Recon like you meant it

Kat had sadly taken a vacation. Since Arriving in Nachton, she had yet to visit any of the likely places but most probably lacking a cursed legendary artifact. She'd lost herself a bit in the sensual orgy that was the Abby, and in the freedoms she had here in America that were not necessarily available in Europe. She found herself indulging in all manners of debauchery for days at a time only to stumble home and pass out on her bed for twenty four hours or longer and get up, shower and do it again. It was not the best showing of her maker, but it seemed to her that it was acceptable here in Nachton, so long as she followed the "don't get caught" rule. She did not begrudge or regret this time, but it was now time to get back on the right path.

You and your damn paths I would have been happy staying right where we were.


"I know, but life must go on Michael." She parked the little car from the airport a few blocks down from her intended target and stood on the sidewalk, just looking at the building. It was a nice building and could hold the La Maldición del Príncipe, if it there was anyone crazy enough to keep it there. She always marveled at museums that kept such things, like the Hope Diamond and the Shroud of Turin, they were just asking for trouble.

Depressing the button that armed the alarm, she walked away, thinking that when she was finished here, she'd go see a man about a bike. As she approached she scanned the exterior, noting windows, doors and building height as it appeared on the outside.

As she approached the doors, she looked down at herself and shrugged, hopefully it would pass muster. She'd dressed less like a jewel thief and more like a regular person, skinny black jeans, silk tunic top printed with butterflies, little black sweater, and black sandals. It was a mix of spring and winter, like the weather.

She pulled open the doors and stepped into the hushed interior. It was a nice place and made her fingers itchy. Chuckling at herself, she stepped left and began to look around at what was there.

Drew 14 years ago
"Sooooo... no bikinis? Or just bikinis on European beaches?"Â?

OK not his best line ever, but it wasn't too bad. Drew was guessing at the European thing, but she didn't look Asian, African or South American so it seemed like a good guess.

He laughed at the face she made.


"I agree."Â?

He noticed something caught her attention and it bruised his ego... well his ego thought about bruising... he wasn't totally captivating. At least this wasn't his A game, Drew consoled himself with that idea.

"Find something more your speed? Mind sharing?"Â?

He'd take a bit of a walk about with her, if she wanted. If he got shot down, he'd float back to Reign. Who would, undoubtedly, laugh at him.
Kat 14 years ago
He made her laugh. She wasn't usually in a situation where flirting was simply conversation, it generally had an ulterior motive. This was a great deal of fun and the voices were notably quiet. She was a bit worried, but not enough to poke at it.

"I've been known to wear a bikini now and again, though they aren't always required on the beaches I prefer."

A meal was easy to snag on the nude beaches in Europe, the women were there to be seen and the men watched, making it easy to slide up behind one and take her meal unseen.

"I've no idea, but it seems like it might be a bit more interesting than the giant painting."

Kat offered him a grin, and lead them over to the enclosure that had caught her eye, with in it were metal serving dishes. She would need to get her hands on them to tell what kind of metal, but they were lovely to look at nonetheless. The little plaque in front of the box, spoke to them being every day objects, as they had been left behind in a home. That interested her a bit, the scroll work and attention to detail would have you think they were precious items, but perhaps they had lovelier things to use for special occasions. Interesting, perhaps she should pay a visit to Pompeii.

"I find some of this interesting, but we already know what happened in Pompeii. I prefer my art and artifacts with a bit of mystery attached."

She chuckled softly, it was nice to speak the truth, in fact she'd not had to speak a single lie to this young man since meeting him. She wondered how long that would hold up.
Miya 14 years ago
Miya concluded that whatever had made her suspicious was just her overactive imagination. They were just kids having some fun, with an interest in the past which so few did these days. She gathered up her papers and folders into a neat little pile and headed towards the service hallway that would cut between the exhibits and get her to her office in half the time it would take if she had to go through or around the current exhibits. With a grateful sigh she leaned against the wall of her office for a long minute, trying to figure out what had bothered her. She really wasn't sure. Maybe she just needed to go out again. She hadn't been out since that time she got drunk and ended up in a cab outside her apartment. She wasn't really sure how she had ended up there from the club but that really didn't matter.

She glanced over at the clock on the wall. Only another hour or two of work to be endured. Miya really did like her job but some nights it was something to be endured rather than enjoyed. She thought about asking security to keep an eye on those kids, but thought better of it. She was just being paranoid.

ooc: Miya out <3
Drew 14 years ago
That caught him off guard and Drew quite unsophisticatedly let his mouth fall open for a second. Fortunately, he got himself back under control right quick. Not quick enough apparently because he saw Reign rolling her eyes at him and apparently right on the edge of laughter. It was his fault he'd been surprised!

"I haven't found any beaches like that around here... I mean... er..."Â?

Drew gave up and gave her one of his most endearing smiles. Some times, you scored points for being awkward though. He wondered how long that would last, you probably out grew it at some point. But he wasn't going to dwell on it. Instead, he just followed her over to the dishes.

"So are we talking King Tut's curse or mysterious Mayans and the end of the world in 2012?"Â?
Kat 14 years ago
A wicked little grin curled her lips, as she delighted in his awkwardness. "We could always set a precedent."

Tapping the glass lightly, she chuckled softly "The Mayans were no more mysterious than any other ancient culture, and they were not the first to predict the end of the world. Did you know that people have been giving detail descriptions of time and date for the end of the world since before there was recorded history?"

Kat wrinkled her nose, at her own verbosity. "Sorry about that, culture fascinates me."

She turned and leaned a hip on the display case, garnering a look of disdain from a docent. "I'm really talking about things like the Hope Diamond or King Solomon's ring. Things with history and perhaps a curse attached."
Drew 14 years ago
"But could we get the zoning laws passed."Â?

Drew was having fun with this, and apparently, his awkwardness hadn't totally gotten him thrown out. Ten points to the lady for having taste.

"I've never figured out why people are so keen to predict the end of existence."Â?

His own people had their legends and predictions and he'd run across numerous others in his studies. Maybe, if he ever bothered to enroll in a PhD program, he could write a dissertation about the end of the world.

"As long as you stick to this kind of culture and not opera and ballet I can stay on board with that."Â?

Drew grinned, not minding her own little bit of rambling at all. It was kind of cute.

"Less of an Indiana Jones girl and more of an Oceans Twelve?"Â?

Reign was addicted to those movies. And he had to admit they weren't too bad. Well Twelve was terrible but with the Faberge egg, it was the only one that fit the scenario here.

"Do you stick strictly to the shiny things with curses or have you branched out in to totems and fetishes?"Â?
Kat 14 years ago
Her hip left the display case, when the annoyed little man started towards them. She offered him a grin and gave Drew a shrug. "From my point of view it seems that the human frailty frightens us as one and so we try to comfort ourselves with the knowledge that yes the world will end, but look how long from now that will be. See we're perfectly safe."

Kat wrinkled her nose again. "The stuffed shirt set can keep their ballet and opera, I'd much rather see a man on a street corner do dime store magic."

Laughing again, she shifted her weight a bit closer to Drew, not invading his personal space, but just on the fringe of the bubble. "Indiana Jones was a bit of a hack, and lucked into his finds and just barely escaped with his life."

She gave the young man another shrug, "As for Ocean's Twelve, I haven't the foggiest idea what you're talking about."

Something devious entered her eyes for a moment, Peter called her a panther when it happened, as it changed her eyes from innocent to stalker in an instant. It left just as quickly as it came and she scrunched her face in a cute little grin to hide it the best she could. "What can I say? I'm a girl, I like the shiny things."
Drew 14 years ago
"Sounds like the glass being half empty to me. Have to enjoy what you have while you have it."Â?

She had a bit of it too. Drew tried not to take yet another look at Kat.

Damned, he'd gone through a bit of a phase with magic when he was a kid. He -knew- he should have kept it up. Baseball had just been so much more interesting, well baseball, basketball and just about anything else that got him outside.


"Hey don't sell the good Doctor short, they just cut out the research to give the Nazi's more screen time. Although,"Â? He paused for a second, thinking, "The last movie sucked."Â?

Drew answered her shrug with one of his own.

"Bad guys, art theft Faberge eggs. It wasn't that good a flick, I wouldn't worry about it."Â?

Catching just a bit of the grin, it was sort of infectious, intriguing even.

"Nothing wrong with shiny..."Â?
Kat 14 years ago
She lifted an eyebrow at him. "In my experience, nothing goes nearly as smoothly or blithely wrong as what Doctor Jones encounters. The world is just not that...neat, or that brilliantly dramatic. I've not once come in contact with a boulder the size of a Buick rolling down a slope specifically designed to crush whatever mortal is in its way."

As she speaks, both Michael and Magdalene were screaming at her 'Stop! Stop! Oh good God girl what are you doing?' It was only when she stopped that she realized what she'd said. Oh well, it was said and couldn't be unsaid and it wasn't like she'd just told Drew her real occupation, nor that she was currently in the middle of just such an endeavor.

Grinning she tucked her hands in her pockets.


"That doesn't sound like the best plot for a film, I agree."

With a tilt of her head toward the entrance of the exhibit, she took a step toward it. "Care to go see if they have anything shiny in this joint?"
Drew 14 years ago
"You're a digger!"Â?

Drew said with a slight accusation. His own interpretation of her words placed Kat in his field. That was good, something about archeology girls was always hot. He didn't know why that was and didn't care to figure it out either. As it was, he looked at her eagerly for more details.

"What was your last site?"Â?

OK right, he might find this sexy but not every one did and it was hard to flirt while talking shop so Drew did his best to knock it off. A feat made easier when she tried to entice him away.

Crap. Reign. He didn't feel too bad separating from her, but to put it bluntly, she'd driven and he had no way home with out her. Now, how to put this while still sounding cool?


"One second."Â?

Pulling out his phone he dashed off a quick text to Reign, "Looking for shiny things, don't leave with out me! BRB."Â?

"OK I'm game, where shall we start?"Â?

Of course right about then he heard his pack mate's unmistakable, and slightly loud, laugh. Hell everyone in the exhibit had heard it. Drew cringed a little. But at least she was laughing and not as likely to leave him here. He really didn't want to run back to the Den tonight.
Dana 14 years ago
Kat crossed her arms in mock indignation. "I am not a digger." She gave him a small pout, before she gave up and laughed. She was not an archeologist, but she could pretend to be just about anything and she knew enough about anthropology to fake it.

"I've been doing work in Southern and Eastern France."


She watched with a slightly lifted eyebrow as he pulled out his phone and flew his fingers over the tiny buttons. Her phone didn't have nearly so many buttons and fascinated, she decided it was time for a new phone.

"Probably..." The laughter startled her, and she, like everyone else, swiveled her head to look at the woman Drew had come in with. She blinked once, the turned back to Drew.

"Um, probably the upstairs galleries would provide the most likely places."

As she started out of the exhibit, she leaned her head a bit closer to Drew's and whispered. "What did you say to her?"
Kat 14 years ago
Kat crossed her arms in mock indignation. "I am not a digger." She gave him a small pout, before she gave up and laughed. She was not an archeologist, but she could pretend to be just about anything and she knew enough about anthropology to fake it.

"I've been doing work in Southern and Eastern France."


She watched with a slightly lifted eyebrow as he pulled out his phone and flew his fingers over the tiny buttons. Her phone didn't have nearly so many buttons and fascinated, she decided it was time for a new phone.

"Probably..." The laughter startled her, and she, like everyone else, swiveled her head to look at the woman Drew had come in with. She blinked once, the turned back to Drew.

"Um, probably the upstairs galleries would provide the most likely places."

As she started out of the exhibit, she leaned her head a bit closer to Drew's and whispered. "What did you say to her?"
Drew 14 years ago
"What's wrong with digging?!"Â?

He protested. Well it did get a bit tricky when there were sacred sites involved. It was an issue Drew didn't have a good answer for, fortunately it didn't seem to be something they were going to peruse.

"Medieval or Roman?"Â?

He asked eagerly. Both would be equally cool. God he was a geek wasn't he? Some day he was going to be cool and not go all academic on people. Maybe if he actually applied for that PhD program he'd get some of it out of his system.

"I like this plan. Even though I have -no- idea what's up there."Â?

He said with an infectious grin and gallantly offered his arm to Kat. At least Drew thought it was gallant... ish.

"Er... nothing really. She has an odd sense of humor is all."Â?
Kat 14 years ago
"Renaissance actually." She gave him a half shrug. "I know, I know, not the most glamorous of assignments, but if you're getting paid, you really just do what is asked."

Kat slid her hand into the crook of his elbow, this was not an unfamiliar thing for her, as Peter had often taken her hand in such a way, at parties, outings and other such things when they were together. "Nor, do I, so we shall discover together."

Her grin was easy and only grew when he described his friend. Kat could relate to odd senses of humor, as she had one of those herself. They crossed out of the Pompeii exhibit and back into the foyer, Kat took a swift look around and then lead them over to the stairs and they started up.

"So, Drew, what is it you do? Since you now know what it is I do."


((ooc: Hope it was ok to move you about let me know if it wasn't and I'll change it.))
Drew 14 years ago
"Ouch. Who'd you piss off to get that job?"Â?

It was too clean and well documented for Drew's taste. He liked his history and digs a little rougher.

Oh god, they were going to go exploring. Drew hopped that Kat had a good sense of direction and that Reign wouldn't leave without him.


"I hope they have those little 'you are here' signs."Â?

Maybe he should have grabbed one of those pamphlets with a map on it. Too late now. So Drew just allowed himself to be lead up stairs.

"I'm interning at Meridian's archives. And debating the wisdom of going after a PhD. Sounds exciting doesn't it?"Â?


((OOC... nah no worries))
Kat 14 years ago
"You don't want to know." A small laugh escaped her. "There are however, a great many cursed and mysterious objects that straddle the line between the medieval period and the Renaissance. I study how the legend is affected by the change in era and, if I can, locate the artifact."


Kat gave his arm a little pat with her free hand. "Don't worry, I have a keen sense of direction and I will get you back down to the lobby in one piece, and with out being chased by giant boulders or burly security guards."

She gestured with the same hand in a well-maybe kind of way. "Ok, I can't guarantee the guard thing, but I will get you back to where we started." She offered him a grin.

She'd come across Meridian in her research on Nachton, but most of what she'd read left her with a vague sort of umbrella corporation vibe. Perhaps she was wrong.


"There is nothing wrong with continuing your education to its very limits."


They made it to the top of the stairs and began to follow the walk way past the nearly floor to ceiling art.
Drew 14 years ago
Drew looked dubious. Truthfully, European history wasn't his favorite. Why go over seas when you could find so many perfectly lovely mysteries right here?

"Do I need to worry about your fascination with curses? You're not a witch are you?"Â?

He grinned. It didn't bother him though, not really. It was the same reason people read true crime books. And what kind of historian/archeologist type wasn't driven by mystery? Some people wondered about the basic 'who, where, when, why and hows' of life some dug the more extreme and you could learn from both.

"Damned it. I was counting on bolder dodging today. I make it a point to do it three times a week and I've only gotten one good dodge in. Guards... yeah chivalry is dead. If you touch the paintings I'm totally telling them."Â?

Without thinking it, he sighed and rolled his eyes. Why did everyone think he needed another set of letters after his name? Even near strangers.

"That's what I've heard. And heard... and heard..."Â?

He managed to spin his initial irritation into good-natured frustration.
Kat 14 years ago
Kat tilted her head and gave him a considering look. "I guess that would depend on you staying on my good side."

Laughter bubbled up and she gave him a small shove with her hip. "That isn't fair. I wouldn't find a guard and tell on you. But if you pick something up, that is fair game."


She was immensely enjoying Drew's company and was rather glad to have come out to the museum today. It was rare for her to make an acquaintance and then remain in their company, but Drew seemed to have gotten past her guard, at least for now.

"Then we'll talk no more of it. You seem capable of making the choices that suit you best."

She smiled at him, then stopped to study a particularly lovely painting. It was small, not more than ten or twelve inches tall and eight or ten across, and was of a young girl crouched on the sand, looking at a jelly fish as the waves inched closer. The colors were rich and vibrant, and the brush strokes minimal. She didn't recognize the artist on the placard nearby, but then American Artists were not her forte.
Drew 13 years ago
"Note to self don't offend the lady."Â?

He grinned a bit and enjoyed the laughter. Apparently, he was being witty, or at least entertaining. That was an encouraging sign.

"OK I won't tell on you... but if they ask I'll give you up. Sound better?"Â?

Drew twisted her words about a bit. It almost sounded like they were planning to steal something. This was a good game so far.

He heaved a sigh of relief when Kat decided not to peruse the whole PhD thing. Far too many people were on him about that. He'd gotten a letter from home the other day and Reign found a way to bring it up at least once a week.

Drew watched her as she studied the small painting. It wasn't quite his taste but he could see where it was well executed. Kat seemed to enjoy it.


"Nasty things, jelly fish."Â?
Kat 13 years ago
She grinned at him again. "Deal."


Kat leaned forward and tilted her head away from Drew she studied the painting, then looked up at him from her lower position. "Yes, but I didn't really notice it until you pointed it out. This artist has a economic hand. There's only a single layer of paint here." She glanced at the placard again. "She is a master, but a fearless one."

Straightening slowly, she shrugged. "Sorry, I was an artist in a past life."

With a glance down the gallery, she noted the roped off doors, and the alcove that must lead into another gallery. Her palms itched at the thought of what might be in that room, and she moved her fingers over her palms. "Shall me continue on?"