The floccinaucinihilipilification* with which he wiped away her concern was assuring enough, in its own way, to actually quell the worries that had just begun to cock their head around the corner of her forced placidity mere seconds ago. People that want others not to worry about something that actually is very serious tend to use much more words to explain why exactly, say, that bullet through the heart wouldn't kill them. Assuming said people were still able to speak for that long of course. In Aurora's case it meant she was willing and able to focus on what he proceeded to say.
Or rather ask; though she had some trouble following him on his strange stream of consciousness, it was undoubtedly a question he was posing. And one that came rather randomly at that. "Well yes, that should not be all too difficult. There ought to be records from that time, I'm sure," she replied pensively, pondering whether or not that data had ever been transferred onto a virtual storage space to which she would be able to gain access. Weren't there services that helped you track down long dead relatives anyway? Costly, maybe, but considering this girl could easily have bought a new Ferrari every so often should she have so desired, it was less than peanuts.
Before life as an X-Man (though she still wasn't sure whether this was her official rank, title or whatever) had started keeping her so very busy, Aurora had spent a lot of her time just buying things for the sake of having them. It had of course been so much worse before coming to Xavier's, but even after there had still been the occasional random shopping fever making her purchase jewellery costing as much as a highly-paid clerk earned in a year's time. There had come a point though when she had realised there were only so many necklaces even a high society girl like herself had any use for. Especially when the amount of events when she could actually wear them without appearing like the worst show-off were rare to say the least. That's another positive thing she had only later realised to have been one of the reasons why it had been so relatively easy for her to break through her own defences and just dare something by going out with Max. He was of comparative status. No reasons for jealousy or egotistically material motives and a chance to use the fortune she had access to without fearing to be considered snobby.
But that was in the past now, wasn't it? The present was dominated by unfulfilled desires and an undead man from another dimension asking for help to find his relatives. It was at this point of the inner monologue that she had half-consciously been having that she stopped and simultaneous ponderings of how to get the desired information. "I can only attempt to find information on the relatives of this world's William (... what is your last name again?) though," Circe offered for him to consider, the interjected question barely disturbing the flow of her words. "Beast or Forge might have an idea on how to hack into other-dimensional archives but... maybe it would be easier to find a way over there and check it by hand? I have heard vampires had a soft spot for keeping records of, well, everything."
God, how she needed a vacation. Even visiting some hellish place would be better than staying here and doing deskwork! As close as she was to volunteering accompanying Spike to Lost Angels, she didn't say it out loud just yet. No need to appear overly eager... it saved the respective other from having to disappoint you. And so far Garnet hadn't got the impression that Will was overly enthused at the prospect of going back there, if only for a short visit. So if there ever have been lasting comments on what happened to your family, I presume they ought to be around there somewhere still," she finished, wondering whether she had maybe got him wrong. Or did he maybe not care if it technically weren't his relatives she looked for? Only he'd be able to tell and she had to admit there was some curiosity to her awaiting his reply.
* That'd basically be the act of dismissing or disregarding something... I found it looking up a word that meant 'dismissiveness' but did actually exist, and couldn't resist using that monster of a word. XD
For everyone comes the time when they have to take over responsibility. It stands to argue whether there is also a time when they can get rid of it again.
Re: Exile's Dorm: Companionship"Well yes, that should not be all too difficult. There ought to be records from that time, I'm sure," Not too difficult? Well... thinking about it made more sense when one considered that this reality wasn't burned to the ground and information wasn't like in explosions or corruptions, fires or any other sort of attacks. No matter how long Spike exposed himself to things here it always seemed to take him by surprise as to how different, while also so similar, their two realities really were.
"I can only attempt to find information on the relatives of this world's William (... what is your last name again?) though," His last name? Oh how many years has it been since he uttered either one? The very thought of speaking them was strangely draining, though at least his thoughts had more then completely taken over any physical itches he may have for the time being. "Beast or Forge might have an idea on how to hack into other-dimensional archives but... maybe it would be easier to find a way over there and check it by hand? I have heard vampires had a soft spot for keeping records of, well, everything." ...Go back? What if he couldn't get back here? If he got stuck there... he'd not cope with it, what if they both got stuck? Yet another victim he has cursed to a world muddled with distaster after distaster! Not again, he couldn't do it, and there was no point either, but why would anyone suggest such a thing, so casually, to go back there, of all places!
"So if there ever have been lasting comments on what happened to your family, I presume they ought to be around there somewhere still," After a brief pause, Spike shifted his position on her bed, moving to sit up and crossing his legs with a crease wrinkling the undead's brow. It was rather embarrassing but a pale hand quickly lifted to rub the back across his right eye in a suspiciouly discreet manner before he let out a rather tense sigh and let it drop back to his thigh.
"The only known..'possible' relative I had left is mounted like a scarecrow in the ruined streets about the area you have here as Salem." Drive it home he not only had no intention of going back there, he had no reason either, no one deserved that life, not even the undead. The small frail child, fair hair and hazel eyes, fiery aurben curls, she was such a cute little thing, so timid yet so brave. Like most children Spike assumed, shy, but since they were so innocent they didn't always understand the dangers they faced.
"I jus' want to know if things worked out better here.." There was another pause though his attention hardly focused on Garnet, even when his eyes seemed to meet her face, it didn't seem as if he was paying complete attention to her standing there. "Masters.. was my mother's maiden name, she had a sister, but I can't remember her name, I know she had kids.. " There was a tenderness to his voice as he thought and spoke of his mother and her family, even if the years had robbed him of their names and their faces he still remembered his mother and that was all that mattered. On the other hand, a rather bitter turn of emotions occured as the father was brought into the mix.
"An' I supposed if we're head hunting family members, my mother, married and took the name of a drunkard git called Rupert Jorgensen." Who was Spike to conden another man though? An abusive drunk was hardly as bad as a raping, murdering, blood sucking monster.. Even as Spike spoke, it was so hard to get every word out, just saying his father's name was enough to spark a temper that urged to be released, like a poisonous seed infecting all the good Spike tried to do with his life, this dark black hole would always be there, always infect him with it's negative energies.
There was a slight distracted, Spike's face lowering, his shoulder shifting slightly and his hand moving to touch it, there was almost the ghostly feel of his mother resting her own hand down on his shoulder, her quiet strength trying to help him cope. But she wasn't there, she hadn't been there for so long and there was nothing he could do, or nothing he'd want to do, she was dead, and he'd tried meddling with her life before and that had cost him everything. Not again, if he wanted to save her then he had to find those who were connected to her, who were still alive, still able to carry on a part of her, even if that part was not her herself but that of her sister.. He had never spent so long thinking about it, or anything like it, his thoughts barely lasted so long but now.. so much detail went into them. Now that life was within his grasp again..
The vampire let his body roll back down on the bed, falling sideways so that he still faced Garnet and took in the details of her face, her hair, her shape.She was beautiful, but she wasn't Rogue, she wasn't the one who was there in his world, saving him when he needed to be saved the most.
"I never wanted to be like'im.. an' instead I turned out worse then he ever was." The quiet comment was spoken as a thought, an admission of guilt.. a wish that Rogue was there to tell him whatever it was that she thought he needed to hear. Just like he could be there for her... when he was able to think straight.. when he wasn't seeing ghosts or chasing shadows of his past, he could help her.. No wonder she left him though.. she'd always be the stronger one, and yet she needed someone to be strong for her, and he couldn't be strong for himself, so how could he expect Rogue to believe he could be strong for her?
Re: Exile's Dorm: Companionship
Aurora couldn't return to that bed he was sitting on, not after what had happened there. Temptation would be too strong, no matter how serious the topic. It would eat away on her resolve to be that close to him so soon after she had forced herself to pull away, much too soon. No, she was safer standing there, leaning against her desk, listening with arms neatly folded in front of her chest. All chastity and conscientiousness, but how much herself? But that's not what it was about, was it? Never had been.
*Yeah that's right, self-pity will make it all better,* Garnet thought sarcastically, dismissing her thoughts as the pointless whinings they were. It had been her own choice not to give in to her desires, thus she should stick by it, so the fiery mutant told herself, not for the first time, and made a start by booting up her computer. The start to a new and improved attitude towards herself and this whole, bizarre situation. It sounded like taken right from some self-support group's manual.
The sound of that high end device's numerous units brought some much-missed reality back into this room for her, something even Spike's crestfallen, almost tormented expression could not change. Then again, those weren't exactly unreal feelings. Just some she would probably never understand. The fact that she would never live to be more than a thousand years old aside - although you really shouldn't say 'never' as an X-Men -, her family had never had any serious arguments, let alone disavowals. Quite contrary to Spike's family, as she knew now, or the Chadstones (something she of course had no idea of).
It felt strange to hear of such family situations, and in a way it shamed her that there was no way for her to relate to it. Admittedly, Circe wasn't entirely sure why that was the case, but it was all the same. Perhaps because she couldn't sympathise, Exiles's leader decided to get down to business rather than comment on the emotional side of it all. That was probably the better approach either way, considering how hard it was for Spike to talk about the topic anyway. And really, what could she have said without sounding clichéd and insincere?
"Can you spell the names out for me, just to make sure I am not tracking the wrong families." She motioned at the computer on which a few keystrokes launched the text editing application. For a moment, Aurora wondered whether Spike - being an ancient vampire - was familiar with the use of such machines. The concept of immortality was still hard to grasp for her and so she oftentimes caught herself thinking of Spike as a particularly well-preserved type of grandpa. An earlier comment she thought to remember, however, seemed to assure he at least knew of the basics.
"It will certainly take a bit to investigate the case, but if I pull on some contacts, you should have your information within a week." She smiled in a slightly apologetic manner, wrinkling her nose a little. "That probably seems horribly slow to you, but believe me, considering we are talking of barely accessible data here, it is actually lightning-speed."
Was that actually a chuckle that followed? To Aurora it seemed a little as if she were standing next to herself, watching, barely concerned. "Heavens, did that just sound really arrogant?" And what if? There were so few things Circe felt she had a right to be proud of, why couldn't she at least flaunt her computer skills that she knew were impressive? It was only fair... right?
For everyone comes the time when they have to take over responsibility. It stands to argue whether there is also a time when they can get rid of it again.
Re: Exile's Dorm: Companionship"Can you spell the names out for me, just to make sure I am not tracking the wrong families." Just as Spike began to open his mouth, his lips tensing slightly before parting, though hesitation came, the words just there on the tip of his tongue and yet again the vampire found himself lost on what he was about to say. What names was it she wanted him to give out again? His eyes glanced about the room, looking for clues as to what had been previously discussed, the tapping of some keys catching his attention.
"It will certainly take a bit to investigate the case, but if I pull on some contacts, you should have your information within a week." His information? A week for it? For what? It was right there, right on the very border of his thoughts and yet just out of reach, he knew it, he could almost feel it rolling off his tounge. "That probably seems horribly slow to you, but believe me, considering we are talking of barely accessible data here, it is actually lightning-speed." Barely accessible? What? Spike stared about, trying hard to keep himself appearing calm, his eyes shifting and momentarily finding rest on the computer again.
"Heavens, did that just sound really arrogant?" What was she rambling on about now? His expression more clearly showed he was trying to figure out what on earth she was carrying on about, his head tilting slightly as his eyes peeled away from Garnet and fell to the covers of the bed he rested on. "Sorry luv, what names was it you wanted?" There was a pause before he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood (and humiliation) as he added. "Seems my trail of thoughts were blown away by the all powerful lightening speed skills."
Re: Exile's Dorm: Companionship - Friday March 23rd
The look Garnet gave in reply to the vampire's question was puzzled to say the least. Focused on planning out in her mind the most effective way to get the information Spike had wanted, the fiery mutant hadn't really noticed the vacant stare on his features at some point in between. And even if she had... that guy didn't exactly have the reputation of a mentally stable person. Of course one could have argued that knowing this fact should have prevented any surprise on her part, yet normally when he zoned out, the vampire started to talk about something almost entirely unrelated instead of having blackouts. Oh well, there was a first time for everything...
"That Rupert Jorgensen...," she replied softly, unsure what state he actually was in at that point and not wanting to take any risks, "how is his surname spelled?" Or had he possibly forgotten the whole reason why he had come here in the first place? Considering that little episode on the bed, maybe that wouldn't actually be such a bad thing. Regardless of the way they had managed to sort of ignore the incident shortly after already, there was always a chance for it to come back up again for whatever reason, and Aurora felt like she could well live without the awkwardness of such a moment. The whole situation was just so odd, the Exiles team leader wasn't sure whether she didn't much rather want to not spend another thought on it and just move on.
Be it as it may, to avoid further confusion, she decided to give him a little heads up on what he had come there for, a step that felt strange but may just as well have been necessary. She couldn't know at this point, confronted with his incomprehension and obvious embarrassment at the situation as a whole. "You wanted me to check on what happened to the relatives of this world's Spike.... remember?" It seemed a good idea to find out how much exactly he was uncertain of at that point. Saved her from stating the obvious and being looked at as if she were the slightly insane person in this room.
For everyone comes the time when they have to take over responsibility. It stands to argue whether there is also a time when they can get rid of it again.
Re: Exile's Dorm: Companionship - Friday March 23rd"That Rupert Jorgensen...," The name rang a bell but for the first few moments Spike found himself letting the familiar name roll about on the tip of his tongue. There was the shadow of images swirling around him, which in itself was usual at times and Spike got to the point a while ago where he tended to ignore a lot of what happened around him, the random people that seemed too out of place to really be there. Though sometimes what the vampire heard them say helped trigger a memory, and on occasions those memories were actually useful to the current situation. In this case, the flicker of his father's face was enough to cause Spike to give a slight frown.
"how is his surname spelled?" Why.. did Garnet want to know how Spike's father's last name was spelt? The vampire looked a little awkward for a moment, he didn't want to talk about his dad, no one ever asked about his family, or what it was like to live when he had lived. No one ever cared to ask if Spike had siblings or if he got on with his family, or if he missed them. The vampire assumed it was because people forgot he once had been human, as if they just assumed all these years he had been nothing but a monster, and there was nothing before that, and would be nothing after it.. Then again, Spike wouldn't like people asking him such private questions unless he felt close enough to them, and then with that thought the vampire had to admit it wasn't really that great a number of people who he could say he felt close enough too.
"You wanted me to check on what happened to the relatives of this world's Spike.... remember?" Spike's eyes droped to the bed covers, why would he ask something like that? Could he deal with knowing? It'd be nice to see faces that held a familiarity to them, even if they wouldn't recognize him in turn. Though as Spike remembered Garnet's question, another presence kept him distracted. Willow's curved physique crept onto the bed with Spike and in turn Spike pulled himself closer to the edge of the bed.
How fun.. let's see how the family turned out. Her voice almost purred as she talked, the tone just caused Spike to worry a little. It was never good when rivals took an interest in those close to you.. though Spike wasn't sure how much of a threat Willow was to him, and he wasn't sure if she was really playing this mental trick on him or if it was just his own mind doing it.
Oh come on Spikey, tell her... if you want I can find them for you. There was an amlost malicious gentle chuckle and Spike stood up, looking from Willow over towards Garnet. If Willow was physically here Garnet would have reacted... Willow had been seen by a few of the X-men, and after the Witch King trials Spike was sure that none of them would just sit around while the Witch Kings former lapdog was in their presence. When it came to Willow however, she didn't need to physically be there in order to effect someone, and Arisa had to find that out the hard way.
"Oh, right." The tone said it all, he had no idea what he was intending to do with the information or why he wanted to know about his family. But then again, sometimes people got random urges, and Spike wasn't above them. "I dropped his name.. went by my mothers maiden name." Spike thought for a moment... "I had an aunt.. and she had kids.. but.. do you think the sun came back?" Spike's question was connected to his family... if you went down enough twisting roads in Spike's broken mind. "Do you think everything's going back to normal back home?"
Re: Exile's Dorm: Companionship - Friday March 23rd
This was just ridiculous. Of all the peculiar things she had heard Spike say or see him do, this certainly was among the top three, albeit not the strangest one. Then again, it is hard to rank something when everything just seems like a succession of bizarre highlights. One thing at least was for certain: it was impossible to get bored when the vampire was around. The downside to it was this slight risk of going insane. Or homicidal. Or both, in no particular order.
And yet there was a moment in which Aurora tried to find some sense in his reply. It was impressive really how, on the surface, it seemed to be a relatively normal conversation they were leading while in truth they could just as well have been communicating in different languages. So slight appeared her chances of working things out to be at this point. "I will see what I can do for you," she finally said, making a short note of what he had said, and of how she suspected Jorgensen was spelled, just in case. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to run this check entirely on her own and just hope he'd get over this memory lapse or whatever it was soon enough.
There wasn't much Aurora knew about the parallel world Spike had come from, and so her idea of what was deviant in there was far from clear, or rather how exactly things had come to be as they apparently were. "I don't know whether this endless night will end there, if you mean that," was her truthful reply. "It all depends on what caused it... if it is something that needs to be recharged or reinitiated at some point..."
In spite of what strange things she had seen ever since becoming an X-Men, Circe still had a strong dislike to accepting anything as being "magical". To her, things had a logical, scientific explanation. All things. However, that also meant that when it came to mystical occurrences, she found herself clueless in the best case, or coming up with explanations that sounded crazy even to her... yet not as crazy as "witchcraft" and such mumbo-jumbo. The plethora of differently-powered students at this school, many of which would have been classified as wizards or witches in earlier days, was reason enough for her to believe that evolution - and genetic mutation in particular - was sufficient justification for everything seemingly paranormal.
Either way, this was leading nowhere. The pile of papers on her desk caught her eye, making her sigh a little. "Sorry William, but I'm afraid I will have to ask you to go now." She vaguely motioned towards the reports. "Work is calling."
If she had had to be completely honest, Aurora would have had to admit that a part of her was actually rather glad to have a reason to end their little talk. Speaking with Spike could be pleasant enough... or causing a headache. That day, it definitely was the latter and as it was, she really needed all mental capacities she could call her own.
For everyone comes the time when they have to take over responsibility. It stands to argue whether there is also a time when they can get rid of it again.
Re: Exile's Dorm: Companionship - Friday March 23rd"I will see what I can do for you," Garnet informed Spike, assuring him of this and yet Spike closed his eyes, raising a hand towards his head and permitting his pale fingers to touch lightly the side of his forehead. "I don't know whether this endless night will end there, if you mean that," The reply was to his previous question, and the certainty of his understanding was undeniable as the often piercing eyes became downcast in equally common expression of his distant pained thoughts. "It all depends on what caused it... if it is something that needs to be recharged or reinitiated at some point..." The vampire’s eyes lifted to study Garnet’s face, what she said was true, it did depend on breaking the spell, but what if the only key to the sun’s return was destroyed in another world? Would Lost Angel’s have noticed Angelus’s destruction, or has the world’s only chance been carelessly obliterated with help from Spike’s incompetence with his lack of foresight? It wasn’t the X-men’s fault, Angelus was attacking them, they only had every right to fight back… Spike should have considered the after effects of such battles regarding his own world and the needs back there…
"Sorry William, but I'm afraid I will have to ask you to go now." The pale hand drifted down to the vampire’s side as his eyes watched Garnet’s gesture towards her work, "Work is calling." Movement had Spike’s formed hover obediently towards the doorway, his face turning to look back at her only as the newly soulled entity reached the boundary of Garnet’s room. There was something he really had to talk with her about, but he wasn’t sure anymore what that was about. "That Rupert Jorgensen...," Willow’s infectious tendrils that blanketed Spike’s minds were loosened enough for Spike to recall fragments of what she had tried to hide away from him. "how is his surname spelled?"
"No, not him," Spike spoke softly, almost as if afraid of being over heard, but clearly enough for each word to be clearly understood, "He’s dangerous, stay away from him, ask only for Catrin Masters, she’s a lovely woman," The words were pronounced in a more polite and crisp form, not the common cockney accent that seemed to butcher Spike’s sentences, and with a very poised bow of his head, Spike turned to vanish from the dorm itself.
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