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It is both a surprise and a delight when an old colleague and peer calls on him for a visit. Hazel can’t recall the last time he was actually able to hold an extensive conversation with GIDEON GRAVES that hasn’t simply been short, polite exchange. So he’s eager to indulge in the chance for a meeting when a free moment presents itself. The Temperate Forest is a marvel in and of itself, as well, and Hazel is certainly not one to complain with the bitter cold that has settled over the region as of late.[break][break]

Per usual, his espeon, Nicodemus, sits alongside Hazel’s chair— tail twitching curiously as he watches different big-types flutter above and around them where they sit. The forward incline of his long ears indicates, however, that he is paying attention to the conversation between Hazel and Gideon, more than the rest of his posture implies.[break][break]

“Classes…more classes, summer seminars and sabbaticals, all the stops,” Hazel obliges with a circular wave of his hand, only answering in generalities for the time being. It’s a bit sad— though he voluntarily signed on to full time professorship (always working toward that tenured position,) the time he would like to allot toward his personal interests and pursuits within the realm of archival work and artifact preservation remains slim.[break][break]

“Entirely too long,” he agrees as he lifts the cup from his saucer, “it seems I’ve only just missed you the last few times I’ve visited.” It’s to be expected, naturally. They’re both busy individuals. And acquisition and exhibit building are often no easy feats.

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Hazel waved a hand dismissively, “Oh tosh.” Making steady plans that didn’t fall through due to this or that obligation was a joint effort, and Hazel could be held equally as culpable for a lack of managing to connect successfully. More often than not, if he wasn’t working he was ill, and if he wasn’t ill, he was working.[break][break]

He certainly wasn’t about to hold Gideon to a standard that he himself was poor at keeping because he was, admittedly, unable to leave work at work on most days.[break][break]

“I can attest to that. Though more from an academic side.” Hazel sighed, shoulders slumping before he lifted his teacup to sip on the warm liquid. “It feels as if I’ve had no time to work on my own interests.” That, and he’d been physically incapable for a stretch of time on top of his semester load at the university. Not that he was about to make an admittance about his being unwell.[break][break]

Even to someone he considered a friend.[break][break]

Humming lightly, he racked his mind to recall– “Galarian Mythology and Fable…Advanced Studies in Kalosian History, and an introductory course on Hoennian studies. Oh, and Archival Theory and Practice.” He nodded, more to himself to confirm that, yes, those were the courses he was teaching. Hopefully his memory wasn’t being spotty again.

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Naturally, his own agenda would drift right back to work once he’d finished allotting this time for a break. Under his chair, his espeon’s tail thumped against his tail in reminder that there were matters to attend to beyond a social hour. He made for a better timer than an actual clock did.[break][break]

But that was neither here nor there.[break][break]

“Well,” he hummed in thought, one knee crossing neatly over the other as he settled back in his chair–teacup still in hand. “I haven’t been on a dig in quite some time.” Maybe that was still a bit work-tangential, but excavations had always been of an independent fascination for Hazel. “Nor have I been antiquing. I should find something new to restore.”[break][break]

Was it obvious that he was fascinated with old objects yet?[break][break]

He had other, more mundane hobbies of course– puzzles of all varieties, dry ancient era documentaries that threatened to make his husband cry tears of boredom, and combing book reviews for the more hilariously scathing submissions, namely, but one thing at a time he supposed.[break][break]

His head nodded at the appraisal, sipping from his cup in the lag between words. “I think I’d go mad if I had to keep to just one area of interest, admittedly.” His shoulder rose and fell lightly.[break][break]

GIDEON GRAVES’s question, though, prompted the rise of one brow. “I have, as a matter of fact. It’s been some time since I’ve done contract work, but I did some in my earlier years of teaching.” Selfishly, he’d be interested to see what that particular department was working on. “Anything of interest recently?”

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“I would certainly enjoy that!” he replied with an enthusiastic nod. “I haven’t been on one in quite some time, so it would be nice to brush up.” Well, it had been some time since he’d been on an official dig, in a professional light. But that was a silent amendment as he recalled the trip he’d taken to loot a site with his partner, Hugo Albrecht, some months back.[break][break]
But GIDEON GRAVES needn’t worry about that![break][break]
“What site is being excavated, if you don’t mind my asking?” His eyes glinted with curiosity about what might’ve been uncovered, and where. It could’ve possibly passed as a look of opportunism, but it was soon muted by a downward glance at his cup before he took another careful sit.[break][break]
From under his seat, his espeon purred contented, tail swishing with lazy interest as he watched the fluttering of the vivillon throughout the room. Had he been a younger beast, he might’ve chased them and batted at the insects with dainty paws.[break][break]
The mention of the ultra wilds did, in fact, pique his interest—primarily because his constitution had been too poor as of late to allow him the opportunity to visit any for himself. “Interesting. Do they exist at all of the sites, regardless of which one is visited?” A strange linking thread among them, to be sure.

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A low hum of interest followed the other’s explanation. “Interesting. I’d certainly be glad to lend my assistance wherever it might be needed.” And if he could glean anything that might be useful for his own side of things, then that would be even better.[break][break]

Though, of course, his peer needn’t know as much.[break][break]

The unfortunate interruption was dissatisfying because it cut off the tap of information that Hazel suddenly had access to, but it was not wholly unexpected, either.[break][break]

Hazel nodded, before waving a hand in dismissal. “Not an issue, I completely understand how that goes.” A pleasant smile worked its way across Hazel’s face as he glanced back up at Gideon and set his tea cup down.[break][break]

An academic’s work was never done, it often felt.[break][break]

“If that’s quite alright, I’d very much enjoy doing exactly that.” Though for a moment, he would sit a bit longer and enjoy the vivillon some more. Under his chair, the espeon rumbled his agreement– tail flitting as he continued to study the insects with keen, feline interest.[break][break]

“Likewise,” he inclined his head in a nod of farewell. “I look forward to hearing from you.”