Will chat for food

Aishe moved to the front desk to check herself into a room. She didn't know what it was with her, today... hell, for the last few days. Something was driving her. It was as if she had some sixth sense, that something bad was about to happen. She didn't know if that meant to her, or Kem, or what. But she couldn't hold back the urgency of finding him.

She looked over at where Kyle stood, then excused herself from Mai momentarily.

"I need to change and clean up a bit," she said by way of explanation. "If you care to join me for dinner, I'll be right down."

Aishe didn't note to see if Kyle remained, for the urge to clean herself and change into something more presentable was nearly overwhelming her. With a smile at Mai, she headed toward the elevator.

"I am not in the habit of having strange men in my rooms,"she said to the young girl. "However, I can't see where the harm in a child's being there would be."

Perhaps she just didn't want to leave a young girl alone, despite the fact that she appeared to know Kyle, and had been on her own when they'd met. Perhaps it was simply for her own comfort, for now that she was getting over her initial case of nerves, she was glad for the company of another woman, however young. Mai seemed to know something, at least, about this Evenhet, as well.

"Either way," she concluded, "I will be back as soon as I can!"

Mai nodded and followed Aishe, heading up to her room. She looked suspiciously at the metal closet the woman walked into but stepped inside. The doors closed and there seemed to be no knobs to open it on this side though that was the least of her worries when it started moving.

She slid against the back of the box and held her head in her hands trying desperately to pull her senses back into the small space as floor after floor passed through them. It was making her very queasy and she hoped there was an end soon.


"Stairs very good. This very bad."

Aishe looked at Mai with some concern. A flashback came to her, Kem's unwillingness to get into an elevator with her several months back. Perhaps this girl had the same discomfort.

"Would you like to take the stairs?" she asked gently. "I won't mind, I have a friend who doesn't like elevators either."

She couldn't quite keep the sadness amd anxiety out of her voice, and she knew it sounded pretty forlorn as it came out, but perhaps Mai was too indisposed to notice.

Mai clutched her head harder as the elevator bounced slightly on the stop.

"Friend is very wise."

Standing up, she staggered sideways and out the doors before they could trap her inside again.

"Stairs would be most appreciated."

Mai wondered about her friend that did not like these things was the Evenhet. Perhaps he was a rare Evenhet from Anantya or the younger others, if so then she might know him. Aishe seemed sad when she spoke of him and she had come to Nachton to find him. Most interesting, she would definitely need to take the girl to Alfarinn. Assuming this was the same person.

"Your friend who does not like moving metal boxes, he is the one who said Evenhet?"

Aishe held the door for Mai, letting the girl get off the elevator first. Following behind, she spoke some more, as much as to hopefully keep Mai's mind off of the elevator ride as to interest her in helping.

"He is wise," she agreed. "He's also the one who mentioned Evenhet. I'm sure he didn't mean for me to hear, but I believe he may be in danger and I... care about him to much to see him hurt."

They emerged from the stairwell into the right hallway, and Aishe went in the direction of her room.

"He only mentioned Nachton once, but I'm pretty sure this is where he'd have headed. I don't know how to explain it. It's as if I can almost feel him in my head or something."

She paused, glanced at Mai, and laughed softly.

"Silly, isn't it?"

Kyle decided to wait for Aishe to come back down. He never liked eating alone. Drinking alone, sure but eating...no he was a talker, he enjoyed chatting over a nice juicy steak. Speaking of which...Kyle walked over to the Maitre d' and asked for a table for 2 adults.

'Wait, make that 2 adults, 1 child.' Figured maybe the kiddo was hungry. 'And can I get bread sticks like asap?'

Mai listened with interest. It would seem likely that her missing friend was an Evenhet. She personally wondered just how wise he was likely to be if he managed to mention both his clan and his home to her on accident but then perhaps in his heart he wanted her to find him. Whoever he was, he obviously made an impression on Aishe. Vampires were like that though, some humans seemed drawn to them like moths to a flame.

She nodded her head and followed the woman to her room.

"Iie, it is not silly. He must mean very much for you to travel away from home, yes, Aishe-chan?"

Aishe's hand stilled at the handle of her door.

"Yes," she murmured softly. "But I haven't traveled away from home. If he's here, then it's toward home I've come."

She opened the door to the room and gestured to Mai.

"Please, come in. I won't be long, just a quick shower and a change of clothes, and we can get something to eat. I'll not keep you waiting."

"And then, soon, hopefully I can find Kem."

She'd spoken that last so softly she didn't think the girl heard it, but it didn't matter. She held the door open for Mai and smiled her soft smile at her.

Mai listened with interest and followed Aishe inside the door. This time she left her shoes before walking further into the room.

"He is most fortunate to find one so dedicated."

She sat on the bed and tucked her feet under her as she continued to watch Aishe. Kem was not a name she knew so Mai doubted he was ever Anantya though she did understand the name's meaning.

"There is someone I know who might be able to tell you more about Evenhet though I do not think it wise to discuss at dinner."

Mai turned her white eyed gaze to Aishe and 'watched' with all her senses.

"How much do you know of him?"

Aishe paused a moment, looking at this girl who seemed so much older than she looked. She wasn't sure what to say at this point. She knew she'd been acting strangely, but she also knew that there must be great need for secrecy. This she understood... for all of her association with Kem, she could only imagine what would happen if the truth about him were revealed. She'd come to the conclusion long ago that the vampires' existence must be let known to only a select few, and for that purpose she had mentioned Evenhet, going on the hunch that just speaking of it out loud might draw some attention, hopefully not the wrong kind. Although the word had very little significance to her, she had to follow where it led her.

Going over it all quickly, in her mind, she watched Mai again. Could it be Mai was a vampire as well? But if she wasn't, Aishe would sound like some kind of nut. Still, Mai knew the word Evenhet. In the back of her mind, she was afraid to say it out loud. Of course, she loved Kem with all her heart, and Mai seemed nice enough, but she wasn't naiive enought to think that all vampires were a safe crowd.

Finally, after several seconds that seemed like an eternity, Aishe chose her words.

"I know where he came from, and I know what made him the way he is now. I know why he must be the way he is, and I know that there are others like him. I have learned his history, partly by accident and partly because he trusted me enough to let me inside.

"I've come here for one purpose, and one alone. I've come to put myself on equal footing with him. I know he thinks he's doing what's best for us both, but I have a different idea of 'right' than he does. The truth about Kem does not frighten me. Living without him does.

"I know it's not safe, what I'm trying to do. I know many people will be angry with me, and probably not want me around. But the truth of it is, I'm only asking for a chance to give someone the only gift I can."

Aishe stopped, realizing that everything had just poured out. Her hands were shaking and she was sweating slightly. She'd been nervous, she realized, now that all of her thoughts were being solidified in speech. She took another breath, willing her heart to stop pounding.

"I'm sorry," she said to the girl, "for the way I've been acting. You've been very kind to me and I know I'm a stranger here. I just can't shake this feeling that something bad may happen if I can't find him."

Mai fought the urge to giggle and closed her hand over her mouth looking down at the bedspread. She found herself in good humor at the woman's very noble reasons for searching for this man named Kem. It was probably relief that the problem was not so serious a breech of information as she feared, love was forgivable in her eyes, it bridged all things, races, clans and beliefs if it was strong and true.

Aishe seemed to have that kind of determination and the way she spoke suggested, at least on her part, a love that would endure time if allowed to do so.

"So you know what he is and that does not cause you fear and it is because of love that you wish to be as he is?"

One had to take it on faith that it was truly love that motivated someone to become attached to a vampire and not a fear of death. That was not her place to decide however, instead she needed to bring Aishe to Evenhet and let them choose what to do with her and this Kem.

Tilting her head sideways she focused on the far wall and pondered something the girl had said.

"Why do you think something bad will happen to him? He has lived a long time without aid, ne?"

Aishe took in Mai's words, thinking carefully before responding. Finally, she had to settle with shrugging her shoulders. It was becoming apparent to her that if Mai wasn't a vampire, she at least knew plenty about them.

"He doesn't exactly eat properly," she explained with a hint of irony. "I know he's lived a long time, but we were so happy together, for him to leave suddenly... he said he wouldn't bring me any more into it than he had.

She looked into Mai's strange eyes, which seemed to see plenty in spite of their oddities.

"But that was -my- right to choose. Not his. And I'm here in part to claim that right." She deflated a bit as her fire died down, stood there clutching her clean shirt as if she were about to strangle it. She forced her hands open and shook it out.

"But mostly I'm just here because I know he feels the same way, and he thinks he's doing me a favor. That's the way Kem is. He looks out for me before he looks after himself. And in doing so, he forgets that I, too, have a right to watch him."

Aishe shrugged, stepped into the bathroom, and took five minutes to wash off a bit and change her clothes before emerging back into the room.

Mai listened and frowned at the thought of a vampire that didn't eat properly. Some of the discussion had made this Kem sound reasonably old and certainly his name suggested it but generally not eating was an ailment of the newly turned. For some it seemed to be a matter of conscience and an unwillingness to hurt another person or a lack of faith in their own control. Mai remembered her Ba-di with a smile. He had been one who had a difficult beginning but he showed great strength and understanding now. Like many young vampires, Thaddeus had overcome his loathing of feeding though she doubted he relished the act as much as some of their kind seemed to. It seemed odd to think of an older vampire who still refused to eat, ones with such a problem and the refusal to overcome it rarely lived long.

"It is his right to give his gifts to because with them comes responsibility. He judged that this was best but you must follow your own destiny and if you feel this is what is right then..."

Mai shrugged, if Aishe felt that the right then to do was to become a vampire despite the wishes of the man she loved then who was she to stop her? Aishe explained that Kem felt he was doing the right thing for her and Mai had seen vampires do this before, leave a human they cared about instead of turning them because they did not feel it was the right thing. Mai did not understand it but then she enjoyed being what she was and barely remembered being any different.

Aishe smiled at Mai again. Whatever and whoever she was, Aishe liked her.

"I'm sure I'm doing the right thing. I love him. I think there's a lot in his past that's never been resolved. I know he still dreams of his sister, and he feels like he failed her. It haunts him, and he's afraid to fail me as well. But it won't happen. It can't.

Aishe finished brushing her long hair and tied it back in a knot.

"I hope you can show me who to talk to or where to go, Mai, but even if not, I truly do appreciate your chatting with me. Shall we dine? Dinner's on me!"

Even as she led the way back toward the door, the irony of that statement was not lost on Aishe. She had to grin.

Mai nodded her head at the sentiment that things would be different this time and hoped that this was true. While tragedy visited everyone people should have some happiness in their lives to keep the balance lest they be overwhelmed. It brought Thaddeus to her mind again and she was grateful that he had found Alfarinn at this time in his life when his need for some happiness was so great.

She hopped off the bed and smiled at Aishe.

"Hai, will show."

Mai bowed slightly in gratitude for dinner.

"Arigato, Aishe-chan."

Aishe headed back downstairs, a slight bounce in her step at the prospect of getting closer to finding Kem. Upon reaching the restaurant she looked for Kyle, joining him when she finally spotted him at a table.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," she said as she slipped into a chair. Breathing in deeply, she smiled. "Smells great. I'm starving!"

Mai followed Aishe down the stairs and quietly sat down next to Kyle.

She reached for one of the long sticks in a jar and pulled it out, sniffing curiously, Mai held it up.

"Why do they serve hard bread, Kyle-san?"

She took a bite of the end curiously and then slid it into her kimono when the other two weren't looking.

Kyle quickly called over their waiter and ordered a plethora of appetizers. He wasn't going to wait on the ladies to order. He had about eaten his hand while waiting.

Women.

The waiter stood waiting for them to order drinks and Kyle almost felt the word 'whiskey' come out of his mouth. He caught himself and cleared his throat. His shakes had been better, he wasn't about to fall off this wagon yet.

'Coke please.' He looked at his two lovely dates. 'And ladies? What ya drinking?'

Aishe ordered a glass of water; she was famished. Why waste time on drinks when there was so much food to choose from? She was trying to decide between a lot of steak, and a whole lot of steak, with very little success.

While Kyle ordered what seemed like every appetizer on the menu, she made up her mind and held the waiter so she could order as well. Going for quality over quantity she ordered a filet mignon, rare. All the walking she'd dnoe earlier was catching up on her. She felt like she might just be able to eat the whole cow.

Nibbling at a breadstick with commendable self-restraint, she turned to Kyle and asked politely, "Do you live here in Nachton? From what I've seen it really is a beautiful city."

Mai quietly asked for a hot tea from the waiter. She was a bit disappointed that Kyle did not answer her question about the bread but no doubt his interest was more focused on the older woman. After looking over the menu, she ordered a salad. Amused at the uselessness of eating for one such as herself but it was still an interesting taste. She wondered if such "ruffage" was in any way beneficial to her kind, like tiny rocks were to birds.

Mai smiled to herself remembering asking Thaddeus if he ate grit as a dove. He had blinked in surprise and told her no. Passing off the thought as nothing useful, she continued to listen to the humans talk about the city.


((OOC:Thaddeus's response remembered with permission))

"Do you live here in Nachton? From what I've seen it really is a beautiful city."

'I'm not from here, but Nachton's my home now. My surrogate father of sorts lives here with his family and...' he paused, frowning at his sudden high level of disclosure, 'I like Nachton. It has certain nuances to it that grow on ya.' He looked over Aishe, she looked much better cleaned up. Whoever she was looking for, he was a lucky man.

'So I hope you find who you're looking for. Anyone I know?'

Kyle looked over at little Mai as she eyed up the breadstick suspiciously and remembered her question. He leaned in close and whispered to her, 'It's not hard bread, it's crap - but it's good crap. I'd rather have some warm bread, myself.' Kyle enjoyed Mai and her inquisitiveness. He was starting to worry about her parents. He hoped he could see her home and give her parents a talking to.

He looked back at Aishe as she replied.

Aishe smiled back at Kyle. Remembering Mai's advice to refrain from discussing the matter at dinner, she considered her answer a few seconds before speaking. Now that her initial surge of urgency had faded a bit, she could unearth her old, more patient self. Mentioning Kem couldn't hurt though; after all, Kyle might have seen him around.

"A good friend of mine," she replied. "He's been sick, and I was worried for him. He keeps to himself a lot though, so he's tricky to get a hold of sometimes."

Aishe sipped at her ice water, watching Mai scrutinize a breadstick as if she expected it to come to life. As they waited for their food, she continued to question Kyle as well, asking what he did in Nachton, and what his hobbies were. She liked him; he had a certain energy to him and an air of watchfulness that she could identify with.

Mai giggled at Kyle's assessment of the bread and had to agree which was why she didn't bother to eat more than the bite of it.

She listened to them both talk for a moment before asking another question.

"Pardon, Where are you from Kyle-san?"

There was hope that he wasn't offended by the personal nature of the question but she was curious. She remembered being told she was a rude little child and that her father allowed her to run wild because of her blindness but Mai would hope that she had managed to grow up some since then, if not actually any taller.

"Pardon, Where are you from Kyle-san?"

Kyle looked back at Mai and smiled. 'I'm from Vegas, darlin. Back west. I've been in Nachton some years now.' He turned fully and looked at the little girl. 'Speaking of which, where are you from and why are you always gallivanting around by yourself so late at night, young lady.'

Kyle gave her an admonishing look. He really had grown to like the little girl. He probably even shouldn't call her that. She didn't give off the aura of a child. More like a woman his age, if not older. He tilted his head.

Suddenly something clicked in his mind. It was that conspiracy niggle in the back of his head. There was something about her. Kyle looked at Aishe and then back at Mai.

'And just what is Evenhet, Mai? If you don't mind me asking, that is.'

Mai listened to Kyle's answer with a polite nod.

"The desert is very beautiful. I find it majestic."

She thought the American desert suited Kyle with its bold and colorful rocks and very grand spacious scenes with clear blue skies (according to the pictures and post cards at any rate) and rich red rocks. It was as excessive and expressive as he was. Mai smiled at him in understanding, living in a place did seem to help make a person who they were.

About to answer the first question, she blinked at him in surprise at the others. Kyle had apparently not inherited the timeless patience of the desert, or so it would seem.

"I am from a small village in Japan but I have made my home in America for now."

Grinning at his next question, she tilted her head at looked up at him innocently.

"I am not sure. How does one gallivant?"

She frowned and looked at him in seeming confusion.

"It is a Norse phrase meaning "Eternal Unity" as a friend taught me. "

Inwardly she thought this was exactly why you didn't deal with humans. Who ever this Kem was, he had caused more trouble than he would probably ever know. Ignorant Others and their careless ways. She sighed, they were errant children and one day they would learn better.

Aishe listened to the conversation around her with great interest. She had nothing to add, but that was in part due to the fact that she was eating the best dinner she'd ever tasted. Of course, she'd been so hungry that a plateful of cardboard would have sufficed. Patrly, too, was the fact that ever since making the decision to come here to Nachton, she'd been feeling an overwhelming sense of urgency that was most certainly not her usual self.

Maybe it was because Mai seemed to be able to help, or to know something more, that Aishe felt she could settle down just a bit and fade into the background, at least for the time being. Aishe, knowing what she did about Kem, had formed her own opinions as to why Mai might be roaming around at night but if Kyle didn't have the same ideas, Aishe certainly wasn't going to enlighten him. She probably shouldn't have said any of what she'd said so far, but it was too late to take it back. She was on the right track to finding out where Kem had gone, hopefully, and she couldn't turn back from her course of action now.

There was an odd look on Kyle's face, Aishe thought, as he glanced from the woman to the girl and then back again. Perhaps she ought to try and derail his train of thought, if it was running on a track parallel to hers. She remembered Mai's reluctance to discuss Evenhet at dinner.

"In addition to looking for an old friend," she added, "I'm also an archaeologist. I've been studying Egypt for some time now, and I was tipped off by a few fellow scholars that there was quite an abundance of knowledge about ancient Egypt here in Nachton, as a matter of fact. They mentioned a museum, as well as a company here that deals with such things."

Aishe didn't need to fake her enthusiasm for the subject, warming to it as she went along.

"In particular, I've been studying the history of hieroglyphics. I was told some of the collectors here in Nachton might be able to allow me access to a few artifacts so I could continue my research."

She poked through her purse, pulling out a business card and showing it to Kyle. It wasn't much, just a little card with an address and a few phone numbers on it, but it did list her credentials at the bottom.

Aishe shrugged inwardly. She hadn't really lied, after all. If.. when she found Kem, she had to do something with herself, so she might as well continue her studies after all.

Aishe had started talking during his quiet scheming. She offered him her card and he took it with a smile. 'Right, the Arch is what you want. The Arch Museum of Art.' Who did he know there? He'd have to ask around, see how the museum might tie in with Aishe's need for Evenhet. All he knew about the Arch is that it had an incredibly beautiful head Curator, or he had heard there was. He had never met her and never went to the social gallas held there.

'The Head Curator there is...' he paused, racking his brains, 'I want to say Angel or Angelique? You can't miss her, from what I hear. It's all granite and class, the building. It's really quite beautiful for a building.' He smiled at Aishe. 'Good luck to you on that, though. I know what it's like to be looking for someone. I hope you find him.'

Aishe listened with unfeigned interest as Kyle described the museum to her. It did sound like fun, even if at first she were just a tourist. There was something appealing about seeing what she did from an outsider's point of view. Rummaging through her purse once more, she pulled out a small notebook and a pen and jotted down the name of the museum as well as Kyle's best guess as to the curator's name. Tapping the pen on the notebook with satisfaction, she put both back into her purse.

"Thank you," she replied when Kyle wished her luck. "I've already had success so far, and I was hoping I hadn't used up my fair share - but if you're rooting for me, perhaps I'll have just a bit more."

Aishe flagged down the waiter as he passed by. Ordering a piece of chocolate cake, she winked at both Mai and Kyle.

"I don't know if it's a quirk of evolution or just magic, but somehow there's always room for chocolate," she explained.

Kyle chuckled at Aishe's chocoholic enthusiasm. Suddenly there was a murmur of voices behind him. He turned and saw, much to his delight, a man he's been trying to track down for some time. Someone who might be giving Duibne a run for their money in the blood replica field.

'Nuts,' he said. He stood, keeping his eyes on the man. 'Ladies, I hate to do this to you,' Kyle said as he quickly pulled out his wallet and dug for enough money to cover his dinner. He started to close his wallet and then looked at Mai. Again opening it, he left several large bills to cover everyone's dinner and a tip. 'On me. Aishe, it was a pleasure knocking you to the ground, look me up at the Nachton Times if you need a tour guide to find your friend.'

Kyle smiled bowed deeply towards Mai. 'My lady, till we meet again.' Then he walked away from their table towards the group of men near the entrance.

((ooc - kyle out))

Aishe didn't have time to argue over the bill; Kyle was up and out of his chair too quickly for her to object. She would have thought it odd but for the fact that she knew how enticing it could be to have a lead. On what, she didn't know, but Kyle had certainly had something on his mind.

With a little shrug, she turned to Mai.

"Well, apparently I still owe you one."

Mai watched Kyle stand up and leave with great haste. He seemed to her eyes to be focused on some men towards the door but she did not know them and therefore it was of no consequence. She did understand a hunt though and this little adventure had taken her away from her's.

Smiling up at Aishe, she said.

"Kyle-san is ever rushing though I think even he does not know to where."

Mai stood up from her salad and then pushed the chair back in. Bowing slightly to Aishe, she said.

"Arigato, Aishe-chan. I will have to speak to my friend and bring him to meet you. You will be staying here, ne?"


((OOC:Out after response))

Aishe stood with Mai, and bowed in return.

"I'll be here. And thank you, Mai."[i]

((ooc - Aishe out, lock please!))