Synopsis
February 15, 2005 - Helen and Orion meet up at a park. Orion gets attacked by a dog and Dan shows up. They have a pleasant discussion.
Setting
Kidd Spring Park:
The remnants of the dense forestry are located in here, as paths lead from the woods to the more entertaining features of the park. A jungle gym, complete with a small clubhouse and slides make up a play area designated for children, as do a few sandboxes. A community rec center can also be found in the park.
Separating the trees from the busier points of the park is small lake. During the summer months, a life guard can be found on duty so swimming is allowed, and there is also a small dock from which paddle boats and kayaks are available for rent.
Cast
Dan:
Standing at 6'0" and of a fairly slender build the man before you is in his mid-to late twenties at most, he has short cut blond hair kept just scruffy enough not to seem accidental, his eyes are a dark brown. Hes got just the first hint of stubble showing.
Slender, yet looking as though he exercises regularly the mans dressed casually, a black T-shirts worn, also he wears faded blue jeans and white trainers.
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Helen:
Slightly shorter than average, Helen is a curvy blonde with long legs. Her hair, usually worn down, falls in loose waves to mid-back, framing a round and almost childish face with large grey eyes and an impish grin. She dresses usually in light colours, her outfits flowing and billowy, often a fusion of hippie and New Age, as much as there's any style to the eclectic wardrobe at all. Her makeup is light and natural, with a bit of liner around her eyes and a gloss for her lips.
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Orion:
You see a man in his mid thirties who stands a little over six feet and weighs approximately 180 pounds. One can tell by looking at him that he works out regularly. His face is rugged but attractive, usually with a couple of days worth of stubble on his cheek. His hair is brownish red and cropped short, spiking up a bit on top. His eyes are deep gold and appear to be almost an unnatural shade. He bears a tattoo of a paw print on his left upper arm. When the man speaks, he has a very distinct Irish accent. It is strong, but not to the point that he is difficult to understand.
The man is wearing a tight fitting brown shirt with blue jeans. He has brown boots on and a silver watch on his right wrist. His ears are each pierced with a silver ring, and he has mirrored sunglasses pushed up on his head.
Scene
The park is pleasant today. The sun is shining and occasionally being occluded by a passing cloud, but never for long. A few people can be found in the park. A couple is sitting down by the lake, a man is playing Frisbee with his dog in the field, and there is a woman taking photographs over near the trees.
Orion is currently within the grove of trees, napping peacefully beneath one of the trees as he has been for most of the morning. The man playing with his dog accidentally throws his Frisbee a little too close to Orion, which sends his dog searching a little too close to the slumbering man. The dog freezes when it sees Orion, raising its hackles and growling in a menacing manner. Orion wakes up slowly and looks at the dog, which causes it to run away and hide behind its master whining. Orion stretches and rubs his eyes before tossing the Frisbee back toward the man, but the dog seems to be suddenly disinterested in playing.
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A pleasant afternoon makes for a nice walk, which has Helen out in the park today. Still relatively new in town and at loose ends, she wanders with a distracted, unhurried pace, a daydreamy expression on her features. Watching the water, she rounds the lake, coming towards the copse of trees from the other side of the park. The sound of a growling, upset dog slowly draws her out of her thoughts, and she glances over in that nearby direction with a vague frown, though she isn't terribly concerned about it just yet.
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Orion stands and stretches again, yawning and scratching his chest a little before deciding to lumber out of the tree-line. The dog watches him from behind his master's legs, growling faintly as Orion comes slightly closer. He eyes the dog with a bemused expression and just offers a shrug to the dog owner. "Don't know what got into him. Maybe he smelled a raccoon or something." His voice is distinctly Irish, but not difficult to understand. He shrugs again and turns to walk away, nearly running into Helen. "Woops! 'Scuse me, miss! Wasn't watching where I was going."
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Helen gives a little sound of protest, trying to get herself out of the way of the much larger man about to nearly run into her. It's a bit of a surprise, to say the least, but she merely laughs once the crisis has been averted. "No harm done," she replies, her own voice lacking the native drawl. A quick glance is shot past him towards the upset dog, and then she looks back, eyebrows raised a little in question. "Everything okay?" It's perhaps a little curious, but there's also a little touch of concern to the question as well. Upset dogs can end badly, after all.
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Orion chuckles and waves a hand dismissively toward the dog. "Oh no, I think I just startled the dog is all. No harm done, as you said." He turns back to face Helen again, turning his back to the dog and its owner. The dog suddenly charges at the two, barking ferociously as it approaches Orion. Its master looks terribly confused and concerned, hesitating for a moment before charging forward and yelling for "Tellula" to stop and come back. Orion's expression changes as he hears the commotion. He calmly guides Helen aside and turns to face the dog, preparing himself for the impending attack.
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The ease with which Orion dismisses the whole matter helps Helen with brushing the whole thing off. She offers up a grin, nodding her head in understanding. Her mouth open to reply, she's cut off by the sudden attack of the dog. There's a girlish little squeal as she brings an arm up out of some reflex in an effort to protect herself, but she's quite easily guided away out of the path of danger, dropping her arm as she watches with a cringe, waiting for the impending attack on Orion. She almost wants to look away but can't quite bring herself to do so.
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As Orion faces the dog it loses a bit of its momentum, seeming to hesitate for a slight moment before jumping at him. Orion holds up an arm as the dog leaps at him, using it as a guard as the animal slams into him. He topples backward and rolls quickly, landing on top of the dog and holding it down by the shoulder. "Calm down, beastie." The dog growls for a few seconds before giving up and starting to whine. Orion keeps the animal held until its master comes and attaches a leash, pulling the dog back and apologizing. Orion holds up a hand and calms the owner. "I'm fine, dont worry. But you might want to take her home. She seems a bit off today." The owner nods and darts off, half dragging the dog with her.
Orion stands and turns back to Helen, brushing himself off. "Man, people need to follow leash laws around here, eh? Are you alright?" He looks her over quickly, making sure she wasn't bumped into or kicked. The other few people in the park are glancing in their direction, but they dont seem too concerned now that the excitement seems to be over. Orion glances back at the dog and brushes off his knees once more. "Stupid mutts." He has a shallow bite on his left forearm and has a slightly bloody lip. If he notices his minor injuries he does not show it.
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Everything seems to happen so quickly before Helen's eyes, but at least they turn out in the end. She cringes again at the impact, before finally breathing a sigh of relief when the owner comes to collect his dog. Realizing the threat has now passed, she puts a hand over her heart, giving a nervous and short-lived laugh. "Yeah, that was pretty insane," she agrees, waving off his inspection. "I'm fine. Thanks. For getting me out of the way and all." It's then that she notices he's not quite so injury-free as she is. "You're bleeding a bit though." She gestures towards his cut lip. "You okay?" She glances over towards the dog and departing owner, frowning slightly, but her attention is soon returned to Orion.
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Orion smiles when Helen confirms that she is fine. "Oh that's good." He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and looks at the blood. "Oh I should be fine. Don't really know what got into that dog, though." He inspects his arm and frowns at it before…Licking the wound. That is probably not the most orthodox way to deal with an injury. He pulls a small cloth out of one of his pockets and ties it around the bite. "Eh, nothing major. I'll live I suppose."
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Helen can't help but pull a bit of a face as he licks the bite. Sure, who hasn't put a papercut in their mouth, but a dog bite seems a little different. "Er, aren't bites the sort of thing you're supposed to get checked out?" she points out gently, with just a touch of lingering concern. Still, she's not the type to really fight him on the issue, so other than a bit of vague worry, she leaves it at that. "But yeah, I don't know what's up with that dog. Like he just went nuts all of a sudden."
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Orion presses the wound for a moment and extends his arm, flexing his hand to make sure the dog didn't hit a nerve. He looks over at the woman and shakes his head. "Usually yes, but the bite isn't terribly deep and I've got my rabies vaccines up to date." He bends down and picks up his sunglasses, which must have fallen off during the scuffle. "Because of…I occasionally work with animals." He places his sunglasses back atop his head and offers a hand to shake. "I'm Orion, by the way."
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"Oh. Well, then I guess you'd know better than I would," Helen allows with an easy smile, as he mentions working with animals. "Though I hope you don't have to deal with getting bitten too often." There's a sympathetic grimace with that, though it's less anxious than moments before. The offered hand is shaken in return, her small hands not making for a terribly powerful shake on her end. "Helen. It's nice to meet you Orion. Even if the circumstances were a bit dramatic."
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Orion nods as he shakes her hand. "Helen? I don't suppose your last name is 'Of Troy', eh?" He chuckles. "Just kidding, just kidding." He scratches the back of his head and looks back toward the direction the dog owner left. "Yeah well. That happens occasionally. Animals are unpredictable, so it's always a good idea to have your vaccines up to date." Apparently being attacked by random animals is not a terribly uncommon event to this man. "It's not the first time and it won't be the last, but people should probably restrain their animals a little better."
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Helen laughs a little at the joke on her name, not offended in the least. "No, though that would make for some really interesting ice-breakers, I bet. But it's Helen Fontane, actually," she notes with a shrug. She likes her last name well enough - no complaints with it, really - but it doesn't provide as humorous an introduction as 'Of Troy' would do. Her eyebrows arched slightly, she seems almost impressed that he can be so blase about getting bitten as a matter of course. "I guess if you work with them, it's going to come up," she agrees with a thoughtful nod. "Still, it's got to be a little scary when they just come at you like that…"
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Orion nods. "Ah, well it would be funny. If you ever decide to change your last name I suggest that one." He nods and shrugs once more. "Well you just have to remain calm when something like that happens. If you try to run or thrash wildly you're going to get hurt, but if you brace yourself and face the animal then you're less likely to get seriously mauled." In truth he has never worked with animals. They tend to either run away from or attack him when he gets too close, but that isn’t something he wants to explain right now.
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"Somehow I think remaining calm is easier said than done," Helen points out wryly. "But I'll try to keep that in mind. Not that I plan on going around getting attacked. This was enough excitement in that respect." Still, now that the real danger has passed, she's free to be a lot more glib about the whole thing, and far less worried. "Really, if it does happen again, I guess I'd better just hope I'm around someone who knows what he's doing too." She's not counting on remembering all those tips if she's faced down with an angry beastie.
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Orion chuckles and favors the wound once more, rubbing it slightly and deciding that he will be fine. "Yes well, try not to put yourself in a position where you will be attacked by a dog. In a place like Dallas that is usually not something terribly difficult to do. Unless you're being attacked by…Never mind." He apparently decides that whatever he was going to say was a bad idea. "But yeah, I wish they'd leash here better. Not really familiar with the area and haven't found much else to do in the daytime around here. Rather not have to deal with animal attacks if I can help it."
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But Helen is a little sister by trade, and isn't so easily put off of half-finished sentences as that. "Unless I'm being attacked by what?" she inquires curiously, giving him a more scrutinizing look as she tries to guess what he could have meant. Fortunately, she also gets distracted easily, and so moves on in the next breath. "New in town too, hm? Yeah, I've just sort of been wandering around exploring. I guess I'll just have to keep a closer eye out when I'm doing that, watch out for crazy dogs."
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But Helen is a little sister by trade, and isn't so easily put off of half-finished sentences as that. "Unless I'm being attacked by what?" she inquires curiously, giving him a more scrutinizing look as she tries to guess what he could have meant. Fortunately, she also gets distracted easily, and so moves on in the next breath. "New in town too, hm? Yeah, I've just sort of been wandering around exploring. I guess I'll just have to keep a closer eye out when I'm doing that, watch out for crazy dogs."
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“Um…Also nothing. I forget what I was talking about.” Orion cleverly lies as she inquires about what he was going to say. “Yeah I went to school in California and managed to get a job out here, not used to the area yet myself. I mean, there’s plenty to do around here at night I suppose. And I’ve only been attacked by dogs two or three times since moving here. A little better than other places.” Although it may sound like a joke, he does not appear to be speaking in a jesting manner. %r
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Whether or not Helen believe his clever lie - and from her lingering look, it might suggest not - she allows the conversation to move on. "California. Never been there either. Did you like it? Must be kind of different than being here now." She pushes a hand back through her hair, brushing it back from her face when the wind catches it. "…Only?" That bit finally sinks in and earns a disbelieving shake of her head. "Um, well, I guess it's good that it's better, though I'd say there's room for improvement." But it's spoken with a slight grin.
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Orion hesitates for a moment before continuing the conversation. He realized immediately after stating that he has suffered so many dog attacks that it is probably not a normal thing to say. He looks up at the sky for a moment, the slight breeze having blown a small cloud in front of the sun for a moment. The two of them are standing near a grove of trees, the only other person in the park being a photographer near the water. Everyone else seems to have left after witnessing the dog attack. Orion sighs and tries to think of something else to say. “Yeah California’s a bit different. The people there are a bit more…Progressive? Though it may have something to do with the fair weather and the view of the sea.” The cloth around his arm is starting to redden from where he was bitten, but he seems entirely unconcerned with his injuries.
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At least Helen isn't the type to judge. She's a little amazed that he somehow gets attacked that often, but if anything, there's sympathy for such a plight. That can't be fun, after all. The conversation turns easily enough to the matter of California. "Yeah, I've heard they're really liberal there. I guess it's hard to be conservative when you live on the beach. Surfing and palm trees and everything, right?" There's a grin with that, and then the brief pause is punctured by the electronic ringtone of a cellphone. Helen pull it out of her pocket, giving a quick glance at the caller ID. "Sorry, I'd better take this. Just be one second," she promises, before picking up the call and turning away, absently wandering a space away towards the water's edge. "Yeah, no, I'm fine…" she can be heard to say before she's out of ready earshot.
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It's not uncommon for Dan to take a walk through the park, even when he's not planning to shift he likes to be out in nature, his hands tucked in his pockets he seems perfectly happy to just casually stroll, that is until he notices first Helen, who he raises a hand to, and then Orion who he offers a very thoughtful nod to.
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Orion frowns slightly as Helen gets pulled away to answer her phone. He nods to her and smiles, showing her that he understands. As she walks away he takes a moment to unwrap his arm and examine it a little more closely. The bite isn’t terrible, but it is a little worse than he has originally thought. He re-wraps his arm and freezes. There’s that feeling again, like a slight tingling in his brain. He had this feeling once before but it was while he was coming down from a shift last time. He turns his head slightly and notices Dan approaching, raising a hand slightly in greeting and narrowing his eyes at the other man.
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There's a slow smile as Dan looks at Orion, it seems to slide across his face, it's warm and confident as he once again nods to Orion. "Just thought I'd head over and say hey." He looks around for a moment. "I'm pretty sure you're another wildlife fan? Went to our meeting on the twenty fifth?"
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Orion remains motionless for a few moments longer, watching Dan as he approaches. He looks slightly confused after the man speaks and ponders what he could possibly mean for a few moments. “Oh!’” He glances over at Helen and decides that she is well out of earshot…Unless she is a vampire…In which case she would not be out in the sun. He nods back to Dan, an odd grin on his face. “Oh yea, that would be me. I never miss those late night meetings.” He nods in agreement with himself.
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Offering a hand Dan chuckles quietly. "Well allow me to introduce myself properly. I'm Dan, I thought that I'd make the offer that if you ever decide you'd like to talk. I know how… interesting those meetings can get."
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Orion glances at Dan sideways, wondering if this is the man that Abbey had mentioned a few days back. "Yes. I'm Orion." He shakes the other males hand. "I am very happy to meet you. And actually…He reaches into a pocket and pulls out a Dallas Art Museum card with his name and number on it. "Actually yes, I believe you may be exactly who I was looking for."
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Oblivious to all these things going on out of earshot, Helen finally wraps up the phone call, snapping the cell shut and tucking it back in her pocket before she starts heading back over with long strides. "Sorry about tha-" Realizing that another familiar face has joined them in the interim, she flashes Dan with a grin. "Oh hey! Small world." Yep, completely and utterly unaware of the conversation she's walked back into.
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Taking the card Dan smiles brightly. "Pleasure to meet you, I'll give you a call and we can talk." He then flashes a grin to Helen. "Yeah, small world how's it going?"
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Orion is currently grinning stupidly at Dan. He assumes the man he had met a few nights back was also a shifter now. That man had caused the same odd feeling as Dan had just caused a few minutes ago. He suddenly realizes that Helen has reappeared next to him and turns to look at her. "Oh, you two know each other? What a…" He looks down as his phone goes off. "Oh my, looks like it's my turn." He answers it and backs up slightly. "Just a moment, please."
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"Yeah, we seem to have a knack for running into one another," Helen explains with an amused grin and a sidelong look to Dan. At the sound of a phone going on, her first instinct is to reach for her own, since she's just finished with it. When it turns out to be Orion's, she gives a little laugh. "Apparently I've set yet another trend." Looking back to Dan, she gives a bit of a shrug. "So, how have you been?"
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Shrugging Dan flashes a confident grin. "Seems I've been having a good week." He frowns slightly quickly reaching into his jacket pocket. "I've uh got those tickets for you." He offers a leaflet to Helen. "It's got all the details in there, as well as your ticket, I was going to hand them in at the office, but since we seem to keep running into each other…"
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There's another little laugh at his initial comment, and he gets a grin in return. Helen reaches out to take the tickets as they're offered, giving the leaflet and the ticket and the leaflet getting a quick study. "Ooh, awesome. Yeah, very fortuitous. Well, thanks for this again. I'm actually really looking forward to it, despite your best efforts," she teases lightly.
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Grinning Dan nods. "Yeah, it can be fun, honestly a lot of the artists I've known for years, some are a little emotional, others aren't happy that my old man's not going to be attending when he's got six pieces in the display, but they'll deal."
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"I guess you'll just have to be extra charming and then they'll forget he's not there," Helen suggests with an impish grin, as she tucks the tickets safely away in an inside pocket. "And don't worry. I can deal with emotional. I get it. I mean, it's their life's work, right? That's bound to make some people sensitive."
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Waving a dismissive hand Dan laughs. "Nah, some of these guys turn out a dozen pieces a year… sure they only have a few hits, but I've never got how that can be anything other than this months work…" He seems to catch the first comment and laughs a little. "I'm pretty stretched at standard levels of charming to be fair." He rubs the back of his neck looking just a little sheepish.
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Orion is suddenly yelling something into the phone, but his accent has become so harsh that it is terribly difficult to understand what he is saying. He shuts his phone and puts it in his pocket, standing away at a distance for a few minutes to cool down a bit. He huffs a deep breath and turns around, walking back to the two and smiling, appearing as though he is perfectly fine. “Sorry about that. Something came up and…Well yeah, sorry about that.” He was concerned with his phone conversation, so he is completely unaware of what the two have been discussing since Helen returned.
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Nodding Dan sighs a little. "Yeah… that's why some of 'em don't like me, you can't expect a sixteen year old dragged to these things to be tactful." He offers a much more confident grin. "Well I'll have to see if I'm charming enough to win over the crowds." He nods to Orion as he returns. "No worries." He removes a couple of cards offering one first to Orion. "Here while I think of it. Just in case you need to get in touch with me before I can get in touch with you." He then turns to Helen offering her the second card. "I guess all things considered, I should probably have already given you my number, but.." He shrugs slightly. "Call me if you need to go over our plans at all."
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"Yeah, I guess that could be a bummer, getting dragged to them as a kid when you don't want to go. But hey, if they can't forgive you for that, then I guess that's just their tough luck, right?" Helen looks over with a smile as Orion returns, giving her head a little shake. "Don't worry about it. It happens." Clearly. A glance is cast as Dan. "You expecting any calls? Since it is your turn now." But she's only joking, of course, the mirth turning to idle curiosity as she's handed a card, which gets a cursory glance. "Oh yeah. Okay. Good call. Thanks!" It's tucked away with the leaflet for safekeeping.
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Orion takes the card and glances at it, turning it over and sticking it in his pocket. “Thanks, might make things a bit easier if we can each get a hold of each other and not just one that can reach the other.” He chuckles at Helen’s comment and glances at the two. “Dragging children where they don’t want to go? Planning on visiting me at work?” Realizing this sounds a bit strange he adds, “I work at a museum, by the way.”
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Arching an eyebrow Dan smiles a little. "Really, not Meadows?" He sounds just a little curious, after all he's been helping out there a little lately. "We're attending the party for the new opening exhibit.. my father's put in several pieces." He shakes his head. "Nah, any calls I get will be emergencies, I rarely give out my cell number without a good reason."
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A museum with animals? Helen looks a bit curious about that, but says nothing in that respect. "I'm sure some kids must like going to museum, right? I never minded, though I'd get in trouble for wandering off," she admits with a guilty smile. Heck, she still gets in trouble for that sometimes. "Good reasons like solidifying exhibit opening plans, right?" she notes with a grin to Dan then. She's assuming, anyway, unless he gave her his landline.
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"Meadows?" Orion muses. "Oh right. No I work at the Dallas Museum of Art. Specifically with artifacts and all that." He waves a hand and looks at Helen curiously. "Animals? Well whenever I stop by the History Museum they have taxidermies there. Art is mostly art and old archaeology finds." He apparently forgot that he told her he works with animals. "Um…Oh wait! Yeah. I used to work with animals…In California." Something about his tonation makes it sound like a lie.
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Grinning slightly Dan shrugs a little. "Hey, that's a very good reason, I mean you're a good looking young lady who happens to show an interest in going to the party… seems to me that at the very least you'll catch some of the disapproval, and somehow I think you're charming enough to deal with that." He flashes a slight grin before nodding to Orion. "Strange that, my old man's something of a name in nature related paintings, chiefly animals in motion." He shrugs. "Seems to have a strange twist of luck when it comes to finding animals in impressive poses."
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"Oh. Okay. I thought you…" Helen is actually a little confused as she tries to figure out the timeline of Orion's working with animals here. But she trails off, with a shake of her head, just giving a little laugh. "Clearly I'm just getting all mixed up." She's an airhead at times: it happens. Dan's comment actually brings a slight blush to her cheeks, but she clears her throat and then gives her head another shake. "Oh, well. Yeah, I think I can handle myself with the artists. I hope! I guess we'll see."
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Orion nods when he hears Dan describing the paintings. "I may stop by to see them sometime. I have to stop by that museum once in a while to transfer things for work." He rubs his dog bite again and clears his throat as Helen seems to be having some difficulty keeping up with his lies. "Yes, Helen. Pay attention, geeze." He’s smirking as he says this and chuckles afterward. "No but really, I didn’t make it all that clear. Don’t worry about it."
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Grinning Dan nods. "Yeah, the exhibit's partially complete, so you'll likely be able to take a look next time you drop by, the whole thing should be completeted by the weekend though, so any time after that and you'll be able to enjoy the whole thing." He shrugs a little. "It's a pretty impressive display, at least what I've seen of it, but I've only seen what's already out and my dads stuff."
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"Either this place is a lot more cultured than I realized, or I have a knack for running into it," Helen notes with a grin, as all this talk about the various museums goes on. At Orion's mock-finger wagging, she hangs her head a bit, though she's still grinning. "I know, I know. I get distracted easily." At least she's very willing to simply accept this as her own mix up.
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Grinning Dan nods. "Yeah, the exhibit's partially complete, so you'll likely be able to take a look next time you drop by, the whole thing should be completeted by the weekend though, so any time after that and you'll be able to enjoy the whole thing." He shrugs a little. "It's a pretty impressive display, at least what I've seen of it, but I've only seen what's already out and my dads stuff."
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"Either this place is a lot more cultured than I realized, or I have a knack for running into it," Helen notes with a grin, as all this talk about the various museums goes on. At Orion's mock-finger wagging, she hangs her head a bit, though she's still grinning. "I know, I know. I get distracted easily." At least she's very willing to simply accept this as her own mix up.
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Orion laughs at Helen’s display and nods to Dan. “Yeah they’re having us transport some of our display material to the museum. I’ll probably be stopping by in a couple days, and I’ll try to stop by this weekend as well.” He scratches his chin and nods. “Also, I think…” He freezes and tenses up for a moment, staring at something in the distance past Dan and grinning madly. He shakes his head and blinks. “Um…What was I gonna say? I forget.” There’s nothing really strange out there behind Dan…Except a squirrel rummaging around.
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Dan laughs at the idea of culture. "Nah, I've wouldn't know culture if it bit me. I just happen to be doing my dad a favour." He shrugs a little. "Although I do have a thing for Jazz and Classical music… so maybe I've picked up more culture than I'd care to… I should go bowling, and eat a Big Mac.."
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"Yeah, I think you got cultured without meaning to," Helen suggests to Dan with a teasing grin. "Better watch out for that. You'll be wanting Grey Poupon on your Big Mac." She glances over at Orion, her eyebrow arching at the way he suddenly trails off and loses track of the conversation. Not that she can cast any stones about getting distracted by shiny objects - except that's not usually literal. She follows his gaze for a moment, but returns her attention to the conversation when a quick scan turns up nothing.
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Orion seems a little spacey for another moment or two before shaking his head and clearing his thoughts. “Um…What? Yes. Bowling is fun, I suppose. I’ve only gone maybe twice, though. And Um…Hamburgers?” It’s almost like he just woke up and is trying to respond to five questions at once. “They’re…Good? I suppose.” Yeah. He’s just going to shut up now and become terribly interested in one of the buttons on his coat until he knows what they are talking about again.
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Sighing slightly Dan doesn't bother watching the gaze, he's heard of cases similar although they're supposedly extremely rare. Instead he just shrugs. "Yeah, bowling, the worst burgers in town and maybe a even a pop concert… that should beat the culture out of me."
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"Yeah, extreme times call for extreme measures," Helen agrees with a grin, nodding at Dan. "Or at least a few hours of really bad television. That'll get rid of your culture pretty quickly too." Her gaze drifts back over to the distracted Orion, and she really just can't be oblivious for much longer. "Hey, you okay?" she asks with a bit of concern. Not figuring it's the squirrel distracting him, she can only assume there's something wrong, maybe.
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Orion seems fully back to normal now. "Why exactly would you want to be less cultured? You can balance a nice mix of the two. You should stop by my museum sometime, we're going to be opening a display on the Ostrogotic age in a few weeks. Just finishing up a few translations before we can open." He glances over to Helen and smiles. "Oh I'm fine, I just remembered something that I was trying to remember earlier. You know how that happens sometimes. Can't think of something when youre trying to remember it, then once you stop trying it pops into your head."
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There's a grin to Helen. "Yeah bad TV'll do the job." He shrugs to Orion glad that he's not forced to lie. "Well glad you're back with the living. And I don't want to be less cultured… I was joking." He frowns a little. "Weren't they the guys who took Italy after the Romans?"
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"Bad TV will always do the job," Helen says, nodding sagely. When Orion takes them seriously, she can't help but grin. "Yeah, only joking. Though trips to the museum might not be a bad idea. Offset by bad TV, of course." There's a slower nod then, as Orion lies to cover once again. "Ah, okay. Yeah, I guess I know how that can be. So, good that you remembered it?" she suggests, grin returning.
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Orion shakes his head. “No, horrible that I remember it. For some reason I was trying to remember the lyrics to ‘Bad Romance’…Now it’s stuck in my head.” He grins at the girl. Is he joking? It’s really hard to tell right now. “But anyway, yeah.” He responds to Dan, “They were the ruling group after the fall of Rome. Got in a whole collection a while back and it’s finally ready to be put on display.”
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Nodding Dan grins slowly. "Really? Well the party'll certainly make up for a few weeks of bad TV, they're nothing if not cultured." He shrugs slightly. "It's pretty much Champagne and Caviar… at least that's the norm for these things, artists need the best because they're… well artists." He grins a little. "Like I say, I need to drop the snobbish culture after such parties."
___
Helen isn't quite sure how to take Orion's response, so there's a little laugh, but also a sympathetic nod. "Oh yeah. I hate when things get stuck in my head like that. Pretty much the only thing that works is to think of a worse song, but then you end up like the woman who swallowed a fly." She looks back to Dan with another suckle. "Okay, I'll stock up on my bad TV beforehand, so that I don't throw off the balance of things."
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Orion gives Helen a sly grin. “A worse song? Than Bad Romance? I don’t think that’s possible.” He laughs. “Just kidding…I love that song.” He nods to Dan. I avoid the caviar, but I go after the cheese and crackers at those events like you wouldn’t believe. Luckily I can usually get behind the scenes and don’t have to hunt down the trays.”
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Dan frowns a little. "Don't know the song.." He shrugs a little. "Personally the worst is when you get a /good/ song stuck in your head so long you grow sick of it." Shrugging Dan offers a mock shiver. "I still have nightmares based on anything by David Bowie… my mum used to play his stuff to death."
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There's another chuckle to Orion's sly response. "Careful, or you'll leave me no choice but to start singing that song that never ends," Helen warns, trying to contain her own grin, but failing to do so. "Cheese and cracked, hm? I'll remember that." She looks over at Dan, wincing sympathetically. "I guess I can see how his stuff would give you nightmares, yeah, in that case."
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“The Song That…Never Ends?” He is apparently not familiar with this one. He does not question further since she has indicated that the song is in some way a source of great evil. “Never mind. Anyway yes. The cheese and crackers always go first because in truth no one actually likes caviar. It just sits there and people look at it and feel important because it is present at their party.” He nods knowingly. “And I think David Bowie is amazing, just so you know.”
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Laughs slightly shaking his head Dan sighs. "People just don't know how to eat Caviar, you really need vodka, although Champagne and cheese'll do, you should never actually have the caviar in your mouth on its own." He grins a little. "But yeah, it's a lot of work, and a lot more money for what is at best an average dish." He shrugs a little. "Still you'll be able to make your own mind up."
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"Yeah, it's pretty much like the title implies," Helen replies with a knowing nod. But since neither Dan nor Orion are her older siblings, and she's no longer eight, they aren't treated to a performance of it here and now. "Well, the problem with that is that I can't actually drink yet," she points out a little sheepishly. She's a good girl. "So I might have to stick with the cheese and crackers. But I'll try it, for sure." To the matter of David Bowie, she just lifts her eyebrows slightly.
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Laughs slightly shaking his head Dan sighs. "People just don't know how to eat Caviar, you really need vodka, although Champagne and cheese'll do, you should never actually have the caviar in your mouth on its own." He grins a little. "But yeah, it's a lot of work, and a lot more money for what is at best an average dish." He shrugs a little. "Still you'll be able to make your own mind up."
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"Yeah, it's pretty much like the title implies," Helen replies with a knowing nod. But since neither Dan nor Orion are her older siblings, and she's no longer eight, they aren't treated to a performance of it here and now. "Well, the problem with that is that I can't actually drink yet," she points out a little sheepishly. She's a good girl. "So I might have to stick with the cheese and crackers. But I'll try it, for sure." To the matter of David Bowie, she just lifts her eyebrows slightly.
___
“Oh you’re not old enough to…That’s right. This country’s all screwed up with its drinking laws. Forgot all about that.” He laughs a bit to himself. He’s been in America for nearly ten years and still forgets some of the rules this place has. H shakes his head. “Oh well. They’ll never learn here.” He stretches and flinches slightly. His neck is sore. Maybe from sleeping against a tree…Or maybe from being attacked by a dog. Oh well, such are the hazards of being Orion.
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Shrugging Dan laughs. "Yeah, upping the age of drinking doesn't stop teens drinking too much, it just means they have to hide it." He runs a hand through his hair. "I'll admit my parents always let it slide… Stopping someone from doing something… well that's just a good way to make them /want/ to do something." He shrugs a little. "Still, I'll make sure I get a tray of cheese an crackers put aside. There'll probably be other stuff floating around as well."
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"Yeah, well, I've got a few too many people watching me to get away with much," Helen admits with a little laugh, not too horribly bothered by it. She tries to be a good girl, so really, the excuse of an overprotective family is almost a welcome one in this case. "Not that I haven't gotten away with a bit here and there, but … an art gala isn't the best place for that, I don't think. So, yeah, thanks. Though I could always just eat before, I guess."
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Orion chuckles at the girl. “Oh you Americans are so stingy when it comes to alcohol. I had whiskey when I was twelve.” That statement probably does not help with the stereotype about Irishmen as drunkards. He shakes his head at the two of them. “Well I usually can’t drink at those things either, actually. They tend to frown when you drink on the job.” He shrugs. “I wait until I get home to get snoggered.”
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Nodding Dan laughs. "UK law allows kids to drink from the age of five… as long as they're at a private party and have the permission of a legal guardian." He shrugs. "Still I rarely drink now, I got it out of my system as soon as I turned twenty one." He rubs the back of his neck. "I did a Yard and that was me." He shrugs. "I usually eat after the party anyway, there's generally not enough food for a meal." He laughs. "You don't wanna be trying to muscle into the food… like I say artists are a little temperamental, you can never be sure how much you'll get to eat if you rely on the food at the party." He shrugs a little. "I generally only stay long enough to say my hellos, discuss anything important and then disappear."
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"I know, I know. We're boring Puritans, but not like I picked the laws," Helen notes with a laugh, looking between the two foreigners with amusement. "One of these days, maybe I'll try one of these more liberal places, but for now…" For now, she's stuck with these laws here. "And okay, I won't count on getting a good meal at the actual event then. I wouldn't want to create any waves with eating all the cocktail weenies or something."
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Nodding Dan laughs. "UK law allows kids to drink from the age of five… as long as they're at a private party and have the permission of a legal guardian." He shrugs. "Still I rarely drink now, I got it out of my system as soon as I turned twenty one." He rubs the back of his neck. "I did a Yard and that was me." He shrugs. "I usually eat after the party anyway, there's generally not enough food for a meal." He laughs. "You don't wanna be trying to muscle into the food… like I say artists are a little temperamental, you can never be sure how much you'll get to eat if you rely on the food at the party." He shrugs a little. "I generally only stay long enough to say my hellos, discuss anything important and then disappear."
___
"I know, I know. We're boring Puritans, but not like I picked the laws," Helen notes with a laugh, looking between the two foreigners with amusement. "One of these days, maybe I'll try one of these more liberal places, but for now…" For now, she's stuck with these laws here. "And okay, I won't count on getting a good meal at the actual event then. I wouldn't want to create any waves with eating all the cocktail weenies or something."
___
Orion nods at Dan. "Yeah, and if you can see over the counter you can drink at a bar." He chuckles at the other man. "I try to drink less than I did. Bad for the…Er…Well I think it bugs the dog when I'm too drunk." Apparently he has a dog. One that is disturbed by his drinking habits. He looks over at Helen. "Well I've got a couple big places in Ireland I can't sell. Ever decide you want to go over there just find me and I'll set ya up for a week or two." He leaves out the part about the properties being cursed and apparently, according to Abbey, surrounded by Werewolves.
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Shaking his head Dan laughs. "I used to be given a glass of wine at Christmas, and maybe other special occasions, but honestly, my parents would have killed me if I'd drunk anymore." He shakes his head. "You can eat as much as you like… it's just that there won't be much there for long, I think the most I've got is two scoops of caviar and three crackers… they don't pay out much for the food of course." He shrugs a little. "The tricks to go for food /afterwards/ that way if you get lucky you save on a meal, if not then you can get a good meal anyway." He sighs a little. "Anyway, I've gotta go, call me if there's anything either of you need me for." He nods to Orion. "It's good to meet you." He then nods to Helen. "It's been a pleasure as always."
___
"Smart dog," Helen murmurs, as to this previously unmentioned pet dog of Orion's that somehow gets upset when he's too drunk. By now, he's got her convinced it's just her who's confused though, so she doesn't ask too many questions. Besides, she's distracted by his offer, her eyebrows shooting up in disbelief. "Wow, really? Awesome. If I ever end up over there, I might take you up on that!" Cursed or not, free accommodations in Ireland are free accommodations in Ireland. Looking back to Dan, she nods a few times. "Yeah, I won't worry about it too much," she says of the food, as if she's inclined to worry about anything ever. "And I'll keep that in mind about eating afterwards. Anyway, yeah, good running into you again. I guess I'll see you at the thing, if not sooner." Since fate has a knack.
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Orion nods to Dan. “Yeah, I’ll call you sometime when I get a chance. We need to discuss that art exhibit and such. The animal art exhibit.” In case that wasn’t entirely clear. He looks up at the sun and then down at his watch. “Actually I should probably get going, too. And maybe I should properly clean my bite.” He pokes his arm again, but still doesn’t think it to be too bad. “Eh, I’ll be fine, though.”
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"You probably should clean that thing. If only so that I don't have to keep bugging you about it," Helen suggests with a grin, though it's debatable if her few questions can really constitute 'bugging'. "But yeah, I guess I should get back too. See what I can find for dinner. But hey, it was good to meet you. And thanks again for saving me from that dog."
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Orion chuckles and waves to the two of them. “Alright, you take care. And don’t worry about it, the dog or the bite.” The dog was after him in the first place anyway, she was never the target. Orion will refrain from mentioning that to her for now. He offers one last smile and starts off toward whichever entrance he parked his bike at.
~Fin~
