Having just finished dressing, and feeding, Nic was full of energy. He guessed that was why he jumped a bit when Kem contacted him.
[On my way.]
The elevators weren't far from his suite, and once inside it was easy to find Kem, and floor B. When the doors opened, and he saw his new boss, Nic automatically gave him a one armed hug, mostly in thanks for everything he'd done for Nic. The hug dislodged the bag by Kem's legs, causing it to topple. Nic immediately bent down and picked it up.
"I really have to tell you how much I appreciate what you and Arin are doing for me, and I hope to do whatever you need me to, as a token of repayment."
Saving one's life was no small order, and Nic knew there probably would never really be any way to adequately repay that kindness.
"So tell me, this file organizing...we talking the manilla folder type files, or the files on computers?"
Nic could play a role only so well, and being somewhat inept with computers, he doubted he'd be able to get by with faking. If computers were involved, he hoped they would be relatively easy to learn.
At the moment, it was a new role for Nic, and he was naturally enthusiastic
"And when you say organizing...do you mean alphabetizing? Or moving them from one place to another..."
He glanced at the man next to him.
"You find this kind of thing interesting, hm?"
There was no judgement in Nic's question. He really was curious to know more about Kem. Maybe a small part of him thought to find motivation for the job, somewhere in Kem's interest.
Indiana Nic: Reader of the Lost Archives...
Kem looked around the white-tiled lobby. There weren't very many people here at this time of night; the majority of the humans at Meridian worked during the day or evening. He was surprised at how many new faces there were, and then he remembered that although a year wasn't so long for him or his kind, it was for everyone else.
In fact, he realized, the last time he'd spoken with the Head Archivist, Julie, she'd mentioned that she and her husband wanted children. Apparently they'd been successful; good for them.
Kem made his way to the stairwell, resettling the bag with his laptop in it over his shoulder and heading down into the depths of Meridian's lower levels. Here the floors were lettered rather than numbered, going substantially deep into the ground. Floors A, B, C, and D were all associated with the archaeological section of Meridian, as were some of the upper levels of the building.
As he jogged down the stairs Kem sent to Nic, [I'm here. I'll meet you outside the elevators whenever you get down; just come right down past the lobby to floor B.]
He entered that floor himself, admiring the way the white tiled floors integrated themselves with parts of the original stone structure of the building. This floor was quiet, but that wasn't unusual for this time of the evening.
There was no one else in the hallway, so Kem leaned up against the wall opposite the elevators, put his bag down on the floor propped against his shin, and waited.
Nicholae
18 years ago
Kem`Raaisu
18 years ago
No more than 5 minutes passed before the elevator doors opened with a shooshing sound. Before Kem could even move he was assaulted by a flurry of Nic and enveloped in a one-armed guy-hug. He awkwardly patted Nic on the back and accepted his displaced laptop back from him, nodding in greeting.
"Don't thank me, I haven't done anything. Give your thanks to Arin if you happen to get out of this scott-free." He couldn't explain that Alfarinn was keeping an eye out on him, as well, not without looking like a complete idiot right off the bat.
At Nic's next question, Kem gave his faint, ghostish half-smile and shook his head. "Archiving... isn't exactly the same as file organizing or alphabetizing. Most of the files here are already in good order, but things move in and out regularly. As researchers conduct experiments, bring new artifacts in, and all that, they need the appropriate documents. Everything you've seen in the movies is probably pretty inaccurate."
Kem headed down the hall, toward the single door at the end of it.
"Anything that gets removed from an archaeological site needs to be documented. Not just what it is, but where it was found, in relation to the soil and the features around it, what its chemical makeup is, if it was associated with other artifacts. And before I get too far, I should point out that an artifact is, by definition, anything made or altered for use by humans. Or vampires, as the case may be. Stop me if I'm giving you too much at once.
"To make a long story short, whenever an artifact is moved anywhere, its associated records need to go with it. There are several different kinds of records, which we'll go into later, but to give you an overview, the woman I'm filling in for is basically the head of the archives here and is responsible for maintaining not only the organization, but also the direct environment. That means the relative humidity in each storage room, the amount and type of light, the method of storage.
"We're going to be working with physical documentation as well as digital and photographic, so if you're not up to date on your computer know-how, I can show you what you'll need to know to get by."
He'd thrown an awful lot at Nic at once there. "Don't worry, no one expects you to jump right in and know what you're doing. As long as you're willing to learn it'll be easy."
He punched in the code to the door at the end of the hallway, showing Nic how to do so in the process. Then he pushed it open and stepped inside. The archives were enormous, comprising the entirety of floor B with stacks of shelves, smaller, dark rooms for photographic storage, desks scattered about at seemingly random intervals but really placed to make the most of the not-so-bright light. The entire room was fairly dimly-lit; each desk had its own smaller lamp.
The air was pleasant here; cool and not very dry but not overly humid as well. Kem let the door shut as soon as Nic entered, before addressing the last question.
He settled his eyes on the man next to him. "This is my life," he said softly. "This is all of our lives. How can it not interest us? Particularly when you can't simply tell some scientist that you know how it was because you were there when it happened. Humans have trouble enough believing the evidence right before them, sometimes. How can you expect them to believe there are people who remember those days?"
Kem shrugged. "It's in all of our best interests to not lose sight of the past as we move forward. Although some of us tend to dwell too much in it. I do."
He looked at Nic again, curiously. He had a feeling he was the older of the two, probably by a pretty large margin, but sometimes it was hard to say. "How old are you, exactly? We may have some artifacts here that you remember as well."
"Don't thank me, I haven't done anything. Give your thanks to Arin if you happen to get out of this scott-free." He couldn't explain that Alfarinn was keeping an eye out on him, as well, not without looking like a complete idiot right off the bat.
At Nic's next question, Kem gave his faint, ghostish half-smile and shook his head. "Archiving... isn't exactly the same as file organizing or alphabetizing. Most of the files here are already in good order, but things move in and out regularly. As researchers conduct experiments, bring new artifacts in, and all that, they need the appropriate documents. Everything you've seen in the movies is probably pretty inaccurate."
Kem headed down the hall, toward the single door at the end of it.
"Anything that gets removed from an archaeological site needs to be documented. Not just what it is, but where it was found, in relation to the soil and the features around it, what its chemical makeup is, if it was associated with other artifacts. And before I get too far, I should point out that an artifact is, by definition, anything made or altered for use by humans. Or vampires, as the case may be. Stop me if I'm giving you too much at once.
"To make a long story short, whenever an artifact is moved anywhere, its associated records need to go with it. There are several different kinds of records, which we'll go into later, but to give you an overview, the woman I'm filling in for is basically the head of the archives here and is responsible for maintaining not only the organization, but also the direct environment. That means the relative humidity in each storage room, the amount and type of light, the method of storage.
"We're going to be working with physical documentation as well as digital and photographic, so if you're not up to date on your computer know-how, I can show you what you'll need to know to get by."
He'd thrown an awful lot at Nic at once there. "Don't worry, no one expects you to jump right in and know what you're doing. As long as you're willing to learn it'll be easy."
He punched in the code to the door at the end of the hallway, showing Nic how to do so in the process. Then he pushed it open and stepped inside. The archives were enormous, comprising the entirety of floor B with stacks of shelves, smaller, dark rooms for photographic storage, desks scattered about at seemingly random intervals but really placed to make the most of the not-so-bright light. The entire room was fairly dimly-lit; each desk had its own smaller lamp.
The air was pleasant here; cool and not very dry but not overly humid as well. Kem let the door shut as soon as Nic entered, before addressing the last question.
"You find this kind of thing interesting, hm?"
He settled his eyes on the man next to him. "This is my life," he said softly. "This is all of our lives. How can it not interest us? Particularly when you can't simply tell some scientist that you know how it was because you were there when it happened. Humans have trouble enough believing the evidence right before them, sometimes. How can you expect them to believe there are people who remember those days?"
Kem shrugged. "It's in all of our best interests to not lose sight of the past as we move forward. Although some of us tend to dwell too much in it. I do."
He looked at Nic again, curiously. He had a feeling he was the older of the two, probably by a pretty large margin, but sometimes it was hard to say. "How old are you, exactly? We may have some artifacts here that you remember as well."
Nicholae
18 years ago
For all Kem's refusing to accept a part in Nic's current stay of execution, Nic knew had it not been for Kem's interceding, he probably wouldn't be here today. However, he had no desire to embarrass the man further, and let it alone.
"I will certainly give my thanks to Arin, as well, whenever I see him next."
He thought maybe he could send him a Thank You note, but discarded that as not being quite sufficient.
As the two men walked towards their destination, Nic paid special attention to what Kem said. His first thought was of Max von Sydow's role in The Exorcist. He invisioned him sitting at a desk, looking at the evil object they had discovered at the dig, and then detailing it on paper. Truthfully...he could think of more boring things to do.
"Always willing to learn, and thank you for allowing me the time to do so. I only hope I won't be a bigger obstacle, than assistance."
The entrance code was memorized, and Nic had to stifle a small 'wow', as he entered the vast room. He could see other rooms attached, some blocked by closed doors, and others exposing more spaces housing various bookcases, desks, computers, cabinets... Not being one to have spent much time in offices, and even when he did they were all about a third the size of this area, Nic now added 'getting lost' to his list things to learn, and worry about.
When Kem explained, at a baser level, why it was he found this work so interesting, and rewarding, Nic experienced a small amount of self disgust. All those years he'd spent enjoying life, having fun, seeing the world, and taking history for granted. He could see now there was much to be lost if it weren't for people like Kem, and their desire to preserve artifacts. He wondered why he had never thought about such things before.
"You're right. Most of us do probably take much of this for granted. Maybe between the two of us we can come up with a happy medium. You to spend less time in the past, and me to acknowledge it more?"
For Nic, having that goal might be more appealing than the actual mechanics of archiving, that he would be performing. It didn't seem impossible to marry the two tasks, if he was working with Kem over any period of time at all.
"I was born in 1630, and have spent 375 years on this earth, as of last September."
Seeing objects from that time in his life would be odd. His was a somewhat sad case, as so many things he had tried to carry with him through the years...material things...had been lost. After the first few items were gone, he learned to not get too attached to other objects. He also learned to not get too attached to people. For most of his life, situations and circumstances had shown him that he was the one and only constant in his life.
He wondered if it would be proper to return the question to Kem...
"And you Kem, what was the year of your birth?"
It was too trite, so Nic didn't mention it, but he was curious to know if Kem had been around during King Tut's time. That was the sole Egyptian Nic knew of from history. His stunted education was another reason Nic kept that question to himself.
"I will certainly give my thanks to Arin, as well, whenever I see him next."
He thought maybe he could send him a Thank You note, but discarded that as not being quite sufficient.
As the two men walked towards their destination, Nic paid special attention to what Kem said. His first thought was of Max von Sydow's role in The Exorcist. He invisioned him sitting at a desk, looking at the evil object they had discovered at the dig, and then detailing it on paper. Truthfully...he could think of more boring things to do.
"Always willing to learn, and thank you for allowing me the time to do so. I only hope I won't be a bigger obstacle, than assistance."
The entrance code was memorized, and Nic had to stifle a small 'wow', as he entered the vast room. He could see other rooms attached, some blocked by closed doors, and others exposing more spaces housing various bookcases, desks, computers, cabinets... Not being one to have spent much time in offices, and even when he did they were all about a third the size of this area, Nic now added 'getting lost' to his list things to learn, and worry about.
When Kem explained, at a baser level, why it was he found this work so interesting, and rewarding, Nic experienced a small amount of self disgust. All those years he'd spent enjoying life, having fun, seeing the world, and taking history for granted. He could see now there was much to be lost if it weren't for people like Kem, and their desire to preserve artifacts. He wondered why he had never thought about such things before.
"You're right. Most of us do probably take much of this for granted. Maybe between the two of us we can come up with a happy medium. You to spend less time in the past, and me to acknowledge it more?"
For Nic, having that goal might be more appealing than the actual mechanics of archiving, that he would be performing. It didn't seem impossible to marry the two tasks, if he was working with Kem over any period of time at all.
"I was born in 1630, and have spent 375 years on this earth, as of last September."
Seeing objects from that time in his life would be odd. His was a somewhat sad case, as so many things he had tried to carry with him through the years...material things...had been lost. After the first few items were gone, he learned to not get too attached to other objects. He also learned to not get too attached to people. For most of his life, situations and circumstances had shown him that he was the one and only constant in his life.
He wondered if it would be proper to return the question to Kem...
"And you Kem, what was the year of your birth?"
It was too trite, so Nic didn't mention it, but he was curious to know if Kem had been around during King Tut's time. That was the sole Egyptian Nic knew of from history. His stunted education was another reason Nic kept that question to himself.
Kem`Raaisu
18 years ago
"You won't be an obstacle so long as you're not afraid to ask about the things you don't know," Kem reassured Nic.
He didn't respond immediately to Nic's mention of a happy medium, partly because it had touched a still-raw nerve, and partly because he was slightly surprised to hear words of wisdom from someone who had basically acted the opposite since arriving in the city. However, after a moment, he gave a curt nod.
"I'll give it a shot if you will."
He had to allow for the fact that although his actions hadn't exactly reeked of caution, Nic didn't seem like a bad individual. He almost reminded Kem of a wayward puppy; well-meant, eager to please, but rash and impetuous. When he mentioned his age, Kem nodded again, to himself. Nic wasn't a new vampire, but he was still relatively young. Hopefully the consequences of his actions wouldn't result in his being denied the chance to learn from his mistakes.
It was lamentable that he hadn't acted with more prudence, but then not everyone was fortunate enough to have had a mentor such as Alfarinn. And Kem couldn't claim to have been the smartest of individuals in his own first few centuries of life, either. Before joining Evenhet, he'd made more than his fair share of mistakes, and still wondered why he hadn't met his own end.
Putting the speculation on the backburner for the time being, Kem looked around and found two desks close to each other that were obviously vacant. He placed his bag on one, removing the laptop, and gestured to the other for Nic. As he did so he answered Nic's last question.
"I was turned in 410 AD. Giza, Egypt. It was... hmm. Late summer. August, probably, although I'm not certain. I was about 19 by my own reckoning. And let's see... during the Roman occupation. Not sure if you're familiar with the history, but basically after the time of the pyramids and the great Kings. There was still a Pharoah but that title didn't have nearly the power as it had a thousand years before my birth."
He tried not to be too short in answering the question, although he was trying not to go into great detail either. Plugging the laptop in but leaving it closed, he turned once more to Nic.
"So, would you like the grand tour? We can start in the archives, or I can give you a quick trip around all the floors here so you can see exactly how big an area we're dealing with and what people do around here. It's up to you. There's a lot to learn, so don't worry about having to memorize everything right off the bat."
He didn't respond immediately to Nic's mention of a happy medium, partly because it had touched a still-raw nerve, and partly because he was slightly surprised to hear words of wisdom from someone who had basically acted the opposite since arriving in the city. However, after a moment, he gave a curt nod.
"I'll give it a shot if you will."
He had to allow for the fact that although his actions hadn't exactly reeked of caution, Nic didn't seem like a bad individual. He almost reminded Kem of a wayward puppy; well-meant, eager to please, but rash and impetuous. When he mentioned his age, Kem nodded again, to himself. Nic wasn't a new vampire, but he was still relatively young. Hopefully the consequences of his actions wouldn't result in his being denied the chance to learn from his mistakes.
It was lamentable that he hadn't acted with more prudence, but then not everyone was fortunate enough to have had a mentor such as Alfarinn. And Kem couldn't claim to have been the smartest of individuals in his own first few centuries of life, either. Before joining Evenhet, he'd made more than his fair share of mistakes, and still wondered why he hadn't met his own end.
Putting the speculation on the backburner for the time being, Kem looked around and found two desks close to each other that were obviously vacant. He placed his bag on one, removing the laptop, and gestured to the other for Nic. As he did so he answered Nic's last question.
"I was turned in 410 AD. Giza, Egypt. It was... hmm. Late summer. August, probably, although I'm not certain. I was about 19 by my own reckoning. And let's see... during the Roman occupation. Not sure if you're familiar with the history, but basically after the time of the pyramids and the great Kings. There was still a Pharoah but that title didn't have nearly the power as it had a thousand years before my birth."
He tried not to be too short in answering the question, although he was trying not to go into great detail either. Plugging the laptop in but leaving it closed, he turned once more to Nic.
"So, would you like the grand tour? We can start in the archives, or I can give you a quick trip around all the floors here so you can see exactly how big an area we're dealing with and what people do around here. It's up to you. There's a lot to learn, so don't worry about having to memorize everything right off the bat."
Nicholae
18 years ago
Nic refrained from rubbing his hands together, but he could see some fun ahead if Kem was truly willing to give it a try.
"I've not had a lot of formal education. Most of what has allowed me to get by in life has been self taught, and learned on the streets, but I do remember a bit of ancient history, and that the time of King Tut was well before the birth of Christ.
I dare say though, being around for over a thousand years? My god man, but what you must have seen...experienced...it's almost unfathomable to me."
For a few seconds longer, Nic tried to imagine living even twice as long as Kem had, and he would have still been an infant, next to his friend. A huge feeling of respect for the man came over Nic, and he vowed to himself to get to know as much about him as Kem would allow. It was time Nic started really appreciating those around him more, and he felt sure Kem could be the one to help him there...whether the guy knew it or not.
"How about the overview first, then the archives. Let me get a full sense of where I'm going to be working, before I get down to the nitty gritty."
"I've not had a lot of formal education. Most of what has allowed me to get by in life has been self taught, and learned on the streets, but I do remember a bit of ancient history, and that the time of King Tut was well before the birth of Christ.
I dare say though, being around for over a thousand years? My god man, but what you must have seen...experienced...it's almost unfathomable to me."
For a few seconds longer, Nic tried to imagine living even twice as long as Kem had, and he would have still been an infant, next to his friend. A huge feeling of respect for the man came over Nic, and he vowed to himself to get to know as much about him as Kem would allow. It was time Nic started really appreciating those around him more, and he felt sure Kem could be the one to help him there...whether the guy knew it or not.
"How about the overview first, then the archives. Let me get a full sense of where I'm going to be working, before I get down to the nitty gritty."
Kem`Raaisu
18 years ago
"Too much," Kem muttered to himself. Then, with a glance at Nic and in a little bit louder tone of voice, "Well, the Romans used to throw some pretty good parties... and the Italians have always known their cooking. I ate sushi long before it became trendy, and saw Stonehenge before it became a tourist attraction. But as much fun as that is, believe you me. It gets old."
With a sigh, he realized he was falling back into a bad pattern. He favored Nic with a small grin of apology. "Sorry. See what I mean? Too much in the past. Let's go see what's going on elsewhere; there may not be a whole lot going on right now, but that's probably for the best since you've never seen any of this before."
Kem led the way out the door again, Nic in tow, back out into the hallway, turning toward the stairwell again as the elevator made its shooshing noise behind them.
((ooc: Permission to move Nic))
I dare say though, being around for over a thousand years? My god man, but what you must have seen...experienced...it's almost unfathomable to me."
"Too much," Kem muttered to himself. Then, with a glance at Nic and in a little bit louder tone of voice, "Well, the Romans used to throw some pretty good parties... and the Italians have always known their cooking. I ate sushi long before it became trendy, and saw Stonehenge before it became a tourist attraction. But as much fun as that is, believe you me. It gets old."
With a sigh, he realized he was falling back into a bad pattern. He favored Nic with a small grin of apology. "Sorry. See what I mean? Too much in the past. Let's go see what's going on elsewhere; there may not be a whole lot going on right now, but that's probably for the best since you've never seen any of this before."
Kem led the way out the door again, Nic in tow, back out into the hallway, turning toward the stairwell again as the elevator made its shooshing noise behind them.
((ooc: Permission to move Nic))
Theodosia
18 years ago
Theo silently closed the storage room door and walked out into the hall, toward the elevator. She was done with her current bin and had to return the records to their proper place in the archives. That was the rule, and it was upsetting when things got lost so it made perfect sense to her.
She stepped onto the elevator, pulling the stack of folders to her chest and pressing the button for the B level. After she had moved all the way to the back so that the doors wouldn’t close on her long apron-style dress, she relaxed her hold on the folders and watched the lights take her up to the requested level.
Stepping out of the elevator, she registered a very familiar blonde head before she was running top speed for the stairwell.
“Kem!”
Flinching as her own voice echoed through the hallway, she came to a stop as she reached the two men.
Quiet in the archives!
She tried to look sheepish but she was just a little too cheerful to be overly concerned with her previous loudness. Even so, she remembered to keep her voice down as she addressed the two men.
“You’re back!” Grinning, she turned to Nic, stealing a glance at his shoes but deciding it might be better not to mention what could be a personal matter in front of Kem. Instead, she wiggled her bare toes and gave him a cheeky wink. She was beginning to suspect he wasn’t far off with his suspicions regarding shoes; all of hers had felt wrong today. “Hi Nic. Do you have a job here too?”
She stepped onto the elevator, pulling the stack of folders to her chest and pressing the button for the B level. After she had moved all the way to the back so that the doors wouldn’t close on her long apron-style dress, she relaxed her hold on the folders and watched the lights take her up to the requested level.
Stepping out of the elevator, she registered a very familiar blonde head before she was running top speed for the stairwell.
“Kem!”
Flinching as her own voice echoed through the hallway, she came to a stop as she reached the two men.
Quiet in the archives!
She tried to look sheepish but she was just a little too cheerful to be overly concerned with her previous loudness. Even so, she remembered to keep her voice down as she addressed the two men.
“You’re back!” Grinning, she turned to Nic, stealing a glance at his shoes but deciding it might be better not to mention what could be a personal matter in front of Kem. Instead, she wiggled her bare toes and gave him a cheeky wink. She was beginning to suspect he wasn’t far off with his suspicions regarding shoes; all of hers had felt wrong today. “Hi Nic. Do you have a job here too?”
Nicholae
18 years ago
Following Kem along, Nic could see the guy really did need to spend more time in the NOW. He was even more excited to think he might be able to get him to relax and really have some fun again...much like those..
"When you say 'good parties'...were those stories about orgies true?"
So, okay, maybe Nic was pushing the envelope a bit on his friendly attitude towards Kem. But hell, they were both guys, and surely they both had similar needs.
"By the way, I forgot to mention earlier..you're looking a lot better than the first time we met. Been working out?"
It was the young woman from the book store, who was now barrelling towards them at break neck speed. She obviously was a good friend of Kem's.
He caught her looking at his shoes, and was glad he wore the tennis variety this time, rather than the loafers. He gave her a wink but held his tongue in mentioning the event they had experienced.
"A job...why yes, it appears I do. I am being fostered to assist Master Kem."
"When you say 'good parties'...were those stories about orgies true?"
So, okay, maybe Nic was pushing the envelope a bit on his friendly attitude towards Kem. But hell, they were both guys, and surely they both had similar needs.
"By the way, I forgot to mention earlier..you're looking a lot better than the first time we met. Been working out?"
It was the young woman from the book store, who was now barrelling towards them at break neck speed. She obviously was a good friend of Kem's.
He caught her looking at his shoes, and was glad he wore the tennis variety this time, rather than the loafers. He gave her a wink but held his tongue in mentioning the event they had experienced.
"A job...why yes, it appears I do. I am being fostered to assist Master Kem."
Kem`Raaisu
18 years ago
Kem thanked whatever deities were up there that his back was to Nic right about then, although out of habit he ducked his head anyhow, letting his hair fall down around his red face, which probably muffled his response.
"Casual observer, I'm afraid. I wasn't a big partygoer back then."
The situation didn't get much better when Nic asked if he'd been working out. Resisting the urge to pound his head against the nearest wall, he was about to try to choke out a response to that as well when a most welcome interruption came along with the patter of bare feet.
Kem turned to see Theo standing there, having pulled herself up with commendable restraint just as she reached them. The smile upon his lips, while certainly not huge by any means, was probably the most genuine expression he'd managed in the past few weeks.
"Theo," he said warmly. It was good to see her. Kem had always found her company and her candor enjoyable, and certainly never boring. "I'm back," he confirmed unnecessarily giving her another quick grin. "May I take those?"
Reaching out, he held out his hands for her stack of folders, then turned once more back to the archives.
"Looks like you two have met already? Let's get these put away. I was about to show Nic around, Theo. Want to come along?"
He did his best to ignore the "Master Kem" bit, although it made his face flame up all over again as he made his way back through the door into the archives.
"When you say 'good parties'...were those stories about orgies true?"
Kem thanked whatever deities were up there that his back was to Nic right about then, although out of habit he ducked his head anyhow, letting his hair fall down around his red face, which probably muffled his response.
"Casual observer, I'm afraid. I wasn't a big partygoer back then."
The situation didn't get much better when Nic asked if he'd been working out. Resisting the urge to pound his head against the nearest wall, he was about to try to choke out a response to that as well when a most welcome interruption came along with the patter of bare feet.
Kem turned to see Theo standing there, having pulled herself up with commendable restraint just as she reached them. The smile upon his lips, while certainly not huge by any means, was probably the most genuine expression he'd managed in the past few weeks.
"Theo," he said warmly. It was good to see her. Kem had always found her company and her candor enjoyable, and certainly never boring. "I'm back," he confirmed unnecessarily giving her another quick grin. "May I take those?"
Reaching out, he held out his hands for her stack of folders, then turned once more back to the archives.
"Looks like you two have met already? Let's get these put away. I was about to show Nic around, Theo. Want to come along?"
He did his best to ignore the "Master Kem" bit, although it made his face flame up all over again as he made his way back through the door into the archives.
Theodosia
18 years ago
Theo giggled a little at Nic’s return wink and handed the folders over to Kem, nodding her head as he established that everyone had been introduced. Half walking, half bouncing ahead of them, she led the way out of the hall and back into the records room, trying to catch Kem up on the latest very important news and to tell Nic about the archives at the same time and spinning around and walking backward occasionally to better speak.
“Julie’s having a baby and –I- get to hold her and play with her…the baby, not Julie. That’s her desk over there; there’s lots of rules in here but it’s not too hard and she keeps everything orderly, except she’s having a baby so you might not see her for a while. There’s been lots of excitement; there were new people a few days ago…like Nic! And Alfarinn brought a friend to the book store but I didn’t get a good look at him except he has a face like this” She sucked in her cheeks and raised one eyebrow before deciding that wasn’t the best impersonation she’d ever done in her life. “and oh, I made a new friend too.” Realizing the biggest news was yet to come, she stopped walking to lean forward and speak in a confidential tone. “I went to the opera.”
I think that might be enough gossip for one day.
Theo rolled her eyes but quieted down a bit after that, instead walking on her tiptoes down the long aisle in front of her.
/ooc…okay, who gave her sugar?
“Julie’s having a baby and –I- get to hold her and play with her…the baby, not Julie. That’s her desk over there; there’s lots of rules in here but it’s not too hard and she keeps everything orderly, except she’s having a baby so you might not see her for a while. There’s been lots of excitement; there were new people a few days ago…like Nic! And Alfarinn brought a friend to the book store but I didn’t get a good look at him except he has a face like this” She sucked in her cheeks and raised one eyebrow before deciding that wasn’t the best impersonation she’d ever done in her life. “and oh, I made a new friend too.” Realizing the biggest news was yet to come, she stopped walking to lean forward and speak in a confidential tone. “I went to the opera.”
I think that might be enough gossip for one day.
Theo rolled her eyes but quieted down a bit after that, instead walking on her tiptoes down the long aisle in front of her.
/ooc…okay, who gave her sugar?
Nicholae
18 years ago
Casual observer to the Roman orgies...there was something not right with that picture. But it was another one of those things Nic was bound and determined to work on.
He was also again very aware that Kem was taken aback by the subject matter, so Nic let it lie. Having Theo there helped distract him from his concerns of Kem, and instead Nic just nodded politely as Theo made her announcements.
She seemed quite enthralled with the issue of 'Julie' having a 'baby', and yet that didn't stop her from changing subjects several times in the course of the short conversation.
He smiled when she referred to their short meeting at the bookstore, and laughed out loud when she did her impression of Thaddeus. Nic had though the man to have been much better looking that she was allowing for, but then there was only so much she could do with her own face, to change it to that of a handsome young man. Too much of her feminine cuteness remained to alter the look.
The part about making a new friend didn't register, as there had been several people at the bookstore, that he thought would have fallen into that category.
"And which opera did you see...surely not by yourself?"
Nic still wasn't aware of her nature...whether or not she was a vampire, so he still thought of her as a young teenager...one he didn't think would be allowed out late enough for the opera, on her own.
But that was just his a judgement call, and one he was rarely given to making, mainly because it didn't matter either way.
He was also again very aware that Kem was taken aback by the subject matter, so Nic let it lie. Having Theo there helped distract him from his concerns of Kem, and instead Nic just nodded politely as Theo made her announcements.
She seemed quite enthralled with the issue of 'Julie' having a 'baby', and yet that didn't stop her from changing subjects several times in the course of the short conversation.
He smiled when she referred to their short meeting at the bookstore, and laughed out loud when she did her impression of Thaddeus. Nic had though the man to have been much better looking that she was allowing for, but then there was only so much she could do with her own face, to change it to that of a handsome young man. Too much of her feminine cuteness remained to alter the look.
The part about making a new friend didn't register, as there had been several people at the bookstore, that he thought would have fallen into that category.
"And which opera did you see...surely not by yourself?"
Nic still wasn't aware of her nature...whether or not she was a vampire, so he still thought of her as a young teenager...one he didn't think would be allowed out late enough for the opera, on her own.
But that was just his a judgement call, and one he was rarely given to making, mainly because it didn't matter either way.
Kem`Raaisu
18 years ago
Kem's smile remained as he listened to Theo. The files she'd had were all easy to locate, generic accession files for some of the artifacts upstairs, and as the three of them were the only ones in the archives at that moment he cheated a bit, using his telekinesis as a 'third hand,' opening drawers and slipping the files into place at a far faster rate than he would have if there had been humans around.
He turned around in time to see the face she made while describing Alfarinn's 'friend' and filed that one away to relay back to him at some point; it was pretty funny.
"So, new friends, Julie's baby, Alfarinn's pal, and... the opera?" Kem raised his eyebrows. "That IS some news. I wish I'd been there, I haven't seen one in ages."
It was news, really. Theo didn't get to go out all that often, particularly without there being a 'chaperone' of sorts to quell her sometimes erratic behavior. She was evidently, and rightfully, proud of herself. Closing the last of the file cabinets while Nic also inquired about the opera, he made sure there was nothing he'd missed.
"Well, shall we? We've got a lot to show Nic. He's never been in a repository like this before. He'll probably want to know what you were doing upstairs."
Kem hoped Theo would come along; not only was she generally good company, but it seemed she had an excess of energy tonight; she was positively buoyant.
((ooc: No more feeding on anyone who's just had a double espresso for you. I mean it!))
He turned around in time to see the face she made while describing Alfarinn's 'friend' and filed that one away to relay back to him at some point; it was pretty funny.
"So, new friends, Julie's baby, Alfarinn's pal, and... the opera?" Kem raised his eyebrows. "That IS some news. I wish I'd been there, I haven't seen one in ages."
It was news, really. Theo didn't get to go out all that often, particularly without there being a 'chaperone' of sorts to quell her sometimes erratic behavior. She was evidently, and rightfully, proud of herself. Closing the last of the file cabinets while Nic also inquired about the opera, he made sure there was nothing he'd missed.
"Well, shall we? We've got a lot to show Nic. He's never been in a repository like this before. He'll probably want to know what you were doing upstairs."
Kem hoped Theo would come along; not only was she generally good company, but it seemed she had an excess of energy tonight; she was positively buoyant.
((ooc: No more feeding on anyone who's just had a double espresso for you. I mean it!))
Theodosia
18 years ago
Theo turned to Nic, fixing him with a haughty stare before tossing back her head and speaking in her queenly fashion.
“Of course not; I found a date quite promptly, thank you. And we saw Faust.”
She punctuated the statement with a delicate sniff.
Don’t be indignant; perhaps he was curious about your company because he wants to take you somewhere?
Theo considered this theory while tugging absently at her hair, adding to it Nic’s invitation for ice cream the other day, and decided it was a good one. Perhaps she was giving off the wrong impression but she wasn’t quite sure of how to fix that now, which was too bad because she liked going out with friends, people who liked her company and not people who wanted to tell her what to do. Theo was fairly sensitive to being babysat and didn’t like it one bit, but Nic didn’t seem to be the babysitter type.
She did not, however, dwell on the matter longer than was her nature, instead nodding brightly at Kem.
“Mmmhmm, see, I told you there was a lot of excitement. Okay, let’s go!”
Again taking the lead, she walked on an invisible rope in front of her as she explained what she did in the repository.
“I pick up the different artifacts and listen to what they tell me, and that gets added to their file. It can mean a lot of different things, but mostly it helps people understand the story better.”
“Of course not; I found a date quite promptly, thank you. And we saw Faust.”
She punctuated the statement with a delicate sniff.
Don’t be indignant; perhaps he was curious about your company because he wants to take you somewhere?
Theo considered this theory while tugging absently at her hair, adding to it Nic’s invitation for ice cream the other day, and decided it was a good one. Perhaps she was giving off the wrong impression but she wasn’t quite sure of how to fix that now, which was too bad because she liked going out with friends, people who liked her company and not people who wanted to tell her what to do. Theo was fairly sensitive to being babysat and didn’t like it one bit, but Nic didn’t seem to be the babysitter type.
She did not, however, dwell on the matter longer than was her nature, instead nodding brightly at Kem.
“Mmmhmm, see, I told you there was a lot of excitement. Okay, let’s go!”
Again taking the lead, she walked on an invisible rope in front of her as she explained what she did in the repository.
“I pick up the different artifacts and listen to what they tell me, and that gets added to their file. It can mean a lot of different things, but mostly it helps people understand the story better.”
Nicholae
18 years ago
Nic saw what he thought was a look of exasperation on Theo's face before she spoke, and instantly regretted mentioning anything having to do with age. It had been his experience, even if limited, that young girls always thought of themselves as being older, and did not like being looked upon at their chronological age. Plus he had heard somewhere that girls matured faster than boys.
Not to mention that no one else seemed concerned about Theo's wanderings, including Kem.
And...one other thing Nic had to consider. Probably because he and Kem had only just spoke of their respective ages, it occurred to him now that there was a possibility Theo was even older than Nic was!
Now...with he and Kem there had been no issue about asking each other's age. If Theo was a normal, every day young lady, she would undoubtedly not care either.
"Good for you, and Faust. The opera should never be seen alone...always with a friend...or date."
Nic sincerely congratulated her, and again pondered how to ask her age.
"Theo...do you date, often?"
Maybe she would see a movie with him at the mall. He thought there was a theater there, and felt it was just as important to see a movie with someone, as the opera. You needed someone to discuss them with afterwards.
He looked to Kem indulgently, and hoped the older man didn't think Nic had any untoward designs on the girl.
And yet again, before there were answers, they were moving again.
As he listened to Theo speak of her work there, at Meridian, he had to conclude she was indeed older than he had initially thought. She seemed to have a wonderful insight into the workings there, and her specific job was....what?
"Wait...you listen to the artifacts, and what they TELL you?"
The ability to lift his shoe hadn't been the whole story...she had actually heard his shoe talk to her?
Not to mention that no one else seemed concerned about Theo's wanderings, including Kem.
And...one other thing Nic had to consider. Probably because he and Kem had only just spoke of their respective ages, it occurred to him now that there was a possibility Theo was even older than Nic was!
Now...with he and Kem there had been no issue about asking each other's age. If Theo was a normal, every day young lady, she would undoubtedly not care either.
"Good for you, and Faust. The opera should never be seen alone...always with a friend...or date."
Nic sincerely congratulated her, and again pondered how to ask her age.
"Theo...do you date, often?"
Maybe she would see a movie with him at the mall. He thought there was a theater there, and felt it was just as important to see a movie with someone, as the opera. You needed someone to discuss them with afterwards.
He looked to Kem indulgently, and hoped the older man didn't think Nic had any untoward designs on the girl.
And yet again, before there were answers, they were moving again.
As he listened to Theo speak of her work there, at Meridian, he had to conclude she was indeed older than he had initially thought. She seemed to have a wonderful insight into the workings there, and her specific job was....what?
"Wait...you listen to the artifacts, and what they TELL you?"
The ability to lift his shoe hadn't been the whole story...she had actually heard his shoe talk to her?
Kem`Raaisu
18 years ago
Kem was aware of Theo's dislike for being 'babysat' but she always evoked the 'big brother' side of him, somehow. Hearing the word 'date' come out of her mouth set off every radar and warning bell imaginable, but he simply followed along as they moved up the stairs to floor A, which housed the vast majority of Meridian's collections.
"This date of yours better have treated you like a gentleman ought to. Otherwise he's going to have a clanload of angry Evenhet after him. Unless he was from within?" Kem shook his head, remembering not to be overprotective. "Forgive me, Theo. If he's a nice enough person for you to have enjoyed his company at the opera, then he must be all right."
It was sometimes easy to forget that Theo was the older of the two of them by over 50 years. Her appearance of apparent youth and her often childish exuberance were easy to get caught up in.
Meanwhile, Nic seemed to be struggling with how to relate to the girl, but Kem was inclined to let him sort that out on his own. Apparently some practice was in order, and it would be good for them both to deal with each other their own ways.
As they emerged from the stairwell onto the next floor up and made their way down the hallway to the next locked door, Kem heard Nic's surprised exclamation about the artifacts. Cocking an eyebrow at him, Kem turned and asked, "Have you ever met a psychometrist before? Theo's one, as am I. A very useful tool, particularly in this line of work."
He would let Nic work out the nature of Theo's psychometry, unless she cared to explain further herself. Kem, for one, had always had trouble trying to explain what it felt like to touch something and know certain things about it immediately. As far as vampires' particular abilities went, that one was certainly one of the more abstract concepts.
Opening the door to Collections, he stepped into the room and looked around with an air of satisfaction. This was by far his favorite section of Meridian. Archives was interesting, and the lab was something else, but Collections was where you could physically touch the remains of the past... and with Theo and Kem around, touching could be the key to understanding the nature of a thing.
This floor had a different layout than archives, which resembled a very high-tech library. Here, there were many different rooms; some had locked doors, some didn't. Most of the rooms had no windows on the front at all; just a doorway in a wall. Every door had gauges on it, measuring temperature, relative humidity, and any other environmental control that would factor into preserving an artifact.
The light was brighter here than it had been in archives, ironically. Downstairs, each desk had its own light source and the room in general was kept at low lighting. Here though, overhead lights lit the entire work area, which was peppered with desks along walls and workstations where artifacts could be cleaned, prepared for testing, or preventative maintenance could take place.
Kem took a moment to explain that all to Nic before he turned back to Theo. "So which artifacts did you do this time?"
"This date of yours better have treated you like a gentleman ought to. Otherwise he's going to have a clanload of angry Evenhet after him. Unless he was from within?" Kem shook his head, remembering not to be overprotective. "Forgive me, Theo. If he's a nice enough person for you to have enjoyed his company at the opera, then he must be all right."
It was sometimes easy to forget that Theo was the older of the two of them by over 50 years. Her appearance of apparent youth and her often childish exuberance were easy to get caught up in.
Meanwhile, Nic seemed to be struggling with how to relate to the girl, but Kem was inclined to let him sort that out on his own. Apparently some practice was in order, and it would be good for them both to deal with each other their own ways.
As they emerged from the stairwell onto the next floor up and made their way down the hallway to the next locked door, Kem heard Nic's surprised exclamation about the artifacts. Cocking an eyebrow at him, Kem turned and asked, "Have you ever met a psychometrist before? Theo's one, as am I. A very useful tool, particularly in this line of work."
He would let Nic work out the nature of Theo's psychometry, unless she cared to explain further herself. Kem, for one, had always had trouble trying to explain what it felt like to touch something and know certain things about it immediately. As far as vampires' particular abilities went, that one was certainly one of the more abstract concepts.
Opening the door to Collections, he stepped into the room and looked around with an air of satisfaction. This was by far his favorite section of Meridian. Archives was interesting, and the lab was something else, but Collections was where you could physically touch the remains of the past... and with Theo and Kem around, touching could be the key to understanding the nature of a thing.
This floor had a different layout than archives, which resembled a very high-tech library. Here, there were many different rooms; some had locked doors, some didn't. Most of the rooms had no windows on the front at all; just a doorway in a wall. Every door had gauges on it, measuring temperature, relative humidity, and any other environmental control that would factor into preserving an artifact.
The light was brighter here than it had been in archives, ironically. Downstairs, each desk had its own light source and the room in general was kept at low lighting. Here though, overhead lights lit the entire work area, which was peppered with desks along walls and workstations where artifacts could be cleaned, prepared for testing, or preventative maintenance could take place.
Kem took a moment to explain that all to Nic before he turned back to Theo. "So which artifacts did you do this time?"
Theodosia
18 years ago
Theo continued to balance on her imaginary tightrope as the trio made their way up to Collections, answering the two men’s questions over her shoulder.
“Sometimes I do. Sometimes I go out all by myself too, but all the crowds can get me upset and we wouldn’t want an incident, would we?”
She didn’t say the last with any sort of bitterness; in fact, she had been mildly amused when one of the Evenhet body guards had returned to the towers and reported that ‘there had been an incident’ to describe one of her more disastrous outbursts.
That shopkeeper deserved everything he got and she didn’t feel bad at all.
As for going out alone, that wasn’t entirely accurate, but Theo didn’t feel bodyguards really counted. She understood that there job was not to tell her what to do, but to make sure no one bothered her, and that was okay. Unfortunately not every guard understood that concept, but if they became too interfering or just annoyed her in some way she wouldn’t see them again.
She rolled her eyes at Kem’s worries, though when Paul scolded her she answered politely enough.
“Yes, he was a gentleman. He’s a musician and has a very nice voice and good manners.”
She snickered a little at that, remembering their discussion of ‘lessons in manners’ for some of the people in the Opera House. Deciding that would probably be enough to placate Kem, she listened to his explanation to Nic’s questions, chiming in with her own thoughts afterward.
“Yep, I’m –very- useful around here.” She tapped the side of her head. “I hear –lots- of good stuff.”
She stopped at the door and let Kem open it, resisting the impulse to twirl in after him and instead strutting in with one hand on her hip. She browsed the shelves aimlessly while Kem explained the room to Nic, though she returned when Kem asked what she had been working on.
“Oh, just some local things from the North Nachton site; they want to know if there was anything interesting so that the city won’t build a parking lot there.” She gave a little shrug, figuring it couldn’t all be exotic but it was interesting nonetheless and she hoped she had helped. Some people were pretty mad about the parking lot and that wasn’t much fun to be around.
“Sometimes I do. Sometimes I go out all by myself too, but all the crowds can get me upset and we wouldn’t want an incident, would we?”
She didn’t say the last with any sort of bitterness; in fact, she had been mildly amused when one of the Evenhet body guards had returned to the towers and reported that ‘there had been an incident’ to describe one of her more disastrous outbursts.
That shopkeeper deserved everything he got and she didn’t feel bad at all.
As for going out alone, that wasn’t entirely accurate, but Theo didn’t feel bodyguards really counted. She understood that there job was not to tell her what to do, but to make sure no one bothered her, and that was okay. Unfortunately not every guard understood that concept, but if they became too interfering or just annoyed her in some way she wouldn’t see them again.
She rolled her eyes at Kem’s worries, though when Paul scolded her she answered politely enough.
“Yes, he was a gentleman. He’s a musician and has a very nice voice and good manners.”
She snickered a little at that, remembering their discussion of ‘lessons in manners’ for some of the people in the Opera House. Deciding that would probably be enough to placate Kem, she listened to his explanation to Nic’s questions, chiming in with her own thoughts afterward.
“Yep, I’m –very- useful around here.” She tapped the side of her head. “I hear –lots- of good stuff.”
She stopped at the door and let Kem open it, resisting the impulse to twirl in after him and instead strutting in with one hand on her hip. She browsed the shelves aimlessly while Kem explained the room to Nic, though she returned when Kem asked what she had been working on.
“Oh, just some local things from the North Nachton site; they want to know if there was anything interesting so that the city won’t build a parking lot there.” She gave a little shrug, figuring it couldn’t all be exotic but it was interesting nonetheless and she hoped she had helped. Some people were pretty mad about the parking lot and that wasn’t much fun to be around.
Nicholae
18 years ago
Feeling very enlightened, Nic nodded as Kem explained things quite well.
"Psychometrists...psychometry...no, I'm afraid it's all new to me. Sounds like quite the skill to have though, especially in this business.
I'm limited to suggesting...you know how well I manage that."
A slightly embarrassed look was then cast at Kem.
"I've a bit of a knack with glamorizing...and bonding...though I don't see how any of those talents will help me here. Of course this is your chosen field too...they do come in handy for me, when I'm acting a part."
He wasn't really expecting any interest in his line of work, from Kem or Theo, but he was inclined to pass along a bit his own information, so he wouldn't appear rude.
Sidling up to Kem, as Theo moved on ahead, he leaned down and spoke into the man's ear.
"Hey, Kem...is Theo...type O too?"
Remembering Kem's method of finding out about Nic, he thought that tack might be best for him to try as well. Before he continued on, and pursued companionship with the girl, he had to know what he was letting himself in for. That, of course, was hinged on whether or not she would want to see a movie with him. His last invitation to her had been definitely rebuffed.
"Psychometrists...psychometry...no, I'm afraid it's all new to me. Sounds like quite the skill to have though, especially in this business.
I'm limited to suggesting...you know how well I manage that."
A slightly embarrassed look was then cast at Kem.
"I've a bit of a knack with glamorizing...and bonding...though I don't see how any of those talents will help me here. Of course this is your chosen field too...they do come in handy for me, when I'm acting a part."
He wasn't really expecting any interest in his line of work, from Kem or Theo, but he was inclined to pass along a bit his own information, so he wouldn't appear rude.
Sidling up to Kem, as Theo moved on ahead, he leaned down and spoke into the man's ear.
"Hey, Kem...is Theo...type O too?"
Remembering Kem's method of finding out about Nic, he thought that tack might be best for him to try as well. Before he continued on, and pursued companionship with the girl, he had to know what he was letting himself in for. That, of course, was hinged on whether or not she would want to see a movie with him. His last invitation to her had been definitely rebuffed.
Kem`Raaisu
18 years ago
Kem pretended not to see Theo's rolled eyes and let her reassure him as to the gentlemanly nature of her date. He dropped it at that, although still slightly inclined to discover who would be hooking up on a teenaged girl at the opera... it almost didn't bear thinking about. Theo couldn't have been entirely alone, anyway...
He latched once more onto what she'd been sayng in response to his own question, and was immediately curious. "Oh? North Nachton? I don't suppose you found anything good, did you?"
The site in question was one of the few sites in the eastern United States where there was any evidence of a paleo-Indian occupation. The proposed parking lot and associated strip mall had outraged hundreds of residents and scholars alike. Kem had been out of the country at the time, but had kept fairly current with Nachton events. He hoped Theo had found something, although he'd seen sites rich in archaeological information get bulldozed plenty of times in the past.
When Nic mentioned his suggestion ability, Kem gave a dry laugh. "Apparently you're plenty good at it," he pointed out. "It's your judgment that needs practice." When Nic mentioned his acting once more, Kem could immediately see how useful those traits could be though.
"Do you ever wonder if we've chosen our respective professions because we were created with these particular traits, or if we have these traits because of our profession?" It was an interesting chicken-or-egg theory. He idly wondered if anyone had ever researched it when Nic asked in a low voice,
Glancing at the other man, Kem cocked a silvery brow at him. "Don't let looks fool you. She's the oldest one in the room. I wouldn't want to piss her off, either."
Perhaps not very subtle, but Kem felt it was somewhat warranted. Theo was at her sweetest right now... Theo during a fit was, well... something else again.
As Kem showed Nic how to read the gauges on the doors of the rooms, he said over his shoulder to Theo, "By the way, I do have something for you from Egypt. Don't let me forget to give it to you."
He latched once more onto what she'd been sayng in response to his own question, and was immediately curious. "Oh? North Nachton? I don't suppose you found anything good, did you?"
The site in question was one of the few sites in the eastern United States where there was any evidence of a paleo-Indian occupation. The proposed parking lot and associated strip mall had outraged hundreds of residents and scholars alike. Kem had been out of the country at the time, but had kept fairly current with Nachton events. He hoped Theo had found something, although he'd seen sites rich in archaeological information get bulldozed plenty of times in the past.
When Nic mentioned his suggestion ability, Kem gave a dry laugh. "Apparently you're plenty good at it," he pointed out. "It's your judgment that needs practice." When Nic mentioned his acting once more, Kem could immediately see how useful those traits could be though.
"Do you ever wonder if we've chosen our respective professions because we were created with these particular traits, or if we have these traits because of our profession?" It was an interesting chicken-or-egg theory. He idly wondered if anyone had ever researched it when Nic asked in a low voice,
"Hey, Kem...is Theo...type O too?"
Glancing at the other man, Kem cocked a silvery brow at him. "Don't let looks fool you. She's the oldest one in the room. I wouldn't want to piss her off, either."
Perhaps not very subtle, but Kem felt it was somewhat warranted. Theo was at her sweetest right now... Theo during a fit was, well... something else again.
As Kem showed Nic how to read the gauges on the doors of the rooms, he said over his shoulder to Theo, "By the way, I do have something for you from Egypt. Don't let me forget to give it to you."
Nicholae
18 years ago
Ahhhh...things were falling into place. It was disconcerting, to say the least, to find someone you thought to be a young child, was in fact not. Though she must have been considerably younger than most, when she had been turned. He was fascinated by that fact, and wondered if she would trust him enough to ever speak about it.
He was also finding, much to his amusement, to be interested in Kem, and his life, back before he had taken the current road he was on. It was common for Nic to maintain passing interests in people - one never knew when one would be called upon to play an archeologist, historian, or wise Egyptian man. Those things would have held Nic's interests even before. Now he was finding some other motivation was spurring him on, and because he saw no harm in it, he was coasting along on the idea.
"For me? I think it was having the ability that helped me make my choices. The acting came second nature, but I believe it was that way, because of who I was to begin with.
Theo? Any thoughts on why it is you like what you do...or do you have aspirations to go onto other things?"
Nic was talking a great deal, again not uncommon, but he was also paying attention to the things Kem was showing and telling him. His role now was to do what Kem asked, and he was committed to doing it well. It didn't sit well that the other man already had a colored impression of his 'judgement', and was bound to alter it, as quickly as he could.
"I really don't intend to piss off anyone else, if I can help it."
Nic chuckled in retort.
He was also finding, much to his amusement, to be interested in Kem, and his life, back before he had taken the current road he was on. It was common for Nic to maintain passing interests in people - one never knew when one would be called upon to play an archeologist, historian, or wise Egyptian man. Those things would have held Nic's interests even before. Now he was finding some other motivation was spurring him on, and because he saw no harm in it, he was coasting along on the idea.
"For me? I think it was having the ability that helped me make my choices. The acting came second nature, but I believe it was that way, because of who I was to begin with.
Theo? Any thoughts on why it is you like what you do...or do you have aspirations to go onto other things?"
Nic was talking a great deal, again not uncommon, but he was also paying attention to the things Kem was showing and telling him. His role now was to do what Kem asked, and he was committed to doing it well. It didn't sit well that the other man already had a colored impression of his 'judgement', and was bound to alter it, as quickly as he could.
"I really don't intend to piss off anyone else, if I can help it."
Nic chuckled in retort.
Theodosia
18 years ago
Nodding her head at Kem’s question, she explained a little.
“I didn’t speak the language but I told MARI what I heard and she’s going to get it to someone who can translate.”
That in and of itself was indicative of something interesting, considering while she may not speak every European language perfectly she would at least be able to recognize it. It might or might not help out, but Theo rarely worried too much about the big picture.
She tilted her head to one side as the conversation went on, interested to hear that Nic had glamour. And he used it to help him act; that sounded like great fun. Shrugging at Kem’s question, she listened to Nic’s answer instead. His thoughts seemed reasonable; while a vampire’s gifts didn’t always make sense, they had a way of fitting the person a little, and then the person had to meet them halfway and fit –them- a little.
Nic soon turned the question back on her, though, and she had to think about it before answering. She couldn’t really remember much of what had interested her before she was turned and the development of her abilities hadn’t proven to be of use to anyone until recently; it used to be they were just a good way to get her into a lot of trouble.
“I never really thought about why I like what I do,” she admitted, “but I’m glad I get to hear things talk; it’s peaceful, hearing other people’s stories, even if they’re not always nice.”
She had often wondered if she had her particular gifts simply because she was strong enough to stand them, though she supposed that in and of itself was up for debate. It was, however, interesting to think that perhaps she was given psychometry to give her some peace in an otherwise violent, unstable life.
Shrugging and finding herself quickly bored with introspection, she snickered at Nic’s next statement.
“Well that’s a good goal.”
One that perhaps you could take to heart.
Privately thinking that Paul was quite the hypocrite, considering how many people –he- had infuriated while he was still alive, she decided to take the high road and ignore that comment.
“I didn’t speak the language but I told MARI what I heard and she’s going to get it to someone who can translate.”
That in and of itself was indicative of something interesting, considering while she may not speak every European language perfectly she would at least be able to recognize it. It might or might not help out, but Theo rarely worried too much about the big picture.
She tilted her head to one side as the conversation went on, interested to hear that Nic had glamour. And he used it to help him act; that sounded like great fun. Shrugging at Kem’s question, she listened to Nic’s answer instead. His thoughts seemed reasonable; while a vampire’s gifts didn’t always make sense, they had a way of fitting the person a little, and then the person had to meet them halfway and fit –them- a little.
Nic soon turned the question back on her, though, and she had to think about it before answering. She couldn’t really remember much of what had interested her before she was turned and the development of her abilities hadn’t proven to be of use to anyone until recently; it used to be they were just a good way to get her into a lot of trouble.
“I never really thought about why I like what I do,” she admitted, “but I’m glad I get to hear things talk; it’s peaceful, hearing other people’s stories, even if they’re not always nice.”
She had often wondered if she had her particular gifts simply because she was strong enough to stand them, though she supposed that in and of itself was up for debate. It was, however, interesting to think that perhaps she was given psychometry to give her some peace in an otherwise violent, unstable life.
Shrugging and finding herself quickly bored with introspection, she snickered at Nic’s next statement.
“Well that’s a good goal.”
One that perhaps you could take to heart.
Privately thinking that Paul was quite the hypocrite, considering how many people –he- had infuriated while he was still alive, she decided to take the high road and ignore that comment.