InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Do The Noodle Dance"

Nox Alekos (in_his_shadow) wrote in haunted_roads,
@ 2008-04-23 16:49:00

Entry tags:

justine, nox

Week Six: Thursday, March 13th
Who: Justine and Nox
When: Thursday evening
Where: Chroma

Another bitterly cold day by Nox's internal temperature. The wind was biting, but at least the rain had stopped, so that was something to be grateful for. Nox's mind definitely gravitated toward that whole glass half-full mentality. He constantly sought out the good in any given situation. And tonight, he could really use something good. Anything that got his mind off work and the other stress in his life was more than welcome. If that meant simply being appreciative for the lack of rain, so be it! Though, he hoped as he drove away from the station that he might be able to find something else to restore some balance in his head and heart.

It was too late in the evening to go to the aquarium, which was a real shame, because the fish and the darkness put him in an instant state of tranquility. Perhaps he should invest in a small tank for the apartment, then that state of peace would be on hand 24-7. That settled it, he was going to the pet store on Friday. Maybe he'd get a dog or a cat too. He'd heard that petting them helped soothe the soul.

Work had been exceptionally stressful for Nox lately, perhaps because he had more open cases than normal. An open case was a direct reflection on him. It meant he wasn't performing up to standards. Maybe he was a bit off lately, and that could probably be blamed on the shadow demon situation he felt was brewing. The man he'd met at the Towers wasn't someone Nox trusted. He was relatively sure the guy wasn't seeking out trouble, but that didn't mean trouble wouldn't follow him. And if the guy was going to be coming to the Towers from time to time, there was a chance his problems would come with him and end up involving Nox and Hesper. Very bad news.

As he drove home, loosening his tie while paused at a stop light, he looked up at the street signs, not really wanting to go home where he would inevitably just sit down with a beer and review all his open cases. His mind wasn't in a state fit for problem solving at the moment, so such work would be pointless. Again he wished the aquarium was open, or that he had tickets to a game, but none of the above were options. The light turned, but instead of turning to head toward the Towers, he went straight, not really sure why just yet, he was simply driving. A few blocks later, his eyes caught a familiar sight, and he realized what else might help improve his mood. Art.

Nox was a lover of classical art, particularly sculpture, but he could appreciate most other forms. Chroma usually had a diverse collection, and they served wine as well, something that definitely appealed to him at the moment. He parked his car and walked on in, seeing that the place had a decent gathering of people. Nox had met the owner several times, both here at the gallery and at the Towers where she was also a resident, but they weren't anything more than acquaintances. Still, he sought out the familiar face upon arriving. It would be nice to have a casual conversation that didn't revolve around autopsy results and murder weapons.

He strolled over to the bar first and got himself a glass of chianti, carrying it with him as he lazily surveyed the current collection. Despite the modern appearance of Nox's home, he couldn't say he was a big fan of much of the works, though there was a great range when it came to modern art. He enjoyed Matisse and Picasso, installations that used light and shapes to distort reality and mess with the senses, and he even found himself drawn to some found object pieces. But there were other things that seemed so very pretentious, as though the artist thought just because they were doing something weird and ugly that no one 'understood' that it had to be art. He wasn't one of those people who believed that anything could be art.

Nox paused in front of a painting he quite liked and stood there for a while to appreciate it, sipping casually from his glass, the only one he'd allow himself to have since he was driving.

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savageallure
2008-04-23 10:50 pm UTC (link)

She'd seen him when he'd entered, that somewhat familiar face she'd caught sight of a time or two before. Justine generally made it a habit to know those who frequented Chroma, though since Mikkos had turned up so unexpectedly, she'd made it her goal to know everyone who walked in and out of her establishment if only by face alone. She didn't want to be blindsided so completely ever again. In fact, tonight she'd gone so far as to take a shift tending the main bar just to ensure that she had a good idea of who exactly was making up her crowd tonight. It was only to greet those whom she knew by name that she stepped out from behind the impressive cherry bar.

Her outfit for the evening was casual enough: an ivory sweater dress with a moderate v-neckline and a single chained necklace around her slender throat. Her shoes were strappy sandals in gold, the hue perfectly matching the bracelets that tinkeled around her wrist. Her dark hair was loose for the evening, curling to frame a face of delicate features. As she drew closer, she watched him stop to examine a painting by a local artist, observing it....trying to take in it's greater meaning. The modern art installation was leaving the day after tomorrow - a task she was not looking forward to, but at least they would have a new show, a new look to enjoy for awhile.

"Good even, Officer Alekos," she greeted as she stepped up, seemingly at his side, "We're quite glad to see you tonight. Is there anything I can get you?"

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in_his_shadow
2008-04-23 11:05 pm UTC (link)

Nox had lost himself momentarily as he connected with the painting. He often found himself tuning out the world around him when listening to music in the privacy of his home, or perhaps when attending the symphony. But it was unusual for him to allow that disconnect in a place such as this. It had to of been a reflection on his odd mood of late, something he needed to shake, especially because of this odd reaction. It wasn't a good idea to lose your bearings, that caused you to miss important clues around you, signals that warned of trouble.

It was understandable then that he seemed somewhat startled when he was addressed by Justine. "Ah, Miss Baptiste. Forgive me, I didn't see or hear you approaching." He turned to offer her a smile and kept his attention on her instead of the art. It wasn't polite to ignore good company, and he had hoped to speak to her this evening.

At her offer, he raised his glass, "I have a drink already, but I wouldn't reject some conversation if that's on the menu as well. How are you?"

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savageallure
2008-04-24 03:34 am UTC (link)

"Justine, please," she corrected him with a warm smile when he addressed her by her full name. He was nearly a regular in Chroma, there was no need for such formality with her. A lady she most definitely was, but she found that she rather disliked the division that such titles brought into things. He was an officer of the law, a position that deserved respect and so she'd addressed him appropriately. Now, now things could settle into a more casual pattern. They'd spoken only a handful of times before, but she'd always found him to be a quite nice, interesting conversation partner. And really it was no surprise that he hadn't heard her approaching...vampire stealth and all of that.

"Conversation would be my pleasure," she gestured to a lounge not far from where he stood studying the painting, "would you like to have a seat?" The lounge was one of many that sat behind glass swinging doors, sealed off from the main activity and still very much a part of things. Justine stepped aside to pull open one of the doors for him, following Nox inside and taking a seat across from him. "I trust everyone's been of service tonight? That everything has been up to par?" Her regulars were of concern to Justine, she strove to ensure that they were constantly taken care of. Of course, her staff was impeccably trained, but it never hurt to double check.

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in_his_shadow
2008-04-24 05:17 pm UTC (link)

Nox's smile brightened and he nodded in acceptance, "Justine it is then... but only if you'll call me Nox in return. I hear 'officer' and 'detective' non-stop at work. It's good to leave the title at work and just be myself when I clock out." Not that he ever really did leave work. His career was one that required him to be on call at all times. Even now he had his cell phone and pager on vibrate, ready to respond if necessary. That was another reason for the one drink limit he generally kept for himself. While he was a demon, and as such didn't react as strongly to alcohol, he still played by the human rules regarding drinking and driving. It wasn't necessary, but it was a matter of principle with him.

Addressing others in a polite and formal way was another quirk of his. He and Justine were on a first name basis, but she was working at the moment, and so he felt it was only proper to greet her with a bit more sophistication. She was also such an elegant woman that it felt tailored to her personality. Refined and graceful were two words that probably entered most minds when they thought of Justine. Such qualities sometimes went hand in hand with arrogance, but not where Justine was concerned. She had an endearing sweetness about her. Nox often felt she could get away with a tiara. There was something quite regal about the way she carried herself and interacted with others. That kind of class was missing in today's society, though he assumed she'd not been born into the modern world, which would explain her throwback ways.

Nox was young, and he'd been born in Hell, but he somehow managed to fit nicely into refined society. He enjoyed art, classical music, adhered to high standards of etiquette, and was a firm believer in romance. It made him somewhat strange for a man of his age and race. But he seemed to fit in well when it came to keeping Justine company.

At her suggestion, he crossed to the lounge and took a seat, setting his wine glass down on a table intended for that very purpose. It was quieter in this location, making it easier to converse. "I only just arrived minutes ago, but yes, your employees are amazing as always. I should have you come to the station sometime to teach some of the men and women there the meaning of quality service. I think we're in such a rush to get things done... that we sometimes forget our manners in the process." It was true. They got in this very cold mindset where they addressed 'cases' instead of the people involved in those cases. It made it easier to deal with realities of such situations when you looked at the facts without emotions, but sometimes you left victims feeling ignored in the process. Sure, their problems were being handled, but it was all so clinical. Few officers took the time to ask if someone was ok, or if they'd like to talk to someone about what they had been through.

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savageallure
2008-04-25 01:46 pm UTC (link)

Justine offered up one of those trademark polite smiles of hers, nodding lightly in agreement, "Nox, then." Truly they knew one another just well enough to forgo the formalities if they so desired, but Justine still felt that his title was one that had earned such a greeting. It was likely that they'd have this situation every time they met in the future - utilizing such manners could be a hard habit to break. Though after an evening of "Ms. Baptiste this" and "Ms. Baptiste that," having someone who could address you as nearly anything else was a welcome change.

The pair relocated rather smoothly to the lounge off of the main hallway, the door slowly swinging closed behind them to seal them into the little glass-encased room. It was noticeably quieter inside, a definite improvement for any sort of conversation they intended to have. "Good," she nodded upon hearing that her staff had been accommodating as always, "it's a relief to hear that they continue to do their jobs." Not that she had truly been worried about it, the intense training that she put applicants through was made to ensure that only those who were truly capable made it to employee status. Of course, the idea of taking that training to the police station gave her cause to laugh lightly, "That might prove to be a rather interesting experience, trying to indicate the importance of customer service to your fellow officers."

She had settled into the seat opposite him, crossed one slim leg over the other as they talked. "I haven't seen you here lately, I take it things have been busy downtown?" Justine, like many of her supernaturally gifted neighbors, kept an ear to the ground, made sure to be as aware of what was taking place in town as they could. That wasn't what she intended to do with asking the question of Nox - chances were she already knew most of what he could tell her anyway - but it was necessary to make small talk to keep things moving. Besides, she'd spoken with Nox more than once and their conversations always seemed to be extremely pleasant and typically interesting - she hoped that that would be the case this evening as well. Good conversation always helped to pass the time.

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in_his_shadow
2008-04-27 02:23 am UTC (link)

Old habits died hard, and Nox was, if nothing else, a creature of habit. He liked his rules and procedures... especially where etiquette was concerned. It would likely be a long while before he could simply address Justine by her first name for initial greetings when she was in her place of business. But, he'd try since it seemed to be what she preferred. That was something else Nox strived to achieve: harmony. He didn't wish to upset others, and he'd avoid conflict when possible, or search for the most calm and rational way past it.

Nox chuckled lightly and nodded. It was amusing to think of his co-workers being put through some sort of customer service training. "It would be entertaining to watch, don't you think? Burly men, so set in their ways, having to go back to school to learn how to be polite. But, I think most of us become somewhat hardened with all we experience, and we sometimes need to remember it's our job to look after the well-being of people... not simply enforce laws. Laws don't have feelings. When they're broken, they don't bleed. It's the people that matter." And that was probably the one thing that often worried him. He saw a calloused attitude in some of his associates. They'd been trying to keep their emotions in check for so long, trying not to 'lose it' when they saw horrible things, that after a while... they didn't feel much of anything. He figured the same sort of thing happened in other professions as well.

"Busy, yes. Though, it's not so much new cases as it is old. I have more open files at the moment than normal." It made Nox nervous to have that many cases unsolved. "But, nothing extraordinary." His way of trying to assure her and others that they were as safe as possible, which he truly believed. No city was perfect, and crime seemed to be a necessary evil that existed in society, but he didn't feel people should lose sleep over it.

"What about here at Chroma? You have a lot of guests tonight, and I've heard good reviews of this exhibit. I believe I read that it leaves soon. Care to offer up insight into what will replace it?" Nox was a somewhat frequent visitor. He tried to see each new collection, but with his schedule he missed a few here and there. "You know how fond I am of classical sculpture... please tell me you'll have a collection of it in the near future."

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savageallure
2008-04-27 07:24 pm UTC (link)

Justine was the same - a creature of most definite habits. After all, her behavior over the past few centuries had only been altered in the most minute sense - just enough to help her blend in, not enough that she lost all of that etiquette completely. She supposed though that being born and then raised in a time when being a "lady" was stressed, when there was training for such a thing and manners were the most important thing one could posses, was a mindset that was rather hard to ever lose. Besides, Justine found that she often preferred old world things to new and so maybe her gracious attitude was a reflection of that. It was highly likely that they'd be forced to correct one another as to their greetings time and time again, though perhaps one of these times it might stick.

"I supposed, though, that that sort of disconnect is vital in a job like yours. I can't imagine seeing what you must day after day and not have that need to shut down a bit to handle things." And it seemed only natural that after a bit that would bleed into life in general. It was a sad realization surely and most of his co-workers probably didn't even realize it was happening. Then again, people became so jaded with the world anymore that such a thing really wasn't that odd to see.

"Well, it's good to hear that things are going well then." She wouldn't say great, given the open cases and that split-second flash of concern that seemed to show in his eyes, but everything else about Nox exuded confidence. Surely he'd be able to solve some of them, it was just a matter of getting people in Seattle to spill. It was a notoriously tight-lipped community it seemed, especially the supernatural members of it; that had to make things more difficult than they might normally be.

"Chroma is doing wonderfully," Justine nodded with a soft smile, "The new exhibit proved extremely popular, especially with a younger crowd we hadn't really drawn in before. In fact, it allowed me to set up a local show for next month, which should be rather interesting. Four artists from here in town have agreed to come and display their work." Of course there was a show before then and he seemed most interested in the content of that, "It's top secret, you know." She was kidding, of course, but half the fun of Chroma was never knowing what show came through next until the night it was unveiled.

But here, just this once, she'd break her usual silence, "The very next display will be a single artist. It's surrealist photography - the pictures are really quite beautiful. They arrived today to be hung tomorrow." She did in fact know his fondness for classic sculpture and while such shows proved hard to get sometimes, there tended to be one or two a year at Chroma. "I believe after the local show, we have a sculpture exhibit coming in and there are a few classical pieces within it." Justine was a fan of nearly any kind of art, so there tended to usual be a little something for everyone.

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in_his_shadow
2008-04-30 09:03 pm UTC (link)

Nox nodded in agreement, "Yes, I suppose it is. Sometimes we have to distance ourselves from the emotional aspect of a case and concentrate purely on the facts... the science." You couldn't think of a body as a 'life lost', but simply a mass of clues. It was hard to turn off your feelings at times, but definitely necessary, even more so in the more emotional cases, such as those involving children. "I've heard the same is true for those who work in medicine and journalism. The end result, sadly, is a perception that we're cold or unfeeling."

Looking through the glass that surrounded them, Nox could see a good many people still moving about, "Has the exhibit been this popular since it opened? Or are people just coming in because it's their last chance?" He could see it maybe starting slow, then drawing bigger and bigger crowds as word got out. "Always good to draw in younger visitors. I worry sometimes that there's almost too much out there to entertain the masses, and so the new generations don't get exposed to the arts. I heard another of the public schools had to do away with their art program. It's very sad." It concerned Nox that art and music and other skills of the soul were becoming somewhat obscure in the school system. Humans didn't seem to respect their, well, humanity. Even the art of handwriting had seen a decline in recent years.

"Surrealist photography..." he mused out loud, "I must say, I'm intrigued. I'll have to come see it. When is the opening?" He'd come if he was available. Nox enjoyed photography a great deal, so long as the work revealed something about its subject. Anyone could take a picture, but few could really capture a moment. "I'll definitely be in attendance for the sculpture exhibit."

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savageallure
2008-05-01 01:04 am UTC (link)

Justine nodded lightly, "It seems to be a little bit of both. There are more return visits lately, people returning to take a final look at a piece they particularly enjoyed or they've brought friends who haven't yet seen things. There are first time guests to this show, as well, of course. I haven't seen the numbers for tonight just yet, but I'm assuming they'll be high." The place had been packed all evening, after all - several of the lounges were already standing room only.

She was surprised to hear just how deep his love of the arts went, Justine was sure that not many would expect such things from a police officer. "The public arts are very much on a downwards trend in many places, though the private sector is doing better than ever. People seem to enjoy going through more individual means to see and obtain art." Museums were still popular, of course, but smaller galleries like Chroma seemed to be on the upswing.

"It opens this coming Monday - you really should come and see the pieces, they're quite interesting. You might be surprised by them, actually. Each one is so layered....it's astounding what the artist manages to accomplish through his manipulations. If you'd like, I could add your name to the guest list for the premiere night, that way you wouldn't have to worry over waiting in line." He could even bring a date, if he liked, make an evening of things. She was counting on the show being extremely successful - in fact, she reasoned that he'd truly enjoy what he saw, should he make it out.

She knew the sculpture show would draw his attention, he always made it out for such things. "I already added your name to the mailing list for that one," she admitted with a soft laugh, leaning back against the cushions of the sofa they'd seated themselves on. "I think you might really like some of the pieces in it, really."

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