Exiles discussion

The lab that belonged to Carolien's father.

((Hm... I feel like it might be part of a university. I feel like Carolien's father kept his experiments and discoveries secret for a while, but maybe something happened at the university like a change of Dean that outed him to be exiled.))

Carolien directed Ryo to a Frostwell University, where her father had worked prior to his Exile. Ryo wasn't sure what he should have expected, but returning to a fully functioning campus just didn't seem right. He felt like there should be a tad more danger and excitement rather than knocking at the reception desk at the science college and explaining that they'd come to visit.

Ryo didn't speak much but would glance down at his wife every so often to gauge her reaction to things. He wondered how she must be feeling, returning to the place her father had once called his and found meaning in his life. He wondered if he'd do the same in her position if he wasn't working with the Overlooked. Would he have been able to write off his own disgraced parent like it was evident Paramount government expected of families of the Exiled? His palms felt sweaty and nervous. What if he had the opportunity to steal the research he needs today? What if Carolien caught him? What if he failed and this would be his only chance? Suddenly, his stomach felt unfomfortable.

Looking out at the university, Carolien felt an odd mixture of nostalgia and nervousness, making her hands tingle slightly. She clasped her hands together to try to get the feeling back in her fingertips as they walked in through the doors. But once she was welcomed by the familiar sight of the reception desk and one of the statues of the past deans greeting people at the door, Carolien relaxed a little.

When she was younger, she had roamed the building on her own while it was her father's turn to watch her. He'd have the occasional meeting and tell her to wait. She often would pretend to give tours to imaginary guests and pretend she was introducing them to a magnificent invention made by herself and her father. It was odd to think those meetings were what got her father Exiled. She was there and didn't even notice.

Glancing over at Ryosuke, she hoped he didn't regret agreeing to come. Maybe she was forcing him into an uncomfortable position, with her pushiness and her father's political standing... But then he said he didn't mind earlier.

She tried to catch his gaze and smile at him before she gestured down a particular hallway. "What do you think?" she asked quietly after a moment of silence filled with the sound of their footsteps.

"Honestly, a little nervous." Ryo huffed before realizing he had no reason to be nervous that he could tell her about, "I-I mean nervous for you." Ok that's not a total lie... "I just mean I'm sure this must be a little odd for you after such a long time. Also, the university setting is a little surreal. I imagined something more like a dark secret laboratory or something." He added, trying to redirect his earlier misstep and lighten the mood.

He bit the inside of his cheek nervously. He really would be a terrible spy. And the idea of being so brazenly deceptive towards Carolien was making him more jittery than usual. He couldn't say why. This had been the plan from the very beginning, but being in the moment felt so much more different than he'd imagined. He was in a personal, meaningful space of hers and he was using that to his own selfish advantage. Well... ok doing something for the Overlooked usually made him feel less selfish, but looking into Carolien's wide, earnest expression kept making him feel worse about his ulterior motives.

Her brow furrowed in slight confusion before he clarified what he meant. Then a small smile made Carolien's face soften and she suddenly had the urge to hug him for the kindness he had on his part. It's been a while since someone worried on her behalf with such empathy. She made do with stepping closer and hooking her arm around his. Giving a small laugh, Carolien nodded in agreement. "I had thought the same thing when I was younger. My father's work seemed so mysterious. Which I guess was true. But the university usually has more bustle on other days, unlike today, so it didn't feel this empty back then."

Ryo smiled, remembering his own childhood, "I never quite understood my father's work when I was younger either. The secret chats I wasn't allowed to listen to were important business deals. And my parents preferred to not discuss business over dinner, but amongst themselves, until we were old enough to understand and be a part of the conversation." He recalled. "Did you..." He began tentatively, "have a good relationship with your father? Before... everything?"

Glancing over at Ryosuke, Carolien smiled to herself once she saw his expression. His family seemed so close, didn't they? She was still getting used to the idea that her family now extended to Ryosuke's family too.

Her steps slowed down before she guided Ryosuke with their hooked arms to take a turn down a hallway. She hummed in affirmation. "I don't really remember what it was like before the divorce, but when I got to see him again, even though it was brief, I really thought my father was amazing. I certainly felt closer to him than my mother," she said, her smile turning nostalgic and sad. And then she found out he was with the Overlooked. She still didn't know what to think of it, and before she was able to talk things over with her father, he was exiled.

"You speak warmly of him." Ryo observed. There was a sadness in her tone when she discussed her father, but it did sound like she missed him. "What is he like?" He wants to ask her what she thinks about all this Overlooked business and ask her if she would help them and promise that they can find a way to bring her father back, but he doesn't. Not yet. Not when they are still dancing on the edge of blissful ignorance and seeing where each other stood in their marriage agreement.

Ryo still had much to learn about his wife. He knew she respected his space, that she liked dogs, made delicious crepes, was curious about the world she'd been sheltered from, and that she is surprisingly beautiful and kind, and yet he felt like there was still much more to learn.

Looking off to the side in thought, Carolien tried to search for the words to sum up someone like her father. "When it was just the visits I had when I was younger, he was patient, fun, and we read all kinds of stories together. Though some of the books we read were textbooks, now that I know better." Absently, her free hand moved to hold Ryosuke's arm as if she was hugging him, but her gaze was still was on memories. "When I was with him more when I was older, I suppose he was more like a teacher than a father then. He always would test me with questions and I would answer. I would research sometimes too if my answers weren't adequate." She paused and breathed out a laugh. "I suppose that doesn't sound like a normal parent-child relationship either, but for me, it was nice because I was his equal. He never talked down to me and we would stay up late talking theories, which was nice."

Ryo noticed the way Carolien naturally drew him close. It was unexpected, but it was nice. He supposed there were people around who might know they were recently married, but he wondered what if that was the reason she did so... Or perhaps this is just how she was with people she walked with? He tried not to let his thoughts cloud his attention for too long and instead focused on her description of her father. Ryo nodded, offering an encouraging smile. "He sounds like a brilliant man, though perhaps his choice of entertainment for children is a bit questionable." He chuckled, nudging her shoulder teasingly. "What kinds of theories did you two discuss?"

Nodding in agreement, she smiled fondly at Ryousuke's assessment of her father. "If I was a different child, I'm sure I would have fallen asleep every time he spoke." She paused as she thought back, her brow furrowing. "Some theories were of things like 'what if there was only one habitable planet in our galaxy'." Then Carolien's voice lowered to a whisper as she leaned closer to him, even though they were in an empty hall. "And we talked about ways to travel between planets too. Of course, I didn't know that my father was already affiliated with the Overlooked back then."

Ryo admired the way her face lit up as she talked about her happy memories with her father. There was a glint of mischief in her eye as she talked about their theories and a his ears practically tingled at her mention of the travel between planets and working for the Overlooked.

"You don't say... that sounds fascinating!" He managed. "Maybe you could share that with me sometime." He coughed, "If you'd want to that is." He averted his gaze bashfully, worried she would see right through him if he caught her gaze. It was funny. Putting on a show and saying the right things to others always seemed to come naturally to him when it came to business dinners and high society. He'd even pulled it off at their initial meeting, yet now it felt forced and uncomfortable to him to feel like he had to continue a facade with her. How had he gotten so used to just... being himself around her? This fast? It felt natural, oddly enough. He couldn't hardly describe the feeling.

Her eyes widened in surprised at her offer, and she studied his face to see if he was genuine with his offer. So many times Carolien remembered her mother feigning interest and quickly redirecting the conversation to her next project on making Carolien the most desirable bachelorette. Or at dinner parties where people would express polite interest, but Carolien would see their eyes grow dull as they tuned her out.

But it looked like her husband actually wanted to listen to her. Directing her gaze to the door that would lead her her father's lab, she said warmly, "I would love that. If it isn't too much trouble for you, that is."

"Pfft." He fought back a laugh. She's so cute He had the sudden urge to pat her head comfortingly, but he stayed his hand. He wasn't sure if they'd reached the part in their relationship that he could touch her so casually. "I'm the one asking, so it is only trouble for you, not me." Understanding this research was the main reason for their marriage in the first place. Yet she always seemed to think she was the one troubling others. He wondered if they would ever reach a point where she could truly be comfortable as herself around him. He wondered if he'd ever come to deserve it, even after how far he was going to deceive her for this information.

((The image of him patting her head is so cute ^^))

It was with a little reluctance when they reached the lab doors that Carolien pulled away, slipping her arm out from his as she reached into her purse to pull out a key ring. Dangling on a chain was a little retro cartoon rocket ship along with the key that Carolien used to unlock the doors.

Pushing open a door, she glanced back at Ryousuke and gesture for him to follow. "It's a little bit dusty since I haven't been here for a while," she said, coughing a couple times as said dust swirled in the air from the door's movement. She slipped into the room and immediately turned on the lights. The windows were shuttered as well, so she looked for the remote and opened them.

((Right?! I want him to give the head pats! Do it Ryo! JUST DO IT!))

Ryo immediately felt the tingling of dust in his throat when he inhaled after stepping into the abandoned office. He coughed a few times, waving the cloud of dust away from his face and followed his wife.

The light streaming through the opening windows illuminated the dust covered laboratory. It appeared like any other lab, full of test tubes, a supply shelf, and scienc-y contraptions that Ryo did not know the names of. He stayed close behind Carlien, hoping she was doing alright after returning to such a place. He didn't imagine it was easy.

A couple times, Carolien's hands would hover over a certain table or, with just the lightest touch, her finger would touch one of the pieces of equipment, lost in her memories. Eventually she lead Ryosuke to a desk are with bookshelves shoved full of books, binders, and some looseleaf paper. Glancing over to Ryosuke as she ran a hand along the edge of the desk as she came around to sit in the leather office chair, Carolien smiled. "This was his desk. Sometimes the piles of paper and books on this desk got so high you couldn't see him," she said with a small laugh.

Ryo admired how comfortable Carolien seemed in the space. Her eyes were somewhat distant as though staring at fond memories from long ago, "It's funny. When you're small the world seems so large and grand by comparison, but then you grow up and you realize things weren't quite as big as you remember." He followed her to the desk and smiled when she sat in her father's chair. He wondered if child Carolien had sat in that very chair in her father's lap, legs too short to even reach the ground, dreaming about doing what her father did all day.

She hummed and tilted her head, her eyes wandering to the star and planet charts on the walls. Leaning back slightly, she traced a small pattern on the desk. "Maybe it's usually like that, but to me, the world seems even larger than before. There's a lot of space." She went quiet for a few moments, then it seemed she shook herself back into focus. Looking at the rather dusty table, she sheepishly lifted her finger and rubbed at the dust. "Do you mind helping me with some of the dust?"

The world seems bigger than before, huh? Ryo ponders this for a moment, looking around the room. He wasn't quite sure how she meant the statement. Isn't it natural to feel a bit more confined as you grow older? You learn about the responsibilities you bear and the roles you must fill and the marriages you are arranged into. She was so against the marriage initially too. And yet she felt the world was bigger? Just how small was her world before. Carolien's words break Ryo from his reverie.

"Hm? Oh. Of course." Ryo snagged some paper towels from a nearby sink, dampening them before beginning to go about cleaning some of the counters and equipment, his eye on the lookout for anything that might be related to his mission with the Overlooked.

While it probably wasn't necessary, Carolien still decided to put on an apron from the group handing near the door. After she tied it around her waist, she fell into a rhythm. Methodically she'd wipe the dust from her father's desk and the bookshelves nearby. At one point she couldn't reach the higher shelves and, waving over her husband, she asked for his help.

Then she moved on to another area, being careful with the more delicate instruments.

((I think we can move on from this scene after perhaps Ryosuke finds something on those upper shelves? Or perhaps something falls and he finds something in the mess? That's up to you!))

((yeah I can do that :) ))

Carolien waved Ryo over to a particularly high shelf. Even Ryo had to reach onto his toes in order to grab the binders. He hadn't heard of Mr. Rivers to be a particularly tall man... perhaps he used a ladder? Ryo glanced around the room, still reaching and grabbing the material. Unfortunately, he fumbled and the shelf's worth of binders tumbled to the floor, conking Ryo's head on the way down.

"Ack!" He tripped, falling backward. A cloud of dust had risen and the young heir coughed, waving away the dirt and making to collect the materials he had scattered. A few papers had slid deep under one of the desks and Ryo had to crawl to reach it. Oddly enough, while he was reaching under the desk, his hand came into contact with a disgusting dust bunny, but it felt odd. There was something hard without the ball of dust and dirt. Grabbing the mass, he brought the object into the light, rubbing it as clean as he could manage.

A key materialized beneath the grime. Something in Ryo's chest flickered. Could this be a clue to what he was looking for?
"Hey, did you happen to see a keyhole anywhere around here?" He asked as casually as he could manage, trying not to appear completely excited as to what this could mean.

Brow furrowed in confusion, Carolien shook her head. "A keyhole? For what? There's the door of course and there's my father's desk drawer, but that's been left unlocked since... Well since they took him."

Curiosity piqued, she began to weave through the tables, walking back to her husband. "Why are you talking about a keyhole? Did you find something?"

"I'm not sure..." Ryo shrugged, glancing around the room for anything obvious, which he couldn't find of course. If Dr. Rivers had important papers and documents he wanted hidden from prying eyes, he couldn't very well make it obvious, could he?

"I found a key. It could be completely useless... or maybe not." He brought the small item over to Carolien to inspect, taking her hand and gingerly placing the cold metal key in her palm. Something about the closeness made his chest flutter briefly, but he quickly ignored it and stepped away once more. "Um... any idea what this might open?"

Her eyes flicked down to their touching hands before she stepped away, walking over to the windows where she could examine the key in the natural light streaming down. Lifting it up, she twisted it back and forth. The key was rather nondescript when it came to design, though it was smaller than the average door key.

Carolien examined it for a minute longer. Then she sighed and turned back to Ryosuke. "I'm not sure. I don't think I've seen it before." Then she smiled at him. "But thank you for finding this! It'll be like a mystery to solve about my father." She moved to her purse and placed the key in a secure pocket.

As his wife suddenly stepped away, Ryo became painfully aware that their fingers had been touching. Had he let his exchange linger for too long? Had he somehow made her uncomfortable? His hand quickly clenched and unclenched at his side in brief panic.

He cleared his throat, grateful for her ease of conversation. She seemed fine again. Had he really just gotten so worried over nothing? Was it nothing? Perhaps now wasn't the time. After all, he was here for other reasons. "I wonder what kind of secrets your father kept. He seemed like an interesting man. You certainly seem to hold fond memories of him." Ryo prodded, tearing his gaze away from Carolien and looking through some empty drawers. Mostly, they held run of the mill laboratory supplies, or what Ryo imagined would those would be. He was hardly a man of science himself. He wouldn't be able to tell a beaker from a bunsen burner to save his life. But he understood some things of the government. And he doubted the police would have left this place untouched since the arrest of Professor Rivers. If Rivers was the intelligent man he was believed to be, he probably had something less obvious around, right? Some way of conducting illegal business under the watchful eye of the University.

"Detective Caro has a nice ring to it. Sounds like a character in one of those edgy shows they broadcast." He shrugs, rifling through some loose papers. Nothing important. Looks like he might have been grading a student's assignment.

Carolien breathed a small laugh and shook her head. "Detective Caro seems more like the type who followed the hero around and always ended up needed to be rescued," she commented lightly, thinking of some of the children shows she used to watch when she was younger. Of course, her mother tried to dissuade Carolien from even seeing those kinds of shows, but Carolien's father snuck time to watch those when she was very little.

After giving a glance around the place, she let out a sigh. "Well, I guess there's nothing more to do today. It's always a losing battle with the dust here anyways. But it was good to stop by, don't you think?"

Ryo's spine shivered. Did she want to leave already? No, they couldn't. He needed to find those papers... or maybe it would be better to come back later when she wasn't here so he could search privately? No, it would be suspicious if he came without her...

"Um, of course, we can leave if you want... though finding where that key goes could be fun. I do love a good mystery... Maybe there's a secret compartment in his desk or something? Or if there's a squeaking floorboard or something?" He offered, trying to appear casual as he perused the tables.

She laughed again, glancing back at her husband. Who knew? He might have a childish side. Maybe he even watched the same silly show as a kid. Raising a brow at him, she gestured to her father's desk. "I've visited Herte several times and I don't remember seeing something that secretive, but maybe a fresh pair of eyes can find it. After all, you found that key as well." She bit her lip slightly as a thought crept into her mind. Perhaps she wasn't doing as well of a job as she thought she did, taking care of her father's study and books. Was she just deluding herself into thinking she had any connection with him by trying to preserve her memories of his things?

She wrapped one arm across her waist. Gently she set the key down. "I think I'm getting thirsty. Want me to grab a drink for you as well?" Already, she took a couple steps back towards the door.