arlenarkenstone | (no subject)

((Unfinished RP with

tictoctictoc))

A young man sits in the Nexus with a bag full of packages. He looks worn out but content in the way that a holiday shopper is when they finish their purchasing.
Something runs into his leg. It is cold and hard and rounded. If he can see past his packages it is a teapot with a broken string tied to the handle.
Without thinking twice, he sets his things aside and picks it up, eyeing the string. "Who lost you, then?"
It squirms and warms up a little. A man with a briefcase spots them and heads towards them. "That is mine."
He almost drops it when it moves. "It's alive!" He looks startled.
"That depends on your definition."
He offers it over. "Well in the Nexus..." He shrugs. "Is it really? Or is it clockwork or something?"
"It is animated by magical life force, which I... have adapted into sentience." He takes it and reties the string to his briefcase handle.
"I don't know much about magic..." He admits, studying it with interest.
"My skills are not what... they were, but I am an alchemist." He straightens up and adjusts his glasses and it's kind of Schreberesque.
"I'm a watchmaker," He replies tranquilly. "My name's Cornelius Gibbs. You?"
"Arlen Arkenstone." He looks thoughtful. "You have a mechanical mind?"
He looks briefly puzzled by the phraseology, but nods.
"I did not mean in a literal sense."
"No, I thought not. I haven't got one in a literal sense."
"Do you find it makes it hard for people to understand you? Or... to understand people?"
"Sometimes," He admits. "And they wear me out, even my girl. I have to work at it."
He nods and sits down on the closest bench and it creaks even though he is slender. The teapot rubs against his leg. "Yes. I have trouble but I could not say if the fault is mine or theirs."
"If it's with one person, it could be either, but if you have trouble with everyone it's a pretty safe bet you're the problem."
"I suspected that." He nods and sighs.
"You just don't understand people? Or do you offend them?"
"Sometimes I think I offend them, but mostly I do not understand them and they do not understand me."
"Well, alchemy's kind of an esoteric field to most people. If it's what you're all about... it makes sense it would be hard to relate."
"I have devoted myself to it completely."
"That's probably part of it, then. I have less trouble relating to other people now than I did when I lived alone and did nothing but work on watches."
"You think I must sacrifice one for the other?"
"I don't think it's a sacrifice. Just... be interested in people, too."
"I am interested enough to make the attempt. It does not seem to be enough." He sighs.
"It's working with me." He smiles.
"Perhaps you have tried for longer?"
"I was sort of forced into it, actually. There was a traumatic situation..."
He nods slowly. "That may be when it... began. I was not aware at first."
"What happened to you? I... um, died and came back."
He looks at him a long minute with dark eyes. "That's very interesting. I was... held prisoner..." He hesitates.
Gibbs' eyes are dark too, with a hint of green. "I'm sorry. That's awful..." He looks sympathetic and doesn't press.
"I could not say if it is as bad as death, but I fear death."
"It was painful... it was an ugly death." He says softly. "But I'm glad to be alive now."
"Yes. I would be too." Arlen fiddles with his gloves a little and then pulls them off slowly.
Gibbs watches mildly, then looks startled as the bones and glass are revealed.
"I understand that I am safe here?"
"Y...yes. There's supposed to be an antiviolence field. Your hands... they're magical?"
"Prosthetic." He holds one up so Gibbs can see the gold veins. "My blood is alchemist's gold."
Comprehension dawns in his eyes. "...That's why they held you captive? That's horrible!"
"It is fortunate for me they had the foresight to keep me alive, so I could recoup the blood they drained."
He touches his shoulder gently. "That won't happen here."
He seems confused by the touch. "No, not here, but I travel."
"Do you have a PINpoint?"
"I do. It's very useful."
"Let me give you some coordinates. If you're ever in trouble, you can go to the city or the island and tell them I sent you."
"That's very kind of you." He looks surprised. "The city?"
"The island is where I live, with my girl, but the city is where I work and where my shop used to be. It's actually a space station, but only a few of the inhabitants know it..." He sends coordinates to Arlen's PINpoint, displaying an unsurprising facility with the little machine.
"Thank you. Is this the city of false memories?"
"Yes... you've heard of it?" It's Gibbs' turn to look surprised.
"From a woman named Sarah Branigan."
He brightens. "Oh, she spends more time in the Nexus now than any of us, I think. I know her. I just bought her a silk scarf for Christmas."
"...Is it Christmas? I did not know. She is also very kind."
"In a few days. She's a saint. I'm not quite done with my shopping, if you wanted to come along."
He blinks at him slowly. "I can't remember the last time I've done that."
Gibbs shrugs. "Just an offer. If you're bored."
"Will it be anywhere this is unwelcome?" He nudges the teapot with his foot. It burbles happily.
Gibbs grins. "We can put it in a bag. Or we could go to one of the Potterverses. I've meant to go there for candy for Melinda's stocking."
He shrugs and picks up his case. "Either." He frowns. "Should I get her something?"
"Who, Sarah? If you like." He PINpoints his bag of packages home. "I'm sure she won't expect it though."
"Is that bad?"
"No... it'd be a nice surprise. Just don't get anything expensive."
"What do we need for money, where we go?"
Gibbs pulls a handful of coins out of his pocket. "The gold ones are galleons, silver are sickles, bronze are knuts."
He looks in his pockets (he has to actually look not just feel) and pulls out very worn gold and bronze and copper coins with different markings. "Will these work?"
"...We'll have to exchange them, but it should be fine."
"Good. I do not like the altenative."
"Alternative?" He blinks.
He taps his forearm with a little clicking noise of bone on glass and then puts his gloves back on. "When I have no other resource..."
"Oh." He's not sure how to take this. "Um. Ready?"
"I hope so." He doesn't quite know where they're going so he can't be sure, and Arlen hates to lie.
Gibbs leads the way to the money-exchange machine and shows Arlen how to use it, then PINs them to a Potterverse Melinda and Courtney sometimes visit.
His money does not come out to very much in Potterverse coins but it's enough to buy something. He looks around once they get there and the teapot stays close to his heels.
"I'm not sure which way to go, but this is Hogsmeade." Gibbs says.
"Hogsmeade. What do they do here?"
"There's a school nearby. The kids come to town sometimes. There are little pubs, a candy store, and some shops. I need to check out the candy store..." He looks around until he spots a kid, then asks him quietly which way to Honeyduke's.
The boy points left, eyeing the teapot with interest.
Arlen nods and looks like he understands better but he lets Gibbs ask his question. "We used to go into town from the boarding school, but I mostly bought books and alchemy equipment."
"I don't remember school well. Except my teacher asking about bruises..." He murmurs absently as they continue.
"Bruises?" He raises an eyebrow and follows with the teapot hopping along.
"My father." He says softly.
"...Oh. It was only other boys who did that to me."
"I don't think I knew many other boys..."
"They were classmates." He shrugs. "And Einrich."
"Einrich?" He asks gently.
"Ah! I have not asked if you've seen him! Einrich Gerstötten, my partner. I am looking for him."
"Oh. No, I haven't met anyone by that name."
"No..." He frowns. "I will be very surprised if ever anyone says yes."
"You've been looking a long time?"
"Yes. I am much older than I look."
"I'm sorry. He must be very important."
"He was my partner. He made me what I am."
Gibbs nods a little. "What's he like? In case I see him."
"Shorter than I but... bigger," He tries to push his shoulders out and up. "Black hair and beard and dark eyes, very tan. He's very passionate."
Gibbs looks uncertain how to take this, but he nods. "If I see him, I'll tell you."
"Thank you. He should be hard to miss." He smiles faintly.
They're coming up to the candy shop now, and Gibbs points out a window display of chocolate stages with little marzipan ballerinas on them, dancing.
Arlen leans close. "Is it illusion?" He puts one hand on the glass.
"No. Some sort of edible spell." He gestures to a spider in a box. The spider is pink fondant, spinning pale blue candy floss.
He studies that too. "It may be similar to the teapot..."
"I don't know. Do you want to come in?" He opens the door.
"Oh. Yes." He follows and feels a little embarrassed for just staring in the window so long.
Gibbs goes for the cheaper candies first, grabbing a sugar quill, ice mice, and chocolate frogs first, then heads for a counter labeled 'artisan candies'.
Arlen just walks around peering at things but he tries to keep up and joins Gibbs at the counter.
Some of the candies are non animated chocolate dipped fruits and creams, but others promise strange effects, everything from weight loss to aphrodisiacs to a perfect night's sleep. "I'm getting a few cordial cherries," Gibbs says, "But the figures are the best."
"Figures? Is this what I should get Sarah?"