Derren Krenshaw

The Last Kings of Orion

Maybe he had scared her a bit? Instead of seeming reassured or opening up more, Ms. Albright only closed in on herself, moving steadily along towards the veterinary wards. Not ideal, not at all, but perhaps there was hope to be found behind those bouncing curls.

That in mind, Antoine followed her with a steady smile, glancing around only quickly when they at last reached Ms. Albright's office. Given how recently she -and most of the shift- had been awakened, it was possible this was the first time she had stepped in here herself. Still, though, personal offices and workspaces tended to hold an attachment to the people who worked within them, and he'd rather not embarrass the lady any more by appearing as if he was judging the space.

Besides, she had turned back to him once more. Far better to pay attention to her than anything else.

"A private tour, how could I pass that up?" He flashed her a wide grin before turning around and raising his shirt. Mowzer's most recent marks stood out starkly against his skin, angry red lines overlaying the faint, pale reminders of previous climbs. Apart from those, however, his back was in great condition. There were a couple, star-shaped scars near his left shoulder blade, sure, and the solid line running up his neck from the middle of his upper back. But given the badges he had seen more than a few friends sporting on their own flesh, it seemed nothing to make a deal over.

"It's not often I get to play patient." He couldn't help but chuckle at the though, arms up by his ears to keep his shirt out of the way. "It's kind of fun."

On Winding Roads (Lillian & Derren )

"At the university?" it took Alexi a moment to realize just what she was asking. Trying to figure out when he had met Charles was like trying to recall when he first started walking. It had just... always been, as far as he could remember. "No, it was long before that... We did go to the university together, though."

Oh, wasn't that a collection of memories he hadn't brought up in a long time. It helped distract him from their surroundings, a grin forming across his lips at the images rising to the fore of his mind.

"He's the very same Charles you met last night... and hasn't really changed. He's a younger son- no real pressure to one day take his father's position, allowed to do what he wants as long as no one gets too mad... Though we certainly pushed that to it's limit."

It was strange, thinking about those years now. The church had never been a concern, then, his thoughts occupied by far baser joys. No need to restrain himself, no curfew or stern, watchful nuns...

...No massive, overbearing worries that could send him foolishly across the land on his own...

"Though mentioning the university brings back memories. The two of us probably never would have made it through the courses alone." No, they definitely wouldn't have. Charles was fascinated by all one could learn in the world, but never had the motivation to follow up on that. And as for Alexi himself? He had motivation to spare, following his love of language and writing, but there always seemed to be... distractions.

"Charles preferred chasing women to attending lectures, but he always wanted to see me do well. Unfortunately, I had a bad habit of missing the courses myself. Not intentionally, I would just... well... forget I had to go..."

"Anyways!" No reason dwelling on that fact for long. "He decided that my education was more important than his pleasure, slightly, and we worked together to actually learn something from the university while we were there. We'd trade off attending lectures and doing the assignments, goad each other on with threats of elaborate punishments should one of us fall behind again, celebrated each success with a well-earned bout of drinking and women-chasing... And somehow graduated with high standings by the end."

Somehow indeed, but maybe not so unbelievable. Alexi still wasn't sure what, exactly, Charles did aside from chase enjoyment, but he hadn't become a successful scribe through luck alone. Convincing the monks to grant him apprenticeship, impressing them with his skill, managing to ply his trade as a freelance scribe into a career that provided him more than enough to live. That drive could have been the same that helped him turn things around at the university.

"But what about yourself?" He had gone on a little longer than he expected, but it seemed that returning the query would only be polite. No need to only talk about himself on this trip, certainly. "I'm afraid I'm not that familiar with the mercenary path. Did you start with the army? Or did you apprentice with a mercenary group?"

Masques and Daggers (Derren Krenshaw & Igraine)

Galina seemed quite content to sit in the role of 'teacher from the west', patient as a statue before the eyes of her admirers.

And admirers they were. Raigo had to have been teaching her daily to instruct her, motion by slightest motion, the subtleties of the tea ceremony, and yet even he seemed impressed as she passed the Clan head his own cup. Ai was easier to read, the lady too often away from the Takahiro compound, living her work with the nobility of the capital. No one would have been allowed to serve in Raigo's stead unless they were fully prepared to honor the task, but knowing and witnessing were two different matters. Souma's sister smiled wide and easy, nodding in appreciation as she received her cup as well, following the motion with a knowing glance toward her brother.

Souma had to admit, it was a wonderful scene.

But a scene was all it was. An act, a play, robbed of the genuine ceremony that was supposed to be present. The Takahiro heir flashed his sister a brief smile in return, drinking from his returned cup as he tried his best to savor the contents. It... was good. Very good, in fact, Galina could never be faulted for not committing wholly to her task. That was what had led him to fail his mission at the Winchester estate in the first place, hadn't it? The fact that she had done nothing to spur his suspicion, up to the point where it no longer mattered.

Not that he had the luxury of complacency now... or even the capability for it. Galina's face was etched within his mind as one of an opponent. Her skill outmatched that of his own prized agents, and it would be foolish to believe she was the only member of her household who worked from the shadows.

She hadn't stepped foot upon American soil since he left her on the Empress. He hadn't found hint or sight of her agents before he left for home... but that no longer carried the sense of satisfaction it should have. Of course she had taken advantage of his message. If nothing else, it gave Souma new appreciation for her abilities, one who stood rival to his own.

Which was something he would have to address. Before the damage was worsened.

Perhaps it was the tea, or simply being able to speak with his family again, but Souma found it easier to resist the urge to slit Galina's throat here and now. There was time, he remembered. Time to find the right place, the right scenario. Possibly quite soon, but not now. At the least, not right now.

"Good to be home, Son?"

Raigo's voice brought Souma's gaze up to meet his father's, a contented smile growing on his lips as he did. Despite Galina's presence, it wasn't hard to answer the question.

"Very, father."

"Long travel, must be tired, yes?" Ai's grin made it more than clear the intent behind those words, as if one couldn't catch it before. "Father, we should let rest, yes?"

"We should." Raigo was about as transparent, though Souma found it hard not to forgive them both. This was supposed to be a time where masks could be lowered, of course, one of the few moments of respite where family could speak as family. The Takahiro head rose slowly, placing an empty cup before the mat where he had sat. Ai followed him, including in her motions a slight bow towards both her father and brother, in that order.

Still seated, Souma bowed to Raigo, then Ai, watching as they moved to leave before rising himself. He lowered his own empty mug to place before his mat, turning finally to Galina by his right.

"It has been long, since I was here." He spoke calmly, gesturing towards the screen behind her, that would open to the outside. "I would like to walk some. Would you join...

...Galina Demidova?"

The Last Kings of Orion

Antoine nearly cut his tongue on his teeth, biting back laughter that would only serve to scare the poor lady more.

Part of him urged to look for a retreat, himself, the part that took stock of each woman who crossed his gaze and judged who might be worth the time to pursue. Nervous ramblings tended to raise more red flags than green ones, the sympathy and desire to comfort raised by such acts usually falling to tears in the end. Part of her seemed eager to simply walk away, to escape the hole she was excavating by any means possible. That part of him saw it as an opportunity to do the same, to let her escape and in turn find freedom himself.

But that part of him was fought by the part who felt that, if nothing more, Ms. Albright was a woman he would run into often, and should have a good impression of him.

And both of those parts, were swiftly being drowned out by the desire to devolve into unabashed hysterics at the comment she made- either from nervous naiveté or as a frighteningly cunning lure. Either way, those words couldn't help but bring a smile to Antoine's lips.

He often found himself distracted in the face of a 'fine piece of tail', as well. It'd be wrong to fault someone else for the same.

"Well, I'm in a listening mood. So we can get that antiseptic and say you're a lady who loves to entertain her patients, animal or otherwise. What do you think?" Part of him wanted to pat her on the shoulder, but he wasn't sure he could stop himself from following the act up with a 'there there, it's all right'. So he settled for the warm smile and a simple gesture to continue -walking or talking or both, whichever she might take from it. The gesture was comfortable, so easy to make he had to do it a second time.

"And as for the bar? Well I've always found drinks to taste better when you're happy or celebrating. Those are the best times to break regulation as well, so if you find your self in a particularly wonderful mood..." Gesturing a third time just to savor the sensation again, he leaned forward as if sharing some dire secret. "I can show you a place some might cal a bar."

On Winding Roads (Lillian & Derren )

Alexi found himself relaxing as Katherine spoke, something about having voices hovering upon the air adding a feeling of safety to the woods they entered. More than her statement that she did, in fact, know the area, the simple act of talking helped ease the knots of fear tightening in his stomach. It made him want to talk in return, to keep the conversation going and keep his attention away from the dark boughs and shadowy trunks that surrounded them.

Which wasn't completely a good thing... because he didn't like the subject this conversation was getting close to.

"Once, a... Seven years?" He took a moment to ponder that, blinking in surprise. "It was that long, wasn't it?"

Maybe it shouldn't have been much of a surprise, it wasn't like he had gotten a reputation as a skilled scribe overnight. His plans to leave had been over a year in the making as well, and had only begun when he was finally starting to get a little stir crazy within the city.

"I came up from the coast on... invitation from Charles? Yes, that was it. I... might have forgotten a map at the time, and ended up rather terribly lost before somehow ending up close enough to Avantshire to run into some hunters from the town."

Not the most heartening story to tell at the start of a journey, though embarrassment was a minor improvement over fear. He even had maps this time. Unless... wait... No! No they were right there behind his saddle, safely tucked in the largest pack. Good, good...

"I didn't stay for long, but apparently long enough to make an impression on some of the townsfolk." He thought on that for a moment, recalling how those who had come to the city has seemed to recognize him. It was a bit of a surprise they had such a high opinion of him, honestly. Seven years had done much to temper Alexi's former lifestyle, and a young man used to wealth but living in fear was not often one to be polite when necessary. But it seemed he could impress even himself when it mattered. "I guess I had enough sense at the time to be thankful for their help. Or maybe they found the sight of mud-stained clothes amusing?"

His voice died out then, finding little more to really say on the matter. There was always the option of launching into a full biography to pass the time, but Katherine hadn't done anything worthy of torture, so he should probably refrain. Not to mention that talk of running, hiding, and getting lost might not grant him the same courage their talk had so far.

So for now, at least, Alexi found himself calm enough to look around, eyeing the towering trees that reached out to catch the sun before it could grace his skin. They wouldn't work well as landmarks in case he needed them later -far too alike to one another- but at least mentally berating the trees for being so selfish helped keep his mood light for now. It'd been a while since he swore at anything -verbally or mentally- so the practice was... actually refreshing.

Who knew?

The Last Kings of Orion

DotCom said
D'awwwww, idle. =)But Grainy, I was all team OLGA until Hob agreed to set her loose. No one 'loose' is trustable. Not when they are also a supercomputer...with the personality of a teenaged girl. *shifty eyes*

Not all supercomputers go mad with power the moment they are set free.

For some it takes a little while, others just relax and eventually nab a nifty-looking robot so they have some formal clothes to run around in.

Masques and Daggers (Derren Krenshaw & Igraine)

Souma was, for all intents and purposes, trapped.

He should tell his family that 'Shizuka' was in reality Galina Demidova, daughter of a Russian baron and skilled spy in her own right. How long had she been in Japan? How long had she been working inside his own family? There was damage here, such that could take years to fully repair. For his family, he should speak up now. For his honor he should let Raigo and Ai understand just what had been done. For his pride he needed to cut this affront down without delay.

And yet, for those very same reasons, he could do nothing.

How long had it been, since Souma had sat down with his family? Since he had answered the small, simple questions posed by father and sister, while 'Shizuka' oh-so-delicately preparing the tea? How long had it been since he was part of the tea ceremony? Since he had held such good news for his father? Since both Raigo and Ai had gone through so much trouble to find a 'surprise' they genuinely felt Souma would love?

He couldn't ruin the ceremony. It wasn't an option, wasn't remotely possible, no matter what reason tried to scream within his head. Any action he took against 'Shizuka' would mar the ceremony forever in the eyes of his family. It would be a violation of tradition, of one of the few practices the lowborn family had ever held dear.

He couldn't do it. And that hurt all the more.

Souma took the bowl from Shizuka with a shallow bow of his own, a light smile across his lips to satisfy father and sister. In honor of the ceremony, he would keep the facade, and deal with matters quietly later on. There was a slight hesitation as he lifted the bowl to his lips, recalling how the last drink she had given him had gone. But she could not ruin the ceremony any more than he could- no, if she acted untoward, it could be the excuse he needed. The ceremony would be soured, still, but it would almost be worth it... almost...

He took a shallow sip from the bowl, mulling the taste around over his tongue, Souma remaining quiet for some time after, before finally turning to Shizuka at his side.

"Father would not have you make tea, if you did not know the right way..." He paused to finish the tea, nodding quietly in appreciation. "But still, this is excellent."

Lowering the cup, Souma caught the quiet grin of Ai beside him, apparently quite enjoying the scene playing out now. Raigo as well was nodding along, both enjoying the ceremony as they should... even when it was the wrong time to be doing so.

Nothing that could be changed.

"I would love a second serve, Miss Shizuka. If you could?"

The Last Kings of Orion

KuroTenshi said
Oooh Derren, if that is Hangar Six Connor is not going to be happy

What other Hangar could possibly be worthy enough to house Mowzer's new beds?

And... Lil? You are being quite mean with those pastries this evening. Just saying :P

The Last Kings of Orion

"It does."

Antoine agreed readily to Ms. Albright's question -rhetorical or not- noting the sudden shyness that seemed to take her. He rose slowly, watching her continue to lavish attention upon the eager Mowzer and nodding along with her words.

Not that she really seemed to be concerned if he was paying attention or not. Maybe that was thanks to his own charming personality, that of course he would hang upon her every lovely word. The only other explanation, really, was that Mowzer held her so in thrall that anything outside of scritching him was simply noise. Either option was just as likely as the other, of course, despite how Ms. Albright seemed completely unable to tear her eyes away from the cat by her side... or despite the unnervingly intelligent glances his pet kept tossing his way.

Okay, maybe the two options weren't so evenly weighed upon the scales.

"A pleasure to meet you as well, Ms. Albright." She did turn her attention towards him after a while, at least, Mowzer seeming to take this as his queue to move on for now. With nothing so much as a second glance back at the two humans, the cat strode away and out of the auditorium. Of course, now that Ms. Albright had been marked as a human more than willing to fawn over him, Mowzer was unlikely to stay away for too long.

Which worked just as well for Antoine as he traded grips with the young veterinarian.

"I imagine he could be convinced to stop by before too long." He grinned along with the words, imagining finally being able to 'trick' Mowzer into a thorough examination. "And I may have to take up your offer on the antiseptic, too. He seems to take quite some pride in his claws..."

~-~-~-~

Well, that was a nice change of pace from the recent days.

Satisfied for the first time in what seemed like ages, Mowzer left the wonderful human with his own for now. He thought he could smell other animals on her as she pet him, the subtle lingering scents that reminded him of his favorite grounds. So the wonderful human spent time with other animals, then? No wonder she knew just how to attend him... though he might have to make sure she didn't forget him for some... other.

But that would come later. Right now Mowzer was feeling quite well-scritched again, like the days when his Human actually knew who to pay attention to. It was time for another walk, then, maybe take a nap in one of those nice, pod-like things inside the huge room.

He had no need to read the directions printed far too high up to help the humans along, remembering easily how to get where he needed to. There was quite a bit of noise coming from the large room, noises from humans and other ones he didn't quite recognize. Of course, now that humans were moving around everywhere, they'd be causing all sorts of problems, wouldn't they?

Well, as long as they left his favorite pod-thing alone, there'd be no problem at all. In this large, wonderful new home, danger seemed to have gone away forever, noise meaning safety and scritches rather than something to be concerned over.

A good thing, certainly, and so Mowzer strut his way into the hangar that was his current favorite nap-room. His favorite 'pod-thing' was a mining vessel thankfully set further down the line, away from most of the humans. Another excellent fortune on top of an increasingly good day, Mowzer giving an extra little twitch of his upraised tail in pleasure as he made his way down the walkways, nothing more than sleep upon his mind.

On Winding Roads (Lillian & Derren )

Alexi spared only a brief moment as Katherine moved in the periphery of his sight, noting the series of stretches she began before turning back to his writing. Part of him realized the wisdom in his escort's actions -riding for days would be taxing no matter the person- but for now the draw of his work was stronger. It'd come back to haunt him, most likely, but so would not having the document finished in time. In a question of bodily health versus professional reputation... the latter was more important right now.

Indeed, it had been more important for quite some time. For better or for worse.

Embarrassment at the potentially shameful display he would put on if he tried to mimic Katherine's movements playing only a very small role in the decision, Alexi continued to carve his notes within the wax of his tablet. One break seemed to lead to another, lines and lines making themselves clear in his mind's eye, stylus darting across the wax before him. Not nearly enough room to write out everything on his mind, the scribe settled for shorthand notes- simple words, phrases and numbers scratched out to quickly remind himself of everything he realized now. It was a practice every scribe came to know, each developing their own, subtly different method of note-taking to rely on. It brought up memories of conversations he'd had in the past, sharing examples of shorthand between peers of his trade, each noting how close they looked to one another... yet none being able to truly follow any notes that weren't their own...

...Alexi had to wonder now, if the motions Katherine was going through were similar.

He found himself pulled from his work more and more, as his escort moved from simple stretches into miming a fight against unseen opponents. No one to take the blows she dealt out, no one to block or dodge against but the wind and sunlight, and yet she moved as if surrounded. Her way of remembering? Or simply practice?

His musings faded as hoof beats interrupted her motions, the scribe glancing sharply up, then relaxing as the messenger galloped past. They were still on the main road, after all, silly not to expect other travelers or roya- oh!

"Ready- Yes, yes of course!" He had taken more than enough notes for now, Alexi carefully stowing his stylus with it's companions before closing and stashing the tablet away. So much for a quick session of notes... but he didn't have the time to feel too embarrassed now. Muscles and joints felt a bit stiff as he rose and made his way back to his horse, but not bad. Probably wouldn't be saying the same later in the day, but for now, at least, he felt fine to ride for quite some time.

Mounting up, he set off once more with Katherine right nearby. He moved his horse quickly to a decent trot, thinking they could quicken the pace somewhat before entering the forest ahead. They'd likely have to slow down within, even following the road could prove dangerous to their mounts if they moved too quickly.

The forest also had the dubious honor of appearing darker and more foreboding the closer they got to it's leading edge, Alexi having trouble keeping himself from growing painfully tense atop his mount. Close spaces weren't too bad -there was plenty of that in his quarters and the archives he frequented- but recollections of the attack last night were doing little to calm his nerves... and far less at the braches above finally began shading their path.

"So..." Speaking would help, right? Keep conversation to keep calm, that was the trick, wasn't it? "You... mentioned last night you were familiar with the area?"

He turned to Katherine as he spoke, hoping he didn't look quite as wound up as he felt.

"Have you traveled through here often? Or did you take other roads?"