Table Seating (open to all!)
Guiding Ginnie to the table, Alec selected a spot where her clothing would be most easily facilitated on the side facing the door. Moving a neighboring chair against a wall, he pulled out another chair for her to be seated in with enough space around her as to not disturb neighboring occupants (and be able to get up quickly if necessary).
A chair for you, Mademoiselle.
Taking the seat to her right, Alec looked up to the door in time to see Nova enter in her vintage Nirvana look and...someone...next to her.
Well, there's Nova...and...oh...my...god...is that Jan?
Keeping what could have easily been a bout of uproarious laughter down to a choking chuckle, Alec struggled to get his ageism in check.
I suppose some of us are luckier than others concerning the traditional clothing of our time. It is a good thing he's got nice legs or there'd be trouble.
Feeling immensely better about his youth, Alec reached for the bottle center table.
Wine for you?
((OOC: I will have sporadic access until Tuesday morning - please jump in and help entertain! I'll pop in and be sarcastic or socially clumsy as frequently as possible! Cheers, and Happy Halloween! Permission to staff to move me as necessary.))
"Interesting...how different?" Shay was issued a 40 caliber Glock when she'd first gone out on the street, but later chose to carry a stun gun instead.
"Better...? to shoot harder...farther...or just do more damage when they hit?"
She blinked, and cast a glance at both Mathias and Alec, and blushed.
"Sorry...I don't guess bullets are proper dinner conversation?"
"Discussing ones interests or job is generally quite good conversation Milady. My martial interests tend more to sword and shield,but I am not unfamiliar with guns." If by unfamiliar owning 3 match grade and customized firearms.
"That certainly sounds like loud work Ginnie,may I ask what drew you to it?"
"Ah...weapons development conversation...back to my chicken."
Nodding as appropriate, he continued to much away on the tasty foods. He'd have to remember to do this eating thing more often.
She hoped they could dance together, before the night was over...she had things to tell him, that wouldn't be appropriate at the dinner table. She gave him and impish smile, and turned back to her dinner.
Not wanting to interrupt Mathias and Ginnie, she smiled at Alec when he sort of skipped over the whole discussion on guns and bullets. She addressed her next question to him directly.
"But being in security...surely weapons play an important part in your work?"
Sure, buildings could be secured with wiring, and protective devices, but did he not employ men to also serve in a security capacity...and wouldn't they carry some form of defense?
Ah, sorry. Good chicken.
Finishing his bite, Alec returned to the conversation.
Not as much as you might think. I design and implement the setups - try to use a combination of techniques that is most likely to guarantee the protection of the asset. Combinations of mechanical, structural, electronic and biological layers to overcome the most likely types of intrusion. It is a very unusual job indeed where I am called upon to be one of those biological assets...I'm more a behind-the-scenes type than a shoot-it-out-with-the-bad-guys-type, Officer Shay.
Smirking, Alec took another bite of his chicken. After chewing, he stated
I've used guns, but don't claim any real skill - certainly not up to police standards. Sword-wise, well...I know which end to hold, and watched Zorro recently, so watch out! I might actually manage to hit something with the sharp bit!
Brandishing his fork, he stabbed at the remainder of his chicken.
Sometimes lessons were hard learned, and even though Shay had been a cop, she tried to never take a 'holier than thou' attitude. She was human...she had forgiven her share of parking tickets.
She wrinkled her nose at the 'officer Shay' title, but said nothing. She'd never been one for titles...she felt they only served to alienate...and even as a police officer, she tried to secure her objective through the smallest expression of authority.
"I admire your position, Alec. If more people made use of your services, there would be fewer police needed. And isn't it always better to prevent something bad from happening, rather than deal with it afterwards?"
She laughed when he referred to Zorro, and that caused her to think of Mathias with a sword. She looked to him, and winked.
"I'll bet you could put Zorro to shame."
He absentmindedly rubbed Shay's leg as he continued. "You are correct Shay,but even more so would be a sense of propriety and honor that would make Alec's job unnecessary. No offense meant of course."
Mathias unclenched his hand from Shay's leg. "Sorry folks. I think I spend too much time around relics and ruins. I long for the days of knights and honor." Although Mathias knew all too well what a lie it was. The Crusaders were every bit as brutal as they attributed to the Saracen army.
Mathias gave Shay a wicked grin as she mentioned Zorro "This is a ploy to get me into black and wear a mask isn't it?" His hand,which hand been drifting lazily on her thigh,began to caress her through the dress. " I always enjoyed Captain Blood more than Zorro - but rapiers just seem so flimsy to me."
"You are correct Shay,but even more so would be a sense of propriety and honor that would make Alec's job unnecessary. No offense meant of course.
Sorry folks. I think I spend too much time around relics and ruins. I long for the days of knights and honor."
"I agree, very much so...but I'm afraid your days of knights and honor no longer exist outside a very few minds. To me...you're an honorable knight."
But working as a police officer in Los Angeles, and burned too many ugly scenes onto Shay's mind...and she knew as sure as she was sitting there, they would not be able to exist in this time, without some assurance of defense from those who never heard the word propriety or honor.
"Captain Blood?"
Shay had never heard that name before.
"Was he a vampire with a sword? I'm sorry love, but I've never heard of him."
She spoke softly, her question, as it wouldn't look very good for a woman writing a book about vampires, not to know the famous ones. But she was also being pleasantly distracted by his hand, and when she looked at him, her eyes spoke of desire...and thoughts of vampires were dimmed. She was able to regain her composure though, and laid her hand on his, running her thumb over the top of it.
"Captain Blood was a pirate of the worst kind. It's a great little flick you should check it out some day."
Ginnie had listened quietly to their conversation, working her was steadily through her chicken, it was amazingly good. She was beginning to think that Mathais might be a man to speak with. She had a great deal of work to do on the streets when this little Hoe Down was over and he might be able to help her, then again he might not, she didn't really know what he did. Some discreet inquires were in order.
"As for me, I was able to witness the awesome power of munitions during the Great War and found I wanted to learn, but until the sixties it was difficult to find some place that would teach a woman. After that, the rest, as they say, is history."
"I never understood that Ginnie - some of the fiercest warriors from history were women. Boudiccea of the Iceni comes to mind." He chewed slowly on his steak,enjoying the flavor and the taste of blood in the rare meat.
"The 'great war'...did you say the sixties?"
So okay...Ginnie must really be taking this costume event to heart...it was as if she had truly assumed the part her costume helped her portray.
"Wow...between you and Mathias I feel so inadequate in my character. I SO should have researched my part tonight better."
She wondered briefly if she should be concerned with the common bond Mathias seemed to be forging with Ginnie. Though Shay understood a little about weapons, she felt out of place talking about them. They had played a part in her life, years back, but no more. And yet they seemed to hold a strong fascination for Mathias.
She chided herself for worrying. It was natural Mathias would have other interests, and the fact that he was making alliances in his office was to his credit as well. She dismissed any small jealousies before they were even fully formed.
"Bookworm indeed."
"You were saying that the dress was after Atta Olivia Clemons?" the next bit was tricky,but he wanted Shay to feel good about her outfit,truly she was the only thing he saw. "Tell me,what does Atta see?" He smiled softly and kissed her hand.
"She...Olivia...see's her lover, Drosos..."
The heroine of the stories went by Olivia, though without reading them, no one would know. Shay's hand caressed the side of Mathias's face, and her fingers brushed an errant hair from his forehead, before returning to her lap.
"...one who she fears does not know who she is...but who is quite aware, and loves her still."
It had been years since Shay had read the trilogy...a prequel to the later, more popular St. Germain books, written by Chelsea Quinn Yarboro. So she'd forgotten many of the smaller subplots and details of the books...but the bottom line was Olivia was a good vampire, who strove to help people, yet also had her own love to deal with.
Shay mouthed a silent...'Thank you'...to Mathias alone. Had they been alone, she would have crawled up onto his lap, and proceeded to make love with him, then and there.
However, they were not alone, and she'd best leave such thoughts alone for now...otherwise she might find herself saying something inappropriate, or finding the ability to walk, non-existant.
" What a tragedy that would be, to love someone and not be able to tell them." Mathias turned and gave Ginnie and Alec and sheepish grin. "See what this lovely woman does to me? I swear its a plot to make me blush on a permanent basis!" His smile belied his words though.
Mathias took notice of the ball and the wide variety and styles present. "Well this has certainly been a wonderful evening so far. Good food,good companions and quite parade of color!!"
Glancing to Shay, That's why I came as a modern Blade era vampire...I slept in history class and didn't realize until later all of the good stuff I missed out on.
Turning to Mathias, Ah, indeed. I've always wondered why the reaction to attraction, deep truth and embarrassment all typically manifest themselves in the same way.
"That sounds like a very exciting career you've chosen, and you selected your vampire well. But after hearing what both you and Ginnie do for a living, I'd have to say I'm very glad Mathias is content in his line of work, and enjoys research. I don't think I'd sleep very soundly if I thought he was constantly in harm's way...around ammunitions...guns...even biologicals."
Her hand covered his, on her thigh, and she smiled lovingly at Mathias. She wondered if he would feel differently, had she still been on the police force, instead of an author.
Mathias had to wonder if being a killer for hire would prove more disturbing to Shay than his being a vampire. Too many secrets,far too many to keep from the woman you love. You DO love her,don't you? the voice mocked. I do...and I will tell her all. I just have to figure out how. Yes,that sounded good. Of course She wasn't buying it. You mean,make more excuses.
He had no response.
"I am not in danger on a daily basis. I have a great many safe guards against something accidentally detonating in my face." She grinned at Shay. "Which is kind of a bummer sometimes, but thus far I haven't lost any limbs or melted my face off."
Shay still wasn't entirely certain of what Mathias did...well, she knew he researched things, but she hadn't understood why. She intended to talk to him more about it, but the time hadn't presented itself yet. Glad that he hadn't taken offense at her mentioning the lack of danger, she giggled slightly at his teasing. What he said about her old career though, showed he did understand her feelings.
"I don't know Mathias. Had you been with me on patrol, my attentions certainly would have been focused elsewhere...I think I would have been completely useless under those circumstances. Though I do appreciate that you would have been concerned. Trust is the thing I think is needed, between people who find their lives shared with someone who is required to take such risks. I think if we trust that the other person knows their job truly well, it helps us not to worry quite so much.
I trust you understand your job fully, so I think I'll be able to keep my worrying of paper cuts and sprained ankles to a minimum."
Thinking about Mathias as a man, Shay had wondered how he could be content with such a 'quiet' job. She knew he had strength...she'd seen it, and felt it. She also felt he had a great deal of fortitude. Since the subject matter of his research involved religion, she had assumed he chose to be a pacifist, and was completely at ease with that choice. She also thought of herself, and how she had gone from cop to writer with no trouble at all...and felt she understood even better.
His thoughts on religion were also something she hoped to speak to him about in depth. But not tonight.
In fact now she wondered if he would dance with her, and maybe stop by to see Paul. Shay really wanted to tell the other man that she was sorry she'd missed him, and see if he'd found someplace to live yet.
"Do you think I might steal you away from the table for a dance or two, before we have our dessert?"
Her eyes, purposely, held a look of plea...but she also smiled, to let him know if he didn't want to, she would survive.
"Shall we go be more sociable?"