Friday Banshee
Nov. 18th, 2011 11:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lavandarlizard2FIC!!! Just so's you know.... ^____^ And I shall not bore anyone with tales from the Week of "Interesting" Things. *snerkle*
I will, however, say Thank You! to the lovely art maven who corrected my abysmal art cluelessness. Any remaining cluelessness in this part is a result of me not being coherent enough to educate Duo. ^___^ (and the photos are just amazing!)
BFB – Part 103 – Crazy is as Crazy Does
Ctik greeted me like a long-lost brother; a hug, kisses on both cheeks and clutching my hands like a drowning man. Heero didn’t even growl. I expect Ctik either warned him or asked permission. The vampire may not be a very good vamp, but he doesn’t seem to be stupid. I hugged him back and we took our seats.
“Duo! How wonderful to see you again! Heero and the Elves have told me what you’ve been doing for Gisela and the children – how can I possibly thank you enough?!”
I blinked at him. Enthusiastic much?
“Ctik, I’m happy to help and I’m having fun. Have you talked to Gisela today?” I asked, suddenly remembering those paintings that had her almost passing out. I should probably get that out of the way. Another of those “adult” things.
“No, I find it easier to call her in the morning, before I rest. Those time zones,” he said ruefully. Yeah, those time zones… muttered the dreamy little voice in my head.
“There might be a complication. We’re having appraisers in to make sure what all is in the house and what the market value is,” I began and he nodded. “I gather it would be a good thing to separate your stuff from theirs before the divorce gets ugly.” I remembered that the Elves had given him a rough copy of my inventory and he’d also spoken with the lawyer last night. “The thing is… you have some paintings in your suite… Um… I’m not quite sure how to ask this without being rude… Are they real? I mean, are they actual works by the signed artists? Because someone mentioned Rembrandt today…” I trailed off hopefully.
Ctik frowned briefly, then smiled. “Ah! I know the one you mean! That is not a Rembrandt; it was done by one of his students.” I slumped back into my chair in relief. “It may be valuable in its own right,” he continued, and I sat up again. “But I’ve loaned most of the Rembrandts to museums over the years. The Titians and the Raffaello are in the house, though not displayed at the moment. I’ve also loaned out some of the others; I would have to check my records to know which are where.” He tapped a finger against his cheek as I gaped. “Let me think… I believe only the student works are actually hanging in my suite at this time.” He smiled, a bit sadly, I noted. “After Theodore, I felt it prudent to put the others away. They are in the vault.”
Holy crap. He really did have *real* art?! Gisela would pass out.
“Vault?” murmured Heero. “Where is this vault?” He glanced my way and I had to shake my head; I hadn’t found anything that could be considered a vault. Maybe it was off-site?
Ctik turned to me. “Do you recall, down in the sub basement, a door? It’s not exactly hidden, but it takes some doing to find it.”
I shook my head. “No, I didn’t see anything like that. It’s down there, with the gargoyles? Oy vey.” Damn. If he had a hidden vault, then he might have to find it for us. “It’s spelled, I assume? And not just with a blood spell?”
He lifted one shoulder. “No. Sometimes,” he said slowly, mostly to Heero, “I do learn from experience. Theodore thought the paintings were all copies. I will admit that I never actually told Vivian that they were authentic. She may have assumed that they were simply very good copies.”
Heero snorted. “Ctik! You do have a brain after all!” Ctik grinned ruefully and inclined his head in acknowledgement.
“I did take your lectures seriously back then. I just didn’t take them seriously enough, as it turns out.” He shrugged. “What is done is done. I have started over before. It is an annoyance, but nothing more.”
Vault. Real art. Student copies. I was officially in way over my head now.
“Ctik, you should call Gisela and Karl tonight. Hearing the word ‘Rembrandt’ almost gave Gisela a heart attack. She really needs to know what’s going on and where to find that vault, too.”
“You are right, Duo,” he sighed. “I am so used to living with those pieces that I almost forget what they are. My family was considered fairly wealthy when I was young; my grandfather and my father commissioned a number of works with contemporary artists and they even bought some existing pieces. My father’s youngest brother was something of an artist, also; not on the scale of the great artists of the day, of course, but Father adored him and was very proud of his work and I still own a number of his canvasses. I don’t believe I’ve ever talked about this with Gisela. I know I never spoke to Miles about it, or to Theodore. My branch of the family does not seem to have inherited that sort of artistic talent.” He produced his phone. “Please, order dinner; my treat. I’ll take this outside in case Gisela needs to shout at me.”
“No way. She’s really fond of you, Ctik,” I said quickly. “And she’s furious with Miles.” I’m sure he already knew that, but it wouldn’t hurt to remind him. He smiled and nodded and made his way across the restaurant.
Heero eyed me fondly. “Chosen, are you perhaps doing a bit of… hmm… not exactly matchmaking, but social circle making?”
I leaned my elbow on the table, my chin in my hand and thought about it. “Probably,” I admitted after a moment. “I really just think it’s important that Gisela and the kids remain in his life, regardless of whatever Miles has done. Hell, if I thought I could manage it, I’d get him a house big enough for the whole family and move them all into it, but Gisela has a career back there, and the kids are in school. She wouldn’t want to uproot them right now.”
“You never know. Perhaps she’s already thought of that but isn’t comfortable bringing it up.”
I stared at him. “You’re the one who’s always telling me to butt out of peoples’ lives. Now you’re encouraging me?”
“I told you to stay out of Trowa and Wufei’s relationship; you’re perfectly free to meddle with Humans all you like,” he snorted.
I laughed. “Sap, you are such a speciesist!”
“I am a Wyvern,” he declared haughtily. “Of course, I am speciesist. It’s what Dragons are.”
I reached over to hug him and he nuzzled my hair. “Okay, you big scaly lump, I’ll give you a while to get your story straight about the ‘difficulty’ and the punishment, so you can properly ‘shield’ me. You needn’t try to distract me anymore,” I snickered.
“You are much too smart for me, Chosen,” he murmured in my ear and then kissed my cheek. Yeah, right.
I will, however, say Thank You! to the lovely art maven who corrected my abysmal art cluelessness. Any remaining cluelessness in this part is a result of me not being coherent enough to educate Duo. ^___^ (and the photos are just amazing!)
BFB – Part 103 – Crazy is as Crazy Does
Ctik greeted me like a long-lost brother; a hug, kisses on both cheeks and clutching my hands like a drowning man. Heero didn’t even growl. I expect Ctik either warned him or asked permission. The vampire may not be a very good vamp, but he doesn’t seem to be stupid. I hugged him back and we took our seats.
“Duo! How wonderful to see you again! Heero and the Elves have told me what you’ve been doing for Gisela and the children – how can I possibly thank you enough?!”
I blinked at him. Enthusiastic much?
“Ctik, I’m happy to help and I’m having fun. Have you talked to Gisela today?” I asked, suddenly remembering those paintings that had her almost passing out. I should probably get that out of the way. Another of those “adult” things.
“No, I find it easier to call her in the morning, before I rest. Those time zones,” he said ruefully. Yeah, those time zones… muttered the dreamy little voice in my head.
“There might be a complication. We’re having appraisers in to make sure what all is in the house and what the market value is,” I began and he nodded. “I gather it would be a good thing to separate your stuff from theirs before the divorce gets ugly.” I remembered that the Elves had given him a rough copy of my inventory and he’d also spoken with the lawyer last night. “The thing is… you have some paintings in your suite… Um… I’m not quite sure how to ask this without being rude… Are they real? I mean, are they actual works by the signed artists? Because someone mentioned Rembrandt today…” I trailed off hopefully.
Ctik frowned briefly, then smiled. “Ah! I know the one you mean! That is not a Rembrandt; it was done by one of his students.” I slumped back into my chair in relief. “It may be valuable in its own right,” he continued, and I sat up again. “But I’ve loaned most of the Rembrandts to museums over the years. The Titians and the Raffaello are in the house, though not displayed at the moment. I’ve also loaned out some of the others; I would have to check my records to know which are where.” He tapped a finger against his cheek as I gaped. “Let me think… I believe only the student works are actually hanging in my suite at this time.” He smiled, a bit sadly, I noted. “After Theodore, I felt it prudent to put the others away. They are in the vault.”
Holy crap. He really did have *real* art?! Gisela would pass out.
“Vault?” murmured Heero. “Where is this vault?” He glanced my way and I had to shake my head; I hadn’t found anything that could be considered a vault. Maybe it was off-site?
Ctik turned to me. “Do you recall, down in the sub basement, a door? It’s not exactly hidden, but it takes some doing to find it.”
I shook my head. “No, I didn’t see anything like that. It’s down there, with the gargoyles? Oy vey.” Damn. If he had a hidden vault, then he might have to find it for us. “It’s spelled, I assume? And not just with a blood spell?”
He lifted one shoulder. “No. Sometimes,” he said slowly, mostly to Heero, “I do learn from experience. Theodore thought the paintings were all copies. I will admit that I never actually told Vivian that they were authentic. She may have assumed that they were simply very good copies.”
Heero snorted. “Ctik! You do have a brain after all!” Ctik grinned ruefully and inclined his head in acknowledgement.
“I did take your lectures seriously back then. I just didn’t take them seriously enough, as it turns out.” He shrugged. “What is done is done. I have started over before. It is an annoyance, but nothing more.”
Vault. Real art. Student copies. I was officially in way over my head now.
“Ctik, you should call Gisela and Karl tonight. Hearing the word ‘Rembrandt’ almost gave Gisela a heart attack. She really needs to know what’s going on and where to find that vault, too.”
“You are right, Duo,” he sighed. “I am so used to living with those pieces that I almost forget what they are. My family was considered fairly wealthy when I was young; my grandfather and my father commissioned a number of works with contemporary artists and they even bought some existing pieces. My father’s youngest brother was something of an artist, also; not on the scale of the great artists of the day, of course, but Father adored him and was very proud of his work and I still own a number of his canvasses. I don’t believe I’ve ever talked about this with Gisela. I know I never spoke to Miles about it, or to Theodore. My branch of the family does not seem to have inherited that sort of artistic talent.” He produced his phone. “Please, order dinner; my treat. I’ll take this outside in case Gisela needs to shout at me.”
“No way. She’s really fond of you, Ctik,” I said quickly. “And she’s furious with Miles.” I’m sure he already knew that, but it wouldn’t hurt to remind him. He smiled and nodded and made his way across the restaurant.
Heero eyed me fondly. “Chosen, are you perhaps doing a bit of… hmm… not exactly matchmaking, but social circle making?”
I leaned my elbow on the table, my chin in my hand and thought about it. “Probably,” I admitted after a moment. “I really just think it’s important that Gisela and the kids remain in his life, regardless of whatever Miles has done. Hell, if I thought I could manage it, I’d get him a house big enough for the whole family and move them all into it, but Gisela has a career back there, and the kids are in school. She wouldn’t want to uproot them right now.”
“You never know. Perhaps she’s already thought of that but isn’t comfortable bringing it up.”
I stared at him. “You’re the one who’s always telling me to butt out of peoples’ lives. Now you’re encouraging me?”
“I told you to stay out of Trowa and Wufei’s relationship; you’re perfectly free to meddle with Humans all you like,” he snorted.
I laughed. “Sap, you are such a speciesist!”
“I am a Wyvern,” he declared haughtily. “Of course, I am speciesist. It’s what Dragons are.”
I reached over to hug him and he nuzzled my hair. “Okay, you big scaly lump, I’ll give you a while to get your story straight about the ‘difficulty’ and the punishment, so you can properly ‘shield’ me. You needn’t try to distract me anymore,” I snickered.
“You are much too smart for me, Chosen,” he murmured in my ear and then kissed my cheek. Yeah, right.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-11-18 11:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-19 02:08 am (UTC)I love Ctik. I wish all vampires were this sweet.
no subject
Date: 2011-11-19 03:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-19 04:16 pm (UTC)Being called a big lump by his Chosen is better than diamonds for that Wyvern. ^___^
Students...? Eh... Just some guys... ^___^
no subject
Date: 2011-11-19 04:17 pm (UTC)Only his Chosen would dare. ^___^
And he sparkles not one whit. *snerk!*
no subject
Date: 2011-11-19 04:18 pm (UTC)It's definitely a compliment for him. ^___^ Though, Sap help anyone else who tried it. *snicker*
no subject
Date: 2011-11-19 06:08 pm (UTC)*hugs you*
Great Timing
Date: 2011-11-21 02:13 am (UTC)Tom
no subject
Date: 2011-11-22 01:41 am (UTC)Heero knows the value of distraction. ^____^
Re: Great Timing
Date: 2011-11-22 01:42 am (UTC)Sometimes, I do amaze myself. ^____^
Re: Great Timing
Date: 2011-11-22 04:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-27 12:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-27 06:34 pm (UTC)Well, Wufei already knows that he's special. It might not be good for him to know he's *that* special. Trowa would just shrug.
(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)
^___^