Premature Warning

Absinthe


Art Nouveau decor throughout the main lounge pays homage to an era when architecture and interior design were the perfect marriage of form, function and art. The walls are purples and pinks that blend into more subtle hues with the constant green lighting. Small tables with four tall chairs can be found scattered about the room. Large purple couches can be found nestled between the table sets, and in front of a smaller stage used for poetry readings.
The bar itself is long, taking up the entirety of a wall. Tall chairs are scattered on the patron side, and behind the bar is a beautiful greenish glow. The glow comes from the shelving where the majority of the alcohol is stored. The nearby glass racks reflect the glow splendidly as well.


Dusk has yet to fall upon the city, since the days are growing longer and longer with Spring having begun. This means that Chloe has a bit of time between work and her evening rendezvous. A call has been placed as she made her way over. Now she will simply have to wait and see if Ivan will show. Rather than order an alcoholic beverage, the telepath has a glass of green juice of some sort, and a pretty little decorative umbrella. She can be found upon one of the purple couches, staring at the small stage which is bereft of a poet or small indie band.

It would be rude for Ivan not to show up, after all. Impossibly rude. And so, at the appointed hour, the man stalks into Absinthe with all the self-importance of someone who considers himself integral to safety of the public in this fine city. Which is exactly the way he sees himself. The people's champion, campaigning for human rights behind the scenes as supernatural chaos threatens security. A hero of sorts.

One scotch is ordered and paid for - precisely one drink, as a repeat of Saint Patrick's Day cannot occur - and he glances around the establishment, looking for the woman he had arranged to meet with. Once he finally spots Chloe, he allows a small, wry smile to appear on his features. Quick strides are taken towards her. "Hey there. It's good to see you sober."

"I'm generally sober," Chloe replies somewhat dryly. "Though I can't say the same for you. You nearly crippled my brother." There is a little bit of guilt. Just a little. Though she's doubtful Ivan will feel any of it. "But I'm not really here to discuss family issues." She knows little of what's going on, and she plans on keeping it that way. "I /do/ have information that you may find interesting however."

"I meant it's nice to see you while I'm sober," Ivan clarifies for her benefit, eventually making his way to the nearest seat with an idle swig of the alcohol. Indeed, Ivan feels no remorse, no guilt whatsoever. After all, he wasn't the one that asked Robert to try and show himself up to Scarlett in an attempt to impress her/get in her pants. "Your brother gave me a concussion. Willingly and spitefully. I would suggest not bringing him up, least this steers away from civilized conversation. I've let it go. It's time for everyone else to do so to." In fact, if Ivan never sees Robert again it will be too soon. "What sort of information?" Ivan inquires, his curiosity piqued.

His clarification earns him a chuckle. Chloe sips all cutely and daintily from her green juice momentarily. It's meant to look like absinthe without being absinthe. "I don't know the details of it, nor do I want to get involved in /any/ of that." She's still a bit irked that she doesn't get to plan a wedding. "Two different pieces of information that pertain to you in some way. The first is that there is a woman in town who has an extreme dislike for your family and believes that you are all a bunch of murderers."

"Good. Because I don't intend on getting involved in it either anymore. I wipe my hands clean of that entire situation. I don't want to hear about it, and I just don't care anymore." Ivan declares firmly, with perhaps a bit too vehement to be honest when he declares that he 'doesn't care'. Another swig is downed before his green eyes, piercing and intense, fix themselves onto Chloe. "Mhmm. Unfortunately, I've already had the mispleasure of hearing about her. I've yet to meet her, though. I can only hope she'll behave prudently and remember that we did not do anything yet. And that I had been here before she."

"I /did/ attempt to point that out, but while she talks a good talk, she believes your family is responsible for wiping hers out." Chloe shrugs lightly at that, not really caring to hold back at all. She's being pleasant. She's sharing information. "I just figured you should be prepared in case she loses her marbles and comes after you." Beat. "Not that she intends to, but better to be prepared than to have something completely off the wall happen to your family. Like your mother becoming a werewolf."

A glance is given about the room, but the bar is fairly empty at this time of night. "The other matter was Mr. Eberle."

Ivan lets out a snort of derisive amusement. "And some people believe Hitler was a prophet and a hero. I suppose it takes all kinds to keep the world turning. But, thank you, Chloe. I appreciate the heads up - genuinely. And I'll see to it that I do prepare for the worst, though I hope for the best. Hey…you wouldn't happen to the know the identity of this woman, would you? Or where she's about…anything of use, really?" But then, Dietrich. His expression darkens considerably, and Ivan purses his lips, nodding as he leans towards Chloe. "What about him?"

"Quinn Niveus. I believe she said… or perhaps I /heard/ that she was a professor up at the university." Chloe can't quite recall, and by then she was too busily trying to diffuse a potentially bad situation to care. "It would seem that not only is he some sort of vampiric witch, which I'm sure you already know, but he is /teaching/ another of the Niveus'." Her juice is sipped from again, slowly. "At least that was my understanding from the conversation."

Ivan nods with recognition as Chloe speaks, the name written down and filed away in the office that is Ivan's mind. His next sip is slow, deliberate as he tastes the timber of the alcohol. "Mhmm. Teaching one of them, is he? At this point in time, they're more dangerous than he is, I believe. But he's stirring up trouble where trouble need not be stirred. Do you…well, I'm not sure how much Mr. Grant shares with you, exactly. But do you know if he's dealt with Mr. Eberle's…talkative habits?"

"I believe there was a discussion." Though she was privy to what was said, she's not at all certain she understood it. Chloe exhales a bit of a sigh. "Do not underestimate Mr. Eberle either. He's not one that I trust much, and he likes to be overtly showy. Especially down at the park in harassing hapless coeds." Her hands cup her glass as she considers things. "I wouldn't normally have brought any of this to your attention, but it appeared to me as though Mr. Eberle had a bit of disdain for you. That, coupled with his teaching Samantha Niveus, and what I had learned from this Quinn person…"

Ivan lets out a low sigh, nodding his head slowly. As his fingers rise up, the man ends up running them through his curls cautiously. "Thank you again. I don't trust him either. He oversteps his boundaries, overplays his cards. And I'm afraid he's going to worsen relationships between the two species. If he continues to run his mouth to human and vampires alike, he will incite revolt, which will beget more violence of an escalating nature. It's a slippery slope from there."

At this moment, Ivan shuts himself up, staring at Chloe with a sort of weariness in his gaze. At this moment, Ivan looks older then he ought to look. "Hypothetically…what do you think I should do, Chloe?"

"In regards to Dietrich Eberle, or the Niveus'?" Chloe is well aware that Dietrich likes to shoot his mouth off. Talking to her about the Sheriff of vampires before he was aware she was close to the man was likely not the wisest of decisions. "I would just be wary of the Niveus', until you're certain they're not here to hurt you or your family. Otherwise, live and let live." She frowns a little. "As for the rest, if you have friends in the vampire community, seek their guidance. I don't really want to overstep my own boundaries, or cause issues in either direction. I'm in a /really/ precarious position now, Ivan. There are many that may take my word as law due to how close I am with Mr. Grant, and I'd hate for anyone /else/ to get hurt because of me. It's bad enough there's some crazed werewolf out there trying to eat my family and co-workers."

Ivan grows silent and rather broody, staring blankly to the floor. His expression becomes far off, almost dreamy in nature, and though it takes him a little while, he finally snaps out of his thoughts, lifting his eyes to meet with Chloe's. "Yeah," he grunts solemnly, lifting and then dropping a shoulder idly. "I guess. I can relate. Fearing for those you love…hoping that they're not going to get hurt thanks to you…"

"Right, and the best way to hurt /me/ is through my family." Which means that Chloe believes this is true for most anyone with siblings. She offers him a reassuring smile. "Whatever you do, Ivan, try not to hurt Will. He /is/ a good man. I really and truly believe that. I know you have your issues with vampires, and I know the majority of the reasons why, but not /all/ of them are evil, or mean to harm us." No matter what another telepath may think. "How /is/ Rose? Is her… her mind holding up?" Much as they could have been friends, Chloe has been purposefully avoiding Rose for fear that meeting up with her would undo them both.

Ivan purses his lips, letting out a snort of derision. "Appeal for me. Tell him not to hurt me, please. I'm the one gambling my life away. He's already dead." There is a pause during which the man plunks the glass down on the nearest surface and squirms uncomfortably in his seat. "I'd be lying if I said she was fine. Things keep testing her sanity. Vampires rape her, and show up after three years of having been pronounced dead. She doesn't know if I'm real anymore…" His voice is low, hollow. One sharp breath is taken in at this point in time. "But she's stronger then anyone gives her credit for. She gets better. I'm just…I'm just afraid that one day, she wont be able to fix herself."

"I'll talk to him, I just don't want to see him killed — yes, Ivan, /killed/, over some political brouhaha." Chloe offers a smile, setting down her unfinished juice. Both hands come up to her temples, rubbing them as though she's got a killer migraine. "If that happens, if she can't… call me. I won't promise a miracle, but I can try to walk her through things again. Help her remember. Maybe lock away pieces she wants to forget." She leaves out the part where the last time she helped she was nearly driven insane.

Ivan is remarkably intense in the way he stares at Chloe. If she's in a receptive mood, she'll notice the fact that his thoughts are projecting quite strongly at this point in time. She will feel the intense burden that he carries on his shoulders, the guilt, and responsibility, and soul-crushing accountability that he holds close to his heart. She will feel the hopelessness and loneliness of his journey, the less glamorous side of 'running' things and setting forward and acting on his good intentions. She will feel the hatred he has for certain troublemakers, and the fear that he works through everyday upon dealing with supernaturals. "I…I appreciate that, Chloe. I really do. I can't thank you enough - I really can't."

Chloe is never in a receptive mood. She tries her utmost to /not/ hear the thoughts of others. To live a normal life. However, this is not always the case. She's bombarded with the wave of emotion and thoughts, her eyes squeezing tightly shut. It's not as bad as Rose's mind, but it's definitely a close second. A time when she's reaching already for the medication she no longer carries with her. There is a deep breath taken, then another, and she plasters on a smile. It's as genuine and sincere as she can muster. "It's… no problem. Least I can do."

It's not that Ivan's trying to incapacitate her, or purposefully messing with her. But, to be frank, the man has many demons and many worries. After all, with great power comes great responsibility. He also doesn't realize how overwhelming a presence his mind can be to the psychic. "Mhmm. Well…is there anything else, Chloe? I don't…I don't know. I'm tempted to order another drink, but I doubt that's a good idea."

Closing her eyes again, she keeps that smile plastered on her face. When she opens her eyes she's staring at a clock on the far wall. "Not off the top of my head, but if I hear anything, I'll let you know." There /are/ other things that she's heard, but none which she can offer to him without betraying the trust of another. "You, ah… should go home. Have your drink there. You'll be far more relaxed, and less stressed out." The smile falters just a little. "I have to stop by my par— mother's place and get the mail. Check that everything's in order before heading out for the evening."

Ivan ends up nodding his head simply, and he makes his way to his feet then with solemn stoicism. The rest of the moment is highlighted only by his professionalism - a shake of her hand, before he disappears.

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