Roleplaying
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Seminars
| When: | 28 October 2004 |
| Who: | Elizabeth, Killian |
| What: | Killian recognizes a familiar face and the two strike up a conversation. His protective instincts also get roused. |
Foo.Bar.Com
A cybercafe like no other, instead of just catering to the tech-savy with a wireless connection or having pay-per-minute computer stations, Foo.Bar.Com has free access for everyone. If you've got a laptop but no wireless connection, there's plug in stations for dialup or high-speed. If you want to use one of the Foo.Bar.Com computers, there's no charge, as long as you buy a drink or something to eat. And in the background at all times there is playing a sci-fi movie or reruns of old sci-fi TV shows.
What few realize is that the Foo.Bar.Com cafes are a means for Jean to watch the trends and ideas of humans who deal with technology the most.
Elizabeth is perched on one of the couches in the back, with her shoes kicked off and her legs up on the couch, knees bent up to form a backstop for her laptop. This provides most of the cafe with a good view of the bruising on her legs, or at least it would if all of the inhabitants weren't busy with their own computers. On the coffeetable in front the couch is a mug, which she reaches out to and takes a sip from now and again. She seems engrossed with her computing.
Somebody forgot to check his E-Mail. Silly cherub. Killian shouldered his way through the front door, a surprisingly stylish ataché in one hand. Apparently, he's been here before, as he immediately moved to the counter and ordered something, taking a gander about. His gaze landed on Elizabeth for a moment, wincing a bit at the bruising. She seemed familiar, but with the way the place was lit, and the fact that her face was mostly hidden behind a laptop screen he couldn't be sure. With his order up, he moved to one of the free computers near the back, leaned his briefcase against his chair and sank into the sundry world of Email. And maybe some Half-Life.
Elizabeth's hand snakes out to grab her mug. She brings it to her lips, and stops. Lifting the poor mug up to eye level, she looks into it and mutters, "Damn." Shifting her laptop to the coffee table, she stands up and heads up to the front counter for a refill.
Killian took a sip of the steaming beverage, wincing heavily and quickly setting it down. "Gah! Hot!" he yelped as he quickly set the mug to the side. Some motion caught his attention and he reflexively turned his head to look.
Poor boy was easily distracted.
Hey. She was familiar! Impulse said to call out and wave like an idiot, logic said to wait and say hi later. Impulse won. Hence we found our intrepid nerd waving to Elizabeth. "Hey! Hi!" What an overenthusiastic dork.
Elizabeth is distracted from her quest for coffee. She looks over at the madly waving nerd, and her eyebrows draw together. Carefully, she walks over to conversational distance and says mildly, "Hello. Aren't you that guy who talking with Sarah down at the pub? How did it go after I left? Did you two hit it off?"
"Yeah. That's me. Guess I, uh, forgot to introduce myself then, didn't I?" Oops. "My name's Killian, should have done it before." A bit of a cough and a reflexive act of reaching for his beverage and taking a sip, repressing a wince at the heat. He wouldn't be tasting anything for a day or so. "We talked business, actually. So I can't really say whether we 'hit it off' or not." That was pretty typical for a guy, actually.
Elizabeth sighs, and shakes her head. "After all the trouble I went to to set you two up together..." she says with a faint grin. "Hey, if you want to continue this chat, would you mind relocating over to where I was sitting? There's plenty of room on the couch if I don't put my feet up, and I don't want to leave my laptop unattended for too long."
Guess there's no Half-Life for the game junkie today. "Sure." he said, snagging his case and mug, he rose from the swivel chair. He gestured with his case to the sofa in the back. "Over there?" He did wait for confirmation before moving to the furniture and sitting himself down, resting the briefcase next to it.
Elizabeth nods, and heads back there herself, her refill forgotten. She sits back down, with her feet up on the coffee table instead of the couch this time, but does not open up her laptop again. "So, I'm pleased to meet you, Killian - or re-meet you, as the case may be," she says, offering a hand for a shake. "I'm Elizabeth, and as you might recall, I work at the University like Sarah."
Killian took the offered hand and gave it a firm shake, smiling a bit. "A pleasure." he said simply before his hand retreated. "Like I said millions of times, I work at the Museum, though I was at the University today." Good thing he has manners, or he would have said something about her bruises, but the time wasn't right. It'd be rude anyway. "I was a guest lecturer for a western civilization class. Poor kids were bored to tears. Though, really, I think that they just don't care." He looked a bit sad at that, but it was gone just as quickly as it came.
Elizabeth rolls her eyes. "Well, do /you/ believe that Western Civilization is an inherently boring subject?" she asks. "I mean, really. If you find it interesting, then that means that the subject matter isn't at fault; you should work on your presentation more. Find a hook that gets them interested, and sneak the education in under the diversion. There's a song that goes, 'A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down...'" Thank fully, she only speaks the lyrics rather than singing them.
"....I still blame it on the fact that they're freshmen and don't care about anything other than drinking, screwing and pop music." Was that a bit bitter? Maybe, but he was a freshman too, and he was never that apathetic about learning.
Oh. He was a geek though.
Killian sighed a bit, taking a bit of a closer look at her face, blue eyes slightly narrowed. "Sorry if I'm being rude....but what happened to you?"
Elizabeth's lips twist up into a wry grin and she says hopefully, "I don't suppose you'd believe that I fell down the stairs?" Her hand comes up to cup her bruised cheek self-consciously.
This was a different look. His face was rather stony and all business. "Those don't look like bruises from falling to me. What happened?" A pause. "I promise that I won't go off and play the hero. Really. Even if it is one of the things that just burns me up." He went quiet then, apparently mulling something over in his head.
Elizabeth shrugs and looks away, not meeting Killian's eyes. "Well, I did fall down the stairs at one point," she says stubbornly. "Besides, I was asking for it. You shouldn't get involved." She crosses her arms in front of her chest, hugging her elbows.
Lesson One: Never tell a Cherub that you were asking for it.
Lesson Two: Never tell a Cherub not to get involved.
"I don't think I can't get involved. I mean, it's just not right. I can't fathom why anyone anywhere would need to beat up....well. I take that back. I just don't like people fighting for no reason. Or for people to fight people who can't fight back." A frown. "I mean...where's the honor in thrashing someone who can't fight back?" A bit of a pause. "Who did this to you? Why'd they do it?" Questions that she likely wasn't going to answer, but he'd try anyway. And if this didn't work, he'd find out the hard way.
"Look, I really was asking for it," Elizabeth insists, still looking away. Wow, that must be an interesting floor tile. "I was trying to provoke him, to get him angry with me. I shouted at him, I attacked his principles, and I even stole something of his, okay?" Finally, she looks up to meet Killian's gaze head on, her chin lifted proudly as she delivers her last challenge. "Besides, what makes you think I can't fight back?"
"A fighter wouldn't let themselves get pushed down a flight of stairs." he said simply, as if it were an absolute truth. "Besides, a real man wouldn't hit a woman ever." Now watch that statement come around to bite him in the ass. Karma was a pain. With his luck, he'd trip over the rug and end up on his face, looking like an idiot. Oh well.
Elizabeth's eyes narrow at that. "Do you honestly believe that tripe you're spewing?" she asks. "Any 'real man' who wouldn't hit a woman is in for a big surprise the first time he crosses a modern woman who hits first and hits hard." Cleverly, she changes the subject into a feminist rant to avoid awkward questions.
Killian grunted once. "That's not what I meant and you know it. People shouldn't /need/ to resort to violence in the first place. Not with interpersonal relations anyway. We're people. We're civilized. We should be able to talk things through." And this is a man who serves the word of War? Strange. Then again, War is for a just cause, and not just mindless brutality. This sure seemed mindlessly brutal. "If you don't want to talk about it. I can't make you. Just be careful. That guy sounds like he's bad news. You should probably stay away from him.
Elizabeth laughs mirthlessly. "Yeah, that's what some of the people I know have been saying. Then there are the ones who say I should get even. I don't know about that, though. It just doesn't seem right to me." Her voice becomes less mocking and more sad as she speaks.
"Getting Even is...I dunno. I can see the appeal of revenge, but think about it." Killian sounded pretty sure of himself as he started to explain. "Say this guy broke your heart, and you went and got revenge on him in some petty way. By keying his car, or embarassing him in public. You may think you're even, but it still hurts, doesn't it? So you want to get him back more, and...it's a vicious cycle that just leaves you more bitter and angry and sad than you were before." A bit of a knowing smile. "So, no. Revenge isn't worth it, no matter what he did. It's why I advise you to stay away."
Elizabeth frowns, and peers at Killian intently. "You're awfully... sincere about this, considering that you're almost a perfect stranger to me," she observes. "But you don't know the circumstances. He's... he's dangerous, yes, but has hasn't punished me yet when I hadn't done anything to merit it. And I don't want to stay away. I know he's dangerous, but... he intrigues me."
"What can I say? I'm just a nice guy, I guess. Too nice, probably. It'll get me in trouble someday." The last bit was murmured, it was an inevitability. He frowned again, puffing up with some anger. "That's my entire point right there!" Killian exclaimed, gesturing with one hand. "You're a human being, a person. So is he. He doesn't have the right to punish you. I mean, it's not like you're doing things to endanger other people, right? You aren't hurting anyone, only inconveniencing this guy. He has /no right/ to hit you or throw you down the stairs." Inwardly he shook his head, not really getting why women liked the dangerous ones.
"Yeah, well," Elizabeth says meaninglessly. "Look, I'm glad that I got the chance to know you a little better, but I think I'd better be going now. You take care of yourself, and stay in touch with Sarah, okay? I really think you two would suit." She leans forward to pick up her laptop.
Killian had this sinking sensation, but he ignored it, reaching over to pat her gently on the shoulder. "It was nice chatting with you," he said amicably. "I have a feeling we'll run into each other again, though." That was said in an amusedly cryptic tone, like he was sharing some big cosmic joke. At the same time, he set his perceptions to the symphony, trying to keep a lock on her own particular notes. Success or not, he pulled his hand away and folded both in his lap. "Take care of yourself, and don't forget what I said."
"Don't worry about me," Elizabeth says quietly as she leaves. "Good-bye." She heads on out of the cafe, laptop tucked under one arm.
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