InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "A week's like a long time."

Sascha Connolly, Ph.D. (bohemiarhapsody) wrote in nosuchplace,
@ 2009-05-19 18:27:00

Entry tags:

helen bonaparte, sascha connolly

Saturday: January 26, 2008
Who: Sascha and Helen
When: Early morning
Where: Mausoleum
What: Penny for your thoughts? (Meditation and some not-so-accidental mindreading)
Note: [Sorry for the repost, but it makes more sense here, anyway.]

Inhale, sloooooowly, then exhale. Clear the mind, become aware of your surroundings. And maybe, just as a pick-me-up...that's right, take a good, long drag.

Sascha closed his eyes in contentment as he did just that, sucking away at the cigarette perched between his lips as he prepared himself for some early morning meditation. His sessions with Theora had grown fewer and further between as his control had increased, but he'd surprised himself with the level of mental discipline he'd achieved in only a few short months. He wasn't as easily overwhelmed in the presence of crowds now, and he'd managed to rein in his unconscious tendency of projecting his own thoughts onto hapless victims.

Today's exercise was less about conditioning, though, and more about...well, he wasn't entirely sure. The recent Vice Council elections had left him restless and more than a little anxious, and what he desperately needed now was an outlet for all that nervous energy. He'd already been jogging with Sweeney and Brasco up and down the lakeside that morning, but that hadn't helped an ounce. Annoying Irei over breakfast AND sneaking in a quickie, check. What else, then, but meditation? Surely that would ease his mind at least a little.

Of all the places and settings he could have chosen for his meditation, he'd ended up at the mausoleum. And what other place would be quite so still and peaceful, honestly? His concentration had been spotty this morning, so when he heard the telltale patterpatter of footfalls as someone approached, he let his eyes remain closed while he focused on the person's mental energy. He hadn't made a habit of peeking into the minds of strangers before now, but would it really hurt? He could use something to take his mind off his own concerns, anyway.

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w00t!

tenaciousness
2009-05-20 09:46 am UTC (link)

Helen didn't know what possessed her to visit the Mausoleum. It could have been that she needed a place of solace in comparison to the library. Sure, the library was considered a place that was quiet and dedicated to those devoted to books. But on this day there was enough chatter to drive her nuts. She felt like a bitch that she didn't care about the opening of the Arts and Trade Enclave, but that just might have been due to the long travel to the location. Of course, she wasn't dumb enough to walk. Not that one was dumb to walk. She just travelled by horse.

She didn't find the Mausoleum a morbid place to relax. She admired the structure and it wasn't like she was disrespecting the dead in any way. It wasn't like they were going to tell her to go away anyway. She was a muse, not a medium.

Her nerves were still a little hyped up from her meeting with Devin. She wished instead of trying to be civil with the arrogant bastard that she punched him in the face. He was really running for Vice Council? God help the haven if he won. His ego was astounding.

She hadn't seen the man meditating and found her own place to relax. Perhaps this place would wash away her bitchiness before she went back to the library and told everyone it would be wonderful if they shut up and lived by the quiet rule the old ladies used to enforce via the libraries back home.

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bohemiarhapsody
2009-05-21 05:56 pm UTC (link)

Sascha blinked one eye open and scanned the area around him for the source of the irritated thoughts, more than a little amused. It seemed someone was certainly in a mood today, although he was smart enough not to voice that thought aloud. The woman- he was sure the stranger was female from the sound of her mental voice- didn't sound as though she was in a particularly happy frame of mind, and Sascha knew better than to mess with an agitated woman.

...or did he?

A devilish little grin began to curl the corners of his lips behind the wisps of cigarette smoke, and he shifted slowly to his feet to peek around one of the massive pillars. He could actually see her from this angle- well, the back of her head, at least. Apparently the woman hadn't realized he was there, a fact Sascha immediately decided to use to his advantage.

Awfully early to be having such a bad day, don't you think? He made sure to keep himself out of her potential line of sight, still watching her from his position behind the pillar but leaving enough room to duck out of the way should she turn her head. It was juvenile, yes, but since when had a little playfulness ever hurt anyone? Hopefully he'd only startle her rather than completely scare the shit out of her. It wouldn't be the first time he'd intruded on someone's thoughts without announcing himself first, but generally the other party realized that he was the one doing the talking. As far as this woman knew, she was alone.

She had nice hair, he thought a little absently. Very nice hair. Did that come off as stalkerish? Well...it wouldn't have been the first time for that, either.

*Indicates mindspeak

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internet=fail. I'm so sorry!

tenaciousness
2009-06-02 09:37 pm UTC (link)

Helen jumped a little when she heard a voice in her head. Great, now she was going to have to switch to decaf. She smiled and almost laughed at her own joke because she was certain that no one else was going to. She glanced around and rubbed her shoulders. What? Was she actually going to believe that the dead were perhaps pestering her head a little? Come on now, she wasn't that gullible. But she was curious as to what the hell was going on.

She canvassed the premise carefully, her hands touching the walls carefully almost as if the walls could be a culprit. The muse almost felt goosebumps grow on her fingertips.

"A bad day can start the moment you open your eyes in the morning." She stated calmly, stating that whomever was messing around with her hadn't spooked her entirely.

What was going on? Boy, if someone walked in on her right now, she was going to look insane. Though of course maybe she was just one of those people who favored the dead as company.

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No worries. I understand that one, believe me. >.<

bohemiarhapsody
2009-06-06 02:43 am UTC (link)

Decaf, hah! An amused grin tugged at Sascha's lips when he heard the thought that passed almost absently through the woman's mind. It appeared that in choosing the mausoleum for his meditative session, he'd unintentionally set up a perfect trap for the unsuspecting victim of his little prank; now she actually seemed to be considering the possibility of the dead talking to her. Not that it was a very outlandish idea anymore, especially not in Elysium. Hell, he lived with a necromancer.

Maybe you should have stayed in bed a little longer then, Miss, Sascha mindspoke, the playful smirk on his face practically palpable through his words. Although beauty sleep seems to work wonders for you. If this is what your bad day looks like, I'd kill to see you at your best.

As soon as the woman began to explore the surrounding area, Sascha was on the move, slinking from one pillar to the next and making sure to stay out of sight. Somehow this introduction had morphed into a strange version of hide-and-seek, and he wasn't too keen on giving up the chase- or rather, letting her give up the chase, since he was apparently "it." The morning was definitely taking an interesting turn, and he was hardly going to complain about sharing the space with such beautiful company. She seemed curious and willing to play along with him, so Sascha decided to run with it.

You're getting colder, he thought with a chuckle as her explorations started to lead her in the opposite direction. No harm in giving her a few clues, right?

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>< internet fail team? FTW!

tenaciousness
2009-06-11 01:44 pm UTC (link)

Ohhhhh. I see. I have a mind reader playing a little game. I have a little game for you. She stopped in her tracks and looked around while she set her hands on her hips. It's called when I find you, I am going to kick your ass all over this place She felt slightly..well crazy trying to channel her thoughts towards whomever was trying to speak to her, but clearly he was trying to play a game. Helen was up for it. She would rather get slightly pissed off by a childish game then go back to the library. It was on.

The muse stepped carefully around the mausoleum and when she thought she found the man, she turned suddenly "AH-HA!" Nope, he wasn't there. Damnit. This hide and seek game was more difficult than she thought.

Call me sad, but I like to watch the sunrise. And if you saw me on my worst day, I would have found you already and you would be a mop right now. She did like the sunrise, but then she went back to bed. It was a mistake to stay up today. Now she was playing Marco Polo with a mystery man.

Such a small place was proving to be a residence of difficulty. It wasn't that small, but for a game of hide and seek the stranger was doing brilliantly.

Colder, huh?

She moved in the opposite direction and pretended not to be searching for him anymore. Through the shielding of her hair, she was still being very watchful.

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bohemiarhapsody
2009-06-18 05:58 pm UTC (link)

Sascha couldn't help but feel a little giddy at their game, and he knew that the woman was probably equally amused or she'd have left long ago. I believe you could, too. But, really now...that wouldn't be half as much fun as all this, would it? Ooh, her threats sounded vaguely intimidating. He liked that.

Occasionally Sascha would poke his head around a pillar to help gauge the distance between them and keep track of the woman; so far she hadn't managed to catch him in the act. There was something familiar about her features, something he couldn't quite put his finger on...and he really felt as though he should.

I know I've seen you before, he intoned mentally, ducking out of sight again as she made an about-face and headed back in his direction. At this point, he'd made it crystal clear that even though she had yet to see his face, he'd definitely seen hers. But I can't for the life of me remember where...maybe you should give me a clue.

Sascha could hear the sound of her shoes against the slick granite flooring and knew that she was quickly approaching, and he extended his hand beyond the pillar and wiggled his fingers at her in greeting. Hopefully she was only a playful sort of angry and wouldn't resort to breaking his fingers. Need a little help?

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tenaciousness
2009-06-23 11:16 am UTC (link)

"You work at the library don't you?" She figured, screw it. She may as well talk out loud. His voice should have rung a bell a while ago. There were people at the library who kind of just were quiet and helped out and there were indeed a few teachers. But she remembered someone who stuck out. "Do you have a dog? You bring it sometimes?" She questioned before she continued to look for the culprit that she pretty much knew already. "Your name is only escaping me because I am trying to find you. That and there has been an onrush of employees lately." She stated before she saw a set of fingers.

"Man. I really suck at this game." She wouldn't hurt him, especially now that she was amused.

She slowly maneuvered her body so she was peeking enough to see him. "Gotcha." Finally, when she saw his face, the name rung a bell. "You're Sascha, aren't you? You work at the library. You have a cute dog, right? I don't know her or his name but I know I have seen it around.

Good thing she wasn't thinking about all too private matters. Though she was silently searching for something that might make him blush or feel uncomfortable. Somehow, she doubted he was the type.

"What are you even doing here anyway? It's..kind of gloomy here isn't it?" She was one to talk, but she caught him on that subject matter first.

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bohemiarhapsody
2009-07-16 02:53 am UTC (link)

Sascha was certainly glad to see that the woman was more entertained than enraged by his behavior, and he nodded when she addressed him by name. "Sascha Connolly, certified telepath at your service." He reached out for the woman's hand, fully intent on dropping a kiss of greeting to her knuckles while discreetly looking over her features. So she knew him from the library, did she? He knew he'd seen her before, he just knew it.

"That explains things, doesn't it?" he said with a wink and his most charming smile. "I thought I recognized your face, but I've never been smart enough to ask for your name, Miss...?" No, he may not have known her name, but he'd definitely overheard a few of her interactions with library patrons- particularly the male ones- that left little doubt as to exactly how outspoken she was...and, obviously, how little crap she took from strangers.

"Miss Sweeney would be thrilled to know you think so much of her. She's at home today, but I'll bring her with me next week so the two of you can be properly introduced." He brushed a few stray bangs from his eyes and adjusted his collar, pulling it tighter to ward off the cold air biting at his skin. "I've always thought the resting places of the dead were peaceful places. I can think here, meditate. That's what I was doing, anyway...until you showed up."

He paused for a beat to see how she'd respond, a mischievous smile curling the corner of his lips at the thought of her making him blush. If that was what she really wanted, she had an awfully big job cut out for her; Sascha was never one to shy away from interesting conversations. It's your move, milady.

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