New Toys
/ooc teh open! Watch your step.
Theo signed her name, with a great deal of self importance, on the line indicated by the delivery man, and stepped back to let him pull the cardboard away from the four by four plastic crate inside. He offered to move the crate where she wanted it, but she declined and sent him away, barely looking at him in her excitement.
Frowning for a moment while she decided where to put her new toy, she finally pushed the crate to the middle of the lobby and opened it up. With a gleeful grin at the contents, she tipped it over and giggled in delight at the sound of thousands and thousands of legos spilling all over the tiled floors.
Ebay really was a wonderful thing.
Still grinning happily, she took the leftover cardboard and tore it up into respectable dividers for the crate, then began sorting out the legos by color, size, and function.
He noticed that she seemed somewhat reluctant to continue the conversation for a time, and considered coming up with something himself, before she extended the talk on her own. He concentrated on stacking the bricks and thought.
"I've been all over the British Isles, Where I was born, Over most of Germany, Some of France, Paris Mostly. Up and down the New English coast, I made a brief stab west, California, Texas, Arizona..." He paused, thinking a bit harder. "Natchaton was the last stop on a rather... intensive search of all of New England. I've mostly stayed here after I arrived."
The Vampire closed his eyes, an almost invisible tremor running up and down his body as he recalled the precise... details... of his reason for coming to the 'new world.' His expression darkened, shutting down his face to avoid expression of the emotions playing through his mind...
‘He’s sad now, sad and angry, sad angry scared…’
Theo frowned and looked over at Aaron, who aside from what looked to her like an overlong blink appeared just fine. The voices were already becoming faint – just a surge, then, though the faint sexless tones whispered their conclusion before fading completely.
‘He doesn’t want to talk about it.’
She didn’t know whether the voices were correct about that last or not, or even what ‘it’ was, but she decided not to press anyway. Still, she –was- sorry for making him sad when they were getting along so well together, and she wondered what had brought that on.
The past is an endless well from which to draw such emotions.
Theo paused in her building to consider Paul’s contribution and was forced to conclude he was correct. She considered sharing what she thought was a rather astute sentiment on his part, but didn’t want to make anything worse. Instead, she gave an agitated tug to her hair, finding she didn’t know what to say.
Fortunately, inspiration struck at that moment, and her declining mood swung sharply around.
“Would you like to see what this will look like when it’s done?”
/ooc Edit - permission to sense Aaron
"Why do I have the feeling that your not refering to a picture?"
He hadn't anticipated that she could work a glamour, haveing only seen her useing telekenisis. Glamour was one of the first abbilitys he had developed, and it was one of his favorites. He wondered breafly if she had a similar affection for it.
She waited to see what it was that Theodosia was going to show Aaron with some interest. Did Theo need the use of a computer terminal? MARI decided that the girl would have asked if she did. So she waited.
Still grinning, she stepped back and concentrated, visualizing what she wanted the structure to become and pushing the image on herself first, to make sure she got it right before she showed Aaron. It took some focus, as this was a fairly complex image, but in the end the building seemed to grow before her eyes, rising up almost to the ceiling in places. Bright colors alternated with each other in pillars and columns of primaries. The vivid effect was somewhat disconcerting, yet interesting, in contrast to the ruined forms that once made up the abbey.
Satisfied, she turned to Aaron, flashed him a fangy smile, and pushed the image to him with her mind. Feeling quite pleased with herself, she crossed her arms over her midsection and nodded firmly.
“There. What do you think?”
Edit, /ooc (sorry I forgot again!) permission to inflict images on Aaron
Aaron took a step back and looked up. He had never really understood precicelty *how* one steped back from what was essentialy an imprint on his mind. He had stoped after a century or two. It gave even him a headache.
"Impressive." He said, blinking. "How are we going to reach the upper levels to build? I don't think it would be particulraly safe to be standing on the table the whole time."
She frowned, realizing that she hadn’t planned quite that far ahead.
“Well…”
With her telekinesis, she lifted two blocks into the air, then tried to stick them together. They –sort- of stuck, but not very well. Then she tried setting one block at the top of an already existing column and making it stick – this worked a little better but she still wasn’t all that confident that it would hold as well.
“Maybe if we got something small but sort of heavy to help push the bricks down…”
She realized then that it might be boring for Aaron to watch bricks fly up into the air and not be able to help – though she thought she was plenty fascinating and worth watching for hours she supposed she should think of an alternative plan.
“Or we could just get some step stools.”
A visitor arrived for Theo. MARI scanned him for the possibility of threat. He had been here before and was registered in the database as a known vampire, of the Tacharan grouping. Considering him no immediate threat she put up a screen for him and then spoke to Theo.
"You have a visitor that wishes to speak to you, Theodosia."Â?
As interesting as it was to watch the bricks float around the room, it didn't seem to be a very prudent method. He hoped to get at least some sleep when the sun rolled around.
"The stepstools sound more efficient."
He blinked when MARI declaired a visitor for Theodosa, and cocked an eyebrow at her without a word, gageing her reaction to the news.
“Okay…”
The only reason she could think of for a visitor not to come right in was because they weren’t Evenhet. Theo didn’t know many people outside her clan, which narrowed the possibilities considerably. It could be Thaddeus – maybe he wanted his glove back. She would have to explain that it was otherwise occupied at the moment and that could get uncomfortable. Or it could be Jan. She liked Jan, so that would be much better. Or then again it could be someone she didn’t know at all.
She looked to Aaron.
“I guess we have company. MARI, can you send them in?” She lowered her voice in a fake whisper and leaned in closer. “Don’t worry, if whoever this is cramps our style I shall have him sent away.” She accompanied this statement with a dramatic flicking gesture, then broke into a grin and turned back to MARI. She had no doubt that if anyone came in and bothered her Christian would take her side in the matter, and Alfarinn too. “And can you put me through maintenance? We require stepstools.”
She notified the man that was waiting that Theodosia was willing to see him and then gave him a lighted escort to the room.
Addressing the matter of step stools, MARI replied.
"I have notified maitenance of your need for three step stools. The third would be for your guest in the event that he wishes to help. If that is satisfactory then I will leave up the pictures and check on your progress later."
MARI smiled to them both.
"Enjoy your building."
Having given a parting 'well wish' as her database of customs called it, MARI blinked off the screen.
((OOC: MARI out ))
The completely selfish thought of how nice it was to hold her close as he carried her out of the building intruded on his attempt at sympathetic memory. Theo was a lot fun to be around and he liked her. She didn't behave like some crumbling mummy despite being old enough to make him look like a baby; which brought to mind how nice it was that they could walk around together without someone thinking she was his mother.
Next thing he knew his random cruising for some interesting trouble had lead him near the Towers.
**ck then. He was here now and running around alone was just asking for more of the same old mischief. He parked in the visitor's deck of the Meridian Towers and walked in like he belonged there.
The computer was very helpful; though, if he were dealing with a person, he'd have said she was somewhat shocked by his presence in Evenhet's territory unescorted and unannounced. He was obviously projecting such things onto the lifelike program and put it out of his mind. Not everyone needed to be affected by the ever so original and daring Jan Yager.
She came back to him with an answer and the helpfully lit up a glowing path to guide him to Theo. Jan was happy to see that his walk was not far and that Theo was here on the ground floor. He eased open the door and peered around the corner. It had not occurred to him she'd have company. How selfish of him; just because he was bored and alone did not mean everyone was.
They had legos placed out on the table in the beginnings of some building. Judging from the pictures projected on the wall, he'd guess it was that particular cathedral.
He smiled at Theodosia and said.
"Well it looks like you're conducting serious business here, perhaps I should come back at another time."Â?
After he said it, Jan hoped that it was not the wrong thing and that she'd agree and ask him to leave. He'd feel quite a bit foolish for coming all the way out here without calling and asking ahead of time. Jan did his best to look nonchalant though and thankfully it was a look that he was accustomed to using.
He was vagely concidering going back to the construction, when a rather bored looking young man walked into the room. His eyes flcked to the man automaticaly, sizeing him up like he did with most people. First immpressions were rarely right, but they gave you some sort of platform from which to determine truth.
He looked like a sadomasochist out for a stroll between whippings. Of cource, since he was likely to have dressed himself, that was the look he was going for. And who was Aaron to toss stones? He was dressed in the same sort of clothes that he had worn in the
Renaissance
Courts more than 300 years ago. Glass house and all that.The vampire remained hovering in the back of the room, waiting for Theodosa to greet him first.
Theo gave a little wave to the screen, then turned to see that there was now a light under the door, presumably from the floor tiles just outside the room. It never occurred to her to ask who was visiting her; clearly this was meant to be a surprise, -that- much was obvious. Whether it was a good surprise or a bad surprise remained to be seen.
A familiar head of dark curls attached to a lean frame entered the room and Theo brightened. Good surprise! She bounced on her toes to keep from jumping him, a gesture she was certain both parties would quickly come to regret, and settled for an exuberant “Jan!”
She gave a little pout when he suggested leaving but was not sincerely upset, thinking he was surely playing with her. He just got here, he couldn’t leave yet. After that initial sulky look she grinned and played her part of the script.
“You want to leave already?” Her grin grew mischievous. “But don’t I look pretty?” She gave a little twirl that flared her blouse and rustled her jeans, then faced him again and batted her eyelashes. Then she gestured for him to come further into the room, hoping her tone brooked no argument. “You should stay. We could use a man of your talents.” She gave a downright saucy wink at this last, leaving it up to him to decide what talents she spoke of, and turned to Aaron.
“Aaron, this is my friend Jan. Jan, this is Aaron. He’s cool.” She gave a firm nod at this last and bounced on her toes, awaiting Jan’s decision.
Theodosia's pout was particularly pretty and he suspected that many people had fallen for that particular little frown over the ages. She was turned somewhere between that end of childhood innocence and the beginning of womanhood. There was times when she could look like either but Jan felt her eyes always told otherwise despite the lightness that could be seen in them when she smiled at him like she was now.
He watched as she twirled and flirted.
"As beautiful as ever but you might not want to hang about with riffraff while you are entertaining guests..."Â?
Jan's voice trailed off and his eyebrows raised at the mention of needing someone of his 'talents'. Just what was she hoping to do here?
"Really? Well just explain to me what use you will be making of my 'skills'."Â?
Startled by the entrance of a man in a maintenance uniform entering with several ladders, Jan pulled away from the entrance. Nodding his head at Aaron as a greeting, he turned to the man that was pronounced cool.
" Evening. "
((OOC: Evenhet ladder person mentioned with permission.))
Aaron bowed to the newcommer, smileing. He swept his arm out as he made the movement.
"Pleased to meet you, Jan. Aaron Rigson, at you service."
His eyes flickkered to the matinence man as he brought the stepladders, then back to Jan. He rose from the bow and nodded his head.
"Good Evening."
((Ooc: Blah, feeling uninspired today))
"I don't think you're riff raff."Â?
Unless of course the language had changed - sometimes it did that, and while she was pretty good at keeping up occasionally words passed by her. Maybe riff raff meant something good now? Oh dear...in that case she'd just insulted him. She hadn't meant to....
Smiling to show that she was well intentioned even if she was a little worried now, she gestured to the pile of legos, absently lifting a few in the air.
"We're building the Jumièges ruins,"� She said by way of explanation, hoping Jan would stick around. They had made a good beginning but a project this big could use some extra hands.
She took the moment while Aaron and Jan were exchanging greetings to direct the maintenance men, getting the step ladders arranged the way she wanted them. Once that was done she climbed up a few steps where a stack of legos was getting a little uncomfortably high and brought a couple of bricks up to add to the section.
"I can get them up here...I just have trouble pushing them down hard enough."Â? She shrugged, unembarrassed, and hopped down, her demonstration finished. Then it occurred to her that perhaps Jan didn't have any experience with legos. For that matter, she might have been surprised Aaron took to them so well, but at the time she'd taken it for granted.
"You -have- built with legos before, right?"Â?
He watched her climb one of the step stools and press down a few bricks that she had floated into place. Looking thoughtful for a moment, Jan used his own telekinesis to raise a few more bricks up to her.
"Out of professional curiosity...If I hold these in place, can you press them down with your TK?"Â?
They would make better time climbing the ladders and putting the bricks in place by hand but he had never worked with another person with the same ability before and he wondered if it was even feasible. They could be like the undead X men.... or something. Though he felt that they could forgo yellow and blue tight spandex. Oh and the fighting crime part, where was the fun in that?
He figured that Aaron was another vampire, either that or the Evenhet really were into sharing who they were with the humans. Jan had heard stories of course but it all sounded suicidally crazy to him. Whatever the case, Theo had already shown herself to have such an ability so he doubted that anyone would be shocked by his.
Grinning at Theo's question, he said
"Yeah they used to come in the happy meals."
Like throw snowballs on people’s heads? Oh wait, you already did that…
Looking prim and ignoring Paul completely, she stepped down from the ladder with a smile.
“That seemed to work.”
She gave Jan a truly scandalized expression at the mention of happy meals, genuinely shocked at his candor and somewhat callous phrasing until, seconds later, she made the connection and started laughing.
“Oh, the McDonald’s things…” She shook her head, trying to explain through her giggles. “I thought you meant the –kids- for a second there, now isn’t that silly?”
It really isn’t that funny.
Paul seemed somewhat offended by this line of discussion and for his sake she did her best to straighten her expression. With a dignified clearing of her throat she finally managed to bring down at least one corner of her mouth.
She still thought the misunderstanding was pretty funny even if it wasn’t the nicest sort of joke. Blushing a little, she shrugged and somewhat sheepishly climbed up the ladder again, bringing a few more pieces with her to continue building.
He looked at her blankly a moment before he understood what she thought he had said. Eyelinered eyes widened at the thought of preying on small kids for a second before he grinned.
"Kids aren't so happy if you take their toys away from them. So you have to make meals of them first and then they aren't so concerned about the toys anymore."Â?
Floating up a few more blocks, Jan waited for Theo to direct where she wanted them.
"I suppose its a reward for finishing your meal but really I don't find children to be blood donors of choice, not for me anyway."Â?
There were some sickos out there who only ate children; he'd seen that type. Some looked at him longingly as well. Those into perversion of that sort were not people he tended to pal around with. It might just be immortal teen angst on his part but he'd rather not be enjoyed simply for being some old fart's dirty fantasy.
Jan thought it was a pretty amusing misunderstanding though. He wondered what type of meal Theo normally went for. It was sometimes a past time while he was bored in the Abbatoir to guess people's feeding habits. It was more entertaining to do in the company of Nova and to come up with things that were completely opposite from the person's appearance; the businessman in the suit preyed on punk kids in an effort to exterminate them or the degenerate fed solely on librarians because he had some secret nerd kink.
It wasn't normally a polite thing to ask people but he had never claimed to be polite.
"So what kind of person do you look for? Kiddie meals? Super sized?"Â?
Smirking at her, Jan had a hard time picturing Theo chasing after big burly men in some gym but he supposed anything was possible.