Oh Yeah. You Blend. (Attn: Cris)

Kem watched Alex approach Grisha. He chuckled at Cris's words, noting that Cris did not actually avert his eyes.

"It's like a train wreck," Kem said affably. "You just have to watch."

When Cris added that he'd be duty bound to arrest Grisha for any hypothetical murder, Kem snorted into his coffee cup. "Well at least no one would be surprised," he pointed out with a complete lack of sympathy. "After all, you arrested your own husband and jailed him for, what was it again? Something to do with raccoons, I think. And grenades. Very serious."

He smiled a little bit at the memory. "You definitely won't be able to avoid jailing Grisha for murder. Not if you want to keep your reputation intact."

He watched as Alex wisely backed away from the ferret and moved onto a vaguely familiar man. A doctor friend of Rowan's, he thought. A researcher. He passed him now and then at Meridian. Landon something.

Kem chuckled as Alex teased the man with his drink stirrer and then his spoon. Landon didn't seem to mind, although Kem figured he had to know he was being played. Sure enough, he spoke into thin air and Rowan was blamed for the drink-stirring anomaly. Kem supposed the doctor's glamour could help him prank someone this way... perhaps it had been used in a similar fashion before.

He leaned in toward Cris when Alex finally headed back toward them. "I think you may have corrupted him already. He looks like he's having fun."

"Something like that.” Cris muttered as he watched the tiny screen. He wasn't sure if he was watching in morbid fascination or to make sure that he didn't need to jump up and take the blame.

Kem mentioned that he had indeed arrested Rowan for his part in the raccoon assault on The Towers. "Well at least Shaweh has forgiven me for arresting Aishe. I am pretty sure that raccoon could hold a mean grudge.”

It seemed that he wouldn't be able to keep from jailing Grisha if it came to that. He knew his Creator wasn't likely to be that extreme but his past experience with the man might make him want to arrest Grisha if he gave Alex too hard a time so he watched carefully, ready to jump in.

But, as the scene played out on the tablet, Grisha blamed Scoop for the little trick. The ferret knew different and stated so clearly, well clearly to his Creator at least. His father must be going soft in his old old age because he pretended nothing at all happened and then went back to his book.

"Hmmph, I would never have gotten away with that.” He murmured, affronted like the older child who had paved the way to nicer calmer parents for a younger sibling.

Alex wisely moved away from the ferret and chose another target. He snickered softly at his friend's luck as another vampire was chosen. What were the odds, even here?

This little joke was more successful and when Landon seemed only mildly confused and not at all angry, he continued to the trick. Cris had to laugh when Rowan was blamed for the entire little exchange.

Kem stated that clearly he had been a bad influence because Alex seemed to be enjoying his time being mischievous. "I had to get to him before Alfarinn completely corrupted him. We will not recognize him as the same innocent young man in a few centuries.”

Cris turned and smiled at his son in law. "At least Aishe was predisposed to mischief.” He dared Kem to deny it.

Gesturing to a seat, he smiled at Alex. [Come have a coffee with us. You have earned it. Wait till I tell Rowan that you got him in trouble. That was double the fun with the same trick.]

Kem set his cup down and raised his eyebrows at Cris. "You do recall that Shawe's short term memory lasts about an hour, and his long term memory is nonexistent, yes? You were forgiven almost immediately by default."

His soft smile ghosted across his lips. Maybe he exaggerated, but not by much. Even so, Shawe clearly adored Cris. No way could he hold a grudge against one of his favorite people.

He laughed again as Cris harrumphed at the fact that Alexander apparently managed to get away from Grisha unscathed, and then held his hands up in deference when Cris turned to him about Alfarinn and Aishe.

"Between you and Alfarinn we won't recognize him next week," Kem said. "Clearly your long life has skewed your perception of time. And yes, Aishe came with the mischief gene built in. I'm pretty sure it was her idea to break into the freaking pyramids at Giza at midnight. I can't blame that on any post-turning anomaly."

He smiled at the memory, watching the camera image of Alex heading toward them. Kem was tempted to further mess with Landon's spoon but that would make it very clear that Rowan was innocent if the man was familiar with Rowan's abilities... or at the least, that Rowan wasn't acting alone. And Kem wasn't about to let the redhead get off that easily... poor Rowan. Not getting off easily, and he hadn't done a single damn thing wrong.

Alex was relieved when Cris asked him to come back to the table and join them. He'd been concentrating pretty hard on doing everything he had to do, and he hadn't dropped his blending yet since coming upstairs but he was getting tired... not physically... but man, his brain hurt or something.

[On my way. Poor Rue. I should 'fess up so he doesn't get in trouble.]

He turned off toward Barney's and, with a little sigh, allowed his blending to drop when he was out of the way in the corner. Well really it probably fell to the floor with an audible thud. Alex rubbed his forehead, headed into the shop, and soon returned with a vanilla latte. He took a seat next to Cris and rested his elbows on the table, then dropped his cheek onto his arm and closed his eyes.

"Whew. Please tell me that's going to get easier with practice," he said. "It was sort of like... I don't know. Swimming or something, there at the end. Like there was some resistance or something."

Alex wasn't unfamiliar with physical activity, obviously. He knew what is what like to exercise muscles you hadn't used in a while and that was sort of how his grey matter felt at the moment. He sure hoped Cris could give him some reassurance on that count though... he'd hate to think it was always going to be that hard. But he thought, for barely 24 hours old, he was doing all right.

"Perhaps.” Cris smiled, thinking that Shawe wasn't your average raccoon and if the little guy wanted to exact revenge then he could wait as long as it took. "I am happy to be in his good graces. I will endeavor to remain there by supplying him with plenty of shiny toys.”

Taking a sip of his drink, Cris peered over at Kem. "My furry little grandson keeps me busy.” Not that he was ever in danger of not having anything to do.

He smiled at the thought of corrupting Alex beyond recognition. That was impossible; he was certain. "I believe he just has more mischief in him than he realized. Now is the first time that he has felt safe enough to express it. As is the case with many things. I think soon we will be seeing the real Alex.” Cris looked down at the camera and pondered his friend. "The person Alex himself is getting to know.”

Over the short time that he had known Alex, his friend had become more open and more confident around The Towers, in general, but even more noticeably with his friends. No one condemned him for his lifestyle, choice of partner, fashion or hobbies here. People were happy to see him, respected him as a teacher and saw him as a successful business owner. Alex was slowly shrugging off the weight of his family's disapproval. Cris figured that with Alfarinn becoming another positive influence and with Alex's newly made vampire status that they would see even more change for the positive.

Raising his eyebrows at Kem, he leaned forward. "I have not heard this story. You are going to have to share.” Aishe was definitely a force to be reckoned with and she had always had a fun loving sense of adventure. Cris approved of all that spunk tied up in a tiny package.

Alex sent that he should confess to his mischief making so that Rowan didn't get into trouble with Landon. Cris smiled and sent back. [I think he would prefer to take credit and then be all enigmatic about it or act completely innocent. One never knows with Rowan.] Which was one of the things that made being around his redhead so entertaining.

The mischief maker returned to them unblended after getting himself something to drink.

"Yes, it gets much easier to use with practice. Right now I am sure it is very taxing because you are having to concentrate so hard to use it. Later it will be easier to slip in and out of it and to maintain it while concentrating on other things.”

Cris smiled and lifted his mug. "Kem was just about to tell us a story."

Alex was already headed back toward them so, knowing vampire hearing was ever so much keener than human, Kem simply sent to Cris, [I can't wait to see what personality comes out, but I don't think he's going to evolve too very far from the sweet quiet Alex we know.]

Cris was right, Alexander was already far more at ease than he'd been when they all met. Kem looked forward to seeing him continue in that vein but he didn't think anything would change Alex's sweet nature.

When Alex did rejoin them Kem chuckled. "It's not that big a deal," he said, letting himself slip into the facade of good-natured grumbling embarrassment. "It's my fault for wanting to impress her. Or something."

He took a sip of his drink and then shrugged. "She had been working into the evenings a lot, and I was starting to figure out it was because she wanted to see me. And I wanted to see her too. It's really damn hard to date someone like that."

He shook his head, remembering their first chance meeting, which had led to several more 'chance' meetings which soon became not-so-chance meetings, always just after dusk, the earliest Kem could get outside.

"She had made a comment about working at the Pyramids and not having had a chance to be a tourist. And then she said something like she'd have to break several government laws in order to get into them."

He grinned. "So we broke several government laws, and I took her up to the top of the pyramid. But I didn't want to admit I was afraid of heights. I mean, who wants to let their date know they're terrified that early on? I figured I could handle it."

Kem's lips twisted up wryly. "But damn, they're high. Really, really high. I totally froze. Aishe had to help me down." He held up his index finger, making a point. "Which was only fair, considering it was sort of her fault we were up there to begin with."

Alex slumped in his seat with a soft sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," he said when Cris reassured him that blending would get easier. "I'll practice. A lot. I don't like feeling like my head's full of mush. I'm behind the curve as it is, I don't need a handicap."

He was happy to have the spotlight on Kem instead of himself, and he sat siping his own drink as Kem detailed his failed attempt to impress Aishe by following her to the top of the Pyramid of Giza when he was terrified of heights.

He chuckled, but it was sympathetic. Alex was prideful himself, he knew it, and he'd have cut off an arm or a leg before admitting to weakness and accepting help for it. "I probably would have gone up too, to impress Eiryk," he admitted. "How did she get you down though? I mean, she couldn't carry you."

Maybe now she could, but Alex knew Aishe had been human then. So she must have come up with some other way to get her admittedly frozen date off the top of the pyramid. He raised an eyebrow at Kem, waiting.

Kem sighed. "She blindfolded me," he said, heat rising in his cheeks, "so I couldn't see how high up we were. And then she sat me down and made me slide down. On my ass. The entire way."

Alex couldn't help laughing, and he suspected that in spite of his apparent embarrassment, Kem didn't mind either. "That's brilliant," he said. "I'll have to remember that just in case."

[No, I do not think so either.] Cris sent Kem in return. [He is a good person by nature; that isn't likely to change without some serious hardship and trauma but I do believe we will see a more open, comfortable Alex as the years go on.] Who knows maybe Alex will take over his vampire father's role as Evenhet heart throb in a few more decades.

Cris idly wondered if it had occurred to Alex that he would find himself in front of cameras from time to time while being in the presence of Arin Bjorn.

Alex sat down and promised to practice. "Good. It is a very handy ability to have. I had hoped that Aishe would be able to do it also but instead she is able to see pretty colours and talk to raccoons.” He sighed and then smiled. "Something practical and life saving would have made me feel a little more comfortable as a father. But perhaps an army of angry raccoons could work.”

Kem told his story which was sweet, humorous and adorable. He could easily imagine the two of them climbing to the top of the ancient pyramid in the middle of the night. He could also imagine how hard it would be for Kem to get down. "Creative and resourceful, that is my daughter.” Cris smiled and patted Kem on the shoulder. "I am sure she loved the vulnerable human side of you just as much as the brave side that got you up to the top in the first place.”

Pointing a finger at Alex, he put on a stern face. "No climbing The Towers to impress Eiryk. We all can guess how that would end up. May I suggest something safer, with padding. Maybe fighting with nerf weapons?” He raised his eyebrows hopefully. "Alfarinn can teach you some new moves with a heavier sword or an axe or... probably just about anything else you might care to pick up. A tankard? He is very good with that weapon.”

Kem just smiled and shook his head as Cris spoke. He chuckled at the army of raccoons. "She really does have an army of them. She's spent the last year or so encouraging them to find new homes."

That was the truth. With Aishe around reminding the little creatures not to cross the roads, not to do many dangerous things, and the fact that neither she nor Kem could bear to see them suffering from flea infestations, tick bites, or potential rabies, there was a thriving and very long-lived raccoon population behind their house that now stretched well out into the suburbs outside Nachton.

Kem shrugged at Cris. "She loves whatever it is she sees and that's good enough for me." He smiled serenely. Being bonded to Aishe meant he never went a moment without knowing how she felt. To someone with Kem's odd insecurities that was profoundly comforting. It was one thing to hear someone say they loved you; another altogether to actually feel, even beneath every petty argument or bad day or whatever, that the love was still there.

Cris continued to suggest several activities for Alex that made it apparent he was every bit as protective of their new vampire as he was of his own daughter.

"So... nerf weapons are all right but so are swords, axes, and tankards?"

Kem just smiled and shook his head. "You're too late, anyway. We've all seen Alex try to skewer Rowan with a foil and no one's been hurt yet."

Alex raised his eyebrows at Cris in surprise. "It never even occurred to me to try climbing the Towers. Now I'll have to give it some thought."

He smiled sweetly at his friend, and the smile grew as Cris continued to be overprotective. It made Alex warm. People who cared about him. Who knew? He had to nod at Kem though, for pointing out that he and Rowan had thus far survived fencing. Cris had been there plenty of times, himself.

"I still have both my eyes. And Rowan was absolutely fine after that one time I broke his wrist. Accidentally."

Second or third lesson, Alex couldn't remember. All he knew was that they'd fumbled and Alex had flailed and Rowan had swung his arm wide and there'd been a crack and then he'd gotten to watch the doctor poke with amusement at his own broken bone, which had healed in a matter of minutes.

"I want to try getting poked though," Alex said, his eyes wide even if his face went a little pale at the prospect. "I mean I could get stabbed and I'd just heal, huh? That's crazy."

He already knew firsthand that he'd heal. Hadn't he already recovered from having a tumor removed and some of the bone on his femur? And he was as good as new. Only slightly more than a week had passed.

He watched Cris's reaction; Alex was only half-kidding, trying to get a rise out of the smaller man. He was a little curious. "Maybe, I don't know, you could teach me some stuff too. I'd love to learn how to brawl, I guess, and fencing is a lot of fun. But you and Rue, you both like other things too that maybe you could show me some time."

Alex was hesitant to bring it up because he couldn't really see it happening, a day that he'd need to know,but he supposed he should have the capability to defend himself. Even if he was even more capable now just by virtue of what he was.

"I mean, maybe if you guys had the time you could teach me how to shoot."

Alex knew both Cris and Rowan could handle guns. Hell, Rowan had once told him more than he'd ever needed to know about flintlocks. How to pack a ball into a rifle. How to fire a cannon. Alex should maybe consider putting some of that knowledge to use, right?

"So long as that home is not Meridian.” Cris said. One raccoon guest was plenty, a family of them residing at The Towers would likely be several raccoons too many.

He glowered at Alex who said that he hadn't ever given any thought to climbing the buildings but now he would have to give it some thought. "Think about taking the elevator.”

Kem seemed to not understand why real swords and tankards would be okay if he was advocating nerf weapons. Then he pointed out that Alex and Rowan had been fighting for a while and they were both still mostly unharmed. "Silly Elder, you think it is Alex that I am worried about?” Cris shook his head. "That is Alfarinn's job now. I am worried about my precious fortress.” He gestured around him.

However, he proved that he did indeed still care about Alex's welfare when the man suggested that he could safely be skewered and that he wanted to try it. Cris frowned at his friend. "There is plenty of time for that. I am sure it will happen eventually. There is no need to hasten it along.”

Alex asked to be taught how to shoot. At that Cris smiled. "I would be more than happy to teach you. Big weapons or small, long distance, short range, quick draw, trick shots. Perhaps we will start with loading a pistol and pointing at paper targets.” They were no longer in an age where everyone had a firearm so it was not necessary to go quickly through the basics to battle ready as quickly as possible. "I believe we can have the paper people fearing you in no time.”

"So are we ready for more practice or would you like to bring Ume her cup of caffeinated recompence now?"

((OOC: We can end at Alex's post if you want, assuming more pranks eventually or whatever or we can get on with more mayhem.))

"Not at the moment, but if they keep breeding they might take over the city," Kem said when Cris objected to a raccoon invasion of the Towers. His protectiveness of home manifested again, more obviously, when they moved on to discussing weaponry. "Alex will regenerate, and the Towers can be rebuilt if he actually manages to take them down somehow."

He hid his mouth in his coffee mug so Cris and Alex couldn't see him biting back a laugh when Alex expressed interest in being run through with a fencing foil. Cris fielded that one, reassuring Alex that a skewering was almost certainly in his future. Kem tried not to inhale his coffee on his repressed laughter.

Watching Cris with Alex was heartwarming, actually. Was there anyone Cris wouldn't take under his wing? The slight, outwardly unexpressive Security Chief had a mother-hen streak about a hundred miles wide. It was kind of adorable, not that Kem would actually express that out loud.

Easy to enjoy watching though.

Alex inclined his head at Cris, indicating that it probably was likely he'd get impaled at some point in life. If nothing else, he lived with Eiryk. It was a miracle Alex hadn't suffered that tragedy before this point.

Ok that wasn't quite fair. Alex had only sustained minor bludgeoning injuries thus far. He recalled a certain incident at a bowling alley, for instance, but perhaps that hadn't been entirely Eiryk's fault. After all, anyone could misplace an entire bowling lane.

Cris perked him up right quick with discussion of trick shots and the like - and then deflated him by pointing out what basics Alex would need to learn first.

"It's like you're giving me training wheels," Alex complained, but it wasn't genuine. He was teasing.

Smiling, he nodded. "Really, I'd like it if you could show me how. I hear I might have decades to work on the fancy stuff."

He stood when Cris asked what they should do. "I can't do more practice. I'm telling you, my brain is going to ooze out my ears. For real. Let's give Ume her coffee. Then I might go find a masseuse somewhere. For my brain."

Kem snorted into his coffee mug and Alex suspected from the sound of it it wasn't the first such noise he'd made, but it was certainly the first one Alex had heard. He declined to acknowledge it with a haughty little sniff which only seemed to exacerbate Kem's snickering problem.

"Oh quit it," he finally said to the Elder. "If you keep trying to hold it back you're going to get the hiccups. And how dignified would that be?"

Alex crossed his arms, jutted one hip out, and tried to look as drama-queer as possible. The fact that he almost never did anything like that, particularly in public, only sent Kem over the edge.

"Fine. I'm bringing Ume coffee. You can laugh at my dying brain cells in the elevator."

Alex flounced off... really, he did know how to flounce. He learned it from Eiryk.

((ooc: all out))