Dinner with a Werewolf

[IamLEAM1983]

"Yes," replied the Clank, his eyes burrowing into the werewolf's, his own thumb returning the stroking gestures. "That sounds... wonderful," he said, the word being a little too strong to strictly refer to wine. His almost inaudible clatter briefly rose in volume, he lightly tensed again - and then sighed even more of that tension away.

Feeling an incoming contradiction between his main spring's tension levels and how he actually did feel, he gently freed his hand, coughed to regain his composure and slipped it under his waistcoat in an absent and practiced gesture. He didn't need his other hand to close the vest's buttons afterwards, as used to these motions as he was.

At least, he now looked as relaxed as he felt, his spine looking markedly less rigid and his hand returning on top of Crystal's in an almost too-fluid gesture. A smile now played on his lips.

"All that I would ask is a modicum of patience, and perhaps a few object lessons in the art of modern courtship. So much of what I've seen jars against my sensibilities, with some youths seeming so uncouth towards the object of their affections! I suspect there exists some happy medium between my antiquated values and your more recent upbringing, and I would like to find it."

That seemed to remind him of something. "During my time spent in Japan, I spoke at length with the Emperor's political advisors. I was told that they regarded the Americans' frank laughter as offensive and felt somewhere more at ease when confronted with British composure. I doubt you could bring me to peals of horse laughter, as they put it - but I do remember how your earnestness was what they praised. Add to that the fact that I am a spy by trade, and artful dodging becomes a science in and of itself.

I can act suitably American if a case calls for it - I can give anyone my two cents, as it were - but it never comes naturally. I should like to build our partnership on trust, and leaving you second-guessing me would be unfair. I've seen Aislinn be honest to the point of bluntness towards others; and I somewhat envy her this trait.

Could you, say, remind me to stop spinning yarns and speak my mind, if the circumstances call for it in future?"

[TennyoCeres84]

The werewolf nodded and smirked playfully. "A time to reminisce, and a time to stop beating around the bush. I'll let you know when your lips should say what your mind wants to be heard," she agreed. "I'll be patient for you and act as your occasional teacher in the ways of modern romance."

[IamLEAM1983]

Archie smirked. "On the other hand, if there is anything one such as myself could teach you, my doors are open."

He briefly looked away and gathered his thoughts. "Hm, let's see... I can offer comprehensive rehearsals on Fae courtroom etiquette or remind you how the sequence of plates and utensils goes; I know my way around a few waltzes and my tango isn't too shoddy; I've beaten Shamus in kendo and that would be saying something; I know my way around a hodgepodge of Judo, Karate, Savate and Bartitsu compositions and can probably discuss opera or Classical music better than some of the teachers on campus..."

His smirked turned amusingly sheepish. "...but I cannot figure out our television screens for the life of me, the food processor Shamus forced me to purchase reminds me more of an automated gauntlet I've had to navigate in Kuala Lumpur than of anything related to food, and I feel a surge of panic if my computer locks up. Bloody hell, I'd give my life for the power to whack these machines with a good old pipe wrench to sort them out!"

[TennyoCeres84]

"Broadening my knowledge of martial arts wouldn't be a bad idea, to be honest," she admitted, then chuckling at his frustration with technology. "You do that, and there won't be much of much of a computer left! Take your time with the gadgets. Get one of the kids to explain it to you, or Gubbin in the case of the food processor. The software they've installed in tablets and smartphones has been simplified for even the most inexperienced user. I think it's just a general reluctance to at least accept things mostly don't work on analog anymore keeping you from handling them, no offense."

[IamLEAM1983]

"Oh, of course," lightly scoffed Archie, "nevermind the fact that tactile screens are ubiquitous but that nobody could have predicted their advent when this armature was built!"

Still, he hadn't verbalized honest anger. "It's - a niggle of mine, I'll confess. This new world is so focused on giving everyone a chance to broadcast something, anything at all, that those of us who value our discretion and intimacy are more or less put aside. I've had Wyvern's young mister Connor establish the Hall's social presence, as he puts it, and the idea of anonymous tips circulating without any prior verification bothers the diplomat in me. Pair that with the public's sudden fear that I might use your tax dollars to refurbish myself, and you are faced with a rather unenviable situation."

The spy lightly sighed. "To be entirely honest, if I'd been able to select my form of immortality prior to obtaining it, I would have gone with some form of vampirism. The Victorian approach towards Transhumanism was entirely utilitarian in its focus and extremely short-sighted, so thousands amongst my compatriots parted from their mortal coils only to fix some minor defect or another. Oh, and it was fashionable, too, so it was heavily advertised. Within a few short years, Naughton Armatures was no longer servicing the terminally ill, the blind or the deaf, and rather offered its products to the highest bidder. Men and women who had no need for my tools and no rational excuse threw their lives away on the notion that their sack of flesh was transitory.

Now, at the very least, the average consumer has choice in the matter. Defective eyes need only new retinas or corneas, or the rare complete replacement. One limb and one organ at a time is the way of things, now - but still I see people abuse this opportunity..."

He shrugged. "Theriomorphs like yourself have no fear of obsolescence, and vampires only grow more potent with age. I envy the lot of you, I suppose."

[TennyoCeres84]

Crystal scoffed. "Thank you for the acknowledgement, but all groups have their issues. And vampires don't have it easy, either. The older they get, the more room there is for superiority complexes happening. There's plenty of people who upgrade to a cybernetic body and sometimes end up losing all sense of themselves. They think just because they're made of metal they're above us all. Don't envy me, Archie, just stay in touch with the part that makes you human, okay?" she asked, her voice sounding slightly pleading.

[IamLEAM1983]

Without really thinking about it, Archie brought his other hand on top of his right one and Crystal's. "Oh, I wouldn't really worry about that if I were you," he replied, shrugging slightly. "After all, I am still attached to my floral waistcoats and my antiquated color schemes, I've more of an interest in pipes, books and violin partitions than in finding ways to run faster or hit enemies harder - and I am also on a date with yourself as we speak."

He smirked. "I doubt I'd have much care to give or anxieties to brew over tonight if I had forsaken my humanity. I haven't felt my beard grow or smelled my own body odor in centuries, but I daresay the important bits are still well in place."

The spy briefly looked around, as if others could eavesdrop. "If I had no cares to give, Crystal, I wouldn't have noticed your positively scandalous knees."

The way he'd said that, it stood as a sly tease and not as an accusation. "The old fussock I am was shocked, that much is true; but the socialite in me was intrigued, to say the least..."

[TennyoCeres84]

Crystal kept herself herself from snorting in amusement, but she still laughed heartily and fully at his comment. She then turned one of her legs to allow him to see one of the exposed knees. "Yes, I made sure they were all smooth, soft, and shaved for you," she replied, giving him a jokingly sultry expression.

[IamLEAM1983]

"Do you toy with all the men you've courted in such a manner, miss Lowell," he asked her on a jokingly defensive tone, "or do you simply have a thing for glorified, yet well-bred grandfather clocks on legs?"

Staying in the same joke's overall spirit, he shrugged. "After all, let's not call a duck a pig, hm? I am what I am, and what I am is a man for whom shoulders and knees have always been particularly fetching. And also a glorified grandfather clock on two legs."

They were soon interrupted by a young man in the typical black-on-white livery of waiters. "I'm sorry for interrupting you, but we were wondering if you'd like to order a drink..."

Immediately, Archie made an effort to regain at least a little bit of his usual composure. "We'd agreed on a Moscato, I believe?" he asked, sending Crystal a questing glance. "We could settle on the latest Gallo, of course - I hearsay California is now quite the vintner's paradise, compared to my last stretch spent alive - but I've always been rather partial to Moscato d'Asti, myself. The greater Piedmont region has been producing absolutely stunning whites for generations."

The waiter offered a helpful nod of the head. "We happen to have one or two bottles of Asti, sir. Bottled in the early two-thousands, if I'm not mistaken."

Again, Holden gave Lowell a questioning glance. "The choice is yours, my dear. Young and perhaps more familiar or venerable and worthy of discovery? How does the Deputy Chief of Green Island like her wine, hm?"

[TennyoCeres84]

The dark-haired woman gave him a subtle smirk and then responded, "I think the old, venerable bottle of Moscato sounds good. A little discovery never hurt anyone."