2024.09.13 Inspecting Green Towers
| Inspecting Green Towers | |
|---|---|
| Bruce and Vivian meet up to do a walkthrough of Bruce's tower | |
| IC Date | 2024.09.13 |
| IC Time | 6:00 AM |
| Players | Vivian, Bruce |
| Location | Green Offices |
| Spheres | Gaian, Garou, Sorcerer, Mortal+ |
Bruce stands in line at the coffee kiosk, only one person ahead of him but with a wide gap in between them. He absently rubs the inside corners of his eyes as he waits, then steps up slowly to order as the space in front of him clears. Again affording the poor uncomfortable humans a wide berth, he steps several paces off to the side to wait for his order.
The sound of heels against the hard floor herald Vivian's approach, the woman walking towards the kiosk with a tablet in her left hand and a stylus held in her right. Her eyes are trailing over the building's interior features, noting cameras and windows, and she smiles at what she sees. Her eyes linger over-long on places that seem mundane in the physical world but, if you have eyes to see, reveal the skittering pattern spiders and neon eyes of the cameras. She occassionally taps the stylus on the tablet, making notes here and there as she approaches the kiosk. In the Umbra, her own pattern spider companion dances along the ordered webs of the building always lingering close to Vivian. Vivian looks over to the spider and smiles, offering a quick wave to what would seem to be air, before her gaze lands at last on Bruce.
Vivian snaps the stylus into the slot for it on the tablet and steps up to the counter next, all smiles as she has a -much- more comfortable interaction with the worker than Bruce had managed to no fault of his own. "Hi, I'll have a 16 ounce cold brew with a shot of oat milk. How are you? I'm Vivian Web, I'll be-" and she makes a bit of small talk as she pays with her phone before she steps off to the side to stand before Bruce. She looks up to the still much taller man and smiles warmly. "Good morning Mr. Wilson." She looks every part the professional from dress to demeanor.
Bruce blinks a few times at the air, then his eyes tilt down to the required degree to meet Vivian's as his brain catches up with the motion. Clearly not much of a morning person, it takes him a moment to spin up a smile, but he makes it. "Ah, Ms. Web! Good morning! I didn't expect you to be around this morning. Not this early, at least. I didn't even expect to be here this early myself."
Vivian returns a brilliant smile to Bruce's greeting, inclining her head slightly out of respect before she looks back up. The heels help make up some of the different but he still stands a good 6-7 inches taller than her. "Early bird gets the worm Mr. Wilson. I wanted to come by and look over the place," she leans in and offers in a mock-whisper, "make some assessments and see what we're working with. I hope you don't mind." She then taps the tablet she was working on. After a moment her eyes drift to the side and she gestures towards her Pattern Spider companion lingering nearby. "I hope that it's okay that I didn't come alone Mr. Wilson, I brought my assistant."
<UMBRA> Vivian refers to the Pattern Spider as her 'assistant' and the Spider in turn emits what could only be considered an annoyed burst of electric noise as it skitters along the wall behind the kin, giving the wolf a wide berth.
Bruce glances to the side, starting to come up to speed. He takes a deep breath, holding off any yawns that might be tying to build up for an escape. "No, of course not. I mean, I don't mind for the first thing. Or the second, either. A detailed survey is a good idea, I've only done a more general walk through myself so far. Our working areas will be upstairs, as you might have guessed from the open view down here." He looks up and slides off to the side as his name is called, collecting his drink quickly and returning to a polite distance away from the barista.
Vivian smiles and watches Bruce's interaction with the barista with a slightly tilted head. She hums softly, eyes settling back on Bruce with a sympathetic look on her face. "I look forward to checking the upstairs area as well, yes. Once I get a handle on operations around here, I intend to put together some sales products for investors. One concern is that I don't want to duplicate efforts with Cindy though, so I want to make sure that I'm being efficient with my time to meet your expectations." She steps over as "Vivi" is called and picks up her drink, offering another quick bit of small-talk with the barista before she turns back to Bruce. "So, what do you expect from me Mr. Wilson?"
Bruce sips his very basic and unsweetened coffee with a small grimace at the flavor, then looks back down to Vivian as the bitter shock seems to help wake him up a bit. "That is a good question that I'm not entirely sure the answer to. Obviously I need liaisons, but I also don't want to underutilize you. First and fore mostly, I don't want you to be bored here. So without spilling all the corporate secrets here in the lobby, I think I can say that a lot will depend on the combination of what more you can do, and what you'd like to do. I know that just between myself, Daisy, and Buck, we can get this off the ground. But I'm hoping that between you and Cindy, you'll find ways to really make things soar higher and faster than we managed last time around. Shall we head up and take a closer look at our space?" He turns to lead the way to the elevator.
Vivian nods her head to Bruce at the question of moving, stepping up alongside Bruce to follow him. "Yes please, I'd love to see the rest of the building." The oat milk in her coffee provides a pleasant sweetness to contrast the bitterness of the coffee and she takes a moment to sip a bit from it as she follows along. Once they're in the elevator she stands quietly, her eyes cast over Bruce as she watches him with a smile. Once they're off the elevator and stepping into a more private space she bows her head respectfully. "Jinx'rhya." She then looks up with a knowing smile, the woman clearly finding some comfort in adhering to expectations of etiquette. "I'm good with tech and I'm good with people. And there, is of course, my magical abilities that I would be willing to discuss in more detail with you if you would like. I rather like the idea of securing some investor capital, if you need it."
Bruce seems to be enjoying his drink less, but is forcing his way through it anyway. It does appear to be doing its job though, taking the small hints of zombie shuffle out of his steps. Another deep breath as he looks around the empty office space before turning back to her and giving a return head bow. "Certainly. I'm no expert in that sort of magic, but I do find it intriguing. In fact, just last night I met another enchanter in the family. And apparently he's much more than that from his list of accomplishments. One of my handguns is with him now for some experimentation, which could turn out interesting. Sorry, bit of a sidetrack there. As for investors, yes, but it's also something I'm cautious of. I have a lot of start up capital already from the sale of our previous company up north. More is better, but I'm also wary of getting too many attached strings. Particularly from outside the nation. If we lose control of what we're building, it would undercut the point of it all."
Vivian's eyes twinkle with excitement at the mention of another enchanter, eyes cast to the side for a moment as she considers that. "Branton?" She asks before looking back to Bruce. "If it's him, I'm sure that you will get something amazing. And no need for apology Mr. Wilson. And I completely understand your concerns. I am also happy to focus my efforts on technical assessments, interviewing potential staff, and getting my own hands dirty." Her neatly manicured hands do not look like they get dirty very often of course. Vivian glances around and steps over to a countertop, running a finger along the counter. "I could.. manipulate the gauntlet of the building. I can also alter the flows of.. energy.. through it. If you would like." She turns back to face Bruce, leaning back against the counter. "I can do a lot of things. I am also -very- good at screening staff for potential issues." There's some special meaning behind that statement.
Bruce makes another gulp of bitter coffee vanish as he nods. "Branton indeed. You've already met then? He seems to have quite the bag of tricks. And quite literally, too. Anyway, yes, all of those things sound good. I started off heavily on the technical end in the beginning, but I've been pulled in other directions since my first change. So I've also had to get more comfortable with delegation. I'll still be trying to get my hands dirty on the tech end too, but I expect that the heavier lifting will be falling to you and the twins. That's even more the case with personnel management. What do you mean by -very- good at screening?"
"Yes, I've met him. He's a very impressive sorcerer. I hope to learn from him myself. If the stories are true.." Vivian sighs and shakes her head. She listens and then at the question of what she means, Vivian lifts the straw in her drink to her lips, slender fingers wrapped around the cup as she sips from the straw. Her eyes settle on Bruce, a piercing gaze cast towards Bruce. As she's drinking her lightly sweetened coffee, Bruce hears Vivian's voice inside his head. -I can touch people's minds Jinx'rhya.- She then pulls the straw away, tongue touching her lips for a moment before she blinks and continues audibly, "I can read minds. Though, Mr. Wilson, I assure you that I haven't looked into yours. It would be a violation of trust."
Bruce blinks, then his expression quickly rotates through a sequence from surprise, to wonder, to concern, and then relief, before he gets it back under control. At least he manages to not spit out any coffee during the process. "Uh, wow... There's something I wasn't expecting. I suppose that could be a bit more precise than sniffing for the taint of the Wyrm, which was more of my plan A. But there's also the ethical considerations, as you said. Even so, a very impressive ability." He pauses to think for a moment, then a thought cracks his face into a genuine grin. "You know, I'm not one of those people who always has to think that they're the smartest person in the room, but it's starting to look like I may have to adjust to getting used to consistently being the dumbest."
Vivian chuckles when she sees Bruce almost spit out his coffee and that wave of emotions over his face. Her head tilts to the side and she eyes him with a sly smile on her lips. "I very much doubt that you're dumb Mr. Wilson. And it can be very useful, it can help me get at deeper issues or plans. Yes, there are ethical concerns, but I consider protecting you and your operation here to be more important." Vivian shrugs, "Unless you direct me otherwise. And if I ever do get a glimpse of your thoughts.. I assure you I understand fully that sometimes people's thoughts wander to places through no intent of their own and I take no offense."
Bruce chuckles, lowering his coffee cup to his side. "I didn't say dumb, just dumbest. Which isn't a bad thing, it's a sign of keeping excellent company. And no, feel free to exercise your talents. I can only assume you already know how to keep them in check, considering your experience. I'm sure it will be- fine." He trails off, his face going through another phase of tightening as his brain runs through the process of having to think about what he shouldn't be thinking about, and then having to push itself away from that thinking. It is way too early for this kind of mental exercise. "Uhhh, next floor?"
Vivian's nose scrunches up in amusement as she watches Bruce go through that mental effort, perhaps expecting or even intentionally provoking it? She pushes off of the counter and takes up her position at Bruce's side as she gesture forward. "The next floor sounds lovely Mr. Wilson, thank you. And thank you, I consider it a compliment that you think of me as excellent company. And yes, my abilities are in control. If you ever want to know more I can go into more detail. As for the gauntlet, would you like it strengthened or weakened?" She moves to follow along-side Bruce.
Bruce leads the way to the next floor, letting the elevator do the real work while he focuses on clearing his mind and any attendant flushes on his face. "I think for our purposes here, we'd want it strengthened. Much of the work done here will be mundane, and we'll have normal humans working in the less secure areas. At some point I expect we'll attract attention from competitors both mundane and otherwise, so tightening things up would be the better option. And it can hardly be a surprise that you would be considered worthy of complimenting? Was your last company mostly mundane? I suppose if so then it must have been frustrating to hide all of your special talents? And speaking of that, I'm sorry if I went overboard putting you on the spot with the 'Doctor Web' business the other day. I just figured that if you were going to be so intent on sticking to formal titles then returning the favor was also appropriate."
Vivian walks along, heels clicking against the hard floor with each step as she keeps that tablet cradled in her left arm. "I can do that. I am sure the Pattern Spiders will appreciate it as well." Vivian turns her head, her eyes focused on a few spiders on the other side of the gauntlet working before she refocuses her attention to the material world. She occassionally gets a slightly distracted look on her face but she handles it well. Her right hand lifts and she adjusts her glasses before she looks back to Bruce. "Yes, mostly mundane. I have tried to keep my talents private and secret to avoid drawing undue attention. But.. now that I am with family again I don't need to worry as much." The kin back with people that would protect her.
She lowers her eyes and shakes her head, her lips parting into a wide smirk. "Nothing to apologize for. I didn't mind." She then looks back up to Bruce. "I found it endearing. And, honestly, it's a title I don't use very often but it does sound.. nice. If a bit super-villainy." She takes another sip of her coffee, gaze locked on his. "I used 'rhya in front of the other Garou because I did not want them to think that you would be disrespected by one of your own Tribal kin. Appearances matter Mr. Wilson. It is why I took issue with the commend made at Broken Glass'rhya's expense. Metis or no.. he is our Tribe."
Bruce nods with a smile as he follows her logic. His own body language relaxes as they drift further away from the topic of thought reading. "That must be quite the relief then? Like letting a lid off, or shedding a straitjacket perhaps? I've never really had to tone myself down for that long a stretch of time. And you're right, 'Doctor Web' does sound like it would fit into a Spider-Man movie, doesn't it? At least there though, the spider people are generally on the good side. I'm sorry though, which command was that from Broken Glass'ryha? I don't recall now. I certainly didn't want to make you look improper in front of the others myself, of course."
Vivian considers the comment about Spider-Man movies for a moment and then she nods her head. "Hmm.. you're right. And you've given me a -great- idea for a Halloween costume!" There's a moment of excitement in her voice before she gets it back under control. She sighs slightly and shakes her head. "A few days ago at the Caern, Dann.. Patient Tempest'rhya had said something about glassworkers and Broken Glass'rhya thought that she had said 'Glass Walkers.' It was a moment of confusion, nothing more and innocent mistake. But then at the bar when this came up again Thunder Clap'rhya she, well I felt like she was making a light jab at him. I was polite but I said it was an innocent mistake anyone could have made." She shrugs again, her gaze shifting back to Bruce. "You were there.. Mr. Wilson." She finishes her coffee, it's cold and sweet and easy to drink. She then looks around for a place to dispose of the cup. "Do we recycle here?"
Bruce nods, thinking back to the other night. "Ah, ok, I see what you mean now. And appearances do matter, of course. In the business world and our family one. I try to not be as stuffy as I usually dress, but even then..." He gestures down at his footwear, which despite being black leather still looks like it may have more in common with a combat boot than a fancy dress shoe. He grins as he looks around at her last question. "And of course we recycle! Are we savage monsters? Only sometimes. The rest of the time clean up after ourselves the best that we can. This floor just isn't set up with much of anything yet. Mine's not done yet though, I can just take yours and stack them until we get back down to the lobby."
Vivian nods her head as Bruce comments on the other night and then gazes down at his shoes thoughtfully. She opens up her tablet, scribbles a note, and locks it again before she smiles back up at him. At the offer of taking the cup she gratefully hands it off with her hand and, after he takes it, she will place her hand on his upper arm for a moment as she says "Thank you, Mr. Wilson." She pulls her hand away a moment later to let it hang at her side. "We'll have to make sure each level is set up. And the work to strengthen the gauntlet.." She taps a neatly manicured nail against her lip as she thinks and then nods her head, "I can do it.. but it will take some work. Do you mind if I create a node here?" She looks back to the Garou and then is quiet for a moment before she adds, "A.. focal point of magical energy. It could be useful to me. But it could also attract attention."
Bruce nests the coffee cups, deftly shifting her lid to the bottom of the stack. He looks down at Vivian with a smile, then casts his glance back around the hallway in another surveying look. "I don't imagine that would be a problem, more valuable than a risk, probably. It does sound like something we'd want in a more secure area though, like the upper floors. And we'll need to confirm with Hushed Blaze'ryha before making major changes like that, too. I only just got my name on the lease here, and that sounds like it could be a major wave to put in the pool. I'll talk to her later today if I can catch her. Is there anything else you can think of that we might need to clear with her?"
Vivian lowers her eyes when Brooke is mentioned, thoughtful for a moment. "Let's wait on asking about the node. Obviously we wouldn't move on it without permission but I just got into town and I don't want her to think that I am causing issues or attracting undue attention." She looks back up then, her shoulders shrugging. "There's no rush on it. It will take time for me to even be sure that I can do it. Just let her know that you asked me to strengthen the gauntlet and that I'm waiting for approval before I do anything." Vivian looks up to the ceiling for a moment and then glances around. "I'm excited Mr. Wilson, for this partnership." She's quiet for a moment and then she turns back to face him with a curious look on her face. "How is your relationship with Cindy?"
Bruce turns his eyes back to Vivian, blinking a few times as his thoughts get whipped around from reporting to the elder to this new track. "Relationship? It's pretty good, after the initial mistaken identity, at least. She's bright, and I think she was being practically criminally underemployed doing the books for a tattoo parlor with her educational background. I think she'll be great here, and hopefully find it much more fulfilling." He pauses for a moment, then another possible angle occurs to him and the slight flush returns to his face. "Er, wait, did you mean...?"
Vivian, on the other hand, is a very composed person and there's no emotion betrayed on her face that she doesn't wish to show. Another sly smile as Bruce begins to describe her professional accumen, Vivian nodding her head in agreement. And then when she sees that blush she blinks slowly and reopens her eyes as she stares at him, her eyes locked on his. That smile remains on her lips as she nods her head, "Well, now that you bring it up, I suppose I am curious about that, yes. She is a beautiful woman and kin after all."
Bruce continues to not be nearly so well controlled in his expressions. His heart may not be quite worn on his sleeve, but it is visible pumping away just underneath. And her stated facts are certainly something that hadn't escaped his own notice. "Sure, nobody could argue with that..." He takes a deep breath to put his thoughts in better order before continuing. "But nothing unprofessional is going on there. We only just met a few days ago, for one thing. And just as importantly if not more so, the sept has some rules in place regarding... Well, actually, it was phrased as claiming a mate, but I assumed it covers what could be called dating, as well? In any case, I was told that it was off the table for cubs and cliaths."
Vivian's gaze remains on Bruce, the woman in front of him able to simply pluck thoughts from his head if she wanted to, but that would be a violation of trust. So instead she just watches and listens, nodding her head. "Yes, that's true. We," she lifts her right hand to her chest to indicate herself, "get the same talk. Rather, we're informed that cubs and cliaths may not -claim- us." She utters the word -claim- with a sharp inflection, perhaps having feelings about that word choice. Another moment of pause as Vivian takes a long breath and lets it out slowly. "And once you are Fostern.. do you think you would want to claim her then? Or would you have your eyes set elsewhere?"
Bruce face twitches at her inflection on the word 'claim', showing his own discomfort at the connotations. More man than wolf on the subject, clearly. His face scrunches up as he works out how to answer, looking into the distance as if trying to focus on the future. "I haven't really thought that hard about it. I'm trying not to, anyway. I think I get the reason for the rule, the elders want to keep us focused, and... there are no guarantees in the road to Fostern. Even on its own, it can be a long hard climb." He takes a deep breath, bringing his focus back to her as his words bring his scattered thoughts into a firmer shape. Which then sparks him to ask the related relevant question back. "Was it similar for you? Focusing on a career, as you were?"
Vivian listens intently, studying the man in front of her. She allows a bit of warmth into her smile when Bruce shows discomfort with the notion of claiming a mate, letting out a small sigh. She turns to direct her gaze in the same direction he does, even though he is simply staring off in thought. When that question is turned towards her, it is Vivian's turn to be caught off guard. She opens her mouth to speak but it takes a moment more to gather her thoughts. "Yes. I focused on school and my career. My studies, both mundane and mystical. Those were rewarding experiences but I.. felt it was time for me to return. I have other desires now as well." She is lost in thought, her right hand coming up to rest over her stomach in a seemingly unconscious movement.
Bruce opens his mouth for a follow up question, then his eyes flick down at the movement of her hand. His mouth clicks shut as the clue penetrates even the current density of his preoccupied thought field, and his face darkens another shade. "I'm sorry, that crossed over into far too personal, didn't it? And well outside the realm of my business, certainly."
Vivian's eyes are cast to the side and she looks back to Bruce, "Hmm?" And then she realizes and she quickly lowers her hand to her side. Her eyes close and a light blush comes to her cheeks as she shakes her head. "No, it wasn't too personal Mr. Wilson. I was asking personal questions, you were.. perfectly within your right. I.. I apologize for bringing up the topic. I just want to understand the people that I will be working with." She's usually better at this, but in this moment it seems that there likely is something more to her line of questioning.
Bruce hovers for a bit, radiating his awkwardness. "Within rights or not, it's... Tricky? Complex? Personal? Lots of things. But... I wish you the best of luck, of course. I haven't really been looking with an eye to that, but there must be many fine prospects here in, uh, Prospect." It's probably hard for an Ahroun to look sheepish, but somehow he manages it.
Vivian settles herself and then looks back to Bruce with that smile returning to her lips. She reaches her right hand out to lightly touch him, if he permits it, on the arm as she nods her head. "Thank you. I think I have met someone that.. catches my eye." The touch lingers for a moment and then she pulls her hand back and gestures towards the elevator. "Should we continue the tour Mr. Wilson?" As she directs the conversation back to the professional matter at hand.
Bruce clears his throat self consciously and nods, leading back to the elevator. His thoughts are cycling quickly through others he's met that she could mean. And it didn't even have to be a Glasswalker she meant, right? Right, Pure Breed wasn't even a thing for us. Right. "Yes, right, several floors to go. I think there's one more floor empty and open for offices before the old security company offices?"
Vivian follows after Bruce, turning back to occasionally tapping and writing on her tablet with the stylus. She gets distracted by a few more unseen entities, head snapping to the side and watching a Pattern Spider scurry along in the Umbra, before she looks back down to the tablet. "The Weaver is strong here." Vivian murmurs it softly, making another note. "A lot of Pattern Spiders. The web is spun tight it looks like." Another scribble. "I want to help you Mr. Wilson. I know you say the road to Fostern is long but if this project is successful it could help. But.." she's quiet for a moment and then looks back to him, as if perhaps seeing him for the first time. "You're Ahroun.." She almost whispers the word, realization washing across her face.
Bruce follows her gaze around nodding. "I still haven't been fully introduced yet, but my understanding is that the building is awakened. And friendly to us, of course." He turns back as she looks to him and mentions his auspice. He stands up straighter, but his expression turns grim. "Yes, I am. Which to some eyes makes all of this something of a distraction. I see it differently, of course, but... It doesn't matter. It will be my duty to join in battle on many fronts. Some are more dangerous than others, and some are less glorious than the rest. And sometimes there are even steps backward." He pauses for a long sigh, and then comes out with an uncomfortable admission. "Moving to Prospect was part of a clean slate. An easier and cleaner solution than stripping me back to cub. That would have been embarrassing to others besides just me, after all. Either way, it's a long way back up."
"The building is awakened?" Vivian looks around again with a 'huh' offered before she looks back to Bruce. At the talk of battles and glory, the woman whose mother was also Ahroun, lowers her head and closes her eyes. She's heard those discussions before. "I'm sure you will.. have many great and glorious battles." Vivian's tone is melancholoy as she looks back up to stare at Bruce. She steps over to an unfinished countertop and lays down her table before walking back over to him to stand in front of him. "Why would they strip you back to cub?" Her tone is inquisitive, not accusatory.
Bruce's face darkens, not at her but internally at his memories as they rise to the surface. He folds both of his hands together in front of him around the coffee cup, which bends a bit from the pressure. Perhaps it's a good thing there's two there for the extra reinforcement. "Not just one problem, but the end of the line was a forest fire engulfing the site of my latest solar farm project. Not that anyone really thought I was at fault, or that fires aren't a problem all over these past years, but... It was just one embarrassment too many with me at the center. I... Well, you already know my rite name. I didn't get it for nothing. When I challenged for Cliath, that was a hot mess too. And by that I do mean that everything ended up on fire. I succeeded, but it was ugly. Sometimes I mess up. Sometimes things just go wrong. Which is why I really need to... stay on top of things. If I get careless..." He lifts a hand to sweep around the space, then back to Vivian. "Things can get broken. People can get hurt."
Vivian takes a deep breath and releases it slowly as she listens to the story and, particularly, that last comment. Her eyes close when he says that people can get hurt, standing in front of him quietly for a few breaths before she opens her eyes and looks back up to him. "Okay. You've made mistakes. I'll help you do better. Help you stay on top of things. If you'd like." She reaches up with her right hand slowly to place it against his cheek if he allows her to, her thumb brushing along his cheek. "I believe in you Bruce." She uses his given name for the first time. "Believe in yourself. Cindy and I can take care of things here. I want to see you succeed."
Bruce's jaw works under her hand, just a hint of water showing in his eyes as the emotional wave rolls over and through him. He nods at her words, his cheek leaning into her hand without thinking about it. His voice comes out thick, a lot of effort going into keeping it under control. "Thanks... I do want to succeed, especially this time around. And it's not that I want to need help like that, but... Yeah, thanks."
"We all need help. There's no shame in it." Vivian's words are smooth like silk, pulling on talents that she rarely uses to their full extent now. She keeps her hand against his cheek, curling her fingers just a bit to allow her nails to lightly scratch against his cheek affectionately before she places her hand flat against his cheek again. She takes a step closer, her left hand drifting up to rest on his arm as she stares up at him. "You will succeed. I'm here for you. Whatever you need."
Bruce's hands loosen their hold on the coffee cup as he fills his lungs again and lets it out, releasing a lot of pent up tension along with it. He looks back down at her, holding still under her touch. His humor returns too as a grin cracks across his face, and his voice sounds more natural even as his words are a bit self deprecating. "Wait a minute, shouldn't I be the one telling you that things are going to be ok? How did I get this all mixed around?"
Vivian is staring quietly, patient, the smooth skin of her palm against his cheek as she waits for his response. And when he cracks that smile and asks the question Vivian allows a slight chuckle to escape her own lips. It is a light, effortless sound. With a quick shake of her head she says, "I'll tell you what Bruce, I'll let you protect me from ugly Wyrm things. I'll protect you from your own doubt." She lingers there, the kin's thumb brushing along his cheek one more time. She knows that Ahroun so rarely get gentle touches and soft words from non-Garou. At last she pulls away, taking a step back and then reaching up with her right hand to brush some of her hair behind her ear. There's a blush on her cheeks and she's smiling.
Bruce smiles back, looking much more at ease even if there's still quite a lot of swirling of thoughts and emotions under the hood. He reaches up to straighten his tie, even if only to give one of his hands something to do. "Call that part of everyone going with their own area of expertise, I guess? But let's really hope you don't need that close of protection from any ugly wyrm things. Not that I wouldn't, of course, it's just safer if kinfolk around around them at all." He realizes he's started to ramble and cuts himself off there, just letting his smile hang for a moment.
Vivian glances up as she sees Bruce try to adjust his tie with one hand, stepping up to place her hands against his and gently push it away. She then loosens the knot slightly before she begins to adjust it for him, eyes cast up to him again. Vivian is rather stylish, fashionable. She takes great pride in her appearance. "Let me." Vivian's smile grows as the blush on her cheeks grows. "And I certainly don't intend to get close to any ugly wyrm things. But I do feel safer knowing that you're here to protect me. Jinx'rhya." A moments pause and then she rests both of her hands flat against his chest. "Why is that your rite-name?"
Bruce lets her fix the tie, even though the urge to insist he can take care of it himself does push itself up a bit. He gets a blush of his own to match hers along the way. His suit is nice, even expensive, and now that she's felt it also feels like it's got some stuff reinforcement hidden inside it. But he wears it a bit casually than the price tag probably warrants. His grin gets a little of that wry and sheepish edge creeping back again, but this time in better humor than before. "It was bestowed upon me for much the reasons I mentioned before. It seemed a little funnier back then though, before it became a real pattern. But I had a weapon malfunction during my rite of passage, a double feed, which- No, nevermind that part. But it jammed at a bad time. I dropped it to go to claws, but it went off when it hit the floor which it also shouldn't have done. And it hit a power box, which started a fire, and it went on from there. I did get the bane, but it ended up way harder than it should have been, and a whole warehouse burned to the ground in the process. Therefore, Jinx."
"Double.. feed?" Vivian blinks at that and shakes her head, not knowing what it means but she follows the rest of the story, laughing a bit at the absurdity of it all as she finally takes a step back and breaks physical contact with Bruce. "I see. Well, I will make sure the building's fire suppression system is up to code then. Would hate to have any more mishaps." She moistens her lips with her tongue and nervously adjusts her hair again before she turns and walks back over to the tablet. "Um.. I.. appreciate the tour Mr. Wilson. Maybe we can check the rest of it later, for now I unfortunately must be going." She pauses and then turns, looking back to Bruce. A few quick steps bring her closer to him and she stares up at him meaningfully, saying something that calls back to an earlier comment if he was paying attention. "I have my eye on you."
Bruce swallows, his tie suddenly feeling tighter than she had actually adjusted it. It's even enough to override the urge to explain what a double feed is and how to fix it. "Uh, good idea, although it's not always fire- But yes, any time. Just call me if you need anything."
Vivian's smile remains on her lips as she reaches out to take his hands into hers, running her thumbs over his hands before she turns to leave. "I'll see you later.. Bruce."
