exsiliumlogs | (no subject)

Date & Time: Backdated to March 24, evening
Location: At one of the local bars, then eventually to APT# 904
Characters: Blaine Thorps and Lee Chaolan
Summary: Just two guys having drinks and a lot of discussion
Warnings: Blaine and Lee.

Lee had maintained his silence for far too long. A month of work was part of the reason while the other remained a mystery to every. His disappearance has raised some questions and he knew he would have to answer for them sooner or later.

It was better not to get into all the details just yet and certainly not in public. He decided that meeting at a bar first to relax was better than going straight home and down to business. He hid away as much as he could from Margulis and Ghost which wasn't an easy feat.

Perched at the bar, Lee sat with his untouched, fruity concoction mix of god knows what was available and turned the glass with his fingers. His brow was creased with thought. How was he going to explain what happened with him being gone an entire month? Where was he going to start?

He decided to let the conversation flow naturally during his wait. With the patrons bustling about with their mix matched clothing and milling about through their day to day lives, Lee envied them. He didn't have the mundane life. He pretended he did. Hushed conversations flitted in the air to add to the rustic atmosphere of the smoke filled bar.

And still, he waited.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh, mundane life was boring. Blaine didn't envy other people for having simple, plain, and easily categorized lives. He pretended at it himself for a few years, but after having seen his future, he realized that it wasn't ever going to be normal nor did he want normalcy, even when a child was added to the mix. That being said, there was a lot less... permanency here than he was used to, and it struck him as very odd. When death was more like a suggestion and not final, or people disappeared only to come back weeks and months later and claim they were years older, well... At least it wasn't as terrifying as some of the things at home.

Blaine walked into the bar and spotted Lee. He made his way over, trying to figure out the man's mood from the way he sat before he sidled up next to him and claimed a seat. "Long time no see, Lee. How're you?"

Lee's head lifted and the customary smile stretched his lips. If anyone understood Lee, it was Blaine. The smile faded slightly before he spoke.

"I'm sorry I was absent for so long. I have had some recent issues." He wasn't sure where to begin and it showed in his tone.

The milling about in the background became distant in his mind and blocked out more than he cared to admit.

"Oh, I've been dealing with setbacks. It's always a setback somewhere." Lee's voice melded with the background but loud enough for Blaine to hear. "Bandits. Why is it always bandits?" He lifted his hand to call the bartender.

Blaine gave an understanding smile. Thieves. Considering the things Lee was known to produce, the blonde wasn't sure he liked the idea of 'bandits' making off with any of the Asian man's works. There was also the obvious question. "How did they get in?"

He'd figured the man had a better security system than some random guys in a desolate place like this could crack. Ingenuity at its best, apparently. And if his lab was looted, Lee was probably feeling a bit pissed about it and might have funneled that energy into recouping what he had lost. That's how Blaine's mind worked though.

It was taking time to rebuild that made Lee realize that not everything was fool proof. He took a moment to look up at the ceiling with a sigh and turned his attention back to Blaine.

"The lab wasn't as secure as it should have been. It took some casing, I'm sure. They seemed to know exactly where to hit the door to break the lock. The cameras they didn't see and I have their faces. They knew what they were looking for and what to destroy. Thank goodness they didn't get the information about the map I received from the past." It was a protected asset of his and something that he wouldn't mind venturing someday.

The trouble didn't lie in just the damage, it was the integrity and the violation that irritated him more. Being in a public place currently helped Lee to curb his frustration from taking complete control.

"I can rebuild. I always have. I just made the mistake in the location. It was far too remote for any security to be as effective and now I believe a relocation is in order."

"Map from the past," and he trailed off for a second, then, "they must have really done their research."

Blaine ordered something as the bartender neared. Something new, as it sucked they didn't have any of the drinks he preferred here in the future. "Somewhere new that gets enough traffic to notice a break in, maybe. It'll certainly be easier to drop in on you." He gave a slightly teasing smile.

"Now that I know the cannon is stable and the method to extract the gas is safe, I feel confident. Perhaps I shouldn't look at as a setback but rather another step in the right direction." He returned the smile with a slight lean forward.

"With everything that has transpired here, I think relocating is the better option. As much as I like stability, I'm not fond of setting root in shifting soil." His smile showed some comfort that Blaine understood what he was feeling at this moment.

Still, there was something that lingered in the back of his mind. If so much uncertainty lay waiting to destroy what they were trying to accomplish, Lee had to ask.

"Do you ever think about home?" Silver eyes locked onto the blonde's strong features of his face; studying him in anticipation to his response.

"Yeah, that sounds like a better way of looking at it. They got some things, but at least nothing truly important and irreplaceable was taken. Just find a good place where you want to stay for the long haul. Easily defendable and all that."

Blaine gave a slow blink as his eyes slid away from a second at that question. "Yes and no." His gaze came back to look Lee in the eye as his lip curled up a bit more. "There are people I miss more than 'home.' And you?"

Lee listened carefully and kept his gaze on Blaine. When the question was returned to him, his eyes slowly blinked in thought.

"Not really. There is plenty to do here that keeps me from thinking about home. I honestly don't miss it as much as I should other than my home on the beach in the Bahamas. You would like it there."

Lee couldn't think of anyone there that he missed other than his spunky secretary at Violet Systems. His wealth could be rebuilt in this place where aging wasn't a big issue for him. He had plenty of time.

There was a slight nod of agreement about a house on the beach. He had his own vacation homes around the world. They tended to be in places where SPAWA had a lot of overseas business. "The humidity can be crazy though." Blaine wasn't a fan of excessive heat or humidity when paired together.

To find out Lee didn't particularly have any attachments to his own world probably should have been more surprising than it was. The blonde was attached to the people back home but not so much the things in it. Not being able to see who he wanted, when he wanted, had been considerably harder on him than he had thought. Not having that power irked him.

"There'll always be distractions. Some more pleasurable than other." There was a hint of a sparkle in his eyes at that. But then it dimmed as he changed the subject back. "So what did they steal and what did they destroy?"