Ok the racoon thing was getting weirder by the second. He'd seen a few odd animals, things more exotic than cats and dogs, here and there around the towers. He'd finally asked Pakpao about it and she'd explained some vampires could communicate with certain animals. He could only assume, since Aishe was wearing the carrier, she could talk to the racoon. Maybe empathy wasn't so bad.
"He is kinda cute.â€
Although Blaise wasn't sure having the racoon in his lap would cheer him up. He relaxed a bit when Cris' feedback was positive though.
And then they were off again. Finding the couple in question Blaise started scowling at them when Cris' next bit of advice brought him up short.
He sat up and leaned back in his chair shaking his head.
"Shit. Yeah, you're right.â€
He used to be decent at watching people without calling much attention to himself. Apparently throw a new skill into the mix and he was a rookie again.
Alright then, no scowling no staring just quietly studying them. It was probably the floral dress but Blaise's attention wandered to the woman.
It took a second or ten or thirty but he got a note. Just one. Then a long pause the another and another pause and then a little melody but it grated on him, it made him nervous. He tried again, tried to identify the song but couldn't the music, whatever it was was making him edgy and then another song, probably the guy, started to bleed in and they were -not- pieces that went well together.
He gave up. Shook his head and with a shrug looked away.
"I don't know what it was from her but it was jittery. I guess it could have been exciting but it was sort of jumpy not what I'd call romantic and then there was another song... probably him. They were similar but... clashed.â€
Blaise wasn't the biggest music lover out there so this was tricky for him. He'd say the one was more classical and the other more jazz the only thing they reyhad in common was an almost frantic energy.
How Do You Feel
Blaise got there a little early and put his calculus book down on a table to both hold the table and let Pakpao know he was there, or at least around, and waited.
It had been an odd couple of years and Blaise was still trying to sort himself out. The whole mess with Alfred and Jarrod had been wrapped up and both his creator and his 'brother' were dead. Blaise was decidedly OK with that. They were both pretty messed up and it also meant he wasn't having to watch his back. On the downside his twin sister had wound up dead as a result as well. He kept telling himself she was Alfred's familiar and probably wouldn't have done well without him, but it didn't keep Blaise from feeling more than a little sad and lost. They'd gone through a hell of a lot for each other over the years and he just kept expecting her to be there.
On the other hand he apparently had a clan now. It was sort of odd but good, certainly better than the crazy under the radar paranoid life style Alfie had them living. Although, Blaise was being surprisingly reserved about dealing with people. He was more than a little aware that he'd joined up under circumstances that were considerably less than honorable and he was, quite understandably in his opinion, not everyone's favorite person. But he was trying.
Oddly enough, Pakpao, the one person he'd probably been the absolute worst to, seemed to rather like him or at least reluctantly tolerate him having half adopted her as a sort of replacement sister. Like tonight, she'd agreed to try and help him with his calculus homework (apparently he needed to fix the high school dropout thing and come up with a less criminal profession these days).
As the place was pretty empty right now and he'd seen Pakpao before she'd seen him Blaise decided to try something. He blended and followed her as she got a cup of coffee and then back to the table with his book on it. Once she sat down and set the coffee on the table he placed a hand on her arm and let himself be seen. It startled a response out of her and he was able to see the flash of a misty aura around her. It was there and gone too fast for Blaise to make any sense of it. It also earned him a half full cup (thank god it seemed to be a half full water someone had left on the table and not her hot coffee) to the face and Siamese rant (even he'd learned it wasn't Thai as far as Pakpao was concerned).
After a second's spluttering and taking a giant step back he wiped the water out of his face.
"Relax love it's just me... and it didn't work anyway.â€
He complained slightly in the Manchester accent refused to shed.
Blaise had relatively recently begun to develop what he was told was a new ability, empathy. However, he'd spent a lot of time trying to pretend it didn't exist, because he thought he was going slightly crazy and seeing things and then a fair amount of time hiding it afraid for some unknown reason it would be held against him, so he wasn't very good at it. It didn't help that a few of the people he spent probably the majority of his time with could block him out. Hence his attempt here. He wouldn't be trying this method again.
Blaise
5 years ago
Christian Bern
5 years ago
"He is the most adorable raccoon there is." Cris corrected Blaise's comment about Shawe being "kinda cute".
Blaise began studying the couple intently, frowning in concentration until he was reminded that such focus makes you look crazy and that strangers don't like crazy pointed in their direction.
The young vampire then hunkered down and tried to "play it cool" which was at least less noticeable to the couple,who, to be fair, probably wouldn't have noticed if Blaise set the place on fire.
Cris scratched Shawe and pointed to the right button on the cube to get it to make noise again. Raccoon chirps came from it and then from Shawe. He really couldn't tell if his encouragement was coming through in "raccoon" or if Shawe just liked that the cube made fun vaguely raccoon sounding noises. His grandson waved it proudly for a moment and then went back to making it work.
Blaise said that the couple sounded excited but...discordant maybe? "Interesting." Cris glanced over at the couple and then away. He picked up his coffee and took a sip, pondering the auras he saw. "Empaths pick up on different things. Your ability might be showing you that they have very different personalities. Perhaps even suggesting that they are not a good fit or that they would at least be one of those couples who would be very different from each other." He and Rowan probably seemed that way. He wasnt so sure anymore personally. Eiryk and Alex were another couple that seemed very different on the surface. It wasnt always a bad thing but perhaps these two were different. Cris couldn't tell. "I see them both with auras that have a lot of blue. There are hints of red in both which suggests attraction that hasn't yet blossomed into passion. She has a lot of green. I think she probably has that a lot. He has some violet and is thinking thoughts of the future. They both have a sort of muddy overlay to their auras like looking through a camera lens that needs to be cleaned which indicates that they are nervous." He turned to Aishe. "How about you. Anything different?"
Blaise began studying the couple intently, frowning in concentration until he was reminded that such focus makes you look crazy and that strangers don't like crazy pointed in their direction.
The young vampire then hunkered down and tried to "play it cool" which was at least less noticeable to the couple,who, to be fair, probably wouldn't have noticed if Blaise set the place on fire.
Cris scratched Shawe and pointed to the right button on the cube to get it to make noise again. Raccoon chirps came from it and then from Shawe. He really couldn't tell if his encouragement was coming through in "raccoon" or if Shawe just liked that the cube made fun vaguely raccoon sounding noises. His grandson waved it proudly for a moment and then went back to making it work.
Blaise said that the couple sounded excited but...discordant maybe? "Interesting." Cris glanced over at the couple and then away. He picked up his coffee and took a sip, pondering the auras he saw. "Empaths pick up on different things. Your ability might be showing you that they have very different personalities. Perhaps even suggesting that they are not a good fit or that they would at least be one of those couples who would be very different from each other." He and Rowan probably seemed that way. He wasnt so sure anymore personally. Eiryk and Alex were another couple that seemed very different on the surface. It wasnt always a bad thing but perhaps these two were different. Cris couldn't tell. "I see them both with auras that have a lot of blue. There are hints of red in both which suggests attraction that hasn't yet blossomed into passion. She has a lot of green. I think she probably has that a lot. He has some violet and is thinking thoughts of the future. They both have a sort of muddy overlay to their auras like looking through a camera lens that needs to be cleaned which indicates that they are nervous." He turned to Aishe. "How about you. Anything different?"
Aishe
5 years ago
[Well that wasn't an invitation, but I guess you're welcome to try!] Aishe's sending back to Pak was full of humor. One didn't hang out with their crowd without a good sense of humor, after all.
She smiled warmly at Cris's defense of Shawe as the cutest raccoon of them all. She loved watching them interact. Who knew Cris would take Shawe as his raccoon grandson? It was so adorably domestic she almost, almost didn't want to say it just in case Cris had an attack of self-consciousness or something. Fortunately, she did have pictures.
Cris showed Shawe the button that made the chirping noises and after a brief celebration, Shawe pressed it again. And again. And again. He simply did it repeatedly, with a tiny celebration every single time. Aishe had no idea what the hell it translated too but it appeared to be something like 'wave your paws in the air like you don't care.'
She gave a little 'hmm?' when Cris redirected her attention to the couple they'd been analyzing, having only been half listening. She shook her head. "Nothing different to me, really, except I see some little bits of color around them because they're not close enough for me to make out the exact little shapes. So it's sort of like seeing auras. Maybe if they were closer I could tell who's feeling which emotion stronger, but honestly the shapes don't always relate exactly. It's more the colors like Cris sees. I miss the overlay every now and then. I might not have seen it if Cris hadn't pointed it out."
She smiled warmly at Cris's defense of Shawe as the cutest raccoon of them all. She loved watching them interact. Who knew Cris would take Shawe as his raccoon grandson? It was so adorably domestic she almost, almost didn't want to say it just in case Cris had an attack of self-consciousness or something. Fortunately, she did have pictures.
Cris showed Shawe the button that made the chirping noises and after a brief celebration, Shawe pressed it again. And again. And again. He simply did it repeatedly, with a tiny celebration every single time. Aishe had no idea what the hell it translated too but it appeared to be something like 'wave your paws in the air like you don't care.'
She gave a little 'hmm?' when Cris redirected her attention to the couple they'd been analyzing, having only been half listening. She shook her head. "Nothing different to me, really, except I see some little bits of color around them because they're not close enough for me to make out the exact little shapes. So it's sort of like seeing auras. Maybe if they were closer I could tell who's feeling which emotion stronger, but honestly the shapes don't always relate exactly. It's more the colors like Cris sees. I miss the overlay every now and then. I might not have seen it if Cris hadn't pointed it out."
Blaise
5 years ago
Blaise decided to let the racoon thing drop. He'd just never been around animals much and had limited opinions on them. Even if he had an opinion it probably wasn't smart to contradict the people helping him.
He huffed a little rather irritated with the whole process. Honestly Blaise wasn't thrilled with this particular gift.
"I don't know... maybe or maybe I'm hearing it wrong. Never had any music lessons or even had much time to pay attention to music.â€
Why this... his... empathy had chosen to manifest like this when as near as Blaise could tell he was tone deaf was beyond stupid. Probably some weird karmic payback for turning on his maker. Not that Alfred hadn't deserved it, but....
Although listening to Cris and Aishe talk maybe just maybe a little music wasn't that bad.
"What do all the colors mean? How do you remember them all?!â€
He didn't even want to know what he looked like to Cris or Aishe right now. Probably one hell of a mess.
"If the colors always mean the same thing will I always hear the same songs?â€
Actually if that were the case it might be okay, he could learn to deal with something that manifested in a consistent manner; not that it had yet but maybe it would?
Just the someone ran by them and Blaise was blindsided. He physically recoiled as the mental stereo hot eleven of not thirteen, it was very loud. Happy but -loud-.
"Can you turn it off?â€
It didn't happen often or consistently, nothing about his ability was consistent yet, but things like that times people basically shoved their feelings up his nose were frustrating and distracting.
He huffed a little rather irritated with the whole process. Honestly Blaise wasn't thrilled with this particular gift.
"I don't know... maybe or maybe I'm hearing it wrong. Never had any music lessons or even had much time to pay attention to music.â€
Why this... his... empathy had chosen to manifest like this when as near as Blaise could tell he was tone deaf was beyond stupid. Probably some weird karmic payback for turning on his maker. Not that Alfred hadn't deserved it, but....
Although listening to Cris and Aishe talk maybe just maybe a little music wasn't that bad.
"What do all the colors mean? How do you remember them all?!â€
He didn't even want to know what he looked like to Cris or Aishe right now. Probably one hell of a mess.
"If the colors always mean the same thing will I always hear the same songs?â€
Actually if that were the case it might be okay, he could learn to deal with something that manifested in a consistent manner; not that it had yet but maybe it would?
Just the someone ran by them and Blaise was blindsided. He physically recoiled as the mental stereo hot eleven of not thirteen, it was very loud. Happy but -loud-.
"Can you turn it off?â€
It didn't happen often or consistently, nothing about his ability was consistent yet, but things like that times people basically shoved their feelings up his nose were frustrating and distracting.
Pakpao
5 years ago
[I've been trying since you were human. Apparently you and your husband both fail to understand how intimidating I really am.]
Pak grumbled a bit, but after a few seconds thoughtful pause added,
[The three of us need to get together soon.]
Granted they'd hung out not that long ago but it had been in a big group, huge by Pak's standards and it wasn't quite the same, although she was getting used to and even enjoying the larger group now and then. Sure she and Kem were bonded, sure she could (and did) send to Kem and Aishe at random just because she felt like it or she was bored or lonely but it just wasn't the same. And it was oddly easy for Pak to get to missing any of her few friends but it was very easy for her to get to missing Kem.
Pak cocked her head at Blaise wondering what it was like to hear music in your head at random. She heard voices here and there, even talking them, but to look at someone and have the macarena jump in your mind had to be disorienting to say the least
When he asked if he could shut it off Pak did a double take. She'd never thought about that. Her subterfuge was the only thing she really had to make something of an effort to keep in play. Even then it was more of a deliberate effort to -drop- it rather than use it. Sending and telekinesis had an on/off switch built in.
With that in mind Pak had to wonder if some of her empath friends actually appreciated the fact that she could and would block them out when she was in a mood (or five).
Pak grumbled a bit, but after a few seconds thoughtful pause added,
[The three of us need to get together soon.]
Granted they'd hung out not that long ago but it had been in a big group, huge by Pak's standards and it wasn't quite the same, although she was getting used to and even enjoying the larger group now and then. Sure she and Kem were bonded, sure she could (and did) send to Kem and Aishe at random just because she felt like it or she was bored or lonely but it just wasn't the same. And it was oddly easy for Pak to get to missing any of her few friends but it was very easy for her to get to missing Kem.
Pak cocked her head at Blaise wondering what it was like to hear music in your head at random. She heard voices here and there, even talking them, but to look at someone and have the macarena jump in your mind had to be disorienting to say the least
When he asked if he could shut it off Pak did a double take. She'd never thought about that. Her subterfuge was the only thing she really had to make something of an effort to keep in play. Even then it was more of a deliberate effort to -drop- it rather than use it. Sending and telekinesis had an on/off switch built in.
With that in mind Pak had to wonder if some of her empath friends actually appreciated the fact that she could and would block them out when she was in a mood (or five).
Christian Bern
5 years ago
Cris found it interesting that Blaise wasn't a music lover and yet his Empathy had manifested in that way. He wondered what that meant. Maybe music was more important to Blaise than he realized? Maybe key songs had been a part of his childhood and he associated them on an unconscious level with people and events. Maybe Cris wasn't a psychologist and he really didn't have a way of knowing.
"Most likely you are hearing it fine. You just have to figure out what your new ability is trying to tell you." It was like any other skill. It took time to learn it before it became easy and natural.
"They mean different things. It often helps to have a context. Blue could mean that a person is calm, peaceful or, in the gentleman's case" He nodded his head slightly in the direction of the couple. "it could mean that he is wanting to communicate openly. They are different shades of blue though. One is light, like a morning sky blue and one is more vivid. A very clear vivid blue, almost like it is trying to communicate its meaning to me with its shade."
Cris shrugged slightly about remembering them all. "I kept a list." That seemed like a logical thing to do when learning something new. Grisha couldn't tell him what his ability meant, only what it likely was, so Cris had been on his own to figure it out. At least he had Grisha to tell him that he wasn't crazy or suffering from some sort of vampire eye ailment.
He pondered the next question that Blaise asked. "I honestly do not know. But probably." Cris couldn't imagine always hearing different and random songs with no repeat. There tended to be a logic to the ability otherwise it wouldn't really be an ability at all and just random emotion induced noise. "I would start writing down the things you hear and then put your best guess as to their meaning out beside each entry. Then you will know whether or not it repeats. Also with people you trust and feel comfortable with, you can ask them what they are feeling and that will help firm up your knowledge."
It had been nice to learn that his ability had been passed in a reliable way to Aishe. Her empathy was different but the colors were the same. They had many discussions in the past about their shared Empathy and what the colors meant. It was likely very helpful but Aishe still had to learn the symbols herself.
"Yes, you can block it out." Cris couldn't even remember what it was like to try. Empathy was such a natural part of his life now that he used it or didn't automatically. "Aishe might be better at explaining that part. It has been a long time for me. I do remember that the harder you try to block it out the harder it was to actually do it. Relaxing was key because stressing made it worse. " Rowan would definitely agree there. His Empathy was hard to handle and not exactly welcome.
"Most likely you are hearing it fine. You just have to figure out what your new ability is trying to tell you." It was like any other skill. It took time to learn it before it became easy and natural.
"They mean different things. It often helps to have a context. Blue could mean that a person is calm, peaceful or, in the gentleman's case" He nodded his head slightly in the direction of the couple. "it could mean that he is wanting to communicate openly. They are different shades of blue though. One is light, like a morning sky blue and one is more vivid. A very clear vivid blue, almost like it is trying to communicate its meaning to me with its shade."
Cris shrugged slightly about remembering them all. "I kept a list." That seemed like a logical thing to do when learning something new. Grisha couldn't tell him what his ability meant, only what it likely was, so Cris had been on his own to figure it out. At least he had Grisha to tell him that he wasn't crazy or suffering from some sort of vampire eye ailment.
He pondered the next question that Blaise asked. "I honestly do not know. But probably." Cris couldn't imagine always hearing different and random songs with no repeat. There tended to be a logic to the ability otherwise it wouldn't really be an ability at all and just random emotion induced noise. "I would start writing down the things you hear and then put your best guess as to their meaning out beside each entry. Then you will know whether or not it repeats. Also with people you trust and feel comfortable with, you can ask them what they are feeling and that will help firm up your knowledge."
It had been nice to learn that his ability had been passed in a reliable way to Aishe. Her empathy was different but the colors were the same. They had many discussions in the past about their shared Empathy and what the colors meant. It was likely very helpful but Aishe still had to learn the symbols herself.
"Yes, you can block it out." Cris couldn't even remember what it was like to try. Empathy was such a natural part of his life now that he used it or didn't automatically. "Aishe might be better at explaining that part. It has been a long time for me. I do remember that the harder you try to block it out the harder it was to actually do it. Relaxing was key because stressing made it worse. " Rowan would definitely agree there. His Empathy was hard to handle and not exactly welcome.
Aishe
5 years ago
[I guess we do], Aishe sent to Pak. When her friend mentioned they should get together she responded, [You're welcome at our house any time.] It was the truth; their guest room was basically Pak's room. She was the only one who ever really stayed in it.
When Cris asked her about blocking her empathy, she furrowed her brow. "It's not something I've done a lot," she admitted. "I really like seeing the colors around people. But yeah, when I first experienced it it was really confusing."
It wasn't that far in her past; she could still remember how dizzying it was to suddenly see a spray of colored shapes around the person she was talking to. What she couldn't really remember was how she learned to block it out.
"It was kind of mind over matter, I think? I had to acknowledge what I was seeing and that it wasn't a hallucination. It was something real that I could control. And then I just had to concentrate on NOT doing it."
Rolling her eyes upward thoughtfully she continued. "It's like learning to use it gave me more control over when to not use t, if that makes sense. Learning how to make it work and make it not work were two sides of the same coin."
She hoped that was coherent. Teaching wasn't something that she thought was really in her wheelhouse. Not yet, anyway. Maybe in time. For now, she was used to being on the 'student' side of the equation.
When Cris asked her about blocking her empathy, she furrowed her brow. "It's not something I've done a lot," she admitted. "I really like seeing the colors around people. But yeah, when I first experienced it it was really confusing."
It wasn't that far in her past; she could still remember how dizzying it was to suddenly see a spray of colored shapes around the person she was talking to. What she couldn't really remember was how she learned to block it out.
"It was kind of mind over matter, I think? I had to acknowledge what I was seeing and that it wasn't a hallucination. It was something real that I could control. And then I just had to concentrate on NOT doing it."
Rolling her eyes upward thoughtfully she continued. "It's like learning to use it gave me more control over when to not use t, if that makes sense. Learning how to make it work and make it not work were two sides of the same coin."
She hoped that was coherent. Teaching wasn't something that she thought was really in her wheelhouse. Not yet, anyway. Maybe in time. For now, she was used to being on the 'student' side of the equation.
Blaise
5 years ago
Blaise's brow furrowed as he considered all this information. If one color could have so many different means based on shade and if there was more than one color in an aura and then there was an overlay, and emotions tended to be complicated, well Blaise did some quick math and swore a bit.
"Bugger all I could still wind up with the playlist from hell.â€
That was a little discouraging. He'd need a full on notebook to keep track of things. At least he had a plan of attack, that was something he supposed, maybe not as solid as he'd like but it was better than floundering.
Rather unexpectedly Blaise head a bit of a snicker, for a second it reminded him of Ceceile, but it was Pakpao.
"I'll get you a Spotify subscription for a bit.â€
Blaise rolled his eyes at her slightly twisted sense of humor.
"Thanks love.â€
He let sarcasm color his words because she was teasing him he was sure but it wasn't a bad idea.
Both Cris and Aishe seemed to think he could learn to block it out and Blaise found that a huge relief. Sounded like it would take some time though.
"Sort of like riding a bike? Once you know how to do it you don't have to think about it as much. Fair enough.â€
It also explained why neither of them could quite explain how to do it. He couldn't explain how to ride a bike, you just did it.
Overall this was a pretty positive thing though. He really appreciated the help. Honestly it was more support than he'd had for vampire stuff before.
"I think I'm just glad to hear I'm not going nuts and that this ability starts out overwhelming and confusing.â€
He really had started considering that he was broken or going nuts.
"Bugger all I could still wind up with the playlist from hell.â€
That was a little discouraging. He'd need a full on notebook to keep track of things. At least he had a plan of attack, that was something he supposed, maybe not as solid as he'd like but it was better than floundering.
Rather unexpectedly Blaise head a bit of a snicker, for a second it reminded him of Ceceile, but it was Pakpao.
"I'll get you a Spotify subscription for a bit.â€
Blaise rolled his eyes at her slightly twisted sense of humor.
"Thanks love.â€
He let sarcasm color his words because she was teasing him he was sure but it wasn't a bad idea.
Both Cris and Aishe seemed to think he could learn to block it out and Blaise found that a huge relief. Sounded like it would take some time though.
"Sort of like riding a bike? Once you know how to do it you don't have to think about it as much. Fair enough.â€
It also explained why neither of them could quite explain how to do it. He couldn't explain how to ride a bike, you just did it.
Overall this was a pretty positive thing though. He really appreciated the help. Honestly it was more support than he'd had for vampire stuff before.
"I think I'm just glad to hear I'm not going nuts and that this ability starts out overwhelming and confusing.â€
He really had started considering that he was broken or going nuts.
Pakpao
5 years ago
[Same goes to you.]
She had gotten the two bedroom place at least partially with Kem and Aishe in mind. It gave one or both of them a place to crash if they got stuck in the Towers after dawn if nothing else and let her be a little more social.
[But don't be surprised if I turn up on your doorstep sooner rather than later.]
Not that they ever were. Apparently Pak just randomly turning up, while not common, wasn't uncommon; it had just been a bit. Still, Pak appreciated the reminder/invite.
Pak couldn't resist taking a little bit of a cheap shot at Blaise. They had a very odd relationship, they weren't exactly friends at least she didn't think they were, but she didn't want him lost or unconnected. She knew how hard that was and they'd both seen the kinds of trouble he caused and the kind of company he favored without some one half keeping him at least aware of the straight and narrow.
This was all fascinating. Empathy, along with command, was one of the gifts she trusted the least. So being friends with so many empaths was rather ironic. She also didn't ask too many questions about the ability she just kept herself hidden and trusted the ones she knew not to be indiscreet or too nosey. But tonight she was learning more about it than she ever had.
"A list? Like a pen and paper list?â€
Pak was about to start the teasing about people being old again but stopped rather suddenly and started thinking. Especially given her jab at Blaise.... Huh.
"I actually think you guys need an ap for all this.â€
She mused allowed but quite serious and sincere. In fact, Pak was already absently half planning it.
She had gotten the two bedroom place at least partially with Kem and Aishe in mind. It gave one or both of them a place to crash if they got stuck in the Towers after dawn if nothing else and let her be a little more social.
[But don't be surprised if I turn up on your doorstep sooner rather than later.]
Not that they ever were. Apparently Pak just randomly turning up, while not common, wasn't uncommon; it had just been a bit. Still, Pak appreciated the reminder/invite.
Pak couldn't resist taking a little bit of a cheap shot at Blaise. They had a very odd relationship, they weren't exactly friends at least she didn't think they were, but she didn't want him lost or unconnected. She knew how hard that was and they'd both seen the kinds of trouble he caused and the kind of company he favored without some one half keeping him at least aware of the straight and narrow.
This was all fascinating. Empathy, along with command, was one of the gifts she trusted the least. So being friends with so many empaths was rather ironic. She also didn't ask too many questions about the ability she just kept herself hidden and trusted the ones she knew not to be indiscreet or too nosey. But tonight she was learning more about it than she ever had.
"A list? Like a pen and paper list?â€
Pak was about to start the teasing about people being old again but stopped rather suddenly and started thinking. Especially given her jab at Blaise.... Huh.
"I actually think you guys need an ap for all this.â€
She mused allowed but quite serious and sincere. In fact, Pak was already absently half planning it.
Christian Bern
5 years ago
Cris nodded in agreement with Aishe's words, proud of her own control over her ability and her way of communicating about it. It was easy to be proud of her though and he found that he was as bad as the moms around The Towers that flush with pride at everything little Timmy accomplishes. He often didn't even realize he was doing it and he certainly hadn't expected this aspect of it. To his knowledge, Grisha never behaved that way toward him and vampires were different anyway. They were adults when turned, capable of communicating and understanding the world... and still very young in the grand scheme of things. Everyone at the table was young to him. Even Pakpao with her newly minted "old" status. They had so much left to learn. Aishe and Blaise were still young enough to have mortal parents. It was strange to even think about being that young. So maybe it wasn't so strange that he found her fledgling vampire accomplishments to be worthy of parental pride.
His grandson then distracted him by squeaking excitedly. Shawe just accidentally discovered how to get the little cube to open and a blueberry rolled out. It also started to roll away. Cris quickly reached down to catch it and then handed it to the raccoon. Shawe popped it into his mouth and then shook the cube to see if another would fall out.
[You have to figure out how it opens.] Shawe was no dummy. He handed the cube to Cris. That was how it opened. You handed it to someone and got them to open it. [Not this time, Pal. Figure it out.] He handed the cube back.
"Yes, an actual paper list." Cris waited for the old jokes to commence. He supposed he could have headed them off by saying that paper hadn't been invented and that he had used stone. But he wasn't -that- old.
"You are not going nuts." He assured Blaise. "Of course, I have no basis for comparison. We have not had much interaction so I do not know whether you are already nuts. I am going to have to say based on observation and my own Empathy that you seem mentally stable."
Pakpao then suggested an app. He considered that a moment. It wasn't a bad idea. It would need some serious security so that people's list weren't picked up by vampire or human hackers but that was Pak's job. "That might be interesting." He didn't need it for figuring out his Empathy but it might be useful for other people. "Perhaps we could even use it as a support tool. If people could sign in anonymously then people who have been using the ability for longer could help those that haven't."
Cris looked at Aishe. "What do you think? Are we missing something?" He would have to mull over the scenarios and uses in his head for a bit and decide whether it was a sound security practice or not. It could potentially help a lot of young vampires and even older ones with new abilities...like talking to animals. He did not want to say no to something that could be the very support that someone else needed but he also could not afford to compromise the The Towers or the Clan with something that could allow access to people's information.
His grandson then distracted him by squeaking excitedly. Shawe just accidentally discovered how to get the little cube to open and a blueberry rolled out. It also started to roll away. Cris quickly reached down to catch it and then handed it to the raccoon. Shawe popped it into his mouth and then shook the cube to see if another would fall out.
[You have to figure out how it opens.] Shawe was no dummy. He handed the cube to Cris. That was how it opened. You handed it to someone and got them to open it. [Not this time, Pal. Figure it out.] He handed the cube back.
"Yes, an actual paper list." Cris waited for the old jokes to commence. He supposed he could have headed them off by saying that paper hadn't been invented and that he had used stone. But he wasn't -that- old.
"You are not going nuts." He assured Blaise. "Of course, I have no basis for comparison. We have not had much interaction so I do not know whether you are already nuts. I am going to have to say based on observation and my own Empathy that you seem mentally stable."
Pakpao then suggested an app. He considered that a moment. It wasn't a bad idea. It would need some serious security so that people's list weren't picked up by vampire or human hackers but that was Pak's job. "That might be interesting." He didn't need it for figuring out his Empathy but it might be useful for other people. "Perhaps we could even use it as a support tool. If people could sign in anonymously then people who have been using the ability for longer could help those that haven't."
Cris looked at Aishe. "What do you think? Are we missing something?" He would have to mull over the scenarios and uses in his head for a bit and decide whether it was a sound security practice or not. It could potentially help a lot of young vampires and even older ones with new abilities...like talking to animals. He did not want to say no to something that could be the very support that someone else needed but he also could not afford to compromise the The Towers or the Clan with something that could allow access to people's information.
Aishe
5 years ago
[Please do,] Aishe sent to Pak. It had been a while since they'd had a fun game night. She wasn't opposed to it at all.
"Hmm. I guess so," Aishe agreed when Blaise compared empathy to riding a bike. "It is a little odd to get used to at first, but it's only been a few years for me and I'm already foggy on how it happened, if that gives you an idea for how fast you might adjust."
She grinned at Shawe, who managed to find a blueberry hidden in his toy and immediately tried to get Cris to make another one appear. Clearly, his request was denied. He began to fidget with the toy again, chittering determinedly to himself.
"So how many berries are hidden in there, exactly?" She asked her Creator. "Just, you know, so I can make sure they all make an appearance before anything goes bad."
She could only imagine how much fun it might be to clean that up.
Lists and apps were brought up and Aishe chuckled when Cris seemed to be bracing for more age cracks. She almost went for the bait, but she realized she couldn't really, not at that one. She had a copy of Cris's list, and had referred to it frequently when first learning her own gifts, to see if she and Cris really did share a set of color-related traits. She hadn't set it aside until she was certain they did, indeed, seem to see the same colors for the same corresponding emotions.
"That sounds really good," she said to Pak. "I guess this is why they pay you the big bucks."
"Hmm. I guess so," Aishe agreed when Blaise compared empathy to riding a bike. "It is a little odd to get used to at first, but it's only been a few years for me and I'm already foggy on how it happened, if that gives you an idea for how fast you might adjust."
She grinned at Shawe, who managed to find a blueberry hidden in his toy and immediately tried to get Cris to make another one appear. Clearly, his request was denied. He began to fidget with the toy again, chittering determinedly to himself.
"So how many berries are hidden in there, exactly?" She asked her Creator. "Just, you know, so I can make sure they all make an appearance before anything goes bad."
She could only imagine how much fun it might be to clean that up.
Lists and apps were brought up and Aishe chuckled when Cris seemed to be bracing for more age cracks. She almost went for the bait, but she realized she couldn't really, not at that one. She had a copy of Cris's list, and had referred to it frequently when first learning her own gifts, to see if she and Cris really did share a set of color-related traits. She hadn't set it aside until she was certain they did, indeed, seem to see the same colors for the same corresponding emotions.
"That sounds really good," she said to Pak. "I guess this is why they pay you the big bucks."
Blaise
5 years ago
Blaise chose to take a bit of a dig at himself when Cris opted not to give him a completely clean bill of mental health.
"I think the fact that I got my in this mess is a clue I might be a bit cracked from the get go.â€
Although he was starting to think most vampires were a bubble off in some way or another. It was nice that the folks he knew now we're more quirky and less violent and psychopathic. Change was good.
And then they were back to the racoon. Nope, better than Alfred and Jarrod but still kind of odd.
"You can't work the racoon cube?â€
He asked Aishe with a broad grin. Puzzle boxes could be an absolute bitch and he knew it but he couldn't quite let the idea slide.
Honestly Blaise was kind of surprised there wasn't app for any of this but the Cris mentioned security. Yeah that would have to be top notch wouldn't do anyone any good to have that hacked.
"I think the fact that I got my in this mess is a clue I might be a bit cracked from the get go.â€
Although he was starting to think most vampires were a bubble off in some way or another. It was nice that the folks he knew now we're more quirky and less violent and psychopathic. Change was good.
And then they were back to the racoon. Nope, better than Alfred and Jarrod but still kind of odd.
"You can't work the racoon cube?â€
He asked Aishe with a broad grin. Puzzle boxes could be an absolute bitch and he knew it but he couldn't quite let the idea slide.
Honestly Blaise was kind of surprised there wasn't app for any of this but the Cris mentioned security. Yeah that would have to be top notch wouldn't do anyone any good to have that hacked.
Pakpao
5 years ago
Pak nodded at Cris but it was almost absently she was already considering the interface and such. Security was always a huge deal for anything IT did. Even more so when it had to do with the clan rather than Meridian.
"Anonymous for sure. Probably a double blind. I mean we're not going to put it in iTunes or the play store but doesn't mean everyone wants to open up...might even want to keep people from exchanging any contact info... huh.â€
And at that point Pak was half gone mentally. Without even realizing the irony she pulled out a little leather bound notebook and a particular gold pen and started making notes talking to herself, fortunately in English, as she wrote.
"Should definitely have a place you can enter you info without sharing. Have to have a way to burn it out immediately if the phone is lost or stolen...â€
And the she was back, at least partially... for a bit, and looked at Aishe and Cris.
"You realize you're both in the alpha test right?â€
Actually, she'd need them and probably another vampire or two with Empathy at certain points in development. She thought there was someone with Empathy in IT but she couldn't remember who or in what part of her department.
"Anonymous for sure. Probably a double blind. I mean we're not going to put it in iTunes or the play store but doesn't mean everyone wants to open up...might even want to keep people from exchanging any contact info... huh.â€
And at that point Pak was half gone mentally. Without even realizing the irony she pulled out a little leather bound notebook and a particular gold pen and started making notes talking to herself, fortunately in English, as she wrote.
"Should definitely have a place you can enter you info without sharing. Have to have a way to burn it out immediately if the phone is lost or stolen...â€
And the she was back, at least partially... for a bit, and looked at Aishe and Cris.
"You realize you're both in the alpha test right?â€
Actually, she'd need them and probably another vampire or two with Empathy at certain points in development. She thought there was someone with Empathy in IT but she couldn't remember who or in what part of her department.
Christian Bern
5 years ago
Cris looked down at Shawe, who managed to get the cube to open again and also managed to catch the berry. "Four more. It cannot hold much." [Good job!] He sent to Shawe. "I also have a crow version." He told Aishe with a smile. "I am not sure Alfarinn will thank me."
His daughter didn't seem to see any immediate problems with the idea of an Empathy app.
Pak said that they would have to be alpha testers. It looked like he might be putting his list on the app after all. "Only if it has a good name. And a cool icon." He held up his phone. "iPath?" The various uses of Apple's choice of naming style had been over done. "Evenpath? EvenApp? Okay someone else help?" Naming apps was not his forte.
It appeared that the couple that they had been watching were heading elsewhere. Cris silently wished them luck. He was happy. Everyone should have a chance to be happy. [Love you.] He sent to Rowan and got an answering sentiment immediately back.
He finished his coffee and set his mug down. The cube was only going to keep Shawe occupied for four more berries. They should have a raccoon plan for when those ran out.
"Want me to carry him?" Cris gestured to the carrier that Aishe was wearing. It would be hard to be tough Security Chief while wearing a raccoon straped to his chest in a baby carrier but luckily he had the day off and besides his reputation could take it. He just might have to roll a few heads to remind some people who they were dealing with.
His daughter didn't seem to see any immediate problems with the idea of an Empathy app.
Pak said that they would have to be alpha testers. It looked like he might be putting his list on the app after all. "Only if it has a good name. And a cool icon." He held up his phone. "iPath?" The various uses of Apple's choice of naming style had been over done. "Evenpath? EvenApp? Okay someone else help?" Naming apps was not his forte.
It appeared that the couple that they had been watching were heading elsewhere. Cris silently wished them luck. He was happy. Everyone should have a chance to be happy. [Love you.] He sent to Rowan and got an answering sentiment immediately back.
He finished his coffee and set his mug down. The cube was only going to keep Shawe occupied for four more berries. They should have a raccoon plan for when those ran out.
"Want me to carry him?" Cris gestured to the carrier that Aishe was wearing. It would be hard to be tough Security Chief while wearing a raccoon straped to his chest in a baby carrier but luckily he had the day off and besides his reputation could take it. He just might have to roll a few heads to remind some people who they were dealing with.
Aishe
5 years ago
Aishe blinked at Blaise when he teased her about the cube toy, and, in her best straight-faced Kiamhaat impression, pointed to both Shawe and Cris. "I haven't tried. If you'd like to try to wrestle it from the raccoon yourself you're welcome to give it a shot."
As if he'd understood her (funny, that), Shawe looked up, glanced from Aishe to Blaise, then opened his little mouth and hissed softly at Blaise while clutching the little toy to his chest.
"Shawe," Aishe said reprovingly. Shawe instantly appeared contrite, squeaking sadly but not offering to give up his new toy to anyone.
"Alpha testing the Evenhet App it is," she affirmed to Pak, but as far as naming it, no way. She was leaving that up to the creator of the thing.
When Chris asked if she'd like him to take Shawe, she stood, unhooked the carrier, and smiled broadly. "Why yes, yes I would."
It would be worth it to watch Evenhet's Chief of Security walking around with a raccoon baby-strapped to his chest. She couldn't wait for the first death glare. Who would receive it? Find out, right after this break!
As if he'd understood her (funny, that), Shawe looked up, glanced from Aishe to Blaise, then opened his little mouth and hissed softly at Blaise while clutching the little toy to his chest.
"Shawe," Aishe said reprovingly. Shawe instantly appeared contrite, squeaking sadly but not offering to give up his new toy to anyone.
"Alpha testing the Evenhet App it is," she affirmed to Pak, but as far as naming it, no way. She was leaving that up to the creator of the thing.
When Chris asked if she'd like him to take Shawe, she stood, unhooked the carrier, and smiled broadly. "Why yes, yes I would."
It would be worth it to watch Evenhet's Chief of Security walking around with a raccoon baby-strapped to his chest. She couldn't wait for the first death glare. Who would receive it? Find out, right after this break!
Blaise
5 years ago
And if he ever needed confirmation he was still more outsider than not, he had it. Granted the racoon hadn't been very aggressive, just a little assertive but as Blaise he little to no experience with any kind of animal he didn't really understand the difference and took it rather personally. Aishe and even the racoon, er Shawe, seemed to more or less if not apologise at least smooth the moment over but he still decided now might be an appropriate time to leave.
"Well now I've got calculus and some music appreciation to do so I'm to get going.â€
He almost sounded nervous as he stood and excused himself.
"I really appreciate the tips and tricks. I hope you don't mind if I badger one of you for help now and then?â€
Although he might not, if they both saw things rather than heard things it might not do him much good.
A quick glance at Pakpao showed she'd gone right back to her notes. Apparently she was dead serious about this app thing.
"I'll catch up with you later love.â€
She made what he took as an affirmative sound/gesture and muttered some about homework making him half smile.
"Thanks again.â€
And with that he picked up his calculus book at left.
((OOC... Blaise out and apparently afraid of racoons))
"Well now I've got calculus and some music appreciation to do so I'm to get going.â€
He almost sounded nervous as he stood and excused himself.
"I really appreciate the tips and tricks. I hope you don't mind if I badger one of you for help now and then?â€
Although he might not, if they both saw things rather than heard things it might not do him much good.
A quick glance at Pakpao showed she'd gone right back to her notes. Apparently she was dead serious about this app thing.
"I'll catch up with you later love.â€
She made what he took as an affirmative sound/gesture and muttered some about homework making him half smile.
"Thanks again.â€
And with that he picked up his calculus book at left.
((OOC... Blaise out and apparently afraid of racoons))
Pakpao
5 years ago
Pak had gone right back to her brainstorming after making sure Cris and Aishe we're volon-told they were participating in the alpha test. She had a tendency to get extremely focused when she had a new idea, well one she liked, on her mind. Multiple day coding benders were not unheard of.
Fortunately this was just the idea phase and she at least acknowledged Blaise leaving, she'd meant to say something about Share just being Shawe but it might have slipped her mind.
She looked up at Cris for just a second rather confused.
"I don't make things pretty I make them work.â€
Pak answered very simply. She didn't name things either that's why they had a marketing team/department whatever.
But going back to her notes she gave a soft laugh at Cris' attempts.
"Nothing 'i' we'll start a focus group or something though. I won't let you use an un-cool app I promise, but first it has to work.â€
It was Cris and Aishe actually moving along that finally made her put down her pen for a second and look at them. With Blaise gone she, just for a minute or two let her subterfuge drop (it would go right back in place when they left but for now...).
"Thank you. I couldn't get him to ask for help I know he appreciates it... or he will.â€
She said with a little shrug before rather impulsively hugging Aishe. Pak wasn't overly physically demonstrative but she was starting to be willing to admit she liked the occasional hug. Tonight she might even have hugged Cris, but he had Shawe.
Putting her IT game face and subterfuge back in place Pak picked up her notebook and pen.
"I do think the app will work. I'll keep you posted.â€
Pak was oddly excited by this and anxious to put some actual work in.
[I'll be by soon though.]
She promised Aishe before going back to work. Funny what happened when you went for coffee.
((OOC... Pak and anyone else who wants out.))
Fortunately this was just the idea phase and she at least acknowledged Blaise leaving, she'd meant to say something about Share just being Shawe but it might have slipped her mind.
She looked up at Cris for just a second rather confused.
"I don't make things pretty I make them work.â€
Pak answered very simply. She didn't name things either that's why they had a marketing team/department whatever.
But going back to her notes she gave a soft laugh at Cris' attempts.
"Nothing 'i' we'll start a focus group or something though. I won't let you use an un-cool app I promise, but first it has to work.â€
It was Cris and Aishe actually moving along that finally made her put down her pen for a second and look at them. With Blaise gone she, just for a minute or two let her subterfuge drop (it would go right back in place when they left but for now...).
"Thank you. I couldn't get him to ask for help I know he appreciates it... or he will.â€
She said with a little shrug before rather impulsively hugging Aishe. Pak wasn't overly physically demonstrative but she was starting to be willing to admit she liked the occasional hug. Tonight she might even have hugged Cris, but he had Shawe.
Putting her IT game face and subterfuge back in place Pak picked up her notebook and pen.
"I do think the app will work. I'll keep you posted.â€
Pak was oddly excited by this and anxious to put some actual work in.
[I'll be by soon though.]
She promised Aishe before going back to work. Funny what happened when you went for coffee.
((OOC... Pak and anyone else who wants out.))