used to care, but times have changed. [ catch-all ]

[insertdadjoke]

Who When Where What Warn

"Jacob Kane" (Cain) & You Catch-all for the rest of August Various places in Keeliai Cain reacclimatizes to life on a a turtle floating through the Dreaming. Basically just make something up and I bet you Cain is there somewhere. The thread with Gene delves into imagery of torture and child abuse. (If you could take a moment, consider filling this out!)

There was a whole lot that hadn't actually changed in the city. Small things, different businesses here and there, maybe a few more houses in one district and some converted or otherwise gone in another. It was familiar in the way any city was after a time lapse, although Cain would be the first to admit that it was a significant enough change for hardly a year's time since his last visit. At least that meant it was easy to catch up on old ground.

However, now he found himself staying at and working at the Hotel however temporarily until he got his feet truly underneath him. That was good, a simple task to keep an eye on people and make himself comfortable again. Working with the Metalworkers on his own projects kept the rest of the time occupied. The vast majority of Cain's free time, however, was spent exploring the city and feeling out the atmosphere, talking to kedan and foreigners alike. He had cleaned himself up and changed his wardrobe just enough to look older than his usual early-twenties for a change of pace. Usually, this wasn't the sort of thing Cain would care about; usually, this was the sort of bed the city could make and lie in all on its own for the denial of taking responsibility they'd dragged in themselves; usually, he wasn't stuck here forced to be a part of it with a bunch of others who were in much the same situation.

Usually, it sucked to have a sense of responsibility for those he felt close to.

Most of his days consisted of hitting up local businesses, making himself known to the locals as someone helpful and harmless and getting whatever gossip he could. Cain checked in on the few friends he had, and looked to make any more to improve his own situation. It never hurt to make use of a specifically positive image, after all. He might as well have a bit of fun with it.

Comments

[insertdadjoke]

"Haven't been here that long, then," Cain surmised. Nothing wrong with that; it kind of gave them similar standing. Even if Cain had been here before, things changed and he wasn't about to assume he could just pick up where he'd left off. He would never get that lucky.

At the question, he smiled and moved to point at some yellow and blue flowers he didn't recognize from earth. "These are intriguing. Do you know what they are?"

[purered]

"Unfortunately," Klaus agreed and stepped over to get a better look at the plant, adjusting his spectacles.

"A variant of thelymitra paciflora," he explained, gently turning the star-shaped petals upward. "They're a type of orchid though these are much more vivid in colour than the ones I'm used to."

He inspected the pot suspiciously. "I don't think any dyes have been used. They're low maintenance as orchids go, provided they're kept warm."

[insertdadjoke]

"Slender Sun Orchids," Cain said with a smile. He wasn't totally up to date on scientific names to call them all out himself, but he recognized when he heard one. He had a lot of overly trivial knowledge like that; after living so long, some things just got picked up whether he realized it or not.

"Must be pretty easy to grow in this weather we're having." Cain shifted, looking at the rest of the flowers around the shop. "Chances are it's something in the soil that isn't local to whatever either of us are familiar with. Maybe it's magic," he added, only half-teasing.

[purered]

Klaus practically beamed.

"You're well versed," he remarked, keeping his smile from getting too wide (and horrifying. Good lord, those teeth).

"Though it's the succulents you'll want to look at if you want something to survive this heat."

He gestured to the rows of them surrounding a table in the center of the floor.

"And I wouldn't be surprised about the magic. It can do... rather unusual things to plants."

[insertdadjoke]

Strange teeth indeed, but Cain didn't seem to mind. He merely smiled in response to the praise and turned to inspect the flowers indicated. That was all true, but there was something to be said for being somewhere new and magical, and expecting something a little different than usual. Like new breeds of flowers entirely.

"I've been around," he replied, despite the fact that he barely looked old enough to be out of college. Then he shook his head. "Not so much that magic isn't still weird, but I do tend to know my stuff."

[purered]

Klaus lofted a brow. At least, that's probably what was going on under that fringe of aggressively red hair judging by the way one eye got a bit wider than the other. It was a case of Schrodinger's Eyebrows.

"I take it that means you're well traveled?" He asked, re-arranging the pots so that some of the flowering succulents were in better view.

[insertdadjoke]

The implication of a raised brow was there, and Cain knew that expression when he saw one. It was probably not the easiest bluff to make with how he looked but his age seemed almost... if not normal, then acceptable in a place like this. Testing the boundaries and poking at what people from other worlds were willing to accept had become of interest to Cain even if he didn't pursue it that often.

"Positively well-traveled," he said with an air of simply answering. "I've been to every continent by now and every major power at one point or another."

[purered]

Klaus, once again, seemed genuinely delighted by this.

"That's an incredible achievement," he said, without a hint of guile. His initial surprise he'd had earlier had changed to a sort of admiration. "Miss Zatanna and I were recently reminiscing on fair-weather trips to Rome. Was it business or holiday that took you to so many places?"

[insertdadjoke]

Although Cain didn't intend to let the cat out of the bag just yet, he was definitely pleased with the lack of judgment for his statement. Believing someone as young as him was as traveled would be hard for some; not for Klaus, apparently.

"Lifestyle choice," he said, almost distracted for what Klaus had said. Far be it from him to ignore someone outright mentioning his city, his foundation that grew into an empire the world had never forgotten. "You've been to Rome? What did you think of it?"

[purered]

Klaus and cynicism didn't walk hand in hand. They walked on opposited sides of the street in different directions and scowled at each other if they every crossed paths. Klaus was willing to believe a lot. He was a believing sort of man, unless you gave him reason to be otherwise. He particularly liked to believe the very best in people.

By comparison, someone who appeared to be only five or six years younger than himself being well-traveled was no stretch of the imagination. Maybe he was from a wealthy family. Maybe he was older than he looked.

"She's a fine city with a wealth of art, history and architecture, though I'm most partial to the opera house. Have you been as well?"

[insertdadjoke]

Seeing someone so full of faith in the people around him was refreshing. It was the sort of thing Cain didn't often see anymore except children, idiots, and those of exceptionally strong heart. Judging by the conversation, he was willing to believe it was the latter unless Klaus proved him otherwise. He was generous like that.

"Many times," Cain said wistfully. "Believe it or not, it's actually my hometown. Not where I was born, but where many of my formative years were spent."

[purered]

"I envy you such a fine city to grow up in," Klaus admitted as he neatened up a display of orchids that were a very aggressive shade of primary yellow.

"Between the ruins of its past and the city of the present, it's near impossible not to walk down some alley without feeling like your stepping through history itself. You must have learned so much in your time there."

No wonder Cain was well traveled. If Klaus had grown up in Rome, everything there would have fueled his innate curiosity to simply see more.

"Did you visit the other provinces of Italy? Venice is something truly to admire as well."

[insertdadjoke]

There was a lot more to it than Cain was saying, of course, but the general idea was correct. That area was what he called home more than any Etruscan manor or European village he could no longer remember. Rome was a place of safety and Cain suspected nothing would ever change that for him, not as long as it still stood in some shape or form.

"It's left me with lessons I'll never forget, that's true," said Cain, head dipping to the side as if there was more he wasn't saying. Not exactly taunting, but it was hard to remain neutral when this topic came up. "Oh, of course. I've seen a little bit of everywhere. Not recently Venice, but I have."

[purered]

Klaus noted that Cain was acting a bit coy, as though there were some piece of information he were holding on to and Klaus just wasn't asking the right questions. And it wasn't the same way Klaus artfully zig-zagged and dodged questions about his fangs either. It was like Cain wanted him to ask the question in just the right way and Klaus wasn't sure just what it was.

"I sadly haven't been back to Venice since I was thirteen. And last I was in Rome was about three years. How long has it been for you? I imagine traveling so much would make anyone homesick."

There were times Klaus missed the estate back in Germany. He could easily sympathize when it came to being homesick.

[insertdadjoke]

Asking the right questions was exactly what Cain was waiting for. It wouldn't do to just blurt out who or what he was to anyone who brought up something in relation; he wasn't stupid, just operating without the need for secrecy. Besides, not a lot of people really took well to the immortality thing no matter how cool they insist it would be. That was the balancing act that Cain ended up in, although it wasn't as precarious or tiring as all that.

"Last time I'd been there was with my wife for our anniversary," he said, thoughtfully. That still put it at almost forty years ago but placed it in a reasonable, relative timeframe. Recently for Cain, and likely to imply the same for Klaus. "Still as beautiful as it ever was, though."

Just because it wasn't the same didn't make it any less precious. That was something that a lot of people had a hard time understanding, he'd found. Rome was his, and he would love it just as much as he did when at its height as he does now and will in the future no matter how much it aged or rejuvenated. A father's love, in a way.

[purered]

That confirmed at least one thing Klaus had suspected. Cain was likely a bit older than he looked. Klaus had originally put him in his early twenties, but now he suspected Cain was around his own age - perhaps older. Cain wasn't the first person Klaus had met afflicted with a bad case of baby-face.

"Ah, I congratulate you on your anniversary. How long have you been married, if you don't mind me asking?"

He asked because such things were a source of happiness to Klaus. People finding joy in one another warmed his little heart and gave him some hope there was good reason to fight his way through the nightmare that was Jerusalem's Lot.

[insertdadjoke]

That was one question Cain had been expecting and without missing a beat he leaned forward to inspect another species of flower, saying, "At the time it had been our ten year anniversary, but we were closer to twenty-five when complications set us apart. That was all about forty years ago, mind you."

Not an explicit admission to his age, but it was really just such a great opportunity. He would have kicked himself for missing it because he had hesitated; not something he would have considered doing so openly back home, but here was different. Here was less likely to get him in trouble and more likely to just get him befuddlement instead. That part could be fun.

Glancing toward Klaus out of the corner of his eye, he watched for a reaction.

[purered]

There was a tangible change in the atmosphere and Klaus's expression went from pleased to grim in a matter of seconds. His poise grew rigid, his broad shoulders tensed and his fists clenched as he bore a strained and hunted look.

Klaus wasn't really a man prone to fear. At least, he wasn't the sort to be overwhelmed and consumed by it. But there were terrors that lurked in shadow, wreathed in auras of red, twisted and undying abominations that preyed on so many.

He wasn't afraid. But an icy sense of dread had gripped him so suddenly he couldn't mask it with his normal stiff propriety.

"...I see. Are you someone like Mr Ravel or Mr Shudder?" He asked, his voice low and tone a bit strained. He prayed it wasn't what he thought.

[insertdadjoke]

Oops.

Cain wasn't above admitting he had misstepped somewhere along the way. Mistakes were not something one could grow out of, no matter how long they lived. He recognized the change in atmosphere and was careful not to let it infect him as well and make things more tense for no reason. Klaus was still acting civilly and the question spoke of a willingness to hear what Cain meant, although he would probably still need to tread carefully since he had no idea what the actual fear was about. His age not matching up to his appearance, most certainly, yet it was being seen as a threat of some sort.

"Magic?" he asked, head shaking in the negative. "No, from what I understand that's all one concept and I don't have a drop of the stuff in me. I'm just old; I don't age, and that's all there is special about me."

Perhaps not the best of explanations, but it really was the only one that Cain had. His life was supposed to continue an indeterminate amount and so it did. He had hunches and theories and consequences but no reason. He had long since come to terms with that fact even if he would never quite stop keeping an ear to the ground for any sort of understanding he might find.

[purered]

The knot in his stomach untangled and the tension had gone from Klaus's poise. He nodded, his expression finally softening.

"My apologies. I thought for a moment that you might have been... something else."

A nightmare. A monster. But no, just a man. A very old man with a very young face but magic did odd things to people. Klaus was more than capable of handling oddities. He was even alright (albeit twitchy and tense) around vampires provided they weren't the homicidal sorts.

[insertdadjoke]

"Mind if I ask what? Usually when I go around teasing people about that, there's no real-world comparison to get mistaken for," he explained. Because of that, there had been little consequence of admitting to be something that only existed in the way that he did. Of course, more superstitious lots still accused and suspected him of being something otherworldly or devil-spawned or whatever the trend had been at the time.

Seeing Klaus react so immediately to hearing that Cain was nothing more than immortal in a way was interesting. There was something specific he was afraid or, and Cain didn't want to just let it drop like that.

[purered]

Klaus hesitated at first, but finally conceded after whatever short, internal debate ensued. It had been foolish of him, he knew, to so quickly jump to that conclusion, and he'd likely startled Cain as well. He owed the man, at the very least, an explanation.

"A Blood Breed, more commonly known as a vampire. They are... unfortunately common where I'm from and often responsible for large-scale catastrophe."

[insertdadjoke]

"Oh." Cain paused for a moment to take that information in. It wasn't what he had expected, but then again, he'd been trying not to expect anything. Vampires certainly weren't a thing where he was from and he was pretty sure he would know even if they were incredibly reclusive and had a widespread inability to keep up with the times.

After a moment, he canted his head up to Klaus. What can you do? If they were that big of a problem where Klaus was from, that reaction must have been warranted. "We only get ghosts where I'm from. They don't even last forever, they fade eventually. Sorry, it didn't occur to me that I'd be compared to anything that wasn't just folklore."

[purered]

"It's not your fault. I am truly sorry to have assumed such a thing about you."

He bowed, a little more deeply than usual. Clearly to Klaus, being compared to a vampire is an insult on par with being compared to Ted Bundy.

"They weren't particularly widespread until the Beyond collided with Earth. I take it they don't even exist in your world?"

Or at least so rare they aren't really a problem.

[insertdadjoke]

Cain gave a raise of his hand, a tilt of his head, both waving off and accepting the bow. He wasn't going to be a jerk and insist it wasn't necessary. Just let the guy apologize at his own pace.

"No, they don't. Definitely would have found them by now," he said easily. Not that new things couldn't happen in the future, but he was positive as of the current moment there wasn't anything like that lurking around.