[open] // do what we must because we can

[fionnuisce]

Characters: Waver and open
Setting: Floor 27, cafeteria, dorm floors
Format: Either
Summary: Tea, science, and sleep are Waver's priorities. In that order.
Warnings: None yet.

[floor 27]

[Waver had spent the majority of his time in the laboratory; being the leader of the group researching the clear collar fluid, he might have felt obligated even if it didn't fascinate him. Luckily (for some value of the word), he was a researcher that often became utterly absorbed in his work to the point of forgetting everything else. 'Minor' things like sleeping and eating, for example.]

[Though he hid it the best he could, if the ponytail-wearing magus looked exhausted that was likely no one's imagination. Today he was looking over his own hastily-written notes and narrowing his eyes at the container of fluid itself as though it had perhaps insulted his mother, thin cloud of cigarette smoke hanging in the air in front of him.]

[cafeteria]

[It was a remarkably simple thing, tea. Last time it was available, Waver had taken quite a bit of it to store in his trunk (along with a whole lot of alcohol.)]

[Then, glamour failure. If asked for one petty thing Waver would never forgive the administrators for, he would always answer with that.]

[Needless to say, he'd finally dragged himself away from his work long enough to enjoy the shift in provisions. Today in the cafeteria one could find a magus in a black and green suit sitting by himself, looking over near-incomprehensible notes with a cup of tea in his hand.]

[And if one happens upon him in the evening, it's likely he's minding his own business and leaving with a bottle of wine or two, liquid mercury maid trailing a step behind him.]

[dorm floors]

[Only at some ungodly hour did Waver finally give up for the night and leave the laboratory, Volumen Hydragyrum behind him carrying two bottles of wine. If he was willing to stop at all, it was likely he'd reached his physical limit or damn near to it. Sure enough, it had been several days since he slept a full night--or slept, period. As a result Waver was pale and walking just a little unsteadily, but at least he didn't seem ready to drop dead.]

[Drop into a coma when he got to his room, sure. But not drop dead.]

Comments

[fionnuisce]

A shapeshifter? That's certainly something different--is it magical in nature or were you always able to do that?

[Waver was at the very least making a conscious effort not to make Rick any more uncomfortable, but he had to admit the concept was an interesting one.]

[bashfulshifter]

[At some point during this transaction, Rick has distributed the wine and pushed one glass towards Waver. He takes the opportunity to sample his own and is quite happy with the results.]

[In any case, he shrugs.] ...N-Neither? I m-mean...my s-scientist f-friend never s-said a-anything about m-magic. [And Rick never would have had the nerve to call the genius wrong.] B-But I w-wasn't a-always able to sh--shift. It's...k-kind of a l-long story.

[fionnuisce]

I have time, if you're willing to tell it. [Waver took a drink himself, trying not to look too interested for fear of scaring the poor guy off.]

Or if it would help, we could sit here trading information so neither of us is the only one talking the other's ear off.

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick takes another sip and seems relatively nonchalant, raising his eyebrows over his glass.]

Y-Your c-call, Waver. You're g-good enough c-c-company that I d-don't m-mind either way.

[fionnuisce]

I don't mind one way or the other. But it strikes me that we don't particularly know much about each other, and I'd at least like to be on some level of familiarity with those that are working with me.

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick smiles and shrugs.]

...C-Can't a-argue with that. I'm, um...s-sorry I c-couldn't g-get to know you b-better when we m-met the f-first time.

[When all this mess started...seems like such ages ago. Then again, last month lasted an eternity on its own.]

[fionnuisce]

I won't take it personally. It's not as though I'm often very forward with information about myself, anyway.

[Waver shrugged, obviously not thinking much of it.]

Where I come from, that sort of thing is best kept secret.

[bashfulshifter]

...I u-understand. [He nods.] I'm...not s-sure what w-would h-happen if I t-told p-people back h-home what I can do. I g-guess we a-a-assumed it was b-better to k-keep our p-powers s-secret.

[fionnuisce]

Are most people just ordinary humans where you're from?

[bashfulshifter]

Y-Yeah, I th--think so. I g-guess we'd be the 'o-ordinary' ones o-otherwise, r-right?

[fionnuisce]

Good point. There's no small amount of ordinary people in my own world--while magi are a considerably sized society of their own, they're incredibly secretive and hardly a massive part of the human population.

[bashfulshifter]

[Nod nod.]

...The w-way things were l-looking, b-before...b-before I l-left, ah...there m-might've b-been more l-like us than w-we thought. We j-just...n-never thought to g-get t-together. No r-reason.

[fionnuisce]

That's actually pretty interesting. So you weren't aware of each other just because you never happened to cross paths?

[bashfulshifter]

...S-Something l-like that, yes. [He gives his chin a thoughtful scratch.] There's, ah...also p-people l-like me that...d-don't really know they h-have p-powers until l-later. Or c-could h-have powers, but n-never a-actually get them. It's...k-kind of w-weird.

[fionnuisce]

I think I understand the concept. I'm honestly interested--what kind of shapeshifting are you actually capable of?

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick is once again very embarrassed about being on the spot, but he seems to have settled into this conversation more comfortably than he was, say, five minutes ago. The good wine seems to be helping.]

Um...the v-very s-s-specific kind. [More pondering. There has to be a better way to phrase this.] --I m-mean, I can t-turn into a-animals. J-Just a few, though.

[fionnuisce]

Really? That's something I've definitely never heard of before. I mean, it's common for a magus to use animals as familiars, but changing into one is a whole other matter. Even if it's just a few, what are we talking about here?

[bashfulshifter]

[He goes silent as he takes inventory. It doesn't take long.]

...Five. F-Five forms. Not c-counting my own, of c-course.

[fionnuisce]

So what kind of animals are they? If it's not prying to ask.

[bashfulshifter]

N-No, it's f-fine. Ah...w-well, there's a...cat, dog, h-horse, t-tiger, and...d-dinosaur.

[He takes a pensive sip of wine.]

...The l-last one's...k-kind of h-hard to e-explain, I know.

[fionnuisce]

...You would be amazed by the kind of things I'll believe without an explanation at this point.

[bashfulshifter]

...P-Point taken.

[fionnuisce]

Frankly, I almost wish something that unusual surprised me. As it stands I think I'm just impressed.

[bashfulshifter]

Um... [He chuckles.] ...I'm...f-flattered, I think. I-I'm...I h-have to a-admit, if it d-deals with the T-Tower, I'd r-rather not be s-s-surprised by it.

[fionnuisce]

Valid point, now that you mention it. Surprises at this point are likely a universally terrible thing.