Wherein the boss may have said okay.

[princesspuzzle]

Princess got home. She might have been a little tipsy, but what of it? Teja watched as the puzzle box and the humanoid form that held her came through from the door which led down to the Amassment. "Hi, Teja."

"Hey Princess, have fun out there?" Teja was tapping away at the computer on the platform while Polly laid on his lap, purring and shimmering, her iridescence glimmering at the tips of her fur.

"Mmhm, it was amazing! We went to Alexandria," she said, immediately setting herself down, pulling off her backpack, then pouring water onto a piece of paper towel, wrapping it around the jasmine sprig that she'd stolen from the garden. "Went to the gardens there. We kinda got sidetracked because it was the middle of the night there, and we're planning on going back to look at one of the Orthodox monasteries, the museum, the library, a few other places. I got him drunk."

Teja snorted. "You got a vampire drunk."

"What, like it's hard? Anyway, um. I have a question. Can... I mean. If there's someone fond of travel, of finding things, someone who's a little reckless but has the propensity to err on the side of caution, but not too much caution..."

Teja looked up from his work and tilted his head. "You're asking if the little Marston can work for us." He had a lollipop stick stuck into the corner of his mouth, which he pulled out, half a lolly still attached to the stick. He turned to Princess as she ran to put the twig in a warm, sunny place, and go do some research. Her humanoid half settled down on the plush, old sofa, sitting cross-legged.

Princess looked up at Teja, then bowed her head. "He's taller than his father, I'd say he's the bigger Marston. And maybe I am, a little. He doesn't have to be here, he's got his own place. He's very intuitive, and he'd fit in well. He's... kind of like Bill? Sort of. Not really, but he's got a nose for this sort of stuff, and he likes traveling. He's able to go places his father can't, like Angkor Wat, and monasteries."

"A vampire who can touch holy ground? Interesting," Teja responded, scooting his chair closer, clearly interested. He pushed his hair back over his shoulders and furrowed his brow. "Can he... do the walking in daylight thing?"

"It might be because he's not particularly religious or superstitious Mm, like Bill. I'm pretty sure he's got one of Bill's rings on, or at least something like his juju. Anyway, yes, he can do that." She fussed with the little umbrella she had tucked into the backpack and smiled a little. "I can vouch for him, Teja. He loves the world. He loves exploring. But I don't think he'd want to do things full time like my thieves. He's got a life you know, he's a very good author," she said, then hushed when Teja held up his hand to ask her to stop.

"I've read his books. He's talented, his stories are immersive, his writing is smooth. I wouldn't want him to be taken away from what he loves to do. I'd need to meet him, you know."

"I know, that's one of the many duties of being the boss. Just... y'know. Don't tell Torii? She'll flip her wig." Princess couldn't help the openness of her hopefulness, how she was delighting in the very idea.

"Mm, no, she'll need to know. She didn't scream and flail at John, I'm sure she won't be so weird about Jack, either." Teja knew he couldn't not tell his sister, and promising otherwise was an already broken promise.

"She kinda screamed and flailed. She flapped and hyperventilated. But she was over it after getting out the fluster. I suppose you're right." Princess slipped the umbrella back into her backpack, then bit her lower lip in thought. "Of course, this is all hypothetical. It's ultimately up to him, but if he could find an excuse to do some real exploring, I'm sure he'd jump at the chance."

"Would you be with him on these explorations?" Teja leaned back into his chair and pushed himself towards the desk again. "Or would this be a just him situation?"

"Depends on how he feels, I guess. He's his own person. He's kind, for being a smartass. We don't tolerate smartasses here, obviously."

"Most certainly not, that's not one of the prerequisites."

"Mmhm, can't smartass here, that's just not done." Princess laughed quietly, and bowed her head. "Okay, I'll bring it up to him. I... Can I bring him here? He might want to touch everything, though, he's very tactile. I'll make him wear gloves. Or keep him away from the shiny things."

Teja wavered his hand in the air. "I'll think about it. You should think about this, too. It took me five years to vet the thieves."

"I'm a bit better at judging character than you are, Mr. Kriegssen." She had to point it out. "You're piss poor at it, I mean. You let them work for you."

He chuckled, low and rumbling, then turned back to the computer. "Just saying, liten boks. You are also prone to snap decisions without forethought."

"Sure, find me someone here who isn't like that."

"Gunnar."

"Oh would you stop. He doesn't even work here."

"You didn't specify working here. You only specified here."

"Teja," Princess sighed out his name, rolling her eyes, "You are so dumb. You're the dumbest. Ugh, insanely dumb."

"You love me."

"Yeah, I suppose. But I don't want to." She stood up, kissed his blood-red hair, and skipped down the stairs. "I'll talk to him. You'd better be ready to put up with a teenager because he's kinda stuck at nineteen forever."

"Perpetual children are my specialty. Goodnight, Princess."

"Nighty, Teja."