Bookshelves and Convos!

[Aurora]

It had been too long since she sat down and spent some time with Kaze. And that just wasn’t ok, he was a good guy. So this was her getting out of her antisocial slump, where she had been batting a zero.

She was leaning against her car, waiting for Kaze. The bookcase was not going to fit in her car, not in a million years. Small sports car is not good for moving furniture and she just hadn’t had the heart to trade it in. Plus, this was her excuse to call Kaze and talk and hangout and all that. And, there would be food of course. Because it was fucking rude to ask for help like moving something and NOT offering food and drink.

Dressed down in loose jeans, with a white t-shirt and leather jacket, she sipped a coffee.
Kaze Ruach

[Kaze]

Kaze arrives, driving his beat up but functional while pickup truck. Seriously, it had obviously rolled over at some point in it's history, but nonetheless looked sturdy and up to hauling furniture pretty much any distance required.

"Hey! Thanks for calling!" Kaze says, grinning as he gets out of the truck. He's wearing blue denim jeans and a black sleeveless tee shirt that look appropriate for getting torn or dirty. In fact the jeans have a tear already, though it probably wouldn't be obvious unless he sat down. He looks reasonably buff and capable, though not magically enhanced, at least if he is, he's cloaked the spell.

Spell or not, Kaze seems upbeat, and...a little different then the last time they hung out. Of course that was a while ago, and he was still struggling with his disintegrating relationship with Phoenyx, but he seems more confident, and maybe better groomed too, like despite being ready to move furniture, he maybe is more in the habit of being presentable for a social situation, or is just more self aware of his appearance and demeanor in a good way.

Thanks for starting the scene! I was going to put in more about him looking at the bookcase or offering for them both to go in his truck to go get it; I realized then that aside from Aurora and her sports car, I am not sure if she's got the object of the move right there or not! Of course, with Aurora and her sportscar right there, he could miss the bookcase even if it was right there! Also in the description, just FYI what I am trying to do is work in some subtext of his additional level of SL, and setting up another dot of Presence that I am saving up for! LOL!

[Aurora]

Pushing off her car, she raises her free hand in a wave, “Hey! Thanks for offering to help!” she really needed to get a truck or something.

Then she pauses for a moment, studying him from behind sunglasses, “You know? There’s something,” pausing, “different about you. Are you doing something different?” raising her sunglasses, eyes slightly narrowed. Or had she just never really noticed him? Was it his hair? Or had he always just been that attractive?

Refocusing, “It’s not that far away, a couple blocks, but no way it was fitting in the GTO.” Motioning to her own car. “But I figured after we get it back, I can order us some takeout and we can catch up or whatever. I’m curious how your studies have been going.” You always offer to feed those who help you move. It was just how things went.

[Kaze]

"Sure! Honestly, it's the whole reason I got the truck." Kaze says with a smile. "Hardly anyone from work takes me up on it tho. I mostly end up helping neighbors instead. So thanks for thinking of me."

Kaze pauses, maybe blushes a little looking even a little flustered. "Oh. I...got into acting a little lately. So yeah...I have been, you know...working out, and trying to look like my head shots." He says with a sheepish grin.

He looks away, over in the direction Aurora indicates. Then he smiles and looks back at her. "Cool." He says. "Want to ride with me in the truck, and then I can drop you back off here, and follow you over to your place with the book shelf in my truck?" He asks.

"I cleaned up the truck, so there's room." Kaze says, indicating the passenger space in the cab of the truck.

[Aurora]

A light shrug, “It also gave me an excuse to check in on you.” She adds.

“Really? Good for you! Congratulation’s!” good for him. “Well, whatever you’ve been doing, it’s working! Might have to ask for tips for working out.” A quick wink.

Motioning to the building, “This is my place. The top floor is my loft. Rent has always been super affordable and my landlord let me do the floors and walls of my place.” It didn’t look like much, an industrial type area. “Plus, it’s quiet.” Finishing off her coffee, she tosses it in a trash can.

Opening the passenger door, climbing in, “So tell me more about this acting! That sounds really exciting!”

[Kaze]

"Thanks!" Kaze says, grateful for Aurora's compliment. He knows she doesn't make stuff up to be nice, and she's beautiful and an accomplished performer with fame and a good reputation.

"Wow, that's great!" He says when she talks about her place. "The whole top floor!" The view is probably pretty amazing! He wonders if there's a hallow in it, and what kind of resonance it has, if there is.

"Oh..." Kaze grins, "I...I swear, it's just luck. I tried out for a play at the university, and got a role. I don't know what I was thinking, but for me at least, acting is nothing like being dishonest; it's...artistic, I guess, you know? Like, finding stuff that's already inside, and true, and just letting it out in a way that expresses a character. It has to be real to work well though." He says excitedly.

Then he looks embarrassed. "Well, it did something for me, felt good or something. So I started checking into how it would work if I wanted to get more into it...there's a couple web sites that are legitimate and carry open auditions for stuff, commercials or student projects or sometimes pilots for shows that are something someone is trying to sell, you need like a resume and headshots, but you don't have to have an agent...so I saw something, and went for it, and got a role. It's in a pilot for an 'Amazon Original' show, so...yeah, they won't be filming for a couple months yet, but I will get union wage and be in the pilot, at least. If it gets picked up for a season, and they don't recast my part...I might actually be out there...'in the public eye', you know?" He says, obviously trying to downplay the whole thing and just as obviously amazed at the opportunity!

[Aurora]

“It’s home, and has an open layout which I enjoy. But you’ll get to see it when we get food on the way back. Cause we’re getting food. You always feed those who help you move.” A pause, “With takeout. Because I cannot cook.” That was a scary thing.

“Luck might have something to do with it, sure. But obviously you caught the attention of someone important who saw something in you.” Thinking over what he said, “Huh, I would have though it would be more like getting the chance to be someone else for a day! But I can see it being artistic though. You’ll have to let me know when the play is! And anything else you get to be in.” of course she was going to support him.

“That is really awesome and amazing Kaze! I’m soo excited for you! I want to know when it premieres!” acting huh? “Just be careful with the ‘public eye’, it isn’t always excited fans and free things. And don’t be too trusting of those who make you promises.” She didn’t have the level of fame that came with acting, but she had some. “Cause then I’m going to have find them and make life difficult for em, maybe even turn them into a fish.” It was true, she liked Kaze too much. “So have you always wanted to get into acting?” she asks, pointing out where to turn when it came up.

[Kaze]

Kaze nods, listening to Aurora. She seems to really like her place. Maybe that's why she rents instead of buying; because it's where she wants to be, and not for sale, just for rent. There's probably more to it than that tho....

"Hey, you totally don't have to for me, but I'm totally NOT going to say 'no' either!" Kaze exclaims with a grin! He wonders if her place, like his has a Hallow, and if so, what the resonance is like....

He appreciates her being positive and encouraging about the part, and him getting it. He doesn't want to be negative or needy by sharing his doubts about the casting, since they did come right out and say they picked him for his 'look', when to him the character they wanted him for was nothing like him. That's why they call it, 'acting' right?

He wants to ask her for her perspective, any tips about...well, a lot, relationships with other mages or sleepers, being a public figure, maintaining a stable living space in town as a mage and whether she goes out of town on tour much anymore...but when she talks about turning someone into a fish if they mess with him, that kind of catches his attention and feels like the most important thing. Like...she's kidding but not kidding, and okay with that. It seems like maybe she's worked through something; he'd noticed for a while before that she seemed kind of gunshy, ever since that mission with Phoenyx when he went on the other one back in time.

"Hey." Kaze says gently, looking over at Aurora. "Thanks."

He pauses, still lookiing at her. "You seem different too, if it's okay to say. Like...you can joke about that now, and sound like you're owning it." He says, "About taking care of anyone if they mess with me."

"I mean, I could be totally wrong, but for a while there...I kind of felt like recognized a vibe, like when I did some things that I felt like I had no choice, but I wasn't okay with it, and didn't want to ever be in that place again."

[Aurora]

Laughing, “Of course I do, it’s like, one of the unspoken rules about helping friends move.” It was a thing, really, it was.

“No problem, we have to look out for each other.” Because they all needed support at some point.
An eyebrow raises, “Different? And yeah, that’s fine to say. I just didn’t know I came across different.” Another shrug, this one a bit more reserved, “Yes and no. I’m still navigating it and trying to find a good place to be in. But I figured I know it’s a viable option, it, like, works.” It wasn’t a pleasant way to go. But, if it worked, it worked. “Well, you’re a nice guy, and I often worry that someone is going to take advantage of that. So need to make sure you know you have friends to count on if needed.” No pressure, just the words that if needed, she was there.

There was a pause as she thought over what he said, looking out the window. But finally, she looks at him again, “I hope you don’t have to feel that way again. No one should feel like they have to do something because it’s expected by others. There’s nothing wrong with focusing on you and doing what you feel is right.” Huh, this was getting deeper than she had intended. Why did conversations around her get deep and heavy?

[Kaze]

Kaze nods, smiles. "Thanks. I used to be into it for the pizza, and get all judgy if someone wasn't prepared, you know, everything boxed up or whatever." He confesses.

"Now though...when I got the truck, it was kind of committing to a better attitude, you know? Like, telling people I have a truck is kind of an ice breaker, like they can go ahead and ask for help, even if they're in a bind and can't do all the stuff to get ready or pay me back or show appreciation..."

Kaze's quiet. "I think that's the hardest part about looking out for each other, here at least. It's hard to do that ice break thing, to where you feel ok asking for help." He says thoughtfully. "The truck is like a 'gateway drug'!" He says, laughing. "What's that saying, 'friends help you move; real friends help you move bodies."

Then he looks more serious. "Truth." he says when Aurora says she hopes that he doesn't have to feel that way, like he has no choice but to do things that he doesn't want to, basically hurt or kill people is what they're talking about without coming right out and saying it.

"Yeah." Kaze agrees. "I had some growing up I needed to do. Figuring out the difference between being good at something versus whether that thing is right for me."

He sighs. "I feel guilty, with our security department being so small, and me quitting." He says. "But...I really didn't like who I was, when I was in the group, and I had my feelings locked up, so I wasn't really in touch with it. Once I started letting myself feel...it was pretty much inevitable I was going to have to get out."

He looks at Aurora. "I have total respect for them, all the people that do it, the protective security and the internal security too." Kaze says in code, as they aren't yet in Aurora's Sanctum, and though he doesn't know how much patience she has for code, he's totally confident she won't have any trouble knowing what he means.

"It just wasn't right for me., and if I stuck with it, I was going to get to where I was too closed down to my feelings to be able to tell how much was too much. I think I got there already, actually. I've been...decompressing for the last couple months, getting to know myself." Kaze grins. "Surprise! It turns out I actually like me!"