
* The twenty-third of a series of clones created by Camille Langlais' organization to be raised and sold as ideal valets for the rich and powerful; most of these clones (including Russell) are deaf for 'maximum discretion'
== Personality & Brief Biography ==
Shy and skittish after a lifetime of abuse and isolated by his deafness, Russell's behavior and thought patterns are marked by a level of resignation bordering on hopelessness. He is noticeably touch-averse and presents himself as the smallest physical target possible—which, given his relatively short stature and petite frame, is a very small target indeed.
Losing his literal raison d'être (to serve Langlais) in coming to live at the Tang clan compound in mainland China leaves Russell feeling useless and adrift. He struggles to adapt to living more independently.
Elli Charbonneau quickly takes Russell under his wing—both figuratively and literally.
== Timeline & Appearances ==
* 1995: Camille Langlais' organization finalizes the genetic blueprint for the 'ideal valet' and the template individual is born to a surrogate mother in Besançon, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France
* 1997: The template valet is cloned and production of clones is ramped up
* 2006 July 6: Russell born to a surrogate mother in hospital in Besançon; immediately taken into the custody of Camille Langlais' organization
* 2006 - 2022: Trained with fellow valet clones at the Besançon creche
* 2022 September 8: Camille Langlais 'dismisses' his current valet, one of the first of the series of clones
* 2022 September 10: Transferred from the Besançon creche to the employ of Camille Langlais; assigned the name 'Russell' (also the name of Langlais' previous valet)
* 2023 January: Raped by Camille Langlais the first time
* 2026 December 29: Given to the Mountain Dragon of the Tang clan as payment for services to Camille Langlais during the 'Reddington Incident'; takes up residence at the Tang clan compound
== Scraps ==
=== Named ===
Timing: First day working for Langlais
He adjusts his tie a final time, takes a deep breath, nods to the Uncle.
They knock, wait, open the door, and bow him inside.
He steps through, bows deeply.
Grandfather sits behind the desk. «Your name is 'Russell'.»
Nods.
«Bring my tea.»
:‹Yes, s—›: 
«Do not speak unless I tell you to,» Grandfather snaps.
Swallows, nods.
«Now go.»
Bows, flees to the kitchenette down the hallway.
.
=== Chantilly ===
Timing: March-ish 2023
Setting: One of Langlais' crony's homes
The shower curtain slides back—
Russell whines.
—and Paul turns off the water (gone cold minutes ago), wraps him in a towel.
Russell stumbles along and folds to the mat.
Paul encourages him to dry off, fetches more towels.
Russell ... gets himself mostly dry, huddles in his nest of terrycloth.
:‹What's happened?›: asks Paul, kneeling across from him.
Russell squeezes his eyes shut, shakes his head.
Paul pulls him close, strokes his hair.
Russell trembles.
Eventually, they sway apart.
Russell wipes his eyes.
:‹I'm so very sorry it had to be you.›:
Russell blinks away more tears. :‹You knew this ...?›:
Paul nods. :‹My-your forerunner told me, years ago.›: Hangs his head. :‹It happens to many of us.›:
:‹You?›:
:‹I've been blessed.›:
Russell swallows.
Paul twists his hands.
:‹What do I do?›:
Paul takes a deep, shaky breath. :‹Endure.›:
:‹But—›:
:‹We can't win against Grandfather and he'll only take another of us.›: Swallows. :‹I'm so sorry.›:
Russell crumples.
Paul pulls him close, gently rocks him.
.
=== Penthouse, after ===
Timing: Very shortly after the "Penthouse" scene of "Camille Langlais"
Please see "Penthouse, after" in "Discards".
.
=== Shoes ===
Please see "Clashing" in "Camille Langlais (No. 191)"
.
=== Twins ===
Timing: Fairly early in his stay with the Tangs; Tang Ah and Russell are marking time before Russell has an appointment with a psychologist
Note: I don't see Tang Ah being around all the time to interpret for Russell, mostly working with him during health care (including mental health) appointments
Angelique balances along the edge of the path bricks, wings out and fluttering to help her along.
She goes around a corner and there're two pairs of feet on the path. She follows the legs up to a young lady with a bright red streak in her hair and Grandfather's helper and then steps ba—
The lady says, "Hi, there!" and waves.
Angelique hops down to the stones and waves.
"What's your name, sweetie?"
"Angelique." She comes closer.
Grandfather's helper keeps looking at something far away.
"I'm Tang Ah—" She touches Grandfather's helper's arm. 
—and this's Russell."
"Hullo, Tang Ah." Angelique turns to Russell. "Hullo, Russell."
He bobs his head.
Angelique shuffles her feet.
"What's up, sweetheart?" asks Tang Ah.
Russell sighs into his hand, looks back at that far away thing.
Angelique shuffles some more, mumbles, "Umm ... is he okay? He seems really sad."
"You can ask him yourself." Tang Ah smiles.
"Uh ... he's always ignored me before. When we were traveling with Grandfather."
"He's not ignoring you, sweetie. He doesn't always know someone's talking to him because he can't hear—"
"Oh."
"—and even when he knows you're trying to talk with him, sometimes he can't understand what you're saying well enough to answer you."
"Ohhhh." Angelique chews her lip. "It must be really lonely for him."
"You can ask him that, too, sweetie."
Angelique scrunches her forehead. "How?"
"I'll be his ears and his voice. Just talk with him like you are with me and his voice will come out of my mouth."
Angelique giggles.
"Figuratively speaking." Tang Ah grins. "Ready?"
"Mm!" Angelique plops down on the edge stones, smiles up at Russell.
Tang Ah pats his arm.
He jumps a little, looks at her.
Tang Ah says, "Russell, Angelique would like to talk with you," while making shapes in the air.
Russell sits up straighter, shapes back—
"I'd be happy to talk," says Tang Ah-as-Russell.
—then smiles a smidgen at Angelique.
[something something]
"Look at Russell, sweetie. I'm not here," says Tang Ah.
Angelique frowns. "This's /hard."
Russell hangs his head. "I know. I'm sorry."
Angelique pats his foot. "It's not your fault."
He smiles a little.
"What happened to your ears?"
"I was born—" Frowns. "—made deaf."
She brightens a little. "Grandfather made you, too?"
He nods.
Angelique bounces. "That's why those other men's helpers looked just like you! You have twins!"
He nods again.
"How many twins?"
"Fifty-six." Sighs. "So far."
"/Really?!"
Russell nods.
"I've only got /six but we're not really /twins, just brothers and sisters." Thinks. "Were you happy to see your brothers?"
He shrugs. 
"But they're your brothers?"
"I guess it's good to know they're alive."
"Why wouldn't they be?"
Russell looks away from her, shakes his head. 
"You don't want to talk about it?"
Nods sadly.
Angelique arranges path pebbles. "Why did Grandfather make you be deaf?"
"That way I couldn't learn his secrets and, if I did, I couldn't tell them to anyone else."
Angelique's heart hurts. "That's /awful."
Russell shrugs.
.
=== Job ===
「He needs a job,」 says Doctor Zhao.
Liu considers.
「It doesn't have to be anything big: just something to give him a goal and a feeling of accomplishment.」
「You have a suggestion.」
Zhao grins. 「That I do.」 Offers Liu a tablet.
Liu reads, hums.
「It'll work best coming from you.」
Liu agrees, pokes the tablet, sends the note and link from an official account.
Accepts the tablet. 「Thank you.」 Bows deeply.
Liu acknowledges, glides away.
.
In his pocket, Russell's mobile vibrates.
He retrieves it, checks his messages, swallows.
From: [blocked]
To: Russell Paget (rpaget@tang.net.cn)
Subject: Assignment
Mr Paget:
Please complete the following tasks and submit your completed report of activities to me before midnight on the date indicated.
Thank you for your prompt and diligent attention to these matters.
Regards,
[whatever name Liu would use]
Russell taps the link at the bottom of the message.
A secure website loads.
These tasks may be completed in any order. Please submit this checklist before midnight.
# Wake up.
# Make bed.
# Shower.
# Brush teeth.
# ....
Russell smiles as he reaches the end, sets out to check his suite for the supplies he needs.
.
=== Asylum ===
Timing: Quite a while after leaving Langlais
Khan crosses his arms, cocks his head. "Let me get this straight."
The members of the Junior Lawyer Asylum attend.
"A week ago, we sent Gottlieb to that dry-as-bones migrant law symposium in Nagasaki. Three days ago, we started wondering if he'd been replaced by an alien doppelgänger, because the notes he was sending back were /beautiful and perfectly organized."
"/Hey!"
Brown /shushes him.
"This morning, he shows up with a case of the sniffles and a better clerk than we could ever /hope to find: a clerk who, against all logic, is red-haired, deaf, from China, and /French."
"Don't forget 'willing to work for us'," adds Taylor.
Khan glowers at her.
Russell returns, settles a tea tray on the center of the table.
"What the hell, Gottlieb?"
The JLA fall upon it like hyenas.
Bastien shrugs. "A colleague of my brother's—"
"The doctor brother or the brother who saved the world?"
"World-saver." Shakes his head. "Anyway ... colleague vouched for Russell, he needs a job, and he has all his EU paperwork?"
Russell approaches Khan, offers tea.
Khan accepts, sips. "Ugh."
Russell—and everyone else—raise eyebrows.
"It's /perfect." Scowls at the cup. "A Frenchman from China who makes a /perfect cuppa."
Russell bows, exits.
"Is that a good thing?"
"It's a /travesty."
"But—"
"Stop worrying. We can keep him."
Bastien bats his eyelashes, coos, "You're the bestest senior partner a man could want."
Khan rolls his eyes. "Back to work, you lot." Shoos them from the conference room.
Category:Characters
Category:White Characters
Category:He-him-his
Category:Disabled Characters
Category:Deaf Characters
Category:French Characters
Category:No. 191
Category:Pages with comments
Category:Star Trek (reference)
Category:Ficlet
Category:Scraps
Category:Junior Lawyer Asylum
Category:Russell