Avery Sinclair

“Curator?” He nodded as if he knew and then laughed sheepishly, “And what does a curator do?” Avery asked with some curiosity. Reaching into his pocket he withdrew a small notepad, full of french words and vocab lessons mostly but there were a few empty sheets of paper. He passed the pad to the vampire and waited for her to jot down the name and number. “I don’t know it. I’m sorry.” He also didn’t quite understand how a gallery could be experimental but since he didn’t know what a non-experimental gallery was either, he just nodded. He would definitely google it when he got home. “Sure. I’m always happy to see something new. You don’t have to ... go out of your way for me or anything. But that’d be really cool. Thank you.”

“Height for tips? I have heard about a great smile and low cleavage before but I didn’t know the tall girls had an advantage.” Avery replied, laughing as he did so. “It is nice to meet you, Yasmine. Oh yeah, this place has great omelettes. Come on. Let’s go get something to eat and you can tell me how you ended in Versailles. If you want to I mean.”

-

    “ i think we both got incredibly lucky, especially in this day and age. ” vincent nodded in soft agreement, letting his mind linger on all of the busywork he had set aside for himself. perhaps his conversational partner had an insight to his mind —the new question pulled vincent from his reverie with another amused smirk, however small. what did he do in his downtime? “ i used to have hobbies. it seems like a lifetime ago, though. i … work. the never-ending quest to know more, to learn. i’m setting aside some personal trials … hoping to learn a bit more about the relationship between vampires and humans. ah, regarding blood and all of that? it’ll help with my current work but, admittedly it’s a little selfish curiosity right now. ”

    and what did you used to do in your spare time, vincent? remembering it was harder than not —as if his mind had put a block on the simplest of pleasures from before. what did you do in your downtime? “ i used to spend a lot of time with my son. he was a curious kid. liked to take toys apart and see how they worked. quiet, but he smiled a lot. if you didn’t keep your eye on him he’d walk off and find something to entertain himself. there one second, gone the next. it was a hobby in and of itself, keeping an eye on him. ” the words were soft, careful, as if stirring the memory the wrong way might crack or shatter it. vincent cleared his throat, pushed the smile on his face to widen a bit, even if it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “ what about you? what do you do in your spare time? an old man can use some ideas for himself. ”

“Fair enough. I’m not sure I’d survive well with some office job and computers all day but I suppose I’d do what I had to do. I’m just lucky i don’t have to.” He replied with a soft laugh. He smiled encouragingly as Vincent started to speak and slowly the smile faded as realization dawned. ‘used to’ ‘son’ 

“Sounds like a great kid.” Avery replied carefully, hoping the used to was due to a bad custody situation and not the worst case scenario in his head. “Me? Oh ... I’m learning to cook actually. I can do basics but like I thought while I was in France, I’d learn to cook for real. I’m starting cooking classes next week. Should be fun.”

Avery shrugged a broad shoulder, “I’m not really into needlewok stuff. I do like the structure of the chairs though. I think with some work, they’ll be beautiful again. But I just want to make sure I’m not throwing away a treasure, just cause I can’t see it.” He explained with a nod. “Are you here looking for something or just browsing?”

-

      “ wouldn’t that be the best kind of work? a hobby you love so much that you don’t mind doing it on a career-level? there’s an argument to be made for making yourself hate your job that way, but i think there’s a fine balance that has it going the other way. ” though the concept of hate was foreign on him, with work at the very least. vincent had fallen in love with his own line so many years ago —the loss had only driven him further into it. it was all he had, now … though he didn’t much mind.

      “ ah, chemical engineers synthesize and design chemical manufacturing processes … we make anything from food, to drugs, to fuels and a whole other slew of things. my personal line has always been more medically oriented. i interned at a pharmaceutical corporation when i graduated from college and continued pursuing my doctorates. i was hired by them after i received my certifications. ” and now  … vincent only smiled at the thought. now he was applying it to something more important. “ i’m working on things that will hopefully benefit both the vampire and human community, now. ”

“It is... for me at least. Lucky that way I suppose.” Avery replied with a sheepish sort of shrug. He nodded as the other man explained. Avery was an intelligent man really, although nowhere near as brilliant as this man in front of him. “That’s impressive. You sound like a man who also loves his work. So I guess we both got lucky, yeah?” He affirmed with a nod.

“So what do you do for downtime? Like when you aren’t wearing out the battery power on your ipad with all the brilliant notes and whatnot?”

-

      “ well then, if you have the talent then why not make a hobby out of restoring the wood, right? ” vincent agreed with the notion - musing, momentarily, for how useful it must have been to have a skill like that. he could fix the sink if it backed up, sure … or minor rewiring of something should it need replacement. small tasks here and there, upkeep on a home he’d once owned and forgotten entirely about the small details of. he sure didn’t miss mowing the lawn, though. he tugged out of his reverie on the matter, chuckling softly at the idea of an immortal vampire - however young, reupholstering by trade. it was likely, probable even, but no less amusing in the notion that something so powerful and eternal might have such a normal hobby.

      “ i’m a chemical engineer. ah, i’ve been in the city for a while, working with the vampire community. ” toward a possible cure for silver x, he finished mentally. his face was one that the very community would possibly know, if they were around long enough - if they paid attention. he wasn’t shy in those circles about his work, even if he didn’t necessarily advertise it out, now. “ it’s kind of a hobby, too. my apartment is filled with books, my office looks more like a home chemistry lab, now. this original journey was to get one of those uh, wireless charging pads for my tablet? the amount of notes i’ve taken over the past few weeks at home is leaving the thing struggling to keep up. ” arm lifted in indication to the sole plastic bag dangling from the crook of his elbow - transparent enough to reveal the contents within: sure enough, one wireless charging pad.

“A hobby that is sometimes a job.” Avery returned with a soft laugh. He shrugged lightly and then wondered what he said that had made the other laugh. He didn’t seem to be making fun of Avery though so he let it go. 

“Chemical engineer? That’s kinda cool. Can I ask though ... what exactly is a chemical engineer? Like what it is used for?” He asked with interest. “Seems useful at least. Probably more useful than what I do.” The other guy was clearly smart, which was definitely appealing. The vampires probably vied to be paired with him.

      “ uh. ” his voice ripped her from the circling thoughts to the objects in question, unfortunately unshielded from the swift judgement of the prior conclusions. “ if you were to find an embroiderer who understood such a design, you could save it, but it would be more costly than the pattern is worth. reupholstering would be best, i would think. ” 

Avery sighed and nodded in agreement. “I’m not really super into embroidery but the wood will be amazing once I’ve restored it. It is a beautiful chair.” He was referring to the elegance of the design. Wherever it had been stored may have been hard on the fabric but it had kept the wood safe for apparently quite some time. It still felt strong, just in need of some tlc who saw the potential.

“Are you here looking for anything in particular?” Avery asked with some curiosity, although he didn’t want to overstep. 

“I promise you that is no where in my plants. For one thing I do think I’m tall enough.” Avery laughed and gestured at himself. At over 182 cm or 6′4 if he was talking to an American, he knew he was taller than most. The older vampires often looked at him like a tree blocking out light with that vague blinky look. He rather guessed that a few centuries ago, people weren’t usually as tall as he was. He nodded, “Sounds like a fair deal for me. I’m Avery by the way. I figure you should know my name if you’re treating me to breakfast.”

“Gallery?” Bjorn questioned with interest and tried not to notice that the vampire’s gaze drifted over his throat. He used to never notice such things but living in Versailles had even someone as oblivious as him note when a vampire’s gaze flicked over your pulse. The worst part of it was that he wasn’t sure he minded. Was that weird? He still couldn’t decide and wasn’t sure who to ask.

“I’d appreciate the reference, even if just to make sure I don’t damage the fabric when I strip it from the chair in order to repair the chair.” Bjorn replied with a light nod. “What kind of gallery do you work for?”

“Good good.” Avery murmured as he waited for her to right herself again. “I wouldn’t know because I am either runners or hiking boots at almost all times. However, I will absolutely take your word for it.” He rubbed his shoulder and pretended to think about it for a second, “I will survive. Somehow. I am very hardy.” He teased with a soft chuckle.

Irene did enjoy to spend some times in the antique stores in town, trying to find masterpieces to work into her exhibits. Chairs positioned specifically to make someone view something in a particular light. A table to help create a sensation of being in the living room of a piece of art. Many ways to make the art seem even more alive. When someone spoke up, questioning her about a chair, she had to turn around, walking closer over to him to study it. “Hmm…” Delicate fingers gliding over the fabric gently. “If you could manage to salvage it on your own, then perhaps. But I fear for the fabric in the back, it’s likely going to tear at any moment when it gets put back into use. So reupholstering might be the better option, unless you know how to get hold of the technique they used originally.” 

Avery glanced up at the stunning brunette and stepped back slightly to allow the woman to look at the item. As her fingertips traced the fabric, he felt a brief flash of envy for the chair. Pitiful. He needed to get laid. “I do not have needlework skills. I can restore the chair itself but not the fabric. Maybe I can turn the nicer pieces into like a throw pillow or something for it?”

gaia has found herself at the antique store in the middle of the day, roaming around and looking at the things that she used to see every day. some has brought her a few memories, some of them bad, but most are good. she was just checking on the other furniture when she heard a voice behind her. she silently walks up to him and checks on the chairs he’s got. she runs her fingers over the embroidery before replying. “i believe you should try salvaging the embroidery first. it would be such a waste if you just went straight to upholstering it.”

-

      “ you have a lot more patience than i do for things like that. ” cultures? sure. waiting for analysis on chemical tests? absolutely. housework or busywork for his hands? none whatsoever. vincent was a selectively patient man, something that certainly had its drawbacks in the right circumstances. perhaps he should have been more mindful of a hobby —finding something that wasn’t so oriented with his career to fill his mind and relieve him of stress … but it wasn’t likely to happen. not any time soon, at least. “ i’m confident you’ll find someone who can handle the upholstery. i bet the cashier could recommend someone, even. ”

      he paused, eyes shifting to his goods to ensure he hadn’t damaged them in transferring. “ ah —vincent. and no problem. it’s nice to meet you. ”

“It is what I do. Carpenter who loves making old things beautiful again. At least wood things.” Avery explained with a slightly self deprecating shrug. “I’m sure there is someone around. Maybe one of the younger vampires will do that kind of work?” He continued with a nod as he plucked the tags off the chairs to take to the till. “So, what do you do Vincent? For work or for fun or whatever?”