Apathy Kills

Tai gave a mental shrug and accepted that he was not going to get a lesson in slang tonight. He filed it away for future web surfing sessions. Sipping at his drink he shook his head at the conversation around them. He couldn't remember the last time he'd engaged in a chat that had no meaning whatsoever.

"Don't forget you can have opposing teams. Points for the brawlers who get gawkers run over, and points for the agile gawkers who don't get so distracted they don't see it coming."

He surprised himself by adding to the foolery. It was a good night to work outside the box, he supposed. Jan and Val were, he admitted, good company. Even if Val had an off-kilter sense of taste.

"I don't know about glorious," he pointed out, "but you have to hand it to the Scots for the ability to make lemonade from lemons. Not a whole lot to do when you're stuck in a climate like their during winter. They took what they had available and managed to make something of it."

Rocks and ice. Who'd have thought you could turn that into a sport?

Jan had to grudgingly agree that it did sound like football. He found the sport fairly boring as such things go. Regular football instead of American football was more exciting to watch, in his opinion. Still, he wasn't much of a athletics fanatic of any kind.

It might be as Tai said and curling was some brilliant way to while away the long winter months, but having come from a snowy climate he knew there were better sports to engage in during the winter months...some even involved going outside.

"These -are- the same people who gave us golf."

Taking a sip of his drink, Jan had to wonder what someone was thinking to come up with that sport.

"-And- they are the same people who toss trees for fun. I am going to stretch my intuitive judgment a bit and say there was at least some moderate amount of drinking or drug use when these things were proposed."

Most likely there was substance abuse when they were played, most of the time.

"Won't this be great...we're going to take a wee tiny white ball and hit it with a metal club to try and get it into a hole we can't even see."

He raised his drink and saluted the imaginary inventor.

"Exshellent idea der, Liam, Joo alwaysh come up with she besht things ta do."

Taking a sip, Jan looked at his companions.

"Happened just like that. I'm sure of it."

“I’m not sure brawlers versus gawkers is quite fair. Too much, like one team only playing offense and one only defense. Maybe if you mixed it up a bit and had two teams with a set number of gawkers and brawlers.”

She trailed off thoughtfully. It was a bizarre though but she was almost having fun with the idea. Who had started this mess of a conversation? For a second she let her mind wander and divided up some of the other patrons into teams. Maybe she could call it a social experiment and stir something along these lines up some day.

“There are –much- more interesting things to do during the winter than throw rocks down the ice.”

Val declared with certainty. Granted she’d never experienced a medieval winter but being snowed in on more than one occasion qualified her to have something of an opinion on the subject. Of course, she didn’t know if either of them had huddled in a cave trying to discover fire or if they were children of technology, so maybe they weren’t any more qualified to offer opinions.

The golf observation mad her giggle though.

“And that’s what you get for living on the same island as the Brits. Give me a second and I’ll figure out how that explains haggis as well.”

Tai felt his lips tip up slightly at the corners at Jan's hypothesis. He didn't think the younger man was too far off the mark, but he couldn't resist the urge to play devils' advocate.

"Who says it wasn't sheer desperation and boredom?" Tai shot back with as much good nature as he usually had. "I've been there. I'd throw a tree too if I lived there all year round."

The fact that Val seemed to really have her mind on this professional gawking was also amusing, but Tai didn't comment. he'd been chatty enough for one night and was content to let Jan and Val carry most of the silliness on their shoulders.

Not forgetting that he'd initially come here to look for Ellis, he lapsed back into silence and scanned the crowded room.

Val did have a very valid point; there were plenty of better things to do in the winter than throw rocks around on ice. It hardly seemed like a difficult conclusion to make but there was unexpected support for the insane inventors of the caber toss from the Asian side of the table.

Jan grinned but shook his head in disagreement with part of Val's explanation.

"I don't think anything could explain haggis."

Taking another sip of his wine, Jan carefully set the glass down, eyeing it as if it might leap off the table and spill its contents of its own accord. After a moment, he turned his attention to Val and smiled.

"So lovely lady, have you ever been to Scotland?"

He arched and eyebrow and cut his eyes towards Tai.

"Despite what some travel agents say, I hear its not all bad."

It seemed to him that the very alert Japanese man was looking for someone. Perhaps the bar fight interrupted something? Tai went along willingly into the mischief making and Jan began to wonder whether his new found friend was just using him as a cover while stalking someone. He resisted the urge to watch and see who might be the object of attention.

Eh, it wasn't the first time he'd been used and least it had been interesting so far.

“I think it has more to do with a few too many pints than desperation. Although one could lead to the others.”

She conceded that point with a grin. What had taken the big bald dude to Scotland? If he was what she thought he was, almost anything. For now, however, the haggis took her mind off that as she had to laugh at that observation. He might be right. There were parts of an animal that were clearly not meant to be eaten.

“Oh once or twice here and there. Never stayed long enough to want to throw a tree but there are more inviting places to visit.”

To Val’s mind, Scotland was just too close too England and it always made her a bit uneasy. It had been an OK hide out once or twice though.

She recognized the Jap as looking for someone, or something, and idly wondered what or who it was. Maybe they had more fun incoming, although she didn’t relish losing the other shoe to an additional scuffle. She also found herself speculating about the relationship between the two men. She couldn’t get a good feel for it and that bothered her.

“I’m a bit surprised to hear you’ve not visited such a cold and wet vacation spot.”

Tai broke off his search to address Jan with a mostly genuine smile. "I've been many places," he said, nodding, "and Scotland was beautiful. Quite poetic in its way."

Diverting his attention back to his companions, he focused on the conversation once more. It wasn't often he was able to converse freely on a topic that was of purely recreational interest to him. "I'm an architect by trade, but even before then it was an interest. I've done a lot of traveling, studying different architectural styles and historical buildings."

The lie came quite easily, as always. It wasn't entirely dishonest, either. Tai was very well-versed in architecture and building. He enjoyed working with his hands and had considered on various occasions the fact that had fate not gifted him with an uncanny ability to murder, he would have enjoyed building things for a living.

Of course, killing paid the bills much better.

"Still," he continued, "It does seem a little barren. Not impossible to think curling, caber tossing, and haggis all originated from there."

Jan laughed at Val's observation and he had to agree that drinking did help in almost every situation that he could think of.

It would seem that Tai liked Scotland better than it first seemed and that Val had been there as well. He had no idea how old she was but if he was anywhere close to his own age then there were few places save deepest darkest Africa that she was likely to have missed. Of course not every vampire was inclined to travel, but boredom was a nasty habit amongst the ageless. How many times had Ellis riled up a gang or small village for simply something to do?

"Oh, I've been there once or twice. There are wonderful things do on cold and wet nights that have nothing to do with throwing stones across ice or tossing logs."

He gave her a playfully suggestive wink and then turned towards Tai. Jan would never have pegged the very self confident Asian as an architect. Still, being quite proficient in a bar fight could simply be a hobby and not a living; not everyone gained their fighting skills out of professional interest.

"Buildings,hmm. I have some interest in those, especially when they have nice acoustics."

((OOC: Jan's impression of Ellis' motives are his own; she probably had very good reasons for any and all mischief towards past gangs and villages...really. ))

Sorry to keep it short but duty calls at 7 am...damn holiday season!

Apparently she and her 'date' were quite on the same wavelength when it came to sports. She raised her eyebrows, accompanied but a sly smile offering her silent agreement.

Interesting past time for architect, bar fights. Of course, in her opinion no one moved in a fight like that with out lots and lots of practice, and not dojo/kata practice either. OK she was officially intrigued by the tight-lipped bald man. Had he been something else and was now and architect or was he then an architect and was now something else? If he was indeed a vampire, it could go either way.

She could play the tight-lipped game too and wouldn't be saying a thing about her knowledge of buildings. Mostly because her expertise revolved around demolition. She wasn't an expert mind, but you did start to learn how they collapsed (or exploded) after a while and where not to stand. Hardly polite conversation either way.

"Ah an architect and a musician? Both rather creative fields." And yet both able to hold their own, in their own ways. So much for the myth about the sensitive artistic types. "All i can do is spin tall tales. I feel quite inadequate."

She teased with a bright grin, not feeling at all the lesser for having limited creative outlets.

"Should i know either of you? I. M. Pei traveling incognito Chad Kroeger hiding from groupies?"

Tai gave a little smirk at Jan's suggestion and consequent lewd wink. Val didn't seem offended, but it would have surprised him if she had. She didn't seem the type.

Interesting that all three of them had occasion to travel to Scotland. It wasn't exactly the world's foremost vacation destination. Tai was willing to put money on the fact that he was the only one of them who'd actually been human at the time of the visit. Val and her big grin were hardly subtle, and Jan - well. Tai couldn't see the HoP as the friendliest of places for teenagers. Still, with a mental shrug, he figured it didn't really matter who or what his company was that night.

Turning to Jan at his mention of acoustics, he nodded. "There's an entire subsection of architecture dealing mostly with building for acoustics," he pointed out. "I've only done a little with that particular science myself, but it is fascinating."

He snorted with good-humored disdain at Val's secret-identity suggestion. "If I'm Pai, then I'm doing pretty well for a 91-year old man. Allthough it seems my grasp of Chinese has faltered."

Comparing him to the world-famous Chinese architect was laughable, or snort-able, since Tai rarely laughed. It was amusing nonetheless. What would the man in question say to it, if he knew he was being compared to a Japanese vampiric killer who just happened to know a great deal about architecture? The thought amused him for a few minutes more as he knocked back the rest of his drink and stretched his legs out in front of him.

Jan raised his eyebrows at Val's stated occupation. There were many jobs that would be classified as spinning tall tales and he wondered which one she did for a living.

"You are still in one piece so you must be farely creative with those tales. But how does that factor into your line of work?"

Grifter? surely not; they rarely so readily admitted what they did for a living. Magician? possibly but they rarely saw their occupation as telling tall tales. Author? Now that would make a lot of sense and as a vampire she probably had plenty of real world experience to help with any research that she might have needed.

There were, of course, many other occupations as well; Jan snorted inwardly that the underworld career path was still the first one he gravitated towards.

Jan nodded in interest at the mention of specializing in architecture for sound quality but was a little disappointed when Tai said that he had never done any of it personally.

"Yes, there are old buildings in Europe where the barest whisper carries across an entire hall."

He shrugged at Val's mention of hiding from groupies and looked around.

"I can't really hide from them here. I play here; its why they don't give me much trouble at the doorway."

Jan nodded towards the bouncer at the entrance and then up at the stage. No band was playing tonight; instead there was a dj doing his mix.

"So you're not hiding from building fanatics either? They are a tough lot, I'm sure."

He chuckled at the thought of the calm Asian having to fend off rabid clamoring groupies bent on getting his attention.

“I’m not sure it does.” Val answered brightly. “It keeps me more or less out of trouble and keeps me from being bored. Once in a while it helps me convince some one they desperately need something they could live with out.”

After all, who really needed a hundred thousand dollar car? But that in a nutshell summed up most of her careers. Everything from clinging to Giovanni’s arm to her days in the IRA to her dealership. Of course, even to her own ears that sounded evasive. So she shrugged and grinned and cut to the chase.

“I own a car dealership.”

She managed to sound apologetic about it hoping to head off the used car salesman stereotype.

The Jap’s comment about Pei being 91 made her laugh. For all she knew he was considerably older than 91. The age comment also gave her an excuse to eye him a bit more critically and speculatively, all things considered she liked what she saw.

“All that green tea will do wonders for a body I’m told. Your language skills are your own problem.”

The boy she liked too, but for different reasons.

Ah now that made sense and she nodded.

“I’ll admit I was trying to figure out why they didn’t toss you out on your ass the second the bar tender got a look at you. But that explains it. What happened to the rest of the band?”

Her own looks were border line enough that she was carded about forty to fifty percent of the time if she went some where new.

((OOC… you both have my permission to beat me.))

Tai offered up his catlike half-smile at the idea of building fanatics. He shook his head. "If I were hiding, I would be sure to remain hidden," he pointed out. "You've just proven that building fanatics might just pop up around any corner."

Raising his brows at Val he murmured, "I bet you're fairly successful," when she mentioned her job. He didn't think having such an attractive saleslady would hurt any business.

Flashing her a little more of a feral grin at her comment about tea he added, "It's those antioxidants. They work wonders on any body."

Jan playing at the House of Pain made plenty of sense. Well... some sense. Tai had been involved with all kinds of seedy establishments in his youth and he had rarely seen a bar or brothel that would hire this young unless they were also selling them young. The HoP didn't seem like that kind of place, but what did he know? Japan and America were two different places; he might be savvy but there was still a lot he had to learn about the US underworld. Jan's statement just served to remind him that he had better learn to navigate that sector just a bit better.

He tipped his head in Jan's direction at Val's question, indicating that he, too, was curious as to the whereabouts of Jan's fellow bandmembers. Maybe they were older?

Now there was something he never would have guessed... A car dealership. Jan hoped it was expensive,flashy cars for the fiery redhead or his mental image would be totally shattered. Of course he didn't drive anything outrageous at the moment but that didn't mean he couldn't expect it from others of sufficient personality to drive something more than a hyundai.

This got him to thinking; turning his attention towards the Asian as the other two discussed the benefits of green tea, Jan wondered what kind of car Tai drove. Something fast, he guessed, but sensible. Did they make fast and sensible? Maybe he should follow the man to his car and find out...or he could ask him but where was the fun in that?

"The other band members? I have no idea tonight. We're not playing this evening so they could be anywhere. Causing trouble, I'm sure." Jan shrugged and took another sip of his wine. "What kind of music do you guys appreciate?"

He held up his hands to stall an answer from Val.

"Let me guess. Maybe something like this?"

Jan gave Val a speculative look and then sang one of the typical upbeat songs from the late 1920's. He could almost hear the crackle of the victrola backing him up.

"There's something nice about everyone, but there's everything nice about you... You are the one in a million who can cheer me when I'm blue..."

Giving her a sly grin, Jan then turned his attention to Tai.

"Now you are a harder one to figure. It could be anything from classical to a secret love of death metal."

Taking his glass with him, Jan sat back against the booth and contemplated the other man.

"So which is it?"

((OOC: Sorry about taking so long. I was checking periodically there for a while and then I forgot to look. If only we could get a text message when someone posted, then I'd be much better at it!))

“You miss a lot of things if you stay hidden.”

Val quipped right back. OK she was flirting, a little. But since when had she been subtle? She only half raised an eyebrow at the comment about business much more interested in the rest of the game. Oh and he gave her another opening, wasn’t that decent of him.

She half laughed and let a sly smile float across her face for a second or two.

“You’ll have to show me some time.”

Mmmm, yes she’d like that. But it was his move now. The band was going to take center stage for a bit now. She shook her head at Jan.

“You lost them?”

She asked feigning shock. It didn’t really surprise her that they didn’t hang out together all the time. She wondered if the rest of the band knew what her young looking friend was. Perhaps they were the same or perhaps they were snacks.

Before she could answer the question Jan offered his own answer. The song was familiar but she hadn’t heard it in years, still it made her smile. Lord the memories that brought back. It didn’t hurt matters that he had a good voice. She could still hear the accompaniment and hear that damned old Vic of Giovanni’s. Strange the memory should be so strong, at least it was a good one. Back to the present and her teasing self she flashed a toothy grin at him.

“So that was you who broke in to my car and stole the CDs. There’s one or two I’d like back.”

Apparently the way she though of people in terms of cars Jan though of them in terms of music. That was probably more consistent. In another few decades who knew how Val would sort out people’s personalities.

Tai met Val's speculative look with a sly grin of his own. If she wanted to flirt he certainly wasn't opposed. She was a stunning woman, after all.

"The one in hiding will be the last one standing when the blood runs dry," he pointed out. A little macabre perhaps, but it was true. Tai wasn't a coward by any means but he enjoyed being able to pick his fights and when the odds were against him, he wasn't going to rush in like an idiot. Far better, in his opinion, to watch and measure before getting in over your head. Any other tactic generally acquainted you with death far before your time.

His lips twitched up in amusement at Val's suggestion. Not one for subtlety, was she? He offered her a little bow of agreement. Why argue with the woman? If what she wanted was education, he knew a few tricks she might enjoy. No sense in denying himself that part of his background, although he might not exactly be forthcoming about how and where he learned them.

Turning to Jan he gave a soft round of applause. The young man's voice was very good. When he question Tai though, he shook his head. "It depends on the setting," he decided after a moment's thought.

Tai didn't often listen to music on his own. When left to his own devices he preferred quiet, and books. Every music had its time and place though, and he was equally comfortable with them all provided they were in the right situation. "Classical would irritate me here," he said by way of explanation, gesturing to the club around them. "But at dinner? It would be enjoyable."

He lifted one shoulder, half-apologetic. "It's not my usual mode of expression."

There was an understatement for you.

Jan shrugged a shoulder and looked around the club.

"Yep, it looks like I managed to escape."

He was sure that Val really meant that another way, that he could not find his band members but Jan was good at deliberate misunderstandings. He gave the redhead a slow smile and a sly wink at the mention of stolen cds.

"If you want them back then you'll just have to come take them.

Tai's answer was unsurprisingly mysterious and Jan wondered just what the man considered his "usual mode of expression". Perhaps he was a florist in his spare time, or knitting...that took some manual dexterity, right? Careful not to smirk outwardly at his inner humour, Jan sipped the last of his wine.