Ian
In Tea was one of Denver's best reviewed tea
shops, which likely had a lot to do with their rather impressive
selection. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly, and the employees
seemed reasonably knowledgeable about their stock. Despite it being a
Friday evening (and thus a bit more crowded than usual) Ian had managed
to snag a seat in one of the comfortable leather chairs in the back. At
present, he was leaning back with one of his legs crossed loosely over
his knee, reading something on his tablet. A cup of Zhen Qu sat on the
coffee table in front of him, scenting the air with fragrant curls of
steam. There was music piping in through the wall speakers - something
ambient and zen-like. The crowd tonight was in good spirits, taking up
seats at the scattered tables to chat over drinks and small bites of
food.
Arionna de la Babin
[Alertness]
Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (3, 4, 4, 5, 7) ( success x 1 )
Arionna de la Babin
Awareness
Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (2, 4, 5, 8, 8) ( success x 2 )
Arionna de la Babin
Arionna
rather preferred to be out anymore. Sometimes it was because, when
certain people visited her house, things tended to move out of order.
Some people simply hadn't grasped how important it was for things to
remain in specific positions, else Ari was confusing the orange juice
with the milk, among other things. People deeply annoyed her, but if she
was going to deal with incompetence, she'd rather deal with it among
people who had plenty of reasons to be so.
She wore glasses
now, dark ones that were the sort in style that did a wonderful job of
covering her eyes and her brows apparently. It didn't matter to her what
they were; Ari didn't see them. Seh slipped through the door slowly,
the cane slapping from one side to the other to aid in her navigation.
She was not as attuned to the world as she sometimes was, and perhaps
that had something to do with tiredness, irritation, or well.. a number
of things. She followed the sounds of those before her to locate the
counter slowly, taking her place in line patiently while fumbling in her
bag for her card.
Ian
[awareness]
Dice: 6 d10 TN6 (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9) ( success x 3 )
Ian
When
Arionna entered the shop, Ian's eyes lifted from his tablet toward the
front entrance. There were people and shelves in the way of his eyeline,
so he didn't actually catch sight of Arionna until she joined the line
at the counter. A few moments passed as he watched her fumble for her
debit card, and though he was loathe to abandon his seat (lest someone
think to move in on his territory,) he did finally set his tablet down
and stand up. Arionna was close to the front of the line by the time Ian
fell in at her side. He gave her a moment to register his presence
before speaking. "I've got the best seats reserved and I highly
recommend you join me before someone else tries to take them."
Arionna de la Babin
She
felt for the raised bits of the card before she pulled it out, sliding
her thumb over it again to be certain. It was by that moment that she
felt some familiar sensation next to her. Ian. She should have
known that, though perhaps she was far too engrossed in trying to make
it through the line. "I've to order first, don't you think? But if
you're concerned, I'm certain I can find you when I've finished." She
canted her head just a little as if she wanted to look at him but, of
course, couldn't.
Though thankfully, she was near the front,
and she wasn't overly picky either. She had plenty of time to decide on
what she wanted, and what she wanted was something herbal. Something
spicy but not fruity. Thankfully, she had no need to use the keypad that
some places still used, which made life easier when it came down to it.
She had to wait, though not long, for her tea. She lightly felt for it,
and then carefully began her walk in the direction she felt him. Though
this meant she took longer than usual; Ian was not particularly potent
today.
Ian
"Well, I suppose you'd better order
then." Ian's tone was lightly teasing, but despite his dire
predictions, he didn't seem in any special rush to get back to his
chair. He did glance over his shoulder briefly, just to keep a watch on
his things, but the kinds of people who frequented tea shops were
generally the sort of people who respected things like temporarily
claimed seating. No one made any move toward the spot he'd staked out.
When
Arionna got to the front of the line, Ian leaned against the counter
beside her, waiting patiently for her to place her order. If she needed
his help, she could ask. But he didn't condescend to her by assuming she
did. It wasn't long before Arionna's tea arrived, at which point Ian
led her back toward the seats he'd staked out, touching the side of her
arm lightly as a guide.
"There's a low table here," he warned,
though she might well find it with her cane at about the same moment.
"The seat to your left is open." He waited for Arionna to sit down
before re-settling himself in the chair beside her. His own tea was
starting to cool, so he leaned forward and picked it up, taking a long,
slow drink.
"How've you been lately?" It could have been an
empty question - the sort of thing people said to each other upon
greeting without really expecting a response. But Arionna had been
through a lot of changes recently, and Ian didn't sound as though he was
asking the question out of habit.
Arionna de la Babin
She's
getting better. She's not tripping over everything that happens to be
in her path and she seems to have picked up the general use of the cane.
The table, she avoids, though Ian's help is certainly not useless. When
she sits, she slides her bag down and collapses the cane, setting it on
her lap. Her head cants as she peers, behind her glasses, ahead of her.
"As well as is expected. It would be better if others would have the
courtesy not to play ring around the milk carton with me. Aside from
that, there can be no complaints." She tilts towards him a little.
"I've seen you very little as of late, though it seems as such with the
others as well."
Ian
"I've been pretty busy."
Though he didn't elaborate on that. There was a beat as he watched
Arionna settle into her chair, taking in the way her eyes turned
sightless toward the open room. The sunglasses made it harder to see
what she was thinking, but then, that was probably part of the reason
she wore them (to even the playing field a bit.)
"Why, did you miss me?" His tone there was light, perhaps not really expecting an answer (or at least not a positive one.)
Arionna de la Babin
And
protection. She didn't blink as much, if at all now, given her lack of
sight, and it was only sensible to protect them from the light. But he
would have been right in his assessment; Ari kept them hidden for her
own benefit. "Dance?" She asked, though she could assume he was busy
with such affairs, given his interest.
"Oh yes Ian." She fake
cooed at him. "I dream of you every night and oh how I've missed your
longing embrace." Her lips curled into a small smirk and Ari let out a
small giggle at her own amusement. "In truth, I know there are dangers.
There are some I enjoy keeping tabs on."
Ian
"If
that's what you were after, you could have gotten it ages ago." Ian's
amusement registered softly in his voice. He took a sip of his tea
before answering her question. "Dance. Training. Trying to have a social
life." That last one could have meant any number of things, where Ian
was concerned. "You don't need to worry about me. I'm surprisingly adept
at surviving."
Arionna de la Babin
"If I
remember correctly, I'm too young for you, old man." She recalled, quite
well actually. "Social lives are highly overrated. There requires
talking, and adherence to social conventions...all of which are quite
tiring. I hear Ben and Jerry's is a suitable replacement for it."
"Elijah
might say the same. Yet I often wonder what predators each of you are
familiar with, and which you know exist in the city. I'm not concerning
myself with the overt sort, but those more akin to working alone. Wolves
are easy to find. They're loud and walk in great numbers most of the
time. It's the cougar one should be concerned about. A rare sight,
careful and calculating. It must be extra careful in its planning to
effectively hunt. "
She lightly sipped at her tea. "And how exactly is your dancing going?"
Ian
He
had said that, yes. And he didn't attempt to claim otherwise now.
Though there was a brief huff of laughter when she reminded him -
probably to do with the image of himself as an old man. If they'd been
somewhere else - somewhere quieter, maybe. More private. He might have
given her a different response. Instead he let the subject pass.
"The
trick with social conventions is to treat it like a game. That's how I
survived the fashion industry. And while I agree with you that having
personal space is rather necessary for one's sanity, life would get
pretty fucking boring without other people around."
Ian leaned
over in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. For a moment he
gazed at the contents of his mug, the amber tea bright beneath the warm
glow of the shop lights.
"We're rehearsing the next show right
now. I have a bigger part in this one, so I've been in the studio a
lot. We did a thing for Pride, too. I got covered in holi powder."
Arionna de la Babin
"It's
a rather boring game. There's no excitement in it. Somehow I see it as
akin to checkers. Boring. I've always been fascinated by Twister, though
I've never played it myself. If it were more like that, I'd be far more
inclined to find it enjoyable." She wrapped her hands around her cup.
"Would it? I grew up spending much of my time alone among the trees.
It's less stimulating, I'll grant you, but not nearly as lonely as being
in a room full of people."
"Holi powder? What part are you playing?"
Ian
"It
would be for me. I like to explore things. People in particular. The
way their minds work. How their bodies are put together." He smiled a
little, taking a sip of his tea. "Don't ever challenge dancers to play
Twister."
Ian straightened up in his chair, leaning back into
the cushions. "Holi is a brightly colored powder from India that's
used in festivals. We were using it because it looks cool when you dance
in it. As for the show, it's... kind of hard to easily break down in
conversation. It's about people evolving past the point of needing
technology and returning to a purer state. But, you know, mostly it's
just dancing."
Arionna de la Babin
"When you
put it like that...you sound like Hannibal Lector. " She tilted her head
opposite of him. "Now I feel like I ought to. I challenge you to a game
of Twister, some day. Somehow I imagine Elijah would enjoy that."
"It
sounds enjoyable. Makes one think of the Time Machine. When we no
longer exist on what we have and return to a more primitive state, save
for the small portion of humans who have evolved much larger brains.
Though less...pessimistic I suppose. I highly doubt that you intend it
in the same fashion."
"In some small way, I regret not being able to see it. You're very skilled."
Ian
Arionna
compared Ian to Hannibal Lector, a thought which a number of the Denver
mages would likely find unsettling, given their not-too-distant
experience with actual cannibals. Arionna hadn't been present for that,
and had no way of knowing the particular chord it might strike, so Ian
chose not to read any darker meaning into it. Instead, he just smirked.
"I don't have to eat people to get to know them." (Not like that,
anyway.) "And yes, I'm quite sure Elijah would love to play Twister with
the two of us. Especially if alcohol and nudity were involved."
Ian's
tone grew softer then, because Arionna had complimented his dancing and it
reminded him how he might feel in her position - if he were never able
to watch another person dance again. But he could watch, even if he
were blind. There were other ways of seeing. Perhaps someday Arionna
would be capable of that as well.
"Thank you." The gratitude sounded genuine, for what it was worth.
Arionna de la Babin
"I'll
leave the nudity to the both of you. Perhaps even the alcohol. I
imagine you both are quite entertaining when you're exceptionally drunk
and without clothing." Though she could also imagine other things would
occur that she isn't too keen on really, but eh.. let it go.
"It's
your saving grace, your dancing. Well, and I suppose your affection for
your friends. Even I can find appreciation in your loyalty." Her lips
tightened as she kept her attention, visual anyhow, away from him.
"Which, of course, reminds me. I told Elijah he should inform Kalen, for
his own benefit, but perhaps you ought to know as well. There is a
woman named Evan. She isn't dangerous, per say, but given Elijah's
reckless behavior...and her....disdain for his safety..."
Ian
I imagine you both are quite entertaining when you're exceptionally drunk and without clothing.
Ian
laughed at that, which was perhaps akin to confirmation. Perhaps he
would have added some further remark of his own, except that suddenly
the conversation veered into talk of loyalty and affection, and it was
perhaps a good thing for Ian that Arionna could not see his expression
in that moment (which was... complicated, to put it mildly.) There was a
rather prolonged silence before his response.
"What happened?"
Arionna de la Babin
"It's rather complicated in the end. For the sake of well, understanding.."
"He
was driving me to your 'clubhouse' as I'll call it. I've never been and
I suppose he thought it was a good idea to introduce me. Elijah doesn't
grasp the disdain for which many regard me." She smirked lightly at the
thought. "He seems to believe that if he likes someone, all other
people must as well. If he wants someone around, others do as well. His
heart is in the right place, I suppose. It's flattering, and
disheartening. "
"Regardless. Whatever the cause, we had an
accident. Of the two of us, I was the least injured, but unable to
locate my phone or his. Elijah wasn't...well.." She tightened her lips
again and let out a slow sigh. "I'm sure you can imagine the most
logical course of action at that moment. A car accident in a place away
from Denver, without a phone to call for help, and Elijah the worst of
us both? While being unable to respond? Suffice to say, I met up with
Evan with some difficulty and by chance. She was willing to help me, but
not Elijah. She would have left him. I don't have any ill-will towards
her, Ian. We're alike in many ways. Only that, for his sake, I think
that he ought to be aware, and so should those around him. Elijah is too
trusting. We both know this."
Ian
Ian set his
tea down while Arionna spoke, re-settling his weight so that he leaned
slightly over the arm of the chair - listening. A small crease of
tension formed between his eyebrows when Arionna spoke of the accident
(of how badly Elijah was hurt.)
"He told me some of that.
Never mentioned a woman though." He exhaled quietly. "Elijah is a lot of
things. He'll either grow up or he won't. How much of a threat is this
woman? Do you think she'll come after him?"
Arionna de la Babin
"He
didn't know that I met Evan, and I'd rather he didn't. I think he'll
shift the focus away from himself, where it ought to be. I think I
rather like him as he is, innocent and naive as that may be. It has a
particular charm about it."
"Threat? Hm. A cougar is only a
threat when cornered or hungry. Even when hunger overcomes it, it only
seeks out those smaller than itself, never larger creatures. " She
tilted her head towards him at that. "Otherwise, we night creatures
exist perfectly well in isolation, when never tampered with. Do I
believe she will purposefully target him? I don't believe so. I suppose
it depends on how deep our kinship is, and how threatened she feels as
my taming. But no, I don't think she will. But then, I explained how
many 'hunters' will be displeased if he were to have died that night
when she could have helped. She did, in the end, at my own prodding."
"I
don't warn you because I feel she's going to seek him out, or cause
deliberate harm for the sake of it. Anymore than I will. But. None of
you are her friends. You are the hunter, one that relies on tools to
suit your end game instead of relying on your instincts. If you're in a
compromising situation, there is no reason to help a hunter. They just turn on you in the end,
when it suits them. Elijah is too trusting, sometimes far more blind
than I am. I'd rather not like to see him hurt for it. I'd be pleased if
others would look out for him, more than any other."
Ian
Arionna often used feline metaphors when speaking to Ian. Did he find it amusing? Irritating? If so, he didn't say.
"If
she's a cougar, then I am no more or less a hunter than she is. But if I
ever meet her, I'll be sure to be mindful of who and what both of us
are." It was a cryptic statement, laced through with subtle
insinuations. Ian uncurled from his position and leaned over to collect
his tea, finishing off the last of it. "For what it's worth, I healed
Elijah myself. And if it comes down to it, I'll do it again. But that
doesn't make me his caretaker." There was a soft shift of clothing
against leather as Ian's weight lifted from the chair.
"I'll
pass the warning on to Kalen." Another rustle as he gathered his things,
slipping the tablet into his bag. "I have to get going, so Twister will
have to wait for another day."
Arionna de la Babin
"I
doubt she'll find you offensive, anymore than I do... generally
speaking of course." She remained still as he moved, as he gathered his
things and prepared to leave.
"Caretaker? No, of course not.
But I've noticed your fondness for him. I suspect you care more about
him than you act. Since the lot of you spend more time around him than I
do, I considered it best that the people who aren't naive know about
her. "
"Of course it will. You didn't think I carried the game with me, did you?" She let out a small breath of air.
"Ian." She said, attempting to catch him at least before he wandered off. "Thank you...for your assistance."
Ian
Ian
glanced at Arionna with a veiled expression (it was such an instinct at
this point - the way he guarded his responses - that the fact Arionna
was blind did not even really occur to him.) He didn't confirm or deny
her claim, which may have been a confirmation in itself - though that
wasn't the reason he kept quiet.
"You don't need to thank me,"
he replied quietly. After a pause, he leaned over and rested his hands
on the edge of her arm-rests. He'd done this once before - leaning into
Arionna's space. But this time there was more distance left between them
(deliberately so.) And the tone of his voice was entirely different.
"I'm glad he has someone looking out for him. For what it's worth."
Ian
lifted away a moment later, settled his bag on his shoulder and turned
away. The sound of his footsteps retreated into the crowd of chatting
patrons, then disappeared.
