multiversallogs | workout in the mornin' workout in the evenin'

Lex responds to Aimery with a flat look of his own. Don't give him sass while you're supposed to be on the job.

He glances over to Adrian as he grabs a towel and drapes it across the back of his neck. "Is this something you want to talk about with the butler alone?"

Adrian takes a long drink from his water bottle and then raises an eyebrow at both of them, looking amused and curious. Trading the bottle for a towel, he wipes off his face and then tilts his head questioningly toward Lex. Is there a problem, gentlemen?

"If it was a secret I wouldn't have raised the topic in front of you," he answers mildly. "Although I'm part of this conversation will have to take place elsewhere, Aimery. I have an extra chore I'd like to add to your duties, if it's acceptable, but there's a rather important conversation we need to have first. I can promise it won't take up too much of your time. "

Again a glance in Lex's direction, this time a look of more significance. He can probably guess at what Adrian's about, in regard to both the topics at hand. "I did also want to speak to you about something I've noticed on the security feeds, however. I'm not concerned, necessarily, but I would like to know if there's anything you've been hiding from either of us."

Aimery's expression went cold for a split second before he gave the tiniest of nods to Lex in unspoken as ; referring to him as the butler, to his face, was sufficient to neutralize his slight amusement at the situation. Rude. Even if he was right. There was no problem.

Or maybe there was. He'd nodded in eager agreement at the potential for a new task, especially as it sounded important... but then came the rest and Aimery was unsure how to answer. He resisted the urge to look at Lex for guidance- that would only imply guilt and Lex's involvement. There were only two things Adrian might be referring to that would be on the security cameras: his ability or his off-duty activities with Lex. It had to be the first since it'd be ridiculous to bring the latter up over a month later, when it seemed unlikely to happen again and wasn't Adrian's business anyway.

"There's nothing that I have deliberately hidden from either of you," he answered after a quiet, thoughtful moment, having made no move to start dusting. His statement was mostly true. "But I have been discreet, as you instructed me to when we first met."

He paused, wet his lips with his tongue, then hesitantly asked, "I assume you are referring to my... method of housekeeping?"

Lex returns Adrian's look with a brief and casual shrug. No, there's no problem. He understands what Adrian is referring to and will mostly step back to allow the other man to talk since it's obviously been on his mind to bring it up now.

At Aimery's question Lex nods, but ultimately gives the floor to Adrian as intended. He takes one end of the towel to wipe the sweat off his face as he allows for the conversation to continue around him.

Satisfied that he hasn't inadvertently stepped into the middle of an argument, Adrian returns Lex's look with a nod and turns his attention back to Aimery. He's not sure he likes the way the question is being answered, but he's willing for now to accept the possibility that Aimery is simply (understandably) concerned about keeping himself away from potential trouble.

"I disagree, I believe you have deliberately hidden something from us, but I can understand the need for a man to have secrets. Still, this does seem to be the kind of secret that could have potential repercussions on our lives here. Yes, I am referring to your method of housekeeping. And I'd like an explanation."

At that point Adrian looks over at Lex again. The man seems somehow too calm to be just now discovering that his employee has been keeping secrets. "Lex? Were you aware of this?"

Even though Adrian had turned his attention to Lex, Aimery spoke up anyway, not wanting his slight sheepishness about the subject to come off as guilt or avoidance. "Apologies, Mr. Veidt, I didn't intend to deceive. I was uncertain if you knew and thought, if you did, that I was meant to be discreet, so I erred on the side of caution and was."

Aimery gave a quick glance at Lex, aware that he'd essentially implied that Lex had known, and hoped keen cooperation would soothe it, "I'd be happy to explain or demonstrate."

"I did know," Lex replies calmly. He turns his gaze to Aimery first. There is a certain solidarity there and he would do what he could to smooth anything over on the condition that Aimery stops speaking for him.

Now his full attention is on Adrian. "In my world people with abilities such as Aimery's often meet a swift and unpleasant end. I thought it was best left up to Aimery to decide when and how to divulge this information about himself."

Adrian addresses Lex's remark first, as a way of expressing both that he understands why Lex didn't share the information with him, and that Aimery has nothing to fear from him in revealing his secret. "I have a friend back home who has the ability to manipulate matter at the atomic level. I understand the concern that would cause you to remain silent, and it's certainly admirable that you'd want to give Aimery the opportunity to decide who to reveal his own secrets too. But I assure you both, it's safe with me."

His attention back on Aimery now, he adds, "Thank you, Aimery, I would appreciate both an explanation and a demonstration."

Aimery was happy to abide by that condition, giving a faint, thankful smile at Lex as the other man spoke and shutting up until he was directly addressed. It reassured him to know that Adrian was not completely unfamiliar with his kind of 'gift'. There was less explaining needed about the mechanics and hopefully he wouldn't have to risk insulting Veidt's intelligence by detailing the fairly obvious potential uses for it.

"Well, actually, manipulating matter at the atomic level might not be a bad descriptor of my ability. I can choose what touches what, down to the tiniest of pieces, regardless of the material." As he spoke, he held up the dustrag with one hand and pushed the other right through it past his wrist, then withdrew so that they could see he left no tears. "Most of it is... instinctual- I needn't think specifically about bringing my suit with me as I walk through a wall, for example— but the range is limited and fine work like rejoining threads requires some concentration. And, it's not half as useful as that, but I can also walk on air and water. Probably anything else, too, if there's a body of it."

He took a step forward and up, as if there was an invisible step in front of him, then gave a half-sheepish shrug; it felt a little ridiculous to show off like that. It was far easier when drunk and using it as a come-on.

While he knew that what Aimery could do extended far beyond what he could touch with his hand and had seen it used in a certain other capacity, having him show off put it into better focus for Lex. He watches Aimery with every attention, almost as if this were an entirely new revelation.

"So how quickly do you take care of your daily chores, Aimery?"

Adrian watches very closely as well, nodding his understanding at Aimery's explanation, raising an intrigued eyebrow when the man steps up into the air with ease.

"Have you done much research into your abilities? Where they come from, how far you can push them?" He's careful to disguise his intense curiosity with a mild, conversational tone. It wouldn't do to make Aimery think Adrian wants to turn him into a lab rat, or even that he's expected to share information he isn't comfortable with.

"I mostly use it for cleaning and cooking preparation, so those go by far faster than they would without it," Aimery shrugged as he answered Lex, not intending to be coy but having never actually timed himself, he couldn't say. Plus he didn't want to make it seem like he didn't have much of a job to do... even though he frequently ran out of things to do and was often bored.

"As for where it came from, that is... somewhat complicated," he said as he looked back to Adrian, dropping to the ground and going quiet for a moment while he decided on how much he wanted to reveal. "The short of it is that I was briefly possessed by a... demon, I'm not certain what to call it, that changed me physically to suit it's form. When it left me, the changes it made were reverted, but a few weeks later I was exposed to radiation and this —one of the abilities it granted— returned."

Again he paused, wetting his lips nervously with his tongue, "I haven't pressed myself, but I believe I could do far more with it than tidying and removing stains. But the person who it possessed before me used it for violent, nefarious means, to put it mildly, and I am not that sort of man."

Edited 2011-11-08 00:51 (UTC)

Lex as a rule doesn't trust anybody. However, Aimery has told him of this ability, and that it could be used for less than honest purposes the night they had met in person. It's a choice in honesty that goes a long way.

"I know you're not," Lex says in response to 'that sort of man.' "Though I hope your discontent at not being able to do more doesn't mean that you're leaving us."

workout in the mornin' workout in the evenin'

ME TOO

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probably safe to assume that someone has told Adrian where Aims's from re: England and BN, y?

I defer that to Kim, but I think so?

sounds good to me :)

Re: sounds good to me :)

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