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Post by Jordanna on Aug 31, 2006 22:42:33 GMT -5
Proteus gave Daws a faint, ironic smile. "And does that include still being nosy about me, or was it enough to get my blessing?"
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Post by skybright on Aug 31, 2006 22:56:26 GMT -5
Daws smiled back and shook her head. "I might still be curious -- but you don't have to worry about me prying around, if that's what you're worried about. I can respect a person's privacy well enough, if I've seen enough to respect them." She shrugged faintly. "And I'm bound to respect anyone whose word is enough to keep me from ending up a rug."
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 1, 2006 21:02:37 GMT -5
"Personally, I'd still like to know your real name," Vance put in, regarding Proteus with keen interest.
The shapeshifter did not quite roll his eyes, but there was patient amusement in his manner. "And what would that get you, Major? A name is just a word, and words are only good for defining and categorizing things, putting them into your neat little boxes. But you can never really define even a fraction of what's in this world... and you might understand it better if you didn't try."
Sid whistled and glanced around the table. "I'll have what he's having."
"Maybe you'll understand when you're older," Proteus replied with a gentle grin. "If you're lucky."
Vance raised an eyebrow. "And just how old are you?"
"Old enough to know better." Proteus took a sip from the glass of punch Miriam had the kind thought to give him. "I've heard you have an interest in military history, Major. You know much about the Sixty-Ninth New York Infantry Regiment?"
The Major responded with a hard smile. "I ought to. I served in it, a long time ago."
Proteus glanced at him, a new regard lighting his eyes. He inclined his head almost respectfully, then stared down into the red depths of his glass for a long moment before he spoke.
"Someday, maybe one of those stories will be about an eighteen-year-old boy, who went off to serve his country at a place called Gettysburg. They said he died there, and maybe in a way he did. He was hurt something terrible, but he woke up to find he could be anyone he wanted to be--except the boy he had been. So he went to sea to forget, and he was gone a long, long time... until they replaced the tall ships he loved with soulless metal machines. Then he realized that the world was changing, but no matter what he made himself on the outside, he could never tear out the heart in him to please this new world. The best he could manage was to stay out of its way, and try to do a little good where he could, for the other people the world didn't want."
A brief silence followed this solemn statement. Then Major Vance stood up, raising his glass as he gazed at Proteus with amazement and respect.
"It's my honor to drink to you, sir... and I think now I understand a little better why you want no part of anyone's fight. Forgive me."
With a humble smile, Proteus put a hand on Vance's arm and pulled him back down into his chair. "There's nothing to forgive. You're fighting for something good. You want to believe that's enough--and faith like that is beautiful to me. I'm only sorry that I know too much to share it."
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Post by skybright on Sept 1, 2006 21:35:04 GMT -5
Daws was silent for a long moment. Then she, too, raised her glass. "Now that's a story. And I thank you -- for trusting us with it." She gave a faint, sad smile. "I guess you've seen more than your fair share of outfits like us -- folks crazy enough to think they can save the world."
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 1, 2006 21:52:20 GMT -5
"It's your kind that make the world worth anything at all," Proteus replied kindly. "It takes more years than you've got to become really disillusioned--and it's better that way."
He shrugged. "Anyway, I trust your confidence. You know more about me now than even the Spooks do."
"Except your name," Vance murmured, raising an eyebrow.
Proteus sighed longsufferingly and smiled. "If it makes you happy, my mother called me Miles--but I haven't answered to that since before your great-grandfather was born."
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Post by skybright on Sept 1, 2006 22:03:00 GMT -5
Daws quirked a smile. "I don't guess I can blame you. Some names you leave behind you for good -- and some of 'em are better that way."
"I'll agree to that." Hubert nodded vehemently. Then he raised an eyebrow. "Though I don't see what you have against your name, Miss Dawson."
Daws shrugged. "I've got nothing against my name. Against what my family used to call me, on the other hand . . ."
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 1, 2006 22:14:51 GMT -5
Alex grinned. "Okay, this I wanna hear."
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Post by skybright on Sept 1, 2006 22:24:14 GMT -5
Daws shifted in her chair, looking vaguely uncomfortable. "And now I'm sorry I brought it up." She mumbled.
"C'mon, Daws, spill." Caddy nudged her elbow. "Can't be worse than 'Cadeceus', right?"
Daws gave a longsuffering sigh. "Okay -- but I warn you all now," she did her best to look menacing, "Nobody calls me this unless they wanna bleed."
"Scout's honor." Caddy nodded solemnly and held up his hand.
Daws shrugged. "Well, my stepmother sort of thought Regina was too . . . I dunno, feminine or regal or something. So everyone called me . . ." She dropped her gaze to the tabletop, "Reggie."
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 1, 2006 22:33:52 GMT -5
Alex's lips quirked, and then he grinned. "Well, what's wrong with that? It's kinda cute." He frowned in mild perplexity. "I mean, it makes me think baseball players or something--but it's not bad at all."
Miriam gave his shoulder a firm but affectionate nudge. "Any name sounds awful if someone you don't like gives it to you."
"Says the lady nicknamed after an Egyptian goddess," Vance remarked. "Speaking of which, where's the guy who gave you that monicker?"
The pathologist shrugged. "Henry said he might drop by. I'm not sure."
"He's still havin' a hard time seein' you two together, huh?" Sid asked, and Miriam nodded ruefully.
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Post by skybright on Sept 1, 2006 22:44:32 GMT -5
Daws sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that, Doc. I know how much Henry's friendship means to you." She shook her head. "I hope he'll come around."
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 1, 2006 22:57:27 GMT -5
Fittingly, Henry Casselton entered at that moment, looking slightly reluctant and as prim as ever in a tuxedo. He picked out the group's table and diffidently approached.
"Good evening, everyone." He kissed Miriam's hand, civilly ignoring Alex, and exchanged greetings. Those he did not know were introduced to him, and he met them with subdued politeness.
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Post by skybright on Sept 1, 2006 23:08:11 GMT -5
Daws smiled. "Well, I guess that means just about everyone's here." She glanced around the room, then grinned at Alex. "Y'now, you might find that show of yours a little hard to pull off -- unless you can figure out where Handy's gotten off to with your costar, that is."
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 1, 2006 23:24:57 GMT -5
Alex suddenly assumed a mildly horrified expression. "Excuse me," he said quickly, and pushed away from the table.
Sid chuckled. "Looks like Gracie's puttin' a crimp in yours and Foxy's styles both," he remarked to Vance, who shook his head and smiled in a beleaguered way.
With Alex absent, Henry appeared to relax somewhat more. He took a sip of punch and glanced around. "I've never been here before, Sid. It's very impressive. You must be quite a businessman."
Sid waved a hand. "Nah--I hire good businessmen. All I wanna do is give folks a good time."
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Post by skybright on Sept 1, 2006 23:37:06 GMT -5
Daws grinned. "Well, you've certainly accomplished it so far as I'm concerned." She raised her glass. "Thanks."
"Hear, hear." Hubert nodded and raised his own glass. "I propose a toast -- to our kind host, and to the lady of honor." He nodded at Tara.
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 2, 2006 21:57:14 GMT -5
As the others raised their glasses, Sid gave the scientist a smile that was both surprised and pleased. "Thanks, Hubert."
A moment later, Handy sidled back to the table, looking slightly put out. "That's the trouble with a girl in show business. No time for fun."
Vance chuckled. "I take it Foxy swooped in to borrow your little chickadee for their performance."
"Yeah. They're backstage gettin' their costumes on, I guess." Handy grabbed a fresh glass of punch and plopped himself in his chair again. To Miriam he asked, "What're they doin'?"
Miriam shrugged. "I don't know. I've hardly seen any of Alex's real routines myself."
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Post by skybright on Sept 2, 2006 23:16:44 GMT -5
Daws shrugged. "All I know from what I've heard is that Alex's never content to do the same routine twice."
Hubert smiled. "I haven't seen a live show since . . . well, since I was in early college, at any rate."
Veeru smiled nostalgically. "I remember the nightclubs in West Mumbai back home. There was a dancer at one of them . . ."
"I thought you said you were only seventeen when you came to the States." Caddy waggled his eyebrows. "Just what did you do to get into those nightclubs, mitra?"
Veeru gave a smug grin. "A story for another time, my friend."
"Yes." Hubert nodded, "We'll tell you all about it when you're older."
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 2, 2006 23:34:09 GMT -5
Sid squirmed out of his chair. "I better see if Foxy an' Grace need any help. Usually they do their stuff to a live orchestra, but we got a canned version of their music tonight. They'll prob'ly need somebody to punch some buttons for 'em."
With that, the nightclub owner retreated. After a few moments of inconsequential conversation, the overhead lights dimmed, and a spotlight focused on the stage.
Then Alex and Grace made their appearance--dressed in outrageous Balinese costumes. The pair immediately launched into a rousing (if slightly ridiculous) song-and-dance number that left the audience vibrating with laughter.
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Post by skybright on Sept 2, 2006 23:45:21 GMT -5
Daws laughed uproariously and shook her head. "Now I've seen everything."
Caddy grinned, nudged her elbow, and gestured at his housemate. Hubert was nearly doubled over with laughter -- a definite change for the usually-reserved scientist.
"No," The doctor grinned, "Now you've seen everything."
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Post by Jordanna on Sept 2, 2006 23:56:04 GMT -5
Miriam was shaking with laughter, her hands clasped over her mouth--but there was also a look of pride in her eyes as she watched Alex. Henry must have noticed, because his smile was little more than polite.
Proteus watched the show with head tilted and lips quirked in amusement. After it ended, when Alex and Grace had taken their bows and trotted offstage to change for another act, he glanced around the table with a faint smile.
"This place is old-fashioned," he said approvingly. "I can't say how much I appreciate that."
"There's some of us could envy you for having lived in the days that inspired this joint," Vance remarked.
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Post by skybright on Sept 3, 2006 0:14:15 GMT -5
Daws smiled faintly and nodded. "Count me among them." She shrugged one shoulder. "I've always had the feeling I was born about sixty years later than I shoulda been. The way I dress, the job I do -- the way I do it -- I'm sort of an anachronism."
Then she shook her head. "Of course . . ." She gestured at the fur on her bare arms, "It would've been even harder to look like this back then. Maybe I'm better off with just feeling out of step with the times now and again."
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