Research (uədo)

[Ϛ Travis Sivart]

Far be it from Travis Sivart to take anything he even remotely disliked lying down, so it should have come as no surprise that he wasn't about to roll over and die, Advanced Gift Paralysis or no Advanced Gift Paralysis. He'd been spending every waking moment since his diagnosis either pursuing the infamous Neilen Darkshire, or researching the disease at the Academy. The travel expenses were ridiculous, but private investigation was a lucrative business, and Travis had plenty of money saved away from before he was a P.I. as well.

The biggest challenge, though he would never admit it, was simply dealing with the disease itself. In private he used a cane to ease the discomfort, but in public he refused to do so. Not only was he too proud, but any points taken off of his reputation would mean less business for him. He already had ageism working against him; his flawless reputation was his ace in the hole.

So far the search for Neilen had been an utter failure - no leads at all, nothing - and the search for information on AGP, while garnering more results, had turned up with nothing even remotely useful. There were detailed accounts of previous cases, all having the same exponential progression, most ending in death (or comas, or some less severe results depending on the Gift), but there was nothing anywhere about treatments, not even potential ones.

Today, however - hope. He had read an interview with a prominent practitioner of supernatural medicine in which the interviewer had asked the doctor's opinion on the research of one "Tori Venneth" that hypothesized a potential cure for the disease, which the doctor had replied to only with attacks on the credibility of the researcher, who no one had ever heard of and who had nothing more than theory to go on.

Travis figured theory was better than nothing.

Accessing the electronic database, Travis queried "Tori Venneth" and came up with a few results. Most of them were just mentions of the name in other articles, but there were two research articles actually penned by the man. Travis brought up the one titled 'Hypothetical Advanced Gift Paralysis Treatment', but was greeted instead by a pop-up.

"Access denied, the file you are trying to access is classified, level Eximo?" Travis muttered, reading the pop-up out loud. He tried putting in his credentials from back when he was a senior Agent, a decent level of clearance, but apparently not high enough, seeing as it returned an error once more.

Leaving the console, Travis began the walk from the Research Center. He needed some time to think. Why would an article on disease be classified at such a high level? It didn't make any sense at all. He hadn't even heard of that classification level before.

Apparently he was thinking a little too hard, though, because he managed to trip on a MacGuffin. Normally he would have caught himself, but the stiffness in his legs caused him to completely lose his balance, falling directly into another inhabitant of the library.

Apparently Travis Sivart was not quite infallible.

[riana]

[red]Her new position in the world required many changes.

First of all, she'd had to learn a lot about human technology, that had been easy enough. The wind heard all manner of things, and it wasn't hard to find a few people around the world explaining these devices to various technological inepts. A few days of this had taught her the basics of this technology driven society, but there were some things she still needed physical records for.

Humans had a lot of history, people in their world who were vastly influential, but unknown to the reclusive Faeries. Former rulers, scientists, religious figures. All important for the day to day affairs of a successful assistant, just in case such 'common knowledge' came up in idle conversation. As she was walking the isles she turned a corner to collide with another patron who seemed to have tripped. An elderly man by human standards, and though most humans did not stick out to her memory, the glance of those stone eyes she caught refreshed her memory of one of the only human Agent's she'd ever worked with.

She collected herself simply, ensuring her outfit was straightened out before greeting him. "Good afternoon Travis, it has been a while."

Of course she was surprised to have run into one of the few humans she knew, but she suppressed that for the sake of her 'all business' image.[/red]

[Ϛ Travis Sivart]

Travis' mind did not know how to handle the fact that he had tripped. Travis had not once tripped in his long and illustrious career, nor in his retirement, and there was a pretty good chance he had been steady on his feet since the moment he took his first step. An output for the input of 'I just tripped' had simply not been programmed into his brain.

Luckily, he ran into the perfect person for such an occasion. Riana de Arcadia was no more likely to dwell on Travis' tripping than a vegan was to dwell on the subject of how to properly cook a steak, and that was one of the reasons Travis held the fae woman in such high respect. All-business was the way Travis liked it.

"De Arcadia," Travis said, acknowledging her presence with that and a curt nod. "What brings you to the Academy?"

He'd wrestled for a moment with whether or not to ask the question, but the standards of inter-colleague politeness ingrained within him (reserved for those in positions of higher authority or other respected individuals, of course) dictated that saying nothing would not be acceptable. They were not in a battle scenario, nor was he in any hurry, so at least a small amount of chit-chat was called for, unless Riana had somewhere to be.

Of course, at the same time, he could only hope she didn't deign to return the question to him. He wouldn't be the sort to admit he'd been researching treatments for the rare disease he had been diagnosed with, let alone that he'd run into a mysterious security issue in the process. And lying, unless it was for the job, was not his cup of tea.

[riana]

[red]Riana smiled politely. The kind of smile one might expect from a Help Desk clerk who is paid to at least look happy, it was that 'I'm being personable because I have to' smile.

"Just out researching a few things of history, nothing of major consequence." And the humorous add on to this situation was that she also knew that the silence was not socially acceptable. She needed to have the aura of respect in this world, and that meant she needed to avoid awkward social moments like not knowing how to deal with someone.

"And what about you, trying to find something on a missing person request?" That seemed the most likely outcome. Travis was a Private Investigator, and an experienced one at that. He was also well known for being all business. If he was here, he was looking for something, and if it was a criminal he had other contacts, or should have other contacts, that would have better information. He had a familiar glint in his eyes, one she'd seen reflected in her own a few times, he was a man with a purpose, he had his mind set on something. It was just then that something struck quietly in her ear, carried on a tiny wisp of wind.[/red]

[blue]"Access denied, the file you are trying to access is classified, level Eximo?"[/blue]

[red]It was Travis' voice, and it was so soft that none besides her could hear it. But now it interested her. Something he was looking for beyond his clearance level? The man known as Sivart was legendary, it seemed odd that anything would be beyond his ability to learn if he wished it. But still, to interject in his own affairs was not her business, and she had no real reason to bother with whatever case he was involved in.[/red]

[Ϛ Travis Sivart]

Travis' own face was emotionless yet not unfriendly, at least until Riana mentioned history. It had been, and continued to be, one of Travis' favourite subjects, and while he had been better at more analytical subjects (like sciences and maths) academically, the mention of history brought the smallest of hints of a smile to his face.

"Nothing too recent, I take it. You must have at least the past few centuries down already. In our terms, I suppose you would be a little bit of history yourself."

Travis would not ordinarily make such a comment, but the tripping and the mention of his favourite thing to talk about played slightly with his inhibitions and caused him to say something entirely too personal for his normal taste.

And then she asked her question.

"I'm doing some research myself. I didn't find what I was looking for, but I trust you will have better luck."

Somehow he got the feeling Riana knew something, call it a P.I.'s instinct, but he knew it wouldn't be worth prying. Even if he wanted help, even if he didn't care if she knew what he was researching, Riana wouldn't have higher clearance than he did, and fae generally didn't have computers as their aspect, let alone actually knowing anything about them.

sorry, i was in a rush to leave

[riana]

s'fine.

[red]Riana chuckled softly at Travis' remark. So she was a piece of history eh? Wonder what history she would leave behind? "Actually it is quite recent, at least within my life time. The Fae's importance of history and the humans importance are quite diverged. We usually know the names and histories of globally infamous people, as their work usually effects us, but scientists, religious leaders, philosophers and the like, are of no consequence to us. Why, I had no idea of the existence of the human Isaac Newton until I completed some research the other day. His existence was a large step for humans, but beyond the notice of Fae. Such distinctions are important to note, sometimes we need a different perspective on things." She seemed lost in thought for a second.

"Why is it needed for humans to explain things? Why must they always find an answer to every question the world throws at them, is it just to empower the weak bodies they were gifted with the ability to change the natural world?" She looked at Travis thoughtfully for a moment.

"Or perhaps it is the desire to go as far as you can, to see how far your ability can take you. Humans discovered the laws of the universe, and used them to shape it. We can see by looking around us how well that worked. It makes me wonder if the Fae way of looking at things is really correct. We sealed ourselves away, and humans spread out and reached for the stars. We view them as radical and unpredictable, they view us as old fashioned and stagnating. What a difference a change in perspective makes."

She then became aware of what she was saying. "Oh my, I seem to have gone off on a tangent. It must be quite an obscure topic if the Academy library does not have any information on it."[/red]

[Ϛ Travis Sivart]

"It's sensible enough," Travis remarked gruffly, though perhaps slightly less than usual. "Unnecessary knowledge is just clutter." He personally did not think any historical knowledge was 'unnecessary', but he was not blind to the fae point of view. He did not agree with it, but he did agree that, given the circumstances the fae existed in, it seemed a logical way of dealing with things, and was, even with his (supposedly) better view of the situation, still not a completely terrible way to look at things. Just not the best one.

Of course, none of this would he actually voice, and he would also take her questions to be rhetorical (and thus fodder for the ignore-cannon). Travis was no philosopher, no orator. He preferred the factual, the inarguable, the infallible. He did not like being wrong, and that meant not speculating. Some said this was strange of a private investigator; a profession in which guessing was quite necessary, but Travis firmly believed there was no guesswork in what he did.

Travis grunted the equivalent of 'It's okay, I don't really mind' when Riana mentioned going off-topic. "None that I could find," Travis clarified, skirting around an outright lie like only a former lawman could. He would undoubtedly dig deeper, but now was neither the time nor the place for such prying.

[riana]

[red]Riana thought for a moment at Travis' response, gruff and simple, all business and no curtousy at all. But she would certainly have to deal with these people, so Travis was good practice. But then a strike of inspiration came to her, now she just needed a way to convey it to Travis without him realizing she did it on purpose.

"I'd always thought your written records were so useless. Oral tradition always served the purpose. But I guess not, people write down their work and thoughts for the future to know, and they are gathered here. Hmmm, do you know?" She turned towards the elderly human again. "Are the records here the original copies, or are they merely copies of the original documentation? I mean, it must be impossible to track down the original documents for everything here, there are over a thousand years of history here. Journals and historical documents and even old photos and such."

She pulled a book off of a shelf near her, and read the title. Einsteinian Physics and the Splitting of the Atom, how curious. "I suppose it's irrelevant. Wherever something is written it would be the same." She smiled politely, wondering if Travis understood what she said. The Fae only recently started keeping actual records, but fae on their own had kept them for ages. Journals and Diaries and such, sometimes they held great secrets of the past. It can be sure that if it happened in the past, some fae knew about it. She herself had kept a small journal of the important things, but she hadn't seen it in very long. Now where did she leave it? The thought consumed her for a moment.[/red]

[Ϛ Travis Sivart]

Travis would not have admitted it for the world, but he was caught off guard. The fact that Riana had continued to speak, at a length, was not one he would have foreseen. She had never struck him as being the overly talkative type until now, and he was aware of the fact that his own lack of words was usually discouraging. Hence the unexpectedness of her going on.

"The Academy has its sources. I'm sure they have a good deal of original material."

He gradually came to the conclusion that this was not ordinary. Riana's presence as well as her continued actions. Maybe she was on an assignment of some secret origins, the importance of which escaped him, or maybe she was just challenging herself for her own benefit, but either way, he was convinced that there was something odd about the conversation he was having.

"Humans minds are not built for storing information. They forget and deviate. Written records are a thing of necessity, if accuracy is to be maintained."

Wherever something is written it would be the same.

Perhaps not a challenge.

The Academy's influence did not extend across the entirety of the Gifted community, and certainly not across that of the other supernatural beings. Surely that which he was seeking existed in other places or other forms. 'Where' was another problem entirely, but perhaps one arousing less suspicion and causing less trouble to himself than the one he'd been considering.

A microscopic hint of a smirk emerged on Travis' face, understood by most to be the equivalent of a smile, in his terms.

"Would you like any assistance with your own research?"

[riana]

[red]Riana saw the 'Travis Smile' and her lip curved slightly. So he did understand, if the Academy locked something off, they weren't the end. There was always another way. When Travis admitted the fallibility of the human mind, Riana was slightly surprised. Travis would never admit a weakness, so perhaps it was his own way of saying he was 'above' humanity.

"Well perhaps you can add little insight into the human mind. For example." She thought to herself. "What value do humans find in the minor facts of history? That an American General named Benedict Arnold betrayed the Colonists in the American Revolution. It doesn't seem important when we think about it now, the Americans won the war, shouldn't that be all that matters? What use could these little factors have?"

And that was why Fae had no need for written records. You didn't need to remember every little detail, and the big things everyone knew. Humans were such odd creatures, what good were the little details centuries later?[/red]

[Ϛ Travis Sivart]

"You sound like a smart-ass student in their first history lecture," Travis said, and although his tone was gruff as usual, the statement was really more teasing than anything. The amusing quality of the comparison between a wise fae centuries old and a foolhardy young human did not escape him, and he didn't mean to belittle the question. Riana, at least, had asked it in a more eloquent manner than a freshman would have.

"The short answer is that we learn history to avoid making the same mistakes we already have, and accuracy is important for that. We are not the ones to decide what is and is not important enough to be recorded, or history would be stripped of anything useful by historians with different opinions. Recording every detail ensures accuracy and neutrality are maintained."

Not the shortest short answer, but Travis did not look like he was going to get into what exactly the long answer was without being prodded, if at all. He believed he had made his case well enough already, and nearly forgotten historical tragedies like the massacres of hundreds of thousands of Native Americans stood to offer proof for his hypothesis. Plus, he just found history interesting, like a story book, and where was a story without details?

But that, of course, was kept to himself.

[riana]

[red]Riana cracked a small smile at Travis's jab. Wait a minute, was Travis Sivart making jokes? What on earth? Still she snapped her fingers thoughtfully. "Ah of course, the infighting. Someone once said, history is a record of events told by the view of the victor. Fae rarely fight among each other, so we all agree on histories representation, but humans always fight among each other, so the need for recorded history comes from the desire for truth." She considered what she said and then chuckled.

"So it would seem, the very thing we insult you for, your violent natures, was a gateway into pushing your races growth. How amusing."

Riana thought about how odd it was to be having a casual conversation with Travis, but then she considered that it was usual for older people to become more talkative, in order to share on their wisdom before they passed. The idea of Travis Sivart being old didn't seem to work with her image of the man, he'd probably die closing a case file. Indeed talking to him seemed to cause her to speak a lot as well, apparently they had a mutual feeling that 90% of the world was beneath them, but they acknowledged each others attitude and professionalism.

Birds of a feather I suppose...

"Your quite knowledgeable in history, if you could stand a room full of know-it-all fools without making them run out screaming you'd probably be a good teacher." She added with a half grin.[/red]

[Ϛ Travis Sivart]

"Was that the only thing you insult us for?" asked Travis, playing the straight man as well as one would expect. If not for the lighthearted tone of the rest of the conversation, it might have come across as scathing or accusatory.

"We humans have a habit of turning our weaknesses into strengths. It's no accident that we're the dominant race on the planet."

Travis didn't pause to consider how him having a conversation might be considered a little odd. Contrary to what everyone else might think, he had been a very social young man. It was just a matter of finding the right kind of people to socialize with, and as time went on, there seemed to be less and less of them. How much of this had to do with the actual people as opposed to him become more stubborn in his old age was arguable, but the fact remained that he was perfectly capable of conversing, given the opportunity. And someone like Riana, speaking about something like the topic of history, was as close to perfect as he had found lately.

"I was a professor at the University very briefly, before my days as an Agent," Travis informed her. "There was no screaming, but I saw a student crying in an exam once."

His blank face gave no hint as to whether or not this had actually occurred.