Picking Pockets [Open]

[Nathaniel Essex]

Sinister almost wanted to laugh at the girl's excitement upon seeing his hidden pocket. She was such an entertaining creature.
"Very well, good sir. You win this time. However, now I know your secret." Sinister turned away at those words. ~Sweet, oblivious child, you know nothing of my secrets.~[/color] He replied mentally. As Tesser went about ordering her food Dr. Essex thought on what she might do if she were ever to discover who...no, what he was. At the very least she would flee from him. She would probably scream, maybe yell for someone to rescue her, possibly cry, and she would run--she would run for everything she was worth. Such thoughts usually brought a chilling grin to Nathaniel's face, but not this time. Why? Why did he feel this way with this girl? What was it about her that gentled this man that even heroes feared? How was she able to calm the madness within this villain they called Mister Sinister?

The two started walking again, and Essex pushed the thoughts from his mind. It wasn't hard to do; he merely needed to turn his attention to Tesser, who was enjoying her food to a shocking degree. ~Interesting girl.~[/color] He thought to himself, and then turned his eyes back to what lay before him.
"Where do you live?" She finally asked. Sinister had wondered when she would inquire about the location of his domain.
"Oh, here and there." He said with a slight grin. The two were now nearing a tall building that looked something like a smaller version of the Jewelers' Building. Its fine white stones were dingy from age, and the many large windows were in need of a good cleaning. The place was four stories tall if you included the attic, and sat on the corner of an intersection. The front doors were grand, standing at about nine feet tall and easily ten feet wide. They had brass handles shaped like snakes going out to the sides and then curling inward. The doors themselves were black.

"Ah. We're here." He said as he came to a stop in front of the mansion. "I'll apologize in advance for the dust. Who's to say whether or not the maids actually kept the place clean in my long absence." Yes, maids. Sinister liked his house to be neat and clean, but he had no time to work on it, especially while he was in prison. Thus, he had some people come in once a week to clean the entire house aside from his private areas where he did his work. He paid them not by the job or the month, but every five years in advance. It wasn't cheap, but it saved time, time that the doctor could spend on far more important things.

[Tesser]

Tesser swallowed a large bite of corndog and jumped up and down in excitement upon the Doctor's answer, "Oh, here and there." "Me Too!" She exclaimed euphorically. Spreading her arms wide as if to encompass the entirety of Chicago's fading dusk, she breathed deeply with something like triumph. "I live everywhere. I've been all over the whole wide world, and one time I even went to Canada!" The child's perception of 'world' was slightly off, as might be expected of one without any formal schooling. "Do you jump trains too, Doctor?" She asked hopefully. "It's my favorite way of traveling! I like the boxcars the best, 'cause sometimes other people ride them, and then they leave messages for me." With a conspiratorial grin, she said in a low voice, "They're in code."

They came at this point to the white building, and before she could register the Doctor's words, she gasped in excitement, pointing to a corner of the building. There in faded red spray paint were two slanted parallel lines. "Look! It's a code sign like I was telling you about! It means 'anything goes' - whoever lives here is a liability and shouldn't be trusted right away, but might still show kindness." She said, quoting the old hobo who had taught her the signs.

Her grin grew even more, however, when she realized that this was their destination! "You've been marked, Doctor! But, I know the truth." Raising her chin in confidence, she strode up the steps, peeking over her shoulder to make sure he was coming. - Sensing some hesitation in him, something held back, she paused and a more serious air fell about her. "Don't worry, we'll forgot in a week - this, all of this - it's just a game. When it's done, you'll put it away, and I'll be in Canada." Smiling softly, she turned to the door.

In a split-second, the strange seriousness had left her and she was tugging on one brass handle with a fervor. She would open the door!

[Nathaniel Essex]

Sinister grinned at the girl's excitement. She was so very odd. It was amusing, really, and quite refreshing in its own strange way. This child clearly had never been given a proper education, as her definition of "whole wide world" was surprisingly exclusive. But, even this brought Nathaniel an unfamiliar sense of happiness. What was this? What was this girl doing to him? Had he felt like this before? Had he even been like this, simply happy? Far too many decades had passed for him to remember clearly.

The street child went on to talk about coded messages, which Dr. Essex didn't really follow. But then she said she saw one, and guided his attention to his very house. His eyes widened in outrage. Someone had vandalized his house! His house! Some fool had spray painted the house of Mister Sinister! Did they have a death wish?

"It means 'anything goes' - whoever lives here is a liability and shouldn't be trusted right away, but might still show kindness."
Nathaniel cast a wary eye upon Tesser. Was this girl insane, incredibly intuitive, or were her words entirely factual?
"You've been marked, Doctor!"
~Yes... Yes I have. In more ways than you may know.~[/color] He responded mentally, but didn't let on that any of this bothered him. That is until the child rushed past him and then spoke in riddles. ~What?~[/color] Was all he could think at first. Usually Essex was good at riddles--he was a genius. However, Tesser's words were nonsensical. What was she talking about? How would she be in Canada in a week and why? And just what was he going to "put away"? For the first time in many years Mister Sinister found himself genuinely confused. "What?" He muttered quietly as he started to approach the girl.

Suddenly he noticed the knob turn and the door begin to open. His eyes widened in fear. ~It's unlocked?~[/color] He was alarmed by this, which was unusual for him. But this simple thing could mean so much more. It could mean that the old locks had simply broken, or it could mean somebody broke in. If somebody broke in, maybe they were still there. If that was the case then... ~The girl...!~[/color] The large man moved swiftly, placing a hand on Tesser's shoulder to stop her from entering. "Wait." He said softly, and then moved inside before her. He glanced about, seeing the place was still clean and well kept. He closed his eyes for a short moment and scanned the house with his telepathy, but found no one.

"I guess they forgot to lock it last time they were here." He thought aloud before turning to Tesser. "I'm sorry. I thought I might have an unwanted guest lurking about. Please, come in." He said with a modest smile.

[Tesser]

Tesser Crowed in delight when the door opened to her pulling. It swung slowly open, old hinges protesting every bit of the way. However, her victory was marred somewhat by the sudden surge of emotion from the man behind her. Before she could move, he slipped forward, putting a hand on her shoulder and keeping her from moving inside. She froze under that hand, holding her breath. There was a moment of silence and she tensed up, preparing to spring to the side should something prove dangerous. His voice was soft when he had told her to wait, but as she surveyed him in that moment, his whole body had gone steely. It was as though he too were preparing himself for an unpleasant surprise. However, Tesser knew instinctively that, though her reaction might be to escape, his would be quite different.

"I guess they forgot to lock it last time they were here." He said a moment later before turning to her with a small smile. Tesser relaxed, breathing out with an exaggerated sigh. "I'm sorry. I thought I might have an unwanted guest lurking about. Please, come in."

Tesser took the invitation gladly, ducking around the doctor's hulking figure and slipping into the entry hall. "Oh ho!" she responded, "And what, pray, am I? A welcome visitor?" Laughing softly to herself as to a private joke, she grinned. "That's a first." There was, however, some small trepidation in her figure, just in case he changed his mind and threw her out.

Dancing around to music she may or may not have actually heard, she smiled contentedly. She liked the smell of the building, the feel of it too. It was clean, but not glaringly so. "It reminds me of a dream." She said dreamily, the hall amplifying her voice slightly. "The kind you have over and over and it doesn't make any sense, but that's okay. And after a while you get to know it so well that you don't even think about it anymore." As she spoke, she slipped into a crevice here or a corner there, inspecting the masonry and furniture. Sneaking around behind the doctor, she continued. "Of course, sooner or later, if you have the same dream over and over again, it turns into a nightmare and then you get eaten!" With this, she jumped out from behind Sinister, hands held like claws and roaring. Her attack, however, fell short and she landed less than gracefully.

She sniffed. "I meant to do that."

The truth was, however, that she had. This man had smiled as they had walked together down the street. It was a nice smile, but Tesser was sure it was rare. She liked it when he smiled. He was sad, and angry, and she thought that maybe he should smile more - so she played around. Besides, her belly was full, she was in a building away from the wind and rain - she could afford to be silly.

[Nathaniel Essex]

Sinister could feel the fear in the girl after he had touched her. The gentle yet firm grasp had come without warning, but also without malice. This was, evidently, something Essex needed practice in. She did, however, seem to recover quite quickly, which was good. She made a little jest about the rarity of her being a welcome guest, and Nathaniel merely broadened his grin ever so slightly.

While Tesser played around a bit Dr. Essex went ahead and started inspecting the room a little. It seemed fairly clean, but not quite as clean as he liked. But, how much can one expect when one doesn't use a residence for multiple years?
The main hall was rather large, easily thirty plus feet across and stretched beyond the wide staircase that went to the second floor. Nearly everything in sight, aside from the chandelier and door handles, was made of dark wood; possibly rosewood or red oak. The banister posts were simple, but elegant, with platinum-coated orbs no larger than half the size of a basket ball atop them. Along the center of the 6-inch wide rail was a 2-inch wide strip of silver that went from the newel posts at the bottom to the banister posts at the top. The stairs themselves were simple, and had a deep red rug in the middle that ran from top to bottom. In the left corner of the room, nearest the entrance, was a wood pedestal with a crystal statue of a woman's outstretched hand with the palm facing skyward. Opposite of this statue, in the other corner, was a crystal statue of a man's hand with the palm facing downward. If the two were brought together it would be revealed that they actually fit together perfectly.
The big chandelier over the center of the room hung high and had five tiers, each one smaller than the last. The actual fixture was white gold-coated metal and was decorated with long and slender crystals.

"It reminds me of a dream." Tesser stated, and Nathaniel couldn't help but feel the same. Just how long had it been since he last used this house? How many years had passed since these wood floors felt the graceful steps of their master?
~...too long.~[/color] Sinister thought to himself. His eyes moved to the double doors on the left as you walk in, and he remembered events long past. The room he stared at was the ballroom, a place he had not been in since... Well, a very long time. As the child spoke of dreams turning to nightmares a dark and gloomy expression took over his features. Did she have any idea the weight of her words? Essex wondered. Then, with a single, and rather clumsy action, she brought a grin to his face again. ~What incredible power you have, Tesser. You don't even realize... You must be something astounding if you can make an old, soulless man like me smile again. Yes...~ Sinister released a light chuckle as he watched the girl. "You're something else."

"Well, Ms. Tesser, would you like a tour? Or, would you prefer to explore the manor informally?" He asked kindly, bending down a little to bring himself closer to her level.

[Tesser]

Tesser left the man some room as he surveyed the hall. He seemed lost in thought and Tesser allowed him his space. Thought was a precious thing, and memory more so. She stepped lightly onto the red carpet, wiggling her toes in the thick material. The a moment later she had leaped next to the statue of the woman. It took her only a couple moments to discern her relation to the other statue of the man. "I wonder if they miss each other." She mused softly to herself, not used to spending prolonged periods of time with other people.

When the man laughed at her antics, Tesser swelled somewhat. It was a new feeling that, though it may be common among others, was completely new a euphoric to her. The feeling of achieving a purpose. Of setting out to do something, and doing it well. It had never struck Tesser that she had anything she could do, and was happy to live life for the moment. However, more and more she was becoming set in the notion that she had to make her Doctor smile more.

Her Doctor. Somehow, unconsciously, he had become hers. A part of her that thought more coherently than the rest wondered if he would be angry if he found out.

He knelt a little and addressed her kindly. Tesser, unafraid, walked right up to him and smiled happily. Slipping a hand incautiously into his own massive one, she stood next to him contentedly. To be honest, she couldn't care much where he took her.

"Take me wherever you wish." She said in a carefree tone, waving her hand in a gesture reminiscent of a queen's dismissal. The drama of the moment however, was ruined a little by a chuckle shaking her small frame a moment later. "Mister doctor."

[Nathaniel Essex]

Nathaniel found himself shocked when the child so carelessly slipped her hand into his... His hand that had cause so much agony over the years. So many lives had been ended or ruined by the hand she touched without fear. His hands were dirty, but she didn't notice, she couldn't see the blood. No... These were not the hands of Mister Sinister, they were the hands of a gentle doctor. "Mister doctor." Essex smiled again upon hearing those words, and then rose back to his full height.

"Very well." He said, and then slowly started toward the double doors on the right side of the room. "This room we are in now is the main hall. The ceiling goes up to the attic level of the house, and from it hangs a five tiered chandelier decorated with cut crystals." He said in a rather tour guide manner before opening the double doors. "In here we have the small, or informal, dining room." The doors opened wide revealing another wood room with a long table that sat twelve, and around the table were Duncan Phyfe style chairs. The whole dining set was rosewood, and like everything else so far it had a refined and graceful appearance. Several feet above the table was a small, three tiered chandelier that was extremely similar to the one in the main hall. "This is my personal dining area. There is another dining room on the opposite side of the house for more formal dinners with guests."

Though the room seemed simple it was actually far more interesting than Sinister was letting on. Beneath the table was the tiniest button, no larger than the tip of his pinkie, and if pressed it would open up the floor to raise up an elevator to his main lab under the manor. However, voice recognition was required first.
To the left were two swinging doors, which went to the kitchen. That was where Essex planned to take Tesser next. "There's nothing too interesting here, but next is the kitchen. It's actually quite something, if I say so myself." He said with a bit of pride in his grin, and then walked over to the doors with Tesser. He pushed one open and held it for her to walk inside. The kitchen was actually one of the largest rooms in the house. It had six ovens, two of which were pizza ovens, three griddles, nine stoves and three different types (three of each), eight sinks, two microwaves, multiple counters just for cooking tools, and cabinets everywhere. At the entrance, however, was a long bar that stretched about eleven feet and had stools under it.

[Tesser]

Tesser peered hopefully into the gloom of the distant ceiling in the hall, just in case the distant chandelier was visible. If it was, however, it was hardly so to blindfolded eyes. She allowed her doctor to lead her slowly into the next room. She stood listening to his short description, gasping in apparent awe at the chandelier, smaller but no less grand to her eyes. Staying by the doctor's side, she cast about curious, stamping a couple times on the floor to make sure it was solid. She wondered if she should tell him about the hold under the table, but - looking at him and the way he stood in that room, straight and tall with unquestionable ownership - she guessed he might already know. Further more, it might be nice to let him have his secrets.

Following dutifully, she cast about here and there, until finally a new door was opened admitting her to the newest room. Her Doctor's pride was outshone only by Tesser's awe and joy. "Food!" She breathed.

Moving inside, tugging Nathan when he didn't move fast enough for her investigation, she began a thorough search of the room. She opened cupboards and cabinets, peering into each of the ovens and smelling the each of the spices separately.

Finally, apparently done with her search and content with her findings, Tesser released the hand she held and slid down to sit on the tiled floor. With a happy smile she looked up at him, relaxing on the tiles. "It's wonderful." She said. "It's like a castle, and you'll never go hungry and your ovens are filled with hammer-space and..." She trailed off. Something like a cloud crossed her face momentarily. "It's an awful big place to be on your own -- don't you ever get lonely?

Tesser stared hard at the man, forehead creased in heavy concentration, small mouth pursed. Then, in a small sort of forlorn tone, Tesser asked, "Where is she?"

[Nathaniel Essex]

(OOC: I'm so sorry for taking this long. I've just been really busy IRL. The rehearsals have been getting more frequent and longer.)

The child's excitement made Essex happy. He grinned the whole time he was showing her around, but then things took a somber turn. Tesser asked if he ever got lonely in this big house of his, and Nathaniel's smile fell. Honestly, he hadn't thought about it for quite some time. He didn't think about being alone, probably because he had been alone for so many years, and not just when he was in prison. Was he lonely? Ridiculous, right? Mister Sinister lonely? But the truth was that every now and then he hated the emptiness of his domain...the loneliness.

"Where is she?" The child asked, and an image of Nathaniel's sickly wife flashed in his mind.
The tall man hung his head, his eyes focused on the floor. "She died...many years ago." He replied sadly. The doctor's head turned so that he may look upon the child as he spoke once more. "I never came to be with another." He paused shortly, thinking back over a hundred year to the day of their wedding. He smiled softly at the memory. "I loved her dearly." He added with a hint of sweetness in his tone.

"Well, shall we continue, Ms. Tesser?" He said kindly, and extended his hand for her to take.

[Tesser]

[OOC - don't worry about it. That's going to be me in a couple of weeks. I don't mind.]

Tesser hadn't actually expected an answer to her question. Sometimes flashes of the crazy slid through her blindfold and she got them confused with the real world. When that happened, it would come right out of her mouth like slurping noodles backwards. It was difficult for her to tell the difference, and often-times it was only the reaction of others who told her that she had let out the crazy instead of reality.

And yet, though she felt sorry for her words, her doctor answered them honestly. The child listened in silence. Death often confused her, the permanence of it was much to steady for her to completely comprehend. But by his words, she understood - if not all death - this death. He was so sad, she felt an ache for him in the pit of her stomach, more insistent than any hunger.

When he finished, she pulled hugged her knees, never looking away from him. "Thank you." she said softly. She knew the worth of many things, and was aware that he had just given her something precious. But she was also aware of the rules of fair trade. Something had to be given in return. "I think," She started slowly, "I think I knew someone once who died." confusion colored her brow as she tried to sort fact from fiction within her mind. "The permanent kind, not my kind. The forever kind." Then, in a moment of sudden clarity, "She saved my life."

Having stated this matter-of-factly, she nodded once and smiled again. The world was at rights once more. As long as Tesser knew where she stood, she was content. Slowly clambering up at her Doctor's question, she shook her head.

"No, there isn't, is there? It's just a house. This is where we were coming all along, and now we've arrived. Two silly sad people who are all alone and too dumb to do anything about. Tesser momentarily passed a hand over her eyes, sighing softly as though she had come to an unfortunate but unavoidable conclusion. Then smiling back up at Nathanial, she continued. "Kitchens are family rooms. Let's pretend to be a family, just tonight. Maybe it'll help us forget. Or to remember."

[OOC - I'm not really sure where to go with this. I have a couple ideas for other threads with these two, but I'm not positive about this thread. Any thoughts, plans, ideas?]

[Nathaniel Essex]

The way the girl reacted was a little unexpected, but simply by being such it made Sinister a little less sad. When would this child cease to be unpredictable? Essex hoped that time would never come; a truly bizarre thing for him to wish. He was a man of science, and a man who planned out his every move to the smallest of details, and yet he loved the erraticism of this girl. Perhaps he enjoyed her unpredictability because it was exactly the opposite of his own behavior? What did it matter, really? Did he need to understand everything? Yes... Under any other circumstance the answer would be yes, but in that moment, with that small child fearlessly standing in his domain and seemingly trying to sympathize with him...he cast his need to understand everything in its entirety aside.
It didn't matter that her words didn't always make sense. He didn't examine the child's statement about permanent death, he just took it as a broken story from a little girl. But then...she spoke words he never thought another person would ever speak to him.

"Let's pretend to be a family, just tonight." Nathaniel's jaw dropped--there was no controlling it. He had witnessed some astounding things in his life, and heard some shocking statements, but they all paled in comparison.
~The street child and the devil...what an unusual family.~[/color] He thought to himself, still a bit stunned. Finally, a soft grin came to his face, and then he sat upon one of the stools. "Well then, I guess for the time I'll have to stop calling you Miss Tesser." He said as he leaned his elbow on the counter. "And what will you call me...Tesser." Sinister fought the reflex to use an honorific, and as a result he paused just slightly before saying the girl's name.

[Tesser]

For a moment, Tesser regretted having made her request. Her doctor seemed stunned for a moment. Surprised, disbelieving? Tesser could barely interpret the emotions that slipped away in those quiet seconds on indecision. If he said no, what then? Tesser would go back outside, of course, and it would all be forgotten. What made her sad, though, was the feeling that she almost accomplished something. Almost, and then failed. Failure was strange to her, and she wasn't sure she wanted to become better aquainted.

However, his next words wiped all worry from her mind, like a slate washed clean. "Well then, I guess for the time I'll have to stop calling you Miss Tesser." Smiling broadly, she clambored up onto the stool next to him. Crouching on top like some sort of strange bird, she wrapped her arms around her knees and said,

"If I'm just Tesser, then you're just Doctor." A pause, and then she giggled joyously. "Besides, I'm not even old enough to be a miss though..." she paused, "you sure are. I'll bet you're old enough to know Abraham Lincoln!" In a conspiratorial whisper "He's old too. I have a penny with him on it from 1962! Thats..." She counted confusedly on her fingers for a moment before giving up and abandoning the venture. "That's before I even existed!"

She was speaking freely again, not trying to be coherant or cohesive. If there was need, she would try to string her words together some more. For now, though, she was just happy to have someone who -- apparantly -- didn't mind listening to her. That was cool.

[Nathaniel Essex]

Essex chuckled a little at the girl's words and enthusiasm. ~Such a joyful child.~ He thought as he watched her sit oddly on the stool and speak of how old Nathaniel must be. "I'll bet you're old enough to know Abraham Lincoln!" The child exclaimed, probably not realizing he was, in fact, old enough to have known Abraham Lincoln. Actually, had he not been of British origin, and been brought up in the U.S.A. he likely would have met the late President.

Again he chuckled at Tesser. "You misunderstand, Tesser. The coin was minted in 1962, but Abe Lincoln was born in 1809 and passed away in 1865..." The man leaned toward her as though he were going to tell her a secret. "Even so, you are correct--I am old enough to have known President Lincoln." The large man leaned back and adjusted his suit jacket, still grinning somewhat playfully at Tesser. "What do you think? Not bad for a man nearing two hundred, right?"

Now, one might wonder why a man like Sinister would go through the trouble of disguising himself as a common man and then go and reveal his nigh immortality to a strange girl, thus potentially putting him in danger. Well, the answer is simple; he wanted to see her reaction. But, beyond that, he figured his secret was safe with Tesser--after all, even if she did tell anybody, who would listen? ~Who would pay any mind to the ramblings of this street child...besides me?~ What started out as a somewhat cocky thought turned somber with the last two words. This child was a treasure, and yet... ~...you've been discarded. Hmph. Humans are so blind.~[/color]

[Tesser]

"Minted...?" Tesser repeated slowly. It was the same word, but surely her Doctor couldn't mean that the coin had been mint flavored, how could he know? However, she considered, he was very smart, so he was probably right. Nodding to herself, she made a mental note to taste the mint penny next time she found it. Then, in response to her Doctor's continued dialogue,
"1865?!" Her expression of shock would have looked like a bad act on any other face. Eyebrows shot straight up and her mouth made a perfect little 'o'. "That would have been..." For a moment she was silent as she tried to comprehend the sheer amount of time that was being discussed. Time was difficult for her anyways, and this was on such a grand scale...

His next words, however, put everythign in perspective. She laughed broadly at the notion of his age, but not because she disbelieved him. She knew he told the truth. Rather, she laughed because it was amazing! "Two-hundred!!" She spread her arms wide, as if to encompass the vast time span. "You must have done everything, gone everywhere! I'll bet you even knew Herculeas! And... and Frodo, too!"

Slipping down from her perch to sit crosslegged on top of the stool, still looking oddly out of place in the kitchen setting, a look of intense concentration took over her features. She sat very still, thinking hard, lips moving silently as she thought to herself. Then, looking back up at her Doctor, said "I think... I must be... less than that. You have three numbers in your name, but I don't get that many." Then, thoughfull, "I only have one number in my name. But pretty soon, I think I'll get another! I'll catch up to you, then!"

[Nathaniel Essex]

Now the child was mixing mythology with reality, and throwing in popular fiction. Essex wouldn't have been surprised if she started asking about the mystical qualities of his wardrobes...although, given his true character, perhaps a Screwtape Letters reference would be more appropriate. Nevertheless, he found it a bit amusing. This child's perception of real and fictional was quite interesting. Nathaniel could not help but wonder what other fascinating oddities this girl's character held somewhere within for him to discover.

Tesser went on to reveal a little bit more about herself, specifically her age. ~So, she is nine years of age at the most. So young... I wonder how she has managed to survive this long on her own.~[/color] Essex thought to himself, not allowing his grin to fade.

"Catch up to me, will you? I'm afraid you have much to learn about time, my dear Tesser." His smile faded noticeably, but not utterly the instant he finished his sentence. ~My? When did this wild creature become mine? It's been less than an hour and some part of me has already become attached to it...her. She is not a specimen. No... She is a tool. A tool to explore this unfamiliar side of myself. Nothing more... Right?~[/color] Sinister argued with himself mentally. ~But if I think of her as a simple tool then I will be unaffected, in which case I will learn nothing. Therefor I have no choice but to think of her as a living being, not an object, and lose myself in the experiment...otherwise it is futile.~[/color] The doctor's mind was sound again, at least as sound of Mr. Sinister's mind got, and his grin broadened just a little.

"Well, what shall we do, Tesser? I assume you have had your fill of food. Would you like to partake in some sort of activity, or perhaps see the room you will stay in tonight?" He asked pleasantly.