Lord El-Melloi II - Waver Velvet (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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aterat2023-06-29 01:22 pm
ask_whydunit) wrote in aterat2023-06-29 01:22 pm
Entry tags:
June/July Open Top Levels
Who; Waver Velvet & Anyone
What; Waver shopping for teaware and spending time in the Historium
Where; The Market & The Historium
When; Late June-Early July - Afternoon for the market, late evening for the historium
Warnings; None to start, but will update if things come up
Other; Feel free to tag in however you’d like, I am happy to match action brackets if those are preferred. Also if you have any rp wishes or ideas please let me know by either PM’ing the character journal or messaging me over on discord (WhimsicalSpook)! I’m happy to write personal starters and stuff.
I. A necessary trip to the market - open to all
It was odd to see Waver out and about. Usually sightings were limited to the Historium or the Academy, with rare intermittent trips to the market to pick up the few things he needed. Which… Well, Reines would tell anyone that Waver rarely did things purely for enjoyment, so he didn’t seem to need much beyond the obvious.
Though he would argue that it wasn’t strictly true, his life was a lot busier than it had been before the lordship had been dropped on his shoulders. There was too much to do, too much to think about, and he was eternally exhausted. It wasn’t even that he did nothing for fun. He had his research and his video games, after all! And there were quite a lot of other things he used to do before everything became a chaotic tornado of messes needing to be dealt with.
Which was why he was, in fact, out on one of his rare trips to the market in search of something. The rushed, weak cup of tea he’d become accustomed to on his way out the door wasn’t really cutting it anymore, plus it was quite clear Gray (who was too kind and usually made him tea while he was working) probably wasn’t going to just show up given how long he’d been here for now…
So he was currently looking over a market table of handmade teaware thoughtfully, the frown on his face less stern and simply focused as he looked for something that suited his tastes and felt right. He doubted he would find exactly what he was looking for here, but even a nicely made teapot would do. Sometimes, after asking the stall keeper’s permission, he might pick something up to turn over in his hand and get a better look at…
So, do you bump into him accidentally? Do you spot the elusive Waver in the wild and decide to approach? Who knows, but it’s usually amusing to surprise the mage! Hopefully, he doesn’t drop anything, though…
II. A little late night reading - open to all
It was late in the evening as a certain clock tower lord slipped out the door of the red building and walked the short distance to the Historium. Originally he’d intended on spending the night in at his apartment for a change, rather than ending up in his workshop… But that hadn’t quite gone to plan, and now he needed something to focus on.
With the weather and the situation in the city, he’d been more careful about longer strolls. So actually changing plans and ending up in the harbor district was out. He wasn’t keen for a repeat after the very bad month involving wererats with whatever new creatures were being spoken of instead. Tempting as it was, sometimes was capable of making good decisions. At some point, his luck was bound to run out, after all. He already owed a handful of people for rescuing his sorry ass…
That was all to say that the Historium was his second choice in distraction. It was near enough and there were plenty of reading materials he could get lost in for however long it took to settle his mind, or at least give it something new to focus on.
Walking down aisles, he reached out to gently tug the odd book from a shelf, flipping through a few pages before closing it and tucking it under his arm. Sometimes he wondered if he might be lucky enough to stumble across some rare tomb on magecraft from his own world, but so far that was a no. Tonight he’d snagged a few varied subjects ranging from some theory on magic, from places he’d never heard of, to mystery novels, to things… decidedly not serious but curious, nonetheless. Like chocobos, given how he was one of the arrivals more used to horses and yet he noticed plenty of people found them rather normal.
Sometimes Waver was forced to stifle a yawn that betrayed his own fatigue, which usually ended with him frowning at himself for a moment. Comically it almost looked almost like he was cross with whatever bookshelf in front of him rather than the yawn. It never lasted long, before he resumed his stroll through the Historium.
Maybe you spot him sitting at one of the tables he liked to settle, or maybe you find him wandering down aisles.
What; Waver shopping for teaware and spending time in the Historium
Where; The Market & The Historium
When; Late June-Early July - Afternoon for the market, late evening for the historium
Warnings; None to start, but will update if things come up
Other; Feel free to tag in however you’d like, I am happy to match action brackets if those are preferred. Also if you have any rp wishes or ideas please let me know by either PM’ing the character journal or messaging me over on discord (WhimsicalSpook)! I’m happy to write personal starters and stuff.
I. A necessary trip to the market - open to all
It was odd to see Waver out and about. Usually sightings were limited to the Historium or the Academy, with rare intermittent trips to the market to pick up the few things he needed. Which… Well, Reines would tell anyone that Waver rarely did things purely for enjoyment, so he didn’t seem to need much beyond the obvious.
Though he would argue that it wasn’t strictly true, his life was a lot busier than it had been before the lordship had been dropped on his shoulders. There was too much to do, too much to think about, and he was eternally exhausted. It wasn’t even that he did nothing for fun. He had his research and his video games, after all! And there were quite a lot of other things he used to do before everything became a chaotic tornado of messes needing to be dealt with.
Which was why he was, in fact, out on one of his rare trips to the market in search of something. The rushed, weak cup of tea he’d become accustomed to on his way out the door wasn’t really cutting it anymore, plus it was quite clear Gray (who was too kind and usually made him tea while he was working) probably wasn’t going to just show up given how long he’d been here for now…
So he was currently looking over a market table of handmade teaware thoughtfully, the frown on his face less stern and simply focused as he looked for something that suited his tastes and felt right. He doubted he would find exactly what he was looking for here, but even a nicely made teapot would do. Sometimes, after asking the stall keeper’s permission, he might pick something up to turn over in his hand and get a better look at…
So, do you bump into him accidentally? Do you spot the elusive Waver in the wild and decide to approach? Who knows, but it’s usually amusing to surprise the mage! Hopefully, he doesn’t drop anything, though…
II. A little late night reading - open to all
It was late in the evening as a certain clock tower lord slipped out the door of the red building and walked the short distance to the Historium. Originally he’d intended on spending the night in at his apartment for a change, rather than ending up in his workshop… But that hadn’t quite gone to plan, and now he needed something to focus on.
With the weather and the situation in the city, he’d been more careful about longer strolls. So actually changing plans and ending up in the harbor district was out. He wasn’t keen for a repeat after the very bad month involving wererats with whatever new creatures were being spoken of instead. Tempting as it was, sometimes was capable of making good decisions. At some point, his luck was bound to run out, after all. He already owed a handful of people for rescuing his sorry ass…
That was all to say that the Historium was his second choice in distraction. It was near enough and there were plenty of reading materials he could get lost in for however long it took to settle his mind, or at least give it something new to focus on.
Walking down aisles, he reached out to gently tug the odd book from a shelf, flipping through a few pages before closing it and tucking it under his arm. Sometimes he wondered if he might be lucky enough to stumble across some rare tomb on magecraft from his own world, but so far that was a no. Tonight he’d snagged a few varied subjects ranging from some theory on magic, from places he’d never heard of, to mystery novels, to things… decidedly not serious but curious, nonetheless. Like chocobos, given how he was one of the arrivals more used to horses and yet he noticed plenty of people found them rather normal.
Sometimes Waver was forced to stifle a yawn that betrayed his own fatigue, which usually ended with him frowning at himself for a moment. Comically it almost looked almost like he was cross with whatever bookshelf in front of him rather than the yawn. It never lasted long, before he resumed his stroll through the Historium.
Maybe you spot him sitting at one of the tables he liked to settle, or maybe you find him wandering down aisles.
I
Today she too had been drawn to the teaware. Several of the pieces distinctly reminded her of some of the pieces she had back home (which she dearly missed). There was nothing quite as fun as sitting down for a tea with a full teaset. Well, that wasn't completely true! It was even better to have someone to share that tea with. Not that she'd really ever had that back home until fairly recently. Of course, she often told herself she couldn't really be too sad over that since it had been largely due to her own choices. Yet...
Well, she couldn't help but be a bit sad about it now and then.
What she definitely couldn't be sad about was the fact that she'd found someone else appreciating the teapots!
"That's a very lovely one you have there! It's always nice to see someone else that appreciates a good cup of tea."
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The problem, of course, was selecting one. “And it is, but it might be a little… too nice?” At least to his mind, even if he preferred to buy something nice, that would last when it came to something that would get a lot of use... But there was a part of him that still rebelled against the idea of buying something as though he were going to be here a while. Which, again, seemed likely when considering how long he’d been here already. A full year near approaching with no signs of leaving and no signs of anyone else appearing… And one could also point out that he set up an entire workshop here within a couple months, which was a sign to settling in for a long stay, though.
Most people would say without hesitation that Waver tended to be a walking contradiction about the oddest things.
“It’s good to see you again, Haru.” He added, settling the pot back in place among its cups and picking up another one. Because ‘Noir’ had the mask, and he is trying to keep track of these things.
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"Hmmm," she looked at the teapot thoughtfully. "Too nice seems like a silly thing to think. If you like it, then that should be what matters. It seems extremely well crafted, so I imagine it would be rather sturdy if your concerns are that it might break." To her it certainly seemed as though it would last well if it were dropped. As he moved on to another she smiled. "That one is lovely too. A little brighter if you're looking for something more along those lines! It also seems like it'd be lovely to hold." With it's very smooth texture.
"Oh! It's wonderful to see you again as well!"
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He really should have known she would be able to refute the ‘too nice’ excuse rather easily. It was a weak excuse, after all... “You do make a good point.” Waver offered awkwardly as he glanced between the two options again. He knew which he preferred, of the options available. “A good, sturdy teapot like that one would last quite some time… Though I suppose that’s the true hangup, not knowing how long we’ll even be here.” He finally admitted with a small sigh, picking up a third pot that was somewhere between the other two. It didn’t quite feel right though, and he set it down.
The first tea pot had seemed the closest that he would find to something he would like to use. It had a good spout on it that seemed like it would pour smoothly without splashing, and it was a nice weight. The materials had felt good, and as Haru said, it seemed more sturdy. “I think the darker set suits me a little better than the bright colours.” And the small splash of light green in the lining of the cups at least gave it some colour without being too much. “So I guess that’s another point in the first pot’s favour.”
The professor gave her rather bright response one of his rare smiles. Haru reminded him a little of Gray in some ways… But she definitely had a particularly unique energy about her. “I trust you’ve been well. What with the fog and the rumors going around?”
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"I was making special time back home to visit a number of different cafe's around my home. It was a particular interest of mine, learning about coffee that is," she giggled. "I knew quite a lot about tea already." Though she hoped that didn't sound too arrogant on her part. It wasn't as though she were truly trying to brag. The bit he brought up about tea being necessary for mages was something she took quite literally, whether he meant her to or not. "Oh,that's quite interesting. Does it impact your magic in some way? Do different teas have different effects?" That would be so interesting if that was the case! She'd have to learn which caused which so that she could help him if that were how things worked.
Ah, after his admission she found her expression softening. "It is hard when we don't know when or how we may end up leaving here. When I was first considering opening my café I considered that very fact. A part of me felt as though it might be a tiny bit silly to go to all the trouble of investing so much time and energy into something when I may just up and vanish one day. Ultimately though it seemed better to try to make the best of being in this place rather than worrying about how or when we might leave. For now we're here, right? Might as well treat it like a second home." At least that seemed to be the most logical way to see things in her own opinion. "So I think if you like the first one, you should get it and maybe ....try to relax a bit more here?" It was just a gentle suggestion though. One she said with a bit of trepidation.
She nodded enthusiastically, still blissfully convinced her Noir persona was impossible for anyone to have recognized (why this was, was in fact anyone's guess). "Quite well actually! I must admit the fog is a bit concerning though... How have you been?"
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It sounded like she’d really been putting the effort in for the cafe, even back in her own world. “Learning by experience and the examples seen in other places is a good way to start. It would give you a nice rounded idea about the various ways you could start your own.” He commented with a nod. “Was there something that sparked the interest?”
The questions get a small nod, he’s happy to answer an inquisitive mind. “It’s been used in divination for a very long time, but it’s also sometimes a useful part of the process to prepare yourself mentally. The ritual of making a cup of tea can be very good for centering some mages. We all have our own way to prepare for something, as well as individual mental triggers for our circuits.” A free hand gestures slightly at the side of his head with a finger. “On the other hand, some find it a useful as a way to finish and close out whatever they were working on. Magecraft can taxing mentally or even physically, so it’s good to have something after the fact to both help replenish your energy and calm your mind.” He tilted his head thoughtfully at the final question. “Different teas have varying levels of benefit even naturally, but there are mages that find ways to improve upon it. I would recommend visiting the botany department at the clock tower for a proper lecture from someone who’s made it their life’s work if I could.” Almost sad he couldn’t, really. They helped out a lot with their studies, and Haru was clearly a bright individual.
Waver had to admit, she was making very good points… It wasn’t as though it was even hard to wrap one’s head around. He’d had many homes over the years. So this would be far from the second, after all. If Waver wasn’t better at making things more difficult than they needed to be for himself, it would have been an easy thing to accept. Most would probably laugh at idea of him relaxing though, always seemed to be on the go. Always working on lessons, agreeing to tutoring outside class hours, working cases to help pay off the El-Melloi debt, or getting himself in ridiculous situation after ridiculous situation… Really he only stopped when his body made him. If she hadn’t ended on a note in such a gentle, uncertain tone he might have even scoffed. But it’s hard to not think about Gray standing there saying something similar… So he glanced at the teapot awkwardly, unable to meet his current companions eyes. “Not something I’m well known for, I admit… But its hard to ignore such wise advice entirely.”
So he draws out the sum needed to pay for the set, exchanging with the stall keeper once it was packaged up carefully. Yes, this was his agreement to at least try! Though he still looks a bit uncertain as he holds the box in his hand, awkwardly glancing back with a clumsy hum. “I suppose the thing to do now would be to make tea to try it… But a pot on my own might be a bit much at the moment.” Which is to say, she was invited if interested.
“I’m glad to hear you’ve been well, then.” He offered in return, shrugging in regards to the mist. “Afraid my attempts at analyzing the mist didn’t really go anywhere. It’s a little beyond my capabilities without more data.” It was frustrating in a way, he doesn’t doubt other mages would have the answer with less information and more impressive attempts than he could manage. “But otherwise, I’m well enough.”
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To his question she nodded, still with that same level of excitement she'd held before. "There was. My grandfather owned a café where he made wonderful coffee that everyone loved! I wanted to learn how to brew my own like he had. I even taught myself how to grow the coffee beans and vegetables to use to cook with. They weren't quite café quality, but if I keep trying I know I'll only get better." Eventually she had the belief that she'd learn how to make the perfect vegetables and beans. "You see...my father ru--ran Big Bang Burger, it's a large fast food chain back home. However...it's reputation had fallen quite considerably since the days of my grandfather's chain. I wanted to learn so that I could bring things back to the way they were." It would never go back to the way things were, Haru knew that all too well now. However, she did believe she could create something new that was closer in line with how her grandfather did things and in some way perhaps that would make up for some of the failings of her own father.
"That's terribly fascinating! I knew that some read tea leaves as a way of predicting the future, but I had never heard of such a use with mages. Then again, I suppose mages aren't really real in my own world. Persona are the closest thing we have to magic." Which was certainly not the same as mages, at least not as she saw them. Then again she saw them quite similarly to how they were in video games. "It does sound as though what you're describing does have some similarities to what I know though." At least in terms of how taxing things could be both mentally and physically. "I wonder if tea could have a positive impact on that as well..." She may have to look into that a bit more. If it could be useful for her fellow Persona users then utilizing that would be wonderful. "It's a shame I can't visit that department, I'd very much like to." But alas, there was no way to do that here
"Wise?" She giggled some and shook her head. "I'm not certain I'd go that far but thank you so very much! I'm very happy to see you purchase the one that calls to you the most!" That was enough for her really. "I would love to help you test it out! I've always wanted to be able to share something as special as that with someone. I had some lovely sets back home, but I was the only one that ever made use of them." If she had any idea of how sad that was, she made no note of it.
"It would see very few attempts went anywhere, unfortunately." She immediately scrambled to correct herself on that. "Not that I was making any attempts myself, it seemed rather dangerous!" Haha...right..... "I'm glad you're well beyond that though."
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Waver had rather suspected there was a deeper personal connection to the decision to open a cafe, and as Haru continued to elaborate with a clear excitement and joy about her grandfather, he felt the suspicion confirmed. “So it’s got a family connection. It’s nice that you wish to follow in your grandfather’s footsteps, and admirable that you’re working so hard to improve your abilities, even if it’s not necessarily an easy road.” The mage could understand that. His grandmother had been the one to start his family in the world of magecraft, and he felt something of a kinship with her, having developed more of an interest and passion for it than his mother. Though… It sounded like Haru’s relationship with her father was- well, had been more complicated.
Waver hummed thoughtfully. Her admission was a slight opening to discuss the whole persona thing. Which was a bit funny considering she seemed intent on keeping ‘Haru’ and ‘Noir’ separate. “Everyone could use a routine or tradition that assists in focus and meditation, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was helpful, even if indirectly. I’ve only learned a few things about persona, but they remind me a bit of projection magecraft in a way. So it’s possible. Might be worth exploring if you’re ever interested.” He’s teaching Ren how to set up bounded fields. Why not explore this with Haru if she was interested? Even if it only helps with meditation and restoration after using her persona, it would be something they both learned.
It’s odd moments like this where he rather wished that he could introduce someone to his class and his apprentice. Reines and Luvia would probably happily have her around for tea (even if they were both menaces in their own way), and Gray would probably get along rather well with Haru… And frankly every one of them could stand to have more normal teenage experiences like friends. Instead, Haru was stuck with a socially awkward professor. “Then I’ll purchase some fresh tea leaves as well and you can join me for a cup? Maybe a black tea, or an oolong…” He murmured the last bit to himself, perhaps a lapsang? Hmm… Though, he should ask. “Do you have a particular preference?”
Frowning lightly, he had to agree. “Unfortunately, it seems it’s cause and the truth of it eludes us for now.” But it seems bad, and not knowing what something was isn’t something he liked to let go entirely. Hopefully, one day they would have more answers… Ah.. Sure, Haru. You totally haven’t made any attempts to investigate the fog… “Then we’ve both been staying out of trouble and not going into the potentially dangerous fog, I suppose.”
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She gave him a nod and gave something of a sad little smile. "It is a family connection, a rather important one to me. I only hope I can create something as well loved as he had. I've been told everyone loved his coffee and the overall atmosphere he brought. I hope to capture that! It is quite the difficult road though, I never realized there just how much there was to it. It makes me wish that Father had brought me along more often to learn about how he ran Big Bang." Then she'd have learned more directly what not to do. Not just that though, she would have certainly picked up quite a lot more about the actual administrative aspects of things. Despite the way things had ended up with her father, he was clearly very good at what he had done.
"Oh, you've learned of them? I suppose that's not surprising, there's a few of us here from the same world though not all of us knew each other back in our own worlds." Which, in some ways, made Haru rather sad. She could only imagine how much she could have learned from the other Persona users. "I think I would like to try to explore it." Anything that might her better learn to help out was something she felt was well worth her investing her time into.
"Wonderful! I could purchase us some small biscuits too if you'd like to go with it!" She put a finger to her chin and tapped it very thoughtfully. "An oolong might be nice I think, the tea leaves are always so pretty. It seems like that might be a lovely first brew to have in a lovely looking pot." Plus, it was a bit like the best of both worlds.
"I do my best to stay out of trouble. Though, I do very much wish I could help more with things here." Sometimes she felt terribly useless here.
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2
He was trying to think of something else to do that would take his mind off of the construction, when he recalled a conversation about books. Maybe giving his hands a rest at manual labor could be a thing, but getting ideas regarding decoration couldn't hurt, right?
First he'd gone and ate dinner at the tavern, still unsure of his own cooking ability. So he went and had dinner, and then came back, letting his feet lead him to the Historium.
Looking left and right at the absolute packed rows of tomes, Terra's blue eyes thought they were swimming in books now. First all he could make out was brightly coloured spines of the tomes, but then he managed to make it though a few more rows. It was so quiet in here that he was noticing how his boots softly announced his presence, but there was no helping it.
So intent was he on trying to figure out this maze, that he nearly collided with a familiar looking mage.
Moving back, Terra laughed a little. "Didn't expect to see you here this late."
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The man was more than a little set on achieving that tonight, which was why the collection of books under his arm had grown quite a bit, and why he hadn’t really noticed Terra’s approach. Even with the silence of the place and the sound of footfall from boots approaching, he was too tired to divide his focus that much.
So even as Terra saved them from a total collision… The near collision startles the mage enough to leave him wobbling a bit in an attempt to keep his books from dropping from his grasp. The man let out a small surprised exclamation, pitch a bit higher than the deep voice he usually had. The man’s head swiveled to look at Terra, blinking widely in surprise. Looking a bit owlish for a moment, the man cleared his throat with embarrassment. “Oh… Terra, good evening.” He started, securing his collection and offering a nod in greeting. As for why he’s here so late, he offered a careful shrug. “Seemed foolish to go all the way to my workshop with the rumors about the mist going around, so I figured I’d do a little late night reading instead.” He broke off, stifling another yawn with a frown before refocusing. “I suppose I could say the same of you, though?”
He hadn’t expected to see Terra out this late either, after all.
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Terra was just looking into the things he'd said he would and since he couldn't sleep and heard rumours about danger lurking, he thought to go see if he could find out what the fuss was about and hit the Historium as well.
But once the mage started wobbling, he almost reached a hand out to steady the man. Then it seemed Waver had himself and his pile of books under control for the moment, so all was well.
Or so he hoped.
At hearing his name, Terra nodded with a small smile. "I couldn't sleep so I thought to catch up on the reading I'd told you I was going to do." And really it gave him a small spark of excitement to learn things like this. He was really hoping to do a great job on every part of his house, and not with just the basic building of it.
Terra wasn't afraid of some mist, not when he'd been though so much more.
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“Have you had any luck finding anything?” He glanced back at the shelves thoughtfully. The mage thought he might have seen something suitable for Terra’s needs around somewhere during his wanderings. While this place’s organization left much to be desired, it meant Waver had come across a lot of random stuff with how much time he spent there. “If not, I might have seen a book or two that might help.”
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At hearing that this was an odd coincidence, Terra reached a hand up and nervously scratched the back of his head. It was odd, but it was comforting in a way. At least he hadn't encountered anything that he needed to summon his keyblade over. And that was half on his mind that he might very well encounter something like that here.
The mage's question had him shake his head. "No, I really just got here. I haven't had much time to look around." But then the other's suggestion had him stop. "You have?"
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At the confirmation that Terra hadn’t seen anything yet, the mage offered a small smile. “Luckily I’ve been here a while… So, yes, I have.” Glancing back at the shelves, he moved down the aisles thoughtfully as he retraced his steps from earlier that night. Then he stopped and looked down at the pile of books he’d already collected. He probably should have set them aside before he went looking for Terra’s books, but there wasn’t much to be done about it now. Instead, he gave Terra an appraising look before moving to deposit the books in the man’s arms. “Here, hold on to these for a minute.” He added brusquely as he turned back to the shelves.
What? He knows Terra is stronger than he is, so the mage has calculated that it should be fine. The logical solution to the problem was just letting someone else carry the stack, so his arms were free until he found the aforementioned books for Terra. Wandering back down the aisles and seeming to expect Terra to follow, he began to tug books that had familiar looking spines on them from the shelves. Leafing through them to double check their contents, the odd yawn escaped him here and there. Waver would add the first one that he thought might be useful to the pile to sort out later before continuing down the row of shelves. “That one is on interior design in the style that your house called to mind… And I think I saw one on traditional furniture earlier.”
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And then he tried to follow Waver at first but then discovered a pile of unread books in his arms. Of course he thought it meant that he was to hold onto and carry them for the mage which he would do although it did make him wonder if this action was something that meant he personally was to read these as if they were a suggested reading pile.
That thought went out of his head when the man disappeared and he did his best to keep up even if all of these books were somehow almost dizzying. Even Aqua didn't have this many. But he was patient as Waver consulted a book here, and one there. The yawning made him wonder if the man had slept at all.
And as he was about to ask that, he got the recommended books pointed out. "That's great, a place to get started." So he could settle in somewhere to read.
Sorry for my Nerd-son Terra. You can have your arms back now.
If Waver knew the man’s line of thinking, he might put that concern to rest with a small roll of his eyes and a short comment to put that to rest easily enough. Not that he would discourage someone from reading any of the books he’d picked up, but they were his distractions for the night. He would be happy to give them up after the fact. No, for now, Terra was a book transporter for convenience.
“Exactly, it’s good to find a decent starting point and to give yourself a solid foundation in something you're interested in using later on.” He sounded pleased with that, even as another yawn interrupted him. The answer to the question of if Waver had slept recently was a very solid, no, to put it simply. At some point, his body might force it, but until his mind settled, it wouldn’t be a particularly restful one. “Ah, there it is.” He continued as if the yawn hadn’t even interrupted, snagging the book on traditional furniture from the shelf to add to the pile.
Satisfied that he’d given Terra a decent starting point, he finally moved to take back his pile. Terra could remove the top two books, of course.
He's always happy to help!
He's a good bean!
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A little late night reading
She had relied on others for monetary matters for most of her life. This time she wanted to earn money and provide for others. The problem was she was inherently a perfectionist that could not stand the idea of doing something halfway. Waitressing was not something she had an abundance of experience with and she found herself faltering some in her new position. This led her to the idea of going to the Historium to see if she could find anything that would help her there. It wasn't the most logical conclusion to come to but the answer she had always gone to in the past was research. Perhaps it would pan out somehow!
Today she had decided to come after a particularly long shift and her red hair was tied back tightly in a thick ponytail. It was quite the unusual style for her but one had to keep their hair out of the food, that was something she knew well enough. In her hands she had a few books on various types of alcoholic beverages and a book titled "How to Become an Excellent Server." As she moved to a table she spotted Waver stifling a yawn and then found herself yawning.
"Evidently they're contagious even if the other stifles it." She gave him a tired smile.
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“Unfortunately, it would seem that they are. Sorry about that.” The mage offered apologetically, taking note of the titles of the books she’d collected herself. Hm… Odd subjects, only in that they didn’t line up with things he knew Mitsuru to be interested in from their past conversations. “Seems a bit late to see you here?”
As though it weren’t weird that he was here at this hour either, or that anyone would be.
Settling the book he’d been flipping through aside, he propped a head up in his hand. “Have you taken up an interest in bar-tending?” Slips out in reference to the books. A bit nosy, but it was hard for him to curb that even when he wasn’t tired.
Honestly, if he knew Mitsuru was working at one of the local taverns, he would be vaguely concerned. If only because he’d seen how some people acted in them, he’d already helped one server out with an unruly patron and he’d barely known them at the time. Waver would probably actually make the attempt to go out and eat at the place sometimes, if only to keep an eye on his younger friend… Even if he’d never admit that being his reason for being there.
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"Your apology is accepted," she said with a light smile and a tone that almost indicated her teasing. "Is it? Perhaps I simply lost track of the time." Was she the absolute worst at covering things up? It would seem so. "The same could be said for you, couldn't it?" This was her attempt at playing a so called uno reverse!
Her cheeks held the slightest hint of pink at his question. "Ah," she sifted the books around. "It's something I don't know much about and I make it a policy to learn as much about the unknown as possible." That seemed....plausible? Perhaps he'd find that more believable and she wouldn't have to where her interest really came from.
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“Thank you, Lady.” He offered with a little sheepish expression as he realized she was teasing him. He would always be a little too easy in that regard. Any of his students could attest to it. “I can understand that. The selection here never fails to present you with something new to read and learn.” He added with a nod of understanding. His pile proved that quite easily. Waver was quite sure he wouldn’t run out of things to look over anytime soon.
The uno reverse makes him wince again in embarrassment. He should have known this would happen! “I suppose it could be, yes…” He brushed some hair back with a little frown. “I guess I found myself in need of a proper distraction tonight, and making the walk all the way to the harbor district at this hour seemed like a bad idea with the rumors about the mist.” He gestured with a free hand at the books. They clearly had been his next best choice. This much he could be honest about, it wasn’t like him looking for something to occupy his time was that strange, late hour aside… He thinks.
The professor raised a brow at the response. Her answer was plausible… but it still struck him as curious. “Is that so? I suppose it’s not all that surprising you don’t know much about it considering one isn’t allowed to drink in Japan under 20.” Waver actually knew that law particularly well, given he’d been 19 in Fuyuki and constantly needed to remind a certain king that he was too younger to drink there. Although he hadn’t really even been known to drink in the UK back then, he didn’t really develop a taste for alcohol until a couple of years later. “Wouldn’t think it would become a point of interest to learn about until after that, though.”
Although, he wasn’t sure what the law was around Aterat in that regard.
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"Precisely," she said with a satisfied smile. That look of satisfaction was certainly not because she felt she'd gotten away with her truly horrible excuse. In her own mind she suddenly felt very proud of herself for seemingly having the social awareness to come up with an excuse for why she was here so late. Coming up with such things on the 'fly' as Junpei would said was not precisely her strong suit, so it was nice to know that perhaps she was getting a bit better at it. "I sometimes feel as though I could spend all of my time here just reading the books here. Though, I suppose one could wonder what the point was."
If one wanted to get too depressing that is. They couldn't actually take the information they learned home so it wasn't as though she could use any of this information back home for the betterment of the Kirijo Group. So, really, it was only useful in terms of...well, the fact that she really did enjoy research and learning.
A tiny look of concern crossed her face with his explanation for why he was here so late at night. "A distraction? Is everything alright?" That question seemed a tiny bit stupid after he followed up with the comments about the rumors. "Other than the rumors of the mist of course."
Oh no, the raised eyebrow. Had she faltered somewhere and said something too suspicious? She moved the books around and shifted her position from one foot to the other. "Despite the age limit, most of my peers seemed well informed about both alcoholic beverages and bars in general. In some ways I suppose..." she sighs. "I've found myself feeling a bit embarrassed at my lack of relatability to those my own age." At least that was actually true.
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Ah… 'What the point of it all was,' it all came back to that. That unknowable, indefinite amount of time they would be here, and the fact that they couldn’t take what they learned with them when they went. Seemed like an unfair deal, really, for all that they couldn’t do anything about it. “While true, it’s hard to go against one’s nature. I find myself surrounded by a rare fountain of knowledge and can’t stop myself from research or writing papers in my spare time, even if I can never submit them.” Waver smiled wryly at that before adding. “And I believe I can say with confidence that we both have a need to pursue research in some form.”
No, don’t give him that look, Mitsuru! He hates seeing it on people’s faces. He simply doesn’t really know how to handle it. Sometimes it almost felt like it was easier to deal with people who were trying to push his buttons than someone’s concern expressed so sincerely.
The answer was quite simple: if you went with a solid ‘no.’ But it was the expected explanation that would follow that was a tad more complicated and potentially worrying. Vague. Vague was the way to go, he thinks. “Ah… Well, I think most people would have a mixed response to that, given our current situation.” He rested his chin on the palm of his hand, drawing a book closer to leaf through the pages. “There are a lot of unknowns to my situation back home. My being brought here was a bit inconveniently timed for a few reasons. Some I’ve mentioned.” Others he hadn’t. “I suppose being here as long as I have now, it’s hard to not get caught up in thinking about those unknowns that no amount of deduction or research is going to help with here. So…” his free hand gestured at the book in front of him as if to say ‘avoidance of problems through distracting subjects.’
The raised eyebrow, the greatest weapon in his arsenal, clearly. It isn’t lowered as she continued. Instead, there is some curiosity flitting through his features. She herself had pointed out that the research they did was somewhat pointless, and to his knowledge she mentioned only one of her friends was here. So unless they were a fairly experienced and frequent drinker, it still seemed a bit odd for her to want to study up on it. “Hmm… Lack of relatability, I suppose I can understand that in a way.” He’d been horrible among his peers at her age, and he never really outgrew that when it came to some things. “But I can’t say I’ve seen many your age around here that gravitate towards the taverns either that would require you learning to relate to them better.”
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Though, his statement about research papers made her chuckle ever so slightly. "Have you really been writing papers here? I'd be very interested to see them at some point." If only for the familiarity it might bring to things. She had to admit, she too enjoyed the abundance of knowledge that they were gifted with here. Even if she did find herself often frustrated by the lack of a point or, more accurately, the inability to comfortably say she could bring any of this knowledge back with her. It really was an eternal shame that she couldn't. "I must admit, I haven't kept up with my writing skills. I'm quite impressed to hear you have." Now, in a strange way, she felt almost a bit disappointed with herself. Perhaps she should have been doing that herself, focusing more on learning and gathering knowledge, recording her findings and perhaps even making hypothesis about their surroundings. Instead she'd found herself focusing her time on vague attempts to learn how to be a more normal person.
And suddenly she regretted that.
"It is exceedingly easy to get lost in thought in this place with." The aforementioned train of thought about how directionless it all seemed played right into that thought as well. The less direction one had, the easier it was to get bogged down by the unknowns in one's own world. "At least it seems to be a productive means of distraction." Better than the forms some used.
Ah, well, she had tried to distract him from it. "I'm not exceptionally good at this, I suppose." She gave a have hearted smile as she shook her head, looking down at her feet. "I recently undertook a job there for precisely the reasons you've stated. I wanted a place that I would be less likely to run into anyone I know too well." And, well, as he said, few in her own age group seemed to gravitate there. She straightened up after a second and her tone took on a more confidant leaning. "My place has always been as the heir to the Kirijo Group. You're not from my world, but you're familiar enough with Japan to understand how such things work." Groups like the Kirijo Group had their fingers in everything from electronics to state of the art research to politics. While her own group may not exist in his world, she imagined there were plenty of groups like it there if his Japan was anything like hers. Therefore she assumed he understood the skillset that came with the role of President of such a Group as well as the expectations that came with it. "This place has no need for those skills and there's no place for them either. No use." And that was the last thing she wanted to be: no use. "I've relied on others a bit too much here. It's more than time for me to learn on my own and provide for them."
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“I have.” He admitted, even feeling the slight futility in the idea as he spoke. “It’s hard to break a habit, and there’s so much here to reference and consider it’s applications in a more modern world.” He started, smiling fondly despite the fatigue on his face. “Some of it’s rare by my world’s standards, if not lost to time.” There was so much knowledge that was missing as the ages passed. Some things were rediscovered, of course, but… “And yet here it is among the shelves, either old books that would probably be squirrelled away in some mage’s private collection, or no longer exist at all.” He shook his head. It was a treasure trove, as frustrating as it was to not be able to take anything with him. “I wouldn’t mind showing… if you really are interested. Perhaps you could offer your thoughts.” He knows that their worlds are different, but Mitsuru was bright and from one academic to another… Well, it would be a nice bit of familiarity, and he’s not in the habit of denying someone’s interest. New views were a good thing, for all the other departments didn’t always agree if said new view wasn’t someone from an old, respected family.
“That was how I saw it.” Waver voiced his agreement after stifling a yawn. It was better than a bottle, as some said. Though he honestly didn’t tend to gravitate towards that, usually he only drank on special occasions, and then it made him more contemplative and open to sharing before he started to sink a bit. Though he had always been a lightweight, unlike certain people who could easily drink anyone under the table. “Even if it can’t be much use, it keeps the mind sharp and keeps one more present.” And that was key, remaining in the now rather than getting too caught up in what happened, what it might mean.
Her attempt was appreciated, and honestly, it was better than she thought. “You don’t seem so bad at it, though I was never good at it either.” And focusing on what she was up to was easier than offering up the truth. He wasn’t really comfortable dumping the potential of his actually being dead on a younger friend. She had enough to worry about, in his opinion, considering the things she’d told him.
And it was a good distraction as a few things clicked into place. The late hour. Her interest in alcohol that seemed out of character. Not wanting her friends to run into her. “A job, I think I understand, then.” He leaned back and relaxed against the back of the chair, folding his arms and letting her explain. The confidence belonged there. It was a shame she seemed so uncertain about things sometimes. Not that he couldn’t be, but he was pretty good at hiding it behind feigned confidence like an armor. Sometimes that was more effective than one would expect. “I am, yes. Though I haven’t heard of the Kirijo group outside meeting you here, so it seems that while things are similar, they specifically may not be in my world.” He offered with a nod. There were some things that were similar enough. He’d lived in Japan for a while, and… Well, he’s around someone who was raised to hold a position of power often. Reines had far from a normal childhood… And she was still not a normal teenager.
Still, he understood why this was so important to Mitsuru… “I wouldn’t say ‘no use,’ one never knows when there may be a situation where someone with the talent to organize and lead might be needed.” But they weren’t needed now, and it was clear it left her a little lost. “But I admit, it’s good to take on a challenge outside the norm. No experience is without its use. I learned a lot myself back when I was trying to make some money to leave Fuyuki. Took a few part-time jobs.” Imagine him fast food place or coffee shop, with his temperament. “Went a long way to help me interact with people I might not normally be able to hold my tongue around.” … Waver arguably still failed that sometimes, but he wasn’t AS BAD as he used to be. “Did the same when I started travelling. It wasn’t until I was in Greece and a mage needed a tutor for his two sons that I realized I wasn’t bad at teaching.” He didn’t drop everything and go back to the clock tower immediately, though that wasn’t until later. But it had been the start of the whole idea of going back.
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