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 Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 6:25 pm
"There aren't as many books here on my country as I thought there would be."
Einar's words were hushed as he spoke inside the large room, his brain telling him the correct behavior for a place like this was something he had to follow no matter if he was the only one inside.
He was speaking to himself in his native Norwegian since it was always reassuring to his ears to at least hear his voice speaking a language that he'd been surrounded by always since the day of his birth, unlike the harsh English that haunted these hallways, and every now and then he'd repeat a phrase using a few words that he always found fun to say together.
A tongue twister, if you will.
"Some of these books on Norway are so old that even the history books in school didn't have this information in it. Why is there such a large gap in what's written...?
He had taken a stack of three or more books back to a small table and was thumbing through them, nothing that some of them were written in English (and had more recent history) while the ones written in Norwegian contained mostly Norse legends and information about Vikings.
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 7:12 pm
Faustus was not a book-worm. He actually didn't really enjoy books at all, unless they happened to be detrimental to what he needed to do. And always at the last minute. If he needed to study up before a mission, then he went to the library the day before the actual event. Otherwise he usually left the place alone to everyone else. The Lotus library was such a huge, boring, depressing place. He tried to avoid it the best could.
Right now he was ready to go outside and play. There was a soccer ball that he rolled from hand to hand as he walked down the hall toward the gardens. He was wearing a pair of sports shorts and a loose shirt with no sleeves. A happy tune was in his throat, though he knew he would be playing alone today.
The door to the library was open, his periphery unconsciously took it in just like everything else. He paused when it seemed to reflect the message that there was something in there besides books. The German was a sociable creature by nature, so he debated with himself while stepping backwards to get a better look. Spikey yellow hair was all he could tell at the moment. He passed the ball between his fingers a few more times, and heard a language he did not know fluently float free of the room. Talking to himself?
Tucking the ball beneath his arm, the blonde slipped into the library, already beginning to feel the radiance of its boorishness pressing down on him. He liked people, and this didn't seem to be someone he'd met yet, so the motivation weighed out. His voice, a casual tenor, poured itself into the empty spaces and stuffy air.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I could help but notice that you were building a fortress of books." He was joking, but his face was so straight. "Is it too late to accompany you in your mission?"
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 8:13 pm
Einar almost jumped out of his skin as a voice addressed him in English, and he turned his head up from where he'd been reading to find the source. As a new man he'd never seen before came into his vision he frowned a bit but quickly forced a smile back onto his face, one that looked a little too natural.
"I'm not preparing for a mission, more or less trying to fill in a few holes in history that my school textbooks had neglected to note."
His voice was polite if not a bit deeper than this newcomer's own, and he wondered what exactly that accent was that he detected. It wasn't Russian like Lai's, and it certainly wasn't Norwegian. He could tell his own countrymen and their accents out of any without hesitation, yet this one seemed a but more difficult.
"From what I can gather based on the books around me I may be from the farthest time out to come here to LOTUS thus far, so I'm trying to figure out what has gone on in the times my country decided weren't important enough to record."
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 8:28 pm
"I meant the book fortress, but then, I was only joking," He confessed. He stepped just a little closer, putting a table only between them now. His accent was faint, nearly non-existent. English was not his first language but he had been using it enough that he was able to mimic that of a U.S. native. Of course, from time to time he did slip.
Faustus was wonderful at looking as if he were interested in any subject. He nodded as Einar went on, though he knew he'd never really be very interested in another's history. Especially not a strangers, handsome enough as he seemed. The German man's cool blue eyes gave the other a once-over while he was speaking, and briefly muddled over the presence of the eyepatch.
"You may very well be," He conceded with a nod. What did it matter to him? He didn't even really know WHO he was, much less what time period he'd come from. To humor the man, he decided to ask, "And where might you be from?"
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 9:02 pm
Einar had gone back to looking at his books while Faustus was speaking to him, and he idly answered without even turning his face to notice how close the other had gotten to him.
"I'm from Norway, 2104. The closest person from what these records show to me is a Father Asmadai; Vatican, 2070."
He flipped over a few pages and studied the words written there for a moment or two before lifting his head back up, the sudden realization in his mind that he was being unnecessarily rude to someone who was taking the time out to speak with him properly. He turned his head and looked at Faustus, aware now at how close the man had come, and he smiled politely.
"Forgive me, where are my manners? MY name is Einar Willason, it's a pleasure to meet you."
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:00 am
Oh yes, he did seem quite absorbed in whatever he was reading up on at the moment. Luckily, Faustus was a patient man, though he was wondering if he was allowed to drop his polite default now. The other man began responding to him, and he couldn't really tell if he'd relaxed some of not. The word 'Father' caught his attention, and he stuffed the information away for later. They had a priest here? He'd never known!
A small grin crawled across his pretty features as the other man seemed to have an epiphany. Yes, if he were more of a prudish man he would have been upset now. And the Norwegian would be an uncultured pig. But he wasn't, so he wasn't.
"Don't worry about it. Obviously I am the one who's impeded on you. I'm Faustus." The soccer ball was set on the library table, held down by one hand while the other extended to the other. "Are you new here?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 2:34 pm
Einar's face seemed to pale a bit as he reached his hand up and shook Faustus's own, though his expression didn't falter from a pleasant smile.
"Faustus, is it? Yes I'm new here, arrived just the other day actually and thought I'd try to get what I needed to know done quickly before I had a breakdown of some sort. I hate being left out of a loop when it comes to information that may or may not be important."
He released his hand from the gentle shake rather slowly, like he was unsure of what he was doing or should be doing, and the color slowly started to pulse back into his white cheeks. His smile seemed to quiver before it turned into a grin, and with an effort to try and move the subject a little Einar idly motioned to the soccer ball.
"Forgive me if I sound dumb, but I take it you like the sport? Or are you merely carrying it around for a conversation piece? Either way would work, it seems."
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:03 pm
The German seemed to be at ease with his surroundings as well as the other. People didn't scare him, especially not in formality. It was really just as easy and natural as riding a bike. Something you never forgot once you got back on board. That and he was very secure in himself. When the other seemed to drain of color, the fellow blonde kept his smile as if nothing had happened. He did keep his questions, though. Had he made the other man uncomfortable?
Faustus nodded knowingly at the answer, having never heard of an Einar before. Other members of Lotus- now that could be something he'd be interested in. It was so much more easier to speak to others than read, and usually more entertaining too. Like this Norwegian. He was a perplexing character, wasn't he? A 'breakdown of some sort'? How queer. Faustus bit back a smile- it wasn't funny at all.
"Ah! Yes," He seemed to brighten a little more. Perhaps he'd been hoping for the man to ask. His tanned fingers lifted the ball again, tossing it side to side now. "I haven't found a sport I haven't liked yet, to be honest. But I only own a soccer ball right now. Do you like it?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:21 pm
"I'm afraid I haven't played soccer before, or much of any sports actually. Being the kid in school who has only one eye and poor depth perception tends to merit you never being picked to play with anyone. I used to play before I had my accident that took my sight but I wasn't very good."
Einar chuckled and watched the excitement Faustus seemed to have over a simple sport ball, and he wondered if he looked that way when he had a bow in his hand, or better yet - a compass and a sheet of blank paper. Such things to him always earned big grins of satisfaction and feelings of superiority.
Go figure.
"I did get pretty good with my grades since I never went out and played sports, but I don't suppose I'm not athletic. I can dodge gunfire anyway, so that must amount to something."
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:11 pm
A laugh was pulled from the man, the image far too rich for him. He could see a midget Einar, trying to walk through the halls of a school, bustling through other elementary children with an obnoxious plastic patch posted over his eye. Horrible. Horrible! He shook his head, tendering his flaxen locks back as if apologetically. "I see. So you played before you hurt yourself, but you've never played before? Well, I suppose that can still be true. What we learn as children doesn't usually carry over into adulthood anyway unless it's practiced." A simple shrug, and Einar was studied again. "I'm sure you must get the question a lot, but losing an eye as a child... how? Please. Please don't tell me you were running with scissors. No, don't answer that, forget I asked."
The other's comments about academics were blinked away just as easily as his fair lashes could flap over his azure gaze. He almost looked sympathetic. "Well, everyone has their niche. I'm sure that if you were inducted here there must be some sort of plans for you." Why did he feel as if he were being left out of some sort of joke when the other smiled? Still, he kept himself loose, casually bounced the soccer ball off his knuckles now. "Well. I just came in to say hello. I try to do my best meeting everyone here, see who I may be working with. I'd ask you to come outside and join me, but you seem absorbed. I'll leave you to your books now." He made to turn, lingering by making his stride shorter than it usually was.
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:21 pm
"I'd almost wager you're German, aren't you? That cocky attitude gives you away even if your voice doesn't have a shred of accent."
Einar's voice was flat as he made a clean stab at Faustus's nationality, his tone almost ice cold and a far cry from the rather lax pitch it'd been playing at moments before.
"The type of people who care only for themselves, their own interests. Unwilling to share with nations in dire need yet more than willing to slaughter in the name of their wants."
The whole deal about soccer, sports, grades, pleasantry. All gone, all forgotten.
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:46 pm
Such harshness, so quickly. Faustus paused, the ball falling to rest between his hands. He turned, his features splaying a clear surprise at the Norwegian, and how quickly the other had turned. Or maybe, as some part of him had screamed in suspect, this was how Einar had felt all along. He frowned, and it was rather a put-out one, an expression that aired his disappointment.
"I am German, that's correct," He conceded. Couldn't you tell? Those Aryan features, that broad chest, the height. He was a perfect specimen of the so-called Master Race. "But other than that, I'd say you don't know a thing about me."
He paused, his chin lifting somewhat. Oh yes. He was proud, he was cocky, but it had nothing to do with his nationality and everything to do with what he was desperately trying to hide. "Let me ask you something, Einar Willason. Are you the perfect example of what Norway is all about? Because if you are, I'd have to say that Norwegians are narrow-minded, racist, bold-faced liars. I didn't say an unkind word to you, what's all of this? Clearly there are some issues that you have tucked away. I will not be subject to your ignorance. Aufwiedersehen."
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:59 pm
Instead of looking angry at Faustus as the man turned around and very clearly insulted him, Einar instead returned the harsh words with his usually tooth grin. He seemed amused more than anything to be called by this German man he'd just met 'racist' and a 'bold-faced liar', as he found it rather refreshing.
"Besser glauben?"
His German was flawless, the accent placed perfectly and taking away the hints of his Norwegian one, and he blinked idly as he leaned his elbow against the table and used his open palm to prop up his chin. German was such an easy language, one that he found more pleasing to the ears when it was being spoken rather that shouted or screamed in.
German voices screaming to God for mercy weren't his cup of tea.
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:26 pm
A few words in his language was not all that impressive, but he got the message. He knew a little German, did he? The taller of the two clucked his tongue, his eyes narrowing just a little. Einar was grinning. Things became all too clear to him what the other man was trying to do. But he didn't want to fight. Nor did he want to insult the man.
"Do you?" Because he certainly did not.
"I'm not going to fight with you, Einar. I've got much better things to do." Yes. He was insinuating that a simple game of soccer by himself was more worth his time than some Norwegian insulting his country because maybe he had some bully named Hans kicking his a** all the time as a child. "I don't know what it is I've done to incite you. I certainly hadn't meant to." Not before he had actually verbally insulted him, anyway. That was trying to prove a point.
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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 2:12 pm
"Do I want, want to pick a fight? Hardly."
That was somewhat true.
"More or less I wanted to get your attention and see where most of your personality lies behind that sickeningly polite and aloof facade. I can't imagine everyone here is so nice to everyone simply because they want to be or are nice people deep down."
He continued to speak in German, the words flowing effortlessly, and he switched his arms for a moment as he felt it was better to lean on the other arm after a while. It helped change his view since he could peer better with his right eye free, and he wondered if he pushed too hard would this man strike at him in any way. Not that it mattered, since his body didn't register pain anyway.
"And you've done nothing at all to insult me, as you're rather correct about be being a bold-faced liar. It's actually rather refreshing to have it spit in my face instead of stabbed in my back. As for being racist I will have to say I don't like being known as that. My country doesn't hate single groups of people - we conquer them all equally."
Perhaps he was speaking of the Norway in his time, as there was no war going on now...was there?
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