(2403)Eternal Court

[Albert Baker]

Al smiled slightly. The problem now was that he was away from home, almost all he trusted were gone and the times were changing too fast. But it made no sense to tell her that.

"Usually it takes the form of conversation about art, music or academic subjects. Nowadays with people I don't know well it has become a bit more difficult."

To the question about the Hunt he shrugged. He assumed he had the picture by now.

"I know that two thirds of the threat are still about and must be caught."

He nodded as it was meant to keep them on their toes. Old trick but it still worked.

"It does and it is designed to do thus."

The reply to the words about 'always something happening' was a weary smile.

"To you being social isn't difficult and you are quite enthusiastic. That helps."

[Verity Carmen]

But does it have to be? The Daeva shrugs lightly. 'I can talk about music till one of us ages into torpor if your looking for someone who shares the interest.' The Seneschal have done so quite openly here before now.

If court were a children's playground the smile she can't stop would be replaced by her chanting I know something you don't know and it clearly shows it took some restraint for not to do that anyway. 'And by chance do yo have any leads you need help pursuing. I can be quite useful around the kine.' Even so, I'm everybody's friend after all.

Does he look tired? 'There are many was to be social Priscus Baker my example is just rather more ... apparent then some.' But folk tend to enjoy talking with me just as much as I do them. 'It does not have to be all or nothing.' Work life balance still applies to being a kindred.

[Albert Baker]

Al nodded, as it couldn't hurt to try.

"I doubt my taste in music is your taste of music, but we can try."

He thought a bit about that, as he didn't really have a clue and the idea was rather faint. But that might be not good to tell.

"I wouldn't call it a lead, rather an idea. People are creatures of habit and tend to frequent the same places, that is common knowledge. Ipso facto there are places where they might be reasonably found. When they are, there will be a spectacle in curia, I expect. But first they have to be found..."

He spent some time pondering on how to explain the main problem to her.

"It isn't all or nothing, that isn't the problem. You understand the social clues and cues on instinct and gut feeling, as many people do. I don't. I seem to lack the feeling or instinct for social clues, thus it is quite arduous."

A wry faint smile emphasized the point.

"But that is probably not a good topic to dwell on."

[Verity Carmen]

Verity smirks. ''Who knows I might surprise you.'' He's judging based on the looks, how dull. ''So since you seem to have me at a disadvantage, what is that you like, that I won't?'' But we can both play this little game, he has the look and mannerisms of an academic so I'm going with something classical. Now come on surprise me.

Her head tilts to one side and back as she considers. ''Fair point, if one I struggle with. I like experiencing new things to much.'' Although to give him his dues I do have my habits. ''And if I had to go to ground it wouldn't be in any usual spots.'' But that might be more personal. ''I'd offer an extra pair of eyes but my own activities hunt related and otherwise have my nights pretty tied up.'' Dropping the hint that he was not the only kindred hitting the streets. But anyone listening in at formal court would know that.

A pause. Do I? ''It's interesting isn't it. How do you know when to shift your weight when your legs don't get tired? How do you know when to blink when you can't feel the dryness of your eyes? How quickly you should force your chest to rise and fall without adrenaline pumping through your system?'' It is not easy for any of us. ''But I tell you what. It only gets harder if you let the skills rust.'' Use it or loose it.

Verity seems quite happy to dwell on it, to discuss the nature of being kindred.

[Albert Baker]

​Al thought for a moment.

"Opera. Swing. Jazz. I'll include classical music pro forma, since that might be expected, might it not?"

He nodded, refraining from the lecture he had been given by his father on that subject once.

"I don't dispute that."

He smiled wryly as the problem wasn't that simple.

"Were it just that easy. It is not a problem brought by our condition nor by other changes before it. In fact it seems to have been an innate problem, as some doctors kept telling me."

[Verity Carmen]

Verity's eyes light up. See now we're getting somewhere. ''Swing? I didn't have you pegged for dancing man.'' She bobs her head to unheard music. ''But it's lively it gets people moving.'' So yeah she could jam to that. Then waves a hand dismissively. ''Expected of you personally or of kindred? Because if the latter the closest I come is darkwave.'' So yes classical was on the list, but he did surprise me.

Speaking of. ''My tastes are pretty self expressive. Rock N Roll, metal, Punk, A little synth, a bit of folk if the evening calls for it. And then yeah any all derivatives and similar.'' No surprises there. ''Now we know the what, it brings up the real question. why? why does that music appeal to you Priscus Baker?'' Composition, length, expression, the list could be endless.

That's curious. Doctors? ''Excuse me for prying but I thought the embrace was the fabled cure all, the bane to disease, whatever affliction you had in life, gone. In exchange for well ... the obvious.'' So if still has something that must be pretty rare.

[Albert Baker]

Al nodded. Upon explaining him not being a dancing man, he left out some points.

"I don't dance for certain reasons are making it quite difficult for me nowadays. But yes, it does get people moving."

On the question on how exactly it seemed to be expected he smiled slightly.

"Expected of me personally. It is the stereotype about academics, isn't it?"

He frowned before asking about this 'darkwave' as he wasn't familiar with it.

"What is 'darkwave'?"

On the question why he shrugged, as it wasn't something he had been asked much or spent much thought on.

"It has rhythm, it stirs positive emotions without being too much."

After listening he thought for a moment on how to phrase it before speaking.

"I'm afraid that is incorrect. First of all, it doesn't exactly cure. It mainly suppresses ailments until the semblance of life is forced. Which is, for example, why I don't dance. Second, the curse doesn't heal either congenital conditions or conditions like missing limbs. I saw for example someone in Victoria who had lost an arm in the War and the curse didn't solve that problem. Same with a blind man I met in Portland."

[Verity Carmen]

Verity tries to imagine the older looking kindred swinging across the dance floor and has to agree yes it would look a little out of place. ''Okay so yes a quick circuit around the floor might draw a bit of attention.'' However all being said and done. ''That being said is there any reason short of decorum that you couldn't dance at a kindred function?'' Somewhere the veneer of life was not needed.

It gets a grin. ''I mean yes. It is.'' So is that the why? ''Lets say you didn't have to adhere to type would you still listen to it?'' Or do you actually like it?

His answers gets a more energetic nod and smile. ''Yes that's, that it music has to touch the soul.'' She held very firmly onto believing she still had one. ''It provokes reaction it stirs things with the recess of who we are. It connects across any boundary.'' Kine or kindred, a dam fine guitar solo still rocked.

She begins to rummage in her pocket. ''Your not the first one to ask me about darkwave recently.'' She pulls out an wireless earphone which she holds out to the Priscus. ''Darkwave is bleak but romantic, Sorrowful in the ful goth sense and above all else dark.'' Her other hand has her phone in it as she scrolls playlists looking for the one she put together not that long ago. ''It has a lot of similar keys and instruments as classical just with a more modern mix.'' If he take the ear piece he gets Lyr by Ataraxia

He face goes notable still, expressionless as deep in thought she forgets to mimic expressions. I knew missing limbs and such didn't come back but I heard of a kindred who got his sight back. maybe the cause was something fixable? ''Well the more you know. I'm sorry it couldn't fix your problems.'' Coming back to herself a little a slight frown. ''But I have heard of different things then you it seems. The blood works in way many of us don't fully comprehend.'' And in the Daeva's mind that included the two of them.

[Albert Baker]

Al smirked at her words, as if she had just said something that was immensely funny. He doubted she'd get why it happened to be funny.

"I'm old, British and middle class, decorum is quite important. Not to mention out of practice concerning dancing, so especially in a social shark tank not to mention publicly not dancing preserves my dignity. It's a matter of habit and education, you see?"

On the question whether he'd listen to classical music he smiled a bit more.

"Yes, I would. It appeals to me."

He took the earphone and listened for a while. Then he nodded with a faint smile, giving the earphone back.

"Thank you for the demonstration. It is not my kind of music as it is too bleak for me."

He nodded again with a small smile.

"Thank you for your sympathy."

On the point about things working in mysterious ways he thought and remembered a conversation he had had on that subject long ago.

"Indeed. Though perhaps it isn't meant to be understood fully. I once had a conversation with the Haruspex in Victoria once and he said that would probably be the case. Though it was in context about the Gods."

[Verity Carmen]

British, I hadn't picked up on that. '''If that's important to you fair enough, but you said you were out of practice with conversing, and yet here you are handling yourself perfectly fine once you gave it a chance.'' He's opened up a lot more then I was expecting considering how this started out. ''But I think plenty of very well educated people dance.'' Not that she would know.

A smile and nod. ''Well then expectations be dammed, you listen to it because you like it, not because some rulebook somewhere says those with PhD have to.'' You should do more stuff because you like it. Followed by a shrug. ''To tell the truth I have to be in a very particular mood for it to be mine either.'' Taking the ear piece back. That he had accepted, and listened felt good it added a dynamic to the conversation Verity liked. Sharing was a small act of trust for something like this but trust none the less.

On the topic of Gods she nearly, so nearly says something before almost literally biting her tongue as she remembers who in fact she is speaking to. She instead settles for. ''In the most perverse way it keeps us human doesn't it. The knowledge the desire to know and understand is a human desire.'' To ask why.