Logfile from Brass&Steel. Zach is lounging peacefully on a bench, enjoying a cup of coffee and the sight of children playing around in the various contraptions so cunningly placed on the lawn. Harriet is walking across the grass, a blanket and sketchbook tucked underneath one arm, and a bulky-looking picnic basket tucked under the other. She's humming some cheerful little tune to herself. A student of irony might smile. Sitting on a bench not too far away from Zach, chin resting on his fist, is Lucian, also enjoying the sight of the children. His eyes narrow as he watches them scamper about. An empty styrofoam cup, along with his leather satchel, sit on the bench beside him. Zach streches happily and humms softly to himself as he lets his gaze wander around the park. Oh, it's good to be alive on this particular day. And joy of joys! Isn't that a familiar figure wandering over there carrying a huge basket? He waves in Harriet's direction. Harriet blinks at motion at the corner of her eye. She turns, and seeing Zach, smiles and waves back, then has to spend a few frantic moments trying to keep everything in its proper place. She wanders over to his bench, still adjusting things. "Hey, Zach! How are you doing, you know?" Zach beams up at Harriet. "I'm swell! Absolutely totally enjoying myself today. How are you?" Lucian taps his jaw, and frowns at the children. Shaking his head, he looks about, and blinks. A smile crosses his face as he spots Harriet, but it almost instantly disappears as he realizes who she is talking to. With a sigh, he rises from the bench, picks up his satchel (leaving the cup behind), and begins walking towards them, waving one arm. Harriet is a woman in her early twenties. She's below average in height, and thin and pale, as if she doesn't get out much. She has short-cropped, unruly, dark brown hair, and green eyes. Her round, open face seems as if it's used to doing a lot of smiling. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses perch--slightly askew--on her nose. Harriet is wearing a cream colored, long-sleeved, silk shirt, a vest of crimson velvet, and an ankle-length broomstick skirt embroidered with red and white roses. Her bangs are pushed out of her eyes with a slender headband adorned with silver and enameled roses, and there's a streak of bright green paint across her forehead, just above her left eye. Zach admires Harriet's outfit. "I gotta say - you look particularly lovely today, Harriet." Harriet nods at Zach, cheerfully. "I'm doing well, you know? Had to get out of the apartment, and let the scent of paint dilute itself." She hefts the basket. "So, I made a picnic." She looks around happily, but is distracted by Zach's comment. "Oh, thanks," she says, and smiles. Tall and thin, the gentleman at hand stands some six-foot-five inches, but weighs likely no more than one hundred and sixty pounds. Vibrant, sapphire-blue eyes gleam brightly against his otherwise pale complexion. Though he otherwise seems no older than perhaps thirty-five, snow white hair falls down to his shoulders, where it curls just a touch at the end, clearly the product of either quality genetics or expert hairstylists. When he smiles, his teeth are perfectly even, gleaming brightly - again, either genetics or dentistry, but either way an exceptional result. His soft-skinned, long-fingered hands end in perfect nails, with nary a speck of dirt or dust to be found on them. He wears a dark blue button-down, one clearly of high quality, based on the cut. The material is even of pleasant texture, feeling somewhat like suede. His slacks are well-cut khakis, neatly hemmed, with a leather belt. Black polished shoes sparkle. Completing the ensemble is a fine tweed jacket, perfect down to the leather patches on the elbows, and the faint - but strangely pleasant - aroma of pipesmoke. Still approaching, Lucian lowers his arm, and reaches into his pockets, rummaging for something. Finally, he stops to produce his pipe and light it, nodding firmly after the first few puffs go up into the air. Then he continues on. Harriet takes a deep breath and looks around, finally spotting the approaching figure of Lucian. She brightens, and bounces a little, but isn't going to make the mistake of waving again. The effect is a sort of full-body wave, or possibly a seizure of some sort. Zach twinkles a big smile at Harriet. "Going anywhere in particular?" He then follows Harriets directed spasms and sighs very, very softly. Lucian eats up the last bit of distance with his legs. "Harriet, my dear, how lovely to see you this afternoon," he says with a broad smile. He doesn't even acknowledge Zach. Harriet doesn't have enough arms to hug, so she settles for leaning against Lucian, and beaming at him. "It's good to see you too, dearheart." She looks back at Zach, and grins. "I hadn't any particular plans, you know? I just heard this was a good spot for a picnic, so..." She shrugs. "Here I am." Zach nods to Lucian. "Hey there Szabo, how are you today?" he asks politely. Maybe a tiny tad too politely.. Zach pokes Lucian's connection? Lucian has disconnected. Lucian has connected. Lucian mrfs. Harriet says, "See what happens when you poke a man's connection!" Zach chokes at Harriet! Harriet Looks at Zach. "You have a base, and depraved mind." :) Lucian celestially bites his connection. :::E "I am doing quite well, Mister Ellis," Lucian says, and wraps an arm around Harriet, perhaps just a touch possessively. "What of yourself?" Harriet gives both men stern looks. "I'm going to have a picnic. I made way to much to eat, so anyone who is willing to declare at least a temporary cease fire is welcome to join me, you know?" She grins at them both. "I have pasta salad," she says, enticingly. You say, "Pasta salad, eh..? And I can't even throw a single acorn at him?" Lucian flashes a cold glare at Zach. "Perhaps you should make him swear an oath regarding the matter," he says to Harriet, though he doesn't look at her. Harriet sighs, and cuddles Lucian, while giving Zach a playful scowl. "No acorns. No projectiles or melee weapons of any kind...and that includes words, you know?" She looks up at Lucian, then over at Zach. "Can we agree on that, please? Blood in the pasta always ruins the picnic, after all." Zach flashes a grin at Lucian. "Saved by the cook, I belive." To Harriet he says, "I'll certainly behave myself. Bloody pasta isn't very nice." Lucian nods his head. "Well, then. I believe that is settled, nu?" He gives Harriet an affectionate squeeze. "How could I turn down pasta salad, especially untainted by blood?" He smiles broadly, showing, perhaps, far too many teeth. Harriet sighs happily, and relaxes into Lucian's squeeze before pulling away and doing a little dance. "Wonderful, you know? How about over there?" She indicates a flat, sunny expanse of grass with a tilt of her head. Lucian looks at the field, and nods. "It is wide open, and welcoming. It possesses quite the view of the area, nu?" He smiles, broadly. Zach rises to follow the lady with the Basket of Goodness. He smiles happily to Lucian, "Aye, that it does. Such a good spot to sit down for a meal!" Harriet beams at them both. "Although, if you really wanted a /great/ view, we should find a really big tree to eat in, you know?" She chuckles, winks at Lucian, and heads towards the spot. Then she stops and scowls at the bench where Lucian had been sitting. She stalks over to retreve a left behing cup, and drops it into a nearby trashcan, muttering briefly. Lucian watches her go stalking off, and rolls his eyes as she does her little bit to keep the place clean. With the sigh of the long-suffering, he continues onwards towards the nice big grassy spot. Zach chuckles and trails along to the spot. Thoughtfully _not_ leaving his own styrofoam cop behind. Sotto voce he tells Lucian, "You're whipped, man." And he grins. Lucian exhales, his breath coming out in a faint hiss. Equally softly, he replies, "Let the record show that Mister Ellis began the engagement. Tsk." Harriet pauses to readjust her burdens, before making a beeline for the picnic site. With a slight groan, she lowers everything to the grass, and Looks at the two men, not having caught anything but the fact that there was muttering. She raises an eyebrow. "You guys okay, you know?" Lucian says, "Resonate? ;)" Zach just laughs and trundles over to the spot to help Harriet set up the picnic. "Of course we are, hon. Don't worry." Zach says, "Eh? Sure? :)" Harriet waves. "Go ahead." :) Lucian smiles, blandly. "We were merely commenting on the loveliness of the spot, and the weather." He looks over to Zach and smiles broadly. "I am fine, and he is fine. What of you?" AutoJudge: Lucian rolls: 4 + 3 = 7 . Check die: 2 Lucian passed. AutoJudge: Zach rolls: 6 + 5 = 11 . Check die: 3 AutoJudge: Harriet rolls: 4 + 5 = 9 . Check die: 4 Zach failed. :) Harriet says, "Oh, yeah. Failure." Lucian points and laughs at Zach. Lucian says, "Of course, if it had been about anything IMPORTANT... You'd both have passed, I'm sure. :p" Zach grins. Ya never know. Harriet beams at them both. "Lovely. I'm great, you know?" With Zach's help, she spreads out the blanket, and places the oversized picnic basket in the center, and drops down beside it to begin to pull out enough food to feed a scout group. Lucian watches the food emerge. "You have been busy, I see," he says, finally, blinking at the impressive stockpile. Zach wows at the outrageous amounts of food. "Oh man! Did you plan on feeding the whole of Kaycee?" Harriet grins, a bit sheepishly. "Okay, I might have gotten a little carried away," she admits as she hands out plates...there were four in the bottom of the basket. "I was having fun, and figured that, if nothing else, I could rope random people into helping me with it, you know?" She chuckles. "Few people turn down free food." Lucian inclines his head. "This is quite probably true," he allows. "At least, when it is from a source that is trusted. 'Do not take candy from strangers', and such." Zach nods in agreement. "Yeah, that's right. But who could fail to trust Harriet. I mean - look at her! She's just a natural people person!" Harriet shakes her head in amusement at them both, and starts laying out a selection of sandwiches, and a few tupperware containers of pasta salad. Lucian nods his head. "I can not argue with you, Mister Ellis," he replies with a smile. "It is part of what drew me to her, her natural charm and ebullience." He chuckles, as she lays out still more food. "Of course, her talent at cooking was a welcome surprise..." Zach laughs pleasantly and squats down to help laying the "table". Harriet pulls out the last thing in the basket, a large covered dish of salad, peppered with chunks of apples, oranges, and pears, and mock scowls at them both. "Now, guys, the food /is/ free. The praise is not neccessary, you know?" She smiles, and stretches out on the blanket. "And the food's also out and ready to go." Lucian nods his head, and reaches out for a sandwich. With a smile towards Harriet, he asks, "How is your work progressing, my dear?" Harriet unwraps a ham and cheese sandwich, and smiles. "Rather well, you know? Of course I've been sidetracked by," she looks at Lucian, and her eyes crinkle with barely-contained amusement, "uh, something. But it'll all be good, I'm sure." She bites into the sandwich with enthusiasm. Zach sits down in the lotus position and happily grabs a sandwich to munch on. He inclines his head at Harriet, "So are you still working on that City Hall project with the dragon?" Lucian's eyebrows raise at the mention of the dragon, and he looks towards her with intent curiosity. Harriet nods, rolling on her back to stare at the sky. "I am. It's one of the more difficult projects, you know? Because of the metal work, and I haven't really done any real fantasy type work, before." She laughs. "I've been hanging around the reptile house at the Zoo, which is kinda fun, actually." She takes another bite. Zach chuckles. "Studying snakes?" Lucian nods his head approvingly. "Research is an excellent component to artistic endeavour," he says. Harriet chuckles. "Yes. I've found a lot of reasons to do research lately, you know?" She stretches her hands over her head, and rolls back on her side to look at them lazily. "But what about you guys? What have y'all been up to?" Lucian waves a hand. "Ah, I have been doing little beyond my usual labors," he says with a shrug. "Students require a great deal of attention." Zach nods sadly. "Alas, I've mostly been engrossed in the internal affairs of engines." He beams, "Good thing I love my job!" Harriet chuckles at them. "It would appear that we all do. I suppose that makes us unusually blessed, you know?" She laughs again, and sets to reducing her sandwich to a few lonely crumbs. Zach nods! Lucian chuckles, at that. "Something like that, I suppose," he says. "Blessings can come in a multitude of guises." Harriet quirks a eyebrow at Lucian. "You're just dreading grading the Wollstonecraft tests...any bets on how many refer to her as a 'chick'? Zach raises his eyebrows. "Wollstonecraft?" Lucian chuckles at Harriet. "Hopefully, fewer will this time, but if necessary, the class shall learn of it," he says with a broad smile. "I find it amuses the other students to learn from their fellows' commentary." He turns towards Zach. "Mary Wollstonecraft wrote 'A Vindication of the Rights of Women,' a fascinating and scathing indictment of the attempt by the female culture of the time to encourage the weaknesses of pseudo-sentimentality and 'susceptiblity of heart.'" Harriet raises an eyebrow at Lucian. "That's an interpretation I don't recall hearing before, you know?" She shrugs, and reaches for another sandwich. "But then, I haven't read the work, or the commentary on it, since high school." AutoJudge: Zach rolls: 5 + 1 = 6 . Check die: 6 Zach says, "Feh!" Harriet says, "Mrf?" Zach mulls this over. "Hmm... I don't think I've ever heard of her. When did she live? I'm guessing the victorian era?" Zach says, "Int roll. :) Barely missed. :)" Harriet patpats Zach. Lucian nods his head. "The book was first published in 1792," he says. "I find it still bears a certain degree of relevance, and that my students enjoy the discussion of the book." Zach scratches his head a bit. "Hmmm... Pre-victorian then. But that name... Mary Wollstonecraft.. It's kinda familiar when I think about it, but.. There's something lacking." He frowns and thinks hard. Lucian smirks, but, with a glance at Harriet, says nothing. Harriet smiles at Zach. "It's an interesting read, if I remember correctly, you know?" She grins up at the sky. Zach absently munches on his sandwich, still lost in thought. "Yeah... Mebbe I'll look it up in the library.. Mary Wollstonecraft..... Dang! Right on the tip of my tounge!" Lucian smiles blandly at Zach. "Perhaps you should come by the University. I know for a fact that our library contains two copies," he says. Harriet beams at Lucian. "That's a very good idea, you know?" She glances at Zach. "The university library is fairly extensive. I've gone there, myself." Zach nods, sill absent minded. "I should certainly think so. There wouldnt be much use for a wimpy library at a university after all." Lucian nods again, and sets into his sandwich finally, having nothing to say. His eyes glitter, however. Zach clicks his fingers and frowns slightly. It's ever so annoying when the solution to your mystery is /just/ out of mental reach! Harriet rolls across the blanket to where Lucian is sitting, and places her head against his side, while grinning at Zach's motions. "Maybe you should just let it go, you know? It'll come to you eventually...probably at 3 am, when it will do no good, though." Lucian nods his head, idly petting Harriet. "It is most singular, what appears in the dead of night, nu?" He chuckles. You say, "Mary Wollstonecraft.....SHELLEY! That's it! Mary Shelley!" Harriet blinks at Zach. "Um. What about her, you know? Zach sits upright and beams. "Well it's the same name, right?" He turns to Lucian. "Are they one and the same, or maybe related?" Lucian chuckles and inclines his head. "I am impressed, Mister Ellis. Mary Wollstonecraft is indeed mother of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, who later married Percy Shelley and wrote The Modern Prometheus in 1818." Harriet also looks impressed, and smiles happily. "I didn't know that, you know?" She reaches for a new sandwich. Zach beams. "Right! Well it's a bit confusing with two Marys havong the same surname, but hey!" Zach <--Literary Mastermind Extraordinare! Lucian raises an eyebrow. With the faintest hint of acid in his tone, he asks, "Where DOES a mechanic find such a grounding in literature?" Harriet chuckles and applauds. "I congratulate you, sir, you know?" Then she looks up at Lucian, and pokes him gently in the ribs. "Same place everyone else gets it, silly, if they want it. Books." You paged Lucian with 'Or from memories of times long past. ;P'. From afar, Lucian chuckles. I swear, I'm the Baby Demon in these parts... :p Long distance to Lucian: Zach patpats.:) Mary Shelley is /just/ within memory reach for Zach. :) Zach grins and nods. "I do read sometimes, surprising as it must seem to a man of learning." Lucian tenses, and shifts slightly, leaning forward. His free hand clenches and releases once, and he exhales, slowly. Harriet frowns up at Lucian, a concerned look on her face. "Dearheart? Are you okay, you know?" Lucian smiles, blandly. "I am fine," he says. Zach lifts an eyebrow at Lucian, still smiling. Then goes back to devouring the last of his sandwich. Harriet hmms doubtfully. "Alright, subject change, you know?" She leans back against him. "Does anyone know if the Divine Comedy has a costume night or something on Halloween...or the Bluebird, for that matter?" Lucian sighs. "I do not," he says. Zach shakes his head regretfully. "Me neither. Although I'd be very surprised if the Divine Comedy doesn't have a costume party for Halloween." Harriet grins and wiggles happily on the blanket. "I hope it does. I really do, you know?" Zach chuckles and winks at her, sharing a secret. "Oh I know, allright." Lucian nods his head. "It would certainly be an interesting time to be had by all, I am certain." He smiles blandly. Harriet grins at Zach, and then up at Lucian, an innocent twinkle in her bright, green eyes. Lucian looks down at Harriet, then over at Zach. "Is there something going on which I am unaware of?" He arches an eyebrow. Zach chortles. "Sure it is. Loadsa stuff. Unless your omniscient, something i sincerely doubt." Harriet just wiggles again, still grinning, and winds her hands over her head to embrace Lucian. "Relax, dearheart, you know?" Lucian purses his lips, glaring at Zach. "I do NOT know, and that is what troubles me," he remarks. Harriet reaches up and taps Lucian on the jaw. "Hey, now. Zach's got nothing to do with this, you know? If you want to glare, glare at me." She beams at him. "I'd never do anything I thought you'd hate." Of course, she thought he'd enjoy climbing that tree... Zach just smiles a tad smugly and goes for the pasta salad. He ladles a goodly heap onto his plate and proceeds to heartily enjoy Harriet's cooking. Lucian harrumphs, and pursues the pasta salad as well, saying nothing. Harriet laughs merrily, and uses her fork to snag a bite of pasta from Lucian's dish. "Mmm," she says, "that's not bad, you know? Even if I do say so myself." Zach agrees totally! "You are so right. This is simply divine! Heavenly!" Lucian fixes Harriet with a mock glare as he eats, and Zach with a real one. Harriet sticks her tongue out at Lucian, not at all abashed. "Thank you," she says to Zach, "but I'm not sure I'd go that far, you know? It's certainly edible, however," she allows, stabbing another bite. Zach laughs softly and shakes his head at Harriet. "Heh. 'Certainly edible'... You sure you ain't British? What with the understatements and stuff?" Lucian nods at her as she swipes another bit off his plate. Stealing food. A minor sin, but at least it's SOMETHING. Some individuals can be exceedingly frustrating to corrupt. Looking towards Zach, he arches an eyebrow. Harriet chuckles. "Of course not. But I reserve those adjectives for foods containing chocolate, you know?" Harriet says, "ARGH. I have to go. Alas, and alack." Zach says, "Awww! :(" Lucian says, "Waah." Zach weeps! Harriet pouts. "I know. But I have a RL game to run, and I probably should have left already. I just now looked at the clock! Zach . o O ( Whos this Aleck anyway?? ) Lucian says, "Whoops! Then get on outta here, we'll cover for your disappearance. :)" Zach hugs and waves. Luck! Lucian makes his roll against BZWAM/4. Harriet says, "If either of you are around, I'll be back about midnight or so... ;P Thanks!" Harriet goes home. People chat, food gets eaten, Harriet must leave. The two men, however remain in the Park. Lucian leans against a bench and lights his pipe, watching Harriet disappear. He chuckles as he tosses his match off into the bushes. Fortunately, it dies before starting a fire. Zach lets his eyes rest on Harriet's retreating person, looking slightly whistful. He dabs an invisible speck of sour cream from the corner of his mouth. Lucian chuckles as he watches her wander off. "A minor battleground, and yet, the fringe benefits are so worthwhile," he says with a smile. Zach nods lazily. "Yeah. Maybe she'll manage to shine some light and warmth into your tundra heart." Lucian snorts. "She shall wise up and abandon her foolish, pointless idealism, and join the slow slide to Fate that all the rest will. She merely will be lucky enough to serve a Greater Purpose for a brief time, first." He smirks towards Zach. You say, "Yeah right. You inted to enslave her. I think _not_." Lucian rolls his eyes. "I imagine that this is when you make some bluster about stopping me, and perhaps resort to some sort of foolish physical attack before all these individuals?" He smiles, darkly. "Tell me, Virtue," he says, leaning towards Zach with a wide, predatory smile. "Does it grate on you, knowing that I continue to exist? That every sundown, you have Suffered me to breathe one more day here in this miserable city, that I continue to garner Essence from the little, vile petty deeds that humans commit every day here, and you are left standing impotent?" He winks. Zach wants to but will not attack to kill in this scene, as there are no staffers around. :) Lucian says, "Also note that it is a VERY wide-open public place. ;)" Zach inhales with a long, soft hiss. "Yes, serpent. It does grate on me. But it wont for very much longer." Zach had a plan that might actually have worked. Even here. But it would rely on a successful resonance roll. :) Lucian says, "??" Zach says, "Acorn. :)" Lucian smiles, widely. "Nu, it will not. Soon, your poor suffering would be all over." He winks again, and reaches out to pat Zach condescendingly on the cheek, like one would a small child. Zach says, "Or sugarlump. Or any sufficiently small object that could get firmly stuck in your throat.:)" Lucian laughs. Well done. Zach turns his head slightly to face Lucian's reaching hand. He grins, showing rather a lot of teeth. "Real soon," he agrees with glittering eyes. Lucian draws his hand back abruptly, and his eyes flicker from side to side. "Tsk, tsk. You could not be thinking of it here, could you? You would spoil your role in front of all these people..." He snickers. "Not, however, that your absentee Archangel would notice, nor likely care, that one of his own disappeared... rather like himself, nu?" Zach smiles pleasantly and says conversationly, "Whatever makes you think I'd spoil my role, Lucian? I can be subtle when I want to. And as for the Boss..." His smile widen just a tad. "Haven't you heard it? How long have you been in town, dude?" Lucian raises his eyebrow. "I have been here longer than you have," he says pointedly. "I hear it all." Zach nods smilingly. "Then you should know," he states. Lucian says, "Evil, evil. ;)" Zach bows. Lucian grimaces and says nothing for a long time. Zach rummages in one of his jacket's pockets and produces a packet of Stimorol. He flips one out and pops it on his mouth, then hands the packet over to Lucian. "Gum?" Lucian looks at the gum. "As if I should trust you for a piece of gum. It is likely poisoned or somesuch," he responds. "Besides," he says after a moment, adjusting his jacket, "it is bad for your teeth." Zach chuckles. "If it was full of poison, I wouldn't have stuffed it into my own gob now, would I? And this gum is sugar-free." He withdraws the hand holding the gum, and magics the packet back into whatever mysterious pocket it resided in. "What, and you have never seen the 'clean first stick, rest of pack poisoned' trick?" Lucian shakes his head. "Really, you have so much to learn about subtly killing someone. Tsk." Zach chortles and shakes his head. "Suit yourself. You're the one with the stinky breath after all. And that pipe of yours ain't helping." Lucian rolls his eyes. "What of the stink of various recreationally burned herbs on YOUR breath, Mister Ellis?" Zach smiles sweetly back to Lucian. "What of it? I'll tellya what of it: There ain't none. Wanna smell?" He breathes eucalyptus-mint breath in Lucian's face. Lucian recoils in the face of eucalyptus-mint, grimacing. "How crass... I suppose it would be to be expected of you." You say, "I aim to please, sir!" Zach beams! Lucian looks flatly at Zach. "You have all the maturity of a small child," he replies. Lucian says, "And a disturbingly unflappable temper. ;p" Zach does his very best grinning malakite act. It's one of the basic schticks they teach you in malakite school! (At least with certain superiors.:) Zach snorts. "And you're as self-righteous as any Dominican seraph! I think I know who got the best deal, and it ain't the tight-ass." Zach eww! I'm being assailed by effing spiders here! >:| Lucian says, "Ack!" Lucian says, "I'm slightly AFK in the kitchen, so while you beat off the spiders, I'll go prep something on the stove. ;p" Zach grins. Cook in Illumination, friend! :) Lucian says, "Urgh. I will need to run to the store. I fear I must be very idle." Lucian says, "And here I was gonna make remarks about Dominicans. ;p" Lucian says, "Or, perhaps, a dominican in particular. ;p" Zach grins. "Let's wrap up then. I really need to hit the sack.." <:) Lucian says, "Oh. :p Sorry... :)" Zach says, "No probs. We got to fire a few nice, little potshots. :)" Lucian snorts in reply, and walks towards his car. "I think we have spoken enough." He opens the car, and drives off. Lucian says, "Gotta run, gf is starting the car without me." Lucian has disconnected.