It's an answer that plays well with believers and intellectuals, and middling with others; Daniel only tries a little to make it not specifically for Armand, and wonders at himself, incredulously, if it wasn't easier to talk like this. A buffer between them. The performance of it, as Armand likes to fall back on.
How much have I changed you?
He notes the way the ancient vampire's attention shifts for a brief moment. Daniel considers reaching out, dipping into the mind of the attendee who pulled it, but doesn't. Let it be a surprise to ask about later. And let him wrap up this Q&A section without risking a superpowers fumble. The host follows through on his meditation on fear and death, asks him about how changed he feels in terms of his career, and his social circle. Levity and seriousness. She's not doing half bad. Another question from the room about the balance of research versus creativity, then a final one, about an older book, and his thoughts on how the oil industry has carried on without any meaningful change. It detours them a bit, and the host is more clumsy about cutting them off to wrap up, but Daniel is gracious about it. She spends a while with him during the transition, all bright smiles, taking photos and little videos for her TikTok, and Daniel indulges her.
Book signing. An employee sits behind the little folded out table with him, occasionally taking a photo for social media and making sure no one gets Extra Weird. A global pandemic lingers, and so it's not so strange that Daniel wears gloves for this bit, the way items are being passed back and forth. A young couple has wandered in behind the one that annoyed Armand, navigating around chairs being put away. 'I wonder what we missed', 'I think it's the vampire guy', 'Oh woah, sick—' Enthusiastic, they discuss grabbing a copy and hopping in line, drawing an annoyed look from Mr Scoff.
no subject
How much have I changed you?
He notes the way the ancient vampire's attention shifts for a brief moment. Daniel considers reaching out, dipping into the mind of the attendee who pulled it, but doesn't. Let it be a surprise to ask about later. And let him wrap up this Q&A section without risking a superpowers fumble. The host follows through on his meditation on fear and death, asks him about how changed he feels in terms of his career, and his social circle. Levity and seriousness. She's not doing half bad. Another question from the room about the balance of research versus creativity, then a final one, about an older book, and his thoughts on how the oil industry has carried on without any meaningful change. It detours them a bit, and the host is more clumsy about cutting them off to wrap up, but Daniel is gracious about it. She spends a while with him during the transition, all bright smiles, taking photos and little videos for her TikTok, and Daniel indulges her.
Book signing. An employee sits behind the little folded out table with him, occasionally taking a photo for social media and making sure no one gets Extra Weird. A global pandemic lingers, and so it's not so strange that Daniel wears gloves for this bit, the way items are being passed back and forth. A young couple has wandered in behind the one that annoyed Armand, navigating around chairs being put away. 'I wonder what we missed', 'I think it's the vampire guy', 'Oh woah, sick—' Enthusiastic, they discuss grabbing a copy and hopping in line, drawing an annoyed look from Mr Scoff.