|
|
Post by Arabella Gladstone on Aug 18, 2011 19:30:44 GMT -5
 ]
Arabella was annoyed at the situation. She had been waiting for days, weeks even. The person she was seeking had been away for so long. She was a researcher, so it was to be expected. Arabella was reasonable and patient, she could manage the wait. It annoyed her because of the costs it uncured. She couldn’t plan her meeting until she knew when the researcher would be back, meaning she couldn’t schedule a time for it. The woman in question was rather hard to contact, she moved around a lot and was constantly in the field researching. To keep a track on her Arabella had sent a spy to tail her. She didn’t know whether he had inserted himself into the expedition or had merely followed them, it didn’t matter to her. He was good enough to get the job done, as he demonstrated when he returned to her with news that the expedition was on its way back from wherever it had been. She had reassigned the man and set off immediately to the researcher’s office. She doubted the woman would remain there long, and so she wanted to be there ahead of her, so there was no chance of her getting away. Luckily she hadn’t had to break off any important plans to make this meeting; that would have been bothersome. She wasn’t about to detain or kidnap the researcher, she wanted to discuss business with her, and wasn’t in the habit of incarcerating business partners.
The biggest loss was the information the spy had been unable to gain while assigned out of town. She didn’t like to waste her men, and anyone who wasn’t investigating enemies or civil unrest was being wasted. Still, she had been trying to pin down this woman for a good while, she wasn’t going to miss this opportunity. Leaving her residence, she was taken to the office of Dr. Louise Bantam. Upon leaving her carriage, she instructed the driver to move away, she didn’t want a government marked vehicle parked outside, it might deter her from entering. Arabella had heard about the government’s previous attempts to coerce Bantam into joining their research division. It was a shame she had never taken them up on their offers, she would be a great asset. Still, that was part of the reason Arabella was here.
Entering the building, Arabella has little trouble finding the office. She is helped by the odd person or two, some of whom recognize her. Being a public figure has both advantages and disadvantages. One of the positives was that people didn’t often question your actions. Before too long she was inside Dr. Bantam’s office. She wasn’t sure how the woman would take to someone inside her office uninvited and, probably, unwanted, but it mattered little, Arabella would have what she wanted either way, even if she had to twist things to make them work out. The office was reasonably sized, but appeared cluttered and messy. It wasn’t surprising, great minds were often too busy to focus on being tidy. The doctor almost certainly knew where everything important was, and everything else was just not worth throwing away. Perching herself on the edge of a chair on one side of the cluttered desk, Arabella waited. It shouldn’t be too long before the woman she was after returned.
[/size][/center]
Tagged: Dr. Bantam Words: 556 Note: Hope it’s ok, I left it loose and vague-ish, is that alright? |
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Louise Bantam on Aug 19, 2011 14:40:35 GMT -5
Louise let a breath out slowly. It felt odd, as it always did, to be back in the crowded streets of civilization. It wasn't that she really disliked being back- it was just that people weren't nearly as interesting as the plethora of strange creatures and plant life from which she had been dragged away. Oh, all right, not dragged; the expedition's parameters had technically been fulfilled, and the team leader had decided to pull out. Louise had wanted to stay longer, to observe more, to gather more conclusive data, but Hector Bachman was not the sort of leader to hang around when he had achieved his ends. She had been overruled without so much as a discussion.
It made Louise fume sometimes; how could a man dedicate his life to science, but still be satisfied with such meager results?
Still, the expedition had technically been a success. The team had located the new species they had been sent to verify, and had spent a good month observing it. They had then taken a specimen, which the lab would be processing even now. Tentatively called a sophonax, it was the closest thing found thus far to the earth frog. It was amphibious, and its skin was coated in a toxic slime. The research expedition hoped that the strange compounds in its skin could hold clues for new medicines. Also collected was an odd blue flower which caused temporary paralysis upon contact. It showed promise for use as a local anaesthetic, but only testing would show if it would be viable.
Louise had been convinced that since they had made one promising and unexpected find, others might be lurking right around the corner. She was never the type to say, "let's quit while we're ahead." Had she been the head of the expedition, she would still be in the field now. However, Bachman had wanted to get the samples back to the lab as soon as possible.
Anderson, one of the junior members of the expedition, had seemed in an odd sort of hurry as well. Louise hadn't taken much notice of him, other than to note that for some reason she didn't seem to trust him. He did his work well, though, so she had no cause to complain about him. Come to think of it, he had slunk off not long after their return- Louise had no idea where he had gone.
Since she was forced to return, Louise made a point to call upon her mother as soon as the opportunity arose. She spent about a day in her childhood home, simply enjoying her mother's company and catching up on everything that had happened in her two-month absence. Not much, as it turned out, so Louise saw no cause to further put off her return to her office.
She didn't often use her office; it served more as a library of past research than as a place to conduct her work. However, until she could arrange her next foray into the wilds she would have to get used to a more regular work schedule. So, suppressing a grimace, she found herself inside the building.
Had she been more observant of her surroundings, Louise probably would have sensed that something was off. However, she was far more attuned to the natural world than to her own species, and completely failed to notice the whispers and furtive glances of her colleagues. As such, when she saw that her office door was actually ajar, she was taken somewhat aback. She barely used the place, after all, and unless it was being cleaned nobody else bothered to go in at all. Perhaps whoever it was had mistaken her office for somebody else's. Considering the lack of nameplates, it was entirely possible.
She drew the door back, reassured by this line of thought, and entered the room. "Hello." she said breezily, noticing the woman sitting in front of her desk. Taken aback or not, it took quite a bit to dispel the "absent-minded professor" air that surrounded Louise. She walked around the side of the desk, sticking her latest folder of notes in the logical place. (That she considered putting it in the middle of what looked like a completely haphazard pile of files logical was another matter entirely, even without the coffee mug on top of the stack.)
Noticing that the woman had made no move to leave, Louise realized that her first assumption had been wrong. "Can I help you?" she asked, still rummaging through her papers.
-------
Tag: Arabella
Word Count: 760
Notes: No worries, it worked out great!
|
|
|
|
Post by Arabella Gladstone on Aug 21, 2011 18:33:04 GMT -5
]
Arabella already knew what she was going to say to Dr. Bantam when she arrived. Yet still, she rehearsed in her head while she waited. She explored possible answers and reactions to everything she said. It wouldn’t do to just barrel in there with questions and requests, they would likely be flat out denied. If that happened the doctor would be much less likely to warm to her at all. She would have to take it slow, avoid anything involving the government for as long as she could. She might even avoid talking about them at all, manipulate her words in such a way that she would agree to working for them without even realizing it. Of course that objective was secondary. What she really wanted was another tutor. One her father didn’t keep on his payroll. There was nothing wrong with the men and women he had provided to teach her, they were exceptional, most the best in their fields, but they were still his. She wanted to move on from him, become her own woman. Her father would almost certainly be keeping tabs on Bantam already, given her potential usefulness. If he wasn’t he surely would when he found out Arabella had visited her. The young woman knew her father tailed her actions. Even now there was probably someone skulking around, watching the building, maybe her transportation.
It didn’t matter what her father did though, Arabella would have this researcher for herself, and if she was lucky the government would gain another pawn for its own ends. Convince her that she was working for her own goals and she would do whatever Arabella wished of her. Still, she was likely no fool, and it would not be as simple as pointing her in the right direction and giving the command to go. She would have to be gentle, delicate, avoid rushing in to things. Come to her as an eager student, not a government official, and things would to a lot smoother. Become a friend rather than an employer. Insert yourself into their life and redirect it gently.
Even though she was quite sure her information was accurate, it still took a while for the researcher to appear. Other people passed by the room, and the sound of their shoes alerted Arabella to prepare herself slightly for the researcher’s appearance. She made no physical change, stayed sat in the same position; straight back, hands folded in her lap. She did not experience any anxiety or apprehension, merely a sense of readiness. She double checked that everything was ready in her head, confirmed that they were, and waited as the footsteps passed. She was not disappointed, she just sat and waited. And eventually she came.
The woman entered the room, greeting her pleasantly and continued about what she was doing, adding more to the chaos. How old was that coffee mug? The woman had been away for months. There was probably a whole new ecosystem for the doctor to explore in the bottom of that mug. Dr. Bantam didn’t seem to recognize her. That could be beneficial. Some knew her looks from her public appearances, some didn’t. It sometimes helped if they knew, sometimes made things more difficult. But the way the doctor reacted it was like she hadn’t even registered her presence entirely. She seemed to notice a person and act accordingly, not realizing that the person was not meant to be there. Arabella made no move, just sat, giving a small smile when she was greeted. After a few moments though, the other woman seemed to realize that the person sat in front of her desk was here for a reason.
Arabella stood slowly, gracefully, making sure her dress wasn’t creased. It was simple, blue, and made her look younger than she would normally like. In this case it could help, though. Standing on front of the doctor, hands gently clasped behind her back, Arabella gave a slightly more emotive smile at the woman before speaking. She knew how to move the muscles in her face to simulate a genuine smile, she had taken such lessons for years. ”Good afternoon Dr. Bantam. It’s lovely to meet you. My name is Arabella Gladstone. I was wondering if we could have a little chat.” She spoke pleasantly, her accent pure and refined as it always was. It helped to put the common folk at ease. A promise of salvation meant that much more coming from someone who sounded of a higher class. She had taken a little gamble using her last name. Even if the professor didn’t know her personally, she was quite likely to know the name of her father, one of the council. It probably wouldn’t matter too much, but to Arabella these events needed to be perfect. Even the slightest comment could change Bantam’s view on her, which could affect the outcome of the conversation. Everything must be done to ensure the correct outcome, there was no reason to risk things ending wrongly.
[/size][/center]
Tagged: Dr. Bantam Words: 837 Note: Coolie, liked your post! (also worked out that Bantam is an anagram of Batman) |
|
