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 Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 1:08 pm
Aphismet walked along the street knowingly; it's not the first time he would come to this building. He recalled the Guardian Party with a twinge of shame; he'd been quite drunk. Thankfully, he hadn't made a complete fool of himself. He wondered if Julian Sweet remembered who he was...
Rivener followed his guardian with a morose expression. "Why are we going to the apartment complex again?" The Frei asked for the nineteenth time.
Aphismet sighed and replied curtly, "Because, Mr Sweet is the most educated Raevan owner I can think of, short of Dr Tsu. And I've bothered Dr Tsu enough recently."
"There's also Dr Kyou," Rivener suggested with a honeyed smile.
"NO, we're not going to bother Dr Kyou with these questions. Besides, you just want me to see Dr Kyou so that you can harass his Raevan." Aphismet frowned back at his charge, who pouted and looked away, crossing his arms. Aphismet turned back to the front. "This shouldn't take long, it's just a few questions about the University, that's all."
Rivener scoffed, but said nothing more.
The two could see the building now. As always, the posh residence complex made Aphismet jealous; he had to live in a low-rent, low-quality bachelor apartment, and most other Raevan owners had enough income to live in a nice place like this. Aph shook his head to get the negative thoughts out. He had to be nice. Had to be grateful that Mr Sweet was taking time out of his day to talk to Aph. The pizzamaker had been surprised to get a reply to his letter, sent as a shot-in-the-dark kind of thing... He never thought Julian would be the kind who'd help out a fellow man.
Ah well, no more time for wondering, here they were. Aph opened the door, and let Rivener float by, following shortly after.
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Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 7:29 pm
The entrance hall to the apartment complex was everything a room decorated by Julian Sweet should be. Crisp, fresh, and entirely organized. It looked like an area set up to be photographed, rather than one used in actuality. There was an efficient and deliberate sense to it all, though the arrangements were not paticularly creative or artistic. They were not meant to be. A reaction was recommended by the front room, and it was not a fanciful one. It was dedicated.
"Mr. Aphismet. Rivener."
Julian had been waiting a mere five minutes, but it was enough to make him mildly irritable. Despite that, his emotions were easily ignorable in favor of his manner of dress. Instead of the usual student uniform, or student uniform complete with labcoat, the young scientist was clad in the familiar pants with an entirely unfamiliar shirt. It was a wifebeater, essentially, dark turquoise and much too informal. With such a short sleeved shirt, the cloth bandages Julian wore could be seen quite easily as they wound their way up his arms; from his wrists to mid-biceps.
One could only imagine what might have caused the damage.
"Shall we go to my study? Gage is there, as well as some information packets."
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Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 7:38 pm
Aphismet was taken aback by how prepared and succint Julian was. He'd barely stepped into the building before he'd been accosted by his host, and guided into the inner confines of Julian's Study.
Aphismet followed quietly, keeping an eye on Rivener to make sure the Frei didn't wander off and cause trouble. As it stood, Rivener was following obediently, albeit petulantly. Riv would rather be almost anywhere else right now, Aph imagined. Still, he'd promised to be good, and Aphismet was glad to see the Frei was at least making an effort.
He turned his attention back to Julian, and cleared his throat lightly. "Erm, tha-thank you for seeing me... I mean, uh, US. I know you must be busy..." Aphismet felt unwelcome. He seemed to have caught Mr. Sweet on a bad day. Obviously, the other man was wounded, chances are he'd rather not have guests. "I didn't really know who else I could a-ask about, erm... about the whole University thing. Y-you seem to be the, uh, the most educated person I know, apart for the doctors at lab 305..."
Aph wrung his hands, then decided he looked too much like Miss Chloe. Instead, he shoved his hands into his pants pockets, hunching his shoulders up.
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Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 5:45 pm
There was a procedure to travelling from the entrance hall of the apartment complex to Julian's private study, and the young man led the small group with practiced ease. By the time his guest had fully stated what he meant to say, they were inside one of the building's two public elevators, heading up and up to the very top floor.
Some of Julian's ill feelings had diminished by that point, for he was almost kind in his reply. "This is my home, Mr. Aphismet, and as I have invited you to enter it you can comfortably assume I want you to be here. You don't need to explain yourself. I already know what you're here for."
A small ding accompanied the opening elevator doors, and the scientist-in-training ushered out the other man and his Raevan before he exited himself. From there, he lead the pair down the hall to an unmarked door which he opened with a cardkey he pulled out of his left pant's pocket. "Follow me."
Julian moved through the apartment's living room with increasing speed, not giving the others time to look around before they were whizzing through the kitchen and then walking down a rather narrow hallway. Even from the slight glances, it was obvious the space was rather large altogether, and there were at least five doors down that paticular hall. It could easily be assumed the young man did not live alone.
Finally, Julian stopped short infront of a perfectly black door. This entrance was also unmarked, but there was only one thing it could really lead to.
"I would prefer, gentlemen, if you would not touch anything in my study. Is that clear?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 6:41 am
Aphismet smiled nervously at Julian's comment in the elevator. He knew, logically, that he was invited and therefore should feel at least somewhat welcome, but he couldn't let himself feel that way, for some reason. Still, it was comforting to hear his host state that he was, indeed, welcome.
Rivener simply rolled his eyes and sighed. He was following the scientist and his guardian quietly, behaving nicely as he had promised he would. He was already getting dangerously bored, though. He truly hoped Gage would be there. Rivener normally didn't think of Gage as a preferred friend to visit; Gage was reserved, and too quiet. Not in the fun way, either, like Roux... Gage was just quiet. Unassuming. Easy to miss in a crowd if it wasn't for his bright green color. But at the moment, Rivener would rather spend time with the Radioactive Frei than have to float here passively while Aph made an a** of himself yet again.
The elevator doors opened and the two followed Julian through corridors and rooms, Aph marvelling at how large this place was. Julian must be from a rich family, to be able to afford University schooling AND a gigantic home like this. Soon the small group stopped in front of that black door, and both Aph and Rivener listened closely, nodding in response to the question.
"We won't touch anything," Aphismet confirmed, keeping his hands in his pockets as a garantee, and glancing severely over his shoulder to shoot Rivener a meaningful glance, which was returned with an equally hot glare from Rivener.
Riv's lips tightened with displeasure at Aphismet's actions. Who did he think he was, threatening Riv right in front of someone like that? As if Aphismet would really be able to control Rivener's behavior! Riv was only cooperating out of the goodness of his heart, not because he feared any kind of retribution from the stupid pizza-maker! With a slight frown, Rivener considered causing trouble, but decided against it... for now, anyway.
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Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 5:11 pm
Julian was very still for a moment, as though he was unsure if he actually wanted to let his visitors into the heart of his lair. He was a paradox of principles; both aware he had requested Mr. Aphismet's presence in the first place and that there was a likely chance some personal object in his possession might be touched or moved by that same guest. An actor in some aspects, Julian's only outward sign of nervousness was his hand which had settled upon the black door's equally dark colored doorknob. His wrist was held rigidly, and at a slightly irregular angle as its owner thought over the situation.
"Good," he eventually murmured, somewhat resolute in his decision to allow the other man to journey farther down the rabbit hole. Finally, he clasped the knob fully, turning it with a jerk of that same rigid wrist and then opening it with a grand sweep of that mysteriously bandaged arm. It was probable Julian took some small delight in being appropiately morbid in all aspects. "You may go inside."
The study was impersonal, much like the young man who had created it. It was a wide room that had been turned small by a number of desks being crammed inside it along with strange, scientific machinery and chemistry related set-ups and filing cabinets. Yet, there was a strange messy quality to the room that might have lead one to assume Julian was constantly rearranging everything to better suit his mood of the day. Files were spread out along the floor directly to the left of the entrance, all neatly labelled and alphabetically positioned; "Animalia (A-L)", "Animalia (M-Z)", "Chemicals (Acidic)", "Controls (Helicoptor)", "Depth (Bodies of Water)", "Hemispheres (Western; Eastern)", "Hemispheres (Southern; Northern)", "Mittens (Wool)". A selection of test-tubes and beakers filled with liquid substances in varying shades of magenta were harbored on several of the desks, like an experiment that the intern had decided was too massive to be kept to a single area within the room. Inconspicuously, a small, red leather loveseat had made its way into the back of the room and was joined by several pillows and a very green blanket. No rest for the wicked, indeed. Those last three objects were never used.
Amidst the organized wreckage floated Gage. He was rubbing a wet hand-towel against the tiled floor with vigor, trying to destroy a stain of what might have been blood or a failed experiment.
"We've been busy today," Julian noted with some degree of satisfaction.
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Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 6:31 pm
Aph and Riv both looked around at the organized chaos, blinking. The pizzamaker was more than a little intimidated by the scientific setting; he also realised it would be hard for him to keep to his word and Not Touch Anything if there were things EVERYWHERE.
As the man puzzled over where it might be safe to tread, Rivener simply floated foward towards Gage, with a friendly smile still tainted with slight displeasure from Aphismet's actions. "Hello Gage," Rivener began. "What are you doing?" He'd never been made to do chores, himself, so Riv assumed none of the other Raevans had to, either.
"Urm, quite the, uh... Quite the setup you have here," said Aphismet conversationally. "I, ah... Wh-what year are you at University, again? And, uh, wh-which program?" Aph broached the subject rather abruptly, not really knowing what else he could offer small banter on. He was very nervous now, in these alien surroundings, and wanted nothing more than to ask his questions, get answers, and then bolt.
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Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 6:54 pm
In Julian's world there was no time for stuttering, so he ignored Aphismet's attempts at speech altogether. Instead, he moved farther into the room, stepping over what might have been a dissected birdcage in order to pull out two wheeled chairs from where they had been situated at one of the many desks. After a moment spent spinning and manuvering the pair so that they would stay facing each other with little room between, he took a seat and gestured for his guest to take its match. This, he had decided, was a conversation worth getting comfortable for.
"Hello..." Gage whispered uneasily, somewhat startled by the entrance of two people that were not Julian. He remembered the other Raevan and that Raevan's owner, to be sure, but there had been little expectation within him for them ever visiting his home. Hastily, he wondered if this was a test, and if so, of what kind? Was he meant to be hospitable? Quiet? For some nervous seconds his gaze flickered back and forth between his preoccupied human caretaker and the other Frei that had approached him. Indecision had hit him like a blunt instrument.
He avoided it by scrubbing harder at the dark blotch marring the floor. The small reply he did allow himself was effectively concise. "Fixing the color."
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Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 8:11 pm
"Fixing the color of what? The floor? Did you drop something? Why don't you just get someone else to fix it?" Rivener tilted his head as he pelted the other Frei with questions. He hid a mischievious smile. He had immediately noticed that Gage was uncomfortable and indecisive, and thought it would be very fun to toy with the green Frei. "What is that stuff anyway? Do you get to work in here? You must be really smart. Does your guardian make you learn things too?" Rivener was indeed being uncharacteristically full of questions. He sounded like a two-year-old.
Aphismet had followed Julian with his gaze, and only ventured further into the room a long moment after Julian had motioned for him to sit. Carefully, hands still in his pockets, Aphismet walked around files and floating Raevans, walking like the floor was made of thin glass that could crack at any moment and precipitate him into hell itself. He was quite surprised when he made it to the chair in one piece, and without having knocked anything over.
He sat into the swivel-chair just as carefully as he'd done everything else, and only now dared take his hands out of the pockets, using them to grasp the armrests quite firmly and refusing to ever let go. He lifted his eyes to Julian and shot him an uncomfortable smile. Quietly, he waited, not really knowing if he should ask again, or wait for his host to speak...
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Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:24 pm
Julian pressed the fingertips of either of his hands together; index to index, ring to ring, ectera. No doubt behind his thick framed glasses he was calculating the situation, possibly even evaluating Aphismet as a person entirely. Easily, so easily might the man have taken position as a god. Some might be too demure or understanding to condemn souls, but one might imagine Julian would enjoy that part over all others. The slightly hint of something unsatisfactory, and he would have pulled the proper lever, sending the poor wretch somewhere sickening and out of sight.
There was no switch, though, and the young man was not about to encourage his own guest to leave. Careful advice seemed the only practical solution.
"Nevermind what I'm being educated in. You're nothing like me." The words might have been an insult, or even simple fact. Julian had the tendency to utter sentences in either category in the same manner. "What are you interested in? Be specific."
Around the time Rivener asked his fourth successive question, it occured to Gage he would not be rescued from the assault. Having realized his fate, the Frei merely stopped in the middle of his chore, instead rising to his full height in order to complete another. "I... did drop a tube. With colored water in it."
Gage did not quite mean to fret; it just sort of happened without his permission. Wringing his hands, the green Raevan cast frequent glances to the spot on the floor he had been cleaning. The stain he had created was almost all but entirely gone, but the guilt within the being trying to erase it remained.
"I do work here. I do not know if that makes me..." Gage was not even sure if he dared to say the word as though it were so simple. The subject was so complex in his mind. "Smart."
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Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 2:21 pm
Aphismet was a little startled by Julian's too-truthful reply; then again, Aph supposed it was indeed the truth, so why sugar-coat it. Aphismet didn't have what it took to be a scientist, no matter how hard he'd like to try. The pizzamaker looked down at his hands on the armrests, and thought for a short moment.
"Well, um..." Aphismet hadn't really considered what field to go into, exactly... He just wanted to be admitted! "I, I like English best, s-so perhaps that? I, ah... I also like math, but I'm not terribly good at it. I'm sorry, I only ever thought about getting IN, not about what I would do once I did get in." He chuckled lightly, hoping he wouldn't anger his host.
Rivener was slightly admiring of Gage. The soft-spoken Frei seemed to be a very smart one, yet he suffered from a giant case of self-esteem problems. "I'm trying to learn things too, reading books with Aphismet about math and physics and things. It's probably not as advanced as what you're doing... Can you show me some things you do?" Rivener, for once, didn't have an ulterior motive to a question; he was honestly interested in seeing what Gage did.
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Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 8:03 am
To be completely truthful, Julian had not meant to say that Aphismet could not attempt an education and career as a scientist. Plenty of fools became famous after they somehow managed to land a degree. What he had said was a very simple idea and statement. The other man was completely different from him. They would never be alike. It was why, Julian believed, Aphistmet was the one nervous and he was the one getting comfortable.
"Do you enjoy writing? Fiction, non-fiction? Formal, informal? Or are you more of a reader? What about the classics, or are you more interested in modern material?" Julian did not speak quickly, but he did not pause or give room for the other to interject any small answer until he was entirely done questioning him.
Unfortunately, Gage did not know at all how to deal with being on the other side of that sort of conversation. The more Rivener questioned him, the more confused he became, even if it was one inquiry being thrown at him rather than a half dozen. He was all hesitance when he responded, "I... If you want."
His inner light and rune grew a bit dim as he carefully thought over where they might cause the least amount of damage. Very rarely did Julian allow him to work with complex materials, and Gage was almost entirely sure the young scientist would not want Rivener touching anything at all. However, there was no way the green Raevan could refuse such a direct request from someone so similar to himself. Coaxing his guest with a hand, he floated towards one of the tables that had only a few instruments and a single test tube rack upon it.
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Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 4:03 pm
Aphismet had kept his eyes on his lap as Julian had asked the questions. Had the scientist left room for answer between each section of the quiz, Aph would still not have said anything; he was searching his own self for the answer. He frowned in concentration for a moment and left a long pause after Julian had finished speaking, although he was too busy pondering things to be aware of the long silence.
After quite the while, Aphismet finally looked up, eyes the tiniest bit surer, sheepish smile gone. He was getting more serious about this; they were discussing his future after all.
"I... I like to write both fiction and non-fiction. I'd like to write articles, if I am not able to sell any books of my own. F-for a cooking magazine perhaps? I know quite a, uh... a bit about cooking. I really don't think it's just a hobby. I read all kinds of things, classics and modern, but I do prefer modern. Just because sometimes, the dialect in the classics is too hard for me." Only now did that sheepish smile return as Aph admitted his own failing in this favorite field.
Rivener allowed Gage to bring him along to the table, smiling in contented amusement. He truly wished the green Frei was easier to talk with, he always seemed so ill-at-ease... But Rivener could easily talk enough for the both of them, were there any need.
As it was, the scorpion Frei leaned towards the test tubes but kept his hands folded behind his back. He examined the glass things closely. "What's these for, then?" he asked, looking at the contents.
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Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 5:00 pm
To a point, Julian Sweet believed knowing one's limitations was a splendid concept. The simple idea was important, for it meant you knew what to fix. There was room for improvement, and improvement was profitable in many ways. It was only around people like Mr. Aphismet that the idea of admitting flaws put a sour taste in the scientist's mouth. The man before him was the type that would continually pick at himself until he was left raw if given the chance. Julian was not a therapist; he was merely offering advice. He had no time for the other male's insecurities.
"That is fine. A cooking book does not require a college degree, however, Mr. Aphismet," his tone and words were blunt, but his gaze strayed to just over the other person's left shoulder rather than staying locked onto his eyes. "There is chef's school, though, or English majors if you wanted to do some... creative writing. I suggest you find something you feel an ounce of passion for rather than something convenient."
He adjusted his glasses with both hands. "I am not impressed by your attempts to be unimportant. It only makes you so. Tell me something earnest and I might be of some actual value to you."
"Testing mixtures," Gage responded softly. His body language was subtly not at ease, but he semed to know what he was doing around the materials. He carefully plucked a test tube from its holding place, and offered it to the other Raevan. "Nothing bad here."
The words were honest, as all of the compounds in that area were relatively safe. There was little to no chance the radioactive Frei would ever allow the other Raevan near anything at all dangerous. They were alike.
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Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 7:22 pm
Rivener took the test tube from Gage carefully, and looked into it, not opening the stopper. He knew enough about poisons to not handle strange liquids lightly. He wouldn't open the stopper, not just yet. "What do you make with these, exactly?" Rivener asked, swirling the liquid around, enjoying the way it was coating the glass for a moment before receding back.
Aphismet sighed and sat back. He knew he was annoying the other man, but he couldn't help acting the way he did. Aph tried his best to be what Mr Sweet expected from just about everyone; someone alike the scientist's own self, confident and to-the-point.
"I don't feel any passion for anything," he replied. "I try so hard to do what is expected, to want what I am supposed to want. I... I don't know what I feel passion for. Maybe you can't help me, after all." Aph got up. "I'm sorry to have wasted your time." The man turned to look at Riv, and took a few careful steps towards the door. "Rivener, we're leaving."
"What, already?" Rivener asked, frowing in displeasure. "We just got here!"
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