Serenade for String Orchestra in E Major

[collector]

[Braxiatel walks through the rain with an umbrella in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. He is taking more care in keeping the rain out of his tea than he is in keeping it away from his clothes, and for a moment he even sticks his head out from under his umbrella to look up at the clouds. When he speaks, he is speaking to himself, his voice like smoothed glass.]

That's an awful lot of oil going to waste. And in such a way. [His smile is made of irony, and he looks down at the stars still under their feet despite the rain.] How the old symbols are reformed.

[With the skill of the absurdly well-balanced, he switches his cup to the hand holding the umbrella, opens the library door, and steps inside.]

[After a moment, he pops his head back out again.]

Oh, one thing: have there been any odd deaths lately? I'd be interested to know.

[Then it's back in out of the rain.]

Comments

[oliverplus]

[thinks about that] He must've been the snippy sour one, I take it? [in their short conversation, Narvin never did get around to giving his name]

[a couple years ago, Oliver would have been that idealist, but not anymore] It doesn't mean there aren't still a lot more people out there who don't feel that way--who know you can't represent a whole race like that. But I get why you'd be worried. If I do get out there, your secret's safe with me.

[collector]

I'd have said 'supercilious, smug, and irritating,' but that works, too.

[Brax smiles quietly] Thank you, Oliver. That discretion means a great deal to me.

[oliverplus]

Guess I don't know him well enough yet.

[smiles back, glad to be of service] No problem! But I guess I should keep calling you Irving, in that case.

Hey, am I keeping you from something here? [thinking of their earlier conversation] Were you wanting to look up a rain reference?

[collector]

He's not an acquaintance I'd advise you to make.

[He's surprised by that, but he smiles.] Not at all, Oliver. I merely prefer the library to any other building in here. It's the dusty old professor in me.

[oliverplus]

Why not? [that makes Narvin sound like he's worse than just irritating]

Oh, yeah. Hey, that doesn't make you dusty and old! It's more of a history thing. [he might just be a little defensive there]

[collector]

[Brax considers this for a moment.] Let's just say that Narvin and I disagree on almost every issue of any significance in politics and ethics. He is very suited to his job.

[It is, Brax feels, one of the most diplomatic ways of calling Narvin a xenophobic, ultraconservative, weasely, smarmy, smug, slimy, irritating, obnoxious, back-stabbing bastard with no regard for non-Gallifreyan life and little appreciation for the outside universe.]

[With a smile] I could say 'wizened and dignified' instead, if you like.

[oliverplus]

Oh, got it. [curiously] What job's that?

[with mock offence] Hey, neither of us are wizened here!

[collector]

Coordinator of the Celestial Intervention Agency. Or, to make it very clear to any English-speaker from the 21st century: head of our CIA.

[mildly] No? Then you haven't noticed that you've begun to shrink.

[oliverplus]

[incredulous and amused] Wait, yours is the CIA, too? Like in America?

I... [you sound much too serious. he glances down, though it's really more of a "what's the Plane done this time?" glance than anything] Hey, that's not funny! I have not!

[collector]

It translates that way in English, yes.

[Centuries and centuries of training himself to be a good politician, and he uses it to tease young humans. He keeps a straight face.] Yes, I was worried you wouldn't be able to tell. It's a matter of perspective.

[oliverplus]

How did that happen?

[okay, you're making him nervous] Who's perspective? I'm not shrinking!

[collector]

It's either cosmic coincidence or conspiracy. I'll leave the decision up to you.

You didn't much notice when you were growing up, did you? Why would you notice when you're growing down? [He'll stop soon. Promise. Really.]

[oliverplus]

[shakes his head, still amused. both sound equally plausible to him by now]

Well, I... But that'd be different! I mean, I wouldn't be able to reach things, and--you can't seriously mean that rain is making us shrink!?

[collector]

Oh, no, I think it's just you.

[oliverplus]

[with heavy dread] ...an experiment?

[collector]

A side-effect, perhaps.

[oliverplus]

Side effect of what?

[collector]

[Braxiatel finally smiles] Of believing old politicians too readily.

[oliverplus]

[just...gapes at him for a long moment]

You...hey! That's not funny! [pouts] It could've been true, and you made it too hard to tell. [he means that in more ways than one. he's actually starting to get used to having a sense of the feelings of people he's talking to. it's been a while since someone has successfully pulled something like this on him, and he's very pouty about it]

[collector]

[The amusement is written all over his face.] I'm afraid this is one of the downsides to the job that Benny forgot to bring up.

[oliverplus]

What, that you're impossible to read, or that you're just plain impossible sometimes?

[collector]

Oh, very good. You'd fit in quite well.

[oliverplus]

[gapes--then shakes his head, chuckling]

I really believed you, you know!

[collector]

I know. That's why I had to stop.

[oliverplus]

Well...at least I count on you for that.