Interrupting the quiet

[Damion Rayt]

It was boring today, so boring in fact that Damion had actually left the confines of his room without someone goading him to do so. He'd even cut his nap short! Miracles never cease it seemed. Seeing as he hadn't socialized in a few days and thus hadn't had his daily does of human interaction he decided to make his way out of doors and into the great cold wonderland of a vermont winter day. He was dressed simply as was the usual, a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt under a plain navy blue hoodie. His dark hair was spiked up somewhat messily, as if he'd just awoken from a nap, and what do you know he had! Still, the day was nicer then it had been in awhile, fairly warm and clear skies. Perfect for the Alaskan to enjoy a day out and about with others. His sneakers were untied still as he stepped out of the dorms into the courtyard, bored blue eyes glancing around before he noticed a bookworm off to one side. Reading! Oh joy!

A smirk crossed his features as the feline shapeshifter slunk closer, keeping as quiet as was possible as he approached the boy. Hands were shoved in his pockets as he came to stand behind the boy, glancing over his shoulder. Silently curious, Damion tried to read over his shoulder but honestly, he wasn't all that interested in what was going on in the book so his eyes went to the boy. Eyes inspected his blonde hair before focusing on his face, certainly a cutie. Smiling to himself, Damion straightened up so as to not look like a creeper before shifting his feet to make the snow squeak and reveal he was there. "Hey." The tone was friendly enough, but for one who didn't talk over much it was more then was expected right off the bat.

[Andreas Ivaring]

Andreas was indeed a bookworm. When the weather was crappy like this, he liked to sit outside and either make edits to his journal, or read books. Currently, it was Caesar. The last thing he'd expected was to be interrupted. Most of the people in this school learned a thing or two about him. One of those things, for whatever reason, was to avoid him. So, unless people either didn't know, or thought they were amazing bullies, they'd leave him be.

This guy was new to him. He'd never seen him before. Probably a recent manifestation, or something. So, what he was doing was finding the moment to find conversation. Funnily enough, despite his looks, that was never something Andreas even thought about right off the bat. Looks weren't important to him since it seemed like anyone who cared about them first were assholes that he didn't like to associate it.

Well, whatever. He was going to be conversational. No reason not to be. He scooted over on the bench, in case he'd wanted to sit. "Afternoon." He'd be a pretty decent minion, too, if push came to shove. Pretty decent body for it, and if he was so lonely as to strike conversation with Andreas first... Well, only time would tel.

[Damion Rayt]

Damion raised one brow ever so slightly when the boy shifted over on the seat, shrugging and taking a seat himself. It was only polite since he'd moved over for him after all, and one thing Damion was is polite. Usually. Making himself comfortable, the shapeshifter tossed one arm over the back of the bench and leaned his head down to try and look the boy in the face, trying to get a read on the other's personality from how he held himself, but he really got not much from Andreas. Still, that wasn't enough to slow him down and he smiled a bit crookedly before speaking again.

"Haven't seen you around. I'm Damion." Extending one hand to the other, he tried to look as friendly as possible. Some people had been intimidated by him in the past, usually when he'd been shifted for awhile and so cat logic was first and fore in his mind. As he hadn't shifted recently he was free to be his somewhat open and charming self. He paused and thought back about the rules of home when meeting someone new. Lets see, say hi. Introduce one's self. Make small talk? URG. He hated small talk. But still, rules were ingrained from childhood, thus hard to ignore. "Bit cold out here for reading?" He hadn't meant that to come out as a question. Damn his ineptitude at small talk! Real smooth Damion. You idiot. He sighed mentally at himself, though kept a warm expression on his face outwardly, after all trying to explain why your frowning at yourself is a bit of a hassle.

[Andreas Ivaring]

He only shifted his glance slightly towards the other. Whatever was within that book seemed to captivate him a bit more. With pale, chilled hands, he'd flip the pages. For someone whose bones felt like ice, he was more than able to hold the book steady. So was it a little bit cold out here for reading? Well, despite the fact that he asked it in the most ridiculous way he'd ever heard, yes. He could already guess that this wasn't the most book-smart person in the entire universe.

Andreas loved the cold. He always did. And, instead of being a douche and attributing it to his 'Norwegian past', he rather just admitted that it's how he liked to live. He was in California for so long, so experiencing it in this way really made his body and mind even out, even if he had to wear apparel that was a bit heavier. He reached over and shook his hand. Whatever, it was a formality.

"Andreas. And I could ask you if it's too cold to be roaming around." He could never help but have that 'armor piercing' part of his tone. It wasn't always mean, but it seemed like he liked to put people on the spot. "So, is it?" He took his glance off of the pages of Caesar, not yet slipping in the silken bookmark.

[Damion Rayt]

He made note of the boy's name, thinking it should be a fairly simple one to remember. Shaking the other's hand firmly he'd incline his head politely. "Nice to meet you Andreas." His response was was friendly and he did his best to NOT look and act like a brainless jerk. He really was pretty intelligent, he just had terrible practice in conversation. He blinked at the turn around of his sorta question, and at the rather pointed tone, and tried not to look put on the spot, failing momentarily as a confused glance caught him off guard. "Well, it's really not so cold here to me. Growing up in Alaska kinda makes cold a relative thing." He answered smoothly. He'd noticed how the boy's hands seemed like ice in his grip during the handshake and he dug in his pockets, damn it he left his gloves back in his room. He didn't really need them and only kept them since his grandmama got them for him. He rested his elbows on his knees, lifting one brow and trying to catch the boy's gaze with his own ice colored eyes.

"So what are you reading?" He asked innocently, the other probably thought he was a moron. And to be honest, complex books weren't really his thing, but Andreas was interesting. The fact that he barely paid him any attention was enough to perk his interest more and he made more of an attempt to be conversational. Truth be told he wasn't sure what would impress this guy except maybe a huge literary arsonal, which he really wasn't prepared to give.

[Andreas Ivaring]

"Alaska." He nodded. "Well, I think you moved from one empty hellhole to another. I'm from California. One of those crappy neighborhoods that's just barely out of the definition of 'ghetto'." He stifled a chuckle, slipping the silk bookmark in to the current page, closing the book. Well, if anything, this guy was persistent. God, he had to be so lonely or something. And really, he couldn't quite explain why he felt like conversing. One could only sit with a book for so long before going insane. Even /he/ had to have conversation, despite the fact that he didn't think so.

Andreas turned the cover to him. "Caesar, covering Gaius Julius and his whole legacy, et cetera." Rome was an interesting period of time to him. It was really funny how they, as the progenitors to Medieval society, got to witness such a collapse of civility. The Dark Ages could have been wholly avoided if it weren't for the likes of his very base roots, which went very far back in time. Probably explained the fact that he was a meta at all.

"So, I'm going to take a big shot in the dark and assume you're very bored. And I'm also going to guess that small talk is something you aren't good at." He picked up on that nervousness right away, that unsure feeling he was experiencing.

[Damion Rayt]

Damion chuckled at the verbage, sure Alaska wasn't exactly full of bustling cities of hundreds of thousands of people, but he wouldn't exactly call it a hell hole. He preferred the "charmingly rustic" but he could see how some people would think it was hellish. He perked slightly at the California quip, having never had much desire to go there but knowing that it was usually a pretty good touristy spot with all the sights and the like.

"You don't seem like the "ghetto" type to me." He responded offhandedly, "As for the barren tundra of Alaska, there is a lot to do if you know where to look or who to talk to. We even get cruises up there from time to time." He shrugged slightly, this was really the most he'd spoken in weeks and he was a bit surprised at himself. The contents of the books weren't really of much interest to him, though he did like fiction war books that centered around those timeframes, they tended to show the more creative side of war and that was interesting to him. Still, he wasn't sure if this was a purely informational book or if it had a bit of flavor to it so he gave it the benefit of the doubt and hoped it was based on more of a storytelling view rather then a purely factual one. "Rome is an interesting place full of deep historical roots. It's hard to not find it of interest." He nodded his head slightly and reached down to tie one of his still yet untied sneakers. He looked up when he mentioned how bored he must be and blinked a bit.

"Well, to say I'm not bored would be a lie, and I try not to do that." He smiled and shruged his shoulders, tying the other shoe and sitting back up. "And even I can only stay holed up in my room for so long before I go stir crazy." A chuckle and he brushed his fingers through his messy hair. The second part got a laugh from him, even that sounded a bit rusty. "Got me. I usually don't talk much... easier to let others do that. Though you seem much better at it then I."

[Andreas Ivaring]

"I'm really not." He replied, honestly. "I just don't try to initiate small talk. It's /always/ the worst if you're the first one to go for it. Keep that in mind." He hated it, it was like, why even pretend to talk to someone about things that you didn't give a damn about. No, nobody cared how the weather was, or how people were taking it, unless they were already close.

He had to be a little impressed when he mentioned some understanding of Rome. Though he wasn't sure how deep it was, it tended to be one of those things that people pretended was the greatest thing on Earth and that modern society should go back to it. They were usually an immature teen if they thought that. And then, there was those people who just didn't give a damn about, since they lived glued to their cell phones. "Yeah, it's amazing how much evolution it's gone through over the years. From the SPQR, to the Papacy, and there on in." He wanted to visit there, some day. A secret desire of sorts. "And thanks, I'm glad to know I don't look like I pack a gun or a baggie of drugs." He rolled his eyes, but he clearly took it nicely.

"I've never really heard anything interesting about Alaska before. Sarah Palin lives there, ooh." He joked. "I think it's one of those places that's more beneficial for your average outdoorsy guy or gal. I'm not one of them. My definition of camping is in an RV with a book."

[Damion Rayt]

At the admission Damion allowed a bit of disbelief to cross his features by way of raised eyebrows, Andreas just seemed much better at it then the russian was. Still, who was he to disagree? "Well at least I didn't ask your opinion on the weather. I guess that's one point for me." He grinned at the other boy and winked. Just testing the waters really. As they continued the conversation of Rome Damion had to nod his head slightly, he didn't know much about the politics of Rome, more about the mechanizations of war that they practiced. He relaxed against the bench, once again resting one arm on the back of it. "While I won't admit to knowing much about the politics of Rome aside from the building of the empire, I do know a thing or two about their military and conquests. Reading up on the rise and fall of different militarizes in history is kinda my thing." He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, he didn't want Andreas to think he was some brute, he just loved the strategy that had to be employed in past centuries. He was forced to cringe when the joke about Palin came out, he disliked her... She showed off the worst of what Alaska was.

"Yeah... her." He frowned slightly and shook his head. "Sadly there are people like her up there, but not so many as you'd think. Most of us are normal." He chuckled at the end and shrugged slightly. "I'm not much for extreme heat so I can actually get out and about up there most of the year... But you're right. It does fairly cater to the outdoorsy types." He nodded his head and hrmed. "What part of California are you from?" He knew north Cali and south Cali were very different and he didn't want to assume either way. He was interested in the standoffish boy, and while that wasn't terribly uncommon he wanted to see if he could learn more without too much prodding.

[Andreas Ivaring]

He found his -- well, whatever he could call them, advances, probably, to be strange. He wasn't a flirty type. Mostly because he figured nobody would ever flirt with him. He had that reputation. Everyone looked at him with disdain, usually followed it up with a groan, or a sentence of disapproval. No, for now, he just regarded those with stiffness in his neck, avoiding that 'clearly awkward chuckle' that so many did when there was something that unsettled them a little bit. He just kept his mind on the current conversation.

"Yeah, I figured. There can't be too many whackjobs. All I know is, I have a cousin who would pull jobs up there. Like, fishing and shipyard stuff. I figured he was crazy, at first. But then you totally see the money they rake in for doing things like that. If you ask me, people are way too soft when it comes to getting a little bit of slush on their hands."

He shrugged. "Rome's military and conquering scheme was cool. Unique, too. Able to roll in the fighting styles and organizational differences in to a master system without paying loads of denarii in mercenary fees. If you ask me, they were geniuses. Their downfall for being too big was just inevitable."

And there it went, the conversation turned to him. He was being friendly enough with Damion, already. Why not indulge him? "SoCal, Los Angeles, to be exact. It was basically the best place for a single dad to go at the time. Have you ever been, or was it Alaska all your life?"

[Damion Rayt]

Damion found the lack of response, positive or negative, a bit strange. Usually if someone didn't want him flirting with them, he'd have found out by now, or if they did they'd flirt back. Intrigue came to the fore and he leaned slightly towards the other boy, not wanting to seem too forward but clearly interest was starting to claw at the back of his mind. Andreas was a puzzle box, one he was committing himself to figuring out.

"Yeah, the money up there is amazing, there is very little 'lower class' up there, most of the residents have taken up lucrative jobs in banking, shipping, or fishing." He nodded his head. He didn't want to go into his family's relative well off status because it would seem like bragging and he really wasn't the type. Seemed pretty much a jerk move to rub your money in other people's faces. His head tilted slightly at the other boy and he flashed just the tiniest smile. "The sledding up there is amazing too." He shuddered when he remembered that most of the sledding was by dogs, though reindeer were used as well, and he'd been forced to stick to that due to... circumstances. He was just glad there were no canines on campus that he'd seen.

"The phrase 'too big to fail' certainly didn't exist then, that's for sure." He agreed, "They stretched themselves too thin and infighting was bound to happen." He knew a little that seemed certain, though he was about at his limits in that category for the time, he would have to brush up to remain interesting to the blonde at this rate.

"Ah Southern Cali, where it's most of the time and you get lots of earthquakes." He chuckled. "No, I've never been. I've been to Massachusetts a few times, and Russia for family reunions more times then I can count. Having foreign relatives comes in handy sometimes." He laughed a bit at the last. "Though I'd be interested to go there someday, see what it's like... new experiences are nice now and then." He pondered for a moment before returning the question. "Have you ever traveled?"

[Andreas Ivaring]

"The most traveling I've done is around the state. I went to Disneyland once with one of my Aunts who was just in from Oslo. She wanted to see the sights, and I was basically tagged with her for a day." It was a sort of reminiscing that nearly brought a smile to his face. He was too young at the time, when his hair was kept short and his main concerns were who he was going to get in trouble at the elementary school. And to think that it was so long ago.

"But other than that, no. I kind of want to. Places that aren't so Americanized. I'm around it all the time, and I'm immensely more interested in the Latino culture that I had seen at Middle School before manifesting and coming here." He didn't really call himself Anti-American, but there wasn't so much standardized culture, to speak of. At least, not in his opinion. A lot of the things were lifted from other places, due to how old the country was. "I guess I just never had that opportunity, though."

He wasn't one that liked these sorts of conversations, when they turned on him and himself. Andreas was a prideful person. He had pride for himself, and his father, who faced such adversity. As a result, he'd never be one to admit flaws, or admit them in the hopes that someone would take pity or 'awww'. If there was one thing he hated most of all, it was condescension.

But, Damion seemed like a pretty okay guy to say it to. To admit something. For once in his life he could actually just pass something off in casual conversation that, while it seemed so small, was actually a really big obstacle for him to overcome.

"We could barely afford the gas to NorCal and back. And that was after a few months of saving." Poor, Andreas didn't like that reality. His father could barely support him here. It was why he wore plain white tees most of the time. It's why he actually liked places like the library, and the cafeteria.

[Damion Rayt]

One thing Damion had not done is the theme park scene, it had just never been something his family had much interest in as a rule, though the shapeshifter had to admit the thought was tempting. He had no aversion to heights, in fact he rather liked the thrill, but that may be the cat in him talking. "I've never been to a theme park... my family always did the 'historical family story' route on any trips we took. Even the Massachusetts trip had been mostly museums and wandering the old sections of Boston." He sighed almost wistfully.

"I've heard Hawaii has a lot of culture, but that might be just the tourist traps talking." He offered, after all not everyone could travel out of the states. And Puerto Rico is suppose to be really nice." He smiled a bit. Russia was mostly just cold.... and drunk. Very drunk. He supposed there were interesting places to go... some of the abandoned cities were said to be eerie and full of history. Then there was always the domestic fox farm that was doing research on domestication and nurture vs nature. However, the nature of the boy's revelation of not traveling and being relatively middle to middle lower class was not lost on the boy and he nodded respectfully. Even though his parents had money he was brought up to never think himself better then anyone else, in fact he respected those who had it harder then he did because of it. "Travel can be a lot of hassle though, passports, baggage claims, airports in general." He grumped and shook his head.

"I think that makes you appreciate the trips more honestly, if you travel just because you can whenever you want, then you don't get the experience it can give." He offered. That was something his Grandfather had said before he died, of course it had to be translated from Russian but the jest was the same. "Nothing wrong with that, at least not in my opinion. Those who think otherwise are a bit too stuck up for my tastes." He nodded and folded his arms, completely invested in the statement.

[Andreas Ivaring]

It was funny, were his family a bit better on the money side of things, he totally would have gone to museums too. But, instead, most everything he did regarding his own family was independent. The historical nerd in him liked to figure all of these things out. At least then he could say he came from something great, have a bit of pride in where he came from, and where he was now, even if that was at the bottom of a capitalist ladder.

"Exciting stuff." He half-joked, art in museums was pretty nice, but the droll tour guides and way-too-pumped voice recordings really would destroy any experience for him. "I can't say my family's ever done that, but I did some looking, and it goes back to around 800, the year. 865 was when it started to become something a lot more noteworthy. I dunno, I think researching that is pretty fun, so I wouldn't knock that as a family trip."

Hawai'i was something he was way more cynical about, ever since it became a state, from what he heard at least, the Polynesian culture was smashed to pieces. "I wouldn't want to go to Hawai'i if I wanted to experience Polynesian culture. Maybe one of the other islands, or hell, Micronesia. But then all of the comforts are totally gone." It didn't bear re-iteration that he was /not/ a roughneck outdoorsy type.

"But I do get your point, and-- well, I honestly appreciate the sentiment." It was a positive response, a non-vague positive response to the things that Damion was saying. Maybe this was the start of getting somewhere, after all.

[Damion Rayt]

At the partial jest Damion smirked crookedly, he may not be the greatest conversationalist but if he could get someone who didn't seem all that outgoing to crack jokes then maybe he was doing alright. The museums were interesting in their own way, though as a kid he would have much rather done the amusement part route. It didn't bother him so much now a days, in fact sometimes there was some really interesting things to see. "It wasn't a terrible family outing, but the level of fun was somewhat hindered." He chuckled and relaxed in the seat. The topic shifted to the travel portion again and Damion was inclined to agree, though he had to think that seeing the black sand beaches would be interesting. "I'm not against roughing it a bit, but I do enjoy some of the luxuries of civilization. Namely plumbing and electricity." He smirked a bit, his easy going nature pushing through a bit more. He could tell Andreas was the 'stay at home with a book' type and that was fine, it wasn't like Damion wanted to drag the kid out camping in the tundra, it was just nice to talk to someone.

The appreciative comment caught him a little off guard and he blinked a few times, glancing over at Andreas with his ice colored eyes. He didn't think the other boy was the type to just hand out positive statements and so it took him a moment to process before he smiled and nodded his head a bit. "I may not be a fountain of interesting conversation." Boy was that an understatement. "But I'm glad we can see eye to eye on a few things. S'how friendships start right?" A bright smile from the dark haired boy and he hung his elbows over the back of the bench.