In Plain Sight

[Hugh Everwood]

No surprise that a Haunt liked reading there, wouldn't surprise him none about the Mekhet priscus neither. Should have guessed about William liking sport; nice topic to chat people up with, not so interesting to intently watch as Kine do.

With her bringing up her blindness though, that caught the Shadow's interest. There was something like tact, some things didn't need to talking about, but Jesse remembered tact only under certain situations.

Before he could ask his question, William beat him to speaking up first. Not something to ask about anyway, Alice already alluded it was something recent. The blindness. Nothing to talk much about, could be it wasn't something for Kine ears.

"Or spots you think worth checking out." He chimed in while looking at Alice.

[White]

The call concludes and Jacob, leaning against the stained and tiled wall of the washroom, feels his mouth twitch into the closest thing to a real smile is quite some time. He almost strutted back to the table but restrained himself. With his mood vastly improved he wandered over and took a seat, taking a long sip from his drink. He knew what would come later, but part of conditioning the form for change involved its protest. He forced blood into his withered digestive system, forcing it to hold the fluid for a time.

"You should try out audiobooks, I often enjoy them during walks." Or podcasts and the like, walking always seemed to ease his mind but it could get boring after a couple hours.
"I am in school yes, nightschool unfortunately. It doesn't quite have the atmosphere I appreciated when I had the time to attend during the day." Jacob shrugged, "what can a man do? As for my field, depends on the term!" Jacob laughed, ""I could graduate with a few bachelors and half a dozen minors at this point. Currently, I'm taking a variety of Computer Science courses, although, the majority of my studies are in pure math, biochem, and poly sci."

He takes another, smaller, sip.

[Alice Hart]

"Aren't there those...what are they called? Batting cages! Couldn't you swing by, have some fun, meet some people?" Alice asks the doctor. If he did he might meet some kindred that shared his interests, or maybe just a new place for him to dine.

"Oh? My favorite places?" Are withered or charred husks. "So much has happened lately, that it seems like my favorite places have shifted as well." Alice says after a long moment of silence. "But that just means that I need to find other favorite places."

Why did it feel like Maddox hadn't taken a call at all, and just slipped away to listen in on them. Just to see if they'd talk about him behind his back.

"I have given audio-books a listen. But it's not the same." You'd think a shadow would realize that. "Never going to leave school then? A career student?" a shadow that never left collage and a haunt that had never been.

[Hugh Everwood]

"Could always go and make time to go to the batting range, might give you something to do between patching up people." Or whatever it was doctors did all day — or in William's case night — long. Not all night, otherwise he wouldn't be having this little chat with them all.

Jesse gave a nod and grin at Jacob when he returned, watching him go and actually drink some of the stuff he ordered. Nothing he had intention to be doing now, might give it a go before it was time to leave so he might hold the stuff until he was back home.

"Think I prefer music over listening to any audiobooks," Jesse commented dryly, thinking of it about as much as he did about reading. He wasn't averse none fully to knowledge, but he put importance on other matters than that. Hearing Jacob go and list the things he studied almost made his eyes droop, if he could doze that was. Science wasn't anything he would find interesting any time soon. Same for computers, beyond what he did learn of them seemed unnecessary.

Reason for why he ended up asking Jacob, "Ain't it boring to be wasting your time doing all that without no end in sight? Don't sound like you're any way close to actually finishing."

Even if Jesse found himself sired in this time and age, he couldn't see himself wasting unlife being a student. Supposed to each their own version of Requiem.

[White]

"Each to their own, I've always enjoyed audio books. Nice when going for walks. And no, I imagine I'll apply for graduation by the end of the winter term. The things I'm most interested in studying now I can study at work so no need to pay the big bucks at uni."

He nodded to Williams speculation, "I went to batting cages with my boss right before he left, I could show you some time." He grinned playfully at his comment, "but better than a master of one."

His grin dampened at Jesse's question, but he let him finish before answering. He picked up his half full G&T, "what do you see here? A glass of a mixed gin and tonic? What else? Anything?" The questions were clearly rhetorical, rapid fire but impassive, he slowed down. He stared, lost in thought at the glass "I see an icosahedronic amphorous solid, or a twenty-sided molecule arranged in liquid configuration. It would seem under a precise enough microscope to be a liquid, yet clearly it is not. Not a crystal, yet almost perfectly clear. Held within is the mixture. Tonic water: carbonated water and quinine. The gas held tight by a polar liquid, water, seeking microscopic imperfections in the container, glass, to form macroscopic pockets of CO2. Quinine, an absolutely stunning epic starting with the Quechuas in what is now Peru as a muscle relaxant, reaching its climax in 1940's as an antimalarial drug. Its bitter taste put off most soldiers required to drink it so they mixed with gin, and so" he set the glass down and a degree of passion melted into his tone, "the G&T was born. I see an object of wondrous complexity, holding a liquid that is the result of human triumph over nature." His eyes flicked up to meet Jesse's.
"You see a smudged bar glass and a half-empty cocktail." He shrugged, "I can't think of anything further from a waste of time studying so that I can see more, but," he says with a coy smile. "As with Alice, each to their own."
The answer embedded with intellectual arrogance was defensive, so many looked down their nose's at career students that more often than not he couldn't help but do them same when given the opportunity. "The question that gets me up in the morning half the time is Why? with that in mind I'm sure you can understand my change in study focus." To their condition, to The Great Work.

[Alice Hart]

"Sacramento dose have a thriving night life...I wouldn't be surprised if it spilled over into the unlikeliness of places." says Alice, as her fingers trail up and down the length of the perspiring bottle.

"Myself as well. I'd prefer music to an audio book." The Doll nods, "But my favorite sounds are those of the world around me." Alice smiles then, its a small up turning of her lips.

Alice nodded, agreeing with Jesse, and as Maddox spoke, passionately about the compounds that make up his drink, Alice remembered that he'd joined the Ordo some time before Regan left.

Sorry that this is suck a weak post, my arm's killing me!

[Hugh Everwood]

Jesse was sure his eyes glazed over at some point during Jacob's justifications, not much the Priscus' fault as that he had little understanding of what he was spouting on about. Never having cared about the 'why' of whatever he saw did play some part in it. If it was enough for Jacob, Jesse wasn't going to argue with him about it.

Truly could think of better things to do. Science. Sure as hell, Jesse wasn't going to open any science books to be able and talk shop with the other Shadow.

"Boy, don't you just have a lot to say about a drink," he ended up drawling with a snort, but gave a shrug and lifted a hand in placating a fashion to add, "got where you're coming from. To each their own, won't be finding me signing up to no class."

Jesse glanced over at Alice, grinning. "Good thing it does, means there are many spots to check out." Big cities were better for Kindred, Jesse thought. Prey aplenty, places to haunt and hunt, and if the Kindred populace wasn't big they could all get along swell.

"Best go and make it happen, might just end up a favorite place of yours. Can never have enough of those, might make a dull night less so." He voiced in William's direction, glancing down at his drink.

Reaching for it, he picked it up and took a large sip — blood surging into the organ to revitalize the dusty old thing to stomach the crap until he'd be throwing it back up later. Hoped he would get back to his place before that, might save him some face when it'd happen while being all lonesome. If not, there were enough dark and lonely alleys to do that.

[White]

Shifting mental gears he winked at William, "It's a date"

At Jesse's snort, Jacob couldn't help but feel sad, not that it stopped him from presenting false cheer, "I think you'll find I have a lot to say on everything." He laughed, "but I wouldn't expect excitement!" He simply could not fathom it, how, just how, could someone live their life, or unlife as it were, with such an abject lack of curiosity. But, there were a lot of things that Jacob could understand but refused to accept. Regardless he was glad that Jesse had the presence of mind to drink, not much was weirder than a strange group going into a dive bar and not drinking. He took a long drink himself while glancing over at Alice. He realized he had no idea what she did, if anything.

"A career student and a doctor, but what about you two?" he looked from Jesse to Alice. "What keeps or kept you busy before all this?"