Warning: Airplane food can kill (attn: therese)
Vaughn slid his card through the reader. Tobi was good at keeping the security online and even making the cards. He and his sister had decided to grace the new passes with custom designs. Glancing down at his, Vaughn laughed to himself. The image was some scientist staring with an exaggerated look of horror at a decapitated woman's head being carried by a mismatched monster. Definitely Tobi's work. He wondered if the choice had signifigance and then decided that it might be best not to know.
Heading into the communal kitchen on the main floor, Vaughn opened the refrigerator and looked inside.
"Do you have any special eating concerns?"
His wife and his daughter would not have eaten even half of the things stocked in the kitchen. It was a good idea to ask such things when it came to the pack.
"Hmm, interesting. Perhaps they don't tell you because they get it from more than one source. Something cheap that year? We would have to test such a theory by getting more of it and seeing if another one tastes exactly the same or different."
He chuckled at her while picking at more of his omelet.
"So you are going to work for the Arch? That sounds very interesting. Do you have a favorite style of art?"
Vaughn looked up to see his daughter walk in. A part of him was disappointed and wanted to be angry at her for intruding on the excellent and intelligent conversation they were having. The other part immediately felt guilty for such thoughts. After all, he rarely had much time Tavi; he shouldn't wish for her to wander off.
Watching her sit down, he said.
"No...not at all."
The idea of an experiment rather tickled Thérèse and she readily agreed. Although she had -no- idea where one went to find Cheap White Wine.
"I think we shall have to try that."Â?
She was warming up to this conversation quite quickly. It was harder and hard to think of him only as the Alpha but more as someone who apparently shared one of her interests.
Laughing quite cheerfully she finished the last of her omelet.
"This month it is Chagall, but it will change. It always does. You are an art lover yourself?"Â?
The conversation was either interrupted or joined, she wasn't sure which, but a small woman with -very- bright hair. For all her tendencies to be straight laced and formal, Thérèse rather admired the other woman's hair. It would take courage to pull that off.
As the other woman sat down Thérèse rose and found another glass. Without asking she poured some of the Cheap White Wine for her.
"Bon soir. No please do join us."Â?
Although they may need another bottle of wine. Still between three people and with food no one would be intoxicated.
"Good."
She took a sip of her wine, raised her eyebrows at it and then took another large swallow. Not the worst thing ever.
"Thanks."
Taking her glass, she headed for the kitchen. There was meat in the freezer but she didn't feel like thawing it out and it never tasted quite the same afterwards. She really should have taken the time to hunt before she came in. It wouldn't have been hard to find a rabbit or a squirrel or something.
Looking in the other portion of the refrigerator, Tavi found some packaged fillet meat. She expected someone was planning on cooking it tomorrow. Picking up the little white cellophaned tray, she mentally shrugged to herself. Shoulda put your name on it, pal.
Grabbing a fork and knife, She sat back down at the table. Unwrapping the meat, Tavi looked up at Therese. She wasn't sure what caused her to even bother to be polite, perhaps her good night or because the woman was being nice to her dad. Either way she decided to ask whether her bloody dinner was about to squick the new girl.
"Me eating this doesn't bother you, does it?"
Vaughn raised his eyebrows and grinned at her. The VR managed to run drugs without too many problems with the pack consuming the product but Vaughn suspected he would have a harder time keeping them from drinking wine, even cheap wine.
He shrugged slightly about being an art lover.
"I love beautiful things. Perhaps I am very hard on artists. Nature is amazing, vivid and marvelous to behold. To me an artist needs to be able to bring something more than that to a picture. They need to inspire emotion in some way or convey something important. Otherwise they generally fall short of what is already there to be seen."
Vaughn looked embarrassed for having admitted such a thing to a person who obviously loved art as much as she did. He found some paintings and photos awe inpsiring but other things were just blobs on fabric to him.
He watched as Tavi wandered around the kitchen; he knew what she would eventually settle on and sure enough she came back with the steak meat that someone had placed there probably earlier today. Vaughn was about to suggest she get something else but he decided that at this moment he really didn't want to have an arguement with her. He would just let it be and the next time the person put something in the refrigerator they would know to clearly lay claim to it.
"Of course."Â?
As she seemed to be hungry Thérèse was free to continue her conversation.
"We could always try. If nothing else I would not mind sampling the experiments."Â?
It was hard not to smile as he explained his views on art. Especially as she happened to agree. She toyed with her wine, delicately sipping at it as she nodded in approval.
"You are quite right. If an artist does not bring a soul to their piece it is... well no matter what a critic might say it is nothing. But, as with people, the spirit does not always speak to each person who views the piece."Â?
Her smile turned slightly sheepish as Thérèse realized she'd been rambling.
"Forgive me, I seem to have gotten carried away."Â?
Even though she had just had an omelet the smell of the raw meat peaked her appetite again. But Thérèse was careful not to eye it with too much interest.
"Non, of course not."Â?
The worst she could say was the meat probably needed a red wine rather than a white.
"Thanks, I'm Tavi, by the way. Octavia, if you absolutely must."
She smiled and rolled her eyes at the longer version of her name. Picking up the knife and fork, Tavi started in on her meal. She figured she'd fold herself into the conversation at some point. After a few bits, she said.
"Yeah, you know I suppose its the same thing with fashion. I mean some of the runway stuff is pretty cool. Its out there but it has vision. Other stuff, it looks like the designer just tried his hardest to be weird."
Taking another bite, she mumbled.
"I'm all for weird, as a rule but I like my weird to ah...make sense?"
She finished on a questioning note wondering if she, herself, made sense. It did to her at any rate. She liked edgy fashion and didn't mind wearing things that other people didn't approve of but what she didn't like were things without a purpose.
((OOC: WTF, Vaughn! The player blames the cold. Tavi just thinks her father is thick in the head. ))
"Exactly! I can understand that it is difficult to achieve something that speaks to everyone or even most everyone. Those pieces of work are the ones that stay with us through out the ages. Masterpieces, I suppose."
Tavi introduced herself without shooting him an accusing look. He felt instantly worse for forgetting his manners and for somehow getting by without even a silent reprimand from his normally confrontational daughter. He wondered what she had been out doing tonight that had her in such a good mood.... Then he instantly didn't want to wonder at all any more.
Turning his thoughts to making amends, he said.
"I'm sorry, Therese. This is my daughter. The one I mentioned before."
He was not even sure where his head had been. Vaughn was enjoying the conversation they were having and he simply focused his attention completely on it, tuneing out everything else around him. That was mildly alarming. He felt social grace and charm were never going to come to him as second nature. The ability to juggle conversations, sway opinions and all the things necessary for doing the job he found himself in were not things that came easy for him.
((OOC: Blames Therese's charming and witty conversation. And you,girlie. *points at Tavi* better watch it! ))
Which made it even less surprising that the art Tavi gravitated toward was fashion. She certainly had a unique eye, but it wasn't untrained just, especially the hair, off the beaten path. At least it would not be hard to spot her if she did need to replace her wardrobe.
Thérèse made a nasal, and very clearly disgusted sound as she studied the wine.
"Originality for originality's sake is not good it leads to... ... those damned plastic shoes. Crocks?"Â?
They nauseated her.
Vaughn's apparent enthusiasm took Thérèse a bit by surprise. But it was a pleasant surprise. Of course she always liked it when people agreed with her.
"Unfortunately, more and more people seem to be trying to clone that spirit rather than develop their own. Too much imitation."Â?
"Hideous and worse, you can't run very well in them. I totally expect to see on the news that some stupid criminal was foiled by his poor choice of footwear."
Of course Tavi felt the same way about high heels. They look good and all but you couldn't move very fast in them. If she wanted to wear the ankle breakers then she always made sure they were easy to kick off if need be. Cause you just never knew when you needed to jet, and fast.
She looked over at her father and raised her eyebrows. He mentioned her? Therese didn't seem unfriendly or distant so whatever was mentioned must not have been all that bad.
"Woo, was that why the fuzzy little hairs on the tips of my ears were burning...and here I thought it was just the bleach."
"You know they might have their place. People could use them outdoors, in the woods, where no one but us would be there to critique their footwear. They are handy as something that can get wet but still dries out fast enough that you would have dry shoes again by the time you've walked back to your car."
He never understood what was wrong with being barefoot in the water but people these days had become squeamish about a million different things. Dirt and rocks somehow became unsafe. Perhaps it was the werewolf in him that just didn't understand the need for hand sanitizer on key chains, wipes for grocery carts, using your elbow to turn off the faucet and the other equally silly things these new germ-a-phobic humans had come up with. Really, for all the ways they thought they were reducing their exposure there were at least a dozen more they hadn't thought about. Which seemed to him to make the whole thing kind of pointless.
When Tavi mentioned her dyed ears burning, he smiled and rolled his eyes at her. There was no stopping her need to express herself. He gave up trying a long time ago.
"That would be poetic justice!"Â?
Bleach? On her ears? That was unique. Thérèse had never met a wolf that altered their four footed form. It would take a great deal of effort and could make them more obvious. She much preferred to blend in when there was a hunt. But she wasn't about to argue.
"Mon Dieu non! Do not try and give them any virtue at all. They are evil and must be destroyed!"Â?
She declared adamantly, but managed to temper it with humor and a teasing smile.
"If people want dry feet they should wear good socks."Â?
Those moisture wicking socks were wonderful. As she never knew just where a run was going to take her Thérèse favored them. Nothing ruined a good run like wet feet.
"Well, I guess you aren't getting her a pair of -those- for Christmas! Not if you'd like anything in return."
She snorted her own opinion of whether they had their place or not while taking a few more bites of steak. After swallowing, she said.
"No, see that is like saying neon spandex has its place just because the material dries fast and stretches nicely. It is wonderful fabric but it doesn't belong on people's asses, especially not in "Look at me!" colours."
Tavi took a sip of her wine and looked at the other two with an expression that said "Am I right or am I right."
"Well Christmas is at least a few months away. I have all that time to figure out something better."
He chuckled at her vehement dislike of brightly coloured spandex. Tavi did not seem to find it in any way out of character for her to dislike something that other people might consider "loud". Holding up his hands. He surrendered.
"I make no defense for the fashion follies of others. I have a hard enough time keeping my own attire out of the tabloids."
Fortunately Tavi turned the subject to an equally hideous fashion faux pas. After a moment's consideration and with a little laugh she agreed.
"It depends on the ass. Some times spandex is quite wonderful. But you are right no matter how pretty what it is covering day glow colors are not appropriate."Â?
Quietly and professionally she took a closer look at the Alpha. Although she took care not to be 'checking him out' Thérèse nodded.
"I do not think you have to worry there. You do seem to do all right for yourself."Â?
Suddenly aware she might have said too much Thérèse poured one third of the remaining wine into her cup, it gave her something to do.
"I would appreciate some shopping tips though. Least I be forced to deal with neon anything. If you don't mind."Â?
Asses worth seeing was certainly a good distraction.
"I agree there are some sins of spandex that might be worth witnessing. However, if it looks good in spandex then I am positive it looks even better without it."
The night was going well but somehow an evil part of her could not help but push the limits of calm polite conversation. Tavi smiled at her father and said helpfully.
"Yeah, Dad, You're not so bad and your ass wouldn't look horrible in spandex either."
She smirked smugly at him before waving a fork and adding thoughtfully.
"But I still think you should let me be your fashion adviser."
Turning to Therese, She smiled.
"If it involves shopping and clothes then I am SO totally in."
He carefully gathered up his plate and Therese's, taking away the silverware and stacking the dishes on top of each other.
His motions paused slightly when Therese told him that he had nothing to worry about with his fashion sense. Smiling at her, he said.
"Thank you."
Vaughn stopped mid rise when Tavi helpfully brought him back into the conversation. As its topic. Feeling the urge to sit back down, the Alpha of the Vyusher R'asa summoned up his dignity and courage. He looked blandly at his outspoken child.
"Indeed, I will take that under advisement. After all it does have a decent amount of stretch."
He then continued on towards the sink, feeling like a thousand eyes were now likely to be on his ass. At the moment he was concerned about one pair in particular and Vaughn found himself hoping that his physique measured up to Tavi's claims.
((OOC: Now he -meant- that spandex had stretch for shifting purposes...not that anyone would want to see a wolf in spandex but still it might be handy for an unexpected change... But Tavi certainly isn't likely to take it that way. ))
Thérèse rolled her eyes playfully. Semi relieved they had drifted away from a borderline awkward conversation. Vaughn was an attractive man, but he was also the Alpha and she had only just arrived and he had a daughter, which to her mind equated to a wife. Of course, at this point she certainly couldn't look for a ring.
She wasn't sure if she was irritated or amused by Tavi's audacity in keeping the topic alive. It had been a long day and she was trying to make a good impression she opted for amused.
"Excellent. I have not needed much for winter for several years. I'm sure that it is out of date."Â?
Still amused, but now relatively flustered Thérèse came perilously close to making a rather off color comment. Fortunately she remembered her manners and didn't embarrass herself, although it was tempting to try and work out if his ass would look good in spandex.
"I should like to see the results of such advisement. You could cut quite a dashing figure."Â?
Reaching over, she picked up the bottle of wine and poured some of the remainder in her glass. This time she was going to leave well enough alone, and really mean it.
"Where did you move in from?"
Tavi was determined not to pay attention to her father. Woosah! Woosah!
She drank some more of the wine and considered what stores to visit based on the clothes that Therese was wearing. The planning of a shopping trip kept her mind off any creepy mental images.
In truth, he hoped not. That unthinking honesty reminded him of Rik and it would be a shame if she ever lost it.
He coughed and gave Therese a shy smile. Taking his seat again, Vaughn said.
"Thank you and I will have to come find you and make certain the look meets approval before being seen out in public in it."
He could not think of an occasion which would call for him to wear spandex and that was quite alright with him. Vaughn, like many paterna, had no problem with nudity. He saw no need for the stretchy fabric when a lack of clothes sufficed.
((OOC: Damn him and his observant advantage. ))
Fortunately the topic had turned back to much safer ground.
"We were just in Coibra in Portugal. The rest of the family returned to Brittany and I came here."Â?
She had quite liked the city, it was so old and beautiful. The architecture was unique and varied, but it was art. There was no question about that. She'd spent a great deal of time attempting to capture the look of the city in her water colors. She'd also had one of her best jobs to date as the curator of one of the small museums there.
"It is still odd not to have gone with them. But nothing ventured nothing gained."Â?
Of course there was also the fact that she had to come here. There hadn't been a choice. She hated it. As much as she wanted to be here and wanted her job, she also had no choice in coming here. She was attempting to concentrate on the positive though.