Questions?

[Existentially Odd]

Damien's message about losing sires and fledgelings - despite liking them - resonated within Kerr yet again. It was amazing how aligned his and Damien's outlooks were and their similarities buoyed him. Perhaps it was as simple as Kerr interacting with someone of a greater age for once. He'd felt a similar connection to Vincent, after all. Maybe spending most of his time with younger vampires was good for keeping him in touch with the modern world around him but they didn't feed his sense of a shared world view or fill his 'relatable companions' bucket like older beings did. It got him thinking.

Guilt flared as Damien texted his partner to let her know where he was. Of course she'd be worried! Kerr wondered if Ben would be... but found it difficult to imagine he was.

"How inconsiderate of me!" he apologised, aghast that they'd wiled away so much time when Damien's vulnerable love was at home waiting for him. "Tell her I'm sorry - but thankful - that you sacrificed your time together for my sake. In fact, Ben and I would enjoy it very much if you and Rachel joined us for dinner one night soon - you're at our house weekly, perhaps she could accompany you after you finish one of your Luminary lectures? Nothing too formal, just come upstairs and hang out for a while, no election talk - naturally," Kerr laughed, "but Ben's examined your business model and I know he'd love to know more about your company. It would be great for him to learn from an expert that actively participates in his business' development, now that he's at the helm of Lovebite."

Kerr was an advisor in the business, sure, but he didn't have the experience Damien did. Plus, it would give them the chance they were looking for to find out more about Aquilla Industries.

The whole time Kerr spoke, he and Damien had been walking, leaving the lecture room and making their way to the staff carpark as soon as Damien had his things ready. They weren't moving sedately, either. Kerr hadn't realised just how long they'd dallied until they reached the open air and the scent of the approaching dawn hit his senses. They had over an hour to get home, of course, but if they didn't move towards it with purpose, they could be caught in a truly vulnerable position themselves.

[Saiketsu]

Damien waved off his 'inconsideration' and gave Kerr a warm smile, perhaps his most genuine of the night. "I'd be delighted, actually." He felt touched by the offer, honored even that his employer and the former Luminary were so interested in him or his work. While he was well aware that most of the immortal-specific buildings and houses in the city were built with Aquillia windows, he assumed that most people expected him to be extremely far removed from the actual manufacturing and distribution of the windows like many CEOs were. When he went out of his house, he never expected anyone to know him by face or reputation. He enjoyed that. Aquillia Industries, after all, was only the parent company of the manufacturing companies, not the manufacturer itself. It touched upon his pride to talk business with immortals who understood and accepted his youthful appearance as meaning nothing about his experiences with the world - especially immortals who were so entrenched in the politics of the city.

Upon reflection of the course of the night, Damien realized that Kerr had proven him wrong about a few things. When he had first laid eyes on the figure in the back of his classroom, he had anticipated meddling, pointed questions, even accusations and a firing. His suspicion, it seemed, was misplaced. Instead he received a receptive and intelligent man who's empathy and curtesy was something to behold. Guilt needled at him for the assumptions he had made regarding Kerr's ability to run the Oligarchy, for the preconceived notions that Kerr was simply some kind of guard dog for Ben's campaign. Damien's own suspicion of resentment had built unnecessarily protective walls around himself, assuming the worst about someone he had only known by title.

"I'd of course have to check to see whether Rachel is interested in being surrounded by more business-talk," he jested. "But perhaps, with all things considered, we should see how Ben feels about having his political opponent's campaign manager over for dinner." The humor never left his face and Damien felt more relaxed than he had been all night. "After all, I don't imagine he's thrilled with my decision and I would hate to put him in a more awkward position." He gave a small shrug of his shoulders.

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr laughed Damien's concern off, pleased that he was so receptive to his dinner invitation. The Frenchman's smile seemed genuine and he became even more attractive to Kerr because of it - mainly because he was such an astute and lovely man that Kerr couldn't resist being drawn to him.

Of course, Ben hadn't been impressed that Damien sided with Jake but Kerr was confident the information he'd be bringing home tonight would appease his attitude. He ensured his response addressed their gathering for a meal rather than the fact that an Academy employee had essentially jumped ship, though.

"Pfft," he said in accompaniment to his laugh, "Ben will be fine with it, I assure you! I'm going out to dinner with Jake tomorrow night and he's fine with that so I know you and yours will be welcome at our place any time. He respects you greatly and, as I said, wants to pick your business brain." Kerr winked and grinned, finding himself in excellent humour after his wonderful evening with Damien.

"You know, I just want to say that I really had no goal in coming here tonight other than to get to know you and I'm so glad I did! I'll completely understand if Rachel's not interested in signing up for boring business talk but I hope to meet her sometime soon also - let me know what she thinks!" Kerr encouraged, his car coming into view. It looked forlorn in the mostly-empty carpark.

[Saiketsu]

Damien started in astonishment at Kerr's announcement of dinner with Jake. Surely, he assumed, a rivalry so bitter between Jake and Ben had put up some walls between parties. Apparently not. "Oh?" It wasn't the first time that Jake had planned things without his knowing - he was not Jake's keeper, after all. But he did find it quite fascinating that the Ventrue hadn't mentioned a planned meeting between himself and the ex-Luminary and manager of the opposition's campaign. Damien figured it was something to be digested and studied at a later time, before he saw Jake next.

His track had taken him a few feet away from Kerr on his own journey to his own car parked a half-dozen or so spaces beyond what must have been Kerr's (his own pace taking him closer to one car parked alone). They were of a distance which spoke of parting, but still close enough to share words easily, though with the intention of wrapping up. It was the darkest part of the night now, though the birds had taken it upon themselves to beginning their daily racket. Dawn was approaching and Damien wondered in passing if Kerr was capable of fighting the oppressive weight of the sun at his age.

"I am glad we were able to speak as well. Our conversation has been very... enlightening for me." He smiled again. With a jesting, formal tone he said, "I will run this proposal by the human in question and get you an answer post-haste. Until then, have a good evening, Mr. Galvin." With a lasting smirk and a twinkle in his eye, Damien turned and walked towards his own car, finding his keys in his pocket and chirping the doors unlocked.

[Existentially Odd]

"You too, Mister Evans!" he responded jovially.

The sound of Kerr's appreciative laughter echoed around the parking lot as he nodded and waved at Damien then turned towards his own car, heading home in a far more satisfied mood than he'd arrived some hours beforehand.