Radek Jeppersen (radek_janovsky) wrote in birthrightrpg, @ 2020-08-27 13:30:00 |
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Entry tags: | brianna winters, radek jeppersen, ~jake mackenzie |
Radek & Jake have dinner
TBCWho: Jake & Radek
What: Catching up
When: Tonight
Where: Brasserie le Breeze
Ratings G
Radek was enjoying the music being played by the band that evening, the swinging 60s, which encouraged a number of couples up onto the dance floor. He wasn’t sure what it was about the music of that era, but it had people of all ages up and dancing even this early in the evening. He recalled being in London, working in the Emergency Department of University College Hospital, and the buzz that took over the glum post-war streets. From the Beatles to the Kinks, and The Who music became an expression of new found freedom, and spoke of the anti-nuclear movement, and protesting. Even in the Emergency Department it was hard to miss the skirt hems rising and the colours used by fashion designers with an almost manic wild abandon.
He was a little lost on his musically triggered walk down memory lane when a waiter appeared with his drink. “Thank you,” Radek said, blinking owlishly as he came back to the real world. He took a sip of the gimlet, savouring the combination of the new gin being produced by the microbrewery, and lime, nodding to himself.
The popular music of the 1960s was some of Jake's favorites from the last century. Like Jazz in the 20s it had been the music of youth, made possible by new technologies and experimentation. Every song was a memory: some happy, some sad, but always unforgettable.
He'd been running late thanks to a showing that'd gone long. The client had decided to inspect every book and cranny and ask every possible question (and a few that had never occurred to him before) so it had lasted considerably longer than he'd anticipated.
The band was killing it this evening and he nodded in appreciation as he approached the table. "Apologies for being late, but I'm sure the music has kept you from caring.". He had sent Radek a text letting him know he was running late. Modern communications technology was a beautiful thing.
His hat went on the chair by his side as he slid into the seat across the table from his old friend.
“It has taken me on a quite a pleasant journey back to London, yes,” Radek replied, smiling at Jake. “Times when money was short, but the skirts became shorter,” he added with a twitch of the eyebrow.
“Bless modern fashion.” Jake agreed, a wry grin flashing across his face. Women showed far more skin in public in everyday life than they had when both he and Radek had come of age. Of course the men did too, but that had never particularly interested him.
“Ahh, thanks darlin’.” He smiled at the waitress who was already setting his drink in front of him. Come to an establishment often enough and they didn’t need to be told what he wanted.
Radek lifted his glass to Jake for a toast. “To all the girls who follow the fashions,” he said, then lifted his chin a little as he glanced across to where Brianna had entered the room, “and to those who lead the way and set them!”
Brianna saw the two immortals seated near the windows and smiled, acknowledging them but unable to hear what they were saying, before turning her attention to the guests at the table where she was standing. She was dressed in a floor length red cheongsam, with gold trim and a hand-embroidered dragon. The body was flowing down her back with the head draped over the shoulder.
“She’s a beauty all right, and has the brains to go with the looks.” Jake didn’t bother hiding his appreciation for the young woman. His brain might have hundreds of years of experience, but that brain and the body it inhabited were eternally in their twenties, physically speaking. It had its advantages and its disadvantages, but thankfully he hadn’t been locked into immortality cursed to be forever in his teens.
Brianna was a beautiful woman, but she’d never have gotten to where she was so young with her looks. Managing an establishment this size and not even had her twenty fifth birthday yet was truly an accomplishment.
With that he put the young woman out of his head for now and focused on his friend. “So have you had to fill in for anyone lately or have all the doctors in the area been busy little worker bees?”
Radek noted Jake’s appreciation of the young manager almost as a proud uncle. He took another sip of his drink and nodded lightly. “The hospital has called a few times, their emergency department has been going through an unusually high turnover of staff, both medical and administration, so I have been required to step in from time to time to help out,” he replied.
“And how’s real estate moving along? Any properties I should be taking note of?” He had a sizeable land investment portfolio thanks to Jake’s advice. His current home at the end of Dragon Ridge Drive did not even show on Google Maps, something he was pleased about. He’d picked up the block of land for a song and had his home built, to his own specifications, which had the builder asking some odd, but understandable questions about the ‘pool house’ and if it really did need that much power, water and drainage installed. He had managed to convince the man it did, and wasn’t a mistake by the architect.
“Not right now.” Jake shook his head. “The market’s red hot right now, people with more money than brains tossing it about like confetti.” It was a good time to be in real estate sales but that didn’t mean he was going to cheat his friend. “For our time frames it doesn’t really matter but there’s no sense spending more than you have to.” He couldn’t help frugality, it had been bred into him by growing up in the Highlands and being the younger son to boot. “If you’re willing to buy and hold there’s land for sale that might have a developer drooling over it in a decade or so, baring a bad recession setting things back of course.” He’d been eyeing it himself, land speculation was something he’d done all the way back to before the treaty line of 1763.
“Send me the details and I’ll take a look,” Radek replied. It made a difference in decision making, and why the immortals he knew never bothered with the advice of financial advisers who were not one of them. Long term held such a different meaning when it was referring to centuries.
“Where abouts is it?”
Jake gave the address over. “I’ll take you out there next week so you can see for yourself. It isn’t officially on the market yet but I know the seller.” He made a point to go to a variety of functions and developed a wide range of contacts as a result, keeping his finger on the pulse of the real estate market. It always served him well, and this was no exception. The rancher was looking to retire and his kids weren’t interested in following the family tradition, so the property would go up for sale.
He was about to say more when he spotted Brianna gliding their way and his attention was diverted by the fine figure she presented in that form fitting cheongsam. “Don't look now but the manager is gracing us with her lovely presence.” Jake had toyed with the idea of making a play for her more than once and each time decided against it. He was not interested in drawing the wrath of her employer down on his head if things went south. Though for a woman like her it might just be worth the risk, even if she was probably far too wise to entertain such an offer.
“Ahh, the talented and lovely Brianna.” Just for the fun of it he always let his natural accent come out when she was around and there was little chance of anyone not in the know overhearing. “How’s business this evening?” Given how busy the dining room and dance floor seemed to be it was a superfluous question but it broke the ice.
“Gentlemen, it’s lovely to see you both here tonight!” Brianna replied smoothly, a hand resting on Radek’s shoulder for a brief moment, a reinforcement of the thanks she’d given him earlier on the phone for his support at the strange meeting they’d attended. She smiled at Jake, enjoying the Scottish brogue he sometimes allowed himself to use. “Business is running smoothly,” she continued, eyes scanning the room briefly before returning to the two men. “How have things been for you lately, Jake? It’s been a little while since we’ve seen you. Have you been out of town?”
“Excellent. I’m delighted tae hear it.” Jake smiled, genuinely pleased to hear everything as still going well for her and the Breeze. An eyebrow raised at the hand on Radek’s shoulder and he wondered what that was about, but he supposed he’d find out in good time. If there was anything to find out. “My compliments to the band this evening, they’re outdoing themselves with the music. Some of those songs are not easy to get right.”
“As for me? I was called away on some business matters out of state, yes. I’m glad to be back, I missed coming to the Breeze.” Among other places, but it was still a staple in his routine. The lovely scenery certainly didn’t hurt!
“Well we’re glad you’ve returned,” she told him with a genuine smile. “I know Radek misses your company at dinner, and I can assure you I enjoy it when I see you both!” She glanced down at the menus on the table. “Have you placed your orders yet?”
“Radek’s always been good company.” Jake agreed easily. “We haven’t caught up on what he’s been up to while I’ve been gone but I’m sure he’ll have interesting stories to tell.” Radek would always have some tale or another, either a medical situation or some scientific curiosity he’d learned about if nothing else. “And I always enjoy coming back here. The staff, including the manager, are always a pleasure to interact with.” Yes he was laying it on a bit thick but it was all in good fun.
Radek rolled his eyes at Jake’s teasing, Brianna just giving a soft laugh and light shake of her head as he continued.
“Not yet, I haven’t had the opportunity.” He looked up at her and grinned. “I place myself in your capable hands, what would you recommend this evening?”
“Well Chef has secured some fine salmon, shipped overnight from Alaska, and of course his lemon and white wine jus is just the right balance of flavour to enhance it,” she answered, looking from Jake to Radek.
Radek closed his eyes and nodded with joy clearly written on his face. “That would be perfect, my dear, and the wine selection be made by your fine sommelier, plus of course my usual dessert,” he added.
“Ah, but of course, Chef always makes sure there is creme brulee ready when you are here,” she told Radek, looking then at Jake.
A nod. "I agree. Salmon does sound good this evening, and I know Chef will do his best. As for dessert..." He pondered a moment. "A slice of triple chocolate cake will be just the thing to finish off with."
“I will see to it for you now,” she replied, giving the two immortals a nod and excusing herself. She made her way across to the main entrance where a newly arrived party was in heavy discussion with the maitre de, pausing to give the order for Jake and Radek to a passing waiter..
“She is certainly a fine figure of a young woman,” Radek noted as he looked over his shoulder, watching her walk away and turned back, noticing Jake’s eyes were also following their hostess.
"She is at that." Jake nodded and took a sip of his whiskey. He was immortal, not dead. "Inside and out. Whoever wins her will be lucky indeed, assuming they meet with her employer's approval."
"So." He turned his attention away from the young manager and back towards his contemporary. "What have you been up to while I was away? Anything interesting?"
“Yes, yes! I’ve actually started on a new line of research,” Radek told Jake, pleased to be able to discuss some of the finer points of his discoveries with someone he didn’t have to watch carefully what he was saying. “There was an incident, just recently, in that small town of Searchlight, down the 95, in which it appears a number of individuals became possessed, one of whom actually attacked me with a knife, and was then in turn set upon by a young woman, a were, who would be the last person you’d expect to do so. Or at least when I had the opportunity to observe her later, I couldn’t picture it. Pretty young lady, a yoga instructor. And both women were beyond mortified when they realised what had happened. Which fortunately a young magic user, James, was able to help put a stop to with a spell…” He paused for a moment, recalling it wasn’t just a simple spell, it was in fact, “...a blood spell, for which he used my blood which was convenient at the time, you know, after the stabbing.” He finished with a wave of his hand, brushing aside the inconsequential matter of his stabbing.
“Hmm.” That was mildly concerning. He didn’t have talent for magic himself, but he’d known magic users before. They were more common in his younger days than now, people were more willing to believe in magic back then compared to the scientific order now. “And whatever it was that did the possessing is gone?” Blood magic was powerful, dangerous stuff. “Is this James sure it isn’t coming back?”
Radek being stabbed was concerning as well. That meant people had seen him recover. But if a were and a magic user were involved they both had reasons to keep quiet, so perhaps not as concerning as it would otherwise be.
“It appears so, yes, or at least there have been no further reports of unusual deaths or attacks since then,” Radek confirmed. “I have now a … notification set up, to tell me of any deaths or violence in the greater Clark County area,” he continued. “And I recently had the opportunity to meet a group of people, some of whom have some experience in some of these events, and some knowledge of sources for more reports, so I am beginning the process of collecting it all to see what it shows.” Radek had always loved having a project, his joy in the work of emergency medicine was always that each case that presented was in itself a project of its own, and one that had an outcome, though not always the outcome most wanted.
“It is all coming after I found some very interesting evidence, out at the canyons, in the areas beyond where the usual tourists traipse through those public areas. Each time I have ridden out there I have discovered new locations and in some of those yielded some very informative items!”
Jake had spent a few years as an archeologist and had to stomp on an impulse to criticize his friend for casually 'finding' items. It wasn't like modern scholars would accept such things being real, they had a hard enough time accepting theories about regular finds outside of conventional wisdom. They were probably better off keeping it hidden, given what sort of ‘informative items’ Radek had probably found.
“So what are you going to do with all this information? Put a puzzle together?” While having the same sort of classical university education as his friend, Radek was much more of an intellectual than he was. What the end goal was something he wasn’t sure he understood.
Radek almost wriggled in his seat as his enthusiasm for the project bubbled up. "Well this is part of the mystery! It's like a puzzle that has no picture, no straight edges, and is printed on both sides of the pieces but offset by 90 degrees!" His hands moved in front of him as he identified some of the information he had already gathered. "Plus I have been put in touch with a local FBI agent who will help by providing access to any files that can be identified as 'odd’ in some way." He gave Jake a quick wink and added, "Booth put me in touch with her, and he said he's probably looking at moving on soon, just in case you had anything you needed him to manage." Their mutual friend and fellow immortal had helped in a number of matters, including scrub their identities from various locations when the need arose.
“I’ve everything set up for the next two identities, but I appreciate the notice.” Having a new identity ready to go at a moment’s notice was something he was paranoid about, he’d had a few close calls in the last century and with society becoming ever more dependent on identification and electronic communication it was more important than ever to be ready.
He couldn’t help but shake his head at the idea of Radek getting involved with the FBI. “So you have a Scully to your Mulder. I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, but it’s your head.” So long as it stayed Radek’s head and not his, but he’d be lying if he said there wasn’t at least mild concern for his friend. It was amusing though to see Radek as giddy as a toddler on sugar high. “Just be careful old friend, I’d hate to see your enthusiasm get the better of you.”
“Really?” Radek looked at Jake, the genuine puzzlement on his face. “How does investigating old case files from the FBI equate to me potentially coming across another who would want to take my head?” he asked.
“I’m not saying don’t investigate, I’m saying don’t get so caught up in following your leads that you miss any potential signs of danger.” Jake shrugged and finished his scotch. “I don’t think it’s likely it would lead to someone like us coming for your head, but who knows what you’ll find when you start investigating? These cases could be abandoned for any number of reasons, especially if they wind up linked to things regular humans won’t accept as real. Keep your head on your shoulders, figuratively speaking as well as literally.”
Radek smiled and lifted his drink to Jake. “To keeping our heads where they belong!” he declared as a toast.
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