[Proud? Not really. Slightly worried describes Julien's state better as he stands there, hand on the doorknob, staring at the man on the other side of the threshold.]
...I never told you where I was staying. You may not be aware of it but this visit has a stalker-ish quality.
[The discomfort and outright anger at his agency is well hidden under the devil-may-care expression and posture. It's only accented by the menthol smoke.]
I wouldn't call this stalking per say. Stalking takes quite a bit of work involved.
[What would one call it, then, besides creepy? He takes in Victor's appearance and demeanour. Neither of them do anything to make him feel less worried.]
[Oh, he would call it creepy indeed. Better to be seen as creepy. There might be less feelings of betrayal if he's seen as that. Still, Victor remains fairly still.]
No, I'm afraid it doesn't. And I wasn't the one that did the work, to tell the truth.
Sadness! D: Shouldn't have skipped the booze, those two...
[Julien's quite confused now. Yet, in spite of that (or perhaps because of it), he steps aside, opening the door wider. It's probably a very stupid thing to let the other man in but letting him stand in the hallway would be rude and awkward.]
I don't know what that means. What... what are you doing here?
Poor life choices, man. They should have picked the poor life choices.
[Victor takes out a cigarette snuffer and makes use of it. Say what you will, he's a polite spook. He Hestia for a moment. He could walk away and it will be neutral. Never fine.]
You happened to pick up something of interest, Julien. Great interest.
Standing in the middle of the room, frowning, Julien goes through the things he's purchased for his client and fails to come up with anything of interest. A Hungarian landscape painting, a small collection of 17th century coloured glass vials, an antique Japanese tea set. Also a tie and an ill-fitting shirt for himself...]
[Soft. He's getting soft. Goddamnit. It's not fair, at all. But the silver lining means if the item is here, then he can take it and take it somewhere safe. And while Julien wouldn't have been in direct danger, if someone else got it... there's a chance he and many others would.
Victor keeps his hands in his pockets. It's a nice home, it suits Julien.]
[He remembers although 'spook' isn't the first thing that he thinks of when he thinks of Victor and Julien's assumed the other man's been taking the piss. But now-]
[Illegal, yes. That's part of spy work, isn't it? If everything they did was legal, they'd be in law enforcement. He slips his hands into his pockets, eyes following Victor around, feeling slightly vulnerable in his own home but not too worried. Which is odd to be honest. Surely, a situation like this one would merit a major freak out?]
If... If you tell me what you're looking for, you could save some time.
[Well, Julien, it's a touch more than that. Though so far, everything he's done is legal. It's just morally apprehensive an in some ways, that's far worse.]
A small set of vitals happened upon your lap, so they say. From the 17th century, I believe? They're seemingly clear but you probably are having a devil of a time opening them.
[Of all the things Victor could have been looking for it had to be those little bottles?]
I'd rather you didn't take them. I've gone through quite some trouble to acquire them, a lot of people are suddenly interested in them, and now you. Why?
Yeah. The buyer I have for those fancies herself an alchemist and keeps droning on and on about...
[Julien tilts his head, his frown deepening when he makes the connection. Whoever Victor's working for has heard and believes those myths and fairy tales surrounding those glass pieces?]
You're joking. Tell me you didn't come here, scaring the shit out of me, because of a bunch of stories.
Oh, she does, does she? I would hope she understood the philosophy behind alchemy if she considers herself a chemist.
[Oh, his employers heard it, feared it, and as far as they know, they want those things destroyed.]
I wish I could, regardless how I feel about these things, they are what my employers want. They feel they're dangerous and should be destroyed. Nothing worse, they say, than a mistake of good intentions.
[Destroyed? Julien doesn't always have the highest opinion about his clients and their fancies but regardless of how demented their hoarding habits sometimes appeared, they are, in a manner of speaking, preserving the old beauties large and small.]
Victor, you can't. It's Persian glass. Whatever you've heard about what they were or can be used for, it's just a myth.
[He knows how it is. He had hoped the vials would be ... something less elegant, less eye catching. Though the intention hadn't been to harm others when van Helmont made these things.]
We've been tracking this for weeks now, we're sure they're one in the same. I can guarantee, the other buyer will want to destroy them too.
Comments
...I never told you where I was staying. You may not be aware of it but this visit has a stalker-ish quality.
[The discomfort and outright anger at his agency is well hidden under the devil-may-care expression and posture. It's only accented by the menthol smoke.]
I wouldn't call this stalking per say. Stalking takes quite a bit of work involved.
[What would one call it, then, besides creepy? He takes in Victor's appearance and demeanour. Neither of them do anything to make him feel less worried.]
That doesn't really make it better.
No, I'm afraid it doesn't. And I wasn't the one that did the work, to tell the truth.
It was... truly unexpected.
I don't know what that means. What... what are you doing here?
You happened to pick up something of interest, Julien. Great interest.
Standing in the middle of the room, frowning, Julien goes through the things he's purchased for his client and fails to come up with anything of interest. A Hungarian landscape painting, a small collection of 17th century coloured glass vials, an antique Japanese tea set. Also a tie and an ill-fitting shirt for himself...]
Care to elaborate?
[Soft. He's getting soft. Goddamnit. It's not fair, at all. But the silver lining means if the item is here, then he can take it and take it somewhere safe. And while Julien wouldn't have been in direct danger, if someone else got it... there's a chance he and many others would.
Victor keeps his hands in his pockets. It's a nice home, it suits Julien.]
Do you remember when I told you I was a spook?
[He remembers although 'spook' isn't the first thing that he thinks of when he thinks of Victor and Julien's assumed the other man's been taking the piss. But now-]
Oh... Are you here to torture and kill me, then?
[Quietly as he looks around.] You did no harm to anyone, Julien. I damn well know you're a victim in this.
I'm just here to collect.
If... If you tell me what you're looking for, you could save some time.
A small set of vitals happened upon your lap, so they say. From the 17th century, I believe? They're seemingly clear but you probably are having a devil of a time opening them.
[Of all the things Victor could have been looking for it had to be those little bottles?]
I'd rather you didn't take them. I've gone through quite some trouble to acquire them, a lot of people are suddenly interested in them, and now you. Why?
[He quietly takes out a chequebook.]
Have you heard of Jan Baptist van Helmont? Considered something of founding father of chemistry.
[Julien tilts his head, his frown deepening when he makes the connection. Whoever Victor's working for has heard and believes those myths and fairy tales surrounding those glass pieces?]
You're joking. Tell me you didn't come here, scaring the shit out of me, because of a bunch of stories.
[Oh, his employers heard it, feared it, and as far as they know, they want those things destroyed.]
I wish I could, regardless how I feel about these things, they are what my employers want. They feel they're dangerous and should be destroyed. Nothing worse, they say, than a mistake of good intentions.
[Destroyed? Julien doesn't always have the highest opinion about his clients and their fancies but regardless of how demented their hoarding habits sometimes appeared, they are, in a manner of speaking, preserving the old beauties large and small.]
Victor, you can't. It's Persian glass. Whatever you've heard about what they were or can be used for, it's just a myth.
[He knows how it is. He had hoped the vials would be ... something less elegant, less eye catching. Though the intention hadn't been to harm others when van Helmont made these things.]
We've been tracking this for weeks now, we're sure they're one in the same. I can guarantee, the other buyer will want to destroy them too.