Who Are You?

[judging_eyes]

Continued from here.

= = =

His pick is less of a restaurant chain and more of a smaller business: a cozy French cafe adjacent to a specialty market, far from being chic or trendy yet modern enough to encourage a variety of guests to visit. Doors are pulled open to let the outside in, or vice-versa, its covered patio seating and its brightly painted interior meeting each other halfway in the square footage it occupies.

"The reviews are always mixed, but the locals know better," Klement mentions as they're shown a table somewhere in between. He wears another suit, yes, but it's dressed down from his normal business attire: a knit sweater and jeans replace two out of the three pieces he wears, with no tie in sight to secure the collar of his shirt.

Sitting down, he gently pushes one of the menus across the table to Lucas. "I myself have tried this place a few times before and have never once been disappointed. So I hope your dining experience also goes well today."

Comments

[woocas]

Believe it or not, Lucas can listen as well as he is able to blather on and he’s doubly glad to listen in this case. Sometimes that’s all someone needs is a friendly ear and someone patient enough to lend it.

“Oh, gosh, uh. Almost two years now, I’m still pretty green, actually!” Lucas remarks with a bright smile.

“But I guess it helps that I sort of grew up in the office. Well, I visited a lot. My Mom really wanted me to go into anything else for my own sake, but I couldn’t stay away. It’s hard to when just about every day I run into a spirit or something odd going on.” So he does come across like an old hat at it all, but really he’s still new enough not to have been worn down by excessive paperwork and the trappings of how IOPSA expects their casework to unfold.

“That and the Academy trains you up pretty well.” He chuckles, shaking his head slightly. “You should have seen how I botched my first case without any training wheels on, honestly. Like, I really couldn’t have messed it up more aside from running the ghosts into the resident demon...Whew. But! We did go back and get things sorted, it just took about a year.

The best part is...the families, honestly. It’s hard talking to them, especially if it’s a missing persons case or something like that, but giving them some closure is. Important. Really important, I think. So it’s a job worth doing, you know?”

[judging_eyes]

Two years may seem short, but it becomes the foundation in building a longer path of experience.

Klement finds Lucas' choice interesting – the Medium's history runs far deeper than he originally assumes, which makes sense when his mother was originally involved in the work long before then.

"Not every first mission goes smoothly," he commiserates. Messing up can make or break a person's career. He's lived through it. He's seen others go through similar experiences and has seen the effects thereafter. "It is good you were eventually able to resolve the problem. Demons, indeed..."

Demons are a whole 'nother ballgame. It's better he doesn't think too much about it.

Thankfully Lucas continues, crossing into familiar territory. A different perspective. It's here the Antiquary's expression shifts, albeit slightly – the smile still holds, but tinged with sadness. "...Yes. I believe I understand.

"Not everyone can do the job you are providing, Lucas, and those who are able to have such closure are fortunate to have had you speak with them."

[woocas]

Two years feels incredibly short, even now with the chance to look back. He appreciates those experiences, but there was so much that couldn't be fit into a classroom. Half of learning is doing. Right?

"Sounds like you're speaking from experience?" Not even a demigod is immune to being a greenhorn, huh?" It makes sense in an odd sort of way. The first thing that springs to mind about any sort of god or goddess is some supreme all-knowing being. Everyone has to start somewhere.

"Well, I'd like to think if people had the means they could, but I won the lotto on these abilities, I guess." Lucas tries to temper that praise a little out of sheer habit, a reflex born out of the need to fit in. "Might as well do something useful with them. But, I guess we're kind of in the same business sometimes, so if you ever need a helping hand...?"

Count Lucas in.

[judging_eyes]

Klement inclines his head. "Yes. It was a very confusing time," he admits with a chuckle. "My father dropped the information on me like it was normal. I did not have time to fully process what he had said until weeks after I had done several trial runs."

He still remembers it well: the floundering between the mundane and the phenomenal; the slightest bit of instruction on the abilities he gained, brief and brisk and nearly non-existent until he's had a chance to fail at it; handling difficult tasks he had very little time to prepare for.

"I was still under some form of supervision at least, but dear lord," he adds with a light gesture, dismissing the thoughts just as quickly as they first appeared.

But he studies the Medium, noticing the way he takes compliments. At a glance, Lucas is a man who's just getting by – easy to amuse and amaze perhaps, but doesn't try to take credit or let him ego become inflated. To fully understand how Lucas operates, he'll need to see how he actually does out in the field.

And such an opportunity crosses his path when he willingly offers his help.

"Joining forces, you mean?" The smile comes through again, its meaning unknown at first. Then, it softens. "...I see what you mean. I do not see why not."

[woocas]

"Man, I feel you." Lucas remembers well feeling like he was drowning at first. The avalanche of work was more than the Academy could truly prepare him for, but after awhile you sink...or swim. Right now he's doing more swimming than sinking, even if he still manages to go under.

He nervously picks at his food some more, hoping that the offer isn't overstepping anything. Is it taboo to team up with a demigod? Who cares, as long as Klement is cool with it.

"Yeah!" He replies too quickly, perking up in his seat. "...Wait, really?"

Honestly, he expected to be gently rebuffed, but this is way better! "I mean, I'm definitely curious what kinds of things you have to deal with and if I can help out, why not?"

[judging_eyes]

The reaction earns Lucas something akin to a chortle.

"Yes, really," Klement replies. "Some of it you may find familiar, given your background. Others will give you a chance to, how you say, stretch your legs. Perhaps see something new."

And maybe a field trip to a warehouse. Who knows.

"To be honest, the more I think about it, the more I am looking forward to it."

[woocas]

Lucas peeks up in his seat even more, leaning forward with an eager smile. "I'm always up for seeing something new."

What could it be? His mind is instantly filled with images of mystical locations while knowing full well that is probably furthest from the truth. Hollywood does the same thing glorifying his job in ways that Lucas wishes was actually true.

"Good, me too. Just let me know when and I am so there," Doesn't matter how he has to change the schedule, he's not missing this chance! "And if you want to drop in and see how we do things, you're always welcome at my office. Okay?"

[judging_eyes]

Good ol' Hollywood expectations. Disappointment is a natural occurrence, but there can be a form of glamour in what is considered mundane in their line of work.

Klement nods. "A fair trade," he says. It only feels right to offer his hand to seal the deal. "I rather like this arrangement very much."