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Gracious Conversationalist
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 Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 12:56 pm
Private RP between Lee Katan and Lauss (epicZILLA) & Ellandra Sanders (Redbud-tree)Location: Lee's place. Time: Lazy evening Weather: Humid and heavy, but there's a low breeze to make it bearable. EBI's letter to Ellandra An official-looking letter, delivered by hand, with a most familiar print on it.
In it, miss Sanders is warmly informed of a young lady, recently become owner of an Essentic, who might be looking for some extra aid to help her out in the wonderfully mysterious art of reading ralaxation and comprehension. It is written rather ambiguously, but Ellandra should know 'those guys from EBI' mean her no harm at all. Maybe it's a little challenge? EBI's letter to Lee The same kind of letter as the one delivered to miss Sanders, also lacking a stamp.
The letter kindly informs milady Katan that an acquaintance of the business will come to associate with her. The young lady is said to have a heart for Essentics, and appears to be gifted with literature as well.
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Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 4:54 pm
"Hello, I am Lauss. What is your name? Hello, I am Lauss. What is your name? Hello, I am..." Lee fixed a thick blue ribbon around Lauss's neck as he practiced his lines for the evening. Lee had told him what to say and to repeat it, as she knew without guidance he would be his socially-awkward little self. Unsatisfied with the placement of the bow, she took it off and readjusted it around his wrist. "...am Lauss. Miss Lee, may I quiz her?" "No." Lauss continued to practice, unaware that questioning his master was an option.
Lee stepped back and looked at him from afar. No, too girly. She grabbed Lauss's wrist and dragged him out of her room and into the hall to her father's bedroom. Rummaging through his closet, she found a teal tie that complimented Lauss quite well. Pulling it around his neck, Lauss paused his lines once more. "Miss Lee, why does this young lady want to meet me?" Lee tugged at the tie, unsure how it actually worked. "She wants to see an essentic, I think. That's what the letter said." She wasn't sure who this person was-- just "young lady" was written-- or what the details of this meeting were about, but she trusted EBI not to send someone threatening. "Anyway, don't worry about that, just practice. What are you supposed to say to her when you meet her?" "Hello, I am Lauss. What is your name?" Lee nodded, a bit proud, but certainly not letting it show through. This tie thing is a pain... She continued fumbling with the tie until she gave up, tying it in a quick, tight knot and calling it good while dragging Lauss back into the hallway and into the entrance.
"Lauss, I need you to try to be on your best behavior" Lee voice was stern. "Be nice to her, and don't ask her all those questions you always do. Let her ask the questions, okay?" Lauss purred, letting Lee know he was going to be compliant. As compliant as Lauss could be, anyway. Lee nodded to the doorman to say that she could take care of this next visitor, and he stepped back, still standing near his post out of habit.
Lauss tugged at his tie as Lee swatted his hands away, the two waiting for the arrival of their welcomed visitor.
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Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 5:24 pm
Ellandra stared at the slightly-crumpled letter that she held in her hands, reading and re-reading it to both be sure of the address - really, was this immense home truly her destination for the evening? - and to try and discern what Misha or Banning could possibly have in mind for her this time. After all, the last message she had received from the people at Life Essentials had been a poorly concealed attempt at a blind date. But that, at least, had been all Misha; it had nothing to do with the store. This was clearly at least semi-official, which was reassuring to the timid woman.
Still, staring up at the home before her, Ellandra was rather frightened. Not of the wealth around her, but rather of the unknown; whether this girl was really expecting her, and if she was expecting her for what the letter said, or for something else entirely. There were no guarantees here, and that terrified Ellandra enough that, despite the comforting presence of the pendant Faolan had given her, she simply couldn't bring herself to take another step forward.
Again she checked over the letter, but found nothing new or enlightening within its slightly-creased folds. Not that she had been expecting to find anything different, really.
She could hope, though, couldn't she?
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Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 5:48 pm
Lee tapped her toes and fidgeted as the wait grew longer. Perhaps this was the wrong day? Maybe Lee had read the time wrong? She could have sworn it said 4:00PM. She put a hand up to Lauss to tell him not to follow her and ran into the study, finding a clock, and confirming it was, indeed, as late as it was. "4:15," she mumble. Lee was not familiar with the term "fashionably late". The letter she'd been given had been thrown out a day or two ago, though, and she had nothing to base this off of.
She ran back into the entrance to join Lauss and rubbed her neck, unsure of what was going on. Maybe the girl had rang the bell but it was broken? Maybe she tried to use the door knockers but they were too heavy for the poor girl to lift? Better check... Lee nodded to the doorman once more, and he opened one of the massive doors to reveal a young woman who looked terribly out of place. Lee felt relieved, and forgot that the game plan was for Lauss to introduce himself first. "There you are..." Lee half-laughed, though it was evident from her voice that she was still a bit confused. She reached out to shake the young woman's hand like she'd seen her mother do many times before when Lauss sped full force up to the girl, stopping only a few inches from her face. "Hello, I am Lauss. What is your name?" He continued to tug at his tie as he waited eagerly to learn yet another piece of information, all the while looking her over carefully, taking note of every little detail. Lee simply put her hand between her eyes and sighed. Oh, Lauss...
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Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 6:06 pm
Ellandra squeaked in surprise when the door swung open and her vision was almost immediately filled with an Essentic Proto, startling her. However she quickly recovered herself, smilling at the overeager Proto and his obviously frustrated Owner. "Hello, Lauss," she said quietly, recognizing that this curious-looking Essentic meant no harm at all. "I'm Ellandra; it's a pleasure to meet you," she added, a bit shakily but remarkably stutter-free.
The openness and curiosity of Lauss eased her fear somewhat, as for some reason most Essentics seemed to do - or at least, the four she had met so far, including this unqiue little one, had. She carefully eased to the side of the little Proto and smiled at its owner, bobbing her head in greeting while trying not to upset the young Essentic.
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Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 6:48 pm
Lee was relieved to see that Ellandra didn't seem bothered by Lauss, or at least pretended not to be, and she pulled Lauss away. "You can come in if you want." Lee grabbed Lauss's hands, as they were still messing with the tie around his neck, and pulled him inside.
Boy, Ellandra sure looked young. Apparently EBI had a thing for targeting minors. "Do you go to school around here?" Lee felt the need to ask, as she didn't remember seeing her around her school. Lauss perked up, ready to hear more about this girl. Lee's information wasn't as thorough as Lauss's would have been, but it was a start.
With closer inspection, however, Lauss recognized the slightest signs of aging. "Miss Ellandra, you are not in high school, are you?" Lauss tilted his head. He was very much accustomed to correcting his owner, and felt the need to ask follow up questions. "What is your profession? Did you go to college? What is your yearly salary? Do you have kids and a husband?" Lauss let his most important questions out, and Lee was too distracted by the proto's outburst, which she had clearly asked him not to do, to comprehend that Ellandra wasn't a teenager. Lee tugged on his arm. "Lauss..." her voice was somewhat threatening, something very unusual for Lee.
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Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 7:10 pm
Ellandra stepped inside after the girl and Lauss, rather tongue-tied from the odd question she had just been asked. Yes, she had ben mistaken for younger than her actual age by other adults, but by an actual teenager? How unusual. The Proto wasn't deceived by her appearance though, it seemed, from his rather probing questions that followed his owner's. She wondered what his purpose was, for him to be so very inquisitive.
Still, he seemed to mean no harm by his questions, so she smiled reassuringly at his owner, and said, "I-it's all right; I don't mind answering." Turning to the Essentic again, she stared him in the face, not at all concerned by his lack of visible facial features, and answered each of his questions in rapid turn - despite blushing a bit at some of the more . . . personal questions.
"No, I'm not in high school, b-but I'm mistaken for being so quite often; I'm a novelist with a degree in p-professional writing, my salary is irregular because it's based on royalties and on my publish r-rates, and no, no children or husband yet."
There - short, direct, to the point, and with only a few stutters. The little Proto would be pleased, she had the feeling. She couldn't quite guess at his purpose yet, but she could tell already that it had to do with information, possibly to help his owner with something she'd need information for, probably school-related given her age. . .
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Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 3:48 pm
An... adult? Lee froze after hearing Ellandra's words. "I'm sorry! I didn't--!" Lee was embarrassed, to say the least, that she'd spoken to an elder in such a way. Aside from those she cared little for, she was never that casual in front of adults. She threw her hand up to her mouth to keep her from saying anything else that might insult the poor lady. Lauss was perfectly ready to take over Lee's side of the conversation.
"Understood," Lauss purred, soaking in every word. "And what book have you written, Miss Ellandra? Perhaps I could incorporate it into Miss Lee's study schedule. Her English IV grade point average is currently 1.9. Do you happen to have written anything of her reading level?" His odd voice echoed in the spacious room. Yes, it seemed Lauss was still on duty. Ellandra was supposed to be learning about Lauss, not the other way around, but Lauss was very much bored with any of that. No new information there.
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Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 5:04 pm
Ellandra smiled gently, reaching a hand out but not touching Lee. "It's all right; I'm not old or anything," she said softly, not wanting to upset the poor girl. "You're not the first to make that mistake, a-and I know you won't be the last. Please, don't worry about it." She smiled reassuringly once more at the teenager, who was obviously mortified at her (honestly, rather mild) slip-up, and then turned to Lauss.
"Now, little one, I've written a lot of books, but I don't know. . . . Miss Lee's reading level to say whether or not my books would be enjoyable for her; I've found in my time that interest is as much a determiner in reading skills as grade level is," she said. "I don't know if you've seen this yet, but if someone finds something that interests them to read about, they're usually more willing to try," she added after a moment, shooting an apologetic look to the girl as she spoke. Lauss was a . . .tutor of some sort? Yes, that seemed about right. The little fellow was very tied to his purpose, then, even more than the other Protos she had met.
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Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 5:36 pm
Lee blushed slightly, as Ellandra's genlte reaction wasn't quite was she was used to, and ultimately made her feel a bit foolish for reacting the way she had. She rubbed the back of her neck out of habit and decided to keep her mouth shut a bit longer.
How facinating... Lauss was learning quite a bit from Ellandra, and in such a short amount of time! If only Lee had guests over more often. Lauss would have so much more to quiz her on. He liked this woman. And so did Lee. Miss Lee? She liked her quite a bit. "So, uh, what is it that you wanted to know? About Lauss, I mean..." Lee half-smiled, still a small bit embarrassed over both Lauss and the mix up.
"Oh!" Lee motioned Ellandra to follow her as she headed into the study to fall into one of the few more comfortable chairs in the house. This poor woman had walked this whole way and Lee wasn't being the greatest hostess having her stand around like this. Lauss stuck close to Ellandra, hoping to hear more words of wisdom.
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Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 6:14 pm
The brunette twenty-something only sat down once she was she was certain it was all right, and sighed. Apparently the Life Essentials crew was out to get her again, as yet again she and her fellow victim had apparently received vastly different information. She handed the letter she was clutching to Lee, biting her lip. "I think . . . there's been an . . . intentional mix-up, at least slightly. I don't suppose th-that you were given the same reasons for meeting that I was?" She asked, tilting her head a little.
Then she smiled reassuringly. "We don't have - have to talk about anything you're uncomfortable with, miss," she continued, not unkindly. "I've met a few other Essentics already; but none have been l-like Lauss, here. I suppose he's to help you with your studies, somehow?" She turned to the little proto then and smiled once more. "You're very dedicated to your purpose, a-aren't you, little one? From what little I've seen thus far, I'm sure you're doing an - an excellent job."
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Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 10:40 am
Lee tilted her head as Ellandra handed her the letter. Scanning through, she felt like smacking her forehead. Ohhhh. "Actually... I must've just read my letter wrong." She couldn't be sure, but she remembered them mentioning something about literature. Just another reminder than Lee's reading comprehension was... well, it wasn't the best. Lauss must look ridiculous in his tie, she supposed, but she left it because, even though it was clear he didn't need it, she thought it looked cute.
So Ellandra was here to help her study? Lee's shoulders slumped forward. More studying? She'd been looking forward to today; finally, a break from her usual schedule. "Yeah, he's my tutor..." Lee's annoyance was clear in her words; he was more than her tutor. He was a pest that never knew when to quit. Lauss wasn't quite sure what the two were saying, he just recognized that his master was once again mistaken.
"Yes, Miss Ellandra, I am. I have already improved her overall semester grade point average by .003. At this pace, I believe we will raise it to at least a 2.5 by the end of the year," Lauss chirped. He apparently knew nothing of humility, as he'd never had to use it. This must've been the first time he'd been complimented.
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Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 11:07 am
Ellandra hadn't missed the study-exhaustion that Lee was dripping with any more than she missed the pride in Lauss' voice at his achievement in his purpose. So immediately she wrote off anything she might have been expecting to do this evening, and smiled at Lee. "Don't worry; th-the last letter I received from Life Essentials didn't go according to its plan, either. I'm not going to try and push you into a-anything you're too tired for." She quirked her lips a little and glanced at Lauss out of the corner of her eye as she added, "After all, studying when you're worn out decreases h-how much information you retain."
It was true, as well. Perhaps Lauss would file this little tidbit away among all of the other information he had gathered. Turning her face away from the little Proto, she winked at his Owner, feeling ever so much more comfortable in the presence of the Essentic than she might have otherwise. "I might ask o-one question, though - is there anything that you like to read? I'm not asking in regards to studying anything; I just l-like knowing what different people's preferences are." She smiled again, and continued, "A-and if there is nothing in particular that you like to read, what do you like to do? I can tell that Lauss likes gathering information, for inance" she said with a nod to the Essentic to acknowledge him.
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Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 3:05 pm
Ellandra's last letter...? Lee thought the "acquaintance" bit in her letter was just to keep her calm. Ellandra really spent a lot of time around the shop? Lee was somewhat incredulous; she really didn't seem like the type to spend her time with those breaking the law. But neither did Lee, which might have something to do with why Banning hasn't been caught, she thought. Lee didn't smile at Ellandra's kindness, but only because she wasn't used to deep thinking, and multitasking takes skill.
The short comment from Ellandra was fully absorbed by Lauss, as it was spoken as a fact. While he could repeat it word for word, the meaning behind it was lost to the proto.
"Uhhh..." Lee wasn't much of a reader, and honestly never read anything she was required to in class. She'd seen Akira reading a romance novel once, but didn't figure she'd be interested in anything like that. "What do people like me usually read?"
Lee bit her nails at Ellandra's next question. This was the one thing she was most embarrassed about; more than Lauss, more than her mother, more than anything. She cleared her throat a bit before she quietly squeaked, "Painting..." Lauss nodded. "Miss Lee often takes breaks from studying to paint. Would you like to see one of her paintings, Miss Ellandra?" Lee lost her voice out of shock, as she would otherwise have been protesting like a madman.
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Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 3:34 pm
Ellandra smiled softly, and said, "If . . . M-miss Lee doesn't object, I would most certainly like to see them." She could see the fear and embarrassment in the teenager - really, she was so very easy to read! - and didn't want to make those feelings any worse than they already were. However, she also wanted the girl to have a boost of confidence; she appeared in need of it more than even Ellandra herself! "I'm certain th-they're lovely paintings," she continued, smiling warmly - if perhaps a bit nervously again - at the Proto and his Owner.
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