aangst (aangst) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-09-28 19:54:00 |
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Entry tags: | alex rogan, ash ketchum, avatar aang, bahamut, leeloo, magius, match |
Where: It all begins in a taxi, then goes to Leeloo’s office, back to the taxi...
What: It all started with Match needing to buy some new clothes and going to Leeloo for some advice. And things went down-, and up-, hill, from there.
Who: Ben, Match, Leeloo, Alex R, Aang, Ash. And surprise cameos
When: 08/17/13 BACKDATED
Warnings/Rating: n/a
Match sat in the taxi, humming to himself, then snapped a look at the taxi driver. “So, ah. this image consultant, Leeloo, have you heard anything about her?” People said Ben was someone to ask advice from. So here he was.
He needed image advice for his modeling and writing career. and Leeloo was supposedly really good. So, yes, he needed advice about her, and from her and... yes.
Ben glanced back at his passenger, and nodded. “From what I’ve seen on the network, and her reality show, she’s very professional, very genuine. She seems to know how to highlight people’s strengths without making them fake or unrecognizable.”
Match nodded, sighing. He was nervous and worried, but he hoped she would be good. He needed advice and he hoped that the proper presentation of himself and his books and his career would help.
“Thanks. Having two careers and needing help with both is weird after just graduating last year and having no jobs then.”
Ben smiled. “There’s nothing wrong with knowing when to ask for help. The real world is a lot more difficult, sometimes, than high school prepares us for.”
“Thanks.” Match nodded. “I just need a place to start, and a way to make life a little better, a little more working right, you know?”
He hoped this meeting would go well!
Ben nodded as he drove Match toward Leeloo’s consulting office. “I hope things work out for you.”
“Thanks, man.” He smiled as the cab pulled up outside the office, paid, and then hopped out, waving, then headed in.
At the counter, he smiled and gave his name, then sat down to wait.
Leeloo’s receptionist buzzed her, and she came out of the office shortly thereafter. “Match?” she crossed the room, and extended her hand to him. “I’m Leeloo Tchaikovskaya.”
Match rose and grinned, and shook her hand. “Hi! You came recommended very highly. I was hoping I could steal some of your time, and get some help.”
“Thank you,” she said, “It’s always good to hear positive feedback.” She gestured to the office. “As it happens, I do have some free time, if you’d care to join me. Can I offer you water or tea?”
“Water is good, please?” He smiled to her, following her to the office and stepping in, glancing around. “Thank you for seeing me.”
The office was done in warm colors; not too busy, but not too sparse. There was a pitcher of water on a lacquered tray on Leeloo’s desk, and she poured Match a glass, offering it to him as she gestured to one of the two armchairs facing into the room. “What can I help you with?”
He took the glass and sat, sipping before answering. “I’ve written a second book... I wrote a new york times bestseller book in high school and didn’t do well writing after that. I modeled for awhile, while trying to learn writing and had a second book bid on recently and have just finished it but...I want to create a better image for myself, both as a writer and a model.”
“All right,” said Leeloo, sitting in the chair across from him. “The aspects of personal image can basically be broken down into three building blocks. Appearance, Behavior, and Communication. I will help you to identify your strengths in each of those areas, set goals for what you want to accomplish in our sessions together and in your professional life, and discover what might be holding you back. My mission, if you will, is to empower and enable you to be comfortable making changes to achieve those goals. I can give suggestions, and sometimes I might even express some strong opinions, but ultimately, I want to instill you with the confidence to make those choices for yourself.” She smiled. “Does that sound like what you’re looking for?”
Match nodded, having listened with widening eyes and a slowly starting grin. “Yes, please.” That sounded exactly like what he needed and what he wanted. He definitely needed a new start. “That sounds perfect.” He grinned at her. “Like grandma used to say, I need a strong kick in the pants, and you seem like the person to give it.”
He leaned forward. “How do we start?”
“I’m glad to hear it, and I hope that you won’t be disappointed. I have a good feeling that we’ll be able to work together, but if at any point you feel uncomfortable with how things are going, please, don’t hesitate to bring any concerns to me that you might have.” Leeloo leaned forward as well, taking a clipboard from her desk, and passing it to Match for his perusal.
“We’d start with some Q&A, so I can get a snapshot of how you see yourself, how you think others see you, and how you’d like to be seen; your communication style; what you feel your strengths and weaknesses are both physically and psychologically. These are some of the questions I’d ask--and you’re more than welcome to ask me questions about anything that comes up. I like to get to know my clients, and vice versa, so that I can help you bring out the best of who you are; not just who I tell you to be. Later, we can talk about colors, and wardrobe, and all of the fun stuff, but I like to begin by opening up a dialog, just like this.”
Match nodded, listening, and read the clipboard, snatching up the pen and starting to fill thing in, his penmanship a neat and fast very clean set of lines as he filled things in and nodded, listening to her too. Multitasking was a tool he had mastered when young, and it had suited him well.
He noted simple things to raise then raised his head to smile to her. “Should I answer these here or are you asking and me answering with you writing?” He gave her a dazzling smile, full of hope. “Thank you. I like what I hear, so far. and I am definitely ready to work with you.”
"If you have time, we can go over the questionnaire together, and I'll take notes for your file, for future reference. But if you have somewhere to be, you're welcome to take it home, and fill it out at your leisure." She was well accustomed to working around her clients' busy schedules.
Match smiled to her, feeling eager. This was freaking awesome! “You are awesome!” He nodded. “I've got the time right now…” And he leaned in to start talking to her and going over it with her. By the time he had to leave, he was bouncing happily, feeling far more confident, and so enthusiastic that he kissed her cheek, and deposited a check with the first payment and a nice tip with her secretary as he left.
As he took off, her phone rang, with Alex Rogan calling to see if she was still up for late lunch.
Leeloo was pleased with their dialog, and Match’s enthusiasm. She noted his body language, and the innocent way in which he expressed happiness and affection, and happily returned the gesture as they parted--even demonstrating how such a greeting would be done in her mother country, alternating cheeks from left to right and back, before she sent him on his way.
She smiled as she picked up the phone and greeted her friend, the inventor. “Excellent timing, Alex! I’ve just finished with a new client, and lunch would be wonderful.”
“Awesome! I’m en route now. You’re not afraid of heights, right?” His voice was coming with a slight echo as he spoke in a mic behind a mask and a muffled roaring sound was in the background. Alex was riding a new toy in.
“Not a bit,” she assured him, remembering how she had flown with John Jones. From the sound of it, flying with Alex would be a little different, but she was still excited at the prospect.
“Okay! Can you meet me on the roof then ?” He was grinning as he steered toward her building. The multi-person jetpack, aka the personal Whirlygig, seemed to be working just fine.
Leeloo laughed, but agreed. She didn’t know when she had started craving such adventure, but there it was. “I’ll take the elevator now. See you in a moment?”
“Awesome! See you soon!” He landed soon after, and waited. The two person jetpack looked very odd, and he grinned, waiting for her to approach so he could hook her up. “Leeloo! Hello! How are you?”
Leeloo took the elevator up as far as it would go, then the stairs to the roof access. She smiled as she stepped out and spotted Alex, waving and closing the distance between them with a little skip in her step. She was glad she’d work slacks and sensible shoes today, yes indeed!
“So,” she said, “Tell me all about it.”
“It’s basically a gravity and rocket powered jetpack for two, with kinetic testing harnesses that cancel out the motion feeling. So it’s like wind goes past you, but you don’t feel motion, really.”
“It has enough fueled and spare to get us to the restaurant where my van is.” He grinned.
“All right,” she said. She trusted him to know what he was doing. “What do I need to do?”
“Step in next to me, and let me buckle you into the harness.” When that was done he showed her the controls, which were simple, designed for ease of use, and then he Nodded. “Ready?” He handed her a helmet and when he spoke again, his words came over a speaker in the helmet. “Sound canceling headset.”
And go! And with a muffled roar, they rose into the air and away from the roof.
Leeloo did as instructed, watching and listening intently. She nodded when she was all strapped in, adjusting the helmet on her head. “Ready!”
She didn’t say anything for a moment, as they took off. Just watched the world fall away beneath them. Finally, she couldn’t hold it in. “I can’t get over how amazing this is. Flying.”
Alex nodded. “Its always amazing, no matter how you do it. Somehow, it always feels better and better.” He grinned at her, and steered toward the restaurant, utilizing a shimmering screen of energy to make people's eyes look away, and hopefully not see them.
No one seemed to be staring at them, which was probably a good thing--though the thought that they might just become the next tabloid UFO was a rather amusing one. Leeloo wasn’t too worried; content to watch the city passing by below them as Alex maneuvered his whirligig. “Does Portia like to fly as much as you do?”
“Some. I’m teaching her how to fly my spaceship.” He grinned at her. Then he landed behind a restaurant, next to where a van was parked and slowly shut the device down. He unhooked it from them and then slid it into the van and offered her his arm. “Shall we? I’m hungry.”
Leeloo took his arm, letting him lead the way into the restaurant. "I know better than to come between a man and his sustenance," she said,"let's eat."
He nodded and then led her to a table, and the menus. He enjoyed talking to her, and asking her about her work. “Do you like what you do? How did you learn to do it? What keeps you going?” Those were just a few of his questions.
Those were exactly the sort of questions that Leeloo liked to be asked. It helped her clients to feel comfortable when they got to know who she was, and why she did what she did. It created a more...friendly sort of relationship. So of course she loved to talk about those same things with her friends.
"I began as a child star of sorts," she said, "the daughter of a pairskating couple whose fairy tale romance was played out on television for millions of viewers. I was supposed to have a fairytale of my own, but my knight on shining skate blades dropped me and shattered my little snow-globe world." She smiled to show that she'd recovered since, but it had been a process. "It took me some time to want to be around skaters again, in any capacity, and I really only went to beauty school as a way to put off deciding what I wanted to do for college, but I realized that I missed the ice. So I became makeup artist for the skaters, and helped them put on a brave face for the world. There's so much pressure...I wanted to help them somehow. And somehow, I knew that it wasn't enough just to put on a brave face. Image isn't just about looking good for the camera. It's about identity, and courage...those things come from within. And that's when I finally found mine."
Alex winced, and nodded at the words about her knight. He listened as she spoke, curious and attentive to this new friend. “You seem to have learned a lot. And I think you are awesome. I’ve seen a lot of your work. You do great!” He nodded.
"Don't get me wrong, I still get those people who just want a superficial makeover, or for me to make them look good in public while they hide all their dirty secrets behind closed doors." And the look on her face said that the latter were the sort of clientele she did her best to screen out. "But for the most part, I feel I am really making a difference in people's lives."
“Good. I think that’s the kind of thing we all need.” Alex was finally making a difference with his inventing and changing of tech and had always enjoyed fixing things and making people's’ life better.
“So tell me, what do yo do for fun?”
“For fun? Hm…” Funny how she had to think about that one. Obviously, she needed to get out more. “I swim, but that’s more like physical therapy. I do enjoy it, though. And flying--today was only my second time, but there’s just something…” She sighed. “Normally? Sketching and painting. Hair and fashion stuff. And getting long massages. Does that count?”
“They do. Yes.” He smiled at her. “We should go flying more. I like to see my friends smile.” He liked all of them smiling. He poked her as the waiter came, and he ordered for himself. Soon the food was there and the meal was passing slowly but well.
Leeloo smiled as they ordered, chatting with Alex until the food arrived, and heartily enjoying the meal. She would love spending more time with Alex, and Portia, whether separately or together. And perhaps, one day, she’d have a sweetheart of her own to show off to them.
After seeing her back to her office, Alex hurried on to meet with Aang. who he had promised a mini-tour of the fixit-slash-lab space at his business. The younger man was a peaceful and calming influence and Alex liked his way.
Aang flew to Alex’ in his own way, riding the air currents with his glider. He tried not to be too conspicuous, but he figured looking like a giant kite was better than disguising himself as an aerophobic cloud. He was looking forward to seeing more of Alex’ inventions.
Alex was waiting outside his shop and flagged Aang down when he saw him, whooping like a kid. Which, really, Alex was often a big version of. He waited for Aang to land, then hugged the man. “Welcome! Come on in!” he led the way into the shop, locking the door and putting the closed sign up. Then he gestured around the first area. “This is Rogan Electronics, Fixit shop, do it all agency, and generally my little madhouse.”
Aang dropped to the sidewalk, closing his glider with a twirl so that it became simply a bamboo walking stick again. Alex reminded Aang a bit of his friend Bumi, in the dreams--maybe not quite as wild and crazy, but if he called his fix-it shop a madhouse, who knows. “Pretty neat! What sort of things do you fix?”
“Hi! And it’s mostly everything. Plumbing, electrical systems, cars, security systems, computers, mostly electrical stuff, and a lot of security systems, too.” Alex showed Aang the non-secure sections of jobs he was working on, and then led the way into the back. “Here is my actual lab.”
He smiled as he waved his hands around. “In here, I invent things, or try to. Sometimes, I succeed, sometimes not. Some things come along that I invent, and then have to put away, because they would be bad for the world, really. Sadly.” Like his teleporter, which worked now, but would wreck the current world economy and cause chaos in multiple nations.
“Not everyone would know when to sit on something really great,” Aang said, “They’d probably...try and market it somehow, and then it would get confiscated by the government, and they’d sit on it. Or not, which could be…” Bad. “Yeah. Then again, maybe I should worry they might want to confiscate me!”
“No confiscating you. Not allowed. I’ll take my starfighter out of dock and bring you back if they try.” Somewhere along the way, Alex rogan had gone from a quietly pacifistic man to someone who would fight against anyone who hurt his friends. he wasn’t sure what to think about that.
“Good to know,” Aang said, smiling. “Toph would probably have to put her foot down on anybody who tried to get their hands on me, too.” He liked that about her. “I’ll try not to get into too much trouble, though. Promise.”
“Good.” Alex smiled as he showed off a few small devices, like the cloth that absorbed and got rid of messes, and the magnet with no metal in it, that would stick to anything.
Then he led the way out the back and to his house. It was a modest little place, and inside the kitchen had been rearranged to make room for the fullsize version of the meat heater; a rotating device capable of creating meat masterpieces.
Aang exclaimed over all the gadgets and doodads, bouncing and clapping his hands like a little kid. Inside the kitchen his eyes got big as he recognized the rotisserie set-up, and he grinned. “This must be the roaster mama!”
Alex enjoyed Aang's enthusiasm, and smiled at the man's bubbly ways. When Aang spoke about the meat heater, Alex nodded. "It works without normal heating technology, and is safe to touch." He chuckled. "I was working on a breaking mechanism and got this..."
“Wow.” Aang couldn’t even wrap his brain around how Alex had pulled that off. He was pretty good with legos, but that was about where his mechanical expertise ended. “That’s pretty amazing.”
“Thanks. It’s one of my proudest inventions. Along with the showerzat.” He nodded and grinned and patted something that looked like a science fiction toy gun.
“Shower...zat?” Aang echoed, looking from Alex to the gun and back. He was trying to deduce it’s function from the name, because he’d heard of a zat-gun, but that didn’t mean a showerzat was any kind of an homage. Or was it? “What does that do?”
“It cleans people using copernicus molecules. It’s completely harmless. It was originally meant to be a device that would replace sonar, but it does this instead.” Alex nodded.
So it did do exactly what it sounded like it did. Aang grinned. He might not understand it, but it was still pretty cool. “Sounds like you’ve had some pretty entertaining accidents.”
“I have! It used to be that none of my inventions did what I wanted. But now, since I dreamed, things work a lot more often. Less entertaining, but better all over.” Alex nodded.
“That’s cool,” Aang said, “I invented a couple of airbending moves, in my dreams. Maybe I’ll invent more, here. Who knows.”
“Yeah? Cool! I bet you will! You seem very creative!” Alex bounced, happy to be spending time with a new friend.”
Aang nodded. He was full of ideas, things he’d like to try, once he was more confident with some of the other elements, besides Air. He was getting pretty good at Water, and starting to resonate with Earth and Fire. “I did help a friend re-balance his own power, during the bodyswap,” he said, “I’m not sure if I’ll ever really top that. It was kind of a unique experience.”
“I imagine you will, in time.” Alex smiled at the man. “Just give yourself time. You can do anything with enough knowledge and thinking and trying.”
“Thanks.” Aang smiled. He didn’t quite feel like the pillar of guidance that the Avatar was made out to be, yet, but he was reaching out to people, and that was a start. “It’s good to have friends around, when the going gets tough. And even when it’s not.”
Alex nodded. “Definitely! I would have lost it if I hadn’t had friends around before the dreams, and even now. So I’m glad to know you, Aang.”
Just then, Aang’s phone rang! Ash, who had been out and about, decided to call the oddly cute asian guy he had seen. Why not?
“You too, Alex,” Aang said, grinning. When his phone rang, he peered at the screen to see who it was. “Sorry,” he said, “Do you mind if I take this? I’ll just be a sec--”
Alex nodded, waving a hand. “Go right ahead! I’ll be over there.” He pointed to a workbench and moved that way.
Aang wandered away to answer the call. “Hello, this is Aang…”
“Hi This is Ash! How’re you doing?” Ash’s voice was jovial and warm, and he smirked as he walked and talked on the phone.
“Hey! I’m good.” Aang smiled as he wandered to a quiet corner where he wouldn’t disturb Alex while he talked. “How are you?”
“Good, I’m Pretty good.” Ash smiled, then hmmmed. “Want to grab some beers and burgers this afternoon? I know a great place. Right near the beach.” Ash nodded, and hoped the other guy was up for it.
"Sure!" Aang was almost always up for hanging out, and meeting new people. Besides, he and Ash had a lot of similar interests, working with animals. "what time are you thinking?"
“Anytime you’re free, really? What’s your schedule like?” Ash bounced, grinning. Aang was a cool guy, and cute. Very cute. The prospect of spending time with his friend sounded fun. Even if nothing else happened.
And he might be hoping he could seduce his friend. A little.
"Well, I've got something going on right now, but we've already eaten, so I'll probable be hungry again in a couple hours. I'm open the rest of the afternoon." Aang was blissfully, goofily oblivious to his own appeal, so it hardly crossed his mind that Ash might be trying to ask him on a date date. Both young men were probably in for a bit of a surprise.
“Cool! Sounds good.” Ash was hopeful! Ever hopeful!
“Call me when you are free?”
"All right! I'll catch you later!" Aang was excited to finally meet Ash in person. Maybe they'd even have some classes together, next semester.
He hung up, and bounced back over to Alex' corner to see what the man was working on. "Sorry. Guess I'm pretty popular today. Anything exciting going on over here?"
Ash nodded and hung up. That was cool!
Alex smiled as he saw Aang’s bouncing. “Thats okay. Not much. Just been working on realigning a magnetronomer, which is essentially as magnetic beacon. I want to work on it some more, but it is very delicate.”
He smiled again. “What do you do when not humoring mad scientists?”
"Besides volunteering at the zoo?" Aang shrugged. "I'm a student at UCI. Environmental sciences, and philosophy. I also recently took up parkour. And waterbending."
“Oh? Sounds like a very busy schedule. What is waterbending? And parkour?” He had vaguely heard of that one, at least.
“Waterbending…” Aang chuckled, and gathered his air scooter beneath him, rolling back and forth on a giant wheel of controlled wind. “It’s like airbending, but with water.” Ta-da! “And parkour is a fancy word for running around an obstacle course as fast as you can. Which is something I’ve been doing for as long as I could walk, I just now have a name for it, and some official training.”
Alex watched, fascinated. “Amazing! I’d love to learn more about both.” He grinned at his friend. “Though I doubt I will ever do either.” He nodded.
“Training is good. It helps us direct our thoughts.”
Aang nodded. "It definitely is." He'd have to show Alex some videos, maybe invite him out to watch a practice run sometime.