|
|
|
last online Apr 19, 2024 5:09:16 GMT -7
|
|
|
Nov 27, 2019 17:27:37 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2019 17:27:37 GMT -7
The incident was over so fast, but Dmitri methodically played through it in his mind as he discarded the weapon and the bullets. He didn't know what was going on in Heleen's mind, but he wouldn't blame her if their dinner plans were canceled. On the other hand, she could feel indebted to him. Adrenalin and life and death situations create strange emotions in people. He calmed himself down, trying to bring back the "good" side of him. He took a quick glance at his knuckles. Not bad, there was a bit of a mark that would become more pronounced before it went away. It had been a while since he punched someone unconscious. It was like riding a broom. You never really forget how to do it.
Being so hyper focused on one target, Dmitri failed to hear the footsteps of the woman behind him. He jumped a little bit as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Remembering that it was Heleen, he held his fighter spirit back, and closed his eyes, releasing a breath. After drawing in a breath, but before he could turn around, she moved around to face him. Dmitri took one last glance at the unconscious body that was now behind her. He tried to give her a charming smile, though it probably only half way worked. "I'm fine. No injuries." This was interesting, she was worried about him. He should have seen that coming, especially after the conversion they just had. Though, the girl didn't seem to believe him. As she searched he sighed, grabbing her shoulders and looking her directly in the eyes "Heleen, It's okay, I am not hurt."
Heleen seemed, at the moment, to have a one track mind. It was a weird feeling to have someone care so much. This wasn't something that he had ever felt before. It wasn't bad, but they couldn't just stand here. Still having his hands on her shoulder he, once again, moved her out of her way, pulling out his wand and muttered a memory charm. It was better that the man didn't remember their faces. Dmitri could have avoided such a traumatic moment. He should have anticipated that. He was slipping. Was that a bad thing?
@seph
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online Apr 19, 2024 5:09:16 GMT -7
|
|
|
Nov 27, 2019 18:20:20 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2019 18:20:20 GMT -7
It was a little bit frustrating that he seemed to pay so little attention to the fact he could have been seriously injured. Where was his sense of self preservation? It still brought her comfort that he assured her he was fine, twice even. It wasn't okay, as he claimed it was though. It was so many levels of not okay that she was slightly frustrated. She'd had quite the fright and just couldn't comprehend how he was that calm about all of it. He was smart enough to take care of business as he let her go and she looked at him as he quickly performed a quick memory charm. Now those she knew well enough. She took out a pen and paper and scribbled a quick note. Robs people at gunpoint, no thanks needed. -WW She took her own wand out at that point and conjured some ropes which she made tie themselves around his wrist with expertise so he wouldn't easily be able to wriggle free. Then she tossed the note on his body and levitated the gun and bullets with distaste on her face as she placed them near the body of the unconscious man. After her art was done she looked at Dmitri.
"Shall we still try to get something to eat? I need to sit down after all this mess and I prefer to delay any possible breakdowns until we're away from Poncho." She said, motioning to the shape on the ground. "I'm also going to call in an anonymous tip to the police hotline. I don't want him to accidentally end up killing people but getting involved with muggle law enforcement is just a bother." She said as she wished for the first time in a long time that she had a mobile phone on her. It would have saved her quite a bit of effort. Oh well, she could just ask a stranger to use theirs. She could probably ask her mother to deal with it. "Nevermind. I'll have my mom do it." She said after a moment and rolled her eyes at herself for not thinking of it sooner. She summoned a quick patronus and it quickly went flying off into the sky to find her mother to ask her to call paramedics for the man.
"I think I did everything." She said but she was starting to feel the dip after the adrenaline rush threatening to settle in. If she didn't get herself to a chair she figured she'd eventually end up collapsing. She didn't want to lose face and was holding everything together as well as she could but there was a lot of pressure and she felt like a bomb could burst at any moment. She still really wanted that sushi though. "Maybe you could tell me how on earth you managed to pull that off without getting shot over some food?" She considered for a short moment before adding "... And maybe a glass of wine or three?" Her temporary spike of adrenaline was fading fast and she could feel her legs starting to get shaky. She could still keep her feet for now but she was starting to feel very tired. She quickly put her wand away again, hoping he didn't notice the tremor in her hands. It wouldn't be long until she started to freak out mentally. Maybe if he spoke she could calm herself with his stories? That might help or at least she hoped it would. If nothing she felt like an explanation was in order, although she didn't want to force it. Still, it had been quite the risk to bring bare fists to a gun fight and if she was going to think about how it might have ended she was certain that she'd end up vomiting. She didn't want that.
@dmitri
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online Apr 19, 2024 5:09:16 GMT -7
|
|
|
Nov 27, 2019 20:38:42 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2019 20:38:42 GMT -7
After performing the memory charm, Dmitri noticed Heleen making a note. Was this for her for later, like before? But then he saw her conjure up rope and tie the man, along with leaving the note near him, along with bring the bullets and gun closer to him. It was a good idea for if authorities found him, but if he woke up, or someone else found it, not so much. But he didn't want to spoil her fun, there was a chance, she would be mentally traumatized, in some way, from this experience. When she was satisfied with how it looked, she turned to him, He took half a step back, realizing how close he was to her, and unsure about what was going to happen next.
Food was a good idea. He was surprised, she seemed to be taking all of this quite well. Calling in a tip would be nice, but Dmitri agreed. He didn't want to get tangle with muggle law enforcement. He wasn't a criminal, but because of how he was raised, he always got nervous around officers of the law. "Leaving would be a great idea. I'd hate to be around when he wakes up" He glanced at the man. She then mentioned that she would have her mother do it. Dmitri watched the patrons fly away as he put his wand away.
After that, he looked back to Heleen, and saw the droop. It appeared that the shock was starting to wear off. "Let's get you inside." He then offered his arm. He figured that she could use some support. He didn't want her to collapse until she was safe in a chair. "I learned at a young age to read people. He wasn't intending to shoot." He said with a calm demeanor. "As for the other question, I'm sure you have. I learned to defend myself, and others, early in life." He added, quite coldly. It was a different time. He had started to fight before he had reached his first decade of life. "You'll feel better after some alcohol" He said as he started to cox her away from the scene.
@seph
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online Apr 19, 2024 5:09:16 GMT -7
|
|
|
Nov 28, 2019 11:02:33 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2019 11:02:33 GMT -7
There were things that managed to get Heleen insecure without her even understanding why. Sometimes she didn't even notice why but still got the after affects. At times it was painfully obvious but lacked all sort of logic. This time it was the physical act of creating distance that made Heleen wonder if she'd done something wrong. Why was he moving away from her? Then again, there was no reason for him to just stay near her like a hoverbot of sorts. She knew it was illogical that she overreacted to such a small thing so she did what she always did and just opted to ignore her own emotions. It was a lot easier than trying in vain to understand them.
The idea of the man that had just threatened their lives waking up while they were still there sent shivers of fear and nerves across her spine in icy needles. No, she certainly did not want to see the man wake up, even if he currently was incapable of doing anything. Besides, if her mother had listened she would phone the cops and they'd be here any moment and she didn't want to be around when they showed up. Dmitri was at least on board with leaving so she started shambling towards the exit of the alley, feeling a cold spread through her system as if he bones were made of ice. This entire thing was bad and she had no idea what to do with it. Nothing made sense and she wasn't sure where to go from here. Moving on as if nothing happened seemed both perfect and completely wrong. She didn't have any other ideas and just going home was certain to mean she'd mull on this endlessly, which wouldn't be so good for her mental health either.
After her first steps Dmitri must have noticed she was starting to fall apart as he offered her his arm and suggested heading inside. It sounded like a really good idea by now. The sushi place was very close so it wouldn't take too long to get there. Or at the very least she hoped it wouldn't be too long. She gladly accepted his support as she tried to steady herself both mentally and physically but it seemed like she was trying to walk on quicksand. She felt like she was sinking slowly with no way to get out. Dmitri's support made it feel like she at least had something to hold on to, somebody to drag her out if she sunk too deep into the mess. It was too much of a burden to place on him though, so she would attempt to avoid doing so.
And yet he was too calm about all of it. It made very little sense and unnerved her a little bit. He knew and understood much, more than an ordinary person would. There was a story, that much was certain but she wasn't sure if she ought to be worried about him as much as the guy that was out like a light. He seemed more dangerous as the icy tone of his voice sent chills down her spine. He was calm and collected in a way she couldn't manage right now if her life had depended on it. Or maybe she could, but just wasn't aware of it. It made her feel a little bit frightened that he was so calm and cold. It made him seem far more dangerous than she'd anticipated, although he had shown no signs that he had intentions to harm her. Still the tone and demeanor suggested her could murder her if he wanted, without being too bothered by it. That scared her, especially since she felt far too weak to do anything right now. Still there was nothing that suggested his coldness was directed at her and her curiousity was far too often stronger than her common sense. Normally she would have kept her mouth shut regardless, no matter how much she wanted to know things but right now she wasn't sure why. Somehow she trusted him, which could possibly be due to the fact he'd just bothered to risk life and limb to save them both.
She didn't respond to his words instantly, first allowing them to shape in her head as he coaxed her from the scene, suggesting that her idea of alcohol wasn't bad. It was easy to follow him and lean on him, even if his words still milled in her head. To be alone with a man she knew had no worries about hurting her or to be alone with a coworker that, capable or not, had shown no intention to hurt her. She followed without hesitation, nearly blindly. His words were spoken in such a way she feared that a traumatic story would accompany any explanation but she wished to ask regardless. She started off a little hesitant. "It sounds almost like you're used to situations like this." She said, confusion evident in her tone. She looked to the ground, letting her hair block her face from view as she closed her eyes for a moment, stumbling onward. After a brief pause she continued. "Earlier you told him that there was a better way to get a good haul. Gain trust and people will give you things.That and now you say you know how to read people and had to learn to defend yourself and others....." She paused for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what she was trying to say or ask. "It sounds like you had a really hard time growing up. I don't want to believe you're only being nice because you're trying to get something from me though. I mean, you're in for a disappointment if you're trying because I don't really have much to give." She smiled slightly wryly, still hiding in her hair a little. She wasn't really rich so it was too much effort for the little money and things that she had. If it was about physical things then she guessed she could give something but anybody would be far too likely to get bored with her before she got to such a point. What did she have to offer anyway? Friendship, of course, but that wasn't exactly something that was a limited resource. If his sense of entertainment was to completely and utterly destroy her life he could get something though. It just seemed to her she was a bit of a strange target for such antics since they did work together.
She looked at him then, eyes completely neutral and only showing curiosity but no judgement. "Is there anything you want from me? I guess I'd rather know if you plan to steal my things or break my heart for your amusement. I doubt it would change much about the outcome regardless. I already decided I like you, even though this side of you scares me. If I were smart I'd probably run but I think our job kind of proves that I'm not particularly good at staying away from things that are known to be dangerous if they make me curious enough." The department of mysteries had certainly given her another mystery to tempt her to play with fire and get her fingers burned. She knew better as she always did. It still wouldn't really change anything. He'd made her feel appreciated and smart and that sort of a thing was like a drug to her. Maybe if she stopped right now she could still quit, but their project promised her that wasn't exactly an option. She was on the path of addiction with no way to escape but to literally run. She'd already done that once and she wasn't going to do it again. Maybe the universe was just trying to make a point. It was up to her to figure out what that point was supposed to be by now. Running was no longer an option, she wouldn't know where.
She looked at the lights ahead and took a deep breath, not realising that her distractions proved very effective in warding off the unwanted after effects of the assault. "Maybe wine..." She said softly as she slowly started to turn back to the present again. Almost there, almost ready to sit and collapse now.
@dmitri
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online Apr 19, 2024 5:09:16 GMT -7
|
|
|
Nov 28, 2019 13:47:50 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2019 13:47:50 GMT -7
Because of this interaction, Dmitri now felt more aware of his surroundings than before. He was defiantly slipping. Sticking around this man, especially after she had sent a message to her mother to call the cops, wasn't a good idea. It would get significantly more complicated if they stopped to question them. Not just them being wizards and the cops being muggles, the man wouldn't have any recollection of them, and defiantly say that he had never seen them before. Try explaining that, and not look like the criminal.
It was obvious from Heleen's reaction, that this was not something that happened regularly. But for Dmitri, he was raised around people like this. One of the jobs that his father made him do, was watch the transactions between the man and his clients. He was to read them to see if they were a potential or active threat. And he got good at it. He could tell if someone was lying, or if they meant to cause harm. Guess that wasn't normal. He was concerned that the woman he was with wouldn't even make it out of the ally on her own. Though she was handling it quite well, perhaps she was trying to compartmentalize, or maybe she was pushing it down, like a time bomb, just waiting to explode. He was glad that she accepted his arm. If she continued on without it, he wasn't sure what would have happened. He would help support her, until they got to the place.
After speaking, she staid quiet. He didn't blame her, and he remained silent himself, guiding her down the way that they had been going. Once she did finally start to speak, after they were decently away from the scene of the almost crime, her voice seemed waver. "It sounds almost like you're used to situations like this." a smile came across his face, and a chuckle couldn't be helped. "You could say that" He could tell by her body language, and they way that the weight adjusted on his arm, that she wasn't feeling so sure of her self at the moment "Well, not that situation specifically, but experience has taught me to adapt. She continued, and Dmitri felt it best to let her put the pieces together, as best as she could. She was smart, and processing this information would hopefully help her process what had just happened.
There it was. He was afraid this would happen. Thanks to what he had said, and the fact that he had been nice to her, she figured he was conning her. To be honest, he wouldn't have gone after her for money, but that was probably not the point he should be correcting her on. She didn't seem quite done, because she turned to him, looking him in the eyes. He glanced at her, and it was quite uncomfortable. She was so innocent and ignorant of the darkness in the world. Her question was so pure and honest, it hurt. He gave a heavy sign. "That was my past. It does make me who I am, and I can't unclear what I know and how I see things. But you have no need to worry. I work an honest job, and have no intentions of returning to that life." He tried to warm his voice a bit, making sure to still seem serious, but at the same time, honest and not as frightening. The poor girl had been through enough for one day. "I know you have no reason to believe me." If she was smart she wouldn't. What he said was true, but it was the skill of the con-artist to say what they wanted to hear. He looked away. "If it makes you feel better, I'll request a change, and you can work with someone else on the project" He wanted to make sure that she had an out that she could take. He wouldn't blame her.
As they walked, the got to the end of the area, and Dmitri glanced around, spotting a sushi joint. That must be it.
@seph
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online Apr 19, 2024 5:09:16 GMT -7
|
|
|
Nov 30, 2019 15:51:53 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2019 15:51:53 GMT -7
She wasn't sure how but his voice made everything seem less bad than it was. They were slowly gaining distance and somewhere in the distance she heard the sound of sirens starting to pick up. Her mother probably had called the cops and she'd soon enough expect an elaborate update from her on her side of what exactly had happened as she hadn't put in that much detail. She was totally going to twist the story to seem as innocent as possible. She didn't really want her mother to worry, especially not since she'd moved abroad. Her parents were not very prone to getting worried but things like this wouldn't really do them much good. It was worries without any real reason to worry and the time she'd have to spend making sure they calmed down wasn't worth the truth. It wasn't that she planned to lie but she would talk the situation down a lot to make it seem like no big deal. That was the best way to handle it for them.
As for her, his story mattered to her. To feel safe around him because he too had been through things and he could teach her a thing or two about coping with things like that. She felt herself relax more every time he opened his mouth to tell her about what was going on. The stress and tension was still there, slowly trying to break her body down but he was like an antidote, delaying the inevitable. A hesitant smile came upon her face. "You're very good at it. I'm pretty sure you saved me from some pretty significant damage, if not more. I'm sorry for all that happened to make you so good at it. It might be selfish but I'm glad of the good you used it for today." She said in all honesty. To her, this was good. Such a thing was of course open to interpretation as saving her life wouldn't be good to everybody in the world but to her it counted. At least it was good enough to make her happy and glad to still be alive.
She vaguely nodded as he said he had no ill intentions regardless of where he came from in life. "You've given me no reason to distrust you and it would be bad manners to thank you for saving me by shunning you for a part of your history I wasn't intended to know to begin with." She said simply. It wasn't that difficult for her. "You didn't choose to have that life either, which would make it even more cruel to judge you based on all of that. I don't want to be that person. I'm well aware that such a choice might make me extremely stupid but I'd rather be dumb than cruel." He was looking away as he pretty much offered to remove himself from the situation to ensure she wouldn't be bothered by the risks. Such little faith made her sad, mostly because it seemed like his life required it. She'd lived in such a safe space this was alien to her but it seemed normal to him. That part only made her more determinded to see exactly what he'd do if he had to opportunity to continue whatever it was he was doing. It wasn't often that she got a chance to work with a brilliant mind that considered her to be capable and treated her with respect in the way he had. Not to mention that the entire love room part made her want to quit at the idea of switching to a new partner and having to start all over again.
"It would make me feel worse." She then said pointedly. "You've treated me with respect and haven't looked down on me so far. That isn't the kind of luxury I'm used to having. I don't want to risk getting paired off with somebody that presumes I'm not smart enough because I'm a woman or that my ideas don't have the same value as their own for that reason. Or even worse, they could also presume my youth and relative inexperience make me incapable of delivering on the idea I came up with, so no. It would not make me feel better at all. Even if you'd take the idea at the end of the project and sell it as your own I can at the very least have the satisfaction of a job well done, even without recognition, because based on today we can work together in a way that makes me feel like more than just an echo or a soundboard. If you insist you need the change I will respect that, but it will not make me feel better in the slightest." She then paused, her anger at the ways the world had wronged him robbing the fear from it's incapacitating abilities. She stopped in her tracks and looked him in the eyes with a hardness that was extremely uncommon in her, except when she spoke from a place of passion and ideals that needed a iron resolve and a fight to survive.
"Dmitri, working with you is pretty much heaven sent. I'd rather have you screw me over kindly than some other person making me feel like crap for the next months while the project runs that considers it to be a high honour they bothered to sign my name on the research paper at the end." Then the hardness faded from her eyes as she gently took one of his hands in her own. "This might be the adrenaline and the near death experience being a little dramatic but I need you on this. Use and manipulate me all you want if it renders the same results as today. I haven't had this much fun at work in my entire career. Let's just get that sushi and leave the past behind us. I'm starving." Not literally of course, but she was hungry and she knew her internal fire would eventually burn out. When that happened she wanted to be on a chair. If he didn't want to go for sushi any longer that would be fine but she was totally going to ask for a ride home in that case. There was no way she'd get there without collapsing by now. Car, broom, flu powder or side-along apparation would all be fine to her. Even a taxi would do. It was just a question of having food or going home.
She looked up at the Sushi place then, before turning her attention back to Dmitri. "Unless you'd rather go home of course. If you're still up for some sushi I'd say we should probably find us a seat before my legs decide to quit on me. I fear that this entire ordeal might have cost me a bit more energy than I have in my system and I think I might collapse a little bit soon. You know, when the adrenaline runs out...." She gave him a very apologetic look at that point. "I'm sorry if I'm being a bother, I promise I'm not usually this dramatic and annoying. It's the stress and all...." She said, vaguely motioning to the sky and the path behind them. It wouldn't take all that long now. If explaining her energy to a muggle she'd probably compare it to having the phone battery on two percent while desperately trying to find a charger. Not the best scenario when away from a place to be able to recharge.
@dmitri
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online Apr 19, 2024 5:09:16 GMT -7
|
|
|
Nov 30, 2019 17:38:57 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2019 17:38:57 GMT -7
As the two headed away from the scene, Dmitri heard the sirens in the distance, drawing closer. He wouldn't panic, and he wouldn't over react, but he really wished that she would move faster. He shouldn't rush her though. She was hesitant in her words, but genuine. He was sure that it would have been less dramatic if she had been on her own. He would have just demanded her money and been done with it. Dmitri was certain that the reason the man acted the way that he did, was because he knew thought he knew that they were in a relationship. On the other hand, if he hadn't been there, it could have been worse. He could have taken all she had, and more. "Don't be sorry. I'm not." He was glad for the skills he had. He didn't want to be any different. He had a rough past, and he didn't like to talk too much about it, but he wouldn't trade it. He defiantly wished that his sisters didn't have to go through it, but that couldn't change now. "And you don't need to apologize. You have had no part in it." Even if his father apologized, he wouldn't take it. Plus, he knew for a fact that that old man would never apologize, he would rather demand more money, and maybe his life at this point. That is, if he had figured out that he, Dmitri, helped get him locked up.
"You've given me no reason to distrust you" she stated, and continued. Dmitri was certain that he had plenty of reasons, but he wouldn't argue this fact. He should have seen that coming. She wasn't going to judge him. She had proven herself in that before. He was trying to be honest, and he was adamant form the start, not to con her. Though, in a way, he felt like he had. He had put on a sweet face, and naturally complimented her so that she would like him. Wasn't that the same way he would start a conversation on a "mark." He didn't want to take anything form her, so he would be good, like he wanted to from the start, though, she didn't deserve to know some of what she was dealing with, he didn't owe her to tell his entire life story. Not now anyway.
In a way, Dmitri was happy that she wanted to keep him as a work partner, though he wasn't sure if the other part of her statement was true. He had treated her respectfully and saw her as an equal. But looking back on it, he wasn't sure how much of it was the natural charmer coming out, in anticipation of wanting something from her. But he felt bad when she stated that it wasn't something she usually felt regularly. She was a good girl, nice, smart, and sweet. Who wouldn't give her that much? Her rant seemed to shed some light on it. He felt like she had been treated like that recently, probably by someone she deeply cared about, or even respected. She finally ended her little rant and Dmitri couldn't help but laugh, even with her looking so cutely stern. The look was truly unbecoming of her, and it didn't work in the intention that he was certain she was intending it to. "Forgive me for suggesting it. And I would never sell the invention as my own. If I really wanted to make a profit, I would wait until it was widely used, then find a potion that it was useless against, then sell that." He shield once more at her "But you do not need to worry about that happening." Probably.
As she resolutely stated that she would prefer to work with him over anyone else, it touched him, "Then I will be your partner. And I will make sure you get the credit you deserve. It is your idea after all." He would be more than fine, prefer it actually, for his name not to be on any part of it, though he was going to help with the project. The had stopped when she became so resolute. She had also taken his hand, and he smiled, holding her's back He was happy to leave the past behind them, but he was also certain that this subject would come up again, after the shock and adrenaline were over and through with. "Lets go in then. One word of advice. You should stop second guessing yourself. You are smart and if you want something, go for it. And don't hold back" He stated as they got up to the front of the restaurant. He opened the door for her, still allowing her to hold onto him if she still needed support.
@seph
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online Apr 19, 2024 5:09:16 GMT -7
|
|
|
Dec 1, 2019 15:43:13 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2019 15:43:13 GMT -7
Even though Heleen didn't fully agree with Dmitri she understood his reasoning. It was no use to dwell on how life might have been if it had been kinder and generally better for him. It just wasn't right it had gone the way it had for him and she felt that was too large of an injustice. She might have changed the world if she could, but it wasn't like she was capable. She wasn't going to argue with him on such semantics as his way of processing it was far more healthy. It had already happened and there was nothing either of them could do to change things, short of inventing time travel and creating a paradox that could possibly destroy the world or something. It was far too risky to try, especially since the odds were that it would never even work. It was best to leave it all alone.
He laughed as she vented her frustrations a little, which made her feel a bit insecure. Was she being silly? She tried to shrug it off but naturally it would be an itch in her brain for several days to come. Still, it amused her that he figured that pushing her out of the picture had something to do with profits. They worked for the ministry so it was unlikely either of them was here for profits to begin with. Government jobs weren't exactly notorious in their pay. "I don't. The minister would probably get more profits from it than either of us to begin with. I was referring more to the massive ego many researchers seem to have. I'm not sure what most of them are compensating for but I'm not here for it. I don't need a boost for a fragile ego, I just want to be treated like a human being." She said, knowing she was risking sounding stupid or like a whiney little child. It was important to her, but most people failed to see that. It made her very insecure and it times she wondered why she even bothered to try. It didn't seem as if things were planning on changing for her and she was getting tired of talking herself up if all people ended up doing was letting her down.
He assured her that she'd get credit for this project but she instantly waved that off, specially since he didn't fail to mention the idea had been hers as if that ought to cheer her up. "Any idiot can have an idea. People don't pay for ideas, they pay for results. If I can't make something useful by the end of this the entire idea was garbage until somebody else picks it up and manages to do it where I failed. I'd rather wait with the ideas on getting credit or profit of any kind until there actually is anything more solid than a general idea." She then smiled and chuckled, although a very faint hint of bitterness was in the laugh. "If ideas would pay I'd be rich already." She muttered under her breath. She hated feeling weak or useless but life seemed fond of reminder her that those words suited her rather well, or at least the image she had of herself. She'd been useless when she and Dmitri had been attacked and if she couldn't finish this project she would also be bad at her job.
It was almost like he read her mind as he told her to stop second guessing herself and go for her goals. She looked at him a little suspiciously. People saying that sort of thing had never been all that credible in her mind. Of course her parents had encouraged her on plenty of points but they were also very much down to earth and made sure she made choices that were smart, wise and realistic in terms of being able to achieve them. The things she wanted to go for when she was younger were still her passion but the idea of chasing them was insane. They didn't pay for her housing and didn't exactly offer a lifestyle she required. No, chasing dreams wasn't wisdom, it was folly. Then she realised he probably meant more in terms of their current job than any other kind of thing. Chasing men or art wasn't likely to be what he was going for. Those things were not within her capabilities. Her mind was good enough and he probably felt she could achieve things in their job if she desired to do so. She then allowed a small smile. "I'll try." She answered as she walked through the door.
The sushi place was nice and cozy and the server took them to a cozy little corner as she explained their concept and handed them the menu. Heleen pretty much already knew what she wanted so she looked over at Dmitri. "Have you had sushi before?" She asked curiously. She really wanted to get to know him and hoped that this project would give her a new friend. She did worry that perhaps their very different backgrounds would make it that he wouldn't really enjoy spending time with her. She wasn't exactly the kind of person everybody just liked, or so she'd been told at least. She tried her best to get along with people but it wasn't always easy. As long as she tried, right? Then she remembered he'd told her to stop second guessing herself and she reminded herself she still had some friends that liked her company regardless of what anybody tried to tell her. She'd had plenty of them back home before she'd moved here and plenty of them still kept in contact. If she really was that horrible to be around they certainly wouldn't bother. Maybe Dmitri had a point after all. She looked at him then, taking in the shape of his face with a new and hidden sense of admiration. Despite everything that had happened he still tried to make the best out of his life. Maybe he had a secret criminal life she didn't know, but she wasn't going to presume he did bad just because his father did. Not to mention he was contributing to something that criminals certainly wouldn't appreciate. She diverted her eyes again, unable to look at him too long. With the vague perfume of the love potion still in her nose it felt like staring at him was like staring at the sun.
"So what do you usually do on a night off?" She asked curiously. Her hobbies were not exactly mainstream or part of the popular crowd but they kept her busy and amused. Certain he had things to fill his time as well? Not to mention that she was feeling completely drained now she was finally sitting down. She could barely lift her arms, she realised and felt so immensely tired it was like she'd chugged a bottle of sleeping draught. Not exactly healthy. Still, she was determined not to let it show. She still wanted to make a good impression. She was going to try going for this, much against her own better judgement. She'd sleep it all off later.
@dmitri
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online Apr 19, 2024 5:09:16 GMT -7
|
|
|
Dec 1, 2019 16:28:02 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2019 16:28:02 GMT -7
So she didn't care if she got credit or a big payout form the invention. She genuinely wanted to just create something tat would benefit all of human kind. That was admirable. It did sound like she was complaining to complain, but he figured that there was subtext there. Perhaps she had been in a situation where one or more people didn't give her credit, or take her advice. But it seemed like now she was standing up for her self, a little. It was a start. With a heavy sign, Dmitri apologized "I am sorry. You're right. We wont gain many profits, but you should get credit for the invention."
Her talk of ideas and actual products, and getting paid, was right, though she seemed to miss his point. He did sense the mood going down, and so he didn't think it would be wise to correct her. "Then let's make sure that a good product is created, before we worry about anything coming back from it." He then gave her a soft, sympathetic smile.
After telling her to go after what she wanted, or rather advising her not to second guess herself, there was a pause. This was something that Heleen would have to choose whether or not she would take to heart. It was her life, and he couldn't make her do that. But she finally smiled at him. It was small, but it was good enough, for now. "I'll try." and he smiled back at her as she passed him, into the restraint.
Their was a sweet girl working inside as the hostess, and she escorted them to a corner area. Good. He preferred corners. It was a good vantage point to watch the going on of the area. It was also harder for people to sneak up on you. "Have you had sushi before?" she asked as they sat down. "No," He shook his head, glad of the subject change. "for that, I think you will need to order for both of us." He said as he red the menu. He was certain that he shouldn't be able to say any of these, let alone knew what they would taste like. He glanced up from the confusing menu to the girl he was now sitting at the table with. She was glancing at him, but quickly looked away
Dmitri had to pause. He did have a life outside of work, but that was filled with being at home and giving lessons to his younger sister, who he was guardian over. "Sometimes if I'm just getting out of work late, I'll head over to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink. But most of the time I just head home." He didn't like to tell people about his sister, if they didn't know about her, then he felt like she was safe from any dangers that might come. "What do you like to do when your not in the office" He knew there were plenty of people in the area that could over hear their conversion, so it was back to vague mentions of what they did.
@seph
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online Apr 19, 2024 5:09:16 GMT -7
|
|
|
Dec 3, 2019 16:51:16 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2019 16:51:16 GMT -7
Profit and credit, neither one really meant much to her. She guessed she was different from most in that. Who didn't live for a life of riches and adoration? It just all seemed to be rather awkward to her. A simple life was perfectly fine. There was nothing wrong with being well off but somehow her priorities were not quite towards the more common goals of wealth and fame. She wasn't going to make a point of it though, as it wasn't really all that important. It was just the desire to see it used that she was truly after. Knowing she'd put something useful into the world that helped in people getting drugged with love potions. It seemed like such a horrible experience to her. She merely smiled at Dmitri. "If that means it makes the market I'm all for it." She said, almost as a compromise between her thoughts and his, although she'd never explain it in that way.
He too seemed keen on making the product, which made her happy. They were in this together and she didn't have to figure out everything on her own. She wasn't that good at it either way. The ideas and trying it out was easy enough for it but fine-tuning, testing and especially the bureaucracy that followed their invention already made her feel sick to her stomach even thinking about it. She wanted to create but filing the papers needed to make such a thing worth the daylight time was nothing short of a nightmare. The world was a little too complicated in the paperwork department for her to enjoy it all that much.
The topic then switched to the meal and other things. She chuckled slightly and grabbed the tablet where they had to enter their order and quickly swiped through the menu. "Is there any type restriction on your diet? Do you like any specific types of fish?" She glanced at him briefly as she started gathering some of the ideas for her own food from the electronic menu. She always liked to start her first round off with something like some basic types of Ngiri, Maki and as this place called it 'inside out' sushi. She raised an eyebrow slightly as she scrolled through but it all seemed just fine. Pretty much the same as at home. She started tapping some of the generally popular ones, figuring that it was best to just try out several different things. She could always change before placing the order if he didn't like the selection she'd made. She wasn't quite sure if he knew technology all that well but she felt it safe enough to presume he knew how to handle a tablet if he knew how to handle a gun. Neither of them were particularly common for wizards to know about, let alone being able to handle them. If not she could always help out. Her parents and grandparents had always made sure she'd kept a foot in the muggle world so she'd know how to blend in. It was something they were very aware was missing for many wizards and witches alike. They didn't want Heleen or her siblings to turn out like that.
Dmitri wasn't spectacularly involved in hobbies by the sound of it. It surprised her a little but maybe he was more the type to stay home and read. Goodness knew she had done her fair share of that when she was younger. Not everybody seemed to count that as much of a hobby so maybe it was something like that. Or just something he felt awkward about admitting? It seemed extremely unlikely since he always seemed so confident in everything. It was like pretty much nothing could phase him. It was intoxicating. She smiled a bit shyly as he offered her an opening to tell about her free time. "Well, I do ballroom dancing. I also spend a lot of free time playing Dungeons and Dragons. I play online with some friends so I pretty much separated my apartment into a technology half and one for my pagan practises. The energies of the two don't match too well and all." She said, as if she had to explain it. Speaking for the benefit of those around them was second nature to most unspeakables and she usually just compared anything magic to the pagan ways. She had a very real interest in those and since they believed in magic it was far easier to explain away any mention of what muggles presumed to be the occult. Not to mention she went to a festival back home where they had a wickerman at some point and the magic of that ritual was just as real as any magic she saw in the world around her. Perhaps even more so, as the effect on the crowd was far more impressive. Most witches and wizards took magic for granted. She studied it, above all so that she never would. Magic was far too ingrained in the world to presume that muggles didn't have any of it. She wasn't quite sure how to continue, as she didn't really want to spend all of her time talking about herself but it seemed Dmitri wasn't exactly the kind of guy to open up very rapidly either. That was all his choice, but it made her worry a little about being rude. "Have you heard of D&D?" She figured that since she knew quite a bit on the subject it was safe territory to start on, if he was interested at least.
@dmitri
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online Apr 19, 2024 5:09:16 GMT -7
|
|
|
Dec 5, 2019 19:46:47 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2019 19:46:47 GMT -7
Dmitri could tell that she didn't care too much about getting credit. She didn't seem like she wanted her name out there. It was different from those he knew wanted that in Russia. She was humble, and happy with just knowing that she helped someone. He simply smiled at her response, they would have to disagree on this subject. They really should focus on creating the item. No one would get credit, if it never came into existence.
They changed the topic over to eating, thankfully. Dmitri watched Heleen pick up an electrical device, if he remembered right, it was some sort of tablet. He hadn't had much experience with muggle technologies. The most he had was thanks to a girl he spent his time with when he was younger. He thought about restrictions "I'm willing to try whatever you want to get." He smiled at her, having to remind himself that this was not a date, and he wasn't conning the woman. He had also grown up on the streets of Moscow, which meant that he had the exposure to muggle advancements, though if his father had any of them, he never let the children anywhere near.
Dmitri did enjoy playing piano and solving puzzles, but he wasn't one to talk too much about his life at home. He also didn't like to talk about how he learned to play the piano. It was the one thing he had from his mother. That, and the knowledge that she had planed to take his sister and he away from their father. Then she was gone. Not wanting to think about it, he asked her about herself. He welcomed the distraction of Heleen talking about herself. Unlike Dmitri, she really seemed to tell him about her life, past and present. There were somethings about her initial explanation that he didn't quite understand. He spotted another customer glancing strangely over to their table at her comment. He did understand that she had about half of her apartment towards the muggle technologies, and the other to the magical. Unspeakable were excellent about compartmentalizing, and making sure that no one around knew what they were talking about, if they weren't meant to know. Not speaking about things was literally what they were named for. Before he had a chance to inquire about the unfamiliar part, she asked. It must have been some muggle practice. He guessed it was a pass time, because she was talking about what she did for fun, and he hadn't heard of hit from his time spent with muggles. "I haven't. I'd love to hear more about it." He smiled at her, leaning forward, slightly glancing to the side to see them customer who had stopped to listen turned away. Dmitri didn't like the idea of people eavesdropping into his conversions. But if he made it look more like a date to the observer, he hopped that they would stop.
@seph
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online Apr 19, 2024 5:09:16 GMT -7
|
|
|
Dec 18, 2019 12:54:15 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2019 12:54:15 GMT -7
She nodded slowly as she tapped a few items on the menu when he said he didn't have any specific restrictions. "Rather safe than sorry. One of my friends back home has a peanut allergy. You do not want to risk giving her anything that even looked at a peanut. Even with an Epipen it's insanity all around and very unpleasant for all involved parties." She widened her eyes and shook her head slightly at the mere memory of that one snackbar incident when the staff had claimed to separate the items into separate boxes, one with peanut and one without. Except that they messed up and a fries with sate sauce had ended up in the peanut free box. After that evening it was agreed that nobody would order anything with peanut if the allergic friend was around. It was a far safer bet than the Russian roulette of depending on humans to get orders right for a stranger.
He wasn't very keen on opening up and Heleen didn't mind. Not everybody trusted easily or spoke easily about private matters. Especially around coworkers people tended to be far more guarded. It made sense, especially when people wishing to make a career could or even would use any and all information they had against you if you were up for the same position. It was a stupid way to live if you asked Heleen but she was far more a people person than those people tended to be. It didn't exactly stop her from becoming more and more curious about him as a person. He was a secret and she took to those like bees to honey. It wasn't that she didn't respect his privacy or that she'd try to force anything out of him, she just was enchanted by him. He was kind and charming but didn't seem too outgoing, which made her wonder how he'd built up his charms or otherwise made him block people out constantly. It didn't make sense to her if it was work, but far a large part because it didn't keep her from connecting to people. He was a mystery, an enigma. In most cases they always had amazing stories to share, if they were willing to share them.
She noticed his scanning of the room. He was aware of his surroundings, clearly so. Perhaps she should have been too. She rarely cared who was around, as she only spoke about acceptable topics or drew a tactical veil over all her dealings when out in public. She was more likely to notice things rather than people and was a generally perceptive individual, when not distracted. He just threw her the biggest distraction possible as he set himself up for doom and destruction by inviting her to talk about her favourite hobby, equal only to ballroom dancing. He didn't know the wonderous world of dungeons and dragons but she was perhaps a bit of a fanatic. She'd even managed to play the game on vacation abroad at some point. Her eyes lit up and she smiled like it was Christmas morning. "Do stop me if I start boring you," she started, "but I know I'm very passionate about the subject so I can honestly keep rambling on for hours if you're too polite to stop me. You have been warned."
And with that, she launched into her passion, smiling endlessly with every word that crossed her lips. "So it's a tabletop game where a group of people gathers to create their own adventure. One person is in charge of the world and the enemies and the rest of the group are the players. They make their character which functions kind of like an avatar to interact with the world the storyteller creates. Most of the time people invent very complicated characters with super intense backgrounds but it's not obligated. You pretty much roll dice to decide if your actions within the story succeed. Your character has a list of statistics to decide if they're good at things or not. In one of the games I used to play I was a half elf rogue." She chuckled slightly as memories flooded back. "One of the other players was my characters grandmother. They always got into arguments whenever my character wanted to steal things because her character didn't approve." She paused for a moment and shrugged carelessly. "It's the thrill of going on adventures combined with the opportunity to do things differently than you usually would and experience the world from a different perspective. For me it tends to be things like taking risks I normally wouldn't dare take and building stories I'll never live through otherwise. My life if kind of boring, I guess. It's a nearly risk free adventure."
She decided to leave it at that for now, not wanting to bore him completely by endlessly rambling on. Still, she'd happily invite him along to a game if he found the concept interesting enough. She used to drag people from everywhere into her various games if she could. Things were different living in a new country but it didn't change her love for the RPG games at all. She'd find some group to play in soon enough or simply create her own. It offered some much needed relief from the drag of every day life. Then again, the situation they had been in earlier could easily have happened in one of her campaigns if they had a more modern setting. He'd probably be a natural at the game with how good he was at calculating risks in reality. She hadn't intended to dwell on it, but she found it far easier to look back at it from an outside perspective rather than an involved party. It somehow made it seem less dangerous.
@dmitri
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online Apr 19, 2024 5:09:16 GMT -7
|
|
|
Dec 18, 2019 20:57:16 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2019 20:57:16 GMT -7
Dmitri enjoyed watching her Heleen, and hearing her talk. It was more like rambling, but it was endearing. He gave a little smile at her slightly relevant story about peanut allergies. He wasn't very forthcoming on himself, mainly because of his past, where hiding his actual self was the key to survival. He had learned to analyze and use someones personality and past to his advantage. Because of that, he knew how important it was to hide his own self and past.
Knowing who was in a room, and spotting all exits and recognizing any threats was important. He didn't anticipate anything else bad happening tonight, but one couldn't be too careful.
He did ask her about a hobby that she had mentioned, and he couldn't help but smiling when she got excited. "Do stop me if I start boring you," she had said. He didn't plan to stop her, but perhaps a time may come when he needs to hold her rambling back. "I consider myself warned," Dmitri chuckled, "Go on." And with that, she was off. Her smile did seem to make it worth it. Then she went off on explaining it. It seemed to be a game where a group of people pretended to do something with obsolesces in the way. It sounded like a muggle game. It sounded like a way for people to get out of themselves, and pretend to be someone else.
Wasn't that similar to what he was trained to do? Though, this simple game seemed more shameless than what he did. "There can be quite a thrill in being someone else" He mused softly. "That game of yours does sound intriguing."
@seph
|
|
|
|