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

[collector]

It's character-building.

[brandyhabit.livejournal.com]

Is that what it is then?

[she scoots closer again so they're sitting shoulder to shoulder. She rests her arm on his shoulder, and her chin on her arm, smiling at him innocently]

And you're entirely sure you're not a masochist, Irving?

[collector]

[...]

[Braxiatel loses some of the colour on his face. Considering that he's an unemotional person who generally comes off as sepulchre white, that is very white indeed.]

But you, of course, have more than enough character already.

[Calmly, he attempts to detach Benny from him.]

[brandyhabit.livejournal.com]

[this only makes Benny's smile grow. She leans in closer, that arm resting on his shoulder now snaking around his back to rest on the shoulder furthest from her. Her free hand goes to the shoulder nearest her, toying with his collar as she smiles 'innocently' up at him]

[this is too fun, and total revenge for everything]

Oh, I don't know. I think everyone could always use some more character. Wouldn't you agree, Irving?

[collector]

[SEE THE SNAKE IN THIS ICON? THIS SNAKE IS BENNY. AND BRAX HATES HER.]

No.

[His mathematical mind is trying to calculate a safe and honourable escape. The probability of him sacrificing 'honourable' for 'safe' is directly correlated to time, and time is steadily increasing.]

[brandyhabit.livejournal.com]

[It's okay Brax, because Benny loves you ;D~]

[She bites her lip so she doesn't laugh, her fingers tracing along his collar, back and forth]

I think that's fear talking. Of course, I'm sure from your extensive readings, you're fully aware of the best way to deal with fear. [she leans in closer, so she can whisper in his ear] Aren't you, Irving?

[collector]

[Brax gets to his feet, freeing himself from BERNICE'S HORRIBLE GRASP. Because she is ten times more malicious than he is!]

[Also, he is straightening out his collar.] Why, Professor Summerfield, of course I know. You fight back.

[There is a dangerous gleam in his eyes...]

[And then he remembers that Narvin is on the Collection. Brax can't get into a sexual harassment war when Narvin is on the Collection. How annoying. The dangerous gleam is replaced by irritation.]

[brandyhabit.livejournal.com]

[she looks up at him, waiting for retaliation, but when she sees the dangerous gleams replaced by irritation, her smile returns in all it's cheshire cat glory, and her eyes have a gleam that rival Brax's.]

Absolutely. Although, I can't help noticing...

[she stands up, circling her prey, before she finds herself right behind him, hands on his shoulders, as she begins to knead and rub. She leans in, her mouth mere centimeters from his ear]

...you look extraordinarily tense, Irving.

[she backs away from his ear, her hands moving from his shoulders, to his shoulder blades and closer and closer to the back of his neck]

You really need to learn to relax.

[collector]

[In Braxiatel's life, due to the involvement of Beings From The Dawn of Gallifreyan Politics that shall not be here named, the concepts of hope and fear - elpis, expectation for the future - have taken a high priority. In a sense, you could write his story as a battle between the two, a combat of optimism of pessimism, a war to give ultimate triumph to hope as fear undercuts those plans. They are relevant subjects for a man whose eyes rest on the future, who is always planning and manipulating for that eventually time. Hope and fear, the twin evils.]

[In this case, terror is taking the crescendo as hope of a dignified escape withers and decays.]

[Benny is a MONSTER.]

[Braxiatel talks his muscles into relaxing, because it's hard to pull of 'completely not bothered' when someone can feel otherwise. And, in fact, Brax is working very hard to pull this off. He gives more control to his anterior cingulate cortex and forces his amygdala to calm down, decreasing cortisol production from his adrenal glands. Less glucose, less preparedness for fight-or-flight, and, slowly, all the physical signs of fear vanish as the chemical stimuli return to their regular levels. The mental effort of manipulating his brain also has a soothing effort on Brax, as there is nothing like control to make him feel safer.]

[Of course, that he has to go through all this text to counter Benny is proof enough that she has the upper hand. But this troubles Brax not! It has been quite a long time since he has a proper massage. He shall have to thank Benny for this.]

[Indeed, he shall. She may not be able to see his smile, but surely she can hear it.]

That's very kind of you, Bernice. Thank you. Though it must be something of a strain on you to have to reach up like this.

[brandyhabit.livejournal.com]

[Her smile turns into a frown as she feels him relax under her fingertips. She bites her lip, determination written all over her features, and then falls back into a smile that she's sure Brax can hear as well even though he can't see. She leans up on tip toes so she can wrap her arms around his neck, her fingers toying with the top few buttons of his shirt.]

The strain is something awful. We could always go to the onsen. A dip in one of the baths would ease all that tension you must have left over, and it would involve slightly less reaching on my part.

[her voice gets lower as she goes from standing on her tiptoes to being flat on her feet, arms still around his neck though as she talks against the back of his neck]

Win-win, wouldn't you say, Irving?

[collector]

[Brax will not react!! He is using the Gallifreyan gift for control to be very calm and very relaxed. His smile is as smooth and easy as Jason Kane things that are not being disturbed by people deliberately trying to disturb them.]

Really? If you like. Did I ever mention that charming week I spent with Murasaki Shikibu in the hot springs of Mount Hiei? Of course, as women weren't allowed there, we had to sneak her in.

[brandyhabit.livejournal.com]

[and Benny's smile still stays disturbingly innocent in a way that's clearly not innocent]

No, you'll have to tell me all about it. I'm sure you two got up to all kinds of trouble, didn't you?

[she can just wait til she gets home to be sick from whatever mental image Brax paints of his time in the hot springs with Murasaki Shikibu]

Maybe you can teach me a thing or two.

[collector]

I would never pass up a chance at furthering a dear friend's education.

[brandyhabit.livejournal.com]

Aren't I a lucky girl? [she snakes her arm around his arm, standing practically hip to hip with him] Shall we, darling?

[collector]

It is my honour, Shsurr.

[And he picks up his tea because he is just that must not bothered.]

[brandyhabit.livejournal.com]

[she was expecting that eventually, but she still can't help but straighten up just a bit. She swallows and hopes she didn't blush. She smiles again]

[She speaks in her best Old High Martian] The honour is all mine. [she gives him a teasing smile, before she unwraps herself from him and walks ahead, turning around to face him, still speaking Old High Martian] Do try to keep up if you can. [and then she turns around and heads for the onsen]

[collector]

[Brax is able to keep pace easily, without anything that even looks like effort]

[brandyhabit.livejournal.com]

[as they walk she keeps looking at him. Finally she gently elbows him.] It's good you're back. [she looks down, biting her lip, and then puts on a smile when she looks back at him] Because I have expense reports I need you to sign off on, and Ms. Jones is refusing to approve them until they have your signature. You know how she is.

[she bounces on her toes before she speeds up her pace] You should have just admitted defeat back there. I will win, you know.

[collector]

I'm glad to be back. [And, keeping pace with her, he easily smiles. Because he is no good at comforting pats on the shoulder, so a smile is much easier to help him say what he wants to.] Is she? Good on her. That's how it should be done. Or my Head of Departments will rob me blind.

[His smile becomes a grin] Irving Braxiatel does not lose.

[brandyhabit.livejournal.com]

I feel I should be offended. But I'm not, so!

[she rolls her eyes and gives Brax the comforting pat on the shoulder he fails at giving] Of course you don't, honey.

[collector]

[Brax knows what sort of pat that was. He stops, then, catches Benny's arm and turns her around. Then he lifts his eyebrows.]

Are we really going to go to a hot springs out of spite for each other?

[brandyhabit.livejournal.com]

[she's startled by that and jumps, but finds her balance quickly, smiling at Brax and lifting her eyebrows in turn]

If you don't want to go, just say the word.

[collector]

I'm not religious.

[Sorry, he couldn't resist]

[brandyhabit.livejournal.com]

[Oh, Brax. He should be ashamed.]

Are you quite sure about that? I heard rumours once that you were a Cardinal in a previous life.

[collector]

Trust me, Bernice: it was a faithless job.